Republican Party Stuck on Stupid

One has to wonder just how long the Republican party plans to stay stuck on stupid? Clearly their policies of the last eight years didn't work. For that matter, the principles they have espoused since the Reagan years have proven not to work -- so why do they insist on continuing with the same mantra of tax cuts and deregulation?

They rail about "big government" and "deficit spending" yet over the past 30 years it's been the Republican party who has grown the federal government and left us with record-setting national debts!

If conservative Republicans are as fiscally responsible as they claim to be, then why did the national debt nearly triple under Ronald Reagan, and more than triple under George W. Bush? And talk about big government, Bush added a whole new department!

Republicans just wrapped up their Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, DC, and the Washington Post reports:

Same old hotel on the park, same ballrooms, same long lines down the corridor to hear the big-name speakers, but otherwise the landscape look radically different for this year's Conservative Political Action Conference, which wrapped up yesterday afternoon at the Omni Shoreham. The conservatives are in the dark woods now. The deep brambles.

"I'm still seeing who will lead us out of this wilderness," said Sarah Smith, 27, of Alexandria.

The country's conservative, Republican-dominated strongholds have shrunk to the Deep South, the Plains and talk radio. Mitch McConnell (Ky.), the Senate Republican leader, warned that the GOP cannot be satisfied with being a regional party. "We must make a comeback," he thundered in the Regency Ballroom .

This is the first time since the aftermath of Watergate that conservatives have known what it is like to be so completely out of power, out-funded, out-organized and arguably irrelevant to national governance. Even the free market has seemingly betrayed them, what with the Wall Street shenanigans, banking dysfunctions and auto industry incompetence. [...]

The grim election results have exposed the fractures in the movement, threatening to shred the coalition of social conservatives, fiscal conservatives and national security conservatives. More broadly, the Republican Party faces a quandary of whether to retrench to core conservative values or try to reach out to a broader constituency.

There are some basic questions to be answered, such as: Has the right become too conservative or not conservative enough? Is it enough to be a party of "no," or do Republicans need new to reinvent themselves and provide new ideas of their own?

"It's the end of the road for self-denial," said conservative pundit Tucker Carlson. He endorsed the "cleansing" effects of catastrophic failure.

Carlson had a bit of a dust-up with the audience when he spoke Thursday. He argued that conservatives need to put more effort into digging up facts and rely less on opinion and punditry. He noted that the New York Times, a favorite target of conservative wrath, at least cares about spelling people's names right.

"NOOOOOOO," arose a moan from some in the crowd.

"I'm merely saying that at the core of their news-gathering operation is gathering news."

"NOOOOO . . ."

It's clear from their response that Republicans have never let a little thing like "facts" get in the way of moving their agenda.

James Dobson is calling it quits -- or is he?

The Associated Press reports that Focus on the Family leader James Dobson resigned on Wednesday. But what does that really mean?

Conservative evangelical leader James Dobson has resigned as chairman of Focus on the Family but will continue to play a prominent role at the organization he founded more than three decades ago.

Dobson notified the board of his decision Wednesday, and the 950 employees of the Colorado Springs, Colo.-based ministry were informed Friday morning, said Jim Daly, the group's president and chief executive officer.

Dobson, 72, will continue to host Focus on the Family's flagship radio program, write a monthly newsletter and speak out on moral issues, Daly said.

Dobson's resignation as board chairman "lessens his administrative burden" and is the latest step in a succession plan, the group said. Dobson began relinquishing control six years ago by stepping down as president and CEO.

"One of the common errors of founder-presidents is to hold to the reins of leadership too long, thereby preventing the next generation from being prepared for executive authority," Dobson said in a statement. "... Though letting go is difficult after three decades of intensive labor, it is the wise thing to do."

While Focus on the Family emphasizes that it devotes most of its resources to offering parenting and marriage advice, it is best known for promoting conservative moral stands in politics.

It sounds like business as usual to me.

Barry Lynn, at Americans United for Separation of Church and State, has a similar view:

James Dobson’s decision to resign as chairman of Focus on the Family is unlikely to make much of a difference in the day-to-day operations of that organization. Dobson intends to continue his daily radio program and monthly mailings. He has also said he will keep handing out political endorsements. Many who listen to Dobson’s daily radio broadcast may not even be aware of this change.

