Edwards Family Political Activism

Edwards Family Political Activism


Cate Edwards (left) helps to kick off 'Generation Engaged'
photo credit: WRAL-Raleigh

Cate Edwards, daughter of John and Elizabeth Edwards, is showing her enthusiasm for politics and is inviting other young people to join her. Cate and seven others are starting a new campaign called Generation Engage. She hosted an event last Saturday night at King’s in downtown Raleigh, N.C. to kick off the campaign. Generation Engage will encourage young people to become involved in politics on a regular basis, not just every four years when the nation elects the president.

John Edwards has issued a statement urging his former colleagues to reject federal Judge Terrence Boyle's nomination for the U.S. Court of Appeals, saying Boyle's decisions have been reversed at a disturbingly high rate. He has also said that Boyle's record on civil rights is troubling.

John Edwards made a phonecall to protesting student group in Missouri to say he supported them, according to Ojiugo Uzoma, a senior who had slept in a tent just outside the office on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis. The Student Worker Alliance (SWA) was conducting a sit-in protest, which included a six-day hunger strike, protesting the wages of university workers. According to Inside Higher Ed writer David Epstein, "the Washington University protests followed a hunger strike over similar issues at Georgetown University and marked a ratcheting up of activism on behalf of low-level employees in higher education. The protests here and elsewhere are attracting strong backing from organized labor, which sees student idealism as a powerful force."

Quote of the Day: Larry Dale Keeling

Quote of the Day: Larry Dale Keeling

"Only extremists would slobber so rabidly over the prospect of undoing 200 years of Senate tradition."

- Larry Dale Keeling, writer for the Lexington (KY) Herald-Leader, who is embarrassed to admit that Kentucky will "play host to a well-scripted immorality play in which political and religious extremists pummel truth beyond recognition and twist Christianity into an ugly caricature of itself in their crusade to give Dubya the opportunity to perform an extreme makeover on the federal courts, packing their benches with enough "faith first, law last" judges to tilt our legal system dangerously toward the model of the Spanish Inquisition."

___

After today, I will never trust Bill Frist to be someone who could unite America or Congress enough to be an effective or respected leader. By today's example, he not only divided Americans, but he also deliberately sunk a government-hatchet directly between conscientious followers of Christ. He's proved himself to be nothing more than a rabid panderer.

The Anchorage News editorial sums it up nicely:

"What would be refreshing to see among all the people of faith in the United States is not a Justice Sunday to crusade for the right, or a Social Justice Sunday in answer, but something more akin to Lincoln's national day of prayer and thanksgiving.

Crusading is much easier than Christianity. But it doesn't provide much time for taking that log out of our own eyes, that we might better see the mote in our brother's and sister's."

Audio Post-Whose Garden Was This?

Whose Garden Was This?
Words and Music by Tom Paxton

On January 31 2004, the Onondaga County Music Educators' Association held their Junior High All-County Music Festival. There were 125 voices in the chorus and my son's voice was one of them. I'd like you to hear a song that they performed that day. Being that this was the week of Earth Day, I thought you might think about the lyrics. Here it is:

photo by Jude Nagurney Camwell

Whose garden was this?
It must have been lovely.
Did it have flowers?
I've seen pictures of flowers,
And I'd love to have smelled one.

Whose river was this?
You say it ran freely?
Blue was its color?
I've seen blue in some pictures,
And I'd love to have been there.

Ah, tell me again I need to know:
The forest had trees, the meadows were green,
The oceans were blue and birds really flew,
Can you swear that is true?

Whose grey sky is this?
Or was it a blue one?
Nights, there were breezes?
I've heard records of breezes,
And you tell me you've felt one?

Ah, tell me again I need to know:
The forest had trees, the meadows were green,
The oceans were blue and birds really flew,
It is true - all too true.

Whose garden was this?
It must have been lovely.
Did it have flowers?
I've seen pictures of flowers,
And I'd love to have smelled one....

In Citizen's Media Today

Citizen's Media Today

"Define your own voice rather than imitating others. Cut against the forces of conformity. The forces of conformity are market-driven, driven by titillation and temptation, as opposed to decency and dignity."

