Thursday Open Thread [12.19.13]
“Liz Cheney’s husband has been registered to vote in both Virginia and Wyoming for the past nine months, even though he signed a document in Wyoming saying he was not registered elsewhere,” Politico reports. You know, this is voter fraud, and thus, according to Republicans’ own rhetoric, Liz Cheney’s husband must be jailed. Republicans cry all the time about voter fraud, while being the only ones caught committing it. And if the voter fraud is not enough to jail him, then certainly the perjury under oath is.
Best Wins of 2013…
Once again, it seems our oh so Constitutional Conservatives need a lesson on what the First Amendment does and does not protect. For the idiots out there who like to claim they love the Constitution but have no understanding of what is in it since they are dumb as rocks, here is a quick refresher course:
The First Amendment.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Quick quiz. Who is prohibited from taking action that abridges the freedom of speech?
Is it is me, Delaware Dem?
Is it a television network?
Is it all private persons?
Does the Amendment say that a citizen of the United States is allowed to say whatever he wants whenever he wants where ever he wants and then suffer absolutely no consequences for said speech?
No.
It only says that Congress, meaning thus the Federal Government (and State and local Governments through the application of the 14th Amendment), is prohibited from passing laws the punish free speech.
Your private employer can punish you all he or it wants.
Yes, you can be fired for expressing your opinions.
And it is all perfectly constitutional.
What prompted this rant/civics lesson? GQ magazine released an interview with Phil Robertson, star of A&E’s hit TV show Duck Dynasty, where the 67-year-old Louisiana duck hunter made vile homophobic comments in which he compared homosexuality to bestiality, terrorism, and pedophilia. He also expounded about race, claiming that black people were oh-so-happy picking cotton in the Jim Crow era. As a result of these comments, A&E placed the Robertson on indefinite hiatus.
The right wing is in full tantrum mode as a result, from the Westboro Baptist Church (the moral center of right wing politics) to Sarah Palin to Bobby Jindal to the National Organization for Marriage, they are all screaming about the First Amendment, revealing themselves to be complete and total idiots no smarter than a first grader who has learned about civics yet.
Seriously though,. Obama never should have repealed the First Amendment and had that Duck guy fired. This is good news for Mitt Romney.
Onward Patriotjism!
I never could understand Martin Bashir’s comment about Sarah Palin. Nobody has to shit in her mouth for a constant flow of shit to come out of it.
Perfect Example, Geezer. Where were all these constitutional conservatives a couple of weeks ago when Martin Bashir was forced to resign his show on MSNBC due to the airing of his opinions on Sarah Palin? Are they hypocrites?
Bobby Jindal can’t stand that Palin hogging the spotlight:
When you think about it, doesn’t all sin begin as homosexuality? Bestiality, adultery, shoplifting… It all comes back to the anus.
When you’re an asshole, everything looks like an anus.
New Mexico is the 17th state where same-sex marriage is legal!
Actually, I want to know why on earth GQ is interviewing this Cro Magnon.
Whatever else you can say about ‘Duck Dynasty’ you have to start out by saying that it is HUGELY popular within its demographic. The season four premiere broke cable TV records drawing a staggering 11.8 million viewers.
If you’ve been to a WalMart recently you know that there is branded ‘Duck Dynasty’ merchandise in literally every department of the store – from the automotive dept to the lingerie racks. It is an entertainment/marketing phenomena.
Jason: I’m not surprised. “The Beverly Hillbillies” was popular in its day, too.
A&E is being hypocritical though this whole affair. Phil Robertson and his entire family have been up front about their religious views. If they were truly upset about Robertson’s views they would have cancelled the show.But the show makes the network a huge amount of money so the network takes the easy way out.
“But the show makes the network a huge amount of money so the network takes the easy way out.”
It’s called damage control while you attempt to maintain the profitability of the show.
It is what big companies do when idiots open their mouth but continue to be profitable.
But the show makes the network a huge amount of money so the network takes the easy way out.
So do the Robertsons from this show. They aren’t doing this thing from the goodness of their hearts, you know. And I guess they’re grappling with the fact that their bigotry is threatening the gravy train.
Let me get this straight: A 67-year-old hayseed from Louisiana who finds unexpected attention for shooting meaty birds turns out to have outdated views on teh gays, and now I hear he’s back-asswards on race, too. Give all involved the Sherlock award.
Is there some notion that, by suddenly becoming famous, people like this automatically learn to keep their offensive opinions to themselves? You’ll notice the flap has only built his brand with his fans and the right in general. Also, too, please notice that GQ made out pretty nicely in the attention department with the incendiary quotes, and GLAAD got to make its points in a high-profile incident.
