Bachmann Leaving Congress

Michelle Bachmann announced today that she will not be seeking reelection in 2014.  This certainly opens up that district of Minnesota for another crazy reactionary to fill that seat but they could never live up to her unique brand of crazy.

Congress will be a little smarter next time simply without her.

It will be interesting to see what she does next.

Happy Memorial Day

Why Us?

It is toward the end of the class I am taking and I am working on a paper so I may be a little scarce around here.  I will try to throw a cartoon or something up each day at least but it will be hard to write here as well as my paper for a few days.  Who doesn't like political cartoons anyway?

The Benghazi Coverup

Friday Shakedown

This week has seen a lot of scandal and general craziness but the problem of guns has not gone away.  People need to not forget that this is still very important and this is why.

In Florida, a 4-year old and a 2-year-old were playing with a gun they found.  11-year-old Jarvan Jackson tried to take it away from them and in the brief struggle with the 4-year-old, Jarvan was fatally shot in the neck.  The 4-year-old also received an injury during the struggle but it was not life threatening.

Police have ruled the shooting as an accident but are investigating how the 4-year-old had access to the weapon.

Babies with guns, Rep. Stockman...

In Tullahoma, Tennessee, Kevin Sayre, 26, was "field stripping" two handguns attempting to show how the parts were interchangeable between the two.  He failed to unload the weapons first, however, and shot his 1-year-old daughter in the chest.

Police have said that Sayre acted recklessly and have charged him with aggravated assault.  The child was last listed in critical condition.

Some people just don't seem to get it and unfortunately, too many of them are in Congress.  Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) believes that abortion is to blame for school shootings in recent years, as if that makes any sense at all.

Forty years ago, the United States Supreme Court sanctioned abortion on demand. And we wonder why our culture sees school shootings so often.

 Yes, that's the reason.  Let's ignore how conservatives make it easier to buy a gun than to get a job.  A lot of jobs require a background check of some sort but you don't need that to buy a gun because FREEDOM!  Idiocy at it's finest.

A Week Of Scandals

I cannot not post on the scandals that have come to light over the past week.  

So the IRS was specifically targeting conservative groups for extra scrutiny.  Their justifications had better not have been purely political because that is a turn we cannot tolerate.

The Justice Department was spying on the Associated Press reporters.  There really is no spin that makes this a good thing.  This is a clear violation of the first amendment and it will be interesting to see how long it takes before the AP wins their case.

I don't have much to comment on at this time about these issues because information is just coming to light.  I do know that there will be some serious punishment for those responsible.  I just wonder how high these scandals will go.

War Drums

Been out of town all weekend.  Back to a normal schedule tomorrow.  Happy Mother's Day!

Friday Shakedown

The GOP is continuing it's ridiculous attacks on the President over the "non-conspiracy" Benghazi.  Bob Cesca posted a list of 13 more "Benghazis" that occurred during the Bush administration that Fox News did not seem to care about.  Go check it out.  It's pretty good.

Missouri has joined the league of states toying with nullification.  The bill that was just sent to Governor Jay Nixon (D) would render all federal gun laws null and void in Missouri.  Should the Governor sign the bill, which I think is unlikely, Missouri would become the second state to actually pass such a law.  Kansas was the first and Attorney General Eric Holder has already sent them a letter threatening to take Kansas to court over the issue.  

The bill would also relax other gun laws in the state by lowering the age to obtain a concealed carry license from 21 to 19.  It would also allow firearms to be carried by certain school personnel.

Another day, another child getting shot by another child.  In Camden, New Jersey, an 11-year-old boy shot a 12-year-old in the face.  The incident is being called an accident.  The child is being treated at an area hospital and is expected to survive.  There was supposedly an 19-year-old relative nearby when the accident happened but it is currently unclear how the children obtained the gun.

When does it stop?

Another Baby With A Gun...

Another baby with a gun...

In Corsicana, Texas, a 2-year-old boy fatally shot himself in the head with his father's handgun.  He found it in a bedroom while his father was in another room.

If you can't secure your guns, you don't deserve to have them.

A Broken Record

There are too many stories like this and far too often.

This story comes out of Miami.  Two children, 13 and 6, were left home alone.  Justin Latourrette had seen them outside earlier in the day and thought it was strange that he didn't see any adults around.  Later on, he heard a loud boom and police confirmed that it was a gunshot that he heard.

The 13-year-old had found the handgun and shot his sister in the chest, just above the heart.  Latourrette watched as paramedics carried her out.  He had this to say:

"Her shirt was bloody, and you could see through a piece of gauze that she had a hole in her chest above the heart. Her eyes were wide open in a blank stare, like she was in shock. I'll never forget that look."

She is currently in critical but stable condition.

Again, in Florida, a 3-year-old boy fatally shot himself after finding a loaded handgun in the backpack of his uncle.  The uncle, Jeffrey D. Walker, held a concealed carry permit.  Walker has been arrested and charged with culpable negligence.  The boy's parents were in their bedroom at the time of the shooting.

How many stories like this must there be before something is done?  What percentage of Americans need to support gun legislation before Congress will pass it?  Apparently, 90% is not enough.

According to the Children's Defense Fund, one-third of all households with children younger than 18 have a gun, and more than 40 percent of gun-owning households with children store their guns unlocked. 

