Progress Kentucky vs. Mitch McConnell

The battle for Mitch McConnell's Senate seat has been heating up lately and the election isn't for a year and a half!  There is a lot of talk about Ashley Judd running against him and she could actually have a shot.  Senator McConnell's poll numbers are not the greatest right now.  He has the worst numbers of any serving Senator with only 37% approval and 55% disapproval among Kentucky voters.  A poll was done of potential match ups for the 2014 race and Ashley Judd has the closest race, probably a lot to do with name recognition.

If the candidates for Senate in 2014 were
Republican Mitch McConnell and Democrat
Ashley Judd, who would you vote for?
Mitch McConnell ............................................. 47%
Ashley Judd .................................................... 43%
Not sure .......................................................... 10%

Progress Kentucky, a progressive group, has been hammering Sen. McConnell on outsourcing.  They have dedicated themselves to unseating Sen. McConnell.  

He is married to former Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao who is of Chinese decent.  She was born in Taiwan after her family fled the mainland during the Chinese Civil War.  On February 14th, Progress Kentucky stepped over the line when they released the following tweet suggesting that it is McConnell's wife's fault that jobs have moved overseas.

This woman has the ear of @mcconnellpress — she’s his #wife.May explain why your job moved to #China! rense.com/general77/raci…

— Progress Kentucky (@ProgressKy) February 14, 2013

This is way over the line, not to mention completely ridiculous.  She served as Secretary of Labor for the United States, not China.  I am sure she is not trying to get her husband to move jobs to China.

Progress Kentucky spokesman Curtis Morrison said on the issue: “It’s not an official statement. It’s a Tweet. And we will remove it if it’s wrong.” Almost two weeks went by and it had not been taken down. That's when ThinkProgress got involved.  Pressed to retract their tweet and issue an apology, Progress Kentucky had this to say: “Senator Mitch McConnell has a conflict of interest that many are afraid to talk about, and Progress Kentucky is not.”  His wife's heritage is not a conflict of interest.  It is an interesting anecdote on the American Dream, nothing more.

Progress Kentucky has finally issued an apology, according to ThinkProgress, yesterday.

Progress Kentucky, you're better than this.  You are a progressive group and progressives hate when things like this happen.  If it was American's for Prosperity or any other conservative group that posted something this stupid, you would have been all over them immediately.  You're liberals.  And Liberals should hold themselves to a higher standard on things like this.  Practice what you preach.  I oppose Sen. McConnell too, of course, but there are much better ways to make your point than that.

Congratulations, Secretary Hagel

After a confirmation process marred by petty politics and a historic filibuster, Chuck Hagel has been confirmed by the Senate to be our next Secretary of Defense.

(Photo: The Washington Post)

He will no doubt be busy right away with the potential defense cuts in the sequester.  Also, the drawing down of troops in Afghanistan will present its own challenges.  

I was also glad to see that Senator Mike Johanns (R-NE) voted to confirm Hagel.  Johanns replaced Hagel as senator for Nebraska when Hagel didn't run for re-election.  Johanns was Governor of Nebraska when Hagel was Senator.  I'd guess that gave him a unique perspective on Hagel.

Refighting For the Voting Rights Act of 1965

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was a very important piece of legislation that strengthened voting rights in the South for minorities. It also, was a brilliant sequel to the Civil Rights Act of 1965.

Section 5 of this act forced the states, counties, cities, etc. with a history of disenfranchising minorities to submit any changes to the law to the Justice Department for review. The Act outlawed literacy tests and other obstacles to voting which were common at the time.  The Justice Department would also monitor elections in those areas to ensure everyone had a fair chance to exercise their right to vote.

The areas affected by Section 5 do have a way to get out of this however.  If they show that they have changed their ways and the Justice department approves their request, they can change their laws how they see fit.  

From OurDocuments:

Between 1965 and 1969, the Supreme Court issued several key decisions upholding the constitutionality of Section 5 and affirming the broad range of voting practices for which preclearance was required. [See South Carolina v. Katzenbach, 383 U.S. 301, 327-28 (1966) andAllen v. State Board of Elections, 393 U.S. 544 (1969)]

The law had an immediate impact. By the end of 1965, a quarter of a million new black voters had been registered, one-third by Federal examiners. By the end of 1966, only 4 out of the 13 southern states had fewer than 50 percent of African Americans registered to vote. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was readopted and strengthened in 1970, 1975, and 1982.

