Gywneth Paltrow and Scarlett Johansson Omit Abortion Mention in Campaign for Planned Parenthood

Is Planned Parenthood still on the chopping block? In passing a stopgap measure to avoid a government shutdown, Congressional Republicans dropped their demand to defund the women's health services provider.

Critics attacked the eleventh hour agreement for prohibiting federally funded abortion in the District of Columbia. Many believe this signals a loss of government funding in the final budget. Others believe Planned Parenthood doesn't belong in a funding debate.

Gwyneth Paltrow and Scarlett Johansson want your help in assuring Planned Parenthood's continued funding. They've started a video campaign directing supporters to a page for donations.

Taking care not to mention abortion services as the preventive care Planned Parenthood provides, Paltrow and Johansson emphasize the possible loss of health care services for low-income women. Both focus on STD and cancer screening as services at risk of defunding. Johansson also mentions "access to birth control," but stops short of any reference to abortion.

Do Paltrow and Johansson give a fair account of the issue? Doesn't the public deserve to be reminded that Planned Parenthood provides abortions? Some have also lambasted the organization for lobbying and supporting political candidates. Of course there is no mention of political activity in either video.

I understand pro life sentiments with respect to federal funding of abortion services. Certainly, the issue is an explosive one to many Americans. Yet, maybe because abortion accounts for only 3% of Planned Parenthood services, Paltrow and Johansson didn't think it worth mentioning.

At only 3% of total services and in light of the life-saving care Planned Parenthood provides, I can overlook the partisan politics. Wouldn't total defunding be like throwing the baby out with the bath water?


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Time for Joe Lieberman to Stop Straddling

Rejoice! Sanity has been restored to Washington.

Senate Democrats demonstrated admirable ability to move beyond party pettiness. Senator Joe Lieberman, vocal supporter of Republican Presidential Nominee John McCain, will keep his chairmanships of the Homeland Services and Governmental Affairs Committees.

And in a gesture of empowerment to its more liberal factions, Senate Majority Leaders removed Lieberman from the Environment and Public Works Committee, a mere wrist slap yet unmistakable sign of the times.

But let me get something straight. Lieberman, the Democrat running mate of Al Gore in the 2000 presidential election turned Independent in a 2006 bid to keep his Senate seat, remains a member of the Connecticut Democratic State Central Committee as well as a registered Democrat?

No wonder influential Connecticut Democrats are gunning to kick him out.

Politicians shouldn’t be allowed to govern as Independents while continuing to register with an opposing party. It’s like polygamy, or in this case bigamy, with Connecticut Democrats getting bitch slapped whenever Daddy plugs the other side.

I’m all for liberty, independent thinking, and voting one’s conscious, but when those actions threaten the agenda of your registered party, it’s time to move on. Willingly or with a friendly shove.

It’s time for Lieberman to stand up for political integrity, not the self-serving politics we all so desperately wish to leave behind.

The Part of Chicken Little Will be Played by President Bush

We interrupt the nation's impending catastrophic doom for the story time minute. Today's tender tale is that favorite children's classic, Bush'n Little.

All around Bush'n Little there was nothing but ruin and collapse. One day, wayward debris plopped down on his feathered brain.

"Laura! Dick! Come quickly. The sky is falling!" he chirped.

"Better do something at once, Bush'n Little," chimed in Brother Dick. "Go agitate those big guns down in Congress or play in traffic. Leave us alone for a change."

And so, Bush'n Little picked himself up out of Pennsylvania Avenue and trundled down the road. He met Fallson Paulson and McCan't McCain along the way. The three of them happened upon Dosie Pelosi, a beguiling creature with her own agenda.

"Oh please, Dosie Pelosi, the sky is falling. Can't you see?," pleaded Bush'n Little. "We need huge wads of cash for my buddies back at the hen house so that they can build a bridge up to the sky. That'll keep it from falling down, for sure."

"I see nothing of the sort, Bush'n Little," snarled Dosie, "And even if I did, you chickens have made such a mess of things, what good would it do?"

Fallson Paulson dropped to one knee. "Fair and gentle soul, Dosie Pelosi, have pity on feathered friends flocking together," he pleaded. "We need your help to stop the sky from crashing over all of us. You must get on board behind our cash grab or the entire sky will collapse."

"Fallson Paulson! How you do make me laugh," Dosie replied. "The Kingship is now up for grabs and I would be a fool to enhance the stature of your contestant over my own." At that point, the wily fox keened her eyes on McCan't. "Pray tell, what are you doing here, McCan't? Shouldn't you be out campaigning?"

"I put that on hold along with today's scary debate to follow in the path of Bush'n Little," replied McCan't with more than just a hint of pride. "He flaps about in noble acts of selflessness, screaming and warning like a bat out of hell, yet proposes nothing worthwhile. Nada. Zip. I can learn much from his chicken ways."

"Speak up, McCan't," urged Dosie, "I must determine whether I should kiss up to you."

"Uh, nope, sorry," said McCan't. "No can do. I cannot speak up. Too political. Besides, Bush'n Little is the one in charge. What he says goes."

And with that, Dosie Pelosi turned her back on the motley crew to seek out her own source of sustenance. The sky and everything in it could rain down on the world, she didn't care. She had everything she owned tied up in off-shore bank accounts, private foreign investments, and a slew of other hedges against catastrophe. She would be just fine in her own little padded lair.

But Bush'n Little and company? Somebody's lunch. She'd make completely certain of it.

