BLUEgrass

Every Voice Matters

As someone who loves to read and write, I've always been a sucker for good quotes.  I own no less than four quote books and I know this makes me a bit of a dork. But the fact is that so many wise and inspirational things have been said in the past that stil carry relevance today and that should be repeated often.  So, in light of my love of quotes I've decided to share them on occasion as I come across lines that strike me as particularly relevant to the discussions here.

I'm going to start today with a gem from Martin Luther King, Jr.  Monday is MLK Day so that in and of itself makes the selection fitting.  But I particularly like this quote because it's an election year and because lately the idea that we are all entitled to voice our own opinions has been threatened by those weilding power in DC.  In my book, civic duty is more than serving on a jury when called or voting the first Tuesday in November.  Civic duty means staying informed, being aware of what is going on, holding those we vote for accountable and, yes, speaking out on the issues that move us. The single greatest thing about being an American is the freedom to be an individual, to form and express our own creeds and to live the life that fulfills us.  This quote captures all of this and more:

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
                                                   -Martin Luther King, Jr.

-BG

All Aboard!

(Fletcher certainly is - let's hope Democrats aren't)

What's that I hear?  I think it is the distant chug of the 2006 Republican Train.  It sounds very similar to the train that steamrolled through towns across the Heartland during the 2004 elections - except the boarding call is not gay marriage this time around - it's "intelligent design."

The last 6 years have demonstrated a number of things - one of which is that when it comes to increasing the welfare of the average American, improving education, protecting the environment, or fixing government programs from Social Security to Medicare, Republicans don't have workable plans or new ideas.  They can't run on their policy record, the spreading wealth that is lifting Americans out of poverty or the closing educational gap that separates American children from the kids overseas that are learning to design hybrid technologies and the latest in high-definition television.  So what can they run on? Religion.

Since we all know that only Republicans are going to heaven, we also all know that when our country needs moral redirection we should look right.  (Yes, that is sarcasm dripping off that last sentence.)  So, here we go again.  Gay marriage helped rally the support in 2004 - it also served to help distract from a failing war and economy.  It appears this election's rallying flag bears the fish logo - or whatever symbol is used to identify those preaching intelligent design over evolution.

(Aside: Can someone tell me when evolution became proof that there is no God?  I don't remember being taught that in elementary school.  Who's to say that God didn't start things off down the road of evolution?)

And I am not so pleased or proud to report that the Bluegrass's own Ernie Fletcher has jumped on board the Right-Wing Express early.  Last night in his State of the Commonwealth Address, Fletcher included the acceptance of Intelligent Design as part of his plan for improving Kentucky's educational offerings.  Our illiteracy rate may be high, our science and math scores low, but buddy our kids will know that Darwin was an atheist loon.  I feel better already!

My fervent hope is that this election cycle the Democrats won't jump on the Right-Wing Express along with the likes of Governor Fletcher.  James Bond may be able to fight while running from rail car to rail car and hanging off the end of the caboose - but as John Kerry and many others demonstrated - the average Democratic politician cannot.  And we don't need to. 

That's not to say we should ignore these attempts to shanghai the separation of church and state.  But Democrats should address the issue with a clear expression of our beliefs and then force the attention back to the issues that more directly affect the daily lives of Americans like health care, retirement and paying the bills.  We need to make strides this election cycle - but we can't do that if we don't keep our feet securely planted on the ground where we can fight the good fight.

-BG

Republicans Need Holiday Spirit

Whew! What a crazy month I've had - between holidays and work travel I've been out of pocket for a month - but it's good to be back.

Since we are two short weeks from Christmas I thought it would be fitting to return with a brief discussion of the holiday spirit shown by the Republican strategy.  In a season where the warmth of human nature should be at its strongest and we should all be bathing in the glow of brotherly love, Republicans are still up to the same old tricks.  They continue to insist that Democrats who would question continued war-making during this season of peaceful tidings as unpatriotic.  They continue to push policies that will provide more tax cuts for the wealthy while leaving millions of children and elderly in the throws of poverty.  They continue to hem and haw around the denunciation of torture.  Under their watch thousands are still living in cars, temporary housing or hotels following Hurricane Katrina.

Despite the blatant needs of hurricane victims and those who have struggled with homelessness, illness and poverty for much longer, Republicans call for cuts to social programs that assist the needy, adopting the moniker of tough love.  Yet, in the season that marks Christ's birth such practices fall far short of the message the manger babe would grow up to spread.  Love of ones fellow human, aid to the least among us - these were the priorities espoused by Jesus.

