Paul Ryan's Views on LGBT Americans

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If Paul Ryan's draconian budget proposal - which even the morally bankrupt Catholic Bishops recognized as "immoral" - isn't enough to scare you, LGBT Americans have additional reasons to fear Ryan in any kind of national office:  he has a ZERO score under HRC's rating system and would basically like to make us permanent fourth class citizens under the Constitution and the nation's laws.  Some may have scoffed that Nate Silver says that Ryan ranks as conservative as Michele Bachmann, but on LGBT issues Ryan and Bachmann are completely on the same page.  The man is scary.

Meanwhile, the Log Cabin Republicans are thrilled with the Ryan pick.  They strike me as little better than someone Jewish supporting a Nazi Party candidate in Germany in the 1930's.  I keep asking myself, WTF is wrong with them?

GOP Birthers Attack Marcus Rubio

The totally untethered from reality GOP base never seems to cease to surprise in terms of their never ending conspiracy theory like agenda that cannot tolerate anyone who isn't a white evangelical Christian. The latest target of the unceasing paranoia of the far right is Florida Senator Marcus Rubio who is now being attacked by the birther crowd. Candidly, I cannot help but wonder what kind of tainted water these folks are drinking could it be water contaminated by oil extraction fracking operations? World Net Daily, a/k/a Wing Nut Daily, has a piece that attacks Rubio for not being a "real American." Here are some highlights:

Although the name of Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is mentioned more than any other as a potential GOP vice presidential candidate, a document found in the National Archives raises questions about whether the popular U.S. senator is actually qualified constitutionally to serve as president or vice president.

The Petition for Naturalization on behalf of Mario Rubio, the senator’s Cuban father, has been retrieved from the National Archives and posted online by the PixelPatriot website, confirming that Marco Rubio was about four years old when his parents became U.S. citizens. Specifically, Mario Rubio was naturalized as an American citizen in 1975, based on the Sept. 9, 1975, date on the petition; Marco Rubio was born in 1971.

The question is whether Rubio is a “natural born citizen” – constitutionally required of all presidents – a unique citizenship status defined by the Founding Fathers, according to many legal experts, as being the offspring of two citizens of the country. Of course, the same question has dogged Barack Obama since before the 2008 election and continues to this day.

Joseph Farah, founder and CEO of WND.com, also has argued that the definition of “natural born citizen” excludes Rubio. “Rubio is, quite simply, not a ‘natural born citizen’ by the accepted legal, English-language standard as it has been known throughout American history. He was born in Florida to two non-U.S. citizen parents,” he wrote.

“I know this is not a popular notion among Republicans, just as it wasn’t among Democrats when challenges were made to Obama. However, the Constitution should always trump political expediency.

One can only assume that excess quantities of Kool-Aid has been imbibed by these folks,but that sums up far too many members of today's Republican Party.

Marco Rubio Again Disclaims Interest on GOP "Titanic" Ticket

Considered a rising star in the GOP, Florida Senator Marco Rubio again disclaimed any interest in being the VP nominee on the GOP 2012 ticket according to The Hill:

Popular freshman Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) again denied interest in his party's vice presidential nomination Wednesday despite wide-spread speculation his political team was gearing up for a national campaign.

"I'm not going to be the vice presidential nominee, but I'm always flattered when people bring it up, I think they mean it as a compliment," Rubio said on MSNBC.

Some suggest that Rubio's decision is being driven by polls - like this CNN/International poll - that show Barack Obama with a significant lead over Mitt "Etch A Sketch" Romney as well as Rick "Frothy Mix" Santorum. If one is a rising star like Rubio, why sign on to what could turn out to be a Titanic like ticket? Bob "Governor Ultrasound" McDonnell, on the other hand, will be term limited out of office come January 2014, and has no clear path forward other than a bruising U. S. Senate race that he might not win. First, here are highlights on the new polling:

President Barack Obama holds a double-digit lead over GOP presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum in hypothetical general election matchups, according to a new poll.

And a CNN/ORC International survey released Wednesday also indicates that the president's approval rating has inched over the 50% mark in CNN surveys for the first time since last May, when the polls were still registering the after effects of the death of Osama bin Laden. The number of Americans who say the economy's in good shape has jumped 13 points since January, though the survey shows a majority still think it is in poor shape.

If the general election were held today instead of in early November, 54% of registered voters say they would back Obama, with 43% supporting former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the front-runner in the GOP nomination battle. That's up from a five-point 51%-46% advantage the president held over Romney in February. And Obama would have a 55%-42% lead over Santorum . . . .

"President Obama currently wins majority support among groups that have been problematic for him in the past, including men, older voters, and suburbanites," says CNN Poling Director Keating Holland. "He has a solid lead among independents as well."

Here's how Blue Virginia summarizes Governor Ultrasound's options:

Marco Rubio's no dummy. Now Bob McDonnell on the other hand...term limited, nothing much to do after 2013? Sure, why not, at least the first part of the Titanic cruise was first-class fun, until the ice-cold North Atlantic water started pouring in! Oh well, you can't have everything, can you? LOL

Oh, and meanwhile, a new ABC/Washington Post poll isn't too rosy for the GOP either:

Mitt Romney trails Barack Obama by 19 points in basic popularity as the 2012 presidential contest inches closer to the main event, with a record 50 percent of Americans in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll now rating Romney unfavorably overall.

Thirty-four percent hold a favorable opinion of Romney, the lowest for any leading presidential candidate in ABC/Post polls in primary seasons since 1984.

