Boy in Bushwick

Video: Donovan Announces HUD to Ban Anti-LGBT Disrimination in Federal Housing Programs

2012-01-28T16:10:00.002-05:00

Health and Human Services Secretary Shaun Donovan announced earlier today that his agency will codify a proposed rule next week that will bar anti-LGBT discrimination in federal housing programs.

"LGBT discrimination is real and we must do something about it," he said at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s annual Creating Change conference in Baltimore. "LGBT individuals and couples have the right to live where they choose. This is an idea whose time has come."

Donovan first unveiled the proposal that would specifically include HUD-funded programs and Federal Housing Authority-backed mortgages last June. The agency announced in June 2010 that prospective grant recipients must comply with local and state anti-discrimination laws that include LGBT-specific protections.

HUD also hosted the first federal summit on housing for LGBT elders in December.

Lobby Day Brings Hundreds of LGBT Activists to Capitol Hill

2012-01-26T15:23:00.000-05:00

Photo by Michael K. Lavers

Hundreds of activists and their allies descended upon Capitol Hill on Thursday to lobby members of Congress to pass several LGBT-specific pieces of legislation.

Rea Carey, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, was among those who took part in the lobby day that coincided with the Task Force's annual Creating Change conference that will take place in Baltimore through Sunday. The activists specifically pushed for passage of the federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act, the Safe Schools Improvement Act, the Student Non-Discrimination Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act. They also sought the inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression in the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act.

Former RNC Chair Speaks Out Against N.H. Marriage Equality Repeal Bill

2012-01-26T08:05:00.003-05:00

In an op-ed published in the New Hampshire Union Leader on Thursday, former Republican National Committee Chair Ken Mehlman urged state lawmakers to vote against a bill that would repeal the Granite State's marriage equality law.

"Stripping away the right of adults in New Hampshire to marry the person they love is antithetical to freedom," wrote Mehlman, who came out as gay in Aug. 2010. "If we really believe (and we should) that every citizen is endowed by their creator with the right to pursue happiness, shouldn’t this include the right to marriage? If we believe in limited government, how can we justify expanding the authority of the state to take away this most personal, fundamental right? Aren’t politicians already too involved in too much of our lives? Why would we want to expand government to such a personal space?"

Mehlman further stressed the state's marriage equality law "isn't just consistent with maximizing freedom."

"It also promotes responsibility, commitment and stability; it promotes family values," he wrote. "Again, our history provides a good road map: One of our party’s finest hours was the passage of welfare reform because it strengthened families and promoted marriage. Why would we want to take away this right from anyone?"

State lawmakers had been scheduled to vote on House Bill 437 earlier this month, but Republican House leaders postponed it until at least February.

A University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll in October found that 62 percent of state residents support the marriage equality law that took effect in Jan. 2010, while 44 percent of respondents said they would consider voting against a lawmaker who were to support the repeal bill in Concord.

Mehlman is the latest Republican to come out against HB 437.

Claremont resident Craig Stowell and his gay brother, Calvin, appear in a television commercial that Standing Up for New Hampshire Families and other organizations unveiled earlier this month. A second spot that featured Stowell and Maxine Moore, a long-time Republican activist from Portsmouth, debuted on WMUR in late December.

Poll: Majority of N.Y. Voters Optimistic About Direction of State

2012-01-26T06:52:00.000-05:00

A new NY1/YNN-Marist poll finds that for the first time in a decade, a majority of New Yorkers are optimistic about the direction in which their state is moving.

Fifty-two percent of New York voters who responded to the poll said the state is moving in the right direction, compared to 40 percent who say the Empire State remains on the wrong track. Marist noted the last time a majority of New Yorkers thought the state was moving in the right direction was in Oct. 2002, when 51 percent of voters said New York was on the right track.

The poll also noted that Gov. Andrew Cuomo has a 58 percent approval rating, while 76 percent of respondents said they have a favorable impression of the governor. Seventy-six percent of registered New York voters also described Cuomo as a good leader for the state.

Cuomo had a 55 percent job approval rating in a NY1/YNN-Marist Poll in November--less than five months after he signed the state's marriage equality bill into law. Seventy-five percent of New York voters who responded to that poll described the governor as a good leader for the Empire State.

An Emotional Goodbye for Giffords

2012-01-25T15:21:00.001-05:00

It was an emotional goodbye for Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords on Wednesday as she formally submitted her resignation.

Florida Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz broke down as she read Giffords' resignation letter aloud on the House floor. House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) wiped tears from his eyes as Giffords handed it to him.

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Giffords announced in a YouTube video on Sunday that she would resign this week so she could focus on her recovery after Jared Lee Loughner allegedly shot her and 19 others outside a Tucson supermarket on Jan. 8, 2011. The massacre left six people dead.

White House Acknowledges National Gay-Straight Alliance Day

2012-01-25T12:31:00.001-05:00

On the first annual National Gay-Straight Alliance Day, the White House released a video on Wednesday in which Education Secretary Arne Duncan speaks out against anti-LGBT bullying and the role that GSAs play in combating it.

"When students are harassed or bullied, it directly affects their work in the classroom, their aspirations for the future, and their desire to stay in school," said Duncan. "Gay-straight alliances and similar student groups play an important role in creating welcoming, affirming, and respectful schools and colleges--safe places where learning can happen and students flourish. This work is absolutely essential."

Ayotte: Romney Faces "Tough Challenge Ahead" to Capture GOP Nomination

2012-01-25T09:32:00.001-05:00

New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte told Politico’s Mike Allen at a post-State of the Union panel in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's quest to capture the Republican presidential nomination will be a difficult one.

“He’s got a tough challenge ahead of him right now,” she said.

A new Quinnipiac University poll finds that former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has nearly erased Romney's double-digit lead among Florida's likely Republican primary voters since he won the South Carolina primary on Saturday. Ayotte stressed his campaign infrastructure remains strong in the Sunshine State, Virginia and around the country, but she said she expects the GOP nomination process could go into June.

“He will be on every single ballot,” she said. “I think he’s going to win. I’m not going to say it’s going to be an easy fight.”

Ayotte also criticized President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address.

“He has an alternative reality as to where we are at,” she said, further accusing Obama of lecturing Congress to bolster his re-election campaign. “He was talking well beyond the chamber. He walked the fine line of making a campaign speech and a State of the Union speech.”

Text of the State of the Union Speech

2012-01-25T06:22:00.000-05:00

The economy and jobs were the dominant themes in President Barack Obama's third State of the Union address last night.

Here is a full text of the president's speech.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, members of Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow Americans:

Last month, I went to Andrews Air Force Base and welcomed home some of our last troops to serve in Iraq. Together, we offered a final, proud salute to the colors under which more than a million of our fellow citizens fought -- and several thousand gave their lives.

We gather tonight knowing that this generation of heroes has made the United States safer and more respected around the world. (Applause.) For the first time in nine years, there are no Americans fighting in Iraq. (Applause.) For the first time in two decades, Osama bin Laden is not a threat to this country. (Applause.) Most of al Qaeda’s top lieutenants have been defeated. The Taliban’s momentum has been broken, and some troops in Afghanistan have begun to come home.

These achievements are a testament to the courage, selflessness and teamwork of America’s Armed Forces. At a time when too many of our institutions have let us down, they exceed all expectations. They’re not consumed with personal ambition. They don’t obsess over their differences. They focus on the mission at hand. They work together.

Imagine what we could accomplish if we followed their example. (Applause.) Think about the America within our reach: A country that leads the world in educating its people. An America that attracts a new generation of high-tech manufacturing and high-paying jobs. A future where we’re in control of our own energy, and our security and prosperity aren’t so tied to unstable parts of the world. An economy built to last, where hard work pays off, and responsibility is rewarded.

We can do this. I know we can, because we’ve done it before. At the end of World War II, when another generation of heroes returned home from combat, they built the strongest economy and middle class the world has ever known. (Applause.) My grandfather, a veteran of Patton’s Army, got the chance to go to college on the GI Bill. My grandmother, who worked on a bomber assembly line, was part of a workforce that turned out the best products on Earth.

The two of them shared the optimism of a nation that had triumphed over a depression and fascism. They understood they were part of something larger; that they were contributing to a story of success that every American had a chance to share -- the basic American promise that if you worked hard, you could do well enough to raise a family, own a home, send your kids to college, and put a little away for retirement.

The defining issue of our time is how to keep that promise alive. No challenge is more urgent. No debate is more important. We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well while a growing number of Americans barely get by, or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, and everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules. (Applause.) What’s at stake aren’t Democratic values or Republican values, but American values. And we have to reclaim them.

Let’s remember how we got here. Long before the recession, jobs and manufacturing began leaving our shores. Technology made businesses more efficient, but also made some jobs obsolete. Folks at the top saw their incomes rise like never before, but most hardworking Americans struggled with costs that were growing, paychecks that weren’t, and personal debt that kept piling up.

In 2008, the house of cards collapsed. We learned that mortgages had been sold to people who couldn’t afford or understand them. Banks had made huge bets and bonuses with other people’s money. Regulators had looked the other way, or didn’t have the authority to stop the bad behavior.

It was wrong. It was irresponsible. And it plunged our economy into a crisis that put millions out of work, saddled us with more debt, and left innocent, hardworking Americans holding the bag. In the six months before I took office, we lost nearly 4 million jobs. And we lost another 4 million before our policies were in full effect.

Those are the facts. But so are these: In the last 22 months, businesses have created more than 3 million jobs. (Applause.)

Last year, they created the most jobs since 2005. American manufacturers are hiring again, creating jobs for the first time since the late 1990s. Together, we’ve agreed to cut the deficit by more than $2 trillion. And we’ve put in place new rules to hold Wall Street accountable, so a crisis like this never happens again. (Applause.)

The state of our Union is getting stronger. And we’ve come too far to turn back now. As long as I’m President, I will work with anyone in this chamber to build on this momentum. But I intend to fight obstruction with action, and I will oppose any effort to return to the very same policies that brought on this economic crisis in the first place. (Applause.)

No, we will not go back to an economy weakened by outsourcing, bad debt, and phony financial profits. Tonight, I want to speak about how we move forward, and lay out a blueprint for an economy that’s built to last -– an economy built on American manufacturing, American energy, skills for American workers, and a renewal of American values.

Now, this blueprint begins with American manufacturing.

On the day I took office, our auto industry was on the verge of collapse. Some even said we should let it die. With a million jobs at stake, I refused to let that happen. In exchange for help, we demanded responsibility. We got workers and automakers to settle their differences. We got the industry to retool and restructure. Today, General Motors is back on top as the world’s number-one automaker. (Applause.) Chrysler has grown faster in the U.S. than any major car company. Ford is investing billions in U.S. plants and factories. And together, the entire industry added nearly 160,000 jobs.

We bet on American workers. We bet on American ingenuity. And tonight, the American auto industry is back. (Applause.)

What’s happening in Detroit can happen in other industries. It can happen in Cleveland and Pittsburgh and Raleigh. We can’t bring every job back that’s left our shore. But right now, it’s getting more expensive to do business in places like China. Meanwhile, America is more productive. A few weeks ago, the CEO of Master Lock told me that it now makes business sense for him to bring jobs back home. (Applause.) Today, for the first time in 15 years, Master Lock’s unionized plant in Milwaukee is running at full capacity. (Applause.)

So we have a huge opportunity, at this moment, to bring manufacturing back. But we have to seize it. Tonight, my message to business leaders is simple: Ask yourselves what you can do to bring jobs back to your country, and your country will do everything we can to help you succeed. (Applause.)

We should start with our tax code. Right now, companies get tax breaks for moving jobs and profits overseas. Meanwhile, companies that choose to stay in America get hit with one of the highest tax rates in the world. It makes no sense, and everyone knows it. So let’s change it.

First, if you’re a business that wants to outsource jobs, you shouldn’t get a tax deduction for doing it. (Applause.) That money should be used to cover moving expenses for companies like Master Lock that decide to bring jobs home. (Applause.)

Second, no American company should be able to avoid paying its fair share of taxes by moving jobs and profits overseas. (Applause.) From now on, every multinational company should have to pay a basic minimum tax. And every penny should go towards lowering taxes for companies that choose to stay here and hire here in America. (Applause.)

Third, if you’re an American manufacturer, you should get a bigger tax cut. If you’re a high-tech manufacturer, we should double the tax deduction you get for making your products here. And if you want to relocate in a community that was hit hard when a factory left town, you should get help financing a new plant, equipment, or training for new workers. (Applause.)

So my message is simple. It is time to stop rewarding businesses that ship jobs overseas, and start rewarding companies that create jobs right here in America. Send me these tax reforms, and I will sign them right away. (Applause.)

We’re also making it easier for American businesses to sell products all over the world. Two years ago, I set a goal of doubling U.S. exports over five years. With the bipartisan trade agreements we signed into law, we’re on track to meet that goal ahead of schedule. (Applause.) And soon, there will be millions of new customers for American goods in Panama, Colombia, and South Korea. Soon, there will be new cars on the streets of Seoul imported from Detroit, and Toledo, and Chicago. (Applause.)

I will go anywhere in the world to open new markets for American products. And I will not stand by when our competitors don’t play by the rules. We’ve brought trade cases against China at nearly twice the rate as the last administration –- and it’s made a difference. (Applause.) Over a thousand Americans are working today because we stopped a surge in Chinese tires. But we need to do more. It’s not right when another country lets our movies, music, and software be pirated. It’s not fair when foreign manufacturers have a leg up on ours only because they’re heavily subsidized.

Tonight, I’m announcing the creation of a Trade Enforcement Unit that will be charged with investigating unfair trading practices in countries like China. (Applause.) There will be more inspections to prevent counterfeit or unsafe goods from crossing our borders. And this Congress should make sure that no foreign company has an advantage over American manufacturing when it comes to accessing financing or new markets like Russia. Our workers are the most productive on Earth, and if the playing field is level, I promise you -– America will always win. (Applause.)

I also hear from many business leaders who want to hire in the United States but can’t find workers with the right skills. Growing industries in science and technology have twice as many openings as we have workers who can do the job. Think about that –- openings at a time when millions of Americans are looking for work. It’s inexcusable. And we know how to fix it.

Jackie Bray is a single mom from North Carolina who was laid off from her job as a mechanic. Then Siemens opened a gas turbine factory in Charlotte, and formed a partnership with Central Piedmont Community College. The company helped the college design courses in laser and robotics training. It paid Jackie’s tuition, then hired her to help operate their plant.

I want every American looking for work to have the same opportunity as Jackie did. Join me in a national commitment to train 2 million Americans with skills that will lead directly to a job. (Applause.) My administration has already lined up more companies that want to help. Model partnerships between businesses like Siemens and community colleges in places like Charlotte, and Orlando, and Louisville are up and running. Now you need to give more community colleges the resources they need to become community career centers -– places that teach people skills that businesses are looking for right now, from data management to high-tech manufacturing.

And I want to cut through the maze of confusing training programs, so that from now on, people like Jackie have one program, one website, and one place to go for all the information and help that they need. It is time to turn our unemployment system into a reemployment system that puts people to work. (Applause.)

These reforms will help people get jobs that are open today. But to prepare for the jobs of tomorrow, our commitment to skills and education has to start earlier.

For less than 1 percent of what our nation spends on education each year, we’ve convinced nearly every state in the country to raise their standards for teaching and learning -- the first time that’s happened in a generation.

But challenges remain. And we know how to solve them.

At a time when other countries are doubling down on education, tight budgets have forced states to lay off thousands of teachers. We know a good teacher can increase the lifetime income of a classroom by over $250,000. A great teacher can offer an escape from poverty to the child who dreams beyond his circumstance. Every person in this chamber can point to a teacher who changed the trajectory of their lives. Most teachers work tirelessly, with modest pay, sometimes digging into their own pocket for school supplies -- just to make a difference.

