The Wingnut Murder Machine Is Back

The rightwing hate machine finally hit top gear today, with the cold-blooded murder of Dr. George Tiller, while attending church in Wichita, KS:

George Tiller, one of only a few doctors in the nation who performed abortions late in pregnancy, was shot to death here Sunday in the foyer of his longtime church as he handed out the church bulletin.

The authorities said they took a man into custody later in the day after pulling him over on Interstate 35 in Johnson County, Kan., near Kansas City. They said they expected to charge him with murder on Monday.

The Wichita police said there were several witnesses to the killing, but the law enforcement officials would not say what had been said, if anything, inside the foyer. Officials offered little insight into the motive, saying that they believed it was “the act of an isolated individual” but that they were also looking into “his history, his family, his associates.”

The MSM has almost universally described Dr. Tiller as an "abortion doctor." Abortion doctor, my ass. Dr. Tiller provided much-needed health services to women, and to describe him solely as an "abortion doctor" is demeaning and offensive to the late doctor, his many patients, and to pro-choice advocates everywhere.

Also, "isolated individual" my ass. Dr. Tiller's murderer has a past history of violence towards pro-choice advocates and facilities. The alleged assailant, one Scott Roeder of Merriam, KS, has a prior record of general wingnuttery and violence:

"July 7, [1997], Kansas: Scott Roeder is sentenced to sixteen months in state prison for parole violations following a 1996 conviction for having bomb components in his car trunk. Roeder, a sovereign citizen and tax protester, violated his parole by not filing tax returns or providing his social security number to his employer"

[...]a bombmaker, tax protester, member of the "sovereignity" movement, anti-abortion zealot and Operation Rescue member: the arrested suspect manages to fit every stereotype of right-wing militia teabagger.

And it's not like the wingnuts hadn't had Dr. Tiller in their sights for years, either:

Tiller and his clinic have faced continuous threats and lawsuits.

A Wichita jury ruled in March that he was not guilty of illegal abortion on 19 criminal charges he faced for allegedly violating a state law requiring an "independent" second physician's concurring opinion before performing later term abortions. Immediately following the ruling in this criminal case, the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts made public a similar complaint against Tiller that was originally filed in December 2008.

Protesters blockaded Tiller's clinic during Operation Rescue's "Summer of Mercy" protests during the summer of 1991, and Tiller was shot by Rachelle Shannon at his clinic in 1993. Tiller was wounded in both arms, and Shannon remains in prison for the shooting.

The clinic was bombed in June 1986, and was severely vandalized in May. His lawyer said wires to security cameras and outdoor lights were cut and that the vandals also cut through the roof and plugged the buildings' downspouts. Rain poured through the roof and caused thousands of dollars of damage in the clinic. Tiller reportedly asked the FBI to investigate the incident.

Meanwhile, red state hate began pouring in almost before the doctor's body was cold. From Red State, via Crooks & Liars:

Killing Tiller was the ethical thing to do

tankertodd Sunday, May 31st at 2:25PM EDT (link)

I can’t help but to follow the logic. “Doctor” Tiller is committing late-term abortions, which by any sane person’s calculation is infanticide. This is murder. Through perversion of the law, this is permitted, despite it flying the face of the history of civilization. This has been tolerated for two decades, and nothing has happened to stop the killing. He would have continued to commit this crime.

I can’t escape the conclusion that killing Tiller was the right thing to do. I am uncomfortable with this conclusion because it’s dangerous. But nevertheless, it was the ethical thing to do. Tiller would have continued to take numerous lives. Nothing was going to stop him. So someone did stop him. And now fewer lives will be taken.

We celebrate the breaking the laws every time the media canonizes Rosa Parks. She broke the law. There is no question of that. The question is whether it was the ethical thing to do (it was.) We celebrate the Nazi resistance, we celebrate the Tiananmen Square uprising. I’m sure those were all illegal actions, yet were unquestionably the moral things to do. So how would killing a killer, when all options are exhausted, not also be the right thing to do?

You have to wonder if the reason why we have a legal system is in order to steal the oxygen from moral vigilantism. You have to wonder if the legal system breaks down whether vigilantism, when all other options fail, becomes a moral imperative.

———————————
The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race - Chief Justice Roberts

Oh, yeah, very christian of you. Roeder isn't an "isolated individual," he's another far-right crazy asshole who thinks that abortion is murder, but shooting a doctor in church is okay. Remember in the Nineties, when we had other wingnut assholes like Timothy McVeigh, Eric Rudolph, and others? Except now, we have full-blown crazies like Glenn Beck egging these lunatics on, imbecilic "tea parties" sponsored by rightwing media and full of clueless, stupid sheep, and an obese, oxycontin-addicted megalomaniac as the de facto head of the Republican party.

