And Bush has already signed. Democrats: Yes - 172, No - 63. Republicans: Yes - 91, No -108.
The House of Representatives gave final approval on Friday to the $700 billion bailout for the financial system, reversing course to authorize what may be the most expensive government intervention in history. At 1:21 p.m., applause and cheers echoed through the House chamber as the number of “aye” votes crossed the threshold needed for passage with just seconds remaining in the official 15-minute voting period. The vote was 263 to 171.
And in a sign of the urgency surrounding the package, Congressional staff rushed the newly printed legislation into a news conference where Democratic leaders gathered after the vote and Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California, signed it, at exactly 2 p.m.
Within an hour, the legislation had been conveyed to the White House and signed by President Bush. Standing in the Rose Garden shortly before signing the document, the president thanked Congressional leaders of both parties by name and said they had achieved something “essential to helping America’s economy weather the financial crisis.”
The stock market is still -144, two hours after the vote.
Remember the state that became the first in the nation to defeat a so-called “marriage amendment” in 2006? Arizona desperately needs your help today in 2008:
Supporters of a measure that would change Arizona’s constitution to ban gay marriage have raised $6.9 million, 17 times more than opponents have raised, according to figures released Thursday.
Arizona became the first state in the nation to defeat the so-called marriage amendment in 2006. Today, our opponents are furious that they lost, and they are pouring millions of dollars into the state to upset the will of the voters. They threatened and coerced the legislature to put this on the ballot because they didn’t want to spend the money to mount a petition campaign. In other words, there has not been a single Arizona voter who signed on to have this put on the ballot. The legislatures actions amounted to a several hundred thousand dollar gift to put this on the ballot for free.
On the positive side, I firmly believe that Arizona is about to lose its distinction of being the only state to turn back one of these amendments — because this year California and Florida will have their own victories to add to the tally. And that will be reason for a huge celebration next month.
However, if things don’t change soon, then Arizona will lose something else: our historic 2006 victory. And if that happens, then the victories in Florida and California won’t be secure. If Arizona loses in 2008 what we won in 2006, our opponents will learn a very important lesson. If they don’t like the answer they got this year, all they have to do is come back again in a couple of years, spend millions of more dollars, and wear us down until they finally get what they want.
Go to Box Turtle Bulletin for their excellent ongoing coverage of the marriage battle in Arizona. And go here or click the above graphic to donate to No On Proposition 102. As Box Turtle notes, a donation of a mere $102 will pay for two drive time radio commercials.
I'm not all that wild about street artist Banksy, but this billboard-sized bit about Wall Street (put up in Soho, I think) made me laugh. Note that "real" graffiti artists have already tagged it with "damn rats."
Holy crap. We've seen Bill O'Reilly melt down many times before but this is insane. Barney Frank gives as good as he gets. (Maybe that's not the right way to word that.)
I totally missed it when I was looking at the list of his lobbying clients, but the Washington Post and others are reporting that openly gay McCain chief of staff Mark Buse once worked for Freddie Mac as a lobbyist.
When mortgage giant Freddie Mac feared several years ago that Sen. John McCain was too outspoken on the issue of executive pay, it pinpointed a lobbyist known for his closeness to McCain and hired him to work with the senator.
Mark Buse, a longtime McCain adviser who had been staff director of the Senate commerce committee, signed on as a Freddie Mac lobbyist, and his firm, ML Strategies, earned $460,000 in lobbying fees in late 2003 and 2004, according to lobbying disclosures. Buse is now chief of staff at McCain's Senate office.
Buse was one of many strategic hires made by Freddie Mac in its efforts to sew up support and manage opponents on Capitol Hill, a push that peaked in 2004 with the retention of 34 outside lobbying firms. Over the past decade, Freddie spent more than $95 million on lobbying, while its sister company, Fannie Mae, spent more than $79 million.
The story of how Buse came to get involved is emblematic of the interconnections among Fannie, Freddie and the lawmakers whose support was critical for their business.
McCain campaign spokesman Brian Rogers said the hiring of Buse did not influence McCain. "I think the reality is that John McCain takes positions, you know, based on what he believes is in the public interest, period," Rogers said. "If these folks thought they were getting something out of John McCain . . . it's not based in fact."
Buse was providing Freddie Mac "with advice on how to deal with issues of concern to them, you know, both in the commerce committee and in the Senate at large," Rogers said. Through the McCain spokesman, Buse declined to comment.
Freddie Mac's interest in Buse dates back to mid-2003. That May, McCain presided over a hearing on executive pay at which he condemned "a disconnect between CEO pay and performance at many of America's corporations" and said that "these kinds of excesses are making a lot of Americans angry."
[snip]
"Senator McCain was talking about limiting executive compensation, and Buse was retained to nip that in the bud," said a former lobbyist who insisted on anonymity because of continuing relationships with the companies.
The commerce committee, which McCain chaired, considered taking up legislation to address Fannie and Freddie in 2003 but refrained from doing so because it lacked jurisdiction, Rogers said.
McCain continued to talk about the compensation issue. But inside Freddie Mac, Buse's effort was viewed as "hugely successful," a former Freddie Mac lobbyist said. "The statements didn't go away completely, but in terms of Senator McCain doing anything about it, it just never materialized. As far as I know, Buse was the only person working that issue for Fannie or Freddie, so he got a lot of credit internally for the results."
As a Freddie Mac lobbyist, Buse participated in a meeting on executive compensation with aides to members of the commerce committee, said sources informed about the matter who insisted on anonymity to avoid professional repercussions. Freddie Mac spokeswoman Sharon McHale said she was unable to get any information on Buse's relationship with the company.