Teachers matter. So instead of bashing them, or defending the status quo, let’s offer schools a deal. Give them the resources to keep good teachers on the job, and reward the best ones. (Applause.) And in return, grant schools flexibility: to teach with creativity and passion; to stop teaching to the test; and to replace teachers who just aren’t helping kids learn. That’s a bargain worth making. (Applause.)

We also know that when students don’t walk away from their education, more of them walk the stage to get their diploma. When students are not allowed to drop out, they do better. So tonight, I am proposing that every state -- every state -- requires that all students stay in high school until they graduate or turn 18. (Applause.)

When kids do graduate, the most daunting challenge can be the cost of college. At a time when Americans owe more in tuition debt than credit card debt, this Congress needs to stop the interest rates on student loans from doubling in July. (Applause.)

Extend the tuition tax credit we started that saves millions of middle-class families thousands of dollars, and give more young people the chance to earn their way through college by doubling the number of work-study jobs in the next five years. (Applause.)

Of course, it’s not enough for us to increase student aid. We can’t just keep subsidizing skyrocketing tuition; we’ll run out of money. States also need to do their part, by making higher education a higher priority in their budgets. And colleges and universities have to do their part by working to keep costs down.

Recently, I spoke with a group of college presidents who’ve done just that. Some schools redesign courses to help students finish more quickly. Some use better technology. The point is, it’s possible. So let me put colleges and universities on notice: If you can’t stop tuition from going up, the funding you get from taxpayers will go down. (Applause.) Higher education can’t be a luxury -– it is an economic imperative that every family in America should be able to afford.

Let’s also remember that hundreds of thousands of talented, hardworking students in this country face another challenge: the fact that they aren’t yet American citizens. Many were brought here as small children, are American through and through, yet they live every day with the threat of deportation. Others came more recently, to study business and science and engineering, but as soon as they get their degree, we send them home to invent new products and create new jobs somewhere else.

That doesn’t make sense.

I believe as strongly as ever that we should take on illegal immigration. That’s why my administration has put more boots on the border than ever before. That’s why there are fewer illegal crossings than when I took office. The opponents of action are out of excuses. We should be working on comprehensive immigration reform right now. (Applause.)

But if election-year politics keeps Congress from acting on a comprehensive plan, let’s at least agree to stop expelling responsible young people who want to staff our labs, start new businesses, defend this country. Send me a law that gives them the chance to earn their citizenship. I will sign it right away. (Applause.)

You see, an economy built to last is one where we encourage the talent and ingenuity of every person in this country. That means women should earn equal pay for equal work. (Applause.) It means we should support everyone who’s willing to work, and every risk-taker and entrepreneur who aspires to become the next Steve Jobs.

After all, innovation is what America has always been about. Most new jobs are created in start-ups and small businesses. So let’s pass an agenda that helps them succeed. Tear down regulations that prevent aspiring entrepreneurs from getting the financing to grow. (Applause.) Expand tax relief to small businesses that are raising wages and creating good jobs. Both parties agree on these ideas. So put them in a bill, and get it on my desk this year. (Applause.)

Innovation also demands basic research. Today, the discoveries taking place in our federally financed labs and universities could lead to new treatments that kill cancer cells but leave healthy ones untouched. New lightweight vests for cops and soldiers that can stop any bullet. Don’t gut these investments in our budget. Don’t let other countries win the race for the future. Support the same kind of research and innovation that led to the computer chip and the Internet; to new American jobs and new American industries.

And nowhere is the promise of innovation greater than in American-made energy. Over the last three years, we’ve opened millions of new acres for oil and gas exploration, and tonight, I’m directing my administration to open more than 75 percent of our potential offshore oil and gas resources. (Applause.) Right now -- right now -- American oil production is the highest that it’s been in eight years. That’s right -- eight years. Not only that -- last year, we relied less on foreign oil than in any of the past 16 years. (Applause.)

But with only 2 percent of the world’s oil reserves, oil isn’t enough. This country needs an all-out, all-of-the-above strategy that develops every available source of American energy. (Applause.) A strategy that’s cleaner, cheaper, and full of new jobs.

We have a supply of natural gas that can last America nearly 100 years. (Applause.) And my administration will take every possible action to safely develop this energy. Experts believe this will support more than 600,000 jobs by the end of the decade. And I’m requiring all companies that drill for gas on public lands to disclose the chemicals they use. (Applause.) Because America will develop this resource without putting the health and safety of our citizens at risk.

The development of natural gas will create jobs and power trucks and factories that are cleaner and cheaper, proving that we don’t have to choose between our environment and our economy. (Applause.) And by the way, it was public research dollars, over the course of 30 years, that helped develop the technologies to extract all this natural gas out of shale rock –- reminding us that government support is critical in helping businesses get new energy ideas off the ground. (Applause.)

Now, what’s true for natural gas is just as true for clean energy. In three years, our partnership with the private sector has already positioned America to be the world’s leading manufacturer of high-tech batteries. Because of federal investments, renewable energy use has nearly doubled, and thousands of Americans have jobs because of it.

When Bryan Ritterby was laid off from his job making furniture, he said he worried that at 55, no one would give him a second chance. But he found work at Energetx, a wind turbine manufacturer in Michigan. Before the recession, the factory only made luxury yachts. Today, it’s hiring workers like Bryan, who said, “I’m proud to be working in the industry of the future.”

Our experience with shale gas, our experience with natural gas, shows us that the payoffs on these public investments don’t always come right away. Some technologies don’t pan out; some companies fail. But I will not walk away from the promise of clean energy. I will not walk away from workers like Bryan. (Applause.) I will not cede the wind or solar or battery industry to China or Germany because we refuse to make the same commitment here.

We’ve subsidized oil companies for a century. That’s long enough. (Applause.) It’s time to end the taxpayer giveaways to an industry that rarely has been more profitable, and double-down on a clean energy industry that never has been more promising. Pass clean energy tax credits. Create these jobs. (Applause.)

We can also spur energy innovation with new incentives. The differences in this chamber may be too deep right now to pass a comprehensive plan to fight climate change. But there’s no reason why Congress shouldn’t at least set a clean energy standard that creates a market for innovation. So far, you haven’t acted. Well, tonight, I will. I’m directing my administration to allow the development of clean energy on enough public land to power 3 million homes. And I’m proud to announce that the Department of Defense, working with us, the world’s largest consumer of energy, will make one of the largest commitments to clean energy in history -– with the Navy purchasing enough capacity to power a quarter of a million homes a year. (Applause.)

Of course, the easiest way to save money is to waste less energy. So here’s a proposal: Help manufacturers eliminate energy waste in their factories and give businesses incentives to upgrade their buildings. Their energy bills will be $100 billion lower over the next decade, and America will have less pollution, more manufacturing, more jobs for construction workers who need them. Send me a bill that creates these jobs. (Applause.)

Building this new energy future should be just one part of a broader agenda to repair America’s infrastructure. So much of America needs to be rebuilt. We’ve got crumbling roads and bridges; a power grid that wastes too much energy; an incomplete high-speed broadband network that prevents a small business owner in rural America from selling her products all over the world.

During the Great Depression, America built the Hoover Dam and the Golden Gate Bridge. After World War II, we connected our states with a system of highways. Democratic and Republican administrations invested in great projects that benefited everybody, from the workers who built them to the businesses that still use them today.

In the next few weeks, I will sign an executive order clearing away the red tape that slows down too many construction projects. But you need to fund these projects. Take the money we’re no longer spending at war, use half of it to pay down our debt, and use the rest to do some nation-building right here at home. (Applause.)

There’s never been a better time to build, especially since the construction industry was one of the hardest hit when the housing bubble burst. Of course, construction workers weren’t the only ones who were hurt. So were millions of innocent Americans who’ve seen their home values decline. And while government can’t fix the problem on its own, responsible homeowners shouldn’t have to sit and wait for the housing market to hit bottom to get some relief.

And that’s why I’m sending this Congress a plan that gives every responsible homeowner the chance to save about $3,000 a year on their mortgage, by refinancing at historically low rates. (Applause.) No more red tape. No more runaround from the banks. A small fee on the largest financial institutions will ensure that it won’t add to the deficit and will give those banks that were rescued by taxpayers a chance to repay a deficit of trust. (Applause.)

Let’s never forget: Millions of Americans who work hard and play by the rules every day deserve a government and a financial system that do the same. It’s time to apply the same rules from top to bottom. No bailouts, no handouts, and no copouts. An America built to last insists on responsibility from everybody.

We’ve all paid the price for lenders who sold mortgages to people who couldn’t afford them, and buyers who knew they couldn’t afford them. That’s why we need smart regulations to prevent irresponsible behavior. (Applause.) Rules to prevent financial fraud or toxic dumping or faulty medical devices -- these don’t destroy the free market. They make the free market work better.

There’s no question that some regulations are outdated, unnecessary, or too costly. In fact, I’ve approved fewer regulations in the first three years of my presidency than my Republican predecessor did in his. (Applause.) I’ve ordered every federal agency to eliminate rules that don’t make sense. We’ve already announced over 500 reforms, and just a fraction of them will save business and citizens more than $10 billion over the next five years. We got rid of one rule from 40 years ago that could have forced some dairy farmers to spend $10,000 a year proving that they could contain a spill -- because milk was somehow classified as an oil. With a rule like that, I guess it was worth crying over spilled milk. (Laughter and applause.)

Now, I’m confident a farmer can contain a milk spill without a federal agency looking over his shoulder. (Applause.) Absolutely. But I will not back down from making sure an oil company can contain the kind of oil spill we saw in the Gulf two years ago. (Applause.) I will not back down from protecting our kids from mercury poisoning, or making sure that our food is safe and our water is clean. I will not go back to the days when health insurance companies had unchecked power to cancel your policy, deny your coverage, or charge women differently than men. (Applause.)

And I will not go back to the days when Wall Street was allowed to play by its own set of rules. The new rules we passed restore what should be any financial system’s core purpose: Getting funding to entrepreneurs with the best ideas, and getting loans to responsible families who want to buy a home, or start a business, or send their kids to college.

So if you are a big bank or financial institution, you’re no longer allowed to make risky bets with your customers’ deposits. You’re required to write out a “living will” that details exactly how you’ll pay the bills if you fail –- because the rest of us are not bailing you out ever again. (Applause.) And if you’re a mortgage lender or a payday lender or a credit card company, the days of signing people up for products they can’t afford with confusing forms and deceptive practices -- those days are over. Today, American consumers finally have a watchdog in Richard Cordray with one job: To look out for them. (Applause.)

We’ll also establish a Financial Crimes Unit of highly trained investigators to crack down on large-scale fraud and protect people’s investments. Some financial firms violate major anti-fraud laws because there’s no real penalty for being a repeat offender. That’s bad for consumers, and it’s bad for the vast majority of bankers and financial service professionals who do the right thing. So pass legislation that makes the penalties for fraud count.

And tonight, I’m asking my Attorney General to create a special unit of federal prosecutors and leading state attorney general to expand our investigations into the abusive lending and packaging of risky mortgages that led to the housing crisis. (Applause.) This new unit will hold accountable those who broke the law, speed assistance to homeowners, and help turn the page on an era of recklessness that hurt so many Americans.

Now, a return to the American values of fair play and shared responsibility will help protect our people and our economy. But it should also guide us as we look to pay down our debt and invest in our future.

Right now, our most immediate priority is stopping a tax hike on 160 million working Americans while the recovery is still fragile. (Applause.) People cannot afford losing $40 out of each paycheck this year. There are plenty of ways to get this done. So let’s agree right here, right now: No side issues. No drama. Pass the payroll tax cut without delay. Let’s get it done. (Applause.)

When it comes to the deficit, we’ve already agreed to more than $2 trillion in cuts and savings. But we need to do more, and that means making choices. Right now, we’re poised to spend nearly $1 trillion more on what was supposed to be a temporary tax break for the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans. Right now, because of loopholes and shelters in the tax code, a quarter of all millionaires pay lower tax rates than millions of middle-class households. Right now, Warren Buffett pays a lower tax rate than his secretary.

Do we want to keep these tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans? Or do we want to keep our investments in everything else –- like education and medical research; a strong military and care for our veterans? Because if we’re serious about paying down our debt, we can’t do both.

The American people know what the right choice is. So do I. As I told the Speaker this summer, I’m prepared to make more reforms that rein in the long-term costs of Medicare and Medicaid, and strengthen Social Security, so long as those programs remain a guarantee of security for seniors.

But in return, we need to change our tax code so that people like me, and an awful lot of members of Congress, pay our fair share of taxes. (Applause.)

Tax reform should follow the Buffett Rule. If you make more than $1 million a year, you should not pay less than 30 percent in taxes. And my Republican friend Tom Coburn is right: Washington should stop subsidizing millionaires. In fact, if you’re earning a million dollars a year, you shouldn’t get special tax subsidies or deductions. On the other hand, if you make under $250,000 a year, like 98 percent of American families, your taxes shouldn’t go up. (Applause.) You’re the ones struggling with rising costs and stagnant wages. You’re the ones who need relief.

Now, you can call this class warfare all you want. But asking a billionaire to pay at least as much as his secretary in taxes? Most Americans would call that common sense.

We don’t begrudge financial success in this country. We admire it. When Americans talk about folks like me paying my fair share of taxes, it’s not because they envy the rich. It’s because they understand that when I get a tax break I don’t need and the country can’t afford, it either adds to the deficit, or somebody else has to make up the difference -- like a senior on a fixed income, or a student trying to get through school, or a family trying to make ends meet. That’s not right. Americans know that’s not right. They know that this generation’s success is only possible because past generations felt a responsibility to each other, and to the future of their country, and they know our way of life will only endure if we feel that same sense of shared responsibility. That’s how we’ll reduce our deficit. That’s an America built to last. (Applause.)

Now, I recognize that people watching tonight have differing views about taxes and debt, energy and health care. But no matter what party they belong to, I bet most Americans are thinking the same thing right about now: Nothing will get done in Washington this year, or next year, or maybe even the year after that, because Washington is broken.

Can you blame them for feeling a little cynical?

The greatest blow to our confidence in our economy last year didn’t come from events beyond our control. It came from a debate in Washington over whether the United States would pay its bills or not. Who benefited from that fiasco?

I’ve talked tonight about the deficit of trust between Main Street and Wall Street. But the divide between this city and the rest of the country is at least as bad -- and it seems to get worse every year.

Some of this has to do with the corrosive influence of money in politics. So together, let’s take some steps to fix that. Send me a bill that bans insider trading by members of Congress; I will sign it tomorrow. (Applause.) Let’s limit any elected official from owning stocks in industries they impact. Let’s make sure people who bundle campaign contributions for Congress can’t lobby Congress, and vice versa -- an idea that has bipartisan support, at least outside of Washington.

Some of what’s broken has to do with the way Congress does its business these days. A simple majority is no longer enough to get anything -– even routine business –- passed through the Senate. (Applause.) Neither party has been blameless in these tactics. Now both parties should put an end to it. (Applause.) For starters, I ask the Senate to pass a simple rule that all judicial and public service nominations receive a simple up or down vote within 90 days. (Applause.)

The executive branch also needs to change. Too often, it’s inefficient, outdated and remote. (Applause.) That’s why I’ve asked this Congress to grant me the authority to consolidate the federal bureaucracy, so that our government is leaner, quicker, and more responsive to the needs of the American people. (Applause.)

Finally, none of this can happen unless we also lower the temperature in this town. We need to end the notion that the two parties must be locked in a perpetual campaign of mutual destruction; that politics is about clinging to rigid ideologies instead of building consensus around common-sense ideas.

