Republican hopefuls are flocking to another faith and freedom conference. They are claiming to redefine the Republican party to achieve a majority in future elections. The problem, as always is that the Republican party at present represents neither faith nor freedom. Furthermore, it’s getting worse.
Paul Ryan on Friday morning, addressing the conservative Faith & Freedom™ "Road to the Majority" conference…
…Yes, that’s right, Paul Ryan and the hard-right social conservatives he was talking with represent the mainstream of American politics. Sure, there’s that little detail about how we just had a big national election and Paul Ryan’s side lost by a pretty healthy margin, but that doesn’t count. As Paul has explained to us before, the only reason he and Mitt Romney lost the election was because "urban" voters turned out en masse for President Obama. And everybody knows they aren’t real Americans… [emphasis added]
Lyin’ Ryan may keep repeating the lie that we urban Americans, the ones who pay the bills, so that Red States can keep taking more federal money than they contribute in taxes, are not real, but we’rw real enough for him to want to raise OUR taxes to provide more welfare for the 1%.
As for Republican extremism, Rachel Maddow had some important update’s.
As Rachel said, this really is what the Republican party is like right now. It’s worse than it has ever been. To correct Rachel on one point, there is one potential Republican hopeful that is not making a holy pilgrimage to kiss the bank account of Supply-side Jesus (not the real one). That is Chris Christie. If anything, that he has the presence of mind to avoid this is a little frightening, because although he avoids the social extremes we are seeing from Republican Pharisees and Sadducees, he is still a 1% Republican.
This is today’s only article, because I’m going for my quarterly surgery to remove a recurring growth on my foot. No worries. It’s routine. Happy Flag day to all. The best way to celebrate the day is to unwrap a Republican at every opportunity. I am, once again, writing early.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:13 (average 4:30). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From MSNBC: How Republicans get war on women legislation passed.
Unwilling to cede the status of most fascist Reich in America to Teafuhrer McCrory and McCrorystan, the minions of Fartfuhrer Walker and Fitzwalkerstan are charging hard.
From NY Times: Deaths exceeded births among non-Hispanic white Americans for the first time in at least a century, according to new census data, a benchmark that heralds profound demographic change.
The disparity was tiny — only about 12,000 — and was more than made up by a gain of 188,000 as a result of immigration from abroad. But the decrease for the year ending July 1, 2012, coupled with the fact that a majority of births in the United States are now to Hispanic, black and Asian mothers, is further evidence that white Americans will become a minority nationwide within about three decades.
No doubt the halls of Republican Party HQ are now filled with great wailing and gnashing of teeth.
From Right Wing Watch: TPM’s Perry Stein today reports that the Virginia GOP, fresh after nominating the ultraconservative ticket of Ken Cuccinelli and E.W. Jackson, has now appointed Rev. Joe Ellison as the party’s Director of African-American Engagement.
Republican Party of Virginia chairman Pat Mullins hailed [Republican Party delinked] Ellison for his “knowledge and experience,” and Ellison said that he will help build “the future of our party” by showing black voters that they “share far more values with the Republican Party than they realize.”
As Stein notes, Ellison in 2010 announced that he is “declaring war against Planned Parenthood” and applauded televangelist Pat Robertson’s claim that Haiti was devastated by a deadly earthquake as divine retribution for making a “pact with the Devil” 200 years ago.
Voodoo already yet?!!? The Republican Party has goose-stepped into a state of pseudo-Christian InsaniTEA! He’s supporting the same Pat Robertson who prophesied that God would punish Orlando, Florida with a hurricane to punish them, because Disney World had adopted a policy of non-discrimination against LGBT employees. The next hurricane to make landfall damaged Robertson’s own Virginia Beach HQ. God just may have a fantastic sense of humor.
Cartoon:
The Republican claim that this stems from our founding fathers is a lie.
ARGH! The best laid plans of mice and men. Before leaving to my doctor’s appointment, I swapped in my last unused O2 bottle to meet my needs during the trip. It was empty, and with no oxygen I cannot go. I called and left a message. I just hope I don’t have to pay for a missed appointment. ARGH! That is why I have this for you today, albeit late.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 4:33 (average 4:33). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From NY Times: Since the American-led invasion of 2003, Iraq has become one of the world’s top oil producers, and China is now its biggest customer.
