American Apologies

Lt. Governor of Tennessee calls Islam a cult

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:20:08 -0700

Lt. Governor of Tennessee calls Islam a cult:

Via Huff Post:

“At a campaign event in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Lieutenant Governor and gubernatorial candidate Ron Ramsey (R) said that freedom of speech, guaranteed by the First Amendment, may not apply to Islam because it could be considered ‘a cult.’

During a question and answer session, an attendee said that he was concerned with an ‘invasion’ from ‘the Muslims.’ Ramsey responded that the uproar over a ‘mosque’ (in reality, the expansion of an existing Islamic community center) is justified because Sharia law is ‘scary’:

‘… I’ve been trying to learn about Sharia law. I’ve been trying to learn what it is: not good, if that’s what’s going on. You can even argue whether being a Muslim is actually a religion, or is it a nationality, a way of life, or a cult — whatever you want to call it — and we do protect our religions. But at the same time, this is something that we are going to have to face.’”

Judge blocks Arizona law that prevents gays from getting domestic partner benefits

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 12:53:13 -0700

Judge blocks Arizona law that prevents gays from getting domestic partner benefits:

Via AP:

“A federal judge is blocking Arizona from implementing a state law that eliminates domestic partner benefits for gay and lesbian state employees.

U.S. District Judge John Sedwick on Friday issued a preliminary injunction that requires the state to still make family health insurance available to gay and lesbian state employees who have established relationships that meet standards set under state administration rules.

The judge also dismissed part of a lawsuit challenging the prohibition but left another part intact, allowing the suit to continue.”

Arizona: Land of the Free (Unless You’re Brown or Gay)

Outspoken gay soldier booted from Army

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 12:14:00 -0700

Outspoken gay soldier booted from Army:

Via CNN:

“One of the most outspoken gay critics of the military’s ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy said Thursday that he has been discharged from the Army. Lt. Dan Choi, who was arrested in March for handcuffing himself to a White House fence in protest of the policy, released a statement saying he had been honorably discharged.

Choi, a 2003 West Point graduate who is fluent in Arabic, was an infantry platoon leader, serving with his unit in Iraq in 2006 and 2007. He admitted his sexual orientation publicly for the first time last year on MSNBC’s ‘The Rachel Maddow Show,’ prompting the Army to initiate proceedings to discharge him.

More than 12,500 gays have been booted from the military since ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ went into effect.”

As if there wasn’t enough evidence that this archaic policy of prejudice needs to go ASAP.

Mississippi school settles prom dispute with lesbian teen

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:16:20 -0700

Mississippi school settles prom dispute with lesbian teen:

redguard:

A Mississippi school district has agreed to pay a recent high school graduate $35,000 in damages and adopt a policy prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation, according to a statement released Tuesday by the American Civil Liberties Union.

Tea Party Drama

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 15:19:15 -0700

The National Tea Party Federation, an organization that represents the Tea Party political movement, has kicked out conservative commentator Mark Williams and his Tea Party Express because of a blog post in which he satirized a fictional letter from what he called “Colored People” to President Abraham Lincoln. He had written the letter a few days ago in response to a resolution by the NAACP that called on Tea Party leaders to crack down on racist elements in the movement. He later took the letter down. Here it is:

Dear Mr. Lincoln

We Coloreds have taken a vote and decided that we don’t cotton to that whole emancipation thing. Freedom means having to work for real, think for ourselves, and take consequences along with the rewards. That is just far too much to ask of us Colored People and we demand that it stop!

In fact we held a big meeting and took a vote in Kansas City this week. We voted to condemn a political revival of that old abolitionist spirit called the ‘tea party movement’.

The tea party position to “end the bailouts” for example is just silly. Bailouts are just big money welfare and isn’t that what we want all Coloreds to strive for? What kind of racist would want to end big money welfare? What they need to do is start handing the bail outs directly to us coloreds! Of course, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is the only responsible party that should be granted the right to disperse the funds.

And the ridiculous idea of “reduce[ing] the size and intrusiveness of government.” What kind of massa would ever not want to control my life? As Coloreds we must have somebody care for us otherwise we would be on our own, have to think for ourselves and make decisions!

