Burnt Orange Report

Republican National Convention Delegates

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

This is just great. Go over to the Republican National Convention site and look at their 4 delegate profiles.

We have 2 Hispanics, 2 Woman, and 1 African American. Talk about sugar coating the delegation, where are all the straight white guys in their 50s? They seem to be severly under-represented. This is clearly a case of reverse discrimination!!!

I mean, if this was the Democratic Convention Site, I would be just fine, since we seem to be a bit lacking in that whole white guy department anyways...

And reading their profiles, all four would want to watch a Broadway musical rather than see a Yankee's game. WHAT? Don't they know that their Party's nominee is manly and isn't one to be whistling showtunes??? And remember from that article who the delegates aren't seeing any shows with gay characters in them? Even so, what is with Mr. Cortez wanting to see Mamma Mia (ABBA songs, can't get much gay camp)? The others are going for the Lion King, but don't they know it's not the wholesome movie, but the offspring of the ever so gay Elton John?

Not matter how hard the National Republicans try to moderate their image, the fact is they are still controlled and beholden to their right wing base. Give me a break.

Talk with CNN

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

Today I chatted with Mark, the guy from CNN about what all they might be interested in as far as the National Convention goes. They are looking to profile interesting people from across the State and Country heading into the Convention. We chatted some about my four year story on becoming a delegate and my journeys with the Dean campaign this past year. We also talked some about my future ambitions as far as politics goes and if someday I was interested in running for office.

So let me just say this, I am interested in running for office, more than anything, the Texas State House. Back home in Fredericksburg, that is a bit of a tall order since the District is 79% Republican drawn (I'm not kidding). But that wouldn't even stop me in reality because I believe that if anything, it spread a Democratic message in an area that usually doesn't get to hear it.

And any Democratic vote gotten anywhere in the state, is a Democratic vote for a state-wide candidate. It doesn't matter if it is from Precinct 148, UT Campus in Travis County, or Precinct 3, Fredericksburg, Gillespie County.

I am also looking 10 years down the road about a seat in Travis County as people, long term, do their dance from office to office. Mark my words; one of these days, I will be in the Texas House. It may take time, persistence, and perseverance, but if I can work four years towards a National Delegate Dream, this too can be done. Time will tell.

MA House Passes Kerry Replacement Act

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

The Massachusetts State House overwhelmingly passed a bill similar to that of the State Senate which would strip Republican Governor Mitt Romney of being able to appoint a succesor to Kerry (when he wins the Presidency :) Romney, a Republican, probably could not have resisted the urge to appoint a Republican, even though the seat very obviously would have been held by a Democrat, but remember, politics over logic.

So now the State Senate has to go back and repass the new version, which is will, and send it off to the Gov. who will either veto it, or send it back where it will get repassed by both houses anyways. (It passed with veto-proof majorities in each).

Checks and Balances.

Dean Debates Nader

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

From the AP...

Among the debate topics: Should Ralph run for president? The participants: Howard Dean and a candidate who always has an opinion on the subject — independent Ralph Nader.

Dean, the former Democratic presidential hopeful who attracted legions of liberal followers before his bid fizzled out, will debate Nader for 90 minutes on July 9 before a studio audience.

National Public Radio's weekly program "Justice Talking" is sponsoring the debate, and correspondent Margot Adler will moderate.

Dean has been urging his supporters not to back Nader, but to stay within the Democratic fold and vote for John Kerry (news - web sites),

"I am anxious to debate Ralph Nader in order to speak about why he wants to run for president," Dean said in a statement. "This is the most important election in my lifetime and a third party candidate could make a difference — this November and for years to come."

I hate to see Dean reduced to running interference against Nader, but then again, if there is anyone credible to do it, it's him. For a man like Nader, who is on not one state ballot, has been rejected by his old Green party, and may not even be able to use the Reform Party's endorsement (because their conference call didn't meet the FEC's rules for a Party Convention), it may take Dean to finally put the smack down to make him realize that he can serve much better purposes for Democracy without running.

Because right now, Nader the person, is running nowhere.

G-Mail

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

I have a G-Mail account.

Yes, my friends, thanks to a good guy over in a Daily Kos Diary (Davidnyc), I have been invited and now have an account. I just got lucky that I got online today on campus. I still can't believe it.

karltm@gmail.com

I'm so original, aren't I?

Presbyterians Move Towards Gay Ordination

By Byron LaMasters

Having grown up in the Presbyterrian Church (U.S.A.), it's heartening to see several steps towards progress at the PCUSA General Assembly (convention) this week in Richmond.

On Monday a pro-gay peace activist was elected moderator of the convention (although in reality, this guy appears to have been the most moderate of the three candidates):

A peace activist who supports the inclusion of gays in the ministry was elected Saturday to lead the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. for the next two years.

The selection of the activist, Rick Ufford-Chase, comes as the church prepares for a fresh round of debate at its annual convention this week on whether to repeal a ban on gay pastors.

Mr. Ufford-Chase, 40, will serve as moderator of the denomination, which has 2.4 million members. He is the first layperson to hold the unpaid position since 1999.

Also, by a 35-30 vote, a committee at the convention recommended that "sessions and presbyteries" not be bound by "authoritative interpretation" of the Presbyterian Constitution that prohibits non-celibate gays and lesbians from being ordained in the church. Gay issues have divided the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) for nearly a decade now, but the progressives in the church have steadily made progress over the past few years. Here's the news of the challenge on gay ordination:

The Committee on Church Orders and Ministry voted narrowly Tuesday to recommend that the 216th General Assembly declare that “sessions and presbyteries are not bound” by the 1978 authoritative interpretation of the Presbyterian Church (USA) constitution, which says that “unrepentant homosexual practice does not accord with the requirements for ordination.”

In the same vote, the committee decided not to recommend a constitutional amendment to delete G-6.0106b, the provision that requires “fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman or chastity in singleness.” The committee recommended that measures to that effect “be answered” by its recommendation on the authoritative interpretation.

If adopted by the Assembly, the measure would issue a new authoritative interpretation reading: “In carrying out their responsibilities under the constitution to determine fitness for office, sessions and presbyteries are not bound by statements of the General Assembly and its commissions regarding ordained service by homosexual persons that predate the adoption of G-6.0106b.” The vote on the measure was 35 to 30.

