SURPRISE! JOHN MCCAIN COULD LOSE ARIZONA!

In a stunning (but not too surprising) turnaround, Presidential hopeful John McCain could lose his own home state of Arizona.

According to a story in yesterday's Arizona Republic, John McCain is tied with Barack Obama in Arizona. In the most recent poll, conducted by Arizona State University, McCain leads Obama by only 2 points - 46 to 44. Since the poll has a 3% margin of error that equates to a statistical tie.

Just one month ago McCain's lead was 7% and over this past summer, it was in the double-digits.

Wes Gullett, co-chairman of McCain's Arizona campaign, said "We're doing fine in Arizona. We're not going to win by 30 points, but we're going to do fine. We're going to win."

Gullett and co-Chairman Kurt Davis said tracking polls often have methodological problems. But the two did not provide specifics about what was wrong with the recent poll.

If you've paid attention to how vile and dangerously inciteful the McCain/Palin attacks against Obama have become lately then it wouldn't surprise you to hear this.

In the world we live in today, voters desperately want to know what, specifically, the candidates plan on doing to get us out of all the messes that have been created over the last 8 years. They're tired of all of the down-in-the-dirt politics and are flat-out repulsed by the dangerous racial and terrorist innuendos that McCain and Palin have been throwing around lately.

I'm hoping that McCain not only loses nationally but also loses Arizona by a wide margin. It's a very real possibility given the overwhelming support Obama has with gays, blacks, hispanics and young students voting for the first time. And Arizona has a substantial population of all four groups. A expected voter turnout here of 80-85% certainly would bode well for Obama.

I can't stress enough the importance of every single person who is registered to vote actually going out and doing it!

VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

CONNECTICUT GAY COUPLES WILL BEGIN MARRYING NEXT MONTH

Now that the Connecticut Supreme Court's ruling to allow same-sex marriages has been published in the Connecticut Law Journal it is considered official. That means that sometime next month, gay couples will be able to legally marry.

The exact date will be announced by the superior court judge as soon as the 10 day waiting period following the publication ends. The waiting period is intended to allow for motions for reconsideration of the case but it seems unlikely that any motions will be filed.

According to the Hartford Courant, a poll conducted Oct. 18 to 22 by The Courant and the Center for Survey Research and Analysis at the University of Connecticut found that although 50% of voters favor a constitutional convention, 55% oppose a constitutional ban on gay marriage.

"The constitutional convention question appears to be a referendum on the performance of the General Assembly," said Christine Kraus, who directed the poll.

UPDATE...Barring any unlikely motions for reconsideration, the target date to begin gay marriages is now set for November 10th.

2ND UPDATE...According to Box Turtle Bulletin, Superior Court Judge Jonathan Silbert on Monday scheduled a hearing on November 12th to enter the final judgment in the case that allows same-sex marriages in the state.

The proceeding is scheduled for 9:15 a.m. Attorneys in the court case say that once the hearing ends, couples can pick up marriage license forms at town and city clerk’s offices.

BIG UPDATE...On Tuesday, by a huge 2 - 1 margin, Connecticut voters rejected a call for a Constitutional Convention solidifying the legality of gay marriages in this state. Now that's good news!

MORMON CHURCH BEING TORN APART OVER ANTI-GAY MARRIAGE PROPOSTITIONS

It has become obvious even to Mormons themselves that their leadership's obsessive involvement in the anti-gay marriage propositions is tearing the church apart from within.

As I've reported in earlier postings, there are a significant number of LDS (Latter Day Saints or Mormon) members who have very publicly disagreed with what their leaders are doing. They feel their church has no business being so involved in a political endeavor that many feel is a violation of the Church's own tenets. Some of the members have even lost their jobs or have been excommunicated because of nothing more than their outspoken and very public expressions of disagreement.

The Church leaders seem to have miscalculated the blind support they thought they we entitled to. As a result, not only have they not increased respect for the LDS Church by the outside communities, they have created serious chasmic divisions throughout their own institution.

The Salt Lake Tribune just did a piece on the growing unrest within the LDS Church over the same-sex marriage proposals. I recommend that anyone who is interested check it out.

There are, of course, statements made by Prop 8 proponents in the article that I totally disagree with but overall, it does show the serious divisions that have been created.

The article can be found at: Salt Lake Tribune

YES ON 8 CAMPAIGNERS MORPH INTO MAFIOSOS

It's a pretty well known fact that the Yes On 8 campaign has regularly used lies and twisted truths in their attempts to influence voters. Now they've started using tactics that can only be compared to the old days of the notoriously amoral mafia.

And make no mistake about just who the Yes On 8 campaign is. By virtue of their member's millions of dollars in donations (77% of the whole) and the staggering amount of man hours their followers have contributed at the direction of their leaders, the Mormon Church is and has been the primary driving force behind not only this campaign but the Arizona Yes On 102 campaign as well.

Now they've stooped to an alarming new low. On October 20th, the campaign's executive committee sent threatening letters to every small business in California that contributed to the No On Proposition 8 campaign.

The letter said, in part:

We respectfully request that (name of business here) withdraw its support of Equality California. Make a donation of a like amount to ProtectMarriage.com which will help us correct this error and restore Traditional Marriage.

