Choice Religious Schools continue to make Bad Choices with out Taxpayer Money!

That smug party of entitlement, Wisconsin's arrogant Republicans, never miss a chance to complain how they don't want their tax dollars going to pay for this or that, stirring up resentment over things like removing lead pipes in Milwaukee. But this is just one example, there are so many others.

And yet, when I say I don't want my tax dollars going to teach religion in private religious schools, I'm un-American and anti-Christian. And while I'm at it, why aren't we angry over Republicans purposely gaming the Constitution and our own state Constitution by directing school funding directly to students and their families, who then can choose to spend it on religious indoctrination...I mean "education?"

There are two "choice" stories here, one about a Lutheran school hiding reality (Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod is considered one of the most conservative synods), and the other is a Catholic school quietly promoting racism, giving us another reason why this was always a bad idea.

Religious Choice School hides "offensive" subjects, and a basic education, with Our Tax Dollars:  Private schools are a personal choice for those who did not agree with public education. Taxpayers should not paying for a "cleansed" version of history and  cultural differences. Here's one teacher that didn't

Daniel Dettmann, 56, resigned from his 24-year teaching position at Winnebago Lutheran Academy on Tuesday ... because of subject matter the school board deemed inappropriate ... for briefly speaking about female circumcision in the context of a geography class discussing different cultures in the Middle East. 

Dettmann said he had touched on the topic with his students for at least a decade and no one ever complained about it, until now. He was told it offended two female students, as well as a third student who was not in the classroom but heard about the lesson. “I believe it is appropriate subject matter because it is a rising problem in the U.S. and young people should be aware of it,” he said.

Winnebago Lutheran Academy apparently doesn't have to follow Wisconsin law governing choice schools:

The academy receives state funding ... Wisconsin's standards for geography state students should learn to “evaluate the effect of culture on a place and time” and “explain how and why people view places and regions differently as a function of their ideology, race, ethnicity, language, gender, age, religion, politics, social class, and economic status.”

The Lutheran Academy is a mere echo of the far rights attempts to revise history, that's why they're pushing religious schools.  Remember this from Texas: 

Once the local curriculum teams sent their draft changes“politics took over” ... the resulting standards ... characterized the Texas standards as “a politicized distortion of history” ... offered an “uncritical celebration of ‘the free enterprise system and its benefits,’” completely overlooked Native Americans, downplayed slavery, barely mentioned the Black Codes or Jim Crow, and dismissed the separation of church and state as a constitutional principle.

And so Daniel Dettmann's inclusion of something that's not so "comfortable" to talk about, even briefly, wiped out his 24 year contribution to his students education"(headed the school's social studies department and has taught consumer economics, financial planning, American government, sociology and world geography. He served as class of 2019 adviser, and led the academic bowl team and student council."). You would think teachers like this would be an invaluable:

Kelci Jo Henning, a 2011 academy graduate, said Dettmann was one of the most loved teachers at the school and had a way of keeping students engaged in what he was teaching. “His job is to teach about history and current events and the issue of female circumcision is part of that. Just because it made someone feel uncomfortable he lost his job. These things are not comfortable to talk about but they are necessary.”

Lutharans lie too!!! Well this is uncomfortable:

Although Dettmann says he was told by the board that he was warned and reprimanded several times, he said these claims are untrue. He never received any verbal or written communication regarding his curriculum choices in the past.

The final insult and typical ploy used by Republicans everywhere...misuse of Bible passages:

Corey Dettmann says he’s angry his father was made to feel shame for what he was teaching, and the administration used Bible passages to do so.

UPDATE: Remember this from May 28th:

Senior Prank on Catholic School Spanish Teacher echoes Trump's "You're fired" and that Mexicans are drug dealers.

WAOW: A Spanish teacher at Assumption Catholic School said an incident on Thursday was her turning point. Olga Meza is a Spanish teacher and first-generation American ... walked into her classroom at Assumption Catholic School to see photos of Donald Trump plastered across the room and the phrase “you’re fired” on the whiteboard. She said they also changed the screens on 22 different iPads to show Trump’s face. She said students often quote the president in class. “They say Mexicans are criminals and all Mexicans are drug dealers and I was like that’s not true. I’m a Mexican American, my parents are from Mexico and they didn’t come here to do that, they taught us.”

