Quotes Archive: 3G
"3G" refers to God, Gays, and Guns, which is shorthand for many social issues, at least those the religious right obsesses over.
"They'll be dancing in the streets because of his middle name."
Rep. Steve King R-Iowa (the R stands for "raging bigot"), suggesting an Obama presidency will send a message to the Islamic world. Yes, electing Obama will send a message: that Americans aren't as bigoted as many foreigners and Steve King think we are.
"Conspicuous piety is so tricky!"
Opus the penguin, finding how hard it is to campaign on his religion while not having to answer questions about it. For those who don't get satire (hi conservatives!), Opus is a stand-in for Romney and Huckabee.
"Deists, freethinkers and Freemasons --- the kind of people that Romney was complaining about --- produced the First Amendment. When Tom Jefferson tried out an earlier version of it in Virginia, some of the members of the Virginia assembly actually complained that freedom of religion would allow the practice of Islam in the US. Jefferson's response to that kind of bigotry was that other people believing in other religions did not pick his pocket or break his leg, so why should he care how they worshipped? And that's all Romney had to say. But he did not want to say that. Romney said the opposite. He implied that is is actively bad for a democracy if people are unbelievers or if there is a strict separation of religion and state."
Juan Cole responding to Mitt Romney's statements the freedom requires religion and there is no place for "secularists".
"In America, religious groups gain political advantage and rally their followers by presenting themselves as embattled. Actually listening to the other side is tantamount to admitting you're not really being persecuted."
Laura Miller, speaking to an Anglican priest in Britain who let Philip Pullman speak at a church sponsored event.
"Karl Rove figured out a long time ago that the way to take an intellectually incurious draft-averse naughty playboy in a flight jacket with chewing tobacco in his back pocket and make him governor of Texas, was to sell him as God's anointed in a state where preachers and televangelists outnumber even oil derricks and jack rabbits. Using church pews as precincts Rove turned religion into a weapon of political combat --- a battering ram, aimed at the devil's minions, especially at gay people."
Bill Moyers on the strategy Karl Rove used to put Bush in power.
"What is the line between vigilance and paranoia? I really don't know. I only know this, to return to my original point: it's far past the time for the media to start tracking these arrests as a trend—before the next arrest comes post-explosion, not pre."
Rick Perlstein on how the bomb carrier at Falwell's funeral is just one of several recent incidents of Christian terrorism.
"The rally attendees carried signs saying 'Values Matter.' The signs did not indicate whose values mattered, or which values in particular mattered."
Andy Birkey of Minnesota Monitor on a rally of social conservatives for a lobbying day at the state capitol.
"I'd love to pop whoever helped put that gun on our streets. Whoever did belongs in prison, too. But the NRA is very powerful."
Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan on the federal law the prohibits local police getting information on who sold a gun to a criminal.
"Just think about that for a minute: There is some young girl, and what's keeping her from having sex now is thinking, 'I could get cancer in thirty years if I have sex with my boyfriend now.'"
Katha Pollitt, commenting on conservative opposition to the HPV vaccine on the grounds it will make girls promiscuous.
"'God says if you base your life on his covenant, these blessings are gonna overtake you,' the pastor told his congregation.
He has been overtaken by a Porsche, a Lexus, a couple of homes in Florida, a 'retreat' up north, a couple of motorcycles and some sweetheart loan and lease arrangements with his church.
Hallelujah."
Doug Grow commenting on the ample church-granted wealth of "prosperity theology" pastor Mac Hammond has received for telling his flock that wealth is sign God loves them. He must have some big needle eyes for shoving his camels through.
"I believe that God called Tim Pawlenty to the office of governor."
Rev. Leith Anderson of Pawlenty's evangelical church, Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie. Funny how God only calls conservative Republicans. I guess the liberal majority got in when God forgot to vote.
"They know enough of what I know that I can't ignore it. See, I have yet to learn how to segregate my moral concerns. It seems to me if I abhor intolerance, discrimination and hatred when they affect people who look like me, I must also abhor them when they affect people who do not. For that matter, I must abhor them even when they benefit me. Otherwise, what I claim as moral authority is really just self-interest in disguise."