The racist tea parties also demand that the government “stop the out of control spending.” Again, they directly target coloreds. That means we Coloreds would have to compete for jobs like everybody else and that is just not right.

Perhaps the most racist point of all in the tea parties is their demand that government “stop raising our taxes.” That is outrageous! How will we coloreds ever get a wide screen TV in every room if non-coloreds get to keep what they earn? Totally racist! The tea party expects coloreds to be productive members of society?

Mr. Lincoln, you were the greatest racist ever. We had a great gig. Three squares, room and board, all our decisions made by the massa in the house. Please repeal the 13th and 14th Amendments and let us get back to where we belong.

Sincerely

Precious Ben Jealous, Tom’s Nephew
NAACP Head Colored Person

Man with neo-Nazi ties leading patrols in Arizona

Sat, 17 Jul 2010 13:10:24 -0700

Man with neo-Nazi ties leading patrols in Arizona:

Via AP:

“Minutemen groups, a surge in Border Patrol agents, and a tough new immigration law aren’t enough for a reputed neo-Nazi who’s now leading a militia in the Arizona desert.

Jason ‘J.T.’ Ready is taking matters into his own hands, declaring war on ‘narco-terrorists’ and keeping an eye out for illegal immigrants. So far, he says his patrols have only found a few border crossers who were given water and handed over to the Border Patrol. Once, they also found a decaying body in a wash, and alerted authorities.

But local law enforcement are nervous given that Ready’s group is heavily armed and identifies with the National Socialist Movement, an organization that believes only non-Jewish, white heterosexuals should be American citizens and that everyone who isn’t white should leave the country ‘peacefully or by force.’”

Via AP: A billboard ordered and paid for by the North Iowa Tea...

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:28:00 -0700

Via AP:

A billboard ordered and paid for by the North Iowa Tea Party shows Obama, Hitler, and Lenin, on South Federal Avenue in Mason City, Iowa. It was later taken down by the group.

"Decisions Based on Rational Economic Information"

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 22:02:00 -0700

Message sent to me by a TRUE AMERICAN PATRIOT:

“I don’t know what you’re apologizing for. Be proud of your country, or move to Europe where liberal ideals and huge social programs are more accepted.

America is too generous. We give out exponentially greater amounts to disasters in other countries than other nations. I mean, how much money did China send to Haiti last year? A few million at best, and their economy is booming.

I just think it’s sad to see how many people in this country think it’s cool or okay to be ashamed of their nation.

By the way, conservatism isn’t about being afraid of change. It’s about making political decisions based on rational economic information.”

Now which one of you told a Tea Partier about my site?

Sarah Palin gets owned by…Bill O’Reilly? To be fair,...

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 16:36:55 -0700

Sarah Palin gets owned by…Bill O’Reilly? To be fair, it’s not much of an accomplishment to make her look stupid, considering she does most of the work herself.

Glenn Beck to Liberal Media: ;_;

Sun, 11 Jul 2010 15:33:56 -0700

Glenn Beck to Liberal Media: ;_;

Sarah Palin’s first campaign ad of the year is out and it...

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 14:11:54 -0700

Sarah Palin’s first campaign ad of the year is out and it is entitled “Mama Grizzlies”. Unfortunately, it is not really about bears.

Feds sue to overturn Arizona immigration law

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 14:10:38 -0700

Feds sue to overturn Arizona immigration law:

Via CNN:

“The Justice Department weighed in on one of the most explosive issues in American politics Tuesday, filing a lawsuit to overturn a tough new Arizona immigration law that has sharply divided people along partisan, ideological and ethnic lines. It also asked the federal courts to grant an injunction to stop enforcement of the measure before it takes effect late this month.

Arizona’s law requires immigrants to carry their alien registration documents at all times and allows police to question the residency status of people in the course of enforcing another law. It also targets businesses that hire illegal immigrant laborers or knowingly transport them. Justice Department lawyers argued that the state statute should be declared invalid because it has improperly preempted federal law.”

‘Bout time, now let’s watch the partisan bickering ensue.

