Don't Look Back, Muscle Jesus!

Don't Look Back, Muscle Jesus!
An American Catholic's Reflections on Pastor Ted and his anti-Catholicism

"...As a Republican, I'll say goodbye to "old Jesus" and hello to "new Jesus. " Sure Christ started out as a liberal Jew, and look where that got him. Compassion, love and diatribes against the rich only encourage the weak and punish the most successful among us. The Jesus that Republicans worship is a muscular, decisive, pro-war crusader hard at work cleansing the world of evildoers, not, God forbid, turning the other cheek..." - LINK

___

Jeff Sharlet's Soldiers of Christ is available for reading at Harper's Online.

Jeff has covered related stories at The Revealer for quite a while, and I'm glad Harpers continues to pick up on some of them.


"Pastor Ted"
Click photo to see related story by Jeff Sharlet

Pastor Ted Haggard, leader of Colorado Springs' New Life (mega)Church, and head of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), talks to President George W. Bush (or his advisers) every Monday.

I am a Catholic. I get a real sense, after reading about Ted Haggard, that he is anti-Catholic. It seems to me that Pastor Ted, for all intents and purposes, thinks that Catholics are losers because we "look back" to the works and examples of the Saints and, darn it, we just aren't blood-thirsty enough.

"Muscle Jesus" has bulk and fangs. Haven't we learned?

Ted blames poverty and third world conditions in Mexico on Catholicism. (Instead of placing blame where it lies: corrupt, inefficient government and pure greed).

Listen to his stereotyping, his smackdown of the value we Catholics place on the compassionate works of the Saints, and his arrogance:

"Catholics," he said, “constantly look back.” He went on: “And the nations dominated by Catholicism look back. They don’t tend to create our greatest entrepreneurs, inventors, research and development. Typically, Catholic nations aren’t shooting people into space. Protestantism, though, always looks to the future. A typical kid raised in Protestantism dreams about the future. A typical kid raised in Catholicism values and relishes the past, the saints, the history. That is one of the changes that is happening in America. In America the descendants of the Protestants, the Puritan descendants, we want to create a better future, and our speakers say that sort of thing. But with the influx of people from Mexico, they don’t tend to be the ones that go to universities and become our research-and-development people. And so in that way I see a little clash of civilizations.”

I think Pastor Ted is using his pulpit to divide Christians - and that is anti-Christian.

This, my friends, is the fellow who has our President's ear.

Take a look at the violence in Belfast, Ireland that continues today, and think about America's society and how we've learned that the separation of church and state can alleviate a lot of stupid and senseless fighting over religion. Imagine Pastor Ted on a Belfast street - in a Catholic neighborhood - preaching about the benefits of Protestantism. Those Belfast Catholic boys would beat the daylights out of old Ted - and if I weren't a Christian myself, I might be tempted to applaud.

The 'Muscle Jesus' is at work in the hearts and minds of men with old grudges.

Pastor Ted thinks the Catholics are "out", and evangelicals are 'in'.... and the battle boils down to evangelicals versus Islam.

QUOTE from article:

“My fear,” he says, “is that my children will grow up in an Islamic state.”

And that is why he believes spiritual war requires a virile, worldly counterpart. “I teach a strong ideology of the use of power,” he says, “of military might, as a public service.” He is for preemptive war, because he believes the Bible’s exhortations against sin set for us a preemptive paradigm, and he is for ferocious war, because “the Bible’s bloody. There’s a lot about blood.”

Pastor Ted is down with the idea of engaging in a Crusade. Isn't that stealing directly from the Catholics? Is that not "looking back?"

As a progressive Catholic who subscribes to Liberation theology, I think Pastor Ted should get 40 lashes from the power-whip of his own created "Muscle Jesus".
That'll learn him!

I promise not to look back.

___

"Our lord loves the country, he's with you at the polls
He knows the lever that you pull
He's keeping track of souls

The way it used to be
The way it ought to be
The way it's going to be again
And when we're in heaven you'll be sorry
When we're in heaven you'll be sorry
When we're in heaven you'll be sorry then.."

-From Soldiers Of Christ by Jill Sobule

__

"I think we Christian believers are responsible not to lie, but I don’t think we’re responsible to say everything we know."

- From the Christian wisdom of Pastor Ted

Memorial Day Parade

Memorial Day Parade, Camillus, N.Y.
Monday, May 30, 2005

"To honor them, why speak of duty
or the will of governments?
Think first of love each time you
tell their story.
It gives their sacrifice a name and takes from war its glory."

- Sam Hazo (Real Audio)

See 2LT Cowherd, Final Roll Call - I think this is the best Memorial Day Tribute available on the blogs today. See this related post, also.

TAR HEEL TAVERN

TAR HEEL TAVERN

MAY 28, 2005

Greetings, everyone. I am hosting my first Tar Heel Tavern at Iddybud and I'd like to start by thanking everyone who participated. It was great to hear from you. I enjoyed meeting many of you last week in Greensboro, and in honor of that May 18th Meet-Up, I am including my entry about it.

It was also the deciding factor in this week's Carnival Theme: "Virtual Meet-Up".

I asked each participant to consider this week's Tar Heel Tavern to be a Virtual Meet-Up...a round wooden table with plenty of comfortable chairs in a neighborhood tavern or coffee shop, and to sit back and discuss events of the day - or whatever was on their mind.

GREENSBORO:



• David Wharton of A Little Urbanity asks: Is the building of Disneylike, fake downtowns a good thing? He has concerns about Greensboro's Starmount Company, which is developing the West Friendly Avenue property on which Greensboro's Burlington Industries building stood until last Monday as a shopping center. Since this week's theme is the Virtual Meet-Up, David says he's hoping the new center won't be the
preferred meet-up spot for Mickey, Goofy, and Donald!

• At Lewis Byers' Barber Shop Blog, the entry "To who's IS Concerned- District $20.00" talks about the concerns that the folks in District 2 in Greensboro have. The social experience of being in the barbershop is well represented by links to photos, an mp3 of conversation, and various online topics of the day.

• I had linked to Stewart of Lenslinger earlier this week regarding his blog coverage of last Monday’s staged implosion of the Burlington Industries building. Lenslinger's chosen Tar Heel Tavern entry discusses the "new breed of onlookers" who had risen up to record the event. Read more about his belief that, "whatever new paradigm takes hold, it’s a safe bet the two-person news crew is an endangered species" by going to the link.

• Billy the Blogging Poet points to The Red Hook Community Justice Center in New York State, the nation's first multi-jurisdictional community court, which has been a success in a neighborhood known to be a high crime neighborhood for almost a century. Billy asks: "Why should East Greensboro wait a century to have restorative justice when we could have it today?"



• VFW NC asks you to listen to words taken from a video, made during the WW II era, on safeguarding Military Information. They warn of consequences that have relevance and apply to our world of bloggers today, at all times. They say: "Your blog can be a weapon, your words and images ammunition, so be careful how and where you point it."

• Tara Sue says "Show Me the Jobs," and she cites a mission for Greensboro, which is primarily to avert unemployment. Ideas: Support the restructuring of industry; contribute to the growth in traditional manufacturing; work effectively to reintegrate marginalised social groups; create jobs for young professionals; bring new life into redundant historic monuments or industrial buildings; facilitate the regeneration of run-down city districts; provide the soft infrastructure of cultural tourism; develop the knowledge economy; and demonstrate the value of contemporary culture and stimulate innovation.


