Pope Attacks Gay Marrage

(Vatican City) Tens of thousands gathered in Madrid and Vatican City for Catholic rallies promoting traditional families on Sunday.
Pope Benedict XVI addressed the crowd in St Peter's Square in his last Angelus prayer of 2007 which was broadcast on a giant TV screen for throngs who had come to Madrid's Plaza de Colon to hear him.
Many of the faithful at the Madrid rally were bussed to the capital from cities throughout Spain. Police declined to give a crowd estimate but there were so many people they spilled out into streets feeding into the square.
The pope spoke from the window of his apartment overlooking St Peter's Square which was packed.
Benedict spoke in both Italian and Spanish admonishing the faithful to protect traditional marriage. Spain legalized same-sex marriage in 2005, Italy has been mulling civil partnership legislation.
In Spanish the Pope said that the family is "based on the unbreakable union of man and woman and represents the privileged environment where human life is welcomed and protected from the beginning to its natural end."
The remarks were greeted with a massive cheer in Madrid.
"It is worthwhile to work for the family and marriage because it is worthwhile to work for the human being, the most precious being created by God," he said.
While the crowd in Madrid was massive it was considerably smaller than in 2005 shortly before the Spanish government enacted same-sex marriage legislation making the country the third in the European Union to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry.
At that demonstration police estimated the crowd at 150,000, although the Church said there were about two-million people.
Italian Prime Minister Romano Prime Minister supports civil partnerships, but legislation has bogged down in Parliament where the right-of-center opposition has vowed to defeat it.

Gay Councilman Defeats Recall By Sore Looser

City councilman Santiago survived a recall by his loosing opponent. The looser claimed that Santiago did not tell the voters he was gay.
http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1198057098320050.xml&coll=2

Bush Vetoes Child Health Bill To Save Money For War

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/13/us/13bush.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin

Did God Strike Back At Homophobic Church?

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The gunman believed to have killed four people at a megachurch and a missionary training school had been thrown out of the school about three years ago and had been sending the place hate mail, police said in court papers Monday.
ADVERTISEMENTdocument.write('');
if(window.yzq_d==null)window.yzq_d=new Object();
window.yzq_d['FG4_xULEYpI-']='&U=13bdmi8hb%2fN%3dFG4_xULEYpI-%2fC%3d620707.11781282.12245006.1414694%2fD%3dLREC%2fB%3d4944082';
The gunman was identified as Matthew Murray, 24, who was home-schooled by his family and raised in what a friend said was a deeply religious Christian household. Murray's father is a neurologist and a leading multiple-sclerosis researcher.
Five people — including Murray — were killed, and five others wounded Sunday in the two eruptions of violence 12 hours and 65 miles apart.
The first attack took place at Youth With a Mission, a training center for missionaries in the Denver suburb of Arvada; the other occurred at the New Life Church in Colorado Springs, where Murray was shot to death by a security guard. The missionary training center maintains an office at the 10,000-member church.
"Through both investigations it has been determined that most likely the suspect in both shootings are one in the same," police said in court papers, confirming what investigators suspected early on.
Colorado Springs police said the "common denominator in both locations" was Youth With a Mission.
"It appears that the

Huckabee Wanted Aids Patients Isolated

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071208/ap_on_el_pr/huckabee_aids

Man Shot Outside Man's World in Cleveland

Cleveland, OH - Cleveland police investigating yet another homicide in the city.
It happened on Detroit Avenue around 3AM Friday morning.
Police tell 19 Action News Joseph Melaragno was shot near a bar.
EMS rushed the 44-year-old to Metro - where he later died.
No suspects so far.

stealing the last lands from American Indians

American oil companies are preparing to steal land from American Indians. Will this story ever end?

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/04/business/04alaskaoil.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin

Murdock Uses Papers To Label Politicians Gay

First Rupert Murdock bought up most of the media outlets around the world. For some reason the Republican administration allowed him to do this despite obvious comflicts in many cities. Now he is spreading rumors about people he dislikes. http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/index.php?news=people&issueID=445&itemID=8556

Stop Don't Ask Don't Tell

28 retired Generals and Admirals released a statement calling for the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell."

WORLD AIDS DAY!

TODAY IS WORLD AIDS DAY!

World AIDS Day was originally organised by UNAIDS, who chose the theme after consultation with other organisations. In 2005 UNAIDS handed over responsibility for World AIDS Day to an independent organisation known as The World AIDS Campaign (WAC).

The WAC’s slogan for their work is "Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise". This is an appeal to governments, policy makers and regional health authorities to ensure that they meet the many targets that have been set in the fight against HIV and AIDS, and especially the promise of universal access to HIV treatment, care, support and prevention services by 2010. This campaign will run until 2010, with a related theme chosen for World AIDS Day each year.

The 2007 theme, “leadership”, highlights the need for innovation, vision and perseverance in the face of the AIDS challenge. The campaign calls on all sectors of society such as families, communities and civil society organisations - rather than just governments - to take the initiative and provide leadership on AIDS.



THE RED RIBBON

The red ribbon is an international symbol of AIDS awareness that is worn by people all year round and particularly around World AIDS Day to demonstrate care and concern about HIV and AIDS, and to remind others of the need for their support and commitment.

The red ribbon started as a "grass roots" effort; as a result there is no one official AIDS ribbon manufacturer, and many people make their own. It's easily done - just use some ordinary red ribbon and a safety pin!



WHAT CAN I DO TO SUPPORT WORLD AIDS DAY?

There are many ways in which you can support World AIDS Day. For example:

Raise awareness of HIV and AIDS in your area
Wear a red ribbon and ask others to do the same
Sign up as a supporter of the Stop AIDS in Children campaign
Protect yourself and your partners - this is the first and best way to stop the spread of HIV
If you are worried - get tested

At school or work, you can support World AIDS Day by:

Having a dressing up, down or fancy dress day
Putting up some posters - get people talking
Making and selling red ribbons
Organising a creative writing/poster campaign
Setting up a debate or a quiz - there are lots of ideas for topics on our site
Cooking an international meal or having a cake sale
Arranging a sponsored three-legged race or balloon release
Getting your friends, family, colleagues or pupils to express their feelings and expand their knowledge about AIDS
Using your imagination!

Loosing News Competition

News stations are being taken over by their competition. The Republicans have started allowing a few rich owners to take over all the news outlets we get.

The biggest names were anchors Gina Marinelli and Vince Bevacqua. They will remain behind their desks through next week, and then anchor duties for WYTV newscasts will fall to Angee Shaker, who is being retained, and perhaps others.
Other workers who were told they won't be needed past Dec. 9 include photographers, technicians and other behind-the-scenes workers. Two WYTV reporters said they were being retained, but it wasn't clear if all reporters would be needed.
David Coy, general manager of WKBN, said the two stations' newscasts would have separate identities. They would have different anchors, and news reports would not be shared — at least not initially.
He and David Trabert, general manager at WYTV, wouldn't say, however, how jobs are being cut or how many workers WKBN would need. Each station employs about 70.

Hunter Poll Finds GLBT Support Clinton

Hunter Poll Finds Clinton Has Support of 63% of LGB Likely Voters

In the first public, political survey ever conducted by a university-based team of scholars with a nationally representative sample of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGBs) Americans, results released today show that Senator Hillary Clinton has the support of 63 percent of LGB likely voters in the Democratic primaries, followed by Senator Barack Obama with 22 percent and John Edwards with 7 percent. The Hunter College Poll also finds that during the process of “coming out,” LGBs become more liberal and more engaged in the political process than the general population.

“We found a stunning transformation in political views in the LGB community of a magnitude that is virtually unparalleled among social groupings in the U.S. population,” said political science professor Kenneth Sherrill of Hunter College, one of the study’s investigators. The Hunter College Poll was conducted with 768 respondents by Knowledge Networks, Inc. from November 15th through November 26th, 2007.
Other findings include:
•
Nine in 10 LGB likely voters will vote in the Democratic primaries and 21 percent say that lesbian and gay rights will be the most important issue influencing their vote in 2008.


•
72 percent of LGB likely voters consider Senator Clinton a supporter of gay rights, with Senator Obama at 52 percent and former Senator Edwards at 41 percent. On the Republican side, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani was at 37 percent, followed by Senator John McCain at 13 percent.

Don't Ask Don't Tell Supported

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/30/us/30military.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin

Ultra-conservative Lott to Resign

The House will get rid of another sell-out to big business and homophobia. http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/11/26/lott.resign/index.html

Hate Crimes On The Rise

Though reporting is voluntary, reports around the US show a rise in hate crimes. http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/11/19/hate.crimes.ap/index.html

Gov. Strickland Supports Local Democratic Parties

Gov. stops in Valley
By Tribune Chronicle
WARREN — Gov. Ted Strickland made two stops in the Mahoning Valley Sunday, touting Ohio as once again the most important state in the election of a president in 2008.Strickland made appearances at fundraisers for the Mahoning County Democratic Women and the Trumbull County Democratic Party. He appeared earlier in the afternoon at the Maronite Center in Youngstown and then moved on to DiVieste’s in Warren.Strickland spoke to attendees at the fundraiser about the state of the economy and Ohio’s national influence. “I believe Ohio and Ohioans will determine who the next president will be, and so there’s going to be a lot of activity. Both parties will be hugely involved in Ohio,” Strickland told Tribune news partner WYTV 33 News. “There are 88 counties in Ohio, and he’s been in 70 of them already,” said Frances Carroll of Youngstown, representing her group, the Democratic Federated Women of Canfield. “I really think he’s going to be out and about and not stay in Columbus,” she said. After the 2 p.m. stop in Youngstown, Strickland appeared at a $100 to $500-a-plate dinner and cocktail hour sponsored by the Trumbull County Democratic Party at DiVieste’s on North River Road in Warren.

