Office of the Independent Blogger

Joe Biden said that Rudy Giuliani’s speeches consist of “a noun, a verb and 9/11.”

That’s about right. (Rudy countered that Biden does nothing but run his mouth; he should’ve made a crack about Biden being a plagiarist, exaggerated though that is. I guess Rudy was content to let the honorable candidate for Secretary of State have his day.)

Karen Hughes left Washington today. For those of you who don’t know, she was a longtime friend of George W. Bush’s who followed him from the campaign trail in Texas and was eventually rewarded with a position in the State Department aimed at improving our image in the Arab World. Some refer to her as a failure (Arabs like us less now than when she took over, according to opinion polls taken in police states with limited technology and knowledge). I definitely agree that she didn’t accomplish much but there are two nuances:

1. This is a “generations-long” campaign, as Hughes pointed out, and
2. The Arab World is bound to dislike us at this time and has for a long time. A big part of that is Israel; another is economic resentment; the other is religion. And that’s the issue I take with Karen Hughes’ “mission”: diplomacy and public relations is all fine and well but giving a pretty speech to the King of Saudi Arabia isn’t going to do much and it isn’t like the Islamic World is tuning in to our propaganda machine.

For many years, the Arab World has hated us and will for many more. It has nothing to do with the rightness or wrongness of our policy. Rather, it is an inevitable reality of America’s being the lone superpower, and it won’t change until that part of the world liberalizes. Until it does, we must foster good relations through sound policy, open relations and economic cooperation while reaching out to Middle Eastern intellectuals and social political leaders (non-government) who will reach out to the people over time.

Max Blumenthal’s report on the Huffington Post today, Theocracy Now! is a great read and shows you why Mike Huckabee will be the Republican nominee for Vice President of the United States.

You’ll see what I mean when you read it, and you will, right? You don’t want to miss it, Dear Reader, but I’ll give you a hint: people on the Right will need a balance to whatever ethics-less, moral-less schmuck the Republicans put out there, whether it’s payroll fraud Rudy Giuliani (among other things) or Mormon Mitt Romney or crazy John McCain whose greatest sin was criticizing the Christian Right.

It should be a “fun” campaign.

They’ve declared a cease-fire in the Sudan while they discuss peace. I’ve said it before but it bears repeating: I guess it’s easier to have peace with your opponent when you’ve slaughtered them all, eh? I don’t think the bad taste of Darfur is ever going to leave my mouth.

In other tasteless news, Bill Richardson has promised that if elected, he would re-open the famous case of aliens crashing at Roswell, New Mexico in 1947. Because it’s “wrong” to be “secret” about it and he wants to know what really happened.

Why, Bill, you don’t have to be President for that! Make a few phone calls — I’m sure you’ve got quite the Rolodex — and then tell the world. Of course, that wouldn’t be effective when pandering to a kook because you’d lose the rest of the country, right?

Obama says he’s “done being a nice guy.” If you recall, he said that seventeen days ago, too. It wasn’t true then and isn’t now, either. First of all, Obama’s a “soft” politician, admired not because he is tough or innovative but because he’s seen by many, especially in College, as “intelligent and thoughtful,” which is an image he’s been careful to foster and he won’t want to lose being rude to Hillary Clinton. An even bigger concern: he doesn’t want to seem too angry because an angry black politician is not something that the public will embrace.

There are still significant racial issues in this country, you know.

More serious than my last entry: CIA prisoners disappear off the face of the Earth.

I can’t say I feel bad for al-Qaeda terrorists who won’t ever see home. Of course, if I ran the CIA the policy would be, “Make 100% sure you’ve got the right man,” but I definitely don’t feel sorry for terrorists.

Man, government’s a funny institution. Even when they generally handle a crisis “right,” as they have with the California wildfires, they manage to screw it up by holding a news conference with fake journalists and not even of the Jeff Gannon sort. They had their own employees stand in as journalists.

And no, I don’t mean that they only invited Fox News.

Sorry for not updating yesterday. The server was down for awhile, and that while coincided with my allotted posting time as I spent much of yesterday watching foreign films and enjoying the company of strangers. Two things for now: someone bought a lock of Che Guevara’s hair for a hundred and twenty grand. I hope it’s a fraud and the man spent money on nothing, but I wish I had that kind of money to blow on locks of hair.

I disliked this article in the New York Times last night. The headline is about the US “play[ing]” a unilateral hand; the article is about how our sanctions on Iran were and are a sign of restraint from our government. It is a dissonant headline.

I wish I had billions of dollars so that it would be nothing to my wallet if I were fined over the hundred million dollars for polluting the environment.

Here’s a few things relating to activism: on my campus, I’ve been marking the Quad in chalk in support of the Colorado Rockies; I’ve been assisting Students for a Democratic Society on my campus; I’ve been helping a few Democratic (Party) campaigns; and I attended a rally earlier today by our graduate students who demand health insurance that’ll cover their birth control.

I haven’t covered my hands in blood and put them in the Secretary of State’s face. What kind of activist am I?

