FU - FairAndUNbalanced.com

• David Barton often quotes John Adams as having written a letter vigorously opposing any separation of church and state. What Barton knows, having examined the document himself, is that Adams was outlining a view so that he could disagree with it. Barton just leaves the people-who-believe-this-are-pathetic part off. Barton does this sort of thing often, without conscience. He is as dishonest a polemicist as you will ever find purporting to be an historian. Not to put too fine a point on it, he lies in service to the Lord. T. Paine, at Saving Common Sense, describes Barton as "a brilliant historian with nearly encyclopedic knowledge of America’s history". He then uses Barton as his source to prove President Obama is hostile to Judeo-Christian religion. T. Paine is a long time friend and contributor, often willing to educate me on the virtues of conservatism. I'll try and come up with some conservative historian with more integrity. It's the least I can do to help out a real friend.

• Al Stefanelli, Georgia State Director for American Atheists, inhabits Mad Mike's America. He takes note of the Republican war on the separation of Church and State. He responds with a warning about the founders' original intent being undermined by majoritarianism, as the Christian horde overrules the freedom of atheists. Neglected is the possibility that some of us in the Christian majority would stand with those who do not share our faith.

• Rumproast's Gil Mann is shocked at video proving that a young Obama once embraced a liberal black professor with a full body fist bump, thereby proving that the President hates America and wants to jail white people. Or something. Maybe that he was for gay rights? Jon Stewart questions whether their nipples touched. I suspect Gil Mann of sarcasm. Read for yourself.

• Tommy Christopher of Mediaite fame watches as Soledad O'Brien doesn't let a Breitbart successor, the new Editor-in-chief at Breitbart.com, get by with smearing President Obama with the body-bump-video. Tommy notes that the site tries to slam O'Brien in return, but makes an embarrassing error during the attack. Worthy of a snicker or two.

• Slant Right's John Houk has discovered that President Obama is actually a Kenyon. I wonder about Arizona Governor Jan Brewer simply pointing her finger when she rushed up the tarmac to confront America's Commander in Chief. Maybe she was trying to arrest and deport this most notable of illegal aliens.

• Chuck Thinks Right uses a so's-your-old-man defense on behalf of Rush. Think of all the others who have done said so much worse. Those on the left. Those ignored by media. Those who pretty much run one of the political parties. Okay, so Rush is the only one who does that. Still, misogyny is wrong no matter the source.

• Manifesto Joe of Texas Blues has an answer, though, on the Rush question. Has to do with quality and quantity of the abuse.

• Dave Dubya reminds us of the target of the Limbaugh attacks. It wasn't Sandra Fluke.

• Max's Dad has a great visual graphic representation of the travails of Rush.

• Nancy Hanks at The Hankster reports that young voters are becoming independent of party identification.

• Jerry Critter is back (Yay!) at Critter's Crap with Bad Lip Reading video speeches by the remaining GOP candidates. Did they really say all that?

• Jack Jodell, friend of the working blogger at THE SATURDAY AFTERNOON POST, previews the coming general election. He seems to feel we'll have a choice, not an echo.

• Infidel 753 finds a video of the single individual Rick Santorum accuses of masterminding all these years of progressive change.

• The Heathen Republican plays a bit of rhetorical jujitsu on those of us who criticize Mitt Romney for bellicose talk about Iran. Fair is fair.

• Wisconsin conservative James Wigderson continues his investigation into municipally financed Giant guitars, complete with diagrammed specs. Darnedest scandal you'll ever read about.

• Ned Williams at Wisdom Is Vindicated finds research indicating the capacity for politeness, more than IQ, may predict success in life.

• PZ Myers, writing for Pharyngula, takes a militant approach to his birthday. I'm getting to the age where I hum through Happy Birthday so I can remember my name. Happy Birthday dear Bur-urr.. That's it. Burr.

• Vincent of A wayfarer's notes visits farm country and finds beauty in agriculture. Actually, Vincent finds beauty pretty much everywhere. Maybe the source is within the observer.

• Papamoka at Papamoka Straight Talk is inspired to wit and wisdom by Facebook.

• Our favorite John Myste at John Myste Responds proposes that, when it comes to beliefs, reasoning and actual reasons are often independent of each other.

• Ryan (I think) at Secular Ethics responds to John's observation creatively. Don't worry, he seems to say, evolution will conquer all.
  (Update: Ryan points out that I got it all wrong. He's right. Click to see why)

• Why do we have to do this, Sir? speculates with women he knows about man-flu, a malady women never get, and creatively segues into a holy confrontation with a parent.

• Tim McGaha at Tim's Thoughtful Spot considers the role of technology in deciding the outcome of the Civil War. Remember the Monitor!

• Manifesto Joe of Texas Blues has cruised the internet and discovered ten laws that govern the GOP.

• Our favorite John Myste at John Myste Responds visits here to predict the continued well being of the Republican Party.

• The Heathen Republican reprises a political version of the Drake equation. Generations of physicists used variations of Professor Frank Drake's formula to calculate the odds of life on other planets. Heathen considers odds of a Republican President reducing the federal budget. It is a creative approach, but Heathen comes away a bit daunted.

• Tim McGaha at Tim's Thoughtful Spot visits the betting professionals, discovers the odds, and tells us who will be President this time next year. Okay, he just tells us the probabilities.

• Jerry Critter at Critter's Crap demonstrates that investors pretty much always make more money when Democrats are in office. Okay. It's working so far in the Obama administration, isn't it?

• Papamoka at Papamoka Straight Talk makes the Republican case for denial of contraception. I suspect he is not entirely sincere.

• Conservative satire can be a dangerous thing. Medical philosophers Dr Alberto Giubilini and Dr Francesca Minerva present a Jonathan Swift type of case against after-birth abortion. You may recall Swift from your high school history. He wrote A Modest Proposal in protest against English starvation policies which were aimed at the troublesome Irish. Swift suggested the solution would be for the Irish to engage in cannibalism, dining on their infants. Giubilini and Minerva take a similar approach in the British Journal of Medical Ethics. They propose that "it should be permissible to kill newborn babies because they don’t have the “same moral standing as actual persons."

