Reviving for a Raspberry re FISA

Some personal matters have taken precedence in my life, keeping me away from my blogs and computer but I am beginning to revive and am returning to emphasize personal peace even as I mourn the passage of the Bush-Cheney Cabal Get out of Jail free bill. FISA, after passing the House (one of Joe Crowley's worst votes, together with his yes vote on the Bankruptcy Bill), passed the Senate last week 69 to 28 with 3 not voting [click title link for roll call]. Voting NAY, my Senators Schumer and Clinton voted FOR the rule of law and against telecom immunity. But too many Democrats caved and joined the shameless Republican lemmings. Richard Greene of AAR's Clout says Obama's vote was justified strategy but I am still uncomfortable.

I want my country back. Obama is our only real option. But I've pledged my Obama bucks to Bob Fertik's special escrow account at Democrats.com to make Obama more progressive. After the FISA bill vote, I wasn't about to finally make my donation. My dollars are progressive not regressive. Obama's vote may be strategic but it still sucked. But I am not going to dwell on it. I am going to be optimistic and work on my personal peace. Then I can be most effective. One thing that is making me smile is that my son is blogging again. Huzzah! Check his blog out along with me for his own quick takes on stuff.

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne

Enough, Hillary / Enough Hillary

After hearing Rachel Maddow's rant from last night on podcast, I went to Hillary Clinton's website and left this suggestion on their contact form (which I duly signed with my full contact information to validate):

I am a woman. I am a feminist. I am a New Yorker. I am a peace and justice activist. Please get out of the campaign. You have lost unless you steal it.

My daughter-in-law abhors you and will not vote for you. I used to like you until you voted for Bush's illegal invasion (and before I realized what a corporatist you have been).

Enough, get out. Now.

Thank you.

Rachel contends that Clinton's decision to take it to the convention will cause the Democratic presidential candidate to lose. I will add that Clinton first and foremost believes in the divine right of Hillary. The party bigwigs have got to sit on her and set her straight. She is not helping women. She is not helping families. She is not helping our country or our world. She is being self-serving. Time, past time, for her to get out. If she won't leave graciously, then the Democratic Party must take action along the lines that Rachel Maddow suggests: They must get 90 super delegates to move right now to Obama to deflect her position about Florida and Michigan and make the subject of these two states moot.

Ah, the ego..... Talk about it. Contact her campaign. Contact any Dems who can help. (And then we will take up how Obama has to get real with his energy policy. There is no such things as good affordable nuclear energy or clean coal -- but that's another post.)

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne

Today - The Black or the White Twin?

Little Super Tuesday and I still haven't removed my John Edwards campaign button from this blog -- I so miss his more populist message. Meanwhile, DLC leader Hillary Clinton and "I'm not a member of the DLC -- why did they list me?" Barack Obama spout words of populism even as they accept corporate dollars via lobbyists and/or big spenders. Yeah, I voted for Obama, in the hope that he will rise to the level of his recent message. (After all, I allowed John Edwards growth and reconciliation.) But then I listened to the Black Agenda Report's Glen Ford being interviewed by WILL Radio's Media Matters' host Bob McChesney and I have real concerns. Tweedle Dee or Tweedle Dum. The Black or the White Twin. Listen to the February 24, 2008 show and see what YOU think. (Let me know below or via yahoo email to kateanne7.)

One thing for sure, either is better than any Republican who would most certainly finish wrecking the Supreme Court -- let alone allow Bush in essence a third term of lies, illegal wars, torture, spying, signing statements, political corruption, and other miscellaneous evil. Which reminds me, yesterday Thom Hartmann gave me the idea for a political button for Button Buddha Ruth Klein to create: National Exorcism Day Nov. 4, 2008. Vote Democratic. That said, we gotta get on Obama for talking nuclear power (too expensive, too unsecure, too unsafe) and there is no such thing as clean coal. Hope. Ah, Johnny -- the corporate media did you in and now all I can say is may the better twin win.

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne

Edwards' Endorsement in the Offing?

