Politics Corner December 18th

 

photo mine (beware of Harlan)

Justice Clarence Thomas'' grift has no bottom. He threatened to resign if he didn't get more money. He didn't get a pay raise but suddenly money was pouring into his pockets from every billionaire. And everyone involved doesn't know how this happened. [ProPublica]

via ProPublica

Pope Francis stirred up a storm today. He's threading a very fine needle by saying Catholic priests may now bless same-sex couples. I don't want to lose sight of how giant a step this is. But of course there are restrictions. It must not resemble a wedding in any way because marriage is still only a lifetime commitment between an man and a woman. Pretty much everyone got something and everybody got something to complain about. I don't see anything insisting that conservative priest must perform blessings. They can stay in their caves. Wedding planners have their work cut out. How do you put together a wedding that is specifically not a wedding? [CBS]

via CBS

The Florida Republican Party has finally noticed it's chairman has been accused of rape. (We could talk about threeways but unlike Republicans I don't kink shame.) Rape and he videotaped the rape so there's evidence. His salary has been reduced to $1 and he's been asked to resign. He hasn't, just as his wife has not resigned from the Sarasota School Board or DeSantis' fake Disney board. Let's talk about that three way anyway because they made it new. She's a cofounder (although no longer a leader) of Mom's for Liberty which is famous in particular for being vehemently anti-LGBTQetc. and it turns out that's both of them. Only one is a rapist but both are hypocrites. 

via BBC

The State of Ohio is trying to overrule their own people. The people of Ohio were not happy with the near total ban on abortion so they brought up a referendum and the people voted for reproductive rights. The state has attempted to enforce the ban and the Ohio Supreme court slapped them down and sent the case back down to the court that overruled the ban in the first place. [Guardian]

via Guardian

Women's health clinics are offering abortion again in Wisconsin. That's the good news. The bad news is that this is tenuous. Republicans will run away from the issue but Democrats promise to make 2024 another election about abortion. That worked in 2022. [WUWM]

via WUWM

More background on how the Dobbs decision happened and who's to blame. [NY Times by way of Seattle Times]

via Seattle Times

Political discussion welcome.