Can Dems Make the Problems of "Free Trade" Agreements Sexy?

"As if all important sociopolitical issues only required a Barry White tune and a tumbler of Courvoisier..."

-2Truthy

On Groundhog's Day, 2007, Silicon Valley's tech "elite" greeted politician Al Gore (who fresh from the Utah slopes and riding a wave of deserved acclaim for his movie about global warming), arrived to deliver a speech that he didn't want anyone outside of the inner circle of sycophants to hear! See "Silicon Valley Leaders Should Dump Al Gore"

http://www.mercextra.com/blogs/cassidy/2007/02/01/silicon-valley-leaders-should-dump-al-gore/#comments

As journalist Mike Cassidy notes:

"This from a man who’s working on a book about how the Bush Administration doesn’t like to “share the truth with the citizenry,'’ which it surely doesn’t."

No one can accuse Gore for not having a political agenda, most notably his association with the tech lobby's push to eliminate a cap on H1B visas to further eliminate white collar jobs from Americas middle class. Why can't Al Gore use his newfound celebrity to stand up for America's educated professionals and see through the disastrous "free trade" agreements under the banner of "globalizaton" that are responsible for creating a caste system here? Is he so starved for celebrity attention and cocktail parties and the hubris ilk that attends them that he can't see the problem? Or is Al just like every other insulated, out of touch elite and elite wanna- be that the mutual admiration society of "deciders" actually deem the problems of NAFTA and CAFTA as "unsexy"?...

as if all important sociopolitical issues only required a Barry White tune and a tumbler of Courvoisier...

Al Gore: a real man of the people? To the average Democrat - both blue dog AND liberal -- he sure has a way of schmoozing and seducing the cocktail party circuit from Los Angeles, through Palo Alto and onto D.C. -- emphasis on the evil-doer tech lobby, TechNet.

But what about Gore's personal sacrifces to save the planet? Moving on from the private jet, public records reveal that as Gore lectures Americans on excessive consumption, he and his wife Tipper live in two properties: a 10,000-square-foot, 20-room, eight-bathroom home in Nashville, and a 4,000-square-foot home in Arlington, Va. (He also has a third home in Carthage, Tenn.) For someone rallying the planet to pursue a path of extreme personal sacrifice, Gore requires little from himself.

NOTE: 2Truthy really doesn't care how many homes or square feet Al inhabits -- just as long as these places don't resemble mausoleums, like so many of the abominable McMansions festooning the hillsides of my neighborhood.

Energy use: In the Washington, D.C., area, utility companies offer wind energy as an alternative to traditional energy. In Nashville, similar programs exist. Utility customers must simply pay a few extra pennies per kilowatt hour, and they can continue living their carbon-neutral lifestyles knowing that they are supporting wind energy. Plenty of businesses and institutions have signed up. Even the Bush administration is using green energy for some federal office buildings, as are thousands of area residents.

But according to public records, there is no evidence that Gore has signed up to use green energy in either of his large residences. When contacted afterwards, Gore’s office confirmed as much but said the Gores were "looking into making the switch at both homes." Talk about inconvenient truths. Let's hope he has no plans to run in 2008.

Again: 2Truthy could actually care less about Al's green habits, and his agenda with the tech lobby clearly demonstrates that he is a corporate shill to drive down wages for the upwardly mobile middle class, which is why my greedy venture capitalist neighbors love Al sooooo much. Really, either Al is just a himbo to the tech establishment or a smug, self-serving politico or BOTH -- his movie undeniably "sheds light" on the sexy issue of the day: global warming.

