Dylann Roof’s Racist Manifesto: A Reflection of Right-wing American Politics

Former GOP Senator George Allen and CCC  - click image to enlarge

FRC President Tony Perkins with CCC

The horrific shootings at Emanuel AME Church last week and the political dancing that is going on surrounding the Confederate flag continue to dominate much of the political blogosphere and news outlets.  Some on the right are still trying to pretend that racism and easy access to guns had nothing to do with the act of domestic terrorism.  Others such as bloggers at Bearing Drift, a right wing Virginia political blog, are trying to depict demands for the removal of the Confederate flag as "scapegoating symbols."  Still others are going ballistic over Gov. Terry McAuliffe's call that the flag be removed from Virginia vanity license plates for the Sons of Confederate Veterans - see comments on the piece about McAuliffe's action at the Richmond Times Dispatch.  In the last analysis, they all come down to largely the same thing: far right Republicans and their allies are trying to dodge responsibility for their role in fostering a climate of hate and division.  While some of Dylann Storm Roof's "manifesto" is clearly crazy, a significant part is in keeping with the messaging of more-or-less mainstream racist GOP politicians and "family values" leaders some of whom happily appeared at Council of Conservative Citizens events.  A piece in Salon looks at the unsettling similarities.  Here are excerpts:

[W]hat’s fascinating and disturbing about Dylann Roof’s rant about politics, race and violence: Half of it is nuts, and about half of it could come from a more-or-less mainstream racist politician of the Jesse Helms or Lee Atwater school.

It gives the lie to the ruling conservative meme that Roof was just a loan wacko with no affinities with the white-militia movement that the respectable right has tried to keep offstage. It also shows how the accused killer of nine in a Charleston church has roots in weird ideas that are part of even the think-tank culture of the right: Roof’s manifesto is a kind of distorted, funhouse-mirror reflection of Tea Party-era conservative white America’s core beliefs, and it shares the ahistorical way many conservatives deal with race.

To be clear: Not every conservative, nor even every Southern white conservative, is a racist — not even close. But let’s look closely at what this man is arguing and spot the disturbing parallels [with Roof's statements].  

1. Trayvon Martin was a dangerous thug and George Zimmerman was right to kill him.

2. Law and order in this country is threatened by dangerous, murderous blacks.  

3. Blacks are obsessed with race; they won’t stop talking about it.  

4. Slavery was not so bad.  

5. Segregation was not so bad, either.  

6. Black people are intellectually inferior. 

Now, just about all of this stuff sounds pretty extreme when coming from Dylann Roof, . . . .  But they’ve all, in some form or another, been heard in establishment or mainstream parts of the U.S. conservative movement. The George Zimmerman defense, which was supported by many conservative talking heads, has its roots in the larger “blacks threaten law and order” belief, an outgrowth of the GOP Southern strategy that dominated Republican politics for decades — the patrician George H.W. Bush (with Atwater’s help) struck gold there with his Willie Horton ad. 

The slavery-was-not-so-bad idea, which is the premise of “Gone With the Wind,” has been a mainstay of the sentimental brand of Southern “Lost Cause” culture for a very long time. Bring-back-segregation was uttered by Southern racist politicians, from Strom Thurmond to Trent Lott, who was Senate majority leader – one of the most powerful people in Washington – until he praised segregation a bit too publicly. And so on.

The blacks-are-intellectually-inferior meme goes way back, of course, but was still considered a legitimate enough insight to bring Charles Murray, who is still active and influential, a substantial career as an intellectual of the think-tank right after his book “The Bell Curve.”

And how about his larger ahistorical read of the American present? It’s true there are a lot of black Americans who are poor, who live in rough areas and do what people in rough areas do, and whose nuclear families are incomplete. Funny how it happens when you throw a group of people in chains, toss them in the hold of a ship, shatter families, beat them until they work and don’t let them own anything, keep them from voting or owning land or going to good schools even after they are free. Economic inequality, a result of institutional racism, is the legacy of the work of legal slavery and of the legal segregation that followed.

Roof, perhaps, is not smart enough to grasp this. But what’s disturbing is the way some of his rancid ideas have been floating in and out of political discourse for decades and longer — and they won’t necessarily die with his ugly manifesto.

Judge Who Thinks Being Gay Is a "Choice" to Help Preside Over AG Recount

As long time readers know, my divorce after coming out was a nightmare.  Frighteningly, one of the judge in my case - who opined that being gay is a "choice" - has been tapped by the Virginia Supreme Court to be part of the three judge panel that will oversee the recount in the Virginia Attorney General race recount.  I for one, will NOT be sleeping better at night while this recount remains unfinished knowing that this judge is involved.  The judge in question was first appointed by George Allen and has handed down some questionable rulings (see No.6) - see here as well - in the past.  Here are details from the Virginian Pilot on this, to me, troubling selection:

Circuit Judge Junius P. Fulton III was selected by the Virginia Supreme Court to oversee a fresh tally this month in a contest where Democrat Mark Herring leads Republican Mark Obenshain by 165 votes out of more than 2.2 million cast.

Serving with Fulton are Danville Circuit Court Chief Judge Joseph W. Milam Jr. and Richmond Circuit Judge Beverly W. Snukals, who will sit as chief judge for the recount.

All three were named in an order from Supreme Court Chief Justice Cynthia D. Kinser.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for today in Richmond ahead of a likely mid-December recount, according to the Obenshain campaign.

By law, a three-judge panel, including the Richmond Circuit Court chief judge and two others appointed by the Supreme Court, supervise a recount when candidates for state office are separated by no more than 1 percent of the votes cast for them.

So-called undervotes and overvotes - ballots where voters didn't select a candidate for each available office or selected more than one in a single contest - will be of particular interest to the candidates' attorneys.

Fulton is a former Norfolk School Board member who, like Kinser, was appointed to the bench by Gov. George Allen.

Justice Kinser - a former law school classmate - was also appointed by George Allen who was a darling of the far right.  When I argued before the Virginia Supreme Court on behalf of Michael Moore who was fired by the Virginia Museum of Natural History, Justice Kinser struck me as incensed that I  described what had happened to Michael Moore as religious based discrimination.  To be candid, I will not feel comfortable with Judge Fulton on the recount panel.

Jennifer Rubin: Cuccinelli’s Got Problems

Meanwhile, the debate continues as to whether or not the drastic drop in the public view of the Republican brand is part of the reason that GOP gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli appears to be tanking in the polls.  Personally, I suspect that most of Cuccinelli's problems trace right back to Cuccinelli himself: his corruption - think money from Star Scientific and Consol Energy - and his scary religious extremism and extreme positions on social issues, including his anti-gay and anti-women jihads.  Jennifer Rubin is a conservative columnist who I generally dislike, but of late she seems to have been zeroing in on the systemic problem of today's GOP and the problems that Cuccinelli has created for himself through his slavish obedience to hate merchants at The Family Foundation and knuckle dragging climate change deniers.  Rubin has let loose on Cuccinelli in a blog post.  Here are excerpts:

Last night I received a recorded phone message from a group called the Tea Party Patriot Fund. In the guise of a poll, the ad for Republican gubernatorial nominee Ken Cuccinelli II asked if I supported the giant tax hike  by the “current governor” (alluding to the sales tax hike to pay for transportation) and whether I favored Medicaid expansion. The ad is noteworthy in several respects.

