Sarah Palin's First Amendment Rights

I don't know about the rest of you, but I am sick and tired of GOP Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin. If I never have to see her winking, sneering countenance again it will be too soon.

But as hard as I pray for the end of her 15 minutes of fame, I have a feeling this is just the beginning. Because even if McCain-Palin loses (which is the main thing I've been praying for), she has made it very clear that she's not going to go quietly back to Alaska. And there is a faction of the conservative right wing who love her and see her as the future of their party. So for better or worse (mostly worse), we'll be seeing a lot more of her here in the lower 48.

So I've been trying to ignore her. Unfortunately, she makes that really hard, because now that she's "gone rogue" and veers off her carefully crafted script, she seems to come up with some new outrageous statement every single day.

The latest: complaining to a conservative radio host that journalists who criticize her for negative campaigning against Barack Obama are infringing on HER First Amendment rights.

As ABC News reports:

"If [the media] convince enough voters that that is negative campaigning, for me to call Barack Obama out on his associations," Palin told host Chris Plante, "then I don't know what the future of our country would be in terms of First Amendment rights and our ability to ask questions without fear of attacks by the mainstream media."

Governor Palin, have you ever READ the First Amendment? Because time and time again, you have indicated that you have NO UNDERSTANDING OF IT AT ALL:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Let me explain it to you.

California's Proposition 8: The Battle Tightens

The "Yes on 8" people have been out in force in my neighborhood.

This is the ballot proposition that seeks to nullify the California Supreme Court decision to allow gays to legally marry.

I have been horrified to discover that most of my neighbors are supporting this waste of taxpayer time and money. I understood that my northern San Fernando Valley community skews conservative, and I saw it in 2000 and 2004 as the roads leading to my daughter's school were lined with yard signs supporting George W. Bush. But somehow, I had lulled myself into thinking that during the ensuing years, my neighbors' eyes had opened to the bad policy and intolerant thought processes that were behind the current Administration's most outrageous positions.

It's not the first time I've been guilty of misreading folks.

The measure's proponents are selling it to the public as a rally to "protect marriage." Many of its supporters cite the Bible as their rationale for opposing equal rights for same sex couples.

Not all clergy agree.

I was pleasantly surprised earlier this month, when our rabbi devoted his Yom Kippur sermon to the Proposition 8 controversy.

"Of all the groups within American society whose struggle for equal rights found a renewed voice in the 60's and 70's, homosexuals are alone in still suffering widespread, socially accepted discrimination," he said, describing Proposition 8's title (The Marriage Protection Act) as "pure Orwellian newspeak."

Rabbi Brown went on: "Even the most diehard cynic must find truly breathtaking the spectacle of those who would impose their religious views on us all now cloaking themselves in the constitutional principle of separation of church and state. If Proposition 8 is defeated, its proponents tell us, churches will be forced to recognize gay marriages, even if such recognition flies in the face of church doctrine."

But that's simply not true. There is nothing in the law that would require religious entities to endorse or accept gay marriage. That is their first amendment right. But, as Rabbi Brown quoted the Los Angeles Times, "the government, which has obligations of equity, may not engage in discrimination that religions are allowed. As long as it bestows the privileges of marriage on some couples, it must bestow them on all."

I was pleased to discover that the leaders of Southern California's Board of Rabbis publicly oppose Proposition 8. Among the reasons: that gay marriage is a civil matter, and they honor and uphold the separation of church/synagogue and state.

The rabbis are not alone. In the past few days, Lutheran and Presbyterian clergy in Southern California have also demonstrated against the measure, and all of California's Episcopal dioceses also say NO.

CA Women's Conference: Condoleeza Rice, Indra Nooyi and Campbell Brown

Rice: I still think that in our society women are seen in particular roles. But it's changing very rapidly. You had Hillary Clinton, who was terrific and now you have Sarah Palin, who I think is a fantastic person. The glass ceiling is going to  have to continue to be shattered by girls who truly believe they can be whatever they want to be. I think the hard sciences and new technology are the new glass ceiling.

Nooyi: I think there is a glass ceiling. I think it will go away when women help other women break through it.

Brown: You are both in male dominated profession. Were your mentors males?

Rice: I didn't start out even in diplomacy, I started out in military, so it was very male dominated. Women do have to help women. But you also have to be comfortable being first. Sally Ride would not have been the first woman astronaut if she had been looking for one to follow. Don't limit your role models to those who are like you; they can be found in any color and any gender.

Nooyi: When a man presents and messes up, the men go to the men's room and they say, you could have done better. When women could  do it, two things happen. The women don't go to them and say you could have done better. And the woman tears herself down.

We have to get to the root of that issue at some point.

Brown: Women are often much tougher on each other than men are on women. Have you found that to be the case?

