Thinking it Through

Coen Brothers Get it

In other words, there is no such things as 'Clean' coal, and I wish Obama would stop using the term.

Go Tweety

It's about damn time someone finally faced off with a Republican about the
derogatory term "Democrat party":

That it's Tweety doesn't surprise me since he's been all over the wingnuts
for a few weeks now.

Honoring Our Dead

In the category of "about fucking time," Raw Story and other news sources report that following President Obama's request for a review of the the blanket policy banning all news coverage of the arrival of America's war dead, that the Defense Department has agreed to change that policy. John Bryne of Raw Story notes that

The officials say Defense Secretary Robert Gates has decided to allow photos of flag-draped caskets at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, if the families of casualties agree.

The policy, put in place in 1991 by President Bush I during the first Gulf War, was designed to ensure images of the human costs of war would not sway American's support for intervention in the Gulf. Although advocates for veterans and military families are split on the issue--some say they want to world to honor fallen troops or see the price of defending the country--I believe lifting this ban is the best way to honor those who have given their lives for this country.

In reversing an 18-year ban on news coverage of the return of war dead, President Obama and the DOD have made it possible once again for Americans to honor, rather hide, flag-draped coffins that carry the remains of

Although the ban has been proffered as a way to shield grieving families, it was anything but. As Byrne's notes

The Pentagon had made a habit of flying in dead soldiers under the cover of darkness -- often just before dawn -- as part of a strategy to keep the media from photograph soldiers' coffins in an effort to keep the press from derailing public support for the war as occurred during Vietnam War.

I remember watching the evening news as a kid and seeing footage of soldiers carrying flag-draped coffins from military planes. I was a 5, 6, and 7 year-old kid growing up in a small town, and those images brought the war home. It was because of that coverage that I asked questions about the war, went to the library and read about the war, and eventually bought and wore a bracelet with the name of a Sacramento, California soldier who was M.I.A. I still remember his name, Major Edward W. Leonard. Thankfully he was eventually released and came home. Somewhere I still have the letter he sent me after I wrote him a letter to accompany my bracelet which I sent to him.

Since the war in Iraq began in March 2003, some 4,250 or more members of the U.S. military have died, and, according to a report in the Seattle Times, "at least 584 members of the U.S. military had died in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan as a result of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001. . . ." And no young child has watched coverage of those men and women returning home one last time; no young person, seeing such coverage, has asked, "why are so many dying?"

Paul Rieckhoff, executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, notes in the Seattle Times: "There has never been a greater disconnect between those who serve in harms warm and those back home. All too often, the sacrifices of our military are hidden from view."

Reversing this ban puts an end to years of hiding the human costs of war.

South Park Video

This isn't something I'd usually post here, but my husband needs access to this video, and his school blocks most of the sites where it can be found. So, here it is honey, enjoy:

Watch more MySpace videos on AOL Video

In the Category of "Duh!"

I came across this headline at MyDD: "Americans Like Obama, Not the Republicans," and all I could think was, well, no shit. Obama earned 338 electoral votes over McCain's 156 and he won the popular vote. That was in November. Since then, he's managed an effective and efficient transition, he's assumed office and has done more work in the last few weeks than Bush managed in his first two years.

And what have the Republicans done? Hmmm. They've whined, complained, waved stacks of paper on the floor of the senate, and, in the house, failed to come up with a single vote in support of the economic stimulus package. No wonder their support looks like this:

Now, just moments ago, the Senate voted 61-36 to pass a cloture motion on the economy recovery package, thus ending debate on the bill and moving to a vote on final passage. The motion received just one more than the 60 votes needed. And only three Republicans — Sens. Susan Collins (ME), Olympia Snowe (ME), and Arlen Specter (PA) — voted with the Democrats. Shameful.

Obama has gone to the hill to meet with the republicans, he's met with them in the White House, he's asked for their input, and all they've done is bitch and moan and worked to obstruct.

Other than the fact that we need a few republican senators to vote in favor of the package in order for it to pass, I don't really understand why Obama and the democrats are making any compromises. They've tried to be bipartisan, and the repugs have done nothing but attack the President, ridicule the Speaker, and take pot shots at the Majority leader.

As the above graph shows, the American people see what's going on, and they're not buying into the repug's game. The Repugs continue to act as if the 2008 election didn't happen and they're still in charge. They have nothing but the same ole thing to offer, and the American people aren't interested.

It's time, too, that the media caught on and stopped reporting as if the nature of the game hasn't changed. I don't think people are interested in hearing Republican's complain; I think people want their elected leaders to do something. People are losing their jobs, their homes, their hopes, and their dreams. The time for complaining has passed.