Were you to elect not to donate comparably, it would be a clear indication that you are in opposition to traditional marriage. You would leave us no other reasonable assumption. The name of any companies and organizations that choose not to donate in like manner to ProtectMarriage.com but have given to Equality California will be published. It is only fair for Proposition 8 supporters to know which companies and organizations oppose traditional marriage.

We will contact you shortly to discuss your contribution sincerely hoping to receive your positive response.

The letter was signed:

Ron Prentice, Campaign Chairman
Edward Dolejsi, Executive Director, California Catholic Conference
Mark A. Jansson, Executive Committee Member
Andrew Pugno, General Counsel

They obviously added their general counsel's name and signature as a lame attempt at subliminal intimidation.

This, to me, is outright, blatant extortion (possibly even qualifying under the "Rico" act) and certainly should be prosecuted as such by the California Attorney General.

MCCAIN/PALIN & RNC SINK TO DISTURBING NEW LOW

The McCain/Palin Campaign, through the Republican National Committee (which, when you're the candidate for President of the United States, is one and the same), have sunk to a very disturbing, disgusting and dangerous new low.

My brother in Illinois sent me a email from a friend of his. Attached to the email was the following jpeg of a mailer that the RNC sent out in a mass mailing.

Below is what my brother's friend said in his email. The capitalization is all his. Obviously, he is very upset:

I CAN’T BELIEVE HOW LOW THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE HAS GONE!! THIS IS THEIR NEW MAILING THAT INFERS OBAMA IS A TERRORIST!! THIS IS NOT FROM SOME FAR RIGHT GROUP – IT IS FROM THE RNC.

I DON’T CARE IF YOU’RE REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT, THE SCARE TACTICS, THE FEAR, THE LIES AND THE DANGER OF INCITING REALLY KOOKIE PEOPLE WITH THIS KIND OF MAILING IS THE LOWEST, MOST VILE FORM OF POLITICS I HAVE EVER SEEN!!

IT’S ONE THING TO ATTACK THE POSITION OF AN OPPONENT, BUT THIS IS ALTOGETHER DIFFERENT!!! THIS REALLY SCARES ME!! THERE ARE A LOT OF CRAZIES IN THIS COUNTRY THAT NEED VERY LITTLE EXCUSE TO ACT OUT THEIR THOUGHTS. THIS TYPE OF CAMPAIGN LITERATURE COULD INCITE ALL KINDS OF AWFUL EVENTS.

THIS IS CHARACTER ASSASSINATION AND NOT ONLY DOES IT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH TAKING A NEGATIVE POSITION WITH RESPECT TO OBAMA’S POSITIONS ON THE ISSUES, IT IS IRRESPONSIBLE AND DANGEROUS.

I HOPE EVERYONE THAT SEE’S THIS, REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT, IS AS INCENSED AS I AM AND WILL DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO LET THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE KNOW THAT THIS DANGEROUS, INCITEFUL AND DIVISIVE ACTION IS UNACCEPTABLE.

I HAVE BEEN SUPPORTING OUR INCUMBENT REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN, FRED UPTON, BUT HIS SIGN IS COMING OUT OF MY LAWN TODAY AS LONG AS THE RNC EMPLOYS SUCH LOW TACTICS.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, THE WEB ADDRESS TO EMAIL TO THE RNC IS: http://www.gop.com/Connect/ContactUs.htm

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF EMAIL ADDRESSES SUCH AS COMMUNICATIONS AND POLITICAL CAMPAIGN OPERATIONS.

I BELIEVE EACH ONE OF US NEEDS TO ASK, REGARDLESS OF WHO IS ELECTED, WHAT WILL BE THE LONG-TERM EFFECT OF THIS ACTION? AS FOR ME, I BELIEVE IT WILL FOSTER FEAR, HATRED, DISTRUST AND DIVISION AT A TIME WHEN AMERICA NEEDS UNITY AS NEVER BEFORE.

PLEASE CONSIDER JOINING WITH ME IN LETTING OTHERS KNOW THIS ACTION IS FRIGHTENING AND NEEDS TO STOP!!

The McCain/Palin campaign and the Republican Party have turned themselves into racist, religious fanatics who would clearly stop at nothing to win this election.

As I've said in the past, I used to like John McCain. That was before he did his infamous 180 in his fervent and seemingly blind support of everything Bush. And now, with this latest turn of what has become a bastardized version of his own personal morality, I've lost whatever modicum of respect I had for him.

He has become an embittered, sad old man whose once grand legacy has become completely and irreparably tarnished. This is not a person who deserves anyone's support.

ELDERLY GAY COUPLE BRUTALLY MURDERED IN THEIR HOME

The brutally murdered bodies of two elderly Indianapolis gay men were found inside their home by friends.

According to a WRTV Channel 6 report, Milton Lindgren, 70, and Eric Hendricks, 73, were found dead Monday morning. Police would not say how they were killed or how long their bodies had been inside the home, only that their deaths came by "violent means."

Police reports show that the men had their phone and cable lines cut twice in the past few months, and that anti-gay statements were posted on their front door. Investigators said that while they do believe the vandalism was related to Lindgren and Hendricks being gay, they didn't know if their killings were.

