CBS: Top Clinton Strategist Tells Her It's Over

As Clinton campaigns on amid mounting pressure to concede and unify the party, CBS has reported that a top Clinton strategist has told Hillary Clinton that she can't win the nomination...

Watch the report, AFTER THE JUMP...

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George Stephanopoulos: Hillary 'Toast'

Stephanopolous on the Clinton campaign: "Yes, toast. Hill needs a miracle. Even though this race is going to go on. Hillary Clinton will keep on campaigning. She's going to campaign in West Virginia today, but this nomination fight is over." (via americablog)

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Kay Hagan Beats Jim Neal in North Carolina Senate Primary

North Carolina State Senator Kay Hagan comfortably beat openly gay candidate Jim Neal in North Carolina's Senate primary yesterday:

"'You know what I want to do?' Hagan said smiling in front of a crowd of supporters in Greensboro. 'I want to give Miss Liddy Dole a pair of ruby red slippers and let her click her heels three times and go home to Kansas with Bob.' Hagan had 62 percent of the vote with 25 percent of precincts reporting. Chapel Hill entrepreneur Jim Neal was running second with 19 percent."

The Times-News online reports that following Hagan's victory, Neal stepped up to offer support:

"Kay Hagan celebrated her victory in Tuesday's U.S. Senate primary with an invitation. The state senator from Greensboro, who moves from an easy primary win to what promises to be a grueling general election matchup against incumbent GOP Sen. Elizabeth Dole, implored supporters of former rival Jim Neal to join her ranks. 'I want to invite them to come on board, and I certainly need their support,' Hagan said. Neal immediately obliged, vowing to do whatever he can to help a candidate he had harshly criticized for months win in November. 'Elizabeth Dole's in for the race of her life,' said Neal, who finished a distant second. 'This could be in the year in which Sen. Dole can be beaten, and Kay has my full support as the nominee to do that.' Hagan has said she needs about $10 million to unseat Dole - about seven times more than she has raised thus far. The $1.5 million she raised for the primary was plenty to push her past four opponents - she grabbed 60 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results."

Pam Spaulding has Neal's post-primary speech.

Previously
Gay NC Senate Candidate Neal and Rival Hagan Tangle in Debate [tr]
Poll Shows Gay Candidate Jim Neal Strong in NC Senate Race [tr]

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Hillary Clinton Faces Off with Bill O'Reilly

Hillary Clinton appeared on FOX's The O'Reilly Factor for the first time last night.

O'Reilly started out the discussion by focusing on the Rev. Wright controversy. Said Clinton: "“Well, I take offense at it. I think it's offensive and outrageous. And, you know, I'm going to express my opinion, others can express theirs. But, you know, it is -- it is part of, you know, just an atmosphere that we're in today where all kinds of things are being said...And people have to, you know, decide what they believe. And I sure don't believe the United States government was behind AIDS."

Aside from the Wright question, O'Reilly actually asked about (shock) real issues.

Part two is AFTER THE JUMP...

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Gay NC Senate Candidate Neal and Rival Hagan Tangle in Debate

North Carolina Senate Candidates N.C. State Sen. Kay Hagan, openly gay Chapel Hill businessman Jim Neal, podiatrist Howard Staley and attorney Marcus Williams held a debate on Tuesday. Above, a clip of Neal and Hagan responding to questions on gay rights.

Q Notes has excellent coverage of the event (via Pam's House Blend). They note:

"In the past, the Hagan campaign has refused to answer questions regarding the senator’s gay rights positions when asked by Q-Notes staff. Hagan has also not spoken directly to LGBT media, standing in stark opposition to Neal’s consistent and open discussion with a wide array of LGBT-focused outlets. Hagan also refused to answer direct questions regarding equality issues from Durham, N.C., blogger Pam Spaulding during an April 1 BlueNC.com live blog. Hagan has also stated she believes marriage should be reserved for heterosexual couples, but that the issue should be left up to the states. Staley and Williams, two of three lesser known candidates in the race, employed the use of anti-gay rhetoric in their responses, despite the former’s seemingly positive position on DADT."

There was at least one moment of shock in the debate, as Hagan claimed she is the nominee.

Responded Neal: "You aren't running against Elizabeth Dole. You're not the nominee yet. We're running in a primary. We have primaries, not coronations, in North Carolina."

Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...

