Some of Thursday’s Questionable Right-Wing Statements and Decisions

Jason Attermann — October 14, 2010 – 2:18 pm | Education | Election 2010 | Election 2012 | Foreign Policy | Iran | Republicans | Stop the Smears Comments (2) Add a comment

Below are some of Thursday’s questionable right-wing statements and decisions:

• In the Delaware Senate debate on Wednesday, Republican Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell (R-DE) was unable to recall a recent Supreme Court decision that she opposed. Almost exactly two years ago, Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin (R-AK) stumbled over a similar question.
• The Washington Post noted that O’Donnell worked with some of Palin’s current advisors in preparation for the debate.
• During the debate, O’Donnell refused to answer if she believes in evolution, claiming that her opinion is “irrelevant.”
• When asked about the Park 51 Community Center plans in Manhattan, Representative Jim Gerlach (R-PA) equated the project’s planners to the Westboro Baptist Church and the pastor who organized a Quran-burning on September 11, saying “Just because you can do it doesn’t mean you should.”
• Politico reported that aspiring Speaker of the House Representative John Boehner’s (R-OH) Freedom Project political action committee contributed money to Nazi-reenacting Ohio Congressional candidate Rich Iott (R-OH). The contribution was made before The Atlantic published its report of Iott’s activities. Politico noted that Boehner will most likely allow Iott to keep the money.
• Kentucky Senate candidate Rand Paul (R-KY) attempted to distance himself from remarks he allegedly made in support of replacing the federal income tax with a federal sales tax.
• California Congressional candidate David Harmer (R-CA) declared that he believes in the complete elimination of public schools, calling them “socialism in education.”
• Politico reported that a handful of Republicans plan to push Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour (R-MS) to run for chairman of the Republican National Committee again, rather than for President in 2012. Barbour, the current chairman of the Republican Governors Association, was recently criticized for attempting to pass off a revisionist history of racial segregation during an interview.
• Rush Limbaugh mistakenly criticized George Clooney for giving up on Darfur (a region within Sudan) to instead advocate for Sudan. Limbaugh claimed later that he knew he was incorrect but “decided to stick with it.” According to Media Matters “Rush proudly informed his audience that, contrary to the prediction of a staffer, he had not received a single email correcting his goof.”
• Limbaugh also made the ridiculous claim that Obama believes Iran should have nuclear weapons. Limbaugh’s accusation contradicts Israel’s Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren, who said Obama has “a very robust position on Iran,” and that Obama is “determined” to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran.
• The Washington Post reported that former Vice President Dick Cheney has yet to apologize to Harry Whittington for shooting him almost five years ago.

 

Also, be sure to read The New York Times’ account of the schism between ultra-conservative Rabbi Yehudah Levin and New York Gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino (R-NY) over Paladino’s apology for his anti-gay remarks.

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