Call to Action

My darlings, please take one minute and go sign Bernie Sanders's letter to President Obama:

So, today, I am asking the American people that, if you believe deficit reduction should be about shared sacrifice; if you believe the wealthiest people in our country and the largest corporations should be asked to pay their fair share as part of deficit reduction; if you believe that, at a time when military spending has almost tripled since 1997, that we begin to take a hard look at our defense budget; and if you believe the middle-class and working families have already sacrificed enough, I urge you to make sure that the President hears your voice--and he needs to hear it now.

I would urge the American people to go to my Web site, sanders.senate.gov, and sign a letter to the President letting him know that enough is enough…

It's important.

Here's the full text:

Dear Mr. President,

This is a pivotal moment in the history of our country. Decisions are being made about the national budget that will impact the lives of virtually every American for decades to come. As we address the issue of deficit reduction we must not ignore the painful economic reality of today - which is that the wealthiest people in our country and the largest corporations are doing phenomenally well while the middle class is collapsing and poverty is increasing.  In fact, the United States today has, by far, the most unequal distribution of wealth and income of any major country on earth.

Everyone understands that over the long-term we have got to reduce the deficit - a deficit that was caused mainly by Wall Street greed, tax breaks for the rich, two wars, and a prescription drug program written by the drug and insurance companies. It is absolutely imperative, however, that as we go forward with deficit reduction we completely reject the Republican approach that demands savage cuts in desperately-needed programs for working families, the elderly, the sick, our children and the poor, while not asking the wealthiest among us to contribute one penny.  

Mr. President, please listen to the overwhelming majority of the American people who believe that deficit reduction must be about shared sacrifice. The wealthiest Americans and the most profitable corporations in this country must pay their fair share.  At least 50 percent of any deficit reduction package must come from revenue raised by ending tax breaks for the wealthy and eliminating tax loopholes that benefit large, profitable corporations and Wall Street financial institutions.  A sensible deficit reduction package must also include significant cuts to unnecessary and wasteful Pentagon spending.

Please do not yield to outrageous Republican demands that would greatly increase suffering for the weakest and most vulnerable members of our society.  Now is the time to stand with the tens of millions of Americans who are struggling to survive economically, not with the millionaires and billionaires who have never had it so good.    

Respectfully,

Sen. Bernie Sanders;
and Co-signers

Let's ensure his co-signers number in the millions.  Be heard.

(via Pharyngula)

England's Libel Law is Liable to Bite Yer Arse

So do what Simon Singh says and sign the petition to reform it:

This week is the first anniversary of the report Free Speech is Not for Sale, which highlighted the oppressive nature of English libel law. In short, the law is extremely hostile to writers, while being unreasonably friendly towards powerful corporations and individuals who want to silence critics.
The English libel law is particular dangerous for bloggers, who are generally not backed by publishers, and who can end up being sued in London regardless of where the blog was posted. The internet allows bloggers to reach a global audience, but it also allows the High Court in London to have a global reach.

You can read more about the peculiar and grossly unfair nature of English libel law at the website of the Libel Reform Campaign. You will see that the campaign is not calling for the removal of libel law, but for a libel law that is fair and which would allow writers a reasonable opportunity to express their opinion and then defend it.

The good news is that the British Government has made a commitment to draft a bill that will reform libel, but it is essential that bloggers and their readers send a strong signal to politicians so that they follow through on this promise. You can do this by joining me and over 50,000 others who have signed the libel reform petition at http://www.libelreform.org/sign

Remember, you can sign the petition whatever your nationality and wherever you live. Indeed, signatories from overseas remind British politicians that the English libel law is out of step with the rest of the free world.

If you have already signed the petition, then please encourage friends, family and colleagues to sign up. Moreover, if you have your own blog, you can join hundreds of other bloggers by posting this blog on your own site. There is a real chance that bloggers could help change the most censorious libel law in the democratic world.

We must speak out to defend free speech. Please sign the petition for libel reform at http://www.libelreform.org/sign

Please sign and pass it along.

Things That Caught My Attention

I actually had time to catch up on a little reading today.  Even updated me blogroll to include some of the geology blogs I've gotten addicted to recently.  I'm a little distracted just now with terminal PMS and Rocko's Modern Life, so now's a good time to share some finds.

Brian Romans at Clastic Detritus made me drool with this Friday Field Foto.

More drooling: Dan McShane shares Notes from the Metaline Formation.  Old, pretty rocks; lovely water. Mmm!

And Callan Bentley's guest blogger Filip Goc is responsible for some severe water damage to mah domicile - drooling turned to a gusher when I saw this post on the rocks of Glacier National Park.  Bonus drool: tension gash (which is a lot prettier than it looks). 

Lockwood found a box of crayons I dearly wish I'd had as a kid - oh, hell, I'd like them now.

I know most of you have seen this by now, but for those who haven't: Chris Rowan's excellent exploration of what lies beneath Yellowstone.

Courtesy of Ron's Geology Picks, a fascinating new look at plate tectonics.

In non-geo news, Orac explains what happens to herd immunity when the herd refuses vaccination, and lays the smackdown on bogus vaccine ingredient calculators.

For the one of you who doesn't read Pharyngula, PZ explains the importance of being a dick.

And Cujo's right when he says it's time for our better selves to show up - which has nothing to do with DBAD and everything to do with the horrific suffering in Pakistan.

We like to end with sunsets whenever possible, and thanks to Suzanne, we've got a beaut.  Go feast your eyes.

I know I'm missing some stuff.  However, my brain has been fried by hot flashes, and it's time to crawl into bed with me oceanography textbook (yes, I read textbooks for pleasure).  Let me know what I've missed!

