The New York Times isn't exactly a bastion of journalism. They are corporate media shills just one step above Faux News and Lou Dobbs. So, their endorsements are not exactly representative of the interests of the majority of the people who live here.

Even worse, this paper is financially beholden to Michael Bloomberg. Some of Bloomberg's tens of millions of dollars spent to buy the election go to ads on the NY Times website. They also are desperate, since they are losing money. So, it isn't shocking that they gave middle class readers the finger by endorsing would be Mayor for Life Bloomberg.

What is surprising is the way they endorsed the Little Mayor That Couldn't. They practically drooled over the worst NYC Mayor since Jimmy Walker. Here's a paragraph so divorced from the reality we experience here in NYC that one can not help but think that writing the editorial was outsourced abroad.

NY Times 10/23/09:

What makes the mayor stand out is not his political skill, although he has come a long way since his first clumsy days in office. He has run the $60 billion government with a keen attention to accountability and efficiency. He has chosen some of the best people in the country to work for him, and he has mostly let them do their jobs. As a result, many city services operate better than they have for years. The garbage mostly disappears on time. The police and fire departments respond quickly. Mr. Bloomberg’s 311 phone line allows New Yorkers to complain to a live human being. Often, they even see tangible results.

Let's compare this to the facts:

1) Outside of Manhattan, trash delivery is still spotty. Most people in NYC don't live in Manhattan.

2) It is generally difficult to impossible to get the NYPD to file a crime report, much less solve the crime.

3) The NYPD takes forever to show up when you call them, if they show up at all.

4) 311 is a terrible mess. It's as if it is run by the Deptartment Of Wrong Answers. Even worse, city agencies won't answer their direct numbers unless you are from a wealthy interest. Instead they insist you call 311, which gives incorrect information and misdirects calls.

5) Seldom do any people who are middle class or poor see any tangible results from the city government. The rich do get tons of taxpayer money shoveled at them, though.

The article goes on to say that Blomberg's efforts to spending millions of dollars to buy the election and his refusal to tolerate dissent are "small blemishes." That speaks volumes about the corporate media's hatred and contempt for democracy and civil liberties.

Whenever anybody says the Times is a liberal newspaper, I giggle.

If you like that funky, offbeat idea called democracy, you may be looking for someone else to vote for than Bloomberg. If you want something done about the execrable morass of NYC city government, you should definitely pick someone who won't run the city like a failed bank or brokerage firm. It's time for a decent mayor and a decent human being.

It's time for Bill Thompson for Mayor.



Photo (of Bloomberg at top): Edwin Martinez1

Ever since Osama bin Warren was allowed to unconstitutionally participate in the inauguration, there has been a growing disquiet with the Obama administration and congressional Democrats in the queer community. We constantly have been told to "give him a chance" whenever we speak up. Younger queers found it bizarre that basic rights are treated as trivialities which must be set aside indefinitely. Those of us who have been around longer remember being told "give him a chance" during a previous Administration only to have Bill Clinton turn out to be viciously homophobic.

Cleve Jones and the other organizers of the National Equality March (NEM) did something about it. They organized their butts off and got hundreds of thousands of queers to protest in DC with a very small budget. The NEM put queer issues back on the national agenda after years of both parties trying to keep all of them but same sex marriage from being addressed in any way at all in Congress and the media.

The NEM pointed a big red arrow at the DC Democrats poor record on queer issues. The Obama administration, being typically contemptuous of us, decided to throw us a bone by having the President make a speech at the HRC dinner. We choked on that bone.

This is where the courageous people who picketed the HRC dinner played a huge role. Obama's speech was irritating and offensive in the absence of overdue action, yet that irritation would have remained isolated and unfocused if not for the picketers galvanizing it.

Thanks to the massive outpouring of people and energy at the NEM and the HRC dinner picketers who were speaking for the vast majority of lgbt people, the Washington Democrats realized that they actually would have to do something for us. They picked passage of hate crimes legislation because that is the queer issue that has the most overwhelming support among the general population. In the process, they passed legislation on the second most important queer issue.

The NEM and the HRC picket didn't pass the legislation by themselves. People have been working on the issue for at least three decades. What they accomplished was to give a final push to an effort that had been stalled for far too long.

Thanks again to the street activists who made this happened. If people had all just sat home and waited, we wouldn't have passed a hate crimes bill for years, if not decades.

Photo: samirluther

Pissed off at the banksters? You are far from alone.

Video of the massive crowd showing their opposition to bankster corruption in Chicago: (Hat Tip Beans, Rice, and Gold)


Showdown in Chicago is a massive mobilization against the big bankster convention being held this year in Chicago. Here is a description of the coalition behind this efforts to stand up to corrupt interests.

We are everyday people – retirees, farmers, workers, homeowners, renters, students, clergy, and small business owners from across the United States. We are coming together in Chicago because there is so much at stake and no time to waste.

It is clear that our financial system is a mess and the American people are paying the price for it. Whether it be shrinking pensions, rising foreclosures, cresting unemployment, state budget cuts, payday lending, incredulous overdraft fees, and sky-high credit card interest rates – it is clear that the lack of regulation of the financial industry is hurting us all.

America can do better. Now is the time for us to enact significant financial reform to protect consumers and strengthen the American economy. If you believe now is the time to regulate the banks in the name of protecting people, we invite you to join us in Chicago, October 25-27.

The mobilization was quite successful. Thousands of people marched today against the parasitical behavior of the unregulated banksters.

Crowd shots from this protest say a lot.


Photo: Kate Thomas / SEIU



Photo: Carrie Sloan

The banksters have such a sense of entitlement, they even think that the press is obligated to avoid serious coverage of the protests. From The Nation 10/26/09:

Day two of the Showdown in Chicago, a three-day-long protest against big banks, began a bit dismally for The Nation. An email from American Bankers Association spokesman John Hall informed us that our press credentials had been revoked. The reason? Because we'd arrived early to cover a protest outside the ABA's annual meeting at the Sheraton Hotel the night before, he told us, ABA officials believed us to be "moles for the protesters."

The sad thing is that most corporate media outlets back down to this kind of crap, especially from major advertisers like the big banks.

Photo: Steve Rhodes

The level of evil from corporate America seems limitless.

From New Times Broward-Palm Beach 10/22/09:

Christina Turner, a 45-year-old Fort Lauderdale woman, was downtown, letting men at the bar by her drinks. The next thing she remembers is waking up on a roadside with cuts and bruises that indicated she may have been raped. As a safety precaution, she visited her doctor, who prescribed a month's worth of anti-AIDS medicine. And that's about when things went from horrible to unbelievably fucked.