Air America Radio's Rachel Maddow and David Bender have just been discussing the rumor of John Edwards endorsing someone, and possibly Hillary Clinton because she is viewed as tougher. It is Valentines Day and I do not wish to face such betrayal. I just went to JohnEdwards.com and left this on the Contact page:
 

Message for John Edwards:

There is rumor you plan to endorse. As someone who donated a lot (for me) to your presidential campaign, blogged and talked about it, and also collected petition signatures in New York City, I am begging you:

PLEASE do NOT endorse Hillary Clinton -- she has been a corporatist and has not listened to her peace and justice constitutents.

She gets big money from the ARMAMENT industry and the Big Pharma. A Hillary Clinton endorsement would be a SLAP in the FACE of anyone who worked for YOU.

Please do NOT make of your campaign a MOCKERY.

Thank you.

====

Will it make a difference? If enough of us do similarly, maybe. And perhaps Rachel and David are wrong about the endorsement. Rachel would prefer him not endorsing anyone. I'm with her -- especially if her endorsement is Clinton.

 

Peace hugs,

Kate Anne

Krugman: The Edwards Effect

I am feeling a bit better, reading Paul Krugman's column, The Edwards Effect. JRE has made a positive difference in Democratic politics and in brightening America's future. It isn't going to be easy going forward, but at least there really is hope. John and Elizabeth Edwards' issues must continue to be furthered. We have to push Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. And YOU know how I feel. Much to do, but let's do it!! Here's to February 5th!

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne

Paul Rogat Loeb: "Why This Edwards Voter Is Now Backing Obama"

While I continue to mourn the corporatist media's murder of the John Edwards campaign, I gather the opinions of others on where-to from here. I think I could have written the first two paragraph's of Paul Rogat Loeb's article published at CommonDreams.org -- Why This Edwards Voter Is Now Backing Obama:

I gave John Edwards more money than I’ve given to any candidate in my life, and I’m glad I did. He raised critical issues about America’s economic divides, and got them on the Democratic agenda. He was the first major candidate to stake out strong comprehensive platforms on global warming and health care. He hammered away on the Iraq war, even using scarce campaign resources to run ads during recent key Senate votes. He’d have made a powerful nominee-and president.

I’ve been going through my mourning for a while for his campaign not getting more traction, so his withdrawal announcement didn’t shock me. But sad as I am about his departure, I feel good about being able to switch my support to Barack Obama, and will do all I can to help him win.MORE

Meanwhile, I have yet to speak to an Edwards supporter who is now supporting Billary errr Hillary Clinton.

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne

Gregory: "I could vote for a Democrat - but not Hillary"

The above statement was made to me today by my brother Gregory, a nominal Democrat but a beloved rightist ditto head who joined the Democratic party to work on Paul Tsongas' campaign some years back. He also says he likes John Edwards. When will the mainstream Democratic party get the message? Will they get the message in time to make a difference? The way they have been screwing up, I wonder.

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne

"Hillary and the Politics of Disappointment"

I can oh-so relate to Paul Rogat Loeb's article at Common Dreams, Read it:

Hillary and the Politics of Disappointment
by Paul Rogat Loeb

When Democrats worry about Hillary Clinton’s electability, they focus on her reenergizing a depressed Republican base while demoralizing core Democratic activists, particularly those outraged about the war, and consequently losing the election. A November 26 Zogby poll, for instance, now shows her trailing the major Republican candidates, while Edwards and Obama defeat them. But there’s a further danger if Hillary’s nominated–that she will win but then split the Democratic Party.

We forget that this happened with her husband Bill, because compared to Bush, he’s looking awfully good. Much of Hillary’s support may be nostalgia for when America’s president seemed to engage reality instead of disdaining it. But remember that over the course of Clinton’s presidency, the Democrats lost 6 Senate seats, 46 Congressional seats, and 9 governorships. This political bleeding began when Monica Lewinsky was still an Oregon college senior. Given Hillary’s protracted support of the Iraq war, her embrace of neoconservative rhetoric on Iran, and her coziness with powerful corporate interests, she could create a similar backlash once in office, dividing and depressing the Democratic base and reversing the party’s newfound momentum. MORE

NOW, if you feel similarly to us you should be sure to send your donations to help out the candidate(s) of your choice. [I’ve donated to Edwards, Kucinich and Dodd.]

