Elizabeth Warren Responds to Scott Brown's Attacks on Her Race: VIDEO

Elizabeth Warren responds in a new ad to attacks from Scott Brown about her Native American background:

"As a kid, I never asked my mom for documentation when she talked about our Native American heritage. What kid would? But I knew my father's family didn't like that she was part Cherokee and part Delaware — so my parents had to elope. Let me be clear, I never asked for, never got any benefit, because of my heritage. The people who hired me have all said they didn't even know about it. I'm Elizabeth Warren, I approve this message. Scott Brown can continue attacking my family — but I"m gonna keep fighting for yours."

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

Earlier...
Scott Brown Staffers Mock Elizabeth Warren with Native American War Whoops, Tomahawk Chops: VIDEO [tlrd]

Scott Brown Staffers Mock Elizabeth Warren with Native American War Whoops, Tomahawk Chops: VIDEO

As you may know, Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown amped up rhetoric accusing Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren of using her Native American heritage to her professional advantage, using the claims in advertising and as his opener in his debate against Warren.

Rachel Maddow took on Brown's claims in an excellent segment last night.

Now, a video has surfaced showing Brown staffers making Native American 'war whoops' and tomahawk chops in a face-off with Warren supporters, presumably to mock Warren's Cherokee heritage.

Here you can see Brown's staffers making "war whoops" and "tomahawk chops", presumably in reference to Warren's Cherokee heritage. Identified in video making the chop are Brown's Constituent Service Counsel Jack Richard (camoflage shirt) and -- we believe -- Massachusetts GOP operative Brad Garrett, front and center with tan baseball cap and gray hoodie, leading the whoops and chops.

Brown responds to the video by doubling down on his racial attacks:

"It is certainly something that I don't condone," said Brown when asked about the video. "The real offense is that (Warren) said she was white and then checked the box saying she is Native American, and then she changed her profile in the law directory once she made her tenure."

Watch all the clips, AFTER THE JUMP...

And Mediaite has a suggestion:

To the extent that it matters, the racism behind the Brown/Romney attacks is likely unintentional, springing from the fact that questions of race are completely beyond their experience, but if you doubt that racism, then all you have to do is inject that question into their experience. Neither Mitt Romney nor Scott Brown has ever had to prove they’re white. Maybe it’s time they produced some evidence that they’re not just “passing.” Would that national media sit silently if a U.S. Senator or presidential candidate asked either of these men to prove they’re not black, or Mexican, or even Native American? Maybe it’s time someone did ask. Papers, please.

How Unpopular Is Mitt Romney In Massachusetts?

Mitt Romney never expected to win his adopted home state of Massachusetts in November, despite having briefly governed it. Still, the degree to which he's not-winning MA must be a little painful. Yesterday, the Republican Sen. Scott Brown -- the former Cosmo centerfold who won Teddy Kennedy's seat in 2009, and who's currently locked in a hugely expensive, closely contested race with Democratic it-girl Elizabeth Warren -- began airing television ads in which he touts a seeming endorsement, not from his own party's presidential nominee, but from President Barack Obama.

The New York Times reports that the ad shows Barack Obama complimenting Scott Brown on his championing of a bill to stop insider trading in Congress. "Good job," the president tells Brown. For some reason, the ad hasn't yet appeared on Brown's website.

From the Times:

... in this state, Mr. Obama is so popular that candidates from both parties are trying to hitch their wagons to his star.

That approach would be unusual enough for a Democrat in a year in which many feel the need to distance themselves from the administration, but it is virtually unfathomable for a Republican. That both candidates are trying to leverage their ties to Mr. Obama underscores how popular the president is here and how unpopular his rival, Mitt Romney, is, even though he once served as the state’s governor. Mr. Obama is expected to carry Massachusetts overwhelmingly in November.

The Times reports that Brown has also aired ads touting his endorsement from various MA Democrats, including State Rep. Christopher G. Fallon.

Despite having on exactly one occasion praised Scott Brown, Barack Obama enthusiastically endorses his opponent, Mrs. Warren, who received a primetime speaking slot at last week's Democratic National Convention.

 

Boxer Micky Ward Pulls Scott Brown Endorsement Over Gay Rights

Republican Scott Brown meant to hold an event today in which Micky Ward, the boxer who inspired the Oscar-nominated movie The Fighter, would throw his weight behind the Massachusetts Senator's reelection campaign.

Ward, however, pulled out at the last minute because, much to his chagrin, Brown does not support labor unions or marriage equality.

