Word Back like you really, really mean it

Words are sacred.

Most writers agree with that. We use words to convey our deepest feelings. We also entertain and communicate with words, even persuade, or try to.

When threatened, we use them as weapons.

Under Trump and MAGA, creative people are under attack. Writers, artists, musicians, dancers, etcetera etcetera. The Bully-In-Chief employs bullying terms to attack. When Bruce Springsteen slammed Trump from the stage in Manchester, England, May 19, he said the following:

“In my home, the America I love, the America I’ve written about … is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration.”

Straight and to the point. I’m sure the crowd cheered as our English cousins love straight talk and sneer at bullies. They do more than sneer, as we saw during the Battle of Britain in WW2. They have also written cogent opinion pieces on Trump’s bullying ways.

This from "Journal of a Grumpy Old Man" column April 2020, when Trump was running against Joe Biden:

Trump lacks certain qualities which the British traditionally esteem. For instance, he has no class, no charm, no coolness, no credibility, no compassion, no wit, no warmth, no wisdom, no subtlety, no sensitivity, no self-awareness, no humility, no honour and no grace – all qualities, funnily enough, with which his predecessor Mr. Obama was generously blessed. So for us, the stark contrast does rather throw Trump’s limitations into embarrassingly sharp relief.

Trump fired back from his Bully Pulpit (sorry, Teddy, but Trump has bastardized your favorite word). As columnist Bill Goodykoontz put it in the Arizona Republic:

In a Truth Social post he [Trump] called Springsteen “Highly Overrated” and said, among other things, “This dried out ‘prune’ of a rocker (his skin is all atrophied!) ought to KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT until he gets back into the Country, that’s just “standard fare.’ Then we’ll all see how it goes for him!”

Monday’s post was different in that it actually calls for retribution in the form of an investigation against Springsteen and Beyoncé, as well as Oprah Winfrey and U2 singer Bono. Here’s a taste: “I am going to call for a major investigation into this matter. Candidates aren’t allowed to pay for ENDORSEMENTS, which is what Kamala did, under the guise of paying for entertainment. In addition, this was a very expensive and desperate effort to artificially build up her sparse crowds. IT’S NOT LEGAL!”

All nonsense, of course, typical Trump chum for the MAGA swarm. Still, you can see the difference. Springsteen his usually cogent self and Trump just the opposite. Makes you wonder about the 70-some-million people who voted for him.

As a May 20 Rolling Stone article wrote under the header “Revenge:” "The president has long wanted to weaponize campaign-finance laws against an array of celebs and Democrats.”

Revenge. He so wants to be part of the crew but doesn’t have a creative bone in his body. Rockers can’t wait to sue him for using their songs without permission which he will do anyway. I still get a kick out of MAGA GOPers using “Born in the USA” as a campaign song. They've never listened to the lyrics. I guess MAGA crowds never tire of Kid Rock and Ted Nugent.

Trump took over the Kennedy Center, fired the board, installed his flunkies, and called for a June performance of Les Miserables and 10 cast members said no thanks and Trumpers had a fit. The new director of the Center threatened to black list the actors so they never perform again. Where have we heard “Black List” used before?

At a May 20 Kennedy Center board meeting Trump said the following: "And then they rigged the election, and then I said, 'You know what I'll do? I'll run again and shove it up their ass.' "

Our creative Bloviator in Chief.

Our mission is to word back. Not grammatically correct but it’s a quick and easy way to remember the mission. When Trump and his minions serve up their tangled words, we must word back. All dumb Trump utterances deserve a response. Blog, podcast, write op-eds to your local paper. Send postcards, lots and lots of postcards filled with words put to constructive use. I have a stack of creative postcards sitting by my desk. I do two a day. I’m using those cool new USPS stamps that show a waving flag and “Equality Forever” and “Justice Forever.” A postcard blitz is set for June 1. Get busy. Don’t just sit there, word back! Like you really mean it.

Wyoming Democrats call out Republican extremist

The following appeared on the Facebook page for Republican Megan Degenfelder for WY State Superintendent of Public Instruction:

It’s no wonder the Democrats have spent the last week attacking and trying to silence me from speaking at the Western Conservative Summit. I will not be silenced! I remain as committed as ever for fighting for our Wyoming Students and families.

She added a link to her speech which I won’t add here. Suffice to say it’s taken from the right-wing Christian Nationalist playbook.

