The religious-right’s war on America has become increasingly aggressive and decreasingly covert over the period of Bush’s tenure in office. Their agenda has not changed, but the increased confidence they have gained has made them less circumspect and even, more and more, outrightly triumphal in their pursuit of their aims. Right-wing politicians have gone from coded shout-outs to their extremist base (like Bush’s pointed appearances at Bob Jones University, or his references to Dred Scott in a debate question about abortion - sound-biting a current talking point that claims embryos are being held in “slavery”) to a kind of taunting defiance of the separation of church and state, and of the interests of those who have not signed on to their doctrinal Crusade.

Governor Rick Perry of Texas has rung in with a gratuitious, symbolic insult added to his signing-away of young Texas women’s rights over their own bodies - not only did he sign an abortion-restriction bill, but went out of his way to do so in an evangelical church on Sunday, then put his signature on a state Constitutional amendment - which does not require a governor’s signature - banning gay marriage, in the same venue. He even managed to get in a little dig at the Jews.

On the bright side, though he’s a flaming asshole, as Molly Ivins points out he has excellent hair.

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