Cast of "The View" need to be educated about women's issues

On September 10, "The View" made headlines for their hard-hitting phone interview with Donald Trump. After carefully considering the consequences, I'm not a Trump supporter, and I'm glad they were asking tough questions. During the interview, Whoopi told Trump, "...you've got to get a little bit more informed on what's going on with women's issues."

Yesterday, the ladies proved they could use some education as well.

Whoopi went on a tirade that reveals what she really believes Planned Parenthood does and how the possible loss of federal money that "isn't being used for abortions" (which she incorrectly says has been defunded--it hasn't, the house just voted to do it), could be catastrophic for women (her rant starts at 19:30):

Oh, where to begin. There are so many things to correct here. First, since Whoopi brought it up, let's remember why Planned Parenthood really came into being: (Please click on the quote to read about Margaret Sanger's real reasons, in her own words, for founding Planned Parenthood. I think it's especially important to view the video at the bottom of the page, which shows her racist agenda lives on.)

"We do not want word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population." - Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood, 1939

It seems Planned Parenthood wasn't formed at all because people were sick of "tripping over women with hangers hanging out of their bodies" so much as its founder was sick of tripping over people of color, an attitude that seems to exist within the organization today. Want to keep defending it, ladies?

During the Trump interview on September 10, Joy schooled Trump about Planned Parenthood, saying "Planned Parenthood does abortions for three percent of the people that come to them. The rest is women's health. The three percent is not federally funded, so nobody's tax money is being used for abortions..."

If that's true, then why did Whoopi launch into a diatribe about how defunding Planned Parenthood will make women be unable to get abortions? She argues that defunding Planned Parenthood is taking away women's rights to abortion, adding "that's not how our government works."

If I must Dick-and-Jane it to people who don't understand, I will:  If federal money doesn't go toward abortions at Planned Parenthood, then defunding them shouldn't have any effect on a woman's ability to get one.

I've watched the show since the day it debuted. It was good to have women talking about important, fun, interesting topics. It's had many incarnations since--some good, some bad. But it's hit a new low. "The View" is now a bunch of ill-informed women with the same view who squash any opinions from the token "conservative," should she be allowed to speak. I don't remember that being Barbara Walters' vision, do you?

It wouldn't bother me except for the fact that the show has millions of viewers believing the outright lies and ignorant utterings they spew daily, which could very well influence the upcoming election.

They've lost an astounding number of sponsors in just the first two weeks of the new season because of their frivolity and ignorance of serious subject matter. It seems #DefundPlannedParenthood has a new buddy:  #DefundTheView.

Planned Parenthood's biggest lie sullies two major ABC events in one week

Planned Parenthood, ABC, and its parent company, Disney, must be so proud. First the lie was parroted and told several times on the season 19 premiere week of ABC's "The View," and once by a U.S. Senator! Then, during an unusually-but-refreshingly-brutal on-stage question portion of the Miss America Pageant, it was told again. Has Planned Parenthood's biggest lie become the truth?

No, because the facts have not changed. Yes, because people perceive it to be absolute truth. In this case, perception trumps facts because not only does this lie help form people's opinions about what Planned Parenthood really does, the lie has and will continue to affect public policy.

The lie? Planned Parenthood provides mammograms. Every time you hear the word "mammogram" come out of the mouth of anyone speaking about how Planned Parenthood provides health care for women, it's a lie. It just is. Even if Senator Elizabeth Warren says it on "The View."

(The lie is at about 28 seconds into the video.)



Now Planned Parenthood's lie has reached the Miss America stage showcasing how endemic this lie has become. Here it is, from the 2016 Miss America Pageant on ABC Sunday night:

(It begins at about 2:22 into the in the video.)



Miss Tennessee parrots the lie that Planned Parenthood provides mammograms. Planned Parenthood doesn't provide mammograms.

I sought out a mammogram at every Planned Parenthood facility in my home state. I couldn't get one because they don't provide mammograms. They provide "mammogram referral," but not one single mammogram can be performed at a Planned Parenthood facility in my state, or in any state for that matter, because there is not one mammogram machine in any Planned Parenthood facility.

Any woman could get a mammogram referral from any medical clinic, hospital, internet search, or government agency. Planned Parenthood isn't needed for this.

