United Liberty

I am amazed at how easily Americans, both conservative and liberal, ignore the infringement upon the liberties of “other groups”, while giving little to no thought in the ultimate ramifications of doing so. The late German pastor Martin Niemöller said it better than anyone in “First they came…”-

“In Germany, they came first for the Communists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist;

And then they came for the trade unionists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist;

And then they came for the Jews, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew;

The Mexican version of Playboy magazine has caused an uproar after publishing a cover with a nude model made to resemble the Virgin Mary. The results have been predictable:

The President of the Catholic League was less than pleased with Playboy’s cover.

“Playboy’s juxtaposition of the sacred with the profane is a game that many have played, but to exploit Catholicism and insult Latinos in the same breath is novel. The December cover of its Mexican edition demonstrates once again that when it comes to good taste, Playboy remains quintessentially virginal.”

The man accused of threatening to assassinate President-elect Barack Obama at first sounds like a crank:

The FBI has arrested a schizophrenic man in Hawaii who had threatened to kill the US President-elect Barack Obama during his vacation to the Pacific state at the end of December, ITAR-TASS reported.

Mark Miyashiro made the threats to Obama’s life on December 3 during an appointment with his doctor who is treating him with a schizophrenic disorder.

However, he seems fully prepared to take his words into action:

Miyashiro was arrested in his home in Kaneohe where the FBI found and confiscated a Russian-made SKS rifle.

Bush caught a shoeful during a trip to Baghdad today:

President George W. Bush ducked two shoes thrown at him by an unidentified man during a press conference in the Iraqi prime minister’s office.

When there are plenty of unscrupulous charlatans willing to steal it from billionaires and blow it?

I’ll have more to say about this in the coming days, as we learn more.

TPM reports that Obama’s Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel may have been in contact with Illinois Governor Rob Blagojevich in regards to President-elect Barack Obama’s Senate replacement:

Fox Chicago News reports that Emanuel, the Chicago congressman who was appointed shortly after the election to be Obama’s White House chief of staff, had “multiple conversations” about the issue with the governor himself and with Blagojevich’s chief of staff, John Harris — who this week was charged along with his boss.

The source said it was likely that these conversations were recorded, since they took place after the federal wiretaps had begun.

Karl Rove would not have written this article , outlining how the GOP could make a come back if John Mccain had won.

He only makes two good points:

Second, while it’s the responsibility of all, someone must take the lead on training candidates and party leaders and nurturing their focus on ideas. Under its founder, Newt Gingrich, GOPAC once did this. It needs to be revitalized or its original mission taken up by a fresh group.

President-elect Barack Obama is set to make a major speech in an Islamic capital after his inauguration:

WASHINGTON, (AFP) – President-elect Barack Obama plans to give “a major address” in an Islamic capital soon after taking office as he seeks to mend America’s image in the Muslim world, a Chicago Tribune interview said.