GLBT DIGEST - September 12, 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:

-Detailed Study on Spread of H.I.V. in U.S.
An unusually detailed study of people newly infected with H.I.V. in the United States has confirmed that the majority of new cases occur among gay and bisexual men and that blacks are most at risk. But the data show that whites and blacks tend to be infected at different times in their lives with the virus that causes AIDS. Most new infections of white gay and bisexual men occur when the men are in their 30s and 40s, the study found, while black gay and bisexual men are more likely to be infected in their teens and 20s. The results were reported on Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/12/science/12HIV.html


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

-Sarah Palin stirs passion in Hollywood
Sarah Palin represents many things Hollywood liberals love to hate, from her opposition to gay marriage to her support for gun rights, yet she possesses two key qualities they admire -- star appeal and a great script. Accordingly, Hollywood Republicans -- often overshadowed by their left-leaning peers -- are seeking to capitalize on the celebrity of John McCain's running mate in the November 4 election to generate support in a town well-known for its lavish Democratic fund-raisers and events.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/12/AR2008091200640.html


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

-Government study tracks spread of HIV
Black gay and bisexual men under age 30, white gay and bisexual men in their 30s, and black women: These are the groups where HIV is spreading the most, health officials said Thursday. First-time estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed what many health experts already have observed about the hot spots of the HIV/AIDS outbreak in South Florida and the nation.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/custom/consumer/sfl-flrxhiv0912pnsep12,0,810974.story

-Read the federal report on HIV/AIDS
The report
To read the new federal report on HIV/AIDS, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov/mmwr
To read a 2007 Florida Department of Health report on HIV in the gay community, visit www.doh.state.fl.us/disease_ctrl/aids
General information on HIV/AIDS: Florida health department at www.doh.state.fl.us, click on "A to Z topics," or 800-352-2437, 800-545-7432
(Spanish) CDC at www.cdc.gov/hiv or 800-232-4636
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/custom/consumer/sfl-flrxhivbox0912sbsep12,0,5888312.story


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

-More than a gayborhood on Biscayne
Miami's Upper East Side corridor blends straight and gay worlds
The images of half naked muscle boys on the Boulevard Theater's wrap-aroundmarquee might be the most obvious sign that a significant gay communitylives around Biscayne Boulevard's Upper East Side Corridor.
http://www.floridablade.com/2008/9-11/news/localnews/5052.cfm

-Author Leads Fight Against Ex-Gay Movement
By Carlos Santoscoy | On Top Magazine
In making his way to Anchorage, Alaska to confront, once again, a James Dobson Love Won Out ex-gay conference scheduled for Saturday, Wayne Besen stands at the vanguard of one of the most vehement battles of the gay-Christian culture war - the Christian-based ex-gay movement which seeks to "cure" homosexuals. Yet, the ex-gay movement he hopes to expose operates in relative obscurity, and with little opposition. In 2000, when Exodus Chairman John Paulk was being hailed as the golden boy of the ex-gay movement by such media heavyweights as Newsweek and CBS's 60 Minutes, Besen secretly photographed him flirting with men in a gay Washington D.C. bar and wrote about his apparent fall from grace in Anything But Straight:
Unnmasking the Scandals and Lies Behind the Ex-Gay Myth. The revelation shocked both the ex-gay movement and the media who had glamorized it, and Paulk was subsequently removed as chairman of Exodus. Besen has since founded Truth Wins Outs, a non-profit organization that advocates against ex-gay ministries, and, more recently, RespectMyResearch.org, where social and behavioral scientists can voice their displeasure at having their research distorted and used to prop up ex-gay claims.
http://www.ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=2359&MediaType=1&Category=26

-Gay News from the Presidential Campaign Trail
By Lisa Keen | Pride Source
LEADER IN TRUST:
A poll just out this week shows that more registered voters trust Democrat Barack Obama on the rights of gay couples than trust Republican John McCain. The poll, conducted September 5 - 7 of 961 registered voters nationwide by the Washington Post and ABC News, asked, "Regardless of who you may support, who do you trust more to handle social issues, such as abortion and gay civil unions." Forty-eight percent said Obama; 41 percent said McCain. Five percent said "both" or "neither," and six percent were unsure. Interestingly, McCain's standing has improved on the question since the question was first asked in July, and Obama's has dropped off. Only 32 percent of those surveyed trusted McCain more on social issues in July -so the current 41 percent represents a significant boost. Meanwhile, 56 percent trusted Obama more in July - so the current 48 percent represents an eight-point drop.
BUS FUSS:
Mel White, the former ghost writer for Jerry Falwell and other
right-wing televangelists, recently paid a small town in Virginia for busing supporters of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama to a local high school to hear the candidate speak. According to various reports, the town was forced to provide last-minute shuttle services from a local stadium to the high school after Jerry Falwell Jr., son of the late Falwell Sr., refused to allow rally attendees to park in the shopping mall owned by Falwell's Liberty University. White and his spouse, Gary Nixon, chipped in the $900 to pay back the town for its services.
http://www.pridesource.com/digestarticle.shtml?article=31872


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Forwarded from Gay Asylum - UK
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gayasylum/messages?o=1
Go to this link for the following articles:

-Mehdi reaction in the House of Lords
Lord Roberts of Llandudno: My Lords, I want to express my appreciation of the Home Secretary's action in giving asylum to Mehdi Kazemi, the young man who was to be forcefully removed to Iran. I am told that that happened yesterday. In view of what is going on in Iran and the possible treatment of those who are repatriated or forcibly removed from here, could there not be a total moratorium on the removal of failed asylum seekers to Iran?

-Insight: the hell of the asylum seeker
The Azerbaijani gay asylum seeker Babi Badalov last week sent out a plea to friends reflecting his appalling situation, caught in the fifth richest country in the world, between destitution and possible honor killing (actually more than possible, his relatives have already made threats). A situation which the Home Office, backed by the Daily Mail etc. considers 'civilised'. Babi is currently trying to get his case reviewed having been turned down on the basis that he can be 'discreet' once he's 'sent back' (a passive way of describing what will actually happen to this remarkable artist).

-So-called 'honour' killings are a deadly serious issue in numerous countries for lesbians and gays, in particular Iraq but also Turkey, Palestine, Pakistan, Gambia, Brazil, Mexico and others. There have been cases in the UK of gay asylum seekers also been attacked for similar reasons.

-A Christian fleeing from Nigeria, where the Church supports anti-gay legislation, was granted asylum in the UK last Friday after receiving death threats. Davis Mac-Iyalla, director of Changing Attitude Network (Nigeria), who left the country in 2006, said that he could now work in safety to further the welfare of other Nigerians who were lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transsexual. Mr Mac-Iyalla, who addressed a fringe meeting at the Lambeth Con­ference onTuesday, said that he could introduce bishops who denied that there were anygay Africans to several homosexuals from Africa. Homosexuality had existedin Africa long before Westerners arrived, he said. "Homosexuality was knownin Africa: what was not known was Chris­tianity. But the missionaries came and said it was a sin. It is not homosexuality that is a Western thing."


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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

-Anti marriage donors in California
The much anticipated release of the major donors to Yes onProposition 8 was published today on the Californians Against Hate web site:
http://CaliforniansAgainstHate.com The announcement came in a postbyCampaign Manager Fred Karger on the Huffington Post. Proposition 8 changesthe California Constitution to eliminate the right of same-sex couples tomarry. The top 10 donors are now up on the front page ofCalifornians Against Hate's newly redesigned web site, and the remaining 102 donors can be found by using the link directly below the "Top 10." A list of who's funding the Yes on Proposition 8 campaign to take away marriage equality in California. Below are the Top 10 donors (click their names for more info).
To view the names of the hundreds of other donors, click the link at the end of the list.
Knights of Columbus, New Haven, CT
$1,275,000
National Organization for Marriage, Princeton, NJ
$941,134.80
John Templeton, Bryn Mawr, PA - John Templeton Foundation
$900,000
Fieldstead & Company, Irvine, CA
$600,000
American Family Association, Tupelo, MS
$500,000
Elsa Prince, Holland, MI
$450,000
Focus On the Family, Colorado Springs, CO
$412,246.63
Terry Caster & Family, San Diego, CA
$293,000
Dorothy Nielson, La Verne, CA
$150,000
Doug Manchester, San Diego, CA - Manchester Financial Group
$125,000
http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=37197360&msgid=518313&act=ZCOX&c=302269&admin=0&destination=http%3A%2F%2FCaliforniansAgainstHate.com

-Larry Kroon, the pastor of Wasilla Bible Church, which Sarah Palin
attended, was on Fox News to explain why Sarah Palin's church advertised a Love Won Out conference. Love Won Out, which is an arm of Focus on the Family, promotes ex-gay therapy, the idea that if gays pray hard enough, they can turn straight. He explains that he advertised it because people in his church were talking about homosexuality without an understanding of "the dynamics of same-sex attraction" and were talking about two gays in the ommunity without a "gracious tone and manner." He says, "I don't think there was appropriate use of terminology," which I'm guessing means some people were calling those gays "faggots" or "dykes" (he doesn't say whether they were male or female). This person's a real piece of work. Will someone please ask Sarah Palin if she supports this? After Barack Obama had to respond to several quotations from his pastor taken out of context, I think the fact that Sarah Palin's church supports ex-gay therapy is worth asking her about.
http://www.bilerico.com/2008/09/sarah_palins_crazy_homophobic_pastor.php#more

-Comprehensive national survey on transgender discrimination launched by National Center for Transgender Equality and National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Respond to the survey online at https://online.survey.psu.edu/endtransdiscrim

-Pro-Marriage Republicans Win Big in Primary
New York: As many of you know, Tuesday was New York's Primary Election Day.Log Cabin is very pleased to report that all four Republican Assembly memberswho have stood up for marriage equality won their primaries withoutopposition. When Assemblymembers Janet Duprey, Joel Miller, Teresa Saywardand Dede Scozzafava took their stand in 2007, the far right threatened toderail their paths to the Republican nomination. These important primaryvictories demonstrate that Republicans can do the right thing in Albany andmaintain their support among their conservative, moderate and libertarianconstituents.


