3 Key Speeches from the DNC Opening Night
Here are three key speeches from the first night of the Democratic National Convention that rocked the house in Charlotte, North Carolina – Congressional candidate Tammy Duckworth, San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro, and First Lady Michelle Obama. The transcripts are of the remarks as prepared. Tammy Duckworth, candidate for U.S. Congress “My name is Tammy Duckworth. I’m running to serve Illinois’ 8th Congressional District. My father served in the Army and the Marine Corps. A Vietnam vet, his family has worn our nation’s uniform since the American Revolution. My husband is an Army officer. My brother saved lives…
Mittpocrisy: Israel & Health Care
“As president, I will restore our relationship with Israel and stand shoulder to shoulder with our close ally.” Thus spoke Mitt Romney today, in a lame attempt to get himself into the media’s DNC narrative. This piece, dear Mudpups, is not about the Israel-Palestine debate. That discussion occurs, usually heatedly, in plenty of other places, and has for quite some time. This is about duplicity, about being on both sides of every issue, and in a feat of mind-blowing mental gymnastics, contradicting one’s own lies This is about a man who will say absolutely anything to anyone, and take any position…
RIP, RNC. AK at DNC in NC!
Well, it was quite a week. Hurricane Isaac was the featured guest of the non-first night of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida. Then we were treated to days of hearing the sad tales of long-suffering Republicans who had to sell some stock to get by in their early years, and stories of struggle and fear that if they couldn’t make it, they’d be forced to rely on their wealthy and supportive families to come to the rescue. And worst of all, they had to eat… TUNAfish, and PASTA. Ohhh, the humanity. Ann Romney never quite said, “I feel…
The Other Side of the Conversation
How many of you get those right wing “viral emails” from family and friends who are politically uninformed, raise your hand. That’s what I thought. Invariably, almost everyone has a coworker, uncle, mother-in-law, or ex-roommate who habitually blankets their entire contact list with these emails, usually about President Obama or the First Lady, with tales of secret college papers, birth certificate forgery, lavish White House redecorating, or some other horror du jour. They’ve gotten this email from someone they trust. This email is from a soldier, or someone who knew Barry in grade school. They’re doing it for our…
Ryan: Wisconsin Death Grip
Disasters befell one small town in Wisconsin during the final decade of the 19th century. The town of Black River Falls seems gripped by some peculiar malaise and the weekly news is dominated by bizarre tales of madness, eccentricity and violence amongst the local population. Suicide and murder are commonplace. People in the town are haunted by ghosts, possessed by devils… —“Wisconsin Death Trip” Having one candidate wreck your state’s brand—a matter of which we Alaskans can speak with authority—can be chalked up as an aberration. But four, in the space of two years? That’s a pattern. That’s critical mass….
Dear Mr. President, “I believe,” is not good policy
An open letter to President Barack Obama: Dear Mr. President, As a woman who worked very hard to make sure your last opponents were not elected — walking door to door in the snow on your behalf, registering more than a thousand Alaskans to vote, exposing Palin in the national media, etc. — I feel obligated to write you about a few of my concerns. Your secretary of the interior, Ken Salazar, recently told reporters asking about Shell’s recent drilling permits and Alaska’s Arctic, “I believe there’s not going to be an oil spill.” Sir, he just wrote the headline for the first oil spill under…
SCOTUS Decision is a Win for Alaskan Women
~President Obama signs the Affordable Care Act in 2010 Today’s ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court on the Affordable Care Act means that critical new benefits for women remain intact. The constitutionality of Obama’s Health Care plan was in question, and a 5-4 decision (including Chief Justice Roberts) came down in favor of the President’s health care reform law. Even the individual mandate was upheld, not under the Commerce Clause, but under Congress’ powers of taxation. Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Northwest released a statement this morning stating that under today’s ruling, millions of women will have access to birth…