GA Legislature Trying to Squelch Gay Student Groups

Although they do not come out and admit it, GA legislators are trying to kill gay student groups. Today's AJC has the story. Note the comments by Representative Walker, who is also a Methodist minister, at the end of the piece. I took the time to email him and have posted it here.

Dear Representative Walker-
I read with interest your comments about after-school clubs in today's AJC. However, I was not quite sure what you meant by them. Were you implying that clubs that bring together gays, lesbians and heterosexual students are not "honorable... and right for kids"? If so, I think you ought to make that clear.

I do not say that because I agree with you, but rather because the people of your district deserve a representative who is forthright with his opinions.

It is unfortunate that your homophobia so clouds your judgment that you not only condemn its existence, but seek through your actions to silence homosexuals and the heterosexuals who support them. Many young gay and lesbian children grow up in families that abhor their sexuality and school groups like the gay-straight alliance provide supportive and nurturing environments for these young people struggling through adolescence. (Gay teenagers are up to four times more likely to commit suicide than their heterosexual peers). These groups also provide an opportunity for straight people to show their support for peers and promote an environment of inclusion, which is healthy for all students.

It is sad and unfortunate to see a man of the cloth who would cast out some of God's children. But then, that is the dogma of today's Republican Party and its Religious Right base. I cannot, in good faith, believe that Jesus would be proud.

What Liberal Media??

Drop what you're doing and go read this piece from Peter Daou. It lists, with detail, numerous times where the mainstream media has sloppily swallowed the GOP spin on current events. It is part of a challenge issued by Daou to conservative bloggers that the MSM is indeed liberal and biased. As I have written before, the members of the media may be left of center personally but their reporting skews to the right (and is often driven by ham-handed attempts at neutrality). Not to mention that the corporations who own the media are predominantly right wing, and Fox is an arm of the GOP as is talk radio, etc.

sjhfjfhdjfdj^U^&^dfdfjdio#

That is about how I feel today after reading the news.

(1) GOP Senators on the intelligence committee have been cowered by Karl Rove and Big Time Dick Cheney (maybe he was wielding his girlie gun) into backing off an investigation into NSA wiretapping. This is despite polls showing most Americans believe the wiretapping was wrong and want an investigation.

(2) Girlie shooter Cheney is finally making public comments today. Guess where- on GOP propaganda outlet Faux News. You can be sure the segment will be edited/scrubbed to make Cheney look like the victim in all this, nevermind that his victim is sitting in ICU with pellet in his heart.

(3) GOP bloggers and leaders continue to refuse to distance themselves from Ann Coulter and her remarks at the CPAC conference. Of course, these same people are the first to demand that Democrats and liberals denounce everything that comes out of Michael Moore's or Harry Belafonte's mouths. The hypocrisy is astounding. But then, the GOP relies on the Racist Right to win elections.

(4) Democrat in Name Only, Henry Cuellar, wants to deputize and pay Right Wing racist militiamen known as the Minutemen. Thankfully, a real Democrat (Ciro Rodriguez) is primarying his ass. Oh, and by the way, as someone whose ancestors were REAL Minutemen, I am furious that these racist jerkoffs dare to call themselves by the same name.

Somedays I really wonder if this country will survive with its founding values intact. Ugh.

F*ck Bill Frist

Ahh.. the joys of being the Senate Majority Leader. He does not have to worry about such things as the Iraq debacle, warrantless spying on Americans, mine safety, budget deficits or anything else of actual substance. Instead, he gets to focus all of his attention on making sure those icky homosexuals cannot get married. Speaking to this year's CPAC conference, Frist promised to bring up a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage this June. Well, I suppose Frist can't spend all his time engineering backroom maneuvers to protect pharmaceutical companies from product liability suits.

Of course, this is an election year. So, I suppose we really shouldn't be surprised that Bill Frist is more interested in throwing red meat to the bigoted GOP base than to solving actual problems in America.

