HRC Denounces Paul Ryan

Enter The Not-Ryans

"This is the end of the Romney campaign. As good a man as he is, Ryan will be portrayed by the Marxists as another rich white male who wants to ruin the environment, destroy Medicaid and Social Security and give tax breaks to the very rich. It’s all over. The Romney schmucks are so out of touch with reality they do not see how they are being portrayed and perceived both by the servile press and the ignorant masses. The Romney insiders detest conservatives and are trying to appease this core base with Ryan. Too little, too late." - Wingnut radio blowhard and closet case Michael Savage, quoted by World Net Daily.

Valerie Simpson At Lincoln Center

As part of Lincoln Center's free concert series, last night R&B/disco legend and famed songwriter Valerie Simpson performed a tribute show to her late husband Nick Ashford, who passed away a year ago this month. Below Simpson performs what some consider Ashford & Simpson's best song, Ain't No Mountain High Enough, which was first a Top Twenty pop hit for Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell in 1967. Three years later Diana Ross' version became her first post-Supremes #1 single. Watching last night's performance, it's hard to believe Valerie Simpson is 66 years old. Singing her late husband's part is R&B performer Ryan Shaw.

RELATED: Tonight's free concert at Lincoln Center is a tribute to recently inducted Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member and pop songwriting legend Laura Nyro, starring Sarah Dash, Nona Hendryx, Melba Moore, Desmond Child & Rouge and many others. The show starts at 6pm because of noise abatement rules for the outdoor stage.

TV's Highest Paid

TV Guide has posted a recap of who they say are the highest-paid performers on television this year. Judge Judy is by far the leader.

Drama (per episode)
Mark Harmon (NCIS): $500,000
Ellen Pompeo (Grey's Anatomy): $350,000
Kevin Bacon (The Following): $175,000
Lucy Liu (Elementary): $125,000
Stephen Amell (Arrow): $30,000

Comedy (per episode)
Ashton Kutcher (Two and a Half Men): $700,000
Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory): $300,000
Modern Family Adult Cast: $175,000 each
Lea Michele (Glee): $75,000
Crystal the Monkey (Animal Practice): $12,000

Late Night (per year)
David Letterman: $28 million
Jay Leno: $25 million
Jon Stewart: $16 million
Craig Ferguson: $8 million
Chelsea Handler: $8 million

Daytime/Syndication (per year)
Judy Sheindlin (Judge Judy): $45 million
Joe Brown (Judge Joe Brown): $20 million
Kelly Ripa (Live! With Kelly): $20 million
Sherri Shepherd (The View): $1.5 million
Mario Batali (The Chew): $6,000 per episode

Reality
Mariah Carey (American Idol): $17 million per season
Howard Stern (America's Got Talent): $15 million per season
Pauly DelVecchio (Jersey Shore): $175,000 per episode
Betty White (Off Their Rockers): $50,000 per episode
Landry Family (Swamp People): $25,000 per episode

News (per year)
Matt Lauer (Today): $21.5 million
Bill O'Reilly (The O'Reilly Factor): $15 million
Diane Sawyer (ABC World News): $12 million
Anderson Cooper (Anderson Cooper 360): $11 million
Robin Meade (HLN anchor): $750,000

Afternoon View - Park & 42nd

Looking east from the same place from which I posted the western view last week. Today's Summer Streets ride was less crowded and slightly less hot due to cloud cover. We finished with a nice lunch in Brooklyn's Boerum Hill.

More On President Obama's Husband

From infamous birther and WND columnist Jerome Corsi.

The Ryan Plan For Seniors

(Via Pam Spaulding)

Today's Silly Lie From NOM

The Third Blog points out that NOM has been posting photos of their employees and claiming that those people are "supporters" who have turned out for their anti-gay rally fails. As the inset photo reveals, the above "faithful supporter" is actually NOM's Rhode Island chapter president Chris Plante. More examples at the link.

Quote Of The Day - Bristol Palin

"While I’m excited and thankful to be returning to Dancing With The Stars, not everyone is thrilled I’m coming back. When the new contestants participated in a panel discussion for the Television Critics Association’s summer tour, the critics’ disdain for me was obvious. While they asked many questions (or, really, just a few questions over and over), only one stands out in my mind: Would I mind dancing with a gay dance partner? [snip] In their simplistic minds, the fact that I’m a Christian, that I believe in God’s plan for marriage, means that I must hate gays and must hate to even be in their presence. Well, they were right about one thing: there was hate in that media room, but the hate was theirs, not mine." - Bristol Palin, who says she'd be happy to have a gay dance partner with no civil rights.

