Quote Of The Day

"The world has lost a visionary.  And there may be no greater tribute to Steve's success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented."

 - President Barack Obama, on the passing of Apple founder Steve Jobs. 

Hank 3's Reaction To His Dad's Dumbass Comments

This morning, TMZ got in contact with HW3, the son of Hank Williams Jr., for a comment on Jr.'s criticism of President Obama.  It's clear that the apple falls far from the tree.  Not even in the same orchard.

If you're not familiar with Hank 3, he's the spitting image of his grandfather.  That where the similarities end.  Hank is a musician, but his influences tend to come more from artists that played at CBGB, than those that played at The Grand Ole Opry.  His sound is a mishmash of country, metal and punk.  It's easy to guess that politically, his views are polar opposites than his fathers.

When asked of his political views, he said that he was "a musician, not a politician".  He also said that most musicians are "not worthy" of political discussion.  The one exception?  "The only person out there worthy of mixing political views and music is Jello Biafra."

Jello Biafra is the lead singer, and co-founder, of the punk band The Dead Kennedys.  After the band's demise, Biafra turned to politics, becoming a prominent figure in the Green Party.

While Hank didn't mention his father directly in the interview, he got his point across.  Williams should have kept his mouth shut.

This is a video of Hank, with his band Assjack, singing their song, 'Cocaine':

Obama Responsible For Return Of 'Arrested Development'?

August 2009:

The people have spoken.

August 2011:

President Obama addresses the nation.

Sunday afternoon...

It's announced at The New Yorker Festival, that the show is coming back for one more season.

Coincidence?  I think not.

ESPN Drops Hank Williams Jr. From NFL Telecasts After He Calls Obama Hitler

Whether you are a country music fan or not, if you watch football, you know that Hank Williams Jr.'s 'All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight' is a staple of Monday nights.  The song has been the theme of Monday Night Football since 1991.  Well, according to a statement from ESPN today, hope you enjoyed it while it lasted, because you'll never hear it on the network again.

Why?  Because on this morning's Fox and Friends on Fox News, Williams compared President Obama to Adolf Hitler.  That's right.  Just watch:  (Sorry for the obligatory pre-clip advertisement.  It's beyond my control.)



Even the anchors from Fox and Friends had a puzzled look on their face.  Then again, why are you discussing politics with someone that calls himself "Bocephus"?  Can someone explain that name to me?  Is it an inside joke?  Am I not white enough to get it?

This afternoon, ESPN released the following statement:

“While Hank Williams, Jr. is not an ESPN employee, we recognize that he is closely linked to our company through the open to Monday Night Football.  We are extremely disappointed with his comments, and as a result we have decided to pull the open from tonight’s telecast.”

Who knows what Williams' political views really are.  Considering his comments today, it's probably not hard to guess.  I have never been a fan of his.  To me, he has always come across as somewhat racist - one of those people that glorify the South, and likely supports the flying of the Confederate flag.  Just look at the lyrics of his song, 'If the South Woulda Won'.  It's pretty easy to see where he stands.

I'm glad to see ESPN take a stand in this matter.  It may be a small step, but Williams is surely receiving a large sum in royalties from Monday Night Football broadcasts of his song.  Looks like the bulk of his income is going to be coming from county fairs and backwoods casino shows for a while.

Update:  According to TMZ, Williams has issued a statement regarding the comments made earlier today.  He isn't apologizing for what he said.  Rather, he's saying that his comments were "misunderstood":

"Some of us have strong opinions and are often misunderstood. My analogy was extreme – but it was to make a point. I was simply trying to explain how stupid it seemed to me - how ludicrous that pairing was."

He continues, "They’re polar opposites and it made no sense. They don’t see eye-to-eye and never will. I have always respected the office of the President.”

Williams Jr. adds, "Every time the media brings up the tea party it’s painted as racist and extremists – but there’s never a backlash – no outrage to those comparisons… Working class people are hurting – and it doesn’t seem like anybody cares. When both sides are high-fiving it on the ninth hole when everybody else is without a job – it makes a whole lot of us angry. Something has to change. The policies have to change.”

Nice try, but you're not getting your contact back anytime soon. 

Video: Protester Calls Obama "Anti-Christ" During Fundraiser, Gets Dragged Away

At a fundraiser dinner for President Obama on Sunday night, his speech was interrupted by a man that started yelling about Jesus being "the only one true god".  He also called Obama the "Anti-Christ", before being dragged away by Secret Service personnel.

The event, which was held at the House of Blues in Los Angeles, had approximately 250 diners, each of whom had paid $1000 a plate to attend.  The protester, later identified as David Serrano, has a long history of creating disturbances with his religious, sometimes anti-Semitic, diatribes.  According to Tony Bell, a spokesman for the L.A. County Supervisor, Serrano has been a regular fixture at county meetings for a couple of years:

"He yells out his statements, which are very mistaken, odd interpretations of scriptures," Bell said. "He's been pretty close to being thrown out of our meetings. When he calls Supervisor Antonovich 'Mikey,' it's very vitriolic. He's not a pleasant guy. He talks about Jews in his diatribes and seems very anti-Semitic. I don't have the impression he's dangerous, but he has issues that could use some help.  