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

-GOP downplays Palin book ban flap
The McCain campaign is defending Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's much-criticizedinquiry into banning books at her hometown library, saying her questionswere only hypothetical. Shortly after taking office in 1996 as mayor ofWasilla, a city of about 7,000 people, Palin asked the city's head librarianabout banning books. Later, the librarian was notified by Palin that she wasbeing fired, although Palin backed off under pressure.
http://www.365gay.com/uncategorized/gop-downplays-palin-book-ban-flap/

-The perils of aging while gay
When Gayle had a stroke one Sunday evening nine years ago, she was rushed toHennepin County Medical Center's emergency room, Minnesota's third largesthospital.? But when Gayle (a senior trans woman) got there, she was toldthat in order to receive treatment, she would have to re-assume her oldidentity: She had to become Glen if she wanted to be helped. ?
http://www.365gay.com/features/the-perils-of-aging-while-gay-2/

-Obama foes thwarted by court
A federal judge dealt a blow Thursday to the advertising plans of aconservative group that purports to tell "the real truth" about Barack Obama's
abortion views.
http://www.365gay.com/news/obama-foes-thwarted-by-court/

-Obama ad mocks McCain computer skills
John McCain is mocked as an out-of-touch, out-of-date computer illiterate ina television commercial out Friday from Barack Obama, as the Democrat beginshis sharpest barrage yet on McCain's long Washington career.
http://www.365gay.com/news/obama-ad-mocks-mccain-computer-skills/


-Besen: Ex-gays and ex-Republicans
The first thing that struck me about the Republican National Convention inSt. Paul was the stunning lack of diversity. Only the GOP is capable ofmaking Minnesota whiter. Into this cocoon of Caucasians stepped theultra-pale John McCain and his moose-whacking VP, Sarah Palin, who togethercould have billed the ticket as "Powder and Gun Powder."
http://www.365gay.com/opinion/besen-ex-gays-and-ex-republicans/

-Bosnia police brace for Gay Pride violence
(Sarajevo, Bosnia) Two weeks before Bosnia holds its first LGBT Pridefestival, police in Sarajevo say they are preparing for potential violence.Posters calling for death to gays have been appearing in Sarajevo ahead ofthe Queer Sarajevo Festival, scheduled for Sept. 24 to 27.
http://www.365gay.com/news/bosnia-police-brace-for-gay-pride-violence/


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

-New LGBT High School Proposed in Chicago
A new high school for LGBT students has been proposed in Chicago, accordingto the Atlanta Journal Constitution. The project is not likely to get underway before 2012, and it faces significant opposition from a variety ofgroups across the political spectrum.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid61240.asp

-HIV-Positive Teacher Sues School for Wrongful Firing
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is filing a suit against aMaryland school for allegedly firing a teacher because he is HIV positive.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid61275.asp

-Patrick Sammon Discusses Log Cabin's McCain Endorsement
Patrick Sammon takes questions from The Advocate about Log Cabin's decisionto endorse the McCain-Palin ticket and predicts seeing more inclusivelanguage from the campaign before voters cast their ballots November 4.Following the Log Cabin Republicans' endorsement of John McCain forpresident at the Republican National Convention, The Advocate caught up withLog Cabin president Patrick Sammon to discuss the group's advocacy work,McCain's stances on LGBT issues, and how Gov. Sarah Palin affected thedecision to endorse.
http://advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid61284.asp

- Dancing With Lance Bass
He's toured the world over as one fifth of the most popular boy band inrecent memory, entertained a mission to space, and come out on the cover ofPeople. He's now poised to turn reality television on its ear when he takesto the stage this season on Dancing With the Stars. Lance Bass practicallyinvites the question: Is there anything this guy can't do? He's toured theworld over as one fifth of the most popular boy band in recent memory,entertained a mission to space, and come out on the cover of People. He'snow poised to turn reality television on its ear when he takes to the stagethis season on Dancing With the Stars. Lance Bass practically invites thequestion: Is there anything this guy can't do?
http://advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid61258.asp


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

-UN urged to push for ban on execution of children
A human rights group has called for action on executions for crimescommitted by children. The vast majority of executions of juvenileoffenders take place in Iran, where judges can impose the death penalty incapital cases if the defendant has attained "majority," defined in Iranianlaw as 9 years for girls and 15 years for boys, says Human Rights Watch.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-8980.html

-Asia's largest gay festival begins in Taipei
The Taiwanese gay community will be celebrating during the coming month asthe 2008 Taipei Gay Carnival began today. The highlight of the carnivalwill be the Pride parade on 27th September.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-8976.html

-Macedonia should recognise same-sex couples says rights commissioner
The Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights has published a report into the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people in Macedonia. Thomas Hammarberg said that the "atmosphere and attitude towards LGBT persons" in the former Yugoslav Republic has improved.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-8978.html

-Italian comedian faces "Fascist" prosecution for mocking the Pope
The Minister of Justice in Italy has given prosecutors permission to use aFascist-era law to punish a comedian for mocking the Pope. Sabina Guzzantiis accused of "offending the honour of the sacred and inviolable person" ofPope Benedict XVI.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-8973.html

-Candlelight vigil to mark 10th anniversary of Matthew Shepard's murder
Ten years ago, all across the world, people kept vigil for a teenager whohad been viciously attacked because he was gay. They lit candles and saidprayers for Matthew Shepard, but their intercessions could not save him.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-8972.html

-Interview: Homophobic bullying is killing gay kids
The UK's leading gay lifestyle magazine has joined forces with Stonewall tofight homophobic bullying in Britain's schools. In September's issue ofAttitude, celebs gay and straight show their support for the 'Some peopleare gay. Get over it!' campaign.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-8969.html

-Caymans define marriage amid fears UK will impose civil partnerships
An amendment to legislation in the Cayman Islands defining marriage asbetween a man and a woman was approved by the territory's LegislativeAssembly on Monday. However, the proposed change to the law but does notmention civil partnerships.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-8963.html


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

-Republicans launch own efforts to defeat Prop 8
Link: Bay Area Reporter
Democrats aren't the only group campaigning against Proposition 8, the constitutional amendment on the fall ballot that would ban same-sex marriage. Republicans have formed a group, too, to defeat the antigaymeasure. Republicans Against 8 hopes to reach "persuadable Republican voters" in the state to sway them toward voting against the measure, said Scott Schmidt, the group's campaign manager.

-Prop 8's Message to Youth: Blatant Lies and Transparent Bigotry
Link: Box Turtle Bulletin
The supporters of Proposition 8 have set up a website geared towards youth at iProtectMarriage.com. And perhaps they think that adults are too well informed because they reserve their really crazy homophobic slurs and lies for the kiddies. It's horrible. And not just their goal, but their message and their methods. It's sad and pathetic and completely condescending. You have to wonder if the designer of the site has ever met a young adult.

-LDS Church issues statement on same-sex marriage
Link: Deseret News
Top leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recentlyreleased a six-page statement on why the faith is opposed to same-sexmarriage. The document, titled "The Divine Institution of Marriage," hasgarnered both praise and derision from Affirmation, a group of gayLatter-day Saints. The document was posted on the church's Web site,www.lds.org, in the "newsroom" section last month, and leaders ofAffirmation issued a press release late last week in response.

-L.A. City Council to support federal same-sex marriage bill
Link: The Desert Sun
A proposed federal bill that would eliminate language defining marriage as aunion between a man and a woman is expected to gain support today from theLos Angeles City Council. Introduced by Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts,HR 6115 would amend the Defense of Marriage Act to repeal the definition ofmarriage as a legal union between one man and one woman. The bill, "StateRegulation of Marriage is Appropriate Act," was referred to the subcommitteeon the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. A resolutionauthored by City Council President Eric Garcetti and seconded by CityCouncilman Bill Rosendahl calls marriage "a sacred, living symbol of theunion between two members of the opposite or same sex."

-Big labor urges NY to pass marriage equality
Link: 365Gay.com
The New York State AFL-CIO is urging the Legislature is pass a bill thatwould allow same-sex couples in the state to marry. It also wantslawmakers to enact legislation banning discrimination against transgenderNew Yorkers and provide a mechanism to end bullying and harassment of LGBTyouth in public schools. The call came in the form of three resolutions that passed without objection at the AFL-CIO's annual convention.


