Mary Cheney and Her Strange Bedfellows: Will FRC Take This One Lying Down?

If Family Research Council and Focus on the Family disliked Mary Cheney before, they sure as hell detest her now:

Though she long sat on the sidelines as her father served as second in command over the past eight years, Vice-President Dick Cheney’s daughter Mary is flexing her political muscle and joining the fight to stop Prop. 8.

According to the website RepublicansAgainst8.com, Cheney pledged $3,000 back in July to the campaign to stop the ballot measure attempting to re-ban gay marriage in California.

RepublicansAgainst8.com features a slew of high profile celebrities who have donated money and/or voiced their opposition to the California ballot measure, including Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, comedian Dennis Miller and Desperate Housewives creator Marc Cherry.

Holy Family Values! There are REPUBLICANS who agree with the Homosexual Agenda!! Well, it IS California, but still! But Dick Cheney will be out soon and we're sure that good Pentecostal Gun-Toting, Anti-abortion Sarah Palin will set things right!

Yeah, Mrs. Mooseburger will set things, ah, straight. The Cheneys have had a hard time with the unGodly baby and all. Of course, hard as I try, I can never feel sorry for Dick Cheney. I just can't. There is simply no pathos in his face, no humor in his eyes. There's something so cold about him that to think about him as human is, in a way...heretical.

In a fundraising letter 2 years ago, Family Research Council (FRC) had this to say about our beloved Vice President's daughter:

We have our work cut out for us as you know. In the past few weeks, the media have been filled with appearances by Mary Cheney and others who are working to undercut the importance of marriage to our survival as a society.

The media have delighted in the fact that Vice President Cheney's daughter publicly opposes the very convictions that brought her father's political party into the White House.

And when Mary Cheney had the unGodly baby, Christofascists REALLY went to town:

"There should be no touch of sadness when a healthy baby boy is born
into a home with two parents, but in this case, we’re afraid, there is."(Americans for Truth)

So now Mary Cheney is backing No on Prop 8. She has just dropped off the radar screen of the Christofascists. They will use her in any way they can. They'll scrutinize every grade the boy earns at school. If he's a failure, they'll point it out with billboards blazing. If he's a brilliant student, they'll just chalk it up to the genes his grandfather gave him.

Such is the way, the Christofascist mind works.

I don't trust him when he smiles

Sarah Palin or ....Gracie Allen?

Who would you pick?

One of the first women to run for President was the brilliantly ditzy Gracie Allen.
Party: The Surprise Party Platform: solid wood
Party Mascot: kangaroo
Party Slogan: It's In the Bag! Notable policy statements:

"I don't know much about the Lend-Lease Bill, but if we owe it we should pay it."
"Everybody knows a woman is better than a man when it comes to introducing bills into the house."
"Down with Common Sense!"

In 1940, George Burns and Gracie Allen did a cross-country whistlestop campaign tour, performing their live radio show in various cities with the theme of Gracie running for President. They published a book, Gracie Allen for President, containing photos during the tour and the Surprise Party Convention. Not surprisingly, when time for the actual presidential election came up, Gracie Allen got more than a few votes.

Sarah Palin gasve an interview yesterday with Charles Gibson, some of the statements making no sense at all. And if they made any sense, they were still miles away from the proper answer. When Gracie talked to men, they all left with a "there's a logic in what she said that I can't quite find, but she was so gracious I'll go with it."

Do you think that Palin will have the same effect on dignitaries? I somehow doubt it.

Another thing: Gracie had class - she didn't shoot wolves from a helicopter.

Just a thought.

Never Place a Period Where God Has Placed a Comma

The title of this post is as enigmatic as it's creator was funny: Gracie Allen. Enigmatic because it can be interpreted in different ways. However, I take it to mean that life is not as definitive as we think. And things don't necessarily end when we say they end. We "interpret" writings such as the Bible, putting "words" into God's mouth. How presumptuous is that!

I started to write about Gracie Allen running for President, but instead wound up with two posts: one about Gracie Allen, and another about the presumptuousness of attributing words in the Bible to God. And when you think about it, not only is attributing the Bible solely to God presumptuous, it's rather stupid. Yes, I'm taking on the Christofascists here again (yawn!).

Especially the Assemblies of God Church (yes, Sarah Palin, too - double yawn!!).

Assemblies of God churches are Pentecostal churches rather virulent in their application of their doctrine. Are they "denominational"? Yes, in the sense that they espouse certain avenues of belief to be the "right" way to attain heaven. They do not look kindly upon other "Christians" (some of them overtly hate Catholics) nor do they tolerate any apostates: when you're cast out - you're OUT! As strict inerrantists they dismiss any attempt to point out the hundreds of thousands of errors and inconsistencies in the Bible. Assemblies of God followers never ever question the Bible. Adult Bible study classes are not about questioning, but interpreting correctly. They frequently do not consider that to interpret, you must question. Every word in the Bible is definitive. Period.

