Dems Announce 2016 Debates

The Hill reports:

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) set its presidential debate schedule on Thursday, announcing six debates spanning from October to March. The first debate will take place in Nevada on Oct. 13 in partnership with CNN. Following that, the DNC has scheduled debates for November in Iowa, December in New Hampshire, and January in South Carolina. The final two debates will take place in Florida and Wisconsin in either February or March. “We are thrilled to announce the schedule and locations for our Democratic primary debates,” DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz said in a statement. “These six debates will not only give caucus goers and primary voters ample opportunity to hear from our candidates about their vision for our country’s future, they will highlight the clear contrast between the values of the Democratic Party which is focused on strengthening the middle class versus Republicans who want to pursue out of touch and out of date policies.”

Hillary Launches First Campaign Ads

The Clinton campaign has launched its first campaign ads.

The first two television ads of Hillary Clinton's campaign showcase her mother's strength and resilience and are a clear attempt to soften the candidate's image in the wake of a raft of troubling poll numbers. The two 60-second commercials, which begin running Tuesday in Iowa and New Hampshire, recount the story of Clinton's mother's difficult beginnings and how she overcame them to provide for her own family. "I think about all the Dorothys, all over America, who fight for their families, who never give up," Clinton says in one of the spots, named "Dorothy" after her mother. A second ad, titled "Family Strong," delves into Clinton's early biography, noting that "after law school, she could have gone to a big firm, but instead went to work for the Children's Defense Fund." The ads are filled with images of young children and mothers, and looking directly at the camera, Clinton says her mother's personal story is the reason "standing up for kids and families became such a big part of my life."

New From Draft Joe Biden Group

Lone House Democrat Backs Anti-LGBT "First Amendment Defense Act"

Ten days before SCOTUS handed down its Obergefell ruling, Sen. Mike Lee and Rep. Raul Labrador introduced the First Amendment Defense Act (FADA), which would bar the government from denying grants or tax benefits to any "individual, association, or business" that refuses to comply with same-sex marriage laws. Since then numerous hate groups such as NOM and the FRC have hailed FADA in their daily money begs as the only thing left standing between them dirty LGBTs and Jesus.

While FADA has about as much chance of passage in this Congress as the Equality Act, the bill currently has 36 Senate and 140 House co-sponsors. Unsurprisingly 175 of those co-sponsors are Republicans. But then there's six-term Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL), who despite voting for the repeal of DADT and for the Hate Crimes Act somehow remains opposed to same-sex marriage. (He also opposes Obamacare.) Lipinski was first elected in 2004 in an apparently shady move in which he succeeded his own father, former Rep. Bill Lipinski, who won that year's primary but withdrew before the general election. The elder Lipinski then convinced local Democratic leaders to name his son as the candidate.

Remember this next year, folks.

Hillary Applauds Equality Act

Barney Frank: Ditch Bernie Sanders

"Decades ago, Sanders made a principled choice to play a valuable part in our politics — the outsider within the system. He defied the uniquely American aversion to the word 'socialism.' We are, after all, the only Western democracy in which no self-identified socialist party has ever played a significant governmental role. While voting with the Democrats to organize first the House and then the Senate, he made clear he did so as a regrettable necessity, not a preference, and cited his nonmembership in the party as an indication of his political integrity. Substantively, he has consistently, forcefully and cogently made the case for a larger federal government role in improving both the fairness and the quality of life in our country, refusing to soft-pedal in the face of declining support for this view in public opinion. His very unwillingness to be confined by existing voter attitudes, as part of a long-term strategy to change them, is both a very valuable contribution to the democratic dialogue and an obvious bar to winning support from the majority of these very voters in the near term." - Barney Frank, in a lengthy Politico piece titled Why Progressives Shouldn't Support Bernie Sanders.

MISSOURI: Gov. Jay Nixon Orders All State Agencies To Comply With Obergefell

Yes, he's a Democrat:

Nixon says the order makes clear that local governments must comply with the ruling as well. One Missouri county, Schuyler, is still not issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Nixon also called again on the Missouri legislature to pass the Missouri Nondiscrimination Act, which would bar discrimination against LGBT Missourians in employment, housing, and public accommodations. “Same-sex couples now have the right to get married, but here in Missouri, individuals can still be fired for being gay. That’s wrong, it’s not who we are, and it must change,” Nixon said.

