This is Not an Ego Trip (Updated)

I recently came across a blog - written by a friend of mine - who believes that liberal bloggers (is that even what I am?  I've been doing this for, like, two seconds) are basically kooks who have nothing to say and only desire to go on ego trips from the safety of their own homes.

I suppose I agree with the "kook" point, at least in my case, although he didn't refer to us as that directly.  And I won't be so bold to think he was writing solely about me - in fact, when he posted this particular entry, I didn't even have this blog up yet - but, nevertheless, I took offense to one issue he raised in particular.

He seemed to think that blogs, particularly liberal blogs, serve no real purpose other than to satisfy the egos of said bloggers.  Really?  I read Talking Points Memo, Ezra Klein, Matthew Yglesias, Open Left, Talk Left and Daily Kos multiple times daily.  Those are really popular liberal blogs that I'm pretty sure don't exist simply for ego-stroking.  They serve to inform, to communicate and to rally people together for a common purpose.  Hey, I even read conservative blogs, too - in fact, there are links to Andrew Sullivan and Daniel Larison on this site's blogroll, and, while you won't find a link here, I often find myself perusing Red State to see how the other half lives.

That, however, is besides the point.  The point is this: there's nothing private, or "safe," about posting your thoughts and feelings on the internet and putting them out there for billions of people to see.  You can go ahead and disagree - in fact, please do, as it's the only way one ever really learns anything - but don't ever bash people for letting their opinions be heard.  Everyone has a right to express themselves.  You notice I'm not saying that this friend of mine should stop blogging altogether.  I'm calling for him to stop insinuating that these blogs don't matter and that liberal bloggers should just keep their mouths shut.

They call us progressives for a reason.  Because without the whistleblowing of the left, nothing would ever get accomplished.  Criticize the content all you want; don't you dare criticize people's God-given right to speak, write or blog about issues that matter not just to me and you, but to every citizen of this country and the world.

UPDATE: The air has been cleared, and I was probably misinterpreting what he meant.  But my overall point remains the same - people need to be allowed to state their opinions - and disagree with others - in whatever forum possible.  That's the most important aspect of a democracy.

"I disagree heartily with everything you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." -Voltaire

Barack's Education Plan

I have always felt that the best way to achieve lasting progressive change is through education reform.  You gotta get people while they're young.

This is another reason why I love Barack Obama.  He understands the importance of education.  I mean, think about it: the guy, brilliant as he is, wouldn't be where he is today without working his way through two of America's best schools, Columbia and Harvard.  He has already stated that he is in favor of a college tuition tax credit in exchange for public service.  Brilliant.  Today he announced some more specifics of his education program:

Today he proposed programs that would provide $500 million in matching funds for investments in technology, increase access to Advanced Placement courses in high schools and double funding for charter schools.

He also wants to provide parents with a report card to help them keep abreast of their child's educational development, institute pay-for-performance programs for teachers, in addition to help for struggling teachers.  He also pledged to report to the American people yearly on the state of the country's schools.

I love it.  Of course, here's where the Republicans say, "but how are you gonna pay for it?"  Well, I'd start by withdrawing troops from Iraq, an endeavor that currently costs us $10 billion per month.  Then they'd say, "but you'd leave Iraq in ruins!"  Really?  Tell that to your Republican president, who today announced he plans to bring home 8,000 U.S. troops by February.

No Child Left Inside

The House of Representatives is voting this week on a bill that would help strengthen environmental education and increase overall environmental awareness among children.

Among other things, it would provide for $100 million over the next four years in grants "to ensure the academic achievement of students in environmental literacy through the professional development of teachers and educators and outdoor learning experiences for students."  Yay!  If I had my way, way more than $100 million would be allocated to this exciting program.  But I'm just a latte-loving leftist.

The website linked to above says the House will vote on the bill either today or tomorrow.  According to the House Majority Leader's office, it doesn't look like it's on tap for today.  Let's hope they get to it tomorrow.

The Palin Who Cried Wolf

Remember what I said about Sarah Palin being a broken record?  The madness is continuing.  The woman either doesn't know that everyone is catching on about her "bridge to nowhere" bullshit, or doesn't care that everyone is catching on about her "bridge to nowhere" bullshit.  Either way, it's pretty fucked up.

Once again, she's yip-yapping about her stalwart opposition to the bridge.  It's simply not true.  Today she took her act to Ohio:

"I told Congress thanks but no thanks for that 'Bridge to Nowhere' up in Alaska.  If a state wanted a bridge, we were gonna build it ourselves."