• Jerry McClough's ThatsWhatzUp! blog speaks of "Going Forward." The entry is about the things that he sees that he believes are going wrong, not only in Greensboro, but all over the world. He says: "If you are aware that there are unjust things going on and you are not standing up for what is right, then you are as guilty as the person that is doing the wrong." Jerry expresses some disillusionment with the blogging community, but stresses that progress cannot be stopped, he offers some 'street love' to his community members, and closes by expressing the hope that everyone will take a moment and just think about a positive future - where you are at this time, and where are you heading.




ASHEVILLE


photo: AcousticSyndicate.com

• At Scrutiny Hooligans, Funk-o-Meter posts on the final days of a western North Carolina musical institution, the killer bluegrass band known as Acoustic Syndicate. Their last show is this weekend. It's a personal story told by the Hooligan who knew the Sugar Hill recording act - up close and personal.



CHARLOTTE

• The Charlotte Capitalist Many in Charlotte
Mecklenburg are upset about schools, taxes, the arena...The list goes on.
The ideas of two men can reverse this trend. Who are they? He says: "Check it
out!"

• Anonymoses was surprised to learn that the NY Times best selling book titled "1000 Places to See Before You Die" had only talked about a few North Carolina destinations. Suspecting "they just didn't look hard enough," Dave has supplemented the guide with his own entry, "1000 Places in North Carolina to See Before You Die".



TRIANGLE


photo credit: ABC11


• When I read this week's entry at Pam's House Blend, I double-checked my calendar to make sure I was in 2005. "This sh*t shouldn't happen here: crosses burned in Durham" discusses how three crosses were burned in Pam's progressive hometown of Durham, one only a couple of miles away from her own house, near a middle-class, suburban subdivision. Pam says "There's no place here for this kind of bull, and people came out to show that it won't be tolerated." She has provided the link to a follow-up post about Durham vigils -- and speculation about the motive for the cross burnings.


• Coturnix has some thoughts on the use of animals in research and teaching. He is disturbed by the fact that, in the course of his work, he is writing proposals guided not by the importance of experiments that need to be done, but by how likely is it that the experiments will be approved by IACUC (Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.) He believes what is needed is the freedom to use whatever technique and approach is suitable for a particular question he or his colleagues are asking. He says that the activity of IACUCs have had a 'chilling effect on animal research in the USA', resulting in a precipitous decline in whole-animal research in this country. The result is a slowdown for Science.

• Photoblogger Mandie from It's a Pixelated Life displays a lovely photo of TJ's Deli

• phin's boss doesn't like a few of phin's work habits. He's made it clear, and phin shares the 'Not to-do List' in "A memo from the boss."

• What's wrong with this picture? At Words Fitly Spoken? by Maximilian Longley, a post titled "George Bernard Shaw: Playwright, vegetarian, Socialist propagandist . . . and right-wing gun nut?" points to a quote by Shaw that may surprise you.

• If you've ever hung out at a coffeeshop or a bar in a college town, you have heard geeks argue about Star Wars. Robust McManlyPants says it's just that simple. Here is his contribution - the random, perhaps uncouth but heartfelt defense of a silly subject: "Star Wars Analysis, Now With More Idiot."


• Josh Staiger has a nice write-up on "Roth IRAs and a nod to Vanguard Funds." He adds a recommendation: that you take a stroll down to your local art house movie theater and see Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room in order to "build up your mistrust of corporate America and investment bankers before you give them your money."

• William at Pirates Cove has a photoshop creation to share. He is amazed/maybe not so amazed that Democrats are "all over" the story featured in the now-infamous Isikoff Newsweek (Newsweak) article. Deciding that 'the word of Islamic extremists who want to kill Americans as more credible then that of American soldiers and citizens' is the way he views the attitude of some Democratic citizens. I would imagine this would raise much discussion at a Meet-Up. How about you?

• Jennifer of Open Book provides us with some "Scraps," which she describes as bits and pieces of her mind on a Saturday morning.


photo: Peers & Peerless

• At Peers & Peerless, Alex gives us "Balloon Animal," including photos and a write-up about a film shot in Carrboro last weekend.

___


• A Reminder: Hoggfest is tomorrow in Greensboro. I hope many will attend.

• NEXT WEEK'S TAR HEEL TAVERN WILL BE HOSTED BY BILLY THE BLOGGING POET.

John Edwards Will Guest-Blog at TPM Cafe Debut

John Edwards Will Guest-Blog at TPM Cafe Debut

Josh Marshall has announced that John Edwards will join him for the debut week of the new Talking Points Memo Cafe. Josh will be launching the site on Tuesday, May 31st. John will have the guest blogging seat from Tuesday May 31st through Friday June 3rd.

John just got back from a trip to London. See his post at the One America blog.

Edwards was the commencement speaker at William and Mary Law School last week. A transcript of his speech is available here.

"...it matters who's with you on this journey. It does. So many times life is going to be hard. It's going to seem that heartache and struggle just won't go away. So it matters whose hand you reach out to; whose advice you rely on and whose kindness you depend on to get through the day.."

That is so very true - it really does matter. I consider that a golden piece of advice for young people. I'm thankful for the hands of kindness which help to lead me through those inevitable dark days and I wish each one of you the blessings and benefit of the same.

While you're at Josh's link, check out Fox News' David Asman's totally unprofessional slip of the lip. One of those things that make you go "Hmmmmm".


UPDATE: Matthew Yglesias has actually closed down his old blog in order to join Josh's TPM Cafe. Josh AND Matthew? Man, this is sure to be a POWERHOUSE! I am thrilled for them and for us readers.

Parry: Fear Used for Conservative Success

Parry: Fear Used for Conservative Success

"What the American conservative movement has done so effectively over the last three decades is to perfect a dynamic of fear and inject it into the key institutions for generating or disseminating information."

This article by journalist and author Robert Parry is one to print out and put into your political strategy reference books. How did the American conservative movement succeed so well in saturating the mainstream media with their talking points? How did they turn what was once an investigative and critical press into their lapdogs?

From where we stand today, it's not only the press about whose democratic integrity we must be concerned.

What is perhaps even more troubling is that this fear is spreading to other institutions. Academia is now feeling the heat from conservatives who want to eliminate it as the last bastion of liberal thought. Corporate leaders also appear to be suffering from paralysis in the face of policies that are threatening the long-term future of the United States...CEOs are mostly staying on the sidelines in these crucial debates.

All is not hopeless, as Mr. Parry states that he believes there are solutions.

It’s simply not enough to tell journalists, politicians and others that they must buck up and do the right thing, especially when people who do show courage are systematically destroyed and made into object lessons for colleagues left behind.

If individuals are expected to be courageous, there must be courageous institutions to surround and protect them. That’s why the creation of a counter-infrastructure – one that will take on both the powerful conservative infrastructure and the cowardly mainstream media – is so vital.

Examples of how this counter-dynamic could work can be found in the take-no-prisoners ethos of the anti-Bush Internet sites, or in the irreverent comedy of “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” or in the unabashed liberalism of the fledgling progressive talk radio.

All have shown toughness in refusing to genuflect before Bush and his enormous political power.

Read the article. It's a keeper.

John Edwards: The Four Pillars to Develop A Just New World

"Went to see John Edwards speak at the LSE today. Wonderful speech and an hour spent answering the audience questions. It is nice to see liberal causes of egality and ending poverty put across so well. Hopefully he is a future President of the United States."

- From a London blogger

John Edwards: The Four Pillars to Develop A Just New World

Re:Remarks By John Edwards
London School of Economics
May 25, 2005
Audio (Podcast411)
text (One America)

The first pillar:
America and Europe must both prepare for the challenges of globalization.