Focus on the Family is merely rearranging the deck chairs on its big, intolerant ship.

I do not expect this change to mean we will see any moderation in the rhetoric of Focus on the Family or its arm in Washington, the Family Research Council. For years, FOF has been the leading voice of religious extremism and intolerance in America. It has led the attack on the legal rights of gay and lesbian Americans, worked assiduously to undermine reproductive rights, assaulted the religious neutrality of public schools and labored to replace science with far-right, fundamentalist dogma.

James Dobson’s vision of America is of a divisive and narrow-minded nation, a country where an exceedingly limited version of Christianity – the type hewn to by Dobson and his followers – is welded to the raw power of the state. In his misguided quest for an officially ‘Christian America,’ Dobson would trample on the rights of millions. I am thankful that so many Americans reject Dobson’s disturbing vision.

Well said, Reverend Lynn.

The Religious Right is not going away, they are simply moving many of their battles to the states, now that they feel a little less powerful in Washington. And that loss of power in DC might be why Dobson has decided to make this ceremonial side step. He has built much of his reputation over the past few years on the influence he had with President Bush and the Republican leadership while they controlled Congress. And you know that "they" say ... when you're not the lead dog, the view never changes.

The End of Taxation Without Representation in DC

The Senate passed a bill today giving the District a House vote. Finally, more than half a million people might actually have representation in our federal government. All I can say is "it's about damn time!" The only down side was an amendment regarding gun control.

The Senate today passed a bill that for the first time would give the District a full voting member of the House of Representatives. But senators managed to attach an amendment that would scrap most of the District's local gun-control laws.

The 61-37 vote marked the first time in 31 years that the Senate had approved a D.C. voting-rights bill. The addition of the gun language could complicate the bill's passage into law, however, since it will be necessary to reconcile the Senate version of the legislation with the companion bill in the House. Voting-rights supporters hope the gun amendment can be removed in those negotiations.

The House is expected to approve the D.C. vote bill next week, and President Obama has indicated he will sign it into law. [...]

The D.C. vote bill would expand the House permanently by two seats. One would go to the strongly Democratic District, while the other would go to the next state in line to pick up a seat based on population count. For two years, that seat would be Republican-leaning Utah. It would then pass to whichever state qualified based on Census results. [...]

The gun amendment is similar to a sweeping measure approved by the House last year that was fiercely opposed by the D.C. government. It would limit the District's authority to restrict firearms, repeal the D.C. semiautomatic gun ban and remove gun-registration requirements. It drew bipartisan support. Among those supporting the amendment were Virginia's Democratic senators, Mark Warner and Jim Webb.

Opponents denounced it on the Senate floor.

"It's reckless, it's irresponsible, it will lead to more violence," charged Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.). She said that approval of the amendment would be "the first step to removing all common-sense gun regulation all over this land."

I agree!

Hilda Solis Confirmed as Labor Secretary

Whew ... it took more than two months, but Senate Republicans finally recovered enough brain power to confirm Hilda Solis as Labor Secretary.

The Senate voted 80 to 17 to confirm Solis, after Senate Republicans today assured Democrats that they would not filibuster the nomination. Solis had come under fire from Senate Republicans, who thought she was unresponsive to many of their questions during her confirmation hearing, a situation that was compounded by her work as treasurer for American Rights at Work, a pro-labor group.

There were also concerns among some Republicans about her support for a measure that would make it easier for workers to organize unions. [...]

While Solis's nomination generated skepticism among many Republicans and their backers in the business community, the new labor secretary enjoys solid support among members of organized labor. The daughter of immigrants from Mexico and Nicaragua, both of Solis's parents were union members. Also, as a member of Congress, Solis has shared union skepticism toward free trade agreements, and been a strong proponent of developing jobs in renewal energy and other "green collar" areas.

"America's working men and women will be fortunate to have someone of Hilda's tremendous talents leading the Department of Labor. She knows the huge challenges facing workers and their families, and she has the experience and dedication needed for this vital position," said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), chairman of the Senate's Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. " It's been a privilege to work with her in Congress, and I look forward very much to working with her as secretary."

