Elana Berkowitz's Blog

Pimping the White House for Cash

ElanaBerkowitz — Mon, 06 Jun 2005 11:03:53 EDT

A recent Texas Observer article delves even deeper into the muck surrounding the scruples-free Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his pals.

In particular, the article notes that both Abramoff and Grover Norquist used their overly cozy relationships with the President as a fundraising tool - charging clients to get face time with Bush.

The fact that these men used the White House as their own personal fundraising tool is pretty nauseating. Though totally unsurprising. The way that this group of Republican leaders treat the sanctuary of American government as their own personal cigar-smoke filled, back-slapping boys club should make as all very scared. And dissapointed. We can do better.

President Bush Ruins O.C. Night

ElanaBerkowitz — Thu, 28 Apr 2005 19:13:22 EDT

The right-wing arrogance of President Bush and company have ruined (or tried very hard to ruin) many things that I hold dear in America: civil liberties, social security, our natural resources, our economy, our standing in the global community and so on.

Though I have felt the impact of President Bush on many of the grander political issues, I didn't think that he would start ruining the simple pleasures in life. But, alas, he has.

Tonight at 8pm, FOX will be preempting a brand new episode of your favorite program and mine, The O.C., to broadcast President Bush's press conference. His rare prime-time news conference comes to us as a reponse to flagging public support for his useless and deceptive efforts to overhaul Social Security.

Personally, I would rather spend an hour watching the cast of the O.C. banter and pose while the latest pseudo-indie band du jour plays in the background than watch my President lie to me. When it comes to young folks, he is messing up both our future and our present.

In protest, we will not be watching the two episodes of Simple Life: Interns that will air after the press conference. So there.

DeLay's Double Standard

ElanaBerkowitz — Mon, 28 Mar 2005 13:01:00 EST

Despite positing himself as Terri Schiavo's own personal governmental messiah, according to the Los Angeles Times, in 1988, DeLay's own father was in a similarly tragic situation with very dissimilar results. After being left brain-damaged and comatose following a freak accident, he was allowed to die by his family, without interference by the Governor, President, Congress or overzealous protestors.

Moreover, following the incident, the DeLay family sued the manufacturers of the tram that had crashed and injured his father. Of course, years later, DeLay would make a career of slamming "frivolous, parasitic lawsuits" that "kill jobs" and has worked to override state laws on product liability.

Religious Lawmakers Try to Squelch Campus Press

ElanaBerkowitz — Wed, 23 Mar 2005 14:58:58 EST

As reported in the Phoenix New Times, Republican State Rep Russell Pearce, a religious Mormon and co-chair of the Arizona House Appropriations Committee, doesn't seem to think much of first ammendment.

Pearce inserted language into this fiscal year's state budget that would eliminate funding for campus publications altogether because they have run articles and photos that he deemed offensive.

Though the New Times reported that insiders think Governor Janet Napolitano will use her line-item veto to remove Pearce's provision, this is not the first attack from religious conservatives on college papers in the state.

Previously, Ira Fulton, a very wealthy Mormon, complained to Michael Crow, the President of ASU, about an illustration in the campus paper that included a bared breast. Crow responded to Fulton by threatening to eliminate funding to the paper, the State Press.

Now, the university administration doesn't even have the spine to oppose Pearce's proposed legislation, instead it chose to, as the article states, "hint to Pearce that it would prefer he drop his effort to eliminate funding to campus publications."

Way to know that the administrators are standing up for their students' right to free speech.

Wolfowitz Gets World Bank Nod!

ElanaBerkowitz — Wed, 16 Mar 2005 09:55:31 EST

I know a girl who got fired from her job for stealing office supplies - post-it notes, legal pads, Sharpies, a spool of blank discs. It sucks to be fired for commiting less than $30 of misdeeds, but that is what happens in the actual world where actual Americans have actual jobs instead of cushy sinecures.

Now if Paul Wolfowitz had stolen all those legal pads, he would probably be getting the presidential medal of honor.

Instead, after serving as Deputy Defense Secretary and leading us bravely into the morass of lies and mismanagement in Iraq, Bush has suggested handing him the reigns to the World Bank.

Some critics seem to be suggesting that at least this is a good way to get Wolfowitz out of the Pentagon. But couldn't we have gotten him out just by firing him?

For future reference, perhaps a striped tie or engraved plaque might be a more suitable retirement present than handing off the World Bank, one of the most powerful (and troubled) financial institutions on the planet.