Monthly archives: October, 2009

First-Ever Federal Equality Measure Protecting LGBT Rights Signed Into Law

October 28, 2009
AmericaBarack ObamaCivil RightsCongressConstitutionDemocratic NewsElectionsGLBTLegalPhilosophicalRepublicansWhite House
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The following is from Joe Solmonese at the Human Rights Campaign:

Today, something extraordinary happened. Love conquered hate. After more than a decade, the inclusive hate crimes bill we’ve fought so hard for has been signed by the president and sealed in law.

I cannot overstate the importance of this moment. This is the first time ANY federal equality measure protecting LGBT rights has become law. The very first time. And it is the first federal law to explicitly protect transgender people. It is a touchstone in our movement, a triumph of what is right. And I truly feel things will never be the same.

You made this day possible, along with thousands like you who called, wrote to Congress, met with lawmakers, and never gave up. I am inspired and humbled, and I thank you for all you’ve done.

As I left the White House, my thoughts turned to two crucial tasks immediately ahead – the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and the repeal of "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell." Tomorrow, we will wake up emboldened to fight those battles. So will our enemies. This victory gives us momentum, and we cannot slow down.

Will you make a donation today to help HRC make sure this isn’t the last time we see this image?

With your help, this moment will be a beginning, not a culmination.

President Obama
Help us put more pro-equality legislation under that pen!

Hate crimes legislation was the first piece of creating a safe environment for LGBT people – prohibiting workplace and military discrimination are the next. When LGBT people live in fear of violence or discrimination, we cannot be who we are. And when we must hide our true selves, we cannot change hearts and minds.

It took twelve years, over one million emails, faxes and phone calls to Congress, and 14 separate votes on the floors of the House and the Senate to turn the hate crimes bill into law. Right-wing groups opposed us ferociously until the very end; they knew having a pro-LGBT law on the books would be a game-changer, and it is.

We’ve learned invaluable lessons. Now we know the next victory will take at least that much effort. But it must not take that much time. That means we need your help now.

Today, I am more determined than ever to put more pro-equality legislation on the president’s desk – let us galvanize ourselves in the fire of this moment.

Your support right now will give our nationwide network of staff and volunteers the power to fight for equality across the country.

Thank you again for standing with us to make this historic victory possible. Your hard work has made this country a safer place for millions of LGBT people.

Warmly,

Joe Solmonese
Joe Solmonese
President

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Love Conquers Hate: President Barack Obama Signs Hate Crimes Legislation Into Law

October 28, 2009
AmericaBarack ObamaCivil RightsCongressConstitutionDemocratic NewsElectionsEthicsGLBTRepublicansViolenceWhite House
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“This law honors our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender brothers and sisters whose lives were cut short because of hate,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese.

www.hrc.org/loveconquershate

Washington, D.C.– The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, praised President Barack Obama today for signing the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law. The new law gives the Justice Department the power to investigate and prosecute bias-motivated violence where the perpetrator has selected the victim because of the person’s actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. The legislation was added as a provision to the FY 2010 National Defense Authorization Act earlier this Summer. For a comprehensive retrospective and historical overview of hate crimes advocacy visit: www.hrc.org/loveconquershate.

“This law honors our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender brothers and sisters whose lives were cut short because of hate,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “Today’s signing of the first major piece of civil rights legislation to protect LGBT Americans represents a historic milestone in the inevitable march towards equality. Although this is a major step in fighting the scourge of hate violence, it is not the end of the road. As a community, we will continue to dedicate ourselves to changing not only laws but also hearts and minds. We know that hate crimes not only harm individuals, but they terrorize entire communities. After more than a decade of advocacy, local police and sheriffs’ departments now have the full resources of the Justice Department available to them.”

