Latino inmate critically injured while in Sheriff Arpaio’s custody

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Photo of Ernesto Atencio

Last Tuesday I blogged about the fact that Sheriff Joe Apaio’s obsession with immigration resulted in the commission of additional sex crimes. Thursday the Department of Justice issued a report that described Arpaio’s “systemic disregard” for the constitution as well as his penchant for racial profiling and denying prisoners’ rights. According to the head of the DOJ’s Civil Rights division:

We found discriminatory policing that was deeply rooted in the culture of the department, a culture that breeds a systematic disregard for basic constitutional protections.

And today, Ernest Atencio is on life support, after he fought with deputies in a Maricopa County jail over the weekend.  State Senator Steve Gallardo said of the case: read the rest of the post on Feministing

My appearance on The Young Turks

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Here’s just a sliver of my appearance on the Young Turks.

Can three progressive Power Panelists kill Cenk’s crush on Ron Paul?

Even though Cenk says Ron Paul is right on 50 percent of the issues — especially civil liberties and the war in Iraq — his Power Panel says he’s a terrible choice for progressives. “He’s worse than any candidate in the race except maybe Rick Santorum on civil rights,” Ben Mankiewicz says. “Nobody who cares about equality and moving this country forward in any kind of progressive way would even consider voting for Ron Paul in a billion years.” Political comedian Katie Halper says, “I think if you are a straight, white man who wants to drink raw milk, Ron Paul is your candidate… I assume he’s equal opportunity bigoted.” Ari Berman from ‘The Nation’ gets the last word: “He’s tantalizing, but I don’t think you should fool progressives into thinking he’s a guy who will speak to progressive points of view on a whole range of issues.”

Guest Hosting on “Opinionated” on Citizen Radio

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I had the pleasure of filling in for Samhita Mukhopadhyay on Opinionated, the new podcast hosted by Samhita and Amanda Marcotte on Citizen Radio, which is hosted by Jamie Kilstein and Allison Kilkenny. Here it is

Bro Down and Out

Published December 14, 2011 | By Opinionated

Samhita’s out of town, so Katie Halper steps in to make fun of Newt Gingrich in her place. Gingrich pledges on to cheat on his wife in exchange for voter support. Andrew Breitbart suddenly claims to have developed a single moral belief, which is bizarrely that you shouldn’t out gay men who support homophobic propaganda. Abortion doesn’t make you crazy, though anti-choicers might. Brits can’t tell the difference between rapists and men’s magazine writers, but then again, neither can Amanda.

Listen now!

We’re Not Racists! We Just Scream the N Word For Good Luck

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By KATIE | Published: DECEMBER 13, 2011

Next time someone says we live in a post-racial world, you can share this gem which shows us that good old fashion racism is still as American as Apple Pie.

Tyra Batts, the only African American on her varsity girls basketball team in Buffalo, New York, felt a little uncomfortable when her team-mates engaged in what is apparently a non-racist 5-year old tradition of chanting “1, 2, 3, N****r.” read the rest of the post here at Feministing

Sheriff Joe Arpaio: Too busy “busting illegals” to worry about sexual assaults

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As “America’s toughest sheriff,” Joe Arpaio, knows all too well, it’s hard to investigate sexual assaults when you have so much other stuff (mostly an obsession with “illegals”) on your mind. The sheriff’s office in Maricopa Count, AZ, recently confirmed that between 2005 to 2007, it failed to investigate 432 alleged sex crimes. Arpaio felt so […] read the rest of the post at Feministing here. 

Yet another study says abortion doesn’t pose a mental health risk

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ThumbnailAnti-choice activists, I hope you’re sitting down. It turns out that, contrary to your wishful thinking, having an abortion does not increase the chances a woman* will suffer mental health issues. Of course, some of you anti-choicers won’t be convinced by this evidence because it was done by scientists, which you’ll find sketchy. But just so […] read the rest of the post on Feministing here.

Who Will Speak for the Closeted Christmas-Celebrators? Rick Perry, that’s who!

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Who will speak for the persecuted Christians?

“I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m a Christian…But you don’t have to be in the pew every Sunday to know that there’s something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military, but our kids can’t openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school. As president, I’ll end Obama’s war on religion, and I’ll fight against liberal attacks on our religious heritage.”

Read the rest of the post on Feministing here

The Top 10 Greatest Moments of the Iowa GOP Debate

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  1. Michele Bachmann reveals her mother was a very resourceful lesbian who found a girlfriend right after her divorce: “My folks got divorced and my mom found herself a single mom with four kids.”
  2. Rick Perry concentrates and squints as he tries to understand what Mitt Romney is saying, as if he’ll be able to look through Romney’s skull and see his ideas if he looks hard enough.
  3. In what she hopes to be a historic moment, Michele Bachmann patents her “Newt [five-second pause] Romney” term. If Romney and Gingrich could indeed create a hybrid baby, I assume it would be a fickle orange Michelin Man with a severe side part.
  4. Perry suggests he’s in a polyamorous relationship with his wife and God: “I didn’t make an oath just to my wife…I made an oath to God when I married my wife.”
  5. The typically over-the top praise of Israel suggests debate was co-sponsored not by Yahoo but by Netanyahu.
  6. Michele Bachmann’s statement that she won’t rest until Obamacare is repealed explains a lot about her presentation.
  7. Mitt Romney appears to be have a herpes cold sore.
  8. Rick Perry manages to get through an entire debate without falling asleep, acting like he’s on laughing guess, making up names, or forgetting his own campaign ideas.
  9. Romney tries to look more down to earth by betting Rick Perry $10,000 instead of $10 million, his usual go-to wager.
  10. Michele Bachmann comes out as a Christian: “I am a Christian and I am unashamed and unapologetic about that.” It’s unclear where she finds the courage to speak openly about being a Christian as she stands with five other Christians, as they compete to become the 45th Christian President.

Top 10 Best Moments From the GOP Debate

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1. Newt Gingrich proclaims: “I’m a hawk. But I’m a cheap hawk.” Just like I like my men: aggressive and ungenerous. I’m actually surprised he hasn’t had MORE wives.

2. Michele Bachmann vows “I will build a double-walled fence.” It is unclear whether she moonlights in construction or will have her 23 children build the fence.

3. Rick Perry uses the Palinist method, ignoring the question he’s asked, answering the question he would like to ask and telling Anderson Cooper, “You get to ask the questions, I get to answer like I want to.”

4. Anderson Cooper either forgets who is talking to or actually thinks the following distinction will not be lost on Perry, replying, “That’s actually a response, that’s not an answer, but go ahead.”

5. Michele Bachmann says “We need to listen to Ronald Reagan. No pastels. We need bold colors.” Actually, that was her husband.

6. Cain stands by his statement “Don’t blame Wall Street, don’t blame the big banks. If you don’t have a job, and you’re not rich, blame yourself.” Receives a loud and extended applause usually reserved for an impressive number of executions and letting sick people die.

7. Newt Gingrich insists on the importance of a candidate’s religion: “how can you have judgment if you have no faith? And how can I trust you with power if you don’t pray?” Nice to know that he and Ahmadinejad see theocratic eye to theocratic eye on that one.

8. Comparing himself to Mitt Romney, Cain says, “his business executive experience has been more Wall Street- oriented; mine has been more Main Street.” I would have said “more thin-crusted.”

9. Anderson Cooper cites Baptist pastor who called Mormonism “a cult.” Audience boos, though it’s unclear whether they are booing the statement or whether they are booing the religion itself. Mormonism may have been the gay solider of the night.

10. Post Debate CNN panel includes Ari Fleischer. Apparently no other war crimes-enabling liars were available.