Cal Patriot Shows that US Secretary of Education Rod Paige uses Double Talk
The Cal Patriot website is up and it's great! The web content articles have some great quotes. I'll talk about Ward Connerly's interview later.
Let's look at the Rod Paige interview. These quote gives a good picture of Secretary Paige:
I’ve never taken a position that the test is racially biased. This is not to say that it is not, but this is not a position that I’m focused on or taken that position.
In other words "I am the Secretary of Education of the United States. I can not say anything about the largest standardized test in the country. I have to make useless comments that I have no opinion because I do not want to take an opinion because if I did take a position on education then that would mean that I'm focused on taking a position on education, which is my job to take but I won't because I'm in the Bush Whitehouse and that would make too much sense for someone to actually do their job."
The No Child Left Behind Act does contain a lot of choice in it--public school choice. If a school fails to improve, students are eligible to transfer to a better performing public school or charter school. There’s a good deal of choice in the bill that we’re going to try to make work right, and once we do that choice is going to be a fundamental part of schools across America.
In other words "If a school is doing badly, we fuck it up so that it does worse. This way, children who are likely to become democrats will be screwed over for life. I am compassionate."
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Quiz Answered
For anyone paying attention, I answered my own quiz on Tuesday:
Last Spring, the California Patriot published an "expose" of the campus group MEChA, which works to further Chicano rights. The article was said to be written by a 'Juan Carlos Leal Solis.' It was in fact written by a white man with a known history (even inside BCR) of racism towards Latinos.
I'll try to make the next one answerable like the older ones.
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TIME Magazine California Patriot Article
Here a couple of good things about the article:
The article correctly states that "Patriot staff members revel in their role as provocateurs." BCR loves creating problems and then whining about them. The article also has a good quote from Professor Cain: "The right-wing kids come in with a chip on their shoulder."
Here is a problem I have with it:
TIME Magazine and R. Tyler Hillman do not know anything about ASUC politics.
"And when the Patriot endorsed a Republican student candidate, he won one of the 20 seats in U.C. Berkeley's student senate--exceptional for a candidate running openly as a Republican."
Well, the first problem with this statement, and the saddest, is that the Cal Patriot endorsed two candidates last year and both won. Also, in recent years, it is not rare to have a conservative senator. For example: there was BCR's Ivan Jen (then Heather Drennan) in 1999-2000; Drennan, Bausch, and Schulman in 2000-2001; BCR's Gallagher last year; 6 BCR/SFP/BECS Senators in 1996-1997; and 1 ABC senator per year in 1991-1992, 1992-1993, 1994-1995, and 1995-1996; etc. Now, granted that only LaFata, Jen, Gallagher, and those 6 from the coalition in 1996-1997 ran as "BCR." But the other made no secret that they were conservatives. (Another note: when was the last time a Democrat won on a Democratic ticket at Berkeley? Can we use this to prove that the campus is anti-Democrat?)
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A Primer on the Berkeley Patriot, Part I
The Berkeley (California) Patriot is produced by the Berkeley College Republicans (BCR). Here's some things to know about the Cal Patriot:
- A Typical Psychological Examination of a BCR member (here the former president). Generally, people join BCR because it is "so easy being a Republican in Berkeley" and for easy fame.
- Last Spring, the California Patriot published an "expose" of the campus group MEChA, which works to further Chicano rights. The article was said to be written by a 'Juan Carlos Leal Solis.' It was in fact written by a white man with a known history (even inside BCR) of racism towards Latinos.
- The BCR's president refered to a memorial service on 9/11/02 as the "festivities."
- The Patriot is biased in its "reporting." Here GreenThink points out one of many examples of bias in the Patriot's reporting.
- The Patriot often makes use of flawed comparisons and logic. Here's an example.
- The BCR's president called the Berkeley city council nonpartisan. Obviously, the BCR doesn't value informed leaders.
- The BCR's president endorsed the same city council candidate as Congresswoman Barbara Lee, who voted against military intervention in Iraq. His reason? He didn't want his frat parties shut down.
