Hughes for America
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One of the biggest - and yet largely undiscussed - problems facing progressive activism (blogging in particular) is burnout. Every so often, the blogosphere loses one of its brightest lights to the grind, either temporarily or, worse, permanently. Delivering fresh content, day after day, is, even for the best, a difficult proposition. Balancing a blog with one's personal life and, more often than not, day job is an even more difficult task. Toss in the daily frustration one typically feels with the administration or the spectacularly slow grind of progress and the joys of trying to make a difference can become hardships. This is less a complaint than a reality. Also, let's not forget that a healthy dose of perspective is always important. That said, I've finally put my finger on one of the most persistent causes of my periodic burnout - and maybe yours, too: Beltway Derangement Syndrome. Read More »
Looking back at the exchange of ideas that started with this story and now continues with this one, I'd like to further engage in the discussion of the Don Imus saga, specifically as it relates to the free-speech issues so important in today's society. To that end, I'd also like to dive into the issues Matt, a journalism graduate school friend, brought up in his latest comments. Read More »
In response to something I wrote about the Don Imus saga Friday, Matt, a journalism graduate school friend of mine, replied and made his case quite succinctly. Another friend, Karl, weighed in, as did I. With our back-and-forth in mind, I'd like to add some detail to my point-of-view. If I may make so bold, Matt's entire argument can be summarized in his own words: "By calling for (and ultimately causing) the firing of Don Imus, it sets a bad precedent for free speech." I disagree, and, though I am as firm a defender of free speech as he, I would like to take this argument in a different direction, speaking to both the issues of our freedoms and the role of the people-powered movement in the debate. Read More »
Written and researched by Joseph Hughes of Hughes for America and Melissa McEwan of Shakespeare's Sister
Between the thousand-page document dumps, somewhat rejuvenated press corps and always up-to-the-second reporting from the progressive blogosphere, the prosecutor purge scandal is exploding at a seemingly exponential rate. Every hour, the story grows in new and different directions, and now clearly threatens the job security of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and others in the Department of Justice. Further, it now appears as though the scandal's tentacles reach into the uppermost echelons of the Bush White House, including, as recent administration controversies almost always do, Karl Rove. While the endgame of this saga is far from decided, what is already apparent is that a vital facet of the story - the administration's seeming unwillingness to comply with both the law and a fundamental cornerstone of our American system - is in danger of being lost in the shuffle of the overarching stampede. And, if we can no longer expect our government's top officials - including the top official, the president - to obey the law and adhere to the bedrock standard of open government, then the questions about whether or not we still live in a democracy are no longer so far-fetched. Read More »
Between the thousand-page document dumps, somewhat rejuvenated press corps and always up-to-the-second reporting from the progressive blogosphere, the prosecutor purge scandal is exploding at a seemingly exponential rate. Every hour, the story grows in new and different directions, and now clearly threatens the job security of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and others in the Department of Justice. Further, it now appears as though the scandal's tentacles reach into the uppermost echelons of the Bush White House, including, as recent administration controversies almost always do, Karl Rove. While the endgame of this saga is far from decided, what is already apparent is that a vital facet of the story - the administration's seeming unwillingness to comply with both the law and a fundamental cornerstone of our American system - is in danger of being lost in the shuffle of the overarching stampede. And, if we can no longer expect our government's top officials - including the top official, the president - to obey the law and adhere to the bedrock standard of open government, then the questions about whether or not we still live in a democracy are no longer so far-fetched. Read More »
It's people like Rich Masters who lose elections for Democrats.
