I was hired by the Edwards campaign for the skills and talents I bring to the table, and my willingness to work hard for what’s right. Unfortunately, Bill Donohue and his calvacade of right wing shills don’t respect that a mere woman like me could be hired for my skills, and pretended that John Edwards had to be held accountable for some of my personal, non-mainstream views on religious influence on politics (I’m anti-theocracy, for those who were keeping track). Bill Donohue—anti-Semite, right wing lackey whose entire job is to create non-controversies in order to derail liberal politics—has been running a scorched earth campaign to get me fired for my personal beliefs and my writings on this blog.
In fact, he’s made no bones about the fact that his intent is to “silence” me, as if he—a perfect stranger—should have a right to curtail my freedom of speech. Why? Because I’m a woman? Because I’m pro-choice? Because I’m not religious? All of the above, it seems.
Regardless, it was creating a situation where I felt that every time I coughed, I was risking the Edwards campaign. No matter what you think about the campaign, I signed on to be a supporter and a tireless employee for them, and if I can’t do the job I was hired to do because Bill Donohue doesn’t have anything better to do with his time than harass me, then I won’t do it. I resigned my position today and they accepted.
There is good news. The main good news is that I don’t have a conflict of interest issue anymore that was preventing me from defending myself against these baseless accusations. So it’s on. The other good news is that the blogosphere has risen as one and protested, loudly, the influence a handful of well-financed right wing shills have on the public discourse.
Bill Donohue doesn’t speak for Catholics, he speaks for the right wing noise machine. You guys pointed this out, you made a stink, you refused to walk into the same stupid trap that is laid out for liberals and Democrats by the right wing noise machine and I think you made a difference. While loyalty played into the pushback some, the real story is that we liberals are not taking this crap any longer and we’re pushing back. And now that I’m attached to only myself again, I’m ready and eager to join in the pushing back with you. Like Lorraine say, Jesus did not say to shut your piehole.
Obviously, I’m scatterbrained right now. But I’ll be raring to go soon. In the meantime, I want to share this letter Evan got from Frances Kissling, the president of an organization I adore called Catholics for a Free Choice. She wrote a letter defending free discourse and her religion from being hijacked by the likes of Bill Donohue and other people who dress their reactionary politics up in faith’s clothing. She sent it to the NY Times, and for some reason they didn’t run it.
Another thing—this has doubled my committment to reaching out and helping highlight when the religious left fights the right wingers who have falsely claimed to speak for all religious people.
Well wow, I wasn’t really expecting this. I’m really glad to hear speaking out about this; it must have been bloody hard to keep quiet. I hope it all works out for you on the moving front (if you’re moving again) and welcome back.
I admit, I questioned the hiring at first. And then I realized that the hiring was bold and I respected it, and I hoped that you would stick around.
It is too bad that you need to leave this position.
Of course, it truly makes me wonder if Edwards asked you to step down, which would suck. I hope that is not the case…
I must say I’m really sorry to hear this. I hope this is what’s best for you but I don’t think the issue is your presence hurting the Edwards campaign. The right wing noise machine will always find something to troll about. The question to me was whether having you on board would do more good than harm and I still believe it would have. This is not a plus for Edwards in my book, in fact my true feelings are that it is a big minus.
Still I sincerely hope that it’s the best for you.
Well, I am sorry to hear that Bill Donahue gets what he wants (ever); on the OTHER hand, now you can work for Al Gore should he announce, which it is looking like he WILL.
(YAY AL !!!)
I can’t imagine that this doesn’t hit you in the wallet, I really don’t KNOW if you are unemployed now, or even what you do, even though I am an Austinite! Well I hope Bill Donohue didn’t cost you any money, is all. If he did, you are sure to get it back threefold, because you area goddess and heis a dick.
This whole incident seems to back up Twisty’s assertion that Men Hate Us, more than I like to admit. Because it seems to me that they hate you and Shakes because you are Feminists.
I would like to believe that only a few unhinged men hate us, and that most men are pretty neutral, and then there are some that are very pro-woman. But I guess I am wrong; I think that the vitriol was VERY flavored with Eau De Misogynist.
I’m sorry to hear that. I was disappointed you weren’t going to be able to post as often on Pandagon, but now that you’ll be having free time, I’m disappointed for you.
I’m sorry it worked out that way. Truly.
Amanda, I’m so sorry to hear about your resignation! I thought that bringing you on was one of the smarter decisions that the Edwards campaign could make.
On the other hand, I look forward to seeing you take on Donohue, who most certainly does NOT speak for this Catholic…
Dude. I’m so sorry.
Sorry that things worked out this way. I’m really disappointed in Edwards for not supporting you more clearly and I’m sorry that Donahue got what he wanted. And that you lost this opportunity. On the other hand, I’m hoping that this means that you’ll be posting more.
Good for you, Amanda. This must have been a really difficult decision, and choosing to resign a post you wanted in order to preserve your ability to speak freely (without harming a candidate you believe in) is a rare display of integrity and bravery. I admire you.
Although this must be hard for you, I am selfishly thrilled to have you back, full-force, at Pandagon. As a good friend said: “The heart is a muscle as big as your fist. Keep loving. Keep fighting.” We’re with you.
Thanks, all. I’m the writer that I am because I am, but in my real life, I’m someone who keeps her head down and works hard at what I do. Above all else, the fact that this was putting a wrench into my abilities to do the job I was hired to do was killing me. I was eager to get to work talking policy, garnering support, you know—my job. At this point, I bet Bill Donohue would jump into a Wendy’s and stand on the counter and start saying, “I WILL STAND HERE BLOWING NOXIOUS FARTS UNTIL YOU FIRE THE ENTIRE STAFF.” For no reason.
Yeah, I kinda thought this would happen once the full Wurlitzer got going and decided to roll over you.
I hate for it to look even for a minute like Donohue won — you’ll take care of that, won’t you?
;-)
Hey, you stuck to your guns, and you are going to grow from this-
P/Amando-not gone-still right here will be your voice.
Don’t let the haters get to you.
3B endorses Amanda Marcotte in the election of say whatever the fuck you want.
Wow.
Best of luck.
I’m so sorry, Amanda. It’s their loss. Who cares about the Edwards campaign if this is how it treats its best and brightest? You never should have had to make this choice.
From a selfish perspective, I’m glad my favorite blogger is no longer forced to be muted, and I’m very much looking forward to your further writings. But I’m sure today and the past couple weeks have been really hard for you, and I’m sorry you ended up having to make this decision. After last week I can’t say it surprises me, though I hoped for your sake that you’d be able to make it work out.
(Technical aside: For some reason I was unable to post a comment in my usual browser, Konqueror, and had to switch over to Firefox.)
Kick some ass, Amanda.
What a bigoted, misogynistic, vile, piece of crap.
Bill Donohue has quite a history of bigotry, homophobia, hate speech, and religion bashing, not to mention his rape-defending.
Rape is no big deal while insulting the Church is bad bad bad. Gotcha. He and his ilk need to look no further than their own mirrors to see why people are fleeing the Church.
He’s done this crap before.
Good for you.
I’m glad you resigned and hope you’re remorseful for the rotten things you said. I’ll continue to pray for you regardless.
Welcome back, Amanda. It seems like you only just left….
I want to know 2 things- 1) does this mean the trolls will lose interest and go away, and 2) can we come up with a new phrase like santorum (the frothy mix of lube and fecal material that is sometimes the the by-product of anal sex) that we can attach to Bill Donohue?
Amanda…can you clarify whether or not this was your idea or Edwards? Is that allowed?
This is some bullshit. Like others, I was disappointed from a purely selfish point of view when you announced you’d be blogging here less, but this development pisses me off no end. The Edwards campaign has its head absurdly far up its ass if its listening to a self-seeking windbag like Donohue, and anyone basing their opinion of Edwards as a candidate on a few lines in a blog post you wrote is engaging in the most narrow-minded and irrational form of identity politics humanly possible. This fills me with nothing but disgust for our whole political process and the mindless hyenas who report on it.
I’m sorry things worked out this way, Amanda. I hope this decision is a good one for you. I’m not sure that I hope it’s a good one for Edwards.
I want to echo what Dianne suggested above re: Edwards inadequate response to the right-wing noise machine. At the time I was willing to accept the blogosphere’s largely glass-half-full reading of his decision not to fire you. Now I think it’s clear that Edwards did not go nearly far enough in defending you. This will now go down as yet another negative object lesson that suggests the need to respond unambiguously to such rightwing poo flinging. There’s no point whatsoever conceding anything to authoritarian bullies like Donahue.
As far as Edwards is concerned this is not only about the case at hand, but also about the larger question of his willingness and ability to stand up to right-wing mau mau’ing. Score one for the right wing. I hope, somewhere, John Edwards is once again writing “I was wrong.”
But Edwards is far from alone. There are very, very few Democratic politicians who are unwilling to abandon the left (and I’m using the term quite broadly here) when the right wing starts to holler at them.
I welcome Amanda’s return to Pandagon and look forward to reading her words unfiltered by potential campaign-related conflicts of interest. But I guess we will once again have to wait for the day when voices like hers are truly acceptable to the leadership of the Democratic Party.
As someone who regularly enjoys Amanda’s writing and who had expected to be active on behalf of John Edwards, I simply have to ask: Why wasn’t this scenario anticipated and planned for?
God, this sucks. I’m so sorry you uprooted your life only to have this nasty, misogynist turd of a god-botherer go after you. And I’m sorry for the Edwards campaign, because they lost a real star.
So, it seems like you can still do some freelance blog-advocacy for John Edwards here - are you going to stay in ‘campaign mode’ or let it go?
Amanda Resigns…
We don’t know about the rest of the blogosphere, but to us, this is kind of sad. If bloggers ever intend to be a legitimate force in politics, they should not have to be afraid that their previous work is……
May I me the first, or at least the most recent to say: fuck that guy. I mean seriously what a dick. I mean, here he is attacking Amanda just to score points against edwards. He isn’t an idiot and he knows that you aren’t a bigot or anti-catholic, and he just doesn’t care. What people like Malkin and Donahue is down right sociopathic.
If Edwards had hired, say, Al Sharpton as an advisor and right wingers flipped out and tried to get him fired I would have been annoyed, but not personally offended / righteously indignant. In this case I was because Amanda and Shakespears’ sis aren’t high-profile politicos that have resources to relocate around and whatnot. I just relocated for a job, and if I had been fired right a way I would have been in financial dire straights and it would seriously have fucked my life up. That is what is so offensive, they weren’t attacking a high-profile public figure, but just regular people with regular jobs because they have some partisan axe to grind. I shouldn’t be shocked that Donahue doesn’t mind ruining lives for his own petty partisan gain, but I am.
I’m selfishly glad you’re back at Pandagon, but I am disappointed in the way this worked out. Which isn’t to say you didn’t make the right decision - you probably did - but I am hugely disappointed in the Edwards campaign for putting you in this position. I can’t respect a candidate who caves to the right wing that easily.
I suspect, in the end, losing you will hurt Edwards more than keeping you ever would have.
Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. This stinks.
Damn.
Sorry to hear that, Amanda.
Amanda, this sucks. Especially considering the fact that Bigot Bill has quite the history of anti-Semetism, Islamaphobia, and rape victim bashing (and perp defending). One hopes that the mouth foaming hordes would hold allies to the same standards they hold us.
I’m really sorry, Amanda, that those disgusting extremists railroaded you – and so hypocritically, too! Donohue is one of the last people on Earth who should be throwing stones at others for their supposed bigotry.
And while I’ve often disagreed with you, even going so far as to call you a bigot, I’ve always considered you a talented writer with a bright future. You were a good hire for Edwards, and his campaign is the poorer for having accepted your resignation.
I pray to God that Donohue is forced to eat his crow publicly.
What Lindsay said.
Well, as sucky as the situation is, I am happy for a selfish reason…
One of my favorite voices in the blogosphere is back and as shrill as ever :]
Yeah, sorry to hear that. Still, I reckon you’ll be giving as good as you got from Donahue and the rest during the next year or so. Are you going to be okay as far as employment and living costs go?
Amanda,
I’m really sorry that you were forced into this position and that Edwards, and presumably other campaigns, have temporarily lost a strong voice for progressive politics and internet campaigns. As you say the whole objective on Donahue’s part was to smear and silence the campaign and, by attacking one junior member, reminding the rest of us to keep our mouths shut. I’ll be thinking about you and hoping that things work out–if my understanding of the political world works out this is already yesterday’s scandal and I hope that soon you will be hired by another campaign to do what you do best which is work the internets.
aimai
This Sucks…
Badass feminist blogger Amanda Marcotte has resigned from the Edwards campaign. She made the announcement today at Pandagon, which right-wing antisemite Bill Donohue criticized as “bigoted” and “vulgar.” (Never mind Donohue’s own “bigoted,” “vu…
BTW, I’m still in Austin! I’m packed and ready to go and got my truck repaired to drive to NC, but I’m not leaving, it appears.
And the right-wing noise machine scores another victory. I hate these assholes. Who decided that Bill Donohue spoke for Catholics other than Bill Donohue?
I really think you made a mistake stepping down, Amanda. I know you had your reasons, but every victory for the noise machine just emboldens them further. It won’t stop with you. And it wouldn’t have stopped with you even if you’d stayed in your job, but it would have blunted some of their momentum and cost them some of their prestige. They only have power because Democrats and media hacks give them power. If Edwards had come out and just told Donohue where to shove his “outrage” he would have won this round handily.* If he’d come back at them aggressively and attacked back we’d never hear from the Catholic League again.
Instead, the noise machine goes on, a little faster and a little stronger because they scored another victory. Every victory for them is marked by ruined reputations and careers, death and destruction around the world, poverty and hunger at home and abroad, but increasing power and wealth for the select. It’s sickening, and I can’t even describe how crazy it makes me that nobody in a position of power on the left will fight back.
*And not just him - it’s every Democrat or liberal that’s been slimed by these people and not fired back or had their supporters slimed and not defended them. Obama, Gore, Kerry, Clinton, the other Clinton, the younger Clinton, Pelosi, Edwards, Daschle, Dean, all of them.
Well, good for you to not back down or let them silence you. I just gotta say, though, Donohue? What a fucking troglodytic stain. I seriously hope karma catches up to him, because he’s got a debt that could only be settled in egregious fashion. Disgusting prick.
Welcome back.
And also: f**k!
Sorry about all this which absolutely SUCKS.
And “ac,” I will be asking the universe to make you a little less of an asshole.
I am sorry that it came to this. It frustrates me that someone like Donahue is able to bully valuable Democratic staff members into resigning. I wished at the outset that Edwards would defend you and Melissa more vigorously.
Donahue, by the way, does not speak for Catholics, and probably not even for a majority of Catholics. He gets funded by right-wingers and repays them with hit jobs like this one. I and many others consider him an embarrassment.
Really sad - and let me also say that I’m disappointed in Edwards for accepting your resignation withouat at least a statement of support.
The entire incident had helped, rather than harmed, his candidacy IMHO and now it looks as if he caved, whether it is called “resignation” or not.
I’m terribly sorry to hear about this. The way I dreamt it, the FDR campaign had hired Molly Ivins as blogmaster! It struck me as completely beautiful.
But I can see how a “a situation where I felt that every time I coughed, I was risking the Edwards campaign” would completely fail to fit you. You belong in a place where you can say whatever you think without worrying about stuff like that.
I look forward to seeing you absolutely rip the religious right apart, in the near and far future, which you might not have been able to do so well while constrained by a campaign. So though I’m going to miss knowing that you’re working for my favorite candidate, welcome back.
I’m sorry you had to do this. Donohue’s a repulsive scumbag and a hideous excuse for a Christian.
I’m glad we’ll still have your voice here, at least.
Another voice in support of YOU, Amanda.
Amanda:
Thanks for this–
And thanks for taking one on the chin for the rest of the movement. Let us know if we can help.
PD
Amanda,
I’m truly sorry that you felt you had to resign. As others have said, your departure from the campaign is Edwards’ loss.
On the other hand, I for one welcome the return of our Pandagonian overlord.
We are still with you Amanda, I hope this works out well for you, I can’t imagine not being able to defend oneself in such a situation, thankyou for your candid explaination.
I can see why you would make this decision, and now head up the push back on Donohue.
And the right-wing machine wins again. *sigh*
If I may ask, do you still support Edwards as a candidate? Because, frankly, the best thing I’d heard about Edwards was that Amanda Marcotte supported him and if you don’t anymore he’s definitively off my list as a candidate to vote for in the primary or contribute to.
Well, one didn’t have to have the powers of Kreskin to see this coming. Stick with the bloggers in the short term to save face but bow to the pressure in the end. As others have said I can see the good in that Amanda can now continue posting here with a free voice, but as a voter, all I can see is once again the right-wing noise machine has won. That they’re bloviating, manipulations and lies will rule the upcoming election. That the Democratic nominees will run their candidacies not by what their own constitutes may want, but by what the right-wing says. I’m disappointed beyond belief.
Amanda, any news regarding Melissa’s status? She was being tarred with the same brush, but we don’t have any clues as to how it’s affecting her.
Also, I have no idea what the economics of Austin are like. I certainly hope you can get a job quickly. Good luck!…
i’m so angry about this i can hardly type, amanda. look for emails from me in places we both read.
this isn’t over. by a long shot. little people: you heard it from amanda first: you don’t count. shut up, eat your pudding, and don’t rock the boat. especially if you’re a woman, nigger, or faggot, like me.
time to go sit in the corner and do some yoga. it’s better than hurting someone.
Well, Amanda, I’m sorry you felt you had to resign, but look on the bright side: at least you won’t be spending the next two years blogging for a loser. Given Edwards’ reaction when the right-wingers tried to Swiftboat his campaign by attacking you, he’s a loser. I have a certain amount of experience of how impossible it is to be working for somebody who you know is dubious and lukewarm about supporting you. It sucks.
I’m relieved to know you hadn’t yet made the move and I am looking forward to the campaign against Donohue, and the rest of the ring wing noise machine. Seriously, there’s a lot of anger out here over what happened to you and I think it could be channeled into a good fight.
Arrrrrggggg! I am sad for you and sad for the Edwards campaign. I support both so this really really hurts.
Aw man, I was really hoping you could stick it out there. There’s a special little spot in hell for Donohue for trying to run you out of the opportunity of a lifetime.
I’m sorry, Amanda.
If there’s one thing that I learned working on campaigns, it is that the candidate is largely a figurehead. The candidate is nothing without his (and it is almost always “his”) staff, particularly the campaign manager. If I were Edwards, I would not have accepted your resignation, but that’s politics and, probably, the CM’s call.
But I’m glad you’ll be posting here more often and without the restrictions you would have felt over the next 1 1/2 years had you stayed.
This is not meant as an insult at all, quite the opposite - but I never really saw you as “Campaign” type person.
Campaigns, even the best of them, involve a lot of filter. One of the glorious things about you - not much filter.
So, while I am sorry for you and for the Edwards campaign, I can’t help but be hopeful that you’ll be able to put your talents to their best use now, in a way that was perhaps not going to be possible before. I definitely think you’re a great and interesting writer, and I hope you don’t get at all discouraged. And I could see you involved in campaign work - but more like MoveOn or Lefty-firebrand group work.
Either way, all the best to you,
Well it was swell while it lasted but there is a phrase that keeps running through my head. Now what is it? I know I heard it alot last night, it seemed to keep repeating hypnotically from the television. Oh yeah- I’m not ready to make nice and I suspect that neither are you. So welcome back to the gunner’s seat and happy hunting.
Like others said, Edwards wasn’t even on my radar until he hired you and he immediately fell off when he gave that half-assed statement of ’support’ about you and Melissa. It’s not blind loyalty (as I’ve seen some of the right wing blogs claim) but just seeing evidence this early on that he wasn’t willing to stand up to the right wing noise machine - especially when the two doing the most bleeting are such reprehensible assholes themselves - convinced me that he’s not interested in trying to stop or reverse the right wing control of discourse. He just wants to get elected.
Hang in there.
Amanda,
Congratulations. You absolutely deserve to crash and burn.
What goes around…….
candidate Edwards has interested me since ‘04. I would have voted
for him, had he been on the primary ballot in my state.
I voted Kerry in some large part due to the presence of Sen. Edwards .
So…. I am really disssapointed today.
I have a flirting relationship with the blogosphere and it came to
my attention today that there was some bruhah about Sen. Edwards
campaign.on the Michelle Malkin site.
I read her column which was 99% blog entries of one of the subjects
of the bruhaha. Malkin made a few snide comments and conveniently
provided the original web address of the inflamatory blog posts. So I
clicked in.
I found three or four basic types of post.
There were the “look at my cats posts” pathetic stuff and I love cats.
There were her music and video posts which seem to be oriented to
some kind of neurotic test, guage or ideal that she feeels she must
meet in order to attain
some experience , that as a music lover, escapes me. It’s some kind
of compulsive list thing.
The third and by far most passionate posts were her “Men are
oppressing me” posts which can take a wide variety. These are
insulting to men and the relationship between men and women. Her
passionate hypocrisy ( and there is a great deal of that) is only
mitigated by the though that it seems that for this poor specimen of
womanhood, feminism can only be experienced as a pathology.
The fourth is where she makes up funny names for the president. I
wouldn’t even read a jot if this person wrote about foreign affairs.
Her constant foul language and obvious stance of persecution are
offensive whomever she thinks that she is skewering, and I am no
prude in the foul language department.
The idea that no one on John Edwards staff can understand that things
you write on the internet are on the internet, is flabbergasting. On
the other hand, maybe the staffers knew the writings and find them
agreeable to them. I don’t know.
I just know that such people will be your filter to the intenet
community ad the “face” they see in dealing with your site.
I registered and logged in to your site to post a comment, as a
potential Edwards voter, that the public face might be better served
by one who is more amenable to men as people and the other party as
Americans, and Americans in general as fellow humans. Not some manic
depressive cat-fetishist who is also a hostile pathological victim
regardless of her actual status.
So I wrote a paragraph.
The paragraph was removed very quickly. My words were removed from
the thread and I don’t appreciate it. Your protection of advocacy,
free speech and dissenting opinions runs one way, and senator Edwards
has been seduced into this way, into this mindset f the people that
tried to do in Lieberman.
I am logged in to your site. My posting is blocked.
To be banned in one post from this kind of site is unacceptable .
GODLESS:
I disagree: I don’t think working for Edwards was the opportunity of a lifetime, but Amanda may reap some long-term benefits by resigning for the sake of her integrity.
Once the election is over, a low-level staffer in a political campaign is easy to forget, but one that takes a hit directly to the face for her principles - now that, people will remember long after the last ballot is counted.
Damn it. This sucks. Like many others, I was really looking forward to seeing what you could do for real leftism on the campaign trail. Cold comfort maybe, but welcome back and rail away.
Edwards missed the chance of a lifetime. He could have supported free speech. He could have supported religious freedom. He could have pointed out that Donohue is nothing but a right wing hack and a bully. He could have pointed out that most Catholics have nothing to do with this guy’s opinions.
Catholics need to start a pile of individual lawsuits against Donohue and his organization for defamation. The name of their group gives the assumption that they are an official spokesgroup of the Catholic Church in the US when that is so not the case. He slanders all Catholics when he opens his mouth and claims to speak for them. There are many people who wrongly assume Donohue is the mouth of the Catholic Church in the US and blame these sentiments on all Catholics.
Well, I’m glad you hadn’t left town before this happened. That said -
Goddamn it all to hell!!! I’m afraid that this will only empower the assh*les, though I understand why you made the decision. They would never have stopped and it would have kept Edwards in defense mode until he dropped out of the race.
And I’m glad you’re able to post more. Uhh we do get to keep the second string though, right?
Oh, Amanda, good for you. You need not be tethered to anyone else’s agenda. Your talents were wasted on that Edwards. He has no real liberal backbone, and it saddened me that you had to apologize for your superior intellect and engaging analytical prose. You will have more influence sustaining your own un-censored posts here than you could have with that campaign.
I’m sorry if the decision hurts you financially, but I’m going to send a donation as a sign of support.
Keep up the good work and don’t let the bastards get you down!
I’m sorry that it worked out this way, since it was clearly something that you wanted and were passionate about.
Wow. I didn’t know this was coming, but props to you Amanda. I know that you’ll use your writing for the greater good, the right wing needs a swift ass-kicking.
I’m sorry this didn’t work out for you. Edwards has gone down in my estimation.
What a rollercoaster you’ve been on, Amanda! I can’t say I was thrilled by the rather backhanded defense of you Edwards himself offered, and I can imagine your resignation has led to some righteous chest thumping in the Bigots Against Free Speech quarters, but your explanation makes sense. You can do more here, anyway, if you ask me.
chicago dyke - “this isn’t over. by a long shot. little people: you heard it from amanda first: you don’t count. shut up, eat your pudding, and don’t rock the boat.”
Sad but true…
But I have to ask: “How can you have any pudding if you don’t eat your meat?”
couldn’t resist…
In the world of politics, we are much too accustomed to saying and accepting “Well, that’s politics” The truth is much much more than politics. These are people’s lives. No matter how big or how small that person, we are all affected. I cannot help but wonder why, someone as “intelligent” as Senator John Edwards could pursue a young woman who is hammering out a blog in Austin, TX, read it regularly, hire her because of her work, then fire her because of her work???????
Does this make sense to anyone??????
What sort of political machine thinks this is simply “politics”???
It is absurd.
What was Senator Edwards reading????? I expect much better decision making abilities out of the President of the United States. Come on.
This is really awful. I’m sorry so sorry you had to go through this. I hope you keep fighting and write what you think. Much luck in finding a job too.
The slow response to support you and your right to express yourself was bad enough. Now this… I hope you were not pressured by the Edwards campaign to resign.
I think a Presidential candidate who wants real grassroots support must be inclusive and allow lots of viewpoints inside their tent.
Ms. Marcotte, it’s good that you’re back. In your absence, it seems your blog failed to meet the stringent requirements laid out by the Interwebs Kingdom of J.
Rule 1: There will be NO CATS.
Rule 2: There will be NO VIDEOS
Rule 3: There will be NO LISTS
Rule 4: There will be only kowtowing to Teh Mighty White Wang.
That is all.
Well, Amanda, I respect your decision, of course. You can’t live the rest of your life — or even the next two years of it — with wingnuts and assorted vultures hanging on your every word. Doubtless this decision is best for you — and for your regular readers.
But if you’re thinking what I’m thinking, now seems like a good time for progressives and liberal people of faith and even us agnostics to push back against the larger Donohue Jihad, which is not about Pandagon or bloggers in general or even about John Edwards. It’s about what can and can’t be said about religion in the public sphere in the United States, and in this regard Donohue is no different from the mullahs who flipped out about the Mohammed cartoons. Think of it this way: is it now to be considered “outrageous” that someone like Amanda thinks of Catholicism as a largely patriarchal tradition? I’m sorry, but did the Church begin admitting women to the clergy the other day without letting me know? Last I checked, there was a reason the Church Fathers were called the Church Fathers. . . .
Believe me, plenty of liberal and progressive Catholics have severe problems with the Church’s long history of misogyny. Millions of Catholics find the Church’s position on contraception to be extremist and unworthy of their faith. Millions of Catholics want the church to repudiate its history of anti-Semitism (that’s part of what the far-right Opus Dei gang is all about: undoing Vatican II and gettin’ back to blamin’ the Jews for the Crucifixion). Those liberal and progressive voices, too, need to be heard in the public sphere. And those voices need to try to marginalize fanatics like Donohue and their lunatic campaigns against Democratic campaign staffers, against anti-Catholic TV ads for onion dip, and of course against the secular Jews and gay death-style advocates who run Hollywood.
J -
Blow it out your ass, you prick.
Sincerely,
A former Catholic
1. I am really sorry this had to happen.
2. Does anyone but me want to take our share of right wing scalps, now?
Amanda,
Most of the time I agree with what you say.
Sometimes I disagree…strongly.
I always respect you.
I am sorry this worked out this way for you. I hope you are not screwed too much on employment.
It sucks that you were not able to stay and work for the candidate you believe would do the best job between 2009 and 2013.
