Democratic Party = party of governing, or occasional stabs at it during moments of crisis, with good and not so good members and policy positions.

Republican Party = party of obstruction to efforts at actual governance, with varying levels of skill and shamelessness. But all are, to borrow an observation from Garrison Keillor,  “above average” at it. Something about brain chemistry, I suspect.

The Senate’s passage Tuesday of the economic recovery package followed a now-familiar 30 year pattern. The Democratic President Barack Obama, like Bill Clinton before him in 1993, faced a monolithic wall of GOP opposition to his economic program. But Republicans Ronald Reagan in 1981 and George W. Bush 20 years later enjoyed substantial Democratic support for their dangerously irresponsible and regressive tax cuts that as predicted drained the federal treasury. Now as then, for Republicans the road to economic stimulus is a one-way street.

This is why two is not enough. To borrow from another good writer: “We can do better.”

So much for “change we can believe in.” Torturers will not be punished by the American government, and that means that those who ordered them to do so cannot be held accountable, unless the World Court does the job.

Today in his hearing for CIA director before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Leon Panetta, who supposedly was selected for the job because his hands were clean of evil Bush-era practices, sold his soul and eliminated the possibility of prosecuting those who tortured on Bush’s orders. Cernig at Crooks and Liars and Newshoggers explains why this action gives legal cover to Bush, Cheney and their top-level goons.

Worse, not prosecuting the torturers sets up a malicious feedback that fatally undermines prosecutions for ordering torture. If there’s no prosecution for commission of a crime, how can someone be prosecuted for ordering what is apparently admitted isn’t a crime? No defense lawyer is going to pass up such a gift argument and the Obama administration knows it. Not prosecuting those who tortured is a “get out of jail free card” not only for the torturers but for those who ordered torture and those who falsely said torture could ever be legal. It’s a travesty of justice and one that Chris Dodd has sadly admitted Democratic leaders have looked the other way on for purely political reasons.

But Panetta — and presumably his new boss Barack Obama — is willing to take their policies even further into Bush territory.

And with the news that Panetta wants to reserve the possibility of using “enhanced interrogation” techniques which go beyond the US military code – which in turn is simply a retelling of the Geneva Conventions and binding treaties on torture – along with the Obama administration’s complicity in shielding Bush officials from revelations of torture…well, my Newshoggers colleague Jay McDonough is correct. “We cannot, despite assurances otherwise, trust our government not to render and torture detainees.”

The chances of restoring the rule of law to this country anytime soon do not seem very likely. What a pathetic people we have become.

Formal Petition to Attorney General-Designate Eric Holder to appoint a Special Prosecutor to investigate and prosecute any and all government officials who have participated in War Crimes.

Sponsored by Docudharma.com and Democrats.com.

Several upcoming events are designed to help citizens do their civic duty of participation during the 2009 session of the Oklahoma Legislature. These are some that focus on progressive issues (content copied from emails and online sources). If you can, please participate in one of these activities to hone your knowledge or skills, or make your advocacy for peace and justice on your own during this legislative session (Feb. 2 – May 29).

I hope to do a compendium of bills proposed in this session that concern progressives. Stay tuned.

ACLU of Oklahoma Legislative Workshop

The ACLU of Oklahoma will be hosting the 3rd annual Keith Smith Legislative Workshop on January 31, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event location is at the First Unitarian Church, 600 NW 13th St., Oklahoma City. The workshop will be free, with an optional lunch available for $5. Come learn how you, as a regular citizen, can approach your representatives.

For more information or to RSVP, please call (405) 524-8511 or email katyj @ acluok . org.

Oklahoma Conference of Churches Day at the Legislature

Tue Feb 10, 7:45am – 3:15pm – Oklahoma State Capitol

I’m trying to get more info on this, and I’ll update this if and when I do. The group’s web site does not include this event as of this writing. But I did hear that this year they are focusing on addressing poverty, thus the inclusion here.

State Capitol “Teach In” on Equal Rights for LGBT

On February 14th, 2009 there will be an “Equal Rights In Every State” Teach In from noon to 6 p.m. on the South steps of the State House in Oklahoma City. This event will focus on creating a better understanding of the struggle for equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens, with a goal of enlightening each other and non-LGBT members of society on the importance of providing civil protections and equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered people.

In the State of Oklahoma, and 31 other states, it is currently legal to discriminate in housing and employment based on sexual orientation. While race, age, gender, and disability are all covered under federal and state anti-discrimination laws, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered citizens of Oklahoma remain at risk. It wasn’t until 1964 that race was included under protection and as recent as 1991 that disability was added. It’s time to work for our inclusion.

