Wise Words

According to Jim Hightower, it looks like the Bush-Cheney cabal are serious about going to war with Iran.

Here are some suggestions for taking action:

"We the People have to be the leaders. More than ever, we have to get noisy. We can't just wring our hands -- there are things we can do:

• First, connect with our allies in Congress, including the 22 senators who voted against the Kyl-Lieberman surrender to Bush (list available here). Let antiwar lawmakers know you're behind them, ask them to get still noisier on this, and ask that they develop an inside-outside strategy to rally and focus our national outrage against expanding Bush's Iraq disaster into Iran.
• Second, demand that your Congress critters (whatever their stripe) use all their congressional powers (to control spending, launch investigations, declare war, etc.) to say that the president can take no preemptive military action against Iran without a full, constitutionally mandated declaration of war by Congress.
• Third, connect with any and all of the savvy grassroots groups in this issue's "Do Something" box. Use their information, sign all of their petitions, spread their materials, and join their actions.
• Fourth, talk, talk, talk, and talk some more -- in church, at school, with your neighbors and coworkers, at town hall meetings, in family phone calls or visits, on talk radio, at candidate forums, in supermarket check-out lines... wherever you can find an ear. The vast majority of Americans have not heard what Bush is up to, and they won't like it. The most effective way to reach them and activate them is by personal contact -- i.e., you. Talk to someone about it every day.
• Fifth, don't let Democrats waffle. Iraq was Bush's war (and his political debacle), but Iran would be a product of a Democratic-controlled Congress, and they will be responsible either for allowing it...or for stopping it.
• Sixth, come up with your own action idea, and let the rest of us know how we can support and spread it.

Be brave. Be loud. Your country needs you."

Welcome to the Twilight Zone

Pundits like to say that Washington politicians live in a bubble.

They use the bubble theory to explain why elected officials profess to care about the average person yet continue to vote in favor of policies that seem to maintain the status quo -- where wealthy and powerful people and corporations get the mother-lode and the rest of us get the crumbs.

The bubble theory is a myth.

Elected officials are not walking around, unaware of what is going on around them.

They are shrewd, calculating and ambitious people who got where they are because they know how to play the GAME.

And the game is what politics is now and has always been about; a power match where back-room deals are made and minds are made up -- long before we see the public spectacle of hearings and long-winded speeches on CSPAN.

Some say that a democracy is messy and that compromises must be made in Washington in order to get anything done.

Democracy = Compromise is another myth.

The myth that compromises must be made in a democracy is perpetrated to excuse our representatives in government when they side with the opposition or vote for something that goes against their constituency.

Actually, politics is more like the mob. Government is a seedy business. Elected officials, like mobsters have now and always will do what needs to be done to keep themselves in power.

It is not about you and me. Never was.

The only way to get politicians to do the bidding of the people who "elect" them (something they are supposed to be doing anyway) is to truly threaten them with losing that seat of power.

That is why both political parties spend so much time working to rig elections so that only a few ethically minded people get voted into the club. The local party bosses act as street thugs bullying people to fall in line or risk losing support.

It is a sickening reality folks. Best we all wake up to it.

Speaking of waking up, last night I dreamed that I was living in a country that was spiraling downward toward fascism.

In my dream, the government and its agencies condoned and committed torture. They imprisoned innocent men, women and, yes, children, with no probable cause and no habeas corpus.

People were kidnapped from their home countries and taken to distant lands where they were subjected to horrifying "enhanced interrogation."

Every person in my country had their phones and computers secretly monitored. Detention-like camps were being constructed and private military armies were being paid and trained to deal with "homeland" emergencies.

In my dream my country was in the throes of an economic disaster. People were losing their jobs, wages were low, homes were lost. The wealthy got richer and the rest of us poorer.

It was a gray and frightening world.

Like those dreams where I am naked in a crowd, it seemed that no one else noticed what was happening. They walked like zombies around me -- either numb or unconcerned.

I remember a Twilight Zone episode where the Earth was hurtling toward the sun. The main character, Norma, was dealing frantically with a chaotic world that grew hotter and hotter. Finally overcome from the heat and the trauma, Norma screams and passes out.

Then comes the "Twilight Zone" twist: Norma wakes up to find that it's snowing outside. She'd been having a nightmare. The Earth isn't falling into the sun, after all; it's actually spinning away from the sun. The world isn't going to end in searing heat, but in a dark and deathly deep-freeze. Fade to credits.

Like Norma, when I first awoke, I had a moment of relief that it was all just a dream.

And then it hit me like a sickening punch in the gut.

It is NOT a dream.

It is a NIGHTMARE.

My country IS hurtling toward fascism.

And I feel helpless to stop it.

Note to Negative Naysayers

Throughout this awful period of American Fascism, many progressive writers, activists and concerned citizens have offered solutions and organized actions ranging from public marches, protests and sit-ins to letter-writing campaigns, petitions, boycotts and strikes.

