Late night open thread

Time to watch some TV Read More......

Bush may be tied to Abramoff scandal

I think we may be seeing 29% approval ratings sometime soon.

From the NYT:

The lobbyist Jack Abramoff asked for $9 million in 2003 from the president of a West African nation to arrange a meeting with President Bush and directed his fees to a Maryland company now under federal scrutiny, according to newly disclosed documents.

The African leader, President Omar Bongo of Gabon, met with President Bush in the Oval Office on May 26, 2004, 10 months after Mr. Abramoff made the offer.

And GOP Governor Ehrlich of Maryland too:

Maryland state records show that GrassRoots were established in 2003 by Edward B. Miller, a Republican lawyer who is now deputy chief of staff to Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. of Maryland. Samuel Hook, a former partner of Mr. Abramoff from Greenberg Traurig, took over it in September 2003.

Mr. Ehrlich's office has said that Mr. Miller is cooperating in the Justice Department investigation. Aron Raskas, a lawyer speaking for Mr. Miller, said Mr. Miller had no knowledge of any project involving Gabon.

God, please make it stop. It's like you're tickling me to death here. Read More......

Best headline evah

From the Scotsman:

Read More......

How did the Washington Post not mention Trent Lott in the Prison Abuse CIA leak story today?

It's simply not possible that this was a simple slip-up.

The Washington Post published on its front page today a story about GOP leaders Frist and Hastert. The two gentlemen are demanding a congressional investigation of the leak of classified information that led to the Post's publishing last week's story revealing the US is running a bunch of gulags (my word) at former Soviet prison camps in Eastern Europe. Frist and Hastert claim to be upset about the leak, but basically they're hoping a Dem leaked the info and want to nail him.

Here's where things get very strange. Yesterday, within hours of the news that Frist and Hastert were going to seek the investigation, Trent Lott talks to the press and says that he thinks a GOP Senator, staffer, or maybe even VP Cheney leaked the info. Lott isn't just conjecturing - rather, he said the GOP Senators were brief about the camps, by Cheney, the day before the Post ran the story.

Sen. Trent Lott stunned reporters by saying that the issue of secret CIA prisons was discussed at a Republican-only lunch, attended by Vice President Dick Cheney, last Tuesday, the day before the Washington Post reported the story. Lott said of the Washington Post story, "a lot of it came out of that room on Tuesday" and he said of his Senate Republican colleagues, "we can'?t keep our mouths shut." [CNN, The Situation Room, 11/8/05]

The networks yesterday, dutifully, covered the Lott revelations as big news.

The revelation that Trent Lott pointed the finger, with evidence, back at the GOP or Cheney himself is a massive twist to this story. Yet somehow, the Wash Post reports on this story today and leaves out the single most important fact, that the former Republican Senate leader has said a GOP Senator, staffer or the VP himself may be to blame. That isn't mentioned anywhere in the story. How is that?

I don't believe that the Post is up to some kind of partisan subterfuge here. But I also don't believe that it's a simple oversight. You would have to be brain dead to not have heard about Trent Lott's allegations yesterday. So the only possible conclusion is that the Post's editors decided expressly NOT to include the mention of Trent Lott in the story. But why? Short of a blatantly partisan effort to protect the GOP, which I don't buy, it just doesn't make journalistic sense. In fact, the Lott allegations ARE the story. They clearly deserve the second or third paragraph of this rather long article.

So what happened? A good issue for the Washington Post's new ombudsman to investigate.

PS The video of Lott saying this was flying around the Internet by 5:15pm. So he said it earlier, a good bit earlier. The Post should have had ample time to get it in their story. Read More......

Another all time low for Bush in the NBC/WSJ poll

He's breaking a record with every poll:

According to the poll, Bush’s approval rating stands at an all-time low of 38 percent, a one-point decline since October; in fact, this is the third consecutive NBC/Journal survey showing Bush at an all-time low on his job approval. And it doesn’t stop there: Approval for his handling of the economy (34 percent), foreign policy (35 percent), terrorism (39 percent), and Iraq (32 percent) have all hit rock bottom.

Not rock bottom, yet, I suspect. Read More......

At what point will CNN realize there was a big election yesterday?

