Could that be the "Gay Mafia"?

Please note...this article is NOT from The Onion. However, I am delighted to see that The AFA Journal appears to read them regularly.

Something's Swishy About Shark TaleCartoon Primes Kids with a Pro-Homosexual Message

Movie Review by Ed VitaglianoNovember 17, 2004

(AgapePress) - It is an axiom for many parents that, when it comes to teaching kids what they need to know, "It's never too young to start."

What happens when Hollywood applies the same axiom to teaching young people -- even children -- to accept homosexuality?

That appears to be the case in the DreamWorks animated film Shark Tale, released in theaters in October. While it won't take in the money of last year's Disney/Pixar hit Finding Nemo, the DreamWorks story of life under the sea netted almost $119 million in its first 17 days in theaters.

Shark Tale centers on the busy cosmopolitan life of an ocean reef, which resembles, in the words of The Oregonian's Shawn Levy, "Times Square at rush hour." The focus of Shark Tale is primarily on Oscar, a fish who has big dreams of one day striking it rich and living on the top of the reef with the upwardly mobile undersea class.

The reef, however, is frequently terrorized by an organized crime syndicate made up of sharks. The mob is run Mafioso style by a great white shark named Don Lino and his two sons, Frankie and Lenny.

It is when Shark Tale turns its attention to Lenny that it veers toward an undercurrent of approval for homosexuality. While it is difficult to prove intent when a film does not explicitly make a character "gay," the story and dialogue demonstrate an implicit approval of homosexuality.

The movie is, as Peter Debruge of Premiere magazine said in a review, "a weak allegory about a macho dad learning to accept his gay son."

A Son Who's 'Different'

In developing this allegory, Shark Tale uses all of the familiar Hollywood plot devices, beginning with the son who is "different," and who fails to measure up to the cultural standards of manhood.

Lenny's mannerisms and voice tend toward the effeminate, notes a review by Scott Tobias in The Onion A.V. Club, but that's not the worst of it. For in sharkdom, masculinity is measured by one's proficiency as a meat-eater.

Lenny, however, just doesn't seem to get it. At a public restaurant with his two boys, Lino tells Lenny: "I don't know how else to say this to you, Lenny. You see something, you kill it. You eat it. Period .... That's what sharks do. That's a fine tradition. What's the matter with you?"

A shark who isn't a killer is not "normal," and this deficiency in his son is starting to embarrass Lino. "I'm hearing things," he tells Lenny. "You gotta understand, when you look weak it makes me look weak."

The real problem, of course, is that Lenny isn't a meat-eater. In fact, he's a closet vegetarian, and Lenny understands just how unnatural that is for sharks. He's ashamed, and that guilt deepens when he later overhears his father complain, "What's wrong with that kid? Why's he gotta be so different?"

As movie reviewer Dustin Putman notes, Lenny is "a shark afraid to 'come out' as a vegetarian to his mob boss father," and this plot device is "slyly standing in for the experiences many go through in coming to terms with their sexual orientation."

The pressure of his father's disapproval is too much for Lenny, and he runs away. Oscar, who should be his natural prey, becomes his friend.

However, that friendship allows Lenny to open up, and he finally confesses to Oscar that he's "different." He admits: "I'm a vegetarian .... You're the first fish I ever told. I'm so tired of keeping it all a secret. And my dad -- he'll never accept me for who I am! What's wrong with me?"

A 'Cross-Dressing' Shark?

But Lenny is more than just a vegetarian. He turns out to enjoy dressing as a dolphin, an obvious allusion to cross-dressing, as noted in a review of Shark Tale by Ed Park in The Village Voice.

"Lenny flees his old life by disguising himself as a dolphin and indulging his happy side," Levy says, calling it "a barely hidden subtext here about letting your closeted inner self emerge ...."

When Lino finally sees Lenny dressed as a dolphin, he explodes angrily: "Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me? Are you out of your mind? Do you have any idea how this looks?" Lino blames Oscar, saying, "[Y]ou turned Lenny into a dolphin!"

Nevertheless, this is an animated film intended for children, so Shark Tale has to have a happy ending. This is provided via Oscar, who manages to get father and son together for a face-to-face reconciliation.

"What is your problem?" Oscar demands of Lino. "So your son likes kelp. So his best friend's a fish. So he likes to dress like a dolphin. So what? Everybody loves him, just the way he is. Why can't you?"

Lino's heart softens, and he tells Lenny, "I love you son, no matter what you eat or how you dress."

Of course, when it comes to kids, this is tricky stuff. The film does not come right out and say that we should all accept homosexuality. And, naturally, children should be taught to be accepting of others.

But as Plugged In's Steven Isaac notes, "Had this movie been released 20 years ago, nobody would have been calling attention to this subject." Two decades ago, accepting differences meant accepting a person who might have a different skin color, or be from a different ethnic background.

Such differences are immutable characteristics, however, and not sexual choices. In this respect, Shark Tale comes far too close to taking a bite out of traditional moral and spiritual beliefs.
And that's probably swimming a bit too close to shore for many parents.

Ed Vitagliano, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is news editor for AFA Journal, a monthly publication of the American Family Association. This article appeared in the November/December 2004 issue.

How to be a fiscal conservative

Only spend your money on things that conservatives like. Then, spend a whole bunch of it, even though it has been proven ineffective...


Daily Reproductive Health Report
National Politics & Policy Bush Administration Pushes for, Receives Additional Funding for Abstinence-Only Education
[Nov 29, 2004]

President Bush's re-election already has resulted in additional federal funding for abstinence-only sex-education programs that exclude discussion of contraceptives, although a study evaluating the programs has not yet been completed to show whether the method helps youth remain sexually abstinent, the AP/Kansas City Star reports (Sherman, AP/Kansas City Star, 11/25). Congress earlier this month approved a $388 billion omnibus spending measure (HR 4818) for fiscal year 2005 that includes more than $131 million for abstinence-education programs, the Washington Times reports. Although the increase -- about $30 million more than FY 2004 spending -- represents a "record level," the amount is about $100 million less than Bush requested, leaders of the National Abstinence Clearinghouse said, according to the Times. White House spokesperson Scott McClellan on Nov. 17 said that the Bush administration believes that funding for abstinence education should be equal to other sex-education programs, according to the Times. "The president is an advocate of abstinence-education programs because he wants to focus on what works," McClellan said.

National Evaluation Delayed

However, William Smith, director of public policy at the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, said that abstinence programs have not "proven effective," according to the Times. "No sound study exists that shows that these programs have any long-term beneficial impact on young people's sexual behavior," Smith said (Wetzstein, Washington Times, 11/27). According to HHS spokesperson Bill Pierce, a national evaluation of abstinence-only sex-education programs that was supposed to be released earlier this year has been delayed, and a final report will not be released until 2006. Wade Horn, who is assistant secretary of children and families at HHS and oversees federal abstinence funding, said, "We don't need a study, if I remember my biology correctly, to show us that those people who are sexually abstinent have a zero chance of becoming pregnant or contracting a sexually transmitted disease" (AP/Kansas City Star, 11/25). However, Advocates for Youth recently released a 10-state study saying that after five years and $45.5 million in federal funding, abstinence programs have shown "few short-term benefits and no lasting positive impact" (Washington Times, 11/27). "The only 100% way to avoid a car collision is not to drive, but the federal government sure does a lot of advocacy for safety belts," Advocates for Youth President James Wagoner said (AP/Kansas City Star, 11/25).

It's ALIVE

Apologies for the darkness, but between flu and holidays, the lights went out in Georgia. The blog has been scrawny as my old Christmas tree the last two weeks. I promise to bring it back to cornucopia status starting now....

Going around (and around) with the Press Secretary

From yesterday's press conference:

Q A question for you on the President's appointment of Margaret Spellings for education. She is a strong advocate of abstinence-only programs for sex education in schools. Is there something to be said for a program that also teaches contraception in case children were to fall off the abstinence wagon, they would know how to arm themselves --

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, first of all, I think she's a strong advocate for the President's agenda, as are other members of this team. And she is someone the President, as you heard him say, has full trust in her abilities.

In terms of that question, I think if you looked at what we have pursued, we have said that funding for abstinence education at least -- ought to be on at least equal footing with other education programs. And so that's what we've pursued in this administration.

Q She has said that she believes the message we should be sending to children in middle and high school is one of abstinence, and abstinence only.

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, it's something the President has long talked about, and it's a -- there are some efforts that are proven to work and send the right message to our children. And so that's something the President has talked about, going back to his days as governor.

Q But if you try to reduce teenage pregnancies and everything else that the President is trying to reduce, is it not worthwhile to talk to children and teach them about contraception, in case in some occasion --

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, there are programs there, John. That's why I said that funding ought to be at least on the same level as other programs.

Q Right, but she's an advocate of, again, programs that teach only abstinence and not about contraception.

MR. McCLELLAN: The President is an advocate of abstinence education programs because he wants to focus on what works. And we know that they have proven results of working to teach -- send the right message to our children.

