The Moderate Liberal

Don “Nappy Head” Imus was just fired by CBS Radio for his recent racial slur. He will no longer be on the air, either on television or radio, effective now.

Today the radio was full of talk show banter, most of it support Imus. “He should be allowed to say whatever he wants,” said a caller. “It was just a joke!” Glenn Beck, ever the conspiracy theorist who believes that a left-wing conspiracy is out to get him, feels that he’s next. If only….

Free speech is not in question here. Without a doubt, Imus has the right to be as big a biggot as he wants. He has free speech. But….

So the people that Imus offended. Why should others sit back while Imus has all the fun? Freedom of speech does not mean freedom from consequences or responsibility.

Imus used his massive communication platform to beat up on young women. And now because of a “left wing conspiracy,” he is off the air? Hardly. He’s off the air because that is the consequence for being stupid, even if all was in the name of comedy.

What idiots like Beck and Imus and Limbaugh all want is to be able to say what they want, about whomever they want, without taking responsibility for there words, or the consquences of their speech.

So what next for Imus? Within a week, I expect an announcement that Imus is moving exclusively to satellite radio. Motivated biggots who just can’t get enough of Imus’ stupid comments will pony up wads of cash for subscriptions and radios. If nothing else, expect him to go to the Fox network as a college basketball comentator.

Of course, he can always start a blog.

Good riddence, Imus.

Philip de Vellis, a 33-year-old strategist with Blue State Digital, a Washington company that advises Democratic candidates and liberal groups, was unmasked as the person behind an underground political spot that compared Hillary Clinton to Orwell’s “Big Brother,” (or “Big Sister” as we like to call her).

Although some criticism has now acrued to the Obama campaign, de Vellis has done the Democratic party a huge service. This spot clearly articulates what so many moderate Democrats are feeling — that we don’t want another president with such deep Washington insider connections. George W. Bush has shown that if an American dictator is going to emerge, it will be through the recycling of aministrations. I believe that a “Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton” presidental succession would not win, and would not be good for America.

Philip de Vellis is correct: “Vote Different”

Thanks, Phil (hey, man… shoot us a note. I’d like to interview you).

After calling family man and Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards a “faggot” earlier this month during remarks to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), some pundits are wondering whether Crazy Ann Coulter’s shelf life is expiring.  In fact, Coulter expired long ago, and her stink is rotting civil public discourse.  Coulter represents the worst of worst of the conservative movement. Its no wonder then, that radio/tv commentator and self-confessed former alcoholic Glenn Beck is just the latest to (finally) distance himself from Coulter.

When you’re in the political majority, with ownership of the courts, the Presidency, Senate and House, a person like Coulter is fun to have around.  She’s built her reputation by saying what other conservative Republicans are thinking.

But with the 2006 election, America has passed Coulter by. She is no longer “funny” because the Republicans are no longer in the majority. Crazy Ann’s remarks are now just too revealing of the Conservative Republican psyche to the American voter to be entertaining to CPAC.

I am incredulous as I consume the media today.

Let me get this straight:

The Republican candidate Guiliani, and candidate-wanna-be Newt Gingrich both have adulterous affairs in their past. Gingrich’s affair occurred at the time he was striking a moral pact with the country with his “Contract on America.”

Meanwhile, on the Democratic side, we have the Obama scandal rocking the nation. Aparently, Barack Obama decided he needed to clear up some parking tickets in his past.

So that’s all ya got on Obama? A few hundred bucks in parking tickets that he incured as a law student? Reading the CBS News headlines today, you might think that Obama was caught sending dirty text to a male page’s cell phone, or outing a CIA operative, or… well you get the idea.

Congratulations to Senator Obama for having the foresight to clean up these “scandalous” parking tickets. Good luck to the Repulicans as they try to election-ready their adulterous hypocrites.

The majority of the U.S. Senate voted today to advance a resolution that repudiates Bush’s planned deployment of 21,000 combat soliders to Iraq.  The 56-34 vote fell four short of the 60 necessary to pass the a nonbinding measure.

This is the second time that Senate Republicans blocked action on nonbinding measures that criticize the president’s war policies. Yet, the members of the Senate are now on record.  We know where Senators stand. That’s what the American people deserve to know. We will not forget in 2008.

Shame on the majority of Republicans for voting to block this resolution.  Cudos to those who crossed the aisle, and who recognize the gravity of what Bush has proposed.

Have noticed how Republicans are increasingly speaking out against Bush, and breaking ranks with a Republican leadership that continues to give the finger to the will of the American people?

Rep. Mike Castle broke ranks with fellow Republicans today, becoming the latest Republican to support the Democrats’ resolution against President Bush’s decision to send more than 20,000 additional combat troops (which doesn’t include the up to 30,000 additional logistical troops necessary to support the combat troops) to Iraq.

“I believe that the surge will continue to be unsuccessful without a comprehensive diplomatic strategy to engage the international community and turn responsibility over to the Iraqi government,” said Castle, R-Del., on the House floor.