Columnist Leonard Pitts Jr., on the equivalency he sees in the struggles for civil rights by blacks like himself and homosexuals.
"Unless they move to a handful of less restrictive states, Heather will never be able to have a legal relationship with her child. Grandpa Cheney has been part of an administration that has levelled unprecedented attacks [on gays] ... If this doesn't make it real for him, I don't know what will."
Jennifer Chrisler, executive director of Family Pride, on the effect of Mary Cheney's pregnancy.
"I got a little frustrated in Washington because I couldn't get the bill passed. Congress wouldn't act, so I signed an executive order -- that means I did it on my own."
George W. Bush, Acting President, on granting federal money for Christian proselytizing, showing a disregard of the will of Congress, statutory law, and the separation of church and state.
"Justice Goldberg used [the] Old Testament, which is part of the American Bible [italics mine]."
Conservative talk radio host Dennis Prager, saying so much in a little slip about the mixing of Christianity and patriotism by American fundamentalist Christians.
"I would have just one piece of advice for churches that are going to engage in this kind of illegal activity: don't tape it and videotape it and broadcast it over the Internet."
Melanie Sloan of CREW on the endorsement by a church of Republican 6th congressional district of Minnesota candidate Michelle Bachmann. The quote is about 1:24 into the October 17 Al Franken Show podcast.
"Rove looked at him, took a deep breath, and said, 'I don't know. Just get me a f-ing faith-based thing, got it?'"
David Kuo, who worked in Bush's faith based initiatives office, on what a volunteer, asked to form the office on less than a week's notice, claims Karl Rove said to him when he sought some direction.
"It's one of the places the party goes when it's in trouble. A lot of us are holding our breath to see how this plays out."
An unnamed gay GOP strategist on how conservatives are likely to react to the Foley scandal by attacking homosexuals.
"There are some people, and I'm one of them, that believe George Bush was placed where he is by the Lord. I don't care how he governs, I will support him. I'm a Republican through and through."
Clydeen Tomani, interviewed for an AP article on how southern women have decreased their support for the acting president, trying to earn a "Take the Red Pill Award".
"My question is, if one thinks that the destruction of a fertilized egg or an embryo is murder, and that is certainly a morally defensible position, but if you think that, why are you bragging on a different page on your web site about funding research of those murdered embryos?"
Jake Tapper, senior national correspondent for ABC News , on the hypocrisy of calling embryonic stem cell research murder and vetoing the funding while proclaiming being the first to provide funding for it.
"Marriage is a spiritual issue. That's not for the Congress to dictate, no more than it's appropriate for Congress to dictate how much bread should be used in communion. Communion is a sacrament. Marriage is a sacrament. Why not just put all the sacraments in the Constitution?"
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-MO and a Methodist minister, on the government having no right to decide who can get married.
"The Statue of Liberty is a symbol of the United States of America. The cross represents a specific religion. It's not right that they are mixing the two."
11 year-old Evelyn Douglass of Memphis, resident of the neighborhood where a megachurch has erected a parody of the Statue of Liberty to twist it into a Christian symbol.
"While I take offense at disrespect to the flag, I nonetheless believe it is my continued duty as a veteran, as an American citizen, and as a United States senator to defend the constitutional right of protesters to use the flag in nonviolent speech."
Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, who lost an arm in combat in World War II, on why he opposed the amendment to ban flag desecration.
"Within science courses taught in certain public systems of education, scientific evidence, data, and testable theories about the origins and evolution of life on Earth are being concealed, denied, or confused with theories not testable by science."
National science academies of 67 countries in a joint statement denouncing the teaching of creationism and the deliberate confusion of religion with science.
"P.S. Circumcision is a sacred rite of the Jewish religion. If your theory were valid, then there would be no Jewish homosexuals."
Abigail Van Buren in her Dear Abby column, responding to Grandmother in Missouri who thought circumcision might cure the suspected homosexuality in her teenage grandson. No, I don't think she was kidding.
