Janet Napolitano Evolves On Gay Marriage

"This was something that society in a way, the arc of history, as it were, needed to get there, and the arc of history has clearly arrived." And just in time for her to lead the U.S. delegation to the Sochi Olympics.

(Via the National Review)

White House Announces Sochi Delegation, Obamas & Bidens Will Not Attend

Via press release from the White House:

The Opening Ceremony of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russian Federation will be held on February 7, 2014. The delegation will attend athletic events, meet with U.S. athletes, and attend the Opening Ceremony. The Honorable Janet A. Napolitano, President of the University of California, will lead the delegation. The Honorable Michael A. McFaul, United States Ambassador to the Russian Federation. The Honorable Robert L. Nabors, Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy. The Honorable Billie Jean King, Member of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, Member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Mr. Brian A. Boitano, Olympic gold medalist, figure skating.

Neither of the Obamas, no Joe Biden, but a trio of gays. That's a message. Of course, neither Napolitano nor Boitano have actually come out. There will be lots of reading of the tea leaves for the next few days.

UPDATE: Via the Associated Press.

The Human Rights Campaign, one of the groups that wrote the White House last month asking Obama to include gays and lesbians in the delegation, applauded the unveiling of the delegation Tuesday. "It's a positive sign to see openly gay representatives in the delegation," said spokesman Michael Cole-Schwartz. "Hopefully it sends a message to the Russian people and the rest of the world that the United States values the civil and human rights of LGBT people." On other fronts, the 2014 delegation appears to be a step back from previous years, when the U.S. sent top-level administration officials to represent the U.S. at the Olympic ceremonies. First lady Michelle Obama led the delegation to the London Games in 2012, while Vice President Joe Biden headed the effort in 2010 in Vancouver. Obama's schedule will not permit him to attend the games in Sochi in February, the White House said.

Janet Napolitano Quits Homeland Security

Janet Napolitano today announced that she will be resigning her Cabinet post with the Obama administration to become the president of the California state university system.

Napolitano’s nomination by a committee of UC regents came after a secretive process that insiders said focused on her early as a high-profile, although untraditional, candidate who has led large public agencies and shown a strong interest in improving education. UC officials believe that her Cabinet experiences –- which include helping to lead responses to hurricanes and tornadoes and overseeing some anti-terrorism measures -- will help UC administer its federal energy and nuclear weapons labs and aid its federally funded research in medicine and other areas.

Napolitano will become the first woman to head the University of California's ten-school system since its founding 145 years ago.

Napolitano: Come Get Your Green Cards

"I applaud the Supreme Court decision in United States v. Windsor holding that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional. This discriminatory law denied thousands of legally married same-sex couples many important federal benefits, including immigration benefits. I am pleased the Court agreed with the Administration's position that DOMA's restrictions violate the Constitution. Working with our federal partners, including the Department of Justice, we will implement the decision so that all married couples will be treated equally and fairly in the administration of our immigration laws." - Homeland Security head Janet Napolitano, via press release.

Brian Brown: Pissed At Homeland Security

Hate group leader Brian Brown is ever so pissed at Homeland Security's move to formally consider the relationship status of LGBT potential deportees. Via the Vatican puppet site EWTN News:

“This is just another example of the federal government trying to skirt the Defense of Marriage Act,” said Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage. “The reality is that this administration, whenever it has had a chance, has tried to undermine the Defense of Marriage Act,” Brown told EWTN News on Oct. 2. “I think it’s trickling down into agency after agency.” “It’s clear that you’re not going to be able to overturn DOMA through Congress,” he explained, so instead, same-sex unions are being promoted “incrementally through administrative changes.” “The question is whether people will wake up and say enough is enough,” Brown remarked. He believes that “marriage is going to be a key issue” in the upcoming election. “People are suffering. The economy is bad,” he acknowledged. “But that doesn’t mean that people aren’t voting their values. This is going to be a major issue this election.” Brown explained that the exact states that Obama needs to win in order to succeed in the election are the same states that have “overwhelmingly” voted to preserve marriage as the union of one man and one woman.

BREAKING: Obama To Grant Immunity And Work Permits To Young Immigrants

Big news is breaking on the immigration front:

The Obama administration will stop deporting and begin granting work permits to younger illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children and have since led law-abiding lives. The election-year initiative addresses a top priority of an influential Latino electorate that has been vocal in its opposition to administration deportation policies.

