When Roger West first launched the progressive political blog "News From The Other Side" in May 2010, he could hardly have predicted the impact that his venture would have on the media and political debate. As the New Media emerged as a counterbalance to established media sources, Roger wrote his copious blogs about national politics, the tea party movement, mid-term elections, and the failings of the radical right to the vanguard of the New Media movement. Roger West's efforts as a leading blogger have tremendous reach. NFTOS has led the effort to bring accountability to mainstream media sources such as FOX NEWS, Breitbart's "Big Journalism.
Roger's breadth of experience, engaging style, and cultivation of loyal readership - over 92 million visitors - give him unique insight into the past, present, and future of the New Media and political rhetoric that exists in our society today.
What we are against:
Radical Right Wing Agendas
Incompetent Establishment
Donald J. Trump
Corporate Malfeasence
We are for:
Global and Econmoic Security
Social and Economic Justice
Media Accountability
THE RESISTANCE
Miranda Norman (who is a VoteVets.org Senior Advisor), Kayla Williams, and Robin Eckstein, all Iraq War Veterans, and Katherine Scheirman, former chief of medical operations for the U.S. Air Forces in Europe at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany said the following:
"Rush Limbaugh has a freedom of speech and can say what he wants, but in light of his horribly misogynistic comments, American Forces Radio should no longer give him a platform. Our entire military depends on troops respecting each other - women and men. There simply can be no place on military airwaves for sentiments that would undermine that respect. When many of our female troops use birth control, for Limbaugh to say they are "sluts" and "prostitutes" is beyond the pale. It isn't just disrespectful to our women serving our country, but it's language that goes against everything that makes our military work. Again, we swore to uphold our Constitution, including the freedom of speech, and would not take that away from anyone - even Limbaugh. But that does not mean AFN should broadcast him. In fact, it shouldn't."
On Monday, Pentagon press secretary George Little said the Defense Department had no plans to stop broadcasting Rush Limbaugh's show to service members on the American Forces Network. Limbaugh's show is part of the Defense Department's policy to broadcast shows that "reflect a wide range" of opinion, Little said.Little said he had "not heard" of any review of whether Limbaugh's show remains suitable for broadcast after the controversy surrounding Limbaugh. Little also said he could not immediately say what the standards are for whether certain broadcasts are considered suitable by the Defense Department.
Perhaps a prominent veteran, say like Sen. John McCain, would be able to push a review of what is suitable for broadcast to our nation's troop, since he'scondemned Limbaugh's remarks, saying:
He’s an entertainer. But his remarks are totally unacceptable, totally and completely unacceptable. And there’s no place for it.
There certainly isn't a place for it on taxpayer-funded airways going out to America's fighting men and women. Since we probably can't count on McCain to send that message to AFN, let's do it ourselves.
Rush Limbaugh catapulted himself to the top of hate radio this week by saying that a law student was a “slut” and a “prostitute” for claiming that law students could often not pay for their own birth control. This took up much time an energy on both sides, prompting even a movement for sponsors to boycott Limbaugh’s show over the comments. Yesterday Limbaugh released a statement on his website noting that, while absurdity is a tool he often picks out of the shed, he “sincerely apologizes” for what he describes as “insulting word choices.”
For over 20 years, I have illustrated the absurd with absurdity, three hours a day, five days a week. In this instance, I chose the wrong words in my analogy of the situation. I did not mean a personal attack on Ms. Fluke. I think it is absolutely absurd that during these very serious political times, we are discussing personal sexual recreational activities before members of Congress. I personally do not agree that American citizens should pay for these social activities. What happened to personal responsibility and accountability? Where do we draw the line? If this is accepted as the norm, what will follow? Will we be debating if taxpayers should pay for new sneakers for all students that are interested in running to keep fit?In my monologue, I posited that it is not our business whatsoever to know what is going on in anyone’s bedroom nor do I think it is a topic that should reach a Presidential level. My choice of words was not the best, and in the attempt to be humorous, I created a national stir. I sincerely apologize to Ms. Fluke for the insulting word choices.
Limbaugh slammed Fluke all week long, the day after calling her these putrid names he came back the very next day justifying his nasty attack, it was only after the majority of his advertisers called him on it, did he back track. Unacceptable!
I am asking my 21 million readers to not call for an apology from this POS, but to ask that this ponderous porcine be removed from the airwaves! Enough is enough!
.......And they say you don't tug on Superman's cape
You don't spit into the wind
You don't pull the mask off an 'ole Lone Ranger
And you don't call respectable females "prostitutes" and "sluts" on National radio!
Yesterday Sean Hannity railed against liberals who have been writing negative things about the late Andrew Breitbart while many are still grieving. Hannity specifically called out Rolling Stone writer Matt Taibbi, who titled his Breitbart piece “Death of a Douche” and ended it with “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.” Taibbi argued the language he used in his piece was a reflection of how Breitbart chose to go after Ted Kennedy right after his death, but Hannity was having none of it.
Hannity brought on Ann 'the man" Coulter to talk about a supposed double-standard between what happens if a conservative like Breitbart says negative things after a person’s died and if a liberal does. Coulter joked about Rolling Stone‘s diminished relevancy before directly addressing the double standard, but from the other perspective. Coulter defended Breitbart calling Kennedy “a piece of human excrement” by saying his comment was accurate, and that Kennedy was deserving of it because of the infamous Chappaquiddick and “a little pushback” was necessary.
ALL YOU REALLY NEED TO KNOW:
Andrew Breitbart was a man who loved to toss around the word "big." His websites—Big Government, Big Hollywood, Big Journalism—are clearinghouses of conservative ripostes to mainstream politics, entertainment and media that attempted to tear down what he saw as a domineering left-wing narrative. He operated with endless bluster and the content on his sites have been the sources of controversies that have upended Congress, ended careers, and ruined personal reputations.
