Russell Pearce Believes 14th Amendment Has Been Misinterpreted!

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Russell Pearce is a blight on democracy!  How can a man who opens his arms to Neo Nazis have any power to legislate?

The 14th amendment has not been misinterpreted.  As Americans, we have a unique system that has served us well, for centuries as a matter of fact.   As Americans, born or naturalized, we all can strive for the same dreams.  The 14th amendment, were it only meant to be relevant to slaves, as suggested by Pierce, would have been abolished years ago.  Why, after 150 years then, does it still hold a special place in our Democracy.  The impact of the 14th amendment cannot be overstated.

Nonetheless, the Fourteenth Amendment was the most important constitutional change in the nation’s history since the Bill of Rights.

The term anchor baby is abhorant to me.   Children are not anchors, they are unique and special human beings.  When I was a school counselor, I had the story of the starfish on my door, I wanted every kid that walked in my office to know I thought there was something amazing about each and every one of them.

E. J. Dionne and Christian Virtue

E. J. Dionne had an interesting Op-Ed piece in Monday’s Washington Post.   In it, he used Mark Souder as the focal point as a Christian, a Christian lawmaker, and a person who recently fell, from grace [sorry–typo] and the high road. 

Mark Souder was outted as having had an affair with the very part time staffer with whom he had made an abstinence -only video.  Souder is certainly in a long list of those men in power who somehow betray their spouses for other women. 

Dionne, a noted liberal columnist, calls upon Christians basically to come down off their high horses.  Part of his column from the Washington Post is below:

…I asked Souder to appear at an event with former New York governor Mario Cuomo where both reflected on the role of faith in their public lives. Their thoughts were later included in a book. “To ask me to check my Christian beliefs at the public door is to ask me to expel the Holy Spirit from my life when I serve as a congressman, and that I will not do,” Souder said. “Either I am a Christian or I am not.”

So I do hope that Souder finds a way to work out his redemption. But it is precisely because this story hits me personally that I want to shout as forcefully as I can to my conservative Christian friends: Enough!

Enough with dividing the world between moral, family-loving Christians and supposedly permissive, corrupt, family-destroying secularists.

Enough with pretending that personal virtue is connected with political creeds. Enough with condemning your adversaries, sometimes viciously, and then insisting upon understanding after the failures of someone on your own side become known to the world. And enough with claiming that support for gay rights and gay marriage is synonymous with opposition to family values and sexual responsibility.

It’s not the self-righteousness of religious conservatives that bothers me most. We liberals can be pretty self-righteous, too. It’s the refusal to acknowledge that the pressures endangering the family do not come from some dark secular leftist conspiracy but from cultural and economic forces that affect us all. People are encouraged to put all sorts of things (career advancement, wealth, fame, the accumulation of things, various forms of self-indulgence) ahead of being good parents and spouses. Our workplaces are not as family-friendly as they could be.

Why does it even have to be said that a devotion to family has nothing to do with ideology? In my very liberal Maryland neighborhood — 80 percent of my precinct voted for Barack Obama — parents crowd school meetings, flock to their children’s sporting events, help them with homework and teach them right from wrong based on values that I doubt differ all that much from those prevailing in more conservative environs. And while a lot of my neighbors are active in their religious congregations, the secular parents take their family responsibilities as seriously as the believers do.

And those of us who are liberal would insist that our support for the rights of gays and lesbians grows from our sense of what family values demand. How can being pro-family possibly mean holding in contempt our homosexual relatives, neighbors and friends? How much sense does it make to preach fidelity and commitment and then deny marriage to those whose sexual orientation is different from our own? Rights for gays and lesbians don’t wreck heterosexual families. Heterosexuals are doing a fine job of this on their own.

“Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” It’s a scriptural passage that no doubt appeals to Mark Souder. But it would be lovely if conservative Christians remembered Jesus’s words not only when needing a lifeline but also when they are tempted to give speeches or send out mailers excoriating their political foes as permissive anti-family libertines. How many more scandals will it take for people who call themselves Christian to rediscover the virtues of humility and solidarity?

E. J. Dionne seems right on the money to me. I only wish I were able to articulate his feelings on the subject as well. What separates John Edwards from Mark Sanford or any of the other ‘fallen angels’ of late? Not much. All behaved dishonorably. However, John Edwards never set himself up as an angel. Good thing because he is perhaps the biggest scum bag of all. He just didn’t have as far to fall as the others.

