Log Cabin Republicans Defend McCain's Gay Bashing!

Why Are The Log Cabin Republicans Defending John McCain's Gay Bashing?
That's right the Uncle Tom Republicans over at the Log Cabin Republican Blog are defending John McCain's anti-gay robo calls against Mitt Romney in Florida:
""I'm calling with an urgent Mitt Romney [unintelligible]"
"We care deeply about traditional values and protecting families. And we need someone who will not waver in the White House: Ending abortion, preserving the sanctity of marriage, stopping the trash on the airwaves and attempts to ban God from every corner of society. These issues are core to our being.
"Mitt Romney thinks he can fool us. He supported abortion on demand, even allowed a law mandating taxpayer-funding for abortion. He says he changed his mind, but he still hasn't changed the law. He told gay organizers in Massachusetts he would be a stronger advocate for special rights than even Ted Kennedy. Now, it's something different.
"Unfortunately, on issue after issue Mitt Romney has treated social issues voters as fools, thinking we won't catch on. Sorry, Mitt, we know you aren't trustworthy on the most important issue and you aren't a conservative
"Paid for by John McCain 2008."

The Log Cabinettes claim that John McCain did NOT approve the robo call and did not know about its content, even though it says it was approved and "paid for by John McCain 2008"!!!

It's looking like the Uncle Tom Republicans will probably endorse McCain even though he opposes equal rights for LGBT people and supports the military's Don't Ask Don't Tell policy which the LCR continues to use against Bill Clinton and the Democratic Party! Yes, the LCR are right-wing hypocrites! If you need a laughs visit their blog and read about their convention featuring--Bush's right-wing UN Ambassador John Bolton!! Not only do the LCR have little regard for LGBT equality, they don't seem to care much about human rights or international law either!

UPDATE: Gay Republicans Flock to McCain !!

Obama Cuts Hillary Clinton's Lead to 3 points

According to a new Gallup Poll, Hillary Clinton's lead over Barack Obama has been cut to 6 points:

Clinton 42% (-2)
Obama 36% (+3)
Edwards 12% (-2)
Only a week ago, Hillary was up by 16 points.

UPDATE: The latest Gallup Poll cuts Hillary Clinton's lead to THREE points:

Clinton 44%
Obama 41%

Edwards Drops Out, Now its OBAMA!

John Edwards is Suspending his Presidential Campaign. This is very sad, Edwards and Kucinich were the most progressive Democratic candidates who tried to present a progressive alternative to the DLC/corporatists who have moved the Democratic Party away from the FDR legacy and embraced the Republican pro-business, pro-militarism politics of Reagan and Clinton. I cannot support Hillary Clinton because she is part of that conservative wing of the Democratic Party.

John Edwards was a great candidate. He focused on the issues of poverty, inequality, and the corporate greed that controls our media and political system. He was the first candidate to offer a workable "universal" health care plan, the first to offer an economic stimulus program, and the only main candidate to actually focus on the issues that matter to people. He was ignored by the media and largely by Democratic voters. It is a shame that voters do not support the candidates that deserve their support and continue to reward the political machinery and corporate media's chosen candidates.

I am now supporting Barack Obama! We need a real change from the Clinton/Bush era, and we need a candidate who can inspire the widest spectrum of voters and win the general election. That candidate is Barack Obama!

Hopefully Obama and Clinton will adopt Edwards populist message and challenge the corporate elite and stand up for the working class!

McCain Wins FL, Giuliani Drops Out, Endorses McCain, Hillary won?

John McCain Wins the FL GOP Primary, with 36% of the vote, he gets all 57 delegates, making him the new GOP frontrunner! Even the conservative pundits on MSNBC (Matthews and Scarbourough) squirmed at the thought of McCain being the GOP nominee (McCain says we will loose more jobs, and have more wars!).

Rudy Giuliani Concedes and is ready to drop out and is expected to endorse McCain Wednesday.

Now the GOP is divided between McCain ("the Maverick") and the social conservatives "Multiple-Mitt" Romney and Mike Huckabee.
Did McCain win by Gay Baiting Romney?
A McCain robo-call reminded voters that Mitt Romney supported "special rights" for gays:
"Mitt Romney thinks he can fool us. He supported abortion on demand, even allowed a law mandating taxpayer-funding for abortion. He says he changed his mind, but he still hasn't changed the law. He told gay organizers in Massachusetts he would be a stronger advocate for special rights than even Ted Kennedy. Now, it's something different."
I guess that blows McCain getting a Log Cabin Republican endorsement again... doesn't it?

Hillary "won" the Democratic Primary, but because FL Democrats violated DNC rules, the votes don't count and she gets NO delegates, but the Clinton campaign threw a big party anyway to try to make up for Obama's S.C. win and the Kennedy endorsements...

The State of the Union Bush Forgot to Talk About

Rep. Bernie Sanders gives THE REAL STATE OF THE UNION

Kennedys Endorse Obama

Sen. Edward Kennedy Gave a Rousing Endorsement to Barack Obama today along with his son Rep. Patrick Kennedy and niece Caroline Kennedy, daughter of JFK. Sen. Kennedy took several jabs at Bill and Hillary Clinton, Bill must have really pissed Ted off!

But not all "feminists" are happy! The NY NOW Slams Ted Kennedy for "Betraying" Women! I guess Toni Morrison also betrayed women by endorsing Obama.
(NY NOW should be ashamed of themselves, they give feminism a bad name!)