“We applaud President Obama for signing this bill into law and thank the leadership and our allies in the House and Senate. We also will always remember the tireless efforts of Senator Edward Kennedy on this issue. Senator Kennedy once said that this legislation sends ‘a message about freedom and equality that will resonate around the world.’ This marks the first time that we as a nation have explicitly protected the LGBT community in the law. And this law sends a loud message that perpetrators of hate violence against anyone will be brought to justice,” said Solmonese.

The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act honors the memory of Matthew Shepard, a Wyoming college student brutally murdered in an act of hate violence in 1998, and James Byrd, an African-American man who was dragged to death in Jasper, Texas, in 1998.

“We are incredibly grateful to Congress and the president for taking this step forward on behalf of hate crime victims and their families, especially given the continuing attacks on people simply for living their lives openly and honestly,” said Judy Shepard, executive director of the Matthew Shepard Foundation. “But each of us can and must do much more to ensure true equality for all Americans.”

“We appreciate everyone who worked so hard on this bill. My son was taken at such an early age and we hope this law will help prevent other families from going through what we experienced,” said Stella Byrd, mother of James Byrd. “Even though we’re different colors and different sexual orientations or gender identities, God made us all and he loves us all.”

The new law also provides the Justice Department with the ability to aid state and local jurisdictions either by lending assistance or, where local authorities are unwilling or unable, by taking the lead in investigations and prosecutions of violent crime resulting in death or serious bodily injury that were motivated by bias. It also makes grants available to state and local communities to combat violent crimes committed by juveniles, train law enforcement officers, or to assist in state and local investigations and prosecutions of bias motivated crimes.

This legislation was first introduced in the 105th Congress. There have been 14 total votes in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate to bring this historic legislation to the president’s desk.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

President Obama Signs Hate Crimes Legislation

President Obama signs the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law. (Photo: HRC.ORG)

Source: HRC.ORG

Take Dick Durbin’s Poll to Support the Public Option

October 28, 2009
Barack ObamaCongressDemocratic NewsEconomyHealth CareHomelessness
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Senator Dick Durbin wants a public option for health care in the United States. Support the public option by taking this poll:

From Senator Durbin:

The tide is shifting our way.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of activists like you we’ve seen a tremendous shift in the health care reform debate. On Monday, Majority Leader Harry Reid introduced the merged Senate health care bill — a bill that includes a public option.

The question is no longer if we will have some sort of public option in the final health care reform bill, but instead what form it will take.

There are several interpretations of what a public option should look like, and I’d like to share the preferences of the American people with my colleagues in the Senate.But I must do so before the final health care reform bill comes to a vote on the Senate floor in the coming weeks.

Please rank your preferences for what form the public option should take in the final bill at:

http://www.DickDurbin.com/PublicOptionPoll

I believe that a robust public option must give more Americans more choice on day one. But some of my colleagues would be content with a public plan that only kicked in if insurance companies continued to raise premiums at an unreasonable rate — the so-called "trigger." Others would prefer a more limited public option, requiring state governments to "opt-in" to participate in the program.

I am "whip counting" the votes in favor of all of these in the Senate, and we’re very, very close to reaching the 60 votes we need to pass a robust form of the public option — one that provides more coverage to more people by requiring states to "opt out" if they don’t want to participate. That’s exactly how Medicare and Medicaid work, and all 50 states participate in those popular programs.

Ultimately my colleagues need to know what their constituents think a robust "public option" really means — and what it doesn’t.

Read up on the various interpretations of a public option now under consideration, and tell me — and my colleagues — where you stand.

http://www.DickDurbin.com/PublicOptionPoll

Virtually every poll now shows most people support a robust public option to expand health insurance choice and offer coverage to more Americans. And the American people will not settle for a "public option" in name only.

Neither will I.

Let’s tell Congress what precisely we want and expect to see in the final health care reform bill that President Obama signs into law.

Thank you for taking my poll.

