My mind is made up, don't confuse me with facts

Last Wednesday NPR reported that many Tea Party rallies invoke the Constitution a lot. They even pass out pocket size pamphlets containing the text so one can always have it for reference. Speakers rail about how Obama is trashing that fine document (him? Not Bush?) Their reasoning? Red flags went up when one Tea Party member said:

"I do not study the Constitution, no, but I'm well aware of my history. I'm well aware of how this country was founded, and I'm well aware of what has happened to it in current years."

The reporter then said:

"Tea Party members are often vague about exactly how their constitutional rights are being denied."

Bingo! This person sounded just like a lot of Fundies who know exactly what the Bible says about gays -- until asked about particulars. In both cases it appears they hear someone justify their own prejudices using an authority that doesn't say what is claimed.

Indeed, the rest of the NPR story talks about using sacred texts in a political argument to give a glow of authority and play the trump card.


There has been talk of requiring GOP candidates to take a Reaganite purity pledge -- taxes must only go down, foreign relations must be done with saber-rattling, social issue solutions must please the Fundies, immigration reform starts with getting tough on the border and the illegals. Why praise Reagan? He was the most successful GOP president since Teddy Roosevelt.

One small problem with that purity pledge -- Reagan himself would have flunked it. On every issue.