Labor leaders applauded Solis's confirmation.

"The confirmation of Rep. Hilda Solis is a huge victory. Finally, Americans will have a Secretary of Labor who represents working people, not wealthy CEOs," said AFL-CIO President John Sweeney.

President Obama Addresses Congress

Watch CBS Videos Online
I thought the President delivered a great speech tonight, and a vast majority of Americans seemed to agree.

Poll: Positive Reception For Obama Address

CBS News and Knowledge Networks held a nationally representative poll of approximately 500 people who watched President Obama give his address to Congress to gauge their reaction in the minutes after the president’s speech.

Though the results are not yet final, here are the preliminary findings.

Seventy-nine percent of speech watchers approve of President Obama’s plans for dealing with the economic crisis. Before the speech, 62 percent approved.

Fifty-two of speech watchers think the president's economic plans will help them personally. Thirty-five thought so before the speech.

Seventy-five percent of speech watchers now say they were able to get a good understanding of Barack Obama’s economic plans, compared to 61 percent before the speech.

Seventy-three percent of speech watchers think President Obama’s plans will make the economy better. Twelve percent think they will make them worse, while 15 percent think they will make no difference.

Seventy-nine percent of speech watchers are optimistic about the next four years with Mr. Obama as president. Seventy-one percent said they were optimistic before the speech.

We will have a full report on the poll later on.

This is a scientifically representative poll of speech watchers. The margin of sampling error could be plus or minus 5 percentage points for results based on the entire sample.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal seemed to be running for president, using the same old tired Republican talking points. Rachel Maddow just reported that the Presidents approval rating is 68%, support for the stimulus plan is at 64%, and the Republican argument that the stimulus plan has too much spending and not enough tax cuts is supported by only 10% of the country. When will these guys get it!

And the Oscar goes to ...

Sean Penn - "Milk"


Dustin Lance Black - "Milk"

Two of my favorite moments from the 81st Oscars.

Some of the winners last night included:

• Motion Picture: "Slumdog Millionaire."



• Actor: Sean Penn, "Milk."



• Actress: Kate Winslet, "The Reader."



• Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, "The Dark Knight."



• Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona."



• Director: Danny Boyle, "Slumdog Millionaire."



• Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy, "Slumdog Millionaire."



• Original Screenplay: Dustin Lance Black, "Milk."



• Animated Feature Film: "WALL-E."



• Original Song: "Jai Ho" from "Slumdog Millionaire," A.R. Rahman and Gulzar.



• Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award (Oscar statuette): Jerry Lewis

Sunday Funnies

New Rules

How Worried Are You?

Real Time with Bill Maher is on, and the panel is having a good discussion on the state of the US economy. One of the things mentioned really caught my attention. Bill said the average price for a home in Detroit is $18,000. Think about it -- that's less than what I paid for my car!

The Great Depression has reached Detroit. The average price of a home is now $18,513 and unemployment has reached 21%, and it’s expected to get worse. Detroit is facing a crisis of epic proportions that officially puts Detroit statistically (and real term) on par with the great depression. [...]

It has become the center of all that is wrong with America ... and nothing of what is right.

For example, the crime rate has fallen ... because of lack of targets within the city. Meaning there is nothing left to steal. In fact, even the criminals don’t want to leave jail.

Reading this leads me to ask what are your thoughts about the following question:

Is the panic causing the problem, or is the problem causing the panic?

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Wall Street has been on a roller coaster ride for some time now, and when the market tanks it impacts everyone. Is there justification for all this panic, or are they merely panicking for the sake of panicking ... and does that question even make any sense?
.

Flash way way back

That Old Black Magic - Louis Prima & Keely Smith


Sing Sing Sing - Gene Krupa & Benny Goodman


An amazing drum solo - by a 12 year old

President Obama: Stop Discrimination NOW

From Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

On Feb. 5, President Barack Obama named a new executive director for his White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships and signed an executive order creating a 25-member advisory council of religious and community leaders.

