Marti's Mouth

I Support Ike Skelton

2010-10-22T23:47:00.002-06:00

U.S. Rep. Ike Skelton is in the political fight of his life.

With less than two weeks to go before Election Day, new forecasts are calling Skelton’s re-election race a toss-up in one of the most Republican districts in the country now held by a Democrat.

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/10/21/2341490/skelton-vs-hartzler-is-a-fight.html#ixzz139s7Icmu

I support Ike. He's been good for Missouri and good for the United States. He supports veterans (like my husband) and he has brought a lot of jobs to Missouri. I sincerely hope he wins.

I like Ike!

RIP Walter Cronkite

2009-07-19T15:56:00.006-06:00

I lived through the Vietnam War - saw boys I went to school with worrying about the draft. Many of those who were unlucky enough to be sent to the Vietnam War, died or were injured.

When I was a freshman in college, I attended anti-war protests. I believed then, as I do now, that the war was a mistake. It was a troubling time in the United States and the Vietnam War divided our country between those who saw the war as a mistake (mostly young people) and those who believed that our leaders were defendi8ng freedom and democracy (mostly the older generation). That was "the way it was" until that fateful day in 1968 when Walter Cronkite essentially told Americans that the war was a farce and we had no hope of winning.

My family watched Walter Cronkite that night, along with millions of Americans of all ages. His words changed hearts and minds, and even disamed President Lyndon Johnson. Some of Lyndon Johnson's aides have recalled that the president watched the broadcast and declared that he knew at that moment he would have to change course. A month later Johnson declined to run for reelection and announced that he was seeking a way out of the war; David Halberstam has written that "it was the first time in American history a war had been declared over by an anchorman."

WALTER CRONKITE'S "WE ARE MIRED IN STALEMATE" BROADCAST, FEBRUARY 27, 1968

"Tonight, back in more familiar surroundings in New York, we'd like to sum up our findings in Vietnam, an analysis that must be speculative, personal, subjective. Who won and who lost in the great Tet offensive against the cities? I'm not sure. The Vietcong did not win by a knockout, but neither did we. The referees of history may make it a draw.
Another standoff may be coming in the big battles expected south of the Demilitarized Zone. Khesanh could well fall, with a terrible loss in American lives, prestige and morale, and this is a tragedy of our stubbornness there; but the bastion no longer is a key to the rest of the northern regions, and it is doubtful that the American forces can be defeated across the breadth of the DMZ with any substantial loss of ground. Another standoff. On the political front, past performance gives no confidence that the Vietnamese government can cope with its problems, now compounded by the attack on the cities. It may not fall, it may hold on, but it probably won't show the dynamic qualities demanded of this young nation. Another standoff."
"We have been too often disappointed by the optimism of the American leaders, both in Vietnam and Washington, to have faith any longer in the silver linings they find in the darkest clouds. They may be right, that Hanoi's winter-spring offensive has been forced by the Communist realization that they could not win the longer war of attrition, and that the Communists hope that any success in the offensive will improve their position for eventual negotiations. It would improve their position, and it would also require our realization, that we should have had all along, that any negotiations must be that -- negotiations, not the dictation of peace terms. For it seems now more certain than ever that the bloody experience of Vietnam is to end in a stalemate. This summer's almost certain standoff will either end in real give-and-take negotiations or terrible escalation; and for every means we have to escalate, the enemy can match us, and that applies to invasion of the North, the use of nuclear weapons, or the mere commitment of one hundred, or two hundred, or three hundred thousand more American troops to the battle. And with each escalation, the world comes closer to the brink of cosmic disaster."
"To say that we are closer to victory today is to believe, in the face of the evidence, the optimists who have been wrong in the past. To suggest we are on the edge of defeat is to yield to unreasonable pessimism. To say that we are mired in stalemate seems the only realistic, yet unsatisfactory, conclusion. On the off chance that military and political analysts are right, in the next few months we must test the enemy's intentions, in case this is indeed his last big gasp before negotiations. But it is increasingly clear to this reporter that the only rational way out then will be to negotiate, not as victors, but as an honorable people who lived up to their pledge to defend democracy, and did the best they could."
"This is Walter Cronkite. Good night."

Mr. Cronkite anchored the “CBS Evening News” from 1962 to 1981, at a time when television became the dominant medium of the United States. He figuratively held the hand of the American public during the civil-rights movement, the space race, the Vietnam war and the impeachment of Richard Nixon. During his tenure, network newscasts were expanded to 30 minutes from 15.

For his exhaustive and enthusiastic coverage of NASA, Mr. Cronkite was sometimes called “the eighth astronaut.” During the first moon landing in 1969, Mr. Cronkite “was on the air for 27 of the 30 hours that Apollo 11 took to complete its mission,” the Museum of Broadcast Communications notes. Monday will mark the 40th anniversary of the moon landing.

Obama Pulls Ahead in Missouri

2008-10-01T19:38:00.001-06:00

From latest TIME/CNN state polls:

FLORIDA: Obama 51, McCain 47
MINNESOTA: Obama 54, McCain 43
MISSOURI: Obama 49, McCain 48
NEVADA: Obama 51, McCain 47
VIRGINIA: Obama 53, McCain 44

Dates conducted: Sept. 28-30. Error margin: Ranges from 3.5 to 4 points.

Amorphous Alarm

2008-09-23T16:47:00.005-06:00

I...am confused.

It seems that with the shambles that the Bush administration has made of America; our economy in collapse, our reputation sullied around the globe, our military bogged down in an unnecessary war, and the civil liberties of our citizenry being trampled, that Barack Obama and the Democratic Party should be so far ahead that the dust would have settled behind them, and yet here, a month and a half before the election, the polls still show the race to be a dead heat.

How can this be?

Many blame racism, and I certainly think that there is a percentage of the population who simply will NOT vote for a black man. And for every one who admits openly to racist views, there are probably two who, when confronted with the choice in the privacy of the voting booth, may not be able to pull the lever for Obama.

But I think there is more to it. I think that many people are afraid of the changes they see in "their" America.

Since this country was founded, power has been held in the hands of White Anglo-Saxon Protestants (WASPS) {referring to being of European descent}.

Businesses, corporations and our government were controlled by WASPS, despite America being known as "the melting pot". Yes, many people from many nations came to the shores of this great land and many achieved "success". They started businesses, raised families and amassed wealth. BUT...they did not hold the reins of power. The largest corporations and for most of our nation's history, our government, has largely been run by white men. White people were the majority race in America so nobody saw this as a bad thing or even an inappropriate thing.

But the times, they are a-changin'. Data suggests that within a few generations, white people will no longer BE the majority. And I think it is THIS fear that hides itself in the subconscious of many white Americans. It isn't necessarily racism, but the uncomfortable sensation of losing the lead, no longer having the preponderance of numbers on their side, of in some sense, falling behind, being overtaken.

And Barack Obama personifies this shift.

