Greg Abbott, Asshole of the Day for October 14, 2014

After the Supreme Court's recent decision to let stand the Circuit Court rulings allowing gay marriage, the writing is on the wall. Now some states have decided to give up the fight-- to stop wasting money and time on a losing cause and grudgingly just allow gays to have full marriage rights in their state, including recognizing gay marriages that happened elsewhere. That's what Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker did, and Walker is no friend to gays.

But not everyone is ready to give up the fight. Down in Texas, Attorney General and GOP nominee for governor Greg Abbott is still grasping at straws for reasons to deny gay couples the rights he himself enjoys:

“First, Texas’s marriage laws are rationally related to the State’s interest in encouraging couples to produce new offspring, which are needed to ensure economic growth and the survival of the human race,” Abbott wrote.

“Second, Texas’s marriage laws are rationally related to the State’s interest in reducing unplanned out-of-wedlock births. By channeling procreative heterosexual intercourse into marriage, Texas’s marriage laws reduce unplanned out-of-wedlock births and the costs that those births impose on society. Recognizing same-sex marriage does not advance this interest because same-sex unions do not result in pregnancy.”

So Texas only has incentives and special treatment for marriage to encourage offspring and to avoid out-of-wedlock births. That's his argument.

But of course that's just total bullshit. How do I know? Because straight couples in their 70s get to get married even though there is zero chance that a pregnancy will occur. But Texas let's them get married, but not gay couples still young enough to bear children.

And, we should point out, Greg Abbott has also defended all the crazy Texas anti-abortion laws, and for all the moralizing about out-of-wedlock births with regards to gay marriage, they certainly prefer it to letting an unmarried woman get an abortion.

So, for pretending that Texas marriage laws are all about procreation and out-of-wedlock births, and not about discriminating against gays, Greg Abbott is Asshole of the Day.

It is Greg Abbott's second time as Asshole of the Day. His previous win was for justifying a racist voter ID law based on a case it wouldn't actually prevent.

Full story: LGBTQ Nation.

#asshole of the day #Greg Abbott #gay marriage #Texas #GOP #bigot #homophobe

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Rick Perry, Asshole of the Day for August 29, 2014

by TeaPartyCat (Follow @TeaPartyCat)

Last month we named Rick Perry Asshole of the Day for sending the National Guard to the border even though it turned out they couldn't do anything and might not even have their guns loaded. It was all just for show-- for Fox News and 2016 GOP primary voters.

But that's not the whole story. We noted at the time that Gov. Perry had said he wouldn't pay for it, and expected the federal government to pick up the tab. Now this is rich because the Texas National Guard isn't actually helping the Border Patrol, so the federal government gets no benefit from the deployment Perry ordered, nor did they ask for his help.

But Perry sent them anyways. And now it turns out the Guardsmen haven't been paid, and have had to go to the food pantry so they can eat:

A food bank revealed to local TV station KGBT that they’d been inundated with food requests from Guardsmen, who were deployed on August 11 and won’t be paid until September 5. “We were contacted that 50 troops that are in the Valley don’t have any money for food and gas and they need our assistance,” the bank’s director told KGTV.

According to The Wire, it costs about $12 million per month to keep the 1,000 troops at the border “sustained,” and Perry’s refused to use Texas money to pay them, instead calling on the federal government to do so.

So Perry insists the federal government pay for this deployment they didn't ask for, but he didn't actually secure that funding prior to deploying them. And who suffers for his lack of planning and pointless deployment? The men and women in the guard who he ordered there. And that is why Rick Perry is the Asshole of the Day.

It is Gov. Perry’s seventh time as Asshole of the Day. Previous wins were for

Full story: Mediaite.

#asshole of the day #rick perry #national guard #border crisis #Texas #GOP

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David Barton, Asshole of the Day for August 26, 2014

by TeaPartyCat (Follow @TeaPartyCat)

Once upon a time David Barton was called the most important historian by Glenn Beck. He was a regular guest on The Daily Show. He had made a name for himself for his study of the religious beliefs of the Founding Fathers. That is, until his book about Jefferson was called the "least credible book in print" and was pulled by the publisher.

But despite being discredited, he continues to exercise influence in the Texas GOP and on the radio. Yesterday on his radio show Barton claimed that Obama was weak on terrorism:

Barton declared that "terrorism was really on the ropes" before President Obama removed the last U.S. troops from Iraq, but now "terrorism has really rebuilt itself ... [because] this has been an administration that has not done a good job of trying to take terrorists down or take terrorism out."

Barton and co-host Green repeatedly expressed their desire to have someone like Gohmert serving as president instead of President Obama because, they said, Gohmert understands the difference between good and evil, which Obama, Secretary of State John Kerry, and the rest of the administration can never grasp because they support abortion rights and gay marriage.

Yes, you read that right-- David Barton thinks Louie Gohmert would make a good president.

