Not like the other.

This may well turn into a series about the ongoing lies and stupid propaganda by infuriated rightwing zealots and their pathetic attempts to show moral equivalence.

Gateway "Miss The Point Much?" Pundit compares and contrasts photographs. The first shows a view of lawn around the Mall after the 70,000 Teabaggers March on September 12. The other depict Washington streets after the US presidential inauguration in January 2009.

The difference is that presidential inaugurations are events open to the public. There is a budget allocated for clean-up afterwards, and the crowds are messy, regardless of which party owns the presidency. Those pictures could have been taken after the Santa Claus parade, in any major US or Canadian city.

The Teabaggers shindig likely needed a demonstration permit, and those responsible would have had to post a bond worth several thousands of dollars to cover clean-up after the crowds disperse. If the organizers convince the participants to clean up their litter, they get the bond back.

Is that simple enough for you? It's all about the money, thus not evidence that Teabaggers are "cleaner" or less filthy, though commenters at GP seem to think so.

Minnesota Tax Dollars at Work

I love stories about fetus fetishists' claims to have saved the baybeez. But the FFs in Minnesota may have bitten off more than they can chew.

A group is crediting a state-funded program 'that encourages women to carry their pregnancy to term' with a drop in abortions of 0.6% in 2007.

First -- WTF? A state-funded program? Here's how it is described:

Positive Alternatives awards grants to 37 groups, many of which are religion-based. The Highland LifeCare Center, Inc., in St. Paul, for example, tells pregnant women, “Having an abortion may affect more than just your body and your mind — it may have an impact on your relationship with God. What is God’s desire for you in this situation? How does God see your unborn child? These are important questions to consider.”

Oh. Right. Several USian states fund fake pregnancy centres, aka 'crisis pregnancy centres'.

The program costs $4.75 million every two years.

Well, gosh darn it, that's taxpayer money well spent then, isn't it? And how timely to be releasing this info today on Teabagging Day. (*chortle* no, I'm not getting into that).

Hold on, what's that?

“[The] statement … is disingenuous at best and is probably due to a decrease in unintended pregnancies,” said Linnea House, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota.

She points out that a 0.6% drop actually represents just 23 fewer abortions in 2007. Then she does the math.

“Their numbers show that this is an investment of $206,521 per woman,” said House. “By comparison, an investment in family planning programs, programs the MCCL has consistently fought against, helps nearly 50,000 women and every dollar invested will save the state at least $5 in return.”

In other words, funding fundies to try to guilt-trip women out of having abortions is another 'ideological boondoggle of historic proportions', just like funding abstinence-only sex ed.

I hope Minnesota Teabaggers hear about this one.