Here's the reply from the Wyoming Democrats:

Folks:

It looks like we struck a nerve with the Superintendent of Public Education, eh?

Here’s the deal: she’s dead wrong. Our goal has never been to silence her -- given her position and platform, we just think she ought to use her voice to support public education in Wyoming, not spew extremist right-wing rhetoric alongside the founder of a group that the Southern Poverty Law Center has designated as a hate group. 

And for the record, we’re going to call out her (and others) for their words and actions as public officials. Holding the other side accountable is one of our most important duties as a political party.

So, if you’re of the opinion that our elected officials shouldn’t get a free pass, I hope you’ll consider joining the cause by becoming an investor in our party. Whether it’s a one-time donation or you choose to be a recurring donor, everything helps and it all goes towards the work of making sure Wyoming isn’t a one-party state.

And, Superintendent Degenfelder, if you happen to read this email, we’ll gladly let up when you decide that supporting public education, educators, students, and families in Wyoming is more important than being the mouthpiece for failed and false rightwing ideology. Deal? 

In Solidarity, Joe M. Barbuto, Chair, Wyoming Democratic Party

It can't happen here! Oh yes it can!

Susan Stubson of Casper has been writing Wyoming-based op-ed columns for many years. Most have to do with her family and her husband Tim who once was a state legislator and ran unsuccessfully for a Wyoming's lone U.S. House seat in 2016. Susan is a fine pianist and I've been on hand to hear her perform. She once sat on the board of the Wyoming Arts Council where I worked for 25 years. You could not find a more determined advocate of the arts and arts education. 

Sunday's New York Times op-ed section featured a column by Susan, "What Christian Nationalism Has Done to My State and My Faith is a Sin." It takes guts to write a column like this for the most Liberal of Mainstream Media. She could have written it for my modest blog and a few Wyomingites, liberals mostly, would have read it and nodded their heads. But a NYT op-ed -- that gets attention. This is an era when getting attention from Christian Nationalists is a dangerous proposition.

She opens her column with an anecdote from her husband's 2016 campaign:

I first saw it while working the rope line at a monster-truck rally during the 2016 campaign by my husband, Tim, for Wyoming’s lone congressional seat. As Tim and I and our boys made our way down the line, shaking hands and passing out campaign material, a burly man wearing a “God bless America” T-shirt and a cross around his neck said something like, “He’s got my vote if he keeps those [epithet] out of office,” using a racial slur. What followed was an uncomfortable master class in racism and xenophobia as the man decanted the reasons our country is going down the tubes. God bless America.

Those of us paying attention during the 2016 presidential election had similar experiences, especially if you were active in the Republican Party. But it goes way beyond that. Those "God, Guns, Trump" signs still adorn pick-up bumpers in the Wyoming capital of Cheyenne. We are 180 highway miles from the Stubson's city of Casper. We are rivals and different in many ways but Susan's description of WYO GOP antics was on full display here during the legislative session. I refer you to WyoFile's coverage of the session to get insight on the debacle.

Read Susan's column and despair. The problem of Christian Nationalism is right out there in the open. Trump turned religion and hate into commodities, one being trumpeted by those who ban books and drag shows across the country. It is magnified when you live in a rural state such as Wyoming. Doesn't have to be that way but that's the course Republicans decided to follow. Wyoming Rev. Rodger McDaniel wondered on Facebook recently if Florida wasn't the Berlin of the 1930s. You know the one, the creeping evil theatre-goers experience when they go to "Cabaret." If you know your history, you see how it happened -- one tiny bite at a time. Fascism isn't a special-effects movie monster -- it's your preacher or priest, your neighbor, your cousin. 

“When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.”

This quote has been attributed to Nobel-Prize-winning writer Sinclair Lewis but researchers do not vouch for the exact attribution. But it’s worth repeating in these times. For more of Lewis’s biting critique of life in the U.S., look up some of his other quotes or read “Babbitt,” “Main Street,” or "It Can't Happen Here." For some strange reason, this last one about a dystopian America shot up the bestseller charts after the 2016 election. 

The library's "The Way We Worked" series features Tuskegee Airman on Nov. 10

The Laramie County Public Library presents another program that's part of "The Way We Worked" exhibit. This family-oriented presentation features one of the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen, a group of Africa-American young men whose job entailed escorting U.S. bombers over Europe and shooting Nazi planes out of the sky. They also had to endure the wrath of hateful fellow Americans, both before, during, and after the war that beat the fascists. 