  Fox News misses the point, so do bloggers from pretty much everywhere. Since Chuck Thinks Right is a devoted follower of Fox, he asks what his readers think. He links to the Fox News article about those liberal monsters. Some of these folks will be found under stairwells giggling as they listen to Rush describe women as sluts. Liberals don't get that sort of humor. As for Giubilini and Minerva, they might consider reaching their conservative audience on its own level. If they want to write satire for the Journal of Medical Ethics, get it placed in the comic book version.

• Rumproast's Betty Cracker takes the easy road, catching Mitt Romney in a drama filled position reversal. Romney takes pretty much any request, playing whatever songs his audience wants to hear. The press pretty much does bare due-diligence and moves along. Keep going, nothing here to see, folks.

• Nancy Hanks at The Hankster explains all the vitally important stuff libertarians are doing to get their act together for a third party thing this year.

• Max's Dad watches Senator Ben Nelson get ready to leave, and considers what comes next. He compares Nelson with former Senator Bob Kerrey and has hopes the Republic will come out ahead on the deal.

• James Wigderson, still investigating public investment in giant guitars, is told someone ate the Mayor's email messages. I keep thinking we're being punked. Maybe he should write for the Journal of Medical Ethics.

• Tommy Christopher of Mediaite fame is shocked and saddened by the death of his good friend Andrew Breitbart. One would think the victims of Breitbart's video smear editing might feel less fond, but one, Shirley Sherrod, holds all reaction except sympathy for the family.

• Jack Jodell, friend of the working blogger at THE SATURDAY AFTERNOON POST, contrasts the lives of Breitbart and another public person who also died of a heart attack this week. RIP Davy Jones.

• Infidel 753 takes note of radio host Rush Limbaugh, in his role as primary voice of the Republican point of view, attacking women who take birth control. My take is here.

• PZ Myers, writing for Pharyngula, reposts words from E. Knight of canada on Why I Am An Atheist. It is a sort of recurring series for Myers, and it is instructive. He concludes with "Why do people have a problem with Atheists again?" Good question, to which I have no answer. I posted the opposite view a couple of weeks ago, inspired in part by one of PZ Myers' pieces. I truly do not understand the hostility of some toward those who do not believe.

• Why do we have to do this, Sir? has a brief graphical warning about dancing during worship.

• Ryan (I think) at Secular Ethics describes a premise about beliefs as rationalizations, then prescribes a rational means of discovering truth.

• Mad Mike's America hosts Dan Abshear. Dan had a bad experience a couple years back and contemplates what a month in prison on false charges did to his outlook.

• Ned Williams at Wisdom Is Vindicated worries that folks like ...well... me "will attempt to say that GM's profit somehow vindicates the government bail out of GM". It is predictable enough. Wisdom, in this case, is indeed vindicated. But Ned does go on to argue that the books were cooked, which makes the post interesting. Worth the read, and the link Ned provides.

• Manifesto Joe of Texas Blues is disappointed in President Obama's proposed tax cuts for corporations. Joe believes it will tilt the field even more.

• The Heathen Republican poses a series of hypothetical laws that are foolish and asks if they are unconstitutional. It is a pleasant enough exercise if done informatively. Not every good idea is constitutional. Not every bad idea is unconstitutional. Unless I missed something, Heathen lets that opportunity sail past in order to swim after another: if Democrats don't declare what he doesn't like to be against the Constitution, they are not willing to draw the line anywhere.

• James Wigderson asks skeptical questions about government sponsorship of giant guitars and encounters obstructionism. Weird. I hope he finds answers and shares them with the rest of us. Ought to be unconstitutional.

• Infidel 753 considers the trans-vaginal anti-abortion law in Virginia and offers a reaction. The phrase "bizarre, atavistic evil" is just the beginning. Ought to be unconstitutional.

• Michael J. Scott of Mad Mike's America joins Jon Stewart in wonder at how women are being treated as Popsicles in Virginia. Our nation turns its lonely eyes to heathen and considerations of constitutionality.

• Tommy Christopher of Mediaite fame nails a very good interview with former Republican chair Michael Steele. Several incisive articles result. One centers on Steele's objection to the comparison of gay marriage and interracial marriage. My own reaction to similar arguments is here.

• Jack Jodell, friend of the working blogger, at THE SATURDAY AFTERNOON POST considers judicial decisions about redistricting in Minnesota. One bemused concern is the fate of Michele Bachmann.

• Papamoca at Papamoka Straight Talk continues a dialogue/debate with our own John Myste, and wonders about the value of voting for the lesser of who cares. I dunno. "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss" makes better music than politics, I think. Does anyone today think President Bush has no effect on our individual lives? A good discussion, worth a visit.

• Rumproast notes Fox News commentary on the "confusion" of Jeb Bush about the narrowing choice of candidates for the Republican nomination. YAFB suggests that Fox is confused about Jeb's confusion.

• Jason Olson at The Hankster is happy at the potential increase of the role of independent voters in California.

• PZ Myers, writing for Pharyngula, offers a definition of atheism and agnosticism that overlap. He goes on to explain why religion has no place in science. Has to do with testable evidence. As a practicing Christian, I find myself in agreement. Here is why. Science, wisely, is self-limiting in that respect.

• Why do we have to do this, Sir? goes contrapuntally between teen conversation and scripture, using absurdity to illuminate profound truth, as he considers the meaning of Jesus in the wilderness as a precursor for loneliness and violence.

• Ryan at Secular Ethics considers the meaning behind varying visions of Hell. Dispassionate, skeptical, and informative.

• I suppose if the poor lost Governor of Texas is going to be kicked one more time, it might as well be by a fellow Texan,. Manifesto Joe of Texas Blues issues a rollicking rant about Governor Rick Perry and offers a thought or two about the poor befuddled souls who elected him. Do you suppose they now say Oops?