The Governors office also sidestepped the issue of domestic partner benefits by stating that his ruling that the State may not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation only included pay, not benefits.

Judge O'Neill Granted Veterans Award

http://www.ohiodems.org/index.php?page=blog&full=284 He is expected to run against Republican LaTourette for US House in a district including northern Trumbull County.

Barney Frank Endorses Hillary Clinton For President

Barney Frank, the only out gay man in the US House of Representatives, has said he is backing Senator Hillary Clinton in her bid for the White House.

Toledo Moves Forward

Toledo City Council yesterday approved an ordinance making Toledo the first large city in Ohio to offer gay and other unmarried but committed couples the opportunity to register their relationship with city hall. Under the ordinance, couples will be able to obtain recognition of their "domestic partnership" from the clerk of council.The purpose of the registry is to create an official list which employers can use to verify their employees' relationships when they offer benefits to unmarried partners, supporters said. The measure passed 10-2, with Councilmen Rob Ludeman and Joe Birmingham — both Republicans and both set to leave office when their terms end this year — casting the no votes.Mr. Ludeman gave a detailed explanation for his position, saying among other things he thought it would create a cost burden on city taxpayers because the city could wind up recording the domestic relationships of couples far beyond the city's borders. Such a record-keeping function, he said, should be a county one.. And he cited a "very personal reason based on my faith. This is one more attempt to tear down the institution of marriage between a man and a woman," Mr. Ludeman said.Mr. Birmingham did not explain his vote. Councilman Joe McNamara, who introduced the measure, said the ordinance does not create same-sex marriage, which is banned in Ohio under the 2004 "Defense of Marriage" constitutional amendment that defines marriage as a union strictly between a man and a woman.
Mr. McNamara said the ordinance would tell the business world that Toledo is a tolerant, diverse city. He added that the registry won't cost the city anything, but said it would put Toledo on the map as a progressive city. "I think I was elected, in large part, for trying new things and new ideas," said Mr. McNamara, who was elected to council in 2006.Before the vote, he said, "Toledo sometimes seems to be in a rut. This type of progressive legislation helps our reputation [and] our work force." Present in council chambers to show his support was Lucas County Commissioner Ben Konop, who said he would explore having the county enact a similar measure administratively, although it cannot pass ordinances."We want to make sure this a region that is progressive and protects civil rights," Mr. Konop said.The domestic partnership registry lessens the administrative burden on employers and other entities beginning to deal with providing rights to domestic partners that had been reserved for spouses, advocates have said. In addition to health benefits when approved by employers, a central registry would provide official recognition when domestic partners exercise rights to visit their partners in the hospital and pick up children at schools. The other Ohio city with a domestic partnership registry is Cleveland Heights, on which Toledo's ordinance was based.That city's registry was created after an initiative passed in November, 2003. Since then, 165 couples have registered, some from as far away as California and who applied through the mail. In Toledo, applicants would pay a $25 fee and receive a certificate and a card to carry.Both members of the partnership would sign an affidavit stating that they are in an intimate relationship, share the same residence, are at least 18, are not married to anyone else, and are not blood relatives. The partnership could be dissolved with a notice of termination filed by either party. Neither party could form a new partnership until their previous partnership has been officially terminated or the previous partner dies. Michelle Stecker, a lawyer who helped write the ordinance, said she and her partner, Carol Bresnahan, vice provost of the University of Toledo, secured partner benefits, but then struggled over how to prove their relationship, even though they own a house together and share their financial assets. They ended up using their health club membership as evidence of their relationship.Yesterday was their seventh anniversary as a committed couple, and they hope to be the first to register as domestic partners in Toledo, Ms. Stecker said. "We need to have something that's uniform where all these different public and private entities can say, 'Yes, they are a couple,' to have access to emergency rooms and other domestic partner benefits," Ms. Stecker said. She said she has worked on the legislation for more than a year.Ms. Bresnahan said, "I think it's exactly the right thing to do. It's very consistent with what the city wants to do, which is attracting talented people to come to Toledo and to stay here if they already live here." The ordinance received fast-paced consideration from a council that often subjects controversial measures to months of discussion.The proposed ordinance was introduced in council's agenda review meeting just a week before yesterday's vote. In a hearing on Friday, city Law Director John Madigan told council's law and criminal justice committee that the registry would not violate the "Defense of Marriage" amendment.Mr. McNamara noted that the city's Department of Human Resources maintains a domestic partnership registry for city police officers and firefighters who have negotiated benefits in their collective bargaining agreements to take sick leave or funeral leave for domestic partners as they do for immediate family. Contact Tom Troy at:tomtroy@theblade.comor 419-724-6058.

Republicans Sell Out Ohioans To Utility Companies

COLUMBUS (AP) — Subtle changes buried in an energy bill plotting the future of Ohioans' electricity rates guarantee that today's prices will never fall and make it nearly impossible for producers of green power to gain a foothold in the state, a newspaper reported Monday.
The amendments were added by the Ohio Senate to Gov. Ted Strickland's proposed energy bill, which the Ohio House has scheduled to debate at the leisurely pace of one hearing per week into the new year.
Strickland, a Democrat, is still pushing for aspects of his proposal in the House. He had asked the Republican-led Legislature to pass the bill by Dec. 31, which now appears unlikely.
Before passing the bill, the Senate added dozens of amendments to the administration's version of the bill, most technical sounding but some with significant consequences, The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer reported Monday.
Among their actions, the Senate set February 2008 rates as the starting point for future increases, as opposed to Strickland's proposal that rates be determined by actual costs of generation, plus power plant costs and a rate of return.
They also weakened a provision that would require utilities to generate 25 percent of their power with renewable sources, such as wind, solar or biofuels, by 2025, and said it would not be required if it resulted in rate increases of more than 3 percent.
The city of Cleveland, environmental groups and the Ohio Consumers' Counsel argue that the changes to the bill's renewable energy section mean no wind turbines would be built here, no wind turbine manufacturers would come to Ohio, and no jobs would be created.
Strickland's administration has argued that turning to alternative fuels is essential to ensuring that Ohioans have a steady power supply and attracting new jobs to the state.

How Many Republicans Are Hypocrites?

A senior Florida Republican has been found guilty of soliciting oral sex from an undercover police officer.Bob Allen, a former co-chairman of the campaign to select Senator John McCain as the Republican US Presidential candidate, was spotted by police in Titusville, Florida on July 11th acting suspiciously at the men's toilets in a park. Officers decided to send a policeman undercover to investigate, and within minutes Mr Allen allegedly agreed to pay him $20 (£10) to allow him to perform oral sex.He will be sentenced later this week and faces up to 60 days in jail and a fine. Republican party representatives said he will be removed from office. Mr Allen said he will ask for a re-trial. He resigned from the McCain campaign when he was arrested but maintained he is innocent and will not resign from the state legislature. Mr Allen told police that he was not loitering in the public toilet looking for sex.The undercover police officer gave evidence that Mr Allen twice peered over the top of a toilet cubicle he was occupying, then entered the cubicle. They discussed payment for oral sex, but Mr Allen was concerned the park toilet was too public.As Mr Allen then indicated to the police officer to follow him outside to his car, he was arrested. Representative Allen had sponsored a failed bill in the Florida statehouse earlier this year, the Lewdness and Indecent Exposure Bill, designed to increase the penalties for committing "unnatural and lascivious acts or exposure or exhibition of sexual organs committed within specified distance of certain locations." Since his election in 2000, he has been one of the most homophobic politicians in the Florida state senate.He received the title of "Wicked Witch," which is reserved for "The Worst of the Worst," from Florida's Rainbow Democratic Gay & Lesbian organisation.

Cincinnatti Trys To Stop Gay Bashers

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OH_PROTEST_BURNING_OHOL-?SITE=OHRAV&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Kentucky Homophobic Governor Looses

Kentucky Republicans Bank On Homophobia To Win

Down to the last two days before voting booths open, Republican Gov. Ernie Fletcher urged supporters to disregard polls that show him behind, while his running mate referred to the Democratic candidates as “San Francisco treats.”
Several Republicans — including the entertainer, Pat Boone — criticized Democratic gubernatorial candidate Steve Beshear and his running mate Daniel Mongiardo this weekend for being endorsed of the Committee for Fairness and Individual Rights, a group that advocates equal treatment of gays and lesbians.
Boone, the singer and descendent of Daniel Boone, recorded a phone message for the Kentucky Republican Party that asked voters whether they “want a governor who’d like Kentucky to be another San Francisco.” Those calls went out to tens of thousands of homes Friday. Click here to listen to Boone's message.
Then, last night, Fletcher’s lieutenant governor candidate Robbie Rudolph echoed that to a crowd of more than 200 GOP faithful in Lexington. “Do you want a couple of San Francisco treats or do you want a governor?” he asked.
Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville, called it Rudolph’s “Rice-a-Roni speech” — referring to its famous jingle.
Beshear’s campaign dismissed it as a last minute ploy “to divert voter attention from the issues of honesty and integrity in state government.”