And then he goes on to justify Gohmert as being superior in fighting terrorism because… he opposes abortion and gay marriage, which have a lot to do with fighting terrorism apparently. Look, George W. Bush also opposed gay marriage and abortion, and he didn't catch Osama Bin Laden.

But the really objectionable part here are his claims about terrorism-- that it was "on the ropes" before Obama and that Obama has not done a good job fighting it, and his basis for Obama not fighting terrorism is that he didn't keep troops in Iraq (even though Obama had no authority to do so).

The idea that Obama has done nothing to fight terrorism is just laughable. It's as if you can ignore all the drone strikes and catching Osama Bin Laden because there wasn't a permanent troop presence in Iraq. Look, all those troops in Iraq did nothing to catch Osama Bin Laden. And Barton knows that. But he ignores those two big facts. And for that, he is the Asshole of the Day.

It is David Barton's first time as Asshole of the Day.

Full story: Right Wing Watch.

PS: I was reminded on Twitter that Barton was recently featured on Cracked:

.@assholeofday David Barton is on this list -- 5 Successful People Who Everyone Forgets Are Exposed Frauds http://t.co/8soV5sf7gk

— fdtate (@fdtate) August 26, 2014

#asshole of the day #david barton #iraq #terrorism #louie gohmert #GOP #Texas #ISIS

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Ted Cruz, Asshole of the Day for August 11, 2014

by TeaPartyCat (Follow @TeaPartyCat)

You might be comforted by a headline like this-- “Ted Cruz Thinks Impeaching Obama Is Pointless”-- thinking it means that maybe, just maybe, Ted Cruz will be able to keep the House GOP Hater Caucus from forcing an impeachment that they’ll lose, and of course keep anything productive from happening in Washington for months.

And yes, I know that probably nothing productive would happen anyways.

But then after saying that impeachment is pointless because it won’t lead to conviction and removal in the Senate since Democrats will vote against it, Ted Cruz says this:

He also said it would highlight the administrations response to scandals.

"When a scandal breaks, the president says he’s outraged," Cruz said. "Step number two is stonewall at every front."

"And then, step number three: after stonewalling for many months, dismiss the entire issue as old news, no longer relevant, dredging up the past," he continued. "That’s what they’re trying to do with the IRS. That’s what they’re trying to do with Benghazi. It’s wrong."

Now you can say many things about Ted Cruz-- arrogant, partisan, douchebag, asshole. But what you can’t claim is that he’s stupid. Which is why this statement is so offensive.

Cruz KNOWS that two weeks ago the House Intelligence Committee, with the unanimous support of all the Republicans, declared that there is no Benghazi scandal:

The House Intelligence Committee, led by Republicans, has concluded that there was no deliberate wrongdoing by the Obama administration in the 2012 attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans, said Rep. Mike Thompson of St. Helena, the second-ranking Democrat on the committee…

Thompson said the report “confirms that no one was deliberately misled, no military assets were withheld and no stand-down order (to U.S. forces) was given.”

And Cruz knows there's no IRS scandal either. The questions have been answered. To wit:

[L]et’s not forget what the IRS scandalette actually involved. There’s never been any credible allegation that anyone was audited because of their political beliefs. There’s never been any allegation that the IRS “targeted” donors to Republican super PACs. The worst thing that happened was that some Tea Party groups that had applied for 501(c)(4) status—claiming, utterly falsely, that they were charitable, non-political organizations, I might add—had to wait longer than they should have to get approval on their applications. (And, I have to repeat, when you’re waiting for your approval, you’re permitted under the law to act as though you’ve gotten your approval. You can raise and spend money, which they did.)

Aside from the wonderful term “scandalette,” Waldman gets to the rotten heart of the whole mania: the fact that Republicans are playing on the near-universal taxpayer fear of IRS audits, tax liens, asset seizures and so on, when there’s no evidence any of these agency weapons were utilized with respect to the allegedly “targeted” groups. As for taxpayers’ sympathy with the “victims” of IRS “targeting,” it really needs to be understood that they were almost entirely seeking to abuse a tax code loophole supposedly exempting “social welfare” entities when they were actually trying to play in electoral politics without disclosing donors.

So it’s not that Obama delays and these stories get dismissed as old before anything is learned. They get dismissed because investigations find that there is no scandal. None. There’s no scandal on Benghazi, and there’s no scandal at the IRS.

So the only scandal here is that guys like Ted Cruz keep pretending that the "scandals" haven't been fully investigated. He acts like there’s scandalous questions that haven’t been answered. But they have all been answered. But by pretending that they are still out there, unanswered, he perpetuates the idea that there’s a scandal. And for that, Ted Cruz is the Asshole of the Day.

It is Ted Cruz’s 7th time as Asshole of the Day. Previous wins were for

This is his first time being named Asshole of the Day since winning 2013 Asshole of the Year.