Always the pot stirrer, Breitbart's pugnacity never seemed to wane. At a party full of his fellow unlettered bloggers last month during the Conservative Political Action Conference, Breitbart told his backscratchers/bootlickers/dependents/ stooges/toadies/ and admirers, that the secret to successful muckraking and mudslinging was "to be a warrior."
Since his death, Breitbart's legacy has been called: "one that raised the profile and impact of partisan, citizen-driven journalism".
Quoting Breitbart:
“I enjoy making enemies,” His fans called him a “happy warrior.” He was constantly spoiling for a fight.
Breitbart found truth in fiction. In order to reach people—to make them listen, to his message or just to him—he spun what he deemed useful fantasies, where his political opponents always wore black hats and twirled pencil moustaches. Breitbart knew the power of myth, of righteous anger, and most of all, the power of pissing people off.
Breitbart is to never issue another re-tweet of mine, issue another insult to another opponent, make another spurious smear-documentary using footage without permission, or claim another "narrative" is being ignored.
Breitbart was deliberately uncivil in his public life and called his many enemies vile and despicable names. He envisioned himself a hero, and loved the role of tea bagger saint - he was both distressing and harrying to the national narrative. He has any number of minions ready to take his place - enter Dana Loesch, whom made Breitbart proud as the ever loathsome understudy - with her "once penetrated, always penetrable"-style defense of Virginia’s invasive abortion ultrasound bill.
Epithet: Andrew Breitbart, major asshat of epic proportions - "Death of a Salesman" if you will, unfortunately 90% of the world wasn't buying what Andy was selling!
So as they dig Breitbart's grave, as some mourn his passing - with me knowing his penchant for panache, I feel juts fine about calling him a disgusting slimy piece of pig shit.
As I write this, I wish I could tell you all that I am sorry or sad that Breitbart is gone. I can't!
Breitbart was a poison to this country and society as a whole, he was everything not to be as an "American" or better yet a human, in the bigger scheme of things, we're better off with this type of firebrand off terra firma.
Having never met the man in person, only in virtual land, I can tell you that I will not miss his take no prisoners style of political discourse. Breitbart was the poster child for what’s wrong with our political system today. Breitbart was made for TV. Inviting him on a talk show was like carrying a lit Bic lighter through a gun powder facility.
"Patriot" - Breitbart was no patriot. He represented everything wrong with American discourse today. He was a pathological liar, a video manipulator and a destroyer of anything not tea bagger . To call him a patriot is to believe in the same mythology that equates the Tea Party with the men who conducted the 1773 Boston Tea Party … you know, the one where the colonists said no to corporate tyranny, versus the “Tea Party” of today that defends corporations and attacks anything that creates a more kind and caring society.
Often is the case with tea baggers and the Andrew Breitbarts of the world, they often thought or think they are being patriotic for their radical ideology and rants of "behave yourself" at CPAC conventions - I tell you in the same breath that even Napoleon Bonaparte thought he was being patriotic as he was being arrested for treason and for being a traitor!
I actually believe the man thrived on hate and discontent. If you watched his twitter account he'd be battling 15 different fights at the same time, all of them raging against the Breitbart regime. He must have been from the same mold as I, as I often get hate mail from tea baggers, and quoting NASCAR racer Kyle Busch, "haters are motivators".
I sit here in wonderment, could karma be considered a "natural cause?" I received a call today at the office, and here is the quote from the conversation, in it's entirety:
Death at such a young age (although he looked so much older) is normally a tragedy….but in my opinion, the Grim Reaper couldn’t have visited a more deserving recipient. Hooray! It’s a gift!
These are the sentiments of most [but most won't say it in public] spoken behind closed doors and in private conversations. I am not one to be politically correct, and I won't start with the death of Breitbart!
They say you shouldn’t speak ill of the dead, so I deleted all the stuff I wrote about pissing on his grave, doing a happy dance of joy over the good news and feeling elated to know that one of the single nastiest, most sociopathic human beings ever to stain American civic life has shuffled off this mortal coil.
Here are a few headlines that I thought fitting of Andy's death:
Andrew Breitbart, A Gandhi for Liars, Dies at 43
Death Cuts Short a Life Of Dishonest Video Editor
Breitbart–Biased, Blogging Beacon to Boobs–Buys Farm
The Passing of Web Media Hero Ends A Life of Stopping Progress
Race Baiters Lose Their John Lennon
Andrew Breitbart, Who Was Glad When Ted Kennedy Died, Probably Wishes He Could Take It Back
Exposer of Weiner’s Weiner Exposure Expires
Breitbart Dead; Who Will Frame Black Public Servants Now? Ask Racists
Man Who Destroyed Affordable Housing Program With Cooked Video Footage Ascends to Heaven To Sit at the Right Hand of Ultra Conservative and Spiteful Jehovah
Pioneer News Aggregator Crosses A Less Happy Frontier
Breitbart’s Passing Reminds People that All Death Diminishes Us, Even a Slime Bag’s
Republican Jesus rejoices as Breitbart enters "Pearly gates"
But I thought "Ding Dong The Witch is Dead" was most appropos.
The last thing Breitbart would want now is a bunch of insincere tributes, and I can assure you I have been as sincere as I possibly could, but I will say this: The man was good at pissing off people like me, and for that I commend him, job well done, for I feel the same - if my blog hasn't pissed off a tea bagger then its' time to hang up the keyboard.
I am wondering, will O'Keefe usurp the throne? The Beritbart kingdom is in chaos! One thing is certain, Breitbart will never 'tweet" again.
