(graphic love from My Personal Lord and Savior, darkblack)
As much of a PR coup as it was for Rep. Keith Ellison to be sworn in on Thomas Jefferson's Koran, right wing bloggers aren't about to drop the hate ball, oh, nooooo. This has merely been a signal for them to begin the swift-boating of our third president.
T. Bogg, Esq. brings us the latest from brain donor Dan Riehl:
Posts so stupid they defy comment
Dan Riehl (who else?):
Allah thinks Ellison's shrewd political move of taking his private oath on a Thomas Jefferson owned copy of the Koran is checkmate. But not so fast. I see Allah has it in an update. But let's look at even more of the picture, while not forgetting that Jefferson owned a slave or two, as well. Is Ellison planing on swearing in on one of them, too? And if so, what religion do you think he or she would be?
posted by tbogg at 9:04 PM
Okay, that's just plain weird. I mean...what the hell is he talking about? I was not aware that people even have slaves anymore and...you can swear on them? What? Huh?!
In all seriousness, though, if Thomas Jefferson had a Koran, how do we know that he wasn't secretly an Islamofascist sympathizer? As anyone who reads Pajamas Media knows, Islam is a pernicious threat to Our Way of Life. Look at this eminently reasonable and completely hysteria-free discussion of the issue from USA Religious News:
The Islamic concept of government through Theocracy as spelled out in the Koran is incompatible with the American form of governing by a Constitutional Republic . The Koran charges all followers of allah to conquer the infidels and put them to death or into submission. The Islamic population growth in Europe , for example, is so extensive that many have predicted an Islamic takeover of Europe within 10 to 20 years. If that happens, Europe will be run like any other Islamic state.
Anyone who tries to sound a warning on this issue is labeled a bigot and his thoughts and speech are condemned by Islamic apologists who either do not see the danger to this country or they support Islam’s strategy. We have seen in Iraq , Afghanistan and in the Palestinian territories that democracy is a very effective tool for establishing the law of Islam. And Congressman Goode, like any other American patriot, does not want to see the demise of his country at the hands of those whose beliefs cannot long coexist in a Constitutional Republic . This nation must beware of its enemies and Islam has declared itself as such.
And so, how do we know that 200 years ago, this seemingly innocuous Koran owned by Jefferson wasn't infecting him and the other books in his library with slow-acting, insidious Muslimminess? How do we know that the man we know as one of the foremost architects of our Democracy never in fact fell prey to (in the words of the Boston Globe) "the seductive beat of the militant, Islamic drum"?
Professor Cole points us to a passage from Jefferson's writings that indicates he was in fact an early proponent of creeping dhimmitude:
Here is what Jefferson actually wrote, in his 1777 Draft of a
Bill for Religious Freedom:
that our civil rights have no dependance on our religious opinions, any more than our opinions in physics or geometry; that therefore the proscribing any citizen as unworthy the public confidence by laying upon him an incapacity of being called to offices of trust and emolument, unless he profess or renounce this or that religious opinion, is depriving him injuriously of those privileges and advantages to which, in common with his fellow citizens, he has a natural right . . .
You see that? Clearly, Thomas "Akbar" Jefferson was leaving the door open for an invasion of our governing process by Islamist sympathizers. Didn't he know that this is a Christian country? Thank God for the vigilance of Rep. Virgil Goode, who knows better than Jefferson the real threat posed by an influx of Islamic lawmakers, as stated in his December 2006 letter to constituents:
"I do not subscribe to using the Koran in any way," Goode wrote in the letter's opening paragraph. "The Muslim Representative from Minnesota was elected by the voters of that district and if American citizens don't wake up and adopt the Virgil Goode position on immigration there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Koran."
Et tu, President Jefferson? How could you do this to the Republic you purported to love? It looks like we're going to have to comb through all of your writings for subliminal anti-American, pro-Muslim bias. Who knew that your legacy was actually a ticking time-bomb of jihadi propaganda? For shame, Mr. President. For shame.
