Saturday, October 25, 2008

GLBT DIGEST - October 25, 2008

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NATIONAL & WORLD DIGEST - October 25, 2008

**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.


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New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Editorial: Barack Obama for President
Hyperbole is the currency of presidential campaigns, but this year the nation's future truly hangs in the balance. The United States is battered and drifting after eight years of President Bush's failed leadership. He is saddling his successor with two wars, a scarred global image and a government systematically stripped of its ability to protect and help its citizens - whether they are fleeing a hurricane's floodwaters, searching for affordable health care or struggling to hold on to their homes, jobs, savings and pensions in the midst of a financial crisis that was foretold and preventable.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/24/opinion/24fri1.html?ref=opinion

-For Obama, a Melancholy Biography Tour
HONOLULU - For the last 21 months, she has followed the odyssey of his presidential campaign like a spectator in a faraway balcony. She underwent a corneal transplant to see him on television. She reluctantly agreed to film a political ad when he needed to urgently reassure the voters about his distinctive American roots. She told him during one of their frequent telephone conversations that it might not hurt if he smiled a bit more. And on Friday, Senator Barack Obama spent the day saying goodbye.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/24/us/politics/24cnd-obama.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

-The California Prison Disaster
California should move away from mandatory sentencing laws that have packed prisons and sent corrections costs through the roof.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/25/opinion/25sat1.html


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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Olympic Hangover
The Games are over, but Hu Jia is still in prison. LAST WEEK, China made permanent the single most conspicuous gesture toward political liberalization it offered before the Beijing Olympics: a modest easing of controls on reporting by foreign journalists. The relaxation hasn't always been observed in practice, and it doesn't apply in sensitive regions such as Tibet, where foreign reporters are still banned. It has had little impact on Chinese media or the information available to the Chinese population. Still, the communist regime trumpeted the step. "Opening up is very important. I believe in the past year and a half, China has improved a lot in this regard, and I believe it will do an even better job in the future," said a Foreign Ministry spokesman.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/23/AR2008102302884.html

-Comedian Becomes Serious Contender
Democrat Franken Leads Senate Race in Minn.
Al Franken settled into the Wagon Wheel Cafe and for 45 uninterrupted minutes talked with a handful of Minnesota farmers about the promise of cellulosic ethanol, the impact of the sinking dollar on crop prices and his pledge to secure a seat on the Agriculture Committee if he is elected to the U.S. Senate.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/24/AR2008102403593.html?hpid=topnews

-US Muslim voters are election year outcasts
-- Lepers. Untouchables. Politically radioactive. These are ways American Muslims describe their status in an election year when Barack Obama's opponents are spreading rumors that he is Muslim, when he is Christian, and linking him to terrorists. So when Colin Powell, a Republican, condemned using Muslim as a smear _ a tactic he said members of his own party allowed _ there was an outpouring of gratitude and relief from American Muslims.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/23/AR2008102301987.html?hpid=sec-religion

-The ACORN Storm: From John McCain, hyperbole about potential voter fraud
THE VERY "fabric of democracy," or so Sen. John McCain warned at the final presidential debate, is at stake. "We need to know the full extent of Senator Obama's relationship with ACORN, [which] is now on the verge of maybe perpetrating one of the greatest frauds in voter history in this country," Mr. McCain said, referring to the liberal group the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now. Mr. McCain's hyperbole about ACORN, which has endorsed Mr. Obama, is unwarranted.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/24/AR2008102402954.html

-Perceptions of Palin Grow Increasingly Negative, Poll Says
While top-of-the-ticket rivals John McCain and Barack Obama both remain broadly popular heading into Election Day, public perceptions of Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin have fallen dramatically since she emerged on the national political scene at the GOP convention.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/24/AR2008102402698.html?hpid=topnews

-Kennedy focuses from home on health care overhaul
An ailing Sen. Edward Kennedy is trying to lay the groundwork for a breakthrough on health care reform next year, though many believe the enormous undertaking has been made even more difficult by the troubled economy. Kennedy, aides say, has held several video conferences with lawmakers and staff in recent months as he fights from home to overcome brain cancer. His staff has held more than a dozen meetings in recent weeks with various advocacy and interest groups that will help influence the debate.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/24/AR2008102401754.html?hpid=sec-health


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The Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Where Were the Boards?
Accountability shouldn't end with the CEO. These days it's impossible to avoid news stories about the financial crisis -- and the news about the economy especially seems to be getting worse. There is certainly plenty of blame to go around among the politicians, chief executives, corporations, homeowners and consumers who've borrowed well beyond their ability to repay. Yet one very important question has gotten little attention: Where were the boards of directors of the companies that helped create this mess?
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122489049222968569.html


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Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Government must respect press freedom
Below are excerpts from the recommendations of The Price of Silence: The Growing Threat of Soft Censorship in Latin America, a recent report by the Open Society Justice Initiative.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other-views/story/740867.html


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Obama/Biden vs McCain/Palin, what if things were switched around?....think about it.
Would the country's collective point of view be different? Could racism be the culprit?
Ponder the following:
What if the Obamas had paraded five children across the stage, including a three month old infant and an unwed, pregnant teenage daughter?
What if John McCain was a former president of the Harvard Law Review?
What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of his graduating class?
What if McCain had only married once, and Obama was a divorcee?
What if Obama was the candidate who left his first wife after a severe disfiguring car accident, when she no longer measured up to his standards?
What if Obama had met his second wife in a bar and had a long affair while he was still married?
What if Michelle Obama was the wife who not only became addicted to painkillers but also acquired them illegally through her charitable organization?
What if Cindy McCain graduated from Harvard?
What if Obama had been a member of the Keating Five? (The Keating Five were five United States Senators accused of corruption in 1989, igniting a major political scandal as part of the larger Savings and Loan crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s.)
What if McCain was a charismatic, eloquent speaker?
What if Obama couldn't read from a teleprompter?
What if Obama was the one who had military experience that included discipline problems and a record of crashing planes?
What if Obama was the one who was known to display publicly, on many occasions, a serious anger management problem?
What if Michelle Obama's family had made their money from beer distribution?
You could easily add to this list.
If these questions reflected reality, do you really believe the election numbers would be as close as they are?
This is what racism does. It covers up, rationalizes and minimizes positive qualities in one candidate and emphasizes negative qualities in another when there is a color difference.
Educational Background:
Barack Obama: Columbia University - B.A. Political Science with a Specialization in International Relations. Harvard - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude
Joseph Biden: University of Delaware - B.A. in History and B.A. in Political Science. Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.)
vs.
John McCain: United States Naval Academy - Class rank: 894 of 899
Sarah Palin: Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester North Idaho College -
2 semesters - general study University of Idaho - 2 semesters -journalism
Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester University of Idaho - 3 semesters -
B.A. in Journalism
Education isn't everything, but this is about the two highest offices in the land as well as our standing in the world. You make the call.
Roger Leisner - Radio Free Maine
http://searchwarp.com/swa385207.htm


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Pew Research center
http://pewresearch.org/
Go to this link for the following articles:

-America Changing
Latinos Account for Half of U.S. Population Growth Since 2000
A new Pew Hispanic Center report analyzes changes in Latino growth and settlement patterns over the past three decades. The report includes a series of interactive maps and data bases that provide demographic information about the Latino population in each of the nation's 50 states and 3,141 counties. Read more

-Positive Politicos
Republicans: Still Happy Campers
Despite the imploding stock market, the looming recession, the unpopular president and discouraging political polls, a new Social Trends survey finds GOP adherents still beat Democrats on the happiness scale. Read more

-Campaign Countdown
Liberal Democrats Top Conservative Republicans in Donations, Activism
With less than two weeks to go before Election Day, voters remain riveted to the presidential campaign. But liberal Democrats are engaging in far more activism than other partisan and ideological groups. Read more