The historical implications of electing a non-white as President of the United States are clear. But the emotional implications are more difficult to define, and are blanketed in fear amd denial. Many Americans who in no way consider themselves racist, are still probably feeling this uneasiness, this vague not-quite-able-to-put-their-finger-on-it anxiety. It isn't that they don't like Barack Obama, or don't think he is capable of being President, it is that he represents this sea-change shift. He puts a face to the wave that is coming. And the wave is scary.

It's a big change and change is frightening. Even when the place we are at stinks, the idea of changing is terrifying, especially when there is that subconscious concern that the tidal wave will drown you. That when things change, your life, or your children's lives, may be different in a not-so-pleasant way.

Now of course there is nothing to suggest that minorities are going to make life miserable for white folks when there are more of them than us. But it the uncertainly of that new world that is scary.

I don't justify this response, I'm just trying to wrap my head around why things are the way they are. I'm planning on voting for Obama because I believe in the future. Plus I've always been a risk-taker, so the uncertainty doesn't spook me as bad as it does others.

But I fear that the incertitude may cause many otherwise logical voters to pull the lever for the white guy, thinking perhaps, that it may be their last chance at maintaining the illusion that things are really not going to change.

Please....be brave, be bold, and vote for Barack Obama.

Wail Street

2008-09-19T10:29:00.003-06:00

It's been a real roller-coaster on Wall Street this week, with the Dow having historic drops and recoveries on the news of the federal government having to bail out some of the oldest and largest American financial institutions.

Many are wailing in despair, wondering what will happen next. Politicians are all making promises, most of which are overly optimistic, and some of which are either outright lies or more signs that McCain "just doesn't get it".

John McCain (who has co-opted Obama's "change" message) said on Thursday that a top Bush administration official should be fired for failing to regulate Wall Street and allowing markets to be used as a casino. McCain's blunt call for the firing of Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Christopher Cox allowed him to try to separate himself further from President George W. Bush at a time when Democrats want to portray McCain as a clone of the unpopular Republican leader.

It was also a bid to seize the initiative on the top issue for voters after Democratic rival Barack Obama accused McCain of being out of touch when he said this week the fundamentals of the reeling U.S. economy are strong.

"The chairman of the SEC serves at the appointment of the president and in my view has betrayed the public's trust," McCain said. "If I were president today, I would fire him."

Problem is, Presidents do not have the authority to fire the SEC chairman.

The Weasel, Twelve Monkeys And The Shrub

2008-09-14T13:57:00.005-06:00

I spent the last hour reading the words of a dead man.

It was a very moving experience.

The author was David Foster Wallace, who took his own life on Friday. What a tragedy, because this man really had a way with words.

The piece I read was written eight and a half years ago, as David followed John McCain during the 2000 election primaries. Despite the age of the piece, many of the points made about "going negative" in a campaign, and how voters are torn when trying to determine a candidate's authenticity, could have been written today.

The piece is so well written, that I was awed by his prowess with words and doubly saddened that this voice is now forever silent. And it made me wonder what has happened to the straight-talking man McCain was back then. Or if he even was, or was merely a good actor, putting on a show. And how applicable the lessons of that campaign are to 2008. How Americans say they hate negative advertising and yet are swayed by it. How dirty your opponent can get and lie their way out of. How complicit the media can be in giving us Spin.

So I ask you to please take the time to read this article, which was written for Rolling Stone. It won't make you vote one way or the other, but it will ask you to examine the way politics and the press are trying to manipulate you. Despite the positive way McCain is portrayed in the piece, I still plan to vote for Barack Obama, because I'm not sure McCain was ever that "authentic" and I certainly don't feel like he is now. I just enjoyed the magnificent writing so much, I wanted to share it with you.

PS, there's a glossary at the end explaining some of the abbreviations used in the piece.

The Weasel, Twelve Monkeys And The Shrub

Must Read

2008-09-13T17:44:00.001-06:00

WHEELS COME OFF STRAIGHT TALK EXPRESS?

For a candidate who prides himself in "straight talk" -- and whose political image in part is based on that truth-telling reputation -- Saturday proved to be a brutal day for John McCain and his campaign.

Fight Fire with Fire

2008-09-08T19:56:00.004-06:00

There are several McCain/Palin commercials running now that are out and out lies. Barack Obama's team has sufficient resources to fight these lies.

His ad team should look at every ad put out by McCain's team and air a rebuttal. It's the only way to keep this stuff from sticking.

Double Standard

2008-09-06T13:58:00.003-06:00

Since Sarah Palin's nomination as the Republican vice-presidential nominee, every attack against her has been labeled as "sexist"

Yet the same Republican party said that it was possible to disagree with Barack Obama without it being "racist".

I don't agree with Sarah Palin and it has nothing to do with sexism. I just don't like her policies.

What's That You Say, Joe Traitor-io?

2008-09-03T16:35:00.003-06:00

Our nation turned its lonely eyes to you.

Then they laughed.

The Dems laughed at you for being a puppet of the Republicans. At least the ones who didn't want you shot for treason laughed.

And the Republicans? They're laughing at you too, Mr. Lieberman. Think they embraced you? Think again. If they pulled you to their bosom and put their arms around you, it was to make it easier to stick a knife in your back. They don't like you, they are just using you and you're too dumb to know it. They're not going to support you, they're not going to vote for you. You made a fool of yourself with your appearance at the Republican Convention. You betrayed the Democrats...and for what? Think McCain is gonna do you any favors? Don't hold your breath.

Little Known Facts About Sarah Palin

2008-08-31T11:04:00.001-06:00

Please note that this is all done in jest. Seriously...not serious.

The Internet has been abuzz ever since John McCain's announcement of Sarah Palin, current governor of Alaska, to be his running mate.

People on Twitter quickly started a meme, making up wild and outrageous "Little Known Facts About Sarah Palin".

This was right up my alley as a humorist, so I jumped in. I probably drove those in my Twitter stream a little crazy with my entries...I hope I didn't lose any friends.

Regardless of your political leanings, I hope you'll find these amusing

:)

Some of mine were:

Little Known Fact: Sarah Palin invented Vista

Little Known Fact: Sarah Palin is the monster on "Lost"

Little Known Fact: Sarah Palin taught the free credit report guy to play guitar

Little Known Fact: Sarah Palin was dressed as Chewbacca at ComicCon

Little Known Fact: Sarah Palin gave Seth Godin the idea for Squidoo

Little known fact: Sarah Palin knows what happened to Jimmy Hoffa

Little known fact: Sarah Palin is cousins with the Geico caveman

Little known fact: Sarah Palin invented the term "cowabunga"

Little Known Fact -Sarah Palin knows the KFC secret herbs and spices

Little Known Fact -Sarah Palin invented Crocs

Little Known Fact: Sarah Palin unraveled The DaVinci Code first

Little Known Fact: Sarah Palin is Kaiser Soze

Little Known Fact: Sarah Palin is adopting Brad and Angelina

Little Known Fact: Sarah Palin found Al Capone's real secret vault

Little Known Fact: Sarah Palin braids Whoopi Goldberg's hair

Little Known Fact: Sarah Palin knows what The Sopranos ending meant

Little Known Fact: Sarah Palin taught Brittney Spears how to dance

Little Known Fact: Sarah Palin scares Gordon Ramsey

Little known fact: Sarah Palin was on the other set of skis when the Fonz jumped the shark (much as I fear this meme is about to do - LOL)
.
.
.

