On January 20, 2009, Barack Hussein Obama will take the oath of office and become our 44th President of the United States of America. This historic occasion will mark what will be for many Americans a time of immense satisfaction and celebration. As our country struggles to keep it's collective chin above what seem to be unrelenting breakers of frightening economic news, many look to the Obama Presidency as a beacon of hope, illuminating a vast new realm of possibility.

In these trying times, it seems forgivable that we draw our focus closer to home, to consider our own interests or the interests of our immediate families first and the interests of others second. The Obama Presidency represents an opportunity to remind us of our humanity, our concern for others and our common goals as Americans.

The Obama presidency could be a wonderfully transformative time for our country, a time when we re-acknowledge our core values while rediscovering their foundation. Our hope is that as a Constitutional scholar, Mr. Obama will help us to better understand the significance of this document as the bedrock upon which these values are secured, a document that stands as the well spring of our individual rights as Americans and the foundation of our laws.

Could there be anyone better qualified to illuminate the principles set forth in the 14th Amendment than an African American, who's ancestral arch as a recognized and acknowledged human being, only began in this country with the ratification of this Amendment, a concept born of the blood of 615,000 of us who forfeited our lives in the civil war, rectifying a gross inhumanity, and the countless number of us who forfeited our lives to the indignity of slavery in the nearly 200 years before? Could there be anyone better suited to stand before us and proclaim that every person in this country... every person... regardless of race, gender, age or a myriad of other distinctions that differentiate us from one another, is guaranteed the right to their life, their liberty and their property unless otherwise so determined by due process of law?

Will we take the opportunity presented by the Obama presidency and squander it? Will we simply choose to disregard what we've learned, to fall back upon prejudices and misconceptions fostered by ignorance and cultural convenience? Will we choose to continue to debate policy within the realm of religion and philosophical uncertainty rather than within the realm of objective truth? Will we choose not to rely upon a reality that would encompass all equally but rather a political position that one group will then impose upon the other, when having the leverage to do so?

Near the top of President Elect Obama's list of priorities immediate to his taking office, is the rescinding of the laws forbidding Federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. In Michigan, a recent referendum item—Proposal 2—was passed to amend the Michigan State Constitution to allow embryonic stem cell research. These causes reinforce the prevailing notion that embryonic stem cells hold the key to significant advances in medical treatment. It's thought that the findings from this new research will have such promise as to make any possible moral quandary irrelevant. We believe that we are truly on the brink of a brave new world of medical technologies that will provide us with miraculous cures for what are now permanently debilitating or ultimately fatal diseases.

Herein lies the problem:

Since 1973, the consequences of Roe v. Wade—abortion on demand and embryonic stem cell research—have embroiled our country in an un-winnable debate. We've been forced to argue the merits of humanity itself within the context of religious belief and philosophical opinion because we lacked the scientific tools and technology that would enable us to articulate the physical essence of our existence in a cogent, objective manner. This lack of technology has impaired our ability to reliably express the foundation of our human person; our DNA.

Today, we possess this technology.

Since the successful mapping of the human genome in 2003, science is now able to show us irrefutably, that a distinctly identifiable person, begins its life at conception. This conclusion is based upon nothing more than quantifiable, empirical, scientific evidence, having no reliance upon religious belief or personal philosophical opinion. We now have the ability to examine, analyze, measure and consequently identify, the unique characteristics and structure of an individual's genome—their DNA—at the molecular level. Our individual DNA signatures, formed at conception and unique to every one of us (unless we are an identical sibling!) now stand as the cornerstone of our singular identities, our molecular fingerprints.

This technology has already created a new precedent in our courts, where the results of examination and analysis of genetic material stand as substantiating evidence whenever a distinction between the identity of individuals is imperative to the sound judgement of a case. This technology has already helped overturn many past judgements, exonerating the wrongly accused and in some cases even saving them from execution.

Understanding all this raises serious question as to the validity of any argument supporting abortion on demand of, or medical experimentation on, what we now know to be a distinct, living person, albeit at the earliest stages of it's human development.

