Given that my computer crashed as I liveblogged the Oscars, I thought I would do a kind of reflections post on the celebrated ceremony. With errands, obligations and assignments (not to mention catching up), I fell behind and feared it might be too late for such a post. When, however, I realized that not only did one of my predictions bear out (that viewership would decline) but learned last night as well that the great Peggy anticipated (some of) my thoughts in her brilliant column,* I decided to post.

To be sure, the Oscars did have their great moments. Robert Altman (a great director despite his looney tune politics) delivered the classiest speech of the evening, eschewing politics and focusing on his craft. Jon Stewart actually showed class as well. And while I didn’t find him particularly funny, he did make one of the best jokes (I have yet heard) about the Vice President’s hunting mishap — and pretty much steered clear of divisive partisan barbs. A number of talented artists won much-deserved honors, including director Ang Lee, actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, actress Reese Witherspoon, animated filmmakers Nick Park and Steve Box (Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit), documentary filmmakers Luc Jacquet and Yves Darondeau (March of the Penguins) and a few others.

But, in many ways, this year was George Clooney’s Oscars. With his three nominations, many entertainment magazines covers featured his smug mug in the run-up to the ceremony. It seems that Clooney’s stock has risen with the Hollywood elite in direct relationship to the decline of his box office receipts. He hasn’t made a genuine hit since 2001 with Ocean’s Eleven. (To be sure, that film’s sequel Ocean’s Twelve didn’t fare all that poorly at the box office.) His remaining great flicks (O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Out of SIght were in the 1990s). And even those movies didn’t do all that well at the box office.

Thus, although Clooney has failed to win the hearts of moviegoers, he has won the affection of moviemakers.

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USA Today had an update yesterday on the stupid anti-American antics of the Board of Supervisors in San Francisco. We have covered this story for a while here and while there is nothing new in this story, it is of note that it was covered by the “nation’s newspaper” yesterday.

San Francisco gives battleship the heave-ho – USA Today

In the two years since the USS Midway found a permanent dock in San Diego Harbor, it has become a major tourist attraction.

Nearly 900,000 people boarded the aircraft carrier in its first year of operation, rejuvenating shops and restaurants on the waterfront. The ship is booked years in advance for functions at up to $30,000 a pop.

Now the Navy has another ship it wants to bestow on a West Coast port: the big World War II battleship USS Iowa. But the ship has run into rough sailing and a harsh political headwind in the city the Navy thought would be an ideal home: San Francisco.

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 8-3 to spurn the ship. Supervisors who oppose the offer say they don’t want a ship from a military in which openly gay men and women cannot serve. They also say they don’t want it because they oppose the Iraq war, which city voters condemned in a 2004 ballot question.

On Feb. 28, the supervisors passed a resolution urging impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Cheney for leading the country into war in Iraq, eroding civil liberties and other activities. Sandoval appeared last month on Fox News’ Hannity & Colmes show and said, “The United States should not have a military. All in all, we would be in much, much, much better shape.”

Supervisor Tom Ammiano says San Francisco, a city where gays make up a significant segment of the population, need not apologize for spurning the battleship.

“You are not allowed to be a gay or lesbian in the military except when there’s a war, and then when the war ends, you are kicked out,” he told The Sacramento Bee.

Some gay veterans want the Iowa in San Francisco.

Mario Benfield is commander of American Legion Post 448, which describes itself as the only post whose membership is predominantly gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender honorably discharged veterans.

“It’s a piece of history. There’s nothing better than a big battleship to grace the bay,” he says.

I hope the US military responds to a crisis in San Francisco if they are needed in the future. I know I might think twice of responding to any alarms from the City on the Bay. Perhaps they can just form their own militia of non-gun toting homeless people to take care of the city.

-Bruce (GayPatriot)

On the day when “[b]road-based gains in employment sent stocks” soaring, with the Dow alone climbing over 100 points and with the price of crude oil falling “below $60 a barrel,” AOL’s business headline focuses on the negative — highlighting a poll showing a drop in consumer confidence.

No wonder the president’s poll numbers continue to sag. Despite a strong economy, the MSM focuses on the bad news. What the president needs is an aggressive and energetic press secretary, eager to promote his boss’s successes — and other good news during his term in office — while standing up to the cynicism of the White House press corps. The president should do what the greatest Republican president did after Antietam: Fire McClellan.

This came to me earlier this week from Log Cabin Republicans.

Log Cabin Republicans are encouraged by Senator Tom Coburn’s (R-OK) efforts to improve the Ryan White CARE Act. He unveiled legislation today to reauthorize the CARE Act, which expired September 30, 2005. “We applaud Senator Coburn’s commitment to the Ryan White CARE Act,” said Log Cabin President Patrick Guerriero. “Dr. Coburn’s legislation provides a powerful jump start to the process of reauthorizing this critical act.”

