Well, What I Meant to Say...

In our current era of politics, we do get to hear a lot about what they "meant" to say.  But generally, the first thing out of someone's mouth is what they really mean and the second thing is said to smooth over and make everyone think that it's all going to be ok.  Rick Santorum is doing that today.
First, what came out of his mouth was:  "But I do have concerns about women in front-line combat, I think that could be a very compromising situation."  And in the same breath said it was because "emotions that are involved."  (HuffingtonPost.com)


What he meant to say... after NBC's Ann Curry suggested that some had interpreted his original remarks to be a commentary on "women being emotional," wasn't that he was blaming women for emotions but, rather, how "men would react to seeing women in harm's way, or potentially being injured or in a vulnerable position, and not being concerned about accomplishing the mission."  So, see, what he meant to say is that men wouldn't be able to handle women in combat...


Then, on another occasion, not trying to hurt women again, he said that the Affordable Care Act providing birth control was not "about contraception.  It's about government control of your lives and it's got to stop."  (Yahoo.com)  He probably meant to say that.  But, that doesn't follow what he has said before.


What he said at the beginning of the year has a lot to do with government control of lives.  He said that he would pass a nationwide law that would define marriage as that one man - one woman type and "any now-legal same-sex marriages would be invalid."  (HuffingtonPost.com)

So, what he meant to say is... whatever I believe is the only truth and I will do whatever I want when you elect me.   So There!

Everybody is Being Assaulted

Well, at least according the GOP candidates.  Well, not that they are talking much about the real victims of assault, however. In all of the GOP debates (all 1 million of them) "poverty and the poor has rarely come up."  (ParagouldDailyPress.com)  So, it really comes as a surprise that these guys would talk about the victims of any assault without mentioning the poor.  But then again, who are the victims here?


First there are the "Religious Groups."  With the Affordable Care Act's rule that "requires all employers to cover birth controls for their workers," the guys have the panties in a ruffle:

• MITT ROMNEY, GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Remarkably, under this president's administration there is assault on religion
• NEWT GINGRICH, GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Many of you may have noticed that the Obama administration has declared war on the Catholic Church

Rick Santorum wasn't so much thinking that religion was under attack as much as he was worried the "elitist" government was going to take away his freedoms.  (FoxNews.com)

And speaking of freedoms. Santorum, who said last week he doesn't believe gay couples "benefit society", was all worried that the 9th Circuit Court "ripping" away the 7M California voter's rights in finding Prop 8 unconstitutional.  Romney says this:  "Today, unelected judges cast aside the will of the people of California."  Newtie wants to "end judicial supremacy."  So, in this case 7M California homophobes are the victims.  And it is the supreme, unelected judges who are assaulting them.  (Gay.net)

Not sure exactly why these guys get to decided on birth control or proper marriage - especially Newtie on that one.  But gee, there are 9 more months of campaigning, and who knows how many million more debates, and we are stuck listening to these 3.

Really Mitt? Really?

It's bad enough that you donate money to anti-gay hate groups: "The Romney family's Tyler Charitable Foundation donated $10,000 in one year to the anti-gay Massachusetts Family Institute—a Boston based organization that promotes ex-gay therapy." (Gay.net) But now you are aligning yourself with a guy who says that teh gayz caused the 9/11 tragedy?  Really?


It must be important to win the right-wing, ultra-conservative GOP nod.  And it also must be important to blame everything on Marriage Equality and Gays.  Pastor Roberto Miranda spoke in 2006 to 'counter' the radical “homosexual agenda” that he believes will destroy religious freedom.  He told the group in Boston that since Massachusetts had allowed same-sex marriages and the planes on 9/11 had left from Boston there was "prophetic significance."  (Gay.net) And  now he is one of the conservative leaders who authored “Florida Social Conservatives Sign on to Letter Praising Mitt Romney’s Record.”


Not sure you want that record, Mitt... crazy is as crazy does.

Personal Lives

Today, FauxNews.com asked the all important question "Should voters consider a candidate's private life?"  This comes after the debate last night and the questions to Newt about his sanctified request for an "open marriage" with his second wife.  (FoxNews.com)  He even responded to the question “I am appalled that you would begin a presidential debate on a topic like that.”


