Famed slab of drywall and Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell is not only the latest Republican Congressman to suggest changing the Constitution, getting rid of the part of the 14th Amendment that gives citizenship to anyone born in this country. He’s also the leader of the Senate Republicans, so this makes gutting the 14th the official Republican position! The section in question was added to the Constitution after the Civil War to allow the children of slaves citizenship, but in some folks’ minds these days it makes for too many “anchor babies.”
So now the GOP is officially the party of Michelle Quinn, the Grate One, and “deadwhitemale.” Hey, good luck with that! Of course, you haters, these politicians won’t really do anything. It’s a huge, years-long process to change the Constitution, they’re not serious about it, and even if they were, by the time the process was under way you’ll really be a tiny minority of voters. No, these GOP politicians are just yanking your chain so that you’ll vote for them one more time so they can maybe get in the majority just a couple more years so they can swing a little more wealth their way one last time. But you’re used to being used like that, aren’t you? It’s all good.
Oh – have you heard, the Old Dominion State, the Commonwealth of Virginia, has just joined Arizona in legalized Latino profiling. They didn’t take the legislative route a la SB 1070; instead rising-teabag-star Attorney General Ken “Cooch” Cuccinelli issued a writ opining that it’s okay for Virginia cops to enforce Federal immigration law.
Oh – that reminds me. Don’t let me forget to remind you all in early September. This will be exciting. Sunday September 12 is going to be “Burn the Confederate Flag Day.” I really want to organize a good one in Santa Ana or Costa Mesa. Maybe both.
TOURISM TIPS FROM ARIZONA’S LOVELY GOVERNOR. The radiant Jan Brewer has really been doing wonders for Arizona’s tourism industry with her constant squawking on national TV about Arizona’s (imaginary) beheadings, kidnappings, and murders. More recently both Arizona’s Senators, McCain and Kyl, have got in on the action, claiming falsely that Phoenix is the “kidnapping capital of America” and loudly lamenting the skyrocketing crime in their lovely state. Lawmen and other serious people can scratch their heads and protest that crime in Arizona has been doing just the opposite, going steadily down for a decade – but who can argue with success, when Arizona’s tourism industry is just booming due to all this publicity?
Oh, wait. I was looking at that graph sideways. I guess it’s just the opposite. Totally aside from the boycotts by decent people, your average tourist is terrified to take their wife and kids to the hellish death-trap these geniuses portray in the media. Hey – maybe Costa Mesa Mayor Allan Mansoor was looking at that graph sideways too, when he told the world on FOX News what a terrible plague of illegal immigrant criminals his town is suffering from. Oh well. At least I bet he got a lot of campaign donations for his Assembly race, from Minutemen across this great nation. What a loser.
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SO many questions! What does it all mean? Well, like any young aspiring journalist would do, I asked Lady Gaga. And this is what she had to say:
GOOD to hear that all is great in AZ!! this from living chatty cathy doll Vern pull his string and all sorts of insults are vomited out
Great post, Vern. You’re good. I especially liked the “young aspiring journalist” bit.
Be careful, though. I’ve got at least one ex-wife who would take great umbrage at your targeting Jan Brewer’s radiance, er, wrinkles—and that business about tourists terrified to “take their wife and kids” to ‘Zona.
My advice: do not go out of your way to piss off my ex-wife.
Oh yeah: you’re alienating drywall hangers too, ‘cause drywall comes in sheets, not slabs. But calling McConnell any kind of slab makes you a pal. Besides, I once wrote about dropping a “slate” of granite on somebody’s head, and the image was so appealing that no one corrected me, not even in court.
Same with McConnell qua slab. That’s too good. Something tells me the ex won’t mind your making fun of that guy’s abject slabulosity.
The portion of the 14th Amendment in question was adopted to address how to handle the citizenship transition of former slaves and Indian tribal members and that purpose has run its course. If you remove the wonderful Klan pictures and rhetoric from your post there is really nothing left in your argument as to why removal of this now archaic provision is a bad thing. Just a series of strangely bound attacks of the personalities and physical characteristics of those you mock as wrong without discussion as to why (and I am sure that your response will be the typical liberal with blinders on “well, if I have to explain to you, you obviously don’t understand.”) Well I do understand and after review of the issue have no idea as to why this portion of the constitution is even relevant today when it is far past its 19th century purpose.
“The portion of the 14th Amendment in question was adopted to address how to handle the citizenship transition of former slaves and Indian tribal members”
And you know that how exactly? Were you there when the 14th Amendment was passed?
If they wanted to limit the 14th Amendment to what you claim it is, they could have said so in the text. They didn’t. Plain and simple. Case closed.
Actually part of my daily job is to interpret the legislative history of bills and constitutional amendments and I was curious so I looked this one up which was adopted in the middle of the 19th century. No, I am not that old, so I was not there when it happened.
I happen to agree with you that the text as written applies more broadly and that it is the current law. If you read the article, you would know that what was being discussed was a CHANGE to the 14th Amendment which would result in a CHANGE to the language of the law, a change that I would support.
I was NOT expecting the erudite Geoff Willis to saunter over from the Larry Gilbert posts he generally haunts and challenge my polemic. I will have to raise my game.
I’ll take you at your word for now that you correctly describe the original purpose of that clause. And that it’s now archaic. There are certainly numerous passages scattered throughout the Constitution that are equally archaic, aren’t there? Why would we go through the herculean task of amendment just to excise this one little spot?
You know why. It’s because a lot of white people think there are too many Meskins here. It’s disingenuous to pretend there’s anything else behind this faux-movement. And you know I’m also right that these politicians who are talking about messing with the 14th are just pandering for votes and aren’t gonna do jack.
