Howling Latina

During the last few days Howling Latina has been gettin' some love from splindly male bloggers because gasp, someone mentioned her when posting about "Women for Moran," a group of gals who know that Brian Moran is the absolute best candidate for governor in Virginia.

Well, as she wrote a few weeks ago, Brian Moran is indeed her man; and if anyone has a problem with that, they can kiss her liberal a--. Of course like the divine law of karma, the Washington Post linked to her post and today, it has a story that fully backs the howler's reasoning for endorsing Moran in the first place; Moran strongly came out against that gawd-awful marriage amendment that was enacted in '06.

You see, Moran "is gambling that Virginia Democrats, testing their strength after winning the governor's mansion twice and helping to deliver the White House, will now embrace the candidate they see as their most progressive option in the June 9 primary."

Meanwhile, McAuliffe and Deeds are busy oscillating between Planet Backslide and Planet Claptrap.

Moran's rivals, state Sen. R. Creigh Deeds and Terry McAuliffe, former national Democratic Party chairman, helped create the opening by taking a more cautious approach to the issue in a campaign that has not been marked by significant policy distinctions.

All three candidates oppose same-sex marriage, but they all opposed the 2006 constitutional amendment because they believed it restricted even contractual relationships between same-sex couples.

But only Moran has said he would work to repeal it.

Oh yes, boys and girls, Moran has got a spine to go along with his winning smile and progressive roots; just what Virginians need to fight off the rabid batwings when divvying up the voting precincts after the '10 census.

Other than that nasty business with Anita Hill, Sen. Arlen Specter has always been one of the howler's favoritest Republican. Just a few days ago in The New York Review of Books, Specter spelled out what he hopes to accomplish in the Senate; and folks, it's music to a progressive's ears.

It's about the rule of law and "rolling back [the] presidential power grab" that seems to be all the rage of late; and yes, this would include any power grab from Precious One.

In reporting, Washington Post describes how the senator told the truth straight up -- free of spin; after centrists left the Republican party in droves in '08, he simply can't win in Pennsylvania. It also looks like good ol' Joe played an instrumental role in the switch.

[Senate Majority Leader Reid credited Vice President Biden for playing an important behind-the-scenes role in softening Specter's resistance. Biden and Specter are old friends and Senate colleagues, and Biden successfully courted Specter over a period of weeks to support the stimulus bill.

Read it and weep, Republican wingnuts; soon (if not already) ya'll have Rush, Beck, Ingraham, Savage and Hannity as the swine face of your party.

Bwah, ha, ha, ha, ha.

Read all about it in the Houston Chronicle. It looks like Texas legislators have had about all they can take from Perry.

Indeed, if "Gov. Rick Perry carries through on his vow to block some $555 million in stimulus funds for unemployment benefits," the House legislation will take away "$136 million [from] the Enterprise Fund." That's the big corporate give-away that Perry absolutely adores and that bribes, er, entices new businesses to relocate to the Lone Star State.

It's really too bad the commonwealth of Virginia doesn't have a few brave GOPers in the House equal to those in Texas. Instead, they are batwings equal to Perry. And yes, Perry is still touting his support for "affirming Texas' sovereignty under the 10th amendment," whatever the hell that means.

Talk of secession is dangerous business; we all know what happened when a few maverick states decided to secede from the Union more than 100 years ago; nearly 700000 Americans died.

So far, Virginia Republicans are content renouncing cash from Washington and tea-bagging. And with such a glorious strategy, look for them to have another great electoral season. Of course now with their candidate for governor shooting his mouth about somethin' that's really none of his business (whether or not Notre Dame should award a ceremonial degree to Obama), polls could get a little droopy.

The Associated Press writes that "[a]fter a series of overtures by...Obama, Castro said Thursday that he is ready to talk with the U.S. and put 'everything' on the table, even questions of human rights and political prisoners."

Hmmm, don't know about that one. Like Chris Matthews of MSNBC said this morning on "Morning Joe," there's still that pesky business about Oswald and Kennedy and what the heck was Oswald doing at the Cuban embassy in Mexico City in the fall of 1963 -- the same year he shot Kennedy; and why did CIA headquarters lie to its Mexican station??

Back in January 2006, the howler wrote about her suspicions. What with every Democratic and Republican president since Kennedy shunning Castro as if he had infectious nuclear diarrhea. By the way, it's one of her most popular post with some really intriguing comments.

Webb's biography makes him the perfect vessel for this endeavor; it also helps that he's so indifferent to the rudiments of electoral politics. In fact, it's a kind of miracle the man is a senator at all. On a recent afternoon, as he toured the Bragg Hill Family Life Center, which provides social services to ex-offenders in Fredericksburg, Virginia, he was so stone silent that co-founder Rev. Joseph Henderson grew self-conscious. "You can ask any questions," Henderson offered nervously. "We preachers talk too much sometimes." As we walked through the gym, Webb had to be prompted to shake the hands of the (adorable) children scurrying around him, and the look on his face as he prepared to glad-hand was that of a man steeling himself for the dentist's chair.

Says Meagan McCain, a featured speaker at the Log Cabin Republican convention taking place in Washington, DC as we speak.

With all the gay bashing they've had to put up with through the years, LCRs have had the patience of Job. But...maybe after last fall's humiliating losses, a few sane Republicans will finally start to listen to what they have to say and all that loyalty will ultimately pay off.

And good for former Congressman Tom Davis of Northern Virginia for lending his support to the cause; he's a featured speaker at LCR's annual convention.

