Ding Dong, The Witch Is... Resigning

The news broke today that one of the foremost visible opponents in the fight for LGBT equality, Maggie Gallagher, is stepping down as chairwoman of the National Organization for Marriage, the secretive yet outspoken group credited with the passage of Proposition 8 in California and defeating marriage equality in the state of Maine.

*cue applause*

She is slated to be replaced by John Eastman, a professor of law who has participated in numerous high-profile cases addressing social issues, to include the Boy Scouts controversy over their anti-gay policies.  From NOM blog:

The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) announced today that John Eastman, a distinguished Constitutional law scholar, is taking on the role of Chairman of the Board for NOM. 

Dr. John Eastman is the former Dean of Chapman University Law School in California and is the Founding Director of the Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence, a public interest law firm associated with the Claremont Institute. He has participated in over 50 cases in our nation’s highest courts, including such landmark cases as the Pledge of Allegiance case, the Boy Scouts of America case, the Ohio school vouchers case, the Kelo case involving property takings, and the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act case. Dr. Eastman is a former clerk to United States Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. He received his J.D. from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D. in government and political philosophy from Claremont Graduate School. 

Brian Brown, President of NOM, stated, “John Eastman is one of America’s foremost constitutional scholars and has distinguished himself as a fierce advocate for families and religious liberty. As a legal scholar, he has participated in dozens of cases before our nation’s highest courts, including the United States Supreme Court. When important constitutional principles are on the line, people frequently turn to John Eastman to advocate a conservative, pro-family position. He will be a great asset to NOM.”

LezGetReal notes that John Eastman was a failed candidate for California's Attorney General, something not lost on many liberal readers assessing the situation.  With Maggie's tenure as chairwoman being characterized as combative and negative to her cause, has NOM picked a loser to replace a loser?  Only time will tell.  

Maggie says she will continue on NOM's board and will continue to be involved in the fight against marriage equality, but one has to wonder... did she just get tired of being lambasted for her idiosyncrasies?  She recently attended Dustin Lance Black's star-studded staged reproduction of the Proposition 8 trial, in which her involvement in the case and the press storm surrounding it was scripted with her laughable and oh-so familiar tactics of "bulldoze the opposition."  It drew laughs from the crowd, and one has to wonder if maybe this signified that it was time for Gallagher to go?

Whatever the reason, she's going, and good riddance.  I can only hope that with her departure as their chairwoman and spokesperson NOM will hasten its slide into irrelevance.  

Blockbuster New Sarah Palin Book: Gossip Or Biography?

Joe McGinniss, a controversial American writer and novelist who has written New York Times bestsellers since the age of 26, has long been shadowed by accusations of plagiarism and sensationalism, but is returning yet again to the literary scene this year with a controversial topic: the secret life of Sarah Palin.

McGinniss made headlines during the writing of his tell-all, even going so far as to rent a home next door to the Palins, prompting them to put up a tall fence between the properties.

Now, the book is done, and some publications are hailing it as "explosive," as it details several shocking details about the Palins' private lives:

• Former vice presidential candidate alleged to have snorted cocaine off an oil drum
• Said to have had night of passion with basketball star
• Husband Todd said to have dissolved snowmobile firm after discovering affair with business partner
• Ex-governor of Alaska has yet to announce whether she will run for president next year

I would be more interested in the book if, say, Sarah purchased blow with state money and snorted it off an oil drum during a pipeline grand opening, but this is sure to cause waves within the political community, especially the one surrounding Mama Bear.  Will I read it?  Uh, maybe.  If someone else has a copy I can borrow.

Today In Smiting-- Joplin Tornado Was Caused By Barack Obama

This whackjob, coming via Right Wing Watch, blames Israel's eroding position in the Middle East, a hypothetical rise in racism which will rival 1967's struggle, and the tornado that destroyed a good portion of Joplin, Missouri on one thing: Barack Obama's speech in May 2011 calling for a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by bringing Israel's borders back to the defined limits before expansion in the late 60s.

Right.

Regardless of this loon's religious background, he clearly is mixing religion with politics in the worst kind of way: by blaming a deadly, tragic weather event on a political stance-- then saying that God was punishing Joplinites for that political stance.  That's more than crazy, it's outright disgusting and this man should be ashamed of himself.  I can think of a few Joplinites that would take umbrage over this crackpot's assertions.

The GOP: Only Too Happy To Use A Hurricane For Their Own Benefit

These motherfuckers are out of control.  Seriously.