McCain campaign spokesman Rogers said Buse "met with, obviously, a variety of staff." He said Buse never spoke with McCain about Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae or executive compensation.
McCain co-sponsored a bill to overhaul regulation of Fannie and Freddie in September 2003 and again in 2006. "He helped sound the alarm on the risk that Fannie and Freddie posed to the taxpayers unless they were reformed," Rogers said. McCain also advocated requiring companies to count stock option awards as expenses, a move opposed by many corporations because it could depress their earnings and make options less plentiful.
The lobbying reports filed by Buse's firm say his work for Freddie Mac involved "general issues affecting the mortgage industry." The forms listed four other ML Strategies employees as lobbyists for Freddie Mac, but a spokeswoman for the firm, Gina P. Addis, referred questions about their work to Buse.
Buse was nicknamed "The Ferret" because he helped his boss, McCain, find pork-barrel provisions buried in legislation. McCain has said he considered Buse to be like a son.
Buse left the commerce committee staff to lobby, signing on clients as diverse as oil giant Exxon Mobil, Wall Street firm Goldman Sachs and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, according to the government records. He also represented telecommunications clients affected by the committee.
Buse returned to McCain's office this year as chief of staff. Davis, the McCain campaign manager, last week defended his long association with the Homeownership Alliance, saying he served as "the public face of an organization that promoted homeownership." But people who worked for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Homeownership Alliance said the group's central mission was promoting Fannie and Freddie.
I could kick myself for missing Freddie Mac on that list.
After a two year refurbishment, the aircraft carrier Intrepid is back at its dock on the West Side.
The U.S.S. Intrepid made it back up the Hudson to Pier 86 on the West Side today. The aircraft carrier underwent a $120 million refurbishing over the past two years and is headed back to serve as the Intrepid Sea, Air, & Space Museum.
A little history from its press materials: "One of the most distinguished war ships in naval history, the USS Intrepid was first launched in 1943 during World War II, then aided in NASA spacecraft recovery and later served in Vietnam. In 1976, the USS Intrepid was decommissioned and established as a museum ship by Zachary Fisher and the Intrepid Museum Foundation. The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum officially opened in New York City in 1982." The museum will be back open on November 8.
I'm losing all track of time in my dotage. If you had asked me yesterday when they towed out the Intrepid, I'd have said "six months ago."
It's Banned Books Week at the nation's libraries and Christianists in Virginia are using the opportunity to get anti-gay and "ex-gay" books into schools.
During a week that librarians nationwide are highlighting banned books, conservative Christian students and parents showcased their own collection outside a Fairfax County high school yesterday -- a collection they say was banned by the librarians themselves.
More than 40 students, many wearing black T-shirts stamped with the words "Closing Books Shuts Out Ideas," said they tried to donate more than 100 books about homosexuality to more than a dozen high school libraries in the past year. The initiative, organized by Colorado Springs-based Focus on the Family, was intended to add a conservative Christian perspective to shelves that the students said are stocked with "pro-gay" books.
Most of the books were turned down after school librarians said they did not meet school system standards. Titles include "Marriage on Trial: The Case Against Same-Sex Marriage and Parenting" and "Someone I Love Is Gay," which argues that homosexuality is not "a hopeless condition."
"We put ourselves out there . . . and got rejected," said Elizabeth Bognanno, 17, a senior at West Springfield High School, standing before a semicircle of television cameras outside her school. "Censoring books is not a good thing. . . . We believe our personal rights have been violated."
Fairfax County librarians says the books do not "support the diverse interests, needs and viewpoints of the school community," as per library inclusion policy.
The History Channel has launched the MTA's first-ever "full body wrap" ad campaign on the exterior of a subway train.
So what is not for sale to advertisers in the subway system these days? The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has unveiled, for the first time, an advertisement that would cover an entire subway train, every single car, inside and out.
The campaign, for the History Channel’s series “Cities of the Underworld,” will run the month of October. The “full body wrap” will be done on one of the shuttle trains that run between Grand Central and Times Square. In addition, narrow advertising stripes, about two feet high, will run the length of subway cars on the No. 1, 3, 4 and 7 lines for the History Channel series.
Vinyl advertisements have blanketed the inside of subway cars before, starting in 2005 with HBO’s “Deadwood” series. Since then, the shuttle riders have been immersed in messages from The New York Times, Cottonelle and the Bronx Zoo, among others. The vinyl, which costs about $75,000 per car, requires a little heat and small rollers to apply. And vinyl technology has been used on city buses since 1992.
These are is just part of the aggressive advertising technologies that transportation authority officials said they were experimenting with this month. Stairs can be sold as advertising space (as they already have been in the Grand Central end of the shuttle). Turnstiles will also be wrapped with ads. (Turnstiles? Well, in the past they’ve already tried selling columns to advertisers.)
Even the tunnels are not sacrosanct. Video advertisements in tunnels, as currently appear in Boston and London, are also expected to be installed in the early part on 2009 in the shuttle line. Riders will be able to view a full motion video through the windows of the car as the train moves.
And in areas where there is high traffic but little advertising space (like the No. 1, 2 and 3 platforms in Times Square)? No matter, the transportation authority is looking into projection technology.
Turnstyles? Where does it end? I have always enjoyed the full interior wraps of the S train in the past as they were rare enough to be surprising.
This may be the last you see of Sen. Larry Craig. Here's a short bit of his final address to the Senate yesterday.
It was just last year that Sen. Larry E. Craig riveted political Washington with his arrest in an airport sex sting and subsequent public declaration, “I am not gay.” On Thursday, there was much less hubbub — in fact, none at all — as the Idaho Republican delivered his farewell speech on the Senate floor. In a largely empty chamber, Craig talked at length about energy independence and the importance of increasing domestic oil production. A couple of his colleagues said nice things about his legislative work. He said nice things about them in return.