But civil rights and civil liberties advocates were disappointed to see that Obama left completely untouched five Bush-era executive orders and numerous agency regulations and rulings that allow publicly funded religious groups to discriminate in hiring on religious grounds and permit public funds to pay for construction and renovation of buildings used for worship.

That means billions of tax dollars in the federal pipeline are being allocated today under the controversial Bush-era rules.

“I would rather there be no ‘faith-based’ office,” said Americans United Executive Director Barry W. Lynn. “But if it exists, it must comply with long-established protections guaranteeing civil rights and civil liberties.”

AU’s Lynn urges every American to contact the White House.

Ask President Obama to issue an executive order barring proselytism and employment bias in all publicly funded programs run by faith-based organizations. In addition, the president should put in place such other civil liberties safeguards as may be necessary to ensure that all programs are accountable to the public, effectively achieve their objectives and do not use taxpayer dollars to advance religion.

Contact the White House today!

You can also contact the president’s office in these ways:

• Through the White House comment site: www.whitehouse.gov/contact
  
  
• By phone:
  the comments line is 202-456-1111
  the switchboard is 202-456-1414
  the FAX number is 202-456-2461
  
  
• By mail:
  The White House
  1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
  Washington, DC 20500.
  

Check this out ...

Secretary Hillary Clinton Lands In Japan (Photos)
by egalia at Tennessee Guerilla Women
Be sure and check out the photos. Secretary of State Clinton really looks in her element.


Pat Robertson denounces Rush Limbaugh, hell freezes over
By SilentPatriot at Crooks and Liars


Stimulating
by Melissa McEwan at Shakesville
Melissa nails it again with this post!


Here we go again…
by Tengrain at Mock, Paper, Scissors


A plan to erect a Ten Commandments monument on the grounds of Oklahoma’s State Capitol has cleared a state House committee.

Are the Internets Coming?

Get ready for the tubes, as it appears we are moving toward a 'new and improved' internet.

Two decades ago a 23-year-old Cornell University graduate student brought the Internet to its knees with a simple software program that skipped from computer to computer at blinding speed, thoroughly clogging the then-tiny network in the space of a few hours.

The program was intended to be a digital “Kilroy Was Here.” Just a bit of cybernetic fungus that would unobtrusively wander the net. However, a programming error turned it into a harbinger heralding the arrival of a darker cyberspace, more of a mirror for all of the chaos and conflict of the physical world than a utopian refuge from it.

Since then things have gotten much, much worse.

Bad enough that there is a growing belief among engineers and security experts that Internet security and privacy have become so maddeningly elusive that the only way to fix the problem is to start over.

What a new Internet might look like is still widely debated, but one alternative would, in effect, create a “gated community” where users would give up their anonymity and certain freedoms in return for safety. Today that is already the case for many corporate and government Internet users. As a new and more secure network becomes widely adopted, the current Internet might end up as the bad neighborhood of cyberspace. You would enter at your own risk and keep an eye over your shoulder while you were there.

“Unless we’re willing to rethink today’s Internet,” says Nick McKeown, a Stanford engineer involved in building a new Internet, “we’re just waiting for a series of public catastrophes.” [...]

The Internet’s current design virtually guarantees anonymity to its users. (As a New Yorker cartoon noted some years ago, “On the Internet, nobody knows that you’re a dog.”) But that anonymity is now the most vexing challenge for law enforcement. An Internet attacker can route a connection through many countries to hide his location, which may be from an account in an Internet cafe purchased with a stolen credit card.

“As soon as you start dealing with the public Internet, the whole notion of trust becomes a quagmire,” said Stefan Savage, an expert on computer security at the University of California, San Diego.

Sunday Funnies

Happy Valentine's Day

To these faces of love!

And now, a word from some of our sponsors:

Germaine Gregarious - Listen Up, Everyone! An Important Organization Needs Your Panties!

Dr. Zaius - Happy Valentine's Day!

The Party of No!

After watching the first video, you will need the second.

Happy Birthday Charles & Abe

Charles Darwin

Rev. Barry W. Lynn, of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, explains:
"Why we celebrate Darwin Day"
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.


