Toobz, I tell ya...

I loved this cartoon heading Progressive Alaska's Saturday Round-up!

The Firedoglake "Ted Fest" winners--and our hero, Phil Munger, delivering "toobz" to Ted's office

Video recorded by Dennis Zaki

So "Ted Fest" is at it's triumphant conclusion--yet much more triumphant than even it's creator, Phil Munger, could have expected; I don't think anyone believed it would end with an indictment!

Phil and intrepid reporter/videographer, Dennis Zaki, went to Stevens campaign office to deliver all of the poems wrapped up on a "series of toobz." Watch the video.

Oh, and here are the winners:

Haiku:

Ted Stevens glows at midnight.
Son already sunk.
Glaciers calving justice

--- Prairie Sunshine

Limerick:

Of all the congressional critters
Ted sure knows his Toobz and transmitters
His scandals are breakin
His booze, getting taken
And now there’s no wine-ing and bitters.

--- egregious

Short Verse and Ephemera:

Veni, vidi, Veco.

--- Valley Girl

Verse:

There are odd things done in the midnight sun
By the men whom Oil has sold
Their fishy tales meet with hearty gales
from wise heads when they are told
The FBI’s knights have recited some rights
but the queerest they ever had read
was that night by the mouse of a Girdwood house
that belonged to Senator Ted.

--- Darkblack

Overall Winner: - Darkblack!

CONGRATULATIONS EVERYONE and way-to-go Phil!!!!

Ted's back at work...with a whole new media posse

Here's NBC Today's coverage this morning:



per Alaska Politics Blog:

Sen. Ted Stevens returned to work Wednesday morning as though he hadn't been indicted the day before -- although he had a bigger-than-usual crowd of reporters and photographers trailing him all day.

Stevens will be arraigned at 1 p.m. tomorrow in federal court here in Washington. Federal arraignment hearings are typically short, and about all that happens is that defendants face their charges and then are asked by a judge to enter a plea.

If I only had a port key to D.C...(I felt a geek reference was needed to break the tension).

So, since the indictment:

- Ted put out a statement.

"I am innocent of these charges and intend to prove that," he said in a prepared statement. "I have proudly served this nation and Alaska for over 50 years."

- Ted stepped down from his "ranking Republican" positions on committees.

- Ted decides not to resign from his Senate seat, in spite of calls to do so from the Democratic Party. (Yet, he threatened to resign when he wasn't getting his way.)

- And ever the unselfish man, Ted decides to remain in the Senate race, much to the delight of his rivals' campaign managers. (Because only the campaign managers/workers feel "glee" over this. The candidates, Republican and Democrat, are properly respectful and sad...we swear! OK...maybe not Ray Metcalfe...)

For the next 100 days, this is going to be one hell of a rollercoaster ride...as if it wasn't already!

Sens. Stevens and Murkowski Stand in the Way of “Advancing America 's Priorities”

Here we go again...

While Stevens earlier in the month praised an agreement to combat online child pornography, today he (along with Sen. Murkowski) HELPED TO BLOCK "Advancing America's Priorities Act" (S. 3297) which includes a provision to "combat child exploitation."

Enhancing Child Pornography Prosecution Act/ Child Pornography Prosecution Act/ PROTECT Our Children Act, which would have cracked down on child pornography, closed a legal loophole to ensure child pornography offenses are prohibited to their fullest extent under the law and streamlined the protection and investigation of child exploitation cases by establishing a Special Counsel for Child Exploitation Prevention within the Department of Justice

This afternoon, by a vote of 52 - 43, Republican Senators stuck with Tom Coburn and voted against moving forward of the Omnibus package, which included numerous vital bills sponsored by some of those same GOP Senators.

The roll call vote is here. Susan Collins (ME) burnished her right wing credentials by sticking with Coburn.

Those Republicans filibustered the bill and wouldn't even allow debate to proceed.

So once again, Stevens supports a "fluff piece" that would happen with or without his support, then votes lockstep with the Republicans AGAINST the issue he pretended to support...on a bill that actually could make a difference.

Other things in the Bill that Ted and Lisa voted against:

Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act, which supported and enhanced cooperation in paralysis research, rehabilitation, and quality of life programs for people with paralysis

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Registry Act, which established a national registry to collect data to improve the study of ALS

Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Act, which would strengthen the ability of the Federal Government to investigate and prosecute unsolved murders from the civil rights era

Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act, which would have helped provide support services to women suffering from postpartum depression and educate mothers and their families about these conditions

Stroke Treatment and Ongoing Prevention Act, which was aimed at improving the care of patients presenting with stroke symptoms

Vision Care for Kids Act, which provided access to eye exams, treatment and vision services for children

Drug Endangered Children Act, which authorized grants to help transition drug endangered children into safe environments

Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Reauthorization and Improvement Act, which communities address the needs of the mentally ill in the justice system.

