JUST IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ...

OBAMAM, HOPE AND THIS ONE VOTER ...

I have gone back and read about this man ... and heard what ever I could about him ... This is the real thing ... as far as this one man, this one American, this one voter can know ... and in some strange way, that I have only caught bit of in the past he brings some hope ...

THE COST OF WAR ...

THE WAY I AM FEELING...

SIMPLE GIFTS

Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan

It is odd how the political times have brought together two entirely different people, a "Joe the Plumber" and Specialist Kareem R. Khan, of Manahawkin, New Jersey. Each of them has a life story that is now being retold in highly symbolic ways this political season. If you live in a political vacuum here the story.

“Joe the Plumber" is a man who John McCain brought up during the last Presidential debate. McCain apparently vetted "Joe" as much as he did Sarah Palin because his "everyman," it turns out, is not a licensed plumber, does make over a quarter million dollars or have the money to buy a business and would indeed save money under the Obama tax plan as apposed to the McCain plan.

Despite the inconsistencies the two Republican candidates drawn applause from their faithful at the mention of his name while back home Joe complains about the "work" his agent has him doing and how tiring life is now.

Now today we are introduced to Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, 20, a high school graduate who, after the 9/11 attachs enlisted in the army because he wanted to show that not all Muslims were fanatics and that many, like him, were willing to lay their lives down for their country. He enlisted immediately after graduation and was sent to Iraq in July 2006. Specialist Khan was killed a year later when a blast destroyed a house he and members of his division were clearing in Baqouba, Iraq. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Spf. Khan became front page news today when General Colin Powell remembered his sense of duty and sacrifice when Powell endorsed Senator Obama for President. In repudiating his own party he said, "I have heard senior members of my own (Republican) party drop the suggestion, "He (Obama) is a Muslim and he might be associated terrorists ... we have got to stop polarizing ourselves in this way ... I'm troubled about the fact that, within the party, we have these kinds of expressions."

It can not be denied that both “Joe,” whose real name is Sam, and Kareem are Americans Why do some celebrate Joe, while others see great goodness in Kareem; I know that I am drawn to Sfc Khan’s story … in so many ways his life represents the best of our country . We would do well to remember he lived up to the meaning of his name, "Most excellent!."

ENDORSEMENT, GENERAL POWELL

The rumors that General Colin Powell was going to endorse Mr. Obama have been around for some time. This morning I turned on the TV to hear it but, half asleep, I missed "it" ... until now ... the endorsement is so well reasoned and thoughtful ... and it represents a standpoint and a way of looking at this American way of life that demands to be heard.

A PICTURE TELLS A THOUSAND ... OR 100,000 IN THIS CASE

ST. LOUIS - Standing under the Gateway Arch, Sen. Barack Obama spoke this afternoon before a crowd his campaign said totaled 100,000, a new U.S. record for his presidential bid. "All I can say is wow," Obama said as he took the stage.

ENDORCEMENTS, WHEELING W. VIRGINA AND PALIN

As I noted below Editor and Publisher is tracking national newspaper endorsements for President; out of curiosity I decided to read some of the Editorial supporting Senator John McCain. With one exception two words were left out of those endorsements: Sarah Palin.

The other interesting tidbit was there blindness to the McCain of today and the McCain of yesteryear. Almost to a paper they point to the very qualities he has given up in order to gain his parties nomination such as his past stands on immigration and torture.

And while they comment on the need for a steady, experienced hand, they fail to mention his almost erratic campaign behavior.

The one editorial who actually used Palin as a reason for voting for McCain was the Wheeling News-Register whose one and only concern was the use of coal. Never once however did they question her ability to BE the Vice President let alone President.

ENDORSEMENTS, LA TIMES, OBAMA

I know I can write; I know how to give a speech but do I ever wish I could have written this. So take a few minutes and read the Los Angeles Times' endorsement for Senator Obama ... it matches Mr. Obama in elegance while not avoiding the "Palin choice" or the challenges that a "President" Obama must face.

It is just a wonderful thing to read, in and of itself ... it ends by saying: We may one day look back on this presidential campaign in wonder. We may marvel that Obama's critics called him an elitist, as if an Ivy League education were a source of embarrassment, and belittled his eloquence, as if a gift with words were suddenly a defect. In fact, Obama is educated and eloquent, sober and exciting, steady and mature. He represents the nation as it is, and as it aspires to be.

Or you can follow the endorsements here on Editor and Publisher which reported today: BARACK OBAMA,
64 newspapers total, well over 8 million circulation (we are still counting); JOHN McCAIN, 18 newspapers total, about 1.7 million daily circulation.

ENDORCEMENTS, PALIN AND yarddog...

"The Washington Post, in its endorsement of Senator Obama this morning, cited Sarah Palin presence on the Republican ticket as one of its reasons."

I can't imagine that this will not be the only endorsement that will raise the Palin question. Now, I assume that Ms. Palin is a good person, but she is not Vice Presidential material. McCain in making that decision; pandering to the radical right wing of his party and his erratic behavior since his campaign begun makes this one voter question the kind of decisions that McCain will make as president.

I know it does not come as any surprise that I have already voted, by mail, for Mr. Obama.