- Cornel West

David Wharton writes about Cornel West's appearance at the Cone Ballroom at UNCG (Greensboro) this past Friday night.

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Israpundit would like to know how long Fox News will ignore the protests of American Jews regarding Ariel Sharon's plan for Gaza disengagement, especially the huge protest scheduled for Central Park. One commenter at Israpundit says: "Fox is, and has always been, the PR Dept. for the Bush Personality Cult....and their allies."

___

The PR Machine is reporting that Dan Gillmor, the former longtime tech columnist with the San Jose Mercury News and founder of citizens-media project Grassroots Media, is starting a new column for the Financial Times.

___

While wishing Dan the best of luck, I refer you to a story he's running on his blog about David Weinberger, who became a bit disgusted with an assignment that was given to him by MSNBC - so much that he decided he'd stop being one of those 'bloggers who get to be on TV'. It's fairly clear that it was about a clash of values. Jeff Jarvis is talking about it, too. I've put in my two cents' worth at Jeff's first post about the issue.

___


I am finding Jay Rosen's post on Stand Alone journalists to be the most interesting topic to come up in quite some time. I am a completely homegrown citizen-journalist. I've spent most of my professional life in the business world, working in the personal lines Property and Casualty insurance field. Politics, writing and journalism have always been my passion, but not my professional calling. Yet, here I stand today, just as alone as the other bloggers, doing what I believe I'm meant to do - and what I believe I do well.

In the Press Think column, I was particularly attracted to Jay's reference to blogger Paul Conley, who has been blogging about trade journals and how stand alone journalism may affect competition between B2B press and "stand-aloners". Conley says:

"..maybe I should put more emphasis on the competitive threat of the citizen journalists. Perhaps that will get more folks to pay attention. By its very nature, the B2B press caters to a specialized audience of experts. The reader of your typical trade magazine tends to know an enormous amount about the subject at hand. That gives him a nearly instant credibility should he choose to start a blog and compete against you."

Conley warns and/or predicts, in a thought-provoking follow-up post:

"Traditional B2B publishers also face a "stand alone" threat from their own editors and reporters. The Web and blogging makes it much easier for someone to strike out on his own, using the sources he met while working for a trade publication, and cashing in on his own reputation as an expert. If you're a trade publisher, look across your newsroom now at that guy. You know the one. He's been there for 20 years. Before that he worked for your competitor. He knows everyone and everyone knows him. He speaks at trade shows, gets all the story tips. He has become, in a very real sense, synonymous with your brand. And ask yourself: what would happen if he left to start his own business?"

For a look at how certain publications have already addressed the changes in the media world, Conley uses the example of Variety's variety of blogs (pun intended).

NY State Libertarian Party Hosts Convention in Syracuse

NY State Libertarian Party Hosts Convention in Syracuse


Dr. Jennifer Daniels addresses the convention attendees


Matthew Maguire of Upstateblog.net and Director of Communications for NY State's Public Policy Institute, at the podium


Mark Bitz is an unlikely hero - an Upstate NY turkey farmer running a business that has been owned in his family since 1835 - and a new voice for political leadership. Mark wishes to persuade "the Republican and Democratic Party committees to nominate common, plain-speaking candidates with win-win philosophies, who are committed to restoring the democratic process." Mark appealed to the need for direct democracy in New York State, and he read a letter which he has recently written to NYS Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno (R) and Democratic Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, making a plea for direct democracy and stating his belief that 19 million citizens are more important than their power. He asked, other than arrogance, what could be the reason citizens are not allowed direct voting on issues that have direct impact upon them? Mark also stressed the need for redistricting and Campaign Finance reform in NY State.



Matthew Maguire recommended that all Libertarians who care to get out their message should learn how to blog.



photo credit: JohnTaylorGatto.com

John Taylor Gatto was the keynote speaker on Saturday afternoon. He offered two 40-minute sessions on the topic which he referred to as "Weapons of Mass Instruction", offering up his ideas about education reform in the United States. He doesn't believe that bad teachers, bad administrators, or even bad parents are the problem with U.S. education. Rather, he says he believes it is is the design of the institution altogether - from its very inception. He blames leading industrialists such as Andrew Carnegie and John T. Rockefeller, who engineered public schooling to serve a modified command economy and an increasingly layered social order.

