My Favorite Hillary Picture Ever

Yes, that's booze in her glass. This makes me love her even more.

And who's Mr. Cuteness standing behind her?

See more party pics at Wonkette.

Last Weekend

This is the last weekend of the Obama/Hillary slugfest! So soon? I feel like it's hardly begun. What's it been, seven years? Eight? Don't start mourning the end yet because we still have the all important, critical, OMFG How Will I Stand The Tension Puerto Rico Primary on Sunday!


Then on Tuesday, hold on to your hats folks, because we have the super colossal, primarys to end all primaries in the critically important bellweather/swing/key states of South Dakota and Montana!
Then on Tuesday night, after Anderson Cooper calls them for Hillary 30 seconds after the polls close, we'll know pretty much what we know now - that Obama will be the nominee. But hey, everybody voted, right?

I love my girl Hillary, but I feel like she's passed the point of diminishing returns. I know she's going to hang around to fight over Florida and Michigan, but the nation has pretty much moved on to the general election.

Harvey Korman Dead at 81

The legendary funny man and perfect foil to Carol Burnett has died of complications from an aneurysm. In addition to his years on the Carol Burnett Show, the four-time Emmy winner starred in numerous films including Blazing Saddles and High Anxiety. But enough words, watch him in action:

Tony Perkins: Cut or Uncut?

Go Here to watch Steven Colbert take apart pretty-boy Tony Perkins of the Family Research Counsel. It's almost too easy. With just a little push back, these people are always revealed to be empty suits.

Lawyers Recommend Sitting Half of MI and FL Delegates

The DNC Rules committee will meet this weekend to try to settle the question of Florida and Michigan delegates. Today, the NY Times is reporting that lawyers for the party have advised the committee that party rules call for Michigan and Florida to loose at least half of their delegate strength at the convention. Hillary, of course, wants the entire delegations seated. Don't expect her to give up. Nancy Pelosi has said this will be resolved in June and, if necessary, she will step in to make it happen.

NY To Recognize Marriages from Other Jurisdictions

New York Governor David Patterson has signed an executive order directing all state agencies to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states and countries. This means that, while gays can't get married in New York yet, their marriages from Canada or Massachusetts or (soon) California will be recognized as valid in the Empire State. Currently, the Republican-led NY Senate probably wouldn't pass a marriage equality bill, so the governor has done the next best thing. Obviously, full marriage equality is coming to New York, sooner rather than later.

This means New Yorkers can just slip across the border into Canada, which has no residency requirements for marriage, get hitched and return home and enjoy all the benefits.

Meanwhile, the California Office of Vital Records has set June 17 as the day when same-sex couples can begin obtaining marriage licenses. Things are happening fast, folks.

Majority in California Back Marriage for Gays

In a poll released today, 51% of voters in California believe that same sex couples should be allowed to marry. This is the first poll to find majority support for marriage equality. The Field Poll has been asking this question since 1977 and at that time, 28% favored marriage for gays, which is a pretty big number for 30 years ago. Not surprisingly, younger urban voters were most likely to support equality while old folks from the sticks were least likely.

This poll contrasts with the LA Times/KTLA poll released last week that found 54% of Californians support a proposed Constitutional Amendment to declare gays second class citizens.

Any way you slice it, this new poll means that we have a real chance of defeating that damnable Constitutional Amendment and making marriage equality in California a permanent reality. I'm ready to move.

Sinking Ship

Scott McClellan, the former White House Press Secretary, has written an apparently scathing attack on Dubya in a new book. “What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception” has reportedly stunned the remaining rats clinging to the wreckage of the Bush White House. Among his assertions:

--He suggests that Scooter Libby and Karl Rove met privately to get their stories straight over the Valerie Plame matter and "at best misled" McClellan about their roles.

--He claims that Bush rushed into war with Iraq with inadequate planning and failed to be open and forthright.

--He states that after Hurricane Katrina, the White House “spent most of the first week in a state of denial”and “one of the worst disasters in our nation’s history became one of the biggest disasters in Bush’s presidency."

McClellan also claims that he was deceived into telling falsehoods to the press, particularly about the Plame matter. I'm not sure I buy his claims of innocence, and most of his allegations involve things that the American people figured out long ago, but it's amazing that someone so close to the President has broken ranks and told the truth. He was particularly hard on Rove, who is naturally now telling anyone who will listen that McClellan was a minor player and not in the loop. Yeah, right. Between this book and John Conyers' determination to make Rove testify about his involvement in the unjust imprisonment of Gov. Don Seigleman and the politicization of the Justice Department, the day of reckoning may be coming for Turd Blossom.