"Drowning Doesn't Look Like Drowning"

Everyone - whether you have a kid or not - needs to read this:

The new captain jumped from the cockpit, fully dressed, and sprinted through the water. A former lifeguard, he kept his eyes on his victim as he headed straight for the owners who were swimming between their anchored sportfisher and the beach. “I think he thinks you’re drowning,” the husband said to his wife. They had been splashing each other and she had screamed but now they were just standing, neck-deep on the sand bar. “We’re fine, what is he doing?” she asked, a little annoyed. “We’re fine!” the husband yelled, waving him off, but his captain kept swimming hard. ”Move!” he barked as he sprinted between the stunned owners. Directly behind them, not ten feet away, their nine-year-old daughter was drowning. 

I come from Phoenix, where the news keeps a daily count of the children who've drowned, and I still didn't know this stuff.  Read this article.  It will save lives.

There's some literature after the jump for ye, if you want to learn more about drowning behavior and the Instinctive Drowning Response.

The Legal Jackboot

Via our own John Pieret, who knows legal fuckery when he sees it, Orac points up the travails of Dr. Steve Bennett of Quackwatch, who is currently being sued for $10 million by a bunch of money-grubbing quacks otherwise known as Doctor's Data.  This is a tactic used by those who can't defend themselves with science.  And considering truth is a defense in American libel cases, Dr. Bennett has nothing to worry about - except the ridiculous legal bills that will be racked up defending himself against this fuckery.

Publicize his case if you have a blog, and if you can spare a few dimes, send some cash his way.  Quackwatch is a resource that cannot be allowed to be buggered and beggared by the kind of people who enjoy administering industrial chelators to helpless autistic kids.  Do help them continue roasting the quacks.  The champions of science-based medicine must not be silenced by jackbooted legal thugs.

Let's Not Repeat the Con Years

I should be drinking myself into oblivion just now.  Unless Massachusetts voters smarten up overnight, it looks like they're poised to elect a certified Con to the Senate.  Just to give you an idea of this man's priorities, he decided golf courses were more deserving of state funds than Red Cross workers, right after 9/11 - and he stands by that belief today.  He's a noxious little jackass who'll return us right to the bad old days of Con rule, because the Senate no longer functions on majority votes.  Apparently, Mass voters believe the state of affairs that gave us 9/11, two useless wars, torture, warrantless wiretapping, stagnant wages and nearly no job growth, deficits that soared to the stratosphere, and an economic crisis the likes of which we've not seen for nearly a hundred years is so desirable they want to return to those inglorious days ASAP.

And if that's what they believe is best for the country, I have just two words for them: FUCK YOU.

I know the Dem base is disappointed with the pace of progress so far.  I know they're disillusioned.  But returning us to Con rule is a dumbshit thing to do.  It's not the way to register your displeasure, people.  You want Dems to wake up and listen to progressives?  Primary the fuckers:

So, how do liberals exert what power they have and have the results be interpreted the way we want it to be? The first would be through protest votes for a third party that resulted in Republican victory. (There is virtually no chance that any third party will ever gain real power short of a fundamental change in the way we elect our representatives, so protest is all it will be.) It's been done before. And if you can live with the idea of voting in a Republican party in the thrall of extremists that make Bush and Cheney look like Rockefeller Republicans, I suppose that might be the way to go. I won't judge you, but I am personally unwilling to put the world through any more of this failed right wing experiment at the moment.

There is a fairly compelling theory in political science that says that after political parties come into power, fulfill some pieces of their agenda, get fat and bloated and are finally removed from office, they then tend to deny the reality of their loss and blame it on everything but themselves until they lose enough elections that they finally realize that their ideology has failed. The current GOP is not there yet by a long shot. They are still in the process of doubling down on their radical agenda at a time when the economy is still in ruins, the effects of globalization are being fully felt, the planet is in peril and about to reach a tipping point, and a radical fundamentalist movement is trying to blow people up. I don't think the world can take any more of the right's prescriptions for these problems right now: Lindsay Graham is considered too liberal and neo-Hooverism is their economic program. Yes, the Democrats are corrupt and inept. But the other side is batshit insane.

However, that doesn't mean that there's nothing we can do but wring our hands about how the system is broken and fret ourselves into intertia. The other way to send messages to the Democratic party is through the unsatisfying and often thankless process of primary challenges. Nobody can have any problem understanding that message, not even Adam Nagourney.

It's hard to find challengers and it's no wonder. It's expensive, time consuming and after all your hard work you will probably lose. It takes real commitment and a desire to not only win a seat in congress but do it by way of unseating an incumbent of your own party with whom you disagree, an act which is guaranted to make you an odd man out among the party hierarchy. But if you win, it can send shockwaves through the system.

And guess what? We are in the most favorable year for primary challenges in recent memory. The insane teabaggers aren't going to allow any rational Republicans to run and the anti-uncumbent fever is going to be as high as it's been since 1994. The Democratic base has an energetic activist faction, the netroots can raise money and there is a burning desire to show the party establishment that they cannot take liberals for granted. It's a perfect environment for successful primary challenges.

And lucky for us, there are some brave progressives already out there taking on incumbents and there very well may be more. This time a few of them may win, and believe me if that happens, the Democratic party will not be able to spin those victories as being a sign that the party needs to move to the right.

Blue America has helpfully set up an Act Blue page with all the progressive challengers who have announced and we'll add to it as more come forward. We're calling it "Send The Democrats A Message They Can Understand."

If you want a Democratic scalp, these candidates are out there offering to do the work to get it done. And you won't be giving Adam Nagourney or Cokie Roberts or Glenn Beck what they want in the process. It's a win that even the villagers and the party establishment can't spin as good news for Republicans.

