MLW suffered from a little political overload the last few weeks. Between not having personal experiences to share and feeling overwhelmed by the absolute crap theatre that is our political process, I was stymied in my writing attempts. But I read an interview with Barack Obama last night and I thought that regardless of the results of this election, I am optimistic. Because we are engaged. People have not talked politics like this in a long time. When voters are actually engaged, throw out the polls cause who knows how it's all gonna turn out. Let's dig in...
The Debates
Yes,Yes, Yes, Kerry won but he could have done better. Bush just kept repeating the same empty and meaningless slogans. I thought maybe he was having a flashback to his Yale cheerleading days. "Gimme an H! Gimme an A! Gimme an R! Gimme a D! What's it spell? Hard!'- No shit George, lots of jobs require hard work, you've just never had one before.
I thought some of the questions were stupid, too. Bob Schieffer's shallow pandering to women with the "We've surrounded ourselves by strong women..." Why are we measuring candidates by their spouses? Frankly, I'd like to hear more substantive talk about a REAL ISSUE than an camera-ready phony display of their "humanness." Also annoying, Gwen Ifills inane question that instructed, "..without saying the candidate's name..." Are we in 5th grade?
Random thoughts -it's interesting that it's okay for a Republican - in this case, Alan Keyes - (running futilely or is that facile-ly in juntaspeak for an Illinois Senate seat-against Barack Obama) to call Mary Cheney a "selfish hedonist" but not okay for Kerry to refer to her as, ohmygod, a lesbian. It's only a bad thing if you think being a lesbian is bad. Yea, Lynn Cheney, I'm talking to you, girlfriend.
and
I want to know why Edwards didn't respond when Dick-I-had-other-priorities-Cheney said they had not met. I wanted to jump up at slap his smug, arrogant white corporate mercenary ass on my 13" TV.
and
Since when are trial lawyers to blame for health care costs in America? I can't wait to see Michael Moore rip on the pharma companies.
More White Corporate Asses
MLW attended an"Election Outlook" presentation at her day job last week. What I assumed would be an interesting discussion quickly transformed into a thinly-veiled junta commercial. I have to give kudos to our lobbyist who facilitated the session. As a former Newt Gingrich staff member, you can imagine the non-partisan nature of his comments. There was a junta power spill all over his power point deck. He began his comments with the completely objective opinion that "In 2005, the focus will return to domestic issues." Hmmm..Last I knew the junta's occupation of Iraq had racked 120 billion from the police state's treasury. So it's just going to end in January 2005? Amazing how these silly little wars just disappear!
I have to hand it to his white corporate ass (WCA), he was very subtle in his propagation of the junta agenda. Let me give you another example. He brought up taxes and assured us that Senator Kerry would not only be raising individual taxes but he would start taxing our very company for all the outsourcing it sponsors. Bad, bad liberal! Making corporations pay for sending their work overseas for cheaper wages, cheaper benefits, and tax loopholes! He also mentioned the privatization of Social Security and how that would benefit the financial advisors group in our firm. My question - what happened to being good businessmen and good citizens? He also mentioned 527 groups but only the ones that support Kerry. No Swift Boat Veterans (who weren't actually there) for Truth (Lies) going on in this "discussion."
And yes I know I'm a white corporate ass, too. But this ass is also liberal.
And You Thought Your Family Was Dsyfunctional
Check out this website I just found through ABC News Online, The Note www.bushrelativesforkerry.com. My favorite relative is Jeanny House from Wisconsin, a self-proclaimed Christian. Jeanny thank you for wiping hate from the slate of the Christian right.
"My Christian faith moves toward greater inclusiveness and acceptance, George Bush moves toward punishment, division, and exclusion. My Christian faith seeks to bring people into the circle of decision-making, George Bush seeks to keep them out. My Christian faith seeks to afford equal rights and responsibilities to all, George Bush seeks to reserve more rights for the privileged few. My Christian faith is not looking for a new Messiah named George Bush. I am, however, looking for a leader. I believe that leader's name is John Kerry."
