Steph Serves as Grand Marshallof LA's Gay Pride Parade

Stephanie Miller served as Grand Marshall to the Los Angeles Gay Pride Parade, riding on the float with Steph was our own Rebekah Baker. Stephanie's outfit could be described as follows:

1. A tranny at a 4th of July picnic.

2. Liz Taylor while she was still drinking.

3. A rip-off of Mean Jean Schmidt's exploding patriotic outfit.

4. Sparkle meets Geraldo and Billo's sex dungeon.

5. Steph's Gay Ray in action.

If you would like to watch the entire parade (Stephanie's float shows about 2 hours and 6 minutes into the video), check it out.

The Good Old Days???

Happy Loving Day!!!

It was exactly 41 years ago today that the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that Virginia's anti-miscegenation law was unconstitutional. The case that prompted this ruling was Loving v. Virginia - a case in which an African-American and Native American (Rappahannock) woman, Mildred Delores Jeter, married a Caucasian man, Richard Perry Loving, in the District of Columbia. They got married in DC in order to avoid the Racial Integrity Act, a Virginia state law banning marriages between any white person and any non-white person.

Fortunately only sixteen states had anti-miscegenation laws in 1967. They were: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. So had Barack Obama's parents met in another state and tried to marry in one of these sixteen states, they would have been stopped in their tracks. These are the good old days - yeah right.

Let's celebrate the progress that we've made, and understand how far we have to go, to see each and every person as an equal part of humanity. And let's work to keep the government out of the business of who we love and how we love them. Let's work for true marriage equality.

Yes, She Can & Yes, She Did!!!

"We must work with optimism and confidence" - perhaps a more sophisticated version of "Yes, we can."

Jim Bourg/Reuters

I truly hope that this post will be accepted by the Hillary Clinton supporters in the manner in which it is offered, with sincerity and gratitude. Thank you Senator Hillary Clinton. Your speech was graciousness personified, especially the parts in which you embraced and endorsed Senator Barack Obama.

Even before she struck her first line, she began to do her characteristic "clap, clap, point, clap, clap," but she caught herself and stopped after one point and went back to a rousing applause before launching into her speech with a witty, yet-not-too-cute opening remark: "This isn't the party I planned, but I sure like the company." Every note was hit right for the occasion, every word rang true, every phrase was joy to the ears of Democrats across the country who yearn so desperately for the unity that Mrs. Clinton expressed and encouraged today.

Thank you Senator Clinton for your inspirational words that sought to encourage each and every one of your supporters to get behind Barack Obama and make sure that this momentous opportunity at this historic moment in time is not wasted by a lack of unity, a failure to come together as a single party, a failure to rise as one voice coming out of the crowd, chanting "Yes, we can." ("We must work with optimism and confidence.")

The blogosphere is abuzz with congratulatory remarks on Clinton's historic speech, with a few bloggers even suggesting that one of the points negotiated on Thursday evening in Dianne Feinstein's living room was the loaning of a speech-writer or two to help Clinton craft what was easily the best speech she has given during this campaign, perhaps ever given. Congratulations Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton - and thank you for your service, service that you have already given and the service that you have yet to give. Thank you, Hillary, thank you.

Here's the transcript of Hillary Clinton's Speech (Washington, D.C., June 7, 2008).

How Will Hillary Bow Out?

Will Hillary Clinton embrace Barack Obama?

The Longest Good-bye.

Okay, we (Obama and his supporters - of which I count myself) have been magnanimous, although I'm sure our magnanimity has been perceived as condescension to the Clinton Camp. We've waited patiently for Hillary Clinton to take her time, to gather her thoughts, to collect her troops, to envisage her next move, but come on already. It's time to say good-bye, good-bye to the campaign trail, good-bye to the debates, the town halls, the meet and greets. It is time to say good-bye to the dream of becoming president of the United States. It is a lofty goal and to say good-bye to a dream so large is something I cannot imagine, although it is time to admit that this woman's dream is nearly as impossible as my dream of becoming an Indian when I grow up. That is not to say that a woman cannot seek and ultimately gain the position of Commander-in-Chief, but for this woman - it was not to be. There are myriad reasons why it just didn't work out - poor planning, ill-advice, stupid comments - many of these mistakes were not made by the candidate herself, but by her surrogates, her husband, her campaign manager, and other supporters (think Geraldine Ferraro). Nevertheless, it is past time to say good-bye, past time to endorse the only hope the Democratic Party has for reclaiming the White House in 2009, past time to concede that the race is over and somebody else won.

I am holding my breath, hoping beyond hope that Hillary Clinton will find it in her heart, her mind, her soul, to do today what she did not do on Tuesday night. That is find a way to graciously exit this contest with some of her dignity in tact. It is now completely up to her, up to the words she chooses, the signals she sends to her supporters, the path she takes. Because, just because Hillary Clinton is no longer in the race, does not mean that she is inconsequential in the role that she will play in getting us where we need to be. Her role in making sure that Barack Obama is our next president cannot be minimized or marginalized. Her supporters have been described as rabid, vehement, even slightly crazed (think Harriet of YouTube fame), but it is certain that they are looking to their leader, Hillary Clinton, and will take their cue from her as to how to proceed, how to work for a Democratic victory in November, whether to back Obama as the Democratic nominee.

Will Hillary Clinton speak the words to the older white women (a demographic that includes me) who have been her stalwart supporters that echo the words that she spoke to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee when she endorsed Barack Obama with the words "I know Senator Obama will be a good friend to Israel"? Will she say that "Barack Obama will be a good friend to America, a good friend to women, a good friend to soldiers and working class people" as indeed he will be? Will she say "I endorse Barack Obama for president and you should, too"? Will her endorsement ring true or will it come tinged with the sour grapes from which so many of her supporters are feeling the stinging juice? Can she bridge the gap between experience and change? Will she back off enough to allow Obama the room he needs to make his very best choice of a vice presidential candidate? We will know the answers to these questions and more that I haven't thought to pose here, in just a little over an hour. Vamos a ver.... vamos a ver, indeed.

Eulogy for a (Clinton) Campaign

Well, the post I started to write last night was entitled "It's the Delegates (Not the Popular Votes), Stupid!" But that seemed too harsh, and I never ended up finishing it, and I obviously did not post it.

Tonight I am writing a different post altogether - a conciliatory post if you will. It sucks to lose. I know what it feels like to have your back up against a wall that you did not build. I know what it feels like to be painted into a corner especially if you did the paint job. I can only imagine the hard feelings that are welling up in Hillary supporters tonight. But the jubilation that the rest of us are feeling at the fact that this country, this Democratic Party, has finally nominated a person of color is equally, if not, more momentous. I have goose-bumps on my arms, not unlike the goosebumps I felt when I first heard Barack Obama speak at the 2004 Democratic Convention. I said to myself then and there that we just heard from the first Black president of the United States. Here's a link to a transcript of that speech. Yeah.

This is from a blogger who uses the moniker "Scoopster" who blogs over at Four Freedoms Blog: "I've got my cola, I've got my ice cubes, I've got my smooth-sippin' rum...But most of all, I've got some great company with all of you here.. not just to witness some serious history but also in a celebration of what is destined to become the turning point of this country - away from some of the darkest times we have ever experienced. Tonight is truly the beginning of the end of the Bush criminal enterprise."

That is the most wonderful part of this evening - we, the people, will end the terror of the Bush/Cheney administration, we will end it on November 4, 2008, we will end it with a candidate who truly represents what America is all about. We will end it with a new beginning, a fresh start, a clean slate, with a man - a man whose mother was white, whose father was African, who was raised by his single mother and her parents, who lived for a while on food stamps, who attended public schools, but who earned his way into Harvard Law School where he was editor-in-chief of the prestigious Harvard Law Review, he who can captivate an audience with a handful of carefully chosen words, who inspires us to be better human beings, to be better Americans, to just be better. Thank goodness for Barack Obama for being in our world right here, right now, right on to the White House.

