Bette Midler on Glenn Beck: 'I Find Him Terrifying' (Video)

Bette Midler on Glenn Beck: "I find him terrifying. He's like an old school demagogue, and it's really frightening. . . I think that the people who are educated to be civil are civil. That's all there is to it. And people who are not educated in any way, who are just a little on the barbaric side, what can you do? But that's the fault of the education system, I think, and the way they're brought up."


via the new Joy Behar Show on CNN Headline News

Progressive Politics Liberal News

Sexist Counter Cultures

Amanda Hess at The Sexist comments on the impossibility of finding so much as a counter culture that is not deeply sexist:

Why aren’t there more female marijuana activists, Marijuana Policy Project employee Laura Greenback asks in High Times. Ooh! Pick me! I know the answer! . . . Here’s what these advertisements say to women: Weed isn’t for you. It’s for men. (Also for men? Your boobs). And the targets of those advertisements—high school and college guys—often echo those misogynist attitudes. You know what’s even more annoying than a misogynist? A misogynist who is high out of his mind.

Amanda Hess again in Weed Culture Is Boob Culture:

Because time and again, women have knocked on the door of the counter-culture—the comic book authors, the emo kids, and yes, the marijuana users—only to be shut out of the conversation. And so, even in pot culture, an effective ad shows a woman laying naked, covered in marijuana, staring coyly back at you and not smoking. Again, the ideal smoker is a heterosexual male.
Feminist News Misogyny Politics

The Roman Polanski Uproar Links (Video)

Samantha Geimer: "He did something really gross to me, but it was the media that ruined my life. . . It was on the evening news every night. Reporters and photographers came to my school and put my picture in a European tabloid with the caption Little Lolita. They were all saying, 'Poor Roman Polanski, entrapped by a 13-year-old temptress.' I had a good friend who came from a good Catholic family, and her father wouldn't let her come to my house anymore. I was this sweet 13-year-old girl, and then all of a sudden I turned into this pissed-off 14-year-old. I was mad at my attorney; I was mad at my mom. I never blamed her for what happened, but I was mad that she had called the police and that we had to go through this ordeal. Now I realize she went through hell trying to handle things as best she could.”

Geimer dropped out of school, got pregnant at 18 and married at 19. She divorced and moved with her family to Hawaii. She later married a carpenter, with whom she had two more children. . . "The one thing that bothers me is that what happened to me in 1977 happens to girls every day, yet people are interested in me because Mr. Polanski is a celebrity."

Hollywood Hypocrisy by Geraldine A. Ferraro at the NY Times (Ferraro's opinion piece is the lone woman's view on a page with the views of six (6) men because when it comes to rape, who we really want to hear from is the men!) : And what really defies explanation are the actions of the Directors Association and actors, like Harrison Ford. Did they remain buddies over the years with a convicted rapist who had fled the jurisdiction because they condoned his rape of the child or because they approved of his actions of absconding and beating the system? Did they do so because this was not such an unusual situation in Hollywood at the time and may still exist today?

Historiann: The word “rape” has been disappeared from the English language -- At least in the coverage of Roman Polanski’s arrest it has! I’ve talked with my women’s history students about this for the past few years, when thinking about patriarchal equilibrium and the fact that I’m old enough now to see a good span of my life historically and to note the changes, and I think the language we use to describe rape has been shaped to the advantage of rapists everywhere. Unless and until all crime victims are going to be referred to as “accusers” in media accounts, I’ll stand by my analysis here.

Roman Polanski's Damning Words In Wanted and Desired

Myiq2xu at The Confluence - Roman Polanski drugged, raped and sodomized a 13 year old child: The title of this post is a key fact that everyone should keep in mind when discussing this case, but it is not the main point of this post. Some rapist enablers people like Jeralyn Merritt don’t even want anyone bring it up . .

Amanda Hess - Roman Polanski Defenses, Refuted: “But he’s already paid his price, because everyone knows he’s a rapist, and he can never work in Hollywood.” As Patrick Goldstein wrote in the LA Times, “I think Polanski has already paid a horrible, soul-wrenching price for the infamy surrounding his actions. The real tragedy is that he will always, till his death, be snubbed and stalked and confronted by people who think the price he has already paid isn’t enough.”

