Is This Really What the Right is so Afraid of?

Congratulations to Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, who were finally able to marry in California on Tuesday after over 50 years together. It was a happy and historic day -- a huge victory in same-sex couples' fight to be recognized as equal under California's state Constitution.

A Double Digit Lead

Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama has opened up a double-digit lead over Republican John McCain two weeks after he clinched the nomination, a new poll published on Friday (6/20) showed.

The nationwide poll conducted by Newsweek showed Obama leading McCain by a margin of 51-36 percent... the survey of 1,010 adults nationwide on June 18 and 19, 2008 has a margin of error of 4 points.

I think this shows how once people begin to learn more about Obama (and McCain) that a good majority will accept Obama as a refreshing change of pace from the current mess in the oval office.

More Christian Child Abuse!

Authorities say a teenager from a faith-healing family died from an illness that could have been easily treated, just a few months after a toddler cousin of his died in a case that has led to criminal charges.

Tuesday's death of 16-year-old Neil Beagley, however, may not be a crime because Oregon law allows minors 14 and older to decide for themselves whether to accept medical treatment.

"All of the interviews from last night are that he did in fact refuse treatment," police Sgt. Lynne Benton said Wednesday. "Unless we can disprove that, charges probably won't be filed in this case."

An autopsy Wednesday showed Beagley died of heart failure caused by a urinary tract blockage.

He likely had a congenital condition that constricted his urinary tract where the bladder empties into the urethra, and the condition of his organs indicates he had multiple blockages during his life, said Dr. Clifford Nelson, deputy state medical examiner for Clackamas County.

"You just build up so much urea in your bloodstream that it begins to poison your organs, and the heart is particularly susceptible," Nelson said.

Nelson said a catheter would have saved the boy's life. If the condition had been dealt with earlier, a urologist could easily have removed the blockage and avoided the kidney damage that came with the repeated illnesses, Nelson said.

Benton said a board member of the Followers of Christ church contacted the authorities after Beagley died at his family's home. The teen had been sick about a week, and church members and his family had gathered to pray Sunday when his condition worsened, Benton said.

More crazy christians praying instead of getting responsible health care for their children. The parents should be sent to jail... or failing that, they should be force-cathetirized for several months.

Offshore Drilling?

Now here is a diversionary discussion if ever there was one. Ooooh, gas is over $4 a gallon, let's raise a stupid proposal that makes it look like I've got ideas to solve the problem. So we get the talking point proposal lifting the offshore drilling moratorium (imposed, by the way, by Bush the elder).

So McCain thinks that drilling off of our coast will help to alleviate our gas problem? How incredibly ridiculous. Of course, this is another of McCain's flip-flops (don't Republicans hate flip flopping?), but it is also a crazy idea. Why? For many reasons:

1. We should not, as a nation, damage our coastlines, which oil drilling right off the coast could do. And it will also damage the beauty of our coasts, which support billions of travel and leisure business.
2. Selling leases for more offshore drilling will not "be very helpful in the short term resolving our energy crisis" as McCain states. It takes many years to explore, contruct and open oil rigs. Nothing short-term about this at all.
3. The oil companies are already sitting on ver 4,000 undeveloped leases in the western Gulf of Mexico. And the government already leases 44 million acres offshore, of which only 10.5 million—or one quarter—are producing oil or gas.

The gas/oil industry already has access to the vast majority of the estimated Outer Continental Shelf natural gas resources, including 4 times the amount of natural gas estimated to occur in moratoria areas by the Minerals Management Service. And of the huge resources they have access to, they have developed only a fraction of it.

For once, President Bush got something right. In February he acknowledged the country is ‘addicted to oil.’ But you don't cure addiction by increasing the supply of what you are addicted to! You take measures to ween the addicted off of the 'stuff.' For example, better gas mileage standards... stricter enforcement of speed limits... funding sources of alternative energy...


