The Democrat Thread

[NorthSideSox72]

So, a state senator from California was arrested last night in his state provided SUV and was driving drunk. That's sad and a problem, but not really news to me. Until this came out about it.

 

The State Senator is Roy Ashburn. He was a "family values" proponent and opposed to gay rights. He had an "unidentified male companion" in his car with him. The media is reporting he left a bar called "Faces" that night. "Faces" is the biggest gay bar in Sacramento.

 

So I hope he's fully outed for the big old gay hypocrite that he really is.

 

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/...ore.php?ref=fpa

What posesses people to do this? I mean, not the drunk driving (which is bad enough), but crusading against their own interests? Its just fully bizarre to me.

 

[Rex Kickass]

What posesses people to do this? I mean, not the drunk driving (which is bad enough), but crusading against their own interests? Its just fully bizarre to me.

 

Religion. Self-denial from growing up in a culture where what you are is considered "unnatural," and an "abomination," are a couple reasons I can think of.

[Rex Kickass]

Bill in the House of Representatives:

Prohibit schools from restraining and isolating students and creating undue physical or mental abuse on the students except for cases of imminent danger.

 

Out of 170+ Republican Congressional Representatives, 145 voted against this measure.

 

So in the last six months, we have 75% of the Republican delegation of the Senate voting against the right of rape victims to confront their attacker in court, if a government contract is involved - and now we have over 80% of the Congressional GOP caucus voting against a prohibition of restraint and physical abuse in schools when defined as "restraints that restrict breathing or compromise a student's health or safety."

 

Just thought you should know.

 

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2010/roll082.xml

[NorthSideSox72]

Bill in the House of Representatives:

Prohibit schools from restraining and isolating students and creating undue physical or mental abuse on the students except for cases of imminent danger.

 

Out of 170+ Republican Congressional Representatives, 145 voted against this measure.

 

So in the last six months, we have 75% of the Republican delegation of the Senate voting against the right of rape victims to confront their attacker in court, if a government contract is involved - and now we have over 80% of the Congressional GOP caucus voting against a prohibition of restraint and physical abuse in schools when defined as "restraints that restrict breathing or compromise a student's health or safety."

 

Just thought you should know.

 

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2010/roll082.xml

I've given up trying to think (or hope) that the GOP caucus in Congress hasn't been taken over by the extremists. I am sure there are some Republicans who have a brain cell or two left. But I've become convinced that unfortunately, the majority of them (in Congress), have fully bought into the craziness that is the far right of the party. Its all the more frustrating to watch, since I truly don't believe that the majority of GOP'ers in the general public are this extreme.

 

[Rex Kickass]

I've given up trying to think (or hope) that the GOP caucus in Congress hasn't been taken over by the extremists. I am sure there are some Republicans who have a brain cell or two left. But I've become convinced that unfortunately, the majority of them (in Congress), have fully bought into the craziness that is the far right of the party. Its all the more frustrating to watch, since I truly don't believe that the majority of GOP'ers in the general public are this extreme.

 

Not to sound like a polemic, but in my opinion - the crazies have run that asylum for a while now.

 

In the meantime, I'm looking at my state which just elected a Republican governor. He froze state aid to schools, NJ Transit subsidies and took over budget procedures with an executive order that may or may not even be legal. The media (which believe it or not is largely GOP in the state itself - Gannett Newspapers and the largest radio station in the state) is all over themselves in a honeymoon and people are approving of his measures. Because what isn't being reported is this.

 

Within 6 days, he announced that there would be a business tax increase this year.

Within 3 weeks, he froze state aid to school districts which will result in local property tax hikes next year. (But it doesn't violate his no new taxes pledge because those taxes will be local and not state)

He also froze a transit subsidy which means that the transit authority will lose out on matching federal funds and balloons the authority's deficit. Tomorrow they are expected to announce service cuts and fare increases of up to 30%. In a transit heavy state, this is basically a tax to anyone without a car or who commutes into New York City (read: almost half the damn state).

He cut unemployment benefits. Again, the cut loses out on federal matching funds, so a $25 deduction in benefits from the State of New Jersey = a $50 deduction in benefits in your weekly unemployment insurance benefit.

 

And then, because this will somehow improve the state budget.... he let a temporary tax increase on people making 400,000 dollars a year or more expire early - expanding his budget hole next year to 11 billion dollars.