See?  No need to elect batshit fucking insane shitheels who will return to looting the country and shredding the last remaining bits of our Constitution and our dignity as soon as they're back in power.  You can send the Dems a clear message without doing anything so stupid as electing the arsonists fire chief.

I'm going to conclude this screed with John Amato's wise words:

There's an impulse to say screw it all and not show up anymore because "they're all the same," but I can't do that. For the most part, politicians will let us down because they are...well, politicians, but they aren't all the same. There have been plenty of books written about Florida in 2000. If ballots had been properly labeled so that voters who wanted Gore instead of Pat Buchanan could have done so, we might have had a more fair election. And then the Supreme Court would have been left to watch election night like the rest of us and Bush wouldn't have entered the White House in 2000.

Think of what that would have meant for the country:

• The Bush tax cuts for the wealthy would never have been a reality.
• I doubt we would have had the attacks of 9/11 because President Clinton warned that the greatest threat America would face was terrorism and Gore would have not ignored him like Bush did. But if we did get attacked, then you can bet that Gore would have handled it as an adult. He wouldn't sought "revenge" against Saddam Hussein and prioritized control of all that oil. Gore wouldn't have let Osama Bin Laden get away and the world would still be sympathetic to us.
• Our efforts to put Afghanistan back together would be finished by now, assuming we even would have tried nation-building there.
• More troops and people would be alive and we would have exited the Middle East with our heads held high.
• America would never have invaded and occupied Iraq and over 4,000 troops and hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians (if not millions) would be alive today.
• Abu Ghraib would never have happened.
• Terrorist recruitment would have stalled.
• Torture would not be part of the American lexicon and the likes of Dick Cheney and John Yoo would never have descended upon the offices of the VP and OLC.
• John Roberts and Sam Alito would not be on the Supreme Court and the makeup would probably be 6-3 against the radical Scalia-conservative agenda. A ruling on Citizens United is coming soon. Would the court ever have accepted that case? Not a chance and soon corporations will have a stranglehold on our election system much more than they have now.
• George Bush would have been back home in Texas leading the state into secession along with his pal Alberto Gonzalez.
• Nobody would have ever heard of Terry Schiavo.
• A much swifter and more effective response to Hurricane Katrina would have been implemented.

You get my point. These are but a few things that would have been different if conservatives didn't get their hands on the White House. Many of us are fighting for liberal and progressive values everyday and will continue to do so. But when our party fails us, I need to work harder to make sure the party stays on a liberal course, not throw up my hands and dismiss them as all the same.

More and better Dems, people.  Not Cons.


Let's make it so.

Humanists Helping Haiti

I'm sure most of you have seen this on Pharyngula, but for the one or two folks who don't hang on PZ's every word, here's the link for godless giving.  Your donation goes to Doctors Without Borders and the Red Cross.  And now we have a nice central gathering spot for all those godless donations.

Meanwhile, the horror in Haiti keeps bringing out the burning stupid in people:

I heard a nice chat on the BBC World Service the other evening. Roger Heering was naturally very worried that the people of Haiti might have lost their 'religious faith' due to the recent unpleasantness, and he and a woman from a faithy charity group talked about it. 'You might think this would undermine it,' he said to her anxiously, but she was quick to reassure him. 'It actually seems to have strengthened it,' she said in a pleased tone. They hugged themselves in glee, and then Roger Heering turned to the sports.

But that's interesting, isn't it - having all the buildings fall down and tens of thousands of people die and tens of thousands more lying around screaming in agony is another point for God. Well if that's the case, what would be a point against God then? What would God have to do to make everyone decide God was a shit? Not just letting children lie under a slab of concrete for hours and hours crying in pain and fear and misery and then die. So, what then? It's frankly quite hard to think of anything. If that kind of thing goes in the credit column, it's hard to think of anything that would be considered a demerit.

I guess we're going to have to come up with a corollary to the IOKIYAR rule: IOKIYAG.  It's okay if you're a god.  Put it like this: if someone came to me with proof that god (any god) exists, and further proved that he's omniscient and omnipotent as advertised, I'd no longer be an atheist - but I'd surely be telling them to shove the worship where the sun don't shine.  Sadists and murderers aren't worshiped round here, thankyewverymuch.

Meanwhile, back in reality, rescue crews are still finding the occasional survivor in the rubble - and not getting to other survivors in time.  Food is getting to survivors - but sometimes not.  Order and chaos still coexist amidst the stench of rotting flesh.  But help is flooding in.  Things may get much worse before they get better, but at least the world is reaching Haiti, and more help is on the way.

And President Obama did the right thing.  Undocumented Haitians in the United States now have Temporary Protected Status.  That's on top of all the other right things he's done, mind.  I am so very, very happy we have an adult in charge again.

Haiti: Some Essential Reading

What a horrific situation.  Three days after the quake, relief is having a hard time finding its way into the country.  The port's destroyed, the airstrip's overwhelmed, and roads are impassable.  People are dying waiting for medical care, much less rescue.  It's going to get worse before it gets better.  But damn, is it ever good to have an adult in charge of the American response.  Obama's ensured that, even though this is a far more difficult disaster to deal with than Katrina was, not to mention the fact that Haiti's not a U.S. city, our response is comprehensive, appropriate, and swift.  Well, aside from getting George W. "Heckuva Job" Bush on board with the relief efforts, but I understand that's a PR move and Obama's smart enough not to put him in charge of anything important.


