Right-wingers Trying to Oust Speaker of Texas State House Because He's Jewish

[w8liftinglady]

http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/379331/right-wingers_trying_to_oust_speaker_of_texas_state_house_because_he%27s_jewish/


Ordinarily, who gets elected Speaker of the Texas state House would only be of interest to those in Texas. But the current dispute in Austin has a larger significance.

The current state House Speaker is Joe Straus, a conservative Republican leading a conservative Republican majority. He's currently facing a challenge from state Rep. Ken Paxton, who appears to agree with Straus on nearly everything.

So what makes this noteworthy? Straus is Jewish, and some far-right activists in Texas have a problem with that.

A few weeks ago, a coalition of Tea Party and right-wing Republican groups began lobbying for Paxton to replace Straus, with coalition activists circulating anti-Semitic emails. The message from conservatives was that the GOP state House needed a "Christian conservative" leader.

This week, the Texas Observer reported on an email exchange between two members of the State Republican Executive Committee, which governs state GOP affairs. One of the two party leaders, John Cook, insisted in a message, "We elected a house with Christian, conservative values. We now want a true Christian, conservative running it."

The Observer's Abby Rapoport connected with Cook to ask about his efforts to replace the current state House Speaker.

"When I got involved in politics, I told people I wanted to put Christian conservatives in leadership positions," he told me, explaining that he only supports Christian conservative candidates in Republican primary races.

"I want to make sure that a person I'm supporting is going to have my values. It's not anything about Jews and whether I think their religion is right or Muslims and whether I think their religion is right. ... I got into politics to put Christian conservatives into office. They're the people that do the best jobs over all."

[Ian David]

1. Gee, when he became a Republican he had NO IDEA that Republicans hate Jews! n/t

[Kievan Rus]

10. They hate EVERYBODY who isn't like them

It isn't just anti-Semitism. Teabaggers hate everybody that isn't a narrow-minded, rich, white, heterosexual, conservative Protestant male.

Teabaggers hate blacks, Hispanics, Asians, Arabs, Native Americans, independent women, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, liberal Protestants, Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, atheists, agnostics, Deists, gays, lesbians, bisexuals, straight people that support gay rights, liberals, moderates, non-Teabagger conservatives, apolitical people, poor people, middle-class people, rich people that are philanthropic, government employees, scientists, union members, and journalists that aren't on Faux News.

Did I leave anybody out?

[Ian David]

14. You forgot the Inuit. n/t

[sakabatou]

2. What does he expect from the right-wing?

[w8liftinglady]

4. this type of this is what caused Hutchison's backers to jump

keep it up,Tea party.(If I can stand it that long...)

[Stuart G]

3. It is sick, but I think it is going to get worse..nt

[w8liftinglady]

9. can you all think of similarities from older generations?

other periods where one morality set took over a party?

[roguevalley]

5. Texas makes us look normal

[demwing]

6. "I got into politics to put Christian conservatives into office."

So he got into politics to thwart the US Constitution?

traitor...

[w8liftinglady]

7. hmmm good point

[glinda]

8. Excellent point.

[pnorman]

11. Throw the Jew Down the Well!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vb3IMTJjzfo

Nowadays, these far-right ASSHOLES bloviate non-stop about "Our Traditional Judeo-Christian Values". But just slip a few beers into them, and they soon revert to type!

[Behind the Aegis]

12. Well, at least they are somewhat honest.

Their bigotry, generally, has no pretense; though, this asshole seems to parse the subject with, "It's not anything about Jews and whether I think their religion is right or Muslims and whether I think their religion is right. ... I got into politics to put Christian conservatives into office."

[Solly Mack]

13. K&R

[CTyankee]

15. WOW! No kidding! Prejudice against Jews, just for being not Christian?

So it's "not anything about Jews"...but it, uh well...kinda...IS...

Double WOW, there's such a thing as prejudice against Jews? Who ever heard of such a thing?!!

[sarcasmo]

16. Their hate has no end. Our own version of the Taliban.

[hobbit709]

17. So what is the difference between these wannabe theocrats and the Taliban?

[immoderate]

18. That's what I remember as the Judeo-Christian tradition.

Like old times. :)

--imm

[cali]

19. wait a minute. I thought the "Zionists" owned the gov't