Nancy Sinatra Walks Those Boots Down to Capitol Hill

Remember the days when aspiring musicians and record studio bigwigs begged and bribed radio disc jockeys to promote certain songs on the airwaves?

Everyone fantasized about befriending Wolfman Jack, DJ extraordinaire, immortalized in Harrison Ford's film debut, American Graffiti. DJs like the Wolfman used to sit high and mighty, not because their bosses paid such exorbitant salaries (traditionally they did not), but because of extravagant entertainment perks associated with their positions of power.

As with most good things, those days have outlived their useful lifespan. The music industry as a whole has become more techno savvy in the way it reaches the public, using the Internet for its music promotion. Once online music sampling became a firmly entrenched public listening habit, the resulting backlash against DJs and radio stations became inevitable. Just as eBooks have to some degree sidestepped the publishing industry, today's musicians and record labels can now sidestep the DJs.

This week on Capitol Hill looked more like a golden oldies concert than private citizens convening before lawmakers. Hendogg from The Sugarhill Gang and Frank Sinatra's little 69-year old girl Nancy testified before a House Judiciary Subcommittee in support of The Performance Rights Act, a bill currently pending before both the House and Senate. Its counterpart, The Local Radio Freedom Act has its share of supporters on the other side.

I'll try to boil down the gist of the bill so that even a Yahweh doomsday cultist could understand. Radio stations have always paid a fee to songwriters and composers for the privilege to play their songs while musicians and record labels received bupkus. The privilege of having their music played was somehow deemed enough.

But the times, they are a'changin'. The Performance Rights Act would do away with this lingering inequity, leveling the playing field between radio, Internet download sites, satellite music stations, and cable music channels. Under the bill's provisions, radio stations would pay a flat yearly fee to compensate performers and record studios for their intellectual property. Some believe such compensation is way overdue.

Don't think broadcasters simply turned over and played dead. On the flip side, they lamented radio industry struggles, claiming financial burdens of the record industry aren't their problem. They also claimed performers are conferred benefits of air time in exchange for music play, and that Congress shouldn't rely on foreign law to decide the outcome because those laws are not analogous.

Sure hope Nancy got her collagen enhanced lips out of the way when those broadcasters came out swinging. Has anyone else noticed it's no longer her boots that do the walk'n?

Anyway, I'm with the performance artists on this one. If radio stations don't want to pay, they have no right to play. So what if changes in the law sink their business models? Create a new format, for crying out loud. The free market will eventually decide where people go to discover new music. Actors wouldn't dream of playing a part without entitlement to residuals. Why should performance artists suffer from an outdated form of corporate welfare?

FYI, in the interests of full disclosure, I'm still carrying stock in Sirius Radio. Never once did its piss poor performance influence my opinion for a fair outcome in this matter.

Rush Limbaugh is Running America

What's all the hype about Rush Limbaugh becoming the de facto leader of the Free World? Was I in a coma during the last election?

Count me as one who hardly agrees with Limbaugh's unique political philosophy, but finds his conservative talk show persona thoroughly entertaining and informative. I whole heartedly agree with his program hyperbole, especially Open Line Friday being the fastest three hours in radio.

But who in their right mind can take Rush Limbaugh without a grain of salt? He's right wing conservative all the way. The moderate perspective? Can't be bothered. The liberal point of view? Fuhgeddaboutit. The EIB network is not a balanced reporting vehicle nor does it claim to be.

With Rush, what you see is what you get, take it or leave it. More than anything else, this singularity of purpose, a relentless focus on fundamental conservative values is in large part responsible for his enormous popularity and substantial sphere of influence. Limbaugh is the phenomenon right wing conservatives want to emulate. Who else can speak as eloquently for this sector of the electorate?

Apparently, Limbaugh detractors just don't get it. They'd rather stifle Rush and everything he holds near and dear. As the 2008 election heats up, rumors have been floated about Limbaugh's undue influence over legions of dittoheads. These poor people just can't think for themsleves and other such nonsense. Government muckety-mucks are all a-titter.

I'm happy to report Capitol Hill outrage has reached a crescendo . Who exactly does Rush Limbaugh think he is...the United States President?!

Witness liberal media envy at its finest. Jealousy over their lack of ability to motivate joe citizen, looking to eradicate the last refuge of counter opinion, they now turn the big guns on Rush Limbaugh and other conservative talk show hosts. It isn't enough to control practically all other forms of multi-media, no, they must also silence conservative America on the air waves to liberate the will of the American people (suuuuurrrre).

Enough. Be gone drive-by media. I need another perspective!

Sadly, once again, talk show radio hosts are under fire for their uncanny ability to grind the political wheel from the ground up, *shudder* apparently an overwhelmingly scary thought for party line towers and media drive-bys. Limbaugh and others recently motivated record numbers of listeners to bombard elected representatives with vehement opposition to the illegal immigrantion initiative. Their actions successfully kicked the pants off the fledgling legislation , sending it all the way back to committee. Did it ever occur to these congressional vote hounds and senior elected officials that maybe -- just maybe -- the bulk of U.S. citizens are outraged by the prospect of a pinky bandaid for a hemorrhaging illegal immigration problem?

Pipe down you ridiculous pols . Your political boogeyman is nothing more than a figment of your overactive imaginations. Rush Limbaugh doesn't aspire to be your President. It would mean taking a whopper of a salary cut...something anathema to Rush's basic capitalistic philosophy.