Colin Kaepernick wins Amnesty International's most prestige award.

Courtesy of Time Magazine:  

Colin Kaepernick may not have a job on the football field, but much of the world is still cheering for him. 

Amnesty International, the global human rights organization, gave Kaepernick its highest honor — the 2018 Ambassador of Conscience Award — in Amsterdam on Saturday. Past winners of the award, which “celebrates individuals and groups who speak out for justice,” include former South Africa president Nelson Mandela, Malala Yousafzai, the education activist from Pakistan who survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban, and rock group U2. 

The organization recognized Kaepernick for his protest against police violence: his action, kneeling during the national anthem before NFL games, sparked a movement replicated across America and the world, starting a debate about free speech and patriotism that was inflamed by the President of the United States, one of Kaepernick’s most relentless critics. 

“When high-profile people choose to take a stand for human rights, it emboldens others,” says Augusta Quiney, Amnesty International’s director of Art for Amnesty, a program that works with artists and entertainers on human rights activism. “For us, this is an opportunity to be on the right side of history.”

By the way they don't mention it very much in the new but athletes are still taking a knee all over the country.

And that includes ex-athletes.

#ThursdayThoughts This is why I #TakeAKnee #StephonClark pic.twitter.com/XMe9qSLzMY

— TheBillRussell (@RealBillRussell) March 30, 2018

Colin Kaepernick may have lost the opportunity to play for the NFL forever as far as we know.

But being remembered in the fight for justice is far more prestigious than being remembered for passes thrown or touchdowns scored anytime.

Well, at least in my book. 

So the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas gave James O'Keefe an award. I didn't know they gave awards for being a douchebag.

Proud to receive the Impact award from Ginni Thomas on behalf of the @project_veritas team. Congrats to the other attendees and award winners Sean Hannity, Larry Arnn, Dan Bongino, Tom Fitton, Frank Gaffney, Charlie Kirk, Rick Manning, Star Parker, Chris Plante, Leonard Leo. These guys are all fighters.

A post shared by James O'Keefe (@jamesokeefeiii) on Dec 6, 2017 at 12:09pm PST

Courtesy of The Hill: 

James O'Keefe, the conservative activist who attempted to plant a false story in The Washington Post this month about GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore, was presented Wednesday with an Impact Award, handed to him by Ginni Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. 

O'Keefe accepted the award on behalf of his organization, Project Veritas, at an event hosted by the conservative group United for Purpose at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C.. 

"Proud to receive the Impact award from Ginni Thomas on behalf of the @project_veritas team," O'Keefe wrote on Instagram, before praising other 2017 award recipients such as Fox New host Sean Hannity and Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton as "fighters." 

Thomas is a tea party activist and president of Liberty Consulting.

I have no idea what they are rewarding O'Keefe for doing, since most of his childish stings only reveal that he is a rank amateur and embarrassment to the conservative movement.

His last "expose" blew up in his face so spectacularly they he ended up reinforcing the integrate of his target and exposing one of his pathetic little operatives to ridicule.

And by the way how is it okay for the wife of a sitting Supreme Court Justice to participate in this kind of partisan bomb throwing?

Hillary Clinton to receive the "Wonder Woman" award.

Hillary Clinton to Receive 2017 WMC Wonder Woman Award Next Week in NYC https://t.co/4tLAKfl8pk

— Women's Media Center (@womensmediacntr) October 20, 2017

Courtesy of the Washington Examiner:  

Hillary Clinton didn't win the presidency, but she's in line for something almost as interesting -- the crown of "Wonder Woman." 

The Women's Media Center, co-founded by feminist Gloria Steinem, told us that it is giving the latest Democratic presidential candidate its first "Wonder Woman Award" for her "extraordinary accomplishments" and public service. 

"Like Wonder Woman, she seems to have superhuman strength, resilience, and courage," said the group in a reference to the famous comic and TV character. 

