Floriduh

Deborah Newell Tornello (aka Litbrit) does the segment "Flori-DUH!"> for The Nicole Sandler Show. Deb and Nicole talk about the latest in Florida stupidity.

Quote of the Day: Free Palestine Edition

Litbrit made this great image. Politico reports he Senate just approved $225 million for the Israeli Iron Dome defense program. I support Israel's right to defend their civilian population from Hamas rocket attacks. The question is who defends the Palestinian civilians from Israeli drone attacks.

Cable news media should show photos like this to Washington politicians that falsely make the claim that Israel is going out of its ways to not target civilians. Israel shelled a United Nations school being used as a safe haven for Palestinian evacuees. Attacking a United Nations facility is a clear violation of international law. The United Nations has condemned Israel for the attack.

The U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which operated the school-turned-shelter in the Jabalya refugee camp, said it had gathered evidence, analyzed bomb fragments and examined craters after the attack. Its initial assessment was that three Israeli artillery shells hit the school where 3,300 people had sought refuge.

“I condemn in the strongest possible terms this serious violation of international law by Israeli forces,” said Pierre Krähenbühl, the UNRWA commissioner-general. “This is an affront to all of us, a source of universal shame. Today the world stands disgraced.”

The Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has gone insane. Could you imagine the United Kingdom, Sweden are France attacking a U.N. facility. Israel isn't a democracy. Palestinians don't have a vote because they live under a government that has implemented a decades long apartheid policy.

Litbrit Discusses Edward Snowden on the BBC

Deborah Newell Tornello (aka Litbrit) recently spoke on the BBC show World Have Your Say about Edward Snowden. The subject was is Snowden an American hero. Litbrit staunchly believes Snowden is a hero.

Write A Caption: the GOP

Monty Python fan Litbrit tweeted this masterpiece.

Republican Lynne Osterman Regrets Her Vote For DOMA

Former Republican Minnesota state legislator member Lynne Osterman admitted she voted for the Defense of Marriage Act for "politically expedient" reasons. Osterman tearfully told Minnesota legislators that she regrets her vote. Osterman asked that Minnesota elected officials voted to make gay marriage legal.

I served as a Republican because of my interest in smaller government. And it was incredibly counter-intuitive to me to then upon my arrival, tell citizens how the government wanted them to live their lives. I didn’t’ come to St. Paul to single out same-sex couples and their families. But in my only term as a member…..[long pause, tearing up] I cast a politically expedient vote in favor of DOMA and I have regretted that ever since…

Nothing in my life says it’s OK to treat people differently than how I would want to be treated— fairly, respectfully, equally. And that’s really what this conversation is about. Whether you believe in big government or small, do you believe in fair, respectful, equal? Is it ever OK to say “well, except for those people”? …

I blew my vote. And I’m imploring you, please get this right. Minnesota citizens just want you to lead.

Gay marriage became legal in Minnesota in May. I had a Twitter discussion with Litbrit about President George W. Bush's evolving position on gay marriage. Litbrit feels Bush doesn't deserve a pass. I'm not interested in pardoning Bush. However, I never believed Bush and Karl Rove cared about the Christian Right. In fact, there is evidence they looked at Christian conservatives with disdain. Bush and Rove were cynically willing to use gay marriage as a wedge issue. Lynne Osterman is guilty of the same thing.

We need elected Republicans to support gay marriage and abortion rights. The truth is the majority of so-called religious leaders that pressure Republicans on social issues have nearly nonexistent followings. Locas Christian Right activists, such as Terry Kemple and David Caton, literally run one man operations. These people aren't that powerful. Republicans have pandered to Christian Right activists because the GOP can't run on income inequality. Mitt Romney is proof of that.

3 Boys Farm T-Shirts

Occasional PR blogger Litbrit's family runs 3 Boys Farm. You can show your support for the farm by buying this T-shirt.

3 Boys Farm Featured on WMNF

Litbrit's husband, Robert Tornello, was interviewed by WMNF. Tornello was interviewed for the Sustainable Living show. You can listen to audio of the interview here.