Transcript of Obama's Victory Speech in St. Paul, Minnesota.

My Head Hurts - updated June 2, 2008

New Total Delegates Needed to Secure Nomination - 2118

Watching the coverage on MSNBC of the DNC's meeting in Washington, D.C. is giving me a major headache. Why must we give in to the Clinton camp and count every vote all the while ignoring the caucuses? What are the caucuses, chopped liver? It seems so disingenuous to scream about "counting every vote" while ignoring all the voices that were registered in the only way that residents of those states who hold caucuses rather than primaries have to register their political voices. I don't understand how the states of Iowa, Nevada, Alaska, Colorado, Nebraska, Washington, Maine, and Wyoming can be so easily discounted by a campaign camp that claims to care so much about hearing every voter. How can Clinton claim to have more popular votes when by every machination of every analysis except her own she does NOT have more votes, she has fewer elected delegates, fewer super delegates, and fewer states? Her argument that she can win states that Democrats must win in order to win in November doesn't make any sense in that most of the states that she won, are states that Obama can also win, for example, California, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida. We may lose West Virginia, Kentucky, and Oklahoma, but it is likely that Democrats wouldn't carry those states anyway. Obama has strength in western states like Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. Oy vey, I've gotta go take some extra-strength Excederin, my head hurts!

I'm back after taking a short break to sweep my floors, I forgot to mention in the earlier part of this post, how in the world can anybody say it's fair for Clinton to count Michigan as it was exercised without Barack Obama's name even on the ballot? Clinton herself stated back in October of 2007, regarding the Michigan primary: "It's clear. This election they're having is not going to count for anything." Now she is screaming to "County every vote." Well, what about the uncommitted votes? At least 40% of the votes recorded in Michigan were cast "uncommitted," against a sole name that was on the ballot, (although I thought Kucinich was also on the ballot in Michigan - just to be accurate), so how in the world can she claim a victory in this primary? It just boggles my mind!!!

Here are a few pithy thoughts from long-time feminist and Obama supporter, Susan Blesener:

"For the life of me, I cannot figure out how 'feminism' moves ahead so long as we constantly have to be worried about 'hurting' Clinton supporters' 'feelings.' As I recall, Obama's so-called misogynist 'likable enough' comment followed Hillary's assertion that it 'hurt her feelings' that people didn't think she was likable. Spare me the victim again."

"Clinton opened herself up to potential sexism when she used the moniker 'Hillary' as her campaign slogan. I have always been dismayed that commentators and such refer to both Clinton and Obama by their first names--a classic means of ranking individuals--like children. (I cannot think of a time I have heard McCain referred to as 'John.') However, in Clinton's case, she INVITED the sexist reference and set the tone. And then she used it to foment her victim argument."

"I was pleased that Donna Brazile and another woman talked about the people who DIDN'T vote because they reasonably believed it wouldn't count."
Susan Blesener, May 31, 2008.

Remembering Paula Gunn Allen

It will be thirty years ago this August when I first had the honor of meeting Paula Gunn Allen. I was a new student, transferring from Indiana University to Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, ready to begin my sophomore year in the fall of 1978. I was all of nineteen years old, and I remember distinctly sitting down in Professor Allen's class - I believe it was called American Indian Philosophy and being blown away by her presence. I had chosen Fort Lewis College because of its strong Native curriculum and was eager to learn all I could about Native culture, poetry, literature and art. Professor Allen supplied many excellent lessons in Native culture, philosophy, literature and poetry. It is with great sadness that I learned yesterday of her death from lung cancer.

After two years at Fort Lewis College I transferred back to Indiana University to finish my degree in English literature, but I stayed in touch with Paula. We met in New York City after I graduated and took a job with People magazine. I went to a poetry reading that Paula did in NYC, and I still have a treasured signed copy of one of Paula's first books of poetry - A Cannon Between My Knees - in which she wrote "To Faye, who I think is a twin of the psychic kind, Paula."

It is thirty-one years since she directed the MLA-NEH Summer Seminar on Contemporary Native American Literature, held in Flagstaff in 1977. She edited the volume that came out of that seminar: STUDIES IN AMERICAN INDIAN LITERATURE: CRITICAL ESSAYS AND COURSE DESIGNS (1983), the first book on teaching this literature. Her SACRED HOOP: RECOVERING THE FEMININE IN AMERICAN INDIAN TRADITIONS (1986) influenced many scholars. A very talented creative writer, Paula published several volumes of poetry and a novel, THE WOMAN WHO OWNED THE SHADOWS (1983). She also edited collections of Native American literature. Her most recent book was POCAHONTAS: MEDICINE WOMAN, SPY, ENTREPRENEUR, DIPLOMAT (2003).

Paula Gunn Allen died on May 29th at 10:43 p.m. She will be buried in Fort Bragg, California. Those who wish to memorialize her are encouraged to make donations in her memory to the Lannan Foundation; last year, it gave her a two-year fellowship.

Here's a link to a biography and a bibliography of Paula Gunn Allen and her work.

If you would like to visit Paula's memorial page, please see Paula Gunn Allen Online Memorial.

Meet Kevin Killer

Meet Kevin Killer, a young, dedicated, passionate member of the Oglala Lakota Nation who is running for the South Dakota House of Representatives District 27. I had the honor of meeting Mr. Killer at Campaign Camp 2007 - a week of training offered by INDN's List that took place at the Morongo Band of Mission Indians in Cabazon, California, August 2007. (see older posts on this blog: Prez on the Rez). During that intense week of training, support and building comraderie for Native candidates and their staff we all bonded together behind a common goal - that of electing progressive Native candidates to local, state, and national political offices. Mr. Killer stood out among a crowd that included several other impressive candidates (among them Diane Benson - running for Congress from Alaska, Denise Juneau, candidate for Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Ed Iron Cloud who is also running for the Democratic seat in District 27 in South Dakota). Mr. Killer has been endorsed by INDN's List and has the support of many of those who attended Campaign Camp.


Ed Iron Cloud & Kevin at Campaign Camp, Morongo Band of Mission Indians, August 2007.

INDN’s List is a Tulsa-based national not-for-profit organization that is the only grassroots political organization devoted to recruiting and electing Native American candidates and mobilizing the Indian Vote throughout America on behalf of those candidates. Since its founding in 2005, the organization has experienced an impressive 79% win rate of its endorsed candidates, with 22 of 28 being victorious in 2006 and 2007.

Information about Kevin Killer:
His campaign web site.
Article about Kevin in Indian Country Today.
Announcement of Kevin's candidacy in RezNet.
INDN's List endorses Kevin Killer for SD District 27.

Somber Memorial Day

Today is Memorial Day, the day that we all don't have to go to work, instead we sit around in our backyard, grilling hot dogs and hamburgers (no steaks this year, given the paucity of cash in our pocketbooks). But behind the back yard BBQs, there is an haunting thought that we are forgetting something, someone - somebody who should be there but is not, not because they weren't invited, but because they are dead. There I said it, "dead" - a word that most Americans would rather ascribe to a mosquito or a squirrel along the roadside, not to brave young soldiers who have fought and died for our country. Their deaths are all the sadder today, because so many of their deaths were unnecessary. We didn't need to invade Iraq, we shouldn't have invaded Iraq. Iraq was invaded based on lies told by an administration that knew it was lying when they were making the case for war, but made the case anyway and off to war we/they went.

