BREAKING NEWS: Kim Davis to be Released from Jail

Image from source, Qweerty

Okay, this should be interesting. Kim Davis, the infamous court clerk from Kentucky, is being released from jail on one condition: that she not interfere with the issuing of marriage licenses by her clerks.

This shouldn't be a problem for her. Her name isn't going on them. It has even less to do with her religion than it did before (though I'd argue that it had nothing to do with it anyway). If she interferes, it's back to jail, do not pass go.

If she raises any sort of stink now, it will blow whatever shred (and it's in tatters) of credibility she has left. It will become clearer that this is about denying gay people civil rights acknowledged by the Supreme Court, and not about her "sincerely held beliefs" being violated.

Even more interesting: what happens to Mike Huckabee's jailhouse rally?

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BREAKING: Kim Davis To Be Released From Jail

U.S. District Judge David Bunning just ordered that Rowan County clerk Kim Davis be released from jail, reports The New Civil Rights Movement. On Thursday, Bunning placed Davis in contempt of court, ordering her to stay in jail until she agreed to do her job and give marriage licenses to same-sex couples or leave her position. . .

Read more at: Qweerty

The Kim Davis Cellblock Tango (Randy Rainbow Song Parody)

Tremendous! A trifle harsh, except that this story is one that deserves a little counter-punch. Kim Davis' quest is much more than her misguided quest to protect her alleged "sincerely held beliefs." She's a deliberate test case, an early phase in an attempt to squelch the practical application of the Supreme Court's Obergefell decision. The sheer disingenuousness that surrounds the case, from Davis' own mouth, her husband's out-sized one, and her (even according to FOX "News") relentlessly stupid lawyers from Liberty Council, is more than enough to justify a little over-the-top schadenfreude. And this is so well done--beginning to end--I couldn't resist.



Hat tip to The Other Half's cousin Geralyn for the link!

Faux Christian Martyr Kim Davis in Jail, Conservative Twitterverse in Full Outrage Mode

Image from source, Boston Globe.

Yes, the Kounty Klerk from Kentucky has refused to do her job, issuing marriage licenses (to either gay or straight people), all the way to jail. She's flat-out wrong in her assertions that religious beliefs trump the rights of her constituents, or that they have any relevance whatsoever to her job duties. She honestly has no legal leg to stand on, and this is clear if you know even basic civics, and have a working, functional brain, unclouded by "truthiness" or overpowered by religious fervor.

Overwhelmingly, public sentiment (at least most places I've frequented in my admittedly unscientific studies) seems to be against Kim Davis and her quixotic quest. But a vocal (and very loud) contingent of conservative keyboard commandos is in full outrage mode. And so are several politicians and pundits, including some GOP presidential aspirants.

Now, while many of these people are crazy, there are sane, smart people among them. I may have a visceral distaste for some of them, like Ted Cruz, Bobby Jindal and Mike Huckabee, but I don't think any (okay, most) of them are stupid people. So that leaves a few options here:

1. They are genuinely confused by the difference between "holy matrimony" and civil marriage, and/or ignorant of the fact that they are legally not the same thing.
2. They haven't thought through the ramifications of allowing a county-level politician to choose which laws to follow, or the consequences of giving religious exemption to a religious clerk over which laws they should enforce.
3. They are ignorant of the premise of the separation of church and state in the United States.
4. They are so blinded by homophobia, that it stunts their thinking processes.
5. They are pandering to the prejudices of the base conservative voter, either for their votes or to other ends (such as chipping away at the already earned right for same-sex couples to marry).

I'm betting on a mixture of 4 and 5. Ted Cruz can't really believe this is persecution for religious belief. It isn't. Ms. Davis' religious beliefs are intact, no matter if she issues legal documents or not. She is not a pastor or church official, she's civil servant. Her beliefs have nothing to do with the issuance of marriage licenses, anymore than it does with hunting licenses, gun licenses, driver licenses, business licenses or building permits.

She is 100% wrong, and anyone defending her now, or alleging some phony "War on Christianity" is either seriously confused about the facts of the case, is too invested in religion-based bigotry to see the facts clearly, or is being disingenuous. Period.

