"Prop 8 - The Musical" starring Jack Black, John C. Reilly, and many more...

I just received this video from a friend of mine... Almost died laughing! ...Too bad they didn't get this one done 6 weeks ago in time to prevent this disaster from happening!

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

LDS FINANCES CALIFORNIA’S DISCRIMINATORY ANTI-CIVIL-RIGHTS ‘PROP 8’ – Mormon Church Tax-Exempt Status at Risk

As many of you may be aware, The LDS church contributed a significant amount of money and effort (including alleged phone banks run from church property) to endorse the unconstitutional, immoral and highly discriminatory PROP 8 in California via its network of church, media, and community outlets enshrining discrimination under the law for thousands of Californians and their families.

Many believe the church's involvement in ‘YES ON 8’ is in violation of the Federal Tax code given the $22+ million in play for the YES campaign, $17+ million by LDS activity (totaling 70% of PROP 8 financing). These were not random donations; this was a coordinated effort to mobilize its membership to donate in their name. Mormon votes did not steal the rights of Californians. Mormon money did. They scared the Californain citizens by saying that that they would lose the right to participate in their children's education. Lies.

They also frightened Californian citizens by suggesting that the California state public school curriculum would be modified to teach gay sex education to kindergarteners. Lies.

They misled Californian citizens by informing them that churches would lose the right to free speech. Lies.

If this is the way Mormons treat gays and lesbians of California, how has America treated Mormons?

The Mormon church began in 1830 in New York. The first Mormons were persecuted by the American majority, and were compelled to emigrate to Utah where they could live unmolested, much like gays and lesbians who lived in the urban ghettos last century. Mormons had alternative views of what family meant, and were excluded and marginalized from the political process.

In their arguments against the majority, Mormon Prophet Brigham Young wrote:
“Marriage is a civil contract. You might as well make a law to say how many children a man shall have, as to make a law to say how many wives he shall have.” (Journal of Discourses, 11:268-9)

The Mormon story is only possible because our country is a tolerant and forgiving place. America believes in the rights of its citizens to determine their own fates, and grants rights to individual communities to determine their own morals and values. The Mormon people have been able to flourish because of this country's generous spirit.

But now, history has reversed, and it is the Mormons who have become the oppressor.

The Mormons began with the Boy Scouts of America, originally a children's club meant to introduce boys and girls to the natural beauty of America. Mormons took financial control of the Boy Scouts by sponsoring 28% of national scout troops. Gays and lesbians are barred from participating in this group not just in Mormon troops, but nationwide, thereby turning our children into a political football. One must also admit that they believe in God in order to become a member.

Some Mormons send their own gay teenage children to "conversion camps," where these children are forced to endure shock therapy and given psychotropic drugs. The emotional stress of such experience drives many to contemplate suicide. The Mormon Church has yet to repudiate these activities.

Now the Mormon Church has set its target on gay and lesbian adults of California. They have started by amending our constitution to deny equal protection to gays and lesbians.

Ask the Jews about how freedoms are lost. The concentration camps were not built in a national referendum. They were the product of a systemic reduction of freedoms, year after year, one at a time.
In violation of not only the principals of separation of church and state, but also in violation of the law, video footage has been leaked showing the President of the Mormon Church vehemently instructing their members to donate as much as possible, and to vote yes on 8. It was revealed to one of the news channels by a group of open-minded Mormons that were offended by their so-called leader’s words.

They have done their part and are now risking ex-communication from their church for doing so; now it is our turn to do ours. As open-minded people who believe in human rights for all, as well as the separation of church and state, the people of America would appreciate you doing two things:

1.) For a donation to the fight to overturn 8 of as little as $5, they will send a post card to the president of the Mormon church telling him that a donation has been made to this fine cause by you – IN HIS NAME. For a religion, as persecuted as the Mormon’s, to deny the fundamental civil rights of all people in the name of Jesus, who preached about loving all and stood up for all of the oppressed, is now more than a hypocrisy, but also a danger.
….Please go to http://www.invalidateprop8.org/ where you can read and send the card.

2.) There is also a movement underway to revoke the tax-exempt status of the Mormon Church. According to IRS law, "In general, no organization, including a church, may qualify for IRC section 501(c)(3) status if a substantial part of its activities is attempting to influence legislation (commonly known as lobbying)." Please check out the following site for more info: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1828.pdf
…The separation of church and state is one of the basic principles our country was founded upon. To violate that premise, as well as the law, is an act that cannot go unpunished.
…Here's the link to the petition:http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/review-the-501c3-status-of-the-church-of-latter-day-saints-the-mormons