And then it was done.
Goodbye, Larry. On behalf of myself and bloggers worldwide, thanks for the laughs.
Supporters of a measure that would change Arizona’s constitution to ban gay marriage have raised $6.9 million, 17 times more than opponents have raised, according to figures released Thursday.
Supporters of Proposition 102 say the money they’ve gotten signifies broad support against gay marriage among Arizonans. Opponents say the measure is a waste of time and money, considering the state voted down a similar measure in 2006 and gay marriage already is illegal in Arizona.
Either way, the money gives backers of the ban an edge over opponents, said Fred Solop, a political pollster at Northern Arizona University. "That’s an indication that there is obviously support for this ban," Solop said. "Clearly people feel very strongly about this issue - this is one of those moral issues that strikes at the very core of voters."
The ballot proposal, which goes before voters Nov. 4, would amend the state’s constitution to define marriage as a union between one man and one woman.
"This is clearly an uphill battle," said Marty Rouse, national field director for the Human Rights Campaign, a Washington, D.C.-based gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization that donated $50,000 to opponents of Arizona’s measure.
The Arizona state court outlawed same-sex marriage in 2003. The current effort would enshrine that discrimination in the state constitution.
White Supremacist Materials Found In Home Of Lawrence King's Killer
Investigators found white supremacist materials in the home of Brandon McInerney, the 14 year old killer of gay teen Lawrence King. The materials were a "prime consideration" in the adding of a hate crimes charge.
Investigators seized white supremacist materials, including doodlings of Nazi swastikas, from the bedroom of Brandon McInerney, the 14-year-old Oxnard student accused of gunning down his gay classmate.
The items were found after McInerney's arrest Feb. 12 for allegedly killing Lawrence "Larry" King, 15, a classmate at E.O. Green Junior High School, Senior Deputy Dist. Atty. Maeve Fox wrote in a court filing this week. The "trove" of white supremacist literature and drawings depict a "racist skinhead philosophy of the variety espoused by Tom Metzger, David Lane and others," Fox wrote.
McInerney is being tried as an adult on a murder count, plus a hate crime allegation. Prosecutors previously declined to specify their justification for the hate crime enhancement. But in the court documents, Fox said the materials found in the teenager's bedroom were a primary consideration in adding the hate crime charge. McInerney's attorney, Deputy Public Defender William Quest, called the prosecution's disclosure a "stunt" intended to inflame public sentiment against his client.
The case has been delayed due to a possible change in McInerney's defense team.
Virtually all polls give the win to Biden. But all agree that Palin did better that expected. How could she not have?
Random and non-random polls for the vice presidential debate declare Biden the winner over Palin in the vice-presidential debate.
Non-random (unscientific) polls on AOL and MSNBC web sites show Biden winning 48 to 45 and 78.6 to 18.9 respectively.
Randomly selected subjects on three other polls also show Biden winning:
CNN/Opinion Research Biden 51 Palin 36 CBS Biden 46 Palin 21 Fox Biden 61 Palin 39
In the CBS poll, of the uncommitted voters, 18% now say they will vote Obama/Biden, 10% now say McCain/Palin.
Post-debate reaction seemed to agree that Governor Palin gave a good account of herself in being able to deliver prepared answers, though often not responsive to the question at hand.
You get a decent view of the east side of Manhattan from the Pulaski Bridge, a short drawbridge over the Newtown Creek, which separates Queens from Brooklyn. That's the industrial section of Long Island City in the foreground. Embiggens nicely.
Aaron, Chris and I watched tonight's debate at the LGBT For Obama event at Room Service in the Flatiron District, where we arrived to find the place ridiculously packed. Like much of the room, we spent the entire time standing pressed up against a seating area, so by the time it was over my back was aching. Oy. The organizers spoke briefly before things got started, asking for volunteers to ride campaign buses to swing states and help drum up support.
So. What did you think? The crowd at Room Service hooted and booed every time Palin went into her folksy charm schtick and erupted with jeers anytime she veered from the question at hand. Which seemed to be rather often. However, the consensus afterwards was the Palin didn't quite do as bad as everybody had hoped. I'll have to read some analysis before I decide on that, we couldn't hear some of what she was saying due to the hooting of the crowd.
BEST BIT: How about that statement of support for gays from Biden? One of the best I've heard, despite the anti-marriage bit that followed.
WORST BIT: Did you notice at the end how Palin's handlers fucking HURLED that baby into her arms? Palin stood there patting and bouncing the baby while her other spawn milled around her feet. Shameless.
UPDATE: Via Towleroad, here's the video and transcript of the gay rights discussion.
IFILL: The next round of -- pardon me, the next round of questions starts with you, Sen. Biden. Do you support, as they do in Alaska, granting same-sex benefits to couples?
BIDEN: Absolutely. Do I support granting same-sex benefits? Absolutely positively. Look, in an Obama-Biden administration, there will be absolutely no distinction from a constitutional standpoint or a legal standpoint between a same-sex and a heterosexual couple.
The fact of the matter is that under the Constitution we should be granted -- same-sex couples should be able to have visitation rights in the hospitals, joint ownership of property, life insurance policies, et cetera. That's only fair.
It's what the Constitution calls for. And so we do support it. We do support making sure that committed couples in a same-sex marriage are guaranteed the same constitutional benefits as it relates to their property rights, their rights of visitation, their rights to insurance, their rights of ownership as heterosexual couples do.
IFILL: Governor, would you support expanding that beyond Alaska to the rest of the nation?
PALIN: Well, not if it goes closer and closer towards redefining the traditional definition of marriage between one man and one woman. And unfortunately that's sometimes where those steps lead.
