RE-VERSE: GAME OF THRONES

IN TWEET: A RE-VERSE IS A REVIEW WRITTEN IN VERSE. FOR THE FIRST OUTING OF THIS NEW RONTHINK FEATURE, WE CHOSE “GAME OF THRONES” FROM HBO.

Sometimes when you want to write a negative review, turning it into a poem can make the bitter pill go down a little easier. I know many of my fellow geeks love the HBO series GAME OF THRONES. Alas, I’m not one of them.

GAME OF THRONES has everything I dislike in one hugely overblown snoozer of a package: dragons, dirty looking characters wearing pelts, storylines that are deliberately confusing for no valid reason, a deep well of smug self-importance, ugly people having kinky sex, fantasy novel roots, excessive violence and Peter Dinklage.

So, without further pontification, here is the inaugural RONTHINK RE-VERSE!

GAME OF THRONES

A DARK SONNET OF RHYMING COUPLETS

Tonight White Walkers march once more.

Hark! Here comes that crashing bore!

As GIRLS lays waste to comedy

This is death by fantasy.

The cast be large, the critics mused.

Whilst I sat there dazed and confused.

Geekdom is moist with so much love

But I suggest death from above.

For on this turgid GAME OF THRONES

I would launch Obama’s drones.

Season 3 of GAME OF THRONES debuts tonight (Sunday, March 31) on HBO at 9pm E/P.

MUSIC: PHOENIX NORMAND

IN TWEET: INDIE ARTIST PHOENIX NORMAND IS “RUNNING” WITH AN INFECTIOUS DANCE TUNE THAT WILL MAKE YOU MOVE. WE DARE YOU TO RESIST THE HOOKS OF THIS UBER CATCHY SINGLE.

As a rule, we don’t cover mainstream, major label music on RONTHINK but when we stumble across a great indie voice, we’re all over it. 

Today we’re sharing a couple of tracks from an artist we really like: San Francisco-based singer/songwriter Phoenix Normand. If you’ve been looking for new music that'll get you off your ass and help you shake the winter blues, Normand has you covered.

NOTE: IF YOU ARE USING A BROWSER OR MOBILE DEVICE THAT DOES NOT SUPPORT THE HTML5 MUSIC PLAYERS FROM SOUND CLOUD EMBEDDED BELOW, PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR A LINK TO PHOENIX NORMAND'S FULL SOUND CLOUD LIBRARY.

I’m listening to the LFB RADIO MIX of RUNNING as I write this post and I can’t get enough. It’s infectious, full of great hooks and offers a sweet balance of smart lyrics and an irresistible dance beat. Of the two re-mixes, it’s the one that grabbed me right away. I took it running with me on the beach this morning and can’t think of a better soundtrack for your workout...outdoors or on the dance floor.

THE JAEGAR RYDALL take on RUNNING is a little colder and more aloof but it still works quite well, especially the haunting piano line that closes the remix. It’s nice to see the same source material re-mixed in ways that leave you with two completely different vibes after listening.

Both remixes of RUNNING are lifted by echoes of time-honored club kid bravado and pleasant layering of vocals that, at times, woke up my inner Erasure. These are welcome qualities in a genre that often churns out more of the same. Normand manages to make RUNNING rise above the clutter and infuses it with remarkable replayability. Both remixes of RUNNING are worthy additions to your digital music library.

BLUELIGHT, a second hot single from Normand, is the song I want to accompany me every time I enter a crowded room. It’s a down and dirty paean to the classics of bluesy soul, complete with strong organ accompaniment and powerful electric guitar. 

It’s the kind of song that demands you go out to see and be seen with your crew. Hell, even if you don’t have a crew BLUELIGHT will make you want to throw one together. There’s also a serious message rolling with the party here, though my favorite line offers a kick-ass antidote to a troubled world: “I’m gonna sit back on my grove and let my big, fat booty move.” We say, amen!

Here's the video for RUNNING and, below that, a link to the LFB RADIO MIX of the single from iTunes. Support indie music and make Phoenix Normand a part of your playlist.

 

TV: THESE SHOWS BLOW!

IN TWEET: GET OUT YOUR SLINGS AND ARROWS…I’M TAKING DOWN SOME SACRED TV COWS!