Abraham Lincoln

And much has been said about our 16th President, as we usher in our 44th.

Who's Missing at the Faith-Based Table?

Rev. Debra Haffner asks "Who's missing at the table?" regarding President Obama's new White House Office on Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

Yes, Mr. President ... inquiring minds would like to know!

The Office has four priorities, according to the press release, including:

It will be one voice among several in the administration that will look at how we support women and children, address teenage pregnancy, and reduce the need for abortion.

Note that the wording is NOT “abortion reduction” as being reported in the press, but reducing the need for abortion, surely a goal as I have written many times that is common ground. Although I’m not sure why there isn’t a commitment to reduce pregnancies among teenagers rather than it being a topic to be “addressed”, the statement does support the agenda laid out on the White House web site for the new administration:

Supports a Woman's Right to Choose: President Obama understands that abortion is a divisive issue, and respects those who disagree with him. However, he has been a consistent champion of reproductive choice and will make preserving women's rights under Roe v. Wade a priority in his Administration. He opposes any constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court's decision in that case.

Preventing Unintended Pregnancy: President Obama was an original co-sponsor of legislation to expand access to contraception, health information, and preventive services to help reduce unintended pregnancies. Introduced in January 2007, the Prevention First Act will increase funding for family planning and comprehensive sex education that teaches both abstinence and safe sex methods. The Act will also end insurance discrimination against contraception, improve awareness about emergency contraception, and provide compassionate assistance to rape victims.

What’s curious then is that among the fifteen leaders who have been named to the new Advisory Council, only Rabbi David Saperstein from the Union for Reform Judaism is an outspoken supporter of women's reproductive choice, although several of the named persons are vocal anti-choice supporters. Given the President's public commitments and the published White House agenda I note above, the lack of denomination and religious organization leaders who are known to be supporters of these issues and who have expertise working on them is troubling and disappointing. It’s also deeply troubling that only one of the council members is a woman religious leader, that only one third are women, and that none are out gay and lesbian religious or secular leaders.

The last is particularly concerning because the President in establishing the office left in place a Bush executive order that's specifically authorizes religion-based employment discrimination in publicly funded programs, what seems like a reversal of candidate Obama’s strong statement in July: “if you get a federal grant, you can’t use that grant money to proselytize to the people you help and you can’t discriminate against them or against the people you hire on the basis of their religion.”

If you have suggestions about who should fill the remaining spots, leave them on Rev. Haffner's post -- and tell her BAC at Yikes sent you.

In Memoriam - Betty Jameson

In the mid-70's I was a huge LPGA fan, sometimes traveling to four or five tournaments a year. One of my childhood friends played on the tour, so I got to know a number of the players. And while I never met Betty Jameson, I'm grateful to her for the role she played in founding the organization.

Betty Jameson, a Hall of Fame golfer and a founding member of the women’s professional tour, died Saturday in Boynton Beach, Fla., where she lived. She was 89.

Her death was announced by the Ladies Professional Golf Association, which runs the tour.

Jameson was one of 13 women who founded the L.P.G.A. in 1950. Among the others were the champion golfers Patty Berg, Louise Suggs and Babe Didrikson Zaharias. They organized tournaments, established rules and bylaws and supervised membership.

In its first year, the tour consisted of 14 tournaments for a total prize money of less than $50,000. In 2009, it will include at least 30 events in 10 countries with total prize money of nearly $55 million, the L.P.G.A. said.

“Generations of women have benefited from her dedication, vision and sacrifice,” L.P.G.A. Commissioner Carolyn F. Bivens said after Jameson’s death. Jameson had 14 victories as an amateur, including the United States Amateur championships in 1939 and 1940. She turned professional in 1945, signing a three-year deal with Spalding, the sporting goods manufacturer, for $5,000 a year. At the time, she was earning $25 a week as a reporter for The San Antonio Light.

In all, James won 10 tournaments on the professional tour, including the 1947 United States Women’s Open in Greensboro, N.C. Her 72-hole score was 295; it was the first time a woman had broken 300. Years later, she called it the proudest moment of her career. Her first-place money was $1,200.