Good news so far. The next step is for the convention to vote on the issue, then if I remember correctly, each individual presbytery (the regional governing bodies of the church) will have to vote on it within the next year.

GOP Planning on Cancelling Elections?

By Andrew Dobbs

Now, I hate to be the one fanning the flames of paranoia but soon I'm going to be joining the tin foil hat wearers if I have to keep reading shit like this:

The government needs to establish guidelines for canceling or rescheduling elections if terrorists strike the United States again, says the chairman of a new federal voting commission.

Such guidelines do not currently exist, said DeForest B. Soaries, head of the voting panel.

Soaries was appointed to the federal Election Assistance Commission last year by President Bush. Soaries said he wrote to National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge in April to raise the concerns...

"Look at the possibilities. If the federal government were to cancel an election or suspend an election, it has tremendous political implications. If the federal government chose not to suspend an election it has political implications," said Soaries, a Republican and former secretary of state of New Jersey.

"Who makes the call, under what circumstances is the call made, what are the constitutional implications?" he said. "I think we have to err on the side of transparency to protect the voting rights of the country."

Soaries said his bipartisan, four-member commission might make a recommendation to Congress about setting up guidelies.

"I'm hopeful that there are some proposals already being floated. If there are, we're not aware of them. If there are not, we will probably try to put one on the table," he said...

"The states control elections, but on the national scale where every state has its own election laws and its own election chief, who's in charge?" he said.

Soaries also said he wants to know what federal officials are doing to increase security on Election Day. He said security officials must take care not to allow heightened security measures to intimidate minority voters, but that local and state election officials he's talked to have not been told what measures to expect.

"There's got to be communication," he said, "between law enforcement and election officials in preparation for November."

Let's see here, where to begin... The reason we don't have anyone in charge of cancelling elections is because in a democracy you don't cancel elections. Do I think that it is likely that Bush would cancel elections? Probably not. But does a part of me fear a Reichstag fire kind of situation? You bet. I swear to God, every day of this administration has me running for my dogeared copy of 1984. John Kerry in 2004 (or whenever Election Day is...)

Mark Strama Update

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

For the past month I have been volunteering for the Mark Strama for State Representative Campaign here in Austin. I haven't posted much about it (and I will in a couple of weeks for Texas Tuesday's) but for now I would just like to say that this is probably the Premier House Race in the State of Texas this fall. In my opinion it's one of those races that if we lose it, we probably aren't going to be winning in other seats like Kelly White or Katy Huebner, for example.

As you very well know, the end of the quarter is midnight June 30th, today for filing purposes. The Mark Strama Campaign sent out an e-mail fundraising pitch this morning and in 18 hours, has raised $9,015.03. If the campaign can bust the $10,000 mark it will be a major accomplishment that will become a great piece of media for a good Democrat.

So I'm going to ask you, the BOR readers, to donate to the race of state house races (in my biased opinion) and tack on .03 to let them know it's coming from here. The average contribution has been around $65 today, but those $10.03 contributions like mine are heavily present in those totals. So give today.

Element of Surprise...

By Andrew Dobbs

(Crosspost from Yellow Dog Blog)

Thought y'all might like this. From the Borowitz Report:

INSPIRED BY IRAQI HANDOVER, BUSH HOLDS U.S. ELECTION FOUR MONTHS EARLY

Element of Surprise Cited As Bush Romps to Victory

Inspired by the early handover of sovereignty in Iraq, President George W. Bush employed the element of surprise once more last night, holding the U.S. presidential election four months early.

The election, about which only top Bush administration officials were notified, went exceedingly well for the president, who carried all fifty states and garnered approximately one hundred percent of the vote.

Mr. Bush¹s victory speech, which he had originally scheduled for eleven P.M.. last night, was at the last minute rescheduled to nine P.M., once again capitalizing on the element of surprise.

In his speech, Mr. Bush admitted that he might have had a more difficult time getting reelected if the American people had actually been notified about the time and date of the voting, but added, ³A win¹s a win, right?²

Mr. Bush¹s second inauguration is slated to take place on January 20, 2005, but administration officials acknowledged that it could happen ³at any time..²

³For all I know it has already happened,² one aide said.

While the stealth presidential election seems to have cemented the Bush administration¹s reputation for secrecy, one aide said that some secrets were harder to keep than others: ³For example, everyone knows how Paul Wolfowitz gets his hair to look so great.²

White House officials praised the performance of the controversial new Diebold electronic voting machines, which successfully tabulated final results from Florida before a single vote was cast.

I'm a Chauvinistic Pig!

By Byron LaMasters

I'm not sure if I should be offended for being called a chauvinist (a homosexual chauvinist at that), or if I should take it as a badge of honor, considering that the attack comes from Chris Elam - an Aggie who happens to be a Republican political consultant whose client list includes our good friend, Tom DeLay (and I'd be neglectful if I did not point out that Chris Elam is a heterosexual).

I guess I'll choose the badge of honor. Chris got a bit perturbed with my take on a story stating that escorts and strip clubs were preparing for a big week when the GOP is in town for their convention. Did I mention that Chris is straight?

A bit perturbed is an understatement. First, Chris makes an ad hominem attack on strippers and "madams", since you know - they can't be trusted. Well, sure, some exaggeration might be involved, but I'll trust a stripper before I'll trust a Republican. Second, Chris suggests that it's not the Republicans that would be engaged in these activities. Why, it's the liberal media! Of course. I should have thought of that one myself. You know, because Republicans would never do things that contradict the strong family values planks in their platform. Third, Chris calls me a chauvinist, because I don't think of the women. Or maybe right-wingers believe that homosexuality is synonymous with chauvinism, since we believe in the superiority of one's own gender - hmm... well in bed, yes, but everywhere else... no. Fine then, call me a chauvinist in the bedroom, but it's an insult anywhere else. Otherwise, the sarcasm escapes me. Fourth, Chris accuses me of turning on feminists and embracing conservative moral values. Wait, didn't he just attack me as a chauvinist? You really have to spell it out to these right-wingers. I stated that a Republican delegate poised a greater threat to the institution of marriage by going to a strip club or hiring an escort than did gay and lesbian couples that wanted to get married. The right-wing Republican interpretation of that is that I want to close down strip clubs and I'm a hypocrite since I'm a liberal that ya know, should be supporting these feminists. Right. I'd challenge Chris to find me a couple that has gotten divorced because gays and lesbians want to get married. On the other hand, I'm sure we could both find people who got divorced because of an affair that one partner had with a stripper or escort. I never made a moral judgement on either of those activities, simply a factual one. It's not my place to make moral judgements on either activity, but that's a debate for another time. Anyway, I'll spare yall the rest. You can read more from Chris on his blog, here. He happens to be a heterosexual by the way (did I mention that earlier?).

