The Republican Party 2012 Autopsy that goes by the name Growth and Opportunity Project is a couple of weeks old now. Two major foci of the report were on messaging and on building “demographic partners.” Essentially, communicating in a way that doesn’t promote the widespread perception that the G.O.P. doesn’t care about people.
Let’s look at today’s news to see how they’re doing.
From the “Killing Us Softly With Our Song” file: Today, RNC Chair Reince Priebus pens a piece at Redstate (via Steve Benen):
The President, the Senate Majority Leader, the House Democratic Leader, and the Chair of the Democratic National Committee (in whose home state this hearing occurred) made funding Planned Parenthood an issue in the 2012 campaign. They should now all be held to account for that outspoken support. If the media won’t, then voters must ask the pressing questions: Do these Democrats also believe a newborn has no rights? Do they also endorse infanticide?
The inference is that if you support Planned Parenthood you support INFANTICIDE! Clearly, users of Planned Parenthood are part of the vast infanticide conspiracy!
There’s one hell of a make-over there! It’s a big tent…unless you support or use the services of Planned Parenthood.
And from the “South Will Do it Again” file: Eleven NC lawmakers come up with a novel interpretation of the U.S. Constitution so that they can do things like establish a State religion:
The Constitution “does not grant the federal government and does not grant the federal courts the power to determine what is or is not constitutional” according to a resolution sponsored by North Carolina House Majority Leader Edgar Starnes (R) and ten of his fellow Republicans — a statement that puts them at odds with over 200 years of constitutional law. In light of this novel reading of the Constitution, Starnes and his allies also claim that North Carolina is free to ignore the Constitution’s ban on government endorsement of religion
Ian Millhiser points out that this is a sorry attempt to undo the Fourteenth Amendment that is a major constitutional legacy of the Civil War.
Really…it IS a big tent, as long as you worship the right God (i.e. atheists and non-Fundamentalist Christians need not apply). Oh…and you believe North Carolina was on the right side of the Civil War.
And, from the “Catholic Schoolgirls Rule” file comes this from Tennessee:
Republicans are taking a second look at [a school voucher] bill after the possibility arose that some Islamic schools could apply for the same funding made available to other religious schools.
The bill is a top priority for Republican Governor Bill Haslam, but several anti-religion lawmakers in the state senate, led by Sen. Bill Ketron who sponsored several anti-Islam bills in the last few years, are hoping to strip away the ability for any school that caters to Muslim children and their families to receive public dollars:
You see…it REALLY IS a big tent UNLESS you worship the RIGHT God (i.e. the Old Testiment God shared by Islam, Christianity and Judaism) but under the wrong brand name.
And from the “Jamie’s Got a Gun” file comes this NPR interview with Rocky Mountain (CO) Gun Owners President Dudley Brown:
“This is a very Western state with traditional Western values,” he says. “And citizens had to have firearms for self-defense, and right now that’s still the case.”
And maybe the need for guns is for reasons bigger than just self-defense….
“I liken it to the proverbial hunting season,” Brown says. “We tell gun owners, ‘There’s a time to hunt deer. And the next election is the time to hunt Democrats.’ ”
Yes…in this time of troubled shootings of school children, politicians, prosecutors, law enforcement personnel and movie-goers, there is nothing that says, “We care about you” more then not-so-subtle calls for violence against your political opponents.
Feel. The. Love. (or else!)
Today’s news blurbs are just a microcosm of a trend that spells big troubles for the future of the G.O.P.:Republicans are increasingly isolated on major political and policy issues”.
It’s a Big Tent…a Big Empty Tent.
It may be a big empty tent, but that doesn’t mean the Democrats’ tent is over-crowded. There are other political choices other than Democrat or Republican. Why be limited to two choices only?
That’s the Republicans for you. They campaign against “judicial activism” when federal courts rule against them, and then turn a blind eye to it when a Republican judge overturns generations of precedent to achieve their goals.
But I must say, I’m surprised that N. Carolina would try to overturn Marbury vs. Madison – the foundation of the balance of our three branches of government, one that goes back to the early days of the Jefferson administration.
Of course, the whole notion that a state government can tell any branch of the U.S. government that it’s rulings don’t apply to it is a concept which goes back to the “nullification” crisis during Andrew Jackson’s administration. Perhaps Pres. Obama should do as Jackson did – prepare to send federal troops to occupy the state until they saw reason?
From 2,
Reducing the power of the federal government sounds like a good way to stop this crazy interventionist government of ours. The Feds are too powerful and need to be checked.
crazy interventionist polio vaccine.
crazy interventionist pasturized milk ordinance.
crazy interventionist smoke jumpers.
crazy interventionist Coast Guard rescue swimmers.
You betcha!
The extremely unpopular Republican party which fights politically above its weight because its got the money bags needs to be knocked out, and unless We the People do it, it won’t be done. We’ll be done in.
@2 “Of course, the whole notion that a state government can tell any branch of the U.S. government that it’s rulings don’t apply to it is a concept” pioneered by these folks:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S.....n_movement
@3 Someone else already had that idea, too:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_City_bombing
If I struggled to envision why TN GOP might be looking at tightening up some rules, Minnesota’s experience with a Muslim charter school might be something I’d come up with:
Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy, the controversial charter school that ran afoul of the Minnesota Education Department and a new state law, is closing its doors permanently.