Patrick Beard, a friend of the victims, told 6News' Rick Hightower that he believed the men were targeted. Beard's son, Lee Beard, who also knew the victims, said,

"I'm not a genius, but if someone's being harassed like that and fagot gets stamped on their door on a piece of paper, it's not that hard to connect the dots two months later that these two people are brutally killed in their home."

Friends said Hendricks was ill and confined to a wheelchair.

This will not be investigated as a hate crime because Indiana doesn't have hate crime laws. Another glaring reason why we need federal hate crimes legislation passed. It would give local police more funds and federal manpower to help find the murder(s) and bring them to swift justice.

Unfortunately, violent crimes against gays have been steadily rising since the religious, right-wing fanatics stepped up their vitriolic, hate-filled, lying rhetoric against gays.

This has to stop before it escalates into something no one wants to see happen. Gays are no longer willing to sit idly by while their friends, neighbors, families and communities are verbally and physically attacked. We're not the quiet, timid, weak little mice that many macho heterosexuals want to believe we are. Just like in the straight community, there are extremist factions within our own community that, if pushed far enough and feel forced into a corner, will respond.

That's something we don't want to see. The surest way to abate this rapidly growing tension is if the other, more tolerant side of religious institutions, supportive politicians, business leaders and government legislatures make themselves heard very loudly and very clearly.

MORMONS TURN PROPOSITIONS 8 & 102 INTO CHURCH SPONSORED INITIATIVES

Most of us have known all along about the massive involvement of the Mormon Church in the California and Arizona initiatives to ban gay marriages. What we weren't exactly sure of is just how much they've contributed.

According to The Advocate,

Californians Against Hate released figures Tuesday showing that $17.67 million was contributed by 59,000 Mormon families since August to groups like Yes on 8. Contributions in support of Prop. 8 total $22.88 million. Additionally, the group reports that Mormons have contributed $6.9 million to pass a similar law, Proposition 102, in Arizona.

That equates to 77% of the total contributions made in California alone!

Fred Karger of Californians Against Hate said in a press release,

"It is a staggering amount of money and an even more staggering percentage of the overall campaign receipts. The Mormon Church, based in Salt Lake City, Utah, has hijacked the campaigns in both California and Arizona, where voters face constitutional amendments to end same-sex marriage."

The sad irony here is that although the church's hierarchy has directed their followers to help pass Prop 8 by "donating of your means and time", not a single Mormon Church leader has made any kind of personal donation themselves. Their tenet seems to be "do as I tell you, not as I do."

In an interview with The Advocate, Karger said:

"For whatever reason, they're trying to get some respect from other religions. They've always been looked down upon by the Christians, the Catholics, and evangelicals. Success with the marriage amendment would give the church credibility."

This seems to be the overriding modus operandi of the Mormon Church throughout their history. Do whatever it takes to further their agendas and strengthen their standing without regard for right or wrong morality and without any compassion for whoever might get hurt.

I hope this ultimately comes back to bite them in their collective asses.

ARIZONA REPUBLIC COMES OUT AGAINST PROPOSTITION 102

One of the largest and most influential newspapers here in Arizona, the Arizona Republic, has come out against Proposition 102, the anti-gay marriage amendment on the ballot for the November 4th election.

With a Daily circulation of 433,731 and a Sunday circulation of 541,757 they have a substantial impact throughout the entire state. That's why they're stand against Prop 102 is so important.

The Republic has a long-standing reputation of being primarily a conservative publication but the wording of this Opinion was much more direct and compelling than I would have expected.

About gays and the gay community, they said:

Arizona must get beyond the acrimony fueled by the fight over Proposition 102.

Already, the state has gone a long way toward rejecting the notion that sexual orientation has any bearing on a person's rights or place in society.

As gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transsexuals no longer feel compelled to hide in the closet, we see that they're our friends, colleagues and, often, family members.

Personal relations are dispelling the clouds of prejudice and ignorance.

Of the amendment, they said:

One of the best arguments against a proposed state constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage is this: Secretary of State Jan Brewer blocked ballot language that would have told voters that state law already prohibits such marriages.

If voters were clear on existing law, many might decide there's no reason to adopt the amendment.

They also pointed out the potential legal ramifications of passing 102 by saying:

Proposition 102 states that only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as marriage in this state.

This is not quite as straightforward as it sounds. The amendment clearly aims to disallow same-sex marriages that are legal in a few other states.

Refusing to recognize another state's contracts brings up federal constitutional issues. What about other types of same-sex legal partnerships?

Lawyers could use up a lot of billable hours parsing the exact meaning of "union" and "marriage."

They also commented on the sorry state of the institution of marriage but then said that those problems "had nothing to do with whether same-sex couples can or cannot get married."

It was suggested that the supporters of Prop 102, who call themselves "Arizona for Marriage," should spend their time and energy hunting for real ways to shore it up.

It ended with:

Proposition 102 is a needless distraction. Voters should reject it.

PALIN SUPPORTS FEDERAL AMENDMENT BANNING GAY MARRIAGE

In an interview with David Brody on CBN Sarah Palin said that she would support a federal constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage throughout the country.