• Ned Williams at WisdomIsVindicated is back (Yaaayyy!!!!) with thoughts on whether Rick Santorum is likeable. I dunno. He's personable and is honest, to the extent of blurting out whatever is on his mind. That makes him different from Pat Buchanan, who also blurts, and Mitt Romney, who also is personable. I've been friends with folks who hold views more objectionable than are his.

• The Heathen Republican articulates, step-by-step, why he supports his candidate in the Republican primary season. Heathen is frequently the most thoughtful conservative around. This is one example.

• Papamoka at Papamoka Straight Talk sees a pattern in financial backing that he believes tells us something about recipient candidates.

• Nancy Hanks at The Hankster finds a breakdown of four distinct groups of independent voters and the extent to which each can help determine this year's national election.

• Infidel 753 reviews the upcoming national election. The one that is not happening on this side of any ocean.

• Dave Dubya watches CPAC so you don't have to. Now you can hype your GOP street cred and impress your Republican friends with quotes from their favorite conservatives.

• Max's Dad bids a fond farewell to Pat Buchanan. And he truly does seem fond of the former MSNBC sponsored bigot. I dunno. I agree with Max's dad that issues of whether America should have left Hitler alone, or whether Black people are the natural enemies of civilization are pretty much settled questions, and I don't see any moral obligation on the part of MSNBC to give him a platform and a paycheck. Max might like to have a beer with poor Pat, but I'd be satisfied to defend Buchanan's freedom of ugly speech from another table.

• Michael John Scott at Mad Mike's America speculates (or at least reports speculation) about where Pat will next land. I have wondered the same thing before returning to apathy about a public figure who once said the evils of slavery were overstated. Still, Michael Medved continues to thrive.

• Tommy Christopher of Mediaite fame examines the attacks by video smear artist Andrew Breitbart against Keith Olbermann's apparent denials that rapes occurred during Occupy camp outs. He finds that any validity is lost amid a series of overreaches and lies by Breitbart. This is just one of a series of recent observations by Tommy in which he abandons what had seemed to me a once fawning approach toward Mr. Breitbart. Tommy has a talent for accuracy. He shares that with many journalists. Problem is, they stop at that water's edge. Tommy often puts forth an extra effort that includes fact checking and truth telling.

• Conservative James Wigderson is, as usual, cheerfully charitable toward a most unsavory critic.

• At Rumproast, Betty Cracker roasts the rump of what may be the dumbest blogger on the face of the earth.

• Our favorite John Myste at John Myste Responds joins us for a day on these pages (screens?) to judge those legislators who would empower employers to restrain and protect women from their lust for contraceptives.

• Chuck Thinks Right dissects the policy authored by the Obama administration and leftists (presumably like me) to impose contraceptives on an unwilling population. Within the evil attack on Christianity Chuck discerns another evil plot against Christianity. I hope our pastor doesn't find out about the scheming I've been joining in on weekdays.

• Ryan (I think) at Secular Ethics explains what is ethical and what is not when it comes to covering contraception. I admit he kind of loses me when he insists that a moral objection must be based on the physical world.

• Jerry Critter at Critter's Crap finds a fact based video message from Robert Redford on the Keystone XL pipeline.

• Kent Pittman, writing from Open Salon has come up with an entire post that successfully shapes itself into a valentine. Kind of cool.

• Vincent of A wayfarer's notes finds a third-prize winning essay he wrote more than thirty five years ago about technology. It passes the test of time pretty well. The first line alone is worth a click.

• Tim McGaha at Tim's Thoughtful Spot recounts the brilliant planning of Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant, at Cairo, Illinois almost exactly 150 years ago.

• Slant Right's John Houk is in an internet fight with the owner of the server that hosted his blog. The fellow took down John's website, so John moved it. Lots of discussion of censorship, a stepson (I'm unclear about whether this is literal), and whether Muslims, atheists, or Christians are inherently evil. Maybe this is a family spat? Might be entertaining in a Housewives of DC sort of way.

• Jack Jodell, at THE SATURDAY AFTERNOON POST, goes NU-CUE-LER at blatant assaults on pronunciation.

• PZ Myers, writing for Pharyngula, explains, sincerely and emotionally, why he is unalterably opposed to religion. Among his observations: "Religious people don’t have a satisfying answer about why God allows so much pain and suffering." He's right. We don't. Being a gentleman, he skips over an even more devastating argument. We don't have an adequate explanation for evil with ourselves.

• Why do we have to do this, Sir? notices signs of child abuse, does the right thing, and is relieved to find he is obviously mistaken. His day continues into normalcy evidenced by a spontaneous classroom fart contest. No methane is left behind.

• Nancy Hanks at The Hankster finds a Declaration of Independents that, at last, explains what independent voters really want.

• Jack Jodell, friend of the working blogger, at THE SATURDAY AFTERNOON POST focuses on one public figure and explains what Rick Santorum really wants. It begins with a strong candidate for funniest headline of the week.

• Infidel 753 observes growing acrimony within the GOP as the fight for the nomination continues. He shares the popcorn.

• Manifesto Joe of Texas Blues is already there, partakes of the popcorn and provides the latest play-by-play.

• Max's Dad examines the latest Obama maneuver and finds it wanting. The administration is in a bind over mandating Catholic run non-church hospitals and other institutions to allow for contraceptives as part of health care. Lots of push-back because freedom of religion does not mean freedom from religion. Or something. Freedom of religion means freedom to financially restrict practices that are against the religion of employers. Republicans are on the attack over it. Women are defensive over it.

  So Obama tells Catholic authorities they don't have to provide contraceptives. Just their insurance companies have to provide contraceptives. Catholic authorities are happy. Insurance companies are happy. Women's groups are happy. Democrats are happy. All God's children are happy except the Republicans who now find themselves thrown under the bus. Max's Dad is not happy either. Says Obama sold out. I don't know. I suspect religious folk, finding themselves on the wrong side of public opinion, sold in.

