Wesley Elsberry covers the contemptible David Vitter's stealth funding for creationism efforts. Vitter's a devious little sneak, and it's good to see him exposed.
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UPDATE - 17:35 CDT: According to the New York Times, all holds are gone as of this afternoon, the Commerce Committee has unanimously approved the two nominees, and they're expected to be confirmed by unanimous consent early next week.
But that's because the holds are still going. And going. And…
If you hadn't figured it out by now, Senator David Vitter (R-LA) is not my favorite member of Congress. If asked for my personal ranking of Senators, I'd probably place him somewhere in the bottom 2%. That said, I really can't claim that he's always wrong. Every now and then, he proposes something…
Thanks to all your efforts, Senator Vitter asked that the $100,000 he earmarked for the creationist Lousiana Family Forum be given to someone else.
Thank you for your calls and emails to your Senators. If you have time, you might want to call your congresscritters back and offer your heartfelt…
You may recall that I'd mentioned how Cheri Yecke was hiring a company called "reputationdefender" to expunge unflattering references from the net. One of her targets was Wesley Elsberry, who had reported that she was in favor of allowing local school districts to elect to teach creationism (this…
He making a speech in the Senate about Iraq the other day. His public speaking skills are about on par with Bush's! I swear, C-Span beats Comedy Central hands down sometimes.
Wesley Elsberry quotes the Times-Picayune as spelling it 'Vitter' not 'Vetter' .
His name is Vitter, not Vetter.
Vitter, bitter, twitter; it's all the same to me. :) :) :)
Wesley Elsberry quotes the Times-Picayune as spelling it 'Vitter' not 'Vetter' .
Probably because it IS "Vitter".
http://vitter.senate.gov/
Geez, it's not difficult.
PZ, you ignorant slut! It's "i" before "e", except after "c". (NOT "v", Dammit!)
HEY! PZ's not ignorant!
Go easy on him; spelling is hard.
Even Einstein, the smartest man in the world managed to get "i" before "e", except after "c" wrong twice in his own name.
John McKay | September 24, 2007 12:33 AM
This was actually very funny.
OT: Athiests get the hell out of America : http://picsyard.com/ATHEISTS_GET_THE_HELL_OUT_OF_AMERICA
...
John - you don't mind if I steal that, do you? Repeatedly?
Bob
Non US Atheist
The sneaky thing about this (and other) laws, is that they actually sound reasonable! I read the links, and they sound fine to me. I wonder how many regular people read them and thought they were OK. It's only after you do some digging that you find out they're a front for the fundies.
SG
I think the internet needs a LOL-cats style site with lions called "I can haz a Christian."
Freakin' eh! That Dave Vitter is an odious little bastard isn't he? These idiots don't even try to hide their contempt for the Constitution anymore, do they?
Kristjan Wager shows once again that Europeans have their eye on you America, and can see your insanity clearly.
http://kriswager.blogspot.com/2007/09/another-anti-science-politician.h…
That link to "Atheists get the hell out of America" has at the moment too many hits for their server to handle.
It's i before e except as in Euler's identity: e^i2pi+1=0.
I really liked this part:
Praise be! Glory!
As a Canadian I haven't read all of it but a major problem with the U.S. Constitution seems to be it doesn't spell out any penalties for breaking it. How about adding a section with mandatory hanging for anyone who violates the separation of church and state.
"I can haz a Christian."
No, no. Has is always spelled properly, it's the object that has alternate cat spelling. One has to use correct lolgrammar.
Ahh... Thank you very much, Carlie. I can has a Christian it is then.
What's noteworthy about the present Bush theocratic regime is how brazen the corruption is. I've long since lost track of how many officials have been arrested for corruption but whatever the number is, it is undoubtedly a small fraction of the perpetrators.
The bright side. I'm sure most or all of that $100 K will disappear into someone's pockets without passing go. We are talking Louisiana here, this is normal for them. This isn't so much government funding for an attack on science (the text) as payback for political allies (the subtext).
Maybe they should earmark money for the "Canal Street Madam" to visit the classrooms of Louisiana and tell the boys and girls all about David's extra-curricular activities.
Teach the controversy!
#12:"That is astounding, good to see the usual level of religious tolerance."
Oh but it is religious tolerance; she will tolerate any religion, but since atheism is not a religion, religious tolerance does not apply! [wow]
I see this as a corollary to an effect Hamilton predicted in one of the last of the Federalist Papers. Because the Constitution gives* you freedom of religion, it must only apply if you actually have a religion.
It boggles the mind that one does not recognize the fact that freedom to choose a religion includes the freedom to not choose any religion.
(* the USC doesn't actually give rights, it just enumerates which rights the government must protect)
I love the ending line:
Folks, we atheists do not commit crimes ... we use Satanic Mind Control to make theists commit crimes for us!
That's right. Larry Craig solicited a cop because there was an atheist in the bathroom next door. No wonder so many Republicans are being caught committing crimes. It's how we Destroy them! Their efforts are futile! muhahaHaHaHA!
FYI, David Vitter's brother is the Dean of the College of Science at Purdue.
I wonder what the Purdue Biology Dept thinks about the Dean's brother's attempts to fund anti-evolution teaching?
"I wonder what the Purdue Biology Dept thinks about the Dean's brother's attempts to fund anti-evolution teaching?"
I would imagine that the attempt doesn't sit well with the department, but no more than that made by any other wingnut. Suggesting that it would somehow be offensive to them as a department because it's the dean's adult brother is just silly.
hm. first Olga and Siegfried Vitter join hands with Thabo Mbeki to sell their toxic antiretroviral-substitute Virodene to Africans, then this guy pops up... i wonder if it runs in the blood.
L
Well done to her!
"I would imagine that the attempt doesn't sit well with the department, but no more than that made by any other wingnut. Suggesting that it would somehow be offensive to them as a department because it's the dean's adult brother is just silly. "
I think it would be more than usual. They could, for example, ask him to exert a little influence on his brother, for science's sake.
You don't have that opportunity with every wingnut.
Will Dean Vitter confront Congressman Vitter about it? What is the level of his dedication to science teaching? Can he legitimately say, "I don't get involved in politics"? Does not his brother respect his views on science teaching? I mean, the guy is only the Dean of Science at a prestigious public institution?
This is an opportunity like few that come along.
OT: Athiests get the hell out of America :
Atheists have caused the ruin of this great nation...
But if it's a ruined nation how is it great? If it's a great nation then haven't the atheists participated in getting us there? Head hurts.
That is astounding, good to see the usual level of religious tolerance.
people have short memories.
that's a cut-and-paste job that's been reprinted dozens of times in dozens of different newspaper opinion sections for at least the last 5 years.
do a google search on:
alice shannon soldotna
not saying the "love it or leave it" response isn't a common one in the US, but this particular instance is fake.
Here we go:
http://kscakes.com/LolCats/Detail.aspx/i-can-has-kristyin/
His name happens to fit the German orthography perfectly, though, even though that's not required of German names. You see, "ei" and "ie" are never pronounced the same in German.
His name happens to fit the German orthography perfectly, though, even though that's not required of German names. You see, "ei" and "ie" are never pronounced the same in German.