My Primary Place of Blogging

will be over at squarestate.net where I blog as sufimarie.

Thanks for checking in now, GO OVER THERE!

Heritage Foundation Sound the Trumpets to Fail!

If they continue to fail to innovate, the Right will continue to lose.

Heritage Foundation President Ed Feulner delivered these remarks to Heritage members attending the Fall 2008 President's Club Meeting at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, DC.

Given the results of the election, it's obvious that Congress and the White House won't be receptive to many conservative ideas. So we'll be playing a great deal more defense. And there will be plenty of defense to play as liberals try to redistribute wealth, abolish the right of workers to cast secret ballots on union elections, nationalize health care, bankrupt energy companies that use coal — the list just goes on and on.

Sorry guys, but if you don’t think greater access to affordable health care, raising the bar on environmental standards, and making measures to protect the lower and middle classes from the CEO’s who are begging for a bailout so they can continue gang-banging us, would be good for the economy, THEN YOU DON”T GET CLAIM TO BE ECONOMIC EXPERTS ANYMORE.

You never really were.

More from the Heritage meeting:

If you want to see when conservatives were in trouble, go back 35 years to 1973, the year Heritage set up shop…

At that time there were no cable outlets like Fox News. There was no conservative talk radio, because the Fairness Doctrine was still in effect, preventing conservatives from having their own programs. Rush Limbaugh was a disc jockey. Sean Hannity was in the seventh grade. Laura Ingraham was in the fifth.

It doesn’t matter how many FOX News producers you are in cahoots with, the people are pissed at your incessant bullshitting.

If you practiced some genuine interest in actually helping the people who you represent (ya know, like what Obama has done for the last year,) then you may get some popular support back.

If not, you are just isolating yourselves.

The speech goes on to define what conservativism is and how the US is a center-left nation because:

Look at our popular culture and you will see still more roots of conservatism.

Americans are still a people who feel a sense of reverence and gratitude when we hear songs with titles like:

* God Bless America;
* The Star Spangled Banner;
* America the Beautiful;
* God Bless the USA; and
* Stars and Stripes Forever.

We are still a nation that pauses tomorrow on Veterans Day, on Independence Day, on Memorial Day, and on Thanksgiving to thank God for the blessings of freedom.

Barf.

Here is why I am barfing: Nationalism, as shown by the SUV with a yellow ribbon on it, the one driven by the flag-waving Neanderthal that thinks Obama is a Muslim and the earth is 6,000 years old, has nothing to do with real patriotism. Real patriotism is the courage to question and fight the status quo when you see the status quo is hurting your people. The conservative’s watered down version of patriotism and loyalty are like the failing neon sign that accidentally reveals your real agenda.

Conservatives have lied, cheated, and stolen elections, started fake wars, incited fear, flung us into the worst credit card debt in all of human history, gone on witch-hunts, shredded the Constitution and legality, slandered the planet, and more, all in the name of the status quo. This is why the country lifted a mighty middle finger to the Bush administration, the Republican Party, and conservativism on Nov 4th.

The people saw the chance for change and jumped at it.

I don’t want to see the chasm widen. I don’t want to see the people bamboozled. I want the human race to step up to the challenge and collectively fix our problems. The only way for the Rs to do that is to get some integrity as demonstrated by results, not demonization.

If you rely on your opponent’s mistakes to win, you haven’t played your best game, nor have you demonstrated competent governance.

What does history tell us and where is he likely to go?

Some answers may be in the following clip from a panel Naomi Klein and Jeremy Scahill did in Florida that was broadcast on C-Span. The clip is 10:00 long and begins with the question of how much power Barack really has to change course. The Q&A ends with the third party question.




No matter how you feel or where you stand in the two-party spectrum, what these two say about economic conditions and the lawlessness of the outgoing administration is worth paying attention to and anyone who sees cultural and economic viability in human rights should take a look.

The challenge for Obama supporters is to stay involved. It is only our check that can balance corruption.

The Shock Doctrine author Naomi Klein’s site is here.

Author of Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army, Jeremy Scahill’s sites are here, here, and here.

7 Year Old Hits the Nail on the Head

This is too good.