Take Action Against Pittsburgh Bigot Church

Pittsburgh joined dioceses in San Joaquin, Calif., and Quincy, Ill., in granting preliminary approval to separating from the national church. The dioceses contend the national church has wrongly abandoned scriptural authority.
Jefferts Schori said she had written a letter warning Pittsburgh Bishop Robert Duncan she would discipline him if he continued to support measures that would lead to Pittsburgh's departure from the church.

Perhaps it is time the gay community take action of some sort against the Pittsburgh dioceses. Pickets. Letters. Something

Church ordered to pay $10.9 million for funeral protest

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/10/31/funeral.protest/index.html
A federal jury in Baltimore, Maryland, Wednesday awarded $10.9 million to a father of a Marine whose funeral was picketed by members of a fundamentalist church carrying signs blaming soldiers' deaths on America's tolerance of homosexuals.

You Have Nothing To Fear But Fear Itself

Fearing Fear Itself By Paul Krugman The New York Times
Monday 29 October 2007
In America's darkest hour, Franklin Delano Roosevelt urged the nation not to succumb to "nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror." But that was then.
Today, many of the men who hope to be the next president - including all of the candidates with a significant chance of receiving the Republican nomination - have made unreasoning, unjustified terror the centerpiece of their campaigns.
Consider, for a moment, the implications of the fact that Rudy Giuliani is taking foreign policy advice from Norman Podhoretz, who wants us to start bombing Iran "as soon as it is logistically possible."
Mr. Podhoretz, the editor of Commentary and a founding neoconservative, tells us that Iran is the "main center of the Islamofascist ideology against which we have been fighting since 9/11." The Islamofascists, he tells us, are well on their way toward creating a world "shaped by their will and tailored to their wishes." Indeed, "Already, some observers are warning that by the end of the 21st century the whole of Europe will be transformed into a place to which they give the name Eurabia."
Do I have to point out that none of this makes a bit of sense?
For one thing, there isn't actually any such thing as Islamofascism - it's not an ideology; it's a figment of the neocon imagination. The term came into vogue only because it was a way for Iraq hawks to gloss over the awkward transition from pursuing Osama bin Laden, who attacked America, to Saddam Hussein, who didn't. And Iran had nothing whatsoever to do with 9/11 - in fact, the Iranian regime was quite helpful to the United States when it went after Al Qaeda and its Taliban allies in Afghanistan.
Beyond that, the claim that Iran is on the path to global domination is beyond ludicrous. Yes, the Iranian regime is a nasty piece of work in many ways, and it would be a bad thing if that regime acquired nuclear weapons. But let's have some perspective, please: we're talking about a country with roughly the G.D.P. of Connecticut, and a government whose military budget is roughly the same as Sweden's.
Meanwhile, the idea that bombing will bring the Iranian regime to its knees - and bombing is the only option, since we've run out of troops - is pure wishful thinking. Last year Israel tried to cripple Hezbollah with an air campaign, and ended up strengthening it instead. There's every reason to believe that an attack on Iran would produce the same result, with the added effects of endangering U.S. forces in Iraq and driving oil prices well into triple digits.
Mr. Podhoretz, in short, is engaging in what my relatives call crazy talk. Yet he is being treated with respect by the front-runner for the G.O.P. nomination. And Mr. Podhoretz's rants are, if anything, saner than some of what we've been hearing from some of Mr. Giuliani's rivals.
Thus, in a recent campaign ad Mitt Romney asserted that America is in a struggle with people who aim "to unite the world under a single jihadist Caliphate. To do that they must collapse freedom-loving nations. Like us." He doesn't say exactly who these jihadists are, but presumably he's referring to Al Qaeda - an organization that has certainly demonstrated its willingness and ability to kill innocent people, but has no chance of collapsing the United States, let alone taking over the world.
And Mike Huckabee, whom reporters like to portray as a nice, reasonable guy, says that if Hillary Clinton is elected, "I'm not sure we'll have the courage and the will and the resolve to fight the greatest threat this country's ever faced in Islamofascism. " Yep, a bunch of lightly armed terrorists and a fourth-rate military power - which aren't even allies - pose a greater danger than Hitler's panzers or the Soviet nuclear arsenal ever did.
All of this would be funny if it weren't so serious.
In the wake of 9/11, the Bush administration adopted fear-mongering as a political strategy. Instead of treating the attack as what it was - an atrocity committed by a fundamentally weak, though ruthless adversary - the administration portrayed America as a nation under threat from every direction.
Most Americans have now regained their balance. But the Republican base, which lapped up the administration' s rhetoric about the axis of evil and the war on terror, remains infected by the fear the Bushies stirred up - perhaps because fear of terrorists maps so easily into the base's older fears, including fear of dark-skinned people in general.
And the base is looking for a candidate who shares this fear.
Just to be clear, Al Qaeda is a real threat, and so is the Iranian nuclear program. But neither of these threats frightens me as much as fear itself - the unreasoning fear that has taken over one of America's two great political parties.

The Most Hated Family In America

The Phelps Family http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O228AQRvcqQ

Republicans taking their money and retiring from Congress

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/30/washington/30cong.html?th&emc=th

Obama Campaigning With Gay Basher

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/earl-ofari-hutchinson/obama-should-repudiate-an_b_69244.html

A Deep Recession Has Begun

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071019/ap_on_bi_ge/stretching_paychecks;_ylt=Avmw3Ci2N_i3..r3HRC4Ooys0NUE

Democrats Should Keep Control Of US House

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/10/16/schneider.house/index.html

New Study Into Gay Gene

http://www.cleveland.com/newsflash/national/index.ssf?/base/national-8/119247541213300.xml&storylist=national

Gore Beats Bush Again

ANALYSIS-Nobel is sweet revenge for Gore, blow to Bush


By Matt SpetalnickWASHINGTON, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Call it Al Gore's revenge.The Nobel Peace Prize he won on Friday was a blow to U.S. President George W. Bush and his widely criticized environmental policy and will long be savored by the man who lost the bitter 2000 presidential election by a whisker. The honor was bestowed jointly on the former vice president and the U.N. climate panel for campaigning against the threat of global warming, in a not-so-subtle swipe at Bush, a latecomer to the battle against climate change. It may also be interpreted as a part of an international backlash not only against seven years of what many see as environmental backsliding under Bush but also against his Iraq war policy and perceived arrogance in world affairs. "The Nobel Committee's recognition of Vice President Gore shines a bright light on the most inconvenient truth of all -- the selection of George Bush as president has endangered the peace and prosperity of the entire planet," said fellow Democrat John Edwards, a 2008 White House contender. It was a double slap to the Republican president, marking the second prize to a leading Democratic critic during Bush's administration.The 2002 prize went to former President Jimmy Carter, which the Nobel committee head at the time said was a signal of disapproval over Bush's preparations for the invasion of Iraq. For Gore -- who won the popular vote for president nationwide but lost a crucial Florida vote recount battle and thus the election to Bush -- the Nobel Peace Prize brought a measure of vindication.After the 2000 election, he remade himself as a tireless environmental campaigner, winning an Oscar in 2007 for his documentary film "An Inconvenient Truth." Gore is now being treated like a rock star by Democratic supporters who want him to jump into the 2008 presidential race to claim the office they believe he was unfairly denied.BUSH'S WOESWhile Gore has grown in international stature since his narrow election loss, Bush has seen his credibility damaged at home and abroad by the Iraq war and other foreign policy woes. He is struggling to stave off lame-duck status and stay relevant while increasingly hemmed in by a hostile Democratic majority in Congress. His inner circle is steadily eroding with almost weekly departures of key aides and advisers. And the president's public approval rating, which soared to 90 percent after the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001, has sunk close to historic lows, with some polls putting it below 30 percent.Around the world, Bush has won few friends with his stance on Gore's signature issue -- climate change. At a White House-convened summit last month, some of the world's biggest greenhouse polluters called Bush "isolated" and questioned his leadership on the problem of global warming.Bush has rejected the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, a treaty that sets limits on industrial nations' greenhouse gas emissions, and instead favors voluntary targets to curb emissions. His acknowledgment of a problem highlighted a shift from his previous questioning of the science linking human activity to rising global temperatures.But despite his concessions on global warming, Bush has continued to face deep scepticism over his efforts to rally support for emissions goals instead of fixed limits. The White House on Friday praised Gore and the U.N. climate panel for winning what many consider the world's most prestigious honor, and Nobel Committee chairman Ole Danbolt Mjoes insisted the award "is never criticism of anyone." But Gore has been a frequent critic of Bush's environmental policy, urging him last month to follow the example set by the late Republican President Ronald Reagan in supporting efforts to protect the ozone layer by showing leadership in the fight against global warming. Increasing international recognition of the threat of climate change helped make Gore the betting choice to win the Nobel Peace Prize.Bush had been considered by betting services to be the definitive longshot -- at more than 100 to 1.