When Turner went to change health insurance companies a few months later, she learned she was essentially uninsurable. Turner, a former health insurance underwriter, told the Huffington Post that the AIDS meds raised too many health questions, and that even after she repeatedly explained the assault (that doesn't sound fun) insurers wouldn't sell her a policy.

The way things work right now, in a time history might well refer to as "the sick centuries," it doesn't matter if you have AIDS or not. If you've had anti-AIDS treatment, most insurance companies write you off as uncoverable. "It's basically an automatic no," one insurance agent told HP.

Sounds like: "Sorry 'bout that, friend. Hope the treatment worked out for you. Either way, get the fuck out of our office and have a nice death."

Having recently written about HMOs denying life saving HIV medications, I'm in no position to express surprise. I can definitely express horror. How can corrupt politicians like Mitch McConnell, Blanche Lincoln, John "Keating Five" McCain, Max Baucus, and Olympia Snowe sleep at night after trying to keep these evil companies in business at the expense of our healthcare, our economy, and our very humanity?

Nothing illustrates the need for real campaign finance reform than the corruption, mendacity, and insanity we have seen during the healthcare debate. Some might compare the Senate to a whorehouse, but prostitution is honest work, and prostitutes own their bodies. Senators do not own their Senate seats and have no right to put them up for sale.

The Senate Campaign by Linda McMahon, who resigned as WWE CEO to run for the Connecticutt GOP nomination has been a golden opportunity for snark, one which I have been happy to take advantage of. I'm not the only one. From Inside Wrestling Pulse 10/24/09:

It’s really funny to think about all the absurd crap that her opponents could mention. I mean, how would things go down in a debate?

“Mrs. McMahon, were you not the head of a company that at one point showed an 80 year old woman being a nymphomaniac and at one point giving birth to a hand?”

A video shows some of the wild things that have gone on in the WWE. The YouTube pages says, "This video may not be suitable for minors," which is comical since minors watched all this stuff on TV.



Here's the video of Ms. McMahon where she defends her involvement with the WWE. It's quite funny.



Ms. McMahon's political opponents will probably enjoy this staged video of her being chokeslammed and piledriven by a WWE performer.

Here's a parody video from the CT2010TV YouTube channel.



Here are some gratuitous pics of half naked WWE hunks for my gay/bi male readers. (Thumbnails link to full sized pics.)


















Photos: Linda McMahon for Senate
Big Ed's Photos
Big Ed's Photos
Pauley2483
shstrng

Billionaires for Wealthcare is at it again. They just got into a HMO/health insurer pr event and sang their little hearts out. The various Billionaires groups (e.g. "Billionaires for Bush") have been doing creative and funny street theater for years, calling attention to important public issues and entertaining people at protests. (Hat Tip Politics Plus)

 

The House and Senate have passed legislation extending federal hate crimes protection to gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, and disability. This victory on the second most important piece of lgbt civil rights legislation is very important. From the Advocate 10/22/09:

The Senate voted 68 to 29 Thursday to pass a Defense Department funding bill that includes a measure extending hate-crimes protections to people targeted on the basis of their gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability.

The National Defense Authorization Act now goes to President Barack Obama’s desk for his signature.

We can not relax and assuming that President Obama will do the right thing. He has broken a wide range of promises on numerous issues including Iraq, illegal wiretapping, and restoring the rule of law. We need to keep up the pressure in order to try to make sure Obama signs the legislation.

Please Contact the White House!

The Mad Professah Lectures makes an excellent point about the legislation:

Today's 68-29 vote on the final version of the Department of Defense spending bill means that the federal hate crimes bill will become the first piece of federal legislation that includes gender identity and the first major piece of civil rights legislation on the LGBT agenda to be enacted.

The legislation had overwhelming Democratic support and heavy Republican opposition. People in the queer community might be interested in knowing that Lindsey Graham and Mitch McConnell voted against the legislation.

Russ Feingold, a Democrat, voted against it on the grounds that it was attached to legislation funding the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Some Republicans voted for it, including Ensign, McCain, Cornyn, Hutchison, Lugar, Bond, Voinovich, Snowe, and Collins. In some cases, it was difficult to know if they really supported extending hate crimes protections or if they didn't want to vote against the Defense Appropriations bill it was attached to.

Even with this victory, we must keep our eyes on the most important queer civil rights bill in Congress, ENDA. Kevin Cathcart of Lambda Legal made an excellent point in its 10/22/09 Press Release:

"Now that the Hate Crimes Act has passed adding protections for all members of our community against violence motivated by hate, Congress must also pass an inclusive ENDA to protect us against discrimination on the job. The majority of Americans support workplace protections for lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender people and there is no reason for further delay," Cathcart added.

Photo: Mike_flemming

As you may know, the once trustworthy BBC has given a platform for the leader of the small, neo-Nazi organization in the UK, the "British National Party."

The BBC has a complaints form, and this is what I wrote:

Putting a Nazi like Nick Griffin on your network, giving him time to spew his filth, is a personal attack on American viewers of BBC America and people in my country who thought they could trust BBC as a news network.

Tens of thousands of Americans died in WWII defending the UK from Nazis like Nick Griffin. Putting him on your network is the moral equivalent of urinating on the graves of Americans who died fighting Hitler in WWII. You are such ingrates.

The BBC has lost a tremendous amount of credibility as a news network. You are becoming another Faux News.

When people don't do enough to combat fascist propaganda networks like Faux News, the once mainstream media start veering towards the nutty right wing too.

This demonstrates that the need for independent media gets stronger every day.

Update: Here's the relevant part of the BBC's canned reply email:

The BBC is obliged to treat all political parties registered with the Electoral Commission and operating within the law with due impartiality. There is evidence of electoral support after the British National Party won two seats in the European Elections so like any party in this position the BNP may appear on programmes like Question Time.

I wasn't dumb enough to fall for this. The Green Party of England and Wales got two seats in the same European Elections, yet they were excluded from the program with spokespeople from the political parties, including the BNP Nazis.

So much for "impartiality."

The BBC is lying through its teeth.

