Dennis Baxley Stands Up Florida's Horrible Voting Laws

I wish Republicans such as state Rep. Dennis Baxley would justify the new restrictive Florida voting laws by claiming that Mickey Mouse was registered to vote. Politifact check the allegations of Florida's favorite rodent being being a voter and found the claim to be false. The entire Florida GOP argument for making voting more restrictive for the poor, minorities and young people is a bogus claim that a fictional character was registered to vote.

Al Sharpton took Baxley to task for the lack of voter fraud cases. Baxley claimed that the new voting laws are to combat voting fraud.

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“You didn’t have laws after hanging chads and other means disrupted this country in 2000…Is it really because young people and minorities started voting and registering in big numbers and this is the new way that you’re going to try and restrict people’s voting rights?” an incensed Sharpton demanded.

“I don’t see why you have to impugn other people’s motives. You may not like some of the content…but I think it makes…people more secure,” a relaxed Baxley, R-Ocala, said. (Baxley later corrected Sharpton – Florida lawmakers enacted a slew of new voting laws in the aftermath of the protracted 2000 election.)

“If it wasn’t broke why are you fixing it other than this is some political game?” Sharpton persisted.

Baxley said the new laws will protect elections from “from mishap and mischief” and pointed out that “Mickey Mouse” had registered to vote in Florida.

That only provoked Sharpton.

“If you’ve got to get Mickey Mouse to make your case…then believe me you’re trying to take all of us to Disney World for a ride,” he said.

Baxley is being disingenuous. Early voting has been cut down by hours. County supervisors of elections have said they do not have the money to stay open on later hours due to to moving from 14 days to 8 days. Baxley failed to provide extra funding to the county election offices. Imagine that.

Judgement Impaired

It is really interesting how desperate Florida Republicans are to win in 2010. Tom Feeney is hosting a fundraiser for Congressman Bill Posey. Feeney was named one of the 13 most corrupt members of Congress by the Congressional Accountability Project. Feeney was forced to reinburse the U.S. Treasury $5,643 for his Scottish golfing trip with convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Feeney ultimately lost his seat.

Feeney attempted to have (I'm not making this up) the teaching of yoga banned in Florida public schools and wanted Florida to secede from the union. This is who Posey wants to be associated with. Considering Posey has been accused of being genetically half gator it isn't such an outlandish idea.

Marco Rubio has received the endorsement of Dennis Baxley. Baxley felt so strongly about Rubio he resigned from the Christian Coalition of Florida. Baxley will serve on Rubio's campaign.

Baxley has a history of making racist remarks. Baxley served in the Florida House. He lost running for the Florida Senate.

Feeney and Baxley are two has been Florida pols with excessive baggage. It says a lot about Posey's and Rubio's judgement to be linked with such political liabilities.

When Racists Play the Race Card

"Here you have a racist — you might want to soften that, and you might want to say a reverse racist."

Rush Limbaugh, on Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor.

"She's frightening. And she's racist. If I had said that as a white man, I would be hung out to dry."

Dennis Baxley, Christian Coalition of Florida executive director.

The quote Sotomayor made that has worked up Limbaugh's and Baxley's mock outrage is this.

Activists also targeted this quote from 2001: "I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life."

Sotomayor was talking about how legal decisions effect the lives of people and her experiences as a Hispanic woman growing up in poverty gives her a different perspective. Perhaps not the best choice of words. However, Obama wanted a Justice with empathy. Sotomayor fits the bill.

It really is hysterical Limbaugh and Baxley are positioning themselves as racial equality advocates. These clowns have a history of making racist remarks.

Baxley was a member of the Florida legislature. Baxley fought to keep the racist tune The Swanee River the official Florida state song.

The lyrics

Way down upon de Swanee Ribber,
Far, far away,
Dere's wha my heart is turning ebber,
Dere's wha de old folks stay.
All up and down de whole creation
Sadly I roam,
Still longing for de old plantation,
And for de old folks at home.

CHORUS
All de world am sad and dreary,
Eb-rywhere I roam;
Oh, darkeys, *how my heart grows weary,
Far from de old folks at home!

Baxley's reasoning for supporting the song is to celebrate Florida's history of slavory.

"I am really bucking the tide on this whole thing of expunging Southern history from Florida. Our roots are Deep South. The state song is about slaves working. They built Florida's economy," Baxley told The Gainesville Sun.