Jack Bauer, the Ultimate Patriot

Not a PINO (Patriot in Name Only), Jack Bauer is the ultimate patriot.  The show ended tonight, after 8 seasons, never to be resumed.  Jack was seen wandering off, bloody but unbowed, to leave the country because both the USA and the Russians would be after him. So what makes Jack the ultimate patriot?

Jack was loyal to all presidents unless  he discovered them sinning against the United States.  He seemed to ignore politics. He didn’t care if the president was black, white, male, female, Democrat or Republican.  He obeyed the code…now what code, I am unsure of.  Jack tortured.  He only tortured when American lives were at stake. 

24 was actually a harbinger of things to come.  The first black president was actually on 24.  There was also a woman president this past season.  There was lots of terrorism. 

Was he perfect?  No, he was a man who loved his country, regardless of what the government of that country did to him.  That is why he is the Ultimate Patriot.   Jack Bauer will be missed.

Moonhowlings.net Now has a Chat Room

Bear with us. We have installed a very primitive chat room. You can access it from the top tabs called ‘pages.’ You do not need a password to log in to the chatroom, called ‘Howlings Room. If you want to talk with users here, this might be a way to do it.

No promises. And trust me, this is a very primitive chat room. You can float the chat room. If you do this, and dim it, you will lose your conversation and your log in. If you need to dim it, hit the embed key. It puts your chat window back onto the blog.

Good luck. I await your comments. Hopefully the users will know more about this than I do.  Go duke it out.

[Update:  We need to get a sound on there to let us know others are speaking.]

McDonnell’s staff inches toward privatizing liquor stores

During the 2009 gubernatorial campaign, Bob McDonnell said he wanted to investigate selling Virginia’s state liquor stores to private owners.  Many of us went nuclear at the time but figured he would move on past that bad idea.  Apparently we thought wrong.  In fact, an article in the Washington Post slipped right past me on May 17.

From the WaPo, in its entirety:

Anita Kumar

Gov. Bob McDonnell’s administration has been quietly meeting for months with members of the alcohol industry and others in the community who would be affected by his proposal to privatize liquor stores.

Eric Finkbeiner, the governor’s senior advisor for policy, has been talking informally with representatives from the Restaurant and Hospitality Association, Diageo Beverages, Miller Coors, Associated Distributors, Retail Merchants Association of Virginia, Virginia Wine Wholesalers, Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, Beer Wholesalers Association, Total Wine, Virginia Wineries Association, Wine Institute, Sazerac (which owns Bowman Distilleries in Virginia), Virginia Retail Merchants Association, MADD, public safety organizations and faith-based groups.

McDonnell recently formed a commission on government reform and restructuring, which will consider, among other proposals how the state could sell the state’s 350 liquor stores, which he pledged to do on the campaign trail last year.

Finkbeiner and his working group will bring possible ideas to the commission, which is charged with providing initial recommendations to McDonnell by July 16, and writing a final report by Dec. 1.

McDonnell estimates the sale of the ABC stores could bring in as much as $500 million for much-needed road improvements, but his critics argue that any one-time proceeds would be offset by the permanent loss of $100 million in annual revenue that goes to other state services.

Last week, at a public forum focused to kick off the government reform effort, McDonnell said he would not support holding a referedum to decide whether the ABC stores should be privatized.

“For 70 years, we’ve distributed beer and wine in every 7-Eleven, every Food Lion. But we’ve controlled the distribution of spirits,” he told the crowd of more than 100 people. “From a free market stand point, it doesn’t make sense to continue to control only one part of the distribution.”

McDonnell will call the General Assembly back to Richmond this fall for a special session to approve his recommendations if he can build support for some of them. <

Virginia has a long history of having state stores that dates back to the end of prohibition in 1933.  The history and accompanying pictures can be found at the following link on the ABC website

 Additionally, Virginia  makes money off the state stores–lots of money and that money goes in to other programs.  See the 2009 annual report.  Download here.   (pdf)

What is McDonnell’s obsession with privatizing our state ABC stores?  Any private industry will have one objective–making money.  Virginia regulates the use of alcohol and its primary objective is not financial.  McDonnell will run in to a big fight if he continues with this tradition-breaking stupidity.

Christine Todd Whitman on the Oil Leak, Moderating the Tea Party and Listening

Christine Todd Whitman has always been one of my favorites since she was governor of New Jersey. Whitman knows what it is like to be shot at from all sides, being a moderate herself. She says she will be moderate on some times and more liberal on others. So how to label her? Tell her the issue, she will tell you where she stands and you can decide.