Both Kennedy and Obama Include "Gay and Straight" in their speeches:

Obama's inclusion of the community came while he was discussing the legacy of hope that both John and Robert Kennedy inspired in people.

"And it lives on in those Americans -- young and old, rich and poor, black and white, Latino and Asian and Native American, gay and straight -- who are tired of a politics that divides us and want to recapture the sense of common purpose that we had when John Kennedy was President of the United States of America," said Obama.

The insertion of "gay and straight" was a departure from the script of Obama's prepared remarks, forwarded to news outlets ahead of the event by his campaign.

Kennedy, who spoke before Obama, made a similar reference to the community. "With Barack Obama, we will turn the page on the old politics of misrepresentation and distortion," he said.

"With Barack Obama, we will close the book on the old politics of race against race, gender against gender, ethnic group against ethnic group and straight against gay." (The Advocate)

Obama Routs Hillary Clinton in N.C.!

Barack Obama Routs Hillary Clinton in N.C. !
By over a 2 to 1 margin, Obama beat HRC with 55% of the vote to her 25% (Edwards was third with 18%). As much as I admire John Edwards and still think he is the best/most progressive candidate on the issues, it looks like the tide is turning toward Obama:

Yesterday, Caroline Kennedy, daughter of JFK endorses Obama A President Like My Father
and now it looks like the big one, Ted Kennedy is Endorsing Obama

After Super Tuesday, Feb. 5, I may be getting behind the Obama train myself. We need someone that can unite and inspire this country to beat the Reublicans, and I think he may be our best hope. How can you counter a stadium full of pepole shouting "YES WE CAN!" ???

I and many other Americans are tired and disgusted by Bill and Hillary Clinton. Some may blame it onSexism, but the real problem we have is that Bill and Hillary Clinton are political animals that will do or say anything for political power. Bill Clinton disgraced the White House and did long-term damage to the Democratic Party. He sold out gays, women, the poor and labor for his own political power. I don't want him or Hillary Clinton back in the White House!
SEE ALSO:
Obama's Big Win Repudiates Worst Political Instincts
Repudiating the Clintons
Sobering Numbers for Hillary Clinton
It's Time to Retire Bill Clinton

Bill & Hillary: the Clinton Record

Robert Perry exposes the hypocrisies of Bill and Hillary Clinton's attacks on Obama in The Clinton Audacity. Bill and Hillary Clinton are lying hypocrites. They attack Obama for complimenting Reagan and the GOP, while THEY have done far more to give too much credit to Reagan and the GOP, including SUPPORTING REPUBLICAN POLICIES! ("The Era of Big Goverment is Over," and "ending welfare as we know it", etc..) And they have no room to criticize Obama for connections to sleezy financiers.

Ralph Nader, who will probably run against Hillary Clinton in 2008, also exposes the true Clinton record in Eight More Years? Bill and Hillary Clinton are DLC corporatists who sold the Democratic Party out to big business and Wall Street. Hillary Clinton pushed Bill Clinotn's "triangulation" strategy of compromising with the GOP. She was also responsible for Dick Morris, that alone makes her unqualified to be President!

LGBT Activists Frustrated with Presidental Candidates

LGBT Activists Frustrated with '08 Candidates
Yes, it is frustrating that none of the remaining three Democratic candidates support marriage equality for gay and lesbian couples and stick to safe poll-tested issues. But why didn't LGBT voters support candidates like Dennis Kucinich who DID support full equality for LGBT people, including marriage? Why don't progressive Democrats SUPPORT progressive candidates like Kucinich instead of following the herd behind the mainstream "moderate" candidates? And if gays really want to get more support from the Democratic Party, they need to get involved in politics and the Democratic Party! Join the Stonewall Democrats!

Kucinich Drops Out, but He's Not a Loser!

Dennis Kucinich Drops out of the Presidential Race, but he is going to Introduce Article of Impeachment Against G.W. Bush on Jan. 28, the day Bush delivers the State of the Union Speech. Speaking on the House floor Kucinich said, "We know the state of the union--It is a LIE." He also took a shot at Nancy Pelosi who says that impeachment is "off the table." "If impeachment is off the table," Kucinich said, 'then truth is off the table, and if truth if off the table, then this body is a living lie."

Dennis is a political hero who stands by his progressive principles and refuses to compromise with a failing political system. And I have to wonder, why is it that Democratic voters support the progressive ideas of Kucinich and complain about the lack of backbone in the other candidates, but they didn't support him????

Al Gore Supports Marriage Equality for Gays

Former V.P. (and President elect in 2000!) Al Gore speaks out for the right of gays and lesbians to marry on Current TV

Here is part of the transcript:

"I think it's wrong for the government to discriminate against people because of a person's sexual orientation. I think that gay men and women ought to have the same rights as heterosexual men and women to make contracts, have hospital visiting rights, and join together in marriage.
I don't understand why it is considered by some people to be a threat to heterosexual marriage to allow it for gays and lesbians. Shouldn't we be promoting the kind of faithfulness and loyalty to one partner regardless of sexual orientation? Because if we don't do that, then to that extent you are promoting promiscuity and promoting all the problems that can result from promiscuity.
And the loyalty and love that people feel for one another when they fall in love ought to be celebrated and encouraged and shouldn't be prevented by any form of discrimination in the law."
- Vice President Al Gore

953 Bush Administration Lies!

The Center for Public Integrity Documents 953 Lies told by Bush administration officials about Iraq to mislead the U.s. into war. Bush alone accounts for 259 of the "false statements" about weapons of mass destruction and Iraq links to al Qaeda. We used to impeach presidents for less serious lies!