Senate candidates discuss gay rights [q notes]
NC: Jim Neal and Kay Hagan spar in only televised debate [pam's house blend]

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Hillary Clinton Wins Pennsylvania Primary, Soldiers On

Hillary Clinton took the Pennsylvania primary over Barack Obama with 55% of the vote to Obama's 45%. The candidates' speeches, above, via Talking Points Memo. Josh Marshall of TPM notes that, after Pennsylvania, we're basically back where we started again: "There's a lot of crowing from Hillary's campaign tonight about a shift in momentum and doubts about Obama. Tomorrow there will be a lot of chatter from Obama's campaign that none of that really matters because of the reality of the delegate numbers which won't change much."

AP: "Her victory, while comfortable, set up another critical test in two weeks time in Indiana. North Carolina votes the same day, and Obama already is the clear favorite in a Southern state with a large black population. 'Now it's up to you, Indiana,' Obama said at a rally of his own in Evansville after Pennsylvania denied him a victory that might have made the nomination his."

The NYT reports: "Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton defeated Senator Barack Obama in Pennsylvania on Tuesday by enough of a margin to continue a battle that Democrats increasingly believe is undermining their effort to unify the party and prepare for the general election against Senator John McCain. Despite a huge investment of time and money by Mr. Obama and pressure on Mrs. Clinton by the party establishment to consider folding her campaign, she won her third big state in a row. Mrs. Clinton showed again that she is a tenacious campaigner with an ability to connect with the blue-collar voters Mr. Obama has found elusive and who could be critical to a Democratic victory in November."

But is it possible for Clinton to win the nomination? MSNBC's Chuck Todd does some analysis below, and concludes that it's almost impossible for Obama to lose his lead in pledged delegates.

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #278

JOSEPH HERSCHER: Gay New Zealander's Rube Goldberg-inspired marble race is a YouTube hit. Here is Herscher's original clip.

UGLY BETTY: The show's first official podcast!

BETTER OFF: DNC launches first national anti-McCain ad.

AVE MARIA: Kelly Clarkson lets it rip for the Pope.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here.

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ABC Criticized for Lack of Substance at Democratic Debate

ABC is being roundly criticized for the line of questioning at last night's Democratic debate, with 11,032 comments on ABC's website, the majority of which criticize the network for not dealing with substantive issues.

Above, a clip of some of the questions (these are questions only, not answers), via Crooks and Liars and Pam's House Blend (she also has a transcript of these questions) regarding electability, Reverend Jeremiah Wright (3 questions!), Clinton's Bosnia trip, flag lapel pins, and radicals from the 1970's. Below, Talking Points Memo's round-up:

A transcript of the debate can be found here.

I didn't watch the debate, but I'm not upset I didn't at this point. I'll add any interesting clips I come across to this post as they come in.

AFTER THE JUMP, Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos are turned on by an audience who wants to know, 'where's the beef?' as they go to yet another commercial break...

The HuffPo writes: "Reflecting what seemed to be the main consensus of the night - that ABC botched this debate, big time - Charlie Gibson tells the crowd there will be one more, superfluous commercial break of the night and is subsequently jeered."

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Barack Obama the Hot Topic on The View

Barbara Walters hit on Barack Obama today on The View, telling the Democratic candidate he was "very sexy looking." They also touched on some other topics.

On being a distant relative of Brad Pitt: "I guess we're ninth cousins something removed or something. I think he got the better-looking side of the gene pool."

On surviving the attack machine: "I'm skinny but I'm tough. I think the way to handle attacks, wherever they're coming from. And there have been some tough punches thrown in this Democratic primary. It's not like I've kind of been taking a cakewalk through this primary. The way I like to handle attacks is to answer honestly, swiftly, forcefully and truthfully. I think the truth is a powerful weapon."

On Jeremiah Wright: "Had the reverend not retired, and had he not acknowledged that what he had said had deeply offended people and were inappropriate and mischaracterized what I believe is the greatness of this country, for all its flaws — then I wouldn't have felt comfortable staying there at the church."

View the clip, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Bill Clinton and Students in Spirited Exchange on DOMA

Lily Lamboy of the Smith College newspaper The Sophian recently questioned Bill Clinton about the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) at an MTVu roundtable. Clinton defended his record on gay issues and accused Melissa Etheridge of "rewriting history" when she said, during the Presidential Forum on LGBT Issues, that gays were "thrown under the bus" by his administration.

