Infidels of Every Denomination

Kilgore vs. Kaine...and also some other guy

If, like me, you live in lovely Virginia, you get to take part in one of the big-money races in this off year-- the contest for Governor.

It's been a pretty ugly campaign and I think most citizens are just glad Election Day is here because it means the end of the mudslinging for a while.

Here's a couple of things to chew on, though:

Bush is stumping for Kilgore-- and when has Bush ever made a good choice? Apparently there are a lot of folks who think that the outcome of the VA race is going to be an oracle for the administration's future. Well, I know what omen *I'll* be sending at the booth!

And at DKos, an example of some dirty pool on the Repubs' part in VA.

Ethics, family values, and morality-- the modern GOP.

Just a reminder...

GO VOTE TODAY!!!

Bushwackin'

First of all, do go check out Harriet Miers' blog. It's l33t, d00d. And totally real. *smirk*

Second of all, although like nearly every lefty in the country right now I'm not quite sure what the strategy behind this pick is yet-- pure toadyism? bait-and-switch? or just being in a weak position?-- I am getting enormous glee out of the right-wing temper tantrums over Miers' nomination. Between that, and DeLay's indictments, and the Plame investigation gearing up, and the sight of John McCain and Gen. Richard Myers having a bitch fight on last night's Daily Show clip, and Bush's ever-tanking ratings, I feel like I'm at a three-ring circus and I don't know where to look first, but damn do I need some popcorn and cotton candy! Let's just hope it lasts, and that Richard Viguerie and Dick Cheney don't end up in the restroom crying together, sharing Bonne Bell Lip Smackers, and swearing to be BFFs for REALS this time.

But I've gotta ask, what exactly is up with Preznit "Family Values" Bush's groupie habit? Is it just me or does it seem like the women who make it to his real inner circle have a tendency to be unmarried, childless, and devoted to him with a rather disturbing passion? You've got Condi "My Husb--I Mean The President" Rice, Harriet "He's The Most Brilliant Man I've Ever Met" Miers, plus strategist/diplomat Margaret Tutweiler (admittedly more of an outer court groupie, but also chronically single), and Secretary of Education Margaret "NoEvery Child Left Behind" Spelling, who has been married on both ends of her association with Bush but who was a single mom and Bush devotee from 1997-2001.

Plus, both Miers and Rice are frequently present during Bush's family time, tagging along after him at the ranch. Bush is real kissy with women, too, I've noticed, in photo ops in general but in particular he seems to kiss every woman he works with when she gets appointed to a position. Now this might just be one of those retro things in the old-boy world of politics (did other Presidents kiss people that much?) but it still strikes me as really inappropriate. Most of the women I know would be profoundly uncomfortable if their bosses kissed them, even on the cheek.

ESA- not so "failed" after all

Just finished reading a wonderful article in Smithsonian about the many successes of the Endangered Species Act.  Not only did it give the lie to many critics of the act (who claim it's done little or nothing to save endangered species), but it also showed the nuanced approach that enforcement often takes:  through the Safe Harbor provisions, property owners can negotiate easing of certain restrictions if they act in positive ways to preserve the species.

Many times, it's simple things- changing the mowing patterns along utility lines, delaying pesticide applications until winter- that produce the best results.  It shouldn't come as any surprise that protecting one endangered species often has a positive ripple effect on a large number of others.  But I also found it encouraging that species protection can lead to economic benefitsfor the surrounding communities.

Besides, the image conjured by a description of testing a "grizzly-proof" dumpster was priceless.  They're thinking of taking grizzlies off the list (in the lower 48, they've been doing fine in Alaska), by the way; bald eagles, too.  How cool is that?

Well, that sums it up nicely...

I just was pointed at this glorious piece on This Is Not Over.  A passionate and articulate summing up of one of Bush's major weaknesses:  he just doesn't seem to care.  All issues of competence, all the various iterations of the blame game, all the questions about who did what when- those are important, too.  In the long run, probably far more important.

But the President is supposed to inspire us, and instead he comes across as distant, awkward, callous, insouciant.  I won't presume to speculate on what he's actually feeling- for all I know, it's tearing his heart out.  He sure doesn't act like it, however. 

And you know, this isn't a Republicans vs. Democrats thing, either.  Sure, Clinton would've been out there, heart on his sleeve, showing the right urgency and caring, as would Carter- but so would Reagan or even Bush Senior.  Rice wouldn't've been shoe-shopping on their watch, that's for sure...

Activist...Legislature?

As many expected, Gov. Arnold "The Governator" Schwarzenegger will veto the same-sex marriage bill passed just yesterday by the legislature. Fortunately for all decent Californians, his approval ratings might even be lower than Bush's, and it seems unlikely that he won't get kicked out on his ear next election.

This is what I love:

"The governor believes the matter should be determined not by legislative action, which would be unconstitutional, but by court decision or another vote of the people of our state," [press secretary Margita Thompson] said.

Wait...these wingnuts always get me all confused. So now judges are ok and legislators are activists overriding the will of the people? But I thought...? Oh, forget it.

I'm of the same mind as the Gentleman-- get rid of legal marriage altogether and let people determine for themselves who constitutes family for legal purposes, without any of the incendiary rhetoric around it.

Good news, but it shouldn't be necessary

So, it appears that the California legislature has shown some gumption and passed a bill allowing same-sex marriage.   Something to be happy about, even though it was a near-run thing and the Governator is likely to veto it... the latter part is ironic to me, as is so much of his homophobia, given the amount of gay fascination with and participation in his former career of bodysculpting...

But anyway, it got me to thinking:  why is this necessary?  Why is "marriage" a concept that  needs government involvement at any level?

Open Letter To An Anti-Feminist

To A Sister Who Disdains The Title "Feminist":

Today marks the 85th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, guaranteeing women the right to vote.

Maybe that doesn't mean much to you, just a trivial blip on your daily radar, a "this day in history" type soundbite. Something to be filed away under "done deal" and forgotten. We don't really have a context for this, you and I and most of the women alive today. The oldest living women in this country were just girls the year suffrage passed. We've never known what it is like not to have the right to vote, just as we never knew child labor in factories-- hell, maybe you, like me, are even too young to have witnessed segregation. We've had the luxury of taking a lot for granted in our lives.

You say that you are not a feminist. You can't even say the word without curling your lip a little. You get insulted if someone calls you one. Most of the time you just profess it privately, to friends or co-workers, to women who nod and think you're upstanding and righteous, or maybe they admire your postmodern irony and your independent mind; to men who, hearing it, move a little closer, smile a little broader, find you a little more attractive or a little less threatening. You're not one of "those" women.

Turdblossomgate, A Summary

If you, like me, have been following with avid interest the Mongolian clusterfuck surrounding the outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame Wilson and particularly Karl "Turdblossom" Rove's role in it, or if you have been trying to follow it but are having trouble making sound out of all the fury, this LA Times article has one of the most succinct summaries and timelines of the events to date. It doesn't go into a lot of detail about the most recent controversy, the he-said she-said, denials, and furious spin doctoring coming out of the right wing and the White House in particular, but it'll give you a fine groundwork for understanding the story as it continues to unfold.

(hat tip to AMERICAblog for the article)

Schadenfreude, baby, schadenfreude...

I read here that the town of Great Falls, SC, may have to pay a hefty legal bill.  You see, Darla Wynne- a local Wiccan priestess- sued them in 2001 over their insistence on using the name "Jesus Christ" in prayers before council meetings.  As usual, it appears that everyone in the (smug) majority saw no reason why that would offend anyone.  I bet they were surprised when Ms. Wynne slapped them with a lawsuit.  I bet they were even more surprised when she won.