Last year it was announced that the Supreme Court would take up a case that would revisit the constitutionality of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.  President Obama argued on Friday that the provision should be kept.  

Some states are passing voter I.D. laws which are designed to suppress voting, despite what their supporters say.  One supporter of the proposed law in Pennsylvania boldly stated that the law would give Mitt Romney Pennsylvania's electoral votes.  Attorney General Eric Holder famously called these laws "poll taxes" for that is what they are.

In many polling places this past November would be voters had to stand in line for hours to cast their ballot.  This was spotlighted at the State of the Union Address a few weeks ago when the President told the story of a woman who was 102 years old that went through that and showed the determination needed to exercise her right.  This should not happen in the United States.  We should be talking about such things in history classrooms, not on the news or certainly not a presidential address.

Now is clearly not the time for this provision to go away.  If anything, it should probably be expanded to include the areas where these types of laws are being passed.

If you cannot win elections through ideas then you should not win.  Changing laws to disenfranchise specific blocs of voters is cheating, pure and simple.  Removing Section 5 would open the floodgates on legislation to disenfranchise more voters.

We will see on Wednesday what will happen to this provision.  I know I will be watching closely.

McCarthy Reincarnate

Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) has been in the news lately because of his opposition to Chuck Hagel for Secretary of Defense.  Now he is in the news for different reasons.

The New Yorker discovered a past for Cruz that reminds us of a dark period in American politics, where guilt-by-association ruined many careers.

The author of the piece was actually in attendance of the speech Cruz gave to Americans for Prosperity, a Koch brothers group.  And she wrote down his comments.

From The New Yorker:

Cruz greeted the audience jovially, but soon launched an impassioned attack on President Obama, whom he described as “the most radical” President “ever to occupy the Oval Office.” (I was covering the conference and kept the notes.)

He then went on to assert that Obama, who attended Harvard Law School four years ahead of him, “would have made a perfect president of Harvard Law School.” The reason, said Cruz, was that, “There were fewer declared Republicans in the faculty when we were there than Communists! There was one Republican. But there were twelve who would say they were Marxists who believed in the Communists overthrowing the United States government.”

While I'm sure that he believes in what he is saying, he most certainly was playing the room.  The Koch brothers group, Americans for Prosperity, operates in a fantasy land.  They and groups like them attack a President Obama that does not exist, which in my opinion makes it that much harder to combat.

Notice how, like Joe McCarthy sixty years ago, he didn't name names.  Joe McCarthy set up hearings to find out which members of the government and the entertainment industry were members of the Communist Party.  He used many dirty tricks including faked documents and doctored photographs.  Senator Cruz does no know if any members of the Harvard faculty are members of the Communist Party but it doesn't matter if he does.  He says he does and tries to link it to the President and that stirs the Right into a frenzy.  He should really find something better to occupy his time with than trying to link the President to imagined communists.

Friday Shakedown

The Tea Party does seem to be more and more outcast from the Republican party.  It's a little funny to me.
A lot has happened this week and I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed.  The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is under attack, more on that this weekend.  Bills all over the midwest attacking the teaching of science, but that is nothing new, sadly.

I've been slow to post the past several days and when I finally did, it wasn't much.  I'll try to get back on track this weekend.  It was kind of a crazy week.

And now for something completely different:

I so need to do this...

Favorite Story of the Day

I don't really have anything I want to comment on today so here is a sea otter playing basketball.

More Condemnation of Preschool

More attacks from the Right over President Obama's proposal for universal preschool.

Fox Business host Gerri Willis on Sunday called the measure immoral.  I don't think that word means what she thinks it means.  

A child's attendance in preschool has been linked to higher graduation rates, fewer teen pregnancies, and reduced drop out rates.  These are all results that we want so why not give more children the opportunity to start their education in preschool?

Winning the contest for worst excuse to oppose universal preschool ever, Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) said she opposes the measure because it would lead to more paperwork.

Wait, what?

'You know, I had an email from a teacher as [Obama] was giving the speech, someone I’ve known for a long time and it was, ‘Are you kidding me? More paperwork?’