Nations like India and China are in a race to be on the cutting edge of innovation and technology. Europe is transforming to deal with this reality. It is in America's interest for the European Union to succeed. America needs to remain competitive.

- The American education system must be reformed. Rising tuitions are increasingly putting the hope for a college degree out of reach for many families and their children.

- American budget deficits cause our dependence upon other nations, and we have become less competetive in the world because of those deficits. Our budget must be balanced.

- In the American health care system 46 million people are uininsured and health care costs are exorbitant. This works against America's interests, putting our companies at a competetive disadvantage. Example: Health care adds approximately $1400 to the cost of building each American car.


The second pillar:
We must ensure that people live in a world that is free from want

- In America, 36 million people wake up in poverty every day. We need to strengthen the foundation for families that work and that means health care for everyone and child care for parents who need it.

- One idea to provide hope and assistance is, using Great Britain's example:

"Britain has led the way with the Child Trust Funds. We ought to consider the same thing in America—providing $500 to every child at birth, and perhaps an additional $500 for lower-income families. If parents could contribute too, then by the time a child turned 18 years old, they could have as much as $40,000 in the bank. Money to spend on college or a home.. or money to store up for retirement. Imagine what it would say to a poor boy growing up in my home state of North Carolina...if he knew that if he studied hard..if he stayed in school...then he would have $20 or $30 or $40 thousand dollars in the bank when he turned 18. Imagine what it would do to his sense of hope and possibility for the future. It could change whole communities."

The third pillar:
America and Europe must work together to eliminate the threat of weapons of mass destruction.

- We need critical organizations like NATO to remain strong.

- We must close the loopholes in the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty by creating a new "Global Nuclear Compact.

- America and Europe must ensure that the know-how to build nuclear weapons never reaches terrorists by strengthening existing plans which ensure that nuclear scientists are employed for peaceful purposes.


The Fourth Pillar:
The final pillar is promoting liberty and democracy around the world.

"Ordinary men and women, from Egypt to Morocco to Indonesia, need to be convinced that democracy and liberty are the pathway to possibilities."

- Just as poverty and disillusionment isolate and drain hope from our own people in our own cities and towns, it does the same thing for every person around the world who feels like they don't have a chance. General John Abizaid has said that the war against terrorism is "a battle of ideas as much as it is a military battle."

[Freedom]stirs the soul and makes all people long for that fundamental human right to be free. And a world where poverty and despair are accepted is a world that's going nowhere—a world that isn't really free. Think about it. Freedom is meaningless if your children are dying of preventable diseases like Malaria. Freedom is meaningless to a child that shows up at a school but is turned away because that child can't pay for a uniform. And freedom is meaningless when 1 billion people live on less than a dollar a day.

There's been a lot of talk about freedom in America and around the world. Let me be clear: the idea that America stands for freedom is not new. It is not owned by any political party. It is not owned by any one country. It is an idea that is borne from our words and our wishes, and given life through our actions.

* the reaction was resounding applause

president2008

Photo

Coturnix (Bora) and Iddybud (Jude)
at Chapel Hill last week
Photo by David K. Beckwith (Anonymoses)

Sign This Letter Re "Downing Street Memo"

Sign This Letter Re: "Downing Street Memo"

On the same day President Bush said that 20 years from now, historians will look back on the Iraq war as "America's golden moment," Raw Story reports that Congressman John Conyers (D-MI) seeks to amass 100,000 signatures from U.S. citizens calling on President Bush for more answers about a 2002 meeting during which a senior British official said intelligence was "being fixed" to present a case for the Iraq war.

Please sign the letter and tell others to sign as well.

From JohnConyers.com:

"...Along with 88 of my colleagues, I wrote to the President requesting answers about this grave matter. Thus far, our search for the truth has been stonewalled and I need your help. I believe the American people deserve answers about this matter and should demand directly that the President tell the truth about the memo. To that end, I am asking you to sign on to a letter to the President requesting he answer the questions posed to him by 89 Members of Congress...

..Please pass on this important letter to your friends and colleagues, and ask them to sign as well.

Thank you for your help and support."

John Conyers, Jr.

Letter to President Bush Concerning the Downing Street Memo

Raw Story has learned that a coalition of activist groups running the gamut of social and political issues will ask Congress to file a Resolution of Inquiry, the first necessary legal step to determine whether President Bush has committed impeachable offenses in misleading the country about his decision to go to war in Iraq. It cites the Downing Street Memo and issues surrounding the planning and execution of the Iraq war. A resolution of inquiry would force relevant House committees to vote on the record as to whether to support an investigation.

NOTE: Telling us that history will judge this as our "golden moment" is quite a leap from Bush's reply to Bob Woodward when he asked the president how history would judge Bush on Iraq. Back then, Bush had replied:

‘History,’ and then he took his hands out of his pocket and kind of shrugged and extended his hands as if this is a way off. And then he said, ‘History, we don’t know. We’ll all be dead.’”

Reference: AfterDowningStreet.org

___

From "the farmer" at Corrente:

Is this a lie...?
"I have no knowledge of the Downing memo."

Is that a lie? That's what the host of this mornings episode of CSPAN's Washington Journal told a caller when asked to briefly explain the Downing Street memo. (Friday, May 27, 2005).

So noted informed tv-journalist host, after informing the caller that he had no knowledge of such things, then suggested the caller might try searching about on the internet to find what they were looking for.

That's our liberal media!

BBA

Memorial Day - Fair and Balanced

Memorial Day - Fair and Balanced

Fox News tells us, by it's slogan (which, ironically, they betray every day), that we should be fair and balanced.

Memorial Day is approaching.
With the world as it stands today, I wanted to find a way to be Fair and Balanced about the American Holiday's observation.

I have chosen to honor soldiers' sacrifices in the face of my bitter and realistic heartbreak over our current foreign policy.

I recently thought to myself, "If the world is watching me, what will I say, as an American who wishes to honor my nation's war dead - knowing fully well that some perfectly innocent people have died in a war which, after knowing what we now know, my nation never had to initiate?"

That's a difficult question.

Diane, a writer at Daily Kos, has written a poignant story called "One Hundred Names You Won't Hear This Memorial Day". From the photo of the first young man on her list, who resembles my own son, I cannot turn away from what is true and what is real. I am Pro-Life. I believe innocent boys and girls should never die in the name of collateral consequence, regardless of the material benefit an optional war provides for us as citizens of a nation.

Stem cell research has little to do with Memorial Day, but asking for logic that would follow a straight path has a lot to do with the point I'd like to make. On ABC News' This Week, Rev. Billy Graham's daughter, Ann Graham Lotz, recently said:

"My father has Parkinson's disease. I have a son who has cancer, a mother who has degenerative arthritis and I have a husband who has diabetes. And those are four very close family members, each one of whom has a disease that I have read, anyway, could be possibly affected by stem cell research, which is exciting to me, but embryonic stem cell research, which is still distressing to me. I would not want any one of my family members to benefit from the willful destruction of another human life."

If that is true, and unless she is a complete hypocrite (which I do not believe she is), then we can put Ann Graham Lotz in the category of "Anti-war". After all, given her logic, the many innocent deaths we have willfully caused in Iraq, which were of a secondary (collateral) nature to our intent to win in an optional war which benefits our nation would surely not be morally acceptable.

Yet, listen to what Anne Graham Lotz said when asked by Jane Clayson on the NBC Today Show about 9/11:

Clayson asked, "I've heard people say, those who are religious, those who are not, if God is good, how could God let this happen? To that, you say?"

