Category: Uncategorized

Posted on

Sharron Angle NOT running for NV congressional seat

Sharron Angle, who lost in her recent bid for US Senate to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid by 5 points, has made a statement saying although she was the first to put her hat in the ring to run for Dean Heller’s recently open seat in Nevada, she will now NOT be running. Here’s her official statement:

“Current outcomes concerning the special election have made this election in Nevada an illegitimate process that disenfranchises the electorate. Clearly, no solution that the Supreme Court can make will correct the injury to free and open elections caused by ambiguous laws and subsequent lawsuits.

“I do not have any desire to participate in a process described by others as a “ballot royale” or a situation where the party central committees choose their nominees because it makes a mockery of the most important constitutional element in exercising freedom. Voter participation has been preempted in either case by disallowing primary elections, or in allowing a select group of people to make a decision who otherwise would not be allowed to vote in Nevada’s 2nd Congressional District. The longer this drags out the more it will become a contest of bank accounts and negative campaigning based on personal attacks instead of the important issues that face Nevada and our country.”

“Although I do not intend to participate as a candidate in the special election, I am not ruling out a future run for office. Meanwhile, I will remain busy working as an advocate for the voters of Nevada and this great nation. I thank all my supporters for their dedication and encouragement. I will be making additional announcements soon detailing my plans.”

And the state of Nevada breathes a sigh of relief…

Posted on

Wisconsin Anti-Union Law Struck Down By County Circuit Judge

Gov. Walker

From Huffpost Politics: A Wisconsin judge has struck down a law taking away nearly all collective bargaining rights from most state workers.

Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi ruled Thursday that Republican legislators violated Wisconsin’s open meetings law during the run up to passage. She says that renders the law void.

The law pushed by Gov. Scott Walker takes away all bargaining rights except over base salary for teachers and other public workers.

The decision is not the end of the legal fight. The state Supreme Court has scheduled arguments for June 6 to determine whether it will take the same case.

Lawmakers could also pass the law again in order to nullify open meeting concerns that led to the judge’s ruling Thursday.

Posted on

Minnesota Gov. “vetoes” anti-gay amendment bill

It has no effect on the anti-gay marriage amendment Minnesota’s homophobic legislature has sent voters for the 2012 ballot, but the veto that Governor Mark Dayton symbolically issued today is not without its praise.

“I do not have the power to prevent this divisive and destructive constitutional amendment from appearing on the ballot, in November 2012, the Legislature sent it to me in the form of a bill,” writes Gov. Dayton in a letter to the Minnesota legislature. “Thus, symbolic as it my be, I am exercising my legal responsibility to either sign or veto it. The path of social progress, of human compassion and understanding, would be tragically reversed by this amendment. Minnesotans are better than this. I urge Minnesotans to reject this amendment.”

Kids, this is what political courage looks like. Standing up for what you believe – equal rights for all when the darkness surrounds you.

Good for Gov. Mark Dayton. This is what a hero looks like. Take a very good look.

Posted on

GOP congressman keeps his gov’t healthcare because “it’s free”

Rep. Rob Woodall (R-GA) faced criticism this week when video was released of him telling a constituent that she should sponsor her own health care instead of using the government’s Medicare program.

The Georgia Democratic Party released more video Wednesday from that same town hall event where Woodall explained why he wouldn’t give up his own government-funded health care program.

“You take government-subsidized health care, but you are not obligated to take that if you don’t want to,” Democratic activist Ilene Johnson told Woodall. “Why aren’t you going out on the free market in the state where you are a resident and buy your own health care?”

“It’s because it’s free,” Woodall replied. “It’s because it’s free. The same reason I went out to Walgreens and bought Activon when I don’t have any arthritis pain. Because it’s free. Folks, if you give people things for free, don’t blame them for taking them.”

So he wants to know why private citizens expect to take part in Medicare when they’ve PAID into it all their lives, but he keeps HIS government healthcare because “it’s free.”

OHHHHH. Now I get it.

(vis crooksandliars.com)

Posted on

Prop 8 supporters undercut their own argument

Campaigners for California’s ban on same-sex marriage in 2008 told traditional families they had much at stake: the future of marriage itself and the need to “protect our children,” as one ad put it, from the impact of legalized gay and lesbian unions.

Now, as the sponsors of Proposition 8 try to convince the courts that the judge who overturned the measure had a built-in bias as a gay man with a longtime partner, their opponents are invoking that same campaign message: If Prop. 8 was meant to preserve opposite-sex marriages, they argue, then any judge, gay or straight, would have the similar conflict of interest.

In their latest court filing, the measure’s supporters reply that they never promoted Prop. 8 as a benefit for married couples – just for society as a whole.

“Our argument is that adoption of same-sex marriage will likely harm the institution of marriage over time, not that any individual’s existing marriage will be affected,” said Charles Cooper, lawyer for the Prop. 8 campaign committee, a conservative religious coalition called Protect Marriage.