The first story I ran across today related to the GOP and their cronies politicizing Irene was a ridiculous op ed published by Faux News (who else?) advocating getting rid of the National Weather Service, an ill-timed position suggesting that the NWS is a redundant government dinosaur that could easily be privatized to less cost for taxpayers. 

Today the NWS justifies itself on public interest grounds. It issues severe weather advisories and hijacks local radio and television stations to get the message out. It presumes that citizens do not pay attention to the weather and so it must force important, perhaps lifesaving, information upon them. A few seconds’ thought reveals how silly this is. The weather might be the subject people care most about on a daily basis. There is a very successful private TV channel dedicated to it, 24 hours a day, as well as any number of phone and PC apps. Americans need not be forced to turn over part of their earnings to support weather reporting.

Are you kidding me?  Saving people's lives with weather advisories is silly?  So their suggestion for replacing the NWS is that people buy smartphones and hope for the best?  Oh no, not just that, they continue with a great idea-- turn the whole weather prediction industry over to the insurance companies.

The NWS claims that it supports industries like aviation and shipping, but if they provide a valuable contribution to business, it stands to reason business would willingly support their services. If that is the case, the Service is just corporate welfare. If they would not, it is just a waste.

As for hurricanes, the insurance industry has a compelling interest in understanding them. In a world without a National Weather Service, the insurance industry would probably have sponsored something very like the National Hurricane Center at one or more universities. Those replacements would also not be exploited for political purposes.

Right.  Because big business would never ever sacrifice consumers' well-being in order to make a buck.  What Fox News won't tell you, of course, is that most weather reports from private news corporations actually get their data from the government.

Continuing the bullshit train, actual GOP leadership is hinting that they will be using Hurricane Irene and the resultant need for relief funds for their own political purposes.  Yes, friends, much like the debt ceiling crisis, they are willing to withhold essential services in exchange for spending cuts:

As East Coasters brace for what some say will be a historic pummel by Hurricane Irene, at least one lawmaker is fuming over a requirement by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) that any potential emergency disaster aid be offset by spending cuts.

"It is sinful to require us to cut somewhere ... in order to provide emergency disaster assistance for American citizens," Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.) told The Huffington Post on Friday.
The Louisiana Democrat pointed out that this weekend is the sixth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated his district and cost the federal government more than $100 billion. That recovery effort would have been delayed "by years" if Congress had required the same kind of spending cuts to offset aid, he said.

Republicans need to stop playing politics with people's lives and their livelihoods. The American people aren't that stupid (really.  We're not).  Withholding federal aid so that they can cut spending (and avoid charging the rich the same taxes the middle class pays) is beyond sinful.  It's disgusting.

Hey Rick, What Are You Comparing Gay Marriage To This Week?

Rick Santorum thus far has compared gay marriage to water and beer, napkins and paper towels, and now says in an interview with the Iowa Independent that gays can't get married because a tree is not a car.  Or something.

Because it changes the definition of an intrinsic element of society in a way that minimizes what that bond means to society.

Marriage is what marriage is. Marriage was around before government said what it was.
It’s like going out and saying, ‘That tree is a car.’ Well, the tree’s not a car. A tree’s a tree.

Marriage is marriage.

You can say that tree is something other than it is. It can redefine it. But it doesn’t change the essential nature of what marriage is.

So which is this?  A beer?  Or a tree?  Or a paper towel?!  Hmmmm...

Marriage is a union between a man and a woman for the purposes of the benefit of both the man and the woman, a natural unitive according to nature, unitive, that is for the purposes of having and rearing children and for the benefit of both the man and the woman involved in that relationship.

His arguments are getting even more nonsensical and only seems to highlight how irrelevant he actually is.  His entire argument, of course, is that same-sex marriage will lead to a slew of social disasters such as interspecies nuptials:

And for the benefit of society because we need to have stable families of men and woman bonded together to raise children. That’s what marriage is. You can say two people who love each other is marriage. But then why limit it to just two people? Why not three people? Why not 10 people?

If it’s just about love and everybody needs to be treated equally, then why not 10? Why not allowing nieces and aunts to marry? Why not? If marriage means anyone who is in love, well, then, let everybody who is in love get married. But it’s not what marriage is.

 
Yawn.  That old thing?  That argument is about as old as I am.  No, Rick, I don't think the advent of marriage equality will lead to the FLDS suddenly being in the clear for polygamy.

