... we must seem like sometimes--often? always?--to the rest of the world.  From the depths of their great wisdom, our Senators yesterday declined the opportunity to ratify a United Nations treaty that would have done nothing worse than use our own US standards on disabled people as a laudable model for other countries.  Apparently this was because the treaty included a section saying that "The best interests of the children shall be a primary consideration."  "A direct assault on us and our family," roared once-Presidential candidate (!) Rick Santorum, who led the charge, at a press conference, asserting his belief that this harmless phrase would lead to the end of home-schooling in the US.

That such nonsense can garner enough votes in the United States Senate to defeat American support for a patently humanitarian initiative is appalling.  I understand that right-wingers entertain an unshakable belief that the United Nations is hell bent on converting our country into a socialist state in the thrall of world dominance, but this is absurd.  And this is supposed to be our sober, deliberative body?  Idiots, sorry, seems too polite a word.