The United States Air Force took over air traffic control responsibilities for the airport in Port-au-Prince, restoring some order amidst the chaos.  The airport's handling three times the traffic it's used to, and there are delays, but things are better than they were.  This allows search and rescue teams from various countries to get in and get to work.  Within a few days, the American military should have heavy equipment on the ground, start clearing blocked roads, and make it a lot easier to get aid in to the disaster zone.  And in the short term, we'll be getting ships equipped with helicopters in to ferry supplies and personnel.  Some folks might complain the military hasn't responded quickly enough.  Those folks can go hang - we're talking about a massive rescue effort that has to be coordinated with a government that's in shambles.  I'm surprised the response has been as rapid as it has been.

And no, the military can't just invade a foreign country, not even for humanitarian reasons.  Especially not with our history.  Did you know that Bush the Elder and Bush the Younger both removed Haiti's democratically-elected president in what basically amounted to coups?  And that's not even the half of how the Western world has shit upon these people.  We have a bad history that goes back to the beginning of this country.  So, no, sending in a wave of American troops without coordinating with Haiti's government probably wouldn't be a great idea, no matter how noble the motives. 

Tragedy sometimes brings out the best in people.  Alas, it still doesn't do that for Rush Limbaugh.  Forgive me the temptation to spike his cigar with Superglue.  Meanwhile, Faux News devoted a whole 7 minutes of evening programming to the tragedy.  It appears that interviewing Sarah Palin, trashing Jon Stewart, and plugging Scott Brown for Senate is far more important to them than covering one of the worst earthquake disasters to ever strike this hemisphere.

Our own George takes on "compassion tourism."  Don't even get me started on this.  I'm still seeing red.

But here's something wonderful: folks have donated more than $7 million dollars via text message.  Here's how you can bring it to $10 million:

•  Text the word "HAITI" to 90999 to donate $10 to the Red Cross.
  
• Text the word "YELE" to 501501 to donate $5 to the Yele Haiti foundation.
• Text the word "HAITI" to 20222 to donate $10 to the Clinton Foundation Haiti Relief Fund.
• Text "HAITI" to 25383 to donate $5 to the International Rescue Committee.
• Text "HAITI" to 85944 to donate $10 to the International Medical Corps.

And yes, all of the above are legit.  So you can give safely.  You can also hit up this list here, if you prefer to give through more traditional channels.

One of the most tragic things I read today was what Port-au-Prince resident Bellefleur Jean Heber said: "Haiti is an abandoned country....  People are relying on themselves."

You're not abandoned, Mr. Heber.  Help's coming as fast as it can.  Rescuers from all over the world are  having a hard time getting through, but they're going to be there for you soon.

We won't forget you.

Haiti

I spent a huge, depressing portion of today reading about the devastation in Haiti.  It's not quite 2004 tsunami-level destruction, but it's close enough.

For the science behind the tragedy, you could head on over to Highly Allochthonous for a discussion of the plate tectonics that will at least help you understand why the earth broke.  The Frontal Cortex cautions us not to let the scale of the disaster overwhelm our empathy.

Speaking of empathy, Digby has a long list of aid agencies that could use some cash.  The Center for International Disaster Information explains why cash donations are more useful than goods like blankets or clothing in a tragedy like this.  Haiti's going to need a huge number of resources, from medical rescue to food to clothing to shelter to funds for rebuilding.  Earthquake destruction of this magnitude is bad enough when it happens to a reasonably wealthy country: one as poor as Haiti, well, they haven't the resouces to handle this alone.  Especially not on top of all the other disasters they've faced just recently. 

Greg Laden has a good list of various resources for those who want to keep up with the news, seek missing relatives, or want further options for assistance.

And, of course, no disaster is complete without the requisite stupidity from shitheels like Rush Limbaugh (who just can't seem to shut up),  rabid right frothers, and assorted others.  To all of them: fuck you, you heartless fucktards.

So forget them.  There'll be time enough to spank them once Haiti's been helped.   There are people who need us now.

Don't Know What We've Got Till It's Gone

The Dem base has the blahs.  Voters, including Dem voters, are getting some hare-brained, mentally-incompetent idea that Cons would do better on the economy, and plan on throwing Dems out if they can't instantly make the disaster left behind by the fucking Cons magically disappear.  This is one of the dumbest things I have ever heard in my life, and I am a blogger who specializes in stupidity, for fuck's sake.

So listen up, ladies and gentlemen.  Wake up and smell the reality.  Stop your bitching, moaning and complaining.  Look at where we are:

Polls show the Democratic base is unmotivated to turnout in 2010-- and it's no wonder given all the rhetoric that Obama hasn't done much with his 2008 victory.  Those attacks from the rightwing are understandable from a partisan position, but many progressives seem to oddly be aping similar rhetoric-- wallowing in glass half-empty complaints of what Obama and Congress haven't delivered while failing to actually educate the public on the successes they have.  We should be able to demand more while publicly praising what we do achieve -- basic political walking and chewing gum at the same time -- but a lot of progressives seem not to have mastered the skill.

Maybe it helps that I had such low expectations of Obama's administration to begin with-- but then I thought significant federal reforms would fail due to the filibuster. So the progress actually made is a pleasant surprise.  And those successes are large and profound.   This post will summarize those gains, and even in summary form will be quite long, reflecting  the incredible victories involved.    Yes, we all wish for more, but the best way to get there is to educate the public -- and especially the progressive base -- about what we got in the last year and how replacing moderates and conservatives with more real progressives could deliver even more in the future. 

