The Speaker's Slots Hypocrisy?

In the Speaker's anger over cyber cafes, that have used what seem to be loopholes to allow gambling in their establishments in Massachusetts, he said something mighty interesting.

“Owners of these establishments are taking advantage of their patrons and scamming them out of money,” DeLeo said in a statement. “This is unacceptable and I look forward to seeing this legislation passed into law.”

Apparently, offering games that employ gambling on computers at cyber cafes is somehow different than offering games that employ gambling on computers at slot parlors. In fact, the former is "scamming" people, while the latter is "job creation." 

Mr. Speaker, your logic is flawed. You are right about the cyber cafes being a scam, wrong about wanting to let your friends at Suffolk Downs own a proposed super cyber cafe.

Hypocrisy, Terrorism and Phone Tapping

If four young democrats dressed up as phone repairmen and tried to install wiretaps to Senator Mitch McConnell's office (R), they'd be off to Guantanamo, with cries of terrorism, and water-boarded by now. Or close to it. Fox News, Rush Limbaugh and the national GOP would be all over it, foaming at the mouth. The rest of cable and network news would follow suit.

Instead, they were college republicans and one of their daddies is a US attorney, so it's just some goofy stunt. Still won't keep at least some of them out of federal prison (no doubt they'll all try to backstab each other as they try to make plea bargains, realizing they may actually be held accountable for their actions). At least there's that.

Who wants to take a guess that these four were not alone? Someone funded them. Did that person also put them up to something like this? Who knew what and when?

Mohegan Not Paying Its Taxes in Palmer

They bought property trying to force a casino down Massachusetts's throat, but didn't bother to pay their taxes to the town of Palmer for an entire month -- stripping the town of $16,000 in these bleak budget days. Sound familiar?

The Hypocrisy of the National Blogs

John Avarosis has on numerous occasions blasted progressive organizations for not advertising on progressive blogs. Here's his latest. What's interesting is that he's finally not the only one. Kos, Jane Hamsher (of FDL) and John Amato (of Crooks and Liars) are finally speaking up about the subject too. Blogging full time means struggling to make ends meet, all the while progressive organizations spend hundreds of millions on often-ineffective ads and consultants (who are sometimes paid tens of thousands just to reach out to bloggers) -- instead of contributing pennies on the dollar to progressive blogs, who have been at the forefront of pushing for the progressive agenda.

John, John, Jane and Kos are all right. However, they're all thinking of themselves, too. If this is a conversation about "what have you done for me lately," I'd like to ask the national big boys the very same question. As a full time/small time blogger, I used to spend a huge, inordinate amount of time reaching out to the national blogosphere. I've had a few of my stories linked to on national blogs that get tons of hits -- such as Towleroad.

However, I stopped doing that, because more often than not I found that these blogs wanted my expertise in being able to find the story, but wouldn't link to or even provide a hat tip to Ryan's Take. This happened frequently on gay rights issues: I'd get the story, send it out, the bloggers would cover the story, but they'd either link to the media version of the story (usually printed later) or looked for some Cooler Kids to talk about it, such as the BMG version. I can't count the number of times this happened.

All of this is fine. Honestly. If national blogs don't want to promote smaller blogs, no big deal. If they'd rather print the MSM article instead of promoting a blogger they don't know well, whatevs. The blogosphere has become so big that it's a giant chorus -- our voices are inevitably drowned out at some point.

However, when they start to complain about similar, related things -- other people wanting all the results, all the spoils, but not sharing the work or helping by buying some ads -- then I'm going to scream "Hypocrite." John Avarosis may have trouble paying his mortgage as a full time blogger, but small bloggers who spend nearly as much time blogging have trouble paying for the gas to go to events they're begged to cover. One link by a site like Americablog or Towleroad, however, may pay for some of that gas to cover that event which they'll then cover on their blogs.

In the end, John Avarosis should be angry and complain about groups like Americans United for Change not spending tens of thousands on a single banner ad. However, I'll be criticizing the big gay blogs and national blogs for not spending the 10 seconds to bother linking to the small blogger who first uncovers a story that becomes nationally important, but happen at a local level. If they're so worried about fostering progressive talent -- and that's what Avarosis says this is all about -- then they could do a whole lot more themselves by just stepping a foot outside of the Blogger Status Quo.

