MOMocrats™

Going to the Chapel

I'm not going to lie. My brain still fuzzy after the 4th's fireworks and libations, I had to rub my eyes and go get my glasses upon reading this morning's headlines. "Obama: Mental distress can't justify late abortion" My heart sank. Then I had to clear the cobwebs from my brain and process what was being said before I cried into my Women for Obama t-shirt. Here is the short version, and what went on in my head as I read: Senator Obama did an interview with some Christian magazine and said

Obama said prohibitions on late-term abortions must contain "a strict, well defined exception for the health of the mother." Obama then added: "Now, I don't think that 'mental distress' qualifies as the health of the mother. I think it has to be a serious physical issue that arises in pregnancy, where there are real, significant problems to the mother carrying that child to term."

In my head: oh holy hell, is he pandering to the right with this crap? are you kidding me? why would he even talk about limits and and definitions when the women's vote is being so heavily courted by Senator McCain...is he talking about limits on just late term or could this carry over into 'mental distress' in any termination of pregnancy and what exactly qualifies as 'mental distress' and who gets to decide and why is the government even INVOLVED in this and why on earth wold he say some like that to a Christian magazine and would he have said the same to planned parenthood and what in the hell is going on with my candidate because I realize this whole 'move to the center' thing is really just people educating themselves on where he has ALWAYS stood but has he always stood against mental distress/late term abortion stuff....crap I need coffee.

Not another post about patriotism and July 4th

1976. The red white and blue year. Year every school kid in America could spell and define Bicentennial. Pop rocks in our mouths and fireworks in the sky year. Sneaking Dr. Pepper at Shelley's house because the rest of us weren't allowed to have it---I was never sure if it rotted teeth or stunted growth or both. The year of the rocket and the satellite---rockets in Ireland and satellites to Mars. Rocket fast airplanes shook the clouds and earthquakes and punk rock shook the world. Election year. Leap year. Equal rights. Women's rights. Vietnam was finally over, and back then over meant over to me.

We said the Pledge of Allegiance every morning in school, and learned about the Constitution and why we should be proud of the USA. I played Betsy Ross in the school play. Back when schools had plays and social studies.

We shook shook shook our booties, which somehow in our minds meant the little socks we wore on our feet, the ones with balls on the back. This misunderstanding ripped through the neighborhood and no adult ever corrected us, until the aforementioned Shelley's teen brother made fun of us.

I loved Captain and Tennille and was proud my mother had that Dorothy Hammill haircut just like Tennille. Afternoon Delight. Fooled Around and Fell in Love. The Bee Gees. Paul McCartney. I wouldn't discover Queen and David Bowie until later.

I hoped Jimmy Carter would win because he seemed nice and people seemed relieved about him, after Tricky Dick and Gerry. Most of all, though, he had a daughter, Amy, who was practically my age. I loved the idea of a girl in the White House.

Talking Obama at the July 4 BBQ

Turns out "time to roast the wienies" is how you might feel when confronted with those aggro, right-wing relatives and friends who come after you at the friendly July 4 BBQ, wanting to pick a fight about Obama. You're a peace-loving soul and know to let sleeping dogs lie, but fact is fact and fiction is Fox News, so in the interest of accuracy it's nice--if not necessary--to provide corroborable, documented, context-sensitive information.

MOMocrats got your back. Just remember: words good, hitting bad.

Here's some talking points:

PLAY DEFENSE

A Little Rebellion Can Be A Good Thing

I first remember the feeling when I was 8 or 9 years old.  At a swim meet, during the national anthem, standing with my hand over my heart, I felt an overwhelming emotion that I didn't understand.  I felt full of life and something more.  I was happy to be me, living the life that I was.  And I felt it even more when I looked at that red, white and blue flag.  When I asked my mother about it later, she said simply, "what you felt was patriotism, sweetie."

Patriotism.

Love of home and country.

On this, our Independence Day, I feel compelled to write about what patriotism means to me now at 35, with the naïveté and innocence of 8 long past.

As a Democrat and a Liberal my patriotism is strangely and frequently questioned.  It's questioned by a large portion of the conservative population.  It's been questioned directly and indirectly by members of my extended family, old acquaintances from high school in long ranty emails ("I don't approve of your politics"), tee shirts, GWB, random bloggers on the Internet, and Ann Coulter (OK, she just labeled all of us Liberals traitors. Still, I refuse to link to the book and possibly help her sell one)

Labeling liberals and Democrats as unpatriotic is a fun pass time for many.  We tend to disagree with the current administration on just about everything: Iraq, the right to privacy, domestic policy, terrorism, global warming, and the economy.  Oh and torture.