So why is this an issue? Why is the right wing trumpeting this as a talking point? Well, I believe it is because they want to use it as an excuse. The Democrats will oppose it, Congress will not allow it, and if/when gas prices continue to rise, the Repuglicans will say something like "Oh, we had the solution, but the tree hugging Dems wouldn't adopt it. Blame them, blame them..."

Sad... Just sad...

Questioning McCain's Judgement

Have you heard what John McCain said about the recent Supreme Court decision upholding the constitutional right of habeas corpus? Here's McCain, in his own words, proving exactly how out of touch he really is:

"The United States Supreme Court yesterday rendered a decision which I think is oneof the worst decisions in the history of this country." (National Journal/NBC, 6/13/08)

The decision by the Supreme Court that McCain is questioning affirmed a fundamental constitutional right -- in this case, the right of a detainee to challenge the government's grounds for confining him. That sounds like a good thing to me... how about you?

So, if we take Granpa at his word, he thinks that protecting the right to be heard in court is worse than locking thousands ofAmericans in internment campsbecause they had Japanese ancestry? (Korematsu v. United States --1944)

And worse than forcing African Americans to sit at the back of the bus? (Plessy v. Ferguson -- 1896)

Even worse than slavery? (Dred Scott v. Sanford -- 1857)

Is this the type of judgement we want in a commander-in-chief? Not me!

Go Ahead, Vote for McCain, You Cunts!

John McCain's temper is well documented. He's called opponents and colleagues "shitheads," "assholes" and in at least one case "a fucking jerk."

But that is not the most incredible story circulating "out there."

In his 1992 Senate bid, McCain was joined on the campaign trail by his wife, Cindy, as well as campaign aide Doug Cole and consultant Wes Gullett. At one point, Cindy playfully twirled McCain's hair and said, "You're getting a little thin up there." McCain's face reddened, and he responded, "At least I don't plaster on the makeup like a trollop, you cunt." McCain's excuse was that it had been a long day. If elected president of the United States, McCain would have many long days.

Also check out http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/01/mccain-asked-did-you-call_n_99744.html.

Non-tract: Is America a Christian Nation?

The U.S. Constitution is a secular document. It begins, "We the people," and contains no mention of "God" or "Christianity." Its only references to religion are exclusionary, such as, "no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust" (Art. VI), and "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof" (First Amendment). The presidential oath of office, the only oath detailed in the Constitution, does not contain the phrase "so help me God" or any requirement to swear on a bible (Art. II, Sec. 1, Clause 8). If we are a Christian nation, why doesn't our Constitution say so?
In 1797 America made a treaty with Tripoli, declaring that "the government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion." This reassurance to Islam was written under Washington's presidency, and approved by the Senate under John Adams.

The First Amendment To The U.S. Constitution:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof . . ."

What about the Declaration of Independence?

We are not governed by the Declaration. Its purpose was to "dissolve the political bands," not to set up a religious nation. Its authority was based on the idea that "governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed," which is contrary to the biblical concept of rule by divine authority. It deals with laws, taxation, representation, war, immigration, and so on, never discussing religion at all.

The references to "Nature's God," "Creator," and "Divine Providence" in the Declaration do not endorse Christianity. Thomas Jefferson, its author, was a Deist, opposed to orthodox Christianity and the supernatural.

Follow the link to read the entire non-tract... it contains good stuff, indeed!

Yet Another Child Molesting Christian

A former youth pastor at a Kingston church was charged Wednesday with sexually assaulting two teen girls he was mentoring, police said.

Brian Andrew Neiswender, 26, surrendered with his attorney Jair Novajosky at the office of District Judge Paul J. Roberts Jr., where he was charged with two counts each of indecent assault and corruption of minors. He was released on $50,000 unsecured bail.

Police said Neiswender assaulted the two teens, now 18 and 17 years old, from September 2003 through February 2006 while he was a youth pastor at Christ Community Church on West Dorrance Street.

Neiswender was placed on a leave of absence from Heritage Baptist Church, Lakeland, Fla., on Tuesday, the Rev. Bill Boulet said.

It seems these Christians just can't get enough of the kiddies, doesn't it?