She's talked to teachers she knows and they are upset over the amount of paperwork this would cause.  I was not aware that the amount of paperwork an education proposal could generate should be a reason to oppose it.

She went on to say that education should be handled by the states.  We don't give the power over education to the states because that can't handle it.  Southern schools are some of the worst in the country.  Do you really think they'd get better if the state governments had control?  

Give the power to the states.  It's a bumper sticker.  A silly slogan for her base to latch onto.  People swayed by that have no business being in the conversation.

But those people vote, and elections have consequences.

Mike Johanns Leaving the Senate

Senator Mike Johanns (R-NE) has announced today that he will not be seeking re-election in 2014.  In a letter to Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman, he wrote:

At the end of this term, we will have been in public service over 32 years. Between the two of us, we have been on the ballot for primary and general elections 16 times and we have served in eight offices. It is time to close this chapter of our lives.

The "we" is Johanns and his wife.  

Before his election to the Senate, Senator Johanns served two terms as Nebraska's governor and then became President George W. Bush's Secretary of Agriculture.  

I think this will make it a very interesting primary season in the next election cycle.  I would be surprised if now Attorney General Jon Bruning does not get into the race early.  Many thought it was "his turn" last election cycle when now Senator Deb Fischer beat him in the primary.  Nebraska State Treasurer Don Stenberg is expected to run again in 2014 and Congressman Jeff Fortenberry's name is being mentioned as well.

It is still very early, of course.  The ink on Sen. Johanns' letter is hardly dry.

McCain Explodes on Meet The Press

Republicans have blown the attack on the consulate in Benghazi completely out of proportion since it happened.  I have no doubt that they expected it to have an impact on the election.  Since Obama won reelection easily despite this nonsense, I expected the rhetoric on Benghazi to die down.  It has not.

Today on Meet the Press David Gregory asked John McCain about the so-called cover-up.

MCCAIN: We have had a massive coverup on the part of the administration.

GREGORY: I’m asking you, a coverup of what?

MCCAIN: I’m asking YOU, do you care whether four Americans died? The reasons for that? And shouldn’t people be held accountable for the fact that four americans died — including a very dear man?

GREGORY: You said there is a coverup. A coverup of what?

MCCAIN: Of the information concerning the deaths of four brave Americans.

They desperately want there to be a cover-up or some sort of scandal in this administration.  They need it so they can say, "see, we were right about him!"  But they're not right, there is no conspiracy or cover-up here.

When will this nonsense end so actual governing can happen?

Lindsey Graham's Unserious Proposal

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has come up with a great idea to save money and avoid the sequestration: cut the Affordable Care Act.

The Affordable Care Act, a.k.a. Obamacare, has helped millions of young people by allowing them to have coverage they would not otherwise have had.  This law also helps poorer Americans.  It helps the single mom that has to work three part-time jobs to make ends meet, none of which would provide her health insurance coverage.  Likewise, the sequester would also disproportionately impact the poorer end of the population.  So essentially, Sen. Graham wants the President to choose between hurting the poor by eliminating Obamacare or hurting the poor by forcing Republicans to force the sequester.

This is a ridiculous choice Sen. Graham is proposing.

The White House has released a Fact Sheet on how the sequester will affect people and the economy should Congress allow March 1st to pass without addressing the issue.  With people like Sen. Lindsey Graham and Speaker John Boehner on the case, I would not be surprised if the sequester happens.

Here are some of the impacts the sequester would have: via WhiteHouse.gov

• Cuts to education: Our ability to teach our kids the skills they’ll need for the jobs of the future would be put at risk. 70,000 young children would be kicked off Head Start, 10,000 teacher jobs would be put at risk, and funding for up to 7,200 special education teachers, aides, and staff could be cut.

• Cuts to mental health: If a sequester takes effect, up to 373,000 seriously mentally ill adults and seriously emotionally disturbed children could go untreated. This would likely lead to increased hospitalizations, involvement in the criminal justice system, and homelessness for these individuals.

• Cuts to food safety: Outbreaks of foodborne illness are a serious threat to families and public health. If a sequester takes effect, up to 2,100 fewer food inspections could occur, putting families at risk and costing billions in lost food production.

• FBI and other law enforcement – The FBI and other law enforcement entities would see a reduction in capacity equivalent to more than 1,000 Federal agents. This loss of agents would significantly impact our ability to combat violent crime, pursue financial crimes, secure our borders, and protect national security.

