So the Religious Right Is Destroying the GOP...

Wow. Just wow. Ex-Christian-fundamentalist (or "Christianist") Frank Schaeffer explained so well last weekend on D.L. Hughley where we're at.



Now let me do my best to follow up.

As we saw last week when President Obama reversed the Bush Era restrictions on stem cell research, the religious right has yelled and screamed itself into a corner. While America hasn't fully recovered yet from "the culture wars", we as a society are quickly moving in that direction. We Americans are more willing to accept science, not reject it. We're becoming more accepting of LGBT people, not less. We're becoming more willing to let women make their own health care decisions, not less. Yet somehow, the Republican Party seems stuck in this early 1980s "Moral Majority" mentality. Why?

Basically, they've become captive to their drones. They promised the religious right that abortion would be recriminalized, queer people would be thrown in jail, and everyone (not arrested for being "degenerate heathens") would magically accept Jesus as their true lord and savior. And now, the religious right wants those promises fulfilled. And as much as their President Dumbya Bush tried, it wasn't enough.

However, there's a problem now. The radical right ideology has failed. Republicans are out of power. And as I mentioned earlier, Americans are getting increasingly sick and tired of the same old "everything will magically get better if we just bash teh gayz & crush teh abortionists & kill off teh feminazis!" song and dance routine.

The Republican Party is defeated. The religious right is irrelevant. So really, why are we still afraid of them?

Why is DOMA still preventing LGBT couples from accessing any basic rights and benefits on the federal level? Why are LGBT solidiers still being expelled from the military under DADT? Why is there still debate over letting women make their own health decisions? And why haven't we already guaranteed women the same equal rights we give to men? Here's a news flash: The culture wars are ending, and we are winning.

So as Congress soon considers legislation to end legalized discrimination, expand women's rights, and overall extend the promise of civil rights for more people, our Democratic leaders need to stop being afraid and start doing the right thing. Same goes for President Obama as he may soon be faced with a decision to actively support these bills. Let the religious right destroy the GOP. They're a shrinking minority. We somehow managed to win the last two elections for them. And as long as they keep their promises to us, we can do the same for them again in 2010 and 2012.

President Obama Signs Lilly Leadbetter Act

Good. Equal pay for equal work. What a concept!

Keep Obama Honest on Civil Rights

Last month, we elected Barack Obama as our 44th President on the promise that he'll reverse course on the assault on people's rights and help our nation make progress again on advancing civil rights. Next month, Obama will take office. So how long must we wait to see those promises fulfilled?

Why should we wait much longer?

We shouldn't have to. Really, we can't allow inequality to persist any longer. That's why we must start working now to urge President Obama and the Democratic Congress to get working!

One great place where they can start is with repealing DOMA, the "Defense of Marriage Act". In reality, DOMA defends no one's marriage. Rather, it prevents same-sex couples from exercising what should be their rights as legally recognized couples. Now that issues of LGBT equality are on the forefront of the national agenda and most Americans believe gay & lesbian couples should have all the same rights as straight couples, we must make sure that DOMA is repealed.

Another important LGBT civil rights issue to tackle is workplace discrimination. Believe it or not, someone can still be "legally" fired in 30 states simply for being a "f*gg*t". We're in desperate need of a national anti-discrimination policy, and that's why ENDA must become law as soon as possible. That's also why "Don't Ask Don't Tell" must be repealed, as far too many brave people in the military are discharged simply for being queer. There should be no "heterosexual litmus test" to hire employees, so DADT must be repealed as ENDA becomes law.

Now of course, we don't just have work to do on LGBT rights. We also must work to advance women's rights, including women's reproductive rights. We can start by pushing for the passage of the Freedom of Choice Act, which will prevent any further erosion of the principle of freedom of choice originally decided in Roe v. Wade. Oh yes, and if the anti-choice forces really want to work with us to reduce the need for abortion, why don't they join us in protecting access to family planning & contraception?

OK, so choice shouldn't be the end of advancing women's rights. There's far more for us to do as well. Believe it or not, women are still not guaranteed fair pay for the hard work they do. And believe it or not, there's still no guarantee of equal rights for women in the Constitution yet. This must change, and we must change this soon.

It's about time that America treat all her citizens equally, regardless of gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Are you ready to make this change happen? I am. Now, we must demand that the new President & Congress make it happen!

Please tell President-Elect Obama to keep his word & support equal rights for all! Oh yes, and please ask the same of your members of Congress. They promised us change we can believe in, so now's the time to deliver.

