The Chick-fil-A Kerfluffle

Back in July, S. Truett Cathy, the founder of the Chick-fil-A restaurant chain, when asked by the reporter for a Baptist publication said:

"We are very much supportive of the family -- the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that.

Of course, the New York Times and similar venues do not read the Baptist press (me neither, but then, I'm not really in the news business, right), but eventually, someone noticed that he had expressed exactly the same beliefs that Preznit Barack H. Obama held until his forced 

forced epiphany on May 9th, which had the appearance of a careful examination of the numbers and trends in polls on gay marriage: 

President Obama’s decision to endorse same-sex marriage undoubtedly entails some political risk, but recent polls suggest that public opinion is increasingly on his side.
According to surveys included in the PollingReport.com database, an average of 50 percent of American adults support same-sex marriage rights while 45 percent oppose it, based on an average of nine surveys conducted in the past year.
This is a reversal from earlier periods: support for same-sex marriage has been increasing, and opposition to it has been decreasing, at a relatively steady rate of perhaps two or three percentage points a year since 2004.

Convenient that he just happened to change his beliefs in synch with the majority.  However, by May 11, the beliefs that Obama espoused up until May 9 became anathema, something that no American could express and not be regarded as a hate filled bigot.

So now, the Christian CEO must be punished!  But how to do that?  I know! We'll have prominent democratic politicians threaten to withhold the permission for Chick-fil-A to build new restaurants! Rahm Immanuel, mayor of the worlds murder capital said that:

“Chick-fil-A values are not Chicago values,” the mayor said in a statement when asked about Moreno’s decision. “They disrespect our fellow neighbors and residents. This would be a bad investment, since it would be empty.”

when Alderman Moreno threatened to veto the siting of any new Chick-fil-A. First Amendment?  What's that? I'm sure democrats will be thrilled when Republicans are back in power deciding who gets to do business where, based on their religious statements.

Boston's mayor got into the fray, too:

"In recent days you said Chick-fil-A opposes same-sex marriage and said the generation that supports it has 'an arrogant attitude,'" Menino wrote in a letter dated July 20 and published online Wednesday. "Now—incredibly—your company says you are backing out of the same-sex marriage debate. I urge you to back out of your plans to locate in Boston."

Banned in Boston!  Has that ever been bad for business? 

Anyway, the progressive caucus went into full fury mode against Chick-fil-A.  A particularly fine example was this CFO for a small medical company who decided to take out his feelings about Chick-fil-A on some poor worker at the take out window and video his confrontation with her:



He then foolishly published his video on the internet; thought better of it, and took it down.  Of course, nothing ever really disappears in the matrix.

This act of kindess got him fired...

Vante regrets the unfortunate events that transpired yesterday in Tucson between our former CFO/Treasurer Adam Smith and an employee at Chick-fil-A. Effective immediately, Mr. Smith is no longer an employee of our company.

The actions of Mr. Smith do not reflect our corporate values in any manner. Vante is an equal opportunity company with a diverse workforce, which holds diverse opinions. We respect the right of our employees and all Americans to hold and express their personal opinions, however, we also expect our company officers to behave in a manner commensurate with their position and in a respectful fashion that conveys these values of civility with others.

We hope that the general population does not hold Mr. Smith's actions against Vante and its employees.

...and turned his victim into a secular saint:

Next, supporters of Chick-fil-A called for a day of appreciation for the troubled chain for yesterday, Aug. 2. It was wildly successful, with franchises around the nation reporting record sales:

Chick-fil-A announced Thursday morning that supporters who flocked to the restaurant for "Appreciation Day" propelled the company to a "record-setting day."

The statement confirmed anecdotal claims that the long lines seen at Chick-fil-A's across the country Wednesday fueled unprecedented sales. The turnout came after CEO Dan Cathy came under fire in some circles for his opposition to same-sex marriage.

Damn nation of bigots, holding Barack Obama's pre-May beliefs.  Something more must be done, and progressive wingnuts are just the ones to do it.  But what could they do that would be both legal, and sufficiently obnoxious to Chick-fil-A that it might hurt their business???

But... where's your partner?

Ooo, ooo, Mr. Kotter, I know, we'll get all the homosexuals we can to go Chick-fil-A the next day, and kiss and make out and gross out the stupid Americans who support Chick-fil-A!  That'll show 'em!  It was called "Kiss Day", or "Kiss-In", in honor of the 60's "Be Ins" I suppose.  Despite the promise of a spicy chicken sandwich, waffle fries, lemonade, and the prospect of getting to view hot lesbians kissing, it was less than successful:

The "kiss in" protest at Chick-fil-A generated some activism Friday -- but apparently far less than the huge show of support the chicken eatery received earlier this week.