His finishes off, of course, with stating that his position is an attempt to preserve the religious right's ability to discriminate against people they judge to be sinful:

Anybody who does not recognize what the state says is good and right is a bigot. We don’t give licenses for adoptions to organizations that won’t do gay adoptions because they’re bigots. And a lot of those are faith-based organizations.

Will we go into pulpits and tell preachers they can’t preach that gay marriage is wrong? Well maybe not right away but maybe tax-exempt status is next.

There’s a conflict here because we’ve created something that is not what it is.

 Rick Santorum is, by this time, the laughingstock of the GOP in his insistence on running for President.  He can't raise money and is a shoe-in for "worst GOP candidate for 2012."  Basically the only thing he's getting for his pains is yet another Google bomb from Dan Savage. 

Turns Out Welfare Recipients Aren't Actually All Junkies

Perennial douchebag Rick Scott, the governor of Florida, raised eyebrows when he instituted a policy of forcing welfare recipients to submit to drug tests before collecting their benefits.  Even more controversial, the test has to be paid for by the person applying for benefits.  If the test is negative, the state reimburses the individual, but I can definitely see the cost of the test discouraging some people from applying. 

Anyway, the law went into effect and some surprising numbers have popped up:  only two percent of the people seeking welfare benefits have tested positive for illegal drug use.

Having begun the drug testing in mid-July, the state Department of Children and Families is still tabulating the results. But at least 1,000 welfare applicants took the drug tests through mid-August, according to the department, which expects at least 1,500 applicants to take the tests monthly.

So far, they say, about 2 percent of applicants are failing the test; another 2 percent are not completing the application process, for reasons unspecified.

I wonder how many poor people (to include people stricken with the disease of addiction) haven't even attempted to collect needed benefits because of this policy?

NH Wastes Taxpayer Money Voting On Minimum Wage

In an exercise in futility, the Tea Party-led state legislature abolished New Hampshire's minimum wage law on Sunday, overriding the governor's veto and stripping rules regulating wage from the books.  Why was it futile?  Because New Hampshire's minimum wage was set at the federal minimum, meaning employees working at minimum wage-level jobs are in no danger of having pay cuts.

During the fight over the removing the state law from the books, Republicans insisted the wage law not only makes it harder to create jobs, it kills them. 

"With this veto, the governor is sending the wrong message to employers that New Hampshire is going to make it harder to create jobs," Republican House Speaker William O'Brien said in June. Voters, he said, have sent "a clear message that they wanted more jobs, not job-killing regulations, like the minimum wage." 

House Republicans also killed a Democratically sponsored bill that would have raised the wage. Democrats argued the 75 cent proposed hourly increase would put $30 more each week in the pockets of the state's 4,000 lowest-paid workers, money that would be spent boosting the economy.

Give me a break.  Why waste the state's money voting on this nonsense?  It's clear that this action-- which would have gotten them Rick Perry's grades were they taking Economics 101-- was merely intended to spit in the eye of Democratic lawmakers in this state.  Because now is the perfect time for meaningless gestures.

Jesus For President?

Harry Jackson, a professed lover of the Seven Mountains Dominionism philosophy and co-chair of Rick Perry's Christfest, has now come out spouting some bull that Jesus came to Earth to take over the whole show on Trinity Broadcasting Network:

It’s one thing to be in a church preaching all these messages, seeing people shout and whatever it is. But it’s another thing to command the attention of the nation, and then begin to tell these folks, ‘we vote too.’ We don’t just dance and sing, we vote. And some of what you’re doing has to be accountable to us, the people of God. There really is no separation of church and state. In God’s mind, the word of the Lord should impact everything that happens out there in the state. So time and time again we got folks who want us to say our place is just behind these four walls. But Jesus came not to take sides, but to take over.

To which I would like to point out Jesus' own endorsement of the separation of church and state:

“Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s." --Matthew 22:21

Watch his remarks:

Carolla... Um, Apologizes?

Entertainment Weekly is running a weak apology belched out by Adam Carolla regarding his disgusting radio-show tirade against gays and transfolk, for which GLAAD has rightfully gone nuclear about:

The organization reports on the incident in a press release, writing: “In his rant, he also told LGBT people to ‘shut up’ because they are ‘ruining his life’ by speaking out about equality. He went on to say that members of the LGBT community should stop using the letters ‘LGBT’ to describe themselves, and should instead use ‘YUCK.’ Regarding transgender people, Carolla at one point asked: ‘When did we start giving a sh–t about these people?’”  

