Eliminating the ban will allow the measure, which funds government operations through March 6, to get through Congress and be signed into law by President George W. Bush, Obey said.
“At least temporarily, the moratorium is lifted,” Obey told reporters. “This next election will decide what our drilling policy is going to be.”
Ah, right. “Just elect Obama, and then we’ll reinstate the ban. Trust us.”
Because the Dems have been all about wish fulfillment and promises kept. I mean, look at how well y’all have served the base since your 2006 mandate!
The bill would end a months-long fight over the drilling moratorium. The push to end the ban picked up in July as the price of oil hit a record $147.27 per barrel and the average pump price of gasoline topped out at $4.11 per gallon. Presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain both altered their positions on the matter, saying they would support new offshore drilling.
Heh, yeah, right. I’ll trust Obama. About as much as I’ll trust the guy to defend my civil liberties or maintain that pesky wall separating church and state. Which is to say, not at all.
The announcement was hailed by Republicans. “House Republicans have fought for months to lift these outdated bans on American energy production, and the capitulation by Democrats today is a big victory for working families, seniors, and small businesses struggling with record gasoline prices,” said House Republican Leader John Boehner, of Ohio.
Capitulation? Totally. Victory for working families? Eh, not so much.
And now that the goal post’s been moved, I guess it’s onward to ANWR for the asses and their Republican overlords.
As part of this week’s Countering the Right assignment, I had to sit through this “trailer” for the Family Research Council’s 2008 Values Voter Summit. Before I embedden the vid, let me just note that the featured speakers include Stephen Baldwin, Michele Bachmann, “independent” Lou Dobbs, Gary Bauer, Phyllis Schlafly, Sean Hannity, and - well, you get the idea. They bring the loony, is what I’m sayin’:
First of all: Sunday, Sunday, SUNDAY!? What are they doing, advertising a monster truck show? Ahem. Anywho.
Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but - isn’t that Coldplay’s “Viva la Vida” playing in the background?
(Word to the wise: listen to this video, don’t watch it. It’s absolute dreck.)
Like, WTF FRC / VV08?
I’m not a big Colplay fan, but I do lurve this particular song. (Maybe because it reminds me of Lost, what with the British accents, fallen Catholics and wanna-be island kings. But that’s neither here nor there.)
And it doesn’t take a music critic to detect its anti-establishment undertones. Just check the lyrics:
I used to rule the world
Seas would rise when I gave the word
Now in the morning I sleep alone
Sweep the streets I used to own
I used to roll the dice
Feel the fear in my enemy’s eyes
Listen as the crowd would sing
“Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!”
One minute I held the key
Next the walls were closed on me
And I discovered that my castles stand
Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand
I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can’t explain
Once you go there was never
Never an honest word
And that was when I ruled the world
It was the wicked and wild wind
Blew down the doors to let me in
Shattered windows and the sound of drums
People couldn’t believe what I’d become
Revolutionaries wait
For my head on a silver plate
Just a puppet on a lonely string
Oh who would ever want to be king?
I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can’t explain
I know Saint Peter won’t call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world
I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can’t explain
I know Saint Peter won’t call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world
Ostensibly, it’s about a corrupt, fallen king whose reign on earth has been so tainted by sin that, upon death, he’s not fit to cross the gates of Heaven. No?
It’s a story about a king who’s lost his kingdom, and all the album’s artwork is based on the idea of revolutionaries and guerrillas. There’s this slightly anti-authoritarian viewpoint that’s crept into some of the lyrics and it’s some of the pay-off between being surrounded by governments on one side, but also we’re human beings with emotions and we’re all going to die and the stupidity of what we have to put up with every day. Hence the album title.
And, while I don’t claim or even care to know much about Coldplay’s politics, singer Chris Martin is married to Gwyneth Paltrow - who, along with her mother Blythe Danner, has campaigned on behalf of Planned Parenthood (in a Mother’s Day fundraising push that threw the anti-choicers into quite the tizzy). So I very much doubt that the guys in Coldplay consider themselves “Values Voters” - or rather, they don’t share the “values” of the evangelical crowd. (Hey, just because I don’t swing right, doesn’t mean I don’t have “values.”)
And yet the Family Research Council, with all their woman-hating, gay-bashing, war-mongering, nation-building, stone-throwing authoritarian spitefulness, chose this song to promote their “Values Votes” Summit. Oh, sweet irony!
I wonder if Coldplay will have the dubious honor of inclusion on the Reich Wing’s next conservative song roundup? (Fortified with unintentional irony, natch!)
I know I’m late to the party on this one, but I’m totally burnt out on politics and have only gotten around to watching clips from the DNC this week. (Seriously - the most political show I watched last week was E!’s 15 Hottest Political Scandals.)
Sigh. Blurb.
I fucking love this guy. I wish I could put him in my pocket and carry him everywhere. We could all use a little more Kucinich.
America, why is he not the Democratic nominee?
And DNC, why does your convention resemble a game show set?