Speakers from the Faith oriented community, Political community, Science community and Social Services community will speak about the importance of acceptance and the justice of inclusion in equality for all at the event on February 14, 2009.

Some of the speakers scheduled to attend:

Mary Lou Wallner, Teach Ministries
Featured in the movie “For the bible tells me so”
PFLAG

President Barack Obama recently invited us, the citizens of the United States, to bring about change in our communities in order to bring change to America. Those citizens in the LGBT community want change and deserve protection. Now is the time to make it happen. But, as we’ve seen in other states that have had ballots or laws that effect the LGBT community, we have to be READY when those laws and ballots come up to the voters on election day. We must first bring about a clear understanding to the citizens that vote. We need to teach every man, woman, and child in Oklahoma that we are their friends, neighbors, sisters, brothers, church members, caregivers, co-workers, doctors, and teachers. Most importantly, we have to teach them to accept that we are their equal.

We’re not going to get our rights without asking for them and we’re not going to get our rights without teaching….

Be a part of the pledge “…with liberty and justice for all.”

For further information, contact Peter Myers at 405-815-4059

I got the above from a email forward. If you have more info about who is sponsoring the event, please let me know.

Women’s Coalition Advocacy Day at the Capitol, February 18

Did you know Oklahoma has been ranked the 3rd worst state for women?? We rank #1 in Incarcerated Women, #1 in Child Abuse, #1 in the Divorce Rate, #7 in Teen Births, #42 in overall women’s health, #45 in women in professional jobs. The list goes on and on.

The newly formed, non-partisan Oklahoma Women’s Coalition is out to change these statistics. Please join us for Oklahoma Women: Advocate! on February 18 at the State Capitol as we make history for Oklahoma women and girls.

The day will begin with a press conference to officially launch the Coalition, followed by sessions where state leaders will provide updates on key issues and legislation affecting women and girls. We will also learn effective advocacy techniques to have our voices heard.

To download a registration form for Oklahoma Women: Advocate! just click HERE. Seating is limited, so send in your registration as soon as possible.

Whether or not you are able attend the Advocacy Day in February, I urge you to become a member of the Oklahoma Women’s Coalition now. Together, we can create significant change for Oklahoma women and girls! To download the Membership Application Form, just click HERE.

Other resources:

• Oklahoma Sierra Club Legislative action alert email list

I’ll add more here as I find them.

While in Crawford, I was introduced to an amazing musical duo, Pat Humphries and Sandy O, otherwise known as Emma’s Revolution. Their music is totally amazing, a blend of folk, pop, roots rock. The best way I can think to describe them is a mix of Pete Seeger and Sweet Honey and the Rock.

They seem to make it to every meaningful activist event, to offer their political support and musical contribution, which can raise the level of emotion and commitment to untold levels. I could go on, but you can read about them and all the events and projects they’ve been affiliated with, and all the accolades they’ve received, at their web site.

Because of their travels, their newsletter is a compendium of all the latest progressive political insider news. The latest issue is no exception. They just got back from the annual School of the Americas Watch demo at Ft. Benning, GA and here’s some of what they shared about the 19th (and hopefully last) SOA protest and its founder, Father Roy Bourgeois:

The weekend before Thanksgiving, we and 20,000 other folks gathered again outside the gates of Ft. Benning in Columbus, GA for the vigil to shut down the School of the Americas. Or, as activists call it, “The School of the Assassins.”

The SOA is a torture-training school-right here on US soil and funded by our tax dollars-where Latin America soldiers are taught counterinsurgency tactics, psychological warfare and Abu-Ghraib-style torture techniques. The School of the Americas Watch, a grassroots organization dedicated to closing the SOA and changing oppressive US foreign policy, has been holding these vigils for the past 18 years, the first one, with only 10 people. We wrote our song, “One by One” for this demonstration, which features spoken testimony from torture survivors, family members whose loved ones were killed by SOA graduates, the sole survivor of a massacre, elected officials, actors, and activists from around the world, all interspersed with the most music, spoken word and visual arts we’ve ever seen at a demonstration. (Thanks to Al Viola for this photo of the musicians’ collective at the 2007 Vigil!)

Sign the Petition to President- Elect Obama to End Torture and Close the SOA, and come next November!

Now, for the Pope part.

The Friday of this year’s vigil was also the day that SOAW founder, Fr. Roy Bourgeois, was to be excommunicated from the Catholic Church. Not for standing up to the military or to the US government, for that matter, but for participating in a Mass to ordain a woman priest.

