In Case You Missed It: Republicans Reject UN Disabled Rights Treaty

Image from Las Vegas Sun

This one is from earlier in the week, and I meant to say something about it before. WTF is wrong with Republicans, specifically the tea party breed, the ones who'd give a flying fig what Rick Santorum has to say about anything? Honestly, a two-thirds vote on a treaty that defends disabled people's rights, blocked by 38 Senators. And for what? Some deeply weird fears about sovereignty and home schoolers' right? What?

As a liberal-minded atheist, I'm often deeply suspicious of home schoolers. Most often, they seem to be paranoid religious kooks who find the public school system to be insufficiently Jesus-y. I think they do a disservice to their children, more often than not. But try as I may, I can't find the objection. I can't find anything that has anything to do with home schoolers or their rights. And I think it's embarrassing that they voted this treaty down over Bob Dole's wheelchair.

[Excerpt]

US Senate rejects UN treaty on disability rights amid GOP opposition

Led by Republican opposition, the Senate on Tuesday rejected a United Nations treaty on the rights of the disabled that is modeled after the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act. . .

Read more at: The Guardian

Jack Kemp, Former VP Hopeful, Dead at 73

Image from source, LA Times

I haven't always been interested in politics. Long before I had a blog, back in 1996, I was working in San Antonio, Texas at an amusement park. I was running a laser tag/motion ride combo with a partner, Chuck, who was very politically-minded. While I was fine with President Clinton, he hated the guy. I got along great with him anyway, because though I disagreed with him, I was not entrenched enough in my political ideology to care much.

But Chuck was all excited about the Presidential race not due to Bob Dole, but because of his running mate, Jack Kemp. The fact that Chuck liked him, and that he had a full head of white hair are literally the only things I recall about Jack Kemp. So, I don't have much to add to this story other than, RIP Jack. And condolences to the family, of course.

[Excerpt]

Jack Kemp, all-star quarterback, politician, father, dead of cancer, 73

Jack Kemp, the all-star college and pro quarterback who went on to serve nine House terms, as secretary of Housing and Urban Development and as Robert Dole's VP running mate on the 1996 Republican presidential ticket, died this evening.

Kemp also ran his own unsuccessful presidential campaign in 1988 against Ronald Reagan's vice president, George H.W. Bush, who would go on to appoint Kemp as his HUD secretary.

Read more at: Los Angeles Times