SC Prog Blog

By Morgan Strong
Consortium News

The Russia-Georgia clash has generated heated anti-Moscow rhetoric from John McCain and U.S. neoconservatives about a new Cold War, a prospect that most people might see in a negative light but which many military contractors surely view as a financial plus.

One unstated reality about revived tensions between Washington and Moscow is that it will mean a bonanza in military spending – billions of additional dollars for anti-missile weapons systems, larger armies, construction of new bases in Eastern Europe, etc.

Indeed, the spending on Cold War II could dwarf what military contractors are now making on the “war on terror” – and the prospect of spending on both conflicts simultaneously should make arms industry executives drool.

Others who stand to profit grandly from a new East-West showdown include tough-talking politicians and their friends in Washington think tanks – like Heritage, AEI and CSIS – that have long fattened up on contributions from the defense industry and related corporations.

There would be losers, too, like taxpayers who would see more of their dollars go to “national security” and less to domestic needs, from repairs to the crumbling infrastructure to the costs of health care, education, the environment and Social Security.

But, in many ways, the exploitation of Cold War fears – to divert money away from domestic needs to the coffers of what Dwight Eisenhower dubbed “the military-industrial complex” – is nothing new.

Arguably, the original Cold War ended under Eisenhower’s former Vice President, Richard Nixon, who as President returned from Moscow in 1972 carrying a strategic agreement that he had reached with what was already a rapidly decaying Soviet Union.

“In Moscow, we witnessed the beginning of the end of that era which began in 1945,” Nixon said. “With this step, we have enhanced the security of both nations. We have begun to reduce the level of fear, by reducing the causes of fear, our two peoples, and for all the peoples of the world.”

Nixon unveiled a new era of realpolitik cooperation between Washington and Moscow that he called “détente.”

However, while reducing fears and lowering tensions might be good news for many people, it wasn’t welcomed by the corporations that profited from the fears and the tensions, nor by the intellectual hired guns who had built lucrative careers in politics, media and academia by exaggerating those fears and exacerbating those tensions.

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Sean’s Last Wish founder Elke Kennedy is featured in the soon to be released book CRISIS, 40 Stories Revealing the Personal, Social, and Religious Pain and Trauma of Growing Up Gay in America. It is edited by Mitchell Gold, founder of Faith in America, with Mindy Drucker.

CRISIS is an expose of the fear, isolation, depression, and even suicidal feelings young gay people face from the time they realize they are gay until they have a healthy coming out. For many gay adults, the traumatic teenage years are buried in memory as a painful time to be left behind and forgotten. But, those who bravely recalled and contributed their stories to CRISIS describe experiences that are unfortunately universal for gay youth. 

Well-known successful members of the gay community, such as Bishop Gene Robinson, actor Richard Chamberlain, ambassador Jim Hormel and US Reps Tammy Baldwin and Barney Frank, share what it was like to live a lie every day, without support from family, friends, church, or school-and how they triumphed over the challenges. And a number of young people detail personal experiences that make clear the same challenges unfortunately continue today.

CRISIS is designed to make parents, clergy, teachers, politicians, and the media aware of the ongoing crisis young gay people experience in our culture today and understand how to stop it.

In addition to being an inspiring and helpful personal resource, it is an excellent gift for that someone you know whose heart and mind you’d like to transform from hostility to love and from rejection to acceptance. 

CRISIS will be published in mid-September. Pre-orders are available now at Amazon.com and CrisisBook.org.

On Sunday, Aug. 10, at 7pm the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Columbia will hold a panel discussion about the proposed South Carolina “I Believe” license plates, which has resulted in a lawsuit. (See earlier post for background on the controversy.)

The panel will include Kevin Hall, an attorney with Nelson Mullins, the law firm that will be defending the Dept. of Motor Vehicles in the lawsuit. He will join the Rev. Michael Frisina, pastor of Calvary Chapel, and one of his parishioners, Carl Sohm, in defending the constitutionality of the plate. Speaking in opposition to the plate will be two of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit: the Rev. Dr. Tom Summers, a retired United Methodist minister, and the Rev. Dr. Monty Knight, pastor of the First Christian Church of Charleston and president of the Charleston AU chapter.

The UU Fellowship is at 2701 Heyward St., corner of Heyward and Woodrow in Shandon.

Alabama death row inmate’s fate hangs in the balance
Equal Justice Initiative

The State of Alabama has revealed that it lost DNA evidence that could exonerate death row inmate Tommy Arthur. Convicted for the 1982 murder-for-hire of Troy Wicker, Mr. Arthur has for years asked the state to test DNA evidence he says would prove his innocence. The state has refused to conduct the tests.