Can we now officially stop listening to Carly Fiorina?

She was HP's CEO up until 2005 and viewed as some kind of omnipotent goddess by the media elite. Now, it turns out, she was a part of breaking sanctions and selling technology to Iran. That's a serious no-no.

In 1997, two years after President Clinton banned trade with Iran, HP struck a partnership with a newly formed company in Dubai to sell its products in the Middle East. At the time, the company, called Redington Gulf, had only three employees and its sole purpose was to "sell HP supplies to the Iran market," says a history on Redington Gulf's website and Rajesh Chandragiri, the administrative manager in Redington Gulf's Dubai office.

So, let's get this straight: for each of the 6 years she led HP, it was breaking US sanctions by selling to Iran, the Axis of Evil Numero Uno according to Bush and Cheney. It was a country so dangerous, McCain actually sung about how we needed to "bomb, bomb, bomb Iran" to the tune of Barbara-Ann.

And she was selling goods there by gaming the system. Then she becomes the media darling who was McSame's attempt to play up his economic bonafides. So, is Iran dangerous or not? Is it a threat, or not? This woman, whom many called on to be McSame's VP nominee, obviously didn't think Iran having HP technology was a bad thing. She also showed a complete disrespect to US law.

What would happen if Obama lifted sanctions to Iran? He'd be nationally lampooned. Yet, it's okay for Carly to sell technology Iran doesn't otherwise have to that country? Am I sensing some serious right-wing hypocrisy, or what? Where's the right-wing outrage and calls of treason? HP was undermining the US's entire effort to crack down on Iran's sponsorship of terrorism - including Hamas, which just sparked a freaking war with Israel. People at HP should be going to jail, not making tens of millions of dollars.

At the very least, can we please stop listening to this alleged traitor on TV every other Sunday?

Kos, Olbermann, Blogs, MSM... One-Sided Hypocrisy

On the one hand, Kos is willing to wag his fingers at the Clinton campaign for making notice that red states vote red: it's insulting to the voters, he says. Well, maybe it is, even if it's a case of 'the truth hurts.' On the other hand, Kos gives a tip of his cap to laying the ultimate insult to Michigan and Florida voters: stripping them of their votes. Apparently, part of the 50 State Strategy Kos is trying to defend here says that two of our biggest, most important states shouldn't even be able to have a say in the election. What a great strategy! And, let's get real, it's not as if the voters of either of those states had a choice in the fact that their primaries were moved up. So, if it's a big deal that Hillary's peeps think that red state voters aren't quite as important as the voters in states that will actually vote for a Democrat, why isn't Kos and the like demanding Michigan and Florida voters get their say? Talk about hypocrisy.

Then there's the case of Keith Olberman, who I normally love. However, whenever it comes to Hillary Clinton, he's downright foaming at the mouth - despite the fact that, if anything, she's to the left of Barack on the most important domestic policy issues: health care and even energy. The rest of the media follows suit: every little Clinton blip is analyzed for how they're a bunch of awful human beings and don't deserve to be in office. Yet, they ignore the fact that Obama's camp has been equally brutal. Then, when Obama gets caught with his hand in the speech-writers' cookie jar, seemingly the entire MSM rushes to his defense. Can I just say that if I did what Obama did on a college paper, I most definitely would have been given a zero, likely with a very scary meeting scheduled with the dean. But, then again, I don't cheat.

The media coverage of this race has been god-awful and entirely one sided. It's sickening to see the blogosphere join the MSM in these ranks - clearly, some of these blogs are quickly joining the establishment that they so often love to rail against. I hate to throw this out there, but part of me really wonders if the situation would be different if Hillary weren't one of those crazy people who just so happen to lack an extra appendage between their legs. In any event, it would be nice if the blogosphere could get away from the very horse-race type issues that we get so pissed off about when the media covers them. This race ought to be about the issues, instead it's about trivial matters wherever we go for campaign news. Ugh.

Anti-Hillary Over Iraq?