Full story: Talking Points Memo

#asshole of the day #Ted Cruz #benghazi #IRS scandal #IRS #Benghazigate #Obama Derangement Syndrome #GOP #Texas #impeachment #impeach obama #scandal

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Dan Patrick, Asshole of the Day for August 7, 2014

by TeaPartyCat (Follow @TeaPartyCat)

Gay marriage bans continue to be struck down in the courts, and as they move their way up to appeals courts, the arguments are getting pretty strained. In fact North Carolina's attorney general even said he won't defend his state's ban because there are no more legitimate arguments to make.

But even so, that hasn't stopped people like the Texas GOP, who filed a brief in the state appeal saying:

The lieutenant governor and attorney general candidates have signed on with 61 other Republican lawmakers saying Texas’ desire to ban same-sex marriages is akin to its prohibitions against bigamy and incest.

The coalition’s brief in support of the state quoted proponents of the ban during legislative debate on the issue, who said recognition of gay marriages, “could lead to the recognition of bigamy, incest, pedophilia, and group marriage.”

The brief asserted that, “restrictions on marriage relating to these moral considerations remain valid. Thus, the goal of actively trying to prevent those practices from becoming valid is entirely rational public policy.”

In the brief, the Conservative Coalition argued that Texas leaders did not intend to discriminate against homosexuals with the marriage ban.

The brief stated (minus legal citations): “While the laws restrict same-sex marriage, they do so not by declaring that homosexuals cannot marry, but by defining marriage as it will be recognized by the State. The laws apply equally to everyone. They were not enacted to ‘disparage and injure,’ anyone. Nor were they enacted out of ‘animosity against homosexuals.’ To the contrary, the laws were enacted with a desire to elevate the state’s legal recognition of marriage to a level that society has celebrated throughout history.”

They say this, I'd point out, without mentioning any proof. That is, their argument is that recognizing gay marriage is a slippery slope to things we all agree are bad, like pedophilia and incest, except that it's not provable. There has never been gay marriage in the past, and pedophilia and incest of course have always occurred. They also can't argue based on the places that have recognized gay marriage earlier than in the US, because there are no laws in those places now recognizing incest or pedophilia as rights. So the slippery slope is something that just feels like proof to them.

Usually this slippery slope arguing happens on TV or in front of audiences, and not in a legal brief. That, to my knowledge, is taking the slippery slope into new territory.

And so I'd like to point out a few things about how ridiculous it is to claim that recognizing gay marriage will open the door to other things:

Gay marriage is based on consent. So allowing it does not open the door to arrangements that don’t involve consent such as pedophilia. Pedophilia is wrong because the child cannot consent. Without both parties’ consent, there is no marriage.
Gay marriage is expanding the definition from two consenting adults of different genders to any two consenting adults regardless of gender. It does not increase the quantity of people involved like polygamy. And gay marriage was never legal, whereas polygamy used to be, and still is in some places around the world. But polygamy recognition never led to gay marriage recognition, so why should we believe that recognizing gay marriage will lead to polygamy being recognized again?
Incest is about sex, not marriage. Family members already enjoy many benefits of association for tax, legal, medical, and inheritance purposes that gay couples do not get. Granting gay couples marriage rights doesn’t change the rights and obligations of family members.

So gay marriage is not a slippery slope to these other things. It is only a slippery slope to gays having the same rights as couples as everyone else already does.

And finally they throw in this, as though it is somehow provable, or even likely given what supporters of gay marriage so often get caught saying:

They were not enacted to ‘disparage and injure,’ anyone. Nor were they enacted out of ‘animosity against homosexuals.’

Or in other words, See? We're not bigots because we say we're not. Sorry, assholes, but you don't get to be the decider of what your motives are.

Finally, who gets the award today? We don't give it to groups, so I'm giving it to the highest ranking person signing on, which is lieutenant governor candidate Dan Patrick. So, for pretending that legalizing gay marriage will somehow lead to legalizing polygamy, incest and pedophilia, without a shred of proof, Dan Patrick is Asshole of the Day.

It is Dan Patrick's first time as Asshole of the Day.

Full story: Dallas News

#asshole of the day #Dan Patrick #gay marriage #bigot #homophobe #Texas GOP #Texas #GOP #same sex marriage

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Rick Perry, Asshole of the Day for July 23, 2014

by TeaPartyCat (Follow @TeaPartyCat)

There’s a crisis on America’s southern border, and it’s not poor adult immigrants coming for work and opportunity, it’s children fleeing violence in Central America. Rather than stay and risk death, they travel hundreds of miles with very little resources with the hope of safety in America.

But of course in America, the very people who most loudly proclaim their Christianity don’t want to help. They shout loudly to deport these children who have swelled the detention centers and strained the resources to support them. There’s lots of loose talk that Obama is “in on it”, or that Obama is not following the law, but he is following the law-- a law signed by George W. Bush designed to keep immigrant children safe, whether they came here legally or not. And as to the “in on it” allegation, unless you believe that Obama got Central American drug gangs to escalate the violence and killings, there’s just no plausible other conspiracy here.

