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About Me
Joshua Angell, also known as Josh Angell (born June 3, 1979), is an outspoken Liberal activist who has run a news blog since 2004, entitled "Voice Of The Majority" Angell, a frequent caller to radio shows such as Lynn Samuels, is often outspoken on what he calls "the lies of the Bush Crime Family". Known locally in Austin, Texas to appear at rallies and anti-war demonstrations, Angell is self described as "The most famous gay activist in Austin that everybody knows OF but nobody KNOWS". |
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Sometimes, life just plain sucks.
I'm growing more and more pissed off as the days go by at our disgraceful President. He's out there now trying to connect his modern day Vietnam to the September 11th attacks. This is outrageous! What is really sickening is that there are a good number of rednecks who still believe that this is the case. We have to think of a way to really hammer out the facts. I think that this effort is starting to take full swing. If all of us like-minded people start talking to anyone will listen, maybe we can create change. Maybe then life in the USA won't make you sick to your stomach.
So This Is What Christianity Is All About?
DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU?
Venezuela Slams Robertson Over Remarks Venezuela's vice president accused religious broadcaster Pat Robertson on Tuesday of making "terrorist statements" by suggesting that American agents assassinate President Hugo Chavez. On Monday, Robertson said on the Christian Broadcast Network's "The 700 Club": "We have the ability to take him out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability." "We don't need another $200 billion war to get rid of one, you know, strong-arm dictator," he continued. "It's a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job and then get it over with." Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel said Venezuela was studying its legal options, adding that how Washington responds to Robertson's comments would put its anti-terrorism policy to the test. "The ball is in the U.S. court, after this criminal statement by a citizen of that country," Rangel told reporters. "It's huge hypocrisy to maintain this discourse against terrorism and at the same time, in the heart of that country, there are entirely terrorist statements like those." The U.S. government distanced itself from Robertson's comments. Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld, appearing at a Pentagon news conference, said when asked: "Our department doesn't do that kind of thing. It's against the law. He's a private citizen. Private citizens say all kinds of things all the time." State Department spokesman Sean McCormack called Robertson's remarks "inappropriate." "This is not the policy of the United States government. We do not share his views," McCormack said. There was no immediate comment from Chavez, who was winding up an official visit to Cuba on Tuesday. Scores of journalists awaited Chavez at the airport, where he was to board a plane for a trip to Jamaica to discuss a Venezuela initiative to supply petroleum to Caribbean countries under favorable financial terms. Chavez has emerged as one of the most outspoken critics of President Bush, accusing the United States of conspiring to topple his government and possibly backing plots to assassinate him. U.S. officials have called the accusations ridiculous. "You know, I don't know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it," Robertson said. "It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war ... and I don't think any oil shipments will stop." Rangel called Robertson "a man who seems to have quite a bit of influence in that country," adding sarcastically that his words were "very Christian." The comments "reveal that religious fundamentalism is one of the great problems facing humanity in these times," Rangel said. Robertson's remarks appear likely to further stoke tensions between Washington and Caracas. Chavez has repeatedly claimed that American officials are plotting to oust or kill him charges U.S. officials have denied. The United States is the top buyer of Venezuelan crude, but Chavez has made it clear he wants to decrease the country's dependence on the U.S. market by finding other buyers. Chavez has survived a brief 2002 coup, a devastating two-month strike that ended in early 2003 and recall referendum in 2004. The former army paratroop commander, a close ally of Cuban leader Fidel Castro, is up for re-election next year, and polls suggest he is the favorite. Sunday, August 21, 2005