Coulter: Blacks Die Too Young To Make It Worth Paying Into Social Security

Oops Of The Year

Kal Penn Just Lost A Gig

And Twitter Busts A Gut

ACLU Denounces Paul Ryan

This morning the ACLU sent out a blistering denouncement of Rep. Paul Ryan's track record on LGBT rights and civil liberties. Via press release:

In response to Mitt Romney’s announcement of his vice presidential pick of Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), the American Civil Liberties Union Liberty Watch 2012 campaign this morning released a brief report that reveals an appalling civil liberties record for Ryan.

The report finds that Ryan, the congressman representing Wisconsin’s 1st District, holds almost uniformly harmful views on five key civil liberties issues including a humane immigration policy, LGBT equality, reproductive rights, torture and indefinite detention and fair voting access.

The report is based on the white paper released by ACLU Liberty Watch 2012. “Paul Ryan may end up a heartbeat away from the presidency but he’ll be light years from civil liberties,” said Anthony D. Romero, ACLU executive director. “Paired with Romney’s already-abysmal record on civil liberties, Ryan’s positions only take this ticket further from the vision of our founding fathers.”

Read the ACLU's brief on Ryan.

Tweet Of The Day - Mitt Romney

Homocon Humor

Gay Patriot posts the above screenshot and writes:

You don’t even need type in the Senate Democratic Leader’s full name. BTW, heard it from a source here in Denver that Harry Reid is definitely not a pederast (as per some of the reports bloggers have been receiving), but is in actuality a child-eater. Again, I can’t verify that, but, well, the story is out there.

Interesting that Gay Patriot has a swastika on his monitor. Sources report that he's a member of the Nazi Party. Again, I can't verify that, but, well, the story is out there.

Log Cabin Loves Paul Ryan

"Congressman Paul Ryan is a strong choice for vice president, and his addition to the GOP ticket will help Republican candidates up and down the ballot. As chairman of the House Budget Committee and author of the Republican 'path to prosperity' that provided the blueprint for serious spending cuts in this Congress, nobody is more qualified to articulate a conservative economic vision to restore the American economy and stimulate job creation. At the same time, Congressman Ryan's 2007 vote in favor of the Employment Nondiscrimination Act and his consistent willingness to engage with Log Cabin on a range of issues speaks to his record as a fair-minded policymaker. Overall, while Log Cabin Republicans have not completed the endorsement process for the 2012 presidential election, this is a choice that all Republicans can be excited about, and which sends a good message about the kind of campaign Governor Romney wants to run, and the kind of president Governor Romney wants to be." - R. Clark Cooper, executive director of Log Cabin Republicans, via press release.

RELATED: Ryan did indeed vote for 2007's version of ENDA, a tactical move he may have made once its failure was guaranteed. However the Human Rights Campaign gives him a 0% rating on LGBT rights.

Chikin Haters Are Going To Hell

Swimming Pool Of The Day

A glass bottom and 24 stories in the sky. I'd swim in it. It's a Holiday Inn! In China.

Russian Gays Have Only Just Begun

Towleroad has the recap:

Director Elias Koskimies sends us his short musical film "I've Only Just Begun" which he put together with more than 60 people who volunteered their time. The clip is set somewhere just outside of St. Petersburg, and is a stunning visual statement about LGBT discrimination, individuality, and gays fighting back against those who oppress them.

Hauntingly beautiful.

Olympic Medals Tally

Only one more update to come.

Romney Veep Announcement Tomorrow

Gitcho is the Romney campaign's communications director. We should know by 8:45am if they stick to their schedule.

UPDATE: The National Review thinks it's going to be Paul Ryan due to some charter flight activity.

UPDATE II: Snicker.UPDATE III: From my pal and DC politico Karl Frisch. UPDATE IV: Huffington Post is confirming.

Mitt Romney will announce Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) as his running mate on Saturday, according to two sources with knowledge of the decision. Ryan is a bold pick who will energize the Republican Party, but putting him on the ticket is fraught with risk and instantly puts Ryan's budget plan front and center in the 2012 campaign.