Tiger Beatdown - Perfect Disguise: Isaac Brock, Samantha Shapiro, and the Ethics of Journalism In Rape Culture: . . While it is totally inadvisable to "revenge" rape with a gun, a la Ms. 45, and impossible to revenge rape with vagina teeth, a la Teeth, I have come to the conclusion that it is totally acceptable to shoot rapists in the face with the metaphorical gun of purchasing power!

Jewel on Twitter: Polanski-admitted raping a 13 yr old-whys every1 in the arts upset hes facing jail? cause hes a gifted director? what am i missing?

Woody Allen and Martin Scorsese: Free Roman Polanski!
Harvey Weinstein: Polanski has served his time and must be freed

Feminist News Rape Culture Politics

Whoopi on Polanksi: 'It Wasn't Rape-Rape' (Video)

I hate it when I agree with conservative Sherri Shepherd.


via Jezebel

The Smoking Gun has all the documents including Samantha Geimer's testimony. It's not for everyone, I didn't get very far.

Feminist News Rape Culture Politics

Anti-Feminist Quote of the Day

"I submit to you that the feminist movement is the most dangerous, destructive force in our society today. [...] My analysis is that the gays are about 5% of the attack on marriage in this country, and the feminists are about 95%. [...] I’m talking about drugs, sex, illegitimacy, drop outs, poor grades, run away, suicide, you name it, every social ill comes out of the fatherless home."

--Phyllis Schlafly

Yep, anti-feminist, anti-Equal Rights Amendment Phyllis Schlafly is still ranting about the evils of feminism. After all these years of preaching and advocating that women should stay in their traditional roles, that women should stay home, patriarchy-defender Phyllis Schlafly still has not taken her own advice.

Feminist News Progressive Politics Phyllis Schlafly Patriarchy

About Child Rapist Roman Polanski

Kate Harding has something to say about the mind staggering amount of support for poor mistreated admitted child rapist Roman Polanski:

Roman Polanski raped a child. Let's just start right there, because that's the detail that tends to get neglected when we start discussing whether it was fair for the bail-jumping director to be arrested at age 76, after 32 years in "exile" (which in this case means owning multiple homes in Europe, continuing to work as a director, marrying and fathering two children, even winning an Oscar, but never -- poor baby -- being able to return to the U.S.). Let's keep in mind that Roman Polanski gave a 13-year-old girl a Quaalude and champagne, then raped her, before we start discussing whether the victim looked older than her 13 years, or that she now says she'd rather not see him prosecuted because she can't stand the media attention. Before we discuss how awesome his movies are or what the now-deceased judge did wrong at his trial, let's take a moment to recall that according to the victim's grand jury testimony, Roman Polanski instructed her to get into a jacuzzi naked, refused to take her home when she begged to go, began kissing her even though she said no and asked him to stop; performed cunnilingus on her as she said no and asked him to stop; put his penis in her vagina as she said no and asked him to stop; asked if he could penetrate her anally, to which she replied, "No," then went ahead and did it anyway, until he had an orgasm. . .

Roman Polanski may be a great director, an old man, a husband, a father, a friend to many powerful people, and even the target of some questionable legal shenanigans. He may very well be no threat to society at this point. He may even be a good person on balance, whatever that means. But none of that changes the basic, undisputed fact: Roman Polanski raped a child. And rushing past that point to focus on the reasons why we should forgive him, pity him, respect him, admire him, support him, whatever, is absolutely twisted.

Read more . . .

Feminist News Rape Culture Politics

Obama Heads to Denmark to Lobby for Chicago's Olympic Bid

I guess I'm missing some pertinent information. This just seems strange to me. Granted, Olympics 2016 would be a big boost to America's economy, but isn't it unseemly for a president to take a break from America's dire problems in order to go lobbying? Maybe I'm just old fashioned.

President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama are heading to Copenhagen to lobby on behalf of "Chicago's bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics."

Obama would be the first U.S. president to take on such a direct role in lobbying for the games. Chicago is competing with Rio de Janeiro, Madrid and Tokyo. The IOC will pick the host city on Friday.

