Submit Your Questions for the October 7 Presidential Debate

MySpace has a page set up for regular people like you and me to submit questions to Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain for the next presidential debate. And the great part of this is:

• You can submit as many questions as you want.
• EVERY question will be submitted to moderator Tom Brokaw for consideration.
• You don't have to be a MySpace member to participate.
  

But you only have until October 2 to submit your questions, so act fast!

I've submitted one question already, and I just might send another couple. Here's one question I would like John McCain to answer:

Senator McCain, in 1999, you told the San Fransisco Chronicle that Roe v. Wade should not be overturned because it would force women to undergo "dangerous" illegal abortions. What has happened in the past 9 years that this is no longer a concern?

Take Action Monday

I donated most of my clothes to the Lupus Foundation of America, and now the new clothes that I ordered online are showing up on my front porch. New clothes makes me feel a tad bit better about the fact that the Mets' playoff dreams were smashed thanks to their craptastic pitching -- for the second season in a row. But anyway . . . .

Change the presidential debates to focus on real issues, like healthcare.

Demand quality and affordable healthcare for all.

Tell Sarah Palin that she is not your candidate.

Help take care of kids affected by hurricanes.

Support equal pay.

Register to vote.

Tell the Surgeon General to encourage kids to play outside.

Someone Seriously Said This

Before I created [A] Funny Feminist, I posted on a different blog. For some reason, some people haven't recognized that it hasn't been updated since July and are still leaving comments. Here's one awaiting moderation that someone posted a couple of days ago.

You have no idea what extreme feminist is do you? it isn't normal feminism, that's called FEMINISM. Extreme feminism is what alot of feminist groups are turning into. Feminism used to be the equality between women and men. Now feminist groups are starting to say their better then men, and even blaming men for all the wrong things in today's society. Don't you think that's a little EXTREME? Don't post comment when you don't even know what your talking about. There have been extreme feminists who have abducted males.

I have no idea what this person is talking about.

Kim Gandy on The Colbert Report

Kim Gandy of the National Organization for Women was on The Colbert Report last night, and she reveals the secret of the century about Sarah Palin. See, Carly Fiorina? That's how you do it!

Important Question, PETA!

via Womanist Musings

Masters of Asshatery PETA have a solution to Ben & Jerry exploiting those poor dairy cows to make their ice cream. Exploit women instead!

Won't you give cows and their babies a break and our health a boost by switching from cow's milk to breast milk in Ben and Jerry's ice cream?

Important question, PETA! I'll allow Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr answer that one.

Take Action Monday

A few of the petitions that I got in my inbox have links that don't work, so this will be a short TAM.

Tell Congress: No blank check for Wall Street.

You can still help save Troy Davis from being executed.

Support resolutions to expand UN arms embargo on Sudan.

Tell your House members to vote for the credit card reform bill.

Speak out against the proposed HHS rule that will limit women's access to birth control. We have until September 25 (That's this Thursday).

And the Winner of the NARAL Bumper Sticker Contest Is . . .

This is the one I voted for, so I'm glad it won. And it's funny! I thought I had more time to submit an idea, but here's what mine would have been:

McCain/Palin: They Don't Want to Get Rid of Government. They Just Want to Make It Small Enough to Fit in Your Bedroom Closet so They Can See Who You're Fucking.

Just in Case John McCain is Searching for What Sexism is on Google

There's a lot of talk about the media being sexist towards Sarah Palin. Everybody is crying sexism, even Sean Hannity. The problem is, what's being passed for sexism nowadays isn't sexist. For the most part, Sarah Palin is on the same chopping block as other politicians. But she has been subject of sexist attacks, probably by the same kind of people who made the Hillary Clinton nutcracker and this t-shirt that took me a while to even comprehend. And I know Republicans are new at pointing out sexism (but not dishing it out). So with this post, I'm trying to perhaps catch John McCain or maybe one of his managers/lobbyists Googling "sexism + what is it. Please, McCain campaign, stumble upon this post!

So, what's sexist and what isn't? Let me explain.

Tina Fey doing a spot-on impression of Sarah Palin is not sexist. It's hilarious. And, sadly, it's also accurate. What did Tina Fey say that Sarah Palin hasn't? I mean, honestly! Sarah Palin has no substance, okay, Carly Fiorina? And did you just imply that Hillary Clinton is a man? Anywho, this goes under the not sexist category.

What else isn't sexist? Asking Sarah Palin questions about important stuff, like whether or not she wants to go to war with Russia over Georgia. Get it, Geraldine Ferarro? We all know you have a serious issue with Barack Obama because he's Black. That doesn't mean every time Sarah Palin seriously bombs an interview, it's sexist.

What is sexist? Making out a powerful woman as nothing more than a sex object. Comprende, McCain?

So hopefully the McCain campaign will find this, learn what sexism actually is, and pass it on to the talking heads. And to really make sure that McCain finds this, I'm just going to drop a few phrases that might be of interest to him.

"Obama + Muslim"

"FREE Viagra!"

"Fun things to do before bedtime (which, for me, is 6:30 pm)"

Huh?

Can someone explain this commercial to me?

Take Action Monday

Hey, I'm actually doing this on a Monday like I'm supposed to!

Get Barack Obama and John McCain to talk about global poverty.

Ask G8 members and the UN Secretary General to commit to sending aid to countries affected by the food crisis.

Urge your Representative to support the United States Cadet Nurse Corps Equity Act, which will recognize its members as veterans and their work as active duty military service.

Demand more safety standards in our country's skyscrapers.

Tell John McCain to stop supporting anti-LGBT policies.

Support the Wired for Healthcare Quality Act.

Submit your McCain/Palin bumper sticker slogan to NARAL. I still have to figure out a way to clean up mine.

