Friday News Dump

At least it's good news, Friday afternoon news dump, or not. One of the greatest, recent civil rights advancements, actually, brought to us via the Friday-afternoon-news-dump.

WASHINGTON – The Department of Defense will certify Friday that the military is ready for the repeal of the controversial "don't ask, don't tell" law, setting the stage for openly gay troops to begin serving in the military in late September, U.S. officials confirmed.

The certification comes after months of training for military personnel to prepare them for the presence of openly gay uniformed colleagues for the first time in history, and starts the 60-day waiting period before the law is completely removed.

Under rules outlined by Congress in December, the president, defense secretary and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff were required to certify that the services are ready for the dramatic personnel change before the law could be repealed.

The policy will officially end 60 days after President Obama signs the certification. There will be no formal marking of the end of Don't Ask, Don't Tell until the 60-day waiting period is over. I wonder if that will also take place late, on a Friday afternoon...

Why I Want To Be Your President: Republican Round-Up

Because it’s about God, stupid!

Texas Gov. Rick Perry got “the call:”

Austin, TX (CNN) – For Republicans who are dissatisfied with the current presidential field for 2012, it could be divine intervention.

GOP insiders see Texas Governor Rick Perry as a potential game-changer. As his state's longest serving governor, the pro-business Perry appeals to both tea party activists and Christian conservatives, all with a Texas swagger.

At a press conference Monday, Perry confirmed what he recently told the Des Moines Register. He is feeling called by his faith and his friends to run.

"I don't ever get confused. I am a man of faith," he added.

The governor resisted the suggestion that his comments meant he is being called by God to jump into the GOP race.

"There are a lot of ways to be called. My mother may call me for dinner," Perry said.

God. Wednesday spaghetti night. It’s the same thing.

Business man Herman Cain is very concerned that Mitt Romney is not doing a good job of explaining his religion:

Businessman Herman Cain was third in Iowa polls a month ago but has lost ground in the wake of various controversial comments about, among other things, attacking Iran, blocking mosques in the U.S., and now, Romney's Mormon faith.

“When he ran the first time, he did not do a good job of communicating his religion,” Cain said. “Unfortunately - it doesn't bother me - but I do know that it is an issue with a lot of Southerners."

Well, thank heavens it’s not an issue for him. I would be so shocked if it were.

Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann may be church shopping in your neighborhood, soon:

Republican presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann quit her longtime church shortly before her presidential bid, potentially because the Lutheran church was part of a denomination that calls the papacy the "Antichrist."

CNN reported that Bachmann's request to leave Minnesota's Salem Lutheran Church was granted on June 21, roughly one week before she formally announced her presidential bid. She and her husband Marcus Bachmann, who also withdrew from the church, had reportedly been members for more than a decade, though they had not been attending services for the past two years.

Bachmann's campaign isn't commenting on the decision to leave the church, but it might reflect concern that her membership in it could anger Catholic voters. The church is a member of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, whose website says in part, "We identify the anti-Christ as the papacy. This is an historical judgment based on Scripture."

A conservative, Protestant Church that identifies the anti-Christ as papacy? Never heard of such a thing…

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich is very concerned with reining in anti-religious bigotry from the judiciary bench:

"Radical secularists" who have worked to undermine First Amendment rights and coerce their own policy preferences onto the public can be brought to heel by abolishing their positions in the judiciary, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has told audience members in recent campaign appearances. His proposal is built around legislation President Thomas Jefferson and Secretary of State James Madison advanced in 1802 to reassert the authority of the elected government agencies, Gingrich explained in an interview.

Throw the bums out. He also says he wants to eliminate the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals based in California. Activist judges, you see. Read it all at The American Spectator, here.

And finally, how former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s “Minnesota nice” might look like “good Samaritan,” when what the base really wants is “fire and brimstone.” A good read, here.

More next week, for sure!

Donations Accepted, Here

A quite fascinating story, actually. The emphasis is mine:

PHOENIX — Arizona launched a website Wednesday to accept donations to pay for fencing along the Mexico border, and a supporter says the $3.8 million people donated to defend the state’s 2010 immigration enforcement law could be just a taste of what to expect.

President Obama is calling for immigration reform, but Republicans in Congress feel strengthening border security is a higher priority than anything that could be seen as amnesty.

Gov. Jan Brewer’s legal-defense site for the law known as SB1070 raised money for “an intangible service — you’re paying for a lawyer,” said state Sen. Steve Smith. “This, you can taste and smell what you’re getting — you’re paying for a secure border.”

The launch of buildtheborderfence.com was keyed to Wednesday being the date most new laws passed during the Legislature’s 2011 regular session go into effect.

Smith, who sponsored the legislation authorizing the fence project, said Tuesday that his initial goal is $50 million.

Particularly interesting to me is the idea that people will give $$ to this project because it is tangible – something you can see and feel, as opposed say to, paying for a legal defense. Lots of things still need to be decided, including whether the fence will be built on private or public land, and whether donations will be tax deducible in the end.

Tracking public sentiment around this will be an interesting story to follow. So far it seems like they are trying to sell a compelling combination of: 1) individuals can be part of something great; 2) let’s together do, what government can’t; and, 3) we will be better stewards of the money than they will ever be.

Tea Party heaven.

Islam: Religion and Law

I must say, I have not given Republican-2012-Presidential-nominee-wannabe Herman Cain the time of day. This however, is utterly fascinating:

GOP Presidential hopeful Herman Cain is taking his efforts to win Republican votes by disparaging Muslims to the level of performance art.

