Bobby Jindal Piyushes Himself Out of the 2016 Clown Car

Aw, Bobby! I was hoping Jeb! or Rand would bail before you, so you might squeak into one of the big-boy debates. Alas, it is not to be. Jindal, one of the God Warrior contestants, has elected (hah!) to bail out. So much for predictions of him being the "next Ronald Reagan".

[Excerpt]

Bobby Jindal ends GOP presidential campaign

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal ended his long-shot campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination on Tuesday, saying on Fox News that "it's not my time." While Jindal's campaign showed some progress in Iowa — site of the Feb. 1 caucuses that open the Republican nomination contest — he had trouble gaining traction in other states. . .

Read more at: USAToday


 

2016 GOP Clown Car Update: Bobby Jindal Gets Out to Piyush!

Really? Kenneth the Page? The guy who performed an exorcism? The guy who is more interested in theocracy than Rick (don't Google me) Santorum and Mike Huckabee? Okay, whatever, GOP.

[Excerpt]

Bobby Jindal Becomes 13th GOP Candidate
 
Bobby Jindal, the governor of Louisiana, just became the 13th Republican candidate for president. Whether this will prove to be lucky or unlucky remains to be seen. Even though the field is already incredibly crowded, Jindal will not be the last Republican to announce -- there are at least two other contenders who will likely jump in (Scott Walker and Chris Christie), with the possibility of a few more longshot candidates as well. The more crowded the field gets, the harder it is going to be for any one of them to stand out, which is precisely Jindal's main problem. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

The Gay Thing: Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal Issues Anti-Gay Executive Order

Wow. Just wow. Not only is Gov. "Bobby" Jindal willing to publicly mix his religion with his politics, willing to go to the mat for this "sincerely held religious belief" bullshit about marriage and wedding vendors in the face of intense bipartisan backlash. . .he's willing to do it unilaterally, and by actually pointing out that this is about The Gays. Usually, they don't do that.

Okay, so I've said it a lot, but I'm saying it again: this issue is bogus, from top to bottom. There is no doctrine that forbids Christian businesspeople from selling their wares to gay people. Or for weddings that their own church doesn't recognize. This was never an issue for any of the countless heterosexual "courthouse weddings," never an issue before gays got legal recognition. Moreover, the public sale of common goods or services is not taking place under the guise of religion, or in a religious context. Religion does not enter into the business transaction. It didn't work as an argument during the 60s civil rights era, and it shouldn't work now.

Image from source, Joe.My.God.

There are other issues with their line of argument, namely that though these things are dreamed up by Christians from a Christian perspective about their mysterious fixation on a "sin" that is scarcely mentioned in the Bible, Christianity is not the only religion. Also, weddings aren't the only events a religious person could have religious beliefs toward. Nor are civil marriages even necessarily religious in nature n the first place. Annnnnd, of course, a person's religious rights apply to themselves, not their customers, not their employees. You--as a business owner, proprietor, cashier, whatever--don't get to shun me because my religious beliefs down align with yours! It's absurd!

But back to Bobby. His state legislature nixed this kind of nonsense, amazingly enough. So, he's doing an end-run, and issuing an executive order. Specifically addressing marriage. It's got to be unconstitutional, and it's certainly mean-spirited. It's also tremendously out of step with the times. And it sets up a whole host of problems that Bobby likely gave almost no thought to, including but not limited to demands from Christians for exemptions to other laws, whether anti-gay, or anti-someone else; demands from other existing religions for exemptions to other laws, and. . .just wait for it. . .demands from possibly newly born religions for exemptions based upon "sincerely held beliefs" about. . .well, whatever they can dream up.

Because the nifty (and bizarre) thing about "sincerely held belief" is that it need not be backed up with doctrine, or commandments, or anything more than what's inside your noggin. These beliefs can even be contradicted by empirical fact (as in Hobby Lobby, which was actually cited in the order), and still be sincerely held.

[Excerpt]

LOUISIANA: Bobby Jindal Issues Executive Order Legalizing Anti-Gay Discrimination
 
Earlier today a Louisiana House committee rejected the bill that would have legalized anti-gay discrimination. That rejection came after big business, including IBM, denounced the bill. Unswayed, Gov. Bobby Jindal has already followed through on his vow to issue an executive order that bypasses the state legislature. . .