"I can tell you what your worst nightmare is. It's one of the big-spendin', tax-raisin', abortion-promotin', gay marriage-embracin', more welfare-without-accountability lovin', school reform-resistin', illegal immigration-supportin' Democrats for governor who think Hillary Clinton should be president of the United States."
MN Gov. Tim Pawlenty in his acceptance speech at the state convention. Honest, that isn't a parody. He thinks he appeals to the base by being unable to pronounce a "g". I guess Democrats will have to settle for the smart people vote.
"This is a very sad day for this great institution and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which historically led the way to greater liberty and civil rights in this country."
PA State Rep. Babette Josephs during the debate on banning gay marriage in the state constitution.
"Conduct physical & spiritual warfare : using the power of prayer to strengthen your troops in combat and wield modern military weaponry throughout the game world."
The web site of Left Behind Games, which promotes a game where Christians go shooting non-Christians, based on the violent fantasy part of the Left Behind Novels. He who lives by the sword will
"And while I'm on the subject, let me say something about Harry Potter. Warlocks are enemies of God. And I don't care what kind of hero they are, they're an enemy of God, and had it been in the old testament, Harry potter would have been put to death. You don't make heroes out of warlocks."
One of the teachers in "Jesus Camp", bringing up Harry Potter out of nowhere, and finding great threat from a fantasy novel character. Next, the threat from Tolkien characters and the Chronicles of Narnia. Audio can be heard on the Rachel Maddow for April 28 show about 26 minutes in.
"When scientific knowledge has been found to be in conflict with its political goals, the administration has often manipulated the process through which science enters into its decisions."
The Union of Concerned Scientists in a petition protesting against the acting president's habit of suppressing, censoring, or ignoring science that contradicts his policies.
"If, as apologists for the amendment crusade say, the real fear is what comes next if gay marriage is allowed — bigamy, polygamy, bestiality, whatever — why isn't the crusade for an amendment that defines 'marriage' as, simply, between two people?"
St. Paul Pioneer Press editorial on Minnesota's debate over a gay marriage amendment.
"When even the watchdog agency is corrupt, there's no hope for anybody."
Michael Levine, federal government whistleblower, who discovered that Scott Bloch, appointed to the office that protects whistleblowers, is more interested in discriminating against gays than in investigating corruption.
"But it no more belongs in a biology class than alchemy belongs in a chemistry class, phlogiston in a physics class, or the stork theory in a sex education class. In those cases, the demand for equal time for 'both theories' would be ludicrous."
Professors Richard Dawkins and Jerry Coyne on why intelligent design does not deserve to be presented as the "other side" in science classes.
"Gay marriage has begun, and life has not changed for the citizens of the commonwealth, with the exception of those who can now marry.''
Republican state Sen. Brian Lees of Massachusetts, who sponsored the amendment to ban gay marriage and now admits it has done no harm.
"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away."
Philip K Dick, science fiction writer, who could have been talking about the Republicans' aversion to science and things it predicts, like wetland loss causing floods in New Orleans.
"But it would feel good, right? Show 'them' we are not to be messed with. Not a week goes by without someone telling me how terrorism can be solved by destroying 'them' — Muslims. Me, I'm not worried about Muslims. I'm worried about fundamentalism. Literalism, absolutism, extremism under the guise of faith. Any faith. ... Fundamentalism is the enemy, then. It should be obvious, but fear makes you stupid. It makes you panicky, it makes you act without thinking."
Leonard Pitts Jr. writing about how terrorism creates fear which makes us stupid, and the terror comes from fundamentalism of any faith.
"Not only do I believe Senator Bill Frist may be a terrible doctor, I think he doesn't realize C-SPAN has cameras."
Jon Stewart commenting on the contradiction in Frist's statement after the Schiavo autopsy, and what he said on the Senate floor during the Schiavo bill debate.
''A lot of these young people had not been in the church more than a year..... [The Chandlers] brought in a lot of young people, but they also brainwashed them.''
Maxine Osborne, member of East Waynesville Baptist Church who opposed the politicization by Pastor Chan Chandler.