P.S. Also not to be missed at TBogg's place today is the can't-look-can't-look-away spectacle of everybody's favorite Internet Train-Wreck, Jeff Goldstein, completely losing his shit in the comments thread of the aforementioned post. Apparently he was posting comments as himself and a couple of sock-puppets so quickly that he lost track of which screen name he was using. This results in the uneasy spectacle of Jeff talking about Jeff in the third person, asking himself questions and then answering them, shouting encouragement at himself, and laughing at his own jokes. Niiiiice. Time to increase his dosage...
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Fitz!
Fitz!
I bow to you twolf1
T-Rex!
Whatever you do, don’t tell the wingnuts that Jefferson edited out the “supernatural” parts of the New Testament in an attempt to get closer to history:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_Bible
I always suspected there was a reason why I’d never heard of “U.S. Religious News.” Now I know what it is.
Great fun in TBogg’s comments tonight, TRex… oy. What a menagerie.
I think we can synthesize Goode and Jefferson. Anyone who doesn’t believe in the exact same god that Virgil Goode believes in will not be a citizen, but will count as 3/5s of a Christian for purposes of representation.
Nancy!
Thers @ 7
Oh! The humanity…
When did TBogg’s place become the go-to spot for right-wing dickheads and their sock puppets?
Pretty soon the wingnuts will be calling for Bush to take the place of Jefferson on Mt. Rushmore.
I believe the correct Right-word is “Dhimmitudiousness”
That sucks all of the stupidity out of the air where no one else can be stupid within a 50 mile radius of that quote.
Let’s see now . . . how much do our governmental or economic systems resemble early Christian societies? I don’t think there’s a whole lot Paul would approve of. But just because I own a Bible doesn’t mean I’m ready to overthrow our government.
Fundamentalists of all stripes need to realize the West basically decided after the Thirty Years War, enough was enough, toleration might not be entirely compatible with revealed Truth, but at least it was alot better than killing each other.
TRex? How dare you post here? Don’t you know this is Jane Hamster’s blog?
/snark
TRex @
11
First I heard of it was tonight, from you.
Lessee, is there anyone left who doubts or misunderstands that the BFEE started a war in the Middle East in 1991 and kept troops in Saudi Arabia permanently to stir up Muslims and therefore provide an enemy to supplant the Soviet Union?
These things take time to evolve. Twenty years ago, Virgil Goode wouldn’t have known a Muslim from a tea cozy.
And Thomas Jefferson was the original owner of Burqa King. You want flies and a sheik with that?
Oh, and BTW…
I still don’t care for the term “Islamofascists”. Is that really what tested best in the focus group? I STILL think they should’ve gone with “Islamocommunistnazis”. Now THERE’S an enemy we can all stand up against.
One day special, I think. I think TBogg upset them, for some reason. Can’t imagine what that might be.
montag @ 17
Things do not take time to evolve. Things take time to be intelligently designed.
Frank Probst @ 19
Islamosamadingdongs?
Keith Ellison showed some real class by seeking out Virgil Goode and asking to be introduced to him.
From CNN.com:
“I shook his hand and shook mine. We greeted each other.” Ellison asked Goode to grab a cup of coffee with him soon and Goode accepted.
I don’t know much about Ellison other than the Quran controversy, but I already have a lot of respect for him.
Patrick 4/4 @ 22
“Republicans?”
Did anyone see Ellison and Dennis Kucinich go up to Goode and shake hands? Classic.
Someone also took great care and hand-painted “bigot,” in gold paint on the window of Goode’s office. Down right helpful of that someone to add to Goode’s resume if you ask me.
So am I to understand that Virgil Goode has a position named after him? Wow. And I thought these rabid wingnuts were lacking in imagination.
And thanks a lot, guys, for the TBogg mention. Naturally I had to go look…and after reading those comments I need a shower and a few more drops of my favorite opiate pain killer. Yuck!
UptownNYChick @ 26
This delights me.
Patrick 4/4 @ 21
Well, we know by now that Junior has no use for either intelligence or design. We are in the midst of governance by stomach rumblings and religious delusion… which makes me ask of any Bush decision, “is it gut, or is it God?” :)
Patrick 4/4 @
8
Anyone that is male, that is. And not a eunuch.
EvilDrPuma @ 24
“BattleHymnoftheRepublicans?”
montag @ 28
It is Gott, and therefore gut.