If you would like to see the current stream of entries, you can check here

Please feel free to add your own in the comments!

Back after hiatus

2008-08-23T14:18:00.007-06:00

Wow, it's been a year since I wrote anything here. Death and destruction does that to me.

I have cried a lot in the last year.

My father-in-law passed away in February 2007. That's when my life went to hell in a handbasket, because I had to start taking care of my mother-in-law, who has Parkinson's. Spending every day with her seriously exhausts me and destroys my efforts at promoting my books and T-shirts. Revenue plummeted.

Then in May 2008, my husband had a stroke. His entire left side was paralyzed and he spent three weeks in the hospital trying to recover. He still has a lot of weakness on his left side. I visited him every day with a smile on my face. When I got home, I wept.

He has returned to work, although his left arm hangs limply by his side and he has to walk with a cane. But for him to return to work, it is necessary for me to drive him there.

So I get up at 3 AM. I get myself ready, then help husband out of bed. This requires phenomenal upper body strength, something I didn't know I had until this happened. Then it's off to the bathroom. I help him with cleaning and personal hygiene issues. Then I help him dress. This routine takes an hour.

Around 4:30 AM we get in the car and head for his office. We leave so early in the morning because the 55 mile commute takes us through the heart of the city and this is the only way to navigate the traffic and road construction without long, gas-guzzling delays.

When we arrive, I help him out of the car, and carefully place his computer bag on his shoulder, across his chest. It's important to get it positioned just right so it doesn't unbalance him and cause a fall. He needs assistance into the building because the double set of doors don't both open when pushing the handicap button, only the first set does. It's hard to open a door that pulls toward you when you use a cane with your one good arm.

Once he's inside safely, I get back in the car, and fight the urge to cry. Suck it up, start the car and drive 55 miles back home. The day has only begun.

Soon I have to go to grandma's. She will tell me all the things I am doing wrong in my life. I love her and she is family, but some days I don't like her very much. But I've had to ask her for money, so she pretty much owns me. We will go grocery shopping, or to a doctor appointment. We visit a lot of doctors.

I will spend most of the day with her, running errands and doing chores, then I will get in the car and drive to husband's office to pick him up. He will need some help getting into the car. We will drive back home and I will do my best not to bitch about his mother.

We'll go inside and I'll help him go to the bathroom. Then he usually goes in to take a nap. I use this free time to visit with daughter, check e-mail, visit Twitter and blog buddies. Then it's time to make dinner. Before serving his, I need to cut everything up into bite-size pieces. After dinner I clean up the kitchen, tidy up the house, check the bank balance, pick which bills get paid this month (it won't be all of them) do laundry and all the other things that it takes to keep a household going. Some days we go to the park for a walk. We walked every day before he returned to work, but neither of us has the strength for that now.

In the evening, I return to the internet, watch a little TV, take a bath. Attempt to make light of the situation to friends and family. Struggle to remember the importance of a sense of humor. Try to turn in early but can't sleep....too hot, too worried - can't get brain to shut up. The bills, prescriptions, doctors & therapists, the extra gasoline for all the driving, the worry of how complete his recovery will be...all fighting for attention. I want to cry, but not upset him, so I go to the bathroom and muffle the sound with a towel over my mouth.

The alarm clock goes off at 3 AM, and it all starts again.

I don't mean to sound like I'm whining. I realize there are millions of people who have bigger problems than mine. I just needed to get this out, hoping that by writing the words down, I can release some of the pressure.

Save the Internet

2007-07-09T12:18:00.000-06:00

I live out in the sticks - a rural area not served by any high-speed Internet access. Nonetheless, I have been on the Internet for ten years, and have enjoyed the freedom of being able to view anything that is posted on the World Wide Web. I have posted webpages and blogs, and met people from all around the world. I do not want to lose this ability.

The Internet has always been free, and should remain so.

Net Neutrality is essential to free speech, equal opportunity and economic innovation in America. Since the FCC removed this basic protection in 2005, the top executives of phone and cable companies have stated their intention to become the Internet's gatekeepers and to discriminate against Web sites that don't pay their added tolls.

This fundamental change would end the open Internet as we know it. It would damage my ability to connect with others, share information and participate in our 21st century democracy and economy. The FCC must ensure that broadband providers do not block, interfere with or discriminate against any lawful Internet traffic based on its ownership, source or destination.

I encourage everyone who enjoys the freedom of the Internet to support this cause.

Bravo Elizabeth Edwards

2007-06-28T05:30:00.000-06:00

Foul-mouthed Ann Coulter is at it again, spewing her venom. Her latest hate-filled message was that she wishes John Edwards would be killed by a terrorist. How Christian of you, Ms. Coulter!

Then, following her disgusting comment, during an appearance on the MSNBC program Hardball, with commentator Chris Mathews, Elizabeth Edwards called in to politely request that Ms. Coulter keep a civil tongue in her head.

Might as well ask your bowels to stop moving.

Ann Coulter was as rude as ever, interrupting and re-interpreting everything Elizabeth Edwards said. She said that the wife of a Presidential candidate was telling her to shut up. No, the wife of a Presidential candidate was asking you to behave decently.

Stopping the shit ain’t gonna happen. Bravo to Elizabeth Edwards for calling the bitch out!

If You Want a Better America

2007-06-19T05:22:00.001-06:00

Stop worrying about strangers having sex. Homosexuals are no threat to you, your family or your children. Celebrities don’t know or care about you. Who they are having sex with should be at the bottom of your list of concerns. If you want to worry about sex, consider the needs of your spouse or significant other.

Build secure borders and ports. This is not a rant against Mexicans. If anyone can slip into our country undetected, and shipments of goods are not thoroughly inspected, our country is not safe.

Talk to your kids. Even the youngest children have opinions. If they are old enough to talk, they are old enough to listen to. Don’t just preach to them, have discussions.

Give politics the degree of attention it deserves. More people can name the winner of American Idol than their senator. Which one do you think has a greater effect on your life?

Paris is Burning?

2007-06-08T05:21:00.000-06:00

Paris Hilton was released from jail for "medical reasons". They say she has a rash *coughherpescough*

It's all over the news.

Far more important than the death toll of American soldiers killed in Iraq passing 3,500.

And so it goes

2007-05-29T05:54:00.000-06:00

Rosie has left The View.

Whatever your opinion of Rosie O’Donnell was, (and she does seem to bring out extreme opinions - people either love or hate her) I find it so sad that the only program on all of television that allowed an all-woman panel to discuss politics and current events, will no longer be the same.