Picking the worst scripted shows on TV seemed like a far less interesting task than knocking off some of the most wildly overrated and “why is this show still on?” veterans. So, that’s why you won’t see crap on this list like SMASH, WHITNEY, SULLIVAN & SON, THE NEIGHBORS, RULES OF ENGAGEMENT, 1600 PENN, CHICAGO FIRE, THE MINDY PROJECT or countless other outright duds.

Instead, here are ten scripted series (from broadcast and basic cable networks only) that need to be taken down a few pegs or taken off the air entirely. The list is presented in alphabetical order.

AMERICAN HORROR STORY (FX)

No one loves this overly violent, overwrought mess more than series creator Ryan Murphy. Murphy, an egomaniac who never misses an opportunity to let us know how fab he is, has created a repellant vision of horror that’s the TV equivalent of a bowl of steaming viscera. 

There’s a sequence in season one during which former cast member Connie Britton is coerced into eating raw organs. Its uncomfortable to watch because she looks so uncomfortable performing the scene. You can almost hear her thinking “I didn’t sign on for this” as she chomps a slice of brain.

Of course, Britton was smart and fled to the more fertile ground of NASHVILLE. Yeah, yeah Jessica Lange is great but even she has devolved into a scenery chewing harpy. That has less to do with her talent and everything to do with Murphy’s limited writing ability.

I officially became an enemy of the show after witnessing the hate crime that was the murder of the gay couple in season one. Played by Zachary Quinto and Teddy Sears, the scene was one of the most needlessly vicious on-screen deaths I’ve seen on TV. If it was any other show, GLAAD would have been pissing vinegar but apparently it’s OK to overkill homosexual characters if a gay guy is running the show. I don’t agree.

COMMUNITY (NBC)

COMMUNITY is one of those shows that thinks its ten times funnier than it is. With the exception of the lovely and talented Alison Brie, every cast member on this grating sit-com makes me want to punch the screen. The fact that someone thought uber-prick Joel McHale was a smart choice to lead a series should give some insight into why NBC is such a mess. Somehow, the combination of network desperation, a minority of clueless critics and an audience numbering in the tens keeps COMMUNITY on the air.

GLEE (FOX)

This was a hard one for me because I count myself among the original Gleeks.

GLEE (also from Ryan Murphy) has always been a rather sloppy and erratic affair but that used to be part of its unique charm. Even when it faltered, for the first couple of seasons it at least, the show knew it’s limits. That’s no longer the case. GLEE has devolved into a crowded, bombastic mess that continues to ignore talented cast members while shoving annoying recurring characters like Unique down our throats. 

For every bit of good the show does on one front, it continues to revel in gross stereotyping on so many others. It’s taken preaching to the choir to a whole new level.

THE GOOD WIFE (CBS)

It’s wonderful to see Michael J. Fox back on television. I just wish it wasn’t in this maudlin tripe. Again, you have a generally talented cast doing the bidding of writers who never met a line of dialogue they didn’t want to beat you over the head with. I’ll watch Christine Baranski and Josh Charles read cereal box instructions but having to weed through the histrionics of a heavily mummified Julianna Margulies is a task I’m not up to. If, however, THE WALKING DEAD ever needs an actress who comes make-up ready, they can start with her.

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (CBS)

File this under “when good shows go bad and won’t go away.” 

Clearly CBS has a major case of separation anxiety here. How else to explain the continued existence of a series that should have ended two seasons ago.

The cast is either going through the motions and earning a paycheck or, in the case of Josh Radnor and Alyson Hannigan, finding new ways to turn once beloved characters into shrill annoyances. The fact that CBS wants to beat this dead horse for another season is just sad.

LAST MAN STANDING (ABC)

What used to be a perfectly harmless and mildly amusing comedy came back this season as a political screed and a platform for Republican actor Tim Allen to bash Obama. I have no problem with a show that takes a political stand, even one that runs contrary to my own views. However, when the writing quality sits somewhere between WHO’S THE BOSS? and FULL HOUSE, I’m not sure topical humor is the smartest path to take. I’ve gotten over the pointless re-cast of one of the daughters and Nancy Travis still rocks but this is a show that is quickly wearing out its welcome.

THE NEW NORMAL (NBC)

This show isn’t just gay, it’s wicked gay. It’s a mincing, lisping, limp wristed queer fest that never met a stereotype it didn’t want to adorn in rainbow flags and sparkly drag. It’s another “gift” from the mind of Ryan Murphy and it’s the single best example of everything he does wrong. Gross stereotyping? Check! Self-impressed and wholly unaware of how unfunny it is? Check! Tone-deaf and excessively, repulsively, cloyingly annoying? BIG check!

