Facts, Lies and No Videotape, Part I

President Obama and his administration recently proposed an ill advised plan to charge service related treatments to military veterans with private health insurance. Although the proposal was intended to raise more than $500 million in revenue, the plan was simply a bad idea. Currently veterans only pay for the treatment of injuries and ailments unrelated to their military service, thereby exposing wounded soldiers to co-pays and deductibles for the care of their war wounds. Thankfully President Obama had decided against pursuing this plan.

With that being said, the conservatives who are criticizing the plan above have seemed to miraculously forgotten the steps that President Obama has already taken to repair the damage Mr. Bush left at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Under the Bush administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs suffered through massive budget shortfalls ($1 billion in 2005 alone) due to the fact that Mr. Bush’s cronies downplayed the agency’s financial needs. Previous reports from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) confirmed that officials at the Department of Veterans Affairs used controversial accounting practices during the height of the Iraq War to justify cuts to veteran’s health care enacted by the Bush administration. In January, the GAO released a report which stated that those same agency officials continued to minimize their budget estimates to Congress in the last days of the Bush administration in order decrease spending.

In the 2010 budget he unveiled in February, President Obama increased the budget of the Department of Veterans Affairs by 15.5%. That increase will help fund an overhaul of the agency's technological infrastructure and, in turn, eliminate the need for veterans to wait an average of six months for disability claims to be processed. President Obama's budget will also subsidize a program to provide health care to non-disabled veterans earning more than $30,000 a year. (During Mr. Bush's presidency, those veterans did not qualify for health care administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs.) Through a pilot project with non-profit organizations, President Obama’s budget will aim to provide housing and job training to homeless veterans and veterans at risk of becoming homeless. Veterans who are medically retired from active duty will be allowed to keep their full disability compensation and retired pay. Last but not least, President Obama's budget will expand mental health screening and treatment with a focus on reaching veterans in rural areas through mobile health clinics and "vet centers".

This Day in History

Eighty-four years ago today, Malcolm X (nee Malcolm Little) was born to Earl and Louise Little in Omaha, NE. After enduring the loss of his father at the hands of white supremacists and the hospitalization of his mother due to mental health issues, Little and his siblings were assigned to different foster homes. Despite those life shattering events, Little was still one of the best students in his junior high school. However, he dropped out of school in the eighth grade after his English teacher informed that his aspirations of becoming a lawyer were "no realistic goal for a nigger". Shortly after moving to Harlem, NY at the age of eighteen, Little began a life of gambling, robbery, racketeering, drug dealing and pimping prostitutes. He then relocated to Boston, MA; was arrested and charged with larceny and breaking and entering and was eventually incarcerated in the Massachusetts State Prison. While serving his sentence, Little found religion and joined the Nation of Islam.

Following his release from prison, Little changed his name to Malcolm X and, over the next few years, quickly became the second most influential leader in the Nation of Islam, just below Elijah Muhammad. However, after more than ten years with the religious group, Malcolm X publicly announced his separation from the Nation of Islam in March of 1964 due to (1) the internal criticism he received for his remarks regarding Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, (2) the resentment of his popularity in the media by other members within the organization and (3) his own dismay with Elijah Muhammad's extramarital affairs with young secretaries and the lavish lifestyles that Muhammad and other members of the Nation of Islam were living. A month later, Malcolm X traveled to Saudi Arabia in order to visit the holy site of Mecca. According to Malcolm X himself, this journey to Mecca allowed him to witness Muslims of all different interacting as equals. As a result, Malcolm X developed "greater spiritual insights into what is happening in America between black and white" and, in turn, spoke out against the Nation of Islam when he returned to the United States.

As his negative comments concerning the Nation of Islam continued, the organization continually made death threats towards Malcolm X and his family and several attempts on his life. And then, on February 21, 1965, Malcolm X began a speech at a meeting of the Organization of Afro-American Unity at the Audubon Ballroom in Manhattan when a disturbance broke out in the audience. A man stood up and yelled, "Nigger! Get your hand outta my pocket!" As the bodyguards of Malcolm X moved towards the man in order to quiet the commotion, another man from the audience rushed forward and shot Malcolm X in the chest with a sawed off shotgun. Two other men charged the stage and fired handguns, hitting Malcolm X an additional 16 times. Malcolm X was pronounced dead shortly after he arrived at Columbia University Medical Center. He was survived by his wife and six daughters, including twins born after his assassination.