"Hillary Clinton's actions have inspired and protected women and men on every continent," said Steinem. "She has battled negative forces and helped to maintain a fragile peace with her negotiating skill on behalf of this country and peace-seekers everywhere. She has handled all this with grace, grit, determination, integrity, humor and fortitude while remaining a steadfast feminist, advocate, activist, sister and tireless leader in the revolution. With this award, the Women's Media Center declares Hillary Clinton our Wonder Woman."

I am not going to lie, though I really appreciate when people recognize Hillary's contributions, I mainly posted this because I know it will drive the wingnuts around the bend.

They simply HATE it when people celebrate Hillary in any way, shape or form.

By the way did you catch Hillary on the Graham Norton Show?

Here she is explaining how she tried to get out of going to Trump's inauguration.

Now see, that is we needed to see more of on the campaign trail.

I think it might have helped.

As Donald Trump golfs while people suffer and die in Puerto Rico, the woman who should be President receives an award for her humanitarian work.

Courtesy of Newsweek: 

Hillary Clinton will receive an award for her work in protecting and advancing humanitarian rights across the globe at a Swansea University ceremony on October 14. 

The former secretary of state and 2016 Democratic candidate is being celebrated by the Welsh university, which says "her cause is shared" by its Observatory on the Human Rights of Children and Young People. Clinton will receive an honorary doctorate, and is expected to deliver a speech on humanitarian issues during the event.

Clinton is a figure of "enormous international significance and one synonymous with human rights," the university’s Vice Chancellor professor Richard Davies told the BBC on Friday. "It is tremendous that she has chosen Swansea University for her first public appearance on this visit to the UK." 

The contrast is almost stunning.

Here is the woman who inspired chants of "Lock her up," receiving an award for being a humanitarian, while the guy Putin helped win the election, blames American citizens for being "lazy" and allowing themselves to be devastated by a hurricane.

It will probably depress you to do so, but just imagine what the response to the crisis in Puerto Rico, and the potential conflict with North Korea, would have been with Hillary Clinton in charge of the country.

And then just imagine how much easier it would be for you to sleep at night.

Originally scheduled to receive the William F. Buckley award, Sean Hannity will no longer be the recipient after Buckley's son expressed outrage.

Courtesy of CNN: 

Fox News Channel star anchor Sean Hannity will no longer receive the conservative Media Research Center's William F. Buckley Award for Media Excellence at its September 21 gala, sources familiar with the situation tell CNN. 

Buckley, the founder of the National Review, who died in 2008, was hailed in his day as "arguably the most important public intellectual in the United States." Giving an award in his name to Hannity -- a pugnacious talk radio host who has shared conspiracy theories on his popular cable news show -- had caused hand wringing among some conservatives. 

It also caused distress among Buckley's family -- in particular his only child, best-selling author Christopher Buckley. 

A source familiar with the situation tells CNN that Christopher Buckley "expressed great dismay" at the announcement that the award would go to Hannity, who has spent a great deal of time insulting conservative intellectuals on Twitter, particularly since he became a strong supporter of Donald Trump.

Buckley, sources say, called the Media Research Center and expressed his disapproval. Sources tell CNN that the MRC acquiesced and will no longer give the award to him. Hannity has since been removed from the gala website.

Apparently there were a lot of behind the scenes attempts at damage control over this, with both sides suggesting that there was a "scheduling conflict."

However Christopher Buckley responded to that by saying, "perhaps Mr. Hannity has been offered the Ronald Reagan Great Communicator Award on the same evening and had decided to leverage upwards."

Oh yeah, THAT'S going to leave a mark.

I am old enough to remember watching William F. Buckley sparring with liberals and fellow conservatives on TV.

Even back then I totally disagreed with his politics, but I never once thought of the guy as ignorant or lacking in intelligence. Far from it in fact.

To have given a knuckle dragger like Sean Hannity an award named after him would have been an insult to the memory of a such an eloquent, if often acerbic, conservative giant.