It was, like nearly all of Cuccinelli’s campaign (and this was a third-party ad, which cannot be coordinated with the candidate), entirely negative. The message is that Democrat Terry McAuliffe will raise taxes and expand Medicaid. Unfortunately for Cuccinelli, he’s managed to push down McAuliffe’s numbers but not raise his own, leaving McAuliffe the least-horrible choice for many voters.

In addition, this group doesn’t think that the transportation bill is popular. In fact, polling says it is, and, moreover, Cuccinelli hasn’t run on repealing it. (Had he done so, perhaps those fiscal conservatives wouldn’t be considering Sarvis). It’s part of the confusion about Cuccinelli — will he try to make the law work or seek to scuttle it?

And finally, telephone ad arguments against McAuliffe are weak. The House of Delegates is overwhelmingly Republican and the state Senate is evenly divided, neither of which is likely to change much in the November election. What are the chances the legislature will vote to raise taxes or to expand Medicaid? Not large. . . . .

One thing that would not have helped[Cuccinelli]  — although hard-line conservatives are brushing up this excuse — would have been to run harder on the social issues. He is already losing big in areas (Northern Virginia) and with groups (e.g. younger voters, women) who think he’s too extreme on social issues. Unlike Gov. Bob McDonnell (R), who didn’t run on social issues and was able to win Northern Virginia and the women’s vote, Cuccinelli has been unable to escape being tagged as an extremist on these issues. On TV in Northern Virginia, you get one anti-Cuccinelli ad after another, most emphasizing his stance on contraception, abortion, etc.

Sometimes the voters do stumble upon a truthful, general proposition, even if they don’t have all the particulars exactly right. Cuccinelli is a very aggressive, confrontational politician who deeply believes in his positions on social issues, which are generally to the right of most voters in the most-populous areas of the state. That’s a fundamental problem with his candidacy.
Some say he’s “old Virginia” (akin to rock-ribbed conservatives like former Gov. George Allen, who held office 20 years ago) in a “new Virginia” (more diverse, tolerant, moderate, more residents not born in-state). If he does lose (which seems likely), that will be as good an explanation as any.

I find it ironic that some in the GOP are trying to say Cuccinelli is another George Allen.  George Allen - who was a law school classmate of mine who I spent an enjoyable evening with at our 20th alumni reunion - had his issues.  But he was never, ever has been the insane extremist that defines Cuccinelli.  Cuccinelli owes his gubernatorial nomination to The Family Foundation - an extreme far right Christian organization that seeks a theocracy and forced conformity with Christofascists beliefs - and Cuccinelli is one of these true believers.  More and more Virginians seem to be figuring this out and find the prospect of a Governor Cuccinelli to be nothing less than frightening.

Ken Cuccinelli Picks Anti-Abortion Group Over Virginia Teachers Union

Would be Virginia governor Ken "Kookinelli" Cuccinelli continues to show his true extremist colors by snubbing the Virginia Education Association ("VEA") and instead speaking before anti-abortion extremists.  Even if one doubts they will secure the VEA's endorsement, historically, candidates at least make appearances at the VEA candidate forum and seek to come off as willing to listen to the views of the organization and its members - even my lunatic former classmate, George Allen attended when he was a candidate.  But not Kookinelli who through a spokesperson described the VEA event "labor boss soiree."  The Washington Examiner looks at the situation.  Here are highlights: 

Virginia Attorney General and Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli skipped an invitation Thursday to meet with the state's largest teachers union to appear instead in front of an anti-abortion summit in Washington that's being organized by his largest campaign contributor.

Republican and Democratic gubernatorial candidates dating back to former Gov. George Allen two decades ago have spoken at the Virginia Education Association's candidate forum, where the organization weighs who to endorse. Democrat Terry McAuliffe spoke and took questions at Thursday's gathering in Hampton.

Cuccinelli passed on the teachers' group to attend the Susan B. Anthony Campaign for Life Gala and Summit. He joined Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, on a panel titled "Protecting the Conscience of Pro-Life Taxpayers." The Susan B. Anthony List has already committed $1.5 million to help Cuccinelli in this year's governor race against McAuliffe.

Cuccinelli spokeswoman Anna Nix wrote off the VEA event as a "labor boss soiree."

Cuccinelli's speech also came a day before the Virginia State Board of Health met to approve tough new regulations for abortion providers that the attorney general had a heavy hand in influencing. Susan B. Anthony List put out a call to supporters Thursday to speak at Friday's meeting and pressure the board to pass the new rules.

VEA President Meg Gruber said she was disappointed Cuccinelli skipped the forum.

"The VEA seeks the best candidate for Virginia's schoolchildren," Gruber said, "and we think everyone benefits when candidates state their views on public education formally and explicitly."

Virginians, especially the women of the Commonwealth need to start opening their eyes to just how extreme Kookinelli is in fact and how his goal is to control their bodies.  As his sodomy law appeal disclosed and his support for voter ID laws shows, he's surely no friend to LGBT Virginians or minority voters.  The man is a menace who needs to be defeated come November.

Washington Post: Kaine Leads Over Allen 51% to 44%

Besides intensely hoping that Barack Obama prevails over Mitt"I'm A Liar" Romney on November 6th, I very much want to see my former classmate, George Allen, go down to defeat to Democrat Tim Kaine.  As noted before, George Allen's plan for America has changed little since he was first elected to the U.S. Senate 12 years ago even though the world and America's circumstances have changed markedly during the intervening years.  Allen still believes in large tax cuts for the wealthy, drastic cuts to social programs, blind fealty to Christianist extremists, and a subtle form of racism that is far too prominent in the Republican Party of Virginia.  In sharp contrast Tim Kaine - who I also know personally - understands that pushing recycled versions of failed GOP policies doesn't serve either Virginia's or the nation's best interests.  Here are highlights from the Washington Post on Kaine's continued lead in the polls over George "Macaca" Allen:

Timothy M. Kaine enters the final days of Virginia’s U.S. Senate contest with a clear advantage over George Allen, a new Washington Post poll shows, keeping an edge despite a tightening presidential race and an avalanche of outside spending against the Democrat.

Kaine (D) leads fellow former governor Allen (R) among likely Virginia voters, 51 to 44 percent, nearly unchanged from the 51 to 43 margin the Democrat enjoyed in the Washington Post’s mid-September poll. While that survey showed the Senate race mirroring the presidential — Kaine and President Obama held identical 8-point leads — Kaine is now in a stronger position than his party’s standard-bearer.

The two men have raised nearly $30 million combined, and more than $40 million has been poured into the race by outside groups — the most of any non-presidential race in the country, according to the Center for Responsive Politics — with the majority coming from Allen’s allies.

Kaine’s lead is fueled by a continued strong showing among women voters and voters in the Northern Virginia suburbs closest to the District, and comes despite growing advantages for Allen among whites and seniors. Kaine enjoys a 12-point edge on the question of which man would do a better job working with the other party on Capitol Hill — a focal point of Kaine’s message.

59 percent of likely voters say Obama was not a factor either way in their choice for Senate, while 25 percent say they would use their Senate vote to express support for the president and 13 percent say they wanted to express opposition.

Kaine has a seven-point lead on the question of which man better understands the economic problems of Virginians, and also has a 12-point advantage on which candidate is “the more friendly and likable person.”