• Rumproast's gil mann starts in step with Max's Dad, reconsiders as information comes in, and tilts toward my perspective. Great video to illustrate his first view.

• PZ Myers, writing for Pharyngula, is apparently inspired by the jewelry worn by some of my brethren. Well, that plus Santorum's latest slippery slope. He comes up with an equivalent for atheists.

• James Wigderson is a long time supporter of embattled Governor Scott Walker (R-WI). But James is impatient with the Governor's lack of a coherent explanation for corruption by his closest aides. On a personal note, I find this irritating because James Wigderson once more forces reexamination of the popular image of public conservatives as unprincipled apologists for outrageous conduct. Honesty seems to be a habit in the Wigderson realm. Will someone please tell him to stop?

• Tommy Christopher of Mediaite fame hits another home run. This time another conservative video purports to prove that millions of legitimate voters should be kept from voting by requiring photo IDs many don't have because voter fraud is so easy. Tommy takes a closer look and demonstrates that the opposite is the case. Turns out the photo ID movement is a thinly veiled attempt to keep completely valid voters from casting ballots because conservatives suspect them of favoring the wrong candidates.

• Jerry Critter at Critter's Crap does his homework and reveals who has been successful at cracking down on corporate Medicare fraud.

• At Chuck Thinks Right, Chuck is not a fan of hate crime laws. He is sometimes willing to make an enthusiastic exception.

• Papamoca at Papamoka Straight Talk is not enthusiastic about the death penalty. But, man, he is very enthusiastic about arguing for the death penalty.

• Our favorite John Myste at John Myste Responds disagrees. He doesn't necessarily think Papamoca is wrong. He just thinks Papamoca isn't right. Anyway, he covers faith, solipsism, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, justice, God, and evil. Lots of interesting territory on his way to an answer. Or a non-answer. Or something. John is sometimes a sort of philosophical Seinfeld. Always worth reading.

• Ever the analyst, The Heathen Republican is excellent at finding creative ways to explain the conservative position. He walks through several perspectives on the proposed payroll tax cut and makes a remarkable recommendation.

• Dave Dubya is not happy that, in at least one area, the USA is number one. He does kind of long for us to qualify for the freedom event, though.

• Turns out the Georgia State Director for American Atheists resides in Mad Mike's America. Al Stefanelli quotes the Bible in questioning why Christian women embrace subjugation. I think his thoughtful observations are a better argument against literalism. It is an argument, I think, in which literalists also face off against Jesus.

• Giving deserved credit, Slant Right's John Houk is taking an honest approach in an unusually limited defense of America as a Christian nation, unlike some of our less truthful brethren. He reviews the Senate ratification in 1797 of the Treaty of Tripoli ("the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion") and concludes that President John Adams "is not repudiating Christianity!" He is correct in that. President Adams, and the US Senate of 1797 are simply following the founders. They are repudiating Christian government.

• Vincent of A wayfarer's notes explores what he, in retrospect, regards as a spiritual mistake, a dead end. And, he concludes, dead ends are essential to the human experience. Vincent is a fascinating individual.

• Why do we have to do this, Sir? poises to escape his role as a substitute for a teacher on maternity leave. Maternity does not last forever. Then he encounters one last day of mad academic dialogue.

• Tim McGaha at Tim's Thoughtful Spot conducts a fascinating tour of large functional models of flying machines. Yeah, they really do work. Tim has a rare combination of abilities. He is an entertaining writer. And he knows pretty much everything.

• Vincent of A wayfarer's notes takes his recent speculation of what makes a sacred place and applies it to the world of books.

• Why do we have to do this, Sir? begins with our erstwhile spiritual leader explaining why he imagines himself within biblical stories, trying to fill in the blanks. He treats us to the traditional story of Jesus and the demon possessed man and adds an unusual set of turns. This is a profoundly talented writer.

• PZ Myers, writing for Pharyngula, celebrates the Super Bowl as an alternative to church. Then offers an unexpected alternative to football.

• Betty Cracker, at Rumproast, finds a pithy comment from a former Supreme Court Justice Newt Gingrich, family values, and religion.

• Michael John Scott in Mad Mike's America covers an Alabama politician who delivers the word Jesus: keep teachers in poverty. It's the will of the Lord.

• Infidel 753 finds a satiric political ad for Rick Santorum. Unusual in that it is actually witty and makes its point.

• Max's Dad offers examples of the sort of dog whistle politics that our occasional correspondent Heathen Republican disputes as non-falsifiable.

• The Heathen Republican expands on his objection. Since dog whistle politics is a matter of opinion, being deniable by design, it doesn't happen. My take is that racism itself is largely unconscious. Few think of themselves as racists. Dog whistle politics is calculated, established by deliberate pattern. So the dog whistle is an appeal to, not always a reflection of, racism. And, yes, the dog whistle is meant to be deniable, not falsifiable. Debate about it tends to make it detectable, not provable. Still, the discussion that results is sometimes useful.

• Chuck Thinks Right objects at news that a woman not proficient in English is suing for the right to run for elective office in Arizona. I dunno, Chuck. Seems to me it isn't her rights that are at issue as much as the rights of voters to elect anyone they want. The same issue Gingrich is arguing in Virginia.

• Conservative James Wigderson reacts on behalf of Arizona Governor Jan Brewer in her finger pointing confrontation with President Obama. As might be expected, my perspective is ... older.

• Slant Right's John Houk greets with a mixture of sadness and glee the retirement from Presidential politics and intention to seek re-election to Congress of Michele Bachmann (R-Weird).

• Tim McGaha at Tim's Thoughtful Spot has researched available methods for establishing a 51st state on the moon. Wonder what brought that grandiose idea to Tim's mind.

• Tommy Christopher of Mediaite fame considers a recent Newt Gingrich campaign song controversy. Tommy Christopher sometimes cracks me up. To find out why, read the first paragraph and you'll know why.

