Mission Accomplished

The AMERICAblog Christmas tree is up. (Extra credit for those who recognize the stuffed pooch in the bottom left of the picture.)

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How Republicans like their homosexuals

From AndrewSullivan.com:

The gay characters on "Will and Grace" are either mainstream and sex-less, like Will, or the gay version of "Step'n'fetchit", from an actor who refuses to say publicly that he's gay. That's exactly how many Republicans like their homosexuals. Just don't ask to be treated like an equal human being.

In addition to Will & Grace, sounds a lot like Kenny & Mary (Mehlman and Cheney). Read More......

Listen to this woman if you want to see a Democratic bloodbath

Regarding the battle for who should be the next chair of the Democratic National Committee, troubling words from the same Democratic witch of a governor in Michigan who just sold out gays there without even waiting for a court to determine whether the new anti-gay state constitutional amendment even covered domestic partner benefits for state employees:

Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm said last week that most governors believe the spokesman should be a centrist who comes from a conservative or battleground state, or is comfortable in those settings.

"We want somebody who can speak to the heart," she said, who can "speak the language of values" and business innovation to independents and moderate Republicans.

Yeah, that's what the party really needs is more leaders who are uncomfortable actually being Democrats, who aren't comfortable with gays, with blacks, with Latinos, with unions, with working families, and with the concept of having a backbone. Yeah, I mean, think about it - the Republicans won by running Republicans for office, so maybe WE should run Republicans for office and we'd win?! Oh, that's right, if the choice is between a real Republican and a fake Republican, the voters will choose a real one every time.

We need to stop these losers from ruining what's left of our party hangover. Read More......

Monday night open thread

Trying to finally put my tree up. Chat away. Read More......

Next on the religious right target list

Uh oh! Read More......

The irony? Dole's staff is reportedly as gay as Allen's!

I had to laugh when I read the religious right bitching that Senator George Allen's staff is too gay. Allen is being replaced as the head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee by Elizabeth Dole, and the reports I've been hearing say her staff is as gay as Allen's. And Dole herself even reportedly had a meeting with her staff to let them know she wouldn't fire any of them for being gay. That sounds like she's already staked out a position opposite of what the religious right is now demanding.

See, sometimes it's fun to be the minority party in town and just watch the other guys implode :-) Read More......

Religious right tells the GOP: Fire the homos

It's Monday, and you know that means: Get ready for this week's installment of "Mehlman Mondays!"

Ooh, this is getting good. The religious right is started to get peeved about all the open homosexualists working in the senior ranks of the Republican party. And they're coming right out and saying that the GOP shouldn't hire gay staff!

The broadside below, issued today in the American Family Association's news organ "Agape Press," doesn't mention Ken Mehlman by name, but my political spider sense tells that's exactly who they're talking about. Note this line: "Voters who put Republicans in office should demand that politicians not employ key personnel who don't hold the conservative views that the party promotes." That clearly covers President Bush as such a politician, and the RNC as "key personnel." Now, the religious right wouldn't dare question Mehlman publicly, because you don't take on powerful people in this town unless you know you're gonna win. The religious right can't risk taking on Mehlman and losing, unless they know they're going to win and unseat him. Thus, I think, the religious right is speaking in code. Using George Allen, someone they don't mind taking on, to speak to a larger issue and a larger audience, like the President and Mr. Cheney.

As much as I despise the religious right, they're right about one thing. You can't claim to be a conservative family values-loving Republican and at the same time be a big friend of Dorothy. I mean, you can, but no one should trust you, on either side of the debate.

From the AgapePress:

...A pro-family activist from Virginia says voters who put Republicans in office should demand that politicians not employ key personnel who don't hold the conservative views that the party promotes. That activist says the Capitol Hill office of Virginia Senator George Allen is a good example. Senator Allen is head of the Republican Senatorial Committee and was a key figure in the GOP's big victories in November.

But Joe Glover, president of the Virginia-based Family Policy Network, says something is very wrong. Glover says homosexual publications have outed at least six members of the senator's office as homosexuals. He says one homosexual activist even went so far as to say Allen had the "gayest office on Capitol Hill." Pro-family conservatives, he says, need to make sure Senator Allen hears their voices.