"He must have used some real initiative to get into that event. Our meetings are public forums." 

My question is, how did he get that close to the President?  He was reportedly in the first row.  Secret Service is supposed to have every guest vetted in advance.  You would think that Serrano's history with the city council would have come up, wouldn't it?  Even if he didn't have a criminal record, the event was being held in Los Angeles.  They didn't have anyone local review the list to check for any potential troublemakers? I don't understand how he got through.

Here is the video.  Obama's reaction is wonderful.  He smiles and tells Secret Service, "Don't forget his coat".

Get A Free Barack Obama 2012 Bumper Sticker

Hey everyone.  Yesterday, I received an email from Barack Obama's campaign offices offering me a free "Barack Obama 2012" bumper sticker.

Normally, the sticker costs $2.99 plus shipping online, or would come free with a campaign donation.  For the rest of this week, however, the Obama campaign is sending them out free of charge to anyone that would like one.

Just go to http://my.barackobama.com/Bumper-Sticker, and tell them where to send it.  Shipping takes approximately four to six weeks.

Chart Of The Day

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This chart, released by the NY Times, is compiled from data gathered by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.  It shows which policies enacted during the last two presidencies have contributed the most toward the current budget deficit.  As you can see, the Bush era tax cuts are responsible for more than all Obama initiated policies, contributing over $1.8 trillion alone.

House Republicans Threatening To Impeach Obama

This whole "debt ceiling" issue is just starting to get childish, now.  GOP House Rep. Steve King, from Iowa, sent the above tweet this morning.  That's right.  Republicans are now threatening impeachment if a deal isn't reached, and the nation is forced to default on any debt after August 2nd.  

The tweet was in reference to the "Cut, Cap and Balance"(along with the Slice, Dice, Weigh, Measure, Julienne, Cover and Bake at 375 Degrees For 45 Minutes) plan, introduced by Republicans in the House, that includes a Balanced Budget Amendment.  The Democratic led Senate shot it down immediately.  The president now finds himself in a 'Damned if you do, damned if you don't' type of situation.

The 14th Amendment, Section 4, of the United States Constitution says in part:

"The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned."

One of Obama's options as a solution to this stalemate is to raise the debt ceiling without Congressional approval.  The idea, according to inside sources, has already been presented to the president.  He is constitutionally afforded that option.  Rep. Tim Scott of South Carolina, has already made it clear that if that were to happen, Obama would be facing impeachment as well.

“This president is looking to usurp congressional oversight to find a way to get it done without us,” Rep. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) told a gathering in Summerville, S.C., “My position is that is an impeachable act from my perspective.”

Scott added: “There are a lot of things people say, ‘Are you going to impeach the president over that?’ — No. But this? This is catastrophic. This jeopardizes the credibility of our nation if one man can usurp the entire system set up by our founding fathers over something this significant.”

House Republicans are effectively holding this nation hostage until their demands are met.  They want Social Security, along with Medicare and Medicaid to lose funding, while keeping their Bush era tax breaks for their wealthy friends and oil lobbyists. 

I receive Social Security.  At the moment, it's our family's only income.  We can't pay our bills as is on the amount that is deposited into our checking account each month.  How on Earth are we expected to live if my benefits are cut?  My Medicare goes into effect in October.  Medicare Part A will only pay for one physical per year.  No other office visits.  It doesn't pay for any of the 13 medications I'm currently taking or my weekly therapy visits for my PTSD (which is what made me disabled to begin with).  My surgeon says that I will likely need at least one or two more spine surgeries before the end of the year.  Although I haven't completely healed from my last operation, I'm trying to fast track the next surgery and have it done as soon as possible.  That way, the bill will be Blue Cross Blue Shield's responsibility and not my own.

If the nation defaults on it's debt, I may not have money for rent and utilities next month.  I'm sure I'll eventually get paid, but the situation puts my future, along with millions of other Americans, up in the air.

I'm sure the threat to impeach Obama is just that:  a threat.  When you think about it, it is the worst thing Republicans can do.  If Obama is impeached, then Joe Biden becomes the president.  Biden is much more liberal in the eyes of the GOP.  He's also as loyal as a Golden Retriever to Barack Obama.  He's the last guy you want to be pissed off and in charge.  I honestly don't think it will happen.

President Obama spoke to the nation tonight, to reiterate the fact that he isn't backing down when it comes to the demands of House Republicans.  He has made it clear that cutting entitlement programs is not an option.  Speaking for myself, I would rather have my monthly check be a couple of days late, than being noticeably less down the road.  The president's address to the nation is below.

 

It's About Fucking Time...

Earlier this afternoon, President Obama signed the certified repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell.  Although the measure was signed into law with the best of intentions nearly 18 years ago, the repeal of this flawed set of regulations is long overdue.  Implementation of the repeal will start immediately after a 60 day waiting period.