I'm all for their coverage of the terrorist attacks in Jordan.

BUT.

This is America, and we had an incredibly important election here yesterday, an election that signaled a "disater" for the president, according to one Reuters story. Yet, CNN's politics show, The Situation Room, has been non-stop "Jordan hotels blow up" all afternoon.

Again, I get it. Hotels go boom. Bad. But I'm getting a real feeling of Jerry Springer TV going on right now. Non-stop coverage for 3 hours? Are the bombings THAT big a story? So big, in fact, that they erase practically all mention of an incredibly significant election yesterday in our own country? Are bombing in Jordan really going to be influence the future of America more than yesterday's election? I don't think so. And they certainly aren't such a big story that they obliterate all discussion of the election.

I'm just having a very hard time believing that CNN isn't doing anything more than disaster-whoring here. I love CNN, don't get me wrong. But this is wrong. Read More......

Open thread

Talk Read More......

Religious right bigots upset that a US Senator called them on their religious bigotry

Isn't it funny how America's Taliban can pick and choose which religions it can call illegitimate (e.g., Islam), but then you can't criticize America's Taliban because all religions are per se sacrosanct. Hmmm....

...A high-profile Democratic senator from Vermont has used a Senate hearing on terrorism to attack American Christians. Senate Judiciary Committee member Patrick Leahy called remarks by Christian leaders offensive as terrorist jihad propaganda. As an example, Leahy quoted Franklin Graham's post-9/11 remarks that "'We're not attacking Islam, but Islam has attacked us" and the religious leader's comment that he believes "Islam is a very evil and wicked religion." Of Graham's statements, Leahy remarked, "Now that is extremely offensive." And the senator did not stop with Graham but also noted that "The Reverend Jerry Falwell called the prophet Muhammad a terrorist" and "The Reverend Pat Robertson has likened those who practice Islam, including a very large number of very loyal Americans, as our enemy." Leahy equated these Christian leaders' comments with those of terrorists, saying, "Just as a majority of Christians or Jews reject these statements, a majority of Muslims reject the publications [and] broadcasts we have discussed here." [Bill Fancher]

A few responses:

1. The religious right is not "America's Christians." They're bigoted Americans who happen to claim they're Christian, and then use their own warped view of Christianity to defend their prejudice. And God bless 'em, because in America you're still allowed to be an extremist bigot, last time I checked. But to suggest they are America's Christians is to suggest that anyone who criticizes Jesse Jackson hates "America's blacks," or anyone who criticizes Ted Kennedy hates America's Catholics or America's Irishmen.

It's certainly cute of America's Taliban to claim they speak for all Christians, but I'm a Christian and they certainly don't speak for me. Though now that I think about it, every time they criticize gay people, they criticize me, and since I'm a Christian, they must hate America's Christians. Cool.

2. Their comments about Islam are bigoted and are just as bad as the kind of hatred radical Islamists spew about Americans, and many of the comments are similar to what the Nazis said about the Jews (last year, a top religious right group spread the word that Muslims were like rats taking over Europe because they copulated so much - now who does that sound like? Hint: Rhymes with schmitler).

3. Funny how America's Taliban can call other religions illegitimate, but then if you call their warped interpretation of religion illegitimate you must hate God.

4. Oh yeah, they also killed Matthew Shepard. Read More......

Bush administration caught lying about "white phosphorus" use in Iraq

DailyKos catches the US military lying about its use of White Phosphorus in Iraq. The military had recently been accused of using it as a chemical weapon against enemy combattants and possibly civilians. The US government's reply was that our military ONLY uses White Phosphorus to illuminate the area:

Phosphorus shells are not outlawed. U.S. forces have used them very sparingly in Fallujah, for illumination purposes. They were fired into the air to illuminate enemy positions at night, not at enemy fighters.

We now know that this is a lie, thanks to DailyKos finding the US military's own document admitting they use it for more than just illumination.

I'm so proud to be American nowadays. Read More......

"It really is a disaster for Bush"

Reuters says yesterday's elections spell trouble for Bush:

"It really is a disaster for Bush," said Larry Sabato of the University of Virginia, who called the results "the logical consequence of Bush's growing unpopularity."