Sincerely,
Dick Durbin
Dick Durbin
U.S. Senator

Isaac Hayes (GOP) Doesn’t Want You to Have Health Insurance (Unless You Can Help Fund His Campaign)

October 28, 2009
AmericaCongressDemocratic NewsHealth CareRepublicans
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Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr.’s challenger in Illinois’ 2nd District doesn’t want you to have health insurance if you can’t afford it. Rev. Isaac C. Hayes (is he really a CHRISTIAN reverend???) rejects the so-called public option.

From ENEWSPF:

Isaac C. Hayes, the GOP nominee for Congress in Illinois’ Second Congressional District, released a statement Tuesday condemning health care reform that includes a public option. Hayes called the proposed "public option" in health care reform legislation moving through the Congress is a "Nightmare on Elm Street." which will lead to soaring deficits, and declining medical care for Americans. The program will also scare the daylights out of bondholders of the U.S. and that’s deadly for America’s economic future.

"We must not cede to the public option. It will be the worse mistake our country can make. It will forever hand over control of our health care system to Washington, D.C.," says Rev. Hayes. "We’ve seen this B-movie before. Need I say Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. These budgets continue to increase and not decrease. Nancy Pelosi in charge of my health is like the next sequel of A Nightmare on Elm Street. Please wake me up before it is too late."

Unfortunately, we can’t give Hayes high marks for creativity, considering his overkill on the Nightmare on Elm Street metaphor. Notice he said it twice.

Look, Jesse Jackson, Jr.’s 2nd Congressional has historically been overwhelmingly Democratic. Hayes is way off base so strongly rejecting the public option.

Jackson’s district gets it. It’s time for the for-profit health insurance industry to go, for good.

Hayes is out of touch, and in bed with the for-profit health insurance industry.

I wonder how much money the for-profit health insurance industry has given to Hayes? How many dollars of your insurance premiums have you contributed to a campaign that does not want those who cannot effort health insurance to actually get health insurance?

This is America, the only industrialized democracy in the world without health care for all.

And the other industrialized democracies are all living longer.

Vote for Jesse Jackson, Jr., in the second Congressional district in Illinois.

Sign Harry Reid’s Petition Demanding Health Care for Every American

October 27, 2009
AmericaCongressHealth CareHomelessness
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I’m on board with Harry Reid’s attempt to round up 60 United States Senators for health care for all. Reid is finally calling for the public option. It’s time to choose the HEALTH OF EVERY AMERICAN above those in Congress boholden to the for-profit health insurance industry.

Want to eliminate some waste in the medical industry? How much of your premium goes to the re-election campaigns of members of Congress?

Sign Harry Reid’s petition.

From Senator Harry Reid:

When I emailed last night, I told you we were working on ideas for mobilizing support for the bill I sent to the Congressional Budget Office yesterday. Well, we did just that and decided that the best way to build support in the Senate is for me to have as many signatures from as many Americans as possible that support health insurance reform with a public option.

This way, when I ask my colleagues to support a bill with a public option, I can tell them that it’s not just me asking, it’s me AND thousands of Nevadans – AND a majority of our fellow Senators – AND thousands of voters from their home state. To do this, I need you to add your voice to mine right away.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN MY PETITION FOR REFORM WITH A PUBLIC OPTION

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from being the Senate Majority Leader, it’s that we need strong grassroots momentum to win the support required to pass big legislation. Change isn’t easy. And big change is even more difficult. But we have the chance to deliver real health insurance reform this year, we just have to work together to convince every Senator we can that a vote for this bill is a vote on the right side of history.

Please, sign our petition today and tell your friends and family to add their names as well. Thanks so much for your support.

Together, we’ll get this done.

Harry
-Harry

The ‘Public Option,’ Medicare Part ‘E’, Lives On

October 25, 2009
Barack ObamaHealth CareHomelessness
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From the Washington Post:

The resurrection of the public option is the latest and one of the most surprising turns in the long battle over legislation to overhaul the nation’s health-care system. Under assault for months, and declared on life support repeatedly in recent weeks, the provision for a public insurance option is unexpectedly alive as House and Senate leaders prepare to send their bills to the floor.

