Let the people's justice be swift and unrestrained.

The implications of a U.S. Representative elected by Americans to be present when a another country such as Uganda puts forth a Bill to kill or Imprision for Life a Homosexual leaves no doubt in my mind that folks such as Jim Inhofe and others within this shadowy group such as, "The Family", would like to present within the confines of our own Country the extermination of Gay and Lesbian people.

Oh, I know! Let's build interfaith bridges! Let's find common ground! Let's demonstrate that we know how to form a respectful and fruitful dialogue!

Proposed result: LGBT sterilization and relocation to a secured area. See, we don't mean no harm, we let them live their lifestyles, just not anywhere we might see or *gasp* meet them. Think of the children!

That way, The Family gets their way (got rid of teh ghey), and we get our way (being nice and accomodating to nutjobs).

ok, ok. Enough of this. It makes me physically ill to appreciate the fact that very many people in positions of influence actually think that way. You don't resepct nutjobs, you don't accomodate their opinions, and you don't try to find compromise. They need to be ignored, utterly and forever. If they decide to try something funny, well we know what happened in Munich, November 9th, 1923. Vigilance.

Inhofe (R-OK) has been "especially active in the Ugandan National Prayer Breakfasts? ?

It is bad enough that guys like REPUBLICAN REP. INHOFE do not wish Americans well (considering what Inhofe & Gang stand for) but they also
pollute other nations with their TOXIC MESSAGES
at POISON BREAKFASTS.
TOXIC Ugh in Uganda.

That's great work Rachel, now go back to licking the war pigs ass, phony.

I'm not voting for a president who goes to this vile event, sponsored by purveyors of hate, if he doesn't go there for one reason: to denounce them in no uncertain terms.

Seriously, enough is enough.

These fuckers have sold us two wars already, and it's time for them to go away. Willingly or not, it's time for them to go.

Don't know if you caught Obama's speech today.
Here's a piece.

"Most dangerously, we see it in the way that religion is used to justify the murder of innocents by those who have distorted and defiled the great religion of Islam, and who attacked my country from Afghanistan. These extremists are not the first to kill in the name of God; the cruelties of the Crusades are amply recorded. But they remind us that no Holy War can ever be a just war. For if you truly believe that you are carrying out divine will, then there is no need for restraint -- no need to spare the pregnant mother, or the medic, or even a person of one's own faith. Such a warped view of religion is not just incompatible with the concept of peace, but the purpose of faith -- for the one rule that lies at the heart of every major religion is that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us."

I just read the full text of Mr. Obama's speech at the Nobel ceremony.

Beautiful words, as usual; commendable ideals, but also so generic as to be almost meaningless. If the President of the United States of America would, for once, match his actions with his strong rhetoric, and with the Constitution (for godz sake), and the innumerable treaties to which this country is signatory...

...maybe I would believe.

But I haven't yet seen our President put that rubber to the road. So far, it seems it's all talk and not a hell of a lot of "we're serious" action from this administration.
If this country is forever about only the rhetoric, and never the actions which engender a sustaining belief in the promises of liberty and freedom (not just for ourselves, but for every country and leader with whom we interact), what's the point of the exercise?
To me, it seems like just a good PR strategy worn thin. All our cherished values--freedom, liberty, representative democracy, civil rights, etc.--are important only in speeches. They are now only promises to get votes, with no follow-through. They are devices used to lull us into complacency. Support the troops, be patriotic, while our country is stolen--lock, stock, and barrel--right under our noses.
The wars we are fighting were contrivances, one for a future pipeline, the other for oil under the sand.

And the same representatives who can only obstruct progress in this country because we have a black man in the White House are busy in Uganda drumming up support for the wholesale suppression of the most basic of human rights and dignity?
If this isn't an affront to all the ideals we hold true, then there's very little that would qualify. The measures proposed in Uganda are worse than slavery. The fact that our own congresspersons are involved in advocating and funding the groups responsible for this affront to civilized values is unconscionable. That they are attempting to do it in secrecy is appalling. he new American Taliban has unwillingly emerged, it seems.
No...if Mr. Obama goes to this "National Prayer Breakfast", he is giving the group that sponsors it, "The Fellowship", a.k.a. "The Family", recognition and validity. It's as unseemly in my view as the President of the United States attending an Aryan Brotherhood meeting, or a KKK meeting. Race and religion have nothing to do with what's unacceptable here. This is a group whose members hold a higher allegiance to their own perceived righteous goals than to the Constitution, or indeed to anything or anyone in this or any other country. These people have as much as stated and demonstrated that their allegiance is elsewhere than that which their oaths of office bind them. In short, they are liars and traitors to their office, and country.
I will not support a President who legitimizes them. Too clearly, this is a president who will look the other way to avoid confronting the specter of torture in our names; of the gutting of American honor and legitimacy, not to mention the law of the land.
If I am expected to conduct my behavior within the bounds of the law, my president must also be expected to uphold the laws which govern the country. He took an oath. If he will not be bound by an oath freely taken, he cannot be counted as worthy of trust.