Franklin J. Macon is the author of I want to be a Pilot: The Making of a Tuskegee Airman. He will talk about it and sign copies of book on Saturday, Nov. 10, 1-3 p.m., in the library's Storytime Room. Here's more info on Macon's presentation:

Franklin J. Macon was one of the famous Tuskegee Airmen and is now 95 years old. Come hear him speak about his incredible journey from a childhood in Colorado Springs, Colo., to the skies over Tuskegee. His amazing life story speaks of overcoming all odds to reach your dreams by never giving up, living an honorable life and keeping close to family (…and maybe being just a bit mischievous). Inspirational for every member of your family, young and old. Book signing of I Want to Be a Pilot: The Making of a Tuskegee Airman will follow the event. The book is written for upper elementary and junior high school students. 

FMI: 307-634-3561

Name an issue and the Know Nothings are against it

A letter writer to the local paper this week used the tired old trope "love it or leave it" in regards to Cheyenne newcomers advocating for change.

Downtown redevelopment. Bike lanes. Legal protections for the LGBT community. The arts and education.

Name an issue and they'll be again' it, dammit. Cheyenne's fine just as it is. You darn California and Colorado liberals go back to where you came from.

The issues are many. Young people such as my daughter cannot find competent mental health care. Hundreds of K-12 students would go hungry over weekends so get shipped home on Fridays with sack lunches. UW graduates cannot find good-paying jobs in their hometown. When they do find one with, say, the state, the pay is 13 percent below private sector wages and Republican lawmakers call you bums. Our downtown has a big hole in its midst and dozens of unoccupied buildings. Gays and lesbians go to public meetings to voice their opinions and abuse is heaped upon them by ranks of grouchy Know Nothings.

Everything's just peachy in Chey-town.

My family and I have lived in Cheyenne since 1991. I'm still a newcomer in some eyes. Because I'm a liberal, me and my views are always in the minority. I have a good job and own a house and my kids attended public schools. I have great friends. As I've said before, if I counted on only having liberals for friends in Wyoming, I'd be lonely.

Americans are migrating to silos. I don't mean the missile variety -- we have plenty of those and people even live in decommissioned ones out on the prairie. People are finding other like-minded people to dwell with. If you're a liberal, you live in a city. If you're conservative, you live in the country or small town. Depending on your location, the suburbs are a mix of outlooks but tend to be conservative.

For much of its existence, Cheyenne has been pretty good about avoiding progress. But during its "Hell on Wheels" days, it was the fastest-growing city on the high prairie. We were supposed to be Denver, you see, but the sharpies down south lured the railroad and developers and boosters and before long its largest daily newspapers was promoting itself as "The Voice of the Rocky Mountain Empire." Wow. Didn't take long for this dusty two-bit cowtown at the confluence of the South Platte River and Cherry Creek to become the capital of an empire.

And Cheyenne got left in the dust.

One in six Wyomingites live in our county tucked into the southeast corner of this big square state. Who are they? Older than the national average, and overwhelmingly white. Lots of retired government workers live here, including many military. Working cowboys are outnumbered by railroad retirees and those who managed to survive the oil patch. We do have a lot of cowboy fans -- that's University of Wyoming Cowpokes fans not the ones who cheer for Tony Romo on Sundays.

So I'm surrounded by old white guys like me. They tend to be the watchers of FOX News and members of the Tea Party. I can relate to their gripes. But I just don't see how blaming Latinos and gays and our black president helps the future. Their kids and grandkids in Omaha and SLC pick up their smartphones and see a bunch of angry old guys making a scene at a Cheyenne city council meeting. This is not their idea of a good time -- or of a dynamic place to live.

Advice to my Boomer peers -- tone down the hateful rhetoric or this place has the same life expectancy as a roomful of Medicare recipients.

Newtown, Conn., may be the next location for "Angel Actions"

As funerals begin for those murdered in Newtown, Conn., words comes that Fred Phelps and his Band of Weirdos from Westboro "Church" are planning to spew their venom against first-graders and their families. On Facebook, people were posting about ways to protect mourners should this occur. Military veterans have already figured this out, with a motorcycle honor guard that provides a buffer between the WBC and funeral-goers. Before that, it was the LGBT community who had a fine answer with "Angel Actions."