If you're a woman, pledge to vote.

Demand clean water for farm workers.

Urge board to reconsider clemency to Troy Davis.

Tell the next president to pledge to end the genocide in Darfur.

Funny Stuff: Tina Fey and Amy Poehler Get Political

This is about as close as you'll get to Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin talking to each other about issues.

Don't you just love Tina Fey's Palin impression? There was just enough Fargo.

Important Question, Charlie Gibson!

What a week for me to neglect my blogging duties. But now I'm here, and I got a shiny new computer too. Yippy!

Anyway, I'm sure by now everyone has heard about Governor Palin's crash and burn interview with Charles Gibson the other night. And we've all heard how she botched this important question.

Gibson: Do you agree with the Bush Doctrine?

Palin: In what respect, Charlie?

You know, the Bush Doctrine. I think it's half a toasted everything bagel topped with 2 fried eggs and 3 strips of bacon with a side of home fries. But does he take it with Hollandaise sauce?

Granted, I didn't know that the concept of willy-nilly preemptive strike of countries that might not be a threat to the United States was called the Bush Doctrine. But I'm not running for Vice President, and I don't pretend that foreign policy is my strong suit. I don't think not knowing about the Bush Doctrine means you're dumb. Voting for Sarah Palin because she makes you think anybody can be president -- that makes you dumb.

In all seriousness, I think any more interviews like this (you know, ones where she answers important questions), people aren't going to be all gooey over her. Maybe it's the fact that she wants to dictate what goes in and comes out of my vagina getting in the way, but I did not find her at all charming during that interview. She seemed sort of peeved, much less confident than she was when she was dragging community organizers through the mud.

In a way, I feel kind of sorry for her. I mean, she has to be vetted by the mainstream media because she wasn't by her running mate, and she has to cram 8 years worth of talking points into her brain. Talk about pressure. Part of me is afraid that the McCain campaign is going to lock her in the storage compartment of the Straight Talk Express until the debates to protect her from future failures. I wonder what excuses they'd give for her absence . . . .

Take Action Monday on Tuesday

FOX 5 New York finally aired The Simpsons episode The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson which features the Twin Towers. I think it's the first time they've showed it since 2001. After nearly 7 years, FOX finally realized that there's no sense censoring a Simpsons episode out of courtesy to their viewers if Sean Hannity is still going to be on their payroll. Anyway, time to take action!

Ask your Senators to sponsor the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act.

Tell Bush to veto anything that lets Sudanese dictator al-Bashir off the hook. Bush should be used to vetoing stuff by now, right?

Bring back McCain's "straight talk" on reproductive rights.

Tell Sarah Palin to quit bashing community organizers. And if you are or ever have been a community organizer, sign this petition.

Get your FREE "I'm a Constitutional Voter" sticker from the ACLU.

Share your story about how broadband Internet has changed your life and the lives of others, and you can win 1,000 bucks!

Stop the execution of Troy Davis, who was sentenced to death without a fair trial.

Tell John McCain to support marriage equality.

Demand justice for the people of Darfur.

Funny Feminist Videos

The Daily Show is on a roll with the gender politics. In this video, Samantha Bee tries to get Republicans to say the word "choice." And I learned that making a choice regarding your own pregnancy is somehow different from being pro-choice. Good to know.



And the latest episode of Sarah Haskins' Target Women. Very funny.

The Palins: The New Traditional Family

Disclaimer: This post is going to be about Bristol Palin and her pregnancy. Some might say, "Kids are off the table! How can you be talking about such personal affairs?" Well, as long as the contents of my uterus are on Sarah Palin's table, so will the contents of Bristol's.

What if the religious conservatives actually practiced what they preached? For one, Master of Asshatery James Dobson of Focus on the [Heterosexual] Family wouldn't be having an orgasm over Sarah Palin's teenage daughter, Bristol, getting pregnant out of wedlock:

That is what the Palins are doing, and they should be commended once again for not just talking about their pro-life and pro-family values, but living them out even in the midst of trying circumstances.

Hold the phone, "Doctor." I thought pro-life and pro-family values were all about abstinence until straight marriage and whatnot. That's what Dobson and the Palin family want to shove down everybody's throat. The thing is, Dobson, the Palins, and other abstinence-only advocates know that abstinence-until-marriage education doesn't work in delaying sexual activity. That's why conservative Christians have to redefine a traditional family to fit what's happening to America's new favorite pro-life family and the rest of the real world. It's encouraging that they've finally caught up, isn't it?

So what is the new traditional family? Well, it's a lot like the old traditional family -- but with more surprises!

1. It's still heterosexual. Very heterosexual. Not only does the new traditional husband and wife have lots of kids, even those kids are having kids. Let's just say the walls in the governor's mansion have to be really thick to accomodate the new tradtional family.

2. There are still grandparents. But where the old traditional grandparents are usually in their 60's, the new traditional grandparents are in their 40's. Looks like Sarah Palin is going to need one of these T-shirts.

3. The extended family is important to the old traditional family, so aunts and uncles are in the new traditional family too. And the new tradtional family just can't wait to grow. Bristol Palin couldn't even wait a year to give new baby brother Trig a niece or nephew!

4. And lastly, the new traditional family is still made up of hypocrites. They still want to push their values of abstinence-until-marriage on the country without practicing them themselves. They still want to push their anti-choice agenda on American women, even though they believe their own pregnancies are their personal business. Now those are some family values!

Funny Stuff

Wow. The Daily Show and The Colbert Report had some amazingly funny stuff about gender politics last night, including quite possibly the greatest John McCain ad ever. Why isn't this on the real news?

And you should definitely watch Jon Stewart lay the pro-choice smackdown on Newt Gingrich. Again, why isn't this on the real news?