It sucks that those of us on the left (a huge spectrum) can’t be a little snippy without being attacked while those on the right can be hateful, spiteful and bigoted while getting a free pass.
Well I guess Earth Wind and Fire said it best (yes I am showing my age) Life is fair but so uncool.
Give ‘em hell Amanda. When you stop pissing people off you have stopped doing your job.
Sorry the job doesn’t pay more.
Amanda Left the Edwards Campaign…
I’m sure there will be another week as this all is shouted up and then winnowed, but two things I suspect:
This probably is going to be pretty bad for the Edwards cam……
As I said earlier last week on my site, if he’d fired you and Shakes, you both woulda landed on your feet and moved on to bigger and brighter things almost immediately. As far as I’m concerned, that’s still true.
You kicked ass, and Edwards stumbled about like a mumbleydork. You are the hero, and Edwards is the guy who pissed his pants about nazi thugs like Donohue and Malkin.
Keep kicking ass, por favor, and I’ll never stop reading.
wow, another stunned reader. i hope that this wasn’t internal pressure from the campaign. but regardless, you will be amazing as you take this challenge on - exposing such pompous, lying blowhards like donohoe for what they really are - and we’ll be here to help.
honestly, you have borne the brunt, and you know what? a lot of us are so pissed about that we can hardly see straight. and we plan to do something about it. “so it’s on,” indeed.
Michael B~
Methinks you’re onto something there.
Well. There goes my support for Edwards. They shouldn’t have accepted your resignation. That they did is weak. They got slapped down by a hatemonger. Unacceptable.
Oh Amanda, I’m so sad about all of this. I know you’re strong and will recover quickly, but you never should have had to endure any of this.
Glad you’ll be free to be your totally unincumbered self very soon.
Amanda, Amanda, Amanda
I’m not in your position so far be it from me to judge, but I kind of hitched my wagon to your cause because I saw yet another attempt to silence atheists from fully participating in the political process. Yeah, you probably didn’t think of the Edwards job that way, but I can assure you that Bill Donohue did. He saw a vocal atheist on a Democratic candidate’s campaign staff and came out guns a blazing. Not a single member of the media recognized what was happening and I don’t think even the blogosphere saw the issue as I saw it, but make no mistake about it; Donohue targeted you because you are an atheist and an unapologetic atheist at that. And he appears to have gotten away with it.
I can only hope that now that you are free from the confines of the Edwards campaign, you turn the screws as tightly as possible on that god slobbering swine dropping and do it all as a staunch John Edwards for President supporter. That’ll teach the bastard.
I feel so sad that at a time when our country needs thoughtful and honest dialogue that someone like Donahue can control the debate to such a degree that a insightful, energentic writer, such as yourself, can be hounded from a political campaign. When the Donahues of the world can define to the public which religious beliefs and criticism are allowed, and which are not, we have lost far more rationality then I ever thought possible.
On the plus side, I am glad you are back, and your voice unhampered by political commitment.
That is corrrect.
Rule 1: There will be NO CATS.
Rule 2: There will be NO VIDEOS
Rule 3: There will be NO LISTS
Rule 4: There will be only kowtowing to Teh Mighty White Wang.
Cat pictures ( and yours are particularly poor) 70’s rock vides ( which I love) and obsessive lists of obscure songs , are not political opinion and have no place in a candidates election forum blog site.
If your politics were not so overtly hostile to the continuation of mankind and life on earth maybe your opinions would be more interesting. Or have some relation to reality.
In any case You would not have had any trouble with ME if you had simply allowed my account to work on the stupid site.
I didn’t cre so much that you removed my post, as muuch as that your rescinding my account priveleges is the most hypocritical thing you could possibly do as a so-called liberal democratic party bloigger.
And I am unanimous in this.
FSM… I’m sorry to hear this happened. I really am.
I’d like to say this is what I expected of Edwards. This is indeed what I originally expected, but I seriously thought that you were going to stick around after Edwards’ statement that you were offensive but nonetheless should stay on his staff. I thought that was his way of compromising in a way that was bound to piss off everyone…
I don’t want to sound crass, but do you still think he’s the best guy for the job?
I wish you were free to let us know what actually happened, AM. I agree with many of the people above about Edwards’ slowness in responding to this smear doesn’t bode well for his campaign. Swift, savage, and, yes, reasoned response is what we need; instead, we got days of silence, what seems to have been a fake show of force, and then a sly resignation. That’s how it looks to me, anyway. Unfortunately, right now this looks like the Wingers won.
[…] From Ian comes this: I was hired by the Edwards campaign for the skills and talents I bring to the table, and my willingness to work hard for what’s right. Unfortunately, Bill Donohue and his calvacade of right wing shills don’t respect that a mere woman like me could be hired for my skills, and pretended that John Edwards had to be held accountable for some of my personal, non-mainstream views on religious influence on politics (I’m anti-theocracy, for those who were keeping track). Bill Donohue—anti-Semite, right wing lackey whose entire job is to create non-controversies in order to derail liberal politics—has been running a scorched earth campaign to get me fired for my personal beliefs and my writings on this blog. […]
J- no one gives a flying fuck what you think.
Well, *Shostakovich* — as we say in my PG-rated airspace. Now I have to think of a good emphatic that begins with F. Fraunhofer? Fudgebuckets? Fiddlesticks is just too . . . belle-ish. Or we could drag out an old Scottish favorite:
Waesucks.
I’m just glad that you haven’t actually moved, and hope you still have a home and gainful employment. Your Furry Overlords will probably be happier this way. And I will be happy to see you still around the stompin’ ground.
Here’s a clue.
If someone claims to be a writer and is going to write political opinions for a major candidate
THEN, pointing out their writings is not a smear.
It’s education.
J- no one gives a flying fuck what you think.
That is so true. And times like this it makes me so happy.
Good move, Edwards went from having absolutly having no chance with Marcotte, to, err, slightly higher.
Congrats on doing the noble ting by “stepping down” before you totally ruined Edwards’ career.
Amanda: I am sorry this happened. Like many others already have commented, when you announced the position, I was sad that we were not going to get the uncensored Amanda for awhile. But I was happy that you had the opportunity to participate in Edward’s campaign and contribute to changing how political campaigns interact with grassroots supporters and voters in general. Edward’s campaign was going to be all the stronger, in my view, for having you on his team. It’s his big loss then.
And J, come back and visit when you can string together some words with some semblance of coherence.
Well Amanda maybe you can learn a valuable lesson from this whole tawdry affair.
Firstly, you represent a minority that is better represented by elegant prose and quality rhetoric and not aggressive obscenity.
Secondly, you need to learn and accept the actual definitions of standard politial terminology such as “theocracy”, “anti semite” and “catholicism.”
You may, in a distant future, have something positive to add to the ongoing political debate in our great republic.
amanda,
I was introduced to your site and writing through this controversy and after looking over what you wrote, the words you used, and the attitudes that clearly came through, I agree with Edwards letting you go.
I saw a lot of hate coming from your writings for those who disagree with you and your constant obscenities and crude expressions were really quite offensive. I also saw a frightening lack of any ability to understand where those who disagree with you are coming from. If they disagreed with you, then they were scum… There seemed no in-between, no ‘hey, I can see your point, but I think this is more correct’ kind of reasoning. No, they were just scum, and obscene scum at that.
Can’t you realize what a turn off that is for us who don’t regularly read your stuff or blogs like yours? Why the constant obscenities? Why the need to demonize everyone who’s not on your wavelength? Why the absolute black and white of all positions?
for instance, the Catholic church does not ‘hate sex’ or ‘hate women’ or want them all to be shapeless bags in kitchens. why do you insist that they do? I was raised Catholic though I’m not now, but the attitudes you regularly ascribe to them are just nonsense. Can’t you think beyond caricatures?
People can be traditional catholics, born again christians, regular republicans, etc, and be nothing like what you demean them as. In fact, most are decent hard-working folk trying to do the best they can in this crazy world. Why be so insulting? don’t you know anyone who’s not a member of the hard left?
I find your blogging really sad; your reasoning non-existant, your insults childish, and your thinking sadly lacking in common sense. You seem to live to insult. Most people outgrow that after their teens…please do the same. come up with some real arguments to support your positions, not the cartoon caricatures you currently employ.
and now I’m really curious if you’ll respond to me with insults, and if I will be assigned a cartoon character also.
sincerely,
Mary
Michigan
The Catholics have just as much freedom of speech to criticize you as you do to criticize them.
Amanda Marcotte: “It’s ridiculous to claim I hate America.”
Bill Donohue: “Amanda Marcotte said, and I quote, ‘I hate America.’”
Amanda, I am so sorry. When you are up to it, please let us know how best to proceed.
How can we best challenge/expose Donahue to the world on and off the net?
(You should know that some of your readers are not diehard, acid-tongued bloggers with a firm grasp on every political issue you address here on Pandagon. Some of us are merely middle-aged, former repub country girls running little country stores.)
But this effort to silence you has brought out the militant. Now I need to know what to do with it. Let us know.
Amanda,
I am so sorry that the evil DonaHO (as in “Such A Ho”) crawled out from under a rock and created so much pressure that you felt obligated to resign. The irony is, if he had just stopped, you probably would have been quieter about certain subjects. Since you resigned, you can now fight the good fight FULL THROTTLE. While I am sorry whenever evil Right Wing Nutbags get their way, I do think in a way we are better off, since you now will be in no way be silenced.
Let Them Have It!
Steven Joseph
J sez:
How many people are you?
J says “And I am unanimous in this.”
Barely shorter J: “I agree with myself.”
That Edwards did not come out immediately swinging, defending your rights of free speech and his right to select his own campaign staff was a sign that he is still in triangulation mode.
Since when does a right wing nutcase dictate the opposition’s “hired hands”?
I’m sorry this didn’t work out for you, Amanda. Even more, I’m sorry that John Edwards has proven himself to be a coward first, candidate second.
It’s unfortunate that you had to do that. I just saw on Countdown that that assclown Donahue made Keith’s second worst person in the world for today over this issue, and knowing that such a smug holier-than-thou bigot is going to get some satisfaction (from you stepping down) is a wee bit sickening.
The couple of trolly posts on here are sickening too. My brain processes them as, “HOW DARE AMANDA HAVE FREE SPEECH!!” It’s disgusting that saying what you’re thinking and having opinions … especially as a woman … is so threatening to some people.
Keep fighting the good fight. Good thing you hadn’t picked up and left yet, at least.
And finally, Catholics can suck my disabled cat’s balls (while he still has them). I realize many Catholics are laid back (that’s why my hometown is Catholic AND incredibly librul) or “cafeteria,” and that’s fine and dandy. But I left the church (in my heart–my mom made me go to mass till I was 18) when I was 13 because of the stupid rules (”If it hurts you to kneel properly, offer the pain up to Gawd!!”) and mistreatment of women. Now Butt Fungus Bill can put me on record as an anti-Catholic bigot. Good.
I was kind of shocked by your apology. It was interesting to watch you denounce a sizable swath of your own work, bending over for a powerful man. A powerful man who doesn’t even have a hope of being POTUS. It must have been so demeaning, calling it satire and claiming, Polly-anna-ish, that you meant no offense to anyone. That you were, gulp, sorry. At the end of the day, you’re a cowardly woman who’ll deny her own work, her very self, to get a little exposure from a man.
And me? I’m a Godbag, sure, but I am at least my own Godbag.
Amanda, any chance you’ll get your old job back?
Should there be a donation drive?
THEN, pointing out their writings is not a smear.
Well, true. But pointing out their writings and flat-out being a stain about makes you an unbelievable prick. On second thought, from this fiasco, it’s not so unbelievable. Turns out there are quite a few of you funking up the woodwork.
I wish you were free to let us know what actually happened, AM.
I’m retracting this statement. Rather than trying to read between the lines, I’ll just wait and see what happens.
But dc, J doesn’t need coherence. He’s clearly got that “I’m so wrapped up in the way I think that I no longer need to think about how I communicate with others” vibe you find in crazy trolls. Hopefully he’ll get tired of standing there muttering to himself and move along to another street corner.
Amanda- I just want to say that I’m sad and impressed that you were able to make such a tough decision like this. While I would have loved it if you’d stayed with Edwards, I’m sure you did the right thing for yourself in the end, and you handled it well. On the brighter side, I’m happy that I’ll at least be able to keep reading your unfiltered eye-opening verbal smacks-across-the-face.
You’ve got so much more good work to do. So let’s get on with it!
While I’m thinking of it, from now on, every single time we see Donohue or Malkin on TV, we need to completely FLOOD the network and the program host with complaints. Remind them, with quotes, of their past thuggery. Eventually, the networks will be forced to examine their bigotry and they’ll stop calling them.
The thugs must be hounded from public life.
Here is coherence.
I visited Edwards’ Blog site.
I made two posts. One in which I used about 50 commonregullar words to describe my personal displeasure at Amanda being hired for moneyy as a mouthpiec and gatekeeper for Edwards.
That one was taken down within 15-20 minutes.
The other was about Healthcare.. It is still there.
Some Flack tells me that there is a voting system that makes the posts go away.
Regardless of the fact ( as anyone here can see) that this is not how this medium works,
I accepted thhat, and moved on..
But I couldn’t move on.
I was being CENSORED.
My posting was blocked .
Why?
Did I hurt someone’s feelings ?
Hey, not fired, left on your own terms, free woman and all that. Go get ‘em!
Punkass Marc taking your place? Heh. Just kidding.
What about your university job? Still there?
RIF: Reading is fundamental
This is NOT a candidate’s website, not John Edward’s site or anyone else’s for that matter. This is a left-leaning, feminist, GLBT allied web community.
The only thing we really hate here are jackasses if you think all men are jackasses that says more about you than it does about us.
Sorry to hear about this decision, I hope new and better opportunities come your way in the future!
We need to push Donohue’s bullshit into the mainstream media. I don’t know why the progressive side of the mainstream media isn’t pointing out Donohue’s past comments, but they need to. Donohue is scum, and the people deserve to know what is really happening.
No, J, that’s not what “coherence” means. Now get off the Internets and go do your homework. Don’t make me come down there.
Oy. I’d just blogged faint praise to Edwards for not firing you two. I’m not a Democrat—or an American—but it’s frustrating to see them continually shoot themselves in the foot in an attempt to appeal to wingnutteria.
Although, like many others, I am happy to see you back at Pandagon with no limits on your language or content, I’m truly sorry it had to go down this way.
Amanda, I’m really sorry to hear this. I’ll just repeat what many others have said: You kick TOTAL ASS, and this is Edwards’ loss.
Also: J is obviously “unanimous” because he’s speaking as the Royal “We” from the Interwebs Kingdom of J.
Amanda -
Any chance you’ll be working for Hillary or Obama?
-tom (crossing my fingers)
This is NOT a candidate’s website, not John Edward’s site or anyone else’s for that matter. This is a left-leaning, feminist, GLBT allied web community.
DUH!!!!!
Yes I will go now and make sure that my 13 year old “punishment” does her homework.
Have a nice lonely old age.
Oh sorry I forgot you are still young.
Stop being such a miserable cunt. Get a fucking job.
Now that you are famous maybe there is a magazine that needs you.
laura - “Also: J is obviously “unanimousâ€? because he’s speaking as the Royal “Weâ€? from the Interwebs Kingdom of J.”
I was thinking multiple-personality-disorder, but all his personalities are Reichwing assholes…
Well sh*t. I’m sorry for the opportunity lost. A very selfless move (how very un right wing),
I’m sorry you had to go through all that, but I agree with others who’ve noted that you can probably do more good on your own, or at least untethered from Edwards.
You go!
Final point
Also: J is obviously “unanimous� because he’s speaking as the Royal “We� from the Interwebs Kingdom of J.
You fucking people have NO sense of humor and your points of reference are few.
Ehen I say “I am unnanimous in this” I am quoting from a British comedy TV program.
“Are you being served ?”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/a/areyoubeingserve_7770355.shtml
Humorless wackjob moonbats
This absolutely stinks. How rotten that this speck of shit Donohue should win.
Edwards just dropped completely off my radar. No way will I consider voting for him in any primary, and if he is nominated, I’m none too sure about the general election.
J - “Yes I will go now and make sure that my 13 year old “punishmentâ€? does her homework.”
J, buddy, I think you’ve got that backwards. I’d bet she thinks you’re HER punishment.
From a(nother) regular reader who rarely comments, I’m sorry you had to make this decision, but anxiously await your response to the false prophets claiming to be Christ-like who obviously haven’t a clue what Jesus said or how he lived.
Blessings on you, Amanda.
J, I’m not young, and I’m not a miserable cunt either. But thank you for standing up for civility. Just don’t let your daughter read alll the MEAN TIHNGS you rite onn the Intrenetts, okay? I’m totally unanimous about this.
I think you’re being a little stupid, J, and here’s why:
Amanda Marcotte posted cat pictures, song lists, and other trivia on her own website. Um, somehow I don’t think that should lead to her being a target for the smear machine.
Anyway, Marcotte’s politics have nothing to do with a hatred for humanity, but nice caricature there. How about rebutting her opinions (when quoted in context) rather than attacking her personally?
In fact, that’s something Donohue could have done. Instead reasonable discourse – and isn’t his org tax-exempt? – he used his clout to railroad someone with whom he disagrees. He may claim the moral high ground here, but he’s nothing more than a common bully.
I’ve been reading Marcotte’s stuff for ages, and while I’ve seen her post things with which I vehemently disagree, I’ve never once read where she has spouted the kinds of vile, hateful things that have emanated from Donohue’s craw. And that goes double for Michelle “let’s throw all the Muslims into camps� Malkin.
You’d think those two assholes would go after bigotry in their own ranks if they’re so offended by it.
The truth is, they’re not at all offended by bigotry; they’re offended by people who disagree with them. And if people like that are allowed to realize their, “you’ll never work in this town again� threats, justice will have been changed for mob rule.
What kind of world do you want to live in – one where you can have a controversial personal opinion and still be allowed to work for a cause you believe in, or one where blow-hards like Donohue are allowed to squelch the speech of their political opponents by threatening their livelihoods?
It’s perfectly legitimate to hate Marcotte’s opinions, but to screw her out of a job…why the hell weren’t these guys baying for blood when General Boykin showed up at a religious meeting, in uniform no less, and used his platform to conflate Islam with Satan?
Why the fuck is it okay for Roy Moore to use his bench as a platform for his personal views?
There are numerous examples of where these bigots gave their own a free pass, and yet you defend their slamming Marcotte because she, a satirist, was engaged in a political campaign that matched up with her own beliefs?
Did she post such beliefs on campaign-funded websites? No.
Did she show up in pandagon.net gear to promote an Edwards event? Um, no.
Sorry to hear this. I hate to hand Donahue even a temporary victory but you give clear reasons for the resignation.
On the bright side now you can expose Bill Donohue as often as you desire without thinking about the campaign.
Gary Denton
(USS Reagan 3rd carrier surging to Persian Gulf?)
God, Amanda’s troll fumigation bills are gonna be huge!…
I’m a Godbag, sure, but I am at least my own Godbag.
So you actually claim the title of “person who only uses religion as a club with which to beat others”? Interesting. Most people wouldn’t cop to that.
And I am unanimous in this.
Wow. I’m astonished. Is it really, truly possible that someone picked up Mrs. Slokum’s catch phrase from “Are You Being Served?” and didn’t realize that she was using the word wrong the whole time? Did you never notice the way the other characters rolled their eyes, shook their heads, and gave each other sly “Bloody Hell! What an idiot!” glances?
Just wow.
Does everybody agree? Okay, it’s anonymous!
Too late, I already sent J’s posts TO the daughter in IMs using MySpace. HA HAH!
Is it really, truly possible that someone picked up Mrs. Slokum’s catch phrase from “Are You Being Served?� and didn’t realize that she was using the word wrong the whole time?
NO simpleton.
I think it’s FUNNY !
This is a big loss for Edwards, both because he’ll lose your valuable skills and your unique voice, but also because his newly-won credibility with the blogosphere will probably wind up a wash now. But I’m glad to see that you won’t let anyone stop you from speaking out. I’m looking forward to your full-on pushback against this bullshit.
NO simpleton.
I think it’s FUNNY !
Oh, you poor dear. You see, using a malapropism is only funny when you’re not mispelling every third word you write.
Now I’m sorry we didn’t explain that to you earlier.
“NO simpleton.
I think it’s FUNNY !”
Yeah, well that makes one of you. At least you all agree.
Oh, you poor dear. You see, using a malapropism is only funny when you’re not mispelling every third word you write.
Picking on my poor typing skills is ok. have fun.
Bill Donahue is a savage. A monster of the first order. He has a special place in hell right next to the other “religious” right leaders who do the work of satan every day, spreading their hate and anger.
I may not be much of a Catholic anymore, but I’m pretty sure he was against persecuting someone for their beliefs.
The original hippy if you will.
PSoTD brings up a valid point, in which he sez “now it is open season on blogger pelts”. I hadn’t really thought of that angle, but sure: now being a blogger will disqualify you from jobs you want and need, because you have publicly stated an opinion
G R E A T.
Oh well, chin up! They only win when we quit fighting!
Yes because calling someone a miserable cunt is perfectly fine but please, can we not pick on someone’s poor typing skills. Really, how rude!
Picking on my poor typing skills is ok. have fun.
No, I’m done with that. Now I think I’ll make fun of your “liberals claim to be tolerant, but when you call them cunts, they get like all on your case and shit, so they’re like totally hypocrites” routine.
And you totally forgot to say, way upthread, that even though you were thinking of voting for Edwards (having come here from Michelle Malkin’s site, no less), that you didn’t leave the Democrat party — it left you. Just this week, when Edwards hired Amanda.
Well, fuck, there goes my vote for Edwards. What kind of coward is he?
While I’m thinking of it, from now on, every single time we see Donohue or Malkin on TV, we need to completely FLOOD the network and the program host with complaints. Remind them, with quotes, of their past thuggery
Damn Wally…now I have to start watching Sunday TV? Gave it up…oh, about seven years ago.
Time to learn how to do more in the political realm than just send money via ActBlue. Donohue and his kind must be out on the defensive…and my fellow sleepers are just the folks to tap.
Amanda,
I’m so sorry this worked out this way. It’s odd: when we canvass for candidates and give them money, they never complain about what we write on our blogs….
Professor Bérubé - “And you totally forgot to say, way upthread, that even though you were thinking of voting for Edwards (having come here from Michelle Malkin’s site, no less), that you didn’t leave the Democrat party — it left you. Just this week, when Edwards hired Amanda.”
Funny how the timing worked out, isn’t it?…
And with J having a shrine to FDR in his basement and all…
OK, which one of you guys hid J’s meds?
Just to say that I’m another longtime non-posting reader who (a) admires the shit out of you and (b) is squeee-ing with glee to have you back and fighting. All the best.
“The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.”
Michael Bérubé: But if you’re thinking what I’m thinking, now seems like a good time for progressives and liberal people of faith and even us agnostics to push back against the larger Donohue Jihad, which is not about Pandagon or bloggers in general or even about John Edwards.
“And as for you, Bill Donahue, you know just what you can do.
We’re here and still talking, so fuck off with your squawking.
We’ll stick with Amanda M.”
I’m sorry about this. I’m sorry you felt it necessary to resign. If my opinion of modern American politics wasn’t already so low, this whole fiasco would’ve sent it plummeting. I’m sorry for all the shit from Donohue and his ilk you have to deal with.
Best wishes from a regular lurker.
Amanda now free to expose the Donohue creature…
Amanda resigned. You know, if they were going to hurl this kind of crap at me every day, I’d have resigned, too. Not just that they lie about what she said and what that means, they even lie about who……
The next thing I want to see is Bill Donohue’s scalp nailed to Amanda’s wall.
And Amanda, I think you did the right thing by resigning. It does not appear that Edwards learned the obvious lessons from the 2004 Kerry/Edwards campaign. By now you would think he would have been prepared for a swiftboating.
I never stood up for Bill Donohue and am not now.
I am telling you that I was censored on Edwards’ site.
Now I think I’ll make fun of your “liberals claim to be tolerant, but when you call them cunts, they get like all on your case and shit, so they’re like totally hypocrites� routine.
—-That’s fine except I didn’t call her a cunt till just now.
I was completely politely deadly serious and civill in my posting oon the Edwards’ site. As I said removie my post, ok. Rescind my priveleges–Hypocrite.
And you totally forgot to say, way upthread, that even though you were thinking of voting for Edwards (having come here from Michelle Malkin’s site, no less), that you didn’t leave the Democrat party — it left you. Just this week, when Edwards hired Amanda.
You can think that if it makes it easier for you too think that your opinions and pollitical stance are somewhere in the spectrum of normalcy, But… I have been a registered democrat for longer than MAnada’s heart has beat.
I voted for Caretr
Mondale ( A Great guy)
Dukakis
Clinton
Gore
and Kerry.
Did you vote at all?
My typing gets worse.
G’nite
I am not half the boogeyman you think and I sincerely hope that yopu aren’t either.
Amanad get a job, love your man have a good life.
Like just damn me all to hell and stuff…..
But I was just gettin’ usta missing you.
Thrilled you’re back.
We love you, girl.
I do hope Edwards reads this and sees the number of posts, all, except for J, who appears to be a complete waste of oxygen, in support of Amanda and realizes that he just lost himself a huge number of voters. And supporters. And contributers. He gave in to the swiftboaters and hopefully will get what he deserves: a resounding loss.
Amanda, welcome back! [It’s a shame you had to endure all this turmoil.]
And I’m with Professor Bérubé. Let’s not sit and cry in our pudding. Let’s respond in kind–swiftly, decisively, and effectively.
Amanda,
I’m sorry to hear about your resignation, but I hope it will ultimately be for the best. You’re one of my favorites on the tubes.
And, what Pastor Dan and Professor B said upthread.
I guess it’s too much to ask for Edwards to offer Amanda’s position to The Rude Pundit…
Frankly I’m happy. I think your skills would be wasted as a campaign staffer, for Edwards or anyone else. I know you were excited about the gig but you are doing great work here.
Welcome back!
*hug*
Donohue SUCKS.
I look foward to the day when we have Democratic politicos that will stand up for their own!
On the other hand, I missed you and am glad to have you back..
that you didn’t leave the Democrat party — it left you. Just this week, when Edwards hired Amanda.�
Actually no. It was when the edwards’ blog site which I understood to be Amanda’s
job to administer and direct, refused my cookie.
Amanda,
you’re the victim of the new “pro-religious” face of the Democratic Party. After the 2004 election, the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) decided that the Democratic Party had to become “friendlier” to people of faith, so that they couldn’t be outflanked by the Republicans on faith issues anymore. That’s why they got Casey, a pro-life Democrat, elected. It’s why Hillary Clinton can stand in front of a pro-choice feminist audience and lecture them on what a terrible thing abortion is. The Democratic Party establishment is looking for such “Sister Souljah” moments–moments where they can deliberately piss off the Left to reassure the rest of America how moderate they are. I think what happened to you is one of those moments. (FWIW, Senator Boxer’s withdrawing of an award to a California Muslim was another recent one.)
Let’s face it. Organized religion is a “third rail” issue in American politics: If a candidate touches it, he’s toast.
You could have said just about anything on any other subject and it wouldn’t have gotten you in this kind of hot water. But the political climate for freethinkers in the Democratic Party establishment is now the chilliest it has been in years. Even traditionally progressive causes and issues are now being recast in a faith-based mold.
And most of it, of course, is insincere and cynical–religion as “spice” that can be sprinkled into a Democratic candidate’s existing talking-points, the way I sprinkle Mrs. Dash on food.
J, as a concern troll, you’re really a letdown.
You’ve missed nearly all of the technical points, and don’t have any of the expected flair.
(1) When you’re concern trolling, it’s crucial that you maintain the farce that you’re a liberal Democrat who’s shocked and dismayed at whatever the issue of the moment is. Calling us “moonbats” blows that all to hell.
(2) It’s generally a good idea to mention a “final straw” and try to establish some pattern by which your fictitious “journey” away from the Democratic party has now been made complete by your horror at reading Amanda’s posts.