Baxley said part of his reasoning for supporting the song is he feels discriminated against. The cries of white conservative victimization.

"I don't pretend that the past was all beautiful and wonderful. I'm sure it was painful for some people, but we're in a multicultural area and everyone's culture is celebrated but mine."

BlackPlanet.com compiled racist statements from Limbaugh. I literally could spend hours compiling racist Limbaugh remarks. This quote should make people understand why Limbaugh should be laughed out of the room every time the radio host accuses someone of racism.

1. I mean, let’s face it, we didn’t have slavery in this country for over 100 years because it was a bad thing. Quite the opposite: slavery built the South. I’m not saying we should bring it back; I’m just saying it had its merits. For one thing, the streets were safer after dark.

Rush Limbaugh

Wingnut Alert: Dennis Baxley

Dennis Baxley wanted to keep the racist song The Swanee River as the Florida state anthem. Baxley was again displays his xenophobia. The former state legislature spreads the myth that Obama is a Muslim and he is scared of him.

"He's pretty scary to us,'' he said. "I think his Muslim roots and training -- while they try to minimize it -- it's there."

Asked what he meant, Baxley pointed to Obama's childhood stint in Indonesia and his Muslim relatives.

(Obama mostly grew up in Hawaii but lived in Indonesia, a predominantly Muslim country, between the ages of six to 10. He was raised by his mother and her parents, all from Kansas. Obama says his Kenyan father, who left when he was two and returned for one visit before his death, was "raised a Muslim'' but became a "confirmed atheist.")

"That concerns me particularly in the period of history we are living in, when there's an active movement by radical Muslims to occupy us,'' Baxley said of Obama's background. "That whole way of life is all about submission. It concerns me that someone rooted in those beginnings, how it might have affected their outlook. That's what scary for me."

Baxley's ignorance fails to realize that the Christian religion preaches submission to God. Churches told husbands that their wives have no right and the truly faithful must give their property to the church. This was the way for the churches to get richer. Different dogmas and same results towards women.

Democrats Running In Florida

Two Democrats running running for office. I thought I give them a shout out since they linked to me.

Lee Nelson is running for Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections. He is running against Buddy Johnson. I have blogged a great deal about Johnson's ethically questionable behavior and incompetence.

Mark T. Ravenscraft is running for Florida Senate seat District 3. The seat is open. Dennis Baxley is the favorite. Baxley sponsored the failed bill to allow employees to bring handguns to their job parking lot.

Citing the same pressures this year, House bill sponsor Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, said, "There are members who are a little squeamish about getting out there on this one."

You think? Perhaps lawmakers don't want to face a replay of the Virginia Tech shooting.

Baxley also supports the racist anthem The Swanee River as the state song.

My advise to these Democratic candidates is put donation boxes on their sites. They should also contact Gatordem. He will get the Kossacks into action.

It helps Dems running for office to linked to me. I blogged like mad about Alex Sink. Ditto for Rod Smith... err, let's scratch that one.

Update: Nelson is hinting he may not run on his website.

I ran for City Council in Council Bluffs, IA in 2005, I did not win. It was a great experience and I continue to be active in the City. Will I try again? I don't know, but to be prepared, I will keep this website updated.

Update: Lee Nelson states he is running. Here is his website.

It's About Freaking Time

Florida State Senator Tony Hill and Rep. Ed Homan have launched a contest to create a new state song. The current song Swanee River was created for a minstrel show. The performance was of a white man in black face. The song is about a slave wishing he was still working on the plantation.

Way down upon de Swanee Ribber,
Far, far away,
Dere's wha my heart is turning ebber,
Dere's wha de old folks stay.
All up and down de whole creation
Sadly I roam,
Still longing for de old plantation,
And for de old folks at home.

CHORUS
All de world am sad and dreary,
Eb-rywhere I roam;
Oh, darkeys, *how my heart grows weary,
Far from de old folks at home!

Democrats hate the song and Republicans rather not talk about it. Naturally, Dennis Baxley wants to keep this the state song.

The Buzz reports Just Sing, Florida will start taking entries sometime in May.

Florida's Official Song

The Swanee River is the official song of Florida. The song was written for a minstrel show. The song is a slave singing about his love of working on the plantation.

