The Watchtower

So You Know--Working for City Council Candidate Evan Thies

2009-07-28T08:37:00.000-07:00

I am currently working for Evan Thies in his campaign for New York's 33 District City Council seat in Brooklyn. The district covers Greenpoint, Williamsburg, DUMBO, Brooklyn Heights, Park Slope, and Boerum Hill. If you want to get involved or support Evan Thies' campaign, let me know.

Visited the Lower 9th Ward

2009-03-18T13:40:00.000-07:00

And it's still completely devastated. An entire neighborhood, in America, that has been forced to lie fallow for the last four years like a massive graveyard. The bodies might not be there any more, but the utter and complete destruction is obvious, nonetheless. Some of it may be grassy fields now, but the concrete foundations stand there still, like weird tombstones laid flat atop their graves. The hollow shells of houses, completely gutted and reduced to studs bear witness to a horrific catastrophe.

The disaster was caused by far too weak levees--government structures that failed not because of misinformation and bad judgment but sheer neglect from the people elected to look out for those things. It's a fair summary of the problems of the entire city. On each of the houses, the first responders to Hurricane Katrina drew "X"s, marking who had searched the place, when, and what they found. Many of the homes in the heart of the Lower 9th Ward weren't searched until September 19, 2005--more than three weeks after Hurricane Katrina. By that point, there was no one left to save.

Once Katrina hit, though, there's no reason the federal government could not have implemented a Marshall Plan for the Gulf Coast. No matter our current economic circumstances, America is a fairly wealthy nation. If George Bush or Barack Obama made rebuilding New Orleans a priority, we could afford to pay for it. Restoring a house is insurmountably expensive to a displaced family that lost everything. However, our government has money. For the price of just a few of the cheaper pork earmarks, hundreds of houses could be replaced. It's not about money--it's about determination, and we need to devote our resources to it.

Reminds me of Majdanek and Auschwitz. It looks incredibly similar, and evokes a similarly emotional response. Anyone who can see it and not react violently has no soul.

I'm in New Orleans

2009-03-16T07:01:00.000-07:00

And it's scaring the shit out of me. I knew so much of it wasn't rebuilt, but we're at a school now, and you can still see the lesson plan on a chalk board from August 26, 2005--the Friday before Hurricane Katrina hit. On it, there's a message: "Have a safe weekend." So much of the building still has water damage, and some rooms even smell of mold. The school seems almost haunted. On the ground floor, the cafeteria still has the line posts in place...and almost nothing else.

If anything, it reminds me of Majdanek. The stains on the wall are a slightly different color (the result of water and peeling paint, instead of zyklon b), but it has the same feel of a horrible, haunted historic landmark that should not be forgotten.

Not Sure How to Vote on the Propositions?

2008-10-29T19:39:00.000-07:00

Check out the Calitics endorsements. They are a great source for the progressive view on California issues.

You're welcome, Brian.

ICYMI: I'm in the Daily News

2008-10-28T12:48:00.000-07:00

Just so you know, I'm in the Los Angeles Daily News discussing the excesses of ballot initiatives.

For Michael Spitzer-Rubenstein, it's the campaign of Sen. Barack Obama that is driving him to the polls.

"This is my first election and I couldn't be more excited," said Spitzer-Rubenstein, 18, who also made calls for the Obama campaign in Los Angeles.

But, other than a couple of other items, he said he was unsure how to vote on all the ballot propositions.

"I know about (Proposition) 8, but a lot of the other ones are pretty confusing," he said. "There's no way anyone can really know about some of the issues that are on the ballot."

Check it out!

Article in the Spec and Stop Prop 8!

2008-10-23T14:04:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

I have an article in the Columbia Spectator about teachers' First Amendment Rights to wear campaign buttons.

Politics should be kept out of the classroom. Educators should maintain perfect neutrality on partisan issues and not disclose their political views. By never talking about their own beliefs, they will avoid prejudicing their students’ grades on the basis of the views expressed and indoctrinating them into a specific ideology. Wearing a button or putting up a sign contributes to shaping political views.

Read the rest of it here.

Also, if you think we same sex marriage isn't out to somehow destroy "traditional marriage" (I think Britney Spears already did that), put your money where your mouth is and stop Prop 8! We only have 12 days left, and every minute counts, so help defeat Prop 8.

There are Demons on Low Steps?

2008-09-16T10:03:00.001-07:00

Apparently.

A group of Bhutanese monks came today to cleanse the Steps of Demonic Energy (and promote the Museum of Himalayan Art), and they did a ritual that I suppose killed all the demons and bad energy there.

I wonder, though. Won't the demons come back when the monks leave and people take their homework outside to do on the Steps, again?

*Pictures later*

September 11 IS a Day for Politics

2008-09-11T12:46:00.000-07:00

Today, we're hearing plenty of talk about non-partisanship, how September 11 should be a day of national mourning, not a day of politics. In some ways, it's almost religious in nature--like the Sabbath, separating the profane, political from the sacred, non-partisan.

But it's a false division. Whether in religion or politics, life cannot be bifurcated except by arbitrary and misleading measures. We cannot simply commemorate the events of September 11, 2001 and call for national unity and service, as the ServiceNation forum tonight is meant to do, without involving politics (unless, of course, politics means solely the trivialities that the news media usually treats us to). The whole idea of community service and involvement is inseparably linked to political ideology. Libertarians, especially radical Ayn Rand libertarians, don't subscribe to the idea that we have a moral, if not legal, obligation to be involved citizens. And our belief in what type of service should be valued is especially political.

We, as liberal Democrats, place an enormous emphasis on civil service, whether in the Peace Corps overseas or in AmeriCorps at home. This comes in numerous forms, from Habitat to Humanity to education, from the importance of community organizers to the value of unions.

By contrast, in the context of service, Republicans are far more likely to place serving in the military or missionary work. As we've seen over the past week or two, Republicans don't feel nearly as positively about organizers.

These are ultimately political, for those values can clearly be traced into public policy, whether in Barack Obama's proposal to give tuition assistance to students who volunteer (PDF) or in George Bush's opaque governing style that prizes corporations over community groups. At tonight's forum, Obama and McCain should be asked what they value, and how they will translate that into policy. Those are both political and partisan, but are the crux of any debate on service, unless Barack Obama and John McCain are expected to spend their two hours on pablum about how everyone should volunteer at soup kitchens and hospitals.

However, the entire context for the event is entirely political. September 11th was not an event divorced from politics--it came about because of and resulted in political decisions, from George Bush shifting intelligence agencies from their Clinton-era focus on terrorism to Russia and China, and after 9-11, resulted in the invasion of Iraq. That's inarguably political, and the issue should be raised--who will keep America safer?

This isn't an argument we should be afraid of, for we should be able to win that issue. John McCain has never met a war he didn't like, whether it was Vietnam in the 60's or Iraq today. As our troops are dying in Iraq, both the media, the Obama campaign, and we bloggers ought to point out that it's not making us safer. Instead, even today, we need to point that out.

If we aren't willing to make note of that today, when it is perhaps most relevant, we don't deserve to take back the White House. It may be September 11th, but rather than be a day without politics, it should remind us why politics is so important.

Note: I will be liveblogging the event from Columbia University for the Columbia University College Democrats at http://blog.cudemocrats.com/. This diary represents my views alone, and not those of the Columbia University College Democrats.

ICYMI: Obama-McCain at Columbia

2008-09-11T11:38:00.000-07:00

Just a note, Obama and McCain will be at Columbia today for a "forum" on national service. I'll be liveblogging it for the Columbia University College Democrats on their blog "The Lion and the Donkey".

The Atlantic Just Put Out a Series of Memos by the Clinton Campaign

2008-08-11T17:32:00.000-07:00

You can see the memos here

The ones I'm most interested in are their estimates of California. And I'm disappointed to say that my 33rd District wasn't targeted. On the brighter side, we got nearly as many votes for Barack Obama as they predicted in total. Hillary Clinton's campaign estimated about 91,000 votes all told--we turned out 81,000 voters for Obama.

I Love People Who Max Out

2008-08-01T15:37:00.000-07:00

Now, if I could find about 40-50 more of them, my job would be a helluva lot easier.

http://www.actblue.com/page/kevinpowellforbrooklyn

Donate now to help elect a great progressive Democrat in Brooklyn.

I Empathize

2008-07-30T21:24:00.000-07:00

John Mayer tries to help his Dad on the computer. Haven't we all had that sort of experience?

What Makes Someone Hate Another?

2008-07-28T23:11:00.000-07:00

This has been bothering me for some time now, and I still don't have an answer.

All my experience in the world (with the exception of my work as a teacher's assistant--goddamn little kids) has been in politics. During that time, I've worked for a few very high-profile people. And those people have attracted a combination of popularity and hatred, with the exception of the County Supervisor race (and, to be honest, who actually cared about that race?) Most of that feeling, I can understand, especially since two of the more attention-getting races were a choice between the older Establishment (Hillary Clinton, John McCain and Edolphus Towns) and young up-and-comers (Barack Obama and Kevin Powell). I get that they think "we just got into our rightful place and now some little twerp wants to take it from us?"

What I don't get, however, is the sheer, unreasoning hatred that both Obama and Powell inspired among some. I'm not talking about racism--that's something very different. They are both candidates who have their share of flaws, but it's something else that inspires this sheer venom that renders anything they say or do objectionable. The one explanation that makes sense is that popular support scares some, but I don't think that really fits the bill.

Maybe it's hard for me because I have trouble getting really enraged--I even sometimes have problems mustering up anger at the GOP's frequent actions that really deserve rage. I can't say that there's anyone who I really have a grudge against. People sometimes piss me off, and sometimes I get upset, but I can't say that I have a vendetta against anyone.

Temperamentally, I think I'm fairly moderate, even if my politics sometimes veer quite far left. It might just be my contrarian side that tries to find the other side of any argument. Whatever it is, the anger that so many others seem to have doesn't really jive with my personality.

Anyway, one way to really make me happy is your help to elect Kevin Powell. If we can raise $15,000, we'll remain competitive against Edolphus Towns, in spite of the funding he gets from Republican lobbyists like J.C. Watts. So help elect a progressive Democrat in Brooklyn.

Just Want to Highlight an Innovative Website

2008-07-26T14:23:00.001-07:00

Sean Tevis is running for the state legislature in Kansas. Normally, heck almost all of the time, I wouldn't care about Kansas' legislature, let alone its elections, unless someone is paying me, but Sean Tevis is something special.

He made an xkcd comic about his campaign, is far surpassing records for online donations, and has a kickass website, too. He's also a great guy and I'm sure he'll be a great state representative for Kansas.

Hope he wins.

The Proposed Sales Tax Hike

2008-07-24T01:33:00.000-07:00

Later today, I will deliver this statement to the LA MTA Board, asking them to put a measure on the ballot to increase the sales tax by half a cent to pay for transportation funding.

