Family Values

Roy Blunt has made it official: Andy Blunt will run his Senate campaign. 

Looking at the current Missouri Ethics Commission data, Andy Blunt is a lobbyist for all of the following companies:

• Altria Client Services Inc. And Its Affiliates--Philip Morris Usa Inc., John Middleton Co., And U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co.
• MillerCoors, LLC
• Medsolutions
• AGP
• Ticketmaster

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Todd Akin has signed on to an amicus brief in D.C. Superior Court calling for a voter referendum on whether to legalize same-sex marriage in the District of Columbia. Akin and 38 other Republican members of Congress have signed on to the brief filed by the American Center for Law and Justice, an organization founded by televangelist Pat Robertson. The Washington Post:

In the filing, U.S. senators James Inhofe (Okla.) and Roger Wicker (Miss.) and 37 House Republicans align with Bishop Harry Jackson, pastor of Hope Christian Church, in asking the court to reverse a D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics decision prohibiting the same-sex marriage question to be put before voters...

A new Washington Post poll shows that the Republican "rank and file" is generally united in its hatred of our unAmerican usurper president, but "also reveals deep dissatisfaction among GOP voters with the party's leadership as well as ideological and generational differences that may prove big obstacles to the party's plans for reclaiming power."

Fewer than half of the Republicans and Republican-leaners surveyed by The Washington Post see the party's leadership as taking the GOP in the 'right direction,' down sharply from this time four years ago. About four in 10 are dissatisfied with the policy proposals being offered by congressional Republicans, and similar numbers see the current crop of GOP legislators as out of touch with their problems and personal values. Nearly a third say the Republicans in Congress are not standing up for the party's core values...

Primatologist Frans de Waal, a professor in the psychology department at Emory University, is promoting his new book on the The Washington Post's Book World blog.  In a new post, he starts a post about Americans lacking empathy like this:

Are Americans lacking in empathy?

You would almost think so hearing Rush Limbaugh mock Michael J. Fox's Parkinson's symptoms or Missouri Rep. Cynthia Davis opposing school lunches, saying that "hunger can be a positive motivator."

The latest indicator came when Arizona Senator Jon Kyl felt that there was no need for employers to cover maternity care since he himself had never had any need for it.

If men lack solidarity with women or if hungry kids don't bother us, empathy is in short supply.

Reps. Todd Akin and Blaine Luetkemeyer have signed on to a letter drafted by Rep. Steve King with false accusations about top Obama education adviser Kevin Jennings, calling on him to resign. Jennings has come under fire in a coordinated effort by conservatives in recent weeks because of his history as a gay rights advocate and because of an unfortunate incident from the 1980s when Jennings was a young teacher.

Greg Sargent has details on the letter:

GOP Rep Steve King, who’s been leading the charge against top Obama education adviser Kevin Jennings, today called for Jennings to be fired for allegedly "ignoring the sex abuse of a child" when he was a young schoolteacher.

But guess what: King’s office was informed at least a week ago that even Fox News, a lead tormentor of Jennings, corrected these allegations and acknowledged that the “child” was actually of legal consent age. I know, because I informed his office of this, in the course of seeking comment on an earlier story I was doing about the whole mess.

Kit Bond (with an appearance at 4:12 in this clip) and 29 of his fellow GOP Senators voted against Franken's amendment.

Sen. Bill Stouffer was on KMBC last night to share his enlightened opinions about gays in the military and prospective changes to the country's misguided "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) policy.  As Michael Mahoney reports, Stouffer doesn't want Rep. Ike Skelton to hold DADT hearings, and thinks that gays in the military are, well, icky and unpatriotic.

"When you’re in a war situation, you need to know that you can depend upon the person beside you. And if the lover–and you’re there and you got two lovers next to you, they’re going to take care of each other before  they-".  Stouffer stopped his thought, but then added, "it’s just that suspicion."

Seriously?

The DSCC has released a new web video and online petition challenging the 30 Republican Senators who voted against the Franken amendment to prohibit the Defense Department from contracting with companies that prohibit employees from suing for rape or sexual harassment. They write

Sen. Al Franken offered an amendment to the defense appropriations bill with this simple goal: Make sure employees -- most of them women -- who face sexual assault, battery and discrimination at work get their day in court -- and chance at justice.

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Roy Blunt was outraged by a defense authorization bill that passed the House by a 281-146 vote because it included new hate crimes protections that he says are "unconstitutional," criminalize "thought" and compromise "the very freedoms our service men and women fight to protect." Minority Leader John Boehner said the bill would institute "radical social policy."

But Blaine Luetkemeyer and 43 other Republicans voted for the bill and in favor of the unconstitutional radical social policy.  "We must support our military men and women who are putting their lives on the line to defend our nation and our freedoms, and we must remain committed to the fight against terrorist regimes that seek to destroy our way of life," Luetkemeyer said.