Jack & Jill Politics

Cellist Sujari Britt, 8, completes her performance at the classical music series workshop in the East Room of the White House. November 4, 2009.
———Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton

Good Afternoon.

Drop those links. Engage in debate. Give us trivia and gossip too.

And continue having a peaceful day.

Read the rest of this entry »

From Planned Parenthood:

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops met with leaders in the House of Representatives in their bid to eliminate women’s access to abortion care under health care reform. Their efforts are working. Representative Bart Stupak has introduced an amendment to the health care reform bill that will result in women losing health care coverage for abortion. Now, Congress is considering the Stupak amendment to the health care reform bill that will eliminate choice for millions of women.

We need you, and your friends and family to call your representative now at 202-730-9001 and ask him or her to oppose the Stupak amendment.

More importantly, from Crooks & Liars:

Rep. Bart Stupak, an antiabortion Democrat from Michigan, explained his amendment before the House Rules Committee just after midnight Saturday. He said it provides that federal subsidies cannot be used to purchase a health plan including coverage for abortions other than in cases of rape or incest.

The concession to allow a vote is significant because House Democrats aren’t allowing votes on any other substantive amendments, save one Republican amendment that is an alternative to the Democrats’ plan.

From USA Today: Nearly 90% of private health insurance policies now offer abortion coverage, and almost half of women with private insurance have it. But women covered under the new system would have to find supplemental insurance or pay out of pocket for an unanticipated procedure that can cost from hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars, depending on complexity. For anyone unable to afford it, this would amount to a de facto ban.

A quick excerpt on abortion and privilege from Melissa Harris-Lacewell:

It also works because abortion, like all American healthcare, is profoundly shaped by structures of privilege and access. Wealthy women in urban areas with private insurance who have long term relationships with physicians have more access to privacy and to termination services than do other women. Poor women, teenagers, rural women, women suffering with domestic violence, and uninsured women are much more likely to have to risk some level of public scrutiny of their decision to seek an abortion. They cannot request a D&C from their private provider, they must seek out a clinic. Even during the dark years of back alley abortions when all women seeking abortion were at risk, it was the most vulnerable women who carried the heaviest burden of infection, illness, and death.

Because women of privilege can keep their termination choices private while vulnerable women are exposed to public shaming, it becomes easier to believe that only those “other” women and “bad” women choose abortion.

If the lines are busy, you can also use Congress.org to contact your representatives.

hat tip-Michelle Obama Watch

For those of you who were thinking about buying the $150 Michelle Obama Doll from the Danbury Mint, think twice about it. Seems like there is some false advertising going on.

From Black Doll Collecting:

Click on link above to see more pictures of the actual doll and the review from a Doll Collector’s perspective.

hat tip -Booker Rising

Good Morning.

As you go through your weekend spending time with family and friends, don’t forget JJP.

Drop those links. Engage in debate. Give us trivia and gossip too.

And always, have a peaceful day.

hat tip-Michelle Obama Watch

the First Lady is interviewed by Katie Couric

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Good Evening.

Drop those links. Engage in debate. Give us trivia and gossip too.

And continue to have a peaceful day.

Jeffrey Dahmer: Sociopath. And White.

John Allen Muhammed: Sociopath. And Black.

Richard Ramirez: Sociopath. And Mexican.

Seung-hui Cho: Sociopath. And Korean.

Do we see the commonality here?

Upon first hearing about the tragedy at Fort Hood yesterday, my first thought was that intra-army conflict is terrible for morale in the face of two wars being waged abroad. When members of a volunteer army start shooting bases up, that is not a good. Sporadic reports of the aftermath flowed in until the mother lode came through: the suspected gunman’s name.

Nidal Malik Hasan (which was first reported at Malik Nadal Hasan)

My eyes rolled in such a way that I’m surprised they remained in my head. My only thought: Good grief. Read the rest of this entry »

This is It — (paging Michael Jackson). Wonder Twins Power — Activate! Form of — a phone call.

From Organizing for America:

This is it — the House of Representatives will vote on health insurance reform tomorrow. All signs point to it being incredibly close, possibly even coming down to a single vote.

With the clock ticking, insurance company lobbyists are going all out to stop reform. Please call your rep now.

