BOYCOTT SLIM-FAST NOW - Company drops Whoopi for criticizing Bush

Ok, that's it. I've had it with these fascist right-wingers trying to stifle any criticism of President Bush. We've given in to them for too long - first Bill Maher, then the Dixie Chicks, then their incessant charges of "you're helping the terrorists" any time anyone criticizes any aspect of the war on terror. A company like Slim-Fast is insane to be wading into this partisan battle, because I for one would NEVER use a product that picked sides in the presidential race, especially in favor of President Bush.

Tell your friends, boycott Slim-Fast because they're un-American.

Contact info - rip them good, and let them know the same folks who "stopped Dr. Laura" are now coming after them:

USA:
- Corporate HQ: 561.833.9920
- Consumer line: 800.SLIM.FAST
8:30 AM to 6:00 PM EST Mon-Thurs.,
8:30 AM to 5:00 PM EST Fri.
http://www.slim-fast.com/contact/comments.asp
Canada: 800.565.7273, Slimfast.Canada@unilever.com
Europe: consumers@slimfast.co.uk
All other countries: http://www.slim-fast.com/contact/comments.asp

Reuters:

"Comedian Whoopi Goldberg will no longer appear in ads for diet aid maker Slim-Fast following her lewd wisecracks about President George W Bush's name at a fundraiser last week, the company said today."

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Meanwhile in Canada...

Court allows gays in Yukon to marry. Read the rest of this post...

Barbara Boxer rocks!

Barbara Boxer debating Rick Dog-Sex Santorum on "The News Hour" tonight:

"This is a great country of great traditions. And all this 'threats against marriage' - now, I don't know how my colleague feels about it, I've been married for 42 years and I can tell you I know a lot of people with long-term marriages. They are not threatened when two people who happen to be the same gender move down the street, and care about each other, and visit each other in the hospital. This does not threaten their marriages. And I think if someone is threatened, if their marriage is threatened by this, they have deeper issues they have to deal with."

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A great idea for protest

A brilliant idea from a reader:

Dear John -

As Cheryl Jacques from HRC so aptly said, "it is outrageous and frankly surreal that ... they are literally rewriting the Constitution on the back of a napkin." Well, why not send our condolences to some of the worst bad guys (Allard, Cornyn et
alia) on the back of a napkin as well? Picture a few staffers in each of these offices opening an assortment of letters of complaint - on napkins!

If nothing else, this can communicate how poorly advised their plan was or rub well-deserved salt in their wounds. And if enough people voice their dissatisfaction on the issue in this way, it may gain some media traction to forestall defeat in
the House in November.

Thank you for all the hard work you do!

Best regards,
John-Christopher
San Francisco, California

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A few more details on the marriage vote, from AP

According to AP, 45 Republicans and three Democrats voted to keep the measure alive. Six Republicans joined 43 Democrats and one independent in opposition. Of course, AP doesn't actually mention their names, duh.

I'm still trying to figure out who the sixth Republican is...

Ah ok - someone just mentioned in the comments, it had to be Snowe - so the following Republicans crossed party lines to help us out:

NO - VOTED AGAINST STOPPING FILIBUSTER (Probably does mean that they oppose the amendment)
Sununu - R-NH (I know, very weird, but I swear I heard it - will double check)
Collins - R-ME
Chafee - R-RI
Mccain - R-AZ (interesting)
Campbell - R-CO
Snow - R-ME
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Our Celebrities Are Bigger Than Your Celebrities

Yesterday at 3 p.m., right-wing radical Rick Santorum was pleased to present the heavyweight celebrities the religious fringe was able to scare up in support of their un-American, gay-bashing amendment: [drum roll, please] former Washington Redskins Darrell Green (okay, not so bad), Dean Jones of "Herbie the Love Bug" and, yes, Pat Boone. Embarrassing, no? Read the rest of this post...

Gay Bashing Amendment goes down in FLAMES

Well, we did it. The anti-gay marriage amendment went down in flames today in the US Senate. In a nutshell, the Republicans screwed up big time in their strategy. They figured the Democrats would filibuster the vote and would run in fear from a final vote on the amendment. In fact, the Dems turned around at the beginning of the debate and said "heck, let's vote on the entire thing right now." The Republicans flipped out.

Basically, the Dems knew they had the votes, and more importantly, knew that moderate Republicans were starting to get ticked with their leadership in both the House and Senate about the Congress spending so much time on this amendment - an amendment that was bound to lose. The party leaders felt that the amendment would help them with the far-right wackos, but they failed to realize that this would NOT help them with moderate and independent voters who are more worried Iraq, the economy and gas prices.

Below is the final tally on the vote to "invoke cloture" - i.e., the vote is more-or-less whether to STOP a filibuster (even though there WAS no filibuster, this vote still is a vague reflection of where the Senators stand on the amendment - YES perhaps shows support for the amendment, NO almost certainly means the Senator opposes the amendment). Once you fail to stop a filibuster, the amendment is dead - again, there was no filibuster here, so the entire thing is a bit weird - basically the Republicans want to claim the Dems filibustered the amendment when they didn't. Hell, the Dems would still permit them to have an up or down vote on the amendment even AFTER today's vote - the Republicans have simply run scared.