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Lambda Legal
Married Under the Wire In Iowa
Last month marked the one-year wedding anniversary of Tim and SeanMcQuillan, the first same-sex couple to marry in their home state of Iowa.Last August Lambda Legal won a district court victory on behalf of sixsame-sex couples who sought to marry in Iowa and on behalf of three of theirchildren. The day after the decision, the McQuillans obtained a waiver forthe waiting period and their ceremony was performed before the court granteda stay on the decision pending appeal to the Iowa Supreme Court. LambdaLegal continues to forge ahead for marriage equality in Iowa, following thethrilling California marriage victory this May.
http://www.lambdalegal.org/


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Andrew Sullivan on Palin

-Michael Moynihan takes issue with my comparing Palin not giving aninterview to Putin's Russia:
Sullivan should probably recognize that a press corps trying to wrangle aninterview with an elusive V.P. candidate (and hamstrung by a McCain campaignpetrified of a "General Whatshisname" moment) isn't at all analogous to astate-run media run by an illiberal band of Putin lackeys. As I havepreviously written, throwing the word "fascist" around willy-nilly isintellectually lazy and, more often than not, historically illiterate. Butso is accusing the American media of being no better than outlets controlledby the Kremlin, or those remaining independent journalists whose reportingis influenced by credible threats of violence. Who is he kidding? We havesomeone who could be elected vice-president in less than two months andtomorrow it will be two weeks since she was anounced and still no-one in thepress is allowed to even ask her a question in an uncontrolled setting. Thishas never, ever happened before in modern American politics. Never. Giventhe fact that she is a total unknown, given that the convention was verylate historiclaly, given that we have less than two months to figure out whoto vote for, the denial of access is both an outrage to transparency anddemocracy and also, deeply, deeply troubling about what it says about whatthe McCain camp believes is her competence level. Yes, this is the spiritof Vladimir Putin. I wrote not that we were living in Putin's Russia butthat John McCain is giving us a "taste" of what that's like. John McCain -the man who prided himself on access, on answering any question, on talkingto the press, even when we'd grown a little bored of talking to him. Whathappened to that guy? Who kidnapped him and replaced him with this creepy,sealed off, bullying press management? We, of course, have a FirstAmendment. It's just that John McCain is treating it with contempt.
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/09/everything-is-o.html


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From Transgender Equality
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article

-Germany's Federal Constitutional Court struck down a law July 24 thatrequired married postoperative transsexuals to get divorced before their newgender could be legally recognized. The court said the law isunconstitutional, cannot be enforced and must be changed by August 2009. Theruling came in the case of a 79 year old individual who had a sex-changeoperation to become female in 2002. The womans wife also did not want toget divorced.


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

-Foot Tapping Protected First Amendment, Craig's Lawyer Says
In an effort to persuade a three-judge panel to throw out Sen. Larry Craig'sguilty plea, his attorney suggested Wednesday that his foot tapping in anairport men's room may have been protected by the First Amendment right tofreedom of speech. The Idaho Republican was arrested in the Minneapolis-St.Paul airport in June 2007, after an undercover police officer accused him of soliciting sex by using hand signals and tapping his foot in a bathroom stall.

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

NATIONAL & WORLD DIGEST - September 12, 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.


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

-Obama Plans Sharper Tone as Party Frets
Senator Barack Obama is planning more forceful attacks as he confronts an invigorated G.O.P. ticket.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/12/us/politics/12obama.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

-In First Big Interview, Palin Says, 'I'm Ready'
Sarah Palin said she agreed to John McCain's offer without hesitation, perhaps her most confident answer in an interview that was at times tense and probing.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/12/us/politics/12palin.html?hp

-Scary, Isn't She?
Protect your sons - Jaime Nared is on the court. What happens when a 12-year-0ld girl is just a little too good. [...] Until this past spring, Jaime had been quietly going about her life, as unnoticed as a mocha-skinned 6-foot-1 12-year-old can be in predominantly white Portland, Ore. It was then that she found herself at the center of a controversy about sports and gender: she'd been kicked off a boys' basketball team for being too good.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/14/sports/playmagazine/0914play-NARED.html?hp

-Zimbabwe Rivals Strike a Bargain to Share Power
...but it was still far from clear how the bitter foes would divide the authority to govern.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/12/world/africa/12zimbabwe.html?hp

-Anything Goes, Apparently
Corruption is inevitable when former lobbyists are appointed to top posts at the Department of the Interior to regulate the very industries they used to represent.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/12/opinion/12fri1.html?ref=opinion

-Blizzard of Lies
PAUL KRUGMAN
Anyone with an Internet connection can disprove many assertions of the McCain campaign. Did you hear about how Barack Obama wants to have sex education in kindergarten, and called Sarah Palin a pig? Did you hear about how Ms. Palin told Congress, "Thanks, but no thanks" when it wanted to buy Alaska a Bridge to Nowhere? These stories have two things in common: they're all claims recently made by the McCain campaign - and they're all out-and-out lies. Dishonesty is nothing new in politics. [...] But I can't think of any precedent, at least in America, for the blizzard of lies since the Republican convention.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/12/opinion/12krugman.html?ref=opinion

-The Origins of the Universe: A Crash Course
After more than a decade of development and construction, the Large Hadron Collider was switched on this week. So what can we expect?
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/12/opinion/12greene.html?ref=opinion

-Nick Saban's Fine Print
The lucrative contracts of college football coaches like Nick Saban of the University of Alabama shed light on how the United States needs to readjust its priorities. [...] I wonder why we need any more studies showing our nation's education system to be in the tank when all you have to do is attend a college football game.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/12/opinion/12bissinger.html?ref=opinion

-As Options Fade, Lehman Is Said to Seek a Buyer
While the Treasury Department and the Fed were working to broker an orderly sale, it was unclear whether the Fed would stand behind any deal. [...] In each case, the suitors are seeking help from the Federal Reserve to help make an acquisition palatable. They want the Fed to guarantee a part of Lehman's troubled assets, these people said, similar to the way it backstopped the emergency sale of another foundering bank, Bear Stearns, in March.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/12/business/12lehman.html?hp

-Would-Be Protesters Find the Olympics Failed to Expand Free Speech in Beijing
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/12/sports/olympics/12china.html


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

-A Corner Office for Palin
Lehman Brothers, one of America's most venerable and trusted investment banks, is floundering, and according to news reports this afternoon, desperately seeking a buyer. [...] So how about Sarah Palin? Some may complain she has no experience running a major financial institution, but if the polls are right, many Americans believe that her lack of experience isn't fair game.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2008/09/a_corner_office_for_palin.html

-The Scream Machine
There was a time when Republicans campaigned on their ideas, programs and values. This year -- lacking ideas, programs or values -- John McCain and Sarah Palin are running for the White House on an elaborate fictional narrative of victimhood. Their supposed persecutors are Democrats and the news media, and the aim of this whole charade is to keep Americans from talking about ideas, programs and values.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/11/AR2008091102839.html

-Yes for an Answer
Why Congress should expedite approval of the U.S.-India nuclear accord. A HISTORIC agreement to restore nuclear power cooperation between the United States and India is almost a done deal. Having faced down serious challenges from the left and right, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has secured ratification from his parliament. India and the International Atomic Energy Agency have agreed to new safeguards for Indian civilian nuclear plants. Last weekend, the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group granted New Delhi a waiver permitting it to purchase fuel and technology despite its failure to ratify the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Now all that's left is for Congress to give its approval.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/11/AR2008091103099.html

-Out of Gas
Partisan sniping keeps Congress from getting anything done on energy.
CONGRESS expended a lot of energy debating how to solve the energy crisis before running off for summer recess for five weeks. It ended up accomplishing nothing. Now Congress is back and seemingly ready for more of the same. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will present an energy bill next week that would expand offshore drilling. But Republicans rejected the legislation on the basis of the outlines Ms. Pelosi released Tuesday. Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) will hold hearings today with an eye to bringing energy bills to a vote sometime next week. But don't expect anything to happen.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/11/AR2008091103100.html

-Palin Links Iraq to 9/11 Attacks
In address to Iraq-bound troops, GOP's VP nominee expresses a view now discarded by White House.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/11/AR2008091103789.html?hpid=topnews

-Texans Warned of 'Certain Death'
Residents of coastal areas and parts of Houston evacuate as as Hurricane Ike strengthens. [...] "Preparations to protect life and property . . . should be rushed to completion," the weather service said in a 4 a.m. update that placed the storm about 265 miles southeast of Galveston, moving northwest at about 13 mph. Ike remains a Category 2 hurricane with maximum winds around 105 mph, but it may build to a Category 3, with winds up to 130 mph, by the time it makes landfall late tonight or early Saturday.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/11/AR2008091101825.html?hpid=topnews

-FBI Agents to Get New Powers
Changes will loosen rules requiring a supervisor's approval before
conducting an investigation. [...] The changes would give the FBI's more than 12,000 agents the ability at a much earlier stage to conduct physical surveillance, solicit informants and interview friends of people they are investigating without the approval of a bureau supervisor.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/11/AR2008091103306.html?hpid=topnews

-Ailing Auto Industry Lobbies Congress for Loans
General Motors chief executive G. Richard Wagoner Jr. has been selling cars for a long time, but his pitch today in Washington will be one of his most urgent. He will try to convince lawmakers that the country's homegrown automakers deserve help from the government as they prepare to build more hybrids and other fuel-efficient cars for a radically different market.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/11/AR2008091103466.html?hpid=sec-business

-Judge Limits Searches Using Cellphone Data
The government must obtain a warrant based on probable cause of criminal activity before directing a wireless provider to turn over records that show where customers used their cellphones, a federal judge ruled Wednesday, in the first opinion by a federal district court on the issue.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/11/AR2008091103292.html?hpid=moreheadlines

-Pakistan Did Not Agree to New Rules, Officials Say
New rules of engagement authorizing U.S. ground attacks inside Pakistan, signed by President Bush in July, were not agreed to by that country's civilian government or its military, according to U.S. and Pakistani officials.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/11/AR2008091103811.html?hpid=moreheadlines

-India Set to Lose Voice of America
After 53 Years, Radio Service Will End
The news is unwelcome indeed for several dozen "VOA listeners clubs" in small towns and villages across India, where radio is still a part of daily life. People there have no Internet, cable television or even reliable electricity. But they have radio. [...] VOA is the largest American broadcaster, reaching a global audience of 134 million by radio, TV and Internet in 45 languages. In India, the VOA Hindi service attracts a weekly audience of more than 8 million people.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/11/AR2008091103305.html?hpid=sec-world