The following video is the section of that interview that includes her answer to Brody's question:

The most telling and disturbing aspect of Palin's comment is her statement "I don't support gay marriage - ya know, I'm not going to be up there judging individuals sitting in a seat of judgement telling them what they can and can't do, should and should not do..." That's like saying "I'm not going to tell you what to do as long as you do what I say."

Palin spends much of her time telling her followers how her and McCain are going to go to Washington and kick-out the good ole' boys and stop the "business as usual" politics. But her actions and her words totally contradict that. Her own two-faced, hypocritical politics from mayor to governor and now to Vice Presidential candidate are about as "business as usual," good ole' boy networking as it gets.

Contrast Palin's comments with what Joe Biden said as soon as he came onstage at the Ellen DeGeneres show:

Biden: First of all, congratulations.

DeGeneres: Thank you, thank you.

Biden: Number two, if I lived in California, I’d clearly vote against Prop 8.

DeGeneres: Fantastic!

Biden: You know, by the way, Barack and I both opposed a similar attempt nationally, that was an attempt to talk about a constitutional amendment which I think, I think it’s regressive, I think it’s unfair, and so I vote no.

Degeneres: No on Prop 8. Fantastic. That’s what I wanted to know.

PALIN ABUSED HER POWERS AS GOVERNOR

According to a NY Times article, Governor Sarah Palin did, in fact, abuse the powers of her office by pressuring subordinates to get her former brother-in-law, a state trooper, fired.

In a 263-page report, the Alaska Legislature's investigation found that Palin had personally exerted pressure to get Trooper Michael Wooten dismissed, as well as allowing her husband and subordinates to press for his firing.

The NY Times article stated:

The report said, “Such impermissible and repeated contacts create conflicts of interests for subordinate employees who must choose to either please a superior or run the risk of facing that superior’s displeasure and the possible consequences of that displeasure.” The report concludes that the action was a violation of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act.

The independent investigator, Stephen E. Branchflower, a former prosecutor in Anchorage, said that Palin wrongfully allowed her husband, Todd, to use state resources as part of the effort to have Trooper Wooten dismissed. And that she knowingly “permitted Todd Palin to use the governor’s office and the resources of the governor’s office, including access to state employees, to continue to contact subordinate state employees in an effort to find some way to get Trooper Wooten fired.”

Repeated attempts to pressure Palin's public safety commissioner, Walt Monegan, who was Wooten's boss, into firing the trooper resulted in Wooten being suspended from the state police force for five days. However, Mr. Branchflower’s report found numerous instances in which Ms. Palin, her husband and her subordinates tried to press for harsher punishment, even though Mr. Monegan and others told them they had gone as far as the law and civil service rules would allow.

Monegan was ultimately terminated by Palin. Ironically, the governor always had the authority to fire him with or without cause but what got her in trouble was that she only did that after he said that he couldn't go any further in punishing Trooper Wooten. Apparently Palin wanted to make it look like it was Monegan's decision to fire Wooten but when that didn't work, she punished Monegan by firing him. Ah, what tangled webs we weave.

Even though she was found culpable for abusing her powers as governor, Palin and the McCain campaign have continuously said in rally after rally and interview after interview that she had been "completely exonerated" by the investigation. If anyone thinks that isn't more of the same Bush/Rove/Cheney politics then they're not paying attention.

LOCAL CLERGY RELEASE VIDEO OPPOSING PROPOSITION 102

If you're a religious person and you're conflicted over your church's assertions about gay marriage but you know in your heart that Arizona's Propostion 102 is just wrong, watch this video.

The video was produced by No Longer Silent Clergy For Justice which is a large coalition of Phoenix-area clergy.

PALIN OHIO RALLY DRAWS RACISTS INTO THE OPEN

In the article I posted on Monday I reported on the highly inflammable, semi-veiled racist and "terrorist's friend" remarks about Barack Obama that Sarah Palin keeps repeating over and over again at every rally she appears at.

I, most of the rest of the media and homeland security secretary Michael Chertoff believe that this tactic could prove to be extraordinarily dangerous not only for Obama but for the rest of the country as well. At a time when we should all be trying to work together to solve the very serious problems we face, this could erupt into an incident that would tear us apart.

The following video is posted on YouTube and it's a stark example of the effects that this kind of rhetoric is already having on some of the people in small-town Middle America. It was made in Ohio.

I lived in Ohio for ten years and I know that a majority of the people there are hard working, fair-minded and not bigoted. There is, however, a sizable portion of the population that, on the surface, seem to be loving, caring people - which they are...for their "own kind".

The most shocking incident that happened to me personally was when a friend of mine died and I was helping his mother go through his things. Her outward appearance and demeanor was that of everyone's beloved little ole' grandmother but when a news story came on TV featuring a black man, she blurted out, with considerable vehemence, "...that goddamn nigger shouldn't be on television! They should all go back to Africa where they belong!" Needless to say, I was stunned. I told her that I didn't agree with her and I found what she said offensive. She immediately stopped talking and never said anything like that again.

Unfortunately, that was only one of many like incidences that happened to me while I was there. But that kind of racism was always kept just below the surface and only manifested when they thought it was safe to do so.

As you saw in the video, the McCain/Palin campaign has drawn that ignorance and bigotry right into the open - with a vengeance.

