Remembering the Freedom to Serve this Independence Day

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Your support for Lt. Dan Choi has been amazing. 162,741 people signed Lt. Choi’s letter to the Army and 141,262 people signed Lt. Choi’s letter to President Obama. In all, more than 300,000 signatures were collected on Lt. Choi’s behalf and were submitted as “Exhibit E: Courage Campaign” to the Army.

Dan is not giving up and needs your support to keep fighting. Please join Lt. Choi, the Courage Campaign, Knights Out and the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network in signing this letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

From the Courage Campaign’s website:

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi,

We, the undersigned, urge you to make “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” a priority and publicly support the Military Readiness Enhancement Act (HR 1283) — legislation that would repeal DADT and replace it with a policy of nondiscrimination.

Lt. Dan Choi, a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, an Iraq War veteran, Arabic translator and California native, is a capable soldier and leader who could continue to play a vital role in this time of war. His firing is a symbol of all that is wrong with this policy.

Both the Senate Majority Leader and President Obama have spoken publicly about the need to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”. Speaker Pelosi — your voice and your leadership is needed at this crucial time.

We call on you to make the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” a priority in Congress. We cannot afford to lose any more talented soldiers critical to our national security.

Sincerely,

If you agree that the viciously homophobic, Clinton-era military policy of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” needs to go the way of New Coke, then on this Independence Day, I urge you to take a brief moment and sign this letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

President Obama — who campaigned vowing to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” has repeatedly blamed the Congress for failing to send him a bill to sign that repeals the ban. Here’s a chance to make it happen.

Happy Independence Day and thank you for supporting Lt. Dan Choi!

She’s a Runnin’ Fool

Friday, July 3, 2009

“It doesn’t matter your background, your demographics, your race, your political affiliation, it’s such a uniting, healthy, fun, awesome activity. It cracks me up going to some running event and seeing some dude who campaigned so hard against me, or a lady who’s been blogging some mean comments about me. But we’re all there together and we’re smiling and we’re having a good time because we’re going to do something healthy and active. We need more of that.” – McCandy in Runner’s World

Editors Update:  McCandy announced today she is resigning as Alaska governor in a few weeks. The stunning announcement opens the door to speculation she plans to run for president in 2012.

BREAKING: Obama Administration Withholds CIA Torture Report Implicating Cheney Until August 31

Thursday, June 2, 2009

I know President Obama and former Vice President Cheney are 7th or 8th cousins — family, kin folk, but this is getting ridiculous.

Now comes word the Obama administration is seeking to withhold the CIA’s 2004 inspector general report on “enhanced interrogation regime” AKA, torture, for the third time, until August 31.

The ACLU, which reached agreement with the administration to declassify the report as part of a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, is going to challenge the administration’s stall tactics.

The Obama Justice Department argues that the volume of material it needs to go through in the CIA’s 2004 inspector general report is just too great to meet any pre-August 31 timetable. Not only is the IG report itself 200 pages, but that’s just one of 319 documents under review as part of the case.

The ACLU replies that the CIA and the Justice Department have already missed three deadlines for the agreed-upon disclosure, and lawyer Amrit Singh writes that she’s “disturbed by the clear trend emerging in the government’s repeated delays in disclosure of documents critical to a complete understanding of the CIA’s interrogation program.” She says that instead of delaying, Judge Alvin Hellerstein should order the “expediting the reprocessing and release of all CIA documents at issue.”

This is a statement from ACLU national security chief Jameel Jaffer:

The CIA has already had more than five months to review the inspector general’s report, and the report is only about two hundred pages long. We’re increasingly troubled that the Obama administration is suppressing documents that would provide more evidence that the CIA’s interrogation program was both ineffective and illegal. President Obama should not allow the CIA to determine whether evidence of its own unlawful conduct should be made available to the public. The public has a right to know what took place in the CIA’s secret prisons and on whose authority.