Some history: Called the "Tomnibus Bill" by the New York Times because of Tom Coburn's vehement resistence:

Congress has dealt for decades with catchall bills known as omnibus legislation. Now, for the first time, comes the Tomnibus.

A product of Democratic frustration with the tactics of Senator Tom Coburn, an Oklahoma Republican and physician who has become the Dr. No of the Senate, the Tomnibus is a $10 billion collection of Coburn-blocked measures assembled by the Senate leadership in an effort to break his solitary grip on the legislative process.

Americans United for Change said it best:

“Another bill, another Republican move of obstructionism,” said Caren Benjamin of Americans United for Change. “This legislation would have helped millions of Americans from all avenues - including protecting our children from being exploited and providing funding to those suffering from spinal cord injuries and ALS. By voting against the bill, Alexander, Corker and their Republicans colleagues turned their backs on those most in need and stood in the way of real progress on countless fronts. It is a sad day when voters can no longer count on their representatives to stand up for them when they at their most vulnerable.”

Contact Ted Stevens and Lisa Murkowski to let them know how you feel.

The Anchorage Press has it wrong. There's been no shortage of praise for Ted Stevens in the ADN over the years.

I like Brendan Joel Kelley and I consider him to be a friend, but his most recent piece in The Anchorage Press regarding my "Community Voices" column on Ted Stevens is way off the mark.

It's not completely his fault. It just shows that he doesn't know the history of the multi-decade "dance" between ADN and "Uncle Ted."

I'll never forget the most memorable use of of that "endearment." It was between 12 and 15 years ago when now-Democratic-State-Legislator, Mike Doogan was my favorite columnist. He wrote a piece on how he wanted to know when Ted Stevens was going to retire because he was leaving Alaska...the state's income would dry up and blow away.

Everyone laughed because we agreed it was probably true. Ted could do no wrong back then.

However, in the last 10 years, things have changed. I don't know if Ted's faculties have been slipping (watching his decline on video is downright painful) or if all these years have given him such a sense of entitlement he doesn't feel like he has to try anymore. At the very least, he tells fairy stories and the media sucks it up like pablum:

- "Once upon a time, Uncle Ted took good care of Veterans!" (He's voted against funding the VA system over 26 times since 1990...I will happily email the 26 links to anyone who wants proof.)

- "Uncle Ted was responsible in part for the success of the 2001 GI Bill" (He was against it before he was for it before he was against it before he was for it again.)

- "Uncle Ted has taken good care of his constituents." (Ted Stevens has consistently approved tax cuts for the wealthy and has repeatedly voted against tax relief for Alaskan families...again, I will happily email the info to anyone who wishes.)

The part that most disappointed me was the fact that Brendan totally bought the myth that "The ADN only prints bad stuff about Ted Stevens."

First off, all one has to do is go to the online ADN "Local Columnists" link under "Opinion" to find Dan Fagan's June 28th rah, rah article on Ted Stevens' accomplishments. Contrary to Mr. Crawford's claim, had they posted his Compass piece when he wished, it would have seemed a veritable Stevens love-fest.

Secondly, there has NEVER been ANY story written by a Daily News reporter specifically focusing on any of the issues I mention above...never. Like John McCain, the press seems to give Ted a pass.

Thirdly, on the issue I brought up in my column--of Ted Stevens touting Mark Steyn's book of prejudice, there was NOT ONE DAILY NEWS STORY written on this other than to mention it on the Alaska Politics blog and in "Alaska Newsreader" in passing and point them to Phil Munger's and my blogs. There was also NOT ONE MENTION ON ALASKA TELEVISION NEWS of this issue AT ALL.

This was not an "I hate Ted Stevens" story...this was a damn "Holy crap, what is my Senator doing?" story. If anything, the Daily News used me to get the story out.
If it had been a controversial book suggested by Barack Obama or any other Democrat, we'd still see it every waking moment discussed ad nauseum on the cable news channels.

Also, Brendan, comparing the "Community Voices" columns vs. the "Compass" pieces is NOT a subtle difference. I had to apply for the Community Voices position and was selected from a number of applicants as were my other four "Community Voices" compadres. We hold our positions for six months, where we get approximately six columns of our own. Compass pieces (which I have also had published before) are longer versions of Letters to the Editor. One submits them and hopes they get picked.

