After two stolen elections by Bush-Cheney, an election of Grandpa John "Bomb Bomb Iran" McCain and his sorority president sidekick -- whether honest or blatantly stolen and tolerated -- would have said something hugely depressing and debilitating about the American people. But arguably it could have saved a great many lives around the world. Here's how.
For much of this decade, immigration has been an important topic on the public agenda. Nowhere is that more true than in California. The state is home to 9.9 million immigrants, its governor is an immigrant, and it is a border state on the front lines of the debate over immigration reform. State and local policies concerning immigrants are hotly debated across the state, and the raucous debate over an anti-immigrant initiative in 1996, is widely perceived to have influenced the electoral landscape in lasting ways.
Understanding the values and perspectives that Californians bring to this debate is critical. In general, Californians hold a favorable opinion of immigrants, believing that immigration is a benefit to the state. Most California adults believe undocumented immigrants should stay and work in the United States rather than be deported to their native countries.
At the same time, Californians are concerned about the impact of some aspects of immigration on their state. Most Californians attribute the majority of their population growth to immigration, while most voters also see the population growth projected for California as unsustainable, and ultimately having a negative impact on the state.
This week's immigration blog roundup covers some new studies on migration and more.
Several new studies have found that immigrants are choosing to remain in their adopted countries rather than return to their countries of birth. Despite the economic downturn, immigrants still see the United States as a land of opportunity and are content with their decision to move here.
President Obama is expected to address the Congressional Hispanic Caucus next week on immigration reform. Representative Gutierrez and Senator Menendez are also expected to address the Caucus.
Last Saturday in Sacramento, hundreds marched to urge President Obama to pass comprehensive immigration reform.
Outgoing Senator Mel Martinez of Florida ended his tenure by stressing the need for immigration reform. During his time as Senator, he worked with Senators McCain and Kennedy on immigration reform.
On December 6-8, the National Immigration Law Center will be holding its 7th National Low-Income Immigrant Rights Conference in Arlington, Virginia. Attendees will share information and experiences and develop strategies around some of the core issues affecting low-income immigrants.
There are but three days to go, Gentle Reader, and the McCain campaign is now down to fear and Joe The Plumber.
Those who seek to spread The Fear are resorting to fantastic schemes and amazing leaps of logic in an effort to find something to make The Fear rise in voters.
But to be honest, the crazy speculation lacks...imagination.
I believe I can present crazy speculation that is at least as interesting as what they've put out-and funnier to boot-and with that and the Halloween just past in mind we present the final weekend edition of the 2008 campaign cycle's blogging.
So, ya wanna hear a few debunked made up rumors that, frankly, have a lot more creative style?
When last we met, Gentle Reader, we were talking about more or less $150,000 in clothing and beauty services that had been purchased mostly for Sarah Palin's use by the Republican National Committee.
Since then, we have learned that John McCain himself once tried to outlaw the very type of contribution that led to this situation, we've heard McCain's campaign offer a very non-maverick-y denial...and we've learned that the highest paid member of the McCain campaign staff-the person who presumably has the magic touch needed to turn this thing around-will be working her magic with a makeup brush.
As we discussed yesterday, I think I could have dressed Palin for 1/3 of what the RNC paid. Yesterday we "purchased" five of the outfits I think she needs...and with half the shopping done, we're $670 over budget.
Can she be dressed for a mere $43,000?
Let's see if we can pull it off...
So you're the Governor of a State...but the next thing you know, you're running for Vice President. The boss says you gotta bling up the ol' Governor clothes-and the next thing you know, you're having to explain how you can be the common "hockey mom" from Wasilla and how you can be clothed in more than enough money to buy Joe The Plumber's house...both at the same time.
In the interests of telling the story fairly, I decided to conduct my own online shopping experiment.
Let's head over to Saks and Neiman's...and Bergdorf and Goodman's to boot...and let's just find out exactly what you would need to spend to look fabulous-and what you should probably be avoiding if you really want to project that whole "woman of the people" kind of thing.
That's right folks, today, we play "Joe The Personal Shopper" for Sarah Palin.
In the second presidential debate, moderator Tom Brokaw asked the candidates whether health care is a privilege, a responsibility, or a right. John McCain answered privilege, while Barack Obama said that health care is a right. With nearly 46 million Americans uninsured, and millions more unable to meet their medical expenses despite having insurance, the notion of an American right to health care seems far from today's reality. But a human right to health care is deeply rooted in our national history and values, and is broadly supported by the American people. It is an idea whose time has come.
After leading our country out of the Great Depression, Franklin Roosevelt voiced the connection between health care and the Founding Fathers' vision of inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In his 1944 State of the Union address, Roosevelt explained that Americans have come to embrace a "second bill of rights" alongside the civil liberties set out in the Constitution. Those rights, FDR declared, include "the right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health."
Four years later, the US played a leading role in creating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 25 of the Universal Declaration states that "everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including ... medical care and necessary social services."
John McCain is all excited today, because, in his mind, Joe Biden has really Screwed It Up This Time by claiming that Obama will be tested by a foreign policy challenge, that Obama will act in a way we might not immediately trust, and that we should stand by him if it happens.
Oh My God You Have To Vote For Me, is the McCain response, because we can't afford someone who will be tested in office.
As it turns out, Joe Biden is the smarter guy in this argument, a few calm words are in order...and I'm here today to offer a response that will set McCain's foolishness right back on its heels.
Hey, ho, where's the cash flow? Wasn't the bailout supposed to get those streams of credit flowing again? But while the titans of trickle-down and the free-reign rainmakers pray for new rivers of revenue to float their boats, some venerable bodies of water beyond the canyons of Wall Street are in danger of literally evaporating--and all the money in the world won't bring them back once we pass that terrible tipping point.
London Bridge isn't falling down, but the river it spans may be drying up, according to the Guardian:
"Britain's rivers could nearly run dry because long hot summers caused by climate change will not be sufficiently compensated by wetter winters...the overall average trend is towards drastically reduced river flows across the country."
The McCain campaign is beyond desperate, at this point, and as you might expect, the emails are full of things McCain supporters would like us to know.
I had one of those emails cross my inbox yesterday morning...and I thought to myself:
"Self...since the author of this email asked me to look up her facts, maybe I should."
So I did.
Next thing I knew, I realized I was looking at a giant load of hooey.
Follow along, and I'll show you what I mean.
Barack Obama is a Threat To America, we are told, because he served on a board of directors and had other contacts with William Ayers, who, in the 1960s, was, or was not, involved in terrorist acts for which he was never convicted of any crimes.
So imagine how serious of a Threat To America we would have if, last month, one of the two candidates hired someone to lead their transition team-the person who would recommend who should be selected for every appointed office of the new Administration-who, at the time of the 9/11 attacks, actually worked for Saddam Hussein...and who ended up working for him for five years.
Well, one of the candidates did, and I'll give you a hint: it wasn't Obama.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it's time to meet William E. Timmons, Sr.
While reading a deeply disturbing piece about the historical use of lynching photographs by Dora Apel entitled Lynching Photographs and the Politics of Public Shaming, I couldn't help but be constantly reminded of the displays of race-driven anger and fear at McCain/Palin rallies over the last week. I know this has been pointed out before, but the structures of the two situations truly do mirror one another - not only in the symbolism of words and actions, and in the mediums (photographs and video) used to describe them, but in the reactions of those not involved.
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