let her talk

We all want to hear what Palin has to say. Not stupid scripted interviews. The McCain campaign has been shielding Palin and its time to see who she is. After all, she is running for VP with a guy who is not in the prime of his years. Campbell Brown calls it sexist. Whatever you call it, its wrong.

I trust Ryan, he's smart.

Have you ever heard of embryonic stem cell research? Its something that has been characterized by some as the destruction of human life and by others as a potential cure for a wide array of diseases. Well its up for a vote in Michigan. There is a law on the books from the 70's that was written before the discovery of stem cells that prohibits the creation of new lines and bans state funding. It essentially handcuffs research opportunities in Michigan to using the lines of cells pre-approved by the Bush Administration, which have inherent limitations due to the limited number and because they were grown with mouse cells.

A Michigan "ballot initiative allowing Michigan researchers to make embryonic stem cell cultures from excess embryos donated from fertility treatments" is on the November ballot. Proponents argue that this would remove the state's restrictive law and encourage reasearch in Michigan. This in not only a potential cure or treatment for diseases like Diabetes, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Cancer, but it could also spur a new industry in a state with dire economic woes.

Opponents claim that this could open Pandora's box and lead to human cloning at worst, and have ethical issues in using human stem cells. Those who oppose it often cite fertilization as the beginning of life and find it unethical to experiment on humans.

I think that ongoing oversight is key to prevent any misuse or unethical behaviors and that guidelines must be set, but we would be foolish to waste the opportunity to help potential millions of people and give Michigan a chance at a new industry and some kind of economic recovery. I see no problem with using otherwise discarded embryos in research. Currently they become medical waste. I dont see how that is more ethical or in any way better than using them to find treatments or cures for diseases that affect millions of people.

I see it much in the way that i see organ donation. If I am going to die, why not allow someone else to go on living with any organs that might be of use? With the donation someone may be able to go on living or have their quality of life vastly improved. With these embyos its a very similar situation. With them, much more research is possible which may lead to big breaks in medicine. Without them we are limited to the current research options and a more limited potential. Much like organ donations, the family has the say. Those patients at fetility clinics with extra embryos must allow their embryos to be used for research. It seems to me to be a much more noble end than to be incinerated as medical waste.

I support Proposal 2. If you live in Michigan I hope that you will support Ryan and myself and a give it a yes vote. I also hope that our next president makes such cutting edge research a priority.

Freep.

oh crap.

you know, i understand when people say that they dont like to watch the news or be involved in politics because its too depressing. i really do understand the distaste for it. the problem is that its like a little kid thinking that if they cant see you, you cant see them. just because you hide from the reality that is the shit storm enveloping the US, doesnt mean its not there.

your ignorance isnt helping. its hurting. the worst possible thing for the US is that in our democratic elections everyone gets to vote regardless of how educated, informed, or intelligent they happen to be. while it is a beautiful thing that everyone gets a voice, its scary that people who have no idea what our leaders face will have a say in picking those very leaders. the founders of the US tried to solve that problem with the electoral college, which is little insulation. the best solution is a well informed electorate, which brings us back to those folks with hands clamped over their ears and eyes shut tight. if youre hiding from the world, how can you possibly think that you can choose the leader who will best be able to guide us through it?

i am all for voting and democracy, but i am also all for knowing who you are voting for and why you are doing it. know the issues. know the candidates. if i ask you why you are voting one way or another and you cant formulate a real reason, you need to do some more research. if was to ask which candidate you favor based on foreign policy, you ought to have an answer with more substance that 'McCain is just like Bush' or 'Obama is too inexperienced.' you ought to be able to talk about how McCain has been provoking Russia for years with Cold War rhetoric or how Obama is willing to sit down an talk with everyone and anyone without any conditions.

the point is, its a big scary world out there, and we need a leader who can show us the way through it all. if youre tuning out the world at large in favor of celebrity gossip, or sports, or music, you need to think seriously about November 4th. if you plan on casting a ballot, please know why. dont just vote for the guy who you want to have a beer with. dont vote for the black guy. dont vote for the spunky girl. a single word or simple catch phrase arent enough in the times we are facing ahead. if you plan to cast a ballot know who you are voting for and why. democrat or republican, green or libertarian, dont let party lines dictate your vote. decide for yourself who is best equipped to take on the challenges that will arise. know the issues and know the candidates.

please vote, and please be an informed voter. what is at stake is far too important to be reduced to a popularity contest.




the spark that started this fire.

