Although the following is geared toward my brothers and sisters in the Marine Corps who’ve lost their lives, I also pay tribute to the soldiers, sailors, airmen, Coast Guardsmen and National Guardsmen who have paid the ultimate price to keep this country free. And though I oppose the use of our nation’s military for nation-building, acts of revenge, or to paraphrase Smedley Butler from his book, War is a Racket, using the military to act as corporate thugs, I still honor their sacrifice. Regardless of the cause, right or wrong in the eyes of history, men and women have always lined up to fight and die in our nation’s military.

To all those who’ve chosen the military as their profession, both short- and long-term, living and dead, I stand at attention and salute you.

I also want to thank Sine.Qua.Non of Sine.Qua.Non’s Journal for the link to the video.

The Republicans are spinning this so fast it makes my head spin. Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) was apparently filmed accepting $100,000 in bribes–all neatly stacked in $100 bundles–as part of an influence peddling case that is currently building against him. According to the Yahoo! News article, it was supposed to have been used to bribe an unnamed Nigerian official to ensure success of a business deal in their country. It also happens to center on Jefferson’s children getting a portion of the communications work to be done in Africa.

This proves the stereotype that ALL politicians are corrupt. Now, while I know this is not true in 100% of the cases, it’s still reads like it is. And the Republicans will use this to gain every advantage over the Democrats come November. This differs, however, from the Duke Cunningham, Brent Wilkes, Jack Abramoff scandal in that this appears to be an isolated case involving only Rep. Jefferson. I believe that is how the Democrat spin needs to be addressed. When Dems state there is a “Culture of Corruption” among Washington Republicans the recent investigations of the aforementioned individuals prove that. Bear in mind that I am not excusing the alleged misconduct of Rep. Jefferson. I am only showing the difference between Republican scandals and this Democratic one. The bottom-line is that corruption in government is present on both sides of the aisle and needs to be stamped out.

Come November, we need to get rid of the corruption and elect some honest politicians (go ahead and laugh, you know you want to!) who will have some integrity and actually work on behalf of their constituents instead of their own pocketbooks. Obviously I have a progressive bent to my politics and want to see some upstanding Dems elected to take back Congress, but with issues like this coming out in the media, it’s proving to be an uphill battle. I’d love to see the Progressive Democrats of America split off and form their own party, but the money will NOT follow them. The money is firmly entrenched in both the RNC and the DNC. However, I do agree with DNC Chairman Howard Dean (YEEEAAARRGGGHH!) that we Dems need to continue working on a 50-state strategy that will not just target the races we think we can win, but to get the message out to each and every state that Dems are truly working for the American people. Poll after poll shows that people are sick and tired of Republican corruption and don’t like their vision for America. I’ll take that one step further and state that Americans are sick of corruption period! At least I know I am. It needs to be rooted out at all levels, not just federal and among both of the major parties in this country. Then, and only then will we begin to see change among our elected officials.

Despite the reports from TruthOut last Friday, Fitzmas did not come over the weekend or even this past Monday. Like an anxious child, those of us on the Left have been waiting rather impatiently to hear the news confirmed that, yes indeed, Karl Rove has been indicted for his role in the Valerie Plame outing. Conventional wisdom indicates that Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald will follow the same plan as he did with the I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby’s indictment and announce it today. As some have said, Fitzgerald is nothing if not patient, thorough, and efficient. His investigation has even reached the Whitehouse itself with the recent announcement that certain documents from Dick Cheney’s office had been subpoenaed. Specifically, a copy of the Joe Wilson editorial that accused the Whitehouse of not listening to opposing arguments concerning the alleged acquisition of yellowcake uranium for use in a non-existent nuclear program in Iraq. This copy included handwritten notes in the margin that apparently question Joe Wilson’s claims as well as how to “strike back” as it were.

So like that expectant child we sit and wait. The tree is lit and decorated, the presents are wrapped. The only question is when will Fitzgerald gives us the green-light to open those presents with amazement as our Fitzmas wishes come true. Will today be the day?

Dear Mr. President,
Can you help me please?
I think there’s something wrong with me.
Doc says it’s disease.
The one they call PTSD.

Dear Mr. President,
I did all they asked of me.
Gunshots, explosions, blood and gore.
My best friend died by IED.
And I got shown the door.

