Obama Campaign: Fighting the Rumor Mill

It seems that even Barack's supporters don't always know what to believe! For instance, last December I was appalled when several people with whom I was canvassing (for the Democratic party, no less) insisted that Obama was Muslim. Although I don't personally think that religion should be any kind of issue in a political election, it seems important to most of the country.

Anyways, in order to combat this and other such rumors about the senator, his campaign created this website.

I (Heart) Dennis Kucinich!

While there are many reasons to love Dennis, this is the one that inspired me to post about it:



Muchos huevos, no? I am glad someone has the audacity to say it. DK makes me proud to be from the Cleveland area (he actually represents many of my relatives in the Lakewood area!).

Talkin' About Talk Radio

Oh, progressive talk radio. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways- and by ways, I mean things that your spunky talk radio hosts have the balls to say. Here are some stories brought to my attention this afternoon by 820 am, Chicago's Progressive Talk:

1. There are more contractors than troops in Iraq. Read that again. Let it sink in. In Iraq, there are fewer soldiers than contractors. Why are we there, again?

2. President Bush is threatening to stop paying troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, if congress does not give him more money to fight his war. Now I'm trying to find the article referenced in this piece (it somewhere in these pages) as soon as I do I'll post a link. But the takeaway message here is this: most Democrats strongly support our troops, even if they do not support the war. It seems that Dubya does the opposite. Big ol' hypocrite (but we already knew that).

3. The United States has no leadership when it comes to the energy crisis; no one knows what to do about high gas prices. Here's my two cents: we should not waste any more energy on lowering gas prices, but invest all of our resources in finding sustainable, viable alternatives. I do not believe that we are ever going to find a magical alternative to fossil fuel. However, we do already have many cleaner sources of power, and each one can help lessen our dependence on oil. If we combine solar power, hydro power, wind power, and all the rest, we can kick the fuel habit while cleaning the planet. Oh, and make sure the first family isn't profiting from big oil. But we won't have to worry about that when President Obama takes over the white house.

On that note, have a happy week, progressives!

Remembering RFK

Every time I think about how the course of American history would be different if Robert Kennedy had been elected president in 1968, I can't help but cry. RFK was probably the last best hope for America, and he was tragically stolen from us forty years ago today. How would America be different today if Bobby had entered the white house instead of. . . Nixon? Would we be in the same trouble we're currently facing as a nation? Of course it is impossible to know for sure, but I imagine that we would be living in a better world if he had lived.

Last March I read a book that I highly recommend picking up if you are interested in learning more about the vision of RFK. It's called Robert Kennedy: His Life by Evan Thomas. It's a bit dense, but definitely worth the time. Thomas is thorough in his research and offers a balanced look at the life and times of RFK. After reading it, I felt like he was my long lost political twin: he was so dedicated to eradicating poverty and fighting for civil rights for all groups. He was also a relentless self-improver. But beyond that, I felt like we also shared many negative qualities. He was very moody; at one campaign appearance he would be energized and have a great rapport with the crowd. At the next, he would be shy and withdrawn. His behavior was completely dictated by his mood. And he, too, had a bad habit of taking on way more than he could handle.

This weekend, do something to remember RFK. Pick up a copy of Thirteen Days, his memoir of the Cuban Missile Crisis, or one of the many books written about him. Watch Bobby, the 2006 film about the day he was assassinated. Or honor his memory by doing something good for humanity.

Book Report: On Beauty

On Beauty is the third novel written by Zadie Smith, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite fiction writers. Last summer I read her debut novel, White Teeth, and I highly recommend picking it up. I'd love to go into more detail, but for this post I'm going to stick to OB. The novel discussed dealt with a lot of different themes relevant to this very blog, including the liberal/ conservative dichotomy, the purpose of art in society, aesthetics.

The story is rich in detail, so I'll only attempt a brief summary: Two families, the liberal Belseys and the progressive Kipps', interact with each other in a liberal college town called Wellington (near Boston). The fathers, Howard and Monty, respectively, are both professors in the Humanities department (Art History and Black Studies). Both are outspoken political pundits, both are renowned for their work on Rembrandt (who represents everything Monty loves and Howard despises). Anyways, I recommend giving it a read. Zadie Smith is a wonderful story teller, and I love the way she discusses race issues. Every time I read one of her books, I feel like I've learned something.

Pop Culture: Wedding Shows!

