SCOTUS Opens Door to Teaching Creationism

...At least in private schools that are corporate persons and enjoy corporate freedom of religion. As put by Justice Alito in the 5-4 majority opinion in Burwell, Secretary of Health and Human Services, et al., v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., et al.

According to their religious beliefs the four contraceptive methods at issue are abortifacients.

This misguided statement has the potential to allow all sorts of nonsense. A private school may teach that Adam and Eve played polo riding on the backs of dinosaurs, if that is their religious belief. Science be damned; if their religious belief says so, they can teach that the Earth is 6,000 years old. If consistent with their religious belief, demon-created earthquakes and  devil-guided tornadoes might find their way into the curiculum. 

Jay Michaelson at The Daily Beast got it exactly right, saying 

"The four contraceptive methods at issue are abortifacients." That should be a statement of fact, not faith.

Whenever someone tries to justify religious notions with a scientific basis, they usually run into trouble, most especially if they completely lack any understanding of the science.

Okay, Santa...Bring it on!

The U.S. military will be providing Santa Claus with an escort of fighter jets this year. Baby Jesus is hunkered down, ready to shoot those jets and Santa out of the sky. "It's my birthday! All those presents are mine!" the god-child is reported to have said.

The War on Christmas(TM) seems to have gotten a bit strange this year. Bill O'Reilly, please enlighten us with your usual cogent analysis.

Why Science Matters

It is important that American citizens have at least some background in science because some moronic politicians will say the most foolish things and expect people to believe them. People ought to be able to have some sense of what the scientific community thinks about such things and, if they are not sure of the actual science, they should at least have an idea where the answers can be found.

Case in point: wingnut politician Todd Akin, Missouri Congressman now running for the U.S. Senate, is virulently anti-abortion. Now, some people think that perhaps an exception should be made in the case of rape; not so Mr. Akin. According to Mr. Akin, there is no need--after all, "in cases of legitimate rape" the "female body has a way of shutting that down."

One can only hope that the people of Missouri are not all as mind-numbingly ignorant as the twit that would like to represent them in the U.S. Senate.


Sorry, I cannot recall the source of the illustration, which is several years old.

This Time, It's Hats

So the wingnut fauxtrage du jour is the uniform (especially the berets) for American athletes competing in the Olympics that start later this month. Fox and Friends hosts Gretchen Carlson asked, "Is this the new American trend now? Are we going to be seeing berets? And you have to pronounce it that way too, because that's the French way," and Steve Doocy suggested cowboy hats or going topless.

Fox News entertainer Lou Dobbs was more critical, noting that President Hugo Chavez also wears a beret! How French of him! 

I guess they would like to see our athletes wear super he-man American headgear, like one of their heroes:

Rick Santorum Wants to Watch Your Bedroom

Compulsive breeder and contender for the Republican nomination for president Rick Santorum has declared that states have the right to outlaw birth control. Because, he claims, states have the right to do anything.

Santorum also pledges to eliminate federal funding for contraception because, he says, sex is for procreation. I'm not sure if he has pledged to outlaw sex between people who are unable to bear children, or the pollination of apple blossoms.

Once again, there is a Republican telling women to take off their shoes, get knocked up, and get back in the kitchen.

Rick "Please-Don't-Google-Me" Santorum is Also an Ignoramous

I know we've known this since before the days of the "Santorum Almost An Amendment," but since Rick Santorum, the former senator from Pennsylvania who was voted out of office, appears to be engaged in an effort to outdo Michele Bachmann's crazy, we may as well remark upon it.

Hunter at Dail Kos describes and explains Santorum's recent claim of a Grand Jihad against God and Christianity by Science, specifically, the teaching of evolution in schools. He still favors a Crusade as a response to his fantasy.

Someone chosen to lead the United States must recognize what it takes to maintain our country's welfare and leadership in the world today--and an important aspect of that is an understanding of what science is, and how it can be used to maintain a high standard of living and a strong national defense. We need to understand the environment in which we live and how natural resources can be used to support us without destrying the environment in the process, so we don't wind up choking in a cesspool of our own making.