True, 5% isn’t exactly shooting for the stars, but Green Party presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney explains how garnering just five percent of the national vote can help the Green Party “Return power to the people”:
The goal of this effort is to put another seat at the table. Right now public policy is made at a real table. In 1992 when I was running for Congress, the slogan was ‘we want our seat at the table’ because that was the year of the woman. Women all over the country were running for the Congress and we wanted our seat at the table. When I got to Washington, D.C., I saw that there really is a table and that table is inside a room and that room has a door and a window. The window is for the people. They can look in and they can see public policy being made. The door however has a lock on it, and so not everybody can come and go at will. Somebody is already in that room and there are only two entities in that room, Democrats and Republicans. They gave the special interests (groups) a key so that they could come inside that room anytime they wanted. As a result of the special interest (groups) being able to lobby and press their wishes at will, the American people can vote for peace and get war and occupation. […] By receiving five percent of the national vote, the Green Party can pull a seat up at that table of public policymaking. We can put a chair in that room that reflects our values and I can guarantee you that the public policy resulting because we are there will be more reflective of the values of those who actually go to the polls and vote. Five percent.
Of her split with the Democratic Party, McKinney says:
The reason that I am no longer a Democrat is because the leadership of the Democratic Party has pressed the Democratic Party in ways that are not consistent, nor reflective any longer of my values. So for example, the Democratic majority in Congress presented an agenda for its first 100 days. Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita were nowhere on that agenda. They also pressed for the continuation of spending for war and occupation. Peace is my value not complicity in war crimes, crimes against humanity, crimes of torture and crimes against the peace.
Also one of the values that I think that is important for us to protect is the Bill of Rights. We must be able to live in a society that both claims itself to be a free one, it really ought to be free. The recent demonstration of the Democratic leadership, no longer reflecting the value of protecting human rights at home, is the fact that now, telecommunication companies get retroactive immunity granted to them by the Democratic majority in the Congress to spy illegally on innocent Americans. This is outrageous, aside from the fact that it’s well past time that we stop spending $720,000,000 every day for war; that we ought to have a budget for this country that reflects human needs. That we ought to provide a single payer health care system for people in this country and a livable wage for workers in this country. It is insufficient for the Democratic majority to merely talk about raising the minimum wage. People must go to work now and when they go to work they should not remain beneath the poverty level.
While I don’t have any illusions that McKinney/Clemente will take office in ‘09 (just as I didn’t expect Kucinich to sweep the primaries), neither Obama’s seemingly impending victory nor the specter of a McCain presidency can compel me to vote against my fundamental values. A vote for McKinney (and, in the grander scheme of things, the Green Party; grander still, an end to the two-party system) is not a waste of my vote. Quite the contrary - my vote would be truly be wasted if I allowed those who feel that they are entitled to it to take it without actually earning it.
So if you’re a Democrat, a liberal, or a progressive; are less than thrilled with Obama; and/or would like to stick it to the Democratic Party, consider the Green Party. Since the Democratic establishment considers the Green Party candidates “spoilers” - and a vote for a Green the same as a vote for the Republicans - don’t violate your values by casting a vote in favor of McCain. You can have your tree and hug it, too.
Cast a vote against Obama, against McCain, against the Democrats and Republicans, against the two party system, against politics as usual. Vote for McKinney and Clemente. Or, hell, any third party for that matter. But just as you won’t vote for the lesser of two evils (Obama), please don’t vote for the worse of the pair (McCain). Because, really, the Democratic Party isn’t fixin’ to change any time soon. So the question becomes, just how sustainable is this strategy of voting Republican?
Seriously, people, five percent. Surely there are more marginalized voters angry with the Democratic Party (and the “democratic” process) than that?
Imagine showing up on November 4th to cast your history-making vote for Barack Obama—only to be turned away because you aren’t properly registered.
Think it can’t happen to you? Don’t be so sure. There are a bunch of reasons your registration might not be up to date, even if you think it is.
Take one minute right now to double-check your registration using our cool web tool, VotePoke. Click here.
This is going to be an amazing, exciting, once-in-a-lifetime election. You don’t want to have to tell your grandkids you wanted to vote for Barack Obama, but didn’t actually get to do it.
C’mon, now MoveOn - did you learn nothing from your half-assed “endorsement” of Obama over Clinton? As I recall, some of your “members” (i.e., email subscribers) were annoyed enough over your proselytizing that you had to send out an extra-special email to smooth ruffled feathers. Now y’all are just assuming that I’ll vote for Obama? I mean, I probably will, but still. Talk about obnoxious.
By the by, if anyone would like to check the validity of their voter registration, here be the link. It’s actually not a bad idea; too bad MoveOn had to mar it by telling us bitchez how we’d better f’in vote.