Because of the fact that Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. were very public figures in the same time period, Malcolm X's legacy has been tarnished in the eyes of some individuals. Since Dr. King preached the notion of non-violence on a daily basis, Malcolm X is extremely misunderstood and often viewed as a very militant individual, especially with his use of the phrase "by any means necessary". This view was intensified after that particular phrase was combined with a photograph of Malcolm X standing by a window holding a machine gun. However, the photograph was originally taken as a warning against Nation of Islam members who had already threatened Malcolm X's life. But by merging the photograph with the "by any means necessary" phrase, the image appears to be a call to arms for the black population. And if you look at the phrase in its full context ("We declare our right on this earth to be a man, to be a human being, to be respected as a human being, to be given the rights of a human being in this society, on this earth, in this day, which we intend to bring into existence via any means necessary."), you can see that Malcolm X is calling for his African-American brothers and sisters to stand up and take their rightful place in society. The full impact of the legacy of Malcolm X can be viewed in the eulogy that actor and activist Ossie Davis delivered in remembrance of the slain leader: "There are those who will consider it their duty, as friends of the Negro people, to tell us to revile him, to flee, even from the presence of his memory, to save ourselves by writing him out of the history of our turbulent times. Many will ask what Harlem finds to honor in this stormy, controversial and bold young captain - and we will smile. Many will say 'Turn away - away from this man, for he is not a man but a demon, a monster, a subverter and an enemy of the black man' - and we will smile. They will say that he is of hate - a fanatic, a racist - who can only bring evil to the cause for which you struggle! And we will answer and say to them, 'Did you ever talk to Brother Malcolm? Did you ever touch him or have him smile at you? Did you ever really listen to him? Did he ever do a mean thing? Was he ever himself associated with violence or any public disturbance? For if you did, you would know him. And if you knew him, you would know why we must honor him."

Fake of the Week (No Pun Intended)

At a press conference on Tuesday, Donald Trump announced that Carrie Prejean would retain her crown as Miss California USA despite her response to a question regarding gay marriage at the Miss USA Pageant in April. Addressing the criticism she received since the pageant, Prejean stated during her speech that "I would like to thank God for trusting me with this large task and giving me the strength to stand by my beliefs".

Yes, your beliefs. I am sure that God shares your belief in (1) posing for multiple topless photographs and (2) getting breast implants. (By the way, Prejean actually approached officials from the Miss California Pageant weeks before the Miss USA competition and requested that the organization pay for her implants, which they shockingly proceeded to do.) And if you forgot the answer that Prejean provided to judge Perez Hilton's question concerning gay marriage, here is her reply: "Well, I think it's great that Americans are able to choose one or the other. We live in a land that you can choose same sex marriage or opposite marriage. And you know what? In my country and in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there but that's how I was raised and that's how I think that it should be, between a man and a woman."

During that same Tuesday press conference, Prejean also remarked that "I am proud to be an American. I'm proud of the freedoms we enjoy because of the brave men and women serving this great country and who have served." These freedoms include the ability to exercise your freedom of speech (as Prejean did during the Miss USA pageant) but apparently not the ability to marry individuals of the same sex. (Does anyone else see the hypocrisy in what comes out of this nitwit's mouth?) Following her controversial response at the pageant, Prejan attempted to defend herself through numerous interviews. When she spoke with journalist Rex Wockner one week after the pageant, Prejean delivered these wonderful comments:

• "I think the key thing is tolerance." Unless you are homosexual and you wish to get married to someone of the same sex.
• "This is nothing against gay people. I have a lot of friends that are gay." Of course you do. Just like the accused racist has friends who are African-American and the abusive husband who has only hit his wife once.
• In response to a question regarding whether homosexuality is innate or not: "No, I don't think so...I think it's a behavior that develops over time."

Considering all of the criticism that Prejean received following the pageant and her subsequent remarks in support of homosexuality, I am amazed by the fact that very little attention was devoted to the comments from Keith Lewis. Lewis, a State Director for the Miss California Organization, released this statement: "Given the fact that Carrie Prejean's first act upon returning to California was to headline five services at a church that promotes homosexuality as both unnatural and abnormal, we stand by our concern for her individual image and look forward to a time in the near future when she can put down her personal agenda and assume the responsibilities associated with being Miss California USA, including promoting our official platform, 'The Beauty of California,' which sole purpose is to embrace diversity."

