Remembering Watergate
There are a billion posts out there on the Chicago story, and I certainly don’t have any special information to share. (Though I do recommend this post by that guy with the funny name, since it seems his parsing sub-routine is very much like my parsing sub-routine.)
What I keep thinking about is the late fall of 1972. Nixon had been re-elected in a landslide, and it was the apex of his political career. Yet simmering in the background was a story about a Watergate break-in and weird goings-on with the Committee to Re-Elect the President. The Washington Post had broken the story before the election, but it hadn’t sunk in. The country was still behind Nixon, still unaware of the massive corruption that would soon erupt into national view.
It feels like that now.
There’s a difference, though. Our government is actually less transparent and more corrupt than in Nixon’s day. Yes. And our press is utterly, completely, spectacularly useless. There are no more investigative journalists, no more newspapers willing to run risky stories, no more intrepid reporters to seek out the truth. There is only propaganda now. And oceans of money.
59 Responses to “Remembering Watergate”
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Anna Belle says:
For me it’s Whitewater. It started out small just like this and grew into this multi-million dollar monster juggernaut driven by one Kenneth Starr that encompassed many facets of investigations. A whole constellation, if you will.
The difference is, that was a focus on the benefits of privilege (bad enough, I know), not corruption. The Blagovich/Obama connection does have the potential to blow up into full-fledged Watergate proportions. I’m just a tad too young to remember those days.
December 11th, 2008 at 11:42 pm EST -
LindaA1 says:
How true. And we’ve now learned to listen for the hints of cover-up: Obama says he has not engaged in pay for play with Blogie and is specific in adding “about my senate seat.”
Hmmm. We all know Obama is knee deep in Chicago politics. We all know Chicago politics is corrupt to the core.
It would be a simple matter of time until the Obama connection is exposed - except we have a press corps bending themselves into pretzels to protect him and Obama himself will soon be in charge of the Justice Department (by hook or crook).
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JeanLouise says:
I hate to say this but I think he’s going to get away with it. The media has too much invested in their fantasy of Teh Precious.
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Ali says:
One can expect the level of corruption in a government to swing like a pendulum. But our ineffective and corrupt press? This is what kills me. Without the help of the press we have an uphill battle.
I agree with Lynette - we have to force them to look.
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Greenconsciousness says:
and all this relates back to the deregulation and destruction of the fairness doctrine. I think one of the most remedial things the Dems could do to redeem their party is to reinstate the fairness doctrine. You cannot restrict Saudi princes from owning US media but you can prevent them from making it an instrument of their propaganda.
Additionally, legislation should rid media of “sports” shows, including wrestling and hunter porn, which are only a tool of the gambling industry and its’ connections to organized crime. Media sports’ retrograde sexism is self evident. Its’ effect on the culture and children is degenerative. If people enjoy sports let them DO sports.
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Sis says:
Go here to comment on the US News and World Report magazine article about Favreau’s mimed sexual assault.
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atheist woman says:
You’ve got that right.
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quixote says:
There is only propaganda now. And oceans of money.…
… and blogs, Violet. Bit of a wild card that wasn’t there before. We’ll see.
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m Andrea says:
Yesterday the MSM reported that Clinton will be paid less than anyone else for her position as Sec of State. Apparently it’s because there’s an obcure rule which says that if someone vacates one high-profile gov position for another, that they can’t be paid more. Congress apparently had to enact a special session to enforce this obscure rule.
Obama went from one high-profile position to another — is he going to be stuck at his old pay level too??? And what about all the other congress critters who have been appointed to better jobs — how come it is only Clinton who gets singled out for this obscure rule???
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Anna Belle says:
My comment from last night is still in moderation. Just an FYI.
I’d like to know about this myself, Andrea, so thanks for the heads up. I’m sure the O-Team is littered with others in violation of this rule, and there had better be a special session to roll back their salaries too, or we should go ballistic.