I'm Michael Spitzer-Rubenstein, representing the LA County Young Democrats, and I implore you to help the youth of LA County by putting this on the ballot because the rewards, especially for younger voters, will be immense.

Young people, who generally have less disposable income, less access from cars, and a greater need for public transportation, would disproportionately benefit from this. Even though it's not perfect--a sales tax is far from ideal, the cost will only be about $25 per person. At the same time, the transportation projects funded under this act will create tens of thousands of new jobs and dramatically benefit our economy. The effects of those programs will make up for the regressive nature of the tax, for those receiving the greatest benefits will be the young and least among us.

Moreover, this will alleviate some of our environmental footprint by paying for the mass transit that is the most effective way to reduce transportation-based emissions. And so, on behalf of the LA County Young Democrats, I ask that you approve this measure to help future generations of Angelenos.

The New iPhone Facebook App Supports the Wall

2008-07-22T22:03:00.000-07:00

And a whole lot more, but that's the biggest improvement to me. Hopefully it'll be stabler, too. I've had some problems with messages not going through and the app crashing (and I hated having to try to click the "post" or "send" buttons on the Safari version), so this looks promising.

I'm Going to Be the Internet Director for Kevin Powell

2008-07-22T00:16:00.001-07:00

Kevin Powell is running for Congress in New York's 10th Congressional District (Brooklyn). He's a great guy, a true reformer, and will make a great representative.

He's a noted writer and activist, and is a stunning contrast to the current officeholder, Edolphus Towns. While Kevin Powell was at Netroots Nation, meeting activists and seeing some of the real issues we face, Edolphus Towns, who claims to be a Democrat, was holding a fundraiser in Washington D.C. with Republican lobbyist and former Congressman J.C. Watts. Towns has received several thousand dollars from Republican congressmen, and even more from lobbyists, and it's time to turn the page and turn out Edolphus Towns.

Donate

Don Siegelman was a Political Prisoner of George Bush

2008-07-18T09:23:00.000-07:00

He was a former Governor of Alabama, framed by Karl Rove, and confined for 11 months to a maximum security prison and had the same restrictions that we put on terrorism.

Karl Rove is now avoiding the Congressional hearings about this. Tell Congress to him in contempt for prosecuting a political opponent and then trying to avoid justice.

That is all. Hold him in contempt.

Just a Thought

2008-07-18T07:51:00.000-07:00

I'm listening to a panel with Joe Trippi, and he just mentioned that, in the 1960 debate, radio listeners judged Richard Nixon as the winner while John Kennedy won over TV viewers. That moment is often judged the beginning of the Internet age in politics. I have to wonder, though, could it be a consequence of the demographics of the audiences.

Radio audiences were probably more conservative, older, late-adopters, just as non-Internet users today tend to be older, more conservative late-adopters today. We acknowledge that the views of the Internet audience are different from non-Internet users (if they were the same, Ron Paul would be running neck and neck with Obama). Do we just neglect the same thing because TV audiences don't talk back like people online do? Or has someone studied that already and dismissed my new-found theory?

Funny Anecdote from Netroots Nation

2008-07-17T09:01:00.001-07:00

Chris Hughes, the Obama campaign's director of online organizing (using Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, and the Obama website to organize supporters), is one of the founders of Facebook. He was planning on showing Barack Obama's Facebook page and application. Unfortunately for him, he couldn't log-in to Facebook--he couldn't remember his password.

Eventually, his deputy, Judith Freeman, logged into her account and showed it that way.

What a Surprise! The LA Times Discovers that the Constitution Was Debated 200 Years Ago!

2008-07-13T13:36:00.001-07:00

Nothing new if you had Atkins for Con Law at Georgetown JSA--he hammered this into your head--but it looks like the LA Times discovered that, yes, different people had different ideas about what the Constitution meant even two hundred years ago. The LA Times isn't as smart as we are, but even they can see that the Framers, Ratifiers, and 1st Congress had different ideas about what they were doing.

Scalia also cited studies by UCLA law professor Eugene Volokh and others showing that some Colonial-era state constitutions spoke of a right "to bear arms for the defense of themselves and the state." This suggests that the right to bear arms extended beyond service in the state militia.

In dissent, Justice John Paul Stevens said Scalia was looking in the wrong place. James Madison, the author of the Bill of Rights, rejected broader proposals and focused on preserving "a well-regulated militia" and a right to "bear arms" in military service, Stevens contended.

John McSame is a Creep

2008-06-18T17:50:00.000-07:00

Really creepy. Wait for the SNL skit with John McSame.

Please Vote for Me to Recieve a Scholarship from DFA

2008-06-08T19:24:00.000-07:00

Democracy for America is providing a scholarship to attend Netroots Nation, a conference of progressive bloggers and activists. I'm in the running for a scholarship to attend, so please vote for me to receive it: http://www.democracyforamerica.com/netroots_nation_scholarships/101-michael-spitzer-rubenstein

Thanks!

Remember to Vote

2008-06-02T23:57:00.000-07:00

If you need to look up your polling place, use the LA County's online tool: http://lavote.net/locator/default.htm

Tip of the Hat to David Markland: Check Out His Blog about Bernie Parks' Website Steal

2008-05-31T09:34:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to point out that David Markland's blog California Faultline (which he writes for KNBC) is probably the best source for news about Bernard Parks' website steal:

A few days ago, the Parks campaign wrote me saying they had contacted Uyi Ogbeide with 2 Way Star, their web designer, who “assured” them that “he did not commit any violations.”

Bullshit. They're just passing the buck. Again.

I've Been Involved in the Obama Campaign for a Year Now

2008-05-30T17:29:00.000-07:00

I signed up a year ago today for the Walk for Change. And to be honest, then, I wasn't sure that Obama could win. I would say he would, but truthfully, I was nervous about that. I'm not anymore.

The Daily Breeze Just About Sums It Up

2008-05-28T08:48:00.000-07:00

The Breeze has a fascinating look at the race:

"He's got years more education on the issue of health care," said Jim Lott of the Hospital Association of Southern California. "Parks is reading the Ridley-Thomas playbook and taking pages out of it. He's got a lot of learning to do."

That's just it. Like with his website, Bernard Parks routinely steals from other politicians. Why? Because his usual disposition is towards passing the buck incompetence.

What Happened at the LA Times?

2008-05-28T00:40:00.000-07:00

Disappointingly, they endorsed Bernard Parks, but their rationale made little sense.

Parks' views on business and economic issues generally coincide with the market-based approach favored by this page. But we note with concern the focus placed on the business-versus-labor aspects of this race -- a focus that comes primarily from business and labor groups themselves. True, several prominent business groups back Parks, and unions are largely with Ridley-Thomas, but neither candidate is a one-note shill for interests that support him. Ridley-Thomas, for example, has support from business and development interests that appreciate the hard work he has done in the City Council and in the Legislature. He was instrumental in the recovery of South Los Angeles after the Rodney King unrest, and helped defuse potentially destructive tension with his Days of Dialogue series. He established the Empowerment Congress, which put his constituents more firmly in command of their government resources.

For his part, Parks has shown tough-mindedness and independence, holding his ground on issues involving public employee contracts and resisting the council stampede into such questionable areas as dictating a special minimum wage for workers at hotels near Los Angeles International Airport. As a frequent critic of LAPD Chief William J. Bratton, Parks has been the chief's nemesis, but he also has offered promising hints of his supervisorial potential, namely his defense of open records and proceedings, two areas in which the LAPD today is less forthright than it was under Parks.

I think the LA Times forgot about Rampart, which it mentions earlier in the article. Then, he was oh so open and public about what happened. Not like he executed the biggest cover-up in LAPD history and then passed the buck about it.

And what's up with the LA Times' fair and balanced slant? Can they read their own article with a straight-face? Parks isn't just a shill for business, he opposed labor unions, too? Are they serious? That's not a fair and open-minded view--that's just a reflection of his consistently opposition to bettering the lot of working people.

My Endorsements

2008-05-27T23:02:00.000-07:00

You want a list of who to vote for? You got a list of who to vote for:

Board of Supervisors
Supervisor, Dist. 2 Mark Ridley-Thomas

Democratic Central Committee
42nd District Andrew Lachman, Paul Koretz, Dante Atkins
47nth District Ben Arnon
53rd District Abel Pacheco

Superior Court Judges
Office No. 4 Ralph W. Dau*
Office No. 69 Harvey A. Silberman
Office No. 72 Hilleri Grossman Merritt
Office No. 82 Cynthia Loo
Office No. 84 Lori-Ann C. Jones
Office No. 94 C. Edward Mack
Office No. 95 Patricia D. Nieto
Office No. 119 Jared D. Moses
Office No. 123 Kathleen Blanchard
Office No. 125 James N. Bianco
Office No. 154 Rocky L. Crabb

The judges were straight from The LA County Democratic Party because I honestly know nothing about them. The rest are personal friends (with the exception of Mark Ridley-Thomas and Paul Koretz, who I like on a personal level but are not friends) who I vouch for.

As far as the 40th Assembly and 23rd Senate Districts, there are several good candidates. In the 23rd District, Los Angeles County Young Democrats endorsed Lloyd Levine, but LA Grassroots for Obama endorsed Fran Pavley. Calitics issued a joint endorsement, so obviously either would be a good choice.

In the 40th District, it's close to a three-way race with Laurette Healey, Stuart Waldman, and Bob Blumenfield. Bob Blumenfield is a personally nice guy, but he's been embroiled in some ethics trouble, and he may have broken the law. That said, Stuart Waldman has had similar, though less significant issues, and I'm not entirely sure that Healey will get enough votes to have a shot at winning. Calitics endorsed Healey, and I generally trust them that she has the potential to make a great (as opposed to just good) state legislator. Since I don't see a really dramatic difference between Waldman and Blumenfield, I would vote for her and be happy with whoever won. But I'm glad I don't live in that district and don't have to choose.

KNBC's Blog Covers Parks' Website Steal

2008-05-26T15:09:00.000-07:00

Even KNBC's blog is getting in the game:

Make no mistake about it - the designer knowingly copied Obama’s page.
After reaching out to Parks office for comment, Bernard C. Parks, Jr. replied, “The Parks for Supervisor Campaign hired 2-Way Star, Inc. to do the website. And, we are actively attempting to investigate the allegations.”
I pressed for an answer as to how Parks and his campaign site didn’t notice the similarity between their site and Obama’s, especially considering Parks boasts that he was one of the first people to endorse Obama, and photos of the two together are featured on the site.

Parks, Jr: “Since we were made aware of it, we’ve been trying to make contact with the company. So far we’ve been unsuccessful.”

While Parks, Jr. did give me an email he said was for the designer, he has yet to answer how this designer was chosen, and if the site was paid for. An message sent to the email given for the designer has not been returned.

