I’m still well short of 100%, but the news at hand is too important to leave it to Republicans to misinterpret.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:52 (average 5:33). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Media Matters: CNN’s Jake Tapper grilled a lawmaker who sponsored Arkansas’ "Religious Freedom Restoration Act" (RFRA), demonstrating the hypocrisy of conservatives who deny that "religious freedom" laws are intended to protect anti-gay discrimination.
Conservative media outlets have been scrambling to defend "religious freedom" laws in places like Indiana and Arkansas, which provide a legal defense for businesses and individuals who cite their religious beliefs in order to refuse service to LGBT customers. Proponents of these two states’ RFRAs have repeatedly denied that the "religious freedom" laws would allow for anti-LGBT discrimination, despite evidence to the contrary.
During the April 1 edition of The Lead with Jake Tapper, Tapper interviewed Arkansas state Senator Bart Hester (R), a sponsor of the state’s proposed RFRA. Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson declined to sign the measure into law today, suggesting that it be reworked to more closely mirror federal law. Tapper began the interview by asking whether RFRA would allow Christian business owners to discriminate against same-sex couples if they felt serving them would violate their religious beliefs. Hester responded that RFRA doesn’t allow discrimination but would allow Christian businesses to refuse gay customers.
The result was an awkward four minute exchange during which Tapper repeatedly tried to get Hester to acknowledge that refusing service to a gay couple is, in fact, discrimination:
I’m really surprised to see CNN, Faux Lite, put a Republican on the spot to expose the hypocrisy of his bigoted hatred.
From Daily Kos: They say that Facebook has ruined April Fool’s Day, and you can see why.
But Thank God for Congressman Mike Honda (D-Calif), whose social media team has been circulating this press release today:
Rep. Honda Introduces Acronym Act to Clean up Bill Names
Bill Would Prevent Excessive Words Just to Make an Acronym
Washington, DC – Fighting what he calls “an avalanche of verbiage in the name of every bill,” Congressman Mike Honda (D-CA17) today introduced the Accountability and Congressional Responsibility On Naming Your Motions (ACRONYM) Act of 2014.
This bill will prohibit the addition of words to the title of any bill just to create an acronym. “It’s gotten ridiculous,” Congressman Honda said. “We’re getting bills that have over 10 words in the title just so they can spell something that’s supposed to be clever. The last straw was The Pension And Social Security Measuring Equivalence Permanent Linking of Everyone’s Actual Savings Environment (PASS ME PLEASE) Act, which only corrected a typo on Page 346 of the tax code.” The bill failed in a House vote along party lines.
And yes, folks. It’s an April Fool’s joke. But it’s one of those things that we wish were true. So kudos to Mike Honda, you definitely won the Internet today.
LOL!! Nevertheless acronyms can be useful. For example, consider the SPSPT, which has Lynn on their watch list.
From The New Yorker: Shortly after world powers successfully negotiated a nuclear-framework agreement with Iran, Sen. John McCain warned that a lasting peace with the Middle Eastern nation “could greatly limit our ability to bomb it.”
“President Obama is hailing this framework as something that could enhance the prospects for peace in the Middle East,” McCain told reporters at the United States Senate. “For those of us who have looked forward to bombing Iran for some time now, that would be a doomsday scenario.”
“The Iranians know well and good that if they abandon their nuclear program exactly the way we’ve asked them to, we can kiss bombing them goodbye,” he said, shaking his head ruefully. “It’s a damn shame.”
As for President Obama, McCain added, “Sometimes I think the President cares more about making the Iranians happy than about making the people who want to bomb the Iranians happy.”
Andy may not be reporting McConJob’s words, but he has his intent dead to rights.
Cartoon:
20 Responses to “Open Thread–4/3/2015”
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Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R-AR) explaining why Arkansas needed to revise their RFRA bill … because WalMart virtually told him to. (As some wag noted in the WaPo comments, business folks have clearly learned something important that politicians haven't: while voting districts can be gerrymandered, business districts can't)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2015/04/01/arkansas-governor-to-discuss-religious-liberty-bill/
ASA HUTCHINSON TRANSLATED: "Damn right. Back in the good old ordinary times we'd be able to call a spade a spade … if you get my drift."
Nice quote from "Star Trek" gay actor George Takei on RFRA:
http://www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/lewis-diuguid/article16924508.html
Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/lewis-diuguid/article16924508.html#storylink=cpy
PS – To all our Jewish friends …
Chag Sameach – Happy Pesach
And I hope you and yours have an enjoyable Seder dinner. "Why is this night different from …"
OK – no arguing that "Brevity is the soul of wit" – but maybe there are limits …
Oh, darn – my smileys didn't show up. 😉 was one.
I agree with Joanne. 🙂
3:34 Who will find Nemo first? It won't be TomCat.
3:34 We saved them, Jerry!
3:09 I think I found Nemo!
Those were not real fishies. Porcelain is so hard to digeest!!
Nice medley of choices!
I'm kinda hoping a group of current/former college students files for student loan forgiveness in Indiana under RFRA based on Biblical commands against ursury.
Mike Honda has pretty consistently showed a non-offensive sense of humor during his political career here in CA.
The GOP got the White House due to Iran hostage situation that became Carter's priority–is that why they feel the need to preserve the country in enemy status?
Good Iran point.
Media Matters ~ I'm surprised Jake Tapper put a RepublicanT on the spot. Has he rethought his career in journalism?
Daily Kos ~ Too bad it's only a joke.
New Yorker ~ Ansy is a mind reader, not a satirist.
Cartoon ~ He's singing that old refrain from his failed campaign.
4:53 average still 5:33. Too bad they're not real – or maybe, just as well.
Media Matters – Refusing service to gay customers is not discrimination? Cognitive Dissonance RED ALERT!
Daily Kos – There were several more good ones, but this is the best of all: "Congressman Honda has high hopes for the bill passing out of the Nation’s Operational and Clerical Habits Application and Notification for Congressional Excellence (NO CHANCE) House subcommittee."
New Yorker (and cartoon) – oh, Andy Andy, doesn't it HURT to channel him so accurately?
Puzzle — 3:09 I think I found Nemo!
Media Matters — Just like Rmoney, Hester is speaking out of both sides of his mouth and each conflicts with the other. The only way to fix that kind of stupid is to vote him (and all other Republicanus/Teabaggerum) out! Had I been the interviewer, I think I would have lost my cool. Freakin' unbelievable! This is clearly discrimination.
Daily Kos — Well at least I am on a different watchlist than Lyin' Ryan. Me on the Society for the Prevention of Starvation of Puddy Tats, and Ryan on the Society for the Prevention of SNAP Programme Termination! Without acronyms, how could we say "peeing in my pants rolling on the floor laughing my ass off" quickly? PIMPROTFLMAO!
The New Yorker — I really would like to "bomb" McCain. He is so totally illogical.
Cartoon — A mean, ignorant, war mongering little man who doesn't know putty from shit! The world would be better without him and his Republicanus/Teabaggerum brothers and sisters!
Ryan starves Puddy Tats too!!
I hope you are at least ninety percent!
Media Matters: Tapper did not get a straight, 9no pun intended) from this guy. The right wing conservatives are never going to admit that they are discriminating against the LGBT community. Can't they see that if their wishes go through it would be no different for us than those living under Sharia law that they profess to hate?
Daily Kos: Yes, we all wish this were true!
TheNew Yorker: Andy nails it again. McCain only seems to be happy when we are bombing. I wish he would retire.
TY TC
talk about time to retire. McCain seems to be stuck on the same tune since 2008
Thanks all.