The first Angel Action against Fred Phelps and the WBC took place in Laramie, Wyoming, at memorial services (and subsequent trials) for murdered gay UW student Matthew Shepard in 1998. WBC had also protested at Shepard's funeral in Casper nine days after the murder. In Laramie, LGBT activist Romaine Patterson, a Wyoming native and friend of Matthew's, came up with the idea of dressing as angels to protect mourners from WBC's hatred. Similar actions have taken place whenever Fred and his crew show up to protest showings of "The Laramie Project," a play (and later a movie) by Moises Kaufman and the Tectonic Theater Project. There was an Angel Action in Tucson in January 2011 when the WBC threatened to show up (but didn't) at the funerals of those killed in the shooting that wounded Gabrielle Giffords. It appears that an Angel Action may next be required in Connecticut.

While it's easy to get angry and Phelps and his crew, it's hard to come up with peaceful ways to blunt the hate.

This post has been updated.  

Rodger McDaniel: "When they say 'it isn't about race,' you can bet it is"

We don't have to go to Central Florida to find racism in action. It can strike close to home -- and has! Great column by Rodger McDaniel. Posted on his blog and on the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle's op-ed pages. For the original, go to http://blowinginthewyomingwind.blogspot.com/2012/04/when-they-say-it-isnt-about-race-you.html?spref=fb

Cheyenne Liberal Examiner weighs in on Randall Terry and Dem caucuses

Cheyenne Liberal Examiner David Neil Dibble writes more about Randall Terry's efforts to hijack the Wyoming Democratic cauucuses. Read it at http://www.examiner.com/liberal-in-cheyenne/randall-terry-operation-rescue-and-the-wyoming-caucuses

Randall Terry isn't a "bona fide Democrat" so can't claim any Wyoming delegates

This man ain't bona fide

Democrats may hear a strange name being batted around during the April 14 county caucuses.

According to the Casper Star-Tribune, anti-abortion zealot and wingnut Republican Randall Terry is trying to get 1,000 Wyoming Republicans to register as Democrats next month in the state Democratic caucuses and vote for him in a guerrilla campaign to oust President Barack Obama.

The Wyoming county parties will hold conventions on April 14 to elect delegates to the state convention. Those people will be vying for a spot in Wyoming’s delegation to the Democratic National Convention in September in Charlotte, N.C.

Wyoming Democratic Party Executive Director Robin Van Ausdall said Terry has filed the necessary letter for participation in the Democratic caucus and will be allowed to make speeches, but he will not collect any delegates. “We’re instructing our counties to not award delegates to him,” she said Monday, noting Terry is not a bona fide Democratic candidate.

On March 6, Terry’s weird campaign received a boost when he won 18 percent of the vote in Oklahoma’s Democratic presidential primary. Last week, in a move similar to what Wyoming party officials have planned, Oklahoma party officials said they wouldn’t give Terry his share of delegates because he didn’t follow the required procedures and because he’s not a bona fide Democrat.

Terry complained he was the victim of “political insider trading.”

But he did get plenty of media attention. On Monday in Casper, he described the fallout from Oklahoma as “rage from the [Democratic National Committee], excitement from the pro-life community, awe from the press.” He labeled the vote a “disaster for a sitting president.”

Terry recently qualified for next month’s Alaska caucus, but Kansas Democratic Party officials banned him from their state’s caucus. Terry told the Wichita Eagle he will go to court to challenge the Kansas decision. Kansas Democratic Party attorney Joe Sandler told the Wichita Eagle that Terry failed to meet two mandatory deadlines. In addition, Sandler said, Terry “is not a bona fide Democrat, as determined by his actions.”

Read more: http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/insurgent-democratic-presidential-candidate-targets-wyoming-caucus/article_4ea77799-2aeb-57e8-8ab5-a624f2bb464f.html#ixzz1qSFguj7V

Wyoming Sen. Al Simpson calls fellow Republican Rick Santorum "rigid and homophobic"

From Face the Nation on CBS:

Former Senator Alan Simpson had some choice words for his one-time colleague, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum. 

"I know Santorum, I served with him," he said. "He is rigid and a homophobic. He believes that gays and lesbians, he mentioned in an interview in 2003, about bestiality, and gays and lesbians. I think that's disgusting," said Simpson. 

