According to the fun folks at News Hounds, the syndication site that produces Bill O’Reilly’s columns are threatening their site because they linked to one of O’Reilly’s articles — this one on Buster Bunny.
“Creators Syndicate demands that you immediately cease and desist from your unauthorized use of the link to Bill O’Reilly’s column on his website.”
Wow, I wonder if I’ll get a letter?
If you’ve never seen it before, check out The Memory Hole on you free time sometime. They publish on their site information that’s been “Lost” by the goverment — for example, the website of the US Commission on Civil Rights has been purged of 20 reports that didn’t meet the agenda of the agency’s Republican majority. The Memory Hole recovers 19 of the inconvenient reports.
The site is also the favorite of whistle blowers everywhere, and people go to great lengths to give them secret information exposing corruption and fraud in business and government.
Very entertaining to read what other people don’t want you to see.
Because they need the bodies, and they can’t risk any more people getting out of service by taking advantage of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” Congress is planning to repeal it. I feel so much better that they’re not going to discriminate against me anymore, but only because they hope to get me shot at. Now we’ll be able to fight and die for our country and all the married folk in it, but we won’t be able to enjoy the right to marry ourselves. Hmm. Taxation without representation.
A press release from the organization Outserve SDLN:
Congressional lawmakers today announced legislation to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the military’s ban on lesbian, gay and bisexual personnel. The Military Readiness Enhancement Act is scheduled to be introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Marty Meehan (D-MA) on March 2nd. The proposal is already supported by a bi-partisan coalition of Congressional representatives, including Reps. John Conyers (D-MI) and Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) among others.
Announcement of the bill follows release of a new Government Accounting Office (GAO) report analyzing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” The GAO report conservatively estimates the gay ban has cost at least $191 million since its inception in 1993.
I read this classic blog post from The Poor Man last year when it was first posted, but it’s won some awards since then and I had a chance to re-read it. Check out the whole post, because it’s one of the funniest things you’ll ever read. Unfortunately, the page is screwed up a bit, but scroll down and you’ll see the whole thing.
Judith Miller: Dick Cheney has revealed a straight flush, confirming his pre-collection claims about beating two pair.
TE: Those cards are of different suits. It’s not a flush.
Mark Steyn: When will it end? Now liberal critics complain that Dick Cheney’s cards are not all the same suit. Naturally, these are the same liberals who are always whining about a lack of diversity in higher education. It seems like segregation is OK with these liberals, as long as it damages Republicans.
MD: ****DRUDGE REPORT EXCLUSIVE****
*****MUST CREDIT THE DRUDGE REPORT*****
A witness has come forward claiming that The Editors engage in racial profiling in blog-linking. Developing …
TE: Wait! It’s not even a straight! You’ve got a eight and ten of hearts, a six of clubs, and the seven and five of diamonds. You have a ten high. That’s nothing.
I will be attending this rally on March 8th, and I’m inviting you all to join me. I will be one of the crowd-control folks in a lovely orange vest. If you want to get together for a sign-making party, please let me know; this event is only a few short days away.
In response to the State Legislature’s current bill (SJR 7) seeking to limit equal marriage rights for same-sex couples by amending the constitution, gay rights advocates and their friends and families are planning a Rally/Silent protest at the east steps of the Indiana Statehouse on March 8 at 11 a.m. to protest this piece of legislation and several others that are currently under consideration. Organizers are expecting over 1,000 supporters to attend the rally.
This rally will also serve as a counter rally to the one taking place on the west side of the statehouse, held by the right-wing organization Advance America, founded by former political candidate and longtime lobbyist Eric Miller.
The Legislation
A number of bills have been introduced into into the Indiana State Legislature this season that will have an effect on the lives of gay and lesbian citizens of Indiana. Here is a synopsis of three of them:
SJR 7 – EQUAL MARRIAGE RIGHTS: This bill seeks to amend the Indiana constitution to limit the possibility of marriage to a definition of one man and one woman, and additionally seeks to prevent any legal arrangements between same-sex couples that are intended to provide the same protections as marriage.
SJR 585 – ADOPTION/FOSTERING: This bill will prohibit gay people from being foster parents and adopting.
SJR 541 – DOMESTIC PARTNER BENEFITS: This bill will limit eligibility under a state university health plan to an employee of the university and to the spouse and dependant children of the employee.
The first legislation, SJR 7 has already passed in the senate and will move on to the house in this legislative session. If it passes the house (it is expected to) it will need to be passed again in a future legislative session, and with then be placed on a ballot referendum for Hoosiers to vote on.
Additional Rally Information
Organizers describe the rally as a silent protest intended to emphasize the attempts by the religious right to silence the gay and lesbian community. They also ask attendees to remember that they want no noise, rude behavior or disorderly conduct, and that rally supporters are asked to stay off the Statehouse grass, to avoid blocking entrances to the Statehouse and foot traffic on the sidewalks. 15 to 20 organizers of the event will be on hand to provide crowd control and to help attendees maintain order.