Peterr @ 29
You have something against Eunuchtarians?
No. Just Unix-tarians.
Wow I read the TBogg comments and now I’m dizzy, confused, have a headache and feel nauseous. It’s like a Stupid hangover. I need to burn my eyes out with acid now.
Patrick 4/4 @ 32
Or Congregaytionalists?
But, even I have my limits. I am simply not in favor of Babstists.
TRex @ 33
I’m platform-agnostic.
I’m an OSX-tian.
montag @ 36
What about Roaming Cat-holics?
TRex @ 37
Then you are part of the Unixeo-OSX-tian tradition.
Fini FiniTOOBZ! @ 35
I couldn’t take very much of it … gave up about a dozen comments in … like watching frat boys engaging in an enthusiastic game of shoot the cracker.
Peterr @ 39
DOS is very funny.
Great image at the top of the post!
Darkblack’s been on a real roll for the last couple of days. Good to have the master back again.
Mary McCurnin @ 41
OSes are the Windows to the soul.
Peterr @ 38
I prefer Pentecoastals, m’self.
Peterr @ 43
Yes, but how long has he been saving that two-dollar bill?
Mary McCurnin @ 42
Don’t get me started on the Lute Rans . . .
montag @ 45
And then there are those who prefer More Mans.
OT? Charlie rangel on Nightline
Love that he kicked cheney out of his office.
Peterr @ 43
Isn’t it? Bless ‘im.
Not sure it’s worth much reaidng over the wingnut response; Ellison is a class act,as is Pelosi and most of the House Dems, who clearly know the score, even if the MSM doesn’t. What strikes me in this preliminary stage of the Great Battle that will unfold over the next three months is how good our people are, and how much they are still being underestimated by the Establishment. It finally dawned on me that the NYT and WaPo really do believe that the Rethugs are America’s natural ruling party, public opinion aside. That belief actually works to our advantage, since they will mis-aim for at least six more weeks, while Pelosi, the Waxman and Leahy do their sapping of the Republican front.
This is war, and we will win it.
I Command you Promptly quit this silly talk.
Mary McCurnin @ 52
f4 somebody gets hertz.
TRex @ 50
As you wish, O Theropod . . .
(waving arms)
Darkblack, you’re blessed.
And so are we.
Mary McCurnin @ 51
I will when the President does, too.
But, we don’t know where his Ctrl-Alt-Del is, do we?
TRex @ 53
I GNU you would say that.
Clearly, you didn’t read the comments attached to it.
Pajamas Media has one blogger that’s not delusional. John Cole at Balloon Juice.
Mary McCurnin @ 55
Linux would not approve of such blanket statements.
What is our way of life anyway? Eating at McDonalds?
montag @ 55
Yeah, but we know where his boot file went.
White House Postponing Loss of Iraq, Biden Says
AirportCat @ 60
Yeah, and the result is a general failure.
I’m pretty sure this is going to upset the fundamentalist home-schooling crowd…like the professors at Bob Jones University. Because one of the bedrock arguments from the religious-right and specifically the writers of history textbooks marketed to the tune of $2 billion per year to these folks is that Thomas Jefferson intended for the wall between church and state to be only one way…
Meaning, they argue that his belief was that the state shouldn’t affect religion, but rather religion should be an intregal element of government. I’m unaware of names and links at the moment to back this up, but I can guarantee 100% that:
1. There is a movement amongst fundamentalist Christians to rewrite American history in God’s voice
2. They understand what Orwell said about ‘those who control the past, control the living present and also the future’ (paraphrasing) - it is the understanding of this that drives them
3. Documents written by Jefferson have been relied on for years to “prove” what I said above about the wall between church and state
Knowing this, the fact that Ellison used JEFFERSON’S Koran is a middle finger to the crazies…who will pretend it didn’t happen and remain focused on selling textbooks and the rest of their garbage.
I’ll tell my son about this tomorrow…the middle names of my twin boys are Adams and Jefferson…so this story is the kind of thing that gets me going.
