Politics, pop culture and entertainment news of interest to the LGBTQ community
President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden were joined by former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, and former First Ladies Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton at a ceremony in New York City commemorating the 20th anniversary of the deadly 9/11 attacks. Continue reading “On The 20th Anniversary Of The 9/11 Attacks”
“Maskless Obama” is trending on Twitter this morning as photos and video clips from President Obama’s 60th birthday party, held outdoors in Martha’s Vineyard, show folks not wearing masks.
The far-right believe they have some sort of ‘gotcha’ moment, except… Continue reading “Right-Wing Twitter Mad Obama Held Outdoor Birthday Party W/ Vaccinated Friends”
Former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter and former First Ladies Michelle Obama, Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton and Rosalynn Carter discuss the important role of COVID-19 vaccination in getting back to the moments we miss and love.
Let me see, something seems to be missing… Nope. I’m wrong.
To get the latest information on the COVID-19 vaccines, visit GetVaccineAnswers.org.
Gee, what a surprise… Happy Presidents Day, folks!
From The Hill:
A poll from YouGov and The Economist has found that former President Obama was named the best U.S. president while former President Trump was named the worst.
Obama barely beat Abraham Lincoln as best U.S. president with 18 percent. Trump was at 13 percent with people naming him the best president.
Among the worst, Trump got the highest percentage at 46 percent while Obama got the second highest at 24 percent.
Trump ended his presidency on what some would call a disastrous note as his approval rating leaving office was at its lowest point.
Three past presidents – Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush – came together to celebrate the inauguration of Joe Biden and delivered a message of unity.
Via CNN:
“We have got to not just listen to folks we agree with, but listen to folks we don’t,” said Obama. “One of my fondest memories of the inauguration, was the grace and generosity that President Bush showed me, and Laura Bush showed Michelle.”
“I’m glad you’re there. And I wish you well,” Clinton said in his message to Biden. “You have spoken for us today. Now you will lead for us. And we’re ready to march with you. Good luck, God bless you.”
“I think the fact that the three of us are standing here talking about a peaceful transfer of power, speaks to the institutional integrity of our country,” Bush said during the taped message. “America’s a generous country, people of great hearts. All three of us were lucky to be the president of this country.”
Bush added: “Mr. President, I’m pulling for your success. Your success is our country’s success. God bless you.”
Sad to know that Donald Trump couldn’t bring himself to part of this message of unity. At several turns he could have chosen to take a high road. But he did not.
For years we’ve heard how Trump grew up in Queens wanting desperately to be accepted by the folks in Manhattan. Then he wanted to be accepted by Hollywood.
Had he accepted the true results of the election and honored tradition, he could have been a part of this very exclusive presidents club. Now? It will never happen.
Former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton taped a message of unity in honor of Joe Biden’s inauguration https://t.co/O3xCxinew4 pic.twitter.com/FjdKdfb9KP
— CNN (@CNN) January 21, 2021
President Barack Obama issued this statement today denouncing the hideous violence that occurred today in our nation’s capitol.
History will rightly remember today’s violence at the Capitol, incited by a sitting president who has continued to baselessly lie about the outcome of a lawful election, as a moment of great dishonor and shame for our nation. But we’d be kidding ourselves if we treated it as a total surprise.
For two months now, a political party and its accompanying media ecosystem has too often been unwilling to tell their followers the truth — that this was not a particularly close election and that President-Elect Biden will be inaugurated on January 20.
Their fantasy narrative has spiraled further and further from reality, and it builds upon years of sown resentments. Now we’re seeing the consequences, whipped up into a violent crescendo.
Right now, Republican leaders have a choice made clear in the desecrated chambers of democracy. They can continue down this road and keep stoking the raging fires. Or they can choose reality and take the first steps toward extinguishing the flames. They can choose America.
I’ve been heartened to see many members of the President’s party speak up forcefully today. Their voices add to the examples of Republican state and local election officials in states like Georgia who’ve refused to be intimidated and have discharged their duties honorably.
We need more leaders like these — right now and in the days, weeks, and months ahead as President-Elect Biden works to restore a common purpose to our politics. It’s up to all of us as Americans, regardless of party, to support him in that goal.
Here’s my statement on today’s violence at the Capitol. pic.twitter.com/jLCKo2D1Ya
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) January 7, 2021
Some news items you might have missed:
• Mediaite: Former President Barack Obama’s newly-released memoir, A Promised Land, sold more than 887,000 copies in the U.S. and Canada in its first 24 hours putting it on track to be the highest selling presidential memoir in modern history.
• Back2Stonewall: The FBI has released its annual report on hate crimes showing that, broadly, hate crimes rose 2.7 percent in 2019. Hate crimes perpetrated against gay men rose for the third straight year from 57.8% in 2017 to 61.8% in 2019.
• The Advocate: Ryan Phillippe says his parents “shunned” him for taking on the role on One Life to Live’s Billy Douglas, the first gay character on a soap opera, which he portrayed during the early ’90s. Phillippe is currently starring in ABC’s new drama, Big Sky.
