The Women’s March: the Largest Inauguration Demonstration?

Other than evangelical Christian women whose "faith" seemingly tells them they are to be subordinate to and ruled by men and perhaps very wealthy women seeking tax cuts, one of the most baffling aspects of the 2016 presidential election is the number of women who voted against their own best interest and supported a sexual predator who bragged about assaulting women.  We may never know if it was Trump's appeals to racism and anti-immigrant bigotry that won the day with these women, but thankfully, many women are shocked by and opposed to Der Fuhrer.  A piece in the Washington Post looks at the growing effort to have a Women's March on Washington the day after inauguration day. Over the next four years, we will need much more of such wide scale activism and opposition to Herr Trump.  Here are story highlights:

Teresa Shook never considered herself much of an activist, or someone particularly versed in feminist theory. But when the results of the presidential election became clear, the retired attorney in Hawaii turned to Facebook and asked: What if women marched on Washington around Inauguration Day en masse?

She asked her online friends how to create an event page, and then started one for the march she was hoping would happen. . . . Now, more than 100,000 people have registered their plans to attend the Women’s March on Washington in what is expected to be the largest demonstration linked to Donald Trump’s inauguration and a focal point for activists on the left who have been energized in opposing his agenda.

Organizers say plans are on track, after securing a permit from D.C. police to gather 200,000 people near the Capitol at Independence Avenue and Third Street SW on the morning after Inauguration Day. Exactly how big the march will be has yet to be determined, with organizers scrambling to pull together the rest of the necessary permits and raise the $1 million to $2 million necessary to pull off a march triggered by Shook’s Facebook venting.

The march has become a catch-all for a host of liberal causes, from immigrant rights to police killings of African Americans. But at its heart is the demand for equal rights for women after an election that saw the defeat of Democrat Hillary Clinton, the first female presidential nominee of a major party.

“We plan to make a bold and clear statement to this country on the national and local level that we will not be silent and we will not let anyone roll back the rights we have fought and struggled to get,” said Tamika Mallory, a veteran organizer and gun-control advocate who is one of the march’s main organizers.

More than 150,000 women and men have responded on the march’s Facebook page that they plan on attending. At least 1,000 buses are headed to Washington for the march through Rally, a website that organizes buses to protests. Dozens of groups, including Planned Parenthood and the antiwar CodePink, have signed on as partners.
Organizers insist the march is not anti-Trump, even as many of the groups that have latched on to it fiercely oppose his agenda.

Shook said her aim was not to co-opt any other movement. It was just an idea that took hold after the victory of a president-elect caught on tape boasting of grabbing women’s private parts and the defeat of a woman who seemed to her much more qualified for the job.

People traveling to attend the march seem less concerned with behind-the-scenes politics than the chance to call for more family-friendly government policies, equal pay for women or reproductive rights. Some say they simply want to stand against the crass way Trump has spoken about women.

Feminist scholars say the march reflects an emerging view of feminism: one that is less defined by reproductive issues, such as birth control and abortion, and more by how the challenges faced by women intersect with those encountered by African Americans, the LGBT community and immigrants.

Trump In 2007: Hot Women Are "My Alcoholism"

Despite Donald Trump's lie claim that he respects women, his past statements and behavior tell a different tale.  With a total of 10 women so far coming forward to describe how Trump engaged in sexual harassment or near sexual assault of precisely the type Trump boasted about in the 2005 Entertainment Tonight tape, it is pretty clear that Trump is a predatory and sexist pig.   The New York Post reports that a new poll found that 63% of Americans surveyed (including a third of Republicans) believe Trump committed sexual assault in the past.  What I find most ironic is that his hometown media is the most vehement in its rejection of Trump and effort to expose him for what he really is.  Perhaps all Trump's years of bullying people, screwing over contractors and investors and riding rough shod over people in the greater New York City area is at last coming home to roost. The New York Daily News is now publicizing Trumps "alcoholism" - Trump's own word - for "hot" teenage girls and "women."  I'd say the best description of the many, in my opinion, falls into the category of "pervert" and "lecher."  Here are highlights from the Daily News:

Donald Trump claims to only hire the “best people,” but also boasted once of hiring a teenager with no experience just because she was beautiful.

