Speaker Boehner Gives Aid And Comfort To Birthers

Today on Meet the Press David Gregory gave House Speaker John Boehner the opportunity to repudiate the crazies who claim President Obama was born in Kenya. Like House Majority Leader Eric Cantor three weeks ago, Boehner failed the test (via Think Progress).

GREGORY: Do you not think it’s your responsibility to stand up to that kind of ignorance?

BOEHNER: David, it’s not my job to tell the American people what to think. Our job in Washington is to listen to the American people. Having said that, the state of Hawaii has said that he was born there. …

Kristof: Lessons Egypt Is Teaching America

Nicholas Kristof has a terrific piece in the Times about what we can learn from the Egyptian revolution.

Stop treating Islamic fundamentalism as a bogyman and allowing it to drive American foreign policy. American paranoia about Islamism has done as much damage as Muslim fundamentalism itself…

…in Egypt, our foreboding about Islamism paralyzed us and put us on the wrong side of history…

For far too long, we’ve treated the Arab world as just an oil field…

…the biggest loser will be Al Qaeda…

Egyptians have demonstrated the power of nonviolence in a way that undermines the entire extremist narrative……

Egypt’s Military Suspends Constitution And Dissolves Parliament

Egypt’s military leaders have suspended the Constitution and dissolved parliament, meeting the demands of protesters as moves toward civilian rule.

The protesters had been pressing the ruling military council to immediately move forward with the transition process by appointing a presidential council, dissolving the parliament and releasing detainees.

“In a country like Egypt, with a pharaonic legacy, having no president and no head of state is not easy,” said Amr el-Shobaky, a member of the Committee of Wise Men – a self-appointed group of prominent figures who are allied with the protesters and helping mediate in the crisis.

In …

It’s Spreading: Is Algeria Next?

Thousands have taken to the streets in Algiers demanding a change of government (pictured).

A day after pro-democracy protesters drove Egypt’s longtime leader Hosni Mubarak from power, Algerians were in the streets demanding their own President Abdelaziz Bouteflika leave office.

Protesters chanting, “No to the police state!” and “Bouteflika out!”. News reports say crowds were in the thousands but far out numbered by riot police.

Meanwhile, a top aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said there will be elections by September. Protesters and security forces are clashing in Yemen. In Jordan, demonstrations are taking place in support …

Egyptian Military Vows To Move Toward Civilian Control And Maintain Peace With Israel

Egypt’s military leadership says it will lead a transition to civilian rule and honor the peace treaty with Israel. Egyptian Defense Minister, Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, is pictured.

In an announcement broadcast on state television, an army spokesman said that Egypt would continue to abide by all its international and regional treaties and that the current civilian leadership would manage the country’s affairs until the formation of a new government.

The army spokesman said a “peaceful transition of power” would “allow an elected civilian power to rule the country.” But the he did not discuss a timetable for any transfer of …

At CPAC, Internment Of Japanese Americans Cited As Precedent For Treatment Of Muslims

by Stuart Shapiro

Gatherings like the Conservative Political Action Conference are always good for crazy sound bites.  This, however, would have to make any top ten list.  Niger Innis, ironically the spokesperson for his father, Roy’s group, the Congress of Racial Equality, was asked about treatment of American Muslims.

But the fact is, we are at war, and it is just logical that a country— that a country— not go after them, but that we monitor, and that we just make sure that there is not unusual behavior. And I think the key is to let them know that this is …

Seattle Pacific University Ignoring Needs Of LGBTQ Students

By Cate Regan

For gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual and queer students and their straight allies all over the country, clubs like Seattle Pacific University’s Haven provide much-needed comfort. Students create accepting environments-safe spaces-so that they can more freely engage in mature dialogues on issues that affect LGBTQ communities.

Unfortunately, it seems that Seattle Pacific’s administration has decided that LGBTQ students don’t need Haven’s support. According to the school’s newspaper, The Falcon, Haven leaders say that the club, which has never been officially sanctioned by the university, “no longer exists.”

That is how Haven leaders are interpreting the

…

Why Do Right-Wing Talk Show Hosts Warn Against Democracy. Rush: “They’re Avowed Communists”; Beck: It Means “Destruction”

Rush Limbaugh referred to the protesters in Egypt as an example of “classic community organizing” as if that’s a bad thing.

And, folks, they are all leftists. They’re feminists. They’re avowed socialists, leftists, communists, environmentalists. I don’t believe this is coincidence that Tunisia then this thing springs up. I don’t believe that this is just spontaneity.”

Glenn Beck said this is “the birth of the new world order,” and worried that this could spread to Europe. (Europe? You mean there is no democracy there yet? Doesn’t the right think Europe is socialist?)

“The most important aspect to understand is this …

All Revolutions Will Now Be Televised

Gil-Scott Heron was correct at the time, but now revolutions are televised, because television has been revolutionized.

Here Gil-Scott explains his work:

…

On Friday’s Radio Show…

• Mubarak Out: Alan analyzes the impact of the Egyptian president’s resignation.

• GOProud Chairman Christopher Barron discusses the conservative gay group’s controversial participation in CPAC.

• “The NoNonsense Man” Marc Rudov tells Alan why he wants men to boycott Valentine’s Day.…

Grover Norquist At CPAC: The Left Not Friends And Allies, But “Parasites”

Nothing like the patriotic, America-loving right to renounce the other half of the country. At CPAC, anti-tax activist Grover Norquist aid those on the left are not friends or allies, but rather “competing parasites” (h/t Mediaite).

Norquist argued that those on the left believe the role of government “is taking things from some people and giving it to other people.” The left, he says, is a “dependency movement” where lawyers, labor unions and big city political machines keep people dependent by “making sure none of them get jobs and become Republicans.”…

As for the claim of being parasites, Norquist …