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GOP’s Josh Hawley slammed by Missouri paper for opposing Asian hate crime bill so he could go on Fox News
According to the editorial board of the Kansas City Star, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) chose to be the only U.S. senator to vote against an anti-Asian hate crime bill because he is more interested in getting attention for himself -- and a slot on Fox News -- than he is about the safety of Asian-Americans who are being attacked by right-wing extremists.
In a withering editorial, the board noted Hawley was on the losing side of a 94-1 vote on a bill that proclaimed, "The United States condemns and denounces any and all anti-Asian and Pacific Islander sentiment in any form," and authorized the attorney general to appoint an overseer to monitor hate crimes related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Hawley, he opposed the bill because, "It's too broad. As a former prosecutor, my view is it's dangerous to simply give the federal government open-ended authority to define a whole new class of federal hate crime incidents."
The editorial board wasn't buying it and fact-checked the controversial lawmaker by first pointing out that his claim he was a "prosecutor" was a bit of a stretch.
Writing, "Hawley, who had just been elected Missouri's attorney general when he started running for the U.S. Senate, is not even right about being a former prosecutor, though the AG's office does have certain prosecutorial powers," they added, "And the law does not give the government 'open-ended authority'."
"The bill, originally introduced by Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, isn't limited to hate crimes involving Asian American victims. It also includes grants to local authorities to monitor hate crimes, which is critical in preventing them," they wrote. "In short, there is nothing in the bill that is an overreach, unless you think ethnic assaults and murders are acceptable. That's why 94 U.S. senators approved the legislation Thursday, in a rare show of bipartisanship. Except, of course, for Missouri's Hawley."
The editors -- who have previously called for Hawley's ouster over his attempts do halt the certification of the 2020 election -- claimed the Republican is only in it for the publicity with a belief he can become Donald Trump's heir apparent.
"His unquenchable thirst for Fox News appearances and fundraising cash continues to make this country unsafe, whether it's from a gang of rioters pushing through the Capitol's windows or from some lone gunman feverishly surfing the internet for anti-Semitic, or anti-Asian, or anti-Black, or anti-American messages," they accused before adding, "There is too much bloodshed in this nation. Given a chance to help slow it down, Sen. Hawley demurred, then headed for another camera."
Adding that Hawley can be ousted by voters until his seat comes up in 2024, the paper concluded by providing a link to readers where they could express their displeasure with their U.S. senator.
Right-wing Disney fanatic mercilessly mocked for column whining that Disney World has gone 'woke'
A conservative Disney fan is being ridiculed for dedicating an entire newspaper column to complaining about how his favorite theme park has gone "woke."
Jonathan VanBoskerck, a self-described "Christian Republican," writes in the Orlando Sentinel that he's very upset by some of the changes Disney is making to its signature rides, including the removal from the Jungle Cruise of a depiction of an African man who carries around severed heads to sell.
"Disney is in the process of taking the woke scalpel to the Jungle Cruise," he complains. "Trader Sam is out because he might offend certain people. Every grown-up in the room realizes that Trader Sam is not a representation of reality and is meant as a funny and silly caricature."
VanBoskerck then claims that he's so upset by the removal of a caricature of a head-selling Black man that he won't be able to enjoy the ride at all.
"The next time I ride Jungle Cruise I will not be thinking about the gloriously entertaining puns of the skippers, I will be thinking about Disney's political agenda," he writes. "That's a mood killer."
VanBoskerck's column is being widely panned by several of the Orlando Sentinel's Twitter followers -- check out some reactions below.
@orlandosentinel As far as I can tell the recent change to the Pirates ride is getting rid of a scene where "wenche… https://t.co/fHJShU3GVt— Van Owen (@Van Owen)1619190211.0
@orlandosentinel My cousin went into a blood sugar coma at Disney because the animatronics didn't say the n-word enough to keep him awake— ben "goodzilla" flores (@ben "goodzilla" flores)1619189745.0
@StreamedHams @orlandosentinel yes how dare they remove, uh... this???????????? (jfc) https://t.co/JdJpXZ3BXf— Bryan, the dumbest giraffe (@Bryan, the dumbest giraffe)1619187888.0
@orlandosentinel I’m sorry the park about cartoons for children is too soft around the edges for you— the campaign to put a Hooters in parliament (@the campaign to put a Hooters in parliament)1619187779.0
@orlandosentinel Wow this is definitely an opinion. This comes off super pretentious and entitled. Walt's original… https://t.co/wKSJeARVCw— ♦️Jason♦️ (@♦️Jason♦️)1619183599.0
@orlandosentinel "This should matter to the people of Orlando because, if Disney drives away customers like me, Orl… https://t.co/LIWO5Vvgfq— Rob Plays (@Rob Plays)1619186810.0
@orlandosentinel BRING BACK SONG OF THE SOUTH AND HECKLE AND JECKLE!!!! I AM AN ADULT OBSESSED WITH A PARK FOR CHIL… https://t.co/5XEasy4YtM— Brendan (@Brendan)1619188106.0
@orlandosentinel Disney World used to be a place where thousands of characters in Goofy costumes would walk around… https://t.co/GfzqsQZO1C— Jordan - Early Vote No on Prop B (Austin) (@Jordan - Early Vote No on Prop B (Austin))1619189938.0
@danalmont @orlandosentinel VanBoskerck: "I was fine with Disney as long as it was *other* people who were offended… https://t.co/5vDZ4TEMDb— Martin Lewison, PhD (@Martin Lewison, PhD)1619186132.0
@AndyBCampbell @orlandosentinel oh no— Bobby Lewis (@Bobby Lewis)1619189563.0
GOP's Ron Johnson 'highly suspicious' of race to vaccinate Americans against COVID-19
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) cast dark suspicions on the "big push" to vaccinate American adults against the deadly coronavirus.
The Wisconsin Republican, who's one of the Senate's most notorious sources of disinformation, told radio host and vaccine skeptic Vicki McKenna that the inoculations aren't necessary, reported Forbes.
"[There's] no reason to be pushing vaccines on people," Johnson said, adding that doses should be "limited" only to those most vulnerable. "If you have a vaccine, quite honestly, what do you care if your neighbor has one or not?"
"I'm getting highly suspicious [of the] big push to make sure everybody gets the vaccine," he added.
Johnson, who tested positive for COVID-19 in October, falsely claimed the vaccine was not "fully approved" and argued that its 95-percent effectiveness against serious illness showed that only a small number of individuals needed to get the shots.
The comments put him at odds with long-standing scientific consensus regarding vaccinations of contagious disease, as well as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who spent much of the last congressional recess urging skeptical Republican men to get vaccinated.
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