September 26, 2010 by mike.

James Fallows has an interesting column on bigotry in the Atlantic. I haven’t followed the “Frankly, Muslim life is cheap” controversy, but apparently Martin Peretz of the New Republic put his foot in his mouth on the occasion of being honored for his work at Harvard. When called on his gaffe, he jammed the other foot in his mouth by saying this was “a statement of fact.” Fallows is gentle in his assault on Peretz, but I guess others have been less so. I think it does little or no good to go after folks like Peretz who say something so stupid, it often just makes them defensive and more rigid. Fallows’ column is a good read and deserves to be cited to help folks who do not have any Muslim friends to think this matter through a little more carefully.

On another front, turns out we have an election coming up. My Senator, Patty Murray, is in a close battle, as she is every 6 years with someone from the right. I am following that race. I guess the good news is that the Republicans have put up a guy named Dino (Rossi) to run against her this time. The bad news is that he’s a pretty good campaigner. More on that to come as the election gets closer. We have very open absentee ballot policy in WA State and lots of folks vote every election and haven’t been anywhere near the polling place in a decade or more, so we are less susceptible to vote-caging tactics than some other states. Take a look at this site and think about what a vote-caging scheme might do in a close race like the one Feingold is in. It’s a shame that Feingold’s opposition think they should use any tactic available to jam him up.

Happy Wednesday to you all!

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September 26, 2010 by mike.

Campaign funding update:

Justin Elliot at Salon has interesting story on the money flowing to Karl Rove’s political organization American Crossroads. The group raised a little more than 2 ½ million bucks in August and 91% of the August funds came from 3 billionaires.

Election news:

Turns out the billionaires are wasting their money because the planets are moving into alignment for President Obama around election time.  I have been worried, even as I noticed Jupiter in the sky neare the full moon earlier this week.  Jump to Gurmeet Singh’s piece  at OpEdNews.com for the whole story.    Here are some of the particulars on that: 

 

President Obama is in Jupiter Main Period and Rahu sub period from Feb 2010 to July 2012. Jupiter and Rahu are two prominent planets that are influencing President Obama at this moment. Transit Jupiter was in a very strong position in Feb/Mar this year in Obama’s second house and aspected the natal position of Rahu and 10^th house lord Mars in Leo sign, when Obama got the Health Care Reform bill passed.

But President Obama’s time is going to improve in Nov 2010 because Jupiter will be Stationary direct in its own Nakshatra in first few degrees in Pisces and then the end of Aquarius sign, very powerful. Also Jupiter will not be aspected by transit Saturn. Jupiter will be very strong and powerful for President Obama during the months of Nov, Dec 2010 and then Jan, Feb 2011.

I am relieved to hear it’s going to be all right in November, but I still think it would help, even at this late date, if Obama would send Geithner, Summers, and Rahm packing.  Geithner and Summers should never have been in their positions, Rahm has been a good corporate democrat and that wasn’t going to work out either even if the guy is an effective political operator in some ways.

Anyway, it’s all going to work out.  Aquarius rising.

Happy Sunday to all.

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