Republican Ohio EPA Sold Ohio Down The Tubes

While other States were successfully suing the electric utility for pollution, Ohio ignored it and did not get in on the billion dollar settlement. http://www.ohio.com/news/top_stories/10495307.html

Leathermen fight don't ask don't tell

http://tristateleather.wvasqueernews.com/leatherbear.html

Prejudice even in retirement homes

Retirement prejudice for gays. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/09/us/09aged.html?_r=1&th=&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&emc=th&adxnnlx=1191931267-QJYxre8ijxaqHldN8jhU5A

O'Neil Working Hard To Defeat Republican LaTourette

http://www.ohiodems.org/index.php?page=blog&full=258

Another Republican Senator Bows Out

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/10/03/senate.newmexico/index.html

Rich Republicans Try To Steal Election Again

Rich Republicans are again trying to buy a Presidential election. Their strategy is to get Democratic states to divide electoral votes based on how many votes the candidate wins. Then they will keep the Republican states as all or nothing states. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/04/us/politics/04proxy.html?th&emc=th

Working Class America Continues To Drop In Income

http://www.ohio.com/news/top_stories/10135106.html

Freedom's Watch Is US Wealthy Nazi Like Propoganda Group

With the encouragement of Dick Chaney, a group of millionaires decided to use TV to spread it's warmongering propoganda. Their ads promote the Iraq war and will soon promote war with Iran. Are these the same people that pushed us into war with Iraq?

Among the group’s founders are Sheldon G. Adelson, the chairman and chief executive of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, who ranks sixth on the Forbes Magazine list of the world’s billionaires; Mel Sembler, a shopping center magnate based in St. Petersburg, Fla., who served as the ambassador to Italy and Australia; John M. Templeton Jr., the conservative philanthropist from Bryn Mawr, Pa.; and Anthony H. Gioia, a former ambassador to Malta who heads an investment group based in Buffalo, N.Y. All four men are long-time prolific donors who have raised money on behalf of Republican and conservative causes.
For years, the group’s founders lamented MoveOn’s growing influence, derived in large part from its grass-roots efforts, especially on the debate about the Iraq war. “A bunch of us activists kept watching MoveOn and its attacks on the war, and it just got to be obnoxious,” said Mr. Sembler, a friend of Vice President Dick Cheney. “We decided we needed to do something about this, because the conservative side was not responding.”

Is this a Joke?

Ahmadinejad Invites U.N. Inspectors to Search for Homosexuals
Permits Use of Advanced GaydarJust days after asserting that there are no homosexuals in Iran, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad today invited United Nations inspectors into his country to search for homosexuals. "We have nothing to hide," Mr. Ahmadinejad said in a speech to the United Nations General Assembly. "You can search the entire country – even the airport bathrooms."

Hate Crimes Bill Passes Senate !!!!

Great news!

By a vote of 60 to 39 in the US Senate today, Federal Hate Crimes legislation passed a vote for Cloture! With Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown Presiding over the Senate, a voice vote was held to include Federal Hate Crimes in the Defence Department Appropiations Bill. And this vote also PASSED. This bill is sure to pass!

Both Senator Sherrod Brown and George Voinovich voted YEA! Please contact their offices at the numbers in yesterdays blast and thank them for their votes!

A little love for Andrew Sullivan

Okay, so it may seem a bit odd to talk about congratulating a conservative on a democratic blog, but I believe this is well deserved. Andrew Sullivan is a libertarian conservative, political commentator, with his own online posts featured in the, "The Atlantic". The stranger than fiction background to Sullivan is that although he is a conservative, he is also openly gay, and is HIV+, born in the U.K., but an American political commentator. I don't tend to agree on most things that he says, but he is regularly a panelist on the Sunday morning's, "The Chris Mathews Show." Not many people like Chris Mathews either as far as our democrat brothren, but I enjoy his daily and weekly show, because of the mix of people he brings on with multiple points of view.


Anyway, my point of bringing all of this up, is that on today's program, Chris took a moment to not only congratulate Andrew Sullivan of his marriage over the summer, but showed the picture of the happy couple, Sullivan and his "husband", Aaron. That may seem like small potatoes, but a political talk show, complimenting and endorsing a conservative's gay marriage, on a network television show on 10am on a Sunday morning,is kinda significant to me. I congratulate Andrew and Aaron, and Chris Mathews for mentioning it on the air.

"Dear Mr. President"

I am hoping that some of you saw the original version of this song when musical artist, Pink, debuted it on her last album. She has updated it a bit for her live version, and I wanted to play it again. There is a gay reference there in the middle, and of course I think the rest is spot on as well.

Bush Oil Exploitation Of Iraq Moves Foreward

Newsweek, September 22nd, 2007
Over the years, the oilman raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to elect both George W. Bush and his father. The son rewarded Hunt with a seat on the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, a panel of outside elders who oversee whether the commander in chief is getting good advice from the intel community. More recently Hunt has been especially generous about helping to plan—and pay for—Bush's postpresidential ambitions. He lobbied the president to build the Bush 43 presidential library at SMU—which is where Laura Bush studied—and since then he's given $35 million to the school to buy some of the land where part of the library complex could sit. Hunt's generosity may help explain why the White House has been seemingly reluctant to question another of the oilman's projects—this one in Iraq. To the apparent surprise, and irritation, of officials in Washington and in Baghdad, Hunt Oil announced this month that, after secret negotiations, it had struck a deal with leaders in the country's Kurdish-controlled north to explore for oil in the Dahuk region near the Turkish border. News of the deal angered Iraqi Arab leaders, who saw it as a Kurdish power play for the country's oil resources, one that appeared to disrupt already fragile talks over a critical benchmark for peace: an agreement among the Sunni, Shiites and Kurds to share profits from the country's bountiful oil supply. The hope is that a national revenue-sharing law will help defuse tensions—and curtail violence—by getting the three groups to work toward a vital common goal. But the negotiations have stalled, largely because of a lack of trust. The Iraqi Oil minister denounced the Hunt agreement as illegal—though without a law in place it's hard to argue the Kurds have violated it. The Kurds refused to disclose the terms of the deal but insisted they will share the profits. In the United States, word of the agreement inflamed Bush detractors, who accused the president of helping a big-time contributor line his pockets at the expense of Iraqi peace.After the agreement was made public, Phillips says, government officials called to ask for details, but even then the company refused. Kurdish officials also say they kept the negotiations secret from the United States. White House officials may not have helped Hunt put together the deal, but that doesn't mean they're not doing their best to portray Hunt's project as a sign of progress. "It's positive that a firm would choose to invest in Iraq—whether an American firm or not," says spokesman Tony Fratto. He downplayed the notion that the Hunt deal could undermine already tense negotiations to reach a national oil-sharing agreement. "As for how it impacts reform of the oil law in Iraq, authorities there will have to work that out." The optimistic subtext to the White House line: the Hunt agreement will prompt the three groups to begin negotiating a national oil law in earnest to avoid future secret side deals. At least one top White House official was willing to express some skepticism. Asked by NEWSWEEK about the controversy at last Thursday's news conference, President Bush said, "I knew nothing about the deal. I need to know exactly how it happened. To the extent that it does undermine the ability for the government to come up with an oil revenue-sharing plan that unifies the country, obviously if it undermines it, I'm concerned." There is one way the president can find out exactly how the deal happened. He can call his old friend Ray Hunt and ask him.

Gay Sex In YSU Library

Two gay students found YSU library the only place to meet and have sex. http://www.vindy.com/content/local_regional/290017897853200.php

Companies That Are Fair To Gays

http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57683

Was Bushes Success With Sheiks Faked?

Why was "sheik" Abu Risha so important? As the New York Times put it this morning, "Abu Risha had become a charismatic symbol of the security gains in Sunni areas that have become a cornerstone of American plans to keep large numbers of troops in Iraq though much of next year." In other words, Abu Risha was the PR hook used to sell the "success" of the surge.The sheik wasn't a sheik. He was a fake. While proclaiming to Rick that he was "the leader of all the Iraqi tribes," Abu lead no one. But for a reported sum in the millions in cash for so-called, "reconstruction contracts," Abu Risha was willing to say he was Napoleon and Julius Caesar and do the hand-shakie thing with Bush on camera. Notably, Rowley and his camera caught up with Abu Risha on his way to a "business trip" to Dubai, money laundering capital of the Middle East.There are some real sheiks in Anbar, like Ali Hathem of the dominant Dulaimi tribe, who told Rick Abu Risha was a con man. Where was his tribe, this tribal leader? "The Americans like to create characters like Disney cartoon heros." Then Ali Hathem added, "Abu Risha is no longer welcome" in Anbar. "Not welcome" from a sheik in Anbar is roughly the same as a kiss on both cheeks from the capo di capi. Within days, when Abu Risha returned from Dubai to Dulaimi turf in Ramadi, Bush's hand-sheik was whacked. On Thursday, Bush said Abu Risha was killed, "fighting Al Qaeda" - and the White House issued a statement that the sheik was "killed by al Qaeda."Bullshit.

