Even Bloodier Kansas

Crazy right-wing Kansas heather

Did you catch our brief post on the Republican civil war in Kansas last week? Koch Industries owns the GOP there, but a few of the legislators have had the temerity to try to actually work for their constituents instead of for the Kochs. So the Koch Brothers and one of their subsidiaries, the Chamber of Commerce, are trying to oust these Republicans from the legislature and replace them with teabaggers and outright fascists who understand how to take orders from up top.

This week the spat took a real turn for the bizarre as an especially vapid and deranged teabagger, state Rep. TerriLois Gregory, was caught secretly recording state Sen. Vicki Schmidt, a mainstream conservative.

A House Republican attempted to covertly record a private conversation in a Capitol office with a Topeka senator while discussing controversial health reforms sought by Gov. Sam Brownback.

Rep. TerriLois Gregory, of Baldwin City, asked to sit down with Republican Sen. Vicki Schmidt to talk about Medicaid services for people with disabilities. During the meeting this past Wednesday, Schmidt noticed a small flashing light in Gregory's satchel. It wasn’t a telephone.

"I asked her, 'Are you recording me?' " Schmidt said Tuesday in an interview. "She said, 'Yes.' ”

Schmidt said she assumed the secret taping of others was illegal, when in fact it isn’t.

Their conversation came to an end. Gregory returned later that day, apparently to make amends. However, Schmidt said Gregory never offered a clear apology.

A bipartisan contingent of legislators said Gregory violated an unwritten code of conduct among lawmakers that frowns on clandestine recording of colleagues in closed-door meetings.

Senate Majority Leader Jay Emler, R-Lindsborg, said the incident led him to caution members of the Senate GOP caucus to be wary of possible stealthy attempts to capture on tape their private discussions. He said Gregory, for whatever reason, crossed the line of propriety in the Legislature.

"You don't do anything in here you wouldn't do out in another setting," Emler said.

Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, D-Topeka, said common sense dictated senators and representatives not engage in secret recordings of each other.

Schmidt said Gregory didn't ask permission to record the impromptu meeting and apparently turned on the device prior to entering the senator's inner office in the Statehouse.

Gregory, a freshman lawmaker, said her decision to chronicle the conversation with a recorder was born from a desire to precisely capture Schmidt's insight into a recommendation by the governor to transfer control of Medicaid to private contractors.

...Schmidt, chairwoman of the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee, said hearings on the governor's Medicaid reform package would be conducted by her committee. She said Gregory was interested in removing developmentally disabled Kansans from the pool of beneficiaries subjected to managed care.

"She asked if she could speak with me," Schmidt said. "I never turn anyone down. She's a colleague."

Sen. John Vratil, a Leawood Republican and a lawyer, said Kansas law permitted "one-party" recording of conversations. That doesn't justify secret taping of legislators by peers, he said.

"There is an obligation to behave in a professional manner that does not include surreptitious recording of a conversation with a colleague," Vratil said.

Schmidt is one of the mainstream conservatives being challenged from the far right by the Koch Brothers and their cronies. They found a neo-Nazi sociopath, Joe Patton, also of Topeka, to primary her. He's a pal of Gregory's, and it is widely assumed that Gregory was trying to get some dirt on tape which Patton could use in his campaign. What a degenerate political situation!

Your 2012 presidential ballot: Sometimes a screen grab is worth a thousand words

From this morning's NYT "Today's Headlines" newsletter. Since it's a screen grab, the links don't work, but if you want to read these stories (really?), they should be easy to find on nytimes.com. Did you think I was going to waste precious NYT clicks on "news" like this?

by Ken

Take just a moment to absorb the hardly-accidental juxtaposition above. These are, after all, the names we're all but certainly going to be seeing on the presidential ballot in November.

(1) On the one hand, is it really only "swing voters" who "disapprove of how President Obama has dealt with the economy and are not clear on his aims for a second term"? How about a quick show of hands. All those who approve of how President Obama has dealt with the economy, raise your hands. Okay, and all those who are clear on his aims for a second term, raise your hands. Um, no, you don't have to raise your hand if you want to leave the room -- oops, I think that takes care of our only raised hands.

(2) On the other hand, well . . . here's Willard. There's plenty to be scared about in the thought of a Willard Inc. presidency, starting with the very idea of an incorporated president, which suggests that while most of us are debating whether corporations should have the rights of individuals, the post-constitutional Willard is more concerned whether individuals should have the rights of corporations. (It's not always easy, or even possible, to figure out what he thinks, but I don't think he thinks so. Except of course for the 1%, whose rights come from God -- or maybe Nino Scalia and "Smirkin' John" Roberts. I always get them confused.) Still, in Willard's case, the size, nature, and origin of his fortune are all deeply important things to be worried about.

(3) But then there's the question that may or may not be addressed in these two stories. (As I suggested in the caption, I have no intention of wasting precious NYT clicks on this kind of "news.") Let's address it in the form of two last shows of hands.

* First, how many people think Willard inc. -- or any of the humanoids clawing at the GOP presidential nomination, has a better idea about how to deal with the economy?

* Now, how many people, based on what you can glean about Willard's-- or, again, any of his GOP rivals' -- "aims" for his first term as president, feel in any way better about . . . well, anything?

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Who's Worth The Most In The GOP Endorsement Sweepstakes?

Probably the most useless endorsement this cycle, at least so far, was Huntsman's nod to Mitt Romney. There are almost a dozen videos, like this one, around with Huntsman explaining why Romney is untrustworthy and unelectable. I doubt many Republicans are clamoring for the Herman Cain seal of approval either, but what do I know? Republicans are such freaks... otherwise they wouldn't be Republicans. And Perry's endorsement of Newt Gingrich this morning was just plain embarrassing, especially coming on the heels of the revelation about his "open marriage" to Callista.

I was looking at a list of who the "presidential" candidates do want endorsements from. This, believe it or not, is the top 10 most coveted congressional endorsements. This is really hideous and tells you an awful lot about the candidates and the GOP primary electorate. If this first guy isn't the kiss of death in the real (post-primary) world, is Dracula?

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI):

The Budget Committee is revered on the right, and considered a possible vice presidential pick this year. Ryan last year fired back at Newt Gingrich (R-GA) when the former Speaker ripped the Wisconsin lawmaker’s Medicare reform plan. Ryan would be a big get for any of the White House hopefuls, but it’s noteworthy that he didn’t endorse in the 2008 primary.

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC):

DeMint backed Romney in 2008, but has held off this time around. DeMint has been complimentary of Romney in recent days and went so far as to predict the former Massachusetts governor will win the pivotal Jan. 21 South Carolina primary.

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT):

Lieberman is certainly keeping his options open. The retiring senator backed McCain in 2008, delivering a speech at the Republican convention that infuriated Democrats. The 2000 Democratic vice presidential candidate could opt to stay out of this race entirely, but it is likely he will be courted by both sides of the aisle.

Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN):

Social conservatives are big fans of Pence, who considered running for president. But Pence opted to launch a bid for governor instead. Pence’s backing would be a huge boost for Romney, who has not been embraced by leading social conservatives. Pence, 52, did not endorse in the 2008 primary.

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN):

Bachmann dropped out of the White House race after her disappointing finish in the Iowa Caucus. But Bachmann’s bid for the presidency significantly raised her profile. Bachmann has been a leading critic of the new healthcare reform law and accused Romney of implementing "socialized medicine" when he was governor of Massachusetts.

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK):

Fiscal hawks are fond of Coburn, who backed McCain over Romney in 2008. One candidate Coburn will not endorse is Gingrich. Coburn served with Gingrich in the House and last year called the former Speaker’s leadership “lacking.”

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and Sentate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY):

These two leaders have repeatedly said they will not endorse in the primary, even though a few of their lieutenants have gotten behind Romney.


Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH):

Portman is one to watch. He is seen as a possible running mate this year, and helped McCain and George W. Bush in their presidential campaigns. Portman this week indicated he will soon get behind Romney, adding that he is not interested in the vice presidency and "it's not going to happen." Of course, Joe Biden made similar remarks in 2008 as he and his staff worked to get on the 2008 Democratic ticket.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL):

Rubio is the leading candidate to be the No. 2 on the ticket, and has said he will not endorse in the primary. But Rubio could play cement Romney’s nomination this month before the Jan. 31 Florida contest, just like then-Florida Gov. Charlie Crist did for McCain four years ago.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC):

Stumping for his good friend McCain in 2008, Graham was not shy in ripping Romney. Graham also has recently questioned Romney’s foreign policy positions. Graham has said he will not endorse, though McCain’s backing of Romney has some thinking that could change.

Insane! They want the closet case from South Carolina, who probably couldn't win a GOP primary in his own state again. And they want the freshman goofball teabagger from Florida, who they think can bring in some non-Cuban Hispanics-- or is it because he's one of the few prominent Republicans who doesn't look like a corpse? And Lieberman! Doesn't that say it all!

The Noah Diaries 2011: (31) Afterword -- What we learned from (or because of) Republicans this year. Plus: Quote of the Year revealed!

"Bill Burton did what every normal person should do when confronted with the nonstop lunacy and the nonstop lies of your typical Republican. He threw it right back into Porky’s face."

by Noah

I. QUOTE OF THE YEAR:
We have a winner!

It was close, but there can only be one winner. I’m not one of those "Every player gets a trophy" guys. In my world, also known as reality, there are winners and there are losers, and both kids and adults need to learn this. Besides, losing can build character. Well, except with Republicans, of course. When they lose, they just get even meaner and even more sociopathic. With that in mind, I’m loving the fact that the person to whom I am giving the Quote of the Year title is not your typical nihilistic Republican, but a Democrat who spoke the truth.

I could have gone the other way, like choosing Ann Coulter for her "Our blacks are so much better than their blacks" utterance [see 11/2]. Her use of the possessive "our" is very revealing. That is the Republican mindset when it comes to African-Americans: ownership, or at least the wish to own. But the Coultergeist statement is an ordinary quote from her bitter, pathetic inner little child, the one who got pelted with a few chalk-filled erasers in elementary school and can’t move on.

I also considered Newt Gingrich’s dog-whistle racism of referring to President Obama as the "food stamp president" [see 5/17]. Note to Repugs: The majority of food stamps are used by Caucasians, especially rural Caucasians. But truth be damned when you want to spread your hate, eh, Newt?

There were so many deserving nominees! But the person I settled on was former Obama White House spokesman Bill Burton for his fab TV takedown [see the clip above] of one of this era’s more evil figures, Karl Rove [see 8/22]. Burton even did it on enemy territory, as he went on FOX and was subjected to a mountain of total Rovian bullcrap about how President Obama is rigid and unwilling to work with Republicans and wasn’t trying to create jobs, when in fact Obama has been way too nice and way too tolerant.

Bill Burton did what every normal person should do when confronted with the nonstop lunacy and the nonstop lies of your typical Republican. He threw it right back into Porky’s face:

I appreciate that you have an opinion on this, Karl. But as someone who was a leader in the White House that turned a record surplus into a deficit, that got us involved in a war that we never should have been in, and turned the floor of the New York Stock exchange into a casino, I don’t think the American people are quite ready to hear a lecture from you on good governance.

Burton led by example and got to the core of how injurious the Republicans have been to everyone in the world other than their 1% cronies. He spoke truth to scum, just as the wonderful Alan Grayson [also nominated -- see 10/11] does. Burton had no time and no tolerance for Rove’s sickening spew. 2012 will give us plenty more from the toxic vermin of the Republican Party. There is no point in trying to be nice.

II. WHAT WE LEARNED FROM
(or because of)
REPUBLICANS THIS YEAR

Special "Unhealthy Obsession with Gayness" section:

1. When birds fall from the sky, it’s because God hates gays.

2. When fish fall from the sky, it’s because God hates gays.

3. Tornados? GAYS!

4. Hurricanes? DITTO!

5. Space debris? Probably.

6. Meteors? Yeah, I guess so. Oh wait, maybe that’s the fault of the poor.

7. Watching Chaz Bono on Dancing with the Stars will turn your child gay, and maybe even cause a request for a sex-change operation for Christmas. I don’t know about you, but I think watching Repug-approved programming like Liberace may be more perilous (in so many ways), and watching Dancing with the Stars would turn me into a homicidal maniac. Any child who saw Dick Armey doing his best Elaine Benes impersonation on this wretched excuse for entertainment is probably in need of drastic shock therapy.

8. Masturbation will turn you gay. (I’m not sure if they think it works this way for women too.)

9. God says Republicans should help Nigeria kill its gay population.

10. You can pray away the gay, but, well, let’s face it, you can’t pray away the stupid -- or flat-out insanity either.

What else? Well . . .

11. We also learned that ruining the economy and destroying our country is not too steep a price to pay for getting the Marxist Socialist Communist Fascist Kenyan Muslim you-know-what out of the White House.

12. Donald Trump’s "hair" is not a member of any known food group or species.

13. You don’t need a sanity clause.

14. No one from Texas should ever be allowed to run for president again. In fact, since so many of them don’t like being in America, we should give them back to Mexico and let Texans see how they like things then. The problem with my idea, though, is that the Mexicans would never want Texas the way it is now -- i.e., filled with Texans. So what do we do with them? Execute them?

15. Prayer solves every problem, but if you don’t have a job, it’s your fault.

16. Mitt Romney has a history of creating jobs. I’m not sure what alternate universe this happened in, since in this world he made his fortune shutting companies down and firing people, all while never mussing his hair. He is -- the Job Assassin.

17. Abortion is murder, but execution saves lives.


18. Masturbation is still murder. (I had three chicken eggs for breakfast. Does that mean that I murdered three chickens, and all the chickens that would have been the offspring of the three?)

19. There were no terror attacks on Bush’s watch. I know this to be true. I saw it on FOX; Hannity’s show, to be specific.

20. Fracked water is delicious and nutritious, especially when served as water flambé.

21. Contraceptives are murder weapons. So I have to ask: Are Republicans putting penis clauses in all of that concealed-weapons legislation of theirs?

22. Home schooling is the answer to overcrowded classes. Actually, it might be good if Republican kids were all home-schooled. It would solve the problem of overcrowded classrooms, and normal children would not be exposed to their depressing mental delusions. Would this home-schooling thing damage Republican children? No, the poor things are already a lost cause. An air of sanity would also be restored to PTA meetings and school-board meetings. It's a no-brainer.

23. Entitlement only applies to the top 1% and banksters, and accountability does not apply to them. The opposite is true for the rest of us.

24. Shared sacrifice is for suckers.

25. God takes time out from his busy schedule to tell Republicans to run for office.

26. God has a very strange sense of humor.

27. If any of the Republicans become president, of anything, there is no God.

28. Slavery was beneficial to African-American families, and presumably would be so again. Special thanks to Representative Bachmann for taking time out from her special little world to inform us about this.

29. When you or I accept money from the government, that’s socialism. When Republicans accept farm subsidies and grants for their "ministries," and Big Oil accepts subsidies, and banks accept bailouts, it’s not socialism.

30. Concepts like health-insurance reform and an individual mandate are fine when proposed by a Republican like Richard Nixon but not when proposed by an African-American Democratic president. Then it’s the stuff of a guy who is either a witch doctor with a bone in his nose or a fascist who looks an awful lot like Hitler. Likewise, the DREAM Act was fine when Senator McCain sponsored it, but now that Democrats are pushing it, even McCain has flip-flopped and voted against it. (Rachel Maddow suggested: "In America Today, Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower Would Be Bernie Sanders in the U.S. Senate.")

31. It’s OK for Texas Governor Rick Perry to mandate that girls of a certain age be forced to have an injection of an HPV vaccine. Funny how we haven’t seen any pictures of Perry with a bone in his nose. Now why would that be?

32. The vaccine for the HPV virus can cause mental retardation. I’m not sure how Republicans would know this.

33. Union members are un-American, unless they play for professional sports teams. Then we cheer them and wear their jerseys. (Pictured at right: the Oklahoma City Thunder's Nazr Mohammed.)

