MSNBC anchor in Twitter fight with anti-gay church that picketed Obama kids’ school

[DearAbby]

The Westboro Baptist Church is telling the Obama daughters that God is their "enemy."

The Kansas-based far-right church known for its outrageous choices of protest venues picketed outside the private school attended by first daughters Sasha and Malia Obama on Monday morning, and in the process got embroiled in an angry war of words with an MSNBC anchor.

"God is your enemy," read one sign at the event outside of Sidwell Friends School, as captured in a photo by Megan Phelps-Roper, granddaughter of church founder Fred Phelps.

The church is known for its signature protest sign that reads "God hates fags."

MSNBC anchor David Shuster described Monday's Westboro church protest as "beyond the pale."

http://rawstory.com/2009/11/westboro-sasha-malia/

watching only Shuster's side

[DearAbby]

1. More from the article

"Hopefully, some of the more rational conservatives/Republicans will condemn this stuff today," he wrote on his Twitter account.

Most conservative and Republican politicians have long worked to distance themselves from the group, not least because of its practice of picketing the funerals of US troops. But Shuster's Tweet set off an argument between the MSNBC reporter and Phelps-Roper.

"Don't forget our Tuesday Sidwell picket," Phelps-Roper Tweeted at Shuster, in reference to the group's plans to picket the school again. "Put away your idols and obey God!"

"Go ahead," Shuster Tweeted back at Phelps-Roper. "Show the entire world the vile, crude, and disgusting protest you put on this at the Obama kids' school."

As Amanda Terkel notes at ThinkProgress, the church has a long and colorful history of picketing their extreme views at inappropriate locations, including the funerals of homosexuals who died from AIDS or anti-gay violence.

[RevCheesehead]

2. I adore David Shuster!

He pulls no punches. :)

[DearAbby]

4. I do too...that is why I follow his tweets

very human, and you're right he pulls no punches

[livetohike]

3. Good for David Shuster

Too bad there aren't more anchors like him. When this bigotry is allowed to continue without challenge, it's a sad day.

[Kansas Wyatt]

8. Too bad Shuster doesn't dig into the Phelps past.

The Phelps clan could get a lot of attention that they DON'T want, regarding what they are and have been all about.

Scamming money in the name of God.

[livetohike]

14. Agreed. There needs to be some good old-fashioned

investigative reporting done to out these extremists.

[tblue37]

27. Phelps's past is that he used to be a civil rights activist and ran for office

in Kansas as a Democrat. Let him be. He belongs to the right wing now--and we don't want him associated with us at all!

[DearAbby]

5. More

DavidShuster

Likewise, I have yet to hear any tea party organizers condemn the Dachau banner from last week. Hatred is welcome at your rallies. sick.


DavidShuster

I know the tea party group claims the Phelps group is different. But, they participated in your rallies.

[redqueen]

18. Nice

I hope he gets his own show. :)

[lapfog_1]

6. My personal hope

is that a car backfires near the group of protesters... and the Secret Service reacts appropriately.

[smoogatz]

7. Phelps is their role model.

Bigoted, crazy, hateful and all about the publicity.

[eShirl]

11. Phelps-Palin 2012

[roguevalley]

25. I believe Phelps, the old man, has a history of homosexual and

drug behavior. Amazing, no?

[TexasObserver]

9. Recommend

[derby378]

10. "If God loves you, you'll repent"

Taken from Maniac Megan's Twitter site. "Otherwise, Hell awaits."

In other words, it sounds like she's into predestination - you'll only repent if God loves you. So why is she bothering with those whom she claims God has rejected outright?

Idiot.

[Egnever]

12. David get more impressive every week

Go David go!

[onehandle]

13. I knew it would be Shuster even before I clicked. He hates stuff like this and does not hide it. nt

[walldude]

15. Anyone ever notice that these people only protest at

funerals where there are grieving people and schools where there are little kids? I dare Fred Phelps and his clan to come protest in front of my house. In the spirit of the coming Christmas I TRIPLE DOG DARE HIM!

[TlalocW]

19. I sat up a mini-protest across from them once in Tulsa

This was when I was heavily into lifting weights and looked more threatening than anyone on their side of the street. One of my signs read, "Fred Phelps Is a Wanker," and one guy put down his sign and went to the curb to wait out traffic so he could come "talk" to me. As we looked at each other across the street, he reconsidered and went and got another guy to come with him. As they were both waiting, I took out some juggling torches (I was going to juggle to take attention away from them), and looked straight across the street at them as I lit the torches, and... smiled. They went back and picked up their signs.

TlalocW

[eShirl]

23. lol

[Sebastian Doyle]

16. As Thom Hartmann just pointed out, Phelps can't even read the bible correctly.

God doesn't hate FAGS, He hates FIGS!!

Matthew 21:18-20 (King James Version)

18Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.

19And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.

20And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!

Mark 11:12-14 (King James Version)

12And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:

13And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.

14And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

Jeremiah 29:17 (King James Version)

17 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.

[Name removed]

17. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[la_chupa]

20. I saw them outside a Panther's game once

I have no idea what that was about, but apparently God also hates interceptions and draw plays.

Everyone just ignored them and went about their tailgating and the like. I felt sorry for the kids they had in the crowd. Dear lord imagine if that was your family.

[Ikonoklast]

21. God is a big fan of the single-wing formation.

All other formations are offensive to Him.



Heh heh.

[zbdent]

22. Apparently, the psycho-far-righties feel that underage girls are fair game, but

where were they when the Booze Twins, I mean the Bush Twins, were doing their underage pubcrawls, with any business afraid to lose their license (by reporting underage patrons trying to get served) suddenly facing threats of retaliation?

[DearAbby]

24. UPDATE Shuster Tweet

Right wing fringe group says they will protest at Sidwell "lower school" in Bethesda tomorrow afternoon where Sasha Obama attends.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

26. It seems like Westboro hates EVERYTHING. Is there anyone or anything other than themselves they

like?