But why not ask the questions about their personal lives?  All they want to do is run our personal lives.  They all tout their ideals on abortion, same-sex marriage, taxes, health care.  All of these things effect our personal lives.  So, ask a man, who declares his support for the sanctity of marriage between one man and one woman, why the hell he married three women?  Or, ask a man who says he is "Defending the Dignity of Every Human Life" (RickSantorum.com), why he is a homo-phobic gay basher?


The personal lives of America are at risk here.  Surprisingly, the voters on the Faux News poll want the questions asked.  Yes. A candidate's private life is relevant.  51.07%.  It should be 100%, but it is Faux News.

Defining Marriage

The National Organization of Marriage says on their Facebook page today that they are pledging "$250K to fund primary challenges against any Washington State GOP senator who votes to redefine marriage!"  Because God forbid that their be a definition of marriage that includes everybody.  And looking at the comments on the page, there are some folks out there who are just as batty as NOM.  Comments like this prove it: " what about equality for that parent that want to marry their child or brothers and sisters after all they love each other."  (NationForMarriage)

So, let's talk about the definition of marriage...  "A man recently married his deceased girlfriend in a combination funeral and wedding ceremony."  (AOL.com)  Is that a marriage?  Would NOM fight for this one?  It is between one man and one woman.  It just so happens that the one woman is dead.


Maybe NOM would spend $250K to help this guy out.  He sounds like he needs some help.

Procreation

And not just of the recreational variety.  It is one of the main arguments that people put out there as to why same-sex marriage should not be allowed.  During a 'conversation' in New Hampshire with some students, Rick Santorum said "God made men and woman to keep civilization and provide the best environment  to raise children.”  He doesn't necessarily care if people have relationships, “I have no problem if people want to have relationships, but marriage provides a good to society. It’s unique because it is the union that causes children to be raised.”  (ABCNews.com)

So, technically, he is not against gay sex.  He is just against gay marriage.  Now, the Hartford Archdiocese has a different view on the whole thing.  “The church is not against people with same-sex attraction, just their acting out sexually.”  (TowleRoad.com) They have launched a new program called 'Courage' which encourages gay Catholics to live a 'chaste' life by abstaining from having sex, whether they are legally married (as is possible in the state) or not.


Being gay is ok - as long as you don't have sex and don't get married. 


Santorum was booed when he left the conversation in New Hampshire.  Shall we throw out a boo to 'Courage' too?

Just Sniping

Marriage equality does garner the thought that somebody is going to get shot in a wheat field, right?  North Carolina's Family Policy Council wants everybody to think that.  They want everybody to believe that if an upcoming vote on a constitutional ban on gay marriage doesn't go their way, gays are just going to shoot unsuspecting heterosexual couples. (JoeMyGod)

Now the council says it is a "nonpartisan, nonprofit research and education organization dedicated to the preservation of the family and traditional family values."  But they also say they support values "which are embodied in the Ten Commandments and in the founding documents of our nation."  That sort of sounds like a Christian organization.  When you use the commandments to make your point, it makes it seem that.  (NCFPC.org)


Haven't heard of any sniping in states where marriage equality is legal.

Marriage is NOT the Thing

So, in the U.S. less than half of those over the age of 18 are married.  Those getting married in 2010 were 5% less than those who got hitched in 2009.  And "the overall number of married couples has declined by more than 20 percentage points since 1960."   (HuffPost)


Now, Rick Santorum (go ahead, google his name) blames this marriage decline on allowing same-sex marriage and redefining marriage.  His tweet “Here is 1 effect of changing definition of marriage “@HuffingtonPost: Marriage rate in America drops to new low”. (LezGetReal


But good ol' Rick might just be wrong.  There has been a drop since 1960.  Well, then something else must have been going on between 1960 and 2004.  "Until 2004, same-sex couples couldn’t wed anywhere in the country." (StateLine) The definition of marriage didn't change until then.

ThinkProgress points out, the survey does not attribute the decline to same-sex marriage, but to a variety of other social factors: "other kinds of living arrangements that are socially acceptable: living on your own, or even living as a single parent; getting an education done and launching a career before marriage.”


But leave up to good ol' Frothy to blame teh gays.