Bush Mercenaries Killing Iraqi Civilians

The mercenary group, Blackwater, hired by Bush and paid for by US taxpayers to provide security to US generals and embassy officials, was thrown out of Iraq by the Iraqi government for killing innocent civilians. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/IRAQ?SITE=OHRAV&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Greenspan attacks Republicans

Long time leader of the Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan, attacked the national Republicans for their abuse of power. http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/09/16/greenspan.book/index.html

Gay Hockey Movie Attached By Religious Terrorists

'Gay hockey movie' hopes to score despite vicious remarks
Last Updated: Thursday, September 13, 2007 8:12 PM ET
CBC News
Director Laurie Lynd says he's shocked by the hateful comments aimed at his "sweet film" about tolerance — Breakfast with Scot, or the "gay hockey movie" as it has been dubbed.
But if the movie can score at the box office as a result, Lynd says he doesn't mind.
In the movie playing this week at the Toronto International Film Festival, Canadian actor Tom Cavanagh plays a gay former Toronto Maple Leaf who works as broadcaster for a major sports network.
Because of homophobia in the field, he decides to keep his personal life a secret but that all changes when his partner's flamboyant nephew, Scot, comes to live with the couple.
"It's the one hurdle that's left to be cleared and yet they're not even close to clearing it," said Cavanagh, the Ottawa-born actor who played the title character on the TV series Ed.
The NHL and the Leafs both gave permission for their logos to be used in the movie — a first for a gay-themed movie, according to the director.
Continue Article

"It was an easy decision," said John Lashway, a member of the Leafs' management team. "We have fans from all kinds of lifestyles, so it just made sense for us."
Negative online posts have already taken aim at the movie, with a couple of right-wing U.S. groups contacting the Leafs. Lynd has also received hate mail.
"I read [the negative comments] while we were in production, and I had to put it down because it was so vicious about such a sweet film that is … about tolerance," says Lynd, adding he was surprised it was even an issue in 2007.
One of Canada's most vocal openly gay athletes, former Olympic swimmer Mark Tewksbury, says he's hopeful this film will open doors for athletes.
"What it could mean is that if it's OK in a fictional movie then maybe, if there is a gay person on a professional franchise like the Maple Leafs, it gives them permission to be themselves."
But for the Montreal-native Noah Bernett, who plays Scot in the movie, the issue is a no-brainer: "I think the moral of this story is that people shouldn't be scared of who they are."
More:
http://www.cbc. ca/world/ story/2007/ 09/13/hockey- movie-scot. html?ref= rss

Dem. Dann Goes To Bat For Citizens

Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann moved to close two totally failing charter schools. The Republicans have dumped millions into these two schools while the school have totally failed to meet nearly all the academic standards. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OH_CHARTER_SCHOOLS_LAWSUITS_OHOL-?SITE=OHRAV&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Dems Block Mexican Trucks

Democrats in the US Senate voted to block unregulated Mexican trucks from traveling in the US. Bush and the Republicans had supported allowing Mexican trucks to haul in the US.
http://www.vindy.com/content/national_world/11194196392731.php

Catholic Priests Pay big again

The San Diego catholic church has paid $200 million for child molestation cases. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/08/us/08church.html?th&emc=th

Romney becomes anti-gay

Presidential candidate Romney is running as anti-gay. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/08/us/politics/08romney.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin

Greedy Farmers Moving To Mexico For Cheap Labor

Rather than pay a living wage, big business farmers are moving their farms to Mexico now that the US is cracking down on illegal immigrants. It's time that Democrats in congress stop greedy businessmen from cheating american workers. Increase minimum wage, arrest illegal aliens, and ban imports of anything that can be made in the US. Eliminate our ghettos now. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/05/us/05export.html?th&emc=th

Kansas Governor Bans Gay Discrimination

Another democratic party leader comes through for gays. http://www.netscape.com/viewstory/2007/08/31/kansas-governor-issues-order-banning-discrimination-of-gays-for-state-employees/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.365gay.com%2FNewscon07%2F08%2F083107kansas.htm&frame=true

IOWA COURT RULES SAME-SEX COUPLES CAN MARRY

Almost 2 years since filing their lawsuit, 6 same-sex couples in Iowa are on their way to pick up their marriage licenses. In the 63-page ruling written by Judge Robert Hanson, he states: "Couples, such as plaintiffs, who are otherwise qualified to marry one another may not be denied licenses to marry or certificates of marriage or in any other way prevented from entering into a civil marriage pursuant to Iowa Code Chapter 595 by reason of the fact that both persons compromising such a couple are of the same sex."



Lambda says the six couples are all in long-term relationship - one couple has been together for six years, another couple has been together for 17 years. "Three of the couples are raising children, others are planning families, and all want the responsibilities of marriage and the protections only marriage can provide," according to the organization.



Of course lawyers for the state are asking for a stay of the decision and are more than likely going to be asking for an appeal very soon. If they lose the appeal or are turned down by the Supreme Court, we may soon see Gay Marriage in the Heartland. For a link to the story, Click Here

Republican Senator Plays In Airport Men's Room

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/08/27/craig.arrest/index.html

Ohio For-Profit Schools Cheated Election Laws

Last week, lawyers for Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner and a pro-charter school PAC named All Children Matter Ohio squared off before the Ohio Elections Commission.
Brunner alleges the Ohio PAC exceeded contribution limits and illegally received $870,000 from a sister PAC based in Virginia that never registered in Ohio.
The true source of the money was hidden because the Virginia PAC dumped the dollars into Ohio through five and six-figure checks.
The Ohio PAC spent the money on 29 Republican candidates for statewide office, the General Assembly and the State Board of Education.
There is an Akron angle. David Brennan, the charter school entrepreneur, gave money to the Virginia PAC.
The Ohio PAC either contributed directly to or paid for direct-mail pieces and radio advertising for Mary Taylor, who was elected state auditor, state Sen. Kevin Coughlin, R-Cuyahoga Falls, failed state House candidate Tom Cousineau and state school board member Deborah Owens Fink, who was unseated.
Let's clear the legal cobwebs here.
Brunner is arguing that so-called fat-cat contributors such as Brennan are maxing out on their contribution limits to candidates in Ohio. They then contribute to a PAC in Virginia. The out-of-state PAC launders the money back to Ohio in a way that cannot be traced directly to the fat cats.

Cincinnati bigots fail

Update in Cincinnati election fraud controversy
A Cincinnati judge has renewed his call for Ohio state Rep. Tom Brinkman to be charged with election falsification over an unsuccessful bid in 2006 to repeal Cincinnati's ordinance protecting LGBT people from discrimination, 365gay.com reported yesterday. In addition, two women who worked for Equal Rights Not Special Rights, headed up by Brinkman, pleaded guilty last month to election falsification. The women had been accused of knowingly placing fraudulent names on the petition. Equal Rights Not Special Rights asked the Cincinnati Board of Elections last August to remove its anti-LGBT referendum from the November 2006 ballot, an acknowledgment of fraud in its signature gathering and the likelihood of defeat at the polls. The Task Force, Inc., had invested heavily in the local campaign that was geared up to defeat the initiative.

kennedy

"....if by a liberal they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people- their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, their civil liberties.. if that is what they mean by a "liberal" then I am proud to be a liberal. " ~ John F. Kennedy

Voters Accept Gay Support

Right-wing Fox pundit Bill O'Reilly said on his show Aug. 13 that a majority of Americans would not vote for a presidential candidate backed by a gay rights group .
The media watchdog site MediaMatters. org debunked O'Reilly's statement Wednesday, having scoured the Web for the poll O'Reilly cited and finding one that said the opposite.
In the exchange between the host and correspondent Kirsten Powers, O'Reilly said a recent poll, possibly by the Pew Research Center, showed candidates would lose votes for being endorsed by a gay group. The context was last week's HRC/Logo Democratic presidential forum.
"OK, but say a gay -- the question posed, 'If a gay rights organization endorses you, would that make you more or less likely to vote?' (sic) And most Americans said less likely," O'Reilly said, according to MediaMatters.
Powers argued that most Americans are not knowledgeable about what groups are endorsing which candidates.
Media Matters was unable to find such a Pew poll, but instead found an Aug. 6-8 Quinnipiac poll that showed voters from Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio would be willing to vote for a candidate backed by a gay rights group.
Sixty percent of Florida voters said it would make no difference, as did 54 percent from Ohio and 59 percent from Pennsylvania.
Ten percent of voters from Florida and Ohio said they would be more likely to vote for a gay-friendly candidate; 11 percent said the same in Pennsylvania. Nearly a third of voters in each state said they would be less likely to vote for such a candidate. ( The Advocate)

Canadian Congressman To Marry Gay Lover

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/08/081607brison.htm

Lutherans Begin To Accept Gays

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/17/us/17lutheran.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin

Sen Voinovich Votes For Bush Dictator Powers, Sen Brown Votes No

60 Senators Being Called Traitors, Voted For Bush Spying

To see who the 60 members of the senate are that voted in favor of giving Bush more spy powers go to:http://www3.capwiz.com/y/issues/votes/?votenum=309&chamber=S&congress=1101&tally=1They voted against the constituton, therefore they are traitors.I would also like to remind the war mongers that it is NOT traitorous to disagree with the president or congress but it IS traitorous to vote for or support something that is contrary to what the U.S. Constitution says. The fourth amendment states:
Amendment IV: Warrants and searches.The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Trumbull Prosecutor To Have An Opponent

http://www.vindy.com/content/local_regional/289547066662018.php

NEA supports gays while Baptist bigots protest

The approved recommendations, which were delivered briefly in an Executive Committee report and did not require a vote of the assembly, call for the NEA to lobby for hate crimes legislation, boost the NEA website to "include all resources" devoted to homosexual causes, and push for sexual orientation training to be a requirement for earning a teaching credential. Andy Linebaugh, director of public relations for the NEA, told Baptist Press July 20 that he was unaware of the three recommendations on homosexuality adopted by the Executive Committee and offered no comments on the matter. Jeralee Smith, a California teacher and founder of the NEA Ex-Gay Educators Caucus, told Baptist Press the latest developments remind her of the way leaders pushed their agenda through a few years ago, despite opposition. "This is kind of the same thing that happened in 2001 when Dr. [James] Dobson called for a protest rally in front of the NEA convention in Los Angeles," Smith said. "When somebody tried to propose NEA policy on the Representative Assembly floor that would basically promote gay-lesbian curriculum, there were a whole bunch of states that were against it," Smith recounted. "... What happened then was they referred everything to committee, and the next year in the registration packet of the delegates was a 60-page sexual orientation document that was adopted by the Executive Committee. The Representative Assembly had nothing to say about it."