(3) As Bérubé has previously pointed out, it helps to now exhibit abrupt concern for rightwing stalking horses. If you were suddenly shocked (after a supposed lifetime as a Democrat) by Chappaquiddick, that’d be perfect.
Amanda, I’m very, very sorry to hear that you’ve resigned over this. Actually, I’m ecstatic (I love your writing on Pandagon, and I can’t pretend that I’m not looking forwards to your return), but that doesn’t seem polite to admit, somehow.
Todd, I 100% agree that this was a targeted hit on atheists in politics.
I expected this, and I am sorry. No matter that Edwards made the announcement that he was keeping you, your resignation will be seen as him caving, and asking for your resignation behind the scenes. And that is how it is going to read, regardless of the truth.
I think it’s more damaging to his campaign than staying on would have been. Certainly, I think you should have waited longer to resign, like six months.
I’m sorry, Amanda, on all kinds of levels, that this has played out as it has.
…give ‘em hell, Amanda.
Just tell ‘em the truth…, and they’ll think it’s hell.
This just goes to show that Christians really are the intolerant, hypocritical asshats that you already suspected that they were.
YOU’VE BEEN SWIFTBOATED.
You’d think that John Edwards would see it happening since it happened before. He watched while John Kerry was smeared and then sat by and allowed people to say anything they wanted and didn’t do a GODDAMNED thing or say anything in his defense.
John Edwards is now doing the same thing.
And you’re playing into their hands, too.
One thing is for sure – this proves that John Edwards isn’t qualified to be President of the United States. Oh, he might have the intelligence and the charisma – but he sure doesn’t have the BALLS to defend what’s right.
I’m sorry this drama has had to affect you the way it has, but I’m sure glad it happened now, because this will show Democrats that Edwards isn’t the candidate for them.
Dammit. I guess this means another week of defending free blogging against the Pharasiacal. Umm. Pharasees.
The squares.
J,
I believe it’s called the Democratic Party.
Dianne, please read the pastordan comment above.
J - It’s rather moronic to make an obscure reference to a comedy that 95%+ of people in the audience have never heard of, then get pissed off when the audience doesn’t know what you are talking about
It is also moronic not to realize that while children might be a punishment to someone who doesn’t want them (i.e. Amanda), they can at the same time not be a punishment to someone who does want them (i.e. you)
If you are going to act all superior (DUH!!) you might want to try to avoid making your first post so poorly worded that it appears you are sincerely confused as to where you are and what you are doing.
holla back. does that mean Pandagon is now running at like 300% capacity? sweet!
i think it’s a statement to how much real actual journalism happens on blogs and how little happens in The Media that Amanda Marcotte is the target of the smear machine and not the NYT. seems people who have such big problems with the Liberal Media don’t mind when it’s complicit in the primetime murder of quality journalism.
Thanks for the comic relief, J. Sometimes I wince for people when they display their ignorance and vulgarity so artlessly, but when they’re as butt ugly a sack of shit as you, it’s quite a joy to behold. Rant on, but why not save yourself some trouble, and just start mashing the keyboard with your palm? I think you’d actually come off better for it.
Let’s shine the light on ole Donohue. In a major way.
It’s about what can and can’t be said about religion in the public sphere in the United States, and in this regard Donohue is no different from the mullahs who flipped out about the Mohammed cartoons.
Monsieur Berubé gets right to the heart of it here.
Amanda, I’m sorry this didn’t work out. I was extremely disappointed in Edwards’ tepid support. He doesn’t deserve ya.
[…] I hate for William Donohue to think for even a couple of seconds that he’s won something here, but I understand why Amanda wouldn’t want to deal with what surely would have been a constant drumbeat of crap. Donohue is a bigot and a bully, and now that Amanda is free to speak her mind, I look forward to reading as she takes him on. […]
Sorry to hear this Amanda, but glad at least that it was your decision, and not Edwards. Never let it be said that you wouldn’t take one for the team.
Have a few more beers before you comment next time J. If your parents will let you have any that is…
Damn, damn, damn. I’m sorry you felt you had to do this.
But I appreciate your joining the fight against faux-religious ideologues like Donohue. I’d like to spit on him and give him Lutheran cooties.
The Edwards campaign loses the talents of an employee but the debate gains an energized voice against intolerance this country surely can use. I applaud you and wish you much success in that debate.
[…] Announcement at Pandagon. […]
Um, if I’ve been a-readin’ this blog aright, it’s not that children might be a punishment to Amanda, or to anyone else who doesn’t want to bear children. The “punishment” line has to do with the widespread fundie argument that pregnancies are just what you get (that is, just what you deserve, you bad girls you) for having sex.
And one of the nasty side benefits of the Pandagon Pile-On, for all the wingnuts who’ve taken that line of Amanda’s out of context lately, is that they get to pretend that fundamentalist rhetoric doesn’t cast children as just-desert punishments for bad girls.
KarlS: I’ve read. I’ve also read all the sacks of shit on the Edwards web site going on about how they’re soooo Christian and that that means that they can’t vote for Edwards if he has a (horrors) atheist as part of his campaign team. I’m sick of being sweet and tolerant to people who aren’t giving any tolerance in return. Yeah, I know that there are exceptions.They are just that: exceptions. Christianity lost its connection to anything Jesus ever said when it became a secular power in the middle ages and it hasn’t gotten it back yet. (Or maybe I’m just too pissed off at the moment to be fair. It’s not like there’s never been an atheist who made a public fool or worse of himself.)
I’m very disappointed in the Edwards campaign, I must say. Their mistake when made when this all started and they didn’t stop the RW Spin/Hate machine mid-cycle.
From a purely selfish standpoint, I’ll be happy to see you back here full time.
Nothing new to add to the hundred or so supportive posts before mine, just more support.
Amanda, I was not even a reader of Pandagon before this all went down.
I respect you as a blogger and as a person of character and of remarkable grace, based on how you conducted yourself through this entire right-wing media assassination.
Much respect and best wishes for future - continued? - success.
Bruce Godfrey
Baltimore, MD
http://www.danablankenhorn.com/2007/02/assassins.html
Update: Marcotte resigned as Edwards’ blogger today, and the campaign accepted her resignation. Let me state this as plainly as I can. I will not be supporting John Edwards in this or any other campaign he ever undertakes. He is a coward.
Let me also add that you, dear Amanda, are a fool. You caved in to tyranny, if you’re telling the truth and saying you just resigned. If Edwards actually fired you, it’s even worse.
We’re not going to make headway against the Bill Donahues of this world until we’re able to take something like the Edwards blog and hit them over the head with it. Repeatedly. From several angles.
You don’t surrender to bullies. You hit bullies. And you keep hitting them.
John Edwards does not understand that. He does not deserve to be President of the United States.
Amanda, I’m a daily lurker and an admirer - although I’m downright tepid in comparison to your firebrand’s approach to political discourse. That said, your silence about the larger context of all this and your continuing support for Edwards - or lack thereof - speaks volumes to me. He was my favorite candidate in the field (aside from the possibility of Gore) long before he hired you, and hiring you was only a small boost to my respect for him. Failing to support you, though, or to stand up forcefully to this ridiculous right-wing smear campaign, pretty much wipes him off my list. Will there be a single Democrat running in 2008 that I can feel good about working and voting for? I kinda doubt it.
…we liberals are not taking this crap any longer…
Ooh! She said “crap”! How vulgar!
I sympathize with your situation, Amanda. When the news broke, I had to wonder how it felt to be in that position, becoming a liability for someone you want to support. I salute your courage (this from someone who posts opinions online using a pseudonym).
This is all totally bogus, of course. Especially when the noisers started pressuring Clinton & Obama to condemn you. You! Little ol’ you & the things you say are supposed to reflect badly on them — and you never worked for them!
It’s a new era in politics. The ones who are used to the old ways have not yet learned that voters are much more colorfully communicative due to the internet. I’m sure to those who have been comfortable with the silence it’s a shock to hear people speaking out without the MSM filtering. They’ll survive it.
Dana wrote “John Edwards does not understand that. He does not deserve to be President of the United States.”
If you thought he ever did deserve to be president, then you are a fool of the first order.
Look up “tyranny” and, while you are at it, “democracy”, Dana because you clearly never understood what those words mean.
[…] Monday, February 12th, 2007 in politics, Christianity by Daniel Larison Another thing—this has doubled my committment to reaching out and helping highlight when the religious left fights the right wingers who have falsely claimed to speak for all religious people. ~Amanda Marcotte […]
Not all Catholics are alike. Not all Jews, are either.
Bill Donahue doesn’t speak officially for the Catholic Church but does what he thinks is best for the Church. There are many of us folks who have a belief in God and desire no harm or ill will for those who don’t. In that spirit I would hope that there could be more meaningful dialogue vs the vitriol and venom spilled in many of the comments on this blog and elsewhere.
Amanda, I’m very sorry things have turned out this way for you, but have every confidence your talent will land you another (or you old) position in short order. You have our support in whateve you choose to do.
[Um, folks, isn’t one of the lessons here that, as long as trolls garner attention, they’ve won? Then why are you still responding to someone who said he was done and then went on to post at least three more comments?]
So sorry to hear this, Amanda. I don’t know if it was a hit on atheists, or liberal bloggers. Or women. Oh, who the fuck knows what drives that asshat Donahue? But, very glad to have you back!
I see this is an Amanda love-fest, but at the risk of being labelled a troll, I will offer a modest change of perspective. If you think J is just a troll, you guys don’t have very effective trolls.
Donahue and Malkin appear to be hateful right wingers and not worthy of respect. But if so many of Amanda’s posts had not been injudicious and offensive to mainstream folks, she would not have been vulnerable to the attacks. All they had to do was quote the worst of her posts.
It would appear that Amanda should have told her prospective employer there were some problematical posts and her prospective employer should have read more of of this blog. Then Edwards wouldn’t have had to make a special statement that he is offended by some of the things she wrote, he would have been prepared to say that he doesn’t agree with all the things she wrote but his tent is big enough to include her.
Amanda, I’m sorry you were disappointed in pursuing this opportunity. But the fault is not Donahue and Malkin. The fault was with you in not anticipating that mainstream people, including Edwards, would not find you ready for prime time. The offending words were yours.
I think you are better off out of that campaign. Freedom of expression is worth standing up for and Edwards just didn’t get that. Best of luck to you, Amanda.
I’ve also read all the sacks of shit on the Edwards web site going on about how they’re soooo Christian and that that means that they can’t vote for Edwards if he has a (horrors) atheist as part of his campaign team.
And you believed them?! Have you never heard of concern trolls? If I weren’t such a good Christian lady, I’d tell you how painfully naive you are. ;’)
It’s a new era in politics. The ones who are used to the old ways have not yet learned that voters are much more colorfully communicative due to the internet.
Feh. Look up what they said about Thomas Jefferson.
ATTENTION FUCKSTICK TROLLS AND THOSE WHO ARE ACTING LIKE IT:
After what your boy Donohue pulled this week, it takes a colossal amount of nerve - I’d say “chutzpah”, but it seems inappropriate for those who have aligned themselves with an anti-semitic gasbag - to complain about “free speech” when your derivative bullshit insult comments don’t get approved.
Keep trying, though. It’s fun to read the “Good Christian” reaction to this fiasco.
This is no surprise to me.
While I agree with Ms. Marcotte’s view of religion, I knew some of her more inflamatory posts would not sit well with the majority of Americans (even liberals). In today’s America, a politician canot be associated with such views (which is a good thing, imo).
That being said, hopefully she can now use her newfound fame (infamy?) to fight back against Donohue and Malkin. Maybe she can go on Tucker Carlson and all the other shows Donohue went on to defend herself, and to point out their hypocrisy regarding tolerance for other religions. I know she’ll do it here, but it’s preaching to the converted. On the tube, she can reach a new audience.
Finally, a coupla question for Ms. Marcotte:
Why did you apologize last week? Was it just an attempt to salvage your position in the campaign, or were you honestly surprised to find that many christians found your writing offensive, and therefore felt the need to apologize to Donohue and Co.?
“J” IS Donohue!!!!!!!!!!!!!
On the why did I apologize thing—I never apologized for my opinions or beliefs. I do feel bad if people read my comments out of context and are hurt, but I don’t think that’s my fault so much as the fault of people who take my writing out of context.
Why is it that progressives/liberals can’t EVER figure out that when you enter politics, you don’t get to HAVE a personal life?
While I’m sure that we all remember the most famous “Aw, shucks, it’s only his pur-suh-nal life, ain’t it?” moment from our recent past, it should have been a lesson to apsiring politicos and bloggers alike that…um…gee…you’ll actually be held to account for your words! We all know what the meaning of “is” is, don’t we?
I know! I am shocked, too! That anyone would deign to actually READ a blog and…um…ya know…think that the words would actually mean something???
You can’t have it both ways. Either your words have value and intrinsic meaning, or they are just meaningless grunting. In many cases, it is difficult to discern where the line is to be drawn between the two. We are not all dimwits who’ll accept the blather currently offered as “progressive” thought without the slightest critical analysis.
Bleating and whining and stamping of widdle feet aside, you’re still responsible for your own words. Now go to bed without any dessert.
Marcotte why are you not posting my comments?
Look, I’m a right-wing fundamentalist nutjob, who therefore found your anti-religious writings offensive. I frankly don’t buy your defense that “you never intended to malign anyone’s faith;” I think you certanily did. And I have no desire whatsoever to see Edwards in office. So fair warning.
But despite my distaste for your writings, I think it is far better that you are here writing them, than sitting at some desk (virtual or otherwise) at the Edwards campaign not doing so. From what little I do know of you it just didn’t seem a good fit for you to be muzzled in the way that, frankly, any mouthpiece for any presidential campaign of either party must be; having to explain away every sincere belief you have as “nothing personal”; and having every word you type scrutinized for its political ramifications. I think there are plenty of people on the right which would be a bad fit for, say, the McCain campaign, for just the same reason.
Best of success to you here, in your far more appropriate setting.
Dana -
You have no stake in the fight, no skin in the game, and are full of youthful righteous garbage, so how about you go to hell instead of insulting your host on what is still her blog?
Hey Amanda,
I’ve been reading Pandagon for 1.5 years now, and this situation has finally spurred me to post and say how very much your writing means to me. You are entertaining, you are provocative, and you are brave enough to take on some very powerful people and institutions. Thank you for critiquing the misogyny within the Catholic church - it has helped me clarify my own experiences of growing up Catholic. Best wishes to you from Vancouver Island.
Amanda,
Then write a comprehensive article about the positive impact of Christianity on our country, the United States of America. That is neither shallow, nor spiteful.
Joseph
to “sixtiesliberal”
they came after Amanda, not the other way around.
This thread is seriously distracting me from getting my damn paper written.
I’m sorry to hear you left the campaign, but like many other commenters here I’m selfishly happy to have you back.
I was being CENSORED.
My posting was blocked .
Why?
Why, J? Because it was not your venue. Censorship only applies to governments. The people here and on any other venue have the right to allow only those people they want to visit and comment.
It seems you overstayed your welcome. Not surprising.
I’m glad to see that you’ve resigned from the Edwards campaign, but you have no one to blame but yourself for the reaction to your pre-Edwards comments. Any blogger should know that what you blog and how you blog reflect on how you are perceived in either another blogging job or elsewhere.
The blogosphere is regarded by many as a place in which invective and insult have replaced reason and logic. The comments that have been widely and rightly denounced by many Catholics and non-Catholics alike are, regrettably, only the latest example of this trend.
What a cowardly announcement…
The hurtful words that you used to mock the beliefs of Catholics do a disservice to the illusion that the Democratic Party is tolerant to all faiths.
You’ve done real damage to Senator Edwards’ campaign.
Echoing many other new posters, I decided to delurk due to Donohue’s attempt to silence you and the hurt Edwards campaign. Although I’m so sorry to hear about this turn of events, I’m glad you’ll be able speak your mind without worrying about possible repercussions to others. The silver lining in this cloud will be watching you call out the tools on their bullshit- I can’t wait.
Amanda,
I’ve been reading you ever since mouse words…you rock girl! Us feh-muh-nists gotta stick together, defend each other from crap like this. Just keep on calling the racist homophobic patriarchy for what it is.
For Auguste, where has free speech been curtailed here? That is not even touching on the fact that the party in question RESIGNED.
Free speech has not been touched; not been abused in any way. You say things as you are allowed to and others are entitled to call you (or your boss) on them. They can even demand that you be fired. They can even refuse to do business with you in furtherance of that goal (the goal of getting you fired) and that is 100% legal, moral and IS part and parcel of free speech.
Free speech doesn’t mean and has NEVER meant that you can say what you want to say and no one can say anything about it. If you thought it did, you are an idiot.
Don’t be an idiot, Auguste.
This lesson is free.
You suggest that Donahue et. al. demanded that you be fired from the Edwards campaign because you are a woman. Isn’t it more likely that their demands were motivated by their disapproval for the irreverent tone of some of your blog posts (or, alternatively, the thought that they could get on the fence voters angry at some of your more inflammatory statements and thereby entice them into the Republican fold)? Of course, perhaps you are motivated to your accusations of misogyny for similarly duplicitous reasons.
It would appear that Amanda should have told her prospective employer there were some problematical posts and her prospective employer should have read more of of this blog. . . . [T]he fault is not Donahue and Malkin. The fault was with you in not anticipating that mainstream people, including Edwards, would not find you ready for prime time. The offending words were yours.
OK, because we’re in new political territory here, let’s treat this as a legitimate question. Clearly, blogging involves a very different kind of rhetorical compact with one’s readers than campaigning does. But not until last week, so far as I know, has there ever been a demand in this country that ordinary campaign staffers account to the candidate — and to the general public — for everything they’ve written prior to becoming campaign staffers. If you sincerely think that the fault lies with Amanda for not alerting the Edwards camp to the full metal Pandagon archives, well, I think you’re being played. And I’ll add that no one on the right seems very perturbed about John McCain’s vile-tongued consultant, Patrick Hynes. You can read more about this fine fellow, and some of his offending words, right here.
Free speech has not been touched; not been abused in any way. You say things as you are allowed to and others are entitled to call you (or your boss) on them. They can even demand that you be fired. They can even refuse to do business with you in furtherance of that goal (the goal of getting you fired) and that is 100% legal, moral and IS part and parcel of free speech.
Free speech doesn’t mean and has NEVER meant that you can say what you want to say and no one can say anything about it. If you thought it did, you are an idiot.
Don’t be an idiot, Auguste.
This lesson is free.
And the owner of a private web site can choose to publish or not publish assholes in their comment sections.
That was my only point.
Thank you for making that clear, Auguste.
The CLEAR implication of your post was that the people who were making those complaints were not supportive of free speech themselves.
Have a nice one.
In the middle ages this guy would be burning people at the stake. After they “confessed” under torture…all for the “salvation of their souls” of course.
Score one for the forces of religious fanatcism, bigotry and human egoism masquerading as holiness.
As a Catholic I am deeply offended by the actions of this pro Bush right wing Republican tool using the Catholic religion as a means to promote his own extremist agenda partisan.
Unfortunately, in this case, it worked.
My own faith and conscience tell me that if Christ were around in the flesh right now and giving interviews He would be mightily impressed by Mr Edwards agenda and even more mightily distressed by Mr Bush’s actions over the last six years.
Hang tough Amanda.
Don’t let this sick sorry pathetic maleficent hypocritical vicious bastard get you down.
Well, Pete, sarcasm aside, you’re right, i didn’t make clear:
I was mainly speaking to the trolls who keep saying “Venom venom venom venom, and how dare you not let my comments through?” And there are a lot of them.
Well, I see the trolls showed up to gloat. Yes, disagreeing is a bit different than the thinly veiled “serves you right, you…” of all of them. Especially the concern trolls.
Yeah Amanda. Up yours right wing.
While Edwards isn’t my first choice, I see any potential candidate as having to make compromises because representing vast groups of people involves compromise. It may offend my purist side, but I can accept some compromise.
What bothers me is the right - pretty much the entire group - interprets compromise as surrender or nothing. I mean, look at their behavior towards the minimum wage bill.
I didn’t like the placating statements from Edwards and everyone when he decided to keep Amanda, but I understood them. What I also noticed is how no matter what, the right wouldn’t stop until Amanda was driven out. Just to score bully points. As if Amanda was the same as, I dunno, a homo bashing preacher who was secretly doing crank with gay prostitutes. See, the latter is a powerful person spreading hate under religion while excusing themselves from their own rules (This is what right wing religious types ALWAYS are. Their piety goes one way, over those they hate). The former is a blogger who used blunt language on her own website to point out many religious types are actually full of shit bigots using the bible to excuse their spew. Big difference. One’s a legit target, the other reveals the nature of the bullies who attack.
More importantly is what this reveals about the mainstream media, just how much they are in the pocket of even the most marginal right wing nutbar. The sheer hypocrisy of Malkin et. al., the masters of the deeply personal and dishonest attack, getting treated as legit sources of information while you are still pretty much a peon in terms of driving the news cycle. It’s so transparent how much of the media cannot stand having to acknowledge left wing pundits or demi-pundits, let alone treat them with respect, while they lick up the righties. Practically the only time lefties get noticed is when they’re being accused of crossing the line.
Take, for example, Ted Rall. Like his cartoon, but sometimes he does shoot himself in the foot rhetorically. Yet, compare Rall and Coulter on the 9/11 Widows - both “crossed the line” but Anne is still raking in the money and punditry power despite being actively despised while the Rall is pretty much invisible to the mainstream until the next time he “goes too far”. Rall spent a hella lot more time in the middle east than Malkin, but he’s far too controversial to get regular cable ranting access.
It’s also interesting to note that no matter how much they shove the powerful moderates around, most of the right’s successful attacks involve bullying people with few resources. Dan Rather was about as strong as it got and that was as much about a genuine mistake (even if the story was legit). They didn’t succeed in shutting down the Edwards campaign, they just picked off a vulnerable worker. And how? Using the threat of daily personal harassment. Not comments in their own blogs, but direct attacks. Classy.
Ultimately, if you don’t like what someone says, you aren’t obligated to read or agree with them. Trying to actively hurt them is bullshit.
Michael, do you really believe that? I was raised Catholic and am strongly sympathetic to the Catholic viewpoint, though not practicing, but I can’t see that this has hurt Edwards.
That said, Al Yankovic will be president before Edwards will be and all but the most insane know it.
Edwards LOST HIS HOME STATE! What kind of candidate cannot carry his own damn state in an election? And that was with G.W. Bush as the opponent (and Cheney!). The people who knew him best said “No.”
Edwards is a joke. Flavor of the week again. He will never see more than the senate and it is crazy to think otherwise (and that goes double for Gore).
Let’s be clear, when Amanda moderates a comment or bans a user, there is no governmental censorship at play. There is no first amendment violation. It’s definitely censorship, it’s just not governmental censorship.
It also means that there is no real conversation or dialogue or honest exchange of ideas present at Pandagon. It means Pandagon is an echo chamber, a choir, a circle jerk.
Similarly, when the Free Republic moderates a comment or bans a user, there is no governmental censorship at play, no first amendment violation. It’s censorship, just not governmental censorship, and it means there is no exchange of ideas. It means it is an echo chamber and a circle jerk.
And when Little Green Footballs moderates a comment or bans a user, there is no governmental censorship at play, no first amendment violation. It’s censorship, just not governmental censorship, and it means there is no exchange of ideas. It means it is an echo chamber and a circle jerk.
And when Red State moderates a comment or bans a user, there is no governmental censorship at play, no first amendment violation. It’s censorship, just not governmental censorship, and it means there is no exchange of ideas. It means it is an echo chamber and a circle jerk.
And when Hot Air moderates a comment or bans a user, there is no governmental censorship at play, no first amendment violation. It’s censorship, just not governmental censorship, and it means there is no exchange of ideas. It means it is an echo chamber and a circle jerk.
And when Patterico moderates a comment or bans a user, there is no governmental censorship at play, no first amendment violation. It’s censorship, just not governmental censorship, and it means there is no exchange of ideas. It means it is an echo chamber and a circle jerk.
And when Protein Wisdom moderates a comment or bans a user, there is no governmental censorship at play, no first amendment violation. It’s censorship, just not governmental censorship, and it means there is no exchange of ideas. It means it is an echo chamber and a circle jerk.
And when the Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler moderates a comment or bans a user, there is no governmental censorship at play, no first amendment violation. It’s censorship, just not governmental censorship, and it means there is no exchange of ideas. It means it is an echo chamber and a circle jerk.
And when good, honest, progressive, open liberals say that Amanda Marcotte and Pandagon have more in common with the Free Republic, and Little Green Footballs, and Red State, and Patterico, and Protein Wisdom, and the Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler than they do with good honest progressive open liberals it means that we prefer dialogue, and conversation, and an exchange of ideas, and we dislike echo chambers and circle jerks.
YMMV, Amanda’s does.
“but I don’t think that’s my fault so much as the fault of people who take my writing out of context.”
Hmmm. Don’t think I’m buying that.
One of the reasons I enjoy reading you is how deliciously offensive you are to the religious nuts (rightfully so - they’re more than happy to offend those with differing beliefs). Do you think that people would only be offended if your writing was taken out of context?
You should be proud of standing up to the theocrats, not apologize for doing so.
I think this whole affair is a blessing in disguise. At least now you are free from the constaints of the campaign to take the gloves off and fight back hard, and more people will be listening to you (those who had never heard of you until last week).
Any chance we’ll see you doing the TV rounds to tear Donohue and Co. a new one?
Thanks again Auguste. I was quite venomous myself at first and that was posted and I have no problem with them not posting it. I would have regretted the unkindness of it.
I do see your point.
Be well.
My last comment was really about the impact of this issue on the Edwards campaign. File this one under “personal rant.”
I am sick to death of Christianity being used as a thermometer for every frickin’ political discussion in this country. I’m tired of hearing that it’s never ok to say anything which might offend a Christian.
When the hell did Christians in this country lose their sense of humor? The idea that Christianity is being “bashed” everytime someone says “I’m not Christian, I don’t believe in the bible, your deity holds no interest for me” makes me want to scream.
I’m pagan. I did not come to paganism as an adult. I was raised pagan in a time and place where there were damn few non Christians. I’ve spent 4 decades answering offensive questions like “You guys sacrifice and eat babies, right?” and responding to comments like “You think you aren’t Christian, but I can change all that” and “You think you’re worshipping a deity, but I know that you’re *really* worshipping Satan and are just too stupid to realize it.”
If I can respond to that with patience and generally a reasoned response, why the hell can’t Christians? So what if someone says something offensive about your religion? Get the hell over it, and move on. We don’t have a right not to be offended in this nation….NONE of us. Christians are not exempt from that.
This nation has some serious problems - a war that much of the population thinks was at the very least wrong headed, poverty, a lack of health care, a growing economic division between the wealthy and everyone else…I could go on and on.
Can we *STOP* centering political discussion around who attends which church, who said something some Christian sect or other finds “offensive” and please, please, please actually discuss SOLVING the frakking problems?
It’s just bizarre. Ten years ago, if you asked me if I had a problem with Christianity, I would have given you a firm no. But now I *do* have a problem with it…it’s stopped being a religion and started being a litmus test. BE Christian. LIVE Christianity. And stop assuming that your religion is so far superior to everyone else’s that you get special rights not to be offended.
anon,
a) I’m sorry I even brought this up.
b) It is rare that Pandagon moderates out comments. This is a rare occasion, and some of the shit being spewed is trolls in rare form.
If any of them were interested in dialogue, they’d be approved, just like always. Gloating is not dialogue.
Amanda–
All I know is Bill Donahue should be very afraid today. I would not want to be on the other side of an argument with you, especially with you having every reason in the world to go for the jugular.
Sorry this job didn’t work out, but let’s face it, the money you make off the tell-all you write in 2009 should more than make up for it.
SixtiesLiberal: Jesus, why can’t we have our fucking Amanda love-fest? Why is your opinion so goddamn important that it couldn’t wait? Do you show up a funerals for people killed in car wrecks and tell the family that they should never have gotten behind the wheel? What kind of monster are you?
Sadly Auguste, it really isn’t a rare occasion at all. More’s the pity.