Her career earnings were $91,470, a respectable sum in an era in which the women drove from tournament to tournament in an automobile caravan and often played on courses far less green and manicured than those of the professional men’s tour. But the women drew the attention of news organizations, which placed the blond-haired, photogenic Jameson among the tour’s so-called “glamour girls.”

The golf historian Herbert Warren Wind compared Jameson to Ben Hogan in her ability to hit the ball straight. Her swing was so controlled, The Palm Beach Post wrote in 1999, that she once asked a playing partner, JoAnn Prentice, to mark her ball on the green and remove it as Jameson prepared to play a shot from 175 yards. “ ‘Well, it was in my line,’ ” the paper quoted Jameson as saying.

Jameson was inducted into the Hall of Fame of Women’s Golf in 1951. In 1967, she was one of six inaugural members of the L.P.G.A. Tour Hall of Fame in St. Augustine, Fla. In 2000, during the L.P.G.A.’s 50th anniversary, she was recognized as one of the association’s top 50 players and teachers.

Jameson was also named to the World Golf Hall of Fame, also in St. Augustine, and in 1999 was inducted into the Women’s Sports Foundation Hall of Fame.

Obama's Faith Based Office an Insult to Women

I agree with my good friend Martha Burk:

President Obama attended the annual National Prayer Breakfast yesterday and used the opportunity to tout the reconstitution and expansion of George W. Bush's Office on Faith Based Initiatives. In his remarks the president said he didn't want to favor one religion over another, or "even religious groups over secular groups." But in fact, that's just what he's doing.

National women's organizations have been lobbying Obama, who has said he is a feminist, to reopen the White House Office on Women's Issues. So far the answer is a big fat no - women's concerns will be under the already swamped Office of Public Liaison. That's a tiny shop that's chronically understaffed and overstretched. Even with the best intentions, there's almost no chance they can interface with women's advocates in a meaningful way, much less shape policy to overcome the many setbacks we inherited from the Bush years.

In a direct insult to women, George W. Bush closed the Clinton-era White House Office on Women's Issues in his first week, then ensconced the first-ever church/state liaison office in the same space. For our new president to "keep the faith" with religious groups while short-shrifting women is equally insulting. There is no doubt that women are responsible for his election. Females went for Obama by 56 percent to McCain's 43 percent, while men split their votes about evenly. The Jesus crowd, on the other hand, voted 60% against the president.

The newly constituted "office for faith-based programs and community partnerships" will be headed by Joshua DuBois, a 26-year-old Pentecostal preacher and Obama confidant, who will preside over a task force of 25 or so religious and community leaders. This group will give DuBois advice, which will presumably be passed on to the president.

To accord this advisory panel so much power, while relegating women to the margins, speaks volumes. Religious groups gained a lot from the Bush years - access to the White House, and millions of dollars in federal money, some of which was used to proselytize. And don't forget, almost all faiths consider women second class citizens; many actively campaign against affirmative action, the Women's Equality Amendment, the international human rights treaty for women known as CEDAW, and civil rights for gays and lesbians. Keeping this act going - even if it is broadened to include "community members" - is not the change women voted for.

Martha sums it up best when she says:

Women's groups are elated that the Texans are finally out of the White House. But if the new president wants their continuing loyalty, he ought to follow some good ol' Texas advice: Dance with the one that brung ya.

Sunday Funnies

Rachel Maddow: Belabored Nomination & Bullpucky

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

In Memoriam - James Whitmore

As regular reader of Yikes know, I worked on the First Freedom First campaign for the two years leading up to the 2008 election. We were fortunate in that campaign to have the support of Mr. Whitmore. The Associated Press reports:

James Whitmore, the many-faceted character actor who delivered strong performances in movies, television and especially the theater with his popular one-man shows about Harry Truman, Will Rogers and Theodore Roosevelt, died Friday, his son said. He was 87.

The Emmy- and Tony-winning actor was diagnosed with lung cancer the week before Thanksgiving and died Friday afternoon at his Malibu home, Steve Whitmore said.

“My father believed that family came before everything, that work was just a vehicle in which to provide for your family,” said Whitmore, who works as spokesman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. “At the end, and in the last two and a half months of his life, he was surrounded by his family.” [...]