 

And yet, nobody seems concerned. Funny how that works/

[kapkomet]

Bill in the House of Representatives:

Prohibit schools from restraining and isolating students and creating undue physical or mental abuse on the students except for cases of imminent danger.

 

Out of 170+ Republican Congressional Representatives, 145 voted against this measure.

 

So in the last six months, we have 75% of the Republican delegation of the Senate voting against the right of rape victims to confront their attacker in court, if a government contract is involved - and now we have over 80% of the Congressional GOP caucus voting against a prohibition of restraint and physical abuse in schools when defined as "restraints that restrict breathing or compromise a student's health or safety."

 

Just thought you should know.

 

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2010/roll082.xml

What aren't you telling? What else buried in the legislation?

[chunk23]

Exclusive: RNC document mocks donors, plays on 'fear'

 

Fear is an extremely powerful influence, you can pretty much get people to do anything you want if you can scare them. Terror management theory (a hot topic and will be a growing research trend) shows that by making individuals aware of their own mortality they become more conservative, more isolated, more bigoted/sexist, and more aggressive. Recent research shows that liberals and conservatives have not only different sets of moral foundations (what they consider when making a moral decision), but actually group the same ones in different ways as well. The big five are Harm/Care, Fairness, Purity, Loyalty and Authority. Liberals put Harm and Fairness in the top tier with the other three below, whereas conservatives put them all in the same cluster, but in fact place Harm and Fairness below the others, with authority on the top. A particular subset, the right wing authoritarian, is a growing faction. They are particularly susceptible to mortality threats and threats to the status quo. Essentially they have the social mindset of a scared child. That's why wedge issues like gay marriage work so well, and that the 2004 election was all about protecting America from those who sought to destroy it (gay people and foreigners).

 

In fact, one researcher, George Lakoff (genius btw), has shown that it's not even just a matter of political preference. Liberals and conservatives have different brain patterns when processing this sort of stuff. So the differences are both neurological and cognitive. He also shows that facts simply do not matter in the public debate. Framing and emotional appeal are what get the support of the average voter. Essentially, use talking points and keep the facts in the background for the ones who are gonna bother looking it up. One of the reasons why Gore and Kerry were perceived to have done so poorly in debates, and why the "cooler" candidate pretty much always wins.

 

So yeah, Fear is gonna work.

[StrangeSox]

What aren't you telling? What else buried in the legislation?

 

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-4247

 

GOP's page with "Additional Views" section detailing Possible Concerns:

http://www.gop.gov/bill/111/1/hr4247

 

It appears to be mostly b****ing about not letting private schools physically restraining or secluding students and some token complaints about trial lawyers.

Edited March 5, 2010 by StrangeSox

[lostfan]

I'm getting pretty tired of hearing about socialism. It's really irritating how the right always sets the terms of the debate (whatever it is) basically by screeching really loud enough times until people believe it's true, which is a part of a larger strategy to make whatever they're advocating at the time seem like it's the "standard" or that they can claim that they speak for the "majority of Americans" when, honestly, most of the public doesn't actually pay attention to public policy like that outside of a vague understanding that "Congress is debating healthcare" or "tax cuts" or things like "the national debt."

[lostfan]

Not to sound like a polemic, but in my opinion - the crazies have run that asylum for a while now.

 

In the meantime, I'm looking at my state which just elected a Republican governor. He froze state aid to schools, NJ Transit subsidies and took over budget procedures with an executive order that may or may not even be legal. The media (which believe it or not is largely GOP in the state itself - Gannett Newspapers and the largest radio station in the state) is all over themselves in a honeymoon and people are approving of his measures. Because what isn't being reported is this.

 

Within 6 days, he announced that there would be a business tax increase this year.

Within 3 weeks, he froze state aid to school districts which will result in local property tax hikes next year. (But it doesn't violate his no new taxes pledge because those taxes will be local and not state)

He also froze a transit subsidy which means that the transit authority will lose out on matching federal funds and balloons the authority's deficit. Tomorrow they are expected to announce service cuts and fare increases of up to 30%. In a transit heavy state, this is basically a tax to anyone without a car or who commutes into New York City (read: almost half the damn state).

He cut unemployment benefits. Again, the cut loses out on federal matching funds, so a $25 deduction in benefits from the State of New Jersey = a $50 deduction in benefits in your weekly unemployment insurance benefit.

