Neutral Man's Burden

This is one of the funniest editions of "The Word" on the Colbert Report in recent memory. Colbert has a brilliant take on the grilling of Sotomayor and the difference between how she is lambasted for making a comment about her background helping her make judgments and how Alito three years ago was applauded for discussing his own family's Italian background. Apparently life experiences make you a better judge...if you are a white male. If you're anyone else, well, you're a clear Band-Aid (watch the clip).

My favorite line is the first one about touching a hot stove. Love it. Thanks to Smark for sending me this.

Late-Term Abortions

So admittedly this is not the cheeriest of posts, which I'm sure you gathered from the heading. This article was linked from CNN, so you may have already seen it, but if not it is REALLY worth a close read. If I had to choose, I would have to call myself pro-choice over pro-life (I hate those terms, don't you??), but I am and have always been deeply conflicted about the question of abortion. Late-term abortions, however, always seemed in my head like a much more straightforward issue: if the mother's health is not in danger, aborting a late-term child who could survive on his or her own is not something society should support. Seems simple (a word entirely inappropriate to the issue of abortion, I realize).

A heartbreaking situation like this woman's however, is not something I'd ever thought of. It's horrifying. What she does, though, is take her personal tragedy and force people like me, who too easily draw the line on late-term abortions despite being minimally informed, to understand that late-term abortions are perhaps infinitely MORE complicated and difficult an issue than abortions in earlier trimesters. This article has stayed with me for several days since I read it, and it will do the same to you, I promise. It's very sad, uncomfortable, and painful, but very very VERY important to read. Bravo to Lynda Waddington for writing this.

Immigration Reform

Interesting, important article about the present and future of immigration reform in the US. The author gives an overview of what's happening now, what's on the horizon, what groups are involved and how, and offers her thoughts on what humane reform should look like. An excerpt:

On an everyday level, what do immigrant rights mean? And how do immigrant rights affect Americans who are not recent immigrants?

On an everyday level, immigrant rights means the right to be free of fear. Fear that at any moment you can be picked up and be separated from your family; the sense that everything you have worked for is fragile. Having to live with the fear of traveling within the U.S. and being stopped by police and questioned about your status, fear of not having identification that is so necessary in everyday life, the fear of crossing the border to be reunited with your family because of the danger if you try to come back. Fear of approaching the police if you are the victim of a crime. Fear of jail. Fear of hunger. The anguish of having to make the choice between seeing your family, in many cases your children or your aging parents, or sending them money to help them survive.

Immigrant rights affects all workers because historically, we have only raised the quality of life for working people in the U.S. by organizing across ethnic, racial, and gender lines. Immigrant workers are one segment of low-income workers in this country. If we are going to turn low-income industries into living wage industries immigrant workers have to be organized and the threat of deportation is a powerful weapon that employers use to threaten workers.

"Don't Ask Don't Tell" Don't Work

Really like this well written, well researched article about the "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays in the military that may soon be repealed (let's hope so!). This article responds to a Washington Post article by four retired military men whose tired arguments about how allowing gays to serve openly would harm and ultimately undo the military are just that: tired. About to become relics, I would venture to say. Their claims are not and have never been empirically verified. The case FOR allowing gays to serve openly, however, has lots of data to support it. Even the military's own research is in support. Some interesting tidbits:

When both Britain and Canada proposed lifting their gay bans in the 1990s, similar opinion surveys found much higher numbers — about two-thirds in both cases — claiming they, too, would leave. In each case, no more than three departures were attributed to the policy change. Three.

Even extensive research by our own military has concluded the gay ban is unnecessary, including a large 1993 study by the RAND Corporation — a think tank created by the military itself — and two official military studies — a 1989 study by the Defense Personnel Security Research Center and the Navy’s 1957 Crittenden report — which all found sexual orientation is irrelevant to military performance.

...under current policy, more than 800 “mission-critical specialists” have been fired just because they’re gay, including more than 60 Arabic linguists.

Rachel Maddow on Tea Parties

O. M. G.

Why do these Republicans just make it SO EASY for pundits to make fun of them??? Don't strategists have media people who are supposed to filter unintentionally inappropriate catchphrases? I mean really. I would like politicians to please pay me a lot of money so I can tell them what to NOT call their protests (i.e. avoid any phrase that is a blatant, gross sexual euphemism).

Kudos to Rachel Maddow for not completely dissolving into laughter and tears while delivering this segment. That's poise.

Obama: He Completes Us

I posted this Daily Show clip on Facebook back when it came out last August, just after Obama had clinched the Democratic nomination. Given the crazy fanfare of last week's inaugural festivities, I thought it deserved another viewing. Remember back in August when we thought perhaps Obamania had calmed down now that he had finally beaten Hillary? What sweet little naiive children we were. This send-up applied to last week just as much as it did to last fall, if not more so.

All jokes aside, it's the most exciting time of all NOW. It's the CIIIIIIIIRCLE OF LIIIIIIIIFE.

Be sure you watch to the end. The last shot's the best.

"The Word" on Statute of Limitations

During the height of the election season, I thought "The Daily Show" was much funnier and sharper than "The Colbert Report." I think Colbert's making a comeback now, however, with gems like this edition of his segment "The Word." The link is to the entire show, but that segment runs from about 6:40 to 11:04. Deadpan as usual, Colbert brings to light some ridiculous and unjust uses of the statute of limitations laws surrounding discrimination cases (his character, of course, supports the Supreme Court's idiotic reasoning in the cases). Here's hoping for some changes in those laws once Obama takes office...

One Man Against Torture

Last week John sent this article by Matthew Alexander (a pseudonym), who is a US solider taking a stand against interrogation techniques that use torture. He makes a powerful case against torture, and obviously his team is doing something right: they were responsible for obtaining the information that led to al-Zarqawi's capture. One of his detainees said to him, poignantly, "I thought you would torture me, and when you didn't, I decided that everything I was told about Americans was wrong. That's why I decided to cooperate."

