Republicans behaving badly

[raison de arizona]

Wow, that’s (nearly) unbelievable.

[John Thomas8]

I'm no longer surprized racists are doing this and are able to get away with it.

I no longer have any faith in the US legal system.

[raison de arizona]

In targeting Catholic Charities, Republicans amplify right-wing Catholic fringe
GOP representatives, who seem to be taking their cues from deeply conservative Catholic groups that vow to "#defund the bishops," plan to cut funding to a DHS program that supports Catholic relief centers at the United States' Southern border.

On Capitol Hill, a handful of Republican lawmakers are threatening to reduce or eliminate funding for Catholic Charities and other faith-based groups who offer aid to immigrants at the Southern border.

The members of Congress, who seem to be taking their cues from deeply conservative Catholic groups that vow to “#defund the bishops,” have already succeeded in inserting their agenda into legislation passed by the House earlier this year. Another attempt to zero-out appropriations for a key Department of Homeland Security program supporting faith-based border efforts is awaiting a vote in Congress.

In December, Republican Rep. Lance Gooden of Texas, who serves on the House Judiciary Committee, penned a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. In the letter, co-signed by Reps. Tom Tiffany of Wisconsin and Jake Ellzey of Texas, the lawmakers complained that the Biden administration was “allowing non-governmental organizations … the freedom to aid and abet illegal aliens.” In addition, lawmakers also sent letters to Catholic Charities, Jewish Family Service and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service demanding they preserve documents “related to any expenditures submitted for reimbursement from the federal government related to migrants encountered at the southern border.”

Contacted by Religion News Service at the time, Anthony Granado, vice president of government relations at Catholic Charities USA, said, “We have not seen such a level of direct … attack against Catholic Charities USA.”

https://religionnews.com/2023/07/24/rep ... charities/

[Suranis]

"Fringe Catholics" huh? Call me cynical, but this wouldn't be the first time Protestants have attacked Catholic Social outreach and then hid behind "Fringe Catholics" because there's No Way that good christian Protestants would be so intolerant. But those Catholics, they sacrifice Babies!

I'm not, btw, saying that there are not Fringe Catholics that would do stuff like this if they could, because there absolutely are. But in terms of relative power in the States "fringe Catholics" are a fart in a Hurricane compared with "fringe Protestants." At most they are a cheerleading squad.

[raison de arizona]

Picture is of Ogles and his wife and children posing with large firearms for Christmas. Cute card. Or something.

This you?

Thank you, @SenMikeLee, for joining me in drawing attention to the gross habit of the media to sensationalize mass murderers.

@jordanbpeterson perfectly explains why this resolution is so critical.
https://breitbart.com/2nd-amendment/202 ... murderers/

[raison de arizona]

And they continue to deny.

Steve Scalise: "By the way, we had hot summers 150 years ago, when we didn't have the combustion engine. But they don't want to talk honestly about science."
@atrupar

[raison de arizona]

In the linked article, you'll find this isn't the first time he has pulled this crap.

‘Jackasses,’ ‘little s—-‘: GOP congressman curses out teenage Senate pages

According to a transcript written by a page minutes after the incident and obtained by The Hill, Van Orden called the pages “jackasses” and “pieces of s—,” and told them he didn’t “give a f— who you are.”

The pages are a group of 16- and 17-year-olds who assist Senate operations, and when the Senate works late — as it did Wednesday night on National Defense Authorization Act amendments — pages generally rest nearby in the rotunda.

“Wake the f— up you little s—-. … What the f— are you all doing? Get the f— out of here. You are defiling the space you [pieces of s—],” Van Orden said, according to the account provided by the page.

“Who the f— are you?” Van Orden asked, to which one person said they were Senate pages. “I don’t give a f— who you are, get out.”

“You jackasses, get out,” he added.

The incident, which occurred just after midnight, outraged members of the upper chamber, with one calling the string of remarks “horrible.”

Van Orden did not dispute the remarks and defended his actions when asked by The Hill.

https://thehill.com/homenews/4123626-go ... ate-pages/

[raison de arizona]

I didn't know prayer breakfasts were so racy!

GOP Rep. Nancy Mace tells audience she declined sex this morning to show up at a prayer breakfast:

Also, were I a member of the party of "family values," I might note that she is apparently living in sin.

Not that there is anything wrong with that.

I'm waiting for her wedding planner to drop her for "sincerely held religious beliefs."

What? That only applies to teh gheys? Shameful.

[raison de arizona]

Apparently a Nazi uniform is the right wing equivalent of a Drag Queen.

Religious-right publisher and podcaster Stephen Strang says that allowing drag queens to read to children "is just absolutely vile": "They would not let someone dressed up in a Nazi uniform go in and read stories to children."

[Kriselda Gray]

I'm rather surprised that I haven't heard of any Drag Queens challenging the anti-Drag laws on First Amendment grounds yet. I'd think that doing a drag performance is a form of expression, so they shouldn't be able to put a blanket ban on such things. I could see maybe including sexually explicit shows under the same laws that restrict other sexually explicit material, or having a requirement that drag shows be rated similar to how movies are (which I realize is a voluntary thing by the movie industry) so that parents can be informed. But drag shows don't *have* to be sexually explicit, and those that aren't should be treated like any other performance. But I'd think there'd be something unConstitutional about these efforts to just make it illegal for Drag Queens to perform just about anywhere.