"Virginia is Southern and conservative and that's the Republican base," Sabato said. "If they start losing their base, it's easy to imagine both houses of Congress going Democratic."

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More anti-Muslim bigotry from the religious right

Guess they realized that bashing gays isn't getting them quite the rate of return they were getting in the past. Time to pick the next minority to hate.

From the religious right propaganda organ, AgapePress:

The ICC spokesman feels these attacks show the true nature of Islamic fundamentalism. "Within the Koran there are verses about cutting off the heads, smiting the necks of the unbelievers, terrorizing the unbelievers, and how to treat Jews and Christians," he notes. "Most people are not willing to say these things, but it is part and parcel of the Koran."

King says while Islam, like other faiths, is characterized by an ongoing battle between the moderates and the fundamentalists, among Muslims "the fundamentalists are not some small, fringe group -- they are a huge percentage. It's millions upon millions of people around the world."

The head of ICC believes violence is intrinsic to Islamic fundamentalism. And the recent brutal attack on five Christian schoolgirls in Indonesia is proof, he asserts, that these Islamic "true believers" have no plans to curb their violence against Christians and other "infidels."

Now first, you'll note that the headline to this story trashes ALL of Islam, not just fundamentalists: "Ministry Leader: Brutal Attack on Christian Girls Shows Islam's True Nature."

Second, how can you miss the irony of radical Christian fundamentalists attacking radical Islamic fundamentalists.

And finally, if they're going to play the "Koran says bad things" game, then they need to explain why the Bible recommends stoning gays and adulterers, killing your children, has passages about brothers killing brothers, and more (not to mention, these allegedly-Christian nutjobs think the Bible says 2/3 of all Jews worldwide need to die in order to spark the Rapture - how's that for promoting hatred). It's easy to pick passages out of context in order to demonize, oh, a billion people. And demonzing innocents is what the pseudo-religious bigots of the far right do best. Read More......

And the winning design is...

Courtesy of Steven Miller of StevenMillerPhotography.com (note: the X is actually quite clear in the actual print, it just looks blurry in the image that's been shrunk to fit this page)



Several of you sent designs in, so thank you all. I had to choose one, and many were really good. Again, thank you all.

You can see these products and more on sale now in the AMERICAblog shop. Lots of good Christmas ideas here :-) And don't forget, our ornaments, greeting cards and wall calendars are now on sale:

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Big papers refuse to publish Bill Frist op ed?

That's the only explanation as to why the Senate Majority leader is publishing an op ed about the "nuclear option" in - where? - the Chicago Tribune.

Now, I have nothing against the Chicago Trib. I'm from Chicago, love the Trib when it's not being uber-conservative, but I've also lived in DC for over 20 years and I know politics, and op eds. Your first choice as a big DC politician wanting to publish an op ed is NOT the Chicago Trib. It's the Washington Post, perhaps the New York Times, then maybe the LA Times (since LA is America's second largest city). It is most certainly NOT the Chicago Trib, with all due respect to my home town paper.

This means that Frist submitted his op ed to several papers and got turned down, and finally had to settle for the Trib. This means the media isn't buying Frist's whining about the nuclear option as serious or newsworthy. It means Frist is no longer relevant, or at least less relevant than he's been in the past.

It is a very good day to be a Democrat.

PS Oh yeah, and as for Senator Frist's threat to go the Germany 1933 route and change the rules of our democracy when he's losing the game - go ahead, make our day. Read More......

Top GOP Web site shows pic of dead elephant

UPDATE: We're good on the dead elephant images. Thanks so much to SEVERAL of you who took the time to submit various dead elephants. I could only pick one, sorry, but really appreciate you guys doing this. There will be more chances in the future :-) JOHN

How bad was last night's election disaster for the Republicans? Townhall.com, THE portal for all things Republican, has this image on its home page:



They're worried. And that speaks volumes to how important last night was for Democrats, and all Americans who don't support the Terri Schiavo wing of the Republican party.

(Hat tip to Jerome for sending this in) Read More......