Q Let me ask you more simply; what's the problem of teaching abstinence and contraception, just as a method of teaching these kids what's available out there just in case --

MR. McCLELLAN: I think we've answered this question; I think I've been through it. And the President's views are very clear on it, as well -- I just expressed them.

Q Yes, but I just asked you the question about is there not value in teaching both?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, go back and look at what we've said on this matter and what I just expressed.

The "Fair Tax"

As we all know, President Bush received a 'mandate' in the last election to revamp the federal tax code. To see how the marketing for the proposed national sales tax will work, one only needs to go to http://www.fairtax.org, where the "Fair Tax" is being laid out.

Quote: "The current Federal income tax system is broken. Patching up the existing code is pointless. It's time for a fresh approach, a fair approach. It's time for the FairTax.
Simply put, the FairTax replaces the way we're currently taxed - based on our annual income - with a tax on goods and services. The FairTax is a voluntary “consumption" tax: the more you buy, the more you pay in taxes, the less you buy, the less you pay in taxes. It's simple.
Everyone pays their fair share of taxes, and with the FairTax rebate, spending up to the poverty level is tax free. The Federal government is fully funded, including Social Security and Medicare, and you don't need an expert to determine your Federal taxes. It's simple."

Quite simple.

There are handy explainations of "Why the fair tax is fair" including:

"Yes, the FairTax is fair, and in fact, much fairer than the income tax. Wealthy people spend more money than other individuals. They buy expensive cars, big houses, and yachts. They buy filet mignon instead of hamburger, fine wine instead of beer, designer dresses and expensive jewelry. The FairTax taxes them on these purchases. If, however, they use their money to build job-creating factories, finance research and development to create new products, or fund charitable activities (all of which help improve the standard of living of others), then those activities are not taxed."

Or even ready-made answers to why food and medical expenses, unavoidable expenses that take up a greater proportion of income for lower and middle class families, are free to be taxed at 23%:

"Exempting items by category is neither fair nor simple. Respected economists have shown that the wealthy spend much more on unprepared food, clothing, housing, and medical care than do the poor. Exempting these goods, as many state sales taxes do, actually gives the wealthy a disproportionate benefit. Also, today these purchases are not exempted from federal taxation. The purchase of food, clothing, and medical services is made from after income tax and after payroll tax dollars, while their purchase price hides the cost of corporate taxes and private sector compliance costs.

Finally, exempting one product or service, but not another, opens the door to the army of lobbyists and special interest groups that plague and distort our taxation system today. Those who have the money will send their lobbyists to Washington to obtain special tax breaks in their own self-interest. This process causes unfair and inefficient distortions in our economy and must be stopped."

But what is most worrisome is the phrase "Fair Tax." Who could be against the "Fair Tax"? Why are you pro-"Unfair Tax"?

Years ago the Republican Party won a major battle by rebranding the Estate Tax to be the "Death Tax." We need to work together, and quickly, to find a way to rebrand the "Fair Tax" quickly before it can possibly become part of the political lexicon.

Reproductive Rights?

For those of you still not worried, "Reproductive Rights" is now a "naughty" phrase (from Feminist Weekly News):

11/17/2004 - A North Carolina public radio station refused to run an underwriting announcement as it was submitted by Ipas, an international women’s rights and health organization, because it contained the phrase “reproductive rights.” Citing fear of being fined by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the radio station, WUNC-FM, maintained that use of the phrase could be construed as an endorsement of abortion, the Boston Globe reports. WUNC-FM insisted that if the advertisement were to be run, the original wording would have to be replaced with “reproductive health.”Anu Kumar, executive vice president of Ipas, told the Associated Press, “‘Reproductive rights’ is not a euphemism for abortion. Among other things, it means the right to infertility treatments, the right to contraception, the right to information, the right to live free of rape and violence…‘Reproductive health’ doesn’t convey all of that. It’s important to say that our work is about rights as well as health.”Joan Siefert Rose, the general manager of the WUNC-FM, said that the FCC does not allow public radio stations to air advertisements that advocate political, social, or religious causes. Because there is no list of forbidden terms, Rose explained to the Associated Press, “The only way to find out if you’ve stepped over the line is if someone challenges it and the FCC issues a fine. So we are always pretty conservative in interpreting the announcements we make.”

Raise the Roof!

What do you do when you don't have enough money? Get more debt!

WASHINGTON (AP) - The government will carry out another accounting maneuver to avoid breaching the $7.4 trillion ceiling on the national debt, Treasury Secretary John Snow said Tuesday.

The step marks the latest move by Treasury to free up billions of dollars - on paper - so the government can keep paying its bills. Treasury is doing this because it is running out of room in its statutory authority to borrow.

In a letter to Congress, Snow said the department, starting Wednesday, will suspend new investments in Treasury securities that would be credited to the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund.

"Beneficiaries will be fully protected and will suffer no adverse consequences," Snow wrote. The government would make up lost investments and interest payments once the government's borrowing authority has been boosted.

The accounting maneuver would free up around $4 billion, a Treasury spokeswoman said. She didn't know how long it would allow the government to keep paying its bills. The administration used this same account juggling in 2003 when it was dealing with a previous debt limit problem....

...Congress returned Tuesday for a lame-duck session, with the hope of completing work on various spending bills and raising the debt ceiling.

A $800 billion increase in borrowing - which would mark the third boost in the debt limit in three years - is expected to be approved. The Senate is slated to vote Thursday, with the timing of House action unclear.

I would like to try this myself. I think we should all contact our credit card companies, and tell them that we plan to do a little spending.

R: "Please raise my limit to $2.5 million, Mr. Bank of America."

BOA: "And has your income increased?"

R: "No, but I really want more stuff."

BOA: "And how do you plan to pay your bill each month? You can barely afford the minimum payment now?"

R: "My grandkids will pay it?"

BOA: "We can't approve that, it would be fiscally irresponsible."

R: "Why do you hate the American Economy!?!"

(BOA sighs and hangs up the phone)

Maybe I should have started at $1 million.

Pray for Arlen

God must be awfully busy, just trying to keep up with congress. No wonder he hasn't been able to work on world peace...

From the Minneapolis Star Tribune (click above for entire article):

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- As Congress returned to Washington for a quick lame-duck session on Tuesday, the Rev. Rob Schenck closed his eyes and said a prayer outside the U.S. Capitol.
"Holy God, we pray that you will enlighten the mind of Senator Arlen Specter to see the error of his way, that in true humility he may repent and turn towards what is right and good," Schenck, president of the National Clergy Council of Washington, D.C., said into a bank of microphones.

Gearing up for a fight over control of the U.S. Supreme Court, abortion opponents conducted a "pro-life pray-in," seeking to block Specter's appointment as the next head of the Senate Judiciary Committee...

While his opponents prayed outside, Specter lobbied for the job during a private meeting Tuesday with Republican senators, but his fate might not be decided until the new Congress convenes in January.

"I expect him to have the support of the committee," the current committee chairman, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said after a closed-door meeting of the panel's 10 Republican members.
"Nobody in the meeting was against Arlen," Hatch told reporters, Specter at his side. "Senator Specter handled himself very well, and frankly, I'm for him, as I should be."

Despite picking up the crucial support Tuesday, Specter stopped short of declaring victory. "I don't count any chickens until they're hatched," he said. "But with [Sen.] Hatch beside me, I'm a little less unconfident..."

Specter, 74, who was just elected to his fifth term, is trying to assuage concerns of abortion foes, saying he would not use his position to block President Bush's nominees.

Specter's fate will be an early test of the political muscle of abortion opposition groups, who say that concern over moral values was the main reason Bush won a second term.

The groups are flooding Senate Republicans with phone calls, e-mails and faxes opposing Specter's appointment as the committee chairman. Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman has already received more than 1,500 phone calls and 2,100 e-mails on the subject.
Coleman, who opposes abortion, said that he is backing Specter and that he doesn't expect Specter to block the president's nominees.

Coleman laid out his criteria for selecting the next justice: "I want the next Supreme Court justice to be somebody who strictly interprets the Constitution. That's the standard. ... Somebody who strictly interprets the Constitution, I think, would be pro-life." But Coleman said that he would not use a nominee's views on abortion as a "litmus test" and that he would never ask a nominee to outline views on abortion....

"I think it's bizarre," said Sen. Mark Dayton, D-Minn., who supports abortion rights. "It's evidence that the extremists who were involved in the president's campaign seem to believe they have the right to choose Senate committee chairmen. And I think this is the first step in their attempting to dictate other terms to the president and congressional leaders."

Elizabeth Cavendish, interim president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said Bush did not receive a mandate in the election to undo abortion rights. Abortion-rights supporters are gearing up for a big battle, too.

"We know that President Bush is preparing an even more intense attack on a woman's right to choose," she said. "And we are prepared to fight him every step of the way...."

