Mr. Tangerine Man (Another Rocky Mountain Mike Song Parody)

It's been a while since I've posted a Rocky Mountain Mike song parody. Not because he stopped making them, or because he hasn't remained funny. But, because this campaign has ground me down to a little blogging nubbin. I'm finding the art of blogging isn't rewarding enough to pay more attention to all the foolishness going on. But this one caught my eye, lifted my spirits, and gave me the gumption to get it up on the ol' blog! A riff on The Byrds' Mr. Tambourine Man about the bloated pumpkin-headed Donald Trump was both obvious and genius. Good goin' Mike!

For more from Rocky Mountain Mike, please go here.

The Unlikable Teddy Cruz Quits

Cruz prepares to eat his wife. Image from source, MSN

I didn't expect it, did you? No other embarrassing loss prior to tonight could shake Ted Cruz before Tuesday night. But there, right after one of his patented "victory from defeat" (and let's not forget God before country) speeches, Ted Cruz up and quit. And right after picking the equally unlikable Carly Fiorina as his running mate, too.

But there he goes. Old squiddy face is going back to the Senate, and leaving John Kasich to. . .what. . .tilt at a few more windmills? Try to swoop into the convention and steal the nomination? I can't see it.

But this whole thing has been so bizarre, end-to-end, who the hell knows anymore? The only thing we know for sure is that we don't know for sure.

[Excerpt]

Ted Cruz drops out of the Republican presidential race

Ted Cruz, the insurgent Texan whose presidential campaign was fueled by disdain for Washington, dropped out of the 2016 race Tuesday night, removing the last major hurdle in Donald Trump’s quest to become the Republican nominee for president. . .


Read more at: MSN

The Gay Thing: "Memories Pizza" is First Indiana Business to Publicly Endorse RFRA

So, apparently there is this mom-n-pop pizza joint in Indiana. And they are either a) courting controversy to drum up business, b) really want to jump on the "fame by martyrdom" conservative lecture circuit or c) want to go out of business. Perhaps it's some combination of those. The business has allegedly been around for nine years, but had to this point only ever garnered a couple of Yelp reviews.

Not anymore! They are full to the edge of the crust with Yelp reviews now! And many of them are hilarious. My favorite:



(Hilarious) image from source, Yelp reviews.

"Ever since this business came out against homosexuals i worry about it. I worry that people will order carry out over and over and over with out picking it up. I think this would ruin this fine establishment and these fantastic people. That would be super duper wrong. These fine Christlike people also deliver. Please DO NOT use your gay powers to call in fake deliveries. This would be equally detrimental to a heterosexual business struggling to make its way in an increasingly homo world."

Read for yourself: Click here: Memories Pizza - Walkerton, IN | Yelp

OMG! A Keith Olbermann Special Comment on Indiana Anti-Gay Law

Oh wow, do I miss Keith Olbermann. I kind of wish I had the barest interest in sports. . .
 

Indianapolis Star Demands: Governor Pence, Fix This Law

Wow. Front page, pretty much the entire "above the fold" section of the paper. Of course, The Indianapolis Star has to give Governor Pence the benefit of the doubt by couching the demand in "whatever the original intent of the law" language (we know the intent, it was clear, despite the back-peddling). But I'm impressed with the swift and furious response to this law, something Pence obviously thought was going to work to his advantage. He couldn't have been more wrong.

[Excerpt]

Image from source, IndyStar

Editorial: Gov. Pence, fix 'religious freedom' law now
 
We are at a critical moment in Indiana's history. And much is at stake. Our image. Our reputation as a state that embraces people of diverse backgrounds and makes them feel welcome. And our efforts over many years to retool our economy, to attract talented workers and thriving businesses, and to improve the quality of life for millions of Hoosiers. . .

Read more at: IndyStar

The Gay Thing: CNN's Chris Cuomo Takes Homophobe Peter Sprigg Apart Over Indiana Law

Wow. This is tremendous. Kudos and thank you for the stellar work, Chris Cuomo!

 

Indiana Bite Me (A Rocky Mountain Mike Song Parody)

Yes! Indiana, bite me! My newly re-adopted state of Ohio may be somehow a part of the new south as it regards same-sex marriage, but Indiana has earned my ire. Thanks, Rocky Mountain Mike.

