Pat Robertson Then and Now: The Stupidity And Homophobia Never Changed

Did You Think It Would?

Pat Robertson is, admittedly, an acquired distaste: you have to experience him for a while before you appreciate his kind of smarmy evangelism. A look at the below clip (with Michael J. Fox BEFORE Family Ties!) will tell you that he hasn't changed a bit: shooting from the hip for the "hip" and being waaay off the mark!

Now Pat is in the news again for his comments on gay marriage. Ho hum:

[Likening gay marriage to bestiality, polygamy and pedophilia]

“How can we criminalize these things and at the same time have constitutional amendments allowing same-sex marriage among homosexuals.” Robertson ended his rant on same-sex marriage by saying, “You mark my words, this is just the beginning in a long downward slide in relation to all the things that we consider to be abhorrent.”

So gay marriage is a slippery slope to all sorts of evil nastiness. This from a man who warned the people of Orland, FL to expect a meteor because Disney World was sponsoring "Gay Day." A run through of Pat's quotes against humanity (and sanity) would also include:

"Just like what Nazi Germany did to the Jews, so liberal America is now doing to the evangelical Christians. It's no different. It is the same thing. It is happening all over again. It is the Democratic Congress, the liberal-based media and the homosexuals who want to destroy the Christians. Wholesale abuse and discrimination and the worst bigotry directed toward any group in America today. More terrible than anything suffered by any minority in history." –Pat Robertson

Robertson erases some key points in history: Slavery, The Inquisition, The Crusades, The Blood Libel (against Jews, 13th through 19th centuries). And referencing the Holocaust: gee, I didn't know Pat Robertson had been put in a gas oven! Could that account for his rather ashen complexion?

"Maybe we need a very small nuke thrown off on Foggy Bottom to shake things up" –Pat Robertson, on nuking the State Department.

From About.com, (political Humor - Crazy Pat Robertson Quotes)

O.K., so Robertson's a little balmy. The problem?: his comments might connect with someone equally as balmy. And that someone might have a knife, or baseball bat, or gun to use on someone they perceive as gay. "Pat Robertson and his 700 Club have never been responsible for gay bashing!" Oh? Given the huge numbers he used to command on CBN, Christofascists would have a very hard time proving that he wasn't responsible.

In response to an ad placed by PFLAG (1996) depicting Robertson, Falwell, Jesse Helms et al as responsible for teen suicides and gay bashing:

CBN lawyer Bruce Hausknecht wrote that the tapes depicted Robertson in a false light, implying that he promoted violence against gays and was the cause of lesbian and gay teen suicide, and that this was "severely damaging to the reputation of Dr. Robertson and his ministry." He said that "seconds" after the statements about Hitler and Satanists were made in a January 1993 broadcast of The 700 Club, "Mr. Robertson reached out with love and compassion to the homosexual community with these words: 'What we want to do is love them... and bring them into the kingdom.' However, PFLAG chose to ignore that comment." Hausknecht stated that Robertson has always preached opposition to violence against any group.

So...Remember July 29, 2008:

Jim D. Adkisson decided he had a problem with a certain type of Christianity – the type that actually cared about their fellow human beings. Children were performing the play ‘Annie’ at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church when Adkisson had had enough. His issues with the church were due to their socially liberal and ‘gay-friendly’ beliefs. In other words, this church was tolerant of others and Adkisson took issue with that.

Adkisson entered the church at 10 am carrying a guitar case while 200 members of the congregation watched the children’s production. Opening the case, he pulled out a 12 gauge shotgun and killed 2 adults and wounding 8 others. Thankfully, no children were injured. Adkisson was restrained until police arrived.

Behind that smarmy smile, Pat Robertson may embody all that is wrong with Christofascism: he and Jerry Falwell were thrilled when AIDS came along to help them in their part of the "culture wars." He championed people who expelled gays from their homes while they were sick and dying.

Since his inane proclamations have never really changed, neither have his (now smaller) band of devoted followers. But all it takes is one bullet ...

Just a thought.

The Numbers Are Coming In And (Surprise!) The Republicans Can't Stand The Numbers

Oh, how the impressions of Barack Obama have changed! Pew Research has just ladled out the gravy for Obama's first hundred 100 days: some not so good, but most, incredibly positive. The research goes back to September and tracks the top words used to describe Obama when people were asked to describe him in one word. I've given the list here in a rather crude way, but it emphasizes just how far President Obama has come in in the eyes of America.

The pluses: he's increased in these impressions: great, good, intelligent, confident, and presidential. The increase in negative impressions: socialist, not as much change as people had hoped for, slightly arrogant, and could use some tips in the charisma department.