Cain reiterated his opposition to a mosque in Murfreesboro, Tennessee yesterday on Fox News Sunday. Cain insisted that Islam is different from other religions because “fact Islam is both a religion and a set of laws, Sharia law.”

CAIN: They could say that. Chris, lets go back to the fundamental issue that the people are basically saying they’re objecting to. They’re objecting to the fact Islam is both a religion and a set of laws, Sharia law. That’s the difference between any one of our other traditional religions where it’s just about religious purposes. The people in the community know best, and I happen to side with the people in Murfreesboro.

WALLACE: You’re saying any community, if they want to ban a mosque?

CAIN: Yes. They have a right to do that. That’s not discriminating based upon religion.

Does Herman Cain really not realize that other religions have their own set of laws, as well? Is he simply betting that other folks are too ignorant to know?

I suspect the average Catholic in Murfreesboro, Tennessee knows the Catholic Church operates under Canon law, and that they would be none-too-happy to hear a Presidential candidate say that would be a valid basis for a community ban on constructing a new Catholic church.

Birth Control Without Co-Pays

For the “duh” file”:

An independent panel of doctors and health experts recommended Tuesday that health plans cover a broad range of contraceptives for women without co-pays, setting the stage for another debate over the impact of the new health overhaul.

The law that President Obama signed last year requires new health plans to cover many preventive health services without co-pays or deductibles for patients, a key provision of the new law that experts believe will encourage more Americans to get recommended immunizations, cancer screenings and other services.

But the law directed the Department of Health and Human Services to seek input from clinicians and other authorities about which additional services should be covered for women.

That prompted the report Tuesday from the Institute of Medicine, a branch of the National Academy of Sciences.

Health insurance coverage that pays for preventative health services without co-pays or deductibles. Who ever heard of such a thing?  Oops, I am forgetting something. The emphasis is mine:

The Family Research Council decried the recommendations for including emergency contraception (or the "morning after pill"). The group also points out there are no conscience protections for health care providers in insurance plan networks who object to prescribing such drugs.

"If HHS includes these mandates, the conscience rights of millions of Americans will be violated, including issuers of plans, providers who contract with such plans, and Americans who will pay for the cost of these services," Monahan said in a statement. "HHS should focus on items and services that prevent actual diseases, and not include controversial services just to placate the abortion industry."

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is also opposed to covering contraception as preventive care. Both the Conference and FRC have pressured HHS on the issue.

Because after all, millions and millions of women will be relieved to see this happen, simply because the “abortion industry” will be placated. Maybe just the opposite, actually. And controversy: very, very, very bad. Can't deal with it in post-intellectual, 21st century America.  Am curious to know if there is a working definition of "actual disease," though.

And as for the “conscience rights of million of Americans” – if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.

From Philadelphia

Per NPR:

The Vatican has appointed an outspoken archbishop to lead the troubled Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Charles Chaput of Denver will move to Philadelphia in September. He succeeds Cardinal Justin Rigali, who has been criticized for the way he has handled child sex abuse allegations.

For the past five months, Cardinal Rigali has been dogged by claims that he may have protected questionable priests. In February, a grand jury report alleged that as many as 37 priests who had been accused of abuse were still in active ministry. The report also charged several other priests or former priests in a sex abuse scandal.

The guy who is leaving, says his retirement has nothing to do with the sex abuse scandal.

Rigali, 76, said his retirement had no connection to the scandal, but he still offered an apology.

"If I have offended anyone in any way, I am deeply sorry," he says. "I apologize for any weaknesses on my part in representing Christ and the church, worthily and effectively."

The newly appointed archbishop, is known for being conservative on cultural issues. Yet, he claims to have no idea why the Vatican appointment.

His successor, Chaput, said he has no idea why the pope appointed him.

"But I do promise no bishop will try harder to help persons who have been hurt by the sins of the past, or work harder to strengthen and encourage our priests and renew the hearts of our people," Chaput says.

Religion professor Matthew Schmalz thinks he know why the pope selected Chaput. "Archbishop Chaput does have experience dealing with messes," he says.

Odd.  I am having visions of chess pieces being moved around a board by an invisible hand...

In The News: Today’s Gay Rights Edition

The Democratic Party in Utah has elected it’s first openly gay chair:

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's newly elected Democratic Party chairman says the party's "big tent" welcomes members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

"I want to speak directly to the LDS people in our state," Jim Dabakis said Saturday after being nominated for state party chairman. "I want you LDS people to participate in our party. We want your spirit, we want your contributions and we want to earn your votes. I will do whatever I can as chair to see that our big tent is comfortable to LDS people because it's the right thing to do."

Dabakis was elected as the new party chairman by delegates during the Utah Democratic Party's 2011 Organizing Convention attended by more than 1,000 party faithful. He replaces retiring three-term party chairman Wayne Holland.

Dabakis, one of the co-founders of Equality Utah and The Utah Pride Center, is the first openly gay leader of a political party in Utah.

How great. For all my “upsets” with the Democratic Party, very happy Jim Dabakis could rise to the highest rank of leadership in Utah. And yes, the party is a big enough tent to welcome members of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

More history, this time on the Floor of the Senate. The emphasis is mine:

The remarkable thing about what happened on the Senate floor Monday night was that it was utterly unremarkable.

The matter under consideration – the nomination of the first openly gay man to serve on the federal bench – would at one time have been a flashpoint in the culture wars. But Paul Oetken was confirmed without a word of objection on the Senate floor and with hardly a mention in the commentariat.

