Sunday, May 22, 2005
OVERREACH AROUND
There has been much talk recently about how the far right may be letting the perceived role it played in Bush's re-election go to its head. This is being labeled as "overreach," and has cropped up multiple times over the last few months, from the Schiavo shenanigans to Justice Sunday to the public celebration of one Tom DeLay. This overreach may have everything to do with Bush's sinking public approval numbers, and yet the far right continues to push its extreme agenda forward. Whether it's one congressman's attempt to rename a dirty, dirty interstate, or another's efforts to get Tony Soprano to stop cussing, it continues. So as a public service, and because it's a lot of fun to point out just how insane the far right can be, I felt it may be helpful to illustrate a few examples of this overreach.
To be fair though, Republicans and their advocates aren't the only ones guilty of overeach. No, down in Texas, even moderate (read: desperate) Democrats have dipped their toe in the overeach waters. Last month, State Rep. Al Edwards, a Democrat, and fellow lawmakers in the Texas legislature worked extremely hard against the scourge of our nation: booty-shakin' cheerleaders. Yes, Mr. Edwards and 85 other House members approved legislation that would have allowed the Texas Education Agency authority to punish schools that allow "overtly sexually suggestive" cheerleader routines. Personally, I think old Al just wanted to spend his days at "work" looking up cheerleader's skirts, but maybe he's on to something. I mean really, Paula Abdul was a cheerleader and look how she turned out. This must be stopped and we can't simply rely on creepy old guys to stop these girls from gettin' jiggy with it, now can we?
Please wake me when everyone regains their sanity. Thanks.
MORE
Karena: GOP Scandals Keep Piling Up
Digby: Blasphemous Perverts
IMDB: But I'm A Cheerleader!
Focus on the Family's advice about how to talk to your kids about sex:
"Curl up on the sofa, pop a bowl of popcorn, fix their favorite beverage and go for it."
There has been much talk recently about how the far right may be letting the perceived role it played in Bush's re-election go to its head. This is being labeled as "overreach," and has cropped up multiple times over the last few months, from the Schiavo shenanigans to Justice Sunday to the public celebration of one Tom DeLay. This overreach may have everything to do with Bush's sinking public approval numbers, and yet the far right continues to push its extreme agenda forward. Whether it's one congressman's attempt to rename a dirty, dirty interstate, or another's efforts to get Tony Soprano to stop cussing, it continues. So as a public service, and because it's a lot of fun to point out just how insane the far right can be, I felt it may be helpful to illustrate a few examples of this overreach.
- The American Family Association, perhaps the champion of the far-right wingnuts, recently urged a boycott of Ritz crackers, Oreo cookies and other Kraft-made snack foods because of the company's sponsorship of the 2006 Gay Games in Chicago. While I can maybe understand how uncomfortable the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile may make some AFA members, this seems a bit, um, insane.
- Describing itself as "the only carrier that is taking an active stand against same sex marriages and hardcore child pornography," a telecommunications company called United American Technologies has trained its phone operators to denounce competing carriers as God-hating pedophiles and evil perverts. Nice sales pitch! A beautiful man named Eugene Mirman recorded a few hilariously scary calls he made to the company here, here and here. With Mr. Mirman asking questions such as "so MCI basically has a child pornography ring?" and "basically, God hates AT&T, MCI, and Verizon, right?" these are a must-listen. (via Wonkette)
- An Alabama (suprise!) congressman, Gerald Allen, is pushing legislation through the State senate that would ban libraries from carrying any plays or books by gay authors or about gay characters. So wait, the library would basically be filled with the entire Left Behind series and copies of the Bible? That sucks. Wait, who goes to the libary anymore?? Nevermind.
To be fair though, Republicans and their advocates aren't the only ones guilty of overeach. No, down in Texas, even moderate (read: desperate) Democrats have dipped their toe in the overeach waters. Last month, State Rep. Al Edwards, a Democrat, and fellow lawmakers in the Texas legislature worked extremely hard against the scourge of our nation: booty-shakin' cheerleaders. Yes, Mr. Edwards and 85 other House members approved legislation that would have allowed the Texas Education Agency authority to punish schools that allow "overtly sexually suggestive" cheerleader routines. Personally, I think old Al just wanted to spend his days at "work" looking up cheerleader's skirts, but maybe he's on to something. I mean really, Paula Abdul was a cheerleader and look how she turned out. This must be stopped and we can't simply rely on creepy old guys to stop these girls from gettin' jiggy with it, now can we?
Please wake me when everyone regains their sanity. Thanks.
MORE
Karena: GOP Scandals Keep Piling Up
Digby: Blasphemous Perverts
IMDB: But I'm A Cheerleader!
Focus on the Family's advice about how to talk to your kids about sex:
"Curl up on the sofa, pop a bowl of popcorn, fix their favorite beverage and go for it."
Comments:
Post a Comment
"
