Day: December 23, 2005

Gay-Haters in California Miss Deadline to Put Anti-Marriage Initiative on June Ballot

Jon Ponder

Not enough haters: Several California groups are working hard to overturn the state’s marriage-like civil unions laws for gay people. They have been talking up plans to put draconian initiatves on the ballot that would make it illegal for same-sex couples to receive any of the benefits granted to mixed-gender relationships.

This would seem like a good time for the California Legislature to pass another the gay marriage law. I’ll bet Das Guber would be a lot less inclined to veto it this time.

But now the first of these propositions has failed to meet its first test. Its proponents were unable to collect enough signatures to get it on the June ballot, according to 365gay.com, via Pam’s House Blend:

A group trying to get a proposed amendment to ban same-sex marriage put to voters in California has failed to collect enough names to put the issue on the June 2006 ballot and may not make it in November.

The amendment would not only prevent gay marriages but also void the state’s landmark domestic partner registry and all benefits for same-sex couples.

Randy Thomasson, the president of Campaign for Children and Families said he is not giving up. “Whether it be November 2006 or sometime in 2008, it doesn’t matter,” he said Wednesday. In the meantime, he said, the organization will continue to fight in the courts.

Another group collecting names for a second ballot measure also says it has not collected as many signatures as it had hoped. ProtectMarriage says it is now aiming for an April 13 deadline to make on November’s ballot.

Both groups say they are far behind LGBT rights group Equality California in fundraising and organization.

This would seem like a good time for the California Legislature to pass another the gay marriage law. I’ll bet Gov. Schwarzenegger would be a lot less inclined to veto it this time.

Bush Already Knows If You’ve Been Naughty or Nice

Trish

The Washington Post is carrying Bush’s holiday greetings to Americans, which features three messages – one each for people celebrating Christmas, Hannukah, and Kwanzaa. In the future, these missives will be even more personalized…

“The season of hope and joy is upon us, although from what I hear in your phone calls to your mom, you need to get in the spirit a little more before the big visit. And quit calling Moviefone to get Christmas day showtimes – you’re going to hang out with your family and you’re going to like it.

You’ll be paying for that PSP for years, if you’re not in federal prison by then for supporting public radio, which I can’t help but notice you’ve been doing.

At this time of year, we must remember the less fortunate, which you’re going to be come January when all those credit card bills we’ve been monitoring come due. Remember, minimum payments are going to double and I’ve made it impossible for little folks like you to get bankruptcy protection. You’ll be paying for that PSP for years, if you’re not in federal prison by then for supporting public radio, which I can’t help but notice you’ve been doing.

And another thing – what’s up with buying that Al Franken book at Barnes & Noble? Your library records show you already checked it out, why do you need to own it? In the store security video, it was right next to the Bill O’Reilly book but your receipt shows you not only bought Franken, you bought the Jimmy Carter book too. You got some ‘splainin’ to do, buddy.

Let’s also ask God to protect those getting shot up in Iraq and Afghanistan for whatever reason they were supposed to be fighting over there. That reminds me – you need to use more gas and turn up the heat. Our DOT traffic surveillance cameras are in place on all major highways and bridges (I know you’ve noticed them, those little stands with the solar panels and antennas), and you’re not making enough trips – especially solo trips – in the SUV. Our economy depends on constantly increasing demand for oil, and you need to do your part until we come to drag you away in the middle of the cold, dark night.

Laura and I send our best wishes for a blessed holiday season for all Americans, and by that, I mean the ones who support us which you obviously don’t.

God Bless America! – George W. Bush”

Buzzflash Names Victoria Toensing ‘Gop Hypocrite of the Week’

Jon Ponder

“So Many Hypocrites, So Little Time” We heartily endorse Buzzflash‘s naming of Republican mouthpiece Victoria Toensing as its “GOP Hypocrite of the Week.”

In the 1990’s, Toensing and her husband (and law partner) Joe diGenova set the standard for GOP hackery with their relentless pursuit of every real and (mostly) imagined infraction of the law by the Clinton administration. And yet earlier this week, appearing on C-Span, Toensing literally laughed out loud at the idea that her Dear Leader should be investigated even though Bush admitted he violated the FISA law.

You’ll find a link to the video of Toensing scoffing at the law on the “GOP Hypocrites” page.

Logic, History and the Facts Prove That Pres. Clinton Did Not Break FISA Laws

Jon Ponder

Gop slime machine: It’s a classic Mayberry Machiavelli maneuver right out of the Atwater/Rove/Bush playbook. When your side has done something criminally malfeasant, kick up dust by claiming your opponents have done it too.

Think about it: If the corrupt Republicans who ran the Congress in the 1990’s had even suspected that Clinton’s actions were illegal – or if they could have found a way to contort the facts to make it appear he had broken the law – they would have impeached him much sooner than they did.

Reacting to news that George Bush admitted that he spied on Americans without bothering to get the proper warrants and thereby violated the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) law – while also shredding the U.S. Constitution and its prohibitions against against unreasonable searches and seizures — rightwing propagandists like Drudge and Byron York have floated the claim that Democratic presidents Clinton and Carter essentially did the same thing.

You don’t even have to know the facts in the matter to know that these are Big Lies. All you have to do is apply logic and a casual knowledge of Clinton era history.

During the entirety of his presidency, President Clinton was under investigation by the Republican Congress for matters large (the death of Vince Foster) and small (who paid the postage on answer to fan mail sent to the Clintons’ cat), and everthing in between – all of which turned out to be bogus. (They finally resorted to perjury-trapping him into a sex lie.)

The actions related to warrantless seizures taken by the Clinton Administration were legal and the Republicans in Congress were fully aware that these actions were being taken. Think about it: If corrupt Gop politicians like Newt Gingrich, Dan Burton and Henry Hyde had even suspected that Clinton’s actions were illegal – or if they could have found a way to contort the facts to make it appear he had broken the law – they would have impeached him much sooner than they did.

And the idea that Jimmy Carter – the last truly decent and honorable man to serve as president – would break the law is simply laughable.

Drudge, York et al are simply lying:

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