Lesson Not Learned....

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In Arizona.
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Pastor Martin Niemoller's words. Anyone listening?

"THEY CAME FIRST for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.

THEN THEY CAME for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.

THEN THEY CAME for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.

THEN THEY CAME for the Catholics,
and I didn’t speak up because I was a Protestant.

THEN THEY CAME for me
and by that time no one was left to speak up."
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What Josh Said

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Things, Josh says, that should be obvious.

Call it the missing frame:

Talking about racism does not make you racist; advocating racism does.

'nuff said. Now would somebody please tell Scarborough and Cornyn?
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waiting....waiting....

Musts

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Spring cleaning time in Prairie Country, so we'll probably be light on content hereabouts. But we do want to steer you to some "musts" this weekend.

Bob Herbert's column in today's New York Times on what Jon Stewart dubbed the Reverending Story. Herbert's pretty pointed: can't we get back to the issues?!? Would that the Sunday morning punditocracy actually reads and heeds, because Herbert speaks for a lot of us who are absolutely fed up to the hair follicles with the push-pastoring. Enough.

Arianna Huffington visits Firedoglake 's Book Salon this afternoon to discuss her new book, Right Is Wrong: How the Lunatic Fringe Hijacked America, Shredded the Constitution, and Made Us All Less Safe. [5 pm ET to 7 pm ET] If you've never "met" Arianna or visited Firedoglake, what better time to start.

And we've learned that 60 Minutes will be reporting on the Pat Tillman story this Sunday night. Mary Tillman speaks out, saying the government still has not told the truth about her son's death. 60 Minutes has been bringing their A game of late to reporting. We'll definitely be watching.

Oh, and have we mentioned that Senator Obama will spend an hour with Tim Russert Sunday morning live on Meet the Press? We'll be watching. Won't take long to tell whether Russert's read Herbert's column...or just the McCarthyist screeds from Blumenthal and the Clintonistas and McCainiacs.

UPDATE:
Snuffy will be questioning Hillary Clinton Sunday morning. We saw his idea of "tough, but fair" in the ABC-sponsored debate. We'll be looking for "tough, but fair" when he questions Hillary. Substance, not shiny objects. And tough but fair follow-ups, too.

We'll be watching.

Gone to the Dogs....

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The Clinton family's favorite junkyard dog—James Carville—is out and about in the media again today pushing his screed against Governor Bill Richardson for endorsing Barack Obama. "Judas" "30 pieces of silver"...the insults are flyin' thick and fast, and Carville shows no sign of backing down.

Why should he? It's a nice distraction from the more important story—Hillary Clinton's fabrication of her arrival in Bosnia under sniper fire.

We're hearing a lot of dog whistle talk these days from the Clinton team. And it's an unsavory sight. Bill Clinton's little stick with Hillary and McCain you won't have to deal with all that "stuff" bears the subtext of the dog whistle, and it's as repellent as a pile of poo.

And this puts the media in the spotlight, too. Will they be the same ol' lapdogs, letting oppo teams and campaign blast emails and conference calls drive their stories? Will they be distracted by some poison-laced red meat?

Or will they be the watchdogs of honesty, trustworthiness, and calling a dog a dog?

UPDATE: And, for the record... I personally find all references to Monica and blue dresses by anyone—media and politicians alike—way out of bounds. Clinton's penis is not the candidate and there's a woman who at long last deserves to be able to put a "youthful indiscretion" behind her instead of having that sleaze-n-snicker brought up every four years.

What digby said....

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If you're not a regular reader of digby's hullabaloo, here's a good place to start: her Easter Sunday observations on Obama, Wright, and the state of politics and America. Solid food for thought. And no more posting here today, so you've no excuses not to take the time to go read what digby has to say on Wright and Wrong.

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Banality of Discrimination

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Been a couple days now, time for the dust to settle a bit. The Obama speech on race, while addressing his pastor controversy [and we're lookin' forward to hearing Hillary and McCain address theirs...well, no, not really....], rose above it to open a door of opportunity to all of US. And the speech has rippled, resonated, roared through the discourse of politics and punditry.

Because Obama also challenged US. Each of US. To step up to the plate. Not to be distracted by sturm und drang in the media. To examine our own hearts. To walk a bit in the other guy's shoes. To imagine what it must be. To be honest with ourselves. To think.

The Sunshine family came late to the concept of discrimination. When you're a white bread, white family in Middle America, even when a black brother marries into the family, you don't understand, because you open welcoming arms and it's family. When your friendship circles include people of all races, ethnicities, religions or not, you don't understand.

