9/11 Commission Report a Hot Seller

More interesting news in this political season: the various paperback editions of the 9/11 commission report -- which the New York Times called exceptionally well-written and engrossing for a government report -- is selling like hotcakes. The official Norton paperback has shipped 600,000 copies (most of them spoken for) and the publisher has just unexpectedly decided to go back to press, according to Publishers Weekly. Another imprint has 40,000 copies out there, St. Martin's Press has one version out next week with more than 100 pages of New York Times analysis and of course the report is available free online.
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Tobacco Turns Into Pork

That massive tobacco payout -- $12 billion and counting -- seems more and more like a massive bailout for major tobacco growers, rather than a reasonable way of weaning small farmers off government handouts propping up their business. The ones profitting the most? The large and medium-size growers that have been rapidly expanding in the last few years while small farmers quit. Overseas competition and antiquated quotas left over from the Depression meant we were losing ground in the world market. Now, thanks to our tax dollars going up in smoke, those companies already growing will flourish even more. Experts expect some crops -- like the flue-cured tobacco that dominates North Carolina (which alone gets $4 billion) -- to grow from 300 million pounds to 450 or even 500 million pounds.
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More People In Prison Than Ever Before

A record high 6.9 million Americans are part of the "correctional population" -- that is, in jail or prison or on parole or probation. That's more than 3 percent of the adult population (and, I believe, almost 1 in 10 of ALL black people). Trying to rehabilitate them, unfortunately, is a thing of the past. In 2003, just about half (47%) of the people discharged or on parole either returned to prison or absconded.
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So what did you expect?

Here's Fox News fair and balanced coverage of the convention so far:

• The city is a "fortress"
• Clintons may overshadow Kerry
• Theresa tells a reporter to shove it
• Protesters

 
Anything but what's actually happening, I guess.   So, here's some predictions on Fox News headlines on November 3:

Bush electoral votes up from 2000, when factoring inflation

Did Kerry Fix the Election?

Conservatives maintain strong leads in Idaho and Wyoming
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When Republicans go bad...

Apparently, they chase after 14 year old girls.

All I'm saying is... if that guy were a Democrat, we'd be passing constitutional amendments to take away his civil rights by now. Thanks to Buzzflash.com for finding this. Read the rest of this post...

Lots of famous people, not a lot happening

Well it's been a busy and exhausting day at the Dem Convention, though it's hard to say that anything of substance has actually happened - then again, substance isn't really the point of the convention. Lots of famous Dems walking the hallway - got to see Howard Dean, Paul Begala, and former SF Mayor Willie Brown. I personally got to interview Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), and also spoke with Steve Elmendorf, the deputy director of the Kerry campaign. Others I spoke to included C. Dixon Osborne, head of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, and Eric Stern, the head of GLBT outreach at the Democratic National Committee.

I think the most interesting comment I had today came from Elmendorf. Steve admitted that Kerry is at 95% in terms of his support for the gay community, he's not at 100% yet and they fully admit that. But Elmendorf, like most of the pro-Kerry folks you speak to at the convention, point out that Kerry is still the most pro-gay candidate to ever get the Dem or Republican nomination. And, Kerry is in favor of civil unions - Clinton never voiced such support. So, they argue, and I don't disagree, that while Kerry might tick us off about gay marriage, he's still better than Clinton, and in general, we loved Clinton.

Other than that, this place is enormous, the events are spread ALL over the place. Security is TIGHT, which is reassuring but also a bit disconcerting. The police are EVERYWHERE, along with MPs and helicopters and fighter jets, and I'm told anti-aircraft batteries. The subway, or the T as they call it here, had LOTS of cops carrying guns I'd never even seen before. Not just machine gun type thing, but some kind of sawed off shotgun looking thing. These boys are prepared. And that's great. But it's still a bit disconcerting.

Anyway, I'm off to two events the Human Rights Campaign is sponsoring this evening, along with a bunch of other groups. That includes the GLBT Unity Event that Margaret Cho got booted from. Should be interesting to see how that goes, with the planned protests and all.

More later, JOHN Read the rest of this post...

Comedian at Dem Convention bashes gays

This little SOB better be uninvited from the rest of the entire convention. If Margaret Cho can be uninvited because of concern she MIGHT criticize Bush, then this jerk had better have his credentials revoked immediately for bashing gays (source: Alternet):

The guests included Danny Glover and Ben Affleck, two of the smartest celebrity progressives, along with a somewhat reactionary comedian, D.L. Hughley, who went out of his way to buy into the terrorist fears, and also wanted the audience to be clear that whatever the gays is fighting for, it is not civil rights, and that civil rights are the province of blacks.

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John Isn't Alone in Boston

Variety reports that press members are expected to outnumber delegates by 3 to 1 at the Democratic National Convention. Seems like most of those delegates will have to spend most of their time just giving interviews. Don't forget to check in on John's coverage throughout the day at http://www.sirius.com/outq

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Fahrenheit 9/11 DVD Delay?

David posted below about "Fahrenheit 9/11's" possible delay in coming out on DVD. Here's the latest from Michael Moore himself in a conference call Sunday morning, as reported in Variety.

"Moore also backed away slightly from his earlier intention to release "Fahrenheit" on DVD in time for the election. Sony's homevid unit is close to a distrib deal (Daily Variety, July 7), but Moore said Sunday that Lions Gate and IFC now say they envision playing the movie "through the end of the year and possibly into the next year," suggesting a DVD won't be released until after the pic finishes its theatrical run.
"I don't honestly know what's going to happen," Moore said.
That new scenario would keep "Fahrenheit" in theaters into awards season; the film is likely to be a contender for the documentary Oscar (or, as some optimistic partisans have suggested, best picture). The Weinsteins then could choose to release the DVD timed to the pic's awards campaign.
While delaying the release of the "Fahrenheit" DVD could hurt the timeliness of the doc, especially if Bush loses the election, it also would sidestep Federal Election Commission regulations that would hamper the marketing of a DVD. Though the FEC has yet to rule definitively on the issue, campaign finance rules likely prohibit mentioning or showing Bush in any broadcast ads for "Fahrenheit" in advance of the election. Restrictions are lifted after the Nov. 2 vote."

