December Is Gay Bash a Republican Month

The confrontrations between gay activists and Republican candidates for President are starting to add up.


Michele Bachmann, December 4 (sweetheart!)


Rick Perry, December 11


Mitt Romney, December 12 (actually this one is quite polite)

Not that this is anything new.


Newt Gingrich, May 18

Newt Not Keeping up with the Gingrich-Joneses

"I also pledge to uphold the institution of marriage through personal fidelity to my spouse and respect for the marital bonds of others."

Thrice-married Newt Gingrich has a problem. He hopes to pick up conservative family values voters, despite the troubling two divorces. He aims to solve it by making a campaign promise. The promise quoted above was included in a letter to Bob Vander Plaats and his Iowa organization The FAMiLY LEADER.

That's got to be a first in campaign promises, at least at the U.S. President level. Newt doubles down by promising both to be faithful to his current wife Callista and not to mess with anyone else's spouse.

That respect for marital bonds would not include his half-sister Candace Gingrich and her wife Rebecca Jones. Newt promises he will amend the Constitution to define marriage as the "union of one man and one woman." That's a vindictive half-brother-in-law for you, not wanting to keep up with the Gingrich-Joneses.

A lot of people will find other contradictions here. In the same letter, Newt says he will defend the unborn and defend the right of the people to rule themselves. However, his promises to defend the unborn extend mainly to taxpayer funding of abortion, so that adds up to libertarian.

Here's the whole letter:

To Bob Vander Plaats and the Executive Board of The FAMiLY LEADER:

I appreciate the opportunity to affirm my strong support of the mission of the FAMiLY LEADER by solemnly vowing to defend and strengthen the family through the following actions I would take as President of the United States.

Defending Marriage. As President, I will vigorously enforce the Defense of Marriage Act, which was enacted under my leadership as Speaker of the House, and ensure compliance with its provisions, especially in the military. I will also aggressively defend the constitutionality of DOMA in federal and state courts. I will support sending a federal constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman to the states for ratification. I will also oppose any judicial, bureaucratic, or legislative effort to define marriage in any manner other than as between one man and one woman. I will support all efforts to reform promptly any uneconomic or anti-marriage aspects of welfare and tax policy. I also pledge to uphold the institution of marriage through personal fidelity to my spouse and respect for the marital bonds of others.

Defending the Unborn. I believe that life begins at conception. On day one of my administration, I will sign an executive order reinstating Ronald Reagan's Mexico City policy that prevents taxpayer dollars from being used to fund abortions overseas. I will also work with Congress to repeal Obamacare, defund Planned Parenthood so that no taxpayer dollars are being used to fund abortions but rather transfer the money so it is used to promote adoption and other pro-family policies, and enact legislation that provides greater protections for the unborn.

Defending Religious Liberty. As President, I will vigorously defend the First Amendment's rights of religious liberty and freedom of speech against anyone who would try to stifle the free expression of believers. I will also promote legislation that protects the right to conscience for healthcare workers so they are not compelled to perform abortions and other procedures that violate their religious teachings.

Defending Against Debt. As President, I will undertake vigorous policies to maximize capital investment and job creation, along with common sense entitlement reforms, to dramatically turn around the nation's fiscal situation. Building upon the same principles I championed during my four years as Speaker, when we reduced the national debt by over $400 billion and dramatically reduced the national debt as a percentage of the GDP, we will reduce the enormous burden upon American families of the public debt and unfunded liabilities.

Defending the Right of the People to Rule Themselves. Today, as federal courts have intervened in sectors of American life never before imaginable, including the intervention in the definition of marriage as well as when unborn life can be protected under the Constitution, the public has increasingly come to view them as an usurpative device for unelected rulers. This abuse of power and loss of public confidence amounts to a constitutional crisis. I believe the executive and legislative branches each have an independent responsibility to interpret the Constitution, and in those rare circumstances when they believe the federal courts, including the Supreme Court, have engaged in a serious constitutional error, they can choose among an array of constitutional powers to check and balance the courts. As President, I will nominate for federal judgeships, including justices of the Supreme Court, only those individuals who are committed to an originalist understanding of the Constitution. Judges with an originalist understanding will subordinate themselves to the meaning of the Constitution as it was intended by the framers, and not substitute their own judgments about its meaning. The inherent judicial self-restraint that comes from an originalist approach to the Constitution offers the best long-term assurance that federal judges will not exceed their powers and trample on individual liberties. I will also work with Congress to use the Constitutional means available to reassert the right of the elected branches of government to defend their understanding of the meaning of the Constitution, including limiting the jurisdiction of the federal courts to decide on certain issues, when they believe the federal courts have engaged in a serious constitutional error.