Here’s the Department of Justice letter:

Editors Update: I have obtained a link to 51 pages of heavily redacted secret torture documents from the Department of Defense. You can read them HERE. One of the documents was a witness statement taken from the former head of interrogations at Guantanamo who suggested that President George W. Bush verbally signed off on the abusive treatment of detainees at Guantanamo. Please note, these are not from the Department of Justice which are separate and still a matter of question. Key details relating to the Defense Department’s use of illegal interrogation methods have been redacted from these documents. The Obama administration has even withheld details previously disclosed by the Bush administration. The withholding of this information makes a mockery of President Obama’s promise of transparency.

Oklahoma Republican Blames Gays for Recession

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Oklahoma Republican State Rep. Sally Kern, declared war on the LGBT community saying, “[the LGBT community is] “the biggest threat our nation has, even more so than terrorism.” Kern, a radical, rightwing homophobe, even introduced a resolution blaming gays, troubled families, and general “debauchery” for the nation’s financial crisis.

Read below:

WHEREAS, we believe our economic woes are consequences of our greater national moral crisis; and

WHEREAS, this nation has become a world leader in promoting abortion, pornography, same sex marriage, sex trafficking, divorce, illegitimate births, child abuse, and many other forms of debauchery; and

WHEREAS, alarmed that the Government of the United States of America is forsaking the rich Christian heritage upon which this nation was built; and

WHEREAS, grieved that the Office of the president of these United States has refused to uphold the long held tradition of past presidents in giving recognition to our National Day of Prayer; and

WHEREAS, deeply disturbed that the Office of the president of these United States disregards the biblical admonitions to live clean and pure lives by proclaiming an entire month to an immoral behavior;

But this crazy bitch has a skeletons of her own. Sources in Tulsa, OK tell this Blog that Kern and her homo-hating, Baptist preacher hubbie produced a queer son who they’ve disowned! Now, there’s some Christian family values for you.

“No Way! Look at the Size of That!”

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Nothing causes fits of giggles in a newsroom more than a story about a giant cucumber. Just ask MSNBC’s David Shuster and his co-host Tamron Hall.

Watch here.

In fact, at one point, Shuster just covered his face with his hands as Hall, unable to stop laughing, said she was waiting for “crickets.”

South Carolina First Lady Jenny Sanford Blames Gay Marriage for Her Failed Marriage

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Jilted South Carolina First Lady Jenny Sanford blamed gay marriage for the reason her marriage to South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford failed.

Said First Lady Jenny Sanford:

“Of course I’m not saying that Mark is gay. But he may as well be.  The moral decay in this country has claimed another victim and this time it was my family.  Our marriage was perfect until these laws started passing around the country. Clearly the slow dissolution of the sanctity of marriage in America seeped into Mark’s psyche until he no longer felt compelled to abide by our vows.”

A social conservative in the Phyllis Schlafly mold, the South Carolina First Lady is vehemently antigay gay marriage and even oppose the separate but equal, civil unions.

I hate to break it to you Jenny but gay marriage isn’t the reason your marriage failed. The reason your husband cheated is he’s a scalawag and he’s unhappy at home. You might want to look in the mirror before deflecting responsibility to the gay community.

And to think, I actually once felt sorry for homophobic southern belle. No more.

Keith Olbermann: “The President is God Damned Wrong on This”

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Add to the seemingly endless discussion about why President Obama continues to drag his feet on repealing the viciously homophobic, Clinton-era military policy of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” last night, Keith Olbermann weighed in on the matter. His guest was author and columnist Dan Savage.

The meat of the interview comes at 5 minutes 50 seconds when Keith says:

“The President is God damned wrong on this.”

Watch here.

Repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell by 2012?

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs sat down with MSNBC’s Chuck Todd yesterday for a 3 minute and 42 second exchange focusing on two topics: the closing of GITMO and the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’

In case you’re running late, I’ll save you the trouble.

