The 47 letter writers, otherwise known as virtually all the Republicans in the Senate, have put pen to paper again.
Led once more by self-proclaimed international law expert Tom Cotton, the Senators have written to the Queen of England to express their profound displeasure at not being consulted about the new royal baby name.
Their latest missive was delivered to Buckingham Palace today and stated the following:
Dear Queen Elizabeth II, or if you prefer, dear Supreme Ruler of Great Britain,
It has come to our attention through leading diplomatic sources -- People Magazine, The National Enquirer and The New York Post -- that Her Royal Highness, Kate the Duchess of God-Knows-Where, has given birth to a child and named it Charlotte, Elizabeth, Diana without our permission.
We Americans would have undoubtedly chosen Jolene, Mary Lou or Tammy Fay. Thus, we consider the names that you have picked to be nuclear options and reflective of the growing proliferation in your country of names that are too British-sounding, to say the least.
This is unacceptable to us and may fundamentally undermine diplomatic relations between our two great nations. (Well we're great. You however, are not, despite the fact that you still use the word "Great" in your country's name.)
We are therefore writing to remind you that as you are a signatory of the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance -- the entente that established NATO just in case you didn't know -- you will have to obtain agreement from the US Government before this baby's name becomes official.
And although you may be tempted to deal with our lame duck and chicken-livered President, Barack Obama, on this matter, please be advised that Congress alone has the power to approve royal baby names! Which means dear Madam, you are going to have to negotiate with us!
So given our declared opposition to your chosen names, we would urge you to submit alternatives for our consideration. If Jolene, Mary Lou or Tammy Fay do not pass royal muster, we are prepared, in the interests of diplomacy, to consider Billie Jo, Peggy Sue, or Trixie Bell. At a push, we might even be persuaded to approve Chardonnay.
We hope this clarifies our position with regard to the royal baby name and we look forward to hearing from you forthwith.
As news of the letter to the Queen reverberated around Washington D.C., and outrage about it increased, 46 of the 47 Republican Senators who signed it ran for cover, leaving Tom Cotton holding the bag -- or as Brits like to say, holding the baby.
Cotton, in a desperate attempt to avoid an international incident, said: "OK, OK, Chardonnay might be a name too far. Trixie Bell it is then! I will introduce a bill to that effect tomorrow and I expect it to be passed quickly by my colleagues in the House and the Senate."
In a statement released by Buckingham Palace, the Queen also made her views known on the letter from the 47. She said: I would like to thank the 47 Republican Senators for sharing their thoughts with me on this matter. And I would particularly like to thank their ancestors for the American Declaration of Independence."
GOP Rep Says Christians Are Persecuted in the US, Can't Give Examples, Not Humor
At the South Carolina Freedom Summit, Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN 7) advocated State Department intervention when asked what role the United States should play in protecting Christians around the world:
One of the things that we should be doing here is being very strong in our stance with religious freedom in our country... Our allies around the globe want to see us stay strong on our rights and not erode those rights... With the human rights violations and religious persecutions around the globe, we need a State Department that is going to step in and say, "This is not acceptable."
Blackburn thought that Christians are being persecuted in the U.S., but could not give any examples when asked by a reporter.
A Georgia teacher — whose husband sits on the school board — is under fire for telling her students that President Barack Obama isn’t a Christian, and if their parents voted for him they are not Christians either, according to the blog Georgia Watchdog.
According to a letter sent to the Dublin City School Board by the Dublin Laurens NAACP, teacher Nancy Perry made her comments in a classroom at Dublin Middle School several weeks ago.
The letter stated that Perry told students that President Obama is not a Christian and “any parent who supports him is not a Christian.” She also reportedly challenged her students to “prove their Christianity.”
Dublin City Schools Superintendent Dr. Chuck Ledbetter said the matter has been settled internally while pointing out that teachers should avoid making their political opinions known, reports WMGT.
“We work to build bridges with students, not build walls,” Ledbetter said. “And talking politics, especially giving political opinions, can be very divisive.”
The NAACP said they met with the school and the teacher to air their concerns and that Perry was accompanied by her husband Bill Perry, who sits on the local school board.
Ledbetter admitted that the attendance by her husband at the meeting was improper and may have an undue influence on the meeting.
“A board member being in a parent-teacher conference can tip the balance, or at least from the appearance, tip the balance of fairness,” he said. “It is not a practice that we can allow.”
Ledbetter said that he sent a letter to the complaining parents to let them know what action he took with the teacher and is giving consideration to requiring sensitivity and diversity training for teachers, faculty, and staff.