In a move certain to piss off conservatives Black Live Matter to receive national peace prize.

Courtesy of Raw Story:  

The Black Lives Matter social justice movement has been recognized with a global peace prize that in the past has highlighted the work of South African civil rights activist Desmond Tutu, renowned philosopher Noam Chomsky and former Irish President Mary Robinson. 

The Sydney Peace Foundation announced last week it was giving Black Lives Matter its 2017 peace prize during a ceremony scheduled in November for Sydney. The award recognizes the work of the founding leaders of the social justice activist network: Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza and Opal Tometi, who began working together after Florida neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman was acquitted in 2013 in the death of black teenager Trayvon Martin. 

"This is the first time that a movement and not a person has been awarded the Peace Prize—a timely choice. Climate change is escalating fast, increasing inequality and racism are feeding divisiveness, and we are in the middle of the worst refugee crisis since World War II. Yet many establishment leaders across the world stick their heads in the sand or turn their backs on justice, fairness and equality," the Sydney Peace Foundation said in announcing the award. 

Right Wing radio and Fox News have worked extra hard to identify BLM as a racist hate group, so this announcement is sure to cause a major freakout among the heavy set, lily white, personal mobility scooter crowd.

I am sure that just as soon as they have plastered some placards with misspellings, and found enough handicap parking places, they will all take to the streets to roll, amble, and stumble along to express their outrage.

While accepting a Profile in Courage award, Barack Obama calls on the American people to "stand up to hate."

Courtesy of NBC News:  

"For many Americans, I know that this feels like an uncertain and perilous time," Obama — accompanied by his wife, Michelle Obama, and former Vice President Joe Biden — said in accepting the annual Profile in Courage award at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston.

"Our politics remains filled with division and discord," Obama said just days after House Republicans won passage of a bill that would dismantle much of his signature health care law."At such moments, courage is necessary," he said. 

"At such moments, we need courage to stand up to hate, not just in others, but in ourselves. At such moments, we need courage to stand up to dogma, not just in others, but in ourselves. ... 

"Courage means not doing what is simply politically expedient but doing what [people] believe in their hearts is right," he said. "And this kind of courage is required of all of us."

Here is video of Obama's entire speech.

I would like the last man whom I recognize as my President to know that I try everyday to follow this advice.

I try everyday to not allow my anger to get the better of me.

I try everyday to remain optimistic.

I try everyday to be a good example to others.

But it is harder now than it has ever been before.

Which I guess is why we need to find the courage to keep moving forward, to keep fighting for progress, to keep fighting for equality, and to keep fighting for a peaceful world.

I will just continue to keep in mind that if Barack Obama could remain positive through eight years of the most aggressive disrespect we have ever seen directed at a sitting President, and still keep fighting for all of us without caring that it would only attract even more anger and vitriol, then how could I do any less?

Former President Obama to receive the Profile in Courage award. Just a reminder that we used to have a president worthy of accolades.

President Obama and Caroline Kennedy.

Courtesy of The Boston Globe:  

Former president Barack Obama will be the 2017 recipient of the Profile in Courage Award, the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation announced Thursday. 

Caroline Kennedy, former ambassador to Japan, and her son, Jack Schlossberg, will present the award to Obama at a ceremony at the Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Dorchester on May 7. 

“President Kennedy called on a new generation of Americans to give their talents to the service of the country,” Kennedy said in a prepared statement. “With exceptional dignity and courage, President Obama has carried that torch into our own time, providing young people of all backgrounds with an example they can emulate in their own lives.”

I decided to post this because I just thought that this was a nice break from all of the terrible news we have been forced to cover lately. 

And also to remind us that we used to have a President with class, courage, and the highest of ethical standards.

President Obama represented the best that this country had to offer, and hopefully someday soon we will choose yet another leader with his admirable qualities.

President Obama won yet another award because, you know, he was the best President ever.

