Okay, so all the controversy about the Tebow/Focus on the Family ad was much to do about nothing.  Still, one should ask him or herself, why did Focus on the Family spend $2 million (or was it $2.5 million) for these stupid ads?  I mean, who is going to stop watching the SuperBowl and check out the website of Focus on the Family to see the rest of the Tebow story.  I get they are trying to get traffic to their site by riding on a famous college footballer.  But, will this bring traffic and increased donations?  I doubt it.

If Focus on the Family really cares about families, they could have found a better use for their money - like aiding poor families with food and/or housing.  But, why would they do that?  It would be productive. 

Earlier this week, I examined Ben Shapiro's moronic comparison of Barack Obama to a fascist leader because he lifts his chin when he speaks.  The actual substance of Obama's speech did not matter to Shapiro, just one particular mannerism and his own dislike of African-Americans who are smarter and more accomplished than he.

Anyway, if Shapiro really wants to compare an American politician to a fasicst leader, he should look at Sarah von Papen Palin.  Despite the two feet of snow here in Washington last night, I had better ways to spend my Saturday night - such as scratching my ass - than to listen to Sarah Palin's speech at the Burgerbrakeller Beer Hall Tea Bagger Convention in Nashville. 

Short on actual policy ideas but heavy on the rhetoric, Palin could remind one of the early days of the Nazi party.  She mixes a strong nationalism with a faux-attack on business to look like a populist.  She also spoke of revolution and dying for this nation.  (Could you imagine the outrage on the right if Obama spoke of willing to die for America?) Call me crazy (please call me crazy) but that is more reminiscent of Hitler and other fascist leaders than anything Obama has ever said (chin lift aside). 

I actually have faith that most Americans will not be taken in by Palin, who does not care about this country.  She cares about herself and promoting herself, and she will latch onto any ideology in order to promote herself.  That is what makes her a danger.  She has latched onto the fringes of the right wing - those who believe Obama was born in Kenya, that immigrants are destroying this country, that America must project its military might in order to spread its values, and who show little to no seriousness about the economy. 

Really examine what Palin said to her fellow tea baggers.  Look at the setting.  It is reminiscent of the early days of the Nazi movement.  Watch how quickly that the economic populism is dropped once the movement gains steam, if it ever does.

It is more than ironic how "Christian Conservatives" have no problem with Hate Crimes Legislation when it protects them on the basis of religion, or others based on race or gender.  However, the minute you extend such laws to include sexual orientation, then it is this great infringer of the Constitution.  Remember, these people believe that the First Amendment gives them the right to do as they please as long as they claim it is part of their Christian beliefs. 

And, I guess part of their right as Christians is to attack, beat up and murder homosexuals because they are gay.  (I know, I am being over the top here.)  Why else would they rush to court to invalidate Hate Crimes legislation?  Once again, OneNewsNow believes that its readers are ignorant or stupid because they are telling people about the lawsuit while failing to mention that it will be thrown out as quickly as it was filed.

Why will it be thrown out?  Well, those challenging the law for violating the First Amendment right to be a bigot under the guise of Christianity have not been prosecuted under hate crimes legislation.  There is no case or controversy.  Except in rare and extreme circumstances, courts do not hear hypothetical cases or determine Constitutional issues without an actual case or controversy.  It is actually in the Constitution, Article III (I know Christian conservatives don't care about the Constitution other than the first part of the First Amendment):

The judicial power shall extend to all cases, in law and equity, arising under this Constitution, the laws of the United States, and treaties made, or which shall be made, under their authority;--to all cases affecting ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls;--to all cases of admiralty and maritime jurisdiction;--to controversies to which the United States shall be a party;--to controversies between two or more states;--between a state and citizens of another state;--between citizens of different states;--between citizens of the same state claiming lands under grants of different states, and between a state, or the citizens thereof, and foreign states, citizens or subjects.

There is no case or controversy until someone is prosecuted.  So, these people who filed the case are wasting their time, and OneNewsNow is wasting its time heralding the case.  I wonder when they will publish the article about the case being tossed.

Oh, I have harped on this millions of times so I will just point to it quickly.  Hate crimes laws only apply when there is actual or attempted violence against one based on sexual orientation (including attacks against straights).  Do these people really really want violence against gays?  Is that what Jesus would do?

