American Family Association calls for Ford boycott – Jun. 1, 2005

American Family Association calls for Ford boycott – Jun. 1, 2005

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) – A conservative Christian group is calling for a boycott of Ford Motor Co. for what it says is the automaker’s support of a pro-homosexual agenda.

The boycott was called by the American Family Association, which a week before called off a nine-year boycott of Walt Disney Co. (Research) which it had declared on the same grounds.

AFA special projects director Randy Sharp told the Detroit News nearly 55,000 people had signed a pledge supporting the boycott by Tuesday afternoon.

Ford (Research) provides health care benefits for same sex partners of its employees, as does General Motors Corp. (Research) and Chrysler Group, a unit of DaimlerChrysler (Research), according to the News. But the group said that it also objects to donations that Ford has given to gay rights groups and advertising it bought in programs at gay pride events.

“From redefining family to include homosexual marriage, to giving hundreds of thousands of dollars to support homosexual groups and their agenda, to forcing managers to attend diversity training on how to promote the acceptance of homosexuality…to sponsoring Gay Pride Parades, Ford leads the way,” said a notice on the group’s Web site.

Ford vice president of human resources Joe Laymon told the Detroit News that the company “values all people, regardless of their race, religion, gender, sexual orientation and cultural or physical differences.”

Tupelo, Miss.-based AFA told the News it e-mailed an announcement about the Ford boycott to 2.2 million supporters.

The group said last month that it was ending its boycott of Disney because of some signs of change at the media conglomerate and because, “We feel after nine years of boycotting Disney we have made our point.”

It also said that the problems that the group has with Disney have become “lost among the other battles being fought on a crowded cultural battlefield.”

The AFA cited the upcoming retirement of Michael Eisner as CEO, the departure of the founders of the Miramax film studio from the company as what it feels are positive moves at the company. It also cheered the decision by Disney co-produce a film based the book “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” by C.S. Lewis, which the group described as a “Christian literary classic.”

It said that Disney is reaching out to Christian groups to market the film, due for release in December.

No matter how much we dress it up. Bigotry is hatred.

Weapons?! Weapons?! We Don’t Need No Stinkin’s Weapons!

Search for Banned Arms In Iraq Ended Last Month (washingtonpost.com):

“Four months after Charles A. Duelfer, who led the weapons hunt in 2004, submitted an interim report to Congress that contradicted nearly every prewar assertion about Iraq made by top Bush administration officials, a senior intelligence official said the findings will stand as the ISG’s final conclusions and will be published this spring.

President Bush, Vice President Cheney and other top administration officials asserted before the U.S. invasion in March 2003 that Iraq was reconstituting its nuclear weapons program, had chemical and biological weapons, and maintained links to al Qaeda affiliates to whom it might give such weapons to use against the United States.”

Though my Republican-esque friends made the assertion that the media is liberal, it’s hard to stretch that to the CIA’s report. This is as conclusive as it is ever going to get, folks. And it contradicts every assertion this administration has made as a justification for war. How Bush sent this country to war was either irresponsible, at best, or some reprehensible Clinton-esque truth telling, at worst. (Remember that “Well, that depends on what your definition of the word ‘is’ is,” comment? OUCH!) We’ll never know the truth for sure, unless some defector from Bush’s Administration decides to strike it rich with a tell-all. Now, THAT would be some comedy. ๐Ÿ˜‰

Have Negro Will Travel

It would seem that TheStateOf.com put Armstrong on blast for that Leave No Child Left Behind stunt even with the apology. It’s shills like this that supply black conservatives with the credibility they currently enjoy.

House Republicans Adopt Change That Would Benefit DeLay

New rules prevent Tom DeLay from having to step down as majority leader if he is indicted in an investigation in Texas. [The New York Times > Home Page]
This from the party that cried bloody murder over Clinton. Hypocrisy incarnate. This should embarrass all conservatives who have a shred of integrity.

Kerry Enlisting Clinton Aides in Effort to Refocus Campaign

Former President Bill Clinton offered John Kerry advice, as Mr. Kerry enlisted more Clinton advisers for the campaign. [The New York Times > Campaigns]
John! I guess they heard you.

9/11 Conspiracy Theory

Muchosucko
Cool beat. Real sinister. But what’s the motive? What disappeared the 757? And why did a small plane fly into the Pentagon? Ah well, it’s like Jerry said, “A good conspiracy theory is an unprovable one.”

Statute of Limitations on Lies

FactCheck.org Zell Miller’s Attack on Kerry: A Little Out Of Date
It’s amazing how politicians can never tell the whole truth. It’s how Zell Miller can lie about Kerry’s votes through a convenient omission of the facts. (Not that Kerry and his crowd haven’t done the same thing.) This example is GREAT because, it lays out the tactics involved. Voters beware.

It’s Gonna Get Ugly Folks

WSJ.com – Kerry Strikes Back at GOP, Calling Bush ‘Unfit to Lead’
I think we can pretty much put any expectation that the issues are going to get some serious debate in this election cycle out the window. The #$%& is going to, no has hit the fan and the mud is flying. Buckle your seat belts, folks.
Hey, at least Edwards rolled through the crib yesterday!

Reform on the Cheap

WSJ.com – In New Law’s Wake, Companies Slash Their Political Donations
This was a really nice surprise. I’ve been a long time supporter of campaign finance reform because I felt special interest money held too much sway in the process.

WSJ.com – In New Law’s Wake, Companies Slash Their Political Donations
This was a really nice surprise. I’ve been a long time supporter of campaign finance reform because I felt special interest money held too much sway in the process. It seems that the unintended effect, is the democratization of the money. Since corporations are forced to solicit employees to support their political ends, regular people are getting more involved in supporting candidates.
One possible effect is that corporate and employee interests can be more aligned, explicitly in the political process. Cause and effect are more tightly coupled. I think this is a good thing for Americans in general.
Another is that it returns a good portion of power in our democracy back where it belongs: with the people. Of course, this power is being exercised by the filter of corporate PACs, but what can you do? We live in a liberal-capitalist nation. Corporations exert tremendous power by virtue of their economic strength in our society, but now that is shared between management and employee. That is as democratic as we can get with out social and political revolution. Libertarians and anarchists take note. You must destroy people’s source of paychecks to enact your visions (pipe dreams? just kidding). What about the other PACs? Some consolidation is bound to occur. After all, once I donate to MoveOnPAC or some other general PAC, which else do I support? Just like charities, there will be “donation fatigue” and this limits their number.
These results are far from perfect, but change is a welcome.

A Rant After My Own Heart

Doug Thompson’s The Rant: Bush & Kerry: This is the Best We Can Do?
Doug does rant in this article, but he comes as close to expressing my general attitude about this election as anyone else has in print. It sucks to vote for someone you dislike less.

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