FlaSoxxJim

The argument suggests a botton-up potential violation of Separation of church and state. Therefore it's not part of the present debate about the propriety of TOP-DOWN courtship of the churches - INITIATED BY A POLITICAL party and possibly getting them to cross the line into illegality (as per the posted article). I'll give you the lead-in to the article again: The schedule does make overtures about pushing the line without crossing it, bending but not breaking the law, and if all the churches manage to do that then the mobilization strategy has worked. Because it's a hard line to toe, the IRS sent a remined out to the parties to be careful. As far as Jesse Jackson - He's come up before here in argument counterpoints and I've had to claim ignorance of the details of most of his activities. I followed him a lot more closely when I lived in Chicago, and now only get national snippets. If you or Baggio or anyone has news stories that show his CHURCH BODY lobbying for the Democratic party or partisan candidates and using church funding to do so, post it and it will be the basis for a discussion with merit. As the article above states, "individual church members are free to lobby church acquaintances on behalf of a candidate," as long as church resources are not used to support a political campaign. In regard to Jackson, I don't even know if he is the pastor of a church congregation (Vince??). I really think his name gets tossed around, as it has here, as a hasty attempt at a counterargument whenever the unsavory and incestuous relationship between the GOP and the Religious Right is touched on ("Well, uh... what about Jesse Jackson? He's a minister and he's political..."). Again, it's difficult for me to follow him closely so if I am incorrect please put me right. As far as jeopardizing the tax exempt status of any of his organizations, he has been in the hot seat before that I know of but not for political lobbying and not is association with a church. His non-profit Citizen Education Fund (CEF) was accused of violating its status when it apparently took money to lobby for minority investigators in their 2001 push to buy Viacom. As far as his other organizations, the visibly politically active ones are FOR PROFIT (Rainbow/Push Coalition, NRC, Keep Hope Alive, and his wife's Jacqueline Inc. fall in this category). His Push For Excellence, Push Foundation, and CEF are non-profit, as was Operation Push when originally founded. None of these represent a church and thus none are relevant to the discussion at hand. Again though, the point of te article was that the GOP is the one initiating the push to get conservative churches to flirt with infractions of church/state separation for the sake of the party. I challenge you to find and post news stories suggesting the Democratic Party at the national level has mounted a similarly ethically questionable campaign (now or in past elections) to push churches toward potential church/state infractions. Then we will have a valid comparison and not just an offhand remark that the "does not meet the proper agenda" and was ignored.

Baggio, I don't take particular offense at the campaign. I find it humorous because it ain't fooling anyone. But you seem to have missed a critically important distinction. The clip that appeared on MoveOn was NOT MADE BY THEM, NOT PRODUCED WITH CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY, and was a CONTEST ENTRY from a PRIVATE CITIZEN. The Bush Internet campaign WAS PRODUCED BY THE BUSH REELECTION TEAM WITH GOP CAMPAIGN MONEY, and is NOT a mere rant from a private citizen. You do see the difference, right? Oh, and where the contest entry merely resided on the MoveOn site for a time, the Bush campaign ad is being actively emailed to thousands of people.