Lotz replied, "I say God is also angry when he sees something like this. I would say also for several years now Americans in a sense have shaken their fist at God and said, God, we want you out of our schools, our government, our business, we want you out of our marketplace. And God, who is a gentleman, has just quietly backed out of our national and political life, our public life. Removing his hand of blessing and protection.."

Anne Graham Lotz blamed American culture for 9/11. Basically, she's saying "God's gonna getcha for that." Wouldn't that mean that Anne Graham Lotz believes that God, with vengeance, was, in some way, with those hijackers on that fateful September morning? Is that what the "gentleman God" in Lotz' head is all about? Perhaps she'd believe, following her logic, that her "gentleman God" was so angry and saddened with American culture that He allowed the President and his administration to lie to the American public and send us to unnecessary war? I wonder what Anne would say about Iraq? In my search for any comment whatsoever on Google, I am only met with her glaring silence on Iraq.

This and many other moral confusions and hypocrisies are what makes America such a mockable spectacle to secularists around the world. I'm sick to death of these hypocrisies (whether or not the people truly believe what they're saying). I'm hoping Americans will soon come to their senses and work together for a land where we can exist at peace with one another and tend to our common values and goals.

God has been used to raise emotion on Memorial Day, and I believe there is a proper and fitting place for God in the National observance of the holiday. It doesn't rest with the loons of the far right, however. It rests with the trust, love and devotion that the individual soldier holds in his or her heart.

One listen to the music and poetry of "Each Time You Tell Their Story" (Real Audio) by Sam Hazo will help you to understand this.

"To honor them, why speak of duty
or the will of governments?

Think first of love each time you
tell their story.

It gives their sacrifice a name and takes from war its glory."

I weep for the men and women we've lost in Iraq. My heart is torn to shreds over their loss. They have my undying love, thanks, and respect.

I believe in God. My faith has not been shaken by 9/11 or by the sickening path by which President Bush's foreign policy has led us. My fervent prayer is that God forgives us for the careless and arrogant mistakes the Bush administration has made in Iraq - in the name of the People of America.

I dedicate this post and Memorial Day to Pat Tillman and his family.

Arianna on Hillary's Confusing Iraq Statement

Arianna on Hillary's Confusing Iraq Statement
Why on Earth is Hillary speaking this way?! Arianna Huffington points out the importance of clarity and longs for a 2008 Democratic presidential candidate who owns a dictionary where the words "political poison" appear under the definition of "equivocate".

Why can’t Democratic leaders talk straight about Iraq? The latest example is Hillary Clinton on CNN: "You know, I am not one who feels comfortable setting exit strategies. We don't know what we're exiting from. We don't know what the situation is moving toward…. How do we know where we're headed, when we don't know where we are?"

Wow. Very existential. Very Zen koan. If a foreign policy disintegrates in the desert and no one hears it fail, what does this mean for our country and for our safety? Do you hear that? It’s the sound of one Greek gagging. I’ve just decided that I do have a litmus test for the 2008 Democratic nominee: someone who can utter, in plain English, an unambiguous, unequivocal sentence about Iraq.

Read more here.

Jim Goldsborough on John Bolton

Jim Goldsborough on John Bolton

Jim Goldsborough continues to be a strong voice of reason. In his recent column titled "We Deserve John Bolton", he says:

"The new Anglo-Saxon Crusade against the infidels is a disaster. We have killed tens of thousands of innocent people with our bombs and turned a functioning nation into a hellhole. The murdering will not stop and our reputation will not begin to be restored until we are gone -- and even then it will take decades or even centuries. Our armed forces, which opposed this war, have seen their reputation besmirched again, and we are implicated in torture and human rights abuses as never before.

This is the America Bush has given us. This is the America that deserves John Bolton at the United Nations."

I went to Blogsboro

I went to Blogsboro
...and all I got was this lousy t-shirt my picture on the front cover!



Yes Weekly:
New media gains national attention in Greensboro
There’s something happening here.


Oh, yes, there's something definitely happening in Blogsboro. Yes Weekly's Editor Brian Clarey and photographer Lee Adams have done a fantastic job of helping you to envision the social (blogging) scene at Panera's on Lawndale last Wenesday night. It was a warm and welcoming group on a warm Spring evening. Billy Jones, who has graciously organized and hosted the monthly Meet-Ups, was the first person I recognized when I arrived. Roch Smith fooled me..he'd shaved off his beard, so I didn't recognize him right off the bat. Because I'd only seen him in photos, I expected to see Roch as he'd appeared on the mysterious Mr. Sun's website. I tried to squeeze Mr. Sun's true identity out of Roch, by the way, but he wouldn't sing.
*Mr. Sun, your secret is safe with Roch.

I was invited to see the Revolution Mill Studios afterwards, and I found it to be quite an interesting evening. Tara Sue Clark is a vivacious and energetic idea-wielder who told us about the history and renovation of the mill and her plans for its future. Making internet users feel comfortable with blogging tools is something that comes naturally to her.

Ross Myers, sitting with us at the massive wood conference table in an airy room of glass and sturdy wooden beams, spoke of a potential for a prosperous future in the world of citizen's media. Ross is, to say the least, uncomfortable about the new "private box" into which he sees the traditional media attempting to put the blogosphere. He believes a true "Public Square" should be owned by the public and maintained in the interest of the public and not the special interests. Myers' ideas go far beyond the borders of the lovely community in which he lives and works. He has asked, if 10 men from six highly competitive New York newspapers could have met and agreed to work together…and within 100 years become one of the largest news gathering organizations in the world, what could 8 million people from all over the world accomplish in just a few years, given the technological advantages we have today? That, according to Ross, is the question the blogosphere needs to be addressing. With blogging, it's anyone's game. New business models are emerging.

My Idea Consultants colleague Nick Lewis said recently in his column titled "The Evolutionary Origins of the Weblog":

"The MSM is sustained through legal safeguards, readers and watchers who have no where else to turn, and revenue from ads. In contrast, the blogosphere’s growth is sustained by our natural desire for social belonging; to find meaning through cooperation towards common goals. Look at those two models again. Which is more likely to outlive the other?"

I know this topic has come up in Greensboro before. Much has been discussed. Ed Cone has asked:

"Is Roch [Smith] ethically wrong at 101? Are Ross and Tara ethically wrong to look at blog networks as a way to do affinity marketing?...This is not the old media world, where the success of one entity must come at the expense of another."

Anonymoses replied, (in his unmistakable Anonymosian way:)

"..you seem to be talking about sins of inclusion, which, if a sin at all, is at least a shared sin…which basically means you will only go to Heck, a bedroom community on the outskirts of Hell. Climate-controlled. WiFi…"

I love the idea of everyone in Blogsboro working cooperatively...flourishing financially...constantly striving to benefit all citizens within that community and beyond..providing citizens with a strong voice and a simple way to relay their message in this land of the free; this home of the brave; this abode of the entrepreneurial. With cooperation and ethical consideration, I believe they may succeed in being the pioneering success they dream of being. Sky's the limit.

I especially enjoyed speaking with Ron Newton, GED Tutor of the Year in 2004, whose SAT College Board Preparation blog is the only one of its kind in existence today.

Jerry McClough of ThatsWhatzUp was recently voted President of his child's Elementary School PTA.

Lewis Byers' Barbershop blog is a pretty hip idea. I'll be watching it closely to see how it evolves and grows.

Jay Ovittore, Sue, Chewie,JW, Lenslinger, Ben, F.S. Patrick, Michael, Jill Williams from Truth and Reconciliation...I enjoyed meeting you.