GOP Chairman says Afghanistan is 'war of Obama's choosing'

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 13:32:00 -0700

GOP Chairman says Afghanistan is 'war of Obama's choosing':

Via AP:

“Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele says Afghanistan is ‘a war of Obama’s choosing’ and the conflict ‘is not something the United States has actively prosecuted or wanted to engage in,’ comments that drew an immediate rebuke from Republicans and Democrats.

In remarks captured Thursday on camera and posted online, Steele criticized President Obama and his handling of the nine-year-old war begun by Republican President George W. Bush in response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

‘If he’s such a student of history, has he not understood that, you know, that’s the one thing you don’t do is engage in a land war in Afghanistan? All right? Because everyone who’s tried, over a thousand years of history, has failed,’ Steele said. ‘And there are reasons for that. There are other ways to engage in Afghanistan.’”

If only Michael Steele was a student of history too, maybe then he’d know what the fuck he was talking about.

Via Yahoo: “Unknown vandals unhappy about atheists’...

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 14:43:38 -0700

Via Yahoo:

“Unknown vandals unhappy about atheists’ billboard in Charlotte, N.C., spray-painted ‘Under God’ on the ad, the city’s atheist association discovered Monday. The defaced message will remain in place until after July 4, the group reports, which is the soonest that workers can furnish a fresh billboard image.”

Palin fucks up her Reagan shoutout with lies

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:58:15 -0700

Palin fucks up her Reagan shoutout with lies:

Via Yahoo:

“Following in others’ grand tradition of demonstrating gaps in knowledge while addressing a university, Sarah Palin told a crowd at a fundraiser at California State University in Stanislaus last weekend that Ronald Reagan, personal hero and inspiration, was a California college graduate. She told the cheering crowd: ‘This is Reagan country, and perhaps it was destiny that the man who went to California’s Eureka College would become so woven within and interlinked to the Golden State.’

There’s just one problem here: Reagan went to Eureka College in Illinois from 1928 to 1932, the Alaska Dispatch reports. He didn’t move to California until five years after his graduation. There’s no Eureka College in California (though there’s a town of Eureka that has a College of the Redwoods nearby).”

You know I get that you lie when it comes to disparaging your critics, enemies, and those you look down upon, but how do you fuck up with the facts on your “hero”?

Arizona's Governor: Most illegal immigrants are 'drug mules'

Sun, 27 Jun 2010 13:58:10 -0700

Arizona's Governor: Most illegal immigrants are 'drug mules':

Via CNN:

“A labor union representing nearly 20,000 border patrol agents and staff Friday disputed comments made by Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer that most illegal immigrants coming across the southern border are smuggling drugs.

Brewer initially made the comments earlier this month during a debate of Republican gubernatorial candidates. She repeated them Friday when asked by a reporter for the basis of the claim.

‘Well, we all know that the majority of the people that are coming to Arizona and trespassing are now becoming drug mules,’ Brewer said. ‘They’re coming across our borders in huge numbers. The drug cartels have taken control of the immigration. So they are criminals. They’re breaking the law when they are trespassing and they’re criminals when they pack the marijuana and the drugs on their backs.’

When asked for proof, Brewer claimed an illegal immigrant took it from her.

Via Huff Post: “Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) is...

Sat, 26 Jun 2010 13:44:49 -0700

Via Huff Post:

“Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) is breaking into the movie business with a starring role in a new documentary that explores the dangers of socialism. The flick, titled ‘Socialism: A Clear and Present Danger,’ is promoted as offering a glimpse into ‘the real-world results of Marx and his many followers - and why their failed ideas violate God’s Word.’

Bachmann is identified on the film’s website as an anti-socialism expert, and the documentary features footage of Stalin, Castro, Mao, and Chavez woven together with clips of President Obama. According to Bachmann, if the country continues along its current course, ‘it could mean the sinking of our civilization.’”

Now if you just replace socialism with global climate change, that last sentence would actually make sense. As for the video, beware, lunacy awaits.

McChrystal out, Petraeus in

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 13:48:00 -0700

McChrystal out, Petraeus in:

Via CNN:

“A day after his disparaging comments about America’s civilian leadership surfaced and dramatically struck a nerve in the White House, the top commander in Afghanistan has stepped down.

