GOP Clown Car Has Become a Clown Van

 

Yesterday's "Freedom Summit" in Iowa orchestrated by Rep. Steve King, was as expected a gathering of far right extremists.   Some described the event as a "Extremist Ring Kissing" event.  One has to wonder how those in attendance who pandered to the ugliest elements of the GOP base can have any chance of drawing votes from sane, moderate and minority voters in the general election.  A piece in Politico states that the Republican Party’s clown car has become a clown van.  Here are article excerpts:

The Republican Party’s clown car has become a clown van.  With nearly two dozen possible presidential candidates, the GOP is having a seriousness deficit. There can’t possibly be that many people who are real candidates.  But they can ride in the clown car from event to event, and nobody can stop them.

At the Freedom Summit here Saturday, two dozen speakers ground through 10 hours of speeches in front of more than 1,000 far-right Republicans.

As it turned out, clown car candidates are not necessarily funny. Since they have nothing to lose, they can attack their fellow Republicans with abandon.

Usually they attack from the right, which can force the eventual nominee farther to the right than the nominee wants to go. This risks losing moderate voters in the general election.

This was not a concern at the Freedom Summit, however. The farther to the right, the better.

It was a classic cattle call, with speaker after speaker pandering to the crowd. Sometimes, however, pandering was not enough.

In the circus, the worse thing clowns lob is confetti. In the political circus, the clowns lob grenades. Verbal, to be sure, but they still can be deadly.

Neither Bush nor Romney bothered to show up at the summit, so they missed a day of attacks.

Donald Trump, who definitely rides in the clown car — or maybe the clown limo — strongly indicated he might actually run for president. What mattered, however, was his grenades.

“It can’t be Mitt,” Trump said, the bright overhead stage lighting, not favoring, his elaborate comb-over. “Mitt ran and failed!”  Applause from the crowd.

Jim Gilmore, former governor of Virginia, did the same attacks, though without using any names, on Jeb Bush for supporting Common Core, a nationwide educational initiative, and on Romney for his health plan as governor of Massachusetts.   

But then Gilmore added another enemy of the GOP right wing. “Do we want a nominee who wrapped his arms around Barack Obama?” Gilmore said.

The clear reference to Chris Christie brought bellows and barks of approval from the crowd.

[T]he day was filled with Republicans acting like third graders.

 

Feel the Love: Your Friendly GOP State Senator and a Pastor Advocating Death to Gays

The hate and utter vileness of the "godly Christian" folk is at times frightening.  During the last week this blog looked at the anti-gay bullying induced suicide of a 14 year old Iowa boy.  Just days later Republican Iowa State Senator Dennis Guth went on an anti-gay tirade on the opening day of the Iowa legislature as a Queerty article reports in part here:

“The media, for the most part, has bamboozled us into thinking that having a relationship outside of the boundaries of monogamous, heterosexual marriage is positive, happy and fulfilling,” Guth said. “Movies, television shows, articles and magazines abound with this theme, giving partial information to vulnerable audience: our children.”

“There are health risks that my family incurs because of the increase of sexually transmitted infections that this [gay] lifestyle invites. For example, there are more and more medical tests required before giving blood or giving birth.”  .   .   .   .  “It saves lives to have honest communication not only about the sexually transmitted diseases that shorten lifespans, but also about the deep loneliness that accompanies a life based on youth, beauty and sex.”

Where does this hate, venom and flat out untruths come from?  The church pulpits, of course.  And dishonest "family values" organizations that are increasingly nothing short of hate groups.  But back to the poison spread from the church pulpits.  The Advocate has an article from last year that captures the viciousness well.  The particular case highlighted involves Pastor Charles Worley (pictured above) of, Providence Road Baptist Church, in Maiden, North Carolina, but the toxic message is repeated from pulpits all across America.  Here are highlights from The Advocate piece that look at Worley's call for gays and lesbians to be place in concentration camp and left to die:

Pastor Charles Worley of Maiden, N.C.'s Providence Road Baptist Church recently told his congregation that lesbians and "queers" should be rounded up, placed in camps with electrified fencing, and left to die.

Worley believes that placing gays in camps will ensure homosexuality dies out since gays "don't reproduce." Worley isn't apologizing for his sermon, saying,"We offer NO apologies in believing the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible is the inerrant Word of God. If you live in this area or are ever passing through, I invite you to come visit with us at Providence Road Baptist Church."

If anyone publicly and proudly advocated for the murder of blacks, Jews, and others, decent people would walk away.  But not your Christofascists.  They congratulate themselves on their piety and "godliness" as they call for the death of other citizens.    There is a reason why I call these folks the Christian Taliban.  They are evil and decent people need to ostracize them and have nothing to do with them.