• Gwendolyn Barry with New Global Myth teams with friend and favorite Jack Jodell to list and describe every news and search source that exists on the web. Well, maybe not all, but enough to last until next week.

• Jack Jodell, friend of the working blogger at THE SATURDAY AFTERNOON POST is also inspired by Newt Gingrich references to research and find inspiration in the life's work of Saul Alinsky.

• Nancy Hanks at The Hankster offers a unifying definition of what makes Independent voters independent. Count me as skeptical but intrigued.

• Manifesto Joe of Texas Blues is skeptical about a study linking intelligence to liberal ideology. He uses it as a point of departure, narrating his own political development. An interesting self-analysis.

• Infidel 753 reacts to Monday's Republican debate in Tampa via hilarious video.

• The Heathen Republican parses a bit to show that Mitt Romney may actually pay a tax rate almost as high as that of his lawn care staff.

• Tim McGaha at Tim's Thoughtful Spot visits Intrade to find out who will definitely win the nomination. Obama seems a favorite for Democrats. The GOP is a little more volatile.

• Dave Dubya notes and critiques the analysis of the GOP race offered by Fidel Castro.

• Gwendolyn Barry with New Global Myth does a core dump of anger from the left toward Obama. Mostly about bank exploitation, middle class deterioration, military adventurism, brutality against occupiers. Lots of et cetera.

• Nancy Hanks at The Hankster listens to the SOTU, contemplates deadlock and goes split-the-difference, with a hearty pox on both houses.

• Jerry Critter at Critter's Crap finds the core difference between President Obama and his GOP critics via a pictorial illustration.

• Tommy Christopher of Mediaite fame covers Alan Colmes on the latest falsehood about President Obama and Israel. Tommy explains why the lie is significant, and how it is carried without objection by mainstream media. Tommy becomes more insightful every week.

• Jack Jodell, friend of the working blogger at THE SATURDAY AFTERNOON POST, studies the historical origins of lobbying, then suggests a new target for occupiers. Well executed.

• Max's Dad takes a look at the newest Republican imagined fantasy and finds an old movie remake. Hint: It's more gross than death panels.

• Slant Right's John Houk reports the great news of a court decision upholding a Texas law requiring women to listen to a sonogram before undergoing a legal abortion.

• James Wigderson is appalled at leftists who drowned out the State of the State speech by embattled Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. If memory serves, the traditional GOP approved disruption is a single shout of "You lie!" Walker's audience clearly surpassed that standard.

• Kent Pittman, writing from Open Salon takes a look at debates about the ultimate purpose of capitalism. He makes it pretty interesting.

• Vincent of A wayfarer's notes explores what makes a sacred place become a sacred place. A fascinating exploration that goes from scripture to street signs.

• Rumproast's gil mann considers skeptically the idea of making atheism more attractive with godless rituals.

• PZ Myers, writing for Pharyngula, finds a more innocuous bill board image for atheism.

• Papamoca at Papamoka Straight Talk blows the whistle and sounds all sorts of alarms about Facebook and privacy.

• Michael J. Scott, first citizen of Mad Mike's America reports on a retired bicycle rider attacked by three teens with fatal results. Seems they attacked the wrong guy.

• Chuck Thinks Right reacts to the death and legacy of Joe Paterno.

• Just before Texas Governor Rick Perry fled the Presidential race, Manifesto Joe of Texas Blues watched as he vowed to stay to the bitter end, and put the eye rolling and sad, sad head shaking into creative print.

• Dave Dubya reveals his own amazement at Newt's contrasting private and public values Has to do with family values preaching.

• Michael John Scott, first among equals at Mad Mike's America, reacts to Newt's debate explosion on the same topic.

• Jack Jodell at THE SATURDAY AFTERNOON POST listens to the Romney campaign. Good news. He finds a coherent message. Bad news: He finds the message singularly unattractive.

• Max's Dad listens to the GOP debate so you don't have to. He delivers a series of pithy blow-by-blow observations.

• Infidel 753 listens to the same debate and waxes a poetic rant. Hilarious.

• Jerry Critter at Critter's Crap finds a perfect answer in a cartoon. He reveals God's reason for sending this year's Republican choices.

• The Heathen Republican has his own conservative predictions about the GOP race.

• Rumproast captures Chuck Todd worried about Colbert for unfair humor. He makes a mockery of Republicans and journalism. Uh. How to react? ..... Duh?

• Chuck Thinks Right finds a goofy celebrity rant about the GOP being all about wealthy white guys. So he posts a photo of a black conservative. Case closed. Some of his best friends, and all.

• Tommy Christopher of Mediaite fame pays attention, capturing what others may miss. The President of the United States begins to sing in credible imitation of Al Green, and Tommy captures the moment.

• Nancy Hanks at The Hankster finds evidence of a growing movement of independent voters in Utah and Iowa.

• James Wigderson doesn't like the proposed recall of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker but, unlike Rush, he is impressed with the number of signatures.

• Slant Right's John Houk, in a rare lapse into good sense, finds himself joining us unpatriotic liberal hippies in opposing SOPA and PIPA, the misguided overreach in idea piracy prevention that went to censorship. He celebrates the victory. Our own "For Your Consideration" posts her own entertaining research here.

• Lydia McGrew at What’s Wrong with the World opposes organ donation, even from dead people, but finds herself reacting strangely at unexpected discrimination in choosing recipients.

• PZ Myers, writing for Pharyngula, listens to religious folks, is guided to a scriptural passage, and feels a little tricked. Bummer. Could be he just fell in with the wrong crowd. Maybe a change of spiritual setting?

• Speaking of which: At a school gathering, at Why do we have to do this, Sir? our erstwhile spiritual leader finds his badge of semi-honor is not believed by his young classroom.

• Jeffrey Anderson at Jeff's Fancy Blog finds things to be looking up, with a new song with a new lyric about pride, fall, and redemption. Life's lessons. You can hear it here. Not bad.