My Post on Peter Schorsch's Post on Ben Kirby's Post

Peter Schorsch declares the Florida political blogosphere dead after Benjamin Kirby declared he was retiring from blogging. I am somewhat skeptical about Kirby staying retired. Kirby left the door open for blogging.

And I like to think I'll be back in blog form at some point. It'll probably be different --probably won't be focused on politics, or at least not solely focused on politics.

If you really want to retire, you do what Jim Johnson of State of Sunshine and stop blogging. Johnson still writes the occasional post. He spends most of his free time doing community theatre with the Carrollwood Players. If Kirby is onstage playing Richard III, I might be more convinced about his retirement.

Kirby isn't aware that he contradicted himself in these two paragraphs of his post.

I was listening to NPR the other morning, driving up 66th Street. The subject was something like transitional power in Afghanistan, followed by the impact of sequester, followed by more political news.

After about a mile and a half, I slammed my palm onto the steering wheel and screamed as loud as I could, "Fuck!" Because for as important as all of those stories really are, I could not bring myself to care. Even a little bit.

If Kirby doesn't care he wouldn't have gotten angry. Do you think Kim Kardashian ever slammed her hand after hearing news about Afghanistan?

The Florida blogosphere When I started Pushing Rope the Tampa blogosphere was Rachel Moran, Right-Wing Howler, Tampa Taxi Shots, Out In Left Field and the peanut gallery at Sticks of Fire. These bloggers would post sexist and anti-Islamic missives on their blogs. Moran advocated for beating up homeless people on-camera. I would write about the hate rants on these sites and get attacked. I don't have Schorsch's romantic view on the blogosphere of the past. I happen to think things are better now. There is room for improvement. Bloggers like myself and Litbrit couldn't get readers back in the day. Now we get media attention and win awards.

Litbrit Published on Salon

Litbrit, aka Deborah Newell Tornello, has had a limerick she penned published on Salon. Congratulations, Deb.

Quote of the Day

Amanda Carpenter should talk to Litbrit. She blogs at TSA News Blog. Litbrit will not travel on a plane because of the TSA patdowns. Litbrit is also no fans of intrusive anti-abortion laws.

In Carpenter's mind, women that don't want a large medical object shoved inside of them want a stranger to fondle them in a security line. That makes absolutely no sense.

Litbrit on the Nicole Sandler Show

Radio host Nicole Sandler interviews Litbrit about the civil liberty violations of the TSA scans and searches. Litbrit is a contributor to TSA News. The interview starts around the 30 minute mark of the show.

Quote of the Day

"Honestly, I don't care who runs against Obama, I'm gonna vote for them ... I don't care which of the three get there. I will vote for them to get him out of the White House."

Dodie White, Alabama Republican voter.

Mr. White doesn't care if the Republican nominee is unfit for office. Getting Obama out of office is all that matters. What do you think the chances are Mr. White has read any think tank papers on how the tax cuts the the GOP candidates will add to the deficit?

Update: Litbrit tweets a funny.

"I don't care who runs against Obama, I'm going to vote for THEM" -- You can vote for more than one person for president?

Heh.

Pushing Rope Celebrates its Sixth Anniversary

Today is Valentine's Day for many people. For Pushing Rope this is our sixth anniversary. The first post ever on this blog was a humor piece about former New York Times columnist John Tierney. Since that time there have been nearly 8,000 blog posts written on the site. Some by fantastic guest bloggers who have left. (And whose contributions are greatly appreciated.) Tas and Litbrit have been the main guest bloggers. Their advice has also helped me improve this blog.

I would like to thank the readers for supporting this blog. Blogging can be lonely. It is nice to know that people are reading what I have to say.

Mission of Pushing Rope

Pushing Rope is a progressive blog. That doesn't mean it is a pro-Democratic Party blog. That is what many people didn't understand during Kendrick Meek's failed Senate campaign. PR pointed out the corruption allegations against Meek, Marco Rubio and Charlie Crist. The Meek campaign did push back against this blog. I pushed back.