The president released the following statement regarding the certification:

"Today, we have taken the final major step toward ending the discriminatory ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ law that undermines our military readiness and violates American principles of fairness and equality.  In accordance with the legislation that I signed into law last December, I have certified and notified Congress that the requirements for repeal have been met.  ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ will end, once and for all, in 60 days—on September 20, 2011. 

As Commander in Chief, I have always been confident that our dedicated men and women in uniform would transition to a new policy in an orderly manner that preserves unit cohesion, recruitment, retention and military effectiveness.  Today’s action follows extensive training of our military personnel and certification by Secretary Panetta and Admiral Mullen that our military is ready for repeal.  As of September 20th, service members will no longer be forced to hide who they are in order to serve our country.  Our military will no longer be deprived of the talents and skills of patriotic Americans just because they happen to be gay or lesbian. 

I want to commend our civilian and military leadership for moving forward in the careful and deliberate manner that this change requires, especially with our nation at war.  I want to thank all our men and women in uniform, including those who are gay or lesbian, for their professionalism and patriotism during this transition.  Every American can be proud that our extraordinary troops and their families, like earlier generations that have adapted to other changes, will only grow stronger and remain the best fighting force in the world and a reflection of the values of justice and equality that the define us as Americans."

We've come a long way as a community in just the last few years.  I am so proud of this nation's more accepting views, and especially proud of the men and women that have been serving for their country in an atmosphere that was less than friendly.  They have been much braver than I could ever imagine.  Today is for you.  Below is a copy of the certification.

Oh, How The Mighty Oak Has Fallen

A matter of days ago, Donald Trump was the front runner amongst the Republican candidates for President of the United States.  According to a poll released today...eh, not so much anymore.

Public Policy Polling is a Democratic polling company that often polls Republican voters, to get a feel on how they're voting on conservative issues.  In this poll, they surveyed 610 registered Republican primary voters.  In April, Trump led the field in the same poll with 26% of the overall vote.  This month was a much different story.

Trump came in fifth with 8%, behind Huckabee, Romney, Gingrich, and Palin.  He was only one percentage point ahead of wingnut Tea Party conspiracy theorist Michelle Bachmann.  Some of the other results were also stunning.

53% of those surveyed said that they had an "unfavorable opinion" of Donald Trump.  Keep in mind, in the same poll, 61% of those polled said that they had a "favorable opinion" of Sarah Palin.  It appears that "birtherism" is on the decline. (I would think so after the President presents his long form birth certificate.)  The poll was conducted May 5th through May 8th, more than a week after the President released his birth certificate.  Still, 34% say that they believe that Obama was not born in the United States.  18% "aren't sure". Two weeks ago, 72% of Republican primary voters either said "no" or that they "weren't sure".  Going from 72% to 52% is a considerable improvement, but really?!  Still?!

To make matters worse for Trump, ratings have hit a downward spiral for 'The Celebrity Apprentice'.  For the episode that aired on April 24th, ratings were down 17% from the previous week's episode.  Then, on Trump's May 1st episode, his boardroom decision was interrupted by President Obama's announcement that Osama bin Laden had been killed in Pakistan.

That brings us to the May 8th episode, or as I like to call it, "Clusterfuckorama".  This was the episode in which not one, but three, yes count them, three "celebrities" left the show.  You would think that this would be a high ratings episode, right?  Think again.  Ratings for the episode were down 23% from the week before.  In fact, it was the lowest rated Spring telecast episode in the history of the 'Apprentice' franchise.

I have a feeling that NBC will soon be saying "You're fired" to "The Donald", just like the Republican party did last week.

Bill Maher: 'What Does Obama Have To Do To Get The GOP Off Of His Back?'

During George W. Bush's presidency, Republicans proved that they were neither fiscally responsible or "tough on terror".  Obama comes into office in January 2009, having to clean up the mess left by his predecessor.  Last week, Osama bin Laden is killed by a Navy Seal strike team.  Still, Obama can't seem to catch a break from the GOP.

On last Friday's 'Real Time', Bill Maher calls the Republican party out on the carpet.

Bin Laden Dead: A Look At How 9/11 Changed Me

I am sitting in a bed on the third floor of a Mesa, Arizona, hospital tonight, and watching thousands of people cheering outside the gates of the White House.  An hour ago, the President announced to the nation that Osama bin Laden was found and killed in Pakistan earlier today.  The man hated more than anyone in American history, second only to Hitler, is finally dead.

As the crowd of hundreds at Ground Zero at 1AM, stand together in celebration and sing 'The Star Spangled Banner', my eyes well up with tears.  I am proud of my country.  I am proud of the Navy Seals that entered the compound and shot bin Laden.  I am proud of my government and of my President.  Today, I am a patriot.  Looking back upon my life, I never would have pictured myself as a "patriotic" individual.  After all, I was never raised to be one.

In fact, it wasn't until September 11, 2001, that something within me changed.

The following is from a post originally dated September 11, 2009.  It was the first post written on this blog.

Growing up as a Jehovah's Witness, I was always told that it was wrong to salute the flag. I wasn't allowed to say the Pledge of Allegiance. I had to remain seated for the National Anthem. It's not that I had been intentionally disrespecting or desecrating the flag as a child. My parents never instilled in me the reasons why the symbols of our country, and the flag in particular, should be respected.

