A Little Twat and a Whole Lot of Controversy - When Republicans Are Their Own Worst Enemies

Bob Fitzsimmons, Treasurer of the Republican Party of Virginia (RPV) used the word twat in a facebook discussion a few nights ago.  Twat in case you don't know is sometimes used as slang for the female vulva.  

Now, I am not going to sit here and defend the use of that word.  It never should have been used.  The problem is that if you read the exchange in context, he was referring to the comment that someone else had made as ridiculous.  He used the wrong.  Obviously he isn't up on sexual slang words.  He should have used the word twaddle, which means stupid speech.  

Now, what you can't see in the above graphic is the comment he was answering.  That comment was about why Delegate Barbara Comstock should be the nominee in the hotly contested republican primary simply based on the fact that she is a woman.  His comment was about identity politics.  I am not sure who, if anyone, he is backing in this contest, but I can tell you that I support Barbara.  I like Barbara.  I have worked many a days knocking doors in her elections for the state delegate seat that she currently holds.  But I don't support her simply based on the fact that she is a woman.  I HATE identity politics.  It is a losing game and I have little respect for people who voted based upon gender, skin color, or financial status of the people in the race.  To me that is the democrats game and played a big part in why President Obama won his election.  On this Mr. Fitzsimmons and I agree.  We are never going to beat the democrats in that game, so lets put up the best possible candidate in each and every race.  I happen to believe that Barbara is that person.  Her voting record speaks for itself.  At the end of the day that is what really matters.  

What really sits in craw about this entire unfortunate episode is that people who don't like Mr. Fitzsimmons, for reasons ranging from he is a supporter of conventions over primaries (which I am not) and he is also a big supporter of Ken Cuccinelli and more libertarian leaning people, have used this to try and force him from his job.  Insert primal scream here.  

This has turned into a national story that has been on HuffPo and in The Washington Post simply because people, who I won't mention by name, even though I would bet my bottom dollar are involved, are using this to oust someone they disagree with.  

The man made a mistake.  He used an unfortunate word when he wasn't clear on the meaning.  There is no way that anyone reading what he wrote can misconstrue that he was calling Delegate Comstock a twat or even the young woman he was having the discussion with that word.  

Here is the post he was responding to with the name of the person not included:

I also think women are going to be very frustrated about about a man trying to usurp Barbara's position in this race. If women come out in force for her, it will create a battle cry for Republican women so loud that Howie Lind won't have a prayer of competing with her. Republican women are a force to be reconed with and I for one want to see this power harnessed effectively in key political races.

His response was the he doesn't like sexist twat.  Now, if he was talking about this woman or Barbara it would make sense that you would be able to replace the word with the name and it would still make sense.  But you can't do that in this case.  Because he wasn't referring to a person, he was referring to the thought of using identity politics.  

So, now we have a national story about how republican men and party officials were using sexual terms to talk about a woman when clearly that isn't what happened.  

We don't need the democrats to do anything, we are doing a bang up job all on our own.  Should he have apologized for using that word?  Absolutely.  Should he lose his job over it?  No, a very clear and unambiguous NO.  This has been blown out of proportion by people who don't like him and his stances.  Those are the people who should be called out in all of this.  Not a man who obviously needs to spend more time with a dictionary.  

The Huffington Post Strikes Again. - Steve Martin's Irony Misreported

Steve Martin, a state delegate from Virginia, made a facebook post that has recieved national attention thank to The Huffington Post.  

Here is the post:

I received a Valentines Card today with a two tone red heart on the front above the words, "Don't break our hearts." Inside was the following message:

"On behalf of women's Heath advocates across Virginia, we are disappointed in your record of voting to restrict access to critical healthcare for women and families. All women deserve access to their full range of reproductive health options - including preventing unintentional pregnancies, raising healthy children, and choosing safe, legal abortion - and your votes only make it more difficult for Virginians to plan and provide for their families. We are watching your actions closely, and hope that you will reconsider your position on this critical issue. Please don't break our hearts.
- The Virginia Pro-Choice Coalition"

~ How very heart warming - all while using ill defined terms. "Raising healthy children" in the context of access to abortions speaks only to the ability to "kill unhealthy children." Do they not see the sickness of that argument?

