Pink Stilettos

I am sooooo crushing on these fab shoes!

Gary Sinise:" I Love This Country"

In a wide-ranging interview with reporters and editors at The Washington Times, Mr. Sinise touched on the damage caused by the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, his work for veterans organizations and his political aspirations.

On Veterans

Actor Gary Sinise, an advocate for American troops, urged the government and private sector on Memorial Day to spend more money on disabled veterans and to provide more counseling for those who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder or become suicidal.

"There are 3 million disabled veterans from World War II until now," he said. "We can never do enough for them in my opinion, but we can always try to do more."

On Abu Ghraib

The military also got a bad rap after the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, he said.

"Fifteen dumbbells at this prison decide to get a little dopey, and they become the face of the military for months," Mr. Sinise said.

"I was in touch with dozens of soldiers and dozens of Marines who are doing great work and doing the right thing over there, yet they weren't getting any attention. And the little girl with the cigarette hanging out of her mouth and the dog leash, she was getting all the press, and it was negative, negative, negative. And I called up my publicist and said, 'Get me on television, I'm going to show some other pictures,' and I went on television ... and I showed pictures of the troops handing out stuffed animals to kids and getting them school supplies and doing all kinds of great things for kids," Mr. Sinise said.

On Political Aspirations

"I have certain issues I'm very passionate about. I love this country, I think it's a great country, and I believe in those who are willing to defend it, and I'm trying to help them and their families," Mr. Sinise said.

"I make a good living right now. I am getting a lot done. How much does Congress get done?" Mr. Sinise said

On "Memorial Day"

He was in the nation's capital this week to serve as honorary marshal in the National Memorial Day Parade and as co-host in the Sunday night concert.

He recalled his first appearance at the concert five years ago.

"I'm an actor, and now all of a sudden I'm rocking out in front of 200,000 people," Mr. Sinise said. "I fell in love with the concert and what it reminds everyone about."

Entire interview & video here

Related:
Green & Glover: Salute For Sinise

Though he explained he has no intention of running for office, partly because "I make a good living right now," Mr. Sinise told us that Mac Taylor, his character on the hit show "CSI: NY," wears his politics on his sleeve.

"He's clearly a Reagan fan," he said, referring to the picture of the late president that hangs on Mac's wall. Mr. Sinise also pointed out that there are pictures of his character shaking hands with former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani on his desk.

Gary Sinise is a Recipient of the Presidential Citizen Medal

Michael Yon, a Special Forces vet and the pre-eminent war journalist of our time, communicated his admiration in a dispatch from Bahrain: "Gary is a true friend of the American soldier. He does not hesitate to travel into war zones to express his admiration and personal support for those who defend us. He visits wounded soldiers, some of whom I personally know. All love him."

Gary Sinise is the Ex. Producer of 'Brothers At War" Documentary.

An intimate portrait of an American family look at the bonds and service of our soldiers on the frontlines and the profound effects their service has on the loved ones they leave behind.

Gary supports American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial.
Along with Laura Hildenbrand, he co-founded "Operation Iraqi Children"

"For a lot of celebrities, charitable work equals photo opportunity and nothing more. For Gary, giving of himself, and giving to his country, is what makes life meaningful and joyful. It is perhaps the most essential part of his character, and it is his passion."

He frequently tours his musical group, The Lt. Dan Band, entertaining troops & veterans globally.

Ruminations: Will & Grace

Ruminations from a Jewish theologian:

In order for us to experience love, from God and from each other, we must have the Will to pursue it, and the Grace to receive it.

James Wolcott: Jerk. Jackass. Arrogant Asshat.

The Weekly Standard's Editor, Michael Goldfarb, smacks down Vanity Fair's blowhard Contributing asshat...err Editor, James Wolcott.

Of Jerks and Caricatures

Andrew Breitbart writes a fantastic column today owning up to a misguided but well meaning attempt to confront some anti-war protesters.