Dear Mr. President,
My wife left me last week.
She couldn’t take how tense I am.
So she slapped me ‘cross my cheek.
Anymore I just don’t give a damn.

Dear Mr. President,
I can’t get the help I need and want.
I tried the VA, but the lines were long.
I’m tired, unshaven, and my face is gaunt.
My kids say “Daddy, please be strong.”

Dear Mr. President,
I’m all alone now and having no fun.
Sitting on a chair in my cammy shirt.
In my mouth rests the end of my gun.
I just pray to God it doesn’t hurt.

Dear Mr. President,
Just help the others please.
Cuz soon there’ll be nothing wrong with me.
Not even the disease.
The one Doc calls PTSD.

[sarcasm]It’s a redneck straight guy’s fantasy! And to have someone else paying for it too? That’s just bonus! Too bad I didn’t know Brent Wilkes and Duke Cunningham.[/sarcasm]

The ongoing investigation into the Duke Cunningham influence-peddling case has uncovered some “Clintonesque” misdeeds, although I must say even Clinton didn’t go this far. It would appear that defense contractor Brent Wilkes was running some “hospitality suites” at both the infamous Watergate hotel and the Westin Grand in Washington D.C. Would I be out of line to request impeachment hearings yet? I mean the “culture of corruption” that is the Republican party in Congress has now risen to the level that got Clinton impeached. [ed. note--I know from a Republican viewpoint the issue wasn't about sex, but rather lying to a Grand Jury, however it was the extra-marital oral sex and the millions of dollars spent investigating it that led to that conclusion.] How much sleazier will these guys get? Civil liberties are already being trampled in the name of National Security and the Global War on Terror. How much further will the current Congressional leadership take this country down the path to destruction? Anybody? Bueller? Bueller?

It’s a sad day when the self-proclaimed religious and moral leaders of this country do crap like this. I just hope the people wise-up about the REAL issues facing this country and vote these corrupt fools out of office come November. I know I will.

Yeah, I suppose you could apply that to the Bush Administration, but I’m actually talking about frickin’ comment spammers. It would seem that they have found a way around my spam plugin to the effect that they somehow are automatically adding the IP address associated with the trackback into my whitelist. In layman’s terms, they make my spam plugin think that they are OK and it places them on the “good” list. The headache comes in when I attempt to moderate these trackbacks and comment spams. Because the IP address they supposedly originated from (don’t know if they’re being sent by proxy IP) is on my “good” list, then my plugin flags them as both on the IP Blacklist, the “bad” list, as well as the IP Whitelist. This puts them on an IP Greylist and makes my spam plugin ignore what I’m trying to do. Sure, if I had about 15 hours a day to devote to keeping my site clear of spam, I could manage this part manually. Since I don’t have that much time and since this isn’t a very popular blog (see my TTLB rating in the sidebar) I have to come up with another way to make commenting here as hassle-free as possible, yet still keep the spammers away.

Oh, and before I forget, DIE COMMENT-SPAMMING FUCKSTICKS!

And provide a possible solution to the “problem” with illegal immigration.

First of all, let me say that protesting is a great way to get your voice heard on issues that concern you. However, people will pay a lot closer attention to you and relate better to your cause if you’re not just “against” an injustice as you see it. You have to offer an alternative. By not being “for” a better way–and detailing that better way–you diminish your views for those whom you might have swayed. So let me detail my views a little bit better on the issue of Illegal Immigration (Nick, are you listening?):

• First of all, illegal immigration is a problem in this country that needs to be acknowledged and a way to fix it proposed.
• Secondly, by acknowledging that not ALL illegal immigrants are criminals, drug dealers, terrorists, etc. we will find common ground upon which to debate this issue with decency, common sense, and respect.
• Lastly, we need to start by recognizing that all immigrants, legal or illegal, are human beings who deserve respect, compassion, and basic human dignity.

