Digby's Hullabaloo Posts

Brazen

Via The Daou Report, I see that those wacky Republicans are boldly trying to stick their noses into people’s private business again. According to kd4dean over on Kos the Republicans tried to slip in another provision into the spending bill that would have allowed acouple of committee chairmen or their henchmen access to any American’s tax returns for any reason. Somebody noticed.

“This is a serious situation,” said Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ted Stevens, R-Alaska. “Neither of us were aware that this had been inserted in this bill,” he said, referring to himself and House Appropriations Committee Chairman Bill Young, R-Florida.

Questioned sharply by fellow Republicans as well as Democrats, Stevens pleaded with the Senate to approve the overall spending bill despite the tax returns language.

But Sen. Kent Conrad, D-North Dakota, said that wasn’t good enough. “It becomes the law of the land on the signature of the president of the United States. That’s wrong.”

Conrad said the measure’s presence in the spending bill was symptomatic of a broader problem — Congress writing legislation hundreds of pages long and then giving lawmakers only a few hours to review it before having to vote on it.

Stevens, who repeatedly apologized for what he characterized as an error, took offense at Conrad’s statement. “It’s contrary to anything that I have seen happen in more than 30 years on this committee,” he said.

Pounding on his desk, Stevens said he had given his word and so had Young that neither would use the authority to require the IRS to turn over individual or corporate tax returns to them. “I would hope that the Senate would take my word. I don’t think I have ever broken my word to any member of the Senate.”

“… Do I have to get down on my knees and beg,” he said.

Both Young and Stevens will cede their chairmanships when the new Congress elected earlier this month takes office in January.

Some Democrats didn’t accept the assertion that the provision was a mistake and demanded an investigation.

“We weren’t born yesterday, we didn’t come down with the first snow,” said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California. “This isn’t poorly thought out, this was very deliberately thought out and it was done in the dead of night.”

Members of the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee and House Ways and Means Committee now have limited access to tax returns, but there are severe criminal and civil penalties if the information is disclosed or misused.

Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said the measure will “bring us back to the doorstep to the days of President Nixon, President Truman and other dark days in our history when taxpayer information was used against political enemies.”

We crossed that threshold some time ago, I’m afraid.

I do enjoy the fact that the guy who made the “error” was offended that nobody would take his word. That’s what happens when your leadership tells people to go fuck themselves over and over again, Ted. It tends to erode trust.

Liberals

Here’s a nice personal piece about what it means to be a moderate liberal on ThatColoredFellasweblog. At the end of his post, he links to a number of online political quizzes, one of which defined my philosophy quite succinctly, and correctly I thought, the following way:

LIBERALS usually embrace freedom of choice in personal matters, but tend to support significant government control of the economy. They generally support a government-funded “safety net” to help the disadvantaged, and advocate strict regulation of business. Liberals tend to favor environmental regulations,defend civil liberties and free expression, support government action to promote equality, and tolerate diverse lifestyles.

Got a problem with that?

Huh?

At the Republican governors’ conference in New Orleans, Ken Mehlman, the Bush campaign manager, answered the question, Who’s your daddy party? “If you drive a Volvo and you do yoga, you are pretty much a Democrat,” he said. “If you drive a Lincoln or a BMW and you own a gun, you’re voting for George Bush.”

Those BMW driving gun owners are just fabulous.

Semper Falafel

O’Reilly understands that war is hell:

Having survived a combat situation in Argentina during the Falklands War, I know that life-and-death decisions are made in a flash. If that wounded insurgent had a grenade or other explosive device, the entire marine squad and the photographer could be dead right now. In a killing zone, one cannot afford the luxury of knowing what is certain.

As with all literary greats like Mailer, Jones and Heller, O’Reilly has memorialized his scorching experiences in his novel, “Those Who Trespass” a murder mystery set in Argentina during the hell on earth that was the Falklands war:

The policemen were clearly frightened. Their fascist powers were being brazenly challenged. Standing directly in front of the police were nearly ten thousand very angry Argentine citizens screaming curses and revolutionary slogans:

ALa gente unida venceramos!