TODD: And when he [Obama] runs for reelection, this [repeal of DADT] will be a promise he will have kept?

GIBB: I think that is the case, yes.

White House to California: Drop Dead

Monday, June 29, 2009

With California’s state government deadlocked over a $24 billion hole in its budget, the Golden State is hurtling toward financial apocalypse.

And the response from the Obama White House? Deal with it yourselves.

What caused California’s economic conditions. A catastrophic convergence of events starting with Bush’s failed economic policies which included billions of dollars in tax cuts for the rich during war times, a protracted national recession, to the state’s over reliance on revenues from its richest residents, has left California’s budget drowning in a sea of red ink.

California relies on personal income tax for nearly half its massive general fund revenues. The top 5 percent pay 68 percent of the tax. Much of the wealthy taxpayers’ money comes from gains in the stock market and from other investments. When the economy is down, so is their income.

The state has already ordered state workers to take two unpaid days off each month. Department of Motor Vehicle Departments offices are now closed every other Friday and over 20,000 teachers statewide have received pink slips with Los Angeles Unified firing 9,000 teachers.

But, President Obama has expressed no interest in helping the nation’s largest state.

“We’ll continue to monitor the challenges that they have. But this budgetary problem, unfortunately, is one that they’re going to have to solve,” White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said earlier this month.

In May, when State Treasurer Bill Lockyer asked the Obama administration for aid in the form of federal guarantees for the short-term bonds the state needs to sell to pay its bills this summer, the White House said no. Treasury determined that such assistance would help only at the margins.

All of this begs the question? If last fall, when former President Bush’s economic team, along with Speaker Pelosi and Rep. Frank determined AIG to be “too big to fail,” isn’t California “too big to fail”?

Jean Ross, executive director of the nonpartisan California Budget Project says yes:

“California is such a large and important fraction of the nation’s economy now and in the future that pending budget cuts could delay a national recovery and weaken the nation’s long-term competitiveness.”

Supreme Court Reverses Sotomayor, Rules for White Firefighters

Monday, June 29, 2009

The Supreme Court ruled Monday that white firefighters in New Haven, CT were unfairly denied promotions because of their race, reversing a decision that high court nominee Sonia Sotomayor endorsed as an appeals court judge.

New Haven — the court decided in a 5-4 decision, was wrong to scrap a promotion exam because no African-Americans and only two Hispanic firefighters were likely to be made lieutenants or captains based on the results. The city said that it had acted to avoid a lawsuit from minorities.

The ruling could make it harder to prove discrimination when there is no evidence it was intentional.

The ruling also provides fresh fodder to critics of Obama’s choice of Sonia Sotomayor who claim she lacks the judicial wisdom and temperament to site on the Supreme Court.

In a decision that came down along the usual ideological divide that has come to define the court in recent years, Justices Kennedy, Roberts, Alito, Scalia and Clarence Thomas joined in the opinion:

“Fear of litigation alone cannot justify an employer’s reliance on race to the detriment of individuals who passed the examinations and qualified for promotions.”

Dissenting, were Justices Ginsburg, Breyer, Souter and Stevens.

40 Years After Stonewall, Fort Worth, TX Cops Raid Gay Bar Gestapo-Style

Monday, June 29, 2009

The Fort Worth, TX police had a special gift for the queer community on the 40th anniversary of Stonewall. They raided the newly-opened Rainbow Lounge, arresting and beating numerous patrons, gestapo-style, for no apparent reason other than for being gay.

One patron, Chad Gibson, was slammed to the floor so hard by the Fort Worth gestapo police that he is currently hospitalized with bleeding in his brain.

TABC (Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission) has confirmed participation in the raid. Protests have been scheduled to take place outside the Tarrant County Courthouse this week.

I will be following this story with updates as warranted.

Say What?

Monday, June 29, 2009

“Well, these issues have been bipartisan issues… But for us as Republicans, the biggest issue about this or about spending or about other policy issues is Republicans need to do what they say they’re going to do.”

– Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R), quoted on CBS’s Face the Nation, saying that sex scandals are not the biggest problem for the Republican party. This is gibberish worthy of Sarah Palin.

Obama Rejects CAP’s Roadmap for Repeal of DADT via Executive Order

Saturday, June 27, 2009

On Wednesday, June 24, 2009, I wrote a piece titled Obama is a Coward for doing a side hustle on the repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’ I received a lot of flack from readers admonishing me for being so tough on Obama.

Fair enough. I appreciate my reader’s reactions — even when we disagree.

To buttress my characterization of the president, I wanted to share a report from the Center for American Progress which details a clear, realistic, and comprehensive road map for the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’ These steps include:

1. Signing an Executive Order banning further military separations based on DADT and sending a legislative proposal on DADT repeal to Congress

2. Forming a presidential panel on how to implement the repeal

3. Repealing DADT in Congress and changing the Uniformed Code of Military Justice, or UCMS

4. Changing other necessary military guidelines to conform to the new policy

5. Following-up to ensure that the armed forces implement the policy changes

But during Thursday’s presser, reporter David Corn of Mother Jones asked White House spokesman Robert Gibbs about the report and whether the Obama administration thinks this is “the way to go.” Gibbs largely dismissed CAP’s recommendations, saying that the White House is not interested in signing an executive order to temporarily halt DADT:

Watch here:

Q: I understand that for the long-term solution, but what do you take issue with about signing an executive order that will suspend the separations before an endurable solution is reached through the slow legislative process?

GIBBS: I mean, I think there could be differences on strategy. I think our belief is that the only and best way to do this is through a durable, comprehensive legislative process.

So, there you have it. President Obama is a coward. Obama is afraid to show leadership on the issue because he doesn’t want to be seen as being too close or too friendly with the LGBT community. Obama wasn’t afraid of catching gay cooties during the campaign, when he shamelessly courted us, asked for our time, our creativity and most importantly, our money, but once elected, Mr. Obama has become Bill Clinton 2.0 before Clinton “evolved” on the issue of LGBT equality.

SOURCE: Think Progress

Despite Boycott and Protests, DNC LGBT Fundraiser Nets $1 Million

Friday, June 26, 2009

Attendees of the 10th annual LGBT Leadership Council fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee Thursday were greeted by protesters carrying signs that read “Gay Uncle Toms” and “265 Discharged Since January 20, 2009.”

When Wisconsin Rep. Tammy Baldwin arrived, she chatted with the spirited flock of about 25 and then pivoted to enter the Mandarin Oriental Hotel as cries of “Don’t go in, Tammy!” and “Shame on you!” followed her.

Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, was one of the detractors camped outside the event. “Tonight we’re here to send a strong message to the vice president and to the president that it’s time to end the silence on ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’” he said. “His presidential leadership and commitment is needed up on the Hill.”

A long list of LGBT activists had also registered their discontent by simply refusing to attend the dinner: activist David Mixner, former Clinton adviser Richard Socarides, millionaire Bruce Bastian, prominent Obama supporter Stampp Corbin, blogger Andy Towle, and the entire board of the Stonewall Democrats.

Despite the controversy, about 180 people showed up to hear Vice President Joe Biden speak for a price tag of $1,000 to $30,400 per plate. The event brought in nearly $1 million, up from about $750,000 last year, according to a Democratic Party source.

When Vice President Joe Biden took the stage, he told the crowd that he had specifically asked to speak at the event and that his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, had also requested to address a Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network event earlier this month.

Vice President Biden delivered a timid, boiler plate speech that lacked a timetable for action on the two most nagging issues dogging President Obama: the repeal of the ‘Defense of Marriage Act,’ and ‘ Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’

“I am not unaware of the controversies swirling around this dinner,” Biden said, “swirling around the speed — or lack thereof — that we’re moving on issues that are of great importance to you and, quite frankly, to me and to the President and to millions of Americans.”