This blog has been critical about President Barack Obama failing to "change" the unethical banking system and continuing the Bush policies of TSA searches and indefinite detention. This blog has not hesitated to bash the horrible policies of Republicans nationally and in Florida. Unlike some progressives, we aren't going to change our positions on civil liberty violations because there is now a Democrat in the office. That would be intellectually dishonest and only strengthen the erosion of civil liberties, if we allow illegal searches, and imprisonment without due process to continue.

PR started a netroots campaign against a post by Sticks of Fire blogger Rachel Moran. In the post, Moran discussed her and her friends assaulting homeless people on-camera. Progressive bloggers condemned Moran's post here, here, here, here, here and here. At the time, Sticks of Fire was the most popular Tampa blog. I received a lot of flak for taking SoF to task for its hate post. Sticks of Fire died a slow death due mainly to readers moving to sites like Saint Petersblog. This site is alive and well, and still taking hate mongers to task.

The mission of Pushing Rope is not to do what is popular. Our expressed goal is to stand up for what we feel is justice for civil liberties and social and economic equality. Those issues are important to us. If that means dealing with negative comments or emails then so be it.

Happy Valentine's Day to all our readers.

STOP SOPA

Litbrit and Jim Johnson have blacked out their blogs in protest of SOPA. The English edition of Wikipedia is taking part in the black out. Johnson talked about the black out with Eric Deggans of the Tampa Bay Times.

All five people who hit my website in a day probably won't be disappointed enough to call their Congressman," admitted Johnson, a software consultant for a Tampa firm. "But Wikipedia has enough clout that they can get everyone involved."

SOPA and PIPA is an government overreach of the internet supported by people like Ruport Murdoch. Media moguls such as Murdoch would benefit from the government. An internet provider could decide to take any web site off its search engine under the claim that site is hosting pirated content. No proof is needed on the part of Google. Fortunately, Google is against the current forms of the SOPA and PIPA bills.

The legislation is unenforcibly. I cannot image Twitter and Facebook going through millions of updates looking for pirated content to delete. It is not possible. This is legislation created by members of Congress who have no understanding of just how vast and complex the internet is.

The protest is working: Sen. Marco Rubio has pulled his support of PIPA.

I have decided to withdraw my support for the Protect IP Act. Furthermore, I encourage Senator Reid to abandon his plan to rush the bill to the floor. Instead, we should take more time to address the concerns raised by all sides, and come up with new legislation that addresses internet piracy while protecting free and open access to the internet.

Rep. Lee Terry (R-Neb.) and Ben Quayle (R-Ariz.) have dropped their support for SOPA.

When the going gets tough politicians fold. Rubio, Terry and Quayle have not suddenly become fans of free speech. They are scared of voter backlash against the bills. Politicians want campaign donations from movie and music corporations. Campaign dollars don't mean a thing if they cannot get re-elected.

Side note: Rubio, Terry and Quayle are suppose to be less government conservatives. Internet piracy is already illegal. How is it conservative to make unenforcable laws that could have a financially negative impact on Google, Pay Pal and MSN conservative? The answer is it isn't. The wise thing to do is hire more federal government employees to enforce the anti-piracy laws that are already in place.

Update: There was a SOPA protest outside the offices of Sen. Charles Schumer or Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.

Andrew Rasiej, chairman of the New York Tech Meetup, told the New York Daily News that not only would SOPA and PIPA open the door to censorship of the Internet, but the laws would also have negative effects on the ability of the U.S. to remain a leader in the global tech industry.

"Because a new innovation by a start-up could be interpreted by a judge unfamiliar with how the technology works as infringing on copyright, investors and entrepreneurs would be discouraged from moving forward with a start-up due to a significantly increased risk of legal entanglement," Rasiej told the New York Daily News. "This in turn would dampen job creation and future opportunities for New Yorkers and Americans as a whole."