The latest Zogby poll is frightening — yes, I know other polls say other things, but Hillary has a lot of baggage and there are people on both the right and the left who abhor her (i.e., my brother Gregory and I). I have suspended my National Organization for Women membership since NOW Pac endorsed her — and I have been a member consistently since 1979. (And even started a NOW chapter in Ohio and restarted another.) That says a lot.

The mainstream corporatist medium would tell us it is all over even before Iowa and New Hampshire. The thought depresses me and then I decide to ACT. I’ve been petitioning for John Edwards and talking to folks and now I am going to make another donation to John Edwards (FYI — I worked for Kucinich last time and got Kerry — eewwwww — John Edwards and his Elizabeth are a great and electible team.)

Peace hugs!!!
Kate Anne

UPDATE: Paul Rogat Loeb is scheduled to be on Thom Hartmann's Thursday show. Should be good!

VERY Important PS, PPS, and PPPS

Lying in bed, what I didn't write in the original open letter to WWRL jumped in my mind. These are now printed on pretty paper, ready to be sent to WWRL's program director Rennie Bishop, copy to Air America Radio president Mark Green.


IMPORTANT LONG PS -- Good heavens!! Writing so late at night, I forgot to thank you about about the great Laura Flanders and her show Radio Nation -- then I realize that because I stream and blog with the other Laura Bloggers I haven't noticed that she's no longer on your schedule!! Now, sadly, her show is only an hour long early Sunday afternoon (NOT long enough -- and, both entertaining and educational, she was my favorite on the now defunct Air Americans Show, along with the wonderful David Bender). Please fit her Radio Nation in your schedule somewhere!

I could and perhaps should have mentioned Rev. Jim Forbes' inspiring show, The Time is Now -- but I haven't gotten any new podcasts and I have heard rumors that it may have been cancelled [update: it has been]. If so, what a loss! Whatever Air America does, I hope it remains on your schedule with new shows. We have to remind people that liberals can be spiritual. (That's one of the reasons I love Thom Hartmann!) The Rev. Jim is so appealing and New York and all of America need to hear his message.

Waking up and reviewing your schedule I am pleased to see you have Marc Sussman's Money Message -- I have to find time to manage what money I have and appreciate learning how to do it in a progressive politically correct way. Please keep him in your lineup. And as a nascent vegetarian, I also appreciate Bob Linden's show, Go Vegan, providing food for thought -- but I don't see it in your lineup. Consider it, please.

Finally, I deliberately omitted mention of left radio goddess Randi Rhodes, and perhaps I should explain. While I am glad she's on WWRL and I know she has a lot of value, she's just not my cup of tea. When she's really on target she's terrific -- and she's great for the novice listeners who probably appreciate her gushing about meeting certain celebrities, but I must admit her nastiness to certain callers (some of them obvious fans who get off on the wrong foot) turns me and my radio off. Hey, I can listen to podcasts of FAIR's CounterSpin or Bob McChesney's Media Matters [great archives for both of these!] -- these are two shorter shows on the very important media issue that are NOT currently in the Air America lineup that probably should be. And there's Matt Rothschild's Progressive Radio Show on a variety of topics. I don't need Randi most days -- personal preference. But her show has a role to play and she belongs on WWRL. Thank you!



IMPORTANT PERSONAL & POLITICAL PPS -- Good grief! I sound like the Left Wing version of my Ditto head brother. I sound like I only listen to talk radio. Nooooooo. I do have a life. But I listen when I can to learn and to act. That's the difference between me and my brother. I want to take what I have learned from blogging and talk radio to change the world positively -- to make it more peaceful, environmentally safer, and economically fair and just.

Interestingly, though, my rightist brother has started to listen to the LEFT wing talk shows on satellite radio and there are two things we actually agree on. We both cannot stand Hillary Clinton (albeit for different reasons) -- and we both would vote for John Edwards if HE gets the nomination. That says a lot doesn't it?

