Category: General

The Raw Story | Kucinich: DLC agenda ‘indistinguishable’ from Neoconservative agenda:

“You have to keep in mind that the center has shifted in our politics,” Kucinich responded, smiling. “I’m really at the center, and all the other candidates are to the right of me. And they’re to the right of the American people.”

“The Democratic Leadership Council’s agenda is indistinguishable from the Republican Neoconservative agenda,” he went on. “They want to continue to stay in Iraq. They reject the idea of a not-for-profit health care system. … These analysts are … trying to keep a politics that really helps support a privileged few at the expense of the many. So I’m the candidate of the people.”

Well, it’s true. If Washington represented the actual views of America, Kucinich would be a huge force-to-be-reckoned with, I believe.

On Clinton and lobbyists (Lessig Blog):

This is the (extraordinarily obvious) point the Wall Street Journal missed when it chimed in yesterday in support of the Senator. As the Journal wrote:

Her answer was met with jeers, but what Mrs. Clinton was daring to tell her left-wing audience is that lobbyists are an essential means by which average Americans transmit their political concerns to Washington, and in turn hold their elected Representatives accountable. Not everyone in America can afford to trek to D.C., or has the clout to demand an audience with a Senator. Lobbyists represent the collective voice of groups with shared ideals, whether they be gun owners, union workers, corporate employees or the pro-choice movement.

Just the sort of reasoning that makes that page so famous: Look, lawyers represent their clients before a judge. Does it follow from that that judges must be free to take money from lawyers? Even just to redecorate their office?

Larry Lessig is somebody whose integrity, and whose thoughts on political integrity, I have trusted ever since I was reading his blog back in ’04, when he pointed out that it shouldn’t matter to us whether or not Bush evaded military service back in the day, it should matter to us whether or not he was going to lead the country according to wise policies today (to which the answer happened to be a resounding “no,” of course).

He doesn’t trust Clinton to do anything to change the system of influence-buying that controls Washington.

Another nail in the coffin of any chance I would support Clinton. I don’t even know if I could bring myself to vote for her in the next election if she’s nominated. I really wanted to like her, just because of the seething, irrational hatred that the Limbaugh crowd had for her. But she just doesn’t seem to be in my corner on much of anything. She’s kind of like what a Republican candidate would be if it weren’t a job requirement for Republican candidates to be completely freaking insane these days.

That’s it, she’s basically a moderate Republican, as far as I can tell.

And now Dr. Lessig has signed off as not trusting her, too.

The Most Excellent and Lamentable Tragedy of Richard Stallman — Edward O’Connor:

Usually when people post negative things about Richard Stallman, I read them and think they’re silly, and go on admiring the guy. This “reproduction is evil and antisocial” thing of his, though — OK, you got me. I’m with you on that one. Touché.

Funny thing is — the comments section is full of people who agree with him and hate babies and the people who have them too. I guess the one point where I really do have a problem with rms is the point where a huge geek-horde are in total agreement with him.

1998 article from Dallas Morning News:

SAN ANTONIO — They came thinking they’d spend a month swimming, sleeping late, hanging out — all without parents nearby to nag.

They didn’t know that by 5 a.m., their young hearts would be racing from pre-dawn calisthenics; that their biceps would bulk up from hitting the ground and doing 50 every time they messed up; that being a leader would mean taking the heat for those out of line; and that aching muscles and tired bones would yearn for lights out at 11 p.m.

And they hadn’t counted on counting on God to get them through 32 tough days of physical training, manual labor and studying.

It wasn’t the vacation they expected. It was something much more. […]

Charles Flowers started the Christian Boot Camp four years ago to show at-risk teen-age boys that “God has led them to be mighty people on Earth.” Flowers left the United States Air Force after 12 years to start the program at Faith Outreach Center, a nondenominational church where he is an associate pastor.

The camp, which Flowers believes is the only one of its kind in the country, grew from 26 boys the first summer to 120 this year. The girls’ camp, which ended July 4, is in its second year.

2007 article from Houston Chronicle:

BANQUETE — Arrest warrants have been issued for two officials at a Christian boot camp accused of dragging a 15-year-old girl behind a van after she fell behind the group during a morning run, authorities said.

Charles Eugene Flowers and Stephanie Bassitt of San Antonio-based Love Demonstrated Ministries, a 32-day boot camp, are facing aggravated assault charges for the alleged June 12 incident.

The two were accused of tying the girl to the van with a rope then dragging her, according to an arrest affidavit filed Wednesday by the Nueces County Sheriff’s Department. Arrest affidavits for Flowers and Bassitt list a $100,000 bond.

A call to Love Demonstrated Ministries was not immediately returned today. No listing was found for Bassitt. An answering machine at a listing for Flowers cut off during an attempt to leave a message today.

Flowers, the camp’s director, allegedly ordered Bassitt to run alongside the girl after she fell behind, the affidavit said. When the girl stopped running, Bassitt allegedly yelled at her and pinned her to the ground while Flowers tied the rope to her, according to the affidavit.

The girl’s mother gave investigators photos of her daughter’s injuries that were taken at a hospital where the girl was treated and a sworn statement from a witness who claimed to see the girl being dragged on her stomach at least three times.

You win if you weren’t surprised by the 2007 article after reading the excerpt from the 1998 article.

The American right | Under the weather | Economist.com:

Off the record, Republicans use words like “catastrophe” and “Armageddon” to refer to 2008.

Don’t tease me like that dammit.