Who Would Jesus Torture?

From CNN.com:

More than half of people who attend services at least once a week — 54 percent — said the use of torture against suspected terrorists is “often” or “sometimes” justified. Only 42 percent of people who “seldom or never” go to services agreed, according the analysis released Wednesday by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.

White evangelical Protestants were the religious group most likely to say torture is often or sometimes justified — more than 6 in 10 supported it. People unaffiliated with any religious organization were least likely to back it. Only 4 in 10 of them did.

Explain to me again why religion is a prerequisite for morality. I can't stand that argument.

Alex, may I have "Blowholes" for $1000?

I was listening for just a minute to the drug-addled gasbag while out at lunch. He was ripping into the president's Churchill reference last night about how the Brits didn't torture. The blowhole pulled out a National Geographic story about how the British gave captured German spies an option--hanging or helping. Rush proceeded to tell his dimwitted followers, and I paraphrase, "See! They threatened to HANG them! That's surely worse than anything we did that they are calling torture!"

Good Lord.

Rush, the operative word here is captured SPIES. Not "detainees," not POWs but SPIES. Doesn't EVERYONE know that spying during wartime is a capital offense? This wasn't "torture"--it was a plea bargain.

Now I don't know if the British tortured or not, not my field. Since I DON'T know I won't comment on the underlying accuracy. However, whether Obama's statement is factually accurate or not is irrelevant as to Limbaugh's shallow and ridiculous attempt to mislead his room-temp IQ band of believers.

Does cheese glow?

Bill Nye the Science Guy goes to Waco:

The Emmy-winning scientist angered a few audience members when he criticized literal interpretation of the biblical verse Genesis 1:16, which reads: “God made two great lights - the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.”

He pointed out that the sun, the “greater light,” is but one of countless stars and that the “lesser light” is the moon, which really is not a light at all, rather a reflector of light.

A number of audience members left the room at that point, visibly angered by what some perceived as irreverence.

“We believe in a God!” exclaimed one woman as she left the room with three young children.

But, apparently, not a God who could invent an object that reflects the light of another.

Sure don't need that money...

In a remarkable bit of irony, given that they called it "pork" amidst swine flu, Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) led the fight AGAINST funding for flu pandemics in the stimulus bill. "Does it belong in this bill? Should we have $870 million in this bill No, we should not," she argued.

Nice work, Sue.

And Chuck Schumer gets no points either for caving and calling the flu money by its porcine nickname.

Newsflash: Sen. Arlen Specter Sees the Light!

This hot from the Washington Post: Senator Arlen Specter has decided to SWITCH PARTIES from that R-word to the Democratic Party.

Wow. This is a HUGE political story. With Senator Franken, this will give the Dems that 60-vote filibuster-proof majority.

SCOTUS Rules Against Fox: No Drive-By Potty Mouth Allowed

From the NYT:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court on Tuesday said the government could threaten broadcasters with fines over the use of even a single curse word on live television, yet stopped short of ruling whether the policy violates the Constitution.

The decision did, however, throw out a ruling by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York. That court had found in favor of a Fox Television-led challenge to the FCC policy and had returned the case to the agency for a ''reasoned analysis'' of its tougher line on indecency.

Tsk, tsk Shep ... Looks like you’ll have to pay the fine.



Oh, and Shep, you’re right: “WE ARE AMERICA:” YES. WE. DO.

Isn’t it a bitch when reality intrudes to shatter your illusions?

Swine Flu Source Identified

The Guardian published a story this morning about a possible link to the source of the Mexican swine flu outbreak. In the U.S., the disease is associated with contact with diseased pigs, as seen below:

The stupid, it burns

CNN's on a roll today.

Headline: "Historian: Give Obama an 'incomplete'"

Wow? Really? He's completed roughly 6% of one term as President, and he hasn't done enough that his evaluation can be completed? Frickin' morons.

Disingenuous much?

The headline story on CNN.com:

Bipartisanship didn't last long for Obama
There's little debate that Democrats who run Congress will mark President Obama's 100-day milestone with significant victories. But the legislative achievements have come at the cost of bipartisanship. The president's stimulus package passed with three Republican votes. His budget blueprint passed without a single GOP vote. What's the reason for the partisan divide?

What's the reason? Really? This is "America's most trusted news source"?