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Openly Gay Harvard Students Challenge "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
Posted by Brave New Films, CitizenTube on July 23, 2008 at 1:22 PM.

In his "Generation Q" op-ed, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman asserted that young activists today are a little "too quiet, too online" for their own good, and that clicks of a mouse cannot rival the vitality of an in-person movement. But what if young activists could combine the in-your-face nature of an offline campaign, with the internet's ability to spread their message to millions?

The Harvard Right to Serve Tour is using YouTube to do just that. As part of the the Tour, openly gay Harvard University students are visiting military recruitment centers across the Eastern Seaboard, trying to enlist – and uploading video footage of each encounter onto YouTube.

"We're trying to show the country the discriminatory practices that are in place, under 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'," says lead campaign organizer and Harvard Divinity School student Jake Reitan. But in addition to that, the campaign is also demonstrating the power of what can happen when activists mix traditional tactics like sit-ins, sign-waving, and submitting to arrest, with new media methods like YouTube to amplify their cause.

Mr. Friedman: we hope you’re taking notice.

Bush: "Wall Street Got Drunk"
Posted by Brave New Films, Brave New Films on July 23, 2008 at 8:28 AM.

The leaked video George Bush does not want you to see. The president called for all cameras to be switched off before this speech at a closed-door fundraiser for Republican Pete Olson in Houston.  He then admits that the American economy is in serious trouble:

"There's no question about it, Wall Street got drunk, that's one of the reasons I asked you to turn off the TV cameras. It got drunk and now it's got a hangover. The question is how long will it sober up and not try to do all these fancy financial instruments."

Guess this is one of those YouTube moments Bush fears.

More over at ABC's Political Radar.

Gook: John McCain's Racism and Why It Matters
Posted by Jason Barnett, The Uptake on July 23, 2008 at 5:56 AM.

The UpTake's Chuck Olsen interviews author Irwin Tang about his book, "Gook: John McCain's Racism and Why It Matters."

McCain first used the word "gook" in the mass media in his 1973 article for U.S. News & World Report. The word appears 12 times in the article and is available online here.

Most recently, McCain used the term in his 2000 presidential campaign, as documented by the San Francisco Chronicle.

To learn more about Mr. Tang's book, which also details McCain's connection to white supremacist groups, visit his web site: http://irwinbooks.com/

The Hypocrisy and Racism of the San Diego Minutemen
Posted by Kyle Hussein de Beausset, Citizen Orange on July 22, 2008 at 11:52 AM.

On July 13, 2008, the San Diego Minutemen protested the appearance of Barack Obama before the National Council of La Raza. Sporting signs with trumped up allegations that the National Council of La Raza is racist, the Minutemen, nevertheless engaged in horrific displays of their own bigotry.

Read more about what happened here.

The Dark Side: Laura Flanders Talks Torture on GRITtv
Posted by Laura Flanders, Firedoglake on July 22, 2008 at 7:48 AM.

On GRITtv, Jane Mayer and Michael Ratner look at John Ashcroft's recent testimony before congress and whether the architects of the war on terror have anything to fear. Will they be held accountable for their policies? The torture debates continue.

More at GRITtv.

Nelson Mandela's Activist Legacy
Posted by Brave New Films, Brave New Films on July 21, 2008 at 4:22 PM.

Nelson Mandela celebrated his 90th birthday last Friday. To mark the occasion, we celebrated the South African leader's life and legacy with two people who have known him and his country well -- Time Magazine's Rick Stengel who helped Mandela with his autobiography and Chief Justice Margaret Marshall of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court who originally hails from South Africa. We also looked back to some of our interviews with prominent South African leaders including Mandela himself.

Watch the full show here.

So Much for Clean Politics: McCain's Latest Attack Ad Ignores Facts
Posted by Matt Stoller, Open Left on July 21, 2008 at 11:57 AM.

Here's the script:

ANNCR: Gas prices - $4, $5, no end in sight, because some in Washington are still saying no to drilling in America.

No to independence from foreign oil.

Who can you thank for rising prices at the pump?

CHANT: Obama, Obama

ANNCR: One man knows we must now drill more in America and rescue our family budgets.

Don't hope for more energy, vote for it. McCain.

JOHN MCCAIN: I'm John McCain and I approve this message.

I spent Netroots Nation obsessed with gas prices, chatting with various operatives and politicians about polling on the subject. The best framing came from Van Jones, who said that we can't 'drill and burn' our way out of this problem. The public is there with us; they don't believe that gas prices are coming down, even if we open everything to oil company leases. Yet the most of the public -- even some liberals -- supports drilling anyway for three reasons:

Read the rest of the post on the flip side »

Meet the Bloggers: Liliana Segura Talks Impeachment and Sending Karl Rove to Jail
Posted by Brave New Films, Brave New Films on July 21, 2008 at 9:00 AM.

On the premiere of Meet the Bloggers, Liliana Segura discussed whether Karl Rove should be sent to jail. She said, "The very people who are supposed to be supporting the law are instead protecting the Bush administration."

For more, check out Liliana's post. Meet the Bloggers airs Fridays at 1PM ET.

And you can pressure the House Judiciary Committee to Send Rove to Jail.

Inside USA: The Rural Frontline of the Healthcare Crisis
Posted by Brave New Films, Al Jazeera on July 21, 2008 at 7:52 AM.