You can be sure that if some smart Republicans come along (don't hold your breath), they will hammer at the socialist/spending impressions - and not what Obama has on his hamburgers!

Just a thought.

Intelligent	+10
Good	+23
Socialist	14
Liberal	5
Great	+20
Confident	+19
Inexperienced	-42
Honest	2
Trying	+16
Smart	+15
Change	-26
Competent	+14
Excellent	+14
Spender/Spending	14
Arrogant	5
Hope/Hopeful	-3
Charismatic	-7
President	12
Leader	2
Different	-1

O.K., We'll Bite: Dijongate Here We Come!

The media of the Right (esp. the Christian Right, ooops, sorry, Social Conservatives) is too silly to be believed. Apparently, Sean Hannity thinks Dijon mustard is waaaay too bizarre for a President to have on his all American hamburger! But, as someone more astute than I am pointed out: "mayonaise" is a much "Frenchier" name. Did Obama have "Freedom Fries" with it?

Could this be expanded into an SNL sketch? Something Monty Pythonesque?

Following President Obama's May 5 visit to Ray's Hell Burger in Arlington, Virginia, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, and Rush Limbaugh Show guest host Mark Steyn criticized Obama as an elitist because he ordered a burger with "spicy mustard" or "Dijon mustard." Hannity claimed that Obama ordered a "fancy burger" with a "very special condiment," while Steyn asserted Obama is trying "to enlighten us" through his order. Ingraham asked of Obama: "What kind of man orders a cheeseburger without ketchup but Dijon mustard? ... The guy orders a cheeseburger without ketchup? What is that?"

Tres Horrible!

Britain Has Better Taste in Idiots: Phelps & Savage Banned

Rule Britannia!

Britain just recently came out with its list of "Least Wanted."

Unacceptable Behaviour

LONDON — Britain for the first time has published a list of people barred from entering the country for what the government says is fostering extremism or hatred.

The list includes popular American talk-radio host Michael Savage, who has called the Muslim holy book, the Quran, a "book of hate." Savage also has enraged parents of children with autism by saying in most cases it's "a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out."

The list Tuesday also includes Americans Stephen Donald Black, a white supremacist, and anti-gay preacher Fred Phelps.

Hamas parliament member Yunis Al-Astal and Egyptian cleric Safwat el-Higazi also are on the banned list.

To see the actual list, click HERE. Notice that many of them are either suspected terrorists or preachers of hate.

From the actual list:

Frederick Waldren Phelps, Sr. and Shirley Phelps-Roper

American pastor and leading spokesman of Westboro Baptist Church. Considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by fostering hatred that might lead to inter-community violence in the UK.

The 79-year-old and his daughter are barred for their anti-gay comments. Both have picketed the funerals of Aids victims and have claimed the deaths of American soldiers are a punishment for US tolerance of homosexuality.

Michael Alan Weiner (aka Michael Savage*)

Controversial daily radio talk-show host. Considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by seeking to provoke others to serious criminal acts and fostering hatred which might lead to inter-community violence.

His views on immigration, Islam, rape and autism have caused great offence in the US.

"Great offence" puts his description quite civilly. Our list would describe him simply as A**HOLE. He's probably loving every syllable of the BBC News' description. But think about it: would YOU like to be banned from entering a country because they think you're an a**hole? There's something perverse about taking pleasure in other people's displeasure, isn't there?

*Michael Savage changed his name to suit his demeanor instead of a very small part of his anatomy. Ooops! I guess it's pronounced like "whiner" so sorry, Michael!

Rove, Hatch and Sessions: Empathy and the Constitution Don't Go Together. Translation: We Can't Have Judges With Hearts!

They Believe In The Dick Cheney Version:
The Credo Of The Inquisition!

I love it when people call me a "bleeding heart liberal" because, let's face it, they're realizing that I HAVE a heart! Have you ever heard the words "heart" and "neo-conservative" together in the same sentence? In the same paragraph? On the same page?

From the man who used to be "Bush's Brain"*:

Karl Rove:

On the other hand, she’s [Judge Sonia Sotomayor, a potential nominee for the upcoming Supreme Court vacancy] also likely to draw opposition from conservatives because her opinions on the Circuit Court of Appeals have been very liberal and very expansive. In fact, this is going to be one [of] the big dividing lines. President Obama…said he wanted a judge who would uphold the Constitution, but also a judge [who] would be empathetic. These two things are in conflict.