One of the arguments I've been hearing for Obama is that, even if he's playing dirty politics and engaging in right wing talking points, Hillary was for Iraq. Obviously that means she doesn't deserve our support. Don't get me wrong, Hillary made a lousy vote and it doesn't reflect well on her for not apologizing for it, but this argument just doesn't make sense. If Obama truly was anti-war, and I don't really give a damn about some speech he made before he ever had to deal with the pressures of being a US Senator who wanted to run for President, he should have actually been a strong, anti-war Senator. Where was this leadership from Senator Obama in the US Senate? If Obama came out strong against Iraq during his tiny tenure in the US Senate, he certainly did it very tentatively. And he certainly didn't come out strong when it mattered - funding the war. His war funding record is almost identical to Hillary's. Am I really supposed to believe that, had he been in the Senate before the war started, he would have been an anti-war champion? I don't think so.

So, in light of that, all I have to do is look at where he stands on progressive issues, as well as standing up to K Street and the Republican hacks who've been ruining our country for the past few decades. It doesn't look good. If it's not propping up right wing talking points, like how Social Security is in dire straights and needs to be fixed now, it's pushing liquid coal - which would be a disaster to our environment. If it's not praising Reagan as the right man for the right time, it's propping up anti-gay preachers in his campaign. He's sending calculated, mixed signals to the public that isn't of the sort a strong progressive would support. Hell, he's managed to get me - someone who never would have voted for a person like Hillary in a millions years - ready to vote for her in a mere 4 days. It took a lot for Obama to accomplish that, but he's worked hard to get me to dislike his candidacy.

The DNC's Not Getting My Money

Clearly, they don't deserve it.

The Democratic National Committee takes another hit today. The Washington Blade has obtained a copy of DNC Chief of Staff Leah Daughtry’s deposition in the ongoing discrimination discovery hearings.

When asked about whether she supports gay marriage, Daughtry replied that she does not. The Pentecostal minister turned politico goes on to explain that same-sex nuptials go against her personal beliefs: “I believe, as the church believes, that marriage is intended for one man and one woman.” Daughtry goes on to insist that she keeps her religious beliefs separate from her duties at the DNC: “People know that I am a reverend but it is completely separate from the work at the DNC.”

The Blade also points out that Daughtry objected to requisite gay delegates because we haven’t faced “historic discrimination at the voting booth”. Girl must not remember all those anti-gay marriage initiatives.

Mind you, she's the Chief of Staff of the DNC... and has Howard Dean's full support.

Yo, Howard... love the 50 state plan... hate the homophobia.

Beacon Hill's Worse, Not Better

When Deval Patrick came into office, he promised to bring change to Beacon Hill, but unfortunately that change has yet to come. All there is so far is more of the same, no matter what Adrian Walker thinks. Deval's very good ideas - the Municipal Partnership Act and cutting corporate tax loopholes - were never followed through on, while his terrible idea - casinos - is recieving the Governor's full support, complete with dirty tactics to succeed (so much for the Politics of Hope). Walker blames the legislature for Deval Patrick's problems - and, of course, that body deserves a lot of the blame. However, Patrick's decision to skip along to new ideas, when his good ideas were at first resisted by the legislature, represents more of the same, not the change the grassroots expected from Candidate Deval.

The grassroots is hard work - work that the Governor must become patient enough to engage in, lest his best speeches truly become "just words." Cozying up to the casino lobby may make things easier to pass, but it just doesn't represent the good governing we all are even still hoping for. When record numbers of people came out to vote for Governor Patrick, we truly expected something revolutionary. No matter how anyone looks at casinos, it represents absolutely none of the change Candidate Deval promised to bring to Beacon Hill - yet he's trying to bring it anyway and willing to engage in the kind of sleazy tactics to make it happen that he railed against as a candidate.

Why are Governor Patrick's casino tactics so sleazy? Well, let's count the ways.

1. Deval Patrick wants to include fiscal data without allowing for the proper vetting process. There hasn't even been an official hearing which could approve or reject the Governor's proposal yet. Despite what Walker thinks, a slow process or a lack of debate isn't an excuse this time - this process has been as fast as possible, with plenty of spirited debate.
   