Lenny the Foster Dog

This is Lenny, our latest foster dog. He's back at the shelter this week because we are just too busy to take care of two dogs. Believe it or not, this little guy is part chihuahua and part sheltie.










Of course, I had to throw in a pic of Sophie, too. She is a sheltie and rough collie mix and 100% royalty (at least in this condo).

Deadeye Dick?

Well, not only did the senile codger known as our VP shoot someone over the weekend, but he did so with a lady's gun- a 28 gauge. For those of you who are not gun-knowledgeable, a 28 gauge is the type of gun you give a girl learning to shoot. IT has virtually no recoil, as opposed to a more manly 12 gauge. Sure, some hunters will tell you the 28 gauge is a specialized gun, good for certain types of hunts, but let's be real here- it's a girl's gun for our girlie man VP.

Best snarky comment about this whole incident so far- If Cheney wanted to shoot someone he shouldn't have taken five deferments.

Same as the Old Boss, Part Deux

Not content with simply acting like Tom DeLay, new Majority Leader Boehner is bringing over at least one of the Bug Man's former staffers.

And we're still supposed to believe that things in the House will change. Monkeys might fly out of my ass first.

Hackett for Senate (OH)

After reading this MoJo profile of Paul Hackett I have to say that we need more of this type of Democrat in DC. While I'm sure that Sherrod Brown is a decent guy and all, he's no Fighting Dem. This little bit speaks volumes to the type of fighter Hackett will be--

“That’s low politics, punk!” a heavy-set man sneers as he marches toward the poll.
Hackett wheels around. “Pardon me?”
“You know, that radio ad that says, ‘You don’t know Schmidt.’” He’s talking about one of Hackett’s attack ads against Republican Jean Schmidt. The man spews a stream of epithets, and Hackett lets out a crybaby whimper: “Waaaaaaa!”
“What’s that, punk?” the big man growls.

A TV crew is setting up nearby, but Hackett doesn’t seem to care. “What’s your fuckin’ problem?” the candidate snaps. “You got something to say to me? Bring it on!” Hackett, all 6 feet 2 inches of him, is nose to nose with the heckler. “Problem?” he taunts. The man turns around and storms away.

“These guys in the Republican Party adopted this tough-guy language,” Hackett tells me, still steamed, an hour later. “They’re bullies. They’re offended when somebody takes a swing back at them.”

If you want to donate, or learn more about Hackett, go here.

(hat tip- Atrios)

Reform, GOP Style

Its' good to see that indicted former Majority Leader DeLay won't have to go back to being an ordinary member of the House. His fellow GoOPers made sure Tommy would regain his old seat on the Appropriations Committee. Not only that, but he will sit on the subcommittee that oversees the Justice Department.

Let me see if I understand this- DeLay (indicted for campaign finance violations, money laundering, etc.) is tied to Abramoff (pled guilty to fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy to bribe public officials), and both are part of the GOP's corruption problem. So, after DeLay permanently (?) steps down as Maj. Leader, he takes a seat on the committee that spends our tax dollars. And, not only that, he sits on the subcommittee that oversees the Justice Department, which is running the investigation into Abramoff.

And this is what the GOP calls good government and reform? Are the American people really stupid enough to swallow this heaping pile of horseshit?

Now He's Unemployed, He Ought to Enlist

Now that he has been forced to resign (sadly not because he put religion above science at NASA, but because he lied on his resume), maybe George Deutsch can enlist in the glorious leader's glorious war with Iraq. After all, he is only twenty-four and is a former Bush-Cheney 2004 staffer, so you know he supports the war. So, what do you say, George, will you put your money where your mouth is?

No Wonder Our Symbol is the Jackass

Seriously, why the f*ck do some Dems feel the need to critique the Party in the pages of the New York Times, and to Adam "I love to bash Dems" Nagourney no less. I guess the editorial pages of the Wall Street Journal were not available.

