And some people say gay marriage is a threat to "traditional" marriage:

Public workers and their benefits

Check out this headline:

Is Cutting Benefits For Public Workers Actually Wage Theft? Reframing the Right's Attacks On Unions

The short answer is yes.

And here's why:

Discussions about benefits cuts do not label them as what they really are: Wage theft. Public employees pay contributions out of their salaries into pension funds. They earned that money, they have documentation to prove they earned it, and their employers took it from them as part of the terms of an employment agreement that included pension benefits at retirement. When that money is not made available at the time of retirement, it is not simply a betrayal of a "promise." It is an active renege on a contractual agreement, and it is an example of wage theft.

Also, people are, from the get-go, willing to to public servant jobs - jobs that pay less than comparable ones in the private sector - specifically because of the benefits packages that go along with those jobs. So that right there is another form of wage theft.
~~~

Pity we didn't listen:

Is this a spine I see before me?

Right here:

This may bring my presidency down, but I will not yield on this.

-- President Obama, telling Republicans he will stick by his insistence for a long-term agreement on the debt ceiling

I'm willing to hope, okay, but I'm not holding my breath.
~~~

Is that so?

I refer to the following:

I would be compromising my moral conscience if I participated in the licensing procedure.

-- Laura Fotusky, a former-town clerk in Barker, New York, on why she resigned from her job in the wake of New York legalizing same-sex marriage

Well, okay. At least she had the integrity to resign instead of demanding the right to keep her job while, at the same time, refusing to do what the job requires.

Hmm. I wonder if she had qualms of conscience about licensing divorced persons?
~~~

Oh, good grief; it's a SYMBOL!

Pathetic:

Betrayal by the president

Over on AMERICAblog, there's a post entitled "Dems afraid Obama is giving away their electoral advantage on Medicare" by John Aravosis.

He quotes the following:

Senators Murray and Schumer, along with other Dems like Debbie Stabenow and Mark Begich, have warned against deep cuts in recent leadership meetings, a source familiar with the meetings says, another sign of the unrest that the possibility of serious entitlements cuts is creating among Congressional Democrats.

“We shouldn’t be giving away our advantage on Medicare,” said a source familiar with Murray’s thinking, in characterizing her objections in private meetings. “We should be very careful about giving away the biggest advantage we've had as Democrats in some time.”

“For the first time in the past two and a half years we have an unmitigated advantage on a single issue where our entire caucus is united,” the source continues. “This is a case where the whole morale of our party was lifted by the fact that we were taking the fight to Republicans.”

I just don't understand. It's crazy. Apparently, there is talk (and from the president himself, no less) about raising the age for Medicare from 65 to 67. Needless to say, this will create a huge personal hardship for me (not to mention, millions of other Americans).
~~~
UPDATE: Here's the email I just sent to the White House:

Dear Mr. President:

I donated to your campaign, I campaigned enthusiastically for you, I voted for you with considerable joy. But I promise you, if you allow the age to be raised for Medicare eligibility, you will not only not get my money or my campaigning efforts, you will not get my vote. I'll stay home.

Sincerely,
Sister Ellie Finlay, age 62, lifelong Democrat
~~~

Half of US social program recipients believe they " have not used a government social program"

(Click or double click on the image to enlarge it.)

I found this over on Boing Boing. Here's what they said over there:

"...this [is a] remarkable chart showing that about half of American social program beneficiaries believe that they "have not used a government social program." It's the "Keep your government hands off my Medicare" phenomena writ large: a society of people who subsist on mutual aid and redistributive policies who've been conned (and conned themselves) into thinking that they are rugged individualists and that everyone else is a parasite."

What can I say, folks? Go figure.
~~~

About those campaign promises...

Ha! This is a new one on me:

It is useless to hold a person to anything he says while he's in love, drunk, or running for office.

-- Shirley MacLaine

"Of the rich, by the rich, for the rich..."

Just watch it. All the way through. Please:

Pity this sort of thing is necessary:

The comments at the YouTube location for this make me feel like despairing --- really.
~~~

Friday cat blogging!

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

Bachmann's favorite preacher:

You know, there's a real ugliness of spirit here. I truly don't understand how people can be attracted to this kind of message.
~~~

Remember the four freedoms?