If a Picture Paints a 1,000 Words

Then this one of Michelle Bachmann at least has to say one.  And the words she is saying also say a lot about her.  "Every American citizen has the right to avail themselves to marriage but they have to follow what the laws are.  And the laws are you marry a person of the opposite sex," Ms. Bachmann told some folks in Iowa.  (JoeMyGod)

Now, she said this in Iowa.  Same-sex marriage is the law in Iowa.  So, the words that are painted here?  Crazy?  Stupid? Wrong?  Lyin' Ass Bitch?

Scary as all hell?

People are Strange

And not just in the Doors version of it... It is amazing what some people will think.  From some GOP candidates thinking that being gay is a choice: Herman Cain: "I respect their right to make that choice. I don’t have to agree with it." (ThinkProgress.org) And others who think prayer is the answer:  Michele Bachmann with a Christian counseling clinic she co-owns with her husband Marcus offering "reparative" therapy to patients seeking to "cure" their homosexuality. (HuffingtonPost.com)


Now, in Peru, the mayor thinks that gay is in the water.  Huarmey Mayor Jose Benitez noted high levels of strontium in the tap water.  The water comes from Tabalosos, a town which a Lima-based television station once claimed was inhabited by 14,000 gay men.  (HuffingtonPost.com)  Dr. Robert Castro Rodriguez, dean of the College of Pharmaceutical Chemistry of Lima says that large amounts of strontium in the body eventually lead to bone cancer, anemia and cardiovascular complications –- but not homosexuality.

Then, right here in America - well, in Iowa - Michele Bachmann's new Iowa campaign Co-Chair, Tamara Scott says that legalizing gay marriage will lead to women marrying the Eiffel Tower.  (HuffingtonPost.com)With the phallic shape of the tower, though, that should be ok with Ms. Scott. 

Only straight women would want to marry it.

Protect the Definition of Marriage

That is what the Catholic Bishops want to do.  There are some things wrong with that vow, however.  First, what is the definition of "marriage"?  "According to the Cain Lanamna, which is the Ancient Irish text dealing with marriage" there are several definitions of marriage, and "that marriage is contractual and it is set at a certain number of years before the contract lapses."  So it is a contract. (Lez Get Real)

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, then, want to protect a contract that will expire.  "There is a difference between civil marriage equality and religious marriage."  But, the USCCB wants everybody to live by the definition - their definition - of a religious marriage, and if you ain't a good Catholic, you can't get married.


Makes one wonder, though, if the Catholic church also wants to set the definition of pedophilia.  "Roman Catholic church's pedophile investigator jailed for possessing thousands of child porn images" was a Joe My God Headline of the Day.  The father-of-four was responsible for children's safety at 120 churches and community groups for nine years.  And police found 4,000 child porn images  on his church supplied computer.


Hmmm... what will the church try to define next???

Respect for Marriage

Some do, some don't.  Now there are some polygamists who are protesting same-sex marriage, saying “Marriage should be only for a man and his wives.”  Right that's plural.   Not sure if polygamist and bigot Dr. Martin Bell realizes that polygamy is illegal. (JakeKaplan.hubpages.com)  Not sure, with his sixth wife being only 14 when he married her, if that is a respect for marriage.  Bell is being investigated for fraud, rape of a minor, false imprisonment, and polygamy.  But let him protest.


The Veterans Affairs office in Hartford doesn't seem to respect marriage either.  A disabled Navy vet is suing because she can't get the same type of benefits that many straight couples get, because she is married to a woman.  The Defense of Marriage Act does not respect Carmen Cardona, an 18 year veteran, and her spouse's marriage.  Obama has stopped defending DOMA, but House Speaker John Boehner is hell bent to defend it, even if it means bankrupting the United States. (LezGetReal.com)


However, there is some Respect for Marriage.  And this is surprising.  Not that a Senate Committee is going to vote on repealing DOMA, but the first place I read about it was on Faux News.  (FoxNews.com) "Sen. Patrick Leahy says the Senate Judiciary Committee he heads will vote next month on legislation to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act."  And the legislation is called Respect for Marriage.


About time we get some respect.

Picking a Fight

What is the definition of Congress?  This week it might be hypocrisy.  On one hand the GOP lawmakers are fighting for eliminating federal aid for family planning and covering abortions. (Forbes.com)  They are demanding that federal money to Planned Parenthood be stopped.  They yell at the top of their lungs that things like NPR and FEMA should not receive any money either.


