DW's Blog

WE CANNOT LET UP.

2008-09-07T19:34:13Z

Folks, I've been feeling good until this week. Yes, it's early. And yes, a three point lead for McCain/Palin is no big deal in early September.
But you all have to acknowledge that we can still lose this thing if we don't bust our collective asses.
I have a familiar unease that is reminding me of 2000 when my NYC friends were scoffing at Bush and feeling so sure of a Gore electoral landslide. I told them then that W was striking a chord with my people down South and they were buying it hook, line and stinker.
Sarah Palin is doing that all over again. She's George W. Bush with an updo. Her values mirror his. Her mocking style mirrors his. She is for real. She is a lightweight, like W., but she is for real threat-wise.
Don't ever let up. Don't stop giving money to Barack. Don't stop volunteering. They can beat us because they know how to scare a lot of people.
We cannot let up.
Never.

WE CANNOT LET UP.

2008-09-07T19:33:50Z

We have a race.

2008-09-04T03:14:33Z

Sarah Palin is for real. She's good. She's effective. They can still win this thing.
We have to work harder than ever.

We have a race.

2008-09-04T03:13:54Z

Sarah Palin is for real. She's good. She's effective. They can still win this thing.
We have to work harder than ever.

Primary Reform

2008-06-08T17:21:42Z

Superdelegates are to the primaries what the Electoral College is to the general. They were both created in a different time and place, and they both need to go.

We live in a world where information is at our fingertips and the people know who is who and what is what far more than they did in 1800 or 1972 even.

Let the people decide the election. It will not help or hurt either party. It will sometimes produce results that Democrats hate. But it's time.

Winning isn't everything. But I still think we'll win...

2008-06-08T02:24:59Z

After a very long yet wonderful day in the park celebrating my son's 3rd birthday, I came home to watch Hillary's speech on Tivo. Although I would have loved a dig or two at Sen. McCain, I thought she hit it out of the park. I was proud to watch her and it reminded me of why I had been such a fan of hers before some of the nastier moments of this campaign.

Bravo, Senator.

2008-06-07T21:57:02Z

You knocked it out of the park. I would have loved to have heard you take McCain to task on a few things, but perhaps this wasn't the time.

I can't even begin to imagine how hard this speech was for you, but you put it together and gave the Obama campaign what it needs to move on towards victory.

Let's hope TPM Democrats can stop hating each other and come together.

This is going to kill us.

2008-06-06T18:06:59Z

I don't know how we respond to this, but I remember seeing Sen. Clinton give this speech and thinking, "Well, there's your first RNC ad!"

http://www.gop.com/DVO/

How do we hit back on this one? I can't imagine Clinton is going to give a retraction...

Bush's WMD Lie...Why does no one care?

2006-02-05T06:10:12Z

From the White House archives...

Q But, still, those countries who didn't support the Iraqi Freedom operation use the same argument, weapons of mass destruction haven't been found. So what argument will you use now to justify this war?

THE PRESIDENT: We found the weapons of mass destruction. We found biological laboratories. You remember when Colin Powell stood up in front of the world, and he said, Iraq has got laboratories, mobile labs to build biological weapons. They're illegal. They're against the United Nations resolutions, and we've so far discovered two. And we'll find more weapons as time goes on. But for those who say we haven't found the banned manufacturing devices or banned weapons, they're wrong, we found them.

We found them? We did? Really?

Why has no one confronted him on this. Seems like as big of an issue as pointing fingers and saying "I did not have sexual relations with that woman."

