Left Leaning Liberal Lady

Patricia Heaton Leads The 2012 War on Women

2012-03-04T18:49:00.001-06:00

If every Tweaton {specific Twitter fans} sent Georgetown Gal one condom, her parents wouldn't have to cancel basic cable & she would never reproduce - sound good?

The above listed tweet is, to say the least, an offensive remark for anyone to make. Further, it is the profoundly ill-informed statement of someone who has failed to sufficiently educate themselves on the testimony that Sandra Fluke was recently brave enough to present before congress. And the genesis of this remark?

Actress Patricia Heaton

Ms. Heaton has long been known as a very conservative individual, which on it's face is not particularly a bad thing. Not a fan of abortion? Don't get one. Anti-gay marriage? Don't get one of those either. Faith prohibits birth control? Then keep contraceptives out of your lily white home.

But this conservative viewpoint has zoomed past the point of being some quietly whispered comment and has transformed into a personalized campaign to smear and slander a young woman. No matter where you are on the political scale, this should be an offense to your sensibilities. Further, it seems that those making the most hateful remarks never even bothered to listen to the testimony. It seems that pre-slander, that this is the first thing you should do.

The #boycottrush campaign, which I have been proud to spearhead, did great work in just three days. As this movement grows, it will now encompass anyone who holds the same boorish and appalling position as Mr. Limbaugh. And that person, we have now discovered, includes

Actress Patricia Heaton

Please join us in boycotting her current television show "The Middle", which is aired on ABC. Following is contact information:

Online Contact Form

http://abc.go.com/site/contact-us

Sunday Morning Political Show Guests March 3, 2012

2012-03-03T22:02:00.000-06:00

No matter where you fall on the political spectrum, you musst get informed and remain informed. Oh, and register to voter....and have the proper ID.....that's it!

State of the Union With Candy Crowley Super Tuesday: GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich. Super Tuesday: GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul. 2012 White House and Congress: Ron Brownstein; Dana Bash. President Obama's AIPAC speech: Martin Indyk; Nick Burns. President Obama's AIPAC speech: Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.); Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.).

Fareed Zakaria GPS GOP presidential race; religion and politics: Chrystia Freeland; Joe Klein; Reihan Salam; Katrina vanden Heuvel.

Face the Nation GOP presidential candidates Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul; Panel. John Dickerson; Norah O'Donnell; Michael Gerson, the Washington Post.

Meet the Press 2012 politics; GOP legislative strategy: Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.).President Obama's re-election effort: Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.).

This Week With George Stephanopoulos Super Tuesday: GOP Presidential Candidate Newt Gingrich. The general election: Obama campaign advisor David Axelrod.

Volunteer To Listen To Rush Limbaugh: Southern States

2012-03-03T14:23:00.000-06:00

ATTENTION:

MIAMI, ORLANDO, ATLANTA, NEW ORLEANS, FORT LAUDERDALE, TUPELO AND OTHER SOUTHERN LOCALES

Thank you for showing an interest in boycotting Rush Limbaugh sponsors. This mission comes on the heels of his recent slanderous tirade that targeted college student Sandra Fluke, who was brave enough to testify in front of congress regarding contraceptive legislation. If you are interested in seeing a clip of Rush in action (brace yourself!), click here.

Because so much of the sponsorship of the Rush Limbaugh radio show is done on the local level, we need to focus on those advertisers as we move our boycott efforts forward. This requires (insert gag here) actually listening to the show and jotting down company names. Warning: Leading physicians recommend limiting these exposures to less than 20 minutes (snark, snark).

Please post your comments regarding sponsorship below and feel free to remain anonymous. If you would be so kind, put the date, time and company name. I can enter company contact information at a later time.

Thank you again for your support of this cause.

Volunteer To Listen To Rush Limbaugh: East Coast

2012-03-03T13:59:00.000-06:00

ATTENTION:

BOSTON, NEW YORK CITY, NEWARK, HARTFORD, WASHINGTON DC AND OTHER EAST COAST LOCALES

Volunteer To Listen To Rush Limbaugh: Southwest USA

2012-03-03T13:57:00.000-06:00

ATTENTION:

PHOENIX, SANTA FE, RENO, TUCSON, ALBUQUERQUE, AND OTHER SOUTHWEST LOCALES

Volunteer To Listen To Rush Limbaugh: California

2012-03-03T13:26:00.000-06:00

ATTENTION:

LA, SAN DIEGO, SAN JOSE, SACRAMENTO, SAN FRANCISCO AND OTHER CALIFORNIA LOCALES

Volunteer To Listen To Rush Limbaugh: Midwest

2012-03-03T13:23:00.000-06:00

ATTENTION:

CHICAGO MILWAUKEE DETROIT INDIANAPOLIS COLUMBUS AND OTHER MIDWEST LOCALES

List of Rush Limbaugh Show Sponsors: BOYCOTT NOW!

2012-03-01T15:45:00.029-06:00

BREAKING!! PLEASE CONSIDER THIS --- Contact the FCC to file a complaint against Rush Limbaugh for soliciting pornography via public airwaves. This is an excellent option!! Contact information...

http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm

PLEASE NOTE: I initially deleted offensive comments from Rush Limbaugh fans because this page was not intended to be such an open forum for debate. Instead, I wanted to simply impart information in a simple and helpful fashion.