Heath Ledger Dead

Heath Ledger Found Dead
What a sad day. He was a great actor and did some much for cinema and gays in Brokeback Mountain. I haven't watched Brokeback in a while, I may cuddle up with a box of Kleenex and watch it tonight.
RIP

Obama's Gay & Religion Problem (Again)

While Barack Obama gave an excellent MLK speech in which he addressed the problem of anti-gay bigotry in the African-American churches:
Obama's MLK Day Speech

“For most of this country's history, we in the African-American community have been at the receiving end of man's inhumanity to man. And all of us understand intimately the insidious role that race still sometimes plays - on the job, in the schools, in our health care system, and in our criminal justice system.

And yet, if we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that none of our hands are entirely clean. If we're honest with ourselves, we'll acknowledge that our own community has not always been true to King's vision of a beloved community.

We have scorned our gay brothers and sisters instead of embracing them. The scourge of anti-Semitism has, at times, revealed itself in our community. For too long, some of us have seen immigrants as competitors for jobs instead of companions in the fight for opportunity.”


However, as is the case on other issues, Obama’s oratory rhetoric falls a little short in his actions:


Obama Plays Christian Card in S.C. By circulating a “Committed Christian” Flyer, which goes even beyond Mike Huckabee’s Christian-themed rhetoric:
Obama Makes Jerry Falwell Proud

Granted, Obama is responding to the right-wing campaign to paint him as a muslim, but it is troubling that candidates from both parties ignore the separation of church and state and appeal to religious prejudice (pro-Christian, etc.) to win votes.


Obama has another Gay Problem, Obama Enlists another anti-gay black minister to campaign for him:
Obama and Gays Again
Obama took some heat from the gay community for having anti-gay “ex-gay” gospel singer Donnie McClurkin on a “gospel” campaign tour in S.C., but now he has done it again. This time the Obama campaign has enlisted Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell, a black minister who served as a faith advisor to G.W. Bush, and was also part of the Donnie McClurkin gospel campaign tour.
Caldwell’s church runs an “ex-gay” ministry that claims to cure gays.
The Metanoia Ministry website includes as one of its goals “Support groups for ex-gays and those in the process of overcoming homosexuality.”

Obama may have to win the support of black churches and African-American evangelicals, but does he have to enlist the support of opponents of LGBT civil rights in his campaign??

MLK: The Great Liberal

Conservative Republicans love to identify themselves with Ronald Reagan. Why don't more Democrats quote Martin Luther King to defend LIBERALISM??

While most conservatives even give lip service to MLK (though some still hate him and opposed a holiday in his name!), it is important to remember that King led and participated in a progressive movement much broader than civil rights for one race of people. He spoke out against the Vietnam War, he marched with striking workers, he supported the labor movement, he called for CUTTING military spending and drastic increases in social spending, i.e., he exemplified the greatness of LIBERALISM!

If he were alive today, conservatives would label him a weak, anti-American, liberal, commie and probably try to link him to Islamic terrorism!

Dr. Martin Luther King: Why I am Opposed to the Vietnam War

Reclaiming King: Beyong "I Have A Dream"

Brave New Films has a great new Fight the War On Greed video which continues MLK's Liberal Dream

Homophobia and the new "Gay Plague"

Most people have heard about that new "gay plague"--the new strain of staph infection linked to gay men. Turns out it IS NOT TRUE!
After Linking New Strain of Staph to Gay Men, University Scrambles to Clarify

Turns out, according to the CDC, the disease is NOT sexually transmitted or limited to a certain type of person. It is transmitted through skin-to-skin contact and is widespread among hospitals workers!

Of course, this did not stop the anti-gay bigots from using the recent reports to flame anti-gay hysteria:

Peter LaBarbera, Americans for Truth About Homosexuality:

"Is this not an eerie reminder of the initial stories 25 years ago about AIDS — then called GRID (Gay-Related Immunodeficiency Disease)? It is unfathomable that after that plague, disease specialists and the media are now surprised at the correlation of new infections with homosexual behavior.
Wake up, medical and political establishment: homosexual behavior is unhealthy — no matter how many secular sermons you preach against “homophobia.” Due to liberal political correctness, which treats aberrant — even deadly — behaviors as a “civil right,” we as a society don’t seem to have learned much from the AIDS pandemic."

Concerned Women for America:

"The human body is quite callous in how it handles mistreatment and the perversion of its natural functions. When two men mimic the act of heterosexual intercourse with one another, they create an environment, a biological counterfeit, wherein disease can thrive. Unnatural behaviors beget natural consequences."

Joseph Farrah of World Net (NUT) Daily News:

You’ve heard of AIDS – Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. Is America’s immune system under attack?
The latest news out of San Francisco is not good.
A drug-resistant strain of potentially deadly bacteria has moved beyond the borders of U.S. hospitals and is being transmitted among homosexual men during sex.
Does this sound familiar? Shades of the 1980s?"

Yes it does sound like the homophobic hysteria the Christian Right spread in the 1980s! They even use the same script from their AIDS press releases! The anti-gay Christian Right will use every opportunity, or invent their own, to dehumanize gay people as diseased and unhealthy. The Nazis taught them well.

