Huckabee wants Ten Commandments in the White House

As the campaign unfolds, Mike Huckabee sounds less like a former governor, and more like a religious right activist with reporters following him around. Ron Chusid directed my attention to Huckabee’s latest remarks, delivered to reporters on a campaign bus in Iowa, which delved into his church-state thoughts in more detail. [W]hen he was pressed […]

Giuliani cagey about his flu-like symptoms

This week, Rudy Giuliani traveled to Missouri to pick up the endorsement of the state’s governor, but was admitted to a St. Louis hospital after experiencing what his campaign described as “flu-like symptoms.” He was released the next day, waved to cameras, and went home. It was unfortunate timing for the former mayor — it’s […]

This Week in God

First up from the God Machine this week is a rather silly effort by some religio-political activists, who threw a fit when the new $1 coins featured the phrase “In God We Trust” on the edge of the currency, instead of the front. The uproar worked, and the phrase will be moved. According to the […]

‘Ex-gay’ takes exit ramp on highway to heterosexuality

Guest Post by Morbo The Carpetbagger recently ran a short item on a truly insane segment that aired on TV preacher Pat Robertson’s “700 Club” about Interstate 35, a highway that bisects the country, running from Texas to Minnesota. Most segments on the “700 Club” are insane, so this one had to be really nutty […]

Up on the rooftop is a constitutional violation

Guest Post by Morbo This will be my last chance to pop off on the “War on Christmas” this year, and I don’t intend to miss it. People in Green Bay, Wis., must be either amused or disgusted by the antics of their city council. Chad Fradette, council president, erected a nativity scene on an […]

Taking aim at the NRA’s high salaries

Guest Post by Morbo The Washington Post ran an interesting opinion column recently by Richard Feldman, a former lobbyist for the National Rifle Association who has become critical of the organization. Feldman slams the NRA for eschewing all forms of compromise and taking extreme positions. He speculates that top NRA executives actually want to keep […]

Bad campaign slogan: Free guns for everyone!

Guest Post by Morbo Maryland’s 4th congressional district is so solidly blue that most Republicans aren’t interested in wasting time or money running for the seat because they know they’ll lose by a wide margin. (In 2006, the GOP candidate got 19 percent of the vote.) This opens the door to candidates who are, shall […]

Friday’s Mini-Report

Today’s edition of quick hits. * Somehow, the MLK story manages to get worse for a certain former Massachusetts governor: “Mitt Romney went a step further in a 1978 interview with the Boston Herald. Talking about the Mormon Church and racial discrimination, he said: ‘My father and I marched with Martin Luther King Jr. through […]

Huckabee thinks Guantanamo Bay prison is ‘too nice’

Former Gov. Mike Huckabee has had quite a bit of trouble lately explaining the Wayne Dumond scandal. In Republican circles for the last generation or two, there’s nothing worse than being labeled “soft on crime.” In Huckabee’s case, to borrow Josh Marshall’s description, he “pushed for the release of a serial rapist who subsequently went […]

Teenager dies after insurance company balks at transplant

Sometimes, the national healthcare scandal isn’t limited to those without insurance; sometimes it’s equally outrageous what happens to those with insurance. (thanks to LM for the tip) The family of a 17-year-old girl who died hours after her health insurer reversed a decision and said it would pay for a liver transplant plans to sue […]