My mom told me that I shouldn't base my election analysis on "feelings" (I like him/her) or "beliefs" (I share his/her beliefs) but on logical arguments. She asked me to create my own rational explanations for my support of Obama. Here is one of my arguments:

McCain and Palin are not be qualified to be President / Vice President of the U.S. The President's job is to do good for the country and the world. To do good for the country, the President must make smart decisions on important situations.

Governor Palin believes the world is 6000 years old. This is absurd. This is not a rational belief. This is a mistake. Scientists, experiments and evidence have shown this to be completely false. Therefore, she is not rational. If she is not rational, she should not be allowed to be President or Vice President.

Please vote for Barack Obama.

I couldn't have said it better.

h/t Crooks and Liars

New York Post Special Edition: Wars Are Over

This morning my text message inbox was flooded with strange messages about pick-up times and drop-off locations in Manhattan. Yesterday, I rcvd an email about meeting at Union Square instructing me to bring a large bag with which I can haul as many newspapers as possible. I forgot that a few months ago I signed up to receive updates from The Yes Men.

Here is their press release and below are some pricelessly insightful excerpts of their work:

November 12, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SPECIAL TIMES EDITION BLANKETS U.S. CITIES, PROCLAIMS END TO WAR

* PDF: http://www.nytimes-se.com/pdf
* For video updates: http://www.nytimes-se.com/video
* Contact: mailto:writers@nytimes-se.com

Early this morning, commuters nationwide were delighted to find out
that while they were sleeping, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan had
come to an end.

If, that is, they happened to read a "special edition" of today's New
York Times.

In an elaborate operation six months in the planning, 1.2 million
papers were printed at six different presses and driven to prearranged
pickup locations, where thousands of volunteers stood ready to pass
them out on the street.

Articles in the paper announce dozens of new initiatives including the
establishment of national health care, the abolition of corporate
lobbying, a maximum wage for C.E.O.s, and, of course, the end of the
war.

The paper, an exact replica of The New York Times, includes
International, National, New York, and Business sections, as well as
editorials, corrections, and a number of advertisements, including a
recall notice for all cars that run on gasoline. There is also a
timeline describing the gains brought about by eight months of
progressive support and pressure, culminating in President Obama's "Yes
we REALLY can" speech. (The paper is post-dated July 4, 2009.)

"It's all about how at this point, we need to push harder than ever,"
said Bertha Suttner, one of the newspaper's writers. "We've got to make
sure Obama and all the other Democrats do what we elected them to do.
After eight, or maybe twenty-eight years of hell, we need to start
imagining heaven."

Not all readers reacted favorably. "The thing I disagree with is how
they did it," said Stuart Carlyle, who received a paper in Grand
Central Station while commuting to his Wall Street brokerage. "I'm all
for freedom of speech, but they should have started their own paper."

If you have time during your busy day of slave waging, please enjoy some of the following shenanigans here and on youtube:










That’s pretty awesome.

Links to the GOP Rebuild

I want to share with you some links and ideas that are floating around the Republican online activism networks.

Its nothing unexpected or scary, they are just planning to take over the world.

First, the chatter about the overall rebuild. Their first (and really only) priority is building an online infrastructure to rival the Left's. My favorite part is near the end when they talk about the “inherently conservative idea” of inclusion that was apparently manipulated by the Obamatons.

Whatever.

Somehow I can’t see many people consciously choosing to be a part of a group that relies on marginalizing either the “fiscal” proponents or the religious extreme of the party in order to get anything done. How could any libertarian “maverick” worth her salt possibly tolerate taking orders from a flat-earther?

Then there is the Palin fan-club who want to see her or someone like her rise to the occasion by 2010 or 2012.

Fuck those assholes.

And finally, because I have been following it, Personhood Colorado is going national with PersonhoodUSA. They are intentionally targeting states with low-thresholds to get the eggmendment on other ballots.

God sent out the memo that a crushing 73% defeat was not His will so, onward Christian soldiers!!!

Child abuser and eggmendment supporter Bob Enyart said:

``Part of our goal was to overturn Roe v. Wade, but it's not reasonable to expect an institution to correct its error,'' he said. ``Our goal is to increase the social tension over abortion.''

(On) What would Jesus spend?

Demoralized Republicans, please click a link to choose your favorite flavor of fail and they will gladly furnish the signs that read if you aren't with us, then you're with the terrorists and you can run with it from there.