If it's your expectation that I should support such nonsense, I will be breaking your heart.
You can count on me to never get in the way of you "preventing" an unintentional pregnancy." I'm not actually sure what that means, because if it's "unintentional" you must have been trying to prevent it. And, I don't expect to be in the room or will I do anything to prevent you from obtaining a contraceptive. However, once a child does exist in your womb, I'm not going to assume a right to kill it just because the bearer of the child (some refer to them as mothers) doesn't want it to remain alive.

We finally get to to the truth at the end of that same line. What they want is access to "safe, legal abortions," any time one might be desired. Okay, then why did you write all the rest of that bologna about raising healthy children (by killing the unhealthy ones), having access to healthcare (which you do), and preventing unwanted pregnancies (don't have unprotected sex)?

Such nonsense, supposed adults have written, to celebrate love, on Valentines. These folks are really sick people!

Now, it doesn't take a brain surgeon to see his use of irony in this post.  NARAL and other abortion activists have consisently used strategies about abortion that would absolutely frame the pregnant woman as a "host". The original post did use the word host instead of bearer of the child.  

  “disturbingly suggestive of involuntary servitude, prohibited by the 13th Amendment, in that forced pregnancy requires a woman to provide continuous physical service to the fetus in order to further the state’s asserted interest."

This is from Dawn Johnsen's brief she filed on behalf of NARAL.   She compared being pregnant to slavery. As a person who is an elected official who is obviously pro-life, Mr. Martin has seen many instances where the unborn have been referred as any number of things, including the most frequently used, a clump of cells (like we aren't all just a clump of cells from a biological standpoint).  See what I did there? I put my own opinion in parens.  Sort of like what Mr. Martin did.  

HuffPo knows that Mr. Martin never meant, nor does he believe, that a pregnant woman is nothing more than a mere host.  He views them as mothers.  That is what the irony of this whole thing is.  He was mocking the beliefs of many pro choice advocates and they turn it around to attack him on his views.   

Could it be because when they see it in writing in that fashion they realize how dehumanizing that opinion really is?  (Just a thought)

A Refreshing Change of Pace from HuffPo

Imagine my surprise when I read this on HuffPo.  Conservatives have been saying this for years and we get called names and made fun of.

 Sex is an expression of love. If it's used for anything else -- to try to get approval or love or to try to feel alive -- it won't feel good for either of you in the long run. You may experience a physical sensation of pleasure or an emotional high of feeling wanted or desired, but in the aftermath of sex you're likely to feel empty, lonely, and possibly used.

It is time we start telling tweens and young women (young men as well) the truth.  We have mountains and mountains of cultural lies that we keep passing down to the next generation.  One being that a baby is just a bunch of cells.  If you think about it, we are all just a bunch of cells, granted more developed than a baby (in most cases, anyway) but nonetheless, there is no way around this, we all started that way.

We also tell girls that they can be sexually active and there is no price to pay for that.  Unplanned pregnancy is no longer a big deal, get an abortion.  You can always take the morning after pill, you can go to the doctor and get a shot and that will be the magic thing that keeps you from getting pregnant.  We don't tell this young women what a soul killer abortion can be.  The guilt and the regret that many women live with for the rest of their lives.

Do parents today still have those talks with their daughters about how boys are sometimes only looking for one thing?  I know my mother had that talk with me.  My mother also told me some other things that I would never repeat to another young girl.  But she came from a different generation and I am the youngest child.  But, I will tell you it did work with me.  I have always been very conservative when it comes to certain things.  There was no way on God's green earth I was going to go home and tell my parents I was pregnant.  I behaved accordingly.

But we do need to get back to sending this message.  While sex may feel good on any given night with any given person, long term it isn't good for you.  A truly enjoyable sex life is about connecting with someone, loving someone, wanting to share yourself and your life with that person.  It isn't about scratching an itch.

Most people also don't know the truth about what creates great sex. The popular message says that great sex is a function of technique and frequency, but this is a cultural lie. The truth is that great sex is a function of connection, first with yourself and then with your partner. In other words, when you feel alive inside your own skin and connected to your partner's essence, then you can meet each other sexually in a way that will feel fulfilling for both of you

The article is really about getting engaged, but it has some great lessons.  Read the entire thing here.