Teabaggers are doing handsprings on Twitter. Lots of egg-y faces tomorrow if the media is wrong.

UPDATE V: HRC gives Ryan a 0% rating on LGBT rights. The Family Research Council rates him 90% good at being a bigoted douchebag. (Points off for voting to continue funding Planned Parenthood.)UPDATE VI: Has there ever been a presidential ticket without a Protestant? Historians? Could be an interesting meme...

Scott Lively: Obama Is Gay-Married

Just another righteous lie for the Baby Jeebus. And already picked up by the usual freak shows. (Via Right Wing Watch)

This Is The Work Of Long-Haired Homosexuals Who Prowl Warehouses

Romney Slams Obama Over Controversial "Death By Bain Firing" Claim

The ad referenced was actually created by a Super-PAC unrelated to the Obama campaign. It's been by far the leading topic on GOP blogs for the last few days.

Email Of The Day - Crazy Eyes

"Fellow Conservative, I need your immediate attention. This is so important I didn't even take the time to format this email. The DCCC (the Democrat's top campaign operation) just released the names of races they are targeting funds for in 2012 as part of their national 'Red to Blue' campaign to take back the majority in the House of Representatives. This may come as no surprise- but my Democrat opponent was added to the 'Red to Blue' program as an emerging race.

"Our constitutional conservative campaign cannot afford to cede a single inch of ground to President Barack Obama and my liberal opponent this summer. With our primary less than a week away- your support is needed now more than ever. As you know, the Democrats have cherry-picked a self-funding, multi-millionaire to oppose me in my re-election to Congress. My opponent is able to pour his own millions into his campaign -- but I am relying on the donations of supporters like you today. The fastest way to make a contribution to our campaign is by donating online. Please stand with our campaign and make a donation today." - Rep. Michele Bachmann.

Meet Your First Out U.S. General

Servicemembers Legal Defense Network reports the big news via press release:

Former Army Colonel Tammy Smith has become the first openly gay flag officer to come out while currently serving in the U.S. military. She was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General in a private ceremony which took place today at the Women’s Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery. BG Smith received her stars from her wife, Tracey Hepner. “For years, gay and lesbian generals and admirals were forced to hide their families in order to protect their careers. It is a great day for our military and for our nation when this courageous leader is finally able to recognize her wife for her support and sacrifice in the same way that all military families should be recognized for their service to our country,” said Sue Fulton, a 1980 West Point graduate and member of the OutServe Board of Directors.

General Smith presently serves at the Army Reserve Office of the Chief in Washington, D.C.

SAN FRANCISCO: Catholic Church Bans Drag Queens From Sobriety Function

The new pastor of the Castro's Most Holy Redeemer Church has banned drag queens from performing at the gay sobriety fundraiser held there for the last two years. Via the Bay Area Reporter:

For the past couple of years the Castro Country Club has held its event in the church's social hall and had drag queens as entertainment. As a statement issued by the country club's board of directors explained, the new no-drag-queen policy at the church is simply unacceptable. "The Castro Country Club had planned to hold our third annual Harvest Feast on October 20, 2012, at Most Holy Redeemer Church, where we have held this and other events in the past," the directors said in a statement. But that changed when the club was notified by the church last week that they would not be able to hold the dinner if any drag queens were part of the program, the board said. "In previous years, we have had Ivy Drip and Heklina, both well-known entertainers and community fundraisers, serve as emcees of the event, and we felt we could not in good conscience abide by the church's new policy," the board said.

The new Archbishop of San Francisco is Salvatore Cordileone, the so-called "father of Prop 8," but it's not yet apparent if the drag ban comes from his office. (Tipped by JMG reader Mark)

Where The Bears Are: Episode 3

Possibly not work-friendly!

Prison For Maryland Televangelist

Infamous Maryland-based televangelist Robert Freeman, known on television as Dr. Shine, has been sentenced to prison for doing what all televangelists do.