34. Muslims are un-American and should be deported, unless they play for professional sports teams. Then we cheer them and wear their jerseys.

35. Carbon dioxide is not harmful to children.

36. A little radiation, or a lot, never hurt anyone.

37. The redistribution of wealth upward is good. Economic and tax fairness is bad, bad, bad.

38. The prison business is the business of the future, especially if you can follow Arizona’s lead and write some spiffy new laws to allow driver profiling in order to help fill those prisons. I think I heard that South Carolina wants a law that would require all drivers to have a dashboard Jesus, preferably one that lights up and recites bible passages. Expect Texas to pass a law punishing "Driving While Not Intoxicated."

39. Republicans still believe that the L.A. police are spending $1 billion on jet packs to help them fight crime.

40. Pepper spray is a food product.

41. Pizza is a vegetable.

42. "Let him die!" These are the same people that wouldn’t let Terry Schiavo die a dignified death. Go figure. Alan Grayson was right -- the current Republican Party wants you to "die quickly." It’s that Republican Culture of Death thing.

43. President Obama is mentally unstable and sent a rambling 75,000-word e-mail to millions of Americans which proves it. Therefore, he should be removed from office. (See Fox Nation readers confuse Onion article with real news.)

44. Let me boo you for your service! Booing our soldiers at debates is acceptable to Republicans. Combine soldiering with being gay and that’s a perfect storm for Republicans. What they haven’t told you yet is that Republicans fear armies of gay soldiers coming into their gated communities and forcing their children to watch Chaz Bono on their 72-inch wide-screen TVs. Next they fear the same soldiers going to Hollywood and combining forces with "those Hollywood liberals," making a series of Chaz Bono Meets the Teletubbies movies. PG rating, of course. And yes, Spongebob Homopants will get more than a few cameos, everything will be in 3D (everything), and the words "Go homo" and "Get a sex change" will be subliminally flashed on the screen for the duration of the films and popcorn buckets with built-in penises are being manufactured secretly in a factory outside Youngstown, Ohio, as part of President Obama’s jobs program. By the way, the factory has a Muslim community center.

45. "Corporations are people, my friend. . . . Everything corporations earn ultimately goes to people."

§

History in the making:
Selections from THE NOAH DIARIES 2011

Tuesday: (30) Ron Paul a racist? It can't be! Plus: Who's "a skinny ghetto crackhead"?, Big Ole Butt?, a mighty "Christian" cardinal, Christmas in Jerusalem, and more (12/21-28/11)
And a better 2012 to all (but I wouldn't hold my breath)

FOR A COMPLETE LISTING OF THE SERIES, CLICK HERE

And don't forget 2010's Year in Review series and 2009's "12 Days of Christmas Scorn"!

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Wisconsin's Second District: A Wealth Of Progressives To Pick From-- Guest Post From Kelda Helen Roys

With Tammy Baldwin going off to represent the whole state of Wisconsin in the Senate, her very Democratic Madison-based House district (62% for Kerry and 69% for Obama) is up for grabs. The two top contenders, Mark Pocan and Kelda Helen Roys, are both well-regarded, progressive state reps. It's very difficult to know who to root for. When I ask people I know in Madison, they're divided too-- sometimes passionately. Kelda wrote the guest post below for DWT. I hope it sheds some light. You can find more about her at her campaign site. -- Howie

Expanding Our Definition of Progressive

by Rep. Kelda Helen Roys

Here, the spirit of “Fighting Bob" La Follette lives on. Here, hundreds of thousands of citizens took to the wintry streets for weeks to defend collective bargaining rights. Here, Blue Dogs don't bark. Madison, Wisconsin, and the surrounding counties make up one of the most progressive and active constituencies in the nation, and I am running to represent it in Congress.

Wisconsin's 2nd District is blessed with strong liberal voters, which makes it a great district for an outspoken, progressive advocate like me. Moreover, we have a proud legacy as one of the birthplaces of progressive thought, having sent both La Follette and Rep. Tammy Baldwin to represent us in Washington. So, rather than running against a right-wing conservative, I have to run against several other good Democrats. All of us are “good progressives” by traditional standards-- in Congress, we'd probably vote the same way far more often than not.

My time serving with good progressives in the legislature and as a statewide pro-choice advocate has led me to conclude that being a reliable progressive vote on the issues is no longer enough. Indeed, simply asking candidates to answer an issue questionnaire or check boxes about their positions cannot begin to deliver the structural changes our political system requires.

We need a new definition of progressive-- one that doesn't stop at a candidate's position on core values, but demands a progressive approach to politics-- one that puts our values into action in the political sphere.

The national progressive movement must focus on supporting candidates who will not only vote the right way to change our laws, but work to change our political system itself for the better.

Corporate-Free Campaigns

How should we define a progressive approach to politics? First, it must address the root cause of our current political dysfunction-- the dominance of corporate money in politics. It's a much-lamented but rarely acted-upon fact that big money fuels every aspect of our political process, from campaigns to lawmaking to enforcement. The system is rigged in favor of the rich and powerful at the expense of the rest of us, and those entrenched power structures make meaningful change-- and action-- nearly impossible. We must change how we fund our campaigns, and stop excusing this corrupt system by saying, “Well, the other guys do it too.” How can we as progressive activists expect change when our 'progressive leaders' are chasing the same corporate PAC money as Blue Dogs and Republicans? A progressive approach to politics should start by calling on candidates to forgo any corporate PAC dollars. Further, candidates should vigorously work toward full public financing of campaigns and to overturn the abominable Citizens United Supreme Court decision.

Movement Building Instead of Deal Making

Elected leaders often think their job is to issue press releases, make floor speeches, and make deals with legislators and lobbyists. Progressive policies will never become law if they're constantly being traded away by our so-called progressive politicians. When Democrats fail to stand up for Democratic values, we should no longer accept excuses like, "Well, it's better than what you'd get from the Republicans." Too often, elected officials would rather denigrate the progressive base and make excuses for why their goals weren't realistic than actually engage in work to realize those goals. Sustained change is only possible if we build broad, issue-based movements for social change and justice. Leaders should see ourselves as champions of and participants in these movements-- and to be responsive to their demands. We should build momentum for movements, among the broader public, and invest our time and political capital in advancing progressive values in the marketplace of ideas. This means being active in community and issue organizations, developing the next generation of progressive leaders, and helping disenfranchised people have a seat at the table of power.

Exercising Power

The third component of a progressive approach to politics revolves around the answer to the question: “What would you do if you had the power?” Is a policy good enough simply because it is better than what Republicans offered? When we as progressive leaders have the opportunity to set the agenda, we should push for the boldest change we can-- not just what a reasonable moderate would see as politically possible. For instance, a progressive approach to health care reform would have begun with single payer, and then perhaps ended with a public option. It is our responsibility to set the terms of the debate. We need to bring the center to us rather than giving comfort to the false notion that the right answer can always be found in the political middle. There are plenty of moderate and conservative Democrats out there, eager to compromise and capitulate-- they cannot be allowed to set the parameters of debate.

Integrity of Action

Finally, a true progressive leader must be willing to take risks and be bold. The standard is not whether something is politically feasible, or electorally advantageous, but whether it is the right thing to do. She should be willing to lose her seat to stand up for what is right. When legislative leaders or the media dismiss an idea, or corporate power brokers make threats, he must have the fortitude and integrity to do what is right against the odds. Ultimately, each of the above elements - "walking the walk" when it comes to corporate money, helping build progressive movements, and exercising power for progressive ends-- is about integrity. Leadership demands nothing less.

My call for a expanding our definition of what it means to be a progressive elected official is in some ways borne of frustration-- my own frustration about a lack of strong progressive leadership that, in part, spurred my decision to run for Congress. I know many of those who care passionately about building a progressive world share similar concerns, and seek greater accountability from our elected leaders. While I have set forth these few criteria as central to our success as progressives, no doubt there are many more we ought to consider-- if you accept the premise that it is no longer enough to just be a "good" vote on the issues. I am eager to hear your thoughts, and to work together to build a vibrant, powerful, and effective progressive future.