Carolla told EW via his rep, “I’m sorry my comments were hurtful. I’m a comedian, not a politician.”

Um.  Thanks, Adam, but what does that have to do with anything?  If the comments had been in the slightest bit funny, I might begin to accept... no.  No.  Never mind.  I wouldn't.  You're a douche.  That's all!

Let's change that statement to what it should have been:

Carolla told EW via his rep, “I’m sorry my comments were hurtful. I’m a douchebag, not a comedian.”

There.  MUCH better.

No, Facebook Isn't Announcing To The World Who Your Booty Calls Are

I'm seeing all over Facebook and Google Plus that Facebook has now aggregated a list of all the numbers in your mobile phone.  Basically, if you have a mobile app, Facebook is grabbing all those numbers and making them convenient to you.  Everyone from my hairstylist to Tom Anderson is being a bit alarmist about it, claiming that this is a blatant violation of user privacy, with some even claiming that you can view other people's contact lists.

NOT SO.

From the NYT:

"Meredith Chin, a spokeswoman for Facebook, explained that this feature was neither new nor altered. 'We’ve had this for quite some time,' she said. Facebook issued a statement on its site that reads: 'Rumors claiming that your phone contacts are visible to everyone on Facebook are false. Our Contacts list, formerly called Phonebook, has existed for a long time. The phone numbers listed there were either added directly to Facebook and shared with you by your friends, or you have previously synced your phone contacts with Facebook. Just like on your phone, only you can see these numbers.'"

"Facebook is doing a couple of things by merging contacts: it’s trying to provide a convenience to users ('Hey look! We pulled all these phone numbers together for you in one place!') and in doing that, it’s clearly trying to become the center of all your communication needs (see: the new Facebook Messenger app, introduced Tuesday). By collecting all this information, Facebook is most likely hoping it can take over spaces currently occupied by companies like AOL (via its AIM instant-message service),Skype, GroupMe and even telephone and e-mail providers."

I actually thought it was kind of neat.  I scrolled through the list on my own settings to see who I hadn't talked to in a while.  

So calm the fuck down, people.

I Vote Ann Coulter The Queen Of Offensively Smug

Ann Coulter recently declared herself the Queen of Fabulous, but I find this dour-faced woman to be anything but.  Instead, below, I've come up with some alternate titles inspired by a recent C-SPAN interview.

Ann is so busy rolling her eyes her neglect of looking at the camera is reaching Bachmannesque proportions.

I comfort myself, while watching this video, with the idea that her bullshit is too outlandish even for her, and that none of the crap she says she's really serious about.  Among her assertions:

1.  She hangs around GOProud because she is looking for a new hairstylist (thanks, Queen of Condescension!).

2.  Log Cabin Republicans are not true conservatives (thanks, Queen of Elitism!).

3.  Liberal gays weren't born gay, but instead have daddy issues (I'm a little speechless over this.  Ann Coulter: Queen of Stunning My Big Fat Mouth Into Silence)?!

4.  If a gay gene is ever discovered, abortion clinics will be in overdrive aborting all those gay babies (ladies and gentlemen, HRM Ann Coulter I, Queen of Fearmongering).

Watch:



Um, is it just me, or was anyone else concerned that her head would fall off her neck with all the sarcastic eyeroll-head-bobbing?

UPDATE:  The Log Cabin Republicans have fired back at the so-called Gay Icon with a press release titled "Comedienne Ann Coulter" regarding her appointment as "Honorary Chair" of the advisory board of GOProud.

"Ann Coulter is not a serious part of the conservative movement -- her positions are a throwback and do more harm than anything else. Her remarks endorsing the widely outdated and profoundly harmful idea of 'reparative therapy,' alleging that one can 'pray the gay away,' are not only demeaning to gays and lesbians, but are offensive to all people of faith. While her position on this matter is off base, it is exacerbated by her claim that the armed forces should bring back 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' a failed policy which impedes military readiness. Servicemembers who put their lives on the line deserve respect, not such clownish behavior."

Louis Marinelli Is Totes Pissed At HRC For Stealing His Bus Tour

It seems that bus tours are the political shill of choice this summer, with every candidate and organization under the sun taking their crazytalk across the country (side note: progressive candidates?  Save the gas and take the train).  Now, some are saying that HRC may have stolen Louis Marinelli's idea for his "Road to Equality" bus tour:

Louis is PISSED.