Here, American history provides us with an apt analogy:

The civil war was the cataclysmic result of a new acknowledgement of who and what, then, constituted a human person. Mankind, and America in particular, had reached a point in it's collective paradigm where we simply had to acknowledge that the African slaves that were out toiling in our fields were in fact people, people deserving of every freedom, right and privilege guaranteed to every other person in this country. The Civil War designated that tipping point in our national history when we acknowledged that Slavery, and the principles upon which this country was founded, could no longer coexist. If we were to remain The United States of America—with everything that that implied—then the institution of slavery would have to be abolished.

The same holds true for abortion on demand and embryonic stem cell research today.

If we intend to move forward as a country founded upon the inalienable rights of individuals to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, then we can no longer blatantly deny these very rights to those who are least able to act on their own behalf—our children—at the earliest stages of their development. Although we are a nation of people who relish their individual rights, we must accept that these rights are not absolute and that our rights as individuals extend only to that point at which they infringe upon the rights of others. Acknowledging this, neither can we deny the rights of women who's lives are put in real jeopardy by a pregnancy. In that "abortion on demand" no longer holds a Constitutional footing, abortion itself must be kept as a procedural option for women who's lives are at real risk due to a pregnancy. Just as a woman or man does not possess the right to cause the death of their child, neither does the child possess the right to cause the death of it's mother.

With knowledge comes responsibility. The more we understand about the fundamental nature of our human selves, the more we are obliged to use this knowledge in a responsible manner. If we have the capability to differentiate between what is a viable, genetically unique, human entity and other types of cells—even stem cells—than we must. The implication of this knowledge as it applies to our shared Constitutional rights is clear; we simply do not possess the right to conduct medical experiments on living humans, experiments that will in turn cause the death of these same humans. Other than our own right to live, there is no right that any of us possess that supersedes the right of these individuals to live.

As our collective focus turns to the economy it may be difficult for us to give these issues the continued attention they deserve. We have to remember that President Obama will—most likely within his first year in office—replace Justice John Paul Stevens on the Supreme Court bench and has given every indication that his appointment will be of a judicial disposition to support Roe v. Wade. Can we honestly say that this will be a step forward, considering the knowledge and understanding that we possess today?

Chief Justice John Roberts said in his confirmation hearings that in his mind the only thing that would take judicial precedence over stare decisis—the legal principle under which judges are obligated to follow the precedents established in prior decisions—was objective fact. Today, we have at our disposal, the technology that enables us to present the facts necessary to overturning Roe v. Wade. Will future American generations levy a harsh assessment of a willing decision to take a another step backward when the path in front of us is clear and unobstructed? We've simply traveled too far down the road of human experience for any intelligent, rational, caring person to continue to allow their opinions to be muddled by the relative ignorance of 1973.

We abolished slavery, we can overturn Roe v. Wade. It won't take a war but, it will take intelligence, understanding, compassion and immense courage. It won't be easy for most of us to unlearn something that we've accepted as the truth for 35 years—but that is fundamentally flawed—the notion that an embryo is simply a part of a woman's body, indistinguishable from any other, thus giving her purview over it. And it will take forgiveness. As we are all complicit in Roe v. Wade and it's consequences, none of us have the right to judge the actions of those who acted within the boundaries of the laws as they have stood in this Country for the past 35 years.

If Barack Obama's presidency is to truly be the presidency of Hope, then we can only hope that he is intelligent enough to truly understand this issue, and in the light of a new day, allow our hope to include and embrace the lives of our children at their earliest stages of development.

JohnN

Every single poll taken since Roe v Wade was passed, shows that the majority of American public AGREES with the Right of a Woman to choose what to do with her body, her organs, her eggs!!!! Believe it or not, even Religious fanatics get abortions, (but of course their own are for better reasons than others) Abortion on demand is a foolish, made up phrase by Zealots. No one demands an abortion, that is bullcrap!

Why is it always MALES who have objections to this right? It is absolutely none of your business what a woman decides is best for her when she is raped, or has incest, or when an unwanted pregnancy would not be in the child's best interest !

Keep your zipper zipped, and you will not ever have to worry about this issue!!!

Well, Well, Gates may turn out to be Leftist yet !!