Progressive Politics Liberal News Obama

FDR's Second Bill of Rights (Video)

As seen in Michael Moore's new film, Capitalism, A Love Story:


FDR's Unfinished Second Bill of Rights includes: the right to a living wage, the right to a home, and the right to health care:

All of these rights spell security. And after this war is won we must be prepared to move forward, in the implementation of these rights, to new goals of human happiness and well-being. America's own rightful place in the world depends in large part upon how fully these and similar rights have been carried into practice for our citizens.

Progressive Politics Liberal News

Liberadio(!) Interview On Potential Jim Cooper Primary Challenge

Liberadio(!), with Mary Mancini and Freddie O'Connell, interviewed Accountability Now PAC Executive Director Ben Tribbett this morning on the potential primary challenge to Blue Dog Jim Cooper.

You can also listen to the interview over at Cooper Uncovered. Here's an excerpt:

"The polling suggests that [Cooper]'s more vulnerable now among Democrats than he is among Republicans or Independents, and I think that doesn't bode well for him when there's a Republican primary for governor on the same day as this election would be, because a lot of Republicans that are happy with his job performance are going to opt into their own primary for governor, and he's going to have to rely on Democrats to win this primary. And if the Democrats aren't happy with him, he's not going to survive a strong primary challenge."

Progressive Politics Liberal News Jim Cooper Nashville Health Care TennesseeDemocratic Primary 2010

Accountability Now Names Jim Cooper (D-TN) As No. 1 Target for Primary Challenge

Nashville's prayers have been answered. It looks like Jim Cooper, my worst Democratic Congressman evah, will have to fight for his job come 2010. Accountability Now -- the PAC whose mission is to challenge Dems who represent the interests of corporate America -- has chosen corporate tool Jim Cooper as its first target.

The liberal organization is officially recruiting a solid progressive to run against my Blue Dog Congressman. Oh happy day!

But this comes as no surprise, as Jane Hamsher over at firedoglake and other bloggers associated with Accountability Now have made no secret of their disdain for the Blue Dog and have been working on the Jim Cooper Has Got to Go! project for some time now -- with the very enthusiastic support and encouragement of many of us ill-served and unhappy Cooper constituents. Since the very first day that Accountability Now came into existence, I and my neighbors, aka Cooper's ill-served and unhappy constituents, have been hoping and wishing and supporting the arrival of this day.

But, oh dear, a local conservative blogger is aghast. And as always the naysayers are out in full force, but isn't it a little early for all the protestations counting Cooper's as yet mysterious challenger out? The naysayers are ignoring all kinds of little inconvenient facts, like for instance, Cooper's district is "a 25% minority district that would be 45% minority in a Dem primary." The naysayers are also seriously underestimating both the local liberal unrest and our liberal friends at Accountability Now.

Glenn Greenwald:

Jim Cooper Primary Challenge -- Democratic Rep. Jim Cooper of Tennessee is illustrative of everything rotted about both Washington and Congressional Democrats. . . All of that -- along with Cooper's weak polling numbers -- has led Accountability Now to name him as the first target for a primary challenge. . . The group's Executive Director has spent substantial time in Nashville speaking with several highly promising, vibrant and credible potential challengers and expects to have an announcement soon. A new website has been launched to monitor Cooper's record and inform voters in his district about who he is and who owns him, along with a Cooperblog, to be updated daily. Those wishing to support Accountability Now's ongoing efforts -- and this is just the first of several such projects to come -- can do so here.

Related: Big Tent Dem: Jim Cooper And His Local Bloggers
kos - Blue Dog Jim Cooper defines "leadership"
CNN: Liberals seek to defeat Democratic congressman

"Given all that Jim Cooper has done to kill health-care reform, why is it that my tax dollars are paying for his health care when I can’t even afford my own?"

-- Ginny Welsch

Progressive Politics Liberal News Jim Cooper Nashville Health Care Tennessee Democratic Primary 2010

Justice Sotomayor Recalls Obama's Call (Video)

Progressive Politics Liberal News SCOTUS

Bill Clinton Explains Why He Now Supports Same-Sex Marriage (Video)

Bill Clinton tells Anderson Cooper why he now supports gay marriage.