You can imagine the uncomfortable situations I had found myself in growing up. In the classroom everyday for years. At school assemblies. At sporting events. Countless dirty looks. People making comments under their breath. Even the occasional thwack to the back of the head with the words, "What's wrong with you? You a Commie or somethin? Stand up boy".

In my younger days, I saw it as an opportunity to "witness". To share my beliefs with others.  I would tell them that I wasn't standing because my religion wouldn't permit me to. Usually, that would be as far as I got. The offended spectator would turn a more enraged shade of red and that would be my que to face forward for the rest of the event and not make eye contact with anyone for the next 3 hours.

As I got older, I got wiser. I realized that by being in my seats during the National Anthem, I was only asking for trouble. So, I would generally take that time of the pre-game to go to the bathroom or grab a drink or a souvenir. Most times, I would just intentionally show up late to a game - skip the first 2 minutes of the period or the top half of the first inning altogether.

So how does this tie in to 9/11? I'll get to that in a second. But first: February 13, 1983. The Forum, Irvine, California. It was the NBA All Star Game. For some reason my dad was watching it on TV. I never remember him being much of a basketball fan. I've never been much of one either. But something special happened that night. The time came for the National Anthem. This is what we saw:

It gave me chills. As a 7 year old, I didn't know why. I had a feeling then that I couldn't put into words, that I wouldn't feel again until 18 years later. I left the church in 1996, but, out of habit I guess, continued my "tradition" of not standing for the National Anthem.

Then came September 11th, 2001. It's a day that, 8 years later, I still think about on a daily basis. We all tend to re-live the shots of the people running in the streets, the towers falling, and the planes hitting the towers. Today though, I had a different memory for the first time. I remembered the firefighters going into Ground Zero to tie an American Flag onto a beam of the World Trade Center. This was still while the area was unsafe. There was still a possibility of the surrounding buildings collapsing. It was their way of saying "We're still here. We're still standing".

When I saw that flag amongst the rubble, that feeling I first felt as a 7 year old had returned. It was pride. The flag reminded me of the anthem's lyrics itself: "Gave proof through the night, That our flag was still there, O say does that Star Spangled Banner yet wave, O'er the land of the free, And the home of the brave". It waved over many a brave volunteer in the days and weeks following the attacks.

September 10, 2001, was the last day I refused to sit for the National Anthem. Since the events of 9/11, not only do I show my respect to my nation and its flag, but I sing along with the Star Spangled Banner, and get choked up at the end. Every time.

Just Let It Die, Already

Earlier this morning, in an effort to get Donald Trump to shut the hell up, President Obama released his birth certificate to the media.

Let's just say, if the birthers are anything (besides dumbasses), they're consistent.  Within hours of the press conference, they were picking apart the document.  Although, some websites, such as Buzz Feed, were obviously making fun of their allegations, there are dozens of new conspiracy theories that have already sprung up since Obama's morning press conference.

I'm Batshit Crazy, And I Approve This Message

Don't you think it's going to be hard enough for Donald Trump to be elected President without Gary Busey helping out?  Busey officially endorsed Trump yesterday, and I'm sure President Obama is ever so grateful.

Asshole Of The Week

So, I've decided to write another weekly post.  Earlier yesterday, I wrote the first of a new weekly post titled "BAMF of the Week".  I figured, if I'm going to feature a bad ass once a week, it's only fair for me to feature an asshole.

Sadly, as much as I would have personally wanted the first ever "Asshole of the Week" to be Sarah Palin, this week was "Ignore Sarah Palin Week".  Over 118,000 people pledged on Facebook to turn the TV when Palin comes on, or click to another website when they see a news article about her.  Hundreds of websites and bloggers, including myself, agreed to not so much as mention her this week.  I have no idea if she's even still in the country.  Will someone please email me and tell me she isn't?

No, this week's asshole is Fox News host and potential 2012 Republican Presidential candidate, Mike Huckabee.

Mr. Huckabee was on New York's WOR radio Monday morning, speaking on the nationally syndicated 'Steve Malzberg Show'.  For some unknown reason, the topic of the supposed secrecy of Barack Obama's birth certificate came up.  Then, the following conversation followed:



Yeah, I can't believe it either.  Just to make sure I'm covering all the bases here, I'm going to show a transcript of the above conversation:

MALZBERG: Don't you think it's fair also to ask him, I know your stance on this. How come we don't have a health record, we don't have a college record, we don't have a birth cer - why Mr. Obama did you spend millions of dollars in courts all over this country to defend against having to present a birth certificate. It's one thing to say, I've -- you've seen it, goodbye. But why go to court and send lawyers to defend against having to show it? Don't you think we deserve to know more about this man?

HUCKABEE: I would love to know more. What I know is troubling enough. And one thing that I do know is his having grown up in Kenya, his view of the Brits, for example, very different than the average American. When he gave the bust back to the Brits --

MALZBERG: Of Winston Churchill.