 

And then, because this will somehow improve the state budget.... he let a temporary tax increase on people making 400,000 dollars a year or more expire early - expanding his budget hole next year to 11 billion dollars.

 

And yet, nobody seems concerned. Funny how that works/

Have you ever read the book The Big Con? He basically says the bolded in the book. The book is not an attack on conservatism but he talks about how the party's been hijacked by hucksters and BS artists, how they always seem to manage to escape accountability, why they can get away with strict party discipline and the Democrats can't, etc.

[southsider2k5]

I'm getting pretty tired of hearing about socialism. It's really irritating how the right always sets the terms of the debate (whatever it is) basically by screeching really loud enough times until people believe it's true, which is a part of a larger strategy to make whatever they're advocating at the time seem like it's the "standard" or that they can claim that they speak for the "majority of Americans" when, honestly, most of the public doesn't actually pay attention to public policy like that outside of a vague understanding that "Congress is debating healthcare" or "tax cuts" or things like "the national debt."

 

Welcome to 2001 to 2009.

[lostfan]

Welcome to 2001 to 2009.

The Democrats try this but they don't do it anywhere near as effectively as the Republicans, the GOP is basically a well-oiled machine and has been doing this for a couple of decades now whereas the Democrats still are what they are. Actually on policies and general politics and such the Democrats haven't changed much at all since the 60s, and socialism never got into the mainstream left in the United States like it did in Europe

Edited March 5, 2010 by lostfan

[Cknolls]

Delahunt not seeking another term.

[kapkomet]

The Democrats try this but they don't do it anywhere near as effectively as the Republicans, the GOP is basically a well-oiled machine and has been doing this for a couple of decades now whereas the Democrats still are what they are. Actually on policies and general politics and such the Democrats haven't changed much at all since the 60s, and socialism never got into the mainstream left in the United States like it did in Europe

 

 

And what are they trying to do now? Jesus, wake up. But, yes, lf, just dismiss it as a meaningless post.

[Rex Kickass]

What aren't you telling? What else buried in the legislation?

 

Why don't you read it and tell me Drudge Report?

[lostfan]

And what are they trying to do now? Jesus, wake up. But, yes, lf, just dismiss it as a meaningless post.

You have to remember that I (and basically everyone else here) don't categorically accept your view of the world as some kind of absolute truth - you say "Jesus, wake up" and I yawn. I know what I know, I trust who I trust, I dismiss who I dismiss. Just like you. It doesn't work in reverse, either, if I did the same thing without explanation and expected you to accept it you'd roll your eyes.

[BigSqwert]

Can Texas just secede already? No one will miss them.

Meanwhile in Texas: "American Taliban" Isn't Hyperbole Anymore

 

 

Some very scary s*** is going down in Texas. Scarier than usual. "Repent Amarillo" is a rabid group of religious nuts—homegrown religious extremists of the conservative Christian variety—and they're not just going after the gays.

At fir

s

t, the

s

winger community wa

s

my

s

tified by the attention. On the 60-

s

ome hour

s

of

s

urveillance footage the Mead

s

have, a

s

winger can be heard telling a Repent member that the

s

winger

s

haven

’

t done anything to bother them.

“

You

’

re going to hell, and it bother

s

me,

”

Gri

s

ham re

s

pond

s

.

“

What bother

s

me i

s

you

’

re going to hell.

”

 

Perhap

s

the mo

s

t in

s

idiou

s

tactic Repent u

s

e

s

i

s

trying to de

s

troy the reputation of the

s

winger

s

. In Amarillo, people can be o

s

tracized over a whiff of impropriety. On one tape, Gri

s

ham direct

s

follower

s

to get the licen

s

e-plate number

s

in the Route 66 par

k

ing lot.

“

A new couple can be here three or four hour

s

,

”

s

ay

s

Mac.

“

Whenever they leave, the Repent Amarillo group will call them by fir

s

t and la

s

t name,

k

now where they live,

k

now where they wor

k

, ju

s

t within a very few hour

s

.

”

 

Randall

S

ammon

s

s

ay

s

he wa

s

fired from hi

s

job of 13 year

s

in Augu

s

t after hi

s

bo

s

s

learned

S

ammon

s

wa

s

a

s

winger from another employee, a Repent member. He believe

s

he

’

s

now a

s

good a

s

blac

k

li

s

ted in Amarillo.

