Recently in Politicians Category

I watched a bit more of the RNC and some of the highlights tonight.  I have to say I'm fairly pissed.  As someone who qualifies as a "community organizer" what the F was the funny look from Mr. 9/11 Giulinani about regarding community organizers?  Is he not aware of what one does?  And that ignorant Palin and her comment that insinuates that community organizers have no responsibilities.  Obviously she's never been one or she would know otherwise.  Maybe she's too busy putting lipstick on a pit bull?

It just befuddles me how out of touch these people can be...

Tonight, Bill Clinton said something that defines this election:
"Clearly, the job of the next president is to rebuild the American dream and to restore American leadership in the world."

As much as I like the John McCain that I've seen on TV and sometimes in the political world, I don't see him as someone who can make that monumental kind of change.

He also said something that I think needs to be said:
"What about the military families pushed to the breaking point by multiple, multiple deployments? What about the assault on science and the defense of torture? What about the war on unions and the unlimited favors for the well-connected?  And what about Katrina and cronyism?  My fellow Democrats, America can do better than that."

(source: MSNBC coverage, Bill Clinton's Convention Speech - NY Times)

I just watched Michelle Obama's speech, and for me, it was something that struck home. I related to what she was saying, and what she talked about of Barack Obama.

First I think the speech overall was delivered very well. She spoke well, came across as candid and genuine, and made the case that she set out to accomplish. One of the things I connected with was the comments she made about the world as it is and as it should be.

"Barack stood up that day, and spoke words that have stayed with me ever since. He talked about "The world as it is" and "The world as it should be." And he said that all too often, we accept the distance between the two, and settle for the world as it is -- even when it doesn't reflect our values and aspirations. But he reminded us that we know what our world should look like. We know what fairness and justice and opportunity look like. And he urged us to believe in ourselves -- to find the strength within ourselves to strive for the world as it should be. And isn't that the great American story?"

Rep.  Stephanie Tubbs-Jones of Cleveland passed away yesterday, and it is a sad loss for Ohio.  She was a very strong and well-spoken woman - I remember seeing her speak about the war in Iraq and being impressed with how well she spoke about it and how passionate she was.

She was also a good friend to the LGBT community.  I knew we could always count on her support, and she certainly wasn't afraid to express her views.  We need more politicians who are like that.

Her shoes will be hard to fill.




(source: Gay ally Rep. Stephanie Tubbs-Jones mourned - 365Gay.com)

Apparently in Northern Ireland they have politicians there just like in the US who think that gay people need a cure.  One specifically referred to is Mrs. Robinson who indicated that she personally knows a psychiatrist who is willing to attempt just that.  ""I have a very lovely psychiatrist who works with me in my offices and ... he tries to help homosexuals."  (BBC News, 2008)  So does she have personal experience with this?  Was she a lesbian?  Or she talking up some good rhetoric out her ass?

And the answer is: "In a statement the Royal College of Psychiatrists said that homosexuality was not a psychiatric disorder."  (BBC News, 2008)  Oh, out her butt was the correct answer.

(source: 'Gay counselling' call rejected)

Clinton campaigns on...

"We are still arguing, aren't we, for counting all the votes back in 2000, and we should be just as passionately arguing for that principle today, here in Florida and in Michigan," Clinton told retirees in Boca Raton.

Does this mean that she'll still be campaigning in 2016?

As she spoke, an elderly man sitting behind her, directly in the eye of television cameras, yawned deeply, rubbed his eyes and battled to stay awake.

I think this says it all.

(source: Clinton campaigns as attention wanders elsewhere - Yahoo)

I'm so over the democratic race for the nomination.  I'm just holding my breath so I don't smell the stink until it's done with.  It's almost like it's a bad dream where your ex just won't make the dramatic exit you're waiting for.  But I happened upon a strangely written article that appeared on my Yahoo! page tonight.  It talks about Clinton as if we might not know who she is.  Lines that end with:
"...Clinton, a New York senator, said in Maysville."  A senator?  What?
"...said Clinton, a former first lady."  You're kidding?

Either it's a hint for her about her status in the race, or they really think we've held our breath too long?

(source: Clinton to Obama: Not so fast - Yahoo! News)

When I got off work today and got in the car, I heard the start of an eveningful-earful of commentary about Obama's speech today.  I had heard bits and pieces of the speech - the ones I heard were meaningful and well put.  And I heard everyone dissect every last bit of them.  From "he believes everything his pastor says" to racial diatribes to a comment that the speech was magnificent.  And I heard the talking heads debate whether or not Americans were smart enough to even understand what he was saying.

I watched it for myself tonight (because like most people I am smart enough to understand spoken word).  Taken as a whole, it has a message of hope for the future while acknowledging the past and what it means for the present.  I haven't heard a politician talk that honestly in awhile.  Taken as a whole it says that Obama is a loyal man, but not blindly loyal.  It shows that he can see beyond simple black and white, and not just in racial terms.  We can pick it apart all we want, we can support Obama or not, but the fact remains that the issues are real and need to be addressed.

Well, the other day someone indicated that gays are like unicorns.  A certain representative of Oklahoma would disagree - she thinks gays are like terrorists - or worse.  "I honestly think it’s the biggest threat our nation has, even more so than terrorism or Islam. ."  This kind of rhetoric, actually, is a bigger threat to our nation.  It threatens the lives of the people who she speaks of.  She's aware that LGBT people are more likely to commit suicide - she's unaware that it's because of people like her.  It threatens to incite people to violence.  When people feel they are on the "right side" of morality it sometimes justifies their actions, especially when she says that people's children are threatened.  It threatens to tear and divide our nation - why do we have this need to feel this "us versus them" all the time to feel better about ourselves? 

Truly, this woman is so uneducated it's frightening.  While I support her right to say what she wants and express her views, I think she has simply expressed her level of ignorance and homophobia.  Hate speech isn't illegal in our country, but being hateful is seen for what it is.  And we're listening...

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