Folks, This is a Free Site and will ALWAYS stay that way. But the only way I offset my expenses is through the donations of my readers. PLEASE Consider Making a Donation to Keep This Site Going. SO HIT THE TIP JAR (it's on the left-hand column).
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Remember When Obama Said Extending The Talks Would Not Be Useful?
Today the Iran talks were extended...but It was only Feb. 9th when President Obama said, "Extending Iran Talks Not “Useful If They Have Not Agreed To The Basic Formulation”
This is all fair enough. I read the text (and thx for posting!), and the only thing I see which warrants concern relates to the claim that the Fed RFRA defines "persons" as, uh, actual individual people, whereas this state act broadens this, a la the time-honored Republican definition of "persons".
But: You have to wonder why Pence had a bevy of right-wing "protection of the sacred institution of marriage" types surrounding him at the signing.
Here's a conciliatory, devil's advocacy guess: It may well be that Pence sincerely understands that the state RFRA bill, as written, indeed _shouldn't_ and likely _won't_ result in abridgements to the civil rights of any Indianans. But he looks buffoonish in interviews because he had hoped to have it both ways: Pass an "innocuous" bill that, in fact, (and, as he claims) simply extends Federal RFRA-type assurances of religious protection to his state, but at the same time, "smells" like a bone thrown to state activist anti-gay zealots.
So he hoped to get the stamp of approval from the highly motivated (so-called) "values" voters, while simply following the same suit that so many other states have been following, as arguably he should.
If what I've said above is true, then this could be yet-another cause of future (post-electoral) disappointment among right-wingers, in the same way that Reagan successfully marketed himself as anti-abortion, which, of course--to those who were paying attention to the political long game--he manifestly WASN'T.
3 comments:
Excellent article. Well researched for facts. Thanks Lid.
Smoke and mirrors to keep attention on a non issue so our leadership can slip something past while being distracted.
This is all fair enough. I read the text (and thx for posting!), and the only thing I see which warrants concern relates to the claim that the Fed RFRA defines "persons" as, uh, actual individual people, whereas this state act broadens this, a la the time-honored Republican definition of "persons".
But: You have to wonder why Pence had a bevy of right-wing "protection of the sacred institution of marriage" types surrounding him at the signing.
Here's a conciliatory, devil's advocacy guess: It may well be that Pence sincerely understands that the state RFRA bill, as written, indeed _shouldn't_ and likely _won't_ result in abridgements to the civil rights of any Indianans. But he looks buffoonish in interviews because he had hoped to have it both ways: Pass an "innocuous" bill that, in fact, (and, as he claims) simply extends Federal RFRA-type assurances of religious protection to his state, but at the same time, "smells" like a bone thrown to state activist anti-gay zealots.
So he hoped to get the stamp of approval from the highly motivated (so-called) "values" voters, while simply following the same suit that so many other states have been following, as arguably he should.
If what I've said above is true, then this could be yet-another cause of future (post-electoral) disappointment among right-wingers, in the same way that Reagan successfully marketed himself as anti-abortion, which, of course--to those who were paying attention to the political long game--he manifestly WASN'T.
Post a Comment