For an interesting commentary on the power and manipulation of The Note, Read the October 25 edition of The New Yorker. More evidence, that the political process is just a game for the media whether you are ABC or Fox.
Contest - Guess the October Surprise
The winner gets an anti-Bush teeshirt! Deadline for entry midnight EST on Monday, October 25. Unless it happens before and then it's first come, first serve. I am guessing the surprise will be unveiled on October 28. Hit the envelope below and send me an email with your mailing address and the size you'd prefer.
White Corporate Whiner Asses and Power to the People
It appears that the numerous petitions and threats to boycott the Sinclair Broadcast Group for their mandate that 62 of their stations, located in swing states, broadcast "Stolen Honor" about John Kerry's anti-war activities actually worked. Sinclair is the largest television station firm in the U.S., whose executives have given thousands of dollars to the junta campaign.
Today's New York Times reports, "The company, already suffering from a sluggish advertising climate, has had its stock price fall by almost 17 percent and its market capitalization drop by $140 million in the last week and a half. The protest grew yesterday. The Burger King Company announced that it would pull all its commercials from Sinclair stations all day on the date the program is broadcast. "Burger King wants to maintain neutrality during this election," said Eric Anderson, a spokesman.
Doesn't some British congolmerate own Burger King? Can you imagine if someone forced stations to air "Fahreheit 9/11" - there'd be a massive government takeover of television.
Direct from the Sinclair website, read this from the CEO, David-white- corporate-ass-whiner-Smith.
"The experience of preparing to air this news special has been trying for many of those involved. The company and many of its executives have endured personal attacks of the vilest nature, as well as calls on our advertisers and our viewers to boycott our stations and shareholders to sell their stock. (MLW: the First Amendment in badass ction.) In addition, and more shockingly, we have received threats of retribution from a member of Senator John Kerry's campaign and have seen attempts by leading members of Congress to influence (MLW: as is their duty as Congress) the Federal Communications Commission to stop Sinclair from broadcasting this news special. Moreover, these coordinated attacks have occurred without regard to the facts since they predated the broadcast of our news special. We cannot in a free America yield to the misguided attempts by a small but vocal minority to influence behavior and trample on the First Amendment rights of those with whom they might not agree... We also took comfort in the positions of other media organizations which supported our right topresent this story notwithstanding any disagreement they may have with thec ontent, (MLW: this can only be Fox News) as well as in the words of Michael Powell, Chairman of the FCC (MLW: nominated by Clinton for a Republican seat on the FCC, designated by Bush as chairman. One job on his resume, former policy advisor to Dick-I-have-other-priorities-Cheney) who refused to block the program, noting that to do so would be 'unconstitutional' and 'an absolute disservice to the First Amendment.'"
If it was such a small minority why did they change their policy? If they really think they are right, why are they backing down? I'm not sure how forcing your TV stations to interrupt regular broadcasting for a anti-Kerry documentary constitutes employing your First Amendment rights while choosing to boycott your advertisers does not. No wonder their stock price has gone down- they aren't very smart guys! I think that just ought to show "Going Upriver" and then they'll prove how non-partisan they are and everybody is happy!
Shout Out to a Stranger
Bush Slam Poetry Winner - Rated PG
If an f-bomb or two offends you (and it's the only kind of bomb I like), skip this section.
I am acknowledging a complete stranger here- Vanessa German who was awarded First Place in in the Bush Slam. Hear Vanessa speak her truth at http://www.slambush.net/nationalchamp.cfm#poem I am posting it here in its entirety. It wasn't copyrighted but I would gladly pay a fee for a recording of this powerful indictment of the junta. Vanessa, your writing makes me want to stand up and shout.