"If someone is going to run the day-to-day operations for the Republican apparatus to elect U.S. senators across the country, then dog-gone-it, it better not be somebody who practices a lifestyle that is diametrically opposed to the evangelical Christian base that delivered George W. Bush and the Republicans in the Senate the victory they saw in November," he says. Glover says Allen's executive director recently resigned because he was outed as a homosexual.

That logic would apply to the House, the Bush campaign, the White House, and most certainly the RNC. Which means the religious right just gave us the added justification we need for demanding that Ken Mehlman and the White House come clean - is he gay, straight, bi or asexual? What's the deal? Even your electoral base says they want to know. So what gives? Read More......

This is so worth watching again

If you need a good laugh, check out this video from the third presidential debate. A dog puppet interviewing everyone in spin alley on behalf of the Conan O'Brien show. Made me laugh all over again. Read More......

"He's fucking dead"

"Pat isn’t with God. He’s fucking dead. He wasn’t religious. So thank you for your thoughts, but he’s fucking dead." - Pat Tillman's youngest brother Rich, at his funeral.

Might want to ask Rich Tillman how he feels about what the Pentagon did to his brother's memory. Not to mention, what they did to his brother. I'd argue that Tillman is just as much a symbol of what is wrong with this war as he is what is right. Good men and women, giving up their livelihoods and their families to join a war that's - oops - a big mismanaged fuck up. Read More......

Rumsfeld using machine to sign "your child is dead" letters

Why does this matter? Because it's apparently been the traditional job of the Secretary of Defense to hand-sign the letters that go out to the family notifying them of their child's or spouse's death. In Rumsfeld's case, it seems that he didn't want to do it, so he's using an auto-signing machine to sign the letters on his behalf. No wonder he's so out of touch. I suppose signing three letters a day would bring the cost of the war home to the SecDef.

Yet another issue the Dems in Congress should jump on. Offer up an amendment and/or legislation requiring the SecDef to personally sign any letters to family members announcing the death of loved ones in battle. Imagine how that would go over. And how could the Rs oppose? It's not only a good political move, but it's the right thing to do. These families deserve better.

Funny, I thought it was the Republicans who cared about our troops? Oh that's right, only when the troops are ALIVE. Read More......

Senate Dem Leader Harry Reid will support Antonin "Just Say No to Masturbation" Scalia as chief justice

Ah, the courage that is Democrats. Brings a tear to my eye.

Sure Reid critiqued Clarence Thomas, then turned around and said he'd support Scalia. We call that wimping out in DC speak. Beat up on Clarence Thomas to appease your base, then stab them in the back by endorsing Scalia EVEN BEFORE HE'S BEEN NOMINATED.

I was among those who worried that Reid was going to be a DINO (Democrat in name only), and he's living up to our expectations.

As for Scalia, it's time someone started a campaign demanding Scalia explain what he meant in his now-famous Lawrence v. Texas dissent when bemoaned the fact that states would no longer be able to regulate masturbation. I want to know why Antonin Scalia wants the government to regulate masturbation. And in what way? Frequency? Handedness? Style, technique? Or should only heterosexual married people be able to masturbate, and only then when they plan to procreate? And how's he feel about inter-racial mutual masturbation? Just asking.

I'm quite serious. A little money and we'd have a very fun campaign demanding the press investigate, and Scalia answer, the question as to what exactly he thinks the government role is in masturbation. Imagine signaling that up front - then see if Bush nominates him.

Time to expose the family values hypocrites for the wackos they really are. Does any Democrat, any funder, any organization, have the balls to do it? To fund it?

Sigh. Read More......

Army outright LIED about "hero's" death

People wonder why some folks are losing respect for the military. Now, I have lots of respect for the the troops, and I really do. But I have zero respect for their leaders. Over the past decade, working on issues involving the military, I've seen US military leaders, lie, conspire, and attempt to illegally influence our government like America was some third world banana republic. And since it's not PC to hold our military leaders accountable for anything (Abu Ghraib anyone?) the abuses simply continue unabated.

So, this Tillman guy. Football hero. War hero. Died issuing commands to take the enemy forces.

Not so much.

He actually died, we now find out, yelling at our own forces to stop shooting at him because he was an American. Yes, he died as a result of friendly fire and the Army totally exaggerated his heroism. And best yet, the Army knew Tillman was killed by fratricide, but decided not to mention it - rather, they were quite content to make it look like Tillman was killed by the enemy defending the fatherland - oh, sorry, I meant the homeland.

