Hastert and McCain declare war on each other

Absolutely fa-bu-lous:

Hastert says about McCain:

Today, Speaker J. Dennis Hastert was asked about Mr. McCain's view that Congress should not enact tax cuts during wartime because it keeps the public from developing the sense of shared sacrifice that war requires. Mr. Hastert, who was discussing tax cuts, the Republican budget and $50 billion for the war in Iraq, had had enough.

'Who?' asked Mr. Hastert as he heard Mr. McCain's name. 'Where is he from? Is he a Republican?'
Then Mr. Hastert really unloaded on Mr. McCain, who sustained lifelong injuries as a prisoner of war in Vietnam.
'John McCain ought to visit our young men and women at Walter Reed and Bethesda,' Mr. Hastert said. 'There is the sacrifice in this country. We are trying to make sure they have the ability to fight this war, that they have the wherewithal to do it. At the same time we have to react to keep this country strong not only militarily, but economically. We have to have the flexibility to do it. That is my answer to John McCain.'

McCain responds to Hastert:

Mr. McCain's response was equally pointed. "The speaker is correct in that nothing we are called upon to do comes close to matching the heroism of our troops,'' he said in a statement issued through his office. " All we are called upon to do is not spend our nation into bankruptcy while our soldiers risk their lives.

"I fondly remember a time when real Republicans stood for fiscal responsibility. Apparently those days are long gone for some in our party."

Read the rest of this post...

Hetero marriages across US could be invalidated by Mass. Gov. Romney

Ok, this is gonna get fun now.

The anti-gay Republican governor of Massachusetts is using a 1913 state law to challenge gay marriages conducted in Massachusetts for out-of-staters. The law says that no one can be married in Massachusetts if their own home state wouldn't permit them to be married.

The problem is that there are some states, like Mississippi and Nebraska, which ban heterosexual marriages that would otherwise be legal in Massachusetts. So, if Governor Romney insists on back-checking ALL gay marriage already conducted by the state, then under the law he also must back-check all heterosexual marriages already conducted by the state. And if does that, there are going to be some very sorry heterosexuals in Mississippi, Nebraska and elsewhere. Here's why:

For example, Massachusetts permits an 18 year old to get married, no questions asked. Nebraska and Mississippi, however, require that same 18 year old to have a notarized consent form from their parent before conducting the marriage. If the Massachusetts clerks weren't presented with those consent forms, then the out-of-state heterosexuals weren't legally married (or so it would seem). There are lots of other requirements that vary by each state. If any of those were not met when an out of stater got married in Massachusetts, their marriage could be invalid.

What does that mean? It means lots of bastard children running around the US in heterosexual families. It means dad's having died without a will and the state giving everything to his wife, only to find out now that dad's wife was only some chick he was living in sin with. Now the kids can sue her for the inheritance. It also means that any benefit the supposedly married couple got - oh, from the federal government at tax time, for example - was also a fraud. You can see how this gets fun really quickly.

So, here's my challenge to your folks on the ground in Massachusetts. Call the local papers, and get a lawyer, and demand that Governor Romney execute the laws of the state in a fair and impartial manner, as he is required to do so under the Equal Protection clause of the US Constitution. Demand that the state of Massachusetts examine every single out-of-state marriage it has conducted over the past 100 years in order to ensure that thousands of fraudulent marriages have not been perpetrated on the marriage-loving, God-fearing, Bible-loving people of these United States of America. God bless.

Here are the requirements for the 3 states mentioned above:

MISSISSIPPI
Under 21: Parental consent is needed if under 21 years of age. If parents or guardians do not give consent at time of application, they will be notified via certified mail. The marriage application will be held for three (3) days. Marriage licenses cannot be issued to males under 17, or females under 15 years of age. If the clerk receives a signed authorization from the parents, this minimum age requirement can be waived.

NEBRASKA
Under 19: A certified copy of your birth certificate and a notarized consent form must be signed by the person's legal guardian giving consent to the marriage of the minor. Nebraska will not issue a marriage license if either applicant is under 17 years of age.