Robert J. Freeman, a.k.a Dr. Shine, is going to jail for 27 months and was ordered to pay $630,000 to four church members. The Washington Post reports that the ‘Gods Top Gun of deliverance’ pastor lied to bankruptcy courts and hid the church’s assets in order to avoid paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in debts. Freeman, 56, also convinced church members to take out loans for his multiple cars and $1.75 million waterfront home with five fireplaces, a jet-ski lift and two four-car garages. When the church could not cover the bills, church members were on the hook for the debt, and in some cases lost their homes and jobs. Freeman served as pastor and leader of Save the Seed Ministry, Inc., Save the Seed International Church, and Seed Faith International Church, with his then-wife, Dee Dee. These entities were incorporated in 1991, 2001 and 2003, respectively. Shortly after February 2001, Freeman used funds from church members to accumulate substantial assets, including 11 luxury cars valued at over $1,073,000 and a $1.75 million residence in Indian Head, Maryland, which he concealed from the bankruptcy court when he sought a discharge of his debts from the court in 2005.

Freeman's church promo has been a source of internet hilarity for many years.

Homocon 2012?

The RNC says they never invited him.

Nate Silver's Electoral Update

Source.

Pat Robertson: I Defy Gay Activists To Make A Baby Come Out Of Their Assholes

FTC Hits Google With Largest Fine Ever

The Federal Trade Commission has fined Google $22.5M for secretly placing tracking cookies on the users of Apple's Safari browser after telling them that they wouldn't. It's the largest tech fine in FTC history.

In its complaint, the FTC charged that for several months in 2011 and 2012, Google placed a certain advertising tracking cookie on the computers of Safari users who visited sites within Google’s DoubleClick advertising network, although Google had previously told these users they would automatically be opted out of such tracking, as a result of the default settings of the Safari browser used in Macs, iPhones and iPads.

According to the FTC’s complaint, Google specifically told Safari users that because the Safari browser is set by default to block third-party cookies, as long as users do not change their browser settings, this setting “effectively accomplishes the same thing as [opting out of this particular Google advertising tracking cookie].” In addition, Google represented that it is a member of an industry group called the Network Advertising Initiative, which requires members to adhere to its self-regulatory code of conduct, including disclosure of their data collection and use practices.

The fine may be the largest ever, but Google leaves that much in the cushions of its couch every day.

Obama Campaign Offers Public Free Tickets To Convention Acceptance Speech

The president will make his formal nomination acceptance speech on the final day of the convention at Charlotte's 74,000-seat Bank Of America Stadium. Free tickets for the general public became available yesterday on a first-come first-serve basis. The media has noted that press releases have avoided using the actual name of the venue, merely referring to it as "the stadium" in order to avoid association with the negative reputations most banking giants have recently earned.

Gay Humorist David Rakoff Dies At 47

The New York Times has the sad news.

David Rakoff, a storyteller who could elicit peals of laughter and tears of sympathy with his personal accounts of Christmas Day mountain-climbing, studying Tibetan Buddhism with Steven Seagal, flying on the Concorde and grappling with his frailties, died on Thursday evening. Born in Montreal and raised in Toronto, Mr. Rakoff worked in the New York book publishing industry after studying at Columbia University. He wrote for numerous publications, including The New York Times Magazine, and in the early 1990s connected with fellow humorist David Sedaris, whose essay about the yuletide trials and tribulations of playing Crumpet the elf at Macy’s he had heard him read on the radio. Mr. Sedaris and Ira Glass, the future host and producer of “This American Life,” encouraged Mr. Rakoff to produce and perform more of his material, leading to a longtime association with that Public Radio International show.

Here's Rakoff reading from Don't Get Too Comfortable.

NYC Cab Hailing App Launched

Most of my cab issues have to do with hundreds of people hailing at the same post-event time, so I can't see this being much help in Manhattan. But it could be great in the outer boroughs.

So far, out of more than 13,000 yellow taxis on the road, 1,000 drivers have signed-up for the app and say they’re excited. Driver Shareef Hussein said he was one of the first to download the driver version of the app, which he would have to pay a separate fee to use. “It’s going to help us like when you go outer borough, it’s going to be very helpful to us because you know sometime we’re going to have to come back empty,” he said. Another cab driver is already using the app and said he likes it so far. “Now you know the location for the clients who need a cab. Why not go to pick them up if you drive by?” cabbie Roland Sainristil told Hsu.

Get the app here.

One Million Moms Vs Ragu

At least there's no gays this time. Via press release:

Dear Joe, In the newest Ragu commercial, a young boy barges into his parents' bedroom without knocking. We don't see what he sees, but the cringe on his face and wide eyes tell us enough. This boy catches his parents in the act and walks away in shock. This entire ad not only makes someone lose their appetite, but Ragu is also being irresponsible in their new campaign. Instead of being helpful, it is harmful to children in the name of so-called humor. The Ragu commercial is inappropriate and tacky. The commercial has aired during the Olympics when families are likely watching.

