Chuck Norris is an action movie star. But he should stay that way. His forays into politics reveal his basic ignorance. He has penned a piece for the American Family Association whining about how the Obama Administration has declared war on religion, and his claims are false.

In a press conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, President Obama calmly explained that his Administration asked Iran nicely for their drone back. “We’ve asked for it back. We’ll see how the Iranians respond,” Obama said. He added that the matter was classified, but the acknowledgement that someone wrote a note to the Iranian Lost & Found seeking one RQ-170 Sentinel stealth plane basically confirms the capture of the drone.

These folks are so concerned with demonizing homosexuality that the victims of anti-gay persecution are merely an afterthought to them.

Getting Burma out of the cold would mean that millions of Burmese citizens will be able to live with a modicum of freedom and dignity. The reconciliation process is moving forward there, and deploying smart power – the initial premise of the Clinton State Department – to support those efforts, not with sticks but carrots, not with bombs but words, should be the model going forward.

Bill McKibben, 350.org founder and leader of the recent TarSands protests and arrests in front of the White House, has an op-ed in the New York Times today that will not make President Obama happy.
McKibben pointedly links the corporate cronyism shown by the Obama State Department’s cozy relationship with the sponsors and lobbyists for the Keystone XL Pipeline with Dick Cheney’s Big Oil dominated 2001 energy task force.

Fox News spins this as a drop in troops. But it’s an INCREASE relative to current laws and schedules. Fox didn’t bother to point out that there’s a standing status of forces agreement in place with Iraq that stipulates that all US troops will leave that country by the end of the year. The President has referenced this publicly on numerous occasions. It’s something that George W. Bush signed in 2008. Any deviation at all from this would represent a boost from the troops that would otherwise be there.

The Obama Administration announced new sanctions on Syria today, in conjunction with a statement calling for President Asad to step down. Such sanctions may not be effective, and they tend to have adverse consequences for innocents. Pressure from neighboring states may be more effective.

The British press is reporting that ten major human rights and anti-torture organizations have announced they will not be cooperating or participating in the United Kingdom Torture Inquiry, headed by Sir Peter Gibson. The organizations, who sent a letter on August 3 to Sara Carnegie, Solicitor to the Detainee Inquiry, cited a lack of transparency and credibility in the proposed investigation, noting, “Plainly an Inquiry conducted in the way that you describe and in accordance with the Protocol would not comply with Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights.”

It should be no surprise that our older government officials harbor, let’s call them outdated, ideas and stereotypes. That does not mean they should be shooting their mouths off with these old bigoted ideas. Sec. State Clinton, STFU! Oh! And Happy Pride Day!

Whether you are looking for a blueprint for how to run a successful non-profit organization, or just interested in reading an inspiring story about how a man from humble beginnings sparked a play movement for children around the country, KaBoom! is a must read.