However, I have since reconsidered because I feel that when those of us who find Mr. Limbaugh simply appalling see hateful comments from Rush supporters we will simply strengthen our resolve in our efforts. Calling me vile names will not make me shrink away in fear, but will instead cause me to double...nay, triple...my efforts to put an end to hate speech in all forms. We gather strength not only from each other but from the hatred we witness in others.

Some local networks may have additional or differing advertisers. If you note an error in this listing, please post a comment and I will adjust the list accordingly. Contact information for advertisers are listed in case you are so moved to notify them concerning why you are boycotting their brand. Remember: Money talks.....and pulling money from sponsors speaking volumes! Also, if you want to make your voice heard you can try this as well -- contact Michael Soifer Msoifer@premiereradio.com who handles advertising for the program. Let him know your thoughts!

Premiere Radio Networks owns The Rush Limbaugh show -- contact their advertising department at http://premiereradio.com/pages/advertising.html.

Corporate offices are here: http://premiereradio.com/pages/corporate.html

And show them some love on Facebook!!

http://www.facebook.com/premiereradio

Contact information for Clear Channel Communications:

Address:

200 East Basse Road
San Antonio, TX 78209

Communications / Media Relations:

Public Relations
(210) 822-2828
publicrelations@clearchannel.com

Investor Relations:

(210) 822-2828

Website:

webmaster@clearchannel.com

You may also want to contact American Forces Radio. Does Rush Limbaugh really promote the American message that we want heard around the world?

American Forces Network

contactus@MyAFN.net

While you are at it, click here to email your

representative and click here to email your

senator to have Rush Limbaugh pulled from our airwaves!

LIST OF RUSH LIMBAUGH SHOW SPONSORS

AOL Tech Guru (Radio Ads)
1-877-577-3447

Lear Capital - ONLINE AD UPDATE: THEY HAVE PULLED THEIR ADS
1-800-576-9355

LifeLock
1-800-LifeLock (543-3562)
60 East Rio Salado Parkway, Suite 400, Tempe, AZ 85281
For media inquiries, please contact Tami Nealy,
Senior Director of Corporate Communications
(call 1-480-457-2127 or email tami@lifelock.com).

Quicken Loans UPDATE:: THEY HAVE PULLED THEIR ADS!!
(800) 863-4332
1050 Woodward Avenue
Detroit, MI48226

Tax Resolution Services UPDATE: THEY HAVE PULLED THEIR ADS
Online Ad on Rush Site
1-866-IRSPROBLEMS

Heart & Body Extract UPDATE::: PULLED THEIR AD 3/2/12 (Thank you!!!)
Online Ad on Rush Site
1-866-295-5305

ProFlowers UPDATE: THEY HAVE PULLED THEIR ADS
Sales or Service: 1-800-580-2913
Phone: 800.580.2913

Sleep Train (Mattress Center) NOTE: PULLED THEIR AD 3/2/12!!!! Warehouse Ct., Ste 100
North Highlands, CA 95660Phone: (800) 919-2337
Fax: (866) 293-5719

eharmony UPDATE: eHarmony indicates that they do not advertise on this show
300 N. Lake Ave., Suite 1111
Pasadena, CA 91101
media@eharmony.com 626.795.4814
FAX 626.585.4040

CARBONITE, Inc. UPDATE: ADS HAVE BEEN PULLED 617-587-1100
177 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
Direct Dial Office: 617-587-1100 EXT:1115

Sleep Number Bed UPDATE:: THESE ADS HAVE BEEN PULLED!!!!
Select Comfort Corporation 6105 Trenton Lane N
Minneapolis, MN 55442
Phone: 763-551-7000
Fax: 763-551-7826
800-438-2233

Oreck Upright Vacuum Cleaners UPDATE:: NO LONGER AN ADVERTISER
100 Plantation Road
New Orleans, Louisiana 70123
800-289-5888

Mid-West Life Insurance Company of Tennessee UPDATE: ADS HAVE BEEN PULLED
9151 Grapevine Hwy.North Richland Hills, TX 76180
Phone (800) 733-1110
(ads on rushlimbaugh.com)

AutoZone Inc. UPDATE:: THIS GROUP PULLED THEIR ADS!!
901-495-7185; Fax: 901-495-8374
P.O. Box 2198, Memphis, TN 38101

LegalZoom UPDATE:: THIS GROUP PULLED THEIR ADS!!
800-773-0888; Fax: 323-962-8300

Citrix Online (GoToMyPC) UPDATE:: THIS GROUP PULLED THEIR ADS!!
6500 Hollister Avenue, Goleta, CA 93117
Phone: 805-690-6400; Fax: 805-690-6471
ALSO KNOWN AS GOTOMEETING.COM

American Forces Network
Contact Us: @MyAFN.net

Mission Pharmcal Company UPDATE: NO LONGER AN ADVERTISER
10999 IH-10 West Suite 1000
P.O. Box 786099
San Antonio, TX 78278-6099
Telephone: (800) 531-3333

Life Quotes, Inc.
32045 Castle Court Evergreen, CO 80439
1-800-670-5433

Contact:
Michelle Matlock, Senior Managing Editor
(800)556-9393, x.335

Lending Tree
(704) 541-5351

Jan Brewer Endorses Mitt Romney

2012-02-26T08:52:00.001-06:00

On Meet the Press this morning, Jan Brewer announced to David Gregory that she is officially endorsing Mitt Romney. The Arizona primary is scheduled for this Tuesday, so this comes as no surprise that she has finally make such an announcemnt. In fact, she indicated that she wanted to wait until after the recent debate in Mesa, Arizona to make her decision because she wanted to see what the four candidates would say during that event prior to making her determination.