We can both be as logical as we like. But we don’t live in a world of pure theory. My logic and your logic are driven by our loves, hates, and fears. And in my case, just like my queen Lady GAGA, I love immigrants!
(Notice how I didn’t say “If I have to explain to you, you obviously don’t understand”? I’m sorry if a lot of people say that to you. I won’t.)
I don’t disagree with your logic, just the outcome you reach from your logic. It would be unfortunate for us to have to go through what you accurately describe as the “herculean” task of constitutional amendment. It would make much more sense to just enforce the current law and to do so like every other “enlightened” country in the world.
. . . and using Lady Gaga as your spokesperson . . . really????
YES!
YES WE WILL TAKE THEM because we dont want to be the part of the far left lib that you are . you have become the party of coruption . lawbreakers , b/k of the country . great job BY YOUR PARTY FAR LEFT VERN .. and you will find out how much in nov when your GREAT IDEAS GET CRUSHED BY THE AMERICAN PEOPLE .. this country has always been center right . you and nobama n friends want to take it far left . we gave you a chance AND YOU BLEW IT .
GEOFF THAT IS VERNS PRESIDENT RIGHT NOW . LADY GAGA WHAT A SCHOLAR OF IMMIGRATION POLICY .. where do you think far left vern gets his ideas from .
Vern, you are, among other things, pretty entertaining. True: you might wanna lay off focusing on the physical characteristics of some of these right-wingers—their views are ugly enough and their arguments laughable enough that you don’t need to go there. Take the high road, I say!
You made at least one good point:
“[T]hese politicians won’t really do anything. It’s a huge, years-long process to change the Constitution, they’re not serious about it, and even if they were, by the time the process was under way you’ll really be a tiny minority of voters. No, these GOP politicians are just yanking your chain so that you’ll vote for them one more time….”
Near as I can tell, that is exactly right. Does any Senator or Congressman/woman really believe we can change the Constitution? Do they really think that Obama is a “goddam foreigner”?
Obviously not.
Behold today’s Republican Party: on the one hand, we’ve got a clueless right-wing hoi polloi who don’t know their history, especially America’s profound debt to immigrants, and are now (apparently) utterly incapable of distinguishing between the reliable and the specious. On the other, we’ve got cynical politicians who spout absurd nonsense just to keep the rubes voting their way.
Man, that’s an ugly picture.
I think we’ve reached the point that discussion and argument is almost pointless as a way of overcoming disagreement in this country. The Stupid People do not listen to reason. They do not know history. They cannot think for themselves. They cannot be corrected, for they are irrationalists.
And their leaders are so cynical and rotten that they, too, are beyond the pale, discoursewise.
So, Vern, you may as well just point at ‘em and call ‘em assholes. I recommend it.
–Roy Bauer (a citizen who is also a goddam immigrant)
And that, dear Professor, is why you and I walk the streets stoop-shouldered, with furrowed brows.
Funny and true Brother Vern! I was intrigued with Lady Gaga. One can never make enough ridicule of these pandering demagogues. And those who have centered their loathing on this particular segment of the population..
go ahead–
seethe on–
you’ll never change your mind, no matter how much information is available.
It’s all about feelings–not facts. Or reason.
The Republicans just woke up to the realities of the Reagan Amnesty bill, cheap labor isn’t so cheap. Another example of republicans selling out the interests of American workers to the corporate interests. Now 30 years later the results are to attack the 14th amendmant…but the tides have already turned. They just can’t do math, nor deal with facts.
How many new republicans have been bred in that same time period?
Because the Amnesty Reagan Hispanics are here, they’ve bred, they’re legal, they’re kids are legal, and they are the majority…who have invited all their relatves.If I lived in the Republic of Mexico, I would be here too.Hell, If Republicans had thier ideal form of Government ….we WOULD BE MEXICO.
And if I was a Republican …I would start playing nice with the neighbors.
One thing I can say…..they are wearing Hurley, Volcom and rvca, and the OC culture war of baggy jeans and headbands has been won….
The next generation is brown, californian, and Not so Republican…..just keep the political heat on the hate.
We can sign them up to vote all day long……
VERN THE F**KER D**KHEAD!! you are a liar and racist f**ker …I want to see you in arizonia with the drug cartels sticking crack up your ass!!eat sh*t loser having a weirdo like gaga telling us arizonians to not support the law eat sh*t.losers watch the children get killed and beheaded and watch the cartels take drugs and shove it in the faces of inNocent kids you suck you crazy lunitics…………sing gaga shut your f**king piehole and get out of poititics before you lose your fans………..which I used to be.LATINA PATRIOT
Ah – this must be Governor Brewer’s press agent. So you have located the elusive instance of beheading finally? A child, you say! Where, when? Dickhead.
I don’t even believe you’re 1) in Arizona, 2) female, or 3) “LATINA.”
That was my thought too, Vern. JFlores is no Flores at all. They do that. Set up accounts with Latino names and photos. They are classless and disgusting. I saw one on the white house wall the other day. I started talking facts and they ran away. These frightened white folks can’t even stand up in broad day light and say what they think because they know it’s shameful, so they hide behind false masks bearing false witness. Then they go to church on Sunday and pat eachother on the back.
Stpp em before they pop em. (lady gaga is simply radient herself, eh?)
AHH, JFLOREZ, another SH*T FOR BRAINS alias!!!
Mitch McConnell is an even uglier old woman than Jan Brewer.
It’s always the entertainment industry, whether through comedy, or music, or movies, that always reminds us of what we are really doing! Because THIS IS AMERICA, damnit! 🙂