Until you do. Discrimination is far broader than the sexism, racism spearpoint of this human—or subhuman—conversation. It extends to those with disabilities, gays, ageism, livin' on the wrong side of the glass wall... anyone who some "one" can point to and call "other."

One of the many beauties of the Obama speech was his giving voice to the frustrations of both white and black discrimination perspectives.

And most of the time we don't even see it in ourselves. Does the neighbor who doesn't shovel their sidewalk know that he's made it impossible for his disabled neighbor to wheel down the block? Or think of it, even?

Does the quilting group that's decided to go modern and computer and freeform so we won't talk about hand-piecing anymore know that it's demeaning some of its elder members?

Does the friendship circle leave out one from conversation from time to time because her politics are different than most of theirs? Unconscious discrimination.

Looking in the mirror seems too often for primping and preening these days. Maybe all of us should, before we go out for our Easter dinners and gatherings, take a look in the mirror at the face of US.

The Usual Suspects.

Some are easy to name. The orchestrated demeaners and deriders quick with the dialing fingers to local talk radio after the Obama speech. Kitchen sink crowd or Rethuglican Rovers? The highly paid to be race-baiting pundits on national cable and radio with their questions. Hannity, Limbaugh, Elder, Faux News... masters of putting out their crapola in the form of questions they can then deny ownership of. All in the name of drowning out the message.

We have a thinking man. Who's offered us an opportunity to think beyond our own small self interests. Discrimination is...whether by religion or race, politics or place, gender or gay, health or.... bet you can fill in something I hadn't even thought of.

And that's all it takes. A little thinking instead of just swallowing the spew of derision and demeaning, corruption and misleading.

Whaddya think? Big deal? Or banality as usual...

In His Own Words

Here's the video and full text:

http://my.barackobama.com/hisownwords

please share....

40 Years Ago Today....

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Earlier today, I had this to say in a comment at Firedoglake in a thread led by Pachacutec's post, The Ferraro Fiasco.

Revising and extending my [previous/yesterday? it seems like a lifetime ago] remarks:

I denounce and reject Hillary Clinton.

It is too convenient by half to lay this on Geraldine Ferraro…that ol’ Gingerbread Boy fable has it… she is what she is, and demonstrably was in the past.

This is on Hillary Clinton. This divisiveness was her choice of campaign tactic. Her minions should all be called to denounce and reject her and this tactic as well. I’m lookin’ at you, Bill Nelson, Ed Rendell, Gov. Spitzer Corzine, et cetera, et cetera….

Just heard a conversation on MPR reminding us that 40 years ago today, Gene McCarthy upset the “rules” in the New Hampshire primary. I worked for Gene McCarthy’s national field staff. On this date back then, the outlook was positive, uplifting even. Before the darkness and hate set in. Spawned by purveyors of division.

On this date today, there’s still time to stay together, to be positive, uplifting even. But the fork in the road is coming up awfully fast.

The pattern of racist tactics of the Clinton campaign is clear. Unconscionable. And no smarmy half-assed wink and a nod smirking “tug back the reins” response from Hillary Clinton will suffice.

She should do as another politician has done today. Resign. Her campaign is on the wrong side of history. And the wrong side of honor.

This evening, Keith Olbermann spoke out in a powerful Special Comment.

The voices of the people must be heard. If not by Hillary Clinton, then by the Super Delegates, and the voters in the remaining primary states. Do not ally yourselves with one who divides, who chooses staff and advisors and advocates who carry out politics of hate and division. Do not let yourselves be brought down to the level of this campaign.

Looking Back, Looking Forward

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Yesterday Master Sgt. Woodrow Wilson Keeble was at long last given the Medal of Honor he so richly deserved. Posthumously. He is long gone, wife and son as well. The honor was accepted at the White House by his stepson and nephew, with the North Dakota governor and other North Dakota dignitaries and his surviving family and friends in attendance for the presentation by the Current Occupant.

ABC gave the ceremony brief note on last night's news [damned if I can find it this morning on their website, though], and a fuller story is told here in the local press. Too soon, the attention of the media will move on...already has, truth be told. They'll be full of "the politics" today, like junkies givin' breathless hyperbole to get one more "fix" of primary nastiness and battle/horserace/slugfest and a po' victimized blonde white woman.

Will the touts give any note today to Jamiel Shaw, Jr.?

He's posthumous now, too. Gunned down while talking on his cell phone to his girl friend. The proverbial good kid trying to rise above the stereotypes and work hard and succeed as an athlete. At 17, he already was seen as a rising star, scouted by Stanford and others.

And now, he's a statistic. Another victim of gun violence. A black youth, workin' like a man to make something of himself. His mother serving in Iraq, his father keepin' it together back home.

Tell us again how tough we white women have it, Gloria.

