Sarah Palin At Whitestock 2010

Afternoon View - Midtown

Today we helped my loyal companion Aaron move into his new digs in Hell's Kitchen. The views in all directions are killer.

About MSNBC

Well...THAT could have gone better. The host apologized to me twice, but they just spent too much time on that Titanic segment so we got what, two minutes? (She was very sweet to me, I should say.) But I had SO much more to say. Rats.

RELATED: That Log Cabin guy is quite the tool, eh?

If You Can't Find America Today, That's Because Glenn Beck Took It Back

Homocon Tweet Of The Day - GOProud

You'll find GOProud goose-stepping along with the teabaggers at Glenn Beck's Hate-O-Rama in DC today.

Weekend Mix - DJ Russ Rich

After a brief hiatus, the JMG podcast DJ mixes are back! Get your weekend on with this pumping vocal house mix from San Francisco's DJ Russ Rich. Setlist. Podcasts. Website. Facebook.

UPCOMING GIG
Play T-Dance @ DNA Lounge, Nov. 14th, San Francisco

PREVIOUSLY ON JMG: DJ Jeb Edwards. DJ James Torres. DJ Bill Pfeiffer. DJ Mike Ponsades. DJ Steve Sherwood. DJ Pete Savas. DJ Jeff Jackson & DJ Disco Connie. DJ Phillip Kimball. DJ Paul Ferrer. DJ Shane Stiel. DJ Paul Goodyear. DJ Susan Morabito. DJ Seymour Butz. DJ RuBot. DJ Rotten Robbie. DJ Ted Eiel. DJ Herbie James. DJ David Knapp. DJ Dave Huge. DJ Corey Craig.

New York Times Compiles LGBT Bloggers' Responses To Ken Mehlman's Coming Out

New York Times op-ed editor Tobin Harshaw has compiled bloggers' reactions to Ken Mehlman's coming out, quoting Pam Spaulding, Melissa McEwan, and this here website thingy on the left, and the usual Quisling apologists on the right. Pam Spaulding nails it:

"While it’s nice that Ken has finally come out of the closet as an advocate, it’s really hard to forgive him for the damage he did to the community by working actively against it for pay for years. That he can coast on the gains for our community by supporting AFER’s stellar work on Prop 8 on the backs of many during his tenure at the RNC who bore the brunt of homophobia, those who died as a result of hate crimes, the activists who were assailed professionally is unbelievable. Yet here we are in 2010 watching it unfold. As a human being Mehlman owes the community a serious apology for fomenting homophobia for political gain.”

GOProud's Chris Barron On Ken Mehlman

IOWA: Haters Step Up Campaign To Oust Pro-Marriage Supreme Court Judges

With the assistance of NOM and Republican politicians, the campaign to oust Iowa's pro-equality Supreme Court justices is now in full swing.

"We need to vote them off the bench to send a message across Iowa that we, the people, still have the power," said Bob Vander Plaats, a Republican politician who is spearheading the campaign. "Not only will it send a message here in Iowa, but it will send a message in California, in Arizona and across the country that the courts have really taken on too much power." The Iowa campaign is a new front in the fight over same-sex marriage, a hot-button issue this year after a federal judge in California invalidated Proposition 8, that state's voter-approved ban on same-sex unions. This week, former Republican National Committee chairman Ken Mehlman disclosed that he is gay and that he supports the federal court's action in California, a case that probably will go to the U.S. Supreme Court. His announcement further fueled the emotional debate over the topic, given his stature in the GOP and his earlier involvement in efforts to mobilize voters by exploiting opposition to same-sex marriage. The effort in Iowa worries not only gay rights advocates but some legal experts who say it is wrong to punish judges for an unpopular decision.

The three justices are restricted by the judicial code of conduct as to how far they can go to push for their retention. None of them has formed a campaign committee.

Sen. Ruben Diaz Joins Hundreds At ESB Protest About Mother Teresa

Arch homophobe Sen. Ruben Diaz and Catholic blowhard Bill Donohue joined hundreds demonstrating outside the Empire State Building yesterday in protest of the owner's refusal to light the building in honor of Mother Teresa tonight. Among those calling for the honor was openly lesbian NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who got her payback at the Empire State's owner earlier this week when she voted to allow the construction of a just-as-tall massive skyscraper a mere two blocks away.

Tomorrow On MSNBC: Me

Tomorrow morning at 9:30am I'll be on MSNBC Live with host Alex Witt to discuss the Ken Mehlman story. Also on the show via satellite will be Charles Moran of the Log Cabin Republicans. The segment should run about fifteen minutes. Guess I better go get my hair did.

Today In Completely Expected News

GOProud is talking to Ken Mehlman about bringing him on.

Jimmy LaSalvia, executive director of GOProud, said the organization recently talked with Mehlman, but declined to elaborate on the nature of their discussions. When asked if GOProud had offered Mehlman a position on its board, LaSalvia declined to comment. He also declined to say whether GOProud has offered Mehlman a speaking role at the upcoming HomoCon convention in New York. Mehlman came out as gay in an interview with the Atlantic on Wednesday. “We’ve talked to him,” LaSalvia said. “He’s certainly engaging with the community as evidenced from the fundraiser that he’s doing for the Ted Olson case.”

It's a perfect fit. Maybe Mehlman will turn up tomorrow when GOProud joins Glenn Beck's giant anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim teabagger rally in DC.

