Friday Reads
Posted: November 8, 2013 Filed under: morning reads 69 Comments
Good Morning!
I often wonder if today’s Republican Party has gone so far down the rabbit hole that no one in the so-called establishment or business community of donors can rescue it. Can they control their right wing any more now that they infiltrated every level of government? Interestingly enough, the suggestion to eliminate caucuses which are easily stacked by activists is one of the suggestions. We all know how the results from caucuses differ greatly from state primaries. It’s an interesting concept. But, can it happen?
The party leaders pushing for changes want to replace state caucuses and conventions, like the one that nominated Mr. Cuccinelli, with a more open primary system that they believe will draw a broader cross-section of Republicans and produce more moderate candidates.
Similar pushes are already underway in other states, including Montana and Utah, and last week Mitt Romney said Republicans should consider how to overhaul their presidential nominating process to attract a wider range of voters. He suggested that states holding open primaries be rewarded with more delegates to the party’s national convention.
While the discussion may appear arcane, it reflects a fierce struggle for power between the activist, often Tea Party-dominated wing of the Republican Party — whose members tend to be devoted to showing up and organizing at events like party conventions — and the more mainstream wing, which is frustrated by its inability to rein in the extremist elements and by the fact that its message is not resonating with more voters.
“Conventions by nature force candidates and campaigns to focus on a very small group of party activists,” said Phil Cox, executive director of the Republican Governors Association and a longtime Virginia-based strategist. He grimaced at the successful movement by conservative activists in his state earlier this year to switch from a primary system to a convention system. “If the goal is actually to win elections, holding more primaries would be a good start.”
Odd to think that today’s Republicans think that enfranchisement is the answer to their problems given all the voter suppression laws taking effect all over the country.
Meanwhile, they are not getting any kinder or gentler on the ground. The war on women is now enjoined by Lindsay Graham who fears he 
may lose his primary for re-election to a winger.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on Thursday introduced legislation that would ban abortions nationwide for women more than 20 weeks pregnant, the senator’s office announced.
The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act draws on scientific evidence that says an unborn child can feel pain, according to Graham’s office. The legislation would make it illegal for any person to perform or attempt to perform an abortion after 20 weeks, or six months, of pregnancy and would mandate a determination of the probable post-fertilization age of the unborn child prior to any abortion operation.
The legislation would make exceptions only in the case that an abortion is necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman, or if the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest against a minor.
Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said in a statement that the legislation “blatantly” disregards the Constitution and seeks to “insert politicians between women and their doctors in complicated, highly personal medical decisions.”
“Every pregnant woman faces unique circumstances, challenges, and potential complications, and must be able to make her own decisions based on her personal values, the advice of the medical professionals she trusts, and what’s right for her and her family,” Northup said in the statement. “We strongly urge the leadership in the Senate to do what the House failed to do and refuse to consider this harmful and patently unconstitutional attack on women’s health and rights.”
Meanwhile, the religious right is “flummoxed” that some Republican officials don’t believe discrimination on the basis of sexual preference is worthy of day long rants. They feel their religious beliefs are under attack and that’s the constitutional issue and they want all Senate Republicans to have public hissy fits.
As the Senate passed the Employee Non-Discrimination Act on Thursday, just one Republican senator — Indiana’s Dan Coats — took to the floor to oppose it.
The silence from the Senate Republican caucus stunned social conservatives, who have been arguing that the legislation, which provides workplace protections for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender employees, will undermine religious liberty.
“I’m mystified and deeply disappointed, because there are profound constitutional issues at stake here,” said the American Family Association’s Bryan Fischer. “The entire First Amendment is being put up for auction by this bill and it’s inexcusable that no Republican senators are willing to stand up and defend the Constitution.”
“I believe they have been intimidated into silence by the bullies and bigots of Big Gay,” Fischer added. “They know if they speak out … they will be the target of vitriol, the target of animosity, and very likely, the target of hate.”
Groups like the Family Research Council and Ralph Reed’s Faith and Freedom Coalition have been forcefully opposed to the legislation. In a USA Today op-ed, Reed said that the bill was a “dagger aimed at the heart of religious freedom for millions of Americans. The bill’s so-called religious exemption is vague and inadequate.”
Daniel Horwitz, policy director at the Madison Project, blamed Republican leadership for not doing more to fight against the bill and wrote on RedState that “GOP leaders refused to marshal opposition against cloture.”