In video taken of Trump giving a paid Learning Annex speech in 2007, the Republican presidential candidate — currently accused of groping as many as 11 women against their will — said he insisted on hiring “a beautiful girl, 17 or 18, so beautiful” as a waitress even though she had no work history.

He also told the crowd that hot women are his “alcoholism” and that having one near him was like setting a glass of Scotch in front of a drunk.

The macho-man exchange occurred at a San Francisco Learning Annex talk that Trump was reportedly paid $1.5 million to give.

The cringe-worthy moment began when a woman in the audience asked Trump how many jets he owned and how she could apply to be a flight attendant.

Trump, leaning over the podium, demanded she come up onstage — as wolf whistles and loud cheers erupted from the men in the crowd.

Video of the 2007 event shows the woman, who introduced herself as Juliet, crossing the stage as Trump leers at her low cut blouse and ample cleavage.

After giving her a blatant once over when she arrives at the podium, the married Trump wraps an arm around her squeezes and says, “You’re hired.”

As Juliet pivots and walks away, Trump keeps his eyes trained on her derriere.

“Now if she worked on my plane that’s like a death wish for me,” Trump says, before going into his riff that beautiful women are his biggest addiction and weakness.

Trump, who is trailing Democrat Hillary Clinton in the latest polls by 7 percentage points in the latest polls, saw his 11th accuser emerge Thursday — the day after the third and final presidential debate.

Wellness expert Karena Virginia recounted the humiliating hands-on experience with The Donald during the 1998 edition of the tennis championships.

I was in shock,” she said at a Manhattan news conference about their encounter. “I felt intimidated and powerless.”

The GOP nominee — as he has with the 10 previous women who made similar charges — dismissed Virginia’s tale as bogus.

Virginia, like several other Trump accusers, said she was moved to come forward after a long-buried videotape emerged in which the businessman bragged about his crude treatment of women.

Trump campaign deputy communications director Jessica Ditto ripped the woman’s attorney Gloria Allred, who last week appeared with another of The Donald’s accusers — Summer Zervos, once a contestant on “The Apprentice.” Allred also represents several women accusing Bill Cosby of sexually assaulting them.

Having raised a son and now with two grandsons, Trump epitomizes what I would never want these males to be like or think like.  Meanwhile, my two Mellennial generation daughters have jumped on the "nasty woman" meme that mocks Trump and his boorish, low class sexism. 

Trump's Biographers: Trump is a Very Dangerous Man

I try to remain upbeat and convince myself that a majority of Americans are sane enough to realize that Donald Trump poses an existential danger to American democracy.  True, the Christofacists (especially the most parasitic of them) and white supremacists continue to blindly support Trump, but god help us, the do not represent a majority of the populace.  A piece in Politico Magazine looks at the the reactions of past Trump biographers and their conclusions are frightening.  Trump is nothing short of dangerous and, as the biographers make clear, mentally unstable based on my reading of the piece.  Here are article excerpts:

Back in early March, Politico Magazine brought together five Donald Trump biographers for a conversation over lunch at Trump Tower. At the time, the country was just beginning to grapple with the reality that the presidential nominee from one of the two major American political parties stood a good chance of being a real estate mogul and entertainer. Wayne Barrett, Gwenda Blair, Michael D’Antonio, Harry Hurt and Timothy O’Brien knew him better than anybody, had studied him more than anybody, had written an aggregate 2,195 pages in books.

In a conference call on Monday with Barrett, Blair, D’Antonio and O’Brien, the biographers were unanimous in their assessment of what we are seeing: They are not surprised. Trump is who they thought he was. This, they said, is not a show. It is not an act. This is the man they wrote about. In 1992. In 1993. In 1999. In 2005. In 2015. This is a man who has been one of the most famous people in America for going on 40 years. Only now, though, are many people, finally, really, getting to know Donald John Trump.
He is, the biographers said, “profoundly narcissistic,” “willing to go to lengths we’ve never seen before in order to satisfy his ego”—and “a very dangerous man for the next three or four weeks.”

