White House Press Secretary Tony Snow is leaving the White House effective 14 September (his $168,000 a year salary isn't enough, apparently).
Sen. John Warner (Republican-VA) will not run for another term in 2008.
Sen. Larry Craig (Bathroom Buddy-ID) is expected to resign his Senate seat according to news sources.
President Bush and Vice-President Cheney will resign effective Labor Day.
Sorry...
...made that last one up. Chalk it up to wishful thinking.
31 August 2007
The Songs of Summer
One of the best films of this summer is "The Bourne Ultimatum." The third installment in the series keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish with brilliantly shot action sequences.
The song that is played at the end of all three movies is today's Song of Summer. Enjoy...
"Extreme Ways" by Moby
The song that is played at the end of all three movies is today's Song of Summer. Enjoy...
"Extreme Ways" by Moby
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Hillary on 'Letterman'
Sen. Hillary Clinton (Democrat-NY) on Late Night with David Letterman last night, chatting about Iraq and reading her own Top Ten list. You can't deny...that icy exterior is melting bit by bit each day.
Iowa Judge: Gay Marriage Ban Unconstitutional
Polk County Judge Robert Hanson ruled yesterday that Iowa's ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional and ordered the county registrar to begin issuing marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples who apply for them.
But in their constant effort to deny American citizens equal protection under the law, state Republicans will appeal to the Iowa Supreme Court, and will "get this issue on the ballot as quickly as we possibly can."
But in their constant effort to deny American citizens equal protection under the law, state Republicans will appeal to the Iowa Supreme Court, and will "get this issue on the ballot as quickly as we possibly can."
Impeachment Now
Justice Department hiring practices are apparently way more partisan than originally thought. Among the questions asked:
Impeach. Bush. Now.
Do you believe in God?Absolutely - ABSOLUTELY - inappropriate. I know I go here often but it's worth mentioning again...think for a minute how the Fascist-Republicans would act if a Democratic administration's Justice Department had asked left-leaning questions to job applicants.
Are you gay?
Should gays be allowed to marry?
What's your position on abortion?
Have you contributed to Republican candidates?
Impeach. Bush. Now.
29 August 2007
Kenneth's Beloved Troy
Kenneth in the (212)'s furry four-legged pride and joy succumbed to lymphoma this week. Damn.
The Songs of Summer
In the years between her hot shot U.S. debut in 1987 (with her remake of "The Loco-Motion") and her smash "comeback" here in 2001 (with the sexy "Can't Get You Out of My Head"), Kylie Minogue had a stellar career around the rest of the world. It can be argued that she was the "Madonna" of the European Union, the UK, and Australia during the last two decades. To date she's had sixteen singles reach # 1 on each of those charts, and she is bound to add to that number with the release of her upcoming album, "Kylie X" ("X" meaning "10").
Here is one of those number 1 singles, written specifically for Minogue by Paula Abdul. From the summer of 2000, a year before she'd reestablish herself with American audiences, enjoy...
"Spinning Around" by Kylie Minogue
Here is one of those number 1 singles, written specifically for Minogue by Paula Abdul. From the summer of 2000, a year before she'd reestablish herself with American audiences, enjoy...
"Spinning Around" by Kylie Minogue
Homo vs Hetero
Apparently many conservative bloggers and pundits are calling on Sen. Larry Craig (Republican-ID) (who plead guilty to lewd conduct charges following an incident where he tried to solicit anonymous sex in a mens restroom in Minnesota early this summer) to resign his Senate seat. The same conservative bloggers and pundits have argued strongly that Sen. David Vitter (Republican-LA) (who admitted this summer that he frequently trolled for anonymous straight sex by visiting D.C. prostitutes) should not resign his seat.
Some say it's merely the typical Republican homo-phobe thing: Craig should resign because the sex he tried to solicit was gay sex and Vitter is a real man just sowing his oats.
But Scott Lemieux thinks there's a tawdry underlying Rovian aspect to the whole thing:
Some say it's merely the typical Republican homo-phobe thing: Craig should resign because the sex he tried to solicit was gay sex and Vitter is a real man just sowing his oats.
But Scott Lemieux thinks there's a tawdry underlying Rovian aspect to the whole thing:
Louisiana's governor is a Democrat, and Idaho's is a Republican. Craig resigning would mean a Republican [would be appointed to Craig's seat] going into the 2008 election; Vitter resigning would mean another Democratic Senator. So no conservative pundit should get credit for standing on principle for demanding that Craig resign, and that goes triple if they haven't made the same call for Vitter (who actually violated the law, although he did so in a more heterosexual way that will help to earn forgiveness from conservatives.)So much for the party of family values and rule of law, eh?