Carol Shea Porter Asks A Simple Question

Where Is Our Tax Money?

-by Carol Shea-Porter

A debate has been raging about the proper role of government and the proper government use of our taxes. The recession that began in early 2007 under the Bush Administration and then dramatically deepened after the Wall Street fiasco in October 2008 has brought many more Americans into this debate, and it is affecting the political scene.   
 
Republicans ran in 2010 on a tea-party platform that stated basically two positions, one being that they would never stop tax breaks for the very rich and corporations. The other was that the federal government does nothing good with our money, and it should be shrunk to the size that it “could be drowned in the bathtub,” as Grover Norquist, the founder of Americans for Tax Reform, says. (He is the one who got almost every Republican, including both NH Representatives, to sign his "no taxes ever" oath.)  Presidential candidate Ron Paul and the tea-party congressman from New Hampshire’s First District want to abolish the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Education, and the Internal Revenue Service, which happens to be the funding source for our whole federal government. At this point, reasonable people might look around our state and ask themselves who is right, and where is their tax money? 
 
Our federal tax money is all over our state, serving people, small businesses and corporations, and helping local and state government provide services. Where is that federal money?
 
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard has received an enormous amount of money to protect our country. I personally had one single earmark in 2008 that was for almost $10,000,000, for a consolidated components facility that is currently under construction. These federal tax dollars also create jobs, and these workers spend money in our local economy.  
 
BAE Systems is a defense contractor, and their NH plants depend almost exclusively on federal contracts. They are the largest manufacturer here, creating thousands of jobs. GE also has federal money and they create jobs here also, along with many other defense-related businesses who receive our tax money.
 
Low-income citizens receive health care at Community Health Centers across the state, in places like Manchester, Somersworth, Portsmouth, and Conway. Our federal tax dollars help to fund them. Our congressmen voted to cut funding while praising the community centers for their cost-saving services. Our tax dollars have provided equipment and building money, as well as funding for uncompensated care.
 
Transportation is a challenge in our state, and many rural citizens have difficulty getting to work, to the doctor, or to a store. Our taxes have been returned to NH to help build transit in our state. There is federal money for highways here, and that also creates jobs, but our federal tax money helps people get around on buses, too. There is now bus transportation from Conway to Wolfeboro via Ossipee, and they used stimulus money-- our tax money-- to buy the buses. An assistant store manager said the buses are bringing customers to his store. This has also created more jobs in these communities.
 
New Hampshire firefighters, police officers, and other first responders can provide better services to our communities because our tax dollars helped them get better equipment and better technology. There have been federal grants and earmarks, and also stimulus money to support services and to pay salaries. Manchester, Rochester, Dover, Portsmouth, and many smaller towns applied for and received federal help that really was our money coming back to serve us.
 
Education is the key to prosperity in New Hampshire, so federal investment in education helps at every level. Our taxes come back to help our smallest and poorest citizens get a chance to succeed. Our dollars help every community put equipment in schools, feed kids who cannot learn if they are hungry, and educate those with extra challenges. Our tax money helps provide clean-energy buses to carry our next generation of NH leaders to and from UNH, and provides the necessary money for innovative and exciting research that will benefit our state and country. Our taxes also help provide loans to students-- a real investment in New Hampshire’s future.
 
We benefit when we “pool” our money. As citizens, we have a common interest in creating and sustaining a great nation that can pay its bills and invest in its people. Clean up duplicate efforts. Catch the cheats. Hold recipients of our money accountable. But Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. had it right when he said, “Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society.”

-----

Please help Carol regain her congressional seat and retire rubber stamp teabagger and corporate shill (bad combination) Frank Guinta.

You Want To Know Why Romney Isn't Releasing His Tax Returns? It's Not What You Think-- Take A Peek Behind The Mormon Curtain

A Mormon friend of mine here in L.A. told me that Buck McKeon was so freaked out about being exposed for taking gargantuan bribes from Countrywide-- hundreds of thousands of dollars-- but not because he's afraid of the toothless and pathetic House Ethics Committee, which he knows will do nothing. Instead, he's afraid of the Mormon Mafia. Turns out, he hasn't been giving them their cut of the action.

Mormons are required by Commandment of God to pay 10% of all their GROSS income to the LDS church. This includes all income-- including: employment, unemployment insurance, student loans, Pell grant checks, Social Security income, Medicare, foodstamps, trust funds and any other form of income, even including finding money on the ground.

So... what about Willard? The big news yesterday was that the hereditary multimillionaire is gaming the system so that he's only paying a 15% rate, far less than normal Americans pay. The King of Bain is also the king of tax loopholes. 15% is pretty outrageous in itself.

Romney’s 15 percent rate is likely to draw fire from opponents because it highlights the tax advantages enjoyed by wealthy Americans who make most of their money from investments rather than labor-- a disparity that has been criticized by billionaire Warren Buffett and many Occupy Wall Street protesters.

A report by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service recently showed that investment income, of the kind Romney is citing, was the biggest contributor to an increase in income inequality between 1996 and 2006.

Most Americans earn their income from wages and salaries, paying higher tax rates-- up to 35 percent-- the more they earn. The tax on capital gains, which include profits from the sale of stocks, bonds and real estate, is 15 percent.

The wealthy take advantage of this lower rate far more than other Americans. In the last 20 years, about half of all capital gains income realized have gone to the wealthiest 0.1 percent.

Romney’s tax returns could also reignite a debate over how to count income earned by partners at private equity firms. When private equity firms sell long-run investments, those profits are treated as long-term capital gains, which means they’re taxed at no more than 15 percent. Critics say those earnings should be taxed as ordinary income because the partners are mostly managing other people’s money, not their own.

So what about the Mormon connection? What if he's not paying his full tithe? Would that get him in trouble with the LDS Church? More significantly, how would that go over with Mormons who make a modest income yet still do their full 10%? Trying to get inside someone's head isn't very accurate, but how would a guy struggling to get by on a $45,000 income and tithing $4500 (with god knows how many kids) feel to find out that Mitt's doing only 7%, or 5%?

And what if he 's paying his full tithe, which would be a huge number? How would average Americans take to him getting a tax benefit for contributions at that level to a freaking church? ABC News reported today that he even cut the Mormon Church in on many of the shady deals he did at Bain, bankrupting companies and sending thousands of workers to the unemployment lines with his toxic business model. Romney, they report, "carved his church a slice of several of its most lucrative business deals, securities records show, providing it with millions of dollars worth of stock in some of Bain Capital's most well-known holdings." It looks to me though, that he's leaking all kinds of information to try to persuade the Mormon Mafia he's been giving his full tithe, when he was probably cheating them the same way he cheated everyone else.

Tithing always comes first in Mormonism. Any member who is struggling in any way (job loss, broken down car, depression, etc) will always be counseled to pay tithing in order to receive blessings. All blessings, privileges and callings in the LDS Church are centered around tithing. Without paying a full tithe, a member cannot be a "member in good standing."

...The Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-Day Saints brings in an estimated 6.5 to 7.0 billion dollars a year in annual tithing revenues. The Church refuses to disclose to the public or its members how much money it receives annually and what those funds are used for. Because the LDS Church is a tax-exempt organization, it does not have to publicly disclose financial books.

In 2005 the LDS Church purchased two shopping malls in Downtown Salt Lake City for $500 million dollars. The Church plans to spend $1 to $3.5 billion dollars renovating them. In official statements from LDS Church, the Church claims that not one dollar of member tithing funds went into the deal.

Mormons are required to attend a Tithing Settlement with the Bishop each year. [Remember, Romney is a Mormon Bishop.] A member is questioned in a one-on-one interview with the Bishop to ensure the member is paying a full 10%. Those members who are not paying a full 10% loose their temple recommends and are prevented from entering the Temple.