 Here's the latest:

Now, a current Assumption student tells News 9, other students at the school are mocking Meza. 

Victor Quinonez said his classmates repeat Meza’s words, saying they “felt unsafe” in mocking tones. Quinonez, a freshman at Assumption High School, said he has also been a victim to race-based bullying. “It happens all the time,” said Quinonez. “You just got to deal with it.” Even during the interview, her brother Victor said, “I can’t really say anything else or, ya know, what would they do to me?”

His sister Maria Quinones Diaz reflected on her own experience at the school. “We shouldn’t have to be thinking about this,” said Quinones Diaz, referring to racial tensions that she said have existed at the school for since she was a student. “He’s fifteen years old, he just started high school” ... she worries about her brother returning to the school after speaking out on the issue. When she was in school, she said, “I couldn’t show that I was soft because they would do it more… if you show it hurts… they live off of that.”

Since our initial reporting on this story, Meza said she and her daughter have not returned to the school over safety concerns.

If the past tells us anything, more of these cases are going to reported, if only in local papers and media. Which begs the question, why aren't we doing away with choice completely as Gov. Evers first suggested. Remember, choice schools are not answerable to the taxpayers:

Of the Lutheran synods in the state, Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod is considered one of the most conservative synods. As a male employee of the school, Dettmann was classified as self-employed and a minister of the gospel. Female teachers, on the other hand, are not self-employed because they cannot be ministers in the church. According to WELS church doctrine, responsibility involves: “headship for a man, including authority, and submission for a woman.”

The Lutheran Church was involved in another recent issue that drew controversy. Sheboygan Lutheran High School valedictorian Nat Werth was not allowed to give his speech at graduation because he talked about his troubles as a gay student and how he was not allowed to join the school dance team because he was gay.

After "Day without Immigrants" protests, conservative Teacher comments begs the question; still want them in our classrooms?

The "Day without Immigrants" protests didn't go over well with a few conservative teachers in a predominantly Latino Southern California school district the other day, and now they've been put on administrative leave.  

This whole thing reminded me of the argument we're having today. In Wisconsin, Republicans like Rep. Robin Vos want more conservative viewpoints in our schools (college in this case), to counter the supposed liberal ideas kids get from their teachers.

"I challenge the UW System this school year to find more ways, beyond a two-page policy statement, to ensure that all perspectives, including conservative ones, are present in the classroom."

Fair enough, let's take a look at what conservative teachers like social science teacher Geoffrey Greer, art teacher Robin Riggle, science teachers Allen Umbarger and Chuck Baugh, agriculture teacher Rhonda Fuller, and Patricia Crawford, a guidance coordinator, would quietly bring to the classroom:

WaPo: Six high school employees ... were placed on administrative leave after they posted social-media comments insulting students who skipped classes to participate in the “Day Without Immigrants” protest. The employees said classes were quieter and grades higher with the students gone. 

Why do conservatives hate protesting so much, the most fundamental First Amendment right people have in this country? Do they really believe protesters are paid by millionaires, take orders from "union thugs," or are trying to "intimidate" elected officials instead of sending a message of opposition to policy?

Cesar Jimenez, who said he graduated from Rubidoux High School in 2014, told The Washington Post the teachers should not have dismissed the students’ decision to join the nationwide boycott as a mere excuse to skip classes. Those students aren’t just kids; rather, they’re teenagers who are developing their own political views and wanted their voices to be heard.

“Condensing it down to just looking for an excuse to get drunk and be lazy, that’s just irresponsible on his part (Greer). That undermines the whole motive because it’s not about that. It’s about bringing attention to the fact that there are initiatives in our current administration that are pushing against immigration. These issues need to be brought to light.”

Republicans seek to Censor UW course "The Problem of Whiteness...understanding white identity and non-white identity across the globe."

When Republicans advocate for “academic freedom,” and then get just that, they get angry it’s not exactly what they were thinking. I'm talking about a UW course titled “The Problem of Whiteness.” 

Add to that the threats of government censorship, and you’ve got a Republican Party out of control. JS: 

Two leading state Republican lawmakers are threatening the University of Wisconsin System that if it doesn't remove a course called "The Problem of Whiteness" from UW-Madison's spring semester offerings, the UW's requests for more state funding and a bump in tuition may be denied during budget deliberations next year.

