No True Catholic.

Tim Kaine.

Tim Kaine.

While Tim Kaine’s pastor describes Kaine as “very compassionate, approachable, available, and friendly,” a Washington DC-based priest, a member of the Dominican Order, has told Tim Kaine that he is not a true Catholic and not entitled to receive communion. The issue? Tim Kaine has stated his personal opposition to abortion, but refuses to enact laws as a public official that would interfere with a woman’s right to choose.

The anti-abortion site LifeNews reported that Father Thomas Petri took to Twitter to condemn Kaine. “Senator @timkaine. Do us both a favor. Don’t show up in my communion line.” The priest also told Kaine that his beliefs that women should be priest and that “abortion is fine” makes him either “poorly catechized or a dissenter.”

I can’t say I was thrilled with the Veep pick, but anyone who pisses off priests gets credit from me. Nothing riles up priests like the disobedience of thinking. Perhaps Father Petri should spend more time praying than tweeting. I’m sure if he prays hard enough, god will do something or other, right?

Full story here.

Simon Moya-Smith at the DNC.

Simon Moya-Smith's beaded medallion, a anti-R-word button, and other neck wear.

Simon Moya-Smith’s beaded medallion, a anti-R-word button, and other neck wear.

DNC. Day 1. No press credentials. Hot and humid. Sweat on my brow and back. “No hope of a press pass,” the handlers say. To hell with waiting. “Where are the protesters?” I ask. City Hall, they said. I elbow through a parade of middle-aged demonstrators in downtown Philly. Hillary haters. They gum up the sidewalk. Stuck again. Sun barrels down. “Where are you?” a text reads. “I don’t know,” I respond. “But bring a lawyer.” A Hillary fan and a Bernie Bro battle it out on the curb. Newsmen and women scramble to eavesdrop. Mics in faces. Both sides posture. The crowd swells. Everyone dripping sweat. No shade. Just sun. And noise. A raucous noise. An ominous noise. Growling. More marching in the distance. More cops coming in. I take photo after photo after photo after photo. “What’s your medallion mean?” a man asks. “Means a lot to me,” I blurt. No patience at this point. Taking my blazer off. No help. Still hot as hell. Sweet jeezus. Meanwhile, the argument continues: “She deleted emails … She doesn’t release her speeches …” the Hillary head says. “His policy proposals are impractical … Writing is on the wall. … Not voting for Hillary is a vote for Trump!” the man in a ‘Bernie or Bust’ shirt blurts. “Bernie’s busted!” a man blares from somewhere behind me. Jeers erupt. More shouting and clamoring. A rush of photographers take aim behind my head. I turn to look. A man hoists a cut-out of Bernie’s head and hands. A child’s laugh breaks the rising tension in the circle. I feel faint. Who cares? Not me … at least not right now. This is the nucleus of rotten politics in the mosh pit that has become the U.S.A.

[…]

Got a text again. This time from Marlon WhiteEagle, an editor from Wisconsin. We meet at Fatso Foggerty’s, a pub on the south side of Philly. Two older black ladies laugh hysterically at the bar. A dog at their feet barks at anyone leaving the place like an adorable bouncer. Marlon has a Coke. I have two Jack and Cokes. Bartender eyes Marlon and I. “Who the fuck are these two?” I imagined her saying. This is indeed a local pub with a revolving door of regulars. The whole place is clam-baked with cigarette smoke. Makes me want one again. “You have smokes for sale?” I ask the bartender. “Across the street,” she says. Suddenly, Marlon gets a text telling us to zip to the Wells Fargo Center – The DNC. I down my drink, we crawl into an Uber, and get dumped about a mile away from the entry. “This is as far as I can take you,” the driver says. Cops blocked the road. Ten minutes of walking in 93-degree temps and suffocating humidity, and again I’m back in the mad mix of demonstrations. A child is dressed in a suit and tie, walking among the fray, shouting, “Bernie or bust!” A white boy goes around smudging people with sage. Cops here aren’t rushing him like they rushed Josie Valadez Fraire in Denver earlier this month outside of a Trump event. They allegedly told the indigenous woman that “smoke alarms” them.

The full column and photos at ICTMN.

Trump: Ask Me Anything.

Trump’s AMA, much like his presidential campaign, is expected to be a little different. Firstly, it’s scheduled right in the middle of the Democratic National Convention and, secondly, it will be hosted on a thread that openly refers to Trump as the “God Emperor.”

