A Story in Pictures from Feministe
I heard a man say recently that he'd been taught since he was a child that if men were capable of getting pregnant, then there would be no question about whether or not abortion should be legal. He then went on to say he'd since come to understand that this would be true most especially if old white guys could get pregnant.
These two pictures really kind of says it all, don't they?
I'm especially fond of the second. Of course those women surrounding Obama were staged there...but that's exactly the point! There is the actual recognition of the way legislation affects women. And it shows the change come to Washington!
The first picture on the other hand...well, it's just old white dudes doing what they do with no recognition of the affects that has.
Showing posts with label obama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label obama. Show all posts
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Garrison Keillor on the Inauguration
A really well written and worthwhile piece all-around (what else would you expect from Garrison Keillor though?) A few lines stand out of which I am particularly fond:
"...but there is nothing so pleasant as being in a crowd of happy people when you are happy about the same thing they're happy about."
"It was more than Democrats feeling their oats or African-Americans celebrating the unimaginable, more than revulsion at the gang of bullheads who held power for too long. It was a huge gasp of pleasure at a new America emerging, a country we all tried to believe in, a nation that is curious and venturesome, more openhearted and public-spirited."
"...but there is nothing so pleasant as being in a crowd of happy people when you are happy about the same thing they're happy about."
"It was more than Democrats feeling their oats or African-Americans celebrating the unimaginable, more than revulsion at the gang of bullheads who held power for too long. It was a huge gasp of pleasure at a new America emerging, a country we all tried to believe in, a nation that is curious and venturesome, more openhearted and public-spirited."
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Another Post about President Obama
I've been trying to think of what to write for most of the last 36 hours, but everything seems pithy compared to the monumental nature of the moment and to what I am feeling. So much has been said, that I can't really hope to repeat it,or to equal it, yet still I am filled with the same joy and the same hope that is overcoming so many and I feel the need to express it.
I got up early yesterday morning, caught the bus early and showed up on campus to watch inauguration with about 800 other people. It was fantastic. Even with the flub of the oath.
Yesterday morning, George W. Bush was still president. Today Barack Obama has been president, MY PRESIDENT, for 36 hours. It's amazing not only for the obvious historicity of the it all, but because it feels so personally meaningful. I've been a fan of Obama from the beginning, and now he is my president. The guy I supported from the beginning, campaigned for, voted for-- that's it. He's the winner. That a first for me in general, in terms of elections. I live in Alaska, and I'm very, very liberal. I tend to vote for the losers. But not this time. I feel for the 60 million people who didn't vote for him, yet I find myself still ardently declaring that Obama's election is far more a mandate that Bush ever had. The turnout on the National Mall yesterday exemplified that.
As I was explaining to a few friends last night, at the end of the celebratory party that T and I hosted, I am an optimist, and Obama ignites my optimism. But I am also very much a realist, and a pragmatist, and I know that President Obama is more pragmatic than I. I know he is not a miracle worker, I know he will make choices I won't agree with, and I know all the best choices will not be the easy choices nor the ideal choices. Yet still, my hope remains strong, and I believe that in four years time, I will be as pleased with the progress he has made en-masse, as I am with the baby steps he has taken in the last 24 hours. In four years time I feel confident that I will be working as ardently and as hopefully for the RE-ELECTION of President Barack Obama.
The two things which have excited me most, and are most clearly completions of campaign promises are a big part of what's been duly covered by the news today, and are both executive orders: The Ethics Order and The Presidential Records Order. The first establishes strict ethics guidelines for all executive appointees including bans on all gifts from lobbyists, and creating strict rules regarding allowed between undertaking lobby work and government work. The second reverses some of the huge steps the Bush administration had taken to inflate the executive privilege and remove certain presidential records from the public record (at the discretion of the president and their heirs.) Repealing those orders, and establishing clear guidelines for how and when documents can be withheld from the public record really is taking a huge step toward establishing the transparency that we have been promised and so deserve.
I'm also completely in love with the new whitehouse.gov and have already added The Blog to my Google Reader!
I got up early yesterday morning, caught the bus early and showed up on campus to watch inauguration with about 800 other people. It was fantastic. Even with the flub of the oath.
Yesterday morning, George W. Bush was still president. Today Barack Obama has been president, MY PRESIDENT, for 36 hours. It's amazing not only for the obvious historicity of the it all, but because it feels so personally meaningful. I've been a fan of Obama from the beginning, and now he is my president. The guy I supported from the beginning, campaigned for, voted for-- that's it. He's the winner. That a first for me in general, in terms of elections. I live in Alaska, and I'm very, very liberal. I tend to vote for the losers. But not this time. I feel for the 60 million people who didn't vote for him, yet I find myself still ardently declaring that Obama's election is far more a mandate that Bush ever had. The turnout on the National Mall yesterday exemplified that.