That doesn’t mean it’s a done deal. Whether it survives the final battles, and in what form, are still the unanswerable questions. Multiple versions of a public option are on the table. Liberal and moderate Democrats are still at odds and are drawing lines in the sand in hopes of exercising maximum influence on the outcome.

 Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) are still scratching for the votes to pass bills with a public option included. But by next week, both hope to have bills ready either for unveiling or to send to the Congressional Budget Office for analysis and scoring.

What encourages some of those who have followed this debate closely from the inside is the degree to which Democrats are in sight of a compromise on the public option and other remaining differences — though many may have to accept some disappointment to get a bill to President Obama’s desk.

The public option, Medicare Part E, lives another day.

And that is a good thing.

The president and congress must remember those who have nothing. They are Americans, who have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Really, they do.

Owners of Original Mother’s Bar Urged to Apologize After Blocking Black Students

October 24, 2009
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Some people say even bad news is good news, because any news means free advertising.

I don’t buy that. One Gold Coast bar in Chicago has some powerful civil rights groups creating bad press all around.

From the Chicago Tribune:

Two Chicago civil rights groups on Friday called for formal apologies and retraining for employees at a popular Gold Coast bar, citing allegations that six black college students were prevented from entering last weekend because their pants were too baggy while white friends with similar clothing were admitted.

The Anti-Defamation League and the Chicago Urban League made their request in a letter to the owners of the Original Mother’s bar at 26 W. Division St.

"We strongly suggest that Mother’s re-examine its dress code, conduct immediate retraining of all employees to avoid any future racial discrimination or appearance thereof, and issue a formal letter of apology to the six students who were denied entry," the letter read.

A public apology would be the best thing right now. This part of the story is especially interesting:

The black students offered to change clothes in their hotel, but the bar told them it wouldn’t matter, students said. They also said a white student traded pants with a black student and got into the bar without trouble.

Ouch. A white student got into the bar without trouble? Dressed like that?

Ouch.

Crosby Skins Hide Off Panthers; Penguins Improve to 9-1

October 24, 2009
Sports
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Honestly, I thought this one was all over at the end of the first period. The Florida Panthers were sitting on a 2-0 lead, both by Steven Reinprecht. The Panthers succeeded in frustrating the Pens through the second period which was a drab scoreless twenty minutes for both teams. So, would the Penguins’ second loss of the season be so bad?

Sidney Crosby had anything but losing on his mind for his 300th game in the NHL. He made all goals for the Penguins.

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

The Penguins came from behind to beat the Florida Panthers, 3-2, in a shootout tonight at Mellon Arena, extending their winning streak to seven games and their record to 9-1.

Sidney Crosby, who was playing in his 300th NHL game, had a huge game. He scored both Penguins goals and the was the only player to score in the shootout — all after Florida had taken a 2-0 lead.

The Penguins were playing without defenseman Sergei Gonchar for the first time since his wrist was broken.

Florida’s Steven Reinprecht scored twice in the first period.

At 12:39, he slid the puck past Penguins goaltender Brent Johnson from the near bottom edge of the right circle for a power-play goal.

Reinprecht gave the Panthers a 2-0 lead at 15:16 when he knocked in the puck from the crease after Nathan Horton’s shot squired just behind Johnson.

After a scoreless second period, Crosby scored to cut the Penguins’ deficit in half with a power-play goal at 2:14 of the third period.

Crosby later tied the game at 2-2 with a shorthanded goal at 16:41 of the third period, and it was pretty, converting a feed from Evgeni Malkin, slamming the puck home right behind Panthers’ Tomas Vokoun. It was the first short-handed goal of Crosby’s career.

The game went to a shootout when neither team scored in OT.

From the AP:

In the shootout, Crosby moved in slowly on Vokoun and made three moves to his forehand before finally tucking it into the net as Vokoun dove to his left.

Crosby improved to 3-for-3 in shootouts this season with his 10th career game-deciding shootout goal.

Crosby has 407 career points.