I hope the Secret Service quadruples its coverage of Barack!

BUS DRIVER AIDES IN HOMOPHOBIC ATTACK ON A 10 YEAR OLD BOY

This is very disturbing and should sound alarms all over the place.

Just as the McCain/Palin campaign rhetoric has started to incite blind and unreasoned hatreds of Barack Obama, the fanatic religious right's homophobic rantings are beginning to incite violence against not only adult gays but now also against young children who might be perceived to be gay as well.

A Bourbonnais, Illinois elementary school bus driver, 46 year old Russell A. Schmalz, was arrested and charged with leading a homophobic attack on a 10-year old student passenger.

According to an article posted at 365gay.com the Kankakee Sheriff’s Police said that the boy was taunted by Schmalz who repeatedly kept calling him "gay."

Chief Deputy Ken McCabe said the incident occurred on a Bourbonnais Elementary School District bus which was returning students to their homes last Friday.

McCabe said,

”When the boy got off the bus, the driver encouraged several other students to go after him and tackle him. Our investigation shows that occurred,” then encouraged the other students to beat the child.

McCabe also said that Schmalz is under investigation for joining the students in chasing the boy and grabbing him.

Schmalz is charged with mob action, endangering the life of a child and battery.

Orginal story is at The Daily Journal

GREAT NEW NO ON PROP 8 TV ADS

HOMOtracker is a small group of gay and lesbian Hollywood industry professionals who produced the following No On Prop 8 ads in an effort to mobilize and defeat that Proposition 8 on November 4th. These ads are part of a series of message ads that are based on the well-known, successful, and oft-imitated "Mac vs. PC" script. They're a lot of fun to watch and the Mac ad format is perfect for this message. Enjoy.

SORRY -- the second one wouldn't load properly. You can view it at Towelroad.com

PRIEST REMOVED FOR COMING OUT AND FOR OPPOSING PROPOSTION 8

Last week Father Geoffrey Farrow of the Fresno, California Roman Catholic diocese took a brave stand against California's Proposition 8 at the end of his October 5th sermon.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Father Farrow compounded his opposition to Prop. 8 by coming out as a gay man during a television interview immediately preceding the sermon.

Last thursday Bishop John T. Steinbock removed Farrow from his parish, stripped away his salary and health benefits and ordered him to stay away from all church communities he had served. Father Farrow expected this and had removed all of his belongings from the church rectory just hours after the services.

After 23 years as a respected and well liked parish priest while all along struggling with keeping his sexuality a secret, the "last straw" came in the form of a pastoral letter from Bishop Steinbock. In that letter, Steinbock condemned the California Supreme Court's ruling that legalized same-sex marriage, and supported the passage of Proposition 8, calling marriage between a man and woman the "foundation blocks for society." Steinbock compared the court's action to efforts by Nazi Germany and the Communist regimes in Russia and China to alter family arrangements.

That letter created a major moral dilemma for Father Farrow. "At what point do you cease to be an agent for healing and growth and become an accomplice of injustice?" he asked.

Towelroad.com reported that Farrow told his parishoners,

"In directing the faithful to vote 'yes' on Proposition 8 the California bishops are not merely entering the political arena, they are ignoring the advances and insights of neurology, psychology, and the very statements made by the church itself that homosexuality is innate...I know that these words of truth will cost me dearly. But to withhold them would be far more costly and I would become accomplice to a moral evil that strips gay and lesbian people of their civil rights but of their human dignity as well."

In his disciplinary letter, Bishop Steinbock said that Farrow had abandoned his assignment without offering to discuss the issues. Steinbock said he had no choice but to suspend Farrow and hinted that other penalties could follow, including defrocking him.

Father Farrow is currently staying with friends in Los Angeles.

MCCAIN/PALIN FAN FLAMES OF RACIAL HATRED AMID CALLS FOR VIOLENCE

The McCain campaign is getting more and more desperate with each new poll. In a frenzied attempt to regain lost ground, they've unleashed their designated pit bull, Sarah Palin, and the rhetoric she's using has taken a seriously dangerous turn.

At rally after rally Palin continues to use inflammatory, hate-based catch phrases whenever she refers to Barack Obama.

The throngs of supporters that surround both McCain and Palin are, at best, beginning to sound like ancient howling mobs at a beheading. At worst, they're starting to echo the fevered pitch of Klu Klux Klan and white supremacists rallies.

New York Times Op-Ed Columnist Frank Rich said saturday, "At McCain-Palin rallies, the raucous and insistent cries of “Treason!” and “Terrorist!” and “Kill him!” and “Off with his head!” as well as the uninhibited slinging of racial epithets, are actually something new in a campaign that has seen almost every conceivable twist. They are alarms."

I remember having a conversation with a friend last January about how impressed I was with Barack Obama and that I thought he could have a real shot at becoming the first black President. His first response was that if he does win the nomination, he won't live long enough to become President. Unfortunately, I knew instantly what he meant. As much as most of us, including my friend, didn't want that to be the case, we knew that it was a very real possibility.

We weren't alone in that mindset. Michael Chertoff, the homeland security secretary, consulted with Congress and then gave Obama a Secret Service detail earlier than any presidential candidate in our history. The detail was assigned in May 2007, eight months before the first Democratic primaries.