HUCKABEE: The bust of Winston Churchill, a great insult to the British. But then if you think about it, his perspective as growing up in Kenya with a Kenyan father and grandfather, their view of the Mau Mau Revolution in Kenya is very different than ours because he probably grew up hearing that the British were a bunch of imperialists who persecuted his grandfather.

For those of you that are confused in regards to the reference of the but of Winston Churchill:  Shortly after the terrorist attacks of September 11, the British government loaned a bronze bust of Winston Churchill to then President George W. Bush, to be displayed in the Oval Office.  The bust, worth hundreds of thousands of pounds, has been sitting in the office since.  Approximately three weeks after being sworn into office, President Obama, requested that the bust be sent back to the British government art collection, and replaced with a bust of Abraham Lincoln.

Journalists eagerly awaited an explanation or clarification to the comments Huckabee made on the radio show.  If you notice, he didn't specifically say that Obama was born in Kenya, just that he grew up in Kenya.  He would have been able to deny spreading any "birther" rumors, while still fueling the controversy.  Keep in mind, he is speaking to his base.  72% of potential Republican primary voters think Obama may have been born in another country.

So how did Huckabee respond?  He "misspoke".  According to a statement released by a spokesman on Tuesday:

"Governor Huckabee simply misspoke when he alluded to President Obama growing up in 'Kenya.'  The Governor meant to say the President grew up in Indonesia. When the Governor mentioned he wanted to know more about the President, he wasn't talking about the President's place of birth - the Governor believes the President was born in Hawaii.  The Governor would however like to know more about where President Obama's liberal policies come from and what else the President plans to do to this country - as do most Americans." 

He didn't "misspeak".  If he did, he wouldn't have said that he "grew up in Kenya" twice.  And, probably most importantly, Obama didn't grow up "with" his Kenyan at all.  In fact, he only saw him once, when Obama was ten years old, according to his autobiography.  So his father had no influence in his life whatsoever.

If Obama grew up in Indonesia, and without the influence of his Kenyan father, it's hard to believe that he would have developed this "very different" view of the Mau Mau Revolution in Kenya, with some brewing hatred pointed toward the British people.

The Mau Mau Revolution was a conflict in Kenya that took place between 1952 and 1960, between an anti-colonial group called the Mau Mau and the British Army.  It eventually became what amounted to a civil war and killed more than 50,000 citizens in the process.  Keep in mind, this happened in Kenya in the 8 years prior to the President's birth.  As a child, Obama lived Indonesia, primarily in the Jakarta area.  Indonesia is separated from Kenya by 3,000 miles of the Indian Ocean.  To think that he would have any view of the Mau Mau Revolution would be a stretch of the imagination.  It would be like saying a 9 year old boy in Portugal is deeply affected by what happened before his birth in Ohio.  It's a ludicrous notion, at best.  The only reason he said these things is just to rile up the "birthers" that are tuning in and remind them that "there's a crazy African Muslim in the White House, and he must be stopped at all costs".

You would think after that debacle, Huckabee would have kept his mouth shut for the rest of the week and  try to avoid any further negative press.  Not quite.

As many of you know, Natalie Portman won the Oscar last Sunday night for Best Actress, for her role in 'Black Swan'.  She is engaged to Benjamin Millepied, the choreographer of the film, and they are expecting their first child this summer.  Look at her.  Isn't she just beautiful?

Doesn't she look stunning?  Sexy even.  During her acceptance speech she thanked her fiancée, saying, "...and my beautiful love Benjamin Millepied, who choreographed the film and has now given me my most important role of my life.(referring to motherhood)"


What a simple, well written, and touching nod to her partner, right?  Not if you ask Mike Huckabee.


During the SAME radio interview Monday, he said the following about the media darling:




In case you missed it, here's a snippet of the bile that you just heard:

"You know Michael, one of the things that's troubling is that people see a Natalie Portman or some other Hollywood starlet who boasts of, 'Hey look, you know, we're having children, we're not married, but we're having these children, and they're doing just fine.' But there aren't really a lot of single moms out there who are making millions of dollars every year for being in a movie. And I think it gives a distorted image that yes, not everybody hires nannies, and caretakers, and nurses. Most single moms are very poor, uneducated, can't get a job, and if it weren't for government assistance, their kids would be starving to death and never have health care. And that's the story that we're not seeing, and it's unfortunate that we glorify and glamorize the idea of out of children wedlock.

You know, right now, 75 percent of black kids in this country are born out of wedlock. 61 percent of Hispanic kids -- across the board, 41 percent of all live births in America are out of wedlock births. And the cost of that is simply staggering."

You know, for an "informal" interview, for two guys that were supposedly just "riffing", Huckabee had a shitload of statistics handy, didn't he?  

Where do I start on this one?  Natalie Portman is not going to be a single mother, first of all.  She's engaged, which, to me, means she's planning on marrying the father of her child.  And secondly, she thanked her fiancée and the father of her baby.  How is that "boasting"?  I don't see that.  She's not encouraging young girls to go out and get pregnant.  She's not "glamorizing" anything.