Al Gore? Right issue, wrong (potential) candidate. So, let's hope Al won't run, because we don't need another greedy beltway insider with good hair to sell us out any further.

http://www.californiaherald.net/ca_pages/issue_62/news_of_the_world.htm

-2Truthy

In Memory of Molly Ivins

In Memory of Molly Ivins
The price of apathy towards public affairs is to be ruled by evil men: -Plato

Populist Texan journalist Molly Ivins died today, at the age of 62 after a long battle with breast cancer. I find myself thinking of how the Bush Administration MANUFACTURED this hell on earth in Iraq and yet, how the ravages of disease kill our loved ones and friends with abandon and how we, as a society, sit back and do nothing. I think of the needless suffering and death that we humans could stop if only we "resovled" (oh, how this demented soul of a president has bastardized that word) to make our world a better place. If only the trillions of dollars budgeted for the Iraq war would be spent for developing a cure for cancer, how many more valuable and passionate voices and talents and hugs from our mothers, sisters, aunts, friends and mentors we could count on to be with us, for just a while longer, in a world where the worst of all diseases - war and greed and enmity -- spread like the plague. Molly Ivins' footrprint is preceded all too soon, by the late, great Ann Richards, former Governor of Texas who served as a role model for millions of American women like me whose talents inspired us to make a difference, with attitude and conviction.

Molly Ivins was known for her sense of humor and she was passionate, witty and blunt, with a strong and generous heart. "She was magical in her writing," said Mike Blackman, a former Star-Telegram executive editor who hired Ms. Ivins at the newspaper’s Austin bureau in 1992. "She could turn a phrase in such a way that a pretty hard-hitting point didn’t hurt so bad." Yes, Molly seemed to be the kind of person who knew how to have fun, and for us, her columns were the life of the party.

And then there came "SHRUB", the name she dubbed Dubya, which spread amongst the journalism community like wildfire, with all the sting of a burning bush to become a virtual household name for this sorry ass of a president. I recall just two weeks ago reading her January 14 column "We are the people who run this country, We are the deciders. And every single day, every single one of us needs to step outside and take some action to help stop this war." Like the late, great Ann Richards, she was not one to refrain from colorful and explicit language. She recently told us all to "Raise hell and think of something to make the ridiculous look ridiculous. Make our troops know we’re for them and are trying to get them out of there. Hit the streets to protest Bush's proposed surge."

So this Sunday, when my hometown team, the Chicago Bears play the SuperBowl and MoveOn.org airs its planned half-time commercial to pull the troops out of Iraq, grab some pots and pans in her memory because just days ago, she wrote "We need people in the streets, banging pots and pans and demanding, "Stop it, now!' "

It may be rocket science to find a cure for cancer, but I know that the talent of the American people has been long underutilized while the political power has long been abused.

"Stop it, now!"

-2Truthy

BILL GREIDER: A GLOBALIZATION OFFENSIVE

Meet the New Social X-Ray: Same as the Old Social X-Ray

-2Truthy

Arianna Huffington: Yodel-aye-hee-hoooo...There is no political issue quite so sexy as a starved middle class, as America's corporate welfare, cultural and tech elite swarm the annual summit for the year's most influential meet and greet, so will you put in a good word for the huddled, dwindling middle masses?

As the legions of swells blow through Switzerland this week at the annual ritual at Davos

http://www.weforum.org/en/index.htm

to decide the fate of the damned middle class masses, feasting on wine, swiss cheese and chocolates, one can only guess what the mightly axis of evil, the lobby otherwise known as TechNet, in collusion with a few elitist media celebrities and beltway corporate welfare boosters have cooked up to further open up the gates for H1B's to rid upwardly mobile middle class Americans of white collar professional jobs.

Bill Greider offers some thoughts on a more promising newly elected democratic congress and how the debate in Congress can be jump started. As Senator Byron Dorgan says,

"At the moment, there's a great yawn about all this," he told me. "But one day when everything collapses, people will ask: Why didn't we do anything about this?"

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070129/greider

-2Truthy

Quincy's Wardrobe is "Woodward Ready"

Quincy, Quite The Dandy

(Quincy's latest headshot (above) appropriately dressed for his Washington, DC trip to interview with Mr. Bob Woodward) see

http://tootruthy.blogspot.com/2007/01/quincy-asks-clooney-do-i-need-headshot.html

SOTU: What Was Dick Cheney Laughing About?