In January of this year, Ed Cone wrote:

"..Something is trying to happen in Greensboro. If you compare the weblog scene here and now to the situation one year ago, the progress is phenomenal. But it's an experiment. The people behind it are sincere and committed. It could falter, at least as a business proposition, which would lead some to say it failed. It may succeed in ways that the mass market or at least current understanding does not recognize as success.

It is what it is."

I think, for tonight, that is a fitting way to end this blogpost.



* See Yes Weekly's list of Greensboro's Top Ten Hometown Blogs. Congrats to all who made the Top Ten list and the Honorable Mention list.

Iraq Notes

Iraq Notes

A few quick notes on the Iraq War and our troops -

- The House of Representatives voted down a measure, by a 128 to 300 vote, that called on President Bush to devise a plan for a withdrawal from Iraq. It came in the form of an amendment to the $491 billion budget for the Pentagon that was passed on Wednesday night. It's important to note that the withdrawal amendment marks the first time that Congress has officially voted and debated legislation that deals with a withdrawal. Two-thirds of Democrats voted for it (why didn't they all?) and so did five Republicans (why didn't they all?) It's a dramatic shift from just a few months ago, when talk of a potential withdrawal was taboo for even the most progressive lawmakers. *thanks to Scrutiny Hooligans for the lead.


- The massive oil pipeline, which many believe is the real cause for the Bush administration's occupation of Iraq, was (rather quietly) opened for business yesterday in the central Asian republic of Azerbaijan. It provides the first direct link between the landlocked Caspian - thought to contain the world's third-largest oil and gas reserves - and the Mediterranean. It was built by a consortium led by British Petroleum and will take until August to fill completely. Then it will carry one per cent of the world's oil production every day. You can see further discussion about the pipeline at Democracy Now.



- Military bloggers are typing their place in history. C.B. is back home and writing a book. I knew he'd be famous from the first time I read him.

Tara Sue Clark and Ross Myers (seen with Instapundit in this photo) have created a Milblog news aggregator at: http://news.militarywebcom.org/
They also featured a live Milblogger's conference session during this month's bloggercon in Nashville, TN. According to The Shu:

"Tara Sue and Ross caused a bit of a stir during the Military Blogging session by carrying the session live via audio and video. Through the use of some emerging technology in partnership with the VFW and Policlick’s new website MilitaryWebCOM.org were able to bring military bloggers around the world into the discussion during the session. Congrats to those folks for successfully putting that together."

Cross Burning in Durham N.C.

Cross Burnings in Durham N.C.
Checking my calendar - yes, it's 2005. I can't believe I'm writing this. At Pam's House Blend, she reports cross-burning incidents which occurred in Durham, N.C. last night.

Chayes: "It's a mistake to focus on the Newsweek article."

Chayes: "It's a mistake to focus on the Newsweek article."

A couple days ago, I'd posted about my doubts surrounding the Newsweek-Afghanistan riot connection. There is new information to cause me to further doubt the connection which, in my opinion, was all too hastily made by the Bush administration and others.

Laura Rozen reports that the events, which culminated in the deaths of the 15-18 alleged citizens of Afghanistan (of whom we still have no positive identity) after the infamous Isikoff Newsweek story, were not necessarily related to anything Isikoff had written.

Kandahar-based Sarah Chayes has written of the recent riots in Afghanistan in the New York Times:

"...Our unshakable conclusion has been that the adroit Pakistani intelligence agency, Inter-Services Intelligence, is planting operatives in the student body. These students can also provoke agitation at Pakistani officials' behest, while affording the government in Islamabad plausible deniability.

In both Kandahar and Kabul, alert Afghan government officials were able to calm demonstrations by holding discussions with student leaders, an indication of the degree to which protesters' actions were manipulated and not the result of spontaneous outrage.

In other words, it's a mistake to focus on the Newsweek article as the cause of the recent demonstrations in Afghanistan. Instead, the reason was President Hamid Karzai's May 8 announcement that Afghanistan would enter a long-term strategic partnership with the United States."

Mahablog has even more reasons why Newsweek shouldn't be blamed. She may even have provided sufficient investigatory groundwork for their vindication.

Can You Relate?

Can You Relate?

1975: Long hair
2005: Longing for hair

1975: KEG
2005: EKG

1975: Acid rock
2005: Acid reflux

1975: Moving to California because it's cool
2005: Moving to California because it's warm

1975: Trying to look like Marlon Brando or Liz Taylor
2005: Trying NOT to look like Marlon Brando or Liz Taylor

1975: Seeds and stems
2005: Roughage

1975: Hoping for a BMW
2005: Hoping for a BM

1975: The Grateful Dead
2005: Dr. Kevorkian

1975: Going to a new, hip joint
2005: Receiving a new hip joint

1975: Rolling Stones
2005: Kidney Stones

1975: Being called into the principal's office
2005: Calling the principal's office

1975: Screw the system
2005: Upgrade the system

1975: Disco
2005: Costco

1975: Parents begging you to get your hair cut
2005: Children begging you to get their heads shaved

1975: Passing the drivers' test
2005: Passing the vision test

1975: Whatever
2005: Depends

Mainstream Media Must Change or Die

Mainstream Media Must Change -
or Die
With the Advent of the Second Superpower,
It's Time for Significant Change
If They Don't, We Will!
Social Conscience Must Not Be Lost or Buried on Page 16 with the Bloomingdales ad

There's a buzz right now about writer/filmmaker Danny Schechter and the topic of Media Reform. There was a National Conference for Media Reform held last week in St Louis, featuring Bill Moyers, who allegedly gave a powerful speech on the topic.

Media Matters has launched a "Hands Off Public Broadcasting" campaign. PBS is the last bastion of independent journalism, free from political or commercial pressure, and their targeting for becoming an ideologue's oasis for just another Conservative point of view must be resisted with great public pressure.

Josh Shear discusses Danny Schecter's proposal for a Media and Democracy Act, stating:

"...[Schechter] gives only one idea for funding any of his ideas: charging a tax on advertising, which would fund public broadcasting. Somehow, I just don't see a tax on advertising ever making it through Congress, but even if it does, Schechter's ideas need a lot more funding, and the people who most need to be the recipients of most of that funding certainly can't afford higher tax rates or to make sudden in-kind gifts to public library or education systems. Maybe the couple of hundred billion dollars we're spending on this failed foray into Iraq could be better used."

Still, Shear recommends an updated Fairness Doctrine, saying that "properly written, a new Fairness Doctrine could even foster growth of new political parties in the U.S. If media outlets are forced to cover small-party candidates, those candidates would gain more exposure, and presumably win some converts. That could lead to coalitions and compromise in government."


The Common Ills showcases Schecter's thoughts, along with Stephen Dunifer's "The Folly of Media Reform."

I want you to listen to Dunifer - and listen to him closely.

"....most advocates of reform fail to recognize that every citizen of the United States is the target of an ongoing psychological warfare campaign. It is terra-forming of the human internal landscape. An old movement slogan had it right, "It is hard to fight an enemy who has an outpost in your head". When someone is carpet bombing your mind every second, minute and hour of the day, blowing the hell of out of your sense of self-esteem, self-identity and self-worth, would any intelligent, free thinking person believe that media reform aspirin is the solution and cure? No way!.... Our only option is to continue to create our own systems of media and information."

It's time to open our eyes and to turn the old dinosaur over on its ear. We have a framework for freedom and democracy in America and we are the ones who are squandering that freedom by standing by and allowing owners and editors of MSM to stuff our heads with careless, unconscientious garbage. I don't wish to be an amoral trash receptacle and I don't want our children to have to endure what we currently endure from MSM owners and editors. Our country; our children; citizens of our world - they are all far too valuable to allow the mainstream media to control the discussion in this, the most influential, powerful, and enriched nation on the face of the Earth.