Honor for an American Hero

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Today in a ceremony at the White House, Master Sergeant Woodrow Wilson Keeble will finally receive the Medal of Honor for his heroism and sacrifice. Keeble is the first full-blooded Dakota Oyate (Sioux) to receive the honor.

The full story of his heroism is recounted in our local media, and here at military.com, and in the words of ND Senator Byron Dorgan here. A story of heroism so profound his comrades all submitted him for Medal of Honor consideration. But the paperwork was “lost.” Maybe they thought the Purple Hearts and other awards were enough. Funny how that happens when you’re a person of color.

Not daunted, his name was again submitted for Medal of Honor consideration. Paperwork “lost” again.

Many don’t know that Native Americans serve in the military at the highest percentage of demographic groups. Serve, and are wounded, and come home in flag-draped coffins. And to what?

“Lost” paperwork it takes half a century to put right.

For some, the fate of Ira Hayes. Or for lives on reservations that too often look like Appalachia…and apartheid.

There are heroes serving today, of all colors and demographics. Most of us will never know their names. As Prince Harry—who was fighting for us, by the way—pointed out, he’s no hero. It’s the guys coming home, on the plane with him, on other flights, missing a leg or an arm, or suffering emotionally from the traumas of war.

The men and women who selflessly serve. How shall we honor them? With a White House ceremony in a few years or past a lifetime?

Master Sgt. Keeble’s award will be presented posthumously. He lived 65 years among his people and his neighbors and died in 1982. A giant in stature, a giant among men.

As a commenter notes at the military.com website:

America the "Greatest" Country in the world but we still have some of the Greatest problems, Racism, Bigotry and Hatred so we must continue to Pray and ask God to bring about Change. This Medal is Long overdue and it adds to what someone once said "Please" give me my Flowers while I can still smell them... God Bless America.

Im-plausible Deniability?

The dogwhistle's gettin' pretty shrill in Ohio, it seems. Tonight on 60 Minutes, Steve Kroft asked Hillary Clinton whether she thought Barack Obama was a Muslim [which he is not. You can read about it and see the video at CBS News.] My ears perked up at this question, and good golly Miss Molly Ivins, if the ears of Marley and Nova, our resident spaniels, didn't perk up too:

Schoenholtz told Kroft he is leaning towards Obama, but that there were a couple of issues he was “not too clear” on.

Asked what they were, Schoenholtz said, “Well, I'm hearin' he doesn't even know the National Anthem, you know. He wouldn't use the Holy Bible. He's got his own beliefs, got the Muslim beliefs. Couple issues that bothers me at heart.”

“You know that's not true,” Kroft remarked.

“No. I’m just…this is what I've been told,” he replied.

Now, to be clear, Kroft did tell him "you know that's not true." And Kroft did ask Obama about this smear tactic.

Kroft also asked Hillary Clinton about it. And got this for an answer:

“Of course not. I mean, that, you know, there is no basis for that. I take him on the basis of what he says. And, you know, there isn't any reason to doubt that,” she replied.

“You said you'd take Senator Obama at his word that he's not…a Muslim. You don't believe that he's…,” Kroft said.

“No. No, there is nothing to base that on. As far as I know,” she said. [emphases mine.]

Watch the video here

Tone matters, just as words matter. And Senator Clinton does a very artful job of stating a positive and then pulling back, planting seeds of doubt. And judge for yourself whether there's a bit of the ol' artful dodger in those "catch me if you can" eyes as she speaks.

We'll see how this all plays out in Ohio and the other primary states on Tuesday, but one wonders if the candidate who proposes a timeout from trade is also taking a timeout from ethical campaigning.

The Big Dog may have been leashed and put back in the kennel, but the dog whistles sure seem to be blowin' in Ohio.

She Wore Brown

Maybe Hillary caught a bit of CBS Sunday Morning's pre-Oscar discussion of movie costuming. The bit about Indiana Jones wearing brown while all the villains wore black. She certainly did borrow the Indy motif with her continued assertion "I am a fighter."

Yes, and ordinarily I'd say if you are a fighter you don't have to tell anyone. They know.

But these are not ordinary times, and thanks to BushCo and the corporate media's American Idol-ized dumbing down of the public discourse, yeah, you do have to do a Mr. Whipple [please don't squeeze...] a bazillion times before it registers in the lizard brains of those asleep.

Plenty of people aren't asleep this time around, and more and more are waking up. Unfortunately for Hillary, Obama's the one waking them.

