I’ve been fairly upfront in the past about my distaste for extremist gun rights groups like the National Rifle Association as well as my personal interpretation of the 2nd amendment as a collective, not individual, right. At the same time, I’m willing to agree on some middle ground where, regardless of personal views, we can support common-sense measures like universal background checks and restricting gun sales to those over the age of 18. The problem here is that groups like NRA, or at least the leaders, don’t really care for a middle ground. The extreme and frankly terrifying views of people like Wayne LaPierre, head of NRA, force me to reiterate a point I’ve previously endorsed- it isn’t guns that scare me, it’s the people who own them. Take LaPierre’s recent appearance at the CPAC convention, where he made some remarks strangely reminiscent of living in a police state.

So, according to the leader of the most powerful lobbying group in the country, all rights and freedoms are nothing but “stains on a rotten piece of parchment paper in a museum somewhere” until they are “guarded by the blued steel and dry powder of a free and armed people.” Jeez, that sounds insane and I have a hard time believing that NRA members actually support this statement. Any readers out there who can attest to this? I will also add that no matter our disagreements, we can all agree on some gun regulations in the interest of public safety. However, when pro-gun leaders say things like, “the Founding Fathers understood that the guys with the guns make the rules,” it makes it that much more difficult for people to take NRA members seriously. Like they don’t have a hard enough time already.

So this is one of the few times I’ll openly admit to liking a Republican but when it’s the case, it can’t be helped. I kid, of course! They’re plenty of great conservatives out there (especially my parents) and one of my favorites is Meghan McCain, daughter of Sen. John McCain. I’ve been subscribing to her popular blog for a while now and apart from being relatable, she seems very fun- unlike Chelsea Clinton. Here’s Meghan on her father and dating-

It’s difficult for me when I read bad press. I’m his daughter, and I’m a total daddy’s girl. I go on dates and guys are like, ‘Oh, you really look like John,’ and I’m like, ‘As I get older, I’ll look more like him. [Laughs.] You could actually be dating John McCain.

Ha! The reason I bring up Meghan isn’t to talk about her love life, of course but to highlight some recent remarks she made about professional wingnut Ann Coulter.

…certain individuals continue to perpetuate negative stereotypes about Republicans. Especially Republican women. Who do I feel is the biggest culprit? Ann Coulter. I straight up don’t understand this woman or her popularity. I find her offensive, radical, insulting, and confusing all at the same time.

While I obviously agree with her assessment of Coulter, I did find it interesting that she specifically made the point about the stereotypes of Republican women. In a party (and a field) that is hyper-masculinized, it is increasingly difficult for conservative women to break through. But more dangerously, Republican women haven’t really been united under an ideological umbrella that isn’t self-contradictory and self-defeating. For example, the most prominent conservative women’s group right now is the Independent Women’s Forum (IWF), a group that claims to be feminist but is actually very anti-woman. The IWF, for instance, has repeatedly denied the existence of a wage gap, even though legitimate evidence to the contrary exists.The IWF has also opposed the Violence Against Women Act, the landmark legislation protecting women, on the grounds that prevalence of DV cases are exaggerated by feminists- the organization has even published studies making such outrageous claims.

So maybe it’s a good thing that Meghan McCain called out Ann Coulter for hurting women. But the problem is much larger than that. Republican women need to rally around an organization and an ideology that actually helps women, not sets them back. After all, while liberal and conservative women can (and should) disagree on many issues, I would hope that the wage gap and violence against women would not be two of them.

A few weeks ago, in an interview with the Washington Times, newly-minted RNC chairman Michael Steele discussed his plans for remaking the Republican Party’s image, particularly in order to appeal to the “youth” vote.

We need messengers to really capture that region – young, Hispanic, black, a cross section … We want to convey that the modern-day GOP looks like the conservative party that stands on principles. But we want to apply them to urban-suburban hip-hop settings.”

Well, dear Sample Gates readers, I am proud to announce the unveiling of the first of (hopefully) many “urban-suburban hip-hop” videos by Steele. Who knew South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford could rap?!

Ok, while the video was clearly a joke, it makes a point that all Republicans should take note of- not all blacks are rap-listening gangstas. Like every minority group, they’re a fairly diverse group (shocker, I know!) and instead of superficial and offensive campaigns, perhaps Steele’s party can actually begin supporting policies that benefit young black people, instead of blaming them for all the miseries befalling them. Steele’s belief that recruiting some rap artists and planning “off the hook” pr campaigns (an actual quote) can miraculously erase the party’s pathetic record on civil rights just shows how out of touch he is with the black community (and reality).

