The Hollywood Liberal

Late Late Nite FDL: Terrakota
From Lisbon, Portugal, Terrakota. Guaranteed to make you want to take your shoes off and dance along.

From Lisbon, Portugal, Terrakota. Guaranteed to make you want to take your shoes off and dance along.

What’s on your mind tonight?

At All Costs, We Must Avoid a ‘Surge’ in Afghanistan
America’s Iraq adventure led it into a moral vacuum. Will the error be repeated in the renewed US Afghan campaign?

“Our People Are Not Afraid”
Rummaging through American history, I just stumbled on this, from Franklin Roosevelt’s 9th State of the Union Address, January 6, 1942: If any of our enemies, from Europe or from Asia, attempt long-range raids by “suicide” squadrons of bombing planes,…

Obama In Berlin
The speech: Late Update: TPM Election Central analyzes the speech here….

The LiberalOasis Radio Show: Palin’s 15 Minutes Edition

Today at 10 AM ET, The LiberalOasis Radio Show was broadcast on WHMP-AM in Western MA. My special guest was Jessica Valenti of Feministing.com who discussed her new article in the Guardian about how the GOP are trying to co-opt feminist rhetoric to promote Sarah Palin.

The audio podcast for the show is here: (iTunes / XML feed / MP3)

Video of the opening monologue below, about the week of Palin, and how conservatives are rejecting compromise energy bills (more at OurFuture.org)

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

McCain Runs Pro-Stem Cell Ad, While Campaign Website Criticizes Research Involving ?Human Embryos?
Conservatives have long disguised their disdain for embryonic stem cell research, the most promising type of stem cell research, by saying they support the practice only in the form of “adult stem cell research.” “Say, yes!,” the Family Research Council tells conservatives to say when asked if they support stem cell research. In a new radio […]

Conservatives have long disguised their disdain for embryonic stem cell research, the most promising type of stem cell research, by saying they support the practice only in the form of “adult stem cell research.” “Say, yes!,” the Family Research Council tells conservatives to say when asked if they support stem cell research.

In a new radio ad out today, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) dubs himself and Gov. Sarah Palin as the “original mavericks, stating that a McCain-Palin administration would enthusiastically support stem cell research:

They’re the original mavericks. Leaders. Reformers. Fighting for real change. … John McCain will lead his Congressional allies to improve America’s health. … Stem cell research to help free families from the fear and devastation of illness. … Change is coming. McCain-Palin and Congressional allies,

Listen here:

The ad, however, makes no mention at all of “embryonic” research. In 2007, McCain specifically praised this practice, stating, “embryonic stem cell research…holds the best opportunity to relieve the pain and suffering of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, all these terrible debilitating diseases.”

On his website, however, McCain says he will “strongly support” scientific studies that do “not involve the use of human embryos“:

As president, John McCain will strongly support funding for promising research programs, including amniotic fluid and adult stem cell research and other types of scientific study that do not involve the use of human embryos.

Where federal funds are used for stem cell research, Senator McCain believes clear lines should be drawn that reflect a refusal to sacrifice moral values and ethical principles for the sake of scientific progress, and that any such research should be subject to strict federal guidelines.

In a 2006 gubernatorial debate, Gov. Palin said, “no, stem-cell research would ultimately end in destruction of life. I couldn’t support (it).’” The 2008 GOP platform included language calling for a ban on “all embryonic stem-cell research, public or private.” It seems that the “original mavericks” are using a tried right-wing tactic of disguising their opposition to embryonic research with rhetorical tricks.