New U.S. Data Shows More Ethnic Babies Than Whites

Seems like all the anti-abortion, anti-contraception bills being drafted in red states and even the Republican controlled do nothing congress saw this coming and are trying to take proactive measures so that white remains the dominant race. Why do I say that? Statistically speaking, white women have more abortions than minorities. Turning women into nothing more than powerless fetus incubators for men is just a bonus for the radical right.

In an historic milestone, the U.S. for the first time has more minority or mixed-race kids than non-Hispanic whites.
By Courtney Subramanian

It’s an historic milestone in the ongoing U.S. demographic shift: according to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were more black, Hispanic and other ethnic newborns than white births in 2011. The new figures make minorities the majority among America’s youth for the first time on record. According to the data, just over half of all infants in the U.S. were minorities or of more than one race last year: 50.4 percent of babies younger than age 1, a jump from 49.5 percent in 2010. And 49.7 percent of children younger than age 5 belonged to a minority or were of mixed race, an increase from 49 percent the year before, according to the agency. The nation’s growing diversity is a trend long established among demographers, but the latest census data illustrates how starkly it will change the face of America’s next generations. Most notably, Hispanic and Asian populations have swelled by more than 40 percent since 2000, compared to the 1.5 percent increase of non-Hispanic whites over the same time period. The white demographic is on its way to becoming a “majority minority”: it now only represents 63.4 percent of the U.S. population. “This is a fundamental tipping point signaling a change in our demographic structure for decades to come,” said William Frey, a demographer and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. The U.S. white population is projected to become the minority – an estimated 47 percent of the population – by 2050, according to a Pew Research Center forecast. A 2009 Census Bureau report predicts the shift will occur by 2042. But an increase in minority newborns is not the only contributing factor to the shift; the non-Hispanic white population birth-to-death ratio is narrowing. Just 1,025 white children were born for every 1,000 who died last year compared to the 3,940 births to 1,000 deaths for all other minority groups, the Wall Street Journal reports. Minority women tend to start families younger and have more kids, with Hispanic women giving birth to an average of 2.4 babies compared to the 1.8 non-Hispanic white births, according to the Pew Hispanic Center. The rapidly changing demographic underscores a nationwide political debate on race, immigration policy, poverty and the future of the country’s economy, one that’s even more pointed in this election year. But while some experts believe ethnic groups will maintain cultural differences among the formerly predominant white population, other demographers anticipate minorities to blend into the proverbial “melting pot.” “If you go back 100 years, groups that are now considered part of the majority white population were perceived as minorities,” Jeffry Passel, a senior demographer at the Pew Hispanic Center, told the Washington Post. “Over time, we’ll change the way we perceive these categories.”

Louisiana Bill Will Criminalize Abortion Even In Cases Of Rape

I saw this on the Political Correction website. Evidently, Louisiana has a bill that would criminalize abortion even in cases of rape. The Republicons must think we're running short on future soldiers

As I've been writing about the Teapublicans attack on womens reproductive rights, it has managed to get worse. A Louisiana bill currently under consideration by the state legislature is the most extreme yet. The bill would not only criminalize most abortions, threatening to punish doctors for performing a medical procedure whose legality has been upheld by the Supreme Court, but it would also force poor women whose lives are endangered by their pregnancies to pay for a life-saving abortion out-of-pocket. Victims of rape or incest aren't even afforded that exception.

In addition to banning abortions, the proposed bill would actually violate the federal Hyde Amendment, which states that while federal money cannot be used to pay for abortions except in the cases of rape, incest, and life endangerment, in those cases Medicaid and other government funds must be provided. Rep. John LaBruzzo's abortion ban would not include such exemptions.  Will the fed push back?

Attempting to criminalize in Louisiana what is nationally a legal redress available to victims of a violent crime is part of a larger conversation on abortion rights that is given to trivializing rape and its consequences. It's the same callous, paternalistic attitude towards women and their bodies seen in the idiotic Kansas lawmaker who last month suggested that women ought to plan ahead for rape because after all, he carries a spare tire.

