Politics: December 2012
LGBT Debate Continues Over Prospective Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel
Filed by Karen Ocamb | December 28, 2012 3:00 PM |President Obama has not even announced his nomination of former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) to be Secretary of Defense - but the nomination is already on trial over remarks made in 1998 about James Hormel whom he said was too "openly aggressively gay."Read More
Ken Cuccinelli: A Darkness During the Holiday Season
Filed by Michael Hamar | December 28, 2012 1:00 PM |Even in happy times, one needs to be aware of possible impending danger. Here in Virginia, that impending danger in 2013 is the gubernatorial candidacy of Ken Cuccinelli - the all but crowned Republican nominee for the November 13, 2013 electoral contest.Read More
Progressive Leaders Stand Against Social Security Cuts
Filed by Terrance Heath | December 23, 2012 12:00 PM |More progressives are starting to join what's beginning to look like a political intervention focused on reversing Obama's particular form of presidential OCD: Obsessive Capitulation Disorder.Read More
Of Holiday Wishes, Republicans, & the President
Filed by Mark Segal | December 23, 2012 10:00 AM |Usually, Christmas-week columnists wax poetic about the holidays or what religion means to humanity, but let's talk ENDA and the possible executive order on nondiscrimination by President Obama until Congress passes such legislation.Read More
HRC on LGBT 'Momentum': A 'Reality' Now Recognized By Newt Gingrich
Filed by Karen Ocamb | December 21, 2012 4:30 PM |Former Republican presidential contender Newt Gingrich, who was House Speaker in 1996 when the so-called Defense of Marriage Act passed, now makes a distinction between religious and legal recognition of marriage rights.Read More
Disarming the Conservative Gun Agenda
Filed by Terrance Heath | December 21, 2012 1:30 PM |For decades, the conservative agenda rested upon a three-legged stool of "culture war" issues: "God, guns, and gays." Now there are signs that the third leg of conservative ideology - "guns" - is wobblier than ever. Read More
2014: Senator Cory Booker?
Filed by Bil Browning | December 20, 2012 5:00 PM |The popular mayor enjoys remarkable nationwide name recognition, but even fellow Democrats grumble that he makes a better pundit and personality than he does a day-to-day manager.Read More
Picking the Next Governor of Pennsylvania
Filed by Mark Segal | December 20, 2012 1:00 PM |All of this might be a little premature since the race is a year off but, hey, it's a few days before Christmas. Let's break out the wish list. Read More
LGBT Congressmembers to House GOP Leaders: Stop Spending Taxpayer Money Defending DOMA
Filed by Karen Ocamb | December 19, 2012 4:30 PM |On Tuesday, Dec. 18 - just 13 days before going over the "fiscal cliff" triggers automatic, mandatory $600 billion in tax increases and across-the-board government spending cuts - LGBT top leaders called on the House Republican leadership to stop funding DOMA.Read More
Atlanta Democrat Mayor Comes Out for Marriage Equality
Filed by Karen Ocamb | December 16, 2012 3:30 PM |Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed says he's been a longterm ally of the LGBT community who was "quite comfortable with civil unions," but, he tells MSNBC anchor Thomas Roberts, he went through his own process with close gay friends.Read More
Is Your Senator a Champion?
Filed by Terrance Heath | December 14, 2012 2:30 PM |As Washington approaches a "fiscal cliff" of its own making, our elected officials appear to be forgetting some important things.Read More
George Takei: Scalia Should Recuse Himself from DOMA & Prop 8 Decisions
Filed by Karen Ocamb | December 13, 2012 4:00 PM |In an interview with MSNBC's gay and married anchor Thomas Roberts, famed Star Trek actor George Takei talked about his belief that Scalia is "biased" and should recuse himself from the upcoming DOMA and Prop 8 cases.Read More
Thomas Roberts Interviews Married Couple Featured in 'Jet'
Filed by Karen Ocamb | December 13, 2012 1:00 PM |Writer/producer Rod McCullom has written a good piece for Ebony on the marriage cases before the Supreme Court - and now Jet Magazine has featured a black gay couple in their popular wedding announcements. Read More
Meanwhile Back In the Real Economy
Filed by Terrance Heath | December 12, 2012 2:00 PM |Americans are "tuning out" the fiscal cliff debates in Washington because "the players haven't gotten serious," about making a deal. Maybe it's because we know a made for TV drama when we see one.Read More
Is the ENDA Executive Order Necessary?