More of these fun things can be found here.

Final Presidential Debate, Joe the Plumber and Yarddog

Who the hell is Joe the Plumber and who cares ... and then there is this .. check it out!

Obama kept his cool even when attacked about that ridiculous William Ayres and the Acorn business ... It simply didn't take ... McCain made the extreme right wing happy by bring up ancient history; Obama keep to the future and caring about how he can fix things ..

Best moment? When Obama listed the people who were advising him.

Worst moment? When McCain tried to explain why Palin was qualified ...

Obama won on points; McCain won on the negativity.CBS says it was a sweep. "The truth is that his (McCain) choices say more about his campaign than they do about me." Obama

EXGAY SUES DC

A support group for so-called "ex-gays," PFOX (Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays), has brought suit against Washington, D.C.’s Office of Human Rights for not including "ex-gays" as a protected group under laws that bar discrimination based on sexual orientation.

The executive director of PFOX, Regina Griggs, is quoted in a story as claiming, "The ex-gay community is the most bullied and maligned group in America, yet they are not protected by sexual orientation non-discrimination laws."

In Washington, D.C., discrimination based on several categories is banned, including "sexual preference," "sexual orientation," "gender identity," and "gender expression," the article noted.

Now, I just don't get this ... aren't "ex-gays" heterosexuals now? Geessssssss.

PALIN, HATRED, FEAR

I wonder if Ms. Palin is happy with this?

GOLDBERG, REPUBLICAN BASE AND AMERICA?

Jonah Goldberg wrote a column for the LA Times; this was my response to him.

Yes, go ahead and "hit" Mr. Goldberg; you are a perfect creation of our times! History however captures how Rockefeller was treated at the '64 Rep convention -- how he was ridiculed; how Nixon used out right lies in his first race for congress against Douglas and breed generations of political operatives who scream "win at any cost" ... right on down to "Swift Boats" and Ayres. Republican don't win on ideas; they win by fabricating "character defaults."

Take a look at the Republican base. Who are they ... homophobic, xenophobic, racists and religious zealots ... people whose political lives are based on their own "rightness" and a fear of anyone different from them. They have scraped together the rank parts of our nature around a political party ... three generations of Republican leaders have preached, "at any cost" to the point that the prospect of a Democrat winning causes the reactions we see at Republican rallies -- "hang him" they shout, in reference to Mr. Obama.

The ultimate example is Karl Rove, who developed and implemented a successful political strategy based on inflaming the political base through wedge issues like gay marriage while his gay father lay dying in Palm Springs ... yes, win at any cost! You, and they, have sown these awful seeds; now all of us must live with the whirlwind.

EQUALITY RIDERS - 2008

Under everyone's radar screen is Soul Forces' Annual 2008 Equality Ride. Each year students between the 18-28 get in a huge bus and travel around the country to mostly conservative religious college campuses in order to advocate for the LGBT community and for religious tolerance.

Six young adults (above) were arrested when they attempted to walk into the DeSantis Family Chapel at Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Monday.

"You are an unwanted guest," campus security director Terry Wheeler said to riders, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "We have asked the police department to enforce the trespassing law,"

The arrests took place after the Equality Ride bus was damaged Sunday night. The windows were smashed in, shattering two panes of glass, and small portions of the vinyl wrap were also scratched off.

A list of their stops this year is here as is other information. It's director Mel White is a friend from a long time ago. There is a part of me that wishes I was there, too.

DEBUNKING PROP 8

NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY

National Coming Out Day is held on October 11th every year to commemorate the first March on Washington by LBGT people. The March took place in October of 1987 and highlighted the lesbigay struggle for acceptance. The first National Coming Out Day was held on October 11, 1988.

The purpose of National Coming Out Day is to promote honesty and openness about being lesbian, gay or bisexual. LAMBDA celebrates this day with activities and resources designed to support coming out. LAMBDA also conducts ongoing projects to help enable our queer brothers and sisters to take their next steps out of the closet.

Or read about celebrating National Coming Out Day here.

MCCAIN, PALIN AND POLITICAL INTOLERANCE ..

Years and years of political character assassinations, lies and distortions has breed a huge segment of the American public that is now reacting in ignorance and fear to an Obama Presidency. Witness the ugly public behavior at the forefront of McCain/Palin campaign rallies.

People are shouting the most horrific things, “Hang him.” “Shoot him.” “Treason!" "Terrorist!" "Kill him!" in reference to Senator Obama. Even when McCain tries to bring reason to chaos, he is taunted with boos! There is no common sense or decency.

Four generations of Republican Party leaders have made rank appeals to our worst natures and preached intolerance, bigotry and hatred ... anything to win. They have sowed those seeds and now America will suffer the whirlwind.

CONNECTICUT, CALIFORNIA & PROP 8...

HARTFORD, Connecticut - Connecticut's Supreme Court ruled Friday that same-sex couples have the right to marry, making that state the third behind Massachusetts and California to legalize such unions.

Enjoy it while you can Connecticut ... I remember not too long ago how joyful that news was here in California. But now once again Californians are fighting the forces of intolerance and religious bigotry. There is now a California voter initiative on the November ballot that would change the state constitution to prevent same sex marriages.