I'll Take a bunch of These and a lot of Those, But I Don't Want to Pay For Them

Several of the contestants appearing at tonight's Republican "debate," beginning with Michelle Bachmann, expressed their desire to build a Great Wall at the border with Mexico, complete with surveillance and weaponry. Funny thing is, these same actors had just been bragging about how much they would reduce government spending. Indeed, Bachmann suggested that she favors a 0 percent income tax rate. So how come nobody bothered to ask how such a project would be paid for?

 

God Hedges His Bets

There are no strong Republican challengers to the re-election of President Barack Obama and, at this point, predicting who will win the Republican primary is a tough call. So tough, in fact, that even God is hedging his bets.

Texas governor Rick Perry is the latest Republican to claim being called by God to accept the privilege of running for the nomination for president. Perry has given up all hope that Americans can improve the nation's economy, ensure security and welfare, and deal with natural disasters, suggesting we let God handle it. Some folks think Perry is out of favor with God, since his call for Texans to pray for drought-ending rain has been answered by the spread of Hellish conditions in the Lone Star State.

Other Republicans claiming summons from God include Michelle (Pray-Away-the-Gay) Bachmann, who made her claim in an interview in the WingNut Daily back in 2009. Fellow conservative Republican Tucker Carlson's Daily Caller has reported that God is punishing Bachmann by serving her up with migraines. The piece did not seem to mention the Curse of Eve, however.

Pizza maker Herman Cain also has God's nomination (Hear him on You-Tube here). Cain vows to protect America by not appointing any Muslims to his cabinet, if elected.

Apparently the field of celebrities provides pretty poor pickings for a presidential candidate, so God has also placed a bet on some guy in Rolla, Missouri. Paul Sims describes himself as an "ordinary citizen and everyday man...George Washington of today." He can be seen describing his call from God and his platform here. His solution for economic recovery is to throw out regulations and make taxes optional.

You may remember that George W. Bush declared that he was called by God to be our nation's leader, and God told him to invade Iraq. Perhaps that was Dick Cheny hiding under a desk and speakinig in a funny voice. Anyway, we all know how well that leadership worked out.

Although Bush claimed to be called by God to lead the country, his attorney general, John Ashcroft, actually  had himself anointed with oil in the manner of Israelite Kings Saul and David.

Since incumbent President Obama is expected to run for re-election, there is no crowd of Democratic hopefuls vying for the party's nomination. I guess it's just as well; according to a PPP poll on God's job approval:  

There is also an ideological divide over God’s performance. Those who identify as very liberal approve of God 54-18, while those who identify as very conservative are almost uniform in their approval, 61-4.

Did Palin reveal true feelings?

Did Sarah Palin reveal her true feelings when she used the term "blood libel" in her attempt to portray herself as the victim of Saturday's assassination attempt on Arizonaa's first Jewish Congresswoman, Gabrielle Giffords? Some people believe it to have been the utmost callousness; I think it was Palin's gross ignorance and her reliance on others to do much of her work for her.

For those who don't know or haven't yet heard, "blood libel" refers to the anti-semitic charge that Jews murder Christian babies and drink their blood, or make matzohs with the blood. As foolish as it is, this charge has been the basis for much anti-semitic activity. 

I suspect Palin was at best only vaguely familiar with the term, thinking it simply referred to any false charge (or, quite likely, that was the thinking of her writers), and did not realize associating this term with an attempt to kill a Jew. After all, she was only trying to tell Real Americans that she was the victim.

And the gunsights she drew on the map of America, including Giffords' location? As she (well, her people) explained, they were just surveying symbols. Or bunnies, or unicorns. 