Sincerely,

Newt Gingrich

Should I have left Candace out of this for privacy reasons? Did I further disrepect her by referring to her as a "half-sister" rather than "sister"? As her Facebook page says, "Candace appeared on The Rachel Maddow Show on Wednesday 7th December 2011 to talk about her half-brother Newt Gingrich."

Ron Paul Wins First Iowa Debate Round, Rick Perry Rises from the Dead

The everywhere-touted Newt Gingrich surge lasted exactly one debate round, according to our highly scientific and incontrovertible method of measuring support on Facebook. Yes, Newt won the 11/23 to 12/4 round in which Herman Cain withdrew from the race but has fallen now to second in the 12/4 to 12/11 round.

Candidate	Sun 12/4 Noon	Sun 12/11 Noon	Pickup
Ron Paul	608,760	621,225	12,465
Newt Gingrich	202,200	212,027	9,827
Mitt Romney	1,205,221	1,213,468	8,247
Rick Perry	171,469	175,399	3,930
Jon Huntsman	26,441	27,728	1,287
Rick Santorum	33,802	35,036	1,234
Gary Johnson	144,921	145,181	260
Michele Bachmann	458,950	459,050	100
Herman Cain	397,352	394,473	-2,879

We'll see if Ron Paul can hold onto first through the second Iowa debate on December 15 in Sioux City.

And what about Rick Perry? We were ready to leave him for dead after the last round or two, but he scored a solid fourth.

Rick Santorum is experiencing his own mini-surge, coming closer to besting Jon Huntsman than he has in the last several rounds.

Michele Bachmann held her own on television, landing a double sucker punch with her Newt Romney line on health care individual mandates. But on Facebook, alas, she actually lost 16 followers during the broadcast. Rick Santorum calling her a loser probably didn't help.

By the way, didn't Santorum lose his last Senate race in the state of Pennsylvania which the 2012 Republican Presidential candidate will desparately want to win. Yes, Santorum lost by a landslide vote of 59% to 41%. If he's still that unpopular in his home state of Pennsylvania, Rick Santorum wouldn't even be a good pick for Vice President.

Perry-Brown Would Be the Perfect Brokeback Ticket

4,733,197 people have tuned in over the last 4 days ago to listen to Rick Perry deliver this message:

I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a Christian, but you don't need to be in the pew every Sunday to know there's something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military but our kids can't openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school.

As President, I'll end Obama's war on religion. And I'll fight against liberal attacks on our religious heritage.

Faith made America strong. It can make her strong again.

I'm Rick Perry and I approve this message.

I half agree. Why shouldn't the kids be able to sing Joy to the World, O Come all Ye Faithful, Hark, the Herald Angels Sing, Silent Night, "Away in the Manger, Oh Holy Night, or Little Drummer Boy at the third-grade Christmas pageant.

Nonetheless many chose to interpret Rick Perry's not as pro-religious but anti-gay. And then they pointed out the similarlity of Rick Perry's light brown coat to the one worn by Heath Ledger in the breakthrough gay love story Brokeback Mountain.

A lot of people have been saying the Rck Perry and Heath Ledger coats are identical. They are very similar but not identical. Just queer eye the detail work.

But you can't go Brokeback with just one guy, you need two. So if Rick Perry is wearing the light brown coat who is wearing the dark brown coat? How about U.S. Senator from Massachusetts Scott Brown:

Perry-Brown would certainly be a handsome ticket that would make the GOP proud.

Hell Hath No Fury Like Donald Trump Scorned

Donald Trump announced he wanted to host a debate for all the Republican candidates in Iowa on December 27, just a week before the Iowa Caucus.

Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum said yes. Two is the minimum you need for a debate, right? And Newt has already shown himself is willing to debate anyone, anytme. So far so good.

Then the Nos starting rolling in.

Jon Huntsman - "This is exactly what is wrong with politics. It’s show business over substance."

Ron Paul - "I didn't know he had the ability to lay on hands and anoint people."

Mitt Romney, to the Donald's particular surprise, and Rick Perry begged off on being just too busy campaigning.

However, the thin-skinned putative billionaire saved his digs for Michele Bachmann:

"She came up to see me four times. She would call me and ask me for advice. She said if she wins, she would like to think about me for the vice presidency. Most importantly, I did a two-hour phone call for her with her people. ... And after all that, she announced she was not going to do the debate. It's called loyalty. How do you do that? It's amazing to me."

Can you believe the gall of the pushy broad flirting so brazenly with The Donald and then faking a headache on her own future VP selection and putting the Trump debate on men-o-pause. We will be deprived of what surely would have been an uniquely riveting bit of television.

Update 12/11/2011: Michele Bachmann was asked about saying No to Donald Trump on one of the Sunday shows this morning. "He's a big boy," she said. Ouch.

Barney Frank Doesn't Live Here Anymore

I wondered what exactly it was about the redistricted 4th district that scared Barney Frank into retirement, so I looked at the voting in the January 2010 special election for U.S. Senate between Republican Scott Brown and Democrat Martha Coakley.

