Someone says it better than I ever could.

If you watch this, and still don't believe everyone has the same rights you do, then I honestly do not respect your opinion. People who oppose this are wrong. Churches and religions who oppose this are wrong. This is about supporting the good things in the world like love and opposing the things like hate in the world. Funny which side a lot of churches come down on--better to hate and make people miserable than to bring love into the world.

And people wonder why I stopped being religious.

I've decided...

that I'm kinda in love with Russ Feingold. I was reading up about who represents me in various political offices, and decided to finally read his wikipedia page. I'd heard lots of good things about him, but finally read about them myself. This dude is badass. He is totally not afraid of being the lone senator voting for or against something.

From the wiki:

Feingold was the only Democratic senator to vote against a motion to dismiss Congress's 1998–1999 impeachment case of President Bill Clinton.^[31] In a statement, Feingold said House prosecutors must have "every reasonable opportunity" to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Clinton should be removed from office on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. Feingold ultimately voted against conviction on all charges.

In 2001, Feingold voted for the confirmation of Attorney General John Ashcroft. This decision was not popular with his party, but Feingold explained that he voted based on respect for the right for a President to choose his Cabinet, not because of his own personal opinions on Ashcroft.^[32]

Feingold was the only senator to vote against the USA PATRIOT Act when first voted on in 2001.^[43] At the time, Feingold stated that provisions in the act infringed upon citizens' civil liberties.^[44]

I could go on and on, especially in regards to his budget. The dude is amazing.

Reasons to Vote for McCain

Ok, I admit this is a little cynical and bitter, but meh, I feel like being snarky.

You think health care is a privilege that only a few should have.

You think gay people have cooties.

You are pro-life...

But are also pro-war.

Obama isn't really your "kind."

You don't want your taxes to pay for social programs, only guns.

Sarah Palin is a woman, you're a woman. She has five kids, you have five kids.


In all seriousness, I have been trying to figure out *why* people would vote for him. The only thing I can think of is that it comes down to one or two key issues for people. Just like I would have a hard time voting for someone who doesn't support gay rights, or wants to overturn Roe v. Wade, I guess some people would have a hard time voting for someone who did support those things. I don't agree with them, but I acknowledge that they're out there.

Ever notice that? Republicans want to "keep the government out of your business," but want to tell you who you can have sex with, or what you can do with your body. Democrats want greater social freedom, but want to limit your ability to have a gun. Funny how the issues fall.

(Also, the last reason about Sarah Palin I actually heard someone seriously give as a response to an interview question about why she really liked Palin. Really. SHE HAS FIVE KIDS? THAT'S WHY YOU WANT TO VOTE FOR HER?)

This is an interesting quiz but it also highlights the flaws with America's two party system. There were quotes where I couldn't really see any difference at all.

God, I can't wait until after November when I can stop thinking about politics all the time.

Craaaaazy People

Some people should just not speak when it comes to politics. I mean, seriously. "He has the bloodline for it." WTF?

Health Care Plans

As someone who recently married a Type 1 diabetic, I find the health care plans offered by the candidates extremely interesting. I mean, no matter who wins, they're going to try to enact their health care policy, so I should read up on both.

My verdict: If John McCain wins, we'll need to leave the country and become expats to freaking afford insurance.

My reasoning: McCain's plan centers around taxing the money your employer pays towards your insurance, and giving that money to the health insurance companies as a subsidy for an individually purchased health care plan. The problems with that?
1. With an employer-based group health care plan, 9% of your premiums go towards administrative costs. With individual plans, that goes up to 30%. 30%! That's the amount of your money being used for administrative costs.
2. With an employer-based health care plan, they can't turn you away. The very worst they can do (and it's still pretty bad) is deny you coverage for your specific pre-existing condition. Oh, by the way, Obama wants to get rid of their ability to do that.
3. With the tax on employers for health care, many employers are going to stop offering it, and let their employees fend for themselves in the private market. The problem with that is that private health care plans will either laugh at Brent when he applies for coverage (it's actually happened) or charge ruinous premiums.
McCain's solution is to make High Risk Pools, for people who can't get private insurance on their own. The problem with this is that those pools are widely panned by health care experts as providing worse coverage and higher prices... if a person can even get into a pool. Many states with pools like this often have a waiting list.