He spoke about a new project, a retreat center called Solitude to be created in Chenango County in Upstate New York. He believes that solitude is all-important to a person's character development and that schools are too big and too concerned with surveillance to allow for necessary solitude.



Thanks again to Bonnie Scott for extending the invitation.


*note: more to follow. This post is in progress.

Business Week Launches New Blog

Business Week Launches New Blog

Don't miss Blogspotting, which is Business Week's new blog. Launched on April 20, it is complemented by the cover story in the current publication, "Blogs Will Change Your Business". Stephen Baker and Heather Green will be talking about the place where the worlds of business, media, and blogs collide.

Today, Heather asks:

"..if bloggers don't strive to be accurate or aren't upfront about what they don't know, don't they lose credibility? And isn't credibility what people's reputations are based on online? Just a question."

In the debate regarding traditional journalistic ethics and whether they should apply to bloggers, I would think that, although there are no ironclad rules, if you expect to have a good reputation and credibility as a blogger, you'd best be honest and ethical in your writing. If you are representing something as factual, you'd best do your checking as any professional journalist would be required to do. You can't be "fired" as a blogger, but you can be seen, by the public, as unreliable and untrustworthy. I prefer to be a blogger people love to read - and to trust. If I offer opinion, I make it clear that it's opinion, and not fact.

*thanks to Trade Street Journal for turning me on to Blogspotting.

John Edwards: Podcast #2

John Edwards: Podcast #2

John Edwards began his second Podcast by thanking listeners, and he then invited his wife Elizabeth to welcome them. Once again, they were podcasting on their son Jack's special blanket. Precariously perched atop the blanket, along with the podcasting equipment, was Elizabeth's Diet Coke and John's Diet Sprite Zero. (John has gone "cold turkey" on Diet Coke - after he realized he was drinking 8-10 of them each day). They joked that, if they did happen to spill some of their drinks on the blanket, it surely wouldn't have been the worst thing to have spilled onto it! (*anyone with wee ones will get that joke).

*Listen to Podcast HERE.


WHERE HAVE THEY BEEN SINCE LAST PODCAST?

John wanted to tell us where he's been since he last podcasted. He said he'd been visiting the state of Wisconsin during the time of the NCAA Final Four playoffs. Elizabeth got to go to the games, however, along with chasing Jack and Emma Claire for hours at a time (*which, as you know, Moms and Dads, is always an exhilarating experience!) Before the final championship game between North Carolina and Illinois, John got to take his children Cate, Emma Claire and Jack to see the famous Arch in St Louis. People usually stop John wherever he goes, just to say hello and to have a friendly chat, and St. Louis was no exception. John says he wound up playing a "pick-up" game of football under the Arch as he and his children waited to board the tram. He says that Jack especially loved that part of the trip.

John visited Harvard's Kennedy School on April 13th and gave a speech on Tax Reform at the New School in New York City. He got to see daughter Cate while he was there. He jokingly said that, although Cate was not particularly excited about Tax Reform, she was glad to see her father.

In the state of Kentucky, John had attended a meet-up and took questions from the group. He stated emphatically that he wanted to attend more meet-ups across this country to answer more questions and hear more concerns.

Elizabeth is about half the way into her radiation treatments for breast cancer. She schedules the sessions for the times the children are at school and while she says it can be boring and tiring, she knows it will help to make her well. She said that their daughter Cate will be headed to North Carolina this weekend for a "Generation Engaged" function.


QUESTIONS

Technical Questions

The first questions were about Podcasting technology. John advised that we'd soon see a "Poscasting FAQ" to the one America website to address such questions.