Even some of the chamber’s most ardent social conservatives – Tom Coburn, John Cornyn, Jeff Sessions, Jon Kyl – cast votes for Oetken. When the lopsided vote tally of 80-13 was read out, there was no cheer or reaction of any kind. Senators continued their conversations as if nothing unusual had happened.

Not sure it was utterly unremarkable.  Perhaps simply, unremarkable.

President Obama, evolving?

President Obama is calling for the repeal of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which bans same-sex married couples from receiving the same federal benefits available to opposite-sex married couples.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said Tuesday that Mr. Obama was “proud to support the [repeal effort], which would take the DOMA off the books once and for all.”

The announcement came a day before the Senate Judiciary Committee is set to conduct hearings examining the Respect for Marriage Act, a legislative vehicle designed to overturn DOMA.

I sure hope so. So much at stake here for. Federal benefits. Military benefits. Immigration rights.

And as John Aravosis at AMERICAblog gay reminds us, President Obama has 8 days left in his "weeks, not months" promise on DADT certification. Three weeks ago, the President said certification will come in “weeks, not months."  Eight days left.

Anyone taking any bets?

The State Of The State, Minnesota Style

No new taxes, so I guess all is right with the world:

After weeks of crippling political deadlock, DFL Gov. Mark Dayton and Republican legislative leaders emerged in the darkened Capitol on Thursday to announce they had brokered a budget deal to end the longest state government shutdown in U.S. history.

The deal raises the revenue Dayton sought -- $1.4 billion -- but without raising taxes, which Republicans opposed. Instead, it reaches back to an earlier GOP offer to rely primarily on more borrowing from schools and from the sale of tobacco bonds. The House and Senate could return in special session to vote on a final budget as early as Monday or Tuesday.

And the Democrats got concessions on a few social issues, including Republican demands on restricting public funding for stem cell research, abortion restrictions, and government worker layoffs.

As Minnesota goes, so goes DC???

Decision Time?

So, what’s it finally going to be on the debt reduction talks?

Before bringing talks to a close Thursday, Obama gave Republicans three options: The far-reaching $4 trillion deal that includes taxes and cuts to entitlement programs; a $2 trillion package that would require each side to give only a little; and a much smaller package that would include no tax increases and no cuts to entitlement programs — and do much less to solve the nation’s financial problems.

Like others – who have said it this morning far better than I ever will – I do not understand the White House strategy on this one.

I do know, however, that it has caused a lot of anxiety to an already-too-depressed American public this summer.

Why I Want To Be Your President: Republican Round-Up

Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann wants us to know that she loves the State of Israel SO MUCH, that she is brushing up on her Yiddish:

Michele Bachmann has long positioned herself as a staunch supporter of Israel and the pro-Israel lobby. Despite this, Bachmann has not brushed up on her Yiddish. On Fox News last night, the Minnesota Republican pronounced the word "chutzpah" -- Yiddish for "audacity" -- as "choot-spa" (something she was accusing Obama of having).

 Actually, I think it’s cute.

And oh yeah, she and her husband Dr. Marcus Bachmann still think they can cure “the gay.” Using federal dollars.

Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum is still defending his decision to sign the controversial Marriage Vow, put forth by the Iowa-based group, The Family Leader:

Rick Santorum said he was "taken aback" by The Family Leader candidate pledge that insisted black kids had better family lives under slavery, though that's not the part that shocked him. Instead, he was surprised by the line demanding he be faithful to his wife. But he signed anyway. Why? Because Santorum is really into pledges. After rival presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty "respectfully declined" to sign the Family Leader document, Santorum took to the op-ed pages of USA Today to defend the pledge.

Santorum writes that pledges pushed by special-interest groups "offer something as serious as the vote we are asking for--a solid commitment, a solemn promise. ... Every candidate has heard the cynicism about politicians: 'Oh, they will say one thing now, but just wait until they are elected.' A lot of that is true about too many politicians and elected leaders. Pledges are our way of saying: 'Not us.'"

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty figured he had to make up for not signing the Marriage Vow, by making nice to evangelicals in Iowa:

Former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty made a unabashed pitch to Iowa’s evangelical vote Wednesday with the release of a video featuring the presidential candidate and his wife, Mary, talking unguardedly about their religious faith.

The video attests to his opposition to abortion and his view that marriage should be only between a man and a woman.

Pawlenty’s campaign also sent out a letter of support to conservative Iowans signed by Sarah Huckabee, the daughter of former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee and the newest addition to Pawlenty’s field staff in Iowa. Sarah Huckabee, who helped her father win the Iowa caucuses in 2008 largely with strong support within the evangelical community, told voters to support Pawlenty because he “has the same conservative convictions and executive experience I admire in my dad.”

Now that it looks like the Minnesota government shut-down has been resolved, he can't go around saying how great he thought the impasse was.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is very, very, very happy with his name (and face) recognition:

Mitt Romney appears to be having a good time on the campaign trail being one of the GOP presidential front-runners.

In a speech captured by Kasie Hunt of Politico that at times seemed plucked from a (discarded) David Letterman monologue, the former Massachusetts governor was self-depricating while kidding that he often gets recognized on the road.

In one aside, he mentioned that he (like then-President George W. Bush) was in Beijing for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games taking in "one of my favorite events -- women's beach volleyball." His wife, Ann, insisted, he joked.

"I noticed that some Americans in the crowd had recognized me and were pointing at me had taken out their cameras and were taking my picture," Romney told an audience at the Portsmouth, N.H., Rotary Club.