This is a conspiracy by a US government agency using American tax dollars to propagandize to the American public in an effort to win support for an unpopular war and an unpopular president using a dead football star as cannon fodder. Makes me so proud to be a Soviet, uh, American.

From the Wash Post:

It was a stirring tale and fitting eulogy for the Army's most famous volunteer in the war on terrorism, a charismatic former pro football star whose reticence, courage and handsome beret-draped face captured for many Americans the best aspects of the country's post-Sept. 11 character.

It was also a distorted and incomplete narrative, according to dozens of internal Army documents obtained by The Washington Post that describe Tillman's death by fratricide after a chain of botched communications, a misguided order to divide his platoon over the objection of its leader and undisciplined firing by fellow Rangers.

The Army's public release made no mention of friendly fire, even though at the time it was issued, investigators in Afghanistan had already taken at least 14 sworn statements from Tillman's platoon members that made clear the true causes of his death. The statements included a searing account from the Ranger nearest Tillman during the firefight, who quoted him as shouting "Cease fire! Friendlies!" with his last breaths....

But the Army's published account not only withheld all evidence of fratricide, but also exaggerated Tillman's role and stripped his actions of their context. Tillman was not one of the senior commanders on the scene -- he directed only himself, one other Ranger and an Afghan militiaman, under supervision from others. And witness statements in the Army's files at the time of the news release describe Tillman's voice ringing out on the battlefield mainly in a desperate effort, joined by other Rangers on his ridge, to warn comrades to stop shooting at their own men.

The Army's April 30 news release was just one episode in a broader Army effort to manage the uncomfortable facts of Pat Tillman's death, according to internal records and interviews.

America, fuck yeah! Read More......

More Chaos - Explosions in Spain - ETA Had Threatened

I'd love to travel abroad right about, wouldn't you? From Reuters:

Five explosions were reported in different parts of Spain Monday after the Basque separatist group ETA threatened to set off a total of seven bombs, Spanish media reported.

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"Stray Bunch" Takes Hostages at American Consulate

There is nothing in this AP story on Al Qaeda being behind this, but that's what CNN has been saying all morning. I'll be curious to see when it's all said and done whether it's a "stray bunch" or Al Qaeda:

Islamic militants threw explosives at the gate of the heavily guarded U.S. consulate in Jiddah, then forced their way into the building, prompting a gunbattle in a bold assault that left seven people dead and several injured before the three-hour long crisis was brought under control.

Three attackers were among those killed, while two others were injured and arrested, the Saudi Interior Ministry announced. Saudi security officials also said four of their forces were killed. The ministry statement didn't mention hostages, though Saudi security officials said some had been taken.

In Riyadh, U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Carol Kalin said two local staff members were injured, but all American staff were safe.
...
The statement by a Saudi Interior Ministry spokesman, carried by the official Saudi Press Agency, said a "stray bunch" - a reference to Islamic militants - threw explosives at the gate of the consulate, then entered. Saudi security forces engaged the attackers, "killing three aggressors, and two were captured after they were hit," the statement said.

"The situation was brought under control," the statement said. It gave no further details.

A senior Saudi official in Washington, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the attackers took several hostages, mostly Sudanese and Indian, but the Americans were evacuated.

During the hostage standoff, the official said, there were some negotiations, but Saudi security forces stormed the attackers when threats were made. There was a brief firefight that ended with the three being killed and two captured, the Saudi official said.

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Musharraf: "The world is less safe" after Iraq invasion

Uh oh, looks like he forgot to read the White House-prepared script. Thank goodness his spokesman was able to quickly react to get the story back on track because nobody is supposed to tell the emporer he has no clothes.
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Discrimination resolution

Bush's cynical ploy to address the real issue of discrimination facing many Hispanics plus this new debate in my own backyard had me wondering about how society resolves the problem of discrimination. Propping up a couple of millionsaires just for the sake of political capital doesn't strike me as an honest or serious method nor does the proposed system that they are talking about here in France where resumes will be anonymous. Funny enough, in France, quotas are an idea of the right (Sarkozy) and will soon be receiving more attention nationally as third and fourth generation North Africans are left out of the system and become increasingly frustrated.

So how do we resolve continuing discrimination? Quotas? Laws? Enforcement of laws? Activism/community awareness? Cabinet posts for exceptions? Nothing?
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