So, I think this Target: Women series is hilariously funny. BUT this edition illustrates one of the reasons I (more often than not) feel disillusioned by marriage: weddings. Aren't they getting a little ridiculous? In Wood County, Ohio (of which my recent home, Bowling Green, is the hub) the average wedding costs twenty-seven thousand dollars. Not to get too personal, but that is more than I currently owe in student loans. Is this extravagance really necessary to demonstrate the quality of our love? With the economy and the country in the state they are in, I personally could not justify spending so much money on party, especially a party that is so often seeped in religious and misogynistic traditions- but that's a whole other post.

Here's another hilarious Target: Women video!

Has It Really Been Over Two Weeks??

So, it's been a long time since I've posted anything- I really long time. But I've been bust with the relocation and all that. However, henceforth I will be making a valid effort to post more regularly.

Now I know it's all over the news and there is nothing new to say on the topic, but I cannot resist touching on today's big news. What better way to end this writing drought than by announcing that Barack Obama is now the democratic presidential nominee? I am elated. I cannot remember ever being this proud of my country (then again, I've never had a reason to be). Barack Obama, who I am proud to call my senator, is running for president of the United States. Neigh, is going to be the president of the United States. What a glorious day for Chicago!

I watched both Clinton's and Obama's post-primary speeches. Although Obama has secured enough delegates to cinch the domination, Clinton has not formally conceded, saying that she wishes to consult with advisers and party leaders. I know that everyone is up in arms about an Obama/ Clinton joint ticket, but I do not see that happening. While I do think that Clinton is remaining in the race as a negotiating tool, I for one think that she is waiting for Obama to agree to help her cover her campaign debt. Personally, I would like to see Edwards as second banana, but who nows if he will even want to step into that role again.

Golly, I'm so relieved that this lengthy contest is over! Obviously I am glad that my candidate won, but I really do think that Barack has a better chance of beating McCain. For now it is time to begin healing the party and focusing on taking back the country.

Obama 2008!

Quickie: NARAL Pro-Choice America Endorses Obama

. . . and so does John Edwards! This is very exciting news.

Damn You, Bill O'Reilly (or: Election Musings- West Virginia Edition)

I haven't written anything about the election for a while- and by election I do of course mean the democratic primary. In short, I'm getting kind of sick of it. You probably are too. Admit it. And the worst thing is we all have six more months of the longest presidential election in American history before the fate of our nation is decided. Now don't get me wrong; I am not trying to negate the importance of this contest. I am just 1) getting impatient waiting for this ass hat to leave, and 2) kind of bored. Not much new is being said (with this notable exception)- I feel like we are in a stale mate. And the longer it continues, the more we lose focus on what should be everyone's main goal- beating McCain. But enough of this self-indulgent rant.

Hillary won West Virginia, meaning we have who knows how much longer of this bickering, which is only weakening the party. Total bummer, in other words. This swing-state, electoral college crap seems so nonsensical at times. Why can't we just rely on the popular vote? And that ends my two cents on the latest in primary happenings.

At Least They're Not Trying To Ban Harry Potter

This is a great news piece. Apparently a high school in Texas wants to ban a German text book because there are some naked ladies in the background of one photo. Heaven forbid we teach our kids about other cultures that don't have an eerily repressive view of sexuality!

There was so much uproar from parents who are upset that their kids saw a tiny image of... what? a nipple? maybe the mons pubis? that the school board is considering banning the book. If they decide to keep the German texts in circulation, they plan on covering the offending photos with stickers in order to censor the naughty bits. Seriously.

There are so many problems with this bizarre little piece, I don't even know where to begin! A few thoughts:

1. If any of these Texan high school students haven't seen a picture of a naked woman (at least in pictures), we should be worried. The human body is nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about- especially naked women.
2. What kind of message is this sending to female students? That their bodies are dirty and should be hidden. There's a healthy message for today's young women!
3. Do parents and school officials really believe that this tiny little text book photo is going to inspire their teens to go out and have lots of unprotected sex? I think the repercussions of censoring this image are far less healthy than allowing teen-aged people to see some side boob.
4. When a class of German students discovered the image in class, they began giggling uncomfortably. Methinks the school board should be worrying more about health class (read: comprehensive sex education) and less about German class.

Geez, only in Texas, right? This story brings to mind an absolutely classic David Cross bit (the only bald man I'll ever love) about former attorney general John Ashcroft. When Ashcroft was in the justice department, he insisted on covering up the supple, stone breasts of a naked Lady Justice. "Dirty titties! You should be ashamed of those things- put cloth on them!"

Via Jezebel.