Obama Chooses Divisive Rick Warren

Good Morning Bloggers - I understand it, but I can't believe it. Barack Obama has chosen Orange County preacher Rick Warren to give the invocation at his inauguration. It makes sense politically (for the next election at least), but it's a real slap in the face to the people who feel that Rick Warren isn't the open-minded saint many make him out to be.

The move positions Warren to succeed Billy Graham as the nation’s preeminent minister, but Billy Graham was known to be very bipartisan - or apolitical. Warren has been involved in many political movements, at least here in California. He was a main supporter of Proposition 8 that TOOK RIGHTS AWAY from gays and lesbians. He's also known as a major supporter of Republican causes.

As I always promised, I WILL CRITICIZE DEMOCRATS when I feel they deserve it. In this case, I think Barack could have made a better choice. I would have preferred Jeremiah Wright, if only to piss off the far right. No matter what, there were many better candidates. I think Warren was a very bad decision, no matter how political it may be. Rick Warren will need to evolve before I consider him representative of all Americans. Bad choice Barack.

Thursday's Political Rant #1 - Michael

Political Rant: There is Much to Celebrate, Yet Still So Much to Do

Good Morning Bloggers - WHAT A FANTASTIC AND BEAUTIFUL MORNING! I'm sure most of you are just as happy as I am this morning. I hope this feeling can last a long time, despite all the work that needs to be done. Unfortunately, I need to write about both the good and the bad regarding the election this morning.

The good, of course, is Obama's victory along with significant majorities in the House and Senate. The bad, so far, is that the Republican - and Bush lackey - Norm Coleman of Minnesota might have won last night. The man is one of the worst Republican tools, so let us pray the recount goes our way and Al Franken becomes a senator. The good news is the AP just "uncalled" the election for Coleman this morning, so keep your fingers crossed.

Shockingly, I hate to report that one of the WORST REPUBLICANS WON - Michelle Bachman of Minnesota. All I can say is WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE IN MINNESOTA! They're both pretty horrible, but Bachman is VILE! Oh well, she's your problem now. Good luck with that.

I'm also DISGUSTED TO REPORT that Prop 8 might be a victory for the Mormons and the Catholics in my state of California. One of our state's newest civil rights, gay marriage, might be overturned. Discrimination might be written into our constitution for the first time in our history. It is very sad. All I can say is you guys will always BE MARRIED in my book. We'll fix it, but in the meantime try to be happy anyway - that's written into a much more IMPORTANT constitution.

It's also important to remember that some vote stealing did occur around the country yesterday, and it is important for all of us to be aware of it and to try and make sure it DOES NOT STAND! Incredibly, there are reports on different voter fraud websites that as many as six million votes went illegally to Republicans last night, and that the Democrats might have won more states, like Montana, Georgia, and North Dakota to name a few.

According to many sources, Republican operatives were hard at work in Georgia stealing ballots and threatening voters. They allegedly failed to replace broken voting machines in African-American districts, and forced people to vote provisionally when their names did not appear on the rolls.

Overall, despite our wonderful national success, it would appear that it was a bad night for Democracy in Georgia. Unfortunately, if we cannot overturn the results, the SCUMBAG SAXBY CHAMBLISS, who beat triple amputee and Vietnam vet Max Cleland in 2004 by calling him "a friend of Osama bin Laden," will remain a US Senator. Let us hope that we can prove the theft and defeat Chambliss before it's too late.

So, we MUST CELEBRATE TODAY, but we must also keep fighting. Max Chambliss MUST NOT GO TO THE US SENATE! We must all write our congressional offices and demand justice. Unfortunately, this cannot be over until we all demand the necessary recounts. Still, God bless America! We did it. We WON! Congratulations to us all!

Wednesday's Post Election Political Rant #1 - Michael

Political Opinion: Please Vote NO on California's Prop 8

Hello Bloggers - I would like to publish a serious opinion for my fellow Californians. I want to encourage you to VOTE NO ON PROPOSITION 8 on Tuesday.

DISCRIMINATION IS WRONG! This has nothing to do with religion. All Americans have A RIGHT TO HAPPINESS.

This is not a "slippery slope" issue, unless you vote for it, because you never know when you might fall victim to discrimination in the future.

I find it ironic that the Mormons and the Catholics are its big supporters, since they have been persecuted themselves in the past. Scary! Ignore them. They are wrong. I don't care what you say, but morality cannot be an excuse for discrimination

If a person can fall in love with another of their own sex then it is only right to allow them to live together and build a family, as long as they are consenting adults. This is about helping good people create families for themselves, so how can it be bad?

You should NOT DISCRIMINATE against them. They re consenting adults, not dogs, and certainly not children. They're also not siblings or polygamists, who are kept apart for important reasons that actually harm individuals and families. Stop making this issue about all that crap.

Gay people are here, and they're not going away. They're your neighbor, your coworker, and your friend. Help them live better, more loving, happy lives. It's about their happiness and their rights as citizen's, no more, no less.

Please do NOT create a world where some people are less equal than others. MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS and keep our society fair.

Sunday's Political Opinion #1 - Michael

Political News/Rant: Brad Pitt Donates $100,000 to Fight Gay Marraige Discriminatiion

Hello Bloggers - The Los Angeles Times is reporting that Brad Pitt and family are donating $100,000 to fight California's Proposition 8, a November ballot initiative seeking to eliminate a same-sex couples' right to marry. Brad, Angelina and family have donated so much money to good causes over the past few years - mostly to help young children and victims of Katrina I think - they deserve high praise status in my opinion. At the very least they deserve a special mention on this blog.

"No one has the right to deny another their life, even though they disagree with it, because everyone has the right to live the life they so desire if it doesn't harm another and because discrimination has no place in America, my vote will be for equality and against Proposition 8," the actor said in a statement yesterday. Many in the entertainment industry are working to defeat the controversial initiative, including Democratic billionaire Ron Burkle.

Prop. 8 will deny gays the right to marry, will take away important benefits such as health insurance and other family rights, and will complicate decision-making related to medical emergencies and other situations in domestic partnerships. Hundreds of thousands of dollars - most from the christian right outside California - has been donated to Prop. 8 proponents. The measure was placed on the ballot after the California Supreme Court invalidated the state's prohibition on same-sex marriage in May.

I wish the world didn't bother with things like the anti-family Prop. 8 campaign, but it does. I never understand discrimination, especially when it could lead to strengthening families and society, but I guess I'm not supposed to. I'm not designed that way.

For those of you who believe in Prop 8 and similar initiatives, I ask you to look in a mirror and ask yourself "what if." What if you had been born that way, or felt that way? If you think it impossible, then I accuse you of being an arrogant idiot. If you think that you would simply not be that way, and simply change your ways, then I accuse you of being an ignorant fool. If you think that you would simply not get married, then I accuse you of being unloving. If you think you might be wrong, and should be more empathetic, then I think you're finally beginning to catch-on. Now get off your ass and donate some money to fight Prop 8!

Thursday's Political News and Rant #2 - Michael