Progressive Politics Liberal News Gay

Glenn Beck Stoking Census Fear: The Gov Will Take Your GUNS Away! (Video)

Never mind right-wing talk about the Census being used for "rounding up dissidents into concentration camps and nefarious plots by ACORN!" Here's Glenn Beck, back in June, stoking the biggest right-wing fear of all time: OMG! If you don't fill out your Census form, the government will take your guns away!!

I know I'm not the only one wondering if the person responsible for the bizarre death of that Census worker in rural Kentucky was inspired by the words of hate and paranoia routinely preached on the Glenn Beck show.


Bill Sparkman, the 51-year old Census worker who was hanged to death in Kentucky, was found “naked, gagged and had his hands and feet bound with duct tape.” A witness reports Sparkman also “had duct tape over his eyes, and they gagged him with a red rag or something.” The word “fed” was scrawled on his chest in a felt-tip pen, and his “Census ID was found taped to his head and shoulder area.”

Politics Anti-Government News Glenn Beck Kentucky

Uninsured 22-Year-Old Boehner Constituent Dies From Swine Flu

A 22-year-old woman from Oxford, Ohio, died from swine flu on Wednesday. Kimberly Young graduated from Miami University in December and continued to live in Oxford, Ohio, within Minority Leader John Boehner’s congressional distrct. Reports now indicate that after initially getting sick, Young put off treatment because she was uninsured.

Young became ill about two weeks ago, but didn’t seek care initially because she didn’t have health insurance and was worried about the cost.

Feminist News Gender Politics Health Care

Backlash: Mass Governor Threatens Hyatt Boycott, Cabbies to Boycott Hyatt Too

The Hyatt Hotel chain is suffering from a major backlash for abruptly firing 100 housekeepers, aka women (does anyone else do housework?), and replacing them with even lower wage workers from a Georgia-based staffing company.

Some of the minority women who were fired were with Hyatt for as long as 20 years. Trust me, the women's wages were not exactly busting Hyatt's budget. The women made $15 an hour. Their replacements make $8.

Governor Deval Patrick said that he will instruct Massachusetts employees "to boycott Hyatt hotels when conducting state business unless the chain rehires the nearly 100 housekeepers it fired last month." This was the Governor's "third attempt in a week" to reason with the soul-less hotel chain.

The Boston Globe reports:

Some of the housekeepers said they were asked to train their replacements and were assured that the crews were only vacation and holiday fill-ins. The cleaning company and Hyatt deny these claims, with Hyatt saying the changes were neither sudden nor secretive.

The firings prompted an outpouring of anger. Other politicians and business owners have also called for a boycott of the chain. The National Employment Lawyers Association canceled its contract with the Hyatt Regency Boston and is searching for another Boston hotel to host its October seminar.

Hyatt protests spread to Chicago; 200 arrested
Boston cabbies threaten Hyatt boycott over layoffs - A union representing about 1,700 Boston cab drivers says it will boycott Hyatt hotels in the city unless the company rehires nearly 100 fired housekeepers.
Backlash over Hyatt firings: Photo: Hundreds of hotel workers and their supporters rallied in front of the Hyatt Regency Boston Thursday, Sept. 16, in support of the 100 housekeepers . .

Feminist News Gender Politics Workers Rights

Glenn Beck's Next Target: Valerie Jarrett

Sarah Posner: Two weeks ago, I wondered whether, based on a WorldNetDaily smear job linking her to communists and other nefarious people, White House adviser Valerie Jarrett would be Glenn Beck's next target. Today, referring to Yosi Sargent's resignation from the National Endowment for the Arts, Beck is saying on his radio program that Sargent is small fry. "The one you need to start asking questions on is Valerie Jarrett. . . . it's the ones at the top of the ladder that you have to pay attention to."

Progressive Politics Liberal News Obama Glenn Beck

Hanged Census Worker Found Naked, Bound, Census ID Taped To Body

The story gets even more gruesome:

BIG CREEK, Ky. (AP) -- A part-time census worker found hanging in a rural Kentucky cemetery was naked, gagged and had his hands and feet bound with duct tape, said an Ohio man who discovered the body two weeks ago.

Authorities have also said the word ''fed'' was scrawled with a felt-tip pen across 51-year-old Bill Sparkman's chest, but they have released very few details about the case and said investigators have not determined if it was a homicide, suicide or an accident.