Really, Jan Brewer? One more debate is all you needed to make your decision? The GOP has had, to date, a shocking 20 debates in only nine months. During these debates the candidates have had an opportunity to show their true colors. In many cases, this did not bode well for their candidacy. For example, it wasn’t until Rick Perry proved himself an unprepared, unpredictable and unfathomable fool in these debates that the GOP ceased taking him seriously. It was during these debates that Mitt Romney has appeared as a wealthy overlord with little sense of what it means to be middle class in the US. Herman Cain, who could not get 9/9/9 to overshadow his personal failings, was eventually shown the door. Newt Gingrich was shown to be an arrogant boor while Ron Paul appeared as a disheveled and scrambling fool. And Rick Santorum quickly showed his true feelings on women who, if he had done his math, represents slightly more than half of the voting populace.

Still, Jan needed to wait. She needed to weigh, for the 20^th time, her GOP options. Perhaps, in fact, she was waiting instead for the flap about her finger wagging incident to die down so that her opinion could be taken seriously. Anyone who would treat the President of the United States of America in such a supremely disrespectful manner does not deserve to have her endorsement taken seriously. Her behavior that day on the tarmac was not just unconscionable, it was unpatriotic. In a presidency wherein the GOP feels that they can treat our President (their president!) in any disrespectful way they choose without repercussions, this was a hallmark moment.

And that moment, my friends, is when Jan Brewer showed her true colors.

The Year Of The Woman

2012-02-25T18:58:00.001-06:00

Many women, even those as young as 20ish or 30ish, were raised to keep the peace. To make others comfortable. To be the hostess of their own life wherein the happiness of others took precedence over their own comfort. Whether women received overt messages at home or more whispered directions out in the world, it seems that no matter how far we seem to have come women still hesitate to cause trouble for those around them.

This typically translates to silence and it nearly always comes at the expense of the quiet and demure woman. However, in recent weeks and thanks to the offensive efforts of the GOP, this tide seems to be turning. It is happening in whispers at the manicurist, chats at PTA meetings and intense dialogues on Facebook. It is coming from women who heretofore may have had nearly no interest in politics and who may have even wrongfully believed that politics held no place of importance in their own life. It is coming from working women, older gals, educated ladies, poor females and divorced women. Teachers, mothers, cashiers, Texans, nurses, Northerners, dental hygienists, grandmothers. It is coming from the least expected amongst us and the voices are loud and they are strong.

The GOP War On Women Ends Here And Now

We will not wait until November to speak up. We will not wait until it gets worse. We will not wait until it hits closer to home or more laws or enacted or the dialogue gets more diabolical. We will not wait until our daughters come of age or when we find the right words or when the atmosphere is receptive to our efforts. We will fight back and we will do it today. No matter the response and regardless of the pushback, now that we have found our collective voices we will never step back in time. While some younger gals may not recall ERA YES, now is the time to remind them. It is the time to share our female experience with those coming up behind us and remind them of how far we have come. And, how the GOP is attempting to control us and would like nothing more than to push us back to 1950…or perchance even 1850.

At long last, the GOP has messed with the wrong demographic. The strength of this great country has always rested with women, no matter what sort of old (white) boy network continues to prevail in politics.

No More

There is little that every woman in this country can agree on. Coffee versus tea? Country versus rock? Religion versus atheism? Age gracefully versus rocking a mini at age 50? But this much we can agree on: We have come so far and we refuse to take even half a step backwards. We will not sit silent and we will not allow the GOP to continue to jeopardize our basic human rights. We will not be bullied or terrorized or belittled. We will find strength in our sisterhood and we will…

Vote Democratic To Protect Our Interests

Top Liberal Goals For The Week

2012-02-20T10:10:00.001-06:00

As liberals continue to get great news regarding our chances for a win in November, it may be easy to become complacent. You may look at the recent polls, which show President Barack Obama beating all GOP candidates, and feel that no further work needs to be done. While this is wonderful news and information that should be celebrated, this does not mean that our work is complete.

It seems that every single day the GOP launches a new attack on a difference segment of the population. While these attacks are designed to speak to their base, which has shifted further to the right than William F. Buckley or Ronald Reagan could have ever imagined, this needs to be our motivation for counter-attacks. While we never imagined that we would be having a birth control debate more reminiscent of 1950 than 2012, this is the deal that has been served to us and we must respond accordingly.

The biggest danger that we face is presuming that our thought process (“Outlawing birth control? Crazy talk!”) is the logical mind-speak of the masses. Remember that you are more than likely surrounding yourself with folks that share your values, not realizing that there are millions of individuals around the country that do not think as you do.

In fact, the common platform theme of all of the candidates is the SOTO policy, which is Someone Other Than Obama. These candidates may not have much going for them, but to their base they have the primary selling point that they are looking for in a potential president: They are not Barack Obama. Sad, yes. Misinformed, yes. Short sighted, yes. Many continue to contend that this is simply poorly cloaked racism, but this is where we are at and let us work with what has been handed to us.

To move our message forward we need to remain focused and we must never believe that some amount of good news is enough good news. The only good news that we want to hear is that President Barack Obama has been elected to a second term. And, perhaps more importantly, that we once again have a democrat dominated congress.

