Reason number 467 why politics and religion don't mix well


From today's NY Times:
Dr. Dobson, founder and chairman of Focus on the Family and one of a handful of prominent Christian conservatives to support the selection of Ms. Miers publicly, said in his radio program Wednesday: "There has been a firestorm of activity since then. This nomination has angered and disillusioned many conservatives, many Christian conservatives."

Explaining his reasons for supporting her and praying for guidance, Dr. Dobson cited her religious faith and said he knew her conservative evangelical church. "I know the person who brought her to the Lord," he said. "I have talked at length to people that know her and have known her for a long time."
Harriet Miers, the President's SCOTUS nominee, converted from Catholicism, a crass, pagan belief system which knows nothing about the divinity of Jesus.

So sayeth the Rev. Dobson.

h/t Andrew
7.10.05 15:00


Name the freedom-spreading vehicle


President Bush yesterday likened the Iraq quagmire, I mean, war, as "planting the "seeds of freedom", which will then presumably grow into a stately shrub, or maybe even a tree. As 210K points out "This new analogy replaces the "march" of freedom he's been telling us about for years. The reason for the change is obvious: marches don't take very long. Seeds, on the other hand, grow slowly. Got a policy problem? Change the analogy!"

So here's the challenge. We started with a march to freedom, but unlike other marches (Mao's Long March, for example), Bush's march has no end in sight. Planting a tree is nice, but at some point, we'd expect to see some fruit, or maybe just a shoot sticking up through the ground.

So let's give the Prez a hand, and think of some fall back analogies. Shifting the continental plates of freedom? Imploding the white dwarf star of freedom? Think bold.

7.10.05 16:33


He forgot two men, three women, and an opposum


America's radical clerics are beside themselves with rage over the possibility that somewhere in America, gay couples will one day wed. The Ayatollah Dobson stamps his tiny little feet and proclaims:
Historically, the definition of marriage has rested on a foundation of tradition, legal precedent, theology, and an overwhelming support of the people. After the introduction of marriage between homosexuals, however, it will be supported by nothing more substantial than the opinion of a single judge or by a black-robed panel of justices. After they have reached that dubious decision, the family will consist of little more than someone's interpretation of rights. Given that unstable legal climate, it is certain that some self-possessed judge somewhere will soon rule that three men, or three women, can marry. Or five men and two women. Or four and four... Or marriage between daddies and little girls? Or marriage between a man and his donkey? Anything allegedly linked to civil rights will be doable, and the legal underpinnings for marriage will have been destroyed."
Dobson's argument, that radical judges will change marriage as we know it, is bogus, and Dobson knows better. It's good old fashioned Democracy, and demographics, that he fears the most. Younger Americans are more accepting of homosexuality that those of Dobson's generation, so it's a matter of time before gay marriage becomes more widespread. That's why the religious right is so eager for a constitutional amendment to ban the practice. It's not judges Dobson and his ilk want to suppress. It's Americans who don't share the same bigoted world view as the radical right.
11.10.05 22:13


Shrub's Bill Buckner moment


The more I read about Harriet Miers, President Bush's pick to replace Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court, the more convinced I am that Bush really wishes he could call a do-ever. The unholy Republican alliance between corporatists and social conservatives is splitting over Bush's choice, and White House operatives are attacking their own in a desperate attempt to save the nomination. There's talk now of Republican "elites" lording it over the religious base, with George Will and Bill Kristol lining up on one side of the ideological divide, dodge balls firmly in hand, to pummel poor James Dobson and Pat Robertson on the other side.

Of course this divide has always occurred in Republicanland, but the mainstream media never had a chance to talk about it before. It wasn't really polite, you see. What's odd about the Miers nomination is that the poor woman doesn't really please anyone outside of the immediate Bush Family. Will and Kristol point to her lack of experience and gravitas. Ann Coulter and other social conservatives fear Miers may be another - gasp - David Souter, a stealth nominee who turns into a liberal vampire when the light of public scrutiny fades into black judicial robes. Even a Republican butt boy like Rush Limbaugh can't whip up any geniune enthusiasm over Miers, whose career highlight was heading the Texas state lottery commission.

Professional pundits and bloggers alike are looking for meaning in the nomination. Is Bush deliberately trying to tick off his base? Is he sending a message to his cronies - "Stick with me, and I'll take care of ya"? Is Miers a closet Scalia?

There's an easier explanation - Bush choked. He choked on Iraq. He choked in the aftermath of Katrina. And he choked by naming his personal attorney as the next Supreme Court justice. I can't think of any other reason. The thing is so pointless. There are a hundred more qualified candidates that Miers, and with a solid Republican majority in the Senate, Bush could have named any one of them. John Ashcroft could have been confirmed.