MASSACHUSETTS
Under 18: If you are under 18 years old, you will need a court order from either a probate court or district court in the locale where you live in order to apply for a marriage license. Read the rest of this post...

"Homosexuality is not normal"

Two points to the National Stonewall Democrats for getting an entire copy of the letter the North Carolina Republican party wrote to a gay Republican group, saying that gay Republicans aren't welcome in the party. Our favorite part:

The majority of the content of your website advocates special rights and privileges for homosexuals. It openly opposes President Bush's call for a constitutional amendment to protect the sanctity of marriage as being the union between one man and one woman. Most of the press releases, news and views concentrate more on what your organization seems to think is wrong with the Republican Party than what is right with it. I could not find any positive words about the presumptive Presidential nominee of our party.

The North Carolina Republican Party has adopted the following portions in its platform:

Republicans believe that a two-parent family, where a husband and wife live in harmony in one home, provides the ideal environment for raising children and is the best model for family life. We praise the courageous efforts of single parents who work hard to provide stable homes, and we recognize that single parents often succeed and two-parent families sometimes fail. We, therefore, oppose efforts to redefine the traditional family structure and offer the Republican Party as a refuge fore everyone concerned with about the breakdown of family life in America.

We believe that homosexuality is not normal and should not be established as an acceptable “alternative” lifestyle either in public education or in public policy. We do not believe that public schools should be used to teach children that homosexuality is normal, and we do not believe that taxpayers should fund benefit plans for unmarried partners. We oppose special treatment by law based on nothing other than homosexual behavior or identity. We therefore oppose actions, such as “marriage” or the adoption of children by same-sex couples, which attempt to legitimize and normalize homosexual relationships. We support the Defense of Marriage Act. We also stand united with private organizations, such as the Boy Scouts, who defend moral decency and freedom according to their own long-held and well-established traditions and beliefs.

Oh yeah, that's some good summer reading. So the Republican party believes that homosexuality is "not normal." Really now? Wonder if anyone checked in with future PFLAG-dad VP Cheney about that. I mean, sure, homosexual REPUBLICANS who would want to be in a party with such bigots are not normal, but that's another story... ;-)

Read the rest of the letter here. Read the rest of this post...

Kerry willing to support anti-abortion judges

First he went wishy-washy on gays, now he's going wishy-washy on pro-choicers. Anyone see a pattern? Yes, he's better than Bush. I get it. But I wish Kerry would give me something to cheer for, rather than always depressing me further and further.

... I've thought about this a bit more and will say one thing in Kerry's favor. This puts Bush in a horrible position. He either has to agree with Kerry that he wouldn't have an abortion litmus test, and royally tick off the Bible-thumpers, or he would have to say he has an abortion litmus test and come across as intolerant to indepenents. So, yes, Kerry is at least being sneaky here. Read the rest of this post...

GOP tells gay Republicans they're not wanted

Wow.

The head of the Republican party in North Carolina has told gay Republicans in that state that they are NOT welcome at the state Republican party convention, taking place this weekend. Not that this is surprising - let's face it guys, while some of their best friends are fags, the Republican party leadership in the states and at the national level is in the hands of the religious right, and it does not like us. Still, it always surprises me when party leaders are so dumb as to be so blatantly homophobic. I mean, talking about "special rights" - hello?

Gay Republicans have been told they are not welcome at the party's state convention this weekend. The state's Log Cabin Republicans had requested a table to display its literature at the convention, but Ferrell Blount, the Chairman of the GOP in North Carolina rejected the group and in a letter to Log Cabin accused the LCR of disloyalty.

LCG 'advocates special rights and privileges for homosexuals,' wrote Blount. 'It openly opposes President Bush's call for a constitutional amendment to protect the sanctity of marriage as being the union between one man and one woman.'