   

Who is Funding Anti-Gay Hate Groups in Iowa? Meet the Wells Family/Blue Bunny Ice Cream

As regular readers know, I am a strong advocate of using the strength of the LGBT buying power - not to mention that of our allies - to punish companies and/or their controlling shareholders for funding anti-gay bigotry. In Iowa the Family Leader is about as virulently anti-gay as you can get and its mouth piece, three-time failed gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats, is a font of anti-gay nastiness. For those living under a stone, Family Leader recently wanted GOP presidential candidates to affirm that homosexuality is a choice and that African American children enjoyed stronger families during the period of slavery than under the Obama administration. As with NOM, one cannot help but wonder who is providing the funding to allow such groups and individuals to constantly spew hate and intolerance. Think Progress has an expose that reveals the number one financial backer of hate and bigotry in Iowa: the Wells family, the power behind Wells Dairy, which is the third largest ice cream maker in the United States and sells its products under the Blue Bunny label. In addition, Wells licenses the Weight Watchers brand of ice creams, sells Chef Duff’s ice cream (of Ace of Cakes fame), and partners with Disney to offer Disney-branded novelties. My advice to readers? Boycott Wells products and contact Disney and similar customers and ask that they change suppliers. Here are some highlights from Think Progress:
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The FAMiLY LEADER’s controversial 14-point marriage fidelity pledge has caused a rift within the Republican party and led several GOP insiders and 2012 presidential candidates to raise concerns about the group’s extreme conservative ideology and social beliefs. Aside from asking the party to affirm that homosexuality is a choice and that African American children enjoyed stronger families during the period of slavery, the group’s president — three-time failed gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats — has also been caught suggesting that President Obama was born in Kenya and breaking out in laughter at a homophobic faggot joke.
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Yet Vander Plaats would have floundered in obscurity had it not been for the backing of well-connected and deep-pocketed donors, particularly the Wells family behind Wells Dairy. The company, headquartered in Le Mars, Iowa, is the third largest ice cream maker in the United States and sells its products under the Blue Bunny label. Wells Dairy has 5 percent market share behind Nestlé (Häagen-Dazs, Dreyer’s, Mövenpick) and Unilever (Ben & Jerry’s and Breyers Ice Cream), licenses the Weight Watchers brand of ice creams, sells Chef Duff’s ice cream (of Ace of Cakes fame), and partners with Disney to offer Disney-branded novelties. But the Wells family is interested in more than frozen desserts. Mike Wells, the president and CEO of the company, was a member of Vander Plaats’ council of advisers during his gubernatorial campaign and public records reveal that Wells family members have contributed at least $456,000 to Vander Plaats and his affiliated organizations and campaigns.
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Mike and his wife Cheryl Wells have also started at least two ministries, including The Living Center and Side by Side Ministries, aimed at spreading “the Word of God to others.”

Sleazy Opportunists Jump on the Anti-Gay Band Wagon

It seems that several of the would be GOP presidential candidates who have demonstrated their own contempt for the "sanctity of marriage" by their own serial marriages and/or adulteries believe that by jumping on the anti-gay bandwagon they can become acceptable to the Christianist cretins of the GOP base. Newt Gingrich is one such sleazoid and now Donald Trump - an egotistical blow hard if there ever was one - has followed suit. Both obviously believe that GOP simpletons will overlook their own poor marital track records if they beat up on gays sufficiently. If their ploy works, then it will underscore that one needs to either have had a lobotomy or have a trainable retard IQ to belong to today's GOP. Frankly, I find Trumps feigned support of heterosexual marriage about as convincing as his lousy comb over. First these highlight from Showbiz on the Donald's disgusting behavior:
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After indicating to the Des Moines Register that he will compete in next year's Iowa caucus should he decide to seek office, Trump was questioned on his stance concerning same sex marriages. "They should not be able to marry," the Celebrity Apprentice star asserted.
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Trump also admitted that he hasn't developed a "fully formed" opinion on extending medical and civil benefits to gay couples, but he added: "As of this moment, I would say no and no."
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As for Gingrich, the Los Angeles Times takes a look at his disingenuous efforts to act like a champion of "traditional marriage" despite his three marriage and history of adulterous affairs (Lord knows what women see in him since he strikes me as a nasty pig). Suffice it to say, if Gingrich is truly sincere about any of the bullshit he is ladling out, then I'm the Virgin Mary. Here are higlights of Gingrich's efforts to play the simple minded and ignorant Christianists:
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Newt Gingrich — the twice-divorced former House speaker and recent convert to Roman Catholicism — is courting evangelical Christians as he lays the groundwork for a possible presidential campaign, hoping to find favor among a group that will play a pivotal role in picking the 2012 Republican nominee.
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In recent years, Gingrich has met privately with pastors best known nationally for their campaigns against same-sex marriage, sharing deeply personal details about his marital history as he expresses contrition for his past actions.
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Gingrich has also provided financial and strategic support for their causes. Last fall, he played a key behind-the-scenes role in an unprecedented — and successful — campaign to remove three Iowa Supreme Court judges who approved same-sex marriage in the state, helping secure $200,000 in seed money for the effort.
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Gingrich's moves are meant to allay concerns among influential religious conservatives that his personal history is at odds with their views. . . . his wooing of the evangelical community appears to be paying off. "I think he's just excellent," said Pastor Brad Sherman, who leads Solid Rock Christian Church in Coralville, Iowa. "Everybody brings up his past, but he's very open about that, and God is forgiving," said Sherman, who had lunch with Gingrich last fall.
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None of Gingrich's meetings with religious leaders is more important or occurs with greater frequency than those in Iowa, the first state to choose delegates to the presidential nominating conventions. Gingrich is expected to travel to Iowa at least twice this month to address religious groups. About 60% of Iowa caucus voters describe themselves as evangelical Christians. Their prominence helped former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a Baptist minister, win the GOP caucuses there in 2008.
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In October, more than 40 prominent pastors came to Virginia for a private lunch with Gingrich at Liberty University, the Christian college founded by the late Rev. Jerry Falwell. Last month, Gingrich met with 10 prominent clerics at a gathering organized by Richard G. Lee, founding pastor of First Redeemer Church in the Atlanta area. Lee said Gingrich impressed the group with his leadership proposals and his repentance.
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Conservative Christians are going to be the downfall of the USA as ignorance and stupidity increasingly drive the GOP. When will the rest of Americans realize the clear and present danger this group of society poses to constitutional government?