-Canvassing Campaign Media: An Analysis of Time, Tone and Topics
Coverage of the presidential race has not so much cast Obama in a favorable light as it has portrayed McCain in a substantially negative one, according to a new study of the media. Read more

-Most Voters Say News Media Wants Obama to Win
By a margin of 70%-9%, voters say most journalists want to see Obama, not McCain, win on Nov. 4. Since 1992, voters have consistently believed the media favor the Democratic candidate, but this year's margin is especially wide. Read more

-Daily Number
11% - National Satisfaction
Only 11% of Americans are satisfied with the way things are going in the country today; the lowest level of satisfaction ever measured by a Pew Research Center survey. Check back every weekday for another number in the news. Read more


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Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Watchdog group files complaint over clothing purchases for Palin family
A watchdog group filed a complaint yesterday with the Federal Election Commission against Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, the Republican National Committee, and several political operatives associated with the RNC, alleging that they improperly spent $150,000 on clothing for Palin and her family. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics cited news reports that clothing and accessories purchases for Palin and her family included $49,425 spent at Saks Fifth Avenue and $75,062 at Neiman Marcus.
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/articles/2008/10/24/watchdog_group_files_complaint_over_clothing_purchases_for_palin_family/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+National+News


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Will Ferrell Back As Bush With Tina Fey's Palin On Thursday's "Saturday Night Live" (VIDEO)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/23/will-ferrell-back-as-bush_n_137399.html


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FLORIDA DIGEST - October 25, 2008

**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.


~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~

Sunday! Early Voting Rally with Matt Damon,
Alicia Silverstone and Kerry Washington
South Beach North Shore Bandshell - 6pm
73rd Street & Collins Avenue
On Sunday, October 26, at 6pm, as part of Vote Fest '08, Matt Damon, Alicia Silverstone and Kerry Washington, will participate in an Early Vote Rally on Miami Beach, sponsored by the Miami-Dade Democrats. It would be great to have a big turnout from the GLBT community in South Florida. For folks who can't get there on Sunday, Matt Damon will be in South Beach on Monday, participating in one of our 27 Marches for Change being held throughout Florida - 27 Marches on October 27 for 27 Florida Electoral Votes that Barack will win on November 4. The march will begin at 21st and Collins and end at the Early Vote Center at Miami Beach City Hall. The march begins at 2100 Collins at 5pm.


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Join us Saturday, October 25, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. for a
Wine and Cheese Social with National Obama Surrogate Jared Polis (D-CO). After the Social, join us again as we walk with Jared down Wilton Drive, stopping at some of the social hotspots to announce early voting! Jared stands to be the 3rd openly GLBT member of Congress, following in the footsteps of Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) and Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI).


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Tell Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida -
"We Have Your Back"
When the largest and oldest health insurance provider speaks out against Amendment 2 people listen. And Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida (BCBS-FL) has been speaking out against the deceptively named "marriage protection" amendment quite a bit. Their clear and public stand has earned them high points for courage and integrity but it has also earned them the animosity of the far right backers of Amendment 2.
Link: Write to BCBS-FL today and tell them how much we appreciate their principled stand.
http://ga4.org/campaign/BCBS


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Stonewall Library and Archives - Ft. Lauderdale
http://www.stonewall-library.org/

-Heritage Gala
Saturday, November 15
Design Center of the Americas [DCOTA]
The Stonewall Heritage Gala is promising to be not only this year's signature event for The Stonewall Library but probably one of the most memorable GLBT events in Ft. Lauderdale history. Congressman Barney Frank is scheduled to receive our Heritage of Pride award and with the pending opening of our new library, I know you don't want to miss it. For tickets!
http://www.stonewall-library.org/payment_gala.html


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GLCCSF - Ft. Lauderdale
IRON LADIES ANNUAL GOLF TOURNMENT
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2008
Palm Aire Country Club, 2600 Palm Aire Drive North, Pompano Beach, Florida. A fun filled day on the greens of Palm Aire Country Club in Pompano Beach benefitting the SMART Ride. Iron Ladies will take place October 25, 2008 and will attract 100 professional women from around South Florida. Golfers will play 18 holes on the Cypress Course at Palm Aire and then head over to New Moon in Wilton Manors for a festive cocktail party, buffet and awards ceremony. To Play or Volunteer contact: Carol@newmoonbar.com.


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South Florida Blade
http://www.floridablade.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

-Wilton Manors: Gym's demise leads to business blues
Shop owners report general slowdown after Main Street Gym was closed
http://www.floridablade.com/2008/10-23/news/localnews/5188.cfm




~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~

New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-While McCain Looked Away, Florida Shifted
John McCain, who once had a commanding lead, is in a neck-and-neck race for a state vital to his hopes of victory.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/25/us/politics/25florida.html?hp


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Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Despite the ailing economy, home sales in South Florida were way up in September
Broward home sales jumped last month, a sign of plunging prices. Analysts say it's still not clear whether the housing market has hit bottom. Home and condo buyers are scooping up South Florida bargains, priced low to sell by desperate homeowners and banks overwhelmed with foreclosure properties.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sfl-fla1ahousingheadline1025sboct25,0,3128851.story

-Plantation man gets 30 years in beating death of homeless man
The second of two Plantation men learned his prison sentence today in the beating death of a sleeping homeless man. Brian Hooks was sentenced to 30 years behind bars, a day after his co-defendant, Thomas Daugherty, 19, received life behind bars for his role in a trio of Jan. 12, 2006 unprovoked attacks against homeless men, one of which was captured on videotape.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sfl-1024homelessbeating,0,5170475.story

-Home sales: 52% INCREASE
Year over year increase in home sales in Broward County between September 2007 and Sept. 2008
25% DECREASE
Year over year decrease in the median price for Broward County over the same period
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sfl-flzhousingbox1025sboct25,0,4632760.story

-Median prices, home sales for Broward, Palm Beach counties Multimedia
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/broadband/theedge/sfl-edge-homesales,0,275221.flash

-Map: Foreclosures, subprime loans in S. Florida
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/realestate/sfl-edge-foreclosures08,0,1456063.flash

-Sun-Sentinel Endorsements
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/


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Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Miami Herald Endorsements
http://media.miamiherald.com/smedia/2008/10/19/19/recommend.source.prod_affiliate.56.pdf

-Find Waiting Times at Poll Locations
http://www.miamifly.net/maps/earlyvote/

-ELECTION 2008: Democrats have the edge so far in early voting
Early data show Democrats lining up more frequently for early voting than Republicans, balancing out the GOP's absentee-ballot advantage. The crush of early voting in Broward and Miami-Dade counties is leaning decidedly to the left, with Democrats lining up at the polls more than three times as often as Republicans, according to Democratic Party numbers.
http://www.miamiherald.com/460/story/740827.html


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If there's one thing we learned from 2000 and 2004, it's that Republicans don't hesitate to fight dirty.
Here's the best way to stop them from stealing this election... WIN IT BY A LANDSLIDE.
Obama may be ahead in the polls right now, but to neutralize right-wing voter suppression we need to win really big. And that means coming together to make sure everyone who supports him gets out to vote. At 7 PM on Monday, October 27, please join Palm Beach County members of Democracy For Americaand MoveOn who are gathering at the Koffee Okee, 271 NE 6th Avenue in Delray Beach, to learn how to Vote Naked and for a screening of "STEALING AMERICA:
Vote by Vote" and find out how you can help to protect the outcome of this election. Will you join them?
http://stealingamerica.bravenewtheaters.com/screening/show/11766
Other members of Democracy for America and MoveOn in your area are already getting involved--click here to sign up and join them on Monday, October 27:
http://stealingamerica.bravenewtheaters.com/screening/show/11766
YES WE CAN!!!
Rick Neuhoff
www.RickNeuhoff2008.com
Co-Chair Palm Beach County DEC - Web & Technology Committee
Palm Beach County DEC - VOICE Committee
Palm Beach County DEC - Legislative Committee
United South County Democratic Club - Legislative Committee
Boynton Beach Democratic Club - Legislative Committee
Palm Beach County Democracy For America - Co-Secretary
Phone 561.358.0830
Email DishNetTV@aol.com
Obama for President
www.barackobama.com
The Democratic Party
www.democrats.org
The Palm Beach County Democratic Party
www.pbcdemocraticparty.org



