Will Jeb Bush repent in SC and other random thoughts late January

     I have talked about the Meacham bio of Bush 41 and recent books on the rightward march of the GOP at this blog and the facebook walls of various progressive Baptist Groups recently. See the blog on Pressler and the SBC immediately preceeding this.

    The next to last commencement address Bush 43 gave in his Presidency was at the alma mater of Marshall Frady and myself, Furman University. Lee Atwater's SC primary made the Bush family. Without it there are serious questions whether 41 and 43 woulda been the nominee, 43 especially. While Jeb faces a near impossible task, for the sake of the country in South Carolina he could come clean and repent of his family's role in abetting the fundamentalist takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention. My blog explains some of it and what's left standing is in the Garry Wills review of EJ Dionne's most recent book, and the Thomas Powers nybooks.com review of Wuthnow's Rough Country.

     Short version is Bush 41 resisted the Birch Society of Pressler and the Koch Bros at a speech in Harris County in 66 but because there was almost no way for 41 and then 43 to get the nomination he embraced the fundamentalist version in the SBC by 88 and 2000 and led the United States toward what Bonhoeffer called "the politics of stupidity."

    That's a much stronger version of the word, weightier than any assholish use of the term by that asshole Donald Trump; and though less an asshole Ted Cruz may be worse for the country than Trump in a Pressler/Koch moment writ large.

   This just in on Ted Cruz and David Barton, the Tin Man and Oz. Pressler's world and that of Adrian Rogers in full glory

     http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/01/29/the-evangelical-power-broker-behind-ted-cruz.html

    Joe Crespino, Wuthnow, Powers, Wills on Dionne, Furman students have some homework to do to be worthy of the same alma mater as Marshall Frady in the next few weeks.

     Confront Jeb, ask the tough informed Questions.


     Had an interesting conversation recently with a friend who had strong conversation with Jane Fonda's former husband Tom Haden. This chat 2002 in the Northeast where Haden was concerned with the welfare of Viola Liuzzo's son Tommy.

   Story is Tommy came to Bama in the late 70s near Harpersburg out HWY 280 passed the WMU Headquarters and has been here if not until the current time, almost ever since. He wanted to see what kind of people could kill his Mother. Part of his story is told in the book from Selma to sorrow but some disagree with the conclusions of Tommy and say that is not the Tommy they know. However for whatever reason Tommy did come to embrace some aspects of bein a Bammer and see the nuances of the good ol boy culture.

   For certain he stands as a candidate or some Rick Bragg like profile in Oxford American mag if parties are inclined to reminisce.

   I did come across this about Tommy as an 8th grader in Detroit in the Amazon reviews of late 90s of Selma to Sorrow.

       A Customer on December 21, 1998

Format: Hardcover

I remember the murder of Viola Liuzzo very well because her son Tommy was in my class at Precious Blood School in Detroit when it happened. We were in 8th grade. I remember the aftermath, although being only 13, I was only marginally aware of the magnitude of the whole event. My mother was one, of many, who asked "what was she doing there when she had 5 kids in Detroit?" Reading Mary Stanton's book took me back to a difficult place and time. She has done her research well and cares about her subject. It was painful reading for me because of what happened to the family and in my furvent hope that I was not one of Tommy's grade school tormentors. A wonderful depiction of a fascinating person and a terrible time in our country's history.