"And then I noticed that some Chinese in the audience were doing the same thing. And I said, 'Ann, sit up straight, look -- they're all taking our picture.' And she goes like this, and I turn around," Romney said, "and there's Kobe Bryant sitting right behind me."

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich remains “the ideas man.” Collective bargaining – very, very bad. Troop withdrawal from Afghanistan – very, very good. New energy policy – very, very important.

And finally, former Utah Gov. Jon Hunstman really did not do or say anything this week to make me think he wants to be my President. Just saying.

More next week, for sure.  Happy Weekend, everyone!

The Presidency or Prayer: The Rick Perry Edition

As of today, we still don’t know if Texas Governor Rick Perry is a real, bona fide 2012-Republican-Presidential-nominee-wannabe, or not. Fun to speculate, though.

Rick Perry sure looks like a presidential candidate.

The Texas governor and his top advisers are feeling out early-state Republican activists on the phone. He met for lunch in Austin Tuesday with former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. Next week, he’ll join a group of top national Republican donors for dinner in the state capital, POLITICO has learned.

GOP governors and members of Congress, in not-for-attribution comments, and leading strategists like Karl Rove all say the same thing: Perry’s in.

So what’s the hold up?

Conventional wisdom might say that he's too busy promoting The Response, the Aug. 6th prayer and fasting event at Houston's Reliant Stadium that he initiated.  The event that is being hosted by The American Family Association.

The American Family Association's activism on behalf of conservative Christian values has earned it accolades from fans on the right, including Perry, who tapped the organization to finance and plan the Response, a seven-hour event of fasting and prayer in Houston's Reliant Stadium.

But the Southern Poverty Law Center has labeled the association a hate group for its unrelenting campaign against what the association calls the homosexual agenda, and left-leaning and secular watchdog groups regularly denounce the organization as a force for religious intolerance and censorship.

Aligning with the nonprofit association could solidify Perry's position as the most viable Christian right candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, if he were to run.

However, it also risks pigeonholing him as a one-dimensional candidate in the minds of voters, said Daniel Williams, author of "God's Own Party: The Making of the Christian Right."

"Christian right activists make up around one-third of Republican voters, and he also has to reach out to the other two-thirds," Williams said.

Perry turned to the Mississippi-based association because it is a "respected organization with a large following, and they have been an effective advocate for pro-family policies," said Eric Bearse, a former Perry speechwriter who is acting as spokesman for the event.

The event where only Christians will be permitted to speak.

Since the event was first announced in early June, organizers have suggested that it would be a great opportunity to convert non-Christians. Now, they've gone even further: According to an email blasted out by The Response, only Christians will be permitted to speak at the non-denominational event. If representatives of other faiths (particularly Muslims) were to be included, the email noted, such inclusion would promote "idolatry." In a message sent out under The Response's official letterhead, Allan Parker, one of Perry's organizers, described the event in less-than-ecumenical terms:

This is an explicitly Christian event because we are going to be praying to the one true God through His son, Jesus Christ. It would be idolatry of the worst sort for Christians to gather and invite false gods like Allah and Buddha and their false prophets to be with us at that time. Because we have religious liberty in this country, they are free to have events and pray to Buddha and Allah on their own. But this is time of prayer to the One True God through His son, Jesus Christ, who is The Way, The Truth, and The Life.

The event other governors -- Rick Perry invited ALL his contemporaries -- are not itching to RSVP to.

And here is Gov. Perry himself, with the invite:


Gov. Perry's Invitation to The Response from The Response USA on Vimeo.

Political wisdom, is telling me that Gov. Rick Perry is flying a new trial balloon. Prayer as public policy. Prayer as intervention not only on social issues -- we are after all used to hearing that we can pray away homosexuality and such, but prayer as a genuine public policy imperative.  Because, as Gov. Perry says in his video, we need prayer to do, what elected officials can't.  We need prayer because of the limitations faced by our elected officials.  We need prayer to fix what is spiritual in nature.  We need prayer to fix the economy.  Wow.

I have long been interested in how the 2012 crop of Republican candidate-wannabees would sell their conservative stripes vise-a-vie social issues, as related to fixing the economy.  Because after all, if it's all about the economy, they will have to convince the American public that gay marriage and abortion are well, bad for the economy.  Mike Huckabee gave it a try, with his recently published book and now it's left to Rick Santorum and Michele Bachmann to take up the mantle.  But the entire concept of the economy as a fundamentally spiritual issue that therefore needs an intervention other than one that has been traditionally provided for by our elected officials within a public policy realm, is a whole new ball of wax.

The economy as a spiritual issue that is best handled through prayer.  Because government can't do it alone.  Wow.

For more background, watch last night's piece from The Rachel Maddow Show.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Now of course, if we think this (to some extent) hasn't been tried before, we're wrong.  At least some aspects, anyway.  Anyone remember 1980?  By Sarah Posner, over at Religion Dispatches:

At Ethics Daily, a site founded by the moderate Baptist Center for Ethics, contributing editor Brian Kaylor last month broke what was probably the most under-noticed religion story of the campaign season. He reported that a group of about 80 pastors and other conservative Christian leaders met in Texas, under the direction of televangelist James Robison, to continue to plot what Kaylor describes as a "behind-the-scenes strategy" to defeat Barack Obama in 2012.

In the second part of his two-part article, Kaylor reported:

A group of pastors and other conservative Christian leaders from across the country continue to plan their behind-the-scenes strategy to defeat President Obama in 2012.

However, the group does not seem likely to support a Republican during the primary race or even reach a consensus as to which candidate should receive the Republican nomination.