Overall, Kaine is viewed favorably by 57 percent of likely voters and unfavorably by 33 percent. Allen’s rating is 50 percent favorable, 37 percent unfavorable.

 

The gender gap in the race continues to widen, with Kaine leading among women by 18 points and Allen holding a narrow four-point edge with men. Allen has the backing of 56 percent of white likely voters, while Kaine is supported by 77 percent of non-whites, including 86 percent of African Americans.

Ken Cuccinelli: Missing in Action on Voter Fraud But Actively Anti-Gay

Virginia Attorney General Ken "Kookinelli" Cuccinelli continues to be a sweetheart of the objective reality untethered far right but when it comes to acting to stopping real voter fraud, Kookinelli is missing in action.  But never fear, Kookinelli is on the front lines when it comes to beating the drum of homophobia and doing all in his power to subvert the constitutional rights of LGBT Americans, be assured that Kookinelli will be there on bells on.  

 

First, it is informative to look at a piece in Not Larry Sabato that focuses on a situation of continuing voter fraud in Virginia where voter registration forms have mysteriously disappeared only to reappear after filing deadlines - or after election day in 2012.  If one believes the Republican Party of Virginia, one of the biggest threats to democracy is voter fraud.  Hence one would expect Kookinelli to be jumping to action.  But wait. Who is engaged in voter fraud and disenfranchisement activities?  Republicans, of course.  Hence Kookinelli is conveniently suffering from total blindness.  Here are some highlights concerning very disturbing events in Harrisonburg, Virginia, that involve Republicans Debbie Logan (pictured at right) and Suzanne Obenshain, the wife f a GOP state Senator :

Last week, after Colin Small was arrested in Harrionburg the national media began paying attention to the voter fraud issue and how it might impact this election in Virginia.  Here's the dirty secret about Virginia politics.  Yes, there are many areas of the state where voter fraud incidents are rare and elections are generally run well. There are also areas of the state, where elections always seem to have problems, suspicious activity and other irregularities. In fact, Harrisonburg where this scandal started is the voter fraud capital of Virginia.

[R]egistrars like Debbie Logan in Harrisonburg who didn't want college students to register have since made it as difficult as possible.  In fact in 2008 there was a massive irregularity in Harrisonburg.  
Students supporting Barack Obama dropped off one group of registration forms at the office.  Somehow those forms left the office, made their way over 100 miles to Richmond, where someone mailed them back to the office AFTER the registration deadline.

 [T]he forms disappear from the office, reappear in another city, get mailed in after the deadline from a fake address, and the registrar's son - who lives in that city where the forms ended up- starts calling people, lying about who he is, falsely identifies himself the same way the forms were falsely misaddressed and tries to threaten those who were upset about the situation.
 
Not only did the registrar or her son not get charged with a crime- but Debbie Logan is still the registrar in Harrisonburg today.

Who supervises Debbie Logan?  Members of the electoral board- including one of Debbie's good friends- Suzanne Obenshain- wife of the local Republican State Senator (and Attorney General hopeful for 2013), Mark Obenshain.  Suzanne served as a member during this whole 2008 debacle with the voter forms, until mid 2011, when the General Assembly passed a new law that said electoral board members could not be related to candidates or officeholders in their area.  That bill passed the Senate 39-0 with Sen. Obenshain abstaining.  Ms. Obenshain did nothing to remove Logan- her friend- after this 2008 debacle.

With the national press circulating, Logan is doing all she can to protect the GOP.  Her office has not finished processing all the voter registrations that came in before the deadline, and she told Ryan Nobles of NBC12 that she may not finish for two weeks.  This was on the 19th, meaning Logan may not be able to tell us who is- or is not- registered to vote until as late as November 2nd- the Friday before election day.

In other words- if your registration was destroyed, Logan won't even be able to tell you until it is too late to challenge it.

What has Kookinelli - who has not hesitated in injecting himself and the Attorney General's office into all matter of issues and lawsuits dear to the far right done to address obvious instances of voter fraud and illegal disenfranchisement?  Nothing.  Nothing at all whatsoever.

But jump to the issue of gay rights, and Kookinelli is as I said on the front lines supporting homophobia, denigrating LGBT citizens, and seeking to subvert the First Amendment of the United States Constitution which guarantees freedom of religion to ALL citizens, not just Christofascists.     Here are highlights from the Washington Blade on Kookinelli's efforts to deprive LGBT citizens of the constitutional rights while engaging in campaign events for Mitt Romney and George Allen, boyh of whom have pldeged to keep LGBT Americans 4th class citizens.:

The Washington Blade has learned Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is scheduled to speak at a rally against same-sex marriage at a Manassas church on Friday.

“He will be addressing the summit at 6 p.m. in Manassas,” said Cuccinelli’s spokesperson, Brian Gottstein, in response to questions about the upcoming gathering at Reconciliation Community Church. “Since the marriage amendment is the law in Virginia, the attorney general was asked to speak about it.”

The Manassas event is the latest of a series of rallies and other gatherings scheduled to take place across the commonwealth on Friday during what organizers have dubbed the Marriage Protection Virginia Bus Tour. Participants are scheduled to attend an early morning rally at Liberty University in Lynchburg before traveling to Richmond, where they are slated to gather at Capitol Square Grounds before eating lunch at a Chick-fil-A restaurant. Afterwards, participants are expected to attend a second rally at the Fredericksburg Prayer Furnace in Fredericksburg before traveling to Manassas.

Gay state Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria) also criticized Cuccinelli for agreeing to speak at the event.  “It’s clearly political posturing to assist divisive figures like [U.S. Senate candidate] George Allen and Mitt Romney,” he told the Blade. “Ken Cuccinelli knows full well that we have an anti-gay marriage amendment that he helped put in the Virginia state constitution. And I don’t know what pretense he’s using, but it doesn’t seem relevant to the economic issues Virginians are facing this year and the recovery Virginia is experiencing under the Obama administration. It’s a diversion, it’s divisive and it’s typical of Ken Cuccinelli. Fair minded people who oppose Ken Cuccinelli and bigotry should volunteer to support the president and [U.S. Senate] candidate Tim Kaine.”

Douche bag is too kind of a label to apply to Kookinelli.   As for the voter fraud issue in Virginia, I increasingly feel as if I am living in some sleazy banana republic of old compliments of the Republican Party of Virginia.. 

Virginian Pilot Endorse Tim Kaine for U. S. Senate

I haven't hidden my belief that George Allen is unfit to be returned to the U. S. Senate.  I've known Allen since 1974, so I have a long range perspective both on his personality and his policies while Governor of Virginia and during his one term in the U. S. Senate before being defeated by Jim Webb six years ago.  Neither Virginia nor the nation as a whole need another term of George Allen in office at any level.  Thankfully, the Virginian Pilot recognizes this reality and has endorsed Tim Kaine (pictured at left) for U. S. Senate.  Among the reasons cited are Allen's own role in rubber stamping the George W. Bush policies that led the nation to a financial melt down in 2008 and the bloated deficit that now saddles the nation.  Here are highlights from the endorsement:

The candidate chosen to succeed Democratic Sen. Jim Webb will need to work closely with other senators and the president - whoever that may be. He must collaborate on solutions that protect the national interest without sacrificing Virginia's.