The fund also reported that 22 percent of children with gun-owning parents handled guns in their homes without their parents' knowledge.

These types of statistics cannot be ignored forever.

Iron Man vs. Congress

Too Young

Exactly.

Nullification Continues And What To Do About It

Alabama is rolling right along with its effort to subvert United States law.  I have posted several times about the nullification epidemic growing in some states across the country.  This is more than a little annoying.  These states actually think they can ignore Federal Law.  We fought a war over this notion.  I've covered that a lot here so I won't repeat myself here.

Kansas, Mississippi, Wyoming, Alabama, and a few more have/are contemplating nullification laws in their states either over Obamacare or gun control legislation.  We know this is happening but what do we do about it?

As with many issues, it's not a bad idea to follow the money.  The following is a map that shows how much money each state gets from the Federal government for every dollar it sends in taxes.

Wyoming and Kansas are not doing too bad.  They only take a little more than they give but then look at Alabama and Mississippi.  They both take close to double what they give and they feel they have the right to tell the Federal government what to do?  

Just for fun, lets look at tome of those predominantly liberal areas of the country.  New York, California, Massachusetts, etc. all give more than they get.

But for the states that want to decide that the Federal laws do not apply to them, what do we do?  Maybe we should stop giving them so much of our money.  Clearly, their conservative principles are not working if they have to ask for money constantly.  

Note: The figures on the map are from 2004, but I doubt much has changed.  If someone finds a map with updated figures, I'd love to see it.  Especially if it refutes my argument.

Let them secede, and we'll see who has the last laugh.  They need us more than we need them.

Friday Shakedown

Dan Bidondi, an Infowars "reporter," went to Massachusetts and didn't plan on running into opposition like this.  An unnamed resident engaged him on Infowars' crazy conspiracy theories.

(NSFW)

I wish more people would confront wackos like this in this way.  It's just like the Westboro Baptist Church.  They do not respond to reason, reason, or facts, and they contribute nothing to the debate.  Having an argument with them is not a good use of your time.  You will walk away from the encounter feeling more frustrated than you were at the start and they will walk away thinking they've won.  The only thing they respond to is ridicule.  

North Carolina is trying to make it harder for students to vote.  Shocking, I know.  The bill, which was sponsored by six Republican Senators, would force the parents of out-of-state students to pay higher taxes if they claim their child as a dependent and the student is registered to vote in their college district.  If you are a student, you should be able to vote for the district that directly represents you where you live.  When I was a student at Ohio State, I petitioned the congresswoman for Ohio District 15, which was where the school sat.  For the time I was attending and living there, I considered her my voice in Congress.  I should have been able to vote in that district if there had been an election while I was there.  Speaking of Ohio... They're trying to do a similar thing there.  This is just another example Republicans trying to suppress the vote and change the rules of the game.  Instead of having a message that appeals to a majority of the country, or people in their districts, they try to keep opponents from voting.  That isn't how democracy is supposed to work.

In other news, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, famous for being one of the most hated members of the Senate on both the Left and Right, floated the notion of a presidential run.  This move was promptly met with laughter all around.

The NRA has a new president and he's possibly more to the right than the last one.  At a speech in New York, he referred to the Civil War as the "War of Northern Aggression."  There is so much wrong with that, I don't even know where to start.  The historian in my head is speechless at the moment.  

Maybe more along the lines of the Civil War tomorrow...

Doof Quote Of The Day

NH State Rep. Stella Tremblay (R)

TREMBLAY: And the more I looked at this, in my heart, something told me there’s something wrong here. You just have to look at that backpack and you can see. If there’s an explosion, the backpack is blown to smithereens. There’s nothing left. What was it doing just laying there? Then, my first gut reaction seeing the horror of that person that had their legs blown off… you know, with the bone sticking out? And he was not in shock. I looked and I thought there’s something… I don’t know what’s wrong, but it seems surreal to me. I talked to my sister, who’s not into politics at all, and she said, “Yea, I saw the same thing.” He was not in shock. He was not in pain. If I had had those type of injuries, I’d be screaming in agony.

Via ThinkProgress:

Citing Alex Jones and his conspiracy theory site Infowars, Tremblay notes that while she once believed 9/11 was a real attack by terrorists, 9/11 “truthers” have opened her eyes. This attack too, she argues, was a “Black Ops” attack staged — apparently unconvincingly — by the federal government.

Wonderful.  I wish everyone could see the harm that Infowars and crazies like Alex Jones cause.  They have no evidence for their crazy theories, only questions and they press on with the conspiracy theory no matter what.  You can never prove them wrong in their eyes because they'll just ask more questions or dismiss actual evidence.  Now, these crazy theories are being floated by Republican politicians.  Like this one where Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) floated a theory about the U.S. shipping guns to Turkey.  Secretary Clinton's response is priceless.

This is not the only example, not by a long shot. Republican Reps. Jim Jordan (OH) and Jason Chaffetz (UT) held a joint hearing "to examine the procurement of ammunition by the Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General." They, and others, believe the U.S. government is buying up ammunition to either keep regular Americans from being able to buy it, or they are preparing for war against their own people.  This is the silliness that goes on on the Right these days.

