Why Not Just March Down America's Streets With White Sheets Over Their Heads?
A genius GOP lobbyist, apparently not comfortable that the Republican party has alienated every possible libertarian, is pushing for a ban on openly gay players in the NFL.
Josh Feldman writes at Mediaite:
Republican lobbyist Jack Burkman is pushing for legislation that would ban openly gay athletes from the National Football League, spurred on by the recent news about Michael Sam publicly coming out. He is appealing directly to Republican members of Congress to propose a bill on the issue, telling The Huffington Post that there are five House members and one senator "interested in co-sponsoring the bill" and he expects more to join on.Burkman acknowledges that normally, conservatives don't like the idea of imposing policy on private businesses, but says that this belief is now "trumped for reason of great urgency or necessity" and it all comes down to the NFL's moral standing.
You want to concern yourself with moral standing? Go to church and root out the pedophile priests.
Are the Democrats so desperate for villeins these days, that they highlight crackpot lobbyists, as opposed to actual politicians, and people running for office?
I guess anything to divert people's attention from the disaster of Obamacare, is newsworthy.
They must really miss David Duke.
Is is fair game for me to point out that some convicted terrorists like Bernadine Dorn, and Bill Ayers are big democratic supporters?
Isab at February 25, 2014 1:13 AM
Is is fair game for me to point out that some convicted terrorists like Bernadine Dorn, and Bill Ayers are big democratic supporters?
No. Because, you see, their intentions were good, noble, and selfless, while the Republicans represent avarice and agression.
As to Burkman's lobbying, I'd be surprised if it goes anywhere at all, but given the Republicans' legendary ability to shoot their own toes off, you never know.
Old RPM Daddy (OldRPMDaddy at GMail dot com) at February 25, 2014 3:51 AM
NOT an elected official; so what he has to say is not relevant.
I often wonder, though, if such idiots aren't really on the Democratic payroll. For it does give the Dems something to draw people's attention away from this disaster of a President.
Charles at February 25, 2014 6:18 AM
Are the Democrats so desperate for villeins these days,
_____________________________
Desperate for peasants? Hmmmmmm....
lenona at February 25, 2014 7:36 AM
This is a publicity stunt form some radical lobbyist. I doubt anyone will even sponsor this other than a few symbolic loons in safe districts.
Mike at February 25, 2014 7:42 AM
Bill Ayers is a domestic terrorist, yes, but he's not a convicted terrorist, Isab.
That aside, until the bill is introduced, I wouldn't worry too much about this.
And Mike, you raise a valid point. Jack Burkman, the lobbyist who's drafting the proposed bill, has a gay brother, James, an anesthesiologist, who said of his brother's activities, "It is just an attention grab and a media grab to pander to those folks who pay him to lobby on their behalf."
And he also tweeted that his brother is an ass.
Patrick at February 25, 2014 8:20 AM
And I forgot, lenona, I was going to have some fun with the misspelling of "villian," but you did a much better job than I would have.
Good one.
Patrick at February 25, 2014 8:28 AM
Ugh. It must be contagious. I meant "villain."
Patrick at February 25, 2014 8:49 AM
vil·lain [vil-uhn]
noun
Origin:
1275–1325; Middle English vilein, vilain
In other words, "a peasant"
Isab at February 25, 2014 9:17 AM
Dishonesty, Isab? Unsurprising, considering the source.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/villain
vil·lain
noun \ˈvi-lən\
: a character in a story, movie, etc., who does bad things
: a person who does bad things
: someone or something that is blamed for a particular problem or difficulty
Yes, the word originates with "villein." However, that word is never defined as you used it.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/villein?show=0&t=1393350303
vil·lein
noun \ˈvi-lən, ˈvi-ˌlān, vi-ˈlān\
Definition of VILLEIN
1
: a free common villager or village peasant of any of the feudal classes lower in rank than the thane
2
: a free peasant of a feudal class higher in rank than a cotter
3
: an unfree peasant standing as the slave of a feudal lord but free in legal relations with respect to all others
Patrick at February 25, 2014 9:49 AM
I go mostly by the OED.
English usuage is by no means as cut and dried as you make it out to be.
But I wojld expect you to be anal retentive about this, just as you are pedantic about the law, while understanding almost nothing about the reasonaing or the application of the cases you like to cite.
Isab at February 25, 2014 10:04 AM
Thank you, Patrick!
lenona at February 25, 2014 10:33 AM
Moral issues aside, how in God's name does he think the Federal Government can even do that?
There's no enumerated power that suggests even a hint of that ability.
(I concur that it's a publicity stunt by this lobbyist, who you'll notice is not a Republican politician in any active sense, and seems to have no influence at all in the Party.)
Sigivald at February 25, 2014 12:21 PM
Sigivald, actually, they can. Congress has the constitutionally granted authority to regulate interstate commerce, and the NFL is definitely interstate commerce. Among the most successful, if not the most successful, in fact.
But the question these lobbyists should be asking is "Do we really want the Federal Government micromanaging the NFL?"
If that's what they want, so be it. Random drug testing for all players, to be done at least once a month, including tests for anabolic steroids.
Isab, go have a good long cry, okay? You'll feel better. (Some people just can't handle being proven wrong.) And I have cited the Supreme Court cases quite appropriately, thank you, since they've all been discussed with friends of mine who happen to be lawyers before I bring them to this blog. And they happen to have much less tender psyches than you, oh, femme fragile.
Patrick at February 25, 2014 1:33 PM
They're talking about moral issues and the NFL? Don't we need to keep Ray Rice out of prison and make sure there are no more OJ Simpsons before we start talking about morality and the NFL? Let's start by keeping the violence on the field before we worry about their politically correct thoughts.
I think this guy is a Democratic plant to distract attention from a few less than flattering topics for the Obama Administration.
MarkD at February 25, 2014 2:44 PM
What has really happened here is that Michael Sam has put himself in the perfect position.
He knew he was down in the draft round picks. So by coming out now he'll be picked sooner because none of the NFL teams want the black eye of not extending an offer if they need his position.
If he doesn't get picked in the draft it is because the NFL is homophobic.
Then the team is going to have to play him whether he sucks or not. And hope he takes enough injuries to quit on his own. Unlike they did with Tebow.
This lobbyist is just being an ass in good standing.
Jim P. at February 25, 2014 3:43 PM
"Are the Democrats so desperate for villeins these days, that they highlight crackpot lobbyists, as opposed to actual politicians, and people running for office? "
I know! My god, can't we get back to talking about important things, like Obama's Kenyan uncle?!
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at February 25, 2014 9:53 PM
This lobbyist has too much time on his hands. Whole country is falling apart, and he's worried about openly gay football players??? Geez, I don't agree with the entire homosexual agenda, but this loser needs to get a life.
mpetrie98 at February 26, 2014 9:25 PM
"Bill Ayers is a domestic terrorist, yes, but he's not a convicted terrorist, Isab."
And so the pedant hasn't noticed Isab didn't say he was. This man is really confused about the difference between what he is thinking and what is being said -- on both sides of the conversation.
A moderate defense of Bill Ayers? Why?
Radwaste at February 27, 2014 8:31 AM
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