Breaking news- Moments ago, the California Supreme Court ruled to uphold Prop. 8 — although the court said that the 18,000 couples who got married last year can remain married, no more same sex couples can get married under the current law. This is a sad and angry moment, but we cannot let it feel like defeat. We must use this as an opportunity to move forward in the fight for marriage equality for all Californians — a fight that we will take to every corner of this state.

slave labor and wall street....china is controlling both our political parties and have face companies lobbies writing our trade policy. china is the wall street k- street capital hill communist party! republicans at the forefront, we are nothing but expendable consumers and they do not care if we have a standard of living anymore that fits the cliche's we have forced to worship....

Who do these people suppose will be buying all these cars in America, when nobody has jobs anymore?

My anger burns hotter than a thousand white hot suns for the sins they committed in our name. We, the People, are better than these fear-filled plutocrats have inflicted. The blood of our blood has been spilt for hundreds of years in the name of Justice and they defaced all that we have readily given.

We, the People, have been broken all belief by those who are supposed to be the guardians of the Commons and the protectors of our Constitution.

The chicken-hawk bastards in the just prior Administration intentionally chose and willfully planned and executed TORTURE in your and mine and We, the People's name. They violated everything every principle America stands for to forward a fascist plutocratic land grab and seared their mark on the face of our planet and in history in the blood of American troops and Iraqi citizens.

The current Administration under the expert hand of that just right of the middle of the road centrist is fighting to avoid doing the righteous thing and deal with the situation in a JUST and LAWFUL manner. They do this on the dirt hollowed by the name of a man who commanded that no man be tortured and a goddess named for justice and inclusion of all.

The great and good goddess Columbia wears a blindfold and carries scales and sword for all humans. It is time that she be allowed to do her job.

First I'd like to say that these whining women who are calling need to take a long hard look in the mirror, and examine the blanket stereotypes and prejudices they harbor; to me, it sounds like misandry and feminist propaganda. Frankly, onthe abortion issue, I see very ethical or moral discussion coming from the "women's choice" camp--it's always about "me, myself and I." I'd also like to point out that these complaints against Obama's Supreme Court nominee has nothing to do with her being woman; if she a far-right activist, the "cons" would have no issue. What they do have an issue with, even if they don't express it out loud, is that she is Hispanic, period.

I'd also like to mention that many on the left have accused Barack Obama of back-tracking on campaign promises, but in the case of closing Guantanamo, while initially the idea resonated with many Americans' sense of guilt, on reflection irrational fear has taken hold. I’ve spoken with otherwise left-leaning persons who don’t want the prison closed because they have this fear that these people will end-up on the streets their town. They even have this fear of the effect detainees might have on the general population of prisoners, although it is unlikely that they will be jailed among them. Meanwhile, the U.S. Sentate voted overwhelmingly against funding for closing Guantanamo, and Dick Cheney is continuing his campaign of fear and paranoia, trying to convince the gullible that the Bush administration placed a high priority on obtaining “truth”—such as from paid opportunistic Iraqi expatriates, and through torture.

May we be reminded that Democracy was borrowered from the Native Americans who appointed women to power because every deciscion made within a tribe whould have to benefit the 7th generation and beacuse women can reproduce, theey should have this power and influence...

Oops - someone beat me to the first post. :-)

Sotomayor for SCOTUS: Republicon Senators Demand "Up-or-Down Vote"

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison
"They have gotten away with obstructing by exploiting the filibuster and denying Justice Owen a direct vote. Now, unfortunately, we must take action to ensure President Bush's nominees are getting the up-or-down vote they deserve." (4/21/05 statement)

Sen. Orrin Hatch
"...I think we should bind both Democrats and Republicans that presidential nominees for the judiciary deserve an up-and-down vote once they reach the floor..." (Orrin Hatch discusses debate in Senate..., NPR, 5/19/05)

Sen. Jon Kyl
"All we seek is a return to 214 years of tradition in allowing presidential nominees the courtesy of an up-or-down vote." (Kyl Calls for `Up or Down' Vote on Judicial Nominees,' Capitol Hill Press Releases, 5/18/05)

