Another Anti-Gay Republican Caught in Gay Sex For Money Scandal!

Is this even news? Yes, when it is a man who voted against LGBT rights issues and specifically voted for a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. 

Meet Indiana state Representative Phillip Hinkle (R). He responded to a Craigslist ad and offered a young man $80 plus tip to spend "a couple of hours of your time" at the Marriott hotel.  His tip was to be $50-$60 for a "really good time".

Furthermore in an article in the Indy Star, the object of the Representatives affections was offered an iPad, BlackBerry cellphone and $100 cash to keep quiet.

Ah family values at work again.  Family Values = cheat on spouse, pay for gay sex, try to cover it up, deny it in the media.

Colbert Super PAC Strikes a First and Hilarious Blow!

Stephen Colbert is actually producing ads for the Iowa Straw Poll. His choice for GOP candidate...Rick Parry. (With an "A") Write in's that are misspelled are tossed out. Nice work Mr. Colbert! I salute you!

Banning Books Still Booming in US

OK, pardon the alliterative headline, sometimes I just get carried away.  The story is far from amusing, though.

The school district in Republic, Montana has declared that Kurt Vonnegut's novel "Slaughterhouse-Five" was unsuitable for high-school students because, and I quote, "they teach principles contrary to the Bible". 

Let that sink in a while. 

The last time I checked we still have a constitutionally mandated separation of Church and State, so just because a book runs "contrary to the Bible" should make no difference.  Yes, it is violent and brutal and thought provoking, and just the kind of story that will catch a teenagers interest and actually make him or her THINK!

Of course the good folks in Republic don't want their kids thinking, that might lead to actual intelligence and God forbid they develop that! 

It seems to me that God's gift of our wonderful brains should be used and developed, not wasted and allowed to rot.  I seem to remember something in the Bible itself about that.

S&P Downgrade - Retribution for Congressional Scrutiny?

Unless you live under a rock, you know about the credit downgrade by Standard and Poors of the US credit rating.  We dropped from AAA to AA+.  Not surprisingly they gave one reason which specifically blames the GOP.

Compared with previous projections, our revised base case scenario now assumes that the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, due to expire by the end of 2012, remain in place. We have changed our assumption on this because the majority of Republicans in Congress continue to resist any measure that would raise revenues, a position we believe Congress reinforced by passing the [debt ceiling] act.

Now if you watch Fox News you will never see this quote, and though I do believe it was brought on mainly because of the insane debates over raising the debt ceiling I also thing it is a little pay-back from S&P.  They were hauled in before a Senate subcommittee a week prior to the downgrade for testimony in the mortgage crises.  During that hearing they were criticized for giving good ratings to the bundled mortgage products that caused the burst of the housing bubble.  I suspect their timing is as much retaliation as anything.  Time will tell.