Republicans total lack of self awareness, especially after voting overwhelmingly for the divisive, racist, and bigoted Donald Trump, has never been more obvious. They actually think the UW course teaches young people to distrust each other. Folks, you can’t make this stuff up…

Rep. Dave Murphy of Greenville, said he and his staff looked at "The Problem of Whiteness" course description and the background of the professor who plans to teach it, and concluded: "We are teaching our young people to distrust each other, and that's sad," Murphy said. "We are adding to the polarization of the races in our state. This does not bring people together. This divides people."

And after decades of criticizing the UW for political correctness, they’re now freaking out over the lack of political correctness…having it both ways? This from the Trump party of alt-right white nationalists:

Murphy said he didn't understand "how a University that preaches political correctness can stand by a professor who openly condones violence against law enforcement and compares white voters to the KKK. If UW-Madison stands with this professor, I don’t know how the University can expect the taxpayers to stand with UW-Madison.”

The threat of government censorship...

This is the second time in less than six months that a legislator has threatened UW System funding over course offerings at the state's flagship university.

Here's what that completely voluntary class teaches students, so offending our politically correct Republicans:

The university said the course title "refers to the challenge of understanding white identity and non-white identity across the globe" and that the course, "which is one of thousands offered at our university, will benefit students who are interested in developing a deeper understanding of race issues. The course is a challenge and response to racism of all kinds."

Trump Sore Winners feel Entitled.

We should have thought, "this can't be good."

WPR: Loyalists of the self-described white nationalist, alt-right movement from around the country gathered in D.C., enthused by the election of Donald Trump and optimistic that their controversial, offensive views such as calling for a white, ethnocentric state were on the rise throughout the country. "The alt-right is here, the alt-right is not going anywhere, the alt-right is going to change the world," Richard Spencer, head of the white nationalist think tank the National Policy Institute (NPI) promised. Spencer called Trump's campaign "the first step towards identity politics in the United States."

Matt Forney of Chicago said there was now an "infusion of new energy. Now, it's like we're the vanguard of a new movement. People are happy and ready to change the world."

Evan Thomas of Michigan said "He's got to act very tough, very quickly to reverse the demographic decline of European-Americans very swiftly." 

The Trumpian "we won" sore winners are hitting the streets now. Remember how Republicans whined endlessly about having to hide their conservatism in public? Even though that really wasn't true, the Trump bullies are more insufferable than anyone could have imagined, even deadly.

The latest video making the rounds was this "we won" Trump supporters at a Michael's, insulted by a black store clerk. Who feels this kind of white "entitlement?" RawStory:

The video is the latest in a series of white people justifying their obnoxious behavior and demanding special treatment because they voted for Trump. “I voted for Trump — so there,” the woman shouted. “You want to kick me out for that? And look who won.”

“I don’t know what you think you’re videoing, lady. I was just discriminated against by two black women, and you being a white woman, you’re literally thinking that that’s okay? You standing there with your baby thinking that’s okay.”

The angry shopper accuses the other woman’s 2-year-old child of stealing and her husband of cheating.

White Fear of black cheese lovers...where did that come from?

Late night trip to a local CVS store by two black men to buy some sliced cheese turned into a run-in with police after panicked store employees hid in a locked backroom and called the cops, reports WATE in Carytown, Virginia.

According to Ricky Berry, he and his roommate Philip Blackwell stated that a police officer showed up and helped them search the store only to discover the employees huddled in a back room behind locked doors.

“He was laughing with us because, like, this is how weird, apocalyptic movies start,” Berry said, before adding that the officer made a few calls after which he told them they’d have to leave.

“We’re being kicked out because they were scared of us and hiding,” Berry said, “He just told us that we need to leave premises or else we would be arrested for trespassing and that flipped the script on all of us. We had no idea what was going on.”

Deadly Trump Entitlement: There are no words....

William Ronald Pulliam, 62, was arrested and charged with gunning down 15-year-old James Means whom he later referred to as a “piece of trash” ... he expressed no remorse whatsoever for killing the teen, but simply said, "The way I look at it, that's another piece of trash off the street."