"It Must Have Been A Gasser..."

-2Truthy

LOL moment: We didn't tvio the SOTU address last night and yet, while watching it live, it was impossible to miss Dick Cheney, seated behind Bush, laughing -- a WHOLE LOT, and frequently -- to the point that the cameras became fixated on him and not the president, when Bush began to talk about "our gas" problems watch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wa4xEXPKdGU&eurl=

Then, they framed an image of him that looked like, well, to be specific, a chubby infant passing too much gas. If anyone has not yet seen this footage, well, all I can say is it must have been a real gasser for all three of them to suffer through not only the speech but whatever Cheney was laughing about... But Nancy Pelosi, wearing a stylish, matching seafoam green jacket and tee and also seated behind Bush and next to Cheney, conducted herself (as always) with the utmost professionalism throughout the warmonger's one note speech: Iraq, Iraq, and then more Iraq.

How about global warming? Darfur? Stopping middle class eradication? But NOOOOOO. So the whole audience sat there like one big, soaked Christmas ham on a chafing dish, Hillary in pearls included -- and applauded in between nodding off. What a crowd, our representatives and Big Media. What a bunch. But at least Big Media caught it on camera.

Not too much Axis of Evil this time, which was refreshing. Besides, the whole world now knows that the Axis of Evil is headed by Bush & Co. and supporters, as they plunder the world in their quest for war machine profits.

We actually think the yuks were due to an earphone, that he was listening to O'Reilly or his stock broker but in any event, the leader of the free world was shamed by his vice president - and vice versa -- not that either of them would know the difference...and the tragedy to this comedic scene is that we their victims.

Thanks a lot, Red America, for voting in these thugs. Think you can get it straight in 2008?

-2Truthy

NCMR: Big Media Squatters, "Tear Down That Shantytown"

BIG MEDIA SQUATTERS: WILL DENNIS KUCINICH RUN 'EM OUTTA TOWN?

During the 1980's Ronald Reagan rule, with his eye on Berlin as he famously implored Mr. Gorbachev to "tear down that wall", the Fairness Doctrine to ensure equal opportunity of opposing viewpoints came tumbling down with it. Those were the days. The Reagan years...

If the airwaves really do belong to the people, how about collecting rent from these inner circle squatters who today, get to privatize their value as their own cash cow? While Big Media conglomerates keep buying up our airwaves and sell them back to each other, shareholders, and not the public, are the winners. Instead of the public supporting Big Media shareholders, we need take back the airwaves and collect that rent and then direct those funds to public coffers.

So why are right wing pundits slinging arrows at calls to resurrect the FAIRNESS DOCTRINE? Why does Washington insist on tilting the playing field to Big Media? Government protects Big Media and discourages smaller, innovative media outlets from developing independent local and national programming. The FCC’s pro-consolidation push has given rise to the public’s demand for reform, as presented this month by freepress.net sponsored NCMR in Memphis, TN.

Back in the days before Ronald Reagan dismantled the Fairness Doctrine, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) took seriously the commission's mandate to promote entrepreneurship in the media marketplace. But like all trickle down right wing programs devised to let the plebes eat cake and choke on it, the thirst for new media reform has generated a surge of public interest in taking back the democratic voice of America.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) was Man of the Hour, making a surprise appearance in Memphis to announce that he would be heading up a new House subcommittee which will focus on issues surrounding the Federal Communications Commission. Alrighty, then! Kucinich said in his speech that "We know the media has become the servant of a very narrow corporate agenda" and added "we are now in a position to move a progressive agenda to where it is visible." While libertarians and the right wing are crying foul over reinstating the Fairness Doctrine, insisting that multiple markets drive media and government has no business ‘interfering,’ what exactly is the role of government in the first place -- to protect the interests of the people or the interests of Big Money? Get a clue, wing nuts!

