Military Mislead Press, Families, About How 10 Marines Died

It looks like they lied in order to make this seem a "heroic" death the day Bush was giving his "victory" speech. Pathetic. Read the rest of this post...

Dan Savage: "Let Ford Know You Think They're Pussies for Caving to the American Taliban"

I'd marry Dan Savage if he were single, and it were legal, and if he and I had ever actually met.

Dan is the editor of the Stranger, the Seattle alternative weekly that broke the Microsoft caving to the religious right story, and Dan is also the guy who writes Savage Love in pretty much every alternative free paper in America, including DC's own City Paper.

Anyway, Dan has a take on the Ford affair that's been missed. Namely, the extremist gay-hating American Family Association and its ilk arent just gunning for gay America, they're gunning for straight America too:

So what can you do? Gay or straight, you should at least pick up the phone and let local Ford dealers know that you won't even consider buying a Ford after this. Why should straight people care? Because the same AFA fucks that have successfully intimidated Ford on the gay issue are also attacking straight rights—they’re the same assholes who have successfully intimidated retailers like Target into denying women access to morning-after pills. They’re the same assholes trying to convince the Feds not to release a vaccine for two strains of HPV , the virus that can cause cervical cancer in women. The HPV vaccine—already tested and 100% effective!—could save thousands of women’s lives every year. The AFA is fighting it.

Here’s a list of Ford dealers (use the link to find your local dealer). Call them, tell them you’re pissed — and remind them that the AFA’s boycott of Disney didn’t go anywhere. Tell them that when the AFA threatened Kraft, Kraft told the AFA to go fuck themselves. But Ford? The “Built Ford Tough” boys collapsed into a puddle when the AFA assholes threatened them with a boycott. So let Ford know what you don’t buy cars from companies that caves to right-wing hate mongers. And when the local dealers tell you that they didn’t make this decision, tell them that’s too bad. Tell them to scream and yell to Ford HQ and get this decision reversed, or you will never, ever consider buying a Ford.

And corporations can reverse themselves. Microsoft caved to right-wing Christian bullies, and then reversed itself. Tell ‘em Ford can too. Tell ‘em Ford better.

Dan writes even more about the threat the religious extremists pose to straight America here (scroll down to the end of the column, where it says "Straight Rights Update"). Read the rest of this post...

Just got back from seeing Syriana, the movie, with Joe

UPDATE: As I didn't like the movie, I'd like to give a fair chance to those who did. You can read some favorable reviews from our comments here.

Ok, so here's the thing....

Syriana bought ads on the blog, and I very much appreciate that. But I didn't really like the movie, and I have to tell the truth when I review these kind of things, so you can trust me when I tell you I do like something.

If you're afraid of me spoiling the movie for you, don't read on.

Basically, it's a movie about big US oil companies being evil, the CIA being evil, Arab governments being evil (or stupid), the US government being evil, the Chinese being greedy, young Pakistanis having nowhere to turn but evil, etc. It's fiction too.

The movie has some great stars, George Clooney and Matt Damon. Both are pretty good - I liked Damon, Clooney was okay. But here's my problems with the flick.

1. The plot is way too complicated from the git-go. The movie tries to weave four or so plots together, and I don't think it does a very good job. Some major characters, like an Arab (or something) named Mussawi - I have no clue who he is or why he existed in the movie, yet he played a relatively key role.

2. The movie was a tad too obviously strident. Yes, everyone is evil, we get it. But at some point in the movie I got that cumbaya feeling in my gut I get when things are being presented to me in too easy of an uber-liberal way - e.g., if we just all clap our hands Tinkerbell will live.

But in this case, it was in reverse. Everyone is just evil: big oil, the CIA, our government, lawyers, blah blah blah. Yes, the world is evil and only liberals can save it. I get it. And I don't disagree with some of the key points of the film - yes, we know corporate America is amoral (boy do we know), and yes the CIA does doe some nasty things (though it's debatable whether we can live in this world without having something like the CIA). And yes, our government can be less than pure. But something about getting that point across in heavy-handed fiction just didn't ring true for me. If the movie were a documentary, I would have been far more influenced by it. But when you show me a fake story with fake facts I have a hard time getting mad at the CIA and the US and the big oil companies when the case you're presenting isn't real.

I just didn't love it. Joe (Joe in DC, that is) went with me. He said he wouldn't recommend it, neither would I. He said he'd have been ticked if he spent ten bucks to see it. I'd have been disappointed, but not ticked. It might be worth watching on DVD, but I just didn't love it.

Sorry.

If anyone has seen it and has a different take on the movie, I'd love to hear it. It's supposed to be a big deal, I just didn't get that from it. Read the rest of this post...