We’ve featured several assholes who have spoken out on the crisis in various ways:

But there’s the run-of-the-mill fear mongering, conspiracy theory, and xenophobia; and then there’s Rick Perry.

Gov. Perry, you may recall, was a serious contender for the GOP nomination in 2011 until he suggested that deporting children was wrong, and his numbers were sliding even before his Oops moment. But that was then.

As the crisis has escalated Perry has tried to play to his base while still governing like a human, but if the two are in conflict, guess which he does?

He said Obama was in on it somehow, and then stuck to it when pressed whether he really believed that days later.
He refused to shake Obama’s hand, the customary gesture when the President comes to a governor’s state.
As he let the right wing hype machine make a big deal out of Obama saying he didn’t want to do a photo-op on the border, Rick Perry did a photo-op with Sean Hannity on the border, playing at soldiers.

And then this: This week Perry said he would send the Texas National Guard down to the border. Sounds like he's doing something. But is he? Here's what the Texas National Guard General says about the deployment:

Most of the 1,000 National Guard troops headed to the Texas-Mexico border will take up observational positions and detain people only if they interfere with their mission, a top general over the deployment said Tuesday.

Texas Adjutant General John Nichols said the troops will help deter illicit traffic while U.S. Border Patrol agents deal with a record spike of unaccompanied minors entering the country. The Texas National Guard troops are headed to border on the orders of Republican Gov. Rick Perry, who has been a chief critic of the White House response to the crisis and is considering another run for president in 2016.

Nichols said troops will be armed for their safety, but when asked if their weapons would be loaded would say only that ammunition would be in magazines.

So will they be stopping people at the border? No.

What can they do? Nothing.

They are observers. They can stand there with possibly empty guns looking tough. Looking like Perry is doing something.

It’s all just for show. For Fox News footage. For his 2016 campaign commercials, and especially for his SuperPAC that he won’t coordinate with.

But it's not to help secure the border, like he's pretending to the GOP base of xenophobes. Not one single bit.

Oh, and one last thing-- Perry expects us to reimburse him for this piece of pointless theater. Yep. Mr. States' Rights wants federal money to pay for the deployment he ordered.

So, for making a big show of sending the National Guard, even though they can't and won't do anything, Rick Perry is Asshole of the Day.

It is Gov. Perry’s sixth time as Asshole of the Day. Previous wins were for

Full story: Talking Points Memo

#asshole of the day #Rick Perry #National Guard #political theater #immigration #border crisis #refugees #GOP #Texas

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Louie Gohmert, Asshole of the Day for July 14, 2014

by TeaPartyCat (Follow @TeaPartyCat)

As the immigration crisis continues, there's lots of strange things being done and said. Last week the big story was Rick Perry positing conspiracy theories about Obama somehow being involved in it, without ever explaining how, and even refused to shake Obama's hand. It was way out there.

So perhaps sensing that his territory in Crazy Town was being infringed on by Gov. Perry, Rep. Louie Gohmert suggested that Perry should lead Texas into a war against these recent immigrants:

“Even with $3.7 billion that’s requested, there’s no way for what’s being called for is going to stop the invasion that’s occurring,” Gohmert said. “That’s why I’m hoping that my governor will utilize Article 1, Section 10, that allows a state that is being invaded — in our case more than twice as many just in recent months, more than twice as many than invaded France on D-Day with a doubling of that coming en route, on their way here now under Article 1, Section 10, the state of Texas would appear to have the right, not only to use whatever means, whether it’s troops, even using ships of war, even exacting a tax on interstate commerce that wouldn’t normally be allowed to have or utilize, they’d be entitled in order to pay to stop the invasion.”

Yep, he's really suggesting that Texas can have it's own border war without the federal government's involvement or approval. It's a pretty crazy thing to say, and despite his citing sections of the Constitution, not actually supported by the Constitution (read more about that here).

But that's not the worst part of this. What Rep. Gohmert is not mentioning, and which he certainly knows or could find out if he spent two minutes looking it up, is that the migrants causing the crisis are children, many of whom are under 10. So when he says Texas should go to war with these invaders, he's saying the Texas National Guard should start shooting 10-year-olds. But he's not saying that out loud, is he, because he knows how that will sound.

So, for saying that Texas should start shooting 10-year-olds at the border, Louie Gohmert is Asshole of the Day.

It is Louie Gohmert's fourth time as Asshole of the Day. Previous wins were for saying that

Full story: Think Progress

#asshole of the day #Louie Gohmert #immigration crisis #anti-immigrant #xenophobe #GOP #Texas

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Rick Perry, Asshole of the Day for July 8, 2014

by TeaPartyCat (Follow @TeaPartyCat)

Last week Gov. Rick Perry was discussing the immigration crisis and suggested that Obama was "in on this somehow". How? Well, he wouldn't say. When pressed a few days later, he stuck to his story and even said he didn't want to venture into conspiracy theories. Sorry, Governor, but suggesting the President is somehow getting children to illegally cross the border without explaining details or motive is conspiracy theory. You're already there. I satirized this as

Rick Perry: “I just think Obama sponsored Central American death squads so concerned parents would flood the US border with their kids.”