The conspiracy theorists are not serious people but unfortunately we have to take them seriously because they influence those that vote in Congress.  

5-Year-Old Kills 2-Year-Old With His Own Gun

Meanwhile, in Kentucky:

(Reuters) - A 2-year-old girl was accidentally shot and killed by her 5-year-old brother with a rifle he received as a birthday gift, Kentucky authorities said on Wednesday. 

The shooting occurred on Tuesday afternoon in Burkesville, Kentucky, a community in the south-central part of the state, when the boy was playing with the .22-caliber rifle and accidentally shot his sister in the chest, state police said.

Can anyone explain to me why a 5-year-old was given a rifle for his birthday?  Freedom is not an acceptable answer.  5-year-olds do not have any freedom and certainly have no conflicts a .22-rifle would help solve.

There are several manufacturers that make guns specifically for children.  This is one of them.

Gohmert Again, And Schoolhouse Rock!

I think some members of Congress need a little refresher course on U.S. Government.

Speaking of Congressmen that need a refresher on government and history, our favorite Texas Congressman Louie Gohmert is still blaming the wrong people for the Boston bombing.  Last week he said this:

“He [Obama] has advisers around him that do not have the same goal as he does. He has people around him giving advice who support the Muslim Brotherhood and who steer him in wrong directions”

Well, he must have thought that wasn't crazy enough because today he said this:

"Think about it, when your attorney general spent more of his legal career helping terrorists than defending the country, then you know we all have certain biases and lean certain ways."

Louie Gohmert is asserting that Attorney General Eric Holder has a bias in favor of terrorists and against defending the country.  I would like to know where he is getting his information, or what he considers "bias in favor of terrorists."  I know it is hard to cite your own rectum, but give it a go, Louie.  

Maybe he thinks reading the bombing suspect his Miranda rights and not torturing him is a bias in favor of the terrorists.  Treating the suspect like a human being and an American citizen, of which he is both, is just too much for those on the far right.  The Right (capital "r") have been in a tizzy since authorities captured the suspect and did not lose their minds interrogating him.  The government officials are handling it like they should be and are conducting a proper investigation.

Answers will come.  Allow the authorities to do their jobs.

7-Year-Old Football Star Meets President

Remember this kid?

That is 7-year-old Jack Hoffman, who has been fighting pediatric brain cancer for a long time.  He became friends with Nebraska running back Rex Burkhead and gained some media attention locally.  Today he met with President Obama.

Here is Jack talking about his meeting with the President.  And here is Rex Burkhead talking about the trip to the White House.  Burkhead accompanied Jack and his family to Washington. 

It's very cool that President Obama would take the time for something like this.  Hopefully this does raise awareness for childhood cancer like Rex Burkhead said.  

Friday Shakedown

I know it's Saturday, but I'm still calling it the Friday Shakedown...

We begin the cavalcade of crazy with Congressman Louie Gohmert (R-TX).  He loves his conspiracy theories so much and is a great example of what is wrong with this country.  Here is what he said this week about the Obama administration:

“He has advisers around him that do not have the same goal as he does. He has people around him giving advice who support the Muslim Brotherhood and who steer him in wrong directions,”

He really thinks the President has advisors who support radical Islam.  This isn't the first time he has said things to that effect.  Thank you, Texas, for sending this clown to Congress.  The rest of the country is so excited to have him help make decisions on their behalf.

Next, we have a story from the University of Arizona.  Anyone that has frequented a college camp in the past several years knows there are always very religious people holding signs, telling people they are going to hell, or otherwise trying to spread the "good" word.  I saw this a lot in my undergraduate days.

At the University of Arizona, there is a student, Dean Saxton, who regularly does this.  He has been nicknamed "Brother Dean" and seems to have become a fixture of the campus.  Here is a video of his demonstration on Tuesday where he held up a sign that said "You Deserve Rape."  The video is long but the introduction fills in some of the story.

University of Arizona spokeswoman Jennifer Fitzenberger released a statement to The Huffington Post on the controversial Brother Dean demonstration:

The University of Arizona does not endorse or condone the message of the campus speaker - in fact, it considers it to be vile and repugnant. However, because universities in particular are bastions for free speech, even when it is offensive, the University of Arizona will uphold the right of this speaker and all others to engage in constitutionally protected speech on its campus. Should the University receive complaints or otherwise become aware of allegations of misconduct that fall outside the realm of constitutionally protected speech, it will investigate and deal with them as appropriate.

In a way, he's like a live-action internet troll.

CNN's Don Lemon Discusses BSA Lifting Ban On Gays

CNN invited John Stemberger and Zack Wahls on Don Lemon's show earlier this week to discuss the Boy Scout's proposal of lifting the ban on homosexuals for scouts but not scouters.  

Here is the exchange:

John Stemberger says it is an awful proposal, and that seems to be the end of where he and I agree.

Stemberger says that it would destroy Scouting as we know it. He lists a bunch of religious groups that would not agree with the change of policy and warns of a mass exodus from the Boy Scouts. I don’t see how this is necessarily a bad thing. All the bigots will be out of the organization just like that and you will be left with an organization that can teach leadership and camping skills without all the discrimination.

“Foster open homosexuality among its boys” Does he think this means someone is going to sprinkle gay people in among the troops? What a ridiculous proposition. It simply means you cannot discriminate based on sexual preference, open or otherwise.