Hosting, as he frequently has in the past, "The Bill Press Show", Masters, billed as a Democratic consultant, chose to weigh in - and take calls - on the recent decision by the Nevada Democratic Party to pull out of an announced debate that was to be co-hosted by FOX News. This sensible move, brought about in large measure by the progressive netroots, signals the willingness by the party and its candidates to discuss openly the fact that FOX News is the house organ of the Republican Party and the readiness to challenge the legitimacy of FOX as a news operation. Right-wingers of every pay grade criticized the decision, as did FOX itself in a statement that says more about its obvious partisanship than it does the challenge its "fair and balanced" brand now faces. And this challenge, make no mistake, has the potential to marginalize the network to fringe status, something that, if you're FOX, just can't happen. And one of the only things preventing this from occurring is the cover some mealy-mouthed "Democrats" have been giving FOX. People like Masters. Read More »
I'll give Evangelicals for Mitt's Charles Mitchell credit, he's proven himself to be one of the few on the other side to not respond to criticism by using language most commonly heard uttered by Vice President Cheney on the Senate floor. Responding, I'm guessing, to criticism from myself and others about his equating Howard Dean with Ann Coulter - "Here's the problem for Chairman Dean, though: His rhetoric (claiming the remark was "hate-filled and bigoted") is no less overblown than Coulter's. What she said was not hate-filled; it was just unnecessary and way over the line." - Mitchell has updated his original post to "revise and extend" his original comments. In short, he's sticking by what he said. So allow me then, Charles, to reply. Read More »
Yesterday, you'll remember, Ann Coulter, speaking about John Edwards, said the following vile, hateful words: "I was going to have a few comments on the other Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, but it turns out you have to go into rehab if you use the word 'faggot,' so I - so kind of an impasse, can't really talk about Edwards." In a well-crafted response, Howard Dean said, "There is no place in political discourse for this kind of hate-filled and bigoted comments. While Democrats and Republicans may disagree on the issues, we should all be able to agree that this kind of vile rhetoric is out of bounds. The American people want a serious, thoughtful debate of the issues. Republicans - including the Republican presidential candidates who shared the podium with Ann Coulter today - should denounce her hateful remarks."
So, to recap, one the one hand you've got a disgusting statement by someone - Coulter - with a track record of similar statements. And, on the other, the measured response of an individual - Dean - simply asking those GOP presidential hopefuls speaking at the same conference as Coulter to, in his words, denounce her hateful remarks. One problem, one I anticipated when I called on conscienceless conservative Nancy French - of, among other things, the Web site Evangelicals for Mitt - to say, without a shred of hesitation, that there is no place in the political world for comments like Coulter's, whose appearance after Romney's at CPAC, said Romney, was "a good thing". And that problem is this: Someone at Evangelicals for Mitt doesn't think what Coulter said was wrong.
Read More »From debates over marriage to adoption, the shameful bigotry of homophobia takes many forms. One of the last fully undiscovered frontiers of the issue is athletics. Last week, former NBA center John Amaechi came out as a gay man, a brave move in the world of sports. Reactions, as you would expect, have been varied. Some league athletes - from Shavlik Randolph to Steven Hunter to LeBron James - reacted to the news at arm's length. Others - Charles Barkley, Grant Hill, Shaquille O'Neal and coach Doc Rivers - were very supportive. Said Randolph, "As long as you don't bring your gayness on me, I'm fine." Hunter, in taking a similar tack, said, "As long as he don't make any advances toward me I'm fine with it. As long as he came to play basketball like a man and conducted himself as a good person, I'd be fine with it." James's statement, meanwhile, reveals that the superstar still has some growing to do: "With teammates you have to be trustworthy, and if you're gay and you're not admitting that you are, then you are not trustworthy. So that's like the number one thing as teammates ... we all trust each other. You've heard of the in-room locker room code. What happens in the locker room stays there. It's a trust factor." Others in the basketball community stood with Amaechi. Read More »
Admittedly, it has been a rough couple of weeks for the progressive blogosphere. What started as great news from the John Edwards presidential campaign - the hiring of two insightful, respected bloggers in high-level positions - quickly deteriorated in the face of the right wing's last effective ways of doing business, mock, hypocritical outrage and disgusting threats. Despite Edwards's initial defense of bloggers Amanda Marcotte and Melissa McEwan, the climate of hate fostered, in part, by the bigoted Bill Donohue and, to a lesser extent, the bigoted Michelle Malkin led to the pair's resignation. In the midst of the controversy, I suggested the benefits of pursuing clenched-fist progressive politics. Upon further review, and armed with the fact that the right won't stop attacking no matter how far backward the Democrats retreat, it has become clear that a no-holds-barred approach is the only way to go. What's also clear is this: We're in this fight together. Read More »
More often than not, the fallback Republican response to criticism is something along the lines of "The Democrats have no ideas." Expressed in myriad ways and by myriad Republicans and Republican apologists, this critique does two things: It deflects attention from the matter at hand and transfers the ownership of (and blame for) the sorry state of affairs for which the Bush administration and Republican Party is responsible to anyone or anything but them. Reality, however, is a cruel mistress, and what has happened since last November's Democratic landslide paints a much different picture. Democrats, promising a new direction, have already accomplished many goals and have changed the way of doing business in Washington for the better, returning the government to the people. The Republicans, on the other hand, have proven to the American people something that needs repeating - over and over again: They've got nothing.
Consider, then, the following to be a public service announcement.