President Barack Obama accepted the resignation of Gen. Stanley McChrystal ‘with considerable regret’ and nominated Gen. David Petraeus, the head of the U.S. Central Command. The moves come in the wake of the revelation that Rolling Stone magazine would publish politically explosive remarks made by the general and his aides about key administration officials.”

Click to read the Rolling Stone article.

The 10 worst BP gaffes in Gulf oil spill.

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 10:16:36 -0700

The 10 worst BP gaffes in Gulf oil spill.:

Via Yahoo:

1. Who’s in charge? On Friday, BP board Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg presented the news that many Americans had long been waiting for. Hayward was being shunted out of his lead role in the Gulf oil spill crisis, to be replaced by BP Managing Director Bob Dudley. On Saturday, BP media relations personnel said the chairman of the board was wrong. They said Mr. Svanberg was suggesting that BP was merely beginning a long-planned and gradual transition of authority to Mr. Dudley “over a period of time.”

2. The ‘small people’ It was not the first time Svanberg misspoke. After meeting with President Obama, Svanberg said he shared Mr. Obama’s compassion for the “small people” in the Gulf. Needless to say, the comment did not go over well. Spoken by a man who owns a yacht in Thailand, the phrase “small people” smelled of rank class condescension. Swedes, however, note that the word “småfolket” in Svanberg’s native Swedish has a positive connotation with undertones of egalitarianism.

3. ‘I want my life back’ Six weeks after the Deepwater Horizon blowout, Hayward uttered these words: “We’re sorry for the massive disruption it’s caused their lives. There’s no one who wants this over more than I do. I’d like my life back.” To those shrimpers and fishermen who have essentially lost an entire year’s wages – not to mention the families of the 11 men killed in the blowout – this seemed an inordinately insensitive comment.

4. ‘Very, very modest’ impact On May 18 – a month after the blowout – Hayward told the BBC: “I think the environmental impact of this disaster is likely to have been very, very modest.” Four days earlier, he told the British newspaper, the Guardian: “The Gulf of Mexico is a very big ocean. The amount of volume of oil and dispersant we are putting into it is tiny in relation to the total water volume.”

5. ‘A trickle’ On June 8, BP Chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles said that the spill “should be down to a relative trickle by Monday or Tuesday.” According to the best scientific estimates, between 10,000 and 35,000 barrels of oil (420,000 to 1.5 million gallons) are still leaking into the Gulf daily.

6. 5,000 barrels a day. Part of the reason for the continued leak is that BP low-balled the flow rate from the well and then refused to try to amend it. For a short time after the blowout, BP estimated that the well beneath the Deepwater Horizon was spewing 1,000 barrels of oil a day into the Gulf. That was swiftly changed to 5,000 barrels daily. Last week, scientists suggested that the real number could be as much as 60,000 barrels a day and no less than 35,000.

7. ‘Top kill’: 70 percent chance. The underestimation of the flow rate mirrors the repeated overestimation by BP of its own capabilities. Hayward said that the failed “top kill” procedure, which would have stopped the oil, had a 60 to 70 percent chance of working. It failed.

8. ‘We have turned the corner.’ Earlier, on May 17, BP stuck a siphon into the ruined riser pipe – collecting 1,000 barrels a day – leading Hayward to say: “I do feel that we have, for the first time, turned the corner in this challenge.” That siphoning effort was later abandoned.

9. What spill? When BP share prices recently plummeted, BP intended to convey the idea that it could handle the costs of the Gulf oil spill. Its statement, however, was obtuse to the point of absurdity: “The company is not aware of any reason which justifies this share price movement.”

10. Waste of money? Six weeks after the spill began, BP started a $50 million TV ad campaign, promising to restore the Gulf. Obama said the money would have been better spent on relief efforts and damage claims.

Via Huff Post: “A coalition of Tea Party groups is taking...

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 14:17:43 -0700

Via Huff Post:

“A coalition of Tea Party groups is taking aim at Chris Matthews and MSNBC in the aftermath of the network airing a new documentary, ‘The Rise of the New Right,’ this week, which the conservative activists charge is a ‘left-wing propaganda hit piece.’”