That Roe v Wade challenge is on the horizon. I just hope we can get to 2012, an Obama re-election, hopefully an Anthony Kennedy retirement to sway the SCOTUS back to a less politically ideological group. Bush II was all about far right ideologues, and as a lefty I wasn't thrilled with Obama's play it safe choices although I don't have major issues with his selections. My issue was with his exemptions from consideration.

GOP Actions Speak Louder Than Rhetoric

The GOP won in landslide fashion last November by running on job creation, effectively blaming the Democrats for the sluggish economy (how quickly voters forgot Bush) and how they'll fix the budget. Guess what? All they've done so far is strip abortion rights, bust unions, give tax cut bonuses to the wealthiest and defund programs for the middle-class. Jobs, shnobs say the right wing regressives. We win, you lose! Ha ha suckers!!!

In the latest chapter of Republican oppression of womens reproductive rights; women who want an abortion in South Dakota will face the longest waiting period in the nation – three days – and will have to undergo counseling by anti-abortion amateurs at pregnancy clinics that discourage abortions. The measure was signed into law Tuesday by Gov. Dennis Daugaard. Didn't the right wing also complain that the new health care reform bill was going to allow the government to get in between a patient and their doctor? How is this not doing that exact thing. Imagine the outrage in any of these red states if someone proposed a three day wait to get a gun and take a mandatory gun safety course? All hell would break loose.

Instead of spending so much energy preventing abortion, maybe Republicans should focus on helping prevent pregnancies. FACT: Abstinence does not work. FACT: Education about sexuality does. Meanwhile they try to defund Planned Parenthood who assists in contraception. The truth of the matter is the GOP wants every woman possible, pregnant for their own antiquated reasons. The GOP believes women are brood mares and nothing more and their two month reign as House majority and capturing many governorships has proved that.

I really hope American women and secure men are waking up to this radical agenda. These radicals are the result of what happens when you don't exercise your right to vote. This is also an example of how much your vote counts. I know several women who would personally never consider the procedure, but don't feel it's their place to make the call for someone else. That's why it's called "choice." Don't get fooled again.

Rachel Maddow, as usual, explains it like no one else can:

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In Case You Missed Todays Right Wingnuttery

Texas state Rep. Tan Parker (R-Flower Mound) has proposed a bill to ban almost all abortions unless there is a substantial risk to the woman's life or a major body function. No exemptions for rape, incest or mental health. Once again dragging womens rights backwards. How can any woman vote for men taking their basic rights away? Mother Jones

NH GOP Senator Martin Harty told Sharon Omand, a Strafford resident who manages a community mental health program, that the disabled and mentally ill are ‘defective people’ that should be shipped off to Siberia. Harty said nature has a way of “getting rid of stupid people." Hopefully that means Republicans/Conservatives will become extinct.
Think Progress

In Sarah Palin's Alaska, five members and associates of a Fairbanks, Alaska, right-wing militia group were arrested yesterday for allegedly plotting to kidnap or kill Alaska State Troopers and a Fairbanks judge. So how much coverage do you think this will get? I'm guessing none. Faux Newz definitely won't touch it, and with the possible exception of MSNBC, I'll bet the rest don't bite either. However, they were all over the edited ACORN, Shirley Sherrod, Planned Parenthood and NPR videos. Liberal media my ass. Anchorage Press.

White supremist, Kevin William Harpham, a former member of the US Army who was stationed at Fort Lewis, WA between 1996-1999 was arrested Wednesday and charged with planting a backpack bomb along the route of a Spokane, WA Martin Luther King Day parade in January. Evidently, he was a fan of Timothy McVeigh. There are reports on Harpham's apparent postings on the anti-semitic Vanguard News and that he is a member of the neo-Nazi National Alliance although they deny he is currently a member. Faux Newz won't be covering this one either. Seattle Times

Rush Limbaugh wondered if environmentalists will "cheer" the earthquake in Japan, since the quake and subsequent tsunami hit the region of the country that thrives on car manufacturing. This fat bastard should be removed from the air. The only group that ever cheers disasters are right wing douche bags like him. How can anyone listen to this creepy Archie Bunker look-alike? Media Matters Minute

Brownie, You're Doing a Heck of a Job!