Witnesses claim that what set Pulliam off was that Means accidentally bumped into him while entering the store. After Pulliam left the store, the two exchanged words a second time, and Pulliam shot the teen twice in the abdomen, leaving him to die, then proceeded to go home, eat dinner, then go hang out at a friend's house, according to a criminal complaint.

Note: Because I don't want make this a Trump news site, heck there's so much sh** hitting the fan, I thought I'd try putting some of the additional  stories on my new blog page, Trumploid News. I put it on a tab for easy access.

Hillary's Taco Trucks on every Corner?

It was an amazing moment in Trump campaign history:

The founder of Latinos for Trump, Marco Gutierrez, on Thursday warned that if his candidate loses, America faces an uncertain future in which Mexican food is far too easily available.

“My culture is a dominant culture, and it’s imposing and it’s causing problems. If you don’t do something about it, you’re gonna have taco trucks [on] every corner.”

Yup, taco trucks on every corner. Joy Reid struck gold.

It wasn't long before the idea took off:

Walker, Ryan & Johnson avoid and denounce Trump, but welcome his like minded voters.

The headline, "Walker, Johnson, Ryan skipping Trump event" in Green Bay casts our local politicians in a new light; they're all cowards, unable to stand by their convictions and a bully they disagree with.

JS: Walker will be viewing flood damage in northern Wisconsin. Ryan plans to be in the southern part of the state, where his district is. And Johnson has "prior commitments," according to his spokesman.

All three have made it unmistakably clear that they value "party above country."

It doesn't matter what Trump might do to our economy and international relations as president, as long as the party gets what it wants - from tax cuts to doing away with safety nets - it's worth the price.

"Party before country" is their cry, and America might just be hearing their message.

Ryan is now setting up a possible moral pivot:

House Speaker Paul Ryan said Friday that “of course” there is a point at which he could rescind his endorsement of Donald Trump, but stopped short of saying where that yet-uncrossed line is.

And while Trump is out on the front lines pushing bigotry and racism, Ryan doesn't might going after the same army of voters backing Trump. The NY Times compiled a video of crowd comments during Trump rallies. Oh, not every Republican is like this...sure:


Or this GOP moment of brutal Medieval misogyny featuring a hangman:

Republican not being racist again....

Sadly, Chris Hayes didn't let either of his guests react to Rep. Steve King's jaw dropping white supremacist lecture on history. After columnist Charlie Pierce mentioned the "wired...unhappy dissatisfied crowd of white people" at the convention, King chimed in.

Esquire: Here's what King said tonight about white people and, you know, non-whites:

"This whole white people business, though, does get a little tired…I'd ask you to go back through history and figure out: Where are these contributions that have been made by these other categories of people that you're talking about? Where did any other sub-group of people contribute more to civilization?"

King just came out with a clarification...something he felt he had to do?

"It’s pretty close [to what I said]. What I really said was 'Western civilization' and when you describe Western civilization that can mean much of Western civilization happens to be Caucasians. But we should not apologize for our culture or our civilization."  

Sure, that's what he said originally.

Wanggaard prays for God's wisdom in "time of increased tension between police and "certain communities." You know who we're talking about...

Republicans like State Sen. Van Wanggaard know who to blame, and it sure ain't racists....

All this from the guy who wants to keep "all lives safe" by repealing the 48 hour cooling off period for gun purchases. Numskull idiots like this ignore the cause and effect of purely ideologically driven laws that run counter to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.   

So is it really "certain communities?"  

The Trump Effect....Make America White Again?

Republicans just needed a little practice under our very first black president, to perfect the rationalization, "I'm not a racist, but I am suffering from white-victimhood." 

Sure there's a few bad apples in the Republican Party, but not everyone is racist. The base, the more conservatives "independents" in love with Trump, are just as misunderstood. So what do we make of the picture on the right, is this "one" bad apple or just some poor picked on conservative white guy...you decide......

WRCB: Rick Tyler confirmed that he does not hate people of color, but does believe America "should go back to the 1960s." "(The) Leave it to Beaver time, when there were no break-ins; no violent crime; no mass immigration," he told the news station.

Wow, what a time it was in America. Tyler must have been reading the new "American Exceptionalism" curriculum rolling out in Tennessee schools. But wait, what about the 60's civil rights movement...?