I don’t know what the plans are for The View in the future. I would like to think that the panel will continue to discuss political topics. The show was so much more exciting and fun to watch.

Any more, I can get celebrity gossip everywhere. Mainstream media and network news have lowered their standards to being little more than glorified versions of Entertainment Tonight. It was wonderful for a news junkie like myself, to find women discussing the war and the doings of our government.

Al Gore had it so right. Gore criticized the "trivialities and nonsense" of celebrity gossip in the media and called on people to focus instead on issues like Iraq and climate change. Gore, who is promoting his new book "The Assault on Reason," made the comments at a book signing in New York, where he was treated to a rock star reception by more than 1,300 cheering and screaming fans.

"What is it about our collective decision-making process that has led us to this state of affairs where we spend much more time in the public forum talking about -- or receiving information about -- Britney Spears shaving her head or Paris Hilton going to jail?” Gore asked.

He lamented what he described as the "destruction of the boundary between news and entertainment" and said the United States was "vulnerable as a democracy to mass and continuing distraction."

And now we have one less voice, one who had the courage to speak out.

Jimmy Carter should not apologize

2007-05-22T13:15:00.000-06:00

Jimmy Carter originally said that the Bush administration was the worst in history and that pre-emptive strikes against potential threats was bad policy.

He shouldn’t have backed down or apologized for speaking the truth.

Rosie Leaving The View

2007-04-26T07:13:00.000-06:00

Rosie O’Donnell announced that she is leaving the daytime television show, The View.

I didn’t always agree with the things she said, but by God, she had the guts to say them. She started many “celebrity feuds” perhaps the most famous with Donald Trump (who deserved the verbal bitch-slapping she gave him). She pounded the Bush administration hard about the war in Iraq (also well-deserved).

She is a big, outspoken woman who isn’t afraid of controversy. She says things that men who trade in contentious speech have been shouting about on television and talk radio for years.

She is a “bad girl” in a good way, because her reputation is not earned from appearing drunk in public or flashing her genitals at photographers, but because she addresses current events with well-informed opinions.

I will miss her.

Supreme Court Abortion Ruling

2007-04-18T13:03:00.000-06:00

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A closely divided U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the first nationwide ban on a specific abortion procedure, restricting abortion rights in a ruling on one of the nation's most divisive and politically charged issues.

By a 5-4 vote, the high court rejected two challenges to the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act that
President George W. Bush signed into law in 2003 after its approval by the Republican-led U.S. Congress.

The decision marked the first time the nation's high court has upheld a federal law banning a specific abortion procedure since its landmark Roe v. Wade ruling in 1973 that women have a basic constitutional right to abortion.

In a defeat for abortion rights advocates, the court's conservative majority with two Bush appointees upheld the law adopted after nine years of hearings and debate. The law has never been enforced because of court challenges.

The majority opinion written by Justice Anthony Kennedy rejected arguments the law must be struck down because it imposes an undue burden on a woman's right to abortion, it is too vague or too broad and fails to provide an exception for abortions to protect the health of a pregnant woman.

The court's four most liberal members -- Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, John Paul Stevens,
David Souter and Stephen Breyer -- dissented.

Ginsburg, who called the decision alarming, took the rare step of reading parts of her dissent from the bench.

"In candor, the Partial Birth Abortion Act and the court's defense of it cannot be understood as anything other than an effort to chip away at a right declared again and again by this court -- and with increasing comprehension of its centrality to women's lives," she said.

The upheld law makes it a crime for a doctor to perform an abortion when the "entire fetal head" or "any part of the fetal trunk past the navel" is outside the woman's uterus.

The procedure, which often occurs in the second trimester of pregnancy, is known medically as intact dilation and extraction.

The two cases, widely viewed as the most important of the court's 2006-07 term, had been closely watched as tests of whether Bush's two conservative appointees, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito, would restrict abortion rights. Both voted to uphold the law.

Roberts and Alito as U.S. Justice Department lawyers in the 1980s and early 1990s opposed the 1973 abortion ruling. Abortion was a central issue in their Senate confirmation hearings, when neither Roberts nor Alito would divulge how he would vote on abortion cases.

Abortion rights advocates who challenged the law denounced the ruling.

"This ruling flies in the face of 30 years of Supreme Court precedent and the best interest of women's health and safety," said Eve Gartner of Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

"Today the court took away an important option for doctors who seek to provide the best and safest care to their patients. This ruling tells women that politicians, not doctors, will make their health care decisions for them," she said.

The Supreme Court by a 5-4 vote in 2000 struck down a similar Nebraska law for failing to provide an exception to protect a pregnant woman's health.

But moderate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who cast the decisive vote in 2000, has retired and was replaced by the more conservative Alito.

SOURCE

My feelings are mixed. The procedure sounds horrible. I am sure the decision to have the procedure is horrible as well. But knowing that the conservative movement pushed for this ban, I fear it could be a first step to outlawing abortions altogether. This would be a very bad move.

Outlawing abortion doesn’t stop it from happening. It just makes it more difficult. Especially for low income women. Wealthy women have always had access to abortions. They could travel to a location where doctors do perform abortions. Or they could persuade *coughbribecough* a doctor that the “health of the mother” clause (which has always been a part of abortion ban law) included their “mental health”. Or they lie and say they were raped.

No, outlawing abortion doesn’t end it, it just puts an additional burden on the poor, who may end up reviving horrible "back-alley abortions" performed with a wire coat hanger, in unsanitary conditions by someone who is not a physician.

Hardly a step forward.

Free Speech

2007-04-12T07:40:00.000-06:00

How far does free speech go? When radio shock jock Don Imus, described the Rutgers women's basketball team, on the April 4 Imus in the Morning, as "nappy-headed hos," he packed so many layers of offense into the statement that it was like a perfect little diamond of insult. There was a racial element, a gender element and even a class element (the joke implied that the Scarlet Knights were thuggish and ghetto compared with the Tennessee Lady Vols).

Imus was a famous, rich, old white man picking on a bunch of young, mostly black college women. So it seemed pretty cut-and-dried that his bosses at CBS Radio would suspend his show—half frat party, half political salon for the Beltway elite—for two weeks, and that MSNBC would cancel the TV simulcast. And that Imus would plan to meet with the students he offended. Case closed, justice served, lesson—possibly—learned. Move on.

So where do we draw the line?

To read complete article go here

Bush is so full of it

2007-03-20T17:01:00.000-06:00

After a long day of deliberately losing at bingo, standing in long pharmacy lines, going to the library and running a dozen other errands with mom-in-law, I come home......to hear George Bush.

"There is no indication that anybody did anything improper," the president said.

This from the man who told us "Mission Accomplished" years ago.

He is so full of it, he should be dressed like this.

LOL

And on hard-hitting Fox News tonight, are Hannity and Colmes discussing the THREE THOUSAND e-mails released by the White House? Or anything political?

No.