Then there's Orrin Hatch:

From Crooks and Liars:

Hatch: I have no problem with judges having a heart, wanting to do what's right and wanting to live within the legal constraints that do exist. When they start substituting their own personal policy preferences for what the law really is then that's the misuse of empathy, and a person like that shouldn't be sitting on the bench.

Compassionate Conservatism goes out the window.

Now we have the problem of Senator Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III (R - AL) possibly heading the Judiciary Committee. Irony: this is the same committee which once denied him a Federal Court bench offered to him by Reagan. Reason for the refusal: "gross insensitivity” on racial issues. (He once said that the KKK wasn't so bad - that was until he found out that some of them smoked pot!)

Two controversial issues puts Sessions at the top of the torture heap:

- he opposed John McCain's anti-torture amendment and...
- he supported Cheney's proposal to exempt the CIA from any ban on the use of torture.

Watch Rachel Maddow's show about Sessions. Do you think he'll in any way agree about whom an African American President nominates for the Supreme Court? Today, Sessions seems like a throwback to Big Daddy in Cat On A Hot Tin Roof (watch Burl Ives below). We'd better watch out, because Big Daddy's in power!

Just a thought.

*Now he's more like the Bush Administration's mouth.

U.S. Soldiers Told To: Hunt for Jesus

What To Give With Those Free Bibles:

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Ryan Grim ryan@huffingtonpost.com | HuffPost 05/ 4/09 02:24 PM

Soldiers In Afghanistan Given Bibles, Told To "Hunt People For Jesus"

A U.S. church raised money to send Bibles, printed in the Pashtu and Dari languages, to American soldiers stationed in Afghanistan, a report on Al Jazeera documented Sunday night.

It is against military rules to proselytize -- a regulation one of the soldiers filmed by the network readily acknowledged. "You cannot proselytize, but you can give gifts," says the soldier. It is a crime in Afghanistan to attempt to convert anyone from Islam to any other religion. "I also want to praise God because my church collected some money to get Bibles for Afghanistan. They came and sent the money out." The footage is said to be roughly a year old.

The Al Jazeera report also shows a military preacher urging army parishioners to "hunt people for Jesus."

If Jerry Falwell couldn't get people to convert by raining 600,000 bible tracts down on the tsunami victims, I guess the next move for conversion must be more direct: have occupying troops throw them at people. Watch the video below:

My question: those New Testament "Bibles" and supposedly full Bibles are very, very small. Is Pashtu that succinct of a language? Are the Muslim Afghanis tiny people? Does it come with a microscope? Is this the Reader's Digest Version of the Bible?

And this thing about "hunting for people." Do you bring them back to camp hanging from a pole shouldered (front and back) by soldiers? Can you set traps? Do you need a license? Is there a specific season?

Seriously, it's rather insulting for a foreign soldier to tell you that he has a gift for you* and you find out that it's the book being used as justification to kill you. In Afghanistan, it's illegal for anyone to proselytize. And it's illegal to be an apostate.

Just what are these idiots doing?

Just a thought.

* Rev. Rod Parsley would rather soldiers give them a bullet...in the head.

Rush Limbaugh Is In Love With Joe The Plumber

From Media Matters (via Pam's House Blend):

LIMBAUGH: Why are they still kneecapping Sarah Palin? Hmm? I mean, I know I'm fair game. I'm out there. But why are they still kneecapping Sarah Palin? They're out there kneecapping Bobby Jindal. They're still kneecapping -- the drive-bys, the Democrats -- Rick Santorum. They're still jumping on Joe the Plumber -- a private citizen, for heaven's sake. All he did was ask Obama a question. Why are they continuing to try to destroy virtually anyone and everyone who can articulate conservatism? It's 'cause they are afraid of us.

Yes, we're afraid of them, but not for the reasons Limbaugh might rant about. Conservatism isn't at issue here. Uber Right Wingnutism is. People like Rush Limbaugh support right-wing violence by what they say...and what they DON'T say. Also, Rush, Sam Wurtzelbach (JtP) gave up being a private citizen a long time ago because he realizes that being a "celebrity" means more money than being a part-time-apprentice-would-be-small-business-owner plumber. He's enjoying the part of a fake John Doe. He's fair game as much as you are, Rush.

And as for Sarah Palin: she's gonna damn well keep herself in the limelight if she has to murder her whole family. Jindal and Santorum will also willingly join her in the Hypocrits Hall of Fame.

Another reason to think that the Right is in terrible straits: Rush Limbaugh defending Sarah Palin, Bobby Jindal, Rick Santorum and Sam Wurtzelbach (JtP) as if they matter in the scheme of things. They don't. But please don't tell him.

Just a thought.