CNN Has My Number

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

This was the message on my parent's answering machine today...

Looking for delegates to convention in Boston to talk to and be interviewed on camera to talk about convention from delegates point of view. Got your name, looking for outgoing, interesting delegates who might be good for this, got your name from the state party.

So yeah, CNN wants to talk to me. I am blown away. This after I was in the Daily Texan the other week for being the youngest National Delegate from Texas. Woot!

Please, Pick Edwards

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

At the State Convention, I heard Edwards speak for the very first time. As well as Kucinich.

Edwards blew me away, Kucinich, was blowing steam. But back to Edwards. If Kerry picked him for the Veep, I would even give some money to the campaign (which right now I'm not since local candidates need it more than Kerry in my opinion at this point).

Edwards has passion, and vision, and hope, and optimism and what a hell of a message. Granted, I am still a Deaniac at heart, but Edwards gives me some soul and I would have been for him if Dean wasn't in the race, and since Dean isn't in the race for VP, put me down as an Edwards guy. Gephardt, bless the man, leaves me cold (and Iowans too, aparently with his less than Dean finish).

So Byron, Jim, Andrew...do we have enough votes around here yet for a BOR Edwards for VP endorsement?

Lunch with Jake Gilbreath

By Byron LaMasters

Vince has some great posts on Jake Gilbreath over on Texas Tuesday's today. I thought that I'd post a little bit here on the race, since I had lunch with Jake last week. I realized that a friend of mine that went to high school in Waxahachie, that currently goes to USC, but is back in Dallas for the summer - was good friends with Jake. So, we set up a lunch. It was nice to be able to spend over an hour talking with a candidate about his race. His race isn't one of the top targeted races by the state Democratic Party, or even by the local Dallas / Fort Worth area party leaders and activists. Still, he's the type of candidate that we need running in every district across Texas. He's smart, driven, and is out there every day talking about a Democratic message across his district. We won't win back Texas by ignoring districts like the district Jake is running in. We'll win back Texas by encouraging candidates like Jake, and recruiting more candidates like him.

He's running on bringing fresh ideas to Austin. He often talks about College tuition rates. He talks a lot about public school funding, and his solution is replace Robin Hood by closing the franchise tax loophole. I asked Jake why he's running now, as opposed to waiting to run for office until after he graduates from college. Jake replied that the people of his district needed effective representation now, and that should he lose, he might run in 2006 again. Jake has taken the fall semester off from school, so that he can campaign full time. He sees it as proof of his committment to the race and to the district. While his race has not been a top priority, he has received encouragement from his county chair, former elected officials, the state party and his family. He's also won support from several unions in the Ellis County Labor Council.

Jake is running a grassroots campaign. He's researched voter files, and he'll spend much of the summer and fall walking door-to-door in the district. He plans to knock on 30,000 doors by the end of the campaign. Recently, he's campaigned at the Polka Fest in Ennis where there were 50,000 people - most of them from the district. Jake stayed to shake hands with people all day. He plans to have a presence at the Crape Myrtle Festival in Waxahachie on July 3rd as well.

On his opponent, Jake said that he's been ineffective for the district, and has essentially been a pawn for the Republican leadership. Jake's opponent has also taken a leadership role on controversial issues such as proposing a bill that would have lowered the age for the death penalty to sixteen.

Jake has been involved in politics in college as well. At George Washington, he served as the Co-Director for Students for Clark and he's also worked in the finance department at the DNC. Jake might not win this time around, but his race is one that needs to be run. We should have Jake Gilbreath's in all 82 Republican held seats in the Texas House. If for no other reason, active legislative candidates serve to bring a Democratic message personally to Independents and swing voters. A three minute conversation with a candidate at your doorstep, in your park or at a restaurant has a much more powerful effect on a person's vote than any television ad. In addition, active Democratic candidates can help serve to get out the Democratic base. Finally, people like Jake may not win in 2004, but consider this. If Jake loses, but does better than expected and captures the attention of the party leadership and the money people - he can run again in 2006 and be considered a top-tier race. Or.... Jake can graduate, start a career, run for office in five or ten years and people will remember. Anyway, head over to his site, and give him a few bucks if you have the chance.

Missouri for Edwards

By Byron LaMasters

Interesting story here. Missouri Democratic Party County chairs support Edwards:

Missouri favorite son Dick Gephardt is not the favorite vice presidential candidate of several rank-and-file state Democratic leaders looking to deliver its 11 electoral votes to John Kerry.

Asked which prospective running mate would help Kerry win the battleground state, eight of 11 county chairmen and chairwomen selected at random by The Associated Press chose Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina. Gephardt and Edwards are among those Kerry is reported to be considering.

Only two of the county officials chose Gephardt, and one picked Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack. President Bush won Missouri by just 3 percentage points in 2000.

"Gephardt just doesn't have the get-up-and-go that Edwards has," said Irma Brannum of Poplar Bluff, the Butler County party chairwoman. "Edwards is the exciting one," said St. Charles County chairman Joe Koester.

If Kerry were having trouble with labor, then Gephardt would make sense, but Kerry's doing fine with labor. If I had to bet on it, I'd bet on Tom Vilsack, but a John Edwards pick wouldn't surprise me.

Escort Agencies, Strip Clubs Prepare for GOP Convention

By Byron LaMasters

Yeah. Yeah, the hypocrites:

With thousands of Republicans set to invade the city this summer, high-priced escorts and strippers are preparing for one grand old party. Agencies are flying in extra call girls from around the globe to meet the expected demand during the Aug. 30-Sept. 2 gathering at Madison Square Garden.