3.) Another option is to avoid putting more money into the church's pockets by boycotting all companies where a Mormon Church member holds an officer's position or a large majority interest. These include:
MARRIOTT HOTELS
PRICELINE.COM
ALBERTSONS GROCERY STORES
K-SWISS SHOES
HOUSE OF FABRICS
NATIONWIDE INSURANCE - Including affiliates (e.g. ALLIED)
SWIFT TRANSPORTATION
EARTH SHELL
CORVIS
HUNTSMAN CHEMICAL
OAKLEY
NPS PHARMECEUTICALS
MEGAHERTZ CORPORATION
CORNERSTONE REALTY INCOME TRUST
KNIGHT TRANSPORTATION (TRUCKING)
MERIT MEDICAL
…plus all of those other companies that are directly owned by the MORMON CHURCH outside of Utah, many of which are FOR PROFIT. If you are interested in protesting the passage of 8, or avoiding traffic created by a demonstration… This link will show you locations of future activities… www.lagaycenter.org/Prop8Actions

If we are to allow tax-exempt churches/religions to participate in the political lobbying process, then we should allow other lobbying organizations to become tax-exempt. And god knows we don’t want Big Tobacco, Big Oil & others to attain that status!

Please go to http://www.mormonsstoleourrights.com/ for more information.

If we are to allow tax-exempt churches/religions to participate in the political lobbying process, then we should allow other lobbying organizations to become tax-exempt. And god knows we don’t want Big Tobacco, Big Oil & others to attain that status!

Thank you for being open-minded and supporting the civil rights of ALL OF OUR CITIZENS! Because as we all know, our country was founded in large part to keep religion & theology from dictating the lives of all human beings. …After all… we are all human!

Show your support for equal rights and forward this to as many people as you can think of.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that ALL men are created equal."
-- Declaration of Independence of the United States of America

CHANGE HAS COME TO AMERICA - President-Elect Barack Obama

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

...and so begins the most quintessential part of the Declaration of Independence... and the truest fundamentals of all human beings, regardless of your religion or faith!!


...And on this day, history was made!... Barack Obama has been elected to serve as the 44th President of the United States!!! We have taken such grand steps in finally making this a reality... It has been a long time coming... But we still have a long way to go to realize our rights as human beings in order to truly be considered equal. However... finally... little boys and little girls of all races, ethnicities, cultures & creed can dream again... dream that they too can one day be a part of something bigger...


This election outcome was also proof of the following line from the Declaration of Independence…
"That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government..."

And this, in my opinion, is what we witnessed tonight! People, who were fed up with the way we were being governed, decided to stand up and let their voices be heard!

Ladies & gentlemen, we have just witnessed one of the largest displays of a peaceful revolution!!!!


"There is not a liberal America and a conservative America. There is not a black America and a white America and Latino America and Asian America. There's the United States of America."
-- Barack Obama

WASSUP 2008!!! DON'T FORGET TO VOTE ON TUESDAY 11/04!

When the BudLight “WASSUP” guys first introduced themselves, through the magic of television into our living rooms eight years ago, the economy wasn't doing so badly. In fact, we were actually experiencing one of the first budget surpluses this country had seen in a very long time.

Fast forward to now and there is so much turmoil affecting our daily lives that we seem to be losing the lighter side of life. It’s difficult when your house, the American dream, is going through a foreclosure, your son/daughter/mother/father are off fighting in a horrible unjust war… some may never come home, you are being laid off as your jobs are being outsourced to other countries… The list goes on and on….

…It has been eight long years since the boys said "WASSUP!" to each other. Even with all these difficulties we face, they are still able to come together and stay true to what really matters…

Help make a smart choice on next Tuesday, so that we can try and turn our country back in the direction of progress, by electing Barack Obama to serve as our leader of this great nation!!!

THE JUXTAPOSITION OF FACTS... A USEFUL DEBATE ON RACISM (BIGOTRY) IN AMERICA

A question of perspective: Obama/Biden vs. McCain/Palin. A lot of people want to say that racism plays no part in our perceptions. It has been said that if you truly want to understand somebody, walk in their shoes… So, what if some facts about the candidates were switched around? …Would the country's collective point of view be different? …Could racism be the culprit?...

Ponder the following…What if the Obamas had paraded five children across the stage, including a three month old infant and an unwed, pregnant teenage daughter?

What if John McCain was a former president of the Harvard Law Review?

What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of his graduating class?

What if McCain had only married once and Obama was a divorcee?

What if Obama was the candidate who left his first wife after a severe disfiguring car accident?

What if Obama had a long affair while he was still married?

What if Michelle Obama was the wife who not only became addicted to pain killers, but also acquired them illegally through her charitable organization?

What if Cindy McCain graduated from Harvard?

What if Obama had been a member of the Keating Five?(The Keating Five were five United States Senators accused of corruption in 1989, igniting a major political scandal as part of the larger Savings and Loan crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s.)

What if McCain was a charismatic, eloquent speaker? What if Obama couldn't read from a teleprompter?