Sen. Rick Santorum
"The time has come for the Senate to reestablish that tradition, to end these destructive judicial filibusters and to give all judicial nominees the up-or-down vote they deserve." (Should the Senate end Filibusters When Considering Judicial Appointments, Duluth News Tribune, 4/25/05)

Sen. Trent Lott
"...I felt they deserved up-or-down votes. It was not a popular action with my colleagues, but I didn't think it was right to filibuster judicial nominees then. And it's not right now." (Lott Sets the Record Straight on Judicial Confirmation Issue, 4/26/05)

Sen. John Cornyn
"And we need to get a fresh start. And that means, I believe, an up-or-down vote for all presidents' nominees whether they be Republican or Democrat." (U.S. Senator John Cornyn Holds a News Conference on Judicial Nominees, CQ Transcriptions, 5/9/05)

Sen. Mitch McConnell
"Let's get back to the way the Senate operated for over 200 years, up or down votes on the president's nominee, no matter who the president is, no matter who's in control of the Senate. That's the way we need to operate." (Senators Durbin & McConnell Discuss Issues Facing the Senate, CNN, 5/22/05)

Sen. Jeff Sessions
"This past election in large part hinged, as George Allen said, on a debate over the judiciary and whether or not obstruction was justified. I think the American people sent a clear message and I believe it's time for this Senate to make sure that judges get an up-or-down vote." (U.S. Sen. Allen & Other Senate Republicans Hold a Media Availability on the Possibility of a Democrat Filibuster, CQ Transcriptions, 3/15/05)

Sen. Richard Burr
"But denying these patriotic Americans, of both parties, who seek to serve this country an up-or-down vote is simply not fair, and it certainly was not the intention of our Founding Fathers when they designed and created this very institution." (Sen. Burr Speaks Out on Judicial Nominations, 4/20/05)

Sen. Sam Brownback
"All of the president's nominees-both now and in the future-deserve a fair up or down vote, regardless of whether some members of the Senate feel they can be filibustered based on whatever they define to be extraordinary circumstances." (Sen. Brownback Issues Statement on Judicial Nominees, 5/24/05)

Sen. John Thune
"However, I still believe that all judicial nominees with majority support deserve the fairness of an up or down vote on the Senate floor... Something is broken when you can't get a fair up or down vote, not because of qualifications or character, but because of politics." (Senators Find Good in Filibuster Agreement, AP, 5/24/05)

Sen. George Allen
"They want Senators to do their jobs and hold a straight up-or-down vote on nominees based on their qualifications, not the baseless negative rhetoric of the left...In summation, Priscilla Owen, Janice Rogers Brown, and all of the President's nominees, deserve a fair up-or-down vote." (U.S. Senator George Allen Deliver Remarks on the Senate Floor on Judicial Nominations, CQ Transcriptions, 5/18/05)

Sen. Chuck Hagel
"I am disappointed that the agreement reached by 14 senators does not guarantee up-or-down votes on all of the president's nominees...That is a basic principle that should have anchored any agreement." (Hagel Calls Senators' Pact Inadequate, Omaha World-Herald, 5/25/05)

Sen. Pete Domenici
"Since the day I came to the U.S. Senate in 1973, I have believed strongly that every nominee deserves an up or down vote. That is why over all these years, I have never once voted to filibuster any nominee, even the ones that I ended up opposing. I am truly saddened that the Senate has reached this point. We should resume our long-standing tradition of giving judicial nominees who reach the floor an up or down vote." (Sen. Domenici Laments Continued Judicial Filibusters, 5/19/05)

Sen. Charles Grassley
"The current obstruction led by Senate Democratic leaders threatens that balance. Priscilla Owen and Janice Rogers Brown deserve an up or down vote. It's high time to make sure all judges receive a fair up or down vote on the Senate floor." (Grassley: Give Judges a Fair Up or Down Vote, CQ, 5/23/05)