The group is connected to Republican Texas Gov. Rick Perry's plan for a large prayer rally in August.

Kaylor emailed me yesterday, after reading my post on how Perry's effort was reminiscent of Robison's role in mobilizing conservative Christians in support of Ronald Reagan in 1980 and George W. Bush in 2000. Kaylor wrote, "You were correct to connect the news about Perry’s phone call with Robison’s effort in 1980. In fact, the connection is much stronger."

It is well worth reading the two-part series at Ethics Daily, here and here.  Southern Baptist evangelist James Robison is the same man who in 1979, led a secret meeting in Dallas and began the plot to defeat President Jimmy Carter.  The ghost of Jerry Falwell and the Moral Majority.

Running for President, or promoting prayer? Guess it's the same thing.

RIP, Facundo Cabral

A great tragedy today, in the Latin American world:

Argentine singer Facundo Cabral, a legend of Latin American folk music, has been shot dead in Guatemala City when unidentified gunmen riddled his car with bullets, authorities said.

Cabral, 74, and his driver were killed in the Guatemalan capital on their way to the airport at around 5am on Saturday, and at least one other person was seriously injured in the attack, police said. The shooting happened after Cabral finished performing a musical tour in the central American country.

"The vehicle was hit by 18 bullets," said Juan Manuel, a spokesman for Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom. Colom said he spoke to Argentine President Cristina Fernandez to express his condolences.

Argentine television stations interrupted their broadcasts with news of Cabral's death.

A firefighter at the scene said colleagues saw black vehicles pull up and open fire on Cabral's white Range Rover and the beige Chevrolet Tahoe accompanying the singer.

However, the motive for the shooting was not clear, authorities said.

Guatemala, one of the poorest countries in the region, has one of Latin America's highest murder rates.

Cabral rose to fame in the 1970’s as a protest singer, and was best known for his song "No Soy de Aquí ni Soy de Allá" (I'm Not From Here, Nor Am I From There). He was nearly blind, and as a young man lost his wife and infant daughter in a plane crash. He spent time in exile in Mexico during Argentina’s military dictatorship of the late 1970’s - early 1980’s.



Argentina's Foreign Minister Héctor Timerman (son of the famous Argentine journalist/author Jacobo Timerman, both persecuted and honored for confronting the atrocities of the Argentine military regime's Dirty War) paid tribute to Cabral on his Twitter account.

"The murder of Facundo Cabral in Guatemala brings us great sadness," he wrote. "Adiós amigo!"

Pundit Round-Up: The Economic Forecast Edition

Paul Krugman, at The New York Times:

Ugh. That was a seriously ugly jobs report (pdf). Almost no job creation, with slow private-sector growth offset by falling public-sector employment; a falling employment-population ratio; and (I don’t know how many people have picked this up), an actual decline in wages, albeit a small one.

Let me emphasize that last point. My bottom line on the inflation-deflation issue has always been to look at wages; you can’t have a wage-price spiral if wages ain’t spiraling. And they aren’t, to say the least.

It’s important to realize, by the way, that stagnant wages are NOT good for recovery; all they do is ensure that the burden of debt relative to income remains high, keeping demand and employment down.

The situation cries out for aggressively expansionary monetary and fiscal policy. Instead, however, all the political push is in the opposite direction.

Adam Serwer, writing today for The Plum Line:

Today’s jobs report is terrible. While the Republican response borders on self-parody, the White House has shown a complete lack of leadership on the issue.

As Jared Bernstein wrote this morning, most economists expected the economy to add about 120 thousand jobs. Instead, only about 18,000 jobs were added, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. While the economy added 57,000 private sector jobs, the public sector lost 39,000, offsetting what were already modest gains. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, state and local government payrolls have shrunk by over 500,000 since 2008.

Complete lack of leadership.  Sigh.

Jamelle Bouie, at Tapped:

In a sane country, a jobs report like this would send lawmakers into a deep panic as they scrambled to do something for the growing mass of unemployed people. As it stands, Democratic lawmakers aren’t willing to expend energy on new efforts to reduce unemployment, and Republican lawmakers have staked their ground against federally funded job creation. Instead, the entire political class is trapped in a fantasy world where deficits are the greatest threat to the health of our republic, and spending cuts are the necessary cure. Even President Obama has taken leave of reality; in his most recent weekly radio address, the ostensibly Democratic president endorsed the worst of right-wing economic fallacies:

Government has to start living within its means, just like families do. We have to cut the spending we can’t afford so we can put the economy on sounder footing, and give our businesses the confidence they need to grow and create jobs.

In a sane country, indeed.

Jonathan Chait, at The New Republic:

Jonathan Bernstein objects:

I disagree with Jonathan Chait, who basically accuses the Republicans of preferring the economic conditions that would help them elect a president in 2012.

I ought to clarify this. I certainly don't think Republicans are consciously taking steps they think will hurt the economy. That isn't how most brains work. Rather, they understand that the state of the economy is the primary variably impacting their chances of regaining power, and then reasoning toward a view of the economy that melds their self-interest with their perception of the public good:

And perhaps best of all, President Obama’s senior political adviser David Plouffe:

“The average American does not view the economy through the prism of GDP or unemployment rates or even monthly jobs numbers,” Plouffe said. “People won’t vote based on the unemployment rate, they’re going to vote based on: ‘How do I feel about my own situation? Do I believe the president makes decisions based on me and my family?’”

What Mr. Plouffe seems to not understand, is that the situation in this country is SO BAD, that the two points are now indistinguishable from each other.