President Elect Scott Brown…What? He’s not President Elect? Ok, Senate Majority Leader Elect Sco…wha…he’s not that either? He’s not even sworn into office?! Then why the hell is the whole country watching his every move? Brown appeared on ABC’s “This Week” with Barbara Walters Sunday. She actually asked him if he was considering running for President in 2012 and although his first response was, “I don’t even have a business card yet”, he didn’t reject the idea either. When asked about Sarah Palin, he said he did believe she had the capacity to hold the office of the president. "I mean she's been a mayor and a governor and has a national following." And everything! Is he out of his freakin mind?! Why didn’t you talk about that when you were running for Senator instead of the GD truck?! He continued by saying, “I know she's very popular and has a new book out. I haven't read it and hope to someday." Oh my God Massachusetts, what have 52% of you done?

Brown claims he wants to hear from the generals before weighing in on repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Yeah right. I’m sure he’ll be an independent, thoughtful voice in regards to gay military personel. He has spoken out forcefully against same-sex marriage, supporting a Constitutional amendment to ban such unions. He continued by saying “it's settled here in Massachusetts, but I believe that states should have the ability to determine their own destiny and the government should not be interfering with individual states' rights on issues that they deal with on a daily basis." That’s right, keep allowing majorities to restrict rights of minorities because you don’t “get it.” As a white playboy, he's never been discriminated against. In fact, he's probably been applauded for his "scores." There is no way he’s going to support the repeal of DADT. One of the things that does make me chuckle though, is one fact that these guys don’t seem to grasp; there are gay soldiers already serving and have since the start of time. This isn't a new millenium thing! It’s not like they’re all of a sudden going to start painting their rifles hot pink. Would they really rather not know? In fact, I would think that they’d prefer to know. On top of all that, he is also opposed the repeal of another Clinton gem, the federal Defense of Marriage Act. Did anybody who voted for this guy actually check his voting record and stances? Who is continuing to fall for his lines?

On abortion, he said he still was a supporter of Roe v. Wade, though he wanted to make it more difficult for abortions to take place. In other words, keep it legal, but make sure only women who have the money to pay for the procedure out of pocket have access. That way, when the unwanted child is born to a poor teenager, it'll be one more kid without a chance, two actually, but a Bible thumper somewhere will sleep better. Their job is done. That's my biggest problem with the "pro-life" movement. Why are they only concerned with the unborn? Once these kids are out of the womb, the next thing that happens is these "good" Christians start bitching that their tax money shouldn't go to support that teenage slut and her bastard child. Here’s what the smartest tactic would be. Make birth control easily accessible, teach people, especially teenagers the dangers of unprotected sex, but for Christ sakes, give up on this abstinence only nonsense. For the first time in ten years, teen pregnancy is up. Can’t these idiots see the correlation of time when sex education was forbidden in favor of abstinence only?

Here’s my fear people. First, the fact that Brown's arrogant enough to be considering running for President when he's only actually been to D.C. once in an official capacity. Secondly, thinking Sarah Palin has the capacity to hold the office of the president shows his lack of depth is equal to hers. Are the Republicans considering running two pretty faces for the highest office in the land while Rove, Gingrich and Cheney secretly run things in the background? We have such an easily impressed electorate, I really fear that’s where they’re heading. Many men (no offense to evolved males) would still probably have an issue with a woman running the show, but a pretty boy and a beauty queen, no problem!
For the record, beauty is subjective so these two have no appeal to this writer.

Let's close with these nuggets. He's against fees on the big banks that received bailout money. He wants no new regulation of the financial markets. And he wants to maintain Bush tax cuts after 2010. In essence, he wants to follow the failed policies that got us here. Once again I ask, did anybody who voted for this guy actually check his voting record and stances? Well, at least he said he was for term limits! So I agree with him on something.
Click on  Scott Brown to see what we really got and please notice all the activity that seemed to begin with his race to the Senate. Where was he between July 2004 and September 2009? Just as important, why couldn't Martha Coakley and her team do this simple research?

Say It Ain't So, Massachusetts!

On Tuesday, the 19th of January, our little ol' state of Massachusetts will be holding a special election to replace the seat once held by Senator Ted Kennedy. Democrat Martha Coakley is in a tight battle with Republican Scott Brown. The thing is, this should've been an easy win for Coakley, but I honestly think someone was whispering in her ear that "it's in the bag" so she hadn't been doing much campaigning until the polls started tightening. Brown on the other hand has been pretty aggressive and has had money pumped into the state from outside sources. I will be shocked and dismayed if our state elects a Bush-clone to the seat once held by Kennedy.