(Via Visible Vote)

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Florida Will Not Hold a "Do-Over" Democratic Primary

Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Karen Thurman just announced it's not gonna happen:

"Last week, the Florida Democratic Party laid out the only existing way that we can comply with DNC Rules - a statewide revote run by the Party - and asked for input. Thousands of people responded. We spent the weekend reviewing your messages, and while your reasons vary widely, the consensus is clear: Florida doesn’t want to vote again. So we won’t. A party-run primary or caucus has been ruled out, and it’s simply not possible for the state to hold another election, even if the Party were to pay for it. Republican Speaker of the Florida House Marco Rubio refuses to even consider that option. Florida is finally moving to paper ballots, which is a good thing, but it means that at least 15 counties do not have the capacity to handle a major election before the June 10th DNC primary deadline. This doesn’t mean that Democrats are giving up on Florida voters. It means that a solution will have to come from the DNC Rules & Bylaws Committee, which is scheduled to meet again in April."

Previously
DNC Chair Dean Urges Florida and Michigan to Re-do Contests [tr]

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Barack Obama to Give 'Major Race Speech' Tomorrow

On religion too, apparently. Politico reports:

"Barack Obama will give a major speech on 'the larger issue of race in this campaign,' he told reporters in Monaca, PA just now. He was pressed there, as he has been at recent appearances, on statements by his former pastor, Jeremiah Wright. 'I am going to be talking about not just Reverend Wright, but the larger issue of race in this campaign,' he said. He added that he would 'talk about how some of these issues are perceived from within the black church issue for example,' he said."

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Anger and Apologies in Geraldine Ferraro's Wake

Keith Olbermann made a rare, searing attack on a Democrat last night, criticizing the Clinton campaign's handling of the Geraldine Ferraro comments. Below, Josh Marshall of Talking Points Memo on Ferraro's spin. And CNN's Jack Cafferty on Ferraro, before she stepped down yesterday.

Clinton apologized for Ferraro's comments last night in a speech to the National Newspaper Publishers Association: "I certainly do repudiate it and I regret deeply that it was said. Obviously she doesn't speak for the campaign, she doesn't speak for any of my positions, and she has resigned from being a member of my very large finance committee."

Clinton also apologized for remarks made by her husband after the South Carolina primary regarding Jesse Jackson's win in that state: "I want to put that in context. You know I am sorry if anyone was offended. It was certainly not meant in any way to be offensive," Hillary Clinton said. "We can be proud of both Jesse Jackson and Senator Obama. Anyone who has followed my husband's public life or my public life know very well where we have stood and what we have stood for and who we have stood with. Once one of us has the nomination there will be a great effort to unify the Democratic party and we will do so, because, remember I have a lot of supporters who have voted for me in very large numbers and I would expect them to support Senator Obama if he were the nominee."

Finally, she apologized for the government's response after Hurricane Katrina: "I've said it publicly, and I say it privately: I apologize, and I am embarrassed that our government so mistreated our fellow citizens ... It was a national disgrace."

Clinton Apologizes to Black Voters [ap]

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #256

TERRY MCAULIFFE: The Clinton campaign chair appears on Real Time with Bill Maher.

DANNY NORIEGA: The sassy former American Idol contestant thanks his fans.

JOHN MCCAIN: McCain's daughter Meghan posted this video to her blog about a recent press day at the McCain Sedona ranch.

MAN IN THE ARENA: McCain's new spot. It has everything, even sparkly galaxies!

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here.

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Democrat Bill Foster Wins Dennis Hastert's GOP Seat in Illinois

A huge upset in Illinois over the weekend as Democrat Bill Foster beat GOP candidate Jim Oberweis to win Dennis Hastert's seat in the House special election with 53% of the vote over Oberweis' 47%. Hastert has held the seat for two decades.

David Kurtz at Talking Points Memo writes: "As I hinted at the other day, this race recalls Hastert's fall from power, the Mark Foley scandal and the general debacle of the last GOP Congress. In some ways it's the coda to the 2006 elections. But on the other hand, you've got a Democrat winning in a special election in a Republican district against a well-funded opponent untainted by scandal. So last hurrah of 2006 -- or prelude to 2008?"

McCain campaigned and fundraised for Oberweis. Foster's campaign was endorsed by Barack Obama in a campaign ad. You can see that clip, AFTER THE JUMP...