Hagel Says Iraq War Looking Like Vietnam
WASHINGTON (AP) - A leading Republican senator said Sunday the war in Iraq is looking more like the Vietnam conflict from a generation ago. CLICK FOR THE: Full Story Friday, August 12, 2005
Welcome to Nazi America. The Bush Hitler and the Bush Nazi's are trying to march onward:
On July 29, the Senate passed S. 1389 to re-authorize the USA PATRIOT Act by unanimous consent. When compared with the House reauthorization bill, which passed on July 21, the Senate bill creates stronger criteria for using Section 215 to obtain a FISA warrant to search business records. Furthermore, S. 1389 puts a four-year sunset on Section 215, whereas H.R. 3199 extends the sunset for ten years. Next, a conference committee will reconcile the House and Senate bills and create a final piece of legislation on which Congress will vote after it reconvenes on September 6. The Campaign for Reader Privacy urges you to ask your House representatives to add their names to a letter that Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is circulating, which calls on the conferees who will reconcile the House and Senate versions of the re-authorization bill to adopt the provisions of the Senate bill, S. 1389. "We believe that the changes in S. 1389 provide greater safeguards to Americans' library and bookstore records and reflect the desire of a majority of House members, who voted 238-187 on June 15 to provide greater privacy protections for readers," Sanders writes in his letter, which is co-authored by Representatives C.L. "Butch" Otter (R-ID), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Ron Paul (R-TX), and Tom Udall (D-NM). See below for the letter's full text. Please call your House representatives TODAY! You may visit www.house.gov to find their contact information. We also urge you to contact the members of Senate who have been chosen as conferees: Arlen Specter (R-PA), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Michael DeWine (R-OH), Jon Kyl (R-AZ), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and Carl Levin (D-MI). You may find their contact information at www.senate.gov. For more information, please click here: www.readerprivacy.org/news.jsp Wednesday, August 10, 2005
President and Laura Bush: Meet With Cindy Sheehan!!!!!!!!
The President and First Lady are spending their five-week vacation this summer at the ranch in Texas. Meanwhile, Cindy Sheehan's son Casey won't be spending a five week vacation anywhere this summer -- he was killed in April of 2004 outside Baghdad. Click here to ask that the President and First Lady meet with Cindy Sheehan. Cindy Sheehan has now traveled to Crawford, Texas, and is waiting for the President to have a few minutes of free time. She would like the President to fully explain just what the "noble cause" is that he keeps mentioning in his speeches, and how sacrificing even more troops in the Iraq quagmire will "honor the sacrifices of the fallen." Cindy Sheehan deserves answers to these questions; so does the American public. Now, the Secret Service is threatening to arrest Cindy Sheehan when Defense Secretary Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Rice arrive at the ranch on Thursday. They say her campsite on the side of the road poses a "threat to national security." President and Mrs. Bush -- meet with Cindy Sheehan; don't have her arrested. Tuesday, August 09, 2005
We Are Still Getting Mail That Indicates The GRASSROOTS Democrat's Continue With All The Energy Of The Dean Movement....From the mailbox to your eyes:
Hi, I'm Michele and I'm really excited about the 2006 elections where democrats can win seats and create balance in our bloated republican government. We could end the war, stop the corporate welfare, cuts to the most needy, and perhaps impeach this corrupted President and his cronies.I've created a website that list each state and the race's contenders, with voting records, issue report cards and possible candidates.Please check out your state. There is information on your senator and/or representative and their contact information. www.geocities.com/takecontrol2006 It is vital that we all work to elect democrats and/or progressives in our states this election and set aside individual interests. Without checks and balances, democracy is gone. Our country depends on you. Thanks for letting me rant.Michele YOU RANT ANY TIME WITH US MICHELE!!!!!!!!!! POWER TO THE PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force study finds thatSocial Security privatization will disproportionately harm lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans
'Social Security privatization is a gamble with the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender elders. It is a gamble our community simply cannot afford.' —National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Executive Director Matt Foreman WASHINGTON, Aug. 9 — The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force released a report today that finds that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Americans will be disproportionately harmed by President Bush's plan to privatize Social Security. According to Selling Us Short: How Social Security Privatization Will Affect Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Americans, LGBT Americans, on average, have lower incomes than their heterosexual counterparts, which translates into lower Social Security benefits when they retire. In addition, same-sex couples are not eligible for Social Security’s spousal and survivor benefits provisions, making the LGBT community disproportionately vulnerable to the benefit cuts and risks inherent to the president's plan. "There is a widespread myth that gay people are economically advantaged compared to heterosexuals. U.S. Census data and other national surveys indicate the opposite. In fact, gay and bisexual men earn anywhere from 13 percent to 32 percent less than heterosexual men," said Sean Cahill, director of the Task Force's Policy Institute, which published the study. "If we earn less, we receive a lower Social Security payment in retirement. Any proposals that cut retirement benefits will disproportionately hurt gay people." Selling Us Short finds that LGBT people of color, in particular, face an income disadvantage that leads to lower Social Security benefits. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, black same-sex couples earn roughly $2,000 to $9,000 less in median annual household income than black married opposite-sex couples, and Hispanic same-sex couples earn roughly $1,000 to $4,000 less in median annual household income than Hispanic married opposite-sex couples. Discriminatory government policies, meanwhile, place gay people in an even more economically disadvantaged position, increasing the critical need to maintain the economic safety net Social Security is intended to provide. "Gay people have to report domestic partner health insurance as income to the IRS, but married spouses don't have to report their health coverage as income," explained Cahill. "Gay people can't inherit their partner's pension plan, while a heterosexual widow or widower can be a beneficiary. Not only do we earn less, we are less able to keep what we earn. These are among the many inequities that make same-sex couples particularly vulnerable to cutbacks in Social Security benefits." Added Many Hu, author of the report: "The federal Defense of Marriage Act continues to deny same-sex couples access to more than 1,000 federal benefits and protections of marriage that opposite-sex married couples currently receive, including Social Security spousal and survivor benefits. Even though LGBT Americans pay in to the Social Security system at the same rate as everyone else, our families and children receive fewer benefits, often in times of crisis. If Social Security is to be changed, it should be changed so that all families are treated fairly." "Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are more likely to age alone and less likely to have children than their heterosexual counterparts," said Amber Hollibaugh, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's senior strategist and specialist on LGBT elders. "This, coupled with a lower rate of earning makes them particularly reliant on Social Security." Selling Us Short finds that LGBT elders could be negatively affected by privatization. By 2030, the estimated population of LGBT seniors will range from two to eight million. LGBT elders may be especially dependent on public services for the elderly, including Social Security, because they may be without the same family support systems as heterosexual seniors. "It is would be wrong to support privatization in exchange for opening a portion of Social Security to same-sex couples while overlooking the fact that marriage equality — which the Bush administration vehemently opposes — would guarantee all Social Security benefits to all same-sex couples. We are unwilling to trade illusory benefits against the benefits and rights of other Americans," said National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Executive Director Matt Foreman. Selling Us Short: How Social Security Privatization Will Affect Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Americans is available at http://www.thetaskforce.org/library.