The former three-term Republican senator from Wyoming, who has always been known for both his candor and his ability to work across party lines, said Republicans are hurting themselves by focusing on social issues. 

"Here's a party that believes in government out of your life, the precious right of privacy and the right to be left alone. How then can they be the hypocrisy of fiddling around in these social issues? We won't have a prayer," he told Bob Schieffer in an interview for CBS News' Face to Face, a weekly web interview from the staff of Face the Nation. 

Those social issues are a defining part of Santorum's candidacy and his newfound support as a the leading conservative candidate. "And they asked him, well he said I want a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage and they said well what about the people who are already married? And he said well they would be nullified. I mean what is, what's human, what's kind about that? We're all human beings, we all know or love somebody who's gay or lesbian so what the hell is that about? To me it's startling and borders on disgust," said Simpson, who would be considered a centrist Republican by today's standards and served at a time when the two parties in Congress were not as far apart on the ideological spectrum as they are today.

Read a transcript of the full interview with Simpson.

After drinking all that tea, GOP not so grand anymore

Wyoming GOP will be bringing some monstrous Tea Party bills to the 2012 Legislature.Stay tuned... 

Grant Family Farms looking for band to play live music Sept. 24 at bus repainting party

This comes from Grant Family Farms in Wellington, Colo.:

BAND WANTED!

I'm hoping you all have heard about our bus repainting party this Saturday (Sept. 24). Well, to make this a fun day we would love to have some live music there! If you are willing to donate your time for a few hours ~9-12 please let us know. Would love to have you at the farm!

Go to http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20110917/NEWS01/109170393/Vandals-hit-Grant-Family-Farms-chicken-buses-Wellington?odyssey=tab

Grant Family Farms hosts painting party Sept. 24 to erase hate speech vandalism

From today's Denver Post:

Mobile chicken coops on the Grant Family Farm in Wellington were vandalized with messages of hate last week. Swastikas and anti-gay messages were scrawled on the sides of three buses the farm uses as mobile chicken coops. Sometime between Sept. 7 at 9 p.m. and Sept. 11 at 11 a.m. vandals entered the farm passing clearly marked private land and defaced the buses, said Angela Simon, chef for Grant Family Farms and representative of Boulder Community Supported Agriculture.

"It's a blunt reminder there are individuals who think that way and want to promote their message," Simon said.

The all-organic farm fosters an open community with a diverse staff, she said. The colorful buses add an element of mobile art with messages of peace and love to the utility as a chicken coop.

The buses are taken to different areas on the more than 2,000 acre farm to allow the chickens to roam free and help with fertilizing and weed control.

The Larimer County Sheriff's office is investigating the vandalism and trespassing as a hate crime, Simon said.

The chicken buses are decorated at painting parties hosted at the farm.

Sept. 24, there will be a painting party open to the public to cover up the vandalism and to paint two new coops.

Simon said she hopes they will have a gracious donor provide paint for the party. which will start at 9 a.m.

"It will take some work to cover it up," Simon said."We will do the best we can."

In July, Hummingbirdminds wrote about the 30th anniversary of the Grant Family Farms store here in Cheyenne. It's been a real boost to locavores and gardeners in southeast Wyoming. And my daughter had a summer job there two years ago. I'll be at a literary conference in Casper for the Sept. 24 (9 a.m.-noon) painting party. But if you're around, get down to Wellington and support Grant Farms. Activities will be happening at the field near Cuca's Kitchen, just to the west of the farm offices at 1020 WCR near Wellington. Wear your painting clothes, bring water for drinking and any extra house paint suitable for covering swastikas and anti-gay slogans.

Here's a better photo courtesy of towleroad at http://www.towleroad.com/2011/09/peace-loving-colorado-farm-hit-by-anti-gay-neo-nazi-vandal.html

River City's got trouble with a capital "T" and that stands for Tea Party

A billboard ordered and paid for by the North Iowa Tea Party shows President Obama, Adolf Hitler, left, and Vladimir Lenin, on South Federal Avenue in Mason City, Iowa. Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/07/13/iowa-tea-party-billboard-compares-obama-hitler/#ixzz1VFmr5OK0 (even Fox thinks this is a bit much). Meredith "The Music Man" Wilson would be proud of his hometown of "River City." We got trouble, right here in River City, trouble with a capital "T" and that rhymes with "P" and that stands for "Tea Party." (The billboard was removed a month ago -- I was a bit late on this one but it deserves long life on the interwebs.)