Now think of Gracie Allen's statement. AOG followers place periods to everything in the Bible. It's arrogant, self-indulgent and vain to think that the book you have in your hands comes directly from God. And quite ridiculous. It's ridiculous to think that people who do not follow all of the precepts of the Bible are sinners. It's ridiculous because the assumption that we are all sinners is both ridiculous and insulting. Blame Augustine of Hippo for Original Sin, but don't blame mankind. I know you think my reasoning is faulty: AOG/Pentecostalism decrees that the Bible is totally inerrant - Sarah Palin is an AOG/Pentecostal follower - therefore Sarah Palin takes the Bible literally - therefore Sarah Palin is stupid. O.K., but what if Sarah Palin was exposed to different ideologies and theologies yet still thought that Pentecostalism was the ONLY way to attain enlightenment? Yes, THEN she would be stupid.

Am I spouting a form of religious intolerance? Maybe I am. But think of how Sarah Palin's theology prevents her from viewing other people and problems objectively. The thought just came to me: do you think that Sarah Palin could relate in any way to families living in the inner cities - in an objective manner? Could she relate to the 1.2 million Muslims living in this country? To the many Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and yes, atheists? Could she relate on ANY religious level accept to Christofascists who believe that EVERYONE MUST BE CHRISTIAN!

I don't think so.

From God's Mouth to Our Ears? I think not.

Just a thought.

The Whole World Is Watching - Too Bad Some of Us Aren't

The More We Sweat In Peace, The Less We Bleed In War

"We Just Want To Know:
Will You Be A PEACE Nation, Or A WAR Nation?"

Four years ago at the time of the 2004 election, my partner and I were on a cruise. We had dutifully sent in our absentee ballots, so we could cruise easier knowing that our votes had counted for John Kerry. But I was puzzled by some of the "foreigners" on the cruise: people from France, Italy, Belgium, Japan. The cruise was really international; they were all abuzz about the election, seeming more interested than their American counterparts. I finally asked:

"Why are you so interested in the U.S. election?"
The answer was short, but fitting: "We just want to know if you'll be a peace nation or a war nation!"

The viewpoint was stark, but startling: they pegged Bush (correctly) as a war president and Kerry as a (possible) peace president. They saw Bush's cowboy diplomacy for what it was: no diplomacy at all. Now we've come to the 2008 election and the pairing of nominees is possibly more apt: one side opts for war much more than the other. McCain is certainly more open to the possibility of war than Obama.

America is an extremely generous and compassionate country. I'm proud to be an American. However: our country is very myopic, thinking that what we project is what the other nations see - and believe. Yes, our international approval ratings are low - they have been for over five years. But low approval does not mean that the rest of the world has stopped watching, waiting and wondering how this election will play out. We've seen how Barack Obama was greeted in some foreign countries. "Rock star" or "celebrity" was belittled by Republicans, but the numbers are impressive. Countries polled were given Obama, McCain or "no preference" in polls. The isolationists (or in today's parlance, the anti-globalists) would be terrified to know that Barack Obama leads John McCain by an absolute landslide:

Here are the numbers in a some of the countries polled:

France: Obama, 69 percent; McCain, 6 percent
Italy: Obama, 72 percent; McCain, 12 percent
Russia: Obama, 18 percent; McCain, 7 percent (no preference, 75 percent)
Brazil: Obama, 51 percent; McCain, 8 percent
China: Obama, 35 percent; McCain, 15 percent
Mexico: Obama, 54 percent; McCain, 16 percent
Indonesia: Obama, 46 percent; McCain, 11 percent
Egypt: Obama, 36 percent; McCain, 13 percent

These numbers mean a lot: during the next four years, the President of the United States of America will have to come to terms with globalization much more than any previous president. China and India are both emerging as world producers and world consumers. Economies are so fused together as to be totally dependent on one another. If one of the countries mentioned above were to go completely bankrupt, very many, way too many economies would suffer. America, alas, is now only PART of the world - it is no longer THE world.

Here's a great quote from one your fellow Americans, whose Flickr name is Andy Beez (thanks for the photo, Andy):

Both candidates, and their running mates, have much to offer the U.S., but only one of them would seem in phase with the rest of the 21st century planet. I am sure that one is determined to repair roads and build bridges, the other will carry on blowing them up in someone elses country. So to the thousands of Flickr American's, choose wisely. Your country is standing at a crossroads.

"Choose wisely." That's something we haven't done very well these last eight years.

Just a thought.

HUH? WHAT?!!! IRAQ TIED TO 9/11?? Golly, Mrs. Mooseburger, We Didn't Know That!!

OMG! She Struck Again!