And here is the hypocrisy.  No spending money, unless...  "House Republicans have agreed to a new contract to pay a private law firm up to $1.5 million to defend the Defense of Marriage Act." (HuffingtonPost.com) The Attorney General had decided back in February that DOMA was unconstitutional and would no longer fight to support it.  But, House Speaker John Boehner thinks this is something that the money should be spent on.


This seems to no longer be just a fight over money.  This is definitely a fight over social policy.  And it looks like the right-wing, homophobic, anti-women's rights group is going to win the fight.

Something's are Enormous

Maybe it is his ego or maybe his ass, but Newt Gingrich is aiming for enormous and saving America.  Newt unveiled his new set of policy proposals, a “21st Century Contract With America,” and said that  “The scale of change I am suggesting is so enormous."  It is the same type of  Republican solutions and campaign boilerplate that we have seen from other candidates who are trying to save the world. Time.com

But, there is more to good ol' Newt then just his saving of America.  He also thinks that same-​sex marriage is a “temporary aberration,” because really marriage is supposed to be between one man and one woman.  And gay marriage equality "fundamentally goes against everything we know."  He must know, right?  He has been married three times, divorced twice and left his cancer-stricken wife to marry his third wife. The New Civil Rights Movement

That is some scale of change.  Did he make a contract with any of his wives?  Were any of them surprised at his enormous change.

Probably the only thing enormous for Newt.

Oh the (Not So) Friendly Skies

Earlier this week, an actress was "kicked off" a Southwest Airlines flight for an "excessive" display of affection to her girlfriend.  She and her girlfriend were reportedly kissing.  While being escorted from the plane, the stewardess informed Leisha Hailey that SWA was a "family" airline and the multiple complaints from other passengers prompted the kicking off. (LezGetReal.com)


That does sound a bit homophobic and just a tad hateful.  What kind of "family" doesn't like to see kissing?  The National Gay Pilots Association (NGPA) opposes any premature boycott measures against Southwest Airlines, though.  They say that SWA "has strict non-discrimination policies [and] is actively working ... to enhance their policies and employee training."  (JoeMyGod)


But there is still that feeling of hate.  It seems to be prevalent in this world towards those who are not "straight".  Even the Catholic church has a bit of hate towards people in same-sex relationships.  Timothy Dolan of New York, the head Archbishop, yelled at President Obama for not defending the Defense of Marriage Act.  He says it would "precipitate a national conflict between church and state of enormous proportions."  He reiterated the feeling that "traditional marriage is best for society."  (USAToday.com)


And Gay Marriage is horrible?  And probably two girls kissing on a plane is icky?


The Archbishop rants about the "conflict between church and state" but where oh where is that "separation" that is supposed to be there?

Where is the love?

Obviously it is not with the Tea Partiers or the Right Wingers.  It is amazing how they like to throw around all the holy words of Leviticus (18:22), yet are really not reading the entire book.  In Leviticus 19:18 and in 19:34 it does say that you got to love the neighbors and love the strangers as you would love yourself.  Not seeing that recently among the TP or the RW.


Back on September 8, 2011, there were stories about how the crowd at a GOP-hopefuls debate loudly cheered when Rick Perry brought up his record 234 being executed.  The state of Texas and their governor don't love everybody above themselves.  (Telegraph.co.uk) Then last night at another such debacle - er debate - Wolf Blizter asked Ron Paul, another Texas lovely, if a man went into a coma and didn't have health insurance, should society just let him die?  And members of that TP crowd yelled "Yeah!" (Huffingtonpost.com)

So where is the love?  And then there is the "sanctity of marriage".  The North Carolina General Assembly just approved a bill that will ban gay marriage.  But, Pat Robertson, the 700 Club Christian advises a man whose wife is suffering from Alzheimer's to just divorce her and marry somebody else.  Real Nice.  (RightWingWatch.org)

Kill the sinners, kill the uninsured and forget marriage if you can get some somewhere better.  That is the definition of the love that the Tea Partiers and the Right Wingers have.


Oh, for the Love of...

What is the Gay Agenda in Valdez, Colo?

There must be one.  A 5.3 magnitude earthquake struck just hours before the 5.8 temblor in Viriginia.  And of course  the Amazon region of Peru must have one heck of a gay agenda.  Their earthquake today was even larger then either the Colorado one or the Virginia one at 6.8.  The gays must just be running the streets in both places.