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DNC Chair Dean Urges Florida and Michigan to Re-do Contests

DNC Chair Howard Dean is urging officials from Michigan and Florida to propose plans to re-do their state primary contests, the AP reports:

"The two state parties will have to find the funds to pay for new contests without help from the national party, Dean said. 'We can't afford to do that. That's not our problem. We need our money to win the presidential race,' he said. Officials in Michigan and Florida are showing renewed interest in holding repeat presidential nominating contests so that their votes will count in the epic Democratic campaign. The Michigan governor, top officials in Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign, and Florida's state party chair all are now saying they would consider holding a sort of do-over contest by June. That's a change from the previous insistence from officials in both states that the primaries they held in January should determine how their delegates are allocated. Clinton won both contests, but the results were meaningless because the elections violated national party rules."

The Detroit Free Press reports: "Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, a Clinton supporter, said the victory in Ohio changes "the landscape a bit" and could open the door to a Democratic caucus -- not a primary -- in Michigan, though it would have to be privately funded and both candidates would have to agree. 'Michigan and Florida votes should count. To not count them at all would alienate these states in the general election,' she said."

And according to the Tampa Bay Tribune, "Florida Sen. Bill Nelson, the state's senior elected Democrat, called Gov. Charlie Crist on Wednesday to discuss the possibility, according to a spokesman. The two agreed that Florida taxpayers shouldn't pay the tab, and Nelson thinks the Democratic National Committee should bear the cost, said Nelson spokesman Dan McLaughlin. A statewide vote would likely cost into the double-digit millions. Meanwhile, Crist, a Republican, issued a joint statement along with Democratic Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm calling it 'reprehensible" and "intolerable' that both national parties are penalizing Florida and Michigan over their primary dates. 'Seat our delegates,' Crist and Granholm demanded."

Howard Dean's appearance on MSNBC this morning, AFTER THE JUMP...

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It Goes On: Hillary Clinton Wins Texas, Ohio as McCain Clinches

Wins in Ohio, Texas, and Rhode Island for Hillary Clinton on Tuesday gave her the momentum she needed to continue in the race, although Barack Obama, who won Vermont, still holds a lead in delegates.

Said Clinton: "No candidate in recent history — Democratic or Republican — has won the White House without winning the Ohio primary. We all know that if we want a Democratic president, we need a Democratic nominee who can win Democratic states just like Ohio."

This morning, on CBS' The Early Show, Clinton hinted at a 'dream ticket' with Obama, saying "that may be where this is headed, but we have to decide who is on the top of the ticket."

McCain sealed the Republican nomination.

Full results.

Clinton and Obama's speeches above, McCain's and Huckabee's below (via Talking Points Memo).

In Texas, a gay bar toasts Hillary...
KOS: Delegate numbers DAUNTING for Clinton.
Pam Spaulding: Pollsters flummoxed, Gender, education, and Latino vote mattered...
Time to get ugly?
Intelligencer: Will Obama be able to enter hand-to-hand combat?
Did Clinton campaign darken Obama's skin color in ad leading up to primaries?
POLLS: Clinton's late attacks worked.

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Hillary Clinton Slammed for Statement Praising McCain over Obama

On Countdown last night, Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow expressed exasperation over a statement made by Hillary Clinton in Fort Worth, Texas that praised Republican John McCain over her Democratic rival Barack Obama.

Said Clinton: "I think you'll be able to imagine many things Senator McCain will be able to say. He's never been the president, but he will put forth his lifetime of experience. I will put forth my lifetime of experience. Senator Obama will put forth a speech he made in 2002."

Asked Olbermann: "Is it unfair to say that she just ranked Obama third on this topic behind the Republican that she and the Democrats are supposed to be blood-oath sworn to defeat?

Said Maddow: "That's what you say when you want to be John McCain's Vice Presidential choice. That's not what you say when you are trying to become the Democratic nominee for president."

