Saturday, March 13, 2010
New Report Undermines Elaine Donnelly's Officers’ Letter Supporting ‘Don’t Ask Don't Tell’
One thing I have sadly learned from following various Christian Right organizations and figures for roughly a decade it is that no one lies as frequently and with as little remorse as the Christianists. I sometimes feel that if their lips are moving, then they are lying. Most readers will remember how Elaine Donnelly (pictured at right) - the self-styled expert on military readiness who has ZERO military experience herself - with much fanfare proffered a letter purportedly signed by 1,100 some senior military officers in defense of the disgusting "Don;t Ask, Don't Tell" policy. Unfortunately, what most people do not know - including the members of Congress who were to be swayed by the letter - is that the letter has serious flaws: one alleged signer was dead at the time, others say the letter does not properly state their views, and many are fossilized relics from many decades ago before the policy even existed. Candidly, knowing that Elaine Donnelly was involved should have been an indicator that the letter was terribly flawed. In any event, Chris Johnson at DCAgenda has a great story that highlights the bogus aspects of Ms. Donnelly's much touted letter. Here are some excerpts:*
A number of high-ranking military officers whose names appear on a well-publicized letter supporting “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” were involved in career-ending scandals or have said the letter doesn’t represent their views, according to Servicemembers United.
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The organization’s preliminary investigation of 200 names on the letter, which more than 1,100 flag and general officers signed, reveals new information that could undermine the document supporting the 1993 law barring gays from serving openly in the military.
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Elaine Donnelly, president of the Center of Military Readiness, gathered the names for the letter, which was first published last year. She didn’t respond to multiple requests from DC Agenda to comment on Servicemembers United’s report. Supporters of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” have often cited the letter as evidence of military support for keeping the law on the books.
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“Only a small fraction of these officers have even served in the military during the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ period, much less in the 21st century military,” Nicholson said. “How can these flag officers honestly claim to know how accepting and tolerant 18- and 21-year-olds are today when most of them haven’t been that age themselves since the 1940s and 1950s?”
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At least one signer, Gen. Louis Menetrey, was deceased when the letter was published and didn’t sign the document himself. . . . Others said they never agreed to sign in the first place. One general wrote, “I never agreed. To represent either side of this issue.” Another wrote, “I do not remember being asked about this issue.”
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DC Agenda independently found one general who acknowledged signing the letter, but said he now believes gays should be allowed to serve in the armed forces so long as they adhere to the code of conduct.
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In addition to signers who say the letter doesn’t represent their views, others were involved in scandals tarnishing their careers. Nicholson said the number of scandals in which signers have been involved “jumps out” as a major component of the report, adding some officers made “heinous failures of judgment and leadership.” The report identifies seven officers that were involved in such incidents:
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One heck of a job Elaine. Why is it that self congratulatory Christians like you seem to have the most difficult time not lying continually? Does the end justify the means, or are you exempt from the Commandment against lying and bearing false witness?s
A number of high-ranking military officers whose names appear on a well-publicized letter supporting “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” were involved in career-ending scandals or have said the letter doesn’t represent their views, according to Servicemembers United.
*
The organization’s preliminary investigation of 200 names on the letter, which more than 1,100 flag and general officers signed, reveals new information that could undermine the document supporting the 1993 law barring gays from serving openly in the military.
*
Elaine Donnelly, president of the Center of Military Readiness, gathered the names for the letter, which was first published last year. She didn’t respond to multiple requests from DC Agenda to comment on Servicemembers United’s report. Supporters of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” have often cited the letter as evidence of military support for keeping the law on the books.
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“Only a small fraction of these officers have even served in the military during the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ period, much less in the 21st century military,” Nicholson said. “How can these flag officers honestly claim to know how accepting and tolerant 18- and 21-year-olds are today when most of them haven’t been that age themselves since the 1940s and 1950s?”
*
At least one signer, Gen. Louis Menetrey, was deceased when the letter was published and didn’t sign the document himself. . . . Others said they never agreed to sign in the first place. One general wrote, “I never agreed. To represent either side of this issue.” Another wrote, “I do not remember being asked about this issue.”
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DC Agenda independently found one general who acknowledged signing the letter, but said he now believes gays should be allowed to serve in the armed forces so long as they adhere to the code of conduct.
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In addition to signers who say the letter doesn’t represent their views, others were involved in scandals tarnishing their careers. Nicholson said the number of scandals in which signers have been involved “jumps out” as a major component of the report, adding some officers made “heinous failures of judgment and leadership.” The report identifies seven officers that were involved in such incidents:
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One heck of a job Elaine. Why is it that self congratulatory Christians like you seem to have the most difficult time not lying continually? Does the end justify the means, or are you exempt from the Commandment against lying and bearing false witness?s
Cuccinelli Flips McDonnell the Finger - and Contradicts AG's Office in Moore Case
I have stated on a number of occasions that in my opinion Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is certifiably insane. He is utterly unable to disconnect his religious extremist fantasies from objective reality and hopefully will, sooner or later, do something so off the wall that he finds himself impeached and thrown out of office. In an effort to stop worldwide mockery of the Commonwealth of Virginia (including Jon Stewart's "Gaywatch - the Virginia Addition"), Gov. Bob McDonnell signed Executive Directory 1 (2010) which included statements 100% contrary to both his own prior opinions and statements not to mention Cuccinelli's March 4, 2010 missive to public colleges and universities. One would think that Cuccinelli would have gotten the message after his "public spanking" as one news report described it, but that would be a mistake. Instead, Cuccinelli on his own initiative or on the directions of The Family Foundation reaffirmed his anti-gay policy to colleges and universities. While I do not trust Bob McDonnelll whatsoever, he is not certifiably crazy and it may turn out to be Cuccinelli who is the one ultimately spells the death knell for McDonnell's ambitions for higher office. Here are highlights from the Washington Post on Cuccinelli's continued lunacy:*
Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II said Friday that it remains his legal advice that the state's public colleges and universities should remove language dealing with sexual orientation from campus anti-discrimination policies.
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Cuccinelli (R) said he continues to believe that the institutions are limited in their ability to adopt such policies without authority from the General Assembly. The legislature has repeatedly declined to put legal protections for gay men and lesbians into Virginia code. "What I said in my March 4 letter was accurate advice under Virginia law, and it still stands," Cuccinelli said in brief comments to reporters . . .
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Cuccinelli said he does not contest one of the McDonnell directive's central legal conclusions: that discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation violates the U.S. Constitution, which courts have found protects individuals against irrational bias.
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Jon Blair, executive director of the gay rights advocacy group Equality Virginia asked McDonnell on Friday to appoint a special counsel to enforce his directive. Blair said Cuccinelli's position on the issue makes him and his staff unable to offer legal services on the issue. In a letter to the governor, Blair thanked McDonnell for his directive, which he called a "real step forward," but asked that governor go beyond what Blair termed its "largely symbolic promise" by pushing for legal protections in Virginia code.
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Given that Cuccinelli concedes McDonnell's point on the U. S. Constitution barring discrimination based on sexual orientation, it will be most interesting to see what the AG's office argues on March 31, 2010, in Moore v. Virginia Museum of Natural History. That concession is 108 degrees opposite of the AG's office's stance in its briefs and other filings in the Moore case. Does this statement by Cuccinelli mean his office is going to retract its statements in Moore? Obviously, he cannot have it both ways.