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Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Sink predicts hard times for state
Don't expect economic hard times to begin turning around in Florida for at least a year, the state's chief financial officer said yesterday. "We are in for a hard ride here in Florida," Alex Sink told several dozen members of the Space Coast Tiger Bay Club at a luncheon meeting. That hard ride already has included a $9 billion reduction in the state budget from two years ago, with additional cuts still likely this year as revenue collections likely aren't matching earlier predictions.
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20081024/NEWS01/810240334/1006

-Florida: By County - Absentee and Early Voting Reports
http://doe.dos.state.fl.us/fvrscountyballotreports/FVRSAvailableFiles.aspx
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-poll2408oct24,0,3000967.story?track=rss

-Poll: 56% favor ban on gay marriage
Love it or hate it, most Florida voters have made up their minds about a ballot amendment to ban same-sex marriage. And most likely, a new poll shows, they'll vote to insert a definition of marriage into the state's constitution. Two other ballot proposals, intended to protect conservation lands and give tax breaks to waterfront businesses, also have a fighting chance.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-poll2408oct24,0,3000967.story?track=rss

-Political races' effects on Amendment 2 unknown
The proposed gay-marriage ban Florida voters are deciding now could be the electoral chicken to the presidential race's egg. Which came to the polling booth first, opponents of Amendment 2 or supporters of Sen. John McCain? Proponents of the marriage amendment or backers of Sen. Barack Obama? Neither. Or both. Maybe.
http://floridacapitalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081024/CAPITOLNEWS/810240334


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[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####

Thursday, October 23, 2008

GLBT DIGEST - October 23, 2008

**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.


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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Public schools become focus of gay marriage ban
A girl in pigtails bounds into the kitchen after school and asks her mother to guess what she learned that day. "I learned how a prince married a prince, and I can marry a princess," she exclaims to her mortified mom. This television advertisement for a ballot initiative that would ban same-sex marriage in California urges voters to "protect children" by approving the measure.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/22/AR2008102202213.html

-Hollywood comes out in support of gay marriage
For weeks, Hollywood had been criticized for not contributing enough to defeat a ballot initiative in California that would ban same-sex marriage. Now, members of the film and TV industries are sweeping in to preserve gays' right to get hitched.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/22/AR2008102202612.html


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Steve Rothaus
www.MiamiHerald.com/gay
Go to this link for the following articles:

-HRC religion and faith news
Holding onto one's faith can be a struggle when bombarded by the shameful promotion of discrimination in the name of religion. The radical right in collaboration with the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has used distortions and outright falsehoods to play on people's fears that loving relationships of same sex couples in California are a threat to heterosexual families.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/


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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

-Gap shrinking in Calif. anti-gay amendment
A monthly tracking of California voters finds a slim margin opposing a proposed constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. The new Public Policy Institute of California survey finds that the ban, known as Proposition 8, is losing among likely voters, 52 percent to 44 percent. But when the margin of error is factored in, it is almost a dead heat.
http://www.365gay.com/news/gap-shrinking-in-calif-anti-gay-amendment/

-Elderly couple murdered in home
Indianapolis police say they have few clues in the slayings of an elderly gay couple found in their home earlier this week. Police have not divulged how Milton Lindgren, 70, and Eric Hendricks, 73, were murdered, or how long their bodies had been inside the house. A police spokesperson would say only that the men died by "violent means."
http://www.365gay.com/news/elderly-couple-murdered-in-home/

-Protest against anti-gay leader induction to Hall Of Fame
A coalition of LGBT groups will protest the induction next month of James Dobson, the head of Focus on the Family, into the National Radio Hall of Fame. Dobson and FOF are longtime opponents of LGBT civil rights with Dobson frequently speaking out against gays on his nationally syndicated radio show. He also is a proponent of the so-called ex-gay movement.
http://www.365gay.com/news/protest-against-anti-gay-leader-induction-to-hall-of-fame/


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The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

-New York Governor Repeats Pledge to Sign Marriage Bill
Gov. David Paterson addressed a packed Empire State Pride Agenda fund-raiser Monday night and said fighting for the equal rights of LGBT people was "as American as the signing of the Constitution."
http://advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid64216.asp

-GLAAD Donates $50,000 to No on Prop. 8
The effort to defeat California's Proposition 8 -- which would constitutionally ban same-sex marriage in the state -- just received another boost, with a $50,000 contribution from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. The group, which fosters inclusive portrayals of LGBT people in media, urged its members to support the No on Prop. 8 campaign. GLAAD's donation marks a total of $150,000 contributed by the organization. "GLAAD, our board of directors, and staff are proud to stand alongside organizations and allies and play our part in ensuring all loving and committed couples in California continue to have the protections and respect that marriage provides," GLAAD president Neil Giuliano wrote in a release. "Defeating Proposition 8 is imperative to our quest for equality and we call on all our members and friends to support this campaign." (Neal Broverman, The Advocate)
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid64217.asp


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National Gay News
http://nationalgaynews.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/
Go to this link for the following articles:

-Biden Says He'd Oppose Calif. Gay Marriage Ban
Democratic vice-presidential candidate Joseph Biden says if he lived in California, he would vote against a ballot measure that seeks to ban gay marriage. During an appearance Monday on the "Ellen" show, Biden called Proposition 8 "regressive" and "unfair" and added that he and running mate Barack Obama opposed a similar initiative nationally. Biden was responding to a question by the show's host, Ellen DeGeneres, who is gay and has urged California voters to oppose Proposition 8. DeGeneres married actress Portia de Rossi in August. Biden previously has said he supports partnership rights for gays and lesbians although he is opposed to same-sex marriage. Read more...
http://nationalgaynews.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/


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Marriage Equality News
http://samesexmarriage.typepad.com/weblog/
Go to this link for the following articles:

-Ellen DeGeneres Slams Sarah Palin On Gay Marriage (VIDEO)
Link: Huffington Post - with Video
Ellen DeGeneres gave an emotional plea on behalf of gay marriage on her show Wednesday, and included remarks targeting Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin:
"I don't know if you saw this, but Vice Presidential Candidate, Governor Sarah Palin says she's that in favor of a federal ban on gay marriage," Ellen said. "Basically she wants to change the constitution. So if you're wondering, I'm sure you are, how I feel about this...I don't like it, I don't like it. I don't agree. Maybe it's because I'm gay that I think we should all be equal. But I feel that we're all equal."

