Dear friends in Obama-ites:
After the great surge of elected strength which put Barack Obama into office to lead us through this tough time of recovery, we in Mendocino County (check it out, 3 groups already!) are interested in sustaining a viable base of Obama supporters who can keep the "hope alive" and remain an active force both on the internet and in our County. The easiest way to do this, I believe, is the continue to gather informally to discuss all things Obama, to learn each others names, to volunteer for community events as a block, and to be a support for each other. I created the Mendobama Coffee Club, last Fridays of the month, 3:30pm (tea time, actually) to meet at the Coffee Critic on N. State Street & Scott in Ukiah, for that very purpose.
I hope you will join me - and comment to me here online about what you would like to see happen, your ideas on inplementing change and most importantly, supporting the President on a grassroots level. Hope to see you at a meeting sometime!
Katharine Cole
Snubs Aside, Obama Will Do Right by Us
By Steve Charing
On the road to the election and inauguration of Barack Obama, there had been great hope accumulating throughout the lgbt community that for the first time, a U.S. President will be on our side.
That road had hit a speed bump when Barack Obama selected anti-gay Pastor Rick Warren to deliver the inaugural’s Invocation. Team Obama underestimated the strong reaction by gay activists that was carried in the mainstream media.
But the president-elect did not back down. This episode sullied the inauguration celebration and gave pause to what I believe is a monumental shift in the struggle for lgbt rights.
There were other missteps as well. Candidate Obama had allowed gospel singer Donnie McLurkin—an anti-gay, ex-gay—to join him during the South Carolina primary campaign. Mr. Obama then apologized.
Candidate Obama maintained his opposition to same-sex marriage during the Saddleback Church interviews conducted by none other than Rick Warren.
Candidate Obama did not forcefully speak out against Proposition 8 that snatched marriage rights already granted to thousands of same-sex couples in California.
No openly gay or lesbian had been appointed to a cabinet-level position.
The inaugural committee somehow botched up the schedule, which kept openly gay Bishop Gene Robinson’s speech from being heard by millions of HBO viewers.
Yet despite all these snubs, President Obama should be a champion for lgbt folks unlike any other president in history. Hopefully, we can, from here on out, praise the new president instead of criticizing him.
The euphoria that enveloped the nation and the world leading up to and including the days immediately following the historic inauguration will last longer than most. Given these turbulent times, that’s saying something. While some lgbt activists bemoaned the fact we were never mentioned during the 20-minute inaugural address, that’s quite alright. It wasn’t the place or the time.
President Obama emphasized accountability in government during the speech. The days immediately following the inauguration, he immediately demonstrated that.
His swift actions on closing trials at Guantanamo, issuing ethics orders, meeting as promised with his top military brass to end the war in Iraq and other measures signified to me that he will keep his campaign pledges.
And President Obama followed through with his campaign promises to the lgbt community by posting, in fairly good detail, his positions on most of the issues that are important to the lgbt community to the official White House website, whitehouse.gov.
He called the section "Supporting the LGBT Community," and he quoted himself as a preamble: "While we have come a long way since the Stonewall riots in 1969, we still have a lot of work to do. Too often, the issue of LGBT rights is exploited by those seeking to divide us. But at its core, this issue is about who we are as Americans. It's about whether this nation is going to live up to its founding promise of equality by treating all its citizens with dignity and respect." -- Barack Obama, June 1, 2007
Beautiful words indeed. The issues covered include: Expand Hate Crimes Statutes, Fight Workplace Discrimination, Support Full Civil Unions and Federal Rights for LGBT Couples, Oppose a Constitutional Ban on Same-Sex Marriage, Repeal Don't Ask-Don't Tell, Expand Adoption Rights, Promote AIDS Prevention, Empower Women to Prevent HIV/AIDS.
This is freakin’ huge!No president has even come close to outlining his positions on lgbt rights, let alone favorable ones. True, President Obama hasn’t yet come around to support same-sex marriage; at least he opposes a federal constitutional amendment to define marriage to be between one man and one woman.
What is notable on the website, however, is his commitment to end DOMA—the nefarious Defense of Marriage Act signed into law by former President Bill Clinton in 1996. He had publicly indicated to lgbt activists during the primaries that he will not only repeal certain components of the law but will seek to repeal the entire measure.