A change must surely come.

In America today, thanks to the Founding Fathers, a revolution does not have to be won with blood; but it does still require sweat and tears. We can sit back and whine about the mainstream media or we can work together to find a way to get the most important issues out front (and recruit market support) in the form of a citizen's press.

Jason Miller (ZNET) recently said (and I agree):

"While much of the mainstream media is corrupted by the influence of government and corporate interests, there are still mainstream journalists who practice a high degree of journalistic integrity, and who do challenge the prevailing social ideals with their stories and opinions. To make a sweeping dismissal of every journalist employed by a mainstream newspaper or television network would be both unrealistic and unfair."

I certainly do not intend to demean great journalists employed by MSM. It is the nature of the beast from which they draw their pay that I have come to distrust, with good reason.

An example: The story of the Downing Street memo, and it's burial in the back pages of the mainstream media, was the last straw as far as I'm concerned. If we cannot have a media who will put a proper priority on the all-important issue of a government who has willingly taken us to unnecessary war, then I think it's time to drive them into the ground and plant our own seeds. If people knew they could turn to a media source where they could be trusted to see the facts and think for themselves; where they could find meaning through realism, community, and cooperation toward our common goals, I believe the new model would overtake the mainstream model within a short time. Why? Because the citizens, themselves, would have an important voice in the venture. I could just see many talented mainstream journalists jumping ship and helping to create something better - with the willing support of an ethical business market.

A strong, respected, and informed America is only as good as its citizens. I think citizens are getting the short shrift by the mainstream media because, overconfident in their power over the markets, they think they can get away with it. How much longer will we let them? And how much longer will American Business contribute to a media whose owners and editors willingly choose to keep the citizens of our country in the dark on social-conscience issues that are important to our lives and the lives of our children?


BBA

Bachus: Shut Up and Get to Work

Bachus: Shut Up and Get to Work

I've got ten words for a legislator I've never really heard much about before today.

The only reson I'm hearing about him now is because he thought he'd try to score himself some political points with the folks back home in Alabama by whining about a famous American satirist who, in Mark Twain fashion, all too often gets all too close to the truth.

I just love it when politicians waste time by lashing out at those who remind them that they haven't done their jobs. Don't you?

I'm sick to death of our Congress going nowhere because of partisan hacks, far right conservative freak shows, and witch-hunters to rival Cotton Mather.

To Spencer Bachus R-Ala, who slams Bill Maher for pointing out the fact that the military's falling short on its recruitment goals and who is going as far as to insanely rant about how that amounts to treason, I say:

Shut up and get back to the work of America.


*Hat tip to PSoTD

Sun paid U.S. official for Saddam Hussein photos

Sun paid U.S. official for Saddam Hussein photos

The Sun, owned by Rupert Murdoch, confirmed that they’d paid a U.S. official about $900 for the pictures of Saddam in his underwear. The tabloid says it was a U.S. military official, but it did not identify him. The official had allegedly hoped the release of the photo would deal a "body blow" to 'the rebels'.

That's right. Keep blaming Isikoff and Newsweek for sparking a wave of anti-Americanism....and yet American officials shove this kind of thing - these nearly-naked Saddam photos - in the Muslim world's faces like brave, Fox News-ish, Murdoch-ish, official he-men. (No girly-men are they!) Will anyone be held accountable for this cheap Saddam photo sale? I'll bet not.

Musing's Musings in WaPo

Musing's Musings in WaPo

Congratulations go out to my Liberal Coalition colleague Michael (Musings Musings) for being quoted by Howard Kurtz in the WaPo

I particularly enjoyed Michael's 14 non-random CD tracks in honor of the "Felonious Fourteen".

Newsweek and Afghanistan Deaths

Newsweek and Afghanistan Deaths

World Net Daily is calling upon all reasonably skeptical readers to wonder: Who are the 15-to-18 rioters killed in Afghanistan for their alleged anger over the Koran toilet-flushing incident? No U.S. officials contacted can provide any corroboration for any deaths. Every search turns up to be a dead-end and it is insinuated that these rioters had planned their riot long before the information from the infamous Newsweek story could have reached them.

I think it was very convenient for the Bush administration and the pundits who love them to push emotional buttons with those right-wingers who are paranoid about what they call "liberal media". I suspect that Newsweek got a raw deal on the PR end of all of this. I'm not saying that news sources should not be named when possible, but when journalists are intimidated into being judge and jury about some non-existent 'ironclad truth' before writing anything down for the public, it will limit the ability of free and critical thinkers to decide what is true for themselves. After washing information gained in anonymity from news pieces, all that is left is propaganda.

Blaming Newsweek for anti-Americanism is just another way for the Bush administration to escape accountability for decisions they have freely and proudly made themselves.

I'd like to know who those Afghanistanis were myself - and the full circumstances surrounding their deaths. How about you? Until we know the truth, I don't think we should shoot our mouths off about blaming Isikoff.

__

Related - Ben Bradlee on Newsweek/Isikoff

A past blogpost from Rhetorica about the concepts of "discipline of verification" and "custodian of fact", which I think we can easily relate to the Newsweek situation:

"...as long as professional standards of verification are followed, I believe we may begin to accept that reporters, as players in the game, can and should tell what they know on the authority of the news organization. Yes, there are a thousand things that could go wrong here. I am asserting only a shift in the rhetoric of journalism that I believe is well underway. What the best practices should be in this regard must be debated....Information (statements about facts in the world) does not exist without a human intention. Every little bit of information relayed by the media everyday springs from some human intention to communicate it. And, I would further argue, that those intentions are rhetorical, i.e. to move hearts and minds. For information to become knowledge (information embedded in a context), news consumers must know something of its origin, context and purpose. Whether information is cited from anonymous sources or stated on the authority of the news organization, it is politically useless without trust, accuracy, and an understanding of its origin, context and purpose. To be good, journalism, whether it relies on anonymous sources or not, must meet these needs."

Pat Tillman/Liar-Pentagon Scandal Unfolds

Pat Tillman/Liar-Pentagon
Scandal Unfolds

Yesterday's WaPo front page told the story of Pat Tillman's family and how they resent having been lied to by the military about the circumstances surrounding their son's death. They are angry, knowing that politicians used their son's memory and the false circumstances surrounding his unfortunate death to bolster themselves and their agenda.

Today at Editor and Publisher, Greg Mitchell asks why the recent Newsweek (decided) error was so horrendous, while the Pentagon's lying to the Tillman family (and America) is acceptable? Where is the outrage in the mainstream media? In the blogosphere?

BradBlog is talking. So is Rachel Campbell. Bill Gallagher is talking.

The question should be: Who's listening?

In January 2004, Rush Limbaugh used Pat Tillman to blast the NY Times, accusing them of using "subtle ways" to impugn Tillman's motives for joining the military.

How subtle was the Pentagon when they deliberately lied to Pat Tillman's family about the circumstances of his death? Will Rush Limbaugh talk about the not-at-all-subtle ways the Bush administration used the persona of Pat Tillman to promote their their foreign policy?

Burlington Blast: Greensboro Citizens Report Last of Landmark

Burlington Blast:
Greensboro Citizens Report Last of Landmark


photo credit: Lenslinger

Greensboro's former Burlington Industries building was imploded yesterday to make room for a new shopping center. People gathered to see the building come down.

This blogpiece by Lenslinger, in my opinion, is a great example of citizen reporting as it should be.