PEW: Public Says CIA Leak MUCH Worse than Monica

We are celebrating today to be sure! Here's what I like to do when celebrating a political victory - kick them when they are down. From AP:

The recent indictment of Vice President Cheney's top aide has struck a nerve with the American public. Four in five, 79 percent, said the indictment of former Cheney aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby on perjury and other charges is important to the nation, according to a poll by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. Pew noted that in September 1998, 65 percent said President Clinton's lies under oath were important. Clinton was impeached over his handling of an affair with Monica Lewinsky, but was acquitted by the Senate on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice.

Perhaps AP has been reading AMERICAblog? This is an enormous story - and almost 80% of the public agrees how important it really is. Where are the White House in Crisis Day 134 graphics? Where are the 24 X 7 Democratic pundits on TV, as the Republicans were, pronouncing the end of the Republican administration? More importantly: Where are the articles of impeachment?

With a LOT more money than Democrats are thinking right now, 2006 can be a very good year for us. Read More......

Hasta la vista, baby

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California voters reject ALL FOUR Arnold referenda

Republicans better wake up. George Bush and the Terri Schiavo wing just destroyed the party.

From Reuters:

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger lost his bid to push through a broad package of government reforms in a special off-year election on Tuesday that he called in an attempt to flex his political muscles.

With more than 85 percent of the votes counted, Schwarzenegger trailed on all four of the initiatives he had championed, and four other measures also appeared to have lost.

As a result, the most expensive special election in California history -- at least $300 million including advertising and administering the poll -- appeared to have failed to change public policy and left the Republican governor wounded a year ahead of his reelection bid.

Read More......

Corzine: we stopped Bush/Rove

Jon Corzine laid our 2006 election strategy yesterday with one of the better quotes:

Corzine, a multimillionaire and former Wall Street executive, linked Bush and White House political adviser Karl Rove to the results of his race.

"I want to thank the people of New Jersey for rejecting the Bush-Rove tactics that are bad for democracy and that were stopped in their tracks tonight," Corzine said in his victory speech in East Brunswick, New Jersey.

It's the Bush-Rove ticket that must be stopped. I'd throw in the torture king, Cheney, too. Read More......

The big win in Maine

Gay rights took a big step forward last night when Maine voters soundly rejected the right wing. I spent the last week and a half volunteering on the campaign of Maine Won't Discriminate. It was an intense campaign right til the end. This was a huge and significant win -- the right wing haters lost by a 10 point margin of 55%- 45%:

"After 28 years, it's over, you guys. We won," Pat Peard, a longtime champion of gay rights, told supporters in Portland at 11 p.m. She was referring to the initial introduction of a gay rights bill in the Legislature in the 1970s, launching a struggle that has continued ever since.

The vote reversed a trend that dates back to 1998, when voters narrowly rejected a gay rights law in a special election. Voters again opposed a gay rights law in a follow-up referendum two years later.

Tuesday's referendum was held because opponents of the law used the so-called "people's veto" provision in the state Constitution to give voters a chance to repeal the law.

The margin of victory in Portland was 77% - 23% -- super, but that's not the best part. Maine Won't Discriminate won in all the bigger cities in the state -- even the more conservative places like Bangor, Biddeford and Lewiston. Our side won in small towns like Skowhegan. Across the state, Mainers rejected discrimination and the vitriol spewed by Michael Heath of the Maine Christian Civic League.

The campaign was a great blend of local and national gay leaders and straight allies. That was a winning combination.

The first anti-discrimination bill in Maine was introduced in 1977 by State Representative Larry Connolly. He was a force majeure in Maine Democratic politics who died way, way too young in 1987. His son, Jesse, was the campaign manager who helped implement his dad's vision yesterday.

I could write all day about the great people I worked with here in Maine -- the people from Maine and the folks who came in from both the Human Rights Campaign and The Task Force.

There's an old, old election adage, "As Maine goes, so goes the nation." That works for me. Read More......

Wednesday Morning Open Thread

I have to say, winning is A LOT more fun than losing. Read More......

St. Paul mayor who supported Bush in 2004 was crushed

Talk about ugly, Randy Kelly the Democrat who supported Bush last year was defeated by a margin of 69% to 31% with most of the voting in. The new mayor of St Paul will be Chris Coleman, also a Democrat. Read More......

