Rick Perry’s Response

Lil Ricky Gantry
Preaching to the far-right, Texas Governor Rick Perry launches his rally of prayer and fasting for a “nation  in crisis” by supporting the various lunacies of wingnut pastors like little turd-bud David Barton, who claims Jesus opposed the minimum wage and the capital gains tax. (If you want to feel teh crazy, you must click it.)

Last August, we had to endure wanna be cult leader Glenn Beck‘s “Restore Honor” rally on the anniversary and locale of  Dr. Martin Luther King’s   iconic I Have A Dream speech.  Billed as a non-political event with the message that America “has wandered in darkness”,  the bullet proof vest wearing Beck told his television audience the following week that “many, many miracles” had occurred, including a seasonal flyover of geese.  “I think it was God’s flyover.”

At the other end of The Mall, presidential wannabe Michele Bachmann held her own impromtu rally in front of the Washington Monument. Not to be outdone on the miracle front, she apparently was inspired by the New Testament story about Christ’s miraculous multiplication of a few loaves and fishes into enough food to feed a hungry multitude. Proclaimed the Teabagger High Priestess: “We’re not going let anyone get away with saying there were less than a million here today because we were witnesses!”

Well, so was CBS News, who hired AirPhotosLive to take aerial pictures and conduct its own estimate. They concluded that the crowd was more like  87,000, or 92% less than what Bachmann said it was.  Still a miracle, perhaps, but in reverse: a few fishes and loaves transmogrified into a minnow and a crumb. (Two months later at the same location, Jon Stewart‘s “Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear,” drew 2.5 times that, or 215,000 according to AirPhotoLive.)

Fast forward a year later to “The Response.” Another stealth political rally in religious garb starring another potential presidential candidate, Texas Governor Rick Perry, it is to be held this Saturday Aug. 6 at Houston’s 71,000 seat Reliant Stadium. (As of Aug. 4,  only 8,000 tickets had been sold.)  Billed as “A call to prayer for a nation in crisis”, it is being organized by the American Family Association, which People For the American Way President Rick Keegan describes as promoting…

...intolerance of non-Christian faiths and of Christians who do not subscribe to a specific set of evangelical political views. The AFA’s chief spokesman Bryan Fischer has called for banning the building of mosques in the United States and requiring that immigrants convert to Christianity before entering the country. He calls gays and lesbians “domestic terrorists” and “Nazis” and flatly states that “liberals hate God.”

On the theory that geese of a feather flock together, it should prove instructive to see who else the AFA has invited to address the politically spiritually hungry multitudes. Think Progress provides a rundown:

A quick look at the event’s endorsement list features a who’s-who of extreme right-wing religious figures. They warn of dire consequences for our nation: birds dying out because gays can serve in the military, hurricanes ravaging “sinful cities,” even Oprah Winfrey being a sign of the Apocalypse. Yet despite their outlandish beliefs and rhetoric, Perry features their support prominently on the event’s website.

ThinkProgress has compiled the top outlandish beliefs from pastors associated with Perry’s prayer rally:

– Oprah is a sign of the Apocalypse: In his channel on GOD TV, Mike Bickle called Oprah a “forerunner to the harlot movement.” Bickle also warned that traditional “marriage will be…defiled” as the “gay marriage agenda, which is rooted in the depths of Hell,” progresses.

– Blackbirds are dying because of gay soldiers: Dr. Cindy Jacobs recorded a video declaring a connection between the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and the sudden death of blackbirds in Beebee, Arkansas as a divine punishment. She also called “girl-on-girl kissing” a “plague on society” and asked divine forgiveness for the violation of a woman’s “natural use.”

– The Statue of Liberty is a “demonic idol”:  In various sermons, John Benefiel called the Statue of Liberty a “demonic idol.” He also expressed a belief that homosexuality is a plot contrived by the Illuminati “to limit the world population.”

– Hurricane Katrina was divine retribution for the city’s “sin”:  John Hagee said residents of New Orleans were at fault for Hurricane Katrina: “I believe that New Orleans had a level of sin that was offensive to God and they were recipients of the judgment of God for that.” Hagee has also insinuated that “the Holocaust…was the fault of Jews themselves” and Hitler acted as a “hunter” corralling the Jews into Israel.