The Next Hurdle

2006-02-05T05:41:26Z

Now, racism and homophobia can’t be equated in one sense, given that slavery and all of its implications have had far more impact on American society, since that particular evil was woven into the fabric of our nation’s inception. But the truth is, gays and lesbians have been a part of our society for a very long time, and they have been contributors to our national community. Much hatred has been directed at the gay community, mostly by those who feel that America’s laws need to be based strictly on one interpretation of the Bible. I could go on for pages about why I disagree with that, even though I am a person of faith rooted in the Christian tradition. But just as people from my childhood churches have sometimes used Bible verses to gloss over, even outright justify slavery; those same people are the ones focusing a large amount of energy towards the denial of rights to homosexual Americans.
          Most, if not all of this hatred is rooted in fear and ignorance. If you make sure you never meet a homosexual or interact with them in a meaningful way, you are free to hate them and condemn them and judge them. Ralph Reed, Senators Bill Frist, and Rick Santorum, and of course President Bush, have, in all probability, had very little real interaction with gays and lesbians. Given their particular affinity for hate-filled evangelism, they view homosexuals as deviants who are out to recruit young children and molest them. They are happy to ignore the rampant child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, but when it comes to law-abiding gay citizens, they want to focus their political machine to cast them as evil sinners who have no place in our society, let alone get married legally. And most Americans have, and will continue to support this legislation because they don’t interact with people who are different from them in any significant way. Our neighbors to the North, as well as Europe, are far ahead of us in this regard.
          I married a dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada. Every summer, we try and find time to come to Port Elgin, Ontario to her family’s summer cottage on Lake Huron. It’s a very old house, very rustic and charming and truly one of the happiest places I’ve ever been, aside from the neighbors who are reliving their childhoods by blasting classic rock all night. This year, we had a great addition to our cottage vacation experience, as we have a 2 month old baby boy in tow. We had planned to be here around the first of August, but were invited to arrive early for a special occasion.
          My wife’s cousin, Kris, is someone I’ve met a few times over the years, but don’t know very well. Kris lives in Berlin, and we all had lunch once when my wife and I were in Berlin. Last year, Kris and a friend named Fronck visited our house while I was on the road, but they came back for a visit this year while I was home. Kris and Fronck are lesbian women, but they refer to each other with masculine pronouns. I’ll admit, it’s a little tough to get used to, but overall not a big deal to me. The two of them were married recently in Berlin, where they currently live. Kris’ father is from Owen Sound, not far from our cottage in Port Elgin. So we attended a wedding reception for the Canadian and American family members who couldn’t attend the wedding.
          I had met most of these people before, as we visit with them every summer. They are a positively delightful bunch of people, so open and accepting of everyone. I pride myself on coming from a loving family that always laughs together, cries together, and gets along remarkably well. But we are not without our problems, much like any family. Yet I couldn’t imagine how my family would react to the celebration we had for Kris and Fronck. Most of my family is in line with George Bush and the Republicans when it comes to gays and lesbians. They do not believe that marriage can or should exist outside the confines of one man and one woman, and aren’t too keen on it when it combines two different races. Being the lone liberal in my family, and one of the few who will vote for a Democrat, I find myself in opposition to my family on any number of issues ranging from welfare, affirmative action, and public education to tax cuts, prayer in schools and illegal, immoral pre-emptive wars against countries that did not attack us. The positive thing, though, is that none of our disagreements prevents us from loving each other to pieces and having blissfully wonderful times whenever we’re together. I truly respect my family, even in our disagreements. But seeing what I saw here in Canada made me think so much about what I was taught growing up.
          When Kris and Fronck were at my house prior to the Canadian trip, I was immediately impressed by how they treated each other. Both of them have very short haircuts, a variety of piercings, and they dress in similar styles that are normally associated with males. It’s hard for some people, I suppose, to look past the appearances and focus on other things. Anytime one is confronted with people that aren’t what they perceive as the norm, hang-ups can occur. I just wish that more people could spend actual time with couples like Kris and Fronck. I’ve long since gotten over my belief that their lifestyle is tantamount to mortal sin. But how I wish more people could see what I see.
          I love my wife beyond my capacity to explain. When I’m with her, I am always trying to dote on her, speak to her kindly, and shower her with affection, and she reciprocates in kind, at least when I’m behaving well. Kris and Fronck are absolutely no different with one another. People who are homophobic tend to think of gays and lesbians only as sexual objects. They define them solely in terms of what they do in the bedroom, and not the rest of their lives. With all the Viagra being sold to straight men across America, I wonder how they would like it if they were judged solely on what they did (or couldn’t do) in the bedroom. Love comes in many different packages, and Kris and Fronck are definitely what love is all about.
          Last night at the reception, it was clear that certain members of the family were still a little unsure of how to understand Kris and Fronck and the nature of their marriage. But everyone there was participating in celebrating two people who have found each other and committed themselves to sharing a life. Everything about the reception was as normal as any reception I’d ever been to. Speeches were made, toasts were raised, tears were shed and laughter was abundant. Kris’ Uncle Chander and his staff of relatives served up tandoori chicken, beef curry, green salads and homemade nan. The mood was uplifting and no one there had a bad time. But it was Kris’ parents in particular that touched my heart so deeply.
          I know far too many gay men and women who have shared with me the nightmare stories of coming out to their parents. I am thankful that a wonderful person such as Kris didn’t suffer that kind of rejection from the people who gave her life. Fronck had a similar experience, which coming from a German family isn’t a big surprise to me. No one I know would ever consciously choose a life that brought so much hatred upon them. I truly believe Kris and Fronck are being exactly the people that they were born as, and it’s even more courageous for them to be themselves even in the face of all the ignorance and hatred we have in this world.
          In some ways, I wish I didn’t even feel so compelled to write this experience down. If I had attended a hetero reception, it probably wouldn’t have had the same impact on me. If 11 American states hadn’t voted to pass laws that discriminate against gays last November, while Canada did the exact opposite as a country, maybe the contrast wouldn’t have been so glaring. But things are as they are.
          It was a very short time ago in America that a large portion of the population found it OK to deny civil rights to black citizens. For most kids today, they see that for the evil it was and can’t fathom living under those circumstances. My hope for my son is that when he’s 15, he’ll find it equally unfathomable that there was a time when people could not choose to love and marry the people that do for their hearts what my wife did to mine, regardless of whether or not they are the same gender. That seems a lot to imagine in George W. Bush’s America, but as his reckless, spiteful, immoral warmongering presidency fades into history beginning, barring any impeachments or resignations (Hey! A boy can dream…) in January of 2009, I hope his antiquated discriminatory “values” fade into the distance and that America benefits from the inevitable wisdom that can only come from hindsight.

