The Agonist - Liberties

Abu Gonzales . . .

Sun, 18 Mar 2007 20:32:45 -0700

. . . is hosed. It's just that simple. I doubt he'll last until Friday.

Politics, Leadership and its Impact on Morality

Sun, 18 Mar 2007 16:42:39 -0700

During a rousing March 13th sermon marking 20 years of the group he founded, ACT UP, 71 year old author and gay rights leader Larry Kramer argued that the current crop of Presidential candidates did not deserve gay votes. Kramer said they, the candidates, would all “sell us down the river given half a chance.”

Singling out Democrat Hillary Clinton, the candidate he predicts to win, Kramer said “the woman does not even know how to make simple declarative statements that involve definite details.”

Kramer couldn’t have planned the next day’s news cycle better himself. An answer Senator Clinton gave ABC News in response to a question about gay people suggested that Larry Kramer owns a mystical political crystal ball.

More here.

The Party of the Future

Sat, 17 Mar 2007 22:57:13 -0700

As we've noted before, internet radio is about to be destroyed by the decision of the Copyright Royalty Board to radically increase royalty fees for playing music over the internet.

The argument is simple - if FM stations don't have to pay, why should streaming ones?

If Democrats (insert your specific politician here) are smart, they will see this as an opportunity to radicalize young voters to their side. Remember - how a person votes in their twenties is usually how they vote for life. Millenials are trending Dem, but locking them in is smart, and showing that Democrats understand the new world, and are on the side of the future, not the past, is how you do it.

But, fundamentally, IP law is screwed up, bigtime.

There's an online petition here. Signing it is a start, but only a start and won't save internet radio.

What the issue needs is a sponsor - a congressperson with guts and vision, who's willing to sponsor a bill to stop this. And then we move to whip lists and we pile the pressure on.

The politician who does this will reap great rewards - and so will the party.

The Story of Col. Ted Westhusing . . .

Sat, 17 Mar 2007 21:14:11 -0700

. . . just keeps getting more heartbreaking the more we learn.

Cannabis: An apology

Sat, 17 Mar 2007 18:48:30 -0700

Jonathan Owen | London | March 18

The Independent - In 1997, this newspaper launched a campaign to decriminalise the drug. If only we had known then what we can reveal today...

Record numbers of teenagers are requiring drug treatment as a result of smoking skunk, the highly potent cannabis strain that is 25 times stronger than resin sold a decade ago.

More than 22,000 people were treated last year for cannabis addiction - and almost half of those affected were under 18. With doctors and drugs experts warning that skunk can be as damaging as cocaine and heroin, leading to mental health problems and psychosis for thousands of teenagers, The Independent on Sunday has today reversed its landmark campaign for cannabis use to be decriminalised.

More at link.

Do You Want To See . . .

Wed, 14 Mar 2007 21:16:21 -0700

. . . Abu Gonzales step down? Should he resign? If so, sign the petition.

Is That The Sound . . .

Wed, 14 Mar 2007 14:32:44 -0700

. . . of the other shoe dropping? Sounds that way to me, as Republican Senator John Sununu, Jr. calls for Abu Gonzales to resign. That makes 4 senators on record for Gonzales' resignation. Popcorn, anyone?

More here.

An Interesting Contretemps . . .

Wed, 14 Mar 2007 13:01:12 -0700

. . . is brewing here in Texas about Kos, the netroots and a possible Noriega run for the Senate. I'll keep everyone updated.

Did Hillary Just Call . . .

Tue, 13 Mar 2007 21:24:52 -0700

. . . for the resignation of Abu Gonzales? So, how many Senators does that make? The better question is how many Senators until Bush digs his heels in?

You can also see Josh Marshall on Olbermann, here.

I Remember A Time . . .

Tue, 13 Mar 2007 14:28:46 -0700

. . . in the life of this blog when I would find myself in deep, deep trouble with some of the readers, the more centrist minded readers, for even hinting that there was a creepy and creeping authoritarianism in this country.

Looks like they were wrong. Who knew we'd be discussing whether anti-authoritarianism is the proper basis for sensible politics in this country in a little over 4 years?

I'll be talking about this subject on the radio later this week and I am sure Ian and I will discuss this afternoon on Radio Agonist. We need more sunlight.

Nota bene: The "Clinton Did It Too Defense" doesn't work on this one.

News This Evening . . .

Fri, 09 Mar 2007 08:17:47 -0800

. . . of FBI abuses of the USA Patriot Act are serious and extremely worrisome for those of us who care about civil liberties.

Equally worrisome, but even more explosive than the FBI news, is this column by Paul Krugman about the burgeoning US Attorneys scandal. Krugman puts a few pieces together and comes up with a pretty nasty conclusion, one that Josh Marshall adds more to.

Looks like it might be an interesting Friday in Washington.

To All The Women In Our Lives

Thu, 08 Mar 2007 09:41:04 -0800

To our wives, sisters, mothers and daughters today we celebrate you.

Happy International Women's Day.

More here and here.I'll link to more sites throughout the day.

It's Not Whether He Is . . .

Wed, 07 Mar 2007 22:40:26 -0800

. . . or he isn't a journalist. It's what he was doing. He was doing journalism and it is on that basis that he should be 'judged.'

Senator "Box Turtle" Cornyn A No Show?

Mon, 05 Mar 2007 22:27:10 -0800

I wonder what kind of 'major scheduling problems' would keep a US Senator from one of the most critical committee meetings he could possibly have this year? From the Washington Post:

Aides to Cornyn said he has a major scheduling conflict which could force him to miss testimony in a case with huge political ramifications for the White House as well as Domenici and at least one other Republican lawmaker.

I doubt the hometown boy will be here in San Antonio tomorrow preparing for the John Edwards Campaign Rally on Wednesday, right?

I'll see if I can make a few phone calls tomorrow.

Those Two Stories About . . .

Mon, 05 Mar 2007 21:38:19 -0800

. . . about the Kansas City Board of Public Utilities that TPM highlighted yesterday were sucked down the memory hole. I had an inkling that would happen so I made screencaps of them, here.