We (Liberals) don't agree with the status quo and we won't keep our mouths shut about it.  Darn that pesky First Amendment.  John Adams had the right idea with all those anti-sedition laws.

Go Read It: Suggestions for Obama's Gender Agenda

Six outstanding suggestions for Obama to take in crafting an agenda for women in his platform and in the White House, from Arlene M. Roberts. By far one of the meatier, most substantive perspectives on how policies with a disproportionate impact on women can uplift and improve society at large. (Not sure if #3 is do-able--what do you think? I'm always suspicious of the "but there are none in the pipeline" argument, but trying to hit specific numbers is also really tricky. Feel free to name names for the fantasy cabinet!)

Take a look.

Cynematic blogs at P i l l o w b o o k.

oh john, the hits just keep on coming

If I have to hear Obama called an elitist one more time I might lose my mind.  When the other guy's kids spend more in one month than most families make in a year and then you know, he forgets to pay his property taxes for years it's clear who the elitist is.  Out of touch much, John?

It makes his statement of not being an expert on our economy believeable even if he does try and deny it.  If Obama pulled even a 10th of this bullshit he'd be skewered and yet again, just like the wife beating comments, it is all taken with a chuckle.  Perhaps this is how the 3% lives but since I don't know any of them, it's hard for me to do some fact-checking.

Is it November yet? 

McCain: Release Your *Full* Military Records

There's been a lot of tit for tat over John McCain's military record, which includes being a POW tortured by the Vietcong during the Vietnam war, and whether or not it qualifies him to be president. This questioning came from Wesley Clark, whose military record includes a stint being shot at by the Vietcong during the Vietnam war and commanding a counter-attack against his attackers.

General Clark has stood firm in his statement, "I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president..."

--in answer to Face the Nation's Bob Schieffer saying that "unlike McCain, Senator Barack Obama has not 'ridden in a fighter plane and gotten shot down.'"

The Truth is Gonna Get Ya, Johnny (McCain).

The polls say so because it's true.

(The LA Times has the story here.)

The Gallup/USA Today poll found that 68% of voters said they were concerned when asked whether they thought McCain would pursue "policies that are too similar to what George W. Bush has pursued." Of those, 49% said they were "very concerned."

Obama in Independence

Barack Obama gave a speech on patriotism yesterday in the small town of Independence, Missouri, just outside of Kansas City.

Like Unity, Pennsylvania, I'm certain Independence, Missouri was chosen in large part because of its symbolic name. But people living outside the state may not realize how significant its location was as well.

Moms Need Help in California Family Court System

I'd like to take a brief aside from POTUS politics and look at an issue in California related to families, domestic violence prevention, and social justice. As a recent article in Capitol Weekly put it, the issue is about improving oversight and accountability in the process of how child custody disputes are handled, i.e. some good moms (and dads) are getting screwed by the process, and there's something we can do about it.

Please read the Capitol Weekly article for more details.

Also check out the two YouTube video clips:  PART ONE & PART TWO

The audit request is slated to be heard at an early August 2008 JLAC Committee hearing in Sacramento. While Speaker Pro Tem Lieber is busy gathering legislative co-sponsors for their request, they are recruiting as many organizational supporters as they can to generate support. They have been coordinating meetings with the CA Commission on the Status of Women, California NOW, the CA Partnership to End Domestic Violence and the Legislative Women's Caucus, all of whom have helped as they finalize the JLAC request. They still need more support from all organizations committed to racial justice and gender equity; protecting women and children; demanding clean, accountable government; and/or protecting civil and human rights.

(For more information, contact Kathleen Russell Consulting.)

MOMocrats Podcast: Now Available on iTunes

Good news for you iPod/MP3 users...you can now subscribe to the MOMocrats Podcast via iTunes!  Just go to the iTunes Store and search for "MOMocrats".  The download is free.  You'll never miss another episode!  If you this link to find the podcast and purchase anything from iTunes within the next 24 hours, MOMocrats will get a percentage of your purchase.

Next up on the Podcast:  Joanne Bamberger hosts a discussion of Arianna Huffington's new book Right is Wrong on Sunday, July 13 on Blog Talk Radio. 