The Feminist in Chief?

Wow. I guess the President-Elect isn't such a "misogynist" after all. Will the PUMA McTrolls ever apologize for lying out of their teeth? I doubt it.

Whatever. Obama's showing his commitment to equality by putting powerful women in real positions of power in the new administration.

Another Day...

Another Cabinet pick. Today, we find out that Chicago businesswoman Penny Pritzker has been offered Secretary of Commerce. Nice. It'd be nice to have more women in government... And I guess that's what we're getting.

Oh yes, and word has it that Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano may be Homeland Security Secretary. I'm not so sure about this... Not because I don't like her, but because I want her to beat McCain in the 2010 Senate race!

Our Rights Are STILL Being Threatened by Dumbya!

Don't believe me? Read this! And better yet, do something about it!

California

PPIC has a new statewide poll out, and we have some BIG news being made.

The good news:

Obama (D) 56%
McCain (R) 33%

The not-so-good news:

Proposition 4 (mandated parental notification of teen abortion)-
Yes 46%
No 44%

The not-so-bad-but-still-not-good news:

Proposition 8 (same-sex marriage ban)-
Yes 44%
No 52%

If you're in California, please get to work to defeat Props 4 & 8! And no matter where you are, please help us win! As I've said before, PRESIDENT OBAMA IS NOT ENOUGH! We must also win the battles on the state level to make change happen.

NOW PAC Endorses Obama

In case you haven't heard... Real feminists support Obama!

The 500,000-strong women's movement, which "very, very rarely endorses in a general election", broke with its tradition of neutrality after "the addition of Sarah Palin gave us a new sense of urgency," said Gandy.

"She is being portrayed as a supporter of women's rights ... as a feminist when in fact her positions on so many of the issues are really anathema to ours," Gandy said. [...]

"The idea that she opposes abortion even in cases of rape and incest -- those kinds of positions are completely out of step with American women and once they find out about those positions, they get a little less excited about a woman running for vice president," Gandy said.

Well, it's the truth. McCain & Palin are anti-choice, anti pay-equity, and overall extremely anti-women's equality. How the hell is that "feminist"? No wonder why real feminists aren't buying their Bush*t.

Talk With Hillary & Joe This Wednesday!

FYI. :-)

C4O Reader --

Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden will be part of a video forum hosted by Women for Obama this Wednesday, September 17th, at 8 p.m. EDT. It's part of our Women's Week of Action -- and you can start the conversation.

Send a question to Hillary and Joe.

They will discuss a range of issues important to women, from Equal Pay for Equal Work to reproductive health, from expanding the Family Medical Leave Act to giving tax cuts to strengthen the middle class. But they also want to know what's important to you. Be part of the conversation on women's issues with Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden. Submit a question today:

http://my.barackobama.com/WFOonlinevideo

Thanks, Women for Obama

P.S. -- After you've submitted a question, don't forget to join us on Wednesday, September 17th, at 8 p.m. EDT for the Women for Obama Online Video to hear Hillary and Joe answer your questions and talk about how we can bring the change our country needs.

So McBush Doesn't Mind "The B Word"?

Remember when John McCain laughed when one of his supporters asked, "How do we beat the bitch (referring to Hillary Clinton)?" Well, his VP nominee thinks it's a joke to call an Alaska State Senator "a bitch" and "a cancer". Oh yes, and the GOP wants to call us "sexist" whenever we question McCain's decision to make Sarah Palin VP? What about real misogyny, like publicly degrading women elected officials?

Republican hypocrisy in action!

McBush-Palin '08 for More of the Same Ol' S--t!

(Proudly cross-posted at Clark Community Network)

Wow! So John McCain has really proven his "feminist" street cred by picking Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to be his VP. Oh yes, and aren't they both such mavericks! McCain-Palin just smells like real change now, doesn't it?

Wait... Hold on. So we have some pesky facts to get in the way of a lovely corporate media narrative? Oh, darn!

Oh, yes. We have the facts. John McCain wants us to believe that he and Sarah Palin are "mavericks", but the truth is that they're both only using that word to hide the fact that they're Bush-Cheney clones.

First off, let's examine Sarah Palin's swirling corruption scandal. She's misused her power to remove a state trooper, just because she had personal issues with him. Now who does that sound familiar with?