Tyler also posted a billboard for his campaign that features part of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have A Dream" speech superimposed on a drawing of the White House with Confederate flags around it, according to WRCB.

Some residents wrote in to the news station stating their desire to have the signs taken down. Tyler said that he respects their First Amendment rights but, "I respect their right to have an opinion. I believe the majority of the people in the county like it." The New York Daily News reported that the sign was taken down.

Desperate for Power? Paul Ryan Disavows, then Endorses Trump's Textbook Racism.

Paul Ryan's ridiculous media splash over his opposition to Trump, got exposed for being what it was; as phony as the myth Ryan is a genius policy wonk:

Paul Ryan Stood Up To Donald Trump, Right Up To The Moment He Caved: All that outrage over Trump’s statements? Eh, never mind.

Donald Trump has made at least one valuable contribution to the political debate: He has exposed Paul Ryan as America’s most overrated elected official. Google his name and you’ll find it associated with terms like “political courage” and “The Thinker.” 

Ryan waited to determine which way the political wind was blowing before boldly "regretting" Trump's textbook racist comments, despite supporting him for president. Apparently racism beats liberalism every time, no question. Power is so much more important..."This is about moving our agenda forward:"



But wait, the school yard bullies are done yet. Ryan's long awaited denouncement of Trump turns out to be racist too, as Republicans head down the rabbit hole and obliterate common sense and logic. Say hello to Mad Hatter Jeffrey Lord on CNN. Ryan's race card politics is not in line with Republican voter sentiment about "Mexicans:"



It's the old school yard "I know you are but what am I" defense:

A top surrogate for Donald Trump said Tuesday that House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) was "playing the race card" for condemning Trump's recent attacks on a federal judge because of his Mexican heritage. Earlier in the day, Ryan called Trump's comments about the judge the "textbook definition" of racism.

"Speaker Ryan is wrong and Speaker Ryan has apparently switched positions and is supporting identity politics, which is racist," Trump supporter Jeffrey Lord, a member of the Reagan administration, said on CNN.

Sen. Lindsey Graham is not on the same page as either Ryan or Lord:

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said Tuesday that Donald Trump's criticism of a judge with Mexican heritage is an example of playing "the race card" and is "very un-American." "If he continues this line of attack then I think people really need to reconsider the future of the party.

This is the most un-American thing from a politician since Joe McCarthy. If anybody was looking for an off-ramp, this is probably it. There'll come a time when the love of country will trump hatred of Hillary" Clinton.

While the smallest inconsistency by Bernie or Hillary drives Republicans crazy, Trump's freakin' Bizarro World comments now and in years past are no big deal:

When Trump proposed a temporary ban on Muslims entering the U.S., Ryan said, “This is not who we are as a party or a country.” When Trump appeared to condone violence by his supporters, Ryan said, “Nobody should say such things in my opinion because to even address or hint at violence is unacceptable.” And when Trump declined to disavow support from David Duke, the former Ku Klux Klan leader, Ryan said, “If a person wants to be the nominee of the Republican Party, there can be no evasion and no games. They must reject any group or cause that is built on bigotry.” 

Many of those intellectuals, to their credit, have remained steadfast in theiropposition to Trump. But Ryan is not an intellectual and, on Thursday, it showed.

Trump, Carson, Fiorina, and Christie would describe the Civil Rights movement today as “disgusting…infantile behavior…we’re being a little too tolerant…much further toward anarchy…political correctness!”

The idea is stunning. Did we just see the GOP presidential candidates inject themselves into a local campus’ problem with racism?

Yes, in the most bizarre way too. Here’s what happened:

The two frontrunners for the Republican presidential nomination criticized protests at the University of Missouri Thursday, arguing that the university administrators who resigned in the wake of racially-charged incidents may have set a harmful precedent by acquiescing to students' demands.

"I think it's disgusting," Donald Trump said in an interview on Fox Business Network. "I think the two people that resigned are weak, ineffective people. I think that when they resigned, they set something in motion that's gonna be a disaster for the next long period of time."

Republican candidate Ben Carson also said Thursday that students at the school were giving in to "infantile behavior. We're being a little bit too tolerant, I guess you might say, accepting infantile behavior. I don't care which side it comes from. To say that I have the right to violate your civil rights because you're offending me is un-American," he said on FOX News' The Kelly File. "The officials at these places must recognize that and have the moral courage to stand up it. Because if they don't, it will grow, it will exacerbate the situation and we will move much further toward anarchy than anybody can imagine, and much more quickly," he added.

