There Be Dragons Here

I shamelessly appropriated this from the Facebook page Fundies Say the Darnedest Things because it made me laugh.
 Update: I can't seem to make it so when you click on it it gets full page. I'll try and fix it but no promises. It may be because I got it from Facebook.  Update 2: Fixed I think.

Much Ado About Nothing

Thanks to Mother Jones for pointing out that all this flap about President Obama’s “unprecedented assault on America’s religious freedoms” by requiring church-related hospitals and universities to cover contraception at the federal level has actually been on the books for, oh, about 12 years now.

That's right

In December 2000, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruled that companies that provided prescription drugs to their employees but didn’t provide birth control were in violation of Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prevents discrimination on the basis of sex. That opinion, which the George W. Bush administration did nothing to alter or withdraw when it took office the next month, is still in effect today—and because it relies on Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, it applies to all employers with 15 or more employees. Employers that don’t offer prescription coverage or don’t offer insurance at all are exempt, because they treat men and women equally—but under the EEOC’s interpretation of the law, you can’t offer other preventative care coverage without offering birth control coverage, too.

The wingnuts are so uninformed about the real world it just makes you want to crawl away and hide.

H/T Balloon Juice

Consider The Alternative

While I am not completely enthralled with the performance of President Obama I just have to keep reminding myself of the alternative. President McCain and VP Palin....enough said.

Classy Folks-Again

The Teabagger/GOP audience once again showed what a class act they are last night by booing an American serviceman on active duty in Iraq because he is gay. I'm sure the audience was caught on film by someone and every one of the folks that booed should be identified and issued a rifle and a ticket to Baghdad. Just saying.

Enough is Enough

I know I shouldn't be, but I keep getting surprised by how low, mean and evil the GOP can be. Not satisfied with the pain of no medical care, hunger and overall hopelessness you come a story like this.

under a new budget proposal from state sen. bruce casswell, children in the state’s foster care system would be allowed to purchase clothing only in used clothing stores.

...under his plan, foster children would receive gift cards that could only be used at places like the salvation army, goodwill and other second hand clothing stores. - michigan messenger

What is it going to do the the foster child's already challenged self image when you tell him or her that they are not good enough to have a new pair of shoes or a nice new pair of jeans or even a tea shirt. These kids have the world stacked against them and this Retardlican SOB wants to kick them in the teeth. I think I am going to be sick.
H/T Cookie Jill

Third In Line For the Presidency...Think About It

From Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner, asked by NBC's Brian Williams to name a federal program that could be cut:

"I don't think I have one off the top of my head."

This is the guy that is 3rd in line for the presidency! How can a person spend 20 years in Congress, and who has just waged a brutal midterm campaign that focused almost completely on the need to slash government spending, not be able to come up with a single program cut off the top his head? The taxpayers are sure not getting their money's worth out of this clown.

Paging Dr. Freud, Paging Dr. Freud

Rep. Steve King (R) lauds Speaker Boehner's 'mendacity', says it's beyond reproach.

I spit my tea all over my screen. This might be actually 'speaking truth to power'. LOL

h/t TPM

An Excuse For Conservative Insanity

I have always felt that the people I know that are hard rock conservative and/or 'jumped by Jesus' seem to be wired a little differently. While this study isn't carved in stone yet it makes 'gut sense' to me. I mean really, how else do you explain the insane behavior?

Political opinions are considered choices, and in Western democracies the right to choose one’s opinions — freedom of conscience — is considered sacrosanct.
But recent studies suggest that our brains and genes may be a major determining factor in the views we hold.
A study at University College London in the UK has found that conservatives’ brains have larger amygdalas than the brains of liberals. Amygdalas are responsible for fear and other “primitive” emotions. At the same time, conservatives’ brains were also found to have a smaller anterior cingulate — the part of the brain responsible for courage and optimism.
If the study is confirmed, it could give us the first medical explanation for why conservatives tend to be more receptive to threats of terrorism, for example, than liberals. And it may help to explain why conservatives like to plan based on the worst-case scenario, while liberals tend towards rosier outlooks.
“It is very significant because it does suggest there is something about political attitudes that are either encoded in our brain structure through our experience or that our brain structure in some way determines or results in our political attitudes,” Geraint Rees, the neurologist who carried out the study, told the media.
Rees, who heads up UCL’s Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, was originally asked half-jokingly to study the differences between liberal and conservative brains for an episode of BBC 4’s Today show that was hosted by actor Colin Firth. But, after studying 90 UCL students and two British parliamentarians, the neurologist was shocked to discover a clear correlation between the size of certain brain parts and political views.
He cautions that, because the study was carried out only on adults, there is no way to tell what came first — the brain differences or the political opinions.
But evidence is beginning to accumulate that figuring out a person’s political proclivities may soon be as simple as a brain scan — or a DNA test.