AMuera la Junta!

AMuera Galtieri!

GNN News Correspondent Shannon Michaels translated the chant and wrote it into his notebook: “The people, united, will never be defeated! Death to the Junta! Death to the dictator Galtieri!” Shannon and his video crew stood behind the police, five hundred strong crowded together in a massive show of force. Their assignment was to guard the presidential palace, called the Casa Rosada–the Pink House–and to protect President General Leopoldo Galtieri. But the crowd was getting more and more aggressive, pushing toward the large metal gate that provided access to the palatial grounds. Shannon saw that The Plaza de Mayo, the huge square in front of the Casa Rosada, was now filled to capacity. Something very ugly was going to happen, Shannon thought, and happen soon.

The sky was clear, but clouds were assembling in the west. Shannon ran his fingers through his thick mane of wavy brown hair. His teal blue eyes were locked on the agitated crowd. It was his eyes that most people noticed first–a very unusual color that some thought materialized from a contact lens case. But Shannon, the product of two Celtic parents, didn’t go in for cosmetic enhancements. His 6′ 4 frame was well toned by constant athletics, and his pale white skin was flawless–another genetic gift. Shannon’s looks, which he thoroughly capitalized on, made him a natural for television.

As the mob continued its boisterous serenade, Shannon slowly shook his head. Most wars were foolish, he thought, but this one was unusually idiotic. The Argentine Junta, a group of military thugs led by General Galtieri, had ordered an invasion of the British-administered Falkland Islands on April Fool’s Day, 1982. The government claim was that the islands, which the Argentines called the Malvinas, became a part of Argentina through a Papal declaration in 1493. The British disagreed. So, nearly five hundred years after the grant of land, the Argentine Army swarmed ashore, startling eighteen hundred British subjects and tens of thousands of bewildered sheep.

[…]

During his seven-year career as a TV news correspondent, Michaels had seen rank stupidity, but this moronic government strategy boggled the mind. Anyone who read a newspaper knew that the British Parliament, and especially Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, would never allow British honor to be besmirched. It took the Brits just three months to thoroughly humiliate the Junta, further angering the Argentine citizenry. No wonder they were now filling the streets in passionate demonstration against the Galtieri government.

Sends chills down your spine, doesn’t it? Has anyone matched this kind of searing prose in the Falklands chronicles? I don’t want to ruin the story by revealing the fiery hell that our blue eyed Celtic hero had to endure. Let’s just say that that marine in Fallouja won’t know what hell is until he’s had to film a news story with his flawless white skin covered in dust and dirt. It just makes you sick to even think about it. The horror…

Via: BCF

Frame Up

Here’s a re-frame for you, from a passionate young Deaniac in a libertarian Red State, Matthew Whitmyre:

Abolish the FCC

Why do we need a government censorship and moral regulation department? Sounds like those pointy-headed Washington types are trying to force their values on me. Damn conservative intelligentisia, living in their ivory towers, trying to impose their twisted values on a hard working Amurican like me. Shut those Washington Bureaucrats down!

Two can play at this game, you know.

Update: Jeff Jarvis has the same idea. And James Wolcott endorses it.

Damn Guvmint bureaucRATS.

Oliver Willis is a genius.

This is what I’m talking about. And here’s why.

I don’t know how many of you elitist limousine liberals listen to country music, but if you do, you know that all this disgust with blue state morality is something of a crock. Popular culture is much more indicative of what people do than what they say they do.

Check out this ditty by the king of country music, Bush supporter extraordinaire, Toby Keith:

His name was Steve, her name was Gina (You’ve never been here before have you?)

They met at a bar called the Cabo Wabo Cantina

He was an insurance salesman, from South Dakota

She was a 1st grade school teacher, Phoenix, Arizona

(No, my first time here)

They started dancin’ and it got real hot, then it spilled over to the parkin’ lot

One more tequilla, they were fallin’ in love

One more’s never enough

Don’t bite off, more than you can chew

There’s things down here the Devil himself wouldn’t do

Just remember when you let it all go

What happens down in Mexico, stays in Mexico

He woke up in the mornin’ and he made a little telephone call

To check on his wife and his kids back at home in Souix Falls (Hey babe, everything ok?)