The world is faced with so many difficult issues and loving someone is an issue!?! So if you live in California, visit the no on 8 site or or here for a number of concrete actions you can take to defeat Proposition 8. Wherever you live, you can help pay the costs of getting our message out. Donate to the campaign at here.

There is also a DisHonor Roll here that Californian Against Hate have published of the people and organizations that have funded Prop 8.

"SO INSULTED." BY SARAH PALIN

Insulted by Palin ... published here

My friend Cathie called me from San Marino; she was not calm: "Why aren't they sending (Pasadena mayor) Bill Bogaard to the United Nations! I am so insulted! What does it say about this country! She (Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska) thinks looking across the Gulf of Alaska is foreign policy. I am so insulted. She thinks God wants us in Iraq! I am so insulted."

After about 10 "I am so insulteds," I stopped counting.

MCCAIN DOES NOT DESERVE TO BE PRESIDENT ...

New services reported today that crowds at, "Palin and McCain Rallies Call Obama 'Terrorist;' Shout 'Kill Him'." Read it here.

Palin and McCain allow hate speech to happen by utilizing language that gives people a "freedom" to say hateful things. This isn't the first time that Senator McCain's has created an atmosphere of hate. During an early campaign stop he was confronted with the question, "How do we beat the B****?" referring to Hilary Clinton. I wrote here at the time that McCain’s non-response to that ugly comment did not bode well for the up-coming general election ... I never realized how low they and the Republican party would go to be elected.

Mr. McCain does not deserve to be president; no one deserves to be president that would even indirectly condone that kind of behavior.

A REMINDER - Dust Bin of History Award

Occasionally "The Editors" like to remind our readers of our now famous INTO THE DUST BIN OF HISTORY AWARD.

Given to those person(s) and/or event(s) that in "The Editors" collective minds are "beyond the pale," this exclusive group is made up of the famous, the little known, the ones that don't wanna-be-known and the just plain stupid.

Readers wishing to nominate person(s) and/or event(s) for the INTO THE DUST BIN OF HISTORY AWARD are encouraged to contact "The Editors" HERE.

The only criteria is that the person(s) and/or event(s) be, as "The Editors" have said, "beyond the pale." Former recipients are listed to your right.

Thank you for your participation and your readership.

THE FACTS ON CALIFORNIA PROP 8

I think this has been posted every where ... but it doesn't hurt to say it again ... Fiction vs. the Facts

Fiction: People can be sued over personal beliefs.

Fact: California’s laws already prohibit discrimination against anyone based on race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. This has nothing to do with marriage.

Fiction: Churches could lose their tax-exemption status.

Fact: Nothing in Prop 8 would force churches to do anything. In fact, the court decision regarding marriage specifically says “no religion will be required to change its religious policies or practices with regard to same-sex couples, and no religious officiant will be required to solemnize a marriage in contravention of his or her religious beliefs.”

Fiction: Same-sex marriage would be taught in public schools.

Fact: Not one word in Prop 8 mentions education, and no child can be forced, against the will of their parents, to be taught anything about health and family issues at school. California law prohibits it. A Sacramento Superior Court judge has already ruled that this claim by the proponents of Prop 8 is “false and misleading.” In fact, the “case” that is cited in the ad is from Massachusetts…the proponents knew what California law said, so they used another state, again to mislead voters.

Fiction: Four Activist Judges in San Francisco…

Fact: Prop 8 is not about courts and judges, it's about eliminating a fundamental right. Judges didn't grant the right, the constitution guarantees the right. Proponents of Prop 8 use an outdated and stale argument that judges aren't supposed to protect rights and freedoms. This campaign is about whether Californians, right now, in 2008 are willing to amend the constitution for the sole purpose of eliminating a fundamental right for one group of citizens.

Regardless of how you feel about the issue, we should not eliminate fundamental rights for ANY Californians. Please vote NO on Prop 8.

PALIN AND The Most Challenged Books of 21st Century (2000-2005)

"And Tango Makes Three," by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell is the most challenged book in 2008. Reasons: Anti-Ethnic, Sexism, Homosexuality, Anti-Family, Religious Viewpoint

Republican Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin investigated banning books in her home town when she was mayor. Because of that and because of the 25th anniversary of Banned Books Week (September 23-30, 2006), the American Library Association (ALA) compiled the top 10 most challenged books from 2000-2005, with the Harry Potter series of books leading the pack. The 10 most challenged books of the 21st Century (2000-2005) are:

1. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
2. "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier
3. Alice series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
4. "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck
5. "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
6. "Fallen Angels" by Walter Dean Myers
7. "It's Perfectly Normal" by Robie Harris
8. Scary Stories series by Alvin Schwartz
9. Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey
10. "Forever" by Judy Blume

All but three of these books were also in the top 10 of the most challenged books of the 1990s. The ALA reports there were more than 3,000 attempts to remove books from schools and public libraries between 2000 and 2005. Harry Potter tops list of most challenged books of 21st Century.

I am proud to say that I have three of those books in my library along with these that have also been challenged:

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
The Lord of the Flies by William Golding
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell