The New York State Capital is synonymous with sleazy politics, lackluster political operators, inside deals, cronyism, the quick, greasy handshake between legislator and lobbyist. Albany itself can seem like nothing other than a theme park of hackery.

That seems to be changing.

Republicans in the Senate are flexing their flab and threatening to derail the governor's budget. Sheldon Silver says there will be no government shutdown.

A government shutdown? They're even talking about the possibility? How, how... Federal of them. There are actually substantial issues being discussed, it appears, issues of actual relevance - witness Governor Spitzer's pledge to safeguard abortion rights in this state if the Roberts Court decides to slice up a woman's right to choose. Meanwhile, the departments of the state government are being filled up with bright young things from all over the country. The new Attorney General seems to be in earnest about rooting out the endemic, leaden, systemic corruption of the place.

We started a Pro-Choice art project and discussion
about the recent ban on abortion in South Dakota.

We are asking women of all backgrounds and
affiliations to photograph themselves in the midst of
a fake unplanned pregnancy as a way to represent the
silent majority of people who feel we must have a
choice for abortion in this country.

Eventually, all individual submissions will be
collaged together to create a giant installation
reflecting the range of geographies and experiences we
receive.

Please send word of us to anyone you may know who
might be willing to participate.

You can read more details at
http://www.barefootandpregnant.org

You can see some early submissions in our gallery.
http://www.barefootandpregnant.org/?page_id=14

I've heard Republicans crow about how Long Islanders are the "value voters" of the New York City metro area. Well, I ask my fellow Long Island moralists, what is worse : an abortion before or after birth?

[via New York Daily News - Home - Tot found flattened on L.I. road]:

Residents of a quiet Long Island neighborhood made the grisly discovery yesterday of a dead, naked newborn who had been run over by several cars.

"The baby's body was completely flat, as flat as a pancake," said Sandra Thompson, whose husband, Earl Washington, discovered the corpse on his morning walk.

Police are trying to find out how the baby came to be abandoned on Sunset Drive in Hempstead, a cul-de-sac bordering the Hempstead Golf Course.

Cops said the infant was struck by several vehicles and had been on the road for "some time." Because of the body's condition, detectives said, they could not pinpoint the body's gender or race or exactly how long it had been outside. But some residents said the baby was a boy.

If the pregnacists in this country really wanted to protect the "sanctity" of life, then they would move mountains to spread the technology available for averting unwanted pregnancies. Isn't this a good enough reason to approve the selling of Plan B without parental control and over the counter?

But they will not.

Forcing women to be pregnant is not at all about morality. Forcing women to be pregnant is all about controlling the very foundation of our society : the bodies of women.

[via culturekitchen | The New Civil War : South Dakota bans abortion]:

The battle over women's bodies is just one part of the equation. What the South Dakota Hangers are after is bringing the governmental confederalism that existed before the Civil War back into the mainstream of US politics. This is not even about Jim Crow anymore. If you can control the women you inseminate or who are born of your semen because the voting majority in your state approves so, then you can control any kind of social, political and economic activity that happens within your state's borders.

Read the rest of my rant at culturekitchen.

I published this over at culturekitchen | Dear Vichy Democrats and Republicrats : You leave me no choice but to kick your sorry pregnacist asses out of my government. I think it's worth repeating here given I mention Eric Massa.

This morning I sent a bunch of emails to several feminist and pro-choice bloggers on the matter of Matt Brown. Right after the Alito confirmation I sent an email to Matt Burguess, Matt Brown's communications director. I've been receiving their press releases probably like everybody maybe many other political bloggers all around the country.

I am fed up with what I think is a lack of vulvas, not cojones, effecting the political discourse around choice. We need more feminists raising money, evaluating and promoting candidates, getting on the TV and radio and newspapers and the net and blasting over and over and over again that forced pregnancies are anti-American, that forced pregnancies are a new kind of slavery, that forced pregnancies are a fundamental crime against humanity.

We need to have more women speak like this publicly to all candidates, Democrats and Republicans. I was introduced here in New York City to Eric Massa, an upstate New York candidate running for Congress. I was very happyt to know he's running against Randi Kuhn, a Republican who has been taking tons of money and support from the extreme right with organizations like Focus on the Family and the Homeschool Legal Defence Association. But then, he lost me. When I asked Mr. Massa how we stood on abortion he flubbed, he fumbled, he totally ho-hummed.

A special screening of the award-winning documentary The Education Of Shelby Knox will take place at 8pm in 304 Barnard Hall, at 117th St and Broadway, on Thursday, October 20th, followed by a Q & A session with Shelby Knox and director Rose Rosenblatt at approximately 9:30 pm. The screening is sponsored by student groups Students for Choice, Columbia University College Democrats and Q. The Education of Shelby Knox is a coming-of-age story about Knox’s campaign for comprehensive sex education in the high schools of her Lubbock, Texas. As Shelby is swept into the fight, she begins to question her deeply conservative Southern Baptist upbringing; when the campaign broadens to include a fight for a gay-straight alliance, Shelby confronts her family and her pastor, in the end declaring herself a feminist and a liberal Christian. The Education of Shelby Knox has won awards at the Sundance, South By Southwest and Miami Gay and Lesbian film festivals, and has been called “Well-made and extremely funny" by Film Threat and “Brilliant

The NYS Senate, led by Republicans, has passed a bill to make emergency contraception (EC) available over the counter.

This is a bill many years in the making, and is now on its way up to Governor Pataki, who the Times reports is noncommittal. Please take a moment to e-mail the Governor.

It is crucial that Pataki signs and passes this legislation. As a reminder, the FDA has yet to approve the pill for over the counter use, overruling two advisory panels of scientists and health experts in May. If Pataki signs this legislation women will have access to EC regardless of the FDA ruling.

This is a national issue; it is an issue that rejects President Bush's ideology-driven science. New York is poised to become one of only six states allowing EC without a prescription.

The bill is a no brainer. EC is best used within 72 hours of unprotected sex, up to 89 percent effective at preventing pregnancy. So if you have unprotected sex during a long holiday weekend, or if you are a victim of sexual abuse, you do not have to wait for a pharmacist to be on duty to prevent a pregnancy from taking place.

Standing in line behind Shelly Silver around midnight Saturday night at Kosar's Hot Bialy, I overheard a short exchange between the assembly leader and the guy working the counter.

I couldn't exactly make out what was said over the din of bialy making, but after the speaker left the counter guy volunteered that he had asked Shelly what his intentions were regarding the stadium vote. This is possibly the single most guarded and coveted piece of information in NYS today, but the bagel guy through that a bakers dozen of hot bialys might be able to pry this jucy tidbit loose from Silver.

Ahh, but the speaker demured and would not tip his hand, not even to the bagel guy....

Williamsburg and Greenpoint process 30% of the commercial waste in New York City. Williamsburg/Greenpoint OUTRAGE is a coalition of city groups banding together to reduce the neighborhood's waste burden.

They're having a fundraiser Saturday June 18th to raise money so they can continue their terrific work.

When: Saturday June 18th from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Rain Date: Saturday June 25, 2005
Where: St. Francis Church Yard (Humboldt & Conselyea)
(L to Graham Ave.- Map)
What: BBQ, Music, Raffle, Face-painting and More!
Cost (Suggested Donation): $5 adults/ $2 Kids includes
food and beverages!

Want to help or need more information?? Volunteers Needed! Call Williamsburg/ Greenpoint OUTRAGE (Organizations United for Trash Reduction and Garbage Equity) at (718) 388-5454 ext. 170 or e-mail outrage@stnicksnpc.com to volunteer, donate items.