Day: December 26, 2008

Why There Are So Few Black Republicans

Trish

Chip Saltsman, out standing in his field

As if it bore explaining, we get why Republicans have a diversity problem. Chip Saltsman, who announced his candidacy for head of the Republican National Committee just a couple of weeks ago, has a pretty tone-deaf sense of humor.

The campaign manager for Republican presidential candidate Gov. Mike Huckabee, former chair of the Tennessee Republican Party, and Bill Frist protegee sent out a real knee-slapper of a Christmas gift.

Saltsman on his “Barack the Magic Negro” CD: “I think RNC members understand.”

[Saltsman] said Friday the CD he sent committee members for Christmas — which included a song titled “Barack the Magic Negro” — was clearly intended as a joke.

“I think most people recognize political satire when they see it,” Tennessee Republican Chip Saltsman told CNN. “I think RNC members understand that.”

Chip’s got a point there.* RNC members probably totally get the joke. And that’s the problem.

According to The Hill, other song titles, some of which were in bold font, were: “John Edwards’ Poverty Tour,” “Wright place, wrong pastor,” “Love Client #9,” “Ivory and Ebony” and “The Star Spanglish Banner.”

Now we’re talking funny! I mean, jeez, I didn’t know he dissed all those Cuban Republicans who rule Miami and make up the backbone of Florida Republican fund-raising. I’m sure he’ll get their vote for RNC chair. Hey Chip, just ignore those humorless minority groups and keep on being exactly who you are. Democrats everywhere thank you.

* But if he combs his hair right and wears a hat, maybe no one will notice.

John McCain’s Pox on Our House: Sarah Palin

Trish

It is with the greatest reluctance that I announce a new category for our posts here at Pensito Review. Henceforth, we will maintain a category for “Sarah Palin.”

After John McCain announced his bizarre pick for a running mate, fellow P.R. editor, Buck, added a Palin category. I shot him down, since we like to keep the site as succinct as possible. Besides, I reasoned at the time, what possible instance can you think of when anything about Sarah Palin wouldn’t just go into the “John McCain” category?

I was wrong, wrong, wrong but hating to be proven so by Buck isn’t the basis for my regret at launching the category now. If only.

No, what really bothers me is the sinking knowledge that Palin isn’t going away. It now appears clear that one of the sorriest chapters in our nation’s history is going to turn into a book. Then maybe a sequel. Evolving into a trilogy. And, God forbid, a series.

This is one time I really, really wish I’d been right.

Don’t Ask Sherry Johnston for a “Cup of Coffee” — Bristol Palin’s Future Mother-in-Law Busted for Selling Drugs by Texting with Code Words

Trish

Sherry Johnston, last September

Bristol Palin’s future mother-in-law might not crowd around when her son’s baby is born. Sherry Johnston, mother of Levi, himself father of Sarah Palin’s first grandchild (maybe) is kind of busy these days. Grandma Johnston was busted in Wasilla last week on five counts of sale and possession of a controlled substance, namely Oxycontin.

Johnston text message: “There’s only so many times I can go for coffee a month. The rest of the time I need to have it at home!”

The amazing part is not that someone so close to Gov. Palin, the hero of the religious right, would be involved in drug trafficking. No, the mind-blowing thing is that she sold drugs during the presidential campaign, in some cases, with the Secret Service nearby.

“Hey Sherry, quit texting for a minute and come tell these reporters that your son really is going to marry our daughter.”

“OMG. BRB. L8R.”

The affidavit says she “did admit to selling her Oxycontin pills to (an informant). The affidavit, dated Dec. 22, details how troopers used two informants to collect evidence that Johnston sold OxyContin on Oct. 11, Oct. 22 and Nov. 26…

Trooper-supervised buys were set up by cell phone text messages and took place in Target and Fred Meyer parking lots. On each occasion, troopers charge, she got $800 for 10 pills. Troopers say that in the text messages, Johnston used the code words ”coffee” and ”cup” for OxyContin.