-McCain's 'Education' Spot Is Dishonest, Deceptive
A new John McCain ad caricatures Barack Obama's education record by claiming that his only achievement is to pass legislation ensuring "comprehensive sex education" for kindergartners. It implies that its critique of the Democratic presidential nominee has been endorsed by the nonpartisan journal Education Week, when in fact it is a hodgepodge of quotes from a variety of sources stitched together to form a highly partisan political attack.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/10/AR2008091003838.html?hpid=sec-education

-National Security: War with Russia? Palin Talks Foreign Policy with ABC
GOP Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin said today the Ukraine and Georgia should join NATO, even at the risk of antagonizing Russia and forcing the United States into a war with the nuclear-armed nation. She added that the United States should "show support" for Georgia by possibly imposing "economic sanctions" on Russia.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/09/11/war_with_russia_palin_talks_fo.html?hpid=sec-politics


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

-Houston decides to stare down Ike instead of leave
As a gigantic Hurricane Ike steamed through the Gulf of Mexico toward the Texas coast, officials in America's fourth-largest city made a bold decision: Instead of fleeing, most residents here would stare down the storm.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/weather/hurricane/sfl-hurricane-ike-0912-8am,0,2970060.story

-Ike Tracking Map
http://weather.sun-sentinel.com/tropical/tracking/at200809_5day.html

-Florida: Dad chases naked teen from daughter's room with pipe
An angry Deltona father whacked his teenage daughter's boyfriend with a metal pipe after finding the boy naked in his daughter's room. Authorities say Raul Colon, 45, didn't even know his daughter had a boyfriend or that the youngster had been sneaking into the home for more than a year. When he heard noises coming from his daughter's bedroom Thursday morning and saw a stranger standing naked on the girl's bed, he swung a metal pipe. He then chased the teen out the front door and called police. The boy was taken to the hospital where doctors closed a head wound with staples.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-0912dad-chase,0,3914128.story

-House Democrats oil drilling plan a sham
Call the House Democratic oil drilling proposal what it is, a sham. The "compromise" Speaker Nancy Pelosi is offering is no compromise. It's a cave-in to the very Big Oil interests Democrats have been berating.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-editafoilshamsbsep12,0,4067151.story


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

-Hugo Chavez says U.S. ambassador must leave
President Hugo Chavez said the U.S. ambassador has 72 hours to leave Venezuela and that he's recalling his ambassador from Washington.
http://www.miamiherald.com/579/story/683025.html

-Poll: Biden seen as more qualified than Palin; race tied
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/52315.html


-GOP campaign downplays Palin book-banning inquiry
The McCain campaign is defending Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's much-criticized inquiry into banning books at her hometown library, saying her questions were only hypothetical.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/AP/story/683429.html


=
Very interesting video.
Want some perspective on the world's population as it relates to the United States? Contact rays.list@comcast.net and we'll send you the video attachment. Very revealing!


=
"Neighbor to Neighbor" Program--
The Democratic National Committee has done a scientific experiment studying the various ways of increasing voter conversion --
..robocalls
..personal calls
..mailings
..multiple mailings
..neighbor to neighbor contact.
All methods except one generated only a 1 or 2% increase in voter participation.
The ONE METHOD that increased voter participation the most, 12%,was neighbors knocking on neighbors doors--
..mailers affect 1 in 400 voters
..phone calls affect 1in 50 voters
..face to face contact - connects 1 in 12
"Neighbor to Neighbor" Program--
All you do is log in to MY.BARACKOBAMA.COM/VOTERCONTACT and follow thedirections from there. They will help you print out a walk list of 20undecided voters who live near you (there is a flyer too). Then you knockon each person's door and ask them where they stand and record theirresponses so we can get them out to vote in November if they are a strongsupporter, try to persuade them further if they are undecided or just leavethem alone if they are not supporting. You don't have to do it all atonce. You can do it an hour at a time in the evenings or whenever you getsome free time. If someone isn't home, just come back another time untilyou have talked to all 20 people on your list. You can input your data atany time, you don't have to wait until you get to all 20 people. The nexttime you log in and click on the "NEIGHBOR to NEIGHBOR" button, you will seea button labeled "Report Voter Contacts" at the top of the screen. Justclick on that button and report your data for each person. And then, pleasesign up for more contacts if you can. For more training on door knocking seeour training program
http://victory-2008.com/knockknock/


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McCain-Palin TV ad accuses Obama of being "disrespectful" of Palin, but itLies
Check With FactCheck.org
http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/belittling_palin.html


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

-Palin sounds hawkish note in ABC interview
In her first televised interview since being unexpectedly tapped as JohnMcCain's running mate and instantly becoming the dominant story of thecampaign, Sarah Palin sounded a hawkish line on national security mattersranging from Iran to Russia to Pakistan. Palin defended her minimal foreignpolicy background by citing a strong familiarity with energy issues so keyto her home state, but also sought to frame her inexperience in a positivelight.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0908/13393.html

-'Jim Crawford' Republicans
The GOP is working to keep eligible African-Americans from voting in severalstates. It was a mainstay of Jim Crow segregation: for 100 years after theCivil War, Southern white Democrats kept eligible blacks from voting withpoll taxes, literacy tests and property requirements. Starting in the 1960s,the U.S. Supreme Court declared these assaults on the heart of Americandemocracy unconstitutional.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/158392

-Bill Clinton's advice to Barack Obama
There they were in Harlem Thursday, the 42nd president and the Democrat who hopes to be the 44th, for a two-hour lunch hour chat at Bill Clinton's office. It is not at all clear that Barack Obama particularly wants Clinton's advice about how to win the presidency - after all, he kept the former president at a cool distance, with just occasional phone calls, for months-but many Democrats believe it is increasingly clear that he could use it.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0908/13394.html

-How Did Palin Do? Two Views
On a day when people paused and prayed, when Barack Obama joined John McCainat ground zero and made peace with Bill Clinton over lunch, when the adswere stilled and the e-mails sheathed just for a while, GOPvice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin held a peace conference of her ownwith the mainstream media when she sat down with ABC News anchor CharlesGibson in Fairbanks, Alaska.
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1840710,00.html

-What small-town America is saying about Obama
In diners and mobile homes from New Mexico to North Carolina, I listened toworking-class people try to make sense of a black president named Barack.With less than two months until voting day, there are doubts hanging overBarack Obama's campaign -- and they aren't just due to Alaska's topmoose-hunting hockey mom jolting the race and electrifying the Republicanfaithful. Although Obama has touted himself as a post-racial candidate,whether America is ready to elect a black man for president remains a vexingquestion for his supporters. In a tight national race, Obama continues struggling to gain wider support, particularly among white working-class voters and independents in battleground states.
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/09/12/obama_doubts/index.html

=

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

FLORIDA DIGEST - September 12, 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~~

Wilton Manors: THE DOLPHIN DEMOCRATS INVITES YOU TO STOP BY
COME SEE THE GET OUT THE VOTE CENTER
THE POWER BASE TO ELECT THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
SEN. BARACK OBAMA AND SEN. JOE BIDEN
CANDIDATE CONGRESSMAN RON KLEIN
CANDIDATE LINDA BIRD STATE SENATE #25
CANDIDATE CHRIS CHARI-FLORIDA HOUSE #91
CANDIDATE FLORIDA REP. MARTIN KIAR -FLORIDA HOUSE #97
CANDIDATE'S FOR CITY COMMISSION WILTON MANORS
JUSTIN FLIPPEN AND TOM GREEN
WINE , CHEESE, MINGLE- AND MEET AND GREET AT THE GET OUT THE VOTE CENTER
BEFORE YOU START YOUR EVENING, SWING BY, AND SAY HELLO
SATURDAY . THIS SATURDAY 9/13/2008 - 5PM TO 7PM
2040 N DIXIE HIGHWAY #B -WILTON MANORS


=
GLCC JOB POSTING FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER
Customer Service Manager
Salary Range: $33,000 to $38,000
Must Apply to: Janet Vargas, Business Mgr, jvargas@glccsf.org
Deadline: September 16, 2008
The Customer Service Manager (CSM) ensures consistently high quality servicefor GLCC visitors, callers and customers. The CSM recruits and organizes inareas including: reception/switchboard, events, administration andprograms-- providing training, motivation, reinforcement, support,supervision and accountability. The SCM ensures the effectiveness of theGLCC's reception/switchboard function. The CSM is responsible for providinglogistical, financial and administrative support to advance the developmenteffort for the GLCC. The CSM will assist in the process to create andimplement fundraising strategies that increase the organization's supportfrom individuals, corporations, foundations and other sources, with aspecial emphasis on developing individual donors.