President Obama’s position to confer over 1,100 federal benefits to same-sex couples either through civil unions or some form of partnership recognition will not be realized unless DOMA is eliminated. The law establishes a federal ban on same-sex marriage, which nullifies federal benefits and rights and permits states not to recognize same-sex marriages occurring in other states.
As we collectively lick our chops at the prospects of these issues going our way, we must be patient a bit longer. The economic crisis is a major challenge that must be dealt with, not to mention restoring a framework for peace throughout key hot spots in the world.
The president cannot and should not use his political capital on anything except getting his stimulus package through Congress. That’s the primary order of business.
In the past, the ill-advised expenditure of political good will was damaging. President Clinton misfired when he attempted in 1993 to end gays in the military unilaterally—a campaign pledge in its own right. A significant portion of the military, including the top brass, as well as many in Congress, distrusted Clinton on military matters. This was mainly as a result of his evading service during the Vietnam era and a generally tepid amount of warmth towards him as he took office.
President Clinton miscalculated the opposition to the initiative, and we have been stuck with the absurd policy of "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" since then.
President Obama has stated he will work to build a consensus on that and other lgbt-related initiatives. Give him time to do that. He needs to get our country back on track first.
But I am certain he will make good on his word. Don’t let the initial snubs diminish our hope for a brighter rainbow in the future.
Steve Charing’s OUTspoken blog is at www.SteveCharing.blogspot.com.
The election is over and I couldn't be happier. What Barack said in his speech that night wasn't subtle. He basically asked us to help, asked us to volunteer, asked us to ask what we could do for our country, just like JFK did.
Well, I'm here to say "What can I do, How can I help?" In my opinion there are so many of us that are ready to help Barack in any way possible, somebody just needs to tell us what we can do; what is the best way we can help.
We need somebody from Barack's team to be our leader, be our organizer and be blunt about what can be done by average American's. All you have to do is ask. We want Barack to be successful and more important, we want the whole country to be successful.
I am not the best organizer, that's not my forte. But I can certainly pitch in where I am needed. It is time for Americans to unite behind our President. We will make the sacrifices we need to make. We will put our country first. Just ask us. We're ready.
Obama's majestic triumph tempered by heartbreaking Election Day setbacks to gays and lesbians
Senior Political Analyst
November 4, 2008 marked a transformational day in American history. With the election of the first African-American as president of the United States, the world, all of a sudden, became closer and a bit more unified. People were rejoicing in five continents. Although supporters of John McCain and Sarah Palin understandably may not have felt euphoric when the networks declared Barack Obama president at 11:00 p.m. EDT, I sure did.
But my elation was doused not that long afterwards, as three gay marriage bans and one anti-gay adoption initiative all apparently succeeded, reminding me that the country still has not taken that next big step.
For Obama, this was a contest that will keep political scientists and book publishers busy for decades. Barack Obama, a relative neophyte with a foreign-sounding name, rose from virtual obscurity and defeated a powerful Clinton machine to emerge as the Democratic Party's nominee. Then he took on John McCain with his vaunted military and congressional experience, the embedded racism in the country, as well as the Republican Party's fear and smear operation to win in an Electoral College landslide. In the process, Obama turned several red states blue with surgical precision.
There was as much good luck involved as there was skill. A perfect storm of events and personalities produced raindrops filled with smiles. He mainly benefited from the disastrous presidency of George W. Bush with whom he linked to his opponent, John McCain, with relentless regularity.
McCain incomprehensibly selected Sarah Palin--the butt of numerous jokes from her obvious lack of national and international knowledge--to be his running mate. The McCain campaign failed to effectively utilize the candidate's strengths and instead defaulted to what the Republicans seem to do best: attack.
And there were no significant international crises that affected the U.S., which would have highlighted McCain's perceived strength on national security. Then came the financial meltdown in September that accentuated the incompetence of the Bush presidency and McCain's bumbling response to it.
Added to that, notable endorsements from Colin Powell and a series of other Republican conservatives, the full-throated support from his chief Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton and her husband, and the die was cast.