While Murphy may have given birth to this hell spawn, he is aided and abetted by several of the cast members, most notably Ellen Barkin, NeNe Leakes and Andrew Rannells. 

Rannells plays a character so cloying that to call his depiction of a gay guy “flaming” would be like calling Mount Everest tall. Leakes continues to wield her extremely limited talents like a sledge hammer and extend her already overly extended 15 minutes of fame. Then there’s Ellen Barkin, an actress with some of the worst comic timing on television. The fact the she is saddled with dialogue so racist Archie Bunker would file a civil rights suit against her, doesn’t help.

MODERN FAMILY has covered this territory for several seasons to much better effect. NBC late to the game with second-tier crap? No shock there.

REVOLUTION (NBC)

Stunningly unsavvy programmer NBC mothballed this major disappointment for months before dragging it back out for another go-round. Let’s just say absence has not made my heart grow fonder for REVOLUTION.

Everything that was wrong with the show from day one is back and more cloying than ever. It still looks cheap, is incredibly sloppy with its own mythology (seriously, how do they make such great looking clothes?) and lead Tracy Spiridakos is truly one of the least gifted actors to ever be cast in a JJ Abrams series. She makes Anna Torv look like Meryl Streep.

I know NBC has to keep this creaky ship afloat to save face but on any other network it would have already been cancelled. A mercy killing is in order here.

SCANDAL (ABC)

Put away your claws, ladies I don’t care how hardcore addicted you are to SCANDAL. The show is an over-the-top train wreck that makes my guy eyes bleed. Now, with that said, I think Kerry Washington is major talent and one of the few redeeming things in this tawdry soap. She definitely deserves better material.

Created by Shonda Rhimes, Her Royal Blackness has given us yet another bizarre workplace drama. Question: why does a show written by a powerful black woman have such a low opinion of the powerful black woman at the center of the show?As written, Washington’s character isn’t just driven and eccentric, she is a bat-crap-crazy wackadoo in desperate need of a cold shower and a padded room.

I’d love a great network drama with a predominantly non-white cast. I just hope to God it doesn’t come from the mind of Shonda Rhimes. Plus, I still haven’t forgiven Rhimes for her wholly unprofessional public berating of the ABC Family series BUNHEADS.

2 BROKE GIRLS (CBS)

Apparently racial stereotyping is alive and well on broadcast TV these days and it’s played for yuk yuks. Like so many other entries on this list, cheap jokes and poorly written humor are the order of the day. 2 BROKE GIRLS ups the ante because it’s not enough to be crass. No, instead, this crap on a cracker also excels at being vulgar, rude, vile and exceedingly ugly.

Speaking of, is it ever possible for lead Kat Dennings to not look like she just woke up from a heroin fix? It should come as no surprise that comedy hag Whitney Cummings is behind this show. At least she’s consistent, being equally untalented behind the camera as she is in front of it.

BREAKING: DOMA ON TRIAL

IN TWEET: ORAL ARGUMENTS BEFORE THE SCOTUS TODAY CAST DOUBT ON THE FUTURE OF DOMA. ANALYSIS, OPINION, REFLECTION ON HARVEY MILK AND AUDIO OF THE PROCEEDINGS.

I can think of no better image to anchor this post than that of civil rights icon Harvey Milk. No matter how the Supreme Court rules on the two marriage equality cases that were argued this week, I have no doubt that we wouldn’t be where we are today were it not for the fearless activism of Milk. Anyone who supports marriage equality and full civil rights for LGBT Americans owes Harvey Milk a huge debt of gratitude and my writing today is humbly dedicated to this great man.

I was living in San Francisco the first time I saw the documentary THE TIMES OF HARVEY MILK. It was a stunning, transformational experience that changed my life. If you have not seen it, do yourself a favor and make some time to watch right here! There is a full video player from Hulu at the close of this article and additional options if you are on a browser or mobile device that does not support the plug in. 

The spirit of Harvey Milk burns brighter than ever and I can't help but imagine that somewhere he is looking down on all of this amazing progress and smiling. Now, onto United States v. Windsor.