To date I believe that 4080 soldiers have died in Iraq, but that doesn't begin to tell the story of how tragic this illegal and immoral occupation of a sovereign country actually is. Scores of soldiers made it back to the States alive, but are so grievously wounded that their lives are changed forever. Many returned with wounds that may not be obvious, but turn out to be just as deadly as a runaway infection or a fatal disease. They came home with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a result of what they witnessed over there in Iraq, what they were called upon to do over there, what they remembered from watching their fellow soldiers get blown to smithereens. And so they bring these indelible images home with them to their families who missed them so much while they were away, only to have those same family members wonder who this stranger is that has returned to their home. Who is this guy who flies off the handle so quickly, who sulks around his children, who bangs his fist through doors and walls?

And saddest of all the results of this god-awful war are the numbers of suicides that have increased daily - the stories of those who came back, but just couldn't live with themselves anymore, and decided that enough is enough and ended it all. That is what Chad Oligschlaeger, age 21, decided to do this week at the Twenty Nine Palms base in California.

"We sent these kids over there, we're putting them through things that we'll never see in our lifetimes. Things we see in the movies that are not real, it's real to them," said Christine Judan, a family friend of the Oligschlaegers.

My thoughts go out to families who have lost a loved one in war and my wish is that human beings would evolve to the point where we no longer need to kill each other in order to address our differences, conflicts, and arguments.

In case you are curious, here's a link to political leaders who served and those that did not. You'll notice that those who are so keen to get this country involved in war are the ones who did not serve (mainly Republicans), while those who are eager to get us out of Iraq and warn us against starting another war in Iran are Democrats. Just an interesting observation, don't you think?

OMG! - WTF? Hillary's Toast

Why in the world would a candidate who is fighting for her political life invoke the 1968 assassination of Robert F. Kennedy in a rather lame attempt to explain why she is still in a race that she likely will not be able to win? That is a very good question, and one that has left my jaw dropped gaping with amazement at the thoughtlessness and recklessness of a remark that is wrong on so many levels: her mention of a Kennedy assassination when a Kennedy brother is fighting an inoperable brain tumor, her mention of assassination in the context of a political fight in which her opponent has had numerous threats on his life, her mention of RFK's assassination in defense of her own stubborn determination to stay in a race that is clearly over and has been for some time, this is just the tip of the iceberg of what is wrong with Senator Clinton's assertion. The rest is too gruesome to even consider.

Before the unconscionable remark was even uttered, there were rumors on the internet of a "girlcott" of Barack Obama because of his "condescending, sexist treatment of Hillary Clinton and her supporters." Excuse me, but aside from the predictably stupid comments by the likes of Chris Matthews, the Clinton camp has given as good as it has gotten, trading sexist comments for racist comments in a tit for tat fashion that has made neither camp look good. And as I've said before - if these Clintonistas are really ready to sacrifice their party, their country and the planet on the altar of Hillary Clinton and hand the election to "Grampy McSame" then they can kiss good-bye any future support for Hillary for any run for dog-catcher or for whatever future position she may contemplate running.

This was posted yesterday on FourFreedoms blog before Clinton's unfortunate remark: I would like to direct your attention to a comment posted at Slate and was sent to me by a long-time friend who is one of the strongest feminists I have ever known (and who BTB is an Obama supporter). It is from yesterday's Slate, written by Dahlia Lithwick and I think it is right on.

I don't think anyone disputes that hideous instances of sexism have been stirred up in this campaign. Nor does anyone dispute that Ms. Clinton is entitled to address it, which she has done very deftly at times. The question is whether she's entitled to reduce her entire failed campaign to sexism, which has the practical effect of splitting women into those-who-are-angry-about-sexism, and those who what? Think it's acceptable? There's one other practical effect that warrants mentioning, and that is that it reduces a complex, brilliant, and talented candidate to a big whomping cliche. My friend Susannah writes: "I find it increasingly unbearable to watch Hillary. It feels like she has become the archetype I find most painful to see in women, a high-maintenance, delusional, and 'difficult' woman who feels entitled to do whatever she likes. ... Meanwhile, Obama is forced to tiptoe around essentially just humoring her. There is a pathetic 'Yes, dear' quality to the way he is forced to react to her these days."

This mirrors a sense I've had that we might have finally crossed the Hirshman line. Linda Hirshman argued persuasively that all powerful, ambitious women are at some point dismissed as "hysterical" or "insane." Too true. The problem now is that when Clinton behaves irrationally, we can't call her out for it because it would be sexist. If we can't call irrational behavior irrational because the character in question is a woman, then it's a short hop from here to a Tennessee Williams play...

I have felt for some time now that we are heading toward a potentially tragic ending in this primary race and the one who could prevent this tragedy is the one who is bringing it about (I am, of course, referring to Hillary) . Your thoughts and comments on this post are, as always, appreciated. I think it's time for Momma to utter her infamous line from A Streetcar Named Desire - "Blanche, it is time to go." Carry on mis amigos...

Barack Obama Visits Crow Agency, MT

Coming off a rally that drew 75,000 people in Portland, Oregon on Sunday, yesterday Barack Obama did something that Hillary Clinton and John McCain have not done, he went to a reservation, specifically the Crow Nation (Crow Agency, Montana). While he was there he talked about his understanding of Tribal Sovereignty (a true government to government relationship). He also talked about honoring treaty obligations, specific legislation that he supports that will address ongoing issues in Indian Country - issues such as health care, education, veterans' benefits and ways to resolve the trust fund litigation. "My job as president is to make sure that Washington starts focusing on you, on your hopes, on your dreams, on your concerns...You have been forgotten - I want you to know that I will never forget you - you will be on my mind every day that I am in the White House."

How to Solve the Michiorida Mess...

Shepard Fairey's Obama Posters

"Hillary's campaign is 21.5 million dollars in debt, making hers the most expensive Fantasy Camp ever."
David Letterman, The Late Show, May 15, 2008

Rachel Maddow's word of the Day - "vituperative" - Using, containing, or marked by harshly abusive censure.

This is a comment from the SMS live blog, left by a rabid Hillary supporter, written on Friday, May 16, 2008:

Good morning SWEETIES
Any of you know how Obama and Dean are going to address the ugly, festering sore that will be Florida and Michigan at the convention?
Or do you all just want to work hard to win 48 states?
No Obamaniac here has SATISFACTORILY answered that question except to yell in the most child-like way, “Hey, it’s the rules!!”
Hillary will bring this question up, I hope, just before the official nomination voting. Someone should.

I'll bring it up because it doesn't freakin' matter anymore - go ahead and count all of the delegates even those earned by Hillary Clinton in Michigan where Barack Obama's NAME WAS NOT EVEN ON THE BALLOT, and Florida where neither candidate campaigned, honoring an agreed-upon plan made before the primary vote. Go ahead and count all the freakin' votes of those who you all are so eager to enfranchise. What about the disenfranchisement of all of the voters who didn't bother to go to the polls because they were paying attention and understood the votes that they cast on Tuesday, January 15th (Michigan) or January 29th (Florida) would not be (should not have been, promised not to be) counted?

Also how can you ignore the caucuses? All of those people who turned out on a cold winter night in Iowa should just be dismissed? Likewise the folks who stood in school cafeterias in Nevada, Alaska, Colorado, Nebraska, Washington, Maine, and Wyoming - think about it. It comes down to basic fairness, simple justice, doing what is right/correct. By any measure, except those concocted by the Clinton camp (like ignoring the caucuses, or counting Michigan and Florida as if they were normal primaries) Obama has the lead - in popular vote, in elected delegates, in superdelegates, in states won - by any measure, he is the winner. Congratulations Barack!

If you'd like to pass a few wasted hours and you are a total political geek then visit the following site where you can change the electoral college map in any configuration and try to figure out how the Democrats can lose the election in November (I spent hours a few Sunday afternoons ago and had a hard time seeing how the Dems could possibly lose this one).

Election Guide 2008: What the Democratic Candidates Need to Win

Edwards Endorses Obama!!!