They’re interviewing Tara Conner about the hardships of being beautiful.

In late 2006, Miss USA 2006. Tara Conner became the center of a public scandal when news reports claim she had been drinking underage, tested positive for the use of cocaine, and kissed Miss Teen USA Katie Blair in public, among other things. She was allowed to retain her title and entered a drug rehabilitation program.
Wikipedia

They have to, ‘cause Anna Nicole’s still dead. (This joke is only meaningful to those old enough to remember Chevy Chase’s SNL Weekend Update reports that Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead)

Gawd, I need a drink.

Anti War Rally

2007-03-17T15:50:00.000-06:00

ARLINGTON, Virginia (Reuters) - Thousands of anti-war demonstrators, some carrying yellow and black signs reading "U.S. out of Iraq now!" marched on the Pentagon on Saturday, one of several protests worldwide to mark four years of war.

The march, on a cold, cloudy and windy St. Patrick's Day, comes just before the fourth anniversary of the start of the Iraq war on Tuesday and 40 years after a similar protest at the Pentagon over the Vietnam War.

On a stage in the Pentagon parking lot, speaker after speaker demanded the end of the war in Iraq and some called for President George W. Bush's impeachment. A flag-draped coffin was displayed near the stage bearing a picture of a young soldier killed in Iraq.

FULL STORY HERE

Ann Coulter Strikes Again

2007-03-06T11:37:00.000-06:00

The big-mouthed blonde has struck again. She called presidential candidate John Edwards, a faggot.

Coulter made the offending utterance last Friday at a major gathering of conservatives, where she shared the stage with several Republican candidates for president.

During her speech, a series of jokes about Democrats, Coulter said, "I was going to have a few comments on the other Democratic presidential candidate, John Edwards, but it turns out that you have to go into rehab if you use the word 'faggot.' So ... I can't really talk about Edwards."

Coulter has defended her use of the term as a "schoolyard taunt."

"The word I used has nothing to do with sexual preference ... and unless you're going to announce here on national TV that John Edwards, married father of many children, is gay, it clearly had nothing to do with that," Coulter said in an interview this week on "Hannity & Colmes."

I don’t hate Ann Coulter. I have a very low opinion of her and think she is a hypocrite, but I don’t hate her. She isn’t worth the effort. And I defend her right to express her opinion. She is an American who is allowed by our Constitution to spew whatever venomous tripe her ugly little heart desires.

Coulter's recent labeling of presidential candidate John Edwards as a "faggot," however, has triggered a huge response, including a campaign initiated by a gay rights group and media watchdog to persuade mainstream media outlets to dump her for good.

At least four newspapers have dropped Coulter's syndicated column, and 40,000 people signed an online petition to Universal Press Syndicate, which distributes her column, demanding that it release her. Three corporations, including Verizon, stopped advertising on Coulter's Web site after she made the comment.

And well they should.

Her explanation is complete hypocrisy. Claiming that it is merely a “schoolyard taunt” is a lie, when her specific reference was to Isaiah Washington ’s use of the word when talking about a fellow cast member of Gray’s Anatomy who is gay. Washington was later sent to “anger management” rehab to smooth over the derogation. But “faggot” and “rehab” were connected to meaning homosexuality, and her “joke” referenced them in this connection. There simply was no other meaning.

For a woman who wrote a scathing book about Democrats called, “Godless” (no I’m not linking to it, are you insane?) Ann is looking pretty un-Christian. Would Jesus use derogatory language to refer to one of God’s children?

I don’t think so.

So I am delighted to see the reaction turning against her rude and “Godless”behavior.

Bob Woodruff Reports

2007-03-02T10:15:00.000-06:00

I watched the ABC TV special about Bob Woodruff’s recovery from traumatic brain injury, following the bombing he was in during a news reporting assignment in Iraq.

While his recovery is remarkable, many other aspects of the report are very troubling. He spoke with officials at veterans hospitals who told him they have treated 200,000 veterans who’ve returned from Iraq, yet the government claims that only 20,000 have sustained injuries. I think it is an outrage that our government is lying to us about these numbers, in an attempt to cover up how bad things really are.

To read the full report, please visit here

Cranky Sunday

2007-02-04T11:36:00.000-06:00

Yeah, it’s Super Bowl Sunday. And yes, I’m going to CALL it Super Bowl Sunday, screw your damned copyright on the words. Nobody reads this blog anyway, so I ain’t worried.

We’ll be going over to Mom’s house. It’s just her house now, ‘cause Pop died. He was looking forward to watching the game with us today, and will be missed.

They’re my in-laws but I call them Mom and Dad ‘cause my parents are both dead. Plus my in-laws treated me better than any of my hillbilly relatives did, except for an aunt and uncle out in Albuquerque, who took husband and I in when our Volkswagen broke down on a cross-country trip a long time ago. They are salt-of-the-earth people who opened their home to us without reservation, and I’ve never forgotten it.

Have to go to a funeral tomorrow. Had to buy new clothes (I hate shopping). So right now, real life sucks.

Maybe I should join Second Life, where everyone lives in a virtual world that’s happy and perfect and nobody is fat and nobody dies.

‘Course I’d probably try to start a bordello (looks like a growth industry there, to me) or one of my hillbilly relatives would find me and build a meth lab, so that’s not such a good idea. I think I’ll stick with real life even with its high suck factor.

Cheers. . . . (raises glass in honor of Pop)

Boston Bombs a Publicity Stunt

2007-02-01T08:12:00.000-06:00

Turner Broadcasting acknowledged late this afternoon that the suspicious packages that ignited fears of bombs across Boston today were magnetic lights that were part of an outdoor marketing campaign for an adult cartoon.

Turner was promoting Adult Swim's animated television show "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" in Boston and nine other cities, according to a statement e-mailed by Shirley Powell, a company spokeswoman.

"Parent company Turner Broadcasting is in contact with local and federal law enforcement on the exact locations of the billboards," the state an e-mail statement said. "We regret that they were mistakenly thought to pose any danger."

SOURCE

Where are all the smart people?

2007-01-31T17:13:00.000-06:00

Check out this page

Rosie Requests

2007-01-30T16:28:00.000-06:00

I'm signed up for news from Rosie O'Donnell's blog, and she has asked for people to please visit

http://www.fallenheroesfund.org

Great Article on the Scooter Libby Trial

2007-01-29T18:20:00.000-06:00

The day began like any Washington, DC commuter's day: on the Metro. Then I got to the courthouse, and suddenly, it was no longer an ordinary day.

I watched opening statements from a seat between my incredible co-blogger Christy Hardin Smith and the vivacious (who knew?) Nina Totenberg of NPR. Her eyes always dance happily, even in repose. I lent her a pen; we whispered furtive courtroom quips. I was charmed.

Marcy Wheeler, the eponymous emptywheel who has been liveblogging the trial for the last week, is amazing. She types so fast! If you want to get up to speed on this case, you really need to buy her book. The day of opening statements, Christy and I were in the courtroom while Marcy, er, womaned the keyboard from the media room.