And let's lose the assertion that media have a pro-Obama bias. Tim Russert's sleazy questioning of Obama regarding Farrakhan was Karl-Rovian in its reach. Prairie wasn't the only one to take notice. As blogger Attaturk over at Firedoglake notes this morning,

After all, Louis Farrakhan is black -- Barack Obama is black -- therefore anything Farrakhan says must be automatically what Obama thinks because apparently to Tim Russert all black men have an intellectual osmosis that links them....

Maybe Michael Kinsley can opine about that one as he did about the NYTimes article on McCain and the lobbyist. Or not. As Digby points out, until we change the Russert culture, nothing's gonna change.

In the meantime, last night, Hillary wore brown, a somber color, not yet mourning, but not the vivid hey look at me colors she's worn on other occasions. She stayed late after the debate, hugging her daughter, then signing autographs, lingering... while Obama signed autographs for a short time but then moved purposefully on.

A sign of the times.

UPDATE: It's official, Georgia Congressman and civil rights era icon John Lewis has changed his superdelegate support from Clinton to Obama. First Dodd, now Lewis...the party greybeards are speaking out.

UPDATE 2: Prairie's own homestate Senator, Byron Dorgan, part of the Senate leadership team, endorses Obama. The true tide of inevitability?

Lessons in Framing: The Big Picture

Have you ever tried to build a frame? Not one of the ornate, heavy wood ones, just a simple metal frame? The kind you can buy in two packets at the local hobby store. They’re easy. Just measure your picture and buy one packet for the long side, one for the shorter side. Then a few twists of a screwdriver, slip in a piece of glass, your picture, and some sturdy backing, and fasten together the last side, add the hanger, and you’re ready to go.

See… framing’s easy. Anybody can do it.

And these days, as the political season stays at near-fever pitch, it seems any and everybody is trying to do it. Framing’s coming at us from all sides.

Call it whatever you want…fancy jargon from communications specialists, spin from pundits and consultants, it all comes down to “I’m gonna tell you something, and you’re going to think about it the way I want.” Also known as catapulting the propaganda. Truth is optional.

And these days, as No Child Left Behind—a true bit of false framing if ever there was one—continues to dumb-down the thinking process to rote rather than motes of critical thinking, framing can lead people and whole communities down false paths.

There are a legion of examples this weekend, so it’s worth stepping back a bit and taking a look at the whole business of framing, and the monkey business that too often manipulates it.

The Republican Congresspeople who walked out in protest on Thursday are a nice example of framing gone awry. There they were, staging their departure, dissing the memory of Tom Lantos in the process, walking out to the set-up cameras and podium so they could try to slam the Democratic leadership about “political theatre.” Ooops.

Then last night, on HBO’s Bill Maher Show, one of the high priests of framing, Frank Luntz, tested out a few Republican talking points about Barack Obama while framing himself as oh, not that Republican anymore—I’m wearing a blue collar, open shirt, not one of those “haves” that are Bush’s base. Beware of false prophets…and wolves in sheep’s clothing.

And earlier today, CNN reported by Soledad O’Brien on the black-Hispanic divide between Obama and Clinton supporters [hint: hers are Hispanic, his are African-American…except when they’re not….]

This is a frame in early stages, and there’s considerable potential to build this frame the right way, or the false way. The media will play an important role in how it’s done. Some critical thinking needed here. Not just posturing by “Sharks” vs “Jets.” So far, I give CNN and O’Brien props on their measured reporting [and I'll link to it when CNN gets around to updating its website].

One thought I keep in mind is, who benefits by making adversaries instead of allies of two different groups? Not either one of the groups, that’s for sure. In a political season past, there was advertising showing a black hand reaching for a white hand’s paycheck. Making the paycheck a scarce resource makes enemies. The real enemy is the guy writing the check who’s at the same time pocketing all the ka-ching.

Framing isn’t inherently bad. On Animal Planet Channel this morning, a show presented rottweilers as an intelligent, hardworking, family-oriented dog, playing an important role as therapy animal for acute care patients. Caring people trying to restore the image of a dog breed that was tainted by bad breeders and bad owners and over-breeding. Good framing.

Framing is nothing new, of course, as wobblybits reminded over at Firedoglake this morning, recounting study of how cultures meet and how one culture frames the other. An interesting conversation well worth visiting.

Thing is, framing is everywhere. I could link you to a bazillion examples today. But instead, I’m going to ask you to do a little homework. Listen, really listen, to what someone is telling you. Then look closely at what he or she is showing you, by their actions, by their history, by their context or slice of life.

Then do some thinking. What does that person have to gain by persuading me? And what do I have to lose?

If you can say, I have nothing to lose, and everything to gain, great!

And if you go forward and remember that framing’s just a package, no matter how fancy or finely polished, and the important thing is to focus on the picture within, so much the better.