Roger Ailes for President, and Fox will Film the End of the World

October 23, 2009
ElectionsReligionRepublicansStrange
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Roger Ailes laughing to the end.

When I first heard the other day that Roger Ailes, head of Fox News, was considering a run for the office of President of the United States, I had a bit of a chuckle. It would be quite amusing to see him run, and watch Fox "news" anchors trip all over itself trying to flaunt or break federal election laws as they trip all over themselves campaigning for him.

MSNBC’s Chris Matthews flirted with a run for the U.S. Senate, but abandoned the run shortly after rumors of his campaign first began circulating last December. The issue? Campaign finance questions relating to Matthews position on MSNBC’s Hardball. Would he be able to keep his coveted job as a news anchor and political commentator while running for the senate? Would MSNBC face legal issues if Matthews remained on the air while campaigning?

No doubt. And no doubt Matthews could have taken a leave of absence from his job, or just quit, if he really wanted to run.

At any rate, Matthews never did run, and I’m glad. We need more Hardball.

A candidacy by Roger Ailes bothers me for different reasons.

Yes, the White House had its fun this week dissing Fox, but they really need to dial it down now. I’m not going waste time analyzing the flaws of Fox. However, knowing that anything at all can happen in a political campaign, I was momentarily concerned about a potential run by Ailes.

Then I remembered this from 2006.

David Friend’s book, Watching the World Change: The Stories Behind the Images of 9/11, received incredible reviews, and Friend’s website has become a focal point for people’s memories and reflections.

What has escaped the attention of many when the book was published was a disturbing quote in the book from Roger Ailes. Friend asked him, "What was the significance of two billion people being able to watch the same thing at the same time on September 11?" Ailes’ response was extremely disturbing:

"The implications from a television standpoint are simply that: When the end of the world comes, we’ll be able to cover it live until the last camera goes out. I believe I mean it literally. If you can witness something like [9/11] by two billion people, live, then there’s nothing that can’t be covered. And if we get into a world war, with nuclear weapons, I assume we’ll be covering it live."

"It’s horrifying to think about. But maybe God set it up that way. You can either figure out how to live in freedom…and hope, or you can watch yourselves burn to death. Nine-eleven is a warning shot that says: Look, this can go either way. It’s your choice, folks."

There you have the heart and soul of Robert Ailes. Does he really believe that the end is near, and Fox News will somehow be blest to cover the final battle? When pressed as to whether he really meant that we would all be watching the Apocalypse live on FOX, Ailes responded, "I believe I mean it literally."

Would an Ailes Administration work to fashion public policy to bring us to the brink, the Final Battle, attempt to lead us to Armageddon?

You betcha. Roger "literally" answered that for us.

Philadelphia Phillies One Giant Step Closer to World Series

October 21, 2009
Sports
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From the New York Times:

Unsatisfied by their last championship and determined to repeat recent history, the Philadelphia Phillies took another step in their quest to win the World Series again.

The Phillies have been in existence since 1883, the longest tenure of any professional sports team in one city, with one name. But it took them until Wednesday night to earn a rare distinction. With an emphatic 10-4 victory against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series, the Phillies have now won consecutive National League pennants for the first time in their 126-year history, and their seventh over all.

It is also the second year in a row the Phillies beat the Dodgers in five games. Their next appointment is with the winner of the American League Championship Series between the Los Angeles Angels and the Yankees, who lead that series three games to one.

The Phillies relied on the long ball to win this game. Jayson Werth hit two of them, a three-run homer in the first inning and a solo shot in the seventh. Shane Victorino added a two-run shot in the sixth, and Pedro Feliz hit a solo home run for the Phillies, who needed only eight hits to score their runs against shaky Dodgers pitching. The Dodgers issued four walks and hit three batters, and four of those free passes were converted into runs. The Phillies scored their final run on a wild pitch by Ronald Belisario.

Read more here.

I favor Pittsburgh.  But they’ve been out of contention for anything for close to two decades.

Go Phillies!