While Fallujah burns

"Senate Republicans this week will launch a series of hearings to promote the value of traditional marriage, a move some Democrats are calling an election year ploy.

According to a GOP memo obtained by The Associated Press, the hearings will represent a 'full-court push to educate the public on the importance of marriage.'

Four committees are expected to hold hearings, beginning Wednesday, with a Health subcommittee's discussion on 'Healthy Marriage: What is it and why should we promote it?'

'All of this could be very good for America to reacquaint itself with the importance of marriage as an institution for our culture and the danger we face as we move away from them,' said Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., who will preside over the first hearing.

Democrats say the publicity blitz smacks of politics.

'This is the kind of silliness the public finds appalling,' said Democratic political consultant Michael Goldman, who teaches media, politics and law at Tufts University. 'Talk about being totally and completely out of step. People don't need Republicans to tell them what a healthy marriage is.' " - Associated Press

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Members of Congress slap Karen Hughes for comparing pro-choicers to terrorists

"Eight lawmakers weighed in on the issue in a letter to Bush: 'Mr. President, you came to office by promising to be 'a uniter, not a divider.' Your aide's comments have the potential to be extremely divisive by invoking the war on terrorism. It is cheap and distasteful politics and we ask you to take a stand against it.'" - Reuters

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Oh man...

For all our complaints about the media not going after Bush hard enough, the Associated Press hits a home run in this article entitled "What Bush, Cheney, Kerry did during the Vietnam War." Some highlights:

- Bush: "He was assigned to guard National Guard units in Alabama. There is no record of him reporting for duty there, but Bush says he did participate. He lost his flight credentials after missing a physical exam."

- Cheney: "Cheney received five student and marriage deferments of service during the war... Cheney told The Washington Post in 1989, 'I had other priorities in the '60s than military service. ... I don't regret the decisions I made."

- Kerry: "After graduating from Yale University in 1966, Kerry volunteered for the Navy and served two tours of duty in Vietnam. In his first tour, he spent four months on the USS Gridley frigate off Vietnam's shore. He volunteered for the second tour, where he served nearly five months as a swiftboat commander in the Mekong Delta and won three Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star and a Silver Star." (emphasis added)

Enough said. Read the rest of this post...

Why does Nightline hate America?

With all due apologies to Atrios for borrowing his trademark title, Nightline is sure to tick off the White House this coming Friday, April 30. This from today's Nightline press release:

Ted Koppel and ABC News’ “Nightline” will pay tribute to the more than 500 American service men and women killed in action in Iraq by devoting the entire broadcast to reading the service members’ names and showing their photographs. Entitled “The Fallen,” the special “Nightline” broadcast will air FRIDAY APRIL 30 (11:35 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network. ABC News will also simulcast this tribute live on its Jumbotron in New York City’s Times Square. ABC News Radio will air excerpts of the program.

Using photographs and information drawn from the Army Times Publishing Company’s online “Faces of Valor” database (www.militarycity.com/valor), Friday’s “Nightline” will dedicate the half-hour program to showing a photograph of each service man and woman in succession with their name, military branch, rank and age, while Mr. Koppel reads their names aloud. Since the broadcast is only 30 minutes long, Friday’s broadcast is limited to showing just those killed in action’ in Iraq, as certified by the U.S. Department of Defense.

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Who you calling a sissie?

I thought we were beyong the point where closet cases use homophobia to attack their political enemies. Guess not. Wonkette reports that Drudge is doing his old "Kerry got an expensive haircut" rant yet again. So I thought I'd look around and see whether any Republicans have ever been caught pandering to their inner girl by wearing make-up before an important appearance, and some familiar names popped up:

- Former Governor, and current Terrorism Czar, Tom Ridge
- Defender of dogs everywhere, US Senator Rick Santorum

And best of all, according to USA Today, none other than:

- "George W. Bush wears makeup when he gives a major televised speech."

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You go, girl - Part II

I think I will always feel a bit uncomfortable praising John McCain. As a personality, I love the guy. He comes across very regular guy, smart, funny, no bs. Politically, however, he scares me - or rather, it scares me that people think he's a moderate simply because he seems to be a nice guy. (Remember the Simpson episode when Sideshow Bob is on trial for trying to kill Bart? The judge lets Bob go, saying: "No one who speaks German can be an evil man!") Not that McCain comes close to being a Nazi, but rather, I think people judge his politics by how nice he seems. The man may very well be a hoot at a dinner party or a baseball game, but that doesn't make him a moderate.

E.J Dionne on McCain defending Kerry:

"One person who is outraged by the attacks on Kerry is McCain. When I reached the Arizona Republican, I found him deeply troubled over the reopening of wounds from the Vietnam era, 'the most divisive time since our Civil War.' He called Sampley 'one of the most despicable characters I've ever met.' McCain said he hoped that in the midst of a war in Iraq, politicians 'will confront the challenges facing us now, including the conflict we're presently engaged in, rather than refighting the one we were engaged in more than 30 years ago.'

McCain recalled that he had worked with Kerry on 'POW/MIA issues and the normalization of relations with Vietnam' and wanted to stand up for his war comrade because 'you have to do what's right.' Speaking of Kerry, McCain said: 'He's my friend. He'll continue to be my friend. I know his service was honorable. If that hurts me politically or with my party, that's a very small price to pay.' " - Wash Post

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BushCheneyFalwellRobertson strikes again

HHS Withholds Funds for Global Health Meeting

"After complaints from Republican congressional staff members and conservative groups such as the Traditional Values Coalition, Bush administration officials have decided to withhold money for an international health conference that opponents say promotes abortion." - Wash Post

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Apologize, Karen!

FULL TEXT OF PLANNED PARENTHOOD PRESIDENT GLORIA FELDT's LETTER TO KAREN HUGHES:

April 27, 2004

Ms. Karen Hughes
Bush-Cheney '04, Inc.
P.O. Box 10648
Arlington, VA 222

Dear Ms. Hughes:

I am writing to request an apology for your comments invoking 9/11 to address the growing sentiment in this country against President George W. Bush's anti-choice policies.

On CNN this past Sunday, you said:

"I think after September 11, the American people are valuing life more...and I think those are the kind of policies the American people can support, particularly at a time when we're facing an enemy, and really, the fundamental difference between us and the terror network we fight is that we value every life."

You made these comments on CNN as men, women and families from across America and the world gathered in Washington, DC, for the March for Women's Lives, for which Planned Parenthood was a major sponsor.

Invoking 9/11 to defend this administration's policies regarding reproductive rights was an insensitive and divisive overreach.

We are all Americans, and we are patriots, too, Ms. Hughes. And we will not cease in our efforts to fight the attempts by this administration and this Congress to restrict reproductive rights, family planning, medical privacy, and so many other important factors in a woman's right to care for herself and her family without intrusion from government or politicians. We do this precisely because we value human life and dignity so much.

Your friends in the administration have repeatedly stated that our troops are fighting for freedom: to allow people to control their own lives and make their own decisions. Yet this administration and this Congress are working to take away American women's rights to make their own decisions.

If anyone has an understanding gap regarding women's rights at this troubled time in our history, it is not those of us who oppose anti-choice, anti-women policies.

An apology is in order. The horror of 9/11 has been used inappropriately too many times, and this is clearly such an incident.

Sincerely,

GLORIA FELDT
President
Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. Read the rest of this post...

Secret Service questions teen about anti-war drawings

"Secret Service agents questioned a high school student about anti-war drawings he did for an art class, one of which depicted President Bush's head on a stick." - USA Today

Investigate me. Read the rest of this post...