she should

E.J. Dionne wrote a nice little editorial today in the Post about how Palin has not received enough scrutiny or criticism from the media at large. i think the way he brings home the point best is the way the media cut up Hilary Clinton for saying she dodged sniper fire in Bosnia, when in fact her arrival had been pretty standard, but when Palin claims to have been to Iraq, but in fact went to Kuwait and sites a visit to Ireland that was actually a fueling stop, no one really seems to notice. when Charles Gibson questioned her about how Alaska's proximity to Russia had given her any foreign policy experience, she noted an island in Alaska has a view of Russia. by that standard, every resident of Texas can claim foreign policy experience by living near Mexico, and Floridians for Cuba, except in those cases people might actually have some interaction with the people of the nearby nations.

so when Mr Dionne asks if Palin will get the same treatment Hilary did, i say she should. she is running for the number two spot on the ticket, which can become the number one in the blink of an eye. she should be criticized, scrutinized, and vetted just as seriously as Hilary, Obama, McCain, and Biden, and perhaps more, seeing as most of the nation just found out she exists a couple weeks ago.

its time for Palin's preacher feature

if you thought Obama had a pastor problem, you havent looked deep enough into Palin's religious associations. im pretty sure hers are worse, because she not only listens to the rantings, but has participated in them.

from the Post's On Faith:

This past June, Palin returned to visit the church. She told the congregation, "God's will has to be done. . . . [Government activity] doesn't do any good if the people's heart isn't right with God. . . . We can work together to make sure that God's will be done."

"What comes from this church has great destiny," she proclaimed. "And that spirit of revelation, also including a spirit of prophecy--that God's gonna tell you what's goin' on--and what is going to go on. . . . There's been so many words, Ed, over the state of Alaska," she said to the pastor. "We being the head, not the tail . . . I see things now in the words it seems like that's comin' to fruition--that things are percolating, things are comin' along and praying for an outpouring of the Spirit for that revival to be here in Alaska."

Palin spoke of the power of a former pastor's prayer over her: "'Lord, make a way and let her do this next step.' And that's exactly what happened. So, again, very, very powerful coming from this church."

"This is awesome!" Kalnins exclaimed in response. "Makin' a prophetic declaration and it unfolds, ya know, the Kingdom of God--and so there is a prophetic call."

but wait! theres more!

Palin's husband, Todd, was a registered member of the party(Alaska Independence Party) for seven years. Sarah Palin herself, while she apparently never officially registered as a member, was considered by the party to be a member for a time in the mid-1990s, and, as governor this year, she recorded a welcome to the party's convention, in which she said, "I share your party's vision."

Videos from the 2008 AIP meeting showing the organization's vice chairman, Dexter Carter, praising Sarah Palin's service as a party member and saying that the party's members must "infiltrate" the major parties, have been taken down since her selection as John McCain's running mate.

The party's founder, Joe Vogler, has said (as the party still proudly quotes on its website) that he is "not an American" and "I've got no use for America or her damned institutions." Vogler also renounced allegiance to the United States and "their damned flag."

and most damning in my opinion as to why we ought to question if Palin's faith might negatively affect her judgement as VP and possibly president follows.

"The churches that Sarah has attended all believe in a literal translation of the Bible," Janet Kinkaid of Wasilla, who has known Palin for 15 years, told the Times.

One consequence of Palin's literalism is that she is a Creationist. As such, she discounts science, a point that is further made by her insistence that humans do not influence climate change. (John McCain is on record as someone who accepts evolution and the role of humans in global warming.)

In recent years, Palin has attended several Pentecostal churches. which emphasize the Second Coming of Christ, especially the so-called Rapture, when Christ returns to earth and the faithful endure tribulations before they are taken up to heaven with Christ.

so Palin comes from Alaska, one of the places where climate change is most notable with shorter winters, melting permafrost, and receding glaciers but she doesnt acknowledge that humans are changing the climate. she also believes in the Rapture, which may or may not be an issue. it could be because some who do advocate ratcheting up Middle East tensions in an effort to bring on the 'End of Days.' that certainly wouldnt make for good foreign policy.

seriously take a look at this article and Sarah Palin's judgement. its not that she has beliefs that scare me. its that her beliefs could influence her to do dangerous, negligent, and irresponsible things.

there was a time i liked McCain

i even admired him. that was back in 2000, during the primaries, when he an George Bush were competing for the Republican nomination. I was too young to young to vote in the primary, and wouldnt have registered GOP anyway, but he won Michigan and lost the nomination. as a result of that and weak campaigns by Democrats, weve had 8 years of Bush. i think the world and America would be better off had McCain been elected then. that's the senator McCain that John Kerry spoke about during the DNC, and now we have a different man, Candidate McCain.