Washington - Defense Secretary Robert Gates signaled a willingness yesterday to forge ahead with two key priorities for the incoming Obama administration: accelerating the US withdrawal from Iraq and shutting down the Guantanamo Bay detention center.

As the only Republican Cabinet member asked to stay on by President-elect Barack Obama, Gates told reporters that military commanders are looking at ways to more quickly pull troops out of Iraq in light of the 16-month timetable that was a centerpiece of the Democrat's campaign.

http://www.truthout.org/120408N

Pam, there is so much wrong with that post that it's hard to know where to begin. So many fallacies, so much bullcrap. For example, the fact that you can sequence the genome of a zygote in no way proves that it is alive. For another, the civil war was not fought to free the slaves. It happily had that effect, but in the beginning secession was about maintaining slavery, and the war was fought to preserve the Union. Freeing the slaves was a strategic move made in the middle of the conflict.

That's enough for now, but the entire post is a rotten piece of garbage.

JohnN: You are an arrogant authoritarian conservative and you think that you know more/better than everyone else and everyone should just bow to your will. Women have a right to privacy and a right to decide what will happen within their own bodies and you have absolutely zero right to tell any female any different. To call Roe nothing but 'abortion on demand' is so far beyond simplistic as to be ignorant. You have no right to demand that the government be an agent for you to impost your narrow minded views upon others. The vast majority of Americans voted for the freedoms granted in the Bill of Rights and in the Constitution. They are sick to death of the type of oppression that you are demanding and they voted accordingly when voting for Pres. Obama. The most recent election proves that you are completely irrelevant, unnecessary and totally unwanted. So, Please go back to your little corner and put your 'dunce' cap back on and leave us alone.

Vermont called healthiest state, Louisiana last

By Will Dunham 2 hrs 9 mins ago
WASHINGTON (Reuters)
"We've just not made any improvement in the overall healthiness of the nation," said Dr. Reed Tuckson of UnitedHealth Group Inc, the largest U.S. health insurer, and the private United Health Foundation.
The foundation, American Public Health Association and the Partnership for Prevention advocacy group put together the 19th annual state-by-state rankings.
It was the second straight year that Vermont topped the rankings. It was followed by Hawaii, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Utah, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Idaho and Maine.
Louisiana fell from 49th to 50th, replacing Mississippi. Rounding out the bottom 10 were South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Florida, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Nevada and Georgia.

This is odd: How many of the bottom 10 states voted Republican and how many of the top 10 states voted Democratic? I can't help but wonder if there is a relationship.

Good afternoon fellow Democrats. Good morning to the left coast.

marymac_memphis on December 4, 2008 at 01:13 PM

Of course there is a relationship, my good friend. The relationship is stupid people do stupid things like vote Republican or not take care of themselves.

Of the top ten, eight are blue and two are red. I'll let Blue speak for Idaho. And say what you want to about Utahans, but all that clean, Mormon living must be paying off.

Of the bottom ten, eight are red, FL has only gone blue twice in the past eight or ten election cycles, and NV has "Sin City" (i.e. Las Vegas where excess in encouraged).

3
PamB on December 4, 2008 at 12:22 PM

Like I said before, it's going to be interesting to see how Gates performs when he's out from under Cheney's thumb. I suspect that we don't know the whole story about Gates' tenure in the Bushiato.

BEIJING: (AP) - A Chinese general has called for the country's navy to join the fight against Somali pirates, saying the mission would boost China's international stature and give its sailors valuable experience in fighting open ocean combat operations far from their home ports.

Chinese ships have been among those seized in a wave of pirate attacks this year, including the fishing vessel Tianyu No. 8, seized in mid-November.

International warships from NATO and countries including Russia patrol the Gulf of Aden and have created a security corridor in the area under a U.S.-led initiative, but attacks have not abated.

"Piracy doesn't just interfere in our country's navigational safety, it also impedes our development and interests," Major General Jin Yinan told state radio.

"I think our navy should send ships to the Gulf of Aden to carry out anti-piracy duties," Jin said, according to a transcript of the interview posted Thursday on the Web site of the official China News Service. The date of the interview was not given...

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/12/04/asia/AS-China-Piracy.php

I agree with MGEN Jin. If China wants to be one of the superpowers, let them start acting like it. We could use a few more cops on the world's street corners.