It's unfortunately typical for Bernard Parks. It's more passing the buck incompetence. As he tries to cover for why he's dishonestly posing as a big Obama backer (while running against a co-chair of the Barack Obama campaign), he and his campaign insist that it wasn't their fault. It was someone else's fault.

Just like how Rampart was someone else's mess.

Life is Precious

2008-05-23T08:49:00.000-07:00

Over the past day or so, I realized something--that my life is blessed. Compared to so many people, I have not undergone significant hardship in my life. For the most part, even the worst of my life is not so bad. I can't say I've suffered half the hardship and pain of some.

It would be an easy cop-out to say that realization resulted from the Every Fifteen Minutes program at Beverly. It didn't. As a matter of fact, I found those two days worth of events to be over-the-top, excessive, and slightly distasteful. Generally speaking, I was either uncomfortable or disgusted.

However, on the ride back from Disneyland after Grad Night, I happened to listen in on the conversation of two people, acquaintances but not really friends, and I discovered that their lives and what they went through, even on a daily basis, is not something I would have any desire to do. I wanted to add something like "Oh, I had that, too." But it occurred to me--I haven't. Sure, I've had broadly similar things happen to me, but nothing even comparable in scale or magnitude. I'm lucky.

And while it might be tempting to end this with a political message, using this to justify voting for Mark Ridley-Thomas instead of Bernard Parks, this takes precedence over politics. I've spent the past two hours or so searching for the right words to express myself without sounding offensive or worse, and I came up empty. The closest I could find comes not from my own vision but from the prophet Micah "What does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly." We are not able to put our hardship side-by-side to determine which is worse. Instead, we must seek to live righteously and compassionately, accepting others, for better and worse, for who they are.

My Friend Called Bernard Parks About the Website

2008-05-22T20:27:00.001-07:00

My friend decided to call Bernard Parks' campaign to ask them about their website, and why it still contained links to BarackObama.com. He spoke to Domingo, the contact person for their campaign on the website, who denied any knowledge of that and insisted it was a software-related bug that he had never encountered before.

Because, of course, by using a Mac, any link anywhere automatically links to BarackObama.com. And it wasn't written about on a Los Angeles Times' blog. It's just some glitch related to using Safari, not a link to

Pathetic, just pathetic.

Especially when you consider that Mark Ridley-Thomas has a history of honestly supporting Barack Obama, from before there was an Obama bandwagon. He was supporting Obama back in 2007, before Iowa, before February 5th, before Obama looked like the next President. Mark Ridley-Thomas was a co-chair on Obama's campaign. He hosted two Obama events, the Walk for Change in JUNE, 2007, and the Vote for Change Registration kickoff just a few weeks ago. It was at the Walk for Change that I first met Senator Ridley-Thomas, and he consistently worked to elect Barack Obama, even loaning his chief of staff, Vincent Harris, to work on the Obama campaign as the state Political Director. It's not surprising that many of the leaders on that effort are now supporting Mark Ridley-Thomas, because Mark Ridley-Thomas has a record of honestly supporting progressive change while Bernard Parks...

...well, to put it lightly, Bernard Parks doesn't have that record.

Bernard Parks Now Impotent: More on Bernard Parks' Illegal Campaign Donations

2008-05-22T14:24:00.000-07:00

Bernard Parks has accepted $21,800 in contributions from contractors with business before the MTA. As Supervisor, Bernard Parks would have to make decisions about those contractors. That would be in violation of SB 89 "Limits on MTA Contributions":

Prohibits any member, alternate member or employee of the MTA
from making a decision, or participating in, or using his or her
official position to influence, a contract decision if they have
received a gift or contribution of over $10 in the past four years
from the participant in the contract decision or his or her agent.

In other words, because of Bernard Parks' own actions, he would either be rendered absolutely impotent as a Supervisor when dealing with the very pressing and dramatic issues of transportation policy like the Red Line expansion or Bernard Parks would be breaking the law.

No word yet on whether Bernard Parks broke the law in accepting those contributions in the first place, but we'll keep investigating.

Parks Violating the Law with Illegal Contributions?

2008-05-22T10:22:00.000-07:00

We have reports that Bernard Parks may be violating campaign finance law by accepting contributions from MTA contractors with business before the LA County Board of Supervisors.

More as we look into it...

More on the Bizarre (and Illegal?) Robocalls of Bernard Parks

2008-05-22T02:57:00.000-07:00

CompTron relays a message her friend Scott sent to Bernard Parks:

Subject: You called me at 7:30am Monday morning...

...and have subsequently lost my vote. No one wants to be woken up that early to hear a recorded message on their cell phone when they think it's probably an emergency. Congratulations on alienating your constituency.

SV
Los Angeles Voter

Not only are robocalls at 7:30 AM obnoxious, they are also illegal. So not only is Bernard Parks doing just simply bizarre calls, but they are also violating the law. And he wants to be Supervisor?

Bizarre Calls from Bernard Parks

2008-05-21T23:26:00.000-07:00

Via Mayor Sam's comes this blog post from Walter Moore about Bernard Parks' Bizarre calls about stamps:

This weekend, I got a call from Parks, and he made it crystal clear how much he cares about the Shaws, illegal aliens in gangs, and protecting your family: not at all.

Instead, he’s focusing on something really important: stamps. Parks left a message to let me know that the price of stamps has gone up, and, since he’s providing valuable information like this, how about voting for him for County Supervisor?

And not only is he talking about stamps instead of pressing issues like violent crime or King-Drew, but his information is already outdated. The price of stamps already increased. So, Bernie Parks, either get with the program or get out of the way.

And, come to think of it, could this be a result of having his family run his campaign? Bernard Parks has rejected that suggestion as racist by saying that "We're not slaves anymore. Families are allowed to stay together."

Nepotism still doesn't work out so well, though.

Bernard Parks Complains About Opposition

2008-05-21T23:14:00.000-07:00

This is rich. Bernard Parks, who raised almost twice as much as Mark Ridley-Thomas, is complaining that labor unions support his opponent, and posted this article by Earl Ofari Hutchinson which recounts his complaint. Because, of course, there is no reason that labor unions would oppose someone who spent his term as Chief of Police cracking down on unions even when it meant taking his attention off fighting crime to fight the Police Protective League.

As Earl Ofari Hutchinson writes:

Parks loudly protests the unions' heavy-handed spending on one candidate in a local race that decidedly un-levels the election playing field. He screams that the hefty union payoff to Ridley-Thomas is proof that he's in the hip pocket of labor.

His complaint can't be waved off. Parks is no slouch when it comes to fundraising. He nearly doubled Ridley-Thomas' total in the first quarter of this year, with much of it coming from business groups.

In short, Bernard Parks is complaining because Mark Ridley-Thomas's supporters are supporting him, even if not as much as Bernard Parks' supporters have given him money (not surprising considering that Big Business is supporting Bernie Parks). In Bernie Parks' world, any opposition to him is just "not fair".

In spite of Bernie Parks' warped view of fairness, what's really unfair is that, if it were up to Bernard Parks, hotel workers would not earn a living wage (LA Times $). What's really unfair is that, if it were up to Bernard Parks, workers could be fired at the time of management changes and would not get service charges that operate in place of a tip (LA Times $). What's unfair is that Bernard Parks opposed creating thousands of construction jobs from the airport. What's unfair is that Bernard Parks decided to protect the corrupt cops of Rampart instead of the honest, hard-working members of the Police Protective League. That's unfair. What Bernard Parks is whining about? That's just what Bernie Parks should have expected when he decided to stand up for his rich Big Business pals instead of his constituents.

That's why I'm supporting Mark Ridley-Thomas.

I Love Bernard Parks' Website

2008-05-21T23:03:00.000-07:00

Following up on the LA Times report, I checked out Bernard Parks' website.

One blog-style post, "Meet Bernard Parks - For LA County Supervisor" links, not to a thing about Bernard Parks but to this, an Obama event. That's below unprofessional.

If you actually go to http://www.parksforsupervisor.com, the gray bar above that link also goes to an page on Obama's website.

It would be funny if it weren't so sad.

The Misplaced Confidence of Bernie Parks

2008-05-21T22:53:00.000-07:00

Bernard Parks is now bragging about how Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger responded to his letter: http://parksforsupervisor.blogspot.com/2008/05/response-by-governor-regarding-health.html

I am pleased to report that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has responded to the letter I wrote to him on April 15th, regarding the Health Crisis that we are dealing with here in the 2nd District.

If you actually read the letter, it's just a form letter about how the situation with King-Drew is so important. I hope Bernie Parks doesn't think that he's so special for getting a form letter from the Governator. It's not the kind of leadership that will restore King-Drew.

Hell, I could get a similar boilerplate letter from Arnold--but I'm not running for Supervisor. I couldn't reopen King-Drew, and if this is what Bernie Parks thinks passes for leading and getting state and federal involvement, he won't be able to either. It's just more of the passing the buck incompetence that we've come to expect from Bernard Parks.

Los Angeles Times on Importance of Voting for Mark Ridley-Thomas

2008-05-21T22:46:00.000-07:00

The Los Angeles Times has a great piece on why voting for Mark Ridley-Thomas is so important:

The importance of county government is often lost on residents, perhaps because it's an entity that serves two interdependent but often separate populations. For one universe, the county manifests itself as art and entertainment. It is an evening concert on the lawn at the Los Angeles County Arboretum, a performance of "Tosca" at the Los Angeles County Music Center or a Van Gogh exhibit at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The county patrols beaches. It certifies gas pumps to make sure customers are not shortchanged.

For the other population, the county is the embodiment of hope and, all too often, trouble and despair. Los Angeles County programs and employees pull abused or neglected children from families crippled by drugs or crime and send them to foster care. Once there, statistics show, children become far more likely to become clients of other heartbreaking county programs: probation, jail, drug rehab, mental health treatment, homelessness placement. For this population, "county" means jail or perhaps a public hospital emergency room.

Looking at Mississippi and Ohio, the Children's Defense Fund detects a "cradle-to-prison pipeline" that feeds on race and poverty and is aided and abetted -- and most often is actually run -- by government. But Los Angeles County's pipeline is larger, and at least as destructive, as those in distant states. And in the 2nd District, the pipeline can seem more like a vacuum cleaner.

Bernard Parks, as Police Chief, oversaw that "cradle-to-prison pipeline". He spent more time covering up Rampart and trying to bust the Police Protective League (no surprise that they are supporting Mark Ridley-Thomas) than working to end that pipeline. And now he wants to take a greater role in that, running the prisons that have so many problems already. Only he and his big business supporters would think that's a good idea.

Bernard Parks Stole from Barack Obama

2008-05-21T22:43:00.000-07:00

The Los Angeles Times looks into Bernard Parks' copy of Barack Obama's website and finds:

the templates are, indeed, the same. Not only that, plenty of Obama's campaign DNA remains caught in the Park's web site:

...the code for the Parks page actually still includes many references barackobama.com and even embeds some images directly from the Obama web site.