My two cents? Delaying the DVD release till next year would be a huge financial mistake. People would hold parties to watch the DVD. People would buy multiple copies and give them to their friends. People would delve into the DVD extras to get better informed. Put it out after the elections and you lose all that momentum, that sense of duty felt by those on the left to support it. Just put out the DVD, then rerelease the film in early January with new footage -- either the happy ending of Bush losing or the "to be continued" ending if he wins.

You can go to www.michaelmoore.com and send him an email urging its release on DVD if you so desire. And you can go to www.amazon.com -- which has a massive 500+ reviews of the movie by readers posted -- and add your post saying the same thing.


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Prayers for Hollywood

The only thing Hollywood executives and stars usually pray for is a hit at the box office. But according to a press release from the Religious News Services, organizers want to hold a prayer breakfast for Tinseltown on October 1st at the Beverly Hilton, like the prayer breakfasts they've been holding for businesses and government all over the country. Here's an excerpt:

NOTABLES ENDORSE HOLLYWOOD MEDIA PRAYER BREAKFAST

July 22, 2004 -- Hollywood, California--
....Endorsement comes from a diverse group of notables: Ken Blanchard, author of the "One Minute Manager." Rhonda Fleming, legendary film actress and philanthropist. Eric Close, a star of the CBS series "Without a Trace." Norm Miller, Chairman of Interstate Batteries. William E. Simon, Jr., businessman and former candidate for Governor of California. Nicholas De Marco, top New York fashion industry executive. Sonja McNair, Essence Communications Partners.
A number of prominent entertainment industry leaders have endorsed the breakfast: Lowell "Bud" Paxon, Chairman of the PAX Television Network. Tony Thomopolous, past President of ABC Television. Sam Haskell III, Executive VP/ Worldwide Head of Television, the William Morris Agency. Carl Vogel, Chairman of cable giant Charter Communications. Al C. Sikes, Former Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.... 
For information and online registration visit <http://www.nationalmediaprayer.org/>.

As usual, the celebs signing on are far from the A list. Two others mentioned? Our buddies Pat Boone and Dean Jones, who recently chimed in with their support on the anti-gay Constitutional amendment. You really need to toss those "Herbie the Love Bug" videos.



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John Kerry's Wife Tells Reporter to 'Shove It' - Who Cares?

Ok, how this even compares to "Go Fuck Yourself," "Big time asshole," and all the other wonderful phrases Mr. Cheney has put in the lexicon. So, she told a reporter to Shove It. Good for her. Now hopefully her husband will tell the Bush the same thing in November. Read the rest of this post...

The $100 Million Man

It's official -- Michael Moore's documentary Fahrenheit 9-11 has eclipsed the $100 million mark. 

We're now getting to the point where Moore's success may limit the impact the documentary may have on the election.  The more people go to the theaters, the longer the delay on the film's release on DVD -- where millions more American families that don't go to theaters or haven't had access wait to see it.

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GOP values in Iraq: cash give-aways in Iraq to keep peace

I had to do a double take when I read this because I can't believe that US troops are now dishing out cash to Iraqis to fend off attacks.  As I have mentioned before, why the hell are we flying in workers from all over the world so they can rebuild Iraq?  I have no problem paying Iraqis and we should be paying Iraqis...for work.  It's their country so they ought to be taking part in rebuilding it.  This is the most desperate, misguided program that I have heard of recently.  I'd rather not even think of the potential for abuse as well.  What are they thinking?

Even patrol leaders now carry envelopes of cash to spend in their areas. The money comes from brigade commanders, who get as much as $50,000 to $100,000 a month to distribute for local rehabilitation and emergency welfare projects through the Commanders Emergency Response Program.

There are few restrictions on the expenditures, and officers acknowledge they consider the money another weapon. The targets at which it is aimed are the restless legions of unemployed Iraqi men, many of them former soldiers, policemen and low-level members of the Baath Party of the ousted president, Saddam Hussein.

...Local commanders have the go-ahead to dish out tens, hundreds and thousands of dollars with little more paperwork than a signed receipt. Often, the cash is paid in return for a promise to perform a small community project, but it is also given to Iraqis to buy items they say are necessary.

Is The New York Times Too Gay?

The NYT "public editor" Daniel Okrent thinks he's being cheekily forthright by admitting the New York Times is a liberal newspaper. (Quite true, of course.) Unfortunately, his prime example stinks: gay marriage. The NYT is far too "balanced" on gay issues, feeling for years that any stories about gays must include hate-filled diatribes from far-right wackos like Gary Bauer so the NYT won't be accused of being lefties. That's not balance; that's bigotry. Write Okrent at public@nytimes.com and tell him you wish they'd be more "balanced" on black issues and always quote David Duke and the KKK and more "balanced" on Jews by always quoting Rev. Farrakhan and...well, you get the idea.
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Bush Fated To Lose?

A good analysis in the Sunday New York Times week-in-review section about President Bush's tipping point. Has Bush gone over-the-line from confident President to clueless incumbent who doesn't realize how out of step he is with the rest of the country? My favorite historical factoid: Only two incumbents in American history who lost the popular vote but won the election have ever faced reelection: John Quincy Adams and Benjamin Harrison. Both lost.
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