China already buys nearly half the oil that Iraq produces, nearly 1.5 million barrels a day, and is angling for an even bigger share, bidding for a stake now owned by Exxon Mobil in one of Iraq’s largest oil fields.
“The Chinese are the biggest beneficiary of this post-Saddam oil boom in Iraq,” said Denise Natali, a Middle East expert at the National Defense University in Washington. “They need energy, and they want to get into the market.”
Instead of the issue of 4 US deaths in Benghazi, shouldn’t we be still be asking about 4,000+ US deaths in Iraq. It is ultimate failure that $1 Trillion+ and all those irreplaceable lives spent on Bush’s Republican War for Oil and Conquest has brought Oil for China and a new client state for Iraq.
In football terms, "piling on" means jumping on a player when he’s down. In the economic new normal described by Bernie Sanders, it means taking most of the wealth and all of the income, moving profits and jobs overseas, and making impoverished people pay the bills.
1. Taking ALL the Income
Charles Koch said, "I want my fair share — and that’s all of it." He’s been getting his wish lately. In the first two years of the recovery, the richest 1% seemingly impossibly captured 121% of the income gains, while incomes for 99% of Americans declined, with the median household income dropping by 7.3 percent.
More and more people are working in respectable but low-wage positions in food service and retail. Low-income jobs ($7.69 to $13.83 per hour) made up one-fifth of the jobs lost to the recession, but accounted for three-fifths of the jobs regained during the recovery.
I urge you to click through to see three more ways in which the 1%, aided by their Republican lackeys, are screwing the rest of us.
From Crooks & Liars: Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) on Sunday said that Washington should stay out of the business of ensuring equal pay because "what women want" is just to be "recognized."
During a panel discussion on NBC about a recent Pew report that found women had become primary source of income in 40 percent of U.S. households, Blackburn said that it was "up to companies to make sure there is a level playing field and that women are not shortchanged as they try to get on that latter to success."
It’s up to companies to ensure equal pay for equal work, just like it’s up to foxes to ensure safety for the residents of hen houses. She says that recognition is more important for women that equal pay. TEAbuggery!! Companies recognize the value of workers through pay and benefits, because the only language spoken in corporate America is $$$.
Cartoon:
Republicans are already trying to ban what they consider degenerate art. Notice any similarities with how Republicans portray Obama?
Yesterday afternoon and last night, one of my neighbors repeatedly overloaded the electrical system, tripping the circuit breaker. This kept me from sleeping, because every time the power goes out, it sets off an alarm in my O2 converter, so this Open Thread is all I have for today.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 4:23 (average 5;10). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Boston Globe: Independent Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee (CHAY’-fee) is joining the Democratic Party ahead of his bid for a second term.
The former Republican U.S. senator left the GOP in 2007 and was elected as the nation’s only independent governor in 2010.
Two Democratic sources say Chafee plans to change his party registration to join the party.
Chafee has been saying for months that he was thinking about the switch, noting that he shares many positions with Democrats and that joining the party will help with fundraising.
He is a supporter of President Barack Obama and spoke at last year’s Democratic National Convention…
That is the only reasonable course for any Republican, who has not given up on common decency and rational thought.
From Think Progress: Thousands of people signed up to attend an armed march on Washington over the course of the last month. But now, the leader of the march is setting his sights much higher than a single demonstration — he wants his armed followers to help overthrow the American government.
It goes without saying that Kokesh is a Republican. He founded Veterans for Ron Paul. He also ran for the Republican nomination for Congress in New Mexico’s 3rd congressional district. He received endorsements from Ron Paul and the Republican Liberty Caucus. He should be charged with sedition.
From Raw Story: Fox Business personalities had a collective freak out on Wednesday night after learning that mothers were now the primary source of income in 40 percent of U.S. households.
Fox Business host Lou Dobbs asserted women earning more than their husbands was an indication of the dissolution of American society. Fox News political analyst Juan Williams agreed, describing it as a sign of the disintegration of marriage that would have negative consequences for generations to come.
