The Danger of Progressive Republicans

A lot of people will give progressive--or at least moderate--Republicans a break. They'll look at the extremist policies of the national GOP and say, "Well, at least they aren't that bad." This weekend, I learned why moderate and progressive Republicans are bad. It's because, at their core, they are still Republicans.

I was visiting New York on the eve of the largest transit strike in 25 years. The grossly mismanaged MTA is in a brutal fight with the TWU. The TWU, desperate to negotiate, was ignored by the MTA. It's chairman didn't show up to the bargaining table until after the last deadlines had passed. What did the MTA know that felt they could be so arrogant? They knew that New York--the city and the state--are under the charge of Republicans. And Republicans hate unions.

Gov. Pataki was quick to call any potential strike illegal and the TWU criminals. Unfortunately, he was right. While masquerading as socially-progressive, fiscally-conservative Republicans, the GOP in New York has successfully created one of the most hostile environments for labor. In New York, public employees can't strike. When a union can't strike, they have very little power.

I know a lot of people that look positively upon Pro-Choice, Pro-Gay, Pro-Gun Control Republicans as ideological friends of progressives. Don't be fooled. They may tout their progressive and more moderate positions to get them elected in a blue state (see NY's Pataki and Bloomberg, MA's Romney, CA's Schwarzenegger), but they'll sell out those values the first time business interests ask. Sometimes, they'll screw the unions for sport!

So today, a NY judge levied a $1 million-a-day fine against the TWU. The workers, essentially, have not right to collective bargaining. They should be expected to accept the unilateral demands of the MTA. And New York Democrats that vote for these guys should be hiding their heads in shame. At least in California we caught on fast, ask Schwarzenegger.

Grumbling Among Morons

There is another story today about the growing anger within the California Republican Party about the governor's loyalties. GOP leaders in Sacramento are concerned -- still -- with the appointment of Democratic activist, Pro-choice lobbyist, and lesbian Susan Kennedy as Schwarzenegger's Chief of Staff. Apparently, GOP loyalists and activists are up in arms and have threatened the governor with sitting out the 2006 election. They clearly want him to dump Kennedy, someone he clearly likes.

Who do these people think they are? They are trying to push Schwarzenegger further to the right. I despise him and many of his policies, but I will concede he was never a traditional conservative. Kennedy's pro-choice and gay-rights positions don't bother him because he shares the same with her! As do most Californians.

If the California GOP ever plans on winning a real election again, maybe they should put some faith in this buffoon. But as long as they keep fighting, I remain thrilled!

California--neh, Californians killed a man today. He may have been a reprehensible, immoral pig of a man, but a man none the less. I abhor the death penalty, but I fault my side for missing a golden opportunity. Rather than harping on this forever, I will end my commentary with Steve Lopez's observations found in todays Los Angeles Times.

"I watched a man die today"
By Steve Lopez, Times Staff Writer

December 13, 2005

SAN QUENTIN — It's just past midnight, and another Crip is on his way to the graveyard.

Stanley Tookie Williams, who shotgunned four people to death a quarter of a century ago and couldn't sell the story of his redemption to anyone who mattered, took a lethal shot in the arm and closed his eyes for good.

I watched him die from 12 feet away. The execution team struggled to tap a vein, and Williams raised his head as if to question their competence. He also looked at supporters and exchanged final words with them before the drugs kicked in and he was gone.

Nothing I saw made me feel any differently about Williams, the Crip co-founder whose legacy is terrorized neighborhoods and a chorus of weeping mothers.

His anti-violence books and speeches were too little, too late, and the mythologizing of him was as unconvincing as the Nobel nominations.

But his execution was a macabre spectacle in a nation that preaches godly virtue to the world while resisting a global march away from the Medieval practice of capital punishment.

I would have had no problem leaving Williams locked up with his regrets and haunted by his deeds for the rest of his natural life.

I watched a man die today, killed by the state of California with institutional resolve, and wondered what we gained.

Tookie to Die. Why?

I just heard that Gov. Schwarzenegger has denied clemency to death row's Stanley "Tookie" Williams. He will be executed during the dark of night tonight.

To begin, I am 100% opposed to the death penalty. This is mostly because of faith. I think it's barbaric. I think we have no right to take another person's life. I think its unjust, arbitrarily enforced, and blatantly racist. Stanley should live. As should have the 1,000 men, women *and* children who went before him. Where he should live--in freedom or permanent confinement--is not an issue I can debate.

But I have a HUGE problem with the "Save Tookie" movement that has sprouted here in California recently. They say that the co-founder of the Crips street gang and convicter murderer of four (murders which he denies to this day) because of the impact he has had since conviction.

In prison he's changed. I'll acknowledge that. He's become a prolific author of children's books decrying gang violence. Ok. But what about your gang days, when you rained violence down on the streets of Los Angeles? That's is what that average Californian wants to know. I think there is no value in the author-should-be-saved argument.

They say he's been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize because of the anti-gang work he'd done post-conviction. A Nobel Prize means nothing unless you actually win one. There is no formal recognition for "nominees." Any one can be nominated--very very few would ever be considered. It's not the Oscars. I think there is no value in the Nobel-Laureates-CouldaBeens-should-be-saved argument.