[raison de arizona]

I'm rather surprised that I haven't heard of any Drag Queens challenging the anti-Drag laws on First Amendment grounds yet. I'd think that doing a drag performance is a form of expression, so they shouldn't be able to put a blanket ban on such things. I could see maybe including sexually explicit shows under the same laws that restrict other sexually explicit material, or having a requirement that drag shows be rated similar to how movies are (which I realize is a voluntary thing by the movie industry) so that parents can be informed. But drag shows don't *have* to be sexually explicit, and those that aren't should be treated like any other performance. But I'd think there'd be something unConstitutional about these efforts to just make it illegal for Drag Queens to perform just about anywhere.

There definitely have been challenges. The one that comes to mind specifically is TN, I think a judge overturned such a law there recently.

[Slim Cognito]

I read this morning, regarding the lawsuit Hamburger Mary filed here in FL, the judge has put the targeted law on hold. FL wanted the hold lifted until the case comes to trial and the judge refused saying the new law was a blatant attack on the First Amendment and Hamburger Mary will likely win. FL then wanted the hold to only apply to Hamburger Mary and not any other drag venues and the judge again said no.


https://www.pnj.com/story/news/politics ... 444413007/

[Kriselda Gray]

There definitely have been challenges. The one that comes to mind specifically is TN, I think a judge overturned such a law there recently.

I guess that's what I get for paying attention, eh? Too much writing, not enough keeping up.

[Kriselda Gray]

I read this morning, regarding the lawsuit Hamburger Mary filed here in FL, the judge has put the targeted law on hold. FL wanted the hold lifted until the case comes to trial and the judge refused saying the new law was a blatant attack on the First Amendment and Hamburger Mary will likely win. FL then wanted the hold to only apply to Hamburger Mary and not any other drag venues and the judge again said no.


https://www.pnj.com/story/news/politics ... 444413007/

Coolness!

[AndyinPA]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2 ... -congress/

For two decades, the United States has pursued a far-reaching global agenda to fight HIV and AIDS, an initiative credited with saving more than 25 million lives. But the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, better known as PEPFAR, has been abruptly bogged down in a domestic political fight, with Republicans citing allegations that the program’s funding is being used to indirectly support abortions — claims that health advocates, Democrats and PEPFAR officials say are baseless.

As a result, lawmakers have spent months wrangling over whether Congress will reauthorize the program for five years, for one year or not at all — a decision that experts warn has both practical and symbolic consequences.

“If PEPFAR doesn’t get reauthorized, the program can continue — but it could send some pretty chilling messages to people in the field who depend on PEPFAR for life support,” said Jennifer Kates, director of global health and HIV policy at KFF, a health policy organization that has tracked the provisions set to expire Sept. 30.

Treasured by medical professionals and praised by foreign leaders, PEPFAR is the world’s largest health program devoted to a single disease — a status that officials say achieves the dual goal of strengthening U.S. diplomatic ties and boosting public health. Since the program’s inception in 2003, spearheaded by President George W. Bush, PEPFAR has spent in excess of $100 billion across more than 50 countries; distributed millions of courses of medicine to treat and prevent HIV; collected data that shed new light on the virus’s spread; and forged durable partnerships with local governments and organizations.

[bill_g]

A short list of Trump aides and associates charged with child porn, and/or sex trafficking. Zero drag queens.

As seen on X.

[bill_g]

Stephen Miller Sues Pop Tarts for being Gay

The Stoopid is strong with this one it is, but but but buttercup former Trump aide Stephen Miller tries to jump on the Woke Wagon by filing a complaint with the EOEC about Kelloggs Pop Tart's collaboration with NEONxGLAAD to produce a Pink Lemonade pastry. :rolling eyes: :oy vey:

[Suranis]

I hate to shock everyone, and Mr Miller especially, but the Rainbow is not owned by any particular group. And brown isn't a colour in anyone's rainbow in any case. Nor is Black.

Still, I guess Miller is hurting for publicity if he is down to pulling stupid stunts like this.

[Slim Cognito]

Can you say Streisand effect? Now I have to go find myself some rainbow poptarts, and I don’t even like pop tarts.

[bill_g]

Can you say Streisand effect? Now I have to go find myself some rainbow poptarts, and I don’t even like pop tarts.

I'll have to keep an eye out for them as well. Not a fan of absurdly dry and flavorless toaster things, but I'll buy a box just to bump the sales numbers.

[Suranis]

Ok, I just read the pink lemonade pastry part. Sounds vile.

[Resume18]

I'm diabetic . . . but I'm getting some.

[neonzx]

I'm diabetic . . . but I'm getting some.

You can always get some... and then share with kids in the neighborhood. I do that with freeze pops (quality ones made by Welch's)

[Estiveo]

Can you say Streisand effect? Now I have to go find myself some rainbow poptarts, and I don’t even like pop tarts.

I'll have to keep an eye out for them as well. Not a fan of absurdly dry and flavorless toaster things, but I'll buy a box just to bump the sales numbers.

Me, I've loved the brown sugar cinnamon pop tarts since I was a wee bairn. Of course I also love me a dry, dessicated, shortbread, the more sere and anhydrous, the better.

Must be my Scots ancestry.

[Maybenaut]

We keep the plain unfrosted strawberry pop tarts on hand. My husband likes them. I’ll have one occasionally.

Recently my 15-year-old grandson was here for dinner. Beef stew. He gets up from the table, gets a pop tart from the pantry, returns to the table and proceeds to dip a raw strawberry pop tart into his beef stew.