Thanks for that. Very well said and compelling. I agreed strongly with your original post but appreciate the longer version.

I've wanted only two things from Mr. Obama, the leader.

1) to bring more African Americans to the polls and model a success for all to see, hopefully encouraging more young African Americans to stay in school, reducing the hopelessness disenfranchisement that's so prevalent among our youth. To me, bringing such a huge segment of our population into the foll is enough accomplishment for one man in a lifetime. I had no idea we'd get the added bonus of stomping on some of the smoldering embers of racism. Chalk that up to a PR battle well played. The latent racists are burning themselves out in increasing marginalization.

2) to temper and shift the international dialogue away from a holy war/apocalyptic doom scenario, reopening communications with parts of the world that had distanced from the US in utter disgust. Despite the Bush-years fantasy, the US actually needs the world on it's side to survive. The colonial era is dead and it's time to play nice with the neighbor kids.

To me, these two things are in varying states of achievement now, and have had profound and lasting impacts on the US and the world...already.

It sounds like you're looking for a lot more than me. I never expect a President to be able to do all the things everyone wants, and this guy was handed a pile of shit that desperately and primarily needed cool headed, reasonable leadership. A lot of people feel let down for a variety of reasons, but I think he's doing a fantastic job.

So, as to our thread topic, I agree with you, but I take it a step further. No President should ever attend that prayer breakfast. I couldn't believe my ears when I heard that curbing teen pregnancy would turn our economy around(same group, during Reagan - "family values"), or that abstinence should be the way to stop the spread of HIV (during Bush Jr.). Mixed with Nixon/Rove-style wedge politics, the notions that come out of this bunch tear at the fabric that holds us together.

Today, I'm adding a new expectation of Obama. Stop saying God Bless America at the end of speeches. Reagan started it and it needs to end with this President. We're done allowing people to use a religious framework to control the government. He did not say it in Norway, (or in any other foreign country, as far as I know), so why not go ahead and drop it altogether.

I think it's reasonable to expect more of the President of the US than you are, because more has always been expected of the President than you itemize, because it's his job to do more than that.

I agree with you, it's perfectly reasonable.
This President entered into a completely screwed up situation, so I didn't expect a whole lot to happen. I've been amazed at the level of accomplishment.

If he believes that, he won't attend.

Well, given that he said this directly to Norwegians -

"the cruelties of the Crusades are amply recorded"

I wouldn't put it past him. Ballsy, that.

How many Norwegians were involved in the Crusades?

Haaven't we got enough crimes-against-humanity mavs here in the USA already, without these fucking Ugandan psychopaths comin' over for the "prayer breakfast"?

I want these fucking snakes outta my country!!!!!

It may be time to start picking these fuckers off as they arrive, Inhofe and all. If it's a life or death thang...guess which I'd rather be?

They wanna kill people for having an illness? A treatable illness? These people are the ones who, years later, after they've started uncounted shit-storms, wars, putsches, purges, coups d'etat, kristallnachts, etc., people always wonder why nobody took 'em out sooner.

Do your part, America. You see a family member, giv'm a little tap in th' haid.

"It may be time to start picking these fuckers off as they arrive, Inhofe and all."

"Do your part, America. You see a family member, giv'm a little tap in th' haid."

Not cool. That's almost literally a double-edged sword.

This morning I read excerpts from Obama's acceptance speech at the Nobel Peace Prize award. It was very inspiring. Someone needs to remind him of it before he speaks at the Prayer Breakfast. If he doesn't call out that Bahati jerk, then I will lose any hope I have for this country.

Mr. Sharlet mentioned affecting condom distribution.