Federal, state and local authorities have refused to say if Sparkman was at work going to door-to-door for census surveys in the time before his death, but his Census identification tag was found taped to his body. . . [B]oth of the people briefed on the investigation confirmed Sparkman's Census ID was found taped to his head and shoulder area.

Regressive Politics News

Sen. Kyl (R-AZ) Tries to Strike Maternity Care from Required Insurance Coverage

Update: The National Women's Law Center wants you to shock Senator Jon Kyl with the realization that among the people who vote there are actual, um, women. Help the Selfish Senator Kyle understand that most women and their families need maternity care by sending him your baby photos. I can think of a few other things I'd like to send the cowboy.

It's because of swine like Senator Jon Kyle that the U.S. has such shameful maternal mortality and infant mortality rates. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that if we had more women in Congress, we'd have more women and children who get access to lifesaving healthcare. Not that it matters to the likes of self-absorbed Senator Jon Kyle (R-AZ).

"I don't need maternity care. So requiring that on my insurance policy is something that I don't need and will make the policy more expensive."

-- Senator Jon Kyle

Just before the Senate Finance Committee wrapped up for the long weekend, members debated one of Sen. Jon Kyl's (R-AZ) amendments, which would strike language defining which benefits employers are required to cover. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) argued that insurers must be required to cover basic maternity care. (In several states there are no such requirements.)

"I don't need maternity care," Kyl said. "So requiring that on my insurance policy is something that I don't need and will make the policy more expensive."

Stabenow interrupted: "I think your mom probably did."

Update #2: "[O]nly 21 states require insurers to provide maternity care benefits."

Feminist News Gender Politics Health Care

Senate Finance Committee To Vote On Public Option Someday

The Senate Finance Committee will soon vote on adding a public option to the Baucus bill, so they say. Apparently, the senators in charge of working out the details of the important senate healthcare reform bill have never before debated a public option. Oh well, it's not like our leaders are here to inspire confidence.

It was thought that the vote would occur today, but senators come and go as they please, so now it's looking like it will be Tuesday, at least, before the 19 men and 4 women can get to it.

Should it actually happen, Chris Bowers breaks it down for us:

All 10 Republicans on the Finance Committee, including Olympia Snowe, are expected to vote against both public option amendments. Eight Democrats are highly likely to be yes votes: Bingaman (NM), Cantwell (WA), Kerry (MA), Menendez (NJ), Schumer (NY), Stabenow (MI), Rockefeller (WV), and Wyden (OR). It took a lot of organizing to even get that far, given the reluctance of Bingaman, Cantwell, Kerry and Wyden at times.

The other five members of the committee are difficult to predict, given that they have been all over the map on the public option this year.

That makes watching their votes all that much more fun. The 'all over the map' gang are: Baucus (MT), Carper (DE), Conrad (ND), Lincoln (AR) and Nelson (FL).

Related: CBO Tells Blue Dogs That The Public Option Will Save $$$$$

Progressive Politics News Health Care Public Option

Michael Moore Calls Out ABC Labor Practices On "Good Morning America" (Video)

I love Michael Moore.

Progressive Politics Liberal News Capitalism

GOP Rep: Gay Marriage Is Part Of The Socialist Agenda

Same-sex marriage is part of the socialist agenda to destroy America as the inmates know it, according to apparent alien lifeform Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa). Oh, and bestiality is also socialist. Hah! Who said Republican lawmakers aren't diabolical alien lifeforms sent here from outer space to destroy our minds and take over our planet?

Hey, Rep. King, I can think of something a lot more scary than socialists. IDIOTS!

With an apparent straight face, The Hill reports:

Same sex marriage is part of a socialist agenda to undermine "the foundations of individual rights and liberties," Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) said Wednesday. The conservative Iowan condemned his own state's Supreme Court for legalizing gay and lesbian weddings, and expressed concern that the U.S. Congress might repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which gives states the ability to refuse to recognize same sex marriages or civil unions in other states. . . King also said that former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) was right to say that legal same sex marriages would open the door to legal polygamy or bestiality. "Not only is it a radical social idea, it is a purely socialist concept in the final analysis," King said.

