Paul Holdren, President Obama's 'Science Czar" Once Floated Idea of Forced Abortions, 'Compulsory Sterilizations'

I never expected all President Barack Obama's picks to be devoid of controversy, but Paul Holdren, the president's "science czar" has raised some eyebrows with his previous positions, which included the idea of forced abortions, compulsory sterilization and the creation of a "Planetary Regime." What the heck is this all about? He believed that the creation of these ridiculous schemes would oversee human population levels and control all natural resources as a means of protecting the planet. Shouldn't this have been brought up during his Senate confirmation hearings? Oh no. Some of the GOP senators had their sights set on Judge Sonia Sotomayor, a bigger fish in their eyes. Since these issues eluded them, then why did Fox News bother digging up dirt on Mr. Holdren. Exactly what will this do now? Absolutely nothing.

Holdren, who has degrees from MIT and Stanford and headed a science policy program at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government for the past 13 years, won the unanimous approval of the Senate as the president's chief science adviser. He was confirmed on March 19 as director of the White House's Office of Science and Technology, which advises the president on scientific affairs, with a heavy focus on energy independence and global warming.

The senators who grilled him were apparently oblivious to the contents of a textbook he co-authored in 1977, "Ecoscience: Population, Resources, Environment." The 1,000-page course book was co-written with environmental activists Paul and Anne Ehrlich. According to Fox News, the book discusses and seems to advocate totalitarian measures to curb population growth, which it says could cause an environmental catastrophe. The portion that stuck in the craw of Fox News was the summation of the three authors' guiding principles: "To provide a high quality of life for all, there must be fewer people."

As first reported by FrontPage Magazine, Holdren and his co-authors spend a portion of the book discussing possible government programs that could be used to lower birth rates. Those plans include forcing single women to abort their babies or put them up for adoption; implanting sterilizing capsules in people when they reach puberty; and spiking water reserves and staple foods with a chemical that would make people sterile. To help achieve those goals, they formulate a "world government scheme" they call the Planetary Regime, which would administer the world's resources and human growth, and they discuss the development of an "armed international organization, a global analogue of a police force" to which nations would surrender part of their sovereignty. Source: Faux News

To his credit, Mr. Holdren's office issued a statement denying that he has ever backed any of the measures discussed in his book, and suggested reading more recent works authored solely by Holdren for a view to his beliefs. I am in no way advocating that these positions are right, in fact, they are very troubling, but where was this information when Mr. Holdren confirmation hearings were being held? Isn't this revelation a wee bit too late?

One of my regular visitors who goes by the name "Constructive Feedback" pointed out in his comments that I ignored the Obama Administration's hand in this mess. I concede that the Obama team of researchers should have realized that Mr. Holdren was a co-author of this book, which is very disturbing, to say the least. So, both the Republicans and the Democrats are complicit in not doing their homework. I would venture to say the onus was on the Obama Administration to vet him more thoroughly. Mr. Holdren, given the gravity of the subjects raised in this book, should had to have explained his position and in actuality, he should not have been confirmed. I have seen some nominees removed from consideration due to radical views.

Senator Jeff Sessions: "We're Going To Do That Crack Cocaine Thing" (VIDEO)

Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) continues to prove that he is not only a racist, but a blooming idiot too. During the Sotomayor hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee he said that he was looking forward to doing "that crack cocaine thing" with Senator Patrick Leahy and Wade Henderson, the president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights. What, what?

Sessions said "Mr. Henderson, It's good to work with you. Senator Leahy and I are talking during these hearings, we're going to do that crack cocaine thing that you and I have talked about before."

After an awkward pause, Henderson laughed to himself and said, "Thank you, Senator, I appreciate that." While the Senate gallery laughed, and witnesses including NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former FBI director Louis Freeh snickered, Sessions sputtered, "Let me correct the record." Sessions explained: "I misspoke. We're going to reduce the burden of penalties in some of the crack cocaine cases and make them fair." Source: Huffington Post

So much for shock and awe! There is a thing called tact, which Senator Sessions has proven throughout the confirmation hearings and actually in previous years, he knows nothing about.

Is the Latest Harry Potter Movie from J. K. Rowling's Blockbuster Series, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," Perpetuating Racial Prejudices?