Coultergiest

Politico is reporting on a New York Daily News piece that says Connecticut’s Elections Enforcement Commission is investigating right-wing-nut-job and hatemonger Ann Coulter to determine if she violated election law by voting in Connecticut while living in New York City.

As CoulterWatch blogger Dan Borchers notes,“For over 10 years, Ann Coulter has gotten away with illegal, immoral and unethical behavior, ranging from plagiarism to defamation, perjury to voter fraud.” So wouldn't it be sweet to see her perp walk?

Perhaps the wheel of karma is finally coming back around. It's been a long 8 years.

Gonzo Goes to Prision?

Well, one can hope.

In a recent piece for The Public Record, Jason Leopold reports that

A special prosecutor appointed to investigate the firings of nine federal prosecutors in 2006 has built a strong case against Alberto Gonzales that may result in the former Attorney General facing obstruction of justice, conspiracy, and perjury charges related to the role he played in the U.S. Attorney firings, according to attorneys directly involved in the probe and former Bush administration officials who have met with the special counsel.

Seems Kyle Sampson, Gonzales’s former chief of staff, has been spilling the beans about Gonzo's role in firing those 9 federal prosecutors, noting the Gonzo "met regularly with White House officials in the Office of Political Affairs, headed by George W. Bush's former senior adviser Karl Rove, about the identities of the federal prosecutors that should be placed on the list and subsequently fired," and that he was "very 'hands on' during the process.

All the news, however, isn't good. Seems the special prosecutor isn't yet able to prove "that any of the prosecutor firings were specifically intended to thwart public corruption cases." However, Sampson's cooperation (he's trying to avoid his own set of charges) is a key development. I for one, am going to hope for the best.

Twenty-Five Random Things

So, there is this meme on Facebook--twenty-five random things. I'm a meme geek, ok, I admit it, so I thought I'd post my response here as well as there.

1. I was a Cling Peach Inspector for the California Department of Food and Agriculture.


2. I believe chocolate and coffee are 2 major food groups.


3. I have a bionic neck: After 5 hours of surgery, I ended up with 6 screws and a metal plate in my cervical spine.


4. My husband and I met online. He wrote he could talk about everything from hockey pucks to Shakespeare’s puck, and I was hooked.


5. Some of my best friends and I became Reverends in college. For an additional $25, we could have become Bishops, but we were poor college students.


6. While walking on the beach in CT, I met Katharine Hepburn. I said, “Hello Ms. Hepburn,” and she said, “Hello dear” and kept walking.


7. I was a UConn Basketball season ticket holder in grad school. Great times, eh Cindy?


8. For 8 and a half weeks in 2006, my voice sounded like Rocky the Flying Squirrel: “Hokey smoke Bullwinkle!” See #3


9. I have given blood for Bear Burgers.


10. As a kid, I wanted to get into the Guinness Book of World records; now I just want to drink Guinness.


11. Some car stereo guys on the south side of Milwaukee gave me a discount on the purchase of a car stereo and free installation because when they asked if I knew Bobby “the Brain” Heenan, my friend Bob said, “Isn’t that your uncle,” and I said, “yeah, he is.”


12. In high school, I was a habitual truant—at least that’s what the DA’s letter to my mother said; my mother was not pleased.


13. The first time it snowed while I was living in CT, I froze myself in my car. See, my car was filthy, so I washed it. Then, like a good CA native, I drove really fast on the freeway to dry it. The result was my car doors froze shut.


14. I used to write lots and lots of letters; now I can’t even keep up with email.


15. When I was a kid, my goal was to move to Palm Springs and raise alligators.


16. Someday I will be the old lady found in her home with lots and lots and lots of cats.


17. One weekend while I was in high school, my friend Tim and I drove to Reno, NV to see Jefferson Starship, met China Kantner in an elevator, and partied with her all night long.


18. I was arrested at the Nevada test site.


19. In 1984, I voted twice against Ronald Reagan—fat lot of good it did, but I drove 45 miles to do it.


20. I was once pinned against a building for over 9 hours by members of Operation Rescue.


21. I have always wanted to learn to be a pilot. My dad had a 1942 Howard prop plane (his was red), and I loved going flying with him. If someone would pay for the training, I’d sign on to get my pilot’s license tomorrow.
    
22. My blogging alias is desert democrat.


23. I organized a school lunch boycott when I was in 5th grade and called the local press to cover the protest.


24. One July 4th some friends and I watched fireworks from a levee and sang a rather drunken version of “American Pie.” Yes Jan, you were there too!


25. I drove from Storrs, CT to Chico, CA in a little over 3 days with a layover in Ogallala, Nebraska to wait out the tornados.