Progressive Politics Iowa News

Liberals Flex Muscles, Ad Tells Arkansas Blue Dogs to 'Act Like Democrats' (Video)

This ad targets Arkansas Blue Dogs Mike Ross and Blanche Lincoln for their failure to support the public option. The ad started running in Arkansas yesterday, thanks to the good folks at Firedoglake. It's set to run for two weeks and will be seen by pretty well every Democrat in Ross's district.


Progressive Politics Blue Dogs Public Option Arkansas Democrats/span>

Conservatives Condemn Glenn Beck (Video)

Just days after Glenn Beck said the country is better off with President Obama than it would be with a President McCain, conservatives slam Beck and insist that he needs to stop the hate.


Progressive Politics Liberal News Obama Glenn Beck

Census Worker Found Hanged. "Fed" Written on His Chest.

A Census worker in rural Kentucky was found dead, his body swinging from a tree with the word "FED" written on the man's chest. The FBI is investigating the obvious question of anti government motivation. The Census Bureau has suspended census interviews in the area.

Bill Sparkman was a part-time census worker and a teacher.

I can recall a time when reporters purposively stayed away from KKK parades in order to avoid doing the KKK a favor by spreading their message of hate. The wisdom of those bad old days is long gone. Today reporters routinely bring us images and interviews of crazy people who walk around in public proudly displaying images of Adolf Hitler. Today we have cable news and talk radio where seemingly every sick message of hate is beamed across the planet 24/7.

Regressive Politics Anti-Government News

Clinton Global Initiative: One Cent of Every Development Dollar Goes to Girls

The Clinton Global Initiative held a session today on the subject of what can be done about the deplorable treatment of girls and women across the globe. Diane Sawyer moderated the panel: "Investing in Women and Girls." Thirteen new commitments to "empower" women and girls were announced. Who knows if these new funds will push that one cent devoted to girls up to a nickel?

NEW YORK, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Women and girls remain largely ignored by development aid around the world with girls receiving only one cent of every dollar, leaders at the Clinton Global Initiative said on Wednesday. .

"Whether the issue is improving the involvement of young women and girls in education to climate change and all political and social economic issues in between, I think empowering women is central to what the world has to do in the 21st century," Clinton said.

Girls get one cent, or less than one cent, of every dollar of development aid, Salbi said, citing research by the Nike Foundation and NoVo Foundation. Robert Zoellick, president of the World Bank, said good intentions are not enough. Donors need programs that will work in their self-interest, he said.

For example, Goldman Sachs Group Inc is pledging to give business education and training to 10,000 women worldwide. Lloyd Blankfein, Goldman's chairman and chief executive, said the bank may never hire any of those women, but that it could later hire their children, who will benefit from their education.

Feminist News Gender Politics

The Clinton Tapes

Taylor Branch -- author of 'The Clinton Tapes' and roommate to Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham 40 years ago in a small apartment in Austin -- provides interesting answers to questions about Bill and Hillary over at GQ. Branch is a Pulitzer Prize winning author and civil rights historian. Here are a few highlights that I particularly enjoyed:

Q. The Bill Clinton in this book is very different than the version we came to know in the press. You describe a guy who was steadfast and idealistic, very different from the wishy-washy, flip-flopping caricature who let Dick Morris tell him what to do.

A. It was almost like a credential for old liberals to look down on Clinton, because if you looked down on Clinton, you could say, “He’s betrayed liberalism,” but you didn’t have to uphold anything yourself. All you had to do was talk about what a shit he was or what a sellout he was and you could get this cheap credential.

Q. Meanwhile, you’re seeing this guy whose face is red with allergies, he’s so tired that his eyes are rolling back in his head.… He’s the last fighting baby boomer.

A. Well, yeah. For example, I admire Obama greatly, but if you compare Clinton and Obama on the National Rifle Association, Obama said, “It’s not worth it.” Right from the get-go. “You can’t win.” And Clinton was going after the NRA and assault weapons and cop-killer bullets the whole time. And he paid for it, and maybe it was a mistake, because it certainly hurt him in the 1994 congressional elections. But he did stick to his guns, as it were. He took risks. On Haiti—restoring Aristide. I would hear him say it: “This is going to hurt my presidency.” Or, “I could go down the tubes for this.”

