I normally do not like to comment on religious issues here since this is a blog about politics but the concept of questioning religion has really gotten under my skin lately. As an agnostic/deist I really don't care if someone questions my own religion, but I don't think it's anyone's business when you run for and/or serve public office what your religion is or is not.
So 2010 brings us two instances of questioning religion in politics. The first one was in the form of a nasty campaign ad (that shall remain nameless) where a Democrat asks a Republican to be a man and own up to his mistakes of worshiping his bong in college. The Republican turns around and spins the ad so it makes the Democrat look like he's questioning the Republican's religion. The voters of the Bible Belt state believe the Republican and the Democrat's campaign is over.
After the election the Republicans are at it again. Just yesterday Senators Jon Kyl and Jim DeMint (R-teabagging morons) yelled at Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid because he's keeping the Senate in session through the holidays and accuses him of disrespecting Christianity for making them work through the holidays (waahh waahh I will work through the holidays for 6 figures and I'll be happy to take their jobs). Luckily Harry Reid is finally starting to grow a pair and stood up to them.
I am sick of the Republicans questioning religion for their own personal gain. They started in 2008 with Barack Obama and it was just a disaster since. In fact the Republicans being in bed with organized religion has taken a formerly apathetic voter like me and turned me off from organized religion and their party. I am sure I am not alone here. Heckuva job GOP!
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
I'm not dead yet!
Most of my readers probably left this blog for dead. However since starting this blog two years ago (on a much happier note), I have since decided to pursue politics as a career and was working on a campaign that gave me experience outside of the blue northeastern politics that I am used to. I must say that getting involved in politics is one of the best things to ever happen to me. My life has definitely changed for the better due to politics.
This flaming liberal from NY/NJ was sent right into one of the most watched senate races in the country—Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway against legacy teabagger Rand Paul. Although we did not win the senate race, we did narrowly win the congressional so I don’t feel as bad this year as I did last year. (Last year I was absolutely devastated by the election results. This year while the Democrats did lose the House and a lot of senate seats, my own representation is still Democratic which makes me a very happy camper).
Kentucky’s an interesting place politically. Unlike the New Jersey politics that I am used to, there are often competitive Democratic primaries, thus there is a large Democratic advantage in voter registration. But how someone is registered in Kentucky does not predict how they will vote in the general election. Throughout the campaign, we talked to several “tea party Democrats” (the term continues to confuse me) and had several registered Republicans in our office making phone calls for us. Unlike the two states I have voted in, independents (non-affiliated voters, as I once was) make up only a small fraction of the electorate.
Also being in the heart of the Bible Belt religion is always an issue (and in this case I think cost us the election). My experience started out with rural church picnic that is the state’s biggest political event of the year. And the Republicans being the masters of spinning the facts that they are made an ad that Jack released asking Rand Paul to man up and admit he made some mistakes in college was seen as questioning his religion. Apparently it’s only acceptable to question a candidate’s religion if you are a Republican calling a black guy a Muslim.
That will probably be my only comments on the race. I enjoyed my time in Kentucky and everyone that I met along the way. In the mean time I will be posting a lot more frequently now about various federal issues that concern me, and I welcome my readers back to The Outspoken Liberal.
This flaming liberal from NY/NJ was sent right into one of the most watched senate races in the country—Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway against legacy teabagger Rand Paul. Although we did not win the senate race, we did narrowly win the congressional so I don’t feel as bad this year as I did last year. (Last year I was absolutely devastated by the election results. This year while the Democrats did lose the House and a lot of senate seats, my own representation is still Democratic which makes me a very happy camper).
Kentucky’s an interesting place politically. Unlike the New Jersey politics that I am used to, there are often competitive Democratic primaries, thus there is a large Democratic advantage in voter registration. But how someone is registered in Kentucky does not predict how they will vote in the general election. Throughout the campaign, we talked to several “tea party Democrats” (the term continues to confuse me) and had several registered Republicans in our office making phone calls for us. Unlike the two states I have voted in, independents (non-affiliated voters, as I once was) make up only a small fraction of the electorate.
Also being in the heart of the Bible Belt religion is always an issue (and in this case I think cost us the election). My experience started out with rural church picnic that is the state’s biggest political event of the year. And the Republicans being the masters of spinning the facts that they are made an ad that Jack released asking Rand Paul to man up and admit he made some mistakes in college was seen as questioning his religion. Apparently it’s only acceptable to question a candidate’s religion if you are a Republican calling a black guy a Muslim.
That will probably be my only comments on the race. I enjoyed my time in Kentucky and everyone that I met along the way. In the mean time I will be posting a lot more frequently now about various federal issues that concern me, and I welcome my readers back to The Outspoken Liberal.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
The Phoenix Suns took action....