Fellow Republican Carly Fiorina echoed concerns about "political correctness" on college campuses, telling reporters Thursday evening that the phenomenon is "choking candid conversations in this nation. One of the things you see going on, on so many college campuses now is kids are taught, you know, if anything offends their sensibilities that they should stand up and say, 'oh don't talk to me that about that.'" she said.

Speaking in Iowa, New Jersey Republican Chris Christie blamed the unrest on an atmosphere of "lawlessness" fostered by the president. "When people think justice is not applied evenly and fairly, they take matters into their own hands," he said during an appearance in Iowa.Democratic presidential candidates have been generally supportive of the protesters, emphasizing the students' fight to address the racially-charged incidents that originally prompted the tensions in Missouri and at other institutions nationwide.

Bernie Sanders said in a tweet that "it's time to address structural racism on college campuses."

Media Matters put it this way:

Only on Fox News are armed militia members protesting federal law "patriotic," while university students and faculty speaking out against racism are labeled as anarchists.

But that's not all, as you'll see in this story from Rachel Maddow about a Trump crowd reaction to another protester:

Johari Osayi Idusuyi, who received internet acclaim when she was seen on camera reading Claudia Rankine's “Citizen: An American Lyric,” a book of poetry about race, at a Donald Trump rally, talks with Rachel Maddow about what happened in the seats...

Challenging Racism is Racist say Race Card Republicans.

Tea party conservatives hate fighting racism. It's so divisive.

In a perfect example of pretzel logic, with a dash of white supremacy thrown in, I thought these political hit pieces stood out. Example one.

Challenging racism is racist: Check out how the Daily Caller reporter below blatantly turned "speech" into "policing thought:”

Is America Starting to Target Thought Crime? Last week, Michelle Obama made headlines when she exhorted graduating high schoolers in a commencement address to monitor their families for politically incorrect thoughts and behaviors. "First lady Michelle Obama is encouraging students to monitor their older relatives, friends and co-workers for any racially insensitive comments they might make, and to challenge those comments whenever they’re made."

“Comments,” not "thoughts," right? But conservatives don't see a difference…

Oh, if only we could control what other people think and feel. But until that magic day arrives, all we can do is set people against each other based on race, under the guise of “fighting racism.”

Don’t fight racism. It only divides people.

Scott Walker is a Racist: Let's just be honest about Walker and not sugar coat this or give him the benefit of the doubt. You don't try to leave racism alone or act like it doesn't exist if you're not okay with it. As I blogged back in September:

Walker is fixated on banning dissent, which he sees as a divisive “tone,” and wants to replace it with positive messaging and happy talk. In other words, ignore the problem.

“Instead of focusing on what divides us, we need to concentrate on what brings us together. We need to change the tone in America from chants and rallies that fixate on racial division." -Scott Walker

We can only unite the nation if we don't make racists angry. 

Michelle Obama, not like Laura Bush…who’s white.

Michelle Obama just disgraced America once again by complaining about unnecessary issues as the First Lady. Laura Bush would’ve never done this!

This is racist reporting. And our great defenders of the Constitution and free speech don’t like some free speech, especially a black person denouncing racism:

Look who's now calling people racist.

Michelle recently spoke at the Tuskegee University graduation in Alabama and instead of focusing on an inspirational message, she took the time to vent out her frustrations as the First Lady. She took the trendy route of racism as the root of the criticism she received during Obama’s 2008 campaign.

“As the first African-American First Lady, I was also the focus of another set of questions and speculations; conversations sometimes rooted in the fears and misperceptions of others. Was I too loud, or too angry, or too emasculating? Or was I too soft, too much of a mom, not enough of a career woman?”

Fighting racism is racism; leave us racists alone?

With all of the tragedies our society is facing today, you would think our First Lady wouldn’t perpetuate racism- especially not when speaking at a graduation to individuals full of so much potential. Look at the crowd listening to her—it is predominantly young, impressionable African Americans who are about to embark on their new careers and contributions to society.