That leaves the following as the most instructive question voters can ask before casting a ballot on Nov. 6: Which candidate would work effectively in Congress with Republicans and Democrats, with President Barack Obama or with a President Mitt Romney?  Without a doubt, the answer is Tim Kaine.

Deficit reduction is his priority, and he has advocated a compromise that includes discretionary spending reductions and a return to pre-2001 tax rates for those making $500,000 or more a year. He supports a common-sense solution to permit the federal government to negotiate prices for prescription drugs covered by Medicare, as it does for those covered by Tricare.

He supports overhauling No Child Left Behind to promote excellence instead of proficiency, and he promises to push for more comprehensive job-training programs that help reintegrate returning military veterans into civilian society.

Kaine is willing and able, unlike his opponent, to discuss in detail his plans on those matters and others critical to people here and across the country.

Many of the fiscal challenges that marked Kaine's tenure as governor - including budget cuts and state employee layoffs - stemmed from irresponsible actions taken by lawmakers in Washington. Then-Sen. George Allen was caught up in all of it.  .  .  .  . 

Allen's record from his single six-year term in the Senate, starting in 2001, is plagued with the kinds of votes that are toxic to any fiscally responsible voter, as well as the candidate Allen now claims to be: authorization for unfunded wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, repeated increases in the federal debt ceiling, "yes" votes to raise his own pay, expansion of an unfunded Medicare drug benefit. The list goes on.

Allen has failed to offer meaningful assurances that he can be trusted not to slip into his old Washington ways if voters send him back to the Senate.  Near the outset of this campaign, Allen signed the Americans for Tax Reform pledge, recklessly promising not to raise taxes or any additional revenue if elected.  Politicians without real convictions pander to voters by signing this pledge.

It's no surprise, then, that Allen utterly fails to engage constituents with any level of specificity, or any credibility. He is a candidate who, after losing to Webb in 2006, went into the political wilderness shaken and emerged for this campaign without the swagger or confidence that once characterized his style. When asked substantive questions, Allen reflexively recites canned talking points.

In a debate this month, Allen cast a long-term energy plan - expanding oil and gas drilling offshore and on land, and increasing coal mining - as an immediate solution to the nation's dire fiscal situation and averting the cuts to defense spending set to kick in next year.  It was a response out of touch with reality and economics, and its incoherence was compounded by his oft-repeated declaration that one of his top priorities is forcing another contentious vote to fully repeal the Affordable Care Act.

These are unserious proposals acceptable only through the lens of politics as sport, which is Allen's specialty. Scorching opponents, freezing out dissent, serving a political "team" before fulfilling a duty to the public - those are the products of such an approach.

The only candidate in this race offering an effective, collaborative approach - and realistic solutions - is Tim Kaine.

The GOP's Anti-Gay Senate Candidates

Click on image to enlarge

As yet further proof in my mind that being gay and being a Republican is akin to being black and supporting the Klu Kux Klan, 12 of the GOP candidates for the United States have certified anti-gay credentials.  Leading the pack is George Allen who continues to slavishly grovel to the nastiest elements in the Christofascist far right both in Virginia and elsewhere around the country.  Equally frightening is Allen's support for a "personhood" amendment that ought to send Virginia women running into the arms of Democrat candidate Tim Kaine.  Think Progress has a run down of the "dirty dozen" as it calls them which ought to be required reading for every LGBT citizen and their families, friends and allies.  Here are some excerpts, starting with the comments on George Allen:

VIRGINIA: former Sen. George Allen (R). In a 1994 radio broadcast, then-Gov. Allen told listeners that he didn’t want his children “even seeing the news of some of these things here, thinking that, this is acceptable behavior.” He added: “I don’t think this is acceptable behavior… and as a matter of government policy I don’t think we should condone that sort of behavior.” In the same broadcast, he praised Virginia’s unconstitutional Crimes Against Nature law –which made private consensual sex between same-sex adults a felony — saying “It’s against the criminal law in Virginia, that homosexual acts are illegal, and I think should stay illegal.” Perhaps unaware that President Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law in 2009, on Allen’s current campaign website he bizarrely promises to “vote against adding sexual orientation to federal hate crimes statutes, as he did in 2005.”

ARIZONA: Rep. Jeff Flake (R).  . . . . He refused to support the 2010 transgender-inclusive version of the bill because he claimed those protections made it “too nebulous” and said he thought gender-identity protections would be “too difficult to implement for business owners to respond to.” Worse, he refused to even adopt a non-discrimination policy against LGBT discrimination for employees in his own Congressional office. After spending a week alone on a deserted island, he told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that he took the trip because he “felt like a pansy.”

 FLORIDA: Rep. Connie Mack IV (R). A May campaign press release touted a “Social Conservatives for Mack Coalition” including several leaders of the 2008 Florida anti-gay marriage amendment proponents’ group. The text slammed Mack’s then-primary opponent for allegedly being “an early and vocal supporter of the gay agenda.”

HAWAII: former Gov. Linda Lingle (R). In 2010, Lingle vetoed a civil unions bill that passed the state legislature, arguing that it was “essentially marriage by another name,” and should be decided by referendum. Making matters worse, she invited LGBT activists to attend her announcement ceremony, only to devastate them with her decision. 

MASSACHUSETTS: Sen. Scott Brown (R). In 2001, he told the Boston Globe it was “not normal” for two women to have children. His comments — focused at then-State Sen. Cheryl Jacques and her domestic partner Jennifer Chrisler — also belittled Jacques’ “alleged family responsibilities.” . . . .  and was one of just three state senators to oppose repeal of a 1913 anti-interracial marriage law that then-Gov. Mitt Romney used to prevent out-of-state same-sex couples from marrying in Massachusetts.

MICHIGAN: Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R). At least nine times, he signed on as a co-sponsor of anti-equality measures including the unconstitutional Defense of Marriage Act of 1996, a proposal to amend the U.S. constitution to prevent states from voluntarily recognizing same-sex unions, and a radical proposal to take away the right of same-sex couples to challenge discriminatory laws in state or federal courts.

 MISSOURI: Rep. Todd Akin (R). He argued on the House floor that marriage is only “about a love that can bear children,” and warned that “anybody who knows something about the history of the human race knows that there is no civilization which has condoned homosexual marriage widely and openly that has long survived.” He called Don’t Ask Don’t Tell repeal “an eclipse of reason” and “the imposition of somebody’s social agenda that they want to impose on the military,” and criticized President Obama’s endorsement of marriage equality as an “unquenchable desire to tear down the traditional family unit brick by brick.”

MONTANA: Rep. Denny Rehberg (R). . . .  At his Senate campaign kickoff, he told supporters: “I will never, ever, ever be ashamed to stand for the life of the unborn child and the sanctity of traditional marriage.”

NEVADA: Sen. Dean Heller (R). In 2006, Heller said on his campaign website that he “supports traditional marriage between one man and one woman and will work to defend Nevada values in Congress.”  . . . .  He has a zero rating from the Human Rights Campaign for his House tenure.  

NEW MEXICO: former Rep. Heather Wilson (R). Throughout her career, Wilson has repeatedly noted that though she tolerates LGBT people, she doesn’t much like having to do so.  . . . . She has also opposed anti-bullying laws, comparing anti-gay bullying to mere “teasing.

