I don’t need to tell you that Liz Cheney lost her primary. It was to be expected. The fools in this case are those that embraced the lie and voted against her.
Liz Cheney was wrong about many things, there is no avoiding that. However, there was one thing she got right. She took a stance for both truth and integrity. It would have been easy for her to bow down and worship the GQP messiah, but she refused to do so, and for that I do salute her for her integrity.
I might indeed not agree with her politics, nor could I ever bring myself to vote for her, but I do honestly respect her for the stance she took. It has cost her a great deal politically.
She is quoted as follows:
“Two years ago I won this primary with 73% of the vote. I could’ve done so again. The path was clear. But it would’ve required that I went along with President Trump’s lie about the 2020 election”
“Our republic relies upon the good will of all candidates for office to accept honorably the outcome of elections”
“Never in our nation’s 246 years have we seen what we saw on January 6”
“Major elements in my party still vehemently defend those who caused it”
“If we do not condemn the conspiracies and the lies… we will be excusing this conduct. And it will become a feature of all elections” … She mentions GOP gubernatorial and Sec of State nominees who will deny future election results
“Our survival is not guaranteed”
“Poisonous lies destroy free nations”
“This is yet another insidious lie”… about claims FBI planted items at Mar-a-Lago And she warns of threats of violence are increasing. Including against FBI and judge
“Freedom must not, cannot and will not die here.”
“With God’s help we will prevail” … As she concedes primary election and concludes speech by saying she’ll do all she can to ensure Donald Trump doesn’t return to Oval Office
With the primary lost she is now totally free to burn MAGA to the ground via the Jan 6 Committee. I can only wish her well in that endeavor.
Moving on, below you will find my usual selection of some truly bizarre claims that have popped up during the last 7 days. Each is laced with my snarky commentary. With my usual hat tip to my various sources, let’s dive in.
Enjoy.
Christian Nationalism
Jarrin Jackson reveals that his “strategic mission” in running for the Oklahoma state Senate is to use his position to spread Christianity: “I am bringing the gospel directly into politics. … People need to know the scriptures. People need to know about Jesus.”
- “Wait … what … who is this Jesus guy. I’ve never heard of him” … said nobody ever after listening to him.
- Bringing Jesus into politics has been a wonderful success, literally millions are rejecting Christianity and identifying as nones.
- The best most robust argument against Christianity is Jarrin Jackson rocking up and saying “Look at all the wonderful stuff Jesus has done for me“
Abortion
MAGA nominee for MI Governor Tudor Dixon is asked why she is against a 14 year-old rape victim being allowed to get an abortion. She says the bond that rape victims will have with their babies will help them heal.
- The comment by Sen @brianschatz has the best comment on this … “I think it has not sunk in how absolutely monstrous many Republican nominees are on abortion. Views that were rejected by the public in the last century are now the mainstream Republican.“
Everything they don’t believe in is “Satanic”
Jerome Corsi proclaims that when it comes to the Democratic Party, “we’re dealing with a demonic system. And I mean that in the absolute terms of Satanism.”
- Its kind of weird how many of these (checks notes) “Satanists” are actually church going Christians
- So who wants to tell him that Jesus was a Democrat then watch as his head explodes.
- For the curious, this is basically Corsi attempting to regain his fascist street cred after his Obama birth certificate crusade/grift went nowhere and he fell very out of favour
Jim Garlow asserts that “leftism … is a mental illness” that results from “a spiritual blindness that comes over individuals who walk in habitual sin.”
- He appears to be claiming that the guy from the middle east that he has the hots for was mentally ill because he promoted the idea of selling all you have and giving it to the poor.
- If giving a shit about people other than myself is now deemed to be “habitual sin” then I’m actually OK with that.
Failed GOP congressional candidate Jerone Davison vows to “wage a perpetual war” against the Democrats because “the spirit of the Antichrist is erecting itself though the Democrat Party.”
- These people sure talk about erections a lot.
- Will their gullible marks ever wise up that this is simply emotional manipulation to keep them hooked and viewing the merchandise ads at the bottom of the screen? (Hint: Nope).
Mario Murillo and Lance Wallnau are teaming up for a “Fire and Glory” event in Florida in October because “a great evil has captivated America. The church, while sincere and zealous, has not found an effective strategy to stop the flood of evil and tyranny.”
- “a great evil has captivated America” … (looks at today’s GOP and simply nods)
- Translation: These guys are basically asking people to sign up so that they can get you on their list of people to scam for donations.
Homophobia on Steroids
White nationalist Christian fascist Dalton Clodfelter asserts that “every homosexual is a child molester; every child molester creates a gay.”