So as to keep up with the Breitbart spirit:
"The autopsy is reporting that Brietbart’s ticker popped when he heard yet more good news on the improving American economy. That he died on the toilet may be my own spin or editing, but spread it around anyway: it’s the Breitbart way!" Edited video to follow!
Breitbart lived and spent his adult life "beyond the pale"..... I say Karma’s a bitch, isn't it? All Breitbart accomplished with his life was to make his world a meaner, shittier place to live in.
I leave you readers with this quote:
“I didn’t attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it.” ~ attributed to Mark Twain.
While I despised every moral fiber of the man named Andrew Breitbart, I never wished death on the radical teapublican.
Brietbart was a key promoter of the deceptively edited ACORN videos that were instrumental in shutting that organization down while denying any knowledge of the fabricated nature of the controversy.
Recently, Breitbart’s behavior had become erratic, leading to an widely publicizedaltercation with protesters in which he appeared drunk and disheveled. Brietbart had also recently been denied a motion to dismiss a civil suit brought against him by Shirley Sherrod. Sherrod, another victim of Breitbart’s penchant for misleading video edits, is suing Breitbart and two others for defamation.
I’ll admit, NFTOS has been very hard on Andrew Breitbart [and his half lettered band of bloggers], deservedly so. 43 is young to die, but the fact remains that Breitbart was not a nice man. His life’s mission was to destroy people, using whatever means, honest or not, possible.
If radical tea baggers are looking for the tear here, or the sympatric ear here - maybe just maybe, had Breitbart shown that amount of respect in the death of Ted Kennedy, then maybe -nah, wrong blogger for that story.
In 2009:
"Early this morning, news broke that Sen. Ted Kennedy had passed away after serving in the U.S. Senate for nearly 50 years. Soon after, conservative commentator Andrew Breitbart began a sustained assault on Kennedy’s memory, tweeting “Rest in Chappaquiddick.”
Over the course of the next three hours, Breitbart unapologetically attacked Kennedy, calling him a “villain,” “a big ass motherfucker,” a “duplicitous bastard” and a “prick.” “I’ll shut my mouth for Carter. That’s just politics. Kennedy was a special pile of human excrement,” wrote Breitbart in one tweet."
God has clearly delivered his disapproval of Mr. Breitbart. I fear his soul is doomed to eternal damnation, but that's just me. Realist must turn away from instigators like Brieibart, or we shall all probably share his fate at the rapture, or maybe as Bill Joel sang, "only the good die young"! Which ever the case, the radical teas lost their ruler and harbinger today.
Many of those on the right are already crying foul and "conspiracy theories" today. “It’s impossible,” they say, “for someone so young to die of natural causes.” Well, actually, it’s not. Just two weeks ago, Pulitzer Prize winning war correspondent, Anthony Shadid, died of an asthma attack. Gilda Radner was 43 when she died of ovarian cancer. Conservative political strategist Lee Atwater, was just 40 when he died of brain cancer. Breitbart had a history of heart problems.
Many are calling Breitbart a "warrior" and "hero" - lets be clear readers, Breitbart was no hero! Heroes put their lives on the line for something they believe in - like dawning a uniform and standing a post beside a flag, protecting her from all foe, fighting for both Dems and GOP'ers, not just the radical ideology of those very right of center.
Breitbart destroyed people's lives for the sheer fun of it. And then acted like he was the victim when people called him out for being a horrible human being.
Yes, it is sad that he leaves behind four young children, and we all feel badly about that, but acting like this guy is any kind of hero is simply an insult to those whom really protect and defend our country. True "patriots" - not asshats with tin foil wrapped too tightly around their heads.
Nobody deserves to die at such a young age, but I am simply not going to pretend that this guy was a contributing member of our society. He wasn't! He was a force of pure destruction, and GOD was watching.
Post Script: Written many hours after original post.
As per scripture, I imagine Breitbart was judged, [by the ones whom truly
have the ultimate say, which is not any human]. I see St. Peter holding Breitbart up at the "Pearly Gates" saying; your creator and savior are here, and I have bad news for you Andy.
Upon hearing the news, Breitbart turns towardsthe beast [his master] and he slowly ebbs his way towards his home in eternity which is hell - he turns his slumped head to view over his shoulder - to hear all the angels, St. Peter, Christ and God chanting....."BEHAVE YOURSELF", "BEHAVE YOURSELF", "BEHAVE YOURSELF", "BEHAVE YOURSELF".
Limbaugh: Student Denied Spot At Contraception Hearing Says "She Must Be Paid To Have Sex," So She's A "Slut" And "Prostitute"
Female law student Sandra Fluke, who was prevented from testifying at Darrell Issa’s anti-birth control hearing recently, spoke to a Democrat-sponsored hearing last week about the importance of reproductive health care for women, and the cost of contraception coverage.
Her testimony has provoked some shockingly ugly hatred from Reich-wingers, but Rush "the drugster" Limbaugh, the true leader of bigotry and hate - takes it another step into the gutter today, calling Fluke a “slut” and a “prostitute.”
The Drugster:
What does it say about the college coed Susan Fluke, who goes before a congressional committee and essentially says that she must be paid to have sex? What does that make her? It makes her a slut, right? It makes her a prostitute. She wants to be paid to have sex.
She's having so much sex she can't afford the contraception. She wants you and me and the taxpayers to pay her to have sex. What does that make us? We're the pimps.
The johns, that's right. We would be the johns -- no! We're not the johns. Well -- yeah, that's right. Pimp's not the right word.
OK, so, she's not a slut. She's round-heeled. I take it back.