Bernard Parks doesn't just pretend to be an Angeleno Barack Obama--he blatantly steals from the Obama campaign. But just because both are African-American Democrats doesn't mean that they are the same. Barack Obama is building a movement to change politics in this country. Bernard Parks is trying to exploit the trappings of that movement for his own benefit.

If you want someone who really is a Barack Obama Democrat, check out Mark Ridley-Thomas. The former head of the LA Southern Christian Leadership Conference (Martin Luther King's organization), he is running for Supervisor to really change the county for the better. He's a progressive Democrat, a strong supporter of Barack Obama, and will make an excellent Supervisor.

Doesn't Really Make Sense for Me to Have Two Separate Blogs

2008-05-21T22:15:00.000-07:00

I've been using Spotlight on the Second as a second blog to cover the Second Supervisorial District race. In thinking about it some more, I realized that it doesn't really make sense. So, I'm going to keep using Spotlight for people who just want to read about the race between Bernard Parks and Mark Ridley-Thomas, but for everyone else, I'll post everything on here, too.

Since You Can't Read it on Spotlight on the Second: Typical Bernard Parks, Passing the Buck Incompetence

2008-05-19T21:29:00.000-07:00

Since Spotlight on the Second has been temporarily shut down thanks to the actions of Bernard Parks' people, I should put the offending post here so that you can see what Bernie Parks' campaign didn't like.

I Just Found This Piece By Bill Boyarsky LA Observed

Parks blamed cuts in federal and state funding for medical aid to the poor, and he said he wanted to get the University of California medical system involved. That’s a great idea. Maybe someone from the UCLA hospital will teach the King people how to sell confidential information to the tabloids. It also makes no sense with USC located in the district.

That's just typical for Bernard Parks--he blames everything on others. It's never his fault. It wasn't his fault when the corrupt cops of Rampart got involved in gang crime. It wasn't his fault that the LAPD "organization chart ma[de] no sense". It wasn't his fault that Los Angeles wasted $170 million on the failed Santa Barbara Plaza. Over and over again, it's typical political buck-passing. And, of course, it wasn't his fault that King-Drew closed.

And now, he's doing it again. Once again, he's saying that everything is someone else's fault. King-Drew closed because of President Bush and Governor Schwarzenegger, because, of course, Bernard Parks wasn't in office at the time. Like any old politician, he's blaming others for his mistakes and taking credit for the work of others. If the state or federal government increase aid to the County, it will be thanks to a President Barack Obama, not thanks to anything Bernard Parks does.

It's typical Bernard Parks. Passing the buck incompetence.

Why is Bernie Parks Afraid of Debate?

2008-05-19T20:43:00.000-07:00

So my new blog Spotlight on the Second has already attracted the attention of Bernard Parks' campaign, or so I'd assume by the cryptic notice that I got from Google:

This is a message from the Blogger team.

Your blog, at http://spotlightonthesecond.blogspot.com/, has been identified as a potential spam blog. For an explanation of what spam blogs are, please see Blogger Help: http://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?answer=42577

You will not be able to publish posts to your blog until we review your site and confirm that it is not a spam blog. To request a review, please fill out the form found here:

It's clearly not spam, but the first post of my new blog was to point out that Bernard Parks is blaming others for the failure of King-Drew Hospital and expecting others to fix the Hospital and give him credit. It was a fairly tame post by my standards--I didn't treat him like I would a Republican. I merely pointed out that his current statement connected with a legacy of making similar statements as Police Chief and as a Councilman.

So I have to ask: Why is Bernard Parks and his campaign so afraid of a public debate? Why do they feel a need to suppress opposition instead of confronting my points and trying to rebut them? Are they afraid that an open debate will reveal the truth of the matter? And what is that truth that they are so embarrassed about as to cower behind trying to stop opposition instead of acknowledging?

I don't know the answer to that. If I had to guess, I'd say the truth is that Bernard Parks did little as police chief to stop crime but much to stop unions and oversee corruption. He has done little as City Councilman but promote the special interests of the rich at our expense and run for office. And now he wants to keep up his streak of do-nothing incompetence and bring it to the Board of Supervisors.

If you ask me, that's not the kind of thing that Los Angeles can afford. So is that why Bernard Parks doesn't want an open debate?

That's the kind of thing that makes me an even bigger supporter of Mark Ridley-Thomas.

New Blog: Spotlight on the Second

2008-05-18T15:19:00.000-07:00

The Board of Supervisors isn't the most prominent elected position. It's actually pretty low profile because there are only five seats and the seats aren't frequently contested. However, the Supervisors wield plenty of power. They run the county hospitals like King-Drew. They oversee the Sheriff's Department and the County Fire Department. They control the Registrar-Recorder, which deals with voting and voter registration. The District Attorney's office is overseen by the Supervisors. They also are on the board for the Metro. And this year, there will be a competitive election in the district I live in. It's not a well-covered election--the LA Times is not paying much attention to it, so I'm going to help cover what they don't on my new blog:

Spotlight on the Second

Two prominent Los Angeles leaders, Bernard Parks and Mark Ridley-Thomas are both running, and the election is in just over two weeks on June 3rd. It'll be a contentious battle, with very important consequences for our area. I will be profiling the contenders and the contentious issues from my new blog: Spotlight on the Second.

Mark Ridley-Thomas on the web: http://www.markridleythomas.com
Bernard Parks on the web: http://www.bernardparks.com

I Love Great Websites: Bernard Parks' Turn

2008-05-17T00:02:00.000-07:00

NOTA BENE: I like Mark Ridley-Thomas (www.markridleythomas.com), Bernard Parks' opponent.

Bernard Parks is running for Supervisor, hence the url: http://www.parksforsupervisor.com/ (was bernardparks.com too complicated?) and his website is impressive. But not in a good way.

It's impressive for being a bad carbon copy of Barack Obama's website. Bernard Parks wants to think of himself as a Barack Obama for Los Angeles (we can deal with that bit of insanity another post), which is understandable considering that Barack the area won in a landslide, about 66-30 on February 5th. But still, you'd expect that Bernard Parks' campaign wouldn't just try to steal the design of BarackObama.com. But you'd be wrong.

In fact, posing as an Angeleno Barack Obama isn't enough. Bernard Parks wasn't even willing to make it look good. Instead, he chose to steal the entire design from Obama's website but then changed the colors so it wouldn't be too obvious. Now, only the center widget, the news display, is a clone. The rest of Bernard Parks' website just looks bad--the colors don't match together. Now, I know--Bernard Parks doesn't have to be good with colors, and I'm not that great either. In fact, that should tell you something--if it looks bad to me, it probably looks awful to a great many people. But Bernard Parks should run put his campaign together as if he were somewhat better than the Police Department organization that his highly-respected successor, William Bratton, said made no sense. He has to have at least someone on his staff who can tell him that it looks hideous, so that means he either only hires yes men or his staff doesn't feel comfortable telling him the truth. Either way, those traits didn't serve him well in the Police, are giving him a horrible-looking website, and will likely do us just as poorly if he is elected.

Oh, and if you have a button that says "Please Donate or Volunteer", you should pretend that you don't care just about the money--sure, steal the "Donate" button from Barack Obama's website, but also offer people an opportunity to actually volunteer. Otherwise, Bernard Parks is betraying his true intentions--he wants to seem like he's Barack Obama, bringing people into the system, but at the end of the day, he just cares about the money.

The Problem with Kid Journalism...

2008-05-01T15:21:00.000-07:00

...Is that they don't take themselves seriously and then are surprised that no one else does either.

No joke. If you want to be seen as a real journalistic enterprise written by students and not just a rag without good writers, act like it. Don't make excuses for taking more than a month to put out an article. Everyone knows that for all but the longest, most thorough article, you aren't going to take more than a day or two to write the piece. If it's a profile, add a day or two to interview the subject and maybe Google them (which should be standard for most articles). Give an entire week for editing (although if you take that long to edit an article to make the piece publishable, you should be in English class and not at a fake newspaper), and fact-checking--we'll pretend anyone cares about that, too. You're still under two weeks (which is incidentally the news cycle for Highlights).

And all that's especially true for a web publication. If it's a printed newspaper, you can only put out article when the newspaper as a whole publishes, but if you just have a website, you don't have to deal with those concerns. You can just publish articles when they are done. So it shouldn't have to take a month or two to publish an article. If it takes that long, someone (or more likely, a great many people) in the organization don't really care about the finished product. So why should anyone else?

Funny JibJab Video

2008-04-23T21:25:00.000-07:00

They haven't done all that much since 2004, but this is pretty funny. Definitely worth watching:

Don't send a lame Passover eCard.
Try JibJab Sendables!

So Hillary Won

2008-04-22T23:18:00.001-07:00

Unfortunately, this contest will go on another few weeks. However, the overall dynamic of the race didn't change. Hillary won only about 6 delegates right now. Luckily, Obama is just about 300 delegates away from winning the nomination while Clinton needs about 500, and there are only 716 delegates up for grabs. Clinton would need about 60%, based on my rough math, to win, and she's down by 20 points in states like North Carolina (which goes on May 6th). In other words--Hillary Clinton has all but lost and won't admit it.

Clinton Got It Wrong

2008-04-21T21:50:00.000-07:00

Not just on Iraq, but on the campaign in general:

Open Left:

Obama's "get delegates wherever they are," strategy has proven superior to Clinton's media-focused strategy of claiming popular vote victories in a few large states. It also demonstrates the nonsensical nature of Clinton's electability argument to superdelegates, which is largely based on her having won popular vote victories in large states. Post-South Carolina, Clinton focused on the larger states, and ended up behind in delegates even though the campaign secured the victories it sought.

Hillary Clinton went after New Hampshire and won New Hampshire.
She went after Nevada and sort of won.
She went after Massachusetts and won there.
She went after California and won.
She went after New Jersey (which really should never have been in doubt for her) and won.
She went after Ohio and won, there, too.
She went after Texas and won part of it.
And now she's going after Pennsylvania, and is likely to win there, too.

But in spite of all that, she's behind and quickly losing the race. It's not that she can't accomplish her strategy--with only a few exceptions (Iowa, Connecticut, and to a lesser extent, Nevada and Texas), she's won everything that she really made a concerted effort to win.

The problem is that this is not 1992--the world is fundamentally different and Barack Obama isn't Jerry "Moonbeam" Brown (Hillary isn't her husband, either, though). Barack Obama is running a 21st Century campaign relying on the Internet and going after every vote, even in places where there aren't all that many Democrats. And thanks to his modern campaign, Barack Obama will win the nomination, even if he loses Pennsylvania because he's winning the game. He's playing NBA Basketball while Clinton is still playing college hoops.