-Arkansas: Vote no on Act 1
Link: Pam's House Blend
Arkansas Initiated Act 1 is a measure that if passed would ban unmarried co-habitating couples from fostering or adopting children. Arkansas Families First has released this powerful ad:

-WY: pro-equality U.S. Senate candidate Nick Carter
Link: Pam's House Blend
In a Red state, here's a pol who supports equality -- Wyoming U.S. Senate candidate Nick Carter. In this video he debates anti-gay incumbent John Barrasso on marriage equality. Via the Casper Star-Tribune:


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Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:

-Trans woman claims violation of human rights over marriage refusal
A woman in Malta who has been refused the right to get married to her male partner because she used to be male has challenged the decision in court. The Director of Public Registry's decision to refuse to issue marriage banns is a breach of her fundamental human rights, claims Joanne Casser.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9376.html

-Leader of Austrian right sacked for revealing Haider was his gay lover
The man who had taken over the leadership of right wing political party Alliance for the Future of Austria after the death of Joerg Haider has revealed that they were lovers. Stefan Petzner, 27, said in a radio interview about Mr Haider's death last week in a car accident: "We had a relationship that went far beyond friendship.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9373.html

-Little Britain star's civil partnership dissolved
Matt Lucas and Kevin McGee's relationship legally ended today when their civil partnership was dissolved by the family court in London. Mr Lucas, one of the stars of comedy show Little Britain, was granted a dissolution on the grounds of unreasonable behaviour by Mr McGee, a TV researcher.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9366.html


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Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Two Methodist Women Get 'Extraordinary Ordination'
By Frank D. Roylance | Baltimore Sun
Annie Britton and Rev. Jonathan Almond
Two women blocked from ordination as United Methodist ministers because one is a married lesbian and the other disagrees with church rules on gay rights received "extraordinary ordination" in Baltimore yesterday. Organizers said it was the first such action by dissenters hoping to change Methodist policies toward gays. Neither woman will be eligible for assignments to lead Methodist churches under existing policies, but they both believe their new credentials will make them eligible for other jobs within the church, or as ministers in other denominations. "This day is historic. We have all chosen to live the future now," said Annie Britton. Her legal marriage three years ago to another woman in Massachusetts ended her path to ordination within her church. Now the Rev. Annie Britton, she plans to work in church ministry and outreach with a United Church of Christ congregation in Rhode Island. Read more


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Southern Poverty Law Center
http://www.splcenter.org/

-SPLC threat alert
from Morris Dees
Our trial against the Klan in November promises to be one of the greatest security challenges we've ever faced. As soon as we filed the lawsuit, the threats started rolling in, including a web post stating "I say we should blow up their building." We've recently learned that one of the Klan leaders we're facing in our upcoming trial is suspected by an undercover FBI informant of being involved in a plot to kill me. Ron Edwards, Imperial Klans of America (IKA) leader, is a hardened veteran of the white supremacist movement with connections throughout the violent world of neo-Nazis and skinheads. When I took his deposition, he showed up carrying a concealed pistol. The words "F*** SPLC" were tattooed on his shaven head. I hope you will send a special gift today to help with the security measures we're taking to protect our staff at the upcoming trial against the IKA. Over the past 25 years, more than 30 individuals have been convicted of crimes in connection with plots to kill me or in some way harm the Center or its staff.
https://secure.splcenter.org/donate/online/online.jsp?ondntsrc=MBS081070SCE&splcnewsletter=dnewsgen-102308


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Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-No on 8 lead is eroding in polls
Most voters reject a ban on gay marriage but the margin is closing. Experts say the tally is hard to predict. While California voters remain closely divided on the question of gay marriage, a majority oppose a measure to ban it, according to a poll released Wednesday by the Public Policy Institute of California.
http://www.latimes.com/news/la-me-gaymarriage23-2008oct23,0,3080119.story?track=rss


=

[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####

NATIONAL & WORLD DIGEST - October 23, 2008

**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.


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New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Confessions of a Phone Solicitor
GAIL COLLINS
If you can come up with something that would send a telemarketer over the edge, you have really overachieved on the offensiveness front.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/23/opinion/23collins.html?ref=opinion

-Rebranding the U.S. With Obama
NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
In the western industrialized world, the idea of electing a member of a racial minority to the highest office seems an astonishing breakthrough.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/23/opinion/23collins.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin

-Iran Is Job One
ROGER COHEN
Iran's leadership would pay a high price for a handshake with America. As the 30th anniversary of the Iranian Revolution looms, it's time to rethink U.S. strategy toward Iran.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/23/opinion/23Cohen.html?ref=opinion

-$150,000 Wardrobe for Palin May Alter Tailor-Made Image
Republicans feared that Gov. Sarah Palin's "hockey mom" image would fray amid revelations that the Republican Party outfitted her from high-end stores.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/23/us/politics/23palin.html?hp

-China, an Engine of Growth, Faces a Global Slump
As demand for its exports weakens, China hopes to prevent the possible global recession and financial crisis from derailing the country's economic miracle.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/23/world/asia/23china.html?hp


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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Pakistan to Arm Tribal Militias
Hope is nascent anti-Taliban groups will replicate "Awakening" movement that worked in Iraq.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/22/AR2008102203708.html?hpid=topnews

-Stopping A Nuclear Tehran
It is likely that the first and most pressing national security issue the next president will face is the growing prospect of a nuclear-weapons-capable Iran. After co-chairing a recently concluded, high-level task force on Iranian nuclear development, we have come to believe that five principles must serve as the foundation of any reasonable, bipartisan and comprehensive Iranian policy.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/22/AR2008102203005.html

-A Healthy Schism in South Africa
In 1990, when Nelson Mandela was released after 27 years' imprisonment in South Africa, he noted in his first speech to a waiting world: "I am a loyal and disciplined member of the African National Congress. I am therefore in full agreement with all of its objectives, strategies and tactics." His iconic status helped sustain the ANC over the next decade and a half as it transformed itself from a liberation movement into an electorally unassailable democratic government.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/22/AR2008102202890.html


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Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Block the Vote
Will the GOP's campaign to deter new voters and discard Democratic ballots determine the next president? These days, the old west rail hub of Las Vegas, New Mexico, is little more than a dusty economic dead zone amid a boneyard of bare mesas. In national elections, the town overwhelmingly votes Democratic: More than 80 percent of all residents are Hispanic, and one in four lives below the poverty line. On February 5th, the day of the Super Tuesday caucus, a school-bus driver named Paul Maez arrived at his local polling station to cast his ballot. To his surprise, Maez found that his name had vanished from the list of registered voters, thanks to a statewide effort to deter fraudulent voting. For Maez, the shock was especially acute: He is the supervisor of elections in Las Vegas.
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/23638322/block_the_vote

-Ugly election incidents show lingering U.S. racism
Two weeks before an election that could install the first black U.S.
president, scattered ugly incidents have reflected a deep residue of racism among some segments of white America. A cardboard likeness of Barack Obama was found strung from fishing wire at a university, the Democratic presidential nominee's face was depicted on mock food stamps, the body of a black bear was left at another university with Obama posters attached to it.
http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE49L7D020081023

-Obama, living "American dream," well ahead in China poll
BEIJING (Reuters) - U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama enjoys a support rate as high as 75 percent among the Chinese, state media reported on Thursday, with an analyst saying he personified the American dream. That is the result of an online poll conducted on the China Daily website by the U.S. embassy. Another survey issued by Horizon Research also showed that Obama was strongly favored in China over his Republican rival, John McCain.
http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE49M1RU20081023?feedType=RSS&feedName=politicsNews

-Palin on defensive as scrutiny rises
Spent $150,000 of RNC money for clothing
As her qualifications, her understanding of the vice presidency, and even her wardrobe came under renewed scrutiny yesterday, Sarah Palin told a high- profile conservative Christian leader that she isn't discouraged by the Republican ticket's sagging poll numbers because she and running mate John McCain have always been underdogs.
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/articles/2008/10/23/palin_on_defensive_as_scrutiny_rises/

-Group asks IRS to investigate Catholic bishop against Obama
A church-state watchdog group has asked the Internal Revenue Service to investigate whether the Roman Catholic bishop of Paterson, N.J., violated tax laws by denouncing Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama. In a letter sent to the IRS on Wednesday (Oct. 22), Americans United for Separation of Church and State accused Paterson Bishop Arthur Serratelli of illegal partisanship for lambasting Obama's support of abortion rights.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2008-10-22-irs-catholic-obama_N.htm?csp=34