Anon,
Are you serious? This is a “circle jerk”? Wow, this is the firt time I have ever been part of one and it isn’t what I imagined it would be. But that is a VERY good thing. I didn’t feel a thing!
You obviously have more experience with these circle jerks than I do. So, how does this one rate?
:-)
Sorry, I couldn’t help it.
Why do ugly, spiteful, men-hating women worry so much about preserving abortion? Are they concerned about other women?
All people claiming to be good Christians who agitated for me to be fired, one question:
Who would Jesus witchhunt?
Think hard before answering, assholes.
No, Amanda was being a professional, rather than an idiot who leaves a campaign and reveals every damaging detail about it just to be vindicative.
On another note, does Melissa still have a job at the campaign?
Amanda,
Aloha! I was raised Irish Catholic. I had priests and nuns until college. And I still get creeped out listening to the hateful rhetoric of these “Catholic” religious slime-bags on the right.
After reading Donohue and his ilk, I remember all over again why I’m agnostic.
(I feel like I just chugged half a tumbler of Irish whiskey on an empty stomach — kind of fuzzy-headed, with a burning hole in my gut, and just a taste of vomit in my mouth.)
I’ve loved your blogging since the start and feel that by taking you on he and the rest of the rightards have fucked with the wrong woman.
Keep up the good fight and blog till their heads explode!
While I disagree with most of what you write, and I find you foul mouthed and vulgar to an extreme (I’ve never understood the attraction of such talk) I do regret that you were forced to resign because of the rantings of intolerant people who think their opinions are the only ones that count. What happened to the ” I disagree with everything you say but I will fight to the death defending your right to say it” mentality that I grew up with as a child? Those who try to stifle the voice of others by screaming at the top of their lungs so only they can be heard are no better than Adolf Hitler.
As far as John Edwards is concerned, I’m glad the news media keep saying he is from South Carolina because he was one of the worst Senators we here in North Carolina ever sent to Washington.
This is too bad. I understand not wanting one’s every word to be scrutinized for potentially offensive content, but this is still frustrating and disappointing, and I was frustrated and disappointed already.
On the up side, it will be nice to have you back posting around here, Amanda, but I’m sorry you had to go through this last week.
[…] …in the sense of the old song about “nothing left to lose”. The now blogfamous Amanda Marcotte of Pandagon, hired by the John Edwards campaign, denounced as anti-Catholic by a viper’s nest of rabid reactionaries venting faux outrage over her *gasp* rudeness and profanity, left hanging for over a day after an Edwards staffer said they were considering her position, then denounced for her language by Edwards himself when he said she could stay on, has now given up fighting on that front. Her announcement is on Pandagon. If it’s still too busy when you read this, here’s some highlights: I was hired by the Edwards campaign for the skills and talents I bring to the table, and my willingness to work hard for what’s right. Unfortunately, Bill Donohue and his calvacade of right wing shills don’t respect that a mere woman like me could be hired for my skills, and pretended that John Edwards had to be held accountable for some of my personal, non-mainstream views on religious influence on politics (I’m anti-theocracy, for those who were keeping track). Bill Donohue—anti-Semite, right wing lackey whose entire job is to create non-controversies in order to derail liberal politics—has been running a scorched earth campaign to get me fired for my personal beliefs and my writings on this blog. […]
Amanda, via this very strange medium, we always considered you a friend. We wanted this for you. This hurts, but nowhere near as much as what I’m sure you feel now.
Grow stronger, young woman. This is the START of your life.
You have a world to tame.
GO!
Wow. I feel like I’m not quite sure what to believe anymore. It seems like we’ve been on a roller-coaster ride over the past few weeks, since the hiring, then the smears, then the rumors that Edwards had fired Amanda Marcotte and Melissa McEwan, then the press release that Edwards was offended, but that her job was secure, and now the resignation. I feel like I’m waiting for the pendulum to swing back the other way, now, with another surprise.
Amanda,
What do you mean by that? Who witchhunted you? I think that that is, frankly, a gross overstatement and you quit anyway!
No one persecuted you. You made comments that people found offensive and they came back to bite you in the butt and those people stated why, explicitly. The next party (your replacement) will be no less for Edwards but will not make mistakes. You were not sent down (or put in the position you were put in) for no reason. You have even, in the posts I have seen, indicated that they did NOT get you wrong and that he (Donohue) had you pegged just right.
Welcome to America and it has always been that way. You couldn’t have imagined that Edwards would not be associated with your views once you became a mouthpiece for him, did you? Did you think it wouldn’t matter?
Why ask “who would Jesus witchhunt” when you don’t care a damn what he thought or would think?
Why would you associate with a worthless prick like Edwards to begin with? He is a rich lawyer who cares about the poor like I care about the problems of midgets in Afghanistan, maybe less so.
I am sorry if this sounded offensive, it was not meant to be and I am sorry you are hurt by the events but they are what they are and someone else has it worse, believe me.
I am a 58-year old woman who has voted Democrat most of my life. However, I, too, have found most of these blogs to be “offensive”—not just politically, but humanly, as well. I suppose that’s due to the majority of bloggers being relatively “young”—and somewhat naive. You see, you really CAN get your point across without spewing obscenities and trashing people because of their beliefs. Neither Democrats nor Republicans are very “tolerant” people. But that’s because FEW people, worldwide, are really “tolerant”. We ALL have our “prejudices”—which have nothing to do with skin color. Athiests are prejudiced against peoples of faith, and peoples of faith are prejudiced against athiests. It’s ALWAYS been that way, and will continue to be so. ANGRY people do not “change” things—they only become angrier people. No amount of obscenity or trashing others is ever going to “change” the world into a BETTER place. That’s not how the laws of nature work.
Sigh.
I had to explain this to my little girl tonight.
She had such hopes. For you. For John. For the people speaking and making what she called “a difference”.
She doesn’t understand it all, but when I told her you had to resign, she had tears in her eyes. I think part of it was being afraid of the future.
But more than that, I think she really felt betrayed. That sense of abandonment that you might have suffered.
I think she is wounded with you, tonight.
I will hold her, and do my best to comfort her.
And help her get used to the idea, that more often than you want to admit.
Your daddy was right.
“All people claiming to be good Christians who agitated for me to be fired, one question:
Who would Jesus witchhunt?
Think hard before answering, assholes.”
Don’t be silly. Jesus has no need for witch hunts. Jesus would quite simply heal you, dear. There is no reason for HIM to hunt you. Maybe you should try talking to him.
What’s Donohue going to do now that the tigress i…
I am an occasional email acquaintance of Amanda Marcotte. I like her writing and the sense of humour that accompanies her posts at Pandagon. She’s always been generous to us and, even when on rare occasions things weren’t necessarily going swimmingly…
Finally something smart from you, you should have done it last week and not let Edward keep you on staff. Call it taking a bullet for the team, falling on your sword, or taking a granade but I knew it would come to that. In the end you were just too toxic, and the campaing could not have survived trying to defend you. Yes, Donohue is an idiot, but keep in mind that is organiztion only has about 300 000 people so if this was the only thing to worry about, you could have survived it. However, catholics make up about 25% of the population (more than 100 times the number of people in Donohue organiztion) and that is why you had to go. In the end, its hard to feel bad for you since you just got serverd the same medicine you’ve been dishing out. At least you can take some confort in the fact that giving your resignation did show some class.
I am always intrigued by anyone, left or right, railing about their free speech being taken from them. More so when I read 200+ comments parroting the same tired moan. Donahue took only what he was GIVEN. Amanda, in the interest of avoiding unwanted negative pub for the campaign, chose to step down. I wonder if the campaign considered this when recruiting. I say we lock Hannity and the MSM, GLAAD and the religious right in a room with food or water and don’t let them out until they make nice. Of course nobody gets paid if that happens. Follow the money people. And try to have one original thought each day. Finally Amanda, my mother told me a long time ago explitives do not equal wit and are no substitue for an actual vocabulary. Of course they do generate more emotion don’t they?
grow up, child. and know God loves you. As for me and my household, we will vote republican.
I’m sure the Rude Pundit is available…
Amanda resigned from the Edwards campaign. Maybe it’s for the best. Using Amanda as a campaign blogger is a lot like making a bourbon and Coke with Pappy Van Winkle; sure, it’ll to be better that way, but it’s going…
[…] This sucks. […]
just to add to add another echo to the chamber, best of luck to you.
i remember when i first found this blog, i was absolutely joyful that someone- a woman, no less!- was speaking her mind in such a passionate and effective manner. keep doing what you’re good at and eff the haters.
I’m really sorry, Amanda. This sucks. And the mere idea of that bigoted fuckstain Donohue getting his way again is maddening. At least there’s that handly IRS form that’s going in the mail tomorrow. It’s a small consolation, but at least you’ll be able to write openly about Donohue and his subhuman ilk. Give ‘em hell!
The pea-brained dingbat will now have plenty of time to defend the Duke “rape” “victim”.
[…] Amanda Marcotte of Pandagon has resigned as one of the two high-profile bloggers he hired to blog for him. The brouhaha began last week when she, and the Edwards campaign, were attacked by Bill Donohue of the Catholic League. […]
[drops bible…noticed that it lands on Matthew 7]
Elena,
I think you are the last person who should be calling anyone a bigot.
Want to see a bigot? Get a mirror.
[…] In a post at Padagon this evening, Amanda Marcotte revealed that she resigned her position with the Edwards campaign over continuing comments by Bill Donahue and others regarding her posts which criticize various Catholic policies with vulgur languange. […]
To Dave in Texas:
I feel sorry for you, but especially for your daughter. However, instead of her shedding tears for Amanda, you should tell her about the brave women and men in the US armed forces who have selflessly preserved our freedom and liberty for over 200 years, and frequently paid the highest price. Tell your daughter to weep for them, and to honor them.
Hey Amanda. Don’t let the bastards get you down.
If you can’t call a shitheat a shithead in this revolution, then, well, the next step is probably “no dancing,” and fuck that noise.
Tomorrow, give ‘em hell, and to really piss ‘em off, have fun doing it.
Best.
I went to check out the organization that Donohue presides over. It’s theoretically about protecting Catholicism from slander; but it seems to have a completely Heritage Foundation agenda. It’s a essentially Catholic Version of the 700 Club. I got all that from the last 20 minutes or so of perusing their site.
Anyway, I left them some “feedback” and thought some here might appreciate a copy….(and if some crazed Albino monk hunts me down……no, let’s not even go there
*****************************************
I’ve never heard of your organization before this Edwards blogger blowup.
As a Catholic I am ashamed of you. You’ve “succeeded” you’ve “won”. As I see it, Lucifer is now smiling upon you.
It’s disgusting that some high ranking clergy sing your praises. You are nothing more than a mouthpiece for the hard far extremist right wing of American politics.
I wonder if you had your way, whether I would now be burnt alive as a heretic?
Do you really believe that our Lord Jesus Christ would disapprove of Edwards agenda and approve of Bush’s actions???
Lord have mercy on our nation. May you come to see the hypocrisy of your ways in re American politics before you meet your Maker.
The agenda of the Heritage Foundation is about as anti-Christian as an American institution can get and still be legal. Then again it all depends on your understanding of what it means to be a follower of Christ, eh?
Let us Thank God, that His Judgment (and Compassion) will be more Objective than anything you or I can muster. Perhaps on that point we can agree?
At pam and jomelli
Amanda, good luck. I’m sure you’ll keep kicking ass, whatever you do next.
I started reading Pandagon shortly after Jesse brought Ezra on board. Jesse’s disappearance is our loss, and I was disappointed to be losing you too, although I was excited both for you and for the Edwards campaign.
Now I’m just angry. At Donohoe, at Malkin, at the NY Times and the AP and any media people who publicize them, and at some fucking commenters here and elsewhere. I don’t know how I feel about Edwards yet.
I assume you don’t know what you’re doing next. I know I’m not alone in looking forward to it.
Amanda…mouthpiece…does not compute.
And pam, since I’m absolutely certain YOU know God Loves YOU, I’ll spare you alllll the reasons why God loves folks who do not vote republican.
Would hate to give you a dose of evanluth “cooties.”
Quotes = smears?
Amanda, I’ve respected you for years and you only continue to grow in my estimation. I salute your courage, and please know that your many friends and supporters in the blogosphere are eager to see what next step you will take. If there is a way we can tangibly help… let us know.
You are pathetic!! Just like Gore, Edwards, & clinton. All are liars. Dems are a hateful group who speaks of shared wealth, yet they all have multi-million dollar homes and they only want to take money from Republicans. They stand for nothing, gore & peloski talk about global warming & then take private jets everywhere. peloski’s 16 miliratyflightcrew plane is a waste of govt funds. nothing they say can be taken seriously
I find it amusing that this whole manufactured controversy centered on Amanda’s sidelong and humorous description of the Scum of the Holy Spirit, given that said Scum of the Holy Spirit now seems to be posting a significant percentage of the comments in this thread.
Hey Amanda,
Rock on girl!
You have more steel in your spirit than the whole mainstream media.
You have the unqualified support of all us free thinkers in New Zealand.
Thanks for all your insights and we are backing you to come out swinging.
Lee
What’s hilarious about this is that all that happened is a right wing guy correctly and accurately pointed out what has been written on this blog. No crime there. Where’s there is smoke, there is fire. And where there are radical Left wing musings, there is an extremist Leftist at the keyboard. Good riddance. Shine a light on the cockroaches, and they all scatter.
I’m not a good Christian, but I’ll answer your question. Jesus is very wise. If He was running a campaign, He wouldn’t have hired you in the first place. You have a potty mouth. You spew venom like a viper. You’re a liability to the Edwards campaign, not because of who you are or what you are. It has nothing to do with your gender. It’s your tongue.
And if you think it’s the Christian right who got you fired, you would be wrong (again). There are moderates on both Left, Right, and Center who are repulsed by your words and they are the ones who would question Edward and his decision making skills if he were elected as President. You’re an educated woman. You have your B.A.; yet, you talk like an uncivilized, uneducated brute.
Lastly, if you think you are speaking “truth to power,” let me ask you this: has anybody threatened to harm you because you attacked Christianity? Islam poses the greatest danger to the world today. Women and young girls are treated like properties and whores. When was the last time you criticized radical Muslims or their pedophile prophet? You only blasphem Jesus because you know you’ll live to talk about it the next day. Say the same thing about Muhammad, and some Muslims may leave a note on your chest, like they did with Theo Van Gogh.
catholics for a free choice is not a Catholic organization, they misrepresent themselves in hope of having support from real Catholics
People, people. Amanda wasn’t saying that Jesus would engage in witch-hunts. She was saying that she herself is a practicing witch. The cat blogging was your tipoff, btw.
I hope that’s all cleared up now.
[…] And the saga continues. Amanda Marcotte, the Pandagon blogger whose writings about religion sent rabid rightists Michelle Malkin and Bill Donohue over the edge recently, and whom John Edwards decided not to fire over the flap, has now resigned from the Edwards campaign. […]
I too am sorry you felt you had to do this, but I totally understand the tough position you are in.
I am very glad you felt all of us people out here up in arms pressuring Edwards made a difference- know that you made a huge difference too. This was a turning point and I hope the right lessons are learned.
You deserve a week holiday on some beach in paradise. I am sure you need it.
Paida
She turned Donohue into a newt.
He didn’t get better.
Amanda and whoever reads this,
No matter what you believe, no matter who you are or what you have done, No matter where you have been or what you have seen.
Jesus loves you.
That is the only thing that matters over all including politics, war, environment, choices, life in general does not matter over your heart. He believes in you though you may not believe in him, he loves you more than you can imagine.
Good luck in your ventures and I wish you peace and blessings,
jrv
Jeebus, Girl…. This shinola has nothing to do with your stance on any one man-made religion, or your writing skills….or freedom of speech. You have taken advantage of that ammendment in Spades, and you should have known this was coming because you dished it out by the tub-full….all directions. You know what I’m talkin’ ’bout! Your inner, angry, self….showering spittle like acid rain. Calm yourself, employ less anger and say your piece with a little more human dignity and we will get your drift…just as well…without the scorching of our senses. Otherwise, we will come after your worthless, stinking, liberal, ass with torches and pitchforks…..See what I mean, how did you accept that? Uh Huh, that’s what I thought….we win again. It just aint workin’ for you
That sucks, Amanda. But I totally understand.
BTW, did I not tell you Robert would be back?
As for me and my household, we will vote republican.
I am infinitely more offended by this kind of bullshit than anything Amanda could ever think of writing.
What other bible verses shall we, as Christians, twist into political statements?
Dana Blankenhorn says: “I will not be supporting John Edwards in this or any other campaign he ever undertakes. He is a coward. Let me also add that you, dear Amanda, are a fool. You caved in to tyranny, if you’re telling the truth and saying you just resigned. If Edwards actually fired you, it’s even worse.”
dobrodoctor says: “Bill Donahue doesn’t speak officially for the Catholic Church but does what he thinks is best for the Church.”
As I am quite familiar with the Catholic Church and attended 12 years of it, I can say that John Edwards is more than a mere coward. He is hardly anyone that anybody should ever vote for as president or any other office. Amanda didn’t cave in to tyranny. It had to be so very obvious that John Edwards was totally undeserving of her professional work product being that he didn’t and thought he couldn’t stand up to Donahue. Understand that William Donahue does in fact ’speak for the Catholic Church’. In matters such as these, he is appointed (all the way from the Pope) to oversee such matters. Donohue would never be allowed to act out against Amanda if he were not. These things are decided by consensus of the elderly misogynistic, purgative regime of racists that basically rule the Catholic church. Their belief in ‘virginity’ is just a cover-up for their belief that anything other is just filth. Was Donohue just harboring some type of fantasy about her? Became his obsession? The Donahue types deplore a woman’s intelligence and if it were the witch-hunt days, there would surely be a bonfire somewhere.
People, people. Amanda wasn’t saying that Jesus would engage in witch-hunts. She was saying that she herself is a practicing witch. The cat blogging was your tipoff, btw.
I also suspect that she might weigh more than a duck.
[…] Amanda Marcotte has posted a notice at Pandagon that she has resigned her position with the Edwards campaign following the attacks from Bill Donohue. Her post begins: I was hired by the Edwards campaign for the skills and talents I bring to the table, and my willingness to work hard for what’s right. Unfortunately, Bill Donohue and his calvacade of right wing shills don’t respect that a mere woman like me could be hired for my skills, and pretended that John Edwards had to be held accountable for some of my personal, non-mainstream views on religious influence on politics (I’m anti-theocracy, for those who were keeping track). Bill Donohue—anti-Semite, right wing lackey whose entire job is to create non-controversies in order to derail liberal politics—has been running a scorched earth campaign to get me fired for my personal beliefs and my writings on this blog. […]
Tsk tsk, Mr. Clarke! Time to take a lesson in civility from The Infidel Sage.
Though I don’t see anyone scattering. Do you see anyone scattering? All I see is a bunch of Amanda’s readers batting around one addlepated freeper after another.
“But I guess we will once again have to wait for the day when voices like hers are truly acceptable to the leadership of the Democratic Party.”
You said it. This blows, and it’s really, really great for the country when the mainstream is defined by foaming at the mouth right wing blowhards. Good thing for Edwards, though, eve if he only gets one vote, he’s almost certain *fingers crossed* he’s got Malkin’s sewn up, so it’s a moral victory, anyway.
Anon, you’re full of it. There hasn’t been much reasonable discussion here for days because of the trolls. I’m quite a young person, and I like to come here because there are incredibly intelligent, well informed people here and I learn things that I wouldn’t elsewhere from a perspective that isn’t common anywhere in my world. With the trolls, they’d say something incredibly stupid, and then one of the regulars would engage with it regardless of how stupid it was, the trolls would reiterate the same stupid point they’d made earlier, and around and around it would go, a circle jerk of stupidity and wasted energy with every intelligent topic hopelessly derailed. Exchange of ideas, not so much, in one ear out the other trying to score points and engage in cheap insults against Amanda, yes. Yes, yes, it’s an echo chamber unless you log in here and think you’re watching Fox News since that message is a rarity in America, provided you don’t have a TV or radio, don’t interact with any other humans, can’t see or hear and don’t have any language development you’ll probably avoid it at least half the time, well, maybe 10%, so it’s hard to make light of the evidence of silencing dissent and censoring. Sorry, but who has time to wade through that much bs? If the opposite of an echo chamber is having to wade through the same never ending, insipid talking points that are reiterated endlessly as if they’re some amazing nugget of wisdom never heard before on Planet Earth (”you hate men! women are sluts who like to make up accusations of rape! you hate Catholics! I’m discriminated against because I’m white! you’re a ho and you’re fat and ugly! don’t spread your damn legs if you don’t want a baby!”), and being expected to respond to them as if they’re some revelation from on high, well, ya know, sign me up. Even after hearing each of those bits of wisdom 13 million times before the age of two, they just never get tired. Hey, I haven’t read too many sexually based insults and threats against specific women at this particular website over the past week, and I’m missing them, let them through before I have to surf around to get my fix!
All I can say is, as a U2 fan, I’m happy that Amanda will be back here full time to remind me how much of a wanker Bono is. I mean, I already knew that, but I do appreciate her efforts in that regard.
No, no, that’s not rally all I can say. Amanda, I’m sorry that this didn’t work out for you. I’m sad to see you join the ranks of those who have experienced the collateral damage of the crazy train. The fact that you actually went for that job despite knowing that all the wings up on that level are made with cheap wax shows yet again that you are at your core not yet a victim of the horrible, deadening, all-pervasive cynicism that seems to stunt everyone sooner or later.
That’s enough stupid metaphors from me. Hang in there & best of luck.
So sorry to hear this, Amanda.
Now let’s shut down Donohue and his crypto-Catholic wingnut megaphone for motherfucking good.
I’d suggest anyone with sufficient credentials (ideally, practising Catholics) to call up a few diocesan offices in the morning, asking for on-the-record endorsements or disavowals of Donohue’s choicest lines. Start with the cardinals and the bishops who’ve recently settled abuse lawsuits. And don’t rest until you’ve got an official line. Even ‘no comment’ is a refusal to endorse.
When whited sephulchres reek of rotting flesh, it’s time for the demolition team.
I have it on good Authority that Jesus just read jrv’s comment and puked.
That’s John 11:35, right? “Jesus puked”?
It is fun to watch the right wing shills and noice machine attacked by their exactly opposite left wing shills and noise machine. I hope you all destory each other, and go away so the rest of us can live our lives. I am glad you are now on the attack. It will hasten the end for both sides.
Respectfully, and said with more humor than spite,
DigitalRich
Hit…
I 100% agree that this was a targeted hit on atheists in politics. Amanda of Pandagon, referring to her resignation as blogmaster of the John Edwards campaign…….
if i read more, “you kids today and your filthy potty mouths!” posts if going to fucking puke on myself.
Don’t be silly. Jesus has no need for witch hunts. Jesus would quite simply heal you, dear. There is no reason for HIM to hunt you. Maybe you should try talking to him.
grandma nellie, is that you? back from the grave? so is jesus really white like you always said?
just kidding. jesus is all colors, like a rainbow…like a big, gay rainbow.
boo=john edwards
yeah=pandagon junkies
I’ve been waiting for the answer to *this* question for several days now. What would Ignatius do?
“just seeing evidence this early on that he wasn’t willing to stand up to the right wing noise machine - especially when the two doing the most bleeting are such reprehensible assholes themselves - convinced me that he’s not interested in trying to stop or reverse the right wing control of discourse. He just wants to get elected.”
This won’t get him elected. I would upgrade my assessment of his weak defense of Amanda and Melissa if it furthered his goals, but it clearly isn’t furthering his goals. Kerry/Edwards were slow to respond to attacks in 2004, and they never gave as good as they got, for fear of… something. That strategy failed then and will fail now.
Also, why can’t the linkwhoresphere send us a better quality troll?
Amanda
Just wanted to add to the circle jerk
I was sad (selfishly) when you announced that you would be leaving this blog to work for Edwards, but it made me reconsider Edwards as a candidate. In fact, I felt kind of validated that a blogger I liked had been chosen to work on such a high profile campaign. Then the idiots decided to swiftboat you and the MSM ate it up (the coverage this weekend on CNN and MSNBC renewed my commitment to not watching any of the news channels).
I wish you had not been forced by all this negative attention to resign your position, but selfishly, I am glad that you are returning to Pandagon.
In the last year or so, your posts (as well as Bitch, PhD), have added clarity to my feminism. You have helped me to articulate the incoherent ideas floating in my head. I, for one, love your use of graphic language and that you do not tapdance around the point in an effort to make everyone else feel warm and fuzzy. That, and you are fucking hilarious. Sometimes being polite just makes the asshats think that you have submitted or at least makes them believe their position is reasonable.
I’m done with my brown-nosing.
To all those claiming it’s an echo chamber: you did notice your posts didn’t get deleted, right? Yeah, thought so.
Don’t be offended, Auguste.
Evangelical Lutherans are now emerging from the woodwork, and are reluctantly participating in the political realm.
See, we evanluths like to think that an open bar, designated drivers, semi-professional musicians, and a generous collective “soul” is a sufficient poltical statement.
Many of us are just damned uncomfortable with the fight that comes from taking a public political stand. Give us time…and provocation.
Bill Donahue doesn’t speak officially for the Catholic Church but does what he thinks is best for the Church.
And I’m sure that he’d do it even without the $330k he pays himself out of the Catholic League’s revenues.
Find me a bishop who endorses, on the record, Donohue’s comment about how 15-year-olds should be able to resist an abusing priest, and we can talk.
Amanda…. Sorry to see you go through this nonsense. I’m sure you’ve paid a toll emotionally and financially throughout this whole ordeal, but whatever price was paid it will be small for the reward of maintaining your own voice and dignity. Your choice to leave the Edwards campaign was founded in wisdom. I respect your courage.
m gld th cnt gt wht sh dsrvd. Sh’s htfl lttl thng nd shldn’t b rwrdd fr t.
Dnn
Good for you!!! Thanks for sticking up for what’s right, and defending yourself against the right wing zealot spin machine.
i’m sure you’re doing what you feel needs to be done, and i ain’t in your position to feel the heat, but it looks from the outside like you’re caving into the forces of darkness.
sorry it couldn’t work out for you amanda. i was rootin’ for ya.
Amanda,
As a conservative, and a Republican, I was kinda looking forward to you blogging for the Edwards campaign.
It would have been entertaining as hell to see you editing yourself, while still trying to blog the same stuff that you would normally write about.
I’ve commented on this forum before, specifically when you were arguing that Cynthia McKinney was being treated unfairly.
At the time, you considered banning people who were gave viewpoints such as mine.
So its kinda ironic to see you complaining about your voice being stifled.
-Or to hear you arguing that people of faith, er… those who agree with you, should be heard.
But mostly, I continue to smile with the thought that you considered muffling your voice for the opportunity to work for a white male. For just a litte while, you lost the “y” in your womynhood. Y? Because a guy asked you to be more ladylike. That’s Y.
-John
So, does this mean you didn’t mean that apology to all the people insulted by your writing? Or that you were trying to insult them?
I’m stunned, saddened, and outraged on your behalf, Amanda.
I hope you land on your feet, financially and in all other ways.
As for the fucktards who targetted you, and their lickspittle minions trolling here: May they all die without issue, so that their lines are obliterated from the world and their names erased from memory.
Rightside above writes:
“you’re the victim of the new “pro-religiousâ€? face of the Democratic Party. After the 2004 election, the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) decided that the Democratic Party had to become “friendlierâ€? to people of faith, so that they couldn’t be outflanked by the Republicans on faith issues anymore.”
Victim? Oh… yeah. With you all, it’s always about “victimhood”
http://www.jeffgannon.com/archives/general/
“She [Ann Coulter] correctly exposes one of the tricks used by the Left to score political points: the victim as spokesman. Victimhood is an exalted status among liberals. With it goes a protective shield to say anything, no matter how outrageous, without fear of contradiction or criticism.