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Alwaysthinking says:
Remember the “small” group of people who for so many years intended to get back at the Democrats for the Watergate prosecution? In my crazy imagination, I can almost see their plot fully completed in the coming months. All the big boys seem to have backed Obama and it’s hard to believe they didn’t know about the corruption. Maybe they just did it to force an impeachment of a Democrat…
Such shenanigans, and yes, the corruption is much deeper now and our journalistic empire is betraying us in the worst possible ways.
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Greenconsciousness says:
my comments automatically go to moderation - i can guess why and it displeases me very much but that’s the cost of freedom and telling the truth about slavery.
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CLR says:
I believe this is related to a clause in the constitution that says a member of Congress cannot be appointed to a government job if the salary for the job was increased during the member’s current term. In other words, you cannot take a job which got a pay increase that you had the opportunity to vote on.
Reducing the salary to the pre-vote level is the way to get around this provision.
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Anna Belle says:
CLR, I looked up the background on it, and I understand why it happened. My question is, is this being applied to everyone? I don’t think Rice’s is the only pay raise voted on by Congress in the last few years, and Obama is pulling many members from Congress. How about Rahm-i-nator, for instance? How about any other member from Congress. It could be the media is just reporting this because it’s Hillary. I still want to know the whole deal.
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madamab says:
Watergate it is for me too, Violet. I also am a bit too young to remember it “live,” but the Chicago thugs really remind me of Nixon’s group.
It’s probably the “caught on tape” stuff that does it to me.
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yttik says:
I totally understand why Hillary’s wage had to be lowered. And I doubt she’ll miss the 4 grand. But with feelings so raw about sexism it comes across as “oh great, let’s lower another woman’s wages”.
And Obama is falling way behind in appointing women to his cabinet. To add insult to injury, the first order of the day is to lower the salary of one of the few women he did appoint?
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song says:
“And our press is utterly, completely, spectacularly useless. There are no more investigative journalists, no more newspapers willing to run risky stories, no more intrepid reporters to seek out the truth. There is only propaganda now. And oceans of money.”
Oh my, Dr. Socks!! How true, how true!!!!!!
I talked to John Erlichmann once, before he was going to be interviewed on television..(my past life)
Back then, I didn’t know much about Watergate..you’ll probably think I’m a fool, but I told him, I was sorry he lost his job, because it is hard to find work, especially after being famous in a bad way. He laughed. But I could tell he was a beaten man.
I was young..a musician..
I asked him, if he liked Nixon, and he said, “yes”, he did. That he had known him a long time. Then our conversation wandered off to better places.For Many: Everything in our culture is viewed through the lens of Journalism isn’t it? When that lens is clouded, reason is suspended.
And we all end up bumping into each other.your friend,
song!
ps. Sorry to not have visited for awhile. I was looking for that whale
that swallowed you.. -
m Andrea says:
Green, this is one of the few places where I don’t go into automod! Violet is very forgiving, I think.
CLR, so the pay for Sec of State was increased during Hilary’s term? And she had the opportunity to vote on that?
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TheOtherDelphyne says:
Green - the filters in moderation decide which comments are moderated. I find myself in there frequently and I think it has to do with my ISP showing me all over the place. I’ve even been banished to SPAM, a very unpleasant place. It isn’t personal - it’s just the system.
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Greenconsciousness says:
OK. Thanks. Sometimes I take things, objective things, personally. Not a good trait.
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Greenconsciousness says:
I will be in moderation forever but I hope you all get this message before Sunday — I am stunned — Did you all know a WOMAN wrote the Bill of Rights in our constitution?
I just saw it on Book TV on C-span2. I am stunned. You can see the program on Sunday - they are going to run it again.
Saturday at 1:15 PM, and Sunday at 6:00 AM
The Muse of the Revolution: The Secret Pen of Mercy Otis Warren and the Founding of a Nation
Author: Nancy Rubin Stuart -
Violet says:
GreenC, what mAndrea and OtherDelphyne say is true. If you know exactly why your comments go to moderation, you know more than I do.