Abortion opponents fear that even if Specter does not block the president's appointees, he still would be in a position to hire staff members for the Judiciary Committee. They say that Specter would probably hire people who agree with his position on abortion.

"He espouses the very point of view which was rejected by the voters, so to elevate him now would be a repudiation of the election results," said the Rev. Louis Sheldon, chairman of the
Traditional Values Coalition.

Judie Brown, president of the American Life League, said Specter would "wreak havoc with his pro-abortion zealotry," noting that in 1987 he played a role in thwarting the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Robert Bork, an abortion opponent.

Coleman said he supports Specter's appointment because "we have a seniority system," and Specter has made it clear that he won't interfere with Bush's nominations. Specter's seniority puts him in line to succeed Hatch, who is stepping down from the post because of party-imposed term limits...

Although many of the abortion opposition groups are making it clear that they want to overturn the 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision that legalized abortion, Coleman declined to say whether he would favor such a move by the high court.

"I think Roe v. Wade was the wrong decision, but it's the law of the land," Coleman said. Asked what he would like to see happen, he replied: "It's irrelevant what I like. I like vanilla ice cream."

Dayton said the president's right-wing political base "is dead serious" about trying to undo Roe vs. Wade. He said Bush's court appointees will signal whether he "intends to govern from the center or from the extreme right wing" in his second term.

At the pray-in, attended by about 20 abortion opponents, the groups made it clear that they're counting on Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist to block Specter's rise. Some officials said Frist will have to support their cause if he wants support from social conservatives in 2008, when Frist is widely expected to run for president.

It is very simple at this moment for Republicans to say they will not ask a potential judge's opinion on abortion. They nominees are preselected by "the Federation" to already embrace the "conservative values" the Bush administration wants.

As for Norm and his icecream preferences, I'm glad to know he prefers vanilla. I prefer he be defeated when he runs for re-election. Hopefully we will both get what we want. I'll even buy.

Twin Cities Drinking Liberally - November 17th

Tonight's Drinking Liberally will be at Liquor Lyle's, 8-10 pm. Don't forget, Lyle's has happy hour two for ones at 9 pm, so you can drink liberally without spending liberally. We'll save the $10 Williams beers for the Republicans. They have their tax cuts, they can afford them.

And be sure to check out Drinking Liberally TC's Cowboy Cody's own blog at www.cowboycody.blogspot.com.

More media 'bias" - Back to the Abortion/Breast Cancer Link

I do believe Lifenews would like to challenge the mainstream media (and most of the scientific community as well) to a duel (click above for whole article):

"Telling women the truth about the ABC link is politically explosive. It isn't good for political careers - especially those who campaign on abortion rights - and it isn't good for feminists' breast cancer fundraising businesses."

"Although journalists often call themselves "watchdogs of government," in the case of abortion, the American press has become "lapdogs of government." The ABC link is an acceptable government cover up."

Pistols at dawn, perhaps?

How to intimidate the media

Step 1: Get a web site.

Step 2: Find something in the media you do not agree with.

Step 3: Put an article on website telling followers to "take action"

Step 4: Repeat. Again. And again and again and again.

It's a sad state of affairs when even the Chicago Tribune's advice columnists are "too liberal." And watch out, Dear Abby, they have their eye on you, too.

Miss Manners, you're okay...for now.

Pro-Abortion Advice Columnist Threatens LifeNews.com With Legal Action
by Maria Vitale Gallagher
LifeNews.com S
taff Writer
November 16, 2004

Chicago, IL (LifeNews.com) -- An advice columnist who directed a reader to take her daughter to Planned Parenthood and said it was alright if she stayed with a boyfriend who suggested she have an abortion has threatened LifeNews.com with legal action for writing a news story exposing her column.

In her response to the woman's mother, Chicago Tribune advice guru Amy Dickinson said she should take her daughter to the nation's largest abortion business to receive guidance about her pregnancy choices. Later, the mother should wait with her daughter while she obtains a prescription for birth control pills.

After a LifeNews.com story highlighted the advice given in Dickinson's column, she fired off an email to the pro-life news service complaining she has received extensive emails from pro-life advocates concerned about her column.

"Since you encourage your followers to email me, I have received a high volume of hateful email accusing me of being a murder [sic]," Dickinson wrote.

Despite quoting extensively from her letter, Dickinson claimed the LifeNews.com story presented "a gross distortion of both the letter and my advice."

Dickinson went on to say she was forwarding the LifeNews.com news story to editors at the Chicago Tribune "to see if there is any action -- editorial or legal -- we should take."

Steven Ertelt, the Editor and CEO of LifeNews.com, said Dickinson should be ashamed of the advice she gave her reader.

"Here is a young single woman who had a miscarriage of her second pregnancy, loses her partner to an early death, and is now being exploited by a new boyfriend who admits he would rather her have an abortion than accept his duties as a father," Ertelt explained.

"Amy Dickinson says she should hitch a ride down to the local abortion facility and stick around with this exploitive boyfriend if she wants -- advice that is outlandish and does nothing to improve this young woman's tenuous situation," Ertelt said.

Ertelt said Dickinson's instruction to the woman's mother to take her to the leading abortion business in the United States to guide her decision-making is "patently offensive to the majority of Americans who are pro-life.""If Dickinson doesn't like the backlash she has received, she should revise the counsel she's giving her readers," Ertelt added.

That Dickinson would threaten legal action proves she's "not confident enough in her own outrageous guidance to let it stand or fall on its merits," Ertelt explained.

Ertelt said LifeNews.com would continue to expose pro-abortion advice columnists like Dickinson and "Dear Abby" who "do their readers a tremendous disservice by encouraging them to take further advice from groups like Planned Parenthood that prove time and time again they are not concerned about the best interests of women."

Words to the wise from "SaveRoe"

From Today's "Now What?"

Goodbye, Colin. Hello, Condi. The worst-kept secret in Washington is now confirmed -- Rice replaces Powell at State. A post most coveted is finally within reach as Condoleezza Rice is the presumptive secretary of state. By all accounts, she inherits a mess, and nothing says, "Let a woman do it," more than a mess to clean. Yes, darlings, we may be 51 percent of the population, but for some reason, we still clean 90 percent of the world's messes.

Word has it that Tom Ridge and Tommy Thompson have also submitted resignations....Pay particular attention to the HHS secretary rumors -- this person will oversee public health operations for the nation, including reproductive health services through Title X, the nation's family planning program, and Medicaid. This person will also appoint people to several advisory boards that offer counsel and recommendations on health policies, ranging from HIV/AIDS programming to how much more money we waste on abstinence-only "education" policies. Had Tom Coburn not won his Senate seat, he was the "perfect" candidate for this job in this administration -- what with his denunciation of condoms as effective prevention tools for sexually transmitted infections, and his love of the "just say no" campaigns. Not to worry, there are plenty of regressive, data-ignorant, overzealous idealogues out there. It will be like shooting fish in the proverbial barrel for the administration.

For now, say goodbye to the last of the moderates in the Bush '00 administration. The chickens are coming home to roost. It's up to us to make gumbo out of them.

Thinking about the Constitution

I've been thinking quite a bit about the constitution, and how it is seen in different political parties. There are a lot of initiatives underway to changes the constitution, from the proposed gay marriage amendment, to hopes that there could be a constitutional ban against abortion, even http://www.amendforarnold.com/. Now, regardless of how a person feels about any of these issues, I think the most important thing to look at is that this is a group who wants to only appoint judges who will strictly adhere to the constitution, rather than "activist judges" who make "legislative" rulings.

First, the judges we currently have must be strict constitutionalists rather than activist judges. After all, if what they wanted was in the constitution, there would be no need for these additional amendments.

Secondly, I say directly to Phyllis Schlafely, the Concerned Women of America, et all: Why are you so convinced that the constitution is a living document that can be changed as the times change, but the Bible is not?

Inevitable repercussions from the Scott Peterson case

It was bound to happen, I know...

To: National Desk
Contact: Amber Matchen of American Life League,

WASHINGTON, Nov. 13 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Judie Brown, president of American Life League, issued the following response to the news of Scott Peterson's conviction for the murder of his wife Laci and his preborn child, Connor:

"It is heartening to know that Scott Peterson is being held accountable for the two crimes that he committed against his wife, Laci, and his preborn child Connor. Peterson's guilty verdict now allows the families to finally lay their daughter and grandson to rest. The Petersons' preborn child, Connor, was described by some as a non-person. The verdict makes it crystal clear that he, and all those who reside in the womb, are indeed human persons; not possessions. This is a landmark conviction because of its recognition of the preborn child as a human being who deserves equal protection under the law.

"This is the first high-profile case to be decided since the passage of the Unborn Victims of Violence Act. The UVVA correctly recognizes the preborn child as a human being deserving justice under the law when he or she is killed due to a violent act perpetrated against his mother that results in the preborn child's death. However the UVVA is flawed; it perpetuates the lie that some preborn babies' rights are worth defending and others are not. If, for example, Laci Peterson had aborted Connor, the abortion would not have been defined as a crime.