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Kim Davis follows the footsteps of George Wallace
 
Kim Davis is in jail for contempt of court for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, but make no mistake: this uncivil civil servant isn’t a religious freedom fighter. She’s a homophobe, pure and simple. “The court cannot condone the willful disobedience of its lawfully issued order,” said Judge David L. Bunning of Federal District Court. “If you give people the opportunity to choose which orders they follow, that’s what potentially causes problems.” Davis, county clerk for Rowan County, Kentucky, will be released when she complies with the law and issues marriage licenses to same-sex couples. . .

Read more at: Boston Globe

The Gay Thing: Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis Given ONE MORE DAY?

Okay, long story short, after the Supreme Court effectively legalized marriage between same-sex couples in the entire United States, there was some foot-dragging and stone-walling by several elected officials. They were scattered around the country, and most have been resolved. But there's this clerk in Kentucky--represented by muckraking Right Wing World attorneys, naturally--who is loudly and proudly defiant in the face of the ruling.

She was thought to have exhausted all potential trump cards, and should have had to start issuing licenses on Tuesday morning. She didn't. She is brazenly defying all courts including the Supremes, using extraordinarily flimsy, baseless, illogical and frankly goofy reasoning. But, since she's an elected official, she can't get fired directly. But she is in contempt of court, and also refusing to do her job, though she won't resign. She hasn't got a legal leg to stand on, but she's still stamping her feet.

Thrice-divorced, four-times-traditionally married marriage defender,
Kim Davis, in stunning blue. From source, LGBTQNation.

All of this is made somewhat hilarious by the fact that this woman, Kim Davis, has apparently been married four times and divorced three. She continues to conflate "holy matrimony" with civil marriage, confuses the county courthouse with a church, and confuses her government job with some sort of religious consecration. She's either a dim bulb, a nutbar or a disingenuous grafter hoping for a big score and some fame. But for some reason, they're giving her yet another day to come to her senses.

But here's a point to ponder, for any of you Kim Davis supporters out there:

Should a Muslim DMV worker be allowed to refuse issuing drivers licenses to women, if he says it's against his religion? How would that be any different?

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Judge: Kim Davis has until end of day Wednesday to respond
 
A federal judge says a Kentucky county clerk who won’t issue marriage licenses to gay couples because of her religious beliefs has until close of business Wednesday to respond to the latest motion in the case. . .

Read more at: LGBTQNation

The Gay Thing: 6th Circuit Rules FOR Gay Marriage Bans (Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Michigan)

For an atheist, I have an unusual amount of things that are so intuitive and coincidental, that it makes me wonder if agnosticism might not be more my speed. Almost daily I have an odd occurrence, the repetition of an unusual word in disparate places, talking about an obscure celebrity, only to have them die the next day. Things like that. I had another one today. I thought, "What's going on with the 6th Circuit?"  They'd heard cases on marriage equality quite a while ago. The election is over, so I figured the timing was ripe. When were they going to rule? This was right before lunch. I did a quick couple of Google searches, and no news.

After lunch, boom, the news hit. The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the gay marriage bans in their jurisdiction can stand. This is quite the departure, and provides a Circuit split, as every other Circuit Court that has ruled on the subject has ruled against such bans. In a week of bad political news (from my perspective), this was just the rancid icing on the moldy cake. I suppose it shouldn't bother me so badly, since we're on the edge of 34 states having marriage equality. Even my current state has me in the legal column.

But Ohio is my home state. We've talked about moving back there. If we moved tomorrow, in most of the states in our path, our marriage would be intact. It would wink off in the Texas panhandle, wink back on in Oklahoma, and remain so until we got to our destination. Where we'd promptly become roommates in Ohio. Clearly, this is no way to run a country. And I'm hoping, that's what the Supreme Court will think as well. The question is, when will the case even get there? If things move quickly, it could be decided by June of next year. Or maybe June of 2016. And there's no guarantee we'll win.