Secondly, let's look at how Palin has stood against women's rights. Palin may be a woman, but that doesn't automatically mean she's been adavncing the cause of equal rights during her career. OK, so what do I mean by that? I'll let National Organization for Women PAC Chair Kim Gandy speak:

Sen. John McCain's choice of Alaska governor Sarah Palin as his running mate is a cynical effort to appeal to disappointed Hillary Clinton voters and get them to vote, ultimately, against their own self-interest.

Gov. Palin may be the second woman vice-presidential candidate on a major party ticket, but she is not the right woman. Sadly, she is a woman who opposes women's rights, just like John McCain. [...]


In a gubernatorial debate, Palin stated emphatically that her opposition to abortion was so great, so total, that even if her teenage daughter was impregnated by a rapist, she would "choose life" -- meaning apparently that she would not permit her daughter to have an abortion.

Palin also had to withdraw her appointment of a top public safety commissioner who had been reprimanded for sexual harassment, although Palin had been warned about his background through letters by the sexual harassment complainant.

What McCain does not understand is that women supported Hillary Clinton not just because she was a woman, but because she was a champion on their issues. They will surely not find Sarah Palin to be an advocate for women.

Sarah Palin may occasionally dress in pantsuits like our progressive, feminist champion Hillary Clinton, but behind her Hillary-esque mask is just another Dick Cheney. Oh yes, and speaking of Dick Cheney... She's very anti-environment, just like Good Ol' Dick! All we need to do is listen to Sarah Palin's own words to determine how little she cares about our planet's and our people's future:

"When I look every day, the big oil company's building is right out there next to me, and it's quite a reminder that we should have mutually beneficial relationships with the oil industry."

"We have so much potential from tapping our resources here in Alaska. And we can do this with minimum environmental impact. We have a very pro-development president in President Bush, and yet he failed to push for opening up parts of Alaska to drilling through Congress -- and a Republican-controlled Congress, I might add."

"A changing environment will affect Alaska more than any other state, because of our location. I'm not one though who would attribute [global warming] to being man-made."

"I beg to disagree with any candidate who would say we can't drill our way out of our problem or that more supply won't ultimately affect prices. Of course it will affect prices."

Even though all the facts say otherwise, Sarah Palin would rather line the pockets of Big Oil than persue real energy solutions that respect our environment, provide more & better jobs for our people, and end our fossil fuel addiction that's been harming our national security. Sarah Plain refuses to recognize real science. She'd rather persue her own extremist ideology than promote real solutions.

But in addition to all these issue concerns with Palin, let's take something else into consideration. Can she handle the job of President if McCain couldn't. Is she ready for the job of Vice President?



Well, is she?

But you know what? McCain ultimately picked Palin as VP to distract us from the facts about McCain. He doesn't want to remember that McCain = Bush. Let's not allow the McCain-Palin illusion of "change" to make us forget that they are really more of the same old s--t that we've been suffering under for the last eight years. So really, do we want another four years of this crap? Or are we ready for real change?

Hillary is BACK...

And she's ready to kick some Rethug ass! Read more here, and take action here. Let's go make Hillary proud! :-)

The McCain Myth: He's Pro-choice

As we've all heard, John McCain is described by the corporate media as a "maverick" and a "moderate". And for some reason, we are actually expected to believe this BS. One example is reproductive rights.

Over the years, we've been told to believe that McCain isn't as virulently anti-choice and anti-women as the rest of his Republican Party. And to a large extent, McCain is trying hard to play the part to woo us Hillary Clinton Democrats. But when we pull back McCain's nicey-nicey "maverick" veil, we see that he's just as anti-choice and anti-women and anti-freedom as the rest of his beloved GOP.

After all, why would Planned Parenthood list McCain as anti-choice if he really wasn't? Why would NARAL Pro-choice America see McCain as a serious threat to reproductive rights if he actually wasn't? And why is McCain's actual record so extremely anti-choice if he actually isn't?

Folks, we're smarter than this. We don't need to believe the McCain Myth created by his handlers and perpetuated by the corporate media. McCain really is Bush's third term embodied. And think about it, was Bush all that great on women's reproductive rights? Did he ever lift a finger to secure a woman's right to choose? And how the heck is John McCain any different?

If we really care about women's reproductive rights, we simply can't allow John McCain anywhere near the White House. The Supreme Court is literally one vote away from overturning Roe v. Wade. Can we really risk it all on John McCain and his anti-choice ways? Congress still has important legislation to pass to ensure reproductive freedom. Can we afford John McCain's vetos?

Think about it. This election is just too damn important for us to lose. The stakes are simply too high. If we want to protect a woman's right to choose, we need to beat John McCain this fall.