"The Bubble"
The trailer for the new Eytan Fox movie, "The Bubble," has just been released. Fox's 2002 film "Yossi & Jagger" was a huge hit at that year's Santa Barbara Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. That film focused on the agony of war mixed with the stress of keeping one's sexuality a secret in a part of the world where, in some places, you can be hanged for being gay.
From IMDb:
From IMDb:
The movie follows a group of young friends in the city of Tel Aviv and is as much a love song to the city as it is an exploration of the claim that people in Tel Aviv are isolated from the rest of the country...It all begins when Noam, a young Israeli soldier, serves in the reserve forces and meets at a check point a Palestinian young man called Ashraf. Following an incident during which Noam misplaces his ID card at the check point, Ashraf shows up on the doorstep of the apartment that Noam shares with a gay man and a straight woman. How will the meeting effect all of their lives?"The Bubble" opens in limited release on 7 September.
Strippin' For Hay-Soos
Coming in September...a new 2008 beefcake calendar featuring shirtless, greased up...Mormon missionaries! (Sorry...none of the Romney boys took part.)
28 August 2007
Gay Marriage In 15th Century Europe
Quote of the Day:
Translated, the quote means "one bread, one wine, and one purse." The contracts were notarized with witnesses on hand, and grave sites from the period around Europe indicate that the men were buried together.
Medieval Europe: Where freedom reigned more than it does in America under Republican-Fascist rule.
Un pain, un vin, et une bourse-From recently discovered "brotherhood" contracts printed in late medieval France and Mediterranean Europe.
Translated, the quote means "one bread, one wine, and one purse." The contracts were notarized with witnesses on hand, and grave sites from the period around Europe indicate that the men were buried together.
Medieval Europe: Where freedom reigned more than it does in America under Republican-Fascist rule.
The Songs of Summer
Those who grew up in the 1960's probably well remember such classic tracks from Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels as "Little Latin Lupe Lu," "Sock It To Me Baby," "Good Golly Miss Molly," and (of course) "Devil With A Blue Dress On."
In 1983, after over a decade of sluggish album sales, Mitch Ryder was approached by John Mellencamp. Then known as "John Cougar," Mellencamp wanted to produce Ryder's comeback. The resulting album, "Never Kick A Sleeping Dog," is a superb set of good old-fashioned rock and roll.
The first single (a cover of a 1980 Prince tune) was all over album-oriented rock radio during the summer of 1983. Enjoy...
"When You Were Mine" by Mitch Ryder
In 1983, after over a decade of sluggish album sales, Mitch Ryder was approached by John Mellencamp. Then known as "John Cougar," Mellencamp wanted to produce Ryder's comeback. The resulting album, "Never Kick A Sleeping Dog," is a superb set of good old-fashioned rock and roll.
The first single (a cover of a 1980 Prince tune) was all over album-oriented rock radio during the summer of 1983. Enjoy...
"When You Were Mine" by Mitch Ryder
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Hypocrisy, noun, see 'Republican'
Following Sen. Larry Craig's (Republican-Fascist-Hypocrite-ID) admission that he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of lewd conduct after being arrested for soliciting sexual encounters in a mens restroom in Minnesota;
Following Mark Foley's solicitation of 16-year-old male pages while representing Florida in the U.S. House of Representatives;
Following Bush darling Ted Haggard's fall from grace after smoking crack and "getting massages" from a male hooker;
Following ANOTHER male hooker's (Jeff Gannon) unparalleled access to the White House Press Room via arrangements made by Karl Rove...
Shouldn't the Republican Party and their right-wing Fascist supporters really just shut the fuck up about gay and lesbian issues? I'm all for free speech and open debate, but Craig, Foley, Haggard, and Gannon (and others like them) have drained every last iota of credibility from the Republican side of the debate (which was already lacking to begin with).
(Special thanks to Scott for this story's shout out yesterday.)
Following Mark Foley's solicitation of 16-year-old male pages while representing Florida in the U.S. House of Representatives;
Following Bush darling Ted Haggard's fall from grace after smoking crack and "getting massages" from a male hooker;
Following ANOTHER male hooker's (Jeff Gannon) unparalleled access to the White House Press Room via arrangements made by Karl Rove...
Shouldn't the Republican Party and their right-wing Fascist supporters really just shut the fuck up about gay and lesbian issues? I'm all for free speech and open debate, but Craig, Foley, Haggard, and Gannon (and others like them) have drained every last iota of credibility from the Republican side of the debate (which was already lacking to begin with).
(Special thanks to Scott for this story's shout out yesterday.)