The reason why, in Huckabee's words, so many single mothers are "very poor, uneducated, and can't get a job", is because Republicans like him have eliminated funding for women's services and family services programs that single mothers around the country depend on.  If single parents still had state funded Head Start programs, government assisted day care programs, and funding for women's reproductive resources, there would be an opportunity for single mothers today to have the time to find a better job, have time to get an education, and have the ability to have access to health services for proper birth control and contraceptives.  It would also help if fathers today acted like fathers and not "baby daddies", but I digress.  This is a post for another time.

Back to Huckabee.  Do you know how many successful people were the result of a single parent household?  A single mother household?  George Washington was raised by his mom.  So was Bill Clinton.  As was Barack Obama for a large portion of his life...and those are just U.S. Presidents.  The notion that if you are not married to your children's "sperm donor", your life, and theirs, are automatically fucked, is ridiculous.  I can tell you from experience.  My father was present my entire life.  He is still with my mom.  They're celebrating their 39th wedding anniversary this month.  It would have been much easier for all of us if we were raised in a single parent house.  

Where was Mike Huckabee when Bristol Palin was on 'Dancing With The Stars'.  She never married Levi Johnston, her child's father.  She's raising her son as a single parent.  The only reason she was considered a "star" was because she got pregnant.  She's not an actress.  She doesn't sing.  We all saw that she couldn't dance.  She got knocked up.  That's it.  And now she's a celebrity.  Why isn't Huckabee ripping her a new one on the radio?  Hypothetical question.  We all know why.

Interesting fact I found.  Did you know that Ronald and Nancy Reagan got married on March 4, 1952.  Their first child, Patti, was born on October 21, 1952.  Do the math.  That's right, folks.  The lord and savior of the Republican party and his significant other had a bun in the oven when they got married, 50 years ago.  We're only talking a matter of weeks, so Nancy may or may not have known that she was pregnant at the time.  But it definitely shows that they weren't the holy/righteous figures that everyone on the right would like to paint them to be.  They're all hypocrites.

So Mike Huckabee, congratulations.  You're a fucking asshole, and the first ever Daily Twitch "Asshole of the Week".  It's well deserved.

Fox News' Reaction To The Obama Administration's DOMA Announcement

As some of you may have read, the Attorney General of the United States, Eric Holder, released a statement yesterday, announcing that the federal government will no longer defend Section 3 of DOMA (the Defense of Marriage Act) in court.  Here is an excerpt from the announcement:

After careful consideration, including a review of my recommendation, the President has concluded that given a number of factors, including a documented history of discrimination, classifications based on sexual orientation should be subject to a more heightened standard of scrutiny. The President has also concluded that Section 3 of DOMA, as applied to legally married same-sex couples, fails to meet that standard and is therefore unconstitutional. Given that conclusion, the President has instructed the Department not to defend the statute in such cases. I fully concur with the President’s determination.

Consequently, the Department will not defend the constitutionality of Section 3 of DOMA as applied to same-sex married couples in the two cases filed in the Second Circuit. We will, however, remain parties to the cases and continue to represent the interests of the United States throughout the litigation. I have informed Members of Congress of this decision, so Members who wish to defend the statute may pursue that option. The Department will also work closely with the courts to ensure that Congress has a full and fair opportunity to participate in pending litigation.

Furthermore, pursuant to the President's instructions, and upon further notification to Congress, I will instruct Department attorneys to advise courts in other pending DOMA litigation of the President's and my conclusions that a heightened standard should apply, that Section 3 is unconstitutional under that standard and that the Department will cease defense of Section 3.

House Speaker John Boehner (R, OH) issued the following statement:

"While Americans want Washington to focus on creating jobs and cutting spending, the President will have to explain why he thinks now is the appropriate time to stir up a controversial issue that sharply divides the nation." 

I happen to have my Republican/Democrat translation dictionary handy.  The Democratic translation is as follows:

"While Republicans want Washington to focus on redefining rape, intruding on women's reproductive rights, reversing gay rights in states across the nation, and eliminating collective bargaining rights in the Midwest, the Muslim that you people voted into office will have to explain why he isn't coddling old, rich, straight, white men and NASCAR fans like Dubya used to."

As you could imagine, Fox News went ape shit.  Just take a look at Megyn Kelly's face as she is reporting the announcement.  She looks like she is on the verge of a nervous breakdown.  Of all people for them to talk to on air, Maggie Gallagher, the head of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM).  NOM was started with funding by the Mormon church in 2007 as an organization to spearhead the campaign against Prop. 8 in California.  The Southern Poverty Law Center, the nation's leading experts in hate crimes and hate and extremist organizations, officially lists NOM as a "hate group".  This is epic:



Then, later in her show, she had political commentator Monica Crowley on as a guest.  Crowley called the President, "Mubarak Obama".  Just watch:



Guess that answers the question why 72% of Republican primary voters think Obama is a Muslim or isn't sure.  You know Fox News...."fair and balanced".

Republicans Want To Bring Back Slavery

They don't, but if you saw this headline in tomorrow's newspaper, would it really surprise you?