The banksters are going off the rails. Now that the federal treasuries of the US and other countries have saved their slimy butts, they are deciding they are entitled to get away with everything. Here are some examples:

USA Today 10/21/09:
Latest bank fee is for paying off credit card on time every month
Bank of America is leading the way on this one, charging between $25 and $99 for some customers who pay off their cards on time. Citigroup is charging people who don't use their card for a minimum amount of $2400 per year.

The banksters even have a way of retaliating if you decide to get rid of their cards: you get punished with a lower credit rating if you do it.

From the Left 10/21/09:
Credit Card Offer Comes with a 79.9% Interest Rate
This is a true story. How can the banksters get away with it? A while back, the US Supreme Court ruled that regulations on credit cards only could be applied by the banks' states, not the customers' states. The banksters responded to that ruling by moving to places like South Dakota and Deleware where they don't have any rules on maximum interest rates. Congress still hasn't passed national credit card regulations that stop these astonishing interest rates.

Guardian 10/21/09
(Hat Tip: Citizens for Legitimate Government)
Public must learn to 'tolerate the inequality' of bonuses, says Goldman Sachs vice-chairman
Here are two truly infamous paragraphs:

In remarks that will fuel the row around excessive pay, Lord Griffiths, vice-chairman of Goldman Sachs International and a former adviser to Margaret Thatcher, said banks should not be ashamed of rewarding their staff.

Speaking to an audience at St Paul's Cathedral in London about morality in the marketplace last night, Griffiths said the British public should "tolerate the inequality as a way to achieve greater prosperity for all".

Why didn't that asswipe bankster just say, "Let them eat cake"?

British banksters can be just as repugnant as ones here in the good old USA.

The Question of Nationalization

There was a time when I was strongly opposed to bank nationalization. But, we have taxpayer bailouts and exorbitant fees going towards grotesquely large and completely unearned bonuses for banksters whose base salaries are astronomically and undeservedly high. How can people can money shoveled at them for almost destroying the world economy through their greed, incompetence, and stupidity?

Is nationalization the only way to finally put a stop to all of this disgusting corruption?

Photo: wot nxt

 

If you don't want to cry about blatant political corruption, laugh about it. Zaius Nation has a fun new game (Hat Tip to Vagabond Scholar).

It doesn't fit within my Blogger template, but it's well worth checking out.

Tired of Max Baucus and other corrupt politicians playing games with your healthcare and financial livelihood? Feel like doing something about the corruption? Here's something.

Tell Sen. Majority Leader Reid Not to Let the Baucus Bill Kill the Public Option!

There has a lot of media buzz about Ratzi's hostile takeover bid to swallow up part of the Anglican Church within his Catholic empire.

There certainly is a militant fundamentalist faction within the Anglican brands of Protestantism as is the case with other Protestant sects. The Talibanists within Anglicanism (Episcopalianism here in the US) have been throwing temper tantrums for years over women and gay Anglican priests. With Ratzi's convoluted offer to subsume their version of Anglican faith within the Church of the Vatican, one has to ask:

Will the fundies really choose a church notorious for child raping priests over a church with women and gay priests?

I know that misogyny and heterosexism make people crazy, but this is taking things really far. Let's look at the position the any Anglicans will be taking if they go along with Ratzi's takeover bid.

women = bad
gays = bad
child rapists = good???????????

I love being an atheist.

Images: eürodäna
Tunguska.RDM

 

From NY1 10/15/09: (Hat Tip Rod 2.0)

State Senator Jeffrey Klein released a report Thursday, showing Latinos are among the New Yorkers whose insurance companies are limiting their access to HIV/AIDS medication.

Klein's office monitored the 12 most widely used HMOs in the state. It found they limit the number of allowable doses and block coverage of so-called single source drugs -- those which are patented, brand name medications with no generic equivalent.

"The problem we're seeing time and time again is that doctors are prescribing single source drugs because they know that's the medication their patients need to stay alive in many cases, yet the HMOs are not covering it," Klein said.

I hate the HMOs. I hate the HMOs. I hate the HMOs.
 

It's no secret that Max Baucus is a corrupt politician who is completely bought and paid for. Here are the three main goals of his "healthcare reform" legislation.

1) Fining people who can't afford health insurance.

2) Raising taxes on middle class people who have relatively good health insurance, though no private health insurance is really good.

3) Shoveling money at the HMOs and health insurers.

What seem to be kept secret are the political consequences for the Democrats if they pass this piece of shit. Robert Parry of Consortium News did an excellent analysis of it. Here's the upshot:

Indeed, if the Democrats abandon the public option for the sake of passing a bill like the one that came out of the Senate Finance Committee, they may be courting electoral disaster once voters grasp that they will have to wait years for the law to be implemented and then that it could lead to higher costs for much the same unpopular private insurance plans.

The public option offers the only means for a reform to be quickly implemented and to demonstrate a beneficial effect for the people by 2010 and 2012. It has the potential for reducing costs, especially for small businesses and individuals who are now being soaked by private insurers or denied coverage.

There is deep, simmering anger in this country at the way people are being treated by the HMOs and insurance companies. Here are some protesters against the company ironically named Wellpoint. The public option is a small step towards single payer, which is the most cost effective and moral health policy. There is 65-70% support for single payer among the public, but not among big money campaign contributors or among corporate media moguls.



 

Bill Thompson, who is running against heterosexist bigot Michael Bloomberg, spoke out at the rally against the heinous homophobic hate crime that recently happened in Queens. Here's his speech.



Thompson has been a strong supporter of the queer community for years. He doesn't suddenly discover us around election time, like some politicians do.

Hundreds of people showed up to protest the hate crime, while a small number of bigots showed up to support the bashers.

No Th3rd T3rm for Micha3l Bloomb3rg! points out the following:

Whilst the community held the public demonstration against homophobia and hate crimes, reportedly, "Bloomberg was off campaigning with Giuliani. Telling, very telling."

It's especially telling, since the NYPD did nothing about homophobic hate crimes under Giuliani except when they went on a queer bashing spree during the Matthew Shepard Political Funeral March.

Bloomberg has got to go.

 

Our pathetic excuse of a "governor," David Paterson, has announced a plan for billions of dollars in unnecessary budget cuts that could easily be avoided by making the rich pay a little closer to their fair share in taxes.

Here's the contents of my email to Gov. Paterson. I think people should send similar emails to any corrupt politician advocating budget cuts instead of tax justice.

I am deeply offended that you are attacking middle class and poor people in New York by pushing for draconian budget cuts in the services we need and deserve. You are perfectly aware of the indisputable fact that these cuts could easily be avoided by making the rich pay something slightly closer to their fair share in taxes.