Fetal Dolls handed out on Campus of Norfolk Elementary School

An employee at a Norfolk, Virginia elementary school is on administrative leave for handing out fetal dolls on the campus. The principal of Oak Wood Elementary has also been placed on administrative leave. It is unclear what the principal’s role in this matter was. According to the Richmond Times Dispatch:

The investigation began after The Virginian-Pilot inquired this week about reports that the dolls had been distributed to students at Oakwood.

School board member Kirk Houston Sr. called the fetus dolls a “pro-life” tool. He said distributing them to students was inappropriate and unacceptable.

The Washington Post reports:

The Virginian-Pilot reports that the dolls, which were distributed to students at Oakwood Elementary School in Norfolk over weeks or months, are not authorized instructional materials.

The dolls, in pink and brown and about 4 inches long, came with a “pro-life” message and information on fetal growth, the paper reports.

School officials have begun an investigation. The employee who distributed the dolls has not been identified

.

What would possess a person to do something this foolish? Talk about a captive audience and also an audience that is a little young to have anti abortion rhetoric pushed on them.  Fetus dolls just should not be part of a public school setting.

[fetus doll picture from the AP]

Give it back Ken!

 

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If it quacks like a scam, then the AG needs to give back the $55,500 he received in campaign funds.  The AG needs to investigate this ‘charity.’  Ticer and McDonnell both did the right thing.  Cucinnelli needs to follow their lead.  In a nutshell, from newsvine.com:

VA Attorney General Ken Cucinelli (R) Took $55,500 from what appears to be a charity scam that exploits veterans…. He refuses to investigate the group and plans to keep the money

.

A big bear Hug to Bear for this one. I had missed it.

Virginia State Majority Leader Victim of Identity Theft

Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw discovered in March that he was a victim of identity theft when charges on his American Express were declined. According to the Washington Post:

Saslaw said he was alerted to a problem with his American Express credit card in March and quickly reported it to Virginia State Police. Virginia authorities reported it to the California State Highway Patrol, which is now searching for two suspects in the Sacramento area in connection with the theft. Saslaw said the suspects reached out to multiple banks and credit card companies in an effort to get new cards in his name. “They were persistent,” he said.

Saslaw praised the Virginia and California authorities and said reaching out to police was the right thing to do when he realized he’d been the victim of identity theft. “They were really very efficient,” he said.

Saslaw theorized that his number was skimmed while he ate at a Northern Virginia restaurant

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News10 out of Sacremento
had the following:

Saslaw said the same thing happened to two other lawmakers in the Virginia legislature and he believes information on the magnetic stripes of their credit cards was stolen in a process known as “skimming” while they dined together at a restaurant.

Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force commander Capt. Jim Cooper said investigators were searching for two suspects they say changed Saslaw’s home address in Virginia to an apartment on Fulton Avenue in Sacramento. Investigators believe Bernell Bryan Washington, 24, and Sky Manriquez, 21, are staying with friends or relatives in the Fresno area.

I expect that American Express was all over this one. I had a card stolen in a restaurant. I alerted Am Ex and their fraud department was all over the case within minutes of the report. I had had unauthorized purchases made also and I knew where I had been when the card was taken. I have had 2 other unauthorized uses of credit cards. American Express was the most professional in handling the situation. People need to be on continual look out for unauthorized charges.

Fortunately, gas was bought with my card and not medical marijuana. The right wing blogs have already started having a field day with Saslaw’s identity theft, mainly because he is a left leaning Democrat. Too bad this can’t be a teachable moment about identity theft and how to handle it. Instead it is being used by some as a ‘gotcha moment.’ Shame on those who cannot transcend politics when the situation is obvious.

Democrat Pitbull Snarls over BP

Elena and I have talked extensively over this oil gusher.  The impact on the environment is almost too horrifying to fathom.  It still is happening.  It hasn’t been contained.  Perhaps we are numb.  We have avoided publishing a thread about it.  It’s horrible.  It’s horrible in an environmental Armageddon sort of way that leaves one speechless. 

James Carville, the Democratic pitbull has some words to say on the subject–some words we might not expect. He is a Louisianan.  He is a Democrat, first and foremost.  This issue should transcend all politics. It is an American horror story. I feel he needs to be heard:

Curriculum, Texas Style

Quoted from Huffingtonpost.com:

Education Secretary Arne Duncan said school officials “should keep politics out” of curriculum debates.