TONIGHT: Hillary Clinton Speaks To CNN

CNN reports:

Hillary Clinton on Tuesday will give the first nationally televised interview of her presidential campaign to CNN senior political correspondent Brianna Keilar. The Democratic front-runner has largely stayed away from the press, only occasionally taking questions from reporters and granting interviews to local news outlets in early-voting states like Iowa and New Hampshire. But she hasn't granted national outlets interviews since jumping into the 2016 race in April. The first one, with Keilar, will take place in Iowa City, as Clinton campaigns in the first state to vote in the presidential nominating process. Clinton's status as her party's favorite isn't in doubt, but Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has narrowed the gap in recent polls, particularly in New Hampshire and Iowa.

Wingnuts sites are screaming "conflict of interest" because Keilar recently attended the wedding of a Clinton aide.

REPORT: Biden Might Run For President

Via US News & World Report:

Vice President Joe Biden has still not ruled out a 2016 presidential run and will make his intentions known by Aug. 1, according to two Democratic sources who have been in contact with his family. While the loss of his son, Beau Biden, last month paused any political planning by the vice president, the sources tell U.S. News that family members have indicated a White House run is still a possibility. He plans to announce his decision sometime prior to the beginning of August. Dick Harpootlian, former chairman of the South Carolina Democratic Party, says Biden previously indicated to him he would likely make up his mind in July. The two last spoke 10 days before Beau Biden's death on May 30. While Hillary Clinton remains a sturdy Democratic front-runner, there are some signs of an opening against her. A Suffolk University poll of New Hampshire published Tuesday found Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., had climbed within 10 points of Clinton. Biden registered just 7 percent.

It certainly would make the Democratic side a lot more interesting.

DNC Wins All The Trolling Points

"Today, Donald Trump became the second major Republican candidate to announce for president in two days. He adds some much-needed seriousness that has been previously lacking from the GOP field and we look forward to hearing more of his ideas for the nation." - From the Democratic National Committee.

LIVE VIDEO: Hillary Clinton Kicks Off Campaign On NYC's Roosevelt Island

Right-Wing PAC: Hillary Is Dishonest

America Rising PAC does opposition research for the GOP.

Hillary Launches Gay Rights T-Shirt

From the campaign store:

"In honor of 2011 International Human Rights Day, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton declared at the United Nations that 'being LGBT does not make you less human….[G]ay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights.' If you couldn’t give that a standing ovation then, let the world know you agree with this shirt."

It really was an astounding speech. The shirt is $30.

Lincoln Chafee To Unveil 2016 Bid Today

Via The Hill:

Former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee is set to enter the Democratic presidential field Wednesday afternoon, making a bid to become the foreign policy foil to front-runner Hillary Clinton. While the majority of presidential contenders launched their bids at large rallies in their home states, Chafee will announce his candidacy during a foreign policy speech at George Mason University at 5:30 p.m., a campaign aide confirmed to The Hill. Since the surprise announcement of his exploratory committee back in April, Chafee’s national media appearances have largely focused on rebuking Clinton’s vote to authorize the War in Iraq. Chafee, the only Republican senator to vote against the authorization as Clinton’s Senate colleague, called her vote a “disqualifier” in a previous interview with The Hill and said it helped lead to the rise of Islamic militants in the Middle East.

That brings the 2016 Democratic field to four.

Debbie Wasserman Shultz: Celebrate Pride With An Eye On Work Still To Be Done

"These Republican candidates want to take us backwards, undoing the progress we’ve fought so hard to secure. Jeb Bush has said that, 'the institution of marriage is under attack in our society.' Marco Rubio said one would need to have a 'ridiculous and absurd reading of the U.S. Constitution' to think same-sex couples have the right to marry. Rand Paul, the candidate who supposedly wants to broaden the GOP’s appeal and outreach to young voters, said that same-sex marriage 'offends' him. Others, including Scott Walker, Chris Christie, Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum and Bobby Jindal, all oppose marriage equality.

There are many places around the world where people are still subjected to violence and discrimination based on who they are or who they love, particularly for the transgender community. Even here at home, we’ve failed to enact protections like the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. In just a few weeks, the Supreme Court will issue a decision on whether same-sex couples have the right to marry nationwide. This June, as we celebrate LGBT Pride Month, the LGBT community and its allies are proud to look back on the victories we’ve achieved, and rededicate ourselves to the fights still ahead." - Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, chairperson of the Democratic National Committee, writing for the Washington Blade.