Peter, Paul & Mary To NOM: Stop Playing Our Song At Your Hate Rallies

The Courage Campaign reports that sixties folk music star Peter Yarrow is NOT happy that NOM has been playing Peter, Paul & Mary's cover of This Land Is Your Land at NOM's hate rallies. Yarrow has sent Brian Brown a cease and desist letter. I bet NOM doesn't even know that Woody Guthrie wrote This Land as an counterpoint to God Bless America.

Sadly, Mary Travers passed away last year.

New Ad From NOM Attacks "San Francisco Values" And Judge Walker

IDENTIFY YOURSELVES: An Open Call To The Boyfriends, Tricks, And Hook-Ups Of So-Called Newly Gay Ken Mehlman

Ken Mehlman is running around telling the world that he only JUST realized that he is gay, despite the fact that his homosexuality has been common knowledge around Washington DC since the days of the virulently anti-gay 2004 George W. Bush campaign. The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder: "People were suspicious of Mehlman's sexuality for years. Who knew? The people who 'knew' are the people who Ken had sex with. But Ken says he had sex with no one, and told no one, because he didn't want to tell anyone, because he was uncomfortable with that part of his life."

Nobody HERE, of course, is buying that load of crap. Therefore today we send out this call to any former boyfriends, tricks, or hook-ups of Ken Mehlman: PLEASE come forward and identify yourselves. Tell us where, when and how you met Mehlman and exactly what went down. And we're looking for substantiations of your claims: emails, text messages, voicemails, photographs, whatever. If you can provide no such backup of your dalliances with Mehlman, we'll probably need a second person (roommate, friend, co-worker) to support your story.

Email me directly at JoeMyGod@gmail.com.

Today In Frivolous Lawsuits

A man who was performing ritual proxy baptisms of the dead for the Mormon Church is now suing the LDS for repetitive motion injuries. Apparently you need a living human stand-in when Magic Underpantsing a dead person against the wishes of their descendants.

The civil suit filed Wednesday in Salt Lake City's 3rd District Court claims Daniel Dastrup suffered severe back injuries, including a herniated disk, after performing about 200 baptisms at the LDS temple in Raleigh, N.C., on Aug. 25, 2007. The lawsuit contends the church was negligent in failing to warn Dastrup that the repetitive nature of the proxy baptisms - bending, lifting and twisting - could result in physical injury. "The church owed the plaintiffs a duty to exercise reasonable care to avoid injury to the plaintffs from the services they performed to the church," the lawsuit states. Dastrup, who now lives in Las Vegas, claims he has suffered "a significant permanent injury that substantially changes his lifestyle," including damaging his relationship with his wife. The lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages to compenstate Dastrup to cover medical costs and loss of earnings.

RELATED: During the 2008 presidential campaign, the LDS Church posthumously baptized Obama's mother as a Mormon. The president has never commented on this.

Rep. Eric Cantor: We'll Repeal Obamacare On Day One Of New GOP House Majority

Stay Puft

Made famous in Ghostbusters, Stay Puft marshmallows now actually exist and are available for $19.99 in a "keepsake marshmallow-feel box." Wait. Caffeinated marshmallows? Too bad there's no more J-J-Jolt Cola to wash them down.

BRITAIN: Anti-Gay Tory MP Crispin Blunt Leaves His Wife And Comes Out

Conservative Party MP Crispin Blunt has announced that he is leaving his wife and coming out.

The Reigate MP appealed for privacy and said he was "coming to terms with his homosexuality". In a statement, his office said: "Crispin Blunt wishes to make it known that he has separated from his wife Victoria. "He decided to come to terms with his homosexuality and explained the position to his family. The consequence is this separation. "There is no third party involvement, but this is difficult for his immediate and wider family and he hopes for understanding and support for them. "The family do not wish to make any further public comment and hope that their privacy will be respected as they deal with these difficult private issues."

Another Ken Mehlman? Blunt's voting record in Parliament is described on Wikipedia as having been "broadly unsympathetic" to LGBT rights. Going back to his election in 1997, Blunt either voted "no" or was absent on important votes on civil partnerships, anti-gay bullying, and age of consent parity. However in 2007 he voted with the majority to approve the Equality Act.

On Gay Sexual Jealousy

Over at Scientific American, Jesse Bering discusses a partner's infidelity and opines that sexual jealousy among gay couples is genetically hardwired, whether or not we intellectually dismiss monogamy as unnatural. Bering concludes:

[B]ecause fatal sexually transmitted infections for which gay men are unusually vulnerable, such as HIV, were not present in the ancestral past and could not have produced any special adaptive psychological defenses, sexual jealousy in gay men can only be explained by some sort of pseudo-heterosexuality mindset simulating straight men’s hypervigilance to being cuckolded by their female partners. All this is to say that I reacted the way I did because, at an unconscious level, I didn’t want my testiculared partner getting impregnated by another man. I don’t consciously think of him as a woman, mind you; in fact, if I did, I assure you I wouldn’t be with him. But tell that to my gonads and amygdalae. I would imagine the same is largely true for lesbian relationships; at an unconscious level, a lesbian’s bonding with another woman may trigger concerns in her partner about her “male” spouse’s disinvestment in real or prospective offspring.

Read Bering's entire essay.