From Think Progress (Matt Yglesias)

Earlier today, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin linked the Iraq war to the attacks of September 11, 2001, “telling an Iraq-bound brigade of soldiers that included her son that they would ‘defend the innocent from the enemies who planned and carried out and rejoiced in the death of thousands of Americans.’” “America can never go back to that false sense of security that came before September 11, 2001,” said Palin at the deployment ceremony. Watch it:

As the Washington Post’s Anne Kornblut points out, “The idea that Iraq shared responsibility with al-Qaeda for the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, once promoted by Bush administration officials, has since been rejected even by the president himself.”

I give up!! If Palin gets into office, it's all over - for any form of intelligence in Washington. The Republicans can't live this 9/11 down:

• John McCain's release pictures from Viet Nam are "discovered"
• Palin's son and the Alaskan troops are sent off on this day!
• Palin declares that Iraq was involved in 9/11!!
  

Is Bush giving this lady lessons in rhetoric and reasoning?

SEX for OIL? A Whole New Meaning to "Drill! Drill! Drill!"

So THIS is what a bureaucrat's office looks like!

What Do They Do With The Oil?
Why, Sell It Back, Silly!

Darn! I thought it was for something more creative!

An ongoing investigation that has taken over two years and cost $5.3 million has determined that the Denver and Washington offices of the RIK (Royalty in Kind) overseeing payments by oil companies were nothing less than ongoing orgies of gift-giving and sex (shock!)

(AP)

The alleged transgressions involve 13 former and current Interior Department employees in Denver and Washington. Their alleged improprieties include rigging contracts, working part-time as private oil consultants, and having sexual relationships with — and accepting golf and ski trips and dinners from — oil company employees, according to three reports released Wednesday by the Interior Department's inspector general.

The investigations reveal a "culture of substance abuse and promiscuity" by a small group of individuals "wholly lacking in acceptance of or adherence to government ethical standards," wrote Inspector General Earl E. Devaney. Devaney's office spent more than two years and $5.3 million on the investigations.

Shock! Gasp! Horrors! O.K., we're talking major corruption involving billions of dollars worth of oil - oil which is given as part of royalties owed to the government for drilling on federal land - which is either stockpiled by the government or sold back to some of the energy companies who gave them the oil in the first place. Got that?So the middle man in all of this is playing footsie (is Senator Craig Stevens involved in any way?) with oil company employees and getting loads of other "perks."

When approached by reports of the investigation,two oil marketers who received gifts and gratuities on at least 135 occasions displayed no remorse. (they probably had sh*t-eating grins on their faces) when confronted with their activities, Devaney said. He singled out Chevron as refusing to cooperate with the investigation.

Getting drilled for drilling. Why that's the American Way!

Oops! I smell something burning. A Bush, maybe?

Just a thought.

248 Reasons To Stop Focusing on Mrs. Mooseburger: All of Them Mothers

And That's Just For This Year!

The first casualty of war is TRUTH

Do I HAVE to post about Sarah Palin? I mean, this is getting ridiculous. Admittedly, going from moose-hunting governor of "Seward's Folly" to Vice Presidential candidate is something, but people have to get over the mooseburger-eating-thanks-but-no-thanks-hockey-mom" bullshit and focus on other candidates and issues as well.

The biggest blunder in U.S. history has been swept under the rug, economic woes are escalating, our weather continues to puzzle (and alarm) us, a President who might be indicted for war crimes, along with blatant corruption and total ineptitude - none of that is as important as one woman's outdated hairdo!

On the War in Iraq, since January 1st: U.S. fatalities: 248 out of a total of 254 Coalition fatalities U.S. wounded (up until July only): 1445 Iraqi fatalities: through August 31, 2008 approximately 6,558 policemen and 3,125 soldiers were reported to have been killed.

I've been so focused on state government, I haven't really focused much on the war in Iraq. I heard on the news about the new deployments, and while I support our president, Condoleezza Rice and the administration, I want to know that we have an exit plan in place; I want assurances that we are doing all we can to keep our troops safe. Every life lost is such a tragedy. I am very, very proud of the troops we have in Alaska, those fighting overseas for our freedoms, and the families here who are making so many sacrifices.

So what does the above statement really mean?

Palin's in it for herself. Mrs. Mooseburger doesn't know a damn thing about foreign policy despite what Cindy McCain says. Despite her son being deployed so soon, Iraq is the furthest thing from this woman's mind. It's been said that Palin is so popular because she is a woman, a wife, a Christian and a mother. Probably. Labels mean a great deal to Americans. Will the label of "Mother of Iraq Soldier" help to ease the pain of the 248 women who lost their sons this year? I doubt it. Let's hope that the next eight weeks will focus on more important labels. Just a thought.

Below is the link to a Wordl.com creation of mine that shows the words in Palin's RNC speech according to their number. Just click on it and you'll be able to see the words most often used (McCain, Man, America , People, Country) and the ones used least often: Iraq, love, troops. Notice that it will be a slight challenge for you to spot "change."