While yesterday grabbed the lions share of the headlines, all the silly red equal logos in the world won’t change the fact that the case that was argued today is the more important of the two. While Holligsworth v. Perry was brought to the Court on shaky legal standing and focused on a ballot initiative in one state, United States v. Windsor has national implications.

At issue is Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (aka DOMA). DOMA was signed into law by President Bill Clinton on September 21, 1996 after passing in both the House and Senate by wide margins. In brief, DOMA restricts the extension of Federal marriage benefits and the inter-state recognition of marriage to opposite sex couples only. The law has since been disavowed by many of the same elected officials who supported it, including Bill Clinton.

Here’s an amazing clip from C-SPAN shot in 1996. It’s an impassioned, 5 minute speech by Rep. Steve Gunderson (R-WI), the only Republican in Congress to vote against DOMA. Pay special attention to the section where he asks if it is fair to deny him and his partner the same benefits afforded others in Congress who are on their second or third marriage. It’s a pointed reference to then House Speaker Newt Gingrich who was married to wife number two at the time while in the midst of an affair with the woman he would eventually make wife number three: Callista.

HOW DOES DOMA NEGATIVELY IMPACT LGBT AMERICANS?

I’ll use myself as an a example. I live in Massachusetts, the first state to give full marriage rights to same sex-couples. Here’s the rub: what’s good for this gay Massachusetts goose doesn’t matter a bit to the Federal gander thanks to DOMA. If I marry my partner in Massachusetts we are barred from receiving any of the Federal benefits enjoyed by opposite-sex couples. Think about that for a moment. It’s a punitive law that covers a massive array of financial, estate and tax-related programs.

HOW DID WE GET TO UNITED STATES V. WINDSOR?

Marriage equality supporters can thank Edith Windsor, an amazing 83-year-old woman and lesbian. She sued the United States and won in the lower courts. Those rulings affirmed her assertion that Section 3 of DOMA was punitive, damaging to her (and her late partner) and not constitutional. Even though DOMA was the law of the land, by 2011 the Obama Administration refused to enforce and, in doing so, signaled agreement with the court rulings. Enter the GOP!

With the DOJ taking a pass, Republican leaders in the House stepped in and vowed to defend DOMA. The case would also gave them a twofer that no Right Winger could resist: a chance to bitch slap the Obama Administration and keep those pesky homos from advancing their diabolical agenda. The Supreme Court agreed to hear the case which we now know as United States v. Windsor.

• CLICK HERE for a full, plain English history of the case from the New York Civil Liberties Union.

• CLICK HERE to read more about the amazing Edith Windsor from the New York Times.

• CLICK HERE for another look at Edith Windsor and her case, this one from The New Yorker.

• CLICK HERE to read about marriage equality in the best little state in The Union: Massachusetts.

With the exception of another round of belligerent dickishness from Justice Antonin Scalia, the oral arguments today were markedly different than those heard in yesterday’s case. In both the tone of the Justices and the questions they asked, there was palpable skepticism about DOMA. 

Declaring the law unconstitutional would not impact any state where same-sex marriage is banned or unavailable. It would basically remove the Federal Government from the equation (more or less) and return marriage to the States, where it has traditionally resided. On the up side, it would invalidate the language in Section 3 that currently prevents Federal recognition and extension of benefits to same-sex couples in states where same-sex marriage is legal (or may be in the future).

LISTEN: ORAL ARGUMENTS (UNITED STATES V. WINDSOR)

NOTE: RONTHINK is optimized for CHROME. In the event you are using a mobile device or browser that does not support the HTML5 audio player above, CLICK HERE for the official audio and PDF download links of the oral arguments from the SCOTUS website.

• CLICK HERE for a full overview of today’s oral arguments in plain English from SCOTUS Blog.

• CLICK HERE for analysis from The Huffington Post.

• CLICK HERE for analysis from MSNBC.

• CLICK HERE for analysis from The Washington Post.

• CLICK HERE for analysis from The Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

• CLICK HERE for analysis from The San Francisco Chronicle.

Kenji Yoshino was back on THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW last night with an insightful look at yesterday’s case and some predictions about the oral arguments that were heard today. Here’s the video.

Both of these cases are expected to be decided by June. Of course, RONTHINK will continue to keep an eye on the SCOTUS and bring you updates as they happen. 