Obama Campaign Addresses NY Times Report on Al-Qaida Growth in Pakistan

Obama foreign policy adviser Susan Rice and former CIA officer Bruce Reidel launched a conference call today to address the failure of the Bush administration's approach toward Pakistan and the recently reported safe haven that exists in the country for Al Qaida.

The article on the existing Pakistan bases appeared today in the New York Times and tells of the rising number of Al Qaida operatives being trained in the region:

"Just as it had on the day before 9/11, Al Qaeda now has a band of terrorist camps from which to plan and train for attacks against Western targets, including the United States. Officials say the new camps are smaller than the ones the group used prior to 2001. However, despite dozens of American missile strikes in Pakistan since 2002, one retired C.I.A. officer estimated that the makeshift training compounds now have as many as 2,000 local and foreign militants, up from several hundred three years ago," the article states.

During the call, Rice and Reidel said Sen. Obama, as president would focus on a multi-layered economic approach that could possibly draw in help from NATO to defeat the Al Qaida presence in Pakistan.

Rice was clear to pinpoint John McCain's support of the Bush policies toward the region and called McCain's support "poor judgement."

"We have 5 times the troop levels we have in Afghanistan in Iraq, yet John McCain wants to keep our troops in Iraq indefinitely," said Rice.

She added that by demonstrating economic assistance to Pakistan and Afghanistan, the U.S. would be "in a better position to leverage comparable contributions from NATO."

"The heart of the terrorist threat has always been in Afganistan and Pakistan border," Reidel said.

However, there appeared some defense from Rice and Reidel on comments Obama made last summer on "actionable intelligence" and when and if he, as president would act to make a strike on Al Qaida targets in Pakistan with or without the permission of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

Rice called Obama's words "a new approach" and highlighted that he was the only candidate at the time to make such a statement on U.S. policy. Rice added that Obama's plan includes a commitment to an additional 2 combat brigades in Pakistan.

Rice and Reidel responded to a reporter's question on whether or not the NY Times article itself in their opinion constituted "actionable intelligence". Both disagreed.

"It's not the kind of intelligence that tells you where you can drop a bomb," responded Reidel. Rice responded to the question saying, "actionable intelligence is widely understood to mean time and place specific."

-Christine Modern English

Latest Update on FISA: Feingold Amendments

After the July 4 holiday, the Senate will consider a vote on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The most recent incarnation of FISA passed by a 293-129 vote in the House.

Senator Russ Feingold, from that state of lovely and quite good-looking people in Wisconsin with whom I feel so much solidarity these days, has been one of the highest profile opponents of this troubling bill. MOMocrats' Julie Pippert breaks down the issues that most civil libertarians and progressives have trouble with in this cogent and well-researched post.

So that's why my daughter's tee says "President Poopyhead"

From the "it would be funny if it weren't so damn sad" files:

Calling it "a fitting monument to the president's work," a grassroots organization is lobbying  to change the name of San Francisco's sewage facilities to honor George W Bush. They already have way more signatures than they need to get it on the ballot in November.

As far as I'm concerned it makes more sense than naming DC National Airport after the President who fired 11,000 air traffic controllers.

[via trumors]

-Liz writes about more of life's absurdities--mostly her own--at Mom-101

The Luxury of Being Unaware of Gas Prices.

I haven't any such luxury.  But evidently, John McCain has.

(According to Martin Wicksol, of The Orange County Register, who was able to land a brief phone interview with the Arizona Senator on June 24th.)

From the piece:

I’d like to ask you a couple questions suggested by voters here. They’re not reporter-type questions.

Sure. It’d be a pleasure.

When was the last time you pumped your own gas and how much did it cost?
Oh, I don’t remember. Now there’s Secret Service protection. But I’ve done it for many, many years. I don’t recall and frankly, I don’t see how it matters.

I’ve had hundreds and hundreds of town hall meetings, many as short a time ago as yesterday. I communicate with the people and they communicate with me very effectively.

(h/t to Faiz at Think Progress and John Cole at Balloon Juice.)

p.s. And now the riddle is solved.  The McCains don't even know which houses they're behind paying property taxes on (hint: four years' worth, on the house in La Jolla, a superrich 'hood on the San Diego coast)  -- how could they *possibly* keep track of the price of petrol?  Well, they simply can't, of course. 

America.  Do we seriously need to elect another entitled idiot of these proportions?

Answer:  Notsomuch.