As ThinkProgress points out, Fluke was actually going to testify “about a friend who is a lesbian and needed birth control for non-sexual medical reasons," so not only is the drugster wrong on all accounts - he is still remains a pungent, vile, nasty ball of lard.
The drugster is a racist pig, and a sterling representative of the modern radical teapublican.
There is little problem with this pig doing his daily dose of Negro bashing, Gay bashing, Women bashing, Indian bashing, Liberal bashing, Environmentalist bashing, or the raw unbridled hatred he expresses three hours a day toward President Obama, for after all, that hatred is what conservatives are most about. Neither is there much problem in him disallowing the airing of any opposition to anything he says; totalitarian fascism is also so indicative of the conservative mindset that he should not be castigated for just doing his job. But Rush goes beyond the standard fare of hate directed at the enemies of conservatives - the loathsome do-gooders and the dreaded others - by delving into a realm of sleaze and unfairness seldom witnessed outside the pages of the American Spectator.
The Virginia Senate voted Tuesday for a scaled-back version of a contentious proposal that would require women to undergo external ultrasounds before abortions, but not the transvaginal ones.
The 21-19 vote in the Republican-controlled Senate — mostly along party lines — came after Gov. Robert F. McDonnell asked legislators to soften the bill following protests on Capitol Square and mocking on national television, including “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and “Saturday Night Live.’’
McDonnell, an abortion opponent who had said he would sign the bill, asked lawmakers to amend the measure after it became clear the original legislation would have required a vaginal ultrasound in most cases because abortions usually occur in the first trimester.
The Senate amended the bill to exclude women who have reported to law enforcement that they are victims of rape and incest. But women who know that their fetus suffers from birth defects would have to undergo an ultrasound.
Two Democrats — Sen. Charles Colgan (Prince William) and Phil Puckett (Russell) — voted with Republicans. One Republican, Sen. John Watkins (Chesterfield), voted with Democrats.
Because another amendment was added to the bill on Tuesday, the measure goes to the Republican-dominated House of Delegates for approval before it heads to McDonnell for his signature.
NASCAR TURNS RIGHT (Photo is a R. West Sim car 2009 all rights reserved)
Guys whom turn left for a living turn right in politics.
GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney stopped by Daytona International Speedway Sunday for NASCAR’s season kickoff, the Daytona 500. (The race was postponed until tonight because of rain.) Romney made news when he stumbled into another car-related boast that reminded voters just how wealthy he is. Asked by an AP reporter if he is a NASCAR fan, Romney replied, “Not as closely as some of the most ardent fans. But I have some great friends that are NASCAR team owners.”
Two of the team owners Romney name-checked appear to be more than just friends, however. Both Richard Childress, owner of Richard Childress Racing, and John Morris, owner of perennial NASCAR sponsor Bass Pro Shops, have each given $2,500 to Romney’s campaign, the maximum contribution allowed during the primary. Childress’ wife, Judy Childress, is listed as a co-owner of her husband’s company and has also contributed $2,500 to Romney.
Two others NASCAR honchos who weren’t among the “friends” Romney mentioned have also donated to his campaign. Roger Penske, owner of Penske Racing, and NASCAR CEO Brian France both maxed out to Romney’s primary campaign.
This is what lawmakers in Virginia do when they get their asses handed to them in a handbag.
This video of Virginia state rep. Dave Albo joking about how his wife refused his overtures after seeing the contentious debate over that trans-vaginal ultrasound bill would be funny, except for the fact that it's kind of sick how light-hearted these conservative men are when discussing their efforts to punish and humiliate women seeking abortions in their state.
You're right {VA Representative} Dave Albo. Rape is hilarious. Its just so funny, legislate state mandated rape, and then joke about it!
My State lawmakers: a bunch of pasty white, racist, frat boys deciding what women can do with their bodies. Christ, this guy can't even say vagina
Maybe Albos' wife is just grossed out by his disgusting obese belly, pedantic intellect, and his belief that watching the Redskins and channel surfing is supposed to get her hot? She saw the "work" he had been doing and it just solidified what she was already thinking..."why did I marry this idiot"?
Like the Virginia "RAPE" bills, anti-miscegenation laws are really not about “morality” or “decency”, but about social order. They’re not about “personhood” but “humanity.” Sex, controlling other people’s private lives, dictating what they do with their bodies and controlling their “place” in society. The more “human” you perceive yourself to be Albo, the more you presume you have authority to tell others how to be and what to do.
And, like these laws, these bills are based on ignorance, entitlement and arrogance.
I am thinking, had Albo's mother been mandatorily subjected to a trans-vaginal ultrasound while she was pregnant with him, then perhaps she could have discovered way back then what most of the world recently discovered ... that he is an idiot of epic proportions!
New Rule: You need to be able to say the word "vagina" before you try to tell others what to do with it.
McDonnell: I Backpedaled On Ultrasound Bill After Cuccinelli Told Me It’s Unconstitutional.
Governor Bob McDonnell finally explained today what inspired him to soften that invasive ultrasound law in Virginia. He says he didn't really know what was in it!
Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) disputed the notion that he’s spending too much time legislating social policy during this morning Politico forum, as he continued to distance himself from a measure that would have required women to undergo an invasive transvaginal ultrasound before receiving an abortion. Under the proposed policy, most women seeking seeking an abortion would have been forced to have a procedure, “in which a probe is inserted into the vagina, and then moved around until an ultrasound image is produced.”