It took me a minute to find the clip because there are already spoofs and parodies tumbling around on YouTube.

ChatRoulette Call Me Maybe

Andy Towle unearths the best videos. I didn't even know ChatRoulette was still a thing. The top commenter on YouTube observes: "I wonder how many times he had to stop filming because a dude was fapping." A lot, I'd wager. This will make you smile.

GOProud To Host Vicious Homophobe Dana Loesch At Their "Homocon 2012" Party

Not satisfied with paying Ann Coulter to tell them that they don't deserve equal rights because they "aren't black," GOProud will be hosting vicious homophobe and Breitbart editor Dana Loesch at their Homocon 2012 party during the Republican Convention. Here's how they are spinning the event:

“Homocon 2012 will be the must have ticket for the RNC,” said Jimmy LaSalvia, Executive Director and Co-Founder of GOProud. “Our special guests will be a who’s who of the conservative movement.” GOProud is the only national gay organization that has endorsed former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney’s bid for President, and Homocon is the organization’s signature annual event. Homocon 2012 is scheduled to take place on Tuesday night during the convention – after the evening session ends – at the Honey Pot nightclub in the trendy Ybor City portion of Tampa. GOProud expects to have close to 1,000 in attendance.

“The left would like America to believe that it has a monopoly on gay people, and that only big government policies are good for gay Americans,” continued [Chris] Barron. “Worse the left wants America to believe that all conservatives are anti-gay. Nothing could be further from the truth, the truth is that conservative policies and limited government are better for all Americans – especially gay Americans. Further, gay conservatives are an important part of the conservative movement and this event will highlight that.”

Nothing could be further from the truth? Need I remind you that last week Dana Loesch screamed at a radio show caller that if somebody supports marriage equality they obviously "hate Christ"? Here's more of Loesch totally not being anti-gay:

Government has no place in marital affairs and Christians themselves should have protested the moment that government observance morphed into interference; government regulation gives the false impression that marriage is just a fancy name for "union" and not, in fact, a blessed union by observance of faith. Government has no place to dictate to people of faith or to any other community.

And here's more:

When it comes to gay marriage-- to be frank, I believe the left uses gay people as pawns. I believe they use gay people and lesbians pawns against conservatives. They don't care about rights; otherwise, they would be more critical of how they're oppressed and murdered in Islamic countries. But it's used as a wedge between citizens and the church."

And even more:

Republicans don’t believe that marriage is a state invention: they believe that it is divine and that to force people of faith to redefine their religious beliefs and practices to include behavior which is discussed in Scripture as being not one with which God jives – is actually the government breaking “separation of church and state.” Why is it that when the subject of rights comes up, people of faith are the ones that must compromise their rights, a practice instituted by a faith that they alone observe? How is it unequal that everyone can enter into the same civil agreement but those who follow a faith that others do not seek divine blessing on their union?

In addition to being one of the media's more visible and vicious homophobes, GOProud's hero and paragon of Christian Love™ said this about the scandal involving U.S. Marines urinating on the corpses of Afghanis:

Can someone explain to me if there’s supposed to be a scandal that someone pees on the corpse of a Taliban fighter? Someone who was — as part of an organization murdered over 3,000 Americans? I’d drop trou and do it, too. That’s me, though. I want a million cool points for these guys. Is that harsh to say? Come on, people. This is a war.

GOProud has promised more "surprise guests" at Homocon 2012 and Jimmy LaSalvia told me on Twitter recently that he is especially looking forward telling me their biggest reveal. I can't see how they can possibly top Dana Loesch unless they've roped Bryan Fischer himself into making an appearance.

Flow Chart Of The Day

Embiggen for details.

The Tea Party Isn't Racist?

A local city councilman in Michigan has been asked to resign after the surfacing of 2009 Tea Party videos showed him carrying signs featuring a decapitated President Obama and another one denouncing Rep. Nancy Pelosi for being chummy with "fags and wetbacks."

(Tipped by JMG reader Dale)

Olympic Medals Tally

I still haven't figured out what the colors mean.

Obama Slams Romney On Welfare Lies

Only 88 more days of this.