I think it's just about time for progressives to start saying "never again."

UPDATE: In the wake of the Tiller murder, Attorney General Eric Holder has directed U.S. Marshals to begin protecting abortion clinics and doctors across the country:

AG Holder's statement:

"The murder of Doctor George Tiller is an abhorrent act of violence, and his family is in our thoughts and prayers at this tragic moment. Federal law enforcement is coordinating with local law enforcement officials in Kansas on the investigation of this crime, and I have directed the United States Marshals Service to offer protection to other appropriate people and facilities around the nation. The Department of Justice will work to bring the perpetrator of this crime to justice. As a precautionary measure, we will also take appropriate steps to help prevent any related acts of violence from occurring."

Now, if only he'd pull Fox's licenses while he's at it.....

Petraeus Admits It: Torture Violates the Geneva Conventions

Gen. Patraeus said on FAUX News today that the United States did in fact violate the Geneva Conventions by torturing prisoners. Crooks and Liars has the video:

MacCallum: So is sending this signal that we're not going to use these kind of techniques anymore, what kind of impact does this have on people who do us harm in the field that you operate in?

Gen. Petraeus: Well, actually what I would ask is, does that not take away from our enemies a tool which again have beaten us around the head and shoulders in the court of public opinion? When we have taken steps that have violated the Geneva Conventions, we rightly have been criticized, so as we move forward I think it's important to again live our values, to live the agreements that we have made in the international justice arena and to practice those.

About time! Hey Cheney, what view from your prison cell would you like?

Confusion To Our Enemies!

The GOP Circular Firing Squad is in full array today, as the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor causes a widening split in the party ranks:

After a week of escalating race and gender rhetoric from the right over the Sotomayor nomination, it's now looking like some in the Republican Party -- those concerned with actually getting elected -- have become alarmed by the political damage the more extreme members of their party may be doing and are moving to rein in the vitriol. It's the starkest example yet of an interesting division within the right, one that has been apparent for some time, but which the Sotomayor nomination has not only crystalized but accelerated: the right-wing bomb-throwers obsessed with ideological purity versus the right-wing pragmatists who want the party to actually win election again some day.

This nomination has the GOP in a tizzy. Should they start a virtual all-out race war, as Limbaugh and Gingrich have called for, or should they play it cool, as Steele and Cornyn advise, and not piss off the huge Hispanic vote? I can hear the "What to do, what to do?! Pander to the base, or pander to the Hispanic voters?" I'm loving it! The native stupidity and racism of the Rethugs finally is on full display. It's like turning on a light, and watching all the roaches suddenly scurry away.

Personally, I give a tip of my hat to President Obama, for selecting the one person for this vacancy on the Court who could give the Rethugs apoplexy, a nomination that will help to weaken and expose an already-wounded political party that's sorely lacking in new ideas and new faces. I mean, really: Steele and Cornyn on the same side? Cornyn attacking FatAss Limbaugh? Gingrich and Limbaugh teaming up, with Tancredo metaphorically on the sidelines, yelling at the officials?

I'm getting a bag of popcorn and settling in to watch the melee....this is great!

He's Back!

Shrub finally speaks up in the torture debate:

Former President George W. Bush on Thursday repeated Dick Cheney's assertion that their enhanced interrogation program was legal and garnered valuable information that prevented future terrorist attacks.

In his largest domestic speech since leaving the White House in January, Bush told an audience in southwestern Michigan that after the September 11 attacks, "I vowed to take whatever steps that were necessary to protect you."

Although he did not specifically allude to the high-profile debate over President Obama's decision to halt the use harsh interrogation techniques, and without referencing Cheney by name, Bush spoke in broad strokes about how he proceeded after the capture of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in March 2003.

"The first thing you do is ask, what's legal?" he said. "What do the lawyers say is possible? I made the decision, within the law, to get information so I can say to myself, 'I've done what it takes to do my duty to protect the American people.' I can tell you that the information we got saved lives."

But Bush avoided the sharp tone favored by his former vice president in recent weeks, and went out of his way to stress that he does not want to disparage the new president.

"Nothing I am saying is meant to criticize my successor," Bush said. "There are plenty of people who have weighed in. Trust me, having seen it firsthand. I didn't like it when a former president criticized me, so therefore I am not going to criticize my successor. I wish him all the best."