She hopped right in the shower with a heavy, heavy mind (What am i doing?)

He knew it was the first time Gina’d ever crossed that line

They walked down to the beach and started drinkin’ again

Jumped into the ocean for a dirty swim

One more margarita, they were fallin’ in love

One more’s never enough

Don’t bite off, more than you can chew

There’s things down here the Devil himself wouldn’t do

Just remember when you let it all go

What happens down in Mexico, stays in Mexico

Oh, Mexico

Waitin’ at the bar at the terminal gate

She said Steve i gotta go, i’m gonna miss my plane

He said one more tequilla ‘fore you climb on up

She said one more’s never enough

Don’t bite off, more than you can chew

There’s things down here the Devil himself wouldn’t do

Just remember when you let it all go

What happens down in Mexico, stays in Mexico

Stays in Mexico, Stays in Mexico

Oh, Mexico

Whatever will we tell the children?

That song has been in the top five of the Country Billboard charts for 12 weeks. It’s at number 5 right now.

Or how about this one:

Well I’m an eight ball shooting double fisted drinking son of a gun

I wear My jeans a little tight

Just to watch the little boys come undone

Im here for the beer and the ball busting band

Gonna get a little crazy just because I can

You know im here for the party

And I aint leavin til they throw me out

Gonna have a little fun

gonna get me some

I may not be a ten but the boys say I clean up good

And if I gave em half a chance for some rowdy romance you know they would

I’ve been waiting all week just to have a good time

So bring on them cowboys and their pick up lines

Dont want no purple hooter shooter just some jack on the rocks

Dont mind me if i start that trashy talk

You know im here for the party

And I aint leavin til they throw me out

Gonna have a little fun

gonna get me some

You know I’m here, I’m here for the party

That song by Gretchen Wilson’s been on the top 100 country radio playlist for 17 weeks. It’s been in the top 10 Billboard country charts for the same amount of time, spending several weeks at number 1. It’s at number 5 this week.

The last I heard, the country music capital of the United States isn’t Hollywierd or New York City. It’s Nashville, Tennessee. And a vast number of country radio stations that play this stuff are owned by Clear Channel. Are they getting complaints from the same distraught parents whose children saw the opening credits of Monday Night Football? I don’t think so.

Country music dominates rural America. This stuff is everywhere and everybody is listening and singing along. You cannot tell me that Americans, both Real and Unreal don’t share modern sexual attitudes because it’s obvious that they do. (Gay rights is another thing and it’s going to take some time. But, we’re getting there too. Garth Brooks stood up for his gay sister and it didn’t cost him any record sales.)

What we are dealing with is hypocrisy on the one hand and deft exploitation on the part of the Republicans to cast differences in style as differences of “values.” It’s not true and we should try to make that argument.

Democrats are known as the party of tolerance. And that has become a pejorative term. But, it’s just a small step from tolerance to freedom. We are tolerant because we believe in freedom.

Let them have their crusade against freedom. They are swimming against the tide even amongst their own. Maybe we should suggest that they begin their crusade a little closer to home, though. Maybe they need to start by telling Toby Keith and Gretchen Wilson and Clear Channel that they don’t want any more of their music on the public airwaves. Let’s see how that works out in Real America, shall we?

Falwell’s Chattel

Negotiators Add Abortion Clause to Spending Bill

“It’s something we’ve had a longstanding interest in,” said Douglas Johnson, a spokesman for the National Right to Life Committee. He added, “This is in response to an orchestrated campaign by pro-abortion groups across the country to use government agencies to coerce health care providers to participate in abortions.”

This clause sounds like something the GOP would tell us Real Americans would all be thrilled with. So, why are negotiators tucking it in a spending bill in the dead of night? Why not pass it separately and bask in the glow of Real American approval?

This bill, of course, is going to pass. But, an opposition party might vote against it en masse in order to bring the issue to the attention of the American people. “They are hiding anti-choice legislation in spending bills at the last minute in order to secretly enact their radical agenda.”