What if Obama was the one who had military experience that included discipline problems and a record of crashing seven planes?

What if Obama was the one who was known to display publicly, on many occasions, a serious anger management problem?

What if Michelle Obama's family had made their money from beer distribution?

What if the Obamas had adopted a white child?

You could easily add to this list... Would we be hearing a different story about each of these candidates if their skin color were switched? This is what racism can do. It covers up, rationalizes and minimizes positive qualities in one candidate and emphasizes negative qualities in another when there is a color difference. It is what makes a person of color work twice as hard as a white person to attain the same results.

…Alright. I'm going to say it, even though nobody wants to talk about it. I feel that the narrowing lead is due to blatant racism. Grampy W. McSame is such a joke that, at first, very few would consider supporting him as their candidate, not even the far right!

…Then along comes Sarah and the country witnessed a mood shift from the far right base to suddenly begin supporting McSame! Even though, typically speaking, conservatives don't respond well to women in power, unexpectedly a tremendously unqualified, terrifying woman is added to the ticket and the racist bigots finally have an excuse to hide their votes behind!

Obama should win this election in a landslide, due to his eloquence, experience & education …coupled with the incredible inadequacies of the Bush Admin; however, I feel that ignorance is now beginning to rear its ugly head. If Obama were white, he would win in the most decisive victory this great country has ever witnessed. ...But because of racism, this election is probably going to be closer than one might think. And because of this, the Republicans (along with Diebold) could eventually just steal the election anyway. Look at what’s going on in many states that carry early voting:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/26/voter.suppression/index.html
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_10817171

It's time for TRUE Americans who really care about this world to stand up and say, “I'm not going to take this anymore!”

Take a look at our economy and to the threats that our country faces today… Then ask yourself, can I... wait, I mean... can MY CHILDREN afford to handle 4 more years of this nonsense?! So... get out the vote PEOPLE and flush this indecency down the drain to the sewers where ignorance belongs!!!

EDUCATION BACKGROUND OF THE PRESIDENTIAL TICKETS: Obama/Biden vs. McCain/Palin

Let's look at the educational background of the candidates and see what they bring to the job:

Barack Obama:
-- Columbia University - B.A.
-- Political Science with a Specialization in International Relations.
-- Harvard - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude
Joseph Biden:
-- University of Delaware - B.A. in History and B.A. in Political Science.
-- Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.)

vs.

John McCain:
-- United States Naval Academy - Class rank: 894 of 899 (meaning that, like George Bush, McCain was right at the bottom of his class)
Sarah Palin:
-- Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester
-- North Idaho College - 2 semesters - general study
-- University of Idaho - 2 semesters - journalism
-- Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester
-- University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A. in Journalism

Education isn't everything... believe me, I understand that... but these positions are about the two highest offices in the land, as well as a representation of our standing in the world.
The choice is easy... I just want a smart president this time around!

McCAIN WANTS LESS CERTIFICATION FOR TEACHERS

Check this out... Straight from the transcripts of last night's debates....

MCCAIN: We need to encourage programs such as Teach for America and Troops to Teachers where people, after having served in the military, can go right to teaching and NOT HAVE TO TAKE THESE EXAMINATIONS which -- or have the certification that some are required in some states.

That ought to make our kids safer and 'merica stronger! :)

PARTNERSHIP FOR A McCAIN-FREE WHITE HOUSE - The Time To Act is Now!

http://www.mccainfreewhitehouse.org/


Not sure if you all watched the final Presidential debate last night, but if you were ever on the fence, I certainly hope you did!

Now the outcome of this campaign is up to all of us. We, as Americans, need your help to actively get the message out - and to get out the vote!

The most dangerous thing that we can all do right now is nothing. Everyone’s support and hard work are exactly what we need between now and Election Day.

While he didn't mention the middle class, John W McSame chose to repeat the same false, negative attacks that make up 100% of all of his advertising these days.

The truth is that John W McSame’s choices say more about his campaign than they do about Barack Obama. Stealing the fear-mongering ways of the Bush campaign, he has drummed up ignorance and condoned hate-speak in people calling out for Obama’s death! This is never acceptable and McSame has never ‘repudiated’ all of these attacks – just the ones he finally chose to when face to face with the mob and when pressed by the media.

…But McSame and his allies are not going to stop fighting or issuing these malicious attacks until the very end.

However, the Obama-Biden campaign has decided to do this a different way. Last night Obama talked about the real problems ordinary people face during this economic crisis and concrete ways that his administration would help to create jobs, cut health care costs, build a new energy policy and get our economy moving again in the right direction!

…But time is running out… The strength and success of the Obama campaign in these last 20 days depends on you!

We are running out of allies in this world and our list of enemies is growing stronger, we need to implement change now to help turn this ship back around!

