kallend 2,182 #1 August 22, 2012 www.latimes.com/news/politics/topoftheticket/la-na-tt-todd-akin-20120821,0,3929868.story ...Second, Akin’s sudden notoriety is bringing to public attention the fact that his absolutist stance on abortion is fully shared by a guy named Paul Ryan, the chap who will be nominated for the vice presidency at the Republican convention next week. And third, Akin is no wacky outlier in his party. Plenty of Republican lawmakers believe odd and absurd things just like he does and, increasingly, they dominate the party. ... Mitt Romney was quick to condemn Akin, and his campaign stipulated that, as president, Romney would allow abortion for pregnancies resulting from rape (despite the fact the GOP’s platform committee just adopted a plank refusing to make exceptions for rape or incest). Like many of Romney’s positions, it is hard to square that stance with some of his past statements--in this case, that he would enthusiastically sign a bill to outlaw all abortions and that he supports a “personhood” amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would bestow full rights on a fertilized egg, thereby making abortions nearly impossible. ... But poor, beleaguered Rep. Akin did not come up with this weirdness on his own. The secret secretions idea has been pushed by antiabortion activists and Republican legislators at least since 1988. It’s a convenient piece of quack science for pro-lifers because, if a woman’s body resists pregnancy in the case of a “real” rape, then all the women who claim to have been impregnated by rapists – more than 32,000 in the U.S. annually – are actually lying and, therefore, should not be allowed to abort. As Michele Bachmann proves on a regular basis, there is a cohort of Republican officeholders who eagerly champion any bizarre pseudo-science or conspiratorial fantasy that supports their political or religious beliefs. Akin is just the latest of these and he will not be the last. This unhinged faction could be a problem for the party if not for the fact that a big percentage of voters are perfectly willing to believe ridiculous things. Who knows? Despite what everyone says today, if Todd Akin hangs in there, he might find there are enough gullible knuckleheads in Missouri to turn him into an honest-to-God U.S. senator.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gravitymaster 0 #2 August 22, 2012 Is this article by the same left wing hack, David Horsey who believes Romney could be elected President and Biden could be Vice President? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,182 #3 August 22, 2012 QuoteIs this article by the same left wing hack, David Horsey who believes Romney could be elected President and Biden could be Vice President? No rebuttal to the facts, then. OK.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gravitymaster 0 #4 August 22, 2012 QuoteQuoteIs this article by the same left wing hack, David Horsey who believes Romney could be elected President and Biden could be Vice President? No rebuttal to the facts, then. OK. What facts would those be? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,182 #5 August 22, 2012 QuoteQuoteQuoteIs this article by the same left wing hack, David Horsey who believes Romney could be elected President and Biden could be Vice President? No rebuttal to the facts, then. OK. What facts would those be? That the GOP has a lot of scientifically illiterate members and supporters with ideas just as wacky as Akin. Some of them even post here.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gravitymaster 0 #6 August 22, 2012 QuoteQuoteQuoteQuoteIs this article by the same left wing hack, David Horsey who believes Romney could be elected President and Biden could be Vice President? No rebuttal to the facts, then. OK. What facts would those be? That the GOP has a lot of scientifically illiterate members and supporters with ideas just as wacky as Akin. Some of them even post here. Apparently you are confused by the difference between opinion and facts. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,182 #7 August 22, 2012 QuoteQuoteQuoteQuoteQuoteIs this article by the same left wing hack, David Horsey who believes Romney could be elected President and Biden could be Vice President? No rebuttal to the facts, then. OK. What facts would those be? That the GOP has a lot of scientifically illiterate members and supporters with ideas just as wacky as Akin. Some of them even post here. Apparently you are confused by the difference between opinion and facts. Romney's flip-flop on abortion is not opinion, it is fact. Ryan's absolutist stand on abortion is fact. Akin's scientific illiteracy is fact. That some Republicans have been promoting this garbage on rape and pregnancy since the 1980's is fact. It appears that you are the one with the problem differentiating.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
normiss 906 #8 August 22, 2012 Good thing the dems don't flip for votes then. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lawrocket 3 #9 August 22, 2012 The point is in the title: there is an unhinged "faction." "Faction" - 1.A small, organized, dissenting group within a larger one, esp. in politics. In other words, you and the initial author agree that even the GOP majority thinks they are kooks. My wife is hotter than your wife. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airdvr 210 #10 August 22, 2012 QuoteThat the US has a lot of scientifically illiterate members and supporters with ideas just as wacky as Akin. Some of them even post here. Some of them are even Democrats. So Perfesser you once again think that your beloved Dems are more intelligent then us wacky Republicans. I can assure you there are plenty of Dems with wacky scientific ideas. Be careful not to put to many troops on Guam, it might capsize. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNZczIgVXjgPlease don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RonD1120 62 #11 August 22, 2012 Quote The point is in the title: there is an unhinged "faction." "Faction" - 1.A small, organized, dissenting group within a larger one, esp. in politics. In other words, you and the initial author agree that even the GOP majority thinks they are kooks. Lawyers, ya gotta just luv'm. Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