Read more at: Joe.My.God.
 

The Gay Thing: After Extreme Silliness, Louisiana Deadly, Seriously Anti-Gay

Even though I haven't blogged very much of late, most of it has been on the same theme: anti-gay legislation by Republicans. There is a "gay panic" going on over the perceived imminence of a Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality. Religious conservatives are desperate for a way to wiggle out of having to recognize, acknowledge, "participate in" or even catch a glimpse of legal same-sex marriage.

Some of these new stories manage to take hold in the public, and take over news cycles, but they veer wildly from righteous indignation (on the LGBT/ally side) to hyperbolic shrieking (on the religious nutbar side), to extreme knee-jerk overreaction (on both sides) to extraordinarily stupid analogies (mostly on the nutbar side), and eventual subject burnout. I'm exhausted by the subject at the moment. But then, it suddenly gets real again.

Now, I've written in this space how difficult a topic this is to tackle, because there is so much wrong with the right's straw man arguments. There is sort of a field full of straw men, each assembled from so much wrong stuff, there's no straight-ahead approach to mow them all down. I keep trying, but it ain't easy. Suffice it to say that the conservative case for discrimination-as-freedom side is 10 kinds of wrong. Check my previous recent posts for further info on the subject, the tangent is too long to get back into here.

No, the subject of this post shows that the silliness of the pizza place (now fat with cash, thanks to bigot-bred fundraising) story was an aberration. The real danger is still steaming down the tracks, and the latest train comes from Louisiana, which is poised to go "full Indiana" on us, only they've cranked it up to 11. They've done us the favor of actually singling out gay people though, which may finally unwittingly shine a truth flashlight on this thing, that can't be dodged.

[Excerpt]

Extreme ‘Religious Liberty’ Bill Could Make Louisiana The Next Indiana

Louisiana is the latest state considering adopting a religious freedom bill, after state Rep. Mike Johnson (R) introduced legislation Friday that could allow businesses to refuse service for same-sex weddings and deny benefits to employees in same-sex marriages. The legislation follows bills passed in Indiana and Arkansas that led to outcry from an array of businesses and conventions, and according to experts who spoke to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, “would be a license to the private sector to refuse, for religious or moral reasons, to recognize same-sex marriages.” But while Indiana and Arkansa’s Religious Freedom Restoration Acts safeguard business owners who might discriminate, the Louisiana bill, titled the “Marriage and Conscience Act,” specifically endorses that discrimination. . .

Read more at: Think Progress

Keystone XL Pipeline to be Fast-Tracked by Congress - Both Sides Seeking Credit

I really wish somebody could explain this to me. The Keystone XL pipeline is loathed by environmentalists, and some climatologists. If successful, the oil extracted from the sands it will move is allegedly "game over" for the environment. And if it should leak, it could endanger a major aquifer that supplies water to a huge portion of the American populace. It will move oil that isn't ours, and will not be ours when it is sold either. It will employ lots of people for the time it takes to build it, but won't have many long-term jobs at all.

So, why does Right Wing World have a hard on for it, exactly? I know this is a major political football, so much so that both sides of Congress--particularly Louisiana Senate candidates looking at a runoff--are seeking to fast-track it, and try to take credit for it. But why? Why is this priority #1?

[Excerpt]

Keystone XL Pipeline: Lame-Duck Congress Fast-Tracks Legislation

The tortuous six-year fight over a controversial proposal to funnel oil from Canada to the Gulf Coast took another turn this week after both houses of the lame-duck Congress moved to vote on the Keystone XL pipeline. As the legislation barrels through Congress and heads to the Oval Office, President Barack Obama may soon settle one of the most politically charged debates of the decade. The White House appeared to downplay the congressional maneuvering Wednesday, saying it takes a "dim view of these kinds of legislative proposals. . ."

Read more at: NBC News

The Gay Thing: Marriage Equality Hits Pothole in Louisiana

I almost typed, "Gays take it on the chin" for a headline, but I couldn't stop laughing. Yeah, laughing. This decision sucks on one hand, but means little on the other. And it may even serve the opposite purpose of its intention. I would describe the decision from a Federal Judge to uphold Louisiana's ban on gay marriage as "last century." See, in the twentieth century, decisions that went against anything to do with gay rights would often involve naked animus, and legal contortions. And that's what this one is.