"Once you grasp this fact, you're a long way to understanding what the Hannitys and Limbaughs figured out long ago: These people will swallow anything you feed them, so long as it leaves them with a demon to wrestle with in their dreams."
Matt Taibbi on how the Republican grassroots feels a sense of being under attack, and is kept in that condition.
"As the conference attendees filed out of the banquet hall and into the rain-flecked night, mostly silent except for the few who were still sobbing, they seemed prepared to do anything--absolutely anything--against judges. 'I want to impale them!' as Michael Schwartz told me."
"If about 40 of them get impeached, suddenly a lot of these guys would be retiring."
Max Blumenthal of The Nation magazine who attended the "Judicial War on Faith" conference and had just heard the faithful lied to about Terri Schiavo.
"If about 40 of them get impeached, suddenly a lot of these guys would be retiring."
Michael Farris, chairman of the Home School Legal Defense Association, speaking at the conference "Confronting the Judicial War on Faith," calling for the impeachment of judges who don't follow the whims of Christian fundamentalists.
"I believe the judiciary branch of our government has overstepped its authority on countless occasions, overturning and in some cases just ignoring the legitimate will of the people."
Tom DeLay still trying damage control after Schiavo fiasco --- or was he thinking of Bush's appointment by the Supreme Court?
"Why were we so unwilling to suggest that dinosaurs lived 6,000 years ago or that a cataclysmic flood carved the Grand Canyon? Blame the scientists. They dazzled us with their fancy fossils, their radiocarbon dating and their tens of thousands of peer-reviewed journal articles. As editors, we had no business being persuaded by mountains of evidence."
The editors of Scientific American marking April Fool's Day by admitting creationism deserved to be treated equally with evolution.
"With Schiavo, however, DeLay said, 'We should investigate every avenue before we take the life from a human being.' ... The purity of their motives might be less in question if they'd said the same thing in March 2003, when diplomats asked the United States to wait 45 more days before invading Iraq. They asked that we explore every avenue before starting a war that would take thousands of lives. The president and his partners in Congress said no."
Ed Montini commenting on how the GOP concern for Terri Schiavo was just to bamboozle the base.
"So Jeb, call out the troops, storm the Bastille and tell 'em I sent you."
Fox News commentator John Gibson calling for the establishment of a dictatorship in Florida. For Jeb's reaction, see the next quote.
"There were two sets of law enforcement officers facing off, waiting for the other to blink."
An unnamed official of the Pinellas Park police on the confrontation between local police and Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents sent by Jeb Bush in defiance of all court decisions. If rule by the governor's whim isn't dictatorship, someone please explain the difference.
"Yes, well, why report on anything substantive when there's all these important events to report on, like the Jackson trial and Terry Schiavo? I swear, a meteor strike could take out Iceland and the MSM (mainstream media) wouldn't notice unless Paris Hilton happened to be there at the time."
AlanSmithee04, a poster on the Laura Flanders blog (post 17) responding to Congress going back into session for the Terry Schiavo bill.
"These stats combine to paint the portrait of a poorly educated people seeking to compensate for their ignorance with beliefs that spread such ignorance further--while the rest of the developed world laughs in pity or contempt, and leaves us behind."
Michael Ventura writing about American hostility to science, and its replacement with religious dogma.
"The debate is no longer whether there is a global warming signal. The debate is what are we going to do about it."
Tim Barnett, marine physicist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, who analyzed 9 million ocean-temperature and salinity readings.
"One of the biggest changes in politics in my lifetime is that the delusional is no longer marginal. It has come in from the fringe, to sit in the seat of power in the Oval Office and in Congress. For the first time in our history, ideology and theology hold a monopoly of power in Washington."
Bill Moyers on the strength and destructiveness of religious fundamentalism in national politics.
"That was it. That was the last straw for me. That was the defining moment I'll never forget. That was my epiphany." "What I do know is that any party that would find the words, 'Protect Our Civil Liberties' offensive or even threatening, is a party I won't belong to anymore."
Carl F. Worden explaining why a lifelong conservative and Republican can't vote Republican anymore.