I’m a Democrat. But I believe what Republican Abraham Lincoln believed: That government should do for people only what they cannot do better by themselves, and no more. (Applause.) That’s why my education reform offers more competition, and more control for schools and states. That’s why we’re getting rid of regulations that don’t work. That’s why our health care law relies on a reformed private market, not a government program.

On the other hand, even my Republican friends who complain the most about government spending have supported federally financed roads, and clean energy projects, and federal offices for the folks back home.

The point is, we should all want a smarter, more effective government. And while we may not be able to bridge our biggest philosophical differences this year, we can make real progress. With or without this Congress, I will keep taking actions that help the economy grow. But I can do a whole lot more with your help. Because when we act together, there’s nothing the United States of America can’t achieve. (Applause.) That’s the lesson we’ve learned from our actions abroad over the last few years.

Ending the Iraq war has allowed us to strike decisive blows against our enemies. From Pakistan to Yemen, the al Qaeda operatives who remain are scrambling, knowing that they can’t escape the reach of the United States of America. (Applause.)

From this position of strength, we’ve begun to wind down the war in Afghanistan. Ten thousand of our troops have come home. Twenty-three thousand more will leave by the end of this summer. This transition to Afghan lead will continue, and we will build an enduring partnership with Afghanistan, so that it is never again a source of attacks against America. (Applause.)

As the tide of war recedes, a wave of change has washed across the Middle East and North Africa, from Tunis to Cairo; from Sana’a to Tripoli. A year ago, Qaddafi was one of the world’s longest-serving dictators -– a murderer with American blood on his hands. Today, he is gone. And in Syria, I have no doubt that the Assad regime will soon discover that the forces of change cannot be reversed, and that human dignity cannot be denied. (Applause.)

How this incredible transformation will end remains uncertain. But we have a huge stake in the outcome. And while it’s ultimately up to the people of the region to decide their fate, we will advocate for those values that have served our own country so well. We will stand against violence and intimidation. We will stand for the rights and dignity of all human beings –- men and women; Christians, Muslims and Jews. We will support policies that lead to strong and stable democracies and open markets, because tyranny is no match for liberty.

And we will safeguard America’s own security against those who threaten our citizens, our friends, and our interests. Look at Iran. Through the power of our diplomacy, a world that was once divided about how to deal with Iran’s nuclear program now stands as one. The regime is more isolated than ever before; its leaders are faced with crippling sanctions, and as long as they shirk their responsibilities, this pressure will not relent.

Let there be no doubt: America is determined to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, and I will take no options off the table to achieve that goal. (Applause.)

But a peaceful resolution of this issue is still possible, and far better, and if Iran changes course and meets its obligations, it can rejoin the community of nations.

The renewal of American leadership can be felt across the globe. Our oldest alliances in Europe and Asia are stronger than ever. Our ties to the Americas are deeper. Our ironclad commitment -- and I mean ironclad -- to Israel’s security has meant the closest military cooperation between our two countries in history. (Applause.)

We’ve made it clear that America is a Pacific power, and a new beginning in Burma has lit a new hope. From the coalitions we’ve built to secure nuclear materials, to the missions we’ve led against hunger and disease; from the blows we’ve dealt to our enemies, to the enduring power of our moral example, America is back.

Anyone who tells you otherwise, anyone who tells you that America is in decline or that our influence has waned, doesn’t know what they’re talking about. (Applause.)

That’s not the message we get from leaders around the world who are eager to work with us. That’s not how people feel from Tokyo to Berlin, from Cape Town to Rio, where opinions of America are higher than they’ve been in years. Yes, the world is changing. No, we can’t control every event. But America remains the one indispensable nation in world affairs –- and as long as I’m President, I intend to keep it that way. (Applause.)

That’s why, working with our military leaders, I’ve proposed a new defense strategy that ensures we maintain the finest military in the world, while saving nearly half a trillion dollars in our budget. To stay one step ahead of our adversaries, I’ve already sent this Congress legislation that will secure our country from the growing dangers of cyber-threats. (Applause.)

Above all, our freedom endures because of the men and women in uniform who defend it. (Applause.) As they come home, we must serve them as well as they’ve served us. That includes giving them the care and the benefits they have earned –- which is why we’ve increased annual VA spending every year I’ve been President. (Applause.) And it means enlisting our veterans in the work of rebuilding our nation.

With the bipartisan support of this Congress, we’re providing new tax credits to companies that hire vets. Michelle and Jill Biden have worked with American businesses to secure a pledge of 135,000 jobs for veterans and their families. And tonight, I’m proposing a Veterans Jobs Corps that will help our communities hire veterans as cops and firefighters, so that America is as strong as those who defend her. (Applause.)

Which brings me back to where I began. Those of us who’ve been sent here to serve can learn a thing or two from the service of our troops. When you put on that uniform, it doesn’t matter if you’re black or white; Asian, Latino, Native American; conservative, liberal; rich, poor; gay, straight. When you’re marching into battle, you look out for the person next to you, or the mission fails. When you’re in the thick of the fight, you rise or fall as one unit, serving one nation, leaving no one behind.

One of my proudest possessions is the flag that the SEAL Team took with them on the mission to get bin Laden. On it are each of their names. Some may be Democrats. Some may be Republicans. But that doesn’t matter. Just like it didn’t matter that day in the Situation Room, when I sat next to Bob Gates -- a man who was George Bush’s defense secretary -- and Hillary Clinton -- a woman who ran against me for president.

All that mattered that day was the mission. No one thought about politics. No one thought about themselves. One of the young men involved in the raid later told me that he didn’t deserve credit for the mission. It only succeeded, he said, because every single member of that unit did their job -- the pilot who landed the helicopter that spun out of control; the translator who kept others from entering the compound; the troops who separated the women and children from the fight; the SEALs who charged up the stairs. More than that, the mission only succeeded because every member of that unit trusted each other -- because you can’t charge up those stairs, into darkness and danger, unless you know that there’s somebody behind you, watching your back.

So it is with America. Each time I look at that flag, I’m reminded that our destiny is stitched together like those 50 stars and those 13 stripes. No one built this country on their own. This nation is great because we built it together. This nation is great because we worked as a team. This nation is great because we get each other’s backs. And if we hold fast to that truth, in this moment of trial, there is no challenge too great; no mission too hard. As long as we are joined in common purpose, as long as we maintain our common resolve, our journey moves forward, and our future is hopeful, and the state of our Union will always be strong.

Thank you, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.

O'Malley Introduces Marriage Equality Bill

2012-01-24T19:28:00.001-05:00

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley formally introduced a marriage equality bill late on Monday.

O'Malley, who has said nuptials for same-sex couples is a legislative priority, put forth the measure at the start of the General Assembly's legislative session. He is scheduled to meet with same-sex couples at his Annapolis residence later this morning.

A marriage equality bill failed in the state Legislature last year, but Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler told an audience at the Center for American Progress in Washington, D.C., last October that he expects the measure will pass this year.

Six states and the neighboring District of Columbia allow same-sex couples to legally marry. It appears likely that Washington will become the seventh state to allow gays and lesbians to the knot after state Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen said she would support the measure.

Photo: Giffords Hugs Intern Who Saved Her Life

2012-01-23T12:21:00.000-05:00

Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords earlier on Monday posted to her Twitter account a picture of her embracing the gay intern who is credited with saving her life a little more than a year ago.

Jared Lee Loughner allegedly shot Giffords and 13 other people outside a Tucson supermarket on Jan. 8, 2011. Six people died in the massacre, but Daniel Hernandez, Jr., provided first aid immediately after the shooting that is credited with saving her life.

Giffords announced on Sunday that she would resign from the House of Representatives in order to focus on her recovery.

Christie Nominates Gay Man to N.J. Supreme Court

2012-01-23T11:55:00.001-05:00

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Monday nominated Bruce Harris to the state's Supreme Court.

Harris would become the first openly LGBT justice--and third African American person--to serve on the court. Chatham voters in November elected Harris to become their borough's next mayor. He is the first black gay Republican in the country to hold such an office.

Christie's announcement comes a day before state lawmakers will hold a hearing on a bill that would allow same-sex couples to marry in the Garden State. He has repeatedly said he veto a marriage equality bill, but Garden State Equality Chair Steven Goldstein applauded the governor's nomination of Harris.

"Today, the governor has made civil rights history, and on behalf of all of us at Garden State Equality, I extend to him our most profound appreciation," he said.

R. Clarke Cooper, executive director of Log Cabin Republicans, also applauded Christie for his historic nomination.

“This appointment is consistent with Gov. Christie’s strong support for nondiscrimination, including signing the strongest anti-bullying legislation in the nation," he said. "As the New Jersey legislature considers passing marriage equality this session, Log Cabin Republicans remain hopeful Governor Christie will continue his inclusive leadership by agreeing with Republican champions across the country that freedom means freedom for everybody.”

Gingrich Wins S.C. Primary

2012-01-21T19:02:00.002-05:00

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has upset former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in the South Carolina primary on Saturday.

Gingrich received 41 percent of the vote. Romney garnered 27 percent, while former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum came in third with 17 percent. Texas Congressman Ron Paul received 13 percent of the vote.

Mayors Join Campaign for Marriage Equality

2012-01-20T13:34:00.002-05:00

Tacoma, Wash., Mayor Marilyn Strickland. (Photo by Jamie McGonnigal, EqualityPhotography.com)

Freedom to Marry on Friday formally launched a campaign that includes 80 mayors from across the country who have pledged to push for marriage for same-sex couples.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa; New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg; Houston Mayor Annise Parker; Boston Mayor Thomas Menino; San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders and Tacoma, Wash., Mayor Marilyn Strickland were among those who spoke at a press conference at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, D.C. Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, Portland, Ore., Mayor Sam Adams; Glendale, Calif., Mayor Laura Friedman; Key West, Fla., Mayor Craig Cates and Chapel Hill, N.C., Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt were among those who were in attendance.

Perry Ends Presidential Campaign, Endorses Gingrich

2012-01-19T10:02:00.001-05:00

Texas Gov. Rick Perry announced this morning at a North Charleston, S.C., press conference that he has ended his presidential campaign.

"I have come to the conclusion there is no viable path forward for me in 2012," he said after stressing he brought a "unique perspective" to the campaign as the governor of the Lone Star State who came from humble roots. "I know when its time to make a strategic retreat."

Perry's campaign failed to gain traction after an initial surge after he announced his candidacy in Charleston in August. He suffered from a series of poor debate performances, and gay activists blasted him for equating openly gay and lesbian servicemembers as proof of President Barack Obama's so-called war on religion.

Perry also endorsed former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

"I believe Newt is a visionary conservative who can transform this country," he said.

Mayors to Pledge Support for Marriage Equality

2012-01-19T07:27:00.001-05:00

Freedom to Marry announced on Wednesday that a bi-partisan group of mayors have pledged to support marriage for same-sex couples.

Mayors for the Freedom to Marry will include New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders and Houston Mayor Annise Parker. Several are scheduled to attend a press conference during the U.S. Conference for Mayors meeting in Washington, D.C., on Friday where they will officially unveil the group.

Will Mayors for the Freedom to Marry amount to a game changer in the fight to secure nuptials for gays and lesbians?

A marriage equality bill was introduced in the New Jersey Legislature earlier this month, while Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire announced on Jan. 4 that she supports a measure that would allow same-sex couples to marry in the Evergreen State. Maryland lawmakers are expected to debate a marriage equality bill in the coming weeks.

New Hampshire legislators are expected to vote on a bill that would repeal the state’s marriage equality law as early as next month. North Carolina voters in May will consider a constitutional amendment that would ban marriage for same-sex couples, while a similar measure is on the November ballot in Minnesota.

The influx of donations that the four Republican New York state senators received after they voted for their state’s marriage equality bill in June as reported in the New York Times is proof that supporting nuptials for same-sex couples is no longer a politically risky proposition. The mayors who will speak tomorrow here in Washington, D.C., will certainly strengthen that premise.

N.H. Lawmakers Delay Vote on Marriage Equality Repeal Bill

2012-01-18T22:31:00.002-05:00

A leading New Hampshire Republican has confirmed that a vote on a bill that would repeal the state's marriage equality law has been delayed until at least next month.

"We must deal with some critical financial and economic-related legislation first, as well as legislative redistricting, prior to any discussion of gay marriage," House Majority Leader D.J. Bettencourt (R-Salem) told the Eagle-Tribune. "It's critical to keep to keep legislative priorities in their proper order."

A University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll in October found that 62 percent of state residents support the marriage equality law that took effect in Jan. 2010. Forty-four percent of respondents said they would consider voting against any legislator who supports HB 437.

The measure is expected to pass in the Republican-controlled state Legislature, but Gov. John Lynch, who signed the marriage equality law in 2009, has vowed to veto the bill. It remains unclear as to whether there are enough votes in both the House and Senate to override Lynch's promised veto.

Standing Up for New Hampshire Families and other organizations have stepped up their efforts against HB 437 in anticipation of an expected vote that multiple sources suggested could possibly happen next month. The groups unveiled a second television ad that features Craig Stowell, a Republican from Claremont, and his gay brother Calvin last week.

Pelosi: Democrats "Have a Plan" to Regain Control of the House

2012-01-17T10:16:00.000-05:00

Will 2012 be a good year for Democrats?

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi certainly exuded confidence about her party's prospects of regaining control of the House in November during Politico’s monthly Playbook Breakfast at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., earlier on Tuesday.

“Right now we see a path towards that victory 10 months from now,” she said.

It is unclear whether Democrats will actually pick up the 25 seats they need to regain control of the chamber. The Democratic National Committee have so far held roughly 400 events in 75 House districts during this election cycle.

“We have a plan,” stressed Pelosi. “We have the candidates and that’s a big selling point.”

Should President Barack Obama campaign against Congress?

Congress ended 2011 with a historically low 11 percent approval rating. While not specifically endorsing a Capitol Hill-specific strategy, Pelosi strongly suggested that Obama should indeed campaign against this "do-nothing Congress."

“This Congress has done such a disservice to this country,” she said.

Pelosi also blasted the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision and its impact on the country's campaign finance system.

“When we win, the first order of business is to reform… the system and try to amend the Constitution to change the ridiculous notion that any and all kinds of money can weigh into a campaign,” she said in response to Politico's Mike Allen's question about the Occupy movement.

Pelosi also described last night’s Republican presidential debate in Myrtle Beach, S.C., as a “contest without a winner.” She suggested evangelicals and other conservatives are actually looking towards 2016 because they realize former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is not electable against President Barack Obama.

“The so-called right wing of the Republican Party… are not supporting Romney, at least not yet, because they don’t think he’s going to win,” said Pelosi, noting Romney’s position against direct talks between the United States and the Taliban in Afghanistan and other issues are either “uninformed” or “simply wrong.” “They question what he stands for. I’m not sure he knows what he stands for, and that makes it harder.”

Romney Again Defends Record on Gay Rights

2012-01-16T21:46:00.003-05:00

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney once again defended his record on gay rights during the latest Republican presidential debate in Myrtle Beach, S.C., on Monday.

Romney stressed he has always opposed marriage for same-sex couples, but he supports "equal rights to people" regardless of their sexual orientation. The former governor faced questions about pro-gay statements he made to an LGBT newspaper during his 1994 U.S. Senate campaign against late Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy during a Jan. 8 debate on the eve of the New Hampshire primary.

"I don’t discriminate," Romney told WHDH Political Editor Andy Hiller. "I said to the gay community, I oppose same-sex marriage."

Huntsman Ends Presidential Campaign

2012-01-16T09:17:00.001-05:00

Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman announced on Monday that he has withdrawn from the Republican presidential race.

"Today the campaign for the presidency ends, but our campaign to build a better and more trust-worthy America continues." he said at a Myrtle Beach, S.C., press conference with his wife Mary Kaye and four of his daughters and his father by his side.