Cindy Sheehan is one example that Ann mentions. For two years, this lunatic has circumnavigated the globe spewing the most vile, anti-American nonsense, only to be venerated as “Mother Sheehan, the Peace Mom.â€? Maureen Dowd has awarded her “absolute moral authorityâ€? to say anything she likes because she lost a son in the Iraq war. The Old Media fawns over Sheehan, amplifying her anti-Bush rants and covering up her less lucid moments. When she told CBS radio correspondent Mark Knoller that foreign terrorists and insurgents in Iraq were “freedom fightersâ€?, he chose not to report it.”
Victimhood is a scam. “Oh, I was such a victim of that all powerful vast rightwing conspiracy!”
Give us a break for Pete’s sake. Edwards would have been forever dodging crap like this:
Of course, if you’re a perverted religious nut, the blood and the pain of “cherry�-breaking is probably a de riguer part of a woman’s life, both to give the man a cheap thrill of actual blood while enacting the sex-as-violent-possession construction that is part of virginity fetishization and to remind the woman of her religious teaching that womanhood is suffering (see: Genesis).
Here’s the clue train coming for you all…. Her Highness gets it. She realizes as
Slick Willie tutors her that she will maintain the nutroots regardless, they wouldn’t
vote for a Repub if they had too. She needs to get the middle folks to swing Ohio,
etc. So she treads ever so delicately, and the leftwing is bashing her (for her reticence… we can’t say hypocricy, you’d go batty sorting all that out) for her inability to say she was wrong and apologize. Will it harm her? What else do they have? They don’t. She knows it, Slick Willie knows it:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0207/2714.html
Think I’m exaggerating the magnitude of her problem [not apologizing]? Here is an exchange that took place Sunday between Claire Helfman, a retired nurse who attended a house party in Nashua, N.H., and Clinton: “I’ve heard your explanation for your vote: ‘I didn’t think I was voting for the war, I was voting for inspections.’ It doesn’t fly. It just doesn’t fly,” Helfman said.
Then, according to the Associated Press, “The New York senator repeated her long-standing mantra — ‘If we knew then what we know now, I would never have voted to give this president the authority.’ And she again batted down calls for her to describe her vote as a mistake.”
(And when the Associated Press calls your position “a long-standing mantra,” it is a sign of how serious things have gotten.)
====
She won’t have to apologize. Not the Uber-Wonderwoman that slam-dunked New York. She needs the middle. She can’t be a waffler “I voted for, before I voted against” and she knows it. Screw the left is what she says, what’s the worst that can happen? Nothing.
Edwards? What was he thinking? Just goes to show how spun around and out of touch with most of America the “progressives” are that they would hire someone with such a paper trail. Sheesh!
Before this whole controversy I’d never heard of you.
Now I have. You’re awesome. You now have another fan.
Sorry to hear about the whole thing, I wonder if Donohoe just felt threatened by you. It really sucks but at least you don’t have to hold back at all while you write..in fear that you might put Edwards in a bad light. It seriously blows that THAT would even be the case…especially since we are SUPPOSED to have free speech and all.. but I guess that only pertains to the speech that is agreeable to all parties.. (HA!)
Your a great writer, insightful and entertaining! We’ll be reading ya!
Sincerely…
Tammy
Wow, Kirby Olson and Dr. Jacques Albert never looked so good.
Sorry to hear this. But I am looking forward to your future comments, especially on Donahue. It is hard to believe that his ‘organization’ can have that much say on things, especially since it only brings in about $2.5 million (2005). His salary (in 2005) is over $330,000, way over 10% of the budget and the vice president made over $170,000. They also spent over $260,000 on legal services. This comes to about $760,000, or 30% of their entire budget (which is mostly private donations). I wonder if his followers know how much this non-profit is lining their pockets?
It is also sad that Edwards didn’t stand up the likes of Donahue. I mean, it isn’t like the people who follow Donahue would be voting for Edwards, regardless of what he does or says.
Jesus would quite simply heal you, dear. There is no reason for HIM to hunt you. Maybe you should try talking to him.
That’s a lot easier to do if you’re insane.
Sorry, Amanda. It’s too bad the wankers for Jesus have nothing better to do than come over and gloat.
I was just thinking the same thing, Heraclitus.
And Chris, my Revised Standard Version has “Jesus vomited.” But many people prefer the King James.
Just adding one more condolence post. Like history_mom, I’m selfishly happy that you’re back and free to write and speak however the fuck you want to, but I’m sorry that freedom came at a professional cost.
This is Edwards’ loss, of course. Although in a more practical sense, it’s Amanda’s, so my sympathy is with her.
Religious people who aren’t horrified by this turn of events should be, because when it comes to the Donohues of this world, you’re either with him or you are Amanda, whether you’re gutsy enough to compare the Holy Spirit to a cumshot or not.
Amanda, I would not take this sitting down and the good news is that you can fight back now that you are no longer with the campaign.
I would seriously go after Donohue for anything he has done that might be the least bit illegal. Perhaps it is high time he stepped down.
I respect your decision but I am angry that the Right sees this as a victory.
As a registered Democrat I will not be supporting John Edwards. And as a Catholic, Bill Donohue hardly speaks for me.
Good luck to you, you are a survivor and a fighter. You will come out of this on top, no doubt.
I hate to disappoint you but your tenure as John Edwards chief blogger was very brief due to your own words and rants, not due to the words of other people. Yes, other people’s comments from the full spectrum of the Internet and blogs on the left and right exposed your profane valuations of society. These values were found to be repugnant to the vast majority of people, again from the left, from the right, and in the center of the political spectrum. You really have no one to blame but yourself.
So, does this mean you didn’t mean that apology to all the people insulted by your writing? Or that you were trying to insult them?
sharon, try not to ask a question already answered upthread. It makes everything so confusing…and boring.
Did I miss the circle jerk? Wait, what do they call that for women? A circle-stroke? Hmm…
Anyway, just wanted to add my thoughts that a)this sucks b)you’re awesome and c)you have dealt with some unbelievably hateful, vitriolic shit this past little while that is just…frightening…and if you need me to send you some strong Canadian beer you just say the word. Or maybe just come up to Canada for a break - we’re full of sane Catholics who would agree with many of your observations on church leadership, and religious fundamentalists of any variety freak us right the hell out!
Also - for everyone showing up on a personal blog and complain about their virgin Christian sensibilities being assaulted by the naughty words, I just hope you catch whomever broke into your house, turned on the computer, brought up the Pandagon page, taped your eyes open, held a gun to your head and yelled “READ IT!!!”
Potty-mouthed Edwards blogger resigns…
Amanda Marcotte has resigned from the John Edwards campaign. Her post at Pandagon points fingers at Bill Donohue, but it was only a matter of time before her nasty mouth got her into trouble. She’s the kind of gal you……
Amanda,
Truly sorry to hear your news, but somewhat selfishly happy that you are back. I love to read your candid, frank, and spot on posts and I find your criticisms of religious institutions to be mostly on the mark.
On a personal note, I want to apologize for the very un-Christ like way my fellow Christians are acting, for they are not speaking in love.
Don’t let them silence you.
Dear Amanda,
As often as you’ve spoken out about”bigotry”, I’d have thought you’d be sensitive to the fact that bigotry exists on the left as well as the right. Some folks were as upset with your bigotry toward Christians as you were about the rights bigotry towards those who falsely accuse innocent lacrosse players.
You mean she talks like Cheney and Bush.
OMG, How dare she!
Amanda - I am sorry to see you leave the campaign. I was hoping it would be an interesting blog to read.
A Blogger Resigns From Edwards Campaign…
A top progressive blogger has resigned from John Edwards’ campaign — which will likely usher in a new era in which bloggers from all sides who want to work for political campaigns are now going have to re-examine their previous posts and co…
You know, the reason you were doomed is because you typically engage in shallow insulting analysis and deliver it with vulgar language, on any number of topics. Had you been insightful and still vulgar, you might have gotten by; though usually vulgar and genuinely insightful don’t go together,
Edwards was revealing himself to be in thrall to shallow vulgar people by hiring you.
Drew,
That second paragraph was the stupidest thing I read all night - and I read a lot of stupid stuff.
Maybe you miswrote.
First of all, she quit (I assume she wasn’t lying). Second, this was a political matter where comments were made that offended a POTENTIALLY large group of people. That could not be overlooked or swept aside in any political equations - and this isn’t fantasy politics but REAL politics.
Muslims make up a far smaller number and so do Jews but go and insult one of those groups in some way (even jokingly or without harmful intent) and see if you can get or keep a job with a person wishing to be President of the United States. If you do I can show you a candidate without a chance. Edwards doesn’t have a chance either.
Freedom of speech goes both ways and costs people jobs all the time. This is nothing new and certainly nothing horrifying about it. Moreover, it is Edwards not Donohue or anyone on this board or other boards who you should be mad at and Amanda should have known that this would happen or whomever hired her most certainly should have. It is no shock to me
No offence and smart people sometimes make stupid comments and I am not immune from that.
Have a nice night. I am hitting the sack.
Amanda Marcotte Resigns From Edwards Campaign:…
“I felt that every time I coughed, I was risking the Edwards campaign.” (Pandagon)……
Catholic Power Strikes Hard…
Here’s the announcement from Pandagon: I was hired by the Edwards campaign for the skills and talents I bring to the table, and my willingness to work hard for what’s right. Unfortunately, Bill Donohue and his calvacade of right wing……
[…] Here’s the announcement from Pandagon: I was hired by the Edwards campaign for the skills and talents I bring to the table, and my willingness to work hard for what’s right. Unfortunately, Bill Donohue and his calvacade of right wing shills don’t respect that a mere woman like me could be hired for my skills, and pretended that John Edwards had to be held accountable for some of my personal, non-mainstream views on religious influence on politics (I’m anti-theocracy, for those who were keeping track). […]
Agreed. Who died and made you all special? Oh wait, yeah. Jesus. I forgot. Need I remind you that women had a considerably better position in the early church before that asshole Paul [biblical, not commenter] decided to get uppity about the Magdalene’s place in Jesus’ affairs? Funny how this unreligious person seems to know a bit more about your religious history than you do, Christians. Go read the Gnostic Gospels, why don’t you? Better still, write me an essay on how various church councils cut out pro-women doctrine over the years to better fit the cultural mores of their times. And then compare it to how Donohue tried to take out Amanda, who didn’t fit with his (preferred) view of how women should act… namely submissive to him and his belief system.
I swear that every time I read…
Amanda has a potty mouth and so she deserved thisYou think you’re suffering? well, our troops are suffering more [newsflash, people: it’s the DEMOCRATS who are trying to bring them home, which is slightly more effective than your prayers]Jesus looooooves you [but I’m going to tell you how much you suck because it’s my Christian duty], etc etc
or any of the other comments directed at you by the concern trolls and others, well… it’s making me ill. You shouldn’t have had to resign. Edwards should have told Donohue and co. to stick it. They probably would have if you weren’t considered expendable as a young(er) woman and — heaven forbid! blogger.
Support & much love from our corner of the internet-tubes…and take heart in the fact that insecure Bible-warped jerks have always tried to cut down the tallest female poppy in the field.
Barack Obama, Al Gore, Bill Richardson begin Amanda Marcotte bidding war…
As soon as a door closes, a window opens or something, and recently-resigned John Edwards blogger Amanda Marcotte is learning that Edwards’ loss might be B. Hussein Obama’s gain. Or… Al Gore’s or Bill Richardson’s……
You people are amazing.
Amanda Marcotte Resigns from Edwards Campaign…
After Edwards made a point of retaining Amanda Marcotte after the heat came down on his campaign for her anti-Christian bigotry, Marcotte has “resigned” to spend more time with her family so she can respond to her critic’s “baseless charges”. I wa…
Amanda, I’m just sorry that you don’t feel any reponsiblity for what you’ve said. Your statements, offended not just the religious right…but the religious LEFT (yes it does exist…look at the American Presbyterian Church for instance). Personally, I think you are an interesting psychological study…that you make yourself feel better by making outragous offensive statements, by putting others down in such a manner…is at best sad, at worst something to pity.
You were axed because you continued to make bigotted statements…despite, not using foul language…to wit:
“The Christian version of the virgin birth is generally interpreted as super-patriarchal, where god is viewed as so powerful he can impregnate without befouling himself by touching a woman, and women are nothing but vessels.”
I learned many years ago that one who uses foul language is too lazy to make reasoned arguements and merely seeks to deflect close examination of those very arguments…so sad…and by declaring “revenge” you merely continue to prove that you were an inappropriate choice in the first place…though I expect that you’ll delete this comment as you do all others that disagree with your own world view…that however is your choice…to censor those with whom you disagree.
Rich V.
Best of luck with your decision and return - it is Edwards’ loss and, personally, I can’t say I understand why you would have wished to hop on that boy’s wagon in the first place.
Who is that Michael Berube anyway - didn’t he used to have some liberal French blog dedicated to bashing poor David Horowitz defender of academic parity for conservative philosophy?
I pray that I had some small part to play in your “resigning” from the Edwards campaign you libelous fraud!
[AM]I was hired by the Edwards campaign for the skills and talents I bring to the table, and my willingness to work hard for what’s right.
[VT]…and you were fired for your petulant and irresponsible mocking of a very serious issue (well…maybe not, but it’s nice that the religious right served as a proxy executioner for the families of Duke students which you hurt with your ignorant assertions)…
[AM]Unfortunately, Bill Donohue and his calvacade of right wing shills don’t respect that a mere woman like me could be hired for my skills, and pretended that John Edwards had to be held accountable for some of my personal, non-mainstream views on religious influence on politics (I’m anti-theocracy, for those who were keeping track).
[VT]Really? It wasn’t your cruel and ignorantly flippant remarks about the Duke lacrosse team that convinced the Edwards’ campaign once and for all that you were a no-talent hack?
[AM]Bill Donohue—anti-Semite, right wing lackey whose entire job is to create non-controversies in order to derail liberal politics—has been running a scorched earth campaign to get me fired for my personal beliefs and my writings on this blog.
[VT]Honestly, I have no idea who Bill Donahue is. At this point, I’m just glad that he has served, in some small part, to derail the career of an incredibly reckless and ignorant writer who neither know nor cares about the people she is libeling.
[AM]In fact, he’s made no bones about the fact that his intent is to “silence� me, as if he—a perfect stranger—should have a right to curtail my freedom of speech. Why? Because I’m a woman? Because I’m pro-choice? Because I’m not religious? All of the above, it seems.
[VT]Yeah…I’m pro-choice, I’m not religious, and I’m … well, I’m just not aware of what “all of the above means”…..so, let’s just say that I’m happy that a fraud such as yourself has been denied another forum from which to spout your vitriol, you worthless hag.
[AM]Regardless, it was creating a situation where I felt that every time I coughed, I was risking the Edwards campaign.
[VT]…or every time that you explicitly accused 3 innocent young men of rape, assault and kidnapping….did I mention that I can’t possibly contain my glee?
[AM]No matter what you think about the campaign, I signed on to be a supporter and a tireless employee for them, and if I can’t do the job I was hired to do because Bill Donohue doesn’t have anything better to do with his time than harass me, then I won’t do it. I resigned my position today and they accepted.
[VT]HA….HA….HA!!!!! You are such a fraud!
[AM]There is good news. The main good news is that I don’t have a conflict of interest issue anymore that was preventing me from defending myself against these baseless accusations. So it’s on. The other good news is that the blogosphere has risen as one and protested, loudly, the influence a handful of well-financed right wing shills have on the public discourse.
[VT]Ahhhh…I guess as a non-right wing blogger, I’m not included….poor me….
[AM]Bill Donohue doesn’t speak for Catholics, he speaks for the right wing noise machine. You guys pointed this out, you made a stink, you refused to walk into the same stupid trap that is laid out for liberals and Democrats by the right wing noise machine and I think you made a difference. While loyalty played into the pushback some, the real story is that we liberals are not taking this crap any longer and we’re pushing back. And now that I’m attached to only myself again, I’m ready and eager to join in the pushing back with you. Like Lorraine say, Jesus did not say to shut your piehole.
[VT]Who is Bill Donohue? You know that you’d lose a lot of enemies if you just admitted that your unimaginably ignorant statements about the Duke lacrosse case were just that….unimaginably ignorant????
[AM]Obviously, I’m scatterbrained right now. But I’ll be raring to go soon.
[VT]You won’t be scatterbrained soon? That’s a big accomplishment for some one who seems to have been in that state her whole life.
[AM]In the meantime, I want to share this letter Evan got from Frances Kissling, the president of an organization I adore called Catholics for a Free Choice. She wrote a letter defending free discourse and her religion from being hijacked by the likes of Bill Donohue and other people who dress their reactionary politics up in faith’s clothing. She sent it to the NY Times, and for some reason they didn’t run it.
[VT]Still don’t know who Bill Donohue is, still don’t care about your justification of what you said about Catholics…..still don’t care about Catholics for that matter….still think you’re a fraud…
[AM]It’s come to my attention that Donohue’s attempts to separate the Edwards campaign from their employees that were chosen for our skills and talents may in fact be in violation of the tax laws.
Another thing—this has doubled my committment to reaching out and helping highlight when the religious left fights the right wingers who have falsely claimed to speak for all religious people.
[VT]Still don’t care about your problems with the Catholics. I’m just glad that you’ve been discredited by your own pathetic constituency, you pathetic fraud.
I’m sorry, after reading some of your posts, I can see why you had to quit. If you are trying to wake up people by being vile, I do not think that will work. Whatever problems you have with the Catholic church, you have used your words unwisely. An intelligent observation, rather than a hate filled, foul mouthed argument, might have been at least taken somewhat seriously. You have crossed the line on so many fronts. That you can cry foul about not having “free speech” is ridiculous. Are you not speaking freely here? Has anyone shut down your website? No, so the free speech issue is crazy at best, dishonest at worst.
Perhaps if you didn’t just go out and try to make non-babies with anyone at all (I am not sure you actually do, but you alluded to that fact and words do mean something) people will take you more seriously…but really it sounds as though you are a kid on a temper tantrum….just spouting off things at will with no thought to how it will be taken or how others will feel seeing your acidic words.
I pray for you. Yep I am one of those church going people. So I will pray for you and all that agree with you.
I am sad that you’ve decided to leave Mr. Edward’s Campaign. Personally, I think you should use your newfound mainstream notoriety to the common good. Please ask your agent to get you bookings on Keith Olbermman’s Countdown, The Daily Show, with Jon Stewart, or any other visual media that will listen to your broad, inclusive point of view. You should even seek to become a blogger for the DNC as well. Please, I beg you to continue fighting your fight.
Donahue admitted that he is a drunk several months back on Imus.
Muslims make up a far smaller number and so do Jews but go and insult one of those groups in some way (even jokingly or without harmful intent) and see if you can get or keep a job with a person wishing to be President of the United States.
Well, Patrick Hynes, who, among many other vile opinions, has insisted that this is a Christian nation, is blogging for McCain. As a Jew, I find that view of the U.S. deeply troubling. My guess is that many other American Jews and Muslims do, too. Let’s see if McCain or his campaign gives a rat’s ass.
>I was hired by the Edwards campaign for the skills and talents I bring to the table…
Then it was your duty to stay at the table.
The only true person who could tell you if you had to go was Edwards, not Amanda.
It was Edwards decision to determine if you helped or hurt his campaign.
Now. Live and learn and report back for duty.
Welcome to the war of politics. Sometimes you get wounded. Heal. Then get back to the table to continue the fight.
It’s ok to feel a bit hurt; for a while. Then set the pain asided, and move forward.
Shorter Vivian Thomas:
I am much more self-important than my limited vocabulary would suggest.
[…] Amanda Marcotte Quits in Disgrace By MCCAIN John Edwards’ bad girl Amanda Marcotte resigned from the Edwards campaign just a few hours ago. She did it in a typical classless rant which just reinforces why Edwards should have fired her in the first place as we suggested last week. […]
If Bill Donohue’s opinions and tactics do not represent the Catholic Church, how come they dovetail so nicely with the opinions and tactics of the Pope?
I don’t think he and Malkin, and all of the right-wingers appearing here, were screaming because you, Amanda, said something slanderous and untrue. I think they were screaming because you hit a nerve.
Perhaps, before they criticize the mote of incivility in your eye, they should remove the beam from their own.
You do jest at this, I trust? Members of the Bush Administration, and people affiliated with their noise machine in the media, have repeatedly and directly smeared Muslims in public, and have faced no censure from either Bush or from the mainstream media. Or have you forgotten Ann Coulter’s call for the US to invade Muslim countries, kill their leaders, and convert them to Christianity?
Name one person who was publicly a potential Edwards supporter before Edwards hired Amanda and who was no longer one after.
“The lurkers support me in email” kind of statements don’t wash.
Amanda Quits; Things Don’t Look Good for Our Hero John…
Amanda Marcotte has resigned as John Edward’s blogger. It’s a feather in that boor Donohue’s cap, although Amanda vows to fight to clear her name. (And a pony!) Not so hot for Edwards. He had one of his staffers picked…
To all of Amanda’s regular posters/readers/supporters,
Many here bash Christians, Christianity, and Jesus often. You choose the safe targets because you know you won’t get killed for it, and you call it freedom of speech.
Yet, the same people would not dare speak up against radical Islam, it’s misogyny, it’s hatred coming from the mosques, and it’s perpetual outrage at everything from Nike shoes to ice cream cones to cartoons. Not many Leftists have the chutzpah to do this. They hide behind political correctness, respect for religion, and the moral equivalency argument.
Unless and until you criticize both equally, you’re cowards and hypocrites, and you don’t deserve the freedom which you profess to excercise when you bash Christianity.
You’re a silly little girl Amanda who finds out at last that the right to free speech comes with responsibility too.
No one on the right would deny you the ability to say what you like, however everything you say has consequences - whether for good or ill.
In the case of your employment with Edwards, your previous blog posts which included outstanding amounts of profanity, were obviously not the image that an aspiring President of the United States wanted to be associated with.
Blaming your political opponents for drawing attention to content you wrote of your own free will is hardly malicious, hateful or unfair.
Perhaps you could use this opportunity to modify your language while still holding true to your beliefs.
Using angry words and obsenities is not not going to win a debate and instead makes you come across as a silly child who hasn’t grown up from being a petulant inarticulate teenager.
– Nora Charles
It’s politics. You win some, you lose some. And it would not surprise if Amanda’s announcement was entirely politically calculated as might be the case for all of it (fire,rehire,resign). Doesn’t take much imagination to draw that conclusion. Was the time lag only for effect or was it needed to arrange your next gig? For those who work in politics, be careful how much noiee you make over this.
You should not have resigned. Seriously, now that you have means these assholes have won. They’ll attack again and again. Of course, at the same time, I don’t see how anyone could seriously expect to be completely independent in their public speech as a member of a anyone’s presidential campaign. Perhaps you erred a little in your judgement, but to resign and not give blogging for Edwards a chance is giving in to them.
[…] You can find Marcotte’s announcement on the Pandagon blog here. […]
Ever notice how foulmouthed, strident, offensive, bigoted and offensive lefty bloggers take the cowards way out, then throw around charges of ’suppression’ when anyone else uses their freedom of speech to condemn the lefties’ hate posts?
just sayin’, its a pretty common trait, that and the herd mentality of other lefties to defend them to the death, no matter what they say. Really, the right side is not like that, they rightly condemn extremists on their own side. Also, its another fake fact that will be ‘accepted truth’ that right wing bloggers forced Morcotte out. Not one high profile righty blog advocated firing her. In fact, I think everyone wanted her to stay on and entertain us
I took the TomK Challenge, and pledged $100 either to the Edwards Campaign, or the Marcotte Moving Fund. But since Amanda didn’t actually leave Austin, I don’t know what to do with it.
Would appreciate a little guidance here. I’ll donate it to any good cause: to Edwards; to Pandagon; to NARAL; to Amanda; to Amanda’s cats - whatever.
Shining a bright light on your quotes and repeating YOUR statements verbatim is “smearing” you?
Wow…talk about a “victim” mentality and whining.
You said it and your critics quoted you. That’s not “smearing” you honey.
You should have stood up for yourself instead of quitting.
Quitters resign.
Fighters let themselves get fired.
You’re a quitter.
welcome back
The RW has opened a can of worms with this little act
every campaign worker is now fair game…
Wow! Some heavy hitters here tonight. Berube (sorry Michael, can’t do accents at the mo’), Thers, etc.etc. I have been a fan here since Jesse and Ezra, so it’s nice having you back, kid. But I really hate to see the cave-in to the most despicable people on the planet. Oh, well, we know the war continues. Fortunately, we remain on the side of the angels. I was looking forward to actually reading a candidate blog there for a bit, but now, not so much.
Hang in there.
Fucksticks for Jesus.
A FuckinMen.
[…] Amanda Marcotte has quit the John Edwards campaign, and is back on the warpath against the Catholic League’s Bill “The Jews Run Hollywood” Donohue. Ooooh, that bitchy blog voice is sweet music to my ears. I missed that. Of course, pretty soon she’ll start blogging about porn and feminism again, and pissing me off to no end. But for now, I’m savoring the revival of one of the blogosphere’s most distinctive liberal voices. Andrew Sullivan has it right: the best bloggers are a party of one. […]
Okay, so lets examine the facts. Edwards hired Amanda. The progressive right-wing bloggers decided to inform the public on who Amanda is, and quoted her posts. Edwards got scared and fired her. Now, we learn that quoting Amanda is evil, that it is against her freedom of speech, that it violates here rights, and is un-American. Well, could you guys stop this collective hysteria, and explain why are you so mad? It’s a free country, kids, and the people of good will also have a free speech right. Stop whining when you are hit back - this is too pathetic even for you. Did you really want Amanda to be treated with kid gloves solely because she is stupid and ignorand and needs a job? Don’t you really expect to get affirmative action from the right? Grow up, kids.
Another frequent-reader-seldom-poster just wanting to say how much I love your writing Amanda. I can’t tell you how much your posts mean to me. I’m really sorry all this has happened; you didn’t deserve it. I’m sure much better things will be coming your way in the future.
“Muslims make up a far smaller number and so do Jews but go and insult one of those groups in some way (even jokingly or without harmful intent) and see if you can get or keep a job with a person wishing to be President of the United States”
If you insult Muslims or Jews, if the media even decides to make an issue of it which is unlikely, you’ll become an “anti-PC” hero and probably vault right out of the staff and into the nomination, at least as a Republican. You did notice that the woman who attempted to define Amanda out of the mainstream (the one standing next to the anti-Semetic pig of a misogynist) is the one who advocates for Muslims and Arabs to be rounded up and put into concentration camps, right? Nothing horrifying about who’s setting the standards and who’s apparently failing them, though.
Amanda didn’t potentially offend millions of voters. She offended a small subset of ultraconservative Catholics who would never have considered voting for Edwards anyway. (Cue concern trolls.) Sure, there might have been a tiny handful of Democratic and Democrat leaning Catholics who were offended by her statement, but nobody rational would have their vote influenced by this. Anyone who’d base her vote on the opinion of a campaign staffer expressed before she was hired and that doesn’t even come close to being hate speech or bigotry, would have been distracted by some other phonied up story from the pits of hell anyway and there’s no real point in worrying about it.
OTOH, politics is about calculation and while Edwards didn’t lose any votes by hiring Amanda, he potentially lost votes by losing her. Because getting rolled by right wingers who want to marginalize any perspective that’s to the left of Genghgis Kahn isn’t really inspiring to many of his potential voters. Alienating those who are likely to vote for you, bad. Runing a campaign around delighting those who hate you and will never vote for you, not so great either.
Lindsay Beyerstein Feb 12th, 2007 at 7:39 pm
I’m so sorry, Amanda. It’s their loss. Who cares about the Edwards campaign if this is how it treats its best and brightest? You never should have had to make this choice.
—
Ms. Beyerstein’s sentiments are mine. This affects my opinion of Edwards. Not my opinion of a Cardinal Bernard Law enabler and sympathizer.
Keep writing Ms. Marcotte.
Oh … so all the people who began posts with “selfishly …”
Have you ever thought otherwise ?
Here’s someone who has gone through a wrenching and massively public job hiring/firing/quitting experience and you sad sucks can only think of yourselves and how this relates to your own “pandagon” experience ???
are you that goddamned shallow ???
Vivian Thomas Feb 13th, 2007 at 2:00 am
—
Anger issues ?
