The New Republic

“Is that abortion asshole still up there?” A man behind me, walking out of today’s inauguration crowd, was asking the question on everyone’s mind—and phrasing it just right. The asshole in question was an apparently spry older white gentleman who had managed to climb a tree inside the green ticketed area, and hoist a sign reading “Pray to End Abortion.” But instead of praying silently, he’d decided to shout, with quite a set of pipes, through the whole ceremony. “Babykillers!” was a favorite refrain “What about the bayyyy-bies?” He screamed during hushed moments. The guy had timing, too. As President Obama invoked history—our “certain inalienable rights”—and paused for dramatic effect the man answered him “WHAT ABOUT THE RIGHTS OF THE BABIES?” There were occasional boos and “shut ups” (and plenty of attention) from the crowd, and the Capitol Hill Police had brought a ladder to the scene, but the asshole got to do his thing. He was half comic relief and half annoyance, but mostly he was just another person living out his political dreams. After all, on inauguration weekend, everyone gets the heightened, idealized version of Washington they want—and that includes the nutters who love to test everyone else’s belief in the First Amendment on the largest possible stage. READ MORE >>

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Here’s one thing the controversy over health insurance and contraception has taught us: Conservative men need to learn a thing or two about reproductive health. READ MORE >>

The nastiness of right-wing media has a way of turning everyday people into objects of partisan hatred. READ MORE >>

Rush Limbaugh has said many outrageous and offensive things over the years. But he may have hit a new low over the last two days. READ MORE >>