Pro-life activist for Live Action, Lila Rose, took it many steps further. She attempted to get a mammogram at Planned Parenthood clinics across the United States. She couldn't get one. Why? Because Planned Parenthood doesn't do mammograms.



This lie has been deliberately being spread for a very long time, and it's been exposed by several individuals and organizations. Even the breast cancer advocacy group, the Susan G. Komen Foundation, cut off their annual grant to Planned Parenthood because Planned Parenthood doesn't provide mammograms. Nancy Brinker, founder and then CEO of Komen said, "Wherever possible, we want to grant to the provider that is actually providing the lifesaving mammogram." Three days later the Foundation was bullied into reversing its decision by Planned Parenthood and its supporters. Nancy Brinker, who founded Komen in honor of her sister who died of breast cancer, stepped down from her position. Komen has never recovered from the controversy. Planned Parenthood sent a very strong message: Don't mess with us, or we will take you down. Even if you are a breast cancer charity giving us money for mammograms we don't ever perform.

Planned Parenthood has used the media and its "useful idiots" well. It has used pro-choice women to spread its lies because they won't be questioned. My question is:  if they will lie about mamograms repeatedly to every media outlet imaginable, why should we believe anything else they say?

We shouldn't. I'll be writing a lot more about Planned Parenthood here. If you are pro-life and haven't seen the videos being released by the Center for Medical Progress, I urge you. If you are pro-choice, I dare you.

So they lie about women's health care. They laugh about sending the heads of decapitated babies through the mail and eat salad and drink wine while talking about how to adjust an abortion procedure on a "17-weeker" to get the best organs to sell. (Is it in a woman's best interest to adjust the procedure? Will it help preserve her future fertility, or put it at risk? Do the abortionists give a damn? Do they adjust the abortion procedure for the sake of  "women's healthcare?")

You may have noticed a mantra of sorts throughout this article:  Planned Parenthood doesn't provide mammograms. Every time you hear someone say they do, it's a lie. If you're pro-life, please begin to shout it from the rooftops. If anyone says it, simply say, "Planned Parenthood doesn't provide mammograms." That's it. You don't have to argue it. Just keep repeating it, because it's the truth.

If you hear it on T.V., post on the show's website or Facebook page that Planned Parenthood doesn't provide mammograms. Then tweet it.

If you're pro-choice, please do this:   Realize that this organization has lied to you. It's lied to millions of women, media, senators, members of congress and more. They are liars. Do you care? Does it bother you that they lie and count on you to perpetuate that lie, gambling on the fact that you don't know it's not true? Is it a problem for you that they will lie about this to get at your tax dollars?

If you are Planned Parenthood fans, those who I wish, in the words of Joy Behar, "...would just get this through their heads," this is for you:



Do you wonder what else Planned Parenthood is lying about? I'll tackle that next time. Hint:  it's not abortion.

New FNR Blog Coming Soon!!!

My retooled Friendly Neighborhood Republican blog is under construction at this time. In the meantime, archived articles can be easily accessed here. I'm hoping to have it up ASAP, but I can't promise when. I'll put out a mass message when the new, improved FNR is up. Thanks for all of your support. It means everything.

Dayton Considers Executive Order to Unionize Children

Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton is considering issuing an Executive Order to create a union for all of Minnesota's children.

Citing concern that children have an under-represented voice in the labor force, Dayton has promised that unionizing Minnesota's children will give them the protection they need as they navigate the difficult journey of growing up to become taxpayers.

Pro-union groups have described their perceived advantages to unionizing children.  "Children need a voice, and the union will be that voice.  They are often given low wages for work, forced to wear clothing they don't like, eat food they don't like, and they are disciplined without representation.  They need protection against these egregious examples of how children are taken advantage of in our society," said an unidentified union representative.

"Our goal is that through the unionization of Minnesota children, they will now receive minimum wage for their chores and work done for neighbors and friends.  They will no longer be at the mercy of the dictator parent who has the last word. They will have representation in all disputes. They will go unprotected no longer."

Dayton administration insiders say the unionization will be good for the economy.  "Children already hold a large chunk of the disposable income in America.  Paying them higher wages will only put more disposable income into their hands, allowing them to stimulate the economy by spending that money at malls and movie theaters."

When asked if the children's wages would be taxed, an administration official answered, "Only if they're rich."