Sen. Wayne Allard
"I'd made my position clear. I wanted to have an up- or-down vote on the judges." (Freshman Salazar Stands with his Seniors, The Denver Post, 5/24/05)

Sens. Larry Craig and Mike Crapo
"We are pleased that three of the President's judicial nominees will receive fair up-or-down votes - it is about time. However, we continue to stress that the Constitution requires the Senate to hold up-or-down votes on all nominees. We will continue to work to ensure that is the case." (Craig, Crapo React to Judicial Nominees Deal, 5/25/05)

Sen. Ted Stevens
"I may not have always agreed with a judicial nominee pick, but I've never voted against cloture on a judicial nomination. There have been some petitions. And I've always agreed that we should allow an up-or-down vote on judicial nominations on the Senate floor. These nominees deserve our vote." (Press Conference on Judges, Federal News Service, 5/19/05)

Sen. Jim DeMint
"My goal is to confirm highly qualified judges by ensuring timely up-or-down votes for all nominees... Every nominee, no matter if the President is Democrat or Republican, deserves an up-or-down vote," (Sens. DeMint, Freshman GOP Call for end to Judicial Filibusters, 4/20/05)

Sen. Elizabeth Dole
"I think that it's very important that we reinstate the tradition, the Senate tradition, of 220 years, throughout the entire history of the United States. We've had a system that worked, that, when a nominee on the floor has a clear majority of the senators in favor, that they're going to get that up-or-down vote." (Interview with Senator Elizabeth Dole, The Big Story with John Gibson, 4/21/05)

For a moment I was confused, because the Blue dog/red fleas comment was from a while ago. Then I remembered that today is a "best of" show.

Well, I've move on. Now I aske, "If the Democratic Party is a big tent, do the Blue Dogs stay in a pup tent?"

THE GAY REAPERS

The call for the reversal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" has been growing lately, and Rachel Maddow has been raising the banner for this cause. It also has much support on the left, as most gay rights issues do.

Rachel has recently interviewed two American “warriors” who are being forced out of the military because they are gay; U.S. Army First Lieutenant Daniel Choi and U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Victor Fehrenbach, both wish to be able to return to the field of combat in Iraq or Afghanistan to carry on the military policies of the Bush and Obama administrations. I may not agree with the reason they aren’t being allowed to serve there, but I’m not terribly distressed that they can’t.

(I will say that the case of Daniel Choi is more difficult, because his fluency in Arabic might actually help save lives by facilitating communication between our troops and the people in those countries. Still, I don’t want American forces occupying those countries.)

All our citizens should have equal rights to seek employment, both in the private and public sectors and we certainly have a long way to go before we reach that goal. However, I’m far more concerned that we change our foreign policy than I am about returning these people I call the Gay Reapers, to the field of battle so they can kill people in the name of American military and economic interests. How much Iraqi and/or Afghan blood do they have on their hands?

But judging by the trends in our society (and others), gays will have the right to serve openly in the military fairly soon. This is an overall trend in our societies throughout the world. As we become more aware of the gays among us, and as younger generations grow into adulthood, what we refer to as homophobia will diminish.

From a practical point of view, the military/political complex may eventually see the necessity of allowing open gays into the military. When the American government saw the need to allow blacks to serve in order to win the Civil War, they allowed them to, possibly saving the “union”. Truman did the same when he desegregated the military. Fighting almost broke out in the United States between segregated black and white units during WWII.

The history of the desegregation of the American military didn’t happen as quickly as many think. Black units were first led by white officers. I had the opportunity to meet one of the first African Americans to reach the rank of Lieutenant in the U.S. military. Of course, he was only allowed to lead other black soldiers. He also was one of the first black firefighters in Los Angeles.

My guess is that gays will be openly serving in the U.S. military well before U.S. foreign policy will be more than in the service of corporate interests.

conservatives without conscience i s a great book to understand dick cheney and the right.

Another gov't. website will contain data from all areas of the government. So far, a minimum of 60 agencies have contributed to it:

http://www.data.gov