OHIO: State Treasurer Josh Mandel (R). Mandel told a Tea Party rally in July that he would “protect the sanctity of marriage,” adding that “this is a fight that I will never, ever back down.”  . . . . . As a state representative, Mandel voted against a bill to made it illegal to discriminate against LGBT Ohioans in hiring, firing, and housing decisions based purely on their sexual orientation or gender identity.

WISCONSIN: former Gov. Tommy Thompson (R). Thompson’s opposition to LGBT equality dates back nearly three decades. In his successful 1986 campaign to for Governor of Wisconsin, he repeatedly pledged to eliminate his predecessor’s Council on Lesbian and Gay Issues. . . .  Thompson was asked whether employers who believe “homosexuality is immoral” should be allowed to fire gay employees. Thompson forcefully responded that “business people have to make their own determination” on whether to fire employees based on sexual orientation.

Taliban Shot Pakistani Teenage Girl for Supporting Girls’ Rights

Meanwhile, the Islamic equivalents of Charlie Fuqua and his Neanderthal knuckle draggers in the Republican Party are putting into action precisely what Fuqua advocates: the Taliban shot and seriously wounded a 14 year old girl in Pakistan for advocating for education of girls.   The Christofascists always take offense, but if they look at the Taliban and Islamic extremists, they are actually looking at a mirror image of themselves: groups that are fighting against modernity and clinging to a perverted version of religion based on writings of authors who were nothing short of ignorant by modern standards.   The Washington Post looks at the shooting of ninth-grader Malala Yousafzai.  Here are some article excerpts:

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — A 14-year-old Pakistani student who won international acclaim for speaking out for girls barred from school by the Taliban was critically wounded Tuesday by a gunman who boarded her school bus, asked for her by name, aimed his pistol at her head and fired, officials said.

The Pakistani Taliban asserted responsibility for the attack on ninth-grader Malala Yousafzai, who gained notice in early 2009 when she wrote a diary about Taliban atrocities under a pen name for the BBC’s Urdu service. Yousafzai lives in Mingora, a city in the scenic northwestern Swat Valley, where Taliban insurgents imposed harsh Islamic law for two years before being routed by a major military operation in May 2009. 

Tuesday’s daylight attack demonstrated the Taliban’s continued ability to infiltrate the area, which adjoins Pakistan’s insurgency-plagued tribal belt.

Many Pakistanis view Yousafzai, who also promoted literacy and peace, as a symbol of hope in a country long beset by violence and despair. In 2011, the Pakistani government awarded her a national peace prize and 1 million rupees ($10,500). 

She also was a finalist last year for the International Children’s Peace Prize, awarded by a Dutch organization that lauded her bravery in standing up for girls’ education rights amid rising fundamentalism when few others in Pakistan would do so. 

Yousafzai was flown by helicopter to a military hospital in Peshawar, where doctors on Wednesday said they removed a bullet lodged near her spine. The girl’s condition was improving, but officials said she had not yet regained consciousness.

Fundamentalist religion remains one of the biggest threats to peace and stability in the world today.  Yet it is to religious extremists little different from the Taliban in terms of their hatred of others - the Christian Taliban - to whom Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan (and George Allen here in Virginia) have sold their souls for political gain.  These religious extremists are frightening and need to be driven into the political wilderness rather than embraced by the Republican Party.

George Allen Stumbles On Abortion Questions

For nearly two decades George Allen has prostituted himself to some of the most extreme elements of the Christian Right, including here in Virginia, The Family Foundation ("TFF") which is affiliated with Focus on the Family and Family Research Council, a SPLC certified hate group.  Yesterday in his debate with Democrat Tim Kaine, Allen's past came back to bite him in the ass and his evasive answers  did little to convince listeners that everything Allen's opponents have been saying about him isn't true.  Even back in our law school days (we were classmates), Allen was a party boy follower who preferred to kiss up to people and avoid independent thought. As a Republican in Virginia that has translated to doing whatever TFF has dictated as if TFF head, Victoria Cobb, were some kind of whip wielding dominatrix.  About the only disingenuous thing Allen did not do was call the moderator a "macaca."  Politico looks at Allen's fumbling debate performance.  Here are highlights:

Republican George Allen is well aware he needs to close the gender gap with women in order to win the Virginia Senate race.    The severity of that challenge was on full display Monday night in his fourth debate with Democrat Tim Kaine.

When asked about proposals in the GOP-led General Assembly’s this year to require an ultrasound before women could get an abortion and to codify that life begins at conception — so-called “personhood” legislation — Allen punted and pivoted.

“Some of those issues are state issues on informed consent,” Allen replied, before shifting to contraceptive access, which was not brought up in the question. “I would never prohibit contraceptives. I think women ought to be able to have access and should be able to have access to contraceptives.”  Allen then said a “personhood” bill would help punish a woman’s attacker who kills or injures an unborn child.

Kaine dubbed the legislature’s attempts a “vivid and horrifying spectacle last year” and made clear Allen wasn’t comfortable addressing the issue.

“When the legislature tried to force women to have an invasive ultrasound proceeding against their will, medically unnecessary, at their own cost, I spoke out against it strongly. George Allen took no position on it,” Kaine charged.

He also hammered home that Allen touted support for a “personhood” amendment on his campaign website, warning that it “could jeopardize FDA-approved birth control.”

A Public Policy Polling survey released Monday showing Kaine ahead had him holding a 12-point advantage among women, 53 percent to 41 percent. His lead among men was pegged at just 2 points.

Ten Races Where Romney/Ryan Could Sink GOP Candidates

With Mitt Romney's flailing campaign and the growing toxicity of Paul Ryan with senior citizens focused on Medicare, the Romney/Ryan ticket is becoming a severe drag on other races and may, indeed, push the GOP candidate to defeat.  Of course, the breath taking extremism of the GOP Party Platform isn't exactly helping a number of these candidates either. Capitol Confidential looks at 10 congressional races where Romney/Ryan may prove to be the kiss of death.  One involves George Allen's quest to regain his lost U.S. Senate seat here in Virginia where Allen is being pummeled for his allegiance to elements of the  GOP platform that includes support for a personhood law that would outlaw abortion and some forms of contraception.  Here are some article highlights:

Mitt Romney’s campaign woes have taken a toll on Republican candidates in Democratic-leaning or swing states.  Polls show that some Republicans who had been running ahead of Democratic opponents have now slipped into tight contests, while others who had been surging around Labor Day have now dropped behind.

The impact of Romney’s struggles is not as evident in heavily Republican states, where President Obama appears to have little or no coattails.  Here are ten elections where Obama’s strength — or Romney’s weakness — could sink Republican nominees:

*** Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown

The freshman Republican shocked the Democratic establishment by winning a 2010 special election for the Senate seat long held by Ted Kennedy, but now he’s suffering from anti-Romney backlash in Mitt’s home state. The GOP presidential candidate, a former Massachusetts governor, is trailing in Bay State polls by as many as 33 percentage points.

*** Connecticut Senate candidate Linda McMahon

Just when Republican Senate candidate Linda McMahon was surging, Mitt Romney’s “47 percent” controversy came along. The former wrestling CEO, who has run a disciplined and well-organized campaign, saw a short-lived lead over Democrat Chris Murphy turn into a small but significant deficit over the past three weeks.