At the end of his op-ed piece, Frank Rich also said, "We’re not at Election Day yet, and if voters are to have their final say, both America and Obama have to get there safely.The McCain campaign has crossed the line between tough negative campaigning and inciting vigilantism, and each day the mob howls louder. The onus is on the man who says he puts his country first to call off the dogs, pit bulls and otherwise."

If anything does happen to Obama between now and November 4th, John McCain and Sarah Palin would have to shoulder the bulk of responsibility for it. And, in my opinion, they should both be held legally accountable for their actions. One of the few accepted exceptions to freedom of speech is the parable about yelling "fire" in a crowded theatre when none exists.

SURPRISE! GAY MARRIAGE NOW LEGAL IN CONNECTICUT!

In a stunning and unexpected announcement at 11:30 am (est) this morning the Connecticut Supreme Court voted to legalize same-sex marriages.

The court ruled that civil unions were discriminatory based on the equal protection clause of the state constitution. In a 4-3 decision, the court's majority wrote that the state's "understanding of marriage must yield to a more contemporary appreciation of the rights entitled to constitutional protection."

"Interpreting our state constitutional provisions in accordance with firmly established equal protection principles leads inevitably to the conclusion that gay persons are entitled to marry the otherwise qualified same sex partner of their choice. To decide otherwise would require us to apply one set of constitutional principles to gay persons and another to all others."

According to the Hartford Courant:

Unsatisfied with the civil unions, eight same-sex couples had brought the case, Kerrigan v. the state Commissioner of Public Health, after they were denied marriage licenses in 2004 by the Madison town clerk, who was following instructions issued by the state attorney general's office.

The state, arguing that civil unions already provide all the rights and protections of marriage, prevailed in a Superior Court ruling in July 2006. The couples appealed the ruling to the Supreme Court, which heard three hours of arguments on the case in May 2007.

The GLBT community in Connecticut and the rest of the country has been waiting for over 16 months for the court's decision. When it was finally handed down this morning it caught most of us by surprise.

Governor M. Jodi Rell released a statement just minutes after the ruling was announced. The Governor said that she disagreed with the decision but would uphold it. She added that she was proud to sign the country's first state civil unions law in 2005 and thought it was "equitable and just."

She went on to say,

"The Supreme Court has spoken. I do not believe their voice reflects the majority of the people of Connecticut. However, I am also firmly convinced that attempts to reverse this decision -- either legislatively or by amending the state Constitution -- will not meet with success. I will therefore abide by the ruling."

Defeated, the opposition will now concentrate their efforts on the November election when voters will be asked whether or not the state should convene a constitutional convention. But, as the governor said, that effort doesn't seem likely to succeed.

With Massachusetts and California, this now brings the total number of states that have legalized gay marriages to three...and counting.

UPDATE... Governor rell said: "The Supreme Court has spoken. I do not believe their voice reflects the majority of the people of Connecticut."

She was wrong!

According to the Hartford Courant a poll was taken by the The University of Connecticut following the State Supreme Court's decision. It found that 53% of Connecticut residents agreed with the court.

In the Governor's defense, the poll does seem to support her belief that any attempt to reverse that decision doesn't seem likely to succeed.

Well Governor, at least you were half right.

Lest we forget however - the Governor and the state of Connecticut are still to be highly commended for being the first in the nation to lead the way with Civil Unions.

UPDATE... The Waterbury, Ct Republican-American reported that gay couples won't have to live in Connecticut to get married there and they won't have to wait either.

All that potential gay marriage couples have to do is complete a marriage license application, provide identification and make a sworn statement that the information they provide is true.

Connecticut doesn't have a residency requirement and doesn't impose a waiting period like two dozen other states do.

Congratulations to all of you who are about to be married there.

ABC REFUSES TO AIR CLIMATE AD ATTACKING OIL COMPANIES

The ABC television network has, in recent years, demonstrated a very positive, diversity inclusive approach in their programming. For that, they deserve to be commended.

Unfortunately, their recent decision not to air a climate change ad produced by Al Gore's We Can Solve It organization is seriously jeopardizing the positive image they've worked so hard to create.

Although the climate change crisis has been pushed to the background, it is still certainly a monumental issue that affects all of us. And it will continue to grow more serious everyday.

The network has yet to issue a public statement explaining their action but it does seem that the ad's strong attack on the oil companies' insanely powerful and disproportionate influence over governmental policies and regulations is probably the reason.

Watch the ad below and decide for yourself:

I personally see nothing else in the ad that could possibly be considered objectionable enough to justify their refusal to run it. If that IS the reason then ABC should be ashamed of itself...as much for their action as for their apparent assumption that no one will notice or care.

We Can Solve It is mounting a petition campaign on their website. If you would like to participate, go to: wecansolveit.org

REPUBLICANS BLAME BARNEY FRANK FOR FINANCIAL MELTDOWN

In what has to be the most outrageously ludicrous tactic yet, the republicans now claim that openly gay Rep. Barney Frank was responsible for our current financial crisis.