• Minneapolis Star Tribune: Gov. Tim Walz will impose new restrictions on bars, restaurants and fitness centers starting Friday, closing them down to the public for four weeks as COVID-19 cases surge across the state. Bars and restaurants will still be allowed to offer takeout services during that time.
• CNN: The Trump campaign alleged last week that a vote cast by a Georgia woman named Deborah Jean Christiansen was fraudulent because she was reportedly dead. In fact, the vote was legally cast by a living woman who also happens to be named Deborah Jean Christiansen. Christiansen answered the door when CNN showed up on Tuesday evening.
• OUT: Schitt’s Creek co-creator and star Dan Levy scored another honor as he lands on PEOPLE’s 2020 ‘Sexiest Man Alive’ List
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Who wants to hear a president who speaks in complete sentences and sounds sane?
Via CBS News:
In his first television interview since the election of Joe Biden as the 46th President, former President Barack Obama sits down with “CBS This Morning” co-host Gayle King to discuss the first volume of his memoirs, “A Promised Land.”
He talks about the enormous opposition he experienced as he entered the White House; the impact of his political career on his family; and why he campaigned for his former vice president – and spoke out so vociferously against his successor, President Donald Trump.
Trump and his followers often tout the stock market and unemployment under Trump as “the best economy in the history of the world.”
But crunching the numbers from the final three years of the Obama administration and the first three years of Trump’s time in office – which leaves out the devastation of the current pandemic on the US economy – the data shows Trump is not better on economic issues than his predecessor.
I recently came across a report from USA Today comparing the economic records of Donald Trump and Barack Obama.
From USA Today:
• Employment: According to the U.S. Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the economy created 6,979,000 jobs during Obama’s final three years in office. In Trump’s first three years through this past January, the economy added 6,585,000 jobs to a total of 158,714,000. That’s 394,000 fewer under Trump than under Obama during a similar time span.
• Economic growth: During Obama’s final three years, the economy (inflation-adjusted gross domestic product) grew 2.5% in 2014, 3.1% in 2015 and 1.7% in 2016, or an average of 2.43%, according to figures from the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis. Under Trump, the economy grew 2.3% in 2017, 3.0% in 2018 and 2.2% in 2019, for an average of 2.5% a year – just below one-tenth of a percent per year under Trump, who came into office promising to produce an economy that would sprint ahead at a 4% annual pace or even higher.
• Wage growth: During Obama’s final three years in office through January 2017, hourly earnings adjusted for inflation grew 3.3%, according to BLS figures. During Trump’s first three years, inflation-adjusted hourly earnings grew an identical 3.2%.
• Stock market: During Trump’s presidency, the S&P 500 climbed 50.4%, from a close of 2,271.31 on Jan. 20, 2017, when he was inaugurated, to 3,4433.12 today. Under Obama, the S&P 500, which was 805.22 on Jan. 20, 2009, grew 182% during his presidency. During his second term, it grew 52% (from 1,492.56 on Jan. 22, 2013).
Some news items you might have missed:
• Reuters: The 2023 European Games, a regional Olympic event, will be held in Krakow, Poland. The announcement was met with disapproval since Krakow has embraced so-called ‘LGBT-free zone’ ideology.
• Gallup Polling: Donald Trump’s attempts to push-push-push the approval of a coronavirus vaccine before Election Day appears to have backfired as Americans’ willingness to be vaccinated quickly has dropped 11 percentage points, falling to 50% in late September.
• The Hill: Former president Barack Obama (above) released multiple state-specific tutorials on how to vote on Tuesday, 21 days before the Nov. 3 election. The state-specific videos included battleground states like Arizona, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. #VOTE
• Washington Post: The federal prosecutor appointed by AG Bill Barr to review whether Obama-era officials improperly “unmasked” individuals whose names were redacted in intelligence documents has completed his work without finding any substantive wrongdoing. Conservatives have tried to paint the “unmasking” of names — a common practice in government to help understand classified documents — as a political conspiracy.
• Politico: For the fourth time in 3 months, an ad promoting President Donald Trump’s reelection has used footage from Russia.
• The Upshot: If you’re curious about the latest polls – both national and in battleground states – hit the link. The bottom line? Today’s newly-released results show “Biden is ahead, and his lead is either holding steady or widening.”
• Election 2020: Bruce Springsteen himself gave his blessing to the use of his song “Streets of Philadelphia” for a new campaign ad titled, “America Needs Pennsylvania.” This might be one of the most powerful campaign spots of the 2020 cycle. #VOTE
NEW: #AmericaNeedsPennsylvania w/ Bruce @springsteen !
Donald Trump arrives in Pennsylvania later today.
We need more than **1 MILLION VIEWS** before he lands.
Please RETWEET and QUOTE RETWEET.
!!! TURN VOLUME UP LOUD !!! pic.twitter.com/vTIq88WDak
— Don Winslow (@donwinslow) October 13, 2020