Palinflation

Her price went up but her value plummeted.



She didn't know what countries were in NAFTA or that Africa is a continent.

The analysis of Barack's surge in the above clip is at first attributed to the day when McCain said that the fundamentals of the economy are strong. Then Shepherd Smith goes on to say that it was the Couric interview that boosted Barack-- like it was the "snark" of the liberal media that was the driving force behind the shame that is known only as Palin.

Kristi Burton's October Suprise Falls Flat

In their most valiant effort for an October surprise, the proponents of Amendment 48 informed their email list that the Alliance Defense Fund attorneys are suing Governor Bill Ritter, Planned Parenthood, Boulder Valley Women's Health Center (BVWHC) and the Colorado Department of Health and Environment for $18,000,000 of illegal taxpayer funding of abortion.

Yay! Suing hospitals that help poor people so you can try to bolster your epic fail of an amendment! Yay!

But wait, its gets better!

They are suing Planned Parenthood and BVWHC because they do cancer screenings for low income people! They claim the screenings are inherently tied to abortion services.

In their literature passed out at the conference, they declare Governor Bill Ritter gave no-bid government contracts to the health care providers when Colorado law prohibits state money from funding abortion services. The Rocky Mountain News is calling the actual total of state funds to be substantially less. According to Planned Parenthood, the real number of state funds going to the cancer screening program is about 3% of that or $610,792.70.

Additionally, from what I could gather, they are making this based on what an ex-Planned Parenthood employee said in 2000 about abortion services and health care services being intrinsically related (paraphrasing).

Kristi Burton was present to make sure everyone knew that this suit was about the betrayal Colorado for Equal Rights feels towards Ritter since he slammed their amendment calling it a "legal quagmire."

Pro-life Catholic Governor Ritter opposes the Amendment not only because of the quagmire, but also because the amendment gives no abortion exceptions to rape or incest.

Mark Hotaling, the Colorado patsy bringing the suit against Governor Ritter admitted that "this has been in the works for weeks." Since the poll showing their Amendment is doomed was released, they probably decided it was a good idea to do something real quick.

Everything they have done has pissed off their allies. The Catholic Church won’t endorse the Amendment because they think it would just get overturned by the Supreme Court and thereby solidify abortion rights. Now they are suing health care providers for screening low-income middle aged women for cancer? Are they trying to get the voters to coalesce into a force for socialized reproductive health care? That seems to be the effect they are having!

So I say "Go Kristi, Go!" Because in the end

God is the One who fights the Battle!

The Palinist Manifesto

You probably (or hopefully) don't know this about me but I am just a corn-fed girl from rural Nebraska; my familial roots are in the bible belt. As of late, from these roots grows a conflict. All of my family members are hard-core Evangelical/Republicans and I try desperately, for our mutual advantage, to find a common ground upon which we can communally build a better foundation for America.

And I think I may have found it on redstate.com in The Palinist Manifesto

From the 9 years I spent in the church, perched on my father's knee while he played the organ for the choir, I learned that every person is exactly same-- we all want to be free! We just have partisan differences of opinion on how to get there. Perhaps Sarah Palin can dispel those differences?

In the interest of baring a different side of my multi-faceted buttresses, I want to share a brilliant article from a promising young girl, I suspect to be not much different from myself. She makes some awesome points that honestly give me hope. Palin could be the beacon that guides us through the impending GOP reformation (pardon the pun) and into a brand new feminism.

By charging rape victims, Palin is challenging the infantilzation of the female victim as helpless and vulnerable. Palin refuses to enable women as they retreat into the state of victimization to which society confines them. By treating a woman as a responsible individual capable of making rational decisions and financial transaction, Palin empowers potentially disempowered female victims with a sense of ownership and agency. This policy also offers a radical economic revisioning, an antithesis of the the male-as-bread-winner model.

I can see how that could be construed as controversial but I do see merit in the total liberalization of social services because If everyone just understood that they were on their own, they would be much more responsible about where they walk, whom they go into dark alleys with and what they wear in those alleys.

The article goes on to make other great points about the lack of feminist perspective in the way the media have portrayed her:

these supposed "extravagances" can be reread as expressions of 4th wave feminism in which women actively exploit their own beauty and sexuality. Instead of feeling forced or reduced to sexual beings, women can instead empower themselves by transforming tools (beauty and sexuality) of oppression and dismissal into tools of empowerment and advantage.