What also says a lot is the latest unannounced call-in presidential poll on Thom Hartmann's show. Everyone holding was dumped from the lines and it was everyone trying at the same time. The results were telling: Edwards: 26, Kucinich: 12, Obama: 4, Clinton: 3, Biden: 2 and one each for Ron Paul, Al Gore, and Higgens the cat. (If my call would have been answered, I would have said John and Elizabeth Edwards -- they are a great and winning team.)

Edwards is a populist and he polls well with lots of Americans of all and no party affiliation. Rolling Stone said John Edwards is the candidate the Right fears. How I wish that WWRL and Air America Radio would get behind him, like me and my rightist brother. Think about it. And again, thank you.

PPPS -- In true activist fashion I'm posting this letter on my blog PeaceHugs.com and telling my blog and listserv friends about WWRL, Air America, good talk radio, and John Edwards for President.

###

And a personal note to my blog readers: Of course, I don't listen to all the shows I like all of the time. Thanks to podcasting and the NY subway and bus system, I actually listen to quite a bit. It is important to learn to pick and choose. This is easier podcasting. If a show is a dud (and everyone has a dud now and then), go on to another podcast. That said, there are a lot of good podcasts -- just like books and movies -- that I and you will never get to. So be it. I am just glad that there is enough of our democratic republic left to have left wing radio (and let us NOT forget the great Amy Goodman's Democracy Now!).

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne

Keeping up, impeachment and life

My life has been a whirl with a mixture of personal and politics.

Politics-wise -- Dennis Kucinich's H.Res.333 to impeach Cheney first is gathering cosponsors. Click the title link for current info from Thomas, BUT these are current co-sponsors as of today:

Rep Clarke, Yvette D. [NY-11] - 6/6/2007
Rep Clay, Wm. Lacy [MO-1] - 5/1/2007
Rep Lee, Barbara [CA-9] - 6/7/2007
Rep Schakowsky, Janice D. [IL-9] - 5/1/2007
Rep Woolsey, Lynn C. [CA-6] - 6/7/2007
Rep Wynn, Albert Russell [MD-4] - 5/10/2007

Call YOUR representatives and demand that they at least take a stand and co-sponsor this issue. It doesn't matter that in the end that Repugs would block it: we have to speak out against blatant corruption. Meanwhile Republicans yesterday blocked the tame no confidence vote on Alberto Gonzales. Outrageous! But it is especially up to those with Republican senators to bitch -- and insist that they and the Democratic senators impeach this person whose actions are so in oppostion to the law. There are currently 76,545 signers on the petition to impeach Gonzalez. Add yours to this petition to "urge the House Judiciary Committee to begin the process of impeachment of US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, in accordance with Article II, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution".

Other things I have learned:

• Hillary Clinton was the Senator who got the most money from the Healthcare/Big Pharma industry last year after Senator "Man on Dog" Rick Santorum who lost his relection bid. And we should believe that she will give us reasonable health care and drug prices? Hello.
  
  
• Obama who claims to be anti-war campaigned for pro-war Senator Joe Liebermann. ARGH!!
  
  
• And so much more from Thom Hartmann whose show yesterday makes me further question our country's descent into fascism or at the very least feudalism. The rich get richer, the poor get poorer. And what we are number one in is WAR and PRISONS. Our defense spending is bankrupting our country while making some Bush contributors very wealthy. And this spending is floating our current economy at the expense of our future.

Personal stuff: Yesterday was my lovely Aunt Betty Murphy's birthday. Friday was terrific button maker Ruth Klein's birthday (and her twin Maxine) -- and she provided me with some great buttons including one for John Edwards which I wore to All Saint's Church's Strawberry Fair and the Ridgewood Democratic Club's Dinner Dance this past Saturday. And we also celebrated my peace friend Sam Oast's birthday last week. Meanwhile, I'm making a little headway at de-boxing my new apartment but life in corporate America cuts into my time and energy. Still, until I win lotto, gotta earn money. So much to do, including read Al Gore's book, The Assault on Reason and Caroline Myss's book, Entering the Castle: An Inner Path to God and Your Soul. But first, to work....