Today, President Obama is visiting the House to call for reform, and I hope you’ll add your voice to his. If you haven’t called before, now is the time. And if you have recently called, thank you — now please ask friends, family members, and co-workers in your district to join you.

http://my.barackobama.com/HouseVote

Everything we’re fighting for comes down to moments like this — and every second counts.

Yes We Can, my people. Holler at your rep, asap. Especially if you live in the South. Peace out.

Vitter Confronted By Rape Victim Over Franken Amendment Vote

Remember…Vitter wouldn’t condemn the racist Justice of the Peace that wouldn’t marry the inter-racial couple in Louisiana.

Good Afternoon.

Drop those links. Engage in debate. Give us trivia and gossip too.

And continue to have a peaceful day.

This week, Jasiri X and his crew spit some soundz to explore the disturbing trend of horrific violence and injustice towards women, including the brutal gang rape of a 15 year old girl in Richmond, California, the case of Sarah Kruzan who was sentenced to life without parole at age 16 for killing her pimp (same guy who raped her and forced her into prostitution at age 16) and the case of Heather Ellis, a college honor student who is facing 15 years in prison for allegedly cutting the line at Walmart.

Sarah was a child acting in self-defense to escape a child predator & pimp — what’s so disturbing is how differently her case was treated as opposed to Jaycee Dugard. Sarah, uh, didn’t get no People Magazine cover story yet her troubling story is probably more common and certainly equally as compelling. Rihanna is finally speaking out this week about her relationship with Chris Brown and the violence. I hope it has a positive impact on young women and young men who need to see — violence and rape never equal love.

From MTV:

“You don’t realize how much your decisions affect people you don’t even know, like fans,” she told the magazine. And, if she could send a message to the millions of young women who look up to her, especially ones who might be in similar situations, Rihanna said it would be this: “Domestic violence is a big secret. No kid goes around and lets people know their parents fight. Teenage girls can’t tell their parents that their boyfriend beat them up. You don’t dare let your neighbor know that you fight. It’s one of the things we [women] will hide, because it’s embarrassing. My story was broadcast all over the world for people to see, and they have followed every step of my recovery.”

Domestic violence cuts across ethnic, economic and educational barriers. No one is immune. We’re hit hard in the black community and African-American women in trouble don’t always get the local love in the form of strong law enforcement support we need. We can see that in the Cleveland murders.

My friend Tracy Russo who’s the queen of New Media over at the Eric Holder’s Department of Justice (check out their new website) sent me the news that the DOJ is on it. They just released a report a couple of weeks ago on Female Victims of Violence. Here’s a few angering facts specifically on us:

In 2007 black female victims of intimate partner homicide were twice as likely as white female homicide victims to be killed by a spouse (0.96 and 0.50 per 100,000, respectively).

From 1993 through 2007, the rate of homicide by a spouse declined 58% for black females (from 2.28 homicides per 100,000 black female residents to 0.96 per 100,000). (The rate of homicide for white females killed by a spouse fell 36% (from 0.78 homicides per 100,000 female residents to 0.50 per 100,000).

Black females were four times more likely than white females to be murdered by a boyfriend or girlfriend (1.44 and 0.34 per 100,000, respectively).

The number of black female homicide victims killed by intimate partners fell 39% between 1993 and 2007. The number of white female homicide victims killed by intimate partners fell 21%.

Aretha sang:

A woman’s only human
You should understand
She’s not just a plaything
She’s flesh and blood just like her man
If you want a do-right-all-day woman
You’ve got to be a do-right-all-night man

They say that it’s a man’s world
Well you can improve that by me
And as long as we’re together baby
Show some respect for me

Holler in the comments if you’re feelin’ me…And thanks to Jasiri — a do right man, fo sho.

Posted via web from baratunde’s internet scratch pad

Um George…..

G-T-F-O-H

Good Morning.

TGIF, and spend some it with JJP.

Drop those links. Engage in debate. Give us trivia and gossip too.

And always, have a peaceful day.

JANUARY 2009 – POST-INAUGURATION

Read the rest of this entry »

Good Evening.

Drop those links. Engage in debate. Give us trivia and gossip too.

And continue to have a peaceful day.