Obama Praises Reagan/GOP

Barack Obama is taking some deserved heat for his recent Praise for the GOP and Ronald Reagan.
Obama told the Reno Gazette-Journal:

“I think Ronald Reagan changed the trajectory of America in a way that Richard Nixon did not and in a way that Bill Clinton did not. He put us on a fundamentally different path because the country was ready for it. I think they felt like with all the excesses of the 1960s and 1970s and government had grown and grown but there wasn’t much sense of accountability in terms of how it was operating. I think people, he just tapped into what people were already feeling, which was we want clarity we want optimism, we want a return to that sense of dynamism and entrepreneurship that had been missing.”

Obama seems to agree with the Republicans that Reagan saved us from the "excesses" of the 60s and 70s, i.e., "Big Government."

John Edwards gave the correct Democratic response:

"Ronald Reagan, the man who busted unions, the man who did everything in his power to destroy the organized labor movement, the man who created a tax structure that favored the richest Americans against middle class and working families, ... we know that Ronald Reagan is not an example of change for a presidential candidate running in the Democratic Party."
Reagan also "was destructive to the environment by removing a lot of the regulation that existed," Edwards added in a later telephone interview with The Associated Press. "I would never use Ronald Reagan as an example of change."

This is not the first time Obama has sided with Republicans. As Paul Krugman has pointed out in the New York Times, Obama has moved to the RIGHT of Clinton and Obama on many issues, including Health Care and Social Security. Obama has also pandered to the religious right by attacking secularists and the separation of church and state and using anti-gay leaders and entertainers to reach black churches.

Instead of praising Ronald Reagan and helping the right-wing remake history, the Democratic Left needs to expose the truth about Ronald Reagan and his crimes. Robert Perry's Consortium News provides a more accurate overview of the record of Ronald Reagan.

Paul Krugman Debunks The Reagan Myth

Why Party Matters

Here is a column I submitted to the Triangle Journal in response to two columns by gay Republican Anthony Childress, who rationalized why gays should support the Republican Party despite its anti-gay record and its attacks on LGBT rights. The Triangle Journal refused to publish it, it was too "controversial," so it is being published in GAZE instead, which also published my Queer Notes column: Why Party Matters

Huckabee Gaining Support of the Confederate in S.C.

Conferedate Group Airs Ads Supporting Mike Huckabee

"Americans for the Preservation of American Culture" are running ads in South Caroline praising GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee for his "pro state's rights" position on the confederate flag, and attacking his Republican rivals, John McCain and Mitt Romney, who called the confederate flag a symbol of racism.


On a related topic, Huckabee told a Michigan audience that the U.S. Constitution should be amended to support "God's standards" and in an interview on Beliefnet.com, Huckabee Equated Homosexuality with Bestiality again:

QUESTIONER: Is it your goal to bring the Constitution into strict conformity with the Bible? Some people would consider that a kind of dangerous undertaking, particularly given the variety of biblical interpretations.
HUCKABEE: Well, I don’t think that’s a radical view to say we’re going to affirm marriage. I think the radical view is to say that we’re going to change the definition of marriage so that it can mean two men, two women, a man and three women, a man and a child, a man and animal. Again, once we change the definition, the door is open to change it again. I think the radical position is to make a change in what’s been historic.

Before we start cheering Huckabee's nomination as the GOP candidate, let's consider the real possibility that he could win a general election!

Guess what, Huckabee has Pulled even with McCain in S.C.!

Doug Ireland explains why we should not dismiss Huckabee's chances of winning the GOP nomination: Beware the Huckabasher

Chris Lugo for Senate!

What is wrong with the TN Democratic Party!

Democrats (including Memphis Mayor Herenton and Shelby Co. Mayor Wharton!) Endorse Lamar Alexander


The article is wrong, there is a PROGRESSIVE Democratic candidate for Senate—Chris Lugo!
He ran as a Green Candidate last time, but now is running as a Democrat. Maybe it is time for progressive Democrats in TN to get behind a progressive candidate for a change! (Someone who supports women’s, LGBT, workers rights, peace, social justice, etc. remember those things??)

Chris Lugo Announces Democratic Bid for US Senate


Nashville, TN: Chris Lugo announced his Democratic bid for the US Senate seat today in Nashville by encouraging Tennesseans to vote for peace in 2008, "I am running for US Senate because it is time to end the war and bring the troops home. It is time to use our taxpayer dollars wisely to provide universal healthcare. It is time to repair our nation's domestic infrastructure. It is time to end poverty in America. It is time to end our dependence on oil by developing safe and viable alternative energy sources. It is time to leave our children a clean, healthy and peaceful environment in which to live and raise their families."

Lugo was the Green Party of Tennessee candidate for US Senate in 2006. "In 2006 I ran with the Green Party. I think it was the right decision in 2006 but this is a different election season. Americans waking up to the cause of peace and they are looking for leadership on health care, the environment, education and poverty. I am a progressive, regardless of which party I represent. I think we need to come together this year to end the war and and bring America together as a country. We have so much work to do to reverse the damage of eight years of the Bush administration. We need to end the war in Iraq. It is time for us to address the housing crisis which is pushing Americans out of their homes. As a nation we need to come together on global warming and climate change and we need to address the growing crisis of poverty in and hopelessness in America."