Our budget shortfalls are caused by an economic downturn resulting from irresponsible speculation by the rich and corrupt practices by the banksters and the brokesters. You should make them pay for it, not the innocent. Here are some tax increases that every moral person supports that would get rid of the budget gap.

1) Enact a state tax on all bankster and brokester bonuses.

2) Raise taxes much, much higher on people receiving over $200,000 in income.

3) Enact luxury taxes on expensive cars, mansions, yachts, fur coats, second homes, luxury boxes at sports events, and other examples of conspicuous consumption.

4) Enact a 1/10% tax on every stock transaction.

While you are at it, you should get rid of all the stolen subsidies for rich developers that they have grabbed from the state.

It would be easy to get rid of the budget gap without penalizing the overwhelming majority of New Yorkers who are innocent victims of this economic downturn. Will you do it, or will you sell your office to the biggest campaign contributors?

Paterson is acting more and more like a corrupt Republican every day.

This is a nationwide pattern and an inexcusable one. The rich have been robbing the middle class and the poor for far too long. It's time to use our inalienable rights as citizens in a representative democracy to use the power of our state and federal governments to take back what is rightfully ours.

 

Maui Girl has an excellent blog. In it, she legitimately criticized some inaccurate information about the swine flu vaccine from a Bill Maher wisecrack.

(Note: I refuse to stop calling it swine flu in order to pander to the irrationality of Jewish and Muslim religious extremists who throw tantrums over it.)

However, the decision whether or not to take the swine flu vaccine should be a complex one with many factors involved. One factor that isn't taken into effect is the fact that by avoiding the swine flu, you are taking the long term risk of having a weaker immune system.

The main reason why this round of swine flu is not effecting the elderly as badly as the younger is most of them already had swine flu in the past. In addition to the pandemic of the early 20th century, there were smaller swine flu outbreaks in the 50s and 60s. Our immune system works on a form of experience based knowledge. The body can quickly produce antibodies to foreign substances that have already proven harmful to the body in the past. That's why people tend to only get the measles once. The influenza is a highly evolved parasite which changes its genetic code fairly often. So, past exposure doesn't prevent infection, but it dramatically reduces the time it takes for the body to mount a sufficient immune response.

If you try too hard to avoid the flu in general or the swine flu in particular, you are taking an unacknowledged risk of getting very sick in the future. That risk is an important one to consider.

Insurance companies and HMOs don't care about long term risks. They just don't want to provide acute care now. Their emphasis on short term profits may influence the corporate media, but you shouldn't let it influence you.

Another risk is that many of the swine flu vaccine titers have mercury in them. The level of mercury in some vaccine titers is so high that the State of Washington is changing its standards so that pregnant women can legally get those shots. (Pregnant women are a high risk group to die of swine flu.)

The culprit is the antibacterial additive thimerosal, which is found in multidose vials. A single shot probably isn't worth panicking over, but there's a catch. People tend to get vaccinated a lot more than they used to. Even worse, we are experiencing increased levels of mercury poisoning from our addiction to coal power both directly in the air we breathe, and indirectly in the water we drink and the fish we eat. Adding to our mercury load is a significant risk. If you are getting vaccinated for swine flu, avoiding thimerosal and multidose vials is in your best interest.

Given the risks involved in avoiding the swine flu, I'm going to avoid the vaccine instead. The risk of death is low for this strain of the swine flu in general, and there are several reasons why I'm in a low risk group.

1) I'm middle aged.

2) I don't have any of the chronic conditions such as asthma and multiple sclerosis which are the prerequisites in middle aged swine flu deaths nearly all the time.

3) I'm not a caregiver for anyone in a high risk group.

4) It is physically impossible for me to become pregnant.

If my circumstances were different, I might very well get the swine flu shot. The important thing here is to become educated and make a rational decision based on your personal circumstances. There is no one size fits all answer to this. (Of course, one size fits all hats and gloves never fit me either.)

 

Kevin Jennings (right)
Photo: Alan Light

I really admire Truth Wins Out for standing up to the bigoted smear campaign against Kevin Jennings, the Obama Administration official who used to run the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network. Here's an excerpt from their 10/16/09 press release:

NEW YORK – Truth Wins Out criticized the on-going smear campaign that anti-gay organizations and politicians are orchestrating against Kevin Jennings, who is serving as the Assistant Deputy Secretary of Education for the Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools.

“We are witnessing a disgraceful political hit job filled with baseless allegations, ugly innuendo and outright homophobia,” said Truth Wins Out Executive Director Wayne Besen. “Kevin Jennings is a hero that has saved the lives of many students and is eminently qualified for his position. Thanks to his work, countless gay youth were able to concentrate on scholastic success instead of basic survival or even suicide.”

Jennings, the founder of the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight, Education Network (GLSEN) has the support of the National Association of School Psychologists , Learning First Alliance , National Education Association, National Association of Secondary School Principals, Council for Exceptional Children and the Social Workers Association of America.

The groundless attacks intensified after fifty-three House Republicans signed a letter to the Obama administration asking for the dismissal of Jennings. “As the founder of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, Mr. Jennings has played an integral role in promoting homosexuality and pushing a pro-homosexual agenda in America’s schools –an agenda that runs counter to the values that many parents desire to instill in their children,” the lawmakers write.

“Jennings ‘real agenda’ was promoting tolerance and stopping children from essentially getting mugged in schools because of their real or perceived sexual orientation,” said Besen. “These attempts to slime Jennings have nothing to do with his exemplary record or qualifications. Instead, extremists are trying to use Jennings as a proxy to further their culture war.

The 53 Republicans should be ashamed of themselves, but bigots like them have no shame.

When Jennings ran GLSEN, he was one of the few queers in leadership positions who really took their responsibilities seriously and never sold out his constituency for the purpose of self aggrandizement or self enrichment. It's so typical of where our country is going these days that the more integrity someone has, the more likely that person will subject to insane personal attacks from the right fringe, especially the religious extremists.

 

Much of the phony "healthcare reform" touted by bought politicians and the corporate media involves forcing people to buy "insurance coverage" or face fines. Sometimes this approach is actually described as "universal healthcare." But, do people who do have insurance really get "universal healthcare"?

From the text of an email I received from the Color of Change 10/15/09:

The evidence is clear -- America's health care system is failing Black folks like Dawn Smith.