"We have girls from London, Seattle, California, all coming in for that week," said a madam at a Manhattan escort service. "It's the week everyone wants to work."

"It's going to be big," agreed one operator at a midtown escort service.

[...]

That's the hope among escort services expecting a windfall from randy Republicans.

"We've got everything organized - the hotels, the flights, the advertisements," said another escort service operator. "We'll probably have 60 girls that week, instead of the usual 30."

It's not just the escort agencies that are expected to thrive with thousands of Republicans in town. The strip clubs are gearing up for increased business as well:

Clubs have started booking private parties for delegates anxious to ogle topless beauties after a day of watching fully clothed politicians boast about family values.

You really can't put it much better than that. The delegates engaging in these services will likely sit idly throughout the days as they listen to their party leadership speak of the evils of gay marriage. Then, they'll go out at night and indulge themselves in activities that poise a much greater threat to marriage than two gays or lesbians does. Oh well. Perhaps, Rick Perry is on to something. If this article is any indication of how much Republicans enjoy strip clubs, then perhaps it'll be easier to fund our schools than I thought with Perry's proposed strip club tax. Ya know, it's for the kids after all.

Via Political Wire.

More on Evans for Guv, Dowd for Comptroller

By Byron LaMasters

Today's Houston Chronicle confirms what Andrew wrote last week:

Secretary of Commerce Don Evans, a former Texas oilman and longtime friend of President Bush, is being encouraged to return home and run for governor, a Republican insider said Monday.

The source, a longtime political player in Austin and Washington, said Evans hasn't dismissed the idea but doesn't plan to seriously consider it until after the November presidential election.

Evans was out of the country Monday. But Ron Bonjean, a Commerce Department spokesman, said Evans isn't planning to run for governor.

"Secretary Evans is 100 percent committed to serving President Bush as secretary of commerce," Bonjean said. But he couldn't confirm or deny whether Evans has been asked to consider a gubernatorial race.

"He has had some people approach him, and he is thinking about it," said the Republican source, who spoke on condition he not be identified. He wouldn't say who was encouraging Evans but said a gubernatorial race in either 2006 or 2010 was a possibility.

Meanwhile, Bush strategist Matthew Dowd is looking at a 2006 run for Comptroller:

For Matthew Dowd, chief strategist for Bush-Cheney '04, Job One is making sure that President Bush still has free government housing at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. come next year.

Job Two is moving back to Austin as soon as possible after the November election. And Job Three might be getting himself elected state comptroller.

After years of behind-the-scenes work for candidates ranging from Democrats Lloyd Bentsen and Bob Bullock to Republican Bush, Dowd will soon be looking to act on the dream he has harbored for years: making the move to candidate.

"I really would like to do it when this is over," Dowd said on the eighth floor of the suburban office building that houses Bush-Cheney headquarters.

Dowd, 43, is evasive about exactly what elected office he would like to occupy. He rules out a legislative post and says he is most interested in a statewide post in which "I could do something."

Privately, he has told friends that state comptroller is the job that fits his love of numbers and desire to have an impact.

War on Iraq and Howard Dean

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

Sometimes there is a little part of me that just wants to get up and say, "I told you so." It wouldn't be very grown-up or professional, but I'm 19 and a blogger so I'll say it.

I told you so, and so is Howard Dean.

Howard Dean sounded like he had been vindicated on Sunday when he noted that most Americans now agree that the United States should not have invaded Iraq. It was a position that fueled his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, and earned Dean much criticism in the process.

“After being castigated by both Democrats and Republicans for a while, now the majority of Americans agree with me this was a mistake,” the one-time Democratic front-runner said on CNN’s “Late Edition.”

More than half, or 52 percent, of Americans said the war was not worth fighting, according to an ABC News-Washington Post poll taken June 17-20. That number is up from 50 percent in May.

Dean said most people also agree with him that the war hasn’t made America safer.

Iraq is Now "Sovereign"

By Andrew Dobbs

So yeah, we went ahead and signed the letter transferring sovereignty to Iraq two days early. Good idea, since terrorists were surely planning on spoiling the photo op on Wednesday but still meaningless. Sovereignty is like virginity- you either have it or you don't. Having 150,000 US Troops stationed in your country charged with keeping the peace makes you a client state of ours. Iraq won't be truly sovereign until they kick us out, which is about the only new power they have gained. And they are unlikely to do that because since they have no military of their own and are facing a well-organized brutal resistance.

In other news, Bush really wants to sell this as some kind of victory for him but nobody is buying it. A CNN poll that they have been running all day reports that 60% of respondents believe that the handover of sovereignty is a sign that we have failed in Iraq. My boss put it the best way- for Bush the American public is starting to look like a critical father you just can't please. America is ready to get this kid out of the house and things are starting to look scary for the president.

More Proof that Ralph Nader is a Dick

By Andrew Dobbs

Nothing to important here, but today I was chilling by the pool at my apartment complex reading My Life by Bill Clinton when a young guy who was swimming came over to ask me about it. I told him that it was very interesting and well written but that if he were looking for a sordid tale of Clinton's sex life to look elsewhere. We talked politics for a bit and I found out that he was a very conservative Republican who had interned for GOP legislators at the state capitol.

I didn't mind this- I don't personally dislike most individual Republicans and he had the good sense to judge Clinton a "decent" president. Still, something he said piqued my interest. The guy told me that when Ralph Nader came to Texas earlier this year in his run for the President he was invited to staff the candidate and to help advance his events around the state. That's right- active conservative Republican was asked to work for "progressive" candidate Nader. He was busy so he had to decline, but you have to ask who Nader really wants to represent if he's seeking out the hardest of the hard right to help his efforts.

Nader represents the worst aspects of the left- self-centerdness, a lack of political acumen and is the very symbol of the division among the left in the face of a very united right wing. If the left were to figure out a way to pull their heads out of their asses, actually build a coalition and keep it together maybe they could achieve some of their goals. Instead they'd rather curse the darkness and kiss each other's asses at how "principled" they are than to light a candle.

Screw Ralph Nader (R-CT).