10Doo-Bee-Doo-Bee-Doo on December 4, 2008 at 01:26 PM

Notice how all those state are traditional red states.... hmmmmmmm...

One of these days these states will wake up.

10
Doo-Bee-Doo-Bee-Doo on December 4, 2008 at 01:26 PM

They may go to church more than the rest of the country, but which church(es) do they go to?
The "Bible Belt" has a high percentage of self-appointed evangelical preachers, Holiness, Pentecostal, etc. who have little if any training in theology, and many times make it up as they go along
I don't think Catholicism would be anywhere hear the top of the list, but the uber-conservative Catholic EWTN is headquartered in Alabama.
Is it something in the water?
Possibly it is a culture thing.
The key states in the south, the Carolinas, Alabama, Georgia were settled by rich upper crust whites, who had land grants that they built into plantations, and by the poor and the criminals at bottom of the English society, who were shipped over to provide labor, until the plantation owners complained that the poor whites were dying off too fast, and started importing Africans.
The plantation owners then employed the poor whites who survived their indenture to be overseers, and slave chasers to round up escaped slaves. They had their own little feudal society going and they planned to keep it that way.
The blacks were on the bottom of the ladder, the poor whites,about a rung up, and the rich whites sat at the top and sneered at everybody else.
To keep the poor whites from allying themselves with the black slaves, since they were treated about as badly as the slaves, the plantation owners came up with the race issue. Education for the poor wasn't valued, because they might start asking questions if they were better informed. The Palin family with their shotgun wedding and the kids dropping out of school is
just a poor white southern family transplanted to Alaska. When I was living in Southern Indiana (a suburb of Kentucky) about a fifth of my kids' female classmates dropped out of school at 16 to get married. Many to guys 5 to 10 years older than they were.

Butte: I'm here in Memphis and the high today will only be about 45 degrees. It is sunny and beautiful other than being cold. I'm almost afraid to ask, what is the temp. like there?

Here are four things that were passed that harmed our country greatly, that are the cause of the financial and moral authority problems unfolding now so quickly. And yes, we need to discuss it because it appears the media and the DC consultants are going to be trying to paint us on "the left" as the enemy. We are not. We have been right almost 100% of the way the last 8 years as so many rushed to support Bush's radical agendas.

Four things the Dems in congress got terribly wrong, and "the left" got very right.

Eight year's of GW's born again left behind who cares about humanity and creation theology has given churches a bad rap. Obama has read and comprehended Niebuhr's theology - which is worth looking up right about now. It gives a whole new meaning to Sinatra's line "Day and night...night and day..."

sally your been dreaming since 2006 that republican would be in the majority there not so come back to reality quit predicting senate race and get back to work lazy bum

Good afternoon, all.

It looks like the Republican's Globalization Cinderella story hasn't worked out for even the emerging nations....

Even calls centers in India face layoffs in today's economy

By Jeremy Kahn
NEW YORK TIMES
12/04/2008

BANGALORE, India — After years of being blamed for job losses in America and elsewhere, India's high-tech companies and outsourcing firms are going through a downturn of their own. The global slowdown is forcing them to reduce hiring, freeze salaries, postpone new investments and lay off thousands of software programmers and call center operators.

While some industry insiders insist the global crisis will actually benefit companies in India, as Western businesses seek to cut costs by moving jobs overseas, right now the sector is gripped by an unfamiliar sense of uncertainty.

"It's certainly not irrational exuberance," said Nandan Nilekani, co-chairman of Infosys, one of India's best-known technology outsourcing firms. "There is a lot of introspection about what does this mean and when does it end."

The downturn is exposing a deeper concern: India has become the world's front office, handling customer service calls, and its back office, helping to process payments and run accounting and other computer systems. But it has not yet become the head office — making major new products, pioneering marketing techniques or helping to shape corporate strategy.

Rather than drowning American technology firms or work forces with a vast supply of cheap engineering talent, as some had feared, India — and Bangalore, its Silicon Valley — have continued to largely serve as the information economy's version of manual labor.

"Historically, when it comes to innovation, Indian companies are relatively weak compared to the IBMs and Accentures of the world," said Partha Iyengar, the head of research in India for the Gartner Group, which analyzes trends in the tech sector...