But I also want to clarify, if there's any kind of suggestion at all from my answer that I would be anything but tolerant of adults in America choosing their partners, choosing relationships that they deem best for themselves, you know, I am tolerant and I have a very diverse family and group of friends and even within that group you would see some who may not agree with me on this issue, some very dear friends who don't agree with me on this issue.
But in that tolerance also, no one would ever propose, not in a McCain-Palin administration, to do anything to prohibit, say, visitations in a hospital or contracts being signed, negotiated between parties.
But I will tell Americans straight up that I don't support defining marriage as anything but between one man and one woman, and I think through nuances we can go round and round about what that actually means.
But I'm being as straight up with Americans as I can in my non- support for anything but a traditional definition of marriage.
IFILL: Let's try to avoid nuance, Senator. Do you support gay marriage?
BIDEN: No. Barack Obama nor I support redefining from a civil side what constitutes marriage. We do not support that. That is basically the decision to be able to be able to be left to faiths and people who practice their faiths the determination what you call it.
The bottom line though is, and I'm glad to hear the governor, I take her at her word, obviously, that she think there should be no civil rights distinction, none whatsoever, between a committed gay couple and a committed heterosexual couple. If that's the case, we really don't have a difference.
IFILL: Is that what your said?
PALIN: Your question to him was whether he supported gay marriage and my answer is the same as his and it is that I do not.
IFILL: Wonderful. You agree. On that note, let's move to foreign policy.
Before you head home today, be sure and print out some Sarah Palin bingo cards for you and your friends to mark off each time she uses her favorite words. I'm calling the one with maverick AND pitbull on it. For extra points, fill in every square to score a media blackout!
Joe Biden has already won tonight's debate, according to the American Family Association's online poll. 'Tis a pity that nobody's obeying their request not to vote until the debate actually happens. What meanie has been sending their link around the lefty blogosphere? (Via - Good As You)
Leonardo DiCaprio, will i. am, Tobey Maguire, and Forest Whitaker have created public service announcements to encourage American youth to register to vote. The non-partisan PSAs, produced by DiCaprios Appian Way, were created to engage and inspire young people to register and vote and participate in the upcoming election. Celebrities appearing in the PSAs include: Amy Adams, will.i.am, Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Bacon, Halle Berry, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Connolly, Courteney Cox, Ellen DeGeneres, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx, Jonah Hill, Dustin Hoffman, Anthony Kiedis, Ashton Kutcher, Adam Levine, Laura Linney, Eva Longoria, Tobey Maguire, Demi Moore, Natalie Portman, Giovanni Ribisi, Ethan Suplee, Kyra Sedgwick, Michelle Trachtenberg, Usher, and Forest Whitaker.
No technology unexploited; Obama can take over your iPhone. CNET reports on the applications fairly rich set of features: The most notable feature "organizes and prioritizes your contacts by key battleground states, making it easy to reach out and make an impact quickly," according to the software. The application anonymously reports back the number of calls made this way: "Your privacy is important: no personal data or contacts will be uploaded or stored. Only the total number of calls you make is uploaded anonymously."
I guess this is sort of a breakfast corn dog. With chocolate chips. It's microwavable! I don't know how new of a product this is, I saw it at the Food Emporium and cracked up.
What's less surprising than the Gayken coming out? The Christianist boycott of Google for opposing Prop 8.
Randy Thomasson of the Campaign for Children and Families says young billionaires Sergey Brin and Larry Page (Google co-founder) have "replaced all notions of God's truth by worshiping money as god. You might have noticed that their website actually avoids Thanksgiving, diminishes holidays like the Fourth of July, gives sarcastic tribute to Easter and Christmas, and actually elevates more pagan-type holidays to their liking," he points out. "So, it's no surprise whatsoever."
Thomasson is calling on supporters of traditional marriage to take action with their pocketbooks. "There needs to be a response from people who will say, 'I'm not going to put a dime of my money or time into businesses that are attacking the sacred institution of marriage,'" he argues. And the pro-family activist has some suggestions on how to do that. "Don't buy Levis. Don't use AT&T. Don't use Google," states Thomasson. "We've got to take a stand, and our money is generally how we vote with our conscience -- at least we need to start thinking that way."
Let's see: McDonald's, Levis, AT&T, PG&E, Google, and on and on. They'll be living under a rock before too long. Oh, wait.
-"Bye Bye Google, AT&T and Levi perverts - I will spend my money with decent and moral companies. McD lost mine and most I know money the day we learned of their perversion also." -"Boycott the corporations that promote anti-Biblical teachings, promoting immorality, while silencing the truth of the Bible, like Google. I stopped using Google years ago, when they refused to run ads from anybody opposed to homosexual activism. I don't even use the word, "Google," to keep them from getting the influence on people I work with." -"If we keep allowing these people/companies to defy God, & continue to support them, then we can't complain when God sends His wrath upon us, like He told us He would do, for allowing our nation to go against Him."
ACLU Demands Probe Of Maryland Police Accused Of Spying On 32 Groups
Has the Maryland state police been infiltrating political activism groups such as Equality Maryland?
The American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland yesterday demanded that the state police disclose under public information laws whether 32 grass-roots advocacy and political activist groups that have held large public protests in recent years have been targets of spying by undercover agents.
Yesterday's request follows revelations in July that state police officers posing as activists conducted surveillance in 2005 and 2006 on war protesters and death penalty opponents.
Information is being sought on behalf of groups ranging from Silver Spring-based Progressive Maryland, which promotes liberal causes, to Defend Life, a Washington area anti-abortion coalition. The organizations include immigrant advocacy group CASA of Maryland, PeaceAction Montgomery, Christian Peace Witness for Iraq, the gay rights group Equality Maryland and a coalition formed to fight high electricity rates in the Washington-Baltimore area.