CBS Poll: 75% Support Gays In Military

Scroll down the below just-released CBS poll for questions about DADT and same-sex marriage. Other topics on the poll: immigration, Obama, Palin, and the economy.
CBSNewsPoll Obama 082610

Maggie Gallagher On Ken Mehlman

"We respect Ken Mehlman's right to his personal life. Supporting gay marriage, however, is a very different and very public matter. The fight over same-sex marriage really isn't about Mr. Mehlman's personal life. Marriage, as a public legal status, is a man and a woman for a reason: It is the only civil institution that brings together the two halves of humanity to ensure the children they create have the best opportunity to be raised by their own mother and father. We will fight all attempts to redefine marriage to be something that it is not -- a genderless, adult-centered sexual relationship centered on the alleged rights of adults and not the needs of children.

"The American people -- including over 80% of Republicans and even 40% of Democrats -- oppose same-sex marriage. NOM has already proven in races from New York to California that it is a particularly bad idea for Republicans to support gay marriage. The disconnect in Washington stems from politicans who refuse to pay attention to the values of the people they represent. If Mr. Mehlman wishes to help us elect pro-marriage GOP politicians, we welcome his support. If not, we welcome the victories that will come in the battle that must necessarily ensue." - Mrs. Raman Srivastay.

Bigot Said What?

Dove World Pastor Terry Jones wants to send a "clear radical message" to Muslims that "advocate the stoning of homosexuals." This, from the same guy who lead Gainesville's "No Homo Mayor" campaign.

Morning View - Brooklyn Bridge

HomoQuotable - Dan Savage

"I have no beef with evangelical Christians who support full civil equality for gays and lesbians despite believing that gay sex is a sin. Heck, I'll personally mow the lawns of evangelical Christians who refrain from actively persecuting gays and lesbians. I've said that the gay rights movement shouldn't get into arguments about theology and that people have a right to their own beliefs. I frankly don't care if someone thinks I'm going to hell after death and I'm not going to argue with him for the same reason I'm not going to argue with someone who believes that I'm going to the lost continent of Atlantis after dinner.

"All gays and lesbians want from evangelical Christians is the same deal the Jews and the yoga instructors and the atheists and the divorced and the adulterers and the rich all get: full civil equality despite the going-to-hell business. (And isn't hell punishment enough? Do we have to be persecuted here on earth too? It's almost as if they don't trust God to persecute us after we die. Have a little faith, people!)" - Dan Savage.

HRC On Ken Mehlman

"What's important is that Ken has joined the fight and is willing to lend his considerable talent and influence to advance equality. While the past cannot be overlooked, our future is far more important and with more and more people like Ken joining our movement, that future holds great promise."- HRC spokesman Michael Cole, quoted in Pink News.

Tired Old Queen At The Movies #45

Bette Davis in 1941's The Little Foxes!

Vintage Facebook

Fake vintage ads for Twitter, YouTube and Skype are here.

The New MLK

Glenn Beck's Hate-O-Rama takes place in DC this weekend. GOProud will be there!

Even In Iowa

The "Ground Zero mosque" nonsense has reached into elections in the nation's heartland as the GOP misses no opportunity to demonize a minority.

Signorile Vs. Log Cabin Republicans

Last night Michelangelo Signorile and Log Cabin Republicans' R. Clarke Cooper appeared on CNN to discuss the Mehlman story.

Bristol Palin And The Situation Cast For Dancing With The Stars

This is NOT a joke. E Online reports that Bristol Palin and Jersey Shore's The Situation have been cast for the next season of Dancing With The Stars.

We can report to you exclusively that Sarah Palin's 19-year-old daughter Bristol Palin has been cast on the 11th season of DWTS, set to premiere Sept. 20, according to sources. As for the reports that David Hasselhoff, Audrina Patridge, The Situation and Brandy will also be part of the cast, here's the deal: All true, according to sources.

I was hoping for Antoine Dodson.

Cenk Uygur & Mike Rogers: Ken Mehlman's Apology Is NOT ACCEPTED

Mike Rogers on Ken Mehlman:

"All I ask are three simple things. First he should spend time with the parents of a child who killed himself after 2004, after that horrible election. I think that he needs to take the fabulous $3M condo he bought in Manhattan and donate that back to the cause that he worked so hard against. And most important, he needs to put up a heartfelt apology, up on YouTube or somwhere on the web, where he actually looks at the American people and says 'I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what I did and I'm going to work in the future to make it better.' But he has NO desire to apologize. He has no regrets, he says."

WATCH THIS. (And hang around for newly out radio host Stephanie Miller!)

Watch Every Second Of This

Tonight Keith Olbermann laid out exactly how Ken Mehlman worked with the religious right in 2004 to get gay marriage on the ballot in eleven states. Dan Savage joins Olbermann to point out that Mehlman also said nothing when gay men were being murdered "with impunity" in Iraq after the Bush invasion.

CNN Host John King Quotes Joe JerVAY

Whoever the hell THAT is. Oh, well. I'll post the clip when it appears.

UPDATE: The New York Daily News botched my name too. But, oh look. They also have an Asshat/Not Asshat poll about Ken Mehlman.

Family Research Council: Defeat That Filthy Homo Lover Harry Reid

The Downside Of Working At Home

Having worked at home for nine of the last fifteen years, including the last three, this panel hits frighteningly close to home. Source.