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Mark's List
Mark's List brings you our weekend bar and club guide on one nice neat page.
If you prefer to look at what's going on in specific clubs or events, pleaseuse the links below. To read our party guide, please click on the followinglink or copy and paste it into your browser:
http://jumponmarkslist.com/MSFL/friday/2007/021607.htm


~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~

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

-Everglades restoration may shift past mill and ethanol plant for jobs
Ethanol plant, sugar mill, land swaps discussed
Restoring the missing link between Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades couldmean re-engineering the River of Grass to bypass a sugar mill and a new U.S.Sugar ethanol plant, water managers revealed Thursday. Once the path issettled, construction could stretch over 20 years to build the new system ofreservoirs and water treatment areas to restore flows between the lake andthe Everglades, according to the South Florida Water Management District.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/sfl-flpsugardeal0912sbsep12,0,4245223.story

-Engineers hope sea pit will save beaches
A 49-foot pit would be blasted into the ocean floor next to Port Evergladesas a key part of a $20 million plan to save southern Broward County'seroding beaches.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbsand0911sbsep12,0,6540133.story

-Palm Beach County's missing ballots appear to be found
Despite rumors, the ballots hadn't been mistakenly dumped in a landfill orleft behind at voting precincts. Rather, they were found in the county'svote-tabulating center near West Palm Beach. "The ballots were found in thisroom, not in garbage bags, not in the trunks of cars," lead investigatorBrad Merriman, an assistant county administrator, told reporters Thursday.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-flpballot0912sbsep12,0,4025597.story


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

-Rudy Crew moves on
With its quick settlement of a buyout package for Superintendent Rudy Crew,a Miami-Dade School Board majority coalesced for the good of the district.They are to be commended.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/683237.html

-Save Florida beaches from drilling frenzy
The latest news from the oil-drilling front is good and bad: The bad news isthat Democrats have been bullied into drafting a bill that allows gas andoil drilling 100 miles off the U.S. coastline. Some Atlantic Coast statescould vote to bring the drilling closer, within 50 miles of their ownshorelines. The good news is that the proposal would honor a 2006 compromisethat gives Florida's coastline at least a 125-mile buffer in the Gulf ofMexico.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/683235.html


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

-Republican district turns Dem
A little-noticed number in the latest voter-registration figures from thePalm Beach County elections office could have big implications in 2010. Thelatest report shows that county commission District 4, held by RepublicanMary McCarty since 1990, now has slightly more Democratic voters thanRepublicans. That means Dems now outnumber GOP voters in six of sevencommission districts.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/palmbeach/floridapolitics/entries/2008/09/10/republican_district_turns_dem.html?cxntfid=blogs_q_florida_politics

-Progress, FPL nuclear plans carry big costs
Looking to generate more electricity and combat global warming, Florida isbanking on nuclear power in the future. But it won't come cheap. Stateregulators held a hearing Thursday about how much money customers ofProgress Energy Florida and Florida Power & Light will have to pay next yearfor the initial phases of building the state's first new nuclear plantssince the 1980s.
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Headlines/frtHEAD01STAT091208.htm

-Ethanol plant touted as way to ease Glades job losses
Even as the state tries to buy U.S. Sugar Corp. for $1.75 billion to restorethe Everglades, separate negotiations could lead to an additional use forthe farming giant's property: a large ethanol plant. People involved in thestate's buyout effort said Thursday that the two proposals could worktogether.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2008/09/11/0911sugar.html

-Fla. delegation shields gulf area in energy bill
Pressure from Florida's House delegation helped keep the eastern Gulf ofMexico off limits for oil drilling in a new Democratic proposal, memberssaid Thursday. Florida Democrats had become nervous as their party'sleadership looked to counter Republicans' push for more domestic drillingwith a proposal of their own, said Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Delray Beach.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/state/content/state/epaper/2008/09/11/a12a_oil_0912.html

=

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

GLBT DIGEST - September 11, 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.


=
From Transgender Equality
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article

-Transgender Anti-Discrimination Law in
Montgomery County, MD Safe from Repeal Effort: State's High Court Agrees that Opponents Failed in Collecting Valid Signatures
The National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) applauds the decision by Maryland's highest court to invalidate the mean-spirited effort to remove a local anti-discrimination law that passed unanimously by Montgomery County Council last year. The failed effort could have repealed the county law protecting people from discrimination based on gender identity depending upon voters' decision. However, the court decided that the anti-transgender measure must be removed from the November ballot because opponents did not collect enough valid signatures to qualify. [...] Concerted anti-equality efforts are also underway to repeal LGBT laws in Gainesville, FL and Hamtramck, MI.


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Human Rights Campaign - HRC
Corporate Equality Index
The seventh annual Corporate Equality Index shows an unprecedented 259 major U.S. businesses earned the top rating of 100 percent, up from 195 last year - an increase of one third. Detailed information on each employer rated is included in the report and on our employer database under "Employers with Corporate Equality Index rating".
...2009 Corporate Equality Index - Full Report pdf (739 KB)
...Human Rights Campaign press release and statement
...Statements from employers that rated 100% in 2009 Search our Employer Database
http://www.hrc.org/issues/workplace/cei.htm


=
Michigan: Triangle Foundation Annual State Dinner Event
The Westin Southfield
A Chance to Renew Our Hearts, Our Hopes, and Our Commitment
You're Invited - Sunday, October 12, 2008
https://secure.ga1.org/05/trianglefoundation/events/StateDinner2008/purchase.tcl?&_cm_=1

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

-DC hopes needle exchanges curb soaring AIDS rate
Reggie Jackson spends much of his day inside a Winnebago, riding through the city's hard-scrabble neighborhoods to hand out clean syringes in exchange for dirty ones. "We're saving lives, man," Jackson says. He's on a mission to protect drug addicts from HIV, which Jackson learned he had in 1990 after years of sharing needles to shoot heroin and crack cocaine.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/11/AR2008091100319.html

-Tension mounts as Bosnian imams protest gay festival
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) _ Posters condemning gays have appeared in Sarajevo ahead of this month's first-ever gay festival in Bosnia. Two Muslim imams have been quoted as criticizing the timing of the five-day festival, which opens Sept. 24 and will occur during the holy month of Ramadan. Islam prohibits gay relationships, and Sarajevo is at least 85 percent Muslim.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/11/AR2008091100680_pf.html


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

-Gay Straight Alliance fights discrimination
Everglades High social studies teacher Bruce Klasner and the school's Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) are putting their efforts toward the new item on the EHS school list: the museum of tolerance. "This museum will explain how it's OK to be different," said Mellany Obel, GSA president. "And we should not discriminate against other people if they have a different skin color from our own or are attracted to those of the same sex." The GSA members will educate the student body by displaying the mistreatment of homosexuals during the Holocaust massacre, which is set to be showcased to all history classes in the late fall. "A lot of people are so involved in their own clique that they fail to accept those who are different from themselves," Obel said. "Hopefully this will teach kids to be more open-minded and accepting of those who do not follow their definition of the status quo." By Nelly Torres, Everglades High
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-fltl0911newstlbesep11,0,1742229.story

-Prosecutor: Sex offender who posed as boy to enroll in Ariz. schools to get 70½-year sentence
A sex offender who posed as a 12-year-old boy to enroll in Arizona schools has pleaded guilty to seven criminal charges, two stemming from the charade he pulled for two years, and will go to prison for more than 70 years, a prosecutor said Wednesday. Authorities didn't find any victims of sexual abuse at the schools 30-year-old Neil Havens Rodreick II attended. But when Rodreick's ruse was discovered in January 2007, they found an extensive collection of child pornography at his home.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-sex-offender-ruse,0,5150204.story


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

-Biased law must go
OUR OPINION: GAY ADOPTION CASE AN EXAMPLE FOR OTHERS TO FOLLOW
It is a sad state of affairs that Florida's official policy is to discriminate against gay people who want to adopt children. In Florida, it is OK for gays and lesbians to be foster parents and guardians -- but not to adopt. That not only sanctions bias, but compounds it with hypocrisy. The ruling this week by Monroe County Circuit Judge David J. Audlin Jr. to allow a gay foster father to adopt a teenaged boy won't change Florida's nonsensical law. Still, it is a victory for one family and, possibly, a chink in the state's specious legal position that bias is OK.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/681534.html


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

-MomsMiami.com blog:
Children's author Maurice Sendak tells New York Times that he's gay
I just read a very bittersweet story about Maurice Sendak, who is celebrating his 80th birthday. It solidified my respect and love for this grumpy, lovable children's author/illustrator, probably THE most beloved of all time (Where the Wild Things Are, In the Night Kitchen). In the New York times article, Sendak quietly comes out of the closet, revealing he's gay and in mourning for his longtime partner, who recently passed away. He talks about how he kept quiet about his sexuality all these years because he didn't think the world would accept a gay man writing and drawing children's books. What the world would have missed if this man had never picked up a pen!
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2008/09/momsmiamicom-bl.html


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

-Miami Mayor speaks out against Amendment 2
Miami mayor Manny Diaz recently announced his opposition to Amendment 2, which would add an amendment to the Florida constitution outlawing any type of gay domestic partnership or marriage. He joins a chorus of local South Florida leaders, including the Broward Board of Commissioners and the Broward School Board, who have spoken out against the measure. Read his statement on Florida Red and Blue's web site here.
http://www.floridablade.com/blog/index.cfm#20953

-Obama's gay mentor speaks out
Occidental professor had 'strong influence' on Democratic nominee's views As an 18-year-old undergraduate student at Occidental College in Los Angeles, Barack Obama was among a coterie of students who spoke regularly with Lawrence Goldyn. Goldyn, an openly gay political science professor who served as a mentor and friend to many of the school's minority students, said Obama joined him and other students in discussions about social and political issues at a time when Obama was beginning to develop an interest in politics and civil rights causes.
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=20937

-Court hears Craig appeal
Ruling will come before Craig leaves Senate
Idaho Sen. Larry Craig, seeking to wipe away an embarrassing criminal conviction in an airport men's room sex sting, put his hope Wednesday in the Minnesota Court of Appeals. An attorney for the retiring Republican argued that he should be able to withdraw a misdemeanor disorderly conduct plea he quietly entered last year following an arrest during a flight layover. The attorney, Billy Martin, told the three-judge panel that Craig's behavior was "as consistent with innocence as it is with guilt."
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=20930


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

-As Ellen Goes, So Goes the Nation
When Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi got married in California in August, there were no protests, no career fallout, and no media backlash, just congratulations from all. It was an archetypal People celebrity wedding featuring two of the beautiful people, one in pants and the other in a gown, and a dreamy setting with flowers, champagne, candlelight, the whole romantic nine yards. No expense spared, no fabulous purveyor left unmentioned. (Mark's Garden! Zac Posen! Neil Lane!) The only thing missing: a groom.
http://advocate.com/issue_story_ektid61030.asp

=

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

NATIONAL & WORLD DIGEST - September 11, 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.