Bankruptcy

Kelly Gossnan and Ben Goodman asked how John would have voted on the recent Bankruptcy bill, to which John replied that his vote would have been: "No, No, No." He said it would only serve to put people who are deep in debt in a much worse place. He used the example of a single mother with a lot of medical bills who has no honest means to pay them, regardless of how hard she'd tried. Under the current bill, which Edwards claims is "badly written law", she would be stuck with those medical bills, and that this is inconsistent with what we believe in America. Elizabeth was a bankruptcy attorney, so she can speak from experience on the issue. She said, while the Homestead Exemption was a good idea, inconsistent state-to-statelimits on the amount of exemption serve to make it "bad part of the law". For example, in Florida and Texas, there is no limit, meaning that you can go and buy a million-dollar home and then file bankruptcy. Credit card companies, banks, and loan companies were the ones "all for" this law. Credit card companies have tried to get it passed for a decade. a point they wanted to stress was that many people misunderstand (or misjudge) when they think that, if you're poor and seeking ways out of debt, that you are taking no personal responsibility. That's not necessarily so, said Elizabeth Edwards. In cases of bankruptcy, judges have been able to discern honest efforts on the part of citizens to be responsible in the past, but will now have far less opportunity to decide on idividual cases with the passing of the current "bad" bill. More people will be stuck with debt. The practice known as predatory lending will be able to thrive. People who are already having a difficult economic time will be preyed upon. The saddest and most ironic thing I heard was that they still get credit offers in the mail, on a regular basis, addressed to their son Wade, who passed away nine years ago.

"The Bush administration has served, through the AMT, to move tax responsibility further away from Capital Gains and has placed it directly onto Work."

Alternative Minimum Tax

The next question was about the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). John Edwards stated that it was meant to keep rich people from avoiding the paying of their fair share of taxes. Instead, the AMT is hitting lots of middle-class folks while people making a lot of money on their investments (capital gains) can avoid the AMT. Bottom line, the AMT is not doing that for which it was intended to do. The Bush administration has served, through the AMT, to move tax responsibility further away from Capital Gains and has placed it directly onto Work. We need Tax Reform, as Edwards spoke about in his New School speech last week. The idea especially hit home at that speech in New York, where a restriction on deductibility of already-sky-high NY State tax really hurts. (*I know this well - I pay those painfully high New York State taxes).

"..there are millions of children living in poverty in America today and the cause - alleviating poverty and ending hunger - has the potential to unite us as a nation."

Faith and Poilitics

Warren Gottlieb and Ruth Klein wanted to know if John Edwards was familiar with Jim Wallis' book "God's Politics". He said he'd read the book and knows Jim Wallis. Jim has been to the Edwards home and they have discussed the book with him. Edwards said, if we're going to have an effective fight against poverty, that government cannot do it alone. Poverty and hunger are moral causes that are mentioned many times in the Bible. They are moral issues upon which our character and integrity are tested. How we choose to deal with those issues says what kind of human beings we are - and what kind of country we are. The Edwards were caring enough to be involved with Urban Ministries in Ralieghbefore they ever thought of entering politics. Elizabeth mentioned that there are millions of children living in poverty in America today and the cause - alleviating poverty and ending hunger - has the potential to unite us as a nation. Whether we are left or right; whether we are people of faith or people who profess no faith; this is a moral issue which we can we can all value and understand.


When will gas prices go down?

John Edwards craftily said that, when the price of gas and oil go up, oil company profits go up - which is why the Bush administration will probably do nothing about it. Dependence upon oil from the Middle East has a direct affect upon National Security issues; it can put a stranglehold on our economy; and it can create environmental problems. John mentioned Patty Ann Smith and her reminder that Earth Day is upon us once again. What better time to remind America that Jimmy Carter, when he was President over 20 years ago, asked us to make a commitment to developing alternative energy resources. All the lip service President Bush has paid to the issue of Alternative Energy has been a "spit in the bucket" and a continued reliance upon Big Oil, in the words of Elizabeth Edwards. John reminded us that drilling ANWR is not going to have the impact we'd require for our future energy needs. We should be looking toward wind and solar power, bio-mass/fuel cell energy, clean coal technology, and ethanol.

"..get involved with projects to fight poverty in your part of the nation. Make it a national effort. Connect with one another."

What Can We Citizens Do?