Huntsman, who endorsed former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, said Republicans must rally around the candidate whom he said can defeat President Barack Obama in November. He also criticized the campaign's increasingly negative tone.

"This race has degenerated into an onslaught of negative attacks not worthy of American people," said Huntsman. "Today I call on each campaign to cease attacking each other and instead talk directly to the American people."

Huntsman's announcement comes less than a week after he finished third in the New Hampshire primary on Jan. 10. He is expected to endorse former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

N.H. Lawmakers Expected to Vote on Marriage Equality Repeal Bill Next Week

2012-01-12T11:50:00.004-05:00

New Hampshire lawmakers are expected to vote on a bill next week that would repeal the state’s marriage equality law.

Sources familiar with the legislative calendar indicate that the vote will likely take place on Jan. 18. The measure is expected to pass in the Republican-controlled state Legislature, but Gov. John Lynch, who signed the marriage equality bill into law in 2009, has said he would veto the measure. It remains unclear whether there are enough votes to override the governor’s veto.

Marriage became an issue on the campaign trail ahead of the state's Republican presidential primary on Jan. 10, with former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum facing particular scrutiny over his strong opposition to marriage equality in the days leading up to the vote.

"I think it's just one of the catch phrases," said Peterborough resident Eric Rothhaus at the Breezeway in downtown Manchester on the eve of the primary when asked about whether marriage had been discussed too much on the campaign trail. "It's whatever the current thing [is] and I think that they're trying to get votes."

A University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll in October found that 62 percent of Granite Staters support the marriage equality law, and 44 percent of them said they would consider voting against any lawmaker who supports the repeal bill.

Standing Up for New Hampshire Families earlier on Thursday unveiled a second ad that features a Claremont Republican, Craig Stowell, and his gay brother Calvin. The pro-marriage equality group’s first ad began airing on WMUR late last month.

Video: Santorum Positions Himself As a "True Conservative"

2012-01-11T04:44:00.001-05:00

Speaking to supporters at the Derryfield Country Club in Manchester late on Tuesday, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum positioned himself as a "true conservative" who can take on President Barack Obama in November.

"We have an opportunity to be the true conservative--a true conservative who can go out and do what's necessary not just to win this race. we can win this race," he said. "We need a conservative who understands that at the foundation of our country are institutions that are crucial for us to be a successful nation--families, families that are bounded together as the foundation, that instill virtue and faith in our children, to build strong communities and to build a great nation from the bottom up."

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney easily won the New Hampshire Republican presidential primary with 39 percent of the vote. Santorum came in a distant fifth with nine percent, but he assured supporters that his campaign would continue onto South Carolina.

The social conservative faced increased scrutiny in the days leading up to the primary over his strong opposition to marriage for same-sex couples. A group of Occupy protesters labeled him a "bigot" as he, his wife and two of his children left a downtown Manchester campaign rally on Jan. 9. A woman asked Santorum at a Salem town hall earlier the same day whether his positions make him an electable candidate.

Joyce Haas, vice chair of the Republican Party of Pennsylvania, said Santorum's statements have "been misunderstood" at the very least. She went so far to say that the social conservative would actually support civil unions for same-sex couples.

“I haven’t heard him say it in exactly those terms, but he does believe that for instance, every insurance, going into hospitals, inheritance rights," said Haas. "He supports those civil union type rights. The only thing that’s different is the 3,000 year institution of marriage being one man and one woman.”

Postcards from the First-in-the-Nation Primary State

2012-01-09T20:07:00.000-05:00

Here are a few snapshots from the first-in-the-primary state.

I will continue post more pictures from New Hampshire over the next couple of days.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich supporters gather outside the Dana Center at St. Anselm's College in Manchester on Jan. 7 ahead of the Republican presidential debate.

Occupy protesters also made their presence known outside the debate.

A Fred Karger for president sign in front of the Radisson Hotel in downtown Manchester on Jan. 8.

Some political theater in Veteran's Park in downtown Manchester on Jan. 8.

The Associated Press' press room adjacent to the Radisson Hotel.

Campaign signs along Granite Street in downtown Manchester on Jan. 8.

"Morning Joe" broadcasting live from JD's Tavern at the Radisson Hotel on Jan. 9.

The famous Red Arrow Diner on Lowell Street in Manchester.

Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum speaks at a town hall at the Derry-Salem Elks Club in Salem on Jan. 9.

Arriving at the GOProud breakfast reception at the Radisson Hotel on Jan. 9.

Christie: Obama Should Be "Pissed" About Timing of Huntsman's Campaign

2012-01-08T21:27:00.000-05:00

Responding to a question about former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's criticism that former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman served as the Obama administration's ambassador to China, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie suggested the president should be "pissed" about the timing of his presidential campaign.

"I would be kind of pissed if I were Barack Obama--I mean I give this guy a job, he's over in China supposedly serving my administration," said Christie, who appeared at a town hall with "Morning Joe" co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski in Manchester on Jan. 8. "I wonder a little bit about Huntsman's integrity."

Romney questioned Huntsman's ambassadorship and his previous pro-Obama statements during the latest Republican presidential debate in Concord earlier in the day.

Christie's appearance came hours after he clashed with Occupy protesters at an Exeter town hall with Romney and New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte. His remarks also coincided with news that New Jersey lawmakers plan to introduce a bill on Monday that would legalize marriage for same-sex couples in the Garden State.

Christie, who supports civil unions, has said he would veto any marriage equality bill. He did not discuss the measure during his Manchester appearance with Scarborough and Brzezinski.

Video: A Drive Down Elm Street

2012-01-08T16:12:00.000-05:00

News vans, camera crews, media tents campaign volunteers and even Occupy protesters were a fairly common sight on Elm Street in downtown Manchester, N.H., on Sunday, Jan. 8.

I shot this clip driving down Elm Street between Blodget and Granite Streets around 3:30 p.m.

Welcome to Manchester

2012-01-07T17:09:00.001-05:00

It's a few hours before the Republican presidential debate at St. Anselm's College, and I am setting myself at my parents' house in Manchester.

Above is the front page of today's New Hampshire Union Leader with a front-page picture of the crowd that greeted former Pennsylvania Gov. Rick Santorum in Manchester on Friday. Below is a video of my flight from Baltimore landing at Manchester Boston Regional Airport for anyone who is curious to know what the Queen City actually looks like.

Poll: Romney Remains N.H. Frontrunner

2012-01-06T17:30:00.000-05:00

A new poll from WMUR and the University of New Hampshire indicates that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney remains the clear frontrunner, but a third of likely Republican primary voters remain undecided.

Forty-four percent of likely Republican primary voters said they would vote for Romney, up from 39 percent two weeks ago. Texas Congressman Ron Paul came in second place with 20 percent, while eight percent of likely GOP primary voters said they would vote for either former House Speaker Newt Gingrich or former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum.

Santorum, who has come under fire for his opposition to marriage for same-sex couples, has seen his support increase by five percentage points since he nearly won the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 3. Gingrich's support, however, has dropped by nine percentage points over the last two weeks.

The UNH Survey Center surveyed 631 likely Republican primary voters between Jan. 2-5.

Santorum Once Again Booed in N.H. for Opposition to Marriage Equality

2012-01-06T14:06:00.000-05:00

In the second time in two days, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum has found out that New Hampshire voters are not afraid to go there with him on his opposition to marriage for same-sex couples.

A group of college students challenged Santorum at New England College in Henniker on Thursday after he defended his opposition to marriage equality in a town hall.

Only eight percent of New Hampshire Republicans who responded to a WHDH/Suffolk University poll said they would vote for Santorum in the Jan. 10 primary, compared to 41 percent who said they support former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. Santorum needs far more than adamant opposition to marriage equality to court libertarian-minded Granite Staters.

Students Challenge Santorum on Opposition to Marriage Equality

2012-01-06T06:52:00.000-05:00

He certainly had it coming!

A group of students repeatedly challenged former Pennsylvnia Sen. Rick Santorum on his opposition to marriage for same-sex couples during a town hall at New England College in Henniker, N.H., on Jan. 5.

Only eight percent of likely Republican primary voters said they would vote for Santorum in a WHDH/Suffolk University poll that was published earlier in the day. Forty-one percent of respondents said they would vote for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

Bachmann Ends Presidential Campaign

2012-01-04T12:22:00.000-05:00

Following her disappointing sixth place finish in the Iowa Republican caucuses, Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann announced on Wednesday, Jan. 4, that she has ended her presidential campaign.

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Romney Ekes Out Narrow Victory Over Santorum in Iowa Caucuses

2012-01-04T08:24:00.000-05:00

What a nail biter!

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney eked out an eight-vote victory over former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum in the Iowa Republican caucuses.

Santorum and Romney were tied throughout the night, and Iowa Republican Chair Matt Strawn only announced the results in the wee hours. Texas Congressman Ron Paul came in third with 21 percent of the vote. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich came in fourth; while Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman rounded out the pack.

Perry to "Reassess" Campaign

2012-01-04T00:02:00.002-05:00

Following a fifth place finish in the Iowa Republican caucuses, Texas Gov. Rick Perry said he will return to Texas to "reassess" his campaign.

Is Santorum About to Become Iowa’s Comeback Kid?

2012-01-02T09:48:00.000-05:00

Will former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum become Iowa’s comeback kid?

Santorum came in third in the Des Moines Register’s latest poll with 15 percent of likely Republican Iowa caucusgoers saying they will vote for him. The Family Leader President and CEO Bob Vander Plaats’ pre-Christmas endorsement certainly bolstered Santorum’s then-overlooked campaign. Will it be enough for him to gain enough traction to move beyond the Hawkeye State on Jan. 3?

A CNN/Time-ORC poll conducted between Nov. 29 and Dec. 6 found only two percent of likely Republican and Independent New Hampshire voters said they would vote for Santorum in the primary. His socially conservative message against marriage equality, the end of the Pentagon’s ban on openly gay and lesbian servicemembers, abortion and other issues will resonate far less with New Hampshire voters than their Iowa counterparts.

Conventional wisdom dictates that the economy will continue to dominate this year’s election cycle. Will Santorum determine otherwise (at least for a little while?)

Iowa caucusgoers will have their say tomorrow.

2011

2011-12-30T11:10:00.000-05:00

Started writing at 10:28 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 30, while sitting in my home office in Washington, D.C.

It’s always a struggle to categorize a particular year in one word, but monumental seems an appropriate adjective to describe 2011.

This year’s datelines included Santiago de Chile, Budapest, Fire Island, Philadelphia, Puerto Vallarta and Boston. My beautiful nephew Liam was born on March 26. Andrés and I celebrated our first anniversary in September. And I officially moved to the District of Columbia on Oct. 1.

I finally cut my hair in March. The 30th anniversary of the first cases of what became known as AIDS on June 5 provided a somber reminder that the epidemic is far from over. I was a proud New Yorker when the state Senate passed a marriage equality bill in a 33-29 vote on June 24. I turned 30 on Aug. 16. Hurricane Irene prompted a mandatory evacuation of Fire Island on Aug. 26, three days after an earthquake shook the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. President Barack Obama’s rose garden press conference on former Libyan dictator Moammar Gaddafi’s death on Oct. 20 coincided with a previously scheduled event for which I had been credentialed. I wore a sari for the first time. I quickly learned that many elected officials in the District of Columbia are utterly shameless. And machas a la parmesana are really, really delicious.

To a happy, healthy and just 2012!

Candidates Prepare for Final Push in N.H.

2011-12-26T18:41:00.000-05:00

Downtown Manchester was largely quiet on this post-Christmas Monday, but Republican presidential candidates’ staffers and volunteers were hard at work 15 days before the first-in-the-nation GOP primary.

Two volunteers with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s campaign stressed that presidential candidates should stay out of the ongoing debate over a bill that would repeal the state’s marriage equality law. A vote on the proposal could potentially coincide with the Jan. 10 primary, but a University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll in October found that 62 percent of likely voters oppose efforts to repeal the law that took effect in Jan. 2010.

Less than a mile south on Elm Street, staffers and volunteers were busy in former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s campaign office. (An ad that features Romney talking about fiscal responsibility and another from Texas Congressman Ron Paul that specifically attacks the former Massachusetts governor, President Barack Obama and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi just aired on WMUR. Another spot touted former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman as a “true conservative” compared to Gingrich and Romney. A fourth ad that features three Republicans and one Democrat who oppose the marriage equality repeal bill also ran towards the end of WMUR's 6 p.m. newscast.)

Less than two miles away, volunteers with former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman were busy bringing signs and other supplies into the campaign’s Elm Street office. Signs for former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and Texas Gov. Rick Perry also lined the street. Others for Paul greeted drivers at the intersection of Queen City Avenue and South Willow Street.

Hordes of shoppers who descended upon the Mall of New Hampshire seemed oblivious to the upcoming vote.

On Elm Street.

Outside the Romney campaign's New Hampshire headquarters on Elm Street.

Gingrich touts his "21st Century Contract with America" in downtown Manchester.

Huntsman's campaign headquarters on Elm Street.

Lesbian Navy Officers Share "First Kiss"

2011-12-21T23:38:00.001-05:00

A kiss can certainly speak volumes!

Two Navy officers on Tuesday, Dec. 20, became the first women to share a “first kiss” after Petty Officer Second Class Marissa Gaeta descended from the USS Oak Hill in Virginia Beach, Va. She and her partner, Petty Officer Third Class Citlalic Snell, shared a quick kiss in the rain on the dock.

President Barack Obama on Dec. 22, 2010, signed a bill that repealed the military's ban on openly gay and lesbian servicemembers. 'Don't ask, don't tell' officially ended on Sept. 20, but gay and lesbian servicemembers still face challenges.

The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network and Chadbourne and Parke filed a lawsuit in federal court in October on behalf of six gay and lesbian servicemembers and two veterans who allege the federal Defense of Marriage Act forces the military to deny them spouses benefits. Transgender servicemembers remain unable to serve openly. And former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and other Republican presidential candidates have said they would reinstate the Clinton-era policy if elected president.

"What a difference a year makes," said SLDN Executive Director Aubrey Sarvis in a press release that acknowledges the first anniversary of the president signing the DADT repeal bill into law. "But when it comes to achieving full equality in America's military for every qualified patriot who serves--regardless of sexual orientation--we are not there yet."

Group Unveils Pro-Marriage Equality Ad in N.H.

2011-12-21T11:35:00.001-05:00

A group that opposes a bill that would repeal New Hampshire’s marriage equality law on Wednesday, Dec. 21, unveiled a new ad that urges lawmakers to vote against the measure.

Standing Up for New Hampshire Families said in a press release that the ad, which features Republicans Maxine Morse and Craig and Berta Stowell and Democrat Dan Calegari, will run in heavy rotation on WMUR next week.

“Politicians should let our neighbors live their lives and leave them alone,” said Morse, a long-time GOP activist from Portsmouth.

A House vote on the marriage equality repeal bill could coincide with the Jan. 10 presidential primary. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Texas Gov. Rick Perry have both backed efforts to repeal the law. Standing Up for New Hampshire Families pointed out that more than 1,000 same-sex couples have married in the Granite State since the statute took effect in Jan. 2010.

Sixty-two percent of respondents who participated in a University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll in October said they oppose efforts to repeal the law. Eighty-one percent of them said marriage equality for gays and lesbians has not impacted their life.

Congress Ends 2011 with Historically Low Approval Rating

2011-12-19T18:07:00.000-05:00

Ya think?

Gallup reported on Monday, Dec. 19, that Congress ends the year with a historically low 11 percent approval rating. The congressional approval rating averaged only 17 percent in 2011, which is the lowest in Gallup's history.

A previous Gallup poll found that 64 percent of Americans rate the honesty and ethical standards of members of Congress as either "low" or "very low."