Unfortunately I simply have to use filters. I’m sure no one would like it if the comment threads were filled up with Viagra ads, MRAs screaming FUK U STOPID FEMNAZI and other joys.
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CLR says:
m Andrea–The salary was increased during Hillary’s term. And I guess she had the opportunity to vote on it, but the provision apparently still applies even if she didn’t vote on it. As best I can tell, it applies to any salary increases voted on during the current term of the senator or representative. So it is more likely to be a problem for senators than representatives because their terms of office are longer.
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Sis says:
While we’re complaining about tech things, here’s mine: I cannot stand that vid plate of the alien. Does it have to be there, facing me, every time I log in here? Whine?
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Greenconsciousness says:
that is not an alien it is a cat or owl watching your dysfunction -cracks me up — violet you made me laugh again FUK U STOPID FEMNAZI Yeah I forgot about that and the endless viagra ads which goes to show they lied about the men too.
CAN U BELIEVE A WOMAN WROTE THE BILL OF RIGHTS??? There is a statue of her with the Bill of Rights in her outstretched arms — NOT in our capital though — I am so angry — the bill of rights and they are always saying our forefathers and Jefferson bla bla BLA!
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Sis says:
I’m talking about Carville.
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Sis says:
You all have to go over to The New Agenda, and help Jon Boy write his apology.
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Greenconsciousness says:
Oh Carvelle — our frustrated alien - our blubbering fool - yeah — our big disappointment.
What a tool. -
djmm says:
Violet, I too am reminded of Watergate. It is almost visceral.
Greenconciousness, thank you for the information about the Bill of Rights being written by a woman. I have never heard of this but have ordered the book you mention.
djmm
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song says:
Oh Dr. Socks, I have such good news for you!!!!!!!
Because you are one of my dearest unknown friends..
I want you to know… -
Branjor says:
That IS stunning - a woman wrote our Bill of Rights and I never heard of her until one minute ago! She should be right up there in the American history books along with Washington and Jefferson that are taught to every American child from the first grade on. And nobody ever heard of her! Just think of all the other accomplishments of women there must be about which we know nothing, children are taught nothing, instead getting nothing but a neverending diet of “great” men. This is the War on Women, starting with the Elementary School War on Little Girls.
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Greenconsciousness says:
djmm YES I am still stunned — there is a statue of her with the BOR ihttp://www.greenconsciousness.org/weblog/n her hand and yet NO ONE has ever mentioned that as being a relevant part of our history. I believe now everything we know about the country and how it evolved is a myth. Not just history written by the ruling class but actual myth.
I have an interesting post up today.
THAT SAMANTHA POWERS HAS BEEN GIVEN A POST OVERSEEING THE STATE DEPT.
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Greenconsciousness says:
DJMM
THAT LINK IN THE MIDDLE OF MY MESSAGE TO YOU WAS NOT PUT THERE MY ME AND IGNORE IT — SOMETIMES THE CAT STEPS ON THE KEYS AND I DO NOT NOTICE. SOMETIMES I JUST DON’T KNOW HOW THINGS HAPPEN. -
Branjor says:
Don’t click on that “mystery” link in the middle of Greenconsciousness’ post #32, the one GC says she didn’t put there. I clicked on it out of curiosity and my computer froze and on restart it had to go through a process involving deleting corrupted files, reconstituting other files, a whole lot of rigamarole! I don’t know what happened there but that’s a link I won’t click on again!
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CoolAunt says:
It seems that none of us knew that a woman wrote the Bill of Rights. But I bet we all knew since we were kids that Betsy Ross sewed the first US flag. Why is that? Because sewing is women’s work while politics, law, and writing are not.
FUK U STOPID FEMNAZI Hahahaaaa! It becomes more apparent to me each and every day that the most openly sexist among us are also the stupidest among us. The same can be said of racists, too.