Rice: I guess so, although men can be tough on women. Sometimes when I stand in a classroom and look around, I think the people there are pretty scary. But then I look at the men, and some of them look scared, too.

Women are just as confident. Men have just learned how to act that way.

CA Women's Conference: Keynote Address by Maria Shriver

The Schwarzenegger daughters take the stage. They're cute, as they introduce their famous mom, Maria Shriver.

Secrets we don't know about their mom: We bet you don't know she's obsessed w/licorice and dots and hides them around the house. That she has her very own miniature pony named Whisky that's supposed to be in the backyard but wanders the house. That she travels everywhere with a tub of caramel popcorn. That she wears Halloween teeth in the morning for carpool and thinks it's hilarious. Or that last year, she took that miniature pony trick or treating and it kicked a child. She sometimes puts her workout clothes on inside-out in hopes of making it to the Lifecycle...

Maria Shriver takes the stage, kissing her daughters as they walk off.

Live Blogging the CA Women's Conference: Part two of Opening Session

Christiane Amanpour talking about being a foreign correspondent.

In 1994, covered genocide. Today, seeing the woman (most of the survivors) are powering Africa. Women are  more natural, flexible entrepreneurs. When a woman can buy a goat and make a business out of it, it can turn the world around. Women repay loans at higher rate than most men do.

In Rwanda, women now own 41% of businesses and half the seats of Parliament. All the major economic indicators are ahead in women. Rwanda rocks when it comes to ending povertry by empowering women.

In the less hopeful areas of Africa, in the AIDS belt, grandmothers are the new mothers, keeping their souls alive.

I come from a privileged background. I grew up in Iran where my mother showed me by example that there was nothing a woman could not do. But when the Islamic revolution swept up, we lost everything. We saw people executed for being on the wrong side of the political divide.

I decided to become a journalist. I came to America and found that if you work hard, you can be a success. I found something that gave me joy, willing to sacrifice and risk my life. I loved every hard won step up the ladder at CNN 25 years ago.

God gives all of us gifts and it's how we use those gifts that make a difference. Somehow somewhere I've been given a voice and I've tried to use that voice to tell the truth through my work at CNN.

I have always told myself that when my son Darius asks why I'm going away, I'd better have a good answer. You don't need to tell me about the crisis in journalism. These days it's tempting to quit and do something else. But I continue by convincing myself that this still matters. I truly believe that the history of human civilization is built by storytellers.

This Christmas, my family is going to an orphanage I covered in Kenya. And I'm going to try to teach my son at this young age that it is about justice, not us. We need strong, important journalists committed to telling the truth. Telling the story of women is one way to do that work.

Take Afghanistan. Areas there where women can go to school, drive, learn, be elected. In one such province a woman is the first female governor ever in AFghanistan. But in corners where the Taliban are back, women again are being victimized. Just a few weeks ago, one of the few women police officers in Khandahar was murdered.

You've seen what happens when journalism fails. Look at Rwanda. We failed to put the light on it and we failed. One million people were murdered in full view. And we helped enable the war in Iraq. This is something we have to take very seriously.

In the past eight years, I have never seen so much global angst. While we are having an election, the whole world wants to have a vote. Because when America sneezes, the whole world catches a cold.

The next President needs to make it cool again for the world to share America's great values and ideals and rescue freedom's good name. It's not very popular to say that and some pundits still sneer at that suggestion. But 83% of Americans say that improving America's standing in the world should be the next President's foreign policy goal.

Close Guantanamo. Lead climate change. Talk to other leaders without preconditions. I can tell you this will change the world. That women are great barometers of change and when given a chance can be architects of change, even in places like Iran.

It bewilders me that there are simply more women elected to high office outside this country. There are female presidents and prime ministers in South America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia. I do think it's a good thing to have a woman on a major ticket. But I do think the qualifications of that woman and any woman seeking high office matters. It matters, because the stakes are higher than ever. The stakes are too high.

In 2000, I asked why a candidate's qualifications were not questioned. I am truly alarmed by the rise of the citizen ruler (or citizen journalist). Experience and expertise.

So when young women and young men ask me about the way ahead, I ask them to use their success to change the world through their deeds. No matter what path you take, by all means be entrepreneurs but also consider your place in your communities, in our world. Consider giving your future a social face and travel - it can be done cheaply.

Amanpour urges people to go to less developed countries and use their expertise to help people out of their poverty trap.

It changes the lives of both parties and it changes the way America is seen in the world.

Would like to see an army of citizens brandishing great ideas, spreading a soft kind of power (as Robert Gates says).

Concludes with words from student Dominique Jones: hoping that her generation is one of great thinkers but more importantly, one of great doers. Peace is possible. She believes that, and Amanpour believes that.

Live Blogging the CA Women's Conference: Opening Session

MOMocrats is in Long Beach today, covering the California Women's Conference.