Read more at Politico and Talking Points Memo.

Monday's Man on Tuesday: Harrison Ford

Many apologies for not posting yesterday, but I was taking the holiday weekend off. I saw the new Indiana Jones movie and Harrison Ford is looking pretty good. Be that as it may, I thought I'd do a little retrospective, including a cute awkward young kid in a speedo. Enjoy.

Obama, Hillary in "Formal Talks"

According to CNN, the Obama and Hillary camps are in "formal talks" to end her Presidential bid and join the ticket as the VP candidate. Nobody specific was cited and the talks are said to be "very preliminary" and "difficult." Here's the clip. Is this the beginning of the end of Hillary's campaign?



More at Talking Points Memo.

Marriage Equality Support

This chart, from Pollster.com, summarizes US public opinion on marriage equality since 1985. The red line represents opposition to marriage equality, the blue represents support, and the black is no opinion. Except for a spike in opposition in 2004 when Bush/Rove were demonizing gays, the trend is clear. Support has been growing steadily. This is why the bigots have been scrambling to get their damnable constitutional amendments on the books as quickly as possible. This issue has no legs. In 15 years it will all be over.

Via Andrew Sullivan.

McCain/Crist '08?

Since the Florida primary in January, there's been a lot of speculation that totally heterosexual babe hound Gov. Charlie Crist would be McCain's running mate. Now, the NY Times is reporting, that McCain is meeting with 3 possible VP candidates at his home in Arizona this weekend: He-Man Crist, Mr. Integrity Mitt Romney, and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE LET IT BE CHARLIE CRIST! Another Republican gay sex scandal is exactly what the GOP needs right about now. I'm picturing yet another twink coming forward with tales of sex with the perma-tanned Governor. Maybe yet another Florida bar owner with stories of Crist trolling for guys and camping it up while knocking back Pink Squirrels. Now, that's the sort of October surprise I'm talking about.

Of course, Charlie has been seen lately posing awkwardly with attractive women since he's totally into the ladies and not at all gay. Here he is sipping a lovely chardonnay with former Miss South Carolina and America's Hottest Mom contestant Kellie Heyniger (via Wonkette). More recently, he's posed for photos with pretty "socialite" Carole Rome, and has even taken to calling her "my girlfriend." Sweet! Don't forget that the stud-muffin was actually married...to a woman no less, for a few months in 1978. The sanctity of that marriage must have been why Crist signed the petition to put an anti-gay marriage constitutional amendment on the ballot in Florida this fall.

So, let's all hope and pray for McCain/Crist '08!

Obama Has Majority

After yesterday's big win in Oregon, Obama now has a majority of the pledged delegates, and there aren't enough left for Hillary to make up the difference. His margin of victory was huge with 60% of the vote. Hillary won in Kentucky, as expected, by a similar margin. On an ugly note, one in five Kentucky voters said race was an factor in their vote, and 80% of those voted for Hillary.

It's fascinating that Obama can win big in whiter-than-white Oregon while the "hard working white people" in Kentucky won't vote for him because of his race. In fact, Obama won big among working class whites in Oregon, meaning those who have no college and earn less than $50,000 per year. These are exactly the sort of voters Hillary has been targeting. It's not a white thing, it's not an education or economic status thing. It's an Appalachia thing.

Ted Kennedy has Brain Tumor

And it's malignant.

Update: The prognosis is poor.

Election Day...again

OMG brace yourself, today is the all important, crucial, world hangs in the balance, can't stand the tension Kentucky and Oregon primaries!!! Feel the excitement people!!!! Anyone, anyone?

OK, maybe most of America is kinda over the Democratic primary process and assumes Obama is already the nominee, but the fight goes on with mountaineers vs. granola crunchers going at it today. Judging from the 75,000 people who showed up for Obama in Portland on Sunday, the folks in the remaining primary states are still into it.

Not surprisingly, Obama is expected to win easily with the effete latte-sipping Oregonians while the "hard working white Americans" of Kentucky are expected to vote heavily for Hillary.

Then it's on to the OMFG Crucial Puerto Rico, Montana and South (North?) Dakota primaries!

Monday's Man: Dennis Quaid

Damn, I didn't look that good at 23, how does he do it at 53?
I saw him in his new film Smart People with Juno, Carrie Bradshaw and the guy from Sideways. Dennis was sporting a scruffy beard and a pot belly, but I suspect the gut was a strap on.

In one bed scene, he was shirtless with the sheet pulled up to his nipples, arms and pecs exposed. Those were not the pecs, biceps and shoulders of a man with a fat tummy.