This week, just days before Mr. Arthur’s execution date, Bobby Ray Gilbert, a convicted killer serving life without parole, signed a sworn statement in which he confessed to the crime. After Mr. Arthur’s lawyers filed the confession in court, the Alabama Supreme Court stayed his execution, which was scheduled to take place today.

Judy Wicker, an admitted conspirator in the murder of her husband, said in an affidavit that Mr. Arthur, not Gilbert, committed the crime. She also accused Mr. Arthur’s daughter of trying to bribe her to clear her father. Mr. Arthur’s daughter, Sherrie Stone, denied the allegation.

DNA testing of the evidence might have exonerated Mr. Arthur or eliminated the need for a stay of execution. The State’s claim that it has now lost the DNA evidence raises more troubling questions about the propriety of executing Mr. Arthur.

Feds tell Westinghouse its design is off track; doubts over new nukes grow

Federal regulators now say a nuclear plant design touted as “certified” in 2004 remains years from completion, more delays in the design approval process are likely, and problems involving major components and plant systems persist. In response, public interest groups in North and South Carolina today filed legal motions calling for revocation of $230 million in preconstruction costs approved by both states’ electricity regulatory commissions in May and June for two new Duke Energy reactors.

Friends of the Earth and NC WARN told utilities commissioners in both states today that escalating design problems threaten Duke Energy’s chances of ever completing two new Westinghouse AP1000 reactors it wants to build near Gaffney, SC. They also say the delays mean Duke cannot provide a firm project cost estimate for the Lee Nuclear Station by year-end, a commitment the company made to both commissions during hearings over the preconstruction costs.

“The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has served notice that the ‘nuclear revival’ is in trouble,” Tom Clements, of Friends of the Earth’s Columbia, SC, office said today.  “Duke Energy’s customers should not be stuck holding the bag if the company keeps pouring millions into that risky project.  The state regulatory agencies must now reverse their earlier decisions to approve Duke’s reactor project and require that the company not come back for reconsideration until the reactor design is finalized.” 

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Check out Publishers Weekly’s review of Candace Chellew-Hodge’s forthcoming book, Bulletproof Faith. Rev. Chellew-Hodge serves as a pastor at the Garden of Grace United Church of Christ (a member of the SC Progressive Network) in Columbia and edits the online publication Whosoever.

Rev. Candace Chellew-Hodge (right) joins Rev. Tom Summers (center) and Rev. Bennie Colclough in facilitating a group discussion at a Network retreat at Penn Center.

Last week, Anderson County Republican Sen. Kevin Bryant posted a “funny” picture on his blog comparing Barack Obama to Osama Bin Laden, saying the only difference between them is a little BS.

Yes, really.

After realizing not everyone saw the humor in it, he removed the picture. The comments are still up — at least the ones he hasn’t purged — but he is now trying to change the subject.

State Democratic Party Chair Carol Fowler issued the following statement:

“This degrading blog post is a desperate and juvenile attempt by Kevin Bryant to get attention for his troubled reelection effort. South Carolina voters, both Democratic and Republican, hate to see this type of ugly campaign tactics from our candidates,” said Fowler. “Of course, this is just the latest in a string of John McCain’s supporters and surrogates whose remarks have to be denounced by the GOP nominee. Kevin Bryant was an early McCain backer, but it’s time Senator McCain pitched him off the campaign bus. Senator Bryant’s actions are inexcusable and Republican Party leaders like Katon Dawson and Mark Sanford should join me in saying so. The residents of District 3 deserve to be represented by a leader who will campaign and serve with integrity, maturity, and honor. They should elect Dr. Marshall Meadors in the fall.”

The GOP has remained strangely silent on the matter.

By Becci Robbins and Brett Bursey
SC Progressive Network

About 25 activists met yesterday in Columbia to talk about the future and direction of the South Carolina chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, which in April was taken over by the national after years of poor management and in-fighting. While the national organization has twice before taken over a state chapter, this is the first time in the ACLU’s nearly 90-year history that it has done so without the affiliate’s blessing.

It’s too bad that it has come to this, but it appears it was the only way the SC ACLU was ever going to get out of the ditch it has been mired in for more than a decade. Under the leadership of libertarian David Kennison, the chapter has been at ideological odds with the national organization and has alienated longtime SC ACLU supporters and board members.

It didn’t help that the SC ACLU hired a series of executive directors who ranged from inept to corrupt. The last director was fired after it was discovered that her law license had been suspended and that she was stealing money from the chapter.

