President Obama Denounces Benghazi 'Side Show' Put on by 'Politically Motivated' Republicans: VIDEOS

At a press conference today, President Obama today denounced the "side show" being put on by Republicans over the attacks in Benghazi.

Said Obama:

Who executes some sort of cover-up or effort to tamp things down, for three days? So the whole thing defies logic and the fact that this keeps on getting churned out, frankly has a lot to do with political motivations. We’ve had folks who have challenged Hillary Clinton’s integrity, Susan Rice’s integrity, Mike Mullen and Tom Pickering’s integrity. It’s a given that mine gets challenged by these same folks. they’ve used it for fundraising and frankly, you know, if anybody out there wants to actually focus on how we make sure something like this does not happen again? I am happy to get their advice and information and council.

House Oversight Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) appeared on FOX News to claim that Obama covered up a terrorist attack by describing the incident as an "act of terror".

“The president sent a letter to the President of Libya where he didn’t call it a terrorist attack even when at the time the President of Libya was calling it pre-planned Sept. 11 terrorist attack. The words that are being used carefully — like you just said, ‘act of terror’ — an ‘act of terror’ is different than a ‘terrorist attack.’ The truth is, this was a terrorist attack, this had Al Qaeda at it.”

And Karl Rove's Crossroads PAC released what is being described as the first attack ad in the 2016 presidential race, which goes after Hillary Clinton.

The 90-second paid spot - manufactured by the Karl Rove-founded "super PAC" - was posted Friday online and ran Sunday morning on CBS during a broadcast of "Face the Nation." Previewing the ongoing saga that's likely to haunt Clinton's White House ambitions for the next three years, the ad implicates the former secretary of state - Democrats' top-billed contender to succeed President Obama - in the wildly varying accounts of how administration officials reacted last fall in the wake of the strike.

Watch all three clips, AFTER THE JUMP...

Darrell Issa:

Crossroads video attacking Clinton:

Michele Bachmann Tweets That She's Still 'Proud' of the Anti-Gay Marriage Amendment She Pushed in Minnesota

Michele Bachmann tweeted shortly before the Minnesota senate began their debate on marriage equality today:

"I’m proud to have introduced the original traditional marriage amendment, and I thank all Minnesotans who have worked so hard on this issue."

She has not yet tweeted about the result of today's vote in favor of marriage equality.

 

I’m proud to have introduced the original traditional marriage amendment, and I thank all Minnesotans who have worked so hard on this issue.

— Michele Bachmann (@MicheleBachmann) May 13, 2013

Minnesota to Become 12th State with Marriage Equality

Minnesota has approved marriage equality after several hours of debate in the state Senate and a vote of 37-30. It will become the 12th state in the nation (with the District of Columbia) to offer its citiizens the freedom to marry.

The House passed the bill last week in a 75-59 vote.

Minnesota is also the first state in the midwest to pass marriage equality by an act of the legislature. Iowa's marriage equality law was ushered in by the state Supreme Court.

The Star Tribune reports:

"It's historic and I can never be so proud of this body and of Minnesotans," said Sen. Jeff Hayden, DFL-Minneapolis. On the Senate floor, Hayden said that his wife is white and noted that just 50 years ago, his loving relationship would have been barred.

Three Democrats – Sens. LeRoy Stumpf, Dan Sparks and Lyle Koenen –  voted against the bill. One Republican, Sen. Branden Petersen, voted yes.

Up until the last moments, some opponents had hoped the bill would fail despite clear indications that it would head to the Dayton’s desk.

Sen. Dan Hall, R-Burnsville, said up until the last he was praying for a miracle and the Senate to reject the bill.
“Some people have said that they are concerned about being on the right side of history. I am more concerned about being on the right side of eternity,” said Hall.

Governor Mark Dayton will sign the bill into law in a ceremony tomorrow at 5 pm on the steps of the state Capitol.

Watch the breaking news report on the vote from KSTP, AFTER THE JUMP...

News: Frank Ocean, She-Ra, Poacher, Portland, Tan Mom, Zambia

Elephant tramples to death suspected poacher as he was trying to shoot it.

Zeigler: Stop saying Chris Kluwe and Brendon Ayanbadejo were cut for LGBT advocacy.

Frank Ocean offers up an "irish (g')night" on Instagram.

Seth Meyers inherits Jimmy Fallon's job.