h/t Susie

The Fat Lady Hasn't Sung Yet

I know there has been a lot of media talk about how this upcoming election will be a tidal wave for the Rethugs and the wingnuts but "It ain't over 'til it's over". The latest polls are showing that the Democrats are still in the game. If you are one of those that just isn't going to vote whether it be because of disgust with the Dems (understandable) or whether you just don't see any difference in the two parties then consider rethinking your position. As bad as the last two years have been and as disgusted as I am with Barack Obama's performance to date, I still consider handing over the keys without a fight to the Republicans and wingnuts a, disaster. It's not much different than suicide in my book. This election is being bought by the big boys. Somebody has even coined the phrase "Billionaires' Coup" because that is what it is. Big money wants to destroy the social safety net, destroy unions and give ultimate control to themselves. They want us all 'barefoot and pregnant' as it were where we are so grateful for the scraps from their tables that we will work for nothing, gladly die when our upkeep outstrips our ability to cater to their whims and keep the wax on the limo. The difference in our current crop of Democrats and Republicans is very small and both are kowtowing to the big money folks. There is a difference though, however slight, and as close as this election is there is no excuse to just give up and turn the wheel over the crazy people. Not voting against the crazy people is voting for the crazy people. If the vote comes down to one or ten votes in your area and the crazies won by just a few votes and you didn't vote out for some misguided noble head up ass reason then consider yourself part of the problem.

Newsweek:

Despite doom-saying about Democrats’ chances in the midterms, the latest NEWSWEEK poll (full results) shows that they remain in a close race with Republicans 12 days before Election Day, while the president’s approval ratings have climbed sharply. The poll finds that 48 percent of registered voters would be more likely to vote for Democrats, compared to 42 percent who lean Republican (those numbers are similar to those in the last NEWSWEEK poll, which found Democrats favored 48 percent to 43 percent). President Obama’s approval ratings have jumped substantially, crossing the magic halfway threshold to 54 percent, up from 48 percent in late September, while the portion of respondents who disapprove of the president dropped to 40 percent, the lowest disapproval rating in a NEWSWEEK poll since February 2010. However, his approval rating, which is notably higher than many recent polls of the president’s popularity, may be evidence of a closing "enthusiasm gap" more than a sea change in voter attitudes, and may not substantially affect Democrats’ fortunes come Election Day. In 1994, NEWSWEEK polls showed a similar steep climb in President Clinton’s approval between late September and late October, but Democrats still suffered a rout in the midterms.

Calling Tyranny By Its Name

There is an excellent piece over at Truthdig by Chris Hedges "How Democracy Dies: Lessons From a Master" where he uses the examples of the Greek playwright Aristophanes from plays such as The Wasps and Lysistrata to illustrate what is happening in today's America. It's a disturbing but worthwhile read. Here is a sample:

“The truth is, they want you, you see, to be poor,” Aristophanes wrote in his play “The Wasps.” “If you don’t know the reason, I’ll tell you. It’s to train you to know who your tamer is. Then, whenever he gives you a whistle and sets you against an opponent of his, you jump out and tear them to pieces.”
Our democracy, through years of war, theft and corruption, is also being diminished. But the example Aristophanes offers is not a hopeful one. He held up the same corruption to his fellow Greeks. He repeatedly chided them for not rising up and fighting back. He warned, ominously, that by the time most citizens awoke it would be too late. And he was right. The appearance of normality lulls us into a false hope and submission. Those who shout most loudly in defense of the ideals of the founding fathers, the sacredness of Constitution and the values of the Christian religion are those who most actively seek to subvert the principles they claim to champion. They hold up the icons and language of traditional patriotism, the rule of law and Christian charity to demolish the belief systems that give them cultural and political legitimacy. And those who should defend these beliefs are cowed and silent.

h/t Susie

What Hecate Said

The picture is complete ripped off from this post by Hecate...one of my favorite witches. The telling line is her reference to Sinclair Lewis...."When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross."
I don't really need to add any more to what the witch said and this will be my only comment on the Glenn Beck thing.