Because our job is far from done, we need to approach each week with a plan to move our message forward. Whether the efforts are large or small, every movement in the right direction will get us to where we need to be. Remember what Pablo Picasso said…

Action is the foundational key to all success.

Here are my top three Election 2012 goals for this week and you are welcome to adopt them as your own. Please also use the comment option to add your own. I will be posting a fresh list each Monday, so that we can all work towards the common goal of a democratic win in November.

Order Two Yard Signs From http://store.barackobama.com

The first one is likely to get stolen, so it is best to be prepared. Many people I know are placing a note next to their sign indicating something along the lines of “If you steal this, I will buy a new one. This will only infuse the Obama campaign with additional funds, so make your thieving choices wisely”

Hold My Nose And Watch A Modicum Of Fox News

Why? Because how can we be prepared for what they will hit us with next if we cannot peek inside of their think tank. Like it or not, Fox News is the GOP campaign headquarters.

Tweet…Thoughtfully and Often

Both sides are really paying attention to Twitter right now, so we need to keep our message fresh on Twitter and not allow them to get the upper hand in this arena.

Sunday Morning Political Show Guests February 19, 2012

2012-02-19T06:37:00.000-06:00

Get informed and stay informed. Whether you are republican or democrat, it is important to stay abreast of all of the political news so that you can make informed decisions and have educated debate to support your position.

Meet The Press

Paul Ryan
Chairman, House Budget Committee

Chris Van Hollen
Ranking Member, House Budget Committee

Ed Gillespie
Republican Strategist

Al Hunt
Washington Editor and Host of "Political Capital," Bloomberg News

Helene Cooper
White House Correspondent, NBC News

Andrea Mitchell
Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent, NBC News

Chris Matthews Show

Liz Marlantes of Christian Science Monitor

Michael Duffy of Time Magazine

Major Garrett of Nation Journal

Kelly O’Donnell of NBC News

State of the Union With Candy Crowley

Ron Paul

Mitch Daniels

Michele Bachmann

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz

Former CIA Director Michael Hayden

Former Ambassador to Egypt and Israel Edward Walker

Face The Nation

Rick Santorum

Karen Tumulty of Washington Post

Todd Spangler of Detroit Free Press

Norah O’Donnell of CBS News

John Dickerson of CBS News

This Week With George Stephanopoulos

Sen. John McCain

Former White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs

Lou Dobbs of Fox Business

Former White House Press Secretary Dee Dee Myers

Clarence Page of Chicago Tribune

Voter ID Requirements For All 50 States

2012-02-11T09:49:00.004-06:00

Please be sure to read the following carefully and learn what is required in your state. As laws become updated, I will be sure to revise this listing accordingly. No matter what your political leaning, the right to vote in this great country is critical and should not be ignored. Remember: No candidate is perfect, but the right to vote is pure perfection.

Photo ID Required for All Voters

The following are states that require photo ID for all voters, however a provisional ballot is not granted if a voter does not bring a photo ID to the polls in these states.

Alaska
Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas
Connecticut
Colorado
Delaware
Kansas
Kentucky
Missouri
Montana
New Mexico
North Dakota
Ohio
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Texas
Tennessee
Virginia
Washington
Wisconsin

Photo ID Required for All Voters with Provisonal Ballot Clause

The following states require all voters to show a photo ID in order to vote; if a voter does not present photo ID at the polls a provisional ballot is provided.

Indiana
Georgia
Florida

Photo ID Required for All Voters with Full Ballot Clause

The following states require photo ID for voting, however if a voter does not present photo ID at the polls a Full ballot will be provided.

Michigan
South Dakota
Louisiana
Hawaii

Photo ID Required for First Time Voters Only

The following state requires photo ID only for first time voters.

Pennsylvania

States that enforce only the HAVA Minimum

These states are those that only enforce the minimum standard by the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) in which only require a photo ID when an ID was not presented at registration.

California
District of Columbia
Idaho
Illinois
Iowa
Kentucky
Maine
Massachusetts
Maryland
Minnesota
Mississippi
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New York
New Jersey
North Carolina
Oklahoma
Oregon
Tennessee
Utah
Vermont
West Virginia
Wyoming

The Assessment of Blame: In Bush Versus Obama, The Villain is Clear

2011-08-28T10:51:00.000-05:00

A new poll by the Associated Press reveals that 51% of Americans now believe that President George Bush is primarily responsible for the current dicey economic situation in the United States. The balance of the poll shows that 31% of polled individuals believe that President Barack Obama is responsible for the current states of affairs.

As noted in the name of this blog, I am liberal to my core and generally devote myself to the democratic and liberal framework. At the same time, I am a realist who likes to think that I approach all things political with an open mind. I have to say, however, that that I do not agree in the least with these poll numbers. The blame is clearly Bush’s alone.

What republicans fail to understand when it comes to our current economic landscape are two essential concepts: “what might have been” and responsibility at inception of the crisis. Perhaps it is because they are overly rigid in their thinking or maybe it is because they cannot think in any manner that will defy their own cause. In any case, their failure to understand these concepts mean that they will never really understand what has happened over the last 10 years.