The whole story behind this misinformation industry, and also the fact that Orwell plays so heavily into their strategy…it’s fascinating to me because of the audience they cater to, how a literal interpretation of the Bible is so often insisted upon, yet in terms of America’s history they’re perfectly comfortable with the fact that they’re purposely twisting facts throughout in order to “game” the future in God’s favor. The hypocracy of this is startling, and most likely comical to the aliens who are monitoring all of this from far far away right now.
twolf1 @ 62
Yes, but have they told Bush yet?
Oh, and not to be forgotten, Ace-y Boy losing his shit in the next thread posted . . . did TBogg leave out his batshit crazy bait today or something?
I want this embroidered on pillows:
Drama king
;>)
Thanx, pards. One’s aim improves with a demanding yet discerning audience.
Man, TBogg’s getting soaked with all those types custering up over there. I love a good fight, but I wouldn’t know where to begin…
>:->
Mary McCurnin @ 60
To judge from this administration, Our Way of Life is (a) sticking it to the poor and powerless, (b) throwing your weight around, (c) tearing up historic documents (Magna Carta, US Bill of Rights, Geneva Convention, etc.) and (d) telling anyone who disagrees with you to f$*% themselves.
New poll released by CBS- GW Clusterfuck with a 30% JAR- career low for ol Clusterfuck with that (or any?) poll.
It ain’t goin too well for the fuckhead.
Mary McCurnin @ 65
“30,000? … uhhhh… how about 20,000? …. screw you guys! Wanna backrub?“
Nash @ 66
Sigh.
Apparently.
The RW bloggers aren’t handling this Democratic Congress thing very well, are they? It’s a meltdown a minute today.
goopers have been using a “trial by fire” argument for some years- if ya WIN (an election) then you are more moral and wise than the opposition. The consequences of that point of view applied to the current election results are devastating.
TRex @ 71
It’s now time to tell them that Lincoln was right–they can’t fool all the people all the time.
Time’s up.
TRex @
72
I had the local wingnut Howie Carr on the radio for a goof this afternoon and it was crybaby central from start to finish…he’s going over Deval Patrick’s speech with a fine tooth comb as callers say things like, ‘it’s a gay party in DC’, just one whaaaaa after another, with the patented “everyone’s already leaving massachusetts (census stats show a .5% increase over five years) and now the liberals have invaded new hampshire!!!”
It’s pathetic baby boomer passive aggressive bullshit from the other side of the fence, and they’re acting like brats at the moment.
TRex @ 72
Speaking of meltdowns, has our favorite Anchor Baby had hers yet after learning Jamil Hussein is alive, well and in jail for talking to the media after her jihad to go there to prove he doesnt exist?
TRex @ 72
So. More popcorn?
deadissue @ 64
The pattern of how the far right TheoCons read Jefferson is exactly how they read the Bible. They are only literalists when it suits their purposes. How many of them do you see following the command to “sell all that you own and distribute the money to the poor”?
“At the moment”? How would that be a change from how they’ve acted for the last five years?
Please! I love popcorn.
Okay, kids. Heading home. Got to run by the store and grab the things I forgot last night.
TRex @
72
Well, let’s see . . . the rules they established over the last 13 years or so have frozen out the minority party from the legislative process, meaning they’re limited in terms of fucking up the first 100 hours. Cheney got his butt kicked out of the House Ways and Means office so it could be used for the actual chairman and not for the Vice President to strongarm his party. And a woman is now third in line for the Presidency.
I’m amazed they haven’t started calling for the assassination of the Democratic Congr — oh, never mind . . .
rwcole @ 70
do we start taking bets now for when he hits 27%… his absolute bottom must be 23…
BUSH’S JOB APPROVAL RATING
Approve
30%
Disapprove
63%
BUSH’S JOB HANDLING IRAQ
Approve
23%
Disapprove
72%
via cbs.com
OldCoastie @ 82
I though 34% was his absolute bottom. He’s less popular than herpes at this point.
OldCoastie @ 81
My guess is that Bush could do a Linda Blair head-spin at a press conference and spew pea soup all over the Fox News reporter and he’d still get 25-26% who’d think he just wasn’t feeling quite himself….
