Joshua Black is the Small Mind of the Day

Who is Joshua Black? Oh, just a candidate for Florida House District 68.

Why do we care about him? I guess because he wrote this:

"I'm past impeachment. It's time to arrest [Barack Obama] and hang him high."

Is Joshua Black a Republican? Why, yes, he is actually. Why do you ask?

Paul LePage is the Small Mind of the Day

Even the most hidebound Republicans have reluctantly begun to admit that climate change is real. But leave it to Maine Governor Paul LePage (Republican) to try to actually think it's a GOOD thing:

"Everybody looks at the negative effects of global warming, but with the ice melting, the Northern Passage has opened up. So maybe, instead of being at the end of the pipeline, we're now at the beginning of a new pipeline. 

"The Northeast Passage, also known as the northern sea route, is a maritime route through the Arctic Circle that connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, providing a shortcut from the U.S. East Coast to Asia -- and all the markets therein -- that shaves 40 percent off the distance of the traditional route through the Mediterranean Sea and the Suez Canal."

The University of Alabama possesses a number of the Small Minds of the Day

Dudes, if you're going to Photoshop a black guy's head into your photo, you might want to switch the hands too. (Via.)

Steve King is the Small Mind of the Day

Because I’m open-minded, I like to sometimes imagine how much of a stretch it would really be for me to vote Republican. For example, why can’t I support someone like Representative Steve King (Republican, Iowa). So let’s look at where King stands:

• He claimed that “radical Islamicists” would be “dancing in the streets in greater numbers than they did on Sept. 11” if Obama was elected.
• King warned his state would become a “gay marriage Mecca” and led a successful effort to recall three State Supreme Court judges who ruled in favor of gay marriage.
• He was one of only 11 members of Congress to oppose aid to victims of Hurricane Katrina.
• King dismissed concerns about global warming as being “more religion than science.”
• He supports dog and cock fighting.
• King opposes food safety measures.
• King doesn’t believe that refusing to raise the debt ceiling will lead to a government default. And of course, he warns that Obamacare is an unprecedented move by the federal government into our health care system. As Gail Collins wrote, that means Medicare comes into our "homes through the chimney, where it is dropped by free-enterprise storks."

Today's runner-up is Representative John Culberson (Republican, Texas). He called Obamacare “a violation of our most sacred right as Americans to be left alone.” 

His interviewer then asked, “What does that mean for Medicare, then?”

“What does that mean for Medicare? What does that have to do with anything?” Culberson demanded.

*facepalm* 

Donald Rumsfeld is the Small Mind of the Day

Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld called Barack Obama “the so-called commander in chief”?

What a jerk.

But I love this additional quote:

“[President Obama] doesn’t have the kind of support that President Bush had in respect to his military actions.”

*applause*

Matt Gaetz is the Small Mind of the Day

The gentleman's mugshot.

The Florida legislature has put together a House subcommittee hearing to discuss the state’s “Stand your ground” law.

Great! The leader of the House is State Representative Matt Gaetz (Republican). And Gaetz has even promised a “fair debate” on the issue. But what’s his take?

 “[I do not want to change] one damn comma of Stand Your Ground.”

Oh, come on, Gaetz! Not even for “Stand, Your Ground”?

But seriously, what merits his dishonor as Small Mind of the Day is Gaetz's take on the SYG protesters in the Florida Capitol.

“I think you have protesters in the Capitol today who are protesting without a whole lot of knowledge about the fact patterns associated with Stand Your Ground. They are protesting for the sake of protesting, and we shouldn’t capitulate to that.”

Yes, if only the professional protesters knew more about “fact patterns” they’d be all in favor of more gunslinging. Because, you know—fact patterns.

Patricia and Sam Harless are the Small Minds of the Day

Hoo boy. Texas native Bradley Jones is suing state lawmaker Patricia Harless (Republican) and her husband Sam for being in charge of a workplace where Jones was repeatedly Taser-ed. How does Sam plead? Check out his response to the charges at 1:47.

"Representative Harless serves as the Chair of Environmental Regulation Committee ... She has passed numerous pieces of legislation for her district, including legislation to require voters to show a photo ID before casting a vote in-person."

And what is it with these conservative politicians and their white-shirt family photo-shoots?! (See past Small Mind winner Ted Yoho.)