The Stonewall Inn - Activism 101

Stonewall Inn
Originally uploaded by GhstLght74

Where it all started! June 28, 1969.

This is one national landmark some people would like to see burned to the ground! Like the Statue of Liberty, The Stonewall Inn stands for freedom and justice to the LGBT communities of the world.

Obama In, Lobbyists Out! B**h Out, Transparency In!

(from The Washington Independent)

John Podesta, co-chair of President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team, announced today that Obama would extend the restrictions on lobbyists during his presidential campaign to his transition to the White House. The transition team outlined the changes in a press release:

· Federal Lobbyists cannot contribute financially to the transition.

· Federal lobbyists are prohibited from any lobbying during their work with the transition.

· If someone has lobbied in the last 12 months, they are prohibited from working in the fields of policy on which they lobbied.

· If someone becomes a lobbyist after working on the Transition, they are prohibited from lobbying the Administration for 12 months on matters on which they worked.

· A gift ban that is aggressive in reducing the influence of special interests.

During a 45-minute briefing with reporters in Washington, Podesta also suggested that those who go to work for the Obama administration would be prohibited from lobbying the administration for two years after leaving.

Will there be more restrictions? Let's hope so. If Congress wants to maintain its integrity (as if it ever had any), it will put regulations and restrictions across the board for all lobbyists. Yes, I know that associations like the ACLU pay lobbyists big money to represent them, but that money shouldn't be used for gifts or extravagant "meetings." At Thanksgiving, congressmen and senators should be carving their own turkeys and not ones stuffed with Rolexes.

What do you think?

Just a thought.

A Very White Saxby Chambliss Laments: Damn Those Early Voting Obamacons!

Citing ‘High Percentage Of Minority Vote’ In GA, Chambliss Laments
Not Getting ‘Our Folks’ Out To Vote!

With a name like Saxby Chambliss, I would have thought.... oh, well. Proof positive that the state of Georgia still hasn't gotten over that War Between the States thing. Of course it was on FOX News. I'm sure some of FOX's viewers didn't get the implication:

Watch:

Dobson's Civil War Part II: Laura Ingraham Wants California To "Secede Already!"

Radio talk show hostess (she'd prefer it that way) Laura Ingraham really REALLY hates California Governor Arnold Schwarzenneger. Two days ago on CNN, he told the Republican party not to get "stuck in ideology," but instead concentrate on more important issues like cleaner air, healthcare and the budget deficit.

Laura (not THE "Dr" Laura, but just plain 'ole Laura) got riled about his comments and said that she had “never, never, ever gotten the whole Schwarzenegger thing,” finally declaring California should “secede” from the United States:

INGRAHAM: Arnold Schwarzenegger is embarrassing on so many levels. … Every time we look to moderate to liberal Republicans for answers, we’re disappointed. Not only are we disappointed, we end up getting shafted. […]

I read this and my blood boils. Left coast? I mean, just secede already, at this point. Okay. Secede already. I can’t take it anymore from California.

O.K., Ing'ham, we'll secede...and succeed. Why? Because we'll be taking with us all our money and resources. We'll declare ourselves the Republic of California - with the sixth largest economy in the world. We'll take some of the best scientific minds, some of the best computer and software companies, some of the most efficient (and abundant) agricultural producers, and some of the best dim sum and burritos, not to mention, Thai, Vietnamese, French, Salvadorean, Italian and Indian dishes to die for. We'll be taking with us all the things Washington wishes it would have. But can't. They're all in California.

Also in California: a governor who believes in the real issues, not the ones presented by the pope of Colorado Springs!

Whew! That rant took a lot out of me and made me hungry: I'll take a short ride to Mitchell's Ice Cream (also rated this state's - country's - best).

Just a thought.

To The List of Problems Ahead For Obama: Dobson's Civil War !

"War! War! War! This war talk's spoiling all the fun at every party this spring!

I get so bored I could scream!"

Some people are pushing the Culture War to extremes, using military terms and war metaphors to make any Scarlett scream with boredom:

(from: Crooks and Liars, Nov. 7)

This evening James Dobson's Focus on the Family Action sent out a fundraising email to members that likened the victories of Barack Obama and congressional Democrats in Tuesday's election to the Nazi bombing of England during World War II. The author of this vile letter is Tom Minnery, Senior Vice President of Focus on the Family Action.