I Heart Dan Savage

Towleroad has video clips of Dan Savage and Tony Perkins of the hateful Family Research Counsel debating the California marriage equality decision on Anderson Cooper 360 last night. Dan totally owned pretty-boy Perkins. Watch it.

Cali Marriage Equality: Day 1

I tuned into the morning news shows today to see the reaction to yesterday's California marriage decision and for the most part, the reaction was ho hum. On Today, the top stories were Bush's Obama bashing in Israel, the cyber bully suicide case, and New Kids on the Block! I switched over to Good Morning America and they were chattering about the ant invasion in Houston (an important issue to some, for sure). I went back to Today and watched Ann Curry's news segment and the marriage decision was the third story behind the earthquake in China and high gas prices. So far, this story is not resonating like similar stories have in the past. When Gavin Newsome allowed gays to marry in 2004 and when the Massachusetts decision was handed down, the press was on 24-hour alert and the entire country was galvanized. Today, it seems to be just another story and I think that's good for our side. I do not believe this will be the wedge issue it has been in the past. Support for gay equality has risen dramatically in this century and people have seen that when gays get married in America, the sky doesn't fall. Besides, with $4.00 a gallon gas, the mortgage crisis and a grinding war, most people have more important things on their minds than an couple of guys in love in West Hollywood.

Actually, I believe this will be a tougher issue for McCain than for Obama or Hillary. The Democrats have made it clear that they support equal rights for gays, civil unions are the best way to achieve that, and the issue should be left up to the states. End of story, next question. McCain, on the other hand, has flip flopped on the issue, opposing both Federal and state Constitutional amendments, then changing his mind and supporting one in Arizona (the only one that was voted down by the people). If he comes out in favor of the proposed amendment in California, he will be in opposition to Gov. Schwartznegger who has said he opposes it. As the NY Times pointed out, McCain has to appeal to moderates to win, does he really want to fight against the popular moderate Republican governor of the biggest state? Does he really want to spend time demagoguing this issue when voters are wondering how to make ends meet? I believe this issue has become dead weight for the Republicans and one McCain would rather avoid.

None of this is to say that there won't be a fight. The bigots are organized and motivated and will throw everything they can at the proposed constitutional amendment in California. It may very well pass, but the bigots also know they have to act quickly to get as many anti-gay laws on the books because this issue has no legs for them. In 10 or 15 years, it will all be over and people will wonder what all the fuss was about.

California Supreme Court Overturns Gay Marriage Ban

The California Supreme Court has just ruled that the state's Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage as between one man and one woman, is unconstitutional. Here's the opinion. The Court ruled that it is unconstitutional in California to deny marriage on the basis of sexual orientation. The Court applied "strict scrutiny" to the state's DOMA instead of applying a "rational basis" test. As a lawyer, I can tell you that is significant. It's the test used in "suspect class" cases involving race and gender.

It's worth noting, as Andrew Sullivan pointed out, California was also the first state to overturn anti-miscegenation laws.

This is huge. Of course, the fake religious bigots have already collected signatures to put one of those damnable constitutional amendments on the ballot in the fall, but this will be a tough fight. Once marriage was achieved in Massachusetts, the wingnuts were unable to overturn it through similar measures. Plus, Gov. Schwarzenegger has vowed to fight any anti-gay proposed constitutional amendment. The opinion takes effect in 30 days at which time California gay couples can legally marry. That means the bigots will have to convince Californians that potentially thousands of already-married couples should have their marriages invalidated. It will be a hard sell.

Whitney Wins Top Model

For the first time, Tyra Banks and crew chose a plus-size model, excuse me, make that Full Figured Model, to win the latest "cycle" of America's Next Top Model. Beautiful Floridian Whitney Thompson won it all last night. Paulina called her a "ham" but she was my favorite. She was definitely theatrical on the runway, but she was so much more interesting than those stomp-and-frown stick figures she was competing against. Of course, Whitney's not really that big, she just looks that way compared to the size zeros.

This will do wonders for Tyra's talk show. Gaining weight was the smartest thing Tyra ever did and now she can have show after show celebrating "real women" and "natural beauty."

Edwards Endorses Obama

Just happened, according to Michaelangelo Signorile's radio show. Not exactly a huge surprise, but more bad news for Hillary.

Bush's Sacrifice

George Bush has actually said that, in solidarity with the sacrifices of soldiers in Iraq and out of respect for the war dead, he gave up golf. That's right, golf. Is it possible for a human being to be so narcissistic and out of touch as to think that giving up golf is an appropriate response to thousands of war dead, and be so proud of himself for his sacrifice that he brags about it in an interview? Apparently.