This is not the first time republicans, along with their right wing media friends, have tried to blame others for what they themselves caused. They've used this maneuver many times before in desperate attempts to distract the public from their own culpability. But this time they've laced their Karl-Rove-manufactured smears with outright homophobia. And the Fox News Network is leading the charge.

According to a story at Edge New York,

An Oct. 6 article in the Huffington Post observes that Fox News and the Business and Media Institute have zeroed in on Frank for having been romantically involved with Herb Moses, whose relationship with Frank, as well as his tenure as a Fannie Mae executive, both ended a decade ago.

The Huffington Post notes that it was the day after Frank appeared on Bill O’Reilly’s Fox News program (and contradicted O’Reilly’s assertions) that Fox News published a story claiming that the media had looked the other way during Frank and Moses’ long-ended relationship because of Frank’s status as an openly gay man.

The story also tried to accuse Frank of stalling regulations to rein in Fannie Mae because of his relationship with Moses.

The Huffington Post quoted Frank’s correction of O’Reilly the day before the Fox News article appeared.

Frank said, "You’ve misrepresented this consistently."

Continued Frank, "I became chairman of the committee on January 31st, 2007. Less than two months later, I did what the Republicans hadn’t been able to do in 12 years--get through the committee a very tough regulatory bill."

Added Frank, "The Senate was dragging its feet, as often happens. And in January of 2008, I asked Secretary Paulson to put in the stimulus bill.

"So the earliest chance I got to put tough regulation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, we did it."

That correction by Barney apparently pissed off Bill O'Reilly and the Fox News Network so much that they just had to launch into their false and misleading diatribe against him.

To read the full Edge New York story, go to: Edge New York

To read the full Huffington Post story, go to: Huffington Post

SENEGAL GAY MAN GRANTED RARE REFUGEE STATUS

Pape Mbaye (pronounced POP mm-BYE), 24, is an entertainer from Dakar, Senegal. He was well known throughout West Africa for his dancing, singing and storytelling. This year however, his flamboyance and notoriety attracted the wrong kind of attention and it nearly cost him his life.

Last February a Senegalese magazine published photographs of what they said was an underground gay marriage. Mbaye appeared in the photos and the magazine claimed that he had organized the event. Pape said that in the ensuing six months he was harassed by the police, attacked by armed mobs, driven from his home, maligned in the national media and forced to live on the run.

According to the New York Times;

For the past few years, anti-gay hysteria has been sweeping across swaths of Africa, fueled by sensationalist media reports of open homosexuality among public figures and sustained by deep and abiding taboos that have made even the most hateful speech about gays not just acceptable but almost required. Gay men and women have recently been arrested in Cameroon, Nigeria, Uganda and Ghana, among other countries.

“In most countries there is poverty and instability, and usually homosexuality is used as a way of shifting the attention from the actual problem to this thing that is not really the problem but can distract the public,” said Joel Nana, who is from Cameroon and who works for the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission.

Christopher Nugent, who is a senior pro bono counsel specializing in refugee and asylum cases with the Washington based law firm Holland & Knight, represented Mbaye in his petition. Nugent said that Mbaye's case was exceptional because his fame made his situation particularly perilous. “He was vilified in the Senegalese media as being the face of the sinful homosexual, and he had scars to show.”

In July, the United States government gave him refugee status. That was one of the rare instances when refugee protection has been granted to a foreigner facing persecution based on sexual orientation.

To read the full story, go to: New York Times

PALIN JUST DOESN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THE VICE PRESIDENCY IS SUPPOSED TO BE

Most people in this country don't have the slightest idea what a Vice President does or what that person's powers are. That's somewhat understandable since most people are struggling just to pay their bills and buy food to feed their families. To say that they're distracted by those concerns, especially in today's world, would be a gross understatement.

I do think however, that we have every right to expect the person running for the office of Vice President of the United States to know everything there is to know about that office. Not only should they have an extensive knowledge of and appreciation for the actual authorities of that position but, even more importantly, what powers and authorities that position doesn't have.

The video below is from the one and only VP debate last thursday. This particular section zeros in on moderator Gwen Ifill's question about the candidates' understandings of the office they're running for.

Pay particular attention to Palin's remarks (at the 2:44 time marker) about what she thinks is the authority of the VP. Then listen to what Biden accurately describes as the VP's limitations.

I agree with Sen. Biden. Dick Cheney is the most dangerous Vice President this country has ever seen. He has pushed way beyond the actual powers of his office and is personally responsible for much, if not most, of the severe problems this country now faces. He has worked "behind the scenes" to undermine the United States constitution, deregulate almost all of the safeguards for fair and honest business practices, illegally manipulated no-bid, billion dollar contracts for the company he used to head (Halliburton) and was almost single-handedly responsible for getting us into the Iraq war by forcing the manipulation of CIA information about Iraq, Saddam Hussein and WMD's.

This is the man who Sarah Palin looks to for her definition of what she would be able to do as Vice President.

This should send chills up everyone's spines. Hasn't this country already lost enough? Do we really want to see the Cheney/Bush policies continued?

"HOMOSEXUALS SHOULD BE EXECUTED"

David Popescu was invited to participate in a federal candidates' discussion at Sudbury Secondary School of Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. The school is well known for its performing arts classes and takes great pride in its inclusive, open atmosphere.