2. At the (sham) hearing Governor Patrick went to speak at, held by a committee that isn't involved in the approval process of the bill, Patrick's aides said over and over again that licensing fees shouldn't be used in the general fund, because they're one time funds. According to Patrick's own administration, the funds should only be used for 1-time projects. Now Patrick wants to include the revenue in his budget proposal?
   
3. Let's get this straight: Governor Patrick is willing to ignore his own aides, screw the centuries-old legislative process and skip right to approval? This is something Patrick's supporters would expect from Mitt Romney, not the progressive champion Candidate Deval claimed to be.

Does the Governor think himself above the legislative process? Is he better than the Massachusetts Constitution, which established the way our government works? The legislative process, ingrained in that constitution, not only allows for vetting projects, it demands it. Will we ever get the man we were promised on election day? Many still hope Candidate Deval will reemerge from wherever he's been kept away, replacing this man behind the mask who could never have given hope to thousands with "just words." At the end of the day, Candidate Deval was about more than just words; he was about decency and conviction, the traits that gave him the ability to move mountains. Without the positive traits that drove the Patrick campaign, Governor Patrick is no different than anyone else who's occupied the Corner Office recently. Yet, the fact that Governor Patrick has so far failed to deliver on the promise of Candidate Patrick truly leaves a bad taste that didn't even exist when Romney was in charge.

Who Needs Civil Rights Anyway?

I honestly have no words of my own to describe how annoyed and angry I am.

After falling 116 valid signatures short of the needed amount to place the measure on the 2008 ballot for a statewide vote, gay rights foes asked U.S. District Judge Michael W. Mosman to intercede on their behalf, saying that the verification process for the signatures is flawed and that citizens who had signed the petitions had been disenfranchised.

Mosman halted the domestic partner law, which would have given same-sex couples in the state all the rights enjoyed by heterosexual couples (aside from the "marriage" label), pending a February 1st hearing that would challenge the verification process.

Jeana Frazzini, of Basic Rights Oregon, told the AP: "It's unfair our families once again are bearing the brunt of this ongoing struggle."

A lot of glbt people have been blocked from having at least a few more rights today in the state of Oregon, because a federal court has now blocked Oregon's Domestic Partnership law, which was to take effect tomorrow. So much for the Republican Party's complaints on Judicial Activism. Right wingers certainly love judicial activism when it works in their favor.

So Much for States' Rights

Wow. Score one for the Republicans people who want the Earth to burn in flames.

For the first time ever, the EPA has turned down a request for a waiver so that California can set its own regulations on auto emissions, as it's authorized to do under the Clean Air Act.

Even more appalling is the reasoning.

In a hastily assembled after hours press conference, the EPA declared that the energy bill signed by Bush yesterday was much better than a "patchwork of state laws," even though the energy bill was much weaker than the California proposals and does not directly address greenhouse gases. Once again the Republicans demonstrate their absolute disdain for any authority being given to the states, and their love of centralizing all power under one man. State's rights? You have the right to go shove a tailpipe where the sun don't shine.

In turning down California's request, EPA administrator Stephen Johnson rolled out the next phase of the Republican Zeno's Paradox Plan for ignoring global warming. California, said Johnson, wasn't the right place to deal with this because it's really a national issue. Of course, the nation can't deal with this issue because it's really an international issue. And of course the other nations of the world aren't ready to do this exactly as we'd like so... California can't deal with this. No one can move until everyone does.

Sounds about right.

Different Paths

Isn't it wonderful that we now have the first happy couple ever married in Iowa? Of course, they had to go through hoops to get there, before there was a stay granted until appeal, but it's great nonetheless. I wonder what Senator Larry Craig thinks - about the life he could have lead. He could have been out and proud, instead of working against GLBT people across the country. Then, maybe again, he's probably so angry, bitter, deluded and hateful that he really thinks he's "never been" in the GLBT camp. Perhaps there's a close familiarity with toe-tapping and stall walls that Craig won't ever be able to pass up.