*** Rhode Island House challenger Brendan Doherty

Freshman Democrat David Cicilline is in trouble not because of anything he’s done in Washington, but because of the mess he left behind in Providence. Cicilline, the city’s former mayor, said two years ago that he was leaving the city in excellent condition.. . . . . Cicilline is trying to tie Doherty to the Romney-Ryan agenda, prompting Doherty to tell the Associated Press: ‘‘I am not a part of any radical position. I’m running as Brendan Doherty. I’m my own man.’’ Doherty could be the right candidate in the wrong year.

 *** California Rep. Dan Lungren . . . . .  

the tide has turned and California Republicans are playing defense in a state where President Obama could win by 20 percentage points. Lungren and San Diego Republican congressman Brian Bilbray are the incumbents most likely to be swept away if Romney doesn’t close the gap.

*** Illinois Rep. Bob Dold

Tea Party freshman Bob Dold holds the distinction of representing the most Democratic congressional district currently in Republican hands. Add to that the fact that Illinois is President Obama’s home state and he’s going to win biiiiiiiiiiig there. . . . .Romney’s performance could well determine Dold’s future.

*** Washington state gubernatorial candidate Rob McKenna

The state of Washington is the most Democratic in the nation when it comes to its governorship. No Republican has been elected governor here since 1980. At the outset of this year’s campaign, GOP Attorney General Rob McKenna has a good chance of making history. Recent polls show the race a dead heat and McKenna, a Texas native, leads among independents. But the Democratic tide could help former congressman Jay Inslee keep the Democratic streak alive.

*** Virginia Senate candidate George Allen

Until Romney’s September woes, the Virginia Senate race was the nation’s closest. But recent polls show Democrat Tim Kaine moving ahead of Republican George Allen in a battle of popular former governors. Kaine’s lead mirrors Obama’s — and there are not many Virginians who will split their tickets.

*** Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick

Democrats are working overtime to tie Republican congressman Mike Fitzpatrick to Romney. They are calling the incumbent “mini-Mitt” and “Mike FitzRomney” after he told a Tea Party group that Congress needs people who “sign the front of a paycheck, not the back of the paycheck.” 

*** New York House challenger Chris Collins

Democrat Kathy Hochul won a dramatic upset in a 2011 special election for a western New York House seat surrendered by Republican Chris Lee, whose shirtless photo made him one of the Empire State’s laughingstock lawmakers. (Think Anthony Weiner.) Republicans have a 40,000 voter edge in registration here . . . . With Obama favored to win New York by 20 percentage points or more, Collins could come up short.

*** Arizona Senate candidate Jeff Flake

The tough immigration enforcement law that won the state national admirers and detractors has had one unintended effect: It has strongly motivated Latinos and Democrats to come to the polls in 2012. The result is closer-than-anticipated races both for president and Senate in Arizona. While Romney seems likely to hang on, the prognosis is more iffy for Rep. Jeff Flake . . . . If the bottom falls out on the GOP presidential candidate, however, Carmona could be one of the surprise winners on Nov. 6.

Yes, Romney is a poor candidate pushing a horrible agenda of greed, selfishness, anti-minority, anti-woman and anti-gay extremism.  But, if the bottom falls out for Romney, the real fault will lie with the GOP base which has made it almost impossible for a rational candidate to win the party nomination.

How Virginia Republicans Are Working to Elect Tim Kaine

Increasingly, today's Republicans seem to live in a bubble that keeps them from living in the same world as the rest of us.  Such is particularly the case in Virginia where the Republican Party of Virginia and GOP members of the General Assembly grovel and do the bidding of Victoria Cobb at The Family Foundation as if she were some sort of controlling dominatrix.   As a piece in the New York Times notes, perhaps such servile behavior and allegiance to some of the most extreme elements in Virginia may be about to bite the Virginia GOP in the ass as their far right batshitery helps elect Tim Kaine and defeat George Allen.  What's also telling is that Allen - a former law school classmate of mine - in typical behavior for him hasn't bothered to educate himself as to what some of The Family Foundation backed laws and regulations translate to in reality.  Here some highlights from the Times piece:

Last December, toward the end of an early debate between the Senate candidates in Virginia, George Allen was clearly ill at ease.  .  .  .  . Kaine was in the midst of attacking proposed federal legislation of Allen’s, which declares that life begins at conception. Kaine pointed out that it would make many forms of contraception illegal:

The way a birth control pill works is often to stop a fertilized egg’s embryo from implanting in a woman’s uterus.

Allen’s “personhood” legislation, Kaine said, would

criminalize women’s right to make their own reproductive decisions. That is an intrusive, big government way of coming at a problem that is just exactly the kind of problem that government really can’t solve and shouldn’t be trying to solve.

Kaine’s line of argument appeared to catch Allen off guard.  .  .  .  .   The moderator intervened: “About the contraception question, could you tell us how do you think birth control pills and intrauterine devices work?”

 

Moderator: “Don’t they work by preventing implantation of a fertilized egg?”  Allen: “Well, if the egg is not fertilized there is not conception.”   Fortunately for Allen, the conversation shifted to other subjects.

In February, the Virginia State Senate passed an informed consent law requiring that women seeking an abortion first undergo transvaginal ultrasound, a highly controversial procedure. The reaction in many quarters of Virginia and in the country at large was voiced in an editorial in the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot on Feb. 3:

Inserting something into the vagina of an unwilling woman is a violation in every sense of the word. But not to a majority of Virginia’s Senate.

“In a scarcely veiled effort to make abortion impossible,” the newspaper added, “21 senators used the power of government to do something grotesque.”

Kaine, a social and cultural liberal, who in almost all public polls has now taken a modest lead, has benefitted from the actions of the Republican majority in the both houses of the General Assembly. 

They are not the only Republicans unintentionally helping him. He has also profited from the behavior of Virginia’s Republican governor, Bob McDonnell — who was about to sign the transvaginal probe legislation into law when it blew up into a national issue — and the rulings of Kenneth Thomas “Ken” Cuccinelli II, the Republican state Attorney General. 

The Senate race here has become a testing ground for how far social conservatives can push their agenda — and continue to win elections — in a rapidly changing southern state with a burgeoning population of college-educated voters as well as many more ethnically diverse voters. The controversies in Virginia reflect the potentially explosive political consequences when the more abstract anti-abortion (and anti-gay marriage) provisions of the 2012 Republican Party platform are translated into concrete policies at the state and local level. While Republicans have been successful in recent years across the South, cultural and demographic trends here in Virginia suggest they may be pushing the outer limits.

There is a self-evident truth in contemporary politics: any constituency angered, threatened or fearful of the way the state exercises power is motivated to turn out to vote. The converse rule is: voter turnout declines among those groups whose goals and agendas are protected by those in power.  In Virginia, this means that social liberals are strongly motivated to go to the polls on Nov. 6 to express their opposition to policies supported by Republican state officials.

If Allen loses, it will be a national setback to the anti-tax wing of the Republican Party and a defeat for the Christian right. Both groups will be emboldened if he wins. In other words, the outcome of Kaine vs. Allen will reverberate far beyond Virginia’s borders.

I sincerely hope George Allen goes down to defeat.  He is precisely the type of unthinking puppet to the far right extremists that we do NOT need in the U.S. Senate.