Just checking.
This has been stated a million times-but I will say again- for purely selfish reasons I am glad that you will continue writing here, but it does suck how this whole thing went down.
Over and over I have read comments about the “vile� and “hateful� things that you write and mostly I just laugh at that, because your writing is so on the money on every issue and while you are definitely salty in your writing-there is absolutely no comparison to the anti-gay, misogynistic, Muslim/Islamic/Arab hating, rape apologists, anti-feminist, anti-choice, pro-life, pro-war, anti-facts, anti-science, anti-anyone-who-is-not-as-rich-as-bush and so on and so forth that the conservative religious right drone on about every bloody day.
Anyway-keep up the great work!
Amanda, I applaud your integrity and only wish that the right wing noise machine, from Cheney on down, would follow your example.
Doug Watts:
Here’s someone who has gone through a wrenching and massively public job hiring/firing/quitting experience and you sad sucks can only think of yourselves and how this relates to your own “pandagon� experience ??? are you that goddamned shallow ???
Uh…sorry, I guess I am that shallow.
Pushing back? This is the way you push back by resigning and running? Keep pushing, you hateful bigot.
I have followed this story from Melbourne, Australia. I am very happy to hear you have stood down. The only downside is that the damage to Edwards’ campaign may be reduced by your move, and us Catholics actually preferred it when Edwards campaign team reflected Edwards’ repugnant values.
I look forward to reading Pandagon’s reaction to a Brownback Presidency in 08. God bless the Catholic League. Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam
Who would Jesus witchhunt?
He wouldn’t have time for a witch hunt, if he were to return today. He’d be too busy trying to keep his own self-proclaimed followers from hunting him.
…I think that answer reveals me for the bad Christian I am. I swear, I have no idea how you put up with all these trolls and “Christian”* bigots. I’d've gone on a rampage by now. (Which is why you’re the blogger and I’m a lurker.)
*To you “Christians” out there - the scare quotes only come off when you a) read the damn Bible and b) start following it, especially all those uncomfortable parts in the Gospels, you know, that stuff about loving your neighbor and loving your enemy that y’all soundly ignored in Sunday School.
(Delurking twice in one thread … Alix can’t take it, logs off, and digs out her copy of Dante’s Inferno. It makes her feel much better.)
Seriously, Amanda, it doesn’t matter whether I agree with all you write or not; this shit should never have happened. You should not have had to make this choice, and you have my sympathy and my respect.
Now take an overdoese.
http://www.viz.co.uk/?%2Fprofanisaurus%2Fprofan_index.php%3Ffb%3D1
Don’t worry, from what I’ve read sitting here on the other side of the pond one of the fastest growing sub-groups in the US electorate are secular voters or “secular warriors” as some have called them. Because they are growing and the white evangelicals are stagnating in numbers, in the very near future there will be more secular US voters than white evangelicals. Hispanic voters need to hear about social justice issues more than they need to be told who to vote for by any cardinals. I believe that in the not too distant future (although not this time around) possible presidential candidates will be anxious to come over as being NOT TOO religious.
History and the demographic numbers are with you on this one!
You know what lady?
Count your blessings. People are desperate right now to get the mud slinging started. In the end, Edwards will not be hurt by this. A month from now, most people won’t remember it. Meanwhile, you have a bunch of new people coming to your website. You’re in perfect position for it too. You’ve been attacked for doing something that’s right on the border of what people think should and should not be done.
Sure, there are a lot of people yelling at you right now. Most of them don’t like the idea that there are so many people in America who are indifferent to religion, so they hate the idea of someone actually being against it. It’s understandable. But amonst them are people who agree with you. They just feel silly saying it because two hundred people already have. But they’re there, and they’re reading. I guarentee it.
In about a week, many of them will come back to see if there are any updates. If you write something really nice, they’ll come back the next day. Edwards will be fine, a few people were able to fill their program with an interesting story, some Christians got to yell at someone who represents people they don’t like, and you got an opportunity to expand your audience. This could have been much worse.
Sorry to hear you’re leaving the Edwards campaign, Amanda. Off-the-chart leftwing wackos like you only help the conservative cause. You probably single-handedly derailed John Edwards. Hope you can sign on with Hillary.
Amanda, I am SO sorry about this : I feel Ill!.
FUCK FUCK FUCK the Rethuglcunt noise machine!!
All I ask is that you keep fighting the good fight against the fuckwit Cirstians.
Remember - ‘Keep your rosaries off of my Ovaries’
Who do you think you’re fooling? You’re not a writer. You’re a lesbian with a pen. You are an insult to all legitimate writers.
You are full of hate and discontent so you tried to belittle Christians. You have no morals. We will pray for you.
Okay, I have only visited this site
maybe 5 -10 times before Mrs. Marcotte
was hired as Edward’s blogger.
And I know that sites like this are not
about debate or reasoning out arguments, etc.
The right ones, the left ones, they are
echo chambers, not much else.
But I had to say the following to Mrs. Marcotte.
And I am not a “GOP rehtugligan henchman”, et al.
Nobody took away your freedom of speech.
You were not jailed, you were not tortured for the
things you said. You posted a lot of virulantly hateful
things and then got hired by a political campain.
A *political* campain.
Political correctness is a groupthink speech-code
that I very much disagree with; but that same code
that “the Left” has endorsed for years and years
is quite frankly why you were sacked (or “pressured”)
And if you have ever endorsed the idea of
empowerment through victimhood, then you have just witnessed
the mirror image of that policy’s inherent flaws.
Keep kicking ass Amanda! The fact that the right would do this shows you how depraved they are. All this non-issue being made into an issue from the right, but where is the outrage when they do what they claim others do? A perfect example of that would be Dan Riehl refering to the Dixie Chicks on his blog as the “Dixie Clits.” Take the fight to them now, we’ve got your back!
This did not take as long as I thought it would. I am not a supporter of the guy from the Catholic League but be fair he has gone after more men than he has women so I do not believe it was because of gender. The fact is it is because of the comments that there is a clear record of. If you want to work in a high profile position on a national campaign you cannot have the nasty trash talking history that Mrs. Marcotte has. She even tried to delete some of it herself. There are still some basic standards that the majority of people are offended by and I believe Mrs. Marcotte has hit them all. But having said this good luck in your writing. I would advise you if you really want to hit the big time you can clean it up some you have the skill and ability.
Did you get a severance package? What were the terms of your resignation?
Ah, the irony of the people who listen to Ann “feminists are all hairy pie wagons” Coulter calling YOU “potty-mouthed”.
This sucks, and you have my support.
SO now Amanda adds LYING to her list of incompetences. SHE GOT FIRED FOLKS! And a good thing it is. Her libelous rants against the Duke players and her subsequent attempts to whitewash them (just in time for the Edwards job) are proof of her moral and intellectual vacuity. Now Amanda what have you learned from this debacle? Oh wait, no, now you need to SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU FUCKING FUCKTARD!
I just love how she can say that she was fired in disgrace for writing what she felt. According to her, she has talent. Wow, some talent! She can write the F word, poke fun at woman being raped! Gee, Amanda with talent like that you will go far.
National politics is hardball, you child. Working at the national-level means being part of a team that can appeal to a wide swath of the electorate, not just the angry misfits on the Internet who think it’s funny to hurl elementary school swear words at people of faith during self-congratulatory sneering sessions. You were a liability, Amanda. But go ahead and believe it’s all because you’re a female victim and not because you are not ready for the big leagues, if it makes you feel better.
Just another semi-Catholic posting to say she’s sorry this all happened to you, Amanda, and that she’s totally baffled at this whole AMANDA IS AN ANTI-CATHOLIC BIGOT OMG thing.
I guess it’s because I always took you as anti-organised-religion in general (hell, you could be even broader than that), and when you knocked the Catholics in particular it was just ‘cause it was their turn for the day (and Lord knows they have plenty to knock).
It probably is, in part, because you wrote it as an atheist. It’s all well and good for someone who believes in the big beard in the sky to make fun of specific stuff religions teach, ‘cause deep down they still believe in SOME sort of goddish thing, but someone who thinks it’s all a crock? Oh no!
I had more to write about how lame it is that atheists, especially the really vocal ones, catch such shit for it, but I am sleepy and incoherant and not a very good writer anyway. I just wish atheists could go ahead and atheist away without it being such a big goddamn deal.
[…] February 13, 2007 | Regardless, it was creating a situation where I felt that every time I coughed, I was risking the Edwards campaign. No matter what you think about the campaign, I signed on to be a supporter and a tireless employee for them, and if I can’t do the job I was hired to do because Bill Donohue doesn’t have anything better to do with his time than harass me, then I won’t do it. I resigned my position today and they accepted. Panda gone […]
Catholics for Free Choice is NOT a Catholic organization. YOu have to actually believe in what the Church teaches in order to be a Catholic. It is not the same thing as a political party, it is an instrument of God and in a few (very few) select areas, one cannot deny what the Church has settled upon (for instance, the Trinity or the Virgin Birth or other “high level” teachings about murder) and still be part of that “mystical body of Christ”.
As for getting fired….this is a story? Get a clue and understand that when you are in the public eye, you have to hold yourself to a higher standard. Calling catholics stupid or whatever for not using birth control is actual offensive to catholics who believe in what their faith says.
You don’t have to be a right wing zealot to accept these things as being true. In other words, yes you got what is coming and should really just get over it. As for the “support” that people are offering, it is just silly. If in the public one makes some rather stupid and offensive remarks, then one should be held accountable for that. If Edwards would like to make sure that Catholics go for the GOP (again!) then he should hire you back. If he wants to try some outreach to a group that should vote for the dems on 9 out of 10 issues, then he should let you go and say sorry for any offense given.
I write this as a moderate to liberal leaning Catholic who both believes in the social teachings of the Church and the import of the sacramental teachings of the Faith.
pax
Oh puhLEEZE. Your own foul mouth and venomous hate speech got you kicked out. Does that make you a martyr? Of course not. Get a grip. You’ve had your fifteen minutes of infamy. Welcome back to obscurity.
Edwards is shedding the softie,breck girl image though…here’s video proof:
http://minor-ripper.blogspot.com/2007/02/john-edwards-gets-tough-with-matt-lauer_08.html
[…] If you’ve been following the problems in the Edwards campaign or the Duke rape case via Durham Wonderland, then you know that fisking this resignation letter from potty mouth former Edwards Blogger Amanda Marcotte is almost too easy. But what the hell. Fried barrel-fish is a tasty dish, if you don’t mind doing the shootin’. I was hired by the Edwards campaign for the skills and talents I bring to the table, and my willingness to work hard for what’s right. […]
Oooh, Oooh, and Bringing the Scary Muslims Into It! BINGO!
Seriously, Amanda, you’ve always done your best work without your hands tied. I’m looking forward to seeing you tear into these hypocritical hacks.
And for all of you trolls claiming to speak for the religious left? Hi. I’m with the religious left. I’m stupid religious, going to mausoleums to read Scripture to dead people, sermons and incense and altar in the bedroom, nerding out about devotional poetry, degree-in-studying-religion religious. I’m religious-left as in my religion dictates to me the principles that make my politics Leftist. And I like Amanda just fine, blasphemy and all, and y’all are full of it.
Amanda,
Everyone has his or her right to free speech. That is what this wonderful country is founded on.
But, if I am working for ABC Company and slam them or make comments that do not fit their values, then I would expect to be discharged. The same goes when working with a politician. What you do, say and display is a direct reflection on them.
You have your own values, ones that you have to live with, but your chosen words did in fact upset more than just the right-winged segments. For that, as an employee of Edwards, you should have remained a little lower keyed for the next year and a half.
Sorry, but that is how politics are played here and you of all people should have realized that.
Amanda Marcotte Resigns from Edwards Campaign…
Amanda Marcotte has resigned as John Edwards’ blogger. Rather than doing so on the basis that she was creating a distraction for the campaign, though, she plays the victim.
Unfortunately, Bill Donohue and his calvacade of right wing shills don…..
Just adding my squeak of support in the hope that it might counterbalance some of the hideous spite above.
Amanda - don’t let the bastards grind you down.
I just woke up to this news, and want to say welcome back. We missed you.
I’m another one who will be sad for you, but happy to have you able to speak your brilliant mind freely.
Amanda Marcotte Resigns As John Edwards’ Blogger. Next Stop - Anger Management?…
Amanda Marcotte needs all our prayers and sympathies, and of course - anger management classes, while in rehab to receive treatment for “”poor me syndrome.”…
Catholics for Free Choice is NOT a Catholic organization. YOu have to actually believe in what the Church teaches in order to be a Catholic.
Pfft. That means there are virtually no Catholics at all. I do not know a single fucking Catholic (and I have known a pretty decent amount, being raised one plus being pretty active in the CYO in high school) that doesn’t have at least one thing the Church teaches that doesn’t give them pause, where they draw the line and say, “OK, that? Maybe not that.”
Gosh! All these demonstrations of Christian love and tolerance are making my eyes water. I guess I can’t help contrasting the ‘religious people’ who have said some truly, truly hurtful things here with the behavior of the Amish after their children were killed. When are those Amish gonna learn what the true message of Christianity is anyway?
Somehow I can’t picture Jeebus calling someone a c**t for pointing out that certain idols have feet of clay. Didn’t he get a tad upset with how the church was operating in his time?
I hope you land on your feet Amanda. Don’t take this crap too personally, it’s just the brainwash leaking out.
I going to have to disagree with J that Berube is a cunt.
I have heard he is a Habs fan and that is much much worse.
Us papists are quivering in pews at the thought of an
unrestrained Marcotte no longer constrained by
political viability. Personally, I am breaking out the
scapulae and dusting of my relics. Does anyone know
if St. Benedict protects you from irreverent feminists?
Mm.
Fuck.
I am so sorry to see you resign Amanda. The wingnuts did their usual hatchet job and unfortunately got the results they wanted again. I hope you will come back on the campaign site as a guest blogger and volunteer. We need the voices of Freedom to speak loud and clear this elcetion season and you are one of them.
If not for this controversy, I probably would not have stopped by Pandagon. And I think I’ll be stopping by regularly. I’m sure I’m not the only one like this, so maybe that’s a silver lining for you?
Doesn’t the Church teach that the death penalty is wrong?
There’s no such thing as God. I don’t cut Marxists slack when they start rambling about how they’re really just the instrument of the dialectic or of inevitable historical forces. Why should I cut theists slack when they say they’re really just instruments of a deity?
I’m so sorry to hear about the trouble while working with the Edwards campaign. As a veteran of a pretty high profile (at least online) campaign from ‘04, I know what a weird echo chamber that envelopes you when you suddenly find your smallest burps scrutinized by various and sundry. And frankly, some of your burps were pretty loud. I remember opening the local paper and seeing the candidate’s past bankruptcy splashed in all it’s glory on the front of the local page. Since I was (the operative word here is WAS) married to the candidate, I suddenly saw MY past bankruptcy out there for all the world to see. Talk about collateral damage. Luckily our webmaster (the amazing Tim Tagaris — if you haven’t had a beer or five with him yet, do so. It will help.) spun that baby so hard we had a REPUBLICAN calling our campaign to help us financially. But the feeling of “whathefuck???” at suddenly finding ourselves to be public instead of private entities was a weird one — I empathize with the sudden self-consciousness that can kill every creative bone in your body. Anyhow, like several on this site, I was surprised that Edwards made such a gutsy choice in his hiring for his campaign and unfortunately not surprised at the vitriol that was fired at you. After a long break from politics, I found that I much prefer to be part of the grassroots, rather than in the spotlight. I think you’ll find being Amanda Marcotte, private citizen — will be preferable. At least for a while. In the meantime, you know you have the talent to be courted by a national campaign. Maybe someone will drop a flea in Wonkette’s editor’s ear and you’ll hear from them.
you liberals are all the same. You think you can speak your mind with impunity. You open your mouth,crap falls out and you wonder why people get uptight. I’m not even religious and could give a hoot what you think about the Catholics, but why don’t you grow some balls and start slandering Mohammad? Yeah,,thats what I thought. Consequences are a bit more grave aren’t they?
I see you have a lot of sorry people that write / respond in you blog. It must make you feel righteous by having such followers.
Welcome back, Amanda. I’ll make the coffee. You get the guns.
SJOFN: While there are certainly areas of disagreement within the Catholic Church over all kinds of doctrine, ABORTION is one area where faithful Catholics agree. It’s the killing of an innocent life for the convenience of another. “Catholics For A Free Choice” isn’t a Catholic organization at all; it’s adherents are not faithful Catholics, they do not represent a Catholic voice, they do not speak for faithful Catholics. They are a bunch of whiners who want to have their cake and eat it too.
The last thing the Catholic Church needs is to be making room for people who not only believe in the right to kill innocent unborns, but want the rest of us to help pay for it and “support” the “choice”.
Little Miss Amanda seems particularly perturbed that “Bill Donohue” made her quit. If she had any stones, she would have stuck it out, if only to perturb HIM! One suspects that she’s not being entirely honest with us, orherself, about the reasons and circumstances of her severance. Methinks she got canned, but was allowed to say it was her idea. If that’s not the case, why all the anger about her own decision?
[…] Amanda Marcotte of Pandagon has announced her resignation from the Edwards campaign, under relentless harassement by what she calls “Bill Donohue and his calvacade of right wing shills.” Heres’s a sampling of reaction in the liberal/progressive/Democratic blogosphere: […]
While I am not a fan of many liberal policies, I must say that I am tired of people like Bill Donahue trying stomping out people’s rights to voice opinions. It is a shame that you were forced to remove yourself from Edwards’ campaign. I don’t understand a society that embraces free speech only when it agrees with a particular agenda. Responsible debate has been replaced baseless whining.
And, yes, this sentiment exists with some liberal groups also. The National Jewish Democrat Council is trying to make issue with Mitt Romney’s choice of Henry Ford Museum as the location to announce his candidacy.
Let’s face it, some Dem groups are going to try anything possible to discredit a Repubican’s image, and some Conservative groups will do the same to the Dems. Accusations fly across both sides of the “aisle”. We’re trying to sell the rest of the world on our way of life, yet we act completely dysfunctional.
I must say, though, that I am happy to see someone like Frances Kissling defending your rights to speak your mind, even if it does not agree with with her organization. I wish more of the responsible groups received the same media coverage as the extremists.
Keep your head held high, Amanda. And remember not to let the likes of Bill Donahue divert focus from the issues you are passionate about. If you overreact, you will lose relevance, and he will win.
Whhhhaaaaa!
I do know that the hate is amazing. People that have posted here to brag or bash you because you lost your position are not helping mend the dialogue. You also could help try to make the political world become more civil by admitting your responsibility for your leaving was brought about by the terrible things you say and post. In fact you could start your life anew now and really make a difference in this world by giving up the hatred of men and religious people. All of us could learn from this just stop the hate against your fellow Americans. Except responsibility be adult.
Edwards vs Iran: you may be free to not be coerced into supporting a religious war the senator appears to endorse
Oh, and to all the self-righteous trolls who suggest they can read Amanda’s heart while they rub salt in her wounds:
Jesus was thinking about you on the cross.
When he said: “Forgive them Father; they know not what miserable little hypocritical fartsuckers they are.”
(Hey, I never realized how much fun it is to bash self-worshipping faux-Christians! It’s as simple as picking on the feeble and suffering! So where’s my Presidential Medal of Freedom?)
So instead of getting ready for work, I’m sitting here and reading prob. at least 80% of this thread. oooh, I hope my boss doesn’t read Pandagon…or at least doesn’t figure out it’s me…cause instead of getting up and getting ready for work NOW I’m sitting here typing a post!
No. 1, did somebody say Al Gore is going to run??? YEAH!!! keep us posted!!
No. 2, I have lots of new things to think about. How a far-left blogger can become the focus of a national censure campaign by far-right bloggers, how easily and quickly it succeeded, and how it impacted the course of a mainstream US Presidential campaign, I think we’ll see very significantly. How being an athiest really is considered a terrible thing, and something that it’s truly okay to ostracize and publicly pummel somebody for and even terminate somebody’s employment, or blatantly harrass that person into terminating his or her own employment, in a way that would never be condoned for *any* religion. How the fine majority of Americans spend billions of dollars a year going to see movies and other entertainment that is a far filthier collection of profanity than Amanda has ever managed to squeeze into her blogsite, yet the same majority somehow cannot bear to hear such a reduced amount of um, filth from a blogger.
No. 3. I’m really sorry everything turned out like this, Amanda.
I know that I probably can’t imagine how you’re feeling about the whole thing but we, the non-trolls of this thread, hopefully have made it clear how much we enjoy your writing and supported you personally in your role as Edward’s blogmaster and how much true sympathy and continuing support we have to offer now.
Lisa KS
Yeah- I heard that too The Labour Humanist. It’s happening all over western Europe to varying degrees as I understand.
Amanda: They’re attacking because they’re afraid of you.
SJOFN: While there are certainly areas of disagreement within the Catholic Church over all kinds of doctrine, ABORTION is one area where faithful Catholics agree. It’s the killing of an innocent life for the convenience of another. “Catholics For A Free Choice� isn’t a Catholic organization at all; it’s adherents are not faithful Catholics, they do not represent a Catholic voice, they do not speak for faithful Catholics. They are a bunch of whiners who want to have their cake and eat it too.
Mmmm … no, I’m sorry. You can’t say abortion is the ONLY thing you GOTS to agree with the Church on in order to be a “faithful” Catholic. Supporting choice means just that: Supporting Choice (which means you can also choose NOT to have one, by the way, it’s just you get to choose it freely instead of having some dickhead choose for you). It does not mean abortion parties every weekend. I mean damn, according to the Church, I have to fast on Ash Wednesday AND abstain from meat. Where are the people screaming for laws to make it so EVERYONE, regardless of faith, have to do that too?
Also: Who made you the Pope?
Rock on, Amanda. Now it’s just you and your voice, and that’s where our power is.
You done good.
Heart
“O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”
-Matthew 12:34-37
Although I do not agree with your stance on the church, nor do I agree with much of what John Edwards stands for, it is unfortunate that you had to leave his campaign over this. You did, however, take some pretty controversial stances and must have known the potential consequences of them.
If you had the guts to express your true beliefs, then the Edwards campaign should have done more to stand behind you. On the other nose, it’s very safe and easy to take pot-shots at Catholics when your primary audience is the Left, which would never challenge such viewpoints. You chose to step up to bat in the majors, however, and found that the curveball was hard to hit. It’s not easy, but I assume you will land on your feet. Despite the fact that I disagree with most of your points of view politically, your writings do show intelligence and the potential to do wekk for someone who woul dnot be afraid to hire you.
Good luck.
I apologize for the typos in the post above. I am a lousy typist.
[…] Amanda Marcotte resigns from the Edwards campaign. Amanda, of course, is in many ways doing the right thing for her candidate–it’s pretty clear the right wing noise machine was poised to bray every time Amanda sneezed. […]
[…] Amanda Marcotte, one of the two embattled bloggers for the John Edwards campaign has resigned. On her personal blog Pandagon Marcotte cites her inability to do her job…feeling that everytime she coughed she was risking the Edwards campaign as part of the reason for her resignation. She goes on to blame Bill Donohue and his “cavalcade of right wing shills” for running a “scorched earth campaign” to get her fired. Marcotte’s announcement can be found here. The Washington Post here. […]
[…] Posted by brownfemipower on 13 Feb 2007 at 06:40 am | Tagged as: U.S. elections ‘08 Amanda quits the Edwards campaign. […]
NOYB:
“Little Miss Amanda seems particularly perturbed that “Bill Donohueâ€? made her quit. If she had any stones, she would have stuck it out, if only to perturb HIM! One suspects that she’s not being entirely honest with us, orherself, about the reasons and circumstances of her severance. Methinks she got canned, but was allowed to say it was her idea. If that’s not the case, why all the anger about her own decision?”
You see, unlike spiteful conservatives, liberals don’t always like to harm their own quality of life and mental/material well-being just to spite their political opponents. According to “What’s the matter with Kansas”, tha tis pretty much a requisite if you’re a conservative and not filthy rich: against single-payer health care because it means black people and single mothers would be insured (who cares if it also benefits you and yours?), against enviromental measures because they identify with the fat-cats of industry rather than fellow workers who get breathing complications form pollution…and so on and so forth.
If Amanda felt that the next two years would be a long slog of having every menu choice of hers at a restarant dissected and wailed about on the wingnutosphere, it’s her right to want to step out.
As for the Edwards side: If he really wanted to fire her, he could have simply said so in a rather neutral tone and still mollified most of the screeching fake-catholics. He gains nothing by announcing that he stood by his bloggers and then have one leave.
My admiration for Amanda and her writing only grew when she joined the campaign: as much as I, as a journalist, know and revile insider politics, I know that just sniping at it from a virtual seat in the sidelines doesn’t really set the gears of change rolling. Amanda had the will to bridge that distance.
And when she saw that the cost was incrementally becoming greater than the potential benefit, she was wise to leave.
First, my comment is long, so if you skip over it because you get too many long comments, I apologize.
Also, I’m sorry you had to quit a really great job. And you really have “mad skills.” You network well amongst people who agree with you. Your blog design is attractive. You will clearly be an asset to whatever organization you sign up with. While you and I will probably never vote the same way, and I probably will never give money to “Catholics for a Free Choice” (I’ll probably be working and praying that their members change their minds on the thing that makes them members of that group), I admire the enthusiasm you bring to your writing. Someone commented that they liked it that you had no filter. I kind of wish you had more filter, but that’s something you’ll decide on for yourself.
As far as being anti-Catholic goes, I think you actually are. I don’t think you intend to be a bigot, and that’s a strong ugly word I don’t like. But it’s like the guy who says his black friends don’t mind when he uses the N word. He thinks he’s not a bigot. But he is. Maybe his friends are just too charitible to let him know.
I think some perspective on the history of anti-Catholic bigotry in America might help you see what’s happened. I don’t know if you realize it, but Catholics have been a hated minority in America for most of this country’s history. This country was founded by Protestants with republican ideals. They were distrustful of anything that looked like a monarchy, and from the outside the Catholic Church appears to be one (though it’s not as simple as a dictatorship). They were distrustful of anything that wasn’t part of their cultural experience.
They were, also, mostly xenophobes and racists (you know that from your own take on immigration [I’m very pro-immigrant, by the way]). They liked immigration of Anglo-types, but did not like the Irish, or the Italian, or anything Mediterranean. Immigrants had strange ways, strange loyalties, strange language, and strange religious practices. Anti-Catholicism and racism were so tightly associated that the Ku Klux Klan in Indiana was organizing mobs to burn down Catholic churches in the 1930’s. In the late 1800’s, Catholic priests wearing traditional vestments were sometimes arrested for being “cross-dressers.” Catholic clergy and religious marched with King, partly because it was the right thing to do, and partly because of their own experience.
Ever since Kennedy did his famous “my faith won’t influence any of my decisions” thing, the general public has been more tolerant of Catholics. They’re mostly white, and if their faith doesn’t influence their decisions, then they probably won’t hand the country over to a foreign power. So now there are two or three generations of Americans who don’t mind Catholics who have no religious convictions (that is, those who don’t believe what the Church teaches, so they’re not really all that Catholic, and therefore they’re “safe” for America), but they’re still suspicious of Catholics who represent the whole package.
Bill Donahue and people like him carry a lot of historical baggage with them. It’s not that they are merely conservatives with a political axe to grind. They carry a memory of generations of intolerance that young people today might not be aware of.
That said, I hope you end up doing something truly GREAT!
these self-proclaimed christians are unbelievably hostile and hypocritical. this reminds me very much of the folks in my hometown- the faux-news loving, bush-supporting, fairweather christians who believe that self-examination is a sign of weakness and compassion is un-feminine and therefore, un-Christlike.
on two simple points, i think it’s fair for the author to say that the catholic church has a history of lacking in complassion for young girls. in fact, i think it would be safe to say that the catholic church has had a history of lacking in compassion for adult women of childbearing age, poor people of both genders and molestation victims. and as for the post that Michelle Malkin linked to regarding Bush’s handling of hurricane Katrina, didn’t a lot of people think that the rescue efforts were poorly handled. i mean, “you’re doing a great job, Brownie.” remember that? i don’t understand what is wrong with being critical of current policy and culture. i though that this is what our democracy needed in order to employ it’s own system of checks and balances.
as the immortal Neil Young used to say, i will apply it to the fabulous Ms Marcotte- “keep on rocking in the free world.” as long as it’s still free and not taken over by a group of bitter folks who hate freedom.
