Via JMG: FLORIDA: Former GOP Chair Accuses Party Of "Scheming" To Suppress Black Voters

The former chairman of the Florida Republican Party, Jim Greer, is claiming that other leaders of the state GOP strategized on ways that they could suppress the votes of black citizens. Today's revelation comes from Greer's deposition in his lawsuit to be paid back salary from the state GOP.

Greer's animosity was evident on almost every page of the deposition as he described the inner workings of a party that has controlled Florida since 1998. On voter suppression, Greer said he had just completed a December 2009 meeting with party general counsel Jason Gonzalez, political consultant Jim Rimes and Eric Eikenberg, Crist's chief of staff, when questions arose about fundraising. "I was upset because the political consultants and staff were talking about voter suppression and keeping blacks from voting. It had been one of those days,'' he said. Rimes said he recalls no discussion of suppressing votes at any meeting. Eikenberg did not return phone calls.

Two months ago Florida Gov. Rick Scott launched an attempt to purge the state's voter rolls of alleged non-citizens, a move widely seen as a transparent attack on the state's minorities. Scott is now suing the federal government for thwarting that plan.

RELATED: Two years ago Greer was arrested on charges of six felony charges of embezzling campaign money. His trial date on those charges has just been moved back until November, "sparing Florida Republicans the embarrassment of intense scrutiny of the party's inner-workings just weeks before Tampa hosts the Republican National Convention."

Labels: Florida, GOP, racism, voting problems

Reposted from Joe

Via Gay Politics Report:

• Chick-fil-A controversy grows as politicians weigh in
   
• The national political fight over marriage equality is set to move to Chick-fil-A restaurants across the country next week, as LGBT advocates are planning boycotts and a “kiss-in,” and anti-gay politicians such as Rick Santorum are urging support for an “Appreciation Day” at the chain’s locations. Boston Mayor Thomas Menino wrote to the company urging it not to open a restaurant in his city, and one Chicago city councilman has vowed to block the chain’s expansion. The company’s COO recently said it opposes marriage rights for same-sex couples, and organizations associated with Chick-fil-A have donated millions to anti-gay groups. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (7/25), The Huffington Post/Gay Voices (7/25), USA TODAY/The Associated Press (7/25)     

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma July 27, 2012

Pursuing Happiness

It’s our nature to want happiness and not want suffering. Thus, Buddhists do not ask that one give up the pursuit of happiness, but merely suggest that one become more intelligent about how happiness is pursued.

- Jeffrey Hopkins, "Equality"

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Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma July 26, 2012

Overcoming Difficulty

Your practice should be strengthened by the difficult situations you encounter, just as a bonfire in a strong wind is not blown out, but blazes even brighter.

- Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, "Teachings on the Nature of Mind and Practice"

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Tricycle Daily Dharma July 25, 2012

Protecting Your Mind

Protect yourself and your mind from too much negativity. Not turning away from suffering doesn't mean wallowing in the horror of it all.

- Susan Moon, "Ten Practices to Change the World"

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Viva Sally Ride!

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma July 25, 2012

Protecting Your Mind

Protect yourself and your mind from too much negativity. Not turning away from suffering doesn't mean wallowing in the horror of it all.

- Susan Moon, "Ten Practices to Change the World"

Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection through July 27th, 2012
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Via Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma July 25, 2012

Protecting Your Mind

Protect yourself and your mind from too much negativity. Not turning away from suffering doesn't mean wallowing in the horror of it all.

- Susan Moon, "Ten Practices to Change the World"

Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection through July 27th, 2012
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Via Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma July 25, 2012

Protecting Your Mind

Protect yourself and your mind from too much negativity. Not turning away from suffering doesn't mean wallowing in the horror of it all.