David Wharton, Chewie and Weaver contribute to the story as well.

I had such a great time in Greensboro last week - I thank y'all for your hospitality and I plan to blog about it for this week's Tar Heel Tavern, which I'll be hosting here at Iddybud. I can clearly see how the LA Times would conclude that we may soon be calling Greensboro "Blogsboro".

Frist Loses in Battle for GOP Soul

Republican Moderates Win Battle for the Soul of the GOP

Frist loses.

I'm not sure that Democrats came out of this any better for the battle. Somehow, I am not jumping for joy at the fact that the Democrats offered any deal whatsoever, because look at the result - Pryor, Brown, and Owen are far right ideologues, unqualified by the bar, who will benefit from these "moderate Democrats" trying to look like heroes. I think they wind up looking like suckers who have facilitated "The Battle for the Soul of the GOP" and who sold out the moderate-left faction of the Democratic party in the process.

All that for a feather in John McCain's 2008 cap. Was it worth it?

(See the actual Compromise Agreement here).

"All that for a feather in John McCain's 2008 cap. Was it worth it?"

Listen to Russ Feingold:

"This is not a good deal for the U.S. Senate or for the American people. Democrats should have stood together firmly against the bullying tactics of the Republican leadership abusing their power as they control both houses of Congress and the White House. Confirming unacceptable judicial nominations is simply a green light for the Bush administration to send more nominees who lack the judicial temperament or record to serve in these lifetime positions. I value the many traditions of the Senate, including the tradition of bipartisanship to forge consensus. I do not, however, value threatening to disregard an important Senate tradition, like occasional unlimited debate, when necessary. I respect all my colleagues very much who thought to end this playground squabble over judges, but I am disappointed in this deal."

I'm with Senator Feingold on this one. I think this "compromise" was of no real benefit to the People, other than to protect the filibuster. But really - was the filibuster ever in any true danger? Do you think moderate Republicans would have gone for the Nuclear Option, if only the Democrats would have stood their ground with conviction - and had it come down to the nitty-gritty? I almost wish the Democrats would have left the GOP out there flying on their witch's broomstick a while longer. I was rather enjoying watching Frist play the whining baby who doesn't get his way.

__

Mad Kane offers a clever song parody, "The Don't Compromise Song", which can be sung to Let's Twist Again, by Hank Ballard and made famous by Chubby Checker.

Mad had hoped there would be no compromising. She added:

Bill Scher over at Liberal Oasis explains why compromise is such a bad idea for Democrats, but Josh Marshall isn't nearly as horrified by the idea. Meanwhile, Political Wire (Taegan) has some info on the "moderates'" attempts to conjure up a deal, and Hunter at the Daily Kos gives us a mini history lesson on the background of the filibuster fight. And these two Lean Left posts provide more essential background and insights on the subject.

__

My favorite line from Josh Marshall's post is:

"If the Republicans, either as a whole or because of a few defectors, let the filibuster stand, the Dobsonites will simply go nuts, though I admit in one sense of the word that may seem redundant."

__
E.J. Dionne has a column in today's WaPo about those wacky dudes from the far right and this battle for the soul of the GOP. (The battle that has cost left-to-moderate Democrats a price, in lost-ground, which I believe is too large.)

__

Read Harry Reid's statement and contemplate:

"The integrity of future Supreme Courts has been protected from the undue influences of a vocal, radical faction of the right that is completely out of step with mainstream America. That was the intent of the Republican "nuclear option" from the beginning. Tonight, the Senate has worked its will on behalf of reason, responsibility and the greater good.

We have sent President George Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and the radical arm of the Republican base an undeniable message: Abuse of power will not be tolerated, and attempts to trample the Constitution and grab absolute control are over. We are a separate and equal branch of government. That is our founding fathers' vision, and one we hold dear.

I offered Senator Frist several options similar to this compromise, and while he was not able to agree, I am pleased that some responsible Republicans and my colleagues were able to put aside there differences and work from the center."

Reid's statement is one of relief in the notion of compromise. I can't help but see, in that statement of relief, how much power the Democrats have lost over these past four years - and just how much ground the moderate left has lost.

"The message may have to come in a revolutionary format, such as a citizen's press which will effectively compete with the mainstream media for advertising dollars. I'm sick and tired of our message being watered down and buried on page sixteen by the "old press"."

The public needs to understand what has happened here. The fact that most citizens have no clue what a filibuster IS, let alone why it is such an important tradition, leads me to understand how easily they can be manipulated by politicians and that we must become more confident and honest ideological communicators if we ever expect to actually win any of these battles with the extreme right. If we Democrats do not improve on the message we send to American citizens, I shudder to think about the types of "compromises" the centrist-left will be making in another four years.

The message may have to come in a revolutionary format, such as a citizen's press which will effectively compete with the mainstream media for advertising dollars. I'm sick and tired of our message being watered down and buried on page sixteen by the "old press".


Related: See Mahablog's summary of opinions on "the deal" throughout the blogosphere.

Elizabeth Edwards is an inspiration

Elizabeth Edwards is an inspiration

At the One America site, Elizabeth Edwards reports that her treatment for breast cancer is winding down and she is thankful to all who expressed their hope and prayer these past months.

She also has some thoughts on the Senate's ongoing "nuclear option" fight. See "Blue Magic Marker and the Nuclear Option".

It's refreshing to see Elizabeth communicating her opinions at the One America site. As far as I'm concerned, she is a leader and inspiration for other internet writers.

I hope we'll hear a lot more from this intelligent and graceful woman in the months to come.

Chris Dodd Gives Impassioned and Wise View on Nuclear Option

Chris Dodd Gives Impassioned and Wise View on Nuclear Option

Senator Chris Dodd from Connecticut, who clearly respects and understands the Founding documents of America and who has a healthy respect for the rules and traditions of the Senate, gave impassioned and wise counsel to his fellow Senate members this morning on the Senate floor. I hope to locate the transcript and/or video and ask you to watch or read it.

Dodd gave this statement to MSNBC radio host Don Imus yesterday:

Senator Chris Dodd:

"It comes down to this...the framers created the Legislative Branch...the House of Representatives where the rules are specifically designed to guarantee the rights of the majority. That's why they're the House of Representatives. They created the Senate as a counterweight to that. Where the rights of a minority would prevail or at least would have greater influence than the rights of a majority would. That was to soften things up and what you're doing here is of course, by voting to eliminate the right to filibuster, which is the heart and soul of why the Senate is different than the House of Representatives, is you eliminate the ability then for the minority to be heard. And that's the reason why a Senate was created. Otherwise you would have just a House of Representatives, never bothered to have a Senate.

And secondly, and the more important rule and issue in many ways, is not just the right to filibuster, but what they want to do here is to change the rules of the Senate with 51 votes. Over the years it's taken 67 votes to change rules of the Senate, and the reason they made it a high number was because of the fear that any majority when confronted with the rights of a minority could become frustrated with them, as you're seeing today over these judges, and therefore try to change the rules to accommodate the majority.

And two things are important about this.

One as I mentioned is the right for minority voices to be heard. The second is, it has forced over the years the Senate to be moderate, more moderate. People who have power over time, despite their intentions, if you got the votes to do what you want to do, why would you bother listening to the other side? That's what happens in the House in many cases. But in the Senate, the reason you have to listen is because of that 60 vote threshold and so you end up working things out. Exactly what they're doing today with 12 Senators who assigned a couple to compromise here. If you didn't have to compromise, then you wouldn't bother with it. Over the years we've benefited tremendously in this country because Senators have been forced to compromise with each other, to be more moderate.