But oh that skill!
Obama's campaign, led by David Plouffe and David Axelrod, crafted a blueprint on how 21st century presidential campaigns should operate. Always disciplined, always on message, always consistent, Obama successfully presented himself as the "change" candidate at a time the country was thirsty for change.
The campaign eschewed public financing and using the Internet primarily, managed to raise almost three quarters of a billion dollars to launch what was nearly a 50-state campaign. This forced McCain, who accepted public financing, to spend his more limited resources defending his own turf. That was crucial in states, such as Florida, Virginia, Ohio, Colorado and North Carolina. In the end, the better campaign prevailed.
And that is good news for the LGBT community. Because now there is a much better chance for achieving non-discrimination legislation in the workplace, a Federal hate crimes bill and the repeal of the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. Expect to see openly gay and lesbian members in Obama's administration; he kept reminding voters down the stretch that the country should not be split according to "gay" and "straight" among the other dividing lines in society. No other major presidential candidate ever used such rhetoric, and he repeated it to traditionally conservative gatherings in Middle America.
But those defeats on the ballot initiatives stung like nothing else has ever before. Just as national polls were indicating a gradual positive trend towards acceptance of same-sex marriage, November 4 proved to be a startling wake-up call that so much work remains.
Ballot measures in Arizona and Florida resoundingly banned "gay marriage" in those states adding to the stockpile that has swollen since 2004. Arkansas voters sadly banned adoptions by gay couples. The ones suffering most from that decision are children.
But the biggest heartbreaker appears to be the results of Proposition 8 in California. While the votes have not been fully tallied at press time, the measure that would roll back a court decision legalizing same-sex marriage in the state, apparently is heading for passage.
Proponents of Prop 8 benefited from a major influx of funding from the Mormons, the Catholic Church and other religious entities to scare voters about the idea of two men or two women marrying. Tony Perkins, president of the virulently anti-gay Family Research Council, symbolized the religious support of the measure.
Characterizing Prop 8 as more important than the presidential election, Perkins said, "We have survived bad presidents. But many, many are convinced we will not survive this redefinition of marriage."
If Prop 8 survives the counting of absentee ballots, it will mark a staggering defeat to gays and lesbians since it was the first time rights that have been won were actually taken away. While it remains unclear if the existing same-sex marriages in California will be permitted to stand, the effects of such a setback will reverberate throughout the country.
And it mars the glistening victory of hope over fear in the election of Barack Obama.
www.SteveCharing.blogspot.com
Anyone who attempts to seriously study the spiritual foundation of this Universe will sooner or later encounter a book called "A COURSE IN MIRACLES." I frequently quote A COURSE IN MIRACLES in my posts, as it is considered one of the classics of "inner Christianity." Without getting into too many details let me just point out that A COURSE IN MIRACLES identifies two "primal" emotions in human beings, the emotion of love and the emotion of fear. These two "primal" emotions of human consciousness give rise to all the rest of our emotional and spiritual make-up with all the resultant material manifestations in our lives, and their constant and continuing interplay is exactly that which is the basis of the eternal struggle of Light and Darkness, of Good and Evil. It is precisely as in the words of the famous poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox:"Wait for no heavenly life, Seek for no temple alone; Here, in the midst of the strife, Know what the sages have known.
See what the Perfect Ones saw-- God in the depth of each soul, God as the light and the law, God as beginning and goal!
Here, in the turmoil and roar, Show what it is to be calm; Show how the Spirit can soar And bring back its healing and balm.
Stand not aloof nor apart, Plunge in the thick of the fight. There in the street and the mart, That is the place to do right.
Not in some cloister or cave, Not in some kingdom above, Here, on this side of the grave, Here, should we labor and love."