The governor explained that he has focused on “getting our budgets under control” and “jobs,” not social policy, and claimed that he hadn’t read the original provision before publicly endorsing it. McDonnell also added that Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, a conservative powerhouse within the Republican party, advised him that the measure was unconstitutional:
MCDONNELL: We realized there were different kinds of ultrasounds and so what I recommended to the General Assembly, and they adopted the other day, is let’s make the requirement for the abdominal ultrasound… I also got legal advice from various people, including my Attorney General, that these kinds of mandatory invasive requirements might run afoul of Fourth Amendment law. So those were the reasons…After talking to lawyers and doctors on my own, after we started hearing some concerns int he legislature, I personally looked at it. I mean, normally a governor would review these hundreds of hundreds of bills when they get to your desk. You’re so busy advocating your own agenda, you don’t read every legislator’s bill. But I was certainly supportive of that concept.
Until the bill attracted national media attention and frustrated some in the Republican party, however, “McDonnell and his aides had said the governor would sign the measure if it made it to his desk.” Since then, he issued a statement claiming that “Mandating an invasive procedure in order to give informed consent is not a proper role for the state” and offered an amendment that would not force women to receive the procedure. Studies have shown that viewing an ultrasound does not change a woman’s mind before an abortion and only adds to the cost of the procedure.
The Virginia House and a Senate committee have passed the ultrasound bill with the governor’s substitute language.
Even if he was telling the truth, shouldn't he actually know what's in a law before he endorses it? Is that blueberry pie around his mouth?
The tea bagger has been known to be cleaver with his/her sign making. Unfortunately the signs are often misspelled or unintentionally ironic.
Whats wrong with this sign?
Solidarity:
Though this modern tea party has little or nothing to do with the original, wearing tea bags on or around their foreheads gives them a sense of belonging and of brotherly camaraderie.
Blow Hard:
This is the tea baggers most effective weapon. This weapon has been known to yell racial and homophobic epithets at people who disagree with their ideology.
Religion:
The tea bagger not only clung to his/her gun when the "Kenyan" President stole power, but also to righteous indignant of his/her purpose driven Evangelical religion.
Liberty:
The tea bagger is typically conservative with libertarian ideals. The irony of this is that most receive a Government Social Security check every month, due to the fact 46% of the movement are 55 or older.
Faux News:
Although most of the tea baggers information comes from talk radio, the tea baggers always find time for "fair and balanced" reporting coming from the blow hard pundits at Faux News.
Patriot:
The tea bagger is the best kind of American there is, because every article of flag clothing and memorabilia they own comes from Wal-Mart and was made in China.
Caucasian:
The typical tea bagger is white and over 55. It is surprising that this demographic would have any problem with a black President.
Sig Sauer P228:
The tea bagger has a permit to always carry his/her hand gun. This is a special gun because its the same one their TV hero Jack Bauer uses.
Right-Wing Radio:
The tea bagger receives most of their inspiration from the white man's everyday heroes,
Dana Loesch, Glernn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Michael Savage.
We have had over 500k hits to our "Virginia approved rape law" blogs these last three days. NFTOS readers have been engaged - thank you for standing up for women! I am often asked why I started NFTOS and blogging. NFTOS' voice is much more powerful than any vote, and our stance on issues like this says "YES WE CAN DEMOCRATS"! I am a proud Democrat living in Virginia!
"The fetus is the property of the entire society."- Nicolae Ceausescu
Ceausescu made mockery of family planning. He forbade sex education, books on human sexuality and reproduction were classified as "state secrets," to be used only as medical textbooks. With contraception banned, Romanians had to smuggle in condoms and birth-control pills. Though strictly illegal, abortions remained a widespread birth-control measure of last resort. Nationwide, Western sources estimate, 60 percent of all pregnancies ended in abortion or miscarriage. ~ Wikipedia
Does the above sound remotely familiar? Yes, current teapublicans in general, more specifically the state of Virginia.
With "friends'" like American GOP'ers, whom needs enemies?
"Every sperm is sacred, every sperm is great, if a sperm is wasted, God gets quite irate" ~ Monty Python and The Meaning of Life
Guns have a Constitutional Amendment protecting them, women on the other hand, no such luck. The ERA (Equal Rights Amendment) has never been ratified, instead the equality of women is "implied". Does it look like women are being treated equally when we have bills being passed all over the country that are focusing only on women? Women make 77 cents for each $1 a man makes, is this truly equality?
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Only until we vote smart, will we rid ourselves of the radical pungent Reich - wingers.
Nothing says "big government" like the overreach of Virginia's HB one bill. This is a call to all progressives, get off your posteriors and vote in November.
Racism, sexism, homophobia – they go hand in hand with the GOP, and the people oppressed by them experience them in intersecting ways. Worldwide, women’s human rights are complicated by these intersections.
Like the Virginia bills, anti-miscegenation laws were really not about “morality” or “decency”, but about social order. They’re not about “personhood” but “humanity.” Sex, controlling other people’s private lives, dictating what they do with their bodies and controlling their “place” in society. The more “human” you perceive yourself to be, the more you presume you have authority to tell others how to be and what to do. And, like those laws, these bills are based on ignorance, entitlement and arrogance. After many years, the Loving's won their landmark case and succeeded in finally dismantling shameful government-sanctioned racism in regards to mixed-race marriages."
When will a woman's judgment be trusted, her autonomy be assured?
UPDATE: 2/22/12 18:02
State Sen. Jill Holtzman Vogel (R) announced she will seek to strike her controversial “abortion informed consent” bill, rather than accept a watered-down version passed by the House of Delegates. Her original legislation would have required women to undergo unnecessary and invasive ultrasound procedures prior to obtaining abortions, but a House amendment weakened that requirement. The move comes on the heals of late night mockery, public protest, and Gov. Bob McDonnell’s (R) backtracking on his prior support of the measure. Vogel’s decision likely means that her bill won’t be considered this year.
Gov. Bob McDonnell said this afternoon Virginia lawmakers should not require a woman considering an abortion to undergo a transvaginal ultrasound.
