Thursday, June 28, 2007

Hardball?

I just emailed Chris Matthews' show, Hardball, the following:

"Well, you've succeeded in sinking to a new low in television "journalism." You gave Ann Coulter an HOUR of air time to spew hate speech and sell books at the expense of our country. Elizabeth Edwards is right, hate speech drowns out a serious discussion of the issues and America's voters desperately need to learn about the candidate's positions on the issues.

Although I don't let Coulter off the hook this message is about those responsible for this situation. I completely blame you, Chris Matthews and Tammy Haddad, for using Coulter to stir up controversy and attract attention to the show. Keith Olbermann named Coulter as the "Worst Person in the World" following this shameful episode when you should have been the recipients of the award.

Serious people could do a lot of good given a full hour of airtime yet they're lucky if they get 5 minutes on this show where the host construes rudeness as hardball. Interrupting people doesn't constitute hardball. That requires tough questions and follow up questions asked in an atmosphere where the interviewee is treated as an adult and viewers can hear what they're saying.

I've written to the show before but I suspect this will be the last time I do because I simply can't stomach the crass commercialism that masquerades as journalism, and because I have no respect for personalities who trade in controversy rather than real journalism. I don't read the National Enquirer so why would I watch "Hardball?" "


Tammy Haddad is the Executive Producer of Hardball, a position that carries weight. A quick Google of her name reveals that she has Executive Produced The Maury Povich Show and Larry King Live. She has also been a Senior Broadcast Producer on the Today Show. I guess that helps to explain why Hardball looks like a tabloid. You can watch this gutter dwelling swill if you want but I'm out'a here.


Sunday, June 17, 2007

Best Editorial Cartoons of the Week

Bob Geiger offers his weekly compilation of the best editorial cartoons. Tell us which one you like best. (click on title above).

Friday, June 15, 2007

Don't We Have a Constitution, Not a King?

"Bush has issued a directive that would place all governmental powers in his hands in the case of a catastrophic emergency" according to Marjorie Cohn of AlterNet. "If a terrorist attack happens before the 2008 election, could Bush and Cheney use this to avoid relinquishing power to a successor administration?

"Bush quietly issued an unconstitutional bombshell that went virtually unnoticed by the corporate media.

"The National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive, signed on May 9, 2007, would place all governmental power in the hands of the President and effectively abolish the checks and balances in the Constitution." Cohn goes on.

In case of a "catastrophic emergency" the new directive reads, "The President shall lead the activities of the Federal Government for ensuring constitutional government" continuing, the President proposes that the three co-equal branches of government would be "coordinated by the President, as a matter of comity with respect to the legislative and judicial branches and with proper respect for the constitutional separation of powers." The Vice President would help implement these plans.

Dictionary.com says comity means, "mutual courtesy; civility." In other words, the Congress and the Courts would be treated with courtesy but would have no power. I don't know about you but I don't trust George W. Bush, or any president, with so much power and surely even the poor souls who voted for him would have to concede that we fought a revolution in 1776 to get rid of King George and don't need another one.

Bet you didn't even know our president had issued such a directive back on May 9th. Probably because the MSM was too busy worrying who Anna Nicole's 'baby daddy' is, or whether Paris Hilton would serve out her 45 day term, or Harry Reid had called Peter Pace incompetent (although he is).

Read the full story (link under title above) and post your thoughts as to what you plan to do about this signing statement?

a) ignore it and hope for the best
b) demand that Congress confront him and take action (I'm not sure what)
c) pack up and move to Canada

A nod to David Pollak for ferreting out this story.

The day that was in Massachusetts

Massachusetts made history this week: its lawmakers refused to allow fundamentalist extremists to place on the ballot an initiative challenging the right of gay and lesbian people to marry in their state. The scene was suspenseful and emotional and I commend to you a "blow by blow" description of the action provided by John Aravosis of America Blog (click on the title of this post).
I'm not a person who wants to marry but I certainly want the right to chose, and be assured that as I read John's narrative tears came to my eyes.

Gays & lesbians in America have struggled long and hard to gain every one of the civil liberties they enjoy against a very vocal, well funded, fundamentalist minority who do not speak for the majority in this country. It is gratifying to know that a state legislature stood up to protect one of the most fundamental rights our country can offer. Deval Patrick, Mass.'s new Governor, deserves a pat on the back for his very vocal support of the LGBT community. He stood shoulder to shoulder with them in pushing back a cynical bid to relegate gays & lesbians to permanent 2nd class status.

The Governor of California certainly wouldn't have provided such leadership. Our State Assembly and Senate passed a bill last year to legalize marriage for gay & lesbian Californians and he vetoed it. Mark Leno is carrying the same bill (AB43) through the Assembly again and it should pass that body and the State Senate. Our Governor promises to veto it again and I hope the State Legislature keeps sending it back to him until he gets the message.

In the meantime we could support his efforts by sharing this blog post with every Californian we know and urging them to pressure their State Legislators to sponsor the bill and lobby the Governor to sign it. Many non-gay Californians support marriage equality and their voices carry weight. A call or email to the governor (916-445-2841 or http://www.govmail.ca.gov) in support of AB43 from our non-gay family members, neighbors, and friends will take just a few minutes and you'll feel better about yourself for doing it, trust me.