Tweet Of The Day - Dave Holmes

Good Morning America On Mehlman

Including props to Mike Rogers! In the second clip, Mehlman's successor, former RNC chair Ed Gillespie says he "accepts" Mehlman's decision to come out, but that the two have "agreed to disagree that marriage should be between one man and woman."

Harry Reid Goes Espanol

Ya think Sharron Angle would do the same? Hah.

New From Sharron Angle

Daily Grumble

On my way to lunch I saw a beautiful carpet lying against a light pole on Second Avenue. I thought, "Wow, somebody is throwing out a very expensive rug." And I almost walked over to look at it! Ack!

Quote Of The Day - Geoff Kors

"One of the things I sincerely hope Ken Mehlman has done or will do is to explain to George W. Bush how denying LGBT people equality causes real harm and how the GOP's anti-equality platform and campaigns lead to teen suicides and hate crimes. I hope he explains how bigotry impacted him and that he has asked George W Bush to join his wife Laura in supporting marriage equality. If he can convince Bush to publicly change his position that would be powerful.

"And I hope he shares with the public how the GOP used animus towards gay people to pass anti-marriage state constitutional amendments, as that will bolster the federal Prop 8 case. What he does to undo the damage he caused can be a part of his legacy and working with AFER to help overturn Prop 8 is a good start. We all have to hope he goes all out and proves he is a talented political strategist -- this time on the side of equality." - Equality California head Geoff Kors, speaking to reporter Rex Wockner.

Kudos To Mike Rogers

With yesterday's coming out of Ken Mehlman comes further validation of the important work of outing kingpin Mike Rogers, who had been telling us about Mehlman for years. Rogers prefers to call what he does reporting, rather than outing, because when any politician is secretly doing the very thing he's railing against on Capitol Hill, that's fucking news. When Rogers tipped the world yesterday that Mehlman was about to officially come out, the Atlantic was forced to rush out its story two days early. That makes one wonder if the story hadn't originally been timed for the infamous "Friday news dump" where so many damaging-to-pols stories end up. So we thank Mike for that too and give him props for his years-long unblemished 100% correct track record in exposing America's asshats.

Pac-Man Eats Votes

Clip description:

This is the Sequoia AVC Edge touch-screen DRE voting machine. In 2008, it was used in jurisdictions with almost 9 million voters. Alex Halderman and Ari Feldman replaced the voting software with Pac-Man. They did this in three afternoons, without breaking any tamper-evident seals. It would be easy to modify the software to steal votes, but that's been done before, and Pac-Man is more fun.

Yet another reason to distrust electronic voting machines.

RELATED: With next month's primary NYC becomes one of the last places in the country to replace its giant clunky pull-lever voting machines as we move to optical-scan ballots, which do leave a paper trail (although many are suspicious of these machines too.) I will miss that satisfying kerCHUNK sound.

Don't Be A Dick

This kid kills me. Totes.

HomoQuotable - Ken Mehlman

"Look, I have a lot of friends who ask questions and who are angry about it. I understand that folks are angry, I don’t know that you can change the past. As I’ve said, one thing I regret a lot is the fact that I wasn’t in the position I am today where I was comfortable with this part of my life, where I was able to be an advocate against that [strategy] and able to be someone who argued against it. I can’t change that – it is something I wish I could and I can only try to be helpful in the future. But I understand the anger and I talk to friends about it – it’s something that I hear from a number of friends." - Ken Mehlman, telling the Advocate's Kerry Eleveld that he's gosh-darn sorry about those 11 states that passed anti-gay amendments in 2004.

Read Mehlman's full interview, his first ever with the gay press.

Open Thread Thursday

Let's talk about forgiveness.

2000 March In Nepal Pride Parade

Rex Wockner reports that Nepal staged its first ever large-scale pride parade yesterday as 2000 Nepalese and supporters from 15 other nations marched in Kathmandu. Photo embiggens nicely, more at the link.

Stowaway Bathtub

This appeals to me both as a minimalist and a New Yorker. Source.

Brokeback Bromance: Robbie Williams And Gary Barlow's Shame

The two Take That members unite for a cute love song in a Brokeback Mountain setting.

(Tipped by JMG reader Pedro)

EGYPT: Homo-Erotic Coke Ad?

Copyranter notes: "First of all, congratulations Egyptians on finally getting the convenience of soda bottles with twist-off caps. And secondly, homo-erotic humor on TV in morally repressed Egypt! Brave of the ad agency, Cairo's Fortune Promoseven, since the country has a de facto ban on homosexuality."

American Family Association: Transgender People Are Committing Identity Theft

"In an era of identity theft and national security concerns, we’re glad that Ruth Johnson has now joined Rep. Paul Scott in expressly stating her opposition to the Secretary of State policy of allowing men to falsely identify themselves as female on their state-issued driver’s license, and vice versa. The people of Michigan should at minimum be able to trust their state government to tell the truth, not enable certain individuals’ psychological and emotional delusions by officially and legally identifying them as something they biologically are not. We urge all candidates for Secretary of State to let voters know where they stand on this honesty-in-government issue." - American Family Association of Michigan head Gary Glenn, endorsing GOP Secretary of State candidate Ruth Johnson.

Kylie On America's Got Talent

Yesterday I posted a Facebook message about Kylie's appearance on America's Got Talent, then forgot to even watch it myself. D'oh.