Casino Madness

Today's Globe article on the Wampanoags and their quest for a casino has a few paragraphs that are a real doozey, but first the key information from the article:

• Despite the fact that there's a mounting effort to change tribal leadership, Hendricks supporters "tried to present" a unified front.
• There's lots of he said, she said going on - on who are actually the "real" Mashpee Wampanoags. Tests of patriotism abound.
• The application to build a casino is going to the federal government today, which is one important step in getting acceptance.
• That process can take upwards of 18 months.
• Governor Patrick is the other major road block, but he's not expected to decide on it now until the "next month."

One wonders if troubles with their former leader, Glenn Marshall, pushed back Patrick's decision beyond Labor Day, which was the Governor's target date earlier in the summer. Nothing will set back a decision like finding out the leader sending you the proposal had a record - including being a convicted rapist. Yikes.

But anyway, I promised a few good quotes - and I'll deliver. Anyone know the definition of hypocrisy?

Hendricks, speaking on the edge of a grassy field outside the tribe's headquarters in Mashpee, said the allegations are untrue and called the members making the complaints "a group that want money and want power."

He said the tribe will continue the effort to build a casino in Middleborough and honor other agreements and plans the tribe had made under Glenn Marshall, who resigned as chairman last week amid disclosure that he embellished his war record and was a convicted rapist.

So, Hendricks accuses the group that seeks to unseat him as wanting "money and... power." Isn't that exactly what Hendricks wants himself? And all the Wampanoags who favor the casino? They aren't exactly supporting the construction of a soup kitchen here, folks. Let's not mince words - the Womponoag proponents of unseating Hendricks still want to build the casino, but they propose to toss out the current deal with developers because they think it a bad deal. They want an open bidding process - doesn't that actually make sense? Does anyone really trust the current leadership, when they're the one's who were likely handpicked by Glenn Marshall, the convicted rapist? Not to mention all the uninvestigated Jack Abramoff connections - they're just the inspiration of confidence in this whole deal. Opening up everything for a little breath of fresh air, giving time to find out all the important facts, can't be a bad decision.

So let's sum up this whole nightmare; the current Middleboro casino deal is

• Bad for the Commonwealth
• Bad for people who want to know exactly what they're building beforehand
• And Bad for the Wampanoags.

Is anyone really all that surprised?

Update: Very definately not the "Last of the Mohegans." Here's some more food for thought for our Governor as he makes his casino decision.

The Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority signed an exclusivity agreement with a developer who owns a 150 acre parcel of land near the Massachusetts Turnpike. The intention is to build a retail complex on the site that can also accommodate a casino if the Commonwealth of Massachusetts legalizes gaming.

File this Under the Common Sense Section

Senators Kerry and Clinton have filed a bill that would require the Pentagon to prepare for the contingency of leaving Iraq. Bush doesn't like plan Bs, Cs or Ds, but I think they can be real assets. Of course, there's more to this story than meets the eye - the administration went on the attack against Clinton for even asking about such a contingency plan. You see, she's helping the terrorists...

This legislative effort is a direct result of Under Secretary of Defense Eric Edelman's unacceptable response to a Congressional inquiry on a matter of national security to Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates, asking for the Pentagon to brief the appropriate oversight committees in Congress on what current contingency plans exist for the future withdrawal of United States forces from Iraq. Alternatively, if no such plans exist, the Congressional inquiry asked for an explanation for the decision not to engage in such planning.

The depths to which this administration will stoop...

This is only tangently related, but one of the things I keep hearing more and more is Vietnam being brought up by Republicans in defense of staying in Iraq. Edelman made that kind of asinine comment against Senator Clinton. You see, they say, we need to stay in Iraq so Iraq doesn't become like Vietnam...

Huh? Am I the only person who doesn't get that kind of comment at all? Because staying in countries in the middle of a Civil War is a fantastic idea? Oh, Republicans and their nation building - not to mention fuzzy memories.

DiMasi's Corporate Welfare

How politicians can be so brazen, I don't know, but DiMasi calling Deval Patrick one to support corporate welfare is like a little kid with 15 cavities complaining his parents just never let him have candy after they refused him for the first time. In fact, DiMasi has become downright fat off his corporate friends - wielding his formidable power in a quest to keep Verizon's contribution to Massachusetts's tax base as close to 1% of their entire profits as possible. But it doesn't stop there...