This man is a disgrace to scouting. Like Zach Wahls stated, he wants gay scouts to violate the first tenant of the Scout Law, trustworthy. He wants them to lie about who they are. Being open and comfortable with who you are is liberating and allows you to concentrate on other things, like maybe Scouting for Food or other programs that help people.

There are many LGBT folks involved in Scouting now whether Stemberger acknowledges it or not. They are doing good work and it is only fair to them, and the organization, to allow them to continue serving those troops without lying about who they are.

They’re halfway there. Now, we need them to get rid of the ban completely.

Mark Sanford And The "Empty Chair" Meme

Former South Carolina Governor, and famed Appalachian Trail hiker, Mark Sanford is running for Congress!  But that, of course, is not what brings him to the blog.  He is following the GOP meme of trying to debate fictional Democrats, whether it is Clint Eastwood at the Republican National Convention talking to an empty chair or now Mark Sanford trying to debate a cardboard cutout of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

Governor, she's never going to answer your questions so stop pausing for "her" to answer.  She's cardboard.  It really does demonstrate that many Republicans simply do not understand what the Democrats are saying.  They argue and rail against a boogeyman that doesn't exist.  The empty chair is a great example of this.  If they would listen and actually participate in a dialogue, maybe something would finally get done.

In case you forgot:

Child Dies From Parent Negligence... Again

Herbert and Catherine Schaible were on probation for the 2009 death of their child after he became sick and they refused to take him to the doctor. They prescribe to a Christian sect that believes in faith healing and have not been to a doctor themselves in a long time. They lost their 8-month-old son last week after he was suffering from diarrhea and breathing problems for over a week.  

Faith healing doesn't work, medical science does. This is simply a fact and the conditions that the children died from were very treatable. The boy who died in 2009 suffered from coughing, congestion, crankiness and a loss of appetite.  

The parents are grieving, and I'm sure it is genuine. I don't think anyone would argue that their feelings are not real.  However, in cases like this, the argument needs to be brought up: Why to we give religion a pass often when they believe silly things?

Authorities are waiting to press charges until after the autopsy of the child but they will be charged with something.  But what is the appropriate level they should be charged?  Is it manslaughter because they didn't mean to kill their son?  Is it child neglect?  I don't think prayer can be considered adequate attention to the child's health.  Maybe it will be a combination of charges.  

There is no excuse for these beliefs in 2013.  This couple killed their son, end of story.  Their inaction is inexcusable and should be punished.  They certainly demonstrate that Christian fundamentalism is alive and well in America.

Stop The Gun Metaphors, Please

Folks in Benton County, Arkansas are unhappy that their State Legislators approve the expansion of Medicaid in their state as part of Obamacare.  Emotions are so high that columnist Chris Nogy wrote in a newsletter that his fellow Republicans might want to exercise their 2nd Amendment rights on some legislators.

"So what do we do? While I believe that we as a party are done in Arkansas after this, if there is ANY hope of our survival, it is going to take not being forgiving. Not only for past actions, but to show those who will come in the future that the cost of failure to do the thing they were elected to do will be significant. We need to be making a point of this failure from this moment on. We need to make a public statement from our groups that we no longer support those who turned on us, that we will NOT be working to their re-election, that we will be actively seeking replacements, and perhaps even working towards recall. We as the Party have to stand up and say ‘no more – you were given a job, you campaigned on the promise to do this job, you had the ability to do this job, you had the votes each time to do this job, and yet for no legitimate reason you betrayed the trust put in you by the electorate and you are now completely and permanently politically finished.’

We need to let those who will come in the future to represent us that we are serious. The 2nd amendment means nothing unless those in power believe you would have no problem simply walking up and shooting them if they got too far out of line and stopped responding as representatives. It seems that we are unable to muster that belief in any of our representatives on a state or federal level, but we have to have something, something costly, something that they will fear that we will use if they step out of line. If we can’t shoot them, we have to at least be firm in our threat to take immediate action against them politically, socially, and civically if they screw up on something this big. Personally, I think a gun is quicker and more merciful, but hey, we can’t."

This metaphor is used way too often by the GOP.  Sarah Palin enjoyed encouraging her supporters by saying, "don't retreat, reload."  Her website also had a map:

 

One of those targets over Arizona was Rep. Gabby Giffords' district.  Giffords is, if you don't remember, the Congresswoman who took a bullet to the head, in 2011, after a gunman opened fire at one of her outdoor rallies in her district.  In addition to wounding the Congresswoman, 17 people were shot and 6 died.  The youngest victim was a 9-year-old girl.  Is it coincidence that the gunman targeted her and didn't get the idea from Palin's website?  Perhaps.  But there is a big problem with even suggesting constituents kill their lawmakers.  That is not how our system works.  The 2nd Amendment was not written to stop more people from having health coverage.  

In 2010, Sharron Angle ran against Harry Reid for Senate in Nevada and seemed to suggest that violence might be the answer in case she didn't win the election.  I say "seemed to suggest" because she refused to answer questions about what she meant by "second amendment remedies."