Equality Maryland has not yet commented on the probe on their site.
Disneyland has announced they will close early on the last day of Gay Days this weekend in order to boot out the queers for the 16th birthday party of Miley Cyrus. Disney will redirect mouse-happy homos over to California Adventure.
In what is presumably an oversight on someone’s part, the “Hannah Montana” star’s Sweet 16 celebration with 5,000 of her closest fans this Sunday (October 5, though her actual birthday’s in November) happens to coincide with the last day of the park’s annual unofficial Gay Days, which draws 30,000 gay and lesbian visitors to the Happiest Place on Earth every fall.
When word broke about the double booking a few days ago, early reports erroneously had Disney folks dissing the Gay Days revelers and shutting them out of the park. But a Disneyland rep told “Access Hollywood” on Tuesday that in order to accommodate both groups, the park will be closing at 5 p.m. to guests not attending the Cyrus party. To make up for it, Disney will accommodate Gay Days guests after 5 p.m. at its sister park, Disney’s California Adventure, which will extend its hours to 11 p.m.
Gay Days isn't too bent out of shape and has invited Cyrus to come sing for the boys at the other park.
Japanese cooks, however, consider toasted rice overcooked and highly undesirable. The unwanted crust left stuck to the bottom of the rice cooker is called okoge — the same word used as slang for a single woman who spends a lot of time with gay men.
"I'm a liberal Democrat." So began a widely circulated opinion piece by David Blankenhorn appearing in the Los Angeles Times on Sept. 19 in support of Proposition 8, an initiative on California's November 4 ballot that would eliminate the marriage rights of same-sex couples recently recognized by the California Supreme Court. The piece is entitled "Protecting Marriage to Protect Children." Blankenhorn's theme is: "It's perfectly natural to be a liberal Democrat but against gay marriage, because I am." Thus, he stakes the credibility of his position -- that marriage by same-sex couples is bad for children -- on his purported status as a "liberal Democrat."
Conservatives applauded Blankenhorn vigorously. A press release sent out Sept. 22 from Christian News Wire emphasized, "What is noteworthy is the source: the author of the Op-Ed piece is a Liberal Democrat, which underscores the broad support for Proposition 8 in order to protect marriage for society, our institutions, and for children in California." Gushed one blogger: "Frankly it's astonishing that a liberal could hold the kind of morality, honesty and insight displayed in this article and still call himself a liberal, but okay."
It is odd indeed when a person claims the mantle of a certain political philosophy while espousing an opinion seemingly at odds with that political philosophy. It makes you wonder: Is this person really who he claims to be?
The vehicle Blankenhorn uses for espousing his opinions on marriage and family values is a think tank he calls the Institute for American Values, of which he is president. In accordance with its status as an untaxed entity, IAV must file a Form 990 financial report annually with the IRS. These filings are available to the public, and you can learn a lot from them. Here is what public records tell us about IAV:
During the 15 years preceding 2006, IAV received nearly $4.5 million in funding from a coterie of ultra-conservative Republican foundations, including the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, the Scaife Family Foundation, and the Randolph Foundation. These foundations supply funds for a network of right-wing Republican think tanks that promote a variety of causes such as the elimination of gay marriage, abortion rights and embryonic stem-cell research; prayer in public schools; creationism and deregulatory free-market economics.
Yesterday Bill Clinton campaigned for Obama in Orlando at my alma mater, the University of Central Florida. "Hillary sent me!" More from his speech:
Here's why you ought to be for Barack Obama. Number one, he's got the right philosophy. He knows you have to grow an economy from the ground up, not from the top down. Number two, he's got better answers. Better answers for the economy, for energy, for health care, for education. He knows what it will take to get this country back on track.
I have carefully read everything these candidates put out. And I'm telling you it matters. Because the history is this, notwithstanding what people think about us politicians, the truth is virtually every person elected as president does his, and someday I hope her, very best to keep the commitments made in the campaign. And you need to know what they stand for. Obama's answers are better.
Number three, he's got better understanding, better advisers, and better instincts on this economic stuff. All of us who've been involved in this have been in a very harrowing period these last few days as you know. When all this happened, it was a matter that was unprecedented in the lifetimes of the people who were dealing with it. What did Barack Obama do? First of all he got his advisers on the phone, then he called all mine, then he callled some more. And you know what he said? 'Tell me what the problem is and how to fix it. Don't tell me what the politics are. Let's do the right thing and we'll sell it to America."
People are always accusing Bill Clinton of damning Obama with faint praise, but this speech seemed right on the mark to me.
UNRELATED: Next year UCF is expected to pass Ohio State to become the largest (by enrollment) university in the country. And to think when I went there our homecoming opponent was Fort Lauderdale Art College. I kid, I kid.
Rosie O'Donnell is trying to bring back the variety show, starting with a special on the night before Thanksgiving.
NBC will air "Rosie's Variety Show" as an hourlong live special the night before Thanksgiving, with an eye toward expansion to a full series order should viewers embrace the project. The special will feature celebrity guests, musical acts, comedy skits and a prize giveaway for the show's in-studio and home audiences. David Friedman ("Last Call With Carson Daly") has been tapped to executive produce along with O'Donnell.
The show's Nov. 26 premiere date manages to trump Fox's upcoming Osbourne family variety show, which is expected to debut in the winter or spring. For NBC, the project's live aspect is of particular interest, both as a way of distinguishing the product from competitors and to discourage viewers from time-shifting the show. NBC has aired "America's Got Talent" results shows live this year and plans a quartet of "Saturday Night Live" primetime specials.
How about a handheld detector for a slew of diseases, including HIV?