"This investment in the public infrastructure is in line with a number of economic development projects approved by the Legislature in the past," said spokesman Kyle Sullivan. "This is about creating jobs and investing in our communities."

Last year, for instance, the Legislature approved $55 million in
infrastructure improvements around Fenway Park that will benefit the Red Sox and
other businesses and $16 million in ramps for a new YMCA project on the Rose Kennedy Greenway.

DiMasi also has been vehement in his opposition to Patrick's proposal to close so-called corporate tax loopholes, which the administration had characterized as $500 million in public giveaways.

Ah, hypocrisy. Really, Speaker DiMasi, this is just too easy. But, in the interest of being fair, I'll throw my Citizen's Journalist Cap on and weigh the situation.

Here's what we know: the project will, indeed, bring several hundred jobs. Most of the state's contributions were slated to be low-interest loans, not true giveaways. Certainly, there will be more taxable income after the project than before it. The project also promises to unite two parts of Boston, which could add to the community in ways immeasurable in dollars.

Here's what we don't know: if the project is worth a 56 million dollar contribution from the state and city of Boston, be it either loans or grants. If the project will be built to the same standards otherwise. If there are other, worthier projects out there.

Back to angry blogger mode: Corporate welfare is, sadly, sometimes a necessary evil. It should be used rarely and sparingly, but the project in and of itself seems interesting. If Speaker DiMasi wanted to hold hearings to judge whether or not this project is worth it, I'd support that. However, he's calling Patrick a supporter of corporate welfare when there's no one in the House more supportive of Corporations and business interests than Speaker DiMasi.

The Speaker, sadly enough, seems more interested in businesses making unreasonable profits than the citizens of Massachusetts, who pay among the highest property taxes in the country and are still struggling to keep their schools afloat. Schools across the state are being shut down in large part because of DiMasi's protection of Verizon and others, so for him to complain about corporate welfare is at the very least insane and asinine. Let's hope he realizes that, skips the demagoguery and looks at his own corporate welfare with the same interest as he has Governor Patrick.

Weak: Universal Healthcare Not to Be Universal at All?

If this story is true, I'm going to be very, very disappointed.

To remove the threat of a public backlash, the state plans to exempt nearly 20 percent of uninsured adults from the state's new requirement that everyone have health insurance.

The proposal, expected to be approved by a state board today, is based on calculations that even the lowest-cost insurance would not be affordable for an estimated 60,000 people with low and moderate incomes who do not qualify for state subsidies. Forcing them to buy insurance or pay a penalty could jeopardize the rest of the state's initiative, officials said. Instead, the state board appears prepared to settle for near universal coverage, all but 1 percent of the state's population.

Talk about a non-solution to a problem. The problem in insuring these brink cases is affordability. So, instead of the state actually fulfilling their promises to help with affordability, they're instead going to go into the realm of The Quasi. That way, they can still pat themselves on the back and say "we got Massachusetts Universal coverage," except they'll be lying lairs - liars who got quasi-universal coverage, coverage that fails to cover 20% of the people they sought to cover.

No one fool themselves: it's not universal insurance. It's also not acceptable.

Mitt's Gun Problem

John Aravosis loves Mitt more than I do. He caught some great lines from the Mittster.

We have a gun in one of our homes. It's not owned by me, it's owned by my son, but I've always considered it sort of mine.

Anyone else snort smoothie out of their nose with that one? The orange-strawberry concoction burns sort of like the pains to which Mitt has gone to sound super-duper conservative for the super-duper redstate crowd. Seriously, I hope Republicans fall for that trap in the primary, because it's not going to happen in the general. The gun-totting, buy-beer-at-the-gas-station crowd isn't going to find his "[I joined the NRA] within the last year," but "I signed up for a lifelong membership" nonsense. Mitt being gun ho for guns is as credible as Dick Cheney's master weapon-wielding skillz. Would anyone feel safe hunting some doves with Mitt, either?