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Violet says:
I deleted the mystery link in GreenC’s post.
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votermom says:
OT question because if I think maybe one of Violet’s readers could answer this:
Is there a martial art that women are better at than men? Something that uses a lot of lower body strength maybe?
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TheOtherDelphyne says:
Votermom - I’d think that Tai Chi would qualify. I’ve taken it before and wish to h*ll that I could find a teacher here in NJ! The hips and legs are used until they burn and you are covered in perspiration. I remember having to hold a pose for a few minutes and hearing some young kid telling his mother to “look at those people standing around doing nothing.”
It’s a beautiful form and I love it. Again, I really wish I could find a teacher near me so that I wouldn’t have to make the trip into NYC where there are many, many teachers.
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Anna Belle says:
Aikido is good for women–at least it was good for me! If I understand correctly, it’s often the foundation of a lot of women’s self defense classes because it teaches students to stay balanced and look to unbalance the opponent. It tends to utilize the whole body.
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Anna Belle says:
Modded for talk of aikido…where does the humiliation end?!? (just kidding, Vi)
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votermom says:
LOL Anna Belle!
TOD, I forgot about tai chi — that’s a good one.
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Greenconsciousness says:
No you didn’t Violet — the one I was talking about is still there and no one could click on it because it is not a working link — see it in the first sentence?
The second link was to “The Politico” and it is in my blog post “trap set for Hillary” and I click on it all the time and nothing happens except I go to that blog or whatever Politico is.
I am sorry Branjor but whatever happened I don’t think it is because of the link to Politico and the first one doesn’t work as a link. Whatever happened sounds horrible.
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awfisticuffer says:
Obama chooses three more men for cabinet positions. Fucker.
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m Andrea says:
Thankies for the Bill of Rights info, Green, much appreciated!
Catfeet typing sounds familar, but I just shouted NO at them until they decided they’d rather not touch the keyboard. One cat likes to imitate a scarf, another who pretends he’s a shawl, and Princess is convinced she’s destined for hathood. All on me, of course. They think I’m a coat-rack. These piles of purring fur are sweet, but I can’t type.
And the dog turned to glance at me as the clock struck the magical Feeding Time, his eyes grew wide and he drooled. I am being objectified by animals…
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InsightAnalytical-GRL says:
Off-topic, but here’s the future for us women…her name is AIKO
Of Robots and Women and Our Current Life in the Village of Stepford (Antidote on the Way?)(A Double Post by kenosha Marge and InsightAnalytical-GRL)
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Greenconsciousness says:
Hey — Allegre is asking everyone to sign the petition to tell the Gov of New York not to appoint Carolyn Kennedy to Hillary’s senate seat. To our shame there are only 500 signatures on it right now. This is pathetic. Publicize the petition on your blogs. Everyone being too scared of the Kennedys is a bad sign. All that shows is your name so get courage.
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NomNomNom says:
Well there’s Muthathar al Zaidi: he’s a real journalist. :wink:
Votermom there are no martial arts in which women are better than men. There are a few martial arts where the difference in size and strength is minimised by techniques that women can employ effectively; but in no instance is size and strength a hindrance: not in aikido and not tai chi. I have studied both along with japanese weaponry, three forms of kung fu, judo, thai boxing, and mixed martial arts.
Force = mass x acceleration. Only very large strong women even come close to men for power. This is not to say that martial arts training is not worthwhile; it definitely is. Muhk yahn johng and iron palm and body training (if you can find a qualified teacher) are invaluable for women because they increase one’s endurance for receiving blows and make ones limbs much more painful to the opponent when striking him. IMO this is the best route for women: men are used to women who can’t take a punch and are amazed when one hits back hard or where striking her hurts him. But it takes several years of practice to reach an effective level. Martial arts training certainly beats no training. But truthfully, guns are the great equalizer for women. If you want protection, get a gun. -
CoolAunt says:
mAndrea, I used to shout at my kitties, Sassy and Hot Rod, both now deceased. Once in a while it would get a rise from Hot Rot but except for those rare occasions, all it’d get me was that look from them that said, “What’s your problem, lady?” LOL! Oh, they knew me well, that my bark is much worse than my bite, especially when it cam to them. I loved them too damned much to ever be angry at them for long or to ever, ever get physical with them. Amd we all knew that when it comes to stare downs and mean looks, the cats win every time.