Read More »Score one for the good guys: To put an end to the bloggergate non-scandal, John Edwards announced that he is keeping Amanda Marcotte and Melissa McEwan on board. His brief statement, which can be found here, discusses his views on the bloggers' past writings and closes, most importantly, with the candidate saying, "We're beginning a great debate about the future of our country, and we can't let it be hijacked. It will take discipline, focus, and courage to build the America we believe in." No truer words, and words I'll discuss in further detail later. Marcotte and McEwan, it should be noted, also released statements, which can be found here and here. While Team Edwards is moving on at full power, this entire episode, which is really just beginning, offers the progressive movement an object lesson in how we must operate as a unit in anticipation of 2008 - and beyond. "They wanted a fight," I wrote Wednesday. "Let's give it to them." And with this fight, the next era of clenched-fist politics has begun. Read More »
After reading Digby's latest update on the spitting "incident" involving Joshua Sparling at last Saturday's anti-war march, I feel compelled to comment further. One, Sparling needs to get his story straight. Two, he needs to move his rhetoric into the 21st Century. Regarding the first point, you have Sparling on "Hannity & Colmes" talking about how an unidentified protester (wearing an 82nd Airborne patch) "said I was a disgrace, basically, and that I was - that I had blood on my hands and that I had no right wearing the uniform, and he spit at me." Meanwhile, a day later on "FOX & Friends", you have Sparling escalating the confrontation, telling the hosts that, "for the most part, there was just people lining the fence just screaming and jumping over it trying to get at us. A couple of folks actually were waiting for clubs to meet with me after it was over with, and the police had to stop them from bull-rushing us on the sidewalk." Read More »
By most accounts, the participants in Saturday's massive anti-war march numbered somewhere north of 100,000. So, with such a strong showing, what promises to remain one of the most enduring headlines coming from the large-scale protest? Will it be thousands of Americans once again joining together to urge Congress to end this war? Will it be the overwhelming show of opposition to the president's escalation? Or will it be a rather suspicious spitting "incident" between a protester and a right-wing plant (who happens to be a veteran) that has already served to muddy the coverage of a very clearly defined event? The third option, sadly, seems the early winner, something that should give progressives pause when we consider the efficacy of our means of activism. And should again force us to confront the inconvenient truth that the media, quite simply, most often chooses to pursue its own agenda, an agenda that only sometimes - rarely - flirts with the truth. Read More »
Cross-posted at Hughes for America
"Thank you for coming to take care of your country," shouted Rep. Maxine Waters to a rapturous response. It wasn't even 10:30 in the morning - the official march hadn't even started and the scores of concerned citizens hadn't even fully assembled - yet you could tell it was going to be a special day. And it was. It was a day of engaging speeches and engaged Americans. A day for taking stock and taking power. A day of hope and optimism. It was hard to disagree Saturday when someone would yell, "This is what democracy looks like." Because it is. It looks like tens of thousands of Americans of every stripe giving voice to an idea - ending the Iraq war - overwhelmingly more popular than the alternative. It looks like veterans and active-duty military speaking truth to the Commander-in-Chief. It looks like so many staying behind to lobby their elected officials and work long after to bring our troops home. Saturday, our presence in Washington showed that we, not the misguided hawks still standing behind the war, reflect the will of the people. And no one - no pundit, politician or counter-protester - could convince anyone otherwise. Read More »
"Thank you for coming to take care of your country," shouted Rep. Maxine Waters to a rapturous response. It wasn't even 10:30 in the morning - the official march hadn't even started and the scores of concerned citizens hadn't even fully assembled - yet you could tell it was going to be a special day. And it was. It was a day of engaging speeches and engaged Americans. A day for taking stock and taking power. A day of hope and optimism. It was hard to disagree Saturday when someone would yell, "This is what democracy looks like." Because it is. It looks like tens of thousands of Americans of every stripe giving voice to an idea - ending the Iraq war - overwhelmingly more popular than the alternative. It looks like veterans and active-duty military speaking truth to the Commander-in-Chief. It looks like so many staying behind to lobby their elected officials and work long after to bring our troops home. Saturday, our presence in Washington showed that we, not the misguided hawks still standing behind the war, reflect the will of the people. And no one - no pundit, politician or counter-protester - could convince anyone otherwise. Read More »
UPDATE: I'd like to thank everyone who has given so far. Thanks to your generosity, I'm more than halfway to my goal, and I think we can get it done.
Last November, America let its voice be heard, sending a clear message to Congress and the Bush administration that a progressive change in course is needed. On Saturday, January 27, the people again have the chance to speak truth to power, this time with a massive march on Washington. Organized by United for Peace & Justice with help from MoveOn, the National Organization for Women and the nation's labor unions, the march boasts attendees traveling from across the country (with numerous solidarity events nationwide) to urge Congress to listen to the people, not the president, and to use its power to end this war and bring the troops home.
