Saturday: sheroes and potpourri
Posted: April 23, 2011 Filed under: morning reads 35 Comments
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton greets the children of Embassy employees at the US Embassy in Tokyo, April 17, 2011. Families were allowed back Friday, after warnings has been lifted following the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. (SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)
Morning, news junkies. Here are my Saturday reads.
Hillaryland
- Hillary’s profile in the 2011 Time 100 was written by dean emeritus of the Kennedy School, Joe Nye. Nye doesn’t mention Hillary’s work on behalf of women and girls, instead defining her influence in terms of how well she plays with others:
But above all, Hillary, 63, has set a model of how to be a member of a team of rivals. Unlike in many Administrations that have suffered from friction between State, Defense and the White House, Barack Obama’s strongest rival in 2008 has become one of the most effective and loyal supporters in an Administration that has been notably cohesive on foreign policy.
- On Wednesday, Hillary and Kissinger participated in the first of a new series called “Conversations on Diplomacy, Moderated by Charlie Rose”. If you missed it, Stacy has all the bases covered over at SecyClintonBlog: Photos/Video/Transcript.
RIP Madelyn Pugh Davis (1921-2011)
- I’m a huge fan of all things Desilu, and I love Christine Russell’s tribute to Madelyn over at the Atlantic: The ‘Girl Writer’ Behind ‘I Love Lucy’ Dies. It is worth the click over. Thank you Madelyn Pugh for blazing trails and for writing television that makes me laugh and smile in my times of grief and suffering. (Sisterhood, the girl gift that keeps on giving.)
- If you love Lucy too, check out: Time To Mark Lucy’s Birthplace.
Remembering Diana
- I’m not big on all the Royal wedding gossip, but William and Kate reportedly went to visit Diana’s grave together. Sounds like they were trying to do it discretely, which makes it all the more moving.
- The other two bits of royal dish that I haven’t let go right out the other ear like the rest: Kate, following in Diana’s mold-breaking footstestps, won’t “obey,” but the balcony kiss will be scripted this time.
Economics quick links
- Reich, via Huffpo: Beware the “Middle Ground” of the Great Budget Debate
- Jason Linkins reporting for Huffpo: Lawmakers Not Entirely Sure Biden Deficit Task Force Has A Point
Pastor Un-Congeniality: ‘Peaceful, armed, and accidentally firing’
- You can’t make this stuff up: After meeting with Dearborn Islamic Center imam on Detroit’s Fox affiliate, Terry Jones accidentally fires a gun in the studio parking lot. Keep in mind that Jones wanted to hold a protest rally outside of this imam’s Michigan mosque yesterday on Good Friday. He told the local ABC affiliate the following:
“We have made it very clear that we are coming there with very, very peaceful intentions,” the pastor explained to WXYZ-TV. “We will be armed. We do have concealed weapons permits.”
- A Dearborn jury deliberated on Jones’ right to rally at the mosque just hours before it was scheduled to take place yesterday. Their verdict: Terry Jones rally would breach the peace.
- Even the KKK opposes Terry Jones. It also opposes the tea party, apparently for being too liberal. Really can’t make this stuff up.
War, violence, and untruth: What is it good for?
- Glenzilla on Friday’s drone attack killing 23 people in Pakistan: Nobel peace drones. At the end Greenwald adds an important note, summing up the quagmire-esque situation in Libya in two very pithy sentences:
A new NYT/CBS poll today finds that only 39% approve of Obama’s handling of Libya, while 45% disapprove (see p. 17). That’s what happens when a President starts a new war without any pretense of democratic debate, let alone citizenry consent through the Congress.
- Meanwhile in Syria, via the BBC: ‘Bloodiest day’ as troops fire on rallies
- And, here at home, via FDL… Obama on Manning: “He Broke the Law.” So Much for that Trial? Rough transcript from the link:
OBAMA: So people can have philosophical views [about Bradley Manning] but I can’t conduct diplomacy on an open source [basis]… That’s not how the world works.
And if you’re in the military… And I have to abide by certain rules of classified information. If I were to release material I weren’t allowed to, I’d be breaking the law.
We’re a nation of laws! We don’t let individuals make their own decisions about how the laws operate. He broke the law.
[Q: Didn’t he release evidence of war crimes?]
OBAMA: What he did was he dumped…
[Q: Isn’t that just the same thing as what Daniel Ellsberg did?]
OBAMA: No it wasn’t the same thing. Ellsberg’s material wasn’t classified in the same way.
