Ernie Fletcher Gay?

Unfortunately, probably not. But under the New Rule that those who publicly bash gays or otherwise demonstrate blatant homophobia have thus proven they are closeted, self-hating homosexuals, Incumbent Republican Governor Fletcher has outed himself.

As Sam Wise at BlueGrassRoots puts it:

He's sunk this low. Soon-to-be-ex-governor Ernie Fletcher is now gay-bashing Steve Beshear. Never mind that he's not gay, that doesn't matter.
I am glad that our state will soon be rid of this crooked, hate-mongering, lying sack.
From today's Courier Journal blog:

"We reported earlier today that it looked like Gov. Ernie Fletcher was banking on the immigration if he were to salvage his reelection. We were wrong. It's gays.

After the Republican Party of Kentucky sent out robo-calls telling voters they better vote for Fletcher if they didn't want Kentucky to become another San Francisco, Republicans went on the road to hammer Democrat Steve Beshear and his running mate Dan Mongiardo for an endorsement they received from C-Fair, which supports equal rights for gays and lesbians.

At a campaign rally at the Kentucky Horse Park tonight in Lexington, Fletcher running mate Robbie Rudolph may have implied the Democratic ticket was gay when he asked the crowd, "Do you want a couple of San Francisco treats or do you want to reelect Gov. Ernie Fletcher?"Attorney General candidate Stan Lee referred to Beshear and Mongiardo as "San Francisco treats" as well."

I know no one needs any further motivation to not become complacent these last few days, but conduct like this by Fletcher continues to provide plenty of motivation to those who are disgusted with Fletcher to take nothing for granted. This kind of gay-bashing childish behavior should earn an especially severe rejection at the polls, one that will serve as a statement to future politicians. That statement will be that Kentuckians want real leaders, not cowardly hate-mongers who want to demonize any Kentucky minority.

(More after the jump)

Kentucky Democrats may be dropping like flies from schadenfreude overdose, but we're not cruel. So, to help our obviously pained Governor, I propose an intervention:

Ernie, sweetie: Being in the closet is nothing to be ashamed of. We all understand that some people feel it's necessary. But acceptable closet behavior includes discretion.

You and Robbie understand discretion, right? Your self-hatred must remain unspoken. The moment you express your self-hatred in public gay-bashing, your secret's out.

Public gaybashing = homophobia = closet.

But don't worry; the record-breaking rejection Kentucky voters are about to drop on your ass has nothing to do with your orientation.

And that's your real legacy, Ernie: Incompetence and corruption so blatant and thorough that even the last-minute revelation of your closeted homosexuality has virtually no effect.

Love to Glenna.

56 hours, 34 minutes until the polls close in Western Kentucky.

Cross-posted at Blue in the Bluegrass.

There's more: "Ernie Fletcher Gay?" >>

Contrary to some, I don’t feel sorry for Larry Craig

An e-mailer to Talking Points Memo says s/he’s kind of willing to cut Craig some slack:

Sure, he’s a hypocrite, sure he’s probably gay or bi or whatever, and sure, I despise his politics. The problem is, I'm torn between the schadenfreude of watching another one of the Family Values crowd being shown up, and feeling really bad for the guy, because he didn't do anything.

Look at the police report. Did he directly ask a cop for sex? No. Did he expose himself lewdly (as opposed to exposing himself to use the facilities)? No. Did he do anything that was unambiguously sexual? No.

I, on the other hand, feel nothing but schadenfreude for Craig at this time.

The people I feel sorry for is gays and lesbians, especially in places like Idaho (next door to Matthew Shepard's Wyoming!), where gay and lesbian visibility is almost totally beat down because of people like Craig.

As for the e-mailer’s later Walter Jenkins reference (the LBJ aide arrested more than 40 years ago in similar circumstance), it’s ultimately the fault of gay-bashers like Craig that people still get picked up in men's rooms for somewhat iffy solicitation charges. Assuming Craig has been self-knowingly in the closet for the decade or more that seems to be the case, he knows the rules of the game on anonymous pick-ups, too. He's got nobody but himself to blame for causing the rules to be what they are, and for playing by them, rather than being honest and true to himself and living out his sexual preferences without squalor.

There's more: "Contrary to some, I don’t feel sorry for Larry Craig" >>

Fox attacks global warming and America's new terror

A video compilation of Faux News reports on the environment provided by Robert Greenwald and Brave New Films from Fox Attacks!



DJK serves up a comprehensive, in-depth page of wingnut quotes and sources. Plus, sign the petition telling Home Depot to stop advertising on Fox.

TERROR ALERT! TERROR ALERT!
Just when I didn't think the scare-ertainment and propaganda network couldn't sink any lower, Bill O'Reilly ran a FAUX report on ...drum roll, please... America's new terror -- lesbian gangs. I kid you not! David Neiwert totally deconstructed O'Reilly's and paid-wingnut commentator Wheeler's imaginary ruminations with facts from the Southern Poverty Law Center last week.

Of course, Billo had to respond to the outcry over his erroneous and homophobic sexploitation broadcast. Chris Schecter offers the follow-up all-spin video and wonders about Billo, "...was this just one of your fantasies that somehow escaped that air-tight censor of yours while you were walking past the local falafel shop?"

There's more: "Fox attacks global warming and America's new terror" >>