Candidate McCain has voted with Bush 90% of the time and has criticized bills that he sponsored. he has also stooped to new lows in recent weeks with his VP pick who continues to mislead America on her record, she in fact supported the 'Bridge to Nowhere' until it became evident that Stevens was going down, and she secured millions of dollars in earmarks and racked up millions more in debt while mayor of Wasilla, hardly the mark of a fiscal conservative or someone who will change Washington. McCain is also swinging low at Obama. first there was his add comparing Obama to Brittney Spears, and now this add, which practically calls Obama a pedophile.

so far Obama has stayed above the shit slinging of Palin and now McCain, and i hope he will. i think the GOP and McCain have gone so negative because they realize that they are losing on the real issues, and the only way they are going to win is by pushing incorrect and false perceptions. they have insinuated that Obama will raise taxes on the average American, when the reality is, he will lower taxes for 80% of Americans, and only raise them on the wealthiest 5%. (McCain v. Obama on Taxes) Obama ought to take the tact of reiterating his points, that in fact taxes on the poor and lower middle class will continue to decline, and that tax breaks for corporations, like oil companies, will end, and that his plan would only increase taxes on those making more than $250,000 a year. and the bill in question above was not sponsored by Obama, but he did vote for a bill that allowed schools to introduce age appropriate sex ed to k-12 students, and the actual wording concerning kindergartners was directed toward helping kids to know what was wrong so they could be aware of sexual predators, not to teach them the birds and the bees at 4 or 5. also, the bill forced nothing, it only allowed Illinois schools to begin such programs.

i dont think the truth matters anymore to McCain. i think it does to Obama, and i hope that will become evident over the next 2 months. i think America has had enough of being mislead and lied to.

the other side

so last night i was flipping channels and randomly came across a program called Russia Today on MHz. MHz ran a little disclaimer saying that their international news programming was broadcast without editing straight from the source, which in this case is Moscow. but what i realized in watching this was that there was very little coverage of what happened or how it became that Russia went in to South Ossetia and Abkahzia. i couldnt help but pick up that the Russian position, and not that of just the Kremlin, seemed to be that they were rescuing the regions from the oppression of Georgia.

the west, especially here in the US, has seen the Russian action as an invasion of democratic Georgia by a Russia that has suddenly taken on the look of the USSR in the last couple years. little in life is as black and white as we make it out to be. the conclusion i reached last night was that Russia would not have gone into these areas without some sort of reason, because not only would the US respond as it has, but it would be staring down the collective barrel of the EU. you may have noticed that the EU, through president Nicolas Sarkozy, has been pushing the peace process, but not taking a side.

so whats going on over there? did the great Russian Bear invade poor little Georgia because it longs to have its satellites back under its control as the media in the west has characterized? is Mikheil Saakashvili the strong man dictator to be that Moscow has characterized him as who has invaded the de facto independent regions of Abkahzia and South Ossetia? my guess is somewhere between the two. Sakashvili was out of line in invading, and Russia's reaction was probably too strong. Russia's role, however, may play an important foil to the US position and vice versa. Europe is sitting right in the line of fire on all this and has been surprisingly silent on this from what i have heard in the domestic media. even NPR and the Post, both of which i turn to regularly and are typically critical of the Bush administration have been towing the poor little Georgia line. even Barack Obama has condemned the Russians for their actions. it seems that the US can only see this one way, but me thinks that theres more than one side to every coin.

heres what i think. Saakashvili was emboldened by unconditional US support. this isnt the first time that the US has backed a questionable regime. Saakashvili, thinking that the great American military had his back, went head first into the the regions that have never liked him and have in fact acted independent since 1991 in an overzealous nationalist push. Europe and the US never told him to calm down and quit acting like an asshole because they like Georgia being independent of Russia and want them on our side because that pipe line that they have bypasses the Russian on Black Sea energy riches. so power-crazy Saakashvili goes on a little rampage to take back what he believes belongs to Georgia.

those who live in South Ossetia and Abkahzia arent fond of this guy, and in fact align themselves much more closely with their northern neighbors, Russia. so they ask Russia to come to the rescue, and Russia agrees, because, really, it would be like the US fighting El Salvador. they had little to lose. so now the Ossetians and Abkahzians alike are hailing Russia as saviors, while the US decries them as invaders and Europe tries to broker a peace deal to ensure that this idiocy doesnt result in a WW3, the reasons of which would be nearly as stupid as those that sparked WW1.