If Mr. Crawford wants a little more leeway in his writing, he should apply for the next round of "Community Voices" selections which I believe will be in September.

I look forward to reading his columns.

Liveblogging at national blog Firedog Lake--write a poem about Ted Stevens and win!

Oh, this is truly good!

The idea was started and promoted by our own Phil Munger (who is now a contributor!)

Go HERE and enjoy!

My contribution (for inspiration only):

Ted’s crude reading list
Bigotry makes policy
The press takes a nap

***UPDATE 6:26 AK time***

I love this one!

(to the tune of Patti Smith):

Veco, the night
belongs to us
Veco, the night
belongs to toobers.

***UPDATE 7:05***

Another style by DrBong:

Ted’s hizzle
Ain’t no toobz
What a beeyotch

***UPDATE 745***

Logging off Firedog for the night but please feel free to go and post or just read. There are some GREAT poems!!!!

Community Voices column on Ted Stevens is Out--Anchorage Press picks up the Stevens "America Alone" story with a twist

Here is the link on ADN.

Brendan Joel Kelley reported on the story, crediting Phil's and my blog:

When questioned about the Patriot Act and Real ID, Stevens defended his votes for them, and referenced the book America Alone by neocon author Mark Steyn. “Read that book… and decide if we want to become France,” Stevens said at the conference. Steyn’s book is a controversial look at the possibility of an Islamic Europe and has been embraced by many right-wingers and hawks. On the left, Steyn’s considered a bigot and Islamophobe, and the lefty blogs around Alaska like Progressive Alaska and Celtic Diva’s Blue Oasis pounced on Stevens’ endorsement of the book.

Steyn, a Canadian citizen who lives in New Hampshire and is a prolific conservative commentator published in several newspapers and magazines, has come under fire for using the words “Japs,” “Chinks,” “gooks,” and “wogs” (a British pejorative for Indians), as well as calling Muslims “sheep-shaggers,” in his “journalism.” He was one of the first to perpetuate the rumor—in the Chicago Sun-Times—that Barack Obama is a Muslim and “was raised in an Indonesian madrassah by radical imams.” (This is, of course, not true.)

Flashlight isn’t sure this is the best strategery for Uncle Ted (to borrow a term from Dubya); perhaps he’s unaware of Steyn’s looseness with racial slurs— Flashlight got an email from his office saying that the liberal bloggers’ bitching about Stevens referencing the book didn’t warrant a response; “consider the source,” it said.

Woot!!!! I've been dissed by Ted Stevens!!!!

Speaking of Phil Munger, he posted an excellent piece on "Ted Steven's Nuttery" for Daily Kos.

Tomorrow's "Community Voices" Column--going after Ted Stevens

Every 5 weeks or so for six months (I have at least one more column to go) I write a "Community Voices" column for the Anchorage Daily News. This is a summary of the other posts I've done on this issue.


A few years ago, I was applying for jobs in the lower-48 when I came upon a particularly promising one; it was a live-in assistant to a wealthy retired couple. When it looked like the job might be a “go,” I attached a picture that was taken of me holding my 18-month-old daughter.

That evening, I received a glacial phone call saying they were no longer interested in my services. I was bewildered and kept pushing for an explanation. I was finally told that they could not hire "a traitor to the white race" as I had given birth to a black child. I was helping to increase "the mud people" and therefore was "a mud person" myself…a term that white supremacists use to describe all people who are not white and Christian.

These folks were originally from the UK so it was my first introduction to European racism. After some research I discovered that there was a strong undercurrent of anti-immigration prejudice happening in the UK and the rest of Europe.

Enter UK-born Canadian Mark Steyn and his book “America Alone: The End of the World as We Know It. Steyn’s skilled writing and sarcastic humor distracts from the bigotry of his unscientifically-based assertions regarding a Muslim “breeding conspiracy.” He discusses the birthrate decline in the “white” European population and the “danger” that poses.

The book is reviewed by UK journalist, Johann Hari:

“An unassimilated, culturally confident Muslim mass will slowly become the majority, and demand the demoralised multicultural "natives" integrate with them. At times, Steyn implies this shift is the result of a conscious political conspiracy. Orianna Fallacci - whose "bravery" he praises - said that Muslims "have been told to come here and breed like rats."