It is NOT a sin to vote for John Kerry

By Jim Dallas

Via Nathan Newman:

But possibly the most fascinating fact is that Vatican officials clearly told the Bishops that voters are free to support pro-abortion politicans without sinning, if they support them for other policies:

As many of you know, Vatican officials offered both principles and advised caution and pastoral prudence in the use of sanctions. . .It is important to note that Cardinal Ratzinger makes a clear distinction between public officials and voters, explaining that a Catholic would be guilty of formal cooperation in evil only if he were to deliberately vote for a candidate precisely because of the candidate’s permissive stand on abortion. However, when a Catholic does not share a candidate’s stand in favor of abortion and/or euthanasia, but votes for that candidate for other reasons, it is considered remote material cooperation, which can be permitted if there are proportionate reasons.
Mark that statement. Essentially, the Vatican's official position is that abortion IS NOT an issue that trumps every other issue politically. By the logic of this statement, the Vatican is saying that if a poltician is pro-choice, but supports many other priorities of the Church, it is quite reasonable for Catholic voters to support them over a politican who is pro-life, but fails to support Catholic doctrine on many other issues.

Which leaves John Kerry is a great position, since by at least one measure, he is the best Catholic in the Senate on supporting the priorities of the Conference of Catholic Bishops on non-abortion issues.

So repeat this as a mantra until the media gets it. The Vatican says (a) abortion is NOT the only important issue politically, and (b) voters are free to support pro-abortion politicians as long as they are proportionately good on other Church priorities.

And now, in a more secular sense of the word "sin":

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry canceled plans on Sunday to address a U.S. mayors conference this week at a hotel that is likely to be ringed by picketing police officers.

"I don't cross picket lines. I never have," Kerry said at Our Lady of Good Voyage church in South Boston, where he attended Mass on Sunday evening.

Asked if Kerry and representatives of the U.S. Conference of Mayors would meet somewhere that police were not picketing, Kerry spokesman David Wade said: "We don't have any information on that yet."

Kerry had been scheduled to speak on Monday morning at the Sheraton Boston Hotel, where police officers -- who have been working without a contract for two years -- had a picket line on Saturday. Kerry would upset unions across the country if he crossed a picket line.

Preach it!

The NASCAR vote

By Jim Dallas

Atrios informs us that Dale Ernhardt Jr. (son of the late, great, Intimidator) wants people to go see Fahrenheit 9/11.

National HIV Testing Day

By Byron LaMasters

It's fast. It's easy. It's painless. Get tested if you're at risk for HIV / AIDS. Today is the national HIV Testing Day, so do it.

Are you afraid of making money? (a.k.a. Frodo & Me).

By Jim Dallas

Byron has already touched on Fahrenheit 9/11, but I'd like to reveal a startling statistic that I believe he did not touch on -- the average gross per theater for F9/11 was just a hair over $25,000 ($25,110 to be exact).

On a per-theater basis, F9/11 is more profitable than the following films were on their opening weekends:

• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (3,855 theaters, average of $24,302).

• The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (3,703 theaters, average of $19,613).

• Finding Nemo (3,374 theaters, average of $20,821).
  

On an average basis, Spider-Man (the film with the largest opening-weekend gross ever) pulled in about $30,000 per theater. It's also a tad behind Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, for which whole church congregations were bused in. Other films with almost-identical per-theater averages include The Matrix Reloaded ($25,471) and Star Wars: Episode II ($25,317).

Now a question - if Michael Moore is reelin' them in at a faster clip than J.K. Rowling and J.R.R. Tolkien, and packin' em in at about the same clip as the Wachowskis and George Lucas - why is F9/11 only on 868 screens? Are America's theater owners afraid of making money or something?

Delegates from Texas

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

Although we're all 100% Kerry folks now, 75 of the 294 Texas Delegates, Alternates, and Committee folks began this great journey to Boston as Howard Dean supporters. There may be a "Dean" event in conjunction with our time in Boston...

That's right around 25%. I'm working on getting a full listing and seeing what the other breakdowns in various categories are at the momment. Soon I will also post about the new SDEC and the turnover there.

Arnold for Gay Marriage?

By Byron LaMasters

Apparently, he doesn't oppose it:

A curiously candid Arnold Schwarzenegger, California's Republican governor, admitted that he had no particular objection to same-sex marriage while meandering from table to table during a lunchtime visit to Romano's Macaroni Grill in Folsom, Calif. on Thursday.

The forthright admission came on the same day that the California state Assembly voted 42-27 to oppose a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage -- a measure backed by President Bush. The resolution heads to the Senate, and, if passed, it does not require the governor's signature. In the past, the governor's remarks on the issue have been difficult to interpret.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Schwarzenegger's exchange at the restaurant was with 31-year-old Peter Renfro, a Sacramento Democrat, who has a male domestic partner. When asked by Renfro if he had moral objection to gay marriage, the governor said, "My opinion is that I don't care one way or the other," the newspaper reported.

State legislators who support same-sex marriage were encouraged by Schwarzenegger's comment. Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez and Assemblyman Mark Leno have plans to introduce a bill in December that would permit same-sex couples to marry. The governor has not said whether he would sign such legislation.

Just another reason why Arnold is my favorite Republican. It won't happen, but it would be nice to see Arnold share his opinion with his fellow Republicans and the American viewing public when he speaks at the GOP convetion in August.

Fahrenheit 9/11 Poised for #1 on Weekend Charts

By Byron LaMasters

It's estimated to take in over $21 Million this weekend. Go see it (again) tonight. I might. It has a small weekend lead over White Chicks. Here's the charts:

TW LW Title (Click to view daily chart) Studio Weekend Gross % Change Theater Count/Change Average Total Gross Cost* Week # 1 N Fahrenheit 9/11 FAG $21,800,000 - 868 - $25,115 $21,958,000 $6 / $10 1 2 N White Chicks Sony $19,600,000 - 2,726 - $7,190 $27,100,000 $37 / $30 1 3 1 DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story Fox $18,500,000 -38.5% 3,020 +326 $6,125 $67,171,000 $20 / $30 2

The amazing thing is that Fahrenheit is being shown in only 868 theaters - about a third the number of theaters that are showing most of the other top ten movies this weekend. Conservatives tried to intimidate theaters into not showing Fahrenheit. Didn't work. The average theater made $25,000 in ticket sales this weekend on the movie.