Ah, here was a president:

In the future days, which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms. The first is freedom of speech and expression--everywhere in the world. The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way--everywhere in the world. The third is freedom from want--which, translated into world terms, means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants--everywhere in the world. The fourth is freedom from fear--which, translated into world terms, means a world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor--anywhere in the world.

• - FDR, 1941 State of the Union Address

Trial by jury

And right you are, Judge:

Juries aren't supposed to make decisions based on public-opinion polls.

-- Belvin Perry, the judge for the Casey Anthony criminal case, on the jury's unpopular decision to acquit Anthony of charges that she killed her daughter; Perry has expressed concern for the safety of jurors and postponed a decision on whether to release their names

How many times do we have to say it? A "not guilty" verdict does not mean that the jury believes the defendant is innocent. It means that the prosecution didn't prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt according to that jury. And that's our system. That's our system. None of us (if accused of a crime) would want a system in which we were considered guilty until proven innocent.

Would we?
~~~

My sentiments exactly:

Claim for lightning strike made

This kind of superstition really annoys me:

Lightning strikes tree near Caylee Anthony memorial site

Here's the pertinent bit:

"It could be a sign from the angels that they aren't happy with what's happened," a visitor to the site told the Orlando Sentinel newspaper. "The rain, the lightning, the storm – it's the heavens indicating they aren't happy."

Yeah, I know. That's just one person. But somehow, this made the news.

I like a certain follow up observation as follows:

There are more lightning strikes in Florida per square mile than in any other state, according to weather.com.

Whatever happened to the Age of Enlightenment? Sad.
~~~

How Republicans exploit the religious right

There's nothing hugely new here but it's very nicely summed up:

Ha!

Something I just found:

Creationists make it sound as though a 'theory' is something you dreamt up after being drunk all night.

-- Isaac Asimov

It is discouraging when people can't grasp the concept that a given word can have more than one definition depending on the context. In science, the word "theory" does not mean just a hunch. But, of course, I might as well be beating a dead horse with this one...
~~~

Sigh....

Well, well, well

It will be interesting to see how THIS one turns out:

I want people to listen to me, because I have, perhaps, finally, a chance to be heard.

-- Tristane Banon, a French writer who will file a criminal complaint on Tuesday accusing ex-IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn of attempted rape; he was arrested in New York City in May on a similar charge

It will especially be interesting to see if Strauss-Kahn is able to undermine her credibility as well.
~~~

In honor of the day:

Hat tip to John who posted this on Facebook.

~~~

Prime candidate for a "Darwin Award"

Just look at this:

Motorcyclist Dies On Ride Protesting Helmet Law In New York

Here're the main details:

Police say a motorcyclist participating in a protest ride against helmet laws in upstate New York died after he flipped over the bike's handlebars and hit his head on the pavement.
...
Troopers say Contos would have likely survived if he had been wearing a helmet.

Now get this. A lot of people left comments to this article insisting that people should have the right not to wear helmets -- that it's a "freedom" issue.

Good grief.
~~~

Definitely something to think about:

This is just WRONG:

Memphis lays off nearly 100 vocational tech teachers but will hire 100 TRA recruits

Look:

Tenured teachers with many years were let go with no warning. Some were not yet vetted for pensions. Yet they hired 100 TFA teachers with 5 weeks training.
...
There is not a single Democratic leader speaking out against tactics like this.