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California Patriot Website
So, the Cal Patriot website is being redone. While that's happening, I thought I'd share this gem from their "California Patriot Online Forums:
Berkeley's Conservative Voice"
Is anybody sick of radical left wing liberals like Tom "Five Finger Discout" Bates getting away with murder? This lying turd fondler is the type of douche bag that epitomizes the incompetent Berkeley city government. The most apalling thing about this sh*t weasel is that he stole Daily Cals instead of a real newspaper. This troll maggot stole a newspaper that uses Crayola and construction paper as its newsprint.
Join me and the thousands of pissed of Berkeley residents in demanding to impeach this piece of human garbage.
Does this herald the return of the BestofBerkeley posters? I think so. The Patriot will very soon learn the names of Jojo Gunn and SmashtheLeft!
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Richard Stanaro has lots of time
Richard Stanaro (of "I hate you, Kevin Deenihan", fame) has written another letter to the Daily Cal. My question is this: why is an alumnus living in Britain writing letters to the Daily Cal every month? Get a life!
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Roberto Hernandez
Alex Kipnis has some good commentary on the release of Hernandez's degree. Alex points out that the timing and secrecy of the release points to the fact that the university is attempting to let the whole affair go away quitely. A victory for protestors... and the university is shamefully hiding its retreat.
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Grad Assembly
Just thought I'd comment on some older news (from Friday): the Daily Cal publishes another misleading piece on the Senate.
ASUC senators returned from winter break to an unwelcome surprise.
The $28,000 payment senators expected from the Graduate Assembly to continue business as usual this semester is in jeopardy.
Can we have the names of the senators who had their heads in the sand all last semester? This should be (and was) a surprise to no one. The Grad Assembly does not owe the ASUC money because the ASUC failed to make its election known and accessible to grad students.
(See CalStuff for more)
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Ward Again, Again
Looks like some California legislators are calling Ward Connerly out for his comments on racism.
Here's a choice quote from their letter:
"Mr. Connerly's statement is an untenable position for a man who is responsible for overseeing the education of a diverse student body—many of whom come from families who know firsthand the pain of segregation and racism"
To those who defend CRENO: Ward Connerly the man who wrote it. He says segregation is not racist just as he says hiding proof of discrimination is not racist. Rethink your position.
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Edward Said is coming to Cal
SPRING LECTURE SERIES
CENTER FOR MIDDLE EASTERN STUDIES
Co-Sponsored by the Office of the Chancellor
EDWARD SAID
The U.S., the Islamic World, and the Question of Palestine Wednesday, February 19, 5:30 P.M. Zellerbach Auditorium
Author of the groundbreaking work Orientalism, Edward Said is one of the most prominent literary and cultural critics in the United States. His writings about the Middle East and its relationship to the West have had a major influence on both scholarship and public opinion.
Tickets for this event are free, limited to two per person. Tickets will be available at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, 340 Stephens Hall between January 27 and February 11. Starting February 12, tickets will be available at the Zellerbach Hall Ticket Office.
CMES is open 9am-12pm and 1pm-4pm, Monday through Friday.
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Political Science Prof. Gregor is a right-wing Snehal?
It's true, as CalStuff and GreenThink? point out. Time for all of those who denounced Snehal's course description to either rise up or be labeled hypocrites.
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Strange
I found this interesting, maybe you will too. Daniel Frankenstein runs the "Cal UNITED LEADERS: BECOMING A SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR" Decal. It's a great way for him to gain campaign supporters and votes. Now, the funny part is that his intoductory email this semester promises "Interesting speakers, innovative discussion, and a chance to be one of 24 students to be paid $2,000 and get free room and board, to intern in either Boston or Washington DC this summer!" Is he using a monetary incentive to recruit people to his eventual campaign? The funnier part is that this blog's email was mysteriously added onto his list during the summer. I guess anonymous progressive bloggers are Cal United material!
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WHO WILL RESCUE US FROM GEORGE W. BUSH??
We live in dark times. We have an idiot as President, who is controlled by the most rapacious and callous oil executives money can buy.