A Republican insider disagreed with the plan, saying, "One of the big reasons they're doing this is to change the unemployment numbers.  A kid gets a job mowing lawns--one job created.  A teenager babysits for several families--each babysitting event would be counted as a new job created. This is ridiculous."

When asked if this action would even be legal, since minor children are unable to enter into contracts under current law, Dayton just stared blankly into space.


(For those with a sprained or absent sense of humor, the above article is a satire, you know, or Al Franken's favorite word.)

Obama team launches group to eliminate news against Obama before it airs

I know a lot of conservatives receive these e-mails, but then again, I know a lot of you don't. (These people think my name is Loretta.) So, I sometimes like to share the more interesting ones with the FNR readers.  Here's the latest one:

Loretta--

If you're someone who cares about seeing a campaign focused on substance between now and November 2012, I need you to become a part of one of our most important teams.

It's called AttackWatch.com, and it launches today.

Here's the deal: We all remember the birth certificate smear, the GOP's barrage of lies about the Affordable Care Act, and the string of other phony attacks on President Obama that we've seen over the past few years.

There are a lot of folks on the other side who are chomping at the bit to distort the President's record. It's not a question of if the next big lie will come, just when -- and what we're prepared to do about it.

AttackWatch.com is exactly what it sounds like: a resource that allows us to nip these attacks in the bud before they show up on the airwaves and in emails -- and then fight back with the truth.
By signing up, you'll be on the front lines -- you'll hear about false claims as soon as they come up, and we'll count on you to spread the truth to your friends and personal networks and let us know about new smears whenever you hear them.

Will you sign up now to be a part of AttackWatch.com?

I remember the smears from 2008 well, and I'm sure you do, too.

They didn't just attack Barack Obama and Joe Biden. They went after everything this movement is built on, and everyone who supports it.

This time, they're not just out to personally attack the President -- they're also out to mislead Americans about the record of accomplishments that he's compiled. Just the other day, a Republican financier actually quoted Saddam Hussein in telling a group of millionaire donors that defeating President Obama will be "the mother of all wars."

We're launching AttackWatch.com today to make sure we're ready for the attacks we know are coming -- and armed with the ability to fight back quickly.

Sign up for AttackWatch.com now, and let's get the facts out:

Thanks,
Jim Messina
Campaign Manager
Obama for America

I have eliminated all the links because I don't want trollers to visit them through my blog.  There were also links to donate to the "cause," which I don't want to promote.  I just found it interesting that this movement assumes everything coming from "folks on the other side" or "them" will be a lie that civilian Obama supporters must be on the "front lines" to extinguish lest it sully the image of the anointed one.

Watch out for this group.  I have a feeling they'll be vicious.

Three Small Words: Remembering September 11

I posted this article a year ago, on the ninth anniversary of the September 11 attacks.  I have rewritten it to reflect what is going on today. Please read my updated article for this special year.


Ten years ago, I wrote this letter to the editor, which was published in the Eden Prairie News shortly after September 11, 2001:

On September 11, among the many lessons to be learned, I learned that three small words can be used to convey something fearful and despondent, while at the same time convey a message of reassurance and hope .

When my nine-year-old son came home from school that afternoon, he didn't seem to know much about what had happened. I sat him down and explained to him the terrible events of the day. He looked at me, his round blue eyes searching mine for reassurance. "Will we have a war, Mama?" he asked. "Yes, we will," I said, wanting to bite back my words, but at the same time knowing I was doing the right thing. I had to be honest with my son. Thanks to the evil of terrorism, my answer was true.

Later, my 13-year-old daughter quickly began to understand the gravity of the situation. In typical teenage fashion, avoiding my eyes and trying not to sound too serious, she asked, "Will America make it through this, Mom?"

I told her about the deprivation of the Great Depression, the civil war that pitted brother against brother, and two world wars that tested the strength of every American. "Yes, we will," I answered. I had to be honest with my daughter. Thanks to the indelible American spirit, my answer was true.

Three small words. "Yes, we will." They can mean so many things. That day they meant a promise of war and the promise of victory. Other days, they mean something else.

Life does go on, as it has, since September 11, 2001. We started wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, where our troops remain today. We've elected a president who has barely spoken of keeping us safe.

Worse, we've witnessed another terrorist attack in America:  the shootings at Fort Hood.

