Open thread

See, and some of you thought we'd never go another post without mentioning Ford.

Oh... Read the rest of this post...

We have a new t-shirt shop that's totally cool

We now have a second t-shirt shop where you can pick TONS of colors of shirts, you can change the color of the logo on the spot, shrink it, make it larger, move it around on the shirt, and even add your own text to the shirt. It's totally cool, seriously, even if you're not buying, check it out, it's just so cool what you can do with technology nowadays.

Do check it out.



We're adding more designs each day.

Ok, this is even cooler than I thought. You can even change the color of PARTS of the design while leaving other colors in the design as they are - for example, in Treason's Greetings above you can pick the background color and the color for the Rove silhouette INDEPENDENTLY. Read the rest of this post...

Extreme right group wants to launch "quit gay sex" campaign

Via Media Matters

"Quit Gay Sex" Campaign
By Cliff Kincaid | December 14, 2005

It appears that the homosexual lifestyle is as addictive as smoking.

Have you noticed that many news organizations, in honor of former ABC News anchorman Peter Jennings, have embarked on a quit smoking campaign? So why don't our media launch a campaign advising people to quit engaging in the dangerous and addictive homosexual lifestyle?

Uh, something you want to tell us, Cliff? Read the rest of this post...

Majority of House GOP vote for torture

The majority of the GOP caucus, like the White House, still have a hankering for torture:

In a symbolic move, the House endorsed a Senate-passed ban on cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of foreign terrorism suspects Wednesday as negotiations between the White House and Sen. John McCain over the provision appeared at an impasse.

Approved 308-122, the procedural vote puts political pressure on House negotiators - but does not require them - to include the ban and another provision standardizing interrogation techniques used by U.S. troops in a final wartime military spending bill.

The vote tally was 200 Democrats, 1 independent and 107 Republicans against torture; 121 Republicans and 1 Democrat for torture. You can see the actual tally of the members of Congress who support torture here. Read the rest of this post...

Live Grinch-blogging

Oops, it started at 8, sorry. On WB. Read the rest of this post...

Business Week: "Ford Affirms Gay Publication Support. No Victory For AFA"

Well, that headline pretty much sums it up.

Actually, very interesting tidbit in the story:

But the AFA created the perception that Ford had given them what they wanted, which angered several Ford executives--notably CEO Bill Ford.

If that's true, then kudos to Mr. Ford. Good for him. Read the rest of this post...

How can our military defend America if they don't hate Jews?

That's what a group of US House Republicans are apparently planning to ask Bush.

Pretty soon America will no longer be safe for people who hate America. Read the rest of this post...

Novak says Bush knows who Plame source is

Oh this is rich.

Columnist Bob Novak, who first published the identity of covert CIA officer Valerie Plame, says he is confident that President Bush knows who leaked Plame's name.

Novak said that "I'd be amazed" if the president didn't know the source's identity and that the public should "bug the president as to whether he should reveal who the source is."

Sounds like Bob isn't too happy with Bush any more. Read the rest of this post...

AFA now terrorizing companies who support the Bill of Rights

Typical. Someone needs to contact Progressive Insurance and let them know that the AFA is all bark. When push comes to shove, the AFA and its extremist minoins have no power because they stand for hate and bigotry. Read the rest of this post...

Australian race riots continue for second day

It looks like another casualty in the "war on terror" that John Howard had to have. Both the white youths and the Middle Eastern youths appear to be stuck in a tit-for-tat cycle of street violence at the moment. Bush's good friend PM John Howard meanwhile still is skeptical about the racism playing any role in what is happening. Perhaps things have changed radically in the last couple of years but I distinctly recall being shocked by how educated Australians spoke about non-whites and nobody seemed to flinch or be offended.

In my travels across six continents I have yet to visit a country that did not have problems with racism. Every country always seems to think that their own country is fine, it's the other countries that have the problem but the reality is it exists everywhere. The primary difference is how a society reacts to discrimination. Looking at the hard right moves going on in the US including Alito on the Supreme Court, I'm left wondering how long it will be until the US turns back the clock 30-40 years and starts to re-experience the tensions of the past. Read the rest of this post...

AP story on Ford: We won

UPDATE: Reuters story is good too.

THIS is proof that we won. That all of AMERICA won. The Associated Press story says it all. What matters most isn't just whether we won or lost - though it does matter - it also matters whether the media and the public and corporate America thinks we won or lost. Why? Because we don't need extremist gay-hating bullies being perceived as winners by all of their future victims. And now America knows, when it's a choice between the gay-haters and the gays, choose the gays.