Lugo thinks the time has come for a Democratic Senator for Tennessee, "We have had over a decade of Republican representation in the US Senate and look at where it has gotten us," Lugo said, "we are at the bottom of almost every social indicator for quality of life. We are near the bottom of the list in terms of health, education, life expectancy and even infant mortality. It is time to invest in the health of our state instead of wasting our federal dollars on war and corporate subsidies."

Besides the war in Iraq, health care is a major theme of his campaign for US Senate, "It is time to insure that every man, woman and child in this country has access to quality and affordable healthcare and I believe that a universal single payer health care system is the best way to achieve that goal. I believe that most Americans now favor single payer healthcare and it is time that our legislation reflects that value."

In 2005 Lugo was an active participant and supporter of the protesters who occupied the Governor's office during the Tenncare protests, "I was horrified when 323,000 Tennesseans were cut off of their health care and Tenncare was dismantled. I was an active supporter of the Tenncare protesters at the Governor's office and I still support what they did but I think that the only solution is to address this at the federal level. I think that health care is a basic human right, and that a majority of Americans support this today. We are facing a health care crisis in Tennessee where 700,000 people do not have basic health care. In addition 50 million Americans do not have health insurance nationwide. This is a moral issue which only the federal government can address. With a strong and determined will, we can achieve this and provide health care for all Americans."

Another major element of Lugo's platform will be to address the climate crisis facing our country. "I am proud to be running for US Senate in the home state of Al Gore. I am proud of the work that the former Senator and Vice President has done to address the global climate crisis. We need to get on board with global agreements on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Americans are waking up to the reality of global warming. We need to move away from coal and oil and move toward renewable sources of energy production such as wind and solar. We need to move away from our dependence on foreign oil, improve our public transportation, support green building initiatives and invest in technology that will move us toward a greener future."

The issue of immigration is also a key concern which Lugo plans to address in his Democratic Senate bid, "I believe that human rights are for everyone. It is time to stop breaking up families and terrorizing people who have come to this country to work hard and contribute to our economy. This is an especially relevant issue here in Tennessee, where the Hispanic population has nearly doubled since 2000. People are coming to Tennessee because they believe in the American dream and want a better life for themselves and their children. We need to issue driver's licenses so these people can go to work. We need to stop rounding up workers and treating them like criminals. We need to offer a path to citizenship to people who have become an integral part of our communities."

Lugo feels that the tide is turning in Tennessee, "I think that Tennessee is ready for a liberal in Washington. The outcome of 25 years of Republican leadership in Washington DC is war, a failed economy, poverty and a domestic infrastructure that is falling apart. We can see now that the policies of trickle down economics, union busting, and poverty level wages will not make America stronger. The middle class is shrinking and the federal deficit mushrooming because of reckless war profiteering, corporate subsidies and tax breaks for the most privileged members of our community. It is time for a positive change in Tennessee. It is time to turn away from the politics of greed and fear that the Republicans represent. Americans are ready for a compassionate government that addresses real human needs. It is time to invest in this country and to invest in our future. "

Democratic candidate Chris Lugo's full platform can be found at the website: Chris4Senate

John Edwards Endorsements

Q-Notes, Largest NC/SC LGBT Newspaper Endorses John Edwards

Bottom line: With Clinton as the nominee, the risks are too great for the potential returns.

In contrast, John Edwards has stumped on a bona fide progressive platform. His core issues include ending poverty and rebuilding the middle class, reversing global warming, ending the Iraq War, restoring civil liberties and establishing universal healthcare. Also central to his campaign is his pledge to reclaim the government from the control of lobbyists and multinational corporations.

These populist themes resonate deeply with us — and with working-class Americans from coast-to-coast, as national polling for the General Election makes plain.

Edwards fares best against all the potential Republican candidates in head-to-head match-ups. He puts more traditionally “red” states in play than any other Democratic contender. Significantly, his presence on the ballot will translate to additional votes for Democrats in tight down-ticket races across the country.

The choice is clear. John Edwards is the most progressive, most electable Democrat in the race. Q-Notes encourages all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender voters to support him in the primaries and beyond.

Progressive Victory: Onwards Edwards!

Huckabee: Amend Constitution to be in "God's Standards"!

Holly Crap!
Republican Presidential candidate (Rev.) Mike Huckabee told a Michigan audience that he wants to Amend the Constitution to be in God's Standards

"I have opponents in this race who do not want to change the Constitution," Huckabee told a Michigan audience on Monday. "But I believe it's a lot easier to change the Constitution than it would be to change the word of the living god. And that's what we need to do -- to amend the Constitution so it's in God's standards rather than try to change God's standards so it lines up with some contemporary view."

Now if Pat Robertson had said that he would be called a nut! Huckabee is one of the frontrunners in the Republican presidential race!

And speaking of Christian Fascism, Representatives in Congress (including some Democrats!) are introducing HR 888 which would Push the fiction of a Christian Nation in public schools!

Washington, DC - Rep. Randy Forbes (R-VA) and 31 other Representatives could bring House Resolution 888, introduced December 18, 2007, to a floor vote as early as this week. H. Res. 888, "Affirming the rich spiritual and religious history of our Nation's founding and subsequent history" specifically proposes an "American Religious History Week" to be taught in public schools each May.

Go the Secular Coalition Website to take action to save our Constitution and democracy!