Courtesy of the AP:

Former President Barack Obama was named the 2017 winner of the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award on Thursday for carrying on his fellow Democrat's legacy. 

"President Kennedy called on a new generation of Americans to give their talents to the service of the country," Kennedy's daughter, Caroline Kennedy, said in a statement. "With exceptional dignity and courage, President Obama has carried that torch into our own time, providing young people of all backgrounds with an example they can emulate in their own lives." 

Caroline Kennedy and her son, Jack Schlossberg, will present Obama with the award May 7 at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston.

Humbled to be recognized by a family with a legacy of service. Who's your #ProfileInCourage? Tell me about them: https://t.co/euYRxWcost https://t.co/HBgFiRcq9J

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) March 2, 2017

The award is presented annually by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation to public servants who have made courageous decisions of conscience without regard for the personal or professional consequences. It is named for Kennedy's 1957 Pulitzer Prize-winning book, "Profiles in Courage." The book tells the stories of eight U.S. senators who risked their careers by taking principled stands for unpopular positions. 

"Faced with unrelenting political opposition, President Obama has embodied the definition of courage that my grandfather cites in the opening lines of 'Profiles in Courage': grace under pressure," Schlossberg said. "Throughout his two terms in office, he represented all Americans with decency, integrity, and an unshakeable commitment to the greater good."

Yes, yes he did.

I hear that Donald Trump is also up for an award from Russia.

I think it's something like "Most Easily Manipulated Russian Puppet" or something like that.

Sally Yates, the Attorney General Trump fired for refusing to defend his Muslim ban, has been nominated for the President Kennedy Profile in Courage award.

Just told w/ Sally Yates I've nominated her 4 President Kennedy’s Profile in Courage Award 4 standing 4 the public good #ThankYouSallyYates

— Jackie Speier (@RepSpeier) January 31, 2017

Courtesy of HuffPo: 

Sally Yates took a stand for something she believed in, and one of her fellow Americans thanked her by nominating her for a prestigious award for public officials. 

President Donald Trump fired the former acting attorney general on Monday night for refusing to defend his recent executive order suspending refugee resettlement and banning entry of individuals from seven predominantly Muslim countries. 

Yates was fired after she advised Justice Department lawyers also not to defend Trump’s executive order. She wrote them a letter saying she wasn’t “convinced that the defense of the executive order is consistent with these responsibilities, nor am I convinced that the executive order is lawful.” 

People around the country and the internet have come out to show their support for Yates, and the hashtags #ThankYouSally, #ThankYouSallyYates and #SallyYates were all trending on Twitter. 

But one act of appreciation stands out above the rest. 

Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) tweeted out Tuesday afternoon that she had nominated Yates for the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award.

I love this so much.

And if she were to win it would be the biggest "fuck you" to Donald Trump that I can imagine.

Perhaps we can start a precedent and find away to give an award to EVERYBODY with the balls to stand up to Trump in defense of this country. 

Family values organization plans to give "Power of Courage" award to Arkansas Representative who claimed that his adopted daughters were possessed by demons and handed them over to a man who sexually abused one of them.

Rep. Justin "I see demons" Harris.

So the original story over at Ark Times went like this: 

The Family Council Action Committee will today present its first annual "Power of Courage" awards to two Arkansas state legislators, Rep. Charlene Fite (R-Van Buren) and Rep. Justin Harris (R-West Fork). 

The group's press release say Fite and Harris "demonstrated courage by standing strong in faith when situations were tough at the State Capitol and they did so with grace. They are consistently models of their Christian values in their homes, their communities, and their churches." It commends the two lawmakers for their work on legislation regarding abortion. 

The awards will be delivered this afternoon at a Republican Party dinner in Crawford County headlined by presidential hopeful U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.

Wow! How prestigious to get an award during an event featuring Ted Cruz!

But wait isn't one of those Representatives famous for something not so family friendly?

Yep.

Courtesy of Raw Story: 

Harris used his influence as a lawmaker to pressure state child services to allow him and his wife to adopt two young girls, even though caseworkers said the couple was ill-suited to care for them. 

Eight months later, the adoption failed. The Harrises sent the girls to live with family friends. One of the girls was sexually abused by the father, who is now serving a 40-year prison sentence for crimes against children. 

Before “rehoming” the girls, the Harrises believed the children were possessed by demons and could communicate telepathically. The Harrises apparently feared the girls and had an exorcist “cast out” the demons. According to the Times, they kept one of the girls locked in a room with no toys or books, monitoring her on closed-circuit television. 

While the other child was allowed to roam the house, the girls were separated by an elaborate system of locks and alarms. 

The Harrises were not prosecuted because there was no law on the books in Arkansas barring “rehoming” of adopted children at the time. After the case became public, lawmakers quickly made it illegal to do so without court supervision, but the law is not retroactive.

Ouch! Well that is certainly going to bring some unfortunate attention to this Ted Cruz event.

Or will it?

Jerry Cox, President of the Family Council, said that it will not present its "Power of Courage" awards to Reps. Harris and Fite this evening after all. The two legislators will still receive their awards, but at a later date and venue of their choosing. 

Cox said the event organizers — the Crawford County Republican Party — asked the Family Council to not present the awards this evening at its Lincoln Day Dinner, headlined by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz. "Since we are their guests, we certainly complied," he said.

So to be clear that guy who believed his adopted daughters were possessed by demons and handed them over to be sexually abused is STILL getting an award for his  "courage" he just will not get in a venue that might embarrass the Ted Cruz campaign.

Bristol Palin's ghostwriter falls for internet prank, makes her employer's daughter a laughingstock. Again.

Yesterday after linking to her own blog post, which linked to her husband's blog post, which suggested that Iraq war veteran and double amputee Noah Galloway had been the runner up to an award being presented to Caitlin Jenner, Nancy French wrote this on Bristol's blog: 

Isn’t that crazy!!! I hate how everything in this liberal world is, “Oh equality for all, but not if you don’t agree with us!” 

 I hate, for example, how Tim Tebow is SOOO mocked for being a Christian!!!! If anyone says they don’t believe in gay marriage, they’re cursed. Here’s the thing. Caitliyn (Oops added an unnecessary "i") Jenner looks great! I don’t care what people do… honestly I have gay friends (Sure you do.), but it drives me crazy that people like Noah don’t get recognized for sacrificing their LIFE for our country, while being gay/transgender makes you a hero. 

But shouldn’t we let everyone have their own opinions? Without restrictions on them? 

We have way too many hypocrites.

The problem (Well one of the problems) is that the story of Noah Galloway being a runner up for the  Arthur Ashe Courage Award is a hoax:

Awkward. Like thousands of other Internet users, Bristol Palin, the daughter of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, just got duped. There’s a popular rumor circulating around the Internet that U.S. Army veteran and double amputee Noah Galloway lost the Courage Award to former Olympian Caitlyn Jenner, but it’s just a hoax. Despite being debunked numerous times, Palin failed to do a simple Google search and wrote an ill-informed blog post about the rumor.

Snopes has all of the details about how this hoax got started right here.

Look I get it, conservatives are itching to go after Caitlyn Jenner, but they know that if they do they will get all kinds of flack. So when it looks like there might be an avenue of attack that is based on the snubbing of an Iraq war veteran and NOT on the fact that Jenner makes a more attractive woman than most of them or gives them a confusing boner, how can they be expected to resist?

However if I were Sarah Palin, and I were paying good SarahPAC money to this ghostwriter to make my daughter look like something besides a whiskey soaked floozy who could not string a coherent sentence together at gun point, I would be extremely angry that she did not do a little research before buying into a hoax that only attracts even more ridicule for her and the family.

After all, they really don't need any help in that department.

Citizens United and Breitbart to give Duck Dynasty star "free speech" award for comparing homosexuality to bestiality. I should be more surprised at this right?

Courtesy of Politico:  

Citizens United and Breitbart News will be honoring “Duck Dynasty” star Phil Robertson with a free-speech award after last year’s controversial comments on homosexuality. 

The Hollywood Reporter wrote on Tuesday that Citizens United, a conservative nonprofit organization, and Breitbart News, a conservative news organization, will give Robertson, 67, the “Andrew Breitbart Defender of the First Amendment Award” at the upcoming Conservative Political Action Conference

The award comes over one year after Robertson called same-sex relationships “not logical” in an interview with GQ Magazine. 

“It seems like, to me, a vagina — as a man — would be more desirable than a man’s anus. That’s just me. I’m just thinking: There’s more there! She’s got more to offer. I mean, come on, dudes! You know what I’m saying? But hey, sin: It’s not logical, my man. It’s just not logical,” Robertson said for the January 2014 edition of the magazine. 

During the interview, he also compared “homosexual behavior” with bestiality.

I wonder what's next?

Will  Rand Paul get a "Defender of the First Amendment" award for suggesting that vaccinations lead to "profound mental disorders?"

Perhaps Scott Walker should receive the award for responding to a question about evolution with "I'm going to punt on that one as well."

Or maybe former Breitbart journalists Charles C. Johnson will receive the honor for recently claiming that President Obama's birth certificate, and virtually all family photos of him, are fake?

You know just maybe Citizens United and Breitbart are confusing free speech with simple ignorance and an inability to separate fact from religious fables or conspiracy theories.

I guess next on their agenda is to give the Flat Earth Society a life time achievement award for not buckling under to overwhelming scientific research, or even common sense,

There are actually people in the world who chose Texas Rep. Louis Gohmert as legislator of the year for 2015. No, I am not kidding.

Courtesy of Eastex Advocate:

Over 300 people packed the atrium of the Omni Downtown Hotel in Austin Monday night for the Deep East Texas Reception. The event, honoring state officials and legislators representing the Deep East Texas region, was held the night before the convening of the 84rd Session of the Texas Legislature. 

State officials and state agency administrators met and got acquainted with representatives of the event’s sponsors. Members of the Deep East Texas legislative delegation attended as guest of honor. 

Congressman Louie Gohmert was recognized as the “Deep East Texas Legislator of the Year 2015.” The award is given biannually to a legislator that has shown outstanding efforts on behalf of the people of Deep East Texas.

Now I have never been to, or even heard of, Deep East Texas, but I already know I never want to go there. 

I now imagine that is must be kind of like Australia in the 18th century. Meaning that it is the place where America sends its criminally insane sociopaths to keep them away from the regular folks.

Well guess which Wasillabilly family is nominated for TPM's Golden Dukes ward, under the category "Best Scandal -- Sex and Generalized Carnality." Did you peek?

Here are the categories according to Talking Points Memo:

Best Scandal -- Sex and Generalized Carnality -The Palin clan for the brawl of the century (no, no sex but nominated for just generally gettin' down and dirty when everyone's good and drunk.) 

-Gov. Tom Corbett who was Attorney General when members of his staff exchanged pornographic emails. 

-Carl Demaio for multiple sexual harassment allegations. 

-Investigator David Nieland, who conducted the internal review of the Homeland Security Department's prostitution scandal, and then resigned himself over an incident involving a prostitute in Florida.

Aww, come on! Those other scandals cannot hold a candle to the Throwdown at the Hoedown!

I mean we have both pictures AND audio.

You can actually HEAR the drunken stupidity, and threatening behavior for yourself.

Okay look according to Josh Marshall of TPM the decision will not be rendered until December the 31st, so that gives us quite a few days to let him know that there is NO scandal more deserving of that award than the Palin drunken family brawl.

Don't just stand there, go leave a comment. And make sure to leave links to the police audio too.

No way can we let those scandal wannabes Tom Corbett of Carl Demaio walk away this thing.

