Rowdy's Roundup: Ongoing Frustrations ... and a new hero!

President Obama just appointed an "evangelistic scientist" to head the National Institute of Health.  Dr. Francis Collins, who has a controversial history of mixing politics with faith, believes the New Testament is comprised of "first hand accounts," a contention that has been disproved by Biblical scholars. Meanwhile, Fox News whore Bill O'Reilly slams Obama over his "lack of religion," calling the president a "secularist."  (Is Bill-O fucking insane?  Our Commander-in-chief can hardly take a breath without reminding us how religulous he is.)  HuffPo has the video.

Gays may not be acceptable to the U.S. Military, but White Supremacists are always welcome to serve.  Mark Potok at Southern Poverty Law Center writes:  It seems quite anomalous that the Pentagon would consider homosexuals more of a threat to the good order of the military than neo-Nazis and other white supremacists who reject our Constitution's most cherished principles.

Jill Hussein at AlterNet wonders if Democrats will ever grow a spine:  Can you imagine if the Republicans had the White House, the House of Representatives, and a 60-vote majority in the Senate?  We would have an evangelical theocracy and thermonuclear war with Iran AND North Korea right about now.  Wouldn't that be swell?  But instead the Democrats have this kind of power, and they are STILL curled up in a fetal position in the corner, waiting for Newt Gingrich to steal their lunch money.

Victor S. Navasky at the New York Times thinks that recently anointed Senator Al Franken of Minnesota is making a HUGE mistake by excising comedy from his public image:  Satire - which has a long and refreshingly subversive history as a form of truth-telling and effective social commentary - is Mr. Franken’s comparative advantage in his new job and he should exploit this blessing, not deny it.  (Words of wisdom.)

Anchorage Daily News weighs in on Sarah Palin's explanation for quitting her job - that ethics complaints against her were draining money from the state - and finds it wanting.  (Will she sue them for defamation, too?)  Levi Johnston, Bristol Palin's ex-fiance, says Palin resigned because she wants to "take advantage of the lucrative deals" being offered.  (Rumors of a reality TV show are circulating.)

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley is challenging the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act in federal court, in particular that part of DOMA that allows states to disregard same-sex marriages performed in other states.  (Martha is my new hero.)    

Why is the Obama administration surprised that our southern neighbors have ripped a page from Dubya's Torture Handbook?  In 2007, the United States agreed to shovel $1.4 billion into Mexico's hamfisted War on Drugs.  Now the State Department is threatening to withhold some of that money unless Mexico promises to stop torturing prisoners.  Human rights activists across the border are accusing the U.S. of hypocrisy.  Ryan Powers at Think Progress walks that dog around the park.

Sam Stein investigates a possible "executive assassination ring" headed by former Vice President Dick Cheney.  (To what depths would a man with fewer scruples than a possum eating shit not sink?)  Madfloridian has a delicious piece about another unscrupulous Bushie, Donald Rumsfeld.  (Regrets, he's had few.)

After threatening to sue bloggers that reported on Rockstar Energy Drink's ties to hate jock Michael Savage (the father of CEO Russell Weiner), the company has apparently changed course and thrown 100K at LGBT causes.  Bil Browning at Bilerico congratulates himself, and provides the lengthy press release.  And speaking of a hundred thousand dollars:  That's how much cash Sen. John Ensign's parents gave his mistress "as a gift."  (It just breaks my heart to see hush money wasted.)

Candidate Obama promised to overturn the ban on needle exchanges.  President Obama reversed himself and denied federal funding for needle exchanges in this year's budget.  (I know, another broken promise.  Pass the peas.)  Twenty-six AIDS activists protested the president's latest about-face by chaining themselves together and shutting down the Capitol Rotunda.  They were arrested and hauled off to jail.  AmericaBlog has video.

Two men were ejected from Chico's Tacos in El Paso after exchanging a brief kiss.  Security guards told the guys they didn't "allow that faggot stuff" to go on there.  The legal director for ACLU Texas said businesses can ask patrons to leave for kissing but those standards must apply to all customers, both straight and gay.  Managers at Chico's aren't commenting on the incident, and one of the guards has lawyered up.

Comments

[Aggie (in Fair Haven, Vt.)]

Yeah, hopefully Vermont will join Martha Coakley and Massachusetts in objecting to the Fed's DOMA nonsense.

[Max P.]

You're right, Aggie. It would help if another state joined Coakley's challenge.