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Good God, what is this country coming to?

It seems the film Creation, a major-production biopic about Charles Darwin starring Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly, won't be seen in the United States because no distributor with the guts to stand up to the religious right in this country can be found:

The film was chosen to open the Toronto Film Festival and has its British premiere on Sunday. It has been sold in almost every territory around the world, from Australia to Scandinavia.

However, US distributors have resolutely passed on a film which will prove hugely divisive in a country where, according to a Gallup poll conducted in February, only 39 per cent of Americans believe in the theory of evolution.

Movieguide.org, an influential site which reviews films from a Christian perspective, described Darwin as the father of eugenics and denounced him as "a racist, a bigot and an 1800s naturalist whose legacy is mass murder". His "half-baked theory" directly influenced Adolf Hitler and led to "atrocities, crimes against humanity, cloning and genetic engineering", the site stated.

The film has sparked fierce debate on US Christian websites, with a typical comment dismissing evolution as "a silly theory with a serious lack of evidence to support it despite over a century of trying".

Jeremy Thomas, the Oscar-winning producer of Creation, said he was astonished that such attitudes exist 150 years after On The Origin of Species was published.

"That's what we're up against. In 2009. It's amazing," he said.

"The film has no distributor in America. It has got a deal everywhere else in the world but in the US, and it's because of what the film is about. People have been saying this is the best film they've seen all year, yet nobody in the US has picked it up.

"It is unbelievable to us that this is still a really hot potato in America. There's still a great belief that He made the world in six days. It's quite difficult for we in the UK to imagine religion in America. We live in a country which is no longer so religious. But in the US, outside of New York and LA, religion rules.

"Charles Darwin is, I suppose, the hero of the film. But we tried to make the film in a very even-handed way. Darwin wasn't saying 'kill all religion', he never said such a thing, but he is a totem for people."

No wonder conservatives believe liberals lack the courage of their convictions. We prove them right every other day.

Most political observers know to stop reading when they see the phrase, “According to a poll from Zogby Interactive…” and yet, yesterday, I couldn’t believe the commotion caused by a poll that obviously didn’t make any sense.

About 24 hours ago, two polls came out -- a Zogby Interactive poll (with questionable methodology) showing Hillary Clinton struggling against the top GOP candidates, and a Gallup poll (with more reliable methodology) showing the opposite. Guess which one got too much attention?

While the Zogby poll was mentioned by multiple reporters and pundits, the only mentions the Gallup poll got on TV were from Hillary advisers who had to bring it up themselves on the air in order to inject it into the conversation.

Of course, every political reporter, editor, and producer in the country knew that Zogby Interactive results were unreliable, but they trumpeted the results anyway.

Wouldn’t responsible journalism require news outlets to a) note why professional pollsters discount Zogby Interactive data; and b) also highlight the Gallup numbers with equal enthusiasm?

See, Conservative whacks like him go on another show and behave themselves, but when they do their own---well they act like fools. Case in point. On Paula Zahn, Glenn is like (Cartman voice)--dude---dude----it's just fear---dude---dude---we love Muslims...Religious freedom rules...

Download | play -WMP Download | play -QT

GLENN: I don't think you accomplish anything. I think this Koran nonsense with Keith Ellison is just that. It's nonsense. It's a nonissue. It has everything to do with you not having to be of certain religion to serve your country, to be able to say I am a member of a different faith than you and us respect that, for you to be able to choose and put your hand on a Koran as opposed to a Bible is quintessentially America.

It is not an issue. The rest of it, being twisted and playing on people's fears, is quintessentially un-American.

However, when Beck had Rep. Ellison on his own show he said:

With that being said, you are a Democrat. You are saying, "Let's cut and run." And I have to tell you, I have been nervous about this interview with you, because what I feel like saying is, "Sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies."

And I know you're not. I'm not accusing you of being an enemy, but that's the way I feel, and I think a lot of Americans will feel that way.

One would think Paula should have known what Beck said prior to his appearance on her show. Please pass the Zombie brains...(h/t Joe for the video)

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Recovering Liberal

The numbers are in and it does not look to good for Dubya and the Neo-Cons. According to a CNN/USAToday/Gallup poll released Tuesday,fifty-seven percent of Americans now think that it was not worth going to war with Iraq. This is a decrease in support for Bush's Oil war of 9% since a similar poll in Feb. of this year.

Additionally, fifty-six percent of our fellow citizens now feel that the war is going "badly," an increase of 11 percentage points since March. Maybe this would explain theirunwillingness to offer up their children to fight this folly? 

Certainly, it 'splains why the military is resorting to illegal and ethically questionably methods to recruit new cannon fodder, nowadays. Recovering Liberal

But does anyone at 1600 Pennsylvania Av. seem to be listening?  I doubt it.