As for cost, I've seen reports that show Obama's will actually save money in the long run, and I've seen reports that it will cost a ton of money. Most reports lists McCain's plan costing more than what we're spending now, but the cost they give varies widely.

McCain's plan is widely panned as being harder on people with lower income and people with pre-existing conditions, such as asthma, type 1 (or 2, I suppose) diabetes, a previous history with cancer, etc.

After spending my morning reading about health care plans, I'm shocked if anyone who lists health care as a top priority can in good conscious vote for McCain. I guess they hide their head in the sand on health care issues and vote for him based on Iraq or... umm... dudes kissing is icky? Planned Parenthood is a multi-million dollar abortion industry? Both untrue, but you know how people can get. BTW, McCain was pro-choice in 2000. Funny how he switched his position because it was unpopular with conservative Republican voters in that primary. What a maverick.

But yeah. Even the current messed up state of health care right now is better for us than what McCain is proposing. We simply won't be able to afford insurance for Brent under his policy. Oh well, I guess Brent should do what Sarah Palin suggested and "just live healthier." Because that's really going to cure Type 1 diabetes...



Links I used:
http://www.familiesusa.org/election-2008/report/

http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/policy/federal/presidentialrace/comparison2008.html

http://www.health08.org/sidebyside.cfm

WTF?

So, I got an email from MoveOn.org that was simply appalling. Earlier I talked about how a friend joined the Facebook group "The Pill Kills"... well, now it seems the government is taking that same logic. The email in its entirety:

Dear MoveOn member,

Can you imagine living in a place where birth control is considered an "abortion" and health insurers won't cover it? Where even rape victims are denied emergency contraception?

It seems unbelievable, but the Bush Administration is quietly trying to redefine "abortion" to include birth control. The Houston Chronicle says this could wipe out dozens of state laws that protect women's reproductive freedom and protect rape victims.¹ Access to basic health care for millions of women would be jeopardized. And it's being pushed as a "rule change"—meaning, it doesn't need congressional approval.

Can you sign an emergency message to Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, whose department is considering this rule change right now? Tell him: "Contraception is NOT abortion. The Bush Administration's proposal to change the definition of abortion and reduce women's access to birth control must be stopped."

Clicking here will add your name to this message:
http://pol.moveon.org/contraception/o.pl?id=13468-9814446-cmgy9Ox&t=4

The best way to beat back this proposal is to show Secretary Leavitt massive public outrage—that's why today we're launching this petition jointly with Planned Parenthood Action Fund. Together, we'll deliver every signature to Leavitt. You can help add to our momentum by forwarding this message to friends.

Here's what some others are saying about this proposal:

The draft regulation would define birth control as abortion...it could deny access to critical family planning for women across the country.—Letter signed by Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and 26 other senators.²

The draft rule could void laws in 27 states that require insurance companies to provide birth control coverage for women requesting it [and] laws in 14 states requiring that rape victims receive counseling and access to emergency, day-after contraceptives.—Houston Chronicle editorial³

The administration needs to stop playing word games with women's health and state clearly they will reject any regulations that will undermine women's access to basic health care.—Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America.⁴

[It's] a spectacular act of complicity with the religious right... —RH Reality Check, Information and Analysis for Reproductive Health⁵

The birth control pill, the IUD, and emergency contraception might all become unavailable—illegal—as a result.—Brigid Riley, executive director of a Minnesota teen pregnancy prevention organization⁶

Can you help send a loud message to Secretary Leavitt that birth control is NOT abortion? Clicking here will sign your name:
http://pol.moveon.org/contraception/o.pl?id=13468-9814446-cmgy9Ox&t=5

Thanks for all you do.

