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24 Nov 2010 18:14

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Politics: Anti-abortion activist Randall Terry wants to scar your eyes in 2012

  • Great, just what we need. More of these ads. (just a link to another article, we swear!) To our friends outside of DC this election cycle, you may have something to not look forward to next cycle. Missy Smith, a protégé of noted anti-abortion activist Randall Terry, ran some incredibly disturbing ads of dead fetuses on television just before the election. And while they weren’t necessarily family viewing, they could run during family hours because Terry had read up on campaign advertising laws. While Smith only earned six percent of the vote in November, here adsy got lots of people talking – so many that Terry plans to take the campaign national in 2012, getting more candidates involved and running for president so he can air the ads during the Super Bowl. Great. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 Oct 2010 10:01

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Politics: Missy Smith, campaign ads, and reaching the bottom of the barrel

  • So, recently, this lady has been clogging DC airwaves with the worst ads. We saw them a few times over the weekend. Missy Smith’s been paying money to show aborted fetuses in as disgusting a light as possible, during daytime hours. (Click here if you’re curious.) And because she’s in cahoots with Randall Terry, the founder of Operation Rescue, she knew that she legally could force the TV stations to show them. In fact, she ran for Congress in DC (where she’s destined to lose, because Eleanor Holmes Norton is very popular) specifically to run these ads on television. The stations have had to put lengthy, 15-second warnings in front of the ads. And they’ve forced us to consider a few things:
  • Culture wars not over In the age of Obama, despite all the negative energy that’s been popping up, one positive of it is that certain social movements (specifically gay rights) have been looking more and more likely to go mainstream. But as this ad proves, certain wedge issues won’t go away quite that easily.
  • Playing to our divisions Jon Stewart’s twelve-minute rant at the very end of yesterday’s “Rally To Restore Sanity” was pretty much made for people like Smith and ads like this one. Most people aren’t like Smith, but people like Smith use stunts like these to dominate our dialogue. Don’t let these stunts define us, fellow Americans.
  • The bar has lowered In a political advertising season that started with Demon Sheep and has only gotten worse from there (barring Dale Peterson), it makes sense that we end it with an ad that literally shows aborted fetuses during daytime television. Those earlier ads set the stage for us to hit bottom. Now, here we are. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Mar 2010 16:29

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Politics: Health care good to go: Bart Stupak gets what he wants

  • They stood strong. They stood on the principle of a belief. And I’m proud of them.
  • Michigan Rep. Bart Stupak • At a press conference regarding the deal he made with a number of other congressmen to block funding for abortion in the final bill. Dude stood by his principles and won. Gotta give him credit for that at least. This bill’s likely going to pass tonight, as the vote count is now safely over the magical 216 needed for passage. Interesting political theater today. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

19 Mar 2010 07:59

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Politics: Health care: Has anyone thought about how Bart Stupak feels?

  • People saying they’re going to spit on you and all this. That’s just not fun.
  • Rep. Bart Stupak • Regarding the Senate version of the health care bill that he’s been pushing against due to its language on abortion. The House version, which Stupak had a hand in pushing, has stronger language. Regarding the updated bill, he claimed that he could wrangle 12 representatives to support him, but that’s looking less likely due to the hard work Obama’s putting in to woo these specific voters. Oh, and the fact that it’s almost exactly the same language. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 Jan 2010 11:13

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Politics: Focus on the Family dude: The Tim Tebow ad isn’t anti-anything

  • There’s nothing political about the ad. Nothing shocking or divisive. Nothing ‘anti’ anything. It’s just an inspiring story from the Tebows – as much as can be fit into 30 seconds, anyway – about celebrating family and celebrating life.
  • Focus on the Family President and CEO Jim Daly • Regarding the Tim Tebow Super Bowl ad that’s driven a firestorm of controversy. He claims that it’s inspiring “cultural change,” not forcing anti-abortion down our throats. “That’s the motivation behind our commercial – to get the country talking about the choices we have to make when faced with all variety of life challenges,” he writes, “not just unplanned pregnancies.” If they can somehow get two dudes kissing in the commercial, then we’d watch. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Jan 2010 16:59

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Biz, Culture: Update: ManCrunch.com’s Super Bowl ad rejected by CBS. WTF?

  • We’re calling hypocrite on CBS. A gay-themed ad was rejected by the same company that approved an anti-abortion ad. They’re claiming credit problems, despite the fact that the company was willing to pay cash and had $40 million in venture capital. Come on. This is politics, clear and simple. And we hope that CBS hears it loudly. By the way, GoDaddy’s latest sexapalooza was also rejected. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 2 Comments • Permalink

29 Jan 2010 13:05

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U.S.: Scott Roeder’s murder conviction happened in a familiar place

  • 30 number of minutes it took a jury to acquit George Tiller of 19 misdemenaor violations of Kansas’ abortion law in March of last year
  • 37 number of minutes it took a jury in the same courthouse to convict Scott Roeder of murdering Tiller; Roeder attended Tiller’s trial source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

22 Jan 2010 18:05

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U.S.: Today, the Roe v. Wade abortion debate took over D.C.

37 years ago today, Roe v. Wade was passed, creating the strongest wedge issue our country has ever seen. Protesters were out in full force today. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

11 Sep 2009 13:08

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U.S.: Anti-abortion protester killed in Michigan shootings

  • Owosso, Mich. is in the national news for the first time ever. James Pouillon, a noted anti-abortion activist, was killed this morning while protesting outside Owosso High School. Pouillion, who used an oxygen tank and wore leg braces while protesting, wasn’t alone. The owner of a local gravel company was found shot and killed inside his office. A suspect in both cases was later captured. Citizens for a Pro-life Society director Monica Migliorino Miller put it like so: “Jim Pouillon is a hero. He died for the cause of life.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

13 Jul 2009 18:46

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U.S.: “Jane Roe” arrested for interrupting Supreme Court hearing

  • Officers, please remove whoever is causing the disturbance.
  • Senator Patrick Leahy • In response to anti-abortion protesters Norma McCorvey and Francis Mahoney at Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor’s Senate confirmation hearing today. McCorvey, best known as “Jane Roe” in the landmark 1973 Supreme Court abortion case Roe v. Wade, and Mahoney were arrested for yelling during the proceedings.  • source
Posted by Nathalie Heiberg • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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