As In "Crite"

I think the Republican Party needs to change its symbol from elephant to hippo.

Another day, another congressional R found to be doing that against which he rails. Family values. Abstinence. The louder the protest, the more likely the deceit. No matter. The hollering works.

Falling right in line, presidential hopeful Tim Pawlenty has just vetoed a Minnesota bill allowing basic and humane rights -- hospital visitation, end of life decisions -- to same sex couples. It wasn't even about marriage. It was about nothing more than simple human decency. No matter. Decency? Unwelcome. To be invited to the tea party, a Republican must, evidently, peddle hatred. Absent useful ideas, having had their bedrock tax-cut/deregulation/small government tropes thoroughly discredited, all they have left to rally their troops is the hope that they'll forget. How better to accomplish that than continual bombardment of sexual politics. What else is there for them?

Well, fear and hatred of immigrants. Let's not forget that.

Manipulating and stoking rage against the weak or different has a long and generally successful tradition in the party of Karl Rove, Tom Delay, Newt Gingrich, Fox "news" and the RWS™. I keep hoping the teabaggers will wake up and realize they're being played for fools, by dishonest people whose real agenda is anything but what it appears.

I also keep hoping I'll win the lottery.

And I don't even buy tickets.