The Congressional Medal of Honor Society to give the highest civilian award to the six teachers slaughtered in Sandy Hook massacre.

Courtesy of ABC:  

The Congressional Medal of Honor Society is in Newtown, Connecticut, to honor six educators killed in the December elementary school massacre with its highest civilian award. 

The society says Rachel D'Avino, Dawn Hochsprung, Anne Marie Murphy, Lauren Rousseau, Mary Sherlach and Victoria Soto exemplified courage, sacrifice and selflessness in trying to protect students from the gunman at Sandy Hook Elementary School. 

The women's families will be presented with the Citizen Honors Medal during a ceremony Monday afternoon at Newtown High School. 

The organization, which is made up of Medal of Honor recipients, also will present its Certificate of Commendation to all of the other teachers and staff of the Sandy Hook Elementary School.

The other day some jerk suggested that Gabby Giffords was not a hero, and that the true heroes are members of the military.

I would respectfully suggest, with no disrespect for the military members, that fighting back from a shot to the head, and then to stand up ion the face of overwhelming adversity to demand a change to the gun laws in this country so that others will not be victimized in a similar manner is the VERY definition of courage.

And I feel the same for these courageous educators.

While bravery on the field of battle is certainly worthy of respect, walking unarmed toward a young man wielding an assault rifle to stop him from killing your students is an entirely different level of bravery.

These women were not trained for this, nor should they be, and yet they did not hesitate to put their fragile bodies between their young students and the barrage of flesh ripping bullets that this mentally ill person fired from a weapons that the NRA has fought so hard to allow access to in this country.

And the disgusting part is that with the example of Gabby Giffords and the Sandy Hook six to inspire them, STILL our politicians cannot find the courage to stand up to a lobbyist group with an e-mail list.

Gabby Giffords receives Profile in Courage award.

Courtesy of Politico:

Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords received the 2013 Profile in Courage award at the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston on Sunday in recognition of the political, personal, and physical courage she has demonstrated in her fearless public advocacy for policy reforms aimed at reducing gun violence. 

Giffords, who was seriously wounded in a 2011 shooting when a lone gunman opened fire as she met with constituents in a Tucson, Ariz., shopping mall, and her husband, former astronaut Mark Kelly, have been lobbying for more gun control legislation. 

This year, on the second anniversary of the January shooting, the couple started Americans for Responsible Gun Ownership, an organization that “supports the right to bear arms and responsible public policy on guns and gun ownership.” 

Caroline Kennedy, President of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, presented the award to Giffords. 

Alluding to her disappointment in Congress’ failure to pass gun control legislation last week, Giffords called for courage from lawmakers. 

“I believe we all have courage inside,” she said. “I just wish there was more courage in Congress.” 

“It’s been a hard two years for me,” Giffords said, “but I want to make the world a better place more than ever.” 

"I want to make the world a better place more than ever.” And she already has, by demonstrating the kind of courage that puts virtually EVERY member of Congress to shame.

Now if only some of her incredible reservoir of courage can somehow rub off on  a certain group of people in Washington.

Sarah Palin to receive Woman of the Year Award from the Clare Boothe Luce Institute. Proving you can indeed "fool some of the people, all of the time."

This from the Cypress Times:

The Clare Boothe Luce Institute exists to prepare and promote women conservative leaders, and each year, we honor one extraordinary woman who like our organization’s namesake Clare Booth Luce shows leadership, and grace, and dedication to advancing conservative principles. And this year, we are giving our Woman of the Year Award to Governor Sarah Palin. And it’s not just because of what she’s done and she’s done a tremendous amount – an inspiration to so many. It’s also because of what she didn’t do. Now doesn’t that sound odd, an award for what she didn’t do. Now, let me explain: she wanted to run very badly against President Obama’s failed leadership – it was so apparent. She really wanted to, but in the end she didn’t. She didn’t, because she put her special little baby, her children, and her husband first in her life. And this is such a rare, kind of a very visible example of somebody putting their family first in their lives and courageously speaking out about it. And that’s why she’s the Woman of the Year. Because, she didn’t run this year and she wanted to put her little baby, her children and the First Dude first in her life for this time period. 