But I think we have a much better than even chance. Let's start with the 6th's decision. While I'm no lawyer or judge, I don't think this decision would pass in high school debate class. There's very little in the way of legal reasoning at all. It's mostly appeals to tradition, and--very oddly--an effort to duck responsibility. The court is actually saying it's not their place to decide. Not their place to decide a constitutional issue! It's absurd.

Actually, the entire battle from the anti-gay side has been absurd. I've been arguing this subject for years online and elsewhere, and there is literally nothing new to their arguments. The things that this court did latch onto have been argued down and defeated in dozens of previous decisions. These retread arguments would only sway judges who were groping for reasoning. And rather than answer the questions before them: a) can a state constitutionally ban gay people from getting married and b) can a state refuse to recognize a legal marriage from another state, were largely responded to with a, "What? Who? Us? You're asking us? It's not up to us." Crazy man. Crazy.

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Supreme Court Gay Marriage Showdown Looms After Appeals Court Upholds Bans
 
The march toward gay marriage across the U.S. hit a roadblock Thursday when a federal appeals court upheld laws against the practice in four states, creating a split in the legal system that increases the chances the Supreme Court will step in to decide the issue once and for all. The cases decided were from Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

Mitch McConnell: Kill ObamaCare! Keep Kentucky's Part of it! (WTF?)

Mitch McConnell is talking out his ass again, this time at his debate with Alison Lundergan Grimes. Yes, Yertle seems to think we should eliminate every "root and branch" of the Affordable Care Act, and yet leave Kentucky's Kynect (or just its web site?) intact. The problem, of course, is that Kynect is ObamaCare, it's what it was always supposed to be, one of 50 state-run exchanges. And it worked! And it's popular! So, it puts Mitch in this trick bag.

If Grimes is smart, she'll play this up big time: "Kentuckians, Mitch McConnell thinks you're stupid. He thinks you're so stupid, that you don't know that Kynect is part of the Affordable Care Act. He's hoping you're so stupid, that you'll vote for him, and let him take away your insurance."

I'm not particularly a fan of Grimes. I think she's a calculating, politics first, talking points-based candidate. I think she's hoping that Kentuckians are stupid enough to think she's anti-Obama, because they are stupid enough to vote against her for being an Obama supporter. I think there are better ways to play this, than posturing and fake-outs. But very nearly anyone would be better than Mitch McConnell. The fact that this is even close tells you that the "Kentuckians are stupid" gambit could very well work for either side.

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McConnell Wants To Keep Obamacare 'Website' But Repeal Obamacare

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said on Monday night he wants to repeal Obamacare "root and branch" but keep the law's state-based insurance exchange in Kentucky, called Kynect. "I think it's fine to have a website. Yeah," he said during the first and only scheduled Kentucky Senate debate with Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes, pressed on whether he wants to keep Kynect. . .

Read more at: Talking Points Memo

America the Stupid: GOP Poor Love ObamaCare, Just Not the "Obama" Part

Idiots. Plain and simple. Like those teabaggers who would say, "keep your government hands off of my Medicare," anyone who is enjoying insurance for the first time, on account of the Affordable Care Act, and yet plans to vote Republican anyway. . .is an idiot. Those same Republicans have held how many votes--60?--to try to repeal "ObamaCare." They held a relentless campaign to demonize it, practically from its first formative step, to well after its introduction. They were so successful at making it seem that the ACA is the most evil piece of legislation ever, that even those who like it, hate it, if you just phrase the question right. Why would someone in such a position vote against their best interests? And yet they do. Consistently.

The Rude Pundit

Here's a great piece by Lee Papa, The Rude Pundit, from last week on the subject.

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Toothless Hicks Agree: We Love Obamacare, Wish a White Man Had Signed It

So the New York Times interviewed people in Kentucky who have taken advantage of one part or another of the Affordable Care Act, especially the expansion of Medicaid. Robin Evans, a 49 year-old with high blood pressure and Graves' disease, is just "tickled to death" to have insurance coverage, which she had gone without for years. Of course, she's gonna vote Mitch McConnell out of office since he has made it his mission to repeal the ACA. Said Evans, "Born and raised Republican...I ain’t planning on changing now. . ."