Last night John Edwards endorsed Barack Obama for president of the United States. Here's the transcript of Edwards endorsement: Edwards’s Endorsement of Obama. It was, needless to say, a coveted endorsement and coming as it did on the heals of Obama significant defeat by Hillary Clinton in West Virginia (see post below), it carried even more weight than it might have otherwise. Timing is everything, and the timing of Edwards endorsement couldn't have been better - with the Kentucky primary looming around the corner (next Tuesday, May 20th), I can't help but believe that Edwards will help Obama with those "Hard-working White Americans," Hillary Clinton as quoted in an oft cited AP article that came out after her triumphant victory in West Virginia. Good on ya, John Edwards, good on ya. Even though Edwards himself has downplayed the importance of endorsements in general, his endorsement is most welcome in an Obama camp that must have given at least pause at the trouncing that Barack took in the Mountaineer state. On to the White House for Obama!!!

For information on how Edwards' delegates will help the Obama Campaign, please see 2008 Democratic Convention Watch.

As West Virginia Goes, So Goes the Confederacy...

White voters shun Obama as Clinton wins West Virginia

"As West Virginia goes, so goes the nation." I substituted "Confederacy" for "nation," anyway, I didn't say it. I am merely echoing a phrase uttered by Hillary Clinton last night during her victory speech which I must confess, even though it was billed by Terry McAuliffe as the greatest speech ever, I dozed off during her riveting delivery of what sounded to me like rehashed campaign cliches and recycled slogans. I say shame on West Virginians and their racist selves - forgive my bluntness, but I've heard too many reports from W.V. that say that it was out-and-out racism that kept Mountaineers from even considering voting for Obama. So I say screw WV - I am much more impressed that a Democrat won Trent Lott's seat in Mississippi - way to go Dems. Ain't nothin' gonna stop us now. Apologies to the handful of good folks who live in West Virginia who did step outside their comfort zone and cast a vote for the Democratic nominee, Barack Obama. We don't need no stinkin' racists helping us get to the White House, so just stay home or vote for Ron Paul or Bob Barr or even David Duke (not sure that he's running, but I bet a little cold coin could change his mind).

Where are the Union Coal Miners of old? Where are the folks who empathized with the downtrodden? (because they were them). Where are the mothers who understood that pride is not too hard to dismiss when your kids are hungry?

"Even though racial lines were not so stringently enforced in West Virginia as they were in the Deep South, or even in neighboring central Appalachia, social life in the Mountain State was segregated by custom and management design. Nevertheless, race relations were unique. Perhaps the key to understanding the distinctive qualities of race relations in southern West Virginia was the freedom of expression enjoyed by blacks. Only in education and intermarriage was integration specifically barred by statute."

The aforementioned excerpt is from the Mine Safety and Health Administration web site as is the above featured photo.

Still the War Grinds On

Moqtada al-Sadr

Fighting Forces Residents to Flee Sadr City

As we here in this country place bets on when Hillary Clinton will end her bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, halfway around the world a war that this country started roars on. Lives are being lost, children are being maimed, soldiers are being blown to smithereens and the astronomical costs keep soaring. When will we say enough is enough? I ask each and every one of you to send one e-mail next Monday or Tuesday to your (House) Representative. Please jot off a quick e-mail asking your representative to vote against more funding for this god-awful war in Iraq and urge your representative to cosponsor The New Diplomatic Offensive for Iraq Act (H.R. 3797). Please if enough of us write - they will spend the money anyway, but maybe, just maybe, a few of the spenders/deciders may not sleep as well as they have in the past. The Friends Committee on National Legislation has a nice and easy page that you can just fill in the blanks. Or you may make a phone call (FCNL). There is a little box in which you type in your zip code and, voila, there is your representative and her/his contact information. So please fill in a few blanks or pick up the phone and let your representative know that you want the war in Iraq to end, the sooner the better. Thank you very much :)
Best,
mfaye

Sadr City Residents Told to Flee Homes
(From DemocracyNow!)

In Iraq, residents of the Sadr City district of Baghdad say they’re being warned to flee their homes in advance of an intensified US-led assault on Shia fighters. Sadr City has seen relentless violence in a nearly two-month campaign against followers of Muqtada al-Sadr. UNICEF says around 6,000 people have already been forced to flee. Up to 150,000, half of them children, are said to be cut off from aid in areas isolated by the US military. Medical care has declined following Saturday’s US missile strike that damaged several ambulances at Sadr City’s main hospital. At least four people were killed and thirteen injured in fighting overnight. At the White House, the veteran correspondent Helen Thomas questioned Press Secretary Dana Perino about the killing of innocent Iraqis.

Dana Perino: “Helen.”

Helen Thomas: “Yesterday, according to the New York Times, we dropped a bomb on a home in Sadr City and burned alive a pregnant woman and her children. How long is the siege of Sadr—how long are we going to keep bombing Iraqis?”

Perino: “Well, I’m not aware of that particular report. I have not—I’ve not seen it.”

Thomas: “Well, it was pretty buried in the stories.”

Perino: “OK. Well, the operation against the militias in Sadr City will continue until they root them out. And that is expressly in order to protect people like you just mentioned.”

Thomas: “Root who out? The Iraqis? In their own country?”

Perino: “It is Prime Minister Maliki’s government which is going after the militia, which is appropriate.”

Thomas: “Why are we bombing these people?”

Perino: “Any time anyone that is an innocent civilian is hurt in a conflict, we obviously regret it, and we go out of our way to make sure it doesn’t happen.”

Once Again the Numbers (& Voters) Let Hillary Down

North Carolina said loud and clearly that Senator Barack Obama is their choice for president, and Indiana came close to agreeing with North Carolina. I really thought that Lake County might put Obama over the top in Indiana. Obama came very close in Indiana, but Hillary Clinton likely did pick up a couple more delegates than Obama from Indiana. I like the image of Terry McAuliffe and Mark Penn (you know that guy is still hanging around) and other die-hard Clinton supporters calling Hillary into a hotel room, asking her to put down the Crown Royal, and holding an intervention - not to get Hillary to admit that she has a problem with alcohol, rather to get her to admit that she no longer has a chance to win the Democratic nomination for the president of these United States. Please see the excellent post on Four Freedoms Blog, by BobR entitled R.E.S.P.E.C.T. See also the headline on today's Huffington Post: Obama vs. McCain. Also on the Huffington Post is an interesting piece on McCain's Rough Night, pointing out that the republican presumptive nominee is still having trouble winning over the hearts and minds of the GOP base.
But I will miss Kay to the Jay to the Eye El in da Hizzie saying "Hirrary." :D Kim out!!!

For a somber take on last night's results, see Scoopster's post on the Daily Kos - On trust, forgiveness, and our common future.

Kalyn Free Endorses Obama!

The anticipation was making me crazy, but finally the word is out and the word is Obama! Kalyn Free, Superdelegate extraordinaire, Super Attorney, and Super Director and Founder of INDN's List, has endorsed Senator Barack Obama for president

"As a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, I am proud of what it means to be an American Indian," Free said in her announcement of support for Obama. "I am proud Barack Obama is committed to our unique issues and willing to tackle our toughest problems, from historical inequities and injustices to contemporary issues, like protection of our right to tribal self-determination, access to health care for our elders, and education for our children."

"For centuries the First Americans have had politicians talk to them, not with them. That kind of politics-as-usual leadership hasn't worked for Indian Country, and it isn't working for America. Senator Obama will forge a new era for the First Americans by looking for answers in Indian Country, not from Washington lobbyists. I am proud to stand in solidarity with another DNC Indian superdelegate Frank LaMere (Winnebago) in support of America's best hope for a better tomorrow, Senator Barack Obama."