Fox News contributor Erick Erickson went one step further, saying nature itself commanded that women be subservient to men.
“I’m so used to liberals telling conservatives that they’re anti-science,” Erickson explained. “But liberals who defend this and say it is not a bad thing are very anti-science. When you look at biology, when you look at the natural world, the roles of a male and a female in society and in other animals, the male typically is the dominant role. The female, it’s not antithesis, or it’s not competing, it’s a complimentary role.”
I’m not surprised to see that the Republican Ministry of Propaganda, Faux Noise, is carrying out the Republican Party’s plan to make themselves more appealing to women. LOL!
Cartoon:
This prompted the immediate invention of the match by 19th century feminists.
Yesterday, I intended to nap during the day, but I could not. They were doing maintenance on the building all afternoon and evening, causing the power to go out over and over again. Each time it does, it sets off an alarm on my O2 system that wakes me up, so I could not sleep until late last night. I’m feeling fatigued, so I have only this message.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 4:49 (average 5:20). To do it, click here. How did you do? How did you do?
Short Takes:
From NY Times: The board of Yahoo, the faded Web pioneer, agreed on Sunday to buy the popular blogging service Tumblr for about $1.1 billion in cash, the companies announced Monday, a signal of how the company plans to reposition itself as the technology industry makes a headlong rush into social media.
When StumbleUpon changed format and drove away most of their members, many of them fled to Tumblr. As with other network acquisitions, I trust that this shall be a bad development for Tumblr members. Thank God for Care2.
And yet, the Virginia Republican Party wants to make Obenshain into the state’s top prosecutor. This weekend, Virginia Republicans selected Obenshain as their nominee to replace tea party stalwart Ken Cuccinelli (R) as the state’s attorney general.
But if voters don’t like him, the Republican party offers another choice.
Here are some of the most alarming facts you need to know about E.W. Jackson:
He has said gays and lesbians are “very sick people, psychologically and emotionally” whose minds are perverted. He has also said homosexuality “poisons culture, it destroys families, it destroys societies”
He led an “Exodus Now!” movement encouraging African Americans to leave the Democratic party because opposition to same-sex marriage and government endorsement of religion means “Democrats are engaged in a concerted effort [bigots delinked] to do away with all symbols of our Judeo-Christian culture.”
Residents of Virginia had better elect Democrats for their own protection.
From Huffington Post: Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) confirmed on Sunday that he is proposing an amendment to the upcoming farm bill that would eliminate the "Monsanto Protection Act."
Officially known as the Farmer Assurance Provision, the controversial agricultural provision was surreptitiously tucked into budget legislation — passed by Congress in March and signed into law by President Barack Obama — that was intended to avoid a government shutdown. The provision, which the public at large caught wind of only after the bill’s passage, allows agricultural companies such as Monsanto to ignore court orders against selling genetically-engineered seeds.
Federal courts have recently ruled that the U.S. Department of Agriculture had failed to consider the potential harm some genetically engineered crops may have, and acted too hastily in approving their sale. The industry fought back with the [Monsanto Protection Act], preventing the enforcement of court rulings.
I don’t want to hear Obama blamed for not vetoing the bill. This was, after all, a minor provision in the bill to end the Republicans’ seditious attempt to shut down the entire government. Sign Jeff’s petition, please. Once again, Oregon leads the way!
Cartoon:
Those two images were so boring that I chose a more recent graphic.
Here’s the plan. Today I’ll make the rounds of sites where I share our articles and clean out message boxes, and then, will try to hit the ground running tomorrow. I’m current with replies to comments on yesterday’s Open Thread, as I don’t want to overtire myself by going way back. Keep your fingers crossed.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’;s took me 3:05 (average 4:30). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From The New Yorker: The National Rifle Association leader Wayne LaPierre today defended his decision to purchase the former congressman Asa Hutchinson, after an outspoken N.R.A. member complained that the organization should be using its funds to buy current congressmen only.
Shortly after Mr. Hutchinson appeared at a press conference in Washington to present the N.R.A.’s plan to arm teachers and other school personnel, N.R.A. dissident Tracy Klugian blasted the purchase of the former Arkansas representative.