Chicago and the 14th Amendment
From the Advocate:
A man who filed a lawsuit after being allegedly beaten by Chicago police because he is gay is contesting the city’s motion to dismiss his case—since the city is arguing that gays are not covered under the U.S. Constitution’s equal protection clause.The City of Chicago had been making great strides over the last 15 years or so. But with middle-aged, fat, white men still running the police department - and winning city council seats - I guess there still exists among some the archaic view that gay and lesbian Chicagoans aren't full-fledged citizens.
The Dumbing Down of America Continues
And this exemplifies it in spades. Gawd! You just want to slap her AND her parents!
27 August 2007
Gonzales Resigns
The damn was ready to burst and so Alberto Gonzales, the incompetent Attorney General, has resigned.
The blogosphere rumor mill has Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff as President Bush's likely nominee for replacement.
The blogosphere rumor mill has Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff as President Bush's likely nominee for replacement.
The Songs of Summer
Long before he became the sharp dressed man of 80's pop/rock, Robert Palmer was a soul singer. With a confidence not matched by many, Palmer belted out some classic R&B/funk records in the 1970's.
The title track from his 1974 album (his first) kicks off the final week of the Songs of Summer series. Enjoy...
"Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley" by Robert Palmer
The title track from his 1974 album (his first) kicks off the final week of the Songs of Summer series. Enjoy...
"Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley" by Robert Palmer
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Two Maps
Two maps have been put together based on recent state-by-state polling for the 2008 presidential election, and it's surprisingly good early news for Hillary Clinton.
Against Giuliani, she wins 335 electoral votes to his 203 (oddly, she loses Connecticut in this match-up):
Against Mitt Romney she would be the first presidential candidate to win over 400 electoral votes since 1988, beating the former Massachusetts governor 430 to 108, and winning such longtime Republican states as Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas:
Other interesting tid-bits: She wins Florida against both men, as well as Virginia - a state that hasn't gone Democratic in a presidential election since 1964!
Against Giuliani, she wins 335 electoral votes to his 203 (oddly, she loses Connecticut in this match-up):
Against Mitt Romney she would be the first presidential candidate to win over 400 electoral votes since 1988, beating the former Massachusetts governor 430 to 108, and winning such longtime Republican states as Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas:
Other interesting tid-bits: She wins Florida against both men, as well as Virginia - a state that hasn't gone Democratic in a presidential election since 1964!
Obama's Plan For New Orleans
Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) has unveiled his plan to rebuild New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.
While I don't agree with his proposal to make the FEMA Director's job an FBI-like six year tenure, I do agree that it should be filed by a professional with emergency and/or disaster management experience, and not by some political hack who might drown at the first sign of rain.
And at least it's a plan. What the fuck has the Bush government been doing for two years? (TWO YEARS!)
While I don't agree with his proposal to make the FEMA Director's job an FBI-like six year tenure, I do agree that it should be filed by a professional with emergency and/or disaster management experience, and not by some political hack who might drown at the first sign of rain.
And at least it's a plan. What the fuck has the Bush government been doing for two years? (TWO YEARS!)
"It's Hell Everywhere"
Are the huge fires burning in Greece acts of terrorism? The government there is investigating.
26 August 2007
25 August 2007
Underwear That's Fun To Wear
Showing off his muscular legs, Greg the Gay Sportscaster from Energy 92.7 wowed the crowd with his sexy yellow football briefs at Thursday night's Bar AIDS benefit at the Mix.
23 August 2007
Ode to K-Fed
Another song leak...this one from Britney Spears (by way of Perez Hitlon). It's a train-wreck of a track, as if a drugged out crack-whore got her hands on a tape recorder and grandma's old music box and proceeded to caterwaul about the man who done her wrong.
Take a listen to the piece o' shit here.
Take a listen to the piece o' shit here.
The Beat Goes On
A track from Madonna's upcoming album has been leaked. It's called "The Beat Goes On" and you can listen to it here. Produced by Pharrell Williams (of the Neptunes), the track is quite good. Give it a listen.
22 August 2007
The Songs of Summer
A hot thumpin' disco classic from early summer, 2003. Given the chance, I'd rock this guy's hot, humpy body all around the damn room!
"Rock Your Body" by Justin Timberlake
"Rock Your Body" by Justin Timberlake
Turning Red States Blue
DailyKos reports that a new SurveyUSA state-by-state poll shows Hillary Clinton doing quite well in three southern states:
Alabama:
(Last went Democratic in 1976)
Clinton 44
Giuliani 50
Clinton 47
Thompson 49
Clinton 48
Romney 46
Kentucky:
(Clinton in 1992 and 1996, Bush in 2000 and 2004)
Clinton 49
Giuliani 44
Clinton 51
Thompson 44
Clinton 53
Romney 41
Virginia:
(Republican since 1968)
Clinton 49
Giuliani 46
Clinton 51
Thompson 42
Clinton 53
Romney 39
That's 30 electoral votes right there. She beats Thompson in his own backyard (his home state is Tennessee) and leads all three candidates in Virginia, a state that hasn't been in the Democratic column since Lyndon Johnson's 1964 landslide.