Mormons who loose their temple recommends are in serious jeopardy of loosing their Celestial blessings. A Mormon who does not pay tithing cannot enter the temple. If a member cannot get into the temple, the member cannot learn the secret handshake, secret password, secret "new name" and special “sealings.” Without these, the member will be unable to pass Joseph Smith and the angels who guard the entrance to the Celestial Kingdom.

Mormons are commanded that tithing must come first before anything else. Utah has the highest rate of bankruptcies in the United States. Mormons often are told "I cannot pay my bills until I've paid my tithing." Mormons will even pay their tithing rather than give the money to a relative who is on the verge of eviction. Mormon published magazines (Ensign, New Era) constantly stress that tithing must always be paid.

Recently, Mormon Senator Orrin Hatch passed legislation that allowed members to pay a full tithe even while they were in bankruptcy court.

Mormons are told: "if a destitute family is faced with the decision of paying their tithing or eating, they should pay their tithing." (Lynn Robbins, General Conference, April 2005).

Mormons who have not paid tithing will be denied a temple recommend and will be considered "unworthy." However; Mormons who pay "back-tithing" (some as much as $5000 or more) are instantly found to be worthy and can receive their temple recommends back once the money has been paid. The Mormon Church uses this as an extortion method when it comes to temple marriages. Parents or family members who have not paid tithing are required to pay back tithing-- sometimes in the thousands of dollars-- which must be paid before a temple recommend can be issued in order to see their own children married.

Mormons are further threatened that if they do not pay a full tithe, they will be burned with fire when Jesus Christ comes again. Mormons see Tithing as "fire insurance".

Mormons who claim that tithing is purely "a personal choice" are deceiving themselves and outright lying.

WE TOOK THE DAY OFF TO FIGHT SOPA

We'll start posting again at midnight (ET).

Meanwhile, please, take a look at the Wikipedia page that explains why so many websites and blogs are having a down day.

These are the House cosponsors of this toxic legislation by Texas fascist Lamar Smith that would end the Internet as we know it:

Mark Amodei (R) NV-2
Joe Baca (Blue Dog) CA-43
John Barrow (Blue Dog) GA-12
Karen Bass (D) CA-33
Howard Berman (D) CA-28
Marsha Blackburn (R) TN-7
Mary Bono Mack (R) CA-45
John Carter (R) TX-31
Steve Chabot (R) OH-1
Judy Chu (D) CA-32
John Conyers (D) MI-14
Jim Cooper (Blue Dog) TN-5
Ted Deutch (D) FL-19
Elton Gallegly (R) CA-24
Bob Goodlatte (R) VA-6
Tim Griffin (R) AR-2
Tim Holden (Blue Dog) PA-17
Peter King (R) NY-3
John Larson (D) CT-1
Ben Ray Lujan (D) NM-3
Tom Marino (R) PA-10
Alan Nunnelee (R) MS-1
William Owens (quasi-Blue Dog) NY-23
Ben Quayle (R) AZ-3
Dennis Ross (R) FL-12
Steve Scalise (R) LA-1
Adam Schiff (Blue Dog) CA-29
Brad Sherman (D) CA-27
Lee Terry (R) NE-2
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D) FL-20
Mel Watt (D) NC-12

Matt Cartwright, the progressive Democrat challenging corrupt corporate Blue Dog Tim Holden, one of the cosponsors, had this to say about the proposed legislation:

"In my opinion, SOPA is a bill so riddled with unconstitutional infringements on free speech and unconstitutionally vague criminalization of conduct that it is hard to believe its authors ever even read the one document that they swore to protect and defend."

This Vegan Has Loved Turkey Since 1969

As an American of Jewish heritage I get frightened at the way Rick Perry pronounces "Israel." But just try to imagine how the 160,000 Turkish-Americans we have in this country (mostly in New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Ohio and Illinois) are feeling today. We'll get to how the American ambassador in Ankara is feeling in a moment.

One of the largest coalitions of Turkish-Americans has condemned what it said “uninformed comments” about Turkey by US Republican contender Rick Perry during Monday night's debate ahead of South Carolina primaries.

Perry drew Turkey's ire on Tuesday after suggesting the country is ruled by Islamic terrorists and questioning its NATO membership.

Perry, the Texas governor whose candidacy briefly soared when he entered the race in August but whose shine faded after a series of weak debate performances, said Turkey was ruled by "what many would perceive to be Islamic terrorists" and questioned the country's NATO membership.

...The Turkish Coalition of America (TCA) said Perry offended Turkish-Americans by insulting Turkey's democratically elected government officials and threatening Turkey’s membership in NATO.

In a statement released by its president Lincoln McCurdy, TCA said it respectfully requests that Perry apologize for “his divisive and uneducated remarks.”

“Turkey is one of the largest contributors of support to US efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq, including providing the second-largest NATO army on the ground, leading the NATO troops in Afghanistan three times, and providing over 70 percent of the international logistics support to US troops in Iraq,” McCurdy said.

He said the “level of ignorance” shown by the governor of such an important state as Texas is “appalling.”

...Turkey’s ambassador added that his country is a secular democracy that has for decades been an essential and trusted partner of the US and whether in the fight against terrorism or violent extremism, in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria or against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, “we stand side by side to tackle the many common threats and challenges of our times."

The first time I went to Turkey I was barely out of my teens, driving a VW van from London to India. I fell in love with Turkish hospitality, culture, food and, most of all, the wonderful, friendly, honest people. I spent time in Istanbul, but for a couple months I drove from one small village to another all through Anatolia. And I was always blown away by the generosity and sincerity of the people I met. Once we left Istanbul, no one in my party ever spent a night in a hotel for the whole two months in the country. I've been back a dozen times. I was absolutely mortified when I heard Rick Perry's idiotic answer (video above) to a pretty stupid question to begin with. My first thought was, how was the U.S. ambassador in Ankara going to explain Rick Perry to the Turkish foreign minister the next day? "Oh, he isn't a serious candidate for president"? "All the talk about him being the commander-in-chief of the Texas military is just a little joke"?

Frank Ricciardone is a professional career diplomat who previously served as ambassador to Egypt and the Philippines and as deputy ambassador to Afghanistan. He went to Dartmouth with Ken and speaks fluent Turkish as well as Arabic. He was confirmed as ambassador to Egypt when Bush appointed him, but Republican obstructionists in the Senate refused to confirm him for his Turkish post because he was nominated by President Obama. Obama ignored them and gave him a recess appointment. I have faith in his diplomatic skills, even if these crazy GOP debates are stressing out the whole U.S. diplomatic corps. And don't think the Turkish government wasn't pissed off.

Turkey's Foreign Ministry released a scathing statement saying Perry's comments were "baseless and inappropriate" and that the U.S. has no time to waste with candidates "who do not even know their allies."

..."Turkey joined NATO while the governor was still 2-years old," the statement said. "It is a member that has made important contributions to the trans-Atlantic alliance's conflict-full history. It is among countries that are at the front lines in the fight against terrorism."

Turkey has been ruled by a government led by pious Muslims since 2002. Although its ties with Israel have deteriorated, the government has maintained close ties with the West while seeking to represent the views of the Muslim world.

Most recently, Turkey began to host NATO's early warning radar system as part of NATO's missile defense system, which is capable of countering ballistic missile threats from Iran.

And while the United States recently deployed four Predator drones to Turkey from Iraq to aid Ankara in its fight against the autonomy-seeking Kurdish rebels, Turkey does not receive U.S. foreign aid.

The Turkish statement said Turkey's leaders were "personalities respected not only in the United States, but in our region and in the world and whose opinions are strongly relied on."

I wonder if Ricciardone helped him write it. Reaction from the lively Turkish press was less diplomatic.

"Rick Perry: what an idiot," was the reaction from top Turkish Hurriyet Daily News columnist Mustafa Akyol on Twitter, according to CNN's Ivan Watson and Yesim Comert.

Turkey's main state broadcaster TRT added, "The debate that the Republican candidate Rick Perry attended on American Fox TV turned into a scandal that contained very ugly statements about Turkey," also according to CNN.

Just horrible to think that these proud and sensitive people have come under attack so some pathetic Know Nothing running a moronic and pointless vanity campaign can try to score political points in front of an audience even stupider and more ignorant than he is.