For more from Rocky Mountain Mike, please go here.
 

Indiana: It's a Great Place to be a Bigot!

The Gay Thing: Twin Victories in Marriage Equality

And the hits, they keep on coming. Both the Indiana and Utah cases came up roses for the marriage equality movement, within about ten minutes of each other. In Indiana, a stay was not issued immediately, and so, marriages commenced! In Utah (and the rest of the 10th circuit) there was an immediate stay, but hey, they already had a spate of marriages there this winter. Frankly, I find the stays that have happened irritating, just more roadblocks on the path to equality. But it's all exciting, nonetheless. The marriage map is flowing in from the edges of the country, West Coast, Northeast, Great Lakes, Southwest. It's all going to meet in the middle, and probably sooner, rather than later.

[Excerpt]

U.S. appeals court backs gay marriage in conservative Utah

Image from source, Yahoo!

DENVER (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court ruled on Wednesday that conservative Utah may not ban gay couples from marrying, a decision that capped a day of victories for same-sex nuptials and nudges the issue closer to the U.S. Supreme Court. The ruling by a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Denver-based 10th Circuit marked the first time that a regional appeals court has made such a decision in the year since the Supreme Court ordered the federal government to extend benefits to legally married same-sex couples. . .

Read more (with video) at: Yahoo! News

The Gay Thing: Indiana Approves Anti-Gay Marriage Amendment

In a move that feels at least ten years out of style, the State of Indiana has passed an anti-marriage equality amendment to their state constitution. Why now? I can only guess its the tsunami of successes across the nation, either allowing same sex marriage outright, recognizing marriages performed in other states, or at least having previous amendments ruled unconstitutional.

In states like Nevada and Virginia, seeing the handwriting on the wall, states attorney generals have decided to not defend their state bans. So it is quite peculiar that Indiana would just now be getting around to a ban. Oddly, they claim it will make undoing it harder. That doesn't seem to be the case in other states. And this thing can't even be finalized until 2016, a year when we will have had legal same-sex marriages in the United States for a dozen years.

[Excerpt]

Indiana Senate Approves Amendment to Ban Same-Sex Marriage

The Indiana Senate on Monday approved a proposed amendment to the state's constitution that would prohibit same-sex marriage but more steps are required before it goes to voters in 2016. . .

Read more at: NBC News

Sen. Dick Luger Ousted in Indiana

I predicted--and many pundits agree--that the anti-gay marriage amendment in North Carolina would be one of the last (or hopefully the last) gasps of the inaptly named "protect marriage" movement. Maybe a tad optimistic, but I think not far off. Now, I can only hope that the same can be said for the tea bagger tea party movement. Since they're sort of a bogus, "re-branded" extremist group, it's hard to call it much of a movement. What really happened was, the freaks that the GOP used to pander to--but never really let be in charge--kinda took over. It was a perfect storm of anti-black Obama sentiment, and the establishment Republicans were overrun. [Story continues below]



But I've been kind of hoping they already shot their wad. When they took 2010 by storm, and loaded up Congress and state houses across the country, it was a helluva thing. But they--being the loons they are--overreached spectacularly. Instead of the promised jobs, jobs, jobs we got: extreme anti-abortion legislation! Extreme anti-gay initiatives! Outlandish anti-union smashing! We got state legislators running roughshod over their opposition. All kinds of radical policy making that made a bunch of freshman Congresspeople and Governors very unpopular. Were it not for a recession and a deeply divided "us-vs.-them" political reality, this would have been one of the most spectacular flameouts in political history.

But the teapublicans have managed to hang around longer than they otherwise would have (but hey, they sure didn't get the presidential candidate they wanted, did they?). And on Tuesday night, they claimed at least one more scalp.

[Excerpt]


Sen. Richard Lugar defeated in Indiana's GOP primary

Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana lost his re-election bid in the state's Republican primary Tuesday, ending the 36-year career of a GOP elder statesman and handing the Tea Party movement its biggest upset victory so far in the 2012 elections. . . 