My oldest son went to the midnight release of the latest Harry Potter movie, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," with his friends and he gave it four out of five stars. I have never been one to join the Harry Potter craze and I certainly never viewed it through racial lens. I came across an article in the Washington Post, written by Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite and entitled "Harry Potter: Wizards and Racism," that focuses on the racial prejudices in the film. Ms. Thistlethwaite states that the use of "Half-Blood" in the title of the film/book specifically refers to racial mixing. She states that in Wizard society (like in human society), persons of mixed race heritage are often the subject of explicit racist prejudice. "Mud-bloods!" is another term for those who share the "blood" of both wizards and Muggles (humans).

Here's Rowling's point on "half-bloods." Wizards may do magic, but prejudice does not magically disappear in their society. Racist prejudice bedevils both wizard and human society. Rowling's use of the term "half-blood" to vividly evoke the damaging effects of racial prejudice in the life of some of her key characters must be highlighted, especially this week. This is the same week where the American people have been treated to the unseemly spectacle of conservative politicians using "racism" as a club to beat up Judge Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic American woman nominated to the United States Supreme Court. These attacks on her, as illustrated but not limited to Senator Sessions' remarks, illustrate that her questioners have no insight into their own racial formation, and deformation, in a white-dominant American society.

I highly recommend that several of these Senators go see the Harry Potter film--and better yet, read the books where the racial prejudice by some in the wizarding community is horribly illustrated. "Generations of purebloods, wizards all--more than you can say, I don't doubt...a filthy, dirt-veined Muggle," says a Wizard racist whose negative attitudes toward racial pluralism have fatal and near fatal consequences for both Wizards and Muggles alike in the film and in the book.
The coming of age theme would not hurt the Senators either. My first reaction to seeing these wonderful young people and how they have grown from film to film was "wow!" They're gorgeous. And then there's dating. There's "snogging" (kissing) and there is a growing maturity about their responsibilities as young adults in what is effectively a war--and like young people living with war in Iraq or Afghanistan and elsewhere in the world, they see more death than anyone, especially a young person, should have to experience. Source: The Washington Post

After reading this, I had to ask my son if he saw the racism that the author is referring to? Of course, he said no, but I do see the point Ms. Thistlethwaite is making. We have a responsibility to eradicate our racial prejudices and misconceptions about people because of their ethnic or racial background. Unfortunately, that is easier said than done. Can we go back to the days when when we went to the movies, we did that just for fun and not worry about being politically correct? So, my parting question to you is do you think J. K. Rowling is sending a message of racial intolerance in her books?

Judge Sonia Sotomayor Says Roe vs. Wade is "Settled Law"

And they are off! Senator Jeff Sessions came out swinging against Judge Sonia Sotomayor during his heated questioning of her positions. But his actions ring hollow to me because of his own questionable racist past. One thing is clear in this confirmation hearing, is the fact that Judge Sotomayor said Roe vs. Wade is settled law. She didn't dance around the issue, she was blatantly clear in her position. True to form, Senator Sessions proved once again, loud and clear, that he is a hypocrite. Considering his questionable racist past, he had the nerve to imply that Judge Sotomayor was less than honorable because of two positions she maintained in a stellar judicial career. He has essentially admitted that it is okay for a white man to harbor doubts, but problematic for anyone else. We have biases and prejudices, but it is A-okay for a white man like him to have them. He spent 30 minutes dancing around two issues, rather than looking at her entire career.

Twenty minutes into the second day of Judge Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation hearings and the hot button political issues have already been addressed.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, (D-Vt.), offered the Supreme Court nominee an open forum to explain the most controversial remarks in her resume: That a wise Latina judge would come to a different -- perhaps better -- judgments than their white male counterparts.

Sotomayor, obviously ready for the query, stated "up front, unequivocally and without a doubt" that she did "not believe that any ethnic, racial or gender has an advantage in sound judging."

"I do believe every person has an equal opportunity to be a good and wise judge," she added, "regardless of their background or life experience."

From there, she made a strategic political move by referencing similar remarks from retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who likewise noted how gender affected her approach from the bench.

"The words I used, I used them agreeing with the sentiment that Justice Sandra Day O'Connor was trying to convey... that both men and women were equally capable of being wise and fair judges," said Sotomayor. "That has to be what she meant, because judges disagree about legal outcomes all of the time. I shouldn't say all of the time, at least in close cases they do. Judges on the Supreme Court come to different conclusions. It can't mean that one of them is unwise despite the fact that people think that."