"There is no need to direct by statute that further invasive ultrasound procedures be done" during abortion procedures, the governor said in a statement released this afternoon.
The governor said he will propose several amendments to a bill that would have required an internal ultrasound procedure in many cases for women seeking abortions.
Instead, McDonnell proposes that the decision concerning the internal procedure, known as a transvaginal ultrasound, be left to a woman and her doctor.
"Mandating an invasive procedure in order to give informed consent is not a proper role for the state. No person should be directed to undergo an invasive procedure by the state, without their consent, as a precondition to another medical procedure," McDonnell said in the statement.
"I am requesting that the General Assembly amend this bill to explicitly state that no woman in Virginia will have to undergo a transvaginal ultrasound involuntarily," McDonnell said in the statement. "I am asking the General Assembly to state in this legislation that only a transabdominal, or external, ultrasound will be required to satisfy the requirements to determine gestational age."
Virginia Democratic Party chair Brian Moran is already faulting McDonnell for not going far enough.
“Let’s be clear: the course of action that Governor McDonnell has advocated forces an unnecessary medical procedure on Virginia women whether their doctors think they need them or not,” Moran said in a statement. “Should Virginia women thank the Governor for giving them a choice over the type of procedure the state will force on them at his behest?”
While it's a step in the right direction, too little to late Einstein! Virginian GOP' ers have flown their true colors, America was watching Virginia, and they called your bluff, called you out, and you have proved yourselves to be truly outdated, pasty old white men - woman hating - racist!
Virginia Legislative teapublicans are jumping ship by the minute and they are trying to save what face they can, currently the dastardly bunch is in caucus, NFTOS will report back as soon as something breaks. ~ West
"Flat earth" teapublicans.............
Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell has decided to back off of the forced Ultrasound bill, and has said he'll review it once the final bill hits his desk.
Earlier, Govna Bob told ABC News he supports “the concept that a woman should have all of the information possible before she makes a decision about terminating a pregnancy.” Now, his office has clarified that he will “review” the bill if it passes the General Assembly:
“Our position is: If the General Assembly passes this bill the governor will review it, in its final form, at that time,” McDonnell spokesman Tucker Martin said in a statement. He declined to explain the change in approach, but Virginia’s governors can sign, veto or amend legislation.
The House and Senate have approved their versions of the bill. On Tuesday, the House postponed a final vote on the legislation…for the second day in a row. [...]
"Officials" with knowledge of Tuesday night’s teapublican meeting said GOP leaders hope to introduce amendments on Wednesday, but it is unclear whether the rank and file would support them.
Bob McDonnell, a Pat Robertson 'Flock U' graduate whose MBA thesis would give POTUS hopeful Rick Santorum an erection - couple McDonnell along with Bob Marshall [Virginia House of Representatives Delegate (R)] and you have "Sharia Law" disguised as teapublicans.
Perhaps Dana Loesch can demonstrate how this procedure is not "invasive" by subjecting herself to such an ultrasound as proof, or maybe the good "gentlemen" of Virginia should have a trans-rectal ultrasound to determine if he has any viable brain activity. Yet something tells me - I don't think either will subject themselves to either test!
Unfortunately, if and when this bill fails, teapublicans shall simply move on to some other radical attack on women's rights. Teapublicans have attacked American women for decades, how very "Sharia Law" of them.
Republican Religion/Politics circa 2012: the most dangerous cult mankind ever invented.
You have choices in life, follow reality, or follow fear and ignorance.
I truly believe that teapublicans really do take pride in being Galactically Stupid. Just consider all the things we've heard over the last few years. Some still believe there was WMD in Iraq or that Saddam was involved in the 9/11 attack, some believe hurricane Katrina hit because of the abortions conducted in America. Some are Galactically Stupid of science and believe that intelligent design or creationism is a valid alternative to evolution. Some also demonstrate their ignorance of science by believing that the scientific consensus on climate change can be ignored because they don’t like the findings. Some are so Galactically Stupid of our own history that they are unaware of the intent of the founding fathers to create a secular government with separation of church and state.
Teapublicans have a made a real effort to distort history as much as possible of late - to the point where they are now seeking to rewrite history again. The teapublican party has bent over backwards to present their own twisted version of history, and it’s starting to look like that one requirement to be a teapublican is to be Galactically Stupid on historical facts and events.
Galactically Stupid
Below is a list of the many historical facts that Teapublicans have either distorted or have just gotten plain wrong along with corrections of their errors.
Were The Founding Fathers A Group Of Right Wingers
Teapublicans have been crisscrossing the country trying to convince Americans that the Founding Fathers were conservatives. But were they really? The answer to this question is absolutely not. If the Founding Fathers were conservatives they would never have revolted against England. One can hardly call breaking away from the most powerful nation on Earth at the time a conservative act. Plus, the Founding Fathers supported a strong federal government, believed in civil rights, supported separation of church and state, despised corporations, and believed the government had the power to provide health care and levy taxes. This is why the Supreme Court throughout American history has rarely ruled laws unconstitutional using the Tenth Amendment.
Did The Founding Fathers Support A Strong Federal Government Or A Weak One
This is an easy one. Teapublicans are dead wrong when they claim that the Founding Fathers wanted a weak federal government. And that is simple to prove. Before we had the Constitution, America was a loose alliance of states under the Articles of Confederation. Under the Articles of Confederation, the federal government was weak. So weak in fact that it didn’t have the power to levy taxes, could not regulate commerce, and relied on the states to provide money for defense. The states had all the power and the federal government had virtually none. This was a chaotic system that threatened to tear apart the new nation. So the Founders wrote the Constitution which created a strong central government capable of levying taxes, regulating commerce, printing money, and forming a military. Most importantly, under the Constitution, the federal government was given the power to provide for the general welfare and the states were given far less power. Teapublicans will often cite the Tenth Amendment as proof of state supremacy but they’re wrong about that too. After the Constitution was ratified, some wanted to add an amendment limiting the federal government to powers “expressly” delegated, which would have denied implied powers. However, the word “expressly” ultimately did not appear in the Tenth Amendment as ratified, and therefore the Tenth Amendment did not reject the powers implied by the Necessary and Proper Clause. In other words, the federal government has the power to make laws about things that are not found in the Constitution such as health care.
