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NAM Round Table
The NAM Round Table consists of news, insights, visions, ramblings and rants from the writers at New America Media.
Hard Ball Played to Win by Top Dems Hillary’s hit on Tuesday night brought cheers, but the game got hotter when three guys got to bat. Not because they were guys, but because they worked in tandem through an evening that brought both cheers and tears to what can only be described as an overwhelming experience after Barack Obama was selected as the Democratic nominee for President by acclamation of the assembled delegates. It was hard to tell tonight who was the heaviest hitter, because all played well, bringing the crowd in Denver to its feet many times. In fact former President Bill Clinton, the first to speak of the trio, had to ask people to sit down and cut it out during the crowd’s stomps, cheers and flag waving. From the perspective of The Real Views media, Randy Stelly watching events unfold in Denver while his partner observes them from a comfortable couch in Natchitoches, the trio of Bill Clinton, John Kerry and Joe Biden not only hit balls out of the stadium grounds but all the way onto the laps of the American public in faraway places. Clinton, Kerry and Biden were there to support Obama, and they appeared to do more than advance pundits had proclaimed. Clinton endorsed Barack Obama’s candidacy firmly, then took on the Republican establishment with decisive clarity, pitching hardball to Republican opposition as he reviewed a litany of problems developed during the Bush presidency which included a decline in real income, economic difficulties, an increase in the national debt and the diminishment of Constitutional protections and guarantees. To strengthen his arguments in support of Obama, Clinton cited his own accomplishments as President and reminded people that he, like Obama, had been criticized for not having enough foreign policy expertise and background. Clinton then enumerated Obama’s qualities as being his intellect, ability to inspire, his excellent grasp of foreign policy and a family heritage that allows him to lead a diverse nation now Rather than talking about the negatives in the primary, Clinton accentuated the Obama’s strengths and those of his wife, Hillary Clinton, who had lost to the Democratic party’s official nominee for President in a hard-fought primary.Clinton simply was at Clinton’s best. Senator John Kerry may have been accused as being too passive in his 2004 campaign but he wasn’t Wednesday night. He confidently talked about the attacks on Obama’s patriotism and how foolish and false they are. He told people how Obama could have had high-paying jobs after graduating Harvard but instead chose to work on the South Side of Chicago helping disadvantaged people get jobs and benefits so they could support themselves and their families. This, he said, was evidence of Obama’s love of country.Kerry’s recovery from the swift boating tactics used on him during his own Presidential candidacy of 2004 appeared to have been significant enough to allow him to articulate strongly his beliefs that the Republicans and specifically McCain have extreme political views that have had devastating consequences for the country. Senator Joe Biden might not have fared well in the Democratic primaries but did on Wednesday night with the crowd, if his enthusiastic welcome was any indication. He was introduced by his son Captain Beaux Biden who is about to be deployed to Iraq. Beaux Biden talked about his father’s response to losing his wife and daughter in an automobile accident that had severely injured two sons. Biden was portrayed as first a family man and devoted father, always there for his children, as well as someone who is able to carry out major responsibilities in government in an emotional story that left few delegates dry-eyed. His support for legislation on violence against women was underlined. Known for his blunt deliveries, Biden surprised no one as he quickly took on the beliefs and political behaviors of Senator John McCain, the Republican Party’s assumed nominee, whom he described as a friend. Obama’s surprise entrance at evening’s end had been given great introduction by three political heavyweights who just might have changed the game’s direction to a Democratic win this time. comments |
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Women Want Safety, not Biden’s Abuse of Power
Senator Joe Biden proudly proclaims that he was regularly and severely beaten by his older sister as a child and as an adolescent. This is the same sister that raised his two sons after his wife and daughter were killed in an auto accident.
Biden has often claimed that the Violence against Women Act is the greatest achievement of his career. He also claims that a woman cannot be a perpetrator of domestic violence, despite the fact that hundreds of studies show that women commit acts of domestic violence as often as, or more often than men. Many studies also show that lesbian women physically attack their intimate partners at least as often as heterosexual men.
As a result of Biden’s Violence against Women Act, the federal government pays states to create laws effectively requiring that innocent men be removed from their homes and families without even an allegation of violence, with no legitimate standards of evidence, when a woman makes a claim that she is afraid.
Elaine Epstein, president of the Massachusetts Bar Association (1999), has said “the facts have become irrelevant… restraining orders are granted to virtually all who apply. Regarding divorce cases, she states “allegations of abuse are now used for tactical advantage”. According to Epstein, who is also a former president of the Massachusetts Women’s Bar Association, restraining orders are doled out “like candy” and “in virtually all cases, no notice, meaningful hearing, or impartial weighing of evidence is to be had.”
State restraining order laws are starting to fall because they’re unconstitutional. The federal law behind them, written by Joe Biden, is likely to fall as well, not because it isn’t popular, but because it is clearly unconstitutional.
There is a rapidly growing activist community dedicated to addressing this issue. One of the focal points of this community is the Glenn Sacks blog, www.glennsacks.com .
Supporting Documentation
Here are some of the facts regarding Biden’s abuse at the hand of his sister. During senate hearings held on December 11, 1990, Biden testified to the abuse.
http://www.ifeminists.net/introduction/editorials/2006/0503roberts.html
This recent CDC study indicates that women between the ages of 18 and 28 initiate reciprocal violence against their intimate partners about as often as men. It also indicates that women initiate non-reciprocal violence against their intimate partners more than twice as often as men.
http://pn.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/42/15/31-a
Here is a link to a bibliography of over 200 studies indicating that women are as violent as men in their intimate relationships:
www.csulb.edu/~mfiebert/assault.htm
According to the US Department of Justice, women also abuse, neglect and kill their children at significantly higher rates than men. Here’s some of the data on child homicides.
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/pubs/cm04/figure4_2.htm
Research clearly indicates that lesbian battery is at least as common as heterosexual battery.
http://www.glennsacks.com/domestic_violence_a_2.htm
http://www.musc.edu/vawprevention/lesbianrx/factsheet.shtml
http://lesbianlife.about.com/od/lesbianhealth/a/DVFactsMyths.htm
Cathy Young reports on the Elaine Epstein quote and the broader issue at Salon.com here:
http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/1999/10/25/restraining_orders/
and provides in depth analysis here:
http://www.iwf.org/files/50c58dda09f16c86b2c652aa047944f6.pdf
This report from RADAR (Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting) provides much insight into the situation brought about, in large part, by Joe Biden.
http://www.mediaradar.org/docs/RADARreport-VAWA-A-Culture-of-False-Allegations.pdf
By Karen Brooks · Posted on Aug 28, 04:06 PM