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All Openly Gay Obama Cabinet Members Should Resign in Protest over Warren Invite

Jon Ponder

Oh, wait, there aren’t any openly gay people in Obama’s cabinet:

President-elect Barack Obama last week announced the last of his Cabinet nominees, revealing that none of his department heads would be openly gay. The omission, combined with Obama’s decision to invite Rev. Rick Warren to give the invocation at his inauguration, led [the Human Rights Campaign,] the nation’s largest gay rights group to demand that Obama quickly prove his commitment to gay and transgender Americans.

The HRC’s plan includes:

  • Issuing an executive order within the first 100 days of his administration to reaffirm protections for federal workers based on sexual orientation while expanding them to include gender identity.
  • Working with Congress to enact hate crimes legislation within six months.
  • Developing a plan within 100 days to begin the process of repealing the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” [DADT] law, which prohibits openly gay people from serving in the military.

The first two items are relatively simple, but repealing DADT could be problematic. Not long after Pres. Bill Clinton took office, he stumbled in an attempt to repeal military regulations that prohibited gay people from serving in the military, particularly because he faced opposition from Colin Powell, who then served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as from Democrats on the Senate Armed Services Committee, including the chairman, Sam Nunn of Georgia.

This stumble led to DADT, a bizarre compromise under which gay people can serve in the military as long as they deny who they are and stay in the closet.

Now, 15 years later, Powell has (sort of) reversed himself on DADT, saying it ought to be reevaluated. Sam Nunn retired into much deserved irrelevance years ago. More importantly, at least one national poll indicates that Americans are ready to scrap DADT:

The ABC News/Washington Post Poll, which has tracked the issue for 15 years, shows that public attitudes that were in line with the [DADT] policy in 1993 no longer are.

The poll posed two questions.

The first was: “Do you think that homosexuals who do not publicly disclose their sexual orientation should be allowed to serve in the military?”In 1993, 63 percent said yes; in July 2008, 78 percent said yes.

The second question was: “Do you think that homosexuals who do publicly disclose their sexual orientation should be allowed to serve in the military or not?” In 1993, only 44 percent said yes; in July, 75 percent said yes.

Repealing DADT is still something of a trap for Obama because it could provide ammunition for Republican charges down the road that he is too liberal. A much safer course would be to disinvite Rick Warren from speaking at the inauguration.

Rick Warren Praised African Archbishop Who Advocates Imprisoning Gays

Jon Ponder

In a February 2006 communique, Peter Akinola, the archbishop of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), set forth his diocese’s official positions on various issues being debated by the Nigerian government, including this:
So, to sum up, Rick Warren believes that a homophobe so filled with hate that he advocates imprisoning gay people who love each other and choose to get married is a “model for Christians around the world.”

The Bill against Homosexuality: The Church commends the law-makers for their prompt reaction to outlaw same-sex relationships in Nigeria and calls for the bill to be passed since the idea expressed in the bill is the moral position of Nigerians regarding human sexuality.

The legislation in question punishes both parties in same-sex marriage with five years in prison. It also criminalized references to gay relationships in the media:

7. Prohibition of Registration of Gay Clubs and Societies and Publicity of same sex sexual relationship
(1) Registration of Gay Clubs, Societies and organizations by whatever name they are called in institutions from secondary to the tertiary level or other institutions in particular and, in Nigeria generally, by government agencies is hereby prohibited.
(2) Publicity, procession and public show of same-sex amorous relationship through the electronic or print media physically, directly, indirectly or otherwise are prohibited in Nigeria.
(3) Any person who is involved in the registration of gay clubs, societies and organizations, sustenance, procession or meetings, publicity and public show of same sex amorous relationship directly or indirectly in public and in private is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a term of 5 years imprisonment.

Two months later, Rick Warren — who is set to deliver the invocation at the inauguration of Pres. Barack Obama next month — lavished praise on Bishop Akinola — comparing him both to a lion and Nelson Mandela — in Time Magazine:

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