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

-Bush Said to Give Orders Allowing Raids in Pakistan
The order allowing Special Operations forces to act without the prior approval of the Pakistani government underscores U.S. concerns over Pakistan's ability and will to combat militants. [...] American officials say that they will notify Pakistan when they conduct limited ground attacks like the Special Operations raid last Wednesday in a Pakistani village near the Afghanistan border, but that they will not ask for its permission.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/11/washington/11policy.html?hp

-Sex, Drug Use and Graft Cited in Interior Department
The Interior Department agency that collects oil and gas royalties has been caught up in a broad ethics scandal.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/11/washington/11royalty.html?hp

-Mississippi's Ballot Trick
Mississippi's governor and its secretary of state have come up with a dirty election trick that is not only illegal, but shows a contempt for the state's voters [...] Defying state law, they have decided to hide a hard-fought race for the United States Senate at the bottom of the ballot, where they clearly are hoping some voters will overlook it. Their proposed design is not only illegal. It shows a deep contempt for Mississippi's voters.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/11/opinion/11thu1.html?ref=opinion

-Misery Loves Democrats
It has come to our attention that a large number of Democrats have gone completely nuts about Barack Obama's presidential campaign. He's going to lose! Sarah Palin is getting all the attention! The Republicans are so mean! Why isn't he tougher?
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/11/opinion/11collins.html?ref=opinion

-In the Seventh Year
In the seventh year after the fall, it seemed that one nation had become two; and loss, far from unifying the people, had sundered America.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/11/opinion/11Cohen.html?ref=opinion

-In Search of Gov. Palin
The best way for Sarah Palin to let America know about her record is to hold an honest news conference, which is what the campaign of John McCain is avoiding. [...] It is well past time for Sarah Palin, Republican running mate, governor of Alaska and self-proclaimed reformer, to fill in for the voting public the gaping blanks about her record and qualifications to be vice president. [...] Just in time for that appearance, Ms. Palin, who was proclaiming her family's privacy a week ago, will make a political event out of her son's deployment to Iraq. But as for talking to reporters in general, the McCain campaign sniffishly says they must first show "some level of respect and deference."
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/11/opinion/11thu2.html?ref=opinion

-Nice Work if You Can Get It
The ousted chiefs of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are at the center of an epic ailure. They should not be rewarded any more for their failures. [...] Daniel Mudd and Richard Syron, the ousted chiefs of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, could collect as much as $24 million in exit pay (up to $9.3 million for Mr. Mudd and at least $14.1 million for Mr. Syron) unless a federal regulator sensibly says no.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/11/opinion/11thu3.html?ref=opinion

-Thousands in Texas Flee Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike, having spun away from Cuba and roared into the Gulf of Mexico, moved toward Texas with growing strength on Thursday as thousands of people fled coastal areas.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/12/us/12ike.html?hp

-Rangel Tries to Explain Back Taxes on Villa
Representative Charles B. Rangel said on Wednesday that "cultural and language barriers" had hindered him from understanding the finances of his Dominican Republic beach house, and vowed to repay several thousand dollars in federal taxes he owes after failing to report $75,000 in rental income from the villa.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/11/nyregion/11rangel.html?hp

-Iraq Cancels Six No-Bid Oil Contracts
An Iraqi plan to award six no-bid contracts to Western oil companies, which came under sharp criticism from several United States senators this summer, has been withdrawn, participants in the negotiations said on Wednesday.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/11/world/middleeast/11iraq.html?hp

-Stock futures fall on worries about financials
U.S. stocks headed for a lower open Thursday as investors remained uneasy about the well-being of the financial sector and grappled with fresh worries about the nation's unemployment rate. Wall Street's latest unease about the financial sector follows Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.'s announcement Wednesday that it plans to sell its investment management unit and spin off its commercial real estate assets. The company is seeking to raise cash after making bad bets on holdings tied to real estate.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/business/AP-Wall-Street.html

-Record Oil Imports Offset Export Growth
America's trade deficit shot up in July to the highest level in 16 months as oil imports hit an all-time high, offsetting strong export growth. The deficit with China climbed to the second-highest level on record. The Commerce Department says the deficit rose by 5.7 percent to $62.2 billion in July, much worse than the $58 billion deficit that Wall Street expected. It pushed the gap between what America imports and what it sells abroad to the highest level since March 2007.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/12/business/economy/12econ.html

-Meager Living of Haitians Is Wiped Out by Storms
GONAÏVES, Haiti - Their cupboards were virtually bare before the winds started whipping, the skies opened up and this seaside city filled like a caldron with thick, brown, smelly muck.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/11/world/americas/11haiti.html

-McCain Ad on Sex Education Distorts Obama Policy
Escalating its efforts to portray Senator Barack Obama as a candidate whose values fall outside the mainstream, the campaign of Senator John McCain on Tuesday unveiled a new television advertisement claiming that Mr. Obama, the Democratic nominee, favors "comprehensive sex education" for kindergarten students.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/11/us/politics/11checkpoint.html

-Squad of G.O.P. Aides Prepares Palin for Interviews
Two weeks ago, People magazine was granted an exclusive interview with Senator John McCain's new running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, who spoke about motherhood and career, life in Alaska and the historic nature of her candidacy. She has not given an interview since, eschewing the traditional television news circuit traveled by a vice-presidential nominee.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/11/us/politics/11palin.html

-House Bill Would Loosen Coastal Drilling Restrictions
After months of political assault from Republicans over high gasoline prices, House Democrats are preparing legislation that would relax a decades-old ban on oil drilling along much of the nation's coastline. The legislation, still being assembled Wednesday for a vote as early as Thursday, would also require utility companies to generate more power from renewable sources, provide tax incentives for alternative energy like wind power and institute new conservation programs.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/11/washington/11cong.html

-Obama Looks to Lessons From Chicago in His National Education Plan
Senator Barack Obama learned how hard it can be to solve America's public education problems when he headed a philanthropic drive here a decade ago that spent $150 million on Chicago's troubled schools and barely made a dent.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/10/us/politics/10educate.html


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

-The GOP Takes Hostages
Where's the pride? I ask that of every Republican who in recent days has done the bidding of the McCain campaign and lied about what Barack Obama said regarding that now famous pig and lipstick. First off the mark was former Massachusetts Gov. Jane Swift who, in a conference call arranged by the McCain campaign, called the remark "disgraceful" and demanded an "apology." Swift's compliance was so, well, swift and mindless that at first I thought this was a hostage situation -- one of those episodes in which some poor soul is forced to issue a statement at gunpoint. Someone ought to check Swift's house.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2008/09/the_gop_takes_hostages.html

-The Right and Wrong Questions for Palin
I truly hope that ABC's Charlie Gibson asks Sarah Palin not one question about her family or what kind of mom she is -- not a single one. I'm happy to stipulate she is a fine mother. And being a mother should absolutely not disqualify anyone from being president or vice president of the United States. One should not even have to say such a thing, since it's obvious. Mothers have made fine leaders in other countries.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2008/09/the_right_and_wrong_questions.html

-Why Do Lies Prevail?
John McCain was not offended when Barack Obama described McCain's policy agenda as putting "lipstick on a pig." I can't prove that, but it seems so obvious to me that it's more like a fact than an opinion. Nor could McCain possibly have thought that Obama was calling McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin, a pig, since Obama didn't even mention Palin. If Obama had even thought that his words would be misinterpreted as calling Palin a pig, he wouldn't have said them. That also seems obvious. The whole controversy is ginned up, a fraud, a lie. All obvious.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2008/09/why_do_lies_prevail.html

-Too Early To Call It
In the opening days of the general election campaign, an exaggerated optimism has swept through Republican ranks and an equally exaggerated gloom has infected the Democrats. A reporter readjusting his sights after living for two weeks in the twin bubbles of convention cities Denver and St. Paul can only wonder what has triggered these surprising reactions.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/10/AR2008091002725.html

-Invited Guests Gather at Pentagon Memorial
Seven years from the day a hijacked jetliner exploded into the western side of the nation's military headquarters, the Pentagon Memorial is being dedicated this morning in a ceremony featuring children's voices and speeches by dignitaries, including President Bush and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/11/AR2008091100579.html?hpid=topnews

-Live Video: Ground Zero - Dedication Ceremony
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2005/04/12/VI2005041201139.html

-Obama and the Anger Calculation
Earlier this week when Barack Obama gave a lengthy interview with Keith Olbermann, the "Countdown" host referenced the Illinois senator's now-famous "enough" line from his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention and asked: "Have you thought of using on the campaign trail and in your speaking engagements, more exclamation points? Have you thought of getting angrier?"
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/?hpid=topnews

-Ike heading toward Texas; Lowell over Mexico
After a deadly and destructive trip across the Caribbean, Hurricane Ike began to move across the Gulf of Mexico, where it was expected to strengthen before plowing into Texas. And in the Pacific, Tropical Depression Lowell was moving over Mexico's Baja California peninsula.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/11/AR2008091100167.html?hpid=moreheadlines

-Barack Obama: Obama on Letterman Talks Lipstick & Pigs
No, he has never put lipstick on a pig, Sen. Barack Obama told David Letterman in an appearance to be broadcast tonight on CBS's "The Late Show with David Letterman." "But I think it might be fun to try," Obama said.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/09/10/obama_on_letterman_talks_lipst.html?hpid=sec-politics