Gays Vs. DNC

I haven't commented on this because I don't really know who to believe, but the DNC is being sued over its treatment of a gay employee and the gay community. Andrew Belonsky does a good job of laying it out on the Huffington Post: The Gays, The Dems Some Serious Trouble, and Dough
I'm not ready to take a side either, but I hope this gets resolved soon so we can focus on the 2008 election and getting LGBT people to vote for the DEMOCRATIC candidate. We can all agree that the Democratic Party could do MORE to support the gay community, and we have to be involved in the party to push it along, we have no other choice since the Republican Party is totally hostile to our civil rights.

Gay Men Infected by Drug-Resistant Bacteria

This doesn't look good... be careful and safe guys!

S.F. Gay Community An Epicenter for new Strain of Virulent Bacteria

A new type of highly drug-resistant bacteria is being spread, possibly through sexual contact, among gay men in San Francisco, New York, Boston and Los Angeles, according to a new study. The report, which was published online by the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, found the greatest concentration of those infected by a form of the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus to be in San Francisco's Castro and among gay men who receive treatment for HIV in health facilities in San Francisco and Boston.

Recession? We're Already Living in One!

Barbara Ehrenreich, Experts Warn of Recession--Duh, We're Living in One Already, shows that traditional economic measurements like economic growth and unemployment have become decoupled from the real lives of working class people. Wages have been declining despite increases in economic productivity and even low unemployment rates do not reflect the extent of workers without full time jobs. And the only candidate who would do something about it, John Edwards is on the ropes, ignored by the media and Democratic voters!

Corporate Elite Fears John Edwards

According to corporate lobbyists, The Corporate Elite Fear John Edwards more than other Democratic Presidential candidates. Though they prefer any Republican, except Mike Huckabee, they would be OK with Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, since they get a lot of donations from corporate lobbyists. John Edwards is campaigning against corproate greed, and won millions of dollars as a trial lawyer taking on corporations.

John Edwards 2008!

Ron Paul Exposed: Racist, Homophobic Bigot??

The Ron Paul cult has quite a following, including many well-meaning anti-war young folks and anti-government "libertarians" who think he is a modern George Washington who will free us all from the tyranny of Big Brother. The truth is that Ron Paul has a history of racism and association with white supremacists.

In an article published in The New Republic, Angry White Man, James Kirchick dug up Ron Paul's "Freedom Report" going back before 1999. According to him, "What they reveal are decades worth of obsession with conspiracies, sympathy for the right-wing militia movement, and deeply held bigotry against blacks, Jews, and gays, In short, they suggest that Ron Paul is not the plain-speaking antiwar activist his supporters believe they are backing--but rather a member in good standing of some of the oldest and ugliest traditions in American politics>'' The newsletters contain racist attacks against Martin Luther King and other civil rights leaders, defense of the Confederate, and anti-government paranoia and sympathy for right-wing militias.

Orac's Science blog has another expose: Ron Paul-Quackery Enabler which documents more of Ron Paul's looney ideas (anti-evolution, opposes FDA regulating drugs, etc..)

And check out:
Earl Ofari Hutchinson: Ron Paul Is Scarier, but those who Cheer Him are Scarier!
"Paul's views are a corn ball blend of libertarianism, know-nothing Americanism, and ultra conservative laissez faire limited government. This marks him as a type A American political quirk...what really makes him scary--There are apparently millions that don't see a darn thing wrong with any of this and pillory anyone who does. They are even scarier than him."
(Reading the comments of Paul's followers is scary! )

Many (most?) of Ron Paul's followers seem to have no understanding of his extremist "libertarian" beliefs about abolishing Social Security and just about every government program since the New Deal.

(Not sure Ron Paul is really a "libertarian" given his opposition to abortion and gay rights, etc.)

And for a detailed critique of Libertarianism and Objectivism, see Mike Huben's Critiques of Libertarianism

UPDATE: CNN Has now picked up this story: Ron Paul '90s Newsletters Rant Against Blacks and Gays

Hillary Clinton is the "Come Back Girl"

Hillary Clinton has defied all the polls and won the New Hampshire Primary (by 40-36% with 79 percent of the votes counted.
Apparently she benefited by a strong sympathy vote from women after she was attacked for getting choked up/crying. Edwards came in a distant third at about 17%. Too bad the corporate media and Democratic voters are ignoring Edwards populist campaign to save the Democratic Party from the DLC corporatists. Instead of voting with their emotions, Democratic voters need to consider (a) who is the most progressive candidate to "change" government and (b) who can WIN in 2008 against the GOP. It is NOT Hillary Clinton! I do not HATE Hillary Clinton, but I want the Democrats to win in 2008. Hillary Clinton will galvanize the GOP base and divide the Democrats. Many anti-war progressives will NOT vote for Hillary Clinton and will vote Green Party. I'm afraid we will repeat 2000 and 2004 again. Elections should be about issues, principles and character, NOT a beauty contest. We need a candidate who will FIGHT and stand up to the corporate interests who control both parties and our government.
As John Edwards said, "Thats 2 down, 48 states to go!"
John Edwards!

Pat Robertson 2008 Predictions: Violence & Recession

Pat Robertson Predicts 2008 will be year of violence, recession"

In case you need more evidence that Pat Robertson is CUCKOO! (I think last year he predicted a major terrorist attack involving NUCLEAR weapons.. Guess the Flying Spaghetti Monster showed us mercy)

Who could predict that there would be violence and a recession in 2008????