And if you don’t follow Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich on Twitter @RBReich, please do. He manages to do a fabulously academic job of making really, really, really good suggestions to the administration, in 140 characters or less.

The War-On-Women: The Very, Very, Very Odd Edition

The sh*t is finally hitting the fan, so to say, in Ohio. The State House passed Bill 125, which is touted as the “heartbeat bill” because it would essentially ban abortion after a heartbeat can be detected. As early as 6 weeks – before some women might even know they are pregnant.

Well now, some members of the pro-life community are backing away from the legislation, concerned that when the bill gets to the courts, it could serve to reaffirm Roe v. Wade. The emphasis is mine:

The "heartbeat bill" flies in the face of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that protects the right to have an abortion up until the fetus would be viable outside the womb, which is usually placed at about 24 weeks into the pregnancy. If it passes into law, it will likely be challenged in court by any number of abortion rights advocacy groups, resulting in a lengthy legal battle that Ohio would likely lose.

“Unfortunately, the court has ruled that states can place limitations on post-viability abortions, but pre-viability there can be zero restrictions," Mike Gonidakis, executive director of Ohio Right to Life, told the Columbus Dispatch in March. "We certainly don’t want the courts to reaffirm Roe with a decision in Ohio.”

It gets even stranger in Louisiana, this week. Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-LA) signed a bill aimed at deterring women from going through with abortion procedures. The bill would require that signs posted in abortion clinics inform women of alternatives. The signs must also state that it is illegal to coerce women into getting abortions, that pre- and post-pregnancy assistance is available from state and public agencies, that fathers are liable for child support, and that adoptive parents may cover the medical costs of a pregnancy.

And let’s follow the logic here:

Jindal said he couldn't understand why anyone would be opposed to such a law considering even criminals receive the same privilege.

"When officers arrest criminals today, they are read their rights," he said. "Now if we're giving criminals their basic rights and they have to be informed of those rights, it seems to me only common sense we would have to do the same thing for women before they make the choice about whether to get an abortion."

No surprise here – likening women who are deciding about whether or not to have an abortion to criminals. Coming from a state where they actually did try to completely outlaw abortion, but failed.

BATON ROUGE, La. — Most legislation pushed by abortion opponents failed to pass during the Legislature's just-completed session, but abortion supporters expect similar bills to arise next year.

The Legislature did approve a bill setting up a website with information on abortion alternatives and requiring that abortion clinics post signs with similar information.

But other measures died in committee, including a proposed ban on nearly all abortions, a resolution calling on Congress to withdraw funding from the organization Planned Parenthood and a bill to impose on any fetus at least eight weeks into development the same rules of disposal as required for a corpse.

Rep. John LaBruzzo, R-Metairie, is one of the Legislature's hardline abortion opponents. He is vowing to bring back his proposal to ban almost all abortions, even in pregnancies stemming from incest, and says the debate this year helped shape the bill into one that more anti-abortion groups can support.

Unlike the good folks in Ohio, doesn’t sound like this fellow is afraid of supporting a bill that might eventually serve to reaffirm Roe v. Wade. But of course, very, very complicated politics, so we’ll know more later.  In the meantime, they just keep pushing the envelop as far as possible by enacting public policy imperatives all around the country that by limiting access, essentially serve to make a medical procedure (almost) impossible to get in many places.

Economic Forecast

A bad morning. This, from The Washington Post:

Job growth came to nearly to a halt in June, the federal government said Friday in surprisingly grim new data — an alarming challenge to predictions that the economy would bounce back later this year.

Employers added 18,000 jobs last month, a trivial number in a country with 150 million workers, and the unemployment rate rose to 9.2 percent from 9.1 percent. It was a far worse result than expected--economists had forecast 105,000 new jobs.

The jobs report was exceptionally weak even beyond those headline numbers. Job growth in April and May was revised downward by a combined 44,000 positions. Temporary employers, which tend to be a leading indicator of future activity in the job market, cut 12,000 jobs. And some 272,000 Americans dropped out of the labor force, perhaps giving up looking for work out of frustration; the unemployment rate would have risen even higher had they stayed in.

A broader measure of unemployment that includes those who have given up looking out of frustration and those with part time work who want a full-time job rose to 16.2 percent, from 15.8 percent.

I hope I am wrong, but I shudder to think what the numbers will look like a month from now, when July 1st State, County and municipal government layoffs are factored in.  July 1st, the start of new fiscal years all around the country, remember? 

I can already hear the Republican blah-blah now, about how government doesn't create jobs....

Let Them Eat Cake!

Because after all, the poor pay too much in taxes. From Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-UT:

I get a little tired of hearing about the Obama approach of 'shared sacrifice.' Shared sacrifice is something — sounds good — but I'd prefer the Republican approach to shared prosperity. And that's what I think we're all about.

When you talk about 'shared' — think about this — it's pretty irrefutable that the bottom 51 percent of all wage earners, of all households, do not pay income taxes. The top 1 percent — the so-called 'wealthy' — pay 38 percent of all income taxes. The top 10 percent are paying 70 percent of all income taxes. The top 50 percent pay something like 98 percent of all income taxes. Fifty-one percent don't pay anything.

And the video, along with a bit of commentary from The Young Turks:



While some of this may be about playing Tea Party politics, the sad part is that I think he really believes this stuff.