From AP:

Ford will again advertise in gay publications
Jaguar and Land Rover ads resume after criticism

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Ford Motor Co. said Wednesday it would reinstate and expand the scope of its advertising in gay publications after criticism from gay rights groups.

Ford said in a letter it would restore advertising for its luxury Jaguar and Land Rover brands in gay publications and run corporate ads marketing all eight of its vehicle brands in the publications.

Every paper in the country will run the AP story, and now it's a fact that we won.

One final point. Any company that the AFA is currently threatening, from Wells Fargo to I understand they're now going after some insurance company, needs to be made aware of what happened today. The AFA lied about their influence and they got slaughtered by us. In the future, American business will think twice before listening to, or even meeting, these bigots.

And I didn't even get to post my latest research about AFA's history of anti-Semitism. Oh well, next boycott. Read the rest of this post...

Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln...

...any other news we should be paying attention to? Read the rest of this post...

We Won

UPDATE: You can thank Ford via this online form.

FURTHER UPDATE: Great AP story on our victory.

Regarding that Ford thing? We just won.



The Ford Motor Company today released the following letter (below) clarifying that whatever did or did not happen behind closed doors with the American Family Association (AFA) two weeks ago, the company is NOT backing off of its support for the gay community or gay advertising (in contrast to what was reported over the past two weeks).

According to the AFA and media reports over the past two weeks, in order to avoid a boycott from the extremist gay-hating organization, Ford allegedly agreed to:

1. No longer run ads promoting Jaguar or Land Rover in the gay press.
2. No longer support gay events or organizations.
3. Continue running Volvo ads in the gay press, but no longer tailor those ads to the gay community (i.e., in the future such ads would be the same ads that are run in the mainstream media, rather than the crafting the ads to appeal to a gay readership).

Ford addressed and resolved each of our three concerns regarding the above:

1. Ford announced that it will continue to support gay organizations and gay events in the coming year and beyond.

2. Ford is going to run advertisements in the gay media NOT ONLY promoting the Jaguar and Land Rover brands, but the ads will promote ALL of Fords brands, by name, including Jaguar and Land Rover.

3. Ford states unequivocally that it will continue to tailor its ads for the specific audience it is trying to reach, and then goes one step further. Ford challenges us to keep an eye out on their upcoming ads in order to verify that they will in fact be tailored.

There is no other way to read this than that Ford did the right thing. Whether or not an agreement was reached with the American Family Association - and the AFA has a record of crowing about such "victories" when no such victory occurred (sounds a lot like our president) - Ford has rectified the real or perceived problem, and the AFA has been shown to have no clothes (other than a very rusty chastity belt).

The thanks for this goes out to all of you. YOU did this. WE did this, together. And the we doesn't just include everyone who writes on and reads this blog. It includes the entire blogosphere who helped on this issue. It includes - yes, I'm serious - the gay civil rights groups who did the right thing here, stepped up to the plate, coordinated as they never have before, and stood firm against a bully. And finally, part of the credit goes to Ford and its brands (and I strongly suspect its employees as well). They could have told us to go to hell. They could have decided it was smarter to embrace intolerance and bigotry, but they didn't. Ford chose to embrace fairness and equality, Ford chose to embrace the values that doesn't just make American corporations great, they're the values that make America great.

Today, we all won.

Here is the text of Ford's letter:

December 14, 2005

Matt Foreman, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
Joe Solmonese, Human Rights Campaign
Neil Giuliano, Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation
Craig Bowman, National Youth Advocacy Coalition
Jody Huckaby, Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
Alexander Robinson, National Black Justice Coalition
Jeff Montgomery, Triangle Foundation

Dear Friends:

Thank you again for taking the time to speak with us on Monday. In my view, it was the start of a valuable and healthy dialogue, and I was pleased to be there on behalf of Bill Ford, Chairman and CEO of Ford Motor Company.

My intention was to be as direct and forthright. You deserve no less. I appreciate your candor in return. I'd like to take this opportunity to review the information we shared face-to-face and to tell you how our thinking has evolved.

You asked us specifically to reaffirm our principles of nondiscrimination and inclusiveness. We agreed, without any reservations, and issued a statement immediately after the meeting in which Bill Ford did so personally. We pointed out that Ford Motor Company and its brands value diversity among all of our constituents and pride ourselves on strong and clear values - respect for our customers, communities, employees, suppliers and dealers; acceptance of our differences; inclusion of different people with different perspectives; and integrity. That commitment is unchanged and we believe it is reflected in our policies, practices and marketing.