Tammy Faye Thanks Gays

A cancer ravaged Tammy Faye Messner (nee LaValley)bravely premiered on Larry King Live last evening andunabashedly proclaimed that the "gays rescued her"when she and husband Jim lost everything following his sex scandal in the late 80s.

John Edwards Supports Gays

SAN FRANCISCO — Elizabeth Edwards told a prominent gay rights group Saturday night that her husband, presidential candidate John Edwards, would help repeal more than a thousand laws that discriminate against same-sex couples.
Edwards speech to the Human Rights Campaign in San Francisco was an effort to reassure a crucial constituency with growing political clout that while her husband disagrees with her on gay marriage, he would be a champion for legislation that would protect same-sex couples from discrimination.
Elizabeth Edwards said last month she supports gay marriage. The position surprised her husband. The former North Carolina Senator opposes gay marriage but supports civil unions.

LA Catholics Pay $660 Million For Child Abuse

http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/17496447.htm

Religious Bigots Protest Pictures

Protesters against those great pictures that were shown at YSU. Just goes to show you how religion promotes bigotry.

Republican Rep. Allen Solicited Oral Sex

State Representative, Robert "Bob" Allen, was arrested this afternoon at Veteran's Memorial Park on East Broad St. in Titusville for Solicitation for Prostitution.
Officers say they noticed Allen acting suspicious as he went in and out of the men's restroom 3 times. Minutes later, he solicited an undercover male officer inside the restroom, offering to perform oral sex for $20. Officers realized he was a public figure after the arrest.
Allen, a Republican, represents District 32 of the State House of Representatives. The district spans parts of Brevard and Orange counties. Allen was first elected to the office in 2000.

Hate Crimes Bill Up For Vote

Senate files hate crimes bill for potential vote today'Matthew Shepard Act' considered as amendmentWASHINGTON Jul 11, 3:26 PM


According to a press release from the Human Rights Campaign, today Sens. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) filed the Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act as an amendment for consideration to the Department of Defense reauthorization that is currently being debated before the U.S. Senate.
The commonly known hate crimes bill could receive a Senate vote as early as this evening.
The House passed an almost identical version of the bill on May 3 with a vote of 237 to 180.
President Bush has said that he will veto the legislation if it is passed by the Senate.

Another Bigot Is Living A Lie

Cong. Vitter was an outspoken supporter of the family and used that as a reason to fight against same sex marriage. It turns out he was using hookers in DC the whole time he was married.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/11/us/11vitter.html?th&emc=th

Bush Nominates Homophobe as Surgeon General

Dr. James Holsinger's record seems to demonstrate that he is uninterested in the best scientific information available; instead, he allows his anti-gay bias to inform his medical judgments. In past writings he has compared reproductive organs to plumbing parts and he seems to believe homosexuality is a "lifestyle" choice that should be "cured."
This is the man Bush wants to make our next Surgeon General?
Voice your outrage today, by writing your Senators. Tell them to vote NO on Holsinger's nomination.
Bob Fertik

America's top doctor?
Or America's top anti-gay spokesperson?
Tell your Senators to vote NO on Bush's nominee for Surgeon General.

here To permanently unsubscribe from all Democrats.com lists, click here .

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/10/opinion/10tue1.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin

O'Neil to take on LaTourette

O'Neill steps down from bench, into congressional race
Posted by Sabrina Eaton July 02, 2007 12:57PM
It's official. William O'Neill is no longer an appeals court judge. Now, he's a Democratic candidate for Congress in the district currently represented by Republican Steve LaTourette.
The South Russell attorney limited his fundraising during past unsuccessful campaigns for Ohio Supreme Court because he felt it was inappropriate for judges to seek large amounts of campaign cash. For this race, that stance has been abandoned.
"I plan to raise the funds to wage a strong campaign," O'Neill said in a press release that announced he's filed candidacy paperwork at the Federal Elections Commission and launched a campaign web site at www.oneill08.com. "I plan to aggressively challenge the decisions that Steve LaTourette has made, which I believe have truly hurt our district. And most importantly, I plan to win."
Although O'Neill stepped down from his post on Ohio's 11th District Court of Appeals three days ago, he has retained his other job as a registered nurse in the Pediatric Emergency Department of Hillcrest Hospital.

Sen. Clinton forms LGBT committee

Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign announced Wednesday that it has formed an LGBT steering committee made up of prominent gays to reach out to the community.
It includes New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn; Elizabeth Birch, former Executive Director of the Human Rights Campaign; people from the entertainment industry including Greg Berlanti, the creator/producer of TV series "Brothers and Sisters" and Ilene Chaiken, the creator and producer of "The L Word" among others, and various gay people with experience in the federal government including Eldie Acheson, a former U.S. Assistant Attorney General and the founding director of Public Policy and Government Affairs at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

Ex-Gay Program Leaders Apologize

Three former leaders of a ministry that counsels gays to change their sexual orientation apologized, saying although they acted sincerely, their message had caused isolation, shame and fear.
The former leaders of the interdenominational Christian organization Exodus International said Wednesday they had become disillusioned with promoting gay conversion.
"Some who heard our message were compelled to try to change an integral part of themselves, bringing harm to themselves and their families," the three said in a statement released outside the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center.
The statement was from former Exodus co-founder Michael Bussee, who left the group in 1979, Jeremy Marks, former president of Exodus International Europe, and Darlene Bogle, the founder of Paraklete Ministries, an Exodus referral agency.

Homophobic Churches Reigned In By Episcopalians

Posted in Gay/Lesbian News

In an exhaustive 77-page ruling, a California Court of
Appeal has ruled in favor of the Episcopal Church and
the Diocese of Los Angeles and against three Episcopal
congregations voted to leave the Episcopal Church and
join Anglican Province of Uganda. The decision, which
overturns rulings by a lower court, comes in the first
of the recent cases brought to recover Episcopal
Church property retained by congregations now calling
themselves St. James Anglican Church, Newport Beach;
All Saints' Anglican Church, Long Beach; and St.
David's Anglican Church, North Hollywood. The
congregations voted in August 2004 to amend their
articles of incorporation, and maintain that they are
now part of the Anglican Province of Uganda.

The trial court had ruled in favor of the departing
congregations in August 2005. But the Fourth District
Court of Appeal, in an exhaustive 77-page review of
U.S. Supreme Court and California appellate decisions
as well as a pertinent California statute, held that
where a hierarchical church -- such as the Episcopal
Church -- has determined that the real and personal
property of subordinate bodies must be used and
maintained for the benefit of the larger church, the
courts in California must respect and enforce that
determination. via Gay Religion: news of religion and
GLBT folks