Q. It was interesting to read your descriptions of Bill and Hillary. Halfway through the impeachment trial, the doorman at the White House refused to let you in because they were making out in a hallway.

A. Well, that only happened once. I don’t know if their relationship is romantic, but it’s not cold. Sometimes when I tell people that they finish each other’s sentences, people say, “That’s because it’s a power alliance.” Like a medieval marriage between the prince of Spain and the queen of Austria. But there’s warmth there. There’s communion. They would hold hands. How much eroticism is in there, I have no idea. But it was striking.

Q. Have you shown them the book?

A. I just took two copies up to Chappaqua last week. Hillary has it in Africa now, and he’s been off on this North Korea thing. But he did call. He’s called a couple of times to fuss about things. But he has enormous tolerance for honest criticism. I think he can take it raw, as long as he doesn’t detect that it’s done for malice. I was trying to show him the way he really is, and I think he respects that.

Progressive Politics Liberal News The Clinton Tapes Taylor Branch

Bill Clinton's View of Maureen Dowd

Quote of the Day

"[Maureen Dowd] must live in mortal fear that there's somebody in the world living a healthy and productive life."

-- Bill Clinton, 1997

That needed to be said. Thank you, Bill Clinton!

Quoted in Taylor Branch's long-awaited new book: The Clinton Tapes: Wrestling History with the President.

Progressive Politics Liberal News The Clinton Tapes Maureen Dowd

Glenn Beck: McCain Would've Been Worse Than Obama or Hillary (Video)

Egomaniac Glenn Beck has clearly crossed some kind of line. The Fox News sensation, who compares himself to Howard Beale, tells Katie Couric that a President McCain would have been worse for the country than Barack Obama (watch it below). Beck adds that he would have much preferred Hillary Clinton, and "may have voted for her." Presumably, Glenn Beck could remember who he voted for if it weren't for those funny little pills. And get this, in the view of socialist-obsessed Glenn Beck, John McCain is the one who is "weird." But weird John McCain would be worse than socialists Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton! Now comes the fun part. We get to stand back and watch Glenn Beck's right-wing fans come after the man's very confused head.

Watch CBS Videos Online
Progressive Politics Liberal News Obama Glenn Beck Katie Couric

HBO Debuts 'Outrage' - The Documentary About Outing Gay Politicians (Trailer)

Outrage is the controversial documentary about the tactic of outing the hypocritical closeted gay politicians who harm and destroy the lives of gays and lesbians with homophobic rhetoric, policy and legislation.

Outrage features mostly Republican politicos such as former Idaho senator Larry Craig. Former New Jersey Democratic Governor Jim McGreevy is also included.

The film presents evidence supporting the contention that potential presidential candidate and current Florida Governor Charlie Crist is one of those closeted gays.

HBO will begin airing the documentary on October 5. [via BlogActive]


LGBT Politics Gender News Gay Homophobia Discrimination Gay Marriage

Andrew "BIG" Breitbart Promotes "Explosive" New NEA Scandal (Yawn)

File this one under Reliving the 1990s. Right-wing bloggers are blasting outraged screaming headlines about a new "explosive" scandal. Apparently they found this "new" "explosive" scandal by watching old Fox News tapes of established liar Glenn Beck's show. But then if you are a Republican, the National Endowment for Arts is always scandalous.

Glenn Beck gets most of his stories from Drudge protégé Andrew Breitbart. Republican scandal-monger Andrew Breitbart (who has an, um, revealing obsession with all things BIG), creator of the BIG Government and BIG Hollywood websites, claims that the White House is soliciting partisan art via the NEA. By partisan, Andrew "BIG" Breitbart appears to have in mind art that promotes public service, or art about controversial subjects such as access to education and health care. Breitbart claims to have obtained a tape of an "explosive!" conference call in which progressive artists allegedly conspire with the White House on the subject of creating progressive art. Shocking, I know. And FDR is rolling over in his undoubtedly progressively partisan grave.

Anon Liberal reports:

But the call is actually far more benign. It appears to have been organized by a group of progressive artists who want to, through their art, raise public awareness about various issues they care about. Invited to participate on the call were a low-level staffer from the White House Office of Public Engagement and the former Communications Director at the NEA (he was apparently transferred to another position at the NEA after this story broke).