— Top Conservative Cat (@TeaPartyCat) July 8, 2014

But that's just one theory. I'm sure Perry has more and will share them when he gets a chance, right?

And now today the Perry has taken it up a notch by refusing to shake hands with President Obama when he comes to Texas:

The governor's office says the White House extended an invitation to Perry to meet Obama on the tarmac when he arrives for Democratic fundraisers in Dallas and Austin. However, Perry refused the offer, asking instead to meet with Obama in private to discuss the high number of unaccompanied children arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border in recent months.

“I appreciate the offer to greet you at Austin-Bergstrom Airport, but a quick handshake on the tarmac will not allow for a thoughtful discussion regarding the humanitarian and national security crises enveloping the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas,” Perry wrote Monday in a letter to the president. “I would instead offer to meet with you at any time during your visit to Texas for a substantive meeting to discuss this critical issue.”

Yes, you read that right-- Rick Perry said he wants a "thoughtful discussion". Rick Perry.

Now I’m sure any minute now Fox News and Republicans will begin hyperventilating over Rick Perry refusing to shake hands with the President of the United States, just like they did over the Dixie Chicks saying they weren’t proud of President Bush. I’ll wait…

Still waiting…

Of course that's never going to happen, because Fox News never cared about respecting the office, only respecting it when a Republican is in it. Just another cudgel to use against their opponents.

And maybe I’m being too harsh. Maybe Rick Perry has some valid excuses:

Maybe he only has room in his head for two things, so if he shakes hands, then he’ll forget something important. Oops!

Maybe he’s worried he’ll catch socialist cooties.

Maybe he’s worried shaking hands will allow Obama to perform a jedi-mind-meld on him.

Maybe he’s worried a photo of him shaking hands with Obama will be used against him in the 2016 primary.

Oh, wait! That’s it!

And more to the point-- what thoughtful discussion does Rick Perry want to have with the man who he's accused of "being in on it"? Frankly after his previous statements, you'd think Rick Perry was planning a citizen's arrest of Obama; anything less and he's just another RINO squish.

So, for accusing Obama of plotting to create a humanitarian crisis and then refusing to shake hands with him, Rick Perry is the Asshole of the Day.

It is Gov. Perry’s 5th time as Asshole of the Day. Previous wins were for

Full story: HuffPo

#asshole of the day #Rick Perry #immigration crisis #humanitarian crisis #handshake #dixie chicks #GOP #Texas #immigration

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Is Rick Perry Asshole of the Day for comparing homosexuality to alcoholism?

After the Texas GOP included the discredited "gay cure therapy" in its platform, someone asked Rick Perry what he thought. After he said he didn't know if it worked (it doesn't), he then added:

"Whether or not you feel compelled to follow a particular lifestyle or not, you have the ability to decide not to do that," he responded, as quoted by the San Francisco Chronicle. "I may have the genetic coding that I'm inclined to be an alcoholic, but I have the desire not to do that, and I look at the homosexual issue the same way."

Sorry, Governor, but no, it's nothing like that.

Alcohol is something used by a large portion of the population, without much problem and without addiction. It is only some people who have a problem with it and need help to stop.

Homosexuality is not an addiction. For the comparison to work, Rick Perry would have to believe that for most people homosexuality is fine, but only some have a problem. But he doesn't believe anything like that. He thinks all gay people have a problem, and that none of them should ever act on their desires.

Rick Perry himself drinks alcohol but isn't an alcoholic (as far as we know). And the worst that happens when he drinks is that he forgets the third thing-- Oops!-- and blows his presidential campaign, but he didn't enter a program after.

But we don't expect Rick Perry to be able to think these things all the way through-- he's the guy who said evolution is "a theory that's out there", and thought that was a satisfactory answer.

Photo source: The Politburo of Teabilly Mockery Facebook page

#asshole #Rick Perry #bigot #gay cure #gay conversion therapy #homophobe #Texas #GOP #alcoholism

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Louie Gohmert, Asshole of the Day for April 3, 2014

by TeaPartyCat (Follow @TeaPartyCat)

So often with Louie Gohmert the question is -- is he an asshole? Or an idiot? And when I phrase it that way the most common answer is "why can't it be both?" Louie Gohmert often says the dumbest things of any congressman, which is saying something with Michele Bachmann and Paul Broun as colleagues, and what always stands out is how uncurious he is to learn the facts and how content he is with his limited understanding of things. And for being an idiot who doesn't seek to be smarter, when the facts are within his grasp, he is an asshole.