Today I live with my sister and her two cats, who I’m sure think I’m a cat toy or pet that my sister brought home for them. LOL!
I love cats.
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Sis says:
Oh definitely. Get a gun. Because it has worked so well in the U.S. Hardly any women are sexually assaulted, raped, battered, pimped out in that country.
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octogalore says:
My husband just provided me this interesting link …
hmmm…
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Carmonn says:
Greenconsciousness, I am very conflicted about that. On the one hand, Caroline Kennedy really embarassed herself during the primary and I HATE the thought of her taking that seat. OTOH, the hypocrisy of all these male Obama supporters bellyaching about her inexperience is once again turning my stomach, a la Palin. I’m sure his inexperience is superior because if we could conceptualize it, it would resemble an obelisk while hers would look more like a murky pond. Next they’ll be making fun of her for letting her underage kids determine her vote, and while I think that’s a valid criticism, it sure didn’t bother them before and I doubt they’ll start going after casey or any of the other idiots who made similar statements.
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votermom says:
Nomnomnom, personally I wouldn’t want a gun (lots of reasons) but I accept that it’s a logical choice for others.
I asked the same question on another forum and the consensus that came back is that some kind of weapons training would be, as you say, an equalizer. So essentially I agree with you — if women are indeed physically weaker, then we need to learn how to use weapons effectively in self-defense.
From that I think training to fight with sticks would be a good place to start. -
Greenconsciousness says:
mAndrea and cool aunt
Because I am known to love cats, desperate people dump cats on me - this summer a kitten was thrown over the backyard fence — screaming meows brought me into the backyard. We were both shocked to see each other. Now I am living with a kitten. Need I say more? Shouting? Shouting is an invitation to play for him. Bring it ON is his response to a shout. The older cats are sick with disgust but will babysit in a pinch.
A gun does work well - very well. Battered women and controlled women cannot fight the army of pimps, abusers, johns, stalkers, sociopaths, cops, traffickers, and husbands who all have male privilege working for them in the legal system. I have gone out on too many rape calls and saw too many dead bodies with active restraining orders to be anti-gun. And they always take down the neighbor who tried to help, the mother, the girlfriend and/or the children. Yeah, I am 100% for women getting guns.
I believe anti gun people are people who have the privilege to buy security. Lose your money and live in our neighborhoods with a legal system that will arrest you when you call for help and we will see how anti gun you are. The court system belongs to men - learn to protect yourself. If you are too destroyed by post traumatic shock disorder to trust yourself with a gun then do not get one but have something worked out with your back up system.
You have a responsibility to know yourself and to exhaust every other means to get away first. I do not own guns because of PTSD (AH killed my animals after torturing them — left them for me to find their noses split with a razor - — one by one– his cop friends would arrest me after each incident on some trumped up BS to cover for him) but I totally support women who are clear enough to have a gun (not raged out). Make sure he is actually in the house when you kill him. Don’t shoot him in the back. Then, one less predator in the world is a service to everyone.
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Branjor says:
***I am sorry Branjor but whatever happened I don’t think it is because of the link to Politico and the first one doesn’t work as a link. Whatever happened sounds horrible.***
GC, when I clicked the link I got a page of Tennessee Guerilla Women, but there was nothing on it about Mercy Otis Warren and the BOR that I could see. Then all that bad stuff happened to my computer.
Who knows what it was…?