-TALLAHASSEE
New Florida driver's license rules go into effect Oct. 1
Starting Oct. 1, the state will make it harder for Floridians to receive a new or renewed driver's license. 'We anticipate the benefits of enhanced identity protection will far outweigh the inconvenience of providing additional proof of identification,' said Sandra Lambert, director of the state division of driver licenses.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/story/681487.html

-Palin ready to serve?
OUR OPINION: CANDIDATE WHO IGNORES VOTERS, MEDIA SENDS BAD MESSAGE
If any of the Republican or Democratic presidential candidates had refused to talk to voters or media during the recent primary contests the way vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin has done in recent days, they would have been dismissed immediately from serious consideration. Not talk to voters while seeking the second-highest public office in the country? Preposterous!
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/681533.html

-ECONOMY: A new Fannie and Freddie ahead
The superbly crafted rescue plan that the Treasury announced Sunday represents not an end to the perils of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac but merely the beginning of a new chapter. Conservatorship of the government-sponsored enterprises (GSE) does not resolve the long-term questions, and the hardest part of the job lies ahead.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other-views/story/681516.html


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Salon.com
http://www.salon.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Alaska Freedom fighter
Alaskan Independence Party chairwoman Lynette Clark talks about why she doesn't identify herself as an American, and about her kindred spirit Sarah Palin. "Country First!" That's the Republican battle cry this presidential season. But don't try selling that slogan to Lynette Clark, chairwoman of the Alaskan Independence Party, whose motto is "Alaska First

-Alaska Always." Clark -- a blunt-spoken, gravel-voiced pioneer in the Alaska independence movement -- spoke with me from her home outside Fairbanks, where she and her husband, Dexter, another veteran Alaskan freedom fighter, work a gold mine claim. Clark was born in Illinois, moving with her family as a child to the Alaska territory in 1951. But, she says, "in my heart and mind, I'm an Alaskan. I don't identify myself as an American." The Alaskan Independence Party burst into the national spotlight when Clark released a statement reporting that Sarah Palin and her husband, Todd, were both members. [...] And earlier this year, as governor, Palin addressed the AIP convention, stating that she shared the party's "vision." "Keep up the good work," Palin told party members. "And God bless you." Whether or not Palin herself was an AIP member, Clark makes it clear that the GOP vice presidential candidate is a kindred spirit.
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/09/10/alaska_secession/print.html


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

-How Democrats are fighting back against Sarah Palin
The Obama campaign is working the press, avoiding a full-scale assault, and waiting for Palin-mania to subside. But is that a smart strategy? With the conventions over and the general election in full swing, voters around the country are really starting to focus on November and figure out who they want in the White House for the next four years: Barack Obama or Sarah Palin.
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/09/10/fight_back/

-Palin billed state for nights she spent at home
Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has billed taxpayers for 312 nights spent in her own home during her first 19 months in office, charging a "per diem" allowance intended to cover meals and incidental expenses while traveling on state business.
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/articles/2008/09/09/palin_billed_state_for_nights_she_spent_at_home/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+National+News

-Palin outshines Biden in favorability, head-to-head polling
Voters can't cast ballots separately for vice president in November, of course. But if they could, national poll findings released yesterday suggest that Republican Sarah Palin would beat Democrat Joe Biden - yet another sign of the popularity of John McCain's high-risk veep choice.
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/articles/2008/09/10/palin_outshines_biden_in_favorability_head_to_head_polling/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+National+News

-Minn. Democrats Pick Al Franken For Senate
Nomination Of Comedian Sets Up Long-Anticipated Showdown With GOP's Sen.
Norm Coleman
Comedian Al Franken grabbed the Democratic nomination Tuesday for U.S. Senate in Minnesota, setting up a showdown with Republican Sen. Norm Coleman that had been years in the making.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/10/politics/main4433645.shtml

-Tim Rutten: The McCain campaign is insisting on deference in the questioning of the vice presidential candidate.
Connoisseurs of campaign tactics tend to be a pretty cynical bunch, so they'll doubtless find much to admire in the adroit way Sen. John McCain's camp has handled Sarah Palin since she came aboard the ticket. Voters, who tend to nourish an inconvenient hunger for information, may be less impressed. One suspects that sooner rather than later, some will begin to wonder why the GOP is insisting that Palin is entitled to be treated according to a double standard.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-rutten10-2008sep10,0,7601200.column?track=rss

-Gov. gets candid on GOP, Palin
In a wide-ranging interview with the German newsweekly, he says he has 'almost no contact' with Republican leaders and says the Alaska governor is 'feisty.' He praises Obama's campaign. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, California's Austrian-born governor, sat down with a German news magazine to offer a freewheeling assessment of the American political landscape.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/politics/cal/la-me-arnold10-2008sep10,0,5908681.story?track=rss

-Autumn Angst: Dems fret about Obama
Polls showing John McCain tied or even ahead of Barack Obama are stirring
angst and second-guessing among some of the Democratic Party's most experienced operatives, who worry that Obama squandered opportunities over the summer and may still be underestimating his challenges this fall. "It's more than an increased anxiety," said Doug Schoen, who worked as one of Bill Clinton's lead pollsters during his 1996 reelection and has worked for both Democrats and independents in recent years. "It's a palpable frustration. Deep-seated unease in the sense that the message has gotten away from them."
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0908/13357.html

-Falling Into the Palin Trap
One of the worst things about the wall-to-wall coverage of Sara Palin, from the cable shows to the front page of The New York Times to the cover of People Magazine to the leftwing blogosphere, is how brilliantly the Republicans managed to bury the Obama campaign's triumph in Denver intabloid trash.
http://www.progressive.org/mag/rc091008.html

-McCain's Integrity
Editor's Note: Historically a John McCain supporter, conservative journalistand blogger Andrew Sullivan takes on the issue of John McCain's integrity ashe strives to win the presidency. - vh/TO For me, this surreal moment -like the entire surrealism of the past ten days - is not really about SarahPalin or Barack Obama or pigs or fish or lipstick. It's about John McCain. The one thing I always thought I knew about him is that he is a decent andhonest person. When he knows, as every sane person must, that Obama did notin any conceivable sense mean that Sarah Palin is a pig, what did he do? Didhe come out and say so and end this charade? Or did he acquiesce in and thereby enable the mindless Rovianism that is now the core feature of his campaign?
http://www.truthout.org/article/mccains-integrity

-Lose your house, lose your vote
Michigan Republicans plan to foreclose African American voters
The chairman of the Republican Party in Macomb County Michigan, a key swing county in a key swing state, is planning to use a list of foreclosed homes to block people from voting in the upcoming election as part of the state GOP's effort to challenge some voters on Election Day.
http://www.michiganmessenger.com/4076/lose-your-house-lose-your-vote

-8 More Stories About Palin the Public Needs to Know
As she enters her second week as VP candidate, more shocking information emerges about Sarah Palin. It takes most politicians years to rack up the kinds of scandals, hypocrisies, and inconsistencies that have plagued Sarah Palin's candidacy in the week and a half since she catapulted to national attention. But the disturbing revelations about Palin's record as mayor and governor, and her positions on the issues, inexplicably just keep coming.
http://www.alternet.org/election08/98228/8_more_stories_about_palin_the_public_needs_to_know/

-Mocking Constitutional Rights
On the third day of the Republican National Convention, GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin mocked Barack Obama for believing that individuals accused of terrorism actually have rights under the law. "Al-Qaeda terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America," Palin said, "and he's worried that someone won't read them their rights."
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2008/09/10-4

-Poll: Swing state voters approve of Palin
Quinnipiac University poll, presidential race in Florida (27 electoral votes) among likely voters
THE NUMBERS: John McCain 50 percent, Barack Obama 43 percent
OF INTEREST: McCain now has a 7-point lead over Obama; the same poll taken last month showed McCain with just a 4-point edge over the Democrat. Six in 10 likely voters in Florida say Sarah Palin was a good choice for McCain's running mate. About half, or 47 percent, say they have a favorable opinion of the Alaska governor, while 30 percent say they have not heard enough about her. McCain has a 13-point lead among men and is roughly even with Obama among women. Almost a quarter of those who supported Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Democratic presidential primary say they are backing McCain. That's up from the 14 percent of Clinton supporters that backed him in the same poll last month.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/09/11/poll_swing_state_voters_approve_of_palin/

-Paul refuses to endorse McCain
Republican Ron Paul, the libertarian-leaning Texas congressman who attracted a devoted following in the GOP primaries, said yesterday he rejected an appeal to endorse John McCain and instead urged three other candidates to bring all their supporters together to vote against the "establishment candidates."
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/articles/2008/09/11/paul_refuses_to_endorse_mccain/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+Today%27s+paper+A+to+Z

-Obama maintains Mich. lead in third post-convention poll
John McCain's post-convention bounce has failed to overtake Barack Obama inMichigan, according to a CNN-Time survey of the state released Wednesday. Obama leads by 3 percentage points, 45 percent to 42 percent, in a race withMcCain and three small-party candidates in the survey of 966 registeredvoters by Opinion Research Corp. The poll, conducted Sunday through Tuesday,has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080911/POLITICS01/809110323/1374

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

FLORIDA DIGEST - September 11, 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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~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~

From Transgender Equality
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article

-Miami Light Project's Filmmakers Workshop Series Presents a
free screening of Southern Comfort -
Saturday, September 20, 2008 - 12:00pm
The Light Box, 3000 Biscayne Blvd #100, - Miami
As part of our Filmmakers Workshop Series, Miami Light Project is proud to present a free film screening of Southern Comfort, a film by Kate Davis. This moving documentary chronicles the last year in the life of Robert Eads, a female-to-male transsexual dying of ovarian cancer. We're introduced to several people who figure prominently in Robert's life -- most importantly, Lola Cola, a transsexual who's become Robert's life partner and cares for him full-time. The two prepare to lead a panel at the annual Southern Comfort conference, a yearly event created for transgender individuals. A panel discussion with director Kate Davis, Lola Cola who was featured in the film and Tobias Packer of Equality Florida will follow the screening. The discussion will be moderated by Rhonda Mitrani.