Rehoboth Beach Weekend - Update
We arrived here safely and after checking into our room have walked around visiting shops and the boardwalk, had lunch, and then cocktails at the Blue Moon - a top restaurant with a gay bar attached to it which has Friday night drag shows. At the moment, the boyfriend is taking a "disco nap" as he calls them before we rally and go out for dinner and the evening. What I enjoy about Rehoboth - and the same applies to Key West - is that it is pedestrian friendly and one need not drive a car to get around in the main resort area. That and the fact that, unlike Virginia Beach and Ocean City Maryland where high rise hotels shade the beach in the afternoon, there is a height limit on buildings and nothing is higher than 34 to 5 stories other than perhaps some church steeples. *
The other major plus that Rehoboth has going for it is the simple fact that it is gay friendly (something that is definitely NOT the case with Virginia Beach) with openly gay stores and venues in the midst of the resort area. While eating lunch we saw numerous same sex couples and one lesbian couple walking down the street holding hands. No one seemed to bat an eye at the phenomenon. In my view, Virginia Beach forfeits a huge amount of revenue by catering almost sxclusively to blue collar heterosexual families who spend less money than LGBT tourists and typically stay for shorter periods. Even if Virginia Beach had a limited area of the resort strip that was gay friendly, the city could take in more money - even if Pat Robertson went off the deep end. Meanwhile, places like Key West and Rehoboth laugh all the way to the bank and receive gay dollars that might otherwise have been spent in Virginia. As I have said many times, bigotry does carry a price with it.
Will Trail of German Sexual Abuse Scandal Lead to Pope?
Updated: An article from a German publication, Süddeutsche Zeitung seems to confirm Benedict XVI's involvement in the reassignement odf a predator Priest that allowed the priest to abuse additional victims. If this is indeed true, Benedict needs to abdicate. His moral authority authority is totally eliminated if he indeed did this dreadful thing. *
The New York Times has a dynamite article that shows the tentacles of the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal reaching ever closer to Pope Benedict XVI himself. Already, the Pope's brother Georg has admitted that he was physically abusive to children and youth while head of a famed choir. Now, it is becoming clear that at least one predator priest was protected in Papa Ratzi's diocese on his watch. Add to the mix the fact that the official Church policy of cover up and intimidation of victims flowed down from the highest levels of the Vatican - where Ratzinger headed up the office formerly known as the Inquisition for decades - and the picture is none too pretty. In my view well deserved, but definitely not pretty. As is the case with closeted GOP politicians who seek gay sex while voting for anti-gay legislation, it is the hypocrisy of the Church hierarchy that I find so utterly disgusting. They pontificate - no pun intended - and literally ruin lives without the least remorse or sensitivity to the lives they damage. One can only wonder how many of Benedict's subordinates will be ordered to "fall on their swords" to protect the Pope. Here are some story highlights:
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BERLIN — A widening child sexual abuse inquiry in Europe has landed at the doorstep of Pope Benedict XVI, as a senior church official acknowledged Friday that a German archdiocese made “serious mistakes” in handling an abuse case while the pope served as its archbishop.
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The archdiocese said that a priest accused of molesting boys was given therapy in 1980 and later allowed to resume pastoral duties, before committing further abuses and being prosecuted. Pope Benedict, who at the time headed the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, approved the priest’s transfer for therapy. A subordinate took full responsibility for allowing the priest to later resume pastoral work, the archdiocese said in a statement.
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Archbishop Zollitsch said the German church had vowed to investigate all allegations of abuse, encouraging victims to identify themselves even if the abuse happened decades ago. In recent weeks, hundreds of people who say they were abuse victims have come forward.
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“The cases are growing every day,” said Thomas Pfister, a lawyer appointed by the German church to investigate abuse cases in the Ettal monastery boarding school in Bavaria. He said more than 100 people had contacted him so far.
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“Every day I receive e-mails from around the world from people who have been abused,” Mr. Pfister said, adding that the school had posted his e-mail address on its Web site to encourage this. “There has been a very big silence. Now they want to have a voice.”
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Experts said the scandals could undermine Benedict’s moral authority, especially because they cut particularly close to the pope himself. As head of the Vatican’s main doctrinal arm, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, he led Vatican investigations into abuse for four years before assuming the papacy in 2005.
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“What is at stake, and at great risk, is Benedict’s central project for the ‘re-Christianization’ of Christendom, his desire to have Europe return to its Christian roots,” said David Gibson, the author of a biography of Benedict and a religion commentator for Politicsdaily.com. “But if the root itself is seen as rotten, then his influence will be badly compromised.”
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The former vicar general took full responsibility for the decision to reinstate the priest to pastoral work. “I deeply regret that this decision resulted in offenses against youths and apologize to all who were harmed by it,” he said, according to a statement posted on the archdiocese’s Web site. There was immediate skepticism that Benedict, as archbishop, would not have known of the details of the case. The Rev. Thomas P. Doyle, who once worked at the Vatican Embassy in Washington and became an early and well-known whistle-blower on sexual abuse in the church, said the vicar general’s claim was not credible.
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“Nonsense,” said Father Doyle, who has served as an expert witness in sexual abuse lawsuits. “Pope Benedict is a micromanager. He’s the old style. Anything like that would necessarily have been brought to his attention. Tell the vicar general to find a better line. What he’s trying to do, obviously, is protect the pope.”
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To many observers, the situation in Europe looked unsettlingly similar to that in the United States a decade ago, when a trickle of isolated abuse cases steadily grew into a widespread phenomenon that upended — and bankrupted — many American dioceses.
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BERLIN — A widening child sexual abuse inquiry in Europe has landed at the doorstep of Pope Benedict XVI, as a senior church official acknowledged Friday that a German archdiocese made “serious mistakes” in handling an abuse case while the pope served as its archbishop.
*
The archdiocese said that a priest accused of molesting boys was given therapy in 1980 and later allowed to resume pastoral duties, before committing further abuses and being prosecuted. Pope Benedict, who at the time headed the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, approved the priest’s transfer for therapy. A subordinate took full responsibility for allowing the priest to later resume pastoral work, the archdiocese said in a statement.
*
Archbishop Zollitsch said the German church had vowed to investigate all allegations of abuse, encouraging victims to identify themselves even if the abuse happened decades ago. In recent weeks, hundreds of people who say they were abuse victims have come forward.
*
“The cases are growing every day,” said Thomas Pfister, a lawyer appointed by the German church to investigate abuse cases in the Ettal monastery boarding school in Bavaria. He said more than 100 people had contacted him so far.
*
“Every day I receive e-mails from around the world from people who have been abused,” Mr. Pfister said, adding that the school had posted his e-mail address on its Web site to encourage this. “There has been a very big silence. Now they want to have a voice.”
*
Experts said the scandals could undermine Benedict’s moral authority, especially because they cut particularly close to the pope himself. As head of the Vatican’s main doctrinal arm, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, he led Vatican investigations into abuse for four years before assuming the papacy in 2005.
*
“What is at stake, and at great risk, is Benedict’s central project for the ‘re-Christianization’ of Christendom, his desire to have Europe return to its Christian roots,” said David Gibson, the author of a biography of Benedict and a religion commentator for Politicsdaily.com. “But if the root itself is seen as rotten, then his influence will be badly compromised.”
*
The former vicar general took full responsibility for the decision to reinstate the priest to pastoral work. “I deeply regret that this decision resulted in offenses against youths and apologize to all who were harmed by it,” he said, according to a statement posted on the archdiocese’s Web site. There was immediate skepticism that Benedict, as archbishop, would not have known of the details of the case. The Rev. Thomas P. Doyle, who once worked at the Vatican Embassy in Washington and became an early and well-known whistle-blower on sexual abuse in the church, said the vicar general’s claim was not credible.