I believe that this election campaign has fully confirmed the principles outlined in the spiritual classic known as A COURSE IN MIRACLES. On the one hand we have love, manifesting as a call to unity, cooperation, social justice and hope, and on the other we have fear coming out as division, stagnation, slanderous rhetoric and hate-mongering.If anyone of us is really honest with him- of herself, there should be no doubt as to which campaign is the voice of love and which one is the instrument of fear. And, when it comes to fear, what can better serve its insidious and divisive purposes than the frightening ghost of Socialism and its most extreme form known as Marxism? Fortunately, some of us, including myself, have a certain intimate knowledge of Socialism and Marxism, just like some others among us can clearly see how racial hatred and intolerance can easily lead to another fearful extreme that is Fascism.When I was growing up in the hellish environment of the Soviet Bolshevism many years ago, one of the strong voices of dissent belonged to a famous physicist and Nobel Prize winner, Andrei Sakharov. I think that some people still remember Andrei Sakharov and his wife, Elena Bonner who had made a courageous stand against the Communist repression even at the risk of their personal comfort and safety. I believe that if Andrei Sakharov had not been one of the most famous scientists of his time, he would have ended his life in a Bolshevik slave labor camp for his views, as so many others have done. Well, one of Sakharov's theories had to do with the "postindustrial society" as something that the humankind would have to build in order to avoid falling victim to either Socialism or Fascism. The core foundation of such a society would be middle class.If we look back at history, we should have no problem seeing that when the middle class is eroded, as was the case in Tsarist Russia or in pre-Nazi Germany, the forces of extremism, be it Lenin's Bolshevism or Hitler's National Socialism can rise amid the chaos of economic and political turmoil and take full advantage of the frustration caused by these upheavals, especially if the social and politico-economic "buffer" of the middle class is not there or is significantly weakened by the extreme polarization of a country's wealth. This is exactly what Sen. Obama's policies will prevent by strengthening the middle class, by supporting that all-important buffer that will protect us against any extremist takeover. And this is exactly what our opponents in the McCain campaign call "Socialism."Well, let's see how it may theoretically "play out" in our society if the middle class is not strengthened. How long will the McCains of this world hold on to their multiple houses and enormous wealth while many in the middle class lose their homes to foreclosures and their life savings in the collapsing stock market? How long will it take before the forces of extremism rise as they have in the past in order to destroy the very foundation of a free society? The lessons of history show that it may not take all that long. Experience shows that the so-called "trickle down" economic theory simply does not work for the obvious reason that the wealth tends not to trickle down, but instead be concentrated in the hands of very few, leading to the polarization of society between very rich and very poor and the erosion of the middle class. A "classic formula" for the extremist takeover. Smart financiers like Warren Buffet fully understand these dynamics and, therefore, give their support to the only candidate who has the knowledge and determination to never let that happen in our country, to Senator Barack Obama. I was amazed at the inconsistency of Arnold Schwarzenegger who just a few days ago called Barack "a visionary" and said that "Sarah Palin is not yet ready", but who now chose to be on a wrong side of History by supporting John McCain. Did you or did you not say those words just a few days ago, Governor? Just a small additional reminder, Arnold: in your own State of California Sen. Obama will score a "landslide" victory, getting your own wife's vote among millions of others. A former Reagan's Chief of Staff has just endorsed Barack Obama to the dismay of those who had thought of gathering support among "Reagan Democrats", of whom I am one as well. All Senator Obama wants to do is to return to the tax structure that existed under President Clinton and roll back the tax cuts to the very rich in order to give additional tax cuts to the middle class. How is it Socialism, for God's sake? I was happy yesterday when one of the listeners commented to CNN that those who accuse Barack Obama of Socialist leanings simply don't know how Socialism works! How very, very true! In addition to strengthening our capitalist system at home, the visionary in Senator Obama will work towards restoring our standing in the world and our vital alliances in order to counteract the disastrous effects of Bush-McCain's delusional "go-it-alone" policies. This is why the citizens of the rest of the free world support Barack Obama with the ratio of 4 to 1. On the other hand, some elements in Al-Qaeda support McCain because what they need is the disunity of the Western Alliance and continuing "radicalization" of the Islamic world caused by Bush-McCain reckless endeavors such as war in Iraq. McCain's campaign is so desperate that it shamelessly portrays Barack's aquaintance with a fellow scholar, Rashid Khalidi, as a "proof" of Sen. Obama's "unsavory associations." How do these people hope to restore our standing in the world when they aspire to derail someone's campaign simply by associating it with a person (even if that person is a scholar and Columbia University professor) who has Palestinian-sounding name?? This is pure racism, if you ask me! What does it mean to us when our modern American hero, General Colin Powell endorses Obama as a "transformational figure" and a right-wing extremist and hate-mongerer Rush Limbaugh says that this endorsement is "all about race"?! What does it mean to us when the sitting President whose approval ratings are 24% endorses John McCain while being unable to publicly campaign for him for fear of causing more harm than good? On the other hand, Barack is doing what any smart, forward-looking policitian should be doing, and that is listening to the opposing points of view and then trying to reconcile them.On November 4-th our country has a date with History. We will be divided into those who welcome the change and those who are afraid of it for a variety of false "reasons." We will be divided into those who welcome progress and those who embrace the status quo. We will be divided into those who can look totally beyond the color of someone's skin and those who see race before (or even instead of) seeing anything else. We will be divided into those who embrace unity and compassion and forward vision, and love and those who prefer division, stagnation, racial intolerance, backwardness and fear. For those of us who have chosen to embark on a path to enlightenment by studying the Wisdom Teachings of the Sages of History, this picture is crystal-clear; we either side with love or with fear, with the Light of tomorrow or with the Darkness of yesterday, with the Good of Progress and Change or with the Evil of ignorance and despair. Let's all of us unite with this powerful wave of History, with the Light of progress, with the consciousness of Change, with the Way of the Spirit by voting for Barack Obama and Joe Biden, for the middle class, for the future and for our own selves!
Freedom of Speech? Fivethirtyeight.com reported today that two pro-Obama men were surrounded by a mob of McCain supporters after they chanted "Obama" while wearing Obama tee-shirts and carrying an Obama sign at a McCain rally in Miami, FL. Police had to rescue the men from the crowd for their protection. "People were screaming, 'Terrorist!' 'Communist!' 'Socialist!'"one of the two men told the reporter from fivethirtyeight.com. "I had a guy tell me he was gonna kill me."Nice. If these pro-McCain folks would revere the Constitution's First Amendment as much as they do the Second Amendment, perhaps the USA will be a better place. That's not likely while dissent continues to be squashed by intimidation.
www.stevecharing.blogspot.com
McCain's Last Missed Opportunity On Meet the Press, John McCain could have taken the high road on race relations, but failed.There are no more big play opportunities left for John McCain. The debates and the conventions are over. He will default to the the normal GOP tactic of "fear and smear" during the final days of the campaign.
His last remaining hope was a performance on Oct. 26's Meet the Press, which commands a sizeable viewership. This could have been the one opportunity to change the trajectory of the campaign. It was there for him to grab, to seize the opportunity. But as always, McCain, the non-maverick, stuck to talking points rather than breaking the mold.
When moderator Tom Brokaw showed the clip of Rush Limbaugh's explanation of Gen. Colin Powell's endorsement of Barack Obama where he shouted, "it's all about race," McCain's response was disappointing if not predictable.
When asked if Powell's endorsement was about race, McCain weakly said no but quickly pivoted to the five Secretaries of State (he had trouble reeling them off) and the number of admirals and generals of whom he was proud to have their support.Here's what John McCain SHOULD have said, which I believe would have grabbed the headlines and MAYBE peel off some of the independent voters who have been flocking to Obama:
"I am, of course, disappointed with Gen. Powell's endorsement. But as Gen. Powell said on your show, race was not a significant factor, and I take this friend and honorable public servant at his word. I know I will be offending some of Rush Limbaugh's listeners, but I fully condemn Rush's explanation that it was all about race.
"We are at a critical time in our country's history. We are deeply mired in a major financial crisis that is affecting most Americans. We have enemies abroad who would want to harm us. We have energy and climate change challenges that need to be addressed. We do not need divisive and inflammatory comments from people on the air waves. We should not separate our country according to race or by any other category. If anything, we need to rally all citizens of the United States to forge a common effort to face these crises together."