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/world/story/5D416FBE7E873FB58625751500139036?OpenDocument

A flawed and corrupted concept is spreading joy throughout the world this holiday season. Beware of rich old white men of the GOP bearing gifts to poor babies being born in the far reaches of the Third World.

These conservatives sure as hell don't give a damn about the people back home...or what they used to consider their home. Now they are citizens of a global economy that only benefits those in the top 2% of any country.

I don't know about YOU, but I wouldn't even touch this for FREE !!!

Get Sarah Palin's New Book -- Free

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-kelly/get-sarah-palins-new-book_b_148158.html

We need media reform. Or a more curious public. I still want to know who sent the Anthrax around to public officials before the passage of the patriot act and who killed Pat Tillman. Anyone else interested?

PamB on December 4, 2008 at 02:29 PM

The Republicans will love it. It'll be written on a third grade reading level and of course, any time a Republican can get something for nothing, they will.

Orangutan on December 4, 2008 at 02:42 PM

The guy who sent the Anthrax committed suicide, Pat Tillman was killed by friendly fire, and the First Amendment still applies.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Edwards_Ivins

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Tillman

i see sally is idiot i think franken will be the next senate of minnesota

16
marymac_memphis on December 4, 2008 at 01:58 PM
It's beautiful and sunny here, too. But the temperature is 15 degrees. We had a snowstorm a couple of days ago so everything looks white.

Dear Bloggers,

It was not my intent to insight such hate filled responses from you but honestly, this is what I expected... on this site. Based on your comments, I think what might make you feel better would be to find a group religious zealots and have a screaming match with them across a police line! You could throw eggs at each other (no pun intended) or maybe you could clobber each other over the head with your signs! For me, and the other rational individuals in this country, that type of debate is long over.

Your attitudes are passé and contain no substantive value. The rhetoric you continue to spout was written 35 years ago and sounds silly on the ears of anyone with an 8th grade education. I suggest that if you take umbrage with any of the information provided in my message, you should do your own research.

I've always felt that it was my responsibility to change my point of view if I was shown to be misinformed. When given a clear choice between ignorance and enlightenment... one should always choose the latter.

22Sally-* on December 4, 2008 at 02:37 PM

The only thing you learn from reading extreme right wing books and authors is just how retarded they are. see: Ann Coulter, Obamanation, anything Bill O'the clown ever wrote or said, etc, etc, etc.......

Sally-* on December 4, 2008 at 02:37 PM

Sarah hasn't learned anything since she bought into the idea of Adam and Eve riding dinosaurs.

The only thing we could learn from Palin is how to dress for success and conduct a shotgun wedding.
Since she lost the election and there hasn't been any date scheduled for that wedding, her advice isn't worth much.

I'll wait to see the movie.

33
SandyH on December 4, 2008 at 03:52 PM

Dress for success? Palin? LOL! ROTFL!!!

SandyH on December 4, 2008 at 03:52 PM

Sandy, the movie is already out.

http://www.postchronicle.com/news/original/article_212179963.shtml

Bill O'the clown is not extreme right. He believes a lot of liberal flap doodle like global frickin warmin...

Oh, no. He's one of you. You can't disown him...or Spunky. You conservatives create these clowns and now they're part of your circus.

Chris Matthews is dead serious about running for the Senate in Pennsylvania — and is shopping for a house in the state and privately discussing quitting MSNBC as proof of his intense interest, according to NBC colleagues, political operatives and friends.

Even so, some NBC insiders think it’s all simply a negotiating ploy to jack up his contract.

The garrulous host of the show "Hardball with Chris Matthews" has already picked out a home in Philadelphia to establish residency in the state, according to a Democratic operative in discussions with him about a potential candidacy. Over Thanksgiving weekend, at his vacation house in Nantucket, Matthews’ family members gave him their full backing.

As speculation surrounding his potential candidacy heats up, Matthews has also been asking advisers whether to step down from his MSNBC post well before his contract expires in June. At one recent meeting, he was advised that if he truly intends to run, he should resign from the network as soon as possible.