Menendez Endorses Marriage Equality, DOMA Repeal Bill

2011-12-18T13:29:00.001-05:00

New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez endorsed marriage for same-sex couples in an op-ed that ran in the Star-Ledger on Sunday, Dec. 18.

“This comes down to an issue of fundamental fairness,” he wrote. “For me, this comes down to the principles I learned as the child of immigrants and that I cherish as an American: that we believe in equality for all people under the law.”

Menendez, who voted for the federal Defense of Marriage Act in 1996, is the 32nd Senate sponsor of a bill that would repeal the Clinton-era law.

“Across our country, the attitudes of millions of Americans have changed on this issue and several states have acted to guarantee the freedom to marry to same-sex couples whose love for each other and life commitment to one another is no different from other couples,” he wrote. “These gay men and gay women defend our streets and our citizens as firefighters and police officers; they are small-business people who create jobs; they are teachers who prepare our children to compete in the future. And they are soldiers, Marines and sailors who have put their lives on the line for our country, fighting to protect our freedoms and to combat terrorists who threaten to attack us again.”

The Senate Judiciary Committee last month voted 10-8 to advance the DOMA repeal bill. A Human Rights Campaign and Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research poll found that 51 percent of respondents oppose the Clinton-era law, but it remains unlikely that the DOMA repeal bill will pass during the current Congress.

Romney Faces Questions About Pro-Gay Statements

2011-12-15T23:17:00.002-05:00

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney faced questions about pro-gay statements he made during his failed 1994 Senate campaign during the latest Republican presidential debate in Sioux City, Iowa, on Thursday, Dec. 15.

Fox News' Chris Wallace specifically asked Romney about a letter that he wrote to Log Cabin Republicans' Massachusetts chapter in Oct. 1994. Romney said that he would co-sponsor the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and pledged to work towards ending discrimination against gays and lesbians. He also suggested that he would prove a stronger advocate for gay and lesbian Americans than late U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy.

"I do not believe in discriminating against people based on their sexual orientation," Romney told Wallace in an increasingly tense exchange. "At the same time, I oppose same-sex marriage. Marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman."

Romney's comments come hours after a Log Cabin Republicans and the Human Rights Campaign criticized Romney for saying that he a three-tiered system that would allow same-sex couples who are legally married to maintain their status but prevent other gays and lesbians from following suit. A gay veteran challenged the former governor on his support of a bill that would repeal New Hampshire's marriage equality law during a campaign stop in Manchester, N.H., on Monday, Dec. 12.

Only one percent of those who took part in a Conservative Political Action Conference straw poll in February listed "stopping gay marriage" as a top priority going into the 2012 election cycle.

Mission Accomplished?

2011-12-15T09:30:00.000-05:00

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and other American officials formally ended the war in Iraq earlier on Thursday, Dec. 15, with a ceremony in Baghdad.

"You will leave with great pride — lasting pride," Panetta told troops after American soldiers officially cased or retired the U.S. Forces Iraq flag at Baghdad International Airport, according to the Associated Press. "Secure in knowing that your sacrifice has helped the Iraqi people to begin a new chapter in history."

The White House also marked the milestone with an interactive timeline on its website.

“American troops have served in Iraq with honor and distinction since March 19, 2003, but the cost to our nation has been great,” it wrote. “December 2011 marks the end of our mission in Iraq, and the fulfillment of a promise Barack Obama made to the American people even before he became president.”

The $800 billion conflict killed 4,434 Americans and more than 100,000 Iraqis. Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was toppled, but sectarian violence nearly tore the country apart. Iraq’s infrastructure remains in shambles after nearly nine years of conflict.

Will the end of the Iraq war amount to Obama’s mission accomplished moment?

Boehner: Gingrich is a Conservative

2011-12-14T14:40:00.000-05:00

Is former House Speaker Newt Gingrich a real conservative?

House Speaker John Boehner described Gingrich as such during Politico’s monthly Playbook Breakfast at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Dec. 14.

“It would be hard to describe Newt as not conservative,” Boehner told Politico reporter Mike Allen. “I’m not sure he’s as conservative as some people think he is, but Newt is a conservative.”

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney continues to cast doubt on Gingrich’s conservative credentials ahead of the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 3. The thrice-married Gingrich on Monday, Dec. 12, pledged to remain faithful to his wife Callista and defend the federal Defense of Marriage Act when he became the latest Republican presidential candidate to endorse the Family Leader’s so-called “marriage pledge.”

Is this enough to convince traditionally conservative Iowa caucusgoers?

A Public Policy Polling survey found that 22 percent of likely Iowa caucusgoers support Gingrich, compared 22 percent who back Texas Congressman Ron Paul and 16 percent who endorse Romney.

“We have a lot of good candidates out there,” said a non-committal Boehner when asked whether he would endorse Gingrich. “I’m sure the primary voters will select one of them. Whoever it is, I will be there to support.”

Gay N.H. Veteran Challenges Romney on Marriage

2011-12-12T16:13:00.000-05:00

A gay Army veteran proved once again that New Hampshire voters can prove particularly problematic to presidential hopefuls who descend upon their state every four years.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney made small talk with Bob Garon during a campaign stop at Café Vachon in Manchester earlier on Monday, Dec. 12, before he sat next to him and his husband Bob Lemire. Garon asked Romney whether he supports efforts a bill that would repeal the Granite State’s marriage equality law.

“I support the repeal of the New Hampshire law,” said Romney. “I believe marriage is between a man and a woman. That’s my view.”

A University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll in October found that 81 percent of respondents said nuptials for gays and lesbians in New Hampshire have not impacted their life, but Romney continued to defend both the repeal bill and the federal Defense of Marriage Act in an increasingly tense and awkward exchange with Garon.

“I believe marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman,” said Romney.

Poll: 64 Percent of Americans Find Congress Dishonest, Unethical

2011-12-12T08:51:00.000-05:00

A new Gallup poll finds that a record 64 percent of Americans rate the honesty and ethical standards of members of Congress as either “low” or “very low.”

In the same poll that was conducted between Nov. 28 and Dec. 1, 62 percent of respondents categorized the honesty and ethical standards of lobbyists as either “low” or “very low.” Eighty-four percent of respondents described the honesty and ethical standards of nurses as “very high” or “high.”

A Gallup poll last month found that only 13 percent of Americans approve of the way that Congress has handled its job. President Barack Obama’s approval rating averaged 43 percent during the last week of November.

Fortuño Indicates Support for LGBT-Inclusive Hate Crimes Law

2011-12-09T17:05:00.000-05:00

Puerto Rico Gov. Luis Fortuño indicated to reporters on Friday, Dec. 9, that he supports the island’s current hate crimes law that includes sexual orientation and gender identity and expression.

The governor answered questions about the proposed changes to Puerto Rico’s penal code during a press conference at the Executive Mansion in San Juan.

“We hope he sticks to his word and uses his leadership to ensure those provisions remain in the penal code—and not only maintains those provisions, but orders his administration to enforce them,” said Pedro Julio Serrano of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

Singer Ricky Martin, New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, New York Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez and Illinois Congressman Luis Gutierrez are among those who have publicly spoken out against a proposed provision that the Puerto Rico Senate approved last month that would eliminate sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, religion and ethnicity from the island’s hate crimes law. More than 14,000 people have signed a petition that Jorge Sepulveda posted to Change.org earlier this week that urges Puerto Rican lawmakers to reject the measure.

The Puerto Rico House of Representatives is not expected to vote on the revised penal code during the special legislative session, but Fortuño said he hopes lawmakers will approve it sometime in early January.

Human Rights Campaign Again Blasts Proposal to Remove LGBTs from Puerto Rico Hate Crimes Law

2011-12-08T12:02:00.002-05:00

The country's largest LGBT rights organization has once again blasted a proposed provision of Puerto Rico's new penal code that would eliminate sexual orientation, gender identity and expression and other categories from the island's hate crimes law.

“It would be unconscionable for Puerto Rico’s leaders to remove sexual orientation and gender identity from existing hate crime protections,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “This sends the dangerous message that it is acceptable to harass or harm LGBT people and would leave victims of hate crimes with no legal recourse. I urge Puerto Rico’s lawmakers not only to reject this homophobic legislation, but to push more aggressively to protect the well-being of LGBT Puerto Ricans.”

Singer Ricky Martin, New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, New York Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez and Illinois Congressman Luis Gutierrez are among those who have publicly spoken out against the proposed provision. Jorge Sepulveda posted a petition to Change.org late on Wednesday, Dec. 7, that urges Puerto Rican lawmakers to reject the measure.

"It is ironic that in the same week, we see President Obama and Hillary Clinton going to international groups and telling them to pass more laws to protect minorities, then in Puerto Rico you see the government doing the exact opposite," he told Boy in Bushwick earlier on Thursday, Dec. 8. "It’s shameful to see that."

Puerto Rico lawmakers are poised to debate the proposed provision when they consider the revised penal code during a special legislative session this week. Puerto Rico Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz criticized House Judiciary Committee President Liza Fernández’s criticism of the proposed amended hate crimes law in an interview with Vocero on Wednesday, Dec. 7.

Gutierrez urged Attorney General Eric Holder earlier on Thursday that he create a federal task force to investigate and prosecute hate crimes on the island. The U.S. Department of Justice cited the Puerto Rico Police Department's inadequate response to hate crimes as one of the PRPD's endemic deficiencies in a scathing report it issued in September. The Puerto Rico Department of Justice's own statistics indicate that prosecutors have not convicted anyone under the island's hate crimes law.

"If Puerto Rico doesn't want to protect its residents from attacks, violence and murder, then the federal authorities need to step in and ensure the most basic rights of life and liberty are protected," wrote Gutierrez.

Is Perry Throwing LGBT Americans Under the Bus?

2011-12-07T13:13:00.000-05:00

Does Rick Perry think homophobia is a viable way to court voters ahead of the Iowa caucuses?

His latest campaign advertisement seems to suggest he is willing to throw LGBT Americans under the bus to bolster his languishing campaign ahead of the Jan. 3 caucuses.

"You don't need to be in the pew every Sunday to know something's wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military, but our kids can't openly celebrate Christmas and pray in school," said the Texas governor in a spot that appeared on his website earlier on Wednesday, Dec. 7.

Log Cabin Republicans and other LGBT groups on Tuesday, Dec. 6, blasted Perry for assertion that taking a country's LGBT human rights record into account when considering the allocation of American foreign aid is a war on "traditional American values." Perry also sparked criticism in late October when he applauded efforts to repeal New Hampshire's marriage equality law.

The latest Des Moines Register poll found that only two percent of likely Iowa caucusgoers support Perry.

Video: Hillary Clinton Delivers Landmark Speech on LGBT Rights

2011-12-06T16:34:00.005-05:00

Speaking in Geneva on Tuesday, Dec. 6, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called upon countries to end human rights abuses against their LGBT citizens.

"Gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights," she said.

Clinton's landmark speech coincided with the release of a presidential memo that directed government agencies that carry out American foreign policy to promote LGBT rights abroad. Clinton also briefly met with LGBT activists before she delivered her remarks in the Palais des Nations.

Obama Directs Agencies to Consider LGBT Rights in Foreign Aid

2011-12-06T11:41:00.004-05:00

The White House announced on Tuesday, Dec. 6, that it has directed government agencies to take a country’s LGBT rights record into account when they consider the allocation of foreign aid.

In a memorandum; President Barack Obama directed the State Department, USAID and other agencies that carry out American diplomatic and foreign aid programs to promote and protect the human rights of LGBT people abroad. These include supporting efforts to decriminalize homosexuality, protecting LGBT refugees and asylum seekers, enhancing existing initiatives that advance non-discrimination bills and carrying out “swift and meaningful U.S. responses” to LGBT-specific human rights abuses abroad.

“The struggle to end discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons is a global challenge, and one that is central to the United States commitment to promoting human rights,” wrote Obama, who further expressed his deep concern about anti-LGBT violence and discrimination around the world. “Our deep commitment to advancing the human rights of all people is strengthened when we as the United States bring our tools to bear to vigorously advance this goal.”

Obama issued his memo roughly six weeks after British Prime Minister David Cameron threatened to cut foreign aid to Commonwealth countries that continue to criminalize homosexuality. This directive is the first time the United States government has specifically addressed LGBT human rights abuses abroad.

“As Americans, we understand that no one should be made a criminal or subject to violence or even death because of who they are, no matter where they live,” said Human Rights President Joe Solmonese. “Today’s actions by President Obama make clear that the United States will not turn a blind eye when governments commit or allow abuses to the human rights of LGBT people.”

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton cited the memo in a landmark speech on LGBT equality that she delivered in Genera later on Tuesday, Dec. 6, to commemorate Human Rights Day.

"When one part of humanity is sidelined, the rest of us cannot remain on the sidelines," she said.

Puerto Rico House to Review Proposal to Remove LGBTs from Hate Crimes Law

2011-12-06T08:41:00.004-05:00

Puerto Rico House of Representatives President Jenniffer González announced on Monday, Dec. 5, that she would review a proposed provision to the penal code that would remove sexual orientation, gender identity and expression and ethnic ethnicity from the island’s hate crimes law.

“I have been very consistent about hate crimes,” she said, according to Primera Hora. “I have presented special laws against hate crimes that are there, so I am on the record about this topic.”

González’s announcement coincided with House Judiciary Committee President Liza Fernández’s criticism of the proposed amendment that the Puerto Rico Senate approved late last month.

“For me, it was an error to eliminate these factors from the code,” she said, as el Nuevo Día reported on Tuesday, Dec. 6.

Illinois Congressman Luis Gutierrez, Pedro Julio Serrano of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and other activists and elected officials blasted the proposed provision. New York Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez, New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and New York City Councilmembers Melissa Mark-Viverito, Rosie Mendez, Daniel Dromm and Jimmy Van Bramer urged lawmakers to reject the measure in a joint statement they issued late on Tuesday, Dec. 6.

“When we take into account the horrific hate crimes that have occurred in recent years, this decision is even more egregious and nonsensical," said Mark-Viverito, who was born in San Juan. "The Puerto Rican government is creating a dangerous environment for those who have been and potentially could be attacked or even killed solely on the basis of their identity without any additional penalties for the perpetrators. This strategy to de-classify hate violence directed against LGBT Puerto Ricans and ethnic groups as a separate crime cannot stand."

Nearly two dozen LGBT Puerto Ricans have been murdered on the island since gay teenager Jorge Steven López Mercado’s decapitated, dismembered and partially burned body was found along a remote roadside near Cayey in 2009. With more than 1,000 reported homicides so far this year, 2011 has already proven to be the deadliest year in Puerto Rico.

The U.S. Department of Justice noted the Puerto Rico Police Department’s inadequate response to hate crimes as among the PRPD’s endemic deficiencies in a damning report it released in September. A federal DOJ spokesperson on Monday declined to comment on the proposed hate crimes provision, but the Puerto Rico Department of Justice’s own statistics confirm that prosecutors have not convicted anyone under the island’s hate crimes law.

Singer Ricky Martin added his voice to the growing chorus of those who oppose the proposed provision.

“All citizens are equal under the law and have, without exception, the right to equal protection under the law,” he wrote on his website, citing the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights

The House is expected to vote on the revised penal code later this week during a special legislative session.

Puerto Rico Lawmakers Move to Remove LGBTs from Hate Crimes Law

2011-12-04T23:17:00.002-05:00

Puerto Rican lawmakers are poised to vote on a revised penal code this week that could eliminate LGBT-specific categories from the island’s hate crimes law.

The Puerto Rico Senate late last month approved a provision that would eliminate sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, ethnicity and religion from the current statute—political status, age and disability would remain. The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the amended penal code during a special legislative session.