Senator Obama said, "Kalyn is an effective and compassionate leader in the Native American community, and I'm proud to have her support. I admire the work she has done to build a grassroots movement, elect Native Americans to public office, and mobilize voters in tribal communities to become part of the political process. And as President, I will work with tribal leaders and Kalyn to ensure that they have a true partner in the White House. With Kalyn's support, we're going to bring about real change not just for the Native American community, but for all Americans."

Feliz Cinco de Mayo

Top Five Ways the Stephanie Miller Show Crew can Celebrate Cinco de Mayo

5. Stephania invites her yard guys in for a !siesta fiesta!

4. Momma supplies margaritas and chips and salsa for breakfast para todos (gratis!).

3. Steph wears a sombrero while appearing on Larry King tonight.

2. Do a shot of tequila every time Steph (or Jim or Chris) says "bark park."

1. And the number one way that Momma and the mooks can celebrate Cinco de Mayo - All Sanchez (from Montebello) in Hora Tres (Hour 3)!

Hillary Clinton High on 'Shrooms :)

Last night on Jon Stewart's Daily Show yet another young comedic talent, Jason Jones, jumped out of the TV. Mr. Jones did a bit about Hillary Clinton as an elite toddler running around in her socks with the ruffles. Even if Hillary was guilty of wearing socks with ruffles (and really who hasn't - I can certainly see Stephen Colbert of the Reporrrr prancing around in his ruffle-topped socks - lavendar, powder blue, or if he was lucky - black), she certainly wouldn't want it to leak out that she was once high on 'shrooms and drove a tractor over a man... Pure speculation , but once it's out there, it's out there.

Socks with the Ruffles video (The Daily Show, May 1, 2008)

This is a spoof (rather it is a report of a spoof) - not intended as a source of actual news.

We Must Not Bomb Iran!

[At the end of these articles is an entry I posted over six months ago. At that point, the idea of a US attack on Iran was still considered by many to be a distant nightmare.]

METAFUTURE: Iraq, Iran and Permanent War
by Troutfishing
Sunday, April 27, 2008

The appointment of David Petreus to be head of CENTCOM is part of an ongoing, quiet purge by the Bush Administration of anyone in the US military leadership with more than a shred of moral conscience, and I am utterly convinced that if the Bush Adminstration can attack Iran it will.

I am not the only one concerned:
Petraeus' rise lets Cheney loose on Iran

WASHINGTON - The nomination of General David Petraeus to be the new head of the US Central Command ensures that he will be available to defend the George W Bush administration's policies on Iran and Iraq at least to the end of Bush's term and possibly even beyond.

It also gives Vice President Dick Cheney greater freedom of action to exploit the option of an air attack against Iran during the administration's final months.
Gareth Porter

Questions Linger on Scope of Iran’s Threat in Iraq
MARK MAZZETTI, STEVEN LEE MYERS and THOM SHANKER
New York Times, April 26, 2008

" For weeks, Mr. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and the top American officials in Iraq have portrayed Iran as a significant and growing threat to the American war effort in Iraq.
In particular, they have cited an intensified barrage of Iranian-made rockets hitting the Green Zone in Baghdad — including attacks during a visit by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice — that have killed Americans and Iraqis.

...in recent weeks the administration has sought to emphasize the threat by citing new evidence. The interrogations of four Iraqi Shiite militia commanders, for example, have provided new details about the extent of training conducted by the Quds Force of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, officials said."

Here's Jim Lobe, for IPS News:
POLITICS-US: Hawks Resurgent?

Add the promotion of Gen. David Petraeus, the U.S. commander in Iraq who has overseen the past year's "surge" of U.S. troops, to take over the U.S. Central Command (Centcom) this summer, as well as the increasingly harsh charges against Iran's alleged interference in Iraq that have been coming out of the Pentagon in recent days.

All these developments are seen by some as an answer to the prayers of neo-conservatives, in particular, who had largely given up hopes that Bush could be persuaded to attack Iran's nuclear facilities before leaving office.

In his testimony about the surge earlier this month, Petraeus had repeatedly blamed allegedly Iranian-sponsored and directed Shi'a "Special Groups" for attacking Iraqi government and U.S. forces in Basra and Baghdad, describing them as "the greatest long-term threat to the viability of a democratic Iraq"...

...there appears little question that the rhetoric here has become considerably harsher in recent weeks. The shift became particularly evident in February, when the former Centcom commander and the man whom Petraeus will replace, Adm. William 'Fox' Fallon, abruptly announced his resignation following the publication of a profile in Esquire magazine that depicted him as opposing key administration policies and as the one man standing between Bush and war with Iran.


Petraeus promotion an ominous sign of possible war with Iran
Salt Lake City Tribune, April 26, 2008
Farrah Hassan

The promotion of Gen. David Petraeus is another ominous sign that the Bush administration may attack Iran. President Bush is nominating Petraeus, commanding general of the Multi-National Force in Iraq, to replace Adm. William Fallon as head of Centcom: U.S. Central Command, which oversees the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Fallon was forced to resign last month after his outspoken opposition to an attack on Iran. Petraeus, by contrast, has been heating up the rhetoric against Iran. "Iran has fueled the violence in a particularly damaging way through its lethal support to the special groups," Petraeus testified to Congress in early April. Those special groups (meaning, the militias) pose the biggest threat to the United States, he added. He blamed Iran for the rocket attacks on the Green Zone, and he warned, "We should all watch Iranian actions closely in the weeks and months ahead." Petraeus' boss issued a warning of his own. "The regime in Tehran also has a choice to make," Bush said April 10. "If Iran makes the right choice, America will encourage a peaceful relationship between Iran and Iraq. If Iran makes the wrong choice, America will act to protect our interests, and our troops and our Iraqi partners."

Here's what I wrote over three years ago, January 2005, on the Daily Kos:
What the Bush Adm. may actually be aiming at - as a politically serendipitious blowback from strikes on Iran - would be another major terrorist attack on US interests or US soil.

Al Qaeda now exists more as an ideological franchise than an organization. But Hezzbollah on the other hand.... Hezzbollah is an actual organization, more like a ministate, which has both military and terrorist capabilities and which has close ties to, and receives funds from, Iran: The organization has missiles and drones, and demonstrated considerable military capability in driving Israeli forces from Lebannon. One cannot assume, for that matter, that the organization does not possess one or two portable nuclear devices.

In going to war against Iran, the Bush Administration will be inviting Hezzbollah retaliation. That might not come immediately, but it would be an underestimation, I feel, to discount the possibility that some of the most outrageous of the many Bush Administration generated US PR debacles surrounding the Iraqi invasion and occupation were wholly unintentional. The gratuitiously offensive nature of the sexual humiliation tactics used at Abu Ghraib, while disastrous at one level, also serve the interests of some in the Bush Administration who need a more significant Causus Bellum now that the sting of 9-11 has ebbed somewhat.

The overall effect of US behavior since the invasion of Iraq has been to polarize Islamic attitudes - this is surely happening within such subcultures as Hezzbollah, and so I have to wonder - when will the Bush Administration's Trotskyite rolling "permanent war" in the Mideast cause the voices of hotheads to prevail, against the voices of caution, in the call for strikes against US interests ? And, would the Bush NeoCons be blindsided, or would they have been expecting such an attack ? It would be a mistake to assume that the growing world hatred of the US was unanticipated or undesired by the Bush Neocons and their Dominionist and Rapturist Christian allies - such world hatred, and subsequent terrorist attacks on the US, would, indeed, serve to advance both the domestic and geopolitical aims of the NeoCons.

Of course, such attacks would provide a pretext for US actions against Syria and Iran. Domestically, however, they would be at least as useful for the Bush NeoCons and the new US Right (AKA the religious right ).

