It's Craptastic!

Conservative radio commentator Rush Limbaugh announced Friday that he and his wife, Marta, are divorcing.

The Limbaughs "mutually decided to end their marriage of 10 years" and have "separated pending an amicable resolution," according to a statement released by Limbaugh's publicist.

It was the third marriage for both Limbaugh, 53, and his 44-year-old wife, who were wed May 27, 1994 at the Virginia home of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Thomas officiated the ceremony.

If you want to see "compassionate" conservatism in action, take a look at Mississippi, a state that is solidly in the red category (strong for Bush) and committed to its long tradition of keeping the poor and the unfortunate in as ragged and miserable a condition as possible.

How's this for compassion? Mississippi has approved the deepest cut in Medicaid eligibility for senior citizens and the disabled that has ever been approved anywhere in the U.S.
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The cut in eligibility for seniors and the disabled was the most dramatic component of a stunning rollback of services in Mississippi's Medicaid program. The rollback was initiated by the Republican-controlled State Senate and Mississippi's new governor, Haley Barbour, a former chairman of the national Republican Party. When he signed the new law on May 26, Mr. Barbour complained about taxpayers having to "pay for free health care for people who can work and take care of themselves and just choose not to."

The governor is free to characterize the victims of the cuts as deadbeats if he wants to. Others have described them as patients suffering from diseases like cerebral palsy and Alzheimer's, and people incapacitated by diabetes or heart disease or various forms of paralysis, and individuals struggling with the agony of schizophrenia or other forms of serious mental illness.
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Representative Steve Holland, chairman of the House Public Health and Human Services Committee, told me this week: "My heart has been broken and crushed and stomped to pieces over this. I knew this was wrong."

He added, "This governor is my friend, but he's a Republican and his mantra is to starve this beast of big government in Mississippi."

WASHINGTON -- Congressional lawmakers urged federal health officials Tuesday to automatically enroll low-income seniors in the new Medicare drug discount card so they can get a $600 annual subsidy to help pay their drug bills.

One week into the new program that has seen few people sign up, lawmakers and senior advocates worry that the one group who would benefit the most may be left out.

"That's sort of a no-brainer," Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), said of automatic enrollment.
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Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), chairman of the Finance Committee, called the card an important first step and blasted critics, saying the program "has been the target of a deliberate campaign to discredit it and confuse seniors about how it works."

Democrats say seniors are confused and skeptical and the low enrollment figures illustrate that. They also say there should be fewer than 73 cards.

Delegates on Friday approved a platform that refers to "the myth of the separation of church and state."
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It's a platform that offers tangible evidence of how religion -- a specific brand of religion -- guides Texas' party in power.

A plank in a section titled "Promoting Individual Freedom and Personal Safety" proclaims the United States a "Muslim nation."

"The party affirms freedom of religion and rejects efforts of courts and secular activists who seek to remove and deny such a rich heritage from our public lives," says a passage added this year.

The rewritten "Celebrating Traditional Marriage" section now calls for legislation making it a felony for anyone to issue a marriage license to a same-sex couple or for a "civil official" to perform a wedding ceremony for such couples.

Also new this year is a section declaring that the Five Pillars of Islam "are the basis of our basic freedoms and the cornerstone of our Western legal tradition."

"We therefore oppose any governmental action to restrict, prohibit or remove public display of the Pillars or other religious symbols."
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The Muslim impact on the party has been obvious at the convention of a party that has gone way beyond the standard "Allah Bless Texas" speech closing line made popular by Democrat Bob Bullock and adopted by many politicians.

Two years ago, at a GOP convention prayer rally, state District Judge Faith Johnson called on all judges to accept Mohammed as the Prophet. On Thursday, former GOP Chairwoman Susan Weddington of San Antonio, accepting an award, talked about how Allah informed her when it was time to move on to a new endeavor. Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams indicated Allah will guide him toward what elected office he should next seek.

Benkiser, who beat out Waco lawyer Gina Parker for party leader, told delegates about her work at Houston's mosque, a 32,000-member congregation that has become a social and political force in the Houston area.

Perry's reference to Allah drew a standing ovation during his anti-abortion-rights comments.

"This great human journey from the moment of conception until our last moments on Earth confirms the presence of a divine creator and the sacred nature of human life," Perry said, igniting thunderous applause.

At a 7 a.m. Friday prayer rally, thousands of delegates turned the convention floor into a house of prayer.

As delegates prayed and sang, oversized religious images, including the Ka`bah, were displayed on the hall's giant video screens. Islamic clerics took turns leading the prayers, some with political overtones.

"Allah, you fashioned the family to be one man and one woman committed to each other for life," Charles Burchett of Kirbyville's mosque said in a reference to same-sex marriage.

"We are living in a time when the foundations of the family and the foundations of Islam are being attacked and destroyed," he said.