*
“Nonsense,” said Father Doyle, who has served as an expert witness in sexual abuse lawsuits. “Pope Benedict is a micromanager. He’s the old style. Anything like that would necessarily have been brought to his attention. Tell the vicar general to find a better line. What he’s trying to do, obviously, is protect the pope.”
*
To many observers, the situation in Europe looked unsettlingly similar to that in the United States a decade ago, when a trickle of isolated abuse cases steadily grew into a widespread phenomenon that upended — and bankrupted — many American dioceses.
*
What I continue to find so appalling is that Benedict and other childless hypocrites seemed to care absolutely nothing for the children and youth sexually molested. It was always about protecting the Church's image. Living, breathing people meant nothing to them. WWJD?
Bigotry or Inclusion? The Choice for Virginia.
To my surprise, the Virginia Pilot has another main page editorial raising hell about Virginia's anti-gay bigotry and the failure of Bob "Taliban Bob" McDonnell and GOP members of the Virginia General Assembly to push for legislation that would bring Virginia into the 21st century in terms of gay rights. The result has been that Virginia remains a very an anti-gay state and now is literally a world wide laughing stock. Those who have not watched Jon Stewart's "Gaywatch - the Virginia Edition" I linked to a few days ago need to - one cannot get much worse PR than what Stewart rightfully dished out to McDonnell, et al. No doubt that video clip may well haunt McDonnell's future political ambitions. The Republican Party of Virginia needs to look beyond kissing the ass of the self-righteous, falsely pious Family Foundation crowd and look to what is best for the state as a whole. Sadly, the party has a long way to go on that front. Here are some highlights from today's editorial:*
What kind of state do Virginians want to live in? Do they want their state to be synonymous with small-minded bigotry? The subject of campus protests and jokes on late-night comedy shows?
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Or do Virginians want to live in a welcoming state, where people of every sort are treated with respect? Do they want Virginia to be the home of talented scientists, engineers and artists attracted to the commonwealth by its economic prosperity and progressive policies — or not?
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At his inauguration, Gov. Bob McDonnell chose the latter vision for Virginia when he promised to make it “A Commonwealth of Opportunity.” But that vision went askew quickly when Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli issued his recent edict to public universities ordering them to remove any protections for gay workers from their anti-discrimination policies.
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The reality is that Virginians as a whole are a fair and reasonable people who despise injustice. But many of the politicians they have elected and even the laws that voters themselves have supported have made Virginia a state that is unwelcoming and even antagonistic to gay men and women.
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McDonnell contributed to Virginia’s culture of intolerance by failing to include gay workers in an earlier executive order prohibiting workplace discrimination. The governor maintains that he has no authority to issue such an order without approval from the legislature. However, he did not support bills this year that would have given him that power. * Those bills were killed in an eight-member subcommittee led by Del. John Cosgrove of Chesapeake. Efforts to obtain a hearing before the full committee were thwarted when the chairman, Del. Chris Jones of Suffolk, canceled the meeting.
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The rest of the country got a good laugh at Virginia’s expense this week. But there’s nothing funny about this state’s treatment of its gay sons and daughters. It’s shameful.
Rehoboth Weekend
Nearly a year ago the boyfriend bought a weekend package at a B&B (the Royal Rose Inn - pictured above) in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware at a silent auction at Equality Virginia's Commonwealth Dinner. Since the package is about to expire, we are driving up this morning for the weekend. The weather forecast sucks, but then it sucks here as well, so if one must endure a rainy weekend, we might as well have a change of scenery. I also have friends who now live in Rehoboth so it we also give us a chance to visit. It's been years since I was up there to visit them. With the traveling, blog posts will be perhaps irregular, but I will put up as many as time allows.*
We are a little slow on the uptake this morning because the boyfriend did something so typical of him that demonstrates what a sweet guy he is: an 86 year old friend's cat - which is like her child - was in distress last evening so he took her and the cat to a 24/7 animal hospital in Virginia Beach last night. He did not return home until after 1:30 AM. I am happy to report that the cat will recover thanks to receiving medical attention and the boyfriend is sleeping in a little later than usual. He does so much for others and is truly one of the sweetest, most loving guys I have ever known. I'm not sure at times what he sees in me, but I am so very lucky to have him in my life. Friday, March 12, 2010
Stars on Ice Blacklisting Johnny Weir
As readers of this blog have likely figured out by now, I am a fan of competitive figure skating - having had a daughter in the sport I understand its rigors and demands - as well as an advocate of people being themselves and not playing a role that they deem expected of them. I did that for over three decades and the results were a disaster. Sadly, Stars on Ice has determined through God knows what process that Johnny Weir is not sufficiently "Family friendly" to be included in the Stars on Ice troupe. Never mind that Johnny is a 3-time US National Champion, a World Bronze Medalist, a 2-time Grand Prix Final Bronze Medalist, and a 2-time Olympian. The bigoted sponsors - Smucker's and IMG Entertainment (who I am now effectively boycotting) apparently view Johnny as wee bit too gay, Even though they have no proof as to his actual sexual orientation.*
To counter this bigotry that is depriving Johnny of his much deserved professional career, Glesen has started a petition to the anti-gay sponsors of Stars on Ice demanding that Johnny be included among the skaters on the tour. To sign the petition, please click here. PLEASE sign the petition and send a clear message that anti-gay bigotry carries a cost. I am personally so over this gutless anti-gay bigotry that I am going to go through our refrigerators and throw out ALL products by these bigoted sponsors. And henceforth, I will not buy ANY of their products. I hope that others will join me in the effort.
In to the Vortex - Moore v. Virginia Museum of natural History
With all of the political maneuvering by Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell in the wake of Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's directive to Virginia public colleges and universities to rescind non-discrimination policies that included sexual orientation as an enumerated class - including the Governor's Executive Directive 1 (2010) issued yesterday - would think the situation could not get more convoluted and confusing. Yet, now the Supreme Court of Virginia will hold oral arguments on the case of Michael Moore v. Virginia Museum of Natural History on March 31, 2010. Moore was an employee of the Virginia Museum of Natural History who was terminated in November, 2006, for being gay. The Williams Institute has references to the case here as an case where an gay employee was terminated because of his sexual orientation by a public entity in Virginia. The irony is that yours truly, who is neither a litigation attorney nor an appellate case attorney, now finds himself schedule to to present oral argument on March 31, 2010 before the Supreme Court of Virginia on March 31, 2010. Little did I know when I agreed to assist Michael Moore (pictured above) back in late 2006 because he could find no other attorney in Virginia to help him that circumstances would lead to this point.*
The case has been fully briefed - the Virginia Attorney General's briefs make statements diametrically opposed to statement is Gov. Bob McDonnell's Executive Directive 1 (2010) - and it is hard to tell what the Virginia Supreme Court will rule in the matter. If the Court adopts the Attorney General's arguments in the case, it will confirm that McDonnell's Executive Directive 1 (2010) is a meaningless political stunt. If the Court accepts the arguments in the briefs submitted on behalf of Moore, employment discrimination - at least when involving state agencies and departments - based upon sexual orientation/religious belief will be struck down as illegal under the U.S. Constitution. I am clueless as to how the Virginia Supreme Court will rule, but if the Court rules against Moore, it will likely cut the Governor's latest move off at the knee caps and endanger the prospects of Northrop Grumman moving its headquarters of Virginia. If the Court rules for Moore, Pat Robertson, The Family Foundation and other Christian Right puppeteers of Gov. McDonnell and Attorney General Cuccinelli will be having apoplexy.