Another strike of magnitude comparable to or larger than the September 11, 2001 attack - "9-11 redux" - or even several much smaller attacks, would provide George W. Bush, the NeoCons, and the Christian right - especially with the likely escalation of conflict and mayhem in the Mideast - with sufficient pretext for substantial crackdown - under the rubric of "national unity -quashing domestic dissent. Frenzied demonization of Islamic-American groups with a subsequent widespread outbreak of hate crimes and perhaps the interment of Muslims and certain ethnicities of Mideastern origin may proliferate. Also, expect a crackdown on political and cultural dissident groups - outspoken voices on the left, gays, and so on. Some on the US right have long planned and yearned for something like this, the transformation of US government into an authoritarian security state.

Beyond harshly repressive domestic political measures, further terrorist attacks within the US would enable the "toughening up America", and full mobilization of America's war-fighting capability - by way of a reinstituted draft, privatized military services, or both. In fact, this has been underway in a low grade way since September 11, 2001, and it should be noted that one of the side effects of the Iraq conflict has been a dramatic expansion in the number of battle hardened US Army and National Guard units. This may have been unintentional, but it lays groundwork for future war and is congruent with an overall Spartanization of an American that has come to be viewed by some as grown dangerously soft.

The upshot of this train of events will be a "Spartanization" of America, under a new, embattled and combatitive mentality, and - meanwhile a rolling, graduated blitz through the Mideast which, conveniently, could have the effect of destabilizing Saudi Arabia - and that, in turn, would demand US led "stabilization" measures. Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia - one down, two to go, and the US will achieve direct control of something on the order of 1/2 of the World's oil. That control can be, in turn, used to exert pressure on nations opposed to the new US hegemonic order.

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

NO War with Iran!!!
Faye Hadley

Rumors of war abound, and nothing could be more frightening than the thought of this derelict, incompetent administration launching yet another unnecessary war against a country that is at least three times the size of Iraq with nearly three times the population. Having learned absolutely nothing from the fiasco that is Iraq, the Bush administration is planning on attacking Iran. Or that is the buzz in the blogosphere anyway - I hope against hope that this prediction is wrong, but at this point, I've become so cynical and disillusioned that I wouldn't put any devious dastardly action past Darth Cheney or any of his minions (and I include Georgie Bush in that group).

Here are a few blog posts that have me worried:
Home Alone, Dick and George Desperately Scheme for War
Post Labor Day Roll Out - War with Iran
Do We Have the Courage to Stop War with Iran?
THE NEXT WAR? by Arnaud de Borchgrav, Benador Associates
Staging Nukes for Iran?

Here is a web site that gives me hope: StopIranWar.com

Here is an essay that explains much about why we are where we, as a people, are in time and war: Iraq, Iran and the Moral Rot Infecting the Soul of America

What a Meet-up!

This past weekend I flew to Washington DC with the intention of meeting up with some online friends - folks I'd never actually met before but with whom I already felt a strong connection. On Saturday night I participated in the FourFreedoms Meet Up at the Holiday Inn in Rosslyn (a block and a half off of DC's Metro Blue Line). I shared a room with Starling, an adorable lesbianite who had inadvertently booked a suite with a sofa, coffee table, comfy chairs, two balconies for the smokers, plenty of tabletop space and a working ice machine just down the hall.

We were all treated to an evening of Raintinis (a spectacular beverage concocted by Raine. Here's what goes into a Raintini - Vanilla Vodka (count 4), Seltzer water (count 1 or 2), Splash of cherry juice (from maraschino cherries), gently shaken then poured over three maraschino cherries in a martini glass. I recommend letting the cherries soak in the bottom of your martini glass all night long and just before calling it a night, slurping down the drunken cherries for an outstanding buzz cap - like a night cap but much better.

As you might expect amongst a group of bloggers, several of us brought along our laptops and we played Steph and the Mooks' Friday show which most of us had missed as we were en route to the meet-up. But with such a boisterous group of people gathered in a studio-apartment-sized hotel room, the conversation overwhelmed the sound of the show. The conversation kicked off as I shared with the group a disturbing comment, by a fellow blogger who happens to be a dog. This doggie blogger suggested that I, of all people, might want to join her imaginary deluded call for the murder of Hillary Clinton - we gathered around a laptop and watched the clip of Keith Olbermann's apparently threatening remark made against Senator Clinton. This remark was the unspoken inspiration for the astonishing (shocking and dismaying) comment that left a very sour taste in my mouth. And to which I will respond in due time, I am still recovering from my excellent weekend and don't want to bring myself down by sparring with a one-time friend over comments delusional and outrageous.

Back to the Meet-up...the topics of the night travelled from Raine's report on the on-air soap opera "How Air America turns," "Does this smell like it's turned to you?" "Yes, I think it has," was the concensus. We called TriSec and toasted him via speaker phone. We toasted Stephanie, Chris Lavoie, Jim Ward, and Rebekah Baker. Mondo made an awesome pizza run, BobR's beer flowed freely and the Raintinis kept coming. All-in-all it was an amazing evening of political banter, good friends exhanging ideas (political, familial, relationship and otherwise). I can't wait for the next meet-up :D Photos coming soon...

Here's the offensive comment that was posted on my blog:
"So, tell us, Faye, are you ready to join your and Steph's boyfriend Keith Olbermann in calling for the murder of Senator Clinton? That would settle the Democratic primary race for you once and for all, wouldn't it? God forbid we should let those pesky voters settle things, eh? Nice to see that His Hopeness inspires such high-minded thoughts in his delusional followers."

This Blog Cannot Wait... (John McCain - Get Offa My Lawn!)

This blog is sick and tired of waiting for the Democrats to pick a nominee, so this blog, beginning today, is running against John McCain. I am about ready to say that I don't care who the Democratic nominee is anymore (not true - I am still hoping for Barack Obama), but I won't go that far. Still, I am tired as hell of waiting around for the super-duper delegates to make up their minds and for every state (including Guam and Puerto Rico) to weigh-in with their selection for the presidential candidate that they think would make the better choice. Here are the

Top Ten Reasons Why John McCain Cannot Be President:

10. Waterboarding - Torture or No? Well, John knew the answer to that one when he was in the Hanoi Hilton, but now maybe waterboarding is okay.
9. Still standing by the Pastor Hagee endorsement.
8. What he knows about finance he learned from being a fifth of the Keating Five.
7. His foreign policy includes a statement that it is okay with him if we are in Iraq for the next hundred years.
6. Morally, he left his first wife when she was sick to marry a rich pill-popping recipe-swiping much younger woman (did I mention that she is a beer-distributor heiress?).
5. He has flip-flopped on important issues such as tax-cuts for the wealthiest Americans, torture and campaign finance reform.
4. He has pandered to the far-right-wing of the fundamentalist religious extreme (Jerry Falwell - once an agent of intolerance, is now a-okay with John).
3. He can't visit the Middle East without Joe Lieberman on his shoulder.
2. He's no maverick, he toes the GOP party line on reproductive choice, discrimination of gays, foreign policy, and corporate tax cuts.
2. So old that he can't remember the difference between Mickey and Daffy (one is a mouse, the other a duck).
2. His temper is a short fuse of dynamite, and his finger should not be on any trigger :(
1. Two words - Supreme Court.

This is just the first of a series of posts that will highlight all of the reasons why John Sidney McCain should NOT be the next president of the United States. Hope I don't have to write too many of these posts before I know who McCain's opponent will be ;)

10 Things You Should Know About McCain (but probably don’t) (April 5, 2008), Chris Guy

1. “The Complicated History of John McCain and MLK Day,” ABC News, April 3, 2008
“McCain Facts,” ColorOfChange.org, April 4, 2008.

2. “McCain More Hawkish Than Bush on Russia, China, Iraq,” Bloomberg News, March 12, 2008.
“Buchanan: John McCain ‘Will Make Cheney Look Like Gandhi,’” ThinkProgress, February 6, 2008.