If they did they would still be reeling from a recent Gallup finding that 50% of Americans now say that Bush Deliberately Misled them aka, the fucker lied through his teeth,  on WMDs, or that  56 percent think that he is doing a generally shitty job on domestic issues unwillingness to offer up their children to fight this folly?

Certainly, it 'splains why the military is resorting to illegal and ethically questionably methods to recruit new cannon fodder, nowadays. Recovering Liberal

But does anyone at 1600 Pennsylvania Av. seem to be listening? I doubt it.

If they did they would still be reeling from a recent Gallup finding that 50% of Americans now say that Bush Deliberately Misled them aka, the fucker lied through his teeth, on WMDs, or that 56 percent think that he is doing a generally shitty job on domestic issues.

But the smirking chimp, (God, I wish I'd thought of that name), rolls merrily along nominating psychopaths and bullies and attempting to remodel this county in the image of Saudi Arabia.

Willing partners in this stealing of our democracy are the mainstream media, CBSNBCABCFOX who with their kindred spirits in the daily pubs have been largely successful  in blocking out virtually any notice of anti-administration citizen action.

Case in point, the anti nuclear proliferation rally in Central Park on Monday. If you follow this link you will be taken to the web site of a company called the Big News Network, an outfit incorporated in Bahrain, who's  main offices are in Sydney, Australia.

THIS IS THE ONLY SOURCE FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THIS DEMONSTRATION!!!

America's Leading Plague-of-Frogs Insurance Salesman

Norbizness

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But the smirking chimp, (God, I wish I'd thought of that name), rolls merrily along nominating psychopaths and bullies and attempting to remodel this county in the image of Saudi Arabia.

Willing partners in this stealing of our democracy are the mainstream media, CBSNBCABCFOX who with their kindred spirits in the daily pubs have been largely successful in blocking out virtually any notice of anti-administration citizen action.

Case in point, the anti nuclear proliferation rally in Central Park on Monday. If you follow this link you will be taken to the web site of a company called the Big News Network, an outfit incorporated in Bahrain, who's main offices are in Sydney, Australia.

THIS IS THE ONLY SOURCE FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THIS DEMONSTRATION!!!

DIRELAND

If you've been nauseated, as I have, by the wall-to-wall, hagiographic Popeaphilia leaking from the little screen for the last three days--Wojtyla took longer to croak than Franco-- take some heart from a new poll revealing that a lot of U.S. Catholics would like a Pope with different politics. The daily Polltrack from the National Journal tells us today that the latest Gallup Poll on the subject shows 78 percent said they thought the next pope should allow Catholics to use birth control, and 63 percent said he should allow priests to marry. Fifty-five percent also said they supported a new pope who permitted women to become priests; slightly fewer than half wanted a leader who would allow Catholics to divorce and remarry without an annulment, and 37 percent said the new pontiff should loosen church rules on abortion. I wish we'd seen on U.S. TV the kind of cry of outrage at this socially reactionary Pope that came from the admirable Peter Tatchell, the indefatigable gay and human rights activist who heads the British gay group named, appropriately, OutRage. Tatchell declared:

"History will judge the Pope harshly. His opposition to the use of condoms to prevent the spread of HIV has contributed to millions of people dying an agonising, needless death. Millions of children in developing countries are orphans; having lost their parents to Aids because of the Pope's anti-condom dogma. Pope John Paul II waged a ceaseless war against the human rights of women and gay people; opposing the right of women to control their own fertility; blocking women's equality in the church; and endorsing state-sponsored discrimination against lesbians and gay men."  DIRELAND

If you've been nauseated, as I have, by the wall-to-wall, hagiographic Popeaphilia leaking from the little screen for the last three days--Wojtyla took longer to croak than Franco-- take some heart from a new poll revealing that a lot of U.S. Catholics would like a Pope with different politics. The daily Polltrack from the National Journal tells us today that the latest Gallup Poll on the subject shows 78 percent said they thought the next pope should allow Catholics to use birth control, and 63 percent said he should allow priests to marry. Fifty-five percent also said they supported a new pope who permitted women to become priests; slightly fewer than half wanted a leader who would allow Catholics to divorce and remarry without an annulment, and 37 percent said the new pontiff should loosen church rules on abortion. I wish we'd seen on U.S. TV the kind of cry of outrage at this socially reactionary Pope that came from the admirable Peter Tatchell, the indefatigable gay and human rights activist who heads the British gay group named, appropriately, OutRage. Tatchell declared:

"History will judge the Pope harshly. His opposition to the use of condoms to prevent the spread of HIV has contributed to millions of people dying an agonising, needless death. Millions of children in developing countries are orphans; having lost their parents to Aids because of the Pope's anti-condom dogma. Pope John Paul II waged a ceaseless war against the human rights of women and gay people; opposing the right of women to control their own fertility; blocking women's equality in the church; and endorsing state-sponsored discrimination against lesbians and gay men."