A trial is a complex thing. There's all the evidence, rules of evidence, legal stuff and rules for jury deliberations, but anyone who has interviewed jurors after a trial (and I have) knows that it's often the unpredictable elements, the very human elements, jurors hang on to and remember. As I watched opening statements this week from inside the courtroom, as preoccupied as I was with taking notes of the competing arguments, I was also most attentive to the ebb and flow of human energy, the little looks and asides, the personalities and the dynamics of people and perceptions, as best I could read them, drawing on my experience and my doctorate in psych. I want to share a little of what it was like to be in the courtroom, through my perceptions of how the players came across.

MORE>>

Spunday

2007-01-28T15:16:00.000-06:00

The Sunday spin is working overtime with so much political news this weekend.

Lots of folks jumping into the presidential pool, splashing and thrashing around.

Media having a field day reporting all about Hillary. Every move she makes, every breath she takes, every joke she fakes.

Just kidding.

I don’t think she was talking about Bill when she said, “I have experience with evil men”. I would guess at Ken Starr or some member of the “vast right wing conspiracy” (which I absolutely believe does exist).

Give the woman a break! Jesus H. Christ, how many of you have perfect pitch while singing the National Anthem?

LOL

Anti War Protest Not a Flashback

2007-01-27T12:03:00.000-06:00

Today there is a large anti war rally going on at the Washington Memorial.

No, this is not an acid flashback (those never happen, btw - just more bullshit from the “War on Drugs” which is being lost even worse than Iraq)

Other protests are planned for major cities around the country.

'Bout damn time.
- - -

Thousands of anti-war protesters, energized by fresh congressional skepticism about the war in Iraq, were demanding a withdrawal of U.S. troops in a demonstration Saturday featuring a handful of celebrities such as Susan Sarandon and Jane Fonda.

"We see many things that we feel helpless about. But this is like a united force. This is something I can do," said 59-year-old Barbara Struna of Brewster, Mass.

Struna, a mother of five who runs an art gallery, said she made a two-day bus trip with her 17-year-old daughter, Anna, to the nation's capital to represent what she said was middle America's opposition to President Bush's war policy.

"My generation is the one that is going to have to pay for this," added the high school senior who said she knows as many as 20 friends who have been to Iraq.

She held a sign that said, "Heck of a job, Bushie," mocking Bush's words of encouragement to his disaster relief chief, Michael Brown, amid criticism of the government's immediate response to Hurricane Katrina in the summer of 2005.

For news and updates check here

See Dick See Dick Scowl

2007-01-26T13:00:00.000-06:00

It can be hard to tell when Dick Cheney is really angry. Happy or sad, the man almost always keeps a dour look on his face.

But sitting there with Wolf Blitzer on CNN, Cheney was definitely seething. You could tell by the piercing dagger-squint and the abrupt flatness in the vice president's tone.

"Frankly, you're out of line with that question," Cheney snapped.

Blitzer had just asked about the vice president's 37-year-old daughter Mary, who's about to become a mom with Heather Poe, her partner of 15 years. Mary Cheney is not secretive about any of this. She's an out lesbian. She's discussed her life in many interviews. She published a book called "Now It's My Turn."

But suddenly, several conservative Christian groups, led by James Dobson's Focus on the Family, have used the impending childbirth to sound alarms about gay parenthood.

"Mary Cheney's pregnancy raises the question of what's best for children," Focus on the Family declared. "Just because it's possible to conceive a child outside of the relationship of a married mother and father, doesn't mean it's best for the child."

The accompanying barrage has left the vice president in an uncomfortably tight squeeze. He serves a president who is firmly behind a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. And the Cheney family, like other American families, includes a gay daughter with a loving life partner who's about to be a mom.

Life does bring surprises!

So Blitzer asked the vice president for his reaction to the uproar.

As Cheney began to answer, he sounded the way most proud grandparents would.

"I'm delighted," he said. "I'm delighted I'm about to have a sixth grandchild, Wolf, and obviously think the world of both of my daughters and all of my grandchildren."

But then the vice president caught himself. He quickly turned on his questioner, saying the anchor had no right to bring up the issue at all.

Blitzer explained that he was in fact quite sympathetic to Mary and Heather, but that others had raised the issue and he was simply following up.

"That was just a question that's come up, and it's a responsible, fair question," Blitzer said.

Cheney wouldn't have any of it. "I just fundamentally disagree with your perspective," he said.

It was a strange and uncomfortable exchange. And it left some obvious questions in its wake.

Was Cheney too jumpy? Was Blitzer out of line? And how is it that a sitting vice president, famously loyal to every other position of his administration, decides to beg off in this one case?

This much is certain in our obsessively revelatory era: The family lives of those in the White House will be talked about. In the Clinton years, no one ever felt constrained from discussing the most intimate details of Bill's and Hillary's personal lives.

Now the laser focus has turned on the Bushes and the Cheneys, and they don't seem to like it any more than the Clintons did.

It's a little strange, actually, casting Dick Cheney as a big supporter of gay rights and privacy. If he didn't have a gay daughter, does anyone think the vice president would be speaking up mom-mom bundles of joy?

Too bad he doesn't have a kid fighting in Iraq. Our troops could soon be coming home!

We've been down this road before - public figures making limited exceptions from their own staunch world views, exceptions that just so happen to accommodate their own personal or family needs.

Nancy Reagan supported stem-cell research after her Ronnie got sick. Rush Limbaugh became an outspoken advocate of treatment - not prison - for people addicted to narcotics. That epiphany just so happened to arrive while Rush was being investigated for drugs.

It's live and learn, I guess!

Yet another prominent public figure, being rudely awakened by the unpredictable realities of life.

It would be nice, of course, if the newfound compassion could be applied to other peoples' families, too.

SOURCE

Hogwash and Bullshit

2007-01-25T09:20:00.000-06:00

Cheney says hogwash
Wolf Blitzer interviewed Darth Cheney following the State of the Union.
Vice President Dick Cheney on Wednesday dismissed as "hogwash" the suggestion that blunders may have hurt the administration's credibility on Iraq and led members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to question President Bush's plan to send more troops to Baghdad.

If anybody knows hogwash, it’s Cheney.

- - - - -

Rumor Mill spews bullshit about Obama attending a Muslim school
Rush Limbaugh claims he got it from Fox News who claimed they got it from Insight Magazine who claimed Hillary Clinton’s campaign started the rumor.

Or maybe it was the voices in their heads told them.

Barack Obama denies the rumors as ludicrous.

Vowing not to be "Swift boated," Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., aggressively pushed back yesterday against "ludicrous" rumors reported on Fox News that he attended a radical Islamic school.

Taking on Fox hosts Steve Doocy and John Gibson by name, Obama's campaign blasted the "malicious, irresponsible charges" they aired.

