"... you placed your hand on the Bible and swore to uphold the Constitution."

Gene Stone writes for the Huffington Post:
It's so rare, given the basic tenor of most arguments in politics today, but every once in a while someone says something so remarkable that's it's worth noting, without any comment at all.

Such a situation took place on March 1st in Annapolis, Maryland, where a hearing on a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage was taking place. The far right wing was doing its usual best to frighten, anger, and intimidate the witnesses who dared disagree with them.

Then Jamie Raskin, professor of law at American University, testified as to why the amendment should not be passed.

At the end of his testimony, one of Maryland's most insane ultra-far-rightwingers, republican Senator Nancy Jacobs, stood up and shouted: "Mr. Raskin, my Bible says marriage is only between a man and a woman. What do you have to say about that?"

To which Mr. Raskin replied: "Senator, when you took your oath of office, you placed your hand on the Bible and swore to uphold the Constitution. You did not place your hand on the Constitution and swear to uphold the Bible."

Take the survey -

Did Bush mislead nation to go to war? - Politics - MSNBC.com
(Update: as of 6/1/06, an overwhelming 94% of respondents agree -- Bush mislead the nation to go to war. Someone please remind me, what constitutes high crimes and misdemeanors worthy of impeachment?)
"Leaders of the Free World"

I usually reserve my music comments for one of my other blogs, but I think this track by Elbow, "Leaders of the Free World," from their album of the same name, is apt and relevant. Besides, it's a great track off an outstanding album, which I somehow managed to miss when it came out last year.
But the leaders of the free world
Are just little boys throwing stones
And it's easy to ignore
Till they're knocking on the door of your homes

My thinking isn't driven
But the music always gives me a lift
I'm so easy to please, yeah
But I think we dropped the baton like the 60's didn't happen, oh no!

Oh periscope up
Should be looking for a ladder
I need to see the commander in chief
And remind him what was passed onto me

Your mum don't sleep!
And the friends you keep!
I didn't raise a thief!
I didn't raise a thief!

Passing the gun from father to feckless son
We're climbing a landslide where only the good die young