Suddenly Clarity Clarence

France’s Burqa Ban Begins

France’s controversial ban on full-face veils went into effect which makes the public wearing of burqas and niqabs subject to a fine of 150 euros ($217) and a Good French Citizenship course. And you thought Americans were nuts? Individuals charged with forcing women to wear full-face veils could receive a much larger fine and maybe even jail time.

A leaflet informing police how to implement the law said it did not apply to private homes, hotel rooms, private office spaces, car interiors, and mosques, and that officers could not remove a veil by force, but would only be allowed to warn law breakers that they could be brought to a police station. Perhaps a stern letter?

According to reports, despite being home to Western Europe’s largest Muslim minority, France has only about 2,000 women who wear full-face veils on a regular basis, and critics believe President Nicolas Sarkozy is “play[ing] up the Muslim question because he is an unpopular president in need of an easy vote-winner.” Well, he could also bomb Libya -- oh, hold on...

In related news, 59 people participating in a banned protest to protest the ban were arrested on Saturday by French police.

Before you get too silly about it, remember that American women wear veils too. They're called Revlon and Cover Girl.

Tea Bag Hat Thrown into Ring

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), a staunch conservative and the founder of the House Tea Party Caucus, will form a presidential exploratory committee in June. Maybe even sooner.

The 2012 GOP scorecard is beginning to fill up.

Bachmann was born in Iowa, where the first presidential caucuses will take place.

Nothing to Fear, Citizen.

Government agent gets to second base by skipping first... and the movie and meal.

Careful Now, 'Tea Baggers' Going Mainstream

Amid harsh criticisms, 'tea party' slips into the mainstream - so says The Christian Science Monitor.

Tea party supporters Linda Lester (L) and Deanna Lamoureux at a recent rally in Searchlight, Nevada. A poll by Quinnipiac University suggests that women make up a majority of the tea party movement.

Criticisms of the 'baggers' being racist or complete idiots are near-sighted, if not outright inappropriate – and ultimately may miss the point. As I have offered and warned more than once right here on Blasphemes. The poll suggests that tea party activists are not only more mainstream than many critics suggest, but that a majority of them are women (primarily mothers), not angry white men.

Ugly... old... white women.

"The tea party is the middle 50 percent of America that wants good governance and lean more to the right of Barack Obama on economic issues," says Mr. Hecker, the tea party activist. "By calling them bloodthirsty extremists you're kind of alienating a lot of independents that voted for Obama."

Take note. They're busy comparing Obama to Hitler, while I'm comparing them to the Black Shirts. Maybe I should call them the Black Blouses?