Alabama:
(Last went Democratic in 1976)
Clinton 44
Giuliani 50
Clinton 47
Thompson 49
Clinton 48
Romney 46
Kentucky:
(Clinton in 1992 and 1996, Bush in 2000 and 2004)
Clinton 49
Giuliani 44
Clinton 51
Thompson 44
Clinton 53
Romney 41
Virginia:
(Republican since 1968)
Clinton 49
Giuliani 46
Clinton 51
Thompson 42
Clinton 53
Romney 39
That's 30 electoral votes right there. She beats Thompson in his own backyard (his home state is Tennessee) and leads all three candidates in Virginia, a state that hasn't been in the Democratic column since Lyndon Johnson's 1964 landslide.
21 August 2007
Sully, Circa 1995
Here is Charlie Rose's superb interview with Andrew Sullivan, originally aired in September of 1995 while Sullivan was promoting his book "Virtually Normal." Sullivan lays out a superb, solid, passionate case for gay marriage...almost a decade before Massachusetts legalized such unions. This interview is Sullivan at his best (man, did I have a crush on him back then), but...
His argument that essentially gives a thumbs-up to discrimination in housing and the work place (his conservative soul can't stand hate crime laws) is a bit disconcerting. Coming from a guy who's led a pretty charmed life (B.A. at Oxford, Ph.D. at Harvard, editor of The New Republic by the age of 25, etc.), you have to wonder if he has ever been denied a job or an apartment simply for being gay.
That aside, take a look at the interview. The conversation is well worth the time.
His argument that essentially gives a thumbs-up to discrimination in housing and the work place (his conservative soul can't stand hate crime laws) is a bit disconcerting. Coming from a guy who's led a pretty charmed life (B.A. at Oxford, Ph.D. at Harvard, editor of The New Republic by the age of 25, etc.), you have to wonder if he has ever been denied a job or an apartment simply for being gay.
That aside, take a look at the interview. The conversation is well worth the time.
Doh !
Elizabeth Vargas, the annoying news anch...I mean...actress, who is filling in for vacationing Charles Gibson on ABC's No World News Here, read last night's Hurricane Dean script by mentioning that it was bearing down on "Yuck-a-tan."
More On the GOP Power Grab
I'm no constitutional scholar, but it seems to me that any attempt to change the way California allocates its electoral votes in presidential elections would have to go through the state legislature and not through the voters.
From Article II of the United States Constitution:
Should that fail and should the initiative pass, I think that the wording in the Constitution would be enough to put the plan on hold while appeals are filed.
What are the chances of it passing? A new Field Poll shows 49% of state voters support the change, 42% oppose it.
From Article II of the United States Constitution:
Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector.(My emphasis.) At the very least the Democratic-led state legislature should make a strong attempt to keep this off the ballot.
Should that fail and should the initiative pass, I think that the wording in the Constitution would be enough to put the plan on hold while appeals are filed.
What are the chances of it passing? A new Field Poll shows 49% of state voters support the change, 42% oppose it.
What. The. Fuck.
These are the folks the make up the Republican Party's core base. Do you really think it's wise to let them have another four years in the White House?
From "GodTube" (I shit you not)...
From "GodTube" (I shit you not)...
20 August 2007
The Songs of Summer
From two years ago...the ever-talented Jamiroquai with their mid-summer classic...
"Seven Days In Sunny June"
"Seven Days In Sunny June"
Power Grab
In yet another attempt to circumvent established election laws, the California Republican Party has begun raising money to place an initiative on the February presidential primary ballot that would change that state's winner-take-all system in the Electoral College.
As with 48 other states (Maine and Nebraska being the exception), California awards its 55 electoral votes (the most in the nation) to the winner of the state's overall popular vote in presidential contests. In the last four elections those votes have gone to the Democratic nominee. In nine of the ten contests before that (back to 1952), the state was in the Republican column.
The proposed Republican power-grab would allocate the 55 electoral votes this way: two would automatically go to the winner of the overall state vote; the remaining 53 would be awarded based on results in each of the state's 53 congressional districts. With those districts being so gerrymandered the GOP nominee would pick up about 20 electoral votes that they would have not picked up in elections past.
In the past I have called for the abolition of the Electoral College. It is antiquated and, as the 2000 contest showed, can thwart the will of the people, allowing unqualified incompetents to slip into the White House.
But if the Republican Party was really concerned about reworking our national election process they would put this initiative on the ballot in other states. Perhaps the ones that have gone Republican in the last ten presidential elections. Or ones that have, over the last couple of decades, become solidly Republican (a big state like Texas, perhaps).
