Motley Moose – Archive

A moving tribute to Senator Edward M Kennedy by Vice President Biden earlier today.

The Vice President brought me to tears.

President Obama also had a few words to say.

We have lost a great American today.

This is the time for Democrats, and Obama in particular, to show the respect that Ted Kennedy deserved for his 42 years in the Senate by passing the one bill that was most important to his life. It seems to me that the final bill, which should also be named after Ted, should give us the real public option that the great majority of Americans want and that Kennedy had not yet managed to get us.

An Onion a day keeps the doctor away. Anything that keeps the doctor away is a very good thing.

I am now admitting (to you) that I have been ragingly angry this summer. When I find it difficult or impossible to watch the news; and feel the burning fire of hate simmering all around me toward ignorant fucktards that “want to keep the government out of Medicare and Social Security”; my brain melts away and I am left grunting inarticulately.

So I surf through the tubes and find the most pissed off person who makes a lick of sense, and feel a bit of happiness.

Wow. That helped a little. I still like Lewis Black better. Perhaps it is because he is so very funny.

Ted Kennedy died just a few moments ago. I am deeply saddened by the loss and the passing of this amazing Senator and man.

Sen. Ted Kennedy died shortly before midnight Tuesday at his home in Hyannis Port, Mass., at age 77.

The man known as the “liberal lion of the Senate” had fought a more than year-long battle with brain cancer, and according to his son had lived longer with the disease than his doctors expected him to.

“We’ve lost the irreplaceable center of our family and joyous light in our lives, but the inspiration of his faith, optimism, and perseverance will live on in our hearts forever,” the Kennedy family said in a statement. “He loved this country and devoted his life to serving it.”

He will be missed.

Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) died shortly before midnight on Tuesday at his home in Hyannis Port, MA.  He was suffering from brain cancer.

I’m a coward.

I’m also a liar — but only due to my cowardice.

I am a bisexual deist liberal lying coward living in a smallish city in southern Alabama.

I always thought I was pretty brave, actually. I was born and raised in Alabama, though not in this particular city, so I am no stranger to conservatism. There’s not a single Democrat or Independent in my family (aside from myself), and I have a ton of Republican friends. I think I get along with conservatives pretty well, all things considered. I have a lot of practice. I talk politics with the ones (like my dad) who can stomach a bit of spirited debate and not walk away sore about it, and I gear conversations toward other topics around the ones who can’t (or simply won’t) handle it. But despite all my experience in expressing myself amongst conservatives, I now find myself consistently struggling to hide my true self from those surrounding me.

There seems to be a growing number of Democrats who are willing to use reconciliation to pass meaningful healthcare reform.

Reconciliation is a legislative process that will pass a budget bill without being subject to a filibuster.  The reconciliation process is confusing but, given what I’ve read from various sources, it is possible to use it on several key provisions.  It also means that we do not have to count on conservative Democrats or Joe Lieberman.  I would like to think that the Democratic caucus would follow Sen. Sanders’ call for unity against a filibuster but given some of the rhetoric I am not sure that’s likely.  

With the 2010 Senate races in Ohio and Kentucky featuring two of the most competitive Democratic primaries of the cycle, in two of the key Senate battleground states, Senate Guru contacted the Democratic primaries’ major candidates – in Ohio, Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher and Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner; in Kentucky, Lieutenant Governor Dan Mongiardo and state Attorney General Jack Conway – to ask them all one question:

Why should the progressive netroots support your campaign in you state’s 2010 Democratic Senate primary?

To see the Ohio candidates’ responses side-by-side, click here.  To see the Kentucky candidates’ responses side-by-side, click here.

On the web:

Senate Guru

Senate Guru Facebook Group

The LA Times is reporting, Glenn Beck goes after Color of Change co-founder Van Jones

Glenn Beck used his popular Fox News show this afternoon to attack the background of Van Jones, a White House environmental advisor who co-founded an African American political advocacy group that organized an advertising boycott of his program.

During his 2 p.m. PDT show, Beck did not address the boycott spearheaded by Color of Change to protest the talk show host’s remark last month that he believes President Obama is “a racist.”

Instead, he spent a large share of his program suggesting that Jones, who co-founded Color of Change in 2005, is a radical. Jones now serves as a special advisor for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation at the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

One of the promises President Barack Obama made while campaigning was a repeal of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) legislation that discriminates against gay and lesbian members of the Armed Forces. So far, the administration has been content to let this matter be handled by Congress. This is understandable, considering all of the other issues the administration has on its plate.

Congress has responded with efforts in the House and Senate aimed at repealing DADT.

The House effort is being led by Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-CA) who introduced the Military Readiness Enhancement Act (MREA) in the 110th Congress. There are currently 163 168 co-sponsors for this bill with Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-PA) as lead sponsor.

The Senate effort is being led by newly-appointed Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). Senator Gillibrand has received a promise from Senator Carl Levin (D-MI), the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, to hold hearings in the fall. Any Senate bill on this issue is expected to be introduced by Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA). He is apparently searching for a Republican co-sponsor before introducing a bill.