TRex @ 79
At least then the voting machines told them they deserved to be that way…whereas now they’ve got nothing but the spirit of “NUH-UH!!!” on their side.
Urban Pirate @ 83
From these numbers we cane safely now determine that between 5-7% of our population have had their brains sucked out of their skulls by aliens. 7% don’t have an opinion on his job handling? 5% no opinion on his handling of Iraq?
Fini FiniTOOBZ! @ 87
5-7% of the populace just doesn’t care, one way or the other.
Sad, innit?
montag @ 85
Nah, too much like Dad and the Japanese PM … he’s his own man, he’ll find another way to wig out. Perhaps alcohol will be involved.
What a pretty cool day. A woman is a heartbeat (and some weird electronic murmur) away from the Presidency.
G’night all. Sweet Dreams. Peace.
Fini FiniTOOBZ! @ 87
That’s some deep woods shit there…Getting close to the core…
;>)
Peterr @ 78
Very business-like in their ways, much like Delay-Santorum-KStreet…proud to be devious, dishonest, as long as it’s in the name of a greater good.
David Kuo capitalized on that last sentence you wrote, and I’m still not 100% on his sincerity, though have no doubt about his take on power playing the crazies for their votes and pissing on their wants behind closed doors…same thing that’s wrong with the entire lot of them.
They lack the sincerity necessary to survive long enough to matter.
Something like that…I’m still processing it all to be honest…lots of thinking on all this still left to be done. Thanks for responding though - - - - it’s the greatest accelerator when it comes to making sense of all this!
AirportCat @ 88
Chasing Angela Merkel around the Lincoln Bedroom, naked except for cowboy boots, with a strap-on and an American flag wrapped around his head like a kufiya and a bottle of RonRico 151 in each hand?
Something like that? :)
darkblack @ 91
I am prepared to accept that up to 2% of these numbers are recent coma patients that recovered from long term comas, but that still leaves 3-5% with no excuse for cluelessness.
Nash @ 88
When it’s tabboo to run graphic video from the war on the news, but tits and ass are alright in any venue, then 5-7%…
Shit, I’ll take it. In this country, I’m surprised it’s not even higher!
Fini FiniTOOBZ! @ 93
Catching up on all those re-runs of “Let’s Make a Deal” and “My Mother, The Car” is pretty time-consuming–doesn’t leave much left over for nasty old politics….
Remember the media glommed onto the right wing talking point that Traitor Joe Lieberman was “purged” from the “Democrat Party”?
Well, that was what we in the reality based world called losing an election.
What George W. Bush is doing to his top generals?
That is looking like a purge to me.
-GSD
montag @
96
The Schiavo factor.
-GSD
Fini FiniTOOBZ! @
94
I’ll chalk it up to the old adage:
‘Every carny needs a geek’
;>)
montag @ 96
The hardcore TheoCons take pride in not owning a television, so the notion of re-runs would be lost on them. They do listen to their radios, though . . . from St. Dobson of Colorado on down to the local wingnut Dobson-wannabe. 5% is probably those whose radios are on the fritz.
On the 5-7% thing…my brother was in the Marines a few years back and it was a Friday night, in the barracks w/ four jarhead buddies in the room being stupid…
I call him and we talk about the news on Iraq, I’m asking if he heard about something big that went down, pre-invasion…he hadn’t, but is generally up on this stuff. I ask if his friends are worried about being sent over…if they’ve heard the news, and he tells me flat out that they wouldn’t have a clue or care about it in the least.
The story had to do with a specific person saying something that had me scared I’d be recalled or bro would be in the shit…to prove his point he asks the question to the ivy leaguers and it’s just like he said.
Now…those same people were destined for a time in the sand, but if you put your ear up to their heads real close, you could hear the ocean.
Take off the uniform and I expect the same person to be even worse.
darkblack @ 99
Isn’t it rich? Aren’t they a pair . . .
darkblack @ 99
clown image warning!!
Peterr @ 99
The hard-core theo-cons are the ones in the “he’s doing a great job” category.
That small bunch that fall into the “uh, where am I?” group are just completely unfocused about everything. And religious extremism just doesn’t fit with that bunch. Even heroin addicts are better-informed than that 5-7%.