Lee “Willie Horton” Atwater Comes to Washington State

He may be dead (rot in Hell scumbag) but his ghost is all over the map.

It’s hard to believe that a liberal state like Washington might be sending a Republican to the Governor’s Mansion. The two candidates are running neck and neck. If you live within broadcasting range of Washington, you’re undoubtedly sick to death of their TV commercials.

Republican Dino Rossi is running against Democratic incumbent Christine Gregoire. The same two candidates ran against each other four years ago; it was possibly the closest election in American history. After several recounts, Gregoire won by a handful of votes. There's been a lot of bitterness and accusations and countercharges since then.

Washington isn't a swing state. I haven’t yet seen any TV ads about McCain or Obama. Instead we’re getting bombarded with jillions of commercials for Rossi and Gregoire.

But anyway, about Lee Atwater: Dino Rossi’s newest tactic is to exploit a massive bureaucratic fuckup that had nothing to do with the governor. The state government has lost the addresses of 1,300 paroled/released sex offenders. This is intolerable, and heads need to roll.

And now the Republican Governors Association has spent $2 million on a “Willie Horton” campaign to blame Christine Gregoire. Letters (with grisly photos) have been sent out to hundreds of thousands of Washington households. It’s a combination of fear tactics (“this swarthy predator is loose in YOUR neighborhood!”) and the Atwater School of Character Assassination.

Law enforcement is furious at the Republican Governors Association for this sleazebucket attack. A group of police officers from throughout the state has sent a letter saying:

“We are writing to express our collective outrage at the Republican Governors Association (RGA) for broadcasting misleading television ads that distort Governor Gregoire's record and slander the hard work we do every day….These attacks trivialize the work we do every day and exploit a parent's worst fears. And to what end? So that in less than thirty days a parent will be frightened into putting a check mark next to Republican Dino Rossi's name. These attacks are disgusting, unethical and desperate.”

The letter also mentioned that Gregoire has supported law enforcement “every step of the way,” she’s pushed for tougher sentencing for sex offenders, and that Washington’s crime rate is the lowest it’s been in fourteen years.

Here are some more links to this scandal.

cross-posted at Bring It On!

Pharmacists Refusing to Sell Emergency Contraceptives

In Washington State, this is an issue that just won't fuckin’ DIE! Since Washington is one of the most liberal states in the country, this situation is probably worse in most other states.

Plan B is the name of the emergency birth control pill. It’s basically just a much much stronger version of the regular birth control pill. If taken within 72 hours after having sex, this pill prevents pregnancy. For rape and incest victims, this is a Godsend.

There have been quite a few cases where a devout Godfearing pharmacist (who obviously chose the wrong profession) expresses his devotion to Jesus by refusing to sell Plan B. This refusal is often accompanied by a sermon.

In Washington, the State Board of Pharmacy was about to pass a statewide regulation that would allow pharmacists to listen to their “moral” values by refusing to sell Plan B. Governor Christine Gregoire stepped in. She threatened to replace every member of the Board of Pharmacy if they didn’t require pharmacists to do their jobs (i.e. honor all valid prescriptions and leave their bigotry at home). The Board of Pharmacy complied. Case closed, right?

But then, U.S. District Judge Ronald Leighton ruled that pharmacists’ religious freedoms were being violated. Pharmacists are once again free to turn away those wayward sluts who come in whining about birth control pills. And for some odd reason, conservatives didn’t go into their usual spewage about “activist judges” “legislating from the bench.”

Jim Ramseth is a local Biblehumping snakehandler pharmacist who just about drooled with glee at the court ruling. “BWAAHAAHAAHAA!! Those icky sluts will have to pay for their sins. Praise Jesus! Those wretched whores need to get burned at the stake Wow. This is big for our profession. We are professionals that use our whole ethical being to make our decisions. They could force you to dispense Plan B. If our freedom of religion or conscience is prohibited, that's against what our country was built on.”

How's this for irony: the Far Right has suddenly discovered workers’ rights. LOL. Hell has frozen over and pigs are flying.

Child laborers who work in sweatshops 18 hours a day — tough shit. People who work in dangerous conditions, are grossly underpaid, or get unjustly fired — pull yourself up by your bootstraps! But a pharmacist who has to put aside his “moral” “Christian” values and sell birth control pills to every trollop who darkens his doorway — NOOOO!!!!! This oppressed worker needs our help!

Here is a forum on this subject — some interesting comments.


cross-posted at Bring It On!