At the end of a week that was full of bad news, it might be useful to stand back, gain some perspective and addsome balance to the current political reality. The Democratic Strategist is a great newsletter for Progressives. Here are a couple of their recent articles, for example.
- Move Right and Lose : Evidence from the 2000-2008 U.S. Senate Elections, byAlan Abramowitz
- More Madness from the Palmetto State , by Ed Kilgore. Regards South Carolina elections.
(Hat tip my my regular contributor Jon for the following links.)
Religious Right Wing's Influence -- AlterNet blogger Mike Lux asks why are so many Christians Conservative ? An added question -- How can people who claim to be followers of Jesus be political conservatives?
Republican scandal - Texas State Board of Education had a big fight within its ranks about what Texas school books should say about a number of important national and historical figures. A group of right wingers on the authorizing committee have made national headlines with outrageous recommendations for "balance." To quote the Fort Worth Star-Telegram :
. . . exiting board member Don McLeroy is arguing that Anthony's progressive-era-reformer "tone" needs to be "balanced" against other more optimistic and less critical voices of her time.
. . . McLeroy, a Bryan dentist and a Gov. Rick Perry appointee as chairman who also thinks the world is only 6,000 years old, has included Anthony with other critical "muckrakers and reform leaders" who should be studied only in contrast with contemporaries who worshipped the status quo and glorified what was then a very limited American dream.
In a long list of suggested changes for Texas social studies lessons . . . McLeroy also wants to uphold the honor of Commie-hunting Sen. Joseph McCarthy, add lessons about the "threats of global government" and have students discuss whether the Founders really meant what Thomas Jefferson wrote about a "wall of separation" between religion and government.
Fine. That's all part of the religious brand of right-wing political correctness that dominates Texas these days, where Perry appears as a special guest on Glenn Beck shows and politicians race to pass immigration laws that would make Texas more like Arizona or Oklahoma.
Republican scandal - Indiana Rep. Souder says he'll resign over his affair. The news came earlier this month. Souder joins line of family-values backers gone astray , according to Yahoo! News. The list includes:http://bit.ly/9l2b8s">
- http://bit.ly/avmEfV">Ted Haggard
- http://bit.ly/avmEfV">George Alan Rekers http://bit.ly/a4OSXy">
- http://bit.ly/a4OSXy">Mark Sanford http://bit.ly/dBSyS8">
- http://bit.ly/dBSyS8">Robert Bauman http://bit.ly/8XSqQs">
- http://bit.ly/8XSqQs">David Vitter
Bonus Reference Link: Save the Internet.com asks, "Will Dirty Politics Kill the Internet?"
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