Liberal Serving

McCain Reveals Ugly, True Republican Self: Wants Roe V. Wade Overturned

Remember 1999? John McCain seemed like such a charming, friendly republican. I used to say that if I had to choose a republican, I'd definitely choose him. I wished Gore had half the charisma. National politics drives discourse towards nebulous imaginary centrists, apparently offended by strong opinions that differ from USA-AOK. Gore seemed like such a wienie with nothing to say. McCain seemed like a Republican with a brain...and a sense of fairness and respect for people aside from middle-American middle-class white dudes. Gore managed to fool the left into thinking he was an idiot (when post millennial Gore is kind of awesome - beard and all). McCain's exposed a whole lotta regular Republican crap with his war waffling, but he's just now drawing back the curtain on his true social conservative self. Said he on TV to George Stephanopoulos:

STEPHANOPOULOS: Let me ask one question about abortion. Then I want to turn to Iraq. You’re for a constitutional amendment banning abortion, with some exceptions for life and rape and incest.

MCCAIN: Rape, incest and the life of the mother. Yes.

STEPHANOPOULOS: So is President Bush, yet that hasn’t advanced in the six years he’s been in office. What are you going to do to advance a constitutional amendment that President Bush hasn’t done?

MCCAIN: I don’t think a constitutional amendment is probably going to take place, but I do believe that it’s very likely or possible that the Supreme Court should — could overturn Roe v. Wade, which would then return these decisions to the states, which I support.

Sigh...eyeroll - especially the doublespeak about how a constitutional amendment is unlikely. Well duh. How about admitting to pimping it just to rouse the rabble on the right? That would be some honesty. Funny how the states rights argument is always trotted out to support issues that restrict some person's rights. I for one support the rights of people over abstract political entities. Not so funny is how states like South Dakota will use these rights to so effectively limit others. My inner elementary schoolkid would like to remind anyone who'd care to listen that democracy is supposed to value the rights -- the power of individuals over that of the government.

Women deserve the power to make decisions regarding their bodies, their health, their reproduction. Their states do not.

Via Jill on Feministe

James Dobson's Ten Reasons Why Not...or Bestiality!

Crackhead James Dobson's Top Ten List of Reasons gay marriage will destroy America is a fun ride:

1. The legalization of homosexual marriage will quickly destroy the traditional family, confusing young people about sexual identity, lifelong commitments, emotional bonding, sexual purity and the role of children.  Legalization will also lead to polygamy, bestiality and other alternatives to man-woman unions.

Good Fucking Grief! You led with the bestiality slippery slope - that's your best material, and you really should have saved it for the finale. I think it's fair to conclude that - within your logic, or lack thereof - that gay marriage will cause immediate child bestiality. Oh, and explain again how supporting gay relationships would confuse anyone about lifelong commitments, emotional bonding or the role of children (if anything, it would clear that topic up, but that's just my two cents). Would gay parents expect the kids to go out and win the bread?  Nice spice with the queer parents=slutty kids jab. Stupid, baseless, irrelevant, but oh so vivid an image. You've obviously got visions of Jonbenet Ramsey dancing in your head.

via Proceed at Your Own Risk. Thanks Sean!

Dubya Asks Mommy For A Bathroom Break

At this point, the Bush Presidency is undoubtably more painful for us than him, though the ego has to be a bit bruised.  Come on man, you're the leader of the only fucking superpower out there - and you ask for permission for a potty break!?  Photo from Reuters via wonkette

"Unfortunately, the underclass in general tend to be the common victims of Government social experimentation."

I don't troll rightist nut sites, but yeah, that's a nice title quote, eh?  Popped right up in my morning news googling.  I'm sick that the punditry is taking this tragedy and spinning racist bullshit from it:

Don't misundestand me, individuals are always responsible for their actions. I hope every single person found to be guilty of looting, violence, or disorderly conduct is brought to justice.

Yeah, and I hope that FEMA, the Governor of Louisiana, Bush, Condi (and her shoes) are all brought up on negligence charges.  Unfortunately, individuals in power and control are never responsible for their inaction or action.  The accountability culture apparently extends no further than poor people who can't make lemonade from putrid sewage-contaminated floodwater.  It's definitely more important to focus on petty crimes in the face of homicidal negligence though, so thanks for resetting my moral compass.

But, we also know that culture, family, and society has a real formative impact on individuals. Why is it that people from certain cultures are more hard-working, or more studios, or more prone to the arts or the sciences. I am no scientist, but the fact is that the ideas and values a society passes on to its members have a huge impact.