The (True) Value of Medical Insurance

Ironic, that this should come out on the day President Obama may (or may not) be negotiating some Social Security and Medicare benefits away as part of a debt reduction deal with the Republicans.  From today's New York Times. The emphasis is mine:

When poor people are given medical insurance, they not only find regular doctors and see doctors more often but they also feel better, are less depressed and are better able to maintain financial stability, according to a new, large-scale study that provides the first rigorously controlled assessment of the impact of Medicaid.

While the findings may seem obvious, health economists and policy makers have long questioned whether it would make any difference to provide health insurance to poor people.

It has become part of the debate on Medicaid, at a time when states are cutting back on this insurance program for the poor. In fact, the only reason the study could be done was that Oregon was running out of money and had to choose some people to get insurance and exclude others, providing groups for comparison.

While I am sure it is possible to quantify health care savings as a result of the preventive care provided by insurance to any group -- the poor included -- why anyone should be surprised by the psychological benefits is beyond me.  The loss of health insurance that often goes along with unemployment is a huge stressor. Financial for those who are forced to pay exorbitant costs out of pocket to continue coverage, and psychic for those who are simply forced to go without insurance. 

Here in California if your child is suddenly without health insurance due to job loss, you have to wait three months to apply for our state-subsidized health insurance.  And that's for families who don't qualify for Medi-Cal.  In other words, the average-Joe.  So, for your first three months of unemployment any savings you might have goes to paying for your kids' medical insurance for three months.  All that, while living on unemployment benefits.  Or simply forgo the cost, and keep your fingers crossed that your child doesn't need to see a doctor.  Either scenario, might lead to depression, no?

Never mind what the overall message to the American public is around all this stuff:  We. Don't. Care. About. You.  Might lead to decreased health and depression, no?

Good News (Finally) From California

Not much in the way of good news coming out of my state, but this is something to be proud of:

California is poised to become the first state in America to make the teaching of positive contributions made by gay and lesbian people to US history and society compulsory in public schools.

The governor of California, Jerry Brown, must decide whether to incur the wrath of religious and conservative groups lined up against the move and approve a bill that has now cleared both houses of the state assembly. If signed into law, it would require the rewriting of school textbooks and redrawing of the social science curriculum to include lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender history – a move that could have wide ramifications given that California's school roll of 6.2 million children is the largest in the country.

Supporters argued that it would give gay teenagers role models and help combat homophobic bullying. It would redress the imbalance in state schools that are already required to teach about women, entrepreneurs and labour and minority ethnic groups including African-Mexican- and Native Americans.

"We gain a greater appreciation for what it means to be an American," John Pérez, the first openly gay speaker of the Californian assembly, told the San Francisco Chronicle.

Now, if we can just STOP:  chipping away at public education, raising tuition at our public universities, cutting library budgets, taking child care subsidies away from the working poor...

Don't Ask, Don't Tell: Today's 9th Circuit Edition

Please tell me Don't Ask, Don't Tell is finally dead. History.  So tired of waiting.

A federal law banning openly gay people from serving in the military should no longer be enforced, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday, citing the Obama administration's call for an end to "a history of discrimination" against homosexuals.

The "don't ask, don't tell" policy signed into law by President Clinton in 1993 was ruled unconstitutional in September by U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips in Riverside. A month later, Phillips issued a "worldwide injunction" against further discharges of gay soldiers and sailors, but the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in November suspended her order while the case was being appealed.

Congress, in the meantime, repealed "don't ask, don't tell" but left the policy in force until the president, the Defense secretary and the Joint Chiefs of Staff certify that enough training and preparation for integrating gays has been accomplished to avoid any damage to military readiness. The training is expected to be completed by mid-summer.

On Wednesday, a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit said the "balance of hardships," which had previously justified a stay of Phillips' order, had changed.

A nice explanation of what has gone down, from Joe Sudbay at AMERICAblog Gay:

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals lifted the stay of the District Court's injunction against enforcing DADT. When DADT was found unconstitutional in the Log Cabin case last October, the District Court judge issued an injunction against its enforcement. And, Judge Phillips refused to grant a stay pending appeal. Despite numerous requests (including 21 U.S. Senators) that the Department of Justice not appeal this decision, DOJ did. DOJ also immediately went to the Ninth Circuit asking for a stay pending appeal, which was granted. Today, the Ninth Circuit lifted that stay, meaning DADT can't be enforced anywhere in the world.

In part, the 9th Circuit's turnaround was due to recent statements by the Justice Department and the White House calling for "heightened scrutiny" of laws that discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. This includes the Defense of Marriage Act, which deprives same-sex married couples of federal benefits.

Lessons learned:  Starting to do the right thing, leads to, well -- more doing of the right thing.  A vicious circle of achieving justice, so-to-say.

Cuts to Social Security and Medicare

While I am not completely surprised, this is truly disappointing.  Horrible news, just breaking from The Washington Post.  I truly do not understand what this White House is thinking.

President Obama is pressing congressional leaders to consider a far-reaching debt-reduction plan that would force Democrats to accept major changes to Social Security and Medicare in exchange for Republican support for fresh tax revenue.

At a meeting with top House and Senate leaders set for Thursday morning, Obama plans to argue that a rare consensus has emerged about the size and scope of the nation’s budget problems and that policymakers should seize the moment to take dramatic action.

As part of his pitch, Obama is proposing significant reductions in Medicare spending and for the first time is offering to tackle the rising cost of Social Security, according to people in both parties with knowledge of the proposal. The move marks a major shift for the White House and could present a direct challenge to Democratic lawmakers who have vowed to protect health and retirement benefits from the assault on government spending.