But first here are a few of the interesting votes - i.e., either Senators who crossed party lines, or Senators who surprised us with their vote (i.e., Specter decided to vote anti-gay).

OVERALL VOTE: 48-50

VOTED YES - VOTED TO STOP A FILIBUSTER (Doesn't necessarily mean they support the amendment)
Miller - D-GA
Ben Nelson - D-NE
Byrd - D-WV
Specter - R-PA

NO - VOTED AGAINST STOPPING FILIBUSTER (Probably does mean that they oppose the amendment)
Sununu - R-NH (I know, very weird, but I swear I heard it - will double check)
Collins - R-ME
Chafee - R-RI
Mccain - R-AZ
Campbell - R-CO Read the rest of this post...

Kerry taking the lead in Pennsylvania

It's still close but it's moving in the right direction!

"The Quinnipiac University survey released Wednesday found Kerry was backed by 46 percent of voters, President Bush by 41 percent and independent Ralph Nader by 5 percent.

Bush "is hampered by a negative approval rating and a majority saying going to war with Iraq was the wrong thing to do," Richards said.

Fifty-two percent of Pennsylvania voters said they disapprove of Bush's job performance, compared to 45 percent who approved."

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Gordon Smith is a whore

Now Senator Smith is helping the Republicans make their closing arguments on the Gay Bashing Amendment. He's doing this because - and he specifically mentioned this was the reason - because the Republican leadership wanted him to, since he's traditionally been an advocate for gay rights.

Oh, thanks, so you mean you're not only supporting the amendment, Mr. Smith, but you're also now willing to be the token Uncle Tom for your party, willing to give their bigotry cover.

You, Mr. Smith, are no friend of my community.

Feel free to give Mr. Smith a holler and tell him we don't tolerate false friends. It will be a cold day in hell before we let any of our civil rights groups EVER support his election again. I just called and told them they're toast, we will NEVER let our groups give Smith an ounce of support from our community again.

(202) 224-3753
Web Form: gsmith.senate.gov/webform.htm Read the rest of this post...

Because girls don't like sports... or throw-weights

Reuters:

"'We had 20 of our friends, and there was a really nice dinner and a karaoke machine afterward, and of course my dad had a sports tournament for the guys,' Jenna [Bush] said."

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Top 10 OTHER constitutional amendments

Here are the top 10 suggestions you guys made for other constitutional amendments the Congress can now consider:

10. Amend the constitution to ban divorcees and adulterers from ever being involved in any legislation purported to "protect" marriage.

9. There is a perfectly good amendment to consider, the Equal Rights Amendment.

8. When considering the rights and privileges of citizens, homosexuals shall be considered 3/5ths a person.

7. An amendment requiring all Republicans to undergo sensitivity training.

6. The consumption of meat of any cloven-hooved animal is prohibited in the Christian States of America, in accordance with Biblical law. This especially includes Christmas hams and Monday night spare ribs. Violators will be stoned to death in the town square by toddlers.

5. Marriage in the United States of American shall not consist of any person and a box turtle. Marriage consisting of shrimp, lobster, box turtles or any other hard shelled creature shall be null and void in accordance with Leviticus 20.

4. Any person elected to the presidency must pass an eighth grade literacy test.

3. In recognition of their previously stated desire to leave and the complete lack of any positive contribution to the Union, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and South Carolina are hereby excluded from the Union.

2. Ban all republicans.

1. There shall be no DIVORCE. ALL adulterers shall be stoned.

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Bush-rapping grows in music

Interesting report from the NY Daily News. Basically, songs about the war have shifted from pro-war to anti-war.

"'When I started taping war songs 15 months ago,' he says, 'at least three-quarters were pro-war or pro-soldier, though the latter weren't always the former.

'Now, it's at least 75% against the war - and even the country songs, which tend to support it, seem more reflective.'"

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Special Rights for Dr. Laura

Dr. Laura gets a sweetheart deal to get a new office in Santa Barbara. Now who wants special rights? Read the rest of this post...

Oops, I did it again

AP: "Another U.S. official, who declined to be identified, said al-Harby was not a senior member of al-Qaida and called him 'an aging mujahideen.'" Read the rest of this post...

People say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one...

From Political Queer at Live Journal

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ACLU: Republicans now trying to screw us at the state level

The ACLU is correct in this latest action alert. Tom DeLay (R-TX) and his evil henchmen are now trying to screw gays at the state level. First, by forcing a DOMA-type bill on DC (though I keep hearing differing descriptions of the exact bill) and by trying to take gay marriage out of the jurisdiction of the federal courts! This last idea is truly outlandish, and very likely unconstitutional. These guys are such pigs.

DeLay and Republican leaders do not understand the word 'no.' They are now considering a proposal that would take away the right of the District of Columbia and its 600,000 residents to make their own decision on whether to recognize the marriages of gay and lesbian couples married in other states. If his proposal passes, Congress would be forcing discriminatory marriage policy on to the District of Columbia.