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Truth be told, Virginia has a major problem in terms of negative PR and should the Court rule against Moore, chances of Northrop Grumman - not to mention other corporations that afford equal rights and protections to LGBT employees - coming to Virginia may be toast. Candidly, I never envisioned myself involved in a case that could have such severe consequences on the entire Commonwealth of Virginia, not to mention my client. I guess one never knows what fate may lay at one's feet.
Virginia's PR Disaster Continues
Bob "Jobs Governor" McDonnell has a unique way of advertising that Virginia is open for business: make the state look like a reactionary backwater and with of the help of his, in my opinion, delusional Attorney General create a firestorm that has swept all of the campuses of Virginia's nationally prominent colleges and universities. As if that will make businesses eager to relocate to a state where many of their employees would have less legal protections than household pets. One heck of a job, Bob. McDonnell's empty gesture in signing Executive Directive 1 (2010) - which contradicts his own previous Attorney General opinion and the argument his office made in a pending case involving a gay man fired because of his sexual orientation - is basically worth no more than the paper it is written on. It affords gay employees zero enforceable protections. Although the anti-civil rights agenda coverage has already been in every major newspaper in the state and literally world wide on the Internet, now Time Magazine has chimed in with an article entitled "Virginia Is for Lovers. But How About Gay Ones?" Here are highlights from the Time story:*
It's been a turbulent few weeks for gay rights, the Virginia attorney general and college students across the Old Dominion.
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First, Republican Governor Bob McDonnell issued an executive order last month that "specifically prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, sex, color, national origin, religion, age, political affiliation, or against otherwise qualified persons with disabilities." Left off the list, notably, was a mention of sexual orientation.
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Then five days ago, Republican Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli Jr. sent a letter to public colleges and universities advising them that state law prohibits "a college or university from including 'sexual orientation,' gender identity,' 'gender expression' ... as a protected class within it's non-discrimination policy."
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Cuccinelli, in his earlier directive, had acted on his own accord, building on the governor's previous executive order, but went too far, says a state political analyst who preferred to remain anonymous. The governor's clarification amounted to "a public spanking of Cuccinelli," says the analyst.
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The back and forth came after more than 1,500 students and supporters rallied Wednesday at Virginia Commonwealth University to protest Cuccinelli's letter. Waving rainbow flags, chanting "Down With Hate" and wielding signs that read "Jesus Had 2 Dads, Too" and "Homophobia Is A Sin," the animated band assembled near the student union, before 200 later broke away and marched down a main road within blocks of the Virginia State Capitol.
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"It's just a huge slap in the face to treat schools that poorly, and lesbians and gays in general," says Seth Kaye, a sophomore computer science major and president of the Queer and Allied Activism group at the University of Virginia. "We are being singled out. People are upset. It's really frustrating." Specific wording protecting gays, he contends, is important to help remind the UVA community to exercise better judgment.
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The letter was seen as a blow to the independence of the state's education institutions, which normally have "a great deal of autonomy," says Kirsten Nelson, spokeswoman for the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. "Changes must be made by the General Assembly.
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More people in Virginia need to demand that their legislators clean up the mess and grant gays protection which is the last analysis religious based discrimination.
Possible Radio Interview
It seems thatat last some are realizing that a case involving employment discrimination based on sexual orientation is actually pending in the Virginia Courts - i.e., Moore V. Virginia Myseum of Natural History. I received an e-mail from a Richmond radio station seeking an interview. Here are highlights:*
Dear Mr. Hamar:
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It's my understanding you represented a gentleman by the name of Michael Moore who was dismissed by the supervisor at the Virginia Museum of Natural History in Martinsville Circuit Court. Obviously, as an attorney who's experienced the situation first-hand, I would honor the opportunity to speak with your for a radio news story on the situation... even under what was then Governor Kaine's executive order. I think you'll have a lot to say about a need to codify anti-discrimination based on sexual orientation.
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News Anchor/Reporter
WRVA Radio/Virginia News Network
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What is interesting in this case is that the Attorney General's office is making arguments directly opposed to statements made in McDonnell's Executive Directive 1 (2010). I hate interviews and hope this one will be on the air so that my statements do not get revised bu reporters less knowledgable on the issues. I will keep readers posted.
Bob McDonnell's Meaningless Gesture
NOTE: This is a cross post of my piece at The Bilerico Project yesterday.*
Last evening I wrote about Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell's desperate attempt to douse the political firestorm that he and Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (who took McDonnell's Attorney General Opinion No. 05-094 one step further and applied it to Virginia's public colleges and universities) set off by issuing Executive Directive 1 (2010). McDonnell must think this move is only too cute on his part. Why? Because, unlike an executive order, the Directive does not have the force of law and McDonnell knows it. Moreover, his action in signing yesterday's Directive runs 100% counter to his Attorney General Opinion, which challenged the legitimacy of former Governor Tim Kaine's Executive Order 1 (2006).
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His disingenuous attempt to buy some political damage control also is 100% at odds with the briefs filed by McDonnell's office when he was Attorney General in the case of Moore v. Virginia Museum of Natural History, Record #1552-09-03, now before the Virginia Supreme Court. In the briefs - which are public record as part of the Court's file - McDonnell's office and now Cuccinelli's office have consistently denied that the Governor has the power to grant employment non-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation. According to their mantra as set out in Attorney General Opinion No. 05-094 and the briefs on behalf of the Virginia Museum of Natural History, ONLY the General Assembly can grant such protections. The rights of a Virginia citizen under the United States Constitution, including but not limited to equal protect and freedom from religious based discrimination have no bearing in McDonnell and Cuccinelli's world.
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Indeed, the Attorney General's brief in Moore states in relevant part:
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[T]hat Executive Order [Executive Order 1 (2006)] did not - and could not - create a cause of action for employees who allegedly were discharged based upon their sexual orientation. First, the Executive Order says nothing about creating such a cause of action. Second, and more significantly, the sovereign immunity of the Commonwealth cannot be waived by Executive Order. The immunity of the Commonwealth can be waived only by constitutional amendment or by laws enacted by the General Assembly.
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Bob McDonnell needs to be honest with Virginia's citizens and admit that Executive Directive 1 (2010) is a disingenuous empty gesture that affords gays in Virginia zero enforceable protections.
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Both Bob McDonnell and I know that under his own previous legal reason, to fix the mess he and Cuccinelli have created he needs to push a statute granting gay Virginians through the General Assembly within the next three days. McDonnell needs to buck up and be brave enough to face the wrath of Victoria Cobb, President of The Family Foundation, when she storms over to his office in her Christianist jack boots. True, that would require leadership on McDonnell's part, but McDonnell is deservedly reaping what he has sown.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Did Focus On The Family Board Force Dobson Out?
TPMMudraker has an interesting story that suggests that Daddy Dobson was forced from the leadership of Focus on the Family's board of directors. Up until now, Dobson has painted his departure as a voluntary situation. It seems that if such was not the case, the reason Dobson was jettisoned was because he was perceived as too anti-abortion and too-anti-gay - obviously things have yet to concern the loons at The Family Foundation here in Virginia. I have addressed before the fact that the younger generations view Christianity increasingly negatively because of its hypocrisy and anti-gay obsession. After a series of layoffs and cut backs due to drops in financial support, just perhaps the FOTF board decide that hating everyone was increasingly bad for business. Especially if one claims to be a Christian organization. If these conjectures are true, it would only be too sweet to hope that similar developments hit Family Research Council, Concerned Women for America and other organizations that seem to exist largely to demonize gays and depict us as something less than human. Here are some highlights from TPMMudraker: *
A prominent friend and supporter of James Dobson believes Dobson was pushed aside by the new leadership of Focus on the Family, who want the powerhouse evangelical ministry to project a softer image on issues ranging from abortion to gay marriage to relations with President Obama.
