Come Together: Obama and Clinton Strike Unified Chord in NH

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton made a much-anticipated joint appearance today at a rousing event in Unity, NH.

Said Clinton: "We are one party, we are one America, and we are not going to rest until we take back our country and put it once again on the path to peace, prosperity, and progress in the 21st century....To anyone who voted for me and is now considering not voting or voting for Sen. (John) McCain, I strongly urge you to reconsider."

Said Obama: "I want to start by saying a few words about the woman you just heard from. For sixteen months, Senator Clinton and I have shared the stage as rivals. But today, I couldn’t be happier and more honored that we’re sharing it as allies in the effort to bring this country a new and better day."

Highlights from the event, courtesy of Talking Points Memo, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson Enters into Civil Union

As I posted on Friday, Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson, whose openness about his homosexuality has caused turmoil among the less-accepting segments of the Anglican church, entered into a civil union with his partner of 20 years, Mark Andrew, in New Hampshire over the weekend :

"The event was kept private out of respect for next month's worldwide Anglican conference, Robinson's spokesman, Mike Barwell, said on Sunday. 'It was absolutely joyful,' Barwell said by telephone. 'A lot of his supporters and friends were there, including many members of the gay and lesbian community.'...Robinson and Andrew held two ceremonies -- a non-religious one in which they became legal partners followed by a formal church service to give blessings to God for their relationship...Robinson has said he wanted to enter into the civil union before leaving for England to ensure Andrew and his two daughters had legal protections given the threats to his life."

The ceremony, pictured above, was witnessed by 120 guests and presided over by longtime friend and justice of the peace Ronna Wise.

We wish Robinson and Andrew the best...

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Bishop Gene Robinson and Partner to Civilly Unite on Saturday

Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson, seen above embracing his partner of 20 years, Mark Andrew, following his 2003 consecration, is set to join with Andrew in a civil union in his state of New Hampshire this weekend:

They will have a private ceremony carried out by a lawyer in front of family and friends on Saturday, followed by a service of celebration in a church nearby...Bishop Robinson, who recently claimed he had always wanted to be a 'June bride', said: 'We're very excited about it. It won't look like a wedding, but it will be wonderful.' He has been accused of staging the event just before a number of critically important Anglican summits in a bid to embarrass church leaders, who have not invited him to the once-a-decade Lambeth Conference because of the furore surrounding his sexuality. But Bishop Robinson still plans to attend fringe events at the conference in Canterbury in July, and told the Telegraph the civil union is taking place now so that his partner will have more legal rights in case he is murdered by homophobic extremists at Lambeth."

Robinson has been the target of death threats for his openness about his sexuality within the Anglican church.

Said Robinson: "I'm not willing to travel to Lambeth and put my life in danger without putting protection in place for my partner. If something were to happen to me, my partner would otherwise be treated as a complete stranger by the authorities. He would have no say over medical issues and if a body has to be claimed, he would have no right to do that. I don't want to be a martyr - I just want to be a bishop."

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Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson's Civil Union Set for June

The NYT reports on the upcoming nuptials of Gene Robinson to his partner of 20 years.

Says Robinson: "We could have, I suppose, just gone to the town clerk and had that signed, but, you know, I’m a religious person, and every major event in my life has been marked with some kind of liturgy and giving thanks to God. My hope, is that even some of the more negative bishops will be encouraged by the American participants to come with them and to see that I don’t have horns, or I don’t wear a dress or I don’t fit any of the stereotypes that are often held by people who don’t really know gay people, and in fact will see how normal I am, and to hear about the incredibly normal life I have as a bishop in my diocese."

Robinson has been in the headlines recently because of his snub from the annual Anglican Lambeth conference, for which he says he'll be providing an alternate program, with Sir Ian McKellen as his star attraction.

Gay Bishop Plans His Civil Union Rite [nyt]

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New Hampshire Primary Votes to be Recounted

Following a request by Democrat Dennis Kucinich and Republican Albert Howard, the New Hampshire Department of State issued a press release on Friday that a recount of ballots cast in the primary would go forward.

The HuffPost reports: "The demand for a recount isn't about the New Hampshire primary--anything short of a result showing Obama winning by more than say, 5% would still put the vote within the realm of a Clinton 'comeback' from Iowa. It's about the amount of distrust that voters have in the machine voting systems--machines which studies have shown to be not just hackable, but often poorly conceived and constructed. People who conduct business over cell phones, computers, and ATMs are nervous about electronic voting because they feel that something about the whole process has gone amiss; the voting machines' source codes are proprietary to the companies so any flaws remain hidden except when extensive studies, such as those conducted by Ohio and California are done."

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Hillary Clinton, John McCain Take New Hampshire Primary

Senator Hillary Clinton defied media predictions to win the New Hampshire Democratic primary ensuring a lengthier battle for the Democratic nomination, which will ultimately benefit the voters. John McCain trounced his competitors in a resounding win over Mitt Romney on the Republican side.

The NY Times reports: "The success of Mrