TX Gov. Rick Perry: Social Security And Medicare Are Totally Unconstitutional

"I don’t think our founding fathers when they were putting the term 'general welfare' in there were thinking about a federally operated program of pensions nor a federally operated program of health care. What they clearly said was that those were issues that the states need to address. Not the federal government. I stand very clear on that. From my perspective, the states could substantially better operate those programs if that’s what those states decided to do." - Texas Gov. Rick Perry, speaking to Newsweek.

INDIANA: State GOP Rep Busted In Craigslist Gay Hooker Scandal

Six-term GOP Indiana state Rep. Phillip Hinkle, a noted anti-gay Christian activist who forced the state to offer an "In God We Trust" license plate, has been accused of hiring a male prostitute from Craigslist's M4M section. Local newspapers have been provided with emails between Hinkle and the alleged hooker.

The emails, sent from Hinkle's publicly listed personal address, ask the young man for "a couple hours of your time tonight" and offer him cash up front, with a tip of up to $50 or $60 "for a really good time." The email exchange is in response to the Craigslist posting in which the young man -- who lists his age as 20 in the ad but says he is 18 years old -- says, "I need a sugga daddy." The young man told The Star that they met, but that he tried to leave after the man told him he was a state lawmaker. He said the lawmaker at first told him he could not leave, grabbed him in the rear, exposed himself to the young man and then later gave him an iPad, BlackBerry cellphone and $100 cash to keep quiet. When contacted by The Star about the emails, Hinkle, a Republican who represents portions of Pike and Wayne townships, did not contest the emails but said, "I am aware of a shakedown taking place." Asked what he meant by shakedown, Hinkle would not elaborate. He directed further questions to his attorney.

Hinkle is married to a woman and has children. He recently voted in favor of a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and civil unions. According to VoteSmart.org, he also supports a long list of Christianist political goals.



(Tipped by JMG reader Ken)

IOWA: Anti-Gay Quote Farm

Courtesy of Think Progress, here's a roundup of all the anti-gay crap said at yesterday's GOP debate in Iowa.

NOM's 2012 Hate Tour A Major Bust

Even with appearances by GOP presidential candidates, NOM's hate tour through Iowa has been attracting tens of attendees at most stops, with some locations drawing "only a handful" of interested bigots. They just never learn.

Frothy Mix Attacks Fellow Tenthers

DNC Rips Mittens On "Corporations"

With some help from Barbra Streisand.



(Via - Towleroad)

GOP Candidates Debate Social Issues

I'll be breaking down some of the responses in separate posts, but here's the bulk of the debate portion that covered social issues.

Romney: Corporations Are People

Especially when they anonymously donate millions to your campaign! I loved the mocking laughter and heckling that followed Romney's nonsense.

CNN Poll: Rick Perry Zooms To Second

CNN reports:

As Rick Perry moves closer and closer to a run for the White House, a new national survey indicates that the longtime Texas governor is close to the top of the pack in the hunt for the Republican presidential nomination. According to a CNN/ORC International poll, 15 percent of Republicans and independents who lean towards the GOP pick Perry as their first choice for their party's nomination, just two points behind former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who's making his second bid for the White House. Romney's two point margin over Perry is within the survey's sampling error.

We should see a least a couple of the above names disappear from the race after this weekend's Iowa straw poll. And it's very interesting to see Crazy Eyes tumble to sixth place.

Bachmann Institute For Curing Gayness

Quote Of The Day - Rep. Allen West

"I like chocolate chip ice cream, and I will continue to like chocolate chip ice cream. So there's no worry about me changing to vanilla. I like to, you know, ride my motorcycle. What do you want me to do? You want me to change my behavior and ride a scooter? I'm not into that. People can change their sexual behavior. And I've seen people do that. I grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, so I've seen a very different perspective on human behaviors. So that's where I'm coming from on that." - GOP Rep. Allen West, speaking to the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel editorial board.

WISCONSIN: Priebus Celebrates Union Loss- We Need More Makers, Not Takers

RNC chair Priebus is thrilled that the Koch Brothers got their way in the special election to recall Wisconsin's anti-union legislators. The teabaggers won't be happy until every labor union in the nation is dismantled.

O'Donnell On Frothy's Napkin Metaphor

Joy Behar On Newsweek Cover

With openly gay panelists Judy Gold and Howard Bragman.

Frothy Mix: Gay Marriage Is A Napkin

"I can call this napkin a paper towel. But it is a napkin. And why? Because it is what it is. Right? You can call it whatever you want, but it doesn't change the character of what it is. So when people come out and say that marriage is something else — marriage is the marriage of five people, five, 10, 20. Marriage can be between fathers and daughters. Marriage can be between any two people, any four people, any 10 people, it can be any kind of relationship and we can call it marriage. But it doesn't make it marriage. Why? Because there are certain qualities and certain things that attach to the definition of what marriage is." - Rick Santorum, speaking to a tiny crowd of supporters in an Iowa cafeteria.

Crazy Eyes Loves Pro-Slavery Book

According to one of the three books on Michele Bachmann's "recommended" list, blacks enjoyed a more wonderful life back when they were the slaves of gentle, loving Christians. An excerpt:

Northerners were often shocked and offended by the familiarity that existed as a matter of course between the whites and blacks of the old South. This was one of the surprising and unintended consequences of slavery. Slavery, as it operated in the pervasively Christian society which was the old South, was not an adversarial relationship founded on racial animosity. In fact, it bred on the whole, not contempt, but, over time, mutual respect. This produced a mutual esteem of the sort that always results when men give themselves to a common cause. The credit for this startling reality must go to the Christian faith.

The book concludes that abolitionism was "not the best answer" for its day.

The Tea Party Downgrade

Voiceover by DC Douglas.

Skeletor: Gay Are My Biggest Fans (Even Though I'm Sick Of Hearing About Them)

"I don't think these angry gays were even born gay, I think they just hate their fathers."

Pat Robertson: Rick Perry Governs Texas According To The Bible

And, presumably, we can expect even more Christian sharia if he gets elected president.



(Via - Right Wing Watch)

Perry To Make It Official On Saturday

Even though this weekend's prayer rally was TOTALLY unpolitical (snork!), Texas Gov. Rick Perry is wasting no time in following it up with his official entry into the presidential race. According to Politico, by timing his announcement for this Saturday, Perry-related chatter in the media will "upend" whatever the result may be from the Iowa straw poll.