Oh, but wait. That wouldn't serve their unspoken party strategy of stealing elections, would it? I mean, do you think for a minute the Republicans wouldn't put another initiative on the ballot reversing themselves should California start voting Republican again?
As with 48 other states (Maine and Nebraska being the exception), California awards its 55 electoral votes (the most in the nation) to the winner of the state's overall popular vote in presidential contests. In the last four elections those votes have gone to the Democratic nominee. In nine of the ten contests before that (back to 1952), the state was in the Republican column.
The proposed Republican power-grab would allocate the 55 electoral votes this way: two would automatically go to the winner of the overall state vote; the remaining 53 would be awarded based on results in each of the state's 53 congressional districts. With those districts being so gerrymandered the GOP nominee would pick up about 20 electoral votes that they would have not picked up in elections past.
In the past I have called for the abolition of the Electoral College. It is antiquated and, as the 2000 contest showed, can thwart the will of the people, allowing unqualified incompetents to slip into the White House.
But if the Republican Party was really concerned about reworking our national election process they would put this initiative on the ballot in other states. Perhaps the ones that have gone Republican in the last ten presidential elections. Or ones that have, over the last couple of decades, become solidly Republican (a big state like Texas, perhaps).
Oh, but wait. That wouldn't serve their unspoken party strategy of stealing elections, would it? I mean, do you think for a minute the Republicans wouldn't put another initiative on the ballot reversing themselves should California start voting Republican again?
17 August 2007
The Songs of Summer
Madonna turned 49 yesterday...and she looks and sounds as hot as ever! In belated celebration, let's go back to this week 20 years ago. The # 1 single in America was...
"Who's That Girl" by the Birthday Girl herself.
"Who's That Girl" by the Birthday Girl herself.
16 August 2007
The Songs of Summer
Sit back, close your eyes, and imagine yourself sitting on the beach in Santa Barbara, along the lake in Chicago, poolside in Palm Springs, sipping a cold drink, without a worry in the world...
"Warm Weather" by Pieces of a Dream
"Warm Weather" by Pieces of a Dream
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15 August 2007
The Songs of Summer
This song was on my Walkman non-stop in August of 1985...
"If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" by Sting
"If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" by Sting
The Atlantic on Karl Rove
Just days before Karl Rove announced his resignation as the Deputy White House Chief of Staff, my new issue of The Atlantic arrived in the mail. The cover story? "Lessons of a Failed Presidency: Why Karl Rove Couldn't Deliver" (subscription required).
Here's one of many tid-bits from the cover story that put the entire Bush presidency into perspective:
Here's one of many tid-bits from the cover story that put the entire Bush presidency into perspective:
Hurricane Katrina clearly changed the public perception of Bush's presidency. Less examined is the role Rove played in the defining moment of the administration's response: when Air Force One flew over Louisiana and Bush gazed down from on high at the wreckage without ordering his plane down. Bush advisers Matthew Dowd and Dan Bartlett wanted the president on the ground immediately, one Bush official told me, but were overruled by Rove for reasons that are still unclear: "Karl did not want the plane to land in Louisiana."And the already leaky damn then came crashing down.
More From The Atlantic Story
Another tid-bit from Josh Green's Atlantic story about the tone-deaf White House:
"For all the years he was president," [Former House Majority Leader Dick] Armey told me, "Bill Clinton and I had a little thing we'd do where every time I went to the White House, I would take the little name tag they give you and pass it to the President, who, without saying a word, would sign and date it. Bill Clinton and I didn't like each other. He said I was his least-favorite member of Congress. But he knew that when I left his office, the first school kid I came across would be given that card, and some kid who had come to Washington with his mama would go home with the President's autograph. I think Clinton thought it was a nice thing to do for some kid, and he was happy to do it.""Courtesy" is a word that has never been - in any way, shape, or form - part of the Bush lexicon.
Armey said that when he went to his first meeting in the White House with President Bush, he explained the tradition with Clinton and asked the President if he would care to continue it. "Bush refused to sign the card. Rove, who was sitting across the table, said, 'It would probably wind up on eBay,'" Armey continued. "Do I give a damn? No. But can you imagine refusing a simple request like that with an insult? It's stupid. From the point of view of your own self-interest, it's stupid. I was from Texas, and I was the majority leader. If my expectations of civility and collegiality were disappointed, what do you think it was like for the rest of the congressmen they dealt with? The Bush White House was tone-deaf to the normal courtesies of the office."
14 August 2007
The Surge
Exactly six months following President Bush's announcement that he was escalating the Iraq War, this is what he has to show for it:
Four suicide bombers struck nearly simultaneously at communities of a small Kurdish sect in northwestern Iraq late Tuesday, killing at least 175 people and wounding 200 more, Iraqi military and local officials said.