I thought the article was great, so I was excited to see Alexander on The Daily Show two nights ago. As John Stewart mentions, a pseudonym doesn't work quite them same when you go on tv, but I'm glad he did---this is a brave man with an important message. Now if only the military and DOD would pull the cotton out of their ears and hear it...

Here's the link to Alexander's new book. I hope to get my hands on it soon.

Hate To Say I Told You So

Watch Peter Schiff, president of a Connecticut brokerage firm, predict exactly what would happen to our economy as he appears on news talk shows a couple years back. I hope all the other commentators who laugh in his face have choked on their own feet by now.

Side note: predictably, Schiff was an economic advisor to Ron Paul's 2008 presidential campaign.

Rachel Maddow on Colbert

I've only recently become aware of Rachel Maddow and how awesome she is, so I was happy to see her on Colbert a few days ago. She's sharp, witty, and most importantly, really holds her own with Stephen (not an easy feat, as we know). I loved her description of how conservatives in government saying they want to reduce government is like hiring a vegan to be your butcher.

Interesting note: Maddow was the first openly gay American to win a Rhodes Scholarship.

The Ugly Aftermath

I had no idea that "The Onion" makes videos, but what a great discovery! (Thanks Clark). Here's a faux news segment on the ugly aftermath of the election for obsessive Obama supporters who now realize they have no life, no purpose, and nothing to talk about. I'll have to check out some of their other clips for future posts.

Obama on Higher Ed

Good Inside Higher Ed overview of Obama's stance on various higher education issues. I hope he follows through on his 2007 statement that eliminating subsidies to lenders and moving to a system of direct loans only would allow more support for Pell Grants. I think this is crucial to reforming the integrity and utility of the financial aid systems at colleges and universities. I also LOVE this quotation and hope it guides his higher ed policy:

[Obama] has pledged to “restore the basic principle that government decisions should be based on the best-available, scientifically valid evidence and not on the ideological predispositions of agency officials or political appointees.”

Sic Em, ACLU!

It wouldn't be an election day without shenanigans. Apparently in Maryland, some cell phone users have gotten texts saying that voting lines are too long and to come back tomorrow. The ACLU's on the case, in partnership with the state attorney general's office, to investigate who is sending these messages. I'm glad they have snatched this up and will work toward bringing the culprits to justice. How SHADY and DISTURBING.

"Getting people misinformation about their right to vote to keep them from exercising the franchise is fundamentally undemocratic and unfortunately a growing problem that must be countered immediately," says Meredith Curtis, spokeperson for the Maryland ACLU.

Wassup....WAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

In honor of election day being less than 24 hours away, I've got to post one more funny political clip. Remember the "wassup!!!!!" beer commercial from a couple years back? Here's the 2008 version.

GOBAMA!
(And by Bama I mean Barack, NOT the Crimson Tide. Obviously.)

Obama's Inbox

Three reasons I love this story:

a) It was written by a high school friend of mine (Charles Bethea) who is a GREAT writer--this is his first time published in the New Yorker, but certainly not the last!

b) It's written about a college acquaintance (Guru Raj) I've known since my first year (and first day even, as he was an RA in my dorm). He's also a fellow Atlantan. The high school friend writer and college friend subject know each other from mutual friends, and it's just a coincidence I know them both.

c) The story is awesome. While watching the DNC back in 2004, Guru Raj was also creating his first gmail account. Combinations of his names were taken, so, inspired by Senator Obama's now legendary speech, he registered barackobama@gmail.com. The rest is history.

Let's Settle This on the Dance Floor

Negative ads? Constant bickering? A war of the cable news networks? This campaign is getting pretty ugly. How bout like in the olden days...we settle this on the dance floor. Hey, it worked for Zoolander and Hansel (er, actually theirs was a walk-off on a runway...but you get the picture).

McCain versus Obama--who has the best moves? Watch out for the surprise guest, too---she's got some game of her own.

Opie for Obama

Another gem from the great Funny or Die site. Ron Howard goes back in time to his tv stardom days to talk to some old friends (Andy Griffith and Henry Winkler) about voting for Barack Obama. He's got such a great, self-effacing sense of humor.

Palin as President: Click and Play

A look inside the Oval Office with Palin as president. Click on different objects to hear her speak about them. My favorite is the list of baby names toward the top middle (Carport, Cashew, Rake, and Purple). Also note the picture of the original Maverick on the wall (Tom Cruise from Top Gun) and the "Roe V. Wade" document going in the shredder. Also, if you watch long enough, you'll see a dinosaur walk by. LOVE IT. Thanks to Katherine for the link.

Surpassing Partisanship through Cute Babies

If there's one thing we can all agree on, Democrats/ Republicans/ Independents/ Greens/ Libertarians/ Undecideds/ Apathetics, it's that cute babies and children (and the occasional dinosaur) can unite us. Awwwwwwwwwwwwww babies! Who can focus on partisanship, negative campaign ads, and endless bickering when there's a picture of a baby with "Baby 4 Obama" written across her head? Uniting the voters of the nation through the ultimate cheesefactor: politicians holding babies in funny poses and adorable facial expressions.

Thanks to La Kate for the link.

Colbert Teen Talk: Voter Abstinence

The only surefire way to a safe, clean, and secure election is, of course, to encourage young voter abstinence. Learn more about this pivotal campaign in this promotional video, approved by John McCain.

Remember: when you vote for a candidate, you're voting for every stance they've ever had.

Also, Obama wants to change the language of the Pledge of Allegiance to state "One nation under gay baby."

Love, Stephen Colbert.