Concept number one as listed above is “what might have been”. When Obama took office in January of 2009, he fairly quickly drafted the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (which was actually signed into law in the spring of 2010). Not only was this act widely decried by republicans at the time of signature, but its efficacy continues to be doubted by them today. This act, also commonly referred to as The Stimulus Plan, has actually been proven by leading economists to have been effective in stemming the tide of economic disaster. The key to their assessment is the theory that sans the stimulus plan, the actual effects of the downward fiscal pattern (e.g., unemployment, foreclosure rates, loan defaults) would have been much more serious without this measure.

Imagine a patient that has cancer and the doctor prescribes chemotherapy and radiation as treatment. The patient undergoes this line of treatment and is generally well for 36 months. At that time, things take a turn for the worse and the patient ends up dying as a result of the cancer. The question is this: Did the treatment work? Yes, it did. It worked because for three years the patient was primarily healthy and functioning. Was it a cure-all? Obviously not. However, without the treatment the patient would have likely died within the first 6 to 9 months. Just because the ARRA did not leave us all employed millionaires with robust portfolios does not mean that it did not work.

The second piece that republicans fail to understand is that the fact of the matter is that George Bush was behind the wheel of this bus as it veered off course and headed straight towards a fiscal cliff. Chief bipartisan economists directly point to the timeline of this crisis which began under the watch of Bush and seemed to have started with the bursting of the housing bubble. That was due to the rise of sub-prime mortgages, which began in the mid 2000s.

This, my friends, was under the watch of George Bush and was a result of deregulation. Who was behind that? Ronald Reagan and varying other republicans through the decades. They put in place an economic house of cards that was doomed to collapse and that occurred while Bush was in office. He did nothing to stop this, even as his advisers warned of impending fiscal doom.

The fact that Obama was elected in the middle of a disaster does not make him responsible for the debacle. Republicans continue to want to pin this on him and as we approach Election 2012 we need to keep reminding voters of the truth of the matter. We need to not allow their hysteria and sound bites and revision of history changed the facts of the matter.

This topic will definitely be at the forefront of attacks on Obama over the course of the next 15 months. Vigilant liberals need to make sure that the responsibility for this economic nightmare is place squarely where it belongs: On the shoulders of George Bush. Further, they need to be reminded that without the stimulus package the results would have been even more devastating. The bottom line is that the stimulus worked and another round would do our economy a world of good.

A Limmerick Tribute to Republican Crazies

2011-08-23T09:58:00.000-05:00

Sarah Palin plays it coy,

Treating presidential candidacy as a toy.

A meandering bus tour,

To pull her ratings out of the sewer,

Perchance simply a Perry decoy.

Michele Bachman and facts,

With the truth she is simply lax.

Can’t seem to get much straight,

Which of course includes her mate,

Methinks Marcus is gay to the max.

Rick Perry is a king hypocrite,

A crown of mighty fools is most befit.

Writes Fed Up in 2010,

Now he is just one of those men,

Who denounces his past much like Mitt.

Bill O'Reilly, You Are Dead Ass Wrong

2011-08-16T16:28:00.000-05:00

I have a confession to make: I watch Fox News. Now, before you snatch away my liberal card, tear the Obama 2012 shirt off my back and thrust a poorly crafted Tea Party sign into my hand, let me explain a bit further. I do not by any means watch Fox on a regular basis and, honestly, I only watch until my retinas begin to burn and I can sense my IQ dropping point by point. There have been moments, though, where I have watched long enough and become enraged enough that my husband actually has to pry the remote from my hand and gently steer me towards the Food Network or perhaps a rerun of Hoarders.

I watch Fox news for three distinct purposes. First, I think it is hypocritical to critique something you have no first-hand knowledge of. Second, I watch to get some insight into what the other side is up to (something of a recon mission). And finally, I watch because I suffer from dangerously low blood pressure and a bit of Hannity always does the trick by raising my B/P a good dozen points. Okay, I am kidding about the third reason…kinda.

Which leads me to this blog and what my newest plan is for you, my dedicated readers. I am volunteering, kind lady that I am, to take a bullet for you and let you know what is happening over in the world of Fox. And every so often I will distill what I have learned and will share it with you, again via this blog, in a segment now known as “(Fill in moronic person on Fox), You Are Dead Ass Wrong”. Methinks I will have a wealth of material and this river of un-knowledge will never run dry. Talk about blog security!

First up: Bill O’Reilly

Last week I watch a segment with Bill O’Reilly, Alan Colmes and an un-named, but kind of cute, brunette and bespectacled Ann Coulter wannabe. The topic of discussion was the legislation that mandates that health insurance carriers now cover birth control. This topic immediately piqued my interest as I am a former health insurance administrator and thus have a bit of inside information that Bill O’Reilly and his pack of fools may be lacking.

BOR immediately started flapping his arms like a crazed pigeon in Times Square and squawking about this outrage. I am paraphrasing, but this is essentially what he was saying: “This is ridiculous! This is more government oppression! This means that every single one of us, including my fat cat ass, will have to pay more in insurance premiums! Squawk! Squawk!”.

Poor Bill. Poor idiotic, ill informed, needs-to-buy-a-calculator (to replace his abacus) Bill O’Reilly. Allow me to crunch some numbers for you…

Cost of a healthy yet unplanned pregnancy: $10,000

Cost of birth control pills: $20/month

Therefore, for every one unplanned pregnancy you can purchase 500 months of pills…or, 42 years. Of course, this does not include the expense of a less than healthy pregnancy, neonatology expenses, the medical cost of the child itself and all related costs for an “unwanted” child (read: Medicaid, reduced lunch program, WIC, etc).