Why, you ask?  Well, Rabbi Yehuda Levin, a New York City-based rabbi, has blamed “homosexual marriage” as the cause of yesterday’s east coast earthquake. He's also the guy who blamed the dismemberment killing of an eight-year old New York City Jewish boy on gay marriage.  (New Civil Rights Movement)


But maybe it is just Virginia that is deserving the wrath of God.  Although it seems that the gay agenda isn't really all that big there either.  You see, "this earthquake hit in one of the most anti-LGBT states in the union." (LezGetReal.com)  And of course, the hurricane aimed at North Carolina?  Must be the gays fault too.  Although NC is currently debating a Constitutional Amendment to ban same-sex unions. 


Maybe God really likes the gays and is trying to stop the homophobia?? 

P.S.  The best way to explain the earthquake though might be what was posted on Facebook last night:

Seismologists have determined that the earthquake in Washington, D.C. was not caused by a fault line, but by our founding fathers rolling over in their graves.

Judicial Activism

Found this article on the Unicorn Booty Facebook page.  Pretty much a Houston, TX judge has ordered that a man cannot leave his children with male doctors, male teachers, or male pastors.  The actual wording was that he can't leave "his children alone with any man not related to them by blood or adoption". (Advocate.com)


You see, it all revolves around a custody issue and a divorce which probably resulted from one of the parents "coming out."  William Flowers divorced his wife in 2004 and wanted custody of the children.  He married Jim Evans last year in Connecticut. And the court has decided that the ex-wife still gets custody, but Flowers can continue his visits as long as he doesn't leave the kids alone with anybody not blood related, including his husband - the kids' stepfather.


Now, "lawyers who practice family law in Houston (and requested anonymity) described the order as patently anti-gay,” according to an article in the Houston Chronicle by Geoff Berg. An Austin family law attorney, Jennifer Cochran, who was willing to be quoted, says "it’s judicial activism, legislating from the bench.”


There may never be equality in this country.

A Square Circle

It must have something to do with fitting a square peg in a round hole, maybe?  But, no, it is what the National Organization of Marriage said today about "same-sex marriage".  According to Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse of the Ruth Institute, saying "same-sex marriage" is like saying "square circle" because "such an entity is not possible." (NOMBlog.com)

Now, granted, it is obvious that a square can't be a circle and a circle can't be a square.  But a marriage can be with the same sex (and not the kind where you just do it the same way every time).  She also doesn't think that "genderless marriage" works real well either.  She says "Gender is essential to marriage."  Well, ok, it is.  Female is a gender.  If two females get married then you have two genders and that is essential to the marriage.  If you only have one female married, well, then that is whole nother term entirely.


Ok, Dr. Morse, don't say "Same-Sex Marriage" anymore.  If I have dinner with a girlfriend, I don't call it "Same-Sex Dinner".  I just call it Dinner.  (Thanks to a comment on the I-bet-this-turkey-can-get-more-fans-than-NOM facebook page for that one).

So, just call it marriage.

Thanks For Making it Clear

It is so nice when you are unsure of what you are supposed to be and someone comes along and just clears it all up for you.  Thankfully there were two such "clearers" today.  Both of them must know exactly what it means, since they are so vocal with their opinions and stance on the issue.  What is it to be gay?  Well, let's find out.


Allen West is a Republican U.S. Representative who represents Florida's 22nd congressional district.  He says that being gay is like preferring chocolate chip ice cream.  Or it could be compared to riding a scooter. He chooses to ride a motorcycle, why should he choose to ride a scooter?  Now, he has also said that gay marriage will lead to the end of society (although last I looked Massachusetts and New York were still there).   OnTopMag.com

On a different tack, Rick Santorum, a lawyer and a former United States Senator from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (not the frothy mix that pops up in some google results), wants to ensure that we all know that calling gay marriage a marriage is like calling a napkin a paper towel.  "You can call it whatever you want but it doesn't change the character of what it is to the metaphysical," he continued.  So, metaphysically, gay marriage is a paper towel... not a napkin. (MSNBC.com)

Allen West also said “Now everyone has the same basic rights, and no one is telling people in the gay community that they don't have the same basic rights that any American has." Not sure he actually meant that one.  And Rick Santorum also stated that "water is water and marriage is marriage."  He said you could try and call water beer, but it was still water.  Gay marriage is like a beer, got it.


Anybody want a beer?