Impressions..............by David Mixner

Impressions..............by David Mixner

May 182010

-The New York Times story on Connecticut Attorney General and Democratic Senatorial candidateRichard Blumenthal and his questionable military service is sad. My memories of Blumenthal from his years at the Nixon White House was his coming over to theVietnam Moratoriumhome (where many of us who opposed the war lived and gathered) and proclaiming how much he disagreed with the war. Life is strange. (see photograph taken in 1970 at Moratorium house - Blumenthal is on right).

-As Laura Bush makes the publicity rounds for her new best-seller, she has more than once come out for marriage equality. Let's see now, we have Vice President Cheney, Laura Bush and Cindy McCain for marriage equality. Who is missing from this list? Calling President and Mrs. Obama......

-Now you have to really think about the headline from this weekend, "100,000 Rally To Support Pope In Sex Abuse Scandal." Say what? Did they hold signs that said, "Free our Priests. Let them Molest?"

- According to TimesOnLine, a shift of just 16,000 votes in Great Britain would have given the new Prime Minister Cameron control of Number 10 Downing Street without help from the Liberal Democrats. Should we call the new coalition "The ConDems" government? (evil grin).

-As Prime Minister Cameron takes control, the supposedly progressive conservative appointed Theresa May as Home Secretary (enforces equality measures in UK) and according to Queerty.com, she has a wonderful Stonewall Wall voting record of just 14%. So much for equality in the new government.

-In a column for Huffington Post, Howie Klein points out that Brigham Young's great, great granddaughter is an out lesbian. Challenging incumbent Blue Dog Democrat Congressman Jim Matheson in the primary, Claudia Wrightis giving him a tough race from the left!

-Dr Jeff Master's Wunderblog on Weather Underground gives an insight look at the impact of the BP oil disaster on tropical storms as we near the beginning of the season. Worth the read since it is possible a tropical disturbance could form in the area by the weekend kicking off an early start to a big hurricane season.

-Another sign of the Republican 'compassionate conservatism.' Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota vetoed a piece of legislation that would give same sex couple funeral rights. Now there is a kind and good man.....right? What a total coward.

-Well, it seemed as if Ebay's Meg "I support Proposition 8" Whitman had the Republican nomination for governor of California sewed up. Not so fast because the latest polls have her tied with right wing Insurance CommissionerSteve Poizner. To counteract the Poizner surge, Whitman rolled out Cheney's endorsement this week.

-Another worrisome side for Democrats in California is the surge of Republican Tom Campbell against incumbent Senator Barbara Boxer. Rasmussen Reports polling shows the race a virtual tie if Campbell can obtain the nomination.

-No one is talking about him as Sarah Palin hogs the spotlight but the latestPublic Policy Polling has former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee in the lead for the Republican nomination for President in 2012. Huckabee is first at 25% and Sarah Palin is fourth at 20%! The amazing new aspect in this poll is that Newt Gingrich has jumped to third place at 21%.

-OutHistory.org is having a fundraiser on June 17th in New York City. This wonderful site helps us remember our past. Check it out and donate by clicking here.

-A new straight hero has emerged in the LGBT community. Democratic United States Senator Carl Levin of Michigan has been fighting night and day to get a vote to repeal DADT in the Senate. Often he has had to do it with no support or even opposition from the White House. Thank you, Senator Levin.

-Towleroad.com reports that Democratic Senate Candidate Alex Giannoulias has started a petition drive to repeal DADT on his website. The latest polls have Giannoulias pulling even with Former Republican Congressman Mark Kirk.

-Does anyone stay atop of things in the Obama Administration? According toAmericablog.com, seems like they have stepped in it again. They appointed to an elite panel on the BP Oil disaster Jonathan I. Katz who calls himself a proud homophobe and has written some of the most ugly anti-gay articles. They withdrew the appointment seven hours later? Does anyone Google in the Obama administration?

-Does anyone else on the progressive left feel uneasy about the nomination ofElena Kagan or is it just me?

-The news from overseas is bleak for the LGBT community. A couple of men who got engaged in Malawi face 14 years of hard labor in prison. Can you imagine what the prison conditions must be in Malawi and what this couple faces? Also the brutal violence directed to the Belarus Gay Pride events was horrifying to watch.

-Congratulations to Rev. Canon Mary Glasspoolof Baltimore, who as an open lesbian, was obtained and consecrated as Bishop in the Episcopal Church. She will join Bishop Eugene Robinson and we are so proud of them both.

-The candidate who defeated incumbentDemocratic Congressman Mollohan in West Virginia last week is a real right wing Democrat.Mike Oliverio is pro-life and supports a constitutional amendment to forbid marriage equality. Wonder how much money the DCCC will give him to keep the seat Democratic? Yet one more reason not to contribute to the National Party.

-According to Rasmussen Reports, 64% of the voters of Pennsylvania support off shore drilling. Remind me again of how many miles of coast line Pennsylvania has!

-Here is the face of today's Thailand with the rampart violence from the government troops directed at "Red Shirt" protesters. This photograph fromBoston.com's Big Picture was taken by Athit Perawongmetha.