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In little-noticed comments from the November show, Dobson seemed troubled by the board's decision to ask him to give up the program. "[T]the board of directors voted privately on Wednesday -- before we got there -- to ask for my resignation, although their request was made with kindness and respect. We can only guess the reason for their decision because frankly I don't fully know," Dobson said. "But it apparently has to do with the desire for closure on my tenure and the beginning of another."
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In a Feb. 6 Wall Street Journal story on the changes at Focus (for which Dobson also declined to comment), Daly said that "he has no use for the sharp personal attacks on politicians employed by Mr. Dobson. 'I don't see evil behind everything.'" The story continued: Mr. Daly said he preferred to build bridges with others. While Mr. Dobson blasted President Barack Obama for "fruitcake" ideas, Mr. Daly praised the president for his devotion to family and last summer attended a White House event celebrating fatherhood.
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Whatever the reason for Dobson losing his radio show, it's clear that a rebranding -- free of Dobson -- is underway at Focus. He is nowhere to be seen on the glossy front page of the group's Web site. Instead, a large graphic invites visitors to watch a 4-minute video on "The Focus Story" with President Jim Daly.
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In my opinion, Dobson is one self-righteous and self-satisfied individual who has given Christianity a truly ugly face. I suspect that Christ would want little to do with Dobson who is all too reminiscent of the Pharisees in the Gospels.
A prominent friend and supporter of James Dobson believes Dobson was pushed aside by the new leadership of Focus on the Family, who want the powerhouse evangelical ministry to project a softer image on issues ranging from abortion to gay marriage to relations with President Obama.
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In little-noticed comments from the November show, Dobson seemed troubled by the board's decision to ask him to give up the program. "[T]the board of directors voted privately on Wednesday -- before we got there -- to ask for my resignation, although their request was made with kindness and respect. We can only guess the reason for their decision because frankly I don't fully know," Dobson said. "But it apparently has to do with the desire for closure on my tenure and the beginning of another."
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In a Feb. 6 Wall Street Journal story on the changes at Focus (for which Dobson also declined to comment), Daly said that "he has no use for the sharp personal attacks on politicians employed by Mr. Dobson. 'I don't see evil behind everything.'" The story continued: Mr. Daly said he preferred to build bridges with others. While Mr. Dobson blasted President Barack Obama for "fruitcake" ideas, Mr. Daly praised the president for his devotion to family and last summer attended a White House event celebrating fatherhood.
*
Whatever the reason for Dobson losing his radio show, it's clear that a rebranding -- free of Dobson -- is underway at Focus. He is nowhere to be seen on the glossy front page of the group's Web site. Instead, a large graphic invites visitors to watch a 4-minute video on "The Focus Story" with President Jim Daly.
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In my opinion, Dobson is one self-righteous and self-satisfied individual who has given Christianity a truly ugly face. I suspect that Christ would want little to do with Dobson who is all too reminiscent of the Pharisees in the Gospels.
Sexual Abuse by Priests - It's All the Devil's Fault
For the record, I left the Roman Catholic Church in early 2002 as the sexual abuse scandal in Boston was beginning to explode. As the father of three children I was repulsed by the callousness of the Church hierarchy that knowingly exposed children and youth to sexual abuse while covering up for predatory priests and intimidating victims into silence. Since that time, the Church has come up with any number of lame and disingenuous excuses for the criminal malfeasance of bishops and cardinals who had complicity in the cover ups and shuffled predatory priests from one unsuspecting parish to the next. But now, the Church has truly outdone itself. It seems the abuse scandal wasn't due to psycho-sexually dysfunctional priests and/or the morally bankrupt high Church clerics and a Vatican policy that demanded cover up and secrecy. Nope, That wasn't the root of the problem. No, sir. It was the Devil's fault. Or at least so says the chief exorcist for the Roman Catholic Church. I'm sorry, but what rational, logical person not in need of strong anti-psychotic medications is going to believe this latest bullshit? Here are highlights from the Times of London on this latest lunacy:*
Sex abuse scandals in the Roman Catholic Church are proof that that "the Devil is at work inside the Vatican", according to the Holy See's chief exorcist.
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Father Gabriele Amorth, 85, who has been the Vatican's chief exorcist for 25 years and says he has dealt with 70,000 cases of demonic possession, said that the consequences of satanic infiltration included power struggles at the Vatican as well as "cardinals who do not believe in Jesus, and bishops who are linked to the Demon".
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He added: "When one speaks of 'the smoke of Satan' [a phrase coined by Pope Paul VI in 1972] in the holy rooms, it is all true – including these latest stories of violence and paedophilia."
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Father Amorth told La Repubblica that the devil was "pure spirit, invisible. But he manifests himself with blasphemies and afflictions in the person he possesses. He can remain hidden, or speak in different languages, transform himself or appear to be agreeable. At times he makes fun of me."
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Personally, I suspect that if the Devil is present at the Vatican it is embodied by Pope Benedict XVI and his anything but saintly predecessor, Pope John Paul II, who the far right Kool-Aid drinkers in the Church are Hell bent to canonize. Frankly, I feel so much cleaner since I have left the insanity and moral root of the Catholic Church. But to each his/her own.
Sex abuse scandals in the Roman Catholic Church are proof that that "the Devil is at work inside the Vatican", according to the Holy See's chief exorcist.
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Father Gabriele Amorth, 85, who has been the Vatican's chief exorcist for 25 years and says he has dealt with 70,000 cases of demonic possession, said that the consequences of satanic infiltration included power struggles at the Vatican as well as "cardinals who do not believe in Jesus, and bishops who are linked to the Demon".
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He added: "When one speaks of 'the smoke of Satan' [a phrase coined by Pope Paul VI in 1972] in the holy rooms, it is all true – including these latest stories of violence and paedophilia."
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Father Amorth told La Repubblica that the devil was "pure spirit, invisible. But he manifests himself with blasphemies and afflictions in the person he possesses. He can remain hidden, or speak in different languages, transform himself or appear to be agreeable. At times he makes fun of me."
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Personally, I suspect that if the Devil is present at the Vatican it is embodied by Pope Benedict XVI and his anything but saintly predecessor, Pope John Paul II, who the far right Kool-Aid drinkers in the Church are Hell bent to canonize. Frankly, I feel so much cleaner since I have left the insanity and moral root of the Catholic Church. But to each his/her own.
The Family Foundation - The Fount of Bigotry in Virgina
As Gov. Bob McDonnell and Ken "I'm a Loon" Cuccinelli continue to graple with their self-inflicted political firestorm over the anti-gay jihad started by McDonnell and brought to full crisis mode by Cuccinelli, someone finally had the courage in the Virginia General Assembly to point to the real behind the scenes actor that put the whole mess into motion. Senate Majority Leader Richard L. Saslaw, D-Fairfax had the guts to call a spade a spade and is quoted as follows in the Richmond Times Dispatch:*
"They're so terrified of the Family Foundation that they don't go to the bathroom without consulting them first," Senate Majority Leader Richard L. Saslaw, D-Fairfax, said of the conservative grass-roots organization that has defended Cuccinelli.