No humor here just a racist dirt bag teacher spreading her hate to her 6th grade students. Are teachers really this dumb?
How Many Republicans will run for President this Election Cycle?
Get ready for the largest GOP presidential field in recent history.
As many as 20 Republicans are taking a serious look at running for the White House in 2016. A handful of candidates have moved aggressively into the field, and others are expected to ramp up in the coming weeks, with several announcements expected in April.
Recent races haven’t attracted such a large and unsettled field before, and time is sure to winnow the contenders before the first debate in August
2015.
In 2011, as many as nine Republicans participated in one early debate. The field of declared candidates in that cycle was never greater than 10 at any one time.
Here are the 20 Republicans likely to make a run for the GOP nomination.
Jeb Bush: The former Florida governor is all but running, with recent trips to Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina in the books. The
establishment frontrunner has been building a political team and vacuuming up support from major donors.
Scott Walker: The Wisconsin governor has been aggressive on the attack in the early stages, and his burgeoning campaign appears well-positioned to
compete for the long-haul.
Rand Paul: The Kentucky senator is likely to announce his presidential campaign on April 7. The libertarian favorite has been crafting a campaign focused heavily on technology, while test-driving a message aimed at young voters and minorities.
Marco Rubio: With buzz growing in conservative circles, the Florida senator has put together a top-flight political team made up of 2012 Mitt Romney alums, and may have landed a billionaire backer.
Chris Christie: It’s been a rough first few months for the New Jersey governor but he’s returned to his wheelhouse — the town-hall meetings where
shines. It could help him regain stride, and Republicans say his political skills should not be underestimated.
Ben Carson: The retired neurosurgeon and grassroots conservative favorite is within striking distance of the frontrunners in most polls, but verbal gaffes still trip him up.
Mike Huckabee: The former Arkansas governor left a comfortable gig at Fox News to explore another presidential run and is expected to pull heavily from the same base of evangelical voters as he did in 2008.
Ted Cruz: The Texas senator has been supplementing his trips to the early states with mainstream media engagements, where he continues to relish the role of conservative agitator.
Rick Perry: With nothing to lose after his 2012 flop, the former Texas governor now seems like a happy warrior on the trail. He’ll likely be more
formidable this time with a solid donor base and a sharper message focused on foreign policy.
Lindsey Graham: The South Carolina senator has impressed crowds in early-voting states with his candor, ease and confidence. The early focus on
foreign policy is in his wheelhouse, but he still isn’t near the top tier.
John Kasich: The Ohio governor is popular in conservative circles and brings added heft from a critical battleground state. This week, conservative writer George Will wrote a column encouraging Kasich to jump in, saying he would add “spirit” and “spice.”
Bobby Jindal: The Louisiana governor is doing everything he can to keep his name in the race, burnishing a reputation as a social conservative
firebrand and policy wonk in speeches across the country.
Rick Santorum: The former Pennsylvania senator and 2012 runner-up’s moment appears to have come and gone. At the Iowa Ag Summit earlier this month, he seemed surprised by the small group of reporters he attracted.
Carly Fiorina: The former Hewlett Packard CEO has moved early and aggressively into the presidential field. As the only woman candidate, she adds diversity to the field, and the wealthy businesswoman could self-fund a campaign for as long as she wants.
John Bolton: The former UN ambassador’s bid would largely be predicated on his hawkish foreign policy bona fides. He’s the only potential candidate that supports gay marriage, which could endear him to a select group of wealthy GOP donors.
Peter King: The New York congressman has said he wants to make sure that his nemeses in the Senate — Paul and Cruz — don’t control the discourse.
George Pataki: The former New York governor has been travelling to early voting states. Like Christie, Pataki has trumpeted his record as a
Republican governor in a blue state.
Jim Gilmore: The former Virginia governor says he’s seriously considering another presidential run, but it’s hard to see his place in the field.
Gilmore briefly ran for president in 2008, but dropped out early. Later that year he was crushed by Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) in the race for Senate.
Bob Ehrlich: The former Maryland governor has been to New Hampshire a handful of times this year and has quietly met with donors and party leaders to gauge support for a potential bid.
Mark Everson: The former IRS commissioner became the first Republican presidential candidate to officially enter the field earlier this month,
releasing a four-and-a-half minute long video and 16-page document vowing to turn the country around. But virtually no one knows who he is.
There may be a few more republicans who throw their hats into the ring, the election is over 18 months away. My apology to those who are already running but I am unaware of. I will update the list as necessary.
Amherst Democratic News
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