RNC Convention Speakers: Lettin’ the Freak Flag Fly

Here is the current list of people scheduled to speak at the RNC convention, in no particular order:

  • Rick Santorum
  • Sen. Rand Paul (KY)
  • Gov. Mary Fallin (OK)
  • Jeb Bush
  • Gov. Nikki Haley (SC)
  • Gov. John Kasich (OH)
  • Gov. Rick Scott (FL)
  • Condi Rice
  • Mike Huckabee
  • Sen. John McCain (AZ)
  • Gov. Susana Martinez (NM)
  • Gov. Scott Walker (WI)
  • Ted Cruz, Tea Party whackjob who just won a Texas primary to run for Senate
  • Gov. Luis Fortuno, Puerto Rico
  • Sam Olens, Attorney General of Georgia
  • Pam Bondi, Attorney General of Florida

I’m assuming the worst whackjobs will not be speaking in prime time. However, at least half of these people belong in the character disorder hall of fame.

Conspicuously absent: Paul Ryan, Marco Rubio, Chris Christie, Eric Cantor. I’m predicting that’s the short list for both keynote speaker and veep.

Apology Due From Naomi Wolf

Fox News is outraged

The Obama administration told law enforcement authorities to go easy on Occupy Wall Street protesters, even though they were violating local laws, according to documents obtained by watchdog group Judicial Watch.

Emails from the General Services Administration show that the federal agency, acting on orders from the White House, told federal law enforcement authorities in Portland, Ore., not to enforce curfews on protesters camped out on federal property. JudicialWatch.org obtained the emails through Freedom of Information Act request lodged last year.

In one email exchange between the GSA and the Department of Homeland Security, it was clearly said that the White House preferred that Occupiers be left alone and allowed to camp overnight as long as there was no threat to public safety. What arrests had been made at that point had been carried out by local police in defiance of a request from the feds.

Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said the emails show the White House was protecting Occupy protesters.

“We now have a new GSA scandal — one that involves the Obama White House,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “These documents clearly show that federal agencies colluded with the Obama White House to allow the Occupy Wall Street protesters to violate the law with impunity. These documents tell us that the GSA and DHS can’t be relied upon to protect federal workers or property.”

Although it’s touching to know that someone on the Right actually cares about federal workers, I must note that this new scandal is the flip side of the old one, in which the DHS, under orders from the White House, coordinated a violent crackdown of Occupiers. This story was pushed last November in a widely read Guardian post by Naomi Wolf. Even after thorough debunking, some posters at Firedoglake continued to flog this long-deceased horse for several more months because, your know, Obama is evil and we should have elected Hillary.

And I’m not holding my breath waiting for the Fox News story to pop up at Firedoglake.