[O]n the one hand, this seems all totally unprecedented in American politics; on the other hand, it seems somehow utterly predictable in the context of the personality of Donald Trump.

Michael Kruse: So this past Friday when you all heard the hot mic tape from the gossip show bus, were you surprised?
 Gwenda Blair: No.

Michael D’Antonio: Raise your voice if you were surprised.

Blair: Yeah. I don’t think any of us were surprised.
 Kruse: Why not?

Wayne Barrett: Well, I would have to say that “grabbing by the pussy” was a little surprising to me. You know, thrusting his tongue down whatever mouth was available wasn’t much of a surprise, but “grabbing by the pussy” was not something I had anticipated.

Timothy O’Brien: I think he’s always been a skirt chaser. I guess, you know, in that context, it didn’t surprise me. I think he’s always boasted about the things that he’s the most insecure about, which is his wealth, his intellect and his sex appeal.

Barrett: They talk about this as if this is locker room bragging, and really, I was in a lot of locker rooms and I never heard anything like this. Men don’t brag about forcing themselves on women. They want to paint themselves as desirable, and, you know, he doesn’t look like a stud here. He looks like a predator.

D’Antonio: . . . .And the thing that I found consistent where Donald is concerned is that this kind of language and act is in his mind. I mean, that’s the thing that really shocks me is that he’s so predatory and so oriented toward seizing what he wants rather than relating to a person that, you know, it’s pathological. I’ve never heard anyone say this kind of thing ever, and the way that he’s talking about it, as if it’s locker room talk, is just ridiculous.

O’Brien: Graydon Carter in Vanity Fair, in the most recent issue, recounted inviting Trump to one of the Vanity Fair parties in the ’90s and seating him next to Vendela Kirsebom, the Swedish model. And about halfway through the dinner, she comes running up to him quasi-hysterical because she can’t handle sitting next to Trump any longer because of all of his lewd behavior.

But the problem with reporting all of these things is that the women involved often are afraid to go on the record. I know that his ex‑wives, when I was reporting, were very wary of being interviewed and running afoul of him by doing so, at least when they spoke with me.

D’Antonio: Well, I think that what Tim is saying is consistent with the guy who would decide to have this campaign in the first place. You know, who would proceed knowing that he has all of these problems in his background, knowing how much audio and video exists, having been on “Howard Stern” and said horrible things? He just doesn’t seem to recognize his own issues and problems and how he’s perceived. So maybe for the next three weeks, he’s going to be trying out, you know, Breitbart TV and proving to the masses that follow him that he’s as red in tooth and claw as he seems to be. And, as Tim said, he’s already laid the groundwork to declare it was rigged in the first place.

There's more.  The take away? Trump is a dangerous psychopath. 

More Misogynistic Trump Tapes May Surface; Nancy O'Dell Slams Trump

Last night during the presidential debate Donald Trump tried to write off his horrible comments about women and his right to do whatever he wanted to women - including grabbing them by the pus*y - as "locker room talk.  As if the crudeness of school age youths and, in my view, often dimwitted and crude athletes somehow excuses disgusting comments by a man who wants to be the leader of the world's sole remaining super power.  Now, as Huffington Post reports, there my be transcripts with other foul Trump commentary that may hit the surface.  The Hill reports that the producer of "The Apprentice" says that there are far worse tapes of Trumps that could surface:

A producer from the reality series “The Apprentice” used Twitter on Saturday night to warn that the now-infamous leaked audio of Donald Trump making crude and sexually explicit comments about women is just the beginning.

“As a producer on seasons 1&2 of #theapprentice I assure you: when it comes to #trump tapes there are far worse,” tweeted Bill Pruitt.