Way down upon de Swanee Ribber,
Far, far away,
Dere's wha my heart is turning ebber,
Dere's wha de old folks stay.
All up and down de whole creation
Sadly I roam,
Still longing for de old plantation,
And for de old folks at home.

CHORUS
All de world am sad and dreary,
Eb-rywhere I roam;
Oh, darkeys, *how my heart grows weary,
Far from de old folks at home!

People no longer want the song as the state anthem. Charlie Crist refused to have the song sung at his inauguration. Dennis Baxley maybe the only public official who stands behind the song.

"I am really bucking the tide on this whole thing of expunging Southern history from Florida. Our roots are Deep South. The state song is about slaves working. They built Florida's economy," Baxley told The Gainesville Sun.

I couldn't make someone ignorant and insensitive as Baxley if I tried.

Dennis Baxley Moving On Up

Dennis Baxley is planning on running for the Florida State Senate if Nancy Argenziano gives up her seat to serve on the Public Service Commission. Baxley is as far from the mainstream and reality as a politician can be.

Baxley sponsored the Academic Freedom Bill of Rights. Which is similar to the academic bill of rights written by David Horowitz. Baxley and Horowitz believe college professors are indoctrinating students with far-left liberal ideology. Professor Michael Berube points out that David Howowitz has a diffucult time backing up his complaints.

Well, I think the power of Horowitz's charges depends a great deal on the echo chamber created over the years by the great right-wing noise machine. If you understand that, then you can understand why Horowitz is so very, very furious at being met with what he calls "nit-picking" complaints-- the kind in which people try to verify his claim that a Penn State biology professor showed Fahrenheit 9/11 to his students just before the 2004 election, and then fail to verify that any such thing happened (because it didn't).

Baxley's bill would allow students to sue professors who teach evolution.

Baxley pushed for a bill that would allow employees to bring guns to work.

Baxley downplayed past workplace shootings across the nation.

"Because of those situations that occur, we're going to prevent everyone from exercising a right that's guaranteed in the Constitution?" he said. "That's a no-win situation."

Data about workplace shootings isn't accurate, Baxley said.

"That data's very contaminated by events outside the workplace, such as taxi drivers and pizza deliverers," he said. "I don't think the workplace safety issue holds up."

If workplace shooting aren't a national problem then why does Baxley feel employees need to bring guns to the park lots of their jobs? His logic is people need to protect themselves from a non-problem.

Baxley is pushing for a commemorative licence plate for the Confederate flag.

He is also sponsoring the bill that would make clinics notify the police if a girl under 16 gets an abortion. Clinics will have to take DNA of a fetus. Baxley and Storms are treating minors as if they are engaged in criminal activity. The bill also requires that girls have a guardian before they undergo an abortion. Baxley and Storms intend to make Florida have some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country.

Baxley is underserving of a promotion to higher office.

Just How Bad Is SB 2546

Litbrit crossposted her entry on the restrictive abortion law Dennis Baxley and Ronda Storms are trying to pass at Shakespeare's Sister. Reader MJ left this comment at Shake's site.

Hang on, if two 15 year olds are having sex, and they aren't at the age of consent (18, in Florida, but 16 if the older partner isn't more than 23 years old)- does that mean they are in fact, sexually assaulting each other?

Are they going to take a DNA sample from infants as well?

Women are prosecuted for having sex with underage male partners. If the boyfriend can be prosecuted (she was underage), so can the girlfriend(he was underage).

In Ronda Storms' world it would be. She tried to make Hillsborough County have to power to sterilize convicted sex predators. I certainly deplore sex predators. I don't think using the same tactics as the Nazis will solve the problem.

Simon Rozenkier bears living testimony to the ultimate goal of eugenics, a pseudoscience that has proven itself to be a front for deliberate ethnic and racial extinction. He said his life was spared because the Nazi doctors thought he had unusual genes inasmuch as he had reddish blond hair--supposedly an Aryan feature. His family, including his 3 sisters and brother were not spared, and the experiments rendered him incapable of producing children of his own.

Storms doesn't support Plan B, but has no problem with sterilization. What happens if one of those convicted sex offenders is later proven to be innocent? Will Storms personally apologize? I'm not counting on it.

There is no reason not to believe that Storms would have a problem with the prosecution of consenting minors having sex.