Please help spread the word and get your friends, family & neighbors to talk about the real issues we are facing and lend a hand to help educate people on the direction we must head in order to progress as a nation and once again become one of the leaders of this global community. The one that people of other nations look to in order to help solve the issues that all of us humans (not just Americans) face today!!!

ENOUGH WITH THE HATE SPEECH AND SCARY MOB-LIKE CROWDS!!!

Rep Lewis on McCain-Palin: Sowing Seeds of Hatred & Division



Down in numbers, the McSame campaign has decided to take the low road and has gotten down & dirty. Much of this hatred was fueled by Caribou Barbie, McSame and other people involved with the campaign. As the saying goes, “Desperate times call for desperate measures" and this is becoming increasingly evident in mob-like showings along the Presidential Repub campaign trail, while the conservative faithful grow weary & frustrated that Obama’s lead in the polls is growing daily.

A man at a McSame rally in Waukesha, Wisconsin directed hostility toward Obama by saying, "When you have an Obama, Pelosi and the rest of the hooligans up there going to run this country, we have got to have our head examined. It's time that you two are representing us, and we are mad. So, go get them.”

Another man said, "I'm mad. I'm really mad. And what's going to surprise you, it's not the economy. It's the socialists taking over our country.”

One man, at Thursday's rally, was more pointed, saying, “And we're all wondering why that Obama is where he's at, how he got here. I mean, everybody in this room is stunned that we're in this position.”

One attendee at a campaign event in Jacksonville, Florida, Tuesday shouted out "treason." And at another rally in the state Monday, Caribou Barbie’s mention of the Obama-Ayers tie caused one member to yell out: "kill him" -- though it was unclear if it was targeted at Obama or Ayers.

At several recent rallies, Caribou Barbie has stirred up crowds by mentioning the "liberal media." Routinely, there are boos at every mention of The New York Times and the "mainstream media," both of which are staples of her stump speech.

Some audience members are openly hostile to members of the traveling press covering Palin; one crowd member launched a racial epithet at an African-American member of the press in Clearwater, Florida, on Monday.

At a McCain rally in New Mexico on Monday, one supporter yelled out "terrorist" when McCain asked, "Who is the real Barack Obama?" McCain didn't respond.

And most recently, at a rally in Minnesota on Friday October 10th, a woman told McCain: "I don't trust Obama. I have read about him and he's an Arab."

McCain shook his head and said, "No ma'am, no ma'am. He's a decent family man... citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues. That's what this campaign is all about."

One man at the rally said he was "scared of an Obama presidency." McSame later told the man he should not fear Obama.

"I want to be president of the United States, and I don't want Obama to be," he said. "But I have to tell you, I have to tell you, he is a decent person, and a person that you do not have to be scared as President of the United States."
McCain's response was met with boos from the crowd.

After numerous days of headline-grabbing rage directed at Barack Obama by some McSame campaign rally attendees, Rep John Lewis issued the following statement:
"What I am seeing reminds me too much of another destructive period in American history. Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin are sowing the seeds of hatred and division, and there is no need for this hostility in our political discourse. George Wallace never threw a bomb. He never fired a gun, but he created the climate and the conditions that encouraged vicious attacks against innocent Americans who were simply trying to exercise their constitutional rights. Because of this atmosphere of hate, four little girls were killed on Sunday morning when a church was bombed in Birmingham, Alabama.”

I believe that only because McSame’s back was up against a wall, he decided to defend this poorly directed anger. I will give him some credit for this, because had he not, he would have easily written his permanent history as an instigator to cultural hatred.

10 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT JOHN McCAIN (MoveOn.org)

For all the coverage this week of Senator John McCain's background, there are some important things you won't learn about him from the TV networks. His carefully crafted positive image relies on people not knowing this stuff—and you might be surprised by some of it.
Please check out the list below, and then forward it to your friends, family, and coworkers. We can't rely on the media to tell folks about the real John McCain—but if we all pass this along, we can reach as many people as CNN Headline News does on a good night.

Click here to tell us how many people you can pass it on to—and to see our progress nationally:


10 things you should know about John McCain (but probably don't):

1.) John McCain voted against establishing a national holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Now he says his position has "evolved," yet he's continued to oppose key civil rights laws.1

"The Complicated History of John McCain and MLK Day," ABC News, April 3, 2008
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/04/the-complicated.html

"McCain Facts," ColorOfChange.org, April 4, 2008
http://colorofchange.org/mccain_facts/

2.) According to Bloomberg News, McCain is more hawkish than Bush on Iraq, Russia and China. Conservative columnist Pat Buchanan says McCain "will make Cheney look like Gandhi."2
"McCain More Hawkish Than Bush on Russia, China, Iraq," Bloomberg News, March 12, 2008
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aF28rSCtk0ZM&refer=us