Again, all that applies to the death penalty, too. That, and John Paul II had a few very strong words to say about unrestrained capitalism.
The Catholic Church is free to form a Papal Party in the US, which agitates for a consistent life ethic, against gay rights and women’s rights, for racial justice, for poverty alleviation by both welfare and charity, and for Catholic education. Individually people may agree with much of its platform, but good luck running candidates who pledge allegiance to a foreign leader first.
Well, Amanda lost her job. I know, it’s not getting beat up, but forcing someone to quit their job is “harm” where I come from.
As for the idiots questioning why Amanda doesn’t go after Islam for its rampant misogyny…
1. She does.
2. But given that we like in America, the Christians are a more significant threat to gender equity.
Seriously, if all you know of Amanda’s writing is what you’ve heard Michelle Malkin read (badly), STFU. You don’t know what you’re talking about, and at this point, you’re just embarassing yourself.
John Edwards is well rid of Amanda Marcotte…
It’s good for John Edwards that he’s rid of Amanda Marcotte. What a poisoned apple she was for his presidential campaign. After the Kerry-Edwards defeat in 2004, Edwards said Democrats needed to reach out to people of faith. In particular,……
Amazingly, Portugal just made abortion legal. 97% of the Portugese population is Catholic. Are they all prepared to burn in eternal hellfire, or what?
Amanda,
I’ll keep it short and simple: I support you and the good work you do here and what you did for the Edwards campaign.
Don’t change a thing for the critics or yourself. You’re wonderful and they just cannot handle the truth. You gotta be you at the end of the day.
Thanks for fighting the good fight.
-AG
I’m glad you could leave with dignity, Amanda. That was one hot, white, sticky resignation letter.
A-fucking-men. If Anne Coulter can say “raghead” on Jay Leno and get applause, a blog you can easily avoid is not where the problem is.
How many right-wing vulgarians have been forced out / resigned by left wing blogger action? Very few, and almost every time it was because of their actions (plagiarizing or lying) not their content. Anne Coulter’s few losses have come from professionals / subscribers objecting to her content - not blogs. Jeff Gannon was revealed as a fraud. Michael Savage kept losing his marbles on air until he got pulled in some areas, but did not lose everything.
Meanwhile, Amanda had one job on a campaign blog - a low profile position. She didn’t lie, she didn’t plagiarize, she didn’t lose it on the audience in her job. She was attacked with exaggerations, misrepresentations and outright false accusations of religious bigotry - by people who are openly bigoted.
Edwards Blogger Resigns…
“Days after Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards decided against firing two liberal bloggers with a history of inflammatory writing, one resigned last night with a blast at ‘right wing shills’ for driving her out of the campaign,” the Was…
Dear Amanda,
I’m sorry beyond words that you’ve had to give up this opportunity to do work that matters to you, and to America. I was very excited for you when I read the original announcement, and I’m so disappointed now. It would have been wonderful to have you speaking for women and for liberals in a mainstream political campaign, and I was looking forward to learning more about John Edwards and his policies from you. I’m also so sorry about how this must have affected you on a personal level, in terms of your job and everything - I hope you get back on your feet soon, and that things work out for you.
That said, I just wanted to tell you that I feel that the work you do here, at Pandagon, is and has been really important as well. I followed a random link to this site back in 2005 when I was very confused about everything, and particularly confused about feminism. I had read a fair amount of feminist theory as part of my academic studies before, but your writing was really the first time I saw those ideas put in a way I found persuasive - funny, insightful, down-to-earth, and directly relevant to my own experience. I’ve been reading here regularly since, though I don’t often comment, and, though I’m not going to pin it all on you, I have had a massive paradigm shift in how I think about men and women and equality. large part of that is really due to you. [In particular, slightly ironically, you’ve really helped me reconcile my feminism with my Christianity (because of the way you express feminist values as basic respect for human freedom, kind of)]. So, yeah, you’ve been and are a big influence on how I think and how I live and relate to other people and probably on how I’m going to vote (in Britain); and I’m sure that’s true for hundreds of other people, given how big Pandagon’s readership is. I don’t know how much of a consolation that is for the personal loss of your job etc, but in terms of doing important work and making a contribution - you have. You do.
Gwen
[…] If you have not heard by now, Amanda Marcotte has resigned from the Edwards Campaign. […]
“you liberals are all the same. You think you can speak your mind with impunity.” - wingnut
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” — Constitution
Hey, since the constitution was written by liberals, I guess the wingnut is right. We liberals do historically have this thing about ’speaking our minds with impunity,’ like we have a right or something.
Well, even a stopped clock tells the correct time twice a day, and a wingnut can be right.
Sweet zombie Jesus, out come the trolls! I don’t know about anyone else, but the ones who equate the use of cursing with children/adolescents remind me of children who clap their hands over their ears and whisper “you said a swear!” Unsophisticated thinking with no ability to reason or interpret - classic troll.
Welcome back, Amanda. I posted before that Edward’s apology was better than nothing, but I have come to feel disappointed at what could have been a teachable moment for him that he did not use. Count me among the selfish people who will enjoy your posts here. You are a great writer and an inspiration to me personally, and I wish you all the best in the future.
Amanda, I’m really sorry to hear it came to that.
I’m glad to hear you plan to come back swinging, because that filthy bastard deserves it, but it’s still really too bad that this is what it’s come to.
Best of luck to you, no matter what you get up to from here.
[…] Everybody has one: an opinion. But the only one worth having is mine. Not that I would ever think that. That’s what people tell me. People who have an opinion. It’s a free country. But some people have to pay. […]
I know I’m just one more of several hundred, but I just wanted to say I am behind you 100%. It’s a black spot on political discourse and freedom of/from religion that BDo was able to get as far as he did in his smear campaign against you.
The anger and disappointment I feel are huge. But the pride and sense of community I feel are even more huge. This is a turning point for liberals. No more BS, no more lies — we’re mad as hell, and we’re not taking it any more.
This thread is a chilling reminder of how many nasty, blathering idiots there are in this country. Our future and the quality of life of human beings everywhere are nowhere near as important as respecting the authority of your imaginary friends. Fans of Coulter and Malkin coming around to tell us all how “offensive” Pandagon is? Please.
The silver lining on this whole sorry affair: the muzzle is off again. I look forward to more unleashed, unapologetic, provocative, dead-serious/hilarious commentary from the Iggy Pop of feminist bloggers. Go Amanda!
Amanda,
I like this blog better than John Edward’s blog. I’m glad you’re back.
So how come you resigned, but not McEwan?
I’m a Democrat, I’m an Edwards supporter, I’m a liberal, and I’m very religious. Your comments deeply offended me. I’m no fan of Donahue, but it’s not a you-versus-him thing. What you said what disgusting and offensive. Frankly I was very disappointed when Edwards’ staff did not fire you, or at least shocked they hired you without vetting that content. Are you entitled to your opinion? Absolutely. Are you going to get a reaction when you disrespect people’s personal beliefs? Oh yes. And I think that’s your goal, as a writer, anyway.
Well, this is depressing. I’ve never wanted to make an edit less than I wanted to make this one. Time to go battle the trolls over there. It would have been a great fight, but it’s not the kind of thing you can do in a presidential campaign.
I suppose we won’t know if you quit on your own, or whether Edwards asked for you to resign today to avoid looking like he was caving to pressure. It infuriates me beyond words that a horde of infantilizing trolls screaming “potty-mouth! potty-mouth!” managed to define this issue. It’s not even ten in the morning, and already I want to go back to bed and try again tomorrow to see if it’ll work out better than today.
Glad you’re back, Amanda. Sorry it had to unfold the way it did.
Awesome. Guess that means I’m a lesbian with a pen, too, ‘cause I agree with Amanda. Which should come as a complete surprise to my Jesuit-educated ex-Catholic male domestic partner, and the [major] publishers of my nine bestselling, award-winning nonfiction books. I’m not stupid enough to link to my website to show them to you, as the “Christians” already went after me via another site of mine for selling anti-Bush apparel. (A site that wasn’t even connected in any way to my books’ website).
Pot? Meet Kettle. “You’re black!”
Just because we — and we are a sizeable we, my friends — do not agree with you and your oppressive belief system does not mean we are without morals. We have stellar morals, in fact. We believe EVERYONE is equal.
EVERYONE.
Women, men, gay people, straight people, people of all faiths — everyone.
But “equal” means equal. It does not mean that your particular belief system gets special precedence or tolerance from the rest of us. You certainly don’t tolerate our beliefs. When you’re willing to step up to the plate and stop trying to shove your hateful religious doctrine into politics and everywhere else, then we’ll lay off on the Christian jokes.
Heck, let’s say you’re right and we’re all full of hate and discontent. Why is that, do you think? (Oh wait, you probably never took the argument to its logical extreme, did you?) Could it be because you keep trying to discriminate against our gay friends, family and neighbors? That your churches have covered up systemic sexual abuse of both young men and women for years? That many of you are extremely hypocritical? That you try to silence anyone whose views offend you? On any other website, your obnoxious comments about the host (see: “lesbian with pen,” above) would get deleted.
[…] Amanda Marcotte, one of the two embattled bloggers for the John Edwards campaign has resigned. On her personal blog Pandagon Marcotte cites her inability to do her job…feeling that everytime she coughed she was risking the Edwards campaign as part of the reason for her resignation. She goes on to blame Bill Donohue and his “cavalcade of right wing shills” for running a “scorched earth campaign” to get her fired. Marcotte’s announcement can be found here. The Washington Post here. […]
Softdog
I have seen no where Amanda was misrepresented. She just has to live with the things she said. But I also want to say if professing Christians are posting here to gloat or to say hurtful things they should reconsider what they are doing. It is not what The lord would want. Amanda regardless if she believes or not is God Child and is loved by him and there for is worthy of our love. We do not take gratification in the pain of others even if there words have hurt and offended us. We are obliged by our faith to forgive and try to be uplifting. I will pray for Amanda that she does well and comes to understand the love of God and turns her back on the part of her life that is hurtful and profane as well. We are all Americans and should want the best for our country and it’s people so why cannot we discuss it with out the vile hate. I know there has to be many people that are tired of the hate and venom.
“because Bill Donohue doesn’t have anything better to do with his time than harass me”
By no means am I a Donohue fan or supporter, but how is what he does different from what you do? You both attack others and their beliefs that are contrary to your own. Thankfully, we live in a country where we all can voice our opinions and all we usually have to worry about is getting called some names or abused in some blog. I doubt this will silence you in any way and if it did, that would be too bad. All opinions should be heard. An informed society is a good thing.
Amanda Marcotte has resigned…
I can’t say that I’m surprised, because I thought it was a bad idea all along.
It’s very clear that Amanda Marcotte is a good blogger: she has, as I’ve noted before, generated a pretty substantial audience, and that is my dr…
[…] Miss Marcotte made the following Announcement on Pandagon: I was hired by the Edwards campaign for the skills and talents I bring to the table, and my willingness to work hard for what’s right. Unfortunately, Bill Donohue and his calvacade of right wing shills don’t respect that a mere woman like me could be hired for my skills, and pretended that John Edwards had to be held accountable for some of my personal, non-mainstream views on religious influence on politics (I’m anti-theocracy, for those who were keeping track). Bill Donohue—anti-Semite, right wing lackey whose entire job is to create non-controversies in order to derail liberal politics—has been running a scorched earth campaign to get me fired for my personal beliefs and my writings on this blog. […]
[…] Posted by Phoenix Woman on February 13th, 2007 The bad news: Amanda Marcotte decided to resign as one of Edwards’ bloggers, as she felt she couldn’t defend and attack the way she would have liked without it coming back to hurt the campaign. […]
Wow, Amanda, the whole thing sucks. Like a lot of other people here, I’m thrilled at the prospect of more posts from you, though!
Hey concern trolls, my beliefs are being mocked every time someone says that you gotta believe in Jesus or you’re going to hell. How much more bigoted can someone get than telling me and my family that we’re going to burn in hell forever? That’s several orders of magnitude worse than talking about contraception and Mary (which I remember was a hot joke amongst the Christian kids in 4th grade - hardly new and shocking). So why dontcha go after all those folks first, and then we can talk.
Hi Amanda,
Wow - I guess I missed quite a thread last night. That’s what I get for living abroad. FWIW, I think you can do a lot more for progressive politics at Pandagon than at the Edwards website, though the loss of a bit of spending money must be a real pain in the a$$. Don’t sweat the trolls.
And YES, this was clearly a “Atheists are bad” smear job. Of course the real fundies are running scared. For the past 25 years they’ve been running the propaganda machine saying that the nation is undergoing a religious awakening. But it really isn’t true. Atheism is more acceptable in the US than it has ever been before, and in Europe, Christianity is nearly dead. For all the talk about self-identification, today’s Christians are quite different from those of the past decades. They, like the President, don’t bother to go to church, or learn their doctrine, or indeed do anything religious other than wield their piousness like a club on the political battleground. In the long run, this is a losing strategy on their part. And you don’t need any faith to see that - it only takes a bit of insight into human nature.
Sorry things ended up this way Amanda.
Forget Donohue and his shrieking. Focus on real Progressive issues instead.
Amanda steps down, Donohue still a bigot…
Amanda felt she had to step down from the John Edwards campaign, since Bigot Bill Donohue jumped up and down in a snit over the fact that John Edwards didn’t fire her immediately for not praising the Catholic Church to…
ac Feb 12th, 2007 at 7:46 pm
I’m glad you resigned and hope you’re remorseful for the rotten things you said. I’ll continue to pray for you regardless.
Amanda doesn’t need your “concern troll” prayers, you self-righteous asshole. Stick your head back up your ass and STFU.
This entire situation, obviously, is really pissing me off.
On Amanda's Resignation…
When I read Amanda's side at<br>
<a href="http://pandagon.net/2007/02/12/announcement/">http://pandagon.net/2007/02/12/announcem
ent/</a><br>
I was disturbed..we must not allow the right-wing smear machine t…
Oh you mean the immaculate rape right? Yeah, the way the bible says it (king james) he didn’t even bother to ask Mary if she wanted to do the job.. Sounds like rape to me.. I am more offended by Christianities acceptance of this then I am of anything else in Christianity..
This right here is why I am no longer associated with any religion. The fact that you believe it’s oki to RAPE a woman. Makes me sick to my stomach and creates more then just a rape culture. **shiver** You religious folks scare me.
Amanda Resigns…
Announcement at Pandagon An anti-semite, homo-bigot who, on national TV, said that Hollywood likes anal sex has apparently successfully bullied……
RichV: Sorry my comment was to this person up thread who was quoting what Amanda said, I agree whole-heartedly with Amanda, RichV makes me sick. That’s what I meant. Sorry very tired and cranky here.
“curtail my freedom of speech”
So, bottom line, you think you can write what you want without any consequences. Let’s see, you go to work for someone and you make life a little difficult for them. They decide that it’s not in their best interest to keep you on. They fire you or ask for your resignation. That’s their right. That’s the way the real world works. Unfortunately, the world doesn’t revolve around you.
More to the point, it seems to me you’re still able to right what you want, just not for John Edwards. How, exactly, is that curtailing your freedom of speech? Just curious.
Bill Donahue and people like him carry a lot of historical baggage with them. It’s not that they are merely conservatives with a political axe to grind. They carry a memory of generations of intolerance that young people today might not be aware of.
Actually, Bill Donahue is merely a conservative with a political axe to grind. He’s shamelessly, and dishonestly, using the historical baggage you cite to attempt to build a political position from which he can say the vilest things imaginable, then claim that any anger he gets in return is due to “anti-Catholic bigotry.” You’ve either fallen for it hook, line, and sinker yourself, or you’re equally dishonest.
Frankly, no-one with a history of statements like “Hollywood is controlled by secular Jews who hate Christianity in general and Catholicism in particular.” has any business calling anyone else a bigot.
Bill Donahue and people like him carry a lot of historical baggage with them. It’s not that they are merely conservatives with a political axe to grind. They carry a memory of generations of intolerance that young people today might not be aware of.
Actually, Bill Donahue is merely a conservative with a political axe to grind. He’s shamelessly, and dishonestly, using the historical baggage you cite to attempt to build a political position from which he can say the vilest things imaginable, then claim that any anger he gets in return is due to “anti-Catholic bigotry.” You’ve either fallen for it hook, line, and sinker yourself, or you’re equally dishonest.
Frankly, no-one with a history of statements like “Hollywood is controlled by secular Jews who hate Christianity in general and Catholicism in particular.” has any business calling anyone else a bigot.
So, if I agree (much of the time) with Amanda and enjoy her writing, that makes me an atheist lesbian? Really and for true?
Hmm. Suddenly, as a hetero Catholic male, I find I’ve got some ’splainin to do. Long talks with my girlfriend, my pastor and (needless to say) my urologist:
Doctor, I’m a lesbian.
Thal, you can’t be a lesbian. You’re a man.
Well, nobody’s perfect. But the right-wing-nutballs all say I’m a lesbian, ‘cause I like Pandagon.
That’s because they’re right-wing-nutballs. Look, Thal, I suggest you sit down, take a stress pill, and think things over.
OK, thanks, Doc.
Keep fighting the good fight, Amanda.
Marcotte shouldn’t be too distraught about losing her (blow) job with Edwards. Today, in celebration of the Democrat party’s one holy religious sacrament, Nancy Pelosi will have abortionists perform partial birth abortions from the speaker’s chair in the House of Representatives and then spread the blood and internal organs of the dead children among the feminists for them to drink and eat the remains of the dead children in utter orgasmic joy.
Amanda, you are a fool. You were not criticized for anything you are (woman, feminist, whatever), but because of what you wrote. Some people found it offensive. At least have the courage to admit the truth, instead of playing the victim.
[…] Amanda Marcotte, who was at the center of a good deal of controversy and at the center of John Edwards online campaign announced she has resigned from the Edwards camp. […]
It seems silly that you would bow to the pressure brought on by the likes of Donohue. And your entire rant at the beginning of this post rings hollow in light of the fact that they have silenced you.
[…] Amanda Marcotte, who was at the center of a good deal of controversy and at the center of John Edwards online campaign announced she has resigned from the Edwards camp. […]
Such “Feminism” Is an Insult to Man and Woman…
Not to beat a dead horse here, but it’s been so long since I encountered one of these weak-willed, hysterical……
Dear Kathy,
I don’t know who you sent my “rude” comments to, but it wasn’t my kid.
You really are just stupid.
I just want you all to reflect for a moment upon just how far your heads have to be up your own asses to try to tell me that I don’t understand my own joke.
hahahahahahahahahahahah
“This thread is a chilling reminder of how many nasty, blathering idiots there are in this country. Our future and the quality of life of human beings everywhere are nowhere near as important as respecting the authority of your imaginary friends.”
Why should you care about the future of life on earth if you are dedicated to NOT having children as a poiltical poisition ?
“Why should you care about the future of life on earth if you are dedicated to NOT having children as a poiltical poisition ?”
Duh, because she cares about OTHER people who exist and have children. Geez…
This is, alas, an early warning of what the coming campaign is going to be like, and what unsettles me most is that it appears that someone as politically savvy as John Edwards either didn’t see it coming or failed to adequately plan for it. The whole Swift-boating mess of the last presidential campaign seems to have taught the Right one lesson: That it’s not only OK but practically mandatory to malign one’s opponents by any means, fair or foul, and that there are no consequences.
That the mass media are willing to report any slander or half-truth uncritically, as though it were a legitimate political complaint , that the right-wing pundits and bloggers are willing to repeat outright lies until they gain the ring of truth: Thisis only half the problem. The, and more distressing half is the apparent willingness of all too many voters - on all sides - to suspend their critical thinking in favor of self-serving ideology.
I don’t know the solution, but I do know that any candidate who glosses over the problem and fails to prepare a strategy to counter it is doomed to a short and ugly run. I hope Mr. Edwards has learned from this, and I’m sorry that Amanda (and now Melissa) wound up being part of the lesson.
“This thread is a chilling reminder of how many nasty, blathering idiots there are in this country. Our future and the quality of life of human beings everywhere are nowhere near as important as respecting the authority of your imaginary friends.”
Why should you care about the future of life on earth if you are dedicated to NOT having children as a poiltical poisition ?
I mean picking out your vulgarity is easy.
Looking for that insightful satire is a fools errand. Doesn’t exist here.
All the “men are oppressing me” posts really get old.
Because it’s bullshit.
Don’t have kids. You will be bored at 40.
And all you’ll do is bitch about everybody else’s stupid children.
My kid is the best thing ever.
An actual little individual that we created who now creates herself.
It’s joy.
Were you conceived in a lab ?
“Some people found it offensive.”
Tough shit, get over it. As conservatives who rally against political correctness like to point out, you have no right NOT to be offended by free speech.
“Don’t have kids. You will be bored at 40.
And all you’ll do is bitch about everybody else’s stupid children.
My kid is the best thing ever.”
Drop the bull shit. You just can’t handle the fact that some people enjoy life without children. What works for you isn’t going to work for all. Seriously, I hope you kids don’t grow up to be as idiotic as you.
“Don’t have kids. You will be bored at 40.
And all you’ll do is bitch about everybody else’s stupid children.
My kid is the best thing ever.”
Drop the bull shit. You just can’t handle the fact that some people enjoy life without children. What works for you isn’t going to work for all. Seriously, I hope your kids don’t grow up to be as idiotic as you.
I have to tell you that I have read parts of your blog now and some of it is quite interesting and well done.
But the post about the site being down “Our Humble Apologies…� was some sad “poor me� nonsense that was beneath you.
I am a Catholic in the Santayana sense only but the fact is that you DID have the nerve to be critical of the Catholic church, as is your right, even if you are not a Catholic. But, poor you, somehow thinks that you are fully entitled to that right and that others don’t share in it or that if they speak up they are shills, right wingers, etc. Well, you just got a painful lesson in how wrong you were.
It is free speech to demand that you be fired, free speech that parties call your boss into account for your words an actions when he has hired you to be a blogger for him. What part of that didn’t you get before and do you get it now?
A church’s policies, whatever church or religion, are based on religious teachings and, often, a religious book. As most intelligent people know already, those policies tend not to be progressive or liberal. That does not make them bad; does not make them wrong. They do not have to change because you don’t like them or think they harm people.
Your comments were politically liberal and abusing the church – and, more importantly, its, practitioners (believers) – because they don’t buy your political bent. That is the sum total of what happened here and you confirmed your obvious disrespect (which I think you lie about, maybe even to yourself) and disdain did again today with your sad “Our Humble…� post.
You only add insult to injury with your nonsense on misogyny. Yes, Christians and Christianity (since Paul of Tarsus) are all about misogyny and I guess you just got caught up in the whirlwind because you are a chick. Please!
We all know what a Christian is and we also know that some people don’t act with Christian dignity when they claim to be Christian. What a shock that that happens and what a graceful thing it was for you to tell everyone what a Christian should be when you know you don’t give a damn what one is or should be. You think everyone should think like you JUST AS MUCH as they think it.
In the end it comes down to this: there are more of them than there are of you and when you are talking about a political campaign in America with the White House in the offing, it doesn’t take a genius to see where this was all leading. Whomever hired you should have checked you out better. That was their fault and certainly not yours.
That is NOT to say that I don’t actually agree with some of your views (I do) but no political campaign can have someone speaking for them who has insulted, even if unintentionally, such a potentially large portion of the populace. You should have insulted pagans. There aren’t enough of them to have caused you problems.
Keep up the blog – which is good (my honest opinion) – and just stop playing the victim of something, ESPECIALLY as you insist (and I don’t doubt you) that you quit.
[…] She has resigned her position in the Edwards campaign. Here’s the announcement at her site, which at this moment is down due to being flooded with spammers (according to the page I get when I try to reach it). […]
[…] Amanda Marcotte as Jeebus Christ […]
You’re a lesbian with a pen.
Ouch. I think I pricked my finger reading that.
Seriously, does calling someone anything they’re not qualify as an insult in wingnutteria? Amanda, you’re a cabdriver with a toothbrush.
My last post sounded much more mean-spirited than intended. I am sorry for that and sorry that you are hurt by the situation, as anyone would be. Sorry if my post added to it.
But at least you got offered that job in the first place. I have seen so many bloggers posting on this board since yesterday that it shows that you certainly had something to offer (that they didn’t) and you still will.
But Edwards? Why Edwards?
:-)
I am sure you will do well.
Junk,
That was strangely poetic. Was that intentional?
LMAO!
Duh, because she cares about OTHER people who exist and have children. Geez…
Don’t try. Concepts such as “empathy” and “selflessness” are lost on these people.
Really, the right side is not like that, they rightly condemn extremists on their own side.
*pats on head* Sure you do.
Wow, this sucks big time. What with John Kerry dropping out, we sorely needed replacement comedic material. Amanda’s presence on the Edwards team promised just that.
Life is so unfair.
Hey, does Dennis Kucinich need anyone?
What kind of drug was Edwards on when he decided to hire a blogger that would alienate a good chunk of the voting public? The minute you start posting controversial foul-languaged posts is the minute you take yourself out of consideration for all time as a political campaign blogger. Get over it and go back to doing what it is that makes you special.
[…] But I do have a small opening to comment because, as the political blogosphere by now knows well, last night Marcotte resigned her position with the campaign, citing her continued employment as a potential liability for the rest of the campaign. […]
“Pressure. It changes everything. Pressure. Some people, you squeeze them,
they focus. Others fold.” -quote from ‘The Devil’s Advocate’, 1997
I knew you were gonna fold, Amanda. You’re all rage & trash-talk, but when it came down to either writing with just a little class or ranting like the bug-infested itchy snatch that you truly are, you chose the latter. It was a doomed endeavour from the start; you had way too much “pride” to actually curtail the hate speech that made you noteworthy to the liberal mismanagement in the first place. Congratulations to you, though, for exposing Edwards & his ilk as a facism of flip-flopping fucktards (alliteration- ain’t it great?) who didn’t have the foresight to see just what a noisy yet ineffectual liability you would be to ANY movement.
On the plus side, you are commited to not being saddled with a baby, and I totally support your decision not to breed. Thank you so much for that.
J Feb 13th, 2007 at 10:10 pm
“This thread is a chilling reminder of how many nasty, blathering idiots there are in this country. Our future and the quality of life of human beings everywhere are nowhere near as important as respecting the authority of your imaginary friends.�
Why should you care about the future of life on earth if you are dedicated to NOT having children as a poiltical poisition ?
Who the hell are you talking to??? For all you know, I might have 5 kids. It so happens that I don’t, but what do you know about my “dedications”?
I care about the future of life on earth because I live here, dumbass, which is why I’m not so enamoured of a president who seems hellbent on starting a nuclear war just because he and his worshippers call themselves “Christians”.
I think it’s time for another religious jokes thread.
Glad you resigned. There are few things I dislike more than pro-abortion feminists. People like you don’t represent the beliefs of most Americans.
Now I gotta hand it to you, Tom. That is by far the funniest thing I have read all day. Why don’t you just go ahead and accuse Jews of using the blood of Christian children to make matzohs?
Amanda,
I was just reading about the leaked letter posted on Hoyer’s website detailing the Republic party strategy for avoiding addressing the support the surge vote. The doc actually says, in a nutshell, we can’t admit that we support this bullshit so let’s broaden the argument and distract, digress and refuse to debate on Pelosi’s terms.
These people are destroying our country and you got in the line of fire. SHAME on you for typing words on a page, while hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have died in Iraq. Shame on you for publishing your honest opinions on the bullshit the birth control ban the “church” promotes, as children become more and more plentiful and the quality of their lives diminishes exponentially.
Above all, SHAME on you for being an uppity woman, who dares to remove the chapel veil of phony polite pretension. Honesty will get you a technical foul in this game, until we change the rules.