Quick Summary of 2009 Progressive Victories (more explanation below)

• 
  
  Three major health bills (SCHIP, tobacco regulation, and stimulus funds for Medicaid, COBRA subsidies, health information technology and the National Institutes of Health) enacted even before comprehensive reform
  
  
  
• 
  
  Stimulus contained myriad other individual policy victories, not only preventing a far worse depression but also:
  
  • 
    
    Delivered key new funds for education
    
    
    
  • 
    
    Expanded state energy conservation programs and new transit programs
    
    
    
  • 
    
    Added new smart grid investments
    
    
    
  • 
    
    Funded high-speed Internet broadband programs
    
    
    
  • 
    
    Extended unemployment insurance for up to 99 weeks for the unemployed and  modernizing state UI programs to cover more of the unemployed
    
    
    
  • 
    
    Made large new investments in the safety net, from food stamps (SNAP) to affordable housing to child care
    
    
    
  
  
• 
  
  Clean cars victory to take gas mileage requirements to 35mpg
  
  
  
• 
  
  Protection of 2 million acres of land against oil and gas drilling and other development 
  
  
  
• 
  
  Executive orders protecting labor rights, from project labor agreements to protecting rights of contractor employees on federal jobs
  
  
  
• 
  
  Stopping pay discrimination through Lilly Ledbetter and Equal Pay laws
  
  
  
• 
  
  Making it easier for airline and railway workers to unionize, while appointing NLRB and other labor officials who will strengthen freedom to form unions
  
  
  
• 
  
  Reversing Bush ban on funding overseas family planning clinics
  
  
  
• 
  
  Passing hate crimes protections for gays and lesbians
  
  
  
• 
  
  Protecting stem cell research research
  
  
  
• 
  
  Strengthening state authority and restricting federal preemption to protect state consumer, environmental and labor laws
  
  
  
• 
  
  Financial reforms to protect homeowners and credit card holders
  
  
  
• 
  
  Bailing out the auto industry and protecting unionized retirees and workers
  
  
  

Go to the link for further detail.

Now, you may dislike some of the items on that list.  You may not think the list is long enough, or strong enough, or progressive.  But seriously, people, are you really upset enough you'd rather return to the good ol' days of right-wing rule?  What, exactly, was so good about the Bush years that you care for a repeat?

And are a few progressive disappointments really enough to make you forget just who, exactly, left the economy in shambles?

Get the fuck over your disappointment.  Push for more progress, yes.  Demand more, yes.  But do not fuck yourselves out of all chance of progress by giving up and letting the Cons win.

Perhaps most importantly, do not make me take the Smack-o-Matic to your very own asses.  Because trust me, I will.  And I've added a special spike attachment for despondent Dems who can't be bothered to get off their arses and fight the good fight just because they didn't get every little thing they wanted.

Politics is rough, tough and full of disappointments, my darlings.  Toughen up, get the fuck used to it, get out there, and get better Dems elected.

Sign Here to Save Some Persecuted Folk

Go to Cujo's place and read about the three men Iran wants to execute for "enmity against God."  Then go sign a petition asking the UN to try to stop this travesty.

We may not be able to save a life by signing our names, but we can at least let them know people in the world care about their fates.

Update: Woulda been a good idea to include a link to Cujo's place... Now there.

Your Daily Dose of Health Care Stupidity

Grab some coffee and settle in, my darlings.  Some important reading, here.

Kudos to the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, which isn't afraid to take on the President hisownself.  Nice to see progressives pushing a center-right Dem in the right (or should that be left?) direction.

They're not happy that he's trigger happy.  Neither are a lot of tried-and-true progressives.  Rep. Grijalva, who's about the only redeeming factor in Arizona politics right now, has a fantastic piece up on triggers and why we shouldn't have them (h/t).  He's still fighting the good fight for meaningful reform.  If you'd like to help him out, here's some suggestions.  And while you're at it, keep whipping the House.  We're winning.

No, really.  We are.  The public option was very nearly dead a few weeks ago; now it's very much alive, and while it's in no small part due to AHIP's dumbfuck antics (thank you, AHIP!), it's also in large part due to us:

Clyburn:

   Absolutely. Remember, when we came back after Labor Day, there were people who thought that the whole health reform bill was dead for the year. About 2 or 3 weeks later, after we had an opportunity to explain to people what we were doing, they said, "well, okay, we got a good plan, but the public option is off the table."

   Now, we are debating what form of the public option. There are those that said that the Senate had absolutely no way of passing a public option. Now they are saying there may be a form of the public option that the Senate will consider. That's all because the public has dialed in and they are in fact very much for some form of a public option. We're not saying it won't be. We're just saying "what form will take it?"

Good discussion at the above link about triggers, too.  What may surprise you is that the trigger the White House is after isn't the trigger you think.  Just to confuse everybody, there's not one, but many, triggers under consideration, some worse than others.  But we need to make it clear that a trigger of any sort is out of bounds.  If you want reasons, here's a good place to start (h/t).

We may be close to cloture in the Senate, and Pelosi's still fighting for a strong public option in the House (although she's signaled she's open to the opt-out compromise).  Now's not the time to lay off the pressure.  And let Obama hear from you.  Tell him to take yes for an answer.

Now, you didn't think I'd leave you without the pure-D stupidity, did ye?  Here ye go:

Following up on a story I've been following, Richard Land, head of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, doesn't seem to recognize the wisdom of quitting when behind.

Land initially raised a few eyebrows when he condemned health care reform in unusually offensive terms. "What they are attempting to do in healthcare, particularly in treating the elderly, is not something like what the Nazis did. It is precisely what the Nazis did," Land said. In the same remarks, Land compared Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel to Josef Mengele.

[snip]

After the Anti-Defamation League expressed some concerns, Land didn't apologize for the substance of his remarks, but he at least showed some regret: "It was never my intention to equate the Obama administration's healthcare reform proposals with anything related to the Holocaust.... Given the pain and suffering of so many Jewish and other victims of the Nazi regime, I will certainly seek to exercise far more care in my use of language in future discussions of the issues at stake in the healthcare debate."

So, problem solved, right? Wrong. Reader J.C. flagged this story in which Land completed the 360-degree turn.