Women’s Rights
- Please take a moment to read this article from the Nation by Michelle Goldberg: Policing Pregnancy. This is why Pelosi allowing Stupak to come to a vote and Obama signing that executive order was an affront to our civil rights. The Democrats emboldened the Republican war against women–and that’s how our oligarchy keeps going. But, this is no game. The assault on women has very real and damaging consequences. Targeting desperate women who have had their human rights violated and prosecuting them for trying to kill or harm themselves while pregnant is no less barbaric than the Taliban’s treatment of women.
Doom and gloom break…
- Did you know that we humans share about half of our DNA with bananas? And that a chicken survived 18 months without a head? Or that the average human body contains enough iron to make a 3-inch nail?
- 2011 Underwater Photography winner: Gorgeous!
Healthcare
- Krugman asks, “How did it become normal, or for that matter even acceptable, to refer to medical patients as ‘consumers’?“
- Here’s “how” Paul, et al: Obama cut deals with the hospital and drug industries, openly started referring to his bill as “health insurance reform” instead of healthcare reform, and eventually after passing this Heritage Foundation hand-me-down, his WH began granting all kinds of exemptions and allowances–early on letting insurers hike up costs for insuring sick children. This “consumer” (rather than patient) -oriented mess is a Republican monstrosity that was shepherded into law and “normalized” by Democrats, using women’s rights as a bargaining chip to get the damn thing through Congress. That’s how.
- And, for what? Open season on women’s health and a Dem brand so weakened that it *needs* the Republicans’ mindboggling overreach on Medicare to distract from the Dems’ own blunders on healthcare? Via Mother Jones, Dems Warn Constituents About the Evils of RyanCare:
Back in their home districts for the Easter recess, some House Democrats have put the GOP overhaul of Medicare front and center with their constituents. On Wednesday night, Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) asked all the callers participating in a telephone town hall to vote on whether they supported the GOP Rep. Paul Ryan’s plan to replace Medicare “with a voucher system to help seniors defray the cost of health insurance.” Of some 1,300 callers who responded, the choice seemed overwhelming: 73 percent wanted to keep Medicare as is, while only 27 supported the GOP overhaul.
The informal telephone poll falls in line with a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll that found that 65 percent of Americans oppose the Ryan plan for Medicare. That number that jumped to 84 percent when respondents were told that the cost of private insurance is supposed to outpace the cost of Medicare insurance, weakening the value of the “premium support” that recipients would receive under Ryan’s plan.
Kabuki for American oil junkies
- WaPo PostPartisan blogger Stephen Stromberg offers this take on Obama’s oil price and fraud task force, criticizing both the president and Republicans: Obama, GOP’s empty war on gas prices.
- Zach Carter, reporting for the Huffington Post, looks at the political theatre from a broader perspective: Obama’s Oil Market Fraud Squad May Miss Wall Street Abuses. From the link:
On Thursday, President Obama unveiled a new working group to combat any fraud or manipulation in the oil and energy markets that may be contributing to near-record gas prices. But some economists and market experts worry that by focusing on criminal activity, Obama is shrugging off a much bigger problem: rampant Wall Street speculation in commodities markets that has helped drive up food and energy prices in the past.
Birthers come in all shapes of idiot; 2012 looks bleak.
- Salon’s Justin Elliott eviscerates Andrew Sullivan and the Trig Truthers. Sarah Palin is a shallow politician with a horrid platform. She would make a horrible president. But, her pregnancy history is irrelevant, and the “investigation” of any woman politician’s hoo ha and the aspersions cast upon her teenage daughter and disabled son in the process of said investigation is a sickening and sad commentary on our zombie fourth estate and what it considers worthy of investigative journalism (especially in light of all the critical issues it does not investigate). And, on a purely pragmatic note: Sarah Palin is desperate to be the infotainment flavor of the week again. Why are Palin-haters so hellbent on giving her the attention she wants?
- This week in birther circus review (video clips at the link): Trump doubles down on birther rhetoric, Palin defends Trump, Bachmann wants to move on from the birther issue, and Jindal says Obama is a US citizen even though Jindal’s spokesman said the governor would sign a birther bill if it made it to his desk.
Also see this AP rundown of where other GOPers stand, as well as Trump to Salon: “You will be very surprised” (re: Trump releasing his net worth.)
- Is it any wonder that Nikki Haley says no one in the 2012 GOP field excites her right now? She also says Trump has contacted her and that he is serious about a 2012 run.
- Beltway alternate reality enthusiast Charles Krauthammer (yesterday on Krauthammer Day no less) declared a Republican plan for 2012 – run a platform, not a candidate. It’s a hoot. After pretty much confirming that the GOP has got nuttin’ for 2012 , Krauthammer asks if a “posse” can be “rustled up” to “draft Paul Ryan.”