"You have to take control and make sure that folks know the facts and not just these innuendos from the right-wing smear machine," said Obama spokesman Bill Burton. "We will aggressively address any charges that are leveled."

The conservative Insight magazine reported last weekend that Obama attended a radical madrassa in Indonesia as a boy. The Fox News Channel repeated the story several times.

The Illinois Democrat, who is Christian, lived in Jakarta for a few years as a boy with his mother and stepfather. Reporters for CNN and The Associated Press went to his elementary school and found it a secular institution attended by students of all faiths.

"The notion that somehow, at the age of 6 or 7, I was being trained for something other than math, science and reading, is ludicrous," Obama said on ABC.

John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic nominee, says he regrets not fighting back when his Vietnam War record was smeared by opponents calling themselves "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth."

A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.
Mark Twain

State of the Onion

2007-01-24T10:49:00.000-06:00

So, I watched the speech last night.

Snore.

The most interesting thing to watch was Nancy Pelosi sitting behind George. She kept sucking at her lip, and moving her mouth around like she had something stuck in her teeth. I heard an “image expert” talking on the radio yesterday afternoon, saying how Ms. Pelosi would be on-camera much of the time, and that she should be sure to avoid smirking or eye rolling while the President spoke.

Shame nobody told her not to eat corn on the cob or onions, or whatever it was that she kept trying to dislodge from between her teeth.

Did Hillary Fake It?

2007-01-23T07:46:00.000-06:00

With nothing else to concern them since the clean and clear victory in Iraq and everything dandy on the homefront, some pundits are choosing not to focus on the content of Hillary Clinton’s announcement of a possible Presidential run, but rather on the backdrop.

They ask:

So, what's the story? Did Hillary have this video in the can during all those months while she was claiming to be making up her mind? Was it a carefully staged artificial background?

So I ask you...do you think this background is faked?

Family sues radio station over water-drinking death

2007-01-22T17:26:00.000-06:00

The family of a California woman who died after participating in a radio station's water-drinking contest to win a Nintendo Wii will sue the station, their lawyer said on Thursday.

Jennifer Strange, 28, a mother of three, died from suspected water intoxication after taking part in Friday's competition, "Hold Your Wee for a Wii." About 20 people tried to out-drink each other without going to the bathroom.

Sacramento station KDND-FM responded by firing 10 staffers, including several DJs, and canceling the Morning Rave program. The DJs had joked about people dying from water intoxication and teased Strange about her distended stomach.

"The station knew this was a dangerous and potentially deadly stunt, but flippantly dismissed the dangers," lawyer Roger Dreyer said in a statement. "Hearing the tape (of the radio show), it's very clear they knew of the dangers and could foresee that this could lead to Jennifer's death."

The station could not be reached for comment because its phone number was continuously engaged Thursday evening.

Police are also investigating the death for possible criminal charges.

An excess of water in the body can lead to the dilution of vital fluids. That in turn can lead to swelling of the brain, seizures, comas, an irregular heartbeat and in some cases death.

SOURCE: Reuters Limited

- - - - - - -

So what do you think?

Was the station irresponsible?

Was the dead woman?

And the wickedest question - Did the kids get the console?

Nintendo Wii
water-drinking death
litigation

Iraq Protest Song

2007-01-21T12:35:00.000-06:00

Let's all start singin' (Apologies to Country Joe and the Fish)

Yeah, come on all of you big strong men,
Uncle Sam needs your help again.
He's got himself in a terrible crock
Over in the desert, out in Iraq
So put down your books and pick up a gun,
We're gonna have a whole lotta fun.

Well, come on Wall Street, don't move slow,
Why man, this is War-a-go-go.
There's plenty good money to be made
By supplying the Army with the tools of the trade,
Shares are good in Otto Bock*
Lots o' lost limbs over in Iraq

And it's one, two, three,
What are we fighting for?
Don't ask me, it's just so sad,
Next stop is ol' Bagdad.
And it's five, six, seven,
Open up the pearly gates,
Well there ain't no time to wonder why
Whoopee! We're all gonna die.

Well, come on mothers, so his arm is a hook?
Pack your boys off to Kirkuk.
Come on fathers, don't hesitate,
Send `em off before it's too late.
Be the first one on your block
To have your boy come home in a box.

*Otto Bock is the global leader in developing and manufacturing
innovative prosthetic technologies and devices.

Wilde

2007-01-20T11:31:00.000-06:00

As long as war is regarded as wicked it will always have its fascinations.
When it is looked upon as vulgar, it will cease to be popular.

Oscar Wilde

Colbert, O'Reilly face off on both shows

2007-01-19T09:52:00.000-06:00

Parody met its inspiration Thursday when Stephen Colbert and Bill O'Reilly traded guest appearances on each other's shows in an exchange that Colbert called "a meeting of the guts."

Colbert has molded his tough-talking, America-defending persona as host of the satirical "Colbert Report" largely on the Fox News pundit. On his Comedy Central program, Colbert has often spoken reverently of O'Reilly — or as he affectionately calls him, "Papa Bear."

"The Colbert Report" and "The O'Reilly Factor," the top-rated program in cable news, were taped one after another early Thursday evening, with "The Factor" airing at 8 p.m. EST and "The Report" at 11:30 p.m. EST.

Once inside Colbert's studio — decorated for the occasion with a large "Mission Accomplished" banner and a portrait of O'Reilly placed fireside — O'Reilly seemed to be regretting the decision.

"This was a huge mistake, me coming on here," he muttered.

It may have been a greater error allowing Colbert into the Fox News headquarters, located near the "Colbert Report" studios in Manhattan. There, Colbert smuggled a microwave out of the green room, a bounty which he proudly displayed at the conclusion of his show.

A spokesman for Fox News confirmed that Colbert stole the microwave, but said it was all in good fun.

Appearing in the "No Spin Zone" of "The O'Reilly Factor," Colbert remained in character — though it wasn't always easy to tell.

"Who are you? Are you Colbert or Colbert?" prodded O'Reilly, pronouncing the "T" in one case, leaving it silent in the other (as Colbert does on his program).

"Bill, I'm whoever you want me to be," answered the comedian.

O'Reilly interviewed Colbert with a generally bemused attitude: "Don't you owe me an enormous amount of money?" he wondered. The interview was followed by a discussion with several analysts on why "The Colbert Report" and its sister fake newscast "The Daily Show" are popular.

Colbert had spent the week preparing for the arrival of "Papa Bear," and hyped it Thursday as "the greatest TV crossover since the Flintstones met the Jetsons."

For the first time, Colbert began the show's interview segment seated, allowing O'Reilly to enter to applause. Well, mostly applause. O'Reilly blamed a handful of boos on "Daily Show" host Jon Stewart, joking that he was in the audience.

Colbert's reception included a montage of clips from both shows, titled "Great Minds Think Alike." He also had O'Reilly read several lines for a new O'Reilly-based character in his "Tek Jansen" cartoon series.