– Gay rights movement from the “pit of hell”:  Dwight McKissic denounced comparisons between the civil rights movement and the gay rights movement because the latter is a “satanic anointment…inspired by the anti-Christ” that comes from the “pit of hell.” McKissic also said that “God uses natural disasters to punish evil,” pointing to Hurricane Katrina because “New Orleans flaunts sin.”

– Jesus actually opposed the minimum wage:  Influential pastor David Barton has made a name for himself by distorting Biblical text to support his claim that Jesus opposed the minimum wage and the capital gains tax. Barton has also argued that public school students are getting “homosexual indoctrination.”

– Children of gay parents are like orphans of 9/11:  During this year’s Faith and Freedom conference, ThinkProgress reported on Jim Garlow’s comparison of orphans of the September 11th attacks to children raised in same-sex households. Garlow is also known for his controversial allegation that African Americans have saved the country from the “enslavement of gay marriage.”

– Director of a Christian para-military group:  Jay Swallow is the Director of SWAT, a “Christian Military Training Camp” organized “for the purpose of dealing with the occult and territorial enemy strong holds in America.” Participants of the training session sign a liability waiver before becoming “warriors” against “occult and territorial enemy strongholds in America.” Participants are also trained “how to pray for casinos on Native American land.”

– African Americans are “cursed” by homosexuals:  Willie Wooten published a book about the curse of the African American people. He wrote that their tolerance of “immorality” in the Democratic Party begets curses of “adultery, incest, children from incestuous union, children born out-of-wedlock, destroyed virginity, bestiality, homosexuality, lesbianism.”

-Aubrey Murray (HT: Right Wing Watch)

Man, these so-called religious leaders are worse than the wealthy Pharisees who plotted the death of Christ! At least the lattter considered helping the poor a good thing, notwithstanding their grandstanding while doing so. As The Urantia Book recounts:

The wealthy Pharisees were devoted to almsgiving, and they did not shun publicity regarding their philanthropy. Sometimes they would even blow a trumpet as they were about to bestow charity upon some beggar. It was the custom of these Pharisees, when they provided a banquet for distinguished guests, to leave the doors of the house open so that even the street beggars might come in and, standing around the walls of the room behind the couches of the diners, be in position to receive portions of food which might be tossed to them by the banqueters.

How long before the working poor and vast swaths of what used to be the world’s most envious middle class become the 21st century equivalent of  street beggars, waiting desperately for some trickle-down from the Lords of  Wall Street?  As was said about the institution of  supply side  Voodoo Economics during the Reagan years:

The way to feed rabbits is to feed hay to horses.

The destruction of the social safety net crafted under FDR ‘s New Deal proceeds apace. The Teabaggers, financed by billionaire plutocrats like the Koch Brothers, are suddenly the dominant political force in Washington.  Having beaten  President Obama like a rented mule over the extension of the Bush’s tax cuts for the super-rich in December; and then again this week vis a vis his capitulation to the Teabaggers’ demand for deep cuts in discretionary spending while  getting no revenues in return,  the table is set for the next chapter of  “Disaster Capitalism Comes to the U.S.”  As is said about the drug trade:

First they sell you the disease, and then they sell you the cure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

8 Comments

  2. BlueNose

    Despite extending them, Obama is still holding the Bush Tax Cuts ace-in-the-whole. Even if he folds his hand— just lets them expire— that’s 1.1 trillion in revenues the Repugs are going to have “shoved down their throats.”

    1. Propagandee

      Bluenose

      Notwithstanding Standard and Poor’s complicity in the collapse of the mortgage market and the world’s financial system (don’ get me started, the fuckers), what they conclude about a nation’s credit worthiness still carries a ton of weight in the bond market. Their downgrade of U.S. creditworthiness last week was accompanied by a statement explaining why:

      “Compared with previous projections, our revised base case scenario now assumes that the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, due to expire by the end of 2012, remain in place.”

      In another words, there is no reason to believe that Obama won’t capitulate on the Bush tax cuts like he did during the budget showdown last December, despite his strong promises to the contrary.

      By giving into the ransom demands of the Rethugs over extending unemployment insurance for the ‘99ers— such extensions during a recession used to be routine– Obama set the stage for future, more consequential hostage taking, like we just witnessed over raising the debt ceiling, which also used to be routine. As Mitch McConnell gloated last week, the Rethugs now have a new weapon to beat Obama over the head with.

