[Content Note: Guns; eliminationism; racism; violent nationalism.]
"Put troops on the border and start shooting, I bet that solves our immigration problem real quick."—Samuel "Joe the Plumber" Wurzlbacher, at a campaign event for Republican Arizona State Senator candidate Lori Klein.
At Think Progress, Adam Peck notes that Wurzlbacher made the same comment twice within two days, "lest anyone think that Wurzelbacher somehow misspoke."
Cool party you've got there, Republicans.
Quote of the Day
Daily Dose of Cute
Matilda, Queen of the Household, 10 years old.
Olivia, Muscle of the Household, 8 years old.
Sophie, Baby of the Household (though not the youngest), 4 years old.
Photo of the Day
President Obama Is a Wizard: "This photo was not Photoshopped. It was snapped by the AP's Carolyn Kaster while Obama was speaking in Iowa's Bayliss Park yesterday. Probably the part in the speech where Obama told the crowd, '"Can Paul Ryan do this? Didn't think so.' He then detached the microphone from the podium, dropped it on the ground, and walked away."
Or maybe the part where he was all, "FOOL OF A RANDIAN! Next time throw yourself in the reflecting pool and spare us your stupidity!"
[H/T to @scatx.]
Top Five
Here is your topic, suggested by Shaker GoldFishy: Top Five Favorite Movies That Feature an Animal in a Prominent Role. Go!
Please feel welcome to share stories about why your Top Five picks are what they are, though a straight-up list is fine, too. Please refrain from negatively auditing other people's lists, because judgment discourages participation.
Paul Ryan is the Worst
Here is video of new Republican veep nominee Paul Ryan getting heckled in Iowa yesterday during his very first solo campaign appearance:
Video Description: Paul Ryan tries to give his shitty stump speech, but two women in the audience start chanting "Stop the war on the middle class!" The rest of the crowd starts chanting "USA! USA!" to try to drown them out. As security comes to drag the women away, Ryan says, "It's funny because Iowans and Wisconsinites like to be respectful. These ladies must not be from Iowa and Wisconsin." As one woman shouts, he repeats, "Like I said, she might not be from Iowa." They are taken away, and, as he tries to continue, shouts of "Stop the war on the middle class!" resume. He ignores them and keeps talking, then says, "We're used to this in Wisconsin."
Leaving aside discussion of whether such demonstrations are appropriate and/or effective, because there are legit arguments on both sides of that debate and I don't think there's an objective right answer, I just want to point out how gross Paul Ryan's response to the interruption was.
He could have just stood silently by and waited for them to be carted away.
He could have borrowed a page from the Obama playbook, and said something about how it's all part of the democratic process and it's good to see people passionate about politics.
He could have engaged their request with the seriousness it deserves, by addressing the charge that he's waging war on the middle class with the response that his policies will strengthen the middle class (which is bullshit, but at least it would have been respectful of the demonstrators' position).
Instead, he defined people from Iowa in opposition to the demonstrators, and then declared that the demonstrators must not be from Iowa. I have no idea whether they were, but it's a safe bet that at least some, if not all, of the demonstrators were Iowans. And they don't deserve to be called out as not real Iowans by a potential vice-president of their nation because they disagree with him.
But that's the Republicans' go-to Othering tactic. And, right on cue, the conservatives in the crowd starting chanting "USA! USA!" to drown out protestors, asserting their status as the Real AmericansTM, the arbiters of what is and is not "American."
Is American: Fake free speech like using your corporate profits to fund anti-gay hate groups.
Is Not American: Real free speech like demonstrating at a political event.
Is American: Actual encroachments on free speech like government employees dragging protestors out of a public political event.
Is Not American: Making a choice to not frequent a business that hates you and/or people you love.
It would be bad enough if that sort of Othering rhetoric were just cavernously marginalizing, but it's much worse than that. It's that sort of Othering rhetoric, of nationalism and traitors, that gets people killed.
And Paul Ryan smiles away while he engages in it, without a hint of remorse.
This is so the worst thing you're going to read all day.
Alex Williams for the New York Times: "Just Wait Until Your Mother Gets Home." Ha ha get it? Because it's about stay-at-home dads.
I'm not sure what my favorite part of this article is, since there's sooooooo much to love about it.
I definitely love the URL/page title: "Dads Are Taking Over as Full-Time Parents," because if a bunch of mostly white dudes in Brooklyn are doing it, then for sure that means it's happening everywhere. (Please see: Why Flyover Feminism was born.)
I also definitely love the guy who appreciates having "learned all sorts of manly skills" by being a stay-at-home dad. THANK MAUDE! And the guy who assures us there "isn't any shame" in being a stay-at-home dad. COOL! All of that sounds way better than being a stay-at-home mom where you only learn stupid lady skills and should probably be embarrassed about your "'50s sitcom vision of the American family."
But I think my favorite part is probably all the cookies. So many cookies. Delicious, delicious cookies. It's nice to see guys getting credit for deigning to do what women have been doing, as if work done by women isn't intrinsic garbage! MORE COOKIES.
[H/T to @IrinCarmon.]
Question of the Day
Since reality shows about vocations are so popular now, with shows following police, fishers, loggers, exterminators, truckers, vets, dog trainers, doctors, choreographers, chefs, bakers, athletes, models, etc.: What vocation would you like to see featured on a reality show?
You Can Relax, Everyone
Jennifer Aniston is engaged. So our long national nightmare of her not belonging to a man is almost over.