The column is very funny, and Breitbart uses his mistake to do some good -- directing people to the group's website at invisiblechildren.com

Meanwhile, Vanity Fair's James Wolcott, confronted by a contrite and self-deprecating conservative, strings together a series of self-righteous and ad hominem attacks culminating in an imaginary scene that has Breitbart getting into a "contretemps" with participants in an AIDS walk. And this in the course of asserting a disconnect between the conservative caricature of liberals and reality.

James Wolcott: Jerk? Jackass? Arrogant Asshat?

Ugly Liberal American is more like it. But why quibble over terminology?

Pro Life. Pro Choice. Pro Truth.

In light of controversy surrounding President Obama's Commencement Speech at Notre Dame - I thought it would be a good time to revisit this piece from 2003 in The Weekly Standard titled "A Moral Majority"

PLANNED PARENTHOOD's former President, Fay Wattleton, conducted a survey in June 2003 for her organization, The Center for the Advancement of Women, which much to her surprise, yielded results few feminists expected back then.

She had commissioned Princeton Survey Research Associates to do a major study on contemporary feminism.

The result was "Progress and Perils: A New Agenda for Women," a 140-page report on women's views on a range of issues, including abortion.

The central finding: Far from wanting abortion as readily available as botox or tattoos, most women oppose the procedure.

As Wattleton wrote in the introduction, "There is significant and growing support for severe restrictions on abortion rights."

Of the 3,329 women surveyed, 51 percent wanted to ban abortion altogether or to limit it to cases of rape, incest, and where the mother's life is endangered. Another 17 percent said the procedure should be available under stricter limits than now apply.

Not only did this report in 2003 CONFIRM then that majority of women were "Pro Life" it also served to undermine three political myths regarding womens views on abortion:

The report classifies women into six groups, based on their attitudes toward women's roles and social status:

On the conservative end are the "traditionalists" and "family first women." In the middle are the "separate-but-equals" and "modern feminists." And on the left are the "movement legacies" and "advocates."

The first myth the study exposes is that soccer moms are pro-choice. Of these groups, the separate-but-equals correspond most closely to soccer moms. Largely white, they are the second-most educated group. Almost all of them think a woman can be a good mother and have a successful career simultaneously. They sound like a typical Democratic constituency.

But 42 percent of them would ban abortion altogether or limit it to the hard cases, while another 21 percent would impose some restrictions on the procedure. Thus almost two-thirds of them support, minimally, some form of restriction on abortion. Only 35 percent said they thought abortion should be widely available.

The second myth the study undermines is that Republicans will lose if they openly oppose abortion.

Of the six groups profiled in "Progress and Perils," four heavily favor greater curbs on the procedure.

And it's not only the traditionalists (69 percent), most of whom are evangelical, and family-firsts (70 percent), most of whom are working class and live in small towns, who feel this way but also the separate-but-equals and the center-left modern feminists (67 percent), many of whom are black and Hispanic and poor.

(...)

The third myth the study calls into doubt is that most women support Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton.

This myth was recently conveyed in the Washington Post by David von Drehle in an article about the Supreme Court's decisions on abortion and civil liberties: "Polls consistently show that the majority of Americans have little appetite for reversing the court's path on social issues." .

Which polls is von Drehle referring to?

It certainly wasn't the poll Wattleton's organization, then called the Center for Gender Equality, took four years ago, which found that 53 percent of women favored outlawing abortion or restricting it to the hard cases--a pre-Roe standard.Nor could von Drehle be referring to the current study, in which 51 percent of women felt the same way. Of course, even Republican pollsters acknowledge the difficulty of overturning Roe and Doe.

The message [of the study] is clear:

In a June 28 story for National Journal, CNN political analyst Bill Schneider, who also serves on the board of advisers for Wattleton's organization, wrote,"For most women today, quality-of-life issues prevail over women's rights. This shift is likely to put liberals at a distinct disadvantage in any fight over a Supreme Court nominee."

Of course, "Progress and Perils" isn't an exact road map for Republicans. It didn't ask respondents about specific abortion curbs, such as parental notification, or whether they support the procedure during the first trimester.

Also, the study makes clear that some feminist principles remain popular. A strong majority of respondents say that the women's movement has helped them (60 percent) and that one need not be a mother to live a complete life (72 percent). Neither of those answers, however, is incompatible with pro-life and Republican positions. On abortion, not only are most women not pro-choice, but their position might be described as, well, Republican.