The most galling part of the story is this paragraph-

Since Mr. Bush's re-election, Democrats have been divided over whether to take on the Republicans in a more confrontational manner, ideologically and politically, or to move more forcefully to stake out the center on social and national security issues. They are being pushed, from the left wing of the party, to stand for what they say are the party's historical liberal values.

Honestly, the Dems in DC could not organize a f*cking fire drill at a one room schoolhouse, let alone a coherent message. The caricature of the Dems being weak-willed may not be true with respect to national security, but it is all too true in regards to their inability to fight for core values. Look, as is probably apparent by my writings on economic policy, I am far from a left wing liberal, but what I want/expect from my Party is the same as what the left wing wants- a coherent message, a spine, a set of balls and leaders willing to stand up to the Right Wing Noise Machine.

This is not a debate about left versus center within the Party, no matter how much the Liebermans and DLC jerkoffs want to make it out to be. It is about having values and speaking up for those values. I am sick and tired of wimpy Dems who search endlessly for some nebulous notion of center all the while the GOP pulls the playing field farther and farther right. All I ask is that you "leaders" stand for something.

At what point will DC Dems realize how much time they have wasted trying to figure out what to say and how to say it. It seems like these folks suffer from the schoolyard mentality, where we are told to ignore bullies or to tell an adult, but not to engage. Taking the high road in political discourse has gotten us shut out of the past three elections. It is far past the time to start fighting back.

The Piper Is Looking For His Pay

The stark reality of the BushCo. tax cut orgy is finally becoming apparent. America's five year delusional love affair with goodies for all is about to come to a screeching halt. Over the course of this administration, the federal government has gone from a surplus of just over $250 billion to a deficit of about $400 billion.

To be sure, the war on terror (and the ill advised war with Iraq) have taken up a fair chunk of change. But what has really driven the soaring deficit is BushCo's slavish devotion to tax cuts for America's most wealthy individuals. And, the proposed budget for FY 2007 is no different. In fact, Bushie is calling for tax cuts to be made permanent.

All of these tax cuts (and wars) cost money. And that means cutting social service programs, education, Medicare, and other programs targeted at the most needy Americans.

What does it say about this administration that in a time of war when all of us should be making sacrifices the only ones who are being asked to do so are the neediest. It simply boggles the mind that America's wealthiest are not only not being asked to sacrifice, but are being given even more tax cuts. Apparently Bush's definition of compassionate conservative means conserving at the expense of the poor while being compassionate with tax cuts for the super wealthy.

Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss

Despite claims to the contrary, there is actually little difference between indicted former House Majority Leader DeLay and new Maj. Leader Boehner. Sure, Boehner hasn't been indicted, but he has nearly as many K Street affiliations as DeLay. Among the three candidates for Maj. Leader, Boehner had the most former staffers working at K Street lobbying firms. Not to mention Boehner's little problem back in the mid-90's when he passed out campaign checks from the tobacco industry on the House floor. Oh, and who could forget his participation in the Gingrich, Armey, DeLay et. al. conference call plotting to defy the House Ethics Committee in 1996.

Of course, the mainstream media is unlikely to pick up on any of this substance and will instead recite GOP talking points about how the new Republican leader is committed to reform, blah blah blah. Look, if the GOP really wanted reform they would have elected Shadegg, who supported lobbying reform and budgetary earmark reform. But what the GOP really wanted was cover from the Abramoff scandal so that they could continue their corrupt ways while paying lip service to change.

And they will likely be successful. Let's face it, the past three elections have shown that the American electorate is incredibly gullible and poorly informed. The GOP, with helpful assistance from Fox News and talk radio, has convinced the American people that black is white and dissent is unpatriotic.

The Republicans in the House are fully aware that they need K Street money and support in order to continue their fleecing of America. There was absolutely no way they were going to support a true reformer for Majority Leader. Instead they chose someone who would talk the talk of reform while continuing business as usual in the House.

Real reform will only come from kicking the GOP out of power.