Author: Randy Slovacek

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Fox News Poll: President Obama leads GOP contenders in swing states

President Obama leads each Republican contender in swing states according to a Fox News Swing State Poll that also suggests a significant shift in the battleground landscape.

The new poll, released Wednesday, shows Obama leads Mitt Romney, Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich in the all important swing-states.

The registered-voter poll was conducted across 10 states where Obama had small margins of victory in 2008 and are considered decisive in the upcoming presidential election.

These swing states fall into three regional tiers:
• the Rocky Mountain tier includes Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico
• the Rust Belt tier includes Iowa, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin
• the Dixie tier includes North Carolina, Florida and Virginia

The swing-state voters back President Obama over Romney by 8 percentage points, and over Santorum by 9 points.

President Obama tops Ron Paul by 12 points in the poll.

Gingrich lags farthest behind Obama, as voters in these key states prefer the president to the former Speaker by 20 points.

Overall, swing-state voters look much like the national electorate.

Obama currently holds a 14-point lead over Romney in the Dixie states, and an 18-point edge over Santorum.

Compare that to the more cautious mood in the Rust Belt states where Santorum ties with the president, and voters are almost evenly split between Romney and Obama (+1 point).

Rocky Mountain voters give Obama a 7-point edge over Romney.
Nationally, voters approve of President Obama (48 to 45 percent) — his highest approval rating in more than seven months.

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Kelly Bishop – of A Chorus Line fame – cast in new TV series with Sutton Foster

Sutton Foster’s new TV show, “Bunheads,” was recently picked up by ABC Family and now the always phenomenal Kelly Bishop has been signed to join the show.

The series follows Michelle (Sutton Foster), a Las Vegas showgirl who gives up the glitz when she marries and begins to work at her new mother-in-law’s dance studio.

Bishop will play the mother-in-law, Fanny. Bishop — who won a Tony for her work in “A Chorus Line” in 1976 — has worked with Foster before, as they co-starred on Broadway in “Anything Goes” for five months last year. Production on “Bunheads” will commence after Foster has taken her final “Anything Goes” bow this spring

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New Jersey marriage equality – what can YOU do?

Elected New Jersey legislators passed marriage equality, but Gov. Christie has promised a veto. What can you do to ensure equality in the Garden State?

The host of For & Against, Jim Morrison, reacts to the New Jersey legislature’s passage of marriage equality with a list of ways regular folks can help make a difference.

Call Gov. Christie and voice your support. Calls matter! 609-292-600

Call the two Democratic state senators who voted against equality and ask them to change their vote:

Sen. Rice – 973-371-5665
Sen. Van Drew – 609-465-0700

And talk to everyone you know in New Jersey. Talk, listen, and reach out.

That’s what you can do.

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New Jersey legislators pass marriage equality

New Jersey lawmakers have passed a bill that would provide same-sex couples the right to wed – a move put forth in defiance of the state’s Republican governor, who’s vowed to veto the measure and has instead called for a referendum to settle the issue.

State assembly members on Thursday voted 42-33, with two members abstaining, in favor of the “Marriage Equality and Religious Exemption Act.” The Senate approved the measure on Monday by a 24 to 16 count.

But Gov. Chris Christie has said the issue “should not be decided by 121 people in the statehouse in Trenton.”

The governor is expected to “act swiftly” to knock it down when the bill reaches his desk, said Michael Drewniak, a spokesman for Christie.

Recent polling, meanwhile, suggests that New Jersey voters are in favor of legalizing such unions.

Fifty-two percent of state voters approve the measure, according to a recent Quinnipiac University poll.

Reactions from pro-LGBT organizations:

Freedom To Marry:
“Sadly, Governor Chris Christie has planted his feet on the wrong side of history, and the wrong side of the majority for marriage in New Jersey and nationwide. If the governor sticks with his threat of a veto, Freedom to Marry will work throughout the entire remainder of the legislative session, supporting local families, leaders, and advocates as they make the case and win the extra handful of votes needed to override the veto and do right by these families.”