John Edwards recently visited a shelter for homeless Veterans in Asheville, N.C. They were going through a difficult time. They want to work, but the work's not available. They want to support a family but don't have the means. John Edwards believes we need to embrace these people and to fight the poverty which keeps them from sharing in the American dream. He invited us to visit his One America website at http://www.oneamericacommittee.com/ and the One America blog at http://blog.oneamericacommittee.com/.
He invites you to find out what he and the One America Committee are doing. He asks that you get involved with projects to fight poverty in your part of the nation. Make it a national effort. Connect with one another. Get involved in fights to raise the minimum wage; help to organize or to support organization of a union; work in a shelter, food bank, or Urban Ministries. Many are hurting, whether they are homeless or middle class folks struggling to make ends meet.


*See a summary of the first Podcast HERE.

Cross posted at American Street.

president2008

If Iddy Was A South Park Character..

If Iddy Was A South Park Character..




Who would you be?

Unionizing Women's Work - Part II

Unionizing Women's Work - Part II

About two weeks ago, I blogged about the 49,000 Illinois childcare workers who gained a voice on the job by joining a union. Yesterday, 41,000 Michigan home caregivers also chose SEIU. These women and men take care of the elderly and disabled in our communities. They typically receive poverty wages and have second jobs to make ends meet.

What will this mean for these workers and their families? Richard Sullivan, a Marlette home caregivers says, "I'm thrilled that we finally have a voice. I know what it's like to take back pop bottles just to pay for your kid's school lunch. Caregivers should get a decent wage that they can raise a family on." See the full story HERE.

Without these caregivers, many disabled and senior citizens would be in institutions. That's because home caregivers help seniors and persons with disabilities maintain their independence every day -- cooking their meals, bathing, dressing, cleaning, and feeding them.

This victory demonstrates once again that when caregivers come together with community leaders, consumers, and advocates, everyone in the community can win. The Michigan victory was the result of a broad coalition of caregivers, consumers, advocates, and community groups ranging from the Michigan Disability Rights Coalition to the Gray Panthers of Metro Detroit. For quotes from Michigan coalition partners on what the victory means to their members, go HERE.


The Michigan victory is part of a national movement of more than 370,000 home care workers who have joined SEIU and won improvements in wages and benefits in states such as California, Oregon, Washington, Illinois and New York. The 74,000 home care workers in Los Angeles County who voted to join SEIU in 1999 constituted the largest union victory in the U.S. in over half a century.

John Edwards' Second Podcast Now Available

John Edwards' Second Podcast Now Available

Congratulations to Patty Ann Smith, who was mentioned regarding her concern about Earth Day and the environment, on John and Elizabeth Edwards' second Podcast.

You can hear it here.

I'll be posting a summary of the second Podcast very soon.

Quote of the Day: Father Joseph Champlin

Quote of the Day: Father Joseph Champlin

"President Bush has repeatedly expressed his belief that the desire for freedom among people in today's world is greater than their fear of terrorism. He said that to members of Congress after 9/11. He repeated the message in a speech at New Orleans.

He made it the centerpiece of his second term inaugural address. The remarkable turnout for elections in Afghanistan and Iraq seemingly proved his point. Overcoming great inconveniences and ignoring death threats, millions cast their ballots.

Their example could ease our own fears about terrorism and make us appreciate the freedom we possess."


-Fr. Joseph M. Champlin is the rector of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Syracuse, New York. He is the author of more than forty books.

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I can't help but to think back to last year's election campaign - how fear tactics were used against us to make Bush seem more "electable". At the same time, Iraqi citizens were asked, by the same administration, to be fearless.

Quote of the Day: Howard Dean

Quote of the Day: Howard Dean

"We had thousands of people from all over America come to Florida to knock on doors. But the Republicans had thousands of people all over Florida knock on their neighbors' doors, and that's more effective."

- Howard Dean, on the recipe for the GOP's success

Howard knows better than anyone. Iowa taught him (and us Democrats) an important lesson. All politics is local. My own neighbors will remember that I knocked on their doors when I was collecting signatures for Howard Dean in Onondaga County in 2004. It was a wonderful experience. Many invited me to their kitchen table to talk about the community, politics, and the candidate I was trying to help. This is the lifeblood of politics - your own back yard.