"It is our hope that this guilty verdict results in society remembering the thousands of preborn babies who are legally killed by abortion every day; babies who do not enjoy protection under the Unborn Victims of Violence Act. Our Creator endows every innocent human being with the same inalienable rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, and that guarantee should apply equally to each and every preborn individual.

"American Life League will continue to educate the American people and our legislators to the simple truth that all preborn babies' civil right to life must be defended from all acts of murder, no matter what the method."

http://www.usnewswire.com/

From the Desk of Senator Norm Coleman

I'm not sure which is more amusing, Senator Coleman's enormously loaded question:

Do you support extending the President’s tax relief, which has helped create almost 1.7 million new jobs this past year and has reduced the tax burden on nearly 1.9 million Minnesota taxpayers?

Or the fact that his results are 80% NO.

Another win for STOPP?

Are we suddenly now more conservative than we were in 1974? I guess so:

Daily Reproductive Health Report
Public Health & Education Sarasota, Fla., School Board Revises Policy To Eliminate Planned Parenthood Sex Education Curriculum in Classrooms
[Nov 12, 2004]

The board of the Sarasota County Public Schools in Florida during a workshop on Tuesday ordered school district staff to revise a policy that has allowed Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida to teach the sex education unit of the district's required life management course, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reports. The Planned Parenthood affiliate has been teaching the course -- which includes information about reproduction, sexually transmitted diseases, sexual abstinence and birth control -- for the past 30 years. Although some parents have complained about Planned Parenthood's involvement in the past, the school board this year has been "swamped" with more than 100 e-mails expressing concern about the program, the Herald-Tribune reports. As a result, three board members have decided to end the program and change school district policy to allow only district and county health personnel to teach sex education in classrooms. Kathy Kleinlein, one of the three board members who questioned the program, said, "When you have an organization that distracts from the task at hand, you wind up with school principals and parents spending a great deal of time defending or supporting the organization." Kleinlein said she believes that district schools can provide effective sex education without being affiliated with Planned Parenthood and giving the appearance that the district supports abortion rights, according to the Herald-Tribune.

Some words about press bias

From Firstamendmentcenter.org (click above for full article):

...The beauty of the First Amendment is that it protects the press, warts and all. Americans should take comfort in the fact that a function of their own freedom is the freedom of the press to make mistakes, even to be biased. That freedom also includes the right of citizens to go elsewhere when they don’t like what they are reading, hearing or seeing.

If you don’t like CNN, turn to Fox. If you don’t like The New York Times, switch to The Wall Street Journal. If you don’t like your local TV station or newspaper, go to the Internet. If you think the networks are too parochial in their coverage, tune in the BBC. If you don’t like commercial broadcasters, try public broadcasting....

...The problem posed for the press is that truth is not the product of a political race. Polling data can’t reveal it. Neither is truth the purview or the property of one end of the political spectrum or the other.

Therefore, the press is occupied — on its better days — with finding the best way to report the relevant and provide as much context as possible, while remaining an observer and avoiding becoming a tool.

The rest of us should be occupied — on our better days — with finding a way to extract our own truths from what we learn through the press and other means.

As long as the press is free to do what it does, we are free to criticize what it does. That, again, is the beauty of the First Amendment.

Words for the day

"Moses went up to the mountain high
to find out from God, why did He make us, why?
Secret words in a secret room,
He said 'Whamp babalubop schwawop bam boom.'

'I did not put you here to suffer.
I did not put you here to whine.
I put you here to love one another,
and to get out and have a good time.'"

- "Let My People Go-Go", The Rainmakers

So much for hate crimes

Ug. Just Ug. Another big score for the "liberal" media:

November 11, 2004 -- ABC is preparing a major investigation of the Matthew Shepard gay-bashing murder that contends it may not have been a hate crime — but a mugging gone wrong.
Friends and family of Shepard — who became a national symbol of the senseless violence against gays — as well as gay activists are upset about the report, scheduled to air on "20/20" later this month.

Shepard, 22, was a gay college student who was brutally beaten, tied to a fence and left to die on the outskirts of Laramie, Wyo., in 1998 by two locals.
The killers, Aaron McKinney and Russell A. Henderson, pleaded guilty and are each serving consecutive, double life sentences.

But in their first interviews since they were convicted, McKinney and Henderson claim anti-gay bias had nothing to do with the crime.

In a press release promoting the show, ABC promised "surprising revelations, including Laramie's underground world of methamphetamine use that may have contributed to the crime and whether or not Shepard knew his killers."

"ABC News' press release about this show definitely raised our eyebrows, and we'll be watching," said Joan M. Garry, Executive Director, Gay & Lesbian Alliance against Defamation.
According to one person who has seen a rough of the episode, "20/20" raises the possibility that Shepard was mugged for his money, not because he was gay.

"Does it make Aaron McKinney and Russell A. Henderson any less guilty of the crime that they committed? Absolutely not," says Romain Patterson, one of Shepard's close friends.

"You just don't kick someone in the crotch over and over again unless you have a real problem with their sexuality," she says. "To imply otherwise, in my opinion, is irresponsible, and I think it's irresponsible to be giving a voice to two very guilty men."

The interviews apparently violate the plea agreements the two men signed at their sentencing. According to reports, the men agreed never to talk to the media about the case as part of the agreement that spared them the death penalty.

Henderson's lawyer, Tim Newcomb, did not return calls yesterday.

ABC declined to make the piece, slated to air Nov. 26, available to The Post.
"The murder of Matthew Shepard was and is a heinous and viscous crime," ABC News spokesman Jeffrey Schneider says.

"Exploring and re-examining the facts around that murder in a very thoughtful and in-depth way is the very essence of responsible journalism. This new information in no way diminishes the importance of the national conversation that took place after Matthew Shepard's murder."

"Intelligent" Design update

Highlights from yesterday's article follow (click above for complete article):

"Intelligent design" is the term being used to mask the more religious "creationism," say critics such as Ron Numbers, a historian of science and medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "Call it intelligent design, and there's no connection to the Bible whatsoever," Numbers said. "It's outrageous. And to call it science is terrible."

The change in the Grantsburg curriculum was not created overnight. Last year, a Minnetonka-based evangelist, Ron Carlson, founder of Christian Ministries International, gave sermons in churches in Grantsburg and the nearby community of Webster, about theories of creation other than evolution.

Carlson said in a statement Tuesday evening that the Grantsburg school board "is simply advocating for academic freedom to teach students critical thinking skills." He compared the evolution vs. creation debate with the competing theories of capitalism and communism in economics class, and with opposing political parties in a political science class.

"If evolution is so scientifically sound, why are they afraid to allow students the freedom to critique the evidence for themselves?" he asked. "It seems that the state of Wisconsin wants only the religion of evolution to be taught and not true science. We must wonder what their agenda is and why they are so threatened by a progressive school board that believes in quality education."

The "religion of evolution"? Heh. Good to see I finally found religion.

Operation Supreme Court Freedom

How am I supposed to pray for the health of the Supreme Court Justices when he's got so many people praying against me?

Dear Fellow American,

Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence, wrote:
"You seem to think that the Supreme Court is the ultimate arbiter of constitutional interpretation, a very dangerous doctrine indeed and one that would place us under the tyranny of an oligarchy."

How wise Jefferson was. Yet even Jefferson could not have foreseen what the Supreme Court has done to the Constitution of the United States since 1962. Just think what five unelected judges have done to our nation’s moral framework.

In 1962, they ruled prayer out of the public schools.
In 1963, they ruled the Bible out of public schools.
In 1973, they applied a "right of privacy" not found in the Constitution as the basis for opening the door to the slaughter of more than 43,000,000 innocent unborn children.

Subsequent federal courts have ruled the Ten Commandments were illegal in schools, that statues of Jesus were illegal in public parks, that prayers on a map in North Carolina were illegal, and that it was illegal for little elementary school children to give thanks over their milk and cookies at snack time.

Now, the Supreme Court has declared a constitutional right to consensual sodomy and, by the language in its decision, has opened the door to homosexual marriages, bigamy, legalized prostitution, and even incest. The framers of our Constitution never intended anything like this to take place in our land. Yet we seem to be helpless to do anything about it. Why? Because we are under the tyranny of a nonelected oligarchy. Just think, five unelected men and women who serve for life can change the moral fabric of our nation and take away the protections which our elected legislators have wisely put in place.

But there is a higher tribunal than the United States Supreme Court. There is the Judge of all the earth. We must earnestly come before Him now and cry out for redress of our grievances. He loves America as much as we do, and He does not wish to destroy it. But no culture has ever endured which has turned openly to homosexuality. And no society has ever been spared the wrath of God which has been guilty of slaughtering tens of millions of the innocent.

In short, by its distorted reading of the religion clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and its "discovery" of emanations from the 14th Amendment called "penumbras," the Supreme Court is bringing upon this nation the wrath of God when the precious liberties that we love so much may be taken away from all of us.

