Crossposted at Progressive American Patriot

I have never liked the term "Republican in Name Only," primarily because radical conservatives use it to imply that there is a centrist wing to the Republican Party leadership (if there ever was a centrist wing to the Republican Party, they are currently Democratic leaning independents). WINO, or Wavering in Name Only, best describes Susan Collins talk tough wavering support for Bush, vote for more death approach to Iraq. RINO more aptly describes the fascists, theocrats, plutocrats, panderers, and actors desperately trying to win the Republican presidential nomination. Here is a quick rundown of the RINOs running for President.

Crossposted at Progressive American Patriot

It is often difficult to convey just how far to the right the Republican Party is. With a mainstream media which subscribes to two equal sides journalism at best, and fair and balanced journalism at worst, many Americans are not fully aware of the radical right wing nature of the Republican Party. The United States remains the only country in the advanced industrial world without universal health care. As the Democrats rally for universal health care, the Republicans trumpet sound bites on "socialized medicine." Never mind that universal health care is uncontested throughout the advanced industrial world. Never mind that every great conservative leader of the United Kingdom, France or Germany has supported universal health care in the late 20th and early 21st century. To understand just how perverse the Republican position on health care is, Americans must understand that the Republican Party is to the right of the European fascists on this and many issues.

Crossposted at Progressive American Patriot and DailyKos

There is an ever-growing disconnect between the practical and the ethical in Washington. With little risk, Democrats are poised for great reward in 2008. The Republican brand is in disrepute. Howard Dean's 50 state strategy is working. With 21 Republican Senators up for reelection, congressional Democrats are unwilling to risk their electoral advantage with articles of impeachment against the Vice-President. <!--break-->Any attempt to impeach is inherently risky, and carries far more unpredictable political consequences than inaction. Unfortunately, it has become clear that Dick Cheney, the Vice-President of the United States, has a blatant for the Constitution of the United States. Each member of Congress has taken an oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Thus far members of both parties have refused to uphold their oaths in a dereliction of duty which can only be described as politically motivated. Nevertheless, if our elected representatives are hesitant to uphold their oaths to defend the most sacred principles of this nation, we as a people have a moral responsibility to defend the republic, and force our elected representatives to act in kind. I am calling on MoveOn.org to lead the charge.

Crossposted at Progressive American Patriot

The story is making its way around the internet that Cheney has said he is not a part of the executive branch. Hard as it is to believe, the real story is much worse. His office is quoted as saying that because he is a member of the both executive and the legislative branches, he is therefore not required to reply to a request by the National Archives for it comply with record keeping laws regarding the executive branch. The quote from the letter in question is "...the OVB spokesperson indicated, 'This has been reviewed and it's been determined that the reporting requirement does not apply to The Office of the Vice President, which has both legislative and executive functions.'"

Crossposted at Progressive American Patriot

Conservatives have been extremely good at using deceptive talking points to redefine Ann Coulter's homophobia, Don Imus' sexism and racism, and John McCain's warmongering gaffes into a debate over liberal overreactions, hip hop, and whether Congress is surrendering to the terrorists. Progressives must shift the debate back to reality if they hope to bring the troops home and select a progressive president from a diverse field of Democrats. The Republican party has some explaining to do for its support of bigots and the warmongers.

Published at BuzzFlash and Progressive American Patriot

Lieberman (Party of One) recently had a Freudian slip, demanding why the majority leader questioned the fact that the "surge" had failed. Despite these unconscious thoughts, Lieberman continues to blame Democrats for his failed war. With the facts squarely on the other side, Lieberman has decided to make up his own. After all, reality has a well known liberal bias. Lieberman has been a big proponent of democracy (death and destruction style) in Iraq. A majority of Iraqis now favor death and destruction for US troops... What now Senator?

Crossposted at Progressive American Patriot, Daily Kos, Diatribune and My Left Wing

I help run a group on my college campus called Men Against Violence. Tonight, we helped organize a vigil for the victims of the Virginia Tech shootings. Below are the reflections I shared at the vigil. I know that these remarks do not address much of the racism and sexism that have occurred around this particular incident. The media should stop talking about how the shooter was Asian and start talking about how the shooter was male. The fact that the first shooting was dismissed as a "domestic" shooting says a lot about how pervasive sexism is in our culture and how seriously we take domestic violence. Others addressed these issues more specifically. I chose to reflect on school shootings in general. While I talked specifically about the Virginia Tech shootings, my remarks could have applied to any school shooting.

Crossposted at Progressive American Patriot

Ever since Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein brought down Nixon, The Washington Post has been known for hard-hitting investigative journalism. Sadly, the paper's current coverage of Attorneygate leaves something to be desired. Their latest article on the scandal, written by Dan Eggen and Paul Kane and published in this morning's Post, mentions an Albuquerque Journal article which is the latest break in the Attorneygate scandal. Yet, Dan Eggen and Paul Kane failed to connect the story's dots: the president was in on the plan.