Fr. Roy delivered the homily at that ceremony in August, saying:

“Sexism is a sin. . . The hierarchy will say, ‘It is the tradition of the church not to ordain women.’ I grew up in a small town in Louisiana and often heard, ‘It is the tradition of the South to have segregated schools.’ It was also ‘the tradition’ in our Catholic church to have the Black members seated in the last five pews of the church. No matter how hard we may try to justify discrimination, in the end, it is always wrong and immoral.”

In October, the church hierarchy sent Fr. Roy a letter demanding he recant his position or be excommunicated. But, Fr. Roy didn’t back down. He wrote a letter in response and he and others have pointed out the disturbing fact that, while it took the Vatican twelve years to begin to respond to the sexual abuse of nearly 5,000 children by US priests (with none of the priests, nor the bishops who remained silent about the abuse, being excommunicated) it took only three months for the Vatican to respond to Fr. Roy’s support of women’s ordination with the threat of excommunication.

(Did you know you can email the Pope? ) and the petitions are having an effect. We think the slogan of the Women’s Ordination Conference’s petition in support of Fr. Roy says it best:

“Break the Silence. Shatter the Stained Glass Ceiling.”

Emma’s Revolution will be playing at the Innaugural Peace Ball in DC on Jan. 20. But don’t plan on attending it unless you are one of the lucky 1000 who got tickets before it sold out in one day!

Their new album is called Roots, Rock, Revolution and you can listen and buy on the site. I’m ordering it and listening to their earlier album One while I wait for it to arrive.

Please be sure to sign the petition asking Obama to close the SOA using the linked image below.

Oh, and I’ll try to find my photos of Pat and Sandy from Crawford to add to this post.

Obama is being inundated with requests, but this one stood out to me: A petition drive, inspired by musician Quincy Jones, for the establishment of a Secretary of the Arts, a cabinet level position to encourage, preserve and maintain our significant artistic and cultural heritage. This is on a par with what most other industrialized countries put in place long ago.

The petition language is a little sparse (especially with such a passionate cause!) but more background and rationale can be found here and here.

h/t to Martha

(If the video doesn’t load, you can find it here.)

Good on Larry to bring the writer/director of Roger and Me to talk about this catastrophe.

Mike’s remedy:

We’ve got a huge problem. That’s why government — this is a crisis. There’s a catastrophe about to happen and the government has to step in and say, just like Roosevelt did, this is what you’re building. This is how it’s going to be built. We’re going to have a mass transit system in this country. We’re going to bring back light rail. We’re going to build more subways. We’re going to build more buses. And we’re going to employ not only the people that are currently employed, but a lot of the people who have lost their jobs.

We need a huge works program. We need the infrastructure of General Motors and Ford and Chrysler. That’s why they can’t just — and they can’t file for bankruptcy, either, because once a company says they’re filing for bankruptcy, who’s going to buy a car from that company?

There’s no — I mean you’re like, jeez, I may not be able to get this car fixed next year if the company hasn’t come back. So bankruptcy isn’t the answer.

What I think is ironic and, again, hypocritical on the part of Congress, is that they’re not — they’re holding back. He can’t get the votes to bail out the auto companies because that’s going to help a lot of blue collar people — people that don’t have a voice, who don’t have lobbyists fighting for them on Capitol Hill.

But, boy, as soon as the banks or the financial institutions or the people that just gambled the money away — as soon as they were wanting some dough, boy, the trough just was laid out for them. Line right up, take whatever you want, sure, no problem. You know, everybody was there to vote for that.

But when it came time, now, to help the people, the working class of this country, it’s like, ah, I don’t know about that.

So, on one hand, there needs to be a program with money behind it to make sure that these people don’t lose their jobs. But we need to restructure these auto companies so they become mass transit companies and companies that build cars that are hybrid or much more fuel- efficient and better for the environment. That’s what the country needs. That’s what the world needs.

Mike ended his interview saying, “We’re seeing the end of capitalism — the end of capitalism as we know it. And I say good riddance.” Then, the next guest, Rep. Charlie Rangell starts with, “Why do you have me follow Michael Moore? ‘The end of capitalism’!” And he and Larry crack up. Now, that’s good television! [Transcript.]

As was seeing on C-Span those idiot CEOs get grilled like a cheese sandwich in the House and Senate, blasted repeatedly for flying in their private jets to come to Washington to rattle their tin cups.

Unfortunately, as th reporter who got the private jet story later told Anderson Cooper, they were completely unfazed by the outrage. They think they deserve and have earned all the money and perks and privilege they have. That’s why Michael Moore is right — the first stipulation of any bailout by the taxpayers is the elimination of top management.

Look, I’m not married. I’ve never been married. I never wanted to be married — okay, maybe when I was five I played house or something, but once I was out of early childhood, I always knew I would never get married.

No, my parents weren’t divorced, married for over 60 years.

