Category: Moore Award Nominee

"No, Pope Ratzinger should not resign. He should remain in charge of the whole rotten edifice – the whole profiteering, woman-fearing, guilt-gorging, truth-hating, child-raping institution – while it tumbles, amid a stench of incense and a rain of tourist-kitsch sacred hearts and preposterously crowned virgins, about his ears," – Richard Dawkins.

"It was the verge of Kristallnacht," Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN), on protesting tea-partiers.

"Today's announcement is unfortunately all too typical of what we have seen so far from President Obama — promises of change, a year of 'deliberation,' and ultimately, adoption of flawed and outdated Bush policies. Short of sending Sarah Palin back to Alaska to personally club polar bear cubs to death, the Obama administration could not have come up with a more efficient extinction plan for the polar bear," – Brendan Cummings, senior counsel at the Center for Biological Diversity.

"It’s always been obvious David Brooks has always had a problem with women who succeed, but even I was surprised that his vendetta against famous, successful women became so hysterical this morning that he insinuated that Sandra Bullock should have been at home making a sandwich instead of winning an Oscar, and that would have saved her marriage," – Amanda Marcotte, Pandagon. Joyner scratches his head.

A reader writes:

As a pro-choice woman who has read you for many years, I have found that I can respect your anti-abortion views as they are based on your beliefs and your conscience. In fact, it is because of your clear, reasoned voice on the topic that I have found any understanding for the sanctimonious nerve of the pro-life movement.

That said, I find your choice of Moore Award Nominee for Katha Pollitt's words to be deeply hypocritical. When the Catholic church was holding DC humanitarian efforts hostage over gay marriage you were incandescent with rage — not just because you believe that the right to marry is fundamental but because using it as a political tool to jeopardize care and aid to those in need offends you, as well it should.

Despite your pro-life stance, you must certainly understand that the right to have single and final say in what happens to one's body feels as basic and fundamental to a woman like myself as marriage feels to you. Holding HCR hostage over this issue appears just as offensive and disgusting to me as what happened in DC.

Had HCR not passed, millions would have suffered and people would have died, and that is not Moore-esque rhetoric nor exaggeration, but simply the frightening state of affairs that makes HCR necessary. That pro-life political forces were willing to let that status-quo continue if they didn't get their way is also simply now a footnote in an important moment in history. There was a compromise and it was at the cost of rights for pro-choice women like myself. If a similar compromise had to be made over gay marriage you'd be making the same point as Pollitt and I'd wager you'd use language just as passionate.

That you disagree with Pollitt's view of the situation, I can understand as an extension of your existing belief system. That you dismiss her anger which speaks for many women like myself over what had to be sacrificed for HCR, however, and liken it to Michael Moore buffoonery should be beneath you.

Calling abortion opponents "big evil babies" isn't buffoonery?

"[T]he Catholic bishops, Bart Stupak, Ben Nelson … were the big evil babies who were willing to let millions suffer and 45,000 people die every year unless they got to deprive women of their reproductive rights," – Katha Pollitt.

"Within days, the House of Representatives will vote to pass the Senate health-care "reform" bill. This bill is a joke. It has NOTHING to do with "health-care reform." It has EVERYTHING to do with lining the pockets of the health insurance industry,"- Michael Moore.

"[E]very day, this elected leader [Hugo Chavez] is called a dictator here, and we just accept it! And accept it. And this is mainstream media, who should – truly, there should be a bar by which one goes to prison for these kinds of lies," – Sean Penn.

"You're damn right, Dick Cheney's heart's a political football. We ought to rip it out and kick it around and stuff it back in him. I'm glad he didn't tip over. He is the new poster child for health care in this country," – Ed Schultz.

"You almost need that blank piece of paper [to be a politician]. That's the new model. Like, you know, this coconut Rubio down in Florida," CNBC commentator Donny Deutsch.  If you don't know what a "coconut" is, see Urban Dictionary.