FLASHBACK: Mehlman Endorses Evil Homophobe Rick Santorum

Go to Jeremy Hooper's Good As You and read Ken Mehlman's enthusiastic endorsement of Rick Santorum in 2003. Mehlman's thumbs-up came shortly after Santorum's famous denouncement of Lawrence Vs. Texas in which he compared homosexuality to "man on dog" sex and incest.

NOM's Brian Brown On Mehlman

NOM president Brian Brown spoke to the Advocate's Kerry Eleveld about Ken Mehlman.

Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage, told The Advocate that Mehlman was "abdicating core Republican beliefs" in his support for AFER's legal effort in challenging Prop. 8. "But it's never been about the leaders. It's always been about the people, based on an overwhelming majority of Republican voters -- 85, 86 percent -- who support marriage as a union between a man and a woman," he said. "That a few folks within the Republican Party are questioning a party platform and have personal positions on same-sex marriage is a reality of political parties. [Mehlman] is no longer a major party leader, so I don't know how influential he is, to be honest with you." Marriage equality advocates, Brown said, are using high-profile conservatives now supporting marriage equality -- from Ted Olson to vice president Dick Cheney -- in order to "create an impression that there is an inevitability to same-sex marriage. The facts strongly go against that idea."

It's almost amazing that Brown would blithely quote such a poll result to a gay reporter. Almost.

NOM's Hate Tour 2010 Recap

Selective editing, lies, and vilification. Anybody surprised?

The Original Ken Mehlman

"Now to someone who does not understand this, homosexual is what I am because I have sex with men. But really this is wrong. Homosexuals are not men who sleep with other men. Homosexuals are men who in fifteen years of trying cannot get a pissant antidiscrimination bill through the City Council. Homosexuals are men who know nobody and who nobody knows. Who have zero clout. Does this sound like me, Henry? No. I have clout. A lot. I can pick up this phone, punch fifteen numbers, and you know who will be on the other end in under five minutes, Henry?

The president?

"Even better, Henry. His wife. I don’t want you to be impressed. I want you to understand. This is not sophistry. And this is not hypocrisy. This is reality. I have sex with men. But unlike nearly every other man of whom this is true, I bring the guy I’m screwing to the White House and President Reagan smiles at us and shakes his hand. Because what I am defines entirely who I am. Roy Cohn is not a homosexual. Roy Cohn is a heterosexual man, Henry, who fucks around with boys." - Al Pacino as Roy Cohn in Tony Kushner's Angels In America.

Newly Out Ken Mehlman Continues To Fund Many Anti-Gay Politicians

He may be out now, but Michael Jones reports at Change.org that Ken Mehlman continues to fund numerous politicians who are working day and night to repress his fellow homosexuals.

[F]or those questioning Mehlman's motives in coming out, or his commitment to really advancing LGBT equality, his political donation history certainly won't quell any skittish nerves. Look him up on opensecrets.org, and you'll see that Kenneth Mehlman has given money to a wide range of politicians working to take away rights for LGBT Americans. There's $2,400 to Missouri Republican Roy Blunt, who has voted to add a marriage amendment to the U.S. Constitution banning gay marriage, as well as to ban gay adoption. There's $2,400 to Sen. John McCain, who wants to keep gay servicemembers out of the military.

There's $1,000 to Ben Quayle, who is running for Congress in Arizona and who just labeled Barack Obama the worst President in history, and who just sent out a mailer to voters touting his opposition to marriage equality. There's $2,400 to Illinois Republican Mark Kirk, who voted to keep "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" in place (and who himself is subject to lots of rumors about his sexual orientation). There's $2,400 to Utah Republican Sen. Robert Bennett, who tried to stop marriage equality from becoming a reality in Washington, D.C. And the list goes on and on and includes Republicans like Rob Portman, Kelly Ayotte, Bob Corker, Richard Shelby, and Johnny Isakson, all of whom have taken positions completely contrary to full equality for LGBT Americans.

I believe hookers call that "working both sides of the street."

FLASHBACK: Mehlman Supports 2005 Federal Marriage Amendment

In January 2005, GOP Sen. Wayne Allard (CO) introduced the Marriage Protection Amendment (a verbatim restating of the earlier failed Federal Management Amendment) with 21 Senate GOP co-sponsors. Later that year the bill was approved for review by the full Senate Judiciary Committee. Newly appointed RNC chair Ken Mehlman gave the bill his full support to reporters at an Ohio GOP fundraiser that March.

During his Akron remarks, Mehlman put forth political and policy statements often viewed as anti-gay. “Republicans are for government that stands on the side of marriage,” he said, “and on the side of strong families.” After the dinner, he was asked by a reporter about the GOP’s support for the so-called Marriage Protection Amendment, introduced in the House last week by Rep. Dan Lundgren of California. Mehlman made it clear that he supports the amendment. “I don’t think it’s anti-gay,” said Mehlman. “I don’t think the intent is to be anti-anything.”

Members of the Cleveland Log Cabin Republicans attending the dinner expressed disappointment that Mehlman evaded questions about his sexuality. "He almost said it," one pouted. The above-linked story notes no such LCR regret about Mehlman's support for permanently enshrining anti-gay legislation in the motherfucking federal Constitution.

FLASHBACK: Mehlman Pushes 2004 Ohio Ballot Measure To Ban Gay Marriage

In 2004 then RNC head Ken Mehlman directly told Ohio's anti-gay bigots to get a marriage ban on the ballot.