O'Reilly also managed one dig of NBC, which he has recently criticized as a liberal-leaning network. When asked what was "destroying America" more — NBC, activist judges, illegal immigration or gay marriage — O'Reilly didn't hesitate in answering NBC.

But not all of Colbert's expectations were met. When he prompted O'Reilly to say who would win in a fight between him and his Fox News colleague Sean Hannity, O'Reilly demurred — and nearly upset the delicate balance of parody and reality.

"Hannity would kick my butt," said O'Reilly. "I'm effete. I'm not a tough guy. This is all an act."

Colbert retorted as though his mirror-image of O'Reilly had been broken: "If you're an act, then what am I?"

Once the show was over and O'Reilly had left, Colbert turned to the studio audience as he exited the stage and said, finally out of character: "He seems like a nice enough guy."

From YAHOO NEWS

“Hi, I’m Art Buchwald and I just died.”

2007-01-18T19:49:00.000-06:00

As notable as the death of Art Buchwald is for many reasons, you’re reading about his passing here because of the role the humor columnist and author played in a new NYTimes.com effort worth noting: The Last Word, a video obit. Until now, the video accompanying most news obituaries online at the Times and other sites is usually archival. But the New York Times quietly has been compiling the video equivalents of their advance news obits and, as fate would have it, Buchwald was the first subject to die. Interviewed by reporter Tim Weiner, Buchwald knew exactly what he was doing. The beautifully done video, presented in chapters, begins with his announcement: “Hi, I’m Art Buchwald and I just died.” It’s an excellent example of what newspapers can do to translate their print personalities into an online blend of words, video, audio, stills and links.
Courtesy of:
http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/art-buchwald-inaugurates-nytimescom-video-obits/

REMEMBER

2007-01-10T18:12:00.000-06:00

We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty.

When the loyal opposition dies,
I think the soul of America dies with it.

Edward R. Murrow

Barak Obama Book Reveals Former Drug Use

2007-01-04T07:39:00.000-06:00

The black Illinois Senator and potential Democratic presidential candidate made the confession in a memoir written 11 years ago, not long after he graduated from law school and well before he contemplated life on the national stage.

Obviously this will hand the 45 year-old Obama's critic's ammunition to use against him in his political career, not to mention any presidential bid.

On the other hand, through his book, Obama has become the first potential presidential contender to admit trying cocaine.

"I believe what the country is looking for is someone who is open, honest and candid about themselves rather than someone who seems endlessly driven by polls or focus groups," said Robert Gibbs, Obama's spokesman.

SOURCE

I say so what?

The Untied States should legalize all drugs. The only intoxicant that is allowed now is the drug of choice of our white European founding fathers - alcohol.

All other cultures’ intoxicant of choice are banned. People from Asia have gotten high from opium for hundreds of years, but that’s outlawed.

South Americans have chewed coca leaves for centuries, but that’s banned.

Caribbean nations have long smoked marijuana - it’s illegal in the US.

Native Americans used peyote in religious ceremonies - prohibit that, too.

Our drug laws are racist.

Prohibition doesn’t work. People LIKE getting high.

Making something “taboo” only makes it more appealing.

I know all of the arguments...that letting people have easy access to drugs will increase use. Maybe so. But removing the cachet of “forbidden fruit” may lower usage. And there might be people who will use excessive amounts and die of overdoses. But there are people dying of overdoses now. Teach responsibility, not prohibition.

I know the people who work in enforcement of these antiquated and ineffective laws don’t want to lose their jobs. They don’t have to. Treat all of the drugs just like we do alcohol. Turn all of the DEA jobs into regulators. License all the sellers. Tax all of the products. (Think of the revenue!) Regulate all of the manufacturers. (Think of all the new jobs creation in legal drug manufacturing!) Set up rehab centers for those who overindulge.

Suddenly, with no profitability in selling drugs, drug wars vanish. Police are freed up to tackle other crimes. Our justice system is no longer swamped with drug cases.

Tighten up the laws regarding driving while intoxicated. Nobody should be behind the wheel of a vehicle if they’re high on anything. But what adults do in the privacy of their own home, in a bar, or at a party is their own business and their own responsibility.

Because people are going to get high. It’s just that simple. So let them. Face reality, regulate it and tax it.

And move on to more important issues.

barak obama
cocaine
marijuana
legalization

Million Dollar Meme

2006-12-28T05:58:00.000-06:00

Ever see the movie, “Indecent Proposal” starring Demi Moore and Robert Redford?

A young couple very much in love are married and have started their respective careers, she as a real estate broker, he as an architect. She finds the perfect spot to build his dream house, and they get loans to finance it. When the recession hits, they stand to lose everything they own, so they go to Vegas to have one shot at winning the money they need. After losing at the tables, they are approached by a millionaire who offers them a million dollars for a night with the wife. Though the couple agrees that this is a way out of their financial dilemma, it threatens to destroy their relationship.

It made me wonder - what would you be willing to do for a million dollars?

Would you cheat on your spouse?
*What if they never found out?
*What if they had to know about it?
*What if there was a random chance they'd find out?
Marti says no, never, no matter what.

Sell your house?
*What if you knew the buyer was a drug dealer?
*What if you knew the buyer stole the money?
*What if you knew the buyer was an illegal alien?
Marti says no, never. I love this land, they ain't printed enough money for it - lol

Assassinate an evil dictator?
*What if they had committed genocide on a group of their countries citizens?
*What if they were plundering aid being sent to help the impoverished or starving citizens?
*What if you were certain they had a nuclear bomb and intended to use it?
Marti says I couldn't do it myself, but I wouldn't stop someone else - lol

Perform in a porno movie?
*What if you could disguise your face?
*What if you were young, single and had a killer body?
*What if you could choose your partner?
Marti says no, well maybe - lol

Sell your vote in a presidential election?
*What if the candidate you had to vote for was a racist?
*What if the candidate you had to vote for was a philanderer?
Marti says no, never, no matter what. I value the freedom to vote too much to sell it at any price.

Walk naked down the main street of your town?
*What if you could wear a bag over your head?
*What if it was midnight?
Marti says for a million bucks, I'd do it with the bag at midnight - LOL

Pull the switch to execute a convicted child molester?
*If they had one conviction?
*Two?
*More than two?
*If it was your child?
Marti says no, I don't believe in capital punishment, but it would be a real moral struggle for me if it was my own child.

Sing the national anthem at the Super Bowl?
*If you had to do it acapella?
*If you could be accompanied by an orchestra and choir?
Marti says yes, even acapella. I've sung in public before, and it doesn't scare me.

Inject heroin?
*What if it was only once?
Marti says yes. I've known heroin users, I think I could do it once and live.

Have sex with a person of the same gender?
*If your spouse or significant other never found out?
Marti says I have, {{GASP! lol}}so yes if I were single, but I would never cheat on my spouse.

This post kicks off a new Squidoo lens using the Plexo votiing system.

You can add your own blog posts on any or all of these questions!

Million Dollar Meme
Squidoo