Image from Slate

Ultimately, this case will be appealed to the 5th Circuit, if it even gets the chance. The Supreme Court of the United States might have resolved the issue by then. This was the first major loss out of a Federal Court on the issue since the Windsor decision, which puts the tally at something like 20-to-1. So, while Right Wing World does back handsprings over this decision (knock it off guys, it's kinda gay), it's only because it's just about the only thing that's gone their way in the past two years.

[Excerpt]

Louisiana Marriage Ban Is Constitutional, Federal Judge Rules
 
A federal judge broke ranks on Wednesday, ruling that Louisiana’s ban on same-sex couples’ marriages is constitutional. The ruling, from U.S. District Court Judge Martin Feldman, is the first federal court ruling upholding a state’s ban since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the federal law defining marriage as only including opposite-sex couples in June 2013. . .

Read more at: BuzzFeed

More at: Slate

The Gay Thing: Louisiana Votes to Retain Sodomy Law

There are pockets of mean and pockets of stupid in this country. And they tend to make news, and they often converge. For what other reason than a blend of stupidity and meanness would a state keep a law on the books that was ruled unconstitutional more than a decade ago? But Louisiana did it, retaining a law against sodomy. Which means, the conservative government of the Bayou State wants government big enough to peek into your bedroom, and let you know that only state approved sex acts are allowed.

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Louisiana House votes 27-66 to keep unconstitutional anti-sodomy law on the books

The Louisiana House of Representatives rejected legislation, on Tuesday, that would remove the state's symbolic ban on certain kinds of sodomy. The bill failed by a wide margin on a vote of 27-67, with 11 members not voting. . .

Read more at: The Times-Picayune

Rep. John Fleming Only Has $400,000 Left After Feeding His Family

Horrors! The worst part of this Congressman's story is that he nets $600,000. . .but after "feeding his family," he's only got $400,000 left! He must shop an Whole Foods! And the poor guy then has to get by in Louisiana on only 400G per year.

Massive Fish Die-off in Louisiana

IMAGE FROM SOURCE, YAHOO NEWS

Wow. Take a really close look at that picture. See if you can figure out what you're looking at. It isn't what you think, and what it really is will freak you out.



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Massive fish kill reported in Louisiana

What you see above isn't a rural gravel road. It's a Louisiana waterway, its surface completely covered with dead sea life -- a mishmash of species of fish, crabs, stingray and eel. New Orleans CBS affiliate WWL-TV reports that even a whale was found dead in the area. . .

Read more at: Yahoo News

Oily Rain in Louisiana

Yuck.



Found at: AmericaBlog

Rachel Maddow Investigates Oil Spill and Possible Effects

I'm posting this clip because it shows exactly why I enjoy The Rachel Maddow Show so much.  It's brainy, it's informative, it is newsworthy. And I can guarantee you won't see anything else on any other cable news show that is quite like it.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Boy Wonder Conservative "Journalist" Busted in Louisiana

Image from source, MSNBC

Excuse my schadenfreude, but it's been a crappy run of days lately in politics, and this one was needed for "our side." A young man who has been touted as the future of journalism by the right-wing has been hoisted by his own petard. This could possibly turn out to be little more than a prank. But when you pull a prank at a US government facility, with the implication of doing damage to a United States Senator? Well, that turns a prank into a criminal offense, even if he only gets a slap on the wrist for it.

[Excerpt]

Activist filmmaker arrested in senator’s office

A conservative filmmaker who posed as a pimp to target the liberal activist group ACORN was arrested with the son of a federal prosecutor and two other men and accused of plotting to tamper with the New Orleans offices of Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La.

Activist James O'Keefe, 25, recorded two of the other suspects with his cell phone as they walked into the office dressed like telephone repairmen and said they needed to fix problems with the phone system, according to an FBI affidavit. . .

Read more at: MSNBC

Bobby Jindal and Erupting Volcanoes

Allegedly, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal gave the Republican response to Barack Obama's press conference tonight. That might be a rumor though, since I can't find it anywhere, and did not see it on the news tonight. It would be a baffling decision on the GOP's part, after his last appearance was compared to Mr. Rogers and 30 Rock's Kenneth the Page.

