let me start off with a shout out to jan brewer and her veto of the arizona's non-anti-gay anti-gay bill (since it was all about respecting a person's religious beliefs and not about making discrimination legal). even though i, and everyone else, know that it was the threat of losing potential millions of dollars that swayed her and not that it was simply the right thing to do. when money talks, especially as it turns to walk away, even the deaf find they can hear very well. miraculous, ain't it. so, congratulations, jan! apparently you're not the total bitch every-one thinks you are!!
while we're in the neighborhood, aaron baer, communications director for the center for arizona policy, which just so happens to be the group that wrote the arizona bill, said in an interview defending the bill that it was not, and never was, about "being gay", because it could also be used to justify actions against anybody (meaning "straight people") who were vocal in their support of marriage equality. it could even apply to two straight men (or, i'm supposing straight women) who decided that they wanted to get married....although that particular example still makes me shake my head wondering why two straights would ever want to...well...you know...never mind. so there we have it. complete clarification...so sorry, i didn't mean to assume. this was never about GAY marriage, but only about SAME SEX marriage. i'm sorry....is the room spinning??
meanwhile, a louisiana republican state representative, thomas carmody, has introduced a measure to make the bible the official symbolic state text
sorry. did that cause a mild case of whiplash? i'll give a warning next time.
returning to arizona, michelle bachmann just had to put in her two cents (anybody got change?) by claiming the veto "set a bad example" and pretty much eviscerated" freedom of speech. when pressed on the topic of such legislation only furthering an atmosphere of intolerance toward the lgbt community, she said "no. quite the opposite.", but stopped short of further elaboration. she only goes on to rehash the claims that it's the people who hold specific religious beliefs who are the ones being victimized and discriminated against. and as far as stifling freedom of speech, i have to point nobody is stopping anyone from expressing their stupid or bigoted opinions. i mean, nobody has wrapped duct tape around her head....yet.
sharp turn...kind of. arizona teapublicans believe the 1st amendment was written specifically for and with only christians, and their protection, in mind.
a short jump away, in texas, "goober" gohmert addressed a five year celebration of the inception of the tea party. since 2008 wasn't a particularly good year for republicans and the 2009 passing of tarp signaled the disaster that was to be obama's first term, he prayed for a solution and god gave him the tea party. the only problem is, he tends to forget tart was actually signed into law in october of 2008, BEFORE obama was elected (another example of teapublican selective memory compounded with a propensity to rewrite history). and as far as answered prayers go, if it were only that easy i'd be on my knees 24/7!!! and there wouldn't be an atheist in the country that wouldn't be joining me because if it works....? you- know-who would be you-know-where.
in new york, we have the harlem pastor, james david manning (who makes the jump into the area of politics because of his claim that the woman shot in front of the white house last year was actually the mother of obama's love child, killed only to keep her quiet) who now states quite emphatically, even using the message board outside his church, that black women need to BEWARE!!! they need to be warned that obama is sending "white homo demons" to scoop up the "few black men left" and seduce (although he uses the words "get them to subscribe to their perverted lifestyle" like they they're getting a copy of the "weekly white homo demon" delivered to their door, along with your choice of a free designer tote or monogrammed nipple clamps!) with american express cards, nights out to dinner and the theater (because that's what white homo demons like, y'know) and parties. i mean par-TAAAYS!!! and black women simply cannot compete. 'cause you know there just weren't any black gay men before obama took office. i really think black lesbians should be offended but he apparently is of two minds on that subject: 1) he likes the idea of two black women getting it on while he watches...er,prays for their immoral...err, immortal souls (as long as he's got his drool-proof bible and an ample supply of ultra-absorbent holy tissue) or 2) he figures there are enough black women out there so they won't miss a few and as long as it doesn't interfere with his reason #1. also, black women who get into relations with rich white men are never mentioned or criticized and men aren't given a similar warning (hey bro! that rich white honkey been out to scoop up yo' bitches!!.... a little too 'gangsta'?) i suppose they're just "being women". he never said.
setting politics aside for a moment, officials of the catholic church in st.paul, minnesota, have done what officials of any major corporation tend to do these days. blame the victim...or in this case, the victims' mother. with the priest in question behind bars and a financial settlement reached, the hierarchy has decided to renege, claiming the mother is at fault because the amount of time he was spending with the boys was going against archdiocese policy and she should have known, or at least suspected, that something unseemly was going on. this also in spite of the fact that they apparently knew about his "potentially risky behavior" before assigning him to that parish. in the end, it came to light that 6 of her 9 children had been abused, and at least one had gone on to become an abuser i know. this is WAY beyond wanker, but i just was wondering how many more verses are going to be written for this song? the words may change slightly, but the tune remains the same.
leaving behind religion, however improbable that might seem to those of a certain ideological leaning, we enter into the realm of the strictly political, beginning with a relatively minor, but no less controversial figure, arizona's sheriff joe. he recently expressed disappointment that some refer to him as hitler, and worked himself into a tizzy because people aren't rushing to his defense like they do when the term is applied to president obama, especially by him and his buddies. well. the phrase "if the shoe fits..." springs to mind. if he'd run his jails less like concentration camps (at least, so far without the gas chambers and ovens) people might tend to have a higher opinion of him, but still his feelings appear to have been bruised. baby need a bankie? he can always suck on his gun like a pacifier.