so the long and short is that Russia and Ossetia and Abkahzia view Russia as the saving protector and guarantor of human rights. the US in general views Russia and the invading, power hungry giant attempting put put Georgia under its thumb. what needs to happen is that both sides need to back off the overly dramatic rhetoric and start real talks. please keep in mind that i dont think Russia is innocent for this. they openly proclaim their beleif that the US humanitarian aid to Georgia is a front for arms deliveries. i dont thing even George Bush is that stupid. i just wish that somewhere else in the world there was another superpower to speak up. Russia has staked its claim, and so has the US, but where is the UK of 60 years ago? where is the great nation that can come in and temper the other two. Sarkozy is attempting to fill this role, but i dont know that it is working. the EU doesnt have the clout that it needs to fulfill this role. the member nations are too divided.

the one thing that we can all agree on is that the fighting that has occurred has been too much and all this needs to come to a peaceful end. to me that peaceful end looks like the status quo. unfortunately, i dont think Georgia gets its break away regions back, but i dont see this as a big problem. as a democratic nation in which we the people are supposed to be pulling the strings, how can you condemn a people for charting their own course? if they want to separate, become independent, and ultimately join with Russia, why should be stop the residents from doing so? Georgia never really had control of these areas, why should they expect to now. lets let the people who live there decide and chart their own course. i think thats the best solution. get Moscow and Washington to step back, let the people who this really affects speak for themselves. the Georgians should be able to speak their piece, but i feel that the real decision lies in the hands of the Abkahzians and Ossetians. i think they have spoken. lets listen up.

another perspective

the new whats next

Pat Droze. that's whats next.

Pat Droze for Mayor of Detroit!

Why?
Pat Droze will bring Detroit the change it needs. yep, another campaign based on change, but really, aside from Dennis Archer, what in Detroit can you remember that hasn't had corruption written all over it? aside from being a new face, Pat Droze is also NOT a lawyer, and therefore infinitely more trustworthy in my humble opinion. lawyers take other people's money for a living. Pat Droze has worked since an early age to support himself (i know, i was there). also, Mr Droze will work hard to bring a real mass transit solution to Metro Detroit and SE Michigan. as a civil engineer, Pat Droze is well versed on the many virtues of mass transit and has the knowledge to stand up to the auto industry on this topic. Having come from the suburbs, Droze will bring an outside clarity to Detroit and bring a spirit of cooperation to the region while always having Detroit's best interest in mind, because, as Detroit goes, so goes the region. Detroit has languished far too long in the shadows of the 67 riots, it needs a leader who can turn the corner and make Detroit the jewel of the lakes. he alone can transform Detroit from the capital of the Rust Belt into the international destination it once was. under the visionary guidance of Pat Droze Detroit can and will become the hub of commerce and culture that it was 5 and 6 decades ago. with Pat Droze, our hope for better things will be realized and it will rise from the ashes.

Droze '08!

Mayorgate 08 - OVER!

10:25 Kwame Kilpatrick has entered a plea and will resign. details to come.

10:30 The judge was reading the 8 counts against Kilpatrick after the plea deal was read. my feed crapped out part way through, i missed the prison time, but he is to pay the city $1M in remittance and surrender his state retirement. the judge left called council to chamber briefly to discuss a point in the plea agreement

10:32 Guilty to 2 counts of obstruction of justice is the plea.

10:37 the judge just read Kilpatrick the rights he forfeits by submitting a plea on this case. there was a brief laugh in the court as Kwame assured the court that he was happy with his lawyers. i missed the jail time bit, but maybe he got out of it... more to come.

10:41 Kilpatrick just read a statement that the reason that he must plea is because he lied under oath and deliberately meant to mislead the court. sentencing will take place on Oct 28.

10:47: as part of the plea, Kilpatrick will serve a concurrent 4 months in Wayne County Jail as a result of the assault charges stemming from an incident with police a couple months ago. the judge is reading the same list of forfeited rights now...