- Franklin Graham tells Christiane Amanpour that Trump may be his candidate of choice and says he doesn’t see Sarah Palin running.
- Dartmouth poll: Romney beats Obama in NH by 8 points. Incidentally, Colin Powell beats O by 20 whopping points in the same poll. Colin Powell–the guy who held up that vial of anthrax for Bush-Cheney Co. at the UN and is not going to run for president, especially not against Obama. That’s how politically bankrupt both Obama and the GOP are. They can’t even compete with a hypothetical Colin Powell candidacy.
This Day in History (April 23rd)
- 1872: Charlotte E. Ray, the first female African American lawyer and first practicing woman attorney in DC, was admitted to the District of Columbia Bar. She was only the third American woman of any race to complete law school. From the last link:
Ray achieved another first when on April 23, 1872 she was admitted to the bar in the District of Columbia which had recently removed the word “male” from its requirements.
Drawing of Charlotte Ray. Click image to learn more at fashionlawyerblog.com
The first ever African-American woman lawyer, Charlotte Ray was a woman far ahead of her time. Pictured in the sketch [to the right], Ray was born in New York City on January 13, 1850, the daughter of one of the conductors on the Underground Railroad.
- From browngirlnextdoor.com:
Shortly after graduating from Howard University in 1872, Ray became one of the first women admitted to the District of Columbia Bar. She also was the first woman permitted to argue cases in front of the Supreme Court in the capital. Ray opened her own law office that same year, specializing in commercial law. Unfortunately, Ray only practiced for a few years because of the widespread prejudices of the time. It was too difficult for her, as an African-American woman, to attract enough clients to keep her practice going.
In 1879, Ray moved to New York where she worked as a teacher in the Brooklyn public schools. She married soon after, taking her husband’s last name, Fraim. Ray championed a number of social causes outside of her classroom, becoming involved in the women’s suffrage movement and joining the National Association of Colored Women. She died on January 4, 1911, in Woodside, New York.
Click photo read more about Charlotte at browngirlnextdoor.com
The End.
If you made it all the way through, don’t forget to chime in with your reads in the comments!
[originally posted at Let Them Listen; crossposted at Taylor Marsh and Liberal Rapture]
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Sky Dancing 
only the KKK think the tea party is to liberal. i hate to see what they think a NEO CON is like.
I’m convinced that the tea party is a reconstituted John Birch society.
It’s not even “reconstituted.” The Koch brothers’ father was one of the founders of the JBS; they’ve just shrugged off the overt racism and anti-semitism and polished it up a little for the current presentation.
okasha , fascinating tidbit of history ! Thanks!
I finally figured out who Franklin Graham is. I don’t understand why anyone is consulting him about who should run for President.
These fundies are picking Trump because they refuse to support a Mormon. Instead, they’ll support a moron.
i think Trumps a joke he just likes the limelight and has no real serous plans for being POTUS probably looking to boast ratings from his lame reality show.
Good one! I am just surprised that Graham is not pushing SP to run since they made that visit to Haiti together a few months back.
Which verifies, for me at least, that she is not running.
One less idiot in the pack of idiots.
I’d be surprised if the fundies were pushing Palin. They want her as their GOP Vanna White. They don’t want her running for president.
It appears certain that the business interests won’t fund her. She’s a loose cannon. Fundies may be crazy but a lot of them aren’t stupid. They prefer stealth mode in public. It’s why the have all those code words and try to confuse people with phrases that mislead.
I thought the fundie pick was huckabee. Graham is a huckster like trump. He probably figures he can get something from throwing bones to him.
“Something”=$$$.
Huckabee released a rather tepid response for his entering the race. Not sure if he is anywhere near interested since he has now content to living “the soft life” with a home in Florida based on his earnings from Fox.
I discount Palin since she is doing much the same but also because I doubt she would let Michele Bachmann upstage her if she was serious about adding her name to the roster.
It may come down to Pawlenty and Mittens as the sacrificial lambs. Even if Trump does enter the race, he is nothing more than a distraction and his stupidity is beginnig to shine through.
The truth is that these candidates will be completely beholden to the current Tea Party that will still wield a lot of clout in those quarters regardless of how much the press is saying they are fading. They may be but not quite yet.
Facing the alternative from the GOP, Obama has a slight edge owing to the simple fact that he is not as “nuts” as the others.
I don’t consider either Pawlenty or Mitt as nutjobs but in order to gain the nomination they are going to have to exhibit much of those traits in seeking support.