• Vincent of A wayfarer's notes is back. Yaayyyy. He offers a literary mashup of song and story. A treat, as always.

• Slant Right's John Houk is extremely upset at a legal ruling that a Christian church refusing to conduct a marriage ceremony for a gay couple is in violation of the law. He quotes the judge: "The respondent violated the [Law Against Discrimination] when it refused to conduct a civil-union ceremony for Ms. Bernstein and Ms. Paster." Oh my.

  Actually, the judge is ... well ... misquoted. John usually tries to get these things right, but he must have been busy this week. He relies, instead, on World New Daily. In reality, the entire town of Ocean Grove, at least all that is public within it, is owned by a local Methodist group. That a town is owned by a church makes for an unusual situation. The Methodists agreed to make facilities open to all people in exchange for the right to tax exemptions. But they then told a gay couple they would not be allowed to use an open pavilion on a public beach. They broke their promises.

  The judge ruled they had violated their agreement with the state. That's it. That's all of it. No mention of a requirement that the church conduct any ceremony was involved. The church is not even required to continue making the pavilion public to all, as they originally agreed. The ruling just said they can't keep the tax exemption if they refuse to keep their word.

  In the interest of full disclosure. I am an active member of the Methodist Church. I am a vocal supporter of gay rights. My view. If my church wants to claim tax benefits beyond the normal church-state separation, it ought to keep the solemn vows it makes in exchange for those tax benefits.

• In Providence, RI, a judge has ordered a banner in a public school, one with the "official" school prayer, removed. PZ Myers, writing for Pharyngula, chronicles the extreme reaction from my Christian brethren. Oh my. My own view, and the view of many other Christians, is that using public funds to promote a religion is immoral.

• Conservative Chuck Thinks Right agrees that a few math test questions at a Georgia elementary school are racist and therefore objectionable. He argues that another problem is also implied.

• "El Pendejo" is a mild bit of Spanish profanity that, politely translated, means jackass. Manifesto Joe of Texas Blues applies the term to Governor Rick Perry, then documents it. Actually, Joe has already proven an extreme moral case against Perry, with the help of ... well ... me. The Governor ordered an innocent man executed because he didn't want to take the time to read a report by a forensic expert. Then he tried to cover it up. Joe begs Rick Perry to please come home. It must hurt to put it into words.

• Infidel 753 makes a distinction between differing types of capitalism before introducing us to the famous Romney Bain video by a pro-Gingrich group. My take is here.

• Tommy Christopher of Mediaite fame analyzes that latest accusation by Newt Gingrich: that Mitt Romney can speak in French. He also mentions the doggie attack, but the French thing might have more teeth. In the interest of full disclosure: I know how to say "Chevrolet."

• Max's Dad thinks the dog whistle against Romney is valid. It reveals something about character.

• Jack Jodell, friend of the working blogger at THE SATURDAY AFTERNOON POST, finds a few disturbing questions about Romney's Bain history beyond job losses.

• Tim McGaha at Tim's Thoughtful Spot looks to GOP returns and finds a lesson in the perils of peaking too soon.

• Betty Cracker at Rumproast has some thoughts on the voter fraud video recently put out by conservatives. In actuality, it demonstrates the opposite of what they set out to prove.

• Dave Dubya smells a rat in efforts to stop voter fraud that doesn't seem to be actually happening. Seems the prevention just happens to make it a lot harder for lots of legitimate voters in lots of places to vote. Since a lot of those voters are Democrats and the problem doesn't actually exist, Dave suspects another motive.

• Nancy Hanks at The Hankster wonders, among other things, what happened to all those independent voters in Iowa this year.

• Conservative James Wigderson surprises all by taking down Christmas decorations in January, and still has time to protest modest salary increases for school employees.

• Jerry Critter at Critter's Crap takes a brief graphic look at incarceration rates. Seems we keep lots and lots of people in jail.

• Erin Nanasi at Mad Mike's America finds remarkable the amount of vitriol aimed at the first lady. Remember long, long ago, when the President's wife was off limits to attack? Way back during the Bush White House years?

• The Heathen Republican likes what unions have done in the distant past, but dislikes what he imagines they have become: money laundering operations for liberal politics. I have an idea. Ban all union money and corporate money from politics. Unions should bargain and corporations should make profits. Period. How about it?

• Conservative James Wigderson still likes Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, even though he regards as loathsome those members of the administration not worthy of Walker's trust. He points out that Walker requested the investigation.

• Dave Dubya finds encouraging the E.J. Dionne postulate that President Obama is closer to the sane conservatives we used to know than any Republican currently on stage.

• Nancy Hanks at The Hankster provides a largely unreported signal from Iowa on where independent voters are headed

• In the wake of Iowa returns that did not become a landslide but most certainly were a mudslide for Mitt Romney, Jack Jodell, friend of the working blogger, has an angry piece at THE SATURDAY AFTERNOON POST about political lies and Citizens United vs Anything Resembing Fair. He provides a list of fact checking sites. I'm with Jack with the possible exception of PolitiFact. My own reaction to the Citizens United decision focuses on its effect in sinking Newt.

• Tommy Christopher of Mediaite fame covers Newt Gingrich trying to articulate how he is a victim alright, but not a victim of the Citizens United decision he himself helped advance.

  So what was wrong is not that the rules now permit a secret group of millionaires to anonymously run dishonest attack ads. With us so far?

  Newt is just outraged that Mitt Romney's staff organized a secret group of millionaires to anonymously run dishonest attack ads against Newt. See the difference? No? Maybe the short video will help.

  Tommy's has it about right. Newt's mental pretzel like gymnastics are comical.

• Manifesto Joe of Texas Blues writes on the eve of the Iowa caucus on Ron Paul and libertarian amnesia.

• Slant Right's John Houk is distraught that Michele Bachmann is leaving the Presidential stage.