Onto another day of organizing the Arizona Major League Baseball Boycott. Although this focuses on baseball and the Arizona Diamondbacks, I want to give major kudos to the Phoenix Suns, Arizona's NBA team, who is changing their jerseys tomorrow (Cinco De Mayo) due to this law.
Now I do not follow professional basketball the way I do baseball. I will be the first person to admit that I am honestly not sure what the demographics of a typical NBA team. I do not think they have very many Latino players though (if I am wrong here, please correct me in the comments). However the fact that the Suns are willing to do something before the Diamondbacks are, and that speaks volumes.
Come on Diamondbacks, it's time to step up to the plate. Basketball's already beat you to it.
Now I do not follow professional basketball the way I do baseball. I will be the first person to admit that I am honestly not sure what the demographics of a typical NBA team. I do not think they have very many Latino players though (if I am wrong here, please correct me in the comments). However the fact that the Suns are willing to do something before the Diamondbacks are, and that speaks volumes.
Come on Diamondbacks, it's time to step up to the plate. Basketball's already beat you to it.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Why Arizona's immigration law matters
So for the last week I've found a new cause to work on-- getting Major League Baseball to move the 2011 All-Star game out of Arizona due to the state's new law that legalizes racial profiling.
Like when I got involved in the fight for marriage equality in New Jersey, I am often asked why I am involved in a law that does not affect me personally. This is true. I'm a white Mayflower descendant and both sides of my family have been here for generations. I would probably not be profiled in Arizona. I'm fighting this law on behalf of everyone in America, legally or illegally, citizen, alien, or tourist, who may be profiled by the police.
Racial profiling is wrong. How is Joe Police Officer going to distinguish between someone who crossed the border yesterday and a third generation American who's grandparents came here from Mexico as children. How do you tell if someone is illegal by looking like them? It's not like they're wearing a t-shirt that says "I'm illegal arrest me."
The reason why we are trying to get Major League Baseball involved is because of the high concentration of Latino players, fans, staff, umpires, coaches, etc. It truly has become a worldwide game. It is also a very lucrative business for any state that has a team (or more). By moving the 2011 All-Star game out of Arizona, it costs the city of Phoenix lost revenue not only from the game itself but from hotels, restaurants, and other touirst attractions.
I will agree with most that something needs to be done about immigration. However, this is a federal issue and not a state issue. And the best way to approach this problem would be penalizing the employers that knowingly hire illegal immigrants.
Like when I got involved in the fight for marriage equality in New Jersey, I am often asked why I am involved in a law that does not affect me personally. This is true. I'm a white Mayflower descendant and both sides of my family have been here for generations. I would probably not be profiled in Arizona. I'm fighting this law on behalf of everyone in America, legally or illegally, citizen, alien, or tourist, who may be profiled by the police.
Racial profiling is wrong. How is Joe Police Officer going to distinguish between someone who crossed the border yesterday and a third generation American who's grandparents came here from Mexico as children. How do you tell if someone is illegal by looking like them? It's not like they're wearing a t-shirt that says "I'm illegal arrest me."
The reason why we are trying to get Major League Baseball involved is because of the high concentration of Latino players, fans, staff, umpires, coaches, etc. It truly has become a worldwide game. It is also a very lucrative business for any state that has a team (or more). By moving the 2011 All-Star game out of Arizona, it costs the city of Phoenix lost revenue not only from the game itself but from hotels, restaurants, and other touirst attractions.
I will agree with most that something needs to be done about immigration. However, this is a federal issue and not a state issue. And the best way to approach this problem would be penalizing the employers that knowingly hire illegal immigrants.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Arizona's new immigration law and an action plan
On Friday, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer (R) signed into a law that passed the Arizona legislature that allows police to make people produce papers to prove their immigration status (and without cause). It's one of the most racist laws in recent American history. Arizona is going to take a significant hit in their tourism as nobody will want to visit Arizona anymore (it's ashame because I've been there before and the Grand Canyon is beautiful).
As my fellow Tweeple (the great progressive community on Twitter) and I were discussing, the best recourse for this law is to utilize an industry that is a significant source of direct and indirect revenue that employs a lot of (highly-paid) Latinos-- Major League Baseball. Not only do the Arizona Diamondbacks play in Phoenix, but exactly half (15 of 30) of the teams call Arizona home for spring training. In addition, several players call Arizona their offseason home.
Fortunately a lot of the voices in the media are baseball fans. Keith Olbermann (who's sportscaster days gave him several MLB connections) is aware of the campaign but wants something bigger. His fellow MSNBC hosts Ed Schultz, Chris Matthews, and Rachel Maddow are also baseball fans who have the power to use their shows to advance this cause. Here is a copy of the email that I sent to their shows.