These are only a few examples but they are not isolated incidents.  This rhetoric is used all the time in politics and predominantly on the Right.  It needs to stop because sometimes it can be taken seriously and people get hurt.  There are much more constructive ways to make a point.  If you cannot make your point without making a gun metaphor, perhaps you need to open a thesaurus.

Cowardly Senate

Same old nonsense this past week with the Senate voting against universal background checks.  A policy that had 90% public support.  Well done, Senate.

"Serve And Protect The Constitution"

The bombing in Boston has caused emotions to run high for everyone.  People have been glued to their seats waiting for the latest news on the fugitive second suspect.  So much so that CNN didn't even bother getting the truth before reporting on it.  But that isn't what I want to talk about here.

Now, the suspect has been caught alive. But even before he was captured, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) suggested that the suspect be held as an enemy combatant. He released a series of tweets that provided a good view on his mindset.

If captured, I hope Administration will at least consider holding the Boston suspect as enemy combatant for intelligence gathering purposes. 

3:33 PM - 19 Apr 2013 

If the #Boston suspect has ties to overseas terror organizations he could be treasure trove of information.

3:37 PM - 19 Apr 2013 

The last thing we may want to do is read Boston suspect Miranda Rights telling him to "remain silent."

3:40 PM - 19 Apr 2013 

The Obama Administration needs to be contemplating these issues and should not rush into a bad decision.

3:43 PM - 19 Apr 2013

Rushing into a bad decision would certainly be bad. Like not reading Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the bomber, his Miranda Rights. That was a bad decision. Or not trying him in a civilian court, preferably in Boston. That would also be a bad decision.

Like it or not, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is an American citizen and deserves all the protections a citizen gets under the Constitution. We have shown that we can handle prosecuting terrorists at home. We can do it again.

Republicans love to quote the Founding Fathers so here are a few yo should really read, Senator.

"He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself." -- Thomas Paine 1795

"The Habeas Corpus secures every man here, alien or citizen, against everything which is not law, whatever shape it may assume." --Thomas Jefferson to A. H. Rowan, 1798. ME 10:61

"Why suspend the habeas corpus in insurrections and rebellions? The parties who may be arrested may be charged instantly with a well defined crime; of course, the judge will remand them. If the public safety requires that the government should have a man imprisoned on less probable testimony in those than in other emergencies, let him be taken and tried, retaken and retried, while the necessity continues, only giving him redress against the government for damages. Examine the history of England. See how few of the cases of the suspension of the habeas corpus law have been worthy of that suspension. They have been either real treasons, wherein the parties might as well have been charged at once, or sham plots, where it was shameful they should ever have been suspected. Yet for the few cases wherein the suspension of the habeas corpus has done real good, that operation is now become habitual and the minds of the nation almost prepared to live under its constant suspension." --Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 1788. ME 7:97

Friday Shakedown

The continuing story out of Boston keeps changing so it would be crazy to start writing about that.  It was a tragedy and hopefully they will catch the second suspect soon.

The Boy Scouts has come out with a possible change in policy on homosexuals.  They are apparently considering allowing gay youths to join the organization, so that's promising, however the proposal has gay scouters still banned.  So if you were a gay scout and thought you learned a lot in the organization and wanted to help future youths have that same experience you did... you couldn't.  Well done, BSA, falling so far from the mark.  I suppose the fact that they are entertaining the idea of lifting any part of the ban is promising news.  I sincerely hope that they reconsider their partial ban lift and do the right thing completely.

Georgia Time Warp

In Georgia, four high school student's approached Georgia Governor Nathan Deal to ask him to endorse their proposition to integrate their high school prom.  Rather than be shocked that there is a school in his state that still has a segregated prom and attempt to rectify the situation, he brushed the students off.  He said such an endorsement would amount to a "publicity stunt."

While it may be a publicity stunt, or could easily be one, you endorse this integrated prom, Governor.  This is a no brainer.  Brown vs. Board of Education was 60 years ago and we still have stuff like this going on?  You should be angry that this is happening at all but you should be angrier that it is happening in your state.  Some high school students came and asked for your endorsement probably because they thought you could help their cause.  Really, they served to you a beautiful campaign issue on a silver platter.  You could have been the governor that helped stamp out the last remnants of segregation in your state but instead you have brushed it off as unimportant.

This makes one believe or at least suspect that you don't care if the prom remains segregated.  Worse, it might make one wonder if you think there should be more segregation.  Comments like this, while perhaps having good intentions, are not helping:

We’ve come a long way in the state of Georgia. We don’t need things like this being divisive. We think we have put most of those issues behind us. None of us condone things that would send the wrong message about where we are with regard to race relations. But by the same token, I think that people understand that some of these are just local issues and private issues, and not something that the state government needs to have its finger involved in.

Integration wouldn't have happened in the first place without government intervention.  It's foolish to hide behind that now.  You support things like his because they are the right thing to do, Governor.  I'm sure you'll get the segregationist vote in the next election.  Congratulations.

Gohmert Joins King

Rep. Louis Gohmert (R-TX) joined Rep. Steve King (R_IA) in his blaming the Boston bombing on immigrants or people "that look Hispanic."  He and other conservatives are claiming that the Boston bombing is a reason why immigration reform needs to be delayed.  