“We do a disservice to children when we shield them from the truth, just because some people think it is painful or doesn’t fit with their particular views,” Duncan said in a statement. “Parents should be very wary of politicians designing curriculum.”

Most of us agree with Secretary Duncan. And this statement works both ways, whether it is from the Democrats, the Republicans, or whatever else is deemed politically correct at the time. Social Studies seems to get the brunt of being tossed around political alley and this time, Texas has really re-invented history.

Read More

Kids Soccer Games Express Hate and Ignorance Towards Latino’s ?

 

I was truly saddened when I watched this video.  How sad, that the immigration debate has become so poisoned, even a good old fashioned soccer games is vulnerable to a display of complete and utter ignorance.  I dare anyone to suggest this is not a result of the despicable behavior seen at the national level.    Oh, but wait, I am just being silly when I refer to the hate that is growing towards Hispanics, its just all in my silly imagination.

Rand Paul Steps in Political Macaca

Being an outsider has its pitfalls.  Such is the case with Rand Paul.  Rand Paul is a neophyte and he stepped into the macaca  up to his knees–maybe even deeper.  In an interview with Rachel Maddow, Rand Paul got on to the subject of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 

How can legislation that is nearly 50 years old trip up anyone?  Just ask Rand Paul.   According to Politico:

In interviews with NPR and MSNBC on Wednesday, Paul indicated unease with the Civil Rights Act’s ban on discrimination by private businesses — sparking a political blaze that threatened to engulf his campaign even before he finished relishing his landslide primary win.

 The candidate eased fears some by issuing a damage-control statement stating his opposition to discrimination and doing an interview with conservative talk show host Laura Ingraham in which he seemed to acknowledge the necessity of the Civil Rights Act.

In fairness to Maddow, she gave him every opportunity to self correct.  He did not seize the opportunity.  He continued to disavow discrimination but did not come out and say he would have voted for  the Civil Rights Bill.  And the silence was deafening.

The video is long but covers the entire interview.

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PWCS Approves Pay-For_Performance for Teachers

Its Not on the Test

Last night all but one of the PWC School Board members voted to approve a plan to bring pay-for-performance to the county via a federal grant entitled Teacher Incentive Fund. 31 schools are eligible. The objective is to attract and retain good teachers to under-performing schools. Otherwise known as merit pay, teachers, teachers’ organizations, and teachers’ unions nation wide have been opposed to bringing in this time of evaluation process.

Pay-for-performance requires superior evaluators and has been known to cut down on sharing and collegiality in places where it has been attempted. Research is scarce showing that students learn more or better when their teachers are evaluated under a merit pay system.

According to insidenova.com: (full story at insidenova)

If awarded, the federal grant money would go to teachers and administrators at eligible schools that score well on a county-created 100-point scoring system. That system is made up of student performance, student behavior, instructional leadership, climate and instructional delivery performance.

Under these five categories are several subcategories. For example, student performance has seven subcategories which add up to 25 points on the 100-point scale.

There are 31 eligible schools in the county. Eligibility is determined by the percentage of economically disadvantaged student population at those particular schools.
The money would likely be handed out in a tiered system in which principals, Standards of Learning teachers, special education teachers and English for speakers of other languages teachers would receive the largest share. Depending on how much money the division receives, the awards would likely range from $2,000 to $10,000 per teacher or administrator, said Pedersen.

It will be interesting to see how this pans out. Those who work in ineligible schools will be out of luck and won’t get this opportunity. Of course, those are the teachers and principals who are dealing with less needy students. I wonder how many teachers will be willing to share with someone down the hall if they are being evaluated via pay-for-performance.

As long as there NCLB continues, the playing field will never be level. NCLB assumes that all kids at the same grade level can learn the same amount of material in the same amount of time. Starting off with a false premise leads to false conclusions.

NYTimes: Senate Approves Bill to Overhaul Financial Regulation

New York Times email alert:

The Senate on Thursday passed a far-reaching financial
regulatory bill. The legislation is intended to prevent a
repeat of the 2008 crisis, but also reshapes the role of
numerous federal agencies, and vastly empowers the Federal
Reserve, in an attempt to predict and contain future
debacles.

Democratic Congressional leaders and the Obama administration
must now work to combine the Senate bill with a version
approved by the House in December, a process that is expected
to take several weeks.

Full Story

How will news of this Senate bill’s passage impact Wall Street? The stock market which has been free falling lately?

Do we need financial regulation or is the meddling in the free market?