• Anyone who reads Max's Dad will know his opinion of Michele Bachmann. So it's no surprise that he ran a tirade about her just before she dropped out of the race for the Republican nomination. The surprise is that he is ticked off on Bachmann's behalf.
  And he's not kidding around.
  And he makes a persuasive case.
  And, as it turns out, he is completely correct in his outrage.

• YAFB at Rumproast looks over the campaign promise common to various candidates and concludes God Almighty has a cruel character flaw.

• At Why do we have to do this, Sir? student papers on the day of the feast of the Epiphany end up in a discussion on who is responsible for bad grades. Our growing-in-faith spiritual leader goes a little nuts.

• Infidel 753 finds a video that demonstrates the sinister side of Santa. Actually, the origins of the video seem to indicate it did not start out as a satire, and some Christian conservatives are taking it to heart. Someone better tell O'Reilly, quick.

• Lydia McGrew at What’s Wrong with the World finds evidence in plain sight for the resurrection of Jesus. Since crucifixion was considered a shameful death it is unlikely early followers would make the story up. Lydia presents a compelling argument, beyond that of most debates, that Jesus lived, preached, and was executed by crucifixion. As I see it, the resurrection itself remains a matter of faith.

• The Heathen Republican comes up with five pieces of advice for his fellow atheists as they contemplate the complete destruction of religious faith. He seems cautious. Unless atheists are careful, the results of a society without a deity will not all be good. Depending, I suppose, on how we are then to define "good."

• Collin Hinds has been a citizen in Mad Mike's America for, I guess, about a year. I first came across his name as the author of advice for Christian believers like me. I was struck by the fact that he wrote sympathetically and that, unwittingly or not, his thoughts were quite biblically compatible. Now he poses an interesting observation on why some public officials believe that the voters they represent have a moral obligation to sacrifice health for insurance profits. They actually come pretty close to saying so explicitly.

• SJ at RANDOM THOUGHTS has a reasonable request for camera rights.

• Chuck Thinks Right goes reductio ad absurdum over someone's proposal that some requirements for high school graduation violate the Americans with Disabilities Act. Oh my.

• Once more, I misrepresented the position of The Heathen Republican last week and had to backtrack. Heathen counters accusations that he flip flopped on gay marriage. He says he flipped but didn't flop. Clever. But if he was less of a gentleman, his defense could have been more pointed. When, in response to the widespread pain of the Great Depression, economist John Maynard Keynes was accused of inconsistency on monetary policy, he answered, "When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?" Heathen offers a kinder, gentler variation. "...we should feel free to reverse ourselves when we’ve been shown the error of our ways. That shouldn’t be called flip-flopping; it should be called learning from experience and gaining wisdom." Sounds about right.

• Conservative Chuck Thinks Right speculates that Republicans may prevail next year because young voters have given up on Obama. Strikes me as thin. If Republicans generally believed this, they would stop including students in their voter suppression schemes.

• Infidel 753 notes research documenting a growing skepticism of young evangelicals against the Christian right. I'm with Infidel's observations right up to the last sentence, where the speculation turns to an evangelical embrace of mushy, meaningless, spirituality or perhaps "outright atheism." Seems more likely younger Christians are turning away from Christian conservatism, preferring a healthier movement toward Jesus. Makes me kind of hopeful about the faith. Still, Infidel presents a thoughtful analysis.

• Vincent of A wayfarer's notes looks to environmentalism as less about science than about a system of values and a way of looking at life itself. He applies a similar holistic approach to health and happiness as he contemplates his own mortality.

• Jerry Critter at Critter's Crap examines the Rick Perry postulate that buying oil from Canada will reduce our oil purchases from foreign countries. Jerry points out the odd thing about Canada that Perry seems to have overlooked. The Governor of Texas again demonstrates with scientific precision that his mind is a continuously moving Möbius strip. If you wear special glasses, imported from the foreign city of Toronto, you can see him blink in and out of existence as he travels between dimensions.

• Kent Pittman, writing from Open Salon looks past Ron Paul's racist, homophobic newsletters and direct mailings. He perceives within the controversy a more troubling issue hidden in plain sight.

• Rumproast's Betty Cracker wallows in irony at Mitt Romney's moneyed lectures to the lower classes against entitlements. Working people should just grow up, like their wealthy betters.

• Tommy Christopher of Mediaite fame covers Chris Hayes as he pounces on the hypocritical rage of Newt Gingrich at Virginia's restriction of voter ability to cast ballots for candidates. My own reaction here.

• Max's Dad looks at the actual reason anti-immigrant Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Arizona is so bad for law enforcement.

• Manifesto Joe of Texas Blues was never sold on the Iraq invasion and presents informed, well reasoned, sadness that we ever got into it. I can only relate the single reason I was wrongly for the invasion, and why, in retrospect, I think the Bush administration lied to get us in.

• Our favorite John Myste at John Myste Responds shares all the things he enjoys about Christmas in order of goodness. I worry about him sometimes.

• Jack Jodell, friend of the working blogger at THE SATURDAY AFTERNOON POST muses on political lessons learned from 2011.

• James Wigderson releases his 2012 predictions. Much of it reads as a conservative wishlist but there are tongue in cheek exceptions. I like the gory bat one, but I'll spend the rest of the year not thinking about Number 5.

• Tim McGaha at Tim's Thoughtful Spot ends the year with coo coo pups. One video is especially entertaining.

• Jeffrey Anderson at Jeff's Fancy Blog has profound personal reasons for kicking 2011 out the back door. Interestingly, the parts about relationships are hopeful, even inspiring. Keep on keeping on, Jeff.

• SJ at RANDOM THOUGHTS has a harsh judgment about the verdict on Michael Jackson's doctor of death. Hey. Don't blame me. I report. You decide.

• Nancy Hanks at The Hankster analyzes polls, speculates about coming trends, and ends with classic Lou Costello. A wonderful path.

• Erin Nanasi, residing in Mad Mike's America joins conservatives in exposing a previously unsuspected subversive organization right in the heart of American culture.