To me, this is about so much more than the health care debate. Brown’s positions are actually lock-step with what Bush and Cheney did…tax cuts for the wealthy, protections for business, he’s against the fees Obama has proposed on big banks to get bailout money returned in entirety, health care for all as long as it’s done through private insurers, doesn’t care about the environment, etc… On gay marriage: "Marriage issues should be left up to the states, so long as they reflect the people’s will as expressed through them directly, or as expressed through their elected representatives.” In other words, keep letting the majority decide on the rights of a minority. He’s been endorsed by the hate group, MassResistance. I wonder what would’ve happened in 1967 if inter-racial marriage was put up for vote as a popularity contest? I’m a bit confused about his stance on abortion since it seems to change depending on his audience. At one point he stated: “While this decision should ultimately be made by the woman in consultation with her doctor, I believe we need to reduce the number of abortions in America. I believe government has the responsibility to regulate in this area and I support parental consent and notification requirements and I oppose partial birth abortion.” First, let me just say that I hate the term partial birth abortion, just as much as I resent being called pro-abortion. The anti-abortion crowd just keeps on coming out with terms to place fear in women. As a very pro-choice individual, I also recognize that late term abortions are no longer a clear cut decision between a woman and her doctor. At a certain point, you’ve taken on some responsibility whether you realize it or not. I’m not a believer that life starts at conception, rather at individual viability. That is when the decision becomes tricky since the woman has had several months to decide, life/health of the mother obviously excluded. However, Brown also sponsored an amendment to a 2005 bill on emergency contraception that would have let emergency room doctors or nurses turn away rape victims if they had religious objections to providing emergency contraception. Rape victims! They’ve already been violently victimized once and now they’re going to get victimized by the very people who are supposed to help them? My feeling has always been you need to leave your personal feelings at the door in any profession. If you can’t do your job every single day in every single way, you need to find another line of work. It’s as simple as that.

Here’s what I find somewhat interesting. In June of 1982, Scott Brown won Cosmopolitan’s “America’s Sexiest Man” contest and posed nude for the centerfold. Isn’t this the family values party? Didn’t fellow Tea-bagger Sarah Palin say her former, future son-in-law Levi Johnson was doing porn by posing in Playgirl? What’s the difference? Enquiring minds want to know. I’d also love to hear the roar if it was the Democrat who had done the nude layout. It would’ve been scandalous! What I think is mind-boggling is in their ongoing hypocrisy. Their defense is that it’s ok because he’s good looking! So what, Obama is too. The right wing went nuts over a photo just as old as this one, of Obama smoking a cigarette because of the message that it sends to the youth of America. Conservatives really are one dimensional cretins.

Today President Obama will arrive in Boston to help gin up the base to turn out on Tuesday. I’ve been getting robo-calls from Obama, Bill Clinton, Martha Coakley and sadly Scott Brown (I’d love a live call) who’s been endorsed and heavily funded by the Tea Party Express. I hope it’s not a question of too little, too late. Martha Coakley is not an exciting candidate by any stretch, but the alternative is not acceptable. What a sick twist in irony it will be when Houston, TX just elected a lesbian Mayor and liberal Massachusetts ends up with a Tea Bagger in the senate if this doesn’t go well. If that happens, I hope the Democrats find a strong candidate to run for the full term in 2012.