Redditors on the /r/The_Donald are already excited to host Trump’s AMA Wednesday, praising the move as “tremendous” and potentially a good show of momentum for Trump’s campaign. But there is some concern the AMA could be derailed by non-Trump supporters.

Think Progress has the full story.

30.

John Calvin Coolidge granted automatic citizenship to all Native Americans born in the United States in June 1924, but he also began desecration of Mount Rushmore in August 1927.

John Calvin Coolidge granted automatic citizenship to all Native Americans born in the United States in June 1924, but he also began desecration of Mount Rushmore in August 1927.

With a sweep of his pen in June 1924, John Calvin Coolidge granted automatic citizenship to all Native Americans born in the United States.

Afterward, Coolidge, wearing a dark suit and grasping a hat in his hands, posed for a photo outside the White House with four tribal leaders—three of whom were dressed in traditional attire. Although the photograph likely was taken several months after Coolidge signed the Indian Citizenship Act it came to symbolize a new era in federal-Indian relations.

President Calvin Coolidge with four Osage Indians after Coolidge signed the bill granting Indians full citizenship. (Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, D.C.)

President Calvin Coolidge with four Osage Indians after Coolidge signed the bill granting Indians full citizenship. (Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, D.C.)

Also known as the Snyder Act, the Indian Citizenship Act, sought to reward Indians for service to their country while also assimilating them into mainstream American society. Because two-thirds of the indigenous population had already gained citizenship through marriage, military service or land allotments, the act simply extended citizenship to “all noncitizen Indians born within the territorial limits of the United States.”

Passage of the act came partly in response to Indians’ overwhelming service during World War I. About 10,000 Indians enlisted in the military and served during the war, despite not being recognized as U.S. citizens.

[Read more…]

Twitter, Oh Twitter II.

Megan-Olson-Facebook-800x430

Megan Olson, Facebook.

Perhaps the title of this post should be What Trump Hath Wrought. Trump’s open embracing of racism has people all over the place cutting loose with what they really think about all those others. It’s not as if race relations were all wondrous rainbows and unicorn farts, but they have gotten remarkably worse in a very short amount of time.

A Colorado waitress reacted to customers leaving an unsatisfactory tip by fantasizing on social media about killing Mexicans in a “purge” — and then she lost her job.

Megan Olson, who goes by the name “megatron” on Twitter, posted the violent message referring to to movie “The Purge: Election Year” earlier this month on her personal account, reported KMGH-TV.

Megan-Olson-tweet

“If we had a real life purge I would kill as many Mexicans as I could in one night,” Olson tweeted, followed by the hashtag “learn how to tip you fucking twats.”

Olson apologized on her Facebook page and promised she would never say something like that again.

“I wrote hurtful, inconsiderate, insensitive and careless words and I understand the amount of people I have offended by that,” she posted. “There are no excuses for what I have done. I sincerely, from the bottom of my heart, apologize to everyone for my momentary lack of judgment. I want you all to know that I do not actually feel this way.”

Maybe I shouldn’t, but I’m inclined to believe her. About a hundred years ago, I waited tables, and it’s hard work, and often thankless, and more often than that, badly tipped. Some days, your temper gets the better of you. Anyroad, Ms. Olson lost her job, and I think that’s for the best. It might be better to lay off the whole working with the public for a while, that’s insanely stressful.

Back when I waited tables, it was known that the worst tippers were the Sunday church crowd, and from what I hear these days, that hasn’t changed. Somehow, I imagine anyone who had an unglued moment and wrote “If we had a real life purge I would kill as many Christians as I could in one night,” would probably be under arrest with people baying for blood, because that would be seen as much more terrible than racism. And that leads to the massive problem hanging over all our heads:

One activist said Olson’s tweet was part of a growing trend of anti-Latino violence and rhetoric inspired by Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.

“We have seen a fear-mongering campaign that has legitimized racist comments like this across all social media networks,” said Maria Handley, executive director of Generation Latino. “This hateful racist comment from a Greeley waitress is not unique. We are seeing it acted out in public, at schools and in our neighborhoods. This vitriol and hate that we are seeing in our communities is real and the man leading that is running for president.”

I read this morning that Trump has gained the lead in a current poll. If you aren’t fucking terrified yet, get that way. We’re halfway down the path to total destruction here.

Via Raw Story.

#GOPSoWhite

I think this sets a record for the most number of #CapitolHill interns in a single selfie. #SpeakerSelfie.

