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Rift over California casino debate casts shadow on tribal forum
By AARON C. DAVIS

The Associated Press

SACRAMENTO

The organizer of a Democratic presidential forum that is expected to draw American Indian leaders from around the country to Southern California said opposition from a labor union has prompted top contenders to shy away from attending.

The fate of the event, called "Prez on the Rez" by its organizers, has become embroiled in a California political dispute sparked by wealthy gambling tribes' attempt to expand their casino operations.

Labor unions, close allies of the Democrats who control the state Legislature, are opposed to most of the tribes' efforts because they say the expansion deals will make it more difficult to organize casino workers.

The event is scheduled for Aug. 23 and promises to attract 2,500 tribal leaders and political organizers from more than 500 reservations nationwide.

A campaign official with one of the top Democratic candidates alerted Democratic National Committee members to the union opposition two weeks ago, said Kalyn Free, head of the Tulsa, Okla.-based nonprofit sponsoring the forum.

Free, a DNC member, has since flown to California and held meetings with union officials in an unsuccessful attempt to get their support. She said she also offered to let them co-sponsor it.

Only New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Sen. Mike Gravel have confirmed. Free said Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Sen. Barack Obama and former Sen. John Edwards have yet to commit to the event, sponsored by the Indigenous Democratic Network List Education Fund. Calls to all three campaigns were not immediately returned Thursday.

DNC spokesman Luis Miranda said he could not immediately confirm if committee members had been contacted by campaigns about the Southern California forum. He did say the DNC has been generally supportive of Free's group and has worked with her in the past.

"It's up to the candidates to determine if they can make it to this forum or not," he said.

At stake for the candidates are potentially millions of dollars in campaign contributions from tribes that operate casinos, as well as access to Indian voters in key states.

"These tribal leaders are going to remember who came to 'Prez on the Rez,' and who didn't," Free said Thursday. "They've already said to me if Sen. Clinton, Sen. Obama and Sen. Edwards refuse to come, what can we expect from them when they are in the White House?"

The event will be held on the reservation of the Morongo Band of Missions, which operates a casino west of Palm Springs.

Morongo is one of several wealthy Southern California tribes that struck deals with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to greatly expand their casino operations in exchange for giving the state a share of their profits.

Under the deals with the governor, five tribes would add 22,500 slot machines, a near 40 percent increase in California's $7 billion a year tribal gambling industry.

The deals passed the Senate but have stalled in the Assembly, where majority Democrats are listening to the concerns of organized labor.

To pressure the Assembly into approving the casino expansion, the Morongo tribe launched a $20 million television advertising campaign that targeted the districts of key lawmakers. So far, that has only further angered Democrats in the Legislature.

Free, a former Justice Department lawyer who ran as a Democratic candidate for Congress from Oklahoma in 2004, said she was unaware that her group would run into a political maelstrom when she selected the Morongo reservation for the site of the political conference.

Free said she is frustrated the forum has been caught up in the conflict.

"We unwittingly stepped into this," she said.

The nonprofit is a sister organization to her independent campaign committee, the Indigenous Democratic Network.

A spokeswoman for the Morongo tribe did not immediately return a telephone call Thursday.

Despite the rift between the tribe and union, Jack Gribbon, California political director for Unite Here, said the union might be more supportive of the event if the tribes and unions strike a deal in the Legislature.

"Right now, if candidates were reluctant to attend because they were concerned about workers' right to organize, I would admire them for that," Gribbon said.

With the Democratic candidates being bombarded with invitations to speak, it's unlikely they would attend an event that is potentially controversial, said Bob Stern, president of the Center for Governmental Studies in Los Angeles.

"You have two very powerful interests that the Democrats want to appeal to, the traditional allies in the labor unions versus the Indians, who are the new allies, or at least the people with a lot of money right now. It's a no-win situation," Stern said.

Free, a member of the Choctaw tribe of Oklahoma, said she is planning get-out-the-vote efforts for Indians in some early primary states next year.

She said she will invite Republican candidates to the forum if the party's top contenders don't commit to the summer conference.

"Whoever comes, this is going to be a historic opportunity," Free said.