East Village To Get Douchey

Not satisfied with having destroyed the entire Meatpacking District and much of Chelsea, Hell's Kitchen, and Midtown with their "high-end, velvet rope, bottle service, VIP banquette" nightlife douchebaggery, developers have now set their botoxed eyes on the East Village, Manhattan's last hopping bastion of relatively seedy, funky, underground coolness. Gothamist wails:

If you think the East Village is bad on weekend nights now, it could be about to get a whole lot worse. At least according to Ariel Palitz, who’s selling Sutra Lounge after nine years. "There’s an opportunity to change the culture and the makeup of the neighborhood from the underground nightlife experience to a high-end clientele." Really? The East Village nightlife has been "underground" for the past decade? Sadly it isn't just Palitz who believes the area is about to go BOOM. According to the Daily News, "In recent weeks, major nightclub operators associated with the Meatpacking District, SoHo and West Chelsea have been sniffing around the E. Houston corridor from the Bowery to Avenue A, where the weathered and fully licensed lower First Ave. properties Sutra Lounge and Lucky Cheng’s are prized commodities." People sniffing include operators from Pink Elephant, Greenhouse, Hudson Terrace, Acme, 1Oak and Electric Room.

At least we'll always have homo-hipster Nowhere and their $3 PBR. We hope.

Dump ROMinee

Having read the same polls as the rest of us, the Not-Romneys have published a massive manifesto calling for a delegate revolution at the Republican Convention in two weeks. From the nine-page memo announcing the campaign:

"DUMP ROMNEY" contends that no delegates are actually "bound" by law or GOP rules to vote for Romney and that, to win the White House and toss-up Senate seats, delegates must exercise their right to "conscientiously abstain" from Romney on the crucial first ballot, aiming for a stronger ticket leader in subsequent convention voting rounds. The core of a hard-hitting new 80,000 word book and incubating Tampa insurgency, the entire memo can be read online free via Amazon Kindle Cloud Reader using the Amazon.com search term "DUMP ROMNEY." "Were frontrunners simply entitled to the nomination, a convention wouldn't be necessary," the texts say, noting that Intrade predictive markets gives Obama odds of about 60-40 over Romney and that New York Times political analyst Nate Silver projects about 300 electoral votes for Obama, rating Romney's current odds around 21%.

The group calls themselves "Jews And Christians Together."

Young Bottoms In Love

An anthology of the popular web-comic series is now available for the iPad and its reissue benefits LGBT comics creators. Get it on iTunes.

Big Gay Is Stalking Bryan Fischer

Jeremy Hooper authors the invaluable Good As You as well as contributing to GLAAD and the HRC's NOM Exposed blog. He's one of the hardest working Big Gays we know!

GLAAD Manhattan 2012

A couple of days ago my loyal photographer Dr. Jeff and I attended GLAAD Manhattan, a casino-themed fundraiser that swarmed with a couple of dozen of the Housewives, news anchors, pop stars, nightlife legends and a few regular schmoes like us. In the slideshow below you'll find the likes of MSNBC host Thomas Roberts and his fiance, GMA weatherman Sam Champion, disco legend Martha Wash, American Idol's Kimberly Locke, radio star Elvis Duran, actor Wilson Cruz, and a galaxy of Bravo-verse stars that we'll have to depend on you to name. (The duck lips will help you ID the Housewives.) I'm in there somewhere at the end. Full-screen photos.

New From Minnesota's Good Guys

Senate Majority Teetering For Democrats

Source. Another look is here.

Tea Party Nation Founder Judson Phillips Ordered To Pay Hotel $748K In Fees

A judge has ordered Tea Party Nation founder Judson Phillips to pay $748,000 to a Las Vegas hotel for a massive block of hotel rooms he reserved for a Tea Party rally that he later canceled due to lack of interest.

The Venetian Las Vegas Casino Resort alleged that Phillips had reserved 1,637 rooms for the July 2010 event, and then cancelled the reservations just a few weeks before the scheduled date. He did not pay for the rooms. In a court order last month, which The Tennessean reported Thursday, a judge ruled that Phillips owed the resort $748,000, including the $554,000 hotel bill and $194,300 in accrued interest. This is not the first time a Republican group has found itself in a bind over an unpaid hotel invoice. In February, the Charleston Place Hotel sued a South Carolina political consultant and the Southern Republican Leadership Conference for an allegedly unpaid hotel bill, FITSNews.com reported.