-Health care plans: Obama vs. McCain
Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama and Republican presidential nominee John McCain have dramatically divergent visions of how to reshape the health insurance system. For example, Obama wants to require parents to provide health insurance for their children, while McCain does not. Both proposals are complex, and both candidates have offered broad outlines of what they would do - without some key specifics. MORE INFORMATION: Health plan analyses on the Web
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-10-21-health-plans_N.htm


=

[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####

FLORIDA DIGEST - October 23, 2008

**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.


~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~

Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Amendment 2 will cause harm
It was gratifying to read on Oct. 12 that The Miami Herald recommends a No vote on Amendment 2 to the Florida Constitution. It also was heartening to read recently that a coalition of state religious leaders calls the amendment ``an infringement upon the religious freedoms of all Floridians.'' With the economy in the state it's in, this is not the time to eliminate healthcare and other benefits for unmarried couples in Florida, which will happen if this amendment passes. It must be stressed again that gay marriage already is banned in our state. This amendment will affect all unmarried couples, gay and straight. Imagine not being allowed to visit a seriously ill loved one in the hospital. Too many people don't understand the ramifications and think the amendment is only about banning marriage between partners of the same sex.
LINDA HORKITZ, Miami Beach
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/letters/story/737561.html

-Amendment 2 is a threat to unwed senior couples
Clarice Pollock and Ed Lesen have shared their love nest for 30 years. They first met in New York, in 1976, and were immediately taken with each other. Since they were both divorced they saw no reason to get married. They moved in together and became a de facto couple. Since then, their relationship has been based on ``love, respect and trust.'' Although they didn't have children, they formed a family, and when her grandchildren visit them in Hallandale, where they retired, the kids call him grandpa. There are thousands of elderly couples just like them in Florida, who for various reasons decided to live the rest of their lives together without getting hitched at the altar. Now the benefits and assurances once extended to these couples are in jeopardy, due to an absurd constitutional amendment that invalidates any relationship based on love, gay or straight, other than matrimony.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/story/737483.html


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Sun-Sentinel endorses Scott Newton for Wilton Manors Mayor and Justin Flippen for Wilton Manors City Commission
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/community/news/wilton_manors/sfl-editgswiltonelexsboct22,0,3552115.story


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GLBT G.O.T.V. Center - Wilton Manors
Show your support!!!
Everyone was clamoring for their very own Obama yard sign so we had some
made! Come and get 'em!
Also, we recently received a new batch of the more popular bumper stickers. The merchandise coming from the official Obama Campaign store is taking more than 2 weeks for delivery due to unexpected higher demand, so this will definitely be our final offering. Each is a fundraising item. Your donation of $5 for a sign or $2 for a sticker all goes to help run the GLBT G.O.T.V. Center - located at 2040b N. Dixie Highway - just 1/3 mile south of "5-points" intersection on the east side in Wilton Manors. The space we have rented is in the far back left corner of the new GLCC campus. We are open M-F 10am - 10pm, Sat. 9-6, and Sun. noon-6. (954) 630-VOTE (8683). Volunteers are needed daily: light phone banking, light canvassing, and office work - please contact JD Camp to see how you can help. We are running out of time, so if you are certain you want the Republicans to retain the White House, then do absolutely nothing. 4 hours of your time now can mean the difference in the next 4 years of our country. You decide because it is up to you and only you! We are primarily contacting NEWLY REGISTERED or INFREQUENT voters. There is NO persuasion or confrontation. It is VERY simple! For every 12 doors knocked or phone calls made - YOU (and only you can do this) get one more voter for OUR SIDE!!! Again, YOU decide.


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Join us Saturday, October 25, 2008 at 6:30 p.m.
Wine and Cheese Social with
National Obama Surrogate Jared Polis (D-CO).
After the Social, join us again as we walk with Jared down Wilton Drive, stopping at some of the social hotspots to announce early voting! Jared stands to be the 3rd openly GLBT member of Congress, following in the footsteps of Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) and Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI).


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From Earl Rynerson for Ft. Lauderdale Mayor Campaign.
UNBELIEVEABLE!!
Top Paid City Bureaucrats asking for an additional "Cost of Living" Raise!
Thanks to your "hard working" Fort Lauderdale Mayor and Commissioners, they are now allowing the incredibly greedy City Manager Gretsas and City Attorney Stewart to raid the municipal piggy bank once again! According to the Sun Sentinel today (Oct 22); (with Vice Mayor Charlotte Rodstrom dissenting), the Mayor and Commission "gave tentative approval to a 5 percent cost-of-living raise to top managers who aren't in a union, at a cost of $1.1 million; the 5 percent raise will go to the highest paid city employees, City Attorney Harry Stewart and City Manager George Gretsas, as well as to the city clerk and city auditor and about 245 others." Folks, this comes from property tax dollars that YOU are required to pay, and its going directly to greedy City Bureaucrats that already make more that any elected official in Washington DC, save the President of the US. Gretsas' salary is already at $230K, and with pensions, swells to $315K. (That's three hundred and fifteen thousand dollars a year!) With Stewart it's even worse! His salary is $243K; with his pension it swells to $348K.
earl@earlformayor.com



~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~

-Broward County absentee ballots can still be requested
If the long lines at Broward County's 17 early voting sites have you thinking about casting an absentee ballot, you can request one through Wednesday 10/29. The ballots then can be mailed back or taken to one of the county's elections offices. To receive a ballot, call 954-357-7055; fax 954-357-7033; or go to one of the elections offices and submit an application in person. An absentee ballot also may be obtained by e-mailing elections@browardsoe.org or by going to www.browardsoe.org/AbsenteeRequest2.aspx . Include name, date of birth and mailing address. Ballots must be returned to the Supervisor of Elections Office by 7 p.m. on Election Day.


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Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Florida home foreclosures continue to rise
New foreclosure filings in Florida were up 44 percent over the same month a year ago and 9 percent from August, according to foreclosure tracking firm RealtyTrac of Irvine, Calif.
http://www.miamiherald.com/business/story/737438.html

-Extra voting booths added to prevent lines
As long lines continued at many early voting sites, Miami-Dade and Broward elections officials brought in more equipment to help cope with the delays.
http://www.miamiherald.com/459/story/737936.html


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Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-UPDATE: Florida Republican Party directs voters to wrong early voting sites
If you're looking for information on early voting sites, one place to avoid: the Republican Party of Florida's Web site. Under a "Voter Action Center" tab on the state party's home page, voters can select their county and, in theory, find out a convenient early voting location. The problem: For Palm Beach County, it lists 14 early voting sites. In fact, there are only 11. The erroneous early voting information also was sent to voters in a mailer.
http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/palm/blog/2008/10/florida_republican_party_direc.html

-If Amendment 2 fails, backers say kids will be led into 'gay lifestyle'
Failing to ban gay marriage in the state constitution could result in the indoctrination of schoolchildren into a gay lifestyle, supporters of Amendment 2 said today. John Stemberger, the force behind the proposed anti-gay marriage constitutional amendment on the Nov. 4 ballot, cited cases in other states where similar proposals failed, resulting in teachers of students as young as 7 years old using books about same-sex marriage to promote diversity in families.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/state/content/state/epaper/2008/10/22/1022gaymarriage.html


=

[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

GLBT DIGEST - October 22, 2008

**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.


=
Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/public/us

-Gay Marriage in Peril in California
A state ballot measure to ban gay marriage in California is gaining momentum, with polls showing almost even odds of it passing after trailing by double digits a month ago. In June, the state legalized same-sex marriages. The next month, Proposition 8, defining marriage as between a man and a woman, was put on the ballot for November. Initial polling showed that a majority of Californians were likely to vote against Proposition 8. A Sept. 18 poll by the San Francisco-based Field Poll found the measure losing 55% to 38% among likely voters.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122463078466356397.html


