Patsy explains it all

Patsy, aka soldier4hillary, and Sugar of Sugar n’ Spice, have a blogtalkradio program on Thursday nights at 9:00PM EST on NQR.  It’s called Our View with Patsy and Sugar.  Highly recommended.  Patsy is about as clear eyed as a person is likely to get on the state of the race (you can take that any way you like). In  this video clip, Patsy lays it all out:

Patsy, if you need a place to blog, I’m sure we can make some room for you here at The Confluence.  Contact us at theconfluence08 at yahoo dot com.

On another note: I distinctly remember how the Des Moines Register praised Hillary Clinton for her readiness to lead because the state of the nation required a Democrat who was more like FDR than JFK.  The most recent fed bailouts of Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and insurance giant AIG put me in mind of this.  So, I thought I would dig up that endorsement and demonstrate how wise and perspicacious the editorialists were on December 15, 2007.

Lo and behold, it has been scrubbed from their site. I can’t find it anywhere.  it’s almost as if someone wanted to rewrite history and downplay how clairvoyant the Des Moines Register actually was.  i mean, they were pretty solid in their confidence in Hillary Clinton’s ability to handle a crisis like the one afflicting Wall street right now (and pretty confident of Obama’s relatively unseasoned status).  I called the editorial department of the Des Moines Register today to ask about the location of the endorsement, because I like to double check my own searching skills.  So far, they have not returned my call.  But it *seems* as if the endorsement has been scrubbed from the Des Moines Register site and every commentaty that made reference to it in the blogosphere. Cue the eerie theremin music.

Friday Activism: Will Shame Do What Party Affiliation Won’t?

Do Not Let Him Take Our Freedom Away!

Having garnered only pro forma support from some of her Senate colleagues (with the notable exception of her frequent partner, Senator Patty Murray) in her efforts to prevent George W. Bush’s HHS from denying millions of women access to birth control, Hillary Clinton joins with the president of Planned Parenthood and takes her case to the media:

The definition of abortion in the proposed rule is left open to interpretation. An earlier draft included a medically inaccurate definition that included commonly prescribed forms of contraception like birth control pills, IUD’s and emergency contraception. That language has been removed, but because the current version includes no definition at all, individual health care providers could decide on their own that birth control is the same as abortion.

The rule would also allow providers to refuse to participate in unspecified “other medical procedures” that contradict their religious beliefs or moral convictions. This, too, could be interpreted as a free pass to deny access to contraception.

Many circumstances unrelated to reproductive health could also fall under the umbrella of “other medical procedures.” Could physicians object to helping patients whose sexual orientation they find objectionable? Could a receptionist refuse to book an appointment for an H.I.V. test? What about an emergency room doctor who wishes to deny emergency contraception to a rape victim? Or a pharmacist who prefers not to refill a birth control prescription?

The Bush administration argues that the rule is designed to protect a provider’s conscience. But where are the protections for patients?

The 30-day comment period on the proposed rule runs until Sept. 25. Everyone who believes that women should have full access to medical care should make their voices heard. Basic, quality care for millions of women is at stake. (emphasis added)

Folks, this is the real deal. This is how the Republicans plan to make abortion illegal – not by overturning Roe v. Wade, but by chip-chip-chipping away at the words and the framing that contains the debate over reproductive freedom for women. I say, they can only do this if we let them. We made the mistake long ago of allowing the most extreme, restrictive factions of the anti-abortion population to entitle themselves “pro-life.” As Hillary implies, is it really pro-life to deny important medical information to women who need it? What about the life of the mother?

Friday: Freaky Friday

Ayayayay!  Today is going to be one of those days.  The Dean Democrats are up to no good.  Heidi Li has an important post up about the mutual backscratching going on in the DNC.  It turns out that Obama will select Howard Dean’s successor, which is expected to be – Howard Dean.  None of that pesky election stuff.  So outre.

Since the DNC claims that the reason Senator Obama gets to dictate who the next DNC chair is, it is ever more important for the medium and long term health of the Democratic Party that Senator Obama not win this election. Here’s the passage from the CQ Politics story that informs us that Senator Obama’s internal party is based on the assumption he will win the general election, and that if he does win the DNC will once again hold a fake election rather than a real vote for the position of chair:

‘“We expect Sen. Obama to be in the White House, and it’ll be his decision as to who’ll be nominated” to succeed Dean, said Stacie Paxton, national press secretary for the DNC.

If Obama is elected, he will designate his choice for the chairmanship, and DNC members would be expected to ratify his decision at a meeting immediately after Inauguration Day on Jan. 20.’

The story goes on to say:

‘If the Democrats do not win the White House, a special party meeting would be called for an election to be held between Jan. 1 and March 1, said DNC officials. Dean and his predecessor, Terry McAuliffe, were both elected in meetings during the month of February.’

Heidi then adds:

If this is the way the DNC wants to play this, then there is  only thing to be done by Democrats who care about seeing their Party survive the civil war that Senator Obama and Howard Dean have already brought to it. Senator Obama must not win the general election. And his defeat must come at the hands of Democrats who now realize that in the new Democratic Party way no compromise is allowed.

This incarnation of the party is extremely good at turning lifelong Democrats into temporary monkeywrenchers.  I don’t think that speaks well of Howard’s and Obama’s political skills.  Anyway, the best way to combat this is to help Heidi buy the ads in the Capital Hill newspapers and journals to let the powers that be know that we are out here and determined to make them the powers that were.  If you have $10, send it to Heidi.  Time is of the essence since because now is when the party leaders start jockeying for positions.

And now for a moment from the Madame President of our hearts in all of her wonky goodness- Hillary Clinton does the Economy:

Why, Howard, WHY couldn’t we have Hillary this year?  You media types have a lot to answer for too.  In a year when we need our best, brightest, most competent, ready-to-go leaders, you connive to give us John McCain and Barack Obama, a Product.  Was this really necessary?  Why was it so important to sideline this woman in a time of crisis in our nation’s history?   What was so damn special about Barack Obama?  How come you couldn’t see past the color of his skin to the complete absence of content in his character?

Well?  I’d like to hear some answers from the media who helped to force this decision on us.