He further compares a quote from Steyn's book...a warning:

"Today, a fearless Muslim advance has penetrated far deeper into Europe than Abd al-Rahman... There are three strategies Islam deploys against a dying West: first, demography; second, conversion; and third, the murky 'intertwining' of modern technology and ancient hatreds."

One would not expect such a book to be used as reference material.

However, Ted Stevens did so recently in a rant reminiscent of “Grandfather Abraham” from “The Simpsons" when asked about his supporting votes on Real ID and the Patriot Act. It was caught on ADN’s Alaska Politics Blog during the “Ted and Sarah” show:

"Read the book "America Alone." A lot of people complain about that book...look at the demographic concepts of that book and just think about what's going on in the world and decide whether we want to become Italy or we want to become France, in terms of our society and how it's impacted by those who are really against us."

It’s bad enough that a sitting U.S. Senator references a book that portrays fanatic jihad as the eventual goal of the religion of Islam rather than the distortion of a small percentage of Muslims.

It’s bad enough that a sitting U.S. Senator recommends a book where the author states on page 5:

"In a democratic age, you can’t buck demography—except through civil war. The Serbs figured that out—as other Continentals will in the years ahead: if you can’t outbreed the enemy, cull ’em."

The worst, most horrendous point is that Senate leader Ted Stevens promotes this devoid-of-scientific-research-tripe as the influence behind his domestic security policy!

I’ve seen no story about this in the mainstream media.

U.S. Muslim leader Imam Zoubir Bouchikhi was in Anchorage this week meeting with the Alaska faithful and religious leaders. I had a chance to ask for his thoughts on Ted Stevens comments during an interview on Cary Carrigan’s morning show. Among them:

“There is a great deal of fear spread by politicians and we know why. I think that’s a great disservice to the American people. To spread peace is the right thing.”

Another disservice is when their elected leaders make incendiary statements and are not held accountable.

Follow-up on Ted Stevens reference to "America Alone"

David Neiwert of Firedoglake did an article on this. It was nice to see a large, national blog take notice.

He also quotes himself on a previous post about the book:

I don't see how it's possible to interpret this excerpt -- given that Steyn is also contending that these demographics are inevitable throughout Europe, and he offers no solution that would accommodate or assimilate Muslims -- as anything other than outright advocacy of genocide and the Bosnian model of "ethnic cleansing" for the rest of Europe. Hitchens, rather typically, softens it by noting that Steyn is saying "that Serbo-fascist ethnic cleansing can appear more rational in retrospect than it did at the time."

Phil Munger keeps posting on this also HERE--only he has some GREAT pictures! He also knows a bit more about Mr. Neiwert that he shares on this post. I didn't realize this guy was an expert!

Some of the folks in the Afrosphere have pointed out that "racism" is an inaccurate term (a point on which I'll agree, as we are all one race genetics-wise.)I have also been taking some criticism for calling it "racism" when folks are pointing out that it is actually a religion we are talking about, not a skin color.

Considering I believe this all stems from a "fear of brown people," on that point I disagree.

However, for the sake of accuracy, I will use the terms "bigotted" or "bigot."

When looking at my past experience in dealing with the "ethnic purity" people and subsequent research on the subject, it is clear that "genocide" of those "mud people" is a primary goal. This is justified in the Christian Identity movement because they believe that the "mud people" (which includes people of color, Jews, Muslims, etc...) are quite literally the "people of Satan." Demonizing people is always an effective way to justifiably kill them.

Turning back to Mark Steyn's book:

Why did Bosnia collapse into the worst slaughter in Europe since World War Two? In the thirty years before the meltdown, Bosnian Serbs had declined from 43 percent to 31percent of the population, while Bosnian Muslims had increased from 26 percent to 44 percent. In a democratic age, you can’t buck demography—except through civil war. The Serbs figured that out—as other Continentals will in the years ahead: if you can’t outbreed the enemy, cull ’em. The problem that Europe faces is that Bosnia’s demographic profile is now the model for the entire continent.

There has been much debate around this quote, with Steyn denouncing his critics and stating that he was against genocide as a solution and was merely "predicting" what would happen. However, as I've been reading the book, I haven't found anything in it truly renouncing the idea...just stating that it probably wouldn't work. That's not a renounciation to me.

So, my question with all of this...why is the MSM not screaming to the rooftops that a sitting U.S. Senator has openly admitted that this book has played a part in forming HIS DOMESTIC SECURITY POLICY?

I didn't post this until now because I finally finished writing this month's column for the ADN. It's on this topic and it asks that question so we'll see if they'll publish it.