• Slant Right's John Houk laments the coming demise of a virulently anti-Islamic site. Seems it must be the work of the ... you know ... world-wide jihad. Or CAIR. Or mushy headed liberals. Or something. In any case, Word Press wants nothing more to do with the message. However, there are other hosts, and we can be confident the site will not disappear. Hatred is made of sterner stuff than that.

 So it was then and so it is now. 
 Our spiritual wilderness, cold and barren, 
 where sojourners still seek a hopeful star. 
 Our spiritual home where we, 
 as shepherds, stand guard, 
 as we unknowingly wait... 
 
 In so many forgotten corners of the world, 
 a small infant born in poverty, 
 without a home, without a place. 
 The still, faint hope for the future of the world. 
 
 Harshness carries in the air, the fields lie barren, 
 the trees themselves are bare 
 as they reach out toward a frozen sky. 
 But we have been given hope, 
 and the sure knowledge that the world will turn. 
 And we herald the spring. 
 
 How can we keep from telling the world, 
 Jesus is in our lives once more? 
 When even the rocks would cry out, 
 for all to hear, tidings of cheer. 
 
 Listen to what whispers in our hearts. 
 Listen to the suffering. Listen to the hope. 
 A single hope for a hopeless world. 
 A ray of light in the deepest dark. 
 A window to our inner soul. 
 
 An infant so small. 
 A promise so great. 
 Christ is born today.

Introduction, Traditional Service, December 11, 2011
St. Mark's United Methodist Church in Florissant, MO

 Sometimes life is not easy. 
 Sometimes the journey is harsh. 
 Sometimes we are forced to a path 
 where the road is rocky and hard, 
 walking in shadows, moving in fear, 
 discarded, deserted. 
 
 But God’s people 
 have traveled your road before. 
 Jesus walks with you. 
 And the hand of God is on your shoulder. 
 
 When the winter wind is bitter and cold, 
 and the evening sky is gray, 
 you are not alone. None of us is alone. 
 
 When you have nowhere to go, 
 a place waits for you in humble manger, 
 where a baby welcomes you home. 

• Nancy Hanks at The Hankster provides a forum for public figures in Utah who don't much care for the way nominees get themselves onto the ballot. They charge corruption.

• Steve Burton at What’s Wrong with the World recalls a small child writing to President Obama begging for help from Washington in fixing leaking ceilings and peeling paint at her school. Steve seems to think the little girl should be up on the roof patching the leaks instead of "begging for a handout." I have read his piece three times without finding a hint of conscious irony. See if you can do better.

• Conservative James Wigderson bravely reviews his annual predictions from a year ago.

• Tommy Christopher of Mediaite fame examines PolitiFact's logic on MediScare. Seems abolishing Medicare, replacing it with a voucher program that is completely different from Medicare, and calling it "Medicare" is not the same as ending Medicare. Tommy seems to think scaremongering is okay when discussing something scary. Good call, Tommy.

• Conservatives occasionally point out that capitalism should not be conflated with exploitation. Jack Jodell, friend of the working blogger at THE SATURDAY AFTERNOON POST, seems to agree, but points out the confusion on that principle which exists among conservatives. His point is made mostly via brief quotes.

• Chris Buescher, resident of Mad Mike's America, hopes the payroll tax cut fiasco will change the direction of the GOP. Here is my reaction to the recent Republican public beating, and here is why the direction of the party cannot change.

• Jerry Critter at Critter's Crap summarizes neatly the popular perception of the payroll tax cut controversy.

• Tim McGaha at Tim's Thoughtful Spot has chosen extraordinarily good music to fit the season. Excellent choices most of us might have overlooked.

• Manifesto Joe of Texas Blues documents financial scheming and pension profiting by Texas Governor Rick Perry. Joe doesn't let Newt Gingrich entirely off the hook.

• Betty Cracker, at Rumproast, serves a traditional Christmas treat consisting of chopped, diced, and minced Peggy Noonan. Painful to watch, but smells good.

• Kent Pittman, writing from Open Salon, tells us a little about what that extra $40 each paycheck can mean.

• Why do we have to do this, Sir? introduces us and his boss to his longtime friend, and promptly gets embarrassed for it.

• Slant Right's John Houk, who seriously thinks anyone to the left of Newt follows "the failed Marxist-Communist paradigm" seems to have abandoned Michele Bachmann for his new idol.

• The usually thoughtful The Heathen Republican misses the mark this time, presenting his reasons for opposing marriage equality. My favorite is his argument that everyone has the same right to marry someone of the opposite sex, so there is no discrimination. I understand in ancient Rome, everyone had the same right to worship Isis, and two generations ago in the former member states of the old confederacy, everyone had an equal right to marry someone of the same race. Tired, but some folks do repeat the same arguments. [Note: Burr got this wrong. Please See Correction here - Editors]

• Braylon Edwards is a wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers. But conservative Chuck Thinks Right especially likes him for keeping an educational promise to some youngsters. Chuck has me convinced on this one.

• Infidel 753 is incredulous about the new popularity of Ron Paul in Iowa. He seems to think the not-Romney yearning of Republicans will again coagulate around the Phoenix-like Newt.

• Vincent of A wayfarer's notes got bored this week and devoted his entire piece to reviving Robert Benchley from 80 years ago. Vincent is discouraging. He takes his moment, snaps his fingers, and produces incandescent madness, while the rest of us struggle with words. I just hope such talent never falls into the wrong hands.

• SJ, at RANDOM THOUGHTS, contemplates the final conclusion of the tragedy that was America's involvement in Iraq. He names names. Guess whose names.

• Gwendolyn Barry is back (YAY!) with New Global Myth She presents an ode, via video, to Anonymous.

Personal note. Our Marine is visiting us for the holidays. Deployment into a combat area comes in a few weeks. We do what parents do. We worry, we hope, we pray. And, of course, we are proud. Thoughts expressed a few weeks ago.