When will one of these wingnuts (besides Erich "Mancow" Muller) try out waterboarding, and see for themselves if it's really torture or not? Why is is that every SERE graduate who's come forth says that it's torture? And when can I waterboard Bush, Cheney, et al?

The Rage of Angry White Men

The rantings against Sonia Sotomayor from the "Old Frightened White Male" contingent of the Republican party continues. BarbinMN at DailyKos observes:

We have Rush Limbaugh:

"She's got a -- she's an angry woman, she's got a -- she's a bigot. She's a racist."

Newt Gingrich goes the extra mile, and tweets his accusation from Auschwitz:

"White man racist nominee would be forced to withdraw. Latina woman racist should also withdraw."

Pat Buchanan spews on MSNBC:

"She is also an affirmative action pick, Chris."

And from Tom Tancredo:

"I’m telling you she appears to be a racist. She said things that are racist in any other context."

So, what did Sotomayor say? Basically the same thing (although much more eloquently) that Samuel Alito said at his own confirmation hearing; that while it is a judge's job to apply the law, one cannot help but be shaped by one's own life experiences.

Really, they need to stop; the fear and anger is palpable. These guys are so frightened that someone different from them might be appointed to the Supreme Court that they're losing their minds, hitting every panic button they can. "Racist?" Who do they think they're kidding? What they're actually doing is securing the Southwest for the Democrats for the next forty years. Keep up the good work, guys!

Connecting the Dots

After today's historic nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, I struggled to find the right lead. Of course, Judge Sotomayor is eminently qualified, intelligent, moderate-to-liberal, and my President's choice, but there's something else, something that, in the midst of the wingnut attack machine gearing up, made me smile.

Norm Coleman says he's "going to be reviewing her record after (he's) reelected"!

*LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL*

Cheney

My contempt, anger, and disgust for this man knows no bounds, yet today he managed to sink even lower in my opinion. Cheney......ARRGH! When will this "man" (for I fully believe that upon his bodily death, a dark, bat-winged shadow will lift from his body and depart for the nether regions that it calls home) be gone?! My keyboard even feels dirtier just blogging about him.

Therefore, I'm going to let Keith Olbermann's Special Comment from Countdown tonight say it all for me. Watch all of it, it's worth it:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Yes, "in the Name of God, GO!" And maybe some garlic, sage, and holy water might help persuade him, too.

The Only Logical Solution For A Non-Existent Problem

From Batocchio via digsby:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON, DC – Seeking to quell fears of terrorists somehow breaking out of America's top-security prisons and wreaking havoc on the defenseless heartland, President Barack Obama moved quickly to announce an Anti-Terrorist Strike Force headed by veteran counterterrorism agent Jack Bauer and mutant superhero Wolverine. Already dubbed a "dream team," their appointment is seen by experts as a crucial step in reducing the mounting incidents of national conservatives and congressional Democrats crapping their pants.

"I believe a fictional threat is best met with decisive fictional force," explained President Obama. "Jack Bauer and Wolverine are among the very best we have when in comes to combating fantasy foes." Mr. Bauer said, "We're quite certain that our prisons are secure. Osama bin Laden and his agents wouldn't dare attempt a break-out, and would fail miserably if they tried. But I love this country. And should Lex Luthor, Magneto or the Loch Ness Monster attack, we'll be there to stop them."

The move has already earned widespread praise, and veteran columnist David Broder hailed the bipartisan nature of the team. But not all were convinced. House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) scoffed, "I thought the president was a Spiderman guy. And what a surprise that a Canadian would use knives on his hands versus a good ol' fashioned American Uzi."

Mr. Wolverine, who also goes by Logan, responded, "What's wrong with Canada? I fought alongside Captain America in World War II, bub. I'm happy to help out."

Some critics have expressed concerns as to whether Mr. Bauer is the best choice to counter the potential threat of a super-villain such as Magneto, a dinosaur stampede or an alien invasion. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs responded that while Bauer lacks conventional super-powers, he can withstand extreme amounts of pain, has near infallible judgment, can teleport across Los Angeles and Washington D.C. at will, and can go 24 hours without sleep or relieving his bladder.

Should the task of protecting the country prove too difficult for the super-agent and super-hero on their own, Crime-Fightin' Jesus has offered to lend a hand "in a pinch," although he says he would rather spend his time helping the poor "if at all possible." Republicans insist that a law-enforcement approach to terrorism is ineffective.

