It was just a matter of time.
What with Santorum’s matter-of-factness about the Republican agenda, Gingrich’s out-of-touchness, and Romney’s resolutely-stoic-good-looks, there had to be something crazy going on out there.
Not one to disappoint, Lou Dobbs has jumped on the conspiracy theory bandwagon by accusing Dr Suess of being a tree-hugging lefty brainwashing child indoctrinator:
Vodpod videos no longer available.
From the Montana Democrats:
via Wikipedia
Foster Friess–the billionaire donor who said women should use aspirin “between their knees” as birth control–is considering a massive contribution to Crossroads GPS, Karl Rove’s secretive front group that has already spent over $600,000 to support multimillionaire Congressman Dennis Rehberg.
According to the New Republic, Rehberg is one of Friess’ “favored candidates.” Friess is also considering “a six- or seven-figure donation to the conservative Super PAC American Crossroads or its sister organization, Crossroads GPS.”
Crossroads recently aired an ad attacking Jon Tester that was so false, a Montana cable company pulled it off the air.
“Congressman Rehberg has earned support from Wall Street billionaire Foster Friess because they share an out-of-touch, extreme agenda,” said Ted Dick, Executive Director of the Montana Democratic Party. “Thanks to the Citizens United decision, Friess can spend whatever he wants trying to buy votes for Dennis Rehberg. That’s because Congressman Rehberg supports tax loopholes that benefit millionaires–even when it means cutting Medicare, Social Security and education.”
Crossroads GPS has already spent hundreds of thousands to pay for false attack ads in Montana, following the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling.
Congressman Rehberg supports secret financing of elections. The organization Citizens United endorsed Rehberg in September, giving him a $10,000 contribution. And earlier this month, Rehberg was caught hiding more than $20,000 he took from Washington lobbyists.
A few links to stories I found interesting this week:
~Indiana Legislator Refuses To Honor “Radical” Girl Scouts.
~Rick Santorum Could Take Republicans Down With Him
~AIDS Research Being Done By 17 Year-olds
~Rehberg Should Try Some ‘Made In Montana’ Funding
~Female Elephants Need Not Apply
~Marriage: David Cameron Faces Church Backlash Over ‘Cultural Vandalism’
Happy Clicking!
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Arizona Sheriff Paul Babeu, a rising Republican star, publicly admitted he was gay on Saturday, in order to combat accusations from a former boyfriend. He joins a long line of conservatives who came out of the closet only after scandal forced them to do so.Vodpod videos no longer available.
Some of the memes of rural Republicans include: “the government is taxing us to death,” “we’re paying for other people’s programs” “where’s the benefit to the working man person?”. Tea Party protests against government are being held on sidewalks, streets and in parks designed, paid for, cleaned and lit by- you guessed it- the very taxes they’re protesting. Irony is begging for attention here.
Especially- according to the following article- in the red states:
It’s no secret: The federal budget is expanding faster than tax revenues, a trend that’s been fueled by the rapid growth of entitlement programs and exacerbated by the recession. As a recent New York Times article documents, even as fiscally conservative lawmakers complain about deficit spending, their constituents don’t want to give up the Social Security checks, Medicare
benefits, and earned income tax credits that provide a safety net for the struggling middle class…
States receiving the most federal funding per tax dollar paid:
Image via Wikipedia
1. New Mexico: $2.63
2. West Virginia: $2.57
3. Mississippi: $2.47
4. District of Colombia: $2.41
5. Hawaii: $2.38
6. Alabama: $2.03
7. Alaska: $1.93
8. Montana: $1.92
9. South Carolina: $1.92
10. Maine: $1.78
Read the full article (with interactive maps) here.
“We are incredibly proud of the hard work Jon Tester and Max Baucus have put in on this issue. Montanans shouldn’t have to lose out on a $1,000 tax break because of petty partisan games in Congress. Thankfully, Jon and Max worked together to get the job done for Montana families.”
“Senator Baucus did something you rarely see in Washington these days: He brought folks from both side of the aisle to the table to give tax relief to working families when they need it most. His work represents the spirit of working together that Montanans expect and deserve in their elected leaders.”
By Francis De Bernardo, New Ways Ministry
Yesterday, the Maryland House of Delegates approved a marriage equality bill, virtually guaranteeing it would become law, since the bill is likely to pass the Senate, and Governor Martin O’Malley, a Catholic, has promised to sign it.
Yesterday in New Jersey, however, Governor Chris Christie, a Catholic, vetoed that state’s marriage equality bill which had passed both Assembly and Senate. The legislature has until January 2014 to override the veto.
MARYLAND
The Baltimore Sun report rightly noted O’Malley’s role in the bill’s success in Maryland, and quoted him saying:
“We are a good people. We all want the same things for our kids.”
The Washington Blade’s story carried a quote from O’Malley that reflected the Catholic social teaching principle behind the issue of marriage equality:
“Today, the House of Delegates voted for human dignity.”
Earlier this week, The Baltimore Sun carried a news report on a talk O’Malley gave in which he described the evolution of his thinking on marriage equality. New Ways Ministry’s Sister Jeannine Gramick is quoted in that article about her thoughts to O’Malley’s support of the issue. Sister Gramick said:
“I’m proud of him for being a Catholic and for witnessing real Catholic values. … I’m so glad he’s supporting the marriage equality bill.”
Last night, Bondings 2.0 posted New Ways Ministry’s response to the vote, along with a link to The Washington Post article about the news.
Even after the bill would become a law, the struggle would still not be over, as opponents have promised to mount a referendum campaign
NEW JERSEY
In The New York Times account of Christie’s veto, they explain that
Image via Wikipedia
“The governor’s veto was conditional, asking the State Legislature to amend the bill, so that rather than legalizing same-sex marriages, it would establish an overseer to handle complaints that the state’s five-year-old civil union law did not provide gay and lesbian couples the same protections that marriage would.
“Mr. Christie also affirmed his call for the Legislature to put a referendum on same-sex marriage on the ballot in November. . . .
“At the same time, Mr. Christie repeated what the State Supreme Court said in 2006 — that same-sex couples deserve the same benefits enjoyed by married couples. Answering testimony that same-sex couples in civil unions had more trouble than married couples in matters like obtaining mortgages and making health care decisions, the governor said he wanted to set up a new ombudsman to make sure gay and lesbian couples did not suffer discrimination.”
Steven Goldstein, chairman of Garden State Equality, responded in the Timesstory to the ombudsman idea by calling it
““the equivalent of gold-plating a separate water fountain for a specific class of people.”
In a posting two days ago, Bondings 2.0 noted that Washington State’s Catholic governor Christine Gregoire, who this week signed a marriage equality bill into law, sent a letter to fellow Catholic Christie, offering to discuss her evolution on the issue. Christie had not responded.
In their editorial column, the Times opined about “Governor Christie’s Misguided and Intolerant Veto,”
“Sadly, there was no surprise to Gov. Chris Christie’s veto on Friday of the same-sex marriage bill that cleared New Jersey’s Assembly and Senate this week. Mr. Christie had said all along that he would block the measure as soon as it reached his desk. That does not change the message of intolerance or lessen the pain for gay residents and their families. Mr. Christie compounded the insult when he dismissed the Legislature’s support for the rights of gay people as merely ‘an exercise in theater.’ The only one who deserves that accusation is Governor Christie, who is clearly pandering to his own conservative base. . . .
“This isn’t about theater and shouldn’t be about politics. Marriage equality is a basic right.”
Click graphic for link to the fascinating story- and a bigger graphic
From Eternity To Here 