The hotel is owned by Romney-backer billionaire Sheldon Adelson.

RELATED: Last month Judson Phillips called on President Obama to prove he isn't a secretly gay crackhead.

Headline Of The Day

Enjoy.

Dem Platform Draft Endorses ENDA

More good news on the proposed Democratic platform. Chris Geidner has the draft language:

We know that putting America back to work is job one, and we are committed to ensuring Americans do not face employment discrimination. We support the Employment Non-Discrimination Act because people should not be fired based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. President Obama and the Democratic Party are committed to ensuring all Americans are treated fairly. This administration hosted the first-ever White House Conference on Bullying Prevention and we must continue our work to prevent vicious bullying of young people and support LGBT youth. The President’s record, from ending “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in full cooperation with our military leadership, to passing the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, to ensuring same-sex couples can visit each other in the hospital, reflects Democrats’ belief that all Americans deserve the same chance to pursue happiness, earn a living, be safe in their communities, serve their country, and take care of the ones they love.

Fantastic. Now to get it past the convention committee and the delegates.

The Pressure To Make Gaybies

The New York Times takes note of the increasing pressure for gay newlyweds to consider starting a family.

For some couples, it is another welcome sign of their increasing inclusion in the American mainstream. But for others, who hear the persistent questions at the office, dinner parties and family get-togethers, the matter can be far more complicated. Many gay men had resigned themselves to the idea that they would never be accepted by society as loving parents and assumed they would never have children. They grieved that loss and moved on, even as other gay men and lesbians fully embraced childless lives.

So the questions can unearth bittersweet feelings and cause deep divisions within a couple over whether to have children at all, now that parenting among same-sex couples is becoming more common. The process can be also daunting logistically and financially, as would-be parents wrestle with whether to adopt or use a surrogate. And once they have children, many same-sex couples still endure the inevitable criticism — spoken or unspoken — from those who remain uncomfortable with the notion of their being parents.

Have your own friends and families pressured you in this way?

Gingrich On Mitt Romney: I Don't Particularly Dislike Him As A Person

Now THAT is a ringing endorsement.

FRC Cheers Hawaii On Marriage

"It looks like the Department of Health and Hawaii Family Forum have the upper hand. A lot of the credit for that goes to our friends at ADF, who defended the Forum--and traditional marriage--in court. No doubt their arguments helped shape Judge Kay's opinion, which powerfully outlines the importance of man-woman marriage to civilization. 'It is not beyond rational speculation to conclude that fundamentally altering the definition of marriage to include same-sex unions might result in undermining the societal understanding of the link between marriage, procreation, and family structure,' Judge Kay wrote. 'Because Hawaii's marriage laws are rationally related to legitimate government interests they do not violate the federal Constitution.' Gov. Abercrombie followed up the opinion with one of his own. Despite his state's support for traditional marriage, he vowed to fight on. I suppose when you're already the least popular Governor in America, you have nothing to lose." - FRC head Tony Perkins via press release.

RUSSIA: Madonna Supports Gay Rights At St. Petersburg Concert, Stays A Free Diva

As she promised on Facebook yesterday, tonight's Madonna concert in St. Petersburg included a demand for respect for gay people. She was not arrested despite previous threats that she would be. Above is an excerpt from Madonna's speech to the audience, via Madonna Tribe.

Performing in black lingerie with the words "No Fear" scrawled on her bare back, Madonna urged the audience - most wearing pink wrist bands distributed at the door - to "show your love and appreciation to the gay community". "We want to fight for the right to be free," she said. The American singer has turned a two-concert tour into a platform for comment on Putin's Russia. Madonna had promised to use her St Petersburg show to speak out against legislation adopted by the city in March that imposes fines for spreading homosexual "propaganda" that could "damage the health, moral and spiritual development" of minors. On her Facebook page, she called the law a "ridiculous atrocity". Critics of the law - the model for a bill submitted to the national parliament - say they fear it could be used to clamp down on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, for instance by barring gay rights demonstrations. St. Petersburg police chief Sergei Umnov told local reporters in July that 74 people had been fined so far.

RELATED: Angry about her support for jailed anti-Putin punkers Pussy Riot, yesterday a small group of members of the Orthodox Church gathered across from Christ the Savior Cathedral to douse a Madonna poster with gasoline and set it ablaze.