Fire Brit Hume.

2006-02-05T05:32:09Z

"My first thought when I heard - just on a personal basis, when I heard there had been this attack and I saw the futures this morning, which were really in the tank, I thought, 'Hmmm, time to buy.'"
- Fox News's Brit Hume, 7/7/05

So, as David Sirota said on the Huffington Post, Brit Hume, one of President Bush's favorite newsmen, had as his first thought, his FIRST thought after seeing terrorist barbarism, was "How can I make some money off it?"

Yet again, no one will likely notice.

I am disgusted beyond belief.

New Contract With America?

2006-02-05T05:23:25Z

How feasible is it to expect that the National Democrats will bond together and run as a unified opposition party in 2006?

Even though Newt and the boys failed at a lot of their agenda, they did come to power pretty handily. Seems like the time is right to use that method against them in trying to win back the Congress.

No one gives the Dems a chance of getting both Houses, but with the right strategy, it could happen.

What would be your biggest issues should they draw up a Contract?

Here are mine:

1) A commitment to a real and viable exit strategy in Iraq, while making sure not to leave a raging mess behind us in our wake.

2) Re-open the dialogue on health care.

3) Commit to fiscal responsibility and fair progressive taxation.

4) Fix public education.

5) Work to reduce the number of abortions. They've gone up under Bush, and we need to fix it.

Thoughts anyone?

My Faith in America

2006-02-05T05:16:38Z

Now we see a new brou-ha-ha in Dorothy and Toto's home state as the Board of Education down there is deciding whether or not to introduce the concept of "intelligent design" or creationism into public school cirriculuum. As a person of faith who was raised in the Southern Baptist Church, I know this debate rather well. I remember it from when I was starting public school. One thing that confused me then was why such a big deal was made out of what was taught in high school, since I was told that the teachings of the church superceded that anyway.

Since that time, I've become more educated and I have a much fuller understanding of the separation of church and state. What I still find confusing is why the Religious Right feels the need to impose their faith on public institutions. This issue was brought to a head last year when a religious justice in Alabama put up a monument of the Ten Commandments. Personally, that didn't offend me. I doubt if it really and truly caused anyone grief. But that is not the point.
Our Founding Fathers sought to make sure that even though we were a country founded by mostly Christians, we could not form a Union that established one religion for all to follow. But again, that is not what the issue is about for me. As I see it, the Radical Religious Right is full of insecurities. The extremely extreme extremists like James Dobson are seemingly so ungrounded in their faith that they feel the need to infiltrate our political system in order to bolster their positions. Now, as I was taught in the Peabody Baptist Church of Memphis, TN, God is bigger than America. God does not, as I understand it, need to have a society based on Biblical law in order to be God.