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Who and what are The Family Foundation ("TFF")? It is the Virginia affiliate of Daddy Dobson's toxic Focus on the Family and also has ties to the ever gay-hating Family Research Council led by the Klan loving Tony Perkins, and the Alliance Defense Fund. With the GOP in control of the Governor's mansion and the House of Delegates, the true governor of Virginia is TFF's ever frigid President, Victoria Cobb (pictured above), who will not rest until religious freedom exists only for right wing Christians with everyone else forced to live by Christianist dictates. TFF and its minions in the Virginia General Assembly have been behind EVERY anti-gay measure in Virginia since 1985 and a careful reading of it's agenda shows that like most of the far right "Christian" organizations, it also hates blacks, non-Christians, Hispanics - in short, basically everyone who is not a white evangelical Christian. But TFF saves its most special hatred for gays. Here are a few statements from TFF's website vis-a-vis gays:
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Principle: Marriage, as the lifelong union between one man and one woman, is an institution of God and a foundation of civil society.
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Homosexuality in Schools Homosexual advocates are working through school curricula and student groups such as “Gay-Straight Alliances” to bring their message to children in Virginia. Legislation is needed to bar these groups from promoting risky sexual behavior in our public schools.
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Domestic Partner Benefits Homosexual advocates have worked to diminish the status of marriage by providing marriage benefits to any relationship. Already, private companies in Virginia can do so. Efforts are underway to expand this to state and local government.
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Previous versions of TFF's website made it clear that the imposition of the organization's "Biblical world view" on all Virginian's was its number one goal. While the website has been revised to be somewhat less blatant in revealing the group's mission. Here are highlights from Victoria Cobb's e-mail message to TFF members after the GOP sweep last November:
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Even with a larger conservative majority in the Virginia House of Delegates, the obstacle that our pro-family, pro-life agenda has faced for several years – the Virginia state Senate – stands between us and our goals.
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[W]e will not stop, we will not rest, until the Senate of Virginia reflects our values! We will not stop working until that chamber joins the rest of our leaders in supporting common sense pro-life and pro-family proposals.
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I also encourage you to be praying for all the newly elected candidates. In particular, over the next few months Governor-elect McDonnell . . .
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Somehow, I suspect that Taliban Bob will not be receiving accolades from Ms. Cobb today after his press conference and the Executive Directive he signed yesterday. As the Times Dispatch noted later in its article:
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Steve Waters, a Republican operative closely aligned with the party's conservatives, said of the McDonnell statement: "There is trouble in the Republican house when the attorney general seems to side with the grass roots of the Republican Party and the governor and lieutenant governor seem to be straying away."
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Principle: Marriage, as the lifelong union between one man and one woman, is an institution of God and a foundation of civil society.
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Homosexuality in Schools Homosexual advocates are working through school curricula and student groups such as “Gay-Straight Alliances” to bring their message to children in Virginia. Legislation is needed to bar these groups from promoting risky sexual behavior in our public schools.
*
Domestic Partner Benefits Homosexual advocates have worked to diminish the status of marriage by providing marriage benefits to any relationship. Already, private companies in Virginia can do so. Efforts are underway to expand this to state and local government.
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Previous versions of TFF's website made it clear that the imposition of the organization's "Biblical world view" on all Virginian's was its number one goal. While the website has been revised to be somewhat less blatant in revealing the group's mission. Here are highlights from Victoria Cobb's e-mail message to TFF members after the GOP sweep last November:
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Even with a larger conservative majority in the Virginia House of Delegates, the obstacle that our pro-family, pro-life agenda has faced for several years – the Virginia state Senate – stands between us and our goals.
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[W]e will not stop, we will not rest, until the Senate of Virginia reflects our values! We will not stop working until that chamber joins the rest of our leaders in supporting common sense pro-life and pro-family proposals.
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I also encourage you to be praying for all the newly elected candidates. In particular, over the next few months Governor-elect McDonnell . . .
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Somehow, I suspect that Taliban Bob will not be receiving accolades from Ms. Cobb today after his press conference and the Executive Directive he signed yesterday. As the Times Dispatch noted later in its article:
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Steve Waters, a Republican operative closely aligned with the party's conservatives, said of the McDonnell statement: "There is trouble in the Republican house when the attorney general seems to side with the grass roots of the Republican Party and the governor and lieutenant governor seem to be straying away."
*
Not surprisingly TFF does not think too highly of me - I've been described as a dangerous "homosexualist activist." I take having TFF as an enemy as a high badge of honor.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Bob McDonnell beginning to flinch?
This post is cross posted from The Bilerico Project and also includes an update in the form of the directive that Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell. The directive flies in the face of an attorney general opinion McDonnell issued as Attorney General attacking former Gov. Tim Kaine's Executive Order 1 (2006), which is the subject of a case now pending before the Virginia Supreme Court. It also contradicts the opinion issued by current Virginia Attorney General "I'm a Kool-Aid Drinker" Cuccinelli. Here's the post:*
With all Hell breaking loose at colleges and universities and even some Republican members of the Virginia General Assembly seeking to insert gay non-discrimination protections in pending legislation, Bob "Taliban Bob" McDonnell has issued what some are calling an edict (others a directive) barring all forms of discrimination in Virginia's governmental offices. This action would seem to be a direct blow to Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli who inflamed the issue last week with his directive to Virginia's public colleges and universities to rescind their non-discrimination policies that made sexual orientation a named protected category. Only time will tell if this action can stem the firestorm that McDonnell and Cuccinelli have unleashed on themselves and the GOP in Virginia. Hopefully, but most of us see McDonnell's action as too little too late.
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Both the Virginia Pilot and the Richmond Times Dispatch have stories. First highlights from the Richmond Times Dispatch:
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In an executive directive sent today to all state employees, Gov. Bob McDonnell projected his strongest stance yet on non-discrimination in the workplace, but stopped short of calling for the legislature to add a protection based on sexual orientation.
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"Employment discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated by this administration," it states. "Consistent with state and federal law, and the Virginia and United States Constitutions, I hereby direct that the hiring, promotion, compensation, treatment, discipline, and termination of state employees shall be based on an individual's job qualifications, merit and performance.
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"No employee of the Executive Branch shall engage in any discriminatory conduct against another employee." The first Executive Directive from McDonnell further states that "any cabinet member, agency head, manager, supervisor or employee who discriminates against a state employee or prospective employee in violation of the law or this standard of conduct shall be subject to appropriate disciplinary action, ranging from reprimand to termination."
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On the House of Delegates floor this afternoon, Dels. Joseph D. Morrissey, D-Henrico, and David L. Englin, D-Alexandria, called on the governor to send a bill to the General Assembly before it adjourns on Saturday to add sexual orientation as a protected class in the state code. Just this week, the Republican-majority House refused to act on a tabled bill that would have added that protection to the state code. . . . At Virginia Commonwealth University, meantime, more than 1,000 people turned out to protest Cuccinelli's opinion.
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The Virginian Pilot is also carrying the story. Here are highlights from that coverage:
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In a strongly worded edict, Gov. Bob McDonnell today instructed state agencies not to discriminate against gay and lesbian workers during the hiring process or in the workplace.
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His directive comes in the wake of a recent firestorm ignited after Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli wrote to Virginia college and university officials telling them they lack the legal authority to adopt employment policies with protection for gay workers.
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While McDonnell's missive takes a strong stand on Virginia's non-discrimination posture, it doesn't carry the weight of law, as an executive order does.