I know what you're saying, Mr. Josue Sierra, gifted knower-of-answers.  American culture can't seem to shake these bullshit racism apologists - especially the uncle toms, who love all the privilege they gain through assimilation. Sorry, it's not really my place to say that.  Although my culture appears less prone to criticism and honesty than I am, I've still managed to learn how to call a spade a spade, and bullshit, bullshit.  I'll definitely pass that one onto my kids.

Chavez To Seek Extradition of "Terrorist" Pat Robertson

From Reuters:

"I announce that my government is going to take legal action in the United States ... to call for the assassination of a head of state is an act of terrorism." Chavez said in a televised speech. The fiery left-wing critic of Bush's foreign policy who frequently charges the U.S. government is plotting to kill him, called Robertson "crazy" and a "public menace." He said Venezuela could seek Robertson's extradition under international treaties and take its claim to the United Nations if the Bush administration did not act.

um, he's got a point there, huh?  Kind of the same sort of thing we tend to get worked up about when it comes out of Osama Bin Laden Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.  Makes us a bit hypocritical, no?  A bit?

via sploid.

Coulter: “Rosa Parks is a dyke!”

Cenk Uygur of the huffington post considers what the conservative hate machine would have done to Rosa Parks after watching them chew through Cindy Sheehan:

O’Reilly: “Rosa Parks claims she speaks for all of the African-Americans in the South, but in fact, we have found two African-Americans who say they disagree with her. They say she’s just trying to gain publicity and doesn’t speak for anyone in her race. They would know, they’re black.”

Hannity: “Could Rosa Parks be angling for a Senate run? What does she have to gain from her public stand? Coming up next, the incredible story of how this woman might be deceiving the whole country!”

Malkin: “I think I speak for the entire Parks family, and especially her children, when I say that they are so embarrassed by their mother who is making a public spectacle of herself.”

via papershot via green knight (who has his own very funny version " What Fox News Would Have Done to the Virgin Mary" and mary=funny)

Reactionary Bitch Drag

More Pandagon... Amanda on radical reactionary women's (coulter et al) wielding of gender signifiers, to play the siren song for conservatives, while unleashing their venom on the rest of us:

[Rachel] Maddow made a really good point about the self-presentation of these women, even though she had to climb through the hosts' mockery of them to do it. Her point was that they very deliberately present themselves as almost caricatures of femininity for a very specific reason, which is they are trying to sell themselves as some sort of stereotypical "perfect" woman to a male-dominated conservative audience.

Fred Phelps Undercover Homo Activist?

I've often said that Fred Phelps is doing the queer community a favor with his bizarre and rabid homophobia, but it's a bit tin-foil-hat to me to publicly consider him a Queer "plant."  Wingnuttery as reported by 365 gay:

Illinois Family Institute Executive Director Peter LaBarbera issued a statement... "Fred Phelps' curious message is hardly Christian, and only fuels societal bigotry toward those who espouse genuine Biblical views on social issues like homosexuality and abortion," LaBarbera's statement said.

LaBarbera went on to say: "Politically and culturally speaking, Phelps and his protesters serve as a crude caricature of pro-family traditionalists who oppose the normalization of homosexuality. Fred makes an easy target for the media and secularists who are tempted (partly by their own prejudices) to paint any opposition to 'gay rights' as hateful. For this reason, I have sometimes wondered if Phelps and his lawyerly clan are 'gay plants.'"

Nazi-Bomb Doublespeak

Jesse from Pandagon indulges in wingnut-style rhetorical doublespeak, and it's fun to watch... (and a lot true)

People talk about the good that conservative columnists can do. The Nazis had their own propoganda artists who willingly put forth a doctrine of complete evil, who spent all their time repeating the words and slogans of the most evil man on the face of the planet. That's what happens when a movement recruits propogandists to promote its ideas.

What comparison are you talking about? I never made a comparison, shitcan.

"Even Hell Has Its Standards"

Got to love capitalism - a New Zealand pizza joint is, uh, capitalizing on the likeness of satan bush to shill pizzas.  Where can I get a copy?  Oh, a certain bar in New Haven, CT in a decade or so perhaps... details:

A decision is due to be made today whether a billboard labelling President Bush an 'evil bastard' is appropriate. The Hell Pizza billboards have been erected around Auckland and Wellington. Half of the poster is taken up with a photo of the president and the other half has the phrase 'Hell: Too Good For Some Evil Bastards.'

via Towleroad via Raw Story