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Morality and Hypocrisy
Author: Raine    Date: 06/25/2009 12:34:59

So another GOP contender is out of contention for the 2012 presidential race. Last week it was John Ensign. This party of Family Values, this party that believes that the Gays will destroy marriage are doing an awful fine job all by themselves. Can someone please explain to me tho, that when a Democrat does a 'naughty, naughty' thing, they are no longer in office and when a Republican does the very same things (or similar) they are commended?

For example:
Rod Blagojevich -- Out;
Eliot Spitzer --Out.
Gray Davis --Out;
Jim McGreevey --Out;
Mark Sanford -- Still in office.
Larry Craig -- Never resigned.
David Vitter -- Relected. (given standing ovation on Senate Floor)
John Ensign -- Still in office. (another standing ovation)

Granted these situations should be taken on an "as they come" basis -- I say that as a Democrat. I view our party as one with a little more tolerance, and a lot more compassion. I don't like hypocrisy. The Dems were never the party of Family Values, and Marriage Purity. Does that give us a pass? No. We want to hold politicians accountable for their actions. It seems like the GOP doesn't really like to do that. As a matter of fact, Grover Norquist believes such infidelities make the party more manly:
“I disagree with the idea that this shows problems for the modern Republican Party,” said Grover Norquist, the president of Americans for Tax Reform, a group that applauded Mr. Sanford’s attempt to refuse some federal stimulus funds earlier this year. In reference to the fiscally conservative philosophies of Mr. Ensign and Mr. Sanford, he joked, “I think instead it shows that sexual attractiveness of limited-government conservatism.”
Both John Ensign and Mark Sanford were Republicans who called for the impeachment of President Bill Clinton. The GOP's other great white hope, Newt Gingrich is hoping that people will forget not just his infidelities, but also his reasons for stepping down as speaker of the house. He was leveled with 84 ethics breaches (all but one that were dropped). He also shut down Congress in a hissy fit hen he felt snubbed by the President. This guy is the face of the GOP along with Rush -- who we don't really need to rehash here. Tom Delay has not seen one day of jail time for his Abramoff dealings. Granted, not all Republicans keep their power... Mark Foley being a good example. In my opinion, diddling with pages was the bad bad thing in that sordid drama, but the GOP seemed to be far more concerned that he had 'the gay'. God forbid-- they need to protect the sanctity of marriage. Affairs are good with women -- but not with men it seems.

I personally feel that what happens between grown adults is ultimately their own business. That said, those that have the power to make laws and legislate should be held to a higher standard when they try to legislate their own morality upon the American electorate. I don't expect any politician to be perfect, I expect them to strive to be the best that they can be. No party can claim the moral majority as the GOP did, but they should be held to a higher expectation. They are in charge of running our government. We look to them to do the right thing for their constituents, and make the right choices when called upon. It's not gays that are hurting marriages, it is the GOP and the hypocrisy of their 'family values' and the so-called 'sanctity of marriage'.

:peace: and
Raine


 
107 comments (Latest Comment: 06/26/2009 01:15:20 by TriSec)

Iran - Day 12
Author: BobR    Date: 06/24/2009 12:20:28

It's been twelve days since the Iranian people voted. We've seen the protests go from violent to peaceful, to violent again, the violence initially coming from the protesters, then shifting to the government forces. It's a standoff on a national scale, both sides waiting for the other side to blink. It appears that won't happen any time soon.
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87 comments (Latest Comment: 06/25/2009 03:07:24 by clintster)

Scooby Doo and the Mystery of the Missing Governor
Author: clintster    Date: 06/23/2009 12:27:48

It stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the news of Iranian voter unrest, the train wreck in Washington and, most importantly, John and Kate getting a divorce. There were reports that Mark Sanford, the governor of South Carolina, was missing.
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104 comments (Latest Comment: 06/24/2009 01:47:02 by TriSec)

They blacked out the media. Poor Iran
Author: Raine    Date: 06/22/2009 12:40:15

Like many others, I have been watching the events in Iran unfold over these past few weeks. It is frightening, terrifying, fascinating and exhilarating. It's dangerous, though. People are dying. More people you can safely assume, than is being reported. This green revolution is growing and morphing into something else, but it started with a simple idea: Count Our Vote. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?
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73 comments (Latest Comment: 06/23/2009 12:13:17 by TriSec)

Enquiring minds.
Author: velveeta jones    Date: 06/21/2009 13:52:26

Why would I want single-payer health care? I don’t want to be single!

No you will not necessarily be single. Single payer is a term used to describe the payment of doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers from a single fund. According to the National Library of Medicine's Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) thesaurus, a single-payer system is:

An approach to health care financing with only one source of money for paying health care providers. The scope may be national, like the Canadian system, state-wide, or community-based. The payer may be a governmental unit or other entity such as an insurance company. The proposed advantages include administrative simplicity for patients and providers, and resulting significant savings in overhead costs.

Single-payer health care does not necessarily mean that the government or some government agency delivers or controls health care services; it could be similar to a public utility that provides electricity for example, to everyone.

More info can be found here.
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19 comments (Latest Comment: 06/21/2009 22:13:30 by Mondobubba)

Wakey, wakey!
Author: TriSec    Date: 06/20/2009 11:14:07

Good Morning!

