Help, Help! There’s an Elephant in My Uterus!
Alaska has become the latest state to fall victim to the Republican War on Women. It’s difficult to imagine today that Alaska was once at the forefront of women’s rights, and reproductive choice, but in 1913, the Alaska Territorial Legislature gave women the right to vote as its first official act. In 1970, a successful state-wide grassroots movement to reform Alaska’s abortion law, made Alaska the third state in the country to make abortion legal and safe, three years before Roe v. Wade. Alaska has a proud history of individual choice, privacy, and non-governmental interference in its citizens’ personal lives….
Sean Parnell Attends a Class in Propaganda 101
~Frank Luntz, GOP Minister of Propaganda By Shannyn Moore While most Alaskans were suffering through another cold, dark week, Gov. Sean Parnell was hard at work — on another junket, this time to the Republican Governor’s Association meeting in Florida. Odd — no palm tree beach shots on the state website. In fact, no official mention of the trip at all — just one picture on his Facebook page saying the governor participated in a “panel discussion on energy issues.” One of the presenters at the governors’ conference was Frank Luntz, a Republican strategist whose specialty is “testing…
Open Thread – Re-elect Senator Bettye Davis!
Oh that dastardly redistricting board… We knew that there would be several Democrats who had a challenging time of it in 2012 once the new lines were drawn, and legislative districts were reshaped. Senator Bettye Davis, champion of children’s health care is one of those who will need some extra support this year. Davis is a true stalwart, and a fantastic senator. And she also knows how to throw a fundraiser! ~Senator Bettye Davis speaking out for children in need You can join her, and the R&R Island Reggae Band who will be playing live music at Club…
Politicians – Judge Them By Their Deeds
By Shannyn Moore “Go out and preach the gospel. And if you must, use words.” — St. Francis of Assisi This week I watched the GOP round-table debate. It still startles me to hear words and moral claims from candidates who must believe we’ve never seen their deeds. I’m a big believer in the separation of church and state … but let’s suppose we were a “Christian Nation,” not just a nation made up of Christians, Jews, Muslims, old believers, pagans, atheists and free-range hippies. Could we, this new “Christian Nation,” pick the Beatitudes as our rule of law?…
Denali Kid Care Now! (Photos)
Several dozen protesters showed up yesterday at noon at the Legislative Offices in downtown Anchorage to show their support for Senate Bill 5 which would restore the level of inclusion in the Denali Kid Care program (SCHIP) to where it was in 2003. Last session, a bill was introduced that would have restored health care services (matched 70% by the federal government) to more than 1200 poor children and infants, and 200 pregnant women. The bill was vetoed by Governor Sean Parnell because the Alaska Constitution, according to a Supreme Court decision, provides that medically necessary legal…
Jesus Loves the Little Children – Governor Sean Parnell? Not So Much.
Sean Parnell, the man that his former boss Sarah Palin called a “brother in prayer” has made his priorities known. Remember that favorite Sunday School hymn, “Jesus Loves the Little Children?” Remember how Jesus’ priorities were all about healing the sick, and helping the poor, and doing unto others as you would have them do unto you? Well, our born again Christian governor is just exactly NOT like that at all. Last year, Sean Parnell (and I am not making this up) vetoed a bill that would have provided Denali Kid Care (the state health program that gets 70% matching federal…
D Student in Economics Knew it All Along – the Wit and Wisdom of Sarah Palin
~Sarah Palin, the future financial prophet, in college. Her economics themed attire reads: “I may be broke, but I’m not flat busted.” Yes, those fancy spectacles that may or may not have prescription lenses certainly gave the former governor 20/20 hindsight. You see, she predicted the United States’ credit downgrade all along. Yes, she did. Alaska’s half-term fiscal prognosticator knew it the whole time. She used her favorite social media tool, her Facebook page, to deliver the lengthy “Told Ya So!” to the nation about Standard and Poor’s smack down that took the nation from a AAA to a AA+…
May Day in Madison -Sí, se puede! From the Perspective of a Second Generation Italian American.
by Patrick DePula It’s been a cold spring here in Madison. Just about every rally I’ve been a part of, it seems to have been freezing, snowing and/or raining. Surprisingly, the weather looked promising for the May Day, or International Workers Day, rally that would begin with speakers in Brittingham Park, involve a March to the State Capitol, and end with additional speakers on the Capitol steps. Seemed like a great day to load my son Sal into the bike trailer and set out on a bit of an adventure. Before leaving the house, I decided to wear my Italian National…