–Nita, Laura, Patrick S., Adam G., and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "Redefining abortion; Federal officials considering a rule allowing health care workers to refuse to provide contraceptives," Houston Chronicle, August 10, 2008
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/5935532.html

2. Letter to Secretary Mike Leavitt from Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and 26 other senators, July 23, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=4042&id=13468-9814446-cmgy9Ox&t=6

3. "Redefining abortion; Federal officials considering a rule allowing health care workers to refuse to provide contraceptives," Houston Chronicle editorial, August 10, 2008
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/5935532.html

4. "Birth control: is administration backing down—or not?" Los Angeles Times blog, August 8, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=4043&id=13468-9814446-cmgy9Ox&t=7

5. "HHS Moves to Define Contraception as Abortion," RH Reality Check, July 15, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=4041&id=13468-9814446-cmgy9Ox&t=8

6. "White House Considering Contraception Restrictions," Public News Service, August 11, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=4040&id=13468-9814446-cmgy9Ox&t=9

This guy is pretty cool.

I hope Gen. Wesley Clark is Obama's VP candidate. Aside from the fact that having a VP named "Wesley," who happens to be former top military, would aid me in my quest to prove to everyone that I'm not insane for ever wanting to name a son Wesley, he's pretty cool, as evidenced here.

Hmm...

McCain says he can't stop outside groups from attacking Obama yet somehow Obama stopped groups like Progressive Media from running attack ads on McCain.

Also, I think the dregs of society are the ones who post comments on political news stories. They give me eye twitches. I always appreciate a well thought out comment, no matter what candidate they support--I might disagree, but I appreciate the thought they put into their comment. Saying stuff like "Obama apparently does not believe in free speech, just dictatorial control" in response to him asking groups not to run attack ads just shows you jump to the far end of whatever conclusion you instantly reach.

Also, saying you love Clinton and agree with her on her positions, but are going to vote for McCain just shows that you are a voter led by passion instead of reason. Hello, there are very few differences in policy between Obama and Clinton.

Obama: Pro-Choice
Clinton: Pro-Choice
McCain: Anti-Abortion

Obama: Wants to increase gun control
Clinton: Wants tougher gun control
McCain: Opposes increased gun control

Obama: Voted against Iraq war, wants troop withdrawal
Clinton: Voted for Iraq war, but says she wishes she hadn't, wants to put limit on troops in Iraq
McCain: Voted for Iraq war, wants to send more troops

Obama: Opposes privatization of Social Security
Clinton: Opposes privatization of Social Security
McCain: Supports privatization of Social Security

How can you be both a Clinton and McCain supporter? Only if you don't care about the issues, I suppose.

Nerd Thesis

Well, I've finally decided on the topics for my two big research papers I have to write this semester. I've managed to make both of them fairly nerdy topics.

For Language and Society, a paper about how internet/gaming speech is moving into "normal" conversation. For instance, how "blog" and "google" are now commonly used verbs.

For Popular Culture (1850-Present), a paper about how comic books now tell stories as in-depth and thought provoking as novels on the New York Times best-seller list. I'm not the biggest comic book nerd out there, in fact, I hardly ever read comics or graphic novels. But there are a few I'm quite fond of.

Some snow actually melted today. I about had a heart attack from surprise. There has been just a ridiculous amount of snow this winter. 70-some inches. Why did people ever settle in Wisconsin?

Tuesday is the Wisconsin Democratic primary. I'm very excited about being able to get out there an make a difference. But this whole super delegate thing is just a big farce. How do they think the voters will feel if the person we voted for, the person we want to be the Democrat running for president, looses because of some overpowered super delegates? This election has had just an outpouring of involvement by the youth voters--do we really want to disenfranchise them? If they feel their vote in the primary didn't count because of some super delegate, don't people think that will translate into them thinking their vote won't count in the actual election? Bah, politics. It's just to.... political for me.

Whew....

Ok, I've made if few the first few weeks of school. 18 credits can be exhausting! The ease back into school has been helped by all the cancellations on campus. Professors have been sick, and all classes today have been canceled because of the storm.

I'm anxious for the rest of the presidential primaries. I desperately want Obama to win the nomination. I came to the realization that there has been either a Bush or Clinton in office as The President since I was 6. I'm ready for a change! Also, the concept of super delegates is stupid.

In nerdier news, evidently I should be hot for Spiderman.



I always pictured myself as more of a Batman girl.