The 4th district was stripped of the Democratic stronghold of New Bedford, leaving only 25% of the district population in the reliable Democratic cites of Newton, Brookline, and part of Fall River. Turns out Scott Brown carried the cities and towns in the new 4th district by 26,314 votes.

City or Town	Population	Brown (R)	Coakley (D)	Margin
North Attleborough	28,712	7,778	3,018	4,760
Franklin	31,635	8,828	4,470	4,358
Attleboro	43,593	8,598	4,819	3,779
Mansfield	23,184	5,909	3,045	2,864
Easton	23,112	5,931	3,350	2,581
Wrentham	10,955	3,880	1,414	2,466
Foxborough	16,865	4,821	2,465	2,356
Taunton	55,874	8,925	6,586	2,339
Norton	19,031	4,424	2,209	2,215
Lakeville	10,602	3,248	1,259	1,989
Norfolk	11,227	3,308	1,394	1,914
Milford	27,999	5,432	3,561	1,871
Medway	12,752	3,641	2,044	1,597
Medfield	12,024	3,842	2,276	1,566
Rehoboth	11,608	3,080	1,538	1,542
Hopkinton	14,925	4,123	2,600	1,523
Plainville	8,264	2,469	971	1,498
Bellingham*	12,638	3,165	1,686	1,479
Seekonk	13,722	3,133	1,911	1,222
Raynham*	7,719	2,061	973	1,088
Millis	7,891	2,430	1,383	1,047
Freetown	8,870	2,220	1,189	1,031
Dighton	7,086	1,770	829	941
Berkley	6,411	1,614	746	868
Swansea	15,865	3,297	2,449	848
Dover	5,589	1,888	1,058	830
Hopedale	5,911	1,619	997	622
Somerset	18,165	3,706	3,553	153
Wellesley	27,982	5,922	5,934	-12
Needham	28,886	6,894	7,654	-760
Sharon	17,612	3,536	4,461	-925
Fall River*	36,927	3,112	4,297	-1,185
Brookline	58,732	5,217	15,264	-10,047
Newton	85,146	11,352	23,456	-12,104
Total	727,514	151,174	124,860	26,314

* In order to square the Constitutional requirement of one man, one vote, with other less noble objectives in the redistricting process, the 4th District was assigned 77% of Bellingham, 58% of Raynham, and 42% of Fall River.

The redistricting scissors were also applied to Cambridge, where 52,234 residents were carved out for Ed Markey's 5th district and 52,928 left for Mike Capuano's 7th district. I suspect that state legislators working at the behest of Boston Mayor Tom Menino are trying to reclaim the 7th district for Boston from Somerville's Mike Capuano.

The new 7th is designed to be a majority minority district with 57% of district population nonwhite or hispanic. That means minority community activists will want to run a candidate to challenge Capuano in the Democratic primary. With 66% of the 7th district population in Boston and only 10% in Somerville, that could mean early retirement for Mike Capuano.

But what were the Democratic state legislators thinking when they drew the 4th? Certainly the right Democrat could win. The danger is that rare breed of Scott Brown Republican who could draw independent voters. That may be what the legislature wants. It surely hasn't escaped their notice that the new Republican Congress hasn't been returning Barney Frank's calls or emails.

Periodic complete loss of clout is a major liability for our all-Democrat U.S. House delegation - in times like these the state could sure use a go-to-guy in the U.S. House Republican caucus.

Gingrich Wins the Huck-a-bee as Cain Goes Out on Infidelity

I'm not sure we can call last night's candidate forum hosted by Mike Huckabee on Fox a debate, but it certainly brought the race back to a dull normal after the spectacular cancellation of The Herman Cain Show. That's too bad, I kind of liked that show.

But Herman Cain's misfortune has turned into Newt Gingrich's good fortune, as he wins his first debate round on Facebook. The great irony is that the man who stayed with his wife has to cede to the man who has twice confirmed his failings by divorcing to marry the object of his infidelity.

Candidate	Wed 11/23 Noon	Sun 12/4 Noon	Pickup
Newt Gingrich	184,096	202,200	18,104
Mitt Romney	1,191,540	1,205,221	13,681
Ron Paul	596,853	608,760	11,907
Herman Cain	392,326	397,352	5,026
Jon Huntsman	24,800	26,441	1,641
Rick Santorum	32,778	33,802	1,024
Gary Johnson	144,584	144,921	337
Rick Perry	171,496	171,469	-27
Michele Bachmann	459,164	458,950	-214

If I'm not ready to take Newt Gingrich seriously, his support growth is certainly staying on pace, but I think he needs to pick it up a couple of more notches. He is leading the pack but not breaking away from the pack the way Herman Cain did.