3. “McCain Sides With Bush On Torture Again, Supports Veto Of Anti-Waterboarding Bill,” ThinkProgress, February 20, 2008.

4. “McCain says Roe v. Wade should be overturned,” MSNBC, February 18, 2007.

5. “2007 Children’s Defense Fund Action Council® Nonpartisan Congressional Scorecard,” February 2008.
“McCain: Bush right to veto kids health insurance expansion,” CNN, October 3, 2007.

6. “Beer Executive Could Be Next First Lady,” Associated Press, April 3, 2008.
“McCain Says Bank Bailout Should End `Systemic Risk,’” Bloomberg News, March 25, 2008.

7. “Will McCain’s Temper Be a Liability?,” Associated Press, February 16, 2008.
“Famed McCain temper is tamed,” Boston Globe, January 27, 2008.

8. “Black Claims McCain’s Campaign Is Above Lobbyist Influence: ‘I Don’t Know What The Criticism Is,’” ThinkProgress, April 2, 2008.
“McCain’s Lobbyist Friends Rally ‘Round Their Man,” ABC News, January 29, 2008.

9. “McCain’s Spiritual Guide: Destroy Islam,” Mother Jones Magazine, March 12, 2008.
“Will McCain Specifically ‘Repudiate’ Hagee’s Anti-Gay Comments?,” ThinkProgress, March 12, 2008.
“McCain ‘Very Honored’ By Support Of Pastor Preaching ‘End-Time Confrontation With Iran,’” ThinkProgress, February 28, 2008.

10. “John McCain Gets a Zero Rating for His Environmental Record,” Sierra Club, February 28, 2008.

Polar Opposite Commercials for the Climate

By now I'm sure that you all have seen the public service ads that feature Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Former Speaker Gingrich, and another ad that has Reverend Al Sharpton sitting next to Reverend Pat Robertson on a sofa on a beach. What in the world do these odd couples have in common? Well, if you've seen the ads, you know that these odd couples are paired up to highlight the growing climate crisis, and by appearing together they hope to send a message that the state of the climate is a bi-partisan issue that we all need to address together.

Speaking of odd couples, you all may remember that several years ago Momma teamed up with Bay Buchanan (sister of right-wing pundit, Pat Buchanan) to co-star on Equal Time on CNBC. That got me thinking - that Al Gore and his crew over at WeCanSolveIt.org would do well to pair up Steph and Bay again for a polar opposite spot, and I've got just the venue for it. This morning, somebody mentioned something about Gilley's Bull Riding and Steph admitted to riding the bull "back in the day." So there you have it - Stephanie Louise Miller and Angela "Bay" Buchanan together, saving the planet by riding the mechanical bull at Gilley's. Do we have an image of what this might actually look like? Why, yes, yes we do. and without further ado, I present to you - "Bay & Steph Riding the Bull to Save the Climate."

Steph Weighs in on Polygamy

Some Thoughts on the State of the Race

Yesterday I e-mailed my friend who is a superdelegate and, echoing the words of Dr. Howard Dean, I suggested that it is time for her to make her endorsement and I also presumptuously went on to suggest who she might endorse. Barack Obama, of course, is my choice, citing as my evidence my disgust with the Clinton's campaign tactics, and the fresh perspective that Obama brings to the political arena. I have not heard back from my friend, and don't really expect to, knowing how busy she is - she is not only a superdelegate, but she also runs a 527 organization and is in the middle of trying a class action lawsuit against Union Carbide over carbon black exhaust that has polluted the entire Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma.

Superdelegates are busy people. We are all fairly busy people - trying to make ends meet, trying to keep up with the twists and turns in this political year, trying to budget our paychecks so that we don't end up charging too much on our credit cards at the end of each month. In the midst of all of this economic turmoil, we are faced with making one of the most significant decisions that we may ever decide. Who will be our next president? I hope against hope that all of the infighting between Obama and Clinton hasn't permanently damaged the party to the extent that it would be impossible for us to come together and show up at the polls and defeat John McCain. But I am beginning to wonder. What will all those Hillary supporters do when she is not the nominee? Will they take their marbles and go home? I hope not, because every vote that we don't cast for the Democratic candidate is essentially a vote for the GOP, for at least four more years of the tragic war in Iraq and the downtrodden economy.

Just reviewing a few blogs and web sites I am aware how rabid and dug-in the Hillary supporters have become. They all seem as implacable as their heroine, as determined to deny reality as she is. This, I worry, may prove to be a problem not only for Obama but also for the nation come November. What we cannot risk is another stolen or even a close-enough election for the GOP to win via more election shenanigans. What we must do is get every newly-registered voter to the polls on November 4th and make sure that they are not handed easily-dismissed provisional ballots. We need to make sure that all the enthusiastic young voters who have turned out in record numbers for Obama are not sitting at home on that fateful Tuesday in November. What we must do is WIN in November - that is what matters the most, a victory over greed, incredible hubris, dishonesty and a violent outlook on the world and our neighbors. We all know that it will likely take years and more than one Democratic administrations to undo the horrible damage done by the Bush/Cheney administration. We cannot wait or risk a continuation of these despicable policies.

I am reminded of a line from one of my all-time favorite movies, Thelma & Louise. (It is a decisive moment in the film, when Louise is contemplating her future - in Mexico - and she needs to know if Thelma is with her on her trip or not, and it goes like this):
"Are you up to this? I mean, I have to know. This isn't a game. I'm in deep shit. I gotta know what you're gonna do." This is the question I pose to each and every Hillary Clinton backer in the country right now - I gotta know what you're gonna do. If not today, then definitely by the middle of next week - I hope that Pennsylvania doesn't leave us hanging, but if it does, I hope that the superdelegates see the writing on the wall and come on board the Obama bandwagon, and end the madness of indecision of the Democratic primary and name our nominee (Senator Barack Obama).

Facing Obama Fund-Raising Juggernaut, Clinton Seeks New Sources of Cash (NYTimes, April 20, 2008)

Clintons Sort Friends: Past and Present (NYTimes, April 20, 2008)

Michael Moore Endorses Obama

Viva Obama!

Bruce Springsteen Endorses Obama!

The Boss has made his choice and it is for Barack Obama!!!

In making this important and significant endorsment Springsteen wrote:

"Like most of you, I've been following the campaign and I have now seen and heard enough to know where I stand. Senator Obama, in my view, is head and shoulders above the rest.
He has the depth, the reflectiveness, and the resilience to be our next President. He speaks to the America I've envisioned in my music for the past 35 years, a generous nation with a citizenry willing to tackle nuanced and complex problems, a country that's interested in its collective destiny and in the potential of its gathered spirit. A place where '...nobody crowds you, and nobody goes it alone.'"

Recipes from Momma's Kitchen

In light of Cindy Lou McCain's lifting recipes from the Food Network (Rachel Ray, etc....) I thought Momma might like to put together a little cookbook of her own with a few of her inimitable recipes. Here are a few that come quickly to mind:

Momma's Homemade Polish Sauerkraut
Start with bacon fat
Put the sauerkraut in the skillet with the bacon fat
Pour another tumbler of wine
Let the entire contents of the skillet burn until it's smokin'
Then serve

Momma's Charred Frozen Pizza
Turn on the oven
Place a frozen Pizza in the oven
Call a friend and forget about the pizza until you smell something burning
Open oven - Extract charred pizza
Eat anyway

Momma's Wine Spritzer
Hell, who is Momma kidding?
She wouldn't dilute her wine with juice or seltzer water
Put wine in tumbler - DRINK

Momma's Homemade Margaritas
Hire an adorable boy bartender
Hand him a bag of limes and a bottle of Jose Cuervo
Go lie down on the couch (or the chair - depending on where Max has chosen to sit)
Wait for beautiful boy to deliver Margarita to the Momma
Can you say "Caliente"? or perhaps "Donde los Yikes!"