• Emergency responders – FEMA would need to reduce funding for State and local grants that support firefighter positions and State and local emergency management personnel, hampering our ability to respond to natural disasters like Hurricane Sandy and other emergencies.

• Homelessness programs – More than 100,000 formerly homeless people, including veterans, would be removed from their current housing and emergency shelter programs, putting them at risk of returning to the streets.

• AIDS and HIV treatment and prevention – Cuts to the AIDS Drug Assistance Program could result in 7,400 fewer patients having access to life saving HIV medications. And approximately 424,000 fewer HIV tests could be conducted by Centers for Disease Control (CDC) State grantees, which could result in increased future HIV transmissions, deaths from HIV, and costs in health care.

All of these programs contribute to a stronger society. It doesn't make sense to cut these before cutting the inflated Defense budget.

Why Are Republicans Against Education?

In the State of the Union, President Obama proposed a plan to send every four-year-old to preschool.  Now Republicans are attacking him for it.  More making fun of him than attacking.  I don't understand what they have against education.

Charles Krauthammer on Fox News this week had this to say:

From losers, the four-year-olds of America. Here they are jumping around, laughing, screaming, having a great time and Obama wants them all to go to school. Every single one, right away. And why? To prepare them for the high-tech economy of the future. Can’t wait until the age of five – no siree.

We can’t let the Chinese four-year-olds be working on solar panels and cars that run on algae while our four-year-olds are lollying around doing nothing. We’re number one, we got to stay that way. The four-year-olds of America better shape up!

Have a good day kids.

But we're not number one, nor even close to it.  

The three-yearly OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) report, which compares the knowledge and skills of 15-year-olds in 70 countries around the world, ranked the United States 14th out of 34 OECD countries for reading skills, 17th for science and a below-average 25th for mathematics.

"This is an absolute wake-up call for America," U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan told The Associated Press.  

Education is so important and the Republicans laugh it off.  It's no wonder our education rankings with the rest o the world continue to fall.  They just don't care.  This same type of proposal for universal preschool was proposed in 1971 by Senator Mondale.  He wanted everyone to have the ability to send their child to preschool. His bill passed the Senate only to be vetoed by President Nixon. He called it “communal approaches to child rearing.”

Better education in this country should be a priority for both parties.  It is the one issue that directly impacts all the rest.  It is the best chance a person has to move up in the world.  There are countless examples of people growing up in poverty and breaking out.  These stories almost always involve their educational achievements.  

Are they afraid they would lose voters if people were better educated?  If not that, why are they against education?

Friday Shakedown

History was made yesterday when Senate Republicans filibustered Chuck Hagel's nomination for Secretary of Defense.  A President's nomination of a cabinet secretary has never been filibustered before.  Sometimes they will not win the confirmation vote but this isn't even being brought to a vote.  The filibuster is out of control and Harry Reid lost his chance to fix it.

Wayne LaPierre continued making a fool of himself to rational people while stroking his base yesterday.

After the Senate passed the Violence Against Women Act, Speaker Boehner "might" consider bringing it to a vote in the House.  How considerate of him.

Arkansas - The Latest Battlefield in the War on Women

It is about to be very bad to be a woman that needs to get an abortion in Arkansas.

After Republicans won big gains in the Arkansas legislature in the 2012 elections, they’ve wasted no time pushing their anti-abortion agenda in the state. Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe (D) has already signed one new abortion restriction into law already, and he hasn’t specifically confirmed whether or not he’ll sign the other proposed anti-choice legislation in the works — including a radical “fetal heartbeat” bill that would ban abortions as early as 12 weeks of pregnancy.

But as RH Reality Check points out, the heartbeat bill could pass regardless of whether Beebe decides to support it. Under Arkansas law, a simple majority in the legislature can override the governor’s veto — so even if Beebe correctly concludes that the legislation is unconstitutional, the state senators who support the bill could vote again to override him. And, assuming that all of the legislators who have already voted in favor of the bill don’t change their minds, there are enough of them to assure its passage into law.

The Republicans cannot get their extremist agenda passed at any capacity at the National level but Republicans control the state governments of many states.  That is how they will force the country farther right, by chipping away slowly at the rights of women and minorities and the simple right to vote in the states.  Liberals and moderates need to stay vigilant.