The Savage Opinion: This sort of thing is exactly why a lot of different ethnic grupos refuse to participate in the national electoral process. A lot of folks look at it as "why"? Seriously, the Republicans generally do not like anyone that's not 1) white, 2) rich, 3) Christian or 4) in favor of dismantling the earth for a few business opporunities. As Natives, generally, we are none of these things--I mean, granted, there are the fairer-skinned Savages of the world that have to explain, ad nauseum, how they came to look more like Mike Seaver and Heather Locklear (oh wait, she's supposedly Native too) than Will Sampson or Irene Bedard (or that one chick from "Dance me Outside" that wanted to get pregnant--she's bad!!!). Further, there are some Savages that are doing quite well with the pocketbook--if one of the chicks from those tribes (lessee--wish list, Agua Caliente, Morongo, Shakopee, Pequot....) want someone to clean their pool, Desperate Housewives style, let me know...

But by and large, those attributes are not us. Therefore, generally, it behooves us not too support too many Repugs.

But then the Democrats, the luscious liberals of the world, they do not do a lot better than Repugs oftentimes--this article is just one example. They typically ignore us, trying to figure us out from a safe distance--seeming scared when us Savages choose to fully utilize self-determination and self-governance, and not content to merely have the feds dictate how we're supposed to live. Another case in point was the Makah whale hunt--amazing how folks that were supposed to be liberal and thus "friends of the Native" became predictably racist and prone to paternalism when some ecological values (i.e. voters) got threatened.

My little rant. As Ms. Free ostensibly says, "our votes are there for the taking. they're not sworn to Dems just because they're Dems."

MORE DOG LOVE

FROM CNN.COM

Paula Abdul misses dog, breaks nose

POSTED: 8:33 a.m. EDT, May 22, 2007


LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Paula Abdul broke her nose over the weekend after she fell while trying to avoid stepping on her Chihuahua, her publicist said Monday.

Abdul was recovering from the mishap and will appear on "American Idol" Tuesday and its season finale Wednesday, publicist David Brokaw said.

"She's a little sore, but is doing fine," he said.

Abdul told the syndicated entertainment TV show "Extra" she tore cartilage in her nose and fractured her toe.

"I took a nasty fall ... trying not to hurt my dog. I bruised myself on my arm ... my chest, my waist all the way down to my hip. All from my little chubby Tulip," Abdul said.

The dog was not hurt, Brokaw said.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


Redskins RB Portis: Vick can do what he wants
ESPN.com news services

Updated: May 22, 2007, 3:28 PM ET

While prosecutors and the league try to find out if Michael Vick was involved in a dog fighting ring at a Virginia house that he owned, one NFL player says it doesn't matter if he did take part.

"I don't know if he was fighting dogs or not, but it's his property, it's his dog," Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis told WAVY-TV in Virginia. "If that's what he wants to do, do it. I think people should mind their business."

When told that dog fighting is a felony, Portis replied, "It can't be too bad of a crime."

Investigators are still trying to determine if crimes were committed and if charges should be filed in the case. Authorities met to compare information on Monday.

"At this time, the investigation continues. We have no further comment," said a statement distributed to reporters after the nearly two-hour meeting said.


Vote: Get rid of Vick?
Is it time for the Falcons to give up on Michael Vick? Have you soured on the talented quarterback? Or is this much ado about nothing? SportsNation wants to know. Poll

The meeting at the Surry County government office involved Commonwealth's Attorney Gerald Poindexter, Sheriff Harold Brown, the county's animal control officer, two special agents from the Virginia State Police and an investigator with the U.S. Department of Agriculture also representing the U.S. Office of the Inspector General.

The case began April 25 when police conducting a drug investigation raided the house Vick owned in rural Surry County and found dozens of dogs. They also found items associated with dog fighting, including a "pry bar" used to pry apart a dog's jaws.

No charges have been filed in the case, but Poindexter last week told The Associated Press as many as six to 10 people could be involved. Dog fighting is a felony in Virginia.

Vick is a registered dog breeder.

He has blamed relatives for taking advantage of his generosity and insisted he's rarely at the house -- even though he's the owner.

The Daily Press of Newport News has reported Vick has since sold the home.

Poindexter said the county seized some 60 dogs from the house. Several dogs had old scars, but mostly the dogs appeared to be well-cared for, he said.



Vick
Vick has said he let a cousin, Davon Boddie, live at the house, and that he didn't know a large kennel on the property could be involved in a criminal activity.

