Scarecrow

Pull the cord on your parachutes, people; we’re in intellectual free fall this week. After Mitt Romney earned the award for most preposterous political whopper by labeling himself “severely conservative,” everyone became severely challenged.

I see that the Conference of Catholic Bishops has figured out how the Obama Administration has either cleverly or by fumbling finessed the contraception insurance coverage issue while exposing the Bishops to the charge their objections are more using government to restrict women’s rights than violating the moral conscience of a bunch of old men out of touch with their congregations.

It is the Catholic Bishops and the GOP politicians exploiting this who are pressing to have government violate the establishment clause of the First Amendment. And that’s the real Constitutional violation at stake here.

Beyond the details now pouring out from Dayen, Yves Smith and others, what are we seeing?

The Obama Administration has followed a predictable pattern we now recognize. It has consistently functioned like criminal defense counsel, whose mission is to get their criminal clients, the major corporations and executives who fund their elections, off with no admission of guilt, no forced resignations, and as little harm to their reputation, or that of the counsel, as possible. To do this, they neutralize anyone with an ounce of public purpose in their veins.

Florida continue to push to privatize its prison system, and the entire effort is being greased by millions of dollars flowing to lobbyists and Florida legislators, not to mention the Governor. Efforts to force advocates to justify claims of savings are failing, bought off by even more money from those who profit from private prisons.

The Ninth Circuit Court just held, 2-1, that California’s imfamous anti-gay Prop 8 was unconstitutional. “Proposition 8 served no purpose, and had no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California,” the court said.

Last week, Starbucks joined the long list of Washington employers endorsing Washington’s marriage equality bill. The Starbucks statement reflects their years-long commitment to equality. I sent them a “thank you” note, and they replied.

Wednesday, 1 February, is the day the Tennessee House Judiciary sub-committee will hold a hearing on HB 2638/SB 2508, a broadly worded, vaguely inclusive bill that would make “a person’s use or assembly upon publically-owned property” a Class C Misdemeanor, subject to removal and a $50 fine. This is a call for support from anyone who can attend or call.

I was struck by Newt’s explanation of what would keep his campaign going despite the upcoming losses. “People power,” he said. It will be “people power over money power.” I don’t think so.

The Hill reports a strange story in which NBC and its former evening news anchorman, Tom Brokaw, are demanding that Mitt Romney’s campaign take down an ad in Florida that features Tom Brokaw delivering the news. The news Tom is delivering is that the House found Speaker Gingrich guilty of unethical behavior and fined him.

So, you may ask, what exactly is wrong with a candidate using a segment of a newscast to present a piece of relevant history it wants voters to learn from the ad?