Barnes Backers Dead Serious About It

Although the Barnes Foundation is pretty much set to move to Philadelphia — at this rate, I expect it to be in Philly just in time for the tricentennial — those rapscallions at Broad Street Review are still protesting the move.

Nothing wrong with that, of course, but apparently people are writing letters to editor Dan Rottenberg — or stopping him on the street, maybe — saying it’s a done deal so his publication should stop writing about it. Let’s take a look:

Why debate moving the Barnes Foundation? It’s a done deal! But so were slavery, segregation and the Soviet Union, once upon a time.

I expect future columns in the BSR on why the United States should not re-instate slavery. And maybe we can get some sort of “underground railroad” to sneak the Barnes paintings back to the suburbs.

‘It’s a done deal’ [Broad Street Review]

Fumo Says He Was Exaggerating

Okay, so Fumo. Yes, Tuesday he said that Pennsylvania state lawmakers would enact slavery if they had the chance to. (In case you never went to school or are just a moron, slavery is forbidden by an amendment to the Constitution, but whatever.)

Now he’s distancing himself from those comments, saying he was “only exaggerating to make a point.”

“If a majority would vote to approve slavery - as was done once in this country - that wouldn’t make it right,” he said. “I wanted people at the hearing to face the fact that denying human rights to any group, including homosexuals, at any point in our history, including in 2008, is wrong.” The governor said he would veto any slavery bill, anyway. No word if Fumo thinks slavery has enough support to override the veto.

Fox 29 had the bishop who got into the exchange with Fumo; senior pastor Gilbert Coleman was there to testify against gay marriage. He’s surprisingly calm about the whole thing. I guess when you spend all your time hating gays it’s pretty easy to be calm otherwise. Redlasso clip after the jump.

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Fumo: Pa. Would Allow Slavery

Although he dropped out of the race and will no longer be a State Senator come next year, Vince Fumo is still in Harrisburg, fighting for your kitchen.

And it appears he’s going to say whatever is on his mind!

The remarks came during an Appropriations Committee hearing in Harrisburg on a bill that would define marriage as between a man and a woman – a measure Fumo opposes. “What you are advocating here is that we take away the rights of a minority. And I don’t think that’s right,” Fumo told Gilbert Coleman, Jr., senior pastor of Freedom Christian Bible Fellowship in Philadelphia, during the hearing. “. . . If we introduced a bill on slavery, it might pass. That doesn’t make it right.”

“I doubt that sir,” responded Coleman, who testified in support of the measure.

“Oh, don’t bet on it in this General Assembly,” the Philadelphia Democrat shot back. “I know some people up here, especially on a secret ballot, it would be almost unanimous.”

Oh, man. In-effing-credible.

Fumo: State lawmakers would enact slavery given the chance [Inquirer]

Checking In On The Culture Scene Echo Chamber

The Broad Street Review, the online complaining about the Barnes Foundation journal, recently updated, according to an email I got earlier today. This reminded me about Dan Coren’s review of electronic music, where he attended the Electro-Music Festival in Cheltenham. Or, rather, he was going to, but:

We figured we’d take in the Sunday session. Alas, the Fates had other ideas. While dressing on Saturday morning, I got my foot caught in the leg of my underwear and hopped left when I should have gone right, throwing my back into spasms beyond anything I’d experienced in years. As soon as it happened, I knew I was in for a weekend of three-I’s time— ice packs, Ibuprofen and immobility.

Fortunately, he was able to watch online and write the article anyway. Whoo!

After the jump, comparisons of the Barnes Foundation move to slavery and the death of Jesus. Double whoo!

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