Women Are Key To Virginia Election Races

The latest polls show both Mitt Romney and Tim Kaine leading their GOP opponents.  These numbers in large part are due to the gender gap with women significantly preferring the Democrat candidate over the 11th century loving Republicans.  And both the GOP party platform and the Republican Party of Virginia's anti-woman jihad back in the spring during the last session of the Virginia General Assembly only help to push women away from the knuckle dragging Neanderthals and puppets of Christofascists at The Family Foundation who comprise today's Virginia GOP.  A piece in the Washington Post looks at the role women will play in delivering Virginia this November.  Here are highlights:

In a presidential campaign where women’s issues have taken a more prominent role than many expected, the crucial swing state of Virginia is becoming the Grand Canyon of gender gaps.

A new Washington Post survey indicates that President Obama holds a 19-percentage-point lead (58 to 39 percent) among female likely voters in the commonwealth yet is running six points behind Republican nominee Mitt Romney among men who are likely to vote (50 to 44 percent). That support from women is the reason the president now holds an eight-point advantage overall in Virginia.

This year, however, ginning up female support has become an imperative for Obama in his reelection bid. Across the electoral map, the Obama campaign is banking on women to offset an expected loss to Romney among men.

In few places, if any, does that effort appear to be succeeding as well as it is in the Old Dominion. That is in part a reaction to heavy-handed Republican moves on reproductive issues, but it also reflects an apparent affinity that women feel with Obama on economic concerns.

[T]he gender gap in Virginia is more than twice as big as the national one, according to recent polling. The current numbers mark an even starker contrast from the presidential election four years ago, when men and women in Virginia voted almost identically in favor of Obama.

Support from women is also fueling the rise of Democratic Senate candidate Timothy M. Kaine, who has moved into an eight-point lead over his fellow former governor, George Allen (R). The difference with men, however, is not as pronounced as it is in the presidential race: Kaine has a 15-point advantage over Allen with women, and he is tied with men.

So why do men and women in Virginia see this year’s election so differently?  Democrats and their allies say that it is partly the result of what has happened in Virginia since 2009, including an effort by Republicans in February to require women seeking an abortion to undergo an ultrasound with a vaginal probe. 

Virginia legislators ultimately backed off somewhat, passing a version of the bill that mandated a less intrusive procedure. But that was not until after the controversy had produced a mother lode of material for late-night comedians — and, some believe, cost McDonnell his shot at being Romney’s running mate.

“What’s different this year is that women see all this and say, ‘Oh, my God, they are serious, and they might have the power to do this,’ ” said Dawn Laguens, executive vice president of public policy and advocacy of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. 

In The Post’s Virginia poll, Obama leads Romney by 22 points on women’s issues — his single biggest advantage in the 10 issues tested. More than nine in 10 men and women alike say the economy will be “extremely” or “very important” in their votes, but nearly six in 10 women say social issues, such as abortion and same-sex marriage, will also be a factor. Fewer than four in 10 men are focused on these issues.

It will certainly be ironic if it turns out the The Family Foundation and its GOP puppets through their religious based batshitery end up delivering Virginia to Obama and Kaine.  Now that would be some Divine justice.

New NBC/WSJ/Marist Poll of Virginia Spells Bad News for Romney

A new NBC- Wall Street Journal- Marist poll of Virginia (and Florida and Ohio as well) spells bad news for Mitt Romney.  While I will not stop holding my breath until the results are known on election day night, I suspect that the poll results are an indication that American voters have received the message put out by the GOP and Democrat conventions and that the vision of the GOP - preference for the obscenely wealthy at the expense of the middle class and special rights for racists and religious extremists - simply is not selling well.  At least not outside of those individuals motivated by greed, Christianist extremism, racism and anti-immigrant fervor.  Blue Virginia summarizes the poll results as follows:

1. Barack Obama leads Willard "Mitt" Romney by 5 points (49%-44%) among likely voters, by 7 points (49%-42%) among registered voters. 

2. Tim Kaine and George Allen are tied at 46% each among likely voters, with Kaine ahead by 1 point (46%-45%) among registered voters. I continue to find it fascinating that Obama's doing better against Romney in Virginia than Kaine's doing against Allen. Are there really Obama-Allen voters out there? It seems highly unlikely to me.

3. Obama's got a +10 favorable rating (53%-43%) in Virginia, compared to Romney's +1 favorable (46%-45%) among likely voters. Again, it's even a little better for Democrats when looking at registered voters.

4. Note that this poll does not include Gary Johnson (Libertarian), Virgil Goode (Constitution) or Jill Stein (Green). My guess is that if they were included, it would bump up Obama by another couple points.

P.S. Obama leads in Florida (49%-44%) and Ohio (50%-43%) as well. No wonder why Willard's been flailing around, lashing out, acting like a crazy man, etc. recently.

Obviously, between now and election day it remains critical that undecided voters be educated as to what the GOP vision for the nation would really mean for them once Romney/Ryan lies are stripped away.

Why George Allen is a LGBT Virginian's Worse Nightmare

I've know George Allen, the GOP candidate for U.S. Senate, for just shy of 38 years.  That's when er became classmates in law school at the University of Virginia.  George was always the party boy and ran with a crowd that liked to see itself as macho - something George still does today wearing his cowboy boots.  Now, I have no problem with cowboy boots and own a couple pair myself, but I DO have a problem with those who hold a mindset akin to that of the many rednecks who wear them.  And George is one such individual when it comes to LGBT rights and the treatment of gays in general.  Just as his infamous "macaca" quip revealed his contempt for Indian-Americans (many of whom I have as clients), he has documented his contempt for LGBT Americans.  Think Progress has compiled George's record on LGBT  issues and it should send every LGBT Virginian running to pull the lever for Tim Kaine come election day in November.  Indeed, they should tell all their friends and family to vote the same way.  Here are highlights:

Over his time as Governor of Virginia, in the U.S Senate, and as a candidate:

1. Allen said homosexuality was not “acceptable” and should be “illegal.” In a 1994 radio broadcast, then-Gov. Allen told listeners that he didn’t want his children “even seeing the news of some of these things here, thinking that, this is acceptable behavior.” He added: “I don’t think this is acceptable behavior… and as a matter of government policy I don’t think we should condone that sort of behavior.” In the same broadcast, he praised Virginia’s unconstitutional Crimes Against Nature law –which made private consensual sex between same-sex adults a felony — saying “It’s against the criminal law in Virginia, that homosexual acts are illegal, and I think should stay illegal.”

2. Allen has vigorously fought to stop any recognition for same-sex unions. As Governor, he signed Virginia’s state defense of marriage law in 1997. Allen campaigned for the 2006 state constitutional amendment that banned all state recognition of same-sex unions. He co-sponsored the “Federal Marriage Amendment.” He continues to reaffirm his support for both the unconstitutional Defense of Marriage Act and a federal constitutional amendment, noting “My stand on marriage is clear: I believe that marriage should be between one man and one woman.”