Testing for diseases such as cancer and multiple sclerosis could soon be as simple as using a pregnancy testing kit. A team led by scientists at the University of Leeds has developed a biosensor technology that uses antibodies to detect biomarkers - molecules in the human body which are often a marker for disease – much faster than current testing methods.
The technology could be used in doctors’ surgeries for more accurate referral to consultants, and in hospitals for rapid diagnosis. Tests have shown that the biosensors can detect a wide range of analytes (substances being measured), including biomarkers present in prostate and ovarian cancer, stroke, multiple sclerosis, heart disease and fungal infections. The team also believes that the biosensors are versatile enough to test for diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV.
The technology was developed through a European collaboration of researchers and commercial partners in a 2.7 million Euro project called ELISHA. ELISHA was co-ordinated by Dr Paul Millner from the Faculty of Biological Sciences at the University of Leeds, and managed by colleague Dr Tim Gibson. Says Dr Millner: “We believe this to be the next generation diagnostic testing. We can now detect almost any analyte faster, cheaper and more easily than the current accepted testing methodology.“
Let's just hope this thing doesn't go on the general market. I already have a friend who gets a new disease every week after watching House.
Via Gothamist, go here for an interactive map of places hosting Biden/Palin debate watching parties tonight in NYC. If you wanna plug your own bar or destination, put it in the comments. I'm going to try to make to the Room Service event below.
The Senate strongly endorsed the $700 billion economic bailout plan on Wednesday, leaving backers optimistic that the easy approval, coupled with an array of popular additions, would lead to House acceptance by Friday and end the legislative uncertainty that has rocked the markets.
In stark contrast to the House rejection of the plan on Monday, a bipartisan coalition of senators — including both presidential candidates — showed no hesitation in backing a proposal that had drawn public scorn, though the outpouring eased somewhat after a market plunge followed the House defeat. The Senate margin was 74 to 25 in favor of the White House initiative to buy troubled securities in an effort to avoid an economic catastrophe. Only Senator Edward M. Kennedy, who is being treated for brain cancer, did not vote. The two Senate leaders, Senators Harry Reid, Democrat of Nevada and the majority leader, and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, strongly urged their colleagues to approve the plan despite the political risk given public resentment.
Well, this is an odd bird. For most of the clip, Republicans Against 8 sing a love song to Ronald Reagan and Sarah Palin, but then close with a plea to vote against Prop 8. Talk about mixed messages.
John McCain has responded to a list of LGBT-related questions submitted by the Washington Blade. In his responses, McCain speaks fondly of such noted gay figures as former Rep. Jim Kolby (R-AZ), lesbian activists Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, and Mark Bingham, at whose funeral McCain spoke.
Unfortunately, the submitted questions do not mention McCain chief of staff Mark Buse, but McCain says this about potentially naming an openly gay person to the Supreme Court or other prominent positions: "I have always hired the most qualified and competent people — regardless of their political party, race, gender, religion or sexual orientation."
On whether he'd appoint a SCOTUS judge with a history of anti-gay rulings: "I will nominate judges who interpret the Constitution, not judges who legislate from the bench. Legislators pass laws; judges interpret them. Unfortunately, too many judges have become confused [about] their role."
Below are some of his other responses on critical gay issues. There are no surprises.
DADT: "I promise to give full consideration to any legislation that reaches my desk. On “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” I’m going to defer to our military commanders. So far they have told me it’s working. I’m willing to have the policy reviewed to make sure that’s the case, but at the end of the day, I’m going to rely on the commanders who will be impacted by a change in the law."
ADOPTION: "I respect the hundreds of thousands of gay and lesbian people who are doing their best to raise the children they have adopted. As someone who adopted a child, Cindy and I know better than most couples the amazing satisfaction that comes from providing love to an unwanted child. I believe a child is best raised by a mother and father because of the unique contributions that they make together to the development of a child. At the end of the day, this isn’t an issue the president deals with. I’m a federalist, and this is an issue reserved to the states in our system of government."
Log Cabin Republicans: "I appreciate Log Cabin’s support. I’ve had a friendly relationship with the organization for almost 15 years. We don’t agree on every issue, but I respect their commitment to the GOP and I thank them for their support. Our party needs to focus on what unites us and I appreciate Log Cabin’s effort to make the GOP more inclusive. I have always been willing to discuss the important issues of the day with Log Cabin members and that will continue if I am elected. This is going to be a close election and we need support from every American. I hope gay and lesbian Americans will give full consideration to supporting me. The stakes are high in this election. I will have an inclusive administration and I will be a president for all Americans."
DOMA: "As a Republican, I am a strong advocate for federalism. States should be able to decide as many issues as possible. That’s certainly the case on the definition of marriage. My home state of Arizona shouldn’t be compelled to recognize a marriage from California or Massachusetts. Those states can decide that issue by themselves. However, at the same time, my own view is that marriage should be reserved for a man and a woman. That’s what I supported in Arizona. I realize this is a controversial issue and we must conduct this debate in a way that respects the dignity of every person."
Federal Marriage Amendment: "I voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2004 and 2006. I continue to oppose such an amendment today, because as I’ve explained this should be a state matter, and not one for the federal government — as long as no state is forced to adopt some other state’s standard."
Proposition 8: "As I did in my home state of Arizona, I support the effort in California to define marriage as the union of a man and a woman. However, the people of California will ultimately decide this issue, and I’ll of course respect the decision of the voters."
ENDA: "Gay and lesbian people should not face discrimination in the workplace. I’ve always practiced that in my hiring. I select the best people, regardless of their sexual orientation. I support the concept of non-discrimination in hiring for gay and lesbian people. However, we need to make sure legislation doesn’t lead to a flood of frivolous lawsuits or infringe on religious institutions. What I can say now is I will give careful consideration to any legislation that reaches my desk, and confer with Congress before making decisions."