Dawn was diagnosed with a brain tumor that causes crippling pain and keeps her from working. The tumor was treatable -- but Dawn's insurance company, CIGNA, denied her treatment for two years. CIGNA finally changed their tune, but not until our friends at MoveOn.org brought Dawn's story to light.1

But CIGNA still won't promise to cover all the treatment Dawn needs. And they still won't explain why they denied her care for two years, let alone whether they'll change their policies. So Dawn is fighting back -- she's going to drive up to CIGNA's headquarters in Philadelphia to confront the CEO in person.

Fundamentally, Dawn isn't fighting just for herself. She's fighting for everyone who has struggled with irresponsible, unaccountable insurance companies who are fighting tooth and nail against the very reform that could level the playing field for Black folks, and improve health care for all Americans.

That's why we've joined MoveOn.org in supporting Dawn as she confronts CIGNA. Will you sign a statement of support for Dawn Smith? Your message will be delivered directly to CIGNA CEO H. Edward Hanway in person.

http://www.colorofchange.org/dawn/?id=1963-281170

In a racist society like ours, it's no secret that white people are less likely to be denied coverage by insurance companies and HMOs. Also, racism based gaps in income equality also make it more difficult for people of color to make up the difference between the care they need and what HMOs and insurance companies cover.

However, it would be naive to think that the problem is limited along racial lines. Regardless of race, if you have been around long enough to be middle aged like me, chances are overwhelming that you knew someone who died because an insurance company refused to cover life saving treatments and coerced the doctors into saying that the treatments were not medically necessary. When a family is dealing with serious illness, people often don't have the time and emotional energy to look into the situation, much less fight, until it is too late. I know this from personal experience. Years ago, my best friend's father was killed by an insurance company, and being white didn't protect him.

Insurance companies always have had real death panels, yet the corporate media deliberately censor that fact.

The link above refers to a petition the Color of Change is supporting to help Dawn Smith. That is a good thing. However, it isn't enough. We need to make it clear to the politicians that any proposal that doesn't give people a chance to set themselves free of the HMOs and health insurers is not "reform." Ms. Smith's story is an example of why we need single payer now.

Contact Your Policy Maker Today (via 1payer.net)!

Despite the anti patient stand of the AMA, there is strong support for single payer among doctors.

Mad as Hell Doctors Rally at the White House


 

I lost interest in MoveOn.org a while back because they wimped out on stopping the Iraq War and on single payer healthcare. But, even a center left organization like MoveOn.org is the target of a fringe, Mormon extremist like Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah.



Hatch is as nutty as he is corrupt. The GOP is becoming more of an asylum than a political party.

 

Fighting a war takes a lot of energy. The vehicles, planes, and ships use up a lot of fuel. High tech equipment used for combat also takes a lot of power. All of this generates CO2 emissions. When one evaluates a war policy, this enormous carbon footprint must be taken into account.

Also, wars take a lot of money to keep going. Some of that money could go to solar/wind/geothermal subsidies and desperately needed expansions of our public transportation systems. Our most important efforts to reduce climate change are being hampered by our steadily escalating war budgets.

The war in Iraq ads another layer to all of this. Fighting a war to increase the power and profits of Big Oil only reinforces our society's structural dependency on petroleum. When so much of our policy time and effort are devoted to a Big Oil foreign policy, there is less available for working together with other countries to reduce CO2 emissions.

Under these circumstances, there is no rational way to justify continuing the illegal war in Iraq. Over 1.3 million Iraqis have been killed, the vast majority by US troops. The war mongers keep pretending that we are helping or protecting the Iraqis by staying there and occupying their country. Yet, the occupation force is responsible for most of the violence. Every excuse for continuing the war evaporates under rational scrutiny.

It's time to tell Obama to take Global Warming seriously. A big part of that means ending the war against the Iraqi people and bringing all the troops and mercenaries home. From a logistical perspective, Obama easily could have finished this months ago. (Claims to the contrary are subtle slurs against the competency of our military.)

Tell President Obama to Withdrawal All Troops and Mercenaries from Iraq Now!

www.whitehouse.gov/contact

202-456-1111

 

The extreme right propaganda rag, the Washington Times, has quite entertaining owners: the Moonie cult. Let's see what the people behind the GOP's favorite newspaper are up to now. From USA Today 10/13/09:

Nearing 90 and turning over the Unification Church to his three sons, the Rev. Sun Myung Moon will perform another of his mass "weddings" this evening in extravaganzas from South Korea to the United States.

More than 40,000 people will be wed or have their marriages reaffirmed in "blessing ceremonies," the church says. In a ceremony that will be broadcast at other gatherings, more than 20,000 people — many of whom meet only moments before — will be united at Sun Moon University in Asan, south of Seoul.

Stateside, one of the largest blessings will be held tonight at the church-owned New Yorker Hotel in Manhattan.

If the GOP base really knew who their favorite politicians were pandering to....

 

The music is from "Busom Buddies" by Ethel Merman Angela Lansbury and Bea Arthur. That should appeal to the mos reading this.

 

In the press release for the picket outside last weekend's HRC dinner, the following was said which does a good job of summing up the views of queers who are frustrated and fed up with the inaction of DC Democrats on lgbt issues.

“The time for talking is over,” said Andy Thayer of the Chicago-based Gay Liberation Network (www.GayLiberation.net), one of the two organizations sponsoring the picket. “This President promised to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), he promised to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, he promised to pass the pro-LGBT Employment Non-Discrimination Act and a whole host of other things. Instead, he’s delivered on nothing while embracing anti-gay bigots Rick Warren and Donnie McClurkin. The last thing we need is more flowery rhetoric in front of rich, self-effacing gays and lesbians dressed up like penguins.”

Hillary Rosen is a fairly conservative lesbian who used to run RIAA, who is notorious for her campaign contribution to ultra homophobic Sen. Orrin Hatch, and who is on the Human Rights Campaign's Board. She summed up the views of people who support Obama and trust him in an article on the Advocate website.

“Every minute the President devotes to restating his goals for progress is a moment he is grabbing and focusing the nation’s attention on our issues,” said Rosen, who was not at the dinner. “The more he talks about LGBT equality, the more empowered Congress will feel to act. And the more will get done.”

I strongly agree with Thayer's analysis. However, I recognize the value of the queer community having people in both camps and in between.