Our president and most presidential candidates talk about jobs and our economy. Many Americans want our government to give them more, more, more money, programs; you know, free stuff. There is little discussion about how those things won't matter at all if we are the victims of another massive attack by our enemy, which still exists as brutally as it did 10 years ago. Which wants us, and our way of life, gone, dead, buried.

But we also wonder who will be on this season of Dancing With the Stars.  We've become obsessed with vampires. Big news equals Jennifer Lopez and Mark Anthony's divorce and Kim Kardashian's wedding.

We've forgotten.

Before you say, "Oh no we haven't," I say to you, "Look around. The unity we found that day is lost. We are a country divided. We have stood on opposite sides arguing about whether a Mosque should be built near the Ground Zero site. Do you think this argument would have even found a voice on September 12, 2001?"

Then there are things like this:

NEW YORK, Sept. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ – The human rights organization American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI) will be hosting its second annual 9/11 Freedom Rally on September 11 at 3pm at Park Place and West Broadway.

While clergy, 9/11 first responders, and 9/11 family members are barred and/or not invited to the official ceremonies, all are welcome at the 9/11 Freedom Rally. And while White House guidelines forbid official 9/11 ceremonies from mentioning who attacked the U.S. on that day or why, the 9/11 Freedom Rally features more honest speakers.

I don't know how any thinking, compassionate American cannot feel ill after reading the paragraph above. People jumped out of those buildings rather than be burned to death. Firefighters rushed into the buildings to save others while knowing they would lose their own lives. Women lost their husbands, men lost their wives, children lost their mothers, and some lost their fathers before they were even born.

And whether we like to admit it or not, the atrocities of that day were carried out by Muslim extremists in the name of Allah. Even if the current regime in charge of the White House doesn't want to admit it, it's still the truth.

Do you remember? Do you remember the photos on the front pages of your newspapers of people, your fellow Americans, on American soil, covered in ashes to the point of being unrecognizable as they stumbled through the streets of New York desperate for safety, shelter, a sip of water, a breath of air? In America? Our America?

I remember that night here in suburban Minneapolis. The sky was clear and dark and salted with a few stars. My neighbor and I were standing in her backyard talking when a military helicopter roared over her house. We knew the skies had been shut down and cleared of all traffic. The helicopter was flying low, and even though it was one of ours--there to keep us safe--for a moment we were terrified. We stopped talking and just sort of hung there in frozen time, as if our hearts had stopped from fear and needed to be jump started before we asked, "What the hell was that?"

Earlier that evening my church held a special service. I'll never forget the image of my daughter, dressed in black, hugging a fellow Sunday School friend as they sat on the steps outside. They stayed in each other's arms for a long time, her head resting on his shoulder. Then they held hands, as if not wanting to let go of one another for fear of losing the other before our next church service. I watched from the top of the steps with tears rolling freely down my face as I realized my children's generation had just become a generation at war. They had become a generation in which the sanctity of the American bubble that had always protected them was shattered by airplanes filled with hate and bound for death. They changed that day--the children. Forever.

That night my children slept in bed with me. Their father couldn't sleep and stayed up all night. My daughter held my hand as she slept, something she hadn't done since she was very small. When she was little, she always wanted to hold my hand as she slept if she was scared. I lay awake and heard another plane fly over the house. I gripped my sleeping child's hand a little tighter.

As I write this on the eve of the tenth anniversary of this terrorist attack on America, I am saddened by how far apart we've come. The weight of this horrible atrocity seems to have slipped from our shoulders, and we've become the frivolous, politically-correct society we were before this ever happened.

Of course we can't be a society hobbled by the hatred lurking in the shadows waiting for an opportunity to kill us. We must move on.  But all I ask is that for tomorrow, please take a moment to remember. Really remember. Wherever you were in America, it hit you. It touched you.

It changed you.

Before this, you were safe. You are safe no more. You know it. You accept it. You scoff at it when you have to board a plane. It inconveniences you, but it does not effect you, not anymore.

I'm asking you, if only for one day, to let it effect you. Let in the fear of knowing you are never safe. Let in the knowledge that there are people on earth who hate you and what you stand for so much that they will kill you and your babies in the name of their cause without blinking an eye.

I understand the pull toward political correctness that is threaded through our country. But without a healthy dose of fear, wariness and protectiveness, I believe that pull will become so strong we'll all be taken along for the ride whether we like it or not, consequences be damned.

