Fresh Air: From Direct Mail to 'America's Right Turn'

This interview exemplifies why I LOVE Terry Gross and her NPR program Fresh Air. In it, she interviews Richard Viguerie, who is considered the "funding father" of the conservative movement. And when this crazy-ass conservative tries to forward crazy-ass notions, like that gays and lesbians are intolerant and mean-spirited and that those who oppose them are, in fact, tolerant. That's crazy, right? Bigots aren't tolerant! And Gross, awesome interviewer that she is, asks, twice, for clarification. So often, journalists let thse sort of proclamations go unchallenged. But not Terry Gross. She's awesome.

So listen to this interview. It's very interesting. I listened to it Wednesday afternoon while I was outside running, and I often found myself responding to Viguerie or laughing at his absurdly conservative views. What fun!

Fuck the South

This is an absolutely delicious essay. Read it.

Something to Do with Values?

...and speaking of Ukraine, here is a funny Non Sequitur comic.

Thanks to Sandy for the forward.

Associated Press: Doubts About Presidential Election Results in Ohio Persist

Today is a dark day for America. Today the re-election of George W. Bush will be certified by the Electoral College. So while this is a day to mourn the hope that we had for our country, it is also a day to remember that we very nearly got rid of him. Just think of the grassroots mobilization! The donations to the Kerry campaign! The box office for Fahrenheit 9/11! The sheer volume of anti-Bush shirts in my wardrobe! Yes, the only thing that seems to have stopped us was the right's willingness and ability to steal the election for George Bush, something we can't let happen again.

So today is really the day to remember 11/2. Don't forget it like we forget everything else. Really. I mean, think about all the Bush scandals that quickly disappear from our consciousness after a few jokes on the Daily Show, without ever having been settled. Who leaked Valerie Plame's CIA identity? Where was Bush when he was supposedly in the Texas Air National Guard? What about those WMD lies? Nothing ever gets settled. No one is ever held accountable. And then we, as a nation, move on...to the next Bush scandal.

Well, let's not move on this time. If we allow elections to become irrelevant, it's over. Democracy is over. And then, I guess, Ukraine becomes the beacon of democracy for the world.

Seriously, write your US senators and representatives.

Ted Rall: Reichsfeldmarshall Donald Rumsfeld Salutes SPC Thomas Wilson, Hero of the Iraq War

Did you catch that soldier in Iraq calling out Rummy last week? It was in all the papers...if you're a reader. My favorite part was when a military spokesperson said that the soldier wouldn't be disciplined.

Anyway, Ted Rall did a funny comic about it. Check it out here.