On Christmases past I have often pointed out the differences between authentic Christianity and Republican Supply-side pseudo-Christianity. This year Republicans have made such differences so obvious, that no further help from me is needed. Therefore, my offering for the day is this graphic and a collection of Christmas Carols from one of my favorite groups, Celtic Woman. At the end, I have also included one more personal favorite that they do not do.
O Holy Night
Carol of the Bells
The First Noel
O Come All Ye Faithful
Little Drummer Boy
Do You Hear What I Hear by the Cast of Glee
Have a very Merry Christmas, or whatever wonderful holiday you prefer.
Yesterday I spent most of the day mournfully engaged in meditation on he Ellipsoid Orb, but I did do some advance prep for dinner today. I’m current on replies. Today I will be cooking most of the day.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today it took me 4:04 (average 5:07). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Religious Agony:
Short Takes:
From NY Times: Newt Gingrich declared confidently the other day that he would get his name on the ballot for the Virginia presidential primary. In fact, he said he already had the requisite 10,000 signatures and an additional 2,000 to 3,000 for safety’s sake and would probably collect even more.
But that turned out not to be the case. In the wee hours of Saturday morning, the Virginia Republican Party announced via Twitter that Mr. Gingrich had failed to submit enough signatures by the Thursday deadline.
Duh!
From NY Times: A formal state review of Detroit’s books — a step that could lead to the appointment of an outside emergency manager to take over the city’s finances — was announced this week. City leaders are conducting urgent meetings with labor union leaders and financial consultants in a race to cut costs and head off further intervention.
This would be tragic. Thank the fools who stayed home and threw away their votes in 2010.
From CNN: Donald Trump continued to tease a potential presidential run by changing his voter registration Thursday from Republican to "unaffiliated" and publicly denouncing the behavior of members of his former party.
While doing my daily research I ran across the best source of documentation of Ron Paul’s unsavory beliefs and positions I have seen, supporting each claim with a link to a PDF scanned from one of Paul’s infamous newsletters. Furthermore, it covers far more that just Paul’s racism. Combining this information with the videos shown below make it clear that either Ron Paul is lying, or Ron Paul is lying with his conflicting attempts to cover this up.
For years, Ron Paul published a series of newsletters that dispensed political news and investment advice, but also routinely indulged in bigotry. Here’s a selection of some especially inflammatory passages, with links to scanned images of the original documents in which they appeared.
Race
“A Special Issue on Racial Terrorism” analyzes the Los Angeles riots of 1992: “Order was only restored in L.A. when it came time for the blacks to pick up their welfare checks three days after rioting began. … What if the checks had never arrived? No doubt the blacks would have fully privatized the welfare state through continued looting. But they were paid off and the violence subsided.”
This December 1990 newsletter describes Martin Luther King Jr. as “a world-class adulterer” who “seduced underage girls and boys” and “replaced the evil of forced segregation with the evil of forced integration.”
A February 1991 newsletter attacks “The X-Rated Martin Luther King.”
An October 1990 edition of the Political Report ridicules black activists, led by Al Sharpton, for demonstrating at the Statue of Liberty in favor of renaming New York City after Martin Luther King. The newsletter suggests that “Welfaria,” “Zooville,” “Rapetown,” “Dirtburg,”and “Lazyopolis ” would be better alternatives—and says, “Next time, hold that demonstration at a food stamp bureau or a crack house.”
A May 1990 issue of the Ron Paul Political Report cites Jared Taylor, who six months later would go onto found the eugenicist and white supremacist periodical American Renaissance.
The January 1993 issue of the Survival Report worries about America’s “disappearing white majority.”
The July 1992 Ron Paul Political Report declares, “Jury verdicts, basketball games, and even music are enough to set off black rage, it seems,” and defends David Duke. The author of the newsletter—presumably Paul—writes, “My youngest son is starting his fourth year in medical school. He tells me there would be no way to persuade his fellow students of the case for economic liberty.”
A March 1993 Survival Report describes Bill Clinton’s supposedly “illegitimate children, black and white: ‘woods colts’ in backwoods slang.”…
TNR goes on to cover Paul’s newsletter references to gays, survivalism and militias, conspiracies, the Middle East, anti-government paranoia, Jews, Pat Buchanan, and the authorship of the newsletter, so I urge you to click through and read the rest of it. You will be shocked!
Ed Schultz has more and interviews Dr. James Peterson.
Here’s the final proof. Paul’s most recent defense is that he did not write the articles and did not even know they existed, until ten years later. Note that all the references above were written between 1990 and 1993. But Rachel documented that Paul was defending the content of these articles to a Dallas newspaper in 1995. Since 1995 was well within the ten year timeframe, Paul could not have defended the content at that time, if he didn’t know the articles existed, as he now claims. Ron Paul is lying. He is not fit to be dog catcher, let alone President of the United States.
Since the fools who stayed home in 2010 helped Republicans win state houses and state legislatures all over the country, Republicans have tried desperately to cement their gains by making it as difficult as possible for for people to vote if they are poor, old, working, disabled, and especially black. Yesterday the US Department of Justice (DOJ) rejected South Carolina’s racist voter ID law as a violation of the Voting Rights Act.