"By the way, nice name for the tour, HRC. ‘The Road to Equality’ has a nice ring to it and if you need a good graphic for promoting the tour, I put one on the NOME website a week or so ago to promote my marriage equality tour. See the big slide graphic for the equality tour where the flags of each state we intend to visit are? Well, right above that is where you’ll see the green highway signs on one of which is written ‘Road to Equality’. I spent a lot of time on that in Photoshop but [you] can take that, too, if you need it.

"I understand the HRC has the manpower, resources, reputation and ability to do their tour and do it well. I won’t even contend the fact that they’re [sic] tour will likely draw more media attention and more people will likely attend their events and sign up for their newsletter and give their credit card information to a young man or woman walking around with a clipboard soliciting donations. Hey, you need money to get the job done and I fully understand that."

Whoa!  Bitter and catty, table for one!  While the two tours have different concepts, I can totally understand his beef.  Dear HRC: why don't you just come up with something else?  

Fox and Friends Blast Obama As Anti-Christian Over Ramadan Proclamation

Monday was the beginning of Ramadan, and Barack Obama recognized Muslim Americans with a simple statement as follows:

"Times like this remind us of the lesson of all great faiths, including Islam — that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us. In that spirit, I wish Muslims around the world a blessed month, and I look forward to again hosting an iftar dinner here at the White House. Ramadan Kareem."

This, of course, is in continuing with traditions begun with the last President, George W. Bush, who notably held iftar dinners all eight years of his presidency (iftar being the meal breaking the Ramadan fast).  This didn't stop the asshats over on Fox News from once again raising questions about the President's religious background, to include Barry O's supposed War on Easter.  From ThinkProgress:

CARLSON: Some people said that they might have an issue with the fact that he didn’t issue a proclamation for Easter. So some people are saying is this an outreach to the Muslim world and why isn’t there an outreach to the Christian world.” 

DOOCY: Of course the White House does historically have White House Easter Egg Roll, but they didn’t issue a proclamation they did for Ramadan just now…I think he did mention briefly in his weekend address that weekend Easter — in passing — but still, nothing big. It is Christianity’s holiest, most sacred holiday. 

JOHNSON: I think the coming Easter you’ll see a statement coming out of the White House. 

DOOCY: Oh during the election year? 

JOHNSON: Clearly, it was a terrible terrible error.

So was it a terrible, terrible error when George W. didn't issue a proclamation on Easter?  Or H.W. Bush?  Or Ronald Reagan?  

Dudes, nobody has ever issued a proclamation on Easter.  Why?  Because the President already reaches out to Christians-- in the White House Easter Egg Roll, in the annual Christmas Address, in the Presidential Christmas tree, and in the Easter prayer breakfast.  What you're asking for isn't to reach out to Christians, but to place Christianity in a place of primacy in our President's actions.  That's not only inappropriate, it violates the already tenuous grasp our nation has on the separation of church and state.

Joe Lieberman Would Like To Use Social Security Money To Fund The War On Terror

Echoing neocon sentiments of the last administration, Joe Lieberman indicated during the debt ceiling debates on the Senate floor today that the US should divert funds from Social Security and Medicare in order to fight "Islamist extremists."  This is a reiteration of a position war-hungry John Bolton made last April on Fox News.

"I want to indicate today to my colleagues that Senator Coburn and I are working again on a bipartisan proposal to secure Social Security over the long term, we hope to have that done in time. To also forward to the special committee for their consideration. So, bottom line, we can’t protect these entitlements and also have the national defense we need to protect us in a dangerous world while we’re at war with Islamist extremists who attacked us on 9/11 and will be for a long time to come."

ThinkProgress has video:

This, of course, is entirely out of step with newest American sentiment, as polls indicate that we would rather cut defense spending (the largest in the world, mind you) in order to preserve key social programs.  When is this dinosaur going to get voted out of office?

Newt's Tweeters Is Followed By A Bunch Of Fakes

Newt Gingrich has led, thus far, a troubled Presidential campaign highlighted by glitter-bombing and mass staffer resignations, but he wants you to know he's still a winner!  The proof?  He's got more Twitter followers than any of the other candidates!