Social conservatives have waited 25 years for a solid, strict constructionist, anti-abortion, pro-creationism court. Sandra Day O'Connor's resignation from the court was the sports equivalent of two out in the bottom on the ninth, bases loaded. All Bush had to do was not drop the ball.



Where have you gone, Bill Buckner, our nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
12.10.05 13:48


Bottled water scam


In most instances, drinking bottled water doesn't make somebody smarter or cooler than everybody else. They're just more gullible:
Recently, the head of the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority took the Pepsi challenge. He and a panel of tasters, including a local wine expert and a local beer brewer, did a taste test with Boston water, Pepsi's Aquafina, and a few other bottled water brands. Not only did the entire panel agree that the five water samples tasted roughly the same, lab tests showed that there were no significant differences between the quality of Pepsi's bottled water and tap water.

Greater Boston spends 1,364 times the cost of perfectly good public water for Aquafina, despite indistinguishable differences, and Bostonians are not alone. Similar patterns repeat themselves across the United States.
Ok, so why does this matter? Corporations have been selling useless, unnecessary consumer products for eons.

It matters because water, unlike pet rocks and plastic cup holders, is essential to life. Corporations that suck water out of the ground, bottle it, then ship it far from the source watershed are violating the public trust. It's snake oil sales on a grand scale.

Pass the word.

Hat tip to Dave's Blog


Intelligent design gets a boost

This is very disturbing. I may have to reorder my entire belief system.
14.10.05 16:16


The worst thing since Gym Teacher Barbie


Nutty Donald Wildmon and his fruitcake American Family Association have issued a fatwa against Mattel and its American Girl dolls. Wildmon's super sleuths have learned that American Girl supports Girls Inc., a national nonprofit organization which describes its mission as "inspiring girls to be strong, smart and bold." If that wasn't bad enough, Girl's Inc. is also pro-choice and doesn't believe gays and lesbians should be tossed into a giant vat of boiling quicklime.

Girl's Inc. was started in 1864 by lesbian Civil War nurses who wanted a safe place to abort third trimester fetuses. Just kidding, Donald. Girl's Inc. is actually a precursor to today's Boys and Girls Clubs. Here's their website.

And now Heraldblog leaves you with the lyrics to American Girl, by Tom Petty, which is something else that Donald Wildmon can get all frothy about:

Well she was an American girl
Raised on promises
She couldn?t help thinkin that there
Was a little more to life
Somewhere else
After all it was a great big world
With lots of places to run to
Yeah, an d if she had to die
Tryin? she had one little promise
She was gonna keep

Oh yeah, all right
Take it easy baby
Make it last all night
She was an american girl

It was kind of cold that night
She stood alone on her balcony
She could the cars roll by
Out on 441
Like waves crashin? in the beach
And for one desperate moment there
He crept back in her memory
God it?s so painful
Something that?s so close
And still so far out of reach

Oh yeah, all right
Take it easy baby
Make it last all night
She was an american girl
16.10.05 21:42


Talking points to the rescue!


And not a moment too soon. It's just too bad that only Fox News has the courage to come forward in this, the Bush Administrations's hour of need:
Conservative defenders of Karl Rove and Scooter Libby have settled on their No. 1 talking point: the grand jury investigation into the CIA leak scandal represents the ?criminalization of politics.?

In other words, they say, the outing of a covert CIA agent in a time of war to punish a whistleblower is just everyday ?politics? ? nothing out of the ordinary, certainly nothing criminal. In fact, according to conservatives (as articulated by the National Review), the ?criminalizing of politics? is actually ?the most dangerous fire of this ordeal.?

To spread this talking point across the nation, the right has received a major assist from Fox News. According to a database search, every single television reference to the CIA leak scandal as the ?criminalization of politics? in the last 30 days has been on Fox. Even more stunning: on every occasion, the phrase was introduced into the segment by a Fox News anchor or correspondent, never by a guest.
For too long, overzealous prosecutors have been "criminalizing" legitimate human activities. Jefrey Dahmer, criminalized for eating. Jack Ruby, criminalized for exercising his Second Amendment rights. Al Capone, criminalized for paying taxes. Now we can add George Bush and his friends to this sad, sorry list.

God help us all.

h/t Oliver


Bush's poll numbers

It's a good thing President Bush doesn't care about poll numbers. They might distract him from all the crooks and liars he works with.

The latest Survey USA results are in, and Chris at MYDD notes that only seven states give President Bush a net approval rating. They are:
Utah +25
Idaho +11
Wyoming +10
Alaska +8
Nebraska +7
Oklahoma +5
N Dakota +1
Taken together, these states represent approximately 3.6% of the US population.

Overall, Bush's approval rating among Americans is tracking at about 40 percent.
19.10.05 16:19


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