The policy change, described to The Associated Press by two senior administration officials, will affect as many as 800,000 immigrants who have lived in fear of deportation. It also bypasses Congress and partially achieves the goals of the so-called DREAM Act, a long-sought but never enacted plan to establish a path toward citizenship for young people who came to the United States illegally but who have attended college or served in the military.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano was to announce the new policy Friday, one week before President Barack Obama plans to address the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials' annual conference in Orlando, Fla. Republican presidential challenger Mitt Romney is scheduled to speak to the group on Thursday.

I'll have video of the announcement ASAP.

Obama On Pants Bomber

Today the president addressed the failed attempt to bring down Northwest 253. Calls for the resignation of Homeland Security director Janet Napolitano are increasing, but President Obama focused on the reviewing of no-fly watch lists and the pre-boarding screening process.

Napolitano: I'm Not Gay, I'm Just Single

Director of Homeland Security and former Arizona governor Janet Napolitano denied rumors about her sexuality to the New York Times yesterday.

NYT: Men don’t know what to make of women who choose to be single. Rumors of lesbianism have dogged women in politics like you,Condoleezza Rice and Ann Richards.
JN: Right. I think the more people get to know a person, the less that becomes an issue. It’s interesting. In Arizona when I first ran for public office, that’s when the rumors were going around, and of course I’m sure they go around now.
NYT: In 2002, during your gubernatorial campaign, you publicly denied rumors that you were a lesbian.
JM: I just happen not to be married.
NYT: Are you seeing anybody now?
JN: Yes, my staff.

Napolitano Did What Obama Won't

Dan Savage notes an interesting contradiction in federal policy this morning. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano has issued a two-year stop order on the deportation of the widowed immigrant spouses of U.S. citizens. It takes two years after marrying an American before you can qualify for citizenship. If your spouse dies before then, you get sent home. Napolitano thinks it's cruel to summarily deport a widowed spouse in those circumstances and wants to give Congress time to "fix the law." Savage rants:

So the head of the Department of Homeland Security can suspend the enforcement of the Widow's Penalty in order to give Congress time to "fix the law," but Barack Obama—the President of the United States, Commander in Chief, Janet Napolitano's boss—he can't suspend enforcement of DADT to give Congress time to "fix the law." Is that it? Or is Obama administration only capable of recognizing an injustice and taking action when the lives of heterosexuals are being destroyed?

Right fucking on.

US Declares Swine Flu Emergency

Today the Centers For Disease Control declared a national public health emergency in reaction to an outbreak of swine flu in five states.

At a White House news conference, Dr. Richard Besser and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano sought to assure Americans that health officials are taking all appropriate steps to minimize the impact of the outbreak. Top among those is declaring the public health emergency. As part of that, Napolitano said roughly 12 million doses of the drug Tamiflu will be moved from a federal stockpile to places where states can quickly get their share if they decide they need it. Priority will be given to the five states with known cases so far: California, Texas, New York, Ohio and Kansas. Napolitano called the emergency declaration standard operating procedure — one was declared recently for the inauguration and for flooding. She urged people to think of it as a "declaration of emergency preparedness." "Really that's what we're doing right now. We're preparing in an environment where we really don't know ultimately what the size of seriousness of this outbreak is going to be."

Tamiflu is marketed by Hoffman-La Roche and can have profound psychological side effects including hallucinations, delirium, and suicidal impulses. Thus far no one has died from swine flu in the United States, although Mexico has seen dozens of deaths in recent days.

RELATED: U.S. Rep. Eric Massa (D-NY) wants the border with Mexico closed.

"The public needs to be aware of the serious threat of swine flu, and we need to close our borders to Mexico immediately and completely until this is resolved," Massa said in a statement. "I am making this announcement because I see this as a serious threat to the health of the American public and I do not believe this issue is receiving the attention it needs to have in the news," Massa said.

Oh brother.

AZ Gov. Janet Napolitano Picked As Head Of Homeland Security

Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano (D) has been picked by Barack Obama to be his head of Homeland Security.

Democratic officials said. Napolitano is a border governor who will now be responsible for immigration policy and border security, which are part of Homeland Security’s myriad functions. Napolitano brings law-and-order experience from her stint as the Grand Canyon State’s first female attorney general. One of the nation’s most prominent female elected officials, she made frequent appearances on behalf of Barack Obama during the campaign. She was re-elected to a second four-year term in 2006. Transition insiders have long expected that she would be offered a Cabinet slot, although she had also been mentioned for other posts, including attorney general.

According to the Arizona constitution, Napolitano's mid-term departure will elevate Secretary of State Jan Brewer to governor. Brewer is a Republican and that will give the GOP complete control over Arizona's government as they already control that state's House and Senate.