In a way, I was a feminist before I even knew there was such a thing. I rejected marriage before I knew I was gay, before I got overtly political, before I finally called myself an atheist. As a feminist, I think marriage is an archaic institution, and contemporary divorce statistics prove my point while those entering both conditions, serially, nonetheless disagree with my analysis.

I look at marriage as a social contract that was designed to control women and insure paternity of children. It’s the 21st Century, let’s just throw the whole thing out. However, mine is clearly a minority view. Despite the cognitive dissonance, marriage doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. Folks just seem to like it (again and again!). I’ve come to tolerate this strange need to get state sanction of relationships. )And unlike some, I don’t feel the need to force my opinion and practice on everyone else.)

In the gay community, the marriage equality movement has been around for quite a while. Lots of gay people would like to get officially married to their beloved, and not just for those rather important legal perks like hospital visitation. It means something to them, just as it does to the serially married heterosexuals. Most gay and lesbian citizens are really more like the Nelsons, the Cleavers or the Huxtables than they are like me. That is the great irony of this whole brouhaha.

So what to do? I think some language adjustments would be helpful. Gays (the lucky ones in progressive states) have been thrown the “civil union” bone as a separate but unequal alternative. In most cases, as I understand it, this takes care of most of the legal ramifications of partnerships in our society. But, in order that some paranoid so-called religious nutcases don’t get their panties in a twist, there have to be two forms available from the state, one for straight couples, one for gays and lesbians. One labeled “marriage certificate” and one labeled “civil union.”

Of course the distinction is ridiculous. Where are those fiscally responsible, small-government conservatives when you need them?

Just have the state — and here I mean government, in every fucking state of the U.S. — provide civil unions for consenting adults, which are easy to get and easy to abolish. It’s a legal and social contract and has nothing to do with anyone’s god or any church dogma.

Frankly, I think it should be available to partnerships of two or more. What’s it to ya? Throughout human history, societies have formed different kinds of affinity groups, and yes, the sacred task of raising children might have been performed by entities other than just the biological mother and father. In fact, I got news for Focus on the Family: the latter system, the “nuclear family,” is NOT the norm, not even close. Somehow, despite this crazy behavior of social elasticity and community building, culture has progressed even to the zenith of producing James Dobson.

With this arrangement, religious groups can then choose to provide an additional imprimatur to the partnerships that fit whatever little corner of humanity they approve of. No one forces them to do anything they don’t want to do. Give these neanderthals the legal exclusions for their cultdoms so they won’t have to employ or give communion to someone that makes them feel icky (or involuntarily and inexplicably horny). Let’s see how that works out for them in the long run. Not well, I suspect. With affirming alternatives, sane people will gravitate away from hate and toward love naturally.

The El Reno City Council has unanimously approved a “Voluntary Recycling Program” for the OEMA to run a new curbside recycling service that would entail city utility customers paying an additional $5 a month for an extra bin to put out recyclable items.

An ad promoting the program in the local newspaper was “sponsored by C2S Environmental Service, Inc.” which I can find nothing about. OEMA’s web site is pitifully absent of content, so no help there.

This program would not actually get underway until a minimum of 500 customers (suckers?) sign up for it, promising to pay the monthly fee in addition to their regular trash service cost.

Currently, the only recycling in the city is on Saturday morning from 9 to Noon, and you have to take the items to the recycling location. But there is no charge. According to (low-level) city employees I spoke to, this free service may be ended if the for-pay service is activated.

I am very skeptical about this. It sounds like a scam that OEMA has come up with to increase their profits. Obviously, they are going to collect and sort the items, and sell them. They will thus make money on both ends. Nice work if you can get it, it seems to me.

Most recycling programs include some up front costs to the municipality, I would guess. I would also think that there are some variety in how recycling programs are paid for, whether the city pays a contractor, or a contractor pays the city for the opportunity to collect items they can sell for a profit. I have no problem with some kind of business arrangement that makes sense for the entities involved.

But this seems beyond reasonable to me. If this is as scurrilous as it sounds, is the El Reno City Council a bunch of innocent dupes, are they aware of what’s going on, or are they also getting something out of it? Who’s contributing to their re-election campaigns?

I know I’m jumping to conclusions here, but I’ve never heard of this kind of set up for recycling. I wasn’t able to attend the council meeting where this was discussed. I need to go down and get a transcript to see if any substantive questions were asked by those making the decision.

The bottom line on recycling is that it SAVES the government money, not to mention the savings and other benefits to the citizenry and environment, involving land use, health, quality of life, etc.

If anyone has heard of anything like this, or has any insight, please let me know. I plan to go to the city council and/or OEMA, and write to the local paper to voice my impression and concerns, but want to have as much info as possible.