I’m sure Joe Lieberman will use this as an excuse to show that he is bi-partisan. Reid should corral everyone else to hang tough. Every other word coming out of Democrats’ mouths should be “extremist”, “radical”, “secretive” and the like as Kerry did yesterday in his video.

Regardless of the merits of “moving to the middle” on abortion, this particular action should be opposed by Democrats because of the way in which it was done. They should raise holy hell that these contentious issues are being slipped in under the radar without debate. You want to frame these things in the public’s mind as something the Republicans are ashamed of or afraid of and force them to explain why they are not.

This should be done over and over again so that Americans get the message that these guys are trying to hide their radical agenda. This serves to wake up the somnambulent middle who didn’t vote for extremism and piss off the social conservatives who are itching to take credit.

And speaking of this, I want to take a moment to commend Josh Marshall for his “Shays handful” work. It’s very important that Republicans be forced to account for their cowardice. If Josh hadn’t done this, I’m not sure that we would have these wimps on record. As it is, challengers throughout the country now have a potent weapon if the Democrats can get it up to make use of it.

Correction

Remember the post I wrote a month or so ago about the romance novelist who was rousted by the Patriot Act police? It turns out that it was A Convenient Smoke Screen.

She was actually busted for collecting disability while making money writing, using her husbands social security number. Or at least that’s what the government says.

Kerry Speaks

John Kerry is asking for our help to Protect Every Child in America. Sign the petition.

People have been talking a great deal about behaving as a real opposition party, presenting alternate plans, boldly defining ourselves as a government in exile. This is a smart politics. There is a leadership vacuum in the Party and if John Kerry wants to step in, I say more power to him. But for a few thousand votes in Ohio, we’d be calling him President-elect Kerry today.

This is a classy move from a classy guy. Perhaps that’s not in fashion at the moment but it means a lot to me.

I’m Officially Depressed

I hate puritanism, authoritarianism, totalitarianism. I can’t stand the idea that free adults aren’t allowed to make their own choices about what to read, watch and think.

A while back, I wrote about Academy Award-winning writer and director Bill Condon who has produced a brilliant film on the life and work of sex-researcher Alfred Kinsey. Here are the first and second links to my posts about this important film and director.

I saw this film as one that depicted the ongoing battle in our society between rationality and science on one hand versus dogma and a strain of empirically-hostile religious extremism on the other.

Well, a cold current of censorship has now just hit even New York’s flagship PBS station, WNET Channel 13.

I expect this crap from corporate media outlets who don’t want to offend their advertisers and so try to play both sides as much as possible. But, PBS was begun for the very reason that they would be above such parochial concerns. Now, even in New York, the home of blue state elitism, they are opting for pedestrian conformism. If I were a New Yorker I might just have to decline to support them during the next pledge drive.

I do have a couple of questions for Real America on this. If vast numbers of middle Americans are upset about the loose morals on television, how can we explain this:

Parents who own a TV set manufactured after January 1, 2000 have a blocking technology called a V-chip that can be programmed to screen out shows with TV ratings they deem inappropriate.

By 2001, 2 out of 5 parents (40%) owned a V-Chip TV set and 7% had used it to monitor their children’s TV viewing. Of all parents who have a V-Chip TV set, more than half (53%) don’t know it. Of all parents who know they have a V-Chip TV set, two-thirds know(64%) have chosen not to use it and one-third (36%) have used it.

The two most common reasons parents give for not using the V-Chip are that an adult is usually nearby when their children watch TV, and that they trust their children to make their own decisions.

Approximately one-third of parents with home Internet connections have installed blocking technology such as filtering software or Internet Service Provider (ISP) controls to prevent children from accessing objectionable material.

It sure sounds to me as if somebody’s not taking personal responsibility for what their children are watching.

Unless, of course, this isn’t about children at all. In which case this is really about a bunch of tightassed, busybodies sticking their noses where they don’t belong because they want to control everybody’s lives.

Welcome to Massachusetts, Red States. Massachusetts circa 1692, that is.