Hospitality Suites at the CDP Convention--Why Bother?

2008-03-29T18:49:00.000-07:00

I've been attending the California Democratic Party's state convention (my first state convention, actually), and the one thing that really struck me is how much more excitement is being paid to the Carole Migden-Mark Leno race than to the presidential election, likely a reflection of the audience. The convention naturally attracts activists, who know about the intricacies of that senate race and Migden's $9 million fine, especially because the convention is in San Jose, very close to Senate District 3. Others have focused on the dynamics of the race and the hijacks at the convention, but the sheer resources that are being expended at the convention, both by Migden and Leno, and by other potential candidates for office, and I have to wonder--why bother?

As much as we may joke that politicians' votes are for sale, does it really make sense for politicians and interests to spend thousands of dollars on "hospitality suites" as the parties are called? I certainly enjoy the nightlife, but do they really do anything? While it may make sense for some to host parties in order to get attention (who would know who Tom Torlakson is if he didn't have an ice cream and apple pie social with live music?), for the higher-profile causes and politicians, especially those with Gubernatorial aspirations, does it really make sense to spend all the money on visibility and chum? How many people are really going to be persuaded to support Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi for Governor because they got a Garamendi sign, button, poppy seeds (for planting), and an invitation to his barbeque? Activists here know who John Garamendi is, and are (hopefully) not going to be persuaded by a picture and a Basque Barbeque.

Instead, it might make much more sense for Garamendi, Attorney General Bill Lockyer, Superintendent Jack O'Connell, Leno, and Migden to spend their campaign money on building a grassroots field organization. Indeed, that would likely help their campaigns more by creating a grassroots base and a field organization that could mobilize to deliver a primary victory, not to mention helping elect even more Democrats. I don't mean to revert to a trite complaint that better campaigners defeat the people who really deserve to win--an election determines who "deserves" to be elected. But instead of wasting their money, it might be smarter for candidates for office to spend their money more efficiently, which would help the Democratic Party in general. It would end up benefiting them, too.

Where Does the Buck Stop?

2008-03-13T14:38:00.000-07:00

Hillary Clinton is benefiting from and even encouraging frankly racist statements from the top (her husband) on down. It would be one thing if Geraldine Ferraro said that once and then said she didn't mean it.

But it isn't just Geraldine Ferraro.
It is Bill Clinton attributing Obama's success to his skin color: http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/01/26/for_bill_clinton_echoes_of_jac.html

It is Robert Johnson bringing to mind drug-dealing African-Americans in South Carolina: http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/13/bet-chief-raps-obama-in-sc/

It is Billy Shaheen in New Hampshire making similar remarks: http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/12/12/post_235.html

And that's just a few examples. This isn't an isolated incident, these racist rants are far, far too commonly coming from the Clinton campaign. Hillary Clinton is running to be president, and as Harry Truman put it, for the President: "The buck stops here." If she doesn't want to take responsibility for the actions of her campaign, who will? Will it be Bill Clinton? Or will Hillary Clinton stand up and accept responsibility for the actions of her employees?

Hillary Clinton Should Apologize

2008-03-13T01:55:00.001-07:00

Hillary Clinton should apologize to Barack Obama for Geraldine Ferraro's remarks that Barack Obama is doing better than Senator Clinton only because Barack Obama is black. It's patently racist, not to mention ridiculous--I am certain that more white Mississippians would have supported him if Barack Obama was white. Now, Geraldine Ferraro says that she is being called racist because she is white.

Geraldine Ferraro may have officially resigned from Hillary Clinton's campaign, but Geraldine Ferraro is still a close associate and would certainly stop speaking out if Senator Clinton asked her. Geraldine Ferraro is not an extremist political kamikaze--she is a former Vice Presidential candidate. Geraldine Ferraro was on the committee that created superdelegates. She is the insider's insider.

If Senator Clinton thought that Geraldine Ferraro's words were wrong or hurting her campaign, Ferraro would stop instantly. Clearly, Senator Hillary Clinton is, at the very least, abiding, if not promoting, Ms. Ferraro's racist rants, for she does not do that. Instead, Senator Clinton has condemned Barack Obama's campaign for attacking Geraldine Ferraro.

I used to really like Hillary Clinton--two years ago, I thought I would try to get a job with her campaign. Now, I cannot imagine supporting Clinton in future races, whether for President or Senate. Her actions of the past few weeks are far beyond the pale, and she has lost all respect from me.

A Paean to Barack Obama

2007-12-13T23:19:00.000-08:00

For English Class

My first time in October of last year,
I saw him address an SC rally.
Enraptured, I quickly gave him my ear.
And for him, I then put down my tally.

Barack Obama, the next President,
He’ll get us on the right path, together,
As the White House’s first black resident,
And lead us through fair and foul weather.

Now tell your mama, you’re for Obama.
Walk a precinct and let your neighbors know,
Or call voters without making drama.
And on Election Day, make sure to go

So that on two-five, much to their chagrin,
The Clintons will have to accept our win.

I Gave Martin Short an Obama Pamphlet

2007-11-15T21:18:00.000-08:00

On the WGA picket lines at Fox. I was distributing them, and I gave him one, and Sam and I walked behind him to the Cheviot Hills parking lot.

A Modern Piece of Pirkei Avot

2007-10-04T18:00:00.000-07:00

I'm reading a collection of essays by Abraham Joshua Heschel (Moral Grandeur and Spiritual Audacity), and it's an absolutely amazing set of reflections on what Judaism should be. I highly encourage you to read it, but one statement stood out for me:

Why is it only required for butcher shops to be under religious supervision? Why not insist that banks, factories, and those who deal in real estate should require a hechsher* and be operated according to religious law? When a drop of blood is found in an egg, we abhor the idea of eating the egg. But often there is more than one drop of blood in a dollar or lira and we fail to remind the people constantly of the teachings of our tradition.

Both as Jews and as Americans, we spend plenty of time arguing about morality in the home, but what about in public? It's easy to denounce someone for not being a good Jew and not observing the hagim, and perhaps I should be more observant. But what about public morality? How can we take anyone seriously when they think that denying health care to families barely above the poverty is more moral than two men marrying?

And I don't mean this to be an attack solely on Republicans--Democrats are just as guilty, and perhaps guiltier since they use this same rhetorical theme on occasion. When Americans are dying in Iraq, dying in a war to expand American control over the Middle East, Democrats are spending just as much, if not more time poking fun at Larry Craig, who, for all his failings, is no worse than most.

This isn't likely to change many minds--I would hope that in the deepest reaches of our heart, everyone is likely to agree that the actions of Chevron in Burma, supporting a military dictatorship against a democratically-elected government are worse than those of even Mark Foley. This isn't meant to change minds, instead it is meant to change actions. The next time you feel a need to make a comment or act on an issue, think about what is truly more moral pressing, what is more ethically important. Just take a few seconds to think. And then act to stop the moral injustice because, as Martin Luther King put it "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice." But it won't bend towards justice if we don't bend that arc.

Best CNN Headline, Ever

2007-08-28T15:21:00.000-07:00

Bathroom Scandal Senator: 'I am not gay'

Read the article, even though it's kind of unnerving.

Basically, a police officer was called to the bathroom because of complaints about sexual conduct going on there. The police officer sat on a toilet in the bathroom, and in the stall next to him was Senator Larry Craig (R-ID). Larry Craig started playing footsie with the police officer and making certain "gestures" to the cop. He then showed the cop his business card (identifying him as a Senator), and asked "What do you think of that?"

To be fair, though, I should say what Craig's defense was (although he came up with the defense AFTER pleading guilty). He claimed he just has a "wide stance" while using the restroom, and when he was making the gestures, he was actually reaching to pick up a piece of paper he dropped. Of course, at least according to the police, there not only wasn't any paper there, but he didn't pick anything up.

I'm a Senior Now!

2007-06-15T14:46:00.000-07:00

Yippee!

Says Something When Even Comedy Central's Daily Joke Get In On It

2007-05-30T20:53:00.000-07:00

Comedy Central

Q: How many US Attorney Generals does it take to screw in a light bulb?

A: I cannot recall that particular answer at this time.

On This Memorial Day, Let Us Think About What War Means

2007-05-28T17:46:00.000-07:00

The War Prayer
by Mark Twain

It was a time of great and exalting excitement. The country was up in arms, the war was on, in every breast burned the holy fire of patriotism; the drums were beating, the bands playing, the toy pistols popping, the bunched firecrackers hissing and spluttering; on every hand and far down the receding and fading spread of roofs and balconies a fluttering wilderness of flags flashed in the sun; daily the young volunteers marched down the wide avenue gay and fine in their new uniforms, the proud fathers and mothers and sisters and sweethearts cheering them with voices choked with happy emotion as they swung by; nightly the packed mass meetings listened, panting, to patriot oratory which stirred the deepest deeps of their hearts, and which they interrupted at briefest intervals with cyclones of applause, the tears running down their cheeks the while; in the churches the pastors preached devotion to flag and country, and invoked the God of Battles beseeching His aid in our good cause in outpourings of fervid eloquence which moved every listener. It was indeed a glad and gracious time, and the half dozen rash spirits that ventured to disapprove of the war and cast a doubt upon its righteousness straightway got such a stern and angry warning that for their personal safety's sake they quickly shrank out of sight and offended no more in that way.

Sunday morning came -- next day the battalions would leave for the front; the church was filled; the volunteers were there, their young faces alight with martial dreams -- visions of the stern advance, the gathering momentum, the rushing charge, the flashing sabers, the flight of the foe, the tumult, the enveloping smoke, the fierce pursuit, the surrender! Then home from the war, bronzed heroes, welcomed, adored, submerged in golden seas of glory! With the volunteers sat their dear ones, proud, happy, and envied by the neighbors and friends who had no sons and brothers to send forth to the field of honor, there to win for the flag, or, failing, die the noblest of noble deaths. The service proceeded; a war chapter from the Old Testament was read; the first prayer was said; it was followed by an organ burst that shook the building, and with one impulse the house rose, with glowing eyes and beating hearts, and poured out that tremendous invocation.

"God the all-terrible! Thou who ordainest! Thunder thy clarion and lightning thy sword!"

Then came the "long" prayer. None could remember the like of it for passionate pleading and moving and beautiful language. The burden of its supplication was, that an ever-merciful and benignant Father of us all would watch over our noble young soldiers, and aid, comfort, and encourage them in their patriotic work; bless them, shield them in the day of battle and the hour of peril, bear them in His mighty hand, make them strong and confident, invincible in the bloody onset; help them to crush the foe, grant to them and to their flag and country imperishable honor and glory --

An aged stranger entered and moved with slow and noiseless step up the main aisle, his eyes fixed upon the minister, his long body clothed in a robe that reached to his feet, his head bare, his white hair descending in a frothy cataract to his shoulders, his seamy face unnaturally pale, pale even to ghastliness. With all eyes following him and wondering, he made his silent way; without pausing, he ascended to the preacher's side and stood there waiting. With shut lids the preacher, unconscious of his presence, continued with his moving prayer, and at last finished it with the words, uttered in fervent appeal, "Bless our arms, grant us the victory, O Lord our God, Father and Protector of our land and flag!"