Don't fret, Sarah...we know you have to reload your victimhood. Along with "Second Amendment remedies" Angle, "Armed and dangerous" Bachmann, and all those other politicians and media personalities who have been saying it may be necessary to revolt against our illegitimate government. And that includes all those liberals who bring guns to political rallies and call for the overthrow of the elected government (or would, if there were any; but oddly enough, there aren't).  

Violence in video games, violence in talk shows

For some years now people have been talking about violence in video games, and how young people playing those games become inured to the violence and may be led to commit violent acts themselves. Some have insisted on the games being rated to warn parents of violent content. Perhaps we need to see something along the lines of

"Fox wishes to caution viewers that the following program contains gratuitous anti-government and eliminationist rhetoric."

Nice work, Sarah Palin

Sarah, you put the gunsights on several people, including Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. But the effort would not have been successful without the help of Sharron, Glenn, Sean, and various other damn fools, including Arizona Governor Jan Brewer who recently signed into law the bill that allowed the assassin to carry a concealed weapon without needing a permit (or a background check). As I write this, a 9- or 10-year-old girl is known to be dead and 10 persons in critical condition or in surgery, among them a Federal judge.  

Thanks also to the Pima County Republicans for helping to set the mood with their "Help remove Gabrielle Giffords" M16 shoot in June 2010:

Hat tip to Jed Lewison for Palin's gunsight promo, and to David Safier (via David Neiwert) for the Pima County shooting event.

Glenn Beck--Mommy's shoes don't fit

When Glenn Beck learned that his gathering of wingnuts in Washington, D.C., on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, coincided with the anniversary of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech, he was quick to claim he was "reclaiming" the movement that "we" launched.

The Daily Show's Jon Stewart characterization of the event as "I Have a Scheme" is pretty good, but a much better, and serious, comment is provided by Leonard Pitts Jr. (quoted at Washington Monthly, where Steve Benen commented that Beck's minions are "trying to lift a mantle that doesn't fit on their shoulders."). Benen's comment brought to mind all those pictures of toddlers dressing up in their parents' clothes and coming nowhere near filling them.

Bill McCormack: Lie down, you sack of shit

Last night on Public Radio International's "To the Point," the discussion concerned proposed health care provision reform from a religious angle. You might imagine that folks representing religion would hold the view that the morally right thing to do would be to help as many people be as healthy as possible while holding down costs for everyone as much as possible. That's not always the case.

One Man of God, Bill McCormack of the Christian Coalition, vented detectable hatred toward the reformers, and especially toward President Obama. I'm sure if I were across the table from him I would have seen flecks of spittle flying hither and yon. Of course, he had to bring up the Wingnut Lie that the government would institute a program of euthanasia. Euthanasia? That's not in the bill, protested host Warren Olney. "Yes it is," replied His Sirreverence, who continued with his deranged description of health care in America. We're number one in the world! he claimed, speaking with an air that assumed his point was correct (We're number 37 in overall health system performance; France is number one, according to the World Health Organization). Some minutes later, Olney pressed him again about the bill containing a provision for euthanasia. This time the Unpleasant Pastor conceded that no, the word "euthanasia" was not in the bill, but the intent certainly was.

So the question is: is this man merely deluded, or is he a lying sack of shit?

Sarah Palin says, Okay start makin' shit up

When Sarah Palin quit her job as Vice President Governor before completing a term, she admonished those working in the media to "quit makin' stuff up." Now that she no longer spends her time watching for Putin to come over the horizon, she can make up scary stories about proposed health care reform:

The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama’s “death panel” so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their “level of productivity in society,” whether they are worthy of health care. Such a system is downright evil.

Also in that Facebook post, a little more hypocrisy, the political exploitation of her children. Shame on Obama's Death Panel for dragging Palin's child into a political debate! How despicable! It seems like every time Palin opens her mouth, we realize that America dodged a bullet last November.

OH NO! Y2K IS COMING!!