He stole the election in Florida, and is now mining our precious natural resources.
He has manipulated the September 11th tragedy to violate our civil liberties and promote the expansion of our military-industrial complex.
He is trying to justify an insane war in Iraq that will completely destabilize the entire Middle East so the oil companies can continue to reap larger profits.
He continues to cut services for the poor during these difficult economic times, in order to pay for a huge tax cut for the wealthy.
Paul Wellstone, the one Senator who valiantly put up a fight every step of the way, has tragically died in a plane crash. They say it's an accident, but I wonder if he wasn't murdered.
Reagan was bad. Gingrich was worse. But our current "President" is just plain evil. Is there anyone out there who will rescue us from another four years of torture??
For those of you who voted for Ralph Nader because you thought there was "no difference" between the two major parties, GET OVER IT!! There are many problems with the Democratic Party, and I used to always complain about Clinton and Gore. But members of the Green Party need to see beyond these differences and unite with Democrats and other patriotic, concerned citizens, behind one candidate who can win the Presidency in 2004 and save us from this unspeakable horror.
We need a Democratic candidate who can win, and who we can be content with. Here's my take on the current line-up:
(1) John Kerry: The Massachusetts Senator has good politics, and is probably the most liberal candidate among the serious contenders. But I fear that he would get killed by Bush. I'm afraid of us getting another Michael Dukakis who would be roadkill for the Republicans.
(2) Dick Gephardt: Former House Minority Leader has lots of experience, major union support, but little charisma. I don't see him winning either, and he strikes me as a has-been type of candidate.
(3) John Edwards: At first, I was skeptical about the North Carolina Senator -- a Southern moderate Democrat. He's not as liberal as I would like him to be, but if you compare his voting record with that of other Southern Democratic Senators like John Breaux of Louisiana or Bob Graham of Florida, he is surprisingly liberal. And given that he is from the South, he would win some states that Bush won in 2000. In the last 40 years, the only Democrats who have ever been elected President have all been from the South (Lyndon Johnson, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton.) If we really have to put up with a Southern Democrat, we could do a lot worse than John Edwards.
My only problem with John Edwards is his lack of experience. He's currently in his first term in the U.S. Senate, and had never run for public office before. But by 2004, he will have been in elective office for the same number of years (6) that King George had been Governor of Texas.
(4) Howard Dean: The Vermont Governor has good politics, but I know very little about where he stands on economic issues. I'm also concerned that he comes from such a small Northern state that he would have limited appeal. Still, he doesn't come off as an uncharismatic New Englander the way that John Kerry does.
(5) Joe Lieberman: HELL NO!! HELL NO!!! HELL NO!! The war-hawk Senator who stood up and applauded at Bush's speech for tax cuts might as well be a Republican. Please, somebody, spare me the torture of having him as the Democratic nominee in 2004. I know that I want Bush defeated badly, but can't we do better than a fucking conservative like Lieberman??
BUT MY DREAM CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT IN 2004 IS....
MARTIN SHEEN!!
This weekend, I attended the anti-war protest in San Francisco, where Martin Sheen delivered a passionate plea to stop the war in Iraq. He has the charisma of a President, the demeanor of a President, and the right politics to rid us from that bastard idiot in the White House. And he's only been playing the President on TV for the last several years??
Sound absurd?? Well, Ronald Reagan was an actor. And as long as he surrounds himself with smart advisers, he will be just as capable as sitting in the Oval Office. Personally, I think he stands a better chance at beating Bush than any of the Democrats currently running.
Martin Sheen is *my* President. I just hopes he runs in 2004 and becomes everyone's President. Anyone ready to start a website to build up support for his candidacy???
Ward Again
The Oakland Trib has an interesting story about Ward Connerly's attitude towards those who think segregation is racist (remember his quote "Supporting segregation need not be racist").
"tell them to go to hell"
Ah, such a dignified Regent!
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A Great Confirmation
Saturday, January 04, 2003, 3:34 PM PDT, a great event was announced. Read about it here.
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