Representative Héctor Ferrer, Sen. Eduardo Bhatia and LGBT and Dominican activists blasted the proposed provisions earlier on Sunday, Dec. 4.

“It’s an outrage and now we’re calling upon the House to restore this to where it should be,” said Pedro Julio Serrano of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

Nearly two dozen LGBT Puerto Ricans have been murdered on the island since gay teenager Jorge Steven López Mercado was stabbed to death before his decapitated, dismembered and partially burned body was found along a remote roadside near Cayey in Nov. 2009. The Justice Department noted a lack of prosecution under the island's hate crimes law in damning report on the Puerto Rico Police Department it issued in September.

Cain Suspends Presidential Campaign

2011-12-03T13:53:00.000-05:00

Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain on Saturday, Dec. 3, suspended his campaign amid allegations that he carried on a 13-year affair with a Georgia businesswoman and sexually harassed several other women while head of the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s.

"I am suspending my presidential campaign because of the continued distraction and hurt caused on me and my family," he said as his wife Gloria stood by his side.

Cain also criticized the media for promoting what he repeatedly described as false allegations that he said sidetracked his campaign. "The voice of the people is more powerful than the media," he said. "Message is more powerful than money."

Gray Attends World AIDS Day Vigil in Dupont Circle

2011-12-01T20:29:00.001-05:00

Speaking at a World AIDS Day candlelight vigil in Dupont Circle on Thursday, Dec. 1, District of Columbia Mayor Vincent Gray stressed his administration remains committed to fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Washington.

Gray pointed out to the roughly 75 people who gathered in the circle that 122,000 HIV tests took place in the District last year. The city also distributed 5 million female and male condoms.

The mayor said the number of new HIV cases in the District dropped by 50 percent last year--60 percent among intravenous drug users in 2010. The city's prevalence rate, however, remains roughly 300 percent higher than the national average with 3 percent of Washingtonians living with HIV.

"We have made enormous strides over the years in fighting this epidemic, but we have a long ways to go," said Gray.

Gray also presented Whitman-Walker Health Executive Director Don Blanchon with a proclamation that proclaimed Dec 1, 2011, World AIDS Day in the District.

Video: Obama Delivers World AIDS Day Speech in Washington, D.C.

2011-12-01T13:38:00.000-05:00

President Barack Obama used his World AIDS Day speech at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Dec. 1, to reaffirm his administration's commitment to fighting the domestic and global AIDS epidemic.

Obama announced an additional $50 million for HIV medical clinics and state AIDS Drug Assistance Programs. He also unveiled new targets to further combat the spread of the global AIDS epidemic. These include providing anti-retroviral drugs to more than 1.5 million pregnant women with HIV over the next two years and an overall goal of getting six million people with the virus on these life-saving treatments.

An estimated 33 million people around the world currently live with HIV. 1.2 million Americans currently live with the virus.

Obama, Bush and Clinton to Participate in World AIDS Day Forum

2011-12-01T06:24:00.004-05:00

President Barack Obama and former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton are among those who will participate in a World AIDS Day forum at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., later on Thursday, Dec. 1.

ONE and (RED) will host a forum that will focus on "the beginning of the end of AIDS." Tanzanian President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete; CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta; Florida Sen. Marco Rubio; California Congresswoman Barbara Lee; Bono; Alicia Keys; Dr. Patricia Nkansah-Asamoah, director of the PMTCT Clinic at Tema Hospital in Accra, Ghana; Florence Ngobeni of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and Kay Warren are also slated to participate.

More than three decades after the first cases of what became known as AIDS were reported, more than 33 million people around the world currently live with the virus.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told federal health officials and HIV/AIDS service providers during a speech at the National Institutes of Health on Nov. 8 that a so-called AIDS-free generation is possible. A Centers for Disease Control report earlier this week indicates that only 28 percent of the 1.2 million Americans with HIV have viral counts that are considered under control.

Poll: Independents Increasingly Disapprove of Obama

2011-11-29T07:31:00.000-05:00

Gallup reported on Tuesday, Nov. 29, that President Barack Obama's job approval rating averaged 43 percent during the Thanksgiving week.

This figure has remained the same since the end of October, but Obama's standing among independents has continued to drop since the beginning of the year. Forty percent of self-identified pure independents approved of Obama in January, compared with only 30 percent whom Gallup surveyed between Nov. 21-27. Eighty-four percent of liberal Democrats backed the president in the same period.

Obama's job approval rating averaged a historically low 41 percent between July 20 and Oct. 19.

Georgia Woman Alleges 13-Year Affair with Cain

2011-11-28T17:59:00.000-05:00

Here we go again!

An Atlanta television station on Monday, Nov. 28, aired portions of an interview with a Georgia woman who claims she had a 13 year affair with Herman Cain.

“It was pretty simple,” Ginger White told WAGA reporter Dale Russell in an interview that the television station said took place over Thanksgiving weekend. “It wasn't complicated. I was aware that he was married. And I was also aware I was involved in a very inappropriate situation, relationship.”

White went public with her claim less than a month after several women alleged that Cain sexually harassed them while he was the head of the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s. The former Godfathers Pizza CEO categorically denied the women's allegations, and lawyer Lin Wood issued a statement shortly after Cain himself told CNN that WAGA was about to broadcast its interview with White.

"This appears to be an accusation of private, alleged consensual conduct between adults - a subject matter which is not a proper subject of inquiry by the media or the public," said Wood. "No individual, whether a private citizen, a candidate for public office or a public official, should be questioned about his or her private sexual life. The public's right to know and the media's right to report has boundaries and most certainly those boundaries end outside of one's bedroom door."

Will this latest revelation mark the end of the Cain circus once and for all?

Barney Frank Will Not Seek Re-Election

2011-11-28T10:11:00.006-05:00

Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank announced on Monday, Nov. 28, that he will not seek re-election once his term ends in 2013.

Frank, who has represented Massachusetts' Fourth Congressional District since 1981, told reporters at a press conference at Newton (Mass.) Town Hall that redistricting essentially forced his decision.

"I'm not retiring from advocacy for public policy," he said, noting he would like to write, teach and lecture once he leaves Congress. "I was pretty good at being a legislator. I think I was pretty good at working within that framework of government. I look forward to being able to help change the system."

Frank, 71, has represented Massachusetts' Fourth Congressional District since 1981. He publicly came out of the closet in a 1987 interview with the Boston Globe. The House Ethics Committee in 1990 formally reprimanded Frank for using his congressional office to pay 33 parking tickets that a male escort who he had hired as an aide and personal driver had accrued.He appeared in two "It Gets Better" videos earlier this year. He also spoke at a memorial service for Dr. Frank Kameny on Capitol Hill on Nov. 15.

"God knows he's earned the rest," said Democratic National Committee Treasurer Andrew Tobias. "But, boy, will the House ever be the poorer for the loss of its smartest, funniest, most passionately progressive and pragmatic member."

President Barack Obama described Frank as a "fierce advocate for the people of Massachusetts and Americans everywhere who needed a voice."

"He has worked tirelessly on behalf of families and businesses and helped make housing more affordable," said Obama in a statement. "He has stood up for the rights of LGBT Americans and fought to end discrimination against them. And it is only thanks to his leadership that we were able to pass the most sweeping financial reform in history designed to protect consumers and prevent the kind of excessive risk-taking that led to the financial crisis from ever happening again."

New Hampshire's Largest Newspaper Endorses Gingrich

2011-11-27T08:59:00.001-05:00

New Hampshire's largest newspaper on Sunday, Nov. 27, endorsed former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

"We are in critical need of the innovative, forward-looking strategy and positive leadership that Gingrich has shown he is capable of providing," wrote Union Leader Publisher Joseph W. McQuaid in an editorial that appeared on the newspaper's front page.

A pre-Thanksgiving University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll found that 42 percent of likely Republican primary voters would vote for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, compared to only 15 percent who said they would back Gingrich. A USA Today/Gallup poll released on Nov. 21 showed that Gingrich was within two percentage points of Romney.

"We don't back candidates based on popularity polls or big-shot backers," stressed McQuaid, who conceded that Gingrich is "by no means a perfect candidate." "We look for conservatives of courage and conviction who are independent-minded, grounded in their core beliefs about this nation and its people, and best equipped for the job."

While anything can happen between now and the New Hampshire primary on Jan. 10, this endorsement is an obvious shot in the arm to the insurgent Gingrich campaign.

Poll: Romney Gains More Ground in N.H.

2011-11-24T09:18:00.001-05:00

A new poll shows that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney continues to gain more ground against his challengers in New Hampshire.

The poll, conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, found that 42 percent of likely Republican primary voters would vote for Romney, compared to 15 percent who said they would back former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Texas Congressman Ron Paul received 12 percent, while 8 percent of likely Republican primary voters said they would vote for former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman. Only four percent of likely Republican primary voters said they would support Herman Cain.

With less than two months until the primary, the poll also found that nearly 60 percent of New Hampshire voters remain undecided.

Did Romney Stretch the Truth in First Television Campaign Ad?

2011-11-23T09:50:00.000-05:00

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's first television ad proves beyond any shadow of a doubt that the primary season is in full swing.

As with anything, however, the truth is sometimes subjective -- and the fact that Romney used a clip of then-candidate Barack Obama mocking a quote from an adviser to Arizona Sen. John McCain on the economy during an Oct. 2008 campaign appearance in Londonderry, N.H. The Romney campaign defended the spot in a series of statements to WMUR, the Washington Post and other media outlets.

The Iowa caucuses are on Jan. 3 and the New Hampshire primary are on Jan. 10 for anyone who continues to keep track. This questionable ad, however, certainly proves that the former Massachusetts governor and his campaign can certainly grab people's attention.

Poll: Romney, Gingrich Lead Among Republicans

2011-11-21T08:28:00.000-05:00

A new USA Today/Gallup poll shows that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney remains the frontrunner among the Republican presidential candidates, but former House Speaker Newt Gingrich continues to gain momentum over his rivals.

Twenty percent of Republicans who responded to the poll between Nov. 13-17 said Romney is their first choice, while 19 percent said that they would choose Gingrich. Sixteen percent of GOP voters said they would vote for Herman Cain, while only eight percent named Texas Gov. Rick Perry as their top choice.

Is Romney the Nominee-in-Waiting?
Romney's campaign received a boost over the weekend when New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte endorsed the former Massachusetts governor. New Hampshire Congressman Charlie Bass will officially endorse Romney later on Monday, Nov. 21. It appears increasingly likely that Romney will become the Republican presidential nominee at the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa in August, but the voters of Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and other early caucus states will soon have their say and anything can happen between now and then.

Stay tuned...

Puerto Vallarta

2011-11-17T00:51:00.000-05:00

It's a typically balmy late night here in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, as I catch up on e-mails and listen to the surf below our suite's terrace.

I will post pictures of the trip in the coming days, but here is a video of our flight landing at Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport earlier on Wednesday, Nov. 16.

Video: HUD Secretary Speaks to Transgender Rights Group

2011-11-15T22:52:00.000-05:00

Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan on Tuesday, Nov. 15, became the first sitting cabinet member to attend a transgender-specific event when he delivered the keynote address at the National Center for Transgender Equality's annual awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Donovan highlighted HUD's work to ensure equal treatment of trans people in federally-funded housing and mortgage programs in his speech at the Mayflower Renaissance Hotel. He also pointed out the Office of Personnel Management's ban on discrimination against trans federal employees, the addition of gender identity and expression to the federal hate crimes law and the directive that trans veterans receive equal access to health care as among the Obama administration's trans-specific accomplishments.

NCTE also honored Pride at Work Co-Chair Donna Cartwright and Brian Bond, former deputy director of the White House Office of the Public Liaison.

Congressional Job Approval Remains at Historic Low

2011-11-14T15:28:00.000-05:00

A new Gallup poll shows that Congress' approval rating remains at a historic low.

Only 13 percent of respondents said they approve of the way Congress has handled its job, the same rating that Gallup reported last month and in August. Congress' approval rating has averaged only 17 percent so far this year. This figure would mark the lowest annual approval rating since 1974 if trends continue to hold through the end of 2011.

FBI: Nearly 20 Percent of Reported Hate Crimes in 2010 Motivated By Sexual Orientation

2011-11-14T10:35:00.003-05:00

The Federal Bureau of Investigation on Monday, Nov. 14, noted that nearly a fifth of all reported hate crime incidents in 2010 were motivated by sexual orientation.

Of the 6,624 hate crime incidents that the FBI documented in 2010, 19.3 percent of them were motivated by sexual orientation bias. Of the 7,690 single-bias offenses documented in the aforementioned incidents, 19.1 percent of them were motivated by sexual orientation.

The FBI’s report further documents that of the 1,470 hate crime offenses motivated by sexual orientation—57.9 percent were classified as “anti-male homosexual bias” and 27.4 percent were reported as “anti-homosexual bias.” Another 11.4 percent were prompted by “an anti-female homosexual bias,” and 1.9 percent were classified as “anti-bisexual bias.” 1.4 percent were prompted by “anti-heterosexual bias.”

The FBI reported 6,598 hate crime incidents in 2009—18.5 percent of those were motivated by sexual orientation. Of the 7,775 single-bias offenses documented in the aforementioned incidents, 18.5 percent of them were motivated by sexual-orientation.

The 2009 report further notes that 55.6 percent of the reported 1,436 offenses motivated by sexual orientation were prompted by “anti-male homosexual bias,” while another 26.2 percent resulted from “anti-homosexual bias.” “Anti-female homosexual bias” prompted 15 percent of these incidents, while another 1.5 percent resulted from “anti-heterosexual bias” and “anti-bisexual bias” motivated 1.7 percent of these crimes.

While the FBI’s report shows only a slight increase in the number anti-gay hate crimes in 2010; hate violence motivated by sexual orientation, gender identity and expression and HIV status remains a serious problem. A National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs report documented 27 anti-LGBT murders in 2010—the second highest annual total that the coalition has recorded since 1996. Seventy percent of these victims were people of color and 44 percent of them were transgender women.

The NCAVP report further noted that trans people and people of color are twice as likely to experience violence or discrimination as non-trans white people. Trans people of color are nearly 2.5 times as likely to suffer discrimination as their white counterparts.

Has Anything Changed in Puerto Rico Since Jorge Steven's Murder?

2011-11-13T09:49:00.005-05:00

Today marks the second anniversary of Puerto Rican gay teenager Jorge Steven López Mercado’s brutal murder.

Juan José Martínez Matos stabbed Jorge Steven López Mercado to death on Nov. 13, 2009, before he decapitated, dismembered and partially burned his body. López’s remains were found dumped along a remote roadside near Cayey the next day.

López’s gruesome murder sent shockwaves across Puerto Rico and beyond—singers Ricky Martin, Olga Tañon and René Péréz of Calle 13 and former Miss Universe Denise Quiñones were among those who publicly spoke out against anti-LGBT violence on the island. Human Rights Foundation President Ada Conde Vidal, New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, New York City Councilmembers Melissa Mark-Viverito and Rosie Mendez and Illinois state Sen. Iris Martínez are among those who repeatedly blasted Gov. Luís Fortuño for his failure to follow suit.

Has anything changed in Puerto Rico since López’s death?

Martínez received a 99-year prison sentence in May 2010 after he pleaded guilty to López’s murder, but nearly two dozen LGBT Puerto Ricans have been killed since the gay teenager’s gruesome death. The Justice Department noted the Puerto Rico Police Department's inadequate response to hate crimes as among the agencies' numerous failures in a damning report it released in September. Fortuño and other officials have yet to publicly speak out against these incidents.

The situation for LGBT Puerto Ricans remains dire two years after López’s death stunned the world. On this grim anniversary, however, it is appropriate to remember a grieving mother’s words that sought to comfort a community during one of its darkest hours: Love conquers hate.