Would you join with me and many others in crying out to our Lord to change the Court? If we fast and pray and earnestly seek God’s face, then He will hear our prayer and give us relief.
One justice is 83 years old, another has cancer, and another has a heart condition. Would it not be possible for God to put it in the minds of these three judges that the time has come to retire? With their retirement and the appointment of conservative judges, a massive change in federal jurisprudence can take place.

We can have a court that no longer legislates from the bench the wishes of The New York Times and The Washington Post, but which will earnestly seek to interpret the Constitution as it is written and to give meaning to the centuries of moral standards which have undergirded this wonderful country called the United States of America.

Please join us in prayer to support a massive prayer offensive that we are going to call Operation Supreme Court Freedom.

"With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26).
God bless you.
Yours in Christ,
Pat Robertson

Myth of link between abortion and cancer continues to spread

By all means, don't let pesky things like scientific truths and facts get in the way of politics...
(click above for full article)

Women Wrongly Warned Cancer, Abortion Tied
Wed Nov 10,10:24 AM ET
By LAURA MECKLER, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Women seeking abortions in Mississippi must first sign a form indicating they've been told abortion can increase their risk of breast cancer. They aren't told that scientific reviews have concluded there is no such risk.

Similar information suggesting a cancer link is given to women considering abortion in Texas, Louisiana and Kansas, and legislation to require such notification has been introduced in 14 other states.

Abortion opponents, who are pushing these measures, say they are simply giving women information to consider. But abortion rights supporters see it much differently.

"In my experience, this inaccurate information is going to dissuade few women from going ahead and having the abortion," said Dr. Vanessa Cullins, vice president for medical affairs at Planned Parenthood (news - web sites) Federation of America. "What it does do is put a false guilt trip and fear trip on that woman."

Minnesota Nice?

APPLE VALLEY, Minn. - Three high school students, one allegedly armed with a bat, were charged with attacking a pro-President Bush (news - web sites) classmate after he reportedly said only gays would support Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites).

"It's a good thing to see young people interested and excited about politics," said Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom. "It's obviously very disturbing to see this kind of violence over it."

The 17-year-old was assaulted last Thursday in the high school parking lot following a class discussion about the election, authorities said. He was treated for cuts and bruises and released.

The alleged assailants have all been charged: one with felony assault — because he allegedly went to his car to get a bat during the assault, prosecutors said — one with misdemeanor assault and one with disorderly conduct.

I blame the education budget cuts. The "Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me," lesson plan has been demphasized as badly as school music programs.

Are leather gloves warmer than knit?

I really need to know, because it's colder than a Compassionate Conservative's heart out today:

"The beggars outside our office put in long days, of course, with ample flex time. They wear army fatigues and claim to be homeless veterans.

Raise your hand if you really believe they've worn this camouflage for the last 35 years, and didn't just pick it up at Army Surplus.

Raise your hand if you think your donations are really going for a bowl of soup, which they can get for free and with dignity just up the block." - John Olson

Brrrrr.....

(click above for full article)

Another article from Beliefnet

Did God Intervene?

Evangelicals are crediting God with securing re-election victory for George W. Bush.
By Deborah Caldwell

"...“This was Providence,” evangelical leader and presidential adviser Charles Colson told Beliefnet. “Anybody looking at the 2000 election would have to say it was…a miraculous deliverance, and I think people felt it again this year.” By allowing Bush to stay in office, Colson said, God is “giving us a chance to repent and to restore some moral sanity to American life.”
Richard Land, a leading Southern Baptist who participates in a weekly strategy call between the White House and evangelical leaders put it this way: “Whoever won, it would have been God’s will.” But because Bush won, Land told Beliefnet, God has clearly shown America his blessings. If Kerry had won, it would have proved God was cursing the United States. “The Bible says godly leadership is a sign of God’s blessings and a lack of godly leadership is a sign of God’s judgment. I don’t see Kerry as a godly leader.”

Meanwhile, Paul Weyrich, founder of the Free Congress Foundation and one of the original engineers of the conservative Christian political revolution, wrote an essay claiming that “God gave this President and this President’s Party one more chance…God heard the fervent prayers of millions of values voters to keep His hand on America one more time despite our national sins of denying the right to life, despite ignoring the Biblical injunction against acts which are ‘an abomination unto the Lord’ and despite the blatant attempt to remove God from the public square...”

I believe one friend said it best when she said, "Just remember...God also gave us The Flood."

The Press gets snarky

From the latest White House Press conference:

MR. McCLELLAN: Go ahead. Russ, welcome back. It's been a while. How was the Nader campaign?

Q It was wild. (Laughter.) Johns Hopkins, in its public health -- last month estimated that the war in Iraq resulted in 100,000 Iraqi deaths. The administration has said in the past that it doesn't do body counts, but do you consider 100,000 to be in the ballpark of the number of Iraqis killed as a result of the war?

MR. McCLELLAN: I don't know of any specific estimates on the civilians. I know that the United States military goes out of its way to minimize the loss of civilian life. And what we are working to achieve in Iraq is an important cause that will make America more secure. And we're working side-by-side with the Iraqi --

Q So you're killing Iraqis to make America more secure?

MR. McCLELLAN: -- with the Iraqi people to move forward on free elections, because a free Iraq will help transform a dangerous region of the world and make America more secure. And our men and women in the military are doing an outstanding job; they are serving and sacrificing in a very important cause.

Tearing down the walls

(From Beliefnet.org - click above for full article)

David Barton & the 'Myth' of Church-State Separation The Bush campaign has hired a controversial activist who calls the U.S. a 'Christian nation'

By Deborah Caldwell

The Republican National Committee is employing the services of a Texas-based activist who believes the United States is a “Christian nation” and the separation of church and state is “a myth.” David Barton, the founder of an organization called Wallbuilders, was hired by the RNC as a political consultant and has been traveling the country for a year--speaking at about 300 RNC-sponsored lunches for local evangelical pastors. During the lunches, he presents a slide show of American monuments, discusses his view of America’s Christian heritage -- and tells pastors that they are allowed to endorse political candidates from the pulpit.

Barton, who is also the vice-chairman of the Texas GOP, told Beliefnet this week that the pastors' meetings have been kept “below the radar.... We work our tails off to stay out of the news.” But at this point, he says, with voter registration ended in most states and early voting already under way, staying quiet about the activity “doesn’t matter.”

Barton’s main contention is that the separation of church and state was never intended by the nation’s founders; he says it was created by the Supreme Court in the 20th Century. The back cover of his 1989 book, “The Myth of Separation,” proclaims: “This book proves that separation of church and state is a myth.” Barton is also on the board of advisers of the Providence Foundation, a Christian Reconstructionist group that advocates America as a Christian nation.

For the Minnesotans

The Twin Cities' Drinking Liberally Group will be meeting tonight at Williams Peanut Bar in Minneapolis (29th and Hennepin in Uptown). Click above for more information.

Also, for all the people who love crazy Minnesota politics and the bombast of the Northern Alliance, I suggest checking out www.daytonvkennedy.blogspot.com. It's all of the info and links of Powerline, plus you get to see someone explain why the same group of people who think that family wealth must be protected by all means and the death tax must be permanently removed from the tax code can with a straight face claim that Dayton is too privileged and ensconced in his own family fortune to hold office. *Cough*Bush*Cough*

For those who don't know Minnesota politics, Senator Dayton closed his office due to possible terrorist attacks, and is now being called "too eccentric to be elected." You know, in the same state that elected Paul Wellstone and Jesse "The Body" "The Brain" "The Beard Braids" Ventura.

I will be eagerly awaiting the next blog, "FrankenvColeman" where I expect them to wax poetic on why Minnesotans will never elect a man who lived in New York.

Carlos Watson brown-noses

I understand the trend within the mainstream press, the White House and many voters to diefy the President. But I'm starting to wonder how some people can write their columns without laughing.

I am especially worried about Mr. Watson. He is a dangerous brown-noser who must be stopped for the good of America (click above for full article):


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Whether you are a Democrat, a Republican or an independent, it is hard not to look at President Bush's re-election victory last week and conclude that he is probably one of the three or four most talented politicians of the last half of a century... Instead of just crediting his family name or Rove, Bush's extraordinary political success is probably owed to at least five key things: (1) great political fundamentals, including an ability and willingness to raise large sums of money; (2) an ability to propose a clear, coherent and easily understandable policy agenda (e.g., "compassionate conservatism"); (3) an ability to attract, manage and retain a strong team of advisers (e.g., Rove, Ken Mehlman, Ed Gillespie, Karen Hughes, Matthew Dowd and others); (4) a willingness to go for the jugular -- repeatedly and without remorse (e.g., the "flip-flopper" label, gay marriage issue, South Carolina primary in 2000); and perhaps most important (5) a willingness to take a risk repeatedly (e.g., targeting Democratic Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle for defeat, offering a Social Security overhaul plan proposal, relying and counting on an evangelical turnout plan). I rite all of this not to rubber-stamp the president's political tactics or policies, but to say that if you are a serious observer of politics, it is worth your time recognizing a rare political talent when it is in your midst.