Alas, McCain didn't want to upset his base by attempting to nullify race in this election. It remains his wild card. But in sidestepping this golden opportunity, McCain missed the chance to demonstrate a characteristic that has been sorely lacking in his campaign--statesmanship.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/10/25/politics/main4545574.shtml?source=RSSattr=Politics_4545574
http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/1008/563913.html
(just copy and paste in the address bar)
"You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free"
John, 8:32
Spirituality teaches us that the "end" is just a new "beginning", that a dream is the necessary prelude to reality, that our individual and collective consciousness is that "womb" that gives birth to our destiny. In these last days before the election we can clearly see yet another time that these Eternal Truths, articulated by the Teachers of Wisdom throughout history time and time again, cannot be altered or derailed. The end of this long, difficult and fascinating journey that was this election campaign will be but the beginning of a new era, the beginning that will no longer be denied or postponed, the beginning whose time has come, just like that dawn that inevitably comes even after the darkest of nights. We have seen that the enemies of progress spare no efforts in their desperate attempts to cling to the past, to preserve their hold on power, to turn back the River of History, to keep us prisoners of their outdated and fearful beliefs. These fearful beliefs that appeal to the lowest of our imperfect human nature are well represented by John McCain, Sarah Palin, George Bush, Rush Limbaugh and all those who would have us fear rather than love, despair rather than hope, divide rather than unite, be asleep rather than awake. We have witnessed the worst of sleaze and deception, beginning with erratic political gambles of John McCain combined with stunning incompetence and hypocrisy of Sarah Palin (this is just in, by the way, as if everything we already know about this woman were not enough: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081025/ap_on_el_pr/palin_pipeline), and ending with the slanderous ranting of Rush Limbaugh directed even against one of our greatest modern heroes, General Colin Powell. None of this is new, however. The more profound and promising is the Light of Change and Hope, the greater is the resistance that the Forces of Darkness are prepared to mount, as all our human history so clearly and decisively demonstrates.On November 4-th, however, the Forces of Darkness will be defeated. I believe that nothing in this world will prevent the final awakening of our consciousness, the awakening that is best accomplished by the trials and tribulations that the Forces of Darkness have imposed upon it, be it the war in Iraq, racial hatred, common ignorance, abuse of authority or economic collapse. We are witnessing nothing less than the self-destruction of evil, even if it takes the calamity of financial meltdown to open our collective eyes, to jolt us into the acute awareness that division and intolerance are not the ways to go in order to step into our common destiny. We are witnessing the power of the Almighty Spirit that has INSPIRED millions to the common cause of breaking down the very foundation of ignorance and hate. We are now finding ourselves at that pivotal moment of the evolution of consciousness, that dimensionless point of existence out of which the new era will arise as it has done throughout the human history again and again, that renewal that shines like a bright Light, washing away the stagnation and misery of the past.I firmly believe that our candidate, Senator Barack Obama is that vehicle, that conduit, that instrument that the Spirit has chosen to move us forward and out of darkness of the past eight years, the years that historians are sure to designate one of America's darkest moments, the years that have even made it impossible for the sitting President to campaign for the candidate of his own Party. The people like Barack Obama have appeared periodically on the stage of human history in order to fulfill their destiny of restoring that balance upon which our whole Universe depends for its very existence. However, it is incumbent upon us to materialize this destiny, this inspiration, this renewal, this transformational force that General Powell and many others are seeing in the person of Barack Obama. We must not forget even for a moment that Light cannot come unless we pull open the shade and let it in. And the best way to "let the light in" right now is to vote, and to vote early if it is possible in your State. Anything can happen on the Election Day as we all live in an uncertain, unpredictable world, and we should not take any chances with something as important as this if we don't have to. Not only do we have to vote, but we also must take a stand in these times of moral crisis. The moral crisis of the war in Iraq, of the extreme polarization of wealth, of the divisive policies of Bush and McCain. This is what Dante said in this respect: The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis.
I have been privileged to publish my articles in the Indianapolis Star on line in addition to my own website, www.spiritualcounseling.com under the "weblog." I am delighted to observe that you have done well, Indiana. You are now only two points away from making history and breaking with the past by voting for Barack Obama, for the Spirit and for the future. I know that you will come through, Indiana, together with countless others trying to pull open that shade and let the Light in. We all believe in much better future than what we've had over the past eight years. All we have to do now is manifest this belief, just as Jesus of Nazareth said a long time ago: "IT WILL BE DONE UNTO YOU AS YOU BELIEVE."