If everyone was completely disgusted with Obama and the Democrats, they would be able to write us off as hopeless. On the other hand, if everyone was rah rah about the Democrats, they could take us for granted. The current complexity means that no one really knows how many queers will support the Democrats nor do they know how strongly. The only thing that is clear is that the Democrats will get a lot more support from queers if we get meaningful policy changes instead of lip service in return.

Otherwise, some queers will vote Green and many more will stay home in 2010 and 2012. If you are a partisan Democrat, that may upset you. But, taking out your frustrations on queers who are fed up won't help you build more support for Democrats in our community. Talking about how bad the Republicans are will pretty much be ignored if things don't get substantially better under the Democrats. The problem is the Democratic politicians in Washington, not the queer community. The only effective strategy you have to obtain what you want is to push Obama and the Democrats in Congress very hard for important, tangible progress on queer issues.

Because queers who are even partially out are a fairly small minority of the population, divisions among us can seem scary. However, politics often demands that constituencies be at play.

 

Note: Much of the media is going along with the dictatorship's decision to rename the country to Myanmar. The Burmese opposition still refers to the country as Burma.

India's government is betraying human rights and endangering their own democracy by blatant pandering to the dictatorship in a country on it's own borders. From the Times of India 10/10/09:

Army chief General Deepak Kapoor will be leaving on Sunday for Myanmar, a country with which India has ramped up diplomatic as well as military ties to counter China's deep strategic inroads there.

Gen Kapoor, who is also chairman of the chiefs of staff committee, will seek to further boost bilateral defence cooperation as part of the continuing efforts to ensure China does not manage to outflank India once again in the region.

If this eventually leads to a military coup in India, the Congress Party will only have itself to blame by allowing this to happen. It's disturbing that the oppressed Burmese people are being used as political footballs by China and India.

The Obama administration's approach to Burma has been dubious as well. They are legitimizing a murderous government by engaging in dialog with them rather than strengthening US ties to the opposition. But, at least Obama isn't engaged in military cooperation with the bloodthirsty military regime in Burma.

Map: Thomas Roche

 

Just as the HRC did when they invited homophobes like Bill Clinton and Nancy Pelosi to be their keynote speakers, history repeated itself when the Champagne Fund (Human Rights Campaign) rewarded Barack Obama for empty rhetoric and heterosexist substance at this weekend's annual dinner.

Fortunately, there were self respecting queers protesting outside the dinner. From the Washington Blade 10/11/09:

Tuxedo clad guests walking to the Washington Convention Center to see President Obama's speech Saturday before the Human Rights Campaign's annual dinner were greeted by a line of about 75 LGBT activists who criticized the president for not moving fast enough on LGBT rights legislation.

The protesters unfurled a 25 foot long banner bearing the words, "A Chicago Welcome for Obama: Keep your 0#% promises! Repeal DOMA, Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

Protest organizer Andy Thayer, a member of the Chicago-based Gay Liberation Network, said he and members of the Dallas-based Queer Liberaction called the protest to raise objections to what they believe has been the president's record so far of "all talk and no action."

The quote from the protest flier says it so well:

"For too many years the LGBT movement has been the plaything of the Democratic Party," said a statement handed out by the protesters. "Courted for money and votes when they needed us, abused and disrespected once they're in power."

The Democratic Party is supportive of queers at the local level in some states and cities, but the national party continues to exploit and abuse queers. Just because the Republicans are even worse is no excuse for how execrable the congressional and White House Democrats have been to us.

I know that Obama threw some platitudes at the self loathing queers at the HRC dinner who put pageantry over activism. I don't care. Empty speeches are mostly offensive and irritating at this point.

Employment discrimination legislation should have been passed in the late 70s, yet the Democratic Congress still hasn't put the legislation on Obama's desk to sign or veto. It's 2009. This is unacceptable.

 

This year's Blog Action Day will focus on Climate Change. Here's the reason they chose Climate Change as the topic. (Hat Tip Blue Gal)

Climate change affects us all and it threatens more than the environment. It threatens to cause famine, flooding, war, and millions of refugees.

Given the urgency of the issue of climate change and the upcoming international climate negotiations in Copenhagen this December, we think the blogosphere has the unique opportunity to mobilize millions of people around expressing support for finding a sustainable solution to the climate crisis.

The corporate PR and lobbying people have been spending a lot of money to deny Global Warming and delay action. A lot of people on the right are falling for the propaganda. It's critical that we make a major push to get reality back into the discussion and fight for real changes to protect our planet.

 

When I was looking for an opt out form on Michael Bloomberg's campaign website so I wouldn't get flooded with so much junk mail (none was found), I checked the endorsements page, and I was horrified to find out that Cecile Richards, President of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, had endorsed a vicious and fanatical homophobe like Michael Bloomberg for Mayor.

This really felt like a sucker punch because I had thought that Planned Parenthood was pro lgbt. I know better now, and I won't give those bigots any more money. Anyway, here's the text of the email I sent them.

I am shocked and horrified to learn that your President has deliberately promoted discrimination and violence against lesbian, gay, bi, and trans people here in New York City by endorsing a monstrous bigot like Michael Bloomberg for Mayor.

Bloomberg has been shutting down queer businesses. He has been engaging in campaigns of false arrest specifically targeting gay men, usually in predominantly gay neighborhoods. He has continued Giuliani's policy of the NYPD ignoring homophobic hate crimes unless the victims are killed or are famous. He has worked tirelessly to promote harassment and assault against queer youth in the New York City public schools. Bloomberg has deliberately discouraged HIV testing by starting contact tracing.

Of course, this isn't the only shocking thing about this endorsement. Bloomberg is a far right Bush/Cheney/Limbaugh Republican who has doled out bucket fulls of money from his personal fortune to finance the campaigns of far right GOP politicians who fight hard against reproductive rights. Bloomberg repeatedly committed criminal and unpatriotic acts during the RNC to keep the anti reproductive rights fanatic, George W. Bush, in the White House.

I cannot give money to an organization run by a vicious homophobe like this. The fact that she has deliberately sabotaged her own organization's mission by endorsing a monster like Michael Bloomberg is even worse.

I thought I could trust Planned Parenthood, but I obviously can't.

 

Proving that some people have way too much time on their hands, somebody has made a LOLcat Bible. (Hat Tip to Bitch Spot) It is hysterically funny, and it's pretty darn cute. Here is the opening passage.