It looks like that's where this flood of American Religious influence over Ugandan health policy took hold.
Uganda was having success with condom distribution and use of generic drugs until the US attached requirements for it's funding of HIV prevention mandating an abstinence approach and education of the same and curtailing the use of generics in favor of more expensive branded drugs.
There were warnings that this approach would stigmatize the infected and have dismal repercussions in Uganda. The expression "playing with fire" comes to mind.
Folks involved in that righteous influence of US and by extension Ugandan health policy should now be searching their souls and asking their maker for forgiveness.
American taxpayers are to blame. Sorry folks. We're all guilty for allowing these jokers to do this. Personally, I'm horrified to realize my part in this as a complacent US taxpayer. I laughed at the notion back then, but now I see it wasn't at all funny.
search "uganda unlock the condoms"

Jeff Sharlet, wow!
I had almost forgotten what journalism sounds like on TV.
Thanks for an excellent report.

I have no doubt Inhofe supports legislation that makes homosexuality a capital crime. He would do the same in America if he could. It will be interesting to see whether this affects his career, being from Oklahoma.

the family needs to be routed out of the goverment but it wont and obama will be at the breakfast dont worry he wouldnt pass it up

Did you ever stop to think that maybe he is going there to CALL THEM OUT? maybe he is going to give a speech on the EVIL of their agenda and put it to and IN THEIR FACE?

did i ever think he would call them out? no.

Well, he called out Europe this morning. I want a poster of the expressions on the faces of the Norwegian Royal family. Priceless.

He may have "called out" Europe but at the same time he is protecting American War Criminals so don't hold your breath for him to speak ill of the powerful Christian Taliban...

really?

"Even as we make difficult decisions about going to war, we must also think clearly about how we fight it. The Nobel Committee recognized this truth in awarding its first prize for peace to Henry Dunant -- the founder of the Red Cross, and a driving force behind the Geneva Conventions."

I'm aware of the Justice legal maneuvers, but it sure sounded to me like he's asking the world to hold the US accountable. Sure, some would like to see Obama deal with the torture issue while the war is ongoing, but I'm not in that group. There's time. Hopefully Richard Cheney will still be alive when it's time to execute him for treason.

Domestic efforts to deal with it should wait. An international effort, on the other hand....
Listened to Susan Rice lately? This speech convinced me. Obama administration is isolating Iraq as an illegal war and he's not making any excuses for it.

"Sure, some would like to see Obama deal with the torture issue while the war is ongoing, but I'm not in that group. There's time."

Jesus Christ man, stop and listen to yourself! Your flippant attitude towards torture is cold, reeks of self importance and a sense of entitlement.

Did it ever occur to you that the thousands of real live human beings now under US control who are in a torture environment, might actually feel a sense of urgency. How nice to know that you are prepared to wait.

We confront torture, or we sweep it under the rug as Obama is doing. Simple.

What a sad day for America when the prevailing attitude amongst the leading Democrats is one that is OK with torture. Bush should have been impeached, and I am sure you were all for waiting till after the election to confront him. Now here you are still stalling for time, buying time for Bush and Cheney. Not a very wise use of your time.

.
"It occurs" to me that the President of the United States is currently engaged in two massive wars not of his making and must continue to command the military. He's not the guy to ask to start publicly attacking the people under his command. It also occurs to me that any torture investigation will include officials of many nations who were complicit and would now come at a time that international relations have been terribly shaken.

The President, Commander in Chief, has said the policy and practice has stopped and I take him at his word. It's sad that you don't.

I make no apologies for torturers or their enablers. I am not a Democrat. I'm not advocating sweeping it under the rug. I did not call for impeachment of Bush and I'm pretty good at time management. Sorry if I misled you.

It is time to start holding the President to his word.We need to make it very clear that when we elected him we did so because he made promises to us about the direction our country would take. If he continues down this path we will not vote for him in the coming election.

Let's not forget who spoke at the inauguration: Rick Warren.

Yes, and let us not forget that Hilary Clinton is all in with the family too, and has been since 1993. Did Obama make her Secretary of State?
Another war mongering criminal from the Democratic party, Joe Lieberman also attends. Obviously more Republicans are members, but it is a bipartisan effort like most Washington crimes.

Maddow does a lot of good work on behalf of the GLBT community. But her first job task is to protect Democrats and to lie about them being somehow different than Republicans. So we won't hear much about Dems in the fellowship or the family from her.

The Christian Muslim and Jewish faiths should be banned from all political functions, period. They are not worthy, they have betrayed our trust and all three groups combined cause or enable 95% of the worlds wars.

My grandaughter once told me if I want others to love me just like I am ,warts and all, then I need to love them, just like they are..God doesnt make mistakes.

With all due respect, Bayside, I think
God DOES make mistakes. Look at all
these conservative throwbacks that He
has dumped upon us. It doesn't seem like
God always practices "Intelligent Design".
I'm going to have to have a talk with Him
about His quality control.