the rix mix

What the hell is with Paul Mulshine? This conservative Star-Ledger columnist formerly possessed of a libertarian streak I could respect has fallen in love with Phyllis Schlafly. Don't know Phyllis Schlafly? You can wander over to her Eagle Forum site & check out her views on creationism, the "War on Christians," feminism, abortion rights, homosexuals, guvmint "censorship" (not to be confused with Nat Hentoff's view), etc. Or try Vision America for her current uber-rightist collaboration (Support your authorized "patriot pastor" church this Sunday! ). If you dig a bit, I'm sure you can find her old opinions on the civil rights movement (she was for, ah, states rights was the polite term). I don't want to believe Mulshine thinks Schlafly is some sort of conservative icon worthy of sharing the altar he reserves for Barry Goldwater & Ronald Reagan, a Mary for Moses & Jesus, that he's smitten because she or one of her flying monkeys returns his phone calls. Sure, Phyllis Schlafly supports Paul's desire for mining the Mexican border. She might even endorse his dream of repealing any municipal law that prevents his surfing the big ones in a hurricane, a worthy fastasy, but of course never on Sunday if a town's Christian patriarchs so decree. Ocean Grove, tear down this wall. Lose her now, Paul, or you'll end up so far out in the nasty nutball corner with the spiritually & politically demented protestant theocrats that you'll write yourself off your big city op/ed page & into a full-immersion re-baptism on a rural Kansas weekly.