3. Allen opposed Hate Crimes protections for LGBT Americans — and still does. Though he promised in his 2000 Senate campaign that he would support adding sexual orientation to the federal hate crimes law, in 2005 he changed his mind. “I wouldn’t define it as a flip-flop,” his Virginia state director told reporters. Allen’s reasoning? He feared “some courts that would use that as a building block toward civil rights status, which he is opposed to.” In other words, he worries that treating terrorism against LGBT Americans in the same way as the law treats terrorism against other minority groups would be okay if it weren’t for the risk of a slippery slope that might mean LGBT Americans would have other civil rights. Perhaps unaware that President Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law in 2009, on Allen’s current campaign website he bizarrely promises to “vote against adding sexual orientation to federal hate crimes statutes, as he did in 2005.”

4. Allen opposed adding employment protections for LGBT people. Fearing anything that would raise sexual orientation to civil rights “status,” he has never supported the Employment Non-Discrimination Act or other efforts to end anti-LGBT discrimination. In 2004, the Human Rights Campaign listed him as refusing to adopt a voluntary office policy not to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Allen’s civil rights record is not much better for other minority groups–he opposed the Civil Rights Act of 1991 and even voted against making Martin Luther King Day a holiday in Virginia.

5. Allen opposed allowing same-sex couples to raise kids. In his 1994 anti-gay radio tirade, he said he opposes same-sex couples raising kids because it is “not in the best interests of a child to be raised in that environment.” His view has not evolved — last year, an Allen spokesman told Politico that the former Senator has never been a supporter of same-sex couples adopting and that he “agrees with Governor [Bob] McDonnell’s [R] recent decision to keep current adoption regulations in place.” Allen also backed efforts to allow adoption agencies to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. His campaign website notes that he “does not support same-sex couples adopting children.”

6. Allen fought against same-sex couples being eligible for low-interest home loans. As Governor, he backed a restriction preventing the Virginia Housing Development Authority from making low-interest home loans to LGBT families. “Governor Allen doesn’t agree with these relationships and is not going to be advocating these relationships in his administration. This could establish a precedent that could lead to a redefinition of what family is,” an Allen spokesman noted at the time, adding that homosexuality was “basically viewed by the governor as an unnatural relationship.”

7. Allen opposed allowing LGBT servicemembers to serve openly and opposes chaplains conducting same-sex ceremonies. In 2000, he criticized his Senate race opponent’s support for allowing gay and lesbian Americans to serve in the military as “Vermont values.” Allen told the Veterans of Foreign Wars in the same campaign that he opposed using the military for “social experimentations.”

In short, while George may be amusing and entertaining at a cocktail or dinner party, we truly don't need him back in the U.S. Senate.  Sadly, he is all too typical of today's GOP and would strive to take the country backwards in time.  Gays, minorities and women need to understand that George is no friend of equality for all and that he will readily do the bidding of the worse elements of the Christofascist elements of the GOP. 

RNC Delegate Offended By "Mexican" Employee At Disney’s Epcot Center

Click image to enlarge

The racism of today's Republican Party is becoming increasingly obvious despite attempts to do damage control when the true nastiness of party members and candidates is revealed.  A recent GOP convention related racism eruption involved Pennsylvania GOP convention delegate Mark Harris who visited Epcot Center during the convention.  While visiting the United States pavilion, Harris was incensed to find a "Mexican" working in the pavilion (see his blog screen shot above).  He felt that only "Americans" should be working at the the United States pavilion.  The incident underscores the sad fact that in the minds of far too many in today's GOP that if one isn't white, one isn't an American.  The irony, of course, is that Hispanics in parts of the United States are  descendants of those who were residents of those areas long before they were annexed to the United States - e.g., Texas, California, New Mexico, and Arizona - and long before Harris' ancestors arrived in America.  Think Progress has more and here are highlights:

During a trip to Epcot at Disneyworld, Pennsylvania delegate Mark Harris and his wife were shocked and offended to find a Mexican employee working at the amusement park’s American pavilion, which showcases the different cultures in the United States. According to the couple’s blog, Harris complained to staff that he was “highly offended” that a “person from Mexico” was working in the American pavilion when other nations’ pavilions were staffed by people from each respective country.

According to their website, “Mark and Irene are both pro‐life, believe marriage is between one man and one woman, are for open records and transparency, believe in very conservative principles and the Republican platform.”

The RNC has been marred by racist incidents this week; on Tuesday, two delegates had to be escorted out after throwing peanuts at a black camerawoman and called her an “animal.” Harris told the AP at the beginning of the convention that he liked how Romney was “hitting all the conservative bells” and “has the potential to be a great president if he keeps going in that direction.”

It would seem that Harris has been taking lessons from George "Macaca" Allen, the GOP candidate for U.S. Senator here in Virginia.  I was in law school with Mr. Allen and I'm supporting his opponent Tim Kaine - we need a grown up and non-bigot in the U.S. Senate.

George Allen’s Inconvenient Principles

I've known George Allen for a long time.  Since 1974 to be exact when we started law school together.  And it's this long term knowledge and familiarity with his time as one of Virginia's U.S. Senators that make me a committed supporter of George's opponent, Tim Kaine.  Don't get me wrong, George can be wonderful at a dinner party and can party with the best of the good old boys that he likes to mimic.  I'll even go so far as to admit that George is pretty smart.  The problem is that he's lazy and all to ready to do the bidding of others - especially ultra far right factions and Christianists.  Add to that a sense of entitlement that reminds me of that demonstrated by Mitt Romney.  The Washington Post has an editorial that takes on Allen for his new found love of secrecy in campaign funding sources.  One can only assume that George knows full well that if a campaign backer would be found objectionable by Virginia voters, there's no reason to hide their identity.  Here are excerpts from the column:

FOR YEARS, former Virginia senator George Allen said that political contributions should be based on the twin principles of freedom and disclosure — the freedom to give money without limits and full disclosure of those donations. He stressed that money should be given to, and spent by, candidates, not unaccountable outside groups.

Now Mr. Allen, running to regain his old Senate seat, is singing a different song on campaign finance. It can best be summarized as: Whatever!

In swapping principle for opportunism, Mr. Allen is marching in lock step with many fellow Republicans who are profiting politically from a tsunami of television advertising paid for by secretive outside groups. Since the GOP has been more effective than Democrats at raising money through these groups, Republicans such as Mr. Allen have ditched their insistence on disclosure and embraced an anything-goes approach.

The results are stark .   .   .   .   Much of it has been funneled through Crossroads Grassroots Political Strategies, a conservative group led by GOP strategist Karl Rove, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Together, those two groups have placed well over 6,000 television spots on Mr. Allen’s behalf, according to the Campaign Media Analysis Group, an independent monitoring outfit. The cost of those ads to date is variously estimated at $3.5 million to $7 million.

Mr. Allen has been silent in the face of blatantly inaccurate ads attacking Mr. Kaine. One, paid for by Crossroads GPS, claims that the bipartisan budget deal backed last year by Mr. Kaine (as well as the GOP leadership in Congress) would result in draconian defense cuts and job losses in Virginia. In fact, Mr. Kaine has urged Congress to strike an agreement that would avoid deep cuts.

Mr. Allen, tailoring his views to fit his circumstances, now says that keeping deep-pocketed donors’ names secret is all right since they might otherwise be subject to intimidation. Please. Since when have Americans ceased having the courage to stand up publicly for their convictions?

In March, Mr. Kaine proposed that both campaigns agree to limit the influence of secretive outside groups,  .   .   .   . Mr. Allen refused, calling the idea a “gimmick.” The real gimmick is Mr. Allen’s about-face on an issue where he once took a principled stand.