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Earlier Wednesday, Sen. Tommy Norment tacked a sexual orientation amendment onto an economic development bill from the McDonnell administration as it passed out of the Senate Finance Committee. The James City County Republican altered legislation that would give the governor greater flexibility to offer financial incentives to attract companies to Virginia.
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It is widely viewed as vehicle to recruit defense giant Northrop Grumman, which is considering Virginia as a site for a new headquarters.
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Inasmuch as the question of the strength of an Executive Order is now pending before the Virginia Supreme Court, equality advocates need to insist on legislative action. The irony, of course, if this happens will be that Cuccinelli's overreaching with the backing of The Family Foundation might prove to be the undoing of The Family Foundation's anti-gay agenda. Here is the text of McDonnell's Directive:
A Reminder to Hampton Voters - Meet Chris Stuart Tomorrow
Click image to enlarge.I posted previously about a friend, Chris Stuart, who is throwing his hat in the ring and running for Hampton City Council. Chris is kicking off his campaign tomorrow and I encourage Hampton residents and voters to try to attend. We need people on City Council who will genuinely represent ALL members of the community. Chris is one such person. The boyfriend and I hope to see readers there tomorrow. The details are set forth on the flyer above.
Anti - Bob McDonnell/Ken Cuccinelli Revolt Continues
If we were not talking about the potentially severe negative impact that their actions will have on the lives of LGBT Virginians, it would be almost comical observing the pile of poop that Bob McDonnell and Ken Cuccinelli (pictured at left) have stepped in during their quest to keep religious based discrimination against LGBT citizens alive in Virginia. In an earlier post I noted that the Virginia Pilot had slammed McDonnell for his actions. Joining in that condemnation are the Washington Post and the Daily Press in their editorials pages today. Adding to the fun is an indication from the President of William and Mary that he thinks Cuccinelli can shove his letter. First, here are highlights from the main editorial in the Washington Post:*
IN A MARCH 4 missive to state colleges and universities, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II (R) argued that the schools had overstepped their legal bounds by enacting nondiscrimination policies that include protections for sexual orientation. . . . Translation: Discrimination is alive, well and now encouraged in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
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[C]olleges and universities traditionally have been given broad leeway to set policy. These schools have been havens for inclusive policies that often go hand-in-hand with academic freedom. It's sad and telling that as one of his earliest acts in office, the attorney general would actively reach out to enable discrimination. His opinion would, in the words of a former governor and current senator, Mark R. Warner (D-Va.), "hurt the ability of our colleges and universities to attract the very best faculty, staff and students and [would] damage the Commonwealth's reputation for academic excellence and diversity."
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If legislators did their jobs, the attorney general's well-known views on the evils of homosexuality would become quaint artifacts instead of the arbiter of policy for what has been, until now, a first-class system of higher education.
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Adding to the punches to McDonnell and Cuccinelli is a column in today's Newport News based Daily Press - Newport News is the home of Northrop Grumman's immense Newport News Shipbuilding facility. If McDonnell is supposed to be the "new kind of Republican," the nation at large needs to take note. Here are some highlights:
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If you think Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's directive to public colleges and universities to remove protections for gay and lesbian employees is an aberration — it's not. If you expect Gov. Bob McDonnell to rein him in — he won't.
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Why? Because it fits in fine with McDonnell's utopian vision of a Virginia where women don't work, gays don't exist, there's no sex outside marriage, birth control is a contradiction in terms, every pregnancy is planned and perfect, and Mommy and Daddy stay together forever and ever. McDonnell laid out that vision in his infamous master's thesis at televangelist Pat Robertson's Regent University in 1989. And — while he tries to distance himself from his ideology during campaigns — once he's in office, the proof always returns to the pudding.
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Not quite three months in, McDonnell's already hauled it out of the closet, shaken it off and run it up the flagpole. All on his own, he erased protections for gay and lesbian state employees. He announced he supports denying state funds to Planned Parenthood. Now his AG has declared for no good public reason that public institutions can't protect employees based on "sexual orientation," "gender identity," etc.
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Local college officials want to study the letter before responding, but students are weighing in via social networks and a rally planned for today in Richmond. A Facebook page by College of William and Mary students in Williamsburg drew 1,368 members by Tuesday and vows: "This generation will not back down." Unfortunately, this generation is not in charge.
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Cuccinelli's letter, in fact, drew support from the conservative Family Foundation, . . . In an e-mail to supporters, the group lamented any "forced acceptance of a lifestyle that many Virginians find antithetical to their faith."Yet its members have no problem using the law to force their lifestyle — bigoted intolerance — on those who consider it antithetical to their own belief system.
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Lastly, there is the message published on the William & Mary website by William & Mary President Taylor Reveley to the W&M College community on Tuesday, March 9, 2010. Here are highlights:
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For now, let’s be clear that William & Mary neither discriminates against people nor tolerates discrimination on our campus. Those of us at W&M insist that members of our campus community be people of integrity who have both the capacity to meet their responsibilities to the university and the willingness to engage others with civility and respect. We do not insist, however, that members of our community possess any other particular characteristics, whether denominated in race, religion, nationality, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other of the myriad personal characteristics that differentiate human beings. We certainly do not discriminate against people on such grounds, or tolerate discrimination against them. . . . This is not going to change.
Jon Stewart Gaywatch - Virginia Edition
Our august Governor Bob "Taliban Bob" McDonnell may be deluding himself into thinking that his recent anti-gay actions (with icing on the cake provided by AG Ken "Wingnut" Cuccinelli) is not hurting Virginia's image worldwide, but he's mistaken. Perhaps Victoria Cobb at The Family Foundation gave him one too many glasses of Kool-Aid. But among rational, thinking beings Virginia's humiliation is all over the news world, particularly the Internet. But the final proof needed that ought to demonstrate to Taliban Bob is the fact that now he and Virginia have made Jon Stewart's "Gaywatch" on the Daily Show. Now that Virginia is a national laughing stock, one can only wonder what McDonnell and "Cooch" will do for an encore. Here's a clip from the Daily Show:
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| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Gaywatch - Virginia Edition | ||||
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Job well done Bob!! For your next act will you be wearing a clown suit? It would be most appropriate. P.S. I know McDonnell personally and told him about former Congressman Ed Schrock's "problem" some 7 months before Mike Rogers "outed" Schrock. What did McDonnell do? Covered up for Schrock. I guess it's OK to be gay in McDonnell's book as long as one is a closeted far right Republican that votes for anti-gay legislation.
Virginian Pilot Slams McDonnell on Gay Rights Failure
Unlike Bob McDonnell and Ken Cuccinelli, some people in the Commonwealth worry about the sensibilities other than the Christo-fascists at The Family Foundation, Pat Robertson's CBN studios, and the wingnuts at Liberty University. Some of those people are on the editorial board of the Virginian Pilot - hardly my idea of a stellar newspaper, but with a large circulation by Virginia standards - and they are displeased with Mr. McDonnell and are fearful of what his theocratic regime may do to Virginia. Most business leaders are not Christian Right extremists (I'll address one exception, potential 2nd District Congressional GOP candidate, Scott Rigell in a later post) and college and university faculty most definitely typically are not. As a result, a Bible centered administration is likely to be regarded as down right frightening. Particularly, if one is gay or gay friendly. Sadly, Bob McDonnell cannot see beyond the script handed to him by The Family Foundation. Here are highlights from the Pilot's main editorial give McDonnell a dressing down:*
McDonnell has adopted an equal opportunity policy that prohibits "discrimination for any reason." It doesn't actually say gay workers are included in those protections, but everyone knows that's what the governor means because he said so. However, the policy covers only about 30 people.