The Obama administration’s civil rights office is stepping up its fight with the Southern states over voting rights, announcing it will block a new South Carolina law that would require voters to show a government-issued photo identification before casting a ballot.
The Justice Department invoked the Voting Rights Act on Friday and said the new photo-identification rule could deny the right to vote for tens of thousands of blacks and other minorities.
"According to the state’s statistics, there are 81,938 minority citizens who are already registered to vote and who lack DMV-issued identification," Thomas E. Perez, the chief of the department’s civil rights division, said in a letter to South Carolina officials. He referred to a driver’s license issued by the state Department of Motor Vehicles, the most common form of photo identification.
Under current law, a South Carolina resident who is registered to vote can cast a ballot if he or she has a voter registration card and a signature on the polling list, Perez said.
South Carolina was one of many states to enact new laws earlier this year that tighten the rules for voting. Last week, Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. spoke out against these laws, describing them in the words of Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) as "a deliberate and systematic attempt" to prevent millions of elderly, low-income and minority Americans from voting… [emphasis added]
This has been too long in coming, as I was getting tired if saying that DOJ was investigating Republican laws designed to disenfranchise millions of Americans, with nothing to show for it. Hopefully this will be the first of many such decisions.
Ed Schultz interviewed Bernie Sanders on this and other subjects.
Yesterday I continued to improve, even though unpacking and putting away $200 worth of groceries tired me thoroughly. I’m current with replies. Today is a holy day in the Church of the Ellipsoid Orb, and I am blessed, because the Broncos service will be televised here.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today it took me 4:00 (average 4:34). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From The Daily Herald: Mitt Romney, a multimillionaire who is by far the wealthiest of the Republican presidential candidates, said he has no plans to release his income tax returns if he wins his party’s nomination.
Romney, whose most recent disclosure in August estimated his personal wealth as high as $250 million, said yesterday he had already released extensive financial information and had no “current plans” to make his tax returns public.
Is he afraid he might lose his Middle Class Mitt, the working man, persona? 🙄
From Time: Congress on Friday approved a two-month renewal of payroll tax cuts for 160 million workers and unemployment benefits for millions, handing President Barack Obama a convincing victory for his jobs agenda.
Back-to-back voice vote approvals of the measure by the Senate and House capped a retreat by House Republicans who had insisted that a full-year bill was the only way to prevent an immediate tax increase on Jan. 1.
My! Reporting a win for the good guys is a most unusual feeling. I think I like it.
From Think Progress: Santa Knows Who’s Been Naughty & Nice (to Big Oil on the House Natural Resources Committee)
I wonderful collection of lies from the best Republicans money has bought.
Republicans were so anxious to avoid extending the payroll tax cut for Main Street Americans, that they bent over backwards to block it. They insisted on making the poor, not the rich, pay for it. They loaded it down with poison pills. And even when Senate Republicans finally did compromise, the House Republican leadership refuse to allow a vote on it, because it would have passed. Boehner even turned off C-SPANs cameras, so America could not see Democratic objections. However, the public outcry was so great that the Republicans caved in yesterday. This is how it happened.
President Barack Obama on Thursday chided House Republicans he said are holding up an extension of expiring payroll tax cuts, saying the debate is "about the American people."
To make his point, Obama was flanked at the White House by people who said they would be stretched thin financially if Congress failed to extend the cuts before the end of the year. If no deal is reached, the White House says a person making $50,000 a year would see a loss of about $40 per paycheck.
"Now there may be some folks in the House who refuse to vote for this compromise because they don’t think 40 bucks is a lot of money," Obama said. "But anyone who knows how to stretch a budget knows that at the end of the week or the end of the month, $40 can make all the difference in the world."
In seeking to ratchet up pressure on Republicans for a deal, Obama reiterated his call for a two-month extension of the payroll tax cuts, a measure already agreed to by an overwhelming majority of Senators from both parties. He said the House GOP’s refusal to sign on to the bipartisan deal was exactly why the American people have grown so frustrated with Washington…
Anyone who has read my work for any length of time has seen me say that for Democrats to cave in to Republican economic terrorism guarantees more, but that if they stand firm the Republicans will cave in. I’ve said it over and over again, ever since Republicans took the House and began to practice blackmail, holding the American people hostage over their extreme demands. It has taken the Democrats far too long to prove me right, but I’m happy that at last they have.
If ones morality allows one to lie and cheat on a spouse that one has taken an oath to … honor… then one is likely to apply those same morals to issues that concern YOU.
From Liisa G. on December 10, 2011 at 12:04 pm.
You almost got me to vote "only those running on marital fidelity" but I didn’t. The public should get to rate each candidate by their own merits and platforms; if they are lying about that, people would figure that out. Besides, who gets to decide who runs and who doesn’t?
From EyePhotog on December 4, 2011 at 4:31 pm.
Moral hippocrats do not deserve respect, let alone public office.