Source: The Advocate

Michael Jackson Has Died

Thursday, June 25, 2009

The Los Angeles Times has confirmed Michael Jackson has died.

The legendary music icon was pronounced dead at 3:15PM PST today after arriving at the UCLA Medical Center in a coma. Jackson was preparing for a sold-out, 50 performance tour beginning next month in London.

Michael Jackson sold more than 750 million records globally in a career that spanned 40 years. His musical genius and style influenced a generation of singers and performers. I always loved the songs “Billy Jean,” “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough,” and “Human Nature.” While the last years of his life were crazy, I choose to remember him for the music.

Obama DOJ Sides with Saudi Royals Against 7,630 9/11 Family Members

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Documents gathered by lawyers for the families of  Sept. 11 victims provide new evidence of extensive financial support for al Qaeda and other extremist groups by members of the Saudi royal family, but the material may never find its way into court because of legal and diplomatic obstacles.

Even more troubling is the role of the Obama Dept. of Justice in the matter.

Last month, the Obama Dept. of Justice sided with the Saudis in court who sought to kill further legal action despite classified American intelligence documents related to Saudi finances being leaked anonymously to lawyers for the 9/11 families. The Justice Department had the documents destroyed and now wants to prevent a judge from even looking at the material.

Destroyed documents which proved a link between the Saudis and terrorist organizations responsible for the Sept. 11 attack on the United States? The question begs, why is the Obama Dept. of Justice following the same path as former President Bush by protecting the Saudi royal family?

The documents obtained by the lawyers under the Freedom of Information Act, for instance, show that a prominent Saudi charity, the International Islamic Relief Organization, heavily supported by members of the Saudi royal family, showed “support for terrorist organizations” at least through 2006.

But two Federal judges and the Second Circuit Court of Appeals have already ruled against the 7,630 people represented in the lawsuit, made up of survivors of the attacks and family members of those killed, throwing out the suit on the ground that the families cannot bring legal action in the United States against a sovereign nation and its leaders.

Kristen Breitweiser, an advocate for Sept. 11 families and whose husband was killed in the World Trade Center, said in an interview that during a White House meeting in February between Mr. Obama and victims’ families, the president told her that he was willing to make the pages public.

But, she said she had not heard from the White House since then.

FOX News Labels Gov. Mark Sanford a Democrat

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

FOX News, always the dutiful Republican noise machine, is at it again.

When the news broke today that married and missing South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, hadn’t gone missing but was actually shacked up with his Argentine honey behind his wife’s back, FOX News broadcast the story labeling Sanford with a (D) for Democrat, rather than (R) for Republican.

An innocent mistake, you might be thinking?

Maybe, but back in 2006, FOX News did the same thing when Republican Congressman Mark Foley was caught in a gay sex scandal involving an underage male paige. Foley had sent a series of sexually explicit emails to the teenage boy and even invited the youngster for sleepovers at Foley’s Washington home.

FOX News new tagline should read, “FOX News: We Distort, You Decide!”

President Obama is a Coward

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Seventy-seven members of Congress led by Democratic Rep. Alcee Hastings of Florida sent a letter to President Barack Obama Monday urging him to take immediate action to stop the investigations under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

Despite vowing throughout the campaign to repeal the viciously homophobic, Clinton-era policy of discriminating on the basis of sexual and affectional orientation, the White House response to the letter made it clear that he plans to continue to implement “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” until he receives an appropriate legislative solution.

White House response:

“President Obama remains committed to a legislative repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, which he believes will provide a durable and lasting solution to this issue. He welcomes the commitment of these members to seeing Congress take action.”

Translation: let someone else show leadership on the issue.

Since Mr. Obama became president on January 20, 2009, 265 gay men and lesbians have been kicked out of the military under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

Conclusion: President Obama is a coward.