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Greenconsciousness says:
BRANJOR
I DID get that info from Ten G Women — I remember now –from their NOV archives and maybe that was the link I gave in trying to credit where the info came from. AND I DID have trouble when reading their Nov archives - not corrupted files but the page kept disappearing and then I had to re click on everything to get it back. Many times that happened.I remember now the link on my blog is directly to the Politico article about BO hiring Sam “monster” Powers BECAUSE I did have such a hard time with the TGW Nov archives!
So I am SO SORRY — I am always nervous about crediting the people who do the original piece but in the future I will not credit hard to handle pages with links.
I understand now and glad you explained further - Thank YOU!
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Greenconsciousness says:
Branjor
Now how the link to the article on Sam Powers being hired to supervise the state dept got mixed up with the link to C-Span Book TV blurb on Mercy O Warren ??? I don’t know — that C-Span Link was a link to the airing of a program with the author of a book on MOW. She told of how MOW authored a pamphlet that was incorporated into the bill of rights. The BOR was added to the constitution because of MOW’s outcry and pamphlets saying individual rights had been forgotten. MOW then enumerated rights which should have been included.
I do not know if they will rerun the show but you can get transcripts and videos free if you search the Book TV website at:
http://www.booktv.org/program......me=History
You know what would be interesting? Carolyn Kennedy is bragging about how she wrote a book on the BOR. Now her family is famous for hiring scholars to write books with their children and paying them so well that for the rest of their lives they let the Kennedy take the credit for writing the book. We should ask if Caroline said anything about MOW in her book.
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Greenconsciousness says:
Hey I just checked the C-Span Book TV link to make sure there would be no problems, and there is a “WATCH” red button on the right at the top –
You all can watch the whole program just by clicking the “Watch” button.
I think the bill of rights section is in the Q & A at the end.
Stormy is laying on both my arms as I am trying to type this.
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Greenconsciousness says:
Carmonn
The ugly thing about Carolyn Kennedy is that we don’t even know where she stands on choice. She is a “private” person who has shown herself to reject women who stand for women as feminists.
Compare that to Rep.Carolyn Maloney (NY)who has worked her heart out on behalf of women for years. She wants the job and has worked closly with Hillary on children’s medical issues, choice issues, feminist issues and the Wilberforce anti-trafficking Act that the chief pimp from Nevada tried to kill. Representative Carolyn Maloney, who ought to be appointed New York’s next Senator.
This is exactly what Phyllis Chesler said when praising the left/right coalition that had to fight the Justice dept and the State Dept and their pimps in the US Senate to pass the anti-trafficking legislation.
Phyllis just wrote a long post on the politics of passing the Wilberforce anti-trafficking Act and at the end she named our champions who fought power hard for all our benefit.
This is what she said:
“We are living in the best of times, the worst of times. Let us now praise the heroes of this struggle.They include: Michael Horowitz; President George W. Bush; the Directors of the State Department’s Trafficking in Persons office: Ambassador John Miller and Mark Lagon; and a determined and diverse coalition of activists who might not have agreed on other issues but who all agreed that slavery must be abolished. Yes, conservative groups, the Salvation Army, the Concerned Women for America, the Southern Baptist Convention, were very involved in this effort, but so were The National Organization of Women, Equality Now, the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women , lawyer Catharine MacKinnon—and Representative Carolyn Maloney, who ought to be appointed New York’s next Senator.
Dogged Heroes: Job well done. “
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CoolAunt says:
Greenconsciousness says:
mAndrea and cool aunt
Because I am known to love cats, desperate people dump cats on me - this summer a kitten was thrown over the backyard fence — screaming meows brought me into the backyard. We were both shocked to see each other. Now I am living with a kitten. Need I say more? Shouting? Shouting is an invitation to play for him. Bring it ON is his response to a shout. The older cats are sick with disgust but will babysit in a pinch.
I’m late to return to this post. Sorry about that. Just want to say that I hope to one day be the crazy, old, cat lady. I’ve been working on it and it should take any day now. :)