Personally, I'd just as soon not see Willard Inc.'s tax returns -- I'm feeling economically depressed enough

I know we saw this Paul Noth New Yorker cartoon on Tuesday, but I like it a lot. It says so much about Willard Inc.'s, er, appeal.

by Ken

There's actually a significant development on the "Understanding Willard Inc." front, part of an important development on the rollingstone.com front, where our friend Rick Perlstein is going to be writing a weekly column. The first installment, "What Mitt Romney Learned From His Dad," is up now, and it's a killer. I'm going to be writing about it, but it really needs to be read, not written about.

Meanwhile, Paul Krugman, in a blogpost today, explains why we still need to see Willard's tax returns, which he's saying he'll release, pretty likely, oh, April-ish.

January 17, 2012, 10:59 AM

We Still Need To See Those Returns

Aha. Romney concedes that the estimates people have been making about his taxes are basically right:

At an event in Florence, SC, Mitt Romney told reporters that his effective tax rate is probably close to 15% because most of his income comes from investments, reports Bloomberg’s Julie Davis.

And an immediate question is, do you agree that unearned income should be taxed at a rate so much lower than earned income?

Besides, he’s still fudging: how much of that is true investment income, and how much is carried interest, which is actually earned income that for reasons unclear manages to get taxed like investment income (making nonsense of the claim that investment income should face low taxes because it has already been taxed once)?

Oh, and don’t give me the argument that private equity is special because it’s a risky business, in which you put in a lot of effort for an uncertain return. So is any kind of small business venture; and so, as it happens, is textbook writing. Yet small businessmen and textbook authors pay normal tax rates.

And speaking of theories about Willard Inc., admirers of his electrifying oratorical and campaign style will want to check out this new theory.

Romney Under Pressure to Prove He Was Manufactured in US
Rivals Demand He Produce Label

MYRTLE BEACH, SC (The Borowitz Report) – Controversy swirled at the Republican debate in South Carolina last night as Mitt Romney’s rivals pressured the GOP frontrunner to prove that he was manufactured in the United States.

The other candidates for the Republican nomination repeatedly pounded the former Massachusetts governor on the issue throughout the night, demanding that he produce a label proving that he was made in the U.S.A.

The attacks came amid rumors that Mr. Romney was assembled in a plant overseas, possibly in France, where a microchip was installed enabling him to speak French.

“At a time when we are losing an increasing number of manufacturing jobs to other countries, can we really afford to have a President who wasn’t made here?” asked former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

Former Senator Rick Santorum joined in the attacks, saying that if it is proven that Mr. Romney was assembled overseas he might be liable for tariffs and customs duties.

Texas Governor Rick Perry abstained from the attacks, but only because he seemed unclear as to who Mr. Romney was.

The former Massachusetts governor did little to tame the controversy, flailing his arms wildly at one point as smoke billowed from his head.

“Attendez!” Mr. Romney barked stiffly, drawing hoots from the debate audience.

Perhaps in an attempt to deflect attention away from the controversy, the Romney campaign announced today that the candidate had received the endorsement of the IBM supercomputer known as Watson.

#

Mitt Romney And Quetzalcoatl-- Will South Carolina Republicans Get To The Bottom Of This?

Late last week 150 pooh-bahs from the upper reaches of the religious right-- primarily the most backward of the backward evangelical money-grubbers and bigots-- got together to pick someone, anyone, who could serve as the Not-Romney. Perry is who they wanted, but his campaign has been such an unmitigated disaster and he has proven himself so implausible that they were forced to choose between crazed Catholic fanatic Rick Santorum and sleazy apostate Newt Gingrich, also now a Catholic.

Their real problem with Romney shouldn't be his Mormon faith; it should be his exceedingly ugly worship of Mammon. But their evangelical shtick allows the exact same obeisance. There really shouldn't be that much of a problem. They sure overlooked Santorum's papism, which not long ago would have been a mortal crime for this kind of group. But of course Mammon isn't the only thing Romney worships, at least in public. His family fled to Mexico in the 1800s in order to preserve their polygamist way of life and lived there for generations. I was in the Yucatán recently, visiting Mayan sacred sites all month. I've heard again and again from Mayans that Mormon missionaries-- they're everywhere in Mexico, thick as fleas-- tell them that the Mayan feathered-serpent god Quetzalcoatl was the resurrected Jesus Christ, who Mormons believe as a prime tenet of their religion visited the Americas after being crucified.

The chief Mormon after Brigham Young, John Taylor, who began the Mormon colonization of Mexico by sending Romney's great-grandfather and a gaggle of his illegal wives down there, wrote: "The story of the life of the Mexican divinity Quetzalcoatl closely resembles that of the Savior; so closely, indeed, that we can come to no other conclusion than that Quetzalcoatl and Christ are the same being." Does Mitt Romney worship Quetzalcoatl as the resurrected Jesus? He won't say. In fact, for a powerful Mormon bishop, he sure hates talking about his faith. But it might be something that disturbs the evangelicals.

Conservative Christians, including Protestants and Roman Catholics, generally do not consider Mormons to be Christian, but it is unclear what role those objections will play in South Carolina vote and beyond. Surveys have found that Republicans with the strongest objections to Mormonism also are among the fiercest opponents to President Barack Obama, and would back a Mormon in the general election.

...In the Pew poll released Thursday, nearly half of Mormons said church members face significant discrimination in the United States and nearly two-thirds said other Americans do not consider the religion part of the mainstream. LDS church leaders have long complained that critics take obscure or outdated Mormon teachings and describe them as core doctrine. The church cast aside the teaching of polygamy in 1890, and in 1978, abolished the barrier that kept those of African descent from full participation in the church. In the latest Pew survey, only 2 percent of Mormons said polygamy is morally acceptable.

Despite the prejudice Mormons feel, a majority expressed optimism about their future. More than 60 percent believe Americans are moving toward acceptance of Mormonism and more than half believe the country is ready to accept a Latter-day Saint as president. An overwhelming majority of Mormon voters hold favorable views of Romney, the poll found.

In the 2012 race, Romney has not directly addressed theological differences between his faith and historic Christianity, as he did in his first bid for the nomination, with a 2007 faith-and-values speech in Texas, Instead, his campaign has been emphasizing values that Mormons and conservative Christians share.

About 77 percent of Mormons in the survey identify with or lean toward the Republican Party, and most hold much stronger conservative views than the general public. Three-quarters support a smaller government that provides fewer services. The same percentage say having an abortion is morally wrong. Two-thirds believe homosexuality should be discouraged.

Rank-and-file Mormons reflect the strong emphasis throughout the LDS church on family. Asked their life priorities, a large majority of respondents listed being a good parent and having a successful marriage. Latter-day Saints also have a high level of religious observance that surpasses even the most devout American Christians. Three-quarters of Mormons said they attended religious services weekly or more, compared to 64 percent of white evangelicals and 42 percent of white Catholics. Two-thirds of Mormons say they pray several times a day, compared to half of evangelicals and about one-third of Catholics.

Since 1994, a group of evangelical and Mormon scholars who have been meeting to discuss theology, focusing on their shared beliefs. All but 2 percent of Mormons in the Pew survey said they believe that Jesus was resurrected. Nearly all believe the Bible is the word of God and describe themselves Christian or "Christ-centered."

However, Mormons just as strongly hold beliefs that traditional Christians consider heretical. All but 6 percent of Mormons believe that God the Father and Jesus Christ are separate, physical beings, a rejection of the doctrine of the Trinity, in which God, the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit coexist and share one substance.

Joseph Smith became Mormonism's founding prophet after he said he experienced visions during the late 1820s. He said he was told not to join any church because they all held wrong beliefs. An angel, he said, then directed him to gold plates that had been buried in the ground in upstate New York, which Smith then translated as the Book of Mormon. Nearly all Mormons in the survey said they believe the Book of Mormon was written by ancient prophets and that the president of the LDS church is a prophet of God.