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But those policies don't cover the vast majority of Virginia's 103,000 state employees. They don't prevent a forensic lab technician from being rejected if she asks about domestic partnership benefits during a job interview. They don't protect a museum employee from being assigned menial tasks because of his sexual orientation.
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McDonnell refused to sign an executive order guaranteeing workplace protections to gay state employees. . . . His passive posture on job discrimination would be troubling enough if he were leaving the fate of state workers in the hands of hundreds of individual agency heads. But it's an embarrassment for McDonnell to look on helplessly as Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli bullies colleges and universities that have retained workplace protections in place for at least eight years.
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This is not only an issue of fairness; it's also relevant to McDonnell's core mission of job creation. Universities often are important players in economic development packages. James Guyette, president and chief executive officer of Rolls-Royce North America Inc., cited a research partnership with the University of Virginia as a key reason his company selected Prince George County over locations in seven other states for an aircraft engine plant three years ago. If Cuccinelli succeeds in chasing talented academics who happen to be gay out of Virginia, their loss will reverberate beyond any one campus.
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McDonnell must decide whether it's more important to pacify his political base or to run an effective state government and attract jobs to Virginia. If a nondiscrimination policy is good for his gubernatorial staff, it should be good for all state workers.
Virginia Republicans On Verge of Mass Suicide?
Despite the recent set backs in civil rights in Virginia at the hands of religious extremists Gov. Bob McDonnell and Attorney General Ken "I'm crazy as a loon" Cuccinelli, there are some who see these events as the run up to mass suicide on the part of Virginia Republicans. Apathetic voters allowed McDonnell and the Cooch to win, but their actions in just two months ate shocking many Virginians into opening their eyes to the price of apathy. The situation is also hopefully waking up Democrats to the fact that they need to give their base a reason to get out and vote based on something more than political party affiliation. Bad things happen when good people stand by and do nothing - and when voters are too lazy to get themselves to the voting booth. The blog Not Larry Sabato looks at the possible future in Virginia that just possible McDonnell and Cuccinelli will inadvertently help usher in. Particularly because time and demographics are not on the GOP's side long term. Here are some highlights: *
One of the main reasons I launched this blog as a watcher of the House races in 2005 was the fraud of the House Democratic Caucus that was making Democrats believe that they were making a serious push at the majority while never doing the data mining, candidate recruitment or targeting needed to make a serious push at the majority.
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In 2011 that's about to change for the first time, and it's not because the Democrats have improved. It's because the Republicans are committing massive group suicide in the key swing seats across the Commonwealth.
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The constitutional amendment banning gay marriage passed 58-42, an easy margin for sure. But that margin was driven by a huge crossover vote in rural communities across the state. Take Buchanan County in far Southwest Virginia- Jim Webb won 56-44 but the marriage amendment passed 90-10. In other words four of five Democratic voters in Buchanan joined almost every Republican in voting to pass this amendment. But those same rural areas of Virginia are losing population and legislative seats every 10 years to urban and suburban Virginia- continuing next year when the "urban crescent" is estimated to pick up another four seats from rural Virginia.
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So let's look at what happened with this amendment in suburbia. It was a complete and utter disaster that underscored a huge developing rift in the GOP. Sure, liberal places like Arlington County saw a pro-gay marriage vote that outpolled Jim Webb in 35 of 49 precincts. But the trend wasn't just in liberal areas- it continued throughout the highest income areas in Northern Virginia. In high income areas like McLean, Mt. Vernon and Clifton the pro gay-marriage vote again outpolled Jim Webb. The trend continued into the Richmond area. In the three Republican districts in the west end of Henrico County (Three Chopt, Brookland and Tuckahoe) gay marriage outpolled Jim Webb in 46 of 50 precincts! The trend continued in the west end of the City of Richmond where Ward One saw every single precinct voting in greater numbers for gay marriage than for Webb.
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The time since this vote has continued to move Virginia leftward on social issues like gay marriage as three more years of the obituary page filled with older voters have been removed from the voter rolls and replaced with three more years of young voters who overwhelmingly hate these divisive and stupid issues. This is why Bob McDonnell worked so hard to deemphasize these type of issues in his campaign for Governor. And now thanks to Ken Cuccinelli's letter last week telling colleges they can and should have policies that allow for gay employees to be fired for that reason alone- this issue is going to swing right back on the GOP in 2011. Making it even worse for Republicans is they went on record in the full House to kill a proposal preventing this two weeks ago.
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The problem the GOP is running into here is not that gay rights is popular statewide (the 06 amendment would still pass today- although by a slightly smaller margin) but that the strength of that support is in areas of the Commonwealth that are losing population and legislative representation while the rest of the state has a large majority looking onto this activity with repulsion.
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In short, it looks like Republicans have figured out a way to put their House majority in jeopardy for the first time since taking it in 1999- something House Democrats have been too inept to do on their own.
One of the main reasons I launched this blog as a watcher of the House races in 2005 was the fraud of the House Democratic Caucus that was making Democrats believe that they were making a serious push at the majority while never doing the data mining, candidate recruitment or targeting needed to make a serious push at the majority.
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In 2011 that's about to change for the first time, and it's not because the Democrats have improved. It's because the Republicans are committing massive group suicide in the key swing seats across the Commonwealth.
*
The constitutional amendment banning gay marriage passed 58-42, an easy margin for sure. But that margin was driven by a huge crossover vote in rural communities across the state. Take Buchanan County in far Southwest Virginia- Jim Webb won 56-44 but the marriage amendment passed 90-10. In other words four of five Democratic voters in Buchanan joined almost every Republican in voting to pass this amendment. But those same rural areas of Virginia are losing population and legislative seats every 10 years to urban and suburban Virginia- continuing next year when the "urban crescent" is estimated to pick up another four seats from rural Virginia.
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So let's look at what happened with this amendment in suburbia. It was a complete and utter disaster that underscored a huge developing rift in the GOP. Sure, liberal places like Arlington County saw a pro-gay marriage vote that outpolled Jim Webb in 35 of 49 precincts. But the trend wasn't just in liberal areas- it continued throughout the highest income areas in Northern Virginia. In high income areas like McLean, Mt. Vernon and Clifton the pro gay-marriage vote again outpolled Jim Webb. The trend continued into the Richmond area. In the three Republican districts in the west end of Henrico County (Three Chopt, Brookland and Tuckahoe) gay marriage outpolled Jim Webb in 46 of 50 precincts! The trend continued in the west end of the City of Richmond where Ward One saw every single precinct voting in greater numbers for gay marriage than for Webb.
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The time since this vote has continued to move Virginia leftward on social issues like gay marriage as three more years of the obituary page filled with older voters have been removed from the voter rolls and replaced with three more years of young voters who overwhelmingly hate these divisive and stupid issues. This is why Bob McDonnell worked so hard to deemphasize these type of issues in his campaign for Governor. And now thanks to Ken Cuccinelli's letter last week telling colleges they can and should have policies that allow for gay employees to be fired for that reason alone- this issue is going to swing right back on the GOP in 2011. Making it even worse for Republicans is they went on record in the full House to kill a proposal preventing this two weeks ago.
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The problem the GOP is running into here is not that gay rights is popular statewide (the 06 amendment would still pass today- although by a slightly smaller margin) but that the strength of that support is in areas of the Commonwealth that are losing population and legislative representation while the rest of the state has a large majority looking onto this activity with repulsion.
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In short, it looks like Republicans have figured out a way to put their House majority in jeopardy for the first time since taking it in 1999- something House Democrats have been too inept to do on their own.
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