Elections, no matter how small they may seem, have consequences.

Simple Thinking Conservatives

There is a lot going on that I could talk about.  

Semi-rocker and all chicken hawk, Ted Nugent, a man that has threatened the president multiple times was invited by a member of Congress to attend the State of the Union yesterday…nah, maybe later.

Wayne LaPierre is spouting some of the most paranoid nonsense we have heard so far in the current gun control debate, but that can wait for another day.

The NRA helped distribute a small newspaper that stokes the reactionary far right.  It feeds on their fear of government and strokes their infatuation with American myth.  Maybe another time.

The special education teacher that has been vocally supporting Indiana high school students in their quest to bar their homosexual classmates from attending prom has been called out over her claim that gay people have no purpose in life.  I’m just not feeling it right now.

But what do these all have in common? 

They all really demonstrate how separated from reality these conservatives are.  Whether they should be called spokesmen for the political right or not, I don't know, but they sure act like it.  There was a study that was released last year that stated that conservative thinking was "low effort" thinking.  They did not mean that as an insult, though unsurprisingly conservatives were upset.  I really don't blame them.

This just means that conservatives have a hard time seeing the "big picture" and thinking through what the end results of policies might be.  Some advocate deporting every undocumented immigrant in the country but they don't think it through.  These immigrants contribute to the economy and we would definitely feel it if they were all gone.

It is simple to fear those different than you, whether it is LGBT folks or other minorities.  Hate is simple.  Understanding that these people are just like you, with maybe a slight difference is not as simple.  They have similar goals and similar feelings.  Empathy, catch it.

Sometimes hearing all this ignorance and simple thinking makes me sad.  I'm sad because I don't know what the answer is.  Is it more education?  Is it simply exposing hateful people to what they hate in the hopes that they see similarities?  Do we simply ignore them?  I truly don't know.

These people vote, and elections have consequences  

VAWA Passes in Senate 78-22

The Violence Against Women Act has passed in the Senate despite Republican efforts to dismantle different portions of the bill.  Sen. Grassley (R-IA) and Sen. Cornyn (R-TX) sponsored amendments to remove protections for Native American, undocumented, and LGBT victims.  As if they were not worth protecting.  Are they not people too?  If their spouse hits them, do they not bruise?

Here are the smiling faces of those that voted against continuing programs to help women affected by domestic violence.

The Senators who voted agains the bill are:

John Barrasso (Wyo.), Roy Blunt (Mo.), John Boozman (Ark.), Tom Coburn (Okla.), John Cornyn (Texas), Ted Cruz (Texas), Mike Enzi (Wyo.), Lindsey Graham (S.C.), Chuck Grassley (Iowa), Orrin Hatch (Utah), James Inhofe (Okla.), Mike Johanns (Neb.), Ron Johnson (Wisc.), Mike Lee (Utah), Mitch McConnell (Ky.), Rand Paul (Ky.), Jim Risch (Idaho), Pat Roberts (Kansas), Marco Rubio (Fla.), Jeff Sessions (Ala.), John Thune (S.D.) and Tim Scott (S.C.).

I'm sad to see that one of my Senators voted against the bill.


Image via ThinkProgress

Most Despicable of the Day

These people in Indiana deserve the title of Most Despicable for their attempt at turning the Prom into a political, hateful day.

This is not a few students posting some random anti-gay slurs on their Facebook profiles.  This is a group of students advocating a special "traditional" prom which would exclude their LGBT classmates.    This group is being defended by special education teacher, Diana Medley.

"We want to make the public see that we love the homosexuals, but we don't think it's right nor should it be accepted," one local student is quoted as saying.

They love the homosexuals!  They just don't want them anywhere near them so they try to ban them from going to the prom like everyone else.

I suppose it is nice that they are not necessarily proposing banning LGBT students from their real prom, just their extra prom.  Medley should be ashamed of herself.  She teaches students from a group that is often discriminated against an apparently thinks this is an acceptable thing to do.

There is a Facebook group in support of the LGBT students at Sullivan High School.  When I looked, it had over 10,000 likes.  I think it could be much higher.  Go like it.  "Support the Sullivan High School Prom for All Students"

It will get better.

