Civil & Human Rights

Obama campaign ad: ‘The Same’

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Obama campaign is up with a new ad, "The Same," hitting Paul Ryan for his "culture warrior" extremist views on women’s health.

Voiceover:

"He's made his choice. But what choices will women be left with?"

"Just like Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan would get rid of Planned Parenthood funding."

"In Congress, Ryan voted to ban all federal funding for Planned Parenthood…"

"…and allow employers to deny women access to cancer screenings and birth control."

"And both Romney and Ryan backed proposals to outlaw abortion … even in cases of rape and incest."

"For women…for president…the choice is ours."

Learn more: http://OFA.BO/94PQjp

Video below the fold.

George Wallace in a dress defies the federal ‘guvmint’ again

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Brewer_hateIt must be an election year again. George Wallace in a dress, Governor Jan Brewer, is out waving her Neo-Confederate "states rights" flag and demonizing Latino children as she demagogues to the nativist and racist base of the modern-day Tea-Publican Party. It worked so well for the Arizona GOP in 2010, they have decided to double-down and do it again in 2012.

When Willard "Mittens" Romney talks about a campaign of "division and attack and hatred," he is projecting onto his opponents the modern-day Tea-Publican Party.

On Wednesday, the Obama administation's DREAM Act-Lite (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) policy went into effect. Thousands of young undocumented immigrants lined up Wednesday hoping for the right to work legally in America without being deported. Thousands line up for right to work legally in US – East Valley Tribune.

So naturally, George Wallace, er, Jan Brewer decided to stick her boney finger in the face of President Obama, once again, and waved her Neo-Confederate "states rights" flag by declaring that the state of Arizona will not comply with the laws of the federal "guvmint" — the ghost of George Wallace blocking the school house door defiantly telling President Kennedy, "Segregation now, segregation tomorrow and segregation forever!" Jan Brewer orders denial of benefits to illegal immigrants Obama is allowing to stay – East Valley Tribune:

Gov. Jan Brewer on Wednesday told state agencies to deny benefits and even driver's licenses to those illegal immigrants the Obama administration will allow to remain in the country.

In an executive order, the governor said the "deferred action'' program for those who arrived as children does not actually grant them any legal status. And that, she said, makes those in this category ineligible for public benefits under the terms of a 2004 voter-enacted measure.

PDF: Executive Order 2012-06

Brewer also said driver's licenses will be off limits to those in the deferred action program because state law prohibits the Department of Transportation from issuing licenses "unless an applicant submits proof satisfactory to ADOT that the applicant's presence in the United States is authorized under federal law.''

But that directive flies in the face of current ADOT policies which say that licenses are available to anyone with an Employment Authorization Document issued by the federal government without further documentation.

Romney’s racist dog whistle and the GOP Southern Strategy

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Rubber-glueThis week's attempt by the "Galt – Gekko 2012" campaign to inject a racial connotation into Vice President Joe Biden's remarks about Romney's friends among the banksters of Wall Street is a case of psychological projection. The 'Foxification' of the 'news' with manufactured outrage of the day. I and others have written about the Romney campaign's "I'm rubber, you're glue" strategy of projecting onto his opponents his own misdeeds. A classic "Rovian" tactic.

Case in point, in recent days Romney is portraying the outwardly calm President Obama as a man seething with animosity and power lust, he "is all about division and attack and hatred" Romney said Wednesday. Obama, Romney added later while campaigning in Charlotte, is an angry man who "will do or say anything to get elected." Romney takes aim at Obama's likability lead.

For the uninitiated and unimformed media villagers, like Charles Babbington of the AP who wrote the above report, let me explain what this is to you. This is not about the tone or nastiness of the campaigns' political ads which you media villagers seem to fixate on. 

The "angry black man" is a racist stereotype used to scare "white folks" in American politics dating back to the Civil Rights Movement. Stereotypes of African Americans in the United States. When Romney is using this language, he is blowing the racist dog whistle to the nativist and racist base of the modern-day Tea-Publican Party.

The "angry black man" racist dog whistle is why FAUX News Fraudcasting has spent so much time over the past four years race-baiting the Rev. Jeremiah Wright and a couple of dumbasses who call themselves the New Black Panther Party, always tying them to President Obama. It is why President Obama goes out of his way to always appear pleasant and in good humor or at worse, professorial, but never angry. He does not want the race-baiters at FAUX News to have any material to use.

If the uninitiated and uninformed media villagers are unable to recognize this or are unwilling to call out this racist dog whistle for what it is, I strongly urge you to find another line of work; you are not worthy of pretending to be a "journalist."

The long-standing GOP Southern Strategy of race-baiting is an integral party of the Romney campaign. The false attack Romney launched last week against the Obama administration on "welfare reform" is the classic politics of resentment for the poor (read minorities) personified by Ronald Reagan's mythical "Cadillac driving welfare queen" from the Southside of Chicago. This kind of race-based politics works when the media fails to "name it and shame it" with public condemnation.

Saturday… Well… Weekend? Editorial August 11th, 2012

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By Michael Bryan

DlbottleI'd like to let you all know that Drinking Liberally will be meeting this week at the regular time and place (Wednesday, 6pm at The Shanty). This week our guest is… Me! I will be presenting the Propositions that will appear on this November's ballot (and a few that might not be…). We'll discuss the pros and cons (where such exists) and a have a few beers. For a preview, or if you can't make it, you can take a look at my 2012 Ballot Prop Guide.

Donkeysatmanger2I personally read almost every news source in Arizona – and keep up with national reaction to our politics, as well. I do it to bring you readers of BlogForArizona the Arizona Donkey Feed, which appears on our right-hand sidebar every day (you may also have the Feed emailed to you daily). Sometimes the avalanche of information available in our 24/7 news cycle can be overwhelming. I do generally succeed in keeping the Feed topically restricted to Arizona politics. But it is a lot of noise to sort through, so, I decided I might like to sit down once a week and take some time to look around, and try to get some perspective on the news.

This week, I chose to present an extended rumination on the Jared Loughner plea and the Arpaio trial. I sense some connections that might not be entirely obvious.

Read more after the click…

The saga of South Bisbee continues

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by Pamela Powers Hannley

South Bisbee is under seige by Freeport-McMoRan. The international mining giant is evacuating South Bisbee in order to do land reclamation.

Renters are being ousted. Home owners are being offered $50/square foot for their homes. Everyone who settles with the company must agree that neither they nor their relatives will seek any future damages against the company.

Last week, I posted a story and two videos about the goings on in this tiny border enclave, but the story continues to evolve. 

Only one woman– featured in the video entitled "A Hero in South Bisbee"— has refused to settle with the company. In this video– available after the jump– you can hear Our Hero's reasons why she doesn't want to settle, but you can see a bird's eye view of tiny, green South Bisbee, surrounded by industrial mining waste. (Southern Arizona residents who may be living near the proposed Rosemont Mine, take note.) Outside of Our Hero's back window, there used to be a view of the desert; now she sees a mountain of tailings. No wonder the mining company wants South Bisbee residents to sign off on all future litigation. Living in houses surrounded by mining waste can't be good for your health.

Last night, the Bisbee City Council voted to support South Bisbee in their request for more time before they have to leave their houses.

Today, KGUN 9 on Your Side ventured to South Bisbee to do a story. Ironically, Freeport-McMoRan security showed up at the same time.

Check out two new LoneProtestor videos from South Bisbee after the jump.