Bachmann’s Husband Calls Homosexuals ‘Barbarians’ Who ‘Need To Be Educated And Disciplined’

Bachmann’s Husband Calls Homosexuals ‘Barbarians’ Who ‘Need To Be Educated And Disciplined’

When trying to figure out where presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) gets her stringent, anti-gay views, you only have to look as far as her husband. Dr. Marcus Bachmann, who has described himself as his wife’s “strategist,” runs a Christian-based counseling center in Minnesota that has been rumored to offer reparative treatment for those looking to “ungay” themselves.

It's official -- Tea Party now in charge of the G.O.P.

We knew all along  that the Tea Party was steering the G.O.P. during this so-called "budget showdown." Anti-abortion zealots and climate change deniers are shutting down our government. It's as if my crazy neighbor, Tea Party Slim, was in charge of telling us all where to work and how to dress and who to vote for and which church we must attend (or else).

Go to http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/07/tea-party-roadblock-polls_n_846122.html

Extremism goes mainstream in Wyoming politics

Lead article in this morning's Wyoming Tribune-Eagle by Josh Mitchell:

Extremism in Wyoming: Neo-Nazis are here. So is the KKK. A white supremacist group thinks this could be a great place to thrive. But when it comes to extremism in Wyoming, that's just the tip of the iceberg.

It's an interesting piece, but the reporting only goes so far. The Southern Poverty Law Center does great work investigating traditional right-wing extremist groups. It earned its chops fighting groups such as the KKK and the John Birch Society that were battling civil rights legislation in the fifties and sixties. Sure, these groups still spout hate and actively recruit new members. The Cheyenne KKK chapter came to the Capitol a decade ago to stage a protest against an issue that I can't recall. There are Birchers in Wyoming, says Bill Hahn, PR guy for JBS national HQ in Wisconsin. He's named in the WTE article, and says he won't give out membership info for Wyoming.

Sorry SPLC, but I don't fear these groups. I fear the mainstreaming of their ideas. The Tea Party is a contemporary offshoot of the John Birch Society. For the past two years, conservative candidates have been falling all over each other to curry favor with the Tea Party. At least one Republican gubernatorial candidate in 2010 spoke at a Tea Party rally in Cheyenne. That was Ron Micheli of notoriously conservative Uinta County. He said what a lot of Wyomingites wanted to hear in 2010 and came within a gnat's eyelash of winning his party's nomination. This was stymied by sensible Republicans and a horde of cross-over Dem voters in the primaries.

If you scoff at the idea that KKK and Bircher nonsense is now mainstream, you didn't pay attention to the recently completed session of the Wyoming Legislature. Gays, lesbians, immigrants, union members, teachers and public employees were all targeted by proposed bills. Very few made it into law. But this is just the beginning. As hate and discrimination goes mainstream, fueled by the Tea Party, with its "strains of extremism," and 24/7 Fox and right-wing radio, more and more legislators with these agendas will be elected. This is especially true in the rural areas of the state, where Democrats are rare but satellite antennae grow like prairie weeds.

This legislation will be supported (as it is now) by lobbyists from conservative think tanks and large corporate interests. Progressive and moderate Wyomingites will have their hands full working against discriminatory bills. We have passion but little money. We are fortunate that there are Republican legislators such as Cale Case who continue the state's strains of moderation. But their days may be numbered as they are targeted as RINOs (Republican in Name Only) by right-wing activists backed by outside funding.

The WTE article is worth reading. It adds to our understanding about the right-wing weirdness that has entered politics in the Equality State.

For the full SLPC report, "U.S. Hate Groups top 1,000," go to http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/news/us-hate-groups-top-1000

Last day at the Wyoming Legislature -- artful words and song overwhelm hatred and fear

I visited the lobby of the Wyoming House chambers on Thursday morning. The combative legislative session was winding down and House members were taking their final coffee break. I ran into local Democratic legislators I know and have campaigned for -- Mary Throne, Ken Esquibel, Floyd Esquibel. They appeared suitably relieved on the last day of official business. I also saw some Republican legislators who have championed some good bills and some that were terribly regressive and anti-human. HB 74, for example.

