Al Franken's Mocking Game is Unrivaled

I put this on twitter the other day, but wanted to make sure people got to see it. Love him:

Al Franken and Howard Dean

I didn't entend on turning this blog into a play by play of the stupidist controversy in the history of the universe, but I gotta say I do think people's reactions to this issue are important.

The whole thing has become mind-blowingly depressing for quite a few reasons, but Howard Dean's cowardice was a pretty serious punch in the gut.

It's mainly for that reason that I wanted to spotlight Al Franken's response to the issue:

Franken said conservative opposition to the mosque is “one of the most disgraceful things that I’ve heard.”

“I don’t know how many of you have been to New York, but if a building is two blocks away from anything, you can’t see it. It’s a community center. They’re going to have a gym. They’re going to have point guards. Muslim point guards,” Franken said, to laughter and applause.

“They (Republicans) do this every two years. They try to find a wedge issue, and they try to work it.”

Fucking brilliant.

Dean's idiocy highlights a bigger issue about the role of cult figures in politics.

Howard Dean's canditacy was at the heart of how I got intrested in politics and he's someone I respect and admire tremedously. I was absolutely gutted watching returns the night of "the scream" (with RB, in my dorm room I might add), and still think he could have run a far better campagin against Bush in the general than Kerry did. The debate where he courageously questioned our support of Israel was one of the first times I truly felt the need to put my full support behind a politician rather than simply a party or an idea. I've supported a decent amount of cantidates via canvasing, donations and otherwise, but it's hard to think of someone not named Donna Edwards that I've been more passionate about than Howard Dean.

And here's the thing, he really couldn't be more wrong about the mosque. It's not even close. There's no nuance, there's no defending his position. He is 100% wrong.

That wasn't that hard, was it? Do I hate Howard Dean now? Does this mean that I should have supported Kerry in the primary or that I wanted Bush to win?

I know the examples don't fit perfectly, but stuff like this is why I get so frustrated with people who flip their shit and act like you should be canvassing for Romney in 2012 if you criticize the way Obama has run his administration.

Theses people aren't your best friend, and they will without a doubt disappoint you. I still remember calling Donna Edwards' office the day after she voted for the no strings attached bailout. It's not always fun, but it's not the end of the world either.

There are very simple rules on dealing with politicians: When they do something you like, support them. When they do something you don't like, don't support them or oppose them.

Easy rules to live by and it makes things a hell of a lot less complicated then debating what various politicians feel "in their hearts" or "what they would have done" during ideal circumstances.

30 Republican Senators Pander to the Pro Gang Rape Lobby

Al Franken is already kicking ass:

Today, the amendment offered by U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) to stop funding defense contractors who deny assault victims their day in court passed the United States Senate by a vote of 68 - 30

Last Thursday, Sen. Franken introduced an amendment (S.2588) to the FY2010 Defense Appropriations Bill that would restrict funding to defense contractors who commit employees to mandatory binding arbitration in the case of sexual assault. The legislation, endorsed by 61 women’s, labor and public interest groups, was inspired by the story of Jamie Leigh Jones, who watched the vote from the Senate gallery today.

Jones was a 19-yr-old employee of defense contractor KBR (formerly a Halliburton subsidiary) stationed in Iraq who was gang raped by her co-workers and imprisoned in a shipping container when she tried to report the crime. Her father and U.S. Rep. Ted Poe (R-Tex.), worked together to secure her safe return to the United States, but once she was home, she learned a fine-print clause in her KBR contract banned her from taking her case to court, instead forcing her into an “arbitration” process that would be run by KBR itself. Just today, Halliburton filed a petition for a rehearing en banc in the 5th Circuit Court, which means that Jamie’s fight is far from over.

And here are your pro gang rape senators:

Alexander (R-TN)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Bond (R-MO)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Corker (R-TN
Cornyn (R-TX)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Graham (R-SC)
Gregg (R-NH)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Johanns (R-NE
Kyl (R-AZ)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Risch (R-ID)
Roberts (R-KS)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Wicker (R-MS)

Ladies and Gentlemen, your modern day Republican party!