The stranger touched his arm, motioned him to step aside -- which the startled minister did -- and took his place. During some moments he surveyed the spellbound audience with solemn eyes, in which burned an uncanny light; then in a deep voice he said:

"I come from the Throne -- bearing a message from Almighty God!" The words smote the house with a shock; if the stranger perceived it he gave no attention. "He has heard the prayer of His servant your shepherd, and will grant it if such shall be your desire after I, His messenger, shall have explained to you its import -- that is to say, its full import. For it is like unto many of the prayers of men, in that it asks for more than he who utters it is aware of -- except he pause and think.

"God's servant and yours has prayed his prayer. Has he paused and taken thought? Is it one prayer? No, it is two -- one uttered, the other not. Both have reached the ear of Him Who heareth all supplications, the spoken and the unspoken. Ponder this -- keep it in mind. If you would beseech a blessing upon yourself, beware! lest without intent you invoke a curse upon a neighbor at the same time. If you pray for the blessing of rain upon your crop which needs it, by that act you are possibly praying for a curse upon some neighbor's crop which may not need rain and can be injured by it.

"You have heard your servant's prayer -- the uttered part of it. I am commissioned of God to put into words the other part of it -- that part which the pastor -- and also you in your hearts -- fervently prayed silently. And ignorantly and unthinkingly? God grant that it was so! You heard these words: 'Grant us the victory, O Lord our God!' That is sufficient. the *whole* of the uttered prayer is compact into those pregnant words. Elaborations were not necessary. When you have prayed for victory you have prayed for many unmentioned results which follow victory--*must* follow it, cannot help but follow it. Upon the listening spirit of God fell also the unspoken part of the prayer. He commandeth me to put it into words. Listen!

"O Lord our Father, our young patriots, idols of our hearts, go forth to battle -- be Thou near them! With them -- in spirit -- we also go forth from the sweet peace of our beloved firesides to smite the foe. O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it -- for our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with their tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is the ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts. Amen.

(*After a pause.*) "Ye have prayed it; if ye still desire it, speak! The messenger of the Most High waits!"

It was believed afterward that the man was a lunatic, because there was no sense in what he said.

http://www.warprayer.com

Racism Still Exists

2007-05-13T15:12:00.000-07:00

I want to recommend the book I'm reading right now Parting the Waters: America in the King Years 1954-63. Written by Taylor Branch, it's a history of the Civil Rights Movement and America as a whole, centered on one Martin Luther King, Jr. While it is very long and hard reading, it's excellent but all too real account of the tumultuous torturous trials and tribulations that America went through in those nine years at the center of the book.

As one might guess from the title, and especially knowing the titles of the second two titles of the trilogy (Pillar of Fire and At Canaan's Edge), the telling is, if not almost messianic, at least pseudo-Biblical. But, as much as I'd love to say that the Civil Rights Movement ended in the Promised Land, it did not. Millions upon millions still labor behind color lines that are just as established as in King's time, even if they are no longer enforced by Bull Connor's dogs. The situation is, nevertheless, nearly as bad. Millions of minorities labor in silence, suffering low pay, violence, and racist discrimination.

I wish I could sugercoat that, but it is undeniably true. Ask yourself: why is the "ghetto" seen as so much more dangerous than West LA (although, I've been a victim of more crimes on the Westside than any "dangerous" part of LA). Why is it that crime rates are higher in areas that are less white?

No respectable person would say that whites are less violent that other races, and I will not entertain that idea here. Instead, I would focus on institutionalized racism. It's the racism that dictates that schools in areas that aren't as white don't receive as much money as Beverly. It's the racism that gives the West side plenty of police officers while far too many crimes are perpetrated without hindrance elsewhere. It's the same racism that leaves broken families because of laws that excessively punish poor minorities without touching middle-class whites. It's the same racism that doomed thousands of victims of Hurricane Katrina to wander the Earth, just as did the Jew of lore, traveling from one horrid situation to another, from the slums of New Orleans to the outskirts of Houston, desperately seeking shelter against the travails inflicted upon them while the white residents of New Orleans soon returned to homes quickly restored. It is the racism that dictates that riots in France get front page news coverage while thousands die everyday in brutal civil wars raging across the heart of Africa with barely a mention.

Now, some will say that those are symptoms of other problems--slavery, segregation, poverty, the list is vast. And one might reasonably agree with James Carville's response to Kanye West that George Bush doesn't hate black people but hates poor people. They say that, and the arguments are convincing. But in the end, it comes back to that racism. Why are blacks (and other minorities) poorer? Because they started out as slaves, the lowest of the low, and unlike the slaves with Moses, they did not leave bondage with reparations, or for that matter, even leave the house of bondage. Because they get paid less and charged more when they try to borrow money. Because racist policies concentrate education spending on schools that are whiter and wealthier--and yes, those rules about how schools are funded are racist, it's not just a coincidence that they were adopted soon after segregation got underway. Because colleges, even publicly-funded colleges like UCLA, aren't willing to admit students who don't go to white, wealthy schools like Harvard-Westlake or Beverly Hills. Because blacks are taken advantage of by politicians who divide up their votes and influence, seeking political gain at their expense. Because, across America, racism still exists.

Should Incest Be Legal? (No)

2007-04-11T00:40:00.000-07:00

This was originally going to be a comment to an article that Buckley posted: Time: Should Incest Be Legal?, but it fired me up and I went over the maximum limit so I'm posting it here instead.

First of all, I find that activity disgusting.

However, my seeing incest as disgusting is no reason to ban it. (And to anyone who disagrees, if me disliking something is reason enough to ban it, there would be no unkosher food). A much better reason is that incest is rarely entirely consensual. Even in the few cases where it is, there is always some power dynamic that renders the activity far less consensual than sex between strangers.

While I suppose that, at least in theory, incest could be consensual, I'm not sure that it could be distinguished from rape.

What's more, I think the lawyers misread Lawrence v. Texas (which allowed sodomy). Lawrence (Court rulings are often cited that way) did not say that anti-sodomy laws were unconstitutional because they dealt with private consensual acts. Instead, the Court ruled that laws banning sodomy were unconstitutional because they were homophobic and discriminatory for the purpose of being homophobic, and not to serve a legitimate, beneficial cause.

The Money Primary Harms Democracy

2007-04-10T01:04:00.000-07:00

Over the past few weeks, plenty of attention has been paid to the amounts of money that certain candidates raised. Barack Obama’s $25 million haul is impressive. Hillary Clinton’s $26 million is not enough. John McCain’s $12 million is a disappointment. The commentary goes on.

You have to wonder about the entire process, however. A candidate gets twelve million dollars, largely from complete strangers, and it’s a failure? With that money, just about every person entering college could get a laptop computer—albeit not a great one. John McCain could practically give every Republican voter a few bucks by the National Convention if he keeps fundraising at his current pace. Yet, even that is not enough. Campaigns hunger after more and more money, and that comes at a price. Rather than speaking with normal voters, candidates spend their time meeting millionaires who can give $2,300 or more to their campaign.

I don’t know about you, but I doubt the Trumps and the Hiltons are in the same situation that my family and I are in. But the top-tier candidates will not hear our stories, we the people are drowned out by the rich.

There is an easy way to fix that problem. Arizona and a number of other states use it, and it works. Rather than having candidates raise massive amounts of money from the rich, the candidates would raise money in $5 contributions. Once they raised enough money, the candidates would be able to tap into the current taxpayer-funded system for campaigns. If a candidate did not want to do that, they could raise as much as they wanted from as many or as few people as they wanted. But if they did so, then any publicly-funded candidate would receive the same amount of money.

It is a system that can work to reduce the influence of big donors and increase the influence of we the people. It is a system that succeeded at just that in Arizona and other states. And it is a system that America ought to implement to strengthen our democracy.

My Campagn Website Is Updated

2007-03-23T00:52:00.000-07:00

I'm a bit of an insomniac at times, so I decided to work on my campaign website for my Gubernatorial run for JSA Governor, so I added a few things, corrected a few bugs, and it should be better now. Check it out. www.michael4gov.com

No Woman Should Be Called A Bitch

2007-03-16T23:24:00.000-07:00

Recently, conservative Republican talk radio host Glenn Beck commented that:

Hillary Clinton cannot be elected president because ... there's something about her vocal range. There's something about her voice that just drives me -- it's not what she says, it's how she says it. She is like the stereotypical -- excuse the expression, but this is the way to -- she's the stereotypical bitch, you know what I mean? After four years, don't you think every man in America will go insane?

Regardless of what you think of Hillary Clinton (and I do not intend to support her), or any woman for that matter, the term is derogatory towards women and meant to, for lack of a better term, keep them down. And that's exactly what's going on here--Glenn Beck is trying to keep Hillary Clinton away from the White House by criticizing her voice.

Could you imagine the conservative outcry if a leading Democrat commented negatively on George Bush's voice? They would be attacked as all sorts of things, and would be forced to run away from it. But Glenn Beck is able to respond similarly to a Democratic woman, and what's the media's reaction?

zzzz

The iRaq--Absolutely Hillarious

2007-03-14T20:57:00.000-07:00

Absolutely amazing. Watch it: www.youtube.com/v/KM_MkWgbt3k

JSA Spring State

2007-03-11T22:43:00.000-07:00

SA's Spring State Convention is April 20-22 (Friday afterschool to Sunday afternoon), and it's packed with two dances, debates, discussions, and lots of fun. It's at the LAX Hilton, and is $146. If you're at all interested, let me know.

I saw 300

2007-03-10T23:34:00.000-08:00

I'm just back from seeing 300, and it certainly is epic. So epic that it may very well have had as many stunt-people as Leonidas had troops. However, it struck me as almost soulless. On a rational level, I understand why the Battle of Thermoplyae was important--Western Civilization survived thanks to the sacrifice of 300 brave Spartans (and assorted Thebans. Thespians, Phocians, Arcadians, and other Greeks).

Nevertheless, the movie doesn't make that emotional connection. Sure, I don't want heroic Leonidas to die. I feel sympathy for his wife, and his soldiers. But, for lack of a better way of putting it, the movie portrays symbols, not heroes. The Spartans are great, brave, perfect representations of model Spartans. They aren't people we can really identify with. Leonidas and all the other loyal Spartans are perfectly fine with marching to their deaths. How can they not be scared to death? One of my friends is fond of quoting John Wayne that "Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway", and I just didn't get it from that.