Liberals get to feel self-righteous, conservatives get to feel persecuted, and gays get to feel vindicated by the support. I can’t figure out who the loser is.
Anybody who has had to listen to their Christmas album has lost precious time they will want back when they are on their death bed.
So if you’ve heard it, you’re the loser in the situation.
Well said Geezer
“You’ll notice the flap has only built his brand with his fans and the right in general. ”
Just wait until Phil shoots and kills an unarmed black teen for looking suspicious. Ratings GOLD!!!
Klan group to gather in Cecil County tonight
Check out the first two comments on that article:
When is the white man ever going to get a break in this country?
“Jason: I’m not surprised. “The Beverly Hillbillies” was popular in its day, too.”
That’s like comparing crab apples to oranges. Duck Dynasty is just another scripted “reality TV” show.
The Beverly Hillbillies was pure genius.
The part about their meeting agenda was definitely my favorite. It sounded vaguely familiar:
“Barack Hussein Obama is an illegal president,” Preston was quoted as saying. “He needs to be removed from office. We also want ‘Obamacare’ shut down. It’s against citizen’s rights.”
“On top of that, we want the laws toughened on immigration,” he added. “We’re flooded with illegal immigrants and our people can’t find jobs.”
KKK = TeaParty, and
Tea Party = GOP, Ergo…
“We’re flooded with illegal immigrants and our people can’t find jobs.”
You should have known your ignorance would come back to haunt you.
It’s nice to hear, though, that the KKK has widened its scope beyond melanin. Open your hearts and spread the hate!
@Jason330
“I shall never fight in the armed forces with a negro by my side … Rather I should die a thousand times, and see Old Glory trampled in the dirt never to rise again, than to see this beloved land of ours become degraded by race mongrels, a throwback to the blackest specimen from the wilds.”
Who wrote that?……. Was it the longest serving Senator in history?… Was he a member of the Democratic party ?…. Was he a member of the KKK?…. Was he not just a member of the KKK, but a recruiter (Kleagle) in the KKK who started his own chapter in the KKK?
My guess is Robert Byrd.
Right-wingers love to bring him up, without ever noticing that liberals have never held up Byrd as anything beyond a Democratic vote in the Senate.
There’s a difference, FBH, between one party’s aging segregation-era dinosaurs and the other’s full-throated defense of bigotry.
FBH always leaves out the part where Byrd has often apologized for his involvement with the Klan and his old Dixiecrat attitudes. He leaves it out because we always remember that the unapologetic Dixiecrats are now members of his party.
And of course, Buzzfeed weighs in with the 35 Gayest Moments from Duck Dynasty.
FBH’s talking points are so stale Ernest Shackleton wouldn’t touch them.
It seems like FBH is saying, “Yes, we are racist, but you guys were racist once, too! Oh, and… Lincoln!”
Not really, pandora, but it does sound like a version of “Bush did it too”.
No, actually, it doesn’t. Are you ever going to get tired of pretending we’re as dumb as the DP crew? Because you never get anywhere with this and you just look stupider and stupider all of the time.
It seems that whenever someone talks about sins, they are worried about other peoples sins not there own.
Get anywhere with what, cassandra?
KKK = TeaParty, and
Tea Party = GOP, Ergo…
This is what I was responding to cassandra. You apparently agree that GOP = KKK, or you wouldn’t be calling me stupid for trying to rebut it .
I happen to disagree with that statement, and so do most reasonable people.
As far as thinking you are “as dumb as the DP crew”? I think you are exactly the same as some of them. Just extreme left instead of extreme right.
When did you try to rebut it? I hope you don’t think your false analogy was a rebuttal.
Yeah, I probably should have put a little more effort into it.
Next time my party affiliation is compared to the equivalence of being in the KKK, I’ll try harder
If the shoe fits…
And I was responding to this:
Not really, pandora, but it does sound like a version of “Bush did it too”.
where you were responding to P’s comment directly above yours — definitely not the GOP,KKK equation.
See what I mean? The man’s an idiot.
http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20131220/NEWS02/312200068/Ex-Deputy-Treasurer-Benner-will-not-given-another-state-job
Talk about your Friday news dumps…
Well, her experience with Chip Flowers has turned out pretty negative. Anyone aware of a woman anywhere on this earth who can report her experience with Chip Flowers as a positive one?
Geezer, cue the crickets!
I see a bunch of comments but all I’m reading is a bunch of hypocrisy….what right does ANYONE have to cry foul on this guy?
Who made anyone the dictators of what’s allowed to be said??
If the shoe was on the other foot it would’ve been shrugged off by now. So much for the democratic parties’ cornerstones of “equality for all”