If Ben Shapiro is the future of conservative thought, it is quite a bleak future. 

Did you see the President's State of the Union Address?  Did it remind you of Hitler speaking at a rally in Nuremburg?  How about Mussolini in Rome?  It didn't if you are an intelligent individual.  Ben Shapiro - not so much.  Check out Shapiro's impression:

President Obama’s State of the Union address was the greatest American rhetorical embrace of fascist trope since the days of Woodrow Wilson. . . President Obama is, however, a man who embodies all the personal characteristics of a fascist leader, right down to the arrogant chin-up head tilt he utilizes when waiting for applause. He sees democracy as a filthy process that can be cured only by the centralized power of bureaucrats. He sees his presidency as a Hegelian synthesis marking the end of political conflict. He sees himself as embodiment of the collective will. No president should speak in these terms—not in a representative republic. Obama does it habitually.

The characteristics of a fasicst leader??? I bet Shapiro cannot name even three fascist leaders.  Where in Obama's address did he show a disdain for democracy?  (And since when is a filibuster a necessary prerequisite for demoracy.)  "Hegelian synthesis", "collective will" - did Shapiro just take a political philosophy class and decide to dazzle us with his "wisdom."  It must be because to Shaprio throwing out a few big words without even understanding them is intelligence.

No wonder Shapiro is unwilling to actual demonstrate that Obama is like a fascist leader (other than the Mussolini chin lift, maybe Obama will do the Peron wave next).  Shapiro pretty much concedes he is an idiot who doesn't know what he is talking about and is unwilling to back up his claims with actual proof:

It would be pointless to discuss at length the dictatorial, demagogic nature of much of Obama’s address—the attacks on the banking system; the unprecedented personal assault on the Supreme Court justices; the dictatorial demands (“I want a jobs bill on my desk without delay”); the scornful looks and high-handed put-downs directed at his political opponents. It would be even more pointless to discuss the incomprehensible stupidity of Obama’s policy proposals.

Why talk policy when you can make up a general philosophy of the speech.  Oh, and just so Shapiro knows, Hitler was in bed with banks so how is attacking the banks reminiscent of fascism (same goes for Franco, Peron, Mussolini)?  The unprecedented personal assault on the Supreme Court justices?  "Conservatives" attack the activist court all the time.  And, demanding a bill on the desk is now dictatorial???  Every single President demands a bill on his desk!!! Shapiro is such a schmuck.

Click to read more ...

Check out Max Blumenthal's column in Salon.  It so reminds me of the College Republicans back when I was in school.

Things are getting even crazier in Republican-land.  Research 2000 polled self-identified Republicans on various issues.  Here are some of the crazier results.

• Clearly, 79% of Republicans do not even know what socialism means since that is the percentage that believe or are not sure whether Obama is a socialist.
• 64% of Republicans do not believe or are not sure that Obama was born in the United States.  Who knew the Orly Taitz wing of the party was so huge.
• 66% of Republicans believe or are not sure whether ACORN stole the 2008 election.  So, somehow this organization which is unable to tell a fake pimp and prostitute from a real one, managed to steal 9,000,000 votes.  Man, in what universe do these Republicans reside?
• 86% of Republicans cherish stupidity and ignorance as that is the percentage of Republicans who believe or are not sure that Sarah Palin is more qualified to be President than Obama. 
• 64% of Republicans believe or are not sure whether Obama is a racist who hates white people, like his mother and grandparents.
• Only 8% of Republicans believe that open homosexuals should teach in public schools (even less than they believe who should serve in the military).  That is just plain disturbing.  They either believe that gays recruit or are child molesters.  What is wrong with these people.

With the Republican Party dominated by such crazies, no wonder their candidates are beautiful fluff pieces who do not talk issues.  This is just scary.  Makes my idea that the United States today is similar to Weimar Germany not seem so crazy.