As I was explaining to a few friends last night, at the end of the celebratory party that T and I hosted, I am an optimist, and Obama ignites my optimism. But I am also very much a realist, and a pragmatist, and I know that President Obama is more pragmatic than I. I know he is not a miracle worker, I know he will make choices I won't agree with, and I know all the best choices will not be the easy choices nor the ideal choices. Yet still, my hope remains strong, and I believe that in four years time, I will be as pleased with the progress he has made en-masse, as I am with the baby steps he has taken in the last 24 hours. In four years time I feel confident that I will be working as ardently and as hopefully for the RE-ELECTION of President Barack Obama.
The two things which have excited me most, and are most clearly completions of campaign promises are a big part of what's been duly covered by the news today, and are both executive orders: The Ethics Order and The Presidential Records Order. The first establishes strict ethics guidelines for all executive appointees including bans on all gifts from lobbyists, and creating strict rules regarding allowed between undertaking lobby work and government work. The second reverses some of the huge steps the Bush administration had taken to inflate the executive privilege and remove certain presidential records from the public record (at the discretion of the president and their heirs.) Repealing those orders, and establishing clear guidelines for how and when documents can be withheld from the public record really is taking a huge step toward establishing the transparency that we have been promised and so deserve.
I'm also completely in love with the new whitehouse.gov and have already added The Blog to my Google Reader!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Monday, March 3, 2008
I refuse to buy into the Obama hype
If only everyone actually cared about the election (or elections in general) enough to do this kind of research, I think our country would be in a much better place.
If only everyone actually cared about the election (or elections in general) enough to do this kind of research, I think our country would be in a much better place.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Why?
People keep asking me why I'm voting for Obama. There are a myriad of reasons, but I'm not ashamed to say that top amongst them is that he is an amazing and eloquent speaker.
Because of that I experience a sort of real cognitive dissonance hearing people attack him for being a pretty talker. That seems to be the attack du-jour too.
Fuck. Whatever. Isn't it about time that we again have a president who is not only capable of putting together a logical and grammatical sentence-- but one who can bring us to tears (of joy and hope, not over-riding fear) in the process?
On NPR earlier this week presidential historian Douglas Brinkley said it best:
OK. So you still want to know...what are the reasons I'm an Obama kind of girl? I'll give you a few that have been kicking around in my head
-His health care plan seems the more realistic to me. It's important to not make health insurance contingent on the absence of pre-existing conditions, and I can't see how mandating coverage is the same thing as what we traditionally think of as Universal Health Care. For that matter, Obama's is not either, but it's a step toward making it affordable, which is a step in the right direction. Compulsory insurance, even if it is a subsidized plan, is not. The insurance industry is still profit based system. I really have a problem with compulsory programs being made of profit based industries. (just like auto insurance!) Hillary's plan creates compulsory insurance, Obama's does not.
-He has opposed the war in Iraq since the beginning and is refusing to use fear mongering tactics in his campaign.
-He's the new guy. He represents change, which we desperately need.
-Though he's "only" a junior senator, he has lived abroad and this provides him an open-minded and much needed world oriented perspective.People say he has no foreign policy experience, but he is willing to talk and engage in dialogue, he has lived abroad... is there really any job that can prepare someone for the presidency of the United States? And really, how many of our previous presidents have extensive foreign policy experience? Experience will always be lacking in some area, that is why the presidency has a cabinet.
-Last week he showed up to vote on an issue critical to the civil liberties of all of us. He supported the people. He voted against immunity for Big Telecom in the FISA debacle (illegal eaves-dropping on citizens.) Where was Hillary? Out campaigning. She was the only member of the senate to not make an appearance for that vote.
-He has refused to take campaign money from lobbyists. Hillary says lobbyists represent Americans too. I think the lobby system, as established now, amounts to nothing more than legalized bribery.
-His plan to reform and fund No Child Left Behind, his Zero to Five plan which will increase support and funding for early childhood education development and his plan to implement new college tax credits and make financial aid application process easier.
But mostly, he makes me believe in our power to affect change. He inspires me. He clearly inspires other people. I'm far more liberal than he is, but I'm far more liberal than most people I know. It came as no great surprise to me that on every "pick your candidate quiz" put out by the likes of NPR and other national news agencies, I was always most closely aligned with Kucinich.