———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Congressman Robert Wexler - contact@wexlerforcongress.com
Date: Tue, Jun 10, 2008 at 3:06 PM
Subject: Wexler Co-Sponsors First Bush Articles of Impeachment
Our effort to hold the Bush/Cheney Administration accountable has taken another dramatic step forward. Last night, Congressman Dennis Kucinich introduced the first Articles of Impeachment ever to be introduced against President Bush. It includes, in total, thirty-five Articles detailing this Administration’s blatant abuse of power. Today, I enthusiastically co-sponsored this vitally important bill.
I am grateful for Dennis’ leadership on this issue and for the steadfast support that countless Americans have given to both of our efforts to redeem our government and expose the crimes of Bush and Cheney.
I will now expand my efforts to secure impeachment hearings in the Judiciary Committee for these new Articles of Impeachment against President George W. Bush.
Many of the charges against President Bush are well known – and would shock the conscience of everyday Americans if only the national media would be willing to report on these stark facts.
The Articles present a stunning narrative of offenses that have go well beyond previous crimes committed by any US chief executive. In fact no President or Vice President in history has done more to undermine our constitution.
These charges are broad, with 35 separate allegations including the deliberate lies regarding WMDs that led us to war and the approval of illegal wiretapping of American citizens. The Articles also include new allegations of high crimes – including the explicit approval for high Administration officials to violate treaties and US law banning the use of torture.
Note to Chris Matthews: this is the sort of thing that ought to send a thrill up the legs of progressives. Then again, you’re not really a progressive.
So, last Sunday the libertarian douchebag and I went shopping for some miscellaneous home improvement type stuff, and we stopped at a box-store-that-shall-not-be-named (except it will, since the name plays a wee bit role in my story) to pick up a few grocery items. We do our shopping, hop into the “20 items or less” lane (I can’t remember the last time that happened), finally reach the front of the checkout line…and LD notices a bright pink sign perched atop the credit card swiper-thingy. I forget the specifics, but it had something to do with WIC; apparently the state of Missouri is reworking their list of WIC-approved items, supposedly because of the higher gas prices, but probably because they like to occasionally fuck with those who dare ask the for government assistance in feeding their families.
Anyway, I kind of saw the sign but didn’t bother reading past the top line, since I instantly recognized it as a WIC notice, and not pertinent to my current grocery shopping experience. LD, on the other hand, pointed it out to me and asked if I knew what it meant. I was only half-listening, because I’d already turned my attention elsewhere, so I kind of shrugged him off, as if to say “Who the fuck knows?” Or, more to the point, “Why the fuck are you asking me?” Since, you know, neither of us use WIC. He’s not even a woman, infant or child, ferchrissakes.
Still he persisted, kind of muttering to himself. And then I realized…he doesn’t know what WIC is! He thinks the notice has something to do with Wal-Mart discontinuing items. W = Wal-Mart.
But I realized a moment too late, because before I could even kick him in the ankle, he asked the cashier if Wal-Mart was no longer stocking the no-longer WIC-approved items. Including, among other things, name brand cereal. As if.
Dear dog, I thought, please don’t let her have heard that.
She did.
The cashier was puzzled. I was embarrassed.
Then she too realized what LD was referring to, and she started explaining with a chuckle.
Immediately I piled on as well, and we both got a good laugh at his expense. No way was I going to identify with the clueless white guy who’s never heard of WIC before. Even if I am married to him.
Now, granted, I worked at a grocery store throughout college. A WIC vendor, at that. But still.
Who hasn’t heard of WIC? It’s, like, in teh newz and stuff. Common knowledge.
Oh, right, libertarians (and Republicans, conservatives, etc.). You know, the ones criticizing the programs they can’t even name.
“Sunshine is the best of disinfectants,” said Judge Louis Brandeis about the power of public scrutiny to scrub clean the dark corners of government abuse. The American Society of Newspaper Editors has named March 16-22 of this year “Sunshine Week”, a week-long assertion of the public’s right to know what its government is doing.
* March 19 - Webcast Government Secrecy: Censoring Your Rights with Mickey Edwards, from the Aspen Institute, and former Republican member of Congress from Oklahoma; Ann Beeson, from the Open Society Institute, formerly with the American Civil Liberties Union; and John Podesta from the Center for American Progress, formerly president Clinton’s Chief of Staff. From 1 to 2:30 p.m. EST at the Washington Press Club, and also available online.
* March 20 - Professor Lawrence Lessig on corruption in government, sponsored by the Sunlight Foundation.
In 2007, Sunshine Week marked an effort by Congress to pass “sunshine” legislation, such as:
* A bill protecting whistleblowers (H.R. 985), which passed the House 331-94 on March 14, 2007. The bill has not made it out of committee in the Senate.
* A Freedom of Information Amendments Act (H.R. 1309), which passed the House 308-117 on March 14, 2007. H.R. 1309, however, was unable to make it through the Senate, so in mid-December, Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and John Kyl (R-AZ) pushed through a moderated version (S. 2488) on voice votes, which became law on December 31.
What You Can Do:
* Ideas for local Sunshine Week events can be found in Bright Ideas, an assemblage of insights first published in 2007.
* Campaign resources, including public service announcements, brochures and opinion editorials, are available by clicking here.