In the meantime, please sit back and enjoy THE TIMES OF HARVEY MILK. You can watch right here via Hulu or, if you are on a browser or device that does not support the Hulu player, there are other options below. This is a documentary that truly soars. Don’t miss it!

UPDATE: VA CLAIMS BACKLOG

IN TWEET: NEW VA ASSISTANT SECRETARY TOMMY SOWERS FACES THE MUSIC (AKA RACHEL MADDOW) AND ANSWERS SOME TOUGH QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DISABILITY CLAIMS BACKLOG.

Yesterday I wrote extensively about the train wreck currently hobbling the Veterans Administration. Men and women returning from active duty in Iraq and Afghanistan (along with Vietnam Veterans trying to file Agent Orange-related claims) are waiting a year or more in some cases before the VA makes a decision on their case. Up until last night, most of the little we have heard from the Veterans Administration has come from poorly received public testimony and a single appearance by Erik Shinseki on CNN this past weekend. We now have a new voice to add to the mix, thanks to the dogged persistence of Rachel Maddow.

Tommy Sowers, new to the VA, sat down with Rachel Maddow last night for a a tough round of Q&A. I have to say, the guy does seem sincere. He’s a vet himself and the 2010 Democratic nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives in Missouri's 8th congressional district. He started the interview sounding a little too sunshine and roses for Maddow’s comfort but, as always, she was tough and asked the right questions. Once it was clear that she was not looking for his head to be delivered on a platter, things loosened up and Sowers was remarkably forthright.

Sowers does have a tough job ahead of him and his ability to impact change is only as good as the commitment to change from those running things at the VA. Is he giving vets genuine hope or is he just an empty suit making hollow promises? As the opening of the interview with Maddow reminds us, the VA has a shameful track record of making lofty commitments that they have yet to deliver on. As they say, talk is cheap. I want to have some faith in the promises made by Sowers but, as it stands, only time will tell.

There is no question this is a major crisis (when you hear the stats regarding the percentage of claims still on paper, you’ll see why) and I reiterate the call for President Obama to step in and take a leadership role here. With that said, Sowers ended the interview promising to give Maddow unfettered access to one of the VA claims processing centers that apparently has gone from disaster to model of efficiency. That handshake agreement was pretty amazing to see and I, for one, can’t wait for the visit on a future show.

Here is the Sowers interview from THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW last night:

As a reminder, the IAVA and other leading advocacy groups are calling for President Obama to step in and make ending the claims backlog a national priority. RONTHINK added its voice to that call yesterday and I reiterate the need for Presidential leadership. If you have not done so, please lend your voice to the cause.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

1. CLICK HERE to visit the IAVA website and sign the online petition to demand that President Obama step in and take charge of the claims backlog solution. Share the petition with your Facebook friends and Twitter followers after you sign. Adding a personal message to these shares is also helpful.
   
   
2. Call both of your Senators and your Representative and demand similar action (that’s a total of three calls, folks). Let them know you are a constituent who feels that 2015 is too long to wait for an end to the current disability claims backlog. Calling your elected officials has a much bigger impact than emails or other auto-response options. Always be clear, courteous and concise when speaking with staff members who answer phones in the offices of elected officials. CLICK HERE to find your Senators and their contact numbers. CLICK HERE to find your Representative in Congress and their contact numbers.
   
   
3. Call the White House and express your support for our veterans and ask that President Obama step in to end the claims backlog at the VA. Again, always be polite to whomever answers the phone. Let them know your are aware of the statements that have been made by Undersecretary Hickey and Secretary Shinseki and are not satisfied with their responses. Leading veterans support organizations are calling for President Obama to intervene and you support that call to action. Extra points for sending a hand written letter. CLICK HERE for the White House contact information.
   
   
4. Follow @ronthinkblog and @iava on Twitter for regular updates on this issue. Re-Tweet relevant content with #endthevabacklog.
   
   
5. Share this post and the call to action list with at least one friend who isn’t a RONTHINK reader, especially those  who might be unaware of this issue.

THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW airs Monday through Friday at 9pm E/P on MSNBC.

BREAKING: SCOTUS AND PROP 8

IN TWEET: ORAL ARGUMENTS IN THE PROP 8 CASE BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT ARE OVER. WE’VE GOT “ONE-STOP” LINKS TO THE BEST EXPERT ANALYSIS PLUS AUDIO OF THE PROCEEDINGS. 

