The Depression in color

Fascinating photos from the Library of Congress:

The new welfare queens

On a mostly party-line vote, the Senate on Tuesday defeated a Democratic measure to strip major oil companies of about $20 billion in tax subsidies over the next 10 years and use the savings to pay down the deficit. …

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, said the Democratic bill would “raise the price of gasoline at the pump, export American jobs and make us more dependent on people like (Venezuelan President) Hugo Chavez because the amount of oil we’ll have to import will go up.”

In other words, pay whatever ransom the kidnapper demands. If this is truly cause and effect, let’s give big oil more subsidies to lower the cost at the pump.

Judge them by their friends

If Bill Ayers was an issue, then Michele Bachmann’s associations also deserve scrutiny. Meet Bradlee Dean:

On his radio show, he’s alleged that gays were responsible for the Holocaust, and that gay men will, on average, molest 117 people “before they’re found out.” He’s also suggested that extremist Muslims who call for the execution of American gays are morally justified. “If America won’t enforce the laws, God will raise up a foreign enemy to do just that,” Dean explained. “[Homosexuals] play the victim when they are, in fact, the predator.” He has since clarified that he does not support executing gays, and that his remarks were intended as a brotherly warning to gays to change their ways.

Another Republican hypoprick

I’ve come to understand the appeal of libertarian zealots like Ron Paul: consistency. You can’t say that about Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who wants to stop defending state law giving gay couples hospital visitation rights.

I guess government knows better. Sorry, sick gay man, but we’ll be choosing your visitors.

Talk about  tyranny.

(via Andrew Sullivan)

Related articles

• Wisconsin Governor Moves To Block Hospital Visitation Rights For Same-Sex Couples (outsidethebeltway.com)

How not to win the GOP nomination

Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman better stop sounding reasonable if he wants to win over the Tea Party crowd.

Can you talk a little bit about how you came to favor civil unions for gay couples?

I’ve always been in favor of traditional marriage and thinking that you open Pandora’s Box when you start to redefine it. But we’ve had friends who are gay and we’ve heard horror stories [about hospital visitation and legal rights], and I thought it was an appropriate time.

You also believe in climate change, right?

This is an issue that ought to be answered by the scientific community; I’m not a meteorologist. All I know is 90 percent of the scientists say climate change is occurring. If 90 percent of the oncological community said something was causing cancer we’d listen to them. I respect science and the professionals behind the science so I tend to think it’s better left to the science community – though we can debate what that means for the energy and transportation sectors.