Presidential candidate Kucinich said that the committee would be holding "hearings to push media reform right at the center of Washington.” The Domestic Policy Subcommittee of the House Government Reform Committee was to be officially announced a week later in Washington, D.C., but Kucinich opted to make the news public early.

Watchdogging Big Media? In addition to media ownership, the new committee is also expected to focus on issues such as net neutrality and major telecommunications mergers, a much overdue step to return the airwaves to the people.

Memo to Big Media Squatters: We don't want you in Our Town.

-2Truthy

QUINCY ASKS CLOONEY: DO I NEED A HEADSHOT FOR MR. BOB WOODWARD?

FROM THE DESK OF QUINCY

Hi George,

It’s me, Quincy.

I hope you are easing into the New Year just fine without Max and that memories of the many happy times spent together comfort you, as you look forward to better reviews on “The Good German.”

It has been a little over a month now since I answered Mr. Bob Woodward’s job posting for the Administrative Assistant position in Washington, DC.

http://tootruthy.blogspot.com/2006/12/quincy-goes-to-washington.html

I thought I would send him a follow up letter and wanted to ask your advice:

Do you think I should include my headshot above? Or, how about the above picture of me on Halloween, riding around the driveway popping wheelies on my tricycle? I especially like this one because it demonstrates my keen athletic abilities and shows off my Photoshop skills…

But do you know what? Today, The NY Times ran a story today about Nancy Pelosi and her clothes

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/18/fashion/18pelosi.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

This made me wonder if I should just skip the whole photo thing altogether -- since it looks like people in Washington, DC still judge one another based upon appearances and I am no stranger to discrimination against domestic pets and barnyard animals. Besides, 2Truthy refuses to buy me Ferragamos because she said “Only old, faux democrat windbags like Diane Feinstein wear Fearragamos and that Ugg Boots are just fine as they create an unassuming fashion statement.”

Well, let me know what you think and best wishes on the reviews.

Your pal,

QUINCY

NCMR Memphis 2007: Keynote BILL MOYERS

 -2Truthy Meets With Bill Moyers, Memphis 2007-

NCMR Memphis, 2007: Keynote BILL MOYERS

There were plenty of 'holy shit' moments for 2Truthy this past week at the National Conference for Media Reform (NCMR), which was hosted this year at the Memphis Convention Center (1/12-1/14) and attracted over 3,000 academics, activists and media professionals from across the country to address the problems of Big Media that threaten objective reporting and freedom of the press. NCMR, sponsored by freepress.net http://www.freepress.net/, featured hundreds of combined speeches, workshops, panels and exhibitors with the primary purpose of saving the internet, stopping Big Media, and protecting public media. This week, 2Truthy will report on the speakers and workshops attended as it was utterly impossible to attend them all due to considerable overlap of so many fine speakers. Check back for reports on Phil Donahue, Juan Gonzales, Jeff Cohen, Danny Schecter, Laura Washington, Helen Thomas, Geena Davis and Jane Fonda, to name a few.

Special thanks to the folks at Freepress.net Founder, President and Board Chairman Robert McChesney, (who bears a slight resemblance to John Malkovich - only with more hair, gravitas and degrees) who explained that “the media are in a state of deep, deep crisis, and it’s universally acknowledged that the state of journalism in America has disintegrated.” For three jam packed days of morning through evening speeches and workshops, the camaraderie was kicked off the moment award winning journalist Bill Moyers addressed the conference ballroom of 3,000 with a compelling and moving keynote address that unified the audience more powerfully than a Baptist revival. To have been there to experience his galvanizing message was truly a privilege, and to have had the chance to meet and speak with him after the speech was an honor.

click here to Watch Bill Moyers.