"We are not against her as a person, we are against the sacrilege and blasphemy she is committing, just like we are against the blasphemy performed by Pussy Riot in Christ the Savior Cathedral," he explained. Simonovich went on to explain why the poster of Madonna they were burning was blasphemous, calling her look "disgusting" and accusing her of "black magic." "We are destroying this image to drive a demon out of it," he proclaimed before his supporters set the poster on fire. "She is going to hell!" Simonovich said after the poster was destroyed, but reiterated that his group is not against Madonna in particular and if she repents, they will accept her repentance. "We are going to fight against all such Madonnas, Pussy Riots, and all others who practice black magic and insult the Russian Orthodox Church and Russian nation," he proclaimed at the end of proceedings.

CNN Poll Shows Obama Leads By Seven

Published two hours ago by CNN:

It all adds up to a seven point advantage for President Barack Obama over the former Massachusetts governor, with 52% of registered voters questioned in the survey saying that they'd vote to re-elect the president and 45% backing Romney. "Among independent voters, the poll indicates President Obama has a 53%-42% lead," CNN Polling Director Keating Holland said. "The president holds a nine point advantage among women voters and a smaller six point edge among men."

RELATED: Tea Party and GOP flacks are atwitter over rumors that Romney's VP selection might be announced tomorrow. Breitbart editor Dana Loesch is calling it for Bobby Jindal.

Democrats Release Proposed Language For Convention Marriage Equality Plank

As always, Chris Geidner has the scoop:

We support the right of all families to have equal respect, responsibilities, and protections under the law. We support marriage equality and support the movement to secure equal treatment under law for same-sex couples. We also support the freedom of churches and religious entities to decide how to administer marriage as a religious sacrament without government interference.

We oppose discriminatory federal and state constitutional amendments and other attempts to deny equal protection of the laws to committed same-sex couples who seek the same respect and responsibilities as other married couples. We support the full repeal of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act and the passage of the Respect for Marriage Act.

Geidner notes that the group that created the above language is different from the one that will be voting on it at the convention. Should the plank pass out of the convention committee, it must then be voted upon by the delegates.

Manny Castro Arrested For Chikin Graffiti

Police in Torrance, California have arrested artist and activist Manny Castro for spray-painting "Tastes Like Hate" on the wall of a local Chick-Fil-A outlet last week.

Manuel Castro was taken into custody about 7 p.m. Wednesday on suspicion of vandalism after Torrance police detectives found him in West Hollywood, police said. A news release said detectives are "still actively investigating the incident" and working to identify another person of interest who may have been involved. The message painted in black letters appeared last Friday at the eatery near Hawthorne Boulevard and 182nd Street as the fast-food chain prepared for protests nationwide over its president's stance on gay marriage. It was accompanied by a picture of a cow holding a paint brush, which is borrowed from the company's marketing campaign.

When was the last time somebody was arrested for a single act of graffiti? Obviously anti-gay hate groups pressured the Torrance police into this ridiculous action. The above-linked article was just gleefully tweeted out by NOM.

Urgent Message From Eugene Delgaudio!

Once again, Eugene is desperate for more money even though he's raking in more than $1.5 million annually. (And that's just what he reports.) As we've observed in the past, there appears to be little evidence that Delguadio does anything with these millions. He clearly puts no money into those misspelled magic marker poster boards he holds in his digicam YouTube clips and who knows what was actually in those boxes of "one million petitions" he allegedly delivered to some office on Capitol Hill.

LOUSIANIA: Christian Charter School Tests Girls For Pregnancy, Boots Knocked-Ups

A Louisiana Christian charter school forced girls to take pregnancy tests. Those who tested positively were expelled.

Delhi Charter School's policy states the school seeks to maintain an environment where students will learn and exhibit acceptable character traits that govern language, gesture, physical actions and written words. "The school reserves the right to require any female student to take a pregnancy test to confirm whether or not the suspect student is in fact pregnant," the policy reads. The policy also allows the school to refer the student to a physician of its choice. "If the test indicates that the student is pregnant, the student will not be permitted to attend classes on the campus of Delhi Charter School."

Abortion must be the price of an education, right? After receiving a screaming letter from the ACLU, the school said today that it may change its expulsion policy upon the review of its board, but if any change comes it won't be until the next school year. It's not clear if the pregnancy tests will continue.