I thought it was telling that many of the Republicans were waylaid on their way into the chambers by Becky Vandeberghe of WyWatch Family Action. This ultra-conservative org was pushing hard to demonize the LGBT community. Big fail! WyWatch only succeeded in embarrassing The Equality State in the eyes of the nation and in rallying a disparate group of Dems and Repubs to oppose the bills. Some were conservative legislators Phil Nicholas and Cale Case. Take a look at this March 4 clip from MSNBC's Rachel Maddow show.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I really liked Sen. Case's amendment. He is, after all, a conservative economist who knows all about unforeseen consequences of dumb legislation.

There were regressive lobbyists and regressive politicians passing therough the lobby on Thursday. Mrs. Vandeberghe of WyWatch was handing out conservative Christian prayer books and clasping the hands of ultra-conservative lawmakers she had won over. "God Bless You," she said, staring deep into their eyes as if attempting to hypnotize them into submission for next year's session.

On the other side of the wood-paneled room, sitting in a comfy chair, was Wyoming's poet laureate, David Romtvedt. He was awaiting the summons to come in and read poems to House members. This is an annual tradition at the Legislature. On Wednesday, David read his poetry to members of the Senate but the House was overburdened with last-minute stuff and didn't have time for David. But he was back.

The House was called to order and began business with a hymn. You can look at a hymn as another form of poetry or as song or even as propaganda. Singing of the hymn fell to Rep. Bob Brechtel (R-Casper), who supported anti-gay legislation all the way. He sang every single verse of "How Great Thou Art." It was piped into the lobby via loudspeakers. Rep. Brechtel has a nice voice and might even have a music background. Wonder if he knows how many gays and lesbians make of the state's music community, or the arts community in general? As the hymn went on, I ran into House doorman Keith Rounds, an accomplished cowboy poet. I asked him if Rep. Brechtel was a preacher or a minister or just liked to sing. He's very religious, he said. Catholic I think. I responded: "What is a nice Catholic boy doing singing a Protestant hymn?" Growing up Catholic, we always sang Catholic hymns -- badly, and in Latin. Keith didn't know the answer to my question.

Meanwhile, as a right-wing Catholic sang God's praises and a right-wing activist handed out God's words, The Bettys showed up. They are a group of about a dozen young women who make up the University of Wyoming acapella singing group. They were getting a guided tour of the Capitol before they sang to the House. They wore black-and-white outfits with 40s-style poufy hats and pink high-heeled shoes. We invited them into the lobby and we all had a great time talking about singing and dancing and the arts. I'm surprised an alarm didn't go off in the lobby. "Warning, warning, lobby dangerously overloaded with arts types. Warning, warning!" David almost broke out his accordion to accompany The Bettys on "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie." But the music had to wait as the tour guide intervened and whisked the young women away to see the rest of the Capitol.

I had a meting to attend so couldn't stick around. I missed hearing David's poetry and music mixing with the strains of hymns and acapella boogie. But I bet if I wander into the empty House chambers on Monday, I'll be able to hear the lingering tones of the arts drowning out the razor-edged words of hatred and fear.

Here we go again -- Republican legislators seek to deny equality in The Equality State

It's the day after Christmas. That means it's time to take stock of the year and engage in prognostications for 2011.

I can sum up 2010 in two words -- it stunk.

Especially the November election in Wyoming.

Republicans now control all of the state’s five elected offices and have a commanding majority in the legislature. Veto-proof, as if that was necessary.

Matt Mead is a moderate and I would have voted for him if I weren’t such a dedicated Liberal, and stubborn to boot. Leslie Petersen is a great person but not such a great candidate. It didn’t help that voters were wildly indignant about nearly everything (real and imaginary) and wanted to vote the rascals out but just ended up putting inexperienced people in important positions.

Just 22 percent of us voted for Ms. Petersen. The rest for Mr. Mead and various and sundry, including Taylor Haynes, Laramie County’s own Tea Party favorite. He got more than 13,000 write-in votes.

As I said earlier, Mr. Mead is a moderate and he’ll get grief from the Know Nothings in his own party. They plan some mischief in the upcoming 90-day legislative session. We’ve already been privy to some of their plans.

First, it’s time once again to demonize homosexuals. A resolution will be introduced called The Defense of Marriage Act. A similar bill was defeated in 2009. It has once again reared its ugly head.