According to the Toronto Sun, during the question and answer period following the 2 hour discussion a young man asked Popescu what he thought of homosexual marriages and he said "I think homosexuals should be executed. My whole reason for running is the Bible and the Bible couldn't be more clear on that point."

Candidates and teachers looked on in stunned silence as students starting calling for him to be "cut off." Despite their outrage, the discussion moved to other topics.

Principal Paul Camillo emphasized the school's inclusiveness in his closing remarks but did not condemn the statement.

In an interview he said, "We're here today to hear what the candidates have to say. As an inclusive school, we respect all other opinion although we may not agree with them -- and I know there were definitely some things said today that we don't agree with."

Gary Kinsman, an advocate for the Sudbury Gay and Lesbian community said while Popescu's extreme views are well known, he has never said something "so extreme."

"He's not simply saying that lesbians or gay men are mentally ill or somehow deviant or criminals. He's saying we should be subject to the death penalty. I think sometimes violence and hatred towards gays and lesbians gets dressed up in sort of a religious guise and is somehow tolerated. I just don't think it should be tolerated at all."

Within hours deputy police chief Frank Elsner said that the Greater Sudbury Police Service were "...actively conducting a criminal investigation in this matter." They plan to share their evidence with the provincial Attorney General's office, who will then decide if a hate crime was committed by Popescu and whether or not a criminal charge would be warranted.

If you think that this kind of thing wouldn't happen here, please read my June 6th posting, "Religious" Right Advocates Murdering Gays!"

GAY MAN APPEALS LOSS OF LAWSUIT FOR DISCRIMINATION

Brian Prowel is, by nature, an effeminate man. He crosses his legs, swings his foot, files his nails if one has a snag and has a high-pitched voice. He is also openly gay.

After years of being harassed at work with taunts, innuendo, scribblings on the bathroom walls and a myriad of other degradations, he filed a federal lawsuit on Feb. 23, 2006. He claimed sex discrimination by management and co-workers at Wise Business Forms Inc. in Butler, Pa. because he did not live up to their stereotypes of how a man should look and act.

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, U.S. District Judge Terrence F. McVerry said that the behavior Mr. Prowel was subjected to was "reprehensible" but dismissed his claim, saying that he was discriminated against not because of his sex but because of his sexual preference -- something that is not covered by federal law.

In 1989 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that gender stereotyping is prohibited by Title VII of the Civil Rights act of 1964. That ruling said, in essence, that employers "can't make women act feminine, and they can't make men act masculine."

This is the basis of Brian's appeal. His attorney, Timothy P. O'Brien, said that making fun of Mr. Prowel for being effeminate, calling him "Princess," and giving him a tiara all "smack" of gender stereotyping. Mr. O'Brian believes that whether the harassment was based on gender stereotyping or sexual preference, it is still a decision to be made by the jury and not a judge.

Susan Frietsche, senior staff attorney with the Women's Law Project in Pittsburgh, wrote a lengthy friend-of-the-court brief on Mr. Prowel's behalf saying that women continue to be subjected to horrific harassment when they work in positions that don't conform to gender stereotypes.

Ms. Frietsche also wrote:

"If the reasoning of the district court in this case is upheld, however, employers who seek to lock women out of these well-paying fields could evade Title VII liability through the simple expedient of lacing their gender discrimination with enough anti-lesbian slurs."

This situation is one more compelling reason why the Federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) MUST be passed!

"PROVIDER CONSCIENCE" HAS NO CONSCIENCE

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has recently proposed expanding protections for health care workers' religious beliefs by enacting new "provider conscience" regulations.

Under the new proposal, ‘‘no individual shall be required to perform or assist in the performance of any part of a health service program or research activity funded in whole or in part under a program administered by the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare [Secretary of Health and Human Services] if his performance or assistance in the performance of such part of such program or activity would be contrary to his religious beliefs or moral convictions.’’

Under the original HHS regulations, most of which were adopted in the 70's, the concern was to protect health care workers from being forced to participate in abortions or risk being fired. This new proposal doesn't keep such a narrow focus.

Because of its very broad scope it would, instead, allow any health care worker (from doctors and nurses to assistants and janitors) or health care institution (from mega hospitals to community free clinics) to refuse medical help and/or proceedures to anyone if that worker/institution deems that person to be "contrary to his (their) religious beliefs or moral convictions.’’

Jennifer C. Pizer, Lambda Legal senior counsel said in a statement, "Existing law already protects workers against religious discrimination. The law requires 'reasonable accommodation' of religious beliefs -- and that's a fair approach because religious freedom matters a lot. But the changes that HHS proposes are so broad, vague, and confusing that they risk inviting health workers with antigay beliefs to refuse treatment and otherwise to discriminate against very vulnerable patients."

This proposal would not only open the door for blanket discrimination against gays, it would also, according to 13 state attorney generals, limit access to abortion and birth control for victims of sexual assault. In spite of these concerns, HHS secretary Michael O. Leavitt is intent on putting this new expansion into effect.

It seems that the Bush administration's bureaucrats are trying to rush through a multitude of damaging administrative changes across the board before they're all kicked out of office.

Resources for this article were: The Advocate and Health Industry Washington Watch