You seem like intelligent and thoughtful readers, so you tell me: Which is more cost effective? The obvious answer is the birth control pills.

But let me also let you in on a little secret, Bill O’Reilly and similar morons…You are already paying for the birth control pills. You see, for many decades most health insurance carriers did not pay for birth control pills when they were prescribed for contraceptive purposes. However, they would pay for them if the physician listed as a diagnosis something along the lines of Dysmenorrhea, Polycystic Ovaries, or some other related gynecological issue. Yes, as a courtesy to their female patients physicians would game the system in order to make sure that birth control pills were covered by women who wanted them. These physicians knew that offering someone birth control is always much wiser than risking an unintended pregnancy.

Here is another little tidbit for you about the expense of birth control pills. Health insurance carriers have cooperative agreements with both pharmacies and pharmaceutical companies. This means that what may cost an uninsured individual $20 at the local pharmacy will cost Humana, Aetna or Anthem only $7. However, the average copay for medications is $20-30. Therefore, not only has the member themselves actually paid for the full cost of the medication, but your local Walgreens or Rite-Aid is making a fair profit as well and plays into the aforementioned cooperative agreement.

Of course, I don’t expect Bill O’Reilly to know this. Frankly, I am shocked he knows anything including how to tie his own shoes. But I assume that he has interns or assistants or some other helpful staff in order to educate him so that he does not appear foolish to viewers. My only explanation for why this does not occur is that (a) These staff members are actually, ha ha ha, staunch liberals or (b) They are just as dim at BOR himself (I am leaning towards the second option).

In any case, I conclude with only these seven words: Bill O’Reilly, You Are Dead Ass Wrong

Sunday Morning Programing: Get Informed, Stay Informed

2011-08-14T09:52:00.000-05:00

Fellow liberals, do you know what separates us from "them"? Our ability to think rationally, educate ourselves, differentiate fact from fiction and always remain well informed. Okay, we also have opposable thumbs, our houses do not have wheels and we do not consider pork rinds a major food group.

In an effort to remain constantly informed, following is a listing of Sunday morning programming for today 8/14/11. Yes, many of the names listen herein cause vomit to creep up the back of your throat, but do stay the course and do not let that frighten you.

Meet the Press: Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN); Roundtable: Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad (R), Republican Strategist Mike Murphy, Eugene Robinson (Washington Post), Jonathan Martin (Politico) and Chuck Todd (NBC News).

Face the Nation: Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN); DNC Chair/Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL).

This Week: Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN); Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R); Roundtable: George Will (Washington Post), Republican Strategist Matthew Dowd, Amy Walter (ABC News), Radio Host Laura Ingraham and Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa).

Fox News Sunday: Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN); Roundtable: Bret Baier (Fox News), Steve Hayes (Weekly Standard) and Chair of the Iowa GOP Matt Strawn.

State of the Union: Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN); Pizza Mogul Herman Cain; Rep. Steve King (R-IA); Neil King (Wall Street Journal); Philip Rucker (Washington Post); Reliable Sources: Jackie Kucinich (USA Today); Roger Simon (Politico); Jennifer Rubin (Washington Post); Radio Host Stephanie Miller; Wayne Slater (Dallas Morning News); Felix Salmon (Reuters); David Bohrman (Current TV).

The Chris Matthews Show: Nia-Malika Henderson (Washington Post); Howard Fineman (Huffington Post); David Ignatius (Washington Post); Jamie Tarabay (National Journal).

Fareed Zakaria GPS: Paul Krugman (New York Times); Harvard University Professor Kenneth Rogoff, PhD; Author Dr. Theodore Dalrymple; British Journalist David Goodhart; Author Ahmed Rashid.

Ode To Herman Cain

2011-08-13T12:49:00.000-05:00

Fellow liberals, this project has been going fairly well thus far and I certainly do appreciate your collective input. In case you missed the Michele Bachmann deadline, you can send your correspondence directly to her at:

MICHELE BACHMANN

103 Cannon HOB

Washington, DC 20515

Phone: (202) 225-2331

Fax: (202) 225-6475

I am confident, lovely lady that she is, that should would be delighted to hear what her fellow Americans have to say about her. You betcha!

Next up ==> Herman Cain

I know, there is so much to say to our fave loony pizza dude. And you fellow liberals have such a great way of getting your message across in an effective, pointed and clear manner. As opposed, of course, to the jibber jabber that we often get from....well, Herman Cain himself!

You know the drill (and if you don't, see the prior posts) -- finish this thought:

Dear Herman Cain:

Dear Michelle Bachmann

2011-08-05T10:33:00.000-05:00

UPDATE: PLEASE NOTE THAT WE WILL DOING THIS PROJECT WEEKLY NOT DAILY, SO YOU HAVE UNTIL AUGUST 12th TO SUBMIT YOUR MESSAGE TO MICHELLE BACHMAN. THANK YOU!

Folks, today we will be sending our letters to Michelle Bachmann. Thank you so much for your response yesterday regarding Allen West -- I am sending the comments from this page, Facebook (Left Leaning Liberal Ladies) and Twitter (@theliberallady) to his office at 2108 North Federal Highway, Boca Raton, Florida 33432 (no kidding, I used to live just a few miles away from this address before I moved back to the Chicago area). He will get a letter from me, with all of the comments printed up in a nice tidy format for him to review.