"And it says, 'now it's true that Gingrich has 1.3 million followers and (Michele) Bachmann only has 59,000, but she's getting more new people every week.' It turned out I have six times as many Twitter followers as all the other candidates combined, but it didn't count because if it counted I'd still be a candidate; since I can't be a candidate that can't count. So we've been a little bit like a sailing ship in the middle of a hurricane in which we are sailing straight into the teeth of the media, and that slowed us down."
Er.  Except he really doesn't-- because most of his followers are fake accounts created by his campaign.


"Newt employs a variety of agencies whose sole purpose is to procure Twitter followers for people who are shallow/insecure/unpopular enough to pay for them. As you might guess, Newt is most decidedly one of the people to which these agencies cater.

"About 80 percent of those accounts are inactive or are dummy accounts created by various 'follow agencies,' another 10 percent are real people who are part of a network of folks who follow others back and are paying for followers themselves (Newt's profile just happens to be a part of these networks because he uses them, although he doesn't follow back), and the remaining 10 percent may, in fact, be real, sentient people who happen to like Newt Gingrich. If you simply scroll through his list of followers you'll see that most of them have odd usernames and no profile photos, which has to do with the fact that they were mass generated. Pathetic, isn't it?"

Pathetic indeed.  Sure, I'm always scrounging to get more Twitter followers to hawk my schlock, but I would never pay for them.  That may just be because Newt has the budget for that and I don't... maybe I should form a PAC...

Rock 'N Roll Loser Sues Maddow

Bradlee Dean, a preacher who heads his own brand of punk ministry in Minnesota, has in the past been associated with such conservative "luminaries" as GOP frontrunner Michele Bachmann (is anyone else horrified that the words "frontrunner" and "Bachmann" are in the same sentence?), as the anti-gay candidate headlined a fundraiser for him.

Bradlee can't afford his Aquanet!

He made headlines when he went on his radio show and praised the Muslim execution of homosexuals in the Middle East, a story which was featured prominently on the Rachel Maddow Show. Skip ahead to the 1:20 mark on the video below:




The Southern Poverty Law Center, which brought it to everyone's attention:

"On a May 15 radio show, the ministry’s front man, Bradlee Dean, applauded the call of some Muslims for violence against gay people. 'Muslims are calling for the executions of homosexuals in America,' Dean said. 'This just shows you … they seem to be more moral than even the American Christians… . They know homosexuality is an abomination.'"

Now he can't get a job to save his life, so he's falling back on that great American pasttime that all broke skeazebags rely on: suing someone.

He's decided to sue Maddow for defamation, claiming he never supported the execution of LGBTs, despite the glaring evidence from his own radio show. He is asking for $50 million:

"Despite the very clear disclaimer by Bradlee Dean on his ministries website and elsewhere regarding the false accusation that he was calling for the execution of homosexuals, MSNBC's Rachel Maddow and others seized on and accused Dean on her show of supporting the killing of homosexuals, as is the practice in some radical Islamic countries. This seriously has harmed Dean and the ministry, who pride themselves on respect and love for all people."

Recently, Dan Savage referred to the Bachmanns as scumbags and grifters. Clearly, they prefer their associates to be grifters as well. Have fun in losing in court, Bradlee!

Allen West Blames Being A Jackass On Military Background

Allen West is refusing to apologize for his insane, vaguely heteronormative rant that he e-mailed to DNC Chairman Wasserman Schultz, stating that his language stems from his time in the military.  He then signs himself onto the "Maverick meme," saying the gaffe illustrates how he's just not a Washington insider.




Of course, it might not be the best idea for him to remind everyone of his military background, as he was discharged from the military for abusing Iraqis with clear violations of international and US law.

"Funny story, about West's military unit, though. The reason he no longer commands them is that he was forced out of the Army for beating a man in Iraq. After West grew suspicious that an Iraqi policeman was helping terrorists, he ordered his men to abuse the soldier before personally firing his pistol past his head to, well, fearmonger and intimidate the suspect into giving up information. The man was never linked to any attacks and West didn't just own up to his actions, he campaigned on them."

I served in the military as well, and I sometimes do in fact blame my foul mouth on my time spent in that hallowed institution.  Even though respect for all soldiers is paramount as part of the military's creed, we swear like, well, sailors.  

However, I'm not a member of the United States House of Representatives, and when I am (do you doubt it?) I'm probably going to clean up my language.  I know!  Allen West should resign and start blogging instead.  Then you can say whatever the hell you want.  