Today the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Hollingsworth v. Perry, better known as the Prop. 8 case. It’s semi-pointless to try and second-guess the SCOTUS. Of course, that doesn’t stop the media from trying. Here’s "best of" analysis from those who heard or have since listened to the arguments made by lawyers on both sides of the case :

• CLICK HERE for analysis from the Huffington Post.

• CLICK HERE for analysis from Mother Jones.

• CLICK HERE for analysis from The Los Angeles Times.

• CLICK HERE for analysis from The Boston Globe.

• CLICK HERE for analysis from The Maddow Blog.

Of the two same-sex marriage cases being heard by the SCOTUS this week (the other, United States v. Windsor, is on the docket tomorrow), today’s was always the more murky of the pair. Court observers have noted the thorny issues of the case for weeks now.

Problem one, the case is specific to a voter approved initiative in one state yet a decision by the court could have implications for other states. That doesn’t exactly make the Justices giddy and would also explain a ruling that ends up being less decisive than marriage equality supporters might like. Second, and probably more troubling, is that the state involved (California) isn’t arguing the case. This puts it on shaky ground from a standing perspective and, as many observers noted today, that fact was not lost on the justices.

• CLICK HERE for a look at the DOMA case from Slate.

• CLICK HERE for a look at the basics of both cases from New York Magazine.

• CLICK HERE for a look back at the Prop. 8 battle from The Washington Post.

• CLICK HERE for an excellent, plain English analysis of today’s oral arguments from SCOTUS Blog.

Though there is no live audio or video feed from the Supreme Court and no recording devices are allowed inside, the Court did release audio of today’s oral arguments as well as a written transcript. Even if you’re not a legal eagle, this is fascinating stuff and well worth a listen. The Court is expected to announce a decision on Hollingsworth v. Perry by June.

LISTEN: ORAL ARGUMENTS (HOLLINGSWORTH V. PERRY)

NOTE: RONTHINK is optimized for CHROME. In the event you are using a mobile device or browser that does not support the HTML5 audio player above, CLICK HERE for the official audio and PDF download links of the oral arguments from the SCOTUS website.

If you missed the opening segment of the Rachel Maddow Show yesterday, she had an excellent overview of the case. Particularly strong is her interview with Kenji Yoshino, one of the most savvy conlaw experts out there. Now that oral arguments in this case are complete and available, his commentary is especially interesting. Check out the video here.

OPINION: OBAMA MUST END VA BACKLOG

IN TWEET: THE BACKLOG OF DISABILITY CLAIMS AT THE VA IS A DEBACLE THAT REQUIRES PRESIDENTIAL INTERVENTION NOW. OUR TAKE ON THE CRISIS AND WAYS YOU CAN HELP.

NOTE: THIS POST IS DEDICATED TO MY DAD, AN ALL AROUND COOL GUY AND A VETERAN. I GREW UP HEARING STORIES OF HIS DEALINGS WITH THE VA. I WISH I COULD SAY LESS-THAN-WONDERFUL EXPERIENCES LIKE HIS WERE A THING OF THE PAST. SADLY, WHERE THE VA IS CONCERNED, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'VE GONE FROM BAD TO MUCH WORSE.

Meet Allison Hickey , Undersecretary for Benefits for the Veterans Affairs Department. Her Aqua Net hair and frozen grin aside, this is one do-nothing bureaucrat with little to smile about. She presides over a backlog of disability claims from veterans that is staggering in size. If you were less than inspired by her appearance in front of a House panel last week, you’re not alone. Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL), chairman of the House Veteran’s Affair’s Committee, called for Hickey to resign. It’s probably the only time I’d be inclined to agree with him.

CLICK HERE FOR AN INFOGRAPHIC LOOK AT THE CLAIMS BACKLOG.

Of course, axing Hickey will do little if anything to solve the problem but, it would be a tiny moment of bloodless, off with their heads-like catharsis. Her stunningly inept testimony wasn’t enhanced much this week by her boss, U.S. Secretary for Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki. He popped up on the Sunday morning political chat circuit to crow about his “goal” of ending the backlog by 2015. Huh?!? 

I’m no math wiz but I’m thinking if I’m an Iraq or Afghanistan War Vet missing, say, a limb or two that kind of “goal” really wouldn’t give me the  warm and fuzzies. What the hell kind of response is a 2015 “goal” of ending the paperwork logjam when the shit pile is already more than a year deep? If this is the best we can do for the men and women we sent off to fight two wars, we are nation that should be profoundly ashamed of itself.