I did find a Jindal clip from today though. He was Countdown with Keith Olbermann's "Worst Person in the World" tonight, for ridiculing volcano monitoring during his previous response. Given that there is a very active volcano right now in Alaska, it makes Jindal look rather shortsighted and foolish. Unless he's looking to take out Sarah Palin as his competition. . .

Bobby Jindal Repeats False "Disneyland to Vegas" Train Story

After a pretty good performance by President Barack Obama in his address to Congress, the Republican response was offered by Louisiana Governor Piyush "Bobby" Jindal. It was an awkward speech, and one couldn't help but notice the difference in tenor and presence between the two men. This is an important thing to keep an eye on, as Jindal is thought to be "The Next Ronald Reagan" by many on the right, and has been slashed a lot lately (examples: Jindal/Palin '12).

Unsurprisingly, I wasn't bowled over by the guy, his style or his message. Rachel Maddow was actually left speechless after Jindal's allusion to Hurricane Katrina. I was most taken aback by Jindal's reference to a high-speed rail system from Disneyland to Las Vegas that he says in the stimulus package. No such thing exists, but the line keeps getting repeated.



Jindal said that Republicans hadn't done much to gain the public's trust lately. He's right. And with lies right there in his speech, Jindal hasn't done much to earn it either.

Bobby Jindal Ends Protections for Gay Workers

Photo from source, Wikipedia

Piyush "Bobby" Jindal, Governor of Louisiana, is alleged to be the rising star of the Republican Party. Many have proclaimed the former Hindu (who named himself "Bobby" after Bobby Brady on The Brady Bunch--no joke) to be the second coming of Ronald Reagan. I'm still trying to figure out why Barack Obama is deemed "scary" and "not Christian," and Jindal is fully accepted as a conservative Christian. Maybe it was the exorcism he performed on his sweetheart.

Anyway, the reason conservatives love him--or at least one of the reasons--is that he doesn't like gay people very much. For evidence, read on. . .

[Excerpt]

Jindal to let gay bias order die

Calling the executive order unnecessary, Gov. Bobby Jindal said Wednesday he would not reissue a ban on discriminating against gays and lesbians in the workplace.
“We are not going to renew it and that shouldn’t come as a surprise to anybody,” Jindal said about the executive order signed by then-Gov. Kathleen Blanco in December 2004. The order, which some church groups and Jindal have criticized over the years, is set to expire Friday. . .

Read more at: 2theadvocate

Bobby Jindal Signs Creationist Law?

Image from source, Raw Story

I've commented on Louisiana's young Governor, Bobby Jindal before. He's been touted as the saviour of the Republican brand, a "future president," and "the next Ronald Reagan." And as I pointed out before, he's prone to stirring a heaping dollop of religion into his governance.

Here is evidence of that, and it is so incredibly wrong-headed, at least we can be pretty sure that he won't be John McCain's vice presidential pick. Or, hey, maybe he will be, and we can thank our lucky stars for how easy it will be to pick him apart. Hmm?

[Excerpt]

Louisiana gov. signs controversial education bill

Louisiana Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal has signed into law a bill that critics say could allow for the teaching of "creationism" alongside evolution in public schools. . .

Read more at: Raw Story

Bobby Jindal on Face the Nation on Intelligent Design

I commented earlier that Piyush "Bobby" Jindal, Governor of Louisiana was featured Sunday morning on CBS' Face the Nation. Jindal is seen as the future of the Republican Party. I've read several swooning references, from "future President" to "another Ronald Regan."

But there is an issue for those of us who have less than reverent feelings about St. Ronnie, and for those of us who think religion and state should be separate. Jindal is rolling in religion, and it goes so far that he's for teaching "Intelligent Design" in biology classes. Intelligent Design is a "theory" (in the loosest sense of the word) that the origins of life had to have been created by an intelligent designer. In short, it is creationist dogma scrubbed free of the specifics, in order to make it harder to brand as a religious idea. But whatever it is, it isn't science, and belongs there about as much as verb conjugation belongs in math class. Here's what Jindal has to say about it.