I’m assuming you’re in for that. For life! These fuckers have kept their filthy hands on my body, my children and my dreams for too long. We aren’t going to take it any more. You have support. Keep us posted.
Write a book. In fact, consider this experience the beginning. You’re a historic figure now. Make herstory, baby!
Aw, I’m sorry, but I’m also glad you’re back. This is one of my favorite blogs, and I love your writing.
I am so sick to death of religious wingnuts trying to control everything.
Here’s what I think, and I don’t care who it offends:
Referring to Jesus as Jeebus is fucking hilarious as hell. Every time I see that Simpson’s episode, I wet my pants.
Christians, Muslims, Jews are all idiots for believing in fairy tales.
Christians and Muslims are extra vile because they tend toward violence. If you don’t count the Israelis, Jews are pretty peaceful (at least in America).
Religious people don’t use the intellect they were born with and don’t deserve to be in positions of authority or power.
Christianity, Judaism, and Islam are all varying degrees of misogynistic, and someone who calls herself a Muslim feminist or a Christian feminist is full of shit.
I think it would be fucking hilarious to make up a picture of Jesus anally violating Mohammed (and vice versa) and watching the hilarity that ensued as the fundie assholes get bent out of shape and the Muslims declare a fatwa.
I’m sick to death of being polite and saying things like, “Well, Islam/Christianity is a peaceful, loving religion. It’s only a small faction of crazies who commit violence.” Bullshit! The words are there. Fundies aren’t making stuff up. They are reading the words that are there. It’s time we start calling a spade a spade.
Let’s kill some trolls.
To Amanda, C. McKinney, J. Kerry and all of you responsibility deflecting, veiled insult spewing wonks,
“I’m sorry you misunderstood my intentions…;
I’m sorry if you were insulted by my…;and
I’m sorry your lack of tolerance prevents you from…”
are not apologies.
Oh and to jackgoff, back at ya.
What should we do with her if she is actually made of wood?
To Amanda, C. McKinney, J. Kerry and all of you responsibility deflecting, veiled insult spewing wonks,
“I’m sorry you misunderstood my intentions…;
I’m sorry if you were insulted by my…;and
I’m sorry your lack of tolerance prevents you from…”
are not apologies.
Oh and to jackgoff, back at ya.
What should we do with her if she is actually made of wood?
To Amanda, C. McKinney, J. Kerry and all of you responsibility deflecting, veiled insult spewing wonks,
“I’m sorry you misunderstood my intentions…;
I’m sorry if you were insulted by my…;and
I’m sorry your lack of tolerance prevents you from…”
are not apologies.
Oh and to jackgoff, back at ya.
What should we do with her if she is actually made of wood?
oops. keyboard challenged like J. sorry for the double submit
Marcy,
I can see why you would be happy that Amanda is back as her writing is interesting and her talent clearly exceeds your own, but I have to ask one thing.
Who asked you to be polite? Who cares what you think about people’s religious beliefs?
I agree that the Simpsons (and the Jesus stuff especially) is hysterically funny but to call people of faith idiots just tells me you are an idiot who doesn’t know many people or have many real friends. Don’t worry, I am not trying to become a friend.
Before you assume anything, I am an agnostic and not in any way religous but I am not anti-religious either.
You can think what you want, say what you want and so can others. I don’t think you make much of a splash so you can scream your views from the roof tops and check the hit counter hourly and pat yourself on the back. Sell your own fairytales.
In the end I bet - and I mean I would bet money - that you end up in a medicated reality. Of course, that is if you are not already there.
This story is NOT about political correctness; not about Christianity; not about atheism. It is about politics and you clearly don’t get it.
The thing that sucks the most is that this lying freak did win. Both of you are gone from the campaign. What kind of message does that send to the politicians?
It’s like the pot question, you know, did you ever smoke marijuana? Well, if you’re over, I dunno, 40, the answer is yes, but then it’s oh my god, you’re fired! Never mind that it was 20 years ago when you stopped.
So now, I’d like to see Donohue destroyed, ruined, purged from the rolls of discourse. Really.
And those who enable him.
wow you lefties really are insane and full of yourselves…..yeah you really make your cause look legitimate….just keep talking….reveal yourselves
Really? Seems to me that it’s just the same ten or so people who never shut up.
If I were Amanda, I’d have stopped reading this vitriolic thread a long time back. On the offchance that you’re still reading, Amanda: you’re a hero of mine, an amazing writer, and one of the most ethical people whose writings I’ve had the honour of encountering. I’m sorry this has been so hard for you.
Welcome home.
Announcefisking of Amandagon…
From here: I was hired by the Edwards campaign But not fired, they were willing to keep you due to……
Amanda,
I agree 100%–this was an attack on your un-ladylike, childish, hateful mouth, along with your lack of common sense and use of worn out caricatures. Really, most people don’t live or relate in the world you paint with your keyboard.
Catholic mom of four and loving every honor the Church bestows upon women
Illegitimati Non Carborundum. (Don’t Let the Bastards Wear You Down!)
Amanda: Sorry for the way things turned out, but the sheer volume of condescending, illiterate pseudo-Christian HATE that has turned up here to dance on your political grave is itself evidence that you were fighting the good fight. And will continue to do so, I hope.
And those of you who try to deny your hatred by tucking in “I will pray for you” at the end of your remarks only make things worse. Given your vicious contempt for Amanda - already revealed in earlier comments, in most cases - it’s a hostile act, and I’m sure will be regarded as such.
Raine,
You wrote “Really? Seems to me that it’s just the same ten or so people who never shut up.”
I can only hope that was a joke or you have serious perception problems. Moreover, we are speaking (in the current instance) purely of potential for offense in a politcal campaign. I think it is fairly simple and I think you might just be joshing.
That said, yours was the nicest post I have read on this blog so far. Your words were the kindest and best done.
Have to hit the sack now but I will look in tomorrow.
“I find your blogging really sad; your reasoning non-existant, your insults childish, and your thinking sadly lacking in common sense.”
-Mary, from Michigan
..is she reading our blog? Pandagon? Amanda’s logic is sound, usually watertight. I.. I guess she just doesn’t like what she’s reading.
I mean, Amanda’s points aren’t in any sense new. People have known religion is a crock for centuries, it’s just that she tears the religious’ stances apart in a modern, clever, funny way. The logic itself is all solid and time-tested.
All schools should make Rudimentary Logic a required course for 6th graders, and maybe 9th graders too.
What kind of drug was Edwards on when he decided to hire a blogger that would alienate a good chunk of the voting public?
I’m sure all those anti-choice, anti-feminists that would have voted for Edwards were pissed. Both of them.
I knew you were gonna fold, Amanda. You’re all rage & trash-talk, but when it came down to either writing with just a little class or ranting like the bug-infested itchy snatch that you truly are, you chose the latter. It was a doomed endeavour from the start; you had way too much “pride� to actually curtail the hate speech that made you noteworthy to the liberal mismanagement in the first place. Congratulations to you, though, for exposing Edwards & his ilk as a facism of flip-flopping fucktards (alliteration- ain’t it great?) who didn’t have the foresight to see just what a noisy yet ineffectual liability you would be to ANY movement.
What the hell did she ever do to you. Your faux outrage isn’t fooling anyone except yourself. Heaven for-fucking-bid (ooooooooohhhh..I said teh “f-word”) that a woman, of ALL things, actually has a strong view-point on an issue.
To Amanda, C. McKinney, J. Kerry and all of you responsibility deflecting, veiled insult spewing wonks,
“I’m sorry you misunderstood my intentions…;
I’m sorry if you were insulted by my…;and
I’m sorry your lack of tolerance prevents you from…�
are not apologies.
Your making the false assumption that she actually has something to apologize for. So, I’m sorry that you suck.
Glad you resigned. There are few things I dislike more than pro-abortion feminists. People like you don’t represent the beliefs of most Americans.
I’m sure the citizens of South Dakota would disagree with that. OH SNAP!
I’ve probably said stuff that I may regret later, but fuck that now. These comments have actually angered me. Not the Freeper kind of anger, where’s there’s some relief about the fact that they’re idiots, but these are just smug and vile. And they accuse US of being “elites”. HA! Society would be better served if you people never communicated with the outside world. In the meantime, rant, gloat, squirm, and throw your feces like the stupid monkeys you are. Dance, monkeys, DANCE!
Dr Ingo,
Before I am off, I have to ask where the hell you learned Latin.
That comment doesn’t make sense and it certainly does not mean what you say it means (at least not in Latin).
Pete, let me share with you a trite little aphorism: If you’ve never stepped on anyone’s toes, you’ve never been for a walk.
Not to get crudely sexist, but please sack the hell up. You’re embarrassing yourself.
dr ngo
//…but the sheer volume of condescending, illiterate pseudo-Christian HATE that has turned up here to dance on your political grave…//
Finally, one of you gets it…sort of. But let’s not call it a grave, shall we? Let’s call it what it is: her political abortion. You know, since her “political career” never even had a chance before Amandagon terminated it. Now she doesn’t have to be saddled with it! Yay for her!
Hey, maybe you’re on to something here for others like her: A ‘Planned Parenthood’ for leftarded feminist-ish pseudo-blogs.
As for the volume of “pseudo-Christian HATE”, well, it simply can’t compare with the deluge of illiterate anti-Christian, anti-Bush, anti-man, anti-child, anti-this-that-and-the-other drivel that is the daily standard for Amandagone…I mean Pandagon.nut.
I know, I know… it’s still all Bill Donohue’s fault. And Bush’s.
As I read this crap,
I’m convinced we are closed to civil war in this country than in iraq.
Might as well get to sorting it out, cause this is getting real old.
Also, to all you trolls. Where were you when Michell Malkin made her own criticism of the Catholic Church know? Oh right, you were just sitting there with your thumb up your asses.
None of this is Amanda’s fault. Kidwards is a goofball. Obviously he should have familiarized himself with her “writing style” before hiring her and ensured it was what he wanted. … Look. … It ain’t the first time he’s made a clown of himself. Here he is when he was the running mate of the idiot® in ‘04.
“The work that we will do when John Kerry is president, people like Christopher Reeve will get up out of that wheelchair and walk again.”
Ha ha
Look on the bright side. Now you have your creative freedom back and Edwards is just another Democrat candidate who will sell out everyone for a constituency which will never vote for him, which he probably will to get anywhere. Bush is probably not right-wing enough for them anymore, which is why you have all the saber rattling here by some. It’s one thing to object to someone’s writing and not hiring them because of it to work on your campaign. It’s another to know or should know what they were writing and object when some right-wing pundit complains.
As for trolls, they follow feminist bloggers around for the attention. Unfortunately it goes part and parcel with being an uppity female.
Pete: My “Latin” quote is in fact “dog latin” and has been around for at least 40 years or so (when I first encountered it). I suspect someone was having fun with the word “carborundum,” which was relatively recently in wide use as a grinding agent. It was never meant to be taken seriously.
As to where the hell I learned Latin, it was at Benjamin Franklin High School, Los Angeles.
And while we’re on the subject: where the hell did you learn manners?
BTW, if you’re going to attack people, it’s generally considered best to get their names right. I’m “dr ngo,” not “Dr Ingo.”
I hope you repent of your bigoted, hateful ways.
I know one thing for 100% certain, if you said what you said about Islam, you wouldn’t have people complaining that you should be fired, you’d have people rioting in the streets, demanding you be killed.
I think it’s kind of sad that your writing indicates you obviously cannot tell the difference.
//Where were you when Michell Malkin made her own criticism of the Catholic Church know?//
Sorry. What?
[…] Of course, by NOT being attached to the campaign, they’ll be much freer to speak their mind and I’m certain they will. I just wish some of the folks calling themselves Christians would stop. It’s mortifying. Politics and religion shouldn’t be mixed together. Christians shouldn’t be threatening toward others ever. The blend of those two factors is an utter disaster. Score one for the bad guys in good guys’ clothing. What a mess, but at least there’s some serious pushback on the conservatives who sparked and fueled this nasty war of words. […]
I cannot believe some of the stuff posted here by both sides. It shows both sides have some very mean people.
God Bless America!!
For in other countries one could be beaten or killed for “expressing” their own opinions as they are here. Remember what this country was founded on people and quit your bitching. Everyone has the god given right to express their beliefs and will one day have to atone for them.
Does this mean you take back your apology, then?
[…] You could ask why the surprise at this: we’ve seen recently that passion and strong feeling is frowned upon in US progressive politics , or should I say Democratic politics. The Edwards blogger situation was a demonstration of that. Campaign consultants for the Democratic Party must’ve been watching the ‘Edwards bloggers’ dog and pony show intently, as a foretaste of how this new campaign/blogging interface would be dealt with by the media at at large - that it was all a bit of a fiasco must’ve set them totally atwitter. […]
Sorry to hear you had to make such a tough decision, Amanda. Welcome back. I’m saddened by what you’ve gone through but glad to have you home.
If you have a problem with religious faith in general,how about attacking Muslims and their faith some more? If you think that many of the Christians who respond in a negative fashion to your thoughts on their faith , wait until the Muslims respond. Be prepared for more than attacks in writing.
He fired you? How could he do this to you, amanda? He won’t get my vote!
[…] Daou Report (Pandagon) […]
Dammit, I’m sorry to hear this, but glad to have you back. Nice crop of assho- I mean trolls we’ve got here now (wouldn’t want to use a bad word now).
Brian, just wait until this comment I made gets out of moderation…
Australopithecine liberal: “exposing Edwards & his ilk as a facism of flip-flopping fucktards (alliteration- ain’t it great?)”.
Alliteration, yes. Intelligent, no.
If I could say it eloquently I would.
This sucks, and I’m sorry to hear it.
I only hope that the justifiable anger and frustration the past while has engendered fuels your writing in strong ways.
Hey Heo, again, you’re puny liberal mind didn’t grasp the meaning of my comment. I realize we have the “right” to speak our mind. That doesn’t mean the words you speak are to be accepted and embraced by the population. There are consequences to some of the things people say whether you think its right or not.
Libs are always quoting the Constitution and the founding fathers and then crapping on everything they stand for. Hurry up and move to France, you’re a disgrace to the American people….
“you liberals are all the same. You think you can speak your mind with impunity.� - wingnut
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.� — Constitution
Hey, since the constitution was written by liberals, I guess the wingnut is right. We liberals do historically have this thing about ’speaking our minds with impunity,’ like we have a right or something.
Well, even a stopped clock tells the correct time twice a day, and a wingnut can be right.
I see that Amanda still can’t accept the fact that she got the axe because people don’t like what she wrote. No one was “out to get” little Amanda–she basically insulted enough people while she was trying to look edgy and clever that Edwards realized that she was a liability and “accepted her resignation.”
Grow up and stop pretending that you’re a victim, Amanda. No one tried to seperate you from the Edwards campaign because of your skills and talents. If you actually had skill or talent, you would not have to sit here every day and try to needle your betters for the attention. You’re just a hate-spewer, kid. And your casual use of profanity doesn’t impress anyone or make you look cultured. It just makes you look kind od sad and pathetic.
In closing, none of us “demanded that you be fired.” We didn’t have to. We just publicized your own writings and it was your own words that booted you out of the best-paying job that you’ll probably ever get.
Now don’t go away all hurt and angry, hun… just go away.
“The work that we will do when John Kerry is president, people like Christopher Reeve will get up out of that wheelchair and walk again.�
Ha ha
I don’t know if you remember things backwards or something, but CR died AFTER Edwards said that.
//Where were you when Michell Malkin made her own criticism of the Catholic Church know?//
Sorry. What?
This
And this
[…] Yesterday, Melissa McEwan of Shakespeare’s Sister announced her resignation from the John Edwards presidential campaign. This followed shortly after Amanda Marcotte’s similar announcement, and, as I understand it, both women stepped down for the same reasons: they were tired of being chum for the irReligious Right’s single-digit-IQ trained barracudas. Read this for background. […]
don’t let the bastards grind you down.
[…] I offer this in lieu of a firebreathing post about events leading up to the resignation of feminist bloggers Amanda Marcotte and Melissa McEwan, which you can read about here and here and here and here, among other places. I thought about Gandhi hwne I read these disturbing words at Shakespeare’s Sister: There will be some who clamor to claim victory for my resignation, but I caution them that in doing so, they are tacitly accepting responsibility for those who have deluged my blog and my inbox with vitriol and veiled threats. It is not right-wing bloggers, nor people like Bill Donohue or Bill O’Reilly, who prompted nor deserve credit for my resignation, no matter how much they want it, but individuals who used public criticisms of me as an excuse to unleash frightening ugliness, the likes of which anyone with a modicum of respect for responsible discourse would denounce without hesitation. […]
Sarah wrote:
>> “Some people found it offensive.�
> Tough shit, get over it. As conservatives who rally
> against political correctness like to point out, you
> have no right NOT to be offended by free speech.
True, EXCEPT when you are running a political campaign. There, it makes no sense to offend people who have beliefs that are as important to them as your’s are to you. Amazing Amanda could not comprehend that. That’s why she had to go.
As a fully recovered Catholic, an Atheist now, I say nail these right wing bastards up on the cross they love.
Donohue doesn’t speak for Catholics; he speaks like Fr. Coughlin back in the 30’s and 40’s. Right wing, anti-Roosevelt, anti Democrat, anti-Jewish bigot. Two peas in a pod! In fact, Donohue makes this Irish-American sick!
Fuck Bill Donohue.
Dr ngo,
You are 100% right, where were my manners last evening? Please excuse me for the tone and thanks for the answer, sincerely. You deserved better.
Junk,
Thanks for the trite aphorism. I am sure you have loads of them and, from a look at your blog, I can see you are not given to recognizing your own embarrassment or letting it stop you so I will disregard your projection of same on to me. Feel free to be sexist and trite any time you like as nothing you say would offend me and I enjoy a laugh at your expense as much as your friends do.
But as to that trite aphorism, it doesn’t really apply to lightweights like you (and let’s be honest, you are pure lightweight) which makes it all the more humorous coming from you. You don’t step on toes but, rather, make a small noise which is not nearly the same thing.
As for Amanda, she clearly stepped on toes, made a wave (quite a large one considering) and that is something. Something more than you will ever do, but I suspect you know that better than I ever will and I think it good of you not to be jealous of her.
You will understand that I don’t pardon my manners here. You don’t deserve such consideration at this time. I look forward to your next trite comment soon - google something good so we can all have a laugh.
Pete
[…] And in both cases, the liberal blogs fought back (albeit for slightly different reasons; it wasn’t Edwards they were defending, but two of their own). They spread the facts, they put pressure on the media to report them accurately and they generally made the kind of ruckus the right wing has been much more effective at creating. In the end, Edwards did the right thing and refused to fire Marcotte and McEwan. Still, Donohue got the scalp he wanted: Marcotte quit the Edwards campaign this week. (You can read her explanation.) […]
Personally, I wasn’t offended by what you said, I am not a big fan of the Catholics and haven’t been since they decided to defend a bunch of pedophile priests.
That being said, I would have fired your ass (actually I would have never hired you).
It has everything to do with your personal beliefs…I would never make it in that position and I am smart enough to understand that…I hate everything Islam and make no apologies for it. Every personal belief that the candidate has is going to be scrutinized during the course of the presidential race as will the beliefs of people who will do any amount of ’speaking for him’ which is, I assume, a big part of the blog. Had you been some faceless drone answering phones in a campaign office, it never would have been a question. However, you aren’t just a faceless drone, you are a pseudo-celebrity (no offense intended there) who’s ‘voice’ is heard through your blog daily. Edwards was stupid to have hired you to begin with…if he EVER read one of your columns he should have expected exactly what happened…in fact, I think the reaction was a little on the tame side! Had it been a Republican candidate who had hired a blogger with a similar column/reputation, it would have been much, MUCH worse.
Amanda,
You are a nut and got what you deserved!
HB
You know Amanda, you never cease to amaze me. You spew endlessly about your freedom of expression, and yet fail to accept the simple truth, that your words came back to bite you in the butt. Karmic payback is a bitch. You said them but you blame everyone for the consequences of your choices! As I liberal feminist I was insulted by most of the hate you spew forth claiming it to be oh so smart and intellectual, and darkly humorous. You “criticize” the dogmas of the church but you remain silent about the dark age archaic practices inflicted upon Muslim women. If you “criticized” jews with the same hate filled language and tone… would it surprise you and your lemming fan club if the anti defamation league sued you? I suspect you remain silent about the way Muslim women are treated because you’re scared of having a fatwa issued against you and then you’d have to spend years in hiding in .Instead you attack the Christian faith knowing that its not likely Christians will seek you out and force you to hide in order to continue to remain alive.
I can’t believe that you bring any skills to the table, you seem to display so few of them. Pithy comments are a dime a dozen.And attacking christians has been going on for the better part of a 2000 years, but worse, you remain defiant and refuse to accept the sole responsibility for the words you choose to put forward on a publically accesible blog.
When a certain celebrity used the N word in his diatribe at a comedy club a few months ago, blacks demanded an apology and alot more. His career was impacted. You don’t hear Michael blaming the “right wing” or whining about a ” black american conspiracy”. When Mel Gibson threw out anti semitic slurs and many in Hollywood demanded he not only apologize but many wanted the consequences to be much higher…including having production on his latest project halted and it was,
he didn’t deflect and blame right wing bloggers, or some “jewish cabal” instead he accepted responsibility and tried to make amends.
You can deflect the responsibility and consequences of your actions, choices, words towards the right, if it will help you sleep better, but you’d be smarter to admit that you stand by what you wrote, and if that offended people, you don’t care AND that you fully accept the consequences that your right to free speech brings.
Grow up Amanda, you wrote those words, you accept responsibility and you accept the consequences. Then maybe the liberated successful pro choice women I know might begin to feel you merit their respect.
If you’re talking about punkassblog, it’s not “my” blog. I was cordially invited to contribute to it, by another blogger whose talents exceed mine as much as Amanda’s do.
I can’t make sense of anything else you said (jealous of Amanda? Where the hell did that come from?), so I won’t interrupt your conversation with whoever you’re talking to.
Pete: I don’t know if it’s a measure of my cynicism or of the state of the blogosphere today, but I was genuinely surprised, as well as genuinely pleased, to see your gracious apology above. I hasten to accept it.
It was of course quite reasonable of you to point out that my tag was not proper Latin and didn’t mean what it purported to. I’m glad I was able to answer your question; now you know a new bit of arcane trivia about how people talked Back In The Day. Cheers!
Just giving you some support…
Real Liberals can explain their positions using facts and logic. Faux Liberals who just ride the movement have to use profanity to get attention. Amanda was casually profane and it cost her a job and made the rest of us look bad. Ditto for Melissa. And “Blue Girl” above shows just as much(little) potential. Very sad.
How about if you potty-mouth wanna-be Liberals back away from the movement and stop messing it up for the rest of us, ok? No one will respect you or think you’re clever because you know how to spell and pronounce four-letter words.
Too bad this incident cost you the job, but I don’t feel bad for you - you entered presidential politics and in that game there is not space for mistakes…
Some Faux News spin doctors are already calling the campaign a done deal…they might be right - more than half of this country believe in Christianity (or some other fairy tale). In order for a President to be elected he/she has to pander to the mainstream, and unfortunately, the views (and most importantly) and the way you presented those views are far from the middle ground.
Remember: it’s one thing to say “Fuck Jesus” in private, among friends and another to type it up for the world to read when you are part of something that’s in the spotlight or public eye!
Dr ngo,
I know what you mean and I took a bad tone for no reason and that wasn’t right. If I feel I have wronged someone or acted badly (and I do too often, unfortunately) I always try and apologize.
I also get pretty cynical looking at these blogs sometimes (this one is better than most).
Thanks for the response and have a great night.
Pete
Junk,
The sense was perfectly clear and the part of the blog (linked to you) that is actually yours is unknown to me but the blog is nothing to rave about but that isn’t your fault, I guess. Clearly it was in reference to that.
I am sorry you didn’t get it but it was directed at you as was made explicitly clear. Maybe you are high or just stupid. I’ll assume the former because it is in my nature to see the good in people.
But it isn’t like it mattered so there you have it.
And I so looked forward to a trite aphorism!
Speaking as an atheist, I found you to be an enormous liability to any political campaign - not for your theological beliefs in and of themselves, but rather for your offensive, confrontational, disrespectful stance. (Not to mention your juvenile case of “potty-mouth” which you apparently think represents a free mind, as opposed to a stunted intellect.)
Furthermore, your “factual evidence and due process be damned — full libel ahead!” approach to the Tawana Brawley II: Electric Duke-a-loo makes me queasy. That your political agenda is so obviously more important to you than truth, justice, and innocent lives is breath-taking. Your blindness to how identical you are to the men who lynched Emmitt Till is absolutely terrifying.
Hopefully you’ve learned something constructive from this debacle, and you are able to grow both intellectually and morally as a result. If not, may you at least remain sincere and committed to your pledge not to reproduce.
bcc: Your blindness to how identical you are to the men who lynched Emmitt Till is absolutely terrifying.
Ah, yes. In one case a bunch of men take an innocent man and physically murder him. (Wasn’t torture also involved?) In another case, a passerby with no power makes a comment about some indicted defendants - who may well be innocent, granted - that implies that they’re actually guilty as charged. (Much as many of us muttered about OJ Simpson before, and even after, he was judged “not guilty.”)
“Identical”? Hardly.
“Absolutely terrifying”? Yes, the mindset of those who make such ludicrous comparisons is.
You asked for it girlie.
I’m not into organinsed religion at all, however, I respect the right of others to practice their beliefs including you. (god bless America)
However, you my dear crossed the line with your filthy rhetoric and destroyed an otherwise worthy candidate’s race in the democratic primaries.
Capoot, he is finished no thanks to your childish rants.
The question’s Bill O’Reilly posed to Ms Fleming last night were fair and balanced, some closed, some not.
But not even SHE could defend you. Except for the fact that everybody has a right to free speech in the USA.
Well, sorry to tell you so does Mr. Donohue.
Grow up kiddo.
Thanks for nothin’
I write to you as a left of center (rather than liberal) mother of four. Although I religiously (no pun iintended) read blogs, newspapers, etc., and I had heard your name before, I didn’t know any real background about you. Consider this mess having acquired you at least one new fan and regular reader (I have bookmarked your site). I love when these guys come back with how much they REVERE Mary, and how dare you question that. What they revere is women who make nice and who know their place. Mary is revered in support of the mythology of a woman who will somehow remain a virgin while bearing children, woman totally devoted to man. It is hypocrisy at its worst.
Right on, Amanda. Keep on going. You’ll be stronger for it.
Karen
Wow. I just read through some of the posts here. Did I miss something? What I read was an exerpt from a review of “Children of Men” that questioned the need for Mary to be a virgin mother of Jesus rather than simply his mother. Why would that rile people up so much? Why does Mary have to be a virgin? I have ALWAYS questioned that and wondered what it said about how I was supposed to be as a woman in the world. I too am the Catholic mother of four. I’ve just never bought the idea that the Church honors women by holding up a Catholic ideal, teaching us that being a good Catholic woman translates to serving our man, etc., all while covering up the behavior of priests committing savage acts upon our children, whom we have entrusted to their care.
I’ll keep reading the blog to see what I’m missing. Surely, all this vitriol can’t be based on a woman questioning why Mary had to be a virgin to be the perfect mother.
I love your anti-theocracy position.
I truly wish more ppl in America were like you.
Hang in there and don’t give up the fight. (*^_^*)
Shawn
In the high desert country
[…] Apparently the Designated Asshole stepping up the the plate for the religious fundies is Bill Donohue of the Catholic League, having himself quite the busy week between this and trashing innocent bloggers. Quoth the putz himself*: “What’s next? The city’s own brand of clean syringes? Every illiterate in America already knows about the wonders of condoms. At a time when police and firemen are underpaid, is this really the best use of city money?” […]
FYI, Amanda, “Catholics for a Free Choice” is no more a Catholic organization than Exxon is an environmentalist movement: CFFC was denounced and disowned as a fraud by the Catholic bishops over 15 years ago.
Moreover, Frances Kissling is no more Catholic than Osama bin Laden:
Under the RCC’s Code of Canon Law she was excom