“We talked about the value of doing this now and six months from now. I advocated that he do this as soon as possible,” the operative said. “It’s the MSNBC stuff that’s going to jam him up. I said, 'If you want to be a U.S. senator, step up and get into the race.'”...

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1208/16190.html

I doubt he gets past the primary however, more power to him. This is still America.

Protect Student Loan Borrowers, Not Just Lenders
Thursday 04 December 2008
by: Danny K. Davis and Yvette D. Clarke

As members of Congress who are active in education policy, we write to strongly urge the Treasury and Federal Reserve to include consumer protections in their plan to use taxpayer dollars to buy student loan securities. We strongly support ensuring that students have the money they need to attend institutions of higher education. However, we must make certain that any such plan aids students and doesn't simply line the pockets of for-profit lenders.

Most students and families use federal loans to pay for college. Thanks to recent actions by Congress and the Department of Education, federal student loans are readily available. However, certain groups of students require private student loans to attend school, such as students who need to borrow more than is available federally, students who attend schools that do not participate in the federal loan program, and international students. The Project on Student Debt estimates that only about 8 percent of undergraduates used private loans last year. Unlike federal student loans, private student loans typically lack any form of consumer protection (e.g., fixed interest rates, income-contingent and income-based repayment options, and debt discharge in the case of disability or death). For these reasons, lenders and financial aid experts generally agree that students should exhaust federal financial aid prior to using private loans.

Although the Treasury recently released some details about the new Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility, the nature of the program related to student loans remains unclear. We have serious concerns about using taxpayer money to subsidize for-profit lenders of non-federal student loans. A number of higher education groups representing students, consumers and colleges share our concerns. The Treasury-Fed plan seems to equate credit card, auto and student loans. However, these debts are not equal. Private student loan lenders enjoy federal protections from bankruptcy that other consumer creditors do not. Specifically, unlike other types of consumer debt, private student loans are protected from discharge during bankruptcy except under extreme circumstances. Thus, an individual who accumulates thousands of dollars in debt for purchases of cars or luxury goods can obtain relief via bankruptcy; however, a teacher with private student loans cannot.

Given these circumstances, we hope the Treasury and Federal Reserve will construct their student loan plan carefully to mitigate against adverse consequences for private student loan borrowers, especially in light of current economic conditions. Should taxpayer money be used to support private student lenders of non-federal loans, we strongly urge that the Treasury and Federal Reserve require consumer protections similar to those afforded to federal student loans as a condition of receipt of federal rescue funds. Federal student loans have consumer protections; private student loans subsidized by the Treasury-Fed plan should have such protections as well. Further, we recommend instituting steps to assess the underwriting standards of lenders who seek federal relief to determine if the lenders extended credit to particularly vulnerable consumers and whether credit was extended with onerous terms or conditions. Similar to the executive compensation restrictions of the Treasury-Fed plan, these restrictions would help focus federal dollars on stimulating lending while protecting taxpayers and borrowers.

We commend the effort to ensure that students with financial needs can access higher education during this economic crisis. We urge the Treasury and Federal Reserve to proceed cautiously when using taxpayer funds for the student loan industry, ensuring that both financial and consumer protections are considered.

I wish I was as stupid as her :)

29Ellievel on December 4, 2008 at 03:03 PM

hellllllllooooooo

anybody with a brain when asked what the vp does, who doesn't know the answer and is made a national fool of-----who does not make it her goal not to get caught again, well I think that said it all !!! dumber than dirt comes to mind!!

here's a good one:

Sarah Palin: The New and 'Explosive' Leader of the GOP

Watching the Republican Party implosion and subsequent bloody flailing has become my favorite spectator sport. "Wow, the Republican Party is really, really horribly mangled," then, "Cool! Palin's making an ass of herself on TV again!"

Why the excitement? Well, it appears as if she's being christened as the de facto leader of the Republican Party.

If Palin, in fact, becomes the leader of the Republican Party, exploding is precisely what will happen -- and not in the weirdly excited-slash-sexual way Chambliss seemed to imply. Specifically, Sarah Palin is a walking, talking psychobomb, and elevating her to anything beyond a near-term novelty will be disastrous -- in a word, "explosive" -- for the Republican Party.