Matthew Shepard Act: "I have voted against the proposal several times. Let me make it clear that no one should face violence because of who they are. It’s un-American and morally repugnant. People who commit any violent crime should face tough penalties. However, I am not convinced that this is properly a federal issue, or that criminal sentences for terrible crimes should be longer because of the views of the perpetrator or the identity of the victim." Read the entirety of the Washington Blade's interview.
Pam Spaulding: "You can't say this ad by the 85,000-member National Nurses Organizing Committee/California Nurses Association doesn't go right to the point." This ad will run this week to coincide with the vice presidential debate.
Independent candidate for the Canadian parliament David Popescu told a high school debate audience yesterday that he recommended that gays be executed. Canadian authorities are investigating and may charge Popescu with a hate crime.
David Popescu was invited to participate in a federal candidates' discussion at Sudbury Secondary School on Tuesday. He made the comment after a student asked his opinion of gay marriage. Within hours, the Greater Sudbury Police Service said they were investigating. "We are actively conducting a criminal investigation in this matter," deputy police chief Frank Elsner said.
The police service plans to share its evidence with the provincial Attorney General's office, which will provide direction on whether or not a criminal charge is warranted. More than 200 students gathered in the school's auditorium to hear candidates from the NDP, Liberal Party and the First Peoples National Party.
Popescu introduced himself with a public prayer, blaming environmental damage and economic unrest on the wickedness of society. His comments were met with silence as some students grimaced and shifted in their seats.
Near the end of the more than two-hour event, students were invited to ask the candidates questions. As a long line of pupils waited to speak, Popescu told a young female student who asked about stem cell research that, "God would hurt" those who had an abortion.
The crowd jeered and many rose to their feet in protest after Popescu answered another teenager's question on gay marriage. During a telephone interview later in the day, Popescu reasserted his view. "A young man asked me what I think of homosexual marriages and I said I think homosexuals should be executed," he said. "My whole reason for running is the Bible and the Bible couldn't be more clear on that point."
Canada has much stronger restriction on public speech than the United States.
Amway Billionaire Gives $100K To Fight Gay Marriage In Florida
Amway billionaire Rich Devos, the owner of NBA team Orlando Magic, has donated $100K to support Florida's Amendment 2, which would make gay marriage double-extra banned in Florida. Protesters have been appearing at outside Magic games at Orlando's Amway Arena.
Inside the Amway Arena, a voice over the public-address system announced that the next two people to buy upper-bowl tickets to the Orlando Magic would get a basketball autographed by Hedo Turkoglu. Meanwhile, outside the facility, protesters chanted, "The billionaire's a bonehead. The billionaire's a bonehead."
Professional sports and political street theater intersected Sunday as opponents of a proposed amendment to the Florida Constitution vented their wrath on Magic owner Rich DeVos on the day season-ticket holders were selecting their seats.
The protesters were calling attention to DeVos' contribution of $100,000 to Florida4Marriage, a group that supports Amendment 2, which would add the existing ban on gay marriage to the state constitution. Opponents say the measure could also deny domestic-partnership benefits for unmarried couples -- gay and straight.
"He's the biggest contributor to the amendment from Orlando," said Jennifer Foster, who helped organize the protest, which drew about 30 people. "And he's getting $1 billion in taxpayers' money to build the arena. That sends a bad message." DeVos was unavailable for comment.
The "Marriage Protection Amendment" on the Nov. 4 ballot states that, "Inasmuch as marriage is the legal union of only one man and one woman as husband and wife, no other legal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent thereof shall be valid or recognized."
Same-sex marriage is already banned in Florida. Amendment 2 is an attempt to make sure that legal same-sex marriages from other states will not be recognized in Florida. Many Florida newspapers have come out against Amendment 2, but the most recent polls indicate its passage is too close to call at the moment.
D'oh! I took down a just-posted story about the dissolution of Belgium as I had linked a story from September last year. I think it popped up in my news reader yesterday in a list of stories about European markets responding to the US banking meltdown. Here's the more current story.
The turbulence at Fortis, the Belgo-Dutch banking and insurance group, could hardly have erupted at a worse time for Belgium, whose linguistic rivalries and disputes over regional autonomy are so intractable that the country has been in almost total political deadlock for 15 months.
Fortis is the leading provider of retail financial services in the three Benelux countries, holding about €94bn in customer deposits as of June. It is also a pillar of the Belgian establishment, with a history stretching beyond the country's creation in 1831.
Yet the ability of the political classes to respond to a crisis at Fortis is in question because of the atmosphere of crisis that has hung over Belgium since a general election in June 2007.
Politicians representing Belgium's Flemish north and Francophone south are at such loggerheads that the government of Prime Minister Yves Leterme has been brought to its knees six months after he took office. More and more Belgians wonder aloud if their country will have no alternative to peaceful self-dissolution.
My apologies. The possibility of the dissolution of Belgium is not as immediate as the previous story indicated.
Jonathan Lewis, entrepreneur and political activist and scion of the Cleveland-based Progressive Insurance Cos. fortune, is pledging to chip in $500,000 to defeat Proposition 8 if the entertainment industry does the same.
The proposition would restrict marriage in California to unions between a man and a woman.
His matching offer comes after Brad Pitt, and Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw, each chipped in $100,000 for the No on 8 campaign, after a flurry of stories showing that backers of Yes on 8 have outraised their counterparts. Curiously, at the time, little money to defeat the measure had come from the entertainment business, but the pace of fund-raising appears to be picking up. David Geffen recently donated another $50,000, adding to the $50,000 he already has given.