…is a 13-year old kid named Jonathan Krohn. Krohn, author of “Define Conservatism,” was in the news recently due to his short appearance at the just-concluded Conservative Political Action Conference.

Krohn’s ideological hero, is wait for it…Bill Bennett, who as you may recall had some serious issues with gambling while he was acting as the moral police for the rest of this country.

So, considering that the Republican party usually acts like a petulant bunch of 13 year olds, it is very fitting that they would look upto a 13 year old! And the sad part here is that Republicans thirty years his senior sound exactly like Krohn. What does that tell you?

h/t: crooks and liars

My column this week is all about the hateful legacy of James Dobson, founder of the equally pernicious Focus on the Family, a far-right Christian organization. Dobson stepped down as the Chairman of the group recently and it remains to be seen what the future of the group will be.

Anway, in the column, I briefly mentioned a children’s educational video featuring the lovable SpongeBob Squarepants that Dobson protested due to its promotion of “homosexuality” and “tolerance,” since we all know that the two are truly heinous character traits. Incidentally, the video was created by the We Are Family Foundation in order to promote multiculturalism and tolerance after the 9/11 attacks, not that this matters to folks like Dobson.

Well, I was able to dig up the video from 2005 and it is posted here for your viewing pleasure. I must warn you though that watching this may result in catching teh gay. A gold star for those who can actually spot SpongeBob.

A: Hmm, maybe it’s because he’s a misogynist.

Seriously. Very few Republican dudes have spent this much time hating on women so I’m speechless at Rush Limbaugh’s recent convening of a “female summit.” The idea of a summit comes after a new public opinion poll found a huge gender gap in the radio talk show host’s favorability ratings.

46% [of American voters] have a positive perception of him with 43% viewing him negatively. There is a massive gender gap in those numbers, with 56% of men but only 37% of women holding a favorable opinion of him.

My question is, who are these 37% of women and what medication are they on? Limbaugh, however, feigned concern for the ladies.

Be ready at any moment for me to declare the summit officially underway, and we will take calls only from women who want to seriously discuss the proposition of this giant gender gap that I have, and what I could do to close it. In other words: What could I do to attract a higher favorability rating among more women in America? I own the men, and what must I do now to own women? And who better to ask than women?

Now, granted I’m not the target audience for tripe like his but nevertheless, I would humbly suggest the following. Stop calling women ugly and mocking their appearances, referring to women as “hos” and claiming that we “ask” for sexual harassment and of course, treating us like inanimate objects.

And, tune in for next month’s summit- why do minorities hate Rush Limbaugh?

h/t- feministe

In a stunning move and an indication of greater transparency within the new administration, the Pentagon is reversing an 18-year old policy that banned media coverage of coffins carrying dead U.S. servicemen and women. The one caveat here is that the families of the deceased will have to agree to the coverage. In making such an exception, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said the following-

I have decided that the decision regarding media coverage of the dignified transfer process at Dover should be made by those most directly affected — the families.

While I do think that this is a wise move and one that was long overdue, I wonder if perhaps this rule will be used to further politicize the sacrifices of American soldiers. To be sure, there is a tendency, mostly for Republicans, to act all bellicose and favor military aggression without any regard for the cost, both personal and financial. Particularly with the Iraqi and Afghan invasions, Republicans were so removed from the real cost of war which made it that much easier for them to advocate brain dead (and failing) policies. Surge, anyone?

At the same time, I would hope that neither party uses these images to advance their own agendas. A soldier’s death, even if caused by political considerations, is largely apolitical and it should remain that way. Moreover, if our soldiers died for an honorable cause, why should we hide their images, as if they were a source of embarrassment?

Remember, after we elected Barack Obama, everybody was twittering about the end of racial barriers in America? Yeah, not so much. Today, the New York Post published a cartoon referencing Obama and the stimulus package, offensive even by the Post’s disgustingly low standards.

Where to begin? On matters of fact alone, the cartoon is grossly inaccurate. While it is true that Obama is the public face of the package, he’s not the author and never purported to be. More problematic though is the imagery. Depicting a black man as a monkey while two police officers stand over him with a smoking gun? Not cool and incredibly racist. Instead of apologizing for publishing this nonsense, the NY Post blamed the furor on all those whiny, over-sensitive minorities.