Bush claims he decided to quit the links when Sergio Vieira de Mello, the senior UN official in Iraq, was killed in a Baghdad bombing on August 19, 2003. "It's just not worth it anymore to do," he said. What a guy.

Oh yeah, he was lying. His last game of golf was actually October 13, 2003 and he apparently quit because of knee problems, not because of any compassion for the soldiers he sent off to their deaths.

Hunk Wins in NE

Up in Nebraska, super hunky Scott Kleeb won the Democratic nomination for the Senate last night. OK, OK, he's really smart and qualified and all that, but damn, he sure can fill out a pair of jeans.

The Senate seat in Nebraska is wide open this year and with the way things are going south for the Republicans, Scott may be heating things up in Washington next year.

Hillary Landslide in WV, Dem Win in MS

Hillary won an expected huge victory over Obama in West Virginia yesterday, with 67% of the vote. 2 in 10 white voters said race was an important factor in their vote...and that's just the ones who are shameless enough to admit it. 95% of WV Democratic voters were white. Mountaineers apparently don't trust Obama, either. According to the New York Times, half of the voters believe he shares the views of Jeremiah Wright and more than half said Obama is not honest and trustworthy. Yikes. He's got some serious work to do among white working class voters, those "hard working white people" that Hillary appeals to. Whether she means to or not, Hillary is certainly making a strong case for Obama/Clinton '08. I believe that would be unbeatable.

In Mississippi, Democrat Travis Childers won a special election to fill the Congressional seat of Roger Wicker who was appointed to the Senate to replace Trent Lott. Like I discussed yesterday, this is the third Dem win in a red district in a special Congressional election this year. Marty Wiseman, a political scientist at Mississippi State University, said "Republican strategists have to be terrified."This is big news for the fall when many Republican Congressional and Senate seats are up for grabs. If Republicans can't win in Mississippi, where can they win?

Forget WV, All Eyes on Mississippi

Today is the West Virginia primary, which Hillary will probably win and CNN pundits will analyze to death with hours of mind-numbing coverage. If they do, they'll miss the big story in Mississippi. There's a runoff election in that state's First Congressional District and Democrat Travis Childers is poised to become the first Democrat since the Republican Revolution of 1994 to win the seat. Childers and Republican Greg Davis are currently neck and neck in a district that is so red that Dubya carried it with 62% of the vote in 2004. Just having a Dem with a legitimate chance is amazing, and this Democrat just might win. The Republicans have already lost two special Congressional elections in formerly reliably Republican districts this year, Denny Hastert's old seat in Illinois and another in Louisiana. Things are looking very dark indeed for the GOP in 2008, and that's good news for America.

Now It's Really Over

Hillary T-shirts, bobbleheads and, yes, nutcrackers are 50% off at National and Dulles airport giftshops. "The store is worried they might get stuck holding a lot of merchandise they can never sell."

Via Bors Blog

More Bad News for Hillary

As if the big loss in North Carolina, Time magazine declaring Obama the nominee, The Washington Blade's unendorsement, and Obama eclipsing her in pledged super delegates weren't enough, today comes news that Hillary's campaign is $20 million in debt. This comes after the candidate has made several multi-million dollar contributions from her own personal fortune.

I love Hillary, but this campaign is quickly passing her by. She'll probably win in WV tomorrow, but with the Democrats' proportional allocation of delegates, it won't make any difference. Next week, she'll probably win in Kentucky and loose in Oregon and it will continue to be more and more obvious that Obama is the nominee. It's time for her to cut a deal with Obama and bow out gracefully (though with all that "hard working white people love me" bull shit, "graceful" might not be the right word. Cut that crap out now, Hill). She needs to leave while she still has clout and can get some issues that are near and dear to her, like her health care plan, into the Democratic platform.

I'm not saying she's jumped the shark, but she's hitting the ramp.

McCain = Bush's Third Term

John McCain has tapped none other than a former lobbyist for the repressive regime in Burma to run the GOP convention. Apparently, McCain shares George Bush's flawless timing.

Update: The lobbyist just quit. That was fast.

Young Evangelicals Leaving GOP in Droves

According to The Seattle Times, young evangelical Christians are not committed to the Republican party like their parents are. That doesn't necessarily mean they're flocking to the Democrats and many are unaffiliated or independent, but it's certainly further evidence that the old Republican coalition is falling apart.

Many young fundamentalists are looking beyond the hot button issues of abortion, gays and stem cells and are concerned about social justice and immigration and many are supporting Obama. The harsh old Christian right movement of Dobson, Falwell, et.al. is just not relevant to the new generation, or as one 19 year old put it, "James Dobson has nothing to do with us."