We're Still Waiting...

Due to today's unfortunate news from the Middle East, there are 2 things that I need to point out:

1. Today is the 2,202th day since Mr. Bush stood on the USS Abraham Lincoln in front of a huge banner reading "Mission Accomplished".

2. It has only been 16 hours since a U.S. soldier shot and killed five of his fellow troops at a counseling center at a military base outside Baghdad, Iraq.

This morning's horrific incident is the worst attack of its kind since the United States invaded Iraq in March 2003. However, the key word in that sentence is "worst", which obviously means that there have been others during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Therefore, it begs the question: Would Mr. Bush and his cronies from his administration finally like to offer a correction to their dog and pony show six years ago?

Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Bee

During the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner on Saturday, President Obama addressed the White House press corps and other journalists, as well as various politicians and entertainers. Aside from talking about his wife and two daughters, President Obama was also very self deprecating and not afraid to poke fun at him and his administration. With that being said, some of the greatest lines from President Obama's speech arose from his remarks regarding the massive train wrecks better known as Mr. Bush's presidency and the Republican Party:

• "I have to confess I really did not want to be here tonight but I knew I had to come — just one more problem that I've inherited from George W. Bush."
• "Michael Steele is in the house tonight. Or as he would say, 'In the heezy'."
• "Michael [Steele], for the last time, the Republican Party does not qualify for a bailout. Rush Limbaugh does not count as a troubled asset. I'm sorry."
• "Dick Cheney was supposed to be here but he is very busy working on his memoirs, tentatively titled 'How to Shoot Friends and Interrogate People'."
• "In the next hundred days, our bipartisan outreach will be so successful that even John Boehner will consider becoming a Democrat. After all, we have a lot in common. He is a person of color. Although not a color that appears in the natural world."

If a Tree Falls in the Woods and No One Hears It...

On the first Thursday of May during the entire course of his presidency, Mr. Bush hosted an ecumenical service in the East Room of the White House in observance of the National Day of Prayer. President Obama decided against conducting a similar service yesterday and instead elected to observe the day in private. And as expected, the right wing is attacking President Obama and incorrectly labeling his decision as a "boycott" of the National Day of Prayer.

As opposed to turning the day into a political event like Mr. Bush, President Obama decided to worship behind closed doors but also issue a paper proclamation calling upon all Americans to "pray in thanksgiving for our freedoms and blessings and to ask for God's continued guidance, grace and protection for this land that we love". Apparently that was not enough. Shirley Dobson, the National Day of Prayer Chairwoman, and her husband James Dobson, the founder of the homophobic and extremely conservative organization called Focus on the Family, expressed their irrational concern with Obama's decision. Shirley Dobson stated that "We are disappointed in the lack of participation by the Obama administration. At this time in our country's history, we would hope our president would recognize more fully the importance of prayer." (Of course, the Dobsons fail to mention that President Obama prays in private every day.)

You would think that an organization (or a political party, for that matter) so steeped in religion would realize the hypocrisy in their criticism. From Matthew 6:6: "But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet and, when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly."

Unwanted Democrat of the Week

When he recently announced that he would be changing his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat, Sen. Arlen Specter from Pennsylvania was obviously attacked by the right wing. In fact, Michael Steele, the Chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC), had these mature things to say: "For [Sen. Specter] to effectively flip the bird back to [Sen. John Cornyn] and the Republican Senate leadership, the team that stood by him, who went to the bat for him in 2004 to save his hide, to me is not only disrespectful, it's just downright rude. I'm sure his mama didn't raise him this way. And it's a shame that he's behaving this way today."

With that being said, I am sure that Specter didn't expect a hard time from his new party. According to Specter, Sen. Harry Reid (R-NV), the Senate Majority Leader (and another unwanted Democrat), promised Specter that, when he switched to the Democratic Party, he would retain his committee assignments and his seniority within those committees. However, the Senate voted yesterday to remove Specter's seniority, subsequently placing him at the bottom of every committee on which he sits. Not surprisingly, Reid's spokesperson stated that "There was no miscommunication" between the two senators.

