archived: 1 - 7 May, 2005 Back Next
UPDATED: April 28, 2004
OF COCKS AND WOMEN
Democrats are notorious for “forming a firing squad by forming a circle.” Beyond the “struggle” for a Party that has a progressive philosophical core, a harsh Republican reality exists. Every Democrat who “joins the firing squad,” should consider the consequences of the radical religious Republican right, as the story below poignantly demonstrates.
The South Carolina General Assembly, dominated by radical Republicans, recently considered two bills; one to make cockfighting a felony and one to make domestic violence a felony. The result:
A bill protecting cocks passed through the House Judiciary Committee. Rep. John Graham Altman (R-Dist. 119-Charleston) was in favor of the gamecock bill, "I was all for that. Cockfighting reminds me of the Roman circus, coliseum."
A bill advocates say would protect victims against batterers was tabled, killing it for the year. Rep. Altman is on the committee that looked at the domestic violence bill, "I think this bill is probably drafted out of an abundance of ignorance." -- WIStv
South Carolina consistently ranks in the top six states for death of women by domestic violence. The radical Republican rationale for protecting cocks (now a felony crime) but failing to protect “victims against batterers (i.e. women)(still a misdemeanor in South Carolina) is appalling:
Rep. Altman spoke about domestic violence, "There ought not to be a second offense. The woman ought to not be around the man. I mean you women want it one way and not another. Women want to punish the men, and I do not understand why women continue to go back around men who abuse them. And I've asked women that and they all tell me the same answer, John Graham you don't understand. And I say you're right, I don't understand."
Gormley, "So it's their fault for going back?"
Altman, "Now there you go, trying to twist that too. And I don't mind you trying. It's not the woman's fault, it's not blaming the victim, but tell me what self respecting person is going back around someone who beats them?" -- WIStv
One South Carolina newspaper secured a tape recording of the legislator discussing the bill in terms that defy description:
According to a tape of the meeting obtained by The State newspaper, Altman asked why the bill’s title — “Protect Our Women in Every Relationship (POWER)” — just mentioned protecting women. Harrison suggested making the bill the “Protecting Our People in Every Relationship” Act, or “POPER.”
A voice on the tape can be heard pronouncing it “Pop her.” Another voice then says, “Pop her again,” followed by laughter. – The State
Democrats may have differences; but intra-Party firing squads leave the harsh reality of the radical Republican right.
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UPDATED: April 26, 2005
DEAD ON ARRIVAL
Minority leader Reid was in Philadelphia recently. In a press interview, Sen. Reid had this assessment of Bush’s Social Security privatization plan:
President Bush's plan to partially privatize Social Security is dead, Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada said in a visit to Pittsburgh yesterday.
Reid along with Sen. Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, chairman of the Senate's Democratic Policy Committee, and Sen. Max Baucus of Montana, ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, came to Coraopolis for a town meeting about Social Security.
Afterward, Reid told the Post-Gazette editorial board that he had enough votes in the Senate to block President Bush's proposal to introduce private savings accounts as an alternative to the existing federal retirement plan. "It's dead," Reid said. "The president just hasn't acknowledged it yet." – Post-Gazette
Have the Democrats finally held the line?
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REVENGE
Republican Congressman Henry Hyde is retiring from Congress at the expiration of this term. In an interview, Rep. Hyde admits that the Republican impeachment of President Clinton was, in part, revenge for President Nixon’s impeachment 25 years earlier:
The veteran DuPage County congressman acknowledged that Republicans went after Clinton in part to enact revenge against the Democrats for impeaching President Richard Nixon 25 years earlier.
Andy Shaw asked Hyde if the Clinton proceedings were payback for Nixon's impeachment.
"I can't say it wasn't, . . . ," said Hyde.
Hyde's comments reflect what Democrats have been saying for years about the Clinton impeachment. It will be interesting to see what happens when Hyde's comments hit the national media. – ABC 7 Chicago
The Republican Party put America through the turmoil of impeachment as political revenge. What does that say about Republicans?
DEMOCRAT TELEVISION
Al Gore is leading the Democratic Party effort to establish a television presence. Democrats will go on TV starting August 1, 2005.
This is the concept based on ZeD, another cable effort that is already in existence. Expect a format similar to that of ZeD:
ZeD is a late-night, arts-and-culture program that airs weeknights from October to April, but has an even busier Website (http://www.zed.cbc.ca), where independent artists from around the world upload their own short films, videos, animation, visual art, short stories, poetry, music and far-out ideas. If the submissions pass basic copyright requirements, they are published on-line, for free perusal by the site's 45,962 subscribed members.
The best submissions are bought and aired on ZeD's TV program as part of a funky nightly mix that features slick, studio-produced videos, live performances, guest interviews, dispatches from culture correspondents across the country and profiles on everything from lesbian park rangers, to artisans who make jewellery out of dead bugs. The TV show is now hosted by Ziya Tong, a sassy digital-media specialist with an eclectic résumé that includes an encyclopedia-sales stint in Alaska.
Since launching three years ago, ZeD has won numerous accolades and awards (including an Emmy nomination for outstanding achievement in advanced media technology). And as of last count, yesterday afternoon, 51,475 original submissions had been published on-line.
"We're the world leaders in interactive television, without a doubt," says McLean Mashingaidze-Greaves, ZeD's executive producer. "They rightly want to see how we're doing it."
Current TV will be similar in that nearly half of its news, culture and short-form topical programming will also be viewer-produced. But with a 24-hour schedule, its original-content needs will obviously be much higher than ZeD's. – Globe and Mail
Gore appears ready to tap a lot of talent within the Democratic Party. An idea whose time has come!
Last Update: 03/23/2006