Tapes of past Howard Stern shows likewise underscore that what Trump said on the now notorious 2005 tape is the norm, not the exception for Mr. Trump. 

Nancy O'Dell, the female reporter who was the target of Trump's vile 2005 comments has now spoken out and slammed Trump and his disgusting mindset and behavior.  The Hollywood Reporter looks at O'Dell's statements on this issue.  Here are highlights:

Nancy O'Dell spoke publicly about the lewd comments Donald Trump made in leaked audio tapes released by the Washington Post on Monday night's Entertainment Tonight.

"I feel it's very important that I address you all directly. As a journalist for 26 years now, it is my job to bring you news about others, rather than turning the focus on myself," O'Dell said on-air. "But by now, I'm sure that most of you have heard the audio tape which became national news and part of the presidential race. My name was mentioned and unfortunately, the release of it has thrown me into the middle of the political arena of which I didn't ask to be a part."

She continued, "I released a statement on Saturday and I truly mean what I said. There is no room for objectification of women, or anyone for that matter, not even in the 'locker room.' The conversation has got to change because everybody deserves respect, no matter the gender or setting. As a mom, I have to add that our kids — especially our young girls — need to know that their hard work, their achievements, their intelligence, their heart are most important. And those things will not go unnoticed."

 

On Friday, hot mic audio of Trump telling former Access Hollywood host Billy Bush about sexual advances he made on O'Dell, who was then a co-host of Bush's, became the center of a media firestorm. In the leaked audio, the Republican presidential candidate is caught telling Bush, "I moved on her, and I failed. I'll admit it." He adds, "I did try and f— her. She was married."

"The conversation needs to change because no female, no person, should be the subject of such crass comments, whether or not cameras are rolling. Everyone deserves respect no matter the setting or gender. As a woman who has worked very hard to establish her career, and as a mom, I feel I must speak out with the hope that as a society we will always strive to be better."

During Sunday night's second presidential debate, Trump repeatedly clarified that his crass comments about women were "locker-room talk."

Donald Trump is a disgusting, narcissistic pig.  The mere thought of him trying to take sexual advantage of anyone of any gender is repulsive.  Just the thought of him naked is enough to move me to vomit. 

Calls for Resignation Mount for Minnesota Archbishop

One of the things this blog tries to expose is hypocrisy be it in the political or religious realm.  In the religious realm, perhaps no situation involves more hypocrisy than that swirling around John C. Nienstedt, Roman Catholic archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis, who has been among the most anti-gay prelates in America.  Now, Nienstedt is being investigated for allegations that he himself engaged in a series of same sex relationships, many forced on others by the abuse of Nienstedt's power and position in the Church.  Nienstedt underscores the concept of "one doth protest too much" that seems to typically apply to the loudest homophobes (personally, I think Ken Cuccinelli and Rick Santorum are cut from the same cloth as Nienstedt).  A piece in the New York Times gives some history of the Nienstedt scandal and looks at the mounting demands that he resign.  Here are highlights:

Just two years ago, the Roman Catholic archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis was making headlines as a leader in the battle against same-sex marriage. But for the last year and a half, the archbishop, John C. Nienstedt, has been battling to hold onto his post in the face of a series of scandals, which further deepened on Tuesday with the filing of an explosive affidavit by the former chancellor of the archdiocese. 

The troubles started in May 2013 when the accountant for the archdiocese pleaded guilty to stealing more than $670,000 in church funds, and intensified when the chancellor, Jennifer M. Haselberger, quit and went public that autumn with allegations that the archbishop and his inner circle had covered up the actions of pedophile priests in recent years and funneled special payments to them.

This month brought new revelations, first reported by the Catholic journal Commonweal, that Archbishop Nienstedt had earlier this year commissioned an investigation of himself in response to allegations that he had a series of inappropriate sexual relationships with men, including seminarians and priests he supervised, as he moved up the church’s hierarchy in Detroit and Minnesota. 

In the latest challenge, on Tuesday, the archdiocese was surprised by a 107-page affidavit from Ms. Haselberger in which she rebuts claims made by the archbishop and his deputies in depositions taken in a sexual abuse lawsuit.