Hundreds of young female undergraduate students will be present for the award ceremony. Many of these women got involved in the … debates when she was nominated for Vice President. They were so inspired by her. And the truth is that in most of the universities in popular culture and on the left, conservative women are marginalized and sometimes savaged. 

About Gov. Palin’s essay on special needs children which ran in the Daily Beast, Easton said, “It’s a beautiful essay about how every parent, moms and dad struggle with commitments about our children, families and work and how sometimes when making decisions about our careers, you have to put the family first. And she’s said she’s never regretted it.”

Damn! The stupid is deep with these people!

Palin's decision not to run had absolutely NOTHING to do with her family, and certainly NOTHING to do with Trig, who she carried around on the 2008 campaign tail, without adequate clothing, or even socks, on frigid days, with not a care in the world as to his welfare.

Number one Palin does not even want the job as president, and number two she knows that if she were to ever seriously run she would be humiliated, and likely face federal investigations, so THAT is the "extraordinary" woman these idiots are honoring.

And I find it especially troubling that the audience invited to this award ceremony consists of ONLY conservative female undergraduate college students. As if these young women, who have bought into the idea that God has adorned men to be their leaders, that they can have no control over their reproductive rights, and that women who use their rapidly fading looks to garner attention is the fast track to a political career, are the low hanging fruit deemed MOST susceptible to Palin's brand of personal mythology.

And they accuse liberals of brainwashing. Hah!

North Idaho gives the first "Not Sarah" award. I think that ALL female politicians should actively compete for this honor.

From the Idaho Reporter:

The wife of freshman Democratic Congressman Walt Minnick, A.K. Lienhart Minnick, handed out the first-ever “Not Sarah” award Saturday morning at the Idaho State Democratic Convention at the Coeur d’Alene Casino in Worley. The award was given to the party’s vice-chair Jeanne Buell, also of Worley, for her work within the party.

Minnick, giving a speech to the Women’s Caucus at the convention, said that Buell is someone who inspires other women “without saying ‘you betcha,’” a phrase for which Republican superstar Sarah Palin is known. Minnick praised Buell for being someone who is well-read, inspiring, and actively working to improve the Idaho Democratic Party.

Well I am a little disappointed that his award is not offered to the men as well.  Many of US also want to be recognized for not being anything like Miss Quittypants.

I don't know about anybody else, but I personally would be honored beyond belief to receive this plaque.  You betcha!

Oops screwed up my chances didn't I?

The "Perky one" wins another award! Is Sarah Palin having a week or what?

Katie Couric's interviews with Sarah Palin have racked up another award: this time, the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

The Couric-Palin award was just one of two coveted duPont-Columbia batons awarded to CBS News; the other was for its series on the children of the recession.

"CBS News is proud to be recognized with these prestigious awards, representing two very different and singular achievements," said Sean McManus, President, CBS News and Sports. "One award is for a high-profile interview that has become an iconic moment in television journalism and a testament to Katie Couric's excellence.

Yeah "iconic" for the fact that it revealed Sarah Palin as being completely unfit for the job of Vice President of the United States...or Governor of Alaska...or Mayor of Wasilla....or cashier at the Wasilla McDonalds....or hallway monitor at the local elementary school....etc., etc., etc..

I was never much of a Katie Couric fan when she was on the Today show, and virtually ignored her when she became an anchor, but damn I have got to give her mad props for exposing this train wreck to the American public.

I was going to post the interview for everybody to watch, but then I thought "Haven't we had enough Sarah Palin videos today?" Which is when I remembered that a whole chunk of this interview showed up in SNL, and watching THAT would be much more enjoyable.

So here you go. This is still my all time favorite SNL bit.