From Patty on December 4, 2011 at 9:06 am.
Only those who don’t practice what they preach. If they run on family values and moral superiority, kick ’em out of the race!
From SoINeedAName on December 1, 2011 at 3:48 pm.
I voted "Other"
While I would factor it in as a consideration for any candidate, I doubt I’d outright "reject" that candidate solely on that alone.
However, when a candidate professes and promotes his/her "moral superiority" – then their hypocrisy clearly undermines them. It’s a blatant breach and betrayal of our trust – and THAT would cost them my vote.
From Lynn Squance on December 1, 2011 at 2:46 pm.
I voted ‘No’ because I would want to know more about the individual and their platform. I do not condone infidelity as there is more to a person. For example, Herman Cain definitely should not run for office with his record of infidelity and his ability to lie about it. However, someone with one indiscretion, where the family is fully aware, and his campaign is not based on absolute Christian family values ie like Cain’s, then I think there should be room for consideration. Human beings are fallible after all. "Ye who is without sin, cast the first stone."
From MalikTous on November 30, 2011 at 6:10 pm.
I’d only kick ‘morality’ pols off for breaking their own damn rules. I’d grade more on how well the others deal with it than whether or not they took a few side shots or visit the red light district.
I voted with majority. I certainly recognize that people are fallible. At some point, over 50% of women cheat on their husbands. With men, it’s far more frequent. Some of our most famous Presidents have been cheaters, such as George Washington, and JFK. Infidelity does not mean that a person will not do their job honestly, so in most cases, it should not be an issue. However, if a candidate is representing themselves or their party as morally superior, and saying that is a reason to elect them, infidelity does become a disqualifying issue, because a candidate falsely making such a claim moves the lie from private into public life.
You should enjoy our new poll. Vote soon, because it will only be up until Monday. What does Santa have on you, hmm? 😉
For the last several days I have been ill. The problem is that catching a cold or the flu, severely exacerbates my COPD, and for days or sometimes weeks afterwards, my coughing to clear my lungs is so severe that it makes sleep for more than an hour or two at a stretch impossible. After a couple days of that, I’m too tired and foggy to do the research needed to write the quality of articles you deserve. Wednesday night I finally slept well, so I’m back, at least for a day. I’m current on replies to yesterday’s comments. Today I have a month’s groceries being delivered. Unpacking and storing it will take several hours.
Jig Zone Puzzles:
The puzzle for the 14th took me 3:38 (average 5:02). To do it, click here. The puzzle for the 15th took me 3:37 (average 5:08). To do it, click here. The puzzle for the 16th took me 4:22 (average 5:04). To do it, click here. The puzzle for the 17th took me 4:43 (average 5:29). To do it, click here. The puzzle for the 18th took me 3:43 (average 5:35). To do it, click here. The puzzle for the 19th took me 3:45 (average 4:23). To do it, click here. The puzzle for the 20th took me 3:48 (average 4:28). To do it, click here. The puzzle for the 21st took me 4:25 (average 4:44). To do it, click here. Yesterday it took me 3:59 (average 4:27). To do it, click here. Today it took me 4:44 (average 4:55). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Religious Agony:
Fantasy Football Report:
Here are the results from our league, Lefty Blog Friends, from the first week of our playoffs.
I was knocked out in the first round, wrapping up my worst performance, since I started playing, over ten years ago.
Short Takes:
From Washington Post: Civilians were targeted in bombings across Baghdad that killed 57 people amid an escalation of political infighting in Iraq that has followed the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country.
I first said this would happen well over five years ago, when I argued for immediate withdrawal. The intervening years, loss of life, and tremendous cost failed to prevent this. This lesson needs to be applied to Afghanistan.
From GovTrack: Numbers confirm what we already pretty much know: Congress this year isn’t getting much done. The number of bills enacted this year is lower than it has ever been in at least 30 years. If you think Congress should be passing fewer laws, then you got your wish this year.
For this we have the Republican Party and the people who stayed home in 2010 to thank.
From Washington Post: The House Committee on Ethics said Thursday that it was extending its investigation into whether Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) was involved in reimbursing employees at several of his car dealerships for donations to his campaign.
The announcement by Chairman Jo Bonner (R-Ala.) and ranking member Linda T. Sanchez (D-Calif.) marks another political challenge for Buchanan, the senior Republican fundraiser in the House who also faces a Justice Department probe into the allegations.
Buchannan must be so guilty that he has become an embarrassment, or the Republicans on the committee would have shut down the investigation.
For years, Ron Paul published a series of newsletters that dispensed political news and investment advice, but also routinely indulged in bigotry. Here’s a selection of some especially inflammatory passages, with links to scanned images of the original documents in which they appeared.
The Obama administration’s civil rights office is stepping up its fight with the Southern states over voting rights, announcing it will block a new South Carolina law that would require voters to show a government-issued photo identification before casting a ballot.
President Barack Obama on Thursday chided House Republicans he said are holding up an extension of expiring payroll tax cuts, saying the debate is "about the American people."