No BP Probe For You!

From Steve Benen at The Washington Monthly

Most reasonable people can probably agree that there are some pretty stark ideological divisions in the House of Representatives. With that in mind, when a measure passes the chamber 420 to 1, it stands to reason that it's a no-brainer.
Or at least, it should be. Last week, the House overwhelmingly approved giving subpoena power to the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling. The panel was created by the White House to investigate the worst environmental catastrophe in U.S. history, and needs subpoena power to get answers from private industries and government agencies.
Given the 420 to 1 vote, Senate Democrats sought unanimous consent yesterday to resolve the issue and let the commission do its job. It's an easy one, right? Wrong. Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) refused, objecting on behalf of others in the Republican conference that he would not name.

If you perhaps were unsure about whether the rethuglicans were actually serious about representing the people who elected them instead of the people who actually pay them then this should help you make up your mind.

To Good To Be True

I must say that Tea Party joke candidate Rand Paul is, at least, fun. This morning on "Good Morning America" he once again refused to answer questions about is 'real' opinion on the Equal Rights Amendment and the Fair Housing Act and managed to put his foot in his mouth, not once but twice. First he criticized President Obama for getting tough with BP as 'un-American' and then, as regards to the spill itself, said that people need to understand that sometimes "accidents happen". I wonder what he thinks the 'B' in BP stands for and what about the spill does he consider an 'accident'? This was no accident...it was a sure thing.

Upping the Ante In the Texas Schoolbook Wars

It looks like arch conservative wing nut Don McLeroy is not going to exit the Texas State Board of Eduction without raising the insanity to the maximum. His latest Texas textbook proposal would require teaching high school students about "alternatives regarding long term entitlements such as Social Security and Medicare" and "efforts by global organizations to undermine U. S. sovereignty."

The man is criminally insane and needs mental health care in the worst way. It looks like he wants to do as much damage to the students of Texas as he can before he is justifiably tossed out by the voters next year.

Crickets from the Tea Party

Has anyone noticed the lack of outrage from the tea partiers over the police state now created in Arizona? For  a bunch of blowhards constantly wrangling about big government and intrusions on civil rights you would think that they would be a the forefront of outrage over this disastrous law. They can sure get worked up about all the make believe intrusions on their rights and other right wing fantasies ginned up by FAUX News, Limbaugh and Beck but they are surprisingly sanguine about the most disgusting piece of police state legislation the U.S. has seen in a long time.

All I can say is I am glad I have seen the Grand Canyon and most everything else Arizona has to offer because I won't even consider going somewhere in the U.S. where I have to carry my passport or birth certificate for fear of not being able to prove I am a legal resident.

Caribou Barbie Wins the Game

What ex Alaska governor left her state with the highest debt to GDP ratio of any other...I'll give you one guess but here is a hint. She preaches in speech after speech about the U.S. debt and against big government and wasteful government spending. Oh! And she's a big liar.

You Win! It's Sarah 'Show Me the Money' Palin who quit her job as governor leaving  Alaska with its debt equal to 70% of its GDP. So here is the deal. If you believe her BS about debt, wasteful spending and all the rest of her railing against the government then you are a fool and if you are a 'tea bagger' who thinks she is America's salvation you are even a bigger fool. She is a con artist of the first magnitude and in it only for the money.

New Hampshire and Colorado attempted to use program-specific pots of state money to plug holes in their general treasuries; Connecticut wrote its own accounting rules; Hawaii reduced the length of its school week; and California made its businesses pay their 2010 taxes earlier to make the budget appear more balanced than it is. But one thing every state is doing, including Alaska, is camouflaging its debts by not releasing how much its state employee pension funds will owe — or how far behind it is on its contributions to said pension funds.