On August 2nd, we sent a shockwave through the Republican Party. In case you don't know me, I was the Democratic candidate in the special election for Ohio's second congressional district. I am also a veteran of the Iraq War. In a district that has seen 40 point Democratic losses for 15 years, we came within four points. That was after Tom DeLay and the national Republicans poured in a half a million dollars to shore up my opponent. I couldn't be prouder of our campaign. The national Republicans promised to "bury" me, but we stood tough and put them in their place. On Thursday the Washington Post asked their spokesman whether they had fulfilled their promise, and the spokesman admitted simply: "we did not." Newt Gingrich himself called it "a wake-up call to Republicans." There are so many people who made this possible. Never having run for public office before, I was amazed by people's hard work, long hours and dedication to my campaign. I could not have run this race without the grassroots Democrats coming to my aid - in message, in boots on the ground, and in contributions to my campaign. And there was another team who was working on my behalf. At the most critical point of the campaign, the DCCC sent staff to direct a get out the vote operation unlike anything this district has seen in decades. They helped me turn my campaign into a well-oiled machine. Contribute to the DCCC for a Democratic Congress. While I took on my opponent head to head, unbeknownst to me the DCCC was quietly tracking the race, digging up the facts, and feeling out vulnerabilities. They lulled the Republicans into complacency for weeks - then unloaded a massive, devastating ad buy exposing my opponent's ties to the scandal-plagued Ohio Republican Party. My experience as a candidate taught me more than I can say, but I can tell you two things right now:
This race shows that no Republican is safe, and The DCCC will be the key player in seeing that Democrats take full advantage of Republican vulnerabilities. Contribute to the DCCC for a Democratic Congress. After the chips have fallen in November of 2006, I hope we can look back at my race as the first page in a new chapter in history. A chapter where accountability and integrity were brought back to our government. A chapter where deceit and influence-peddling were not taken for granted from those in power. A chapter where the Democratic agenda of hope and prosperity can make the government work for the American people instead of against them. I am proud that my race for Ohio's 2nd can serve as a template for how we win seats across this country in 2006. Our success, and the help of the grassroots community in my race, gives confidence that we will win in 2006. Please help support Democratic candidates across the country. Contribute to the DCCC for a Democratic Congress. Thanks for listening, and thanks for your support in this thrilling experience. Please help the DCCC - I know they'll make us proud. Sincerely, Paul Hackett, proud Democrat Monday, August 08, 2005
Protect our Kids; Reject New Mercury Proposals
Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that has been shown, even in minute doses, to seriously harm young children. The largest single source of mercury in our environment is emissions from coal-fired power plants. Incredibly, the Bush administration now wants to relax the rules and allow these plants to continue polluting our environment with high levels of mercury. Working Assets is partnering with the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) to call attention to this problem, and we're asking you to take action today. Click here to let your Senators know this is simply unacceptable. The scope of the problem is clear. Pregnant or nursing women, women of childbearing age, and children are now advised not to eat ANY of the high-mercury fish species such as tilefish, shark and swordfish, and no more than two servings of other types of fish (such as tuna) per week. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in 12 women of childbearing age currently has a mercury level in her blood that is unsafe for a developing fetus. Click here to send a message from LCV's site asking the Senate to tighten -- not loosen -- mercury regulations. Yet in response to this widespread public health threat, the Bush Administration has proposed a ten-year delay in implementing regulations designed to cut mercury emissions by 90 percent. The Administration also wants to remove coal-fired power plants from the list of mercury sources that can be regulated under the Clean Air Act. In response, Senators Snowe and Leahy have introduced a bipartisan resolution of disapproval to prevent these proposals from going forward. Click here to visit the LCV web site and tell your Senators to support the Snowe-Leahy resolution. Monday, August 01, 2005
Update from Democracy For Texas
Please join us at this month's Meetup, where our special guest will be Barbara Ann Radnofsky, candidate for the U.S. Senate. Barbara Ann will give a short speech, followed by a question and answer session. Glen Maxey and Matt Glazer (who is considering a race for House District 122) will talk about "No Nonsense in November," the campaign against the constitutional amendment to prohibit same-sex marriage. www.nononsenseinnovember.com. Music will be provided by The Stonecutters.We'll also talk about setting up meetings with the staffs of our three Congressmen to urge them to investigate the Downing Street memos. We need volunteers to organize the meetings for August 17 and 18, so if you've been looking for a way to get more involved, here's your chance!We'll have an announcement regarding our first candidate training September 30–October 3. And we'll close out the evening with a DVD of Governor Howard Dean's speech at DemocracyFest. Don't miss it! When: Wednesday, August 3, 7:00 p.m. Where: Mother Egan's, 715 West 6th See you there! Your Democracy for Texas Steering Committee—Marla Camp, Glen Maxey, Teri Sperry, and Fran Vincent
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