Clinton Says She and McCain Offer Experience, Obama Offers Speeches [from the road]
Irresponsible Primary Moves [open left]
Olbermann and Maddow Assail Hillary [daily kos]

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Barack Obama Tells Crowd that Homophobia is Not Christian

Ben Smith at Politico reports on a question and answer session at a Barack Obama rally in Beaumont, Texas yesterday:

"An interesting moment came when he was asked a question about LGBT rights and delivered an answer that seemed to suit the questioner, listing the various attributes — race, gender, etc. — that shouldn't trigger discrimination, to successive cheers. When he came to saying that gays and lesbians deserve equality, though, the crowd fell silent. So he took a different tack: 'Now I’m a Christian, and I praise Jesus every Sunday,' he said, to a sudden wave of noisy applause and cheers. 'I hear people saying things that I don’t think are very Christian with respect to people who are gay and lesbian,' he said, and the crowd seemed to come along with him this time."

Adds Smith: "The moment reminded me of a conversation I had recently with a senior figure in the national gay rights movement, who noted that Obama's deference to some black Christian discomfort with homosexuality — his refusal to dump the "ex-gay" gospel singer Donnie McClurkin from a tour — angered some gays and lesbians; but conversely, that his ability to sell gay rights in the black church is unique and appealing."

UPDATE — The video:

Selling Gay Rights [politico]

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Nation's Youngest Superdelegate Jason Rae Talks to CNN

CNN anchor John Roberts talked to Jason Rae, the nation's youngest superdelegate (who also happens to be gay) on Monday's American Morning. Roberts asked him how he became a superdelegate, how aggressively the campaigns have reached out to him, and why he ultimately chose to support Barack Obama.

Said Rae: "Senator Clinton needs to win both Texas and Ohio. If she doesn't, I think she's going to see that she just keeps slipping further and further behind in the delegate count. And that in order to make it up, it would have to resort only to superdelegates. I think that both Senator Clinton and Senator Obama are very experienced in politics and both know that dragging the nomination process out even longer is detrimental to the party as a whole. We don't want to go into convention in August without a nominee. We need to spend the summer months getting, you know, a solid message out there. With the Republicans already having Senator McCain chosen. If we spend the next, you know, three or four months fighting internally over who our nominee will be, it just gives the Republicans time to get a message together and attack us...I think for me, one the factors I was deciding to endorse Senator Obama was how my state voted. Wisconsin was overwhelmingly in favor of Senator Obama but that wasn't my only reason. I really do think that superdelegates, you know, the reason they were created back in 1982, was to add a different perspective to the process, and I think that as such, you know, superdelegates are responsible to, you know their electorate. For example, I'm responsible for the Democratic party of Wisconsin. And I think that we do have a duty to represent our best judgment and figure out what we think is best for the party and for the country."

View the entire clip AFTER THE JUMP...

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Hillary Clinton on Attack Over Obama Mailers; Barack Responds

Hillary Clinton attacked Barack Obama over the weekend over mailers sent to voters in Ohio that she says misrepresent her positions on health care and NAFTA, accusing Obama of using tactics "right out of Karl Rove's playbook."

Said Clinton: "Shame on you, Barack Obama. It is time you ran a campaign consistent with your messages and public. That's what I expect from you. Meet me in Ohio. Let's have a debate about your tactics and your behavior on this campaign."

Obama responded: "These are mailers that started going out several days, if not weeks ago. So I'm puzzled by the sudden change in tone unless these were just brought to her attention...Unlike some of the attacks theat have been leveled about me that have been debunked by news organizations these are accurate."

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Last Night's Obama-Clinton Debate Killed the Plagiarism Meme

At last night's Democratic debate, Hillary Clinton was asked about the charges of plagiarism that have been leveled against the Obama campaign, and she attempted but failed to deliver a zinger. Clinton knew the "change you could Xerox" line didn't have the intended effect the moment she said it, and she spent the next few minutes scrambling to recover as she veered into a discussion of health care rather than plagiarism.

And Clinton 'borrowed' words from Edwards last night.

Writes DailyKos: "This plagiarism thing is officially dead. I'm sure we'll be able to move on from this silliness. Worst. Political. Attack. Ever."

Talking Points Memo notes that "the pivot of Hillary's powerful concluding remarks came from Bill Clinton's 92 campaign.":

Bill Clinton in '92: "The hits that I took in this election are nothing compared to the hits the people of this state and this country have been taking for a long time."

Hillary Clinton, last night: "You know, the hits I’ve taken in life are nothing compared to what goes on every single day in the lives of people across our country."

Here are the candidates' closing statements.