The bombings came as extremists staged other bold attacks: leveling a key bridge outside Baghdad and abducting five officials from an Oil Ministry compound in the capital in a raid using gunmen dressed as security officers. Nine U.S. soldiers also were reported killed, including five in a helicopter crash.
Crystal Balling
With my own caveat that the Democratic Party is well known for its ability to turn what should be a cakewalk election into an embarrassing loss, Democracy Corps has some new polling results that show big changes in the American electorate that "have an enduring quality, with the opportunity to shape the parties’ prospects in 2008."
The basics:
A generic Democratic ticket leads a Republican ticket 51% to 39%.
Named Democrats beat named Republicans in congressional races 51% to 42%.
Independents prefer a Democrat for president by 19 percentage points.
After going for Bush in 2004, married women now prefer a Democratic president in 2008 by a small margin.
Down deeper into the poll:
After going with Bush in 2004 by five percentage points, Catholic voters are returning to the Democratic Party in droves, with 51% wanting a Democratic president and only 38% wanting a Republican.
Americans with college educations prefer a Democrat for president 52% to 41%.
In counties won by John Kerry in 2004 the Democratic ticket leads by a 2-to-1 margin; counties won by Mr. Bush have the Republican ticket winning by only 1 point.
Rural voters still prefer a Republican president, but only by a 48% to 41% margin (the GOP usually carry this demographic by 20+ points).
And finally, a statistic that gives me a little bit of hope for the future, voters under 30 plan to vote Democratic next year by "landslide margins," according to the poll.
That last statistic is Karl Rove's legacy, the way I see it. His destructive campaign methods and his hateful domestic agenda led George W. Bush to a method of governance that will keep younger voters in the Democratic column for a generation.
The basics:
A generic Democratic ticket leads a Republican ticket 51% to 39%.
Named Democrats beat named Republicans in congressional races 51% to 42%.
Independents prefer a Democrat for president by 19 percentage points.
After going for Bush in 2004, married women now prefer a Democratic president in 2008 by a small margin.
Down deeper into the poll:
After going with Bush in 2004 by five percentage points, Catholic voters are returning to the Democratic Party in droves, with 51% wanting a Democratic president and only 38% wanting a Republican.
Americans with college educations prefer a Democrat for president 52% to 41%.
In counties won by John Kerry in 2004 the Democratic ticket leads by a 2-to-1 margin; counties won by Mr. Bush have the Republican ticket winning by only 1 point.
Rural voters still prefer a Republican president, but only by a 48% to 41% margin (the GOP usually carry this demographic by 20+ points).
And finally, a statistic that gives me a little bit of hope for the future, voters under 30 plan to vote Democratic next year by "landslide margins," according to the poll.
That last statistic is Karl Rove's legacy, the way I see it. His destructive campaign methods and his hateful domestic agenda led George W. Bush to a method of governance that will keep younger voters in the Democratic column for a generation.
13 August 2007
Bu-Bye Karl
The President's chief political strategist leaves the White House at the end of the month having dismantled the movement that was lead so passionately by Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan. His counsel to Mr. Bush is responsible for the strong presence of radical religion in our current government, an attempt to soil the Constitution with hateful graffiti, a mismanaged and unwinnable war in Iraq, the freedom of Osama bin Laden, and a national debt that will break the backs of today's children.
And for what?
A measly 50.73% of the popular vote.
And for what?
A measly 50.73% of the popular vote.
Giuliani / Huckabee?
Andrew Sullivan seems to think that such a ticket would be formidable next year. Rudy from New York, Mike from Arkansas - possibly running against a woman who hails from both states. Quite Rovian, if you ask me.
Halloween Cancelled
Well, at least in the Castro. Following last year's gun violence (9 people were shot - none, thankfully, died) and stabbings a few years prior, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted last week to put the kabosh on the annual celebration.
I for one am pleased. If an increased police presence wasn't able to stop outsiders from coming in with guns and knives then the only choice the city had was to stop the party.
If the Board hadn't acted, then I hate to think how things could have escalated. Beatings at Pink Saturday? Murder at the Castro Street Fair?
Big thanks to my supervisor, Bevan Dufty, for pushing this through.
I for one am pleased. If an increased police presence wasn't able to stop outsiders from coming in with guns and knives then the only choice the city had was to stop the party.
If the Board hadn't acted, then I hate to think how things could have escalated. Beatings at Pink Saturday? Murder at the Castro Street Fair?
Big thanks to my supervisor, Bevan Dufty, for pushing this through.
Rove Resigns
Karl Rove, the man behind all that was hateful and destructive about the President's domestic agenda, will resign his post as Deputy White House Chief of Staff effective August 31. Still developing. More later.