In 2004 he predicted Bush would be re-elected in a landslide. He declined to say who would win in 2008, just that "I'll just keep that to myself and look in horror at what may be happening."

This man really needs to be locked in a mental hospital somewhere before he does something crazy! (Or is it too late?)

John Edwards Could win Ohio and Florida!

According to a Public Policy Polling Poll John Edwards Beats All GOP Candidates in Ohio, including John McCain. Hillary Clinton & Barack Obama Only lead Giuliani and Romney. John McCain beats Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. This is important because the 2008 general election is going to depend upon Ohio and Florida! The same poll also shows that John Edwards leads all of the GOP candidates in Florida except John McCain, who beats all the Democrats in that state.

Poll results for November presidential election matchup in Ohio:

Hillary Clinton (D) and Rudy Giuliani (R):
Clinton: 44 percent
Giuliani: 37 percent
Undecided: 19 percent

Clinton (D) and Mike Huckabee (R)
Huckabee: 45 percent
Clinton: 43 percent
Undecided: 11 percent

Clinton (D) and John McCain (R):
McCain: 46 percent
Clinton: 42 percent
Undecided: 12 percent

Clinton (D) and Mitt Romney (R)
Clinton: 45 percent
Romney: 40 percent
Undecided: 15 percent

John Edwards (D) and Giuliani (R)
Edwards: 51 percent
Giuliani: 34 percent
Undecided: 14 percent

Edwards (D) and Huckabee (R)
Edwards: 49 percent
Huckabee: 40 percent
Undecided: 10 percent

Edwards (D) and McCain (R)
Edwards: 47 percent
McCain: 40 percent
Undecided: 13 percent

Edwards (D) and Romney (R)
Edwards: 53 percent
Romney: 33 percent
Undecided: 14 percent

Barack Obama (D) and Giuliani (R)
Obama: 47 percent
Giuliani: 37 percent
Undecided: 16 percent

Obama (D) and Huckabee (R) - tie
Huckabee: 43 percent
Obama: 43 percent
Undecided: 14 percent

Obama (D) and McCain (R)
McCain: 45 percent
Obama: 42 percent
Undecided: 14 percent

Obama (D) and Romney (R)
Obama: 44 percent
Romney: 38 percent
Undecided: 18 percent

This poll reflects a December CNN poll showing that John Edwards is the only Democrat who beats all four top GOP candidates, and John McCain is the only Republican who beats any of the Democrats. So, if the GOP candidate is John McCain, John Edwards would be the best candidate for the Democrats to win in the general election, not Hillary or Obama.

Hillary Clinton in Free Fall ?

According to recent polls, Hillary Clinton has lost her big lead over Obama nationally and Obama now leads her by double digits in New Hampshire. According to a new national Gallup Survey, HRC and Obama are now tied nationally at 33% (John Edwards has moved up to 20%), and Obama now leads HRC in New Hampshire by 13 points. I predict Hillary will be out of the race Feb. 5!

UPDATE: OOps! Boy were those polls wrong! What the *fck! Either the pollsters are incompetent or there was a last minute surge of women voters for Hillary Clinton.

New Year Predictions

My predictions for 2008:
John McCain will be the GOP Presidential Nominee
Barak Obama will win the Democratic nomination (and be the next President of the U.S.!)
Congress will at last hold impeachment hearings on Dick Cheney (better late than never..)
There will be a recession in 2008 (it has already begun!)

George McGovern: Bush Must Be Impeached

George McGovern makes another strong case for the impeachment of George W. Bush: Why I Believe Bush Must Go in the Washington Post. "Nixon was bad, these guys are worse."

Obama/Huckabee Win Iowa

Obama and Huckabee are the winners of the Iowa Caucuses
On the Democratic side, Obama was first with 38%, Edwards came in second with 30% and Hillary Clinton was third with about 29%.
On the Republican side, Huckabee was first (34%), followed by Romney (25%) and Thompson (13%)

Dodd, Biden and Gravel have dropped out of the Democratic race.

The good news is that Hillary Clinton was last. I hope Edwards can keep going and force Hillary out. I can live with Obama and/or Edwards, but the Democrats cannot nominate Hillary Clinton! If they do, they risk losing in 2008.
I prefer Edwards because, next to my first choice Dennis Kucinich, he is the most progressive
See Norman Solomon's Edwards Reconsidered
Also:
Edwards First Candidate to Call for Withdrawing ALL Troops from Iraq
Only One Democrat (Edwards) Will End Iraq Occupation

Kucinich alienated many progressive supporters by telling his supporters in the caucuses to make Obama their second choice. Why? There is no reason for progressives to pick Obama over Edwards! Edwards is more progressive on a number of issues. His populist campaign presents the Democratic Party with a real alternative to DLC centrists like Obama & Clinton. Obama is a great speaker, but he is too moderate and he is another "corporatist" like Hillary Clinton.

Those who think Obama is a "progressive" should read this article by Paul Street in Z Magazine:
The Obama Illusion

Both Edwards and Obama gave great speeches, but Edwards did not concede is is going on to New Hampshire. I hope Democrats wake up and support his campaign to fight corporate greed and the growing inequality in American society.