CLICK HERE FOR COLUMNIST JOE KLEIN’S SPOT-ON ASSESSMENT OF THE CRISIS.

Personally, I think Shinseki has been a major disappointment as the head of the VA. Given his personal history, this is a a guy who should have been all over this mess and prevented it from become a crisis. Instead, he has demonstrated a frustrating knack for not being present in the moment and appearing to ignore all the smoke that was billowing before the big fire . Remember, this claims backlog is not new nor is it something that just appeared, as if by magic, at Veterans Affairs offices around the country.  Perhaps instead of reiterating the fact that the VA and the DOD seem incapable of playing in the same sandbox, Shinseki should have gotten off his butt and done something about it much sooner.

Only after allowing the backlog to explode into a first-class disaster, and only after Allison Hickey did such a piss-poor job during her testimony, did Shinseki finally stroll out from wherever he was hiding and start talking. Of course, after hearing his plans, he might as well have maintained radio silence. One thing is clear: it’s time for President Obama to take the reigns and make ending the VA backlog a top priority. Anyone with half a brain knows there is a problem here. Tough words and moral outrage are only as good as the authority behind them. Obama must fill the leadership gap here and turn talk into walk.

With all of the attention paid last week to the 10th anniversary of the start of the Iraq War, it would have been nice to see some of that spotlight given to the claims crisis. Those who duped us into war could have taken a small step towards an apology by hitting the airwaves and demanding action. Instead, they chose to take part in a campaign to re-write history. Major media outlets who enabled the march to war could have dedicated some above the fold space to this story. Instead, most chose to engage in self-loathing or blissfully ignorant hand-wringing. Leading progressives, who never miss an opportunity to bitch about the Iraq War, could have been equally outraged about the present-day crisis. Instead, most chose the path of least resistance by engaging in another round of self-congratulatory preaching to the anti-Bush choir.

CLICK HERE TO EXPERIENCE THE BACKLOG FROM ONE VET'S PERSPECTIVE

I’m not saying it was a bad thing to call out Donald Rumsfeld for Tweeting lies or for any media outlet to take a critical look at the lead up to Iraq War but, it is profoundly troubling that we spent a ton of time looking back without dedicating equal time to where things stand right now. That inability to focus on the present while learning from the past is how we get pushed into wars based on lies. It’s also how situations like the claims backlog at the VA are allowed to fester and become living nightmares. That things like this happen over and over again isn’t anyone’s fault but our own. We can point fingers all we want but, if we don’t at least admit we are all part of a problem then we are never going to find a solution.

Fortunately, at least where the VA claims crisis is concerned, each of us can help. There are some simple steps we can all take that, collectively, will help move things forward. It took me less than 15 minutes today to complete the top three items on this list. It’s certainly the least any of us can do for the brave men and women who chose to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as those veterans of past wars who are still fighting for basic disability support.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

1. CLICK HERE to visit the IAVA website and sign the online petition to demand that President Obama step in and take charge of the claims backlog solution. Share the petition with your Facebook friends and Twitter followers after you sign. Adding a personal message to these shares is also helpful.
   
   
2. Call both of your Senators and your Representative and demand similar action (that’s a total of three calls, folks). Let them know you are a constituent who feels that 2015 is too long to wait for an end to the current disability claims backlog. Calling your elected officials has a much bigger impact than emails or other auto-response options. Always be clear, courteous and concise when speaking with staff members who answer phones in the offices of elected officials. CLICK HERE to find your Senators and their contact numbers. CLICK HERE to find your Representative in Congress and their contact numbers.
   
   
3. Call the White House and express your support for our veterans and ask that President Obama step in to end the claims backlog at the VA. Again, always be polite to whomever answers the phone. Let them know your are aware of the statements that have been made by Undersecretary Hickey and Secretary Shinseki and are not satisfied with their responses. Leading veterans support organizations are calling for President Obama to intervene and you support that call to action. Extra points for sending a hand written letter. CLICK HERE for the White House contact information.
   
   
4. Follow @ronthinkblog and @iava on Twitter for regular updates on this issue. Re-Tweet relevant content with #endthevabacklog.
   
   
5. Share this post and the call to action list with at least one friend who isn’t a RONTHINK reader, especially those  who might be unaware of this issue.