“With leadership that refuses to fight on anything, leaves the carcass of the fractured conference to Democrat scavenging, and completely surrenders on even the most bedrock social/liberty issues, what is left of the GOP in the Senate?” he wrote.
Meanwhile, Rand Paul and his plagiarist ramblings head for the safety of Brietbart DOT COM.
John Kemper, founder of the United Kentucky Tea Party, called the plagiarism flap a “minor detail.”
Jane Aitken, founder of the New Hampshire Tea Party Coalition, called the Paul controversy “a tempest in a teapot.”
“This is why the mainstream media is so off the wall,” she said. “I wish the media would call us about more important stuff than whether Rand Paul copied something from Wikipedia.”
Michael Baranowski, a political scientist at Northern Kentucky University, said the plagiarism charges are only a temporary setback.
“Potential opponents may try to bring this up, but outside of political junkies, very few people will remember any of this” in 2016, Baranowski said.
Paul has signaled that he is taking no chances when he delivers an address at The Citadel in Charleston, S.C., next week.
“Ninety-eight percent of my speeches are extemporaneous and have never had footnotes,” he told CNN. “We’re now going to footnote everything and make sure it has a reference because I do take this personally, and I don’t want to be accu
sed of misrepresenting myself.”
Nothing to see here. Move along. Move along. So what’s on your reading and blogging list today?
peej
Carissa
ecocatwoman
mablue2
peggysue22
quixote
skydancingguestblogger
Mona (aka Wonk the Vote)
Sky Dancing 
“The silence from the Senate Republican caucus stunned social conservatives, who have been arguing that the legislation, which provides workplace protections for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender employees, will undermine religious liberty.”
Because nothing is a bigger threat to religious liberty/christianity than “big gay” trying to make a living.
According to Ted Cruz’s lunatic father, god “approves” the death penalty!
I love it when screwballs interpret “god’s will” don’t you? Most of the 2012 GOP candidates insisted they had a “mandate” from god to run for POTUS since they had received a “message” from on high to do just that.
This faction will not rest until they push, pull, throttle the rest of us to accept their theories by inserting them into law one way or the other. They inhabit every form of government, from local right up to the congressional level and the only way to get rid of them is to vote them out. But it won’t happen anytime soon since they are supported by big money floating into their coffers by way of Citizens United which makes the “culture wars” their main focus.
As long as they can be useful to these corporate honchos we will be fighting these nonsensical wars for the next generation.
Apparently god “approves” of the Koch Brothers as well.
Of course, god ( with a little “g” ) approves of the Koch Bros. He’s on their payroll.
The “Big Gay”!!!
lol.
Morning y’all, I’m just going to put this here too…Super Typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest storms ever seen, hit the Philippines with record force – Quartz
I think this is going to be a big story in coming days.
That is the most frightening storm I’ve ever seen. The radar images are freakish. I can’t imagine how much carnage it will dump on the people of the Philippines.
‘Most powerful storm ever to make landfall’ batters Philippines; 3 deaths confirmed – World News
Storm surge over thirty feet…Mouse it is hellish. And like you, I’ve never seen anything like it.
Do you think the TP’ers and the far right anti-science folk are going to say this Freak-a-storm, that is so enormous advanced weather instruments can’t even measure it, ‘Is not the result of global warming” ? 🙂 I can’t even imagine something like that in the Gulf of Mexico or moving up our Eastern Seaboard. What a nightmare!!!!!
I’ll reserve judgment on that question until I hear the answer from Pat Robertson.
Another one who has a “pipeline” to god. The explanation will lie somewhere between something the Philippinos have done to incur his wrath and the number of gays who live on the island.
Stay tuned.
That storm image is incredible!
Obviously this is the fault of uppity womenz and teh gay in the Philippines ….we will have to hear what gawd told Pat Robertson
You know, according to Robertson, god speaks directly to him. Still I’m thinking that since, according to Pat, the world is less than 6000 years old, maybe god doesn’t have enough background information on MEGA-FREAKY-OFF-THE-CHART Super Storms to tell Pat who’s to blame………….yet.
But you’re probably right Dak, Teh Gay are the likely culprits, followed by the Womenz and the Liberals. And maybe the poor too, especially the poor who can’t tithe and the Docs and Nurses who provide reproductive care to the WOMENZ. You know god has to smite someone or else HE can’t prove that HE’S god!!!