Even though he is a Christo-fascist nutcase, Huckabee should not be underestimated. He talks like a "populist" and is a smooth politician. He won over 40 percent of the black vote in Arkansas. He is downplaying his past comments about gays and winning American "back for Christ" He can appeal to black voters and many low income Christians as well as independents. He would be a greater threat to the Democrats than the other GOP candidates, except possibly John McCain, who I think will make a come back and win the GOP nomination.

Edwards could win a general election against Huckabee by 25%--Compared to Clinton (10%) and Obama (15%)
See Edwards Vs. Huckabee: The Contest Democrats Would Love to See

New AFA DVD: The Homo's Are Taking Over Your Town!

From Pam's Houseblend: AFA Action Alert on "Homo Invasion" of Arkansas Town!

Anti-gay homophobic bigot Don Wildmon's "American Family Association" (Tupelo MS) is promoting a new DVD, "They're Coming To Your Town" which "shows how a small group of homosexual activists took over the city council in
Eureka Springs, Arkansas, and began imposing their homosexual agenda on that community..."They're Coming To Your Town" shows how, using deceitfulness and lies, homosexuals maneuvered themselves into positions of power and then used those positions to promote their agenda. According to Don Wildmon, the DVD, "is an eye-opener to those who are not familiar with how homosexuals use the system to attain their goals."

Hmm..haven't the Christian Right been using "deceitfulness and lies" to maneuver themselves into positions of power to promote their agenda? Haven't the Christian fundamentalists been trying to take over towns like Eureka Springs? If it wouldn't support the AFA, I would order this DVD to see how we can take over Memphis!

Bush's Legacy: Friendly Courts

If Congress files charges, Bush Aides Will Face Friendly Court. Bush has appointed nearly 300 federal judges, giving Republican appointees a majority nationally, including a 60 percent-to-40 percent advantage on appeals courts.

With criminal charges ready to be filed against current and former White House aides who have defied Congressional investigators, along with continuing questions over whether Bush administration lawyers or the CIA obstructed justice in destroying videotaped interrogations possibly depicting torture, the friendly judiciary could come in handy for Bush and his political allies sooner rather than later.

David Savage, writing in Wednesday's LA Times, says Bush's fingerprints could remain on the federal bench for the next two decades. The Democrats who took over the Senate after the 2006 elections sent 40 new judges to the federal bench last year -- confirming more of Bush's judicial nominees than Republicans did in the previous three years they controlled the Congress.

THIS IS WHY THE 2008 ELECTION IS SO IMPORTANT FOLKS! The Party that controls the White House appoints our federal judges, and THEY have the power to "interpret" our laws!

NH Recognizes Same-Sex Unions

Happy New Year!
New Hampshire now recognizes Civil Unions for gay and lesbian couples. The New Hampshire Civil Union bill was condemned by GOP candidates, including Rudy Giuliani who said it "went too far," while it was praised by Democratic candidates.

JOHN EDWARDS STATEMENT ON NEW HAMPSHIRE'S CIVIL UNION LAW TAKING EFFECT

(Manchester, NH) – Senator John Edwards released the following statement today as New Hampshire's civil union law takes effect.


"In April of last year, Gov. Lynch and the state of New Hampshire passed a bill officially recognizing civil unions for gay and lesbian couples. This courageous act showed us that the idea of America – fairness, justice and equal opportunity – can become a reality when we have the courage to stand up for what is right.

"Today, the work of equality advocates comes to fruition as that law takes effect. New Hampshire's decision to recognize civil unions and grant gay and lesbian couples the same rights granted by the state to heterosexual married couples is an important step forward on the march toward equality, fairness and justice."

Pope: Gays a Threat to World Peace

The fascist Pope Benedict continues his attacks on gays and lesbians by suggesting Gays are a Threat to World Peace

ATICAN CITY, Jan 1 (Reuters) - Pope Benedict ushered in the New Year on Tuesday by criticising policies that undermine the traditional family, saying they eroded one of the most important foundations for peace in the world.

The Pontiff, delivering a traditional New Year prayer for peace, appeared to take a swipe at efforts in several countries to grant legal recognition to gay and unwed couples -- although he did not single out any policies by name.

He said the traditional family led by a husband and wife instilled values that promote peace, and added it was an "irreplaceable" institution.

"Those who are hostile, even unknowingly, to the institution of the family ... make peace fragile for the entire national and international community," the Pope told crowds gathered in a sunny St. Peter's Square.

The German-born Benedict has made defending the traditional family a priority since being elected Pontiff in 2005 following the death of John Paul II, focusing much of his attention on Europe.

Gay marriage is legal in several European countries including predominantly Catholic Spain, where hundreds of thousands of Catholics rallied on Sunday in favour of the traditional family. The Pontiff had addressed the Spanish rally via a live video-link.

Speaking earlier on Tuesday at St. Peter's Basilica, the leader of the world's 1.1 billion Roman Catholics urged followers to reject challenges to the family "eclipsing the truth of man".

"I wanted to shed light on the direct relationship that exists between the family and peace in the world," the Pope said.

"The family is the primary agent of peace and the negation or even the restriction of rights of the family ... threatens the very foundations of peace."

Quoting from a message he issued in December to mark the Church's World Day of Peace on Jan. 1, Benedict said the family was "the first and irreplaceable educator of peace".

He also said that if the world wanted to live in peace, it would need to recognise those universal values that all people share as part of a single, "human family". (Editing by Keith Weir)

Source: Reuters North American News Service

Are there any sane rational people left in the Catholic Church??