Congressman DeLay is also considering the so-called 'Marriage Protection Act' (H.R. 3313), which would deny the Supreme Court and all other federal courts of the ability to consider any challenges to the anti-gay Defense of Marriage Act. If DeLay has his way, no federal court would ever be able to review one of the most important laws affecting the rights of married couples and their families.

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The love that dares not neigh its name

Hysterical article:

"...If the real, underlying issue in this debate is the fear that human beings will someday be allowed to marry animals -- if Smoltz, Dailey and others are honestly and truly worried by that prospect -- then let's address that issue head on. Let's pass a Federal Animals, Relationships and Marriage amendment to the U.S. Constitution that outlaws all interspecies marriages, period..."

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Jobs lost in Ohio since 2001: 255,000; Gay marriages in Ohio: 0

NYT Editorial:

"One great surprise of this campaign, however, has been just how little traction the issue is getting. Polls show that even many voters who oppose gay marriage do not favor the drastic step of amending the Constitution to prohibit it. And most Americans have the good sense to realize that, whatever their feelings about same-sex marriage, issues like the economy and the war in Iraq matter much more. When President Bush campaigned recently in Ohio, where conservatives are trying to put a gay-marriage ban on the ballot, he was greeted by a newspaper advertisement taken out by a gay-rights group that said: 'Jobs lost in Ohio since 2001: 255,000; gay marriages in Ohio: 0. Focus on Americans' real priorities, Mr. President.'"

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Kill This Amendment (Wash Post lead editorial)

Washington Post:

"...The combination of this proposal's radicalism and its consideration in the middle of an election year commands a strong rebuke from those members who retain enough shame to oppose a constitutional amendment whose express purpose is to deny equal treatment to U.S. citizens. Even opponents of gay marriage, about which people of conscience legitimately disagree, should balk at this measure, which would prevent a democratic majority in any state ever from recognizing it. A strong vote against the Federal Marriage Amendment would send a powerful message that amending the Constitution is not a solution for every non-problem that generates a bad cause."

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With Values Like These...a must read

Harold Meyerson, Washington Post

"...the amendment is being offered today simply because it will help the scare campaign hasten more right-wing evangelicals to the polls this fall. For, as the right tells the tale, what gay-marriage advocates are seeking is not simply the right to have the state sanction such marriages but the right to close down churches that don't. According to Gary Bauer, 'churches will be pressured to either abandon the Scriptures or lose their tax-exempt status if they refuse to 'marry' homosexuals.'

The zeal and single-mindedness with which the Bush campaign is pursuing this goal is best understood as a consequence of Bush's failure to even win, or much less hold, more moderate voters.

The Republicans' campaign is all about scapegoating John Kerry for the ills of modernity. It's about exploiting homophobia, provincialism and cultural insecurity. Or, as they put it, values."

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Powell: Least traveled Secretary of State in 30 years

I have been active in international business for 14 years and while the telephone is helpful, nothing replaces face-to-face meetings. Then again, I suppose when you're working for a leader who doesn't mind ignoring or pissing off the world community, why bother traveling? What's he going to do? Tell the foreign leaders that Bush really is interested in hearing what the world has to say when everone already knows that it just isn't true? Sounds like Powell really was not up for the job to begin with though, because he has previously said that "having seen much of the world and having lived on planes for years, I am no longer much interested in travel." Sorry Colin, but it comes with the job. If he doesn't agree with the message of his boss and he doesn't like the necessary travel, why take the position?

"Powell has sharply cut back on travel, especially compared with his immediate predecessors. Including his recent trip to Sudan and Indonesia, Powell traveled 180 days in his first 42 months as secretary. Madeleine K. Albright, Warren M. Christopher and James A. Baker III averaged 46 percent more days at similar points in their tenures.

Some leading foreign policy specialists -- and even some State Department officials -- have wondered whether Powell's travel schedule has in some ways contributed to the United States' falling image abroad. They argue that behind-the-scenes actions, such as telephone calls, carry much less impact overseas in an era when public diplomacy is increasingly important in advancing foreign policy goals."

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Top story on Martinez Web site: Support Gay Bashing Amendment

It appears the Republican Senate candidate from Florida, Mel Martinez, is going to keep trying to gay-bait his way to the US Senate. Earlier this week, he launched his first mass media buy - a radio ad comparing gay marriage to life under a totalitarian dictatorship, and then the ad urged Florida's two Democratic senators to support the Gay Bashing Amendment. Today, Martinez notes his support for the amendment as the top story on his campaign Web site. This in spite of the fact that at least one of Martinez' top campaign staff, finance chair Kirk Fordham, is openly gay (and has a lover of ten-some years).

Why raise money for openly homophobic ads that attack your own relationship in order to get an open homophobe elected to the US Senate? God only knows what possibly motivates these people. Well, ok, we all know - self-loathing, power, and money. Read the rest of this post...