Some are saying that Clinton's closing statement sounded much like a concession speech. I think both candidates performed fairly well in the debate and have behaved admirably toward each other, even given the attacks. Could an Obama-Clinton or Clinton-Obama ticket be in our future?

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News: T.R. Knight, Seal, Dame Edna, Portland, Dominic Monaghan

Barack Obama wins 'Democrats Abroad' primary 65.6% to Hillary Clinton's 32.7%. DailyKos: "That's 11 in a row for Obama (including the Virgin Islands)! There are 7 pledged delegate-equivalents to be awarded, in addition to 4 superdelegate-equivalents."

4 am Drunk driver in Portland somehow drives onto underground MAX mass transit system, drives for a mile before being stopped.

UEFA Footballer Cristiano Ronaldo 'dazzled' by laser beam at Lyon's Stade Gerland: "Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed the club has contacted European football's governing body with a view to having the matter looked at more closely in the form of television pictures from the Champions League tie. 'We reported the matter to Uefa before the game,' Ferguson said. 'We noticed it in the warm-up and [Uefa] are aware of it.'

Gay Irish poet Cathal O Searcaigh cut from curriculum over teen sex scandal: "Education Minister Mary Hanafin said yesterday that there were "difficulties" with the inclusion of his poems on the exam curriculum. She said the issue will be examined by the body which decides which poems should be on the curriculum, the National Council on Curriculum Development. Mr O Searcaigh is the subject of a controversial documentary 'Fairytale in Kathmandu', in which the gay writer admits having sex with some of the male teenagers being financially supported by him in Nepal. Yesterday he announced he is to distance himself from any future distribution of charitable funds in Nepal."

If that's T.R. Knights 'dick in a box', I'm impressed!

More on State Representative Jason Bartlett, who came out of the closet and is now the first openly gay African American state legislator: "It does feel kind of weird to be the first African American state legislator in the United States to come out but it is what it is. It's all about being comfortable with yourself. I mean, certainly, I am not the first gay African American legislator but I am the first to come out and say I am gay."

Actress Emily Perry, who played Dame Edna Everage's 'bridesmaid' Madge Allsop for many years, has died at the age of 100: "Perry appeared on Dame Edna's ITV star-studded shows and travelled the world as part of comic Barry Humphries' stage spectaculars. Humphries told the BBC: 'It is a great loss to me, she was a close friend.' The actress appeared in the Dame Edna Experience, a comedy chat show which attracted a whole host of UK and Hollywood names, from 1987 to 1989. As New Zealander Madge Allsop she never uttered a word, and her main function was to affix badges to star guests - and bear the brunt of Dame Edna's savage comments."

San Francisco holds vigil for slain gay junior high student Lawrence King.

Heidi Klum and Seal get catty.

AfterElton talks to gay Survivor: Micronesia contestant Chet Welch, who also happens to be the most successful Miss America pageant coach: "I've always been open in my area. I've always been even though I grew up in a rural farming area of Pennsylvania. Truthfully, I've never had an issue in my life about being gay. If people had an issue, I wasn't really aware of it, or if they did, I figured that was their problem not mine. I do hope in some way I'm able to encourage other people that way, as well as I was hoping to show people that might have homophobia or issues with it in some way that it's not what it's sometimes portrayed to be."

Dominic Monaghan joins Hugh Jackman in X-Men: Wolverine as 'Beak'.

Survey of 100 gay porn actors finds lack of education and information about on-set HIV risk: "Almost 30% of gay adult industry performers in the survey were either HIV positive or didn't know their status. While most were comfortable working with HIV positive performers, many were concerned about the lack of discussion surrounding HIV and STDs on set . Over 80% of performers strongly agreed or somewhat agreed that condom-using studios provided adequate safety measures to protect them from HIV, but little more than half of the respondents felt that the they were being protected adequately from non-HIV risks like hepatitis, HPV or syphilis."

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Connecticut State Rep Jason Bartlett: I'm Gay

Jason Bartlett, a Connecticut Democrat who represents consitutents in Bethel, Redding and Danbury, came out of the closet today in an interview with the News-Times.

Said Bartlett: "For me the decision came down to why not now. To me this is about having a conversation with my larger family - the people of Greater Danbury who voted for me. I've always considered my life private. But at the same time we are also living in a digital age and I'm in the public eye. People are always interested in you and your family."