Currently, DFA (along with GrassRoots for America) is training Democrats on Campaign Organization and Management, Recruiting and Developing Good Volunteers, Putting Volunteers to Work, Data and Data Mining for GOTV, Banking the Vote with GITV, Earned Media for Grassroots, Activating Your Base, and Maximizing Year-Round Visibility.

Because of the lessons he's learned from direct experience, I believe, to this day, that Howard Dean is the best choice the Democrats could have made to lead the party to future success.

New CDs From Ben Folds and Eels on April 26th

New CDs From Ben Folds and Eels on April 26th

According to Mocking Music blog, Ben Folds' new release, "Songs For Silverman", will be out on April 26th.


Bobby Jr. - Rawk Star

On the same day, April 26th, the new Eels CD "Blinking Lights and Other Revelations" will be out.

I can hardly wait. These are two of my favorites and I've been waiting for new releases from them for a long while.

Idolator Bill Frist is Going to Heck

Idolator Bill Frist is Going to Heck

I am repulsed to hear FOX News falling into the repeated use of Republican talking-points regarding "people of faith" and how they support the "nuclear option", which is a nothing more than outlawing the filibuster tradition so the GOP can get its way on Judicial nominations 100% of the time (instead of their meager 97%.) Democrats have blocked only 10 of President Bush’s 229 judicial nominees.

Democrats are people of faith. Many of them do not believe in the death penalty. Many of them have a faith-based disagreement with the theory of pre-emptive war. Many of them believe that the GOP's economic policies run against the principles of Christianity.

Conservative judges do not defend Christians. They defend Conservatism.

I heard Brit Hume talk about Bill Frist today on the Fox News Sunday show. Frist said that "people of faith" believe that Democrats are robbing them of their "Christian heritage" by "abusing" the filibuster.

Frist is not talking in support of one America or one Christian America or one Christianity. He's using religion for politically partisan motives. That, my Christian friends, is idolatry - and you know it.

_________

Update:

See Folley.net for related commentary. "According to Senator Frist, the debate over debating rules in the Senate isn't just about the Constitutional meaning of "advise and consent", it's really about how much the Democrats hate Jesus."

________

UPDATE:

See George Lakoff's response. He advises that this Sunday, April 24, will be called "Social Justice Sunday." He says we must show that spiritual progressives are alive and well and willing not just to speak out, but to shout out. The Clergy and Laity Network and DriveDemocracy.org are leading the effort.

______

And how about that Unitarian Jihad?!

Why is the news dominated by nutballs saying that the Ten Commandments have to be tattooed inside the eyelids of every American, or that Allah has told them to kill Americans in order to rid the world of Satan, or that Yahweh has instructed them to go live wherever they feel like, or that Shiva thinks bombing mosques is a great idea?...

..We are Unitarian Jihad. We are everywhere. We have not been born again, nor have we sworn a blood oath. We do not think that God cares what we read, what we eat or whom we sleep with..

..Beware! Unless you people shut up and begin acting like grown-ups with brains enough to understand the difference between political belief and personal faith, the Unitarian Jihad will begin a series of terrorist-like actions. We will take over television studios, kidnap so-called commentators and broadcast calm, well-reasoned discussions of the issues of the day. We will not try for "balance" by hiring fruitcakes; we will try for balance by hiring non-ideologues who have carefully thought through the issues...

...We are Unitarian Jihad, and our motto is: "Sincerity is not enough." We have heard from enough sincere people to last a lifetime already. Just because you believe it's true doesn't make it true. Just because your motives are pure doesn't mean you are not doing harm...

..People of the United States! We are Unitarian Jihad! We can strike without warning. Pockets of reasonableness and harmony will appear as if from nowhere! Nice people will run the government again! There will be coffee and cookies in the Gandhi Room after the revolution..."

*TAKE ME HOSTAGE! PLEASE!

Santorums bare it all for a political news item

Santorums bare it all for
a political news item

Upon their son's death, Rick and Karen Santorum opted not to bring his body to a funeral home. Instead, they bundled him in a blanket and drove him to Karen's parents' home in Pittsburgh. There, they spent several hours kissing and cuddling Gabriel with his three siblings, ages 6, 4 and 1 1/2. They took photos, sang lullabies in his ear and held a private Mass.