10:53: well, theyve wrapped up in Detroit. Kilpatrick has plead guilty to the whole perjury thing and no contest to the assault charges. he will be serving 120 days in Wayne County Jail, pay $1M to the city, $20k of that due at the Oct 28 sentencing, will serve 5 years probation during which he will not be able to hold or run for public office, and i imagine that he will be disbarred as a result of all this too.

at the end of the proceeding the judge thanked all involved for getting this resolved. he kind of stubled over his words, but i think he meant to thank them for avoiding the long drawn out trial that may have resulted and to avoid having Granholm remove him from office. i have to commend Granholm for getting her hearing going and quickly, i have a feeling that this lit a bit of a fire under the Kilpatrick team to get the plea in a stop the governor's removal hearing.

as they were wrapping up, Kilpatrick wiped his brow. its kind of funny, im sure he had been sweating a bit under that spotlight in court, literally, and now, he ca stop the figurative sweating as he now knows what faces him, and, considering the charges, i think he got a pretty good deal. as he stepped from behind the table his wife, Carlita, approached, they embraced, and he kissed her warmly and kindly on the forehead a couple of times. its a good reminder that while Kwame may be a corrupt mayor, he is also a husband, a father, and a person like you an me. while im glad that he finally is paying for what he did, and most importantly, he wont be running the city, im also happy that he wont be removed from his family for years, because they have already suffered for what he did and shouldnt be made to suffer more.

Detroit can breathe a sigh a of releif, its over. now they just have to figure out what is next. hopefully they can get something on the November ballot and hopefully Ken Cockerel can keep the wheels on until then. well, the wheel, i think a couple are arleady gone. that brings up another question: what ever happened with that whole sludge/corruption investigation on the council. oh, Detroit... im pulling for you...

fuck the police.

not cool.

this isnt supposed to happen to any peaceful protesters. its also not supposed to happen to journalists peacefully covering anything, especially wearing credentials and screaming 'press!'

MayorGate 08

finally something of substance is happening with Kwame Kirkpatrick. Gov Granholm has begun her hearings on whether or not to remove the mayor from office. i have no idea whether this is going to be a month long affair or a couple hours, or somewhere in between. i hope that it doesnt drag on for too long, he's been lingering way too long as it is.

follow it at the freep.com, who broke the story, got the texts released, and have really been as involved in this as Kilpatrick has. got to give the paper credit on keeping the city in check, or at least trying and keeping us readers informed. big ups to the FREEP.

sure, she's a reformer

when its politically convenient...

product shop nyc has more time to do research, evidently, and they have brought us this news.

While the GOP desperately tries to paint Palin as a Lil' Maverick who took on the corrupt politics of Alaska, especially Senator Ted Steven's Bridge To Nowhere, it has slowly come out that she ran for Governor promising to get the bridge built anyway with your tax dollars and only came out against the earmarked project when Steven's came under investigation.

And, most damning of all, it's hard to say Palin took on politicians like Stevens when she was actually running one of the Senator's 527 groups.

Palin's name is listed on 2003 incorporation papers of the "Ted Stevens Excellence in Public Service, Inc.," a 527 group that could raise unlimited funds from corporate donors. The group was designed to serve as a political boot camp for Republican women in the state. She served as one of three directors until June 2005, when her name was replaced on state filings.

I give Palin until Thursday.......

also, these guys are digging up all sorts of dirt and finding all the skeletons in her closet. it appears that she has a controversial pastor in her life as well as Obama. i feel like the GOP is trying to destroy all their arguments about Obama, like his inexperience and crazy preacher. or maybe their trying to steal his thunder.

oh, dont you just love politics?

its about the benjamins, not babies.

dont worry about Bristol Palin being preggers. its really a non issue. what should worry you about Sarah Palin is that she may not be the reformer that she claims to be. as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, the town benefited for millions of federal earmarks secured through a lawyer with connections to Ted Stevens and Don Young. she figured out how to use the 'good ole boy' network that she vilified in here VP nominee acceptance speech so well that in her final year as mayor her town of 7,000 received $6.1 million in earmarks(McCain's pet peeve) while Boise, ID, a city of 190,000 received $6.9 million in federal funds. the town officials now head to Washington every year to drum up the funding, a trip that Palin first made during her tenure.

now, im not saying that Sarah Palin is a bad person or even that she shouldnt have sought the funds. im sure that she made Wasilla a nicer place while she was in charge. what i want to point out is that she claims to be a reformer against the wasteful spending of Washington and the 'good ole boy' network, all the while using those things to her advantage. is she who she and the GOP says she is? it worries me more with McCain than any other election i can recall, because McCain is old and Palin has a better chance of being president than Cheney or Gore did as VPs and certainly a better chance than Joe Biden.

the long and the short, look before you leap, or dont.

thanks, WaPo.