There will be several speakers, including the possibility of Senators who opposed the legislation.
Attendees of the Rally are encouraged to make signs. Organizers suggestions include: “SJR7 – The Hate Debate” or “SJR7 – Blatant Discrimination” or “Eric Miller -Conservative Approach; Extremist Agenda” or “Hate is Not a Family Value” or “It’s Our Constitution Too”
More information about the rally, including a map of the Statehouse, flyers that can be distributed, and parking information is available at [link deprecated: http://www.stopthebigots.org] Stopthebigots.org.
Parking for the Rally
Attendees of the rally are urged to carpool to the event due to downtown parking and traffic considerations. Parking at Circle Center Mall may provide the best location.
By now you probably know that the hugely powerful, hugely popular, non-partisan senior organization, the AARP, has done the math on the Social Security “Crisis” and realized that Bush’s plan will cost individuals huge money, while making a bundle for big businesses. So they are lobbying against Bush’s plan.
Here’s how Bush’s man Karl Rove is setting up the attack on the AARP: by creating a right-wing group called USANext, similar to the Swift Boat Veterans group, that will try to demonize the AARP as a “liberal” organization. Their opening salvo is ads placed on right wing websites like the American Spectator (see it in place in the right column, second position) — here’s the ad they created:
(source: original link, no longer active – http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2005_02_20.php#004857)
Now what this ad has to do with Social Security or the AARP is anyone’s guess, but this is what your pal George Bush is doing.
Considering that my grandparents are a part of the AARP, (and honestly, I think my dad might be, too) I’m guessing that this is one strategy that’s going to blow up in Karl Rove’s face.
UPDATE: They pulled the ad because of the controversy, but never fear, Josh Marshall has images of it in its original placement on the USANext website to prove it existed.
(source: original link, no longer active – http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2005_02_20.php#004865)
For those of you who may not have followed the whole story…
First, On February 9th, Keith Olbermann aired on MSNBC a report about a “reporter” named “Jeff” who routinely sat in White House press conferences and asked questions that were clearly intended to promote a right-wing agenda, even addressing a question a few weeks ago to the President himself. Olbermann aired eight clips of the reporter’s questions, and then revealed that the “reporter” named “Jeff Gannon” wasn’t a real reporter at all, but a writer for Talon News, a website owned and run by the GOP. And what’s more, “Jeff Gannon” wasn’t even the guy’s real name — it’s James D. Guckert.
Second, Guckert didn’t have the press credentials to attend White House Press briefings; having been denied a press pass by Congress because he couldn’t pass their security clearance, he wasn’t eligible for one at the White House either. He was attending all these press briefings by using a more easily obtained “daily” pass each day; one that is intended for temporary use and not repeated attendance for months at a time.
While attending the press briefings, Guckert interrupted questions from legitimate reporters and wrote inflammatory articles on White House critics and opponents of the administration, including articles that were notoriously anti-gay.
On top of that, it’s not clear whether the passes were issued under his fake name of Gannon, or his real name of Guckert. Scott McClellan clearly addresses him by his fake name and has since mentioned that he didn’t know his real name, so the question is, how did he get a pass, and if it was under his real name, why was he getting called on by his fake one?
Wait, it gets worse.
1. Turns out that Guckert was attending press briefings long before the “Talon” website that was his “beat” was even in existence. He’s seen in a press briefing on February 28th, 2003, and the Talon wasn’t online until May 2003. Considering that to get even a daily pass, he would have to show clips from a news source, how did he get one?
http://c-span.org/
2. While Jeff Guckert was sitting in press briefings asking questions of the President and White House staff, he was also involved in a business under his real name where he created websites soliciting male prostitutes, and even had numerous photos and solicitations of himself as a male prostitute online. The guy who wrote inflammatory anti-gay material is gay himself, and involved in illegal activities.
http://americablog.blogspot.com
3. Guckert claimed to have seen confidential memos regarding the White House’s exposure of CIA agent Valerie Plame, something he had no clearance for whatsover.
4. Guckert knew about the invasion of Iraq four hours before it happened, long before legitimate news sources had access to the information.
http://rawstory.com/
5. Guckert bragged about passing on the scoop about Bush’s faked national guard memos, something he couldn’t have known with out White House connections.
http://www.freerepublic.com/
6. Guckert also worked with two South Dakota bloggers, again writing as an “independent” news source, to discredit Tom Daschle, who eventually lost his senate race.
http://www.salon.com/
7. Guckert’s connections in the White House got him invited to the White House Christmas Party, and at least one other “invitation-only” event; something that only Washington insiders can do, and an invitation would have to come from the president’s press secretary.
Media Matters article
“So what” you say?
Here’s what — this guy got into the White House over and over for months and did so to disrupt regular news reporting. There’s no way he could do that through White House security without someones help, which means he had some special relationship to someone in the White House. He also had access to confidential, privileged information.
How’d he get it? Some folks at Daily Kos have some pure speculation:
http://www.dailykos.com/
But the stuff at the Nashua Advocate seems a lot more plausible.