The Value of Candor, or Why I Love Barbara Tuchman

2007-03-04T16:08:00.000-08:00

The late Barbara Tuchman was the historian who wrote a number of great, very readable books about why governments do stupid things like start the First World War (The Guns of August, which won a Pulitzer Prize),get the US involved in that War (The Zimmerman Telegram), and a number of other books, including what I am currently reading The March of Folly about why governments do so obviously stupid things.

The bulk of the book is concentrated on the Trojan Horse, the Protestant Reformation, the American Revolution, and the Vietnam War. In the Trojan War, who would be so stupid as to knock their walls down just after a ten-year war ended and stick a big wooden box in the center of their city? With the events leading to the Protestant Reformation, I think Catholics are great people, but you have to wonder what the Renaissance Popes were thinking? They knew their actions were giving people a low opinion of the Church, but yet they continued. With the Revolution, you had basically the same thing. Every time the British imposed a tax on the colonies, they saw that the Americans were outraged and forced the British to repeal the offensive tax--and the British repeated that about four or five times until 1776.

I am currently reading the part about the Vietnam War, and as much as it pains me to say it, we acted pretty stupidly--expanding our involvement when we could have easily withdrawn early on without harm and knew that what we were doing not only wasn't working but was aggrevating our problems there--problems that only the Vietnamese could possibly fix.

And that brings me to the point of the post--Barbara Tuchman's style. She is so breathtakingly blunt that it is refreshing. In speaking of the foremost segregationist Strom Thurmond (he ran for President in 1948 as a segregationist), her candor is amazing.

[He] in the opinion of Neanderthal Senator Strom Thurmond "epitomizes what has made America great

Why don't we have anyone today who is willing to call a spade a spade? Anyone who thinks that segregation or racism isn't bad is a backward idiot. And that includes Senators like Republican Whip Trent Lott who said (at Strom Thurmond's 100th Birthday Party) that America would be better with segregation.

John Edwards is Going to Be at UCLA

2007-03-02T22:21:00.000-08:00

I'm not supporting him, but a rally is always fun to go to, and if anyone needs a ride, I can help you out.

What: A student rally with John Edwards
When: 5:00 PM, Monday, March 5, 2007
Where: Kerckhoff Patio (up the hill from Bruin Plaza)
UCLA Campus
405 Hilgard Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90095

My Campaign Website Is Up

2007-02-06T15:13:00.000-08:00

Check it out at http://www.michael4gov.com

I'm Running for SoCal JSA Governor

2007-02-05T23:08:00.000-08:00

Over the past few months, I thought long and hard about JSA, and I discussed those thoughts with various friends. Throughout those discussions, the primary focus always was on how to best improve JSA, though that isn’t easy—JSA is already excellent. But, we can work towards a more perfect JSA. And in order to do that, we need leadership from the top.

Therefore, I, Michael Spitzer-Rubenstein declare my candidacy for Governor of Southern California JSA,. I want to strengthen JSA by working with Chapter Presidents to strengthen chapters, improving our presence online, and bringing new members into JSA.

As Governor, my attention will be directed towards strengthening chapters, the base of JSA. As cliché as it may be, it’s true. Chapters recruit the members who attend our wildly successful conventions. Chapters notify members of upcoming events. Chapters keep members involved and active. Can anyone say that JSA would be as great as it is without our chapters?

We must ensure that we are in contact with the Chapter Presidents so that hard-working Chapter Affairs Agents can focus on working with Chapter Presidents instead of wasting their time searching through lists to find them. However, Chapter Presidents should not be considered only when we need them to turn in registration packets. Rather, they should be consulted on a regular basis through a board of the executive leadership of JSA at all levels, an executive board, if you will. Through this Executive Board, Chapter Presidents would advise the Cabinet, help plan events, and help publicize them.

In addition to that, I will beef up SoCal JSA’s Internet presence. The JSA website, and in particular, our SoCal JSA website, has seen a marked improvement over the past year, the latter thanks to the hard work of Jared Duron. However, compared to other youth organizations and what it could be, our website lags behind.

Want to sign up for a debate? Need to register for an event? Looking for pictures of past events? All that can be done through a website. But the website can help with much more. We could have e-mail discussion groups and online debates. We could quickly and easily alert members to upcoming events. The opportunities are nearly endless, but we can only take advantage of them if we recognize the power of technology.

We also want to attract new members. One way to do so would be to partner JSAers from new chapters with more experienced JSAers, such as cabinet members, although they need not be, in a sort of mentorship to show the new JSAers the ropes of conventions and provide them with a friend. Many chapters that I talked to have similar programs, and I am certain that it will be just as beneficial on the statewide level.

Another way to attract new members would be with a new chapter discount. For the first convention that a chapter goes to, they would pay only part of the price. In that way, we could remove one barrier to discovering JSA so that we have a larger, stronger JSA.

That, in turn, could be funding by merchandising, selling SoCal JSA memorabilia. We could sell shirts, sweatshirts, and wristbands. It’s a win-win situation. We raise money to introduce people to JSA, and we get cool JSA gear.

Robert Kennedy was fond of saying “There are those who look at things the way they are and ask why. I dream of things that never were and ask why not.” Perhaps it’s time to dream again, to dream of what we can accomplish. And then, my friends, let’s go out and make it happen.

Barack Obama is Running for President

2007-01-16T16:27:00.000-08:00

Barack Obama is running for President! I think he's the one man who can unite America towards a better tomorrow--one in which every American lives comfortably, our Congress is ours, and not in the pocket of corporations and their lobbyists, and we don't have American troops bogged down in Iraq. He may not be the most experienced candidate, but Dick Cheney's lived in Washington since the beginning of time, and look where that's gotten us.

Thank God I'll be 18 by 2008 and able to vote for Barack!

The "Surge" Will Not Work

2007-01-12T16:34:00.000-08:00

The so-called "Surge", promoted by John McCain and George Bush is a proposal to increase the number of troops in Iraq. It's a bad idea. Why? Because it won't help us.

As anybody who's ever been in a school knows, if all the students decided to do something together, there's no way to stop them. One teacher can't prevent twenty-odd students from doing anything they please, short of something drastic, like killing them.

In Iraq, we face a similar situation. There's roughly about 160 Iraqis for each American soldier. If a teacher has trouble handling just 20 students, how do we expect a 1 soldier to pacify 160 Iraqis, short of killing them?

It's just unworkable. We cannot pacify Iraq with troops alone. If we want Iraq to be peaceful, we have to convince the Iraqis to stop killing each other (and us). Anything else will just result in more troops coming home in body bags.

The Democratic Agenda is Popular

2007-01-09T23:00:00.000-08:00

In a big surprise to absolutely no one, the first Democratic bill of the new Congress, implementing the 9-11 Commission's very sensible recommendations (like inspecting cargo that comes into places like the Port of Los Angeles), something that they have been pushing for about five years in the face of heavy Republican opposition passed the House. And what's more, it was popular enough to get about 70% of the House, when Democrats control only about 50%. Because, of course, you'd expect the Democrats to have somehow won when they didn't have any ideas like Fox News claimed.

Peter Lee Thinks I Should Update This

2007-01-03T22:45:00.000-08:00

Maybe he's right.

Stupid Criticism Alert: Carter Book

2006-12-10T21:08:00.000-08:00

So, Jimmy Carter has a new book out about the Middle East and Israel, and it naturally attracts plenty of criticism (after all, what would a book about that troubled region, or by an ex-President, for that matter, be without criticism?) But this is just ridiculous. People are complaining that the maps used in Carter's book are similar to other maps.

I have to say, that's really surprising. After all, why should two maps of the same thing be the same? I mean, if there are two maps of the same place, at the same time, and they are the same, isn't that plagarism?

Seriously, folks. Two maps of the same thing. I'd be more suspicious if the maps were different. How many different maps of the same proposal are there?

I Admit It

2006-12-07T23:30:00.000-08:00

I'm a Jewish guy, but what's so great about pictures with Santa Claus? And why do people get so dressed up for it?

I'm really curious about that, because it seems almost paternalistic ("Sit on my knee and tell Daddy Warbucks what you want."), and completely out-of-character with the rest of American religion. You have all these things like Rick Warren's Purpose-Driven Life, which stress YOU, and what you can do, and then you have a jolly, old red guy who goes around carrying toys.

And, going off on a complete non sequitor, doesn't Santa remind you a little bit of Karl Marx (minus the festivity)? They're both old red guys with big, flowing beards who give stuff out to poor people (at least according to the mythology). I wonder if Marx ever thought about comparing himself to Santa.

Our Commander-in-Chief

2006-11-28T20:55:00.000-08:00

Source

At a private reception held at the White House with newly elected lawmakers shortly after the election, Bush asked [Senator Jim] Webb how his son, a Marine lance corporal serving in Iraq, was doing.

Webb responded that he really wanted to see his son brought back home, said a person who heard about the exchange from Webb.

“I didn’t ask you that, I asked how he’s doing,” Bush retorted, according to the source.

So this is our Commander-in-Chief. He adamantly refuses to hear that people don't like their children in the line of fire. In the medical profession, I believe that's called denial. But, maybe Webb is right. Maybe we should be withdrawing. After all, Bush did say just yesterday that he's not going to withdraw American troops from Iraq until we finished the job there. Funny. I thought "Mission Accomplished" was three years ago.

I'm beginning to think that this is far closer to "Mission Impossible" than "Mission Accomplished".

Democrats Call For Iraq Withdrawal

2006-11-20T22:17:00.000-08:00

So, as you may have heard, numerous leading Democrats are calling for withdrawing part or all of our forces from Iraq. Obviously not because the Pentagon says that of the three real options for Iraq, two of them include withdrawing, and the third might require a draft, which, completely coincidentally, could start within a few months of giving the order. Completely coincidental. Right.

Luckily, we have leaders like Barack Obama with some semblance of a backbone, willing to say the truth--that this war has been a mistake from the beginning and that we should get out rather than continue to put our troops in between the guns and suicide bombings of the Shiites and Suunis.

If we could save Iraq, we should, but we should not stick our troops in the line-of-fire so that we don't look "weak". What's really weak and cowardly is not remedying a mistake because you're afraid of being unpopular.

In Defense of Guys

2006-11-19T21:45:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking about how to say this diplomatically for a little while, but screw that. I'm saying what I really feel, and if you don't like it, too bad.

MOST GUYS ARE NOT RAPISTS

Seriously, girls. You don't need to be mean. If you don't like a guy, just say so. If they keep going after you, that's one thing, but if you want a guy not to dance with you or whatever, just tell him. We're reasonable, and we have no interest in scaring girls. We looking for girls we like, not girls we want to piss off.

And by the same token, if you don't like a guy, let him know. Don't give us false hopes. We might not like finding out that you have no interest in us, but it sure as hell beats wasting our time first.