florida republicans voted to close half of all polling locations in the state which JUST COINCIDENTALLY happen to be in democratic, minority-heavy districts, all in an effort to avoid voter fraud and save a few sheckles. this comes on top of a purge of 180,000 "potentially non-citizens" who MIGHT be voting and restricting hours for voting and registration. also COINCIDENTALLY, this comes at a time when koch and tea party favorite scott JUST HAPPENS to be trailing his democratic opponent by 7 points (47-40). while in ohio, the secretary of state has likewise cut back on voting times and opportunities for early voting, so as "not to accommodate the urban voters and thus contort the process" while also passing a law reducing the number of voting machines available, making for longer lines and increased wait times, thinking the average urban voter is lazier and will simply find it tiresome and a bother, deciding instead not to vote.
for whatever reason, the duke of dismissals, the expert interrupter, bill o'reilly had two female guest panelists for his discussion on why a woman would never be a major world leader, though he tends to forget we've already had an indira ghandi, a golda mier, an angela merkle. it all boils down to "gender deficiency", though what that means....call me stupid...i haven't any idea. maybe it's just a fancy way of saying she'll have that time of month and be too emotional if and when it comes time to push the button. anyway, no matter how he phrased his argument and how he pressed his guests to give him a "good reason" to not support his view, they dismissed him and his claim that leaders in china, iran, korea would "test" a female president to expose her weaknesses, one guest pointing out "they do that already".
another expert at bloviating, in a discussion with a caller originally from honduras (what she called in for was not mentioned) decided to take it upon himself to give her his version of american history, including references to the kkk, the democrats, and how 51% of people who voted democrat were "uneducated boobs" who didn't know the earth went around the sun once every year. me thinks he's getting democrats confused with his usual audience. he included the "fact" that racism is really a "liberal fairy tale" being used to keep people under control and themselves in power. they need people to depend on them because, as democrats they are against "self reliance", "freedom" and "rugged individualism". if he's an example of "rugged individualism", i'm mr. universe. this is also a quote from him this week:
"THERE IS NO CRITICISM OF BARACK OBAMA, ABSOLUTElY
NONE OF ANY SUBSTANCE FROM THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
BECAUSE THEY'RE SO AFRAID OF BEING CALLED RACIST"
i only want to know if he was really able to say that with a straight face or if he's simply not paying attention to what's coming out of any of those sites, like the recent one openly soliciting for money to help fund the killing of the president. oh, i'm sorry...they only want to murder him; i guess that is different from simply offering a criticism. my bad.
another talking head (though most of his talking seems to come out of his ass). tucker carlson has said that granting marriage equality to gays is fascism, claiming people are being threatened with jail time (?) for standing their religious ground and refusing to bake a cake for a gay couple (facts courtesy of your friendly non-biased folks at fox). he goes on to say that such a denial of service is nothing like what it would be if it involved a black couple, because being black is something you can't change (hello? michael jackson") while being gay is a choice. if that's so, i have to wonder when carlson chose to be stupid. 1950's calling, tucker. they want their brain back.
and now, for a few wanker quickies....
the senate gop, more concerned with cost and the inability to add tougher sanctions against iran than they are with veteran's welfare, failed to act on an expansion of veteran's benefits.
maine republican lawrence lockman was truly hoping for short memories and not counting on the tenacity of a someone really wanting to do their homework, regrets a comment he made in 1996, that if abortion were legal it should then also be legal for a man to use his superior strength to force himself on a woman because his "pursuit of sexual freedom doesn't usually result in anyone's death." like i said, sends his regrets...but no apology.
houston police were called to kick a veteran and his service dog out of a restaurant because, as they put it, "you're not blind!" someone needs a refresher course in what is lawful regarding service animals and possibly an injection of empathy and compassion.
and finally how about a little example of REALLY? YOU THOUGHT THAT WAS A GOOD IDEA?
alcides gonzabay was found passed out in his idling car but when confronted by police there was a better and more logical way to proceed. no, he didn't ask for a lawyer. he admitted to not only driving drunk but drinking while driving. apparently the bottle was in the car so that seemed a given. he also admitted to doing coke. driving on a suspended license for, what else, a drunk driving conviction, he just didn't know when to stop. he proceeded to suggest that they go to his house, where he would get $40,000 as his gift to them, which he later upped to 50 thou with a few expensive watches thrown in as a gesture of his appreciation, all out of the kindness of his heart if they would only let him go with a "naughty, naughty". and all this because he didn't want his mother to see him in a jail cell. but he's there on charges of drunk driving, driving without a license and...wait for it..multiple counts of bribery.
well there we have it. all deserving candidates but, call me perverse, but i'm going with alcides and it's based solely on the fact that he was so stupid and he made me laugh. all were more than qualified at varying degrees, but this week i just have to go with the moron who found out that money doesn't always talk, so he's not going to be walking...at least not for a while. mama's going to have to get used to visiting hours.
times up.
buh-bye!
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