- Susan Moon, "Ten Practices to Change the World"

Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection through July 27th, 2012
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Via AmericaBlogGay:

Romney: "I don't care" about kids of gay parents

Romney in 2004 in a conversation with the lesbian plaintiff of a landmark marriage case in Massachusetts: "I believe he [Romney] will be responsible for a major backlash," said Julie Goodridge, a star plaintiff in the lawsuit that led to legal same-sex marriage in Massachusetts in 2004.... Goodridge recalls a meeting with Romney, who was then the governor of Massachusetts "I looked...

Via AmericaBlog Gay:

Sally Ride, 1st female astronaut in space, dies - partner says she was gay

Gonna be hard not to teach gay history how. Sally Ride, who died today after a 17-month battle with pancreatic cancer, was the first female U.S. astronaut in space and became friends with Tam O'Shaugnessy at the age of 12. It was not until today, however — nearly 50 years after meeting — that their 27-year romantic relationship was made public. The pioneering scientist was, a statement from...

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma July 24, 2012

The Thread of Stability

A string of beads has a thread running through all the beads, keeping them together. What we need is a thread too—of sanity and stability. Because when you have a thread, even though each bead is separate, they hang together. When we have the teachings in us, stabilizing us, there’s a thread to keep our life together that prevents us from falling apart.

- Sogyal Rinpoche, "The Stability of Ease"

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Via Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma July 23, 2012

Our Self is Our World

To forget the self is to be enlightened by all things. Buddhist teaching suggests that the Self is an illusion, and identity is an ongoing confluence of forces. That means that, very literally, our sense of self is shaped by the world around us.

- Richard Eskow, "DNA Sutra"

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San Diego LGBT Gay Pride Parade - July 22 2012 - military march - CNN

VIa JMG: The Muppets Dump Chick-Fil-A

The Muppets have dumped their partnership with Chick-Fil-A after having sold the company Creature Shop toys for the chain's kid's meals. The Jim Henson Company has posted a statement to their Facebook page:

The Jim Henson Company has celebrated and embraced diversity and inclusiveness for over fifty years and we have notified Chick-Fil-A that we do not wish to partner with them on any future endeavors. Lisa Henson, our CEO is personally a strong supporter of gay marriage and has directed us to donate the payment we received from Chick-Fil-A to GLAAD.

(Tipped by JMG reader Alison)

Labels: bigotry, fast food, Muppets, religion

Reposted from Joe

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma July 22, 2012

Everything in a Moment

Somewhere this very moment, babies are born, fathers are dying, mothers are grieving. Yet, pervading all is a groundless awareness, delicate and strong at the same time. Everything becomes we, a beating heart with a transparent, radiant smile.

- Judith Simmer-Brown, "Insomnia"

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Via ॐ Thich Nhat Hanh Quote Collective ॐ

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma July 21, 2012

This is Reality

What feature does all experience have in common? All experience is groundless, open, empty. You can say, 'Well, this floor doesn’t feel empty,' and you are right. It feels very solid. But emptiness refers to a way of experiencing things. And when you experience things this way, it is such a powerful experience that you almost always come out of it saying, 'Oh! This is how things really are, this is reality.'

- Ken McLeod, "The Way of Freedom"

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Via JMG: Paul Krugman On Romney's Taxes

"Because the rich are different from you and me, many of them are incredibly self-centered. They don’t even see how funny it is — how ridiculous they look — when they attribute the weakness of a $15 trillion economy to their own hurt feelings. After all, who’s going to tell them? They’re safely ensconced in a bubble of deference and flattery. Unless, that is, they run for public office.

"Like everyone else following the news, I’ve been awe-struck by the way questions about Mr. Romney’s career at Bain Capital, the private-equity firm he founded, and his refusal to release tax returns have so obviously caught the Romney campaign off guard. Shouldn’t a very wealthy man running for president — and running specifically on the premise that his business success makes him qualified for office — have expected the nature of that success to become an issue? Shouldn’t it have been obvious that refusing to release tax returns from before 2010 would raise all kinds of suspicions?" - Nobel Prize winning economist Paul Krugman, writing for the New York Times.

Labels: 2012 elections, GOP, Mitt Romney, taxes

Reposted from Joe