Family of Anti-Gay Senate Candidate Takes Out Ad Against Him

It is pretty bad when a candidate's own family members take out a newspaper ad denouncing his anti-gay bigotry.  But that is precisely what nine members of GOP douche bag and U.S. Senate candidate  Josh Mandel (pictured at right) in Ohio have done.  And that's not even getting into the findings of scientific studies that have shown that the loudest homophobes are usually the self-loathing closet cases themselves. The Cleveland Leader looks at this strange and telling circumstance.  Here are highlights:

What does it say about the character of a candidate when he can't even garner the support of his own relatives? This is a question that many Ohioans should be left to ponder, as it has been revealed that Mandel's own family does not support his anti-gay views. In an advertisement taken out in the Cleveland Jewish News, Mandel's wife's cousins published an open letter in which they publicly lambasted him for his stance on same-sex marriages, gays and lesbians serving in the military, and general anti-inclusive beliefs.

The letter read:

Open Letter to Josh Mandel,
Republican 
Candidate for U.S. Senator from Ohio



Dear Josh,

Four years ago you came into our family. We still remember the excitement surrounding your wedding, and how happy our family members were as they described it afterwards. So we were deeply saddened when you announced during your October 18th debate with Senator Sherrod Brown that you believe only some people should share this right to marry the person they love, while others should not.



Your cousins, Ellen Ratner and Cholene Espinoza, are among the many wonderful couples whose rights you do not recognize. They were married almost eight years ago in Massachusetts, at a time when it was the only state in the nation to allow same-sex marriage. Their wedding, like yours, was a beautiful and happy occasion for all of us in our family. It hurts us that you would embrace discrimination against them and countless other loving couples in Ohio and around the country.



We are equally distressed by your belief that gay men and women should not be allowed to serve openly in the military. Like you, Cholene spent many years in the armed forces. A graduate of the Air Force Academy and an accomplished pilot, she became the second woman in history to fly the U-2 reconnaissance plane. And yet, you have argued that she, like many gay and lesbian soldiers, should be forced to live a life of secrecy and lies.



Your discriminatory stance violates these core values of our family. Nevertheless we hope that over time, as you advance in years and wisdom, you will come to embrace the values of inclusiveness and equality as well.



Your cousins,

.

Michael Ratner, Bruce Ratner, Karen Ranucci, Pamela Lipkin, Rebecca 
Ratner, Elizabeth Ratner, Patrick Markee, Jacob Ratner, Ana Ratner

Sadly, like Eric cantor here in Virginia, Mandel seems only too willing to sell out friends and family members in order to prostitute himself to the Christofascists  -  Christofascists who in their hearts hate and detest those of Jewish descent and see individuals like Cantor and Mandel as as means towards Armageddon and the death of most members of the Jewish faith.  With "friends" like these Christiofascists, who needs an enemy?

Conservative Jewish Group Approves Gay Weddings

I continue to believe that anti-gay laws - such as DOMA and DADT before its repeal - and bans on gay marriage are unconstitutional violations of the right to freedom of religion for all, not just Christofascists.  None the less, conservative Christianity continues to enjoy illegal special rights by forcing its religious dogma (one based principally on hate, fear and bigotry) on all of American society.  Adding fuel to the argument that bans on same sex marriage improperly impact on religious freedom of non-Christianists, the Conservative branch of American Judaism has formally approved same-sex marriage ceremonies.   But the Christofascists continue to believe that their beliefs get to trump all others.  It makes me want to vomit.  Here are highlights from Fox News of all places: 

 The Conservative branch of American Judaism has formally approved same-sex marriage ceremonies, nearly six years after lifting a ban on ordaining gays and lesbians.

The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards issued the ruling Thursday on a 13-0 vote with one abstention, said Rabbi Elliot Dorff, the committee chairman. The panel of scholars approved two model wedding ceremonies and guidelines for a same-sex divorce. Rabbis can adapt the marriage ceremonies for the couples.

"We acknowledge that these partnerships are distinct from those discussed in the Talmud as 'according to the law of Moses and Israel,' but we celebrate them with the same sense of holiness and joy as that expressed in heterosexual marriages," the legal opinion states.

Conservative Judaism is the second-largest Jewish movement in North America and holds a middle ground between liberal and traditional groups. The Reform and Reconstructionist branches accept gay relationships, while the stricter Orthodox Jewish movement does not. The Conservative law committee lifted the ban on gay ordination in December 2006.

Called the "Covenant of Loving Partners," the Conservative same-sex marriage document bases the ceremonies on Jewish partnership law. In the covenant, the couple pledges to be faithful. A ring ceremony binds the pair.

"The result is still a Jewish marriage," the legal opinion on gay marriage states.  Dorff, an author of the ruling, said the committee's discussions with gays and lesbians as the ceremonies were developed found a split in opinion that led the two templates for same-sex marriage. One adheres more closely to the traditional Jewish ceremony, while the other doesn't.

Of course we all know what the Christianists and far right evangelicals really think of those of Jewish descent:  their only purpose is to help bring about Armageddon at which time almost all of them will be annihilated.  Thus it baffles me as to why pro-Israel Jews in this country don't grasp the fact that the Christianists are NOT their friends.  In fact, they despise them and only are using them for their own horrid purposes.

Is the GOP Backing Away from Its Assault on Medicare?