See more at: The Rude Pundit

Lawrence O'Donnell Rewrites Kentucky's "Noah's Ark" Theme Park

Who knew there were cranes in Noah's day? Image from Inquisitr.

Oh, this is good. As an atheist, it's not often you get something this good from a religious person. And Lawrence O'Donnell is a good (though perhaps not devout) Catholic. Like me, he has a few problems with some of the Bible's wackier stories, notably the one about Noah's Ark.

The Noah story figured prominently in my slide into atheism. In my confirmation classes, it was clear that everyone around me took Genesis, up to that point, as literal truth. I was having enough trouble with that, but Noah's Ark? Plot holes you can drive an ocean liner through. It cannot be taken as a literal story, unless one is a child, one hasn't really thought about the story since he was a child, or with an economy-sized tub of faith spackle.

So anyway, they're building a theme park in Kentucky, based around the Noah story, complete with a "replica" of the ark. Kentucky is apparently going to give this entirely religious production millions of dollars worth of tax credits. To a heathen like me, this is very irritating. So, I was relieved to find Lawrence on my side. And his piece is also quite entertaining. Especially his pronunciation of "Ark Park."
 

Original #McConnelling Ad May Break Campaign Rules

Such a face! Image from source, TPM

Who knew, in this post-Citizens United world, that there were any federal campaign rules left? But if Sen. Mitch McConnell (and apparently lots of others on both sides of the aisle) are breaking them? I say shut 'em down. We don't have much left to keep up the integrity of campaigning and elections, but we need to work with the rules that we have.

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#McConnelling Ads May Break Federal Campaign Rules

Wordless political ads campaigns post that many say are likely meant to help super PACs could break federal law, according to campaign finance watchdogs. That argument came up after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-KY) campaign posted an ad of what appeared to be b-roll* of McConnell smiling and posing with voters in various shots. Observers speculated that the ad was really meant for pro-McConnell super PACs to use. It is illegal for those organizations to coordinate with the campaigns. . .

Read more at: Talking Points Memo

The Gay Thing: Kentucky Ban on Recognition of Out-of-State Gay Marriage Struck Down

Well, this is certainly better than my previous post on The Gay Thing. This is very good news. And sure to cause wave of what is coming to be known as "the sadz" in certain quarters. This is what has been predicted for quite some time: that a gay couple could marry in a state where it's legal, and then go to a state where it's not, and insist upon being recognized. It was bound to happen, and it's happening.

As in the previous post, you can already see the blowback to the success marriage equality activism is having across the country. It's mean-spirited, and very definitely unconstitutional, so it ultimately will fail. But the reason they're lashing out, is that they see the writing on the wall: marriage equality nationwide. And from the looks of things, sooner rather than later. When it does happen, the likely result will be a reduction in discrimination against gay people in general, as it becomes a fact of life. Which is why they're actively trying to write discrimination loopholes into law!

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Kentucky Ban On Recognizing Out-Of-State Gay Marriages Struck Down By Federal Judge

Kentucky must recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states, according to a ruling Wednesday by a federal judge, who struck down part of the state ban that he wrote treated "gay and lesbian persons differently in a way that demeans them. . ."

Read more at: Huffington Post

Scandal! Rand Paul's Plagiarism Scandal Keeps Growing

When The Rachel Maddow Show broke the story a few days ago, that Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky had been caught plagiarizing from Wikipedia, it seemed minor. Probably a rogue (or simply lazy) speech writer. Then, it turned out it was kind of a regular thing. And now, it seems that it isn't just Wikipedia cribbing going on. Worse, Paul has resorted to attacking the messenger, and playing the victim, rather than owning up to it, or even apparently understanding what plagiarism even means.

If you are a conservative Paul fan, hearing this for the first time, or rolling your eyes that it originates with Rachel Maddow, I get it. You think she's our version of Sean Hannity, and don't believe a word she says. First, I'd tell you that she's quite simply better than that (though you wouldn't believe me). But instead, I'd consider you to do your homework. This was kind of a funny, "scandal-ette" at first. But it's growing. And Paul isn't helping his own cause by playing dumb.
 