Olbermann and MSNBC Say Farewell

Keith Olbermann aired his final show on MSNBC tonight.  Apparently a deal of some sort was made earlier this week.  Olbermann will paid out for his contract for the next two years and will be unable to appear on television until that contract comes to an end. 

If you want a good laugh, go read the comments on HuffPo.  Apparently the world is coming to an end. 

Some have decided that boycotting Comcast is the way to go.  Others are unsure if Olbie's replacement, Lawrence O'Donnell is sufficiently liberal enough.  After all he said he wasn't a liberal, he's a socialist. 

Rumor is that he was indeed fired because he didn't play well with others.  Shocker!!!  I mean really, who would think that a man that arrogant would be difficult to get along with.  I never saw that coming. 

Apparently, the meme that Comcast likes republicans isn't going to work to well:

$22,200 Republican

$119,050 Democrat

Political Contributions.  So, it isn't that Comcast likes the GOP, they just aren't that into poor ol' Olbie. 

Is the Tide Turning?

Education is a topic that I feel very passionately about. Regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum or age group you fall into, this is something that needs to matter to every American. We cannot stay competitive on the world stage if we are raising a generation of idiots.


Some of our school systems are more interested in the coddling of our young than they are in educating them. Part of the educational system in this country needs to concentrate on preparing these kids for the real world. I recently posted on one of my local schools that put a system into place that disallowed failing grades. The school didn't even bother to inform the parents of this until the end of October. A full two months after the school year started. An update to that post is that the parents were outraged to the point that the school has backed down and gotten rid of that program.


Some of our schools that are the worst are the ones in the inner cities. These particular schools are teaching some of America's poorest and neediest. All children deserve a good education, but it is of particular importance to teach these children. A good education is the only way out of the life of poverty that many of them face, some of these kids from generational poverty and public assistance. Sadly, many of these kids see gangs and drug dealing as the only way out. It doesn't need to be this way.


I came across two articles from poorer school systems in California where real questions are being asked about why the schools are failing our young. The first article is about the public school system in Compton. Compton is one of our poorest neighborhoods. Violence is commonplace and it is a life that is very difficult to get out of. A new law in California allows parents to force the school system to make the necessary changes to improve the school system. The parents of McKinley Elementary School have gotten the required signatures to force the school system to become a privately run Charter School. The Parent Trigger Law allows parents to band together and force the lowest performing schools to make this change.


One of the meme's that you hear so often is that there is not enough parental involvement in our schools. While I do believe this to be the case in some instances, obviously these parents are involved and want to see their children and grandchildren to get the education that they deserve.

Ismenia Guzman frets that her 6-year-old daughter is at least a year behind in reading. Victor Barela is worried that his fifth-grade grandson still doesn't know his multiplication and division tables. And Shemika Murphy is determined that her younger daughter get a better education than her older one, who seemed to be doing well in elementary school only to bring home Ds and Fs in middle school.

The Mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa, wrote an OP-ED piece on Huffington Post requesting that Teacher's Unions get on board for school reform. A full 25% of students in the Los Angeles school system fail to graduate. A number that no one can feel is acceptable. The vast majority of the drop-outs become a drag on the finances of the rest of the country. Many will spend time in jail and others will end up on public assistance in order to survive. Villaraigosa is no right-wing conservative; he is a democrat and strongly supports unions. Matter of fact he was once a union organizer and a former school teacher. It will be very difficult to paint him as someone who is just against unions.

Along the way, there has been one, unwavering roadblock to reform: teacher union leadership.


When we fought to change the seniority-based layoff system that was disproportionately hurting our neediest students, the teachers union fought back.


When we fought to empower parents to turn around failing schools and bring in outside school operators with proven records of success, the teachers union fought back.


And now, while we try to measure teacher effectiveness in order to reward the best teachers and replace the tiny portion who aren't helping our kids learn, the teachers union fights back.

