Petfinder concurs Rescuers No Better at Finding Qualified Families

Petfinder.com Statement regarding Iggy-Gate: "This is a controversial point of view, even amongst shelters and rescue groups who may feel that they have more experience identifying pitfalls and risk factors when identifying new families. Research, however, suggests that there is no difference in the success rates of the adoptions between organizations that screen heavily versus those that have more open adoption policies."

Mutts and Moms Wrong in Ellen DeGeneres Adoption Flap

Both Ellen and Mutts and Moms made big mistakes in the handling of Iggy-gate.

Ellen should not have given the dog away and Mutts and Moms should not have reclaimed the dog.

When Ellen DeGeneres gave her adopted dog to her hairdresser, she violated language in the adoption contract giving Mutts and Moms the right to re-home the animal. While I believe that this reclamation clause is important in some cases, there is little doubt that an animal-lover such as Ellen has as much qualification in choosing a good home as the administrators and employees of Mutts and Moms.

Mutts and Moms decided to make a federal case out of something that could have been handled more simply and amicably by opting to check on the animal and addressing any issues it had directly with Ms. DeGeneres. The fact that Mutts and Moms has decided to unilaterally deny adoption to families with children under the age of 14 is troubling. There is no evidence that to suggest that children at that age are somehow better with animals. Reality would suggest that as children progress in their teen years, their interest is often pulled to much more self-centered activities -- the dog would likely become less important.

I doubt that Mutts and Moms will be able to fully recover from this publicity and that is a sad prognosis. Some portion of the population will always remember this event and they will always withhold support (both financial and social). Ellen on the other hand will come out fine. Her fan base will support her because her reaction was filled with empathy and sadness. Her actions regarding the placement of Iggy in the new home may have violated the letter of the agreement, but the spirit of the agreement (finding a good home for Iggy) was fulfilled.

I fear the repercussions of this publicity fiasco will extend to other rescue mission organizations. More and more people will decide not to adopt for fear of pet reclamation and intrusion into perceived rights to independantly make decisions about the pet.

Enough is Enough! Democrats lose Habeas Corpus Battle on All Sides

While driving down the freeway this afternoon, I was listening to Sirius OutQ radio. Michaelangelo Signorelli was on a rant about the failure of the Democrats to put a stop to the Habeas Corpus theft perpetrated by our government.

Mr. Signorelli pointed out, correctly, that in every instance that the Democrats had tried to filibuster during the Republican majority, the Republicans cried foul. Republicans demanded an up or down vote on every vote that was objected to during their reign of idiocy. The cowardly Democrats never failed to cower before the label *obstructionist*. Where are our leaders today? We gave them a majority and now they fail to deliver? The Republicans hide behind the word cloture and say, "Well golly, you know it takes 60 votes to pass legislation." No, it doesn't! It takes a simple majority, unless of course, there is a filibuster.

Where is our outrage? Where is our demand for legislative equality? Why are the Democrats rolling over again? Fear of losing the Presidential election? When they last won the Presidential Election in 2004 (never mind 2000), they rolled over then too. We vote, they roll over, and the Republicans steal our rights away right in front of our eyes -- and we roll over too!

We don't deserve the Democracy that the founders planned because we haven't the fortitude to make sure that our rights are preserved. There is no legitimate cause to deny Habeas Corpus in the United States. We must be the beacon of light so oft referred. We must be the example where others fail. We must show that our justice, even with its imperfections, is better than the rule of tyranny. Yes, there are terrorists out there. There are many competing players on the international stage that would prefer their own stardom over that of democratic nations. If we wish to spread democracy and end tyranny, then we must be above the tyranny that has so broadly masked our last 6 years.

I wish that there were a viable alternative to the Democrats' plan in the upcoming election. The Democrats are showing time after time that they are unwilling to fight for our rights. Republicans are of no help because they have been lead down the neocon, trickle-down path that has no place for the working class. Blinded by religious ideology that they do not personally care for, but are always willing to shove down the throats of the sheep to keep them at bay.

I hope that the Democrats will get it together because they are our last hope, but if they do not, there must be a revolution. A return to government for the the people.

Ari Melber: Senate Fails on Habeas Corpus

from The Huffington Post | Raw Feed by Ari Melber

Today the U.S. Senate fell four votes short of restoring Habeas Corpus, the fundamental constitutional right of individuals to challenge government detention, which the Republican Congress revoked in last year's Military Commissions Act. Fifty-six senators supported a procedural move to tie the Habeas provision to legislation authorizing defense spending - a step that requires sixty votes.

The amendment was sponsored by Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, Senator Arlen Specter, who voted for the legislation that the amendment attempts to reverse, and Senator Chris Dodd, who blasted today's vote. "Each of us in the Senate faced a decision either to cast a vote in favor of helping to restore America's reputation in the world, or to help dig deeper the hole of utter disrespect for the rule of law that the Bush Administration has created. Unfortunately, too many of my colleagues chose the latter," he said.