Shameful

Just over a week ago, Idaho State Senator Sheryl Nuxoll (R) voiced her opposition to Obamacare. The problem wasn't that she opposed Obamacare, a lot of Republicans do. The problem was how she did it, specifically the metaphor she decided to use. She said that Idaho should refuse to set up a state run exchange under Obamacare. She claimed that Obama would wipe out the private insurance companies that are currently being used and begin a socialistic health care system. Here is what she said about those private insurance companies currently being used:

"The insurance companies are creating their own tombs. Much like the Jews boarding the trains to concentration camps, private insurers are used by the feds to put the system in place because the federal government has no way to set up the exchange." - State Sen. Sheryl Nuxoll (ID-R)

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) gave a speech this week attacking ideas to regulate the for-profit college system.  This is a system that generally puts students far into debt without much of a competitive education.  Her opposition to regulation was not much of a surprise given that her campaigns are heavily financed by that industry.  Here are her own words on the matter:

“‘They came for the for-profits, and I didn’t speak up…’” Foxx said. “Nobody really spoke up like they should have.”

She is paraphrasing German theologian Martin Niemöller on Germans who ignored Nazi persecution. (“First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out because I was not a communist.”)

Can we come together, please, and stop comparing things that aren't horrendous genocide to the Holocaust?  Seriously.  A system that helps millions get health insurance that otherwise wouldn't have it should not be compared to Nazi anything.  Plans to regulate an industry that desperately needs regulation is not killing anyone, certainly not 12 million.  

Ridiculous comparisons like this are an insult to anyone that died in the Holocaust and any of their descendants.  It is also an insult to the soldiers that liberated the camps and actually saw how horrific it was.  Shame on Sen. Nuxoll and Rep. Foxx.

It's sad that Godwin's Law is so prevalent.

Boy Scouts Delay Their Ruling on Gays

In an epic demonstration of timidity, the Boy Scouts of America have delayed their ruling on allowing gays into the organization until May.

How can the Boy Scouts join the world and stop this discrimination?  Well first, like with many causes, you have to follow the money.  Some of the largest donors are religious organizations like the Mormon church.  And we know how the Mormons stand on this issue from relatively recent events.  The Catholic Church and the Southern Baptists are also heavy contributors.  Neither of these groups have been sympathetic to this civil rights issue.

Over the years, the BSA has rubbed shoulders with hateful, bigoted people and now they are in a sticky situation because of it.  These people give them lots of money and while the country is moving on from the days when being gay was vilified, the BSA has painted themselves into a corner.  They are afraid of losing their base.

There is a large religious force in the Boy Scouts, and there doesn't need to be.  Morality doesn't come from a religion and can be taught without it.  Excluding people from a great organization that has helped countless men over the years is immoral.

I would have a lot of respect for the organization if they would thumb their nose at the bigots that they have found themselves surrounded with and join the rest of the country in welcoming LGBT folks.  If the radical religious crowd doesn't like it, they can form a new organization.  The BSA will shrink with time if they continue this archaic policy.  It is in their best interest, for the longevity of the organization, if they change their policy.

It will get better.

Moronic Quote of the Day

Apparently coming from the Todd Akin school of sexual education, Kevin Swanson said this on his radio show recently:

"I’m beginning to get some evidence from certain doctors and certain scientists that have done research on women’s wombs after they’ve gone through the surgery, and they’ve compared the wombs of women who were on the birth control pill to those who were not on the birth control pill," Swanson explains.

"And they have found that with women who are on the birth control pill, there are these little tiny fetuses, these little babies, that are embedded into the womb. They’re just like dead babies. They’re on the inside of the womb. And these wombs of women who have been on the birth control pill effectively have become graveyards for lots and lots of little babies."

Really?

And people listen to this show.  Just let that sink in. 

LaPierre Continues to Embarrass Himself

Apparently, Wayne LaPierre is surprised that Fox News has called him out over his ad that mentions the Obama girls.

In other news, the standoff in Alabama with a 5 year old being held hostage since last Tuesday is over. The kid is safe and the kidnapper is dead.