Ms. Haselberger, a canon lawyer who has worked in other dioceses, said that in her more than five years as chancellor for canonical affairs in St. Paul and Minneapolis, Archbishop Nienstedt and his top deputies disregarded warnings about priests accused of inappropriate contact with children or with vulnerable female parishioners; declined to report suspected abusers to civil authorities; failed to monitor sex offenders in the clergy; and in various ways violated the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People written by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

She said in the affidavit that “every time” she tried to warn the archbishop and his deputies about abusive priests still serving in ministry “my concerns were ignored, dismissed, or the emphasis was shifted to what was best for the priest involved.”  

The accusations about mishandling abuse cases have drawn in not only Archbishop Nienstedt, but also two predecessors, including the retired archbishop Harry Flynn, who had a reputation as a healer and helped craft the American bishops’ policies on abuse. It has also prompted the archdiocese and neighboring dioceses to release the names of priests who were credibly accused of abuse, many of which were never previously disclosed. 

As for the accusations about his own same sex relationships, Nienstedt's main defense has been that none of the males involved were minors.  The man epitomizes the term hypocrite.

 

Boy Scout "Perversion files" Show BSA Leaders Hid Abuse

I noted yesterday that the Los Angeles Times was going to release thousands of pages of documents that showed how the Boy Scouts of America - much like the Catholic Church hierarchy - deliberately covered up the sexual abuse of children and youths even  as they carried on an anti-gay agenda and expelled gay scouts and scout leaders from the organization. As noted before, the hypocrisy and disregard for the safety and well being of those in their charge is shocking.  But sadly, it is all too typical of those who claim to support "Christian values" yet show themselves to be morally bankrupt.  It is another example of the danger of giving special deference to undeserving organizations and ignoring the safety of children and minors.  Here are highlights from the Virginian Pilot on yesterday's document dump:

Again and again, decade after decade, an array of authorities - police chiefs, prosecutors, pastors and Boy Scout leaders among them - quietly shielded scoutmasters and others accused of molesting children, a newly opened trove of confidential papers shows.

At the time, those authorities justified their actions as necessary to protect the good name and good works of Scouting, a pillar of 20th century America. But as detailed in 14,500 pages of secret "perversion files" released Thursday by order of the Oregon Supreme Court, their maneuvers allowed sexual predators to go free while victims suffered in silence.

The files are a window on a much larger collection of documents the Boy Scouts of America began collecting soon after their founding in 1910. The files, kept at Boy Scout headquarters in Texas, consist of memos from local and national Scout executives, handwritten letters from victims and their parents and newspaper clippings about legal cases. The files contain details about proven molesters but also unsubstantiated allegations.

The allegations stretch across the country and to military bases overseas, from a small town in the Adirondacks to downtown Los Angeles.  The confidential files include 23 entries from South Hampton Roads; only seven identify the expelled Scout leaders by name. Six of the cases were prosecuted with one ending in a not guilty verdict. Defendants in the other cases were found guilty or pleaded guilty to charges including sodomy, rape and aggravated sexual battery. The cases date from 1963 to 1999.

[A]t a news conference in Portland on Thursday, attorney Kelly Clark blasted the Boy Scouts for their continuing legal battles to try to keep the full trove of files secret.  "You do not keep secrets hidden about dangers to children," said Clark, who in 2010 won a landmark lawsuit against the Boy Scouts on behalf of a plaintiff who was molested by an assistant scoutmaster in the 1980s.

The Associated Press obtained copies of the files weeks ahead of Thursday's release and conducted an extensive review of them but agreed not to publish the stories until the files were released. Clark was releasing the documents to the public online at www.kellyclarkattorney.com; he said the website was operating slowly Thursday because so many people were trying to access it. The Los Angeles Times also documented the cases at spreadsheets.latimes.com/boyscouts-cases.