Blount pointed to the party platform that says 'Republicans believe that a two-parent family, where a husband and wife live in harmony in one home, provides the ideal environment for raising children and is the best model for family life. We praise the courageous efforts of single parents who work hard to provide stable homes, and we recognize that single parents often succeed and two-parent families sometimes fail. We, therefore, oppose efforts to redefine the traditional family structure and offer the Republican Party as a refuge fore everyone concerned with about the breakdown of family life in America.'

Ed Farthing, the chair of the North Carolina Log Cabin Republicans called Blount's position 'discouraging'." - 365gay.com

Discouraging? Gee, you think? Read the rest of this post...

U.S. Reportedly Kills 40 Iraqis at Wedding Party

Lovely.

A U.S. helicopter fired on a wedding party early Wednesday in western Iraq, killing more than 40 people, Iraqi officials said. The U.S. military said it could not confirm the report and was investigating.

Lt. Col Ziyad al-Jbouri, deputy police chief of the city of Ramadi, said between 42 and 45 people died in the attack, which took place about 2:45 a.m. in a remote desert area near the border with Syria and Jordan. He said those killed included 15 children and 10 women.

Dr. Salah al-Ani, who works at a hospital in Ramadi, put the death toll at 45.

Associated Press Television News obtained videotape showing a truck containing bodies of those allegedly killed.

About a dozen bodies, one without a head, could be clearly seen. but it appeared that bodies were piled on top of each other and a clear count was not possible. - AP

Read the rest of this post...

White House Is Trumpeting Programs It Tried to Cut

Buzzflash caught this story from the NYT.

Many administration officials are taking credit for spreading largess through programs that President Bush tried to eliminate or to cut sharply. For example, Justice Department officials recently announced that they were awarding $47 million to scores of local law enforcement agencies for the hiring of police officers. Mr. Bush had just proposed cutting the budget for the program, known as Community Oriented Policing Services, by 87 percent, to $97 million next year, from $756 million. The administration has been particularly energetic in publicizing health programs, even ones that had been scheduled for cuts or elimination.

Read the rest of this post...

Drudge, who has been outed at least twice, runs anti-gay ad for Family Research Council

This is abominable. Republican Internet gossip marm Matt Drudge, who was outed years ago by both Mike Signorile and David Brock, is running on his Web site an anti-gay ad for the extremely homophobic religious right group, the Family Research Council.

This is the first frame of the ad:



This is the second frame of the ad:



And here's where the ad links to:



Email Drudge and tell him it's highly hypocritical for him to be making money off of bashing gay people:
DRUDGE@DRUDGEREPORT.COM

David Brock says he went on a date with Drudge:

Drudge picked me up at a friend's house in the Hollywood Hills in his red Geo Metro, arriving with an impressive bouquet of yellow roses. Jesus, I thought, Drudge thinks we're going on a date. After dinner at the famed West Hollywood restaurant Dan Tana's, he suggested we go bar hopping along the gay strip on Santa Monica Boulevard, which Drudge navigated like a pro. ... (Six months hence, I received the following e-mail message from Drudge, under the subject heading "XXX." Drudge wrote: "Laura [Ingraham] spreading stuff about you and me being fuck buddies. I should only be so lucky. ")

And more from Signorile:
http://www.nypress.com/15/22/news&columns;/signorile.cfm
http://www.advocate.com/html/stories/817_8/817_8_signorile.asp

Datalounge names Drudge's alleged 'ex':

Still not convinced? Next time you're in Washington, drop in on David Cohen, a landscaper in D.C. who has intimate carnal knowledge of the intrepid rumor monger. (They're called credible sources Matt, look into them.)

Drudge a fan of gay dance DJs:

"That's not true. I am a conservative. I'm very much pro-life. If you go down the list of what makes up a conservative, I'm there almost all the way. So just because I like Junior Vasquez doesn't mean I can't believe this country was built on life, not on a death culture."

Hold on. Junior Vasquez? Junior Vasquez, the reigning DJ king of gay circuit parties?

"Oh yeah, last year Vasquez did some of his best stuff ever," Drudge enthuses.