"Buchanan: John McCain 'Will Make Cheney Look Like Gandhi,'" ThinkProgress, February 6, 2008
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/02/06/buchanan-gandhi-mccain/

3.) His reputation is built on his opposition to torture, but McCain voted against a bill to ban waterboarding, and then applauded President Bush for vetoing that ban.3

"McCain Sides With Bush On Torture Again, Supports Veto Of Anti-Waterboarding Bill," ThinkProgress, February 20, 2008
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/02/20/mccain-torture-veto/

4.) McCain opposes a woman's right to choose. He said, "I do not support Roe versus Wade. It should be overturned."4

"McCain says Roe v. Wade should be overturned," MSNBC, February 18, 2007
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17222147/

5.) The Children's Defense Fund rated McCain as the worst senator in Congress for children. He voted against the children's health care bill last year, then defended Bush's veto of the bill.5

"2007 Children's Defense Fund Action Council Nonpartisan Congressional Scorecard," Feb 2008
http://www.childrensdefense.org/site/PageServer?pagename=act_learn_scorecard2007

"McCain: Bush right to veto kids health insurance expansion," CNN, October 3, 2007
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/10/03/mccain.interview/

6.) He's one of the richest people in a Senate filled with millionaires. The Associated Press reports he and his wife own at least eight homes! Yet McCain says the solution to the housing crisis is for people facing foreclosure to get a "second job" and skip their vacations.6

"Beer Executive Could Be Next First Lady," Associated Press, April 3, 2008
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h-S1sWHm0tchtdMP5LcLywg5ZtMgD8VQ86M80

"McCain Says Bank Bailout Should End `Systemic Risk,'" Bloomberg News, March 25, 2008
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aHMiDVYaXZFM&refer=home

7.) Many of McCain's fellow Republican senators say he's too reckless to be commander in chief. One Republican senator said: "The thought of his being president sends a cold chill down my spine. He's erratic. He's hotheaded. He loses his temper and he worries me."7

"Will McCain's Temper Be a Liability?," Associated Press, February 16, 2008
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=4301022

"Famed McCain temper is tamed," Boston Globe, January 27, 2008
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/01/27/famed_mccain_temper_is_tamed/

8.) McCain talks a lot about taking on special interests, but his campaign manager and top advisers are actually lobbyists. The government watchdog group Public Citizen says McCain has 59 lobbyists raising money for his campaign, more than any of the other presidential candidates.8

"Black Claims McCain's Campaign Is Above Lobbyist Influence: 'I Don't Know What The Criticism Is,'" ThinkProgress, April 2, 2008
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/04/02/mccain-black-lobbyist/

"McCain's Lobbyist Friends Rally 'Round Their Man," ABC News, January 29, 2008
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4210251

9.) McCain has sought closer ties to the extreme religious right in recent years. The pastor McCain calls his "spiritual guide," Rod Parsley, believes America's founding mission is to destroy Islam, which he calls a "false religion." McCain sought the political support of right-wing preacher John Hagee, who believes Hurricane Katrina was God's punishment for gay rights and called the Catholic Church "the Antichrist" and a "false cult."9

"McCain's Spiritual Guide: Destroy Islam," Mother Jones Magazine, March 12, 2008
http://www.motherjones.com/washington_dispatch/2008/03/john-mccain-rod-parsley-spiritual-guide.html

"Will McCain Specifically 'Repudiate' Hagee's Anti-Gay Comments?," ThinkProgress, March 12, 2008
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/03/12/mccain-hagee-anti-gay/

"McCain 'Very Honored' By Support Of Pastor Preaching 'End-Time Confrontation With Iran,'" ThinkProgress, February 28, 2008
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/02/28/hagee-mccain-endorsement/

10.) He positions himself as pro-environment, but he scored a 0—yes, zero—from the League of Conservation Voters last year.10

"John McCain Gets a Zero Rating for His Environmental Record," Sierra Club, February 28, 2008
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/environment/77913/

John McCain is not who the Washington press corps make him out to be. Please help get the word out—forward this email to your personal network. And if you want us to keep you posted on MoveOn's work to get the truth out about John McCain, sign up here:
http://pol.moveon.org/mccaintruth/
Support our member-driven organization: MoveOn.org Political Action is entirely funded by our 3.2 million members. We have no corporate contributors, no foundation grants, no money from unions. Our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. If you'd like to support our work, you can give now at:
http://pol.moveon.org/donate/email.html

ABUSE OF POWER - CARIBOU BARBIE FOUND GUILTY!!!

An Alaska BI-PARTISAN committee found Caribou Barbie guilty of usurpation of power. How can you ever trust someone to be a part of the leadership of our country, when they have been found guilty of abusing power in previous leadership positions?

It seems that some people, as of late (who should definitely know better) claim that even talking about Palin's TROOPERGATE scandal is equivalent to making a victim of or defending her ex-brother-in-law. That is tremendously absurd!