Stripping Womens Rights: I Don't Want To Believe What I'm Watching

I really want a rational thinking person to explain to me how three Senators representing three small states with respective populations of 1,783,432 in Nelson’s Nebraska, 3,501,252 in Lieberman’s Connecticut and 1,316,456 in Snowe’s Maine were allowed to turn health care reform into this travesty of a bill for 305,529,237 Americans! I really hope Democrats aren’t expecting donations from the left wing of their party moving forward. To get Ben Nelson’s vote, Harry Reid has written this little dandy into the Senate bill: states could choose to prohibit abortion coverage in the insurance markets, or exchanges, where most health plans would be sold. But if a health plan did cover the procedure, subscribers would have to make two separate monthly premium payments: one for all insurance coverage except abortion and one for abortion coverage.  I am furious about this amendment.  Now women of child bearing age will have to pay more for insurance than men if they want a legal medical procedure covered!  Also added was stronger conscience protections for medical institutions and health workers opposed to abortion. That’s just great. So if a woman shows up at the pharmacy for her birth control pills and some religious wingnut happens to be behind the counter, they can legally refuse to fill the prescription. If you're a pharmacist and have moral issues with distributing birth control pills, I would suggest that you are in the wrong line of work.  Women are more than one half of the population yet instead of moving forward with women’s rights, we are going backwards. I am totally sick of this trend and pissed off!  To top it off, I haven’t seen any exceptions for rape and incest anywhere in this piece of turd legislation either. Nelson is all smiles though because insurance will still cover prescriptions for him to get a hard-on. Cecile Richards of Planned Parenthood correctly stated that “it’s a sad day when women's health is traded away for one vote."  Furthermore, where are the pro-choice senators, especially the women?  I'm disheartened that I haven't heard a word from any of them either.  Reid further bent over for Nelson by agreeing to provide extra Medicaid money to Nebraska, long-term-care insurance to people with severe disabilities, new services for pregnant teenagers and financial breaks to nonprofit insurance companies.

Also in this bill, Americans would be required to have insurance. The penalty for violating this requirement could be as high as 2 percent of a taxpayer’s household income.  There's no cap on the amount an insurance company can charge someone with a pre-existing condition, but there's a cap on benefits!  This is total rubbish.  I can’t wait to see how Pelosi and Reid blend their insurance company giveaways.  You can bet that the public option in the House bill will be the first casualty since President Lieberman, VP Snowe and SoS Nelson don't want it in there. 

I have no confidence in any leader of any party to do what’s right for the people. This has become all about who they get their donations from, with Joe Aetna and Mutual of Omaha Nelson leading the charge. It’s disgusting.  At this point President Obama would sign a copy of Sarah Palin’s book if it said Health Care Reform on the cover.  Over $635 million was spent ensuring the health insurance industry got exactly what they wanted.  I’m very disenchanted watching this administration go right and further right.  He is going to sign a piece of garbage just so he can say he got "health care reform" in his first year.  This will not be tweaked after it passes.  Most clear headed politicians have said that is why we have one shot to get it right. We are watching a Clinton Redux. Don’t forget who was President when DADT and DOMA were enacted. The Democrats have actually done more harm to civil rights than Republicans have; this time it’s women’s rights. If this bill passes in its current form, it is a direct slap in the face to those of us who donated to Obama and really expected him to be different. To say I’m furious right now is an understatement. If court appointees weren’t on the line, I would be staying home next time. However, I will not donate a dime to this phony change candidate again.

One last thing, I want to offer a big “eff you” to Rahm Emanual who essentially told the left of the party to put up and shut up.  We are the main reason Obama was elected whether he wants to accept that or not.  Taking for granted that we won't vote Republican is one thing.  Expecting us to donate and knock on doors again is arrogant.

Hypocrite for Cash!

As much as I dislike this Sarah Palin, she doesn't go away, but makes writing fun and easy!  I will give her one thing; while she's an intellectual idiot, she has some street smarts that I'm now seeing more and more of and it's starting to scare me that she can fool a lot of people with a virtual shell game.  The quitter first agreed to debate Al Gore on Climate Change, but had second thoughts.  Her excuses became; he wouldn't want to debate someone with a reasonable voice or facts.  He wouldn't lower himself  "to debate little old Sarah Palin from Wasilla."  Then adding that if it was a conventional debate she'd get clobbered.  Do you see what she did here?  She managed to lower expectations for herself.  She managed to convince her fans that she's the reasonable voice (just like them) while painting him as an arrogant elitist.  Frankly, she possesses brilliant street smarts abounding with deception.  I am honestly trying to figure out her appeal to people as she has no depth of character and says nothing of substance.  This woman could shoot Bambi and manage to convince her fans that he had chronic wasting disease anyways so she did what Jesus would've wanted and reunited him with his mom.  She won't tell them the part about his head being mounted above her fireplace and the rest of him is actually in her freezer. 