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Steve Rothaus
www.MiamiHerald.com/gay
Go to this link for the following articles:

-LA Observed: Transgender female sports writer returns to paper as a man
Mike Penner returns to Los Angeles Times
Eighteen month after writing a column about becoming Christine Daniels, veteran sportswriter Mike Penner has quietly returned to work at the Los Angeles Times, according to multiple sources close to the LAT's Sports staff. Penner's column in April 2007 about his sexual transformation became one of the most-viewed Times' stories of the year and was followed by a story in the LAT from media writer James Rainey and tons of other media attention. Daniels for a time chronicled her transformation in a blog at LATimes.com; the blog entries have been removed and the Times has so far posted nothing about Penner's return. I emailed him and Sports Editor Randy Harvey, who replied, "We're looking forward to Mike's byline appearing in the paper and on the website with increased frequency. He continues to be a valued member of our sports staff."
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/


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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

-Besen: Dobson's fib factory
I once had a revealing conversation with an A-list news reporter, when I was trying to convince him to cover the scientific distortions of Focus on the Family's James Dobson. He declined to do so because he felt that Dobson lies so frequently that it wasn't news. With the media inured to Dobson's Fib Factory and its assembly line of lies, it is difficult for the truth to gain traction. I believe, however, that the press has it backwards. Each nugget of nonsense peddled by ideologues, such as Dobson, should be on the front page of every newspaper and lead daily newscasts. Allowing falsehoods to fester has created a cynical political climate where truth is whatever a press release says it is.
http://www.365gay.com/opinion/besen-dobsons-fib-factory/

-Withers: Obama on Ellen's show but Prop 8 not talked about
I'm all prepared to eat crow on this one (some of you think I should do that every time I type a word but let's deal with that later), but from written reports Barack Obama made a surprise appearance "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" yesterday (it will air today).
http://www.365gay.com/blog/102208-obama-on-ellens-show-but-no-mention-of-prop-8/

-Palin expenses probe raises new questions
Gov. Sarah Palin charged the state for her children to travel with her, including to events where they were not invited, and later amended expense reports to specify that they were on official business.
http://www.365gay.com/news/palin-expenses-probe-raises-new-questions/

-Indian Gov't Calls Homosexuality 'A Sickness'
(Delhi) The High Court in Delhi has issued a harshly worded rebuke to the Indian government for calling homosexuality a disease that cannot be tolerated. The government assertion came during a court case challenging India's sodomy law. The case was filed by LGBT rights groups and AIDS outreach organizations.
http://www.365gay.com/news/indian-govt-calls-homosexuality-a-sickness/

-Republicans bring back the gay monster
Perhaps it was in honor of the Halloween season that residents of Mississippi have been treated to a gay-baiting political advertisement from Republican Senator Roger Wicker. Wicker, who is locked in a surprisingly close race with former governor Ronnie Musgrove, has resorted to the tried and true tactic of portraying his opponent as a terrifying "other" in a desperate attempt to pull out a win.
http://www.365gay.com/features/republicans-bring-back-the-gay-monster/

-Ruby-Sachs: Maybe a miracle in Florida?
Florida might well defeat Amendment 2, a Proposition 8 on steroids that targets rights for all unmarried couples including health care benefits for domestic partnerships. The Amendment's proponents say it's a necessary step to ensure the defeat of gay marriage in the State. In reality, it's a broad attack on every couple who chooses to not tie the knot.
http://www.365gay.com/blog/ruby-sachs-maybe-a-miracle-in-florida/

-More Equality Ride Arrests
Arrests are mounting up for members of the nondenominational Soulforce Equality Ride as they attempt to enter Christian colleges in the deep South to engage students in a discussion on gay inclusion. Two Equality Riders were arrested for trespassing when they walked onto the Mississippi College campus to deliver a letter from an anonymous gay male student who is currently enrolled at the school in Clinton, Mississippi.
http://www.365gay.com/news/more-equality-ride-arrests/


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The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

-Gay Comic: Troy
http://www.365gay.com/troy/troy-214-a-matter-of-size/

-Mormons Bankroll Anti-Gay Marriage Amendments in California, Arizona
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has mobilized followers to give an estimated 77% of donations to support California's proposed marriage ban. Californians Against Hate released figures Tuesday showing that $17.67 million was contributed by 59,000 Mormon families since August to groups like Yes on 8. Contributions in support of Prop. 8 total $22.88 million. Additionally, the group reports that Mormons have contributed $6.9 million to pass a a similar law, Proposition 102, in Arizona.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid64163.asp

-Boston College Study: Why Gay Couples Marry
A recently released Boston College study indicates that legal recognition and the opportunity to make a public statement are the prime motivators for Massachusetts gay and lesbian couples to marry. The college conducted the study 13 months after Massachusetts legalized same-sex marriage. (The state began marrying gay couples in May 2004.) Professor Pamela J. Lannutti surveyed 263 couples, including those who were legally married in Massachusetts and those who plan to marry. The average relationship duration was 7.5 years.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid64157.asp

-Florida Anti-Marriage Equality Rally Draws 700
Some 700 supporters of Florida's Amendment 2, which would ban same-sex marriage, turned out at a rally in Orlando on Monday night. That was far fewer than the thousands of people organizers had said would show up at the First Baptist Church, the Orlando Sentinel reports.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid64125.asp


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Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
Kenneth.Sherrill@hunter.cuny.edu
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
Go to the links for the following articles:
Contact rays.list@comcast.net if can't access the article

-Uganda: Just three weeks ago, two prominent trans/gay activists in Uganda were arrested, beaten with batons, and held in jail for a week without bail or access to a lawyer. Their crimes? "Spreading homosexuality" - a crime that does not exist - and carnal knowledge against the order of nature - a crime that they were not engaged in at the time of arrest. In many parts of the world, sodomy laws are still fully enforced, giving the government unbridled power to frighten and silence lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities. The fight to ensure equal rights of LGBT people to love, to speak, and to live free from imprisonment and discrimination is an ongoing global struggle requiring an equally global response. Because homophobia does not stop at the border of any country, each violent threat from a political or religious leader anywhere in the world creates abacklash that threatens and affects us all.
http://www.iglhrc.org/site/iglhrc/

-AETNA FIRST HEALTH PLAN TO LINK GAY AND LESBIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION PROVIDER DIRECTORY TO ITS OWN ONLINE DOCTOR RESOURCE
SAN FRANCISCO: Aetna (AET) and the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA) today announced that Aetna is the first health benefits company in the U.S. to link its online provider directory -- DocFind® -- to GLMAâ?Ts growing online database of more than 1,200 health care providers. The database includes primary care providers, specialists, therapists, and dentists who welcome lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) patients. In addition, Aetna has awarded GLMA a $50,000 grant as the diamond sponsor of GLMAâ?Ts 26th Annual Conference scheduled for October 22-25 in Seattle. The conference is remarkable for its size, scope, and diversity of programming, with presentations and workshops on HIV/AIDS; lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual health; substance abuse; aging; families and relationships; and legal issues.
www.aetna.comhttp://www.witeckcombsmail.com/util/link.jsp?e=9gm1_Fa32ZdnSxEAc2RwVx989Vzt337an32fxPpijX7pqL_Yt7j2GWrXPVkGjz4aG&s=4uNsvfQ..A&v=5fdWyvHbsoXXI7Rk3Xa4dnA..A