(Honestly, I find actions such as hers deplorable and unnecessary. They don’t help anyone and don’t accomplish anything.)

Before we start to talk about politics, let me extend my best wishes and deepest sympathy to the people of California as their cities burn. It’s terrible to watch people’s homes and lives be burned before your eyes — that’s why I haven’t watched, but I have read about it and seen the pictures. It breaks my heart.

To other depressing news, except that the next piece has no good side of the coin (at least in California you have people helping other people).

Stories like these really make me sick. Legally insane? How convenient, isn’t it? In our justice system, you’re better off raping a woman than killing dogs and you can get away with anything if you say you’re cuckoo. Sure, some people are genuinely insane but it is not a justification or an excuse and it shouldn’t exempt anyone from facing true consequence for their actions, especially when they kill three people as a result.

I’ll be bitterly disappointed if this lady gets off on such a petty claim.

Forgive me for not writing yesterday, Dear Reader. No one is more disappointed when I don’t post than I am, but I will make up for it. Yesterday I was swamped with work and Church, so I couldn’t possibly get it done. I’ve got two things to talk about (and one to hint at). First we will address political news, where we have this article to raise our ire.

A typical teenager can fit his or her entire financial savings into nothing more than a plastic piggy bank. Yet, the teenage son of Mr. Richard Henken and Mrs. Sarah Henken was able to contribute the maximum allowable contribution to Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign. An investigation by The Huffington Post’s OffTheBus found an example of minors donating their hard earned allowance to a presidential candidate, in the most recent campaign finance report filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) for the third quarter of the year.

Mr. Henken, president of a Boston-based real estate development firm, donated the maximum amount also, as did his wife and daughter. Although it is legal for minors to donate money, some view this tactic as bundling. Bundling occurs when a group of people, in this case entire members of a family, individually contribute the maximum amount allowable to create large sums of cash. Opponents argue that bundling allows the wealthy to work around the political campaign contribution limit of $2,300 per person during this presidential election.

Indeed, Congress tried to ban contributions from minors when lawmakers approved the 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act. But the U.S. Supreme Court overturned that provision saying that it violated the First Amendment rights of minors.

Although family members may have similar ideologies and support the same candidate, what is questionable is how minors accumulate the money to give it away to a potential president. The Henkens decision to endorse president candidate Mitt Romney is evident by their campaign contributions. According to the FEC records, Mr. and Mrs. Henkens’ young son, Samuel Henken, listed as a student, donated $2,300 to Romney for President, Inc. on September 30, 2007. His sister, also a student, donated the maximum contribution to Romney’s campaign on the same day. Karen, his sister, and Richard Henken also each donated $2,300 to the Mitt Romney Campaign.

I definitely agree with the Supreme Court, but I find the end result disgusting. It’s democratic rule, though, and it has every right to exist. Now I’m just curious if the Henkens would donate money so that I can go to Colorado this weekend? I’ll bring them along, if they want. And even if they don’t want to give me some money (in which case you should, Dear Reader — and I’m only half-kidding!), then I’ll hitch a ride with some Kurds. I hear they’re on the move, no?

Dozens of Turkish military vehicles loaded with soldiers and heavy weapons rumbled toward the Iraq border on Monday after an ambush by rebel Kurds that killed 12 soldiers and left eight missing. Turkey’s foreign minister said his country will pursue diplomacy before it sends troops across the rugged frontier.

Bad joke?

It’s happening now: the Kurdish move. I’ll bet the Pentagon is up in arms over this, as they should be. This isn’t going to be good for anyone.

You thought it couldn’t get worse, right?

Bill Maher has always been a favorite of mine. I’ve taken exception to him in the past, but there’s nothing wrong with that and in fact differences of opinion should always be encouraged. But after last night, I must admit my admiration for him has risen to new heights. Someday, I’d like to toss a heckler out of my domain, and I know that I will.

This is an interesting article in the New York Times about Dean’s role as chairman of the party.

In International Political News, Turkey is going to invade Kurdistan in the North and that’s not going to be good for the situation in Iraq, I’m sure, or for the people of Kurdistan. You know, life is so short, and yet we spend so much time fighting one another. It’s a disgrace, and it’s going to hurt everyone, from American soldiers to the Kurds to certain politicians. Every action has a million consequences, and none have more than War.

Yesterday was such a pleasant day. Today, isn’t, as I wind up having to read this news.

The head of the Federal Communications Commission has circulated an ambitious plan to relax the decades-old media ownership rules, including repealing a rule that forbids a company to own both a newspaper and a television or radio station in the same city.

Kevin J. Martin, chairman of the commission, wants to repeal the rule in the next two months — a plan that, if successful, would be a big victory for some executives of media conglomerates.

Among them are Samuel Zell, the Chicago investor who is seeking to complete a buyout of the Tribune Company, and Rupert Murdoch, who has lobbied against the rule for years so that he can continue controlling both The New York Post and a Fox television station in New York.