Boreded Ceiling Cat makinkgz Urf n stuffs

1 Oh hai. In teh beginnin Ceiling Cat maded teh skiez An da Urfs, but he did not eated dem.

2 Da Urfs no had shapez An haded dark face, An Ceiling Cat rode invisible bike over teh waterz.

3 At start, no has lyte. An Ceiling Cat sayz, i can haz lite? An lite wuz. 4 An Ceiling Cat sawed teh lite, to seez stuffs, An splitted teh lite from dark but taht wuz ok cuz kittehs can see in teh dark An not tripz over nethin.5 An Ceiling Cat sayed light Day An dark no Day. It were FURST!!!

I'm wondering if we should all grow catnip for Ceiling Cat.

Somebody else is blogging a LOLcat Koran. It's pretty darned cute too.

 

I'm sure you know by now that President Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Reading about this had to be the biggest WTF momemt of the past few months. Let's look at the relevant facts.

- Our troops are still fighting the illegal war in Iraq, at very high levels. The numbers of mercenaries fighting that war has either stayed the same or gone up.

- The Afghanistan war continues.

- Obama has started a new war in Pakistan.

- Obama has given tacit support for the Honduran coup leaders.

- Obama is continuing the Bush regime policy of destabilizing Columbia, using rightist death squads and propping up the dictatorship there.

The notion that a president who has been feverish in his pro war stance can get a peace prize is absolutely Orwellian. You have to wonder if the Nobel Committee lives in a parallel universe or something.

You have to wonder about the right's talking point too. They keep saying that Obama hasn't done anything, so he shouldn't get the prize. The facts say otherwise. He has been able to implement a pro war agenda that these same rightists agree with. They aren't in any position to make legitimate criticisms because they share the same pro war agenda with Obama. So, they parrot a talking point that is completely disassociated from the truth.

 

Those dirty, dirty rats are at it again. Check out their latest press release.

BILLIONAIRES FOR WEALTHCARE
PROTEST ANTI-BILLIONAIRE AGENDA OF MICHAEL MOORE

“PROFITS ALWAYS COME BEFORE PEOPLE,” GROUP SAYS.

Billionaires for Wealthcare, the satirical street theater group composed of “Health Insurance CEOs, HMO lobbyists, and others profiting from our broken health care system,” protested today at the DC premiere of Michael Moore’s new film, “Capitalism: A Love Story.”

The group objects to the unfair depiction of the relentless pursuits of profit over the needs of people as a bad thing. “Mr. Moore obviously has an agenda with this film. He clearly doesn’t want us to continue making oodles of profits by denying and delaying care to those who need it most. That is just unfair to the smallest, most vulnerable minority in America: billionaires,” said health insurance CEO Monet Oliver de Place.

William “Billy” O’Naire said, “For the last decade, heath care costs have been moving in the right direction: up. With no competition, we raise rates as often and as high as we like simply because, well, we can. To further maximize our gains we have a star chamber of insurance bureaucrats, backed by legions of anonymous temps, who adhere to strict cost-to-profit ratios when denying claims. But please don’t call them Death Panels; we prefer ‘Judge, Jury & Executioner.’”

Billionaires in tuxedos and evening gowns protested Michael Moore and his anti-billionaire agenda by singing patriotic paeans to Capitalism (”Battle Hymn of the Insurance Companies”), and pop Champagne while holding placards that read “Let Them Eat Advil”, “Our Death Panels Turn a Profit” and “Fight Socialism: Abolish Medicare Now!”

Billionaires for Wealthcare is a grassroots network of health insurance CEOs, industry lobbyists, talk-show hosts, and others profiting off of our broken health care system. We are not a political, religious or even particularly well-organized group. We’re simple folk, thrilled profiteers pouring out of our corner offices to dance on the grave of “Change.” We’ll do whatever it takes to ensure another decade where America’s pain is our gain. After all, when it comes to healthcare, if we ain’t broke, why fix it?

For more information, please visit http://www.BillionairesForWealthcare.com

These people have a lot of nerve, mocking billionaires for grabbing every government subsidy they can get. Glenn Beck will have to start a Mormon jihad against them.

 

If you don't want NYC's incompetent Mayor to buy a third term with his tens of millions of dollars, please learn more at the Bill Thompson campaign site.

Thompson is the Democrat running against Bloomberg, who wants to be Mayor for Life.

 

Us atheists are fond of pointing out that blasphemy is a victimless crime. However, it can be entertaining. Check this out, from Conservapedia, an online encyclopedia for wingnuts who aren't satisfied with the level of right bias in Wikipedia. (Hat Tip Immoral Minority)

Liberal bias has become the single biggest distortion in modern Bible translations. There are three sources of errors in conveying biblical meaning are, in increasing amount:

* lack of precision in the original language, such as terms underdeveloped to convey new concepts introduced by Christ
* lack of precision in modern language
* translation bias in converting the original language to the modern one.

Experts in ancient languages are helpful in reducing the first type of error above, which is a vanishing source of error as scholarship advances understanding. English language linguists are helpful in reducing the second type of error, which also decreases due to an increasing vocabulary. But the third -- and largest -- source of translation error requires conservative principles to reduce and eliminate.

I wonder if us mos should do a version where Jesus was into musical theater, high fashion, and dark bars with hairy men.

If I were a Christian, I would be offended by this. Rewriting the Bible to fit a political ideology kind of makes a mockery of Christianity. The right fringe is getting sillier with each passing day.

 

MoveOn.org has pretty much given up on stopping the Iraq War, but at least they are trying to give people an alternative to the HMOs and insurance companies. This video was funny enough to get hosted at Funny or Die. (Hat Tip Hard Boiled Dreams of the World)

The video is funny, but it's also sad. It really points out the priorities of the majority of politicians in this country, and we don't count for much with them.

Credo Action has something you can do about this mess.

President Obama: Stop the Senate Democrats kneecapping health care reform.

On Tuesday, a number of Democrats in the Senate Finance Committee joined all of the Republicans in voting down three public option amendments.

While the public option can still pass on the floor of the Senate, we won't win this fight if Democrats continue to give bipartisan cover to Republican obstructionism.

As the President of the United States, as a leader of the Democratic Party and as an individual elected by the votes of millions of Americans fundamentally dissatisfied with the status quo, President Obama has tremendous political power to influence Democratic Senators.

Tell President Obama to use that power to ensure that provisions for a public option are brought to the floor of the Senate and given an up-or-down vote.

Please Sign the Petition

Photo: Muffet

 

I'm sure you heard that the gargantuan radio host Rush Limbaugh is part of a group trying to buy the St. Louis Rams. What will they change the name of the team to?