Schumer and Gillibrand are the co-sponsors of PIPA.

The Young Turks on Ruport Murdoch's support of SOPA.



Update: Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg posted why he is against SOPA and PIPA.

The internet is the most powerful tool we have for creating a more open and connected world. We can't let poorly thought out laws get in the way of the internet's development. Facebook opposes SOPA and PIPA, and we will continue to oppose any laws that will hurt the internet. The world today needs political leaders who are pro-internet. We have been working with many of these folks for months on better alternatives to these current proposals. I encourage you to learn more about these issues and tell your congressmen that you want them to be pro-internet. You can read more about our views here: https://www.facebook.com/FacebookDC?sk=app_329139750453932.

There are some people angry that Zuckerberg didn't shut down Facebook for the day like Wikipedia. However, that is an inside the internet story.

Update: Matt Yglesias tweeted this.

Obama campaign just sent out an anti-SOPA fundraising email. #bandwagoning

President Obama wouldn't send out that email unless it was safe to oppose SOPA. It's official. People hate SOPA and PIPA. Politicians are running away from this legislation.

Update: Elizabeth Warren released a statement pertaining to SOPA and PIPA.

Illegal piracy should be punished, but I have serious concerns with SOPA and PIPA. We need to deal with piracy without chilling the innovation, diversity, and free exchange of ideas that define the Internet and have shaped our increasingly interconnected world.

Update: Daily Kos has a SOPA petition you can send to your Senator.

Update: President Barack Obama has come out against SOPA.

On Saturday, the White House announced that the Obama administration will not support legislation that reduces freedom of expression or undermines the dynamic, innovative global internet.

As Congress works to address the very real issue of online piracy, we must guard against the risk of online censorship of lawful activity—and we must not inhibit innovation by businesses large and small.

Online piracy hurts our economy, threatens middle-class jobs, and undermines the work of some of our most creative companies and entrepreneurs. The President has called on all parties to work together to find solutions that address the problem of online piracy while remaining true to our values.

Update Video of State of Sunshine blogger Jom Johnson being interviewed on Action News.

Vote For Librit in the Best of the Bay Awards

I know Peter Schorsch and that crazy woman that wrote about her boob job on Sticks of Fire are going to stuff the voting with a shitload of fake e-mail addresses. I am asking you to vote for Litbrit for the Best of the Bay awards. I would love nothing more than to see Deb win the readers' choice award for best blogger.

Other worthy candidates:

Best Local Website: Ninebullets.net.

MP3 blogger Bryan Childs also deserves serious consideration for best DJ for his WMNF show of the same name. Childs has given a lot of exposure to local and national cowpunk bands. Ninebullets is a highly respected national music blog. It is a shame more people don't know more about it locally.

Best Local Columnist: Sue Carlton

People rightly bitch about how terrible the current state of punditry is. Carlton is a superb columnist because she doesn't assume her readers are stupid. Carlton writes from a place of sanity which makes her dismay her the craziness that is Florida politics all the more insightful.


Best Local Politician: Kevin Beckner

It would really piss off the homophobic Terry Kemple off if Beckner won. Plus, Beckner is the best member of the Hillsborough County Commission.

Best Local Hero: Andrew Julian Aviles

Aviles died at the age of 18 years-old in Iraq. He would be 26 years-old today. Maybe married and with kids. Instead...

Worst Local Politician: Jim Norman

This is a tough category. Why I chose Norman over Buddy Johnson and Kevin White is because Norman is still holding office. It was discovered during Norman's state senate campaign that his wife accepted a $500,000 home from the late Ralph Hughes. Norman claimed it was an investment his wife made with Hughes. Norman could not explain how his wife could make such an investment after not working for several years.

Best CLTampa.com Contributor: Joe Bardi

The writing has really gone downhill at CL. I am actually glad Scott Harrell is back. Joe's movie columns are good. However, you should follow Bardi on Tweeter. He is hysterical.