And his latest pronouncement is typical for him-- it combines a limited understanding with an unwillingness to think it through. See if you can spot the problem when he starts talking about the separation of church and state:

Gohmert pointed out that a Congressional Research Service report revealed that President Thomas Jefferson, who coined the phrase “separation of church and state,” had also attended church services at Statuary Hall.

“But it was to be a one-way wall, where the state would not dictate to the church,” the Texas Republican insisted. “But the church would certainly play a role in the state.”

“So, that’s a little different idea than a lot of people have about separation of church and state now,” he added. “Including some of our esteemed Supreme Court, who are not quite as familiar with our history as they probably should be.”

This really isn't hard-- church and state either must be separate or not. There can't be a role for the church in state without the state being in the church. And here's why: how does he decide which church gets to play a role in the state? How do you balance the competing interests of different churches?

As he may know, there is more than one religion and church in this country. Would he like the Muslim churches to play a role in the state, or is he only reserving that role for Christian churches?

And of course there are many Christian sects with different views on things— for example, not all Christian churches think abortion or contraception or gay marriage are against their religion. Would he be OK with those Christian churches having a role in the state, or only his denomination?

And that's where it becomes pretty clear that Louie Gohmert isn't interested in thinking things through because he's settled on his church being the one that has influence and dictating laws to the rest of the country, many of whom don't share his view of Christianity or aren't even Christian at all. But he doesn't care if the religious needs of others are trampled. He doesn't see-- and isn't interested in seeing-- that keeping religion out of the government protects the religious interests of everyone, including him.

The Founding Fathers didn’t set up a theocracy, but since he's doesn't see that, and does't care understand how important that is, he is the Asshole of the Day.

It is Louie Gohmert's third time as Asshole of the Day. Previous wins were for saying that cutting food stamps would help poor people avoid obesity and saying that pregnant women should have to give birth to brain-dead babies.

Full story and video: Raw Story

#asshole of the day #Louie Gohmert #church and state #establishment clause #theocracy #GOP #Texas #religion #religious freedom

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Is Louie Gohmert Asshole of the Day (again)?

Is Louie Gohmert asshole of the day for saying that separation of church and state is only to keep the state out of church?

Gohmert pointed out that a Congressional Research Service report revealed that President Thomas Jefferson, who coined the phrase “separation of church and state,” had also attended church services at Statuary Hall.

“But it was to be a one-way wall, where the state would not dictate to the church,” the Texas Republican insisted. “But the church would certainly play a role in the state.”

“So, that’s a little different idea than a lot of people have about separation of church and state now,” he added. “Including some of our esteemed Supreme Court, who are not quite as familiar with our history as they probably should be.”

More, including video, at http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/04/01/louie-gohmert-separation-of-church-and-state-means-church-plays-a-role-in-the-state/

With Louie Gohmert the question is often is he an asshole or just an idiot? Of course when I ask it that way, most people answer "both". And here we are again.

Well, let's explain to Mr. Gohmert why it can't be one way, where church can play a role in the state but not the other way. It's very simple-- which church gets to play a role in the state? Who decides? As he may know, there is more than one religion and church in the US. Would he like the Muslim churches to play a role in the state, or is he only reserving that role for Christian churches?

And of course there are many Christian churches with different views on things-- for example, not all Christian churches think abortion or contraception or gay marriage are against their religion. Would he be OK with those Christian churches having a role in the state, or only his denomination?

And once you realize that he thinks it should be only his church, then it becomes obvious why we need that wall, and how it protects him too.

The Founding Fathers didn't set up a theocracy, and so we shouldn't impose one now.

Photo source: http://gohmert.house.gov/images/lg_headshot.jpg

#asshole #Louie Gohmert #theocracy #church and state #establishment clause #1st amendment #GOP #Texas #idiot

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Is Rafael Cruz Asshole of the Day (again)?

Is Rafael Cruz asshole of the day for saying gay rights are a communist plot that will lead to child abuse?

“Sexual orientation is a choice, it’s not a civil right,” Cruz said while discussing cases of anti-gay discrimination in business. “The left is trying to redefine the issue as a civil right, not as a personal choice. They have gone to the extent to even try to make it illegal for counselors to administer to these people that have certain sexual tendencies to try to work with them from the Christian, biblical standpoint.”

Cruz later added that he opposes gay rights — which he believes are part of a Communist plot and lead to child abuse — because he loves gay people and does not want to “prostitute the Gospel.”

http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/rafael-cruz-defends-ex-gay-therapy-sexual-orientation-choice

Oh, boo hoo! Anti-gay therapy, which doesn't even work, is being outlawed. And it was such a great way for guys like Rafael Cruz to push their hateful worldview onto gay men. I guess the only civil right isn't for gay people to be treated as citizens, according to him, but his right to demonize and demean them.

Ted Cruz is a major league asshole. We named him 2013 Asshole of the Year. But he didn't just learn to be an asshole-- his dad taught him.