You see… the thing is that we rely on our elected officials to lead with the fundamentals of moral understanding and misuse the power of public office to pursue personal agendas or vendettas. It's simply an ethical violation of an abuse of power.

Yesterday’s ruling stated that there was ample evidence that Palin misused her gubernatorial power to have her ex-brother-in-law fired. When his boss refused to fire him, she fired him. She first denied Monegan's assertion of intimidation & pressure to fire Wooten and then had to revise her account when evidence proved otherwise. The available proof now suggests that she:
1) Tried to have an ex-relative fired from his job for personal reasons, which is clearly an ethics violation, and perhaps illegal, though possibly understandable in human terms.
2) Fired a state official for not himself acting inappropriately by firing the relative.
3) Lied to the public about what happened.
4) And continues to lie about what happened.

With this kind of abuse of power and erratic examples of leadership… IF these 2 were SOMEHOW elected to lead this country… we could all pretty much assume that they rule much the same as Bush & Co. So... if you want another 4 years of no accountability and a reckless, deplorable sense of reality toward simple, common moral issues... by all means... please vote for John W. McSame.

But if you truly want positive change in this world, to build a stronger foundation for ethics in this new millennium and a better future for our children, then please vote for Barack Obama on Nov. 4th!

…Here are a few articles on the ruling that Caribou Barbie abused her powers as Governor of Alaska:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Palin-Troopergate.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7662820.stm
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/10/palin.investigation/index.html

FOX NEWS?! MORE LIKE, FAUX NEWS!! - How can anyone watch this slanted rhetoric?!?!?!

http://blog.indecision2008.com/2008/10/10/the-daily-show-fox-news-is-unfair-and-mentally-imbalanced/

LADIES & GENTLEMEN... I GIVE YOU... CARIBOU BARBIE!!! (WHAT A JOKE!!!)

I just couldn't resist....



...this is just way too easy....



...i think that Tina did a better job as Palin, than Palin did as Palin! :)

...And Speaking of Flip-Flopping... McCain Can't Make Up His Mind On What He's For And What He's Against!

Yesterday a friend of mine sent me a link to a great video that is the quintessential proof that John W. McSame shows no consistency on his political stances and often times isn't sure what he is for and what he is against. The fact of the matter is that McSame has voted with Bush 95% of the time and with the Repub party 90% of the time, yet claims he is a maverick (whatever that means) and wants to change the way we do things in Washington! ...Here is a link to a FactCheck.org article that proves his voting consistency with Bush & Co: http://www.factcheck.org/askfactcheck/is_it_true_john_mccain_voted_with.html

So, if you want another 3rd term of the mess that Bush & Co. has created (economic failure, corporate bailouts, never-ending war, 9 trillion dollar deficit, extermination of the middle class, etc.), then please feel free to vote for McSame. But if you care at all about future generations and if you truly love this country, please do the right thing....

...Now, without further ado... Here is just one sample video that helps me explain my point... I give to you, John W. McSame! ...Or is it John McMaverick... I'm confused... :) Regardless, how can you trust this liar?!



FYI - You may want to mute the music to hear the video.

TOP 10 REASONS WHY PALIN IS NOT QUALIFIED TO SERVE AS VP

OK… I completely understand that we don’t really vote for Vice President; however, with John McCain’s age and major health issues, I feel that her stance on the issues is more important than ever. But one has to ask, of the entire list of all the possible running mates John McCain could have selected, was this the absolute best choice?

The other reason I have decided to single out Palin over McCain, is because John McCain has a lifetime of political involvement and there is a wealth of information surrounding his history.

…Although… this is not to say that I won’t soon release the McCain Top Ten list…

What Palin does bring to the ticket is Conservative balance to McCain’s seesaw of political views. Being female, she naturally has the possibility of drawing in female voter support. However, having only served as Governor of Alaska for less than 2 years and mayor of a small town before that, her qualifications are minimal.


--------------------------------------------

TOP 10 REASONS WHY PALIN IS NOT QUALIFIED TO SERVE AS VP

--------------------------------------------


1.) ETHICS REFORMER (???) – A growing ethics scandal has come to light, alleging that Palin was involved in an abuse of power as Governor. Apparently, she punished a State Trooper, who just so happened to be her sister’s ex-husband and for firing a State Commissioner who refused to go along with the headhunt. She is now refusing to cooperate with the investigation… As is her husband, who was believed to have more involvement in her office than is normal, especially for a “first dude.”…Here are a couple articles on this issue:
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/08/29/palin.investigation/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/17/palin.investigation/index.html
…Here is an article about her husband’s refusal to cooperate in this investigation:http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-trooper19-2008sep19,0,1695989.story
…Here is an article on his involvement as a shadow governor:http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/19/todd.palin/