I knew I would be from the beginning. I'm a raving lunatic, liberal. But I'm also passionate and hopeful. And I gladly throw my support behind the man who might not align perfectly with my radical beliefs, but who can win. And who can make us all feel good and proud and strong and hopeful along the way. I gladly support the man who has the power to restore my faith in idealism. And who just might be able to reach out to the rest of the world and restore their faith in us.
Because of that I experience a sort of real cognitive dissonance hearing people attack him for being a pretty talker. That seems to be the attack du-jour too.
Fuck. Whatever. Isn't it about time that we again have a president who is not only capable of putting together a logical and grammatical sentence-- but one who can bring us to tears (of joy and hope, not over-riding fear) in the process?
On NPR earlier this week presidential historian Douglas Brinkley said it best:
"There is no end to the power of words, in fact it's one of the most important things a president can do is inspire his constituents....The great speakers usually become great presidents...Lincoln...Theodore Roosevelt... Franklin Roosevelt...Kennedy... Reagan"
right. I hated Reagan. And I don't think he was a great president. But, I've said it before, he was a great orator, and that what made people believe he was a great president, and that is why he remains beloved in the hearts of so many Americans today. Brinkley was spot on with those others though.
OK. So you still want to know...what are the reasons I'm an Obama kind of girl? I'll give you a few that have been kicking around in my head
-His health care plan seems the more realistic to me. It's important to not make health insurance contingent on the absence of pre-existing conditions, and I can't see how mandating coverage is the same thing as what we traditionally think of as Universal Health Care. For that matter, Obama's is not either, but it's a step toward making it affordable, which is a step in the right direction. Compulsory insurance, even if it is a subsidized plan, is not. The insurance industry is still profit based system. I really have a problem with compulsory programs being made of profit based industries. (just like auto insurance!) Hillary's plan creates compulsory insurance, Obama's does not.
-He has opposed the war in Iraq since the beginning and is refusing to use fear mongering tactics in his campaign.
-He's the new guy. He represents change, which we desperately need.
-Though he's "only" a junior senator, he has lived abroad and this provides him an open-minded and much needed world oriented perspective.People say he has no foreign policy experience, but he is willing to talk and engage in dialogue, he has lived abroad... is there really any job that can prepare someone for the presidency of the United States? And really, how many of our previous presidents have extensive foreign policy experience? Experience will always be lacking in some area, that is why the presidency has a cabinet.
-Last week he showed up to vote on an issue critical to the civil liberties of all of us. He supported the people. He voted against immunity for Big Telecom in the FISA debacle (illegal eaves-dropping on citizens.) Where was Hillary? Out campaigning. She was the only member of the senate to not make an appearance for that vote.
-He has refused to take campaign money from lobbyists. Hillary says lobbyists represent Americans too. I think the lobby system, as established now, amounts to nothing more than legalized bribery.
-His plan to reform and fund No Child Left Behind, his Zero to Five plan which will increase support and funding for early childhood education development and his plan to implement new college tax credits and make financial aid application process easier.
But mostly, he makes me believe in our power to affect change. He inspires me. He clearly inspires other people. I'm far more liberal than he is, but I'm far more liberal than most people I know. It came as no great surprise to me that on every "pick your candidate quiz" put out by the likes of NPR and other national news agencies, I was always most closely aligned with Kucinich.
I knew I would be from the beginning. I'm a raving lunatic, liberal. But I'm also passionate and hopeful. And I gladly throw my support behind the man who might not align perfectly with my radical beliefs, but who can win. And who can make us all feel good and proud and strong and hopeful along the way. I gladly support the man who has the power to restore my faith in idealism. And who just might be able to reach out to the rest of the world and restore their faith in us.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
WOW! What a night!
That, was incredible. It was chaotic, over time, overcrowded and full of thousands of adults who momentarily lost their good judgment, or thought they lived in one of the myriad countries with no respect for "the queue," with pushing and line cutting...but it was incredible!
The turnout of over 5,000 at Begich Middle School in Anchorage for the Democratic Caucus was incredible! The energy was amazing. When I caucused in 2004 I think there were 350-400 people there. The organizers were overwhelmed and under-prepared last night...but that MEANS SOMETHING!
It means there are Democrats, in Anchorage (and Alaska at large for that matter) and they care and the believe they can affect change! Seriously, I almost cried. It's gonna take baby steps...big baby steps like moving our caucus date up to Super Tuesday and growing caucus participation by 10%...but we will turn this state blue again! (It hasn't been since Johnson was president.)