One week after apologizing for comparing Democratic leaders to the Nazis, [Land] has reneged on his promise to stop using such comparisons.... Land "still believes there are connections to be made between some underlying philosophies held by the Germans and others in the first half of the 20th century, and certain elements under discussion in the health care reform debate today." Land argued that the philosophies of some of those pushing health-care reform "bear a lethal similarity in their attitudes toward the elderly and the terminally ill and could ultimately lead to the kinds of things the Nazis did." Land also attacked those who were attempting "to remove the Third Reich as a subject of discussion when it comes to the healthcare debate."

Three things to keep in mind. First, Land's promise about avoiding Nazi references seems to have lasted one whole week. Second, to argue that health care reform bears a "lethal similarity" to Nazi tactics is obviously crazy.

And third, Land is concerned that people might want to "remove the Third Reich as a subject of discussion when it comes to the healthcare debate"? Well, sure. They want to remove the subject as part of the debate because it's completely insane.

So it is.  So it is.  This probably explains why Land is so damned fond of it.

Right, then, my darlings.  Chins up.  We're in the home stretch.  Soon, health care reform of some description shall be passed, and the frothing rabid right shall be turning their considerable talent for stupid to other legislation.

I can hardly wait, can you?

Michael Moore's Easy Steps to a Better Democracy

Been wondering how you can actually start to make a difference in this fucked-up political system of ours?  Michael Moore has answers.

Go.  Read.  Act.

Climate Change and the Public

Crooks and Liars has an excellent article up on climate change literacy and getting the public involved.  I think it can easily be extrapolated to public science literacy in general. 

Dimensions of Climate Literacy: What Do We Want the Public to Learn?

There needs to be more focus and clarity about the goals and outcomes of public engagement and communication, even down to the most basic questions as to what do we want citizens to learn about climate change? Or put another way, what dimensions of knowledge matter to public engagement and participation?

Unfortunately, well intentioned commentatorshave confused the important distinctions on science literacy to the point that the term has lost its meaning in popular discussion. Yet based on the relevant literature in science communication, below are several dimensions of climate change literacy and knowledge that are likely to matter to public engagement.

[snip]

Participatory knowledge refers to information and details on how a citizen can get involved and have a say in decisions that are made about climate change at the community or national level. Civic education on climate change makes it easier for community members to voice their preferences, draw attention to perceived problems, and to express their ideas on possible solutions. Emphasizing this dimension of knowledge promotes a two-way exchange of information between experts and the public. Knowledge conveyed to the public might include the range of organizations in their community that are working on climate policy; upcoming major events, decisions, or meetings; and the names and contact information of key government organizations and officials. Web sites that make contacts and participation easier through direct email links or displaying maps for event locations would also reduce barriers to participations.

Consider that the recent Six Americas of Climate Change survey found that more than 90% of Americans had never written, emailed, or phoned a government official about the issue. When respondents were then asked about the reasons that prevented them from participating more frequently, 17% simply said they "didn't know how" while another 16% said it "took too much effort."

More where that comes from, all of it good.  Enjoy, my darlings.

Support Irish Blasphemy!

A while back, Ireland passed a ridiculous law that basically says if enough religious frothers get in a snit because you weren't nice to their fantasy, you get hit with a 25,000 Euro fine.  And that's not all:

The law also allows for “Seizure of copies of blasphemous statements” (Provided you have been convicted of blasphemy already and the police have a warrant.)

Again, what does that mean for Irish citizens?

Ireland’s Blasphemy Bill not only criminalizes free speech, it also gives the police the authority to confiscate anything deemed “blasphemous”. They may enter and search any premises, with force if needed, upon “reasonable suspicion” that such materials are present.

So if you’ve already been convicted of blasphemy, you better hold on tight to that copy of God is Not Great…

Atheists, of course, aren't the only ones affected - Christians, Jews, Muslims, pagans, anybody who offends the religious sensibilities of anyone else can get the whammy.  I'll bet that will come as news to some supporters of said law. 

Atheist Ireland's campaigning for a Secular Irish Constitution.  They want to rid Ireland of the scourge of this silly law the way St. Paddy rid the isle of snakes - well, maybe not quite the same way, but you get my point.  The law must go.  And they could use some kind assistance:

The blasphemy law is the final straw. We now need a secular Irish Constitution. We will soon be holding public meetings around the country to shape this campaign for equality for and by all Irish citizens, of any or no religious beliefs. But we will be much more likely to succeed if we have national and international support.

Here are three ways that you can help:

• One, please send us a message of support. Just a few lines will do. We want to be able to show that there is a wide support for these ideals.
• Two, please let us know if you would like to get actively involved in any way. You are more than welcome to help shape how this project evolves.
• Three, in whatever way you can, please help to lobby Irish politicians at national and international level to implement these policies.

This will be a lengthy campaign, but a very worthwhile one that you can be proud to have played your part in. We look forward to working alongside you to build an ethical and secular Ireland.

A few lines of support is easy enough for us outside the isle to manage, I should think.  Head on over and show them some love.

Let's Not Have a Prop H8 Repeat, Okay?

Most of you probably know by now that anti-gay frothers collected enough signatures from anti-gay frothers to put a repeal of Maine's marriage equality law on the ballot. Don't think that because this is the enlightened Northeast, these fuckers will fail. Reality says otherwise:

Dkos released yesterday the first public polling numbers on Ballot Question 1 in Maine, which asks voters if they want to repeal the marriage equality law passed by the legislature and signed by the governor.

We are up by the narrowest of margins: 46 YES, 48 NO. That is essentially were we were at this point in the Prop 8 campaign, prior to the Yes side's devastating ad campaign.