Guys, though, we need to remember that girls are people, too. They have emotions, they want to find a guy, just like we want to find a girl. Treat them with respect. Don't cheat on them. Do te right thing. It may have been Jesus who said it, but you should still do onto others as you would have others do onto you.

How I Know What I Know

2006-11-12T20:25:00.000-08:00

Recently, multiple people have asked me how I know so much. (And if I am referring to you, congratulations). It's not easy. But I read. A lot. As in, on a daily basis, I generally read at least the headlines of as many as five newspapers: the LA Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times, (sometimes the Guardian, too). I also read something like 30 blogs, though I would note that few of them publish everyday.

How do I find the time? I read headlines, and if I find something interesting, I'll read more, but if I don't find it worth my while, I'll just skip past it.

However, I don't expect many people to do what I have. It's far too much work, with far too low a payoff--if I didn't want a career in politics, I'd that it's a waste of time (and it might be anyway). However, at the same time, I think it's important that people of all ages are informed. Some say that voting is a civic duty. I would not disagree with that, but I would go further. Voting alone isn't enough--one must be an engaged citizen. There are no set requirements for how to accomplish that, but one should know what's going on in the world, especially as it relates to them.

And on that, the newsmedia and our leaders have failed the American People. Over the past few decades, they failed us, bringing us endless pablum about sex scandals and celebrities, rather than how government policies affect us. Our leadership and the media ought to focus on informing America about what's going on, and how it affects them, not what Britney Spears is doing.

The Death Penalty Is Wrong

2006-11-12T18:56:00.001-08:00

And it's wrong no matter who is being executed. Most criminals are not moral people, I think we can all agree on that. However, if we murder them, we don't just oppress them, taking away their inalienable right to life.*

When one kills anybody, they descend into a trench of oppression. And if we seek to oppress them for that, we must lower our standards to venture into that trench, for one cannot keep someone down from afar. It dehumanizes them, and it dehumanizes us.

* And you give forfeit your right to life. If you do seek to give up your inalienable rights, then you clearly are not mentally competent. And if you are not mentally competent, you cannot consent to something.

The First Woman Speaker

2006-11-07T23:54:00.000-08:00

Something we ought to be proud of.

We Have Won the House

2006-11-07T20:12:00.000-08:00

Democrats seem to have won control of the House of Rpepresentatives. Thank God.

So It's All Come Down to This

2006-11-07T06:48:00.000-08:00

If you can vote, go do so. If you can't, get your parents and adult friends to vote.

Saddam Hussein Should Not Be Executed

2006-11-05T20:33:00.000-08:00

So, I'd imagine you heard that Saddam Hussein is going to be hung. Without even delving into the issue of whether capital punishment is wrong (it is, IMHO), Saddam Hussein should not be executed.

Executing Saddam Hussein would merely make him into a martyr. As it is now, we are watching his stature steadily dwindle while he sits in prison eating cheetos, writing poetry, and wasting away. And the longer that lasts, the fewer people will look towards him. However, if we cut his life short, we'll give him the chance to stand up, as if he were a hero, in defiance of US imperialism. The people on the Arab street will see Saddam as a man who stood up to the US, and was murdered for it, not as the lying, thieving, murderous coward he is.

What is more, it's completely contrary to the rule of law. The basic idea of the rule of law is that the same law applies to everyone, regardless of connections or situation. But, how can we say that we're upholding that when Iraq has the death penalty only for Baathists (members of Saddam Hussein's political group)? Certainly, if anyone deserves the death penalty, some of them do, but what about Muqtada al-Sadr? He has an entire army that's going around killing opponents, and he isn't on trial. Is it because al Sadr's victims are generally political opponents of the government?

Evidence of GOP Incompetency

2006-11-02T21:05:00.000-08:00

Now, I know I'm preaching to the choir, but check this out. The government put up a website containing

detailed accounts of Iraq’s secret nuclear research before the 1991 Persian Gulf war. The documents, the experts say, constitute a basic guide to building an atom bomb.

And the reaction of one of the Congressmen in charge of it? It “didn’t sound like a big deal.”

Thank God we only have a few more days until Election Day.

PW Botha Is Dead

2006-11-01T16:43:00.000-08:00

The last Pro-Apartheid President of South Africa, P.W. Botha is dead. And good riddance, I say. Considering how he maintained apartheid with massacres, assassinations, bombings, terrorism, torture, jailing political opponents (including Nelson Mandela), and his refusal to apologize, I cannot say that I am overburdened with sadness. Sure, I'd rather have him admit that he was wrong, but I guess that's not going to happen.

EDIT: Accidentally said that Botha was anti-Apartheid. I wish that had been true, but even to his death, he praised apartheid. Okay, to be fair to him, I don't think his last words were "I miss apartheid", but he refused to admit that Apartheid and the terrorism he used to maintain it were wrong.

The Slim Pickens of the Iraq War

2006-10-31T23:15:00.000-08:00

Fans of Dr. Strangelove know that Slim Pickens is the Air Force captain who rides an atomic bomb dropped on the Soviet Union after the President calls them back, because it'll destroy the world (watch the movie). Well, I have a candidate for the Slim Pickens of the Iraq War.

Don Rumsfeld

Is calling for increasing the number of troops in Iraq. This after firing Army Generals who told him that he'd need more troops. When's he going to realize that Iraq is a complete and utter fiasco and that we need to get out before more of our troops end up dead on the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates?

The Kerry Snafu

2006-10-31T23:05:00.000-08:00

So, a few days ago, John Kerry was at Pasadena City College and said: “Education, if you make the most of it, you study hard and do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq.”

Now, is that a stupid thing to say? Perhaps. Is it an effective way to get people to tudy? Probably.

However, Kerry claims that he meant to apply it to President Bush, i.e. he didn't study hard and because of that, we're in Iraq. Probably not true (plenty of people thought that we should attack Saddam, including Kerry, although some have tried to atone for that sin), but let's leave it alone. Let's just focus on the meaning of what he said.

Obviously, he said that students should study so that they don't end up in Iraq. While his analogy might not be perfect, the implication is right on. If you don't study, don't work hard, and don't get lucky (either with who your parents are, a la Bush, or later in life), you aren't going to be in the best position. If you don't work hard, you will have a set of bad choices. Now, I couldn't say what they are, but you think people join gangs because they are going to go off to Harvard and get a job in Daddy's firm?

And, no, the Republican Party does not count as a gang. Although, considering that Papa Bush was the Chairman of the Republican Party, it might count as the family business.

I Am Sick And Tired of School

2006-10-31T23:01:00.000-08:00

A revelation? Perhaps not. But true, nonetheless.

Barack Obama Is Awesome

2006-10-27T18:25:00.000-07:00

I was at a rally for Phil Angelides that he spoke at, and he blew me away. He's really impressive. I'm still not sure whether he should run for President, but if he does, he's in the top five for me.

This Is Ridiculous

2006-10-24T06:44:00.000-07:00

Representative Threatens to Slap MS Patient

CHEYENNE, Wyo. - Thomas Rankin, the Libertarian running for Wyoming's lone U.S. House seat, said Rep. Barbara Cubin (news, bio, voting record), R-Wyo., threatened to slap him after a televised debate.

During a debate Sunday that also included Democrat Gary Trauner, Cubin and Rankin had a testy exchange over campaign contributions Cubin received from former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas.

Rankin, who has multiple sclerosis and uses an electric wheelchair, said Monday night in a telephone interview with The Associated Press that the confrontation occurred immediately after the debate.

"My aide and I were packing up to leave the debate, and Barbara walked over to me and said, 'If you weren't sitting in that chair, I'd slap you across the face.' That's quote-unquote," Rankin said.

That's ridiculous. And this is one of our lawmakers. She should be better behaved.

Vote No on Proposition 85 Ad

2006-10-23T17:36:00.000-07:00

Interesting Ad

Makes exactly the right point, and it's an important point. In a utopia, parents should know exactly what their children are doing. But this isn't a utopia. As much as President Bush may live there on Iraq, this is the real world. And in the real world, parent-child relations are not always loving and friendly. It's unfortunate and if there was some way to force that, I'd advocate it. But there isn't. And government can't require parents to treat their children respectfully.

Bag of Leaves for Senator

2006-10-20T12:39:00.000-07:00

Get involved. Go vote (if you're old enough). Although, to be fair to Bag of Leaves, some of our current Senators make a bag of leaves look pretty good. I mean, a Bag of Leaves isn't corrupt, doesn't gut the Constitution, doesn't send our troops to die in the Iraqi desert, doesn't give away money to the rich, and doesn't do anything with interns. In that context, I might not mind a Bag of Leaves in the Senate.

Provided that it was a Democratic Bag of Leaves, of course :-D

(Facebook-ers, check out the original post for the video).

Some Late Comic Relief

2006-10-20T12:35:00.000-07:00

Pretty damn funny if you ask me.

(Facebook-ers, check out the original post).

Cheney's Good Shot

2006-10-18T23:02:00.000-07:00

Source

I think we'll hold the Senate, and I also think we got a good shot at holding the House

I wonder if that's as good a shot as his shot duck hunting? I mean, he hit his partner pretty much right in the center. Will his party get hit right in the center this time?

Universal Healthcare Works

2006-10-18T22:59:00.000-07:00

Source

Mexico is a middle-income country with a population of more than 100 million. Like most developing countries, Mexico is simultaneously facing the double burden of chronic and infectious disease. Over the past 6 years the country has been a 'global laboratory' for health system reform, using the best available scientific evidence to address these complex challenges.
..
The number of cases of malaria have dropped by 60%, six times more people are receiving antiretroviral therapy, TB mortality has fallen by 30%, and Mexico is only one of seven countries on track to reduce child mortality by two-thirds by 2015; the fourth Millennium Development Goal (MDG4). The reforms have also led to a 17% reduction in the proportion of male teenagers who smoke, a 17% increase in the use of mammography, and a 32% increase in the number of pap smear tests over the past 5 years.

Good for the goose, good for the gander?

Mexico's seeing great improvements in their healthcare because they're implementing universal healthcare. Mexico is, admittedly, much poorer than us, yet they can afford paying for healthcare for all Mexicans. We're so rich, why can't all Americans get healthcare?

Now That's What I Call Dedication

2006-10-18T22:51:00.000-07:00

Source

When Election Day rolls around three weeks from today, Oregon Senate candidate Paul Evans will learn his fate from afar: Afghanistan.
Evans, a veteran of the Air Force and Oregon Air National Guard, will be en route to the nation with the 116th Air Control Squadron.

He is scheduled to leave Nov. 5, 10 days ahead of his original deployment date. His mission will last 60 days -- which means he would be back for the opening of the legislative session on Jan. 8 if he is elected Nov. 7 to the Senate District 10 seat.

[...]

In a written statement, he said, "When my commander said I was needed, there was no question of whether or not I would go. Duty calls."

[...]

He likely is the nation's only candidate who will be on active duty in the Middle East on Election Day.