And the problem is today you've got 35 of the 55 Republican Senators, and I say this with all due respect to these new members, they haven't been here long enough. None of the 35 have ever served in the minority in the United States Senate. One day they will, and when they're in the minority they'll understand the value of having a place where minority voices must be listened to. It's been a great source of strength for our country over the years. They've been here about a week in many cases, and yet they're acting as if they have some great knowledge of the institution and the value of it. So my hope would be that some of the cooler, older heads would prevail around here upon these newer members to listen carefully about what they're saying and remember the day will come when they will be where we are."

Good Advice from Rev. Peter Gomes

Good Advice from Rev. Peter Gomes

"Discover something in life that is worth doing, not simply something you're good at, or that's profitable.That means doing the very best you can to conquer this culture of mediocrity, to destroy the mendacious second-class set of values that permeate our culture. Excellence is what you have been called to exercise, and you have the capacity to do so."

Rev. Peter Gomes, American Baptist minister and member of the faculty of Harvard's Arts and Sciences and Divinity school, gave the commencement speech at UNC/Chapel Hill on Sunday morning.

_________


I will be away from the blog for a few days. Because of an unfortunate string of meaningless and fruitless offensive attacks lately, I have my Comments section on 'moderation mode' and may not get to them until I return. I hope you will read and enjoy what I've provided here for your reflection.

I may be reached at iddybud@yahoo.com if you have any questions or messages for me.

Have a great week!

Byrd Option

Byrd's Option

Republican talking points are misleading these days. So, what's new, right?

The Right (for example, Senate Majority Whip Mitch McConnell on one of yesterday's Sunday morning talk shows) is trying to skate away with categorizing the nuclear option as "the Byrd option".

The Nuclear Option battle is a fight for the soul of the GOP - and I wonder if the radical wing of the Republican party will win?

This is NOT a fight for the soul of the Democrats. The GOP's center is dissolving and their armor of "party unity" is melting away.

You cannot blame any Democrat as they have no majority power at this time..and they are having their only bit of minority power in Judicial matters stolen by the GOP, who wants to change every rule when they cannot get their way. (The Founding Fathers would spin in their eternal resting places like chicken rotisserie if they knew!)

Only, the GOP doesn't want America to figure that out, so they look for a Democratic scapegoat. Byrd was once a bigot. Most of the white guys who were the real bigots, however, ran to the Republican Party in the sixties.

I wish to talk about Byrd's real option. Senator Byrd had an option to remain a bigot in 1964, or to move on with the times.

Sen. Byrd is one of the 'coolest' of all Congressmen, if you ask me. He has learned many lessons in his long, long political life and is not afraid to share his experience and political evolution with us. You see, he changed over the years, whereas white guys like Strom Thurmond decided to remain in the old southern Dixiecrat mode....by becoming a Republican (and Trent Lott loves the fact to this day)! Bigot that Strom was, God rest his soul, he switched from the Democratic to the Republican party in 1964 to join the like-minded bigotry, mid-Civil Rights era...and Byrd stuck it out with the Democrats - with courage and real ideological change - surely NOTHING of which to be ashamed.

I'm a Pundit Blogger

You Are a Pundit Blogger!

Your blog is smart, insightful, and always a quality read. Truly appreciated by many, surpassed by only a few. The fellow in the picture looks like Bora, and it's a weird coincidence that I found this quiz at Bora's blog.

What kind of blogger are you?

First Poet Laureate of the Blogosphere Named

First Poet Laureate of the Blogosphere Named

There is a new poet laureate out there in America tonight. She is the very first Poet Laureate of the Blogosphere. Billy Jones announces:

Ladies and gentlemen, bloggers and citizens of the world, please allow me to introduce you to Jilly Dybkla, Poet Laureate Of The Blogosphere, and writer of the Poetry Hut Blog Congratulations Jilly, I’ll bet folks over in your neck of the woods are smiling and cheering for you.

Jilly hails from Kingston Springs TN.

Personal Democracy Forum: Too Expensive

Personal Democracy Forum: Too Expensive

I would have loved to have attended the Personal Democracy Forum Conference taking place at CUNY tomorrow, and I think I could have contributed much to the conversation and gotten a lot out of it..... but I couldn't afford $295 plus the expense for traveling to New York.

I do look forward to mini-conferencing with my blogging friends in Greensboro, NC later this week. It's too bad the Chapel Hill blogging group meets the exact same night/same time. Sigh. If only I could be two places at the same time.

Bolton Mania

Condi Rice introduces John R. Boltonto a dismayed planet


"There is no such thing as the United Nations..if the U.N. secretary building in New York lost 10 stories, it wouldn't make a bit of difference."

"It is a big mistake for us to grant any validity to international law even when it may seem in our short-term interest to do so ­ because, over the long term, the goal of those who think that international law really means anything are those who want to constrict the United States."

"...most skilled diplomat...."
"....I am honored...."

...honored........honored..........I am honored?..........................honored??
................................honored?????


HONORED?!?





*This was originally posted March 8. It's an oldie, but a goodie!

Does the GOP Value American Freedom and Democracy?

Does the GOP Value American Freedom and Democracy?

When the state becomes the church, we no longer live in a free country. The government becomes similar to the one that spurred the American Revolution.

Congress has the lowest public approval rating that it has seen in years. The far right pundits will lead you to believe it is the fault of "Democratic obstructionists", but the reality is that moderate, liberal, and progressive citizens are disgusted with the radical right holding the reins of leadership in Congress - pandering to the Religious Far Right.

John McCain denounced the Religious Far Right's influence today on ABC's This Week, yet he aligned himself closely with George W. Bush at last year's Republican Convention with fear-mongering rhetoric and an obvious ommission of any talk about domestic issues. I don't see Bush denouncing the GOP leadership that is coddling the religious extremists. So, isn't McCain a hypocrite or a pathetic dodger, at best? In his Convention speech, McCain said "We have to love our freedom not just for the material benefits it provides, not just for the autonomy it guarantees us, but for the goodness it makes possible." What goodness comes of enriching the richest and creating a Godzilla-deficit with which our poor children will be enslaved?


The state of the American faith-based conscience is sickened with worldly interests that are not 'good faith' approaches to Christian action. The secure harbor of the promise of increased wealth, which is guaranteed to the richest Americans by GOP policies, bars the way from their heresy to the Christian truth.

It is sad irony that the GOP should try to co-opt God and Christianity in their politics, while in reality, they perpetrate the roadblock to Christian truth. At the same time, they run against the U.S. Founding principles.

We cannot allow their lies and deceit to destroy our free and democratic country.

Watch the GOP in the next couple of weeks. They will not be able to blame the Democrats for any obstruction on the "nuclear option" issue because the Democrats aren't the ones who hold the power to make or break the filibuster rule. This, my friends, will be a fight for the soul of the GOP...by the GOP.

In the next couple of weeks, we'll see what value the GOP places on the American freedom and democracy which was purchased by the blood of our ancestors.

technorati category: Politics

BushFish Is American Heresy

If this isn't heresy, the word has no meaning. Not only is it Christian heresy, it's American heresy.
Tip o'the hat to Tim and Carlos.

Jimmy Martin RIP

Jimmy Martin RIP

Bluegrass singer Jimmy Martin has died at the age of 77, after a long battle with bladder cancer. Earlier this week, Jimmy had made it clear to his family that he was ready to leave this world. He was moved to hospice care last Thursday night and his feeding tube was removed. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers. You may send cards and letters of support to his children - Jimmy Jr., Ray, Lisa, and Buddy at the following address:

PO Box 646
Hermitage, TN 37076