Newt Gingrich Thinks The Supreme Court Should Just Go Away

Newt Gingrich stopped off in Iowa this week and got RULL CRAZEEE by providing baseless reasons for a even crazier sentiment: stripping the Supreme Court of its power.

Right.

He states the Constitution of the United States does not give the Supreme Court final say in matters constitutional, and that Congress should have the ability to control what cases the highest court in the land are able to hear:

"In the American system, if you read the Constitution correctly — this is why I wrote 'A Nation Like No Other' — if you read the Federalist Papers correctly, the fact is the Congress can pass a law and can limit the Court’s jurisdiction. It’s written directly in the Constitution. The Federalist Papers, Alexander Hamilton promises, I think it’s Number 78, that the judiciary branch is the weakest of the three branches.

"There is no Supreme Court in the American Constitution. There’s the court which is the Supreme of the judicial branch, but it’s not supreme over the legislative and executive branch. We now have this entire national elite that wants us to believe that any five lawyers are a Constitutional convention. That is profoundly un-American and profoundly wrong."

Yes, Newt.  Article III of the Constitution does indeed state that there is a Supreme Court of the United States.  Furthermore?  While Congress has the power to limit the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, you can't simply block it from hearing cases you fear won't go your way.  Any fifth grader can tell you that the system of checks and balances is there for a freaking reason, and your sad excuse of an attack on that hallowed document is really not going to get you the Republican nomination.

Asshat.

Vatican Gets Whiny About UN Resolution For Gays

The Vatican's head of the Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva, Archbishop Tomasi, stomped his ineffectual feet over the UN's resolution supporting global LGBT rights in a statement denouncing the promotion of non-discrimination on the worldwide stage.

Via LezGetReal:

"The resolution marks a change. It is seen as the beginning of a movement within the international community and the United Nations to insert gay rights in the global human rights agenda."

Yes!  You're right, padre!  And people are starting to understand that that's a good thing, no thanks to you.

It's worth noting that the Vatican really has no ability to do anything about the resolution, as they're not even a member nation of the UN.  So there.  

HRC Store Vandalized, Radical Queer Group Claims Responsibility

This is about as useful as board shorts in Antarctica.

The HRC store staff in DuPont Circle arrived to work this morning to find the store vandalized, with cosmetic damage done in the form of pink paint on the window and the word "Stonewall" spray-painted on the sidewalk.  The act was claimed by a group calling themselves the "The Right Honorable Wicked Stepmothers’ Traveling, Drinking and Debating Society and Men’s Auxiliary," and urged the gay community (after referencing snorting ritalin and drinking whisky) to cease giving money to the gay rights giant.

From their press release (via the Washington Blade):

"Why, you’re asking, did we specifically target the HRC, a massive national gay rights non-profit as opposed to vomiting urine on Rick Santorum or something equally fun?

"Put simply, they suck. What do they suck? Cash. Lots of it.

"The HRC rakes in something approaching 50 million dollars a year in revenue–their executive director, Joe Salmonellamayonaisemanese pulls in a salary of several hundred grand. What have we gotten out of this bloated carcass? Not a thing worth mentioning and every now and then, they eagerly sell trans people up the river. Seriously, this is an organization that hordes money and does nothing useful. It’s a sad, sick dinosaur.

"Meanwhile, in Washington, DC violence against the LGBT community is on the rise; DC’s only LGBT center is forced to go hat in hand to real estate developers and beg for space, only to face eviction a few years down the road; We lack a homeless shelter for queer youth and services for our community are the victims of budget cuts. Can you think of something better to do with a few million dollars?"

They then suggested that money could be better used by buying glitter (cute, guys, cute).  

I've often been a critic of the HRC and other organizations falling under the tongue-in-cheek term "Gay Inc," but vandalizing property on a whim while extolling the effects of snorting ritalin is not only stupid, but completely pointless.  I hate to say it, but I agree with the HRC's Director of Communications, Michael Cole Schwartz:

"HRC’s DC Action Center and Store was vandalized last night with paint on the front windows and an LGBT group has claimed responsibility for the crime. It’s unfortunate that after a marriage win in New York that represented an unprecedented coming together of LGBT groups, some are more interested in fostering division in the community."

Do I think that the HRC alone is to thank for marriage equality in New York?  Hell no.  Do I think the HRC's efforts are ineffective?  Most times.  Do I think they are Democratic apologists?  Uh-huh.  Should we wreck their shit?  Hell no, what's the point of that?