Barack Obama correctly characterized the Republican policies as Social Darwinism.  The insistance of cutting government aid and leaving all to fend for themselves as though all were born with equal opportunities can be seen as nothing short of survival of the fittest.  Yet, just as the hungry beast when faced with starvation will kill other animals - so humans left with no other means, desperate to survive and support their families turn to crime and violence.  That is why Social Darwinism didn't work before and why it shouldn't be accepted and won't work now - even if it is repackaged as an "Ownership Society." Those born with nothing cannot join an ownership society without some help from others.  Providing that help is the responsiblity of a just society and government.

-BG

Inalienable No More

Don't look now but the principles that we all grew up believing were absolute no longer exist.  Every American child begins learning from an early age that our great nation was founded on the premise that a set of inalienable rights exists to which all are entitled.  Yesterday, the Senate voted to throw this premise out the window.

By a largely partisan vote, the Senate passed a measure denying enemy combatants access to US courts.  Thus nullifying one of the foundational values on which our nation was founded - the belief that we are all entitled to our day in court, to the protection of the law, to a trial by jury.  For those arguing that enemy combatants don't count because they are generally not Americans and are being held outside the contiguous US - your "case" is full of holes.

To the charge that foreign enemy combatants do not have a right to court proceedings and legal protection because they are not American - This is a false charge since our Declaration and Constitution do not espouse that "all Americans are created equal, that they are endowed by the Creator with certain inalienable rights."  Rather in founding the land of the free, our forefathers claimed inalienable rights on behalf of all MEN.  Granted in those early days the word man was taken on a near literal basis - but even then though women were not allowed to vote they were guaranteed a trial.  And over the past 200 years it has become widely accepted that "men" refers to everybody - as in mankind as a whole.  Americans are not the chosen ones granted special rights by God that are not entitled to other nationalities.

On the charge that the American court system owes nothing to enemy combatants because they are most often arrested outside the US and are held outside our state boundaries - this claim is false based on pure absurdity.  Gitmo, for example, is considered US territory.  The US government arrested and is detaining these people.  If they aren't entitled to protection under our court system then what courts do have jurisdiction?  When other foreigners are arrested by US officials they are subject to US courts unless their native government intervenes and gets extradition.  Assuming no native government of an enemy combatant is going to beg for an alleged terrorist's return, then they fall squarely inside the US judicial fray.

Despite the holes in the argument, the disturbing point is that in the name of a war on terror the US is completely losing sight of the values and rights we are supposedly protecting.

-BG

How Low Can He Go?

This is one morning after Election Day that George W. Bush probably wishes he could forget.  The two closely monitored gubernatorial elections ended with Democratic victories, stories abound raising the question of how much Bush's appearance in VA hurt Kilgore and now a new Pew poll shows that his numbers keep falling.  Bush's approval rating is down to 36%!  He's losing his base now, too!

And more disturbing the Scooter Libby/CIA leak story continues to be a drag on the administration.  When asked what stories are most prominent - the top 3 stories are all bad news for the Bush White House (Iraq, Hurricane recovery, Libby) - so any hope of an upward turn, or even an end to the downward spiral, seems bleak.

To add insult to injury - Fox News ran a story today from the CATO Institute that dissects the differences between the Clinton and Bush presidencies - addressing how Clinton was able to remain popular in the face of scandal while Bush is sinking fast. 

This is about the time when W is used to having someone bail him out but Rove is worried about his own salvation at the moment and the rumor is that Bush Sr. is none too happy with his son right now.  For the first time in his life W may be responsible for his own actions - a novel concept - his reaction should be interesting.  So far it's not impressive as his presence in South America was disappointing, to say the least.

-BG

Did We Gas Iraqis?

There is increasing evidence emerging supporting the claim that US forces gased Iraqis in the town of Fallujah.  While what actually happened isn't known for sure - this is certainly a story worth watching.

"US forces used chemical weapons during assualt on city of Fallujah"

-BG

Tuesday Humor: Reviewing Frist

It's a dreary Tuesday morning in the Bluegrass - so I thought I would provide a laugh.  The link below is to the Amazon "ad" for Bill Frist's family geneology.  Scroll down and check out the reviews - they promise to make you chuckle.  It appears his public shenanigans are hurting his book sales . . . what a pity.

Amazon: Good People Beget Good People - By Bill Frist

-BG

Monday Musings: Corruption and Wingnuts

Today's news has been dominated by two items - the continued coverage of the CIA leak case and the nomination of Alito to the Supreme Court.  More to come as I digest all of today's reading - but my initial thoughts on both:

• Alito is plain and simply a wingnut.  W didnt' just nominate a pro-lifer to satisfy his base.  He nominated a judicial and political crackpot that is so far right of "average" as to be out of most people's comprehension.  W's nominee is a man that thinks Congress should NOT be able to ban the purchase of machine guns.  That's right - given his way, Alito would let any crazy out there buy a machine gun (or two or three) and never consider it a crime until that same crazy used the gun to kill others.  No matter what you feel about the existence of a right to bear arms - surely as sane people we can all agree that no private citizen has any need for a machine gun. 