“Members of the N.R.A. fork over millions of dollars to this organization,” he said. “That money should be used to buy people who are actually in Congress now, not some has-been like Hutchinson who doesn’t even have a vote anymore.”…
Isn't it quite Republican that the fiction against them is not as bad as the truth? These Republican massacre mongers just make up their own facts… as usual.
From Huffington Post: North Carolina state Rep. Carl Ford backs a religion bill that would allow the state to declare an official state faith.
Is it any wonder that Republican Supply-side pseudo-Christians do not believe that elections have consequences, when they refuse to acknowledge that the Constitution and the Civil War have consequences?
From MSNBC: Rachel shared the latest fronts in the ongoing Republican War on Women.
I seem to be back on the mend and expect to be back to full time by the weekend.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:57 (average 4:42). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From NY Times: With two same-sex marriage cases before the Supreme Court, numerous commentators have latched on to remarks by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg critical of the court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide. It is not the judgment that was wrong, but “it moved too far, too fast,” she said at Columbia Law School last year, a view she has expressed in various speeches and law review articles. As one of the court’s moderate liberals and a champion of women’s rights, she is now being routinely cited to argue for a timid resolution on the issue of same-sex marriage that would strike down California’s ban on such marriages, but would leave prohibitions standing in about 40 other states.
How Justice Ginsburg will vote on same-sex marriage is unknown. But her comments misread the legal and political landscape at the time of the Roe decision and have been used to bolster the inaccurate notion that the court’s ruling on abortion rights somehow short-circuited a political process that was moving in the states to end criminalization of abortion. Some now argue that a toxic multidecade backlash against abortion rights could have been avoided if the court had given states more time to act — supposedly a cautionary lesson for marriage equality.
The real story, as explained by Linda Greenhouse, a former New York Times reporter who now teaches at Yale Law School, and Reva Siegel, a professor there, is that political conflict over abortion was escalating before the Roe decision, and that state progress on decriminalization had reached a standstill in the face of opposition from the Roman Catholic Church…
I seldom disagree with Justice Ginsburg, but in this case I do. In Roe v Wade, SCOTUS made a correct and timely decision, because church intrusion into state affairs was keeping from women a basic human and Constitutional right. In like manner, the Court should not condone religious intrusion into state affairs that is keeping from LGBT couples a basic human and Constitutional right. Moving "too far, too fast" in the right direction is NEVER the issue.
From Alternet: A Texas sheriff threw two Latino men into jail for 39 days "with no charges, no hearing, and no probable cause" and seized the $14,000 they had saved up to buy a new car, the men claim in Federal Court.
Roberto Moreno-Gutierrez and Jaime Moreno-Gutierrez sued Hill County, the Hill County Sheriff’s Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety, in Federal Court. Hill County, whose seat is Hillsboro, is between Waco and Dallas…
To understand the absurdity and bigotry of this injustice, you’ll need to click through for the rest of the article. Of course, the responsible official, Hill County Sheriff Michael Cox, is a Republican.
From Crooks and Liars: The city of Stockton, California officially went bankrupt yesterday. Instead of concern for what that might mean for its residents in terms of services and their quality of life, Fox predictably focused on one thing: public pensions. And, instead of doing any kind of real analysis of the pension issues, or delving into the pushy behavior of the Wall Street creditors, Stuart Varney suggested the whole problem is due to slacker public employees living high on the hog for decades after just a brief stint of work. He looked forward to pensioners taking the hit and expressed hope that the same would happen in other California cities, too…
…And how many of those pensioners have worked for decades educating and protecting the public based on the promise of a comfortable retirement? While retiring at 50 may seem young to the 60ish Varney, I’d like to see him start hauling firefighter equipment and running into burning buildings before he sneers about retirement ages again…
I stopped volunteering as a firefighter by 50, because I was becoming a drag on the youngsters, and unlike the pros, I didn’t even have to do it every day. Like the party that the Republican Reichsministry of Propaganda serves, Varny concerns himself only with taking away what working people have earned.
Paul Ryan on Friday morning, addressing the conservative Faith & Freedom™ "Road to the Majority" conference…