Equal to or Better than a Stones Concert… The standing ovation and applause shook the proverbial rafters before and after – especially after -- Bill Moyers gave his keynote address. The message that the ever graceful Mr. Moyers so inspirationally conveyed about the “Plantation Media Society” ownership was that people want media to foster democracy, not squelch it and that together, we CAN make a difference in what we expect of the media by demanding more and speaking out. That the channels of “radio, TV, and cable, which were hailed as a vehicle to give voice to community and meant to serve the Life of the Mind were controlled by Jello and General Motors” illustrates a numbing picture of the “parasites in politics” that bear down to control our airwaves.
These parasites in politics and other flatworldians, like billionaire blowhard Tom Friedman who hail so-called “free trade” agreements like NAFTA and CAFTA as “inevitable and necessary” and yet never even read, are gathering foam on the exclusive beltway cocktail party circuit of insufferable mutual admiration society ass kissers who will stop at nothing to silence a free and democratic media.

To say you “had to be there” would be an understatement, because, after he delivered that speech, I don’t think there was one person in that ballroom who will ever think about the media in the same way again, in particular how much a part of it we collectively really are, by our silence, and how we have the choice to either passively sit back and allow Big Media to control what we read and think, or to stand up at both the local and national and levels and play an active role in reforming it.

Bill Moyers inspired us all to make a difference working together. By appreciating our individual and collective strengths and talents, we can utilize our local channels and networks of communication to shape our communities in a democratic way that represents everyone. Our country was built on the promise of hard work and compromise by the good character and integrity of our rich and diverse people.

But what Mr. Moyers so eloquently expressed to us all from that stage in Memphis last week was that we can together shape and restore democracy to our media once again, echoing the history that the founders of our great nation so fiercely believed that we can and will regain the power of its true voice, the voice of freedom. Our voice of America.

-2Truthy

Frosty Equates Al Gore With Condoms: An Inconvenient Meltdown

"My Name Is Frosty and I Don't Believe In Global Warming"

-Frosty Hardison

The suburban Seattle Federal Way School District this week declared a moratorium on Al Gore's critically acclaimed "An Inconvenient Truth", after an anti-sex education and pro-creationism parent complained about the film.

Frosty Hardison, a Federal Way, WA parent of seven kids in the local public school district, proclaimed this week that "Condoms don't belong in school, and neither does Al Gore. He's not a schoolteacher." Hmm. Ok, so Al's no schoolteacher. So far, Frosty has done his homework. But then, the fact checking begins to go south.

2Truthy did not make this up. Read more
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/299253_inconvenient11.html

Then Frosty continued to splain that, since he believes that the earth is 14,000 years old, "The information that's being presented is a very cockeyed view of what the truth is. ... The Bible says that in the end times everything will burn up, but that perspective isn't in the DVD."

No doubt about it. Gore's intelligent film exposes the big picture dangers of global warming and it is up to all of us as a global community to respond NOW these man made threats on our global environment

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/091906J.shtml

With more parents like Frosty, all I can say is " Break out your shovels, folks. It's going to be a bumpy plight."

For more information on how you can fight global warming, visit
http://participate.net/aninconvenienttruth

-2Truthy

Pelosi's Suggestion For The New House Uniform

Madame Speaker Nancy Pelosi and all of the members of The House of Representatives can wear the above uniform with pride. Every Day.

Whether it's an exclusive Tony Snow affair or routine press briefing, the new 2007 uniform is sure to leave heads and tails wagging.

An interview rebuttal with the ultimate steerage worthy snit, David Brooks? No problem. The 2007 new House uniform is guaranteed to embolden Democratic Congressmen, strengthening their resolve to never lose their spines again.
(Matching helmuts optional.)

-2Truthy

WRINGING IN THE NEW YEAR

"I just bought myself a Saddam Hussein t-shirt.

It's a bit tight around the neck, but it hangs well." -2Truthy

It takes real genius to create a martyr out of Saddam Hussein. That the Butcher of Baghdad had his neck wrung for crimes against humanity and later elevated to martyr status is, well, a bit of a stretch...

Read More: Saddam Hussein: From Monster to Martyr, by Patrick Cockburn

http://countercurrents.org/iraq-cockburn050107.htm

-2Truthy