A photo posted by Speaker Paul Ryan (@speakerryan) on

Last Saturday, Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) posted an Instagram photo featuring Capitol Hill interns with the caption, “I think this sets a record for the most number of #CapitolHill interns in a single selfie.”

That may be true, but people took note of the photo for a different reason — almost everyone in it appears to be white.

Some Twitter users noted the lack of diversity, posting about the photo with a #GOPSoWhite hashtag.

A few days later, interns working for Congressional Democrats decided to respond. Audra Jackson, an intern working for Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), decided to take her own selfie — one showcasing the diversity of interns on her side of the aisle.

Pictures, worth thousands of words. Via Think Progress.

Identity Politics for White Men.

White

Credit: Processon.

The Trump campaign made efforts to broaden the GOP presidential nominee’s appeal last night. As unmoored from reality as it was, Ivanka made a case her father would be a champion for women. During his own speech, Trump made an appeal to the LGBT community, despite providing little indication to date he’d actually do anything on their behalf.

Trump’s base, however, continues to be white men. An ABC News/Washington Post poll released early last month showed Trump with a huge 60 percent to 26 percent advantage among that demographic. It might not be enough for Trump to secure a general election victory — thanks to his unpopularity with others groups, Trump trailed Clinton overall in that same ABC poll — but it was enough to secure the Republican nomination.

During a CNN interview this morning, Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI) acknowledged the Trump phenomenon for what it is — identity politics for white men.

While opining about Trump’s RNC-closing speech, Duffy said, “There’s a viewpoint that says, ‘I can fight for minorities, and I can fight for women,’ and if you get that, you make up a vast majority of the voting block and you win. And white males have been left aside a little bit in the politics of who speaks to them.”

White males have been left aside. Really. How about if we shift back to reality land here, and tell the truth – white males have been on top of the pile of humanity just about everywhere on this planet for…all time. It is unfuckingbelievable how whiny white males can get over being “a little bit left aside”, when the reality is they are not at all left aside, because as usual, every damn thing is about the poor white men. I’ll try to work up a tear. If you white men feel so hurt and upsetty about that, could you possibly take it just a teeny bit further, and try to imagine what it has been like for minorities and women for fucking centuries?

Via Think Progress.

Sunday Facepalm.

Oh, those naughty Republicans, consorting with demon-Gods already! Tsk.

Yesterday, American Family Radio host Bryan Fischer criticized the Republican National Convention for allowing Sajid Tarar of American Muslims for Trump to deliver a closing prayer on the second day of the convention.

“The Republican Party last night allowed a demonic power to be invited into its building,” he said.

Fischer said Republicans at the event “collectively committed the sin of idolatry” by observing the prayer and committed a “dangerous” act by inviting “a demon-God into its party.”

“Multiculturalism, ladies and gentlemen, is simply a six syllable words for cultural suicide,” he continued, pleading with the party to “clean up this mess” by asking a Christian preacher to pray over the event.

Other assorted Christians are making noise about how Donald somehow left God out of his speech, except for a god bless at the end. Pity no one bothered to think before they rushed to crown the new emperor.

Via Right Wing Watch.

Ailes Helped Women! He Did!

trump-rnc-afp-800x430

In transcripts released ahead of his Sunday appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump stood by former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes, who stepped down on Thursday amid allegations of sexual harassment.

Toronto Star correspondent Daniel Dale published the transcripts on his Twitter feed Saturday evening.

Meet the Press host Chuck Dodd asked Trump about the allegations against Ailes, and the candidate replied, “Well I don’t want to comment. But he’s been a friend of mine for a really long time. And I can tell you that some of the women who are complaining, I know how much he’s helped them. And even recently. And when they write books that are fairly recently released, and they say wonderful things about him.”

He went on, “And now all of a sudden they’re saying these horrible things about him. It’s very sad. Because he’s a very good person. I’ve always found him to be just a very, very good person. Any by the way a very, very talented person. Look what he’s done. So I feel very badly. But a lot of people are thinking he’s going to run my campaign.”

Well, I’m not surprised. I’m sure Donald will say how much he helped the women accusing him of sexual assault. It’s interesting, isn’t it, how little attention that story is getting from the media.

Via Raw Story.

Go Trump Yourself!

Twitter.

Twitter.

Whether you’ve lived under a rock for the past year or snapped from too much election coverage, fear not. Hillary Clinton is going to remind you just how many people Donald Trump has offended during his campaign—and, well, his life.