You asked us to comment on reports that we had placed creative restrictions on the way our brands could speak to gay and lesbian audiences. We expect our brands to create advertising that supports their brand image and is appropriate and effective in connecting with the intended audience. That is unchanged. But we do not have to deal with this topic in the abstract. The best answer to your question will be in the ads themselves. I would ask you to judge our intent by what you see.

You asked directly whether Ford Motor Company will continue to support nonprofit groups and events in the GLBT community. While we will still support certain events, I know you understand that the business situation will limit the extent of our support in all communities in 2006. We will continue all of our workplace policies and practices in support of Ford GLOBE members and supporters. That is unchanged.

You asked directly for us to have Jaguar and Land Rover reverse its plans and advertise in gay and lesbian targeted publications in 2006. As we said, Jaguar and Land Rover made a business decision about their media plans and it would be inconsistent with the way we manage our business to direct them to do otherwise. It is clear there is a misperception about our intent. As a result, we have decided to run corporate ads in these targeted publications that will include not only
Jaguar/Land Rover but all eight of Ford's vehicle brands. As we have said, the content will be appropriate and effective in connecting with the intended audience. It is my hope that this will remove any ambiguity about Ford's desire to advertise to all important audiences and put this particular issue behind us.

Finally, you expressed your strong objections to our having even met with one of your harshest critics. We meet every day with people and organizations on many issues, and, as a business, do not wish be drawn into those that detract from our effectiveness in the marketplace. That said, we expect to be measured not by the meetings we conduct but by our conduct itself. Our record on tolerance and inclusion speaks for itself and I am proud to be judged on that record at any time.

In closing, thank you again for your candor and professionalism. We listened and learned, and hope that you continue to understand the values and commitments of Ford Motor Company. I look forward to hearing from you at any time.

Sincerely,

Joe Laymon

Read the rest of this post...

Open thread

News? Read the rest of this post...

Bill Frist's chief of staff FLIPS OUT on AP reporters

Some think Frist may have gotten another subpoena. Josh has the goods. Read the rest of this post...

"Under Pressure From KKK, Ford Pulls Ads From Black Media"

Oh. My. God.

That's the headline of a story in one of the TOP corporate communications publications in the country that EVERY public relations agency reads. They eviscerate Ford.

At this point, the damage to Ford now goes FAR BEYOND any threatened damage from the extremist gay-hating groups. Ford better wake up fast and compare the publicity they got when the AFA threatened a boycott this past May with the publicity they're getting now that they caved to the AFA. There is no comparison. We have already damaged their brand - THEY have already damaged their brand - far beyond anything the AFA could have hoped for even had it launched a boycott.

All this, and we haven't even launched a formal campaign against Ford - yet.

Here's an excerpt, but be sure to read the entire thing (and don't miss the final paragraph, in bold below):

Under Pressure From KKK, Ford Pulls Ads From Black Media

Okay, so that’s not quite the story, although the KKK should probably give it a try, because if Ford’s craven response to pressure from the American Family Association is any indication, the company would buckle under at the first sign of trouble....

Ford spokesman Mike Moran told Washington, D.C.’s Metro Weekly: “Some months ago we began a constructive dialogue with them, just as we do with other customers and interest groups. While we don’t agree on all issues, we expect the dialogue to continue so that we understand each other better.” When asked whether the advertising was being discontinued because of the threatened boycott, Moran admitted that “ceasing advertising is an outgrowth of those meetings.”

But later in the week, as human rights advocates began to attack the company’s decision, Ford was telling reporters from the mainstream media that the decision to discontinue advertising was based on cost-cutting considerations. “As [the Jaguar and Land Rover brands] begin planning their marketing for next year,” said Moran, “they’ve streamlined their budgets.”

Assuming the earlier quotes are a reflection of the company’s true motives—and given the timing of the announcement, and the fact that the AFA had an official statement on its website before Ford did, that’s a reasonable assumption—there are two possible explanations for the company’s actions.

The first is that Ford management sat down to discuss the whole issue of homosexuality in America and came to the conclusion that the AFA was right: that the “gay and lesbian agenda” had been pushed too far, that the growing acceptance of homosexuals among the general public was undermining the fabric of our society. The company felt it needed to make a principled stand against the campaign for equal rights, to draw a line in the sand, and to make it clear that homosexuality is so repellent that Ford no longer wants the business of the gay community.

