The Pope, the Toppled (Catholic) House Speaker Mr. Boehner, and White Evangelicals As the GOP: Commentary for Your Edification and Amusement

This is partly for fun. As you know, I'm not political — just a theologian. Just as Pope Francis or Jesus is not political (and I'm not comparing myself to either of them in terms of substance and character), I'm not political. Just a theologian writing about theological issues.  

James Cone: "White Supremacy Is As Present in New York City As It Is in Jackson, Mississippi" — Steve Scalise and the Racism of White U.S. Catholics

The Shutdown and the Dominance of the GOP by White Southerners: A Growing Meme

One of the important trends in analysis of the current situation of American democracy as the Republican party shuts down the federal government is to note how the strategy of resistance and destruction is rooted in the ideology of the old Confederacy. In an essay published yesterday in the Washington Post, Colbert King maintains that, via the tea party and its dominance in the GOP, a "new Confederacy" has picked up where the old one left off.

Why They Did It: Government Shutdown and Opposition to Healthcare for All (and to Increased Taxes on Super-Rich)

Ezra Klein on why the Republicans shut down the U.S. government:

Fading Palin and Boehner and the GOP: Number 1 or Number 2?

Two new cartoons featured today at the Truthdig site remind of that frustrating vision test the ophthalmologist always gives. Remember it? She shifts from lens 1 to lens 2 and then asks, as she holds up a little cue card, "Which is better, number 1 or number 2?"