As part of the event, gay marriage advocates were encouraging same-sex couples to go to one of the chicken restaurants and take a photo or video of themselves kissing.

Huge crowds turned out Wednesday in a show of support for company President Dan Cathy, who ignited a national debate by publicly expressing his opposition to same-sex marriage. Critics have also said the company supports causes harmful to gays and lesbians.

The scene on Friday was much quieter at locations across the Southland.

However, in Lala Land, aka Hollywood, California, police had to be called to the local Chick-fil-A because media were pestering the staff, and preventing them from observing the homosexual protest.

I just happened to have to need to leave work today to buy something in Edgewater MD, where a Chick-fil-A does business on Route 2. I arrived around 2:00 PM, and feeling peckish, stopped for a second lunch (and well, maybe a glimpse of hot lesbians groping).  The place was a zoo.  The two lines for the drive through was backed up into the street, the parking lot was nearly full, and the inside of the restaurant was a mob scene, despite the 10 staffers behind the counter preparing and serving food at a furious clip.

Curiously, though, not one sign of hot lesbians sex, or even male homosexuals trying gross out the customers.  Just a lot of people ordering lots of chicken.

I took my spicy chicken sandwich, waffle fries and lemonade and went back to my office.

Fracking A! US CO2 Emissions Fall to 90's Level

More Shockingly Good News from Shale Gas: CO₂ Emissions Will Likely Fall This Year to 1991 Levels 

For US energy-related carbon emissions, fuel switching to gas is back to the future. After the first quarter, the USA's 2012 emissions are falling sharply again and may drop to 1990 levels, or just slightly above that important milestone, according to data in EIA's latest Monthy Energy Review: eia.gov/totalenergy/data/monthly/pdf/sec12_3.pdf.

America's energy related carbon emissions fell about 7.5%, during the first three months of 2012 compared to the same period of 2011. And first quarter 2012 emissions are approximately 8.5% lower than emissions in the first quarter of 2010.

Total energy carbon emissions were 5,473 million tons in 2011 and last year fell below the 1996 mark of 5,501 million tons.

The first quarter 2012 reduction of 7.5% makes it possible that this year emissions will fall back essentially to the 1990 level of 5,039 million tons. That is shockingly good news.

The 1990 level of carbon emissions is an important measuring stick, as it is often used as a critical data point for judging progress in reducing a nation's carbon emissions.

Why are US carbon emissions plummeting back to 1990 levels?

First and foremost are sharp reductions from electric power production, as a result of fuel switching from coal to gas, rising renewable energy production, and increasing efficiency. Yet, the shale gas revolution, and the low-priced gas that it has made a reality, is the key driver of falling carbon emissions, especially in the last 12 months.

One of the main talking points against fracking has been that it increases CO₂ production, but in fact, when  substituted for coal, natural gas produces much less CO₂ per unit energy produced.

It's almost like the opponents don't really care about CO₂; they just need some excuse to oppose cheap and available energy.

WAPO: Fact Checks Are For Thee But Not For Me

Washington Post Fact Checker: I Don’t Fact Check Our Own Writers

In your meta moment of the day, Glenn Kessler, the Washington Post’s Fact Checker, announced today that he will not grade comments made by political candidates about stories reported in the Washington Post, largely because he refuses to fact check stories published in his newspaper.

Kessler has announced he is not going to issue any Pinocchios based on claims that President Obama’s campaign has made based on a disputed Washington Post story — although he says the Obama campaign misquotes the WaPo story.

Why? Because “The Fact Checker does not check the facts in the reporting of Washington Post writers or columnists.” He does this in a column that defends the Post’s reporting.

Speaking of which, I've just been shocked, shocked at the Post's blatant recent attempts to denigrate Republicans in general and Romney in particular in their "straight" new coverage recently.  Never mind their editorial pages, which simply screech in their determination to get "The One" reelected.

Anderson Cooper Joins the Tea Party

Oh, no wait, he's just a Tea Bagger.

Only a Racist Would Interrupt the President...

according to Sam Donaldson, who made a career out of it:



As Ace says, it just proves that Ronald Reagan was the first Black President.

EU to US: Hold My Beer and Watch This!