Actually Robertson isn’t a young earther. He actually makes fun of them. One of his few moments of lucidity
Dang Dak!!!…….Just when I thought I knew what Pat Robertson was thinking you burst my bubble. Obviously I’m not god.
Isn’t Robertson the guy who blamed Katrina on teh Gay? I remember him predicting that a meteor was going to strike Florida Gay Days at Disney World. It’s hard to tell one of these nutz from the other. .
Yes, I believe the former-Rev. Robertson has blamed Katrina and various other disasters in the U.S. on the Big Gay; particularly the Big Gay who support reproductive rights, SNAP benefits, and Head Start.
Yup and uppity womenz who refuse to be good breeders and slaves to their owners errr husbutts.
Those images of the eye of the typhoon remind me of the Eye of Sauron.
Yeah … I have never seen a more tight eye and system and I have been watching these things for nearly 20 years now.
That’s the scariest storm image I’ve ever seen. Absolutely terrifying.
Exactly what I was thinking as I was reading this. These ideological purists keep forgetting that government of the people, by the people and for the people is the cornerstone of our nation and while imperfect, it is the only way to run a democracy. Some of them are beginning to see that they have strayed from the very principles they claim to be defending but only because they lost, not because they want to do right by our country.
well, I messed up my blockquote. the first paragraph above is a quote from dak’s post. the second is my words.
I fixed it for ya…
and btw, I was thinking the same thing too dak and Janicen
Thank you.
Interesting that they want to retire the caucuses and go to regular primaries. If only the Dems would do that too.
We’re cursed with caucuses here in WA state. So those who work, or can’t get child care, or are sick, or with mobility impairments, or just can’t spare several hours out of their day, can’t go. Plus the caucuses work on an arcane counting system which is far removed from 1 person, 1 vote.
Back in ’08 I asked my state Rep, a Dem, why we didn’t have a primary rather than a caucus. She replied that the Dem “leadership” didn’t want that, because they wanted the names and addresses (to use for marketing/fundraising lists) which they got through the caucuses, and would not be able to get through a primary. So there you have it — getting mailing lists is more important than ensuring the 1 person, 1 vote principle.
Yeah, I was a delegate in WA State in ’04 and ’08 in the Dem caucuses and it’s no different than a convention. The party insiders decide who they want and that’s who they get.
BB, have you seen this? Greg Mortenson Lawsuit: Insurer To Pay $1.2 Million To Settle ‘Three Cups Of Tea’ Charity
No, I haven’t. Thanks!
ROFLOL!
Exactly. ROFLMAO!
😀
I’m a Big Gay!! Oh yeah, I am the all Powerful Odd.
Introducing, in the blue corner, a Senior Citizen, standing at 5 foot 7 inches tall and weighing in at a lean 160lbs we have the Big Gay! In the other corner we have The Koch Brothers, The Republican Party, The Tea Party, Catholicism, The Southern Baptist Convention, The Mormons, The Evangelical Christians and nearly everyone in the Southern and Red States.
Anyone want to make a wager?
Big Gay has them beat!!! 🙂
I just love the notion of “Big Gay”. It’s only taken us thousands of years to reach a place where we dare to live outside of the closet, We are the Big Gay!!!
Is that borrowed from South Park and the Big Gay Al episode?
My money’s on Big Gay with a KO punch!
🙂
Applause from the crowd indicates a Big Gay win!
TBogg: Gays are not being gay enough for not-gay guy
This is a really funny piece.
CBS bails on their Benghazi BS…
NYT: CBS Correspondent Apologizes for Report on Benghazi Attack
It’s about time!
They worked on that story for a year and it took less than a week for the WaPo and NYT to discredit it? Lara Logan puts the BS in CBS. 😉
Let’s see, could it have been the book he was seling, or maybe the price he had quoted for previous interviews, or maybe his pogo stick allegiances, or maybe just reading the discrepancies in his reports and previous statements? In any event, he is now Darrell Issa’s bestest bed buddy who is being wrongly accused of something he didn’t do in a place he never was at a time prior to his birth by people from outer space or partisan Democrats. Long live “Viper Alert.”
His publisher suspended his book earlier today.
CBS tied their testicles to the lawn furniture and jumped off the balcony. It will take a while for that to stop smarting.
roflmao!!