Old Friends and Crazy Shit

By Byron LaMasters

I got up today in my typical Sunday morning routine. I Slept in. Made a pot of cofee, then spent a few relaxing hours reading the Dallas Morning News and the New York Times. So who's on the front page of the Dallas Morning News? My old friend from elementary school, Doug Havard. I was friends with Doug from 4th grade through 6th grade when we both attended the Parish Day School. We parted our seperate ways after sixth grade. I kept in touch with him until eighth or ninth grade, but at that point we more or less lost contact. Doug was always a wheeler-dealer. In elementary school he'd buy a box of baseball cards and sell the packs to myself and my friends for a profit. Unfortunately, he turned to selling drugs and fake i.d's in high school and college. When he was arrested for selling GHB to an undercover cop, he fled the country. A part of me was hoping he'd just fade away - have a nice life with the hundreds of thousands of dollars that he had made on some remote beach. But Doug got greedy. He got himself involved in an international money laundering scheme and was arrested this month in England. I don't have any sympathy for the guy. He'll be in prison for a long time, and that's a good thing. Anyway, read today's Dallas Morning News for more. For further background, read this 2002 Dallas Observer story.

The Next Saddam?

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

I have a friend who lives in Pakistan, who in the past has been able to provide first hand accounts of events in the country and in Europe which take longer to get to the American Media, if at all. He sent me a short note the other day with the following thoughts attached. Just some food for thought...

Anyway...as the European constitution goes. I think by having a section on religion, Europe faces a difficult choice. Preserving history and culture which have made it so powerful...at the risk of upsetting and promoting intolerance to its secular ideals which in the past century have made it possible for millions to migrate to Europe and help in its prosperity by bringing in new ideas and beliefs which have helped it immensly.

The best plan of action ould probably be one which recognizes a connection to a higher being but at the same time allowing for enough room for the minorities
and growing immigrants to practise their religion freely without any fear of being legally termed "unpatriotic".

Pakistani prime minister resigned yesterday after months of speculation. Apparently he disagreed with the American supported Military dictator General
Musharraf about the armys continued involvement in the affairs of the government. I think Musharraf is going to be a future Saddam Hussain. He's already imprisoning and making opposition leaders and critics dissappear. It'll be a short time before he starts persecuting his own people.

Anyways, thats my update from Karachi, Pakistan.

Fahrenheit 9/11

By Byron LaMasters

Saw it tonight. It was very well done. It's funny, entertaining and depressing all at the same time. Yeah, if you hate Bush, as I do, you'll leave the movie theator hating Bush more (even if that's hard to believe). If you like Bush, you'll probably take it as liberal Michael Moore propoganda. I wore one of my John Kerry t-shirts to the theater and had two people ask me where they could get one. Go to Kerry Gear dot com. It's the official John Kerry for President store. On the way out, I ran into Congressman Martin Frost who was waiting in line for the next showing, and had the opportunity to talk to him for a minute or two. He wasn't sure what to expect from the movie, but wanted to know what everyone was talking about. It was good to see a lot of people line up to shake hands with Martin Frost. It wasn't a campaign event, but he was easily recognized by many of us as we left the theater. I might have more thoughts on the movie tomorrow. It's definitely worth seeing for any Democrat or Independent voter. I was glad to see less of Michael Moore, and more of real people that were effected by the war - like the mother of a soldier killed in Iraq. She's a patriotic woman that puts up her flag every morning, only to see her son killed in Iraq.... for what? A lie by the President of the United States. Shame. Shame. Shame.

Anyway back to Martin Frost, if you haven't yet, donate to Martin Frost. He was Tom DeLay's number one target with redistricting, and he's the leader of the Texas Democratic Congressional delegation for years. Help him out.

And of course, get the liar out of the White House, too. Donate to John Kerry.

Intellectual Footsie

By Jim Dallas

Brad DeLong follows up on Matt Yglesias. John Rawls, David Hume, the National Review, and the word "niggardly" are involved. Two lessons will be learned here:

• stupidity sometimes pays; and
• never sign a social contract without the advice and consent of a philosophy major.

Go read it or else, eager young space cadets!

Greens Refuse to Endorse Nader

By Andrew Dobbs

Great news coming from the Associated Press regarding the Green Party convention in Minneapolis this weekend:

The Green Party nominated Texas attorney David Cobb as its candidate for president Saturday, dealing a blow to independent Ralph Nader's campaign.

Nader, the party's candidate in 1996 and 2000, had hoped for the party's endorsement and access to the ballot Greens have in 22 states and Washington, D.C. (news - web sites) Instead, he will have to find another way to get on the ballot in those states, including Wisconsin and California.

Nader told party officials months ago he would not accept the party's nomination for president, openly courting their formal endorsement instead.

But 408 delegates voted for Cobb on the second ballot to give him the nomination. Maine radio personality Pat LaMarche was the party's nominee for vice president.

Cobb has walked a line between praising Nader and questioning what his candidacy as an independent offered the Greens as they try to expand their status as a third party (...)

Nader already has the backing of the Reform Party, which has ballot access in seven states, but he has yet to be placed on any state ballots.

This is great news for Democrats. Nader has been working for several months now and has yet to secure ballot access in any state. Of those 7 Reform Party states, the most critical of them all- Florida- is likely to leave his name off as their rules stipulate that the party must have a convention to get the candidate's name on the ballot while the Reform Party simply had a conference call (far cry from Perot's almost 20% in 1992). Furthermore, the convention was full of division between Nader backers and Cobb supporters which suggests that the party might be headed towards disintegration. Ralph Nader is quickly becoming a meaningless figure in the race and the Green Party is on the rocks.

In other news, now of the 4 largest political parties in the country 3 of them have Texans on the ballot. GOP nominee George W. Bush, Libertarian nominee (and Buda native) Michael Badnarik and Green Party nominee David Cobb. Let's hope that we have no Texans in the White House in January!

Bush / Cheney then and now...

By Byron LaMasters

Bush in 2000:

President Bush had made his vow to "change the tone in Washington" a central part of his 2000 campaign, calling bipartisan cooperation "the challenge of our moment."