Condi didn't admit a mistake after all

Yesterday, we reported that Condi -- in what may have been a first for a Bush official -- admitted a mistake.

Well, turns out that report was wrong. Condi now says she didn't admit a mistake...or she won't admit that she admitted a mistake.

The Chancellor of Germany stated that Condi said the U.S. made a mistake, but Condi's people disputed it:

Mrs. Merkel said at a news conference that Ms. Rice had admitted making a mistake when the United States abducted a German citizen, Khaled el-Masri, on suspicions of terrorism and held him in detention for five months. But aides to Ms. Rice scrambled to deny that, saying instead that Ms. Rice had said only that if mistakes were made, they would be corrected.

Of course George Bush's chief diplomat could never admit the US did something wrong -- even if it means calling a top ally a liar. Read the rest of this post...

Let's see what Ford's new buddy, the American Family Association, says about gays that Ford finds so convincing

1. Does Ford agree that gays can change their sexual orientation through prayer?

AFA is promoting a video by a supposedly "ex-gay" man (someone who prayed away the gay) who in fact was alleged to have been involved in gay orgies even after he was claiming he was "cured" of his homosexuality.

Does Ford think gays can pray away their "illness?"

2. Does Ford agree that gays are after our children?

A direct mail letter from Don Wildmon of the American Family Association included this emotional appeal. "For the sake of our children and society, we must OPPOSE the spread of homosexual activity! Just as we must oppose murder, stealing, and adultery! Since homosexuals cannot reproduce, the only way for them to 'breed' is to RECRUIT! And who are their targets for recruitment? Children!" - Source: People for the American Way

3. Does Ford agree that homosexuality is the result of the fall of the human race?

"homosexuality is the result of the moral fall of the human race." - http://www.afa.net, Homosexuality in America: Exposing the Myths.

4. Does Ford agree that gays eat feces, have sex with animals?

Among homosexual lifestyle and sexual practices are included: "sex with boys... eating and/or rubbing themselves with the feces of their partners... urinating on or in their partners... sadomasochism... bondage... sex with animals."- http://www.afa.net, Homosexuality in America: Exposing the Myths.

5. Does Ford agree that gays are pro pedophilia?

"homosexuals seem to favor leniency regarding pedophilia" - http://www.afa.net, Homosexuality in America: Exposing the Myths.

Do make sure you contact Ford and ask them which of these arguments they found most compelling. Read the rest of this post...

Open thread

Okay, a quick update on why we're writing so much about Ford.

We've got a lot of readers now and many may not be aware of AMERICAblog's, and my, history of activism, so they may not be aware that we sometimes go off on specific issues and beat them like a dead horse until we win. Several examples: the Jeff Gannon/James Guckert GOP reporter/prostitute story; Microsoft dropping its support for gay rights earlier this year; Hurricane Katrina; the GOP refusing to sponsor an anti-lynching resolution.

To the newbies, all this posting on one topic may come as a surprise.

But it's part of what we do here. We don't just report the news and analyze it, we're here to help make the world a better place. You will never see a day where we only talk about one subject - we're already talking about a lot of things. But you will see moments, usually around 4 times a year, when we focus like a laser-beam on one specific topic, while still covering the rest of the news.

This is one of those times.

Thanks, JOHN Read the rest of this post...

Pentagon to ask for another $100 billion for Iraq, raises total to $420 billion

This has got to stop.

Video of Murtha talking about this here. Read the rest of this post...

Shots fired on American Airlines plane

UPDATE: The passenger who was shot is now dead.

UPDATE: Passenger said he had a bomb in his luggage, passenger exited the flight, he was ordered to stop and get on the ground, he appeared to reach for a weapon, they shot him. That's the line from Homeland Security.

UPDATE: Gee, it's too bad the House Republicans cut the budget for the federal air marshalls.

CNN is reporting that shots were fired on an American Airlines plane at Miami International Airport. Apparently a Federal Air Marshall fired the shots. CNN is reporting that a passenger is wounded, the passenger was supposedly acting in a "threatening" manner. Read the rest of this post...

Have you done your Fitzmas shopping?

You may need to:

Special prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald appeared this morning to present information to a new grand jury in the CIA leak investigation.

Fitzgerald has been probing for two years what role senior Bush administration officials have played in leaking a CIA operative name to the media in 2003.

Today's appearance was the first time that Fitzgerald has gone back to a grand jury since the Oct. 28 indictment of Vice President Cheney's chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby.

And for all your Fitzmas needs, don't forget the AMERICAblog shop! Read the rest of this post...