Read more at: USA Today

Indiana State Fair Tragedy

Image from source, HuffPo

Yesterday, I took in a movie with friend and contributor, Stupid Monkey Planet. We chose Final Destination 5, the latest in a franchise of horror movies with grisly death scenes. The movie was very entertaining, for what it was. But on our separate ways home, both of us kept seeing potential death traps. It took a while to shake it. And then, we were both amazed to see the collapse of the stage at the Indiana State Fair, something that could have been straight out of one of the Final Destination films.

Having a background in the amusement industry, I'm always pulled back into it when a tragedy like this happens. Wondering if the tragedy could have been prevented, if anyone is to blame, or if it truly was just an act of nature that couldn't be predicted. In any event, I'm sad for the injured and killed people and their families. It's always jarring when something like this happens in an entertainment venue.


[Excerpt]


Indiana State Fair stage collapse: 5 dead; singer relates horror

The death toll has risen to five in the stage collapse at the Indiana State Fair in which 45 people were also injured.
The main stage collapsed on a crowd waiting for a Sugarland performance Saturday night at the Indianapolis fair after being blasted by winds as strong as 60 to 70 mph, according to the National Weather Service. . .

Read more at: LA Times

Another GOP Gay Sex Scandal

"Outing" someone as gay is usually not something I'm behind. While I'm happy to know that Neil Patrick Harris is gay, for example, I think it's rotten that the tabloids basically forced him out. On the other hand, it's worked out pretty well for him. But one place where there is absolutely no moral quandary, is the person in question has a history of vocal anti-gay attitudes. Particularly if that person has the ability to legislate or lobby for legislation.

So, gay state legislator, you deserve this. I'm sorry that you felt it necessary to be so deep in the closet you've found Narnia. I'm sorry you felt it necessary to actively hurt other gay people in order to deflect attention. But you did.

[Excerpt]

Hoosier daddy? Image from source, IndyStar

Email rendezvous entangles state Rep. Phillip Hinkle


Emails shared with The Indianapolis Star suggest that state Rep. Phillip Hinkle -- responding to a local posting on Craigslist -- offered a young man $80 plus tip to spend time with him Saturday night at the JW Marriott hotel. . .

Read more at: IndyStar


Thanks to Stupid Monkey Planet for the link.

Isn't It Ironic: Evan Bayh Leaves "Partisan" Politics for FOX "News"

Well, he is very telegenic. But if Evan Bayh expects there to be a less divisive partisan environment on FOX "News" of all places, he's not half as smart as I thought he was.

"Sorry, Sean, I didn't catch that. Liberals
are communist WHATtards?"
Image from source, Think Progress

[Excerpt]

After Leaving Senate Because Of ‘Too Much Partisanship,’ Former Sen. Evan Bayh Takes Job At Fox News



When former Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN) surprised Washington one year ago and announced his decision not to seek re-election, he blamed “too much partisanship and not enough progress — too much narrow ideology and not enough practical problem-solving.” Bayh said that “what we need to do is come together as a people and solve the problems facing our country. . .”
 
Read more at: Think Progress

Gov. Daniels (R-IN) to Slash Spending, Even if it Costs Jobs

"Missed it by that much."
from ThinkProgress

Do you think we will ever learn? For whatever reason--the reason doesn't matter really--the political pendulum swings from left to right. The Republicans win a big election. And then, they become political bulldozers, charging full-steam ahead with their pet agendas, regardless of what their actual "mandate" was.

This time, the pendulum swung faster than it really should have. No political party, no matter how masterful, could have put the economy back together in less than two years. Republicans really won because of a) some of the public is fickle, b) some of the public is uninformed, c) some Democrats are big babies, and sat out the election because of their own pet issues, and d) Republicans promised to focus on jobs, jobs, jobs.

So, the Republicans won a big election for a variety of reasons. And then, once they got in, they've done what they always do: overreached. Plus, they claim that everything they're doing: trying to regulate abortion into oblivion, trying to stomp on gay people, trying to bust unions, cutting taxes for the rich. . .is what "the people" voted for. Oh, and let's not forget that any cutting of taxes and services will nearly always benefit the rich and hurt the working people. Cut Social Security! Medicare! Pensions! But oh no, the petroleum companies must get multi-billion dollar subsidies! Bank of America musn't pay taxes! Bush tax cuts for the rich are essential! See what I'm getting at? 