The Songs of Summer
One of the classiest summer R&B tunes ever. From 1974, enjoy...
"Summer Madness" by Kool and the Gang
"Summer Madness" by Kool and the Gang
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Little Miss Chloe...
...would like to thank Uncle Larry and Uncle Trevor for "Chloe-sitting" me this weekend while my dads were up in Bodega Bay for a wedding.You guys rock!
12 August 2007
Failure Around the Globe
Quote of the Day:
The incompetence of Mr. Bush and his minions is criminal. Imagine for a minute how a Republican congress would have acted if Al Gore had taken his eye off the ball in Afghanistan following 9/11, moved troops and vital resources into another country - one that had nothing to do with those terrorist attacks - and then proceeded to drive the whole anti-terrorism effort off a cliff with presidential incompetence. Imagine for a minute how (again, if Al Gore were president) a Republican congress would be frothing at the mouth over the fact that the man responsible for the 9/11 attacks and his group of global thugs were roaming free in the mountains of the Afghan-Pakastani boarder six years after an attack on American soil killed 3,000 innocent U.S. civilians.
A Republican congress would have impeached a "President Gore" over such deeds before he could finish his first term, and more than likely would have had him charged criminally. Yet George W. Bush, in the last years of his second term, continues to get a free pass from the new Democratic congress.
Come on, people! Get your heads out of your asses and impeach this son of a bitch and his evil vice-president before it's too late. Can American really afford 18 more months of these guys?
...it’s more the epicenter of terrorism than Iraq. If we don’t succeed in Afghanistan, you’re sending a very clear message to the terrorist organizations that the U.S., the U.N. and the 37 countries with troops on the ground can be defeated.-Gen. James L. Jones, retired NATO supreme commander, in a superbly written piece from today's New York Times, on how the Bush administration has dropped the ball in Afghanistan.
The incompetence of Mr. Bush and his minions is criminal. Imagine for a minute how a Republican congress would have acted if Al Gore had taken his eye off the ball in Afghanistan following 9/11, moved troops and vital resources into another country - one that had nothing to do with those terrorist attacks - and then proceeded to drive the whole anti-terrorism effort off a cliff with presidential incompetence. Imagine for a minute how (again, if Al Gore were president) a Republican congress would be frothing at the mouth over the fact that the man responsible for the 9/11 attacks and his group of global thugs were roaming free in the mountains of the Afghan-Pakastani boarder six years after an attack on American soil killed 3,000 innocent U.S. civilians.
A Republican congress would have impeached a "President Gore" over such deeds before he could finish his first term, and more than likely would have had him charged criminally. Yet George W. Bush, in the last years of his second term, continues to get a free pass from the new Democratic congress.
Come on, people! Get your heads out of your asses and impeach this son of a bitch and his evil vice-president before it's too late. Can American really afford 18 more months of these guys?
10 August 2007
The HRC Debate
The Human Rights Campaign sponsored a presidential discussion focusing on gay and lesbian issues last night in which all but two of the major Democratic candidates attended. Each candidate appeared by themselves, with questions coming from a panel of three. Unfortunately I only saw the last two segments with Bill Richardson and Hillary Clinton (my cable guide listed the forum as airing at 9pm California time when Logo actually aired it live starting at 6pm; I just happened upon it as Richardson was being questioned).
My heart sank as I listened to the New Mexico governor. When asked by Melissa Etheridge if he thought homosexuality was biological or a choice, Richardson insisted (three times!) that it was a choice. That's the line the fascist right-wingers like to use when trying to write discrimination into the Constitution or insist that therapy will turn us straight. I like Bill Richardson and have been hoping he'd start to do better in the primary election polling. America needs someone with his foreign policy expertise (UN ambassador, energy secretary, international diplomat) in the next government to help clean up George's mess.
But, last night, when he insisted I chose to be this way...well...the only thing I could do was sink down in my seat...keep my dinner down...and mutter, "Oh, Bill."
And speaking of Bill...Hillary Clinton actually impressed me. She seems to be getting much more comfortable in her campaign style, sitting there comfortably and confidently as the panel asked her questions. Granted, she was there as the offically endorsed candidate of the Human Rights Campaign, but she answered questions intelligently without coming across as cold and calculating; and she defended her husband's record on LGBT issues during his presidency.
As Etheridge said, when Mr. Clinton campaigned for the presidency the gay community was full of hope that his administration would step up to the plate and right a long list of wrongs. By the time he was to win re-election in 1996 we had "been thrown under the bus" (as Etheridge put it). (Don't Ask, Don't Tell and the Defense of Marriage Act were both signed by Clinton.)
I understand that argument. Really, I do. I was just as disappointed as everyone else. But last night Hillary explained things in much the way I understood them to be at the time: Political realities prevented President Clinton from moving too far forward on the gay front.