Col Allan, the Post’s editor-in-chief, said the cartoon “is a clear parody of a current news event.”

“It broadly mocks Washington’s efforts to revive the economy. Again, Al Sharpton reveals himself as nothing more than a publicity opportunist,” Allan said in a written statement.

I love that we’re so past racism, we don’t even need to acknowledge it any more. It’s nice living in post-racial America.

UPDATE: Here are ten more disgusting cartoons from the loathsome cartoonist Sean Delonas.

Last week, the Republican Party picked former Maryland Lt. Governor Michael Steele as the new GOP Chairman, making him the first black person to fill the role. Admittedly, it was slim pickings. Steele’s major competitor, South Carolina GOP Chairman Katon Dawson belonged to a whites-only club and only resigned after he learned that a local newspaper was planning to reveal his deep association with the country club. Another candidate, former Tennessee GOP Chairman Chip Saltsman, sent a CD titled “Barack the Magic Negro” to his supporters. The song originally appeared on the beacon of intellectual vigor and tolerance otherwise known as The Rush Limbaugh show.

Although Steele certainly seems the most competent of the lot, that’s not saying much. Consider this ringing endorsement of Steele by the WaPo when he ran against Ben Cardin for the U.S. Senate in Maryland-

Despite his efforts to construct an image as an independent-minded newcomer, there is nothing in Mr. Steele’s past — no achievement, no record, no evidence and certainly no command of the issues — to support it. Pressed on energy or the environment, health care or North Korea, he tells reporters that he would get “all the players in the room.” That sounds fine but means nothing; he’s running to be a senator, not a meetings coordinator.

While I doubt that Steele’s race was a primary factor in his win, I can’t help but think that it did matter. Emerging from the 2008 Presidential elections, there was a sense that the GOP was relegated to a Southern regional power. At the party’s convention, less than 2% of delegates were black compared to 24.5% at the Democratic National Convention. Can Steele fix this image problem? To answer that, just take a look at Mel Martinez (R-FL) who served as RNC Chairman from 2006-07. Martinez was picked in order to appeal to the Hispanic vote in the 2008 elections but the strategy didn’t work. Hispanics ended up voting for Democrats 67% to 31%, up from 60% in 2004.

The problem here is that no matter the number of cosmetic changes, the Republican party’s interests have never been aligned with that of minorities. Indeed, on issues like welfare, poverty, taxes, education, immigration and women’s rights, the differences couldn’t be any more stark. It also doesn’t help that Republicans are the first to blame minorities for the country’s ills, whether it be the current financial crisis or decrease in quality of living or better yet, increased abortion rates. While this is not to say that Democrats are particularly great in this regard, they are marginally better. And in politics, sometimes, that’s all that matters.

What is the deal with Republicans these days? I don’t know if it’s the massive electoral losses or the fear of irrelevancy that seems to have taken hold but the massive whine-fest about the stimulus bill is just ridiculous. Newsflash- you guys lost. Get over it and move along.

Earlier this week, party members were outraged that the $825 billion stimulus package contained funding for birth control services for low-income women. Admittedly, Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s justification for such funding was rather weak. I wish she had focused more on the numbers which are actually quite positive- enacting such a policy would save $200 million over five years and $700 million over 10. Plus, aren’t Republicans supposed to be into this sort of thing since better contraception access=less abortions?  The reaction from the right wingers has been hilarious. Personal favorites include Chris Matthews referring to the measure as reminiscent of the one-child policy in China and former drug addict Rush Limbaugh advocating putting up Pelosi’s pictures in motel rooms in order to deter sex. Dude, have you looked in a mirror lately?

Predictably, President Obama and the Democrats caved on the family planning measure, removing it from the package. It didn’t end there, though. Republicans then became upset that the stimulus contained funding for HIV and chlamydia testing. The horror! Seriously, what century are we living in? According to Republicans, any talk of sex, pregnancies and STDs is embarrassing and to be avoided at all costs. Apparently, we have a bunch of giggly fifth-graders for political leaders.

None of this mattered really because despite Democratic concessions and personal appeals by Obama, not a single House Republican voted for the stimulus package yesterday. While I would expect nothing less from a party that lacks any credibility on economic issues whatsoever, I hope this definitively ends all the talk of  bipartisanship on the part of Democrats.