Healthcare in America, a slow-motion disaster with tens of millions unable to afford basic treatment. In one thousand rural counties, life expectancy is actually dropping. While presidential candidates promise change, free clinics struggle with overwhelming demand. Inside USA travels to the forgotten America to meet the people on the frontline.

Watch part 2 of this special here.

Arianna Huffington on the Premiere of Meet The Bloggers
Posted by ZP Heller, Brave New Films on July 18, 2008 at 1:49 PM.

With Meet the Bloggers, Brave New Foundation has created a new live show that features some of the best unconventional minds on the internet today. So they would have been remiss not to have media luminary Arianna Huffington as their first featured guest on today's premiere.

Huffington sat down with Meet the Bloggers host Cenk Uygur and Brave New Films Founder Robert Greenwald to discuss the bourgeoning role of online journalistic outlets like The Huffington Post. According to Huffington, her site fuses the traditional journalism's talent for "ferreting out the truth" with what the new media does best, following up on stories with an almost obsessive-compulsive energy. Greenwald points out that what also matters is the need for these online outlets to "connect the dots," creating a larger picture of how issues are interconnected. There is also the growing concern that the new media must think outside the netroots (h/t Jim Gilliam), just as it's crucial for the mainstream media not to succumb to a beltway mentality.

Catch the full episode of Meet the Bloggers at meetthebloggers.org. And be sure to tune in every Friday at 1PM ET. Next week's guest will be Sen. Harry Reid, so get you questions ready!

Naomi Klein Tears into Bush's Offshore Drilling Plan on Fox
Posted by Naomi Klein on July 18, 2008 at 1:00 PM.

Naomi Klein debunks Bush's offshore drilling plan on Fox Business News' Happy Hour Program.

Daily Show: Dobbs-O-Meter
Posted by The Daily Show on July 18, 2008 at 12:10 PM.

Send Karl Rove to Jail!
Posted by Robert Greenwald, Brave New Films on July 18, 2008 at 7:52 AM.

This sounds like a dream, doesn't it? Well, it's not. We have a unique opportunity right now to send Karl Rove to jail, but only if we take immediate action.

All we have to do is pressure the 40 members of the House Judiciary Committee, make them hold Rove in contempt and send him to jail. We've never had such a direct opportunity to hold Rove accountable. No, this is not enough punishment for his years and years of crimes, but it's a huge start, and will send a very clear message to the entire Bush administration.

We put together this video to explain the issues surrounding Rove's failure to testify before Congress, and why Rove should be held in contempt and sent to jail. Check out Send Karl Rove to Jail, and sign our petition to ensure that the HJC holds Rove in contempt.

Today at 1pm ET / 10am PT, the first episode of Meet the Bloggers will air live, and Karl Rove will be the big topic of discussion with bloggers Marcy Wheeler, Liliana Segura, Baratunde Thurston, and special guest Arianna Huffington. The video will be featured on the show, sign the petition, forward it to friends (don't forget to Digg it), and go to meetthebloggers.org to send in your own thoughts, and join the discussion at 1pm ET.

If you can't watch live, you can always see what was discussed on the show anytime you want at meetthebloggers.org.

McCain in 2003: 'We Can Muddle Through in Afghanistan'
Posted by Jon Soltz, Think Progress on July 18, 2008 at 6:07 AM.

Today, video was unearthed in which Senator John McCain in 2003 says we can just “muddle through in Afghanistan.” Watch it:

The video offers a glimpse into the true thinking of those, like McCain, who backed launching the war in Iraq and committing our forces there indefinitely. Particularly, they believed that Afghanistan wasn’t a concern and we didn’t need to take it seriously. In fact, just a year earlier, on CBS’ Face the Nation, McCain said capturing Osama bin Laden wasn’t “that important.”

Read the rest of the post on the flip side »

Al Gore Throws Down the Gauntlet in Today's Energy Challenge Speech
Posted by Seth Colter Walls, Huffington Post on July 17, 2008 at 2:40 PM.

Just after taking the stage at Daughters of the American Revolution Hall in Washington, D.C. Thursday, former Vice President Al Gore thanked a packed house for attending his speech on how to combat climate change. And then he pointed to a couple of special guests: Libertarian Presidential Candidate Bob Barr and Black Eyed Peas rapper will.i.am (he of the now-famous "Yes We Can" YouTube video in support of Barack Obama).

Gore thanked will.i.am for making the trip from California, and praised Barr for his serious attention to the issue of global climate change.

After the crowd settled down, it wasn't long before Gore brought them to rapturous applause when he said, "We're borrowing money from China to buy oil from the Persian Gulf to burn it in ways that destroy the planet. Every bit of that's got to change."

Then Gore threw down his gauntlet: "Today I challenge our nation to commit to producing 100 percent of our electricity from renewable energy and truly clean carbon-free sources within 10 years."

The former vice president said his challenge is achievable and affordable now in a way it wasn't mere years ago, given the rising cost of oil and the impact of increased investment in new technologies. Specifically, Gore cited the fact that silicon needed for solar panels once fetched $300 per kilogram, but now only costs $50.

Perhaps acknowledging rumblings from Democrats who were reportedly worried that the speech comes at a time when Americans are more interested in lower gas prices than environmental lectures, Gore described his challenge as a necessary part of efforts to foster economic development and improve national security.

"Our dangerous over-reliance on carbon-based fuels is at the core of all three of [our] challenges -- the economic, environmental and national security crises."

Read the rest of the post on the flip side »