Eric Miller’s right-wing anti-LGBTQ+ hate group “Advance America” used to be called “Citizens Concerned for the Constitution.” This group has spent years lobbying in the Indiana State legislature on anti-LGBTQ+ legal issues intended to marginalize and eliminate LGBTQ+ folks from Indiana’s population. These are the folks that introduced legislation in the 1990s to get LGBTQ+ people rounded up and “quarantined” in containment facilities as a proposed solution to the AIDS crisis. They also proposed legislation making it illegal for lesbians to get artificial insemination from sperm banks.
Citizens Concerned for the Constitution used to have this Art Deco-Type logo that was reminiscent of Nazi propaganda posters. When I saw it, I immediately realized how easy it would be to parody, and so I did. I created this PARODY logo, making the macho man in the middle into a gay male couple, and adding a nice well-muscled woman into the group for lesbian interest.
When I put the image on posters at a lobbying event that took place at the Statehouse, people from the organization were really not happy.
The Social Security issue is a bit complex, and because of this the lies Bush is telling about it are hitting home with the average American who doesn’t understand the 3-ton elephant that is about to sit on their heads. I actually had a friend say to me the other day, {cue Republican soundbite} “It’s my money, and I can decide better than the government how to spend it.” Totally missing the point that the government can protect & guarantee your money from disappearing better than you can if you put it in a “private” account that’s dependent on the stock market. The only people who benefit from privatizing Social Security are big businesses.
This is a rally I’m planning on attending to speak out against SJR7, which will put anti-gay hatred into the Indiana constitution.
We are going to step outside of our homes and places of employment for one day – March 8th – to demonstrate and protest – not only against Eric Miller and his pro-marriage rally at the State House – but against the overall, blatant attempt by our lawmakers in Indiana to discriminate against homosexuals. The attempt at writing discriminatory legislation sends a clear message to our community, as well as to the state and country that we, as well as our economic contributions, are not welcome here.
WHAT DISCRIMINATION?
Many of you already know that a bill was filed (SJR7) that will ban same sex marriage in Indiana. In addition to this discriminatory bill, two other bills have been filed:SJR 585 – ATTACK ON ADOPTION/FOSTERING: This bill will prohibit homosexuals from being foster parents and adopting.
SJR 541 – ATTACK ON DOMESTIC PARTNER BENEFITS: According to the lawyers for employer disputes, this bill will limit eligibility under a state university health plan to an employee of the university and to the spouse and dependent children of the employee.
AND WHO THE HECK IS ERIC MILLER?
Eric Miller is the founder of Advance America – a group that deems itself the largest pro-family, pro-church, pro-private and home school, and pro-tax reform organization in the state of Indiana. His pro marriage rally at the State House will seek support for the ban of same sex marriage and civil unions. For more information on Advance America and Eric Miller’s pro marriage rally, visit http://www.advanceamerica.com/WHERE WILL ERIC MILLER BE, AND WHERE WILL WE BE?
Eric Miller’s rally will be taking place at the State House in Indianapolis. And you can bet we will be there – but we are also giving thought to demonstrations statewide on that day since we realize that a trip to Indianapolis may be difficult for most. Watch for info on the organized demonstrations or plan your own peaceful attempt at getting our lawmakers’ attention on this matter.WHAT CAN I DO NOW?
Outside of attending town hall meetings, writing and calling our lawmakers, volunteering and simply staying informed, watch for more information on ROCKING INDIANA on March 8th. Planning for the demonstration(s) is still in its infancy, but what you should do right now is mark the day on your calendar and watch for more detailed info. Most importantly, plan to do something that day to fight for your rights.WHAT IF I DON’T CARE ABOUT THE RIGHT TO MARRY?
Even if you do not care if you have the right to marry in the state of Indiana, you should be very concerned about the pro-active attempt at writing discriminatory laws that will send a very clear message to everyone in the state, as well as to everyone in the country, that we are second class citizens undeserving of equal rights and equal protection under our laws. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE! Outside of the aforementioned additional bills filed to discriminate against homosexuals, the wording of the recently filed Hershman bill (SJR 7) may include language that will make broader discrimination possible i.e. as with employment. So if the right to marry, garnering domestic partner benefits and/or fostering and adopting children do not hit home, getting a job and being able to keep it should.HELP TO ROCK INDIANA ON MARCH 8th
PLEASE take the time; PLEASE make the effort to join us (wherever in the state it you may be) that day. Get your friends, family, neighbors and your children together. THIS WILL BE PEACEFUL! We need to put faces in front of our fight and we need to show the lawmakers in this state that we will not stand for discrimination based upon sexual orientation. We cannot lie down on this one folks! We need to come out in high numbers!WHO IS ORGANIZING THIS?
This grassroots effort encompasses folks from various GLBT organizations along with individuals with no particular organization-affiliation. We have put together a volunteer committee for pulling together this and possibly other events. If you would like to participate in organizing, please contact Pepper Partin.