Must be another campaign year coming up, Thune’s supporters are knocking on doors
Of course, this should not surprise any of us that no one is talking about Thune’s connection to this corrupt group of Senators. I suspect it will only be a matter of time before John jumps this ship before it sinks;
When I wrote about Sen. Ensign in my book about the evangelical political organization that runs the C Street House, “The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power,”
I described him as a “conservative casino heir elected to the Senate from Nevada, a brightly tanned, hapless figure who uses his Family connections to graft holiness to his gambling-fortune name.”
Oh, but it gets better;
Today’s roll call is just as impressive: Men under the Family’s religio-political counsel include, in addition to Ensign, Coburn and Pickering, Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Jim DeMint and Lindsey Graham, both R-S.C.; James Inhofe, R-Okla., John Thune, R-S.D., and recent senators and high officials such as John Ashcroft, Ed Meese, Pete Domenici and Don Nickles. Over in the House there’s Joe Pitts, R-Penn., Frank Wolf, R-Va., Zach Wamp, R-Tenn., Robert Aderholt, R-Ala., Ander Crenshaw, R-Fla., Todd Tiahrt, R-Kan., Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., Jo Ann Emerson, R-Mo., and John R. Carter, R-Texas. Historically, the Family has been strongly Republican, but it includes Democrats, too. There’s Mike McIntyre of North Carolina, for instance, a vocal defender of putting the Ten Commandments in public places, and Sen. Mark Pryor, the pro-war Arkansas Democrat responsible for scuttling Obama’s labor agenda. Sen. Pryor explained to me the meaning of bipartisanship he’d learned through the Family: “Jesus didn’t come to take sides. He came to take over.” And by Jesus, the Family means the Family.
I am deeply offended (seriously) that Thune would associate himself with a group of people who would so blantantly ignore separation of church and state – especially lawmakers. If we try to infuse religion into our laws how does that make us any different then the Taliban? I mean just read these words from one of the leaders;
Christian right leader — and Watergate felon — Chuck Colson, converted through the efforts of the Family, has boasted of it as a “veritable underground of Christ’s men all through government.”
Scary stuff! Thune needs to break all ties to this group ASAP – we’ll see though. As he climbs farther up the ladder of the GOP I have a feeling we will find out about all kinds of ‘clubs’ he belongs to.
H/T- Helga
Thanks for posting this. I’ve been waiting for this revelation since the Ensign debacle fell out and since news organizations began reporting on the “family”. We won’t read about it in the South Dakota right wing media. My hunch is that there is a lot of story here “family” related about Thune – but it will take more than regurgitating his endless press releases to get it out. And regurgitating Thunisms is about all that the South Dakota media is capable of doing.
… I keep thinking there’s got to be a good cartoon here – something with a nod to Springsteen – like Senators and the C Street Band – with caricatures of all of them in front of the house, artifacts all around them…
… Actually, a flash animation of a Sesame Street parody sounds a little bit funnier…… Can you tell me how to get to “C” Street? — or sneak away from C Street. How would Sen. Thune look like a muppet/puppet?
Yawn. If Sotomayor’s more direct association with La Rosa or Obama’s ties to Acorn don’t bother you than why would this?
Oh wait…you hate the guy.
Carry on.
Jackie- Those are both funny, I’ll see if I am up to it.
Sy – Hate is pretty strong word, like I have said before, I don’t hate politicians, if I hated them it wouldn’t be fun to pick on them, just mean.
As for LaRosa, that org is no different to the NAACP, would we hold it against AG Holder or SCJ Thomas if they belonged? Doubtful. Once whites become the minority then we can him and haw about orgs like that. As for ACORN, a few bad apples in the bunch doesn’t make the entire org bad. Just because you are in love with Lou Dobbs propaganda machine about them doesn’t disqualify them. Any org that helps get the vote out is a great organization.
Now, back to the topic you tried to sidetrack. You don’t think Thune’s association with a radical Christian group is worrisome, especially one that has a boatload of adulterers in it? C’mon on Sy, even if you like Thune, you gotta admit it is a little strange. No wonder the Unruhs love him.
“Bu bu bu bu Obama and ACORN…”
STFU Sy – or some up with a new retort.
Sorry – should have been “come” instead of “some” obviously….or maybe “sum” instead of “some”. Your choice.
Didn’t you just post this:
“a few bad apples in the bunch doesn’t make the entire org bad.”
Except that only applies to Left-wing organizations, thanks for the clarification.
La Raza “the Race” has sub-groups like MEChA who have a little deeper ambitions that simply getting out the vote. Might want to do some of digging and see how those apples look and smell.
Just sayin’
Hey Costner, your stealing Angry Goat’s line and your telling me to come up with new material?
Yeah, I’ll get right on that for ya.
It is one thing to be living at “C” Street. It is another to believe that you and your buddies are above morals. Did Thune take his mistress to the C street appartment?
It’s just sad Sy. You can’t comment on the story at hand without resorting to an attack upon Obama or the left. At least 80% of what you regurgitate on this forum and on the Argus when speaking about political matters comes straight from talk radio and Fox News…I’m just asking for you to think on your own without resorting to canned talking points or meaningless excuses.
It is as if to say you don’t care about what the right is doing as long as you can find the left doing something which in your mind is equally as disgusting. You can’t even be bothered to actually attempt and defend the group to Thune – it is just immediate attack mode towards Obama (and in this case Sotomayor).
Sorry Sy, but that is simply a red herring argument, so unless you have a reason to actually defend Thune’s association your comment is worthless.
John-
I know there has been ‘rumors’ about Thune’s affairs, but until there is actual proof I would prefer we just stick to the topic and not make those accusations. I think it is far worse that John is involved with a group that has been compared to Nazis, Pol Pot’s regime and Al Queda then if he were to cheat on his wife. I don’t give a rat’s ass that those guys cheated on their wives, that’s their thing, but to deny any wrongdoing because you think you are ‘morally superior’ is just plain poppycock.
Costner,
It’s equally sad that rather than acknowlege the blatent double standard that is sitting in the room, you choose to attack me and your assumption (incorrect btw) of where I get my news and/or views.
The double standard is relevant, whether you want man up and admit it or not, because we were all told in the last Campaign that associations don’t matter and who a person hangs with shouldn’t affect how he/she will govern.
So, I’ll see your red herring and raise you one ad hominem.
As for Thune, yes…if he is knee deep and taking marching orders from this group than I have issue with that, and I’d be happy to let him know that. But, do we actually know any of that at this point?
“It’s equally sad that rather than acknowlege the blatent double standard that is sitting in the room”
What double standard are you referring to here Sy? I don’t think you see any posts of mine where I proclaim Thune must break ranks with this group or where I think it is impacting his ability to do his job, but I do think it would be in his best interests to discuss his association.
You know… like Obama was expected to do during the election. Then again if we take the precedent set by the GOP and Obama’s associations we just need to ignore the facts and what Thune says and just make up our own wild stories about the “real” story.
That said, my real concern here is how a blog continues to report on these types of issues but our state’s largest media outlets continue to ignore them. To think all this time I’ve been told the Argus and KELO are just part of the liberal media machine. Who woulda thunk it?
[…] while I think Scott has much of this covered over at his place including the Thune link I just wanted to add a clip from […]