Quote Of The Day - Anthony Foxx

"I support same-sex marriage. Who someone loves should never be an issue at work, or any place else. As the mayor, I was the first mayor to even go meet with the LGBT community. I was, unlike my predecessors, someone who went out, and then went to the annual Human Rights Campaign dinner and signed a letter. I did a lot things, but this is a place where I think the country’s attitudes are shifting and I think North Carolina got it wrong. I hope they get it right." - Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, speaking yesterday at a White House news briefing. While Foxx opposed Amendment One while the mayor of Charlotte, at the time he declined to state his personal position on same-sex marriage. 

Concerned Women Head Penny Nance: Atheism Brought The Holocaust

Concerned Women head Penny Nance is super concernstipated because Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx endorsed the National Day Of Reason, an atheist response to this week's National Day Of Prayer. Earlier this week President Obama nominated Foxx to be Secretary of Transportation. Via Crooks And Liars:

When normal people think of the Enlightenment, they think of Newton, Locke, Voltaire, Spinoza, Montesquieu, Goethe, Paine, Jefferson -- and the ideas that helped launch the American Revolution. When crazy right-wing Christians think of the Enlightenment, they apparently think of...Nazis. See what happens when you advance science, cast off the monarchy and separate church from state? Hitler. Sure, it sounds crazy -- but Nance's rant is of a piece to what Rick Santorum said during the presidential campaign.

(Tipped by JMG reader Ted)

Obama Nominates Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx As Transportation Secretary

President Obama has taken some flak over the lack of diversity in his Cabinet, including a dig delivered from the Nerd Prom podium this weekend by Conan O'Brien. Today he nominated Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx to succeed Ray LaHood as Secretary of Transportation. Foxx gained national prominence last year as the official host of the Democratic National Convention. During today's announcement LaHood urged Foxx to continue his campaign for high speed rail.  LaHood, incidentally, is a Republican.