Shots Fired Near the White House

2011-11-11T22:59:00.002-05:00

Shots were fired between two cars that were speeding near the White House late on Friday, Nov. 11.

WJLA reported that two U.S. Park Police officers heard gunshots and saw two vehicles speeding down Constitution Avenue near the Ellipse and the Washington Monument around 9:30 p.m. One of the vehicles abandoned on Constitution Avenue and 23rd Street near the Roosevelt, while WJLA reported that witnesses said they saw the driver flee towards Virginia.

WJLA is further reporting that officers recovered an AK-47 assault rifle.

Constitution Avenue between 15th and 17th Streets was closed for several hours.

Video: Kerry Praises Ugandan Gay Activist

2011-11-10T16:23:00.000-05:00

Speaking at a Capitol Hill ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 10, U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) praised Frank Mugisha for his activism on behalf of LGBT Ugandans who continue to suffer systematic discrimination, violence and even death.

Kerry delivered his remarks after Ethel and Kerry Kennedy presented Mugisha with the 2011 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award.

Senate Judiciary Committee Advances DOMA Repeal Bill

2011-11-10T11:45:00.003-05:00

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 10-8 on Thursday, Nov. 10, to advance a bill that would repeal the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

"President Obama applauds today’s vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee to approve the Respect for Marriage Act, which would provide a legislative repeal of the so-called “Defense of Marriage Act.” said a White House spokesperson. "The president has long believed that DOMA is discriminatory and has called for its repeal. We should all work towards taking this law off the books. The federal government should not deny gay and lesbian couples the same rights and legal protections afforded to straight couples."

Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, also applauded the committee's vote.

“Today’s vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee puts us one step closer to ending federal marriage discrimination,” he said. “We thank the members of the Judiciary Committee who stood up for LGBT families and particularly thank Chairman Leahy and Senator Feinstein for their leadership in fighting this unjust law.”

Perry: We've All Had Our Human Moments

2011-11-10T07:24:00.001-05:00

Texas Gov. Rick Perry would certainly like to push the reset button after he could not remember the name of the third federal agency he would cut during last night's Republican presidential candidate in Rochester, Mich.

Perry issued an early morning mea culpa of sorts to his supporters for his disastrous gaffe. The campaign asked them to donate $5 for "every agency you would like to forget." The only thing Perry should forget at this point is his presidential aspirations.

Gay Members of Congress Release "It Gets Better" Video

2011-11-09T10:11:00.002-05:00

Gay and lesbian members of Congress discussed their coming out process and being out on Capitol Hill in an "It Gets Better" video they released on Tuesday, Nov. 8.

"Things are getting better because people are now being honest about who they are and they understand that sometimes comes with a price," said Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank, who first came to Washington, D.C., in 1971, to work as an aide to Congressman Michael Harrington.

Colorado Congressman Jared Polis, Wisconsin Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin and Rhode Island Congressman David Cicilline also appeared in the video. Frank appeared in a separate "It Gets Better" video that the Massachusetts Congressional delegation released in late July. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) are among the U.S. senators who released a separate "It Gets Better" video in June.

"There's nothing wrong with you, you're not abnormal and I promise you you're not alone," said Cicilline.

Will Economic Recovery Trump Political Extremism in 2012?

2011-11-09T07:47:00.000-05:00

Will economic recovery trump political extremism in 2012?

Mississippi voters on Tuesday, Nov. 8, rejected the so-called “Personhood Amendment” that would have declared that life in the Magnolia State begins at conception, while Ohio voters repealed a law that Republican Gov. John Kasich signed in March that severely curtailed collective bargaining rights for the state’s public workers by a 2-1 margin. Arizona Senate President Russell Pearce, who spearheaded the passage of the state’s controversial Senate Bill 1070, is poised to lose his seat in a recall election.

The answer to the fore mentioned question is obviously in the eyes of the beholder—a social conservative could make the argument that President Barack Obama is an extremist because his administration no longer defends the Defense of Marriage Act in federal court, while a liberal feminist may conclude that Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain is an opportunistic misogynist because four women have accused him of sexual harassment while he headed the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s. A Rasmussen poll last month showed that 84 percent of likely voters rank the economy as their top issue going into the 2012 election cycle, compared with only 52 percent who described immigration as a very important issue. The country’s unemployment rate remains at nine percent.

It’s the economy, stupid!

Hillary Clinton: Repealing Anti-Gay Laws Curbs Spread of HIV/AIDS

2011-11-07T16:05:00.001-05:00

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Tuesday, Nov. 8, that repealing anti-gay laws is among the ways to curb the spread of the global HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Clinton spoke at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., ahead of the U.S. Conference on AIDS that will take place in Chicago from Nov. 10-13 and World AIDS Day on Dec. 1. She used her NIH speech to announce that the White House has earmarked an additional $60 million to fight the epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa. The State Department has also appointed Ellen DeGeneres as a special envoy to raise global awareness of AIDS.

A Fourth Woman Accuses Cain of Sexual Harassment

2011-11-07T10:10:00.005-05:00

A fourth woman has come forward to allege that Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain sexually harassed her.

Flanked by attorney Gloria Allred at a Manhattan press conference earlier on Monday, Nov. 7, Sharon Bialek alleges that Cain made an unwanted sexual advance against her after they had dinner in Washington, D.C., in July 1997. Bialek said she had contacted Cain, who was then head of the National Restaurant Association, in hopes that he could help her find a job.

"Instead of going into the offices he suddenly reached over and he put his hand on my leg, under my skirt toward my genitals," she said, as reported by the Associated Press. "He also pushed my head towards his crotch."

Three other women have accused Cain of sexual harassment and other inappropriate conduct while he headed the lobby group in the 1990s. Politico reported on Oct. 30 that two of the women accepted five-figure settlements from the lobbying group after they came forward with their allegations.

The former Godfather's Pizza CEO categorically denied Bialek's claims. Cain has also dismissed the three other women's allegations as fabricated.

Poll: Democrats Are More Liberal, Less White Than Republicans

2011-11-07T07:00:00.000-05:00

A new Gallup analysis finds that Democrats tend to be more liberal and less white and religious than Republicans.

Thirty-seven percent of Democrats whom Gallup interviewed between June 1 and Aug. 30 described themselves as liberal, compared to only six percent of Republicans who were polled during the same period.

Thirty-six percent of Democrats were non-white—including 19 percent who were black and another 14 percent who were Latino. Twelve percent of Republicans were non-white—including 19 percent who were black and another 14 percent who were Latino. Another 52 percent of Democrats rarely or never go to church, compared to 40 percent of Republicans who attend religious services weekly.

These demographics are generally the same as those that Gallup found among prospective voters between Jan. 2 and March 31, 2008. The general election is slightly less than a year away, but Gallup predicts that it will show the same voting patterns that existed in the 2008 cycle.

Poll: Cuomo Remains Popular Among N.Y. Voters

2011-11-05T09:11:00.001-04:00

A new NY1/YNN-Marist Poll finds that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo remains popular among New York voters a year after he was elected.

Fifty-five percent of respondents said they think Cuomo has done either a good or excellent job in Albany, while 70 percent have a favorable impression of the governor. Another 75 percent of voters who responded to the poll described Cuomo as a good leader for New York. And 65 percent of respondents said they believe the governor has fulfilled the promises he made on the campaign trail.

Cuomo signed the state’s marriage equality bill into law on June 24. The governor’s $132.5 billion state budget for 2011-2012 that lawmakers approved in late March contained the first spending reduction from the previous year since 1995. Cuomo also signed an ethics reform bill into law in August designed to curb corruption that has long-tarnished state politics.

Sixty-three percent of respondents said that Cuomo is having a positive impact in Albany.

Jill Biden Opens PFLAG National Convention

2011-11-04T10:02:00.003-04:00

Doctor Jill Biden stressed the importance of family acceptance in a speech she delivered at the opening of the Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) National Convention in Alexandria, Va., on Friday, Nov. 4.

“Acceptance by those you love is the greatest acceptance of all,” she said, citing the mother who conceived PFLAG in 1972 after she marched with her gay son in the New York City Pride parade. “As a teacher and a mom, I know what Jeanne Manford knew—that there is a direct connection between acceptance and positive, healthy outcomes in every important area of life, including education, mental health, and physical health.”

Biden specifically referenced the spate of LGBT teenager suicides that have made headlines across the country since Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi jumped off New York City’s George Washington Bridge in Oct. 2010. She also cited the anti-bullying workshops that the White House and the Department of Education have hosted, the addition of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression to the federal hate crimes law and the repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell' as demonstrative examples of the Obama administration's ongoing commitment to LGBT Americans.

“This progress is important, but there is still more to do,” said Biden. “At this critical time for education in our country, we need to ensure that our schools are producing the next generation of American leaders and heroes. We must insure that our classrooms are safer for all students to learn, grow, and thrive.”

She spoke about anti-LGBT bullying in the classroom at a Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network event in New York City in June 2009.

Poll: Obama Faces Uphill Battle in Swing States

2011-11-04T07:02:00.001-04:00

Is it time for the White House to worry?

A new USA Today/Gallup poll finds that President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney are statistically tied among registered voters nationally and in 12 key swing states. Forty-seven percent of registered voters across the country said they would vote for Obama if he faced Romney in the general election, compared to 47 percent of respondents who said they would vote for Romney. Forty-seven percent of registered voters in so-called swing states—including Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin, said they would support Romney in general election, compared to 46 percent who said they would vote for Obama.

Obama appears slightly more competitive against other Republican presidential candidates. Forty-nine percent of voters in swing states said they would vote for Obama in the general election, compared with 44 percent who said they would vote for Perry if he were to become the Republican nominee. Forty-eight percent of swing state voters said they would vote for Obama, versus 45 percent who said they would back Cain if Republicans were to nominate him.

Obama’s job approval rating is 44 percent, while 49 percent of Americans said they disapprove of the president. The White House clearly has some work to do among recession weary Americans before Nov. 6, 2012.

Senate Committee Considers DOMA Repeal Bill

2011-11-03T11:00:00.001-04:00

The Senate Judiciary Committee will consider a bill on Thursday, Nov. 3, that would repeal the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

New York Congressman Jerrold Nadler introduced the measure in the House in March; while Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) introduced a companion DOMA repeal measure in the Senate.

“Marriage is the true foundation for strong families," said Gillibrand. "Every loving, committed couple deserves the basic human right to get married, start a family, and have access to all the same rights and privileges that my husband and I enjoy. No politician should stand in the way of this fact."

The White House announced earlier this year that it will no longer defend DOMA in federal court. The committee held a hearing on the Clinton-era law in July, but the mark-up comes a week after eight current and retired gay servicemembers filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of DOMA in a federal court in Boston.

“Today is another step toward restoration of the traditional practice of having the federal government respect marriages lawfully celebrated by the states – and eliminating the gay exception that unfairly denies that equal treatment to loving and committed couples who have gotten legally married,” said Evan Wolfson, founder and president of Freedom to Marry. “As the Senate Judiciary Committee considers this bill, we urge members to take into account the real harms families face because of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, and the burdens this departure from the usual way the federal government honors marriages imposes on businesses, employers, and others dealing with married couples.”

N.H. Lawmaker Drops Anti-Marriage Equality Amendment

2011-11-02T10:06:00.001-04:00

A New Hampshire lawmaker announced on Tuesday, Nov. 1, that he will not pursue a constitutional amendment that would ban marriage for same-sex couples.

State Rep. David Bates (R-Windham) told the Associated Press that he wants the Legislature to debate his bill that would repeal the state’s marriage equality law that took effect on Jan. 1, 2010. Three-fifths of both houses and two-thirds of voters would need to approve an amendment if it were to be adopted. Bates appeared to acknowledge this high threshold while stressing to the AP that he did not want to force his colleagues in Concord to choose between an amendment and the repeal measure.

"It would complicate the decision for legislators if there was another alternative out there," said Bates.

The House Judiciary Committee voted 11-6 on Oct. 25 to recommend repealing the state’s marriage equality statute that Gov. John Lynch signed into law in June 2009.

A recent University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll found that 62 percent of Granite State voters oppose efforts to repeal the state’s marriage equality law. Debate over the repeal measure could coincide with New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation presidential primary that is expected to take place on Jan. 10.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry applauded efforts to repeal the marriage equality law during a speech he gave at Cornerstone Action’s annual banquet in Manchester on Oct. 28. Ray Buckley, chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party, described Bates’ measure to Boy in Bushwick as “astonishing” after the House Judiciary Committee endorsed it.

The Occupy Movement and the Accountability Question

2011-11-01T16:00:00.001-04:00

What does accountability look like?

This was one of the many complicated questions that came up at a panel discussion about the Occupy Wall Street movement that WNYC host Brian Lehrer moderated at the Jerome L. Greene Performance Space in lower Manhattan on Tuesday, Nov. 1. Former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer; Crain’s New York Business contributor Greg David; Occupy Wall Street organizer Jesse LaGreca, who blogs at the Daily Kos and Kathryn Wylde of the Partnership for New York City, who is deputy chair of the New York Federal Reserve’s Board of Directors, certainly offered a variety of opinions and insights into the grassroots movement that has increasingly captivated the country in recent weeks. The panelists agreed that economic inequality in this country is unacceptable, and they suggested to varying degrees that the so-called 99 percent are justifiably angry at corporate America and their surrogates on Wall Street and on Capitol Hill.

Democracy is not an neatly packed form of government as a stroll through the Occupy Wall Street encampment in Zuccotti Park near Ground Zero earlier today literally proved—corporate money in American politics, war, unemployment and even civil rights were among the topics to which Occupiers drew attention. One can certainly argue that dissent is the highest form of patriotism. The question remains, however, whether organizers within the Occupy movement are able to offer tangible solutions to the country’s social, economic and political inequalities that can effectively hold the powers that be accountable.

The answer is as complicated as the form of government under which the Occupy movement is able to expand.

Will Allegations of Inappropriate Conduct Derail the Cain Juggernaut?

2011-10-31T07:00:00.000-04:00

Will allegations of inappropriate conduct against two former female National Restaurant Association staffers derail Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain’s improbable campaign?

Politico reported late on Sunday, Oct. 30, that the women accepted five figure settlements from the lobbying group in the 1990s after they complained that Cain, who was then the head of the trade association, had demonstrated inappropriate behavior towards them. Sources whom Politico did not identify said the reported incidents included sexually suggestive conversations that took place at conferences, at association events and in the organization’s offices and inappropriate physical gestures that made the women uncomfortable.

Cain topped a new poll of likely Iowa Republican caucusgoers that the Des Moines Register released on Saturday, Oct. 29. These reported allegations come on the heels of the former Godfather’s Pizza CEO’s controversial comments on immigration and the release of an unconventional campaign video that features his campaign manager smoking a cigarette.

“Fearing the message of Herman Cain who is shaking up the political landscape in Washington, Inside the Beltway media have begun to launch unsubstantiated personal attacks on Cain,” the Cain campaign told Politico in a statement. “Sadly, we’ve seen this movie played out before – a prominent conservative targeted by liberals simply because they disagree with his politics.”

Presidential campaigns are certainly not for the faint of heart, but will these reported allegations prove the straw that broke the Cain juggernaut’s back?

Stay tuned.

Perry Backs Efforts to Repeal N.H. Marriage Equality Law

2011-10-29T10:38:00.000-04:00

Speaking at Cornerstone Action's annual banquet in Manchester, N.H., on Friday, Oct. 28, Texas Gov. Rick Perry applauded lawmakers who back the repeal of New Hampshire's marriage equality law.

"As conservatives we believe in the sanctity of life. We believe in the sanctity of traditional marriage," said Perry, as reported by the Concord Monitor. "I applaud those legislators in New Hampshire who are working to defend marriage as an institution between one man and one woman, realizing that children need to be raised in a loving home by a mother and a father."