livendive 8 #12 August 22, 2012 QuotePlenty of Republican lawmakers believe odd and absurd things just like he does and, increasingly, they dominate the party. Preposterous! Quote"Most people realize that AIDS came from the homosexual community -- it was one guy screwing a monkey, if I recall correctly, and then having sex with men. It was an airline pilot, if I recall. My understanding is that it is virtually, not completely, but virtually impossible to contract AIDS through heterosexual sex." Of course these are the guys who think they should be legislating what we can and cannot do with our naughty bits. Nothing surprising there. Blues, Dave"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gravitymaster 0 #13 August 22, 2012 How many were in that "Big percentage of voters"? What % was that again? There are many factions withing the Democrat Party that believe 911 was an inside job. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,182 #14 August 22, 2012 QuoteThe point is in the title: there is an unhinged "faction." "Faction" - 1.A small, organized, dissenting group within a larger one, esp. in politics. In other words, you and the initial author agree that even the GOP majority thinks they are kooks. The GOP's kooks have taken over the asylum. The 2012 GOP is not the GOP of Eisenhower or Reagan.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gravitymaster 0 #15 August 22, 2012 QuoteQuoteThe point is in the title: there is an unhinged "faction." "Faction" - 1.A small, organized, dissenting group within a larger one, esp. in politics. In other words, you and the initial author agree that even the GOP majority thinks they are kooks. The GOP's DNC kooks have taken over the asylum. The 2012 GOP DNC is not the GOP DNC of Eisenhower Kennedy or Reagan Truman. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lawrocket 3 #16 August 22, 2012 QuoteThe GOP's kooks have taken over the asylum Then it's not a faction. The title itself is "the GOP's unhinged faction." That means that there has been a faction that was stifled (hinged) and is now speaking out (unhinged). No, this is not the GOP of Eisenhower or Reagan. It's why I left the GOP when I was 20 because it is not. To paraphrase Reagan, "I didn't leave the GOP, the GOP left me." I've long thought a party realignment is overdue. You've got fiscal conservatives in favor of small government, lower taxes and budgetary discipline who are unrepresented by either party, but are a faction in the GOP. But then there are those who think that not only should the government stay out of my business, it should also stay out of my personal business, as well. On this I align with the Democrats, but I also think the Democrats are nothing more than loudmouthed pussies who don't want to actually do anything that is actually useful (i.e., Sally Ride's partner got screwed because the democrats would rather let the courts work it out over the next few terms). But there is a faction in the GOP, too - the Log Cabin Republicans - who actually went to court to END "Don't Ask Don't Tell" while the democrats were busily doing their best to ensure that their promise of better treatment stays out there. (If a promise is kept you cannot keep making it, after all). A faction is a faction, John. Calling something a "faction" and saying that it represents the whole is oxymoronic. But we agree - the GOP is not what it was. My wife is hotter than your wife. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kelpdiver 2 #17 August 22, 2012 QuoteQuoteThat the US has a lot of scientifically illiterate members and supporters with ideas just as wacky as Akin. Some of them even post here. Some of them are even Democrats. So Perfesser you once again think that your beloved Dems are more intelligent then us wacky Republicans. I can assure you there are plenty of Dems with wacky scientific ideas. Be careful not to put to many troops on Guam, it might capsize. There are certainly some subpar Democrats in Congress. I have my hit list of morons that have stayed in office well past their day. The difference right now, however, is that while the whack job Democrats remain a side show, ignored by the Party leadership (ban guns, impeach Bush, blah blah), the crazy Republicans are swaying the party platform. Some of this is historical - the Democrats have always been a fractured set of viewpoints and causes whereas the GOP has been much better about maintaining a cohesive front. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,132 #18 August 22, 2012 > The difference right now, however, is that while the whack job Democrats remain a > side show, ignored by the Party leadership (ban guns, impeach Bush, blah blah), the > crazy Republicans are swaying the party platform. Agreed. In the Akin case, we had a whack job GOP senator who claims that abortions in the case of rape are a non-issue because pregnancy is not a result of "legitimate" rape. You'd expect the result of the GOP to be "that's ridiculous; rape isn't what we're talking about here, and he's wrong anyway." And you'd expect such a thing to be a rare looney-tunes event. But that's not what happens. This comes on the heels of the "forcible rape" debacle, another GOP attempt to trivialize some kinds of rape and limit availability of abortion for them. And after both debacles? The GOP VP candidate sponsored a bill mentioning "forcible rape" and now won't answer questions about it, and even now refuses to consider exceptions for rape or incest. The GOP is giving the impression that these aren't random whack jobs, that these are people who are towing the GOP line and just used the wrong words to describe their positions. Their public apologies are invariably mealy-mouthed, and can easily be translated as "sorry, I got caught; I'll use more clever politically correct language next time." And that's worrisome to many people, especially women. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rehmwa 2 #19 August 22, 2012 I love that this is a debate about who's unhinged factions are running the parties - and it still just falls apart with people pointing at the other team and saying "they suck, we're not so bad" it's the era of picking the lesser of two evils - Kang vs Kodos ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kelpdiver 2 #20 August 22, 2012 QuoteI love that this is a debate about who's unhinged factions are running the parties - and it still just falls apart with people pointing at the other team and saying "they suck, we're not so bad" it's the era of picking the lesser of two evils - Kang vs Kodos no, you're missing my point. For the GOP, it's really a case of "we," For the Democrats, a person like Maxine Waters will never set party direction. They're the crazy aunts and uncles you have to acknowledge as part of the family, but you can leave them upstairs when guests come over. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lawrocket 3 #21 August 22, 2012 Well stated. And bill - of COURSE it gives that impression. Anybody looking for a subjective impression can find it anywhere. There are people have the impression that you're a socialist pinko. Ridiculous. There are people who think I'm not an asshole. And no matter how skillfully I display my mastery of dickjitsu they'll think I had a good reason. There are people that, no matter what, will find global warming alarmists to be fraudsters. There are people that, no matter what, will find global warming deniers to be flat-earthers. Because people enter into situations with preconceived notions and disregard those things that disprove their points while focusing on those matters that prove it. So one guy comes out and mentions "legitimate rape." Forget all the millions who find it repugnant and even those like Romney asking Akin to quit. Nope. Isn't worth mentioning. After all, Romney is probably no better than Obama, only instead of Rev. Wright he's throwing Akin under the bus. The badness. The horror. Keep searching for women hatred. You'll find it. My wife is hotter than your wife. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,132 #22 August 22, 2012 >So one guy comes out and mentions "legitimate rape." He's a kook. Then another guy comes out and uses "forcible rape" in legislation. He's a kook too. Then you see a dozen GOP senators supporting the bill that uses that language. Hmm. Then the GOP nominates a VP who opposes abortion in ALL cases, including rape. (And also, incidentally, wants to outlaw some forms of birth control and in-vitro fertilization.) And you start to think that that sort of kookiness is not all that uncommon in the GOP - and that Ryan and Akin's big sins (in their mind) was that they were unsuccessful in hiding it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lawrocket 3 #23 August 22, 2012 Quote and that Ryan and Akin's big sins (in their mind) was that they were unsuccessful in hiding it So as I said, Romney's throwing Akin under the bus. You just put out there what I wrote would be put out there. My wife is hotter than your wife. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,132 #24 August 22, 2012 >So as I said, Romney's throwing Akin under the bus. Well, from what I've heard, Akin is trying to throw "party leadership" (his words) under the bus, so at least he's giving as good as he gets . . . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,182 #25 August 22, 2012 QuoteWell stated. And bill - of COURSE it gives that impression. Anybody looking for a subjective impression can find it anywhere. There are people have the impression that you're a socialist pinko. Ridiculous. There are people who think I'm not an asshole. And no matter how skillfully I display my mastery of dickjitsu they'll think I had a good reason. There are people that, no matter what, will find global warming alarmists to be fraudsters. There are people that, no matter what, will find global warming deniers to be flat-earthers. Because people enter into situations with preconceived notions and disregard those things that disprove their points while focusing on those matters that prove it. So one guy comes out and mentions "legitimate rape." Forget all the millions who find it repugnant and even those like Romney asking Akin to quit. Nope. Isn't worth mentioning. After all, Romney is probably no better than Obama, only instead of Rev. Wright he's throwing Akin under the bus. The badness. The horror. Keep searching for women hatred. You'll find it. The kooks and scientific illiterates among the Dems are not driving the party agenda. The kooks and scientific illiterates among the GOP are driving the party agenda. That's the difference.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
