UPDATE 2 (by Pam): She figures Mark Sanford self-immolated, Charlie Crist (ha) is going for the Senate, Mitt's Mormonism won't pass the fundie test, and Bobby Jindal looks like a featherweight. I guess that leaves Huckabee. What a field that is for 2012. From the NYT:
Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska announced Friday that she would step down by the end of the month and not seek a second term as governor, fueling speculation that she is seriously weighing whether to seek the Republican nomination for president in 2012.Ms. Palin, who was Senator John McCain's vice presidential running mate last year and solidified the support of the party's conservative base, explained her decision at a news conference at her home in Wasilla, Alaska, accompanied by her husband, Todd, and other family members.
"We know we can effect positive change outside of government," she said in making the announcement.
There had been wide speculation that she would seek to be the Republican Party's presidential candidate in 2012. Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, who is also considered to be a leading Republican candidate for president in 2012, announced last month that he would not seek re-election.
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Of course the real story will be the "WHY??"
She is speaking live in Alaska right now... will be updating this.
Her last day will be in a few weeks; she is stepping down on July 26.
Video here via MSNBC.
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She's apparently been listening to Mark Sanford speak; this presser is remarkably off the cuff and disjointed in nature.
And for some reason, it sounds like there are a heard of hungry goats behind her. WTF???
CanNOT wait for the text on this train wrecin wreck...
The bleating in the background continues, as Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell speaks.
He is a far better public speaker and is reading off of cards, instead of the confusing blathering of his predecessor...
Michael Carey of Anchorage Daily News talking w/MSNBC and he also agrees that Palin was rambling, disjointed and all over the map.
That she was not running for re-election isn't a surprise- but the timing of this stunt is odd.
As was the timing of the info released in Vanity Fair this week, which pretty much eviscerated the Governor.
Is she ramping up THIS early for 2012? Is she that delusional?
My money is on "Yes and Yes"...
crossposted on Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters
AIDS is killing off black gay men and lack of lgbt community support may an unfortunate factor:
Black gay men have less choice when it comes to sexual partners than other groups and, as a result, their sexual networks are closely knit. These tightly interconnected networks make the rapid spread of HIV more likely. In a study1 looking at social and sexual mixing between ethnic groups in men who have sex with men, H. Fisher Raymond and Willi McFarland, from the San Francisco Department of Public Health in the US, show that social barriers faced by Black gay men may have a serious impact on their health and well-being.
. . . Black gay men are the least preferred of sexual partners by other races. Black men are perceived to be riskier to have sex with, which can lead to men of other races avoiding Black men as sexual partners. They are also perceived as less welcome in the common social venues of gay men in San Francisco. As a result, Black men are three times more likely to have sexual partners that are also Black, than would be expected by chance alone.
In the authors’ view, the combination of attitudes on the part of non-Black gay men, friendships and social networks that are less likely to include Blacks, and the environments found in gay venues serve to separate Black gay men from other groups.
So the personal ad phrase "no fats, no olds, no fems, no blacks" is now taking on sinister proportions. It's not that I'm passing judgement on people's personal dating choices. But it does go farther than that. The lgbt community can sometimes be consumed with the gay ghetto clique mentality. And as you can see, it's killing those who are generally not allowed to be in the "clique."
But hey, at least the black community supports us . . . when we seem to be at death's door. That's when folks make these lovely speeches about "it's not just a gay disease," and "let&a "let's not stop until we find a cure."
I got an idea - how about giving us a little support while we are healthy. How about not isolating us or making our lives seem dirty by using the word "lifestyle" like it's a pooper scooper.
So both the lgbt and black community have work to do. I can only hope the work gets done before too many lgbts of color suffer.
Instead, what I got was one of the most insightful and exciting historical looks at America's ongoing battle with itself and its ideals I have ever read.The book takes an illuminating walk through American history, from our founding to modern day, highlighting "Big Change Moments" that have altered the course our country, for good or bad. Filled with quotes, facts, and long-lost historical tidbits, the book could come off as dry, but Lux's voice and humor bring the reader along and make it nearly impossible to put down.
To be completely honest- this is the first book since college that I have found myself taking notes on and highlighting passages in, just because it was filled with so much amazing information.
This book is much more, however, than just an interesting read. It is a timely cautionary tale on what has become the troubling buzzwords of the current administration: "compromise" and "bipartisan."
The book weaves a tale of progressive ideas pushing for the expansion of the original American Dream and the conservative backlash that seeks to use fear of change to keep the stale status quo.
From the Declaration of Independence & the Bill of Rights to Emancipation, the New Deal, and the Civil Rights Movement, it shows how progressive ideas have always sought to expand personal freedoms, help the common man, and improve America. It also shows the damage that's been done to that advancement when progressives give in and "compromise" with conservatives, often ending up with damaged, skewed laws that cause more harm and take decades to undo.
These historical tales will resonate with everyone, but it is particularly illuminating for the LGBT community. Historical tales of compromise legislation for woman's suffrage (with shades of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell") and leaving behind parts of minority groups in attempts to pass some laws (ENDA battle, anyone?) will make every LGBT person reading the book shudder with familiarity.
While the book has an obvious liberal/progressive slant, it never veers too far in the direction of being preachy or strident, something that will make those in the mushy middle, and even on the right, able to appreciate the book and challenge them to think about their conservative views.
That might be the true power of this book: it gets across icross important ideas and messages that our country needs to hear right now in a way that is completely accessible to everyone reading it, whether they are political junkies or just looking for an illuminating read.
It truly shows that those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it, a lesson the progressives in this country and in government right now desperately need to learn.
In conclusion, this book is quite simply a must-read.
Overall Rating: A++
For more information on "The Progressive Revolution", visit their website: http://theprogressiverevolution.com or their FaceBook Group.
Check out the author talking about the book:
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