But, that is just one of many ridiculous opinions that paint Alito's judicial record.  He also supported race-based discrimination and the legality of unauthorized strip searches (even when the subject is a 10-year-old girl!).  And ladies, for those of us that don't remember the days when being a mother and being a professional were at odds . . . Alito would like us to return to the "good ol' days" of ladies that are barefoot and pregnant and at home with dinner on the table.  And how, you ask, would he achieve this time travel?  Alito would like to end the Family Medical Leave Act underwhich women are currently given time off to care for their newborn children.

There is no way around it - Alito is a menace to the judicial system and Democrats and moderate Republicans need to unite to block such a radical nomination.

• Libby and his lawyers are mounting defenses and looking for plea bargain opportunities, Cheney is replacing his indicted ex-aide and W is ignoring calls from both sides of the aisle for Rove's resignation . . . but the American people are not moving past the CIA leak nor ignoring the corruption that it has exposed.  In fact, in the words of the latest Washington Post poll:

Barely a third of Americans -- 34 percent -- think Bush is doing a good job ensuring high ethics in government, which is slightly lower than President Bill Clinton's standing on this issue when he left office.

That's right - the majority of Americans now see good, wholesome, everyday W - the savior of the Republican party, the uniter, the restorer of decency to the White House as less ethical than (gasp) Bill Clinton.

-BG

Block Scalito

Below are links to various sites and petitions geared at blocking the Alito nomination.  I will add to the list as I find new sources - feel free to add via comments as well.

-BG

Save The Court

Notes from Fitzgerald Press Conference

Below are some key points from Fitzgerald's comments (my initial thoughts in red):

• Libby indicted on 5 charges
• At time of her outing - Plame's role in CIA was CLASSIFIED - unknown to friends and family - revealing the identity of classified agent is a crime (Will we see classified info indictments later?)
• Libby originally told FBI that he learned about Plame from Russert and then passed it on to reporters without knowing if it was true -- repeated this story under oath at first testimony -- later testimony and evidence shows that Libby discussed Plame's role/identity as many as a dozen times before talking to Russert and before Novak's column. (Scooter changed his story significantly.)
  
  • He learned in June 2003 of her identity from an undersecretary, Cheney and two other government officials.
• Evidence shows that Libby was not at the "end of a chain of phone calls" but at the beginning.
• Privacy has been important so far because it was related to a private grand jury hearing - it will now move to public trial. (The thought of this going to a PUBLIC TRIAL is scaring the White House to death. A LOT comes out in trials that people don't want heard.)
• Investigation is NOT over - Obstruction of justice committed by Libby has prevented discovering motive behind leak of Plame's identity and hurts ability to charge in leak.  New grand jury can be impaneled if the need is warranted by continued investigation.
• Obstruction is VERY serious crime because it keeps us from finding out truth about leak.
• Will NOT speak to who has been revealed as the leak - if the evidence is not there to indict or convict then a responsible prosecutor cannot come out publically and name someone as the leak. (This is an important distinction - Republicans will have a hard time smearing Fitzgerald as unprofessional, etc. with this kind of statement on public record.)
• No report - This is a grand jury investigation not an independent council investigation - the authority to issue a report is not there.
• Evidence exists that Libby did reveal agent's identity and classified information - but that knowledge is not enough to indict under the laws.  Must be able to prove that when information was divulged, defendent KNEW that the information was classified.  This is where the true seriousness of obstruction is evident - because of obstruction the situation at time of leak is not entirely clear - can't prove Libby knowingly or conspiritorally leaked classified information. (Further shows professionalism - if this were a partisan witch hunt, this kind of nuance wouldn't matter.)
• Will not comment as to whether others might be indicted later. (Reading between the lines this says he is not ruling that - if he were ruling the possibility out he seems straight shooting enough to say so.)
• Maximum sentence for counts range up to 10 years - cumulative that could lead to sentence on all counts of up to 50 years.

The questions are starting to turn circular at this point so I will go ahead and post this much.  I am still listening and will add any "developments" as needed.  My over-arching reflection at this point is that Fitzgerald is SHARP - he is handling himself amazingly well.  His demeanor and professionalism is shooting holes through all of the Republcan lines so far (partisan, etc.).   His  extreme professionalism further makes me feel that Libby (and possibly others, time will tell) committed serious offenses and he has the goods!

-BG