I guess we shouldn't be surprised considering he is "a pastor based in North Texas serving as the Director of Purifying Fire Ministries".

Photo source: http://www.truethevotesummit.com/Home/Speaker/10

#asshole #RAFAEL CRUZ #bigot #homophobe #gay therapy #gay cure #Texas #GOP

assholeofday

Beth Cubriel, Asshole of the Day for March 20, 2014

by TeaPartyCat (Follow @TeaPartyCat)

Another day, another GOP female official is trotted out to give a lame excuse for not supporting equal pay laws. So far we've had Minnesota state Rep. Andrea Kieffer saying equal pay laws would be bad because it makes them seem like whiners and Cari Christman of Red State Women saying women are "too busy" to need equal pay laws. And now we have executive director of the Texas Republican Party, Beth Cubriel saying women just need to be better negotiators:

"Men are better negotiators," Beth Cubriel said on YNN’s "Capital Tonight." "I would encourage women, instead of pursuing the courts for action, to become better negotiators."

The Texas Republican party has come under fire for its stance on fair pay, and its gubernatorial candidate, Greg Abbott, has dodged the question of whether he would support equal pay legislation such as the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. The bill allows women to sue their employers for paying their male colleagues more for the same work whenever the pay discrimination is discovered, rather than barring them from doing so after 180 days following the first discriminatory paycheck. The law was inspired by Lilly Ledbetter, a woman who had worked for Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. for almost 20 years when she received a note alerting her that she was being paid 40 percent less than her male colleagues of equal or lesser superiority.

She admits that men are paid more, but thinks it's due to better negotiating.

But maybe she should consider that maybe men are “better negotiators” because the deck isn’t stacked against them. Or that men have an advantage over women because:

Laws favor men.
Sexism favors men.

And there are many sexist things which may all contribute to lower pay seeming justified, regardless of negotiation skill:

Sexists think women can't do as good a job, regardless of experience or qualifications. So since they’re perceived to do an inferior job.
Sexists think that women may leave the workforce to have children, and are paid less because they aren't perceived to have the same loyalty to the company.
Sexists think that women with children will be distracted by their children’s needs and schedules, and probably take more days off or leave early and generally be less committed and not work as hard.

All of those things would, in a sexist's mind, justify lower pay.

Or you could just ignore all the evidence of lingering sexism and blame women for not being good negotiators. That's victim blaming. Some women are being paid less because of sexism, but Beth Cubriel blames them for not being good negotiators. And for that, she is the Asshole of the Day.

It is Beth Cubriel's first time as Asshole of the Day. She joins Minnesota state Rep. Andrea Kieffer who won yesterday for suggesting that women not have equal pay laws because it makes them seem like whiners.

Full story: HuffPo

#asshole of the day #Beth Cubriel #equal pay #war on women #Texas #GOP #sexism

assholeofday

Is Beth Cubriel Asshole of the Day?

Is Beth Cubriel asshole of the day for saying instead of equal pay laws, women should become "better negotiators"?

the executive director of the Texas Republican Party stepped in to explain the GOP's alternative to fair pay legislation.

"Men are better negotiators," Beth Cubriel said on YNN’s "Capital Tonight." "I would encourage women, instead of pursuing the courts for action, to become better negotiators."

The Texas Republican party has come under fire for its stance on fair pay, and its gubernatorial candidate, Greg Abbott, has dodged the question of whether he would support equal pay legislation such as the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. The bill allows women to sue their employers for paying their male colleagues more for the same work whenever the pay discrimination is discovered, rather than barring them from doing so after 180 days following the first discriminatory paycheck. The law was inspired by Lilly Ledbetter, a woman who had worked for Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. for almost 20 years when she received a note alerting her that she was being paid 40 percent less than her male colleagues of equal or lesser superiority.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/18/texas-gop-equal-pay_n_4985231.html?utm_hp_ref=tw

By saying she encourages women to become better negotiators, Ms. Cubriel is admitting women are paid less. She just doesn't think the lawy should do anything about it. Women should just be better negotiators.

Or maybe men are "better negotiators" because the deck isn’t stacked against them. Or that men have an advantage over women because--

Laws favor men.
Lingering sexism favors men.

And the sexism includes many things that contribute to lower pay seeming justified, regardless of negotiation skill:

Prejudice against women being able to do the job, so they're perceived to do worse at it and therefore should be paid less out of fairness.
Perception that women may leave the workforce, and so they don't need as much money because they won't be loyal.
Perception that women with children will be distracted by their children's concerns, and probably take more days off or leave early and generally be less committed and not work as hard.

Or you could just ignore everything and blame women for not being good negotiators. While you're at it though, Ms. Cubriel, why don't you ask what she's wearing too since this is really just more victim blaming.