“We have seen this in Israel,” Gohmert said of the Boston attacks and recalled visiting areas that had been struck by suicide bombers. “Finally the Israeli people said this is enough. They built a fence and the rest is a wall to prevent snipers from telling their kids. They finally stopped the domestic violence from people that wanted to destroy them. I am concerned we need to do that as well.”

“We know Al Qaeda has camps on the Mexican border,” he said. “We have people that are trained to act Hispanic when they are radical Islamists.”

How do you know this?  Where is the evidence?  It would seem like you are just saying this to blow that racist dog-whistle for your constituents.  

I would put money on it being done by a white, right-wing extremist.  

Thank you, Texas, for sending this idiot to Congress.

Steve King Continues To Be Awful

Today, Rep. Steve King (R-IA), gave his thoughts on the bombings in Boston.  He has decided to put forward that an immigrant might have done it and since it might be an immigrant, immigration reform must be stalled.

"If we can’t background-check people that are coming from Saudi Arabia, how do we think we are going to background-check the 11 to 20 million people that are here from who knows where?"

He clearly is blowing dog whistles for his perpetually crazy constituency.  I would like to see what evidence he is privy to that indicates to him that it is an immigrant.  I think he is simply stating the first racist, ignorant nonsense that enters his head.

He has acknowledged that we can only speculate at this point, but then went on to provide the most ridiculous suggestion yet.  

King has a history of being extremely anti-immigration holding questionable beliefs.  He also has a history of saying crazy, racist and ignorant things.  So really, this is just business as usual for the Congressman.

It would be nice if the people of Iowa booted him from office, but I don;t see that happening any time soon.

Boston Massacre Part Deux

Obviously news has spread very quickly this afternoon abut the attack in Boston.  It is certainly a terrorist attack, but the question is what sort of terrorists: Foreign or Domestic?  Only time will tell.  Hopefully we'll have a few answers by the end of the week.  

*Note: The runner knocked down by the blast in the picture above is reportedly unhurt.

"We Came Here To Do Something"

Earlier on CNN, Sens. Pat Toomey (R-PA) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) gave their take on gun regulations and defended their proposal for tighter gun regulations.  

CROWLEY: Are either one of you worried about any kind of challenge, primary or general?

MANCHIN: Let me just say I know Pat and I have talked, we came here to do something. We came here to make a difference. If you would have met with the families, the strongest people I’ve ever met with, the families of the Newtown victims, they never asked for anybody to take their guns away. They never asked to repeal the second amendment. They said, ‘we’re gun owners and we respect and honor all that.’ We know, and they’ll even say, we know that this bill that you’re working on would not have saved our children. We know that. But it might save somebody else’s child somebody. I mean, if we just had half the courage [the Newtown families] had, Candy, just half the courage. So, yes, I came to do something and I want to do something.

TOOMEY: In 1999 I supported expanding background checks. I just think it makes common sense. And I’ll just let the political chips fall the way they fall.

Watch it here:

We need more in Congress like them.

Michelle Bachmann's Greatest Hits

Last fall, Rep. Michele Bachmann held onto her seat in Congress despite Democratic challenger Jim Graves' efforts. Now, Graves wants a rematch in 2014.  "A lot of people come up to me and say we're kind of embarrassed by our representation in Washington," he has said. "People are tired of her antagonistic, propagating gridlock."

It is true that she is one of the most polarizing members of the House of Representatives.  I thought I would throw together some of the most ridiculous things she has said/done in the past few years.

Michele Bachmann on Homosexuals:

Bachmann doesn't understand Obamacare:

I wish Jim Graves luck in 2014.  We need to get her out of Congress.

Friday Shakedown

Tea Party Republicans in New Hampshire have called for the arrests of the lawmakers that voted to repeal the stand your ground law in that state. They say that those lawmakers have violated their oaths of office by trying to trample the Constitution.  I guess we're just supposed to forget all those ridiculous times the stand your ground laws have been cited to protect shooters.  This is a perfect example of this law being abused.

California Bill Targets Boy Scouts' Policy

The Boy Scouts of America has been under fire for a while due to its policy of discrimination against gay scouts and scouters. However, a new California bill that passed the Senate Governance and Finance Committee with a vote 5 to 2 would eliminate tax breaks for organizations that discriminate against youths.  The bill would protect gays, transgender, and even atheists whose discrimination is often glossed over.

This is the first bill of its kind in any state.  It would make groups, like the Boy Scouts, who discriminate to pay taxes on donations and other contributions.  

The Youth Equality Act, sponsored by Sen. Ricardo Lara, D-Long Beach, would deny tax-exempt status to youth groups that discriminate on the basis of gender identity, race, sexual orientation, nationality, religion or religious affiliation.

Scouting executives are slated to vote on changing the policy, to make it more inclusive, in May.

Intellecticide

More Slippery Slope Arguments From The Right

Fox News contributor, Erick Erickson, decided to play up the slippery slope argument against same-sex marriage in a blog post on RedState.  Apparently, supporters of same-sex marriage would quickly shift their support to incestuous and polygamous marriages.  This claim is, of course, ridiculous but will not stop fools like Erickson from making it.  Here is what he said:

Via MediaMatters.

Seriously. Why not incest.

[...] 

If love and commitment are the justification for marriage, why exempt this? 

[...] 