Momma's Nuked Yams (Thanks Liv!)

Wrap a yam in aluminum foil

Put it in the Microwave

Turn on Microwave

Blow up the office (or home)

Call Fire Dept

Make out with Hunky Fireman

Screw the yam (not literally, unless you are into that sort of thang)

When all else fails, pick up the phone and order take out :D

Activity in Stephlandia (or Happy Tax Day :( )

DJ from the Empire State launched on the air yesterday morning via the Stephanie Miller Show a new Steph Fan Feature (tm) - Viva la Stephipedia, a wiki that focuses on all things Steph. That is just one of the many tidbits to report from Stephlandia today. The Stephanie Miller Live Blog is giving FourFreedoms Blog a run for its money (the sad thing is that none of this is making any of us any money :( ). Many die-hard bloggers like Raine, BobR, Liv, Shane-O and yours truly have become bi-bloggers (simultaneously blogging on two different live blogs). It varies between being a tedious task and challenging chore. But I will have to forego my bi-blogging today, because I'm back at work with many e-mails to answer, a research question to look into for a student, and my usual tasks as a radical militant librarian. The above cartoon is from a regular poster at FourFreedomsblog.com who goes by the handle - shelaghc.

Plus today is TAX DAY - I always wait until the last minute - it's my little gift to Uncle Sam. I let him collect interest on my money until the last possible day I can file, which is today. I'm not sure why I do this. It isn't as if the current administration spends my money in any kind of way that agrees with me. I personally wouldn't spend another dime in Iraq, given that they are sitting on oil revenue that ought to begin to pay for the reconstruction of their own country - sorry, we wrecked your country, but we think it would be better if we leave now (only if you agree, and rumor has it that you'll see us off with a parade :D).

Here's Producer Chris Lavoie's new favorite drop: "Oh, I don't have time for this, I have to go buy a single piece of fruit with a coupon and then return it, making people wait behind me while I complain." (Audio coming soon - thanks mucho, Shane-O!)

The Audacity of Truth

As I sat last night watching Keith "Truth-teller" Olbermann report on the most recent campaign flap - this one focusing on remarks Senator Barack Obama made in San Francisco last week about his assessment of the mindset of many voters in the middle of the country, my first thought was ho hum, here we go again, creating another mountain out of a molehill. But reflecting on not only Obama's comments, but also the outrageous response to what seems like simple statements of truth, I became angry. My anger grew out of realizing a distinct difference between Mr. Obama's remarks and Ms. Clinton's outright lies. Obama simply offered an opinion about what is going on in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and other mid-western states that have lost industrial jobs and are dealing with the ramifications of a souring economy along with the loss of those good paying jobs, and with them the loss of pensions, and health care. Obama's comments ring true to me. Along with his words about race, Obama speaks the truth as he sees it, as he experiences it, as an intelligent, well-spoken young politician, he is giving us not what we want to hear but rather what the reality is "on the ground."

Are you feeling bitter, well are ya?

Hell yes, I'm feeling bitter. I am bitter that my country is spending not only our current resources but also is bankrupting our children's and our grandchildren's future by continuing to fight in a country that posed no threat to us, that had no weapons of mass destruction, and that had no ties to Al-Qaeda (the terrorist group that actually attacked the twin towers and the pentagon on September 11, 2001). I am bitter that the current administration has catered to the wealthy at the expense of the middle and working class people in this country, granting tax cuts to the ultra-rich and corporations while average Americans are facing foreclosure and are having a hard time filling their gas tanks with the very commodity that is sold by corporations who are profiting by feeding at the government trough and gouging the nation's working people at the same time.

I am sorry to tell the media, but I do know the difference between an outright lie told for effect "I landed in Bosnia under sniper fire," and an assessment offered as insight into what is going on in America right now "It’s not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations." The only change I would suggest that Mr. Obama make when he offers future assessments of the American psyche, is that he use the pronoun "we" rather than "they." It is more accurate and inclusive.

Here's a link to the full audio of Obama's speech, listen to it and decide for yourself whether you feel optimistic or bitter about the state of America right now. I know how I feel, and that is why I so desperately want a change in direction and leadership in this country. Viva Obama!

Read Catherine Crier's piece in HuffPo, Punished for the Truth, (April 12, 2008).

Free Tibet

In August of 1987, when I returned to Kathmandu after three and a half weeks in Tibet, I stopped by a small shop where I had met and enjoyed conversations with Tashi, an exiled young Tibetan man, who ran his own business where he sold handmade backpacks and duffel bags (all made out of brightly colored Nepali fabric). I wanted to know where I could get a Tibetan flag embroidered on my day pack as I still marvelled at the fact that the small pack had held all I needed during my time in Tibet, and I was still so high on the experience of actually visiting the magical kingdom and walking through the Potala in Lhasa (among many other amazing adventures) that I was eager to place a reminder of the journey on my pack. Tashi, whose English was impressive, understood my wish immediately and rather than refer me to another shop down the street, he insisted on taking my day pack and having the embroidery done for me. I assured him I would pay whatever the cost and left my pack with him, thinking it would take a few days to have the flag put on my pack. The next morning as I was passing Tashi's shop, he called to me and motioned me inside. He then displayed my well-worn pack with a large Tibetan flag embroidered across the top of it. I tried to pay him for the work, but he would accept no money. It was a gift he explained from the Tibetan people for the time and interest I had demonstrated by visiting their country. I hugged Tashi, smiled and bowed in the way I had learned in his homeland. I still have that old day pack, although the embroidery is now threadbare and the flag has lost most of its luster, but I will never forget the careful explanation of the meaning of the symbols on the Tibetan flag that Tashi provided when he gave me back my pack.

That trip has been on my mind lately as I read about reports of protests and ongoing oppression and abuse by the Chinese in Tibet. My experience in Tibet taught me that if a religion or belief can be judged by how it is manifested in those who believe or practice that faith (and really, how else can a belief-system be judged?) then the faith of Tibetan Buddhism is far and away the most peaceful, beautiful and blissful belief on the planet. Every Tibetan I met, without exception, was kind and welcoming, willing to share what little she/he had with me, ready to laugh or at least smile in appreciation of my feeble attempts to speak a phrase or two of their language. The course I had taken at the Kopan Monastery in Nepal before I headed to Tibet had given me a very rudimentary understanding of the practices of Tibetan Buddhism, but I was thankful for the crash course that allowed me to fall in line with other pilgrims on their way to the next monastery or temple, share their food (tsampa - barley flour mixed with tea or chang - a fermented barley beverage: very sour, but oddly thirst-quenching), and hang prayer flags along the way.

I remember sharing the disdain that the Tibetans felt for the Chinese and agreeing with their view that the Chinese had no place in the sovereign country of Tibet. I also remember the faces of the monks and nuns who had been disfigured by the brutal Chinese. The Chinese are definitely an occupying force and as such rule the country as the unwelcome bullies that they are. I chose to stay in Tibetan Guest Houses rather than the sterile concrete Chinese "hotels" in locked compounds that those who were on Chinese guided tours were forced to patronize.

My heart weeps for oppressed people all around the world, but I have a very soft spot in my soul for the Tibetan people who by no act of their own, rather by a fluke of geography, have come to be occupied by a tyrannical government that would sooner see them all dead or converted to good Chinese as it would negotiate with their leader (His High Holiness the Dalai Lama) over some measure of autonomy for a proud indigenous people who deserve to manage their own affairs and run their own sovereign country.

For more on my trip to Tibet, please visit an older post: His High Holiness the Dalai Lama

Here are a few good links that provide more information on how you can support the people of Tibet:
International Campaign for Tibet
Tibet Online
Free Tibet

Reporters without Borders on Boycotting the Beijing Olympics 2008
10 Reasons to Boycott the Beijing Olympics