When will black people like Michelle Obama be grateful and know their place:

Our First Lady should appreciate the honorable role she has received and not constantly complain about petty issues or create a stronger divide in America racially. If you’re tired of Michelle’s unnecessary complaints, share this article!

Daily Show in Madison for "Are all cops Racist?"

Loved this bit on the Daily Show, especially the idea of a "black Twitter."

In a segment "Are All Cops Racist," Madison Police Chief Mike Koval is interviewed on Comedy Central. The portion with Koval begins at about the 4:40 mark.

Get More: Comedy Central,Funny Videos,Funny TV Shows

A much needed lesson for Republicans on the Civil War.

Racist Republicans have successfully muddied the concept of what is racism. Rationalizing away any guilt an individual might feel

Ken Burns from Face the Nation and Raw Story:

Historian Ken Burns reminded supporters of the Confederacy on Sunday that the Civil War had been primarily about slavery, and not states’ rights as many conservatives have claimed. Burns recommended that Americans read South Carolina’s Articles of Secession to get the real story on why the states went to war against each other.

“[T]hey do not mention states’ rights. They mention slavery, slavery, slavery,” he pointed out. “And that we have to remember. It is much more complicated than that, but essentially the reason why we murdered each other — more than 2 percent of our population, 750,000 Americans died; that’s more than all the wars from the Revolution through Afghanistan combined — was over essentially the issue of slavery.”

“The main American theme, I think, is freedom. But we also notice that race is always there. Always there. When Thomas Jefferson says all men are created equal, he owns a couple hundred human beings and he doesn’t see the contradiction or the hypocrisy and doesn’t free anybody in his lifetime and sets in motion an American narrative that is bedeviled by a question of race.

And we struggle with it. We try to ignore it. We pretend, with the election of Barack Obama, that we’re in some post-racial society. And what we have seen is a kind of reaction to this. The birther movement, of which Donald Trump is one of the authors of, is another politer way of saying the N word. It’s just more sophisticated and a little bit more clever. He’s ‘other,’ he’s different.”

“What’s actually ‘other’ and different about him? It turns out it’s the same old thing. It’s the color of his skin.”

Here's Col. Ty Seidule, Dept. of History at the U.S. Academy in West Point, no slouch when it comes to war:

State Conservatives now say Democratic Party responsible for flying/protecting Confederate Battle Flag?

For years and years, Republicans have not just defended and made the Confederate Battle flag their own, but they've waved it proudly as a free speech right. Now, suddenly a few conservatives here are trying to say it's a Democratic flag.  They want us to forget how the parties flipped after the civil rights movement. Sorry, but this debate is going on now, not the mid 1800's.

They want us to forget....

It became a divisive and violent emblem of the Ku Klux Klan and white supremacist groups.

Forgetting would be the only way they can make their next loony tunes argument; they have always hated the Confederate flag.

Check out a "Stand with Walker" string of tweets to the right. Marvel at the disconnect. Clinton and Gore...Confederates?

Ever wonder why racism is now so pronounced and open? Since Obama became president, the Republican Party has worked hard to rationalize away their inner racist feelings, with distractions like his birth certificate, supposed Islamic faith, "imperial presidency," relationship to terrorists, weak foreign policy, etc.. The picture below says it all.

Here's one example of the spin:

The GOP wasn't involved? Only if all the black ministers and NAACP were Republican. Here's what really happened:

A 1994 nonbinding referendum placed on the GOP primary ballot found that three-in-four voters said the flag should keep flying. That same year, black ministers and the NAACP threatened a boycott of the state if the flag didn't come down, and business leaders sued to remove the flag.

But in 2000, a compromise was reached — the battle flag would be removed from atop the dome and a smaller, square version would be placed at a less-prominent place on the Statehouse grounds — on a 20-foot pole next to the 30-foot Confederate monument. But that didn't end the controversy, and many years of protests, criticism and boycotts followed.

How about that Southern "Democratic" stronghold Mississippi?

Many Southern states' current flags are inspired by the "Rebel flag." Mississippi's state flag remains the only one in the U.S. that still features the battle flag prominently. In 2001, Magnolia State voters decided to keep the current flag by a wide margin. The University of Mississippi, or "Ole Miss," has also faced controversy. In 1997, waving Confederate flags at football games was banned. "Colonel Reb," their Confederate soldier mascot, was retired in 2003 and, "From Dixie With Love" was dropped from the marching band set list.