The members of the Congressional GOP have been faced with fury and anger at numerous town hall meetings as constituents begin to realize just who is going to get thrown under the bus under the House GOP's deficit plan - and its not going to be the obscenely wealth or big business. Last night, there was a report in the Washington Post that the realization was hitting that the draconian proposal on Medicare was DOA in the Senate - and radioactive with voters - and that a Plan B needed to be developed. The Post reported as follows:

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Senior Republicans conceded Wednesday that a deal is unlikely on a contentious plan to overhaul Medicare and offered to open budget talks with the White House by focusing on areas where both parties can agree, such as cutting farm subsidies.
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On the eve of debt-reduction talks led by Vice President Biden, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (Va.) said Republicans remain convinced that reining in federal retirement programs is the key to stabilizing the nation’s finances over the long term. But he said Republicans recognize they may need to look elsewhere to achieve consensus after President Obama “excoriated us” for a proposal to privatize Medicare.
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Frankly, Eric Cantor is an embarrassment to Virginia and the man doesn't care whether or not the elderly - or at least the non-wealthy elderly - go without needed medical care or if they end up living off of dry dog food in their sunset years. I also do not understand how Cantor who is Jewish aligns himself with the Christianists who in the final analysis are also anti-Semites. I guess in his hunger for power, Cantor will happily work with those who hate him. In any event, now, Huffington Post reports that Cantor is backing away from the position reported by the Washington Post - perhaps under pressure from the loons of the Tea Party and the Christian Right who have ripped out the message of caring for the sick and poor from their Bibles. Here are highlights from HuffPo:
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WASHINGTON -- House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s (R-Va.) office sharply disputed on Wednesday night a report that GOP leaders are abandoning an attempt to dramatically overhaul Medicare as a part of budget negotiations.
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On the eve of bipartisan, bicameral debt and deficit reduction talks with the White House, the Washington Post reported that Republican leadership is ready to give up on House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s (R-Wis.) plan to gradually turn Medicare into a voucher program.
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Not true, said Cantor’s chief spokesman, Brad Dayspring. “Eric made very clear that our position is the Ryan budget which -- as you know -- assumes a debt limit increase and includes Medicare, Medicaid and $715 billion in mandatory savings," Dayspring said. "Whether the Democrats will agree to the proposals we've outlined is yet to be seen, but that is our starting point so we don't continue to kick the can down the road and make real cuts and real reforms this year."
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Asked whether that meant Republicans were sticking with Ryan’s version of Medicare reform once talks began at the Blair House with Vice President Joseph Biden on Thursday, Dayspring replied: "The starting point is the Ryan budget, period."
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“Obviously Cantor is scared out of his mind by angry seniors at their town halls, but, there are no backsies in Congress. They already voted to end Medicare,” Eddie Vale, a spokesman for the new pro-reform outlets Know Your Care and Protect Your Care, emailed before the Post toned down its headline.

God's Warriors

CNN is doing a three part special report called "God's Warriors" with Christiane Amanpour. Last night the focus was on God's Jewish Warriors; tonight she's on the frontlines where religion and politics collide with God's Muslim Warriors. Tonight, 9 ET. Thursday evening, the focus will be on God's Christian Warriors. I watched last night and plan to watch the next two parts. I suspect that the end conclusion will be that fanatics of ANY faith are a menace to the larger society and world peace.

Last night's message was that religious belief should not control political policy because it eliminates rational thought and the ability to compromise. I also suspect that the series will make it clear that no one faith has a monopoly on having fundamentalist crazies.

Wonderful Friends

I did not post yesterday because Raymond and I went to the beach house of a friend’s family down in the Sandbridge area of Virginia Beach. We spent the late morning on the beach, then retreated indoors when a rain front came through and ultimately stayed for dinner.

Sandbridge is basically the area where the northern end of the barrier islands forming the Outer Banks of North Carolina connects with the mainland in southern Virginia Beach (the city’s southern boundary is the North Carolina line). The very southern portion consists of False Cape State Park, with the area northward made up of a slender peninsula (See photo above) lying between the Atlantic Ocean and Back Bay (also pictured above), which is the northern limit of Pamlico Sound. It’s about a 35-40 minute drive from our house in Norfolk.

My friend is a guy who I have known for over 16 years, a former law partner and current business partner in my title insurance company operation. As is often the case, we were just added into the extended family group of my friend and his sons, some of their friends, his sister and her son and his girlfriend, and my friend’s parents. Our visits are always relaxing and leave you feeling like you have been much farther away than just 35 miles or so. His family is amazingly interesting and nice, plus very accepting of gay couples. In fact his mother has two gay cousins, one of whom worked with the Beatles for years.

Once the rain set in, we spent the rest of the day and early evening on the second floor wrap around screened porch overlooking Back Bay. Part of the time my friend’s oldest son played guitar and sang songs he has written (he is incredibly talented and attended the Governor’s School for the Arts). One of his prized possessions is a guitar that once belonged to Paul McCartney that was a gift from one of his gay cousins. The rest of the time we talked of an amazing array of topics, ranging from my friend’s dad’s days commanding a naval vessel, gay rights issues, politics, the Bible, Hebrew and the Bible, and so on. It was a wonderful day.

They are such an amazing family and such wonderful people.

Christians and Muslims Don't Have a Monopoly on Insanity

365gay.com has reported that an ultra-Orthodox sect that staged a week of riots last year against gay pride celebrations in Jerusalem is warning that if a parade is permitted this year it will again take to the streets. Here are excerpts from the story:

Last week District Chief Cmdr. Ilan Franco gave tentative approval for a gay parade in the city on June 21 adding that the final OK must come the district commander based on "the intelligence information and/or evidence he may have at hand, on any restrictions he sees fit to apply to the event, it's location, and arrangements."

Rabbi Oded Shmueli of the haredi sect warned the government not to approve the march, calling homosexuality "evil". Shmueli also said that the haredi had formed an alliance with the extreme-right Jewish National Front to oppose the parade. Shmueli said that among the proposals being considered were blocking the streets to haredi neighborhoods and physically striking out at gay businesses and venues that are open on the Sabbath.

For the life of me, I do not understand why these "god fearing" religious types find two guys (or two women) kissing so terrifying.