Obama Season?

Aren't jokes about killing the president against the law? Out of Idaho:

Rex Rammell, a long-shot gubernatorial candidate seeking the Republican nomination, criticized Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter on Wednesday for not making good on a promise to buy the first wolf tag. Tags for hunting the gray wolf went on sale Monday.

Rammell's remarks on Otter came in an interview Wednesday after the Times-News asked about comments Rammell made Tuesday night at a local Republican party event.

After an audience member shouted a question about "Obama tags" during a discussion on wolves, Rammell responded, "The Obama tags? We'd buy some of those."

Oh right, it's only against the law if you aren't a Republican politician. For them, it's just part of acceptable political discourse. Also, Idaho sucks.

Via Neiwert.

Republicans: They Still Know How to Hate

I guess with the purging of moderates, the Republicans can be more open with their hate.

South Dakota senator John Thune opposes Obama naming a gay person as a Supreme Court judge.

But conservative leaders have warned the nomination of a gay or lesbian justice could complicate Obama’s effort to confirm a replacement for Souter, and another Republican senator on Wednesday warned a gay nominee would be too polarizing.

“I know the administration is being pushed, but I think it would be a bridge too far right now,” said GOP Chief Deputy Whip John Thune. “It seems to me this first pick is going to be a kind of important one, and my hope is that he'll play it a little more down the middle. A lot of people would react very negatively.”

I don't think this would be particularly polarizing. In fact, I don't think anything resembling a majority would care at all. With Maine today, 5 states have now have legalized gay marriage and we're probably looking at least 2 more (NH and NY), as well as Washington DC, by the end of the year. It would anger conservatives, but they are angry anyway. So who cares.

Meanwhile, Kos points us to this lovely ice cream flavor created by the Republican Women of Clifton (VA):

In Honor of the 44th President of the United States, Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream has issued a new flavor, ” Barocky Road.” Barocky Road is a blend of half Vanilla, half Chocolate, and surrounded by Nuts and Flakes. The Vanilla portion of the mix is not openly advertised and usually denied as an ingredient. The Nuts and Flakes are all very bitter and hard to swallow. The Cost is $100.00 per scoop.

When purchased, it will be presented to you in a large beautiful cone, but then the Ice Cream is taken away and given to the person in line behind you. Thus you are left with an empty Wallet, no change, holding an empty cone, with no hope of getting any Ice Cream.

Oh, that's just freaking hilarious...

And finally, it looks like Jeff Sessions (Segregationist-AL) will be the #2 ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, replacing Arlen Specter. What are Sessions' qualifications? Well, he once claimed the NAACP was a communist-inspired organization and a former subordinate said that Sessions liked the Ku Klux Klan, at least before he understood that some of their members liked to smoke pot. Which is the single worst reason to change your mind about the KKK that could possibly exist.

So yeah, the Republicans are really rocking the hate right now. This should really help them become relevant again!

Revisiting Republican Repsonsibility for Hate Crimes

Last June, I discussed the horrible murders of two Knoxville, Tennessee parishioners of a Unitarian church. I lived in Knoxville for 3 years and know members of that church. The killer attacked the church because of its liberal views. Inspired by Limbaugh, Hannity, Beck, Savage, O'Reilly, and the other right-wing hate-filled gasbags, he took their views to their logical extreme and acted. The result was tragedy, as well as the predictable right-wing silence.

Sara Robinson notes that the killer has been sentenced to life behind bars. Upon his sentencing, he released a rambling message discussing his actions. Robinson excerpts part of it:

"Know this if nothing else: This was a hate crime. I hate the damn left-wing liberals. There is a vast left-wing conspiracy in this country & these liberals are working together to attack every decent & honorable institution in the nation, trying to turn this country into a communist state. Shame on them....

"This was a symbolic killing. Who I wanted to kill was every Democrat in the Senate & House, the 100 people in Bernard Goldberg's book. I'd like to kill everyone in the mainstream media. But I know those people were inaccessible to me. I couldn't get to the generals & high ranking officers of the Marxist movement so I went after the foot soldiers, the chickenshit liberals that vote in these traitorous people. Someone had to get the ball rolling. I volunteered. I hope others do the same. It's the only way we can rid America of this cancerous pestilence."

"I thought I'd do something good for this Country Kill Democrats til the cops kill me....Liberals are a pest like termites. Millions of them Each little bite contributes to the downfall of this great nation. The only way we can rid ourselves of this evil is to kill them in the streets. Kill them where they gather. I'd like to encourage other like minded people to do what I've done. If life aint worth living anymore don't just kill yourself. do something for your Country before you go. Go Kill Liberals."

Again, this is Republican eliminationism at its highest levels. None of this man's inspirations went on the air to apologize for their words. None condemned his man or his ideas. With all the hate they spew, some people are going to act. Listening to the radio or watching Fox News is not going to be an outlet for them, it's going to be an inspiration for action. Limbaugh and his ilk have a lot of blood on them, not just in Iraq but at home too.