In Honor of Rep. Darryl Issa

With thanks to John Cole.

Payback

And the Republicans don't like it.

The Republican freshman class in the House is very willing to forget the past and move ahead.

House Republican freshmen admit that their so-called "MediScare" attacks on Democrats helped them win a big majority in 2010. Democrats had voted for the health care law, which included $500 billion in "cuts" to Medicare -- primarily slashing overpayments to private insurers -- and Republican challengers never let them forget it.

Now, they say, it's time to let bygones be bygones.

They don't want anyone to remember that they got into office by sniping at the Democrats for gutting Medicare:

"Let's get past the past. Let's move forward to the future, and say, 'ok, today is today, and we have a real problem,'" Kinzinger said.

The teabaggers in Congress are the problem, if you ask me, so I think the Democrats are, for a change, doing the right thing: using their own tactics against them. After all, it worked for the loonies.

And let's face it, Paul Ryan's "Roadmap to Ruin," which they all voted for, is one hell of an albatross. I don't see why the Democrats should let anyone forget what these assholes are about.

Here's the letter. Talk about a mealy-mouthed piece of CYA.

My advice to the Democrats: hit them harder, and don't let up.

I Feel Better

I just wrote a letter to my Republican Senator, Mark Kirk, about his proposals for budget cuts.

It was polite, but brutal.

I feel much better now.

Close to Home

Just ran across this post from Ed Brayton. It's got me pretty pissed off. Quoting Bob Barr:

The US Air Force, at no less a prestigious location than the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, has taken the notion of religious tolerance to a new level, in creating an outdoor worship area for pagans. The site, apparently sacred to pagans, consists of an inner and an outer circle of large stones. I'm sorry, but this truly is hilarious. Don't get me wrong, if someone "has little or no religion and delights in sensual pleasures and material goods," which is the definition of a "pagan," then I say live and let live. (Emphasis added.)

Whose definition is that? Not mine, and I am one. Offhand, I can't think of a single Witch I know who has "little or no religion." Like me, they're all pretty devout, and most are more observant than I am. Keep in mind that most of us are converts, and there's none more serious about a faith than a convert. (There are those who would object to my using "convert" to describe this experience, because in theory you don't have to give anything up. In reality, you leave a lot of bullshit behind you.) As for delighting in "sensual pleasures and material goods," that's just totally self-serving crap.

I'll readily grant that we're not ashamed of having bodies, or of enjoying them. Can I point out here that a recent study indicated that people have sex because it's fun? Not to make babies, but because they enjoy it. (Take it as a given that when someone with Barr's credentials mentions "hedonism," as he does elsewhere in his remarks, it's code for "screwing without shame.") No one's managed to come up with a reason to be ashamed of having a body that makes any sense to me -- being ashamed of mistreating it, sure, but not of having it to begin with. And I fully realize that things such as gluttony, drunkeness, and lust are sins to Christians, but that doesn't seem to stop anyone.

As for delighting in material goods, huh? No more than anyone else, and probably a lot less than most. Most of the Witches I know live fairly modestly, as do I. Partly it's because none of us make as much as, say, Wall Street bankers, but it's also a matter of belief. Take me as an example: I'm pretty much a non-consumer. I just bought a new computer after nine years; this is the third computer I've owned since 1985 -- not what you'd call a lot of eagerness for the latest gadget. My other wants are likewise modest. Any new clothes I've bought in the past five years have come from resale shops. My cookware is old, but still very functional. Likewise my furniture, of which there isn't a great deal, and much of which was bought second-hand -- happily, with my backround and training, I have a good eye. (One aspect of this, which will make sense in a bit: when I buy something, I buy the best quality I can afford, even if it means tightening up a bit in other places -- that way, I don't have to replace it as soon.)

There is a religious belief aspect to this non-consumption: Paganism is an earth-centered religion, and as such is concerned with preservation. Unlike Christianity, Paganism doesn't see unlimited exploitation of the world as a god-given right. It's also a pretty pragmatic religion. So, I'm stuck in the middle of one of the most profligate cultures the world has ever seen. Making the best of it means setting an example of living in the culture without subscribing to its excesses.

Barr's remarks reflect the arrogance and condescension that seem part and parcel of any discussion by so-called "Christians" about anyone who doesn't follow their preaching. Frankly, I'm not really inclined to be very forgiving of this kind of open contempt, especially when it's trying to disguise itself as "tolerance."

(Oh, and about Pagans in the armed forces: we're basically disinclined to violence, at least in theory. But we're not forbidden to fight. Remember that the next time you feel like trashing me or my religion.)

Obama's Promises

From Joe Sudbay at AmericaBlog:

Apparently, your president thought it was kinda funny. He made a joke about the protest during the event, according to the New York Times:

“One of them said, “Obama keep your promise,’ ” the president said. “I thought that’s fair. I don’t know which promise he was talking about.”

See Sudbay's post for the video.

Maybe that's going to be his excuse for not keeping any of them.

Special Message for The Dobson Gang

And Sarah Palin, and Orson Scott Card, and Ann Coulter, and Michael Steele -- and all your "gay friends."

I love this thing. I just love it. (Definitely NSFW)



From Joe.My.God via AmericaBlog.

This one will go viral, watch for it.

(Did I mention that I love it?)