And well they should. They probably had to suffer through a crappy bootleg of it too, no Dolby or anything... They are in good company. The heavy hitters of the film critic agree with them. Ebert, Travers, Turan, Wernington, Roeper, Strickler, Scott, Thompson, Rex Reed, and pretty much any critic you'd ever encounter give the film high marks. Now, if the film doesn't mesh with your brand of politics I can see ample reason for grousing about it. And to that I say See the film, then bash it. [spoiler alert] Watch the bit with the US soldier with both of his arms blows off in a war that 57% of Americans now think should never have been started. Watch the scene where the exec from United Defense slips up and talks about the 'good climate' on the horizon, then stammer and have to say, 'well, bad for all the people doing the dying, but GOOD FOR BUSINESS' not exact quote, but exact sentiment). Watch the part with the mother from Flint reading the last letter from her dead son in which he realizes he's been duped by his own government into fighting, killing, and dying for a bunch of lies. Watch in disbelief that dumb, dumb primate the Supreme Court slippped into the Oval Office four years ago... Pay particular attention to the end, where Moore reads from Orwells' 1984 about the necessary perpetuity of war as big business - 'when did we start figiting Eurasia? Haven't we always been fighting Eurasia? I thought we were fighting East Asia...' Reflect on how this dysutopian premise that seemed so outlandish 30 years ago is pretty much the chapter-and-verse script for the NeoCon Pax Americana... 'Hussein and Osama are bad. They've always been bad and we've always been at war with them. We've never given billions of dollars in aid, arms, and training to them. No that wasn't Rummy shaking hands with Saddam. No that wasn't my Daddy that sent all that money to the Mujahadeen. No Paul Wolfowitz didn't just tell the world his secret to hair grooming is lot's of spit...'

It's pretty hard for your average Sox fan to score tix to the Wrigley set. The Cub fans on the other hand, since they are used to being screwed over by ticket brokers anyway, will pony up major $$ for the USCF tis if they have to. I know a couple of Cub fans who bought Sos 'Starting Nine' packages just to get tix to the 3 Sox/Cubs games. They then StubHub'd the other 6 games or otherwise got rid of them. It's nice not to be a lemming, but you have to expect the lemmings are going to buy up mist of the Wrigley seats before Sox folks get a chance.

You're surprised by the actions of any conservative religiosos to keep their GOP friends in offoce when there's all that sweet and 'impartially awarded' faith-based charity gravy to hand out?? Bet you'll get this one on the first guess... And if these words you do not heed - Your pocketbook just kinda might recede When some man comes along and claims a Godly need He'll clean you out right through your tweed (That’s right, remember there is a big Difference between kneeling down AND BENDING OVER...) He’s got twenty million dollars in his heavenly bank account... All from those chumps who was born again, Oh yeah, oh yeah He’s got seven limousines and a private plane... All for the use of his special friends, Oh yeah, oh yeah He’s got thousand-dollar suits and a Wembley tie Girls love to stroke it while he’s on the phone, Oh yeah, oh yeah At the house of representatives, he’s a groovy guy... When he gives thanks he is not alone... He is dealin’ He is really dealin’ - IRS can’t determine where the hook is... It is easy with the bible to pretend that you’re in show biz... They won’t get him, they will never get him for the naughty stuff that he did... It is best in cases like this to pretend that you are stoopid. He’s got presidential help all along the way... He says the grace while the lawyers chew, Oh yeah, they sure do And the govenors agree to say: "He’s a lovely man!" He makes it easier for them to screw - All of you... Yes, that’s true! ’cause he helps put the fear of god in the common man Snatchin’ up money everywhere he can, Oh yeah, Oh yeah He’s got twenty million dollars in his heavenly bank account... You ain’t got nothin’, people (TAX THE CHURCHES) You ain’t got nothin’, people (TAX THE BUSINESSES OWNED BY THE CHURCHES) You ain’t got nothin’, people thank the man... Oh! Oh! Oh! Yeah!

If the offer is as straight up as that and the money is in the Vlad/Tejada ballpark I think we'll resign him. But (and this is my big worry) if they offer another contract filled with deferred money and incentive-laden clauses in addition to the DSC, the Ordonez era will be over.

OK, time to start the weekend. Play safe everyone.

Ballgame. Get it back tomorrow.

foul out to Pee Pee Hands

Slumping Willie in for Crede.

1 down

I'd love to touch up Hawkins for a couple runs here, even if we come up short.

PK gets the third hit (finally) of the day

another nice DP - for what it's worth...

Adkins %$#*#!

WTF

Getting late.

No time like the present. How about some hits?

Uribe robs him!

Macias

f***, I thought that was a DP?!?

Gload makes a catch!

Damn straight. (Killjoy)

Ach! Right at Grudz

Do something here Timo