Vanity Fair got Abramoff to sit down for a while, with all his documents, photographs and whatnot…here’s the segment I got my hands on:
Newt Gingrich, whose spokesman Rick Tyler tells Margolick that “Before [Abramoff’s] picture appeared on TV and in the newspapers, Newt wouldn’t have known him if he fell across him. He hadn’t seen him in 10 years.” A rankled Abramoff says “I have more pictures of [Newt] than I have of my wife.” Abramoff shows Margolick numerous photographs: “Here’s Newt. Newt. Newt. Newt. More Newt. Newt with Grover [Norquist, the Washington conservative Republican Über-strategist and longtime Abramoff friend] this time. But Newt never met me. Ollie North. Newt. Can’t be Newt … he never met me. Oh, Newt! What’s he doing there? Must be a Newt look-alike.… Newt again! It’s sick! I thought he never met me!”
Abramoff saying something doesn’t really equal much in my mind, but when the guy has pictures, it really looks bad. This article is going to be a doozy! (available outside of NYC and LA on the 14th)
All religions are created equal and as such deserve equal disrespect. Although scientology seems especially stupid.
Karl I take it that you do not like religions period. Am I correct?
PAUL – Off the top of my head, South Park has ferociously panned:
1. Mormons
2. Islam
3. Christianity (w/ a special affinity for Catholicism)
4. Scientology
5. Judiasm (Ike’s briss)
That’s just religion…they’ve also gone after gays, Paris Hilton, the Shiavo thing, the 2000 recall, child abductions, Hooters, goth kids, plastic surgery, the Ramseys, OJ, poor white trash, alcoholism, Rob Reiner, Rosie O’Donnell, Mel Gibson, televangilism…
In 2004 a book came out called ‘South Park Conservatives’…
They are equal opportunity offenders, and spare no person or thing from appearing ridiculous on their show.
The kneejerk ‘christians are always under attack and Islam is bent over for’ reaction doesn’t apply to South Park…
Ike’s a scientologist, and that’s what that religion does when it’s made fun of. They sue, persuade, blah blah blah…like we say here in Massachusetts, ‘Manny being Manny’…well, this is just ‘scientology being scientology’.
Karl,
In what way are all religions created equal? I’ve read that exact quote before and am interested in how you would describe them all being equal.
In what way are all religions created equal?
Religion interferes witht he worship of libreralism. There can only be one God under liberalism and that God is political correctness (as demanded, pursuant to the tenants of liberalism)
Liberalism…give me a break! There are MILLIONS of liberals who go to church every Sunday. Sure, they might not be looking to convert the population through the government, and they might not be incorporating their religion into every political conversation they take part in. That hardly means they’re any less dedicated to their religion.
Right, what you and several right-wingers try to do when religion comes up, is to insinuate that only Republicans believe in anything. It’s dishonest.
Read the bible, the new testament, and it’s really hard finding many instances where Jesus’s words and actions wouldn’t be panned today as ‘liberal’, ‘welfare state’, ‘anti-business’…
Look at where we’re at today in terms of religions built on his name…while he went wild in the church, foiling the efforts of merchants to make a buck in a place of worship, the evangelicals have been pissing on that story for years now.
‘Anti-secular’ music, clothes, videos, etc…it’s a BIG BUSINESS in this country, and happens to be the exact opposite of what took place in the bible, when THEIR SAVIOR spoke out against it.
Now, this is me, a heavily devout Christian for most of my life, talking about what I KNOW. Not what I interpret based on my politics, but instead my longstanding beef with anyone who discards the rules they’re supposed to be representing for the ‘greater good’. That’s my personal feeling about what, to me, is hypocritical about religion today here in America.
It has nothing to do with me being a liberal. Now, what is so threatening about that fact? What is it about this that makes right-wingers so nervous that they have to lie and say all liberals are God-less?
I associate it with the same reasons for the Army making up a bullshit story about how Pat Tillman died. I mean, he spoke with Noam Chomsky!!! He didn’t believe in the Iraq war…
Those facts were too threatening to the heirarchy, they didn’t know how to handle it. I mean, how could a liberal sign up to fight in the Army?!?!?!? I thought they all hated America…
And God…
So what happens? People just pretend these things are true and ignore any evidence that proves otherwise.
All religions are equal in that that all encourage the worship of a mythical sky fairy. Speaking of political correctness some people might accuse me of being politicaly incorrect for saying that all religions are equally silly. But it is the truth, believing in one mythical god is just as sily as believing in any other.
The Mormon south park episode was awesome. I have not seen the Bloody mary episode yet, but I heard that one was pretty funny as well.
I agree with you conservative types when you say we as a country are to sencetive to muslims, I would just say that it goes one step further. We should call all religions out for what they are, silly fables that are not worth dyeing for, hell, they are not even worth missing a Sunday football game for.
Karl,
So all religions worship a God? That would prove most interesting!
Could you define for me why I am a conservative type? I thought labels were harmful?
Karl why are you so dismissive of religion when religion means so much to so many people? How do you feel about pagans and atheists?
Washington:
My “conservative type” comment was aimed at people who argue that the “Liberal media” is afraid of offending muslims. I agree the media is afraid to offend all religous groups, not just muslims. It is politically incorrect to disparage any religion.
As for your other comment I have feeling you are going to make an argument about worshipping something other than an all knowing being. You might be right if you mean that everyone finds something that gives their life meaning, although it is a little to existentionalists for me.
Paul:
I don’t get religion, and for me it is just as easy to dismiss the easter bunny or santa clause as it is some all knowing all powerful being that we are supposed to worship.
So the media is afraid to offend Jews Karl?????
Jews are offended all the time and have been for much longer than Muslims. Personally I stand with the Jews!
Of course the media would never offend jews, we all know the media is controlled by a vast zionist conspiricy(Assume sarcastic tone on that last post)
I really don’t get where you guys are going with this one, maybe a few examples would be helpful. I agree that the the Jews get a bum rap for the whole crucifiction thing.
I am not sure that you can compare Judaism to other religions in that Judaism is also a race, at least as far as I know in order to be jewish, your mother has to be jewish. (I know their is that whole Dr Laura, Maddona thing but I don’t know if they count)
Liberalism…give me a break! There are MILLIONS of liberals who go to church every Sunday.
HA!! I thought that might set you off. My question for you, then, regarding these religious liberals is why do they choose politics over religion? The Catholic Church, for excample says abortion is bad, gay marriage is bad but there is John Kerry, among others, right there chosing politics over his “faith”
So what is the difference between having no religion and belonging to one but ignoring the most important parts? If PC is your God then stay out of church.
I agree the media is afraid to offend all religous groups, not just muslims. It is politically incorrect to disparage any religion.
Karl, did you type this with a straight face? Editors are being fired over just re-printing the cartoons that are not even disrespectful. Christian bashing is a sport in America but liberals get all PC the moment Islam is mentioned, why? Is it Farakahn? What is it, I am sooo curious?