Yeah, it is a rhetorical question.  Check out his lead:

So, Obama is going to take on college football?  I had to check out the article.  Imagine my disappointment when I read the first two paragraphs (something Matt Drudge clearly did not do):

Yes, I know that Peter LaBarbera at the Americans for Lies Truth About Homosexuality is an idiotic bigot, but he never ceases to amaze me.  In his latest column, LaBarbera argues against gays in the military.  His argument - gay men will lust after the guys in uniform.  The proof - the number of gay porn websites dedicated to military men.  (And, of course, LaBarbera includes a banner ad for gay porn.)  Really, I am serious:

I realize it’s a sick comparison, but just as many women like a “man in uniform,” so do homosexual men. On Jan. 29, 2010, a Google search on the three words “gay military porn” (no quote marks) yielded “about 1,300,000″ entries. “Gay Military Porn” (in quote marks) yielded 34,300 entries. This is a huge (and very twisted) business, and obviously the demand is high among men with a homosexual problem.

The last thing our fighting men and women need is to have the military floodgates opened up for homosexual men and lesbians to join as open practitioners of homosexuality.

I am sure LaBarbera loved searching the web for "gay military porn" and I am sure he checked out a few sites.  So, let me get this straight - it is okay to have closeted gay men lusting over men in the military but not if they are open.  Yeah, that makes sense.  Even better, gay people are not stupid enough to enter the military and go fight a war in Iraq or Afghanistan (and if the Republicans ever get back in power, God Forbid, some other country), just because they want to lust after men in uniform.  Instead of getting yourself killed and dealing with the discipline, why not just have sex with a civilian in military clothing.  You can have the fantasy and not have to worry about getting killed by sniper fire. That makes alot of sense.  But, I guess it does not for LaBarbera.

Oh, and for fun.  Here is some numbers on searches for some straight porn.

school girl porn - 17,000,000
"school girl porn" - 126,000
nurse porn - 2,190,000
"nurse porn" - 152,000
maid porn - 1,850,000
"maid porn" - 58,400

So, I guess under LaBarbera's logic, we should not have men teaching, working in hospitals, and hiring servants.  Gee, what a loser!

Paul Reyes-Fournier presents WTF of the Week: Pat Robertson and Haiti posted at coupledumb.com, saying, "When Pat Robertson made the deal with the Devil, he should have asked for brains and a heart instead of a TV show. Maybe he should have talked to the Wizard of Oz instead."

Madeleine Begun Kane presents Joe "Vote 60" No Mo? posted at Mad Kane's Political Madness.

Madeleine Begun Kane presents Ode To Odious Corporate Personhood posted at Mad Kane's Political Madness.

Madeleine Begun Kane presents Ode To Weak-Kneed Democrats posted at Mad Kane's Political Madness.

Conservatism

Kristie Lewis presents Beyond CliffsNotes: 100 Free & Useful Tools for When Time’s Running Out posted at Online Colleges.org.

Politics

Leah L Burton presents Right ON! Freedom?Let?s Keep it That Way posted at God's Own Party?.

Leah L Burton presents Scott Brown ~ Another Hatriot Runs for Office as a ?Moderate? posted at God's Own Party?.

Leah L Burton presents Biblical Gunsights?Forced to Look Down God?s Barrel posted at God's Own Party?.

Leah L Burton presents Call it Irony, Call it Kharma, Call it God?s Will? posted at God's Own Party?.

Ella Moss presents 1 YEAR OLD PRESIDENCY « Zodiac Times posted at Zodiac Times, saying, "Obama's bum rap - bummer"

Leah L Burton presents So Much Astroturfing ~ Little Room for Reality! Christians vs. Khristian posted at God's Own Party?.

Leah L Burton presents Guest Post: Choice Is Not Hate ~ It is Freedom by Hrafnkell posted at God's Own Party?.

Only in the crazy land of right wing-dom does a felony not count when the press initially got the felony wrong.  So it appears that prosecutors are not going to go after O'Keefe and the gang for wiretapping Landreiu's office.  Instead, they were going to disrupt the telephone system of her office.  And guess what, that is a felony too.

Check out 18 U.S.C. 1362:

Whoever willfully or maliciously injures or destroys any of the works, property, or material of any radio, telegraph, telephone or cable, line, station, or system, or other means of communication, operated or controlled by the United States, or used or intended to be used for military or civil defense functions of the United States, whether constructed or in process of construction, or willfully or maliciously interferes in any way with the working or use of any such line, or system, or willfully or maliciously obstructs, hinders, or delays the transmission of any communication over any such line, or system, or attempts or conspires to do such an act, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.

Gee, that sounds like a felony to me.  I am sure these "journalists" will change their story again to dodge this law.  What losers!!