Obama To Bush: Sign Hate Crimes Act

Barack Obama has issued a statement urging Dubya to sign the Matthew Shepard Act.

"This vote was about who we are as Americans and whether this nation is going to live up to its founding promise of equality. Those who commit hate crimes should be punished no matter whether those crimes are committed on account of race, gender, religion, disability, or sexual orientation. Today’s vote is a victory for all of us in upholding basic rights and protections in this country. I urge the President to reconsider his veto threat and support this legislation. Passing this bill will help us live up to the principle that in this country, we treat all of our citizens with dignity and respect."(Via - Queerty.)

Yesterday Obama drew an estimated audience of 24,000 to a rally in Greenwich Village's Washington Square Park, where he mentioned to the crowd that he used to visit bars in the Village, but that his handlers didn't want him to tell anyone. (Ty's? Dugout? Nah.) The crowd, largely comprised of NYU students, treated Obama like a rock star.