Ford spokesmen Jim Cain and Mike Moran admit company caved to religious right demands

Now that Ford has told the New York Times, CNN, AP, Reuters, the Washington Post and every other media outlet that it in no way caved to pressure from the religious right, it's time to start naming names.

Here are the two Ford spokesmen who confirmed over the past 3 days that in fact Ford caved to pressure from the extremist ant-gay hate group:

1. Ford spokesman Mike Moran

Ford spokesman Mike Moran confirmed that Ford pulled its gay ads as a direct result of the meetings Ford had with the gay-hating extremist group American Family Association (AFA). Moran confirmed this to Sean Bugg, a well-known DC-based gay journalist, and editor of the popular DC gay publication, Metro Weekly. I have known Sean for years, and he is 100% credible.

From MetroWeekly:

Ford spokesman Mike Moran said that the automotive giant -- one of the ''Big Three'' American automakers, along with General Motors and Daimler-Chrysler -- was ''pleased that the AFA has decided to end its boycott.''

''Some months ago we began a constructive dialogue with them, just as we do with other customers and interest groups,'' Moran said. ''While we don't agree on all issues, we expect the dialogue to continue so that we understand each other better.''

Asked about the initial report that Ford would be curtailing advertising with the gay press, Moran told Metro Weekly on Dec. 1 that Land Rover and Jaguar would not be advertising in gay publications in 2006, while Volvo would continue its advertising in such venues as Advocate, Genre and Out because the brand believes ''it's an effective way to market their vehicles.''

When asked if the advertising was being discontinued because of the threatened AFA boycott, Moran said, ''Ceasing advertising is an outgrowth of those meetings.''

2. Ford spokesman Jim Cain confirms "formal settlement" with AFA

After we posted online the contact information for Jim Cain, a lead Ford spokesman, Ethan Geto, a longtime NY gay activist and former head of Howard Dean's NY presidential campaign, called Cain on December 4, 2005. Here is Geto's report to me of what transpired in that call:

I called every name on the list I forwarded to you, and actually reached one guy on his cell phone, Jim Cain of Ford pr. We had a lengthy and civil, if tense, discussion. He clearly confirmed that Ford was pulling ads from "advocacy publications," which seems to cover every gay magazine and newspaper in the country since they "advocate" a "gay rights agenda." Cain said that this all started due to Ford ads in Europe, which apparently include some gay people/couples in a positive way.

But he did confirm that Ford had indeed reached a formal settlement with AFA, and this specifically includes withdrawing advertising for certain Ford vehicles from LGBT publications/media. He tried to wiggle out of it by saying that (a) Ford had a good track record re the LGBT community, and (b) Jaguar and other divisions are "almost like separate companies."?

3. Ford spokesman Mike Moran confirms AFA's claim that Ford responded to pressure from AFA

"They've heard our concerns; they are acting on our concerns. We are pleased with where we are," said Donald Wildmon, AFA's chairman, in a statement....

When first contacted, Ford spokesman Moran referred Advocate.com to the AFA statement, suggesting that the company had no disagreement with Wildmon's assertions.

So two top Ford spokesman Mike Moran and Jim Cain have confirmed that the company caved to religious right pressure. Now Cain and Moran are denying the very thing that they told to three different people.

Ford, it's time to stop lying. You've been caught.

And note to the mainstream press that's been covering this story. Cain and Moran lied to you. It's time for a follow-up story, especially now that we know Ford has also agreed to pull its support for gay and lesbian events.

PS Special note to Ford's gay and lesbian employee group. You now know they lied to you too. What are you going to do about it? Read the rest of this post...

BREAKING: Ford has agreed to no longer sponsor gay events

It's over. Ford lied.

For days Ford has been saying this is just about a few ads. For days Ford has been saying they didn't agree to anything. And for days Ford has been saying Volvo will continue marketing to the gay community.

Not true.

We now find out that Ford has agreed to stop supporting gay events. We now find out that Ford's Volvo ads will continue in gay publications, but the ads will no longer target the gay community - meaning, they'll use generic ads that they're using elsewhere.

Ford didn't just lie, they caved to the AFA big time. A major US corporation is no longer supporting gay and lesbian organizations - something it did to a large degree in the past - because an extremist gay-hating hate group threatened them.

Ford is dead.

This is from WardsAuto.com, the publication that broke the Ford story last week, and it's owned by Primedia, it's a real industry publication:

Ford Motor Co.'s decision to cease advertising in gay publications for its Jaguar and Land Rover luxury brands is part of a truce between the auto maker and the American Family Assn. (AFA) to avert a threatened boycott by the right-wing Christian conservative group, Ward‚s learns....

As part of the latest agreement hammered out Nov. 29, sources confirm Volvo Cars will continue to advertise in the publications but will use generic ads not tailored to the gay community.