I'm so glad I'm no longer in the profession. It grieves me to say that but it's true.
~~~
UPDATE: This is un-freakin'-believable. Here's how they're handling the reality that these "Teach for America" recruits, in fact, don't know what they're doing:

Teachers-in-training will have their very own personal angel to discreetly coach them through new lesson plans, with the same ear-bud wiring that feeds live information to NFL coaches. Teach for America is hoping that private coaching will speed up the painstakingly slow process of teacher development, allowing teachers to get both tailored instruction and the experience of being at the head of the classroom, without risking a disaster for students."

Once a teacher understands what it feels like to be successful, it takes root immediately," Monica Jordan, coordinator of teacher professional development in Memphis City Schools, told Education Week.

The experimental group of teachers is willing, if hesitant. "I thought, what if they say something in my ear and I lose my train of thought?" said algebra teacher Cynthia Law. "And then I thought, so what if I lose my train of thought, I'll figure it out," Law continued, confidently, "I'm not a play-it-safe person. I'm willing for my kids' sake to look foolish."

I have a radical idea: Instead of trying to walk into the classroom with five weeks of training, why not do what the rest of us did and go through both the academic and supervised student teaching requirements to qualify for certification?
~~~

A health care "Wow!"

Just look at this:

One Small Town in America Quietly Enjoys the Health Care We All Dream Of

It's a very short article and it will knock your socks off.

Here's just a little bit:

You see, a vermiculite mine had spread deadly airborne asbestos that killed hundreds and sickened thousands in Libby and northwest Montana.
...
Residents of Libby don't have to be 65 years old or more. They don't have to wait until 2014 for the state exchanges. There's no 10-year roll out for them — it's immediate. They don't have to purchase a plan — this isn't a buy-in to Medicare. It's free. They don't have to be disabled for two years before they apply. They don't have to go without care for three years until Medicaid expands. They don't have to meet income tests. They don't have to apply for a subsidy or pay a fine for failure to buy insurance. They don't have to hope that the market will make a plan affordable or hide their pre-existing conditions. They don't have to find a job that provides coverage.

It is outrageous that, in this country, health care is tied to employment.

It is more than outrageous - it is obscene - that so much of our health care is on a for-profit basis.
~~~

Oh, this is outstanding:

That "money = free speech" assertion

Oh, I do love this man:

It has been said that freedom isn't free. Today, we have placed a sizable down payment.

-- Stephen Colbert, after receiving approval from the Federal Election Commission to form his own "Super PAC" to mock the Supreme Court's decision to allow unlimited corporate donations to political action committees

What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander...
~~~

Oh, they've GOT to be kidding...

Did she really say this?

What would make someone be so full of hate... that they would want to see that person destroyed?

-- Sarah Palin, former vice-presidential candidate, responding to her celebrity critics

I think this is where I say, "Pot, meet kettle."
~~~

Someone I really miss

This man:

There are forces within the Democratic Party who want us to sound like kinder, gentler Republicans. I want a party that will stand up for working Americans.

---Paul Wellstone

Me too.

But we don't seem to have one.
~~~

Well, I certainly wouldn't admit it...

This:

Everything I needed to know I learned in Iowa.

-- Michele Bachmann, Republican Representative from Minnesota, addressing voters in Waterloo, Iowa, on the eve of her official presidential-campaign kickoff; Bachmann was born in Waterloo
~~~

Really disgusting headline

This one:

After Taking A $10 Billion Bailout, Goldman Sachs Announces It Will Outsource 1,000 Jobs To Singapore

Here's a little bit of what the article says:

Less than three years after receiving $10 billion in bailout money from American taxpayers, Goldman Sachs informed its employees recently that it will fire 1,000 workers in the United States and elsewhere, shifting their jobs to the cheaper Singaporean labor market.
....
The move to shift 1,000 jobs to Singapore is part of an overall effort by Goldman Sachs to cut $1 billion in operating costs over the next year. However, Goldman is firing American workers at a time of record profits for the company, which raked in $2.7 billion in profits in the first three months of 2011 alone.

What I want to know is why aren't this people denounced as unpatriotic? Even un-American?

Now listen up all you "conservatives" out there. THESE are the people you don't want to raise taxes on?

Sheesh.
~~~

Oh, oh, oh. Truly excellent:

Something about stupidity

Take a look at this headline:

Why Do People Believe Stupid Stuff, Even When They're Confronted With the Truth?

Here's how it gets started:

The Misconception: When your beliefs are challenged with facts, you alter your opinions and incorporate the new information into your thinking.

The Truth: When your deepest convictions are challenged by contradictory evidence, your beliefs get stronger.

How's that for weird?