Not even our spayed U.S. gay groups had the guts to say this. The BBC has a critical piece on the Pope of the kind you won't find on U.S. TV, and it quotes Tatchell, too. You can read the BBC's take  by clicking here. And, in today's Guardian, Terry Eagleton has a sharp-eyed dissection entitled "The pope has blood on his hands," which you can read by clicking here. ...

Oh really? That wasn't on the news. We have the dead pope's picture still on the cover of the paper.

Not even our spayed U.S. gay groups had the guts to say this. The BBC has a critical piece on the Pope of the kind you won't find on U.S. TV, and it quotes Tatchell, too. You can read the BBC's take by clicking here. And, in today's Guardian, Terry Eagleton has a sharp-eyed dissection entitled "The pope has blood on his hands," which you can read by clicking here. ...

The Left Coaster exposed the Gallop Poll's heavily weighted republican slant here

Yesterday's Gallup Poll Showing Bush Approval At 57% Had 9% More Republicans Than Democrats

The Fox Poll shows only a 51% performance approval.

On the Iraq war

Looking at this Fox Poll, it's interesting to see that even after the Iraq election, Fox viewers still believe the war was the wrong choice.

...from Cursor.org

Jason Vest responds to reports that U.S. officials are considering the use of death squads to kill Iraqi insurgents by arguing that "the U.S. counterinsurgency tactics used in El Salvador are at best a case study in how to prolong an insurgency, not end it."

The 'Salvador option' provides futher evidence that President Bush is pushing the U.S. "toward becoming what might be called a permanent 'counter-terrorist' state," writes Robert Parry, who also suggests that Bush may be prepping brother Jeb for president as a way to guarantee "that any incriminating documents stay under wraps."

As a new Gallup poll finds Americans "tilting against the war in Iraq," with 50% now calling it a mistake to send U.S. troops, Pat Buchanan says that "Bush is nearing his Tet moment."

After interim Iraqi Prime minister Ayad Allawi admits that poor security will prevent "pockets" of Iraq from voting on January 30, Juan Cole writes that "I suspect the pockets amount to about 3 million persons."

According to the most recent Gallup poll, 62% of Republicans think Saddam Hussein was personally involved in the 9/11 attacks. (These are the same dumbasses who Jay Leno embarrasses when they can't name the governor of their own state)The biggest problem John Kerry and the Democrats face is that George W. Bush is practically the patron saint of Dumbass America.

...the numbers were on a CNN report from Gallup and they *were* at the E&P link at one point. Will post transcript when it arrives, and all the trolls can cry.

Just in case your tinfoil hat is getting a bit scuffed and torn in spots, Lindsay Beyerstein has some fresh aluminum for you, with an excerpt from the quoted in James Mann's book The Rise of the Vulcans:

Nixon, Rumsfeld, and Gallup

Benj of For the Record on The Danger of the Gallup:

By now the explanation for the Gallup poll's massive pro-Bush slant is clear -- they overpoll republicans. Why? The Gallup boss is a big GOP donor.

Harmless, you say? -- Maybe not, if Dems get discouraged and don't vote. Jess suggests a more sinister purpose: camouflaging the e-theft of the election.[...]

People forget that Gallup has colluded with the Republicans before. Donald Rumsfeld was caught on the Watergate tapes recounting his covert ops to the President. The Rise of the Vulcans, James Mann describes how Rumsfeld ingratiated himself with Nixon by working his Princeton connection with George Gallup Jr.

Mann writes:

There is no evidence from the Nixon tapes that Rumsfeld tried to sway the outcome of Gallup's polling results. Rumsfeld did, however, manage to gain some advance information about what Gallup's upcoming poll results would show, giving Nixon an edge of a few days to prepare. Rumsfeld appeared to realize that in these contacts he was asking Gallup to go beyond the traditional independent role of the pollster. At a White House session in October, 1971, Rumsfeld urged Nixon to keep these contacts with the Gallup Poll top secret:

RUMSFELD: Say, I just want to report, sir, about my conversation with George Gallup [Jr].

NIXON:Oh, yeah, you went to school with him, didn't you?

RUMSFELD: I did. And I kind of want to be awful careful about telling people around the building that I'm talking to him. Because all he's got in this business is his integrity.--[ROTV, pg 17]

Mann goes to say that Gallup agreed to postpone the release of polling data for almost a month while Nixon was visiting China. The record shows that Rumsfeld and HR Haldeman claimed that Gallup sat on the data in order to help Nixon.