[T]the files also are littered with horrific accounts of alleged pedophiles who were able to continue in scouting because of pressure from community leaders and local Scouts officials.  The files also document other troubling patterns. There is little mention of concern for the welfare of Scouts who were abused by their leaders, or what was done for the victims. But there are numerous documents showing compassion for alleged abusers, who were often sent to psychiatrists or pastors to get help.

It is far past time that the Boy Scouts cease receiving special privileges and deference - and public financial support.  It is also time that BSA leaders involved in the cover ups be criminally prosecuted. 

Quote of the Day on Pastor Eddie Long

I have already shared my thoughts on the ongoing sex scandal engulfing Atlanta mega church pastor Eddie Long (pictured above with Chimperator Bush) who seems destined to fall as more of the titillating details become public. Besides being a closet case, Long also seems to be now reaping the results of his pride and hubris. Andrew Sullivan states the case quite simply as to why religious denominations need to dump their homophobia on the trash heap of history and embrace modern knowledge about sexual orientation.. One can only wonder how many more pastors like Long are out there. Here's Andrew's comment from yesterday:
*
Yet another anti-gay religious right figure is seriously accused of abusing his authority to get young men to have sex with him. He did not fully deny it this morning. This is not on a par with the Catholic church's abuse of minors, because the men were (just) of legal age. But the now almost constant revelations of gay religious leaders preaching and campaigning against themselves, while finding it impossible to live a life without love and sexual intimacy that is real to them, reveal the tragedy of homophobia, especially in religious life where so many gay people find themselves drawn, and where many do great and important work - but are simultaneously asked to destroy their own psyches and lacerate their own souls.
*
There is only one way out: to embrace gayness as part of God's creation, to find a way to bless gay relationships, to celebrate the diversity of humankind, and to love one another, instead of hating ourselves.
*
How many lives have to be wrecked before we get beyond this lie?

Yet More Sex Abuse Suits Filed Against Catholic Church Dioceses

Sadly, it has become the norm to see articles about suits against the Roman Catholic Church arising from the sexual abuse of minors. What is also sadly the norm is that NO HIGHER UPS in the Church are ever punished for what was allowed to go on. One new suit was filed this past week in California against Salesian Society. The other lawsuits were filed against the Roman Catholic diocese of Sault Ste. Marie, the Roman Catholic diocese of London and the Congregation of the Resurrection in Ontario. Would that the media would endlessly ask Benedict XVI when will some bishop or cardinal be punished instead of mindlessly repeating the disingenuous statements flowing from the Church as it seeks to meddle in civil law matters and/or deprive gays of fully legal rights. Here are highlights on the California case (http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-priest24jan24,1,7487220.story):

Three siblings who say they were molested as children by the same Los Angeles priest filed new allegations of abuse this week against a worldwide religious order, which is the only Roman Catholic organization involved in the 6-year-old clergy scandal that has yet to settle any civil claims.The three allege the Salesian Society, with 16,000 priests, ignored clear signs that Father Titian Miani was a dangerous pedophile. Over the years, he was placed in a succession of church roles in different locations, including a boys orphanage in Canada and a boys school in Bellflower, where he preyed on more than a dozen children, according to the civil lawsuit.

The Salesians refused to join in a $660-million settlement between the Los Angeles Archdiocese and more than 500 plaintiffs who said they were abused. The civil case involving Miani is scheduled for trial in March and represents the first time a jury will be asked to decide the church's culpability. A judge recently ruled that there is evidence the Society acted with "malice and oppression" in failing to protect children, potentially opening the door for punitive damages.

According to the lawsuit, Miani traded on his spiritual and educational authority to prey on the three children, whose father had died suddenly in 1965. Their mother, a seamstress and devout Catholic with four children, was forced to return to work and night school. She had a regular schedule and left her son, the oldest child, in charge of his three sisters in the evening. Miani had approached the family after the father's death, and the mother welcomed him as a strong male influence, she said in a deposition. The boy, then 15, befriended by the gregarious priest, was repeatedly sexually molested by him, both in Miani's office at the Bellflower high school and on field trips to the San Bernardino Mountains, according to the victim's deposition.