There is so much discontent in America today -- so many folks trying to do something in opposition to Bush and his policies -- we now have an unprecedented array of options for showing our displeasure and outrage.

No matter your life-style or circumstances, there is an easily accessible community or online action designed just for you:

• If you can't join in a general strike because you can't afford a day without pay or you're afraid you'll get fired, then you always have the option to attend a march or rally held in the evening or over a weekend;
• If you are afraid to participate in a public march or rally because you reasonably believe you might get arrested, labeled a terrorist and/or added to a no-fly list, then you can still sign a petition, lobby, call or write to your elected official;
• And if ANY kind of action that would call attention to your progressive political view terrifies you, then send a few bucks to a candidate or a cause you believe in.
  

With all of these choices, there is NO excuse to do NOTHING.

But it seems that DO-NOTHING is what some of you are suggesting!

And although it is bad enough to be a DO-NOTHING -- it is far worse and more damaging to be a DO-NOTHING and a NAYSAYER!

If we had a nickel for every time we see the comment -- "what good will it do?" -- at the bottom of an idea or a call to action, we'd have enough money to get Dennis Kucinich elected President.

We are SO sick and tired of hearing -- especially from progressives -- that whatever we do, nothing will come of it.

This negative forgone conclusion has become a self-fulfilling prophecy!

So, if YOU are one of those folks who DO NOTHING because you believe no matter what you do it will not make a bit of difference -- then at least do us all a favor and SHUT-UP about it already!

Even without your paralyzing prognostications, it is difficult to stay focused and optimistic (feelings that are necessary for creativity and life) in the face of disastrous Repugnican policies and Democratic cowardice.

If you keep it up, we'll all be so discouraged we'll have to stay in bed with our heads under the covers until January 2009!

So please, either come up with a positive solution that is superior to all of the others that you are poo-pooing or use your naysaying negativity skills to deflate the ideas floated by the right-wing instead.

PS:

See Rob Kall's article for making and debunking arguments against impeachment. It makes for an eye-opening read.

Check out KucinichTV -- a positive solution to the dearth of campaign coverage in the MSM

Visit Cindy Sheehan's campaign website

A Change of Heart for Nancy? Pure Fancy!

Yesterday we reported on rumors that Nancy Pelosi would reconsider Impeachment proceedings if 10,000 people sent hand-written pleas to her office.

This morning we called Pelosi’s DC office and spoke to Matt who confirmed that the story is, sadly, an “Internet fabrication.” As far as Pelosi is concerned, he added, impeachment is now, has always been and will thus remain “off the table.” Period. End of discussion.

So, no matter Pelosi’s sworn duty to uphold and protect the Constitution… no matter her position as a Representative of the people – a majority of whom want to see Bush and Cheney held accountable for committing high crimes and misdemeanors – no matter that she is supposed to be a leader of the (supposedly) opposition Party – Nancy refuses to budge.

As women (lesbians to boot) we were thrilled when Pelosi was named 1^st ever woman Speaker of the House. We had great hopes that she would have the courage to stand up to Bush Co. Now we see that she is just one more ineffectual and weak Bush/Cheney partner in crime.

Although we understand the likely futility of the letter writing campaign, we stand by our decision to TRY to appeal to Pelosi. We will go ahead and send our letters, and we will heed the advice of creative folks who commented on our original article. They suggest that we:

• Give envelopes and stamps to family, friends and neighbors and ask them to write their own letter;
• Photocopy or scan the letters and email or fax them to 800-891-8189 and we will cross-post them on www.Letters2Nancy.org (domain name purchased today -- website will be up later this evening).
  

In the meantime, let’s put our energy into defeating Pelosi and all of the spineless DNC-style Dems in 2008.

A few months ago Cindy Sheehan said she would run for Pelosi’s Congressional seat in San Francisco and unlike Nancy’s Republican challenger, Sheehan has a slight chance of defeating her.

Even if Cindy loses, Pelosi NEEDS to know her job security depends on her loyalty to the America people and the Constitution -- NOT to Bush and Cheney!

5 Easy Steps to Impeachment

Here is an action you can take that actually might -- for once -- make a difference!

The issue of impeaching Bush and/or Cheney was famously taken "off the table" by Nancy Pelosi over a year ago. She made this announcement prior to the 2006 mid-term elections hoping the statement would appease "centrists" and help Democrats win a majority in Congress.

Coincidentally, a 2006 win for Democrats also meant Pelosi was destined to be named the first woman Speaker of the House. So, we are guessing she may have had a bit of self-interest when she made such an untenable promise NOT to carry out her sworn duty to uphold the Constitution.

Pelosi may also be reluctant to initiate impeachment for fear she will be accused of doing so because she is third in line to be President. And right-wing critics are ready to pounce on Pelosi for that very reason. If so, rather than stand in the way of impeachment, she should recuse herself from the decision-making process.

Today “there’s rumors on the Internets” -- here, here and here (and lost of other places) -- that Pelosi will reconsider her no-impeachment stance – IF – she receives 10,000 HAND WRITTEN letters supporting the impeachment of Dick Cheney.