Even more exciting, Obama swept the state with about 75% of vote going his way.
Even more exciting that that...though Hilliary won the big states may technically have more delegates, Obama won more states and won the delegate count. She has more delegates by a difference of far fewer than 100, which makes the difference essentially negligible. This becomes even more important when consider the 26 delegates Edwards won...many, if not all, of these delegates will likely swing toward Obama.
The turnout of over 5,000 at Begich Middle School in Anchorage for the Democratic Caucus was incredible! The energy was amazing. When I caucused in 2004 I think there were 350-400 people there. The organizers were overwhelmed and under-prepared last night...but that MEANS SOMETHING!
It means there are Democrats, in Anchorage (and Alaska at large for that matter) and they care and the believe they can affect change! Seriously, I almost cried. It's gonna take baby steps...big baby steps like moving our caucus date up to Super Tuesday and growing caucus participation by 10%...but we will turn this state blue again! (It hasn't been since Johnson was president.)
Even more exciting, Obama swept the state with about 75% of vote going his way.
Even more exciting that that...though Hilliary won the big states may technically have more delegates, Obama won more states and won the delegate count. She has more delegates by a difference of far fewer than 100, which makes the difference essentially negligible. This becomes even more important when consider the 26 delegates Edwards won...many, if not all, of these delegates will likely swing toward Obama.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
response to State of the Union
I have several remarks to make myself, but don't have the time (or motivation) at the moment. Instead, here's what Obama had to say.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Friday, January 4, 2008
More on Obama...
I was trying to post this video to Facebook, with included commentary...but I ran out of space. I suppose here is a better forum for it anyway.
You know, I'm not a fan of Reagan, but I recognize that a huge reason he was so popular was because he made so many people feel good about being Americans again. Just like Kennedy.
It's seemingly contradictory, but in this time of such raging jingoism, there are so many people out there who just don't feel good about being Americans. I suppose that's just an extension of the "red-blue divide." Count me in amongst those who are not proud...
What's my point? It's that the kinds of words that Obama speaks are reminiscent of Kennedy, of Reagan...of the people who were able to make people feel good about the place they came from. The upside is that he's not a whole lot like Reagan in other senses. I can't imagine Obama being a proponent of trickle-down economics ever. But that's a tangent.
A huge part of Obama's message is not only about helping people find the way to feel proud of their nation again, but also reminding them that they have the power to bring about the change necessary to do so. You know his slogan--"I'm not just asking you to believe in my ability to bring about change in Washington- I'm asking you to believe in yours." It's a little reminiscent of "Ask not what your country can do you for you, ask what you can do for your country" don't you think?
I guess that's it. If you don't watch the video, at least chew on this for a bit:
"For many months, we've been teased, even derided for talking about hope.
You know, I'm not a fan of Reagan, but I recognize that a huge reason he was so popular was because he made so many people feel good about being Americans again. Just like Kennedy.
It's seemingly contradictory, but in this time of such raging jingoism, there are so many people out there who just don't feel good about being Americans. I suppose that's just an extension of the "red-blue divide." Count me in amongst those who are not proud...
What's my point? It's that the kinds of words that Obama speaks are reminiscent of Kennedy, of Reagan...of the people who were able to make people feel good about the place they came from. The upside is that he's not a whole lot like Reagan in other senses. I can't imagine Obama being a proponent of trickle-down economics ever. But that's a tangent.
A huge part of Obama's message is not only about helping people find the way to feel proud of their nation again, but also reminding them that they have the power to bring about the change necessary to do so. You know his slogan--"I'm not just asking you to believe in my ability to bring about change in Washington- I'm asking you to believe in yours." It's a little reminiscent of "Ask not what your country can do you for you, ask what you can do for your country" don't you think?
I guess that's it. If you don't watch the video, at least chew on this for a bit:
"For many months, we've been teased, even derided for talking about hope.
But we always knew that hope is not blind optimism. It's not ignoring the enormity of the task ahead or the roadblocks that stand in our path. It's not sitting on the sidelines or shirking from a fight. Hope is that thing inside us that insists, despite all evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us if we have the courage to reach for it, and to work for it, and to fight for it."
Or even just tease out the best of the best: "We always knew that hope is not blind optimism." You really should listen to him say it though.Obama
I've been a supporter since the beginning and am now feeling revved up with the win in Iowa last night. If nothing else watch at least from minute 10:00 on. HOW can this NOT inspire you??
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