I'm glad that Andrew "BIG" Breitbart has moved on from persecuting poor people, but this is just silly. If there are any Republican artists, they are free to apply for grants from the NEA for anti health care reform art or anti education art or whatever.

After the Bush Administration got away with an explicit policy of hiring conservatives and firing liberals in the Department of Justice, for gawd's sake, even if the White House is explicitly encouraging progressive art in the mode of FDR's WPA Art projects, so freaking what? Besides, if progressive art is so dangerously persuasive, maybe it will do us all a favor and influence centrist President Obama.

Graphic of FDR's WPA Art.

Progressive Politics News NEA GOP Scandal Mongers

Join the Mad As Hell Doctors in Nashville Today!

When: 4:30pm- 6pm - RALLY / PROTEST
Where: The headquarters of HCA (Healthcare Corproation of America) One Park Plaza, Nashville 37203

Come hear what the Doctors have to say about Real Healthcare Reform. "HEALTH CARE FOR PEOPLE - NOT PROFIT!" Come out and protest HEALTH CARE PROFITEERS~ We are committed to getting our voices heard in Washington. Please join us! If it Rains – go to the porch of the Parthenon.

Radio Show: The Doctors will be featured TODAY at 1:30pm on WVOL’s 1470AM “Open Forum” hosted by Rev. T.J. Graham. The program can also be heard on the Web.
Click here to Listen!

Dinner with the Mad As Hell Doctors:
6:30pm at Shoney’s on White Bridge Road – everyone is invited! We’ll pass the hat for donations to help pay for the Oregon Doctors’ trip across America to Washington D.C.

Contact Warren Duzak: wduzak@hotmail.com / Sponsored by Healthcare-NOW, Physicians for a National Healthcare Program, National Nurses Organizing Committee, Nashville Peace and Justice Center, Nashville Peace Coalition, Green Party of Middle Tennessee & others.

Progressive Politics News Health Care Single Payer Tennessee

Denver Post Slams Obama for Defending Status Quo OR Primary Interference

Yesterday's change candidate is today's defender of the status quo. The Denver Post chastises President Obama for trying to squash primaries:

Only 24 hours after former House Speaker Andrew Romanoff launched his campaign, the president bigfooted his way into the primary, issuing a glowing endorsement of current U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet. . . We were somewhat surprised to see the president of the United States jump into the intra-party fray so soon. He barely had time to bone up on Romanoff's accomplishments (we say a bit sarcastically). . .

Obama has jumped into other primaries, as well. He endorsed Sen. Arlen Specter, the Pennsylvania Republican-turned-Democrat, in his bid against a more liberal opponent. The president also gave a quick thumbs up to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand when there was a chance she might be challenged by another Democrat for Hillary Rodham Clinton's old New York Senate seat.

Still, Obama doesn't know who the best candidate is for Colorado. The issues in this race haven't even been broached. Certainly we have no problem with the president endorsing someone - in fact, we like to do it, too - but c'mon, let's have a campaign first. [via David Sirota ]

Related: Paterson Says He Will Run, Rejecting Call From Obama

Progressive Politics News Obama

How Bad is the Baucus Bill?

The Baucus bill is so bad that already it has 564 proffered amendments. Mike Lux sums up everybody's nightmare from hell healthcare deform bill:

The bill makes it harder for women to be covered for abortions and legal immigrants to be covered at all. It penalizes employers for hiring poor people. It makes health insurance coverage unaffordable for many middle income people. It taxes high quality insurance plans. It provides no actual competition for private insurance plans, and no check on insurance companies' power. It is just a rotten, rotten bill all the way around, almost certainly worse than existing law, which is hard to do. . .

On the other hand, a lot of good things have happened this week. The AFL-CIO convention was one big strong pushback against the Baucus bill and in favor of the public option, the highlight of which was AFSCME President Jerry McEntee leading a chant of "Bullshit!"

The Baucus bill is an unmitigated disaster. In the 20-plus years I have been working on the national health care issues, it is easily the worst single bill I have ever seen introduced by a Democratic member of Congress.

Progressive Politics News Health Care Public Option Obama