And, with your help, I'd like to join them. Read More »
Last November, America let its voice be heard, sending a clear message to Congress and the Bush administration that a progressive change in course is needed. On Saturday, January 27, the people again have the chance to speak truth to power, this time with a massive march on Washington. Organized by United for Peace & Justice with help from MoveOn, the National Organization for Women and the nation's labor unions, the march boasts attendees traveling from across the country (with numerous solidarity events nationwide) to urge Congress to listen to the people, not the president, and to use its power to end this war and bring the troops home.
And, with your help, I'd like to join them. Read More »
Cross-posted at my blog, Hughes for America
Last November, America let its voice be heard, sending a clear message to Congress and the Bush administration that a progressive change in course is needed. On Saturday, January 27, the people again have the chance to speak truth to power, this time with a massive march on Washington. Organized by United or Peace & Justice with help from MoveOn, the National Organization for Women and the nation's labor unions, the march boasts attendees traveling from across the country (with numerous solidarity events nationwide) to urge Congress to listen to the people, not the president, and to use its power to end this war and bring the troops home.
And, with your help, I'd like to join them. Read More »
Last November, America let its voice be heard, sending a clear message to Congress and the Bush administration that a progressive change in course is needed. On Saturday, January 27, the people again have the chance to speak truth to power, this time with a massive march on Washington. Organized by United or Peace & Justice with help from MoveOn, the National Organization for Women and the nation's labor unions, the march boasts attendees traveling from across the country (with numerous solidarity events nationwide) to urge Congress to listen to the people, not the president, and to use its power to end this war and bring the troops home.
And, with your help, I'd like to join them. Read More »
Last November, America let its voice be heard, sending a clear message to Congress and the Bush administration that a progressive change in course is needed. In less than two weeks, on Saturday, January 27, the people again have the chance to speak truth to power, this time with a massive march on Washington. Organized by United for Peace and Justice with help from MoveOn, the National Organization for Women and the nation's labor unions, the march already boasts attendees traveling from 30 states and from more than 100 cities to urge Congress to listen to the people, not the president, and to use its power to end this war and bring the troops home.And, with your help, I'd like to join them. Read More »
All-around bad guy Glenn Beck, you'll recall, is joining ABC's "Good Morning America". While ABC's right turn isn't the news here, what is remarkable is the degree to which supposedly reputable journalists - in this case Diane Sawyer - have fallen all over themselves to pander to the lowest-common denominator. Reported Beck, when talking about his joining "Good Morning America", "She [Sawyer] said to me, 'It's nice to watch someone you think you're going to disagree with ... but at least there's some common sense behind it.'" Diane, would you mind if I asked you a few questions? Read More »
Though I originally wrote this one year ago, I've updated it in the hopes that we never forget Dr. King's legacy.
Yesterday, millions of Americans commemorated the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., remembering the words and deeds of one of the world's foremost activists and humanitarians. President Bush was no different, as he said, marking the 2006 celebration, that King and Rosa Parks, in asking America to be true to its founding ideals, "roused a dozing conscience of a complacent nation."
Bush, in that rare moment one year ago, was right in saying that King and Parks helped wake America from its slumber. But no sooner had he honored their legacies than Bush himself returned to his job, doing his best to erode the very tradition the day's honoree represented. Thanks to the president's dozing conscience and America's complacency, King would find a home today not so dissimilar than that he sought to change four decades ago. Read More »
Yesterday, millions of Americans commemorated the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., remembering the words and deeds of one of the world's foremost activists and humanitarians. President Bush was no different, as he said, marking the 2006 celebration, that King and Rosa Parks, in asking America to be true to its founding ideals, "roused a dozing conscience of a complacent nation."
Bush, in that rare moment one year ago, was right in saying that King and Parks helped wake America from its slumber. But no sooner had he honored their legacies than Bush himself returned to his job, doing his best to erode the very tradition the day's honoree represented. Thanks to the president's dozing conscience and America's complacency, King would find a home today not so dissimilar than that he sought to change four decades ago. Read More »
Having just watched President Bush's appearance on "60 Minutes", I have a few thoughts working their way through my head. Here's my initial reaction: This president doesn't seem to have a solid grip on the reality of the situation both in Iraq and at home. Sure, he can give pat answers, the same answers he always gives, but he again seemed to laugh at the wrong times (when talking about his escalation), smile at the wrong times and generally seem detached from the matters at hand. Read More »
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