Please see the instructions for this little project on my post yesterday entitled, Republicans Take Note.

Thank you for participating and let's work together to get our collective voices heard in Washington.

Now....finish this thought... ==>>

Dear Michelle Bachmann:

Republicans, Take Note

2011-08-04T15:46:00.000-05:00

In all likelihood, you are viewing this blog because you are left leaning yourself and would like very much to see a significant change to the political direction of this great country. You are unwilling to sit silently while the likes of Michelle Bachmann, Eric Cantor, Mitt Romney, Mitch McConnell and others try to hold us hostage while relaying to their base a message that is warped at best and criminal at worst. You are concerned not just with the re-election of President Barack Obama, but want to ensure that a democratic congress is elected in 2012 and that the American dreams remains alive and well for all Americans....not simply select Americans.

You may, however, feel limited in what you can do and where to place your enthusiasm, energy and focus. While volunteering for a political campaign is obviously the most productive thing to do, many people do not have the time to do so or are not comfortable doing this. Donating money is another superb way to help out, but that is not doable for many individuals in this dicey economy.

What I am now launching on my site is something called "Republicans, Take Note". Each day (yes, every day) I will be posting the name of a republican politician and I am asking you to give me a message that you would like delivered to that individual. I will gather all the comments, remarks and sentiments and commit them to paper. Then, I will mail them to their offices and get our collective message across to them.

You may relay your message to me here on this blog, via my Facebook page at "Left Leaning Liberal Ladies" or via Twitter @theliberallady. I would like to respectfully ask that you do not use profanity during the course of your communication. I know, this will be super hard with some republican politicians who strike us as particularly vile. However, I think this is important in getting our message across in the most effective manner possible.

When you leave your comment please also let me know your initials and where you live. You do not need to provide a full name, unless you would like to. I am committed to doing this whether I receive 3 responses per day or 300 or 3,000.

There will also be some days that I may ask that you direct your comments to democrats as well. Not only do we occasionally needs to give these heroes an "Atta Boy", but we also may need to hold their feet to the fire and make sure that they take our vision of a perfected America to Washington and make it a reality.

Thank you for listening and I look forward to your comments.

THE POLITICIAN FOR THE DAY IS: ALLEN WEST

Complete List of Koch Products to Boycott

2011-08-01T07:49:00.001-05:00

Following is a list outlining Koch products that should be boycotted. A detailed blog concerning the justification for this boycott is forthcoming. If you find that this list is incomplete or unclear, feel free to post a comment.

Angel Soft toilet paper
Brawny paper towels
Dixie plates, bowls, napkins and cups
Mardi Gras napkins and towels
Quilted Northern toilet paper
Soft 'n Gentle toilet paper
Sparkle napkins
Vanity fair napkins
Zee napkins
Georgia-Pacific paper products and envelopes

Lycra
Stainmaster Carpet

Dense Armor Drywall and Decking
ToughArmor Gypsum board
Georgia pacific Plytanium Plywood
Flexrock
Densglass sheathing
G/P Industrial plasters (some products used by a lot of crafters)-

FibreStrong Rim board
G/P Lam board
Blue Ribbon OSB Rated Sheathing
Blue Ribbon Sub-floor
DryGuard Enhanced OSB
Nautilus Wall Sheathing
Thermostat OSB Radiant Barrier Sheathing
Broadspan Engineered Wood Products
XJ 85 I-Joists
FireDefender Banded Cores
FireDefender FS
FireDefender Mineral Core
Hardboard and Thin MDF including Auto Hardboard,
Perforated Hardboard and Thin MDF
Wood Fiberboard -
Commercial Roof Fiberboard
Hushboard Sound Deadening Board
Regular Fiberboard Sheathing
Structural Fiberboard Sheathing

COMFOREL® fiberfill
COOLMAX® fabric
CORDURA® fabric
DACRON® fiber
POLYSHIELD® resin
SOLARMAX® fabric
SOMERELLE® bedding products
STAINMASTER® carpet
SUPPLEX® fabric
TACTEL® fiber
TACTESSE® carpet fiber
TERATE® polyols
TERATHANE® polyether glycol
THERMOLITE® fabric
PHENREZ® resin
POLARGUARD® fiber and
LYCRA® fiber

The Curse of Silence

2011-07-29T06:16:00.001-05:00

I am embarrassed to admit this, but there have been times in my life when I have remained silent when I should have been speaking my mind and defending the defenseless. It is one of the curses of being a lady, this compulsion to keep the peace and make sure that no one’s feelings get hurt even at the risk of your own silent dismay. However, the older I get the more that this entire concept seems nonsensical to me. Still, there are moments when I am torn between silence and speaking. And as I try to discuss this with my husband, he looks at me as though I am a speaking a foreign language. It appears that men just do not have this same dilemma. If they have something to say, it generally just comes flying out of their mouths and they deal with the repercussions at a later time.

I was fairly shy as a young lady, yet I yearned desperately to speak up when I knew that what I was hearing with my ears did not resonate with my heart and mind. I would have intricate debates only in my brain, but was saddened that I could not lend language to these great thoughts. As a matter of fact, this is probably one of the greatest regrets of my life: Remaining mute when assertive dialogue was warranted.

