Indecision Forever » John Kerry

A Kind of Depressing Ten Years in Seven Kind of Depressing Minutes

Dennis DiClaudio — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:32:53 +0000

I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but we're, like, a month and a half away from the end of The Aughts. What? Huh? Already? Really? How did this happen? Where has the time gone? (Better question: Where has my hair gone? I'm almost positive I had a whole bunch of it at the start of all this.)

Anyway, it's true. The decade is coming to an end. This might not mean much to you if — like a number of my friends — you spent the majority of it sleeping or drunk (or drunksleeping). So, if you wanna bring yourself up to speed before this all shuts down, here's a seven-minute wrap-up from Newsweek. [Spoiler Alert: It's been a kind of shitty ten years.]

HIV Travel Ban Ended Due to Years of Bipartisan Work, Obama's Pen

Dennis DiClaudio — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:56:32 +0000

As you may or may not know, there's been this federal law on the books for the past two decades which banned HIV victims from international travel for some reason or another. It was written by homophobes back when human adults actually thought the disease was brought about by an ancient desert god who wanted to smite sinners because of who they chose to have sex with; it was passed due to the politics of fear and hate; and it had absolutely no basis in either science or reason.

Oddly enough, it just got repealed…

President Obama called the 22-year ban on travel and immigration by HIV-positive individuals a decision "rooted in fear rather than fact" and announced the end of the rule-making process lifting the ban.

The president signed the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009 at the White House Friday and also spoke of the new rules, which have been under development more more than a year. "We are finishing the job," the president said…

The Senate finally voted to overturn the ban as part of approving legislation reauthorizing funding for the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, in 2008, and President Bush signed it into law on July 30 of that year. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and then-Sen. Gordon H. Smith (R-Ore.) led the process in the Senate.

Way to go, America! You got one right. I know that even a stopped clock is non-bigoted twice a day, but I don't want to dismiss this thing. This is a really good thing, and we probably all deserve milkshakes today.

But let's be clear here. The repealing of this nonsensical law was a bipartisan effort. But it's Obama's signature at the bottom of the document, and he'll probably get an undue amount of the credit/blame for this. Credit/blame that he doesn't really deserve. Right alongside the undue credit/blame he's gonna get for the gay-friendly hate crime legislation that just passed.

But, you know what Barack Obama can do for real for supporters of no-brainer civil rights, like, this afternoon? He can suspend Don't Ask, Don't Tell in the military with, essentially, a phone call. He can leverage some of his popularity in Maine and Washington to tip the scales in favor of the gay marriage referendums by issuing a simple statement. He can mention that he stands behind Arlen Specter in support of repealing the Orwellianly-titled Defense of Marriage Act.

Or not. He could also not do any of that.

I wonder which option he'll choose. I can't wait to find out!

Jon Stewart on Eff'dghanistan

Matt Tobey — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:12:47 +0000

Taken separately, John Kerry and Dick Cheney can be difficult to handle. But as a combo, they're sort of a balanced political yin and yang. Kerry bores you into a brain-dead slumber, but just before you fall completely into a coma, Cheney says something infuriating that jolts you awake and gets your blood boiling, but just before you have a stroke, along comes Kerry… The resulting inner-harmony is similar to the technology behind Segways.

The Daily Show airs Monday through Thursday at 11pm / 10c.

The Daily Show's Best Election Fraud Moments

TheInDecider — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:57:59 +0000

Wow. We seem right now to be in a modern Golden Age of voter fraud allegations, don't we? And for good reason. It's so much less gory and blood-splattered than military coups. Well, usually.

So, while we're all waiting for everything in the world to get better and political power to be doled out fairly according to those who have earned it, let's watch some Daily Show clips…

September 17, 2009: Voter Fraud in Afghanistan

The Daily Show airs Monday through Thursday at 11pm / 10c.