So why not fathers marrying sons and moms marrying daughters? Is it because of the "ick" factor? Why should that preclude it?

If life comes down to who you love and who loves you back, if a father and son love each other so much they want to get married, there is little moral difference between two people of the same sex getting married who are not related and want to be and two people of the same sex who already are related becoming closer. 

[...]

The truth is, many, many, many of the same people who are now in support of gay marriage, but would oppose this or polygamy will, once the next step is advanced, support these things too. They just have to lie about it for now until they can shift public opinion further.

This is such an idiotic argument, it's hardly worth the time to discuss.  Here I am though, wasting my time on him.

Why not incest?  Because more often than not, incestuous relationships are exploitative.  Especially in situations where it is an adult and a child, like he has suggested.  Also, any relationship like that with a child involved is harmful too the child both mentally and potentially physically.  

If his argument were true, you would see many European countries, which already largely have equal rights for LGBT couples, rushing to approve incest and polygamy but you don't see that.  

I'm not sure which I find more offensive, his assertion that people like me are lying about some secret support for incest and polygamy with the intention of shifting the fight or his claim that same-sex marriage is morally the same as incest and polygamy.

Morality is on the side of the LGBT rights supporters.  The Right's assumed monopoly on morality is reprehensible.  Allowing two consenting adults to have the same legal rights as other adults in this country is not immoral, opposing that is.  That is what this fight is actually about, the law.  No one is arguing that churches will be forced to hold a religious ceremony for same-sex couples.  There are end-of-life decisions that they are excluded from, tax incentives, right to spousal benefits for insurance and many other reasons.  Can someone please give me a reason to oppose these rights that does not center around religion?  I didn't think so.

Erickson is just another troll.

Saturday Shakedown

I missed posting yesterday so here is a rare Saturday Shakedown!

North Carolina will not be establishing a religion thanks to the Speaker of the NC State Legislature, Thom Tillis (R).  He has announced that the measure will not be brought up for a vote.  This is a relief because we shouldn't be having a discussion like that in this day and age.  This is a settled issue with hundreds of years of precedent.

However, this discussion in North Carolina has prompted some polls to be taken with some frightening results.  

The new survey finds that 34 percent of adults would favor establishing Christianity as the official state religion in their own state, while 47 percent would oppose doing so. Thirty-two percent said that they would favor a constitutional amendment making Christianity the official religion of the United States, with 52 percent saying they were opposed.

 Tennessee is proposing a bill that would withhold welfare assistance to families whose children are not doing well in school.  There is already a revolving door when it comes to poverty and poor education, why make it worse with something like this?  Education is important and there are a lot of factors that contribute to poverty.  We cannot hurt kids by withholding food because they get a bad grade.  That is cruel and unusual.

North Carolina Republicans Failed Civics

I thought South Carolina was the crazy Carolina but it seems North Carolina wants to give them a run for their money.

North Carolina is trying to establish a state religion.  You read that right.  They don't care that this is obviously against the first amendment.

The First Amendment:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

The measure is supported by nine Republicans in the Legislature. They introduced this after a lawsuit took issue with Rowan county committee meetings opening with, way more often than not, an obviously Christian prayer.

They claim that they can pass this legislation because of that first word in the amendment: Congress.  And they are right in that the way the amendment is written, it would not be applied to North Carolina.  They also claim that the Tenth Amendment, which gives the states the rights to do things if the Constitution does not address it, does not stop them from establishing a religion.  The bill itself states that the Bill of Rights only applies to the federal government and does not stop states from passing any law that defies any part of the Constitution.

The Tenth Amendment:

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Ok, ok, let's say I'm on board with all that.  It does not really mention anything about the establishment clause.  If only there were something that would explicitly state that the first amendment... no, it needs to be more specific than that... the establishment clause itself...

Everson v. Board of Education, (1947) was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court which applied the Establishment Clause in the country's Bill of Rights to State law.

WOW, look at that!  The issue has already been addressed!  I mean as long as it isn't before 1947...nope, I checked the calendar and we're good.  North Carolina can breathe a sigh of relief and not waste their time on a rehashing of previously decided case law.  But we all know they won't.

This follows a trend of Republican led legislatures in Red states of proposing, and sometimes passing, ridiculously illegal laws.  I have covered some of these laws in relation to gun control here on the blog. I really do not understand how they can continue with stuff like this.  Nullification, of which this is a cousin, cannot and will not stand.  

Maybe for fun the federal government should turn North Carolina loose, just as an example to the other states.  I really don't think they've thought it through.

Failure to Launch

They're Getting Desperate

Georgia GOP Chairwoman Sue Everhart is afraid of gay marriage, but not for the reasons that are usually argued.

"You may be as straight as an arrow, and you may have a friend that is as straight as an arrow. Say you had a great job with the government where you had this wonderful health plan. I mean, what would prohibit you from saying that you’re gay, and y’all get married and still live as separate, but you get all the benefits? I just see so much abuse in this it’s unreal. I believe a husband and a wife should be a man and a woman, the benefits should be for a man and a woman. There is no way that this is about equality. To me, it’s all about a free ride.”