-UCLA¹S WILLIAMS INSTITUTE RELEASES NEW STUDY SHOWING THERE ARE MORE THAN 14,570 ASIANS AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS WHO ARE IN SAME-SEX COUPLES; 31% OF API WOMEN AND 21% OF API MEN RAISING CHILDREN WITHIN THESE COUPLES
The full report may be found at:
www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute


=
Anything but Straight
by Wayne Besen
http://www.waynebesen.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Radio Hall of Shame
I once had a revealing conversation with an A-list news reporter, when I was trying to convince him to cover the scientific distortions of Focus on the Family's James Dobson. He declined to do so because he felt that Dobson lies so frequently that it wasn't news. With the media inured to Dobson's Fib Factory and its assembly line of lies, it is difficult for the truth to gain traction. I believe, however, that the press has it backwards. Each nugget of nonsense peddled by ideologues, such as Dobson, should be on the front page of every newspaper and lead daily newscasts. Allowing falsehoods to fester has created a cynical political climate where truth is whatever a press release says it is. This lack of accountability has allowed Dobson, and others of his ilk, to portray themselves as spokespersons for morality, even though they are regularly engaged in glaring examples of moral turpitude. Occasionally, they are even honored for their sinister "success" and showered with undeserved adulation.
http://www.waynebesen.com/


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Marriage Equality News
http://samesexmarriage.typepad.com/weblog/
Go to this link for the following articles:

-Fresno Bee editorial: No on Prop. 8
Link: Fresno Bee
Proposition 8, which would define marriage in California as only between a man and a woman, raises a number of issues. But one question stands out: Should we use the state constitution to take the right to marry from a particular group of people? We believe that notion is wrong, and recommend a "no" vote on Proposition 8. [.] The notion that same-sex marriages somehow threaten the sanctity and strength of heterosexual marriages is simply absurd. Those who worry about the health of heterosexual marriages should focus their attention on divorce, which is the real threat to marriage.

-Oregon tribe's marriage law faces challenge
Link: The World- Coos Bay, Oregon
A Coquille Indian Tribe member is challenging a recent decision by the Tribal Council to allow domestic partnerships and marriages regardless of sexual orientation. Brady Metcalf, who lives in Pahoa, Hawaii, said he believes the Marriage and Domestic Partnership Ordinance should be placed on a special tribal ballot, allowing the general council to weigh in on the topic. The general council includes every adult tribal member, of which there are about 580.


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Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:

-Irish gay rights group says civil partnerships "a matter of immediate urgency"
Despite considerable progress in the last year, there remain significant challenges for gay and lesbians in Ireland, according to the annual report from the nation's leading homosexual rights group. Earlier this year the Irish government published draft legislation on civil partnerships, which the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN) described as "a matter of practical and immediate urgency for lesbian and gay couples."
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9361.html

-Decision on Chicago's LGBT high school delayed
The Chicago school board will not vote on plans for a high school for gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans students until next month. A decision was expected to be taken today, but has been delayed until November 19th.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9363.html

-LGBT Alzheimer's suport group recognised with special award
The Alzheimer's Society has honoured the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Support Group for their "outstanding contribution to people with dementia and their carers." The group provides a dedicated support helpline across the UK for anyone who is lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender and who is, or who has been, caring for someone with dementia.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9362.html

-Bahrain MP calls for action against homosexuals
The new session of Parliament in the Gulf state of Bahrain began this week with calls for a crackdown on gays. Al Menbar MP Shaikh Mohammed Khalid Mohammed wants the government to begin a number of initiatives designed to rid the country of gay people.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9360.html

-Gays are "recruiting" claims Ugandan paper
The gay community in Uganda is recruiting new members, according to a leading newspaper in the East African nation. "Recruitment is reportedly highest in secondary schools and in prisons," reports The Independent.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9356.html


=
Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Teens in Transition
By Gloria Hochman | For The Inquirer | Philadelphia Inquirer
Shortly after school began in the fall of 2004, an eighth grader named Tye Clark delivered a jolting message to her classmates."I'm the same person I was last year and the year before, but I am transgender and will now come to school as a boy," Tye told four assemblies at Cedarbrook Middle School in Cheltenham Township. "You may not agree, but I hope you will respect me and my right to get a good education." Eyes misting with tears, Tye asked to be known as Ty. The transgender teen finished to rounds of applause. Ty celebrated his 18th birthday yesterday. He was born female, but as far back as he can remember, he felt in his brain and his heart that he was a boy.
Read more

-IL: Chicago Homeless Shelters Get Training on Gay Issues
Southern Voice
Homeless shelters across Chicago are getting a crash course in how to better serve members of the gay community. The Chicago Department of Human Services is conducting four days of mandatory sensitivity training at the Center on Halsted, the city's gay community center. About 160 people are attending the training, which includes sessions on the barriers faced by members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community and the effects of prejudice, said Lisa Elkuss, communications director for the human services department. "We're all really very pleased that this is taking place," Elkuss said Monday. "We're glad that things have evolved to this point, and we're pleased with the response of the shelters." Read more


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NATIONAL & WORLD DIGEST - October 22, 2008

**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.


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New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Some Cut Back on Prescription Drugs in Sour Economy
As people respond to hard times by juggling the cost of necessities like groceries and housing, drugs sometimes have to wait.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/22/business/22drug.html?hp

-Stocks Drop Sharply in Europe and Asia
Stocks dove in Europe and Asia, the euro and British pound fell to their lowest points against the dollar in years and oil prices dropped below $70 a barrel.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/23/business/23markets.html?hp

-Hecklers Have Mortgage Bankers Longing
Although no arrests were made at a mortgage bankers' convention, stage-storming did occur. A protester approached Karl Rove, above, during a panel discussion.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/22/us/22mortgage.html?hp

-Bailout (and Buildup)
THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
We can't afford a financial bailout that also isn't a green buildup - a buildup of a new clean energy industry that strengthens America.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/22/opinion/22friedman.html?ref=opinion

-Moved by a Crescent
MAUREEN DOWD
In a gratifying "have you no sense of decency, Sir and Madam?" moment, Colin Powell went on "Meet the Press" and pushed back on ugly innuendo. [...] But what sent him over the edge and made him realize he had to speak out was when he opened his New Yorker three weeks ago and saw a picture of a mother pressing her head against the gravestone of her son, a 20-year-old soldier who had been killed in Iraq. On the headstone were engraved his name, Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, his awards - the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star - and a crescent and a star to denote his Islamic faith.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/22/opinion/22dowd.html?ref=opinion

-Acorn Report Raises Issues of Legality
An internal report by a lawyer for the community organizing group Acorn raises questions about whether the web of relationships among its 174 affiliates may have led to violations of federal laws.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/22/us/22acorn.html

-Reporter's Notebook
After a Year on the Road, Obama Is Changing His Tempo
Where's Miles Davis? Who kidnapped Elvis? Up there on the riser in the Virginia arena, there is this careful guy reading from a teleprompter and keeping his tone not exactly monotone but not exactly soaring, and he is repeating more or less the same lines that he read the night before and the same lines he will read the day after.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/22/us/politics/22obama.html

-Report Cites Chronic Absenteeism in City Schools
More than 90,000 of New York City's elementary school students - roughly 20 percent - missed at least a month of classes during the last school year, with attendance problems most acute in central Brooklyn, Harlem and the South Bronx, according to a report scheduled for release on Tuesday.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/21/nyregion/21attend.html


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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-The Irony of Obama
Less than two weeks away from his likely election as president, the debate continues about the nature of Barack Obama's deepest political beliefs. Is he -- as some liberals quietly hope and many conservatives loudly accuse -- a closet radical? Or is he a more subtle and moderate political figure who embraced, then discarded, the leftism of south Chicago in pursuit of a restless ambition? There is evidence for both views.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/21/AR2008102102255.html