Poll Shows Americans Think Gays Can Not Change Sexual Preference

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/06/27/poll.gay/index.html

Mrs. Edwards Speaks At SF Gay Pride Rally

Elizabeth Edwards' scheduled appearance Sunday at a major San Francisco Gay Pride event represents a first for a major presidential candidate or spouse -- one that activists said reflects the growing clout of gay and lesbians as voters and their continued move into the political mainstream.
Elizabeth Edwards, the wife of Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards, is scheduled to speak Sunday morning at the Alice B. Toklas Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Democratic Club breakfast at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel. Organizers say it marks the highest level of presidential campaigning at the annual Gay Pride Parade.
"It certainly is another barrier falling,'' said author and gay activist David Mixner, a Clinton administration adviser who backs Edwards in the 2008 race.
"There's been a taboo on any (candidate)- related Gay Pride events,'' he said, with major presidential hopefuls steering away because the event has been viewed largely in the mainstream media as a no-holds-barred celebration of the gay lifestyle.
But Mixner -- whom Newsweek once called "the most powerful gay man in America'' -- said Democratic politicians particularly are realizing that "just like straights at Mardi Gras, there's a wide range of different events, from picnics and political clubs to the parade,'' many of them family-oriented and many stocked with potential voters.
"The myth of what Pride is will be exploded ... and that taboo will now be removed,'' he said. "And I can't think of a better person to do it than Elizabeth Edwards. She won't let people tell her where she can go and who she can talk to.''
Gloria Nieto, the former chair of the Democratic National Committee's gay and lesbian caucus who has yet to endorse a 2008 candidate, agreed that Elizabeth Edwards' appearance showed that candidates view gay and lesbian voters as a constituency that must be sought after in much the same way as other blocs of voters -- particularly in California with its important Feb. 5 primary.
"The fact that Edwards' campaign is so forward thinking in that way shows that (gay political influence) is coming to fruition," Nieto said. "They're looking outside the Beltway and looking for other areas of gay power and influence.''
Democratic activist Jeff Anderson, who invited Elizabeth Edwards to the event and supports her husband, the former North Carolina senator, called her scheduled appearance on Sunday "a significant step for our community.''
"Over the last 10 years, we've advanced so far from presidential candidates not wanting to show up,'' to discussing and even endorsing gay issues, said Anderson, the former co-chair of John Kerry's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender finance committee. Anderson is among those who will be host for an Edwards fundraiser with the candidate Tuesday night at the Fairmont Hotel.
After three decades of Gay Pride celebrations, the presence of a major candidate's spouse signifies three things, said Scott Wiener, who chairs the San Francisco Democratic Party Central Committee.
"The first is the growing clout of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) community in politics, particularly Democratic party politics. The second is increasing acceptance of political candidates who hold pro-LGBT views -- especially since 10 years ago, candidate were much more skittish about that,'' he said. "And it shows John Edwards' strong support for the LGBT community ... he's been incredibly supportive."
Wiener said Elizabeth Edwards -- who has also agreed to be the keynote speaker at the July 14 Human Rights Campaign event at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium -- brings her own cachet as one of the most popular figures on the presidential campaign trail.
"On her own, she's a very accomplished person, as a lawyer

Council Position Open In Poland

http://www.vindy.com/content/local_regional/16687865127087.php

NY Democrats Voting For Gay Marriage

http://www.nysun.com/article/56867

Andrea Reynolds Found Dead In Home

http://www.vindy.com/content/local_regional/320943548986973.php

Homophobic General Pace Forced Out

WASHINGTON - In his first public comments on the Bush administration's surprise decision to replace him as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Marine Gen. Peter Pace disclosed that he had turned down an offer to voluntarily retire rather than be forced out.

Gay Marriage To Stay In Mass.

The Democrats in the Massachusettes Legislature voted not to put an amendment to ban gay marriage on the ballot. This means that gays may continue to get married in that state. Great news. The Massachusetts General Assembly took only 30 minutes to reject the Anti-Gay Amendment that would amend the States Constitution to Ban Gay Marriage! Because the amendment was citizen based it required just 50 votes to go on the ballot. The final vote was 151 to 45! We congratulate all the Allied and LGBT groups in Massachusetts and around the country that fought to keep Gay Marriage Legal in the state.

New Importuning Law

Ohio legislators are moving to make importuning on the internet a crime.
SB 183 IMPORTUNING (Schaffer) - To provide mandatory minimum prison terms for persons who plead guilty to or are convicted of importuning by means of a telecommunications device.

Bush Administration Abandoning Traditional Minorities

The Bush Administration has switched the Civil Rights division from protecting the rights of minorities in the black and gay communities to protecting the rights of the religious right.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/14/washington/14discrim.html?_r=1&th=&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&emc=th&adxnnlx=1181820061-dFxBvm1IeTX0h9M9ZOMnLw

Bush Is Robbed In Albania

Bush in Albania 2007 - Cheering Crowd Steals His Watch!!! He puts his arm into the crowd and it's gone. You can see the watch at the :47 second mark, it's gone by 1:20Run time: 04:06http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKDdF6vfjoo Posted on YouTube: June 10, 2007By YouTube Member: videoshqipViews on YouTube: 279862

Obama To Raise Funds In The Valley

http://www.vindy.com/content/local_regional/289103318753051.php

June 12

BIRTHdAYS (and the occasional straights)* 1802 - English feminist Harriet Martineau* 1858 - British artist Henry Scott Tuke* 1892 - Djuna Barnes -- Her poems are believed to be the firstpublished in English directly mentioning lesbianism.* 1901 - Designer Norman Hartnell* 1929 - Writer Brigid Brophy* 1950 - The Right Honourable British Parliamentarian Nicholas "Nick" Brown* 1959 - "Kid in the Hall" (and so much more) Scott ThompsonQ.UOTE"As the friends I once served with head off to 15-month deployments, Iregret I’m not there to lessen their burden and to serve my country. I’mtrained to fight, I speak Arabic and I’m willing to serve. No recruiterneeds to make a persuasive argument to sign me up. I’m ready, and I’mwaiting." - Ousted Arabic translator Stephen Benjamin, who was too gayto prevent terrorism in the Army.

Sen. Sherrod Brown Votes No Confidence In Gonzales

Dear Mr. Rowinsky:Thank you for contacting me in regard to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.Unfortunately, this administration has set a tone of corruption and ineffectiveness. It is unconscionable that this administration chose to terminate highly qualified US attorneys for political reasons. At the same time, the administration failed to hold accountable or fire members of the administration who distorted intelligence reports before commencement of the war in Iraq, leaked the name of a CIA operative, or responded so inadequately to hurricanes Katrina and Rita. It is the role of the Congress to act as a check to the president and his administration. It is our Constitutional responsibility to oversee the misdoings of the White House and ensure that the interests of Americans come before the apparent cronyism of this administration. On May 24, 2007, Senator Schumer introduced Senate Joint Resolution 14, expressing no confidence in the job performance of Attorney General Gonzales. I was an original cosponsor of this resolution, and will support it should it come before the Senate for consideration.Thank you again for contacting me. Sincerely,Sherrod Brown

Bush Surgeon General Anti-Gay

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/06/06/surgeon.general.gays.ap/index.html

Rep. Regula Considering Retiring

http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/17346450.htm

Sen. Brown Wants Gonzolas Out

http://blog.cleveland.com/openers/2007/06/ohios_senators_on_upcoming_gon.html

Dems Support Equality in Armed Forces-Republicans Don't

All Democratic Candidates for President supported eliminating any discrimination against GLBT in the armed forces. All Republicans supported discrimination through "Don't Ask Don't Tell".
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/08/us/politics/08gays.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin

Independent Candidates Must Be Independent

A court ruled that for a candidate to run as an independent, he can not have any affiliation with a political party. Can not vote in a primary. Can not be on any committees. Must be independent. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OH_ELECTIONS_CHIEF_INDEPENDENTS_OHOL-?SITE=OHRAV&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Same Old Debate

The debate was just a bunch of the same old stuff. And this is six months before the actual campaign should begin.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/04/us/politics/04debate.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin

Mahoning County Judge Retires

Is there anyone in the community that we can promote for the judgeship that will be available on July 1? http://www.vindy.com/content/local_regional/337932608480962.php

Sen. Brown betrays voters

Sen. Sherrod Brown voted to continue the war in Iraq last week. He has voted against the war repeatedly and that was almost certainly why he was elected senator in 2006. His vote also meant that the entire $120 billion will have to be borrowed as the US government is out of money. He can only hope that China will loan the money to the US.

Falwell is Dead

here is an mp3 of Bill Maher's Friday night salute to the death of the Reverend Jerry Falwell. and i must say i could not have said it better myself. feel free to forward this or re-upload it and spread the word to EVERY GAY GROUP on yahoo, google, and every other gay group on the web. AND feel free to upload the file to every file sharing program too. come on people LET THE JOYOUS NEWS BE SPREAD THE WICKED OLD PRICK AT LAST IS DEAD!qaf1964http://rapidshare. com/files/ 32453130/ Bill_Maher_ -_Ding_Dong_Jerry_ Falwell_s_ Gone.mp3

Stop Illegal Immigration.

The Democrats in Congress are about to sell out American workers by making another 12 million immigrants citizens. When the Republicans under Reagan did this in the eighties, millions more flooded into the country. Once Congress does this again, we will be over run with cheap laborers from every poor country in the world. When will it all stop? When can we control our own population? When will the loss of billions of dollars that are sent out of the country by these cheap laborers bankrupt the country? When will Congress make it a law that anyone entering the country illegally can never become a citizen? That is the only way that we can stop the flood of illegals into this country.

Marc Dann Praised

The New York Times reported that Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann could be one of the top attorney generals in the United States. http://www.vindy.com/content/local_regional/308805051714005.php

Gay Youth Shelters Needed

An increasing number of young gays refuse to give up on their identity and as a result they often end up homeless. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/17/us/17homeless.html?th&emc=th

Gov. Strickland Protects LGBT State Workers

Governor Strickland's representative Wade Rakes delivered to our citizen lobbyists some incredible news: the Governor will sign an Executive Order tomorrow banning discrimination against LGBT state workers. This will be the first pro-equality legislation signed into state law in 16 years. It would protect

Religious Nuts Pushing Stripper Limits

The religious extremist group that pushed the same-sex marriage ban is pushing to severly limit, if not eliminate, the adult entertainment business in Ohio. http://www.vindy.com/content/national_world/325919900772686.php

Leading Homophobic Bigot Dies

Jerry Falwell, founder of the so called Moral Majority, died Tuesday.