Dear (Ed, Chris Rachel) (ed@msnbc.com, hardball@msnbc.com, rachel@msnbc.com)
As a fan of your show, I know enough that you are both disgusted by this new Arizona law and a fan of Major League Baseball. Approximately 25-30% of players on MLB rosters are Latino. Depending on who you ask, an argument could be made that the best position player in each league (Alex Rodriguez and Albert Pujols) is Latino along with the best closer the game's ever seen (Mariano Rivera.) If this law were always in effect in Arizona, some of the best players in the game such as 2009 All Stars Felix Hernandez, Mariano Rivera, Victor Martinez, Carlos Pena, Hanley Ramirez, Albert Pujols, Raul Ibanez, Yadier Molina, Francisco Cordero, Adrian Gonzalez, and Freddy Sanchez. could be asked for their immigration papers without just cause.
On Twitter (hashtag #AZMLBB) and the Daily Kos (http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/4/25/860578/-Join-Major-League-Baseball-Boycott-of-Arizona:-Hit-the-Pocketbooks) and people are well-aware that baseball has a higher Latino following and could have a greater impact than another sport. It's time to take this story to the next level. I am writing you, both as a fan of the game, and as an American who is against racial injustice to cover this story on your show. Arizona already lost the Super Bowl in 1993 because of their opposition to Martin Luther King day.
Thanks for all your work from a concerned American and a baseball fan.
Caroline Lastname
In addition I am sending the following email to the ESPN Baseball Today podcast (baseballtoday@espnradio.com)
Dear Eric and company
As employees of ESPN I am sure that you are very aware of the influence that Latino baseball players have had on the game, especially since you could argue that the best offensive player in each league (Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols) and the best closer the game has ever seen (Mariano Rivera) are Latino. I think it would be a disgrace to the game if players getting to the ballpark were asked for their papers.
ARizona's racist behavior already cost the state a Super Bowl. It's time for MLB to step up to the plate and look out for their players and fans.
Sincerely
Caroline Lastname
IF you want to help spread our cause, copy and paste my emails and send them.
As my fellow Tweeple (the great progressive community on Twitter) and I were discussing, the best recourse for this law is to utilize an industry that is a significant source of direct and indirect revenue that employs a lot of (highly-paid) Latinos-- Major League Baseball. Not only do the Arizona Diamondbacks play in Phoenix, but exactly half (15 of 30) of the teams call Arizona home for spring training. In addition, several players call Arizona their offseason home.
Fortunately a lot of the voices in the media are baseball fans. Keith Olbermann (who's sportscaster days gave him several MLB connections) is aware of the campaign but wants something bigger. His fellow MSNBC hosts Ed Schultz, Chris Matthews, and Rachel Maddow are also baseball fans who have the power to use their shows to advance this cause. Here is a copy of the email that I sent to their shows.
Dear (Ed, Chris Rachel) (ed@msnbc.com, hardball@msnbc.com, rachel@msnbc.com)
As a fan of your show, I know enough that you are both disgusted by this new Arizona law and a fan of Major League Baseball. Approximately 25-30% of players on MLB rosters are Latino. Depending on who you ask, an argument could be made that the best position player in each league (Alex Rodriguez and Albert Pujols) is Latino along with the best closer the game's ever seen (Mariano Rivera.) If this law were always in effect in Arizona, some of the best players in the game such as 2009 All Stars Felix Hernandez, Mariano Rivera, Victor Martinez, Carlos Pena, Hanley Ramirez, Albert Pujols, Raul Ibanez, Yadier Molina, Francisco Cordero, Adrian Gonzalez, and Freddy Sanchez. could be asked for their immigration papers without just cause.
On Twitter (hashtag #AZMLBB) and the Daily Kos (http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/4/25/860578/-Join-Major-League-Baseball-Boycott-of-Arizona:-Hit-the-Pocketbooks) and people are well-aware that baseball has a higher Latino following and could have a greater impact than another sport. It's time to take this story to the next level. I am writing you, both as a fan of the game, and as an American who is against racial injustice to cover this story on your show. Arizona already lost the Super Bowl in 1993 because of their opposition to Martin Luther King day.
Thanks for all your work from a concerned American and a baseball fan.
Caroline Lastname
In addition I am sending the following email to the ESPN Baseball Today podcast (baseballtoday@espnradio.com)
Dear Eric and company
As employees of ESPN I am sure that you are very aware of the influence that Latino baseball players have had on the game, especially since you could argue that the best offensive player in each league (Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols) and the best closer the game has ever seen (Mariano Rivera) are Latino. I think it would be a disgrace to the game if players getting to the ballpark were asked for their papers.
ARizona's racist behavior already cost the state a Super Bowl. It's time for MLB to step up to the plate and look out for their players and fans.
Sincerely
Caroline Lastname
IF you want to help spread our cause, copy and paste my emails and send them.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Sarah Palin--Mother of the year
I am normally of the school of thought where a politician's children are off limits. However, I saw this video and could not resist sharing it.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
This guy kicks ass
I love seeing a Democrat with a spine. I love everything there is about Alan Grayson..... here he is in action
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