House Dem Leader Lashes Out at GOP as Tennessee Taliban

[cynatnite]

Rep. Mike Turner says extremists have seized control of the state GOP and are trying to turn Tennessee into another Afghanistan.

“They’re preoccupied with sex up here,” the House’s No. 2 Democrat told reporters at his party’s weekly availability. “They’re got a real thing with sex. We’re about ready to put the turbans on, I think, and put the women in burkas here if we keep going at this rate.”

It’s the end of a bizarre week at the Capitol—even for this legislature—with sex education, abortion, the Ten Commandments, guns and creationism all on the agenda. And when Republicans weren’t pandering to their nutty base, they were passing laws to lift the ceiling on special-interest political contributions and giving hugs and fist-bumps to a party member who had just been released from jail on charges of beating up his wife.

“There are some things coming through that just make you think, good Lord! We’re making national news on all these crazy things. It’s just not good for the state of Tennessee. It’s not good for economics here. It’s embarrassing, it really is,” Turner said.

http://www.nashvillescene.com/pitw/archives/2012/03/22/house-dem-leader-lashes-out-at-gop-as-tennessee-taliban

[freshwest]

1. Wow, what an eye opener. Good for him!

[Dawson Leery]

2. The John Birch Society controls the GOP.

[Samantha]

8. Yes, it does -- and no one is publicly talking about it

Amazing.

Sam

[Fawke Em]

3. Turner is my maiden name.

Maybe I'm related to this guy!

(I'm also a Tennessean).

[spanone]

4. that's my state....there is no hyperbole involved, this is all true.

[SharonAnn]

5. It's my state, too. And it's just as bad as Turner describes. Maybe worse.

And around East TN, the belligerent ignorance on so many issues is pretty unbelievable.

[white_wolf]

11. East TN sucks.

I live in Knoxville and have the great displeasure to be "represented" by Stacy "don't say gay" Campfield.

[K Gardner]

10. I live in E. TN. This is no exaggeration. n/t

[jwirr]

6. I think the Representative is taking the right tack on this issue. He is comparing them to the

religion they all claim to hate and mocking them.

[IcyPeas]

7. who is he talking about here:

". . . .giving hugs and fist-bumps to a party member who had just been released from jail on charges of beating up his wife"

[malaise]

9. About time

Rec