The bill’s goal, say supporters, is to allow voters to close the loophole in state law. Wyoming has proclaimed that marriage is between a man and a woman. The legislature already decided that. However, Wyoming also guarantees that marriages performed in other states must be recognized here.

You can see the dilemma. Marriages between same-sex partners performed in such liberal hotbeds as Iowa and New Hampshire must be acknowledged by The Equality State. If we don’t act quickly, these people will flood into Wyoming and openly establish businesses, teach our children, create fine art, run for office and cause many traditional marriages to be threatened. And I almost forget – they will openly serve as missileers at Warren AFB, train combat troops at Camp Guernsey and fly those lumbering C-130s over my house in Cheyenne.

We don’t want that.

Who are the sponsors and co-sponsors of this bill? All Republicans, of course. Here are some quotes on the issue from an article in today’s Wyoming Tribune-Eagle:

"It's about the right of Wyoming voters to vote," said Sen. Curt Meier, R-LaGrange, who plans on co-sponsoring an updated resolution. "We're setting a community standard for Wyoming."

A community standard for Wyoming? How a senator from the charming Goshen County hamlet of LaGrange (pop. 334) feels he needs to establish a standard for the rest of Wyoming (pop. 563,626 – 2010 census) is beyond me. He has ally from across the state in a Uinta County metropolis. Rep. Owen Petersen of Mountain View (pop. 1,153) plans to sign on as a co-sponsor.

Both of these Republican candidates ran unopposed in the general election. They come from very conservative rural communities. Tea Party Land. Uinta County is home to unsuccessful Tea Party gubernatorial candidate Ron Micheli. I will have to look up the names of the other co-sponsors. My bet is that they all hail from the far rural reaches of The Equality State. You would think they would have better things to do than demonize their fellow citizens. What about the state’s education crisis, energy regulations, rising poverty rate, sky-high teen suicide rate, Medicaid funding shortfall and infrastructure problems, such as the disintegration of I-80? Minor issues that will determine the future of the state.

Here’s what Cheyenne Rep. Ken Esquibel (Democrat) had to say about the DOMA resolution:

Rep. Ken Esquibel, D-Cheyenne, said he believes it's a proposal that does more to make social conservatives feel good than to protect traditional marriage. And while he personally believes that marriage should be between a man and a woman, he doesn't think the argument of tradition should be used to tell others how to live.

"I don't see how we can call ourselves the Equality State when we are singling out a group of people," he said.

Esquibel said a better way to preserve traditional marriage would be to bring forth legislation requiring heterosexual couples to get counseling before divorcing.

Well said, Ken.

The upcoming legislature also plans to revamp the state’s primary election procedures. This is due to the fact that many Democrats switched parties during the August primary to vote against ultra-conservative Ron Micheli. Republicans thought this was dirty pool and that Democrats shouldn’t be allowed to keep right-wing kooks out of the governor’s office. We’ll see what happens with that.

I suppose there will be several bills related to state’s rights and nullification and the scourge that is “Obamacare” and the labeling of wolves as terrorists. While entertaining, all these add up to a huge embarrassment for Wyoming. Let’s hope cooler and more moderate heads prevail.

See you in Cheyenne in January.

Follow the fun on the legislature's web site.

Republican Legislators worried about immigration tidal wave inundating The Equality State

So much for our designation as The Equality State. And I'm sure that anti-gay legislation can't be far behind.

From Wyoming Public Radio:

A number of Wyoming legislators are planning to introduce a bill that would bring Arizona's immigration law to this state. Wyoming Public Radio's Renny MacKay reports.

Arizona's law requires police to check immigration status, if they suspect any person they have detained is in the U-S illegally. The law has been controversial, because many people say it will encourage racial profiling. Representative Pat Childers will co-sponsor the bill in this state. He says he believes the bill is written to avoid racial profiling.

"Sometimes it is difficult to prevent a certain amount of that, but the intent of the law is not to do that."

The primary sponsor of the bill is Representative Pete Illoway, from Cheyenne. He says Wyoming does have an illegal immigration problem, and lawmakers should at least debate the legislation. In a statement to WPR, Governor-elect Matt Mead says he could support a bill similar to Arizona's if it is tailored to Wyoming's specific needs, like restricting employers from hiring illegal immigrants.