June 15, 2009: Irandecision 2009 – Election Results

November 29, 2004: Anarchy in the Ukraine

October 27, 2004: Election 2004 Fiasco Preview – Fraud

December 9, 2003: Indecision 2003 – Russia Votes

October 15, 2002: Headlines – Iraq the Vote

September 27, 2000: Headlines Block the Vote

Jon Stewart Nails Dems on Cap and Trade

Matt Tobey — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:00:45 +0000

The Democrats have been taking a lot of shit lately. Some say, despite having the White House and large majorities in both houses of Congress, the party has done little more this year than drop the ball on health care reform. But that's not fair. They're dropping the ball on so many other things too. Take the environment. Please!

The Daily Show airs Monday through Thursday at 11pm / 10c.

WINNER Caption Challenge: Senators Paul G. Kirk and John Kerry

TheInDecider — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:10:06 +0000

Submitted by Ketchupman

YOU DECIDE Caption Challenge: Senators Paul G. Kirk and John Kerry

TheInDecider — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 19:29:32 +0000

Caption Challenge: Senators Paul G. Kirk and John Kerry

TheInDecider — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:18:09 +0000

Leave your captions in the comments section of this post.

Massachusetts Names Some Guy to Replace Ted Kennedy in Senate

Dennis DiClaudio — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:33:05 +0000

With the tragic death of Sen. Ted Kennedy at the age of however-old-he-was, it appeared that Massachusetts would be left underrepresented in the Senate, right in the middle of the health care debate, a debate that — like booze –was very dear to Kennedy's heart.

This was due to the fact that four years ago — back when Massachusetts senator John Kerry was running for president — the state amended its constitution so that interim senators could not be appointed without a special election.

But, hey, that was four years ago. The world was a very, very different place back then. I mean, there was a Republican governor! Can you even imagine? Anyway, that craziness has all changed, so guess what happened.

And then guess what's happening now…

Governor Deval Patrick will announce on Thursday that Paul G. Kirk, Jr. will be named as the temporary replacement to fill Ted Kennedy's vacant senate seat, WBZ has learned.

Hmmm… Who is Paul G. Kirk, Jr.? Why does his name sound familiar? Well, I don't know the answer to that, but you're probably just confused.

Although, I suppose it's possible that you remember him as a pharmaceutical lobbyist for Aventis ten years ago. No? How about as the chairman of Democratic National Committee from 1985 to 1989. Not that either, huh? How about his stint as treasurer of the Democratic Party in 1983? Special assistant to Sen. Ted Kennedy from 1969 to 1977, which included the fallout from the senator's notorious incident on Chappaquiddick island in '69?

Do you maybe remember him having a fight to the death with a Vulcan caught deep in the throes of Pon farr? That's what I thought. You're confused.

Ted Kennedy Might Have Had Inside Information About His Ailing Health

Dennis DiClaudio — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 13:28:06 +0000

Sen. Kennedy was apparently aware that he would soon be adjourning to the Great Kennedy Compound in the Sky, because just last week he asked Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (a Democrat) and top state legislators (Democrats) to amend the state's constitution to allow for an interim senator to be quickly put in his place if he should be unable to serve, especially in the middle of the current health care reform debate…

In his letter, which was obtained by the Globe, Kennedy said that he backs the current succession law, enacted in 2004, which gives voters the power to fill a US Senate vacancy. But he said the state and country need two Massachusetts senators.

"I strongly support that law and the principle that the people should elect their senator," Kennedy wrote. "I also believe it is vital for this Commonwealth to have two voices speaking for the needs of its citizens and two votes in the Senate during the approximately five months between a vacancy and an election."

Under the 2004 law, if Kennedy were to die or step down, voters would select his successor in a special election to be held within five months of the vacancy. But the law makes no provisions for Massachusetts to be represented in the Senate in the interim. In the meantime, President Obama’s plan to overhaul the nation’s health care system, the fate of which may hinge on one or two votes, could come before Congress.

I'm not sure sure where that legislation stands today, but if I have a strong suspicion that the state of Massachusetts didn't suddenly get it together enough in one week at the tail end of August to overhaul their constitution.

Oh, by the way, the best part about this is that the Massachusetts state legislator just five years ago — when John Kerry (Democrat) was running for president and Mitt Romney (Republican) was governor — amended their constitution so that the governor couldn't appoint a senator.

I wonder what changed between then and now.