Is Social Security A "Ponzi Scheme"
When Rick Perry called Social Security a “ponzi scheme” in the first GOP Debate, he not only made a political mistake of epic proportions, he was also dead wrong. Social Security was created to keep senior citizens out of poverty and it has done a wonderful job of doing just that. When people put money into a ponzi scheme, they don’t get it back. Social Security, however, gives the money back plus more to every person who puts money into the system. It’s far from being a ponzi scheme. The real ponzi scheme is the private health insurance business which takes money from you and then drops you when you need medical car
What Is The Constitutionality Of Federally Mandated Health Care
Is federally mandated health care unconstitutional? According to Teapublicans it is. But that’s not what the Founding Fathers thought. Congress passed and John Adams signed, a mandatory health care insurance law back in 1791. The mandate required sailors to pay a tax and in the event they needed care, they could get medical care from the government. If it was unconstitutional as Teapublicans claim, why didn’t Thomas Jefferson or James Madison repeal it? The fact is, they didn’t, and I’d say James Madison knew more about the Constitution than any Republican does, considering he’s the primary author of that sacred document.
What Did The Founding Fathers Think About Corporations
Corporations are people according to Teapublicans. They even believe the Founding Fathers loved corporations. But that couldn’t be farther from the truth. The truth is that the Founding generations distrusted corporations with a passion. That’s why corporations were regulated rather harshly compared to the pampering Teapublicans give them today. Corporations were limited to an existence of 20-30 years and could only deal in one commodity, could not hold stock in other companies, and their property holdings were limited to what they needed to accomplish their business goals. And perhaps the most important facet of all this is that most states in the early days of the nation had laws on the books that made any political contribution by corporations a criminal offense. If the Founding Fathers were still alive and reinstated these regulations, Teapublicans would be accusing George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and the rest of the founders of being evil, un-American socialists.
Did 9/11 Happen On George Bush’s Watch
How many times have we heard a Republican or right-wing talking head on Fox say that no terrorist attacks happened when George W. Bush was President? In July, Fox News host Eric Bolling said “we were certainly safe between 2000 and 2008 — I don’t remember any terrorist attacks on American soil during that period of time.” Other Teapublicans such as Rudy Guiliani and Dana Perino also “misremember” that period of time. I seem to recall sitting in a 20th Century History course at my high school on September 11, 2001 when terrorists struck the World Trade Center in New York City. And as I also recall, George W. Bush was President at the time.
Who Signed The Smoot-Hawley Act
Many Teapublicans still have anti–New Deal views. Michele Bachmann blamed FDR for turning a recession into a depression by passing the “Hoot-Smalley Tariff”. Except that FDR didn’t pass it. Hoover did, three years before FDR took the oath of office. Oh, and it’s Smoot-Hawley, NOT “Hoot-Smalley”.
Was Martin Luther King Jr. A Republican
Teapublicans claim that Martin Luther King was a Republican. So they can explain this part of a speech by King, right? In one speech, he stated that “something is wrong with capitalism” and claimed, “There must be a better distribution of wealth, and maybe America must move toward a democratic socialism.” So, by claiming King as one of their own - you can assume teapublicans are also adopting his philosophy?
Was Joseph McCarthy A Hero
Another idol of the teapublican party is Joseph McCarthy. Teapublicans are now rewriting school books to present McCarthy as a hero who did no wrong. In reality, where the rest of us live, Joseph McCarthy was nothing more than a witch hunter who accused innocent Americans of being communists. He had no real evidence that people were communists and he should have recognized that people have the right to be part of any political party they choose. He violated the Constitution and ignored the values of freedom that we hold dear. Just like teapublicans today.
Did Ronald Reagan Only Lower Taxes
Worshiping Ronald Reagan means you also have to believe that Reagan never raised taxes during his Presidency, but this constant right-wing claim is false. While he did cut taxes in 1981 and again in 1988, Reagan actually raised taxes every year from 1981 to 1987 including The Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 which, at the time, had been the largest peacetime tax increase in U.S. history, the Deficit Reduction Act of 1984, a higher gasoline levy, a higher payroll tax, and a 1986 tax reform deal that included the largest corporate tax increase in American history.
Was D-Day All About Health Care
Teapublicans have been very vocal about the Affordable Care Act and Rick Santorum is no exception. He has made the claim that Americans stormed the beaches at Normandy on D-Day because they opposed Obamacare. He said, “Almost 60,000 average Americans had the courage to go out and charge those beaches on Normandy, to drop out of airplanes who knows where, and take on the battle for freedom … Those Americans risked everything so they could make {their own} decision on their health care plan.”
This is absurd. The men that stormed the Omaha and Utah beaches were fighting to liberate Europe from Nazi rule. They weren’t thinking about health care 67 years into the future. They were thinking of their families and whether they’d ever see them again. Santorum also fails to realize that military personnel and their dependents have government-run health care. And the soldiers aren’t complaining about it either. And as a matter of fact, many World War II veterans and their families also have Medicare which is also run by the federal government. That blows Santorum’s claim out of the water.