The second is that Ford management sat down to discuss not the principles at stake but the cost in time and energy and financial resources of fighting the AFA versus the cost of capitulation. And it decided that the easiest course, the path of least resistance, would be to give in the AFA’s demands and hope the group would go find some other company—one more concerned with integrity than expediency—to threaten with a boycott.

Neither explanation is particularly palatable....

Forty years ago, at the height of the civil rights struggle, the KKK had about the same economic influence, popular support and moral authority the American Family Association enjoys today. It’s hard to imagine that Ford then would have negotiated with the Klan, far less given it an excuse to claim victory. The company’s surrender to the AFA tells you all you need to know about the quality of leadership at Ford today.

Read the rest of this post...

DC is one big rumor mill about Rove possibly being indicted

Who says Fitzmas only comes once a year? Read the rest of this post...

White House still wants torture

Makes you proud:

Sen. John McCain and President Bush's national security adviser remained at an impasse Wednesday over the senator's proposed ban on cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of foreign terrorism suspects.

"At this point, discussions are ongoing," national security adviser Stephen Hadley told The Associated Press as he left McCain's Capitol Hill office after a meeting that lasted just over an hour.

And they keep pushing, and as we learn via Think Progess, they are just changing the rules:

The Army has approved a new, classified set of interrogation methods that may complicate negotiations over legislation proposed by Senator John McCain to bar cruel and inhumane treatment of detainees in American custody, military officials said Tuesday.

Read the rest of this post...

Senator Levin to block wingnut nominee

Good for him. The extremists that Bush has been promoting who are well outside of the middle are getting old. The latest wingnut to be proposed is the Bush nominee to be the chief Pentagon spokesman, J. Dorrance Smith. It's crazy enough to hear the ramblings of the extreme right who think that any independent press is somehow anti-American, but this guy actually included Fox News in one of his tirades against the US media.

In an opinion piece published in the Wall Street Journal in April, Smith wrote: "Osama bin Laden, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and al Qaeda have a partner in Al-Jazeera and, by extension, most networks in the U.S. This partnership is a powerful tool for the terrorists in the war in Iraq."

Smith also singled out U.S. networks, saying: "Al-Jazeera has very strong partners in the U.S. -- ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, CNN and MSNBC. Video aired by Al-Jazeera ends up on these networks, sometimes within minutes."

Read the rest of this post...

Wednesday Morning Open Thread

It's 13 degrees and I woke up to Karen Hughes spinning wildly on the Today Show. Ugh. Double ugh. Read the rest of this post...

Recently discovered Mayan mural shown

Wow. Archeologist William Saturno stumbled upon this mural back in 2002 while resting during a walk in the jungle in Guatemala. The site was cleared afterwards and the photo of the mural is incredible. What a find. Read the rest of this post...

Yet another headache for the Bug Man

Texas prosecutor Ronnie Earle has issued subpoenas for bank records related to the California defense contractors who are under investigation for bribery in the Duke Cunnigham scandal and who also gave money to the DeLay political slush fund. Earle has also requested documents about a previous court settlement that DeLay had with a former business partner. If the Bug Man was hoping to move on quickly, he was sadly mistaken because even after all of this is settled there is still the other problem of Jack Abramoff to deal with. Read the rest of this post...

Open thread

I'm off to bed. Read the rest of this post...

We've got a new t-shirt shop that is WAY cool

We've now got a second t-shirt shop that is way way way cool. Not only are they letting us sell anti-Ford t-shirts, but the functionality of the shop is astounding. You pick the design, then you pick the color of the design, then the style of your tshirt, then the color of your tshirt, then you can start switching them all around on the page in front of you. You can even make the design larger and smaller, move it around on the shirt, AND INCLUDE YOUR OWN PERSONAL TEXT ON THE SHIRT. I.e., come up with your own slogans about anything.



(Note: We're still waiting for an official response from Ford to the gay groups' meeting with them on Monday. That response is expected Wednesday. So if you buy the Ford shirt, just be aware they might (or might not) do the right thing on Wednesday.)

I'm serious, I am really impressed with the functionality here. It might take you a few minutes to get the hang of it - there are a LOT of options at your fingertips. Play around with the controls, you'll see what I mean. It's cool.

We only have a few of our best-selling designs up so far. We'll have even more up tomorrow and in the days ahead. But I was excited that the shop is live and figured I'd let you check it out, and order already if you want.

One last thing, if you click around you'll see that are a lot of generic images you can use as well for the shirts, again allowing you to insert your own text - might make some unique Christmas gifts, or whatever gifts, or even your own unique anti-Ford shirt.

You can visit the shop here. Read the rest of this post...