Striker 1909: Jeff Bridges With the Final Speech From The Contender

Source:The New Democrat

Great speech from The Contender by Jeff Bridges who played the President in this movie. Not a very realistic scene as far as how they put the U.S. House chamber together for this joint session of Congress when the House and Senate come together to hear the President speak. With the Speaker of the House and the President or Pro Tempore sitting in big chairs just above the President as the President is speaking.

But still a good speech from the President saying that he won't let a very partisan faction from the opposition in the House of Representatives derail his Vice Presidential nominee, Senator Lane Evans who just happens to be one of their Congressional colleagues, be defeated because of what may or may not happened in Senator Evans private life before coming to Congress. That the President wasn't going to put up with this obstruction and he was going to fight for his nominee.

This was a very important scene and movie for this if only reason. Because it was about the Right to Privacy and that even public officials and even members of Congress and even members of Congress who appointed to the second highest office in the country, the Vice Presidency and it raised  two very important questions. Do public officials and even members of Congress and even members of Congress who are appointed to high office have a Right to Privacy. And should our public officials be judged based on how they live their private lives or not.

Zhukaiww: The Contender (2000)

Source:The Daily Press

The Contender movie from 2000 came about almost three years after the Monica Lewinski scandal broke and two years after President Clinton was impeached in the House on a party-line vote. President Clinton was actually mentioned in this movie, and about two years after the Clinton impeachment trial in the Senate I believe The Contender at least to some degree was influenced by the Lewinski scandal and the point that President Clinton was making.

President Clinton's point being that his private life is just that and that even public officials elected officials president's even have a Right to Privacy even as it relates to their sex life. And that if adultery is involved which it is in both cases that its between the adulterer, their family and the person the affair was with. Not 265-300M Americans as was the case back then and especially an opposition party thats looking to embarrass the President or Vice President.

Or even bring the top leaders down, which was the case with the Lewinski scandal as well as in this movie. And it has Jeff Bridges who's personally one of my favorite actors, especially for his great sense of humor. But he can also act, playing a President who's wrapping up his presidency and looking to build his legacy. His Vice President just died in office and he has to fill that vacancy and basically has a choice between a popular Democratic Governor of Virginia GOV. Jack Hathaway played by a great character actor Bill Peterson. Famous for his role in CBS CSI. And a junior Senator from Ohio played by a very good actress Joan Allen. And these are the top two contenders for the Vice Presidency.

The President has to nominate a new Vice President and appoint them to both chambers of Congress because the House has an Advise and Consent role in nominating a new Vice President. And then you throw in the cast in the movie Jeff Bridges as the President, Sam Elliot as WH Chief of Staff, Saul Rubinek as WH Press Secretary, Joan Allen as Sen. Lane Evans nominee for Vice President. Gary Oldman as Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. Bill Peterson as GOV. Jack Hathaway who wants to run for president and become vice president to help him with that.

Christian Slater who plays a freshmen Representative from Delaware who doesn't like Sen. Evans because she used to be a Republican. And wants GOV. Hathaway to be Vice President. And actually works with the Chairman who presides over the Vice Presidential confirmation hearings for the House. To make sure that Sen. Evans does not get confirmed because the House Republicans of course see Sen. Evans as too liberal. So you have all these little side stories and motivations and everyone involved has stake in the game so to speak.

Joan Allen plays the first female nominee for Vice President in American history who has a wild history from college. And seen as someone who slept around and even had an affair with one of her friend's husband played by Robin Thomas. Who she later marries and starts a family with. Sen. Evans is also the daughter of the former Governor of Ohio who's a Republican, but supports his daughter's nomination for Vice President. And the House Republicans and their special interest allies try to make the most of Sen. Evans private life to bring her down. So she doesn't become Vice President of the United States one step away from the Presidency, great movie.

The New Republic: Nathan Lean: Bill Maher-Ben Affleck Islam Debate: 'There is No Muslim World'

Source:Real Time With Bill Maher.