The proposal appears to have the support of a majority of the five commission members, agency officials said, although it is not clear that Mr. Martin would proceed with a sweeping deregulatory approach on a vote of 3 to 2 — something his predecessor tried without success. In interviews on Wednesday, the agency’s two Democratic members raised questions about Mr. Martin’s approach.

Mr. Martin said he was striving to reach a consensus with his fellow commissioners, both on the schedule and on the underlying rule changes, although he would not say whether he would move the measures forward if he were able to muster only three votes.

“We’ve had six hearings around the country already; we’ve done numerous studies; we’ve been collecting data for the last 18 months; and the issues have been pending for years,” Mr. Martin said in an interview. “I think it is an appropriate time to begin a discussion to complete this rule-making and complete these media ownership issues.”

Officials said the commission would consider loosening the restrictions on the number of radio and television stations a company could own in the same city.

This is the last thing the nation needs: greater corporate control of the media. Well, that and a bomb being smuggled onto an airplane, as the other happy news of the day tells us that our airport screeners are incompetent.

There’s nothing quite like walking out of your favorite class, feeling good, taking the time to take the day in and noticing that there’s a beautiful Bug on your sidewalk. “Oh, what a beautiful day…” I say to myself, and then I notice how unusual this Bug is. “That’s not any type of Bug I’ve ever seen before,” I say. “It’s not a ladybug. It’s not a caterpillar” — (I’d know because I love caterpillars) — “and it’s not even a beatle. It’s a Beatle!” And then I notice the really important thing: it says, “Fag” on the side, and “uRgay” on the front.

I’d never seen one of those before.

I circled the Beatle. I had almost walked past, in a hurry to put the finishing touches on a paper, but I didn’t; I noticed what I rightly presumed to be the owner talking to some poor interested bloke in the same state I was in and decided that my writing could wait. “I assume that you’re the owner, this is your work and you’re on tour,” I said, when the man she was talking to walked away. “Tell me whatever else I’ve missed.” Or something like that. I can’t remember the exact opening. Who cares what I had, or have, to say? This is about her, and her story.

Her name is Erin Davies. She’s, from my first impression and conversation, a delightful, intelligent and courageous young woman: delightful because she’s personable and articulate; intelligent because she’s a grad student and articulate; courageous because she’s taken it upon herself to work for all those who have been exposed to hatred and ridicule for something no one should ever be ridiculed for. I’ll her website, Fagbug, take it from here.

On the 11th annual National Day of Silence (April 18, 2007), Erin Davies was faced with an unfortunate tragedy. She was victim to a hate crime. Because of sporting a rainbow sticker on her VW Beetle, her car was vandalized in red spray paint with the words “fAg” and “u r gay” placed all over the hood and driver side of her car. Despite immediate shock and embarassment, she decided to embrace what happened and keep driving her car as it is in order to increase public awareness about the blatant homophobia that exists in our society.

Erin’s mission is to drive her fagbug on a cross country trip and take it to as many diverse communities as possible. She will be gathering feedback for her fagbug documentary, which will shed light on the intolerance that exists in our society. Erin’s goal is to get at least one million people to add fagbug rainbow stickers to their cars so that no one else is targeted like she was. Until that happens, her car will stay as it is!

Erin shared certain things with me, as she shares with everyone on College campuses and in her circle of friends who ask about Fagbug — she shared her newspaper clippings, the little notes that people have left her, from positive reassurances to one note which struck me with significant force, as it accused her of doing it herself. Besides the insinuation that she’d forge such a terrible incident, it’s offensive for the implication that someone would bring such an event on themselves. Yeah, she brought it on herself, alright, by being who she is. She asked for the vandalism — she was begging for it when someone threw a brick through her car window awhile back, right?

Yeah. Right.

If it weren’t for the kindness demonstrated to her by the other notes, I think I’d have lost my faith in humanity. As it is, I’m disgusted by the nastiness some people level at others but I’m glad there are people like Erin who stand up for themselves against all enemies.

Bill O’Reilly has honestly accused the press of killing American soldiers. Ain’t that something? He makes it clear that it isn’t his press that’s doing it — just the liberal media. The sad thing is, plenty of people will think him right.

In other pundit news, Stephen Colbert is running for President in South Carolina and South Carolina alone. I hope he does a serious job of being unserious because as a general rule, I think he does more harm than good, along with Stewart, in humoring very serious issues and promoting a culture of snark and partisanship. But if done right, he could do some good, especially if he gets on the debate stage with, say, his fellow Republicans.

The Congress is considering a resolution condemning an Armenian genocide that occurred years ago. It’s such sleaze, I only hope that the Democrats are just pandering but have no intention of passing it because it’s a dangerous resolution. Yes, genocides and war crimes must be recognized and condemned, but not at the expense of our current war or relationship with the Turkish government. Pelosi, I suspect, knows this and is merely pandering to her public, but who knows. Maybe she really doesn’t understand foreign policy, but I won’t give her so little credit.

It’s a hard thing to balance: foreign policy and morality. Ask Jimmy Carter and George W. Bush about that sometime.