The article explains it.
~~~

Sunday art blogging

Artist: Mary Cassett

Image from Wikimedia Commons

All you tax haters, listen up!

I want to call your attention to a piece called "102 Things NOT To Do If You Hate Taxes". Here's the beginning of the list:

1. Do not use Medicare.
2. Do not use Social Security
3. Do not become a member of the US military, who are paid with tax dollars.
4. Do not ask the National Guard to help you after a disaster.
5. Do not call 911 when you get hurt.
6. Do not call the police to stop intruders in your home.
7. Do not summon the fire department to save your burning home.
8. Do not drive on any paved road, highway, and interstate or drive on any bridge.
9. Do not use public restrooms.
10. Do not send your kids to public schools.
11. Do not put your trash out for city garbage collectors.
12. Do not live in areas with clean air.
13. Do not drink clean water.
14. Do not visit National Parks.
15. Do not visit public museums, zoos, and monuments.
16. Do not eat or use FDA inspected food and medicines.
17. Do not bring your kids to public playgrounds.
18. Do not walk or run on sidewalks.
19. Do not use public recreational facilities such as basketball and tennis courts.
20. Do not seek shelter facilities or food in soup kitchens when you are homeless and hungry.
21. Do not apply for educational or job training assistance when you lose your job.
22. Do not apply for food stamps when you can’t feed your children.
23. Do not use the judiciary system for any reason.
24. Do not ask for an attorney when you are arrested and do not ask for one to be assigned to you by the court.
25. Do not apply for any Pell Grants.
26. Do not use cures that were discovered by labs using federal dollars.
27. Do not fly on federally regulated airplanes.

And, of course, there are more. 102 in all.

Stuff to think about.
~~~

Friday cat blogging!

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

Very, very, very excellent snark

This:

I apologize for my mistake. To not do so would be irresponsible ... that would undermine the very integrity and credibility that I work so hard to pretend to care about.

-- Jon Stewart, TV host, after nonpartisan fact checker PolitiFact declared his statements about Fox News viewers false
~~~

Absolutely fascinating

I didn't know half of this stuff (it's about cheap, safe, eco-friendly cook stoves for developing countries):

Small - both beautiful and eco-friendly

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

Are you at all familiar with the "tiny house" movement? I think it's very impressive indeed. Mind you, although I have lived in very small spaces in the past, these days I really appreciate having a bit more space (especially with my four animals). But I have great respsect for those people who manage to get rid of most of their stuff and, thereby, hugely reduce their ecological footprint.

Here's a blog dedicated to the movement:

Tiny House Blog

~~~

The importance of context

First of all, here's your headline:

Jon Stewart Was Right About Fox 'News' Viewers Being the Most Misinformed Citizens

Next, I want to offer a comment that was made to the article:

My father used to tell me this story: A group of visitors to the Museum of Natural History were shown a triptych painting of a caveman, covered by a curtain. As the curtain was opened, with the left and right of the canvas still covered, it revealed a hostile, slathering savage with fire in his eyes and a stone spear extending menacingly from his hairy hands. The crowd gasped and later reported having feelings of being threatened by the man. The curtain, however continued to open revealing a raging sabretooth cat on the left and a frightened woman and child cowering behind the caveman on the right. That story stuck with me because it was my father's way, a liberal civil liberties lawyer from the Eisenhower 50s, of explaining to look closely and then look again even closer to find the truth. I don't need to tell you how Fox News would manipulate this same "picture"---in fact, they give the news this type of short shrift everyday and anyone can observe it happening a dozen times an hour on their "fair and balanced" network..

What a vivid and effective illustration.
~~~

That wall of separation

It's been said that we are all entitled to our own opinions but not to our own facts. This is so wearying. I well remember when fundamentalists were adamant about the separation of church and state. It's hard to understand how that changed so much:

I completely agree with the points made UNTIL the gentlemen made fun of people's concerns about being micro-chipped. I think that is a very sinister idea indeed - whether it's the "mark of the Beast" or not.

~~~

Sunday art blogging

Artist: August Macke

Image from Wikimedia Commons

Oh, what a headline

Here you go:

Michele Bachmann Makes Dubya Look Good

Did we ever think it was possible?