LaTourette Votes To Keep Troups In Iraq Indefinately

Cong. Ryan supported a withdrawl in six months. Re-deployment from Iraq Act - Vote Failed (171-255, 7 Not Voting)The House rejected this bill that would have required all U.S. troops to withdraw from Iraq within six months.Rep. Steven LaTourette voted NO

Conn. Gay Couples Fight For Rights

http://www.cleveland.com/newsflash/national/index.ssf?/base/national-85/117914667334130.xml&storylist=national

68% of Ohioans like Gov Strickland

http://blog.cleveland.com/openers/2007/05/ohioans_really_like_strickland.html

Sen. Clinton Speaks To Ohio Democratic Party

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OH_CLINTON_2008_OHOL-?SITE=OHRAV&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Gay Minister To Marry In New Hampshire

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/05/10/gay.bishop.reut/index.html

Holmes Defeated

The only openly gay councilman in the valley was defeated by 27 votes in his fourth run for council. He was opposed by the local landlords association for his push for stronger code enforcement.

Ohio Republicans Selling Out To AT&T

The Senate's Energy and Public Utility Committee is scheduled to vote Tuesday on a bill that would create a single statewide standard for video service providers. Sought by media giant AT&T, the bill would wipe out local municipality franchise agreements with pay-TV providers in favor of the statewide agreement. The legislation has drawn fierce opposition from municipal officials worried about provisions that would allow video service providers to serve only parts of a community. Public-access backers are also concerned about language limiting the number of public-access and government channels.

Hate Crimes Bill Passes House

Thursday, May 03, 2007 Washington, DC - Today, the National Stonewall Democrats applauded the passage of the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act in the United States House of Representatives. The action quickly drew a premature veto threat from the White House, although the legislation still needs to be approved by the United States Senate. The legislation would apply equal federal resources to domestic terror crimes that target an individual based on disability, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity. Currently, these resources are only provided to local law enforcement agencies if a crime targets an individual based on race, color, national origin or religion. "By issuing a premature veto threat, President Bush fails to understand that he is not the sole decider regarding the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act," said Jo Wyrick, NSD Executive Director. "Once again, the majority of American oppose the position of the President, and that is why we are urging the Senate Leadership to quickly move on this important legislation. We need Senate Democrats to step up before President Bush can step down." The legislation passed the United States House of Representatives by a 237 to 180 vote. The vast majority of Democrats (212) voted for the legislation along with 25 Republicans. 166 Republicans voted against the bill, joined by only 14 Democratic members. The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, would extend federal grants to local law enforcement agencies in order to more thoroughly investigate and prosecute domestic terror crimes that target individuals based on disability, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity. Under existing hate crimes laws, such grants are routinely provided to local agencies for similar crimes which target victims based on race, color, national origin or religion.

BP Chief Resigns After Lying About Sexuality

The CEO of BP oil company resigned after admitting that he lied to a court about how he met his gay partner and how much help he gave him financially. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/02/business/worldbusiness/02oil.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin

Witches But Not Gays Now Openly Allowed In Military

The US military now gives full recognition to witches in the military, yet they will not allow gays into the military. http://www.washtimes.com/national/20070423-104939-6596r.htm

Gay Tolerance Punished In Indiana

A teacher in a backwoods town in Indiana was punished and nearly fired for allowing an editorial promoting gay tolerance to be published in the high school newspaper.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/04/27/school.newspaper.flap.ap/index.html

Surge Causing US Soldiers To Be Killed Easily

Increasingly across Iraq, U.S. forces are leaving the comfort and safety of their fortified mega-bases and establishing small combat outposts and patrol bases like the one insurgents struck outside Baquba that left 20 soldiers wounded as well. Some patrol bases are well protected with blast walls and large numbers of troops. Others are little more than abandoned houses that a few platoons circle with Humvees while hunkering down inside. As a reporter frequently embedded with U.S. forces, I've visited many such patrol bases, and the sense of vulnerability at them is all too palpable. The paratroopers tasked with controlling the volatile territory on the outskirts of Baquba knew they would face attacks from insurgents in the area as they stepped up their presence by manning such patrol bases. But they saw little choice, since the ongoing surge strategy calls for U.S. forces to abandon the old notion of return-to-base patrols in favor of living full time in deadly areas.
Word of yesterday's deadly assault in eastern Diyala Province spread quickly among U.S. troops as far away as the western city of Tikrit, where soldiers with the 82nd Airborne kept a close watch on reports of their comrades sent to the Baqubah area to deal with rising violence there. The strike was what U.S. soldiers call a complex attack, one involving elaborate planning to maximize casualties. Initial assessments suggest that first a suicide car bomber rammed a vehicle into the gates of a small U.S. patrol base outside Baquba in the same area where single car bomber attacked a patrol base last month. A second suicide car bomber apparently followed the first in yesterday's attack, however. And at the same time insurgents fired small arms and rocket propelled grenades, according to soldiers from the 82nd Airborne. In the end, the patrol base was all or mostly destroyed, with several soldiers dead beneath the rubble.

New York Gov To Propose Gay Marriage

The news that Gov. Eliot Spitzer will soon introduce a bill to legalize same-sex marriage — what he calls “a simple moral imperative” — is welcome and could give new national momentum to this important cause. Mr. Spitzer would be the first governor in the nation to introduce a gay marriage bill. But if he is going to make a real difference, rather than simply checking off a box to fulfill a campaign promise, he will have to fight for the law vigorously.
Even in a progressive state like New York, this will be a steep political climb. So far, only Massachusetts has enacted a gay marriage law — after its highest court held that gay couples had a right under the State Constitution — and while there is a similar bill working its way through the Connecticut legislature, its prospects are uncertain. Civil unions or domestic partnerships involving same-sex couples are now recognized by a small but growing number of states, including Connecticut, New Jersey, Vermont, California, Hawaii and Maine. It is an indication of how big a challenge Mr. Spitzer faces that New York is not, and hasn’t come close to being, on this list.
Mr. Spitzer is right to be fighting for gay marriage. Civil unions and domestic partnerships are an important recognition of gay relationships by a state. But they still represent separate and unequal treatment. One federal study identified more than 1,100 rights or benefits that are accorded only to the legally married. That means that even in states recognizing civil unions and domestic partnerships, gay couples often have to use legal contortions to protect their families in ways that married couples take for granted. Gay couples may also be discriminated against when it comes to taxes and pension benefits.
The next step in building momentum for gay marriage in New York will be to get the State Assembly, which has a Democratic majority, on board. Speaker Sheldon Silver has said he will not take a stand until he talks with his fellow Democrats. But most of those Democrats have already publicly expressed support for gay marriage, so Mr. Silver has no excuse to delay. He should make it clear that he will join Governor Spitzer and press for the legislation’s swift passage.
The biggest stumbling block is likely to be, as it always is for gay rights measures in New York, the State Senate, which is controlled by Republicans. The majority leader, Joseph Bruno, has made it clear that he is against same-sex marriage, but he is also a pragmatist whose views on these issues have evolved and become more humane over the years.

Washington Grants Marriage Benefits

The State of Washington is now granting same sex partners the same benefits granted to hetersexual married partners. http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/04/042107wapart.htm

Alli looses good job with Marc Dann

Rick Alli lost his new job working for Attorney General Marc Dann because he stayed on the Youngstown payroll after he had taken his Columbus job. http://www.vindy.com/content/local_regional/295733257087928.php

Ohio Republicans Trying To Ban Stripping

The same group that pressed for issue 1 to ban gay marriage just got the ohio legislature to pass a law requiring strippers to remain at least six feet from the customers.

http://blog.cleveland.com/openers/2007/04/social_conservatives_1_strippe.html

Gov Strickland Fights Bush Use Of National Guard

April 10, 2007
President George W. Bush
The White House1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NWWashington, DC 20500
Dear President Bush:
I write to you today in concern for the continued and unprecedented sacrifice our men and women in the Ohio National Guard bear in relation to the ongoing conflict in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere.
Yesterday, the Department of Defense announced an alert order for the possible deployment of additional replacement units in support of the war in Iraq. Four National Guard brigade combat teams, including the 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team from Ohio, could be deployed as soon as December 2007.
As you are aware, the 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team was originally in line for possible mobilization in 2009. The timeframe has been moved up dramatically. This is a significant departure from the commitment made to Ohio soldiers and their families, and I believe it is a breach of faith.
While this alert purportedly is not associated to the current "surge," I remain troubled by the significant burden Ohioans continue to shoulder during the recent conflicts, with over 9,000 Ohio soldiers deployed since 9 / 11.
The brave men and women who serve in the Ohio National Guard are putting their lives on the line. I am asking for your assurance that prior to deployment, every Ohio soldier has the most up-to-date equipment, including individual body armor systems, M-4 rifles and other weapons systems, night vision devices, and up-armored type wheeled vehicles. I am also asking for your assurance that every Ohio soldier has appropriate training.
Our soldiers and their families deserve nothing less. On behalf of the men and women in the Ohio National Guard, I look forward to your response and assurances.
Sincerely,
Ted Strickland
Governor, State of Ohio

Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown put out his own release also taking issue with the call-up.
"Our citizen soldiers are paying far too high a price for the president's misguided policy in Iraq," Brown said.