-More Poison
Another prominent adversary of Vladimir Putin is mysteriously exposed to toxins. ON OCT. 7, 2006 -- Vladimir Putin's birthday -- the crusading Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya was gunned down outside her Moscow apartment. Last week, pretrial hearings were scheduled for three alleged accomplices in the murder; the suspected gunman remains at large, and the sponsors of the hit have never been identified. Ms. Politkovskaya's family was due to be represented at the trial, which is being held in a closed military court, by Karina Moskalenko, a lawyer who has taken up the cause of some of Russia's best-known dissidents and prisoners. But Ms. Moskalenko could not attend. Instead she underwent testing in the French city of Strasbourg after complaining of headaches, nausea and swelling -- and after pellets of the poisonous heavy metal mercury were discovered in her family's car.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/21/AR2008102102342.html

-For Nonbelievers, Reassurance on Wheels
British Atheists Announce Plan for Bus Ads, and Contributions Start Rolling In
LONDON, Oct. 21 -- British atheists announced Tuesday a high-profile advertising campaign to put posters on London buses that say: "There is probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/21/AR2008102102433.html?hpid=sec-religion

-O'Reilly: You'll Still Have Me to Kick Around
Bill O'Reilly has signed up for another tour of duty at Fox News, saying that he decided "to put myself through all the attacks and smears" for several more years.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/21/AR2008102102522.html?hpid=sec-artsliving


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Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/public/us

-Poll: Obama Opens Double-Digit Lead
A greater number of voters say they would be comfortable with Obama as president. A new WSJ/NBC poll gives him a 10-point edge over McCain, 52% to 42%.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122462257051655701.html

-Oil Drops Below $70 as Dollar Strengthens
Crude-oil futures fell below $70 a barrel Wednesday in Asia, weighed down by a strengthening U.S. dollar and an expected buildup of U.S. oil stocks. Investors shrugged off a looming production cut by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries after company forecasts suggested the U.S. may be headed for a severe economic slowdown that crimps crude demand.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122465984572857915.html

-Pakistan Needs Up to $15 Billion in Aid
Subscriber Content Read Preview
Pakistan will need as much as $15 billion over the next two or three years to extricate itself from a severe financial crisis and will require up to $4 billion of that in the next month, officials said. The estimate of how much money Islamabad needs to refill its emptying hard-currency reserves and jump-start its stalled economy came as officials from Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund opened an annual meeting in Dubai to review Pakistan's economic health -- and possibly hammer out an emergency aid package.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122466341423857933.html


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Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Sorry, but 'fake Americans' aren't the real threat
BY LEONARD PITTS JR.
Excuse me while I say a few words on behalf of us Fake Americans. Not that I really think of myself as such. I mean, here in Fake America, life proceeds much as it does in Real America. We are raising our kids and paying our taxes, trying to keep up with the dishes in the sink, going to the movies now and then. In fact, if you didn't know better, you'd never realize our America was Fake.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other-views/story/735892.html

-The perils of ACORN's voter-registration efforts
ACORN or the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, the national community organization of 500,000 low and moderate income family members in communities throughout the United States, is having what I refer to as its ``Britney Spears moment.''
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/inbox/story/735212.html

-Study: Gap growing between rich, poor
A report from a Paris-based organization said the United States has the highest inequality and poverty rates among member countries.
http://www.miamiherald.com/business/story/735763.html


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Inside Higher Education
http://www.insidehighered.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Surprising Impact of Student Loan Crunch
46% of private colleges report that some students have "stopped out" of school or shifted to part-time study because they could not get private loans to pay tuition.
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/10/22/naicu


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Pew Research center
http://pewresearch.org/
Go to this link for the following articles:

-Doubts Grow About McCain's Judgment, Age and Campaign Conduct
Obama, who holds a 52%-to-38% lead in Pew's latest survey, is inspiring more confidence on several key issues, including Iraq and terrorism, than he did before the debates, and his margin over McCain as the candidate best able to improve economic conditions has grown. Read more

-Polls and Plumbers Drive Narrative
Campaign coverage increasingly focused on tactics -- including McCain's invocation of an Ohio plumber to represent the working man -- as well as fights in battleground states and the parade of polls. Read more

-More See Campaign as Negative
Perceptions of the tone of the campaign have grown increasingly negative over the past month and are now nearly identical to views of the 2004 election. Independents have a much more favorable view of Obama's ads than they do of McCain's. Read more

-Technology's Impact
Networked Families
Parents and spouses are using the internet and cell phones to create a "new connectedness" that builds on remote connections and shared internet experiences. Read more

-Public Opinion - Poll Power
Though by no means a perfect instrument, polls make it possible for more opinions, held by a broader and more representative range of citizens, to be known to the government and thus, potentially, heeded. Read more

-Faith and Foreign Policy
Ten Years of U.S. Efforts to Promote Religious Freedom
A scholar describes the controversy surrounding the passage of the International Religious Freedom Act in 1998 and discusses its impact worldwide. Read more

-Daily Number
59% - Americans Tighten Their Belts
Many Americans are delaying or cancelling spending, including nearly six-in-ten who have cut back on vacation spending. Check back every weekday for another number in the news. Read more


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Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-AFRICAN AMERICAN VOTERS TURN OUT EARLY
Americans are voting early in large numbers this year -- and African-Americans in several states are turning out in disproportionate numbers. Some fear that polling places in predominantly black neighborhoods will be overwhelmed by a record turnout on Election Day. Others are voting early to be certain the chance to elect the first black U.S. president doesn't slip away. In Georgia, where early voting began on Sept. 22, African-Americans account for 29% of active voters but have so far made up nearly 36% of about 758,000 early voters. By comparison, African-Americans represented 25% of the overall turnout in 2004. In Florida, African-Americans accounted for 21% of ballots cast Monday even though they make up 13% of voters. In North Carolina, African-Americans accounted for 33% of ballots cast as of Monday even though they make up 21% of voters. New registrations, due partly to excitement over the candidacy of Democratic Sen. Barack Obama and a voter-registration drive by his campaign, are driving much of the higher participation. In Georgia, nearly 165,000 blacks joined the rolls this year, up from 129,878 in 2004. While black women voters outnumber black men, this year more black men registered than black women.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122463439049156841.html?mod=article-outset-box

-More Democrats Casting Early Ballots, Data Show
With as many as one-third of voters expected to cast their ballots before Election Day, preliminary data from several key battleground states show more Democrats than Republicans have voted early.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/22/us/politics/22early.html?partner=MOREOVERNEWS&ei=5040

-Powell gives voice to voters' thoughts
If one could subtract all political party identifications from the remarks Sunday of former Secretary of State Colin Powell, it could be said that he put a voice to what a lot of people, many of them political leaders, have been thinking as the race for president between Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama has progressed. Powell offered substantive reasons why he thinks Obama is the better of two candidates who, he said, would both make good presidents. At the same time, he made clear his exasperation with the diversions of the campaign that have little or nothing to do with the important issues of the day but seem intended to stir up antagonism and suspicion in the electorate.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/AP/story/736340.html

-AP INVESTIGATION: Alaska funded Palin kids' travel
Gov. Sarah Palin charged the state for her children to travel with her, including to events where they were not invited, and later amended expense reports to specify that they were on official business.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008293768_appalinfamilytravel.html

-Senate GOP leader McConnell in tight re-election race
In tight race, Senate GOP boss McConnell touts pork prowess
At a time when politicians of all stripes declare loudly that Washington is broken, spending is out of control and change should be the new gold standard, Sen. Mitch McConnell, a wily Republican veteran running for his political life in the mountains and hollows of Kentucky, is going the other way-paying unapologetic homage to the most important food group of electoral politics, pork.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-kentucky-mcconnelloct22,0,5416968.story


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