That’s pretty close to my take on things. If the republicans keep the antics up of the last three months they’ll drive independents to Obama and Dems. Dems may be worthless but they’re not crazy.
I have to believe that although the majority of the public may be critically uninformed and culturally bankrupt to a large extent, that when “push comes to shove” they will reject the agenda that would reduce them to low paying slave wages and reject policies that would limit their access to government policies aimed at punishing their way of life.
I could be wrong, god knows that has happened, but I prefer to rely on our all “being in this together” which effects the 95% of us who are targeted for “reform”.
Judging by the “message” that was sent out via the 2010 elections, the dissatisfaction with the current congressional leadership seems to have taken root as it touches so many.
As much as I detest Obama the opposition is way out in left field when it comes to problem solving or offering a strong alternative. And some of these wannabes are borderline whackjobs IMHO.
I think they’ve figured out that the only two programs that noticeably improve their lives–social security and Medicare–are about to be looted by the folks that tanked every one’s home value and savings. Remember what happened to dubya’s privatization townhalls?
On a lite note,(from one of your great links) Cat Scientists(Snowball and Pepper)Try to Understand a Treadmill
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504784_162-20056182-10391705.html?tag=pop
Thanks WtV – I have noted a great deal of frustration in a few “R” friends..it’ll be interesting..no hope for real since their entire premise is wrong.
I love this head line:
Solution for fatigued aviation workers eludes FAA
lol! How about HIRING more??
My problem solving consulting fee is in the mail.
Thanks paperdoll. I really needed that laugh.
Any time Wonk, Happy to provide comic realife! lol!
Remember what happened to dubya’s privatization townhalls?
Indeed. And they learned something from that. They won’t make the same mistake…it will be back rooms , not town halls this time.
Have you read this yet? It’s good.
Republicans facing tough questions over Medicare overhaul in budget plan
They’ve got to get together to get all their coded buzz words right so the in crowd knows what they’re talking about.
Exactly…since these fellows have nothing to say, a list of buzz words will be given to them . But it’s amazing how people “get it” when their check is imperiled. Suddenly all the dancing with the stars /Charlie Sheen noise that passes as news doesn’t work.
“The popular entitlement program”…
That really frosts my cookies….it’s NOT an entitlement!! grrrr
It’s a ‘entitlement’ program in the sense of the legal definition but they’ve managed to turn the word into a dirty word for some reason; same with ‘welfare’. I’m not sure how the right manages to take perfectly wonderfully defined words like ‘liberal’ and turns them into spitting words. That’s why I quite using entitlement as a description. It’s been turned into something pejorative. The press either doesn’t realize it’s morphed into something else or they’re deliberately spewing it as to continue the definition abuse.
Speaking of buzz words, the fact that the media is calling Ryan’s plan an “overhaul” is ludicrous. The media is doing 90% of the privatizers’ work for them with that false description.
An overhaul is something you do when something is completely broken. When you’re done with the overhaul, the broken thing is fixed, and even better than before. Hey, the Repubs must have a great plan for Medicare if it’s an “overhaul!” 🙄
The only reason we’re having problems with Medicare is that the insurance companies are so f*cking greedy and deregulated. They have raised the cost of medical procedures and care to insane levels, thus putting a terrible strain on the financing of the program as it struggles to keep up with a type of inflation no one could ever have predicted.
Asking elderly people to start paying insane prices for their health care is handing them a death sentence. I suppose people like Paul Ryan are too in love with Ayn Rand to care about that, but since the US population is rapidly aging, I’m shocked that the Repubs (AND Dems) didn’t anticipate this reaction.
I’m still surprised the rethugs forgot the incredibly unpopularity of Dubya’s privatize social security ‘conversations’ that were packed with Republicans even … that’s why they keep trying the backdoor methods. When they are upfront about it, they’re thrown out of office.
Asking elderly people to start paying insane prices for their health care is handing them a death sentence.
yup that’s what makes Ryan so ” courageous”
The speed with which he dispatches Mom and Dad to the gallows. The powers that be thrilled to that
I’m beginning to see my share of the hospital bills from my last 4 days of grief. I am so F’d even with health insurance.
from cnn breaking news:
That is huge… CNN’s on-air programming right now is Soledad talking about the Royal wedding, I wish they’d break it up.
They have their priorities
I just check CNN and they are having a thing about free range chickens…
CNN is people magazine on air. There’s very little journalism left in it. This is especially true of the weekend coverage.
I wonder if he will really go…have you seen what has been going on in Syria? I saw something that the Gov is even shooting up people at the funerals of those 90 people that were killed by the gov yesterday.
sno snooze.I gave up cnn back in 08.