Sunday, December 10, 2006

I interrupt the usual broadcast of this blog...

The 2006 Weblog Awards

Okay, first things first. I really don't care too much about the above award, seeing how I'm being killed by several hundred votes, most notably by the already obvious winner, who, if you can read more than one sentence of her rambling self-absorbed idiocy without getting a migraine headache, offers naked pics of herself in the shower.

Sorry, it truly pisses me off how stupid people have become. There are some very good writers among the finalists in the diarist category, including an eighty-year old woman who writes about her past very eloquently...and well, I guess I should never take anything associated with the internet too seriously.

That being said...I would, however, like to at least place in the top five, so please click on the above logo and vote for me daily until the polls close on Friday, December 15...because really, a vote for me is a vote for literacy and keeping the true arts (writing, music, literature) alive. Ha!

Secondly, and way more important, this crossed by desk this morning, and THIS IS THE STUFF THAT'S IMPORTANT AND MAKES MY DAY (besides my family, that is):

"Source: Atlanta Progressive News

By Matthew Cardinale, News Editor and National Correspondent (December 08, 2006)

US Rep. Cynthia McKinney today became the first US Congresswoman to introduce Articles of Impeachment against President Bush, as well as Vice President Cheney and Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice.

Atlanta Progressive News has obtained the following remarks prepared by the Congresswoman, and has learned she was not allowed to read them on the US House Floor. The remarks are expected to become part of the Congressional Record but will not be available on thomas.loc.gov until next week.

The Congresswoman has scheduled an interview with APN for tomorrow to discuss her legislation. Stay tuned here for more.

The remarks are reprinted here in full:

Mr. Speaker:

I come before this body today as a proud American and as a servant of the American people, sworn to uphold the Constitution of the United States.

Throughout my tenure, I've always tried to speak the truth. It's that commitment that brings me here today.

We have a President who has misgoverned and a Congress that has refused to hold him accountable. It is a grave situation and I believe the stakes for our country are high.

No American is above the law, and if we allow a President to violate, at the most basic and fundamental level, the trust of the people and then continue to govern, without a process for holding him accountable, what does that say about our commitment to the truth? To the Constitution? To our democracy?

The trust of the American people has been broken. And a process must be undertaken to repair this trust. This process must begin with honesty and accountability.

Leading up to our invasion of Iraq, the American people supported this Administration's actions because they believed in our President. They believed he was acting in good faith. They believed that American laws and American values would be respected. That in the weightiness of everything being considered, two values were rock solid: trust and truth.

From mushroom clouds to African yellow cake to aluminum tubes, the American people and this Congress were not presented the facts, but rather were presented a string of untruths, to justify the invasion of Iraq.

President Bush, along with Vice President Cheney and then-National Security Advisor Rice, portrayed to the Congress and to the American people that Iraq represented an imminent threat, culminating with President Bush's claim that Iraq was six months away from developing a nuclear weapon. Having used false fear to buy consent, the President then took our country to war.

This has grave consequences for the health of our democracy, for our standing with our allies, and most of all, for the lives of our men and women in the military and their families--who have been asked to make sacrifices--including the ultimate sacrifice--to keep us safe.

Just as we expect our leaders to be truthful, we expect them to abide by the law and respect our courts and judges. Here again, the President failed the American people.

When President Bush signed an executive order authorizing unlawful spying on American citizens, he circumvented the courts, the law, and he violated the separation of powers provided by the Constitution. Once the program was revealed, he then tried to hide the scope of his offense from the American people by making contradictory, untrue statements.

President George W. Bush has failed to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States; he has failed to ensure that senior members of his administration do the same; and he has betrayed the trust of the American people.

With a heavy heart and in the deepest spirit of patriotism, I exercise my duty and responsibility to speak truthfully about what is before us. To shy away from this responsibility would be easier. But I have not been one to travel the easy road. I believe in this country, and in the power of our democracy. I feel the steely conviction of one who will not let the country I love descend into shame; for the fabric of our democracy is at stake.

Some will call this a partisan vendetta, others will say this is an unimportant distraction to the plans of the incoming Congress. But this is not about political gamesmanship.

I am not willing to put any political party before my principles.

This, instead, is about beginning the long road back to regaining the high standards of truth and democracy upon which our great country was founded.

Mr. Speaker:

Under the standards set by the United States Constitution, President Bush, along with Vice President Cheney, and Secretary of State Rice, should be subject to the process of impeachment, and I have filed H. Res.1106 in the House of Representatives.

To my fellow Americans, as I leave this Congress, it is in your hands to hold your representatives accountable, and to show those with the courage to stand for what is right, that they do not stand alone.

Thank you.

Stay tuned for a full APN interview with Rep. McKinney tomorrow."
********

Can you say YAY! I can. YAY! YAY! YAY!

Okay, this blog will return to its regular broadcast either later today for first thing tomorrow. I do, in fact, have some really cool music, writing, and art news to report but no, I will not be posting any photographs of myself in the shower.

Consider yourself very, very lucky.

Later,
xo

6 comments:

  1. Just because you're not terribly keen on her writing style does not automatically make it any less valid (or interesting) than your own.

    I like Lauren, but that's probably because I've been fully indoctrinated into the cult of rambling self-absorbed idiocy...

    P.S. It's a blog, that's kind of the point.

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  2. Now did I say that?

    What I did say is that I do not care for her writing style nor the fact that she posts nude photos of herself.

    I am quite sorry you've been so indoctrinated, though. There's a whole world out there of much more interesting and intelligent ways to spend your time.

    And yep, I know it's a blog and I'm laughing my ass of at the whole thing. I do not take this seriously at all, other than the fact that it's a vehicle, for me, to meet cool people, possibly introduce them to new music and writers and have them in turn introduce me likewise, and to record certain events in my life that I might otherwise forget.

    But no, I don't consider your friend's blog any less valid or interesting than my own. It just gave me a massive headache because I unfortunately think it's indicative of how fucked up the world is today.

    Sorry.

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  3. robin,
    i have to agree with you about not caring for the nipples on that other blog--I mean, what a self-exploitive, narcissistic, and severely sad way to get readers and votes.

    seriously there should be a separate category for vamps, exhibitionists, and naked diarists.

    don't get me wrong--nudity can be awesome in many contexts, but sometimes in the middle of times square (so to speak) it comes off as unexpectedly crass.

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  4. Ha ha - thanks for making me delete 11 comments, Richard. (Just kidding).

    Yeah, I'm with you, but what can you do. I just take writing seriously but yeah, Cupcake up there has a point...it is a blog. Now if I was up against this chick in a serious writing competition, I'd be blowing a fuse right now -- or showing my own tits (just kidding, just kidding)

    Anyway, thanks for your support.

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  5. raymi is very intelligent. she's young tho and into pop culture. i love her blog. it is my favorite thing in the world. i also love to read serious stuff, but not on blogs.

    nope. very rarely on blogs.

    serious wordy stuff is better in book form.

    however, i will admit that when i first saw raymi's blog i was shocked and flabberghasted and rather offended but i still couldn't stop going back and i've been hooked ever since (two years ago).

    she is a genius in her own right.

    ReplyDelete
  6. It's "flabbergasted".


    xo
    Rob

    ReplyDelete