Wayne LaPierre Plays Paranoia

NRA frontman, Wayne LaPierre, was on Fox News on Sunday stoking the paranoia of their base. This is what he said:

“I think what they’ll do is turn this universal check on the law-abiding into a universal registry of law-abiding people. And law-abiding people don’t want that. My God, that’s the last thing they want,”

He also argued that background checks are ineffective because criminals will not submit to them. As Anderson Cooper asked on his show last week, how do we know who is law-abiding or not without the background checks? There are many reasons why background checks are not as effective as they should be and that will be part of the conversation. The NRA is largely part of watering down the laws and making them ineffective.

He also said that background checks were "possibly part of a government plot against gun owners." Really? Stroke that paranoia. There is a man in Alabama in a bunker with a kidnapped child today. This is the constituency that he is speaking to with that comment. This is completely irresponsible and part of the problem. Wayne LaPierre and the NRA do not care about being part of the conversation, they are a large part of the problem. I was pretty upset when they complained that they were not going to be invited to the White House to be a part of the conversation with Joe Biden. Of course they were invited, but they can't possibly have brought anything to the table that was constructive. They are not interested in keeping people out of the morgue. They are only interested in expanding the gun culture in this country and feeding the paranoia of the extreme right-wing.

Gun Culture Run Amok

Rodrigo Diaz, 22, his girlfriend, and some friends were looking forward to an evening of ice skating and fun.  What they got was tragedy and heartache.

Diaz was driving the group to pick up another friend before going on to the ice skating rink.  They were using a GPS device that took them to the wrong house.  Whether they typed in the address of their friend wrong, or the device malfunctioned is irrelevant.  What they found when the pulled into the driveway is inexcusable.

69 year old Vietnam vet, Philip Sailors, came out of the house and saw the group of young, Hispanic, people in a car in his driveway and immediately felt he was under attack.  He rushed inside, presumably as fast as a 69 year old man can rush, and grabbed his gun.  He came back outside and fired the .22 caliber pistol in the air.

By this time it was very apparent to Diaz and his friends that this was not their friend's house.  Seeing an old man coming out waving a gun must have been terrifying.  They went out for a night of fun, but at this point they were just hoping to get out of that situation alive.

Diaz quickly threw the car in reverse and hit the accelerator.  Sailors lowered his gun and fired into the car, hitting Diaz in the head.

Where does the line between defending your property and common sense lie?  These people were not hurting Sailors, they were looking for their friend.  Once they realized their mistake they were leaving.  One report says Diaz rolled down the window to apologize to the man advancing toward them with his gun raised.  He tried to explain their mistake.  Sailors wasn't interested in his explanation.

Sailors has been arrested, of course, and maintains he is innocent due to self defense.  I would like to know how one can claim self defense when you shoot at a car driving away from you.

A lawyer for Sailors had this to say in defense of his client:

"He fired a warning shot and then when the car was accelerated to go in reverse he perceived it differently. He’s an elderly man, he perceived the car going towards his house, towards him."

If he cannot perceive if a car is coming towards him or moving away, he probably should not be pointing a gun at anyone, or maybe own it at all.  We would not let someone like that drive a car.  How is this different?

This speaks to the gun culture in this country.  There is a problem when people, Sailors undoubtably among them, believe they need to resort to tactics from the Old West in order to survive in the 21st century.  This culture that surrounds guns must be part of the conversation.  Bob Costas on the Daily Show this past week discussed the gun culture in America with Jon Stewart.  It is real, and people are less safe because of it.  More guns does not equal more safety, contrary to the NRA's position.

This will be an interesting story to follow.  

Wyoming, Mississippi, And Now Alabama!

Seriously, this is getting ridiculous.  Alabama is now seeking their own unconstitutional bill to nullify federal gun laws.

Just like Mississippi, Alabama should know better.  750,000 people died in the Civil War that began because of nullification laws!  Stop it!

Of course, I don't think that several states passing unconstitutional laws is going to result in a new civil war.  There are a lot of reasons for why a civil war like we saw in this country in the 1860's will not happen again.  At least the same way that it did then.

The supremacy clause of the Constitution dictates that the states have to follow federal laws.  These states that are trying to pass nullification bills so they don't have to follow laws they don't like is rather ironic.  They are trying so hard to protect their constitutional right to bear arms* that they think it is acceptable to ignore other parts of the Constitution.  They can't have it both ways.

*This premise is open to debate whether that is what was even intended, but for sake of argument...