Mehlman was interviewed after he spoke to the Summit County Republican Party’s annual Lincoln Day dinner March 19 at Quaker Station. “I’m here to say thank you,” Mehlman told the gathering, “because Summit County increased its votes for George W. Bush from 2000 to 2004 more than any other county.” Mehlman managed the Bush-Cheney 2004 campaign and, according to the campaign’s Ohio co-chair, Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, directed Ohio anti-gay activists to mount the campaign to put the Issue 1 marriage ban amendment on the ballot. Internet bloggers have pointed out that if Mehlman, 38, unmarried and never with female companionship, is gay, he is a hypocrite.

Just one more example of Mehlman's hands-on approach to repressing his fellow homosexuals.

New York Times Whitewashes Ken Mehlman's Anti-Gay Past

Check out how the New York Times reports Ken Mehlman's history with the GOP.

Mr. Mehlman was in Mr. Bush’s inner circle in both presidential campaigns and ran his campaign in 2004, when the party courted Christian conservatives who oppose same-sex marriage. But Mr. Mehlman, in his work as chairman of the Republican National Committee and as head of Mr. Bush’s campaign, tended to personally avoid social issues. He was a leading figure in the Bush White House in pushing for the party to try to appeal to black and Hispanic voters.

Uh, yeah. Scroll down the posts below for examples of all that "avoidance."

FLASHBACK: 21 States Banned Same-Sex Marriage During Mehlman's Reign

During Ken Mehlman's reign as Dubya's campaign manager and afterwards during his tenure as chairman of the Republican National Committee, 21 states passed laws that banned same-sex marriage. Some of these laws made same-sex marriage unconstitutional, some made both civil unions and same-sex marriages unconstitutional. All of these anti-gay referenda took place from 2004-2006 and all of them were pushed by the GOP under Ken Mehlman (and with Karl Rove's strategic advice) as a ploy to ensure conservative turnout at the polls. If you live in any of the 21 states listed below, you can credit your second class citizenship, in part, to fellow homosexual Ken Mehlman.

Arkansas
Colorado
Georgia
Idaho
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Michigan
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Orgeon
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Virginia
Wisconsin

Are you feeling very forgiving right now? ARE YOU?

FLASHBACK: Mehlman Campaigns For Anti-Gay 2006 GOP Rep. Mark Kennedy

"If you believe as I do that we ought to not base the laws of America over the laws of foreign countries, if you believe as I do that we need to have "Under God" in the Pledge, if you believe as I do that we need judges who understand their job is to interpret the law and protect the Constitution, not rewrite it, then it's critically important that we reelect Mark Kennedy." - Ken Mehlman, speaking in 2006 in support of Rep. Mark Kennedy (R-MN), who twice voted for the Federal Marriage Amendment. At the time of the above remarks, Mehlman was already known to be a gay man by many in his circle, despite today's claim of a sudden and very recent epiphany.

RELATED: Note the warm welcome Mehlman gets from Rep. Michele "Crazy Eyes" Bachmann at the beginning of the clip.

FLASHBACK: 2006 Mehlman-Approved Race-Baiting Ad Against Harold Ford

Not only did the ad imply that black Democrat Harold Ford cavorted with, gasp, white women (how uppity!), the ad charged that Ford took money from filthy pornographers. Mehlman refused to have the ad pulled even after loud complaints from the NAACP, saying it was an "independent expenditure." (But check the "paid for by the RNC" tailer on the clip.) Oh yeah, the "in bed with pornographers" charge backfired quickly on Mehlman when it was revealed that the RNC itself was taking donations from the maker of such classics as Fire In The Hole and Flesh And Boners.

FLASHBACK: 2005 Mehlmann Cartoon

Ken Mehlman even tried to shift the blame for the invasion of Iraq.

FLASHBACK: Ken Mehlman Outed On Larry King By Bill Maher In 2006

CNN immediately edited this exchange for the west coast broadcast, removing all mention of Mehlman's gayness. Mehlman resigned the next day, but planted stories that the move had been planned for a long time.

FLASHBACK: 2004 Mehlman Mailer

(Via - AlterNet)

Mehlman Reactions

Log Cabin Republicans

"Log Cabin Republicans is very supportive and appreciative of Ken's coming out. Being gay and being conservative are not mutually exclusive,” said Log Cabin Republicans Executive Director R. Clarke Cooper. “As a fellow Bush alumnus, I also look forward to Ken helping me and our colleagues build a stronger and more inclusive Republican Party. Nothing presents a better argument for the equality of gay and lesbian citizens than the reality of our lives as responsible members of society. I am happy that Ken has come to a place where he can take a stand with integrity, and I welcome him as yet another conservative, common-sense voice to join with Log Cabin Republicans and all Americans in this important dialogue."

Victory Fund

“Coming out is a personal decision, and it can have a profound impact on families, friends, colleagues and constituents. We hope the fact that Ken Mehlman has reached this level of honesty will now encourage other political leaders to reject divisive anti-gay campaign tactics which, as Mr. Mehlman now admits, are purely cynical attempts to manipulate the American public,” Wolfe said. ”We look forward to the day when all political leaders, regardless of party, are able to be honest about themselves and their families, and still rise to positions where they can lead by example.”