Vick, the former Virginia Tech quarterback, in recent weeks has been sternly warned against misbehavior by Falcons owner Arthur Blank, and summoned to New York to meet with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

Redskins offensive lineman Chris Samuels, who was promoting a Redskins fan event with Portis, doesn't want the public to rush to judgment.

"You can't accuse this man of something and go ahead and throw the book at him right now," he told WAVY-TV. "He's got to be convicted first, and I don't think that's fair."

The NFL has shown a willingness to see if animal abuse is a widespread problem in the league, but Portis doesn't think it's an issue.

"You want to hunt down Mike Vick over fighting some dogs?," Portis told the television station. "I think people should mind their own business."

Portis said that dog fighting is more common than people think.

"I know a lot of back roads that have the dog fighting if you want to go see it," he said.

Later in the day on Monday, Portis tried to back down from his comments, issuing a statement that was posted on the Redskins' Web site.

"In the recent interview I gave concerning dog fighting, I want to make it clear I do not take part in dog fighting or condone dog fighting in any manner."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

The Savage Opinion: As for US...this savage says...well, darnit some other folks (savages included, of course!!!) think that dogs are quite tasty!!! Those fighting dogs are ruining perfectly good meat...(for those--no particular Tribes mentioned, mind you--that do partake in canine bar-b-q). For you folks, I say tansi and that there's this site (really!) called www.deliciousdogs.com






As for us Blackfeet, the cream of civilization, we wouldn't even ponder eating dog. Why? Well...we have this semi-sacred view of hounds that prevents us from killing them even when they travel in packs of 600 on the reservation, kill cows and wear brass knuckles. We will not do it, for better or for worse. In either event, these dogs deserve some dignity--fricassied or not...I promise, we'll rue the day that our dogs start cursing our existence.

Dog Lovers of the World Unite

Jury acquits Spanaway man of bestiality charge

By The Associated Press

TACOMA — A Pierce County jury has acquitted a man accused of having sex with the family dog.

Michael Patrick McPhail, 26, of Spanaway, was found not guilty Wednesday in Pierce County Superior Court of first-degree animal cruelty.

Assistant Pierce County Prosecutor Karen Watson said last fall that McPhail was the first person charged in the county under a new state law that made bestiality a felony.

"I'm glad that justice was able to see it wasn't an action of my doing," McPhail said as he left the court building.

He said he believes his wife made up the story because she is seeking to end their marriage.

It was Jesika McPhail who contacted police and told them she'd caught her husband engaged in sexual intercourse with their pit bull, Sara, last October. Jesika McPhail was not immediately available for comment about the verdict.

The case generated outrage among animal welfare advocates across the globe, many of whom called for McPhail to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Deputy Prosecutor Brian Leech, who tried the case, said he was disappointed.

"Obviously, I thought the facts were more than sufficient to merit a conviction," Leech said. "The defense was able to introduce some evidence about strife in the marriage. I don't think that was supported, but apparently the jury gave it some weight."

The new law, which took effect last June, was prompted by a case in which a Seattle man died after having sex with a horse. Before the law was enacted, Washington was among roughly a dozen states where bestiality had not been explicitly prohibited.

Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company




The Savage Opinion: Well, this is right around my neck of the woods, so I imagine it's pertinent. I know in Washington, we have pretty lax rules concerning whom a person could commune and have relationships with. God bless that--I'm 100% for people loving whoever it is they love--true love being as rare a find as it is...that said, I think that the phrase "dogs are a man's best friend" is meant to be strictly platonic...I mean, I guess whoever it was that invented that little bit of wisdom could've been just trying to use the "friendship card" to get into said dog's good graces...and then hit them, BAM, with..."Look, I've been thinking...what are we doing...??? We're not getting any younger, and...I do see you as a friend...but I want to see you as more than a friend...

But I don't think so.

A few words of wisdom from the great urban poet O'shea Jackson on this important topic:
"Here is the reason why Ice Cube pack
Just in case the little punks try to jack
I can't put a mother****in pitbull
under a coat, in the small of my back"

Ahhhhhhh...good verse always helps to explain the more profound experiences in life.

On a completely other note

As a young savage, I was completely enamored with Lisa Lisa (I don't think that's her real name--if so, she should hate her mom). Here's a couple of her videos. Although the reaction now is not QUITE the same, the songs still give me chills and make me think about the days my beloved, angelic sisters were STILL beloved and angelic, yet with big bangs...






>Sigh<--yes sir or ma'am...she was the truth. Thank you baby.