"Our nation must rise above a house divided," he said in his victory speech in December 2000. "I know America wants reconciliation and unity. I know Americans want progress. And we will seize this moment and deliver."

Cheney in 2004:

Vice President Cheney on Friday vigorously defended his vulgarity directed at a prominent Democratic senator earlier this week in the Senate chamber.

Cheney said he "probably" used an obscenity in an argument Tuesday on the Senate floor with Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) and added that he had no regrets. "I expressed myself rather forcefully, felt better after I had done it," Cheney told Neil Cavuto of Fox News. The vice president said those who heard the putdown agreed with him. "I think that a lot of my colleagues felt that what I had said badly needed to be said, that it was long overdue."

The forceful defense by Cheney came as much of Washington was discussing his outburst on the Senate floor in which a chance encounter with Leahy during a photo session in the usually decorous Senate chamber ended in colorful profanity. The obscenity was published in yesterday's editions of The Washington Post.

So much for changing the tone...

Edumakayshun

By Jim Dallas

The New York Times does a good wrap-up on the ongoing shit-storm (oops, would poo-lution be more family friendly?) -- at any rate, on the dark and dirty truth about HISD's "miracle" under the misleadership of now-EdSec Rod Paige.

Groan. Everytime we got something good going on -- Enron, the HISD miracle, the Houston Rockets' legendary "Dream Team" -- it ends up falling apart or being a sham.

It's the End of the Quarter.... you know what that means!!

By Byron LaMasters

It's June 26th, and the end of the quarter is four days away, so I decided to make my end of the quarter donations tonight. I'm a student, working part-time this summer, so I figured I could spend a little bit of money giving to candidates that I support. I'd encourage all of you to donate to the candidates of your choice at the end of the quarter (so within the next four days). End of the quarter reports can make a second tier candidate a first tier candidate. They can make seemingly uncompetetive candidates viable. Small contributions can make a difference, especially when they're bundled. That's why I decided to donate money to Kerry (which has become a monthly thing) as well as three of the dKos 8 candidates. I didn't contribute to the three top congressional races across the country, but I contributed to three races where my $10 contribution bundled with hundreds of others could make a difference.

• John Kerry - $25.00. He's the next president of the United States. He needs our money to fend off hysterical attacks like the latest Bush WebAd comparing Kerry's attacks to Adolf Hitler. It's outrageous and it's one of the main reasons that inspired me to contribute to John Kerry again today. Anyway, I still think that Kerry is running a great campaign, and he deserves our support.
• Richard Morrison - $10.01. Sure, it may be a longshot. We probably won't beat Tom DeLay. But it's important to send Tom DeLay a message that we don't like what he's doing. Tom DeLay is responsible for making the U.S. Congress the most partisan and uncivil Congress in recent history. At the very least, he needs a serious challenge, so that he'll at least have to watch his back.
• Stan Matsunaka - $10.01. He's running against Congress's number one hater - Marylin Musgrave. She's the sponsor of the Federal Marriage Amendment, and is obsessed with gay people. All she seems to care about it denying rights to gays and lesbians. She doesn't give a flip about her district. She's a one-issue congresswoman and she's out of touch. Her district deserves better. She won in the 2002 GOP landslide in Colorado, but Stan Matsunaka saw that she was looking vulnerable in the polls and decided to take a second shot at the race. He deserves our support.
• Jim Stork - $10.01. Jim Stork is running against Clay Shaw in a district that Al Gore carried in 2000. Democrats nearly won the district in 2000, but recount technicalities kept it in GOP hands. This coastal Flordia district is Democratic, and ought to have a Democratic congressman. Jim Stork has experience as a small business owner and as a mayor. Stork is also openly gay, so his election would mean that we'd have four openly gay members of congress (out of 535, house + senate). Of course, Florida already has a gay member of congress, Mark Foley, but he refuses to discuss his sexual orientation. It would be nice for Florida to have an openly gay Congressman.

There's other great candidates to consider as well. Stan Matsunaka is one of the candidates advertising on BOR, but there are others advertising here as well that are worthy of your support:

• Betty Castor for U.S. Senate in Florida - She's one of the three Democrats running for Bob Graham's seat. She's been leading in many of the recent polls. The Democratic primary is in September.
• Lorenzo Sadun for U.S. Congress - Lorenzo is who I'll be writing in for Congress this November. I live in his district, and he's my candidate. He's a UT professor and he's been making his rounds in the district. Help him make a serious campaign this November.
• Tom Daschle - for U.S. Senate - Do I need to say anything more? Tom Daschle is the most endangered Senate Democratic incumbent this cycle. John Thune is running again, and Republicans would like nothing more than to take out our Senate leader. Tom Daschle needs our support.

Don Evans for Governor?

By Andrew Dobbs

Capitol Inside (subscription required) is reporting that Secretary of Commerce and longtime friend of George W. Bush is considering a run for Governor of Texas in 2006.

Commerce Secretary Don Evans might be interested in the job his best friend used to have. Texas governor.

The Texas oilman and former University of Texas regents chairman has reportedly made calls about a possible gubernatorial bid to Midland, where he ran an oil and gas company before joining President George W. Bush's cabinet three years ago.

It's not clear whether Evans might be looking at a potential race for governor in 2006 or 2010. He's expected to keep his current job in the Bush Administration if the president wins a second term this fall. Under that scenario he wouldn't be free to embark on a statewide race for another four and a half years. If Bush loses, Evans could hit the ground running for governor early next year.

I have it on good authority that KBH will definitely run if Perry can't fix school finance but probably won't if he fixes it. I think that even if she does run Perry could easily win. I think that Dewhurst runs for her open Senate seat giving Strayhorn an opportunity to run for that while Perry and KBH duke it out for governor. I really think that Perry could take her from the Right- pro-choice women usually don't do so well in Texas GOP primaries. If Evans were to throw his hat in the ring it really could liven things up. I think he takes away KBH's business conservative base while still appealing to Perry's social conservative base as a result of his Bush connection. It'd almost certainly go to a runoff (a governor, a senator and a prominent cabinet secretary all in the race) and Evans would likely win the nomination.