The session began with a short video by Maria Shriver, welcoming the attendees to Long Beach. Shriver said that for the first time, an estimated audience of one million will be able to view the conference via live streaming webcast on the official site.

A color guard presented the flag and Marilyn McCoo sang the National Anthem.

Deborah Norville is emceeing this session.

Says it's OK for women to have it "not figured out." Even Maria Shriver feels that way. And that's what this event is all about.

Norville mentions how quickly this event sold out: just three hours.

Then she ran down what will occur during today's general sessions.

Asked if anyone is worried about the economy - then announced that Warren Buffet will be here soon for a discussion with Governor Schwarzenegger and Chris Matthews.

Also: Condoleeza Rice will be here at lunch to talk with Maria Shriver and Campbell Brown.

Just in Time for Rosh Hashanah

As Obama surges in the national polls, it's apparent that the race may hinge again on the same swing states as the last few elections.

Today's polls indicate some good news: Obama is currently ahead of McCain in Ohio and Florida. But there's plenty of margin of error in the polls.

Comedian Sarah Silverman would like to see Obama increase his lead in in Florida, and has made this video appeal to young, Jewish voters (or really, anyone whose grandparents live in the Sunshine State). Try it, you'll like it:

The Great Schlep from The Great Schlep on Vimeo.

(Thanks to Cynematic for the link to this video!)

Donna Schwartz Mills  (SoCal Mom) is hoping for a real L'Shana Tova on November 4.

The MOMocrats Throw a Party for Our Honorary Little Brother

Loooooocckkkshin.  What it do?

(Matt Lockshin, our favorite pesky little brother, surrounded by MOMocrats love; to his left, Donna/SoCal Mom, and Julie of Using My Words, is on his other left)

A birthday song for you, Lil' Bro Lockshin.  From the MOMs who made you rethink mom-jeans.

DNC 08: A Look at Obama's Foreign Policy Team

Yes, we know the Republicans are having their convention, and we're watching it with great interest. It's reminding us of how much more positive and inclusive our OWN convention was last week.

We still have a LOT of material from Denver that we've yet to share with you. So we hope you'll allow us to bask a little longer in the DNC's light. We think it will be a nice counterpoint to the bile we're hearing out of St. Paul.

John McCain's supporters have argued vociferously that Barack Obama has too little foreign policy experience to be an effective President in an increasingly dangerous world. (At least, that was their argument before McCain announced Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate).

I have always thought that the foreign policy argument was rather fallacious. A President is only as good as his or her team of advisors. Our last two Presidents were state Governors, elected without diplomatic experience.

The important thing to consider is who is on a candidate's advisory team.

Bill Clinton appointed Warren Christopher and Madeleine Albright as his Secretaries of State and famously listened (and listened and listened) to his staff before he acted. World opinion of Clinton remained high through both his terms, even when his poll numbers suffered at home for the Lewinsky affair.

George W. Bush ignored the advice of first-term Secretary of State Colin Powell while pursuing a dangerous agenda set forth by neo-cons like Paul Wolfowitz and Richard Perle.

We know how well that has worked: We've overloaded our military in Iraq (at the expense of the real work we have yet to do in Afghanistan, and our homeland security). We've lost support of international allies and much of our influence throughout the world, as well as the moral authority to champion human rights.

John McCain continues to support that agenda, by advocating a continuation of Bush's policies; even flip-flopping on the subject of torture. His top foreign policy adviser is lobbyist Randy Scheunemann, a former aide to Donald Rumsfeld and president of the Committee for the Liberation of Iraq.

But what agenda would Barack Obama bring to the Presidency? That was the subject of a panel I attended Thursday at the National Democratic Institute's International Leaders Forum, held the final day of the Democratic Convention.

The DNC: Denver with the MOMocrats is a Riot

Donna: I was a little worried about coming to the Democratic National Convention with only one press credential. What would the other nine MOMocrats do while just one of us got to be part of the action on the floor?

As it turns out, there was quite a lot for the rest of us to do. So much, that at 6:00, the four of us stationed in the Big Tent were feeling kind of tired. We decided to go back to the hotel, have a sensible dinner and get organized for the next day.

Steph: I was hauling the MOMocrats in my stylin' minivan ...

Julie: The Taurus SUV... which is kind of an oxymoron because SUV is supposed to be kind of hip and minivan is a mom car, which is kind of perfect for us.

Steph: So, I was driving the "Miss Daisies" when I noticed a mob of motorcycles with flashing lights zooming towards us in the rear view mirror.

Twitterstream: Just got overtaken by half a dozen motorcycle cops w/sirens blaring. Something's happening          about 3 hours ago from txt

Steph: I think I said "Oh shit"...

Julie: I think I was screaming "Holy God almighty"...

Deb: I think I was saying "Camera, Camera!"

Twitterstream: All hell is breaking loose in downtown denver