Less than a year after then-Gov. Sarah Palin (R-Alaska) quit the government to pursue other projects, Alaska leads the way in its debt-to-GDP ratio when its unfunded pension obligations are taken into account, followed by Rhode Island, New Mexico, Ohio and Mississippi. And although Alaska’s ratio is far lower than Greece’s, it does give the state a debt-to-GDP ratio similar to that of Jordan and Palin’s favorite health care resource, Canada, and a higher ratio than Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, India, the Philippines or Uruguay.

Practicing for the Big One

It seems that the Michigan 'Hutaree' militia, which the FBI and the local Joint Terrorism Task Force hauled in over the weekend, had grown weary of waiting  for the battle with the Anti-Christ.  From the indictments released this morning they had decided kick things off  by killing a bunch of cops. My fear is that, with all the right wing calls for violence, we will see more of this. I truly hope that it is indictments before the fact and not when these wingnuts bring their plans to fruition.

Caribou Barbie is Coming to Nature TV

In what must be one of the most ironic things so far this year the Quitter from Alaska is teaming up with the Discover Channel to do a show "Sarah Palin's Alaska" for the Learning Channel. Couldn't the Discovery folks find someone just a little less notoriously anti-environmental to give a TV platform to?

Is everybody suppose to forget:

• Her hard fought campaign against polar bears getting endangered species status, going so far as to sue the federal government.
• Her fight against banning oil and gas drilling in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge, even calling for increased drilling and famously coining her catchphrase "Drill, baby, drill!"
• Her continued insistence that climate change has nothing to do with human activity.
• The minor fact that she spent $400,000 of state money to fight hard against Measure 2, which would have banned hunting wolves from airplanes for sport.
• Palin was against Alaska's Measure 4, a clean water initiative that aimed to protect Bristol Bay, one of the world's most productive salmon fisheries, from the proposed Pebble Mine, which would discharge cyanide and mining waste into streams that flow into Bristol Bay.

So Much For One GOP Talking Point

The first polls post health care passage are in:

Americans by 9 percentage points have a favorable view of the health care overhaul that President Obama signed into law Tuesday, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds, a notable turnaround from surveys before the vote that showed a plurality against it.

By 49%-40% those surveyed say it was "a good thing" rather than a bad one that Congress passed the bill. Half describe their reaction in positive terms, as "enthusiastic" or "pleased," while about four in 10 describe it in negative ways, as "disappointed" or "angry."

The largest single group, 48%, calls the bill "a good first step" that should be followed by more action on health care. An additional 4% also have a favorable view, saying the bill makes the most important changes needed in the nation's health care system.

There is no question about whether or not the country is polarized between the two political points of view and I am sure the polarization will be going on for quite awhile. I would not be surprised however to see the GOP back off a bit on demonizing the Dems for passing this. This does help the Democrats counter the false claim that they usurped the will of the people for at least those who aren't so deep in wingnut hysteria. The rest are so far gone that they can't recognize reality anymore.

Raising the Bar on Wingnuttery

Hot on the heels of the passage of the law that will put your granny in a death camp a new Harris poll shows that the Beck, Limbaugh, Malkin, Coulter et al campaign to amplify Obama Derangement Syndrome is alive and working like a charm.

67 percent of Republicans (and 40 percent of Americans overall) believe that Obama is a socialist.
57 percent of Republicans (32 percent overall) believe that Obama is a Muslim
45 percent of Republicans (25 percent overall) agree with the Birthers in their belief that Obama was "not born in the United States and so is not eligible to be president"
38 percent of Republicans (20 percent overall) say that Obama is "doing many of the things that Hitler did"


and if that is not quite enough to amaze you here is the scariest of all:

24 percent of Republicans (14 percent overall) say that Obama "may be the Antichrist."

There are a few missing questions in the poll that might enlighten us...
How many of the 67% who think Obama is a socialist know what a socialist is?
How many of the 57% who think he is a Muslim know what a Muslim is?
How many of the 45% that think Obama is foreign born think Hawaii is a foreign country?
How many of the 38% actually know what Hitler did and how many know he claimed to be a Christian?
How many of the 24% who think Obama is the Antichrist can tie their shoes without assistance?