In addition, Ford has agreed not to sponsor any future gay and lesbian events but will continue to maintain its employee policies, such as same-sex partner benefits.

(Note: This is a subscription only publication.)

Gee, isn't that swell. Ford agreed not to viciously revoke its benefits for all of its employees. Gosh, I'm so proud of them. Not to mention, if Ford is stating that it's not revoking its benefits, then it sounds like the religious right wanted them to. Yet Ford told us that the issue was only about a few ads.

Liars. Read the rest of this post...

Michael Schiavo forms a PAC

It's called Terri PAC and according to Salon:

Terri Schiavo's husband starts a PAC devoted to defeating the Bible-thumping politicians who used his comatose wife as a football..

Read the rest of this post...

Contact your local Ford dealership

One of the best way to influence Ford is via their local dealers. They don't need to hear that their headquarters just ticked off a larger segment of their customers and their families and friends. Use the links below to find your local dealer, and tell them to call Ford headquarters or you won't be shopping with them any time soon, nor will your friends or family.

Please select a state for Ford dealers

• Alabama	• Louisiana	• Ohio
• Alaska	• Maine	• Oklahoma
• Arizona	• Maryland	• Oregon
• Arkansas	• Massachusetts	• Pennsylvania
• California	• Michigan	• Rhode Island
• Colorado	• Minnesota	• South Carolina
• Connecticut	• Mississippi	• South Dakota
• Delaware	• Missouri	• Tennessee
• Florida	• Montana	• Texas
• Georgia	• Nebraska	• Utah
• Hawaii	• Nevada	• Vermont
• Idaho	• New Hampshire	• Virginia
• Illinois	• New Jersey	• Washington
• Indiana	• New Mexico	• West Virginia
• Iowa	• New York	• Wisconsin
• Kansas	• North Carolina	• Wyoming
• Kentucky	• North Dakota

Read the rest of this post...

Wednesday Morning Open Thread

This is a fun week.

Keep it rolling. Read the rest of this post...

The GOP plan for economic success

And to think some out there just can't be happy with the new economy. I wonder why? Read the rest of this post...

CIA abduction and torture victim suing in US

Rice and the administration would like to just let this one slip by and say "oops" but with the lawsuit now being filed in US courts, this is not going away. Khaled al Masri was abducted and tortured because someone in Langley "had a hunch" and his name was the same as a 9/11 terrorist. In the UK, criticism is mounting there as well.

And in London, the former Law Lord and judge Lord Steyn said that "if British authorities knew the nature of these flights they would be guilty of war crimes".

Read the rest of this post...

Wednesday's media coverage of Ford

• Washington Post
• Forbes
• Washington Times
• Chicago Tribune
• Boston Herald
• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
• Wall Street Journal
• Reuters
• Rocky Mountain News

Read the rest of this post...

Your overnight homework: Please contact Jaguar, and a few other folks before morning

I've been hearing some indications that the folks at Jaguar, a Ford subsidiary, are NOT happy at all with Ford having caved to the extremist anti-gay hate group. It might be good, therefore, to get some comments into Jaguar so that, if this is true, they have some evidence to throw at the bigots at Ford's headquarters.

Here are several steps you can take. I'd especially like you to take the email and phone steps tonight so we can surprise the workers when they get to the office in the morning:

1. Send a message to Jaguar via their Web site:

- For "Subject" choose "Customer Relations Center"
- "Subcategory" put "other"
- Then tell them your concern. I wouldn't worry about giving them your name, etc. I did.

2. Here are a few other Ford, Jaguar, and other subsidiary contacts to email overnight.

- Click here to email senior officials at Jaguar, Ford, Mazda, and Hertz all at once.

3. Also, call these Jaguar employees and leave voice mail messages about this topic, so they can receive them in the morning when they arrive at work (remember, as Jaguar may not be on board with Ford's anti-gay position, be nice):

- Mike Heberling, Strat Plng Mgr, 949-341-6212
- James Thomas, Comm Dir, 949-341-6140
- Jeffrey Levinson, Adv Mgr, 949-341-6196
- Mariana Solano, S-Type Prod Mktg Mgr, 949-341-6279
- Heather Harkovich, "Retail Comm Mgr - Adv Programs, Dealer Association", 949-341-7682

4. You can write Jaguar here (letters carry a LOT of weight, since people don't write them anymore):

Jaguar Cars, Attn: Customer Relationship Center
555 MacArthur Boulevard
Mahwah, NJ 07430-2327

5. Finally, consider contacting your local Jaguar dealership during the day. You can find them here using your zip code. Read the rest of this post...