Author: Randy Slovacek

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Mitt Romney supported Proposition 8 repealing marriage equality

In 2008, Mitt Romney’s political action committee made a $10,000 donation to the National Organization of Marriage at a time when the anti-gay rights organization was seeking repeal of a California law legalizing marriage equality.

But when Romney eventually made his donation, he did so quietly, and through an unusual channel. Records filed by Romney’s Free and Strong America PAC with the Federal Election Commission did not include details of that $10,000 donation. Nor did NOM’s public 990 form. In fact, record of the payment was only uncovered Friday when the pro-gay rights Human Rights Campaign was sent a private IRS filing from NOM via a whistleblower. The Human Rights Campaign shared the filing with The Huffington Post.

Asked for comment, an aide to Romney said that the donation was made through the Alabama chapter of the Free and Strong America PAC. State records confirm this. However, the 990 NOM filed lists the donation as having come from PO Box 79226 in Belmont, Massachusetts.

The secretive nature of the donation raised the eyebrows of Human Rights Campaign officials. Romney, after all, didn’t have to send his check to NOM through the Alabama chapter of his PAC.

“It’s clear now that Romney was a major financial donor to Prop. 8,” said Fred Sainz, HRC’s vice president for communications. “But it’s also clear that his campaign very cleverly hid this contribution in an obscure Alabama PAC.”

Read more at Huffington Post.

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Keith Olbermann fired – again

Keith Olbermann, the political host, has just been fired from Current TV network.

Olbermann had been hosting “Countdown” on Current TV since June – soon after he got the fired at MSNBC.

In a statement from Keith Olbermann, he says he plans to sue: “It goes almost without saying that the claims against me implied in Current’s statement are untrue and will be proved so in the legal actions I will be filing against them presently.”

In a statement from Current TV owner Al Gore: “[Current TV] was founded on the values of respect, openness, collegiality, and loyalty to our viewers. Unfortunately these values are no longer reflected in our relationship with Keith Olbermann and we have ended it.”

Olbermann’s show will be replaced by “Viewpoint with Eliot Spitzer.”

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Julian Bond: Gay rights are civil rights

CNN: Former chairman of the NAACP, Julian Bond reacts to efforts to drive a wedge between black people and same-sex marriage activists.

Thank you Julian Bond. Just because the phrase “civil rights” has been associated for a long time with the movement for equal rights for african-Americans in the 60s, doesn’t mean the fight now for gays and lesbians is not about civil rights. It is.

A marriage license issued by a civil government is a civil rights matter.

Any rights issued by a civil government are – by definition – civil rights. And every American should have the SAME civil rights.

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NOM’s Maggie Gallagher down-plays race baiting strategies

This morning on MSNBC, with a shrug of her shoulders, NOM’s former president Maggie Gallagher batted her eyes at the idea that her organization “has the power” to influence the black and latino communities on the issue of marriage equality.

And yet, they’ve spent $20 million doing just that…
(source)

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Delta Goodrem: Sitting on top of the world

Ah… my gorgeous friend Delta Goodrem has a new song out (and new CD coming) and I couldn’t be happier!

Delta is a huge music and TV star in Australia and has been releasing music in the US for a short while. She’s very talented, gorgeous, but most important – a beautiful person inside.

I love spending time with Delta. And when she’s not near, her fantastic music brings her closer.

Hope you like the clip above and you can find more about her at deltagoodrem.com

This photo was taken right after Delta and I were dancing at a party, so give me a break if I look happy… 🙂

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Behind the scenes at Broadway Bares XXII

I’m always so proud of dear Jerry Mitchell and his mind-blowing, super-successful annual fundraising event Broadway Bares.

As longtime readers of The Randy Report know, for most of my life I worked as an actor and dancer in Broadway musicals.  This community always has an important place in my heart for how much they give and give and give.

You want fun?  You want sexy?  And you want to help people all at the same time?  Have I got the event for you!

Go behind the scenes of the fairy tale photo shoot for Broadway Bares XXII: Happy Endings.

The hotly anticipated Broadway Bares will pay tribute to favorite childhood fairy tales as only the modern-day burlesque show could as this year’s edition of the immensely popular event becomes Broadway Bares XXII: Happy Endings.

June 17th at Roseland Ballroom in New York City.  I promise you, it’ll be the hottest – and I mean that every way I can – ticket in town.

Tickets can be purchased online at by clicking here or by calling 212.840.0770, ext 268.

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GOP blocks repeal of US Oil Subsidies

 

Via JMG:Even though the major oil companies are turning in world record quarterly profits, today the GOP members of the Senate killed a bill to repeal their massive multi-billion dollar tax subsidies.  Apparently, even with all the money the oil companies are making, they need tax dollars to get by:

Senate Republicans, including Scott Brown of Massachusetts, today foiled President Obama’s plan to strip $24 billion in tax subsidies from the country’s largest oil companies, potentially fueling an election-year issue among voters disgruntled by escalating gas prices. The 51-47 vote was mostly along party lines. Most Democrats, including Senator John Kerry, voted in favor of eliminating the subsidies but fell far short of the 60 votes needed to withstand a filibuster. Only Republican Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, both of Maine, joined the Democrats. Four Democrats — Jim Webb of Virginia, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Mark Begich of Alaska — voted against repealing the subsidies. Begich and Landrieu represent states with large oil revenues.

This is the Republican politicians having their cake and eating it too. They pocket millions in Super PAC campaign support via Big Oil donations and they get to complain about the high price of gasoline.

In a recent CNN poll, 55% of those surveyed blamed the oil companies a great deal for the recent increase.

UPDATE: Think Progress points out: “The 47 senators voting against the bill have received $23,582,500 in career contributions from oil and gas.”

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Backstage at Wendy Williams: make-up artist Merrell works the runway in high heels

I love silly, funny stuff like this. Merrell makes his entrance at the 1:50 mark.

I haven’t met Wendy yet, but my husband Michael has booked guests on her show many times and says every time she’s been very warm, fun and personable.

And if her reaction to her makeup artist wearing a pair of her heels is to say “get that on tape” – well, I love her more. I see why so many people like her show. She’s clearly authentic and real.

AND she’s got a sense of humor – which a LOT of people could use these days. I imagine there are SOME TV hosts out there that would freak out if a crew member put on their pumps and “walked the walk.”

Go Wendy! Go Merrell!