Sen. Rand Paul Stil Doesn't Understand What Plagiarism Means

Rand Paul, just one of many Tea Party heroes who have been proven
to be ignoramuses.  Image from source, Raw Story.

No, Senator (and boy does it pain me to call him that), you don't have to footnote speeches. What you can't do is give a speech that is plagiarized from another source, as though it is your own words! Seventh graders understand what the word means, know that it is wrong, and would expect an F-grade for doing it. That you can't a) own up to it, or b) even seem to understand what it means, tells me that you're really not ready for prime time.

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Rand Paul wants to challenge ‘hacks’ like Maddow to a gunfight over plagiarism charge

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) on Sunday vowed to be more careful citing sources but insisted that a “dueling” gunfight against “hacks and haters” like MSNBC host Rachel Maddow, who uncovered his plagiarism of Wikipedia, would be the ultimate solution if it were legal. During a interview on Sunday, ABC host George Stephanopoulos asked Paul to explain charges that several of his speeches had used the exact language found in Wikipedia. . .

Read more at: Raw Story

Pre-Pre-Pre-Campaign 2016: Rand Paul Makes Fun of Rick Perry

Let 'er rip, boys! I thought the last two rounds of GOP presidential candidates were like a clown car opened up, but it looks like we're going to get  a new batch (with a lot of the same faces) next time too. Better stock up on popcorn.

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Rand Paul mocks Rick Perry: Can’t remember third good reason for him to be president

Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) on Monday night lampooned the idea of Texas Governor Rick Perry running for president again. “Well, I don’t know about what I’ve decided yet, but if Governor Perry decides to run for president, I think there are three good reasons he could be president,” he said on Fox News’ Hannity. “You know, Texas is a big, successful state; he’s a long-term governor — I can’t remember the third one, but, uh. . .”

Read more (with video) at: The Raw Story

Ashley Judd Not Running for Senate

Image from MSNBC

Dang it. I really wanted to see Ashley Judd make a run for Senate. I think she's a sharp cookie, I like her as an actress (though I hated Bug), and seriously, anybody would be better than her competition. Honestly, I can't imagine even the most hardcore Republican looking to Mitch McConnell as an inspirational figure. In fact, I don't know how they look to him (and his House counterpart John Boehner) with anything other than head-shaking embarrassment. It just would have been sweet to see this pretty, accomplished woman-and sister/daughter to two of country music's biggest stars--take down the Senate Minority Leader.  Oh well, on to other dreams I guess.

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We may be stuck with this guy.
Image from FreakOutNation

Ashley Judd: ‘Regretfully,’ I will not be a Senate candidate

Ashley Judd tweeted: After serious and thorough contemplation, I realize that my responsibilities & energy at this time need to be focused on my family. Regretfully, I am currently unable to consider a campaign for the Senate. I have spoken to so many Kentuckians over these last few months who expressed their desire for a fighter for the people & new leader. . .

Read more at: MSNBC

Kentucky Church Bans Interracial Marriage

I'll bet they think Jesus was white too. Image from HuffPo

Um, what? Really? Yeah, I know some churches are deeply attached to reserving the "religious" right to be anti-gay. But, I thought they were all way beyond this. Guess not.

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Small Ky. Church Votes Against Interracial Couples

A tiny all-white Appalachian church in rural Kentucky has voted to ban interracial couples from joining its flock, pitting members against each other in an argument over race. Members at the Gulnare Free Will Baptist Church voted Sunday on the resolution, which says the church "does not condone interracial marriage. . ."  

Read more at: Huffington Post

Hillary Clinton Wins Kentucky--BIG

Photo from source, New York Times

Sigh. Here we go again. While nearly everyone believes that Barack Obama will be the Democratic nominee for President, Hillary Clinton has won another state by a large margin. It gives her some bragging rights. . .but is it enough to keep her going, really? I would think that even some of her die hard supporters would be as tired of this whole thing as the rest of us are.

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Clinton Wins Kentucky, but Obama Nears Milestone

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton won the Kentucky presidential primary on Tuesday by a decisive margin, buoyed by support from white working-class voters, and she pledged to extend her campaign to the final round of contests in the race for the Democratic nomination. . .

Read more at: New York Times