The Kimberly-Clark Corporation, manufacturers of Depends adult diapers, has already come out strongly against the announcement of the Bauer-Wolverine dream team, claiming that their increased sales are helping spur the nation's economic recovery. Republican Newt Gingrich also condemned the president's actions. "President Obama seems to think that crapping one's pants is a bad thing somehow," said the former Speaker of the House, "but crapping one's pants is what this country was founded on. The Reagan Revolution wouldn't have happened without fear of evil Soviets and welfare queens. And say what you will about President Bush, he kept this country crapping its pants for seven long years after 9/11."

The White House declined to comment.

I don't think John Boehner can come up with anything better, either!

Bullshit Artists On Both Sides Of The Aisle

Senate Democrats joined Republicans in blocking funds necessary to shut down the American gulag detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay. What the hell? Do they realize how bad this makes us look to the rest of the world? Were they listening to panicking Repubs worrying about "terrorists on our streets"? Do they care about making their President look like a liar and a chump?

The vote was 90-6, with only Durbin (D-IL), Harkin (D-IA), Leahy (D-VT), Levin (D-MI), Reed (D-RI), and Whitehouse (D-RI) voting "Nay", with Byrd (D-WV), Kennedy (D-MA), Rockefeller (D-WV) not voting. So what, the two rich guys and the ex-Klansman were the only ones in the entire U.S. Senate that had a pair?

This is infuriating. Are these idiots saying, as Josh Marshall opined, that "we don't trust the Federal Bureau of Prisons to keep us safe"? WTF? The same people that can safely and securely jail Charles Manson, the Unibomber, Timothy McVeigh, and assorted rapist killer cannibals, can't hold a few Arabs? Gimme a break!

Below, Jon Stewart rightly gives Senate Dems some flack:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M - Th 11p / 10c
Guantanamo Baywatch - The Final Season
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Michele Bachmann Is A Stupid & Crazy Bitch (Part 1,979 of a continuing series)

Michele Bachmann once again displays how she's sharp like a butter knife, this time losing a battle of wits over ACORN with Barney Frank:



Honest to g-d, between her and Michael Steele, it's a full-time comedy review over at the Repugs!

An Update & A "I Told You So" For Norm

I've been AWOL lately, reading the torture memos. Not fun, but I wanted to know what I was talking about before I wrote on the matter. However, life rolls on, and weasels get into more trouble, as I predicted earlier:

FBI agents in Minnesota have begun asking questions about the relationship between former U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman and a close friend and donor, according to a Minnesota source to whom the agents talked.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, said the "main topic" of the two agents' questions surrounded an allegation that Bloomington financier Nasser Kazeminy paid for suits and other items Coleman and his wife shopped for at Neiman-Marcus in Minneapolis.

Apparently, the FBI isn't going to wait until the end of the near-endless Coleman/RNC legal shenanigans to start investigating him. As I reported earlier, at one time it appeared that the feds wanted to wait until the Franken-Coleman trials ended to begin an expansion of their investigation into this corrupt former senator. Now it seems that they just aren't willing to wait any longer. Great! And hey, federales, find out who paid for his teeth and his nose job too, willya?

"Can I Vomit Now?"

Miss California? "Bitch, please!" David Shuster nails it in this video from MSNBC:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

"The only jumping off point is jumping off a cliff if you really believe that people at these pageants have anything worthwhile to say to the rest of us," Shuster responded. "If you really believe that, then that's your jumping off point and I suggest you jump off the cliff, because this is as superficial as you'll ever see."

Honestly, I could give a rat's ass about Carrie Prejean, but one salient point needs to be made: "freedom of speech" also means that I have the freedom to tell you that you're full of shit. Carrie Prejean doesn't seem to understand that. Also, I've long suspected that Contessa Brewer wasn't the brightest bulb on the tree--now I know.

Franken to MN Supremes: "I Won Fair & Square"

Al Franken's lawyers today told the Minnesota Supreme Court that Norm Coleman has no case, and that Franken should be awarded the election certificate for the U.S. Senate:

In responding to Republican Norm Coleman's appeal, Franken denied that variations in the way counties handled absentee ballots denied some voters' constitutional rights.

"The different procedures were consistent with the different resources, personnel and technology available to each county and city," Franken said in a document filed with the Supreme Court.

Franken also said Coleman's lawyers never adequately raised a constitutional due process argument during seven weeks of court testimony during the trial.

Coleman claimed during closing arguments a due process violation because the three-judge panel that heard the case imposed different standards for counting ballots than were used during the election and recount.