The above sets the stage for a reasonable debate that might be able to make some progress toward resolving this issue. So without further adieu, let me lay out my plan for fixing the illegal immigration problem:

1. The system itself is broken and needs to be fixed. We need to cut the bureaucratic red tape and streamline the process for a person to become a LEGAL immigrant. By taking this important first step, the following steps fall right in line.
2. Provide a 30-90 day amnesty period for all immigrants here illegally with jobs to begin the process of applying for citizenship. This step can only take place after the system is fixed. Upon the conclusion of the amnesty period, those who have refused to apply are considered criminals. Presumably, this would be those who came here not to work, but rather for illicit reasons. It is important to note that those who have applied for amnesty be granted some type of ID card indicating their status while the appropriate background checks are being done. It is also important that the Department of Immigration and Naturalization be provided the appropriate funding to hire more employees to accept and process these amnesty applications as well as resolving the backlog of current applications for citizenship. This may include the opening of more facilities in major metropolitan areas to facilitate the influx of applicants.
3. Create job banks in major border-crossing cities to assist immigrants with finding jobs. This step will help reduce the strain on the current welfare and government assistance system. Since the idea of illegal immigrants utilizing State and Federal Aid programs is a very contentious issue for opponents of the current proposed legislation, it is important that the jobs listed pay a living wage, or at least close to it so as to relieve the burden on these already overtaxed programs. The job banks themselves can be either new offices, or extensions of current unemployment offices. It is imperative that there also be stiff financial penalties for businesses who decide to circumvent the system and continue hiring illegal immigrants. By discouraging the hiring of illegal immigrants through the use of fines, businesses will, in effect, close the loophole that exists in the form of sub-standard wages for “jobs Americans don’t want”. This will not only benefit immigrants, but also Americans who choose to take these jobs. The biggest factor that brings illegal immigrants to this country, besides the hassle and time it takes to navigate the current bureaucratic system, is the fact that they are willing to accept ANY job to support themselves and/or their families. We need to return to the idea of emigrating to this country because of the promise of a better life.
4. Finally, allocate the appropriate resources to Border Control for securing our borders, both North and South. This will include increasing the ranks of current Border Control agents by hiring new agents. In this step, I would also outlaw Citizen Vigilante groups such as the Minutemen. The members of groups such as these most likely have very little training in how to appropriately apprehend suspected illegals. In fact, with proper training, some of these individuals might just make fine Border Control Agents. I also would NOT advocate for making Border Control part of Homeland Security. By encompassing an entity such as Border Control into Homeland Security, you limit the amount of oversight by knowledgeable people of this government agency. While Border Control could fall under Homeland Security for Congressional Appropriations funding, ultimately exclusive control would need to remain with the agency itself. An example of why not to include it under Homeland Security is very evident if you look at FEMA’s response to Hurricane Katrina.

If we follow these recommendations, we could very well fix the system once and for all. Reducing the time and paperwork needed to apply for citizenship will absolutely reduce the number of illegals entering this country and secure our borders effectively. And in the end, isn’t that our goal?

The title of this post sums up the issue of immigration reform pretty nicely, don’t you think? And really, when you get down to it, it’s the truth. With the exception of Native Americans, every single one of us can be considered an immigrant, be it 1st, 2nd, 3rd generation or even further back. What people don’t seem to realize is the breadth of contributions immigrants, both legal and illegal, have made toward the progress of this country. From the fields to the factories, immigrants have helped keep food on our tables and the machines running in this country. So today, I stand in solidarity of those marching, rallying, and protesting for comprehensive immigration reform that recognizes those contributions and offers a path to citizenship for those illegal immigrants. I also stand with them in their quest for safe workplaces and living wages.

I honestly hope the Day Without Immigrants accomplishes its goals. So here’s to the immigrants!

According to Babelfish, the above is the translation for “The Star Spangled Banner”. Apparently this is causing a whole lot of folks on the Right to go apeshit nuts. Hell, even the President is upset about it (CNN). My only question is why? What’s the big deal?

Until this country passes some form of legislation declaring the National Language to be English (which I hope to God doesn’t happen), I don’t see a problem with a group of Latino Pop Stars recording our Nation’s Anthem in Spanish. Officially, the title of the new recording is ‘Nuestro Himno’ which means Our Anthem.

To me, this is nothing more than the continued nationalist thinking since 9/11. The same folks that are outraged over the National Anthem being recorded in Spanish are the same ones who want to see every last immigrant, both legal and illegal, deported from this country and a nice large fence put up that effectively shuts us off from the rest of the world.

I say there shouldn’t be a problem for those who want to make patriotism more personal, nor should we pass judgment on them. Because, in reality, that’s what this “new” song means to the many Spanish speakers in this country, legal or not. I think we could all do with making our patriotism a bit more personal and that doesn’t just mean putting a few yellow ribbons on your cars or trees or planting some “Support the Troops” placards in your yard.