I sort of predicted this, though it doesn't take a genius. And the hard right pendulum swing in 2010 is likely going to careen back to the left if the Republicans keep this up. Which is probably part of the reason for the Citizens United ruling, Karl Rove's young but powerful PAC groups, the Koch Brothers' muscle flexing, and the new united front of Republican Governors trying to squash the remaining unions. With all of that, Republicans will have far more money to spend on election advertising. Hopefully, that will be an overreach as well, and the all-GOP-all-the-time nasty political ads will just turn people off.

[Excerpt]

Gov. Daniels Says Governments Should Slash Spending ‘Even If They End Up Seriously Costing A Lot Of Jobs’



When asked earlier this month about the job loss that would occur if the continuing resolution passed by House Republicans were actually implemented, Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) replied “so be it.” “We’re broke. It’s time for us to get serious about how we’re spending the nation’s money,” he said. . .
 
Read more at: Think Progress

Gay Republicans to be Outed in Indiana?

For all their talk about getting big government off of our backs, a staggering number of conservatives want the government to have a say over who can and cannot get married. Well, of course it goes further than that. Many conservatives would legislate gay people out of existence if they could. With the very loud--to the point of obnoxiousness--braying about "jobs, jobs, jobs," the most high profile Republican policy efforts have been "culture war" issues.

In Indiana, conservatives are going the extreme route as it pertains to same-sex couples, by trying to ban not only marriage, but also any legal recognition of same-sex relationships. That goes beyond "protecting marriage," and onward to just plain mean. But it turns out, there is going to be some fairly powerful opposition to these plans. Which makes me happy. I'll be happier when we are no longer used as a political volleyball.

[Excerpt]

Outings threatened against anti-gay politicians in Indiana


The Republicans, and a few wimpy Democrats, are trying to pass a state constitutional amendment in Indiana banning marriages and civil unions for gay Hoosiers. This because Indiana apparently didn't suffer from the recession like the rest of the nation, so that state's legislators have nothing better to do with their time than the traditional Republican pass time of hating on minorities. . .
 
Read more at: AmericaBlog

Chris Matthews Skewers Rep. Mike Pence on Science

Ironically, this segment of Hardball with Chris Matthews is titled "How to Fix the GOP." This was certainly not the way to do that. Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) tap dances around Matthews' questions regarding evolution and global warming science in a most. . .well. . .tap-dancey way. Not his--nor the GOP's--finest hour.

John McCain Gets Protest Votes in NC & IN

Photo from source, Huffington Post

With all of the focus in the Presidential race on Democrats, very little is being said about John McCain. Even FOX "News" barely mentions him, with most of their shows being wall-to-wall Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. On one hand, this is good for McCain, as he's getting very little mud in his eye.

But this little nugget of information is getting very little play: McCain did not garner 100% of the Republican vote. . .or 90%. . .or even 80%. I'd say that's pretty interesting.

[Excerpt]

McCain's Base Problem

John McCain has been the nominee of his party for over a month now. He has no active opposition, no figure on his side of the aisle contesting him for leadership of the Republican party and the conservative movement.

And yet, Republicans are still voting against him. In Indiana McCain pulled in 77% of the vote, and he made an even worse showing with 73% in North Carolina. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

Obama Takes North Carolina, Clinton Indiana (?)

The on-air hosts of MSNBC's primary coverage pondered a few minutes ago what Hillary Clinton could possibly have to say in her speech after tonight's results in North Carolina and Indiana. Barack Obama handily took NC, and Clinton apparently won in a real squeaker in Indiana (as of this writing there is a slim chance Obama could take it.

I wasn't surprised, but I was a little impressed with how she began her speech, quoting Barack Obama from a few weeks ago. He'd said she'd win Pennsylvania, he'd take NC, and that Indiana would be a tie-breaker. Even Obama supporters groaned when he said that. . .since the race isn't exactly tied. But she seized upon that, it I have to say it was fairly brilliant.

Anyway, I'm not going to excerpt any columns, blogs or news stories here. . .by the time you read them they will be out of date. I will, however, follow up when there is more information.