Between the constant "Newt this" and "Newt That" the news on all the other attention on right-wing hopefuls and budget struggles everywhere I am just feel bit saturated with the same story lines.
Nothing is getting done at the national level, so let's pay attention to a bunch of wannabe candidates...when this happens I tend to retreat to my local government--and today I was completely flummoxed by the GOP's choice of guest chaplain.
Yes, flummoxed.
Given I live in the great (one-time progressive bastion) state of Minnesota (that's right Netroots Nation central this year--and I live 10 mins from the epicenter!!), I can't believe what I read today...I simply can't believe it...FLUMMOXED.
This piece about a supposed "Reverend" Bradlee Dean offering prayer before the Minnesota House session today completely floored me.
I can't, without reducing myself utter vulgarity, write more about this incident--I will let the above article above speak for me.
That said, I did receive a from email from Minnesota Representative Pail Thissen (D) reading the following:
Dear Christopher,
Bradlee Dean, controversial anti-gay former rocker turned minster, was invited to give the prayer on the floor of the Minnesota House of Representatives today. Dean is best known for his extreme anti-gay rhetoric, including the following comments in a radio show last May: “The bottom line is this… they [homosexuals] play the victim when they are, in fact, the predator…On average, they molest 117 people before they’re found out. How many kids have been destroyed, how many adults have been destroyed because of crimes against nature?”
In closing his 'prayer' - given at a time when legislation to amend Minnesota’s constitution to limit marriage to one man and one woman is before the Minnesota Legislature - Mr. Dean questioned President Obama's faith, saying:
“And I end with this. I know this is a non-denominational prayer in this Chamber and it’s not about the Baptists and it’s not about the Catholics alone or the Lutherans or the Wesleyans. Or the Presbyterians the evangelicals or any other denomination but rather the head of the denomination and his name is Jesus. As every President up until 2008 has acknowledged."
Members of both parties and citizens across Minnesota were outraged both at the choice of Dean to give the prayer and at Dean’s words themselves. My colleague, DFL Rep. Terry Morrow, made a solemn speech on the floor of the Legislature in response to the Dean prayer:
"Mr. Speaker I do trust and I do hope that every member of this chamber understands the gravity and the severity of the offense that had been given to many people within this chamber and out. It has been my understanding that part of the justification, part of the explanation for starting our sessions with a prayer was that those prayers would never exclude, never marginalize a Minnesotan on the basis of their faith, on the basis of their beliefs, on the basis of who they are and those expectations have been crushed today."
There is no place for hate in the Minnesota Capitol, on the floor of the House or Senate, or anywhere in this state. I and the other 61 members of the DFL House Caucus believe strongly that our job is to work for ALL Minnesotans - not to divide our state based on geography, or gender, or sexual identity - and that's what we'll continue to do.
Sincerely,
Paul Thissen
It is hard to believe that whoever invited this d-bag to 'pray' on the floor today didn't know what he was all about and that he would spew this kind of hate.
I don't care our political/ideological/religious differences--the floors of our legislatures demand more decorum and respect than this, and I sincerely hope whoever invited this bigoted homophobe get duly chastised for his gall.
That's it--that's all...rage amongst yourselves...and if you don't I am even more worried.