h/t Right Wing Watch.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ) is not exactly known as a towering intellect, although he's a panderer to wingnuts par excellence. Just days *after* he assured an FDL crew that he knew that Obama was born in Hawaii, he told a town hall audience that he wanted to file a lawsuit demanding that Obama produce his long-form birth certificate. It would appear Franks has calculated that there are votes in them thar wingnuts, because his statement at the Take Back America conference over the weekend is clearly tapping into that angry, violent undercurrent:

Obama's first act as president of any consequence, in the middle of a financial meltdown, was to send taxpayers' money overseas to pay for the killing of unborn children in other countries...there's almost nothing that you should be surprised at after that. We shouldn't be shocked that he does all these other insane things. A president that has lost his way that badly, that has no ability to see the image of God in these little fellow human beings, if he can't do that right, then he has no place in any station of government and we need to realize that he is an enemy of humanity.

You stay classy there, Trent. Remember when the GOP lost their minds because one of the Dixie Chicks said only that she was ashamed of being from the same state as the president? How in the world can they justify such over-the-top nastiness now? If the majority party wasn't so gutless, I'd think a formal censure in the House would be considered.

John Amato:

Calling Obama an enemy of the people puts a big fat target on his back. These elected officials are acting like militia members who fly to DC in black helicopters and are helping to plan a violent act against him. It's dangerous and disrespectful and he should be called out publicly for his behavior.

I'm leaving to fly into DC Monday morning and join in on all the Take Back America fun. I'm a little nervous flying because it usually tweaks my injury, but I really wanted to see all my liberal and progressive blogger friends. I'll try to do some blogs from TPA if I can. Also, we'll be celebrating Norman Lear, and he's been an incredible man for our movement.

His inspiring work was the catalyst for PFAW.

Digby reveals herself by accepting the Paul Wellstone Citizen Leadership Award on behalf of the progressive blogosphere at the Take Back America conference in Washington, D.C.

Other videos on Take Back America available here....

From Magnolia pictures. Here's the trailer:

Jesus Camp, directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (The Boys of Baraka), follows Levi, Rachael, Tory and a number of other young children to Pastor Becky Fischer's Kids on Fire summer camp in Devil's Lake, North Dakota, where kids as young as 6 years-old are taught to become dedicated Christian soldiers in God's army.

The film follows these children at camp as they hone their prophetic gifts and are schooled in how to take back America for Christ. The film is a first-ever look into an intense training ground that recruits born-again Christian children to become an active part of America's political future.

Here's their official website.

via The Sideshow

Court Rules Against Pot for Sick People. I'm kind of speechless about this. On the one hand, we know who's running things. On the other, it's painful to think we have a government that would actually go to court to defend this position. Dan Gillmor: This is a cruel decision. People who are ill have found marijuana to be a valuable part of their recoveries, or at least coping with disease. Now, a federal government that increasingly insists on the right to intervene in our most private affairs insists on adding grievous insult to crippling injury. (I'll be watching this space for more.)

Read and/or watch Bill Moyers' speech at the Take Back America conference.

Madeline Janis-Aparicio on The Sideshow

Court Rules Against Pot for Sick People. I'm kind of speechless about this. On the one hand, we know who's running things. On the other, it's painful to think we have a government that would actually go to court to defend this position. Dan Gillmor: This is a cruel decision. People who are ill have found marijuana to be a valuable part of their recoveries, or at least coping with disease. Now, a federal government that increasingly insists on the right to intervene in our most private affairs insists on adding grievous insult to crippling injury. (I'll be watching this space for more.)...

I actually thought seriously about posting a picture of myself in sexy underwear, but I don't have any good ones (just forget about new ones) and then I thought it might be more creative just to have a big cat-fight with these damned bitches. Although, truthfully, I can't think of anything catty to say about them. Via Lance, who is stirring things up. read on

On the whole women blogging thing. It's the idiots who are booking these events that "diss" the ladies. I'm sure Blogbebrity is working on their swim-suit edition and I'll ask Avedon to send in her sexy underwear shot then.