While not known for his politics, Whitmore was an early supporter of President Barack Obama. He stumped for Obama during a 2007 rally at the Gibson Theatre at Universal Studios, telling the crowd that Obama had the wisdom “to deal with a very, very confused and complex country, and the world.” Whitmore also appeared in TV commercials in 2008 for the “First Freedom First” campaign, which advocates religious liberty and preserving the separation of church and state.

Thank you for your support Mr. Whitmore, my thoughts are with your family tonight.

More on Lilly Ledbetter

PunditMom, who I had the good fortune to meet this week, has an excellent idea in her post: Goodyear, You Can Spare $360K for Lilly Ledbetter

As so many women have been basking in the glow of the passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the news reports reminded us that even though Lilly has become a standard bearer for the fight for fair pay for women, Lilly herself will never see a nickel of the money that she sued Goodyear Rubber & Tire for. [...]

It's really been bothering me that a corporation like Goodyear that reported profits of $602 million in 2007 (its most current annual SEC filing) most likely spent much more on attorneys' fees than the $360K it could have paid Lilly, trying to convince us it didn't practice gender discrimination. According to its 2007 annual report, Goodyear did, however, pay millions to settle other types of lawsuits. So I thought, wouldn't it be refreshing if Goodyear would do the right thing and pay Lilly Ledbetter the back wages it should have paid her in the first place?

If we really want to honor Lilly and what she did for us and for our daughters (and our sons -- they'll benefit from this, as well), I say we should all call on Goodyear to pay Lilly what it should have paid her to begin with. You don't even need an envelope or stamp. Here's a link to the Goodyear site with the names and online form to contact Goodyear's Global and Corporate Communications honchos.

PunditMom even included a suggested letter you could send:

Dear Goodyear:

Now that President Obama has reversed the Supreme Court decision that denied Lilly Ledbetter her $360,000 in back pay, we call on you to do the right thing and pay Lilly what she should have been paid over the course of 20 years. While the new Ledbetter Law is not retroactive, think about all the public goodwill Goodyear would receive in these tough economic times if it stepped up and did the right thing by Lilly.

Sincerely yours,

(name)

Hey, if you don't ask the answer is always "no."

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hospitalized for Cancer

The Washington Post reports that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg underwent surgery today for pancreatic cancer. It appears the cancer was diagnosed early, which is encouraging. Pancreatic cancer, however, is one of the more aggressive forms of cancer.

Justice Ginsburg is a tireless advocate for many social justice issues I care deeply about. Please join me in extending best wishes to Justice Ginsburg.

Faith-Based Initiative 2.0

NPR discusses "Faith Initiative Caught Between Church, State":

"President Obama is expected on Thursday to announce his version of the Office for Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, which brings together government and religious groups to provide social services. Obama is trying to avoid the Constitutional fights that plagued a similar program under his predecessor. But, the office is already caught up in controversy."

AU Executive Director Rev. Barry Lynn was interviewed for this report.

Must reads ...

In Defense of Partisanship
by Melissa McEwan at Shakesville


And the Hits Keep Coming
by Melissa McEwan at Shakesville


BREAKING: Tom Daschle Withdraws
by Taylor Marsh
(for the last line)

Happy Blogroll Amnesty Day!

NOTE: Everything here is stolen!

As my good friend Dr. Zaius would say, "no time for blogging today!" ... so I will share with you what he has written:

Happy Blogroll Amnesty Day! I first learned about this blogosphere holiday through the blog of the fabulous Blue Gal. You can read the frightening details of this event at the fantastic blog of the holiday's creator, Jon Swift, and also at the blog of the other leading event co-conspirator, the equally awesome Skippy the Bush Kangaroo.

Blue Gal suggests that we should post the link to a few of our favorite blogs, and post them so that others can read about them, become aware of them - and finally blogroll these newer and most recently discovered blogs.

Based on Blue Gal's expressed wishes, I have thus gone through a lengthy winnowing process of my own blogroll to find the very best blogs, and I present the following blogs for your consideration as part of the Blogroll Amnesty celebrations.