So, here's what Barack Obama is facing:

• War in Iraq
• War in Afghanistan
• Severe Economic Crisis
• Increasing Unemployment
• Global Warming
• Breaking Points With Israel and Iran
• Worldwide Diplomacy Meltdown With The U.S.
  

...and Dobson's Civil War.

Only the Christian Right calls it a "Culture War". What the hell. It's war. And it is part of James Dobson's horrendously toxic ideology. Dobson and the hardcore of the Christian Right - the Christofascists - are now bandying about military terms and comparing people on both sides to military leaders (see above).

In these last six months, Christofascist leaders (under Dobson's banner), teamed up with radical Republicans to incite latent hatred, racism, homophobia and xenophobia among millions of Americans. It seemed that you weren't patriotic enough or Christian enough if you didn't hate someone enough. Sarah Palin's rallies looked more like the "angry villagers" scene from Frankenstein.

They ARE the "bitter people clinging to their guns and their religion..."

Now Dobson and his cohorts publicly "lament" the election of Barack Obama.

By Art Moore, WorldNetDaily:

What would America look like after four years of a Barack Obama administration? "Hardship," "persecution" and "suffering" are among the prospects in a hypothetical letter from a "Christian from 2012" released today by evangelical leader James Dobson's political activist group Focus on the Family Action.

The "persecution," of course, is suffered by the "Christians". Dobson mixes metaphors much like intoxicatingly lethal cocktails: Obama is a combination of Hitler and Nero, reading by lamps with Christian-skin lampshades and entertaining the atheist masses with hungry lions in amphitheaters.

The strange part about Dobson's Civil War is his choice of weaponry: for himself and his generals, he uses the Bible, the idealized American Family (not the real one, of course - it's too defective) and self-righteousness. The soldiers in the field live on rations of falsehoods (in order to keep up levels of stupidity and gullibility), crackpot ideologies and any "outcasts" "heathens" "sinners" or "pagans" they can forage for. Their weapons are AK-47s, courtesy of the NRA and the Second Amendment.

Dobson's Civil War actually started more than ten years ago (the death of Matthew Shepard was the sign of things to come), but lately it has picked up enough steam to become politicized. The election was, of course, only a battle that Dobson expected to lose. His soldiers aren't as yet prepared for national battles.

Then again, maybe he's waiting for a kind of Joan of Arc to help him. We know that Sarah Palin has already heard voices.

These next few years will be hell for President Barack Obama.

Just as James Dobson intends them to be.

Just a thought.

What Is A Republican...These Days?

Even though this was made in 2006, it's just as relevant today showing that the Republican Party is one big disfunctional family:

So "First Dude" Calls The Shots!!?!

Sure He's Cute, But Can He Run The White House?

McCain’s advisers… were furious when they heard rumors that Todd Palin was calling around to Alaska bigwigs telling them to hold their powder until 2012.

...Just last week Sarah Palin smiled at her husband during an interview with Fox’s Greta Van Susteren when she said she was looking forward to working together in the White House! (Newsweek)

I don't get it. So is it First Dude who doesn't know that Africa is a continent? It was published just yesterday that 64% of Republicans said they would like to see Sarah Palin run for the presidency in 2012! Did they know that they'd be getting a two-for-one deal? Remember, that these were the same people who voted for George W. B**h TWICE!

Seriously, John McCain gave what will be one of the most gracious concession speeches in recent memory (to many, it was the John McCain they really knew and loved). Who could vote for a woman who is now the world's most famous backstabbing bitch? (I think I heard someone mutter "Ann Coulter" so, O.K., I'll concede that one)

Maybe I'm the one who is dumb, but I fail to see the reasoning behind voting for someone because she identifies as average and middle class. I for one don't want anyone "average" representing my country or making life and death decisions. I want someone who is absolutely superlative! I want someone who's a thousand times better than me, yet understands me.

Lately, Republicans have been settling for less, thinking that "the common man" strategy will help them shift to control. It hasn't. Perhaps for every "average" guy who sees himself sitting in the Oval Office, there are two or three wanting the empathetic experts to lead them.

Just a thought.