Tension deepened two years ago, when the chapter became the only state affiliate to sign onto a Web site criticising the ACLU’s national director, Anthony Romero. Kennison has argued that the chapter take-over is tied to his past criticism of Romero. (You can read more about this dispute in The Nation.)

All this drama has not come without a price. While the SC ACLU has been battling with itself, abuses of civil liberties have gone unchallenged. Absent, too, has been a clear and consistent voice in the South Carolina media addressing privacy concerns, chronic problems regarding the separation of church and state, and a host of other legal and legislative matters.

Yesterday’s meeting in Columbia was the first in a series that the ACLU will hold across the state in an effort to gather input and chart a new course. If you want to add your two cents, the organization is soliciting feedback through an online survey.

We wish the new SC ACLU well.

When John F. Kennedy challenged America to put a man on the moon in 10 years, many called it impossible.

Now, Al Gore has given a major speech with another visionary call: “Today I challenge our nation to commit to producing 100 percent of our electricity from renewable energy and truly clean carbon-free sources within 10 years.”

By Yifat Susskind
Communications Director, MADRE: Rights, Resources and Results for Women Worldwide

Last week, leaders of the world’s richest countries, the Group of Eight (G8), met to chart the course of the global economy at the luxurious Windsor Hotel Toya Resort and Spa in Toyako, Japan. While President Bush and his colleagues discussed world hunger over a six-course lunch, women in Haiti were preparing cakes of dirt for their children’s dinner.

Eating dirt, mixed with salt and vegetable shortening, is the latest coping strategy of Haitian mothers trying to quiet hungry children in a year when the cost of rice (Haiti’s staple food) has risen nearly 150 percent.

Ironically, many of these women were once rice farmers themselves. But in the 1980s, U.S.-grown rice began pouring into Haiti. Thanks to federal subsidies, the imported rice was sold for less than what it cost to grow it. Haitian farmers just couldn’t compete.

Neither could millions of other farmers around the world, who have been bankrupted by the influx of rice, corn, and wheat from the U.S., Europe and Japan. These farmers have gone from growing their own food and feeding their countries to having to buy food that’s priced on a global market. Now that these commodity markets have spiked, millions of more families cannot afford to eat.

Even here in the U.S., still the world’s richest country, more and more families are struggling to afford food these days. Thankfully, we are not forced to feed our children mud cakes. But ultimately, all working families and small farmers, whether in Haiti or Iowa, are hurt by farm policies that are designed for the benefit of giant food corporations.

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By Cecile Richards
President, Planned Parenthood Federation of America

We have just received news that President Bush is trying to
sell-out women’s health in the most unbelievable way. Here’s
how:

The Bush administration is about to release a rule that will
make it possible for federal funding that is specifically
designed to prevent unintended pregnancy and promote
reproductive health to now be used for anything but that.

If it happens, it will be a massive betrayal of women and
families, and we must stop it. We need you to
speak out. Please let President Bush know that this change is
very wrong by clicking here.

A little background on this outrageous situation…

We’ve known for some time that anti-choice extremists have
wanted President Bush to deliver them some sort of “gift” before
he leaves office. This rule change is just that gift. And here’s
what one of the most egregious results could be:

Right now, anti-choice groups run so-called “crisis pregnancy
centers” in communities all around the country — often a block
or two away from Planned Parenthood affiliate health centers.
These facilities look like health centers, but in reality are
run by anti-choice zealots who deliver only the reproductive
health care options that fit their agenda. No birth control, no
abortion — and no choice for women and families who need it.

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Harper’s
August 2008

Once again, South Carolina looks foolish in the national press. (To enlarge pages enough to read, keep clicking on the image.) This is the story behind the story of the two Egyptian students arrested in Goose Creek last August.

Below the Belt: A Biweekly Column
by Kim Gandy, NOW President

In my January Below the Belt column called “Maddening Reminder,” I wrote about the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and the countless forms of violence against women internationally - from acid and bride burning, to genital mutilation, to sexual slavery, murder and more. Most recently, a painful reminder has me looking closer to home.

Two weeks ago, 25-year-old Jana Mackey was found dead in the home of the boyfriend she had broken up with a few weeks earlier.

Jana changed a lot of lives in her 25 short years. She had been the Kansas NOW lobbyist, co-president of the Lawrence NOW chapter, and was a volunteer advocate at a safe house helping victims of sexual assault. Jana had organized a Kansas contingent to the 2004 March for Women’s lives, lobbied against anti-abortion legislation, and in favor of equal marriage. And she was entering her second year of law school, so she could be an even better advocate for women.

A quick internet search turned up half a dozen news stories in the last few days - all young women who had been murdered or abducted, likely by husbands or boyfriends from whom they were estranged. Yet the Violence Against Women Act still doesn’t contain enough protections for women who are fleeing violence. In Jana’s honor, we need to do more.