      S&P, weighing the new political reality in Washington that Obama has enabled by his fetish for “compromise” and “bipartianship” went on to say:

      “We have changed our assumption on this because the majority of Republicans in Congress continue to resist any measure that would raise revenues, a position we believe Congress reinforced by passing the act.”

      For someone who is supposed to be whip smart and a quick study, Obama still remains remarkably naïve about the Rethugs’ ruthless dedication to his demise. At his Dec. 7, 2010 press conference after the budget deal was passed, Obama was asked by a reporter (Marc Ambinder):

      Q Mr. President, thank you. How do these negotiations affect negotiations or talks with Republicans about raising the debt limit? Because it would seem that they have a significant amount of leverage over the White House now, going in. Was there ever any attempt by the White House to include raising the debt limit as a part of this package?
      THE PRESIDENT: When you say it would seem they’ll have a significant amount of leverage over the White House, what do you mean?
      Q Just in the sense that they’ll say essentially we’re not going to raise the — we’re not going to agree to it unless the White House is able to or willing to agree to significant spending cuts across the board that probably go deeper and further than what you’re willing to do. I mean, what leverage would you have —
      THE PRESIDENT: Look, here’s my expectation — and I’ll take John Boehner at his word — that nobody, Democrat or Republican, is willing to see the full faith and credit of the United States government collapse, that that would not be a good thing to happen. And so I think that there will be significant discussions about the debt limit vote. That’s something that nobody ever likes to vote on. But once John Boehner is sworn in as Speaker, then he’s going to have responsibilities to govern. You can’t just stand on the sidelines and be a bomb thrower.
      </blockquote)

      Like I said, remarkably naïve. If a lowly reporter saw the leverage that raising the debt ceiling provided the Rehtugs in the future, how come Obama and his crack team of political advisers didn’t?

      In the end, the Bush tax cuts shouldn’t even be a card to play at this stage. Obama should have called the Rethugs’ bluff let them expire on schedule. Even if the Rethugs had carried out their threat to cut the 1.2 million ’99ers off, they’d be on record for doing so and would have had to take the political heat. Playing off their earlier winnings, and having read the tells of the player across the table, the Rethugs instead upped the ante and succeeded in taking the whole economy hostage.

      Obama may have got the best deal possible under the circumstances, but if he had any stones or street smarts at all, he’d never aloowed himself to be backed into the corner he finds himself in. The result has been the further empowerment the Teabaggers and their corporate backers.

      Moral of the story: You don’t negotiate with terrorists.

      Furthermore, Obama did something that no Democratic president was ever expected to do– put Medicare, Social Security, Medicaid on the table, further alienating his already alienated base.

      The economic consequences of the deal he signed off on all but guarantees more unemployment and a weaker economy. Just about every economic forecast going forward predicts a contraction in GDP leading up to the 2012 election.

      As I have said before, it’s the economy stupid. In the end, people vote their wallets. Obama is now at his lowest approval rating ever. If Karl Rove had a mole inside the White House advising the president, he couldn’t be doing a better job of insuring his defeat.

      1. BlueNose

        Wow; your responses remind me of The UB’s comment that “The argumentative defense of any proposition is inversely proportional to the truth contained.” 😉

        S & P’s base case scenario assumption that the tax cuts will remain is about as valid as their economic math— the math with the 2 trillion dollar error. (See Eugene Robinson’s column: http://twurl.nl/5l6svk) Obama’s “strong promises” are most certainly a reason to believe he wont be compromised on this; but if his promises do turn out to be hollow— if the tax cuts stay, or especially if they become permanent— we could wind up with President Helmet-Hair Perry.

        Compromise is a tough thing to characterize. Jesus, of course, new the methods of the world– “how people gained their ends in politics and commerce by compromise and diplomacy.” But he was uncompromising with evil. (He wouldn’t have negotiated with terrorists, either.) The apostles on the other hand, were literally forced to learn how to compromise, and to maintain at least some degree of tolerance for the honest opinions of others.

        Americans may vote their wallets, but their wallets are empty. It’s going to come down to the lesser of “two weevils.”

        Jonathan Bernstein (WAPO) says, ” …if Obama reaches November 2012 with a 40 percent approval rating, he’s toast; if he rallies from his current low-to-mid 40s and tops 50 percent approval, he’ll win.”

        But as The U Book says, it “requires a great and noble character, having started out wrong, to turn about and go right.” We will soon see if Obama has such character.

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