So, will you say three small words for me? If I ask you, "Will you remember?" will you answer,

"Yes, we will."

Obama turning tonight's speech into a campaign fundraiser before he utters one word

I just received the following e-mail from Barack Obama's campaign.  It speaks for itself, really, but I felt the need to point out a few things.

First of all, what a classless, ham-handed thing to do:  turning what should be a very sober address to the American people into a campaign fundraiser.  I wish this president had a modicum of the respect Reagan had for the office he holds.

Here's the e-mail:

Loretta (they think my name is Loretta) --

I'm about to head to the Capitol to ask Congress to act on my plan to put Americans back to work.

Before I do, I wanted to write you directly to remind you that the fight to create jobs -- and provide the kind of economic security for middle-class families that's been slipping away over the last decade -- won't begin or end with the speech I give tonight.

What happens will be up to you. In the coming days and weeks, it will be up to you to pressure Congress to act -- or hold them accountable if they do not.

If you're with me, let me know. And the campaign will make sure you are looped into our efforts to support this plan.

Talk to you soon,

Barack
-----------
This campaign isn't funded by Washington lobbyists or corporate interests. It relies on donations from people like you. You should donate today.

I didn't add the two links included in the e-mail that direct you to pages where you can donate to Obama's re-election campaign.  But they were in the original e-mail. 

I am really surprised to find out that I'm on a first-name basis with the President of the United States.  But maybe it's fitting to address him by his first name because, in my opinion, he doesn't deserve the above-mentioned title.

I wonder if he'll tell the American people to "pressure" Congress, or is that kind of talk reserved for those of us lucky enough to be e-mail buddies with him?  I also wonder if he'll mention that in order to be kept in the "loop" about his job creation ideas, you must first donate to his campaign?

So, it will be interesting to watch Barack's speech tonight.  Do you think they'll have a crawl at the bottom of the screen directing you to places to make campaign donations?  Or maybe he'll just ask for money at the end of his speech.  

Even if he doesn't go that far, I think this incredibly tacky e-mail crossed the line between his being President Obama and Candidate "Barack."  

Viable Jobs Idea From Bachmann--Outdoes Anything Obama's Proposed

I found this article today that briefly outlines one of presidential candidate Michele Bachmann's job creation plans.

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9PFCVO00.htm

I'd love to hear more about this, as it's the most substantial plan I've seen lately.  I'm interested to hear Obama's wait-until-I'm-done-with-my-vacation jobs plan, which he will announce on television. Obama's job's speech was originally scheduled to be a blatant slap in the face of Republicans, whose debate would have been running against it, until he changed the time of the speech to run the following night prior to the Saints vs. Packers football game.

Is that Republicans 1; Obama Administration 0, because the President of the United States moved his speech so it wouldn't coincide with the Republican debate at Speaker John Boehner's "request?" Or Republicans 0; Obama Administration 1, because he may pick up a lot of football fans to listen to his speech by having moved it to the pre-game slot (with the possibility of delivering the money shot after having "accidentally" run a few minutes over time)? Something to think about...

I digress.

I am not an official supporter of Michele Bachmann for president.  I haven't put my deeds or words behind any candidate yet.  I need to see more--feel more.  I need to make sure the candidate I support would support me and my beliefs.

But I will give credit where credit is due:  Bachmann's simple job stimulus idea is the best we've heard so far, especially from this administration or from Congress.  She is a business owner.  That means she has miles more experience than Obama had when he became president, which is why we are in the ditch at this point.

Because a driver who has never had a license shouldn't be the one elected to drive the family car everywhere it goes. With the family in it.

What do preschoolers and sexy vampires have in common?

Burger King kids meals!

These are photos of the "toy" that was included in my three-year-old granddaughter's kids meal a few days ago.

When you open up this plastic thingy, this is what you get:

I have a couple of problems with this. First of all, this doesn't even qualify as a "toy." It's purely an advertising tool that doesn't even break a sweat trying to be an actual toy.

Then there's the problem of extreme age inappropriateness. I know all kids who eat Burger King kids meals aren't three years old, like my granddaughter. Frankly, she's too young to even understand what this toy means though she did notice it's not really a toy.