Do States Have The Right To Secede
After President Obama took office, many teapublican legislators and governors, particularly in the South, began threatening secession. They say secession is a right but is it really? The answer is absolutely not. Not only did the Civil War settle this dispute, James Madison and Andrew Jackson (both Southerners) also rejected this claim. Nowhere in the Constitution will you find the right to secede. The Constitution was created by the people “in order to form a more perfect union” and by seceding, a state breaks up the nation, thus breaking a legally binding contract. And Andrew Jackson once threatened to march an army to South Carolina after that state threatened to secede. In fact, Jackson felt that secession was treason. The Supreme Court has also weighed in on this issue. In Texas v White, the court held that the Constitution did not permit states to secede from the United States, and that the ordinances of secession, and all the acts of the legislatures within seceding states intended to give effect to such ordinances, were “absolutely null”.
Was The Civil War Fought Over State’s Rights
Teapublicans claim that it was all about state’s rights and not about slavery. The truth is, state’s rights only played a small role. The South feared that President Lincoln would end slavery, so they took preemptive measures by seceding from the Union and attacked Fort Sumter without any provocation. Slavery was, without a doubt, the main cause of the war between the states. Without slavery, white plantation owners would have to pick their own cotton, or, pay people to do it for them. They also believed Africans to be inferior and would not tolerate their freedom. We should all keep that in mind as the South/teapublican home base continues to make claims that they aren’t racist. Was The American Revolution Fought To End Slavery
Yet another claim that David Barton makes in an attempt to present the founding generation as perfect, is that the American Revolution was waged to end slavery. Once again, Barton makes a claim that is completely false. The American Revolution was fought to win American independence from Great Britain. Slaves were certainly not freed before, during, or after the war. They remained as slaves and would be slaves until the Civil War. Did Benjamin Franklin Reject Evolution
We continue with the lack of knowledge of the Founding Fathers among the reich-wing. Many teapublicans have been making the claim that Benjamin Franklin rejected evolution. There are two problems with this claim. First, the theory of evolution wasn’t around until Charles Darwin published the theory in 1859, nearly 70 years after Franklin died in 1790. And secondly, Franklin was a man of science above all else. It is unlikely that he would have rejected a scientific theory in favor of creationism. Franklin in fact, rejected the dogma and divinity of Christianity. Was America Founded As A Christian State
Ever heard of David Barton? He’s the guy that Glenn Beck goes to when he wants to distort history. David Barton claims that the Founding Fathers intended the United States to be a Christian state. Many teapublicans have since picked up on this claim and have been shamelessly using it to court the Christian reich-wing, and as a reason to end the separation of church and state that has been part of this country since its founding. His claim can be trounced with one question. If the Founding Fathers wanted America to be a Christian state why did they not say so in the Constitution? Instead, the Founders placed this in the document.
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”
~First Amendment, Bill of Rights of the Constitution
In other words, there is to be absolutely NO state religion.
Did The Founding Fathers End Slavery
Michelle Bachmann isn’t through yet. During a speaking event she once claimed that the Founding Fathers were the ones who ended slavery. That’s a surprise to me since George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe all owned slaves. In fact, 12 of the first 16 American Presidents owned slaves. But Bachmann’s attempt to paint the Founding Fathers as saints is also a denial of past Republican Party history since early teapublicans rose to prominence by fighting against slavery and the first teapublican President, Abraham Lincoln, ended slavery altogether.
Was John Quincy Adams A Founding Father
Michele Bachmann evidentially failed American History in school. Because she has absolutely no knowledge of early American history. She once claimed that John Quincy Adams is a Founding Father of America when in fact, JQA was just a child when the Revolution began. He was born in 1767 and was just 14 when the war ended. And like Palin’s supporters, Bachmann fans proceeded to edit the Wikipedia page of John Quincy Adams in an attempt to make her claim viable. Galactically Stupid!
Was The Shot Heard ‘Round The World Fired In New Hampshire
Did you know that Lexington and Concord are located in New Hampshire? I didn’t. And the people in New Hampshire and Massachusetts didn’t either. When Michele Bachmann exclaimed to a New Hampshire crowd that “the shot heard ’round the world” occurred in their state, I’m sure that Massachusetts let out a roar of laughter. The sad but hilarious thing is that most American children know that the first shot of the American Revolution occurred in the state of Massachusetts.
Did Paul Revere Ride To Warn The British
Sarah Palin made the dubious claim that Paul Revere actually warned the British instead of the American colonists. Her supporters even made attempts to edit the Paul Revere Wikipedia entry to make her claims sound correct. If she had taken the time to read Longfellow’s poem, Paul Revere’s Ride, she would not have made this error, as the great majority of school children know that Revere made his midnight ride to warn Americans, not the enemy.
Teapublicans understand that the lack of education is the key to controlling their base. All they need to do is distort and re-write history in their favor to win the votes of the Galactically Stupid.
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
~George Santayana
Its no wonder that Mary and Joseph rode into Bethlehem on a donkey instead of an elephant.Words seriously fail me at this point. Without ignorance we couldn’t even have the current teapublican party. Everyone tries to rewrite history, or at least put their own spin on it, but the teapublicans have taken it to an Orwellian level.
Two-thirds of the teapublicans think POTUS is a socialist, 57 percent a Muslim—and 24 percent say "he may be the Antichrist." HUH
Teapublicans define themselves largely by the worthiness of their objectives and the sincerity of their motives. The teapublican party is abysmally ignorant about its country, abysmally!
I often rail against the teapublican party, and for good reason - their ideology is socially destructive. Teapublicans use xenophobia (damn those illegal's) and religion (praise Jesus, who hates pro-choicers) to substantiate the mentality, the mentality of the Galactically Stupid!