Well, let's dive right in with a subject that's near and dear to most listeners of Ms. Miller's audio offerings....the PSA!

That's right, we've gotten our heads stuck in a vase, poison ivy near our eye, and been serenaded by the Love Walrus singing about babies and boobs.

I have mixed feelings about the PSA; I suppose they serve some public good, but any station that's relying heavily on them to fill paying ad space can't be making any money. (are you listening, WWZN? [Boston]).

Anyway, there's one that's been making the rounds on the ol' teevee machine. Perhaps you've seen it.



Maybe it's a good idea; maybe not. But I've got a beef with it, at least locally. Our cable news outlet (NECN) plays this ad incessantly, often back-to-back, during the morning wakeup rush. My soon to be 8 year old son knows the ad word for word, and has been known to recite the script right along with the ad.

Which has led to the question, "Papa, what are nude pics?"

Nice going. Thank you NECN.

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12 comments (Latest Comment: 06/21/2009 02:24:03 by livingonli)

Feeding the Beast - Violent Extremism
Author: BobR    Date: 06/19/2009 12:31:57

The recent DHS report that warned of possible violence from right-wing extremists created an uproar from the right-wing community. They seemed unable to distinguish between their right-wing views and extreme views. Yet recent violence seems to indicate that the report was accurate. Could the report have been worded differently to get the message across more effectively? Author Chip Berlet thinks so.

I heard an interview with him on NPR last night discussing his new report "Toxic to Democracy: Conspiracy Theories, Demonization, and Scapegoating". He describes the common characteristics of those that commit the violence and the language used to describe them. He also describes how these people are driven to act out in violent ways.
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64 comments (Latest Comment: 06/20/2009 02:50:56 by trojanrabbit)

Jumped the Shark -Big time.
Author: Raine    Date: 06/18/2009 12:37:05

I have nothing today. When I read stories like this, I don't even know what to say.
The group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wants the flyswatter in chief to try taking a more humane attitude the next time he's bedeviled by a fly in the White House.

PETA is sending President Barack Obama a Katcha Bug Humane Bug Catcher, a device that allows users to trap a house fly and then release it outside.

We have 2 wars, We have a record setting recession. Our economy is still teetering on the brink. People can't find jobs. We have people in America fighting for basic civil rights. Iran is going thru a major revolution. We have journalists being held captive in NOrth Korea. Gitmo is still open and PETA is worried about a FLY?

It is no wonder it is hard to take things seriously sometimes. Being passionate about a cause-- whatever it may be -- is wonderful and critical to ensuring that cause comes to fruition. You want to make people aware, and to sway opinion, but when you are protesting the death of a fly-- you lose credibility.

Maybe I am getting a little middle of the road these days but I would rather try to maintain some rationale for the things that upset me, lest I lose my credibility. PETA might want to remember that.

A fly-- and I am supposed to take them seriously? No longer. I hope this isn't the beginning of a faux outrage trend or anything.

:peace: and
Raine


 
90 comments (Latest Comment: 06/19/2009 03:48:05 by clintster)

Deep Breath Time
Author: BobR    Date: 06/17/2009 12:39:18

Considering that we are about halfway through Gay Pride month, it seems Obama has gone 1 for 3 in opportunities to put same-sex couples on the same footing as straight couples. The Justice Dept's analysis of DOMA has been reviled; the political football that is "Don't Ask/Don't Tell" has been kicked around. The one bright light in this is that he is extending benefits to same-sex partners for federal employees. Expect bigots' heads to explode with cries of "not with MY tax dollars!".

But are all of these as one-sided as they seem? People have a tendency to simplify anaylsis, and take a pro/con position, where it may require a more nuanced approach. After 8 years of Stupid in the White House, perhaps we've swung the other way, where the President assumes Americans are able to see things in shades of gray, and we're failing.
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72 comments (Latest Comment: 06/18/2009 08:04:43 by Scoopster)

Ask a Vet
Author: TriSec    Date: 06/16/2009 10:30:48

Good Morning.

Today is our 2,281st day in Iraq.

We'll start this morning as we always do, with the latest casualty figures from Iraq and Afghanistan, courtesy of Antiwar.com:

American Deaths
Since war began (3/19/03): 4313
Since "Mission Accomplished" (5/1/03): 4174
Since Capture of Saddam (12/13/03): 3852
Since Handover (6/29/04): 3454
Since Obama Inauguration (1/20/09): 85

Other Coalition Troops - Iraq: 318
US Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 704
Other Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 478
Journalists - Iraq: 138
Contractor Employee Deaths - Iraq: 1,306


We find this morning's cost of war passing through:

$ 868, 774, 200, 000 ,00



Here at "Ask a Vet", we often tend to focus on political issues, the machinations in Washington or Baghdad, or more often than not, the challenges facing our men and women in uniform and what they can expect upon their return. "Ask a Vet" in its original incarnation back on 'Unfiltered' was just that...a returning soldier from Iraq would go on the air and take questions from the listeners.

Although we have no way of doing that on the blog, here we often tend to lose focus on than human element. So today, I have a story that might take us back to our roots just a little bit. The GOP has made hay out of how unpatriotic and subversive we all are up here in the 'liberal northeast'....but we send soldiers overseas to fight and die too. Here's one family's story from Cape Cod.

Continue reading...

67 comments (Latest Comment: 06/17/2009 02:43:28 by Raine)

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