Tuesday, February 24, 2004

No to Bush, No to Nader John Shirley has some smart things to say about Nader: The Nader Illusion is that both major parties are alike. He claims the Demos and the GOP are just the same, both beholden to special interests to such a degree that they’re essentially paralyzed, no point in choosing one over the other. This is mostly hogwash. Yes they’re beholden to special interests, but there are limits on that factor, and in fact there is a very distinct policy difference between the two parties. It *matters* which one you choose. There’s not a chance that Gore would have supported –or that Kerry will support –a Constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages. Bush will try to push one through and with a Republican congress he may well succeed. Gore or Kerry–never happen. And this is a watershed issue, like so many that distinguish GOP and Dems. Such an amendment erodes the distinction between church and state, sets a bad precedent, and of course puts a Constitutional imprimatur on discrimination against a class of people, gays. Bush has been a one-man environmental disaster, weakening the clean air and water acts, allowing mercury and arsenic pollution to go on. Gore would NOT have done this. The air will be dirtier because Bush was elected. Gore would have encouraged an increase in the minimum wage; Bush is against it. People will be paid less because Bush was elected. Too many special interests? Yes and that needs to be changed. But it matters which party you choose. Nader’s preaching a fantasy. Link [Boing Boing Blog] amplifying.. [my weblog] Bing! 2:12:59 PM    trackback []

Where have all the rational Republicans gone? I've been struggling to understand what Republicans the Bush Administration stands for lately, what with attacks on States Rights and the ballooning Federal Government. I'm glad to see the Log Cabin Republicans, who seem ready to retake the Republican Party back to its roots. See their press release in response to Bush's support for amending the constitution to discriminate. The press release begins: “Writing discrimination into the Constitution is wrong. It is not conservative, it is not Republican, and it will not strengthen America,” said Log Cabin Executive Director Patrick Guerriero, in response to the President’s possible support of an anti-family Constitutional amendment. “As conservative Republicans, we are outraged that any Republican—particularly the leader of our party and this nation—would support any effort to use our sacred United States Constitution as a way of scoring political points in an election year,” Guerriero said. And it ends with: Fair-minded Republicans, Democrats, and independents must work together to protect the American Constitution. Log Cabin is dedicated to doing everything possible to stop this anti-family amendment. This will be a difficult fight, but we will prevail because the American people instinctively understand that discrimination has no place in our Constitution. Amen. 2:12:42 PM    trackback []