So, if you really want to see Congress – especially the Democrats – start acting like the co-equal branch of Government that they were intended to be – PLEASE write to Pelosi today.

For those of you unaccustomed to the snail mail process, here are 5 easy steps:

1. Find a pen and a piece of paper;
2. Write your letter;
3. Find an envelope and write Pelosi's address on it;
4. Put the letter in the envelop and attach a stamp to it;
5. Put it in a mailbox.

For maximum effectiveness, forward this message to everyone you know!

And to make it even easier – if you do not know WHAT to write, copy this letter that another Impeachment supporter already sent:

“Impeaching a high federal official for high crimes and misdemeanors - and other conduct and misuse of power incongruent with the office held - is not only a power of the legislature, but a constitutional duty. It is not a distraction to the work of Congress; it is the work of Congress. Impeachment by the House is not just an indictment, but the only way to break through the stone wall erected around the White House and enable real investigation of malfeasance and effective oversight to be performed. If the "discovery phase" of hard evidence gathering prior to a Senate trial verifies the alleged wrongdoing, the accused will be convicted. Otherwise the accused will be acquitted. Either way, justice is done and the rule of law is upheld. The founding fathers felt so strongly about protecting our democratic republic from would-be kings usurping Executive powers, they included the provision for impeachment in the Constitution six times. It was not by accident. Please, for the sake of our democracy, impeach Dick Cheney.”

This is a timely issue and needs to be acted upon NOW. There is ample public support FOR impeachment and currently, a resolution for impeaching Cheney (HB333, introduced by Dennis Kucinich) is languishing and under consideration in the Judiciary Committee.

Make sure you WRITE your letter – do not TYPE it. Include your name, address and telephone number so its authenticity can be verified. Write it in BLUE INK so it will not be mistaken for a photocopy.

Send your letter to:

Nancy Pelosi
450 Golden Gate Avenue, 14th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94102

Cindy Sheehan is concerned that Pelosi may not accurately count the letters and therefore she is asking that you send them to her instead. We share Cindy’s skepticism but also, as pragmatists, are aware that Pelosi may disregard letters sent to Cindy since she is calling for those letters to be sent to her. Why not write TWO letters and send one of them directly to Pelosi and the other to Sheehan?

Letters to Pelosi via Sheehan should be sent to:

Cindy for Congress
RE: Impeach Dick Cheney
1260 Mission Blvd
San Francisco, Ca 94103

Taking the time to do this one little task may be the most important thing you have ever done. And we've given you everything you need except the 5 minutes of time it will take to write and mail the letter, a pen, a piece of paper, an envelope and a stamp.

Rubbing Our Noses In Heterosexuality

Recently we found the following arguments against equal marriage rights:

1. Homosexual sex is not natural. Men and women are born with “fitting parts” that prove God intended for the male part to enter the female part.
2. Gay rights activists are rubbing our noses in their sex lives.
3. If gays are allowed to marry, heterosexual marriage will be less meaningful.
4. Heterosexual marriage has been around a long time which proves it is valid.
5. Gay marriage should be decided by people not the courts.
6. Gay marriage is not supported religion.
7. God abhors gay sex.
8. Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay or send a message that it is OK to be gay.
9. Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy sexual behavior.
10. Gay marriage will change/destroy the foundation of society.

A careful reading of the arguments leads to the conclusion that, in general, opponents of equal marriage rights reduce our relationships down to one single factor -- S-E-X.

They do not conceded that we have rich, full, multi-faceted lives together that are not so different from the lives of heterosexual couples.

We love, we live, we work. We have children and grandchildren. We pray, we play, we pay taxes, get sick and we die.

All we want is to have the legal rights and protections that will allow us to care for our family. Period.

Perhaps the best way to illustrate the absurdity of the arguments put forth by anti-equality opponents to turn the tables on them.

Imagine opening the social pages of your local newspaper to find this announcement:

John and Anne Richards Celebrate 50 F*cking Years with Family and Friends

At the Jamestown Inn on November 12 more than 100 friends and family joined John and Anne Richards in celebrating 50 f*cking years together.

Special guest was Anne’s father Henry Smith, who turned 100 years old last May. Henry and his late wife Joyce f*cked for over 60 years before she died in 1986.

Hosts were the couple’s three children and their f*ck partners, Mark (Loretta) Richards, Kelly (Alex) George and Katie (Brian) Gill.

John Richards and Anne Smith were united in legally sanctioned f*cking on November 9, 1957, at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church where guests witnessed their vows to love, honor and f*ck from that day forward.

The couple retired 10 years ago and now enjoy traveling, playing golf, spending time with their children and grandchildren and -- of course -- f*cking as often as their health permits.

Imagine if all relationships were reduced to their sexual component. Not a pretty sight.

We're tired of having our noses rubbed in the legal rights of others while they are denied to us because a few powerful folks are sexually perverted and in dire need of therapy.