This is something that woman all around the world struggle with and it speaks to the way that girls are just raised differently than boys. I would like to think that the tide has turned through the years, but I still know women who keep their most assertive selves silent. I see it in their eyes at coffee houses, in their body language at family reunions, and in the way that sink a bit deeper in their chair at a cocktail party as their gaze drops downward. It is a shame and it needs to stop. Through the support of other women, and men for that matter, who cheer her own with cries of, “You have a right to be heard” we can bring all of our sisters out of their silence and into a world a civil assertiveness and even debate.

When I finally was able to speak out I was in my 20s and it was as though a verbal and emotional tiger had been let out of a cage. When at last I summoned the nerve to speak out in support of gay rights, in favor reproductive rights or against domestic, I was like a verbal Tasmanian devil…a whirling dervish of rapid fire thoughts spewing from my mouth and wild hand gestures. Lady-like? I think not. Still, I was on the right pathway.

Through the years I learned to slowly gather my thoughts, speak in a language that my audience would understand and communicate with utter conviction. Women often have a way of asserting themselves with a question mark at the end. As in, “Gee, I think the death penalty is just wrong…?” or “Gosh, in some cases abortion is just warranted…?”. It is a skill that many of us cultivate through the years and once it is mastered, we can handle most anyone in a conversation regarding controversial topics.

As the challenges of our world become more immense, as those on the far right begin utilizing absurd scare tactics, and as the political issues hit closer to home, we all need to find our voice and speak out on these issues. This is where the power of sisterhood becomes integral as we boost the confidence of each other and come together with a common, cohesive message. It is just the lady-like thing to do.

The Evil Of Grover Norquist

2011-07-28T10:10:00.000-05:00

If you do not know who Grover Norquist is, then chances are that you have been ... (a) Living under a rock for the last month; (b) Watch Fox News exclusively; or (c) Been in a coma since spring (in which case, I cannot help but welcome you back to the world and hope that the current state of affairs do not cause a relapse of your symptoms).

Grover Norquist is a hostage taker and a blackmailer. It truly is just that simple. The sad part of the story is that Republicans actually gladly sign up to be held hostage by this loon. Grover Norquist decided decades ago that taxes are bad. Period. No qualifier, no exception, no wiggle room. Sound extreme? To quote the Barbie Of The Right -- "You Betcha!!" (wink, wink).

Grover Norquist is the founder and president of a group called Americans For Tax Reform. While the name may sound benign, it is clearly misleading. This group believes that government is too big and that no new taxes should be levied on the American people. None. Ever. No matter what the circumstance, no matter what happens in the future, no matter how befitting taxation is for the current climate -- no means no, to Grover Norquist.

To this end, he asks (read: coerces) republicans to sign piece of garbage entitled the Taxpayer Protection Pledge indicating that they will never vote for any piece of legislation that would allow for new taxes. Insanely enough, this even includes not allow the Bush tax cuts to expire since this would net an actual, and much needed, increase in governmental revenue. In fact, he is opposed to the ending of any tax breaks at all, including those for big business. The republicans that sign this pledge do so under duress and do it to ensure their continued electability. If they fail to sign it, Grover Norquist and his gang of thugs run a republicans opponent in the non-signers race and ensure, via campaign funding, that The Defiant One loses the election. Talk about holding one by the...well....private parts.

Norquist is coy in saying that the pledge is not made to him, but is made to the American people. But the fact of the matter is that Norquist created the pledge, he threw it in the face of republicans and failure to sign has negative repercussions that he and his group will be sure to enact. How is this different than any other blackmail scenario? Better yet, how is this good for the country?

There is no doubt that tax reform is greatly needed in this country. However, blackmail and barely veiled threats is no way to accomplish anything in the US government. Republicans need to gather their troops and decide, as a whole, to walk away from Grover Norquist and his pledge. In doing do, the tiger will then have no teeth and real tax reform can actually occur.

All Aboard The Political Bandwagon

2011-07-27T16:54:00.000-05:00

I am a lot of things. I am a mother, a wife, a writer, a daughter, a neighbor and a friend. I am right-handed, love chocolate, am addicted to Diet Coke and adore traveling. I have a marriage that rocks, a dog that sleeps all day and two brothers who drive me insane. I am, also, a liberal.

I have been keenly interested in politics from as far back as I can remember. As a matter of fact, I recall sitting with my father watching "60 Minutes" and the evening news when I was still in elementary school. I asked questions, he patiently responded and I knew that politics had a strong hold on my family. No matter how old, how young, whatever your stage in life politics had meaning. As a matter of fact, my father seemed much more concerned that you had an active interest in politics as opposed to where you actually fall on the political spectrum.

I find that I am very much like my father in that regard. My tolerance for apathy is just about nil and I continue to be amazed when people feel that politics is so very distant from their day-to-day lives. The fact of the matter is that you are knee deep in politics all day, every day, whether you like it or not. And given that this is a fact, it is best to jump on board and at the very least educate yourself about the latest political news.

When you have a minute, ponder the impact that politics plays in your own life. Think about your job, the taxes you pay, your retirement plan, your property taxes, your child's ability to attend college, the interest rate on your credit card or your access to quality health care. It is there, a substantial force dictating big pieces of your existence.

As an American, it is your duty to stay on top of all things political. It is a responsibility that those around the world would love to have and we, selfish and self-absorbed residents of this great nation, take for granted on a daily basis. Your politics do not need to be my politics, but I do respectfully ask that you do jump into the political pool and swim the rest of us political nerds.