2.) ENVIRONMENT / ENERGY – Palin has been a long-time, avid supporter of drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). In fact, this was one of her major positions during her 2006 gubernatorial campaign. However, experts say that opening this land up to drilling would have a severe impact on the entire area, beyond ANWR. Margaret Williams, Alaska-based director of the World Wildlife Federation's Bering Sea Program. "Development of the tundra would come with a very, very large footprint."
…Here is an article on Palin’s far right stance on this topic:http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1837868,00.html


3.) “PRO-LIFE” STANCE – Palin is against a woman’s right to choose. She doesn’t feel that a woman can decide what to do with her own body, as she is an opponent of even an option of an abortion, even when it is absolutely necessary, like a case of incest or rape. …While I do not necessarily condone abortions, I feel that it can be necessary and it definitely isn’t the government’s right to say what a woman can/cannot do with her body. …I also find “Pro-Life” as extremely hypocritical, especially in this case, since Palin has no problem hunting animals for sport and with her stances on capital punishment. The biggest problem I have with the conservative stance on abortion, is that they want to outright make the option illegal, but then in matters of life or death where the mother can't take care of this child, they will not support welfare efforts to help her keep the child alive! That's hypocritical! And furthermore, these principals go against the standard moral teachings of the christian churches! …Here is an article about her Conservative beliefs that also touches on her pro-life stance:http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1837523_1837531_1837538,00.html


4.) CREATIONISM – Palin believes that Creationism should be taught in public schools right alongside the established science of Evolution. …Here is a link to an article about Palin’s stance on the above:
http://christianity.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=christianity&cdn=religion&tm=35&gps=230_1085_1152_629&f=10&tt=11&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.boston.com/news/local/articles_of_faith/2008/08/sarah_palin_on.html


5.) ENVIRONMENT / ENDANGERED SPECIES – Palin has openly opposed listing polar bears as an endangered species, overtly admitting reservations that “a listing will cripple oil and gas development in prime polar bear habitat” and that there isn’t sufficient evidence to prove they should be protected. According to “Polar Bears International” (non-profit organization), if the earth continues to warm at the current rate, “two-thirds of the world's polar bears could disappear by 2050.” And with the reports that northern polar ice caps possibly melting over the next couple years / decades, they will lose their major habitat. FYI – The North Pole has been frozen for over 100,000 years.…Here is a link to an article on the matter of her stance:http://www.adn.com/polarbears/story/413710.html
…Here is a link to “Polar Bears International” web site:
http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/
…Here is a link to an article about melting polar ice caps:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/16/60minutes/main1323169.shtml
...Here is another link to an article about polar bears resorting to cannibalism due to melting ice caps:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/09/23/arctic.ice/index.html


6.) ENVIRONMENT / CLIMATE CHANGE – Sarah Palin's has changed her position on global warming and climate change. She has always proclaimed that there is no proof that man has had any impact on climate change, but then changed her position when facing all of America in her ABC interview.…Here are a couple articles on her recent change of stance:http://www.usnews.com/blogs/fresh-greens/2008/09/12/palin-changes-position-on-climate-change.html
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1837868,00.html


7.) ENVIRONMENT / PROTECTED SPECIES – Palin created a program in Alaska that offered $150 for turning in legs of freshly killed wolves. However, the state claimed that the number of wolf kills that year was behind schedule, so she upped the ante by supporting aerial hunting of wolves. …Seriously?... I can accept hunting for reasons of survival & sustainability and whatnot, but helicopters & planes?... Where is the sport in that?
…Here is the article about her request for slaughtering wolves:http://dwb.adn.com/news/alaska/wildlife/story/8726730p-8628810c.html…Below are links to a couple videos on YouTube regarding the Aerial Hunting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQobIUE1zTUhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEDlj3CNmn8&feature=related


8.) GOVERNMENT EARMARKS / BRIDGE TO NOWHERE – She has been touted as a “maverick” (whatever that’s supposed to mean), as one who has been willing to take on government. She repeatedly claims that she said, “Thanks, but no thanks, to that Bridge to Nowhere.” As mayor of a tiny little town, she worked hard to secure millions of dollars ($27 million between 2000-2003) in earmarks. When she ran for Governor, she was in support of the “Bridge to Nowhere” (infamous $398 million bridge), but now she has flip-flopped on that subject, saying that she opposed it. Even after the bill was cut, her state kept the money that was earmarked for this bridge! …Here are a couple links in regards to Palin’s earmarks and inconsistent stance for the “Bridge to Nowhere”:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080903/ap_on_el_pr/cvn_palin_earmarks
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Story?id=5697644&page=1