Best Protest: Awake the State

The best grassroots organizing I have seen in the state.

Best Rays Player: David Price

James Shields is a perfectly acceptable choice. I would argue that Price had worse run support. However, Evan Longoria or any starting fielder is not acceptable. This team can't hit for shit.

Side note: can sports columnists stop writing op-eds about when BJ Upton is going to become a superstar. Does Gary Shelton realize how stupid it is to openly write such words about a guy that hardly gets on base.

Worst Sports Coach: Ray Perkins

Every person that I have talked to that has met Perkins describes him as being a world class asshole. Not to mention Perkins giving college players booster money when at Alabama.

Best Sports Coach: Guy Boucher

Took a team that hadn't made the playoffs in years to one goal from the Stanley Cup in his first season.

Update: Peter Schorsch is not campaigning for best blogger.

Litbrit on the Nicole Sandler Show

Video streaming by Ustream

Litbrit appears on Nicole Sander's talk radio/internet show. You can catch Deb's British accent at the 35 minute mark. Sandler and Deb talk the Anthony Weiner controversy.

Deb and Sandler agree that Weiner's defense of not saying at whether or not that photo is of him is incredibly lame. I was disturbed by Weiner's office threatening to arrest a journalist.

Deb makes the observation that female politicians don't do sex scandals. Perhaps because the career-minded women that enter elected office know the media will crucify them. The media was often harsh to Hillary Clinton during her time as First Lady. Bill Clinton's approval ratings went up during the height of the Monica Lewinsky scandal. There is a double standard.

3 Boys Farm in Oceanfront Magazine

Litbrit's husband Robert Tornello won the 2010 Environmental Leadership award. Tornello won the award for his work with 3 Boys Farm. The hydroponic and organic farm provides fresh and environmentally-friendly produce to many of the best restaurants in Tampa. 3 Boys Farm received a glowing write-up in the latest Oceanfront Magazine.

Below is a video of how Tornello has made 3 Boys Farm environmentally-friendly. You can get the latest news on 3 Boys Farm on its Facebook page.

Quote of the Day

Litbrit posted this hysterical comment on Facebook.

BREAKING. God is telling Sarah Palin to run for president *while at the same time* telling Michelle Bachmann to run. I have underestimated God, who clearly has a wicked sense of humour and is therefore British ;-)

It would be great if God got back with Palin and Bachmann after the election and told them, "Just fucking with you two."

Newt Gingrich Imploding

Via Litbrit: Politico reports that Newt Gingrich owes Tiffany’s $500,000. Originally Gingrich's wife Callista listed money owed Tiffany's on her personal financial disclosure to the House Agriculture Committee. Mrs. Gingrich list the debt has between $250,000 to $500,000 and belonging to her husband. The debt was accumulated on a credit card.

Politico asked Gingrich's spokesman Rick Tyler if the debt has been paid off.

“No comment,” he said in an email.

I take that as no.

The Gingrich Tiffany's bill started in 2005. I somehow doubt Gingrich is buying himself a cock stud piercing. Gingrich is spending big time on Callista. Litbrit provides her usual keen insight in a tweet.

Newt Gingrich owes Tiffany's SIX FIGURES? Freedom isn't free, and neither is 6 yrs.' worth of backseat blowjobs

Newt is really having a bad day. Newt was hit with glittery confetti at an anti-gay event by a gay rights activist.



Newt also had to apologize to Rep. Paul Ryan for criticizing his budget.

"I want to set a precedent for new kinds of presidential campaigns," he told van Susteren. "I made a mistake and I called Paul Ryan today, who's a very close personal friend, and I said that."

Is Newt's campaign even going to make it to 2012?

Update: Gingrich dodges answering questions about his Tiffany's bill during an appearance on Greta Van Susteren's show.

“Later on I want you to watch this segment,” Gingrich lectured Van Susteren. “Notice I talked about jobs. I talked about the price of gasoline. I talked all these real problems for real Americans.”

Van Susteren admitted, “And I brought this one up.”