It is a major problem when the unions stick by teachers who are just not performing. In the real world, when your performance is not up to par, you lose your job. There is no reason that teachers should be treated any differently than the rest of us. Especially when you consider what is at stake when they are incapable of doing their jobs. Sadly, they don't see that they lose all creditability when the fight to keep poor teachers. The leadership also falsely claims that reformers are trying to attack all teachers, when that simply is not the case. It is simply the leadership of the unions who keep standing in the way of the real reforms that are necessary in order to right this ship.


Al Sharpton has called education "the civil rights issue" of the day. What I find so hypocritical of him is that he is unwilling to work with the right on this fight as it is in his DNA to stick up for the union employees. There are individual tea parties around the country that are taking up education reform as an issue that they are going to pour energy into in order to obtain awareness. A Tea Party in Arizona rented out theatres in order to air "Waiting for Superman". The hope was to galvanize the community to start pressuring the school boards to make the necessary improvements.


The amount of money that we spend on education in this country we should be getting much more than the lackluster results that we are currently experiencing. The country's resources are limited, so we need to spend our money wisely. There is no one magic answer to the problems our school systems face. The problems differ depending on the individual community. It is time that we start thinking outside of the box and allow individuals to make the fixes that best fit their particular needs instead of forcing these one size fits all answers that have been failing our kids for more than 40 years.


Cross posted at PotLuck

Ah, I Love the Smell of Desperation in the Morning - Obama Should Reach out to the Tea Party?

"The Tea Party needs to be shown what our President has done that resonates with their ideals. Common themes are lower taxes, smaller government, slowing down illegal immigration, and creating private sector jobs (and keeping companies from going overseas.)


Well, let's look at the President's record on these issues since taking office 20 months ago. He lowered taxes on the middle class in his stimulus plan, government jobs have declined this past month by 121,000 so it could be said that he is shrinking government while private jobs increased by 67,000 (jobs have been increasing steadily for Obama's first year after being lost on the average of 700,000 a month under President Bush's last year in office), and despite claims of otherwise by Arizona Governor Brewer with her false accusations of beheadings, illegal immigration has declined this past year and there have been more deportations under President Obama than President George W. Bush. President Obama also kept his campaign promises for health care reform (which he believes will create more private jobs) and getting us militarily out of Iraq. But the President never gets any credit for these accomplishments."

The liberals must be getting desperate if they think that the president would reach out to The Tea Party.  The Tea Party goes against everything that Obama believes in.  What about Limited Government doesn't the liberals understand? 
 
The military pull out of Iraq has nothing to do with President Obama, that was signed, sealed and delivered by President Bush before the election.  It isn't his accomplishment although he sure as heck has tried to make it so.  Illegal immigration is down because the economy is bad, as soon as more jobs are available the numbers will go right back up.  It's the economy stupid, not anything that the Obama administration has done. 
 
The liberals also don't seem to get that EVERYONE'S taxes will be going up in January.  The left winged media meme was that only the "rich" got tax breaks under the Bush administration, but it simply isn't the case.  Unless Congress gets off it's duff, we will all be seeing our taxes increase come January. 
 
The Census workers have finished with their jobs, that is the decrease in government employees.  The Greater DC area has an unemployment rate of less than 6% the last time I checked.  The reason for that is the increase in government jobs since Obama has taken office. 
 
How can The Tea Party people believe anything that this current administration may do to reach out if the facts are not even correct?  
 
read the full article here
 

HuffPo's Version of Ridiculous Vs. Conservative Girl's Version

The Huffington Post doesn't seem like they were all that impressed with the Beck Rally over the weekend.  They put up a slide show of photos that show how ridiculous the attendees were. 

So, I decided to go back to the day after Bush won re-election.  San Fransico Circa 2004

My personal favorite!!

I don't know about you, but I will take the Beck rally every time!!!

Funniest Line of the Day - Bob Samuels Edition

"Furthermore, my advice for the president should also be taken up by all people in the center and the Left; we simply cannot be manipulated by the Right-wing and libertarian fanatics that dominate the blogosphere and airwaves but probably only make up a small percentage of the general public."


Bob Samuels
President, University Council - AFT

Blogger, Huffington Post

Dominate the blogosphere and the airwaves???  What world does this man live in?  Oh, and by the way, people who identify themselves as conservatives doubles people who identify themselves as liberal.  Nice try though.