Exposing the Right?s Bigotry -- The Religious Right?s annual ?Values Voter Summit? is here taking place this weekend in Washington, DC. The yearly gathering, which routinely proves a bubbling cauldron of lies and hate speech against gays, progressives, Muslims and women?s rights, will feature the Republican presidential candidates this year in yet another example of their exhaustive pandering to extremists. At the event, Mitt Romney is scheduled to take the stage immediately before American Family Association (AFA) spokesman Bryan Fischer, a man whose record of outspoken bigotry is so shocking he would be an anathema to any reasonable political movement. Bryan Fischer?s rants against gays, Muslims, Native Americans and others have been well chronicled on PFAW?s Right Wing Watch blog coverage which has been picked up by media outlets including The Rachel Maddow Show. Right Wing Watch will be providing live coverage of the Values Voter Summit throughout the weekend ... but, spoiler alert, you probably shouldn?t expect Romney to speak out against Fischer?s hate speech any more than he did against the audience member at a presidential debate who booed a gay soldier asking a question about Don?t Ask, Don?t Tell.
Fighting to Uphold Ethics on the Supreme Court -- Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has some serious ethics problems and it?s time they were addressed. He failed to include hundreds of thousands of dollars of his wife?s income on an important judicial disclosure form. He reportedly received lavish gifts and favors from a real estate magnate and personal friend who has close ties to the right-wing American Enterprise Institute, a group which has itself given Justice Thomas a $15K gift. Justice Thomas refused to recuse himself from three Supreme Court cases in which AEI had filed briefs (and their side won). He has also so far refused to recuse himself from the upcoming Court consideration of the health care reform law, even though his wife, a Tea Party big wig, has worked tirelessly to defeat the law. And the appearances of impropriety also extend to Thomas? attendance at a strategy retreat and fundraisers sponsored by the Koch brothers the right-wing political mega donors who have tremendous stake in many Supreme Court cases and have benefited tremendously by the decision in Citizens United v. FEC. PFAW was early in joining members of Congress who called for Thomas? recusal from the health care case and for an ethics investigation by the Judiciary Committee -- a request which was just revived and formalized by Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR). PFAW is also engaging our supporters to add grassroots weight to a request from 20 members of Congress that the Judicial Conference of the Office of Administration refer ethics complaints to the Department of Justice for an investigation by that department.
The Corporate Court?s Back in Session -- This week, the Supreme Court kicked off a new term in what we?re calling ?The Citizens United Era.? There are several cases which could pit corporate power -- and the right-wing members of the Court who worship at its altar against the fundamental rights of individual Americans and their access to justice. Our affiliate People For the American Way Foundation just released an edit memo to the media detailing just what?s on tap this term. And in advance of the new term, PFAW Foundation released the report, ?The Citizens United Era: How the Supreme Court Continues to Put Business First.? Both PFAW Foundation and PFAW will continue to fight vigorously for a fair, just Supreme Court and judicial branch.
Youth Spotlight: Michigan State Representative Jim Ananich -- State Rep. Ananich sponsored a bill this year that pushes for an overhaul of Michigan?s foreclosure system by adding a judicial review to protect families. Michigan currently has the fourth highest number of foreclosures in the country, and that climate has exposed problems in the state?s foreclosure-by-advertisement process. Calling the current system ?outdated,? Rep. Ananich said moving to judicial foreclosure would ?protect homeowners and make sure the home won?t be stolen out from under them.? We?re glad to have this dynamic young leader, and member of PFAW Foundation?s Young Elected Officials (YEO) Network, on the side of families impacted by the recession and the reckless policies of Wall Street.
These are incredibly important times, with our country tested by big challenges and presented with the decision of whether to adhere to the core values that have made us strong or trade them in for the nihilistic ideology of the Tea Party and the Far Right.
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I'll believe corporations are persons when Texas executes one.: LBJ's Ghost
noun, plural
1.
stubborn and complete intolerance of any creed, belief, or opinion that differs from one's own.
2.
the actions, beliefs, prejudices, etc., of a bigot.
stubborn and complete intolerance of any creed, belief, or opinion that differs from one's own.
Lutherans, Methodists, Episcopalians, or Catholics are creeds. They have roots going back over long traditions based on their interpretations of serious scripture. The teapoopers favor a backwards strict interpretation of over-edited parables explained to them by unctuous televangelists & morons.
One can respect while disagreeing with a serious religion seeking truths but not a conjob based on selling LIES to the ignorant.
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I'll believe corporations are persons when Texas executes one.: LBJ's Ghost
noun, plural
1.
stubborn and complete intolerance of any creed, belief, or opinion that differs from one's own.
2.
the actions, beliefs, prejudices, etc., of a bigot.
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