It's a short opinion piece. Just click through and read the whole thing, okay?
~~~

A man of integrity

And a Republican to boot:

I think I'm doing the right thing. It's the appropriate thing — and if the public respects that, I'm grateful. If they don't, then I move on.

-- Roy J. McDonald, New York State Republican Senator, indicating that he would vote to legalize same-sex marriage in New York; his vote brings the senate within one vote of passing the bill

He has my complete respect on this one.
~~~

Friday cat blogging!

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

Here you go:

(Hat tip to Lisa Casey at All Hat No Cattle)

Oh, this is rich:

Truly excellent snark

In all seriousness, I've wondered about this for some time now:

The first Republican presidential debate was held on Monday night. Seven Republican presidential candidates got together to agree on how much they dislike the government they would like to run. Imagine if you did that in a job interview.

– Jimmy Kimmel

(Hat tip to Lisa Casey over at All Hat No Cattle)
~~~

Gender differences (?) and sex scandals

Well, this is certainly interesting:

“The shorthand of it is that women run for office to do something, and men run for office to be somebody,” said Debbie Walsh, director of the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. “Women run because there is some public issue that they care about, some change they want to make, some issue that is a priority for them, and men tend to run for office because they see this as a career path.”

It's a quotation from an article by Amanda Marcotte. Mind you, Marcotte disagrees with Walsh. Click through if you want to explore the issues involved a bit.
~~~

A truly important headline

This one:

Why the Right-Wing's Denial of Science May Screw All of Us

Here's a little excerpt (not that any of this is new to you):

The other day [Rick Santorum] told Rush Limbaugh "the idea that man… is somehow responsible for climate change is, I think, just patently absurd." He went on to call it a left-wing conspiracy, "just an excuse for more government control of your life… I’ve never been for any scheme or even accepted the junk science behind the whole narrative."

And this man is running for president.

And here's one of the comments:

Ultimately the failure is in our inability to understand that fixing one thing does not fix all things. The science of Ecology is about understanding relationships and inter-dependencies. However, when it is filtered through our two dimensional lense of "find a problem and solve it" we deny the very existence of inter-dependence. Capitalism is the worst system in this regard since it is built on opportunism and short-term goal achievement. So we clean the rivers but leave the coal fired plants alone. Then we clean (a little bit) the coal plants but leave the dependency on automobiles alone. We "solve" the ozone layer hole but fail to appreciate the way the whole global greenhouse is causing global ice failure. Since we cannot change our paradigm, we ultimately fail as a species. Welcome to the last great extinction on earth - our own. Game over.

It's enough to make a person really depressed. (To put it mildly.)
~~~

Sunday art blogging

Artist: William Zorach

Image from Wikimedia Commons

Sad, actually

Ain't this the truth?

We all operate in two contrasting modes, which might be called open and closed. The open mode is more relaxed, more receptive, more exploratory, more democratic, more playful and more humorous. The closed mode is the tighter, more rigid, more hierarchical, more tunnel-visioned. Most people, unfortunately spend most of their time in the closed mode.

— John Cleese

Finally

a Republican who's not afraid to state the obvious:

I believe the world's getting warmer.

-- Mitt Romney, Republican presidential candidate, reaffirming his belief that climate change is real and that humans are contributing to it in the first town-hall meeting of his campaign, held in New Hampshire
~~~

Military spending

Well, now. This is refreshing:

The days of unlimited growth in defense budgets are over. We must be highly disciplined in how we spend the taxpayers' precious resources.