TiZA’s board voted Tuesday not to appeal the Education Department’s decision to deny the school’s reapplication, according to the Star Tribune. The vote effectively ends TiZA’s struggle to stay open, a process that had endured numerous controversies in recent years.
A 2009 lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, arguing that TiZA’s Islamic influence had violated the separation of church and state, is still ongoing. The ACLU has spent $3 million prosecuting the case, and if successful could force TiZA to pick up the tab on its attorneys’ fees.
http://blogs.citypages.com/blo.....awsuit.php
If the ACLU dropped $3M into pressing its claims, I’m guessing it had a pretty good reason. And President Andy Shepherd supports the ACLU.
On the radio drive in today, the conservatives were yammering about the need for family, for married people to raise children, and then in the next breath, they railed against marriage equality. How dare the gays want to be married and raise children.
The inference is that if you support Planned Parenthood you support INFANTICIDE!
I don’t think Priebus was the first to point out the late-term abortion techniques, some unplanned consequences of them, and the close proximity to a reasonable definition of infanticide.
In fact,
http://news.google.com/newspap.....28,2913691
I’m pretty sure of it.
I wonder: Would the late Senator Moynihan be welcome in today’s Democrat Party?
@ 9
I guess we’ll just have to take your unbiased word for it, NTfF.
“On the radio drive in today, the liberals on NPR were yammering about …….”
Would you have reason to believe any way I might finish that sentence?
@10 Question, Bob. Do you support the 97% of Planned Parenthood’s budget that isn’t abortion? Or do you think all those other services should be scrapped because of the 3% (of private funds) spent on abortion?
Yeah, it’s not like the “victim of infanticide” died of gunshot wounds. Then, we could hear conservatives talk about the vital civil right to own guns, and how it can’t be abridged just because a few schoolchildren get mown down with gunfire now and again.
The “pro-life” position is about controlling women’s bodies, nothing less, and certainly nothing more. Everyone knows this, which is why this issue loses at the polls with everyone who moved on forty years ago. If the head of the GOP wants to remind everyone of how he and his party remain stuck in the fading past, hey, I can’t stop him.
In Spokane yesterday, an elderly lady stopped a home invasion by firing a shot (and missing) at a would-be intruder. The criminal was held at gunpoint by the little old lady as the cops came and hauled him off to jail. (KIRO-TV, 5:30 pm report, April 4, 2013)
Thank you for pointing out how important our rights are. If she’d been threatened with death by an intended pregnancy gone horribly wrong, I’m sure you’d agree she could use her right to abortion to protect herself, correct? Because having her die a slow, agonizing, and preventable death would just be barbaric, now wouldn’t it?
@13 Why stop at forty years? By the simple expedient of adopting Sharia law they can relive the Middle Ages! I’m amazed conservatives haven’t picked up on this.
From 15,
Sure. I’m definitely OK with abortion. I’d like it if it were used more often, particularly if it’s intended purpose is poverty avoidance. One way to almost guarantee a life of poverty is to have several children out-of-wedlock with no support from your partner(s).
Or to prevent a woman from having to bear the child of her rapist, you know, the one who was armed better than she was? Because punishing a woman for being too small and light to bear a heavy-duty weapon would be morally wrong, wouldn’t it?
I am soooo tired of the out cry againts late term abortion. Who knows anybody whose had one? No one, because they are incredibly rare. The only reason to terminate a third trimester pregnancy is because the baby is dead or will die shortly after birth. Otherwise they induce or do a C-section.
I know of 1 second term abortion. Fetus missing most of it’s brain. Condition also caused some serious but not potentially fatal complications with the mother.
“Pro life” bigots also assume perfect happy pregnancies. I had 10 weeks of full bed rest & 4 weeks of “partial” (20/day) bed rest. “Pro life” assholes also tend to be shred the safety net ass holes or the let them starve ass holes. It’s hard to work, care for other children or Anything else when your confined to bed. If your really “pro life”. You need to provide medical care, food shelter, paid leave and other support as needed to every pregnant women. Otherwise your just a bunch assholes trying to punish vulnerable women. You know the same kind of asshole that won’t hire anyone pregnant. Go climb back under your rock.
From 18,
Not all guns are unsuitable for use by women. Smith &Wesson, produces handguns specifically made for women’s hands. I believe they call it their “Lady Smith” line of handguns.
Personally, I like the small Glock that’s currently available at a gun shop near you. Single women with handguns to protect themselves from the peverts out there is OK with me. I don’t even care if they carry these weapons concealed or not. Once a few of these would-be rapists get there balls blown off by women with handguns, there will be a significant drop in attempted rape.
From 9,
Yes, abortion is a very good way to avoid poverty. I’m definitely in favor of it.
Guns, women and self defense
Say a woman is walking/running/sitting in a park.
A man is approaching her along the path.
1. At what point is it OK for her to pull a gun and blow the man away?
2. Will that distance be too close for her to successfully defend herself?
From 22,
It’s a judgement call.