Iowa House Republicans Introduce Anti-Gay Marriage Amendment

With the USA in my view literally sliding towards second class status with a deteriorating infrastructure and an increasingly dumbed down public education system it makes me crazy that all the GOP wants to do at the state level is cut taxes and bash gays. Now the political whores in the Iowa GOP have passed a proposed amendment to the Iowa constitution that would nullify the decision of the Iowa Supreme Court invalidating that state's anti-gay marriage statutes.

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While the Democrats still hold control of the Iowa Senate, I hope gay activists and investigative journalists will up the ante and diligently scrutinize the closets and skeletons of the any gay Republicans and "out" them when applicable and expose their political dirty laundry as a quid pro quo for the party's cynical pandering to Christofascists and willingness to trash the state constitution's (and U. S. Constitution's) guarantee of freedom of religion - and freedom from legislative religious based bigotry. That's right, I advocate for a scorched earth policy against these assholes and want it to be come so dangerous to indulge in such religious based discrimination that even the sleaziest member of the GOP will think twice before signing onto such horse shit. Further, each time I see such politicized religious based bigotry, it makes me truly contemplate leaving this country and taking my assets to a more gay friendly country from which I can watch the USA slide towards a backward quasi-theocracy. Here are highlights from the Iowa Independent that looks at this prostitute like behavior of the Iowa GOP:
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A constitutional amendment that would mandate that marriage between one man and one woman is the only legal union that is valid or recognized in the state was introduced Wednesday in the Iowa House, marking the beginning of what promises to be one of the most contentious debates of the 2011 legislative session.
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Fifty-six of the GOP’s 60-member majority signed on as co-sponsors to House Joint Resolution 6. Four Republican lawmakers — Peter Cownie, Steven Lukan, Scott Raecker and David Tjepkes — and all 40 Democrats refused to sign on as co-sponsors. The legislation goes beyond just banning same-sex marriage. It would also ban civil unions, domestic partnerships and any other legal recognition of same-sex couples.
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However, Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal has vowed to never allow such an amendment to come up for debate. Democrats still have a 26-24 majority in the Senate.
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“Amending the Iowa Constitution to exclude gay couples will harm thousands of Iowa families,” said Carolyn Jenison, executive director of One Iowa, the state’s largest LGBT-rights organization. “Marriage says ‘we’re a family’ like nothing else and is an important way we care for those we love. Writing discrimination into the Constitution will only divide us at a time when we need to work together to tackle common concerns. Iowans expect their elected officials to focus on issues that matter to everyone, like creating jobs, providing educational opportunities, and improving healthcare. Going backward on equal rights sends the wrong message.”

Iowa Republicans Press For Anti-Gay Marriage Amendment

It would seem that the GOP is reduced to gay baiting as its principal tool to garner voter turnout. Why not try some innovative ideas and proposals to address real problems one might ask. To me the answer to that question is simple: by being married to Bible thumping, anti-science Neanderthals, the GOP has slowly but surely driven away thinking individuals, leaving only those afraid to think for themselves or innovatively in the party. Here's 365gay.com's coverage of yet another GOP attempt to inflame wingnut voters at the expense of LGBT citizens (http://www.365gay.com/Newscon08/01/011508iam.htm):

(Des Moines, Iowa) Republicans are demanding that Democrats who control the legislature take up a proposed amendment that would ban same-sex marriage. Wednesday hundreds of conservative Christians bussed in from across the state added leverage to the call. The protestors held a prayer session at the legislature in support of traditional marriage. Iowa already has a law limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples but supporters of the amendment say it could be overturned by "renegade" judges.

The issue already is before the state Supreme Court but Democrats say it is premature to take up the proposed amendment. "We don't see the courts in here trying to subvert the Legislature," said House Speaker Pat Murphy (D). "We shouldn't be trying to subvert the judicial process, either."

Last August Polk County Judge Robert Hanson struck down Iowa's 1998 Defense of Marriage Act ruling that it violated the constitutional rights of due process and equal protection of six gay couples who had sued. Later that day he stayed his ruling to allow for an appeal to the Supreme Court, but not before several dozen couples applied for marriage licenses.