By Steve CharingDuring every presidential election cycle we’re told that the current one is the most important election in our lifetime. And the fact is, it’s usually true—especially the past few elections. But without the hyperbole, I really believe that November 4 will be not only pivotal for our country, but also to the LGBT community.
The Obama-McCain contest is surely critical. For our nation, an Obama victory will mark a dramatic shift from the atrocious economic, social, environmental, and foreign policies of the past eight years. And with an overwhelming majority in both houses of Congress, Obama’s progressive and common sense agenda will find an easier path to success.
The contrast between Obama and McCain on issues that are important to the lgbt community couldn’t be more stark. While Barack Obama does not favor same-sex marriage, it must be noted that no other major candidate for president ever has to this point. But both Obama and his vice-presidential running mate, Joe Biden, oppose California’s Proposition 8 (more on that later).Obama does openly support some form of civil union or domestic partnership arrangement whereby hospital visitation and economic benefits could be extended to same-sex couples. For his part, John McCain flatly opposes domestic partnerships, same-sex marriage and adoption by same-sex couples.
Both candidates do not favor a Federal Marriage Amendment though McCain’s stance is rooted in the proper use of the Constitution rather than any inclination towards fairness. Nonetheless, VP candidate Sarah Palin supports a constitutional amendment that would enshrine discrimination into the law of the land.
The two disagree on ENDA, the Federal Employment Discrimination Act, which has been languishing in Congress for decades that would prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace. Obama supports it; McCain does not. The same scenario would apply to hate crimes legislation: Obama favors it; McCain opposes it.
The military’s "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" policy is also an area where both candidates dissent. Obama favors repealing the vile law based on fairness and the fact it does not work. McCain would rely on the commanders on the ground for advice on that matter, and you know where it would go at that point—nowhere.
John McCain likes to call himself a "maverick" for the frequent times he crossed up his own party to sign onto bipartisan legislation. The current version of John McCain, however, is so firmly tied to the far right wing of the GOP that if he is elected, any chances for lgbt progress will evaporate. And Sarah Palin is even more socially conservative.
Besides the presidential race we must look carefully at what’s going on in California. Following that state’s Supreme Court’s ruling that paved the way for same-sex marriage, anti-gay opponents succeeded in placing the definition of marriage on the ballot in November that would define marriage as between one man and one woman. That referendum is called Proposition 8.
Even though this battle is taking place on the other side of the country, it should very much matter to us. "Maryland is still one of a handful of states that can achieve marriage equality in the United States in the near future," says Equality Maryland’s Executive Director Dan Furmansky. "But the outcome of the vote on Prop. 8 in California will directly impact our timeline here. If legislators see that the tide has truly turned on this issue, they will be more willing to put themselves on the line for what we all know is truly equality for same-sex couples."
Indeed this is crucial. Being outraised by nearly two to one, equality activists who oppose Prop. 8 are seeing their support in the polls slip as the proponents have used TV ads to scare the voters. And that should matter to us. Furmansky points out, "An electoral loss in California would no doubt negatively impact our efforts to achieve marriage equality in Maryland, to what extent, we can't fully be sure. But it would make us more reliant on legislative wins in states like New York and New Jersey to convince legislators that the time has come for our state as well."
A loss would also embolden opponents of same-sex marriage in Maryland to push harder to have the matter put to a popular vote. That’s a slippery slope with uncertain consequences. If voters in a state like California can roll back the clock, that is not a good sign for Maryland.
To help level the playing field, money, as always, is the best way to defeat Prop. 8. Please visit here to learn how you can help and now!
With a favorable election outcome, both nationally and in California, LGBT Marylanders may finally see the light at the end of a tunnel. If not, the tunnel gets longer and darker.
THE AMERICAN HERO, A FOUR-STAR GENERAL, A FORMER REPUBLICAN SECRETARY OF STATE and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff COLIN POWELL
ENDORSES OBAMA ON NBC "MEET THE PRESS"
as a "transformational figure"
Am I delighted? YES! Surprised? NO! As I wrote long time ago, the Spirit is for Obama but no, not only that!
