Done With All That

The best thing to come out of all that craziness was Tina Fey's shining SNL moments.

Like many others, I was very happy that Obama's win was untarnished by complications on voting day. I have been unsuccessful in my efforts to peel away the KUCINICH bumper sticker from the Daewoo. Apparently bumper stickers are forever. I managed to rip away some of the edges, but the only solution I see is covering it with a new sticker.

Five more weeks until Barack Obama's innauguration...the first african american president ever.

A democrat in the white house once again. I was born during Truman's presidency and during my lifetime, we have had six democrats and six republicans in office.

Back in January when all the campaigning heated up, ending the war seemed to be a top story. Who knew the economy would collapse? They call this a recession. Some predict a full-blown depression will not hit for another year. In the meantime, we watch the house of cards.

Yet, this is a story like any other story...not entirely true...a matter of perception.

A lot transpires during the course of one year. Think back one year. What was the story of your life? Think back two years, three years, etc. One year from now is a complete mystery.

Feminism Revisited

Kind of weird to see Sarah and Gloria in the same photo...especially with that grinning Rudy Giuliani in the background today on September 11th.

This article in Salon comments on this latest version of woman power. Who could have predicted this?
http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2008/09/11/zombie_feminism/index.html?source=newsletter

I recommend renting the film Iron Jawed Angels, about the women who fought for the right to vote. Gives new meaning to "Why Vote?"

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00026L9CU

September 17th is Constitution Day

Dwight Eisenhower warned americans in 1961 of the rising military industrial complex. He said they will take your rights away if you let them.

US Consitution for fifth graders tells us the basics to the US Constitution...

There are three branches of government:
Legislative (House of Representatives, Senate, Congress)
Executive (President)
Judicial (Supreme Court)

The Bill of Rights is a simple 462-word document detailing the rights of all americans. James Madison authored the first ammendment and told the public "We ought to mistrust all those in power."

The Ten Rights are...

Amendment One
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Amendment Two
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Amendment Three
No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

Amendment Four
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures , shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue , but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Amendment Five
No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Amendment Six
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.

Amendment Seven
In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

Amendment Eight
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

Amendment Nine
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Amendment Ten
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

http://www.constitutionfacts.com/index.cfm?section=bookstore&page=freeCopy.cfm

The Real News

Forget about lipstick on pigs, hockey moms, newspapers, tv news. For anyone with a progressive view, check out these two sources of up-to-the-minute reports on what really matters....

http://www.democracynow.org/

http://garynull.progressiveradionetwork.org/

Several Democracy Now staff (along with many others) were recently arrested in Minnesota during the Republican National Convention for doing nothing. By the way, there were about 10,000 people in attendance at a peace rally there during the days of the convention. DN reported extensively on the aggressive brutal treatment by police directed at the ralliers and those just doing their reporting jobs.

Gary Null has the most articulate voice going and great guests. On September 9th he interviewed author, John Whitehead. His Change Manifesto book addresses how americans are losing their consitutional rights...

http://www.amazon.com/Change-Manifesto-Movement-Remake-America/dp/1402213077/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1221134860&sr=1-6

They discussed something else nobody is reading on frontpage news. Haliburton has been awarded another huge contract (some $385 million, billion, zillion) to construct "camps" within the borders of this country. For whom? I guess we can ponder that.

Also of note...I plan on renting the film Jesus Camp to better understand the rapturist view that Sarah Palin is speaking to. These people believe "an eye for an eye," an attitude that will get us nowhere.

We Contradict Ourselves

This Jon Stewart Show clip about Sarah Palin is priceless...
http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=184086&title=sarah-palin-gender-card

About Two Months To Go

I began this blog last January when I was moved to support Dennis Kucinich, a candidate who seemed to have a good command of the issues facing this country. I was also hopeful that Ralph Nader would have a voice in the campaign, but as Barack Obama began to shine, I willingly embraced his campaign, while continually questioning.

It will be a close election and despite Obama's strong presence, people will need to go out and actually vote for him. McCain and his frightening running mate could easily win this if people get frustrated and turn away. How would we ever survive four more years of the Bush legacy??

John McCain and Sarah Palin?????????

Information from http://www.moveon.org/:

Who is Sarah Palin?

some basic background:

~was elected Alaska's governor a little over a year and a half ago
~previous office was mayor of Wasilla, a small town outside Anchorage
~has no foreign policy experience
~strongly anti-choice, opposing abortion even in the case of rape or incest
~supported right-wing extremist Pat Buchanan for president in 2000
~thinks creationism should be taught in public schools
~does not think humans are the cause of climate change
~solidly in line with John McCain's "Big Oil first" energy policy
~pushed hard for more oil drilling and says renewables won't be ready for years
~sued the Bush administration for listing polar bears as an endangered species (worried it would interfere with more oil drilling in Alaska)

How closely did John McCain vet this choice?
~He met Sarah Palin once at a meeting.
~They spoke a second time, last Sunday, when he called her about being vice-president.

Alaska MoveOn members were also asked what the rest of us should know about their governor. The response was striking. Here's a sample:
~She is really just a mayor from a small town outside Anchorage who has been a governor for only 1.5 years, and has ZERO national and international experience.
~She is VERY, VERY conservative, and far from perfect. She's a hunter and fisherwoman, but votes against the environment again and again.
~She ran on ethics reform, but is currently under investigation for several charges involving hiring and firing of state officials.
~She has NO experience beyond Alaska.
~Palin is not a feminist, and she is not the reformer she claims to be.
~She is doing well running our State, but is totally inexperienced on the national level, and very much unequipped to run the nation, if it came to that.
~She is as far right as one can get, which has already been communicated on the news.
~She's vehemently anti-choice and doesn't care about protecting our natural resources, even though she has worked as a fisherman.
~McCain chose her to pick up the Hillary voters, but Palin is no Hillary.
~There are far many other women who have worked their way up and have much more experience that would have been better choices. This is a patronizing decision on John McCain's part and insulting to females everywhere that he would assume he'll get our vote by putting "A Woman" in that position.
~Palin is a staunch anti-choice religious conservative.
~She's a global warming denier who shares John McCain's commitment to Big Oil.
~She's dramatically inexperienced.