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne

Birthday Sam

Explaining my non-renewed NOW Membership

Hi, Sherry and Shirley -- I've been a member of the National Organization for Women for years and very active for ten of those. (Ashtabula [OH] NOW of which I was founding mother just celebrated its 30th anniversary in February and I served two terms as an Ohio NOW state officer.) That said, I have not yet renewed my membership, expiring in June. Instead I wrote on the form my concern about NOW endorsing DLC Democrat Hillary Clinton. Was this discussed? Were members polled? Or was it NOW PAC who endorsed her because she is a woman?

Besides being a corporatist DLC Democrat, giving little more than lip service to the shrinking middle class, she has been a disappointment as New York's junior US Senator in other ways by not responding appropriately to those of us in the Peace and Justice movement [i.e., the "Are you listening, Hillary?" campaign]. Furthermore, not only does she NOT apologize for her war vote, but she also continues to make the stupid inane comment that if she had known then what she knows now she would not have voted to authorize the illegal Iraq invasion. (Why didn't she know it then? I did.) Bill Clinton is a rightist Democrat (as Thom Hartmann has put it, "one of the best Republican presidents we've ever had") and Hillary, sadly, has Bill as part of her baggage along with her years of serving on the Wal-Mart board and her feeble attempt at Healthcare reform where she bent over backwards to try to pass something that would keep the insurance companies happy (and they still squelched it, spending oodles of money on PR to convince people to lemmingly ask Congress to vote down even modest health care reform). The one thing political on which I and my rightist brother agree, Hillary sucks.

I care about women's rights, and I do care about NOW, but I don't care about Hillary Clinton and I truly hope I will not be forced into voting for her because she gets the nomination and I have to vote for what I perceive to be "the lesser of two evils". While my political heart is with Dennis Kucinich, I also care about John Edwards and his beautiful wife Elizabeth and I think John IS electable so I'm going with him at this point. (I didn't the last time, stuck with Dennis to the end, and ended up with John Kerry who didn't even wait for the votes to be counted -- and he really DID actually win the last election, but he didn't care enough to fight for it. Arghh!!)

Does NOW care that I haven't renewed? I am not sure that my little rebellion has even been noted by whoever opened the envelope. That's why I am writing this to you, as officers of Brooklyn Queens NOW -- and I think I will blog it. I'd like some explanation. If you supply it, perhaps I will blog that too. But I truly believe that Hillary Clinton sucks and I am so disappointed in NOW. So I am acting by not renewing NOW -- until the spirit(s) (of Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucy Stone and so many of our foremothers) move(s) me. Hillary Clinton does not deserve to be our first woman president -- she doesn't represent the multitude of American women. (Maggie Thatcher wasn't great for British womankind either.) NOW's endorsement is a big mistake. I feel betrayed. It saddens me, but I'm out of NOW for now.

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne
~~
http://peacehugs.com

MoveOn Out of Iraq NOW

Last night I was one of about fifty people standing in a light drizzle on 52nd Street and Roosevelt in Queens, NY, as part of the 1100 MoveOn.org Out of Iraq vigils held to mark the beginning of the (illegal) Iraq invasion four years ago. Our slight discomfort was nothing compared to what is endured by Iraqis and our troops serving in Iraq. Yet Hillary Clinton has now said she is for our continued presence and, hey, should we waste those fourteen permanent US bases we've built there?

Do I sound outraged? Well, I should. To the politicians elected to represent us, I and those standing with me last night would agree: let's MoveOn Out of Iraq NOW. As many of us said last December, "Not one more death, not one more dollar." At yesterday's demo organized by Sandra and John, names were read, stories were told, anger and mourning were expressed, and most important: action was urged. We vigilled. I even led the group in a song and urged nonviolence as my contribution (along with some peace luminaries). And today we speak up louder. Tomorrow, we should shout: Out. Now. We have no credibility left. Others will have to be in charge of cleaning up our mess though how we can possibly make restitution to the Iraq people for the sins we have committed, I cannot fathom.

Read Anthony Arnove's article, Four Years Later... And Counting: Billboarding the Iraqi Disaster. And please join me in speaking out for peace and justice.

(For more pictures from the vigil, check out the MoveOn set at my Flickr.com site.)

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne

FOR Peace NOW!