The question then is, could Democrats beat him? Perhaps. Evans recieved a call from an Enron executive around 3 months before the giant's collapse asking for help as the company was about to go under. Evans did nothing to try and prevent the collapse or to help investors avoid calamity. Furthermore, his ties to the Board of Regents could be used to highlight his support for "tuition deregulation"- one of the largest middle class tax hikes in Texas history. Finally, Republican stewardship of the state government over the past two years hasn't been so great (to say the least) and Evans would inherit that reputation. Still, he'd be awfully formidible.

We'll see how this pans out as time goes on but on some level I hope we do face him, as it will mean the end of Bush. Evans offers the Republicans something they desperately need though, a legitimate successor to Bush as the focal point of their party. As a result, his emergence should be taken very seriously by Democrats across the state.

Bush is Delusional

By Andrew Dobbs

From the Associated Press:

President Bush defended his decision to invade Iraq and insisted most of Europe backed the move during a tense interview Thursday on Irish television (...)

Bush was asked whether he was satisfied with the level of political, economic and military support coming from European nations in Iraq.

"First of all, most of Europe supported the decision in Iraq. Really what you're talking about is France, isn't it? And they didn't agree with my decision. They did vote for the U.N. Security Council resolution. ... We just had a difference of opinion about whether, when you say something, you mean it."

Y'know what? I don't think that Bush is lying- I really think that he is either too stupid, too misinformed by his toadies or in too much denial to realize that all of the world and now a majority of his own country think that this war is ridiculous. At the time the war began Europe was united against it- if memory serves me correctly (and polls and election results stick out in my mind) about 70% said they opposed the war. Europe is so radically against the war that it has become conventional wisdom to not the continent's opposition.

Bush doesn't realize that. He believes that only France opposed his war, when virtually all of Western Europe was opposed to it. How can he effectively lead the free world if he doesn't even realize what is going on in it? We know that he doesn't read newspapers- he lets his aides bring him targeted clippings. This raises a rather serious question- is it possible that Bush's aides are simply keeping this information from him? Are they whitewashing and glazing over the facts in order to keep him happy? If so, America is in some deep deep trouble and the person who is supposed to be most equipped to help us out is completely paralyzed.

The Unintended Consequences of the Gag Rule

By Byron LaMasters

It seems harmless. The "gag rule" is put in place by Republican administrations to prevent funding for abortions, and facilities that perform abortions around the world. What's the big deal if a mother doesn't have money or access for an abortion. Conservatives seem to think it's harmless. The mother will just carry the child to term, then either raise the child or give it up for adoption. In their eyes, the global "gag rule" saves the lives of countless children. Wrong! The "gag rule" only helps to spread the worldwide AIDS crisis, especially in parts of the world where the crisis has reached endemic proportions. Take Ghana for example. It's a small country in western Africa hard-hit by AIDS, where the Bush "gag rule" has served to defund organizations that encourage abstainance, monogamy and condom use (in that order). Sounds like something that conservatives would encourage.... but no.

Here's the viewpoint in today's Dallas Morning News by Barbara Crossette:

From a small building on the outskirts of the crowded West African capital of Accra, Ghana, a new national organization for youth is taking shape. It's called Young & Wise, and part of its mission is to promote condom use to stop AIDS.

It doesn't distribute them willy-nilly. Its message is measured, its partners are churches and mosques, and its ABCs would be familiar to many conservative American Christians: abstain, be faithful and use a condom when the time is finally right to engage in sex. On the walls little stickers say, "True love waits."

The problem is that the supplier to Ghana of the best condoms, the U.S. Agency for International Development, can no longer give any to the project. Does this make any sense?

"It's the 'gag rule,' " explains Delah Banuelo, the organization's program officer. He is referring to the Republican ban on giving aid to groups that counsel people on abortion, whether or not the groups actually perform abortions.

The Bush administration is in effect punishing a promising effort in Ghana because Young & Wise is part of the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana, which in turn belongs to the International Planned Parenthood Federation, an organization on the no-no list in the White House.

The gag rule has also harmed another funder of reproductive health programs in Ghana, the United Nations Population Fund. The United States has withdrawn all contributions to the fund because of unfounded reports that it supports abortions in China.

In Ghana, the trickle-down effect of the gag rule has been widespread. And because Ghanaians – Christian and Muslim – are a religious people, the effect has been to undermine many programs that conservatives could support.

[...]

At the Ahmadiya Muslim Mission in Accra, Hafiz Ahmad Saeed is in charge of another reproductive health program, one that has also felt the loss of American funds. Yet any Islamic program, he points out, must preach abstinence and no sex outside marriage.

Do conservative Christians in the United States understand that they are doing in their fellow Christians and moderate Muslims? If they do, they don't let that get in the way of their absolutist stand.

Anyone visiting Ghana would see the need for wide-ranging family planning programs. Only 19 percent of couples in Ghana use contraception. Large families are the norm; men tend to object to contraception; sex education is minimal and teen pregnancy is on the rise. In the meantime, maternity wards are crowded with exhausted, anemic women who could die in the next pregnancy, and HIV/AIDS is a pervasive threat.

Can American money alone help solve such problems? Yes. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is picking up some of the slack to help Young & Wise, and more aid would only increase the effectiveness of organizations that have proved they can change behavior, cut birthrates and raise health standards.

The message is clear: American conservatives should replace their blanket ban on family planning aid with real knowledge and nuance. One trip to Ghana would help them see the light.

A great question. If only conservative Christians in America would understand the problems that their fellow Christians in Ghana faced, perhaps they would reevaluate their position on the "gag rule". Unfortunately, this is yet another example of where conservative ideology trumps common sense and basic human decency.

Sen. Zell Miller (R-GA)

By Byron LaMasters

Seriously, it's time to kick out Zigzag Zell. He's speaking at the GOP convention:

Georgia Sen. Zell Miller, the highest profile Democrat to endorse President Bush for re-election, will speak at the Republican National Convention later this summer, a congressional aide said Friday.

Miller drew a sharp rebuke from the dean of Georgia's congressional delegation, Democratic Rep. John Lewis, who called the senator's decision "a shame and a disgrace."

According to the aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity, Miller will give his address on Wednesday night of the four-day convention in New York that begins Aug. 30. The Bush-Cheney campaign was expected to make an official announcement later in the day.