The Democratic nominee’s online team has created a website, trumpyourself.org, that if you allow access to your Facebook, will pair your profile picture with Trump’s worst quotes on women’s rights, LGBT rights, and undocumented immigrants.

[…]

The goal is to convince any social media friends who support Trump (if you have any left) that this is not the candidate to unite Americans.

If I was on FB, I would do this in a second.

Via Out.

NBA: Bye Bye, Charlotte.

NBA/Flickr.

NBA/Flickr.

Charlotte just lost millions in tourism and entertainment dollars after the National Basketball Association announced Thursday the group is pulling next year’s All-Star Game from the city.

The NBA had warned North Carolina and Gov. Pat McCrory that the city might lose hosting the game if the state did not make changes to HB2, the notorious anti-transgender law that prevents transgender people from using restrooms and changing facilities matching their gender identity.

“The NBA and the Charlotte Hornets have been working diligently to foster constructive dialogue and try to effect positive change,” the NBA said in a statement. “While we recognize that the NBA cannot choose the law in every city, state, and country in which we do business, we do not believe we can successfully host our All-Star festivities in Charlotte in the climate created by HB2.”

McCrory released a statement following the decision warning North Carolinians that “the sports and entertainment elite,” among others, “are imposing their political will on communities in which they do business, thus bypassing the democratic and legal process.”

I, uh, mmmph, :stifles scream: Just what in the fuckety fuck fuck do you think you’re doing, McCrory? Does it resemble “imposing your bigotry, fear, and hatred via the political process of legislation”? Any recognition there, you flaming fuckweasel? You certainly have zero basis to talk about bypassing the democratic and legal process. So, businesses aren’t allowed to decide where and when they wish to do business anymore? Interesting. Perhaps you should get out and talk to all your constituents who are Hornets fans. Maybe they have something to say about it all, given your determination to run your state into the ground. :spits:

Full story at Out.

Women Don’t Need Anything Special.

Delegate Phyllis Schafly watches the speeches Wednesday night of the RNC. Credit: Kira Lerner.

Delegate Phyllis Schlafly watches the speeches Wednesday night of the RNC. Credit: Kira Lerner.

Phyllis Schlafly. Christ, I thought she was dead. I was in my teens when Ms. Schlafly was fighting ERA tooth and nail. She was a nightmarish dinosaur back then, and I see absolutely nothing has changed.

As delegates at the Republican National Convention approved a platform banning women from combat, restricting a woman’s right to an abortion in cases of rape or incest, and without any mention of equal pay or paid family leave, Phyllis Schlafly looked on with a huge smile.

[…]

But Schlafly, whose group Eagle Forum successfully defeated the ERA, said Clinton’s plans are an insult to women and that it is “ridiculous” to think she would help women get ahead.

“Women don’t need anything special,” she said. “Women need a free country just like men.”

That disgusting party and candidate you’re so happily embracing don’t want a free country. Well, perhaps a free country, so to speak, for white males who happen to be Christian. Outside of that, what they want more resembles a concentration camp for the rest of us.

Schlafly, agreeing with her party’s platform, said that a national policy on paid leave is “not what we want at all.”

“We’ve got very generous family leave right now,” she said. “I do think the support of the children is the responsibility of the husband, not the employer.”

Right, because that has worked so very fucking well. Jesus Christ, what is it with these morons who refuse to advance one bloody centimeter? Oh, no, let’s never ever look at countries 10 times more functional and progressive than ours, and take an example. That would be unamerikkkan or something.

Of all the pro-women policies Clinton is endorsing, however, Schlafly took the most issue with the Democratic Party’s support for women in combat. The GOP platform calls for reinstating the ban, which was lifted in December by Defense Secretary Ashton Carter. Clinton supported that decision and has said women should be allowed to make their own decisions about whether or not they engage in combat.

“The worst thing she’s doing is calling for the drafting of women,” Schlafly said. “It’s terrible because once you go in the army, you go where you’re told, and women are not suitable for combat and can’t do combat as well as men. It’s endangering the survival of our country to pretend that women can engage in military combat like men.”

Oh, the survival of our country depends on keeping women out of combat? What in the fuckety fuck would you know about combat, Ms. Schlafly? I already know where Ms. Schlafly wants women – back in the kitchen, with their mouths shut, pretending they don’t have any brain at all. Fuck you, and Fuck off, Phyllis.

ThinkProgress has the full story. I think I’ll just wander off for a moment and scream.