Thank you George Muthaf@%#king Bush
thank u
for makin it easier for meto get a tech9 or AR14 than a pap smear & a good education
thank u from the first boy i kissed who u sent off to fight your war in iraq he returned home only by telegram & in a box
thank u from me from my body from the woman i love that i want to marry & call my wife
without u bible thumpin daggers & demanding constitutional amendments to prevent us from loving this revolutionary love (az tho we cud soil the sanctitiy of marriage)
u cud nevah touch my love or fuck with my love
its just the right u seek to deny us so we must fight for it in the end
it's all a matter of voice of exercising choice & flexing the muscle of democracy
which shudn't be pigeon holed marginalized or constitutionaly compromised under the pretense that who i love kiss fuck hold hands & make family with iz destructive to the fiber that quilts the fabric of america
which ironically happens to be cotton
that notoriously bloody lily white thread that my grandfather & hiz fathers fathers before picked by hand in mer rouge louisiana
i hav not forgotton that i am america
that my blood iz in these rivers & at the roots of these redwood treesi know that this country was built on the backs of blacks that were shackled strapped & stacked slashed gashed taxed & then cashed in onlike cattle
i hav not forgotton that i am america & even tho u want me to be quiet & invisible i will not
i hav decided that if u r not with US then u r against US
US the 99% of the population that makes less than 1.2 million dollars a year
the 43 million people that hav no health care
the 14 million children that got left behind that go to bed hungry every night
if u r not with US then u r against US
& we understandthat terror iz not always guns & knives & otherwise explosive devices of evil
sometimes terror iz just making no living wage going day to day pay check to pay check praying that no one gets sick
terror iz not knowing which of ur sons will fit the description & die while reaching back pocket for identification to prove he iz american but not american enuf to live free
terror iz being 13 having no access no choice & taking matters into ur own hands
terror iz being a woman begging for emergency contraception when u've been raped taken by force & foresaken
just like the constitution after the presidential election of 2000
which u did not winu stole like a purse off the shoulder of an old lady
making america ur bitch
didn't anyone ever tell uwhen u take shit that's not urs u give it back & apologize but no.
we realize that u mr bushr just the figure head the smoke screen the sony nike gmc tommy hilfiger blue jeans brand name of a regime of evil so vicious & arrogant u hav the audacity to murder in my name & call it justice call it liberation
long time come when all it really iz iz economic imperialism or occupation which iz the same thing hitler did in poland austria & hungry ...
if u really wanted to liberate u cud hav liberated delbert or r africa janine holloway africa micheal sims africa or mumia abul jamal
it wasn't 6 weeks it waz 17 thousand lives not just american lives but human lives
how sacred are they tell me answer me tell me how sacred are they
stop trying to convince us that justice iz always this bloody
that liberation costs babies & mothers & homes & sons & lovers & fathers & dignity& truth & purity & hope & democracy
thank u mr bushfor showing us that we must fight everyday for our freedom as tho we r fighting for our lives
obviously u r not going to beat a path of justice to our front doors
this is my requiem for the last four years
my premptive strike on the next four years
this iz my love poemto america
even tho he took u by force violated u forsook u
before the eye of god made u barely recognizable to the rest of us
i still love u baby he can not shame u before my eyes
u r beautiful i will fight & die for u r the people & i am u
this iz my love poem to america
Knowledge is Power
Here's a few links and books I encourage you to check out. Send me your recommendations!
Books
Losing America - Senator Robert Byrd
Moyers on America - Bill Moyers (I am awed by his writing.)
Magazines
O, October 2004, Column - "What I Know For Sure"
If this doesn't inspire you or someone you know to vote - I don't know what will.
O, November 2004 "Oprah Talks to Barack Obama"
Hope is on the way!
The New Yorker - October 18, 2004 - "Remember the Alamo. Why George W. Bush Became Radical"
by Nicholas Lehann
Insightful. And when it's insightful about W, it's usually frightening.
Online Articles, Blogs, and Websites
Crimes Against Nature
by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
http://yubanet.com/artman/publish/article_14108.shtml
You'll be more green than you ever realized.
Investigative Journalist Seymour Hersch Spills the Secrets on the War on Iraq
http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2004/10/11_hersh.shtml
More commentary from the man who brought us The Killing Fields during Vietnam and Abu Ghraib from Iraq.
www.wonkette.com - a much more famous blogger than MLW - she's got sponsorship and an insider's view. She also lives in D.C.
www.bushoncrack.com - hilarious
www.democraticunderground.com - good stuff
http://littleevilbush.blogspot.com - more good stuff
