Please sign the petition below to remove the statue of Jefferson Davis currently in Kentucky’s Capitol Rotunda, and replace it with a tribute to Muhammad Ali, “the Louisville Lip” and “the Greatest of All Time.”
I just heard from the Ali family: It is the Champ’s belief that Islam prohibits three-dimensional representations of living Muslims. Accordingly, I have adjusted the petition to call for a two-dimensional representation of Ali (a portrait, picture or mural) in lieu of a statue.
UPDATE (Tuesday, December 2, 2014)
In this interview with WHAS-TV’s Joe Arnold, Governor Steve Beshear endorses the idea of honoring Muhammad Ali in the State Capitol (although he disagrees with removing Davis). Arnold explores the idea further on his weekly show, “The Powers that Be.”
Click here to check out WDRB-TV’s Lawrence Smith’s coverage of the story.
And here’s my op-ed in Ali’s hometown paper, the Louisville Courier-Journal.
UPDATE (Saturday, June 4, 2016)
In the wake of the 2015 Charlestown tragedy, in which a Confederate flag-waving murderer united the nation against racism, all of the most powerful Kentucky policymakers — U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell, Governor Matt Bevin, Senate President Robert Stivers and House Speaker Greg Stumbo — called for the removal of the Davis statue from the Rotunda. Today, as we commemorate last night’s passing of Muhammad Ali, there is no better moment to replace the symbol of Kentucky’s worst era with a tribute to The Greatest of All Time.
UPDATE (Wednesday, June 8, 2016):
Great piece by Lawrence Smith of WDRB-TV in Louisville on the petition drive to replace Jefferson Davis’ statue in the Capitol Rotunda with a tribute to Muhammad Ali.
UPDATE (Thursday, June 9, 2016):
Excellent piece on the petition drive by Jack Brammer that was featured on the front page of the Lexington Herald-Leader.
Highlight of the article:
Miller said he has received a few “angry comments” on his call to honor Ali.
“One of them encouraged me to kill myself,” he said. “You can quote me that I have decided not to take their advice.”
UPDATE (Friday, June 10, 2016)
The petition drives continues to show the Big Mo(hammed): check out these stories from WKYU-FM public radio in Bowling Green and WKYT-TV, Channel 27 in Lexington:
UPDATE (Saturday, June 11, 2016):
Still not convinced? Check out this excerpt from today’s New York Times:
By Stephanie Doctrow, RP Staff, on Fri Jun 17, 2011 at 12:00 PM ET
Just in time, here’s some Father’s Day gift ideas for the health-conscious papa. [Huffington Post]
This is your brain on anesthesia: For the first time, scientists can watch 3-D mapping of the brain as it slips into unconsciousness (and you can see the video too!) [Time]
Does a tendency towards sexting make you more scientifically likely to be a cheater? We’re looking at you, Weiner. [NY Times]
The FDA’s new changes to sunscreen labeling were introduced this week, after reforms were promised four years ago. It’s about time! [Wall Street Journal]
Check out your projected life expectancy, based on where you live in the U.S.: [Washington Post]
One of the RP’s favorite comedies (and one on many people’s lists) about sex, love and relationships is, of course, The 40-Year-Old Virgin. But while for many of us the film is hilarious, the subject matter does elicit sadness and shame for (some) others. An interesting article this week from Psychology Today. Are There Really 40-Year-Old Virgins?
RP readers may have heard yesterday about a recent study of social networking that indicates that, rather than making people isolated introverts, interacting on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc., may actually make people far more engaged in their own relationships, more trusting of others and more likely to have a support group they can turn to. Here’s the full report released yesterday. Social Networking Sites and Our Lives – Pew Research Center
Finally, for all you dads out there on this Father’s Day weekend, ever notice how traditionally a much bigger deal is made for the other half of the parenting unit on their special day? Here’s an interesting little piece on fathers and sons and why you’ll still have a low-key day on Sunday. From one father to all of the others out there that have felt the joys and pains of being a parent, enjoy your day this Father’s Day. Father’s Day Shortchanged? Humble History, Fewer Gifts
No, Anthony Weiner’s resignation wasn’t inevitable.
A majority of general election voters polled in his district didn’t want him to resign, and so he probably could’ve survived the primary, unless further damaging revelations came to light.
Was it “fair” that party leaders pushed him to resign? Depends what the definition of “fair” is. First, Weiner’s trailblazing hurt him. Cheating? So passe. Cheating with best friend’s wife (as an evangelical Christian pol)? Cheating with hookers (as an evangelical Christian pol)? Foot tapping in airport restrooms? Dirty IMs with 16 year-old House pages? It all feels so ’00s.
But DM-ing crotch-shots! Now there’s something new! Appalling!
The fact is that Anthony Weiner wasn’t pushed out so much for the sexts. Barney Frank used a male prostitute who then ran an escort service out of Frank’s apartment. Frank survived because his colleagues respected his intellect, work ethic, and legislative prowess.
And of course, most Democrats staunchly defended President Clinton during impeachment because of his policy and political brilliance, the depth of his relationships, and consistently strong job approval ratings with the public.
Weiner, however, was the prototypical show horse — first in line and quick with a quip when there was a camera around, but essentially absent from the legislative process. Many of his colleagues found him insufferable. More than anything, I think that explains his lack of defenders in recent days — a lack of support that led to his resignation.