Filed by Viktor Kerney | December 11, 2012 10:00 AM |If President Obama wants to pass ENDA through Congress, should we trust him and move on? Should we continue to push for the executive order, or trust that ENDA can get through Congress - just like DADT repeal did?Read More
Romney's Concession Call [Caption This]
Filed by Bil Browning | December 09, 2012 2:00 PM |This photo of President Obama taking Mitt Romney's concession call was just released by the White House. The administration's caption is bland. Surely we can do better. Have at it in the comments section.Read More
Supreme Court Will Hear DOMA & Prop 8 Cases
Filed by Bil Browning | December 07, 2012 3:30 PM |The Supreme Court announced today that they will accept one of the DOMA cases and the Prop 8 case that is California specific.Read More
MSNBC's O'Donnell Shames Republicans for Voting Against UN Disabilities Treaty
Filed by Karen Ocamb | December 07, 2012 2:30 PM |On Tuesday night The Last Word's Lawrence O'Donnell seemed to choke up as he shamed Republican senators who voted to block a treaty to protect people with disabilities as former Senator Bob Dole watched from his wheelchair on the Senate floor.Read More
It's Official: We Can Marry in Maryland
Filed by Terrance Heath | December 07, 2012 11:30 AM |Marriage equality won big in Maryland this November. But, as with many things in life, the job isn't finished until the paperwork is done. So, this update from Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley is welcome news.Read More
PA's Gay Republican? A Good Thing
Filed by Mark Segal | December 06, 2012 3:30 PM |A Republican Christian right-of-center state representative from a conservative Pennsylvania district has come out -- and some in our community have reacted like the sky has fallen in. This is a good thing! Let's look at the issues one at a time.Read More
Will There Be a Gay Cabinet Member Soon?
Filed by Bil Browning | December 05, 2012 12:30 PM |The political rumor mill is circulating Chair of the Export-Import Bank of the United States Fred Hochberg's name as a potential Commerce Secretary. Hochberg would be the first openly gay person to be member of the presidential cabinet.Read More
LGBT Leaders Excited by Progress & Historic Baldwin Victory
Filed by Karen Ocamb | December 05, 2012 11:30 AM |There is something absolutely stunning about seeing a bunch of really smart, powerful LGBT people giddily sharing their stories of political gains with each other.Read More
Butler Concedes to Bloom in 50th CA Assembly District
Filed by Karen Ocamb | December 04, 2012 4:00 PM |The 1,536 vote difference between incumbent Betsy Butler and Santa Monica Mayor Richard Bloom on Friday, Nov. 30, was significant enough for Butler to call Bloom and concede their contentious race for the 50th Assembly District.Read More
No Supreme Court Ruling on Marriage Today
Filed by Bil Browning | December 03, 2012 10:00 AM |While we've all been waiting anxiously for news on whether or not the Supreme Court would take the Prop 8 and other DOMA cases, the Supremes announced today that they have not made a decision on how to proceed.Read More
What's Happening with SCOTUS and Prop 8?
Filed by Karen Ocamb | December 02, 2012 4:00 PM |Four Justices must decide to grant the review, known as a writ of certiorari. If they decide to grant review, theywill hear arguments on whether Prop 8 violates the Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution. If they deny cert, marriage equality is restored to California.Read More
Refreshing: State GOP Lawmaker Comes Out
Filed by Bil Browning | December 02, 2012 2:30 PM |Well, this is refreshing... A Pennsylvania Republican legislator has come out of the closet - and there's no scandal attached!Read More
Poll Shows Blacks More Tolerant of Gays (Sorry, GOP)
Filed by Terrance Heath | December 02, 2012 11:30 AM |Word to conservatives: Don't bother trying to peddle your divisive politics to African-Americans; it won't work anymore. A post-election poll conducted by The Economist suggests that social issues may no longer be an effective means for Republicans to get Black voters on board.Read More