Yeesh.
Breaking Bad Open Thread
Yikes, That Guy. Yikes.
Last night's episode will be discussed in spoileriffic detail, so if you don't want any spoilers, please collect all your tarantulas in jars and move along.
Weekend Pix
As I mentioned on Friday, Shaker GoldFishy, who is one of the longest-term Shakers (arriving here sometime during 2005), and his partner The Captain came to visit Friday and Saturday, and I thought I'd share some of the pix from our visit for those of you who'd like to see them. Pictures of GoldFishy shared with his permission.
GoldFishy and me. More pix below the fold.
Photos of the Day
There have been a whole bunch of wire photos of the President that I've really loved over the past couple of days, and I couldn't choose only one, so here are a few of my favorites:
I like to think he's laughing at Mitt Romney's terrible flag awareness.
Mr. Cool President.
It never fails to strike me how much he seems to genuinely enjoy campaigning.
OM NOM NOM!
This is probably a good time to remind you that President Obama and Kids exists in the world.
Quote of the Day
"I don’t think you hate me. I certainly don’t think you’re afraid of me. Neither is Bristol Palin. She probably even has LGBT people she calls friends. She just disagrees with them about whether they should be invited to the party (the party, in this case, being marriage).
But here’s the problem: the basis of that disagreement is her belief that her relationships are intrinsically better than ours."
-From Wayne Self's Aesop to the Right: Why I Believe Bristol Palin. It's well worth a read, and explains privilege/supremacy through story in a very brilliant way. [CN: Homophobia and Christian Supremacy discussed in the post.]
Shooting at Texas A&M
[Content Note: Terrorism; guns.]
There has been another shooting, this time on the Texas A&M campus. According to KBTX, the suspect is in custody. At least one police officer has been shot, and there is one confirmed victim at St. Joseph Hospital, who may or may not be the injured officer. There is no word on her condition.
The total number of injured is unknown, and there are no confirmed fatalities. Which doesn't mean, unfortunately, that there are no fatalities. [ETA. Unfortunately, there are fatalities. See update(s) below.]
My thoughts are with those on the campus and in the surrounding area. I'm so sorry.
I'll update if/when additional information becomes available.
UPDATE 1: Fuck.
Police have confirmed that a law enforcement officer has died after injuries sustained during a shooting in an incident near Fidelity St. in College Station near the Texas A&M Campus.UPDATE 2: CNN is reporting that three people were killed in the shooting: One police constable and two civilians. Three others were injured, including "two law enforcement officers, including one who was shot in the leg, and a female civilian who was undergoing surgery at a hospital."
CSPD says that more than one law enforcement officer had been shot in the incident, and that there were multiple citizens injured in the shooting.
Representatives for the College Station Medical Center say five patients have been admitted to the emergency room. Three had sustained gunshot wounds, with two complaining of dizziness and chest pain.
There are reports that say the shooting starting during an eviction.
Number of the Day
39%: The percentage of respondents in a new USA/Gallup poll who think Paul Ryan is an "excellent" or "pretty good" vice presidential choice.
Ryan, a Wisconsin congressman, is seen as only a "fair" or "poor" choice by 42% of Americans vs. 39% who think he is an "excellent" or "pretty good" vice presidential choice.Neil Newhouse, a pollster for the Romney campaign, "said in a statement that the findings reflect the fact that Ryan, a House member since 1999, isn't widely known." Ha ha I'm sure voters will definitely love him MORE once they know him better!
...Only Dan Quayle in a 1988 Harris Poll of likely voters was viewed less positively than Ryan, with 52% rating Quayle as a "fair" or "poor" vice presidential choice. The Ryan poll includes all adults, not just registered voters.
...The USA TODAY/Gallup survey also finds 48% of Americans view Ryan as qualified to be president if something should happen to Romney, while 29% do not and 23% were undecided. Only Palin, then the governor of Alaska, and Quayle, a two-term senator from Indiana, were rated lower than Ryan.
Top Five
Here is your topic: Top Five Favorite Electronic Devices That You Own. Go!
Please feel welcome to share stories about why your Top Five picks are what they are, though a straight-up list is fine, too. Please refrain from negatively auditing other people's lists, because judgment discourages participation.
Daily Dose of Cute
This was the view to my left last night, while Iain and I were watching the closing ceremonies of the Olympics. Just a heap of legs, from the direction of which occasionally emanated a heaving sigh of sleepy contentment.
Headline of the Day
Romney's Logo Looks Like Toothpaste. And so it does.
Whitening toothpaste, no doubt. Ahem.
[H/T to Shaker Brunocerous.]
Monday Blogaround
This blogaround brought to you by paper airplanes.
Recommended reading:
Jos: Candy Crowley Will Be the First Woman to Moderate a Presidential Debate in 20 Years
Imara: It's Hard to Imagine a Worse Choice for People of Color Than Paul Ryan
Arturo: Race + Politics: Mitt Romney's VP Pick Doesn't Like 'Anchor Babies'
Brandon: Paul Ryan on Marriage Equality [Content Note: Homophobia.]
FMF News: Texas Medical Groups Oppose New Abortion Restrictions
Fannie: Okay Then [Content Note: Misogyny.]
Jeremy: 'A Throw-Away Line': How Nothing Is Ever Good Enough for the Anti-LGBT Movement
Melissa: Thank You Women Athletes for a Great Olympics
Leave your links and recommendations in comments...
