PINKO DAILY BRIEFS: Yay! New Ted Haggard sex scandal. You remember Ted Haggard, the evangelical leader who was having crystal-meth-fueled gay sex on the side while railing against homosexuality? Apparently it's not just burly muscle-y men for rent that Haggard is into; he's got a thing for hot young churchgoers as well. Reports have surfaced that Haggard was involved in a longstanding nassssty sex for cash relationship with a young church volunteer. Haggard says he's reformed, but maybe some people are just, I don't know, born gay? Anyway on a totally unrelated note, PinkoMag is looking for volunteers in our Brooklyn office! Email youngchurchgoingandlithe@pinkomag.com.
Turning to the political news of the day, we're three days into an Obama Presidency and things are moving fast. Executive orders like the ones to close Guantanamo and revoke the global gag rule are in place. But on the big ticket item – the multi-bagillion dollar economic stimulus – battle lines are drawn. Right now Republicans are saying "it's wasteful spending!" They're arguments? They have two:
1. Arts funding is wasteful and an unnecessary burden on future generations.
2. All this money for weatherizing poor people's homes. That won't add JOBS! It will simply keep poor people from freezing to death while also helping the environment. And we can't pass that burden on to future generations.
Republicans love "future generations." (In fairness Obama does too, it's a nice rhetorical twist.) They hate the idea that we might burden future generations with such horrible things as having helped poor people once, that time, having voted for people to have heat and their homes, and ensuring that by the time future generations go to school, there is still art and music. Honestly it's weird to see the NEA attacked again, and called out as wasteful spending. It's so retro and the discussion feels so 1994. At this point arts stimulus funding would likely support two things: (1) midlevel cultural institutions that are about to close (i.e. city museums, regional theaters, etc) and that in many cases are a lifeblood for struggling downtowns, and (2) educational programs for youth. Republicans seem to have missed the point that the economic downturn has hit every sector; every sector needs help, including people who were working in the arts. Oh? And on #2 (helping poor people) someone has to weatherize those homes ...
The nice thing is that Obama has a 77% approval rating and reminded Republicans yesterday: "I won." But there are still strong concerns on the left that the stimulus isn't enough, and there aren't enough infrastructure projects. This is an interesting overview of the debate. At Firedoglake.com there is an interesting piece about bankruptcy, and how that should factor into the recovery act. (i.e. letting people declare it; not the whole country doing it.)
On the New York Senate appointment, the word is that Congressional Democrats have a nickname for (soon to be) Sen. Kirstin Gillibrand: Tracey Flick.
What else? Three british explorers have set out to reveal the true scope of the melting polar ice caps. Did you ever think there were still explorers? Can people still do that? Police in Nigeria have detained a goat on suspicion of armed robbery. That's all for now. After the jump, TWO videos! Barack Obama's weekly youtube address, and funny Jon Stewart action. Both of them are hysterical.
PINKO DAILY BRIEFS: Yay! New Ted Haggard sex scandal. You remember Ted Haggard, the evangelical leader who was having crystal-meth-fueled gay sex on the side while railing against homosexuality? Apparently it's not just burly muscle-y men for rent that Haggard is into; he's got a thing for hot young churchgoers as well. Reports have surfaced that Haggard was involved in a longstanding nassssty sex for cash relationship with a young church volunteer. Haggard says he's reformed, but maybe some people are just, I don't know, born gay? Anyway on a totally unrelated note, PinkoMag is looking for volunteers in our Brooklyn office! Email youngchurchgoingandlithe@pinkomag.com.
Turning to the political news of the day, we're three days into an Obama Presidency and things are moving fast. Executive orders like the ones to close Guantanamo and revoke the global gag rule are in place. But on the big ticket item – the multi-bagillion dollar economic stimulus – battle lines are drawn. Right now Republicans are saying "it's wasteful spending!" They're arguments? They have two:
1. Arts funding is wasteful and an unnecessary burden on future generations.
2. All this money for weatherizing poor people's homes. That won't add JOBS! It will simply keep poor people from freezing to death while also helping the environment. And we can't pass that burden on to future generations.
Republicans love "future generations." (In fairness Obama does too, it's a nice rhetorical twist.) They hate the idea that we might burden future generations with such horrible things as having helped poor people once, that time, having voted for people to have heat and their homes, and ensuring that by the time future generations go to school, there is still art and music. Honestly it's weird to see the NEA attacked again, and called out as wasteful spending. It's so retro and the discussion feels so 1994. At this point arts stimulus funding would likely support two things: (1) midlevel cultural institutions that are about to close (i.e. city museums, regional theaters, etc) and that in many cases are a lifeblood for struggling downtowns, and (2) educational programs for youth. Republicans seem to have missed the point that the economic downturn has hit every sector; every sector needs help, including people who were working in the arts. Oh? And on #2 (helping poor people) someone has to weatherize those homes ...
The nice thing is that Obama has a 77% approval rating and reminded Republicans yesterday: "I won." But there are still strong concerns on the left that the stimulus isn't enough, and there aren't enough infrastructure projects. This is an interesting overview of the debate. At Firedoglake.com there is an interesting piece about bankruptcy, and how that should factor into the recovery act. (i.e. letting people declare it; not the whole country doing it.)
On the New York Senate appointment, the word is that Congressional Democrats have a nickname for (soon to be) Sen. Kirstin Gillibrand: Tracey Flick.
What else? Three british explorers have set out to reveal the true scope of the melting polar ice caps. Did you ever think there were still explorers? Can people still do that? Police in Nigeria have detained a goat on suspicion of armed robbery. That's all for now. After the jump, TWO videos! Barack Obama's weekly youtube address, and funny Jon Stewart action. Both of them are hysterical.