Is Zambia the next Uganda? "Life has never been comfortable for LGBT people in Zambia, where sodomy is a crime and the constitution proclaims the country to be a 'Christian nation.' But the situation has grown far more dangerous over the last month, following allegations that activists and European governments want to promote same-sex marriage in the country and ending with an arrest in the past week."

Have scientists discovered a lost continent off Brazil?

What are Wisconsin's chances of passing marriage equality? "Wisconsin is one of 28 states with a constitutional amendment that bans same-sex marriage. Back in 2006, 59% of Wisconsinites voted to ban gay marriage. For a law to be approved the legislature would have to repeal the amendment in two consecutive sessions. It would then go back on the ballot for Wisconsin voters to decide. Then, a bill could be proposed."

James Franco taken?

Kylie Minogue as She-Ra.

Portland, Oregon is attracting gays who want babies: "There are several reasons why the City of Roses, which combines small-town charm (fewer than 600,000 people) with a big-city vision that's become an international model for good planning (light-rail, an urban-growth boundary), is becoming a magnet for gay couples on a parental mission."

Tan mom is going to be in a gay porn.

Georgian minister arrested over gay sex tape leak: "The interior ministry said deputy minister Gela Khvedelidze admitted breach of privacy charges over the Internet posting of a secretly-filmed video depicting a threesome purportedly involving journalist Giorgi Paresashvili, who had been running reports accusing high-ranking officials of seizing businesses."

New Zealand guesthouse refuses to let gay couple share a bed: "Jane Collison, 30, and Paula Knight, 45, made an online booking for a room with a king-sized bed at the Pilgrim Planet Lodge. But when they arrived on Tuesday, they were told only rooms with single beds were available. When they queried the booking, the owner eventually told them the booking was correct, but she was offended by same-sex couples sleeping in the same bed. She would not even let them push two singles together."

Metropolis: here's the new video from Owl City.

19 shot and injured at New Orleans Mother's Day parade.

Fascinating color film of London in 1927.

Mark S. King: Why does HIV stigma among gay men persist?

Rainbow flag may take place of rainbow crosswalk in Sydney's Taylor Square.

Trans woman wins right to marry boyfriend in Hong Kong: "Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal has ruled in favour of a trans woman seeking the right to marry her boyfriend, ending her three-year-long legal battle and sparking a change in legislation that will affect the city’s trans community as a whole."

Did the Great Gatsby movie need to be more gay? Nathaniel's review HERE.

Egyptian man disguised as woman is harassed: "The 24-year-old actor walked the sidewalks, hidden cameras in tow, for an investigative television report, hoping the broadcast would enlighten national debate about how to combat deep-rooted day-to-day sexual harassment and abuse in this patriarchal society."

First Photo Emerges of Gay Russian Man Killed in Horrific Murder

This is reportedly the first image to emerge of Vladislav Tornovoi, the 23-year-old Russian man who was tortured, raped, and murdered over the weekend in the southern city of Volgograd after his acquaintances learned he was gay:

In an murder which has sparked outrage across Russia and overseas, the young man's face was smashed with a rock and was then set on fire. Tornovoi was allegedly killed shortly after coming out as gay to friends during a boozy Victoria Day celebration. Two men  aged 22 and 27-years-old - who were reportedly Tornovoi's friends, are under arrest on suspicion of killing him.

(via international business times)

Previously...
After Gay Man's Horrific Murder in Russia, Fears of More Violence [tlrd]
Man Beaten to Death in Russia After Acquaintances Learn He is Gay [tlrd]

Michele Bachmann Cries Out in Religious Fervor, Says Benghazi and 9/11 Were God's Judgment: VIDEO

Last week at an event at the U.S. Capitol organized by birther Joseph Farah, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) re-upped her wingnut cred with this display of insanity:

It’s no secret that our nation may very well be experiencing the hand of judgment. It’s no secret that we all are concerned that our nation may be in a time of decline. If that is in fact so, what is the answer? The answer is what we are doing here today: humbling ourselves before an almighty God, crying out to an almighty God, saying not of ourselves but you, would you save us oh God? We repent of our sins, we turn away from them, we seek you, we seek your ways. That’s something that we’re doing today, that we did on the National Day of Prayer, it’s something that we have chosen to do as well on another landmark day later this year on September 11. Our nation has seen judgment not once but twice on September 11. That’s why we’re going to have ‘9/11 Pray’ on that day. Is there anything better that we can do on that day rather than to humble ourselves and to pray to an almighty God?

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

She may be doing more than that later today after Minnesota's vote on marriage equality.