For the record, Senate Republicans weren't convinced. The committee's ranking member, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), pushed Sotomayor to explain her comments further, and the Senate Republican Communications Center sent out an alert to reporters that Sotomayor had made the wise Latina comments on multiple occasions, dating back to 1994. -- Sam Stein Source: Huffington Post

Of course, Fox News Chris Wallace and his panelists applauded Senator Sessions, but did you expect any less from them? All I have to say is that Senator Sessions is the same attorney who referred to a black attorney as a "boy." He is not credible in my opinion. Just a hypocrite and a "closet racist."

Glenn Beck Slams Senators for Softball Questions to Sonia Sotomayor Today, But She Wasn't Asked Any Questions on Opening Day, What an Idiot!

I am amazed that an idiot like Glenn Beck could be raking in millions of dollars from anyone. He slammed the "softball questions Judge Sonia Sotomayor" was asked today. Er, one problem Glenn, she wasn't asked any questions today, you idiot! He was visibly upset with the proceedings today. To prove his nonsensical point, he played a video montage of Democratic senators praising her in statements and not questions. Hello, the Republicans also gave statements, but they criticized the judge.

Who is his producer? They ought to be fired, along with Glenn Beck for being ignorant. The first day of the hearings is when the senators and nominees make opening statements.

Supreme Court Nominee Sonia Sotomayor Portrayed in Editorial Cartoon in The Oklahoman as a Pinata

As a woman, I am appalled that the Oklahoman newspaper could run such an an editorial cartoon belittling Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. Whether you agree with her position and statements or not, there is no need to be so racist. The cartoon depicts Ms. Sotomayor strung up like a piñata with a sombrero-clad President Obama handing out bats to Republican members of Congress. It is patently racist to portray her as a pinata because of her ethnic background. This woman served honorably on the US Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit for 10 years, she heard over 3,000 cases and has written over 380 opinions.

The cartoon is certainly not funny. It is damaging and nothing more than a racist character assassination of Ms. Sotomayor. This cartoon has spoken volumes that once you aren't white, you should back off and know your place. I am surprised that more Hispanics haven't protested this demeaning cartoon.

President Barack Obama Nominates Judge Sonia Sotomayor as First Hispanic Female Supreme Court Justice

President Barack Obama has nominated federal appeals judge Sonia Sotomayor for the Supreme Court this morning. She is the first Hispanic woman in history picked to wear the robes of a justice. If confirmed by the Senate, Sotomayor, 54, would succeed retiring Justice David Souter. I dare the Republicans to vote against the first Hispanic woman for the high court when they are pandering for Hispanic votes in general.

Administration officials have said that Sotomayor would bring more judicial experience to the Supreme Court than any justice confirmed in the past 70 years. The president has said publicly he wanted a justice who combined intellect and empathy — the ability to understand the troubles of everyday Americans. If approved, she would join Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg as the second woman on the current court.

Sotomayor is a self-described "Newyorkrican" who grew up in a Bronx housing project after her parents moved to New York from Puerto Rico. She has dealt with diabetes since age 8 and lost her father at age 9, growing up under the care of her mother in humble surroundings. As a girl, inspired by the Perry Mason television show, she knew she wanted to be a judge.

A graduate of Princeton University and Yale Law School, a former prosecutor and private attorney, Sotomayor became a federal judge for the Southern District of New York in 1992. As a judge, she has a bipartisan pedigree. She was first appointed by a Republican, President George H.W. Bush, then named an appeals judge by President Bill Clinton in 1997.

At her Senate confirmation hearing more than a decade ago, she said, "I don't believe we should bend the Constitution under any circumstance. It says what it says. We should do honor to it." In one of her most memorable rulings as federal district judge, Sotomayor essentially salvaged baseball in 1995, ruling with players over owners in a labor strike that had led to the cancellation of the World Series. Source: Breitbart

Again, I dare the Republicans to filibuster her nomination. The political risks of doing so are great, especially at a time when Hispanics are the fastest growing group in this country and they are important politically as well. I am pretty sure they do not want to be on the wrong side of history with elections coming up in 2010. I applaud President Obama for nominating Judge Sotomayor. I must also add that history seems to have forgotten that the first Hispanic to sit on the Supreme Court was Benjamin Cardozo, whom President Hoover appointed to the court in 1932. Perhaps we forget Cardozo because of historical amnesia or have just gotten caught up in the euphoria of the moment.