“

I

’

m

s

crewed at finding a job,

”

S

ammon

s

s

ay

s

. Ru

s

s

ell Gri

s

ham, David

’

s

20-year-old

s

on who ha

s

a conviction on hi

s

record for hac

k

ing the computer

s

y

s

tem at hi

s

high

s

chool, ha

s

po

s

ted the name

s

, photo

s

and wor

k

place

s

of

s

winger

s

on the Internet, including one man who

s

e wife wor

k

s

for a

s

chool di

s

trict. (

“

Family-wi

s

e, it will

k

ill both of u

s

,

”

the man

s

ay

s

.) In at lea

s

t two in

s

tance

s

, Repent member

s

called

s

winger

s

’

employer

s

.

Having successfully harassed a local and very discreet group for heterosexual swingers out of existence, Repent Amarillo's "warriors" are now planning to go after...

1. Gay pride event

s

.

2. Earth wor

s

hip event

s

s

uch a

s

“

Earth Day

”

3. Pro-abortion event

s

or place

s

s

uch a

s

Planned Parenthood

4. Brea

s

t cancer event

s

s

uch a

s

“

Race for the Cure

”

to illuminate the lin

k

between abortion and brea

s

t cancer.

5. Opening day of public

s

chool

s

to reach out to

s

tudent

s

.

6.

S

pring brea

k

event

s

.

7. Demonically ba

s

ed concert

s

.

8. Halloween event

s

.

9. Other event

s

that may ari

s

e that the mini

s

try feel

s

called to confront.

They're also going after churches they believe to be insufficiently Christian (Episcopalians, Christian Scientists, Unitarians), palm readers, people who practice witchcraft, and anything and everything that might create a "demonic stronghold" in Amarillo. And they're not just threatening to pray for people: Repent Amarillo's "actions" include prayer, according to Repent Amarillo's website, "but [also] may involve more aggressive use of soldiers and prayer warriors." Check out the group's locked-and-loaded website. (Please note: Repent Amarillo's website "is not designed for non-Christians," or the wrong kinds of Christians, so don't look long lest you defile the group's website with your eyes and turn into a pillar of salt.)

 

Hello? Moderate and liberal Christians? In Texas and elsewhere? Now might be a good time to speak the f*** up. Maybe you could spit out a few press releases, organize a massive, anti-Phelps-style counter-protest, and come to the defense of the people and churches and artists and businesses being menaced by your co-religionists. This calls for something above and beyond mewling in comments threads on liberal blogs about how "we're not all like that." Don't tell us, tell them.

 

LINK

 

[HuskyCaucasian]

Newest outrage: OMG Obama is only giving the troops a "1.4% pay increase for active duty military in 2011. This is THE LOWEST SINCE 1973!"

 

(psssttt.... because of the economy, I didnt get ANY pay raise!)

[BigSqwert]

SPENDING IS OUT OF CONTROL!!!!

 

WHY AREN'T WE SPENDING ENOUGH!!!

[HuskyCaucasian]

SPENDING IS OUT OF CONTROL!!!!

 

WHY AREN'T WE SPENDING ENOUGH!!!

ahh the fun Facebook responses:

sure am glad the people of haiti got $100mil from him, while troops get practically nothing

[mr_genius]

Can Texas just secede already? No one will miss them.

 

 

LINK

 

whoa. that is crazy

[Soxy]

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-4247

 

GOP's page with "Additional Views" section detailing Possible Concerns:

http://www.gop.gov/bill/111/1/hr4247

 

It appears to be mostly b****ing about not letting private schools physically restraining or secluding students and some token complaints about trial lawyers.

I read it and it sounds reasonable to me. All seems pretty straightforward.

 

As for the rape thing--that was in-f***ing-excusable to vote against. Just sickening.

[StrangeSox]

Can Texas just secede already? No one will miss them.

 

 

LINK

 

I'm no fan of fundamentalist Christians, but comparing them to the Taliban is still hyperbole in this case.

[BigSqwert]

I'm no fan of fundamentalist Christians, but comparing them to the Taliban is still hyperbole in this case.

I'm not so sure in this particular case.

[StrangeSox]

They're not beheading people or throwing acid on girls trying to go to school.

 

They're still terrible people, but it doesn't compare IMO.