That's a statistical dead heat, and the anti-gay zealots know they can sway public opinion with fear-mongering, lies and other such fuckery.

Well, we're ready for 'em:

But we all have the power influence the outcome of the race.

Maine is small. (For us out in California, it is really freaking small.) They are only expecting about 500k voters and have a budget of $3 million. They are as they like to say, "a cheap date".

That means we, the netroots can have a huge impact on this race.

I'm proud to announce that Blue America's 2010 ActBlue page is now live and No on 1 Maine is the first campaign to be list. They need your help to make sure unlike the Prop 8 campaign can stay up strongly on the air and continue to build their robust field program.

Give whatever you can. Early money is much more useful than late money, especially when so much of the vote will come in through the mail.

If you have some airline miles to spare, you can donate them here to fund volunteers traveling to Maine for a week, as part of their volunteer vacation program.

Let's get busy and get this shit defeated. Stop the haters in their tracks.

Your Daily Dose of Health Care Reform Stupidity

For a wee change o' pace, let's begin by taking the Smack-o-Matic to some deserving Dems, mostly because the Cons haven't come up with any creative ways to piss me off today.

Diane Feinstein's reconsidering whether health care reform should even be done, because she'd rather people lack health care than spend any money attempting to keep them healthy. Diane: there's a place for you in the Con party.

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has decided to do for funding abortion what the White House did for funding illegal immigrants: even though the current bills don't allow funds for either, since the right wing's raising a stench anyway, the White House is ever so eager to assure them that icky promiscuous women and dirty brown people won't get one single cent. Note to White House: stop pandering to the Cons until they've started pandering to you. Negotiations typically include not just offers, but counter-offers. Learn the meaning of quid pro quo, or you're going to end up giving all quid for no quo. That's no way to bargain, you dumbshits.

Oh, and Cons? Before you get all cocky, keep in mind a little something friend of the Cons Scott Rasmussen said: opposing reform could come back to bite yer arses in a big way.

That's got a lot to do with the fact that people hear stories like this:

Today Brave New Films released their second installment in the Sick For Profit series, taking a look at the corrupt practices of CIGNA, denying care to their customers while their lead executives rake in millions and lead lavish lifestyles.

Meet Jo Joshua Godfrey. She had cancer without knowing for over a year.

"I would go to CIGNA and they would tell me I had bronchitis and give me medicine and send me home. No matter what medicine they gave me I wouldn't get better. Then the CIGNA Director called me up and she told me that there was nothing wrong with me at all. I called the doctor, and I came with my film and my CAT scan and he just put it in, it took exactly thirty seconds. He told me, 'You have cancer,' and he said the reason CIGNA did not want to give you your records is they've known right way back for years that you have cancer and they're not going to treat you."

CIGNA took in $19.1 billion dollars in revenue last year, with a $292 million dollar income. That doesn't include the salaries given to people like CEO Ed Hanway. He made a cool $12 million last year, and over the past five years he took in $120 million. Hanway has $28 million in unexcercised stock options. The company corporate jets, also not seen in profit statements, cost $68 million. This money is gained, as former communications director Wendell Potter says in this video, through denying claims and dumping the sick, enhancing the value of the company for Wall Street investors.

And after hearing such stories, aren't too happy with anyone who'd protect these predatory fucks.

So it's pep talk time. We need a public option - a fact obvious to everybody except most of our politicians. For fuck's sake, it's obvious to the majority of folks in Arkansas, and they trust Limbaugh over Obama any day. The vast majority of physicians support the public option (when they're not busy supporting single payer). Sen. Tom Harkin, who took over Ted Kennedy's chair on the H.E.L.P. Committee, vows we will not only have a public option, but a strong public option.

We wants it. We needs it. We must whip it.

Roar.

Your Daily Dose of Health Care Reform Stupidity

Sen. Max Baucus has finally released a bill. My thought upon seeing what it contains: we waited six months for this piece of shit?

No public option. Not even a public option with a "trigger," which was a ridiculous idea tacked on to a position that was already a compromise. And the central tenet of the financing: a giant new "fee" that insurers are already saying they'll simply pass on to their customers.

What it amounts to is uninsured folks ending up having to buy junk insurance. He's given the insurance companies most everything they wanted and shafted Americans. And if you think this is going to win that magical bipartisan support, think again:

This scaled-back proposal, according to reports this morning, "apparently" isn't enough to satisfy the demands of Sens. Grassley and Enzi.

So, let me get this straight. Max Baucus has worked for months on a watered-down plan intended to curry favor with conservatives. He's finally circulating his proposal, which he could have unveiled a long time ago, and which Republicans still won't like.

If the Senate minority isn't going to support Baucus' plan anyway, then maybe Baucus ought to push a better bill.

He should. He won't, but he certainly should:

In the meantime, Max, people like this are literally dying to get health insurance for their families.

But we have the greatest health care system in the world. The Cons tell us so. We still have emergency rooms and the fire department, don't we?

And news flash - the Cons still aren't ready to compromise. Why would they? After all, they believe that a cancer survivor going bankrupt in order to survive is an example of the system working very well, thank you:

At a recent town hall held by Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA), an elderly gentleman named Jim Parker stood up and told the congressman that he was recently treated for colon cancer. “I did not have insurance,” he said, because “things didn’t quite work out” after he started his own business. Parker informed Kingston that “a friend of mine was in the same position, and we buried him last January.”

Kingston responded by telling the man that “you did do very well” because he was able to get treated when he arrived at the hospital. Parker responded, “I am functionally bankrupt!” Kingston cut him off and reiterated his point:

But you did get coverage. You didn’t get the insurance, but they won’t turn you down at the door.