9.) SELLING STATE PROPERTY ON EBAY…THEN LYING ABOUT IT – Palin has repeatedly mentioned that the state’s luxury jet was over the top and she subsequently insinuated that she sold it on EBay. As it turns out, the jet never sold, so it was pulled from the site and was sold through a private broker for far less than they posted it online for. And apparently, this wasn't the first time the state had attempted to sell something on the site, with or without success.
…Here is a link about Palin selling the jet on EBay:
http://www.factcheck.org/askfactcheck/did_sarah_palin_sell_the_alaska_governors.html
…McCain went even further to try to proclaim that the jet was actually sold on EBay:http://www.newsday.com/services/newspaper/printedition/saturday/nation/ny-usebay065831440sep06,0,7486973.story


10.) FOREIGN RELATIONS (OR LACK THEREOF) – Palin says that she is prepared for her role in the vice presidency, because as governor of Alaska, “you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska.” She even hinted during the Charlie Gibson war that she felt that we might consider war with Russia. This woman is so clueless, that I shudder to think what other world leaders think about this……Here is a link to part of the Charlie Gibson interview:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jimNrvvCJ-A&feature=related

Don't Forget to Register to Vote!!! - Deadline is Oct 4th for Washington state

Hey Everyone!

Deadline to register in order to be eligible to vote for the November election is Oct. 4.

...Remember... you have to re-register if you have changed addresses!

Spread the word!

Here is a link to the Washington state online voter registration form. http://www.secstate.wa.gov/elections/pdf/vrform.pdf

Please send to everyone you know that might need to fill one out.

Interesting Senate Vote on Immigration - Fact Check

I just actually opened my email the other day and saw this message from someone near & dear to me from the previous month! I guess when all you do at work is email, the last thing you want to do when you come home from a hard day's work, is send… another email! :)

...So anyway, I just thought I'd take a second to weigh in on this one... I have included a couple links to some different outtakes on this subject. These sites are really good fact-checking tools for you to use whenever you receive this type of manufactured, biased rhetoric. It is just too bad that this kind of stuff is circulated & too often believed.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/immigration/englishvote.asp

...It appears that this goes a little deeper than what is portrayed in this email forward, as this e-mail is only partially true and the issue brought up was due to certain wording. The particular wording used would have made it nearly impossible for legal immigrants to even apply, because, in order for them to apply for a Visa, it would require them to already comprehend English. And if there was a legal immigrant who wanted to enroll in an English language class, they would be required to already speak English in order for them to apply for the class they were enrolling in! And it also mentioned that even if the government issued forms in another language those forms would be considered "less legal" than the English forms.

As a whole, the bill was deemed as flawed, and thus, many Senators voted against it. They looked beyond the bold language, dissected the small print and made a conscious decision that it wasn't in the best interests of Americans and didn't reflect what America stands for. How else did all of our ancestors become Americans? Such a law, had it been introduced in the late 1700's, would have prohibited us all from even existing here in this great country today.

As a side note... There were a total of 351 total amendments on record that were suggested to amend that bill from both sides of the aisle.


In regards to the Lincoln quote at the end, which claims that Lincoln said:
"Congressmen who willfully take actions during wartime that damages morale and undermine the military are saboteurs and should be arrested, quickly tried and hanged!!!"

Here are a couple other sides to this... it seems that Mr. Lincoln never even said that:
http://www.factcheck.org/misquoting_lincoln.html
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/andrewmcdonaldpdx/gGxd2d


The lessons here are... Don't believe everything that you hear & read! ...And thank god for Google!!! :)

If you ever receive this kind of email, I ask that you please you do your part and forward one of the below sites or quickly grab a line of text and throw it into Google to do a quick fact-check. You will be doing others a great service by spreading the truth.

Here are some really great sites to use to do a quick fact-check just to be sure before you forward these on:
http://www.factcheck.org/
http://www.snopes.com/
http://urbanlegends.about.com/

Since there is so much info (lies) being stuffed down our throats every day, I use the above sites all the time to stay informed and stay above the lies and phony outrage!

Stay informed! Stay tuned!

Does Happiness Give a Reason for Being Virtuous?

Hi all! I just created this Blog out of pure frustration to the slanted, biased rhetoric that seems to consume us more & more in our topsy turvy world today. It is often too difficult to wade through the heavy tides of lies. …And of course, it helps that my wife is probably getting tired of hearing me complain about this and that! :)

…So, serving a duel purpose, in an effort to allow me to vent and to try and help provide as much common sense to the discussion, attempting to evoke that old spirit of sitting around a table (albeit in this case, a web-table), having a decent & civil conversation while discussing politics, I present to you my Blog!

…Wow… I never thought I would actually provide content to a blog, let alone, my own. ...But, with too much at stake and with too much hanging in the balance, I can no longer afford to just sit around and complain all day! :)

I am just … a reasonable being, with a reason for being… :)

Consider this... doing my part! ...Well, at least part of my part anyway... Because... We can no longer afford to lose...