And while I applaud Specter's defense of a woman's right to choose, his criticism of Mr. Bush's administration and his support of President Bill Clinton during his impeachment trial, Specter will always be considered a waste of space by me because of the role he played in the investigation of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. As an assistant counsel for the Warren Commission, Specter co-authored the ridiculous "magic bullet theory", which suggested that seven wounds to President Kennedy and Texas Gov. John Connally were caused by the same bullet. This absolutely impossible theory was a crucial assertion for the Warren Commission and allowed the federal government to truly avoid investigating the actual conspiracy which resulted in President Kennedy's death.

Evil Comes in All Forms

Rep. Virginia Foxx, the Republican politician from North Carolina, looks like someone's sweet grandmother. However, when she opened her mouth last week on the floor of the House of Representatives, she proved that she is tremendously offensive and criminally misinformed. Foxx was managing the debate for those individuals opposed to the Matthew Shepard Act, a proposed federal bill which would expand the current federal hate crime law to include crimes motivated by a victim's actual or perceived gender, gender identity, sexual orientation or disability. And regardless of how wrong it may be, Foxx is certainly entitled to her opinion. That is, until she decided to open her mouth and utter this: "The hate crimes bill that's called the Matthew Shepard Bill is named after a very unfortunate incident that happened where a young man was killed. But we know that that young man was killed in the commitment of a robbery. It wasn‘t because he was gay. The bill was named for him. The hate crimes bill was named for him. But it's really a hoax that continues to be used as an excuse for passing these bills."

In case you are unfamiliar with the case of Matthew Shepard, Shepard was a homosexual 21-year-old and a student at the University of Wyoming who was murdered by Russell Henderson and Aaron McKinney in October 1998. Both Henderson and McKinney admitted during the their trial that, after meeting Shepard in a bar in Laramie, WY, they pretended to be homosexual and then offered Shepard a ride. Shepard was subsequently robbed, pistol whipped, tortured with sharp implements, tied to a fence in a remote rural area and then left to die. Still tied to the fence, Shepard was not discovered until eighteen hours later by a bicyclist who, at first, thought that Shepard was a scarecrow. At the time of the discovery, Shepard was still alive but in a coma. However, he died four days later.

Although her remarks are extremely callous and insensitive, Foxx added to her shame by saying what she did while Matthew Shepard's mother was attending the debate and actually sitting in the House gallery at the time. Although she has since admitted that her use of the word "hoax" when describing the circumstances of Shepard's murder was "a poor choice of words", Foxx has not yet resigned from her Congressional seat. Therefore, please feel free to contact Foxx's Washington, D.C. office at (202) 225-2071 to express your disgust in her comments.

A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Waste

As a follow-up to a recent posting, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) struck again last week. On the day before she uttered her baffling comments regarding the swine flu epidemic, she decided to discuss the regulatory burden and tax policies of President Calvin Coolidge on the floor of the House of Representatives. Foot, meet mouth: "[President Franklin Delano Roosevelt] applied just the opposite formula, the Hoot-Smawley Act, which was a tremendous burden on tariff restrictions and then, of course, trade barriers and the regulatory burden and taxpayers. That‘s what we saw happen under FDR. That took a recession and blew it into a full scale depression. The American people suffered for almost 10 years under that kind of thinking."

First and foremost, you complete imbecile, the name of the legislation is the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act (not Hoot-Smawley, as you refer to it). Not only that but the act was passed in 1930, three years before President Roosevelt entered the White House. Written by two Republicans, Rep. Willis Hawley (R-OR) and Sen. Reed Smoot (R-UT), the bill was signed into law by Republican President Herbert Hoover (the man who ushered in the Great Depression), despite the opposition from numerous economists and bankers. President Roosevelt and his actions helped the nation recover from the Great Depression.

Bachmann continues to show the rest of the world why we as a nation are not as great as we think we are. Why? Because we allow this woman to vote on actual pieces of legislation. By the way, both Hawley and Smoot were defeated for re-election in 1932, with the controversial tariff being a major factor in their unsuccessful campaigns.

Accomplished Must Mean Something Different

Today is unfortunately the sixth anniversary of Mr. Bush standing on the USS Abraham Lincoln in front of a huge banner reading "Mission Accomplished". With that in mind, this quote from Henry Louis Mencken perfectly combines his premature claims with my thoughts on the whole situation: "In this world of sin and sorrow, there is always something to be thankful for. As for me, I rejoice that I am not a Republican."