South Carolina Republican primary voters don't know anything about Romney and his embrace of Queztalcoatl, but will their reflexive bigotry and inbred anti-Mormonism cause them to buck the GOP Establishment and give Romney a rough time in favor of the Not-Romney? People who watch right-wing religious bigotry are trying to figure that out. In 2008, fully 60% of South Carolina Republican voters were evangelicals.

Interviews across South Carolina over the past week revealed the antipathy some evangelical Christians hold toward Mormonism. But more often voters said it is not a top concern, if one at all, heading into Saturday’s primary.

“When JFK ran, people questioned whether his allegiance would be to the Constitution or the Pope,” said Pastor Lamar McAbee of Duncan First Baptist Church, who rejects Mormonism as a form of Christianity. “The bottom line is, he was a fine president. I don’t think there is any reason why a Mormon would not be capable of leading.”

What matters most to his congregation in this small town is what matters most to voters across the country. “The economy,” McAbee said.

Religion is not Romney’s only challenge in winning over the state’s social conservatives. Many are squeamish about his past moderate positions on abortion and gay marriage.

“Do not defer your judgment to those who do not share your values,” rival Rick Santorum said at a candidate forum in Duncan Friday night, an event that began with several hundred attendees bowing their heads in prayer. Santorum finished eight votes behind in the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses and took a majority of the evangelical vote.

Romney has lifelong ties to Mormonism. His father, the former governor of Michigan, had been born in a Mormon colony in Mexico and was active in the church. Willard “Mitt” Romney attended Brigham Young University and worked as a Mormon missionary in France. In the early 1980s, Romney was appointed as bishop of the Mormon congregation in Belmont, Mass.

He rarely talked about his faith in the 2008 race. As he began to prepare to run again he faced new questions of whether he could overcome intolerance.

“The great majority of Americans understand that this nation was founded on the principle of religious tolerance and liberty so most people do not make their decision based on someone’s faith. But you don’t worry about that,” he said in 2011 on ABC’s The View.

Romney garnered a dismal 11 percent evangelical support in South Carolina in 2008 and his faith was a distinct factor, even as he drew some top endorsements, such as Bob Jones III, chancellor of the ultra-Christian college in Greenville that bears his name.

“As a Christian I am completely opposed to the doctrines of Mormonism,” Jones said in 2007. “But I’m not voting for a preacher. I’m voting for a president. It boils down to who can best represent conservative American beliefs, not religious beliefs.”

...South Carolina has a history of dirty politics and with six days before the primary, something could develop. In the 2008 campaign, voters received anti-Romney mailers from an anonymous source that called attention to polygamy, which the Mormon church banned more than a century ago.

No doubt there are many evangelicals here who are turned off to Romney’s candidacy because he is Mormon. But there are also those like Jane Bateman, 68, of Spartanburg, who attended the forum in Duncan.

“I just can’t get past it,” Bateman said of Mormonism, explaining she prefers the Catholic Santorum. “But if Romney is the nominee I’ll hold my nose and vote for him.”

If Romney emerges as the nominee, 91 percent of white evangelical Republicans nationally would back him over President Obama, according to a November poll by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.

At the same time, the survey found that nearly two out of three evangelicals do not believe Mormonism is a Christian religion and that 15 percent of evangelicals would not support Romney.

"They look like they're more Christian than Christians if you just look at the surface. But no, they have their own separate Book of Mormon," Eleanor Becker, 74 of Atlantic, Iowa, said when the candidates were crisscrossing her state a month ago. "I could not vote for one to be the head our nation."

Besides adding to sacred Christian scripture, Mormons believe in living prophets and apostles. The theology remains unclear to most Americans, lending a perception the religion is secretive, or worse.

In October, an ally of GOP hopeful Rick Perry made news by likening Mormonism to a “cult.” In December, the political director of Newt Gingrich’s campaign in Iowa was forced to resign after disparaging remarks he made about the faith came to light.

You'd have to be a real idiot to oppose Romney because of Mormonism, but idiots are a really big constituency in the Republican Party, especially in places like South Carolina... and especially when you consider the pathetic alternatives in the primary. If only Herman Cain had stayed in the race... or Bachmann.




PS: OH NO! EVANGELICAL ELECTION-RIGGING???

The Washington Times reported yesterday ("Conservatives feud over Santorum endorsement") that "in an evolving power struggle, religious conservatives are feuding about whether a weekend meeting in Texas yielded a consensus that former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum is the best bet to stop Mitt Romney’s drive for the Republican presidential nomination."

Former White House evangelical-outreach official Doug Wead, who represented GOP presidential hopeful Texas Rep. Ron Paul at the event, said the outcome obviously was determined in advance by the choice of the people invited.

“By the time the weekend was over, it was clear that this had been definitely planned all along as a Rick Santorum event,” Mr. Wead said, noting that he was the only supporter of Mr. Paul to receive an invitation.

“The organizer was for Santorum, the person who created the invitation list was for Santorum, the emcee was for Santorum, and after making sure all of the Gingrich people had vented early, the last three speakers before the vote were for Santorum,” he said.

Added a Gingrich supporter, a prominent social conservative who asked not to be named, “My view is that the vote was manipulated.”

As a colleague put it, "Wow. If you can't trust 150 evangelical extremists, who can you trust?"

#

The Noah Diaries 2011 (30): Ron Paul a racist? It can't be!

Who's "a skinny ghetto crackhead"?, Big Ole Butt?, a mighty "Christian" cardinal, Christmas in Jerusalem, and more

It's the traditional Battle of the Brooms ceremony at the oh-so-holy Church of the Nativity in Jerusalem. (See 12/28.)

by Noah

12/21/11 -- Quote of the Year nominee: From Ron Paul's racist newsletters

"Given the inefficiencies of what DC laughably calls the criminal justice system, I think we can safely assume that 95 percent of the black males in that city are semi-criminal or entirely criminal."

Ron Paul issued racist newsletters. Who knew??!! As if his 100-percent rating from the John Birch Society wasn't enough. (Fellow racist Trent Lott got only a 66-percent rating.)

In one of the first posts I did for DWT, "About Ron Paul: The Enemy of My Enemy Is Not Always My Friend" (August 2007), I mentioned Paul's penchant for being a frequent guest on the radio show of one Larry Pratt. Pratt is the executive director of Gun Owners of America, which on the surface doesn't bug me, but hopefully not everyone in the organization is like Pratt, who's also a member of not one but two Tea Party organizations and a man known for his close connections to white supremacist groups, anti-semitic groups, and the Christian Identity movement. In 1992, he spoke to a meeting of Aryan Nations leaders in Colorado, where he said, "The Second Amendment is not about duck-hunting." He had been invited to speak by Pete Peters, author of a pamphlet called "The Death Penalty for Homosexuals." In 1996 he had to resign as Pat Buchanan's Republican Party co-chair.

I'll leave it up to you whether you think Ron Paul should be judged by the words he publishes and the people he hangs out with, but if you ask me, he has been treated with kid gloves by the media. A bigger question is, why? And I think the answer is obvious. The hacks who infest our mainstream media just don't see anything wrong or alarming about Ron Paul and what he stands for. In fact, given the ease with which his character could be uncovered, I'd say they support what he stands for, or else we'd never hear his name again.

I won't hold my breath waiting for any of the grand assortment of media clowns to go public with any of this. Since they haven't already, I doubt that they ever will bother to dig up some recordings or transcripts of those any of those fine Larry & Ron radio moments.

Meanwhile, we'll have to be content with a fine collection of Paulisms assembled by Rachel Maddow:




12/22/11 -- On Hannity, Brent Bozell likens Obama to a crackhead

The exact phrase was "a skinny ghetto crackhead," in case some of us just didn't get where Mr. Bozo was coming from. I guess ‘"tar baby" just isn't enough. [See 8/2.]


12/22/11 -- Wisconsin Congresscreep Jim Sensenbrenner has apologized to First Lady Michelle Obama for reportedly saying that she has a "big butt"

Chances are it's still smaller than the congresscreep's, but really, why should anyone care? In addition, Sensenbrenner made his comment in church. Classy guy, and very Christian too!

