Small Victories

America has won a couple of small victories this week. It is cause for celebration, because in Georgie's america, losses and bad news abound.

The first victory involves the White House. Georgie has accepted the resignation of one of the most incompetent and ineffectual members of his administration. Scott McClellan, the White House press spokesman announced today that he is leaving. He was a master of lying, stonewalling, and answering all questions with republican talking points. I doubt that he will even be missed, since he did not get along with the press. I'm sure Georgie will replace him with someone just as imcompetent, but at least we won't have to listen to McClellan whine anymore. The people who really need to leave are Georgie and the Dark One [Cheney], but today, I'll settle for this small victory.

The other victory involves the war between pro-choice and anti-choice forces in Kansas. Kansas Attorney General Phil Kline, a right-wing enemy of choice, had demanded that abortion clinics, health care professionals, and teachers must report to the law any underage sex, even between consenting youths. Grand Inquisitor Kline said he was trying to protect the children of Kansas from abuse. Ridiculous! It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out this was a thinly veiled attempt to attack choice by going in through the back door.

U.S. District Judge J. Thomas Marten ruled tuesday that clinic doctors and other professionals do not have to report underage sex between consenting youths as there is no requirement for this in Kansas law. The judge said professionals must be able to work in confidence to appropriately treat young people. Kline said, "It's not unexpected. It's what we've been predicting." He said he hasn't decided whether to appeal or not.

The case against Kline had been brought by the Center for Reproductive Rights. Their attorney, Simon Heller, called the ruling an important victory for young people. He said, "It is the first ruling recognizing the United States Constitution gives protection -- constitutional protection -- to the informational privacy rights of young people in health care."

As I said, these are just small victories, but in these dark times, I will celebrate even the small victories. With luck, the small victories will begin to add up and turn into ever larger victories until the war against ignorance and hatred is won.