I will continue to post key updates on the VA claims backlog crisis (here and on Twitter). If you’re still sitting on the fence, check out this clip from The Rachel Maddow Show. She has been a tireless voice of support for all veterans and this piece from her show last week definitely lit a fire under me.

OPINION: LIAR, LIAR WAR QUAGMIRE

 

IN TWEET: TO MARK THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE START OF THE IRAQ WAR, SOME ARE TRYING TO RE-WRITE HISTORY. WE’RE NOT GOING TO LET THAT HAPPEN.

BOONDOGGLE (noun): a project that is considered a useless waste of both time and money, yet is often continued due to extraneous policy motivations.

Yesterday marked the 10th anniversary of the start of the Iraq War. While anyone who is awake and has at least one foot planted in reality knows the truth, there are some folks who are clearly hell bent on re-writing history. Just so we’re all starting at the jumping off point, here are the facts:

 

• There were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

• Despite assertions to the contrary, there was no credible evidence that Iraq was actively producing or trying to start production of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons.
• There was no connection between Saddam Hussein and the 9/11 attacks.
• Despite assertions to the contrary, there was no credible evidence of a link between Saddam Hussein and Al-Qaeda.
• The Iraq War is not now nor was it ever designed to “liberate the people of Iraq.”
• The Iraq War was based on a well-orchestrated and intentionally designed plan by the Bush Administration.
• President George W. Bush, you lied to us.
• Vice President Dick Cheney, you lied to us.
• Donald Rumsfeld, you lied to us.
• Condoleeza Rice, you lied to us.
• The news media, a large majority of Americans and a majority of our elected officials enabled the campaign of lies and fell in line with the liars even if they suspected something was fishy.
  

 

While some might greet this list with a “well, duh,” judging by Tweets, interviews and right wing media reports yesterday, it’s pretty obvious that an attempt to re-position the Iraq War as a liberation effort is well underway. It’s also important to acknowledge the last bullet point on my list because hindsight is 20/20. I remember all too well being in the minority at the time when I would question the flimsy evidence we were being presented or post public comments supporting folks like The Dixie Chicks.

While it’s certainly offensive that these latest attempts at revisionist history have been timed to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the start of the Iraq War, it’s even more reprehensible when you remember that this same war resulted in the deaths of almost 4,500 US troops and well over 100, 000 Iraqi citizens. Even if there was an iota of truth to the “war of liberation” fiction, those combined body counts would add up to be a pretty shoddy effort at freeing a repressed people.

 

There’s a ton of great writing out there on the 10th anniversary of the Iraq War (some of it is linked to throughout this post) but I found this timeline from Mother Jones to be especially illuminating. CLICK HERE to check it out.

Rachel Maddow did a great piece yesterday focusing on Donald Rumsfeld that I think is particularly well done and worth watching.

 

One of the best catch-all summaries of the war came from Chris Matthews yesterday. I was happy to see him take the news media to task for dropping the ball.

I was on vacation in Thailand 10 years ago this week. I watched then President George W. Bush announce the start of military operations in Iraq on the only TV screen available at our tiny resort on Ko Samui. It was both bizarre and disconcerting to be a world away from home at the start of a war. It was also especially frustrating because even then I knew we were being lied to.

 

Though we were the only Americans in the room when the announcement was made (outside of the US  the war was extremely unpopular from the start), at no time did anyone direct so much as an angry glance our way. On the contrary, all of our interactions with those from other countries were exceedingly positive and deeply gratifying. In fact, the next morning I was out with a pair of Muslim fishermen helping them with their crabbing in the tidal pools.

 

I mention all of this because I’ve never forgotten this window of time and these are memories that remind me of the basic good of most people. These experiences and the lives of those lost in the Iraq War must not be forgotten. It is equally important that we do everything in our power to ensure that such a grand lie is never repeated.

If you missed the excellent MSNBC documentary HUBRIS, here it is in six parts. Each is a thematic segment that, as a collective, takes a damning look at the campaign of lies that led to the Iraq War.

 

HUBRIS is based on the book HUBRIS: THE INSIDE STORY OF SPIN, SCANDAL AND THE SELLING OF THE IRAQ WAR by David Corn from Mother Jones and Michael Isikoff.

HUBRIS will be re-broadcast on Friday, March 22 at 9pm E/P on MSNBC.