It came as a shock to Planned Parenthood back in 2003 when the results became known, because they were then, and continue now, to be very low key about discussing that survey, whose results are reflected six years later in today's recent poll:

" More Americans Are Pro Life Than Pro Choice For The First Time"

PRINCETON, NJ -- A new Gallup Poll, conducted May 7-10, finds 51% of Americans calling themselves "pro-life" on the issue of abortion and 42% "pro-choice." This is the first time a majority of U.S. adults have identified themselves as pro-life since Gallup began asking this question in 1995.

The same three abortion questions asked on the Gallup Values and Beliefs survey were included in Gallup Poll Daily tracking from May 12-13, with nearly identical results, including a 50% to 43% pro-life versus pro-choice split on the self-identification question.

Republicans Move to the Right

The source of the shift in abortion views is clear in the Gallup Values and Beliefs survey. The percentage of Republicans (including independents who lean Republican) calling themselves "pro-life" rose by 10 points over the past year, from 60% to 70%, while there has been essentially no change in the views of Democrats and Democratic leaners.

Similarly, by ideology, all of the increase in pro-life sentiment is seen among self-identified conservatives and moderates; the abortion views of political liberals have not changed.

With the first pro-choice president in eight years already making changes to the nation's policies on funding abortion overseas, expressing his support for the Freedom of Choice Act, and moving toward rescinding federal job protections for medical workers who refuse to participate in abortion procedures, Americans -- and, in particular, Republicans -- seem to be taking a step back from the pro-choice position. However, the retreat is evident among political moderates as well as conservatives.

Perhaps now Meghan McCain and her ilk will shut up about the Republican Party needing to become more "moderate".

Dirty.com: Pres Obama is a homophobe

Ashhat & self-proclaimed arbiteur of all things dirty, Nik Ritchie, should start pointing the finger at himself for being so stupid ---- he calls Carrie Prejan homophobic because she doesn't support Gay Marriage.

TheDirty.com has received exclusive images of the homophobic debutante that would clearly strip her of her Miss California crown.

Well, Nik, President Obama doesn't support gay marriage either.
From The Washington Blade

"Obama supports civil unions rather than same-sex marriage.

Hey Nik let me help you understand how fucking stupid you are.
Both Prejean & the President DO NOT SUPPORT GAY MARRIAGE.
They share the same views!
So Nik, by calling Prejean a homophobe you also, by fiat, accuse the President of being homophobic.

Way To Go, Nik!! You are as dumb as Perez Hilton and also wrong about this pic resulting in stripping her title. There was MORE semi nudity in the bathing competition.

Paging Perez Hilton!!

“Obama supports civil unions rather than same-sex marriage.”

Carey said she was disappointed that Obama didn’t express greater support when the Iowa Supreme Court granted marriage rights to gay couples in the state in April.

On the day of the court decision, the White House issued a statement that, “Obama supports civil unions rather than same-sex marriage.

H. Alexander Robinson, president of the National Black Justice Coalition, said Obama would “continue to lose points” with him as long as he remains opposed to same-sex marriage.

Paging Perez Hilton!!!
The President HAS ALREADY spoken up!!
Like Carrie Prejean, President Obama is opposed to same-sex marriage.
Waiting for you to "hate on" the President like you have on Prejean.

It appears that "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" isn't about to be repealed anytime soon.

Recent comments from Defense Secretary Robert Gates also suggest that Obama may be moving slowly in working with military leaders to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” which prohibits openly gay people from serving in the U.S. armed forces. The Associated Press reported in April that Gates told the U.S. Army War College that changing the law could take years.

Read the entire piece in The Washington Blade

Related:
Obama Presssed To Engage

But now Mr. Obama — who has said he opposes same-sex marriage as a Christian but describes himself as a “fierce advocate of equality” for gay men and lesbians (..)

And while the president has urged Congress to pass a hate crimes bill, a high priority for gay groups, he has delayed action on one of his key campaign promises, repealing the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” rule.