Burger King kids meals are targeted to children ages 12 and under. Does anyone in their right mind think children in this age group should be an advertising target for this PG-13 rated movie? Yes, I know there will be the few parents who will bring their toddlers to this film. (Years ago, I sat behind a toddler whose parents thought it would be a great idea to bring her to see "Alien." She screamed that she was scared the whole time and tried to face backwards in her front row seat with her tiny, dimpled hands tightly covering her eyes, occasionally looking at me. I remember nothing about the film but this poor child.) So there are a few parents out there who will do this, but I don't think that covers even a slight fraction of a percentage point of American parents. At least I hope not.

I know fast food restaurants often give toys for children under age three if asked. These three-and-under toys contain no small parts the child might choke on. There were no small parts contained within this toy.

There was, however, a $5 coupon for any "Eclipse" merchandise I would like to buy for my child. She could be sporting sexy vampire apparel for a bargain price!

What in the world is Burger King thinking advertising to small children about a new addition to a movie franchise based on books about vampires? Young sexy ones? I don't have any hang ups about young vampire sex, except when it comes to children. Watching it. Being exposed to it. Opening their Burger King kids meals and thinking the photo inside is cool.

Gotta go. I need to look up movie times for "Eclipse." I think I might bring my granddaughter to that instead of "Winnie-the-Pooh." I'll make sure to buy her a T-shirt first. I wonder if they come in a size 3T?

Pawlenty goes Gaga

So, T-Paw likes Lady Gaga, particularly her songs, "Bad Romance," and her a cappella performance of her song, "Born This Way" on her HBO special.  There are more than a thousand articles on the subject available on the internet, if you'd like to read them.  The most succinct one I found was this article from USA Today.  The StarTribune article, as is typical of that publication, crossed the line between news and opinion.  It seems this breaking news had a lot of people talking.

And I say, "So what?"

I know this confession won't be big news, but I, the Friendly Neighborhood Republican, "like" Lady Gaga too.

I know, it's shocking. A Republican, mid-western grandmother thinks Lady Gaga is really talented. I know I'm not a member of her typical fan base, but that's okay.  I'm a very music-oriented person, and I have a lot of eclectic tastes.  If you were to look at my playlist, it would include sacred choir music (performed by my son's high school choir); Prince, more Prince, and still more Prince; Vince Gill; Stevie Ray Vaughn; Meshugah; all of my son's performances that my husband burned for me; Mozart piano concertos; Aerosmith; and, of course, Elvis.  And I'm leaving a lot of musicians out.

I harbor no guilt or conflict about any of my choices.  I come from a very musical family, and frankly, neither I nor my children or grandchildren would exist without a combination of 50's rock-n-roll, blues, and classical piano.  It's a very long story.

So, if my choice to appreciate the talent Lady Gaga clearly exhibits as a songwriter, singer, musician and performance artist is a problem for anyone, given my political leanings, that's just too bad.  But contrary to what you might think, I'm not advocating that the two are mutually exclusive.  They're not.

Pawlenty, when asked whether the lyrics of Gaga's song, "Born This Way," might be contrary to his belief system about whether or not gay people are born gay, he said, "The science isn't clear either way on that." Even the liberal publications had to admit he was right. It was a round-about way of saying he doesn't disagree with the song's message.

Pawlenty, like most Republicans, has never said he hates gays and everything they stand for.  So why is it news that he appreciates the talent of a woman who has become a contemporary gay icon?  He even argued for gay marriage rights as a Minnesota legislator.

He now says he regrets his support when he was legislator. Sadly, Pawlenty, like Michele Bachmann, has aligned himself with the religious right segment of the Republican party for his presidential campaign. That's where we differ.

I'm coming out to say that being Republican doesn't automatically mean you are against gay rights. My gay, Republican nephew would agree with that statement.  I plan to write much more about gay rights as it relates to Republican politics in the near future.

But for now, let's just say, stop being shocked that a mid-western Republican would be a Lady Gaga fan. If you are the least bit scandalized or feel Republicans are somehow hypocritical for being fans, I say you're very closed minded, something liberals accuse conservatives of all the time.

I also say, as a preface to a series of upcoming writings, that the cobwebs needing to be swept from the hinges of the doors slammed to new ideas and anti-stereotyping don't exist in the minds of all Republicans.  They just may belong to members of the "tolerance party" who can't seem to accept something as trivial as Tim Pawlenty's musical tastes, just because he happens to be a Republican.