Candidates React To Beau Biden's Death

Beau Biden Dies Of Cancer At Age 46

Former Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, son of Vice President Joe Biden, has died of brain cancer at the age of 46. The vice president has issued a statement:

It is with broken hearts that Hallie, Hunter, Ashley, Jill and I announce the passing of our husband, brother and son, Beau, after he battled brain cancer with the same integrity, courage and strength he demonstrated every day of his life. The entire Biden family is saddened beyond words. We know that Beau’s spirit will live on in all of us—especially through his brave wife, Hallie, and two remarkable children, Natalie and Hunter. Beau's life was defined by service to others. As a young lawyer, he worked to establish the rule of law in war-torn Kosovo. A major in the Delaware National Guard, he was an Iraq War veteran and was awarded the Bronze Star. As Delaware’s Attorney General, he fought for the powerless and made it his mission to protect children from abuse. More than his professional accomplishments, Beau measured himself as a husband, father, son and brother. His absolute honor made him a role model for our family. Beau embodied my father's saying that a parent knows success when his child turns out better than he did. In the words of the Biden family: Beau Biden was, quite simply, the finest man any of us have ever known.

Beau Biden first entered the national spotlight in 2008 when he delivered a rousing speech introducing his father at the Democratic National Convention. He had been considered the frontrunner in the 2016 Delaware gubernatorial race.

UPDATE: President Obama has issued a statement.

Michelle and I are grieving tonight. Beau Biden was a friend of ours. His beloved family – Hallie, Natalie, and Hunter – are friends of ours. And Joe and Jill Biden are as good as friends get. Beau took after Joe. He studied the law, like his dad, even choosing the same law school. He chased a life of public service, like his dad, serving in Iraq and as Delaware’s Attorney General. Like his dad, Beau was a good, big-hearted, devoutly Catholic and deeply faithful man, who made a difference in the lives of all he touched – and he lives on in their hearts. But for all that Beau Biden achieved in his life, nothing made him prouder; nothing made him happier; nothing claimed a fuller focus of his love and devotion than his family. Just like his dad.

Joe is one of the strongest men we’ve ever known. He’s as strong as they come, and nothing matters to him more than family. It’s one of the things we love about him. And it is a testament to Joe and Jill – to who they are – that Beau lived a life that was full; a life that mattered; a life that reflected their reverence for family. The Bidens have more family than they know. In the Delaware they love. In the Senate Joe reveres. Across this country that he has served for more than forty years. And they have a family right here in the White House, where hundreds of hearts ache tonight – for Hallie, Natalie, and Hunter; for Joe and for Jill; for Beau’s brother, Hunter; his sister, Ashley, and for the entire Biden clan.

“I have believed the best of every man,” wrote the poet William Butler Yeats, “And find that to believe it is enough to make a bad man show him at his best or even a good man swing his lantern higher.” Beau Biden believed the best of us all. For him, and for his family, we swing our lanterns higher. Michelle and I humbly pray for the good Lord to watch over Beau Biden, and to protect and comfort his family here on Earth.

LIVE VIDEO: Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley Announces 2016 Presidential Bid

Watch it here.

ALABAMA: House Kills LGBT Rights Bill

Via the Montgomery Advertiser:

A House committee Wednesday killed a bill that would have banned discrimination against individuals based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Christopher England, D-Tuscaloosa [PHOTO], would have added the classes to state protections against discrimination in employment, housing, accommodations, financial transactions and voting. “I believe in order to protect those classifications, they need to be enumerated,” England told the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday afternoon. “There is some case history that if it’s not enumerated, it’s not protected.” The committee voted to carry it over, killing it for the remainder of the session. Rep. David Faulkner, R-Mountain Brook, who moved to have it carried over, said he “did not want anyone discriminated against,” but said that he had concerns about how the legislation would interact with existing statutes in Alabama. “It’s creating a new protected class that our nation does not recognize, much less Alabama,” he said. “When you are talking about those types of issues, this is much larger than marriage. This is far broader than that.”

Rep. Patricia Todd, the state's only openly gay legislator, reacted: "We haven’t passed any bad legislation, and that’s great. Alabama is further ahead than Arkansas, Texas and other states. But now it’s time to move forward with some positive legislation that protects people in the workplace, and that’s what this bill would do."

Quote Of The Day - Daniel O'Donnell

"As for many, there is a deeply personal element to this historic victory for me. I am very recognizably Irish-American, from my face to my name, but until these last few weeks, I have often felt that I don’t belong. Last month I was invited to Ireland by the Lawyers for Yes Campaign to help kick off the final weeks of advocacy. As the legislative sponsor of Marriage Equality in New York State, I shared my experience on the fight to achieve equal rights. Irish people from all over the world returned home to vote in this election. I returned to the birthplace of my family to help in any way I could. I feel proud to be Irish in a new way today after the people of Ireland declared that one can be Irish and gay and recognized in loving same-sex relationships. Thank you, Ireland, for voting for another step toward universal human rights for all." - New York Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell, in a letter published today by the New York Times.