And it'll be almost too much fun to watch.

As of right now, we have several contenders for this post. There's "Sister Sarah" (a nickname I don't quite understand). There's the twice divorced former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. There's Bobby Jindal, the far-right governor of Louisiana. And Tuesday, we learned that Jeb Bush might be running for Senate and thus throwing his gigantic hat into the fight for the future of the party.

How screwed are the Republicans right now? Put it this way: the sanest contender in the above list is named "Bush." Yes, Bush: a name that proved to be even less popular this year than the name "Hussein." Yet there he is front and center.

Simply put, Palin and the others, will serve to more or less confine the Republican Party to the deep South where there are enough white fundamentalist hoopleheads to provide the GOP with a respectable electoral showing, but not enough support to seriously compete nationally. In other words, the Republicans are inexplicably pushing names that will do much more harm than good. And that's just fine and dandy.

For instance, apart from her unserious pageant walking and clueless turkey geeking, it's practically impossible for Sarah Palin, with her far-right ideology and divisive politics, to expand a Republican electorate that's already suffering from, well, shrinkage. Her appeal is so laser-focused on a rabidly fanboy-ish chunk of the GOP base that many more Americans who would otherwise vote Republican will surely continue to snap to other options. Meanwhile, the Palin base -- the fanboys who are "exploding" over Sarah Palin -- are a mélange of Bush dead-enders, disgruntled former Bush loyalists who haven't yet realized that the only difference between Palin and Bush is, well, lipstick, and, of course, way too many disturbingly pervy older men. Outside of this narrow demographic, everyone else thinks she's more or less an earnest yet embarrassing joke.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-cesca/sarah-palin-the-new-and-e_b_148236.html

bring her on!!!!!

Awesome article:

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/24375710/requiem_for_a_maverick

Hate filled bloggers? Right - this is the human condition....and those on the religious right aren't above the fray...though they'd like to imagine some special gnostic higher ground...this is good old sinful humanity here...saint/sinners alike...the real deal...it's where militant murderers like Saul turn into Paul...the kind of world where a savior is caught hanging out with prostitutes and tax collectors...ya...this must be the place....

jonhn on December 4, 2008 at 03:10 PM

Your religious intolerance is showing.

You're refusing to respect the faith of others and trying to impose your religion on everyone else. One doesn't have to look back too far in history to see what happens to such movements.

You haven't proven anything except that the freedom of speech still exists in this country. Nobody is going to change their religious beliefs because you have what you think is the "perfect" argument.

My freedom to practice the tenets of my faith are as strong as yours. So let's come to a shared understanding. I won't force you to donate your umbilical cord to science if you don't try to cut off my birth control pills.

Step over that line and all hell will break loose in this country. Entire sects of some religions denominations have disappeared in the past when they became too overbearing.

44SandyH on December 4, 2008 at 04:40 PM

Well, since the republicans and their ignorant followers have managed to turn our nation into some sort of banana republic, I guess they figure they may as well go all the way and attempt to control women through reproductive rights. Every dictatorship knows that the first step to controlling the masses is throught the women.

Brazilian authorities were Wednesday working to identify a mystery illness that killed a 53-year-old South African man visiting Rio de Janeiro. Rio's state health ministry said the man, whose name was not given, succumbed to a hemmorhagic disease after falling ill on November 25, two days after arriving in Brazil.

He was taken to hospital with fever, vomiting, blood in his urine and rashes.

Doctors suspected he had contracted an arenavirus, a group of viruses that includes Lassa fever, an infection endemic to west Africa that typically spreads to humans from proximity to rodents.

Dengue, malaria and ebola had all been ruled out, the ministry said.

While tests were being carried out, hospital staff who had treated him were being observed to see if they showed any symptoms.

Officials said the Pan American Health Organization had been informed of the case and the man's body would be sent back to South Africa in a sealed zinc casket.

Copyright AFP 2008

Keep an eye on this. This is how pandemics get started.

NEW THREAD AVAILABLE

Hello everyone. Just wanted to share my latest effort - a site that compiles all the high quality Obama wallpapers in one place. I'll be adding new wallpapers each day (6 were added today).

http://www.crisdecuba.com/obama/