O Lord, deliver me from the man of excellent intention and impure heart: for the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.
T.S. Eliot
Until the news conference of Congressman Anthony Weiner on June 6, 2011, I had not followed the story concerning his twitter account closely. As I watched Congressman Weiner explain his personal failings, I was struck by how many times he was asked by the media why he had done what he had done. To his credit, Congressman Weiner did not blame anyone else and made clear that his conduct was a result of his own poor personal choices. He must have been asked why he had done what he done at least five times.
The question seemed extraordinarily silly to me. From my perspective, the answer of why Congressman Weiner did what he did is very simple –the body of sin. There can be no “rational” reason why a person in Congressman Weiner’s position would take such reckless actions.
The same lack of “rational” reasoning applies to John Edwards’ actions. How could have either man done something so stupid? Quite simply, man is a depraved sinner.
The conduct of these men goes a long way in proving that their own liberal philosophy is built upon sinking sand. A philosophy that eschews tradition and God and instead looks to the “reasoning” of men is doomed. Man is far from perfect and we are not quite as smart as we think we are. When a society throws tradition and God aside and takes its cue from man’s “enlightened” views, society ends up where Congressman Weiner finds himself today: lost, shattered and embarrassed. I find it bewildering that liberals and many so-called conservatives fail to learn this obvious lesson when man’s shortcomings are on full display.
Read the rest of… John Roach: Anthony Weiner & The Depravity of Man
By Jonathan Miller, on Thu Jun 16, 2011 at 5:00 PM ET
Friday is a big day leading into an even bigger weekend at The Recovering Politician.
If you have been anywhere near electricity today, you know that Anthony Weiner finally announced his resignation from Congress after several days of refusing to do so.
Tomorrow morning, two of our RPs comment on Weiner-gate from very different perspectives: John Roach, a conservative Republican who has served as a Justice on his state’s Supreme Court; and former State Senator Jeff Smith, a progressive Democrat who has himself been at the receiving end of intrusive press attention.
And then don’t forget about this Sunday.
As we’ve announced earlier this week, we will open up the site on Sunday to your tributes and remembrances to your fathers.
We also want to see pictures. Send us a photo of your dad. Better yet, a photo of you with your dad. Best yet, a photo of you and your dad when you were a kid.
The deadline for submissions of a short essay (100-1000 words) on your father and accompanying picture is tomorrow, Friday, June 17 at 10:00 PM EDT. Send them to Staff@TheRecoveringPolitician.com.
Thanks, and see you tomorrow and then over the weekend.
By Zack Adams, RP Staff, on Thu Jun 16, 2011 at 3:00 PM ET
The Politics of Speed
For those of you who like to drive in style, while also having a more practical option, I present: the best way to mount your bicycle to your Ferrari. [Jalopnik]
Last week you saw a video of an insane Argentinian pilot performing a fly-by 1 meter off the ground. This week we have a video from the perspective of that insane pilot. [Jalopnik]
In NASCAR news, with his win at Pocono this week, Jeff Gordon moved into a tie for 3rd place on NASCAR’s all time wins list. He is now tied with Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip with 84 wins. [All Left Turns]
Junior has ascended to the top spot in the ESPN Power Rankings! Now, if he could just get a win. . . [ESPN]
Their primary guest is U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), who will discuss the work being done to forge a bipartisan solution to the nation’s fiscal problems.
No Labels is a new grassroots movement of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents who are united in the belief that we do not have to give up our labels, merely put them aside to do what’s best for America. No Labels Radio will offer a weekly dose of news and interviews with the policymakers who are working to find bipartisan answers to the otherwise intractable problems our country faces.
Throughout modern history, people have emigrated from their countries of origin (émigrés) and people have immigrated to a second or even third country (immigrants). And then there have been those who have been banished from a country. Your correspondent has always been fascinated by how Great Britain’s penal system, between the years 1788 and 1868, was so severe and draconian that their own citizens were routinely and literally sent half way around the world to the continent of Australia for their crimes. Here’s a fascinating article (including a rare Rogues’ Gallery) about the first “citizens” of Australia from Archaeology Magazine. To learn even more, check out Robert Hughes’s exceptional The Fatal Shore: The Epic of Australia’s Founding.
Many Americans only think of “immigration” in narrow and often stereotypical terms. Immigrants, refugees, displaced people—over 200 million human beings on the move annually—exist everywhere. The Boston Globe this week published some extraordinary images of immigrants throughout the world from over the last fortnight or so. The Big Picture
Last week, the RP pointed out the difficulties of being raised and educated as the child of an undocumented immigrant in the United States–perhaps graduating first in your Senior class only to be told that you are not eligible to participate in higher education because of the status of your parent (see last week’s piece on the DREAM Act). Now, Alabama’s new, far-reaching and extraordinary immigration bill (which makes it a crime to simply give an undocumented person a ride in your car) would not only punish the children of immigrants by demanding “to see their papers” as it were, but would make teachers effectively immigration agents. Alabama’s Immigration Law: The New Jim Crow
No Labels is a new grassroots movement of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents who are united in the belief that we do not have to give up our labels, merely put them aside to do what’s best for America. No Labels Radio will offer a weekly dose of news and interviews with the policymakers who are working to find bipartisan answers to the otherwise intractable problems our country faces.
Our primary guest is U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), who will discuss the work being done to forge a bipartisan solution to the nation’s fiscal problems.
Blog this!