At the children's family home in Norwalk, Miani familiarized himself with the mother's schedule and began showing up on the nights when she was away at school or work, the suit alleges. The boy would hide as soon as Miani showed up to avoid further molestation, he testified under oath. Left with the three girls, Miani would pick one, take her to a back room and molest her, two of the daughters have stated in depositions. One of the daughters is not part of the lawsuit, although lawyers contend she was also molested. The Times does not identify victims of sexual abuse.

"For 60 years they knew about this guy," said Anthony M. De Marco, lawyer for the siblings who developed the case, "and they have not done one thing responsible about it."

The other lawsuits likewise have a familiar story line. Here are a few highlights:

The Roman Catholic diocese of Sault Ste. Marie has been hit with six civil lawsuits from men and women claiming they were sexually abused as children by priests decades ago. Ledroit Beckett Litigation Lawyers of London, Ont., are scheduled to hold a news conference Monday to announce the Sault. Ste. Marie lawsuits, as well as one in London.

The firm is suing the Sault diocese, the Roman Catholic diocese of London and the Congregation of the Resurrection in Ontario on behalf of seven plaintiffs. The litigation names six Roman Catholic priests, only one of whom, Gerald Roy, is still alive. Half of the priests named have been charged or convicted of criminal offences.

Some of the alleged abuse occurred at Scollard Hall, a former all-boys’ Catholic secondary school in North Bay. It has since become St. Joseph-Scollard Hall, a co-ed school. Fedy and Killoran were both on staff at Scollard Hall. The Subdury Star could not reach a spokesperson for the Sault diocese Thursday evening.

The plaintiffs, who now range in age from their 40s to their 60s, are expected to attend the news conference Monday at 10:30 a.m. at the Radisson Hotel in Sudbury. Talach said the lawsuits are not about money. He said every plaintiff he represents has the same answer when he asks them what they want: “For this to never happen to another child.”

Overseers criticize Haggard’s Cash Plea - Disgraced pastor told to find secular work

I previously commented on Ted Haggard's questionable pleas for financial assistance via a defunct charity associated with a convicted sex offender. Apparently, Daddy Dobson, or whoever is orchestrating Ted's alleged ex-gay recovery is NOT happy and are moving to shut down Haggard's operation. At the same time, it illustrates how these parasitic "Christian" leaders believe that they deserve to be supported by the naive rather than get a real job. Here are some highlights from the Colorado Springs Gazette:

Disgraced minister Ted Haggard’s e-mailed plea for money and his announced intention to return to religious work was “unacceptable” and “inappropriate,” according to a statement Wednesday by pastors overseeing his restoration. The fourpastor team of overseers said in the statement that Haggard must seek secular employment to support himself and his family. Reached by phone, Haggard said Wednesday he is barred from commenting on the overseers’ statement. The overseers were assigned to help Haggard and his former church, New Life in Colorado Springs, recover from the scandal that broke in November when a former male prostitute said he and Haggard had a three-year sexual relationship and that Haggard had used methamphetamine.

Last week, Haggard, who moved to Phoenix after he was fired by the Colorado Springs megachurch, sent an e-mail to ABC affiliate KRDO about his plans to work in a faith-based halfway house known as the Dream Center. The Dream Center is run by Tommy Barnett, one of Haggard’s spiritual mentors and head of the 15,000-member Phoenix First Assembly of God, which Haggard now attends. Haggard asked for two years of monthly support while he worked and lived in the Dream Center and he and his wife finished earning degrees at the University of Phoenix.

“After their fact-finding was complete, they (overseers) informed Mr. Haggard that his plan and his communications about it were unacceptable. Mr. Haggard’s solicitation for personal support was inappropriate. It was never the intention of the Dream Center that Mr. Haggard would provide any counsel or other ministry. Mr. Haggard will not be moving in or working with the Dream Center. He will not be doing any ministry. He will be seeking secular employment to support himself and his family.”