That's right, she's afraid straight people will get married to their same-sex friends just for benefits.  In a way, I suppose she is right.  People could do that.  There should not be any requirement to prove your... gayness in order to get married to someone of the same sex.  And people get married for all sorts of reasons.  Is she implying that straight people cannot do this now with an opposite sex friend?  My guess is that people getting married just for benefits would be just as prevalent as it is now should same-sex marriage become legal on a national level.

They are certainly getting desperate.

North Carolina Moves Confederate Flag Display

Not many symbols in history make me as angry as the Confederate flag.  We see it everywhere even today.  Even in states that weren't even states at the time of the Civil War.  

Some say it is a symbol for a rebel spirit and independent thinking.  This thinking has spread to Canada where the flag is even depicted there.  Some say it represents the rights of the states to push back against Federal regulation.  I do not agree.

This flag represents the Confederate States of America.  Technically, it is the Battle Flag but it is the flag most associated with the Confederates.  Let's not get hung up on that.  This flag represents the reason that 750,000 or more Americans were killed.  The South fought for their rights to keep slaves and the North fought to hold the Union together.  Later there was a bit about freeing the slaves, but the initial goal of the North and President Lincoln was to keep the country together.  

Some would argue that the Civil War was fought over "state's rights."  Yeah, sure, I can agree with that, but can you tell me what specific right they wanted the states to have power over?  The right to own slaves.

U.S. History is not as comforting as you are led to believe from the nice survey history textbooks you read in grade school.  It is a harsh story with many players that have good and bad parts to their individual tales.  The Alamo, for example, was not this bastion of freedom that some people like to claim.  This battle was fought over the rights of the Texans to keep their slaves.  Texas was part of Mexico at the time and Mexico had just abolished slavery.  They fought for Texan freedom, yes, but not for all.  

So when I see this flag on trucks, barns, shirts, and hats all over the country I cannot help but think the owner/wearer is either ignorant to its meaning or is a racist.  I really don't think it's a stretch to think that since the KKK has used the flag and the KKK was founded by former Confederate officers after the Civil War.  “The [revival of the] flag is a sign that the south is trying to relive their glory days,” and  they are “holding onto a glorified identity that never existed.”

North Carolina decided to hang the flag in their Capitol building as part of an exhibit commemorating the Civil War.  The exhibit, with the flag, was set to remain until April 2015 to mark the 150th anniversary of Federal troops arriving in Raleigh.  Once it was known that the Governor was going to use that part of the Capitol as a work space, the exhibit was set to be moved. State Historic Sites Director Keith Hardison had said Thursday the flag should be viewed in what he called the proper historical context.

“Our goal is not to create issues.  Our goal is to help people understand issues of the past. … If you refuse to put something that someone might object to or have a concern with in the exhibit, then you are basically censoring history.”

North Carolina NAACP president Rev. William Barber did not share Hardison's thoughts on the matter.

“He is right that it has a historical context,” Barber said. “But what is that history? The history of racism. The history of lynchings. The history of death. The history of slavery. If you say that shouldn’t be offensive, then either you don’t know the history, or you are denying the history.”

The exhibit is remaining up, but across the street in another building.

I actually don't oppose the exhibit itself because of the historical context.  I do think that it was inappropriate to have it in a working part of the Capitol building.  I think it is a neat idea to have the flag flying in the proper context of representing the 150 year anniversary of the Civil War.  I think there should be some sort of ceremony in 2015 to represent Union troops entering Raleigh and bringing the flag down.  That could be very interesting but I don't know if they have something like that planned.

Rep. Steve King Is A Despicable Human Being

Last night, I read something that Iowa Congressman Steve King said and it made me mad as expected. Knowing that one of my friends lives in his district and actually likes King, I decided to post the following on Facebook: 

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) is a despicable human being 

Nothing more, simply a statement. And to my enjoyment, this friend responded. He said: 

Please tell me why you don't like Steve King? 

I couldn’t have asked for a better response. The following is what I sent him. Just a simple list of awfulness provided by Steve King.

Steve King: Hurricane Sandy Aid Must Have Strings Attached To Avoid Waste On 'Gucci Bags'

Steve King: Idea That Diversity Strengthens America Has 'Never Been Backed Up By Logic'

Rep. Steve King: Immigrants are like dogs.

Steve King: Comparing Immigrants To Dogs Was 'A Compliment'

Iowa rep will file lawsuit over immigration announcement

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) recently told a local Iowa radio station that al Qaeda would “be dancing in the middle of the streets” if Barack Obama were elected President “because of his middle name.”

King compared immigrants to “livestock” in proposing an electrified fence for the southern border. 

King said the abuse of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib amounted to little more than “hazing.” 

King praised Joe McCarthy as “a great American hero.” 

After Bush vetoed a bill that would have expanded children’s health insurance, King declared it a “victory” for kids. 

The Des Moines Register wrote in 2005: “Spare us more embarrassment: Replace King.”

Steve King Attacks Sasha And Malia Obama

Rep. Steve King Defends Dogfighting Enthusiasts From State Governments

Steve King: Gays Wouldn't Face Discrimination If They Didn't 'Wear Their Sexuality On Their Sleeve'

King happily explained his history of working against the equal rights agenda and the "screaming, profane gays." 

King renewed his campaign against gay marriage in late 2010, saying that children raised by same-sex married couples would be similar to those "raised in warehouses."

He has yet to respond.