Andy Crouch, an editor at Christianity Today said:

"This could turn out to be the election where both parties realize that the evangelical vote is so hopelessly split down the middle that it's not worth courting them at all because what parties need are blocs that can be appealed to en masse."

Monday's Man: Matthew Broderick

Today I chose the eternally boyish Matthew Broderick, star of stage and screen and alter ego for Neil Simon.

His new movie, Then She Found Me, with Helen Hunt and Bette Midler opened this weekend and he's perfectly cast as a sort of man-child. It's worth the price of admission.
Matthew has always been the subject of gay rumors and marrying Sarah Jessica Parker didn't exactly help that issue. Half the guys I know would marry her too. I don't believe the rumors, though. It's just wishful thinking because he's so darned cute.

Jim Neal Looses Senate Bid

Jim Neal, the openly gay Democratic candidate for Senate from North Carolina who I have written about in the past, lost the primary election on Tuesday to establishment candidate Kay Hagan. He pulled about 20% of the vote and carried two counties, and he did so without any support from the Democratic National Committee, or, significantly without any support from national gay organizations including HRC. In fact, HRC endorsed Hagan, a candidate who has adopted the position that "marriage is between a man and a woman."

I think it's shameful that HRC failed to support a solid gay candidate. Perhaps his chances were slim this year, but by supporting gay candidates now, they could build for the future. Instead, they supported a candidate who is not particularly supportive of us. If Kay Hagan manages to defeat Liddy Dole in the fall, does HRC really think she'll feel indebted to them and work hard for gay North Carolinians? Doubtful.

UK Footballers Bare All for Charity

British Rugby stars have posed for a sexy photo shoot as part of a fund raising campaign for the Everyman Campaign, a British cancer fund. They're also auctioning off signed balls. Yes, you read that right.

Here's one more of footballer Danny Cipriani:

Funds aren't all they're raising.

Via Towleroad.

Crunch Time for Hillary

The calls for Hillary to drop out of the race are becoming deafening after her big defeat in NC and narrow victory in Indiana. She's vowing to fight on in West Virginia but she's loaning her campaign money again and some of her committed superdelegates and high profile endorsements including George McGovern have switched allegiance to Obama. Some of her strongest supporters are dropping not-so-subtle hints that she should drop out. Sen. Diane Feinstein said:

“I, as you know, have great fondness and great respect for Sen. Clinton and I’m very loyal to her,” Feinstein said. “Having said that, I’d like to talk with her and [get] her view on the rest of the race and what the strategy is.”..."I think the race is reaching the point now where there are negative dividends from it, in terms of strife within the party," I think we need to prevent that as much as we can."

On top of all this, CBS is reporting that an unnamed "top Clinton strategist" has told her that she can't win. At ABC, George Stephanopoulos is reporting that "people close to the Clintons" are talking about negotiating with the Obama campaign to include her on the ticket. Finally, to add insult to injury, even the gays are starting to jump ship. The Washington Blade has effectively unendorsed her in an article titled "The Time Has Come."

On the other side of the coin, she faces primaries in West Virginia and Kentucky in the next two weeks and she is favored to win both. A nice exit strategy for her may be to rack up a couple of more wins then graciously bow out while riding high, and then enthusiastically endorse Sen. Obama. Don't count her out yet, though. Never count her out.

Squeeker in Indy, Rout in Carolina

Hillary managed a narrow, 2-point victory in Indiana last night while Obama won by double digits in North Carolina. If he had managed a victory in Indiana, I believe it would all be over now, but clearly Hillary has not established the game changing momentum she's been claiming. North Carolina is a bigger state than Indiana, with more delegates and Hillary made a major effort there, campaigning with Governor Easley. She lost big. Her options are getting narrower and narrower and it's becoming very difficult for her to make the popular vote argument that she's been running on. Some have even begun speculating that she's really running for VP now.

She made some interesting comments in her speech last night, noting that she would support the Democratic nominee in the fall whoever it is, leaving open the possibility that it won't be her. She also thanked her husband and daughter in a valedictory sort of way. But she ended her speech with "On to West Virginia and on to the White House."

Never count Hillary out. She is nothing if not resourceful.

Nothing Could Be Finah

The fate of the free world hangs in the balance as Tarheels and Hoosiers go to the polls today as the latest, hold-your-breath, ultimate critical primaries, at least it seems that way if you watch CNN. If Hillary could pull off an upset victory in NC, or if Obama could trounce her in Indiana, it would be significant. Otherwise, Hill's expected to win narrowly in Indiana and Barack is expected to take NC.

In other words, we won't know any more about who the Democratic nominee will be tomorrow than we do today.