Log Cabin Republicans' Take on Election 2004

I've been checking their site often since the election, wondering what their reaction would be to the family values brigade that seems to find them so distasteful. Here it is, in their own words.

Patrick Guerriero, Log Cabin Republicans President, Statement on Election 2004
(Washington, DC)— The November 2004 election represents a historic wake-up call for gay and lesbian Americans and organizations. We lost. Not only did we lose our fight against 11 anti-gay ballot questions, we lost in the broader social and political landscape of America. If we listen to those attempting to sanitize or sugarcoat the post-election analysis, we are doomed to repeat our mistakes and destined for more setbacks in the years ahead. Winning our principled fight for fairness and equality will require bold, controversial, and strategic change from all of us. Many in the LGBT community will be offended by what it may take to get us back on track, but history teaches us that bold leadership in times of crisis does not always win instant popularity contests.

1. The gay and lesbian community needs to focus less on Washington, DC, Hollywood and Manhattan and more on the American heartland and the South. Like it or not, Michael Moore, Bruce Springsteen, and Rosie O'Donnell will never convince the Iowa farmer, the South Carolina veteran, or the West Virginia coal miner to be on our side. Much more important than increasing attendance at all our organizations' expensive black-tie dinners is the work we should be doing hosting rural barbecues and town hall meetings for honest discussions with people who disagree with us. We need to value and support the gay and lesbian families in suburban, middle, and rural America who are changing America one person and one neighborhood at a time. Far too many Americans believe that we value Prada shoes, botox injections, and party drugs over hard work, family, and patriotism. While so many gay and lesbian Americans have been incredibly generous with their commitment of time, talent and money, we need the image we project to match reality. And, it should never be easier to get 5,000 people to a circuit party than it is to get 500 people to pick up the phone and call their Congressman. The most important work we can do in the days, months and years ahead will happen on the ground in conservative red states, with local grassroots organizations.

2. We need to embrace not reject the reality that most Americans, including most gay Americans, are people of faith. Until gays and lesbians can find peace and acceptance and new allies in some of our churches, synagogues, and mosques we will continue to be marginalized in our own country. Yes, we have allowed the radical right to usurp and control the lexicon of family values, faith, and morality. We will win elections only when more religious-minded voters consider our journey for fairness and equality worthy of their support. While we need to continue developing progressive allies for our fight, we should be cautious about taking on all of their baggage at the same time. The gay wedge issue was effective in this election because our opponents were successful at clumping our struggle for equality in with anti-war protesters, the Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction, the move to take God out of the Pledge, the late term abortion debate, and a whole range of other cultural issues. We need to talk less about all the rights we want and do not have. Instead, we need to talk more about the moral and ethical responsibilities we are ready to accept as our life-long relationships are recognized.

3. It is time for all of us to go on the offense rather than always playing defense on the radical right's turf. The voices of intolerance have successfully used the anxiety during the first days of the national debate about marriage equality as a tool to pass anti-civil union and anti-domestic partnership legislation. Instead of simply defending against anti-gay measures, we should be offering targeted ballot questions and legislative action on issues such as domestic partnerships, civil unions, hospital visitation, and tax fairness that already have overwhelming support from the majority of Americans. Let's watch the radical right show their true colors and expose their intolerance by opposing basic fairness for our families without their "protecting marriage" cover. The path to full recognition for our families will require patience, persistence, and pragmatism. Expecting middle-America to support civil marriage equality when many gay and lesbian Americans are today ambivalent or still uneducated about the issue will never work.

4. In our two-party system we will never win without dedicating significantly more of our time, energy, and resources into working with Republicans and conservatives. On gay and lesbian issues we already have the support of Ted Kennedy and Nancy Pelosi. We deeply appreciate their support, but we need to earn the support of Republicans from Ohio and Missouri and the support of conservative Democrats from Virginia and Georgia. No successful lobbying group in America attempts to find legislative remedies for their priorities without investing significantly in both political parties. With the Republican Party controlling most of the country's political power, Log Cabin shares a huge responsibility to lead this effort but Log Cabin cannot do this alone. Yes, for some of us, this means spending time with, making political donations to and even endorsing some politicians who don't agree with us 100% of the time. This sometimes awkward but pragmatic path is how courageous Democrats turned anti-gay Democrats into reliable allies over the past two decades. As we judge who our friends and opponents are in Congress we should think twice about labeling party-line procedural votes and refusal to sponsor our legislative priorities as anti-gay. We can and must speak out against anti-gay legislation, hate speech, and anti-gay votes. But we should attempt to do so without burning every bridge and without demonizing those who we need to educate and work with in the years ahead. When our most reliable friends are up for re-election, they deserve our community's full support even when they are Republicans. And, President Bush has won a clear and decisive popular vote and electoral college victory. He is our nation's duly elected leader and we must find a way to work with him and his administration over the next four years.

5. More important than winning in the courts of America is the harder work all of us must do to win over the hearts and minds of the American people. History teaches us that the judiciary will and should play a crucial role in recognizing the constitutional rights of all citizens. Our friends and allies in the legal community deserve great credit for their important work. But the courts alone cannot mandate an inclusive and tolerant America. The courts cannot prevent a backlash of anti-gay constitutional amendments. We need to win in the legislatures, in the voting booths, and in the hearts of fair-minded citizens to give credibility and power to our cause. Our work will not be done until we reach a day when our victories have legitimacy inside and outside the court houses of America. Earlier this year groups such as Log Cabin were strongly criticized for expressing concern, shared by individuals such as Congressman Barney Frank, about the disregard for the rule of law in places like San Francisco and New Paltz, New York. Log Cabin was moved by the emotion of these ceremonies and grateful for the support of these inclusive public office holders. However, we feared the political effect that these actions would have on our greater struggle. We must accept that sometimes we cannot always do what feels good in the short term. Sometimes we have to do what is pragmatic and what will aid our battle over the long term. We shouldn't be afraid of a healthy debate inside or outside of the gay community over these critical issues.

While these days may seem overly challenging to some, we can find peace in realizing that history and decency are on our side. Despite November's setbacks, we are making incredible progress in the fight for equality and fairness. Exit polls show almost two-thirds of Americans support civil marriage equality or civil unions. Most Americans, especially young people, are moving in our direction. The signs of progress are clear; however we must be willing to accept a new strategy to achieve complete success. This new strategy doesn't mean our goals have changed or our commitment to fairness and equality has diminished. Our goals remain the same. Our commitment to success is even stronger. I am confident that we will win. The choices we make as a result of the election outcome, in the weeks, months, and years ahead will determine how soon our victory is achieved.
###
Log Cabin Republicans is the nation's largest organization of Republicans who support fairness, freedom, and equality for gay and lesbian Americans. Log Cabin has state and local chapters nationwide, a full-time Washington office, and a federal political action committee. www.logcabin.org

"Sticking" it to Evolution

(See link above for full article)

ATLANTA (Reuters) - Lawyers for a Georgia school district and a group of parents clashed on Monday over the constitutionality of placing stickers that challenge the theory of evolution on textbooks.

Cobb County's school board, which placed the disclaimers on biology books in 2002 at the behest of hundreds of parents, many of them religious conservatives, rejected suggestions it had promoted religion in its classrooms in violation of the constitutional principle of separation of church and state.

The stickers read: "This textbook contains material on evolution. Evolution is a theory, not a fact, regarding the origin of living things. This material should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully and critically considered."

Some wisdom on Powerline

I am a frequent reader of Powerline (www.powerlineblog.com), and though I seldom agree with anything they say, I do see that they surround themselves with good, wise friends. A letter from a Friend of Powerline (FoP), and their response:

While any night when you can carry Jim Bunning and Lisa Murkowski to victory has to be considered a significant victory for the GOP, it is unclear that a liberal Democrat can no longer win the Presidency. If just over [70,000] votes in Ohio had gone the other way the MSM would be heralding the emergence of a new Democratic majority. This was no landslide. Bush almost blew the election in the first debate. It may well be that absent the intervention of those four Massachusetts judges who discovered a constitutional right to gay marriage, we'd be facing the frightening prospect of a White House occupied by Mike Dukakis' Lieutenant Governor. Don't want to sound like the snake at the garden party but the voter surveys I have seen show some trends that give grounds for concern. Kerry to my surprise carried those under 30 by a margin of 54-45 and did reasonably well with "Hispanics" and "Asians". If the Democrats can nominate someone who appeals to "White" voters who don't share the agenda of the teachers union or trial lawyers - Evan Bayh or Bob Kerrey come to mind - the outcome could be quite different. I've heard several commentators comparing the Bush victory to William McKinley's defeat of William Jennings Bryan in 1896. That election ushered in a three decade era of Republican dominance. I fail to see the parallels. Bryan's strength was centered in rural agricultural regions whose share of the population was in decline. Kerry drew strength from young people, Hispanics and Blacks.I haven't seen any occupational breakdowns of voters but just looking at the electoral map leads me to believe that Kerry did well among such fast growing segments of the labor force as teachers, lawyers, health care workers and others employed in the service sectors.

