The Old Eighteen

One for the road

The Killers: "Smile Like You Mean It"

Quote of the day

You know you have a drinking problem when the bartender knows your name. And you've never been to that bar before.

-- Zach Galifianakis

One for the road

Death Cab For Cutie: "Soul Meeets Body"

D-Day

D-Day
June 6, 1944

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We gave the wounded their morphia - and then we had to leave them. The thing that sticks in my heart was the fact that as we set off they all gave us a cheer. An hour later there was nobody left alive.

James Hill

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The thing you remember most is the terrific noise. Our own tanks firing and of course the opposition. That tremendous noise, it never ceased.

Ian Gill

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We began leading the first wave into the beach as the bombardment began. The large projectiles flying overhead looked like footballs. We recovered the bodies of numerous soldiers who had drowned because the sea-swells sank their DD tanks.

Robert Louis Curl

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I was sent out to one of the hospital ships to look for our missing men. Bodies were stacked like cordwood on the beach. The bowels of the hospital ship were crowded with the wounded and dying. I saw one doctor standing in the doorway of a stateroom, which was being used as an operating room. The floor was covered with blood, as were his clothes.

Vincent E. Baker

::

Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force:

You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have
striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The
hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you.
In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on
other Fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war
machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of
Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.

Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well
equipped and battle hardened. He will fight savagely.

But this is the year 1944! Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of
1940-41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats,
in open battle, man-to-man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their
strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our Home
Fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions
of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men.
The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to
Victory!

I have full confidence in your courage and devotion to duty and skill in
battle. We will accept nothing less than full Victory!

Good luck! And let us beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great
and noble undertaking.

Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower

Mr. Hankey makes an appearance in Athens

Apparently in Athens, Texas, taking a crap can get you charged with disorderly conduct for "creat[ing] a noxious odor by chemical means."  Of course, it helps if you're doing so in the back seat of a police car, but I wonder if the law can be applied elsewhere.  I hope not - I pinched one off this morning that could get me life without parole...

::

(via Grits for Breakfast)

The Pursuit of Justice

Robert Francis Kennedy
November 20, 1925 - June 6, 1968

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I believe that, as long as there is plenty, poverty is evil.

Speech in Athens, Georgia (May 6, 1961)

::

We know that if one man's rights are denied, the rights of all are endangered.

Speech in Athens, Georgia (May 6, 1961)

::

  All great questions must be raised by great voices, and the greatest voice is the voice of the people - speaking out - in prose, or painting or poetry or music; speaking out - in homes and halls, streets and farms, courts and cafes. Let that voice speak. and the stillness you hear will be the gratitude of mankind.

Speech in New York City (January 22, 1963)

::

The problem of power is how to achieve its responsible use rather than its irresponsible and indulgent use — of how to get men of power to live for the public rather than off the public.

The Pursuit of Justice (1964)

::

As long as men are hungry, and their children uneducated, and their crops destroyed by pestilence, the American Revolution will have a part to play. As long as men are not free — in their lives and in their opinions, their speech and their knowledge — that long will the American Revolution not be finished.

Speech in New York City (June 15, 1965)

::

As long as America must choose, that long will there be a need and a place for the Democratic Party. We Democrats can run on our record but we cannot rest on it. We will win if we continue to take the initiative and if we carry the message of hope and action throughout the country. Alexander Smith once said, "A man doesn't plant a tree for himself. He plants it for posterity." Let us continue to plant, and our children shall reap the harvest. That is our destiny as Democrats.

Speech at Testimonial Dinner for Patrick J. Lucey (August 15, 1965)

::

A revolution is coming — a revolution which will be peaceful if we are wise enough; compassionate if we care enough; successful if we are fortunate enough — But a revolution which is coming whether we will it or not. We can affect its character; we cannot alter its inevitability.

Speech in the US Senate (May 9, 1966)

::

At the heart of that Western freedom and democracy is the belief that the individual man, the child of God, is the touchstone of value, and all society, all groups, and states, exist for his benefit. Therefore the enlargement of liberty for individual human beings must be the supreme goal and the abiding practice of any Western society.

"Day of Affirmation" speech, Capetown, South Africa (June 6, 1966)

::

The essential humanity of men can be protected and preserved only where government must answer — not just to the wealthy, not just to those of a particular religion, or a particular race, but to all its people.