The statistics of domestic violence against women in the United States are staggering - where three women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends every day. And yet we hear constantly that judges are refusing protective orders to frightened women, and even ordering continued contact with batterers in order to accomplish custody or visitation exchanges. Some judges even turn over custody to the abuser. In Jana’s memory, we must do more.

I’ve read many blog discussions of Jana and her fate, and some of them devolved into victim-blaming of the “she knew so much about domestic violence, so how did she get herself into this situation” variety. On the contrary, the real point is that if this can happen to someone like Jana, it truly can happen to any woman. None of us are immune to partner violence, and each of us has an obligation to work to eliminate this scourge.

A few final words about Jana, who is being remembered by NOW leaders across the country. Gina Austin-Fresh, National NOW Board member, remembers Jana as, “…a remarkable young woman and a devoted advocate of women’s rights.” A close friend of Jana, Marla Patrick, the State Coordinator of Kansas NOW, remarked, “Jana was a daily inspiration. She worked so hard to ensure the women of Kansas would know a better future. We have lost a champion. The world is truly dimmer without her.”

One of the blog writers posted a poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay, which had been written in honor of suffragist Inez Milholland, who died at age 30 while campaigning for womens’ right to vote.

It is a fitting tribute to our friend and sister in the struggle, Jana Mackey:
Upon this marble bust that is not I
Lay the round, formal wreath that is not fame;
But in the forum of my silenced cry
Root ye the living tree whose sap is flame.
I, that was proud and valiant, am no more -
Save as a dream that wanders wide and late,
Save as a wind that rattles the stout door,
Troubling the ashes in the sheltered grate.
The stone will perish; I shall be twice dust.
Only my standard on a taken hill
Can cheat the mildew and the red-brown rust
And make immortal my adventurous will.
Even now the silk is tugging at the staff;
Take up the song; forget the epitaph.

Will you take up Jana’s song? If you’re not already involved, what better time to find out how you can help. Contact your local SC NOW chapter by clicking here.

Ever wonder why simply stating our positions on the hot button issues isn’t enough to win votes? Or why Democrats who try and adopt conservative stances on issues usually lose their elections even in conservative districts?

Professor George Lakoff has the answers and will show us how to frame the solutions during the next Night School. On Thursday, July 17, Professor Lakoff will be the special guest trainer; highlighting specific thinking points from his new book “The Political Mind” and teaching the framing progressives need to know to win. Join us “Live from Netroots Nation” at a special time: 5:30pm Eastern.

The Political Mind with George Lakoff
Thursday 5:30pm Eastern Time
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR NIGHT SCHOOL NOW!

Howard Dean called Professor Lakoff “One of the most influential thinkers of the progressive movement.” Lakoff’s 2004 book Don’t Think of an Elephant taught progressives how to take back the message and expose Republican framing. He changed the way people speak about the issues and now he’s taken it to the next level with his new book.

We’ll be spending an hour with Professor Lakoff as part of this special Netroots Nation edition of DFA Night School.

Night School is DFA’s interactive online training program. Every month Night School brings top campaign experts right to your home at absolutely no cost to you. Simply visit here to sign up and get the info you’ll need to listen to the program live Thursday afternoon or listen to the recording on your own time. As always, Night School training will be accompanied by a slideshow that you can view from your computer.

Join Professor Lakoff at Netroots Nation and learn the secrets of the Political Mind.

From Media Matters

On the July 2 edition of Fox News’ Fox & Friends, co-hosts Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade labeled New York Times reporter Jacques Steinberg and editor Steven Reddicliffe “attack dogs,” claiming that Steinberg’s June 28 article on the “ominous trend” in Fox News’ ratings was a “hit piece.” During the segment, however, Fox News featured photos of Steinberg and Reddicliffe that appeared to have been digitally altered — the journalists’ teeth had been yellowed, their facial features exaggerated, and portions of Reddicliffe’s hair moved further back on his head. Fox News gave no indication that the photos had been altered.

After putting up the photos of Steinberg and Reddicliffe, Fox & Friends also featured a photograph of Steinberg’s face superimposed over that of a poodle, while Reddicliffe’s face was superimposed over that of the man holding the poodle’s leash.

Comparing the two photos, it appears that the following changes have been made: Steinberg’s teeth have been yellowed, his nose and chin widened, and his ears made to protrude further.

Similarly, a comparison of the photo of Reddicliffe used by Fox News and the original photo suggests that Reddicliffe’s teeth have been yellowed, dark circles have been added under his eyes, and his hairline has been moved back.