I hope that Bush works in his second term to build a strong electoral majority by advocating conservative reforms that will help people of modest means improve their lives. I was heartened to see him effectively advocating tax reform and personal retirement accounts as an option to Social Security at his news conference today. These kinds of programs coupled with a strong defense of the traditional family could garner new support for the GOP.

[Deacon]I agree with much of this analysis. However, I'm fairly confident that the Democrats will never nominate an Evan Bayh or a Bob Kerrey. I also think that Republcans should be encouraged by how much better Bush did with hispanic voters this time around.
My concern, going forward, is with keeping the president's majority together. Will the policies that can help the party with hispanics and/or young voters go down well with the party's present base? Time will tell, but there are certainly potential tensions here, and 2008 may be a wild ride.

That is not the first time since the election that he has expressed caution at reading too much into such a slim margin, rather than crow "the people's will" at anyone who wants to consider moderation. If there were more temperance in the parties right now, I might believe that there would be a reaching out. And I also agree that Bob Kerrey is the dream nomination that will never be. Which is a shame, as I would love to hear people come out and say his missing leg was self-inflicted or that he "barely bled." Sadly, he'd never make it past the "Debra Winger in the Governor's House" primary scandal.

How about these Values?

I'll believe that the Republicans can make this country more "moral" when the prison population starts reversing...

(Click link above for full story)

More Women in Prison Than Ever Before
Mon Nov 8,11:35 AM ET

By ANNE GEARAN, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - The number of women in state and federal prisons is at an all-time high and growing fast, with the incarceration rate for females increasing at nearly twice that of men, the government reported Sunday.

There were 101,179 women in prisons last year, 3.6 percent more than in 2002, the Justice Department said. That marks the first time the women's prison population has topped 100,000, and continues a trend of rapid growth.

Overall, men are still far more likely than women to be in jail or prison, and black men are more likely than any other group to be locked up.

At the close of 2003, U.S. prisons held 1,368,866 men, the Bureau of Justice Statistics reported. The total was 2 percent more than in 2002.

The Rhetoric of Stem Cell Opposition

From Concerned Women for America
Author, Wendy Wright

Jon and Marlene Strege adopted Hannah, now 28 months old, before she was born. Created by in vitro fertilization, Hannah was one of the tens of thousands of embryos considered “excess.” Rather than have her destroyed or used for experimentation, her biological parents lovingly decided to find a couple who would welcome her into their family. So, while still an embryo, Hannah was implanted in her adopted mother’s womb.

On July 17, Marlene testified before a congressional subcommittee on whether tax dollars should pay for research that destroys children like Hannah....

“Looking into Hannah’s eyes, I weep for the roughly 188,000 frozen human embryos like her placed in frozen embryo orphanages, who could be adopted, rather than terminated with assistance from my federal tax dollars,” said Marlene. “We plead with Congress not to force millions of Americans like me to violate our consciences and participate in another form of genocide, especially when the advances possible with other stem cells are not nearly exhausted.”

...Embryonic stem-cell research violates the Nuremberg Code. Regrettably, it seems that when these standards are most relevant is the very time they are ignored. As scientists unravel the mysteries of how God formed man, each discovery validates the uniqueness of every human. Even clones, it turns out, have genes that act differently than their “parents.’” Fearfully and wonderfully made, each human deserves to be treated with respect. Therein lies our challenge. Most of us believe we would not have mistreated Blacks or Jews if we had lived in the days of slavery or in the Nazi terror. Will we, then, treat embryos—like Hannah—as an act of God, or as a source of spare parts?

Update on Beware of "Stealth" Phrases

The schoolboard's proposed changes to the Texas sex-ed books have been approved by the publisher. Marriage shall only be referred to as "a life-long union between a man and a woman" and all references to partners has been struck. A move to include the sentence: "Opinions vary on why homosexuals, lesbians and bisexuals as a group are more prone to self-destructive behaviors like depression, illegal drug use, and suicide," however, was shot down.

What happens to those who "compromise"

From Focus on the Family, regarding Specter's "impudent" advice to try and nominate moderate judges:

Specter Threatens Bush on Pro-Life Judges
by Pete Winn, associate editor

With as many as four vacancies on the Supreme Court coming in the next four years, comments from the likely new chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee raise the hackles of pro-family leaders.

Pro-family leaders reacted with outrage today to comments by U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter—expected to be named chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee in January—that President Bush shouldn't bother nominating pro-life judges to the federal bench.

The Pennsylvania Republican, an unapologetic supporter of abortion on demand, seemed to indicate in his comments to the Associated Press that he would join Democratic-led efforts to block socially conservative judicial nominees.

"When you talk about judges who would change the right of a woman to choose, overturn Roe v. Wade, I think that is unlikely," Specter told the Associated Press. "The president is well aware of what happened, when a bunch of his nominees were sent up, with the filibuster . . . and I would expect the president to be mindful of the considerations which I am mentioning."

Dr. James Dobson, founder and chairman of Focus on the Family Action, called Specter's comments "arrogant grandstanding" and "the worst kind of political bullying." He charged the senator with threatening the president.

"He is warning President Bush not to consider his re-election margin or the passionate effort by committed Christians to get him elected," Dobson said.

Such action is especially egregious, he added, considering that Specter probably wouldn't even have been in position to win re-election Tuesday if it hadn't been for Bush—who upset some pro-family conservatives by endorsing Specter in a volatile primary battle this spring.

Phyllis Schlafly, founder of Eagle Forum and author of a book on judicial activism called "The Supremacists," agreed, saying that Specter was clearly being "impudent."
"His comments are outrageous, and I hope that President Bush will admonish him," Schlafly said. "After all, Specter would not have been elected without the intervention of President Bush. And I think President Bush ought to put him down."

Tom Minnery, vice president of government and public policy at Focus on the Family, said Specter represents "a fading wing of the Republican Party" that does not see the real message of the barely finished election.

"As a so-called moderate who supports abortion and wants judges who also support abortion, Specter represents a narrowing slice of the party," Minnery said. "The tremendous victory on Tuesday, particularly the sweep of the marriage amendments in 11 states, proves that people are tired of the courts trying to reshape society.

"If Arlen Specter tries to run into that wind, he's going to be blown away."

Kay Daly, president of the Coalition for a Fair Judiciary, agreed America doesn't need the same kind of obstructionism from liberal Republicans that the Democrats used to block many of the president's nominations during his first term.

"Clearly one of the underlying forces that drove our voters to the polls was the issue of judicial tyranny—whether it's in gay marriage, whether it's in the Ten Commandments, whether it's in the Pledge of Allegiance," she said. "Any issue that we care about is going to fall to the purview of the courts."

Daly said voters got rid of one "symbol of Democratic obstructionism"—Minority Leader Tom Daschle, who lost his re-election bid Tuesday. It was Daschle, along with Sens. Ted Kennedy and Patrick Leahy, who has been at the forefront of the Democratic filibuster efforts that have stymied several of the president's nominations.

"Now, it turns out, we may have an obstructionist in our own ranks who, as Senate Judiciary chairman has the power to slow down any nomination, or go to the president and say, 'I just don't think we can get him through,' " Daly said. "No, sir, we did not come this far to have that happen."

Specter attempted this afternoon to stave off the controversy caused by his comments, issuing a statement to nuance his earlier remarks, but Daly said he has long been known as one of the most liberal members of the Senate and should not be Judiciary Committee chairman.

"He has been a thorn in the side of the president on numerous judicial nominations," Daly said. "And, going back a few years, he's the one who went along with the left in the 'borking' of Judge Bork—he agreed that conservative Judge Robert Bork was 'evil' and could not be on the Supreme Court. Specter is not exactly a guy we can count on."

Tom McClusky, director of government relations at the Family Research Council, agreed, saying even if Specter's comments were exaggerated by the media, he has made similar comments in the past.

"Desperate measures are needed," he said, "to stop Senator Specter from becoming chairman of the Judiciary Committee and completely ruining any legacy that the Republican Party could hope to have for the next 20 years."

How exactly does the administration plan to reach out to the 49% of the population who did not vote for the President when they are already being called to "put down" their own moderates?

The FBI's a-coming

Who was wrong, the exit polls or the computers? From Commondreams.org (click above for whole article)

While the heavily scrutinized touch-screen voting machines seemed to produce results in which the registered Democrat/Republican ratios largely matched the Kerry/Bush vote, in Florida's counties using results from optically scanned paper ballots - fed into a central tabulator PC and thus vulnerable to hacking – the results seem to contain substantial anomalies.
In Baker County, for example, with 12,887 registered voters, 69.3% of them Democrats and 24.3% of them Republicans, the vote was only 2,180 for Kerry and 7,738 for Bush, the opposite of what is seen everywhere else in the country where registered Democrats largely voted for Kerry.