Man claims to be Drudge ex-boyfriend:

Drudge may embrace the music, but he refuses to embrace its explicit gay, black roots, a refusal that has prompted controversy in the past. MSNBC correspondent Jeannette Walls, in her book Dish: The Inside Story on the World of Gossip, profiled Drudge as someone who "hung out with a crowd of promiscuous, openly gay men and dated several of them." She interviewed one purported ex-boyfriend, David Cohen, who recalled that "[Drudge] loved to do wild, provocative things to draw attention to himself," including getting tossed from one Washington, D.C., nightclub after tossing a full pitcher of beer into the air.

Drudge denies being gay, reporter offers to get affidavit of his alleged "ex":

After Dish's publication last year, Walls and Drudge traded insults via New York City's gossip columns. Drudge claimed Walls's entire account was fabricated: "Jeannette, dear, slow down and come up for some air. You are becoming a laughingstock. Even by MSNBC standards."

In response Walls told the Daily News: "I'm not passing judgment. But I think his duplicity is relevant to his character as someone who has built his career on exposing other's private lives." Contacted by phone recently, Walls reiterated that both she and her publisher, HarperCollins, "absolutely stand by every word I've said." She also said Cohen has offered to sign an affidavit attesting to his comments.

So, he dated men but didn't have sex with them?

At the mention of Walls's book, Drudge turns visibly angry, characterizing Dish as nothing less than an attempt to spike his career. "I go to bars," he explains with a perturbed edge. "I go to straight bars, I go to gay bars. [Walls] never said there was sex; she said there was dating. She never had enough to go that far."

Does it bother Drudge to be portrayed in the media as gay? "No, because I'm not," he answers firmly. "But I'm not going to be a Bert Fields and sue people for $100 million for printing this stuff," he adds, referring to Tom Cruise's attorney and his defamation lawsuit against a gay porn star who claimed to have had a sexual relationship with the actor.

So does he fear a backlash from homophobic fans of his radio show and Website? "It's not an issue with me," he replies, growing weary of the topic. He leans back in his chair and opines, "I think I told the Daily News something like, “My youth is a blur.'" He laughs in self-appreciation: "That's a good out."

Read the rest of this post...

U.S. Military Vows to Keep Afghan Jails Secret

What a bunch of crap.

The military is refusing to allow any outside observers in to our jails in Afghanistan to check on conditions. Instead, they're going to send a US general. Right. That prison will be polished clean before any general steps through the door. Not to mention, I doubt an Afghani prisoner is going to come clean about abuse with a general from the same armed forces whe are beating the crap out of him. This is truly embarrassing. Read the rest of this post...

Sivits found guilty on all charges at court-martial

Now that low lifes like Sivits are dropping hard and fast, are we going to see similar televised hearing for the guys higher up? As long as Bush is around, all of us schmucks that are below the level of political appointees and CEOs are shafted. How about a little accountability for a change? Read the rest of this post...

US Immigration services in chaos

Reading this article from the Seattle-Post Intelligencer reminded me of the numerous problems that I've personally witnessed and heard about with the US Immigration system. The story discusses a long term US resident of South Korean descent who is being denied US citizenship because of a minor fishing infraction years ago. Apparently he's not moral enough to become a citizen so he is part of a class action lawsuit demanding that his case be reviewed. A friend in NY who is a recent US immigrant (from Brazil) has been going mad as his wife (a French national) has struggled to get her working permit sorted. Locally (for me) a friend of the family was shocked when they discovered that in order to send their college student son to the US for an internship, he would have to pay around $700 for a special visa. When visiting the US back in December, I was horrified at the abusive attitude of the US Immigration staff, both to me as well as to foreign visitors. I was threatened to be sent for a search for no particular reason. Something is seriously off in that entire organization and it doesn't seem to be improving. I can understand their some of their concerns since they blew it on 9/11 but they just don't seem to be able to get their arms around this problem at all. The current policy seems to be "say no to everyone" and employ the administrations favorite tactic of "fear, fear, fear." Read the rest of this post...