Because I'm lazy ... that's why.

all the way from oy to vey

Americans United

Angry Girl

Atomic Romance

Bad Astronomy

Bad Catholic

BAD HABIT

Beautiful Day Rule

Being Jane

Mrs. Betty Bowers, America's Best Christian

Beyond Satire

black feminism

Blog Against Theocracy

Blue Gal

Boxer Rebellion

Cap'n Dyke, Pirate Queen & Rogue Blogger

Carnival of the Liberals

Cat in the Bag

Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster

Clyde's Place

coffee messiah

Comrade Kevin's Chrestomathy

Contextual Criticism

Corrente Wire

Crooks and Liars

Culture Kitchen

Culture Shocks

darkblack

DIRELAND - Doug Ireland

Disciples From the Left

distributorcap NY

Don't Amend.com

d r i f t g l a s s

D.R.Scott's Pulp Culture

Echidne of the Snakes

Falafel Sex, And Other Things Best Left Unsaid

Feministe

firedoglake

Flyswatter Show

Food In The Fort

FranIAm

Freedom to Marry

Freida Bee

Gendergeek

Green Consciousness

Green LA Girl

Hard-boiled Dreams of the World

Heart, Soul & Humor

Howling Latina

Hullabaloo

I can't believe it's not a democracy!

Impeachment and Other Dreams

Indecision 2008

Infidel753

I, Splotchy

I was just wondering

Jesus' General

Jesus Politics

Kelso's Nuts

Ketchup Is A Vegetable

Last left turn before Hooterville

L'ennui mélodieux

Life's Journey

Liberal Oasis

Liberal rage

Liberality

Little Bang Theory

Mainstream Baptist

Mauigirl's Meanderings

MEDIA girl

Media Needle

Mental Detritus

Miss Cellania

Mock Paper Scissors

Monkey Muck

MWB's World

MyDD

My Left Wing

Nailing Jello to the Wall

Neural Gourmet

NEWSCOMA

Newseum

No Smoking in the Skullcave

NPR

OBJECT

One Pissed Off Veteran

Pam's House Blend ... always steamin'

Pharyngula

PSOTD

PunditMom

Radio B.O.N.K.

Reclusive Leftist

Republic of Sestakastan

Rock Ridge Institute

Rotus

Scrutiny Hooligans

Shakesville

Skippy the bush kangaroo!

Spocko's Brain

Straight, Not Narrow

Stealth Lesbian

Tanya Espanya

Tapped

Taylor Marsh

Tennessee Guerilla Women

That's Why

The Canary Sings

The Church of Lost Souls

The Dean's Office

The Disenchanted Forest

The Divine Democrat

The Largest Minority

The Nation

The Nefarious Lair of LGPPP, Inc.
(Lesbian Gangs Packing Pink Pistols)

The New Agenda

The Omnipotent Poobah Speaks!

The Onion

The Ostroy Report

The Otherwhirled

The Political Compass

The Quaker Agitator

The Rachel Maddow Show

The Smoking Gun

The Squirrel Queen

The Washington Monthly

Think Progress

Tom Paine

Truth, Justice & Peace

Viva La Feminista

When Will I Use This?

wishing for wisdom

Wonkette

Zaius Nation

Eric Holder Confirmed as Attorney General

Another milestone was reached today with the confirmation of Eric Holder as the nation's first African American Attorney General.

The Senate this evening confirmed Eric H. Holder Jr. as the nation's first African American Attorney General in a vote of 75 to 21, opening a new chapter for a Justice Department that had suffered under allegations of improper political influence and controversial policy decisions on wiretapping and harsh interrogation practices.

Holder, 58, will arrive at the Justice Department headquarters in Washington tomorrow for a swearing in ceremony and to greet some of the department's 110,000 employees.

"The need for new leadership at the Department of Justice is as critical today as it's ever been," said Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.), the Judiciary Committee chairman, on the Senate floor this afternoon. "This confirmation is going to do a great deal to restore the morale and the purpose throughout the department."

So what's up with Republicans? Clearly, raising the obstructionist bar three fold during the previous Congressional term wasn't enough. Glad they weren't successful.

Sunday Funnies