Tree Sloths?

Viagras?

Man Boobs?

Oxycontins?

Loud Mouths?

Jigglers?

Knuckle Walkers?

I can't wait for the liberals and moderates in St. Louis to say fuck it to season tickets. In this economy, dittoheads won't be able to afford to pick up the slack.

I'm not the only one exploiting this for snark. Here are some comments from Washington Post users:

With Rush as an owner, the Rams would be even easier to defend...all of their offensive plays would go to the RIGHT.
...
Do owners of NFL Teams have to pass drug tests ?
...
Now they really will have a CONSERVATIVE offense! Wonder what kind of pre-draft tests the Rams would be offering at the combine now? Question #1. What is your political affiliation?

The users of Pro Football Talk have their fun too.

Wonder if Limbaugh will still be interested when he sobers up.
...
Whats the matter?
The NFL does not have enough assholes in the league already?

 

Goldman Sachs, the banksters who have their grubby hands on both the Democrats and Republicans, are in a position to do much better than the taxpayers if commercial lending bank CIT goes bankrupt. The GS banksters may end up getting $1 billion while we get screwed over.

From Financial Times 10/4/09 (Hat tip to Citizens for Legitimate Government)

The payment stems from the structure of a $3bn rescue finance package that Goldman extended to CIT on June 6 2008, about five months before the Treasury bought $2.3bn in CIT preferred shares to prop it up at the height of the crisis. The potential loss for taxpayers would be the biggest to crystalise so far from the government’s capital injection plan for banks.

The agreement with Goldman states that if CIT defaults or goes bankrupt, it “would be required to pay a make-whole amount” that totals $1bn, the people familiar with the matter said.

This represents yet another de facto subsidy for GS from us taxpayers, even though they are profitable. Let's hope somebody in the Obama Administration has enough integrity to block this.

There is some small reason for hope, though people better make a lot of noise about this.

While Goldman is entitled to demand the full amount, it is likely to agree to postpone payment on a part of that sum, these people added. A CIT filing last week said that it was in negotiations with Goldman “concerning an amendment to this facility”

Our tax dollars saved GS. They shouldn't be getting a dime. Crap like this makes me think we should nationalize the big banks and seize their assets. Considering how much money we have given them, those assets are really ours anyway.

 

This is the video that got the Goppers apoplectic. They don't like it when people tell the truth about them.

People on the left should be celebrating this tremendous victory for the grassroots activists in Chicago who were able to stop this boondoggle. Fewer than 50% of Chicago residents support the Olympics bid in the latest poll. Why would the IOC pick a city that didn't even want the Olympics? That just doesn't make sense.

I remember when our pathetic excuse for a Mayor Michael Bloomberg used the 2012 Olympics bid to push through a lot of corruption, most of it focused on shoveling city money at his rich friends through stadium deals and less obvious means. Like any New Yorker with an IQ over 60, I opposed the bid as catastrophically stupid in a city that is crowded and already a top target of terrorists. Besides, it wasn't like middle class and poor people here would be able to afford the sky high ticket prices for Olympic events.

A huge segment of Chicago's population was smart enough to oppose the bid despite the steady stream of pro bid propaganda from the elite media which was beholden to the wealthy interests that would make money off of it. It appears that Chicagoans for Rio has been taken down, but it was a delightful site filled with creative and delicious snark about why Chicago shouldn't win and would be better off without the games.

No Games Chicago pushed a more serious effort to stop the games, and they won. The provided the IOC with a brief with evidence about why the IOC should reject the bid. The Chicago Reader did excellent reporting on how awful the Olympics would be for the middle class and the poor in Chicago.

Partisan Republicans and Democrats are exchanging "blame" for a good thing, the defeat of the Chicago bid. The unpopularity of the bid in Chicago caused it to be rejected, not Obama nor the Republicans. The fabulousness of Rio didn't exactly hurt either.

People need to stop getting so upset over good news.

 

The corporate media are downplaying the Employment Non Discrimination Act (ENDA), the most important lgbt issue, because they want corporations to be able to fire people based on sexual orientation and gender identity. That's why people who support equality have to be the media. Here are some great posts on ENDA.

ENDA Summary
Transgender Workplace Diversity
This is a detailed summary of what the legislation specifically does.

ENDA Is Justice Long Overdue
National Center for Lesbian Rights Blog

Two witnesses who testified before the committee told their stories of being subjected to harmful and painful job discrimination. First, Vandy Beth Glenn detailed how she had been terminated from her position at the Georgia State Legislature after disclosing her intention to transition genders from male to female.

Next, Yale Law Professor William Eskridge recounted the history of sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination in the U.S. But he also testified compellingly about how sexual orientation discrimination had affected him personally when he was denied tenure at the University of Virginia early in his career.

ENDA Hearing on the Hill
Union Gal

Normally, when I write these posts, I have loads to say, but I honestly couldn't add analysis or even a thought when presented with the testimony of Vandy Beth Glenn and William Eskridge. Nothing I've experienced comes close to being fired from a job that you love and are good at because your boss has an issue with how your co-workers might feel. Feel? Seriously? WTF?

If you haven't blogged on ENDA, why not? I know the corporate media are downplaying the most important lgbt civil rights issue. This is precisely why we shouldn't let ourselves become captives of the corporate news cycle. We need to report on important issues, especially when they are downplaying them or censoring them.

Queer, liberal, and progressive bloggers need to be more proactive.

 

As you may know, World Wrestling Entertainment (a.k.a. closeted gay/bi porn) CEO Linda McMahon recently resigned so she could run for the GOP Senate nomination in Connecticut. This is comedy gold. Now, I have some hard hitting questions for the biggest Diva of the WWE.

Is the campaign fake like the WWE?

Will she challenge her opponents to a "bra and panties match"?

If she gets elected, will she clock Harry Reid with a steel chair or a garbage can?

Will she hire an evil manager who is faking being foreign to alienate dim people and cheat in the election for her?

Will she have an announcer go on, and on, and on about her "puppies"?

Will she create a really weird angle where she fakes her death?

Will she be a Diva and brag that she is better looking than all the other women in the Senate and can kick their asses?

Will she make her Senate staffers kiss her rear end on nationwide television?

Will she get breast implants and campaign in a bikini?

Will she make WWE performers debate her and have the debates fixed in her favor?

(I'll be performing here for the rest of the week. Try the fillet mignon.)

Photo: Linda McMahon for Senate