In need of a laugh, I checked out the Wing Nut Daily, and learned that Y2K is coming! Well, this post didn't call it Y2K, but it did present the same scare scenario as we remember from ten years ago. Don't trust the Government, the Terrorists are out to get you. And oh, by the way, they would like to sell you a book (How to Survive the Collapse of Civilization, by Bob Livingston).

Obama fails to protect America from terrorists

It looks like the Republican fear-mongers were right after all, when they told us that President Obama would fail to protect America from terrorism. This past Sunday, a religious zealot committed an act of terrorism inside a Kansas church, assassinating an usher.

This was no typical murder, but rather part of terrorist activity that has been ongoing for years. The murdered usher, Dr. George Tiller, had been harassed for over 25 years, and the doctor had been shot before. All part of a campaign to terrorize Americans by a group of jihadists who are convinced they are carrying out the will of God, abetted by right-wing talk-show hosts like Bill O'Reilly and columnists who have been demonizing Dr. Tiller and others.

Perhaps we should accept former Vice President Richard Cheney's counsel. Round up anti-abortionists and people with Jesusfish on their cars, imprison them overseas, and waterboard them until they reveal their next targets. So far, I haven't seen any of those conservative pundits suggest that we use torture for these domestic terrorists. I wonder why.

Who would Jesus murder?

Baby Jesus declares war...

...against those who have engaged in the annual War Against Christmas (TM). Intelligence sources report (and this is a slam dunk) that the young Messiah has acquired six nuclear weapons as well as biowarfare capabilities. If those weapons are used, then this year's War promises to be the deadliest yet. Another disturbing report tells of hundreds of well-trained, elite suicide baptizers who have been promised seventy times seven virgins in Heaven if they complete their missions of terror.

Grand Obsessive Plot?

I received a DVD in the mail the other day, Obsession: Radical Islam's War against the West. I thought little about it, but did not thow it away, figuring I might grab some screen shots to use for mocking the wingnuts.

A post by ERV about a push by the Discomfited Institute to distribute a DVD version of Expelled, the Ben Stein tribute to ignorance, reminded me of the Obsession DVD; after being reminded, I then found a post about it at Daily Kos, which made the point that it may not have been a random wackaloon mailing (or as they found it, a newspaper insert), but perhaps part of a Karlrovian scheme to influence the upcoming election.

That makes sense to me. Apparently, Obsession is being distributed heavily in the "battleground" states, including Pennsylvania. The organization that is the source of the DVD, The Clarion Fund, is backing John McCain for president. The disc I received was addressed to me, not to Occupant. I'm registered as not affiliated with a party, so I wonder if my name was taken from the election roll. Oh, and the disc jacket says "It's our responsibility to ensure we can all make an informed vote in November."

That disc jacket also has a picture of a child holding a gun. That, I presume, is the evil way that evil radical Islamic Radicals bring up their children. Well, the Clarion Fundies wouldn't like me to use their picture without permission, so I must use this photo of a young jihadist.

Nothing's new

Same old shit

More of the same

Did Obama give a speech?

I was spinning around the televison channels Thursday night, trying to decide which of the many over-the-air stations had the clearest picture. I was not entirely surprised when I turned to channel 45 (WBFF), a Fox affiliate in Baltimore, that it was not broadcasting Obama's speech. "Those biased bastards," I thought.


But then I dropped back to channel 43 (WPMT), also a Fox affiliate, but broadcasting from York County, Pennsylvania. There was Obama, orating away. So I checked channel 5 (WTTG), another Fox affiliate broadcasting from Washington, DC, and there was Obama again.


Then I remembered. Four years ago, during another campaign. The Sinclair Broadcast Group demanded the stations it owns nationwide preempt regular broadcasting and air a scurrilous video-turd, a deceitful smear agaist Democratic candidate John Kerry. WBFF was one of those stations. Now its master has pulled its leash again, trying to muffle another Democratic candidate.

UPDATE: (4 September 2008) Well, they carried live the first 15 minutes or so of McSame's speech. I guess they don't like the former Maverick as much as they like Moosekiller Palin.