He just doesn't quite get the point, does he? These assclowns never do, probably because they've never had to face the "your money or your life" scenario. They don't see the rationing in the system because they don't suffer it - in this country, the rich don't get rationed. The poor do. Heaven forfend the rich should have to wait a week or two so that icky poor people can get treatment, too.

Meanwhile, health care parasites keep sucking our blood. They probably consider the resulting anemia a pre-existing condition.

With a parade of jackasses like this, we may have no choice but to pass health care reform via the reconciliation process - a prospect that has Lamar Alexander quaking in his little shoes. Funny how he never saw it as "the same thing as going to war without asking Congress' permission" when it was Bush doing the ramming.

All of this unbelievable stupidity has probably left you hungry for something a little more tasty. Watch AFL-CIO's Richard Trumka wipe the floor with Chris Matthews. It'll make you feel better. Then you can take some action with Firedoglake, as long as you sign the petition by 5pm Eastern. If you miss the fun there, Cujo's got three more for ye.

The stupid has not yet won, my darlings. Keep fighting.

Standing by Van

Van Jones may have been driven from his post by the screaming mental cases on Faux News and their enablers in the Con party, but Steve Benen assures us "we haven't heard the last of Van Jones, and that's a good thing. He's one of the nation's great visionaries on energy and environmental issues, and as Kate Sheppard noted, '[P]erhaps the even bigger irony here is that he's always been more effective and influential as an outside activist than as an administration official.... In all honesty, Glenn Beck may have more to worry about with Jones outside the White House than in it.'"

Well, a sane person might worry about that. Beck & Co., however, are pretty fucking far from sane. So, for that matter, is a disturbing number of the Con contingent in Congress.

Blue Texan reminds us of a simple truth:

Now this is a party whose elected officials regularly peddle completely unhinged conspiracies and have introduced legislation implying the President of the United States isn't an American citizen. It's a party whose members have made a habit of accusing the President of being a fascist akin to Adolf Hitler. It's a party whose leaders have endorsed outright treason and whose last candidate for Vice President was married to a secessionist. It's a party whose activists and media figures engage in the vilest political hate speech on a daily basis.

And these are the people who get to determine what constitutes appropriate speech and acceptable views in the political arena?

Perhaps not if we stand with Van. And if Glenn Beck wants to start a campaign of destruction, perhaps we should return the favor.

Many people have made excellent statements regarding Van Jones's loss, but this one says it best:

John Podesta, the President and CEO of the Center for American Progress Action Fund, released this statement following the resignation of Van Jones:

Van Jones is an exceptional and inspired leader who has fought to bring economic and environmental justice to communities across our country.

He has chosen to resign because he believed he was serving as a distraction to the president’s agenda. I respect that decision.

Van was working to build a common ground agenda for all Americans, and I am confident he will continue that work. Unfortunately, his critics on the right could find no common ground with him.

Clearly, Van was the subject of a right-wing smear campaign shrouded in hypocrisy. Van’s chief tormentor Glenn Beck, who spent weeks engaged in vicious name-calling, retains his perch at Fox News after calling the president a racist who has “a deep-seated hatred for white people.” Van has set a standard that Beck would never impose upon himself.

I look forward to working with Van to move our country towards a clean energy economy that empowers and lifts up all Americans. [emphasis added]

If these hypocritical fuckers want to sow the wind, we shall ensure they reap the whirlwind.

Your Daily Dose of Health Care Reform Stupidity

The next time you wonder where utterly outrageous Con lies come from, look no further than the RNC:

The Columbian reports today that Raymond Denny, a 64-year old man from La Center, Washington, recieved a thirteen-question survey in the mail from the RNC, and that one of the questions implied that the health care reform bills before Congress would purposely discriminate against people who affiliated with the Republican Party:

And the sad thing is, people swallow this shit.

Steve Benen has further lowlights. I'm frankly afraid to look at the whole thing. Makes me even more sympathetic to the town hall attendee who spanked McCain hard.

Speaking of spankings, Greta van Susteren whacked Michael Steele right over the noggin with the $64 million-dollar question: "But can you sort of, you know -- you know, bring me in on the secret why the Republicans didn't do health care reform when they owned the House, the Senate and the White House?"

Ouch. Very ouch.

Speaking of very ouch, let's talk about Blue Dogs and pwnage. First, to understand them, we should look at the money - the over 1/2 of their campaign contributions that have come from the health care industry, to be exact. That could be one explanation for their fucktarded stance on health care reform, which is poised to make the insurance industry billions while fucking over the rest of us. But Rep. Pete Stark believes the fact they're brain dead is also relevant.

One can only imagine what he thinks of the 13 Dem Senators wavering or dead set against meaningful health care reform. And I know precisely what I think of Baucus's self-serving lies about the late, great Sen. Kennedy. I think Max should be called out as a lying sack of shit and then voted out of a job.

In the meantime, impossible as it seems, John Stossel has managed to make an even more colossal idiot of himself. He's actually stated, in public and for the record, that “There will be death panels if we do nothing” about Medicare. This was after calling Medicare a Ponzi scheme. I wonder how many seniors watch ABC? I wonder how long it will take for ABC to realize that a dumbshit spouting lies about Medicare and death panels might not be good for business? ABC, after all, is not Faux News.

For those in any doubt that our system needs reforming, I refer you now to Susie Madrak's ongoing adventures with our vaunted health care system. You want to talk about rationing, waits, and bureaucrats getting between you and your doctor? Her ankle simply requires surgery to repair it. Ask her why it's taken over two years and still no surgery.

Or, if your heart is hardened toward human hard-luck stories, you might want to look in to why the lolcat community is also suffering:

While you're there, sign on to support meaningful health care reform that includes a robust public option. Nothing less.