I heard Bush on the radio today, saying that people who disagree with him are “good Americans.”  He said he’s absolutely fine with disagreement on his policy, as long as they “support the troops” by continuing to fund Bush’s insane plans.

I think a better way to support the troops is impeach this President and Vice President for lying to the American people in order to wage this illegal war.

The house resolution is the first step toward neutering George W. Bush.  The sooner that happens, the better for America and Iraq.

Check it out

It would be funny if it weren’t so true and tragic.

Hillary Clinton is her own person.  By all accounts, she’s been a good Senator from New York.

But this age of Destiny-Politics has to stop.  I can’t vote for Hillary for the same reason that the Republican’s should never have voted for Bush: its bad for America.

With FDR, we got a glimpse of what an American dictator could look like.  That’s why we passed presidential term limits.  George Bush Sr. and his biz associates figured out a way around this little inconvenience:  create a political dynasty.  Its no secret that George Bush Jr (er,  President W) was able to leverage his father’s donor base, and came to the White House with deep knowledge of the plumbing of America’s bureaucracy, and with a “talent base” ready and willing to step in and take the reigns based on their prior experience in Government.

This has not been a good thing for America. It’s lead to a  President Power Grab, and all sorts of nefarious activities — illegal wire tapping, torture, secret prisons, suspension of Habeas Corpus, Dubai Ports contracts –  which are so well documented that only a few are necessary to even mention here to make my point.

Do we want to go this route again?

A President Hillary Clinton would find itself in the same over-powered situation.  And lets be honest — Bill Clinton is a likeable guy, but he has a very shady past, with very credible allegations of corruption and even rape.  He dishonored the Presidency.  Hillary is still married to Bill (why I don’t know), but they were a team in the White House once, and I suspect they will again be a team if she is elected President.

It’s simply bad for America to have children, spouses, nephews, uncles, grandparents, nieces, or adopted children of Former Presidents take the reigns of power in this way. It’s bad for America, and I will never support the wife of a former President (or the child of a former President) for the office of the President ever again.

We’ve learned our lesson.

Thanks, Hillary. But no thanks.

Where is Al Gore when you need him?  Run Al, Run!!!!!

PM John Howard, George Bush’s crony down under, says that the terrorists should be praying to Allah that Democrats win the White House in 2008, because the Dems are a bunch of weak kneed, limp wristed weanies who will run scared from the terrorists.

Howard is Australia’s own homegrown Neo-Con, who apparently learned nothing from the whooping that American’s gave Bush in the 2006 mid-term elections. 

Just like Howard, who is trailing the labour party badly in Australia,  you can expect the Republicans to continue trying to scare the beejeebers out of old people, stupid people, religeous people, and every other kind of people they can get to listen to Rush Limbaugh.  The American people saw through those lies in 2006, the Australians will see through the lies in 2007, and the American people will run away from the lies in droves in 2008.

The Republicans got nothin’!  Nothin’ at all!  They have no domestic policy, no plan to get us out of Iraq, no money left in the National treasury (they’ve bankrupt the country), and no common sense.  They have no morality left. Even the religeous right is leaving the Republican Party.

All they have left is “vote Republican, or the terrorists will be eating your children.” That’s it: there’s no domestic, foriegn, social, environmental, or economic policy. Nothing left.

While I have no doubt that these terrorists would indeed eat American children if given the chance, the fact is that Bush’s failed policies and mishandling of the Iraq War, and financial irresponsibility simply can no longer be tolerated.  For the sake of the world, its time for a new direction and a new policy. Americans said it last year. Watch the Australians say it this year.

Republicans love to point to the fact that there has been “no terrorist attack on U.S. soil since 9/11,” conveniently forgetting the fact that they were in charge on 9/11.  Such bravado proves nothing. Does that mean that if there is a terrorist attack on U.S. soil, that we should blame Republicans? No, they’ll simply say, “see, told ya so.”  There may have been no more attacks on U.S. soil, but thanks to Bush’s Iraq debacle, there were indeed another 3,000 American lives lost (and counting).

Republicans need war, violence and fear to perpetuate their agenda.   But sadly for Republicans, the world  has had enough of their lies.  With our children $6 Trillion further in debt later, Americans feel no safer now than they did on 9/12/2001. 

Howard is wrong to assume that the Republican’s failed policies would not be preferrable to the terrorists than a New Approach by Democrats.  Why wouldn’t Bin Laden want to continue killing Americans in Iraq? Why wouldn’t Bin Laden want to continue seeing the U.S. risk hyper inflation by plunging itself deeper into debt. Why wouldn’t Bin Laden want Bush, who is an icon of hatred around the world, to continue to make Al Qaida a cause celeb?

Want a preview of the 2008 election? Just watch Howard swing by a rope in Australia. The Republican’s didn’t get in 2006, and Howard just doesn’t get it now.