"That's my little guy," Santorum says, pointing to the photo of Gabriel, in which his tiny physique is framed by his father's hand.

- Washington Post

In a feature about Senator Rick Santorum in the Washington Post, there is an extremely personal and sad story about the loss of Rick and Karen Santorum's prematurely-born baby. I believe that the Santorums felt the loss of their expected child very deeply and their story is one I would expect to see in Good Housekeeping magazine or some other publication targeting the women's non-political market. The appearance of the story about a private Mass -turned suddenly public - in the Washington Post sends only an exploitative political message. To my way of thinking, it cheapens the Santorums' deeply personal experience. How a family chooses to deal with death and loss is highly personal, and I would never take the tone of judgement on any way they needed to process their grief. I found that I could connect with Karen Santorum's letters written to her unborn child. To me, that seemed like a healthy and normal activity. I try to understand how bringing the tiny corpse home to the Santorums' other young children would be something they believe would be psychologically healthy for them. I already know, by simply being a member of American society, that it is not the norm.

So, what do we glean from knowing about this ultra-private and not-so-normal family grief session, using a prematurely-born baby as an idol for a political news story? I suppose it's that some people will go to any tacky length to outlaw a woman's right to choose.

Food for thought:

I wonder - what issue would I feel strongly enough about in order for me to "bare it all" for strangers? I like to maintain a modicum of personal dignity, integrity and class, as I'd imagine most of us do. What issue would lead YOU to "bare it all"?

TPM: Democrats Addicted to Tactics and Strategies

TPM: Democrats Addicted to Tactics and Strategies

Josh Marshall writes, in a blog post today, that it should be the careful and consistent consideration of the outcome of policy, and not political strategy, that should drive Democrats.

Marshall says:

"We hear a lot today about framing or being tougher or being united or dumping the failed consultants. But while each of these prescriptions has some element of merit, each also recapitulates the existing problem -- only dressing it up in clothes -- because each mistakes the disease for the cure...When it comes to strategy and tactics, the current Democratic party is like a drunk in the early stages of recovery or a man or woman who keeps ending up in the same bad relationship again and again with different people..."

I believe it was the Democrats' addiction to strategy that led them to approve the Iraq Resolution in Autumn, 2002. It was a faulty strategy. Politically, it won them nothing. As a matter of fact, it hurt their standing and integrity with their core supporters. It led our nation to be seen, around the world, as the aggressor and occupier in an unjust war. Key international coalition partners are pulling away (or have already pulled away).

The words "How will this decision play in the press?" should never be more important than "How will this benefit (or cause injury) to the American people?"

Jude's Inner European

Jude's Inner European is French

Smart and sophisticated. You have the best of everything - at least, *you* think so.

Who's Your Inner European?

Linguistics Test

Jude's Linguistic Profile:

45% Yankee

35% General American English

15% Dixie

5% Upper Midwestern

0% Midwestern

Okay - Jude is a Yank and this pretty much proves it - What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

Radio Host Minto Canned for Reflecting Fundie Views

Radio Host Minto Canned for Reflecting Fundie Views

Marty Minto was fired from his job at WORD 101.5 in Pittsburgh as radio show host for saying that, now that he's shuffled off his mortal coil, it's possible that the Pope isn't headed for Heaven because he wasn't born again. I wonder how Marty thought he'd get away with his job intact, in this American culture, after saying something so inflammatory.

He's still free to speak. He'll have to go back to his street corner or Fundie pulpit now. Who knows? Maybe FOX News will hire him.

As a lone voice, Marty Minto isn't such a dangerous fellow. Here is what is truly scary: There are millions of Evangelical fundamentalists who still think like that. Another lesson about American insanity.

When I think about all the crap Rush Limbaugh has gotten away with, I see Marty Minto's firing as hypocritical.

Singer/Songwriter Night at Redhouse, Syracuse NY

Redhouse Benefit

Singer/Songwriter Night at the Redhouse in Syracuse, N.Y.

Larry Hoyt

"Band" Joe Cleveland and Dana "Short Order" Cooke

John Cadley

Scott Allyn and his wife, Laura Austin

*All photos by Jude Nagurney Camwell