"I can’t support Scott Brown. I just can’t do it," said Ward about a half-hour after telling The Sun of Lowell he was backing the Republican. "I found out Scott (Brown) is anti-union and I’m a Teamster guy. I found out he’s also against gay marriage, and I say if you love someone, you should have the same rights no matter who you are.”

The Massachusetts senate race is one of the most-watched in the country. Brown, who replaced late Sen. Ted Kennedy, is going up against progressive Elizabeth Warren, a proponent of marriage equality. Though Warren was up in earlier polls, Brown has again pulled ahead. A Public Policy Polling survey released this week puts him about 5 points ahead of Warren.

NEWS: Afghanistan, Obituaries, And Strange Alliances

What became of Aesha?

Farewell, Robin Gibb.

The Boston Globe takes a stand on the deportation of same-sex spouses.

The problem with puppy mills.

Trans beautuy Jenna Talackova didn't become Miss Universe Canada last night:

The crown went to Sahar Biniaz, an Indian-born, Iranian-raised actress from Vancouver. Biniaz, 26, will represent Canada at the Miss Universe pageant in December, according to the Miss Universe Canada website.

Talackova refused to speak to the media after the competition, but Biniaz said Talackova had congratulated her on her win backstage. Biniaz added that she admired Talackova for having the courage to compete in the pageant.

In a CNN interview hours before showtime, the 6-foot-1 Talackova seemed a bit weary, as the spotlight was still squarely on her gender transformation.

"Like I always say, my family didn't understand, so why would I expect anybody else to understand? And then they got to know me and they loved me," Talackova said.

More on Dharun Ravi's gay allies.

Abdel Basset Ali al Megrahi, Lockerbie bomber, is dead.

Mitt's faith.

The most fun article ever written about Article IV of the American Constitution -- which, mid-way through, turns out to be about marriage equality. (Seriously: Read it. Its a monstrously fun piece of writing.)

The Times in-house conservative, Ross Douthat, on the Elizabeth Warren/Cherokee pseudo-scandal:

A diverse faculty and campus can be a laudable goal. But the point is to build academic communities that actually contain a wide variety of experiences and perspectives, not to wax self-congratulatory because you’ve met a set of ethnic quotas. The story of Elizabeth Warren, “woman of color,” represents a reductio ad absurdum of the latter tendency, which has been all too prevalent in elite universities -- giving us affirmative-action programs that benefit West Indian immigrants more than the descendants of slaves, and faculties that include a wider range of skin tones than of political and religious views.

The irony is that Warren herself probably did make Harvard more diverse, since she grew up the daughter of a janitor in Oklahoma -- not a typical background, to put it mildly, for Ivy League students and faculty today. But under the academy’s cramped definitions, it was her grandfather’s Cherokee cheekbones, not her blue-collar roots, that led to her citation as a supposed trailblazer.

Paul Cameron, chairman of the Family Research Institute, seems to be losing it. He thinks Barack Obama's connections to Hollywood mean he's gay, and that the gay rights movement wants to turn the United States into -- wait for it -- Afghanistan. Watch Cameron explain all of this and more to David Pakman AFTER THE JUMP ...

Elizabeth Warren Calls on Obama to Finish Evolving on Marriage Equality, Says DNC Should Embrace Plank

In an interview with the Washington Blade's Chris Johnson, Elizabeth Warren, who is running to unseat Senator Scott Brown in Massachusetts, said she would lead on LGBT rights and called for her party to embrace marriage equality in its platform, and Obama to speak out publicly in support of it.

Warren called on President Obama to complete his now 17-month-old “evolution” and endorse marriage equality. She also said she supports the call for a marriage equality plank in the Democratic Party platform this September.

Asked whether she wants Obama to finish evolving and support same-sex marriage, Warren chuckled and responded that was indeed her view. “I want to see the president evolve because I believe that is right; marriage equality is morally right,” Warren said.

Warren expressed similar sentiments about the Democratic Party platform, saying it would build support for ending the anti-gay Defense of Marriage Act.

“I’d be glad to see it included in the Democratic platform,” she said. “It helps raise awareness of the impact of DOMA and it helps build support to repeal it.”

Warren also spoke out against DOMA, calling it "institutionalized discrimination" and also discussed her opponent:

Warren said Brown’s vote on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal was “a good vote” and that he should be commended for it, but added she’d step up the LGBT advocacy if elected to the Senate.

“I’ll be there on every vote,” Warren said. “I’ll be there not just to provide a vote, but leadership, and I think that’s what the LGBT community really needs.”

Elizabeth Warren pledges to lead on LGBT rights [washington blade]