Dr. Coburn’s bill aims to expand access to life-saving medical care, improve the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), reduce bureaucracy and increase accountability. “Log Cabin hopes this proposal will help spur action in Congress to reauthorize the Ryan White CARE Act as soon as possible,” said Guerriero. “Reauthorizing and improving the CARE Act is crucial for the hundreds of thousands of Americans living with this disease.”

Dr. Coburn’s legislation was written with input from HIV/AIDS community leaders across the country. His proposal includes amendments to ensure the CARE Act can better respond to changes in the epidemic by targeting federal resources to communities most in need. It calls for prioritizing early diagnosis, expanding access to life-saving medical care and treatment, and improving ADAP.

Log Cabin has been lobbying GOP members of Congress on the importance of reauthorizing the CARE Act. Log Cabin also has been coordinating our efforts with HIV/AIDS organizations and GLBT groups. “We encourage people to examine this bill and engage in constructive dialogue in the coming weeks and months to help make sure this process produces the best bill possible,” said Guerriero. “We look forward to working with Health Committee Chairman Mike Enzi (R-WY) and other GOP lawmakers to help assure reauthorization of the CARE Act.”

President Bush called on Congress in his State of the Union address last month to reauthorize and reform the Ryan White CARE Act, which is the principal federal program that provides assistance to Americans infected with HIV/AIDS. For 15 years, the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act has addressed the health needs of persons living with HIV disease by funding primary health care and support services.

The story behind the story is that the Gay Left groups, especially groups like the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, have sat on the sidelines while the Ryan White Act expired last year. It takes a hard core conservative Republican Senator to come to the program’s rescue. Now why would the folks from San Fran not be wailing about the Ryan White program expiring?

Because the program’s formula has been paying for dead people’s healthcare in San Francisco. Yep, the current formula of Ryan White supports so much 1980s AIDS infrastructure in San Fran, that the real patients of HIV/AIDS in the 21st Century are being penalized.

So what do the Leftists in California have against blacks who live in the South — that’s the new face of HIV.

At least Senator Coburn and President Bush are willing to stand up and help HIV patients in the here and now.

-Bruce (GayPatriot)

Here’s some news that ABCNBCNYTMSNBCNN isn’t talking about.

Iraq: The Untold Truths – New York Post

Among the many positive stories you aren’t being told about Iraq, the media ignored another big one last week: In the wake of the terrorist bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samarra, it was the Iraqi army that kept the peace in the streets.

It’s routinely declared a failure by those who yearn for the new Iraq to fail. But an increasingly capable Iraqi military has been developing while reporters (who never really investigated the issue) wrote it off as hopeless.

What actually happened last week, as the prophets of doom in the media prematurely declared civil war?

* The Iraqi army deployed over 100,000 soldiers to maintain public order. U.S. Forces remained available as a backup, but Iraqi soldiers controlled the streets.

* Iraqi forces behaved with discipline and restraint – as the local sectarian outbreaks fizzled, not one civilian had been killed by an Iraqi soldier.

* Time and again, Iraqi military officers were able to defuse potential confrontations and frustrate terrorist hopes of igniting a religious war.

* Forty-seven battalions drawn from all 10 of Iraq’s army divisions took part in an operation that, above all, aimed at reassuring the public. The effort worked – from the luxury districts to the slums, the Iraqis were proud of their army.

As a result of its nationwide success, the Iraqi army gained tremendously in confidence. Its morale soared. After all the lies and exaggerations splashed in your direction, the truth is that we’re seeing a new, competent, patriotic military emerge. The media may cling to its image of earlier failures, but last week was a great Iraqi success.

Why would they report success? Our own media is part of Al-Qaeda’s plan to convince the world we are murderous tyrants.

-Bruce (GayPatriot)

Via Gateway Pundit (my new favorite blogger of record!)

Some fellow conservatives are criticizing Focus on the Family founder James Dobson for supporting proposed Colorado legislation to give same-sex couples limited legal protections.

The proposal would smooth the way for any two people who cannot marry to register for rights to hospital visits, making medical decisions for each other and property transfers. These rights are already available to two persons but they need lawyers to prepare paperwork.

The bill, filed by a Republican opponent of gay rights, competes with a Democratic domestic partnership measure that covers gay couples and, critics say, would treat gay couples essentially the same as married couples under the law.

Dobson said he believes in equality under the law but does not want to redefine marriage.

He told his daily radio audience, “I’m used to getting beaten from the radicals, from the left. … I really find (it) very difficult to be attacked in such an unfair way from conservatives who claim to follow the cause of Christ.”
Dr. Dobson defended his decision to back the bill in February by saying it addresses fairness for a pair of people seeking benefits.

Maybe this is really another sign of the apocolypse… instead of this?

-Bruce (GayPatriot)