It ain’t John Ashcroft ordering the coverup of Lady Justice’s bare breast, but it’s close. The Tea Party-backed Governor of Maine, Paul LePage, has ordered his state’s Department of Labor to remove a mural depicting moments in labor history from its walls. LePage also demanded the state rename the Labor Department’s conference rooms, currently honoring labor icons like Frances Perkins and Cesar Chavez.

“Shared sacrifice,” or as I like to call it, “sacrifice.”

In 2008, the Roman Catholic church was instrumental in two major battles against marriage equality — Maine’s Prop 1 and California’s Prop 8. Leading the fight nationally for the US Conference of Catholic Bishops was Louisville’s Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz. Last month, Kurtz was elected Vice President of the USCCB, after giving a powerful address on the USCCB ad-hoc committee’s work to defend marriage (a committee he chairs).

By elevating Kurtz to the #2 position at the USCCB, the bishops signaled their determination not simply to stand against marriage equality, but to work just as hard against anything that might lead to it as they work against anything that might possibly lead to thinking about considering something that might be akin to abortion.

This past week, two Roman Catholics in Illinois — Governor Pat Quinn and state House Speaker Michael Madigan — worked hard to get a civil unions bill passed the Illinois Legislature, much to the chagrin of the local bishop.

Welcome to the opening round of the 2012 culture wars, featuring the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Yesterday, five homeowners in the state of Maine filed a class action suit against GMAC Mortgage, accusing them of filing knowingly false certifications for foreclosure, and false affadavits which back up the documents. Maine is one of the 23 states where judicial sign-off is required to move ahead with a foreclosure, and where GMAC (now Ally Financial) has suspended evictions.

Following the orders of their Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, both Susan Collins (R-ME) and George Voinovich (R-OH) announced they will join the GOP filibuster led by John McCain (R-AZ) of the Defense Authorization bill, making today’s initial steps to repeal of Don’t-Ask-Don’t-Tell very precarious.

America’s newest community organizer, Lady Gaga, will hold a rally in Portland, Maine today, specifically targeting two Senators who may be the difference between breaking a filibuster on the defense authorization bill and letting it slip away, along with the legislative repeal of the military’s Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy.

Say what you will about the Tea Parties, the conservative grassroots, the Republican base, the right wing anti-establishment or whatever you would call them; they have done a very good job of trying to take control of their party from the Republican establishment and reshaping the GOP in their own image.

Even when this vote passes, the House would have to concur, and they’re not supposed to be in session until September. There was talk yesterday of calling the House back to pass this.

57-41 was the final vote. Every Republican who voted opposed, along with Ben Nelson. There are no plans to take up the jobs bill again. It’s increasingly hard to argue with Debbie Stabenow’s contention that the GOP wants to wreck the economy for political gain.

I first wrote about community health centers in the health care law in December, and have subsequently written at least 20 other articles referring to them. I maintain that it was the best money in the entire bill, adding the capacity for millions of people to access what amounts to a universal care program of free or near-free primary care medicine.