"With Election Day six weeks away, we are concerned that the entertainment industry hasn't stepped up to the plate to fight this unnecessary initiative. We are pleased to see the leadership of Brad Pitt and Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg. Now it's time for the entertainment industry as a whole to take the lead," Lewis said in a statement. "My family and I are issuing a $500,000 challenge to the entertainment industry. We will match the next half-million dollars that entertainment industry leaders contribute. This is an urgent time in the campaign, and we have to act now." Lewis said that the match also applies to contributions to fight Florida's Proposition 2, an initiative similar to California's Proposition 8.
Can anybody direct us to a photo of Jonathan Lewis? I never heard of this guy.
UPDATE: Thanks to JMG reader Miles for sending the above pic.
Wingnuts Begin 24 Hour Pre-Palin Debate Prayer Marathon And Fast
A group of Freepers are beginning a 24-hour pre-debate prayer marathon today to make sure that Jeebus keeps Sarah Palin from making a fool of herself. Some are also fasting.
* Pray for Wisdom for Senator McCain and Governor Palin * Pray for their safety and that of their families * Pray for their relationship to God to be strengthened during this campaign * Pray for the enemies of America to be thwarted during this campaign season and beyond * Pray for the peace of mind of the candidates and that they will be able to weather Satan's attacks * Pray for those reading these earnest prayer requests who mock God and his people * Pray for Bristol Palin as she has done nothing worthy of the attacks that her mother's enemies are levying. * Pray for the unborn child of Bristol and Levi, that it will be healthy and that God's blessing will rest on their home
-"FReeper Prayer Warriors, start sending up those prayers! Our country is in desperate need, and if Ubama & Co. get in the White House, I’m afraid for the worst, especially for my children, in the future!!! " -"May God bless and be with Sarah Palin, giving her words of wisdom, understanding and knowledge during the debate. Lord, protect her, bless her and give her articulate speech. Give her the words to say throughout the whole debate and beyond. In Jesus’ Name, amen!"
As I've been predicting here for the last year, tomorrow Michael Bloomberg will officially announce his intention to overturn NYC term limits in order to run for a third term as mayor.
In an act that promises to upend New York City’s political world, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg plans to announce Thursday that he will seek a third term as mayor, according to four people who have been told of his intentions.
Mr. Bloomberg, whose second term ends in 2009, is barred by law from running for re-election. So he will propose revising the city’s 15-year-old term limits law, which restricts him and dozens of other elected leaders to two four-year terms, those people said.
In his appearance on Thursday, they said, Mr. Bloomberg, a former Wall Street trader and the founder of a billion-dollar financial data firm, will argue that the worldwide financial crisis — with its potentially severe impact on New York City — demands his steady hand and business experience.
The decision to challenge the term limits law, which was twice approved by New York voters, represents a remarkable about-face for Mr. Bloomberg. He has repeatedly said he supports such constraints on elected leaders, dismissed the idea that anyone is indispensable, and once called an effort to revise the limits “disgusting.”
Bloomberg staffers say he will propose a one-time execption to the term limit law that will limit incumbents to a third term only. A permanent repeal of the law would require a ballot measure and the deadline to place a new item on this November's ballot has already passed.
Two-thirds of NY's city council members are due to be term-limited out of office next year, most are expected to leap on this chance to stay in office and approve the change. Presumed 2009 mayoral candidates City Controller William Thompson and openly gay City Council Speaker Christine Quinn are now both expected to sit out next year's election in the face of Bloomberg's overwhelming popularity. Quinn has long been considered the heir-apparent to Bloomberg's office, despite a major financial scandal earlier this year.
The New York Times will be publishing an editorial endorsing the suspension of term limits. The NY Post and Daily News have already done so and both have endorsed Bloomberg for a third term.
Bowing to the ferocious pressure of Christianists, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has vetoed the bill designating Harvey Milk Day as a statewide holiday in California.
In his veto message issued Tuesday, the governor said that while he respected the measure's intent, he thinks Milk's "contributions should continue to be recognized at the local level." Conservative groups had lobbied Schwarzenegger not to sign the legislation, sponsored by Assemblyman Mark Leno of San Francisco. Milk became the nation's first openly gay man to hold a prominent political office when he was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977. He and Mayor George Moscone were assassinated by a fellow supervisor in 1978
The holiday would not have been a paid day off for state employees and schools and other government functions would have been unaffected. It would have merely been a symbolic day to recognize a man whose life has great historical value to the LGBT community. But the Christers wouldn't have it.
This 13 year-old history buff was reenacting the Great Depression in front of the Stock Exchange yesterday. Today Congress will take another run at the Great Bailout.
Top lawmakers said the Senate proposal, worked out after a day of behind the scenes maneuvering, would include tax breaks for businesses and alternative energy and higher government insurance for bank deposits.
“It has been determined, in our judgment, this is the best thing to move forward,” said Senator Harry Reid, Democrat of Nevada and the majority leader, in announcing the surprise move.
The senators issued no details of their proposal and said none would be available until Wednesday. The lawmakers were gambling that the tax package would appeal to lawmakers who helped sink the measure in the House on Monday, without driving off Democrats who have opposed extending the tax incentives without offsetting spending cuts elsewhere.
House Democratic leaders reacted cautiously to the new approach, with Representative Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland, the majority leader and a chief advocate of paying for the tax breaks, saying, “I am talking with my House colleagues about the Senate action and how to best proceed.”
But House Republican leaders, who said they had been advised about the Senate plan, said the new elements would appeal to their rank-and-file, which voted strongly against the legislation Monday.
And Bush has already signed. Democrats: Yes - 172, No - 63. Republicans: Yes - 91, No -108.