The best might be this.  The emphasis is mine:

Meanwhile, another senior Republican on Wednesday signaled a new openness to raising taxes— at least for selected special interests. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (Va.) told reporters that he is now willing to consider Democratic demands to end tax breaks for corporations, hedge-fund managers and owners of corporate jets, so long as the final deal does not raise tax rates or overall federal tax collections.

Completely selling out, for what might be small tax revenue increases, at best.

The depression and anxiety spreading through the American public is palpable.  I can hardly imagine what this will do for the collective American psyche this summer.  We are suffering so, from the instability this economic crisis has brought to our society.  Adding on another layer of fear about our future, along with the increasing recognition that no one in Washington gives a hoot about the average-Joe, will be very, very bad for this country.

I hope to wake up tomorrow and chalk it all up to a bad dream.  That is, if I sleep.

Happy (Belated) Fourth of July!

The last, in a series of musical tributes.



One of my eight year old daughter's favorites.

May it be so, that all our gardens – real and metaphorical – grow and bloom this summer, and beyond.

Enjoy!

Michele Bachmann, American Girl

By now we all Tom Petty is none-too-happy with Republican Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann's use of one of his songs at a campaign rally.  A nice bit of cultural critique here, from Politico.  The emphasis is mine:

You hear the message of American greatness amplified in the music at Republican rallies, like Greenwood’s “Proud to be an American,” Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn’s “Only in America” and Travis Tritt’s “Rough Around the Edges.”

America is great. As an American and a progressive I celebrate what’s possible only in America, embrace our country’s scrappy rough-hewn edges and admit to tearing up whenever I hear “Proud to be an American.” These songs are played at Democratic rallies, too.

But you also hear music there from progressive songwriters who challenge America to be better than it is. These songs are even more inspiring. They acknowledge that what makes America “exceptional” is our commitment to the principles of liberty, justice and opportunity for all — not just what we have already achieved.

And more, from Sam Seder and Majority Report Radio.  Listen to the whole thing.



Of course, what is interesting is not just that Republicans appropriate iconic pieces of American material culture as their own, but -- why they do so.  Is it done on purpose?  Do they not know exactly what it is that they are claiming their own?  Do they just, not get it?  Is it simply a matter of laziness?

Interesting.  And fun.

Happy Fourth of July!

The third, in a series of musical tributes.



Pacifism, pride and patriotism.

Enjoy!

Happy (Almost) Fourth of July!

The second, in a series of musical tributes.



A song that helped frame the civil rights movement.  The ultimate, in patriotism.

Enjoy!

(Throw Him) Under the Bus!

From former Pennsylvania Senator and Republican-2012-Presidential-nominee-wannabee, Rick Santorum:



It was only a matter of time until we would see this kind of ridiculousness coming from Republican Presidential candidates regarding events in Egypt.  I am surprised it took this long.

With plans for the Palestinian Authority to seek formal recognition as a nation state from the United Nations in September, be sure we will hear more of this sort-of-thing all summer long.

Happy (Almost, Almost) Fourth of July!

The first, in a series of musical tributes.



For those of us who always thought "America The Beautiful" would make a better national anthem.

Enjoy!

Happy Hour!

Always like starting happy hour a little bit early on a Friday before a long, holiday weekend.

Here is what's "on tap" at our house this weekend.

This:

Red Tail Ale

And this:

Trumer Pilsner

And this:

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

And this:

Full Sail LTD

A happy and healthy holiday weekend, to all!

 Enjoy!

Happy Canada Day!

And in honor of our neighbor to the North, one of her best exports:



On that cheery note, enjoy!

Michele Bachmann: The Tale of Two (Or Three) Candidates

By now, we all know Republican Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann had a bit of a schizophrenic week. After officially announcing her plans to seek the 2012 Republican Presidential nomination, her popularity is surging. The latest poll in New Hampshire shows her gaining 8 points since May, and running second to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. Good news for her in Iowa, as well.

But then, the controversies. Tom Petty is none-too-happy that she used one of his songs at a rally. It was revealed that her husband has called homosexuals “barbarians” who “need to be educated” and “disciplined.” And this, regarding the darling of the Tea Party:

As Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., tours the country criticizing government as too big and too expensive, the Republican presidential candidate has come under mounting scrutiny over public dollars flowing to family business interests.

There's $259,000 in federal subsidies paid since 1995 to a family farm of which Bachmann is a part owner. Another $30,000 went to Bachmann and Associates Counseling Clinic in the last five years from various state government agencies, including a small payment logged the day after the congresswoman's official 2012 kickoff.

In addition, at least $137,000 came from Medicaid-backed programs for patients using the mental health clinic run by her husband, Marcus Bachmann.

And the gaffes. First confusing the serial killer John Wayne Gacy with the actor, John Wayne. And then mixing up John Quincy Adams with John Adams.

So, we have a candidate surging in popularity, prone to controversies AND gaffes. Never seen that before, huh?

I watched Michele Bachmann’s announcement with interest. And read the text of the speech several times. I saw – unlike Sarah Palin – a hard-working, self-controlled politician. Some sentimentality, yes. But little if any nostalgia for the good-ole-days. And yes, probably principled. And no, not a brain surgeon. My suspicion is that she knows she is prone to gaffes, and like all of us on the workplace, strives to mitigate the possibility of messing up.

Her supporters won’t care about the controversies. And frankly, I think Republicans who are on the fence about who to support will look less at her gaffes, and more at her principled stances and hard-working nature, if she can keep the latter two up.

Working hard and maintaining principals, even while making mistakes – it’s the American way.  She'll get a pass for it.