THE SPIRIT IS (manifesting as) OBAMA!
BRADLEY EFFECT? Nah. At this point in time during a national election it makes absolutely no sense for a McCain supporter to lie to pollsters and say that he/she is voting for Obama lest the interviewee will be viewed as a racist. All that does is inflate Obama's poll numbers and deflates team McCain's morale. There are many legitimate reasons to oppose Obama on experience and issues, and any opposition to him would be explained in those terms.Without question race will be an issue, but I believe that has already been embedded in existing poll results; folks don't need to shy away from their actual voting intentions.
The Bradley Effect MAY have been a factor in the NH primary when Obama was matched up against Hillary Clinton--a member of the same party--where he was leading the day before in the polls only to lose. But it should not rear its polls-twisting head on November 4 like it did in California back in 1982, and even if there actually were such an effect is under dispute.
LEVI STRESS. Out of the shadows of the McCain cocoon emerged Levi Johnston, the father-to-be of Sarah Palin's abstinence-averse daughter Bristol's child. He disclosed in an interview that he dropped out of high school to work in Alaska's oil fields presumably to help support the child if and when he gets hitched to Bristol.
What a shame! Here are the Palins--a million dollars in assets (oh how taxpayer-funded per diem when not traveling can add up!)--who couldn't give a little financial aid to at least allow the hockey stud dude to graduate from high school?A million bucks they have.
Doesn't sound like "Joe 6-pack" types to me. Palin's daughter may marry a high school dropout who didn't practice safe sex. A fine example they're setting for America's youth. Imagine if they were black how the stereotyping and insults would have been hurled at them.
GOTTA LOVE THE HATERS. As Palin and not as much recently, McCain, incited the crowds with fiery, hateful (and totally untrue) rhetoric about Obama's alleged "palling around" with terrorists. you can feel the vitriol just oozing from the yahoos present in the mob. Might as well get out the pitchforks and torches and chase Obama to a windmill. "Kill him." "Terrorist." "Off with his head." These are the so-called patriots who do not believe in a two-party system and would kill a fellow American because they disagree with them.
Included among them is that idiot woman in Minnesota who told McCain that she read Obama was Arab. I wonder who may have given her that impression.Many--not all--are bigots and haters. But the ones who are and are exorcised at Palin speeches hate Democrats, liberals, government, blacks, gays, Jews, immigrants, feminists, pro-choice folks, the media, etc. etc. etc. Tone it down extremists. Iran would welcome you
You Betcha! The McAttack will NOT Work!
Less than a month to go to the election and John McCain is throwing caution to the wind and is beginning an all-out assault on the "character" of Barack Obama. Wanting to "turn the page" on the economy--even as the stock market is in full-throttle tank mode--McCain seems to be out of viable options.
Sarah Palin, having survived the debate and rising to the level of student council president with her winks and doggone-its, committed a huge political blunder by charging that Obama is "palling around with terrorists."Rule No. 1 in politics: don't shoot arrows at your opponent without knowing how much he has in his own quiver.The slimy, nefarious attempt to link Obama to William Ayres, a 60's era radical, woke up the sleeping beast in the Obama campaign. For months, the faithful like myself has been waiting for Obama to go at least somewhat negative to soften John McCain.
Palin's comments, as well as those leaked from the McCain campaign that they will go on an aggressive attack, resurrected the Keating 5 scandal that tarnished John McCain out of the Obama quiver.Worse for McCain is that the scandal reinforces his dubious associations with those in the financial community which becomes a perfect overlay to the current Wall Street crisis.
Moreover, Obama is sharpening his attacks on McCain in other areas, such as dubbing McCain's health plan as "radical" and characterizing McCain's response to the financial meltdown as "erratic."
Obama wisely and pre-emptively criticized McCain's tactics and warned the electorate that McCain has no solutions to the economic crisis, wants to turn the page, and instead seeks to launch into Swift Boat style messaging. So when McCain fires off these so-called character missles at Obama, he will be playing right into Obama's hands. And at the same time, Obama will be demonstrating that the best defense is a strong offense.
McCain, Palin--betcha by golly wow--your strategy will not work.www.stevecharing.blogspot.com