Check out the brisk Neo-Confederate Party sales action at Amazon.com. These are the hot items. Yea, we're so over that race thing...

NOTE: Amazon and other sites have already pull all Confederate products off their pages. That was quick.


Gov. Nathan Deal is sticking with the offending state license plate, like a good Democrat....I mean Republican would. 

Why would a Racist Group donate to a Republican Candidate for President?

CBS News for some reason only mentioned 3 GOP candidates who received money from the Council of Conservative Citizens.

I guess you can add Scott Walker to that list too.

Is there something these guys aren't telling us that donors have an inside track on?

Earl P. Holt III, the president of the Council of Conservative Citizens gave $3,500 to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker since 2011, state records show.-jsonline

I added our governors picture to the CBS graphic below. Still, it seems odd any news organization would not include all the candidates names, and not just Cruz, Santorum and Paul, right? 

NRA's LaPierre rally's gun toting cowards with unmistakable racist dig at Obama.

From Media Matters, this bombshell of a comment:

Republicans are...filthy...disgusting...

Who would think to make the following comment, really, from the picture below?

I found this tweet on Wyatt's page...

Republican AG candidate Schimel pronounces Waukesha County clean, not "Ground Zero" for Voter Fraud?

Wow, Brad Schimel's partisan aw shucks cluelessness is getting even more unsettling by the day.

It was a jaw dropping moment, and of course ignored by the media, even the Journal Sentinel who got the scoop. Schimel spouted what was clearly a race based, partisan centric comment about voter fraud.

Schimel: "As it turns out, we're not ground zero for voter fraud in Waukesha County."

After going on a rant about how hard it is to find fraud, and then prove it, this was said:

JS Reporter: "So you said Waukesha wasn't ground zero for voter ID and voter fraud, is there a ground zero for voter fraud?"

Schimel: "I don't know the answer to that, but I do know what happens in my county...we typically have a very large voter turnout in the big elections, and I think that helps."

But if you can't check and there's no real way to know...my head is hurting.

Lilly white Republican Waukesha County is clean. Why even look for fraud, when according to Schimel, so many other unspecified places are so questionable. He couldn't name them, but...well, you know where they are, right?

It wasn't so long ago ballot bags were found open in Waukesha County, late reported votes were counted, a private record keeping system based on "trust" was put in place by the areas star of incompetence, County Clerk Kathy Nicholaus. Click here for an entire history of stories Nicholaus generated over her botched handling of votes and elections in "clean" Waukesha County.  She even came back when she was reappointed temporarily to her old job as clerk last spring, even while running for board supervisor. You can't make this stuff up.

The Journal Sentinel editorial board didn't appear stunned by Schimel's over the top statement. Breathtaking:

Paul Ryan will only feed rural kids in summer lunch test program, cutting off urban children!!! Racist partisan move toward disenfranchisement?

The abandonment of government funding to typically Democratic voting areas was bound to happen sooner or later.

This grossly partisan move is sadly led by Wisconsin’s own Paul Ryan, whose dystopian political agenda is as historically disturbing as Joe McCarthy’s black mark on the state. He’s set in motion a plan for the disenfranchisement of his political opponents. Call it a test case for a test lunch program to feed children in the summer. As reported by TPM:

House Republicans are pushing to restrict a low-income food aid program to children in "rural" areas … the proposal scales back an anti-hunger school lunch demonstration program set up in 2010 to feed "children in urban and rural areas" during the summer months when they're on break.

As first reported by Politico's David Rogers, the GOP bill brings down the $85 million in funding to $27 million and limits the program to only rural kids in Appalachian counties.

"Excluding children from urban areas … is also mean-spirited. Hunger isn't bound by per capita population data, and children in urban areas shouldn't be penalized because of where they live," House Appropriations Ranking Member Nita Lowey (D-NY) said. 

Said a House Democratic aide: "It's not clear to me if this was a fuck-up or if it was plainly mean-spirited or what happened. But we're going to work to change it."

Here’s hoping Ryan’s Democratic opponent Rob Zerban gets the word out that the growing and dangerous political divide in the country is about to get even worse, if that was even possible.

Hat tip to Cognitive Dissidence's Jeff Simpson for finding this story.