Perry made the remarks three days after the House Judiciary Committee recommended repealing the state's marriage equality law. A recent University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll found the majority of New Hampshire voters oppose any effort to repeal the statute, but legislators are poised to debate the issue early next year--the state's first-in-the-nation presidential primary is likely to take place on Jan. 10.

Only four percent of Republican primary voters would vote for Perry, according to a UNH Survey Center/WMUR poll conducted earlier this month.

Gillibrand Introduces Bill to Ban Discrimination Against Prospective LGBT Adoptive and Foster Parents

2011-10-28T11:05:00.001-04:00

New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand on Friday, Oct. 28, introduced a bill that would prevent any agency that receives federal funding from disqualifying prospective adoptive or foster parents solely on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity and expression.

“New York is a leader on ensuring that any family can adopt children and sets a great example for the rest of the country,” said Gillibrand in a statement that announced the introduction of the Every Child Deserves a Family Act. She pointed out that New York increased its pool of prospective foster parents by 128,000 when the state eliminated all LGBT-specific barriers.

"This legislation would open thousands of new foster and adoptive homes to children ensuring they are raised in loving families,” added Gillibrand.

Utah, Mississippi, Louisiana, North Carolina and Michigan currently bar same-sex couples from adopting children, while six others prohibit gay and lesbian parents from adopting their partner's children. Gillibrand points out that more than two dozen other states do not specifically address treatment of prospective LGBT foster and adoptive parents.

“We must support all qualified adults who are interested in providing a nurturing, adoptive home—regardless of their marital status or sexual orientation," said Linda Spears, vice president of policy and public affairs for the Child Welfare League of America. "Having a real life, caring parent is incredibly important for ensuring a child’s success. Sen. Gillibrand’s bill represents progress for these children whose goal is to simply be loved.”

Vincent Gray and Amy Winehouse Yuck It Up at High Heel Race

2011-10-28T09:24:00.002-04:00

It was quite a scene at the 25th annual High Heel Race in Dupont Circle on Tuesday, Oct. 25, when D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray yucked it up with the late Amy Winehouse.

Gray literally stopped in his tracks when he spotted the troubled British chanteuse—who was actually Queen Bambi—amid the throngs of people who had descended upon on 17th Street. Gray posed for pictures with Winehouse, who suddenly died in August from alcohol poisoning, as onlookers reveled in the spontaneous spectacle.

This chance encounter undoubtedly provided a welcome reprieve from the series of damaging revelations and headlines that continue to threaten to derail the Gray administration.

Gay Servicemembers Challenge DOMA in Federal Court

2011-10-27T07:51:00.004-04:00

A group of gay and lesbian servicemembers filed a lawsuit challenging the federal Defense of Marriage Act in federal court in Boston on Thursday, Oct. 27.

The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network and Chadbourne and Parke held a press conference with the six active duty servicemembers and two veterans at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The plaintiffs argue that DOMA forces the military to deny their spouses access to bases, burial rights at national cemeteries and other benefits that heterosexual servicemembers' spouses automatically receive.

"The case we are bringing today is about one thing, plain and simple: It’s about justice for gay and lesbian servicemembers and their families," said Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. "These couples are in long-term, committed and legally recognized marriages and the military shouldn’t be forced to turn their back on them because the federal government refuses to recognize their families."

The repeal of the Pentagon's ban on openly gay and lesbian servicemembers became official on Sept. 20.

The Obama administration announced earlier this year that it would no longer defend DOMA in federal court, but House Republicans continue to back the Clinton-era law. The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to begin debate on a DOMA repeal bill on Nov. 3.

A Campaign Fleece for All

2011-10-26T20:45:00.000-04:00

It is undoubtedly campaign season when presidential candidates begin to offer fleece to anyone who supports their White House aspirations.

"As the sun begins to set earlier and the air has that wonderful autumn crisp in it, our campaign would like to offer you an exclusive way to show your support," wrote Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann in a fundraising appeal that her campaign sent to supporters earlier today in which she blasts President Barack Obama over the country's sluggish economy. "We have designed a 'Bachmann for President' fleece jacket to offer you as special gift if you make a donation of $75 or more to my campaign today. This is an exclusive fleece you can wear throughout the fall to show you stand for constitutional conservative values and support our campaign for president."

Not to be outdone by the Tea Party firebrand, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's campaign is offering "an official Romney 2012 fleece pullover" to anyone who donates $60 or more to the campaign.

"Support Mitt in style while you're out at campaign rallies, phone banks, or watching the debates," wrote Zac Moffatt, digital director of the Romney campaign, in a pitch to supporters earlier on Wednesday, Oct. 26. "Remember that all purchases from the store are also donations to the campaign. So not only can you wear your support on your sleeve, but you'll also help provide the much-needed resources to defeat Obama and his failed policies in 2012."

With snow expected to fall across most of New Hampshire on Thursday, Oct. 27, these pullovers and jackets could quite possibly prove more than a seasonal gimmick to pad campaign coffers. The first-in-the-nation presidential primary is less than three months away for anyone who's counting!

N.H. Legislative Panel Recommends Repeal of Marriage Equality Law

2011-10-25T17:08:00.003-04:00

The New Hampshire House Judiciary Committee voted 11-6 on Tuesday, Oct. 25, to recommend repealing the state's marriage equality law.

Same-sex couples have been able to legally marry in the Granite State since Jan. 2010. State Rep. David Bates (R-Windham)'s bill would ban same-sex marriages in New Hampshire, but the measure would allow unmarried adults to enter into a civil union. A University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll conducted between Sept. 26 and Oct. 2 found that 62 percent of voters oppose efforts to repeal the state's marriage equality law. Eighty-one percent of respondents said nuptials for gays and lesbians in New Hampshire have not impacted their life.

"It is astounding that Republican legislators would repeal New Hampshire's marriage equality law when not only do 60 percent of New Hampshire voters oppose the repeal, likely Republican presidential primary voters oppose repeal as well," New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley told Boy in Bushwick after the committee's vote. "The out of state radical agenda of Speaker Bill O'Brien has already made this legislature the most unpopular in New Hampshire history, playing games with thousands of families in New Hampshire is certainly not a popular path to take."

Maryland AG: Marriage Equality Bill Will Pass in 2012

2011-10-25T16:31:00.000-04:00

Speaking at the Center for American Progress in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Oct. 25, Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler predicted a marriage equality bill will pass in the state Legislature next year.

Gansler spoke at CAP after the think tank and other LGBT and progressive organizations released a report on the impact of social and legal inequalities on children with LGBT parents.

Obama Announces Total Troop Withdrawl from Iraq

2011-10-21T13:42:00.002-04:00

President Barack Obama announced on Friday, Oct. 21, that the last American combat troops in Iraq will leave the country by the end of the year.

"I can report that, as promised, the rest of our troops in Iraq will come home by the end of the year," said Obama in the White House briefing room, as reported by the Associated Press. "After nearly nine years, America's war in Iraq will be over."

Obama in Aug. 2010 officially declared an end to U.S. combat in Iraq. More than 4,400 American servicemembers have lost their lives in the country since the war began in March 2003.

"I applaud President Obama for a promise kept," said California Sen. Barbara Boxer. "Today is a day to honor our troops and our military families who have sacrificed so much over the last nine years to give the Iraqi people a chance at a better future. It is now up to the Iraqis to secure their country and provide opportunity for all their people."

Obama's Approval Rating Slips to Historic Low

2011-10-21T08:58:00.001-04:00

A new Gallup poll shows that President Barack Obama's approval rating has fallen to 41 percent.

This figure is the average approval rating from Gallup Daily tracking polls from July 20 through Oct. 19--Congress agreed to raise the country's debt ceiling in early August, while Standard and Poor's downgraded the United States' credit rating a few days later. Persistent high unemployment rates and ongoing wrangling over the economy and Obama's new jobs bill further polarized an already angry electorate going into the 2012 election cycle.

The only president since Dwight D. Eisenhower to have had a lower job approval rating at this point in his presidency was Jimmy Carter. His job approval rating averaged only 31.4 percent between July 20 and Oct. 19, 1979.

Gillibrand Stumps for Giffords’ Reelection Campaign

2011-10-20T11:40:00.001-04:00

New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand describes Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords as a “fighter who gets things done” in a fundraising pitch she sent on behalf of her close friend’s re-election campaign on Thursday, Oct. 20.

“Watching Gabby triumph over adversity has given me the strength and courage to keep up the fight in Washington,” said Gillibrand, referring to Giffords’ remarkable recovery after Jared Lee Loughner allegedly shot her in the head outside a Tucson supermarket in January. The massacre left six people dead and Giffords and 13 others wounded.

“We need Gabby in Congress, not only because she's a fighter who gets things done, but because she is a unique leader who can help bridge the divide that has fractured our nation for far too long,” added Gillibrand.

Republican Presidential Candidate Threatens to Boycott Florida Orange Juice Over Primary Date

2011-10-19T18:31:00.000-04:00

Long-shot Republican presidential candidate Fred Karger is threatening to boycott Florida orange juice if the state does not reschedule its GOP primary.

"Voters need time during the coming months to fully vet all eleven serious Republican Presidential candidates," said Karger in a letter he sent to Gov. Rick Scott, House Speaker Dean Cannon and Secretary of State Kurt Browning on Wednesday, Oct. 19.

Florida officials threw the Republican presidential nomination process into disarray earlier this month when they announced that they would hold the state's primary on Jan. 31. Nevada Republicans announced that they will hold their caucuses on Jan. 14, while New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner said last week that he could not rule out a December primary.

"Florida would potentially rob American voters of two months of campaigning which only helps the frontrunner," said Karger, who described Florida's move as "ill-conceived" and "un-American." "As one of these candidates for president, I cannot sit idly by while the state of Florida threatens the entire selection process.

Gays and lesbians were among those who boycotted Florida orange juice after Anita Bryant successfully led an effort to repeal then-Dade County's anti-discrimination ordinance in 1977. "I was involved in the Anita Bryant inspired Florida Orange Juice Boycott in 1978, and am keenly aware of the economic pressure that boycotts wield," said Karger.

Karger said he will officially launch the boycott if Florida officials do not reschedule the primary by Nov. 1.

Poll: 64 Percent of Americans Blame Washington for Bad Economy

2011-10-19T07:45:00.001-04:00

Following last night's Republican kerfuffle in the desert, a new poll finds Americans are more than twice as likely to blame Washington for the country's economic problems than Wall Street.

Sixty-four percent of Americans who responded to the Gallup/USA Today poll on Oct. 15-16 said they blame the federal government for the country's sluggish economy. Only 30 percent of respondents said financial institutions on Wall Street are to blame.

Does the Occupy Movement Have Clearly Defined Goals?

2011-10-18T07:54:00.000-04:00

Does the Occupy movement have clearly defined goals?

I continuously asked myself this question as I walked around the Occupy Boston encampment on the Greenway outside South Station on Monday, Oct. 17. The anger and frustration towards Wall Street, corporate America, the federal government, the police and even the media was certainly palpable. Occupy Boston organizers have even begun to organize General Assemblies and caucuses that clearly indicate they have no intentions of leaving Dewey Square. As impressive as these efforts are, the question remains whether they are enough to effectively captivate an angry electorate ahead of the 2012 elections?

Sixty-three percent of respondents to a Gallup poll conducted over the past weekend said they did not know enough about the Occupy movement to say whether they approved or disapproved of its goals. Another 55 percent said they did not know enough about the Occupy movement to say whether they approved or disapproved of the way the protests are being conducted. The poll further indicates that only 56 percent of Americans are following the Occupy movement closely.

Occupiers certainly have justifiable grievances against corporate greed and the political system that continues to disenfranchise the vast majority of Americans. The democratic traditions upon which this country was built continues to allow the Occupy protestors to air them, but it remains to be seen whether the movement will achieve more than providing a colorful snapshot du jour of an increasingly frustrated, angry and polarized country.

Postcards from Occupy Boston

2011-10-17T16:30:00.001-04:00

A week after Boston police arrested more than 140 Occupy Boston protesters, dozens of tents remain in the Greenway near Dewey Square adjacent to South Station.

Boston is among the dozens of cities around the world in which protesters remain encamped as part of the Occupy movement. Others include New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and London.

Poll: Most N.H. Voters Oppose Efforts to Repeal Marriage Equality Law

2011-10-13T17:43:00.003-04:00

A new poll indicates the vast majority of New Hampshire voters support the state's marriage equality law.

Sixty-two percent of respondents who participated in a University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll conducted between Sept. 26 and Oct. 2 said they oppose efforts to repeal the law. Forty-four percent of New Hampshire voters are more likely to vote against a candidate who supports repealing the statute, while 47 percent of respondents said marriage equality has had no impact on New Hampshire. Eighty-one percent of respondents said nuptials for gays and lesbians in the Granite State have not impacted their life.

State lawmakers are poised to debate the issue in January, which could potentially coincide with the presidential primary. Same-sex couples have been able to legally marry in New Hampshire since Jan. 2010.

A poll in February also found the majority of New Hampshire voters support marriage equality.

New Hampshire Officials Considering December Primary

2011-10-12T16:34:00.000-04:00

New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner said on Wednesday, Oct. 12, that the Granite State could hold its primary as early as Dec. 6 if Nevada Republicans do not agree to hold their caucuses on or after Jan. 17.

New Hampshire law requires that the state to hold its primary at least seven days before other state. Nevada Republicans announced last Wednesday that they will hold their caucuses on Jan. 14. This move prompted Iowa Republicans to announce that they could potentially hold their caucuses before the end of the year.

"The dates of Tuesday, December 13th, and Tuesday, December 6th are realistic options, and we have logistics in place to make either date happen if needed," said Gardner in his strongly worded statement. "Candidates have been campaigning here, and elsewhere, for months, and it is about time we begin the next stage of the presidential nominating process."

Frank Kameny Passes Away

2011-10-12T12:31:00.001-04:00

Longtime LGBT activist Frank Kameny passed away in his Washington, D.C., home late on Tuesday, Oct. 11. He was 86.

Metroweekly reported that Kameny, who founded the Mattachine Society of Washington in 1961 after he was fired from his job at the Army Map Service four years earlier, passed away in his sleep.

“Frank Kameny led an extraordinary life marked by heroic activism that set a path for the modern LGBT civil rights movement," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. "From his early days fighting institutionalized discrimination in the federal workforce, Dr. Kameny taught us all that 'Gay is Good.' As we say goodbye to this trailblazer on National Coming Out Day, we remember the remarkable power we all have to change the world by living our lives like Frank--openly, honestly and authentically.”

Gay Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank mourned Kameny in a statement he released earlier on Wednesday, Oct. 12.

“The death of Frank Kameny is a very sad day for those who believe that all people in this country should be treated fairly. No one in our history had a longer record of commitment to and leadership of the fight for civil rights for all. When he was himself the victim of discrimination decades ago, unlike almost every other victim of the homophobia that then pervaded the country, Frank Kameny fought back. His courageous, creative assault on bigotry is one of the rocks on which the movement for LGBT rights is founded, and the successes we have had in recent times owe a great deal to him," he said. “All of us who are continuing the fight will remain indebted to him, inspired by him, and regretful that we will no longer have the benefit of his advice, his encouragement, and perhaps most importantly, his impatience.”

Congressional Job Approval Once Again Drops to Historical Low

2011-10-12T07:03:00.000-04:00

This headline should not surprise anybody.

A new Gallup poll indicates Congressional job approval has dropped to a historically low 13 percent. Only 14 percent of Republicans and Democrats approve this Congress, while Congressional job approval among independents was 13 percent. Only eight percent of respondents 55 and older said they back Congress.

Gallup recorded the same dismal statistics in August and again in Dec. 2010.