CBS should have done their due diligence. If they found out this guy was lying after they aired it, they could have found out he lied before they aired it. And everyone on the planet, except Fox News, is sick to hell of the politicization of Benghazi.
I’m so old that I remember when CBS provided the best network news in the country. Real investigative reporting. Sad to see that they have fallen so low.
I’m old enough to remember too. I always liked Dan Rather, but Walter Cronkite was the greatest of the CBS journalists imho. I’ll never forget Cronkite’s coverage on the day JFK was assassinated and the many days of National shock, confusion and mourning that followed.
NBC had a few good journalists too in particular I liked Chet Huntley and David Brinkley.
Beata…..How’s your mother doing?
Mouse, she’s in pain and the nursing home was not controlling it properly. Yesterday, when I went to see her, the first thing she said to me was “Help me. help me”. I quickly got the doctor to order a morphine drug for her. She’s on it now and more comfortable. I also made sure she is being handled VERY carefully. She has not been able to stand or walk for years, yet the nursing home denies that the leg was broken as the result of anything the staff did. They claim the femur “just broke” while she was in bed. The ER doctor told me that was impossible; he said the femur is the strongest bone in the body and doesn’t break without some force involved, even in the elderly.
Thanks for asking about her, Mouse. And thanks to all the Sky Dancers for their positive thoughts and wishes. It means a lot to me.
That is heartbreaking that she was in such pain and the staff was doing nothing to help her. I’m glad you were able to get her the med she needed.. She has a wonderful. loving and loyal daughter and advocate in you Beata. I will keep you both in my thoughts..
Beata, good to hear your mother finally got effective pain meds, and what a damn immoral shame that effective meds weren’t given right away.
If bones are very weak from osteoporosis, they can shatter or crumble under very little force. It might only take turning over to do it. But in that case I’d expect the ER physician would have said something about seeing bad osteoporosis on the XR. So good your mom has you as an advocate. Everyone in a healthcare facility needs an advocate these days, which is scary. Hope all goes well with her recovery.
Yet Another Challenger Jumps Into GOP Primary Against Lindsey Graham
Huckleberry better butch up some more I guess.
Yeah. he better butch up. Two days ago he voted against ENDA and yesterday he introduced ANOTHER Senate bill aimed at banning abortion. Don’t you know that old Huck voted against ENDA cause nothing helps you to “butch up” better than voting against Big Gay? 🙂
When in the hell is someone going to out him?
Is Larry Flynt still around? He must have pictures of Graham stashed away somewhere. Pictures are his specialty.
It’s been obvious for so long, I was beginning to think no one would ever acknowledge it but leave it to the head of the NY Fed …
Huffpo: New York Fed Chief Levels Explosive Charge Against Big Banks
“apparent” lack of respect for law? No need for euphemisms; they have no respect for law and the public trust.
“The legislation would make it illegal for any person to perform or attempt to perform an abortion after 20 weeks, or six months, of pregnancy…”
I realize that what I’m about to type demonstrates conclusively that I can’t see the forest for the trees, and that, likely, I staking claim to a spot on the Aspergers spectrum, BUT:
6 x 4.3 = 25.8
Oh, good catch, jackyt! 20 weeks would be 5 months. 6 months would be 24 weeks.
So either the PLUBs can’t do math, or they wanted to be confusing.
Let’s go with the former and the latter.
Hey, guess what!!!
Pat Robertson Named ‘Bigot Of The Year’ At Stonewall Awards http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/08/pat-robertson-bigot-of-the-year_n_4240117.html … #OFA #P2 #TopProg #UniteBlue #LibCrib
They’re finding more evidence of Rand Paul Plagiarism. He appears prolific in stealing others words and thoughts.
http://www.salon.com/2013/11/08/salon_exclusive_more_rand_paul_plagiarism/
http://mediamatters.org/mobile/blog/2013/11/08/former-60-minutes-producer-mapes-benghazi-story/196811
Former 60 Minutes Producer Mapes: Benghazi Story Aimed At “Obsessed” Right-Wing Audience
http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/the-stream/the-stream-officialblog/2013/11/7/family-and-activistsdemandjusticeforrenishamcbride.html
Death of this young woman is appalling. She deserves peace and justice.
That was plain murder.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2356524/Faces-American-revolution-Amazing-early-photographs-document-heroes-War-Independence-later-years.html#ixzz2hReJSKyF
very kewl photos of veterans of the revolutionary war …
Neat!. The faces are wonderful.