Still Crazy After All These Years

An Assistant Attorney General in Michigan, if you remember from some time back, is waging war against U of M's student body president, who is openly gay.

Remember, too, that Michigan's current Attorney General, Mike Cox, despite the AG's very own entire web page devoted to cyber safety, refused to fire this Assistant or even to force him to rescind his hate-filled blog.

The blog? Chris Armstrong Watch (google it...I ain't linking it...).

Again, the AG's web site on Cyber Safety here.

Let's hear what the Assistant AG has to say: "I have no problem with the fact that Chris is a homosexual. I have a problem with the fact that he's advancing a radical homosexual agenda." [CNN.com]

Anderson Cooper, who is NOT GAY, took him to task yesterday. Video here. Read the whole article; it's worth it.

But if you're as lazy as me, here's the most unintentionally hilarious paragraph I have seen this week:

Among other things, Shirvell has published blog posts that accuse Armstrong of going back on a campaign promise he made to minority students; engaging in "flagrant sexual promiscuity" with another male member of the student government; sexually seducing and influencing "a previously conservative [male] student" so much so that the student, according to Shirvell, "morphed into a proponent of the radical homosexual agenda;" hosting a gay orgy in his dorm room in October 2009; and trying to recruit incoming first year students "to join the homosexual 'lifestyle.'"

No hate speech there.

And what does Mike Cox, our current AG, who has a Cyber Bullying Task Force, say about this?

"Mr. Shirvell's personal opinions are his and his alone and do not reflect the views of the Michigan Department of Attorney General," Cox said in the written statement provided by his office to CNN's "AC 360" Tuesday night. "But his immaturity and lack of judgment outside the office are clear."

Shirvell said he works on the blog during his off-hours.

Powerful rebuttal.

Mike Cox, protecting our youth from Cyber Attacks. Unless they are Teh Gay. Then...just not during work hours.

Read more...

Birthers, Deathers, and Astroturfers.

I am betting each of us has seen all the shouting going on at townhall meetings on the health insurance reform packages. If not, take a look here and here.

Some of this is manufactured. There is definitely a misinformation campaign that riles up the conspiracy theorists on the right. It has been well-documented that lobbyists have sent out talking points and tactical instructions. It is in-part driven in part by the insurance lobby. Even Sean Hannity's website is being used as an organizing tool.

But at the end of the day, you have to recruit people to come out, which isn’t normally easy, so I ask:

Who are these people?

Anecdotally, Republican party rank and file have been seen at the events, as have employees of major insurance companies and drug companies, but it cannot be all of them.

-Are they everyday people?
-Are they just Republican Party sore losers?
-Are they paid operatives?
-Are they a far right fringe group in the throws of death making one last stand?
-Do they actually think the government is coming to put old people to death?
-Are they just weakminded people manipulated by the lobby corp?
-Other

Who the hell are these people? Please discuss.

Read more...

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!

This may be worse than the Nimoy video I posted a few months ago.

Read more...