“The notion that all married heterosexual judges have a direct and substantial personal interest in the outcome of this case is, of course, patently absurd.”

Theodore Boutrous, a lawyer for two same-sex couples and a gay-rights group that challenged Prop. 8, said the measure’s sponsors were contradicting their campaign message that heterosexuals needed protection from same-sex marriage.

“It’s a stunning admission that all the arguments they were making before are completely baseless,” he said.

Ethics expert, Stephen Gillers of New York University, said an unreported long-term, same-sex relationship should not be grounds for disqualifying a judge. Since Walker could have married his partner in California before Prop. 8 passed, and could marry him today in a number of states, Gillers said, “his decision has no consequence to him.”

Click here to read more at SFgate.com

Posted on

Jim Stynes date with Olivia Newton-John

From the Herald Sun:Jim Stynes is facing one of his biggest challenges in the two years since he was diagnosed with cancer, with more risky surgery scheduled for next week.

But the main thing on his mind was the chance to share the stage tomorrow night with singer Olivia Newton-John before the Demons-Carlton match to help raise money for her Cancer and Wellness Centre.

Stynes says he fell in love with Newton-John as a 13-year-old watching Grease with his little brother.

Yesterday she visited him at The Alfred hospital as he recovered from his latest bout of surgery to remove persistent tumours.

They had a laugh and did an impromptu rehearsal of Grease hit You’re The One That I Want.

She said Stynes was an example of why Melbourne needed the new centre, which would help patients’ “body, mind and soul”.

The centre, due to open next year, still needs $10 million in public donations.

“This is an exciting chance for the club to support a worthwhile cause. I should be right to be there,” he said.

Stynes brushed off suggestions he’d sing with Newton-John, but Sam said he had had been practising You’re The One That I Want in the shower every morning.

Stynes’ former teammate, Russell Robertson, who sings with his own band, is expected to vie on stage with Stynes for Newton-John’s affections.

“Russell might win in the singing side of things, but Jim’s certainly going to get more sympathy points from Olivia,” Sam said.
 
To donate to the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre visit www.oliviaappeal.com

Posted on

John Edwards may be indicted on misuse of campaign funds to cover up affair

The Justice Department plans to move ahead with criminal charges against the former senator and presidential candidate John Edwards, contending that he misused campaign funds to cover up an affair with his mistress, a person close to Mr. Edwards said Wednesday morning.

“DOJ has made its decision to move forward with charges,” the person said in an e-mail.

Mr. Edwards, 57, has been the subject of a two-year investigation into whether he used more than $1 million in political donations to hide his affair with Rielle Hunter, his campaign videographer, while he ran for president in 2008. Hunter was an aide in Edwards’ 2008 presidential campaign.

Edwards has denied any misuse of campaign funds.

If Mr. Edwards, a former senator from North Carolina and trial lawyer, makes a plea arrangement, he could admit to wrongdoing and avoid a costly trial.

A former top aide, Andrew Young, told a federal grand jury during nine hours of testimony in 2009 that Edwards had directed a well-funded campaign to keep the media away from Hunter — and hide the fact that Hunter had given birth to a daughter. Young initially had claimed he was father of Hunter’s child, but Edwards later admitted that he fathered the girl.

Edwards’ wife, Elizabeth, died last year of cancer.

Posted on

Officer X on DOMA/marriage equality in the armed forces

Officer X has a new post on TIME Magazine’s website regarding DOMA and marriage rights in the armed forces.

Me getting married to another man does nothing to diminish the love of any heterosexual couple’s marriage. The act is anything but hostile and I don’t see why some feel they need “protection” from it happening. I understand and respect certain churches’ reluctance to accept homosexuality based on their interpretation of the Bible. Based on that precedent I can understand the desire of individual churches to not recognize gay marriage.

In essence, DOMA hurts gay couples, especially those in the military. After I get married it will keep me from being able to live in base housing with my spouse. It will deny him the same medical benefits I would be able to pass off to a wife. It also does nothing to “protect” straight couples, or their faith’s desire to exclude gays.

For those who haven’t read his posts, Officer X is a gay pilot in the United States armed forces who is serving actively in the military. Time has invited him to share his experiences with readers as we watch the end of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy from the perspective of the boots on the ground.

Read his latest post in full here.

Posted on

NV Gov. Signs Transgender Protections Law

While Republicans in the South and Midwest are passing bills that strip rights away from LGBT people, Nevada’s GOP governor signed legislation on Tuesday that will protect transgender people in the workplace.

Gov. Brian Sandoval signed the transgender bill into law at a ceremony in Carson City. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that LGBT leaders were hopeful that Sandoval would be receptive to the legislation, as he previously served as a federal judge.

AB 211, which goes into effect on October 1, says businesses with more than 15 employees cannot discriminate against people based on their gender identity or expression and people cannot be refused work or fired simply because they are transgender.

Thank you Gov. Sandoval!

It’s estimated Nevada is home to 25,000 transgender people.