Normie, John Cornyn, and the GOP conspiracy (can't call them a national party, they don't think that they are one themselves) may be willing to keep Minnesotans from having their constitutionally mandated number of senators, but I'm hoping the the state Supreme Court doesn't agree with them. Michael Steele can yammer all he wants, but he's a dead man walking anyway, so his opinion counts for nothing. As for Limbaugh, well, I haven't heard anything from him, but I don't make a habit of listening to his belching anyway, and he counts for less than something I'd scrape off the bottom of my boots, in this matter.

So it comes down to Pawlenty, and T-Paw will either have to obey an order from the Minnesota Supreme Court, or nakedly admit that he's just a tool of the party, and doesn't give a damn about Minnesota. Pawlenty thinks he has a chance for the 2012 nomination, and he's likely still smarting from losing the VP nod to Sarah Palin, so which way he'll go is in doubt. Personally, I think he'll sign the election certificate; he really has little choice. However, you can bet your ass that if he balks at signing the certificate, he'll be seeing me outside his window with a big sign saying "Sign The Papers!" every damn night.

This crap has gone on for far too long, but one positive result of it has been that almost everyone in the state uniformly hates Norm Coleman, now--even the majority of his supporters from last fall. That's worth something, I think.

Wanda Sykes Last Night

Wanda Sykes last night at the White House Correspondents Dinner. Kudos to her for giving FatAss Limbaugh hell, starting around 11:50!

CBS, Fire This Asshole!

Keith Olbermann exposes a murderous wingnut at CBS Sports:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Does this asshole think he's funny, or did he think that his offensive and derogatory comments wouldn't be heard beyond the heart of Bush Country? Wrong, dipshit! Olbermann rightly takes him to task for insulting the men and women in our military (who btw donated nearly six times as much money to Pres. Obama's presidential campaign as they did to John McCain's), as well as for his original suggestion that the Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority Leader be assassinated.

I have to ask too, how in hell is this considered "funny"? Why do far-right flakes like this guy Feherty think that it's okay, acceptable, even, to suggest that Democratic/progressive politicians and public figures be murdered, even though I've been listening them scream about "law & order" for most of the last forty years? Why are statements like this--or like the Coultergeist's many books and speeches suggesting that liberals be murdered--tolerated? And where is the Secret Service and CBS management? Fire this treasonous bastard, then throw him in Leavenworth!

This isn't funny, not one damn bit. And Feherty, if you ever find yourself in an elevator with me, watch your ass.

Tired of Government Interference in Your Life?

Escape from all that pesky government interference on your next vacation:

Jeff Sessions and the Decline of the GOP

Lately I've been thinking about the rise of Sen. Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III to the position of ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee, making him the point person for the GOP assault on Pres. Obama's Supreme Court nomination. Frankly, I can't imagine a worse pick for this position, and I have to marvel again at the GOP circular firing squad's wonderful efficiency. How someone with Jeff Sessions' odious history ever got this high in the party is itself a telling indication of how far out of the mainstream the goposaurs have become. Sessions' racist past and his far-right voting record would seem to be ideal.....for the Democrats to use against the GOP. What were they thinking?

I'm not the only one wondering about this. Publius at Obsidian Wings explores the roots of how the GOP lost their way:

In the 1960s, both parties were in flux. The Democrats had traditionally been the racist party, while the Republicans had been far supportive of civil rights. But then both parties made a fateful choice. The Democratic Party – and its base – decided to support and fight for civil rights. It also made a lasting, long-term commitment to equality, and has actively embraced and promoted diversity for the past 40 years.

The Republican Party – institutionally, that is – went a different way. They adopted the Southern Strategy. They demagogued welfare queens. More generally, the party was institutionally hostile to laws and regulations and practices intended to correct centuries of state-sanctioned discrimination. To people like John Roberts, the world apparently began anew in 1964.

For years, the Republicans benefited from this choice. Nixon won. Reagan won. The South shifted to the GOP, giving it nearly 12 years of Congressonal control. Times were good.

But the checks are now coming due. The Democrats are beginning to see the benefits of the choices they made in the 1960s – the choices they remained firmly committed to over the years. Demographically, the country is getting less white. Individually, the most promising young African-American candidates and officials (people like Obama, Artur Davis, and Deval Patrick) are all firmly within the Democratic Party. Indeed, an entire generation of African-Americans have come of political age knowing nothing but hostility from Republicans and loyalty from Democrats.