Had Clinton signed an executive order - without any military or congressional involvement - that allowed gays to serve in the military, the 1994 Republican congressional takeover would have been much bigger than it already was. And had he vetoed the Defense of Marriage Act, the presidential election of 1996 would have gone to Bob Dole; and after a two-term Dole presidency we'd be sitting right now in the first term of either a President Kemp or President Jeb Bush. America, and the Democratic Party, couldn't afford that.
Do I wish Bill Clinton had had the cajones to do what was right? Of course. But at the time, he did what he felt he had to do for political considerations. But America's conservative bent is just as much to blame as Clinton's desire to remain in power.
My heart sank as I listened to the New Mexico governor. When asked by Melissa Etheridge if he thought homosexuality was biological or a choice, Richardson insisted (three times!) that it was a choice. That's the line the fascist right-wingers like to use when trying to write discrimination into the Constitution or insist that therapy will turn us straight. I like Bill Richardson and have been hoping he'd start to do better in the primary election polling. America needs someone with his foreign policy expertise (UN ambassador, energy secretary, international diplomat) in the next government to help clean up George's mess.
But, last night, when he insisted I chose to be this way...well...the only thing I could do was sink down in my seat...keep my dinner down...and mutter, "Oh, Bill."
And speaking of Bill...Hillary Clinton actually impressed me. She seems to be getting much more comfortable in her campaign style, sitting there comfortably and confidently as the panel asked her questions. Granted, she was there as the offically endorsed candidate of the Human Rights Campaign, but she answered questions intelligently without coming across as cold and calculating; and she defended her husband's record on LGBT issues during his presidency.
As Etheridge said, when Mr. Clinton campaigned for the presidency the gay community was full of hope that his administration would step up to the plate and right a long list of wrongs. By the time he was to win re-election in 1996 we had "been thrown under the bus" (as Etheridge put it). (Don't Ask, Don't Tell and the Defense of Marriage Act were both signed by Clinton.)
I understand that argument. Really, I do. I was just as disappointed as everyone else. But last night Hillary explained things in much the way I understood them to be at the time: Political realities prevented President Clinton from moving too far forward on the gay front.
Had Clinton signed an executive order - without any military or congressional involvement - that allowed gays to serve in the military, the 1994 Republican congressional takeover would have been much bigger than it already was. And had he vetoed the Defense of Marriage Act, the presidential election of 1996 would have gone to Bob Dole; and after a two-term Dole presidency we'd be sitting right now in the first term of either a President Kemp or President Jeb Bush. America, and the Democratic Party, couldn't afford that.
Do I wish Bill Clinton had had the cajones to do what was right? Of course. But at the time, he did what he felt he had to do for political considerations. But America's conservative bent is just as much to blame as Clinton's desire to remain in power.
09 August 2007
Extended Break
Things are just a bit hectic at the moment. We're off to Bodega Bay to attend a friend's wedding this weekend and I will back in full force when I return. Check back on Monday.
07 August 2007
04 August 2007
02 August 2007
Reunited
Daniel Mangini and Steven Roberts of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania have been in committed relationship for more than 20 years. They built a home together and raised Roberts' niece. But after the niece reached adulthood, the couple somehow fell to the addiction of crystal meth and started selling the drug to support their habit.
The were subsequently arrested and sentenced to a short prison term followed by a five year "supervised release" program in which they were barred from associating with other felons other than family members. Judge Marvin Katz sided with the probation department when they argued that Magini and Roberts same-sex relationship should not be treated the same as a straight relationship.
The ACLU appealed the decision to the 3rd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals on the couple's behalf and on Tuesday Judge Katz reversed his decision. After a year without any contact, the men are now back together and resuming their lives.
The were subsequently arrested and sentenced to a short prison term followed by a five year "supervised release" program in which they were barred from associating with other felons other than family members. Judge Marvin Katz sided with the probation department when they argued that Magini and Roberts same-sex relationship should not be treated the same as a straight relationship.
The ACLU appealed the decision to the 3rd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals on the couple's behalf and on Tuesday Judge Katz reversed his decision. After a year without any contact, the men are now back together and resuming their lives.
The Minneapolis Bridge
The death toll in yesterday's Minneapolis bridge collapse seems to be moving around quite a bit. Yesterday it started at two, moved up to nine, and this morning is back down at 4. Twenty to thirty are still missing and cars are believed to be sumberged in the Mississippi River, so that number is bound to creep back up again. But either way you look at it, considering the bridge was bumper-to-bumper traffic at the time of the disaster, any number under 50 would be amazingly lucky.
01 August 2007
The Songs of Summer
From the summer of 1990, a hard rocker from Bad Company...
"Holy Water"
"Holy Water"
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