I think the reason he should live is because the state has or at least should have no right, no authority, and no power to kill. I think they should have used this high-profile opportunity to stake a claim to the moral authority of the Abolition movement. But they wasted it in typical Hollywood style.

Schwarzie is a Catholic. We go to the same church and have the same priest. For the past 4 weeks, the parish has been distributing information on the Church's official position on the death penalty--it is unarguably opposed! Instead of sending Snoop Dog to appeal to the Governor, why not send the American Conference of Catholic Bishops? Why not send other church and religious leaders? Why not make the moral argument against ALL executions, not just this one?

My final though as a committed liberal. The Left better seek therapy over it's fear of faith. Or it will kill us all. Maybe literally.

Spokane says, "Too little too late..."

GOP Mayor and Hypocritical Bigot Extraordinaire James West says the people of Spokane should vote against his recall tomorrow. Why? Because he gave up dick.

Who cares that he was trading city favors in his pursuit of barely-legal boys all while condemning--and working to destroy--Washington's gay and lesbian community? Now that he's celibate--or into women--he should get to keep his job? I don't think so.

To come later, how do I really feel about Jim West's "outing" and the end of the career of an anti-gay Republican. Hmmm....

God Hates Ford!

Ford Motor Company is one of the thousands of major companies in this country that knows it's good business to do business. Even if that means doing business with homosexuals.

For sometime, Ford has been advertising in the gay press and using its charitable dollars for some gay and lesbian organizations. The Beverly Hills Ford dealership even has a special gay sales force.

Not any more! Ford has announced that they will no longer advertise in gay media. Why? Because the American Family Association has led a boycott against Ford. This is absurd.

Thank god Ford makes crappy cars that I would never want to buy anyway!

Disconnected

On Tuesday morning, an Orange County teenager ended his own life. Happens all the time you might think. Well, this OC teen was advertising his suicide on Myspace.com. I heard about in the radio this morning. Apparently, loved ones, who had been following this story, just didn't act in time. Some reports say that he tried 4 days earlier and failed. So his wonderful parents decided to leave him along--so soon?

My first "real" job was with a radio commerical production company--a small one. The owner is one of the funniest men I've ever met, and the most insane. He decided, because business was slow, to start a web site at electrocuteme.com. He pretended to have caught a man who had raped his wife and he was going to execute the rapist live over the internet. He hired actors. Wrote scripts. And posted the video. It was all fake and VERY few people ever found the site. Within 2 days we had been raided by the LAPD. More than 20 officers stormed our office--we worked from a small Hollywood house. Someone cared to send the very best--the men in blue.

For our unfortunate teenage friend, no one cared. This is sad.

Charlize Can Wed

As if straight men needed another reason to hate the gays, now they have it. Charlize Theron, who recently said that she and her longtime companion Stuart Townsend would wed when it was legal for gays and lesbian to do the same, may be getting married. America's favorite hottie may finally be coming off the market.

South Africa, land of apartheid, will allow same-sex marriage. Their version of the Supreme Court ordered parliament to change the marriage laws to provide equality under the law. This is important to South Africa since, you know, state-sanctioned discrimination nearly destroyed the nation. Of course, it wasn't a unanimous decision. The court ruled 10 - 1 that the law were discrimantory and needed to be reversed within the next 12 months. The lone dissenter, well, he wanted it done immediately!

See. Charlize is South African. Get it? To straight American, we apologize. Please don't beat me up.

Hard Boiled Eggs

I think hard boiled eggs must be the most under-appreciated food ever. They never serve them at restaurants--except Cat & the Fiddle with the nasty wrapped-in-bacon-deep-fried-one. Most people only eat them once a year--Easter--and only because they are colored.

I just had one. It was great. A wonderful, filling snack. Sprinkle on a little salt, or pepper, and you have a meal! YUMMY! And since I got past that childhood fear that the yolk was actually a baby-chicken and I was eating it whole, I've really like them. (I got over the fear 3 weeks ago.)

World AIDS Day

Nothing snarky from me. Today is World AIDS Day. This is a day--which I think is especially well chosen to fall at the beginning of our holiday-consumerism crush--to reflect on what we are doing as a world people to confront this crisis.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, most Americans were shocked out how people were left by our government to die in the streets. Post-Tsunami, the world rallied to come to the aid of those left behind by 200,000 dead.

In California alone, 150,000 men, women, and children are living with HIV and AIDS. Worldwide, it's more than 40 million people. I remember thinking after Katrina that, "My God, a whole city has been lost." Should AIDS win, several whole nations will be lost.

I've now known a hell of a lot more people with HIV and AIDS then I ever expected I would when I was growing up in Santa Clarita, California. The reality is that these men and women will likely die long before their time--even with the drugs and treatment plans of today. What's worse, I've seen first hand what this disease--and the more effective treatment-- does to people. To their bodies and their minds. It's devastating. Don't be deceived. We must stop it and cure it.

What are we doing to address this? Far to little. The very least thing we can do is visit this site of Bristol Myers Squibb. They'll donate a buck for every candle lit.