**OK, I'm going to be honest.  I am so angry right now, I don't even know where to start.  I'm going to be very critical of a certain group of people here, but I'm being 100% honest with the way that I feel.  If you're offended, I'm sorry, but you don't have to continue reading my blog if you don't like it.**

Republicans are pissing me the fuck off.  Who else can they fuck with....really??  They have it their mission in the last year to do anything they can to take as many rights, privileges, and benefits away from gay Americans.
Republican Senators and Congressmen are vowing to push through a bill in this session repealing the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell (follow me).  States that have approved gay marriage, such as Iowa and New Hampshire, are fighting tooth and nail not to have it repealed by GOP state legislatures.  California is fighting in the courts to get gay marriage back after it was approved and then repealed by Republican voters.  Wyoming passed a bill today refusing to recognize gay marriages performed in OTHER STATES!!  And other states are merely cutting domestic partner benefits arbitrarily for the sake of "budget cuts", while not making any cuts to the benefits of married partners.

As February approached, rumors started to circulate as to how drastic Republicans would want to cut the budget on things like the arts, women's services, and health care.  It was much worse than anyone could have imagined.

The GOP has declared an all out war against Planned Parenthood.  Today, the House voted to strip the entire $327 million in annual Title X federal funding that it receives.   By law, none of the federal money they receive can go to fund abortions.  They have a private donor fund for that already.  Congressmen know that.  It's been that way since the mid-90s.  The $327 million they receive go to education, birth control, STD testing, HIV tests, cancer screenings, and gynecological exams, amongst other things.  I have used Planned Parenthood on numerous occasions for free STD and HIV testing about 10 years ago when I lived in Denver.  They were an excellent resource for contraceptives when I didn't even have enough money in my pocket to buy a pack of condoms.  They were always kind, accommodating, and never judged me.  My wife used their services when she was younger, was uninsured, and needed Depo shots. She received them at no charge from Planned Parenthood. They are an excellent resource for both men and women.  Abortions account for only 3% of the total procedures done at their clinics.  The things they do save more lives than the babies that die in their locations.  If they lose almost a third of a billion dollars in funding, over 800 locations nationwide risk being closed.  That means the possibility or more unwanted or unplanned babies, the spread of various STDs or HIV unknowingly being spread in those communities, and lower income women not being able to get gynecological care at little or no cost in their neighborhood.

Oh, and to make things worse, Republicans in the state of South Dakota, (which I'm going to just refer to as Dumbfuckistan from now on) introduced a bill making the defending of a fetus "justifiable homicide".  This opens the doors to being able to legally kill abortion providers.  House Bill 1171 states that murder is legal if defending your unborn child, or the unborn child or your spouse, partner, parent, or child.  So, even if the mother is going into the clinic with the intent of having the abortion, that woman's husband, boyfriend, son, daughter, father, or mother could, in theory, kill the abortion provider justifiably.  And, get this, the Dumbfuckistan state House has also introduced a bill requiring mandatory gun ownership for everyone 21 years of age and older.  It's not expected to pass, obviously, but could you get any dumber.

OK.....next point.  Today the fuckers voted to repeal Obama's health care reform.  They claimed it was because the budget, but we all know they hated the thing back when Hillary Clinton tried to get everyone on board with it back in the 90s.  They call it "Socialist" and "Marxist", but I call it "necessary".  Even with insurance, I can't even afford my medical bills.  They're over $500 a month sometimes, minimum.  My parents filed bankruptcy twice because of hospital bills.  One stay in the hospital can literally break a family for years. It's how the poor stay poor.  Just when they start to get on their feet again, there's another emergency, and they're back on their knees.  You're required to have insurance on your car.  You're required to have insurance on your house.  Heck, I have to have insurance on the things I have in my storage unit.  Isn't my health more important than a few totes full of hoodies and office supplies in my storage unit?  I think so.  Not only did House Republicans vote to repeal health care reform, but they also voted to refuse to pay any federal employees that were working on the health care reform project.  So, thousands of people...out of work.

Congress also voted to strip roughly 25%, or $20.6 million, from the National Endowment for the Arts.  It's the biggest cut the NEA has received in 16 years.  Don't forget, there's also talk that they want to remove funding for NPR and the Corporation for Public Brodcasting (PBS).  Hopefully, your kids are old enough to already have enjoyed Sesame Street.  Mine isn't.

At the same time, Republicans voted to keep in funding for abstinence only programs.  These are programs that have been proven not to work.  They paint false realities and unrealistic futures.  When students have sex, and they eventually do, they are unprepared and know nothing regarding STDs, HIV, or safe sex.  This is an example, although a little strange, of the content of some of the abstinence only curriculum being taught today.  This is your tax dollars at work:



Congressmen also reversed $1.5 billion in funding cuts that Obama made to combat efforts in Iraq.  Evidentially, the GOP thinks we're still in combat operations there.  Let's not forget that Tea Party Republicans are fighting to eliminate the Department of Education and the Environmental Protection Agency.  Not make budget cuts, but eliminate the entire department from the government.

After all of this bullshit, what have Democrats done?  We've made phone calls.  We have organized online.  We have rallied using social networks like Facebook and Twitter.  We have blogged our frustrations.  We have called our Senators, asking them to vote against the budget cuts that the Congressmen have just made.  We have been civil.