I love this too.  She has agreed to appear at a Canadian Hospital Fundraiser.  I'm not sure what kind of math they used or how they're going to make money because she will be paid $200,000 for one half hour.  Organizers hope to sell 1,000 tickets at $200 a plate which is a break even point, but raise more via photos with Palin.  Her fans are praising the hospital for seeing her talent, knowledge and perception.  Clearly none of them watched Canadian comedian Mary Walsh make a mockery out of her last month when Palin said "Canada needs to dismantle its public health-care system and allow private enterprise to get involved and turn a profit."  Just the fact that she's charging a rate like that for a fund raiser should set off some sort of red flag, but not with Paliniacs!  It would be nice to see her have the good sense to donate her fee, but I can't imagine she has enough class for that.  Something else I would like to mention, St. Peter's Hospital is public, performs abortions, and offers end-of-life decision support.  Socialist, pro-choice and death panels!!!  Hypocrite for cash!  As far as I can see, she has a talent for easily misleading people with a wink and a smile.  Rumor has it she was quite a fancy pageant walker and good high school basketball player back in the day.  Her knowledge is somewhat limited to hoodwinking her fans out of their hard earned cash with catchy phrases.  I'll give her credit, that ability is making her a very wealthy woman.  Being the skilled prevaricator without conscience that she is, she doesn't lose any sleep over it.  I literally laughed when I saw them citing her perception in a positive manner.  The woman didn't know her teenage daughter and her live-in teenage boyfriend were screwing under her own roof!  How is that for perception? 

Maddow's Uganda Update:  As promised, for anyone who care's to know the latest on this story.  The people Rachel named throughout her coverage of this story are not too pleased to have been publicized, but she forced public statements from, Pastor Rick Warren who seemed to take particular aim at being exposed prompting an invite from Rachel to her show.  Senator Chuck Grassley also made a statement essentially saying that his beliefs haven't changed, but a death sentence is too severe.  Rachel pointed out that their statements were not relayed directly to Ugandan authorities, like Senator Feingold's were.  She said "Don't tell me, tell someone who can actually do something about it."  Still, her coverage has brought a lot of attention to this criminal legislation.  Hopefully clear thinking individuals such as Feinstein will be able guide them to see the errors and inhumanity of this legislation.  This is how to use a bully pulpit for good not evil, Mr. Beck and Mr. Limbaugh.

Warren finally speaks out against legislation he influenced: 
Uganda Be Killing Me - 12/10/2009
American anti-gay activists telling Uganda to create anti-homosexuality laws while disavowing the legislation to Americans audiences: 
Uganda Be Killing Me - 12/09/2009
Harper Magazine Editor Jeff Sharlet, author of "The Family" joins Rachel to discuss how The Family influenced Uganda in drafting the anti-homosexual legislation: 
Uganda Be Kidding Me II - 12/09/2009

How to condemn a bill a mean it.  Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) forcefully condemns the proposed Ugandan legislation and reminded them who gives them lots of cash. 

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Quick Thought:  With the Tiger Woods saga in it's 17th day, I wanted to make a couple points.  I'm not going to defend Woods for his actions, he clearly has some serious issues he should address and deserves to be taken to the cleaners by his wife.  His wreckless actions put her health in danger as well as his own.  I understand the pre-nup is being re-written for her benefit.  Then again, Elin Woods seems to have some issues of her own in dealing with anger.  I understand how hurt and upset she had to have been after allegedly receiving a call from one mistress that he has recently broken up with.  Still, reports are that she broke four of his teeth with a cell phone, did $10,000 damage to the inside of the house with a golf club and chased him down the driveway in a golf cart wielding a club smashing at least one window in an $85,000 Cadillac Escalade as he drove it into a fire hydrant and then a tree.  To me, here's the really crazy part.  After the first woman came forward, a second one who thought she was the only "other" woman got pissed and came forward, as did the next and the next, etc...  Ok, so all these women were angry enough to take him down because they weren't the only "other" woman.  Where did he find these idiots?  Do any of them know how ridiculous they look?  Every single one of them knew he was married with kids.  How stupid do you have to be to be having an affair with a married person and think they're not also cheating on you or at least have those tendancies?  What a world we live in.
Have a great week!