Human Rights Campaign:
“Today, the New Jersey State Legislature sent a powerful message that all its citizens should be treated equally under the law, and that all families deserve the same protections,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “Governor Christie may veto this legislation, but he is out of step with the majority of voters on this issue. We will not give up until marriage equality becomes a reality in New Jersey. HRC has been proud to partner with Garden State Equality (GSE) in achieving this historic legislative victory.”

More at CNN.com

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Pre-order Olivia Newton-John’s “Gaia” from Amazon

Olivia Newton-John’s CD “Gaia: One Woman’s Journey” is now available for pre-order through Amazon for a February 28th release date.

A lot of people had the impression this CD was more along the lines of “New Age” music, but it’s really terrific pop music. Strong vocals and great lyrics make this a terrific CD in my opinion.

Listen to a sample of “Not Gonna Give In To It” from the CD:

Your browser does not support the audio tag.

From Olivia about “Gaia: One Woman’s Journey”: “I am so delighted that this very personal album has finally been released in North America. I wrote all of the songs on this CD in 1992 on my farm in Australia, after completing treatment for breast cancer.”

“Every song reflects that experience – my raw emotions and feelings and my close connection to Mother Earth, Gaia. I am so grateful that now, almost twenty years later, I am extremely healthy and that I have been blessed with the opportunity to meet and be inspired by so many wonderful people – fellow cancer thrivers – thank you for sharing your experiences with me!”

You can find more info about the CD by clicking here. I think you’ll like 🙂

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Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts to star together in “August: Osage County”

Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts

Osage County is about to welcome two new high-profile residents: Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts.

The Weinstein Company confirmed today that, after being in talks with the Oscar-winning actresses for over a year, Streep and Roberts will appear on-screen together for the first time for the adaptation of Tracy Letts’ Pulitzer and Tony-winning play “August: Osage County.”

Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts will play mother and daughter in the film, taking on the roles of pill-popping matriarch Violet and complicated, headstrong daughter Barbara, respectively. “After seeing Meryl Streep’s mesmerizing portrayal as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady, it has me even more excited and proud to co-star with her,” Roberts said in a statement.

When the three-act “August: Osage County” opened on Broadway in 2007, the Midwestern family drama was heralded as a one of the greatest American plays thanks to its crackling dialogue and tour de force performances (Deanna Dunagan won a Tony as Violet and Amy Morton was nominated as Barbara).

(source)

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Third GOP lawmaker supports Maryland marriage equality bill

On Feb. 14, Del. Bob Costa (R) voted for the bill in committee, saying, “I represent constituents and not a party.”

Today, Del. Wade Kach (R) announced that he would be supporting the Civil Marriage Protection Act. Marylanders for Marriage Equality, the coalition working to pass the bill, issued a statement.

Sen. Allan Kittleman (R) was the sole Republican supporting marriage equality last year and, according to Marylanders for Marriage Equality, reaffirmed his unwavering support at a rally in Lawyer’s Mall on Monday evening.

Interestingly, when Del. Sam Arora (D) campaigned for office in 2010, Equality Maryland endorsed him because he indicated support for marriage equality, and he even co-sponsored the legislation when it was first introduced last year. But when it came time to vote, Arora wavered and ultimately conceded that he opposed marriage equality and only wanted to support civil unions.

But now the question has come back around, and the stakes are high for Arora. The Maryland House of Delegates is set to begin debate on marriage equality legislation today with a vote by tomorrow, and at last count, the bill is one vote short of passage. Sam Arora could be the necessary last vote.

Will he honor his promises to his constituents? We’ll know soon.

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“The Simpsons” 500th episode to air

The man at the centre of the Wikileaks scandal will make a cameo appearance in the upcoming 500th episode of The Simpsons. According to a Reuters report, the episode, scheduled to be aired on Sunday (February 19, 2012), will feature the voice of Julian Assange, which was recorded down the phone after the show’s producers’ tracked him down in Britain.

Assange is currently under house arrest in Britain, fighting extradition to Sweden where he would be questioned for allegations of sex crimes.

The storyline for this milestone episode of the long-running show focuses on the Simpsons being banished from Springfield and trailers for the episode have seen Mayor Quimby announcing the results of a vote to have the family removed from their hometown.

The Simpsons was nearly axed by the Fox network after disagreements occurred during contractual negotiations.