In Syria's Condition; Politics, Republicans, Racism, Vote Machinations, Teh Ghey, Marriage Equality, Church and State, Media; NSA Spying

In Syria's Condition

• Syria resolution dies at U.N., and British lawmakers balk—"The moves are a setback for the U.S. bid to strike Syria militarily for its alleged chemical weapons use."
• Russia sending warships to the Mediterranean: report
• State Dept Admits It Doesn't Know Who Ordered Syria's Chemical Strike
• Obama: 'No decision yet' on Syria
• Why America cannot live without wars

Politics

• Bill Moyers Essay: The End Game for Democracy—"Bill Moyers says the parody and satire of Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert pay Washington the disrespect it deserves, but in the end it's the city's predatory mercenaries who have the last laugh."
• The real threat to our way of life? Not terrorists or faraway dictators, but our own politicians and securocrats—"Convinced national security is for ever at risk, western governments mimic the fanaticism they claim to despise."
• Invoking God in America—"The language of civil religion has been invoked to justify every dark chapter in U.S. history, from the slaughter of Native Americans to discrimination and nativism to our periodic military misadventures."
• Welcome to the Age of Denial—"Our society no longer values the integrity of scientific fact and instead embraces pseudo-scientific ignorance such as climate change denial and creationism."
• The Leveraged Buyout of America—"Giant bank holding companies now own airports, toll roads, and ports; control power plants; and store and hoard vast quantities of commodities of all sorts. They are systematically buying up or gaining control of the essential lifelines of the economy. How have they pulled this off, and where have they gotten the money?"

Republicans

• But can the GOP revise the party?—"The reason for that is that many Republican candidates are outside the mainstream on issues like climate change and evolution and contraception and immigration and rape and safety net programs."
• McCain: Republicans Need To Debate The Direction Of The Party
• Embracing misinformation on Obama
• Jack Lew's Debt Ceiling Offer to the GOP: "Nothing"—Their saber-rattling might get them bupkis this time.
• Republicans absent from March on Washington—"Not a single Republican elected official stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Wednesday with activists, actors, lawmakers and former presidents invited to mark the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington — a notable absence for a party seeking to attract the support of minority voters."

Racism

• Maine Town Official Visited By Secret Service For Racially Charged Obama Post—'David Marsters, a retired Massachusetts police officer and a candidate for selectman in Sabattus, Maine, posted a photo of Obama along with a link to a story about a Republican push to impeach the president at 8:17 p.m. Friday, writing 'Shoot the Nigger' above it, according to the newspaper."
• Chris Matthews Unloads: Obama's Critics Are Driven By Racism
• Tea partier at Ted Cruz town hall: 'Canada is not really foreign soil
• Bobby Jindal Claims that GOP Obama Racism is Ok because Democrats Did It To Bush
• DHS employee behind website promoting race war on paid leave
• Woman brutally beaten by group of teens in North Side says attack was 'racially motivated'—More bitches behaving badly.
• Parting And Leaving You With Some Obvious S**t

Vote Machinations

• Govt sues Texas over voter ID law
• North Carolina: Losing the argument
• Colin Powell: Voting restrictions 'are going to backfire' on Republicans
• Conservatives Are Finally Admitting What Voter Suppression Laws Are All About
• Bill Clinton: 'A great democracy does not make it harder to vote than to buy an assault weapon.'

Teh Ghey

• Cory Booker on Gay Rumors: So What Does It Matter If I Am?—His opponent is rather odd himself.
• Republicans Say It's Unfair To Compare Civil Rights To LGBT Rights
• The right's big gay dilemma: A movement divided in 2016—"While Democrats are now united on LGBT rights, Chris Christie and Rand Paul foretell a juicy GOP reckoning in 2016." Salon

Marriage Equality

• N.M. Republican Said Gay Men Should Stop 'Whoring' And Marry Women
• Pa. attorneys: Gay couples are like kids, can't marry
• Marin County GOP breaks ranks, backs gay marriage
• Ousted Illinois Republican chairman hired to lobby on gay marriage bill
• Alabama GOP Won't Remove Member For Supporting Gay Marriage

Church and State

• AL Chief Justice Roy Moore reflects on Ten Commandments removal decade later
• New Jersey rejects 'ATHEIST' vanity plate for being offensive—After the bad press the NJ DMV got, they've reversed their objectionable stance.
• Texas Pastafarian Wins Battle At DMV, Becomes First In U.S. To Wear Colander In License Photo—Ramen.

Media

• 'Vitriolic coverage': Study examines why Fox News viewers hate Obama
• Want to Reduce Polarization? You Need to Improve Political Journalism—"Ideologically extreme members of Congress are more vulnerable to defeat when voters can learn about their in-office activities through traditional media."
• TIME to Americans: You are stupid, vapid, self-absorbed narcissists.

NSA Spying

• As a Democrat, I am disgusted with President Obama—"I voted for Obama reluctantly, but never did I imagine he would become another Richard Nixon."
• Sorry, Obama. There Were No "Other Avenues" for Snowden's Whistle-Blowing.
• NSA Has Been Spying On Members Of Congress For A Long Time
• Voters mad about NSA spying face uphill battle
• The parody shirt the NSA doesn't want you to wear