Geoffrey Kors (Equality California)

"I'm glad he finally came out and glad he's raising money and working to undo the tremendous damage he did to LGBT people. He needs to acknowledge the damage he caused and apologize for the lives he's ruined, raise millions of dollars to overturn every one of the state constitutional amendments (banning same-sex marriage that) he helped pass, and spend the rest of his life working to achieve equality and justice for the community he is part of that he used for selfish political purposes."

Stonewall Democrats

“The coming out process is a very personal and sacred one, regardless of one’s party, class or position of power and we’re glad that Mehlman has taken the opportunity to live his life openly and authentically. It is a stark illustration, however, of how damaging the closet can be when one puts ideology over personal integrity. Mehlman presided over the Republican Party at a time when the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans were used to ill ends – marriage amendments in dozens of states, vitriolic attacks on our families, our soldiers, our very lives – all for political expediency, votes at the ballot box, and power.

"Imagine what a different America it would be if Mehlman had drawn a line in the sand and said, 'No. The lives of fellow Americans – an American like me – should not be used in this bigoted way.' Ultimately, Mehlman’s story is a cautionary tale of the damage that can be visited on literally millions of people at the intersection of power and the closet. We recognize that this might have been a difficult decision for Mehlman. It’s ironic that he had to make this decision in an environment that is even more difficult and painful because of the policies and politics overseen and sanctioned by him. The next chapter of Mehlman’s life could be about the good that someone can accomplish when authenticity and integrity wins out. We look forward to working with Mr. Mehlman now on issues that many of us have been working on for decades.”

More reactions will be added to this post as they arrive.

Tweet Of The Day - Jesus M. Christ

Scumbag Ken Mehlman Factoid

Don't forget for one fucking minute that it was Ken Mehlman who presided over the Republican Party while the GOP ensured that anti-gay items would be on MANY state ballots in order to drive homophobes to the polls. From Marc Ambinder's Atlantic column:

Mehlman said at the time that he could not, as an individual Republican, go against the party consensus. He was aware that Karl Rove, President Bush’s chief strategic adviser, had been working with Republicans to make sure that anti-gay initiatives and referenda would appear on November ballots in 2004 and 2006 to help Republicans. Mehlman acknowledges that if he had publicly declared his sexuality sooner, he might have played a role in keeping the party from pushing an anti-gay agenda.

As a commenter astutely observed in the post below this one, you don't have be GAY or OUT to know that discrimination and bigotry is wrong. Don't let Mehlman's "personal journey" babble snow you.

Repulsive Anti-Gay Quisling Homophobic Scumbag Asshat Closeted Former RNC Chair Ken Mehlman Has Come Out

Maybe the $4M loft he bought in gay gay gay Chelsea this summer did (or more likely, brought) the trick, as Mike Rogers reports today that repulsive 2004 Dubya campaign manager and former RNC chairman Ken Mehlman is about to come out. [UPDATE: It's official. See update at the bottom of this post.]

In 2004 Steve Schmidt (then the Republican National Convention spokesman and later the McCain campaign's senior strategist) lied to me when I asked him point blank about Mehlman. "Ken Mehlman is not gay," he proclaimed. In 2006, Mehlman told the New York Daily News, "I am not gay, but those stories did a number on my dating life for six months." It's so nice to be proven right, me that is, not Ken. If this move doesn't call for a Roy Cohn Award, I don't know what does. Ken Mehlman is horridly homophobic and no matter how orchestrated his coming out is, our community should hold him accountable for his past.

As we saw with Jim McGreevy, many gay leaders will attempt to elbow themselves to the front of the line to say on cable TV how wonderful it is that Ken is now being honest with the American people. Someone will be quoted in the New York Times saying something like, "After so many years of working for the Republicans, it's wonderful to see Ken be true to himself." Or perhaps you'll read a quote in the Washington Post about how "every gay person is on their own personal journey and we are happy Ken has decided to be so open about his personal struggle." Next up will come the book, then the TV shows, and of course the speaking tour. I'll only buy it if he is really sorry.

Mehlman's crimes against his own people are motherfucking LEGION. Mike Rogers continues:

So, how can Ken Mehlman redeem himself? I want to hear from Ken that he is sorry for being the architect of the 2004 Bush reelection campaign. I want to hear from Ken that he is sorry for his role in developing strategy that resulted in George W. Bush threatening to veto ENDA or any bill containing hate crimes laws. I want to hear from Ken that he is sorry for the pressing of two Federal Marriage Amendments as political tools. I want to hear from Ken that he is sorry for developing the 72-hour strategy, using homophobic churches to become political arms of the GOP before Election Day.

We can be sure that GOProud and the Log Cabin Republicans are positively drooling over the prospect of welcoming Mehlman onto their boards of directors. VOMIT.

UPDATE: It's official. Here's Mehlman's statement.

"It's taken me 43 years to get comfortable with this part of my life. Everybody has their own path to travel, their own journey, and for me, over the past few months, I've told my family, friends, former colleagues, and current colleagues, and they've been wonderful and supportive. The process has been something that's made me a happier and better person. It's something I wish I had done years ago. I wish I was where I am today 20 years ago. The process of not being able to say who I am in public life was very difficult. No one else knew this except me. My family didn't know. My friends didn't know. Anyone who watched me knew I was a guy who was clearly uncomfortable with the topic."