- Leon Panetta, CIA director, whom President Obama has nominated to be the next Defense Secretary, speaking at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee
~~~

This just makes SO much sense:

And here's what the REAL "death panels" are like:

Friday cat blogging!

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

A way to end war

From a blog post entitled God Called - He Wants His Campaign Back! the following is offered:

My Dad, a long time ago, had an idea for an anti-war movie, wherein everyone who wanted to work for the government sort of volunteered, and if they decided to have a war with someone, only the folks who were at the highest level of government (Congress, the President and his Cabinet) would suffer or die, and it would be a totally random event within a few minutes of the war being declared. One guy would get a fast acting poison injected and die, another would lose the use of an arm, an eye, or both legs, another would catch some horrible, non-communicative disease that would ruin his/her life forever, but no one - not one of them - would escape totally unscathed. All would end up psychologically scarred in some way, either through drugs or via some physical effect.

Unlike now.

Very powerful. If it worked this way, the powers that be would learn other ways of solving our problems besides war very quickly.
~~~

That arc that bends toward justice

This is how it's done:

But try as they might, they could not break her spirit, they could not make her bitter, they could not defeat her love.

-- Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, on Albertina Sisulu, who was widely considered to be the mother of South Africa's liberation struggle; she died on Sunday at age 92

I so very glad she lived to see "the new South Africa" come into being.
~~~

How to fix the economy

Put money in the hands of people who will actually spend it.

Check out this post over on Democratic Underground:

There is only one thing that can unfuck the economy. Only one.

It's brief. And it makes a huge amount of sense.
~~~

Why the Patriot Act is so, so wrong

Ha!

Friday cat blogging!

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

South Africa's big mistake

At least somebody there sees it:

Once Walmart enters your economic system, it's like having a really strong and virulent weed or fish. They come in and totally change the environment, and other species die out.

-- Seeraj Mohamed of Johannesburg's University of the Witwatersrand, on the multinational corporation's arrival in South Africa
~~~

The end of an era

Yes, I think so too:

It's sad to see her land for the last time.

-- Mark Kelly, upon the return of the Endeavour space shuttle after its last mission; Kelly, whose wife Representative Gabrielle Giffords was shot in Tucson, Ariz., earlier this year, piloted the final mission.
~~~

Our low taxes and being a "bad politician"

Oh, I SO agree with this:

Blogging interruption

I'll be back soon, folks. I just have a lot going on right now and am a bit tired out. I'll be back Friday at the latest.

Blessings to all!

~~~

Memorial Day, 2011

Oh, my goodness; just watch it, please:

So much for civil liberty

This saddens me greatly:

It's an important tool for us to continue dealing with an ongoing terrorist threat.

- President Obama, after he signed into law a four-year extension of the Patriot Act, post–Sept. 11 powers to search records and conduct wiretaps in pursuit of terrorists

Mr. President, what part of "The terrorists have won," don't you understand?

By the way, the so-called "Patriot Act" allows much more egregious violations of civil liberties than the ones mentioned above. But that's Time Magazine's description - not mine.
~~~

Ya think?

Good grief:

This is a blatant attempt to sexualize women.

-- Janice Forsyth, director of the International Centre for Olympic Studies at the University of Western Ontario, after it was ruled that women must wear skirts to play badminton at the elite level

Skirts???? For Olympic athletes? Required?

Absolutely ridiculous.
~~~

Friday cat blogging!

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

Tornadoes

Here's an Alternet headline I want you to see:

Killer Tornadoes: How Devastating Extreme Weather Is Linked to Human-Caused Climate Change

And here's one paragraph from someone being interviewed:

BILL McKIBBEN: Sure. Look, what’s happening is we’re making the earth a more dynamic and violent place. That’s, in essence, what global warming is about. We’re trapping more of the sun’s energy in this narrow envelope of atmosphere, and that’s now expressing itself in many way. We don’t know for sure that any particular tornado comes from climate change. There have always been tornadoes. We do know that we’re seeing epic levels of thunderstorm activity, of flooding, of drought, of all the things that climatologists have been warning us about.

Will we ever wake up and confront what is happening?
~~~

Good God. What are they THINKING?