Then we have the incident yesterday at Rep. Betty McCollum's (D-Minn.) office.  Last week, she submitted an amendment to the budget to cut $7 million from the Pentagon budget by discontinuing the Army's sponsorship of the #39 car in NASCAR.  A couple of days later, she received the following fax in her office:

Um..yeah...they called our President the N-word....and they're dragging him behind a pick up truck with a noose.  A death threat to a Congresswoman over a $7 million sponsorship deal.  This isn't something that would cripple NASCAR mind you.  If that car lost the Army sponsor, he would pick up a new one.  Instead of being the "Army" car, he would be the "Oreo" car, or the "Applebee's" car.  It wouldn't make a damn bit of difference.  Fucking rednecks.  I swear, it's like "Fuck women.  Fuck the gays.  Fuck the Mexicans and the Blacks.  I don't want my tax dollars goin' to that gay art stuff, but you better not touch my fuckin' NASCAR.  What are you?  A communist?"

What is wrong with this fucking country?  Who's next?  Who haven't we fucked over as a nation?  Hispanics, check.  LGBT community, check.  Women, check.  The poor, check.  Minorities, check.  Children, check.  The Environment, check.  Who's left....oh.

Rich, old, white, straight, married males.  Wow.  Sounds a lot like....Republican members of Congress.  Coincidence? 

Fox News Does The Impossible - Double Headdesk In 12 Hours

There are times when, as a network, Fox News creates more newsworthy stories themselves than the politicians they cover.  A study came out in December of 2010, showing that, out of all cable news networks, their viewers were the most "misinformed".  And by the looks of things, the network is doing nothing but encouraging it.  Between the hours of 8pm EST Monday and 8am EST Tuesday, they completed the unheard of Double Headdesk.  For those of you that don't know what a headdesk is, let me give you a visual example:

On Monday night, Fox News gathered a focus group of Republican voters in Iowa to discuss their thoughts on Bill O'Reilly's interview with the President the day before.  At one point in the discussion, a woman in the focus group says that she believes that the President's "religious beliefs govern his foreign policy".  When asked on what she feels his religious beliefs are, she says "Muslim".  Watch how the commentator responds:

The Fox News representative never stepped in and said, "He's Christian".  He never tried to correct them.  He aided in spreading what has amounted to a conspiracy theory on national television.  Headdesk.

Then this morning, Fox News put an online poll on their website concerning abortion.  The poll has since been taken off the site, but I was able to get a copy of it from another blog:

What's wrong with this poll?  If I select not sure, I'm pro-life.  If I select yes, I'm pro-life.  And, if I select no, I am still pro-life.  There are absolutely no pro-choice options on a poll about banning abortion.    You might as well just have one question on the poll.  Headdesk.

I wanted to add this additional video.  It's not a headdesk moment, because it should have been expected.  During O'Reilly's interview with Mr. Obama, he interrupted the President 48 times.  48 times!  Sure, you come to expect this when you are watching his show on Fox News and he has an invited guest, but this is the President of the United States.  How disrespectful.  Talk about an asshole.

Looks like Fox News is having one hell of a February.

Hey LGBT Community: Obama Is On Our Side

In the months leading up to the repeal of DADT, President Obama got a lot of crap from gay Democrats.  Many said they weren't going to vote during the 2010 midterm elections.  Dan Choi even had the balls to call him the "worst U.S. President in history".  Well, Don't Ask Don't Tell was eventually passed, and now the gay community is turning on Obama for not mentioning the Defense of Marriage Act or EDNA in tonight's State of the Union address.  A number of the blogs I read have an attitude of "If he doesn't mention it as a top priority, then he doesn't get my support anymore".

Check this out:  The Windy City Times released copies of questionnaires that the President filled out while campaigning for state senator in 1996.  In one survey, Obama adamantly pledged his support for legalized same sex marriage, state funded AIDS treatment, and adoption rights for same sex couples.

 Had Barack Obama platformed on these viewpoints for the 2000 Presidential race, he would have been slaughtered.  We would currently been in our third year of a McCain/Palin administration.

I am sure his views have not changed much since 1996, but you must realize, he is but one man.  Even though he is the President of the United States, he doesn't have a magic wand.  He still has to compromise with 535 other people.  435 in the House of Representatives, and 100 Senators, the majority of which want us to have no rights whatsoever.  The race will be won in steps, not in giant leaps.  The civil rights movement of the '60s was not won overnight.  This is the civil rights movement of this millennium.  And we have one hell of an ally in President Obama.

And for those who have any doubt...

President Obama - It Gets Better

I know.  Say what you will about DADT.  I'm pissed off about it too.  But think about it.  To have a sitting President send a message directly to young gay Americans, encouraging them to stay strong in the face of anti-gay bullying, is pretty significant.

Reagan didn't mention AIDS until 1985, and didn't make a speech about it until October of 1987.  By then, more than 20,000 people had died of the disease.  Neither of the Bushes were exactly friends of the gay community.  President Obama has decidedly shown himself to be more friend than foe, and right now, I'll take what I can get.  Thank you Mr. President.