Oh happy day

The Dem's really had a big day yesterday with convincing governor victories in Virginia, New Jersey and Arnold was handed a serious slap as well in California, with all three of his ballot initiatives losing. Yesterday was a nice start and sets an excellent tone for 2006. Read More......

"Intelligent Design" proponents SLAUGHTERED in PA election

Ok, this my friends is what a real mandate looks like. The GOP and their religious right cronies got slaughtered in Tuesday's elections. Other than Texas, which was to be expected, they lost, big time everywhere (CA is still being counted at this hour).

Basically, the local voters in the Pennsylvania anti-evolution controversy threw out EVERY SINGLE ONE of the wacko Republican anti-evolution wingnuts who were sitting on the school board. ALL OF THEM, GONE.

Now that's a mandate.

(Hat tip to Atrios.) Read More......

Ok, I'm going to bed

As for California, keep updating things here. Joe will be up early to check in. Read More......

Bad day to be a Republican bigot

The Maine vote margin is holding steady.

With tallies from 82 percent of the state´s precincts, votes supporting the gay rights law were ahead 55 percent to 45 percent over those seeking to overturn the law that was approved by the Legislature earlier this year.

And there's a special place in hell for these liars. Read More......

Use this thread to weigh in on California returns

For background on which proposition is which, go here. Read More......

Ok, it's looking like we did win in Maine, which is a BIG deal

UPDATE: AP and the local news station are both calling the election for the good guys. Here's a larger AP story.

71% reporting

56% No (the good guys)
44% Yes (the bad guys)


NEWS from the Human Rights Campaign
For Immediate Release - Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2005

Resounding Defeat of Discrimination a Victory for Maine and the Country

“Understanding overcame fear and fairness overcame discrimination in Maine,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. "We have been enormously proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with statewide leaders in this fight, since day one through today's victory."

WASHINGTON – The Human Rights Campaign celebrated today’s vote by Maine citizens ensuring protections for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. To help defeat today’s ballot initiative that would have repealed the state non-discrimination law, the Human Rights Campaign provided a large amount of on-the-ground staff, significant fundraising assistance, media assistance, strategic assistance, volunteer recruitment and more than $150,000 this year alone in financial contributions to Maine Won’t Discriminate, including financing their field efforts, early polling and seed money for early staffing.

“Understanding overcame fear and fairness overcame discrimination in Maine,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “We have been enormously proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with statewide leaders in this fight, since day one through today's victory. Winning these campaigns has always been about strengthening the foundation of understanding. We’re so proud to have played such a big role in laying that groundwork. Mainers today sent a strong signal that discrimination has no place in their state. We congratulate the voters, volunteers and hard-working team at Maine Won’t Discriminate for this victory.”

“The Human Rights Campaign was an essential partner in this fight from day one. The Human Rights Campaign's early and substantial support was the key to making this victory possible tonight," said Jesse Connolly, campaign manager for Maine Won’t Discriminate. “Education has always been a long-term effort and this vote shows that the longer the conversation can happen, the better off fairness will be in the end. Mainers have been building understanding for years now and today is the culmination of those conversations.”

HRC has been working with Maine Won’t Discriminate since the first time this repeal made the ballots. This year, HRC provided more than $150,000 this year alone to defeat the referendum and significant staff resources. By Election Day, more than 25 HRC staff members will have traveled to Maine to work directly with the campaign.

The sexual orientation and gender identity inclusive non-discrimination bill passed both houses of the Maine Legislature in March of 2005 with strong bipartisan margins and was signed into law by Democratic Gov. John Baldacci. This was the third attempt to repeal the measure and the first time voters approved the law.

Maine becomes the final New England state and the 16th state overall to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation and the 6th state to outlaw discrimination based on gender identity. For a map of these states, go to www.hrc.org/stateantidiscriminationmap.

The Human Rights Campaign is the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender political organization with members throughout the country. It effectively lobbies Congress, provides campaign support and educates the public to ensure that LGBT Americans can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community. Read More......

I'm still waiting for an official victory in Maine...

I hear the local pro-gay forces have declared victory, which is great, but I still want to see something concrete from the papers. Been disappointed far too many times... So Arnold, how's he doing? Read More......