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Justin Flippen for Wilton Manors City Commission
Justin@justinflippen.com
954-620=9100

-Justin Flippen Earns Endorsement of Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Shultz
Wilton Manors City Commission Candidate Justin Flippen has secured the endorsement of Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz's endorsement is yet another boost to Flippen's candidacy for the city commission which includes endorsements from County Commissioner Ken Keechl, County Property Appraiser Lori Parrish, Former Wilton Manors Mayors Jim Stork and Tracy Stafford , Former Wilton Manors Vice Mayor Sue Olson and Former Wilton Manors City Commissioner Joe Angelo. "Having the support of past and current officials speaks well of the quality and strength of my candidacy," said Flippen. I am honored to now carry into my race the endorsement of my Congresswoman, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, whose district includes our Island City of Wilton Manors."


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Wilton Manors: Alibi's Wet 'N Wild Weekend Benefiting Care Resource
Saturday, September 13, 2008 from 8pm to Midnight and
Sunday, September 14, 2008 from Noon until 6:00pm
Join the Alibi as they kick off their second annual Wet 'N Wild Weekend benefiting Care Resource of South Florida. On Saturday, September 13th, the parking lot will be transformed into a tropical oasis, complete with Stage, Runway, State of the art sound and lighting featuring a "FOAM" party under the stars (1st of it's kind ever in Wilton Manors) with DJ/Remixer Scott Mann and performances by Daisy D, TP Lords and her house of lords, Go-Go Boys, Wet and Dry Dance Floors, Outdoor lounges, pools & bars, Night Time Fashion Show and much more.
On Sunday, September 14th, the party continues with Stage, Runway, State of the art sound and lighting for under the sun and shade T-Dance with DJ/Remixer Scott Mann and performances by International Recording Artist Sean Ensign, Ivanna Du & Special Guest Entertainers, Go-Go Boys, Wet and Dry Dance Floors, Outdoor lounges & bars, swim wear fashion show and all new wet attractions featuring: Robo Surfer, Celebrity Dunk tank, swimming pools, an obstacle course using water cannons instead of paint guns and "Water Wars" balloon battle arena. There will be local businesses, bars and restaurants competing against each other, having fun and coming together as a community while raising funds for Care Resource. Raffles and shot proceeds to benefit Care Resource. This is sure to be a weekend you won't want to miss.



~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~

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

-Palm Beach County voting foul-up prompts bipatisan cries for help
Coalition of political groups asks governor for emergency actionA meltdown at the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Office is stoking concerns of even bigger problems for November's presidential vote. With fingers pointing now at Gov. Charlie Crist, a coalition of political groups from across the county held a rare, joint news conference Wednesday to demand "emergency action" by Crist and other top state officials.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-flpelection0911pnsep11,0,5690475.story

-Judicial election do-over suggested as remedy to hotly contested race
But opponent wants election results to stand
Palm Beach Circuit Judge Richard Wennet and his attorney want Gov. Charlie Crist to order a re-do in the hotly contested race for Wennet's seat. Supporting their position is County Commissioner Mary McCarty, a member of the county's canvassing board, who penned a letter on Tuesday to Secretary of State Kurt Browning.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-flprecount0910pnsep10,0,2419426.story

-Political groups call on the state to help ensure a fair election
Norma Leardi, of Boca Raton, wrote Palm Beach County commissioners with a simple question: "What can we do to make sure our votes count?" Citizens like Leardi who worry if their vote will be counted accurately aren't alone. On Monday, major area political groups called on state officials and county leaders to take steps to fix the county's voting problems before the Nov. 4 election.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-flpelexmess0909pnsep09,0,4497057.story


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

-MIAMI-DADE SCHOOLS: Dade's pick for school superintendent weighs 2 offers
A respected top Miami-Dade school administrator was offered the superintendent's job -- but will he accept? He has another job offer from Pinellas County. The man the Miami-Dade School Board wants as its next chief has a knack for winning grants, 18 years experience with the district and a reputation as a sharp dresser.
http://www.miamiherald.com/457/story/681541.html

-THE EVERGLADES: Florida slows sugar buyout for Everglades restoration
Water managers don't expect to meet their optimistic goal of completing the state buyout of Big Sugar by November, saying the deal is too complicated to be rushed. The state has tapped the brakes on its fast-track $1.75 billion bid to buy out Big Sugar and revive its Everglades restoration efforts.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/top-stories/story/681488.html

-Biased law must go
OUR OPINION: GAY ADOPTION CASE AN EXAMPLE FOR OTHERS TO FOLLOW
It is a sad state of affairs that Florida's official policy is to discriminate against gay people who want to adopt children. In Florida, it is OK for gays and lesbians to be foster parents and guardians -- but not to adopt. That not only sanctions bias, but compounds it with hypocrisy.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/681534.html

-ELECTION: Nasty congressional race begins
Between the hurricanes and political conventions you may have missed the opening shot in South Florida's marquee congressional race, the one pitting Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart against former Hialeah mayor Raul Martinez. It was a nasty salvo from the Republican incumbent that probably set the tone for the contest.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other-views/story/679572.html


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

-Judge's Ruling Reopens Debate On Gay Adoption Ban
A South Florida judge's ruling that Florida's ban on gay adoption is unconstitutional could help convince legislators it's time to change an antiquated law, gay advocates say. Monroe County Circuit Court Judge David J. Audlin ruled Wednesday that the state's 31-year-old ban is unconstitutional because it singles out a group for punishment.
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/sep/11/me-gay-adoption-ban-unconstitutional/news-metro/

-Florida Democrats try to keep oil-gas drilling away from state shores
Florida Democrats persuaded their party leaders in the House on Wednesday to try to preserve the current ban on oil and gas drilling near the state's west coast, according to U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler. The emerging deal on energy legislation would allow expanded drilling in other parts of the country but forbid oil and gas exploration within 125 miles of the Gulf Coast of Florida. "We have a unique ecosystem in Florida which deserves special treatment," said Wexler, D-Boca Raton, one of several House Democrats struggling to preserve the drilling ban.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-flaenergy0911sbsep11,0,3167937.story

-Fla. panel votes to tap $672M in budget reserves
A select panel of lawmakers tapped $672 million from a reserve fund Wednesday, but Florida's still facing a potential budget deficit that could force the Legislature into special session after the November election. The Legislative Budget Commission unanimously approved the transfer recommended by Gov. Charlie Crist.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/AP/story/679960.html

-Feeney named to 'most corrupt' list
A Washington watchdog group once again named U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney, R-Oviedo, to its list of "most corrupt" lawmakers, citing his ongoing association with the Jack Abramoff investigation. This is the third fourth time that the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington has named Feeney to its "most corrupt" list, all stemming from the same investigation. This year, Feeney was among 14 Republicans on the list of 20 members. Critics have accused CREW of a left-leaning agenda. The CREW bio of Feeney is available here. A previous version of this blog said Feeney was named twice before to the CREW list, citing the group's own numbers. But CREW made a mistake on its own website; this is his fourth time on the list. An Orlando Sentinel analysis of how Abramoff affects Feeney's election chances is available here.
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_politics/2008/09/feeney-named-to.html

-Palin pushes McCain ahead in FL
Voters smitten with Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin helped John McCain pull away from Democrat Barack Obama in Florida by 7 percentage points. In the Quinnipiac University poll, 50 percent of Florida voters favor McCain, compared to 43 percent for Obama. Obama is ahead in Ohio and Pennsylvania, the other states in the survey, but his lead in Pennsylvania has narrowed.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2008/09/palin-pushes-mc.html

-Bad omen: lost ballots
PALM BEACH COUNTY STILL BUMBLING THROUGH ELECTIONS
More than two weeks have gone by since Florida held its primary election, but in Palm Beach County one contest is far from decided. A close judicial race is in limbo because the county's election department lost 3,500 ballots during a recount and still can't locate them. Palm Beach County, with its butterfly ballot and recount delays, was the fly in the ointment in the 2000 presidential election.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/681514.html

-Our views: Dig hard, dig deep
Governor's probe should be thorough and aggressive in Property Appraiser scandal
The clouds of alleged corruption continue swirling around Brevard County Property Appraiser Jim Ford in a scandal that's worsening.
http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080911/OPINION/80910031/1004/capitolnews

-MIAMI-DADE SCHOOLS: Miami-Dade School Board cuts 370 jobs to balance budget
The Miami-Dade School Board's decision to slash 370 jobs will save $18.5 million -- but it still doesn't guarantee an end to the district's financial woes. The Miami-Dade School Board balanced its $5.5 billion budget Wednesday, putting to bed a monthslong effort to slash millions in spending.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/story/681493.html

-Florida Schools lose 37,000 pupils
Florida schools lost close to 37,000 students in the past year -- enough children to fill a medium-sized district. While the drop was larger than expected -- last year Florida's enrollment fell by just 10,000 -- school administrators were not surprised after watching a slow exodus of students from their classrooms for the past two years.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20080911/ARTICLE/809110405/2076/NEWS&title=Schools_lose_37_000_pupils


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