- His claim is that people hate the gender of those that abused them. I don’t need to tell you this, but for the record, that’s not how human sexuality works
Grace Christian School in Valrico, FL has asked all LBGTQ students to leave immediately. This is probably not what Jesus would do.
- It is however exactly what Republican Jesus would do.
Truly Bizarre
White nationalist GOP candidate Laura Loomer, who’s Jewish, says one of her favorite Bible verses is “you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.”
- The verse she references comes right before Jesus tells non-believing Jews they’re children of the devil.
- Yea I know, her use of the word “truth” also caused my irony meter to go thermonuclear as well.
Tyler Russell wants the government to “go as far right as possible and then go even further right than that”: “[Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez] should be in jail. Ilhan Omar; jail. The liberal down the street who votes for these people, they shouldn’t be allowed to vote.”
- Tyler also thinks that Genghis Khan and Hitler were soft socialists.
- This is just another green screen from inside his mom’s basement
Eric Trump insists that the Trumps are “a very honest family” that gets up at 5 a.m. every day, says their prayers, and recites the Pledge of Allegiance: “There’s no nonsense, there’s no games, there’s no corruption.”
- This “honest” family is permanently banned from running a charitable foundation in the state of NY.
- Honest people don’t feel or have the need to tell other people they are honest. Those that aren’t honest will tell you all the time how honest they are.
- You do know that if you asked him to actually recite the pledge he would not be able to.
The False Profit$
In a recent sermon at Church at the Well in Kansas City, Pastor Carlton Funderburke blasted the “cheap” congregation for not making him richer. “I’m not worth your McDonald’s money? I’m not worth your Red Lobster money?“
- Republican Jesus says “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give all your money to me” Matthew19:21 (the GQP revised edition)
- Other preacher grifters have multiple jet airplanes, multiple mansions, and vacation homes. If this guy can’t get a $500 watch in 8 months, then he’s clearly not very good at being a preacher-grifter.
Grifter Hank Kunneman asserts that it is “dishonorable” for people not to address him as “pastor” before declaring that he refuses to address Joe Biden as president “because he ain’t the president”: “He is treasonous. It’s illegal. He’s doing evil.”
- The reason millions are walking away from religion is not because they reject the teachings of Jesus, but because they reject the idea of being conned by fraudsters and grifters like Hank on a daily basis.
Right-wing pastor/MAGA cultist Shane Vaughn declares that “Donald Trump carries the prophetic seal of the calling of God”: “Donald Trump is the messiah of America.“
- The term Anti-Christ is a reference to an alternative messiah
- If Trump actually does have the “Prophetic Seal” in his hands then you can be fairly certain that he just stole it from somebody.
- I should perhaps send Shane a think-you note for being a highly effective advocate for atheism.
Interesting Articles
- Sean Collins @ Vox: The warrant authorizing the FBI search on Trump’s home is unsealed — and it’s alarming.
- Keegan Hamilton and Tess Owen @ Vice News: FBI Standoff Suspect Posted ‘Call to Arms’ on Trump’s Truth Social.
- William Vaillancourt @ The Daily Beast: Brian Kilmeade: IRS Agents ‘Hunt Down and Kill’ the Middle Class.
- Media Matters: Fox News airs digitally altered image of magistrate who approved Mar-a-Lago search.
- Erik Maulbetsch @ Colorado Times Recorder: Yet Another Colorado Republican Candidate Linked to Conspiracist Militia.
- Jonathan Randles @ The Wall Street Journal: Alex Jones’s Infowars Sees Surging Sales Since Sandy Hook Trial.
- Andrew Kaczynski and Em Steck @ CNN: Arizona Republican secretary of state nominee kept ‘Treason Watch List’ and posted about stockpiling ammunition on Pinterest.
- Hemant Mehta @ OnlySky: South Dakota’s new social studies standards promote Christian nationalism.
- Ed Mazza @ HuffPost: Turning On Trump? Laura Ingraham Says ‘Exhausted’ Americans May Be Done With Him.
- Tim Dickinson @ Rolling Stone: Ban Gay Marriage, Deport Dreamers: Doug Mastriano’s Extreme Views Caught on Tape.
- Matt Shuham @ Talking Points Memo: WATCH: The Moment When The ‘2,000 Mules’ Folks Admit Their Supposed Evidence Is Nonsense.
Statistic of the week
The integrity, honesty, decency, tolerance, and devotion to truth of evangelicals is very clearly making a very distinct difference these days …
This is also not the end-game, it is all part of an ongoing demographic change.