EU says China, U.S. also have economic work to do

In a letter addressed to all 27 European Union nations, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and European Council President Herman Van Rompuy said Europe was doing all it could.

"Europe has stepped up and assumed its special responsibility for securing the financial stability of the euro area and we will continue to do so," said the letter in the run up to the G20 summit in Los Cabos, Mexico.

"It is now up to all G20 members to enhance their efforts and deepen our cooperation in order to ensure a sustained global economic recovery."

In particular, it looked to the United States to avoid falling off a "fiscal cliff" - avoiding the problems that could result from tax rises and spending cuts meant to take effect at the end of the year. It also called on China to deliver reforms.

After all, somebody needs to pull them back up the cliff after they finish their swan dive.

Now, of course, it's true that the US needs to get it's fiscal house in order.  But to be told that by the EU?

Spouting Bull Gets Loin Cloth All Wadded Up

Ann Althouse schools Fauxcahontas' (Elizabeth Warren) over claim that Scott Brown has "attacked her family":

But... if you sought career advancement by making a claim that was not factually grounded, then it is relevant as you seek political office. It goes to your character, your honesty, your fairness. Now, it might nevertheless be something of an answer to the question to say: You know, I now realize that I didn't have an absolutely sound basis to believe what I believed, but I did genuinely believe it. And I know that I did expose this belief in a way that could have attracted benefits, and I did come to regret it. I've forgiven myself, and I ask you to forgive me, because my mistake was a daughter's belief in what her mother told her was true, a granddaughter's belief in her grandmother's knowledge and honor.

If she came that far, and Scott Brown were to respond: Your mother and your grandmother were either liars or fools — that would be an attack on her family.

That hasn't happened, and who can imagine it would? Thus, the inappropriate attack here is on Scott Brown, because he has not attacked her family.

And from Alhouse's comments:

Scott Brown's obvious reply:

"If my mother told me that my great-grandmother's grandmother was black I would believe her. I would be proud of my ancestors for being open-minded enough to enter into an interracial marriage at a time when interracial couples were widely persecuted.

But I certainly wouldn't claim that made ME an African-American -- and I damned well wouldn't accept special benefits for it, like Ms. Warren did. To do so is an insult to the people for whom those benefits were intended."

Meanwhile, George Will finally weighed in on what he calls the "kerfluffle":

How absurd? Warren says that for almost a decade she listed herself in the AALS directory as a Native American because she hoped to "meet others like me." This well-educated, highly paid, much-honored (she was a consumer protection adviser to President Obama) member of America's upper 1 percent went looking for people "who are like I am" among Native Americans?

This makes perfect sense to a liberal subscriber to the central superstition of the diversity industry, which is the premise of identity politics: Personhood is distilled not to the content of character but only to race, ethnicity, gender or sexual preference.

Nothing really new here, but he says it so nicely in his inimitable voice...

Me, I'll just stick to mockery, with this video I'm stealing from Ted.  From Alinsky's Rules for Radicals.

4. "Make the enemy live up to its own book of rules. You can kill them with this, for they can no more obey their own rules than the Christian church can live up to Christianity."

5. "Ridicule is man's most potent weapon. It is almost impossible to counteract ridicule. Also it infuriates the opposition, which then reacts to your advantage."

6. "A good tactic is one your people enjoy."

Liz Warren: Not Indian

Genealogist for Elizabeth Warren 1/32 Cherokee claim goes silent, source document shown false

The claim that Elizabeth Warren was 1/32 Cherokee has been suspect from the start, yet the media repeats the claim as if it were documented.

Now the last documentary hope that Warren could prove she is 1/32 Cherokee has been foreclosed by Michael Patrick Leahy writing this afternoon at Breitbart.com:

The slender thread upon which Elizabeth Warren’s claim that she is 1/32 Cherokee rests—a purported 1894 marriage license application—has been exposed as non-existent. Based on a review of the original marriage records found in the files of the Logan County, Oklahoma Court Clerk’s office in Guthrie, Oklahoma, and the statements of ReJeania Zmek, the Court Clerk of Logan County, Oklahoma, it is likely that the ephemeral 1894 marriage license application never existed..

In a less well placed person, this would be a fatal error in Academe.  I recall a few years ago an academic lost his job because he claimed an honorary degree he did not hold.  It turned out that he had been awarded the honor, but failed to pay the required fee to register it.  Somebody with a grudged used that to get him fired.  Honesty is a big deal in the academic world.

Time for a new schtick, Liz:




Ooops, wrong Indian...