The paper adds: "The lawmaker added that while he's always tried to keep his personal life private, there have been rumors from time to time about his sexual orientation on web sites and innuendoes during prior political campaigns. Bartlett, a self-employed businessman who grew up in Redding, was first elected into office two years ago."

The Victory Fund notes that Bartlett's declaration now makes him the nation's first and only openly gay African American state legislator.

Bartlett announces publicly he's gay [news-times]

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Obama Takes WA, NE, LA, ME, Virgin Islands, and Grammy Award

It was a brutal weekend for Hillary Clinton as Barack Obama took contests in Washington state, Nebraska, Louisiana, Maine, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Following the victories, Obama addressed a crowd at the Virginia Jefferson-Jackson Dinner (above). The wins allowed Obama to pull ahead of Clinton in a delegate count, according to CBS News: "In the delegate chase, Obama has pulled ahead of Clinton, even when the support of uncommitted super delegates is figured in. According to CBS News estimates, Obama holds a razor-thin lead with 1,134 delegates overall to 1,131 for Clinton."

Obama was down in all four pre-caucus polls in Maine yet pulled out a victory.

The Clinton campaign responded to the losses with a shake-up of its top leadership. Patti Solis Doyle, Clinton's campaign manager, said she was stepping down but would remain as a senior advisor.

Clinton replaced Doyle with longtime aide Maggie Williams.

Said Clinton on her website: "Patti Solis Doyle has done an extraordinary job in getting us to this point - within reach of the nomination - and I am enormously grateful for her friendship and her outstanding work. And, as Patti has said, this already has been the longest presidential campaign in history and one that has required enormous sacrifices of everyone and our families. I look forward to her continued advice in the months ahead. Patti and I have worked with Maggie Williams for more than a decade. I am lucky to have Maggie on board and I know she will lead our campaign with great skill towards the nomination."

Next up are Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia this Tuesday, but things aren't looking great for Clinton there either: "Obama has hearty leads and distinct demographic advantages in each of the three contests...[Clinton] has campaigned hard in Virginia, where her campaign has a strategy to keep things competitive, but it’s already looking ahead to March 4 contests in Ohio and Texas as a firewall of sorts. Obama leads Clinton in Virginia by 53 percent to 37 percent, according to a poll released Sunday by Mason-Dixon."

Obama's winning streak even continued at the Grammy Awards, where he beat out the other Clinton, Jimmy Carter, Maya Angelou, and Alan Alda to win a spoken word Grammy for his book "The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream."

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Fox News Labels John McCain a Democrat

Is John McCain too liberal for the GOP? FOX News is already declaring him a Democrat.

In related news, McCain was booed by some conservatives at CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) in Washington DC when he spoke about illegal immigration.

Yesterday, Politico reported that CPAC was asking conference attendees not to boo McCain when he spoke.

Focus on the Family leader James Dobson yesterday endorsed Mike Huckabee.

The AP reports: "In a statement first obtained by The Associated Press, Dobson reiterated his declaration on Super Tuesday that he could not in good conscience vote for John McCain, the front-runner, because of concerns over the Arizona senator's conservative credentials. Dobson said given the situation at that point, he was reluctant to choose between ''two pro-family candidates whom I could support' — Huckabee and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. But Dobson wrote that Romney's announcement Thursday that he was suspending his campaign 'changed the political landscape.'

Said Dobson: "The remaining candidate for whom I could vote is Governor Huckabee. His unwavering positions on the social issues, notably the institution of marriage, the importance of faith and the sanctity of human life, resonate deeply with me and with many others ... Obviously, the governor faces an uphill struggle, given the delegates already committed to Senator McCain. Nevertheless, I believe he is our best remaining choice for president of the United States."

And of course, if she's true to her word, Ann Coulter will now be campaigning for Hillary Clinton.

(top screenshot via crooks and liars)

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Obama's Alleged Snub of 'Gay Marriage Mayor' Newsom Resurfaces

Gavin Newsom appeared at a "town hall" event on Monday night in San Francisco with Bill Clinton, and today primary eve comments on the Clinton-Newsom relationship (or rather the chill between Newsom and Barack Obama) by former San Francisco mayor Willie Brown have irked gay Obama supporters.

