Thursday Open Thread

Filed in National by on June 9, 2011

Welcome to your Tuesday open thread. Is it hot enough for you? I can tell already – it’s going to be a long summer. How are you keeping cool?

Surprised eyebrow raise on this story – Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (whose name has been floated as a possible GOP presidential contender) is holding an anti-Mitt Romney rally.

McCotter, home for recess, scheduled his own Detroit-area rally Wednesday to coincide with Romney’s Michigan visit. The event was announced by his congressional staff as a “harsh welcome” for Romney. The title of the gathering is “Discussion Economy, Jobs and the Mitt Romney-Obama Ticket.”

“Motor City Hospitality dictates a Michigan message to Mitt,” McCotter said in a statement. “Our struggling families, entrepreneurs and workers think Mr. Romney and Mr. Obama are not rivals, they’re running mates.”

Right now there are candidates lining up to be the anti-Mitt. How much will this calculus change if Sarah Palin enters the race?

Steve Benen writes about rightwing pseudohistorian David Barton (favorite of both Glenn Beck and Mike Huckabee) and his time machine.

For those who can’t watch clips online, Barton argued, “You go back to the Founding Fathers, as far as they were concerned, they’d already had the entire debate on creation-evolution. And you get Thomas Paine, who was the least religious Founding Father, saying you’ve got to teach creation science in the public school classroom. The scientific method demands that. Now, we’re opposite today.”

It’s hard to know where to start with such an argument. One could note, for example, that the scope of political leaders’ scientific knowledge towards the end of the 18th century isn’t especially relevant right now.

Or perhaps one should point out that Darwin didn’t write On The Origin of Species until 1859, making it unlikely that the Founding Fathers had “already had the entire debate on creation-evolution” nearly a century earlier.

The founding fathers are now the new appeal to authority figures. Of course only rightwingers know what the founding fathers think of things, and it mysteriously always agrees with what they think.

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Opinionated chemist, troublemaker, blogger on national and Delaware politics.

Comments (33)

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  1. Jason330 says:

    The hating on Romney is pretty crazy. The intensity and the unfoundedness of it just puzzles me. I think the conservatives are really worried about another McCain – that is to say, another candidate that is “not a pure conservative.”

    The teabagz honestly think that a “real” conservative could win.

  2. donviti says:

    Outside the machine is demanding an apology from MJ or from DL.

    MJ cannot sling an accusation like he did accusing Steve, Dana and myself as anti-Semites and not apologize.

  3. Jason330 says:

    “Of course only rightwingers know what the founding fathers think of things, and it mysteriously always agrees with what they think.”

    I would add that it never agrees with the actual documents that the founding fathers used to capture their actual thoughts.

  4. MJ says:

    I’ve heard they want ice water in Hell, too.

  5. Jason330 says:

    Jesus. Now this thread is boring. Quit fucking responding to that nit wit BS.

  6. jason330 says:

    May I make a suggestion? If anyone wants to be in a flame war with DV – go to DV’s blog and be in a flame war with him. I think that would work for everyone.

    http://thewageslave.com/

  7. liberalgeek says:

    You mean DV has a blog???

  8. donviti says:

    Man, but she WAS/IS an anti-semite. And I’m not even jewish. If anything all the post does is confirm my point. Besides, I have jewish friends!

    good pull LG. man, good pull.

    it’s http://www.outsidethemachine.com now by the way.

  9. jason330 says:

    So I’ve heard. I’m also discerning the vague outline of a marketing strategy.

  10. pandora says:

    Oops! I think the blog you linked to has folded, Jason.

    And in keeping with LG’s theme, there’s also this gem

    Talk about needing apologies.

  11. donviti says:

    Oh and I did apologize to Dom actually after her daughter passed away. It was more bigotry than racism.

    I’m BRANDING Jason!

  12. donviti says:

    Wait I get it, MJ is the mini-mi now!

    I like it. How cute.

  13. donviti says:

    Pandora?

    Bet’s on who said this:

    Comment by jason330 on 11 October 2008 at 9:40 pm:

    I stand rebuked. I’m a sucker. Troll is a loser and Dom is a racists. That pretty much covers it.

    wooops, it says Jason right there at the top….

  14. pandora says:

    I’m just pointing out the humor of you asking for an apology.

  15. donviti says:

    Oh, it’s hard to get your humor or your motherly scorn 🙂

    noted.

    but, in those cases Liz was an anti semite and well Jason had my back in calling someone a racist.

    Neither asked for apologies and I pride myself on apologizing. It’s something I do perhaps too often.

    MJ went too far here in his statement.

    Enjoy the summer now that schools out mamma grizzly

  16. puck says:

    For those of you who had tuned out all things Weiner, Dems are now running around in a coordinated, escalating, Breitbart-esque campaign calling for Weiner’s resignation, calling to mind Lieberman’s or Edwards’s condemnation of Bill Clinton.

    But a Kos diarist calls them out in withering style:

    Anthony Weiner must resign — if Clarence Thomas resigns.

    Anthony Weiner must not resign — if Clarence Thomas does not resign.

    See how that works, you sanctimonious junior-varsity scrub Democratic officeholders?

  17. Dana Garrett says:

    DV, I don’t think you should use this thread to demand an apology from MJ. Besides, I don’t require one from him.

  18. donviti says:

    Okie dokie, I guess it makes more sense to just let it go and be the bigger more professional blog in this little battle.

    good luck MJ. Hopefully you get a thicker skin someday.

    Until we meet again

    shalom bitches!

  19. Joe Cass says:

    See you all at 12th & Market 6/10 between 11am and 2pm to support local trades. All descendants of Abraham and gentiles are welcome, including Liz Allen.

  20. DE Idealist says:

    I’m curious as to why none of the bloggers here have run for office. Many of you would start off with a small, but passionate base of support. It would be a truly grassroots, truly rare campaign.

  21. donviti says:

    I was Delaware’s Hottest Blogger until it was taken away from me by a thieving homewrecker.

    Not sure if that counts as office but the responsibilities I had during my reign were very overwhelming.

  22. I did. Lost. Wasn’t close. Consider that itch scratched. Plus, I’m OLD.

  23. DE Idealist says:

    Thanks Donviti, for your very relevant comment.

    El Somnambulo, if you don’t mind me asking, how recently did you run?

  24. My 5 fans have been *begging* me to run.

  25. It was Aught 4, if memory serves.

  26. donviti says:

    no worries. Ask a serious question around here, I’m the guy to look for an answer.

  27. DE Idealist says:

    Donviti,

    I just want you to know that I wish you all the best with the new blog you started. In fact, I hope it’s such a big success that you don’t feel the need to troll comments on Delaware Liberal in order to get a cheap “hit” to your website. I’m grossed out by the prospect that you are overcome by some sick pleasure through flame wars, and so this will be my final response to you.

  28. mediawatch says:

    How about Geez for Gov?
    Can’t beat that on a billboard.

  29. Joe Cass says:

    So DV, do tell. Was your home wrecked? Do you accept responsibility? Were you divorced? Is the alimony stifling? Do yo have custody?
    Do tell.

  30. donviti says:

    Nah. I will never stop coming ovrr here. Even when OTM eclipses democrat central. I find it amusing u come hear to recruit. Hilarious and so fitting.