I am one of the minority of Americans who believes that science and religion can co-exist. Surely no one in this day and age can honestly refute the veracity of evolution, or the principle that life adapts to its environment over time. I am also of the opinion that the Big Bang could have been generated by "intelligent design". But the heart of the matter is that creationism is a matter of faith that cannot be proven in a classroom. The earth and its inhabitants are most assuredly a result of complex design. But none of this implies that science and God are mutually exclusive.
My personal faith has taught me that the world is far too big a place for only one group to have the right of way towards righteousness. Too bad that the RadCons are so beholden to the suspect whims of the Radical Religious Right that they are willing to alter our Republic in order to satisfy them and somehow claim that they alone have all the answers.

I cannot prove that God created the world. No one can. Therefore, it should not be taught to public schoolchildren who may not share my particular faith. Unlike James Dobson and his ilk, I am secure enough in my faith to know that I do not need the federal government to legislate the tenets of it.

Let me just clarify something...

People are quick to label me an anti-Christian, which tells me they aren't really reading. I certainly do not approve of the Radical Right's attempt to eliminate church and state, but I'm not anti-Christian. I am a Christian.

What I am against is any religious information being taught in public institutions. We are required to keep our religious beleifs separate from our government and our government-funded institutions. We are free to practice any faith we choose, and some are free to attend private schools which are church-sponsered. But Christianity is not a state religion.

America is populated with atheists, Buddhists, Hindus, Catholics, Protestants, Jews and Muslims, and all of us have a right to live as Americans. God does not need to government to teach the Bible. It existed and thrived long before 1776, so I think it can exist and thrive long after.

This is what I've decided works for me and me alone in terms of living as a person of faith.

I have struggled with my faith for years. Being raised Christian, especially in the Southern Baptist Church makes one think that any questioning whatsoever is tantamount to blasphemy. That brand of Christianity is absolute. It is based on one interpretation of the Bible and it's essential to accept that interpretation as an infallible document that leaves little if any room for interpretation. Wordy, ain't I? Of course, that same interpretation has justified racism, slavery and countless other human evils that have eventually fallen out of favor in the mainstream. We've got a long way to go on race in America, but at least a candidate can no longer be considered viable if he or she is a blatant segregationist. Trent Lott would likely disagree, but still...

From the amount of study I've done, I know that the Bible is the work of men. And it's a work that has been changed, edited, added to and subtracted from by some very, very fallible men.

I have come to the slightly New-Agey conclusion that things are not as absolute as all the various religions tell us they are. I do believe in God. But in my opinion, God is bigger than any one religion. In fact, I think God's test for humanity is to see if we can find a way to live together without killing each other in His name. So far, we've failed. Ann Coulter would have us believe that the solution is to invade the offending countries, kill their leaders and convert their population to Christianity. Yeah. Cause the Crusades really turned out well, didn't they?

I do not believe that there is one true shining path to Heaven, and most Christians will use that belief to say that I am not a real Christian. So be it. I think that the basic tenets of all the big religions are fundamentally the same, and we fight wars over the details. To choose Christianity, for me, is to just choose to live by the teachings of Jesus. Now, I've broken any number of the Ten Commandments, and in no way does my life live up to the account of Christ's life in the Bible. I'm certainly not aspiring to be a master proselytizer. I think you can lead by example. I try to be nice. That's basically the root of my life. I fail all the time. I try to be honest, nice, helpful and generous. If I can work from that premise, things will be cool.

But those details...whew...once you get into those it's a slippery slope. It's the inconsistencies that kill me. People will rage vitriolically when someone breaks the Levitical law prohibiting gay sex, but those same loudmouths will totally ignore all the other laws like touching pigs and sitting near a menstrual wife. Now, my wife may be grumpy once a month, but that's no need for me to avoid sitting with her, is it?