Senate Republicans Vote Overwhelmingly To End Medicare

Just go read it. It's short.
~~~

Definitely the quote of the day (last night)

This:

Kathy Hochul's victory tonight is a tribute to Democrats' commitment to preserve and strengthen Medicare, create jobs, and grow our economy," Pelosi said. "And it sends a clear message that will echo nationwide: Republicans will be held accountable for their vote to end Medicare.

-- Nancy Pelosi

~~~

Well, this is an eye opener:

Thanks to Rhonda S. for sending this in.
~~~

Taking America to a dark place

This morning I'd like to recommend a very brief article that I found over at Alternet. Here's the headline:

I Was a Right-Wing Evangelical Pastor -- Until I Saw the Light

Here's a brief excerpt:

I want you to know that the fundamentalist political movement is the beginning of a cultural revolution that will take our nation to a very dark place. You have to understand that this has been methodically planned and is being carried out with the utmost vigilance. In accordance with their worldview, my old friends do not in the least care about what you think. They are against democracy, and they are seeking to end the rule of the majority in our great country.

They truly believe that if you have not been “saved,” you are living under a curse and are incapable of knowing what is best and that because of this you should be ruled over. You should also know they do not believe that even centuries-old Christian communities (Catholics, Anglicans, Greek Orthodox, etc.) are “saved,” only those who think like they do.

You might be thinking that a minority fundamentalist group of zealots can’t really take over the direction of a society. Just look at Iran, or the countless other places where people have allowed this to happen.

This is a message from the "inside" people. Others have told us before; this is just one more voice - a voice to which we ought to listen, in my humble opinion.

~~~

VERY clever:

Excellent:

Fox "News" and Palin

This really isn't hugely surprising:

Fox News Chief Roger Ailes Thinks Sarah Palin Is 'Stupid': New York Magazine

It's a very short piece. Just click on through and read it.

~~~

Oh, ouch!

Today's CNN QuickVote

Hmmm. Sounds about right:

Are you worried about the doomsday predictions?

No

95%

Yes

5%

~~~

Sad, really:

RomneyCare

The headline is from The Onion, okay? But still, it strikes very close to home:

Mitt Romney Haunted By Past Of Trying To Help Uninsured Sick People

Here's how it gets started:

Though Mitt Romney is considered to be a frontrunner for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, the national spotlight has forced him to repeatedly confront a major skeleton in his political closet: that as governor of Massachusetts he once tried to help poor, uninsured sick people.

Romney, who signed the state's 2006 health care reform act, has said he "deeply regrets" giving people in poor physical and mental health the opportunity to seek medical attention, admitting that helping very sick people get better remains a dark cloud hovering over his political career, and his biggest obstacle to becoming president of the United States of America.

Now, lest anybody get all in a dither about this, it's satire, folks.

And it's making a powerful point all the same.
~~~

And it's the right thing, too

I refer to this:

Catholic Church in Florida Planning to Pray For Osama bin Laden

And, predictably, people are outraged.

I don't see how they can justify their objections, however. Take a look:

But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you (Luke 6:27-28).

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse (Romans 12:14).

Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing (1 Peter 3:9).

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Romans 12:17-21).

I'm quoting the Bible, folks.

It is a Christian imperative to love and pray for one's enemies. It just is. I don't care how outraged you are. The love of one's enemies is central to the Christian religion.
~~~

Headline of the day

This article is by Frank Schaeffer and he knows whereof he speaks:

Insider: "The Christian Right is Aiming to Destroy All Things Public"

I don't understand this; I really don't.

Here's one paragraph toward the end:

The price for the Religious Right’s wholesale idolatry of private everything was that Christ’s reputation was tied to a cynical union-busting political party owned by billionaires. It only remained for a Far Right Republican- appointed majority on the Supreme Court to rule in 2010 that unlimited corporate money could pour into political campaigns— anonymously—in a way that clearly favored corporate America and the superwealthy, who were now the only entities served by the Republican Party.

I really recommend that you read the whole article. It's excerpted from Frank Schaeffer's recent book entitled Sex, Mom, and God: How the Bible's Strange Take on Sex Led to Crazy Politics--And How I Learned to Love Women (and Jesus) Anyway. How's THAT for a title?
~~~

Predictable, really

This:

Ultimately ... business is my greatest passion, and I am not ready to leave the private sector.

-- DONALD TRUMP, real estate mogul, announcing that he would not run for president; he also said he "maintain[ed] the strong conviction that if I were to run, I would be able to win the primary and ultimately, the general election"

Gosh. So he manages to be both a quitter and an ego-freak at the same time.
~~~