Sexist Santorum and Clueless Cupp

I caught the same Santorum headlines as the rest of the world... Rick Santorum making reportedly disparaging (does he make any other kind?) remarks about Sarah Palin and CPAC, and her comeback remarks.

Now, I have never been keen on Rick Santorum. I was unfortunate enough to have him as my Senator, and looked forward with glee to the day I could vote against him. (I hope you Republicans remember that in 2012. This asshole was voted out for good reasons. If you try to run him for the big job, not only will I personally vote against him, I'll get off my lazy ass and work to make sure others do as well.) I consider him arrogant and insufferable, and once blogged that he's a sanctimonious prig.

So when time permitted, I watched the interview with conservative darling S E Cupp to see for myself what he actually said. I intended to eviscerate him verbally (there's some new civility for ya) because... well, because he gave me an excuse. And I just don't like him.

I found a pretty good round-up of the continuing story at Caffeinated Thoughts, which includes Sarah Palin's rather amusing remark: "...I will not call him the knuckle dragging neanderthal that perhaps others would want to call him. I’ll let his wife call him that instead."

The piece ends with this statement:

In all of this I think the true winner is S.E. Cupp who received a lot of publicity for her first radio show.

Ugh. I couldn't possibly disagree more.

Oh, not about the publicity. I'm sure she'll get plenty of that. But, in my humble opinion, Cupp really shit the bed.

I'm no fan or proponent of feminism from a liberal standpoint. I believe I've made that clear enough. But I AM am firm believer in treating everyone equally.

So I was gobsmacked to watch a female journalist nod and grin and bob her little head through the following exchange about CPAC:

SEC - You wouldn't have turned it down.

RS - I wouldn't have turned it down. But you know I don't live in Alaska... and I'm not the mother to all these kids, and I don't have other responsibilities like she has...

SEC - (through RS statement) Yeah. Right. Right. Mm-hmm.

RS - ...and other opportunities that she has to... uh... for... uh... like I said, other business opportunities that may be in conflict with what she was asked to do.

SEC - Right. But I was looking over your schedule... (blah blah blah...) Do you just really like airline peanuts or is there a method to this madness?

Are you shitting me?

A former Senator, Presidential hopeful, pompous ass and FATHER OF SEVEN makes a remark about Sarah Palin being busy because she's "the mother to all these kids" and you let it slide? My personal hypocrisy meter damn near popped a spring, and the silly grin on your face didn't even flicker?

I realize S E is probably no more a feminist than I am. In fact, she once said "taxes affect my day-to-day life a lot more than reproductive rights do". But come on, girl! Were you so eagerly anticipating your little peanut joke that you didn't listen to the man's words?

I watched the clip of their interview expecting to come away pissed at Santorum. That's my usual response when sounds come out of his mouth. But I have to say, I think Cupp was the bigger disappointment. Really -- if a conservative woman can't be counted on to defend the equality of other conservative women, then who can? (Heh. Me, I guess.)

I looked back at other things Cupp has done to get an idea if she has any coherent stance on this topic. I found a clip where she pays very brief lip service to the mistreatment of women during the 2008 campaign... while doing her hair and makeup.



I dunno... I would hope that most conservative women - feminist or not - would disapprove of, nay... be insulted by Santorum's thoughtless and inherently sexist remark. If so, they should by extension be disapproving of and insulted by Cupp's failure to notice it and call him out for it.

I, for one, am less than impressed. Pfffft.

BalLOON Boy and the Heene Meanies

Yuck.





I suggest we build a bigger balloon, and float this whole family to Outer Mongolia.

After watching this obnoxious bunch, we're supposed to believe anything about Falcon's adventure? I say, damn shame they didn't all drift into orbit and stay there.

STAY AWAY FROM MY KIDS!

I can't think of a simpler way to say it, so I'll just echo David Hedrick:

"STAY AWAY FROM MY KIDS."

Yes, I am one of those parents who objects (strenuously) to President Obama speechifying during the school day. Yes, my school-age kids will be at home that day.

Now, before anyone gets started with the racist-reactionary-rightwingnut-conspiracytheory-antiAmerican accusations, let's think this one through, OK?

I have no problem at all with the idea of an American president addressing our children. To my knowledge, such a thing has never happened. I can imagine being a kid again, and being excited that the President would want to talk to us! When you're a kid, a lot of people talk over or around you. The idea that someone as important as The President might want to talk TO you might be pretty cool! Even as an adult, I think in theory it's a nice idea for him to reach out to kids and give them encouragement.

However, the minute you remove parents as the guiding adult and replace them with teachers, you've lost me.

If President Obama wanted to address my children, he'd have had more luck with something like this:

"Hey, kids! On Tuesday night, President Obama has things he'd like to say -- to YOU! He has an important message for you about your education and our future. At seven o'clock, there will be a special speech for America's kids! We want you to sit down with Mom & Dad and watch it together. And here are some ideas to help your family talk about it afterward!"

See the difference? Mom and Dad... family talk together... I think MOST Americans would have found this completely acceptable. I can almost guarantee that we would tune in, and we would discuss the message together.

Once again, the people making decisions for us don't remotely comprehend the problem with their latest idea. They want to do something that will directly impact our children, and yet they leave out the most important aspect of dealing with children - parental involvement. And they replace the parents with teachers.

I do NOT need a village to help me raise my kids. And I certainly don't want their values or political beliefs guided by teachers. I would prefer their teachers concentrate on TEACHING things like reading, math and history. (I would already consider it an improvement if they could manage JUST THAT. Our local school system spends half the year teaching toward the standardized testing, and precious little time actually educating students.) I'll take care of teaching them values and beliefs.

If President Obama wants to reach out to America's kids, I'm all for it. If he would like to address families and encourage discussion about goals, responsibilities and involvement in their future, I'm on board. If he wants to be the first President that reaches out to kids to help motivate them, then WE can do it as a team, and it could be a very positive thing!

But if he wants to collectively address children (as young as pre-K?!) WITHOUT keeping me as a parent on the team and right in the discussion? Well, you know my answer.

Stay away from my kids.


UPDATE: The media is reporting (good thing, for those with memories like mine) that GHWB addressed school students in 1991. One MORE case of the childish "Well, THEY DID IT FIRST!" Good grief. A few points here...

1. When GHWB did it, the democrats were not happy. I'm seeing video of Dick Gephardt losing his mind over the speech. If it was wrong then, it is wrong now!

2. (And I'll date myself with this one...) In 1991, I personally was not in school anymore so I dont remember this. Further, I had no children in school at this time. Let me state bluntly that if I HAD children in school at this time, I would NOT have wanted them wasting their school hours listening to Bush, either.