In Dixie County, with 4,988 registered voters, 77.5% of them Democrats and a mere 15% registered as Republicans, only 1,959 people voted for Kerry, but 4,433 voted for Bush.
The pattern repeats over and over again - but only in the counties where optical scanners were used. Franklin County, 77.3% registered Democrats, went 58.5% for Bush. Holmes County, 72.7% registered Democrats, went 77.25% for Bush.

Yet in the touch-screen counties, where investigators may have been more vigorously looking for such anomalies, high percentages of registered Democrats generally equaled high percentages of votes for Kerry. (I had earlier reported that county size was a variable – this turns out not to be the case. Just the use of touch-screens versus optical scanners.)

"Intelligent" Design?

Wisconsin City Allows Teaching Creationism
Sun Nov 7, 9:11 AM ET

Top Stories - AP
GRANTSBURG, Wis. - The city's school board has revised its science curriculum to allow the teaching of creationism, prompting an outcry from more than 300 educators who urged that the decision be reversed.

School board members believed that a state law governing the teaching of evolution was too restrictive. The science curriculum "should not be totally inclusive of just one scientific theory," said Joni Burgin, superintendent of the district of 1,000 students in northwest Wisconsin.
Last month, when the board examined its science curriculum, language was added calling for "various models/theories" of origin to be incorporated.

The decision provoked more than 300 biology and religious studies faculty members to write a letter last week urging the Grantsburg board to reverse the policy. It follows a letter sent previously by 43 deans at Wisconsin public universities.

"Insisting that teachers teach alternative theories of origin in biology classes takes time away from real learning, confuses some students and is a misuse of limited class time and public funds," said Don Waller, a botanist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Wisconsin law mandates that evolution be taught, but school districts are free to create their own curricular standards, said Joe Donovan, a spokesman for the state Department of Public Instruction.

There have been scattered efforts around the nation for other school boards to adopt similar measures. Last month the Dover Area School Board in Pennsylvania voted to require the teaching of alternative theories to evolution, including "intelligent design" — the idea that life is too complex to have developed without a creator.

The state education board in Kansas was heavily criticized in 1999 when it deleted most references to evolution. The decision was reversed in 2001.

In March, the Ohio Board of Education narrowly approved a lesson plan that some critics contended opens the door to teaching creationism.

In the last few days

I have heard a non-stop litany of quotes from the main stream media regarding the mandate of George Bush...that he has won with more votes than any president in history, that he is the first president to receive more than 50% of the vote.

Today I read in my local paper that George W. Bush "was reelected by the narrowist popular-vote margin for an incumbent since Woodrow Wilson in 1916."

So much for the liberal media.

Words from the winners

Excerpts from a commentary by Frank Pastore, Former major league pitcher. Frank Pastore is the afternoon host on the Christian talk-radio station KKLA, 99.5 FM. in the LA Times (see link above for full commentary):

Christians, in politics as in evangelism, are not against people or the world. But we are against false ideas that hold good people captive. On Tuesday, this nation rejected liberalism, primarily because liberalism has been taken captive by the left. Since 1968, the left has taken millions captive, and we must help those Democrats who truly want to be free to actually break free of this evil ideology. In the weeks and months to come, we will hear the voices of well-meaning people beseeching the victor to compromise with the vanquished. This would be a mistake. Conservatives must not compromise with the left. Good people holding false ideas are won over only if we defeat what is false with the truth.

The left must be defeated in the realm of ideas, just as it was on Tuesday at the ballot box. The left hates the ballot box and loves its courtrooms, which is why it hopes to continue to advance its agenda through the courts. This must end.The left bewitches with its potions and elixirs, served daily in its strongholds of academe, Hollywood and old media. It vomits upon the morals, values and traditions we hold sacred: God, family and country. As we learned Tuesday, it is clear the left holds the majority of Americans, the majority of us, in contempt. Simply, a majority of Americans have rejected John Kerry and John Edwards and the left because they are wrong. They are wrong because there are not two Americas. We are one nation under a God they reject. We remain indivisible despite their attempts to divide Americans through their relentless warfare against class, ethnic and religious unity... The nation has now resoundingly rejected the left and its agenda. We do not want to become European. We do not want to become socialist. We do not want to become secular. We are exceptional. We are unique. And we are the greatest force for good in the world, despite what the left, the terrorists or the United Nations may claim. It is for these reasons that we remain the last great hope in the world for freedom.We continue to be that shining city set on a hill. And we fully accept the responsibility; we are proud to be the envy of the world.

Well, at least he thinks we're "well-meaning."

Time to stock up

Better go get your birth control now...

Trying to STOPP Planned Parenthood
by Kara Loewentheil

Stop Planned Parenthood? Stamp Out Planned Parenthood? STOPP International refuses to definitively explain its name, but whatever the acronym stands for, the fact is that STOPP International is an anti-choice organization with only one goal: shutting down Planned Parenthood to prevent it from providing much-needed reproductive health care and advocacy leadership in communities all around the world.

Conceived in 1985, STOPP International took its current form in 1994. Led by James W. Sedlak, founder and executive director, it has 32 local groups and operates as a division of the anti-choice umbrella organization, American Life League (ALL). Until recently, Edward E. Szymkowiak was the national director, but he recently announced he was leaving STOPP to teach in a Christian school.

STOPP International, like ALL, opposes abortion; comprehensive, medically accurate, and age-appropriate sex education; and hormonal birth control. Like ALL, STOPP International also supports extremely restrictive abortion bans, abstinence until marriage, and ignorance-only sex education that focuses exclusively on abstinence. Its Web site provides supporters with numerous strategies for thwarting the essential work that Planned Parenthood does for local communities.

STOPP International's tactics include harassing local businesses, especially "construction companies, landlords, real estate offices, insurance companies, and local hospitals" that already do business with Planned Parenthood or might in the future. It also pubishes lists in local newspapers of businesses that will and will not boycott Planned Parenthood facilities. Its lobbying methods involve phone calls to the residences of politicians at night and visiting politicians as often as possible. Its public misinformation campaigns are most often based on the false claim that hormonal birth control causes abortions.

When these campaigns fail, STOPP International pickets not only Planned Parenthood locations, but nearby schools that provide comprehensive sex education. Sedlak once said of Planned Parenthood, "This is an organization that is shameless in its attempts to force its exploitive ideologies upon the public." Substitute STOPP for Planned Parenthood in that last sentence, and you have the core reality of STOPP's methods that it tries so hard to conceal.

Kara Loewentheil is a writer in PPFA's Media Department.

"Now is the time to get it done"

Christians See Court Appointments as Top Bush Aim
10 minutes ago

Politics - Reuters
By Alan Elsner
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Christian conservative leaders say their top priority in President Bush (news - web sites)'s second term is the appointment of conservative judges to the Supreme Court and throughout the judicial system.


"We have high hopes of changing the judiciary. Every judicial appointment that President Bush makes will make the courts less radical and more in tune with the voters who turned out in Tuesday's election," said Gary Bauer (news - web sites), a prominent Christian conservative leader and president of American Values, a conservative pressure group.

This election made me much more religious, as I pray for the health of the Supreme Court justices on an hourly basis.

A glimpse at the future?

LISBON (AFP) - More than 1,000 women in Portugal had to be hospitalised last year due to complications following backstreet abortions in a country whose laws forbid legal abortion, health statistics showed.

The figure "clashed with the 123 clandestine abortions officially identified by the authorities last year," said a report by the public health authority DGS, published Wednesday in the newspaper Publico.

DGS said the contradiction was due to the fact that public statistics covered only officially proved illegal terminations.

The number of clandestine abortions annually in Portugal is reckoned at between approximately 20,000 and 40,000.

A Lisbon court on Tuesday acquitted a woman charged as a teenager with illegally terminating her pregnancy by taking pills used to treat stomach ulcers, in the latest case to fuel debate on Portugal's strict anti-abortion laws.

A judge found the accused not guilty for lack of proof.
The trial renewed debate in the overwhelmingly Roman Catholic country on its abortion laws, among the most restrictive in Europe.

The practice is illegal in Portugal except when the mother's life is in danger or in certain specified conditions, such as the risk of damage to physical or mental health, sexual violence or possible congenital deformity.

Pro-abortion campaigners in Portugal argue that the laws force thousands of women into life-threatening operations in backstreet clinics, often in highly unsanitary conditions. But anti-abortion activists argue the procedure should remain a crime because it puts an end to a human life.

Polls show the vast majority of Portuguese want a fresh vote on the abortion laws to be held, but the centre-right government has said no new referendum will be held during its current term ending in 2006.

Another reason why I am donating to Planned Parenthood tomorrow.

http://www.plannedparenthood.org/