Bits and Pieces

This from AlterNet yesterday reports that the alleged 57% turnout in the Iraqi election is not supported by fact and is, rather, a pretty fuzzy number arrived at by speculation more than anything else. It reads, in part:

In a rare reference to an actual vote tabulation, The New York Times on Thursday reports that in the "diverse" city of Mosul, with 60% of the count completed, the overall turnout seems slightly above 10%, or "somewhat more than 50,000 of Mosul's 500,000 estimated eligible voters."

This, of course, is no minor matter: Iraq's leading Sunni Muslim clerics said Wednesday that the country's election lacked legitimacy because large numbers of Sunnis did not participate in the balloting. Sure, many of them are simply sore losers (they lost an entire country) but that doesn't make their reaction any less troublesome for Iraq's future, especially with the cleric-backed Shiite alliance apparently headed for a landslide win.

Dexter Filkins of The New York Times warned Thursday that the widespread Sunni boycott "could even lead to the failure of the constitution; under the rules drafted last year to guide the establishment of a new Iraqi state, a two-thirds 'no' vote in three provinces would send the constitution down to defeat. The Sunnis are a majority in three provinces."

This from the Washington Post this morning reports Dubya's proposed budget reflects the fantasy world in which his administration exists (the budget was probably written in purple ink). The budget cuts domestic spending drastically and then sets a not to exceed threshold for domestic spending for the next five years. Nope, we're not is Kansas anymore! Indeed:

...the president has proposed trimming domestic spending at Congress's annual discretion from $391 billion this year to $389 billion next year and then freezing it at that level for five consecutive years. White House budget director Joshua B. Bolten suggested there was a precedent for such a request in the 1990s, when Republicans first took control of Congress. But domestic spending declined in only one year of that decade: 1996. Indeed, since 1962, domestic spending has never held steady or declined for two years in a row, let alone five, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

This from this morning's AlterNet provides a mother's thoughts (who lost a son in Iraq) on Dubya's war. She was supposed to have appeared on the Larry King show but got bumped by the Michael Jackson trail. God, we've got some fucked-up priorities. This is an excellent read which provides, in part:

This war was sold to the American people by a slimy leadership with a maniacal zeal and phony sincerity that would have impressed snake oil salesmen a century ago. The average American needs to hear from people who have been devastated by the arrogance and ignorance of an administration that doesn't even have the decency or compassion to sign our "death" letters.

Finally, this from the Denver Post's Diane Carman in which she reports that U.S. Secretary of Education, Margaret Spellings, has demanded that PBS (Public Broadcast System) refund the federal funds it used to produce a show called, Sugartime in which the diversity of the American family has been examined through several episodes. Ms. Carman writes:

So far, it has showcased an orthodox Muslim family, evangelical Christians, Mormons, children living with grandparents, Norwegians in South Dakota and single-parent families.

Yet despite the fact that an estimated 1 million children are reared by same-sex parents in this country and that the state of Vermont recognizes same-sex civil unions, the 30 seconds of "Sugartime!" devoted to the issue were too much for that flaming heterosexual education secretary, Margaret Spellings.

And, what was so offensive about this particular episode? Ms. Carman provides:

It showed the women - get this - lending a lasagna pan to some friends. Spellings put a stop to that straight- away.

"Many parents would not want their young children exposed to the lifestyles portrayed in the episode," she wrote in a letter to PBS demanding that the network refund the money used to produce the show.

Quivering PBS executives dropped "Sugartime!" and refused to distribute it to member stations.

Well, Denver's independent t.v. station KBDI has contracted with the producer of the show, WGBH in Boston and will air it at 7p.m. this Wednesday and again at 8a.m. this Sunday. Additionally, the subject of a special edition of "Colorado Inside Out-Live" (also on KBDI) will address the actions of the Secretary Spellings as well as discuss the issue of same-sex parenting. This will air on Wednesday, 7:30p.m.

The neocon credo of fear disgustingly infests this nation ... or, at least, fifty-one percent of us.

Way to go KBDI!