Source:The New Republic

Where I believe Nathan Lane and I agree is that there's a difference between jihadism and Islam. Islam is a religion and most Muslims tend to be peaceful. I think that is obvious because if Muslim was a religion of violence, the jihadist movement would be a hell of a lot bigger today than it is. It is jihadism where the terrorism is coming from when we are talking about North Africa and the Middle East. Jihadism similar to the Religious-Right in America, is a warped interpretation of what Islam is and supposed to be about. And that their beliefs are so strong, that they'll use violence to promote them.

I compare jihadism with the Religious-Right and when I'm talking about the Religious-Right, the militant Religious-Right. People who I don't even really consider to be real Christians in the sense because of how violent they are. And willing to blow up abortion clinics even if innocent people are murdered to prevent abortions from happening. And what they would call to save the lives of innocent babies. Well Jihadist's even though technically they are Muslims, are not acting in their faith when they blow up airports and shoot innocent people in crowded public spaces.

One thing that Islam and Christianity have in common, is that they have some serious radicals that give their religion a really bad name. And do horrible things and kill innocent people in the name of their religion, even though what they are doing goes against what their religion is about and what it preaches. I think that is where Bill Maher and Sam Harris and I would disagree. Bill Maher at least, perhaps not Sam Harris. Even though I've been with both of them when criticizing the lets say political correct Left about them unwilling to criticize Jihadist's. But more then happy to attack the Religious-Right.

CBS News: Take Our Poll: Should Pete Rose be in the Hall of Fame

Source:The New Democrat

The only reason why Pete Rose is not in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame and he would've gone in I believe 1992 which I believe would've been is first year of eligibility, but the only reason he's not there has to do with his gambling on Major League Baseball games. Which he gambled on even as manager of the Cincinnati Reds and even betted on Reds games. Pete being out of the Hall of Fame has nothing to do with his playing career and nothing to do with his playing career is keeping him out of the Hall of Fame.

I could understand banning Pete from ever being a MLB manager, coach or executive for life. Because betting on your own team's games is a pretty bad offense. Especially if you are betting that they lose and have a say in the outcome of their games. But to keep him out of the Hall of Fame in general, when he's arguably the best all around player of his era and generation and we are talking about a career that covers twenty-four seasons from 1963-86, makes no sense from a Hall of Fame perspective.

Keeping Pete out of the Hall of Fame also does more damage to Reds fans and the Cincinnati Reds organization that Pete. Because of all the respect and luster that comes from not just seeing one of your own players in the Hall of Fame, but having that person in the Hall of Fame. "That player was not just a great player, but he played for us and we won a lot of games with him and he's in the Hall of Fame as one of us". Things that the Reds organization and the Reds fans can't say right now because they are denied of seeing Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame.

We are not talking about whether Pete Rose should be in the Hall of Fame as a manager or even as a human being. He would never make it to the Hall of Fame based on that criteria. We are talking about Pete Rose the player and based on his playing career and because of the facts that he's the best player who's been retired for at least five years from playing, not in the Hall of Fame. And of course what he did as a player would've put him in the Hall of Fame over twenty-years ago. Pete Rose should definitely be in the Hall of Fame. Just don't allow him to manage or be an executive. 

Jaimelyn Gray: The American President (1995) Andrew Shepard's Speech

Source:The New Democrat

Just to be serious for a minute and perhaps only a minute. I was with President Shepard the whole time during this speech, except for the part about the guns. When he said that he was going to get the guns, not just assault weapons, but handguns in general. The Federal Government can't constitutionally outlaw handguns by statue. The U.S. Supreme Court has made that clear. So to do that, you would either have to amend the Second Amendment or repeal the Second Amendment.

But the rest of the speech about defending free speech and not just speech you agree with and not just people you like and respect, but that the opposition and other groups of Americans have just as much of a right to speech as anyone else in America, was a classical constitutional liberal argument. That all Americans have the right to speech and that there are few exceptions to that. When it comes to libel, inciting violence, or yelling fire in public spaces and causing panics.

This whole scene came about because of the fact that President Andrew Shepard played by Michael Douglas is a widower and single father of a young teenage girl. And meets a Democratic lobbyist who lobbies for environmentalists and pursues her even as President. And they start an affair and fall in love. And that Senate Minority Bob Rumson played by Richard Dreyfuss, who is running for President as a Republican, makes a big deal about this. And tries to make the case that the President who even though he is a widower by the way, having an affair in the White House is an example of the moral decay of America.