Read the entire story on the Atlantic. Andy Towle is reporting that Mehlman has already agreed to chair a "major anti-Prop 8 fundraiser" for Americans For Equal Rights, Ted Olson and David Boies' outfit. Gee thanks, shitbag. That's like offering to help rebuild a house when YOU were the fucker that helped BURN IT DOWN.

UPDATE II: Courtesy of Towleroad, here's the official invite to the AFER/Mehlman Prop 8 fundraiser. UPDATE III: Oscar winning Milk screenwriter Dustin Lance Black cheers on Facebook.

Mike Huckabee Invites You To Fast And Pray That God Smites Dirty Queers

Dominionist Lou Engle and his TheCall ministry will be gathering thousands of bigots at the state house in Sacramento over Labor Day weekend, where they will fast and pray that God finally turns America into a Christian theocracy in which dirty queers are trampled under the righteous boots of God's Gentle People™. Mike Huckabee invites your attendance.

Glenn Beck: I Am The New MLK

NEW YORK CITY: Cab Driver Stabbed After Being Asked If He Is Muslim

A New York City cab driver was stabbed repeatedly Monday night after a passenger reportedly demanded to know if he was Muslim.

Michael Enright, 21, hailed a cab on Monday night on Manhattan's east side. After entering the vehicle, the AP notes that Enright allegedly asked his driver, Ahmed H. Sharif, if he was Muslim. Sharif responded with a yes, prompting the intoxicated Enright to allegedly pull out a pocket knife tool, reach for the driver's seat and slash him. New York Police Department spokeswoman Kim Royster told the wire service that Sharif was treated for gashes to his throat, upper lip, forearm and thumb. The New York Taxi Workers Alliance identified Sharif by name, and in a related news release, added that the confrontation "occured amid tension" over plans for the new cultural center and mosque near Ground Zero. Within that same document, Sharif, who has served 15 years as a cab driver, expressed sadness over the current climate his profession is facing.

The passenger has been charged with attempted murder as a hate crime. Congratulations go to Pam Geller, Glenn Beck, and Pat Robertson.

Yes, I'm Running For Mayor, But Let's Start With My Original Song About Jeebus

Towleroad notes that Providence, Rhode Island mayoral candidate Christopher Young was also thrown out of a debate last month for refusing to remove the giant statue of the BVM he'd brought with him.

Jersey Shore Halloween

This year's hot costumes? I'm betting on Steven Slater and that super-annoying Progressive Insurance woman. The Walgreens on my block is already all Halloween. Boo.

True Blood Explained In 60 Seconds

(Tipped by JMG reader David)

KANSAS: Death Threats For Gay Democratic Candidate For State Legislature

The Kansas Equality Coalition writes us today to report that Dan Manning, a Democratic candidate for the state legislature, has had death threats posted to the front door of his home.

As many of you know, one of our Equality Coalition members, Dan Manning, is running for Kansas House of Representatives in Wichita. Originally from southern Georgia, Dan is a West Point graduate who served for 8 years in the US Army before being discharged under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Dan has since made Kansas his home and directed his passion for serving our nation in to a campaign to serve in the state Legislature.

Dan’s opponent is long-time incumbent Brenda Landwehr. Landwehr, a notorious far-right conservative, has been a vocal opponent of equal rights for gay, lesbian and transgendered Kansans. Since February, she has used Dan’s sexual orientation to stir up her constituent. She has gone so far as to use language that Dan was told was “too offensive” to repeat. This weekend, the homophobia and name-calling took a dangerous and criminal turn. Dan arrived home from work on Saturday to find a death threat attached to his front door. Crudely cut from newspaper headlines was a crass note that read: “DISTRICT 91 Democrat Dan N. Manning, 29, production supervisor, manningforkansas.com” “2010 State House Election” “Will DIE” “FaGIT” "Kill” “HOMO” “MURDER” “Head OFF”

Read the Kansas Equality Coalition's complete report, including their link to the death threat notes.

Teabagger Strikethrough

Florida Pastor: Hundreds Of Armed Militia Will Guard Us As We Burn The Koran

Dove World Outreach Pastor Terry Jones says that when his Gainesville, Florida church conducts it's plan burning of the Koran on 9/11, he and his flock will be protected by an "armed militia."

Terry Jones has accepted the support of Right Wing Extreme, which he said offered to come to the church with between 500 and 2,000 men on September 11. He described the organization as an armed civilian militia group. "There is a need for this protection. It is absolutely necessary in light of the death and terror threats we have received," Jones said in an e-mail to CNN. "We have met with the FBI who have warned us of the threats they have seen, not only against us but against other targets in Florida. We have personally received threats by phone and many by mail," he said. No one from Right Wing Extreme was immediately available to comment on Tuesday. But in a statement sent to CNN by the Dove World Outreach Center, Right Wing Extreme founder Shannon Carson said: "We fully support Dove World Outreach Center and its efforts to put an end to the notion that Islam is a peaceful religion. Islam is a violent cult with the goal of world domination." Muslims and many other Christians, including some evangelicals, are fighting the church's plan to burn the Quran.

Oh, yes. This is going to be very interesting.

Nate Silver's 2010 Senate Predictions

Nate Silver's FiveThirtyEight makes its debut as part of the New York Times today, where he gives us the above predictions for this year's Senate races. It looks like Silver is predicting that the Democrats will lose about seven seats, yet retain a slim majority.

Last Night At Scissor Sisters