RK ARCHIVE - Interesting News Items; Open Thread

*Soon-to-be-former right-wing Republican Senator Rick Santorum explains the connection between Iraq and the "war on terror." You see, it's like this, "As the hobbits are going up Mount Doom, the Eye of Mordor is being drawn somewhere else..." No, I'm not kidding...couldn't make this s*** up!

Comments

Airing out the GOP closet (Kindler - 10/17/2006 9:02:49 PM)

One of the truly fascinating things about the Foley scandal is how it is uncovering this whole underground gay Republican Congressional subculture. The whole phony Republican "family values" routine is collapsing like a house of cards and I cannot imagine that the evangelical base of the party is pleased to learn the truth about the leaders in whom they have invested so much.

The Post's Michael Grunwald suggested that all these gay Republican members and staffers should get their own cable reality show. I agree. Maybe something like "Queer Eye for the Right Wing Demagogue"? ("Denny, dahling, you simply must go with the lavender tie for your traditional marriage speeech!")

several comments (teacherken - 10/17/2006 9:48:32 PM)

Craig was in a group of singing Senators that included then Senator John Ashcroft! Of course it also included Jeffords, so don't draw any conclusions.

On Survey USA,Bush's numbers in Virginia are now tied for the second lowest point, at 39% approval. It was once 37%, if you look at the trend. And the trend is not positive.

Nationwide, many pundits think if Bush is below 40% nationally (as he is now in EVERY national poll) the Republicans will lose both House and Senate.

The election is still 3 weeks away, but it increasingly seems to be becoming nationalized. The issues are there, even if not all talked about. The Foley and related matters are only a small part of an overall picture of corruption. Iraq is still massive. And Republican attempts to talk about how good the economy is makes them appear woefully out of touch to the ordinary people whose economic situation is not improved, even if the stock market is at record highs.

The question is if individual Democratic candidates can frame these issues in a way that persuade disaffect voters to turn out and vote for them, not just against Republicans or saying a pox on both your houses and staying home. Remember, a negative attack add can dissuade an Allen supporter, and that is a net gain of one vote. But a properly framed ad can switch a voter from Allen to Webb, and that's a gain of two votes.

Craig: A Sad Case (PM - 10/17/2006 9:54:21 PM)

I read Mike Rodgers blog on this, and it seems like Craig was under scrutiny 24 or so years ago, if I remember the dates right.

Why it's sad: imagine having to skulk around and hide this all your life. I wish all the gays on the Hill, and the higher up ones in the agencies, of both parties, would come out together on one day with an announcement that they weren't going to take it any more. That's what they need -- safety in numbers.

And remember this -- Jesus never said one thing about gays or gay marriage. He healed the companion of the centurion, who some think might have been a gay companion. And Jesus' message was inclusion.

Anyone remember this story (see below)? Not much came of it, except that the ringleader "committed suicide." I recall reading the lead DOJ attorney was Rudy Guiliani. The thing is -- homosexuality should not be a scandal.

One Other Poll and A Comment on Desperation (PM - 10/17/2006 10:12:50 PM)

http://www.surveyusa...

Republican John Kyl can't seem to shake Pederson. It's still 48-43.

Desperation: You can see it in some of the GOP candidates. Santorum really lost it during one of his debates with Casey. http://www.youtube.c... (Casey had been asking Santorum about the claim of the Penn Hills School District. The district (which has a Dem board) announced that it did not believe Santorum met the qualifications for residency status, because he and his family spent most of the year in Virginia. They demanded repayment of tuition costs totaling $67,000 paid to Santorum.)

Jim Webb is in an enviable position. Win or lose, he has something meaningful to do. Guys like Santorum and Allen are professional pols. When they lose, it's like an athlete being cut from the team at age 40, with no career ahead of them. Sure, the pols will make money lobbying, but they'll lose all the power/ego/stroking stuff.

I thought so highly of Webb when I heard him say that winning the Senate race was not the be all and end all.

Passing Out Flyers (norman swingvoter - 10/17/2006 10:20:48 PM)

Just got back from a political meeting for city council at my next door neighbors. I carried some of my flyers, but we had to swear to stick to city politics. I did get some addresses though and just sent out some in the mail so word is slowly spreading. If you carry a supply of your flyers, I have noticed that opportunities often come to pass them out.

And Santorum keeps digging himself into a hole... (Delta Mike - 10/17/2006 10:31:44 PM)

"You know, what we have is a lousy enemy," Santorum said about the Taliban resurgence in Afghanistan. "This enemy is really tough. And I underestimated this enemy ... and the problem is American people underestimated this enemy."

Um. No. We. Didn't. You did. We wanted to use our Armed Forces to put down the Taliban and Al Qaeda once and for all. In AFGHANISTAN! But nooooooooooooooooooooo. You got us sidetracked in Iraq. Suck it.

R or D (vote-left - 10/17/2006 10:49:59 PM)

I don't know that it matters whether they have an R or a D next to their name.

What matters is telling the truth, regardless of their political affiliation.

Expose a democrat, I'm equal opportunity.

What is your definition of "worst"? (Bubby - 10/17/2006 10:56:24 PM)

Larry Craig:

Voted YES on constitutional ban of same-sex marriage.

Voted NO on adding sexual orientation to definition of hate crimes.

Voted NO on expanding hate crimes to include sexual orientation.

Voted YES on prohibiting same-sex marriage.

Voted NO on prohibiting job discrimination by sexual orientation.

And Craig IS a homosexual. That is what makes him "worser".

Jaime (Dan - 10/18/2006 10:22:41 AM)

You are one of MY favorite bloggers, but this is personal to me. I like Larry Craig. I have worked with his staff. One of the most cordial of any I have witnessed on Capitol Hill. When you sit there with these people, and work with them, you have a different perspective than "R" or "D". I've seen Larry Craig stand up and fight for progressive issues on alternative energy. That's more than I can say for people like Ted Kennedy. However, more disconcerting, is the way that this focus on Larry Craig makes Democrats look stupid. We are NOT focusing on health care or corruption. We want to out Republicans in the closet for being hypocrits, but in reality, we are bashing gays by trying to get Christian Conservatives to stay home to not vote for the "gay" Senator, or "gay" Congressman. Yes, they are hypocrits, but they are SO MUCH worse on other issues. Wanna attack Larry Craig? I am sure he voted to take Habeus Corpus rights away from us. That is 10,000 times worse than anything else.

I gotta get back to work on alternative energy...the only thing that will save our country. Outing gay Republicans accomplishes nothing.

The Veteran's Affairs (vote-left - 10/17/2006 10:50:44 PM)

... web site has a photo of Craig and his wife with an article dated October 12, 2006.

I then found this photo of Craig and his wife with Cheney at his swearing in:

I haven't been able to figure out yet what Ms. Craig, their home in Idaho, and the stock market have to do with the U.S. Senate Committee on Veteran's Affairs, but it is interesting that the photo was posted five days ago.

Craig and Virgil Goode:

Wrong analogy Ricky (LT - 10/18/2006 6:39:19 PM)

Santorum may want to rethink that analogy given that it is rather well-known (at least in UK) that Gandalf (Sir Ian McKellen) is openly gay. Plus I doubt Tolkein, Peter Jackson, or the LOTR cast would approve of such a comparison (some cast members, like Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn), were vehemently against the war in Iraq). If anything, Dubya is more like Saruman (especially regarding the environment) only w/o Christopher Lee's class or intelligence.

As a diehard LOTR fan, I am grossly apalled. Can't wait for PA voters to toss him into the fires of Mt doom on Nov 7