“And it sorta think it fit in perfectly,” Gingrich said. “And my answer to you is, I'm not commenting on stuff like that. I'm perfectly happy to talk about what we need to do for America and what we need to do to help Americans. But I frankly don't want to play the gotcha games in Washington.”

After tussling a few more minutes, the host relented.

“I'm bringing it up because I think — whatever,” she said. “I guess others will chase it down and figure it out.”

All these years and Gingrich still chokes in the spotlight. The media is going to keep asking Gingrich about Tiffany's and his no comment response is not going to cut it.

Why Litbrit Right About Rules Mattering

I was perplexed by this Joy-Ann Reid post.

Liberals theoretically despise George W. Bush, but in reality, they want Barack Obama to BE George W. Bush — flouting the rules and flouting Congress, while liberal members of Congress appear to have been so trained by the Bush era to follow the White House’s lead, they desperately need Obama to tell them what to do, and to “fight” (ill-defined) before they’re willing or able to do their jobs.

Fellow PR blogger Litbrit has been a longtime fan of Barack Obama. That is until Obama floated the rules.

The last straw was not, as I thought most likely, the president's unnecessary caving in to the obstructionist Republican minority in Congress and extending the costly Bushian tax cuts for wealthy Americans. No, it was this nasty Wikileaks revelation--about the current White House administration's despicable sotto voce attempts to strong-arm certain more law-abiding (and probably more morally-upright) foreign governments and thus stymie war crimes investigations abroad--which sparked my own epiphany. I realized that despite my having passionately called for the impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Cheney for their war crimes back in 2007 (great comment thread there at Ezra's old place, if you've got time), I was now at a point where I was allowing others--even some fellow lefties--to (nearly) convince me of how politically inexpedient, how inconvenient, and how costly-to-the-national-morale such war crimes investigations would be. And I was also--mistakenly (oh how mistaken I was!)--believing, all along, that President Obama would eventually turn his seemingly robust moral attentions to the ugly task of holding the criminals accountable. I could wait; it would happen. I was wrong. Jonathan Turley sums it up nicely:

Sadly, I was one of those people telling Litbrit impeachment would be a waste of political energy. I realize now how wrong I am.

Litbrit wants and expects the President to honor the "rules" we call international law. Litbrit blogged about another Wikileaks revelation. A June 24, 2009, a cable between US assistant ambassador Joseph Mussomeli and Afghan Interior Minister Hanif Atmar reveals private defense contractors (aka mercenaries) DynCorp used children for paid sexual services.

1. (C) SUMMARY: Assistant Ambassador Mussomeli discussed a range of issues with Minister of Interior (MoI) Hanif Atmar on June 23. On the Kunduz Regional Training Center (RTC) DynCorp event of April 11 (reftel), Atmar reiterated his insistence that the U.S. try to quash any news article on the incident or circulation of a video connected with it. He continued to predict that publicity would "endanger lives." He disclosed that he has arrested two Afghan police and nine other Afghans as part of an MoI investigation into Afghans who facilitated this crime of "purchasing a service from a child." He pressed for CSTC-A to be given full control over the police training program, including contractors. Mussomeli counseled that an overreaction by the Afghan goverment (GIRoA) would only increase chances for the greater publicity the MoI is trying to forestall.

The Guardian Reports the Obama administration got a Washington Post reporter to bury the story. What the Washington Post failed to report was young Afghan boys ages 8 to 15 years-old were sexually molested by two Afghan police officers and other men at a party thrown by DynCorp. The children are called Bacha boys. The boys wear make-up and women's clothes. They dance for men and are their sexual services are sold off to the highest bidder. Frontline did a story on the hidious practice.



Reid is wrong. Progressives are mad because policies like this hurt America. It is hard to cheer on Obama when his tax cut package will raise taxes on those making under $30,000. It is hard to believe that are foreign policy will become sane when the Obama administration cover up child rape. I wish Obama would have more respect for the rules and so does Litbrit.