THE CENTER — Obama also leads Romney in favorable ratings among independents and political moderates. The former, in particular, customarily is a decisive swing-voting group in presidential elections. Half of independents see Obama favorably, 15 points ahead of Romney.

Does Bob McDonnell Support Janet Howell's Cialis Amendment ?

Virginia Governor Bob "Taliban Bob" McDonnell and his fellow Christofascists in the Republican Party of Virginia are striving to make abortion unavailable - even if not technically illegal - in Virginia. The excuse for implementing new clinic regulations to force the closure of clinics is always couched in terms of "safety" and "protecting women." The latest GOP effort in the General Assembly is to require women seeking an abortion to have an ultrasound within 24 hours before the abortion procedure. Truth be told, neither McDonnell nor the Republican Party of Virginia give a rat's ass about the health and safety of women - or not those outside their own families.

Democrat Senator Janet Howell recognizes hypocrites when she sees them. Therefore, she sought to underscore the dishonesty and hypocrisy of the GOP ploy by introducing a proposed amendment to the GOP bill pending in the Virginia Senate. What was it? That before men can receive a Viagra of Cialis prescription, they would have to undergo safety related exams: a rectal exam and a cardiac stress test given the dangerous health risks these drugs can trigger. Here's a video of the proposed amendment being read and Janet's explanation of her reasons for her amendment:

I've known Janet for a number of years and she's a class act. Not to mention smart and tenacious. And a great ally to LGBT Virginians. Should Bob McDonnell be considered for a VP nod, I sincerely hope that the public learns more about his far right extremism and the nastiness of his GOP buddies in Virginia.

Palin Is Ready? Oh Please, Get Real.

UPDATED 9/29/08: This from the Washigton Post:

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While some journalists say privately they are censoring their comments about Palin to avoid looking like they're piling on, pundits on the right are jumping ship. MSNBC's Joe Scarborough says Palin "just seems out of her league." National Review Editor Rich Lowry called her performance "dreadful." Dallas Morning News columnist Rod Dreher described the interview as a "train wreck." Conservative columnist Kathleen Parker urged Palin to quit the race, saying: "If BS were currency, Palin could bail out Wall Street herself."

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Several people have disagreed with Katleen Parker's call for Sarah Palin to leave the GOP ticket and tried to depict Palin as a libertarian. This analysis is flawed because it ignores the facts that (1) Libertarians do not support intermixing religion and politics (the Cato Institute filed an amicus brief in Lawrence v. Texas in support of striking down the sodomy statutes, and (2) believe in getting government out of the lives of citizens. McCain/Palin in effect subscribe to four (4) more years of the Chimperator's regime and Palin is a far right religious zealot from what information is available about her past church affiliations and statements. Now, Fareed Zakaria, hardly an ultra liberal is likewise calling for Palin to go away. Perhaps the scariest thing is that Palin doesn't seem to know she's out of her league in true dogmatic Christianist fashion. Here are highlights from Newsweek:

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Will someone please put Sarah Palin out of her agony? Is it too much to ask that she come to realize that she wants, in that wonderful phrase in American politics, "to spend more time with her family"? Having stayed in purdah for weeks, she finally agreed to a third interview. CBS's Katie Couric questioned her in her trademark sympathetic style. It didn't help.

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But the more Palin talks, the more we see that it may not be sexism but common sense that's causing the McCain campaign to treat her like a time bomb. Can we now admit the obvious? Sarah Palin is utterly unqualified to be vice president. She is a feisty, charismatic politician who has done some good things in Alaska. But she has never spent a day thinking about any important national or international issue, and this is a hell of a time to start.

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In these times, for John McCain to have chosen this person to be his running mate is fundamentally irresponsible. McCain says that he always puts country first. In this important case, it is simply not true.

Florida (Closeted) Governor Crist to Marry Woman

Based on all the past rumors and statements by those who have seen Charlie Crist in gay bars, etc., this announcement looks politically motivated to me (those taking a Sun-Sentinnel poll thought likewise). I mean, the guy's been unmarried fro three decades after a less than one year marriage and now he suddenly is in love and getting married? I hope Carole Rome knows what she is getting into. But then, being Florida's first lady and with a hope of being the Vice President's wife, maybe she is getting what she wants. While Crist probably believes that getting married will end some of the gay rumors and enhance his prospects to be picked as McCain's running mate, Ms. Rome is not exactly a Christianist's dream pick: she's Jewish and is divorced and - Heaven forbid - owns a Halloween costume manufacturing company. The fact that she has two daughters will give Crist an insant family for photo ops. Crist will definitely need to make sure to distance himself from young male campaign aids. Here are some highlights from St. Petersburg Times:

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Gov. Charlie Crist, single for nearly three decades, on Thursday morning became engaged to his girlfriend of nine months, Carole Rome. . . . No date has been set for the wedding, but Crist, 51, said it would be in St. Petersburg, where he is a member of First United Methodist Church. There probably also will be a reception in Tallahassee.

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Rome is a 1991 honors graduate of Georgetown University who became president of her family's 100-year-old Halloween costume business in 2000 when her father died. She has two daughters, ages 11 and 9, with former husband Todd Rome of New York, CEO of Blue Star Jets. She moved to Fisher Island in Miami in 2006.

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And his engagement is likely to reverberate well beyond Florida because the popular governor is widely viewed as a contender to be likely Republican presidential candidate John McCain's running mate. Not since Franklin Pierce picked William King to be his running mate in 1852 has America had a bachelor vice president.