Brown reminded the SF Chronicle of a fundraiser he held for Obama at which Newsom was present, shortly after Newsom's controversial decision to allow the city to begin issuing marriage certificates to same-sex couples. Said Brown to the Chronicle: "I gave a fundraiser, at his (Obama's) request at the Waterfront restaurant. And he said to me, he would really appreciate it if he didn't get his photo taken with my mayor. He said he would really not like to have his picture taken with Gavin."

The Chronicle adds: "'I think he has harbored this resentment for years,' Brown said of Newsom, adding that Obama was reluctant to be seen appearing in San Francisco altogether, much less side by side with the gay-marriage mayor. 'I would guess that is part of the rejection of the Obama campaign.' Though same-sex marriage is still a hot-button issue in 2008, it is no longer the shocker that had the country in an uproar four and five years ago. Until you go back and look at the news stories from those days, it is easy to forget how radical and unpopular Newsom's stand was. And, no, it wasn't just the right-wingers who were upset. It was Democrats, too, particularly those running in the presidential primary. John Kerry, for example, was careful to stage his Bay Area appearances in Oakland, not San Francisco, after the controversy hit. 'I don't know anybody in the party who was happy with him, except me,' Brown said. 'He was all alone out there. He was the poster child for same-sex marriage worldwide.' That's why Brown says he doesn't blame Obama for his caution. Today, of course, the Illinois senator is happy to embrace gay causes. But in 2004, nationally, same-sex marriage was a radical notion. 'What they ought to say is, 'Damn right I did it, and I'd do it again,'' Brown said of the Obama camp. 'He was in a race for the Senate, and I am guessing that downstate Illinois is a pretty red (meaning conservative) group of voters.'"

Obama supporters, like his gay deputy campaign director, Steve Hildebrand, call it "a ridiculous story." Said Hildebrand: "Barack Obama gets his picture taken with gay people all the time. Including me, his deputy campaign manager. They could attack Obama for a lot of things, but this isn't one of them. And for this to pop up on the eve of the election is very suspicious. There's just no truth to it."

Obama snub still rankles Newsom [sf chronicle]
Best Served Cold [politico]

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #238

NOT KIDDING: Coulter on campaigning for Clinton.

FEINGOLD on FISA: Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold explains FISA in 30 seconds.

BILLY BEAN: The former pro ballplayer speaks out on "ex-gay" sports therapy.

DECLINE TO STATE: A public service announcement from the Courage Campaign.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here

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Stars Line Up to Take Part in Will.i.am - Dylan Music Video for Obama

Director Jesse Dylan (Bob Dylan's son) and the Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am have put together a new ballad for Barack Obama that has taken the internet by storm. The lyrics were adapted from Obama's "Yes I Can" speech following the New Hampshire primary. Tatyana Ali, John Legend, Nick Cannon, Herbie Hancock, Common, Kate Walsh, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, and Scarlett Johansson are among the stars that feature in the sung/spoken word hybrid. The Obama campaign had no role in creating the video.

Will.i.am told ABC News: "Obama's speech made me reflect on the freedoms I have, going to school where I went to school, and the people that came before Obama like Martin Luther King, presidents like Abraham Lincoln that paved the way for me to be sitting here on ABCNews and making a song from Obama's speech...I'm blown away by how many people wanted to come and be a part of it in a short amount of time. It was all out of love and hope for change and really representing America and looking at the world."

Will.i.am also wrote a piece over the weekend for the Huffington Post on why he decided to record "Yes We Can".

Why I Recorded Yes We Can [huffpo]
New Celeb-Filled Music Video for Obama [abc news]

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L.A. Weekly on Obama's Gay Fundraisers

The L.A. Weekly takes a look at Jeremy Bernard and Rufus Gifford, the gay SoCal-based couple who have raised millions of dollars for Barack Obama's campaign:

"Once the checks are rolling in, Bernard and Gifford then have the full attention of a congressional or presidential candidate, giving them the chance, behind the scenes, to promote their own political issues. It's a level of access gays once only dreamed of, but they are living it. 'Being gay makes you inherently political,' says Gifford, comfortable with using his proximity to power to influence the candidate. 'You see what's right and what's wrong, and you need to do something about it.' Bernard and Gifford have very little, if anything, in common with the Old Gay approach typified by the Human Rights Campaign's need for straight actresses to peddle an agenda. They are the new guard, or New Gays, who are more politically savvy. The New Gays cultivate, work with and fund gay political candidates. They withhold their talents and money from straight politicians who don't follow through on their promises, while supporting those with what the