Photo source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/18/texas-gop-equal-pay_n_4985231.html

#asshole #Beth Cubriel #equal pay #sexism #Texas #GOP #war on women

assholeofday

Is Cari Christman Asshole of the Day?

Is Cari Christman asshole of the day for saying women are "too busy" to need equal pay laws?

The leader of a recently-launched politically action committee aimed at female voters in Texas said this week that equal pay lays were not “practical” because women were “extremely busy.”

...

“We believe that Texas women want and deserve equal pay,” Christman admitted. “But honestly, Jason, we don’t believe the Lilly Ledbetter Act is what’s going to solve that problem for women. We believe that women want real-world solutions to this problem, not more rhetoric.”

But after Whitely asked Christman to provide a better solution for equal pay, the PAC leader stumbled with some awkward rhetoric of her own.

“If you look at it, women are… extremely busy, we lead busy lives,” she explained. “And times are extremely busy. It’s just — it’s a busy cycle for women, and we’ve got a lot to juggle.”

“And so when we look at this issue, we think, what’s practical?” Christman continued. “And we want more access to jobs. And we want to be able to go to get a higher education degree at the same time we’re working or raising a family. That’s common sense. And we believe that real-world solution is a more practical way to approach the problem.”

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/03/17/awkward-gop-womens-pac-leader-says-women-too-busy-to-need-equal-pay-laws/

So to summarize her argument:

“We believe that Texas women want and deserve equal pay”
But we don't believe that laws requiring equal pay will help
Instead bland platitudes about a better economy will be better than equal pay

Except here's the problem, Ms. Christman-- even if the economy gets better, women might earn more, but they will still be earning less than men, and that's not fairer.

You've agreed that the current situation in which some women are paid less by sexist employers is unfair; you just don't care.

You should talk to Rep. Andrea Keiffer, yesterday's Asshole of the Day, who said equal pay laws make women seem like whiners, and which is somehow worse than being paid less.

Photo source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/17/head-of-gop-womens-pac-fl_n_4978650.html

#asshole #Cari Christman #equal pay #war on women #Texas #GOP #Red State Women

assholeofday

Election Day For Texas Assholes

Today is the primary in Texas, and Sen. John Cornyn is facing off against Rep. Steve Stockman and Chris Mapp. This is, to our knowledge, the first time 3 Assholes of the Day have faced each other in an election, so here's our recap of how each won.

The Incumbent: Sen. John Cornyn

Sen. Cornyn was named Asshole of the Day in November when he claimed that Obama only negotiated a deal with Iran to distract from Obamacare. Seriously. A deal in the works for years was just a distraction. And of course Iran would go along with it to help Obama. Just ridiculous.

Challenger #1: Steve Stockman

Rep. Steve Stockman says and does a lot of crazy stuff. Like inviting Ted Nugent to the State of the Union as his guest. Or saying things like this about rape:

His Senate campaign has been a disaster, including such notables as having his campaign office condemned.

Rep. Stockman says crazy stuff all the time, and while he's only been named Asshole of the Day twice, he's been nominated many times.

Challenger #2: Chris Mapp

Mr. Mapp made national news recently when he said ranchers should be able to "shoot wetbacks on sight". And he defended the use of "wetback" because other people say it.

So we can't say who will win today, but since the GOP usually wins state-wide races in the state, we're ready to call the race and say that Texas loses.

#Texas #GOP #Senate #John Cornyn #Steve Stockman #Chris Mapp #election guide

assholeofday

Is Rick Perry Asshole of the Day (again)?

Is Rick Perry asshole of the day for saying that Texans have the right to ban gay marriage?

After a federal judge overturned Texas' ban on gay marriage, Gov. Perry said:

"Texans spoke loud and clear by overwhelmingly voting to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman in our Constitution, and it is not the role of the federal government to overturn the will of our citizens," Perry said.

Perry shared his stance in a statement Wednesday afternoon after U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia ruled the state's ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional. Garcia also issued a stay on the ruling so the ban will remain in place for now.

"The 10th Amendment guarantees Texas voters the freedom to make these decisions, and this is yet another attempt to achieve via the courts what couldn’t be achieved at the ballot box. We will continue to fight for the rights of Texans to self-determine the laws of our state."

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/rick-perry-gay-marriage-ban-unconstitutional

Except here's the thing-- states' rights (the 10th Amendment) does not allow states to violate federal law. Federal law is supreme. There's even a thing in the Constitution called the supremacy clause. Really. Go look it up, Governor, and stop picking and choosing which parts of the Constitution you'll follow, just as you pick and choose which parts of the Bible to follow by emphasizing the Old Testament ban on sodomy and completely ignoring all the things Jesus said about helping the poor.

And furthermore there is no right for a majority of Texans to pass laws to deny rights to other Texans. Rights are rights and everyone gets them.

Photo source: http://governor.state.tx.us/about/

#asshole #Rick Perry #gay marriage #Texas #GOP #bigot #states rights #same sex marriage