Admittedly, Obama is an once-in-a-generation political talent. And I’m not taking anything away from him. But his rise must be seen in the larger context of the institutional commitment that the United States (and the Democratic Party specifically) made to diversity.

Jeff Sessions' ascension is another symptom of an isolated, out-of-touch, and rapidly becoming irrelevant political party. Why is anyone surprised that this man will be the face of the GOP in the coming battle for the next Supreme Cuurt justice?

Pics That Make Bill O'Reilly's Head Explode

Senator-Elect Al Franken meeting with Vice President Joe Biden:

MINNEAPOLIS [05/06/09] - This afternoon, Senator-elect Al Franken visited the White House to meet with Vice President Biden. Franken updated the Vice President on the state of Minnesota's second U.S. Senate seat, and discussed the administration's agenda and its potential benefits for the people of Minnesota. Franken was accompanied by his wife, Franni.

From the "You Can't Make This Stuff Up" Dept.

James Dobson campaigns against...necrophilia?

Right Wing Watch posted a new video of James Dobson (he said he was going away in February), who has reemerged to bail water out of the sinking ship of the religious right. Dobson returns with a message for his minions.

It says, in part: "As I'm recording this video greeting, there's a so-called hate crimes bill that's working its way through the congress that contains no adequate safeguards to protect the preaching of God's word. Because the liberals in Congress would not define sexual orientation, we have to assume that protection under the law will be extended to the 30 sexual disorders identified as such by the American Psychiatric Association. Let me identify some of them: bisexuality, exhibitionism, fetishism, incest, necrophilia, pedophilia, prostitution, sexual masochism, voyeurism, and bestiality. Those are just a few. And I have to ask, have we gone completely mad?"

Wow-whee, I didn't think Dobson knew what necrophilia was! And with everything that's going on--two wars, an economy in deep recession, crumbling infrastructure, global warming, the prospect of nuclear terrorism, peak oil, the widening gap between the haves and the have-nots, and the inability of the Chicago Cubs to win a World Series more than once a century--this is what he's worried about??

Yes, Dobson and the wingers have gone completely mad.

Joe the Plumber on Homosexuality and Gay Marriage

Not-Joe the not-Plumber in Christianity Today:

I personally still think it's wrong. People don't understand the dictionary—it's called queer. Queer means strange and unusual. It's not like a slur, like you would call a white person a honky or something like that. You know, God is pretty explicit in what we're supposed to do—what man and woman are for. Now, at the same time, we're supposed to love everybody and accept people, and preach against the sins. I've had some friends that are actually homosexual. And, I mean, they know where I stand, and they know that I wouldn't have them anywhere near my children. But at the same time, they're people, and they're going to do their thing.

Hmm, he had some gay friends. What happened, I wonder? They probably got sick of his prejudices and lack of trust (this loser has kids? Who'd breed with the likes of him?). Obviously Joe is worried that his kids will catch the gay bug if they hang around them.

MSNBC's David Shuster opines:



Joe and his ilk put me in mind of Gandhi's familiar quotation: "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." What a hypocrite!

Hey, Arlen!

You're supposed to be a Democrat now, ya asshole:

In an interview with the New York Times, Specter stated in no uncertain terms that he wants Norm Coleman to win the disputed Minnesota Senate race: "There's still time for the Minnesota courts to do justice and declare Norm Coleman the winner."

Somebody needs to tell Specter that he can face a challenger in a Democratic primary, too. And btw, Sen. Specter, mind your own fucking business! Don't even try to tell me here in Minnesota who I should have--despite the decision of the voters and three counts & courts--as a senator. What's the email address for Joe Sestak's campaign, again?

UPDATE:

Well, it looks like Sen. Specter is now claiming confusion:

So was Specter somehow joking when he said he still supports Norm Coleman? A few asked. And we were curious. So Eric Kleefeld asked interviewer Deborah Solomon. And she was sure Specter meant it.

[...]The really weird thing is that you'd figure one of the biggest benefits of leaving the GOP would be not having to pretend to like Norm Coleman anymore. So the whole thing's sort of weird, right?

I think Arlan's losing it; I've rarely seen such a naked confession of addiction to power and prestige as Specter has demonstrated in the last few days. Usually congresscritters like him manage to keep that special gleam out of their eyes, but Specter hasn't concealed his true motivations from the start: he wants to keep being a Senator.

Well, as Kos said, at least we can agree with Specter that we need more Democrats in Congress. But damn, I'd kick Norm to the curb at the first opportunity!