Are you listening Newtie, Mittster, Sarah, Good-Hair Perry, and Golden Sanford?? Oh yes, hopefully times will be a-changing...

First, a message to the state senator from Bath County via the howler. She wants you to quit filling her inbox with campaign drivel and span; nothing you can ever say will convince her to campaign or vote for you. She's just not that into you; maybe it's all those anti-drug laws you tout on your Web site.

Besides, you are a loser. You lost your campaign for lieutenant governor and you lost your campaign for attorney general. Don't you think you should first prove you can win statewide before you ask for a promotion?? Just asking...

And dear Terry McAuliffe, you would be much better off waiting for the '12 Senate campaign when Jim Webb retires, as he's sure to do. Remember, Webb principally considers himself a writer -- not a senator. With a little patience, you will reach the mountaintop.

Of course, McAuliffe's strategy for getting his name known throughout the commonwealth will likely pay off in '12 but...in the meantime, somebody's gotta win now; and there's only candidate who can do exactly that.

That candidate is Brian Moran. To hell with party dogma about staying above the fray. We all know that above anyone else, Moran deserves the Democratic nomination. Is he not the one who always found the time to campaign and work his butt off to elect Dems throughout the state, from sheriff, state offices to the halls of Congress??

Like Jim Webb against George Allen, Moran is the only candidate who can beat a well-known Republican with a favorite son campaign in Northern Virginia.

Just one tiny query for Delegate Moran, though. How in the hell does one go about contributing $$$ to your campaign?? When somebody drops by Creigh's Web site, he or she is directed to contribute gazillion times. And first thing Terry asks when anyone visits his site is for bread.

Forget twitter, phone banking, facebook, etc. Yes, they're all nice, but Mr. Moran, you're gonna need some hard cash. Don't be ashamed; ask for it in plain site.

"Besides the $5 million to be raised by Jackson, the proposal also included another $1 million for Blagojevich's campaign fund that would come from Indian donors, sources say."

"This is the first revelation that a proposal for the Jackson appointment involved an alleged promise that he'd raise campaign cash for the ex-governor. Also, the amount of money allegedly offered to Blagojevich is significantly higher than what's been reported so far."

Just finished watching a little documentary about Berkeley College, the Free Speech movement of the early 60s, the antiwar movement that followed, People's Park and how Charmin' Reagan while governor of California thought it was a good idea to blockade a slew of students inside campus walls and gas them to smithereens in 1969. Hey, here's another great idea; let's honor The Gipper by renaming People's Park in his honor.

For the whole month of May, students at Berkeley University had worked hand in hand to build a park where an empty lot had previously stood. But Reagan wanted none of the love. After all, Reagan owed his entire political power to the shameful demonization of the 60s boogie man: those lazy, good-for-nothing, dirty, hippies who'd dared seek freedom of speech inside the hallowed campus walls. Yes, and it was also the fault of all those weak-kneed campus administrators who hadn't had the belly to put the filthy "communist sympathizers, protesters and sex deviants" (Regan's direct words) in their proper place when they started to demonstrate (peacefully) for their right of speech. Why those over-indulging savants had even sided with students; all the way around, discipline was obviously lax.

And so it was the People's Park was fenced off; and poor James Rector was shot. But blood wasn't good enough. Contrary to a vote by the Berkeley City Council, a month later, the good governor decided to send the national guard to Berkeley University and to occupy the city. The following is a sequence of events that took place with blessings from the governor.

[A] midday memorial was held for student James Rector at Sproul Plaza on the University campus. Rector had suffered massive internal injuries from his shotgun wounds, finally dying at Herrick Hospital on May 19. In his honor, several thousand people peacefully assembled to listen to speakers remembering his life. Without warning, National Guard troops surrounded Sproul Plaza, donned their gas masks, and pointed their bayonets inward, while helicopters dropped CS gas directly on the trapped crowd. No escape was possible, and the gas caused acute respiratory distress, disorientation, temporary blindness and vomiting. Many people, including children and the elderly, were injured during the ensuing panic. The gas was so intense that breezes carried it into Cowell Memorial Hospital, endangering patients, interrupting operations and incapacitating nurses. Students at nearby Jefferson and Franklin elementary schools were also affected.

How very lovely! And the beat goes on and on and on. The same gamy gang arose from what should have been their Waterloo in Vietnam and Watergate to inflict more of their special brand of 'freedom' on America with good ol' Ronnie leading the funeral.

It was Ronald Regan who killed the labor movement and stopped the liberal movement dead on its track. And those who were around in the 60s just watched and cheered as their yuppie careers soared and everything else went to hell in a handbasket of greed. Indeed, they were the very ones who elected the bastard in '80 and '84 and then voted for Bush I in '88 and Junior in '00 and '04. No use looking back except when lamenting The Gipper's death.

Hmmm, where have we heard that phrase before...? Oh yeah, the same guy who lauded Reagan as a transformational hero; the same okey-dokey feller who was making it up as he went along but told us not to trust anyone with the last name of Clinton.

Unfortunately, the howler was too young to join the hippie movement in the 60s, and by the time she came of age, Ronnie was running for president. Imagine a world without Scalia, Thomas, Alito, Rumsfeld, Cheney, Rove, Iraq, waterboarding, eavesdropping, torture, black sites and all the horrors of the last 30 years. They say that Reagan's biggest disappointment as governor was that he only presided over one execution; state courts wouldn't allow more. Well, at least H/L had the pleasure of casting her first presidential vote against that awful son of a bitch who set America back almost 30 years and counting...