Really Jimmyboy, is that the best ya got, "big butt"? Republicans are so freaked out by the Obamas that they've resorted to the schoolyard taunts of the 10-year-olds they really are. It's almost sad.




12/28/11 -- How mighty Christian of Cardinal George

Just in time for Christmas, December 22nd to be exact, Chicago's Cardinal Francis George went on the local FOX hate channel for an interview where he ever so tastefully linked his city's Gay Pride Parade to a good old-fashioned KKK parade, saying, "You don't want the gay liberation movement to morph into something like the Ku Klux Klan, demonstrating in the streets against Catholicism."

Well, if you don't want that kind of demonstrating in the streets, maybe, just maybe, you shouldn't accuse gay people of being Grand Wizards and such, Mr. Cardinal. And while you're at it, why don't you take a look at your own back yard and go through your own house and clean out some closets, buddy?

Today, the cardinal has doubled down in a defense of his words, saying, "Organizers invited an obvious comparison to other groups who have historically attempted to stifle the religious freedom of the Catholic Church."

Yeah., those damn gay folks were asking for it! Apparently Tone Deaf 101 was not on his course list in seminary school.

One week later: The somewhat inevitable and, in this case obviously insincere, apology has come. Local gay groups, for their part, have agreed to hold their parade two hours later than originally scheduled so as not to interfere with the timing of any services. Mr. Cardinal is still grumbling anyway because that's his job, but the firestorm seems to be dying down.


12/24/11 -- A thought on Christmas eve: Scrooge was a Republican




12/24/11 -- Merry Christmas to all. I hope Santa remembers to give me some Armani pepper spray (Calvin Klein pepper spray in the limited-edition can would be fine too)


12/25/11 -- Republikooks need not attend!

Righties are all upset that they didn't get an invite to a White House Christmas get-together for progressive talk-radio folks at the White House. This is amazing stuff. First of all, George W. Bush never invited progressive talkers when he had all the hate-talk cretins over. They're ignoring that inconvenient part of the story. But more importantly, if an invitation was so important to me, I wouldn't spend the year denigrating the president and claiming that he wasn't even born here, is a Muslim, a socialist, an America-hating commie. . . .


12/26/11 -- How insane is FOX News goon Republican pollster Dick Morris?

Morris sez: "Ron Paul remains terrifying. He is really the ultimate liberal in the race."

It was bad enough when Morris was the pollster for stealth Republican Bill Clinton. Now at least he's where he belongs -- right on FOX, with plenty of other crazies to keep him company.


12/27/11 -- The truth about Michael Chertoff's airport porno scanners

There's a story here. It's a story that's being swept under the carpet by the mainstream media. Think about these six points if you're asked to get in line for a full-body porno scan at the airport.

1. The European Union has banned the Chertoff porno scanners.

2. Cancer incidents among TSA employees at Logan Airport in Boston have risen noticeably since the installation of the prono scanners.

3. There are no scanners at VIP lines at Reagan National Airport in Washington;, the lines that check congresscritters and other government officials (aka the Elite).

4. Michael Chertoff stands to make a reported $35 million on his scanner deal.

5. The government has not let Underwriters Laboratories, the independent nonprofit organization that does safety testing and certification, examine the machines.

6. The machines are utterly useless in detecting nonmetal substances stashed in body cavities --you know, like high explosives.

So what's the point of these scanners being installed in every airport of substantial size across the land? Is it just the money that Chertoff and his buddies stand to rake in? Is it all about getting us used to being more violated by officials? It's as good of a way as any to continue turning us into a population of very pliable shee-ple.


12/28/11 -- A Christmas story, from Jerusalem

At the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the location of the purported tomb of Jesus Christ, groups of rival monks decided against turning the other cheek and got very territorial, each seeking prime position in the Holy Sepulcher, battling each other with fists and brooms over the site where Jesus is supposed to be emtombed. Will this become a Christmas ritual? Are reenactments of "The Battle of the Brooms" in store?

These idiots actually made the Palestinian Security Forces who police the place look like the peacemakers for a minute. Fighting with brooms? You'll have to pry this broom from my cold dead hands! What would Jesus do? Just imagine if these loons were rooting for opposing soccer teams.


12/28/11 -- My wife and I went to see Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy today

The movie was great. With a senior discount, the two tickets came to $19. Never mind that the first time I took my wife to the movies, the tickets probably came to $3. It was a different time then. But this gave me an idea: What if the price of the tickets matched the era being depicted in the movie? Nothing that dealt with historical events, real or imagined, would ever make it to film, for one thing. So, that's that.

Seriously, though, we got to the theater early, and although the place was empty, it did fill up pretty good by showtime. Then the all too typical coming-attraction silliness began. If such "attractions" are any indication, I don't expect to be going to many movies this coming year. There was about 20 minutes (it seemed like much more) of coming attractions that would make the NRA proud with the plots of said attractions consisting of good-looking people shooting each other and blowing things up after driving various vehicles like complete crazies. It was hard to tell these movies apart, really, although there does seem to be a trend of having hot women doing the mayhem in the service of justice or "something." Now that's what Hollywood calls equality!

I used to spend an awful lot of time in Hollywood. It was insipid. The grotesque superficiality and narcissism was off the charts. Apparently it's even worse now.

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History in the making:
Selections from THE NOAH DIARIES 2011

Yesterday: (29) "Stupid" is what the Republican voter craves (and Mittens could be that man!). Plus: Newt sucks up $30K/hr of our money, Christine "I'm Not a Witch" O'D endorses Mitt, "Keep America American"?, phantom centrists (12/11-18/11)
Thursday, the concluding installment: (31) Afterword -- What we learned from (or because of) Republicans this year. Plus: Quote of the Year revealed!

FOR A COMPLETE LISTING OF THE SERIES, CLICK HERE

And don't forget 2010's Year in Review series and 2009's "12 Days of Christmas Scorn"!

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Ed Potosnak Wants YOU To Pick A Pro-Environment Candidate He Should Give His Money To

As you've probably read by now, New Jersey progressive candidate Ed Potosnak withdrew his challenge to Leonard Lance yesterday to take a job as the executive director of the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters. He was one of Blue America's favorite candidates, both in the 2010 cycle and again this year. We'll miss him, but we know he will accomplish a lot in his new job. Here's what he told me last night when he came up with the idea for this contest to help out a Blue America candidate.

I have always been a strong environmentalist. As a young adult my passion for nature manifested itself by guiding my choices as an individual. As an adult I turned my commitment to the environment into political advocacy, because protecting our natural resources is bigger than recycling and requires strong pro-environment policies. It is urgent that we address global climate change and take measurable steps to safeguard our water, air, land and wildlife for our future generations.

New Jersey faces significant challenges in cleaning up and safeguarding our environment. I am extremely proud to be leading the NJ League of Conservation Voters and working with our diverse members to provide justice for an environment that cannot defend itself. With our help, our state will serve as a role model for other similarly challenged communities throughout world.

Ed has some extra money in his campaign war chest, and he's offered to give the maximum amount allowable from one campaign to another, $2,000, to the Blue America candidate who gets the most contributions in the next 24 hours. So take a look at our ActBlue page and contribute-- whether a dollar or $1,000, it still counts as one "vote"-- and the candidate who gets the most "votes" will get a $2,000 dollar check from Ed's campaign. Happily, all of the Blue America candidates are pro-environment, and all of them are running on platforms similar to Ed's in terms of protecting clean air and water and America's natural beauty.

"This is a truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Ed said to us about his new job, explaining his withdrawal from the campaign. “I look forward to building on the grassroots energy of the diverse membership of NJLCV to promote nonpartisan solutions to our environmental challenges... I will be working every day to ensure our children and future generations have clean water and air, as well open space." Every one of these Blue America candidates is committed to the same vision for our country's future.

The rules for this contest: Just contribute any amount to any candidate on this page and it will count as a vote for that candidate. And yes, you can vote for more than one if you want to. In 24 hours we count up all the votes (again, not the dollar amounts, but the votes), and the candidate with the most gets the check from Ed's campaign.