You know what's even more fucked up about this whole thing?  It's not just that she's lying, but that quote is literally the same quote that she has repeated now in at least half a dozen stops on the campaign trail.  She continues to read from the same script.

Palin has nothing else.  She cannot speak the truth, and she cannot speak without a prepared speech.

No way, no how, no McCain, and NO PALIN.

Tom Brady Out for the Season

And fantasy owners everywhere cry their eyes out.

Palin Watch, Day 12

Hey, remember when She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was all like "I'm a fiscal conservative!  Vote for me!"  Well, it turns out that, once again, she's lying.

During her first 19 months as governor (of the 47th largest state out of 50), Palin billed taxpayers for 312 nights spent in her own home.  This was charged to an allowance that is supposed to cover things like meals and expenses that pile up while she is on official state business.  And let's be real here, people: there was no official "state business" occurring during those 312 nights at Palin's home in Wasilla - unless, of course, you count the conception of baby Trig and her presumed discovery that Bristol was pregnant.  Lord knows she's made them campaign business thus far.

The Lies They Tell

Halle-fucking-lujah.  Ed Rendell, among others, are finally calling out the McCain campaign for flat-out lying.

It's really kinda breathtaking.  Last week, you had Mitt Romney at the RNC lashing out at "eastern elites" with a straight face, you've got Palin parading all over the country touting her opposition to the bridge to nowhere (after she was for it; in fact, she campaigned for it) and now McCain is running an ad that blames the Democrats for the failures in Washington the last eight years.

Gee.  I'm pretty sure there's been a Republican president the past eight years, not to mention a Republican Congress for the bulk of that time.

As Barack said in his acceptance speech, it's time for them to own their failure.  And it's time for us as voters to hold these hypocrites accountable for the havoc they have wreaked upon us.

No way, no how, no McCain and no Palin.

Sarah Palin: Trojan Moose?

Arianna Huffington says that Palin is nothing more than a Trojan Moose (love it) distracting us from four more years of Bush:

The point is that Palin, and the circus she's brought to town, are simply a bountiful collection of small lies deliberately designed to distract the country from one big truth: the havoc that George Bush and the Republican Party have wrought, and that John McCain is committed to continuing.

Every second of this campaign not spent talking about the Republican Party's record, and John McCain's role in that record, is a victory for John McCain.

I get what she's saying.  But the problem is that it's people like Sarah Palin who are exactly what is wrong with the Republican Party.  The fact that this nutcase could not only be nominated, but in turn be adored by the Far Christian Religious Right, shows how much peril this country is in.  Sarah Palin is not John McCain, and, yeah, we're running against John McCain.  But Sarah Palin is actually more of the last eight years than John McCain is.  Sarah Palin is George W. Bush in designer glasses and a skirt (with a creepy bearskin rug).  People have to be enlightened to just how disgusting and dangerous this woman is.  So I will continue to spread the word of the hate-mongering, ignorant kook that she is, and I hope everyone else who loves this country and is worried about its future will do the same.

Hey Facebookers

If you're a Facebook junkie (like me), you should check out my anti-Sarah Palin group.  In fact, you should join.

Link is here.  122 members and counting!

Oh, and for the record: the list of books Palin allegedly tried to ban that is circulating the web is fake.  But the claim that Palin tried to fire her librarian for not agreeing to her demands are real.  The following is from Time Magazine:

Stein says that as mayor, Palin continued to inject religious beliefs into her policy at times.  "She asked the library how she could go about banning books," he says, because some voters thought they had inappropriate language in them.  "The librarian was aghast."  That woman, Mary Ellen Baker, couldn't be reached for comment, but news reports from the time show that Palin had threatened to fire Baker for not giving "full support" to the mayor.

Palin Watch, Day 11

The problem with the Sarah Palin Saga is that it is a horrifying combination of the following:

1) Sarah Palin is only on the ticket because she is a woman.

2) Sarah Palin is also a scary right-wing nutjob.

3) Sarah Palin has no qualifications for the job.

4) Sarah Palin was never properly vetted by John McCain.

5) Sarah Palin has answered ONE question from a reporter since becoming McCain's running mate.

6) Sarah Palin could conceivably be President of the United States in January.

Add all those up and you have:

7) Despite all these things, the McCain-Palin ticket is currently LEADING in the polls.

People get the government they deserve.  But does anyone possibly deserve this?

(Image: The Telegraph)