Hey, if ya got it, flaunt it, right? If you are qualified enough to be president, then its irrelevant if you pile on the makeup like a trollop, you cant judge a book by its cover.

Panel Testifies to Negative Effects of 48

Yesterday afternoon at Congregation Emanuel, the campaign against Amendment 48 staged an event where 5 citizens testified about why they are against the amendment, how it goes too far, and how amendment 48 had it previously been law, would have wreaked havoc in their lives. The testimonies were real, heart wrenching and enlightening.

Included in the panel were two pastors from the metro area, Pastor Greg Garland from Broomfield and Pastor Cindy Cearley from Montview Presbyterian. The other three women were Amanda, a sexual assault survivor, Lauren who relies on the pill for family planning and Diane who has a large family and is a breast cancer survivor. The following is a brief look into the lives of these everyday people and how a law, which states a fertilized egg is a person, would have adversely affected them.

While jogging, Amanda was attacked, brutally beaten and raped. She had no idea what was happening to her or why. Struggling to make it stop, she rolled herself over a cliff to run to safety. Injured, she got to the hospital where she was offered Emergency Contraception. This type of contraception prevents a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterine wall and becoming a pregnancy. Under amendment 48, emergency contraception would be illegal and women like Amanda would have to carry the pregnancy to term. Under the rule of a law like Amendment 48, she would be stripped of her ability to choose and the pursuit of happiness. This law would further exacerbate the pain and alienation experienced by women who are brutally attacked every hour of everyday. Amendment 48 completely lacks compassion and is totally negligent of the reality of at least 25% of Colorado women. 1 in 4 women in Colorado are victims of sexual assault.

Lauren graduated from college and is pursuing a job that suits her talents. She is married to a man she loves. She knows in hard economic times that having a child would make it more difficult for her to do what she needs to do in order to go where she wants to go. She desires children in the future, but not until things are more stable. Lauren is very smart and very determined. She has knows what is in her best interest and she wants to succeed. Lauren is like many women who use the pill for family planning. Under Amendment 48, the pill would be illegal because it can prevent a fertilized egg from becoming a pregnancy. This amendment would give the "egg inalienable rights to implant" thereby making it illegal for women to use the pill.

A few years ago, Diane was diagnosed with breast cancer. As a mother and wife, she was worried about her family and who would take care of them. Diane was fortunate to receive radiation therapy that saved her life. If upon diagnosis Diane would have been recently pregnant, under 48 she would have been denied life-saving treatment and her family would be without their mother for the rest of their lives. Diane stated that she needs to be able to trust her doctor to be looking out for her health and best interest. Amendment 48 would confuse that relationship.

Pastor Cindy Cearley of Montview Presbyterian in Denver had been trying to start a family with her husband for years. The doctors could not tell her why she was not getting pregnant. It was a complicated situation with no easy answers. After years of questions and no answers, she finally was able to have an in vitro pregnancy take hold. The wisdom she has to share is that, “The few words of this amendment are deceptively simple but in reality, reproductive issues are anything but simple.”

The last speaker was another pastor. Greg Garland from Broomfield touched on what the founders of The Constitution thought was the primary, most fundamental, paramount right: the first amendment and the separation of church and state. To legislate that a fertilized egg is a person with inalienable rights, is a faith based belief you can come to only on your own terms. Pastor Garland mentioned how this amendment would contradict long held axioms of many faiths traditional in the United States. He reminds us that not all religions advocate life begins at fertilization. This amendment violates the first amendment of the United States of America.

Each of these stories is deeply personal and requires great strength and courage to tell. I am hard pressed to think of a more unrealistic and cruel amendment. I am voting no on 48 and I would love to see your comments.

This afternoon Barack Obama spoke to The Gazette. The last question on the tape is in regards to Amendment 48 which would amend to the Colorado Constitution the definition of a person to include a fertilized egg. Barack touches on the complexities of the simple words in the amendment “shall include the definition of a fertilized egg”:

You can listen to it here and here.

Obama: This has been an ongoing battle, I very much respect people whose religious faith tells them that human life begins at the moment of conception and I think that the important thing for the people of Colorado to just consider is as a practical matter what are the consequences of the kind of amendment that you’re talking about. What does it do for example to in vitro fertilization; couples who are trying to conceive, if the egg is fertilized, and you’ve got a set of embryos one of which takes, but many of which aren’t implanted, what’s required in terms of embryos that are currently discarded? I mean there are a whole host of questions. I think that would have to be asked but you know my general position is is that when it comes to questions of abortion, that those are deeply moral questions and that we should do everything we can to discourage the unwanted pregnancies that can lead to an abortion, and that we should encourage adoption but what I don’t want to do is criminalize women or their doctors. And if the amendment is intended to reach beyond that to issues like in vitro fertilization or stem cell research, then frankly I can’t support an approach that would prohibit stem cell research where appropriate ethical guidelines have been put in place or would prohibit in vitro fertilization where appropriate ethical guidelines have been put in place, I respect those who may disagree with me on that but that’s my position.

Everyone knows and hopefully loves someone who would be adversely affected by such an amendment. Like Barack says, these are deeply moral issues. Included in that moral consideration, I am sure you have seen someone struggle with disease that could have been cured by the products of stem cell research, or perhaps you know someone who should start a family but has had complications that could be lessened by in vitro fertilization. These are only a few of the myriad reasons why this amendment goes too far.

Please donate to the campaign.

A Brief History of Swine

Its not news that when people are afraid, they are vulnerable to deception. Collectively its much, much worse. When all the news channels are barking about a flailing economy barreling down a bottomless hole, its important that we do our best to keep our wits about us by paying attention.

I came across a brief history of the recent powerful advocates of what is opportunistically called a “free-market”. Included are some connective bits between McCainonomics, Reaganomics, Bushtardonomics and Friedmanitisesersty.

Direct Action Against the Bailout

Here are some links a to some waving-some-signs-and-waving-some-hands-as-people-drive-by-in-their-steel-coffins-direct action against the bailout.



Go get em, tiger!

WTFDWD!

Joe Barton, R-Texas, said, “"Just because God created the world in seven days doesn’t mean we have to pass this bill in seven days." Agreed.

doesn't it seem particularly horrible

when a European country does it?

Campaigners have attacked the decision of the German government to support a far-reaching exemption for industry from new rules on carbon emissions permits on the grounds of competitiveness.

Flock

Wow! Flock kinda kicks ass. If only it could do MySpace as well and broadcast updates and bulletins to facebook, twitter, MySpace, and mah blog at once.

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Jesus Fuck God! This built-in editor is cool. All these sidebars. Someone could so easily break into mah shit and jack it all up. Fuck you, Google! Flock is the new NSA.

This is so blog worthy, I couldn't pass it up.

A Final Five Cylon is Aide to Clinton

So, I was at Safeway today, buying some pregnancy tests and some coat hangers, when I noticed that the Cylons have infiltrated the upper- and innermost echalon of The Democratic Party.




Above is the toaster in action, whispering deceitful lies into Hillary's ear.

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Here, she sneers at her hatred of this place, this zoo, this prison, this reality, whatever you want to call it, she can't stand it any longer. It's the smell, if there is such a thing. She feels saturated by it. She can taste your stink and every time she does, she fears that she's somehow been infected by it.

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I am starting an Eating Liberally Chapter in Denver. For starts, it's going to be at Dazzle in Denver on Sunday n stuff. Y'all should check it out.

Scary Food Stories

I've been a bad, bad girl. I've been careless and not posting blogs. But here is an interesting article about scary food price fixing/rises in poor neighborhoods like my own.

McCain Enters The Petroleum Club

This evening in Denver, John McCain courted the Denver Petroleum Club for some big energy kickback campaign funds. Not-so patiently awaiting his arrival were some protesters from the AFL-CIO and ProgressNow. I was caught in the mix with my crappy video camera and managed to get some fairly humorous footage. In the following video, I love how the sea parts right in front of me as McCain heads towards the door, nearly running into my lens with his walnut cheeks.




The girl at :20 was not at all happy with the crowd. ☺

On another note, and you can quote me on this, the guy in the suit here was talking about “beating” protesters—apparently because he disagrees with them. I didn’t get him on tape saying that but if you can identify him, let me know because he is a real fascist jerk.