"Day of Affirmation" speech, Capetown, South Africa (June 6, 1966)

::

Few men are willing to brave the disapproval of their fellows, the censure of their colleagues, the wrath of their society. Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence. Yet it is the one essential, vital quality of those who seek to change a world which yields most painfully to change.

"Day of Affirmation" speech, Capetown, South Africa (June 6, 1966)

::

Men without hope, resigned to despair and oppression, do not make revolutions. It is when expectation replaces submission, when despair is touched with the awareness of possibility, that the forces of human desire and the passion for justice are unloosed.

Speech in Berkeley, California (October 22, 1966)

One for the road

...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead: "Another Morning Stoner"

Gay marriage is coming to California, whether the haters like it or not

Thank god for those liberal activist judges: yesterday the California Supreme Court rejected petitions asking for reconsideration of its May 15 ruling permitting same-sex marriages in the state, and refused to delay enforcement of the decision until after the November elections, meaning that gay and lesbian couples will be able to get married beginning on June 17.  This is significant, because homophobic right-wingers were able to get an initiative added on the November ballot that would undo last month's ruling and amend the state Constitution to define marriage as a union "between a man and a woman," after submitting 1.1 million signatures in favor of a ballot measure.  Because of yesterday's rulling, thousands of weddings will take place before the vote does, which will seriously complicate the issue of banning gay marriage in the state:

A soon-to-be-released study by the Williams Institute at UCLA's School of Law predicts that thousands of gay couples will rush to the altar before the November election.

The study projects that the numbers will swell if voters reject the anti-gay-marriage initiative, forecasting that 51,320 gay California couples and 67,513 from out of state will marry in the state during the next three years.

Extrapolating from the study, based on census data and Massachusetts' experience after it permitted same-sex matrimony, the director of the institute -- which focuses on sexual orientation law and public policy -- said more than 20,000 weddings were anticipated by November.

The effect of the November vote, if it passes, on any marriages that take place between now and then is unclear, but there is a legal precedent that might protect these marriages from being wiped off the books:

If the November initiative to ban same-sex marriage passes, the status of gay couples who already married will be heavily litigated and decided ultimately by the California Supreme Court, said UCLA law professor Brad Sears.

A legal rule that says laws should be interpreted retroactively only if they explicitly state they are retroactive "weighs in favor of this court continuing to recognize the marriages," Sears said.

Will the proposed amendment pass?  Current polling shows registered voters in favor of it by anywhere from 15 to 20 points, but with 5 months to get themselves acclimated to the sight of gay couples getting married, some voters who currently favor the amendment might rethink their positions, especially after they look around and discover that western civilization isn't collapsing around them, straight married people aren't getting divorced in droves, and god hasn't sent any fire, brimstones, or killer hurricanes to wipe California off of the map.  Other factors could also depress support for the amendment.  The polls cited in the LA Times article I linked used registered voters, not likely voters, and the question of who actually shows up to vote will have a big impact on this ballot initiative.  Young voters are likely to constitute a bigger share of the vote this fall, and they are much more open to the idea of gay marriage than older voters.  Also, with Democrats energized and Republicans depressed this election cycle for obvious reasons, there could be fewer social conservatives showing up at the polls.  And I don't see this ballot initiative having the drawing power that similar measures have had in other states during previous election cycles.

It's been said that California is a harbinger for the rest of the nation.  If so, how this all plays out could show us where the rest of the country is headed over the next few years with regard to recognizing gay marriage.  We could see a regional divide develop, much like the one that existed with regard to civil rights for African-Americans during the Jim Crow era.  but one thing is for certain: gay rights is going to be this generation's great ethical question, just as civil rights for African-Americans was during the '50's and '60's.

Fun with poll numbers: Doherty, Dems polling well in TX-10

If you're looking for a sign that Democratic prospects in Texas are looking up, look no forther than the 10th Congressional District, where a recent IVR poll is showing Democratic challenger Larry Joe Doherty within striking distance of Republican incumbent Michael McCaul in a district that went heavily for Bush in 2004:

In 2004, George Bush took 62% of the vote in Texas' 10th Congressional District. In 2006, Michael McCaul was held to 55% by a poorly funded Democrat and a relatively well funded Libertarian. My own polling a week before the election found 7% undecided, but the challengers had no funds to close the deal and undecided stayed with the incumbent. [...]

For the 2008 race, in polling on June 2, 528 likely voters gave McCaul a 5.4% lead over Democratic challenger Larry Joe Doherty. McCaul received 51.7% to Doherty's 46.3%, with 2.0% undecided.

IVR also polled for both the presidential and senatorial elections in this district, and while both Dems are behind, the numbers show growth in a heavily Republican district: Cornyn leads Noriega by only 10 points, 54%-44%, and McCain leads Obama 55%-41%.  And if Obama and Noriega increase turnout among African-American, Latino, and young voters, the numbers get better for all three candidates:

Historically, turnout in this district doesn't include large numbers of Latinos or African-Americans. In this poll, both groups went with Doherty, Latinos by 2-1 and African-Americans by 7-1. If Obama at the top of the ticket increases African-American general election turnout as he has in the primary, and these additional voters follow through on the down-ballot races, Doherty could close the gap even further. Increased Latino turnout in the primary was mainly a reflection of Clinton's popularity, but there is a possibility that Noriega could also increase Latino turnout for the general, further benefitting Doherty.

There is no significant gender gap in these results, but age is a factor. Voters under 40 go with the Democrat in each race. Voters from 40-59 go with the Republican by small margins. Voters over 60 go Republican in all cases, but margin is much larger in races for President and Senator.

Without knowing the demographics in this congressional district, it would be presumptious to see it as a microcosm of the state.  But if we're doing better in a red district like this one, it stands to reason that our prospects are looking up elswhere in the state as well.  The political environment is certainly favorable: this fall the GOP isn't going to have a Texan in the top slot on its presidential line on the ballot, and they probably won't have a Texan as McCain's running mate either.  Meanwhile, we're going to have two strong statewide candidates who will probably increase minority turnout, and Obama's presence on the ballot will also energize younger voters, who are trending Democratic.  The competitive primary in the state this election cycle, along with Howard Dean's 50-state strategy, has improved Democratic organization in the state, and our candidates are going to be buoyed even further by the Obama fundraising juggernaut and a new model for tapping into the grassroots for financial support.  People are wildly unhappy with their governent and with the Republican party, and Republicans are beginning to show signs of factional infighting at both the state and national level. 

The polling for Obama and Noriega may not look great at this point, but it's better than it probably should be in a red state like Texas.  Once Obama begins consolidating his leadership and making progress on unifying the party, his numbers will improve.  And as Noriega becomes a better-known commodity with Texas voters, his numbers will get better too.  Have faith, Texas Democrats, our long journey in the wilderness may be coming to an end!

Judge orders Texas GOP to comply with state election law

Ron Paul and his followers are truly the gift that keeps on giving:

A Harris County judge on Wednesday ordered the Texas Republican Party to comply with state election law at its state convention in Houston next week after Republican activists alleged that the party illegally uses procedures to minimize grass-root dissent.

Visiting Judge Tom Sullivan issued the temporary restraining order on Wednesday, a few hours after it was requested in a lawsuit filed by activists across the state.

Represented by lawyer Gary Polland, a former Harris County Republican Party chairman, the group alleges that party leaders violated procedural laws at past conventions and plan to do so again. The next hearing on the case is scheduled for Monday.

Texas law says a political party's state convention must choose a permanent chairman before doing most official business. Polland and Wharton County GOP Chairwoman Debra Medina said the party instead elects a permanent chairman late in the convention, shutting off dissent beforehand about the selection of convention delegates and new state party leaders, the adoption of a platform and other actions.

"If they want to exclude the grass roots and control the process it's not right," Polland said.

Medina worked in the primary re-election campaign of her congressman, Ron Paul. The activists she heads call themselves "Goldwater Conservatives, Reagan Republicans, Robertson Crowd, Ron Paul Republicans, and, well, real Conservatives" on their Web site, www.fairconvention.org.

The Ron Paul revolution and the libertarian wing of the Republican party is going to cause them all kinds of trouble this election cycle.  The Paulites have been asserting themselves at other state conventions, and there's even been talk that they might even stage a "revolt" at the Republican National Convention.  Paul has yet to endorse John McCain, and he's one of those rare souls in the political world who puts principle above party unity - if he threw his support behind Libertarian Party presidential nominee Bob Barr, McCain could face the prospect of seeing several percentage points shave off of his share of the popular vote and might even lose electoral votes.

And we're supposed to be the ones having unity problems?