All this is going on as President Shepard is trying to finish the rest of his first-term agenda before running for reelection. Which is a crime bill and an energy bill and the affair that he is having with his girlfriend, Sidney Ellen Wade played by Annette Bening, even though neither one is married at the time, costs the President popularity and support in the House of Representatives. And he has to settle for a compromise energy bill, which is how he loses his girlfriend. The speech in the movie was about the President fighting back and saying that "the compromise is not good enough and that we need to go further to address crime and energy". As well the President defending liberal values.

Movie Clips: The American President (1995)

Source:The Daily Press.  

If you're someone whose a political junky such as myself and you love watching political movies and political documentaries, than The American President is a very good movie. Because its about a President who at the beginning of the movie is pretty popular and is going into to his reelection campaign having not finished his whole agenda that he ran on, trying to finish that agenda with a crime bill and an energy bill. 

And they go into how he and the White House work with Congress to get the votes to pass that agenda and how they set up the staff to do that. And how they work with special interest groups to get the support for their energy bill. If you're someone who like romantic comedy's that aren't predictable and cheesy and are clever. Than The American President is a good movie, because its about a President who's a widower and the single parent of a daughter who's somewhat lonely. 

President Andrew Shepard meets an environmental lobbyist by accident, walks in on a meeting she's having with his Chief of Staff. And he asks her to be his date at the next state dinner and even the process he goes through to make that happen is interesting because he calls her up at home. And she thinks the President is one of her friends impersonating the President. And makes fun of him, but the President doesn't give up and calls her back to convince her he's the President. The American President has hardball politics, romance and political scandal in about 105 minutes. A little something for everybody.

President Andrew Shepard, with a name like that he must be from New England, but he's the former Governor of Wisconsin played by Michael Douglas. And this is one of his best roles because you see his ability to act and I'm not a big fan of most of his movies, but I believe he's a great actor and you see his funny side in the movie and he can be very funny as well. He's no Danny DeVito, but he can more than hold his own in comedy. Again plays the President who's somewhat popular going in heading into an election year with still a big agenda to pass, and meets this environmental lobbyist played by Annette Benning who doesn't like President Shepard's Energy bill and they talk about it.

And the President and the lobbyist (sounds like the title of a movie) make a deal that if she can land half of the votes in the House for the bill she wants, he'll get the other half. And at the end of the meeting he asks her on a date. She doesn't take him seriously, threatens the President that he has to come through, or the President will lose the support of her group. The President gets his date and they hit it off and start an affair that causes the President trouble politically as well as with his agenda. 

Again The American President is a movie that has hardball politics, romance, and political scandal. With the romance and with Senate Minority Leader Bob Rumson who's also running for President making everything he can out of this affair even calling Sydney Ellen Wade a whore on national TV. And running as the Religious Right candidate for President, the Champion of Traditional Values. Running against a Liberal Democrat and a card caring member of the ACLU. And the scene towards the end of the movie, the press conference makes the whole thing worth watching where he sums up the whole movie in about five minutes.

Kristen Cherye: America's Hardest Prisons- National Geographic Documentary

Source: Kristen Cherye-

Source: The New Democrat 

This is what happens when you house the worst of the worst together. You have all of these violent criminal inmates who see their time in prison as nothing, but survival. And making their lives as comfortable as possible. And I do not have a problem housing these people together to isolate them from inmates in other prisons who simply want to do their time and go home. Or make their life sentence or long-term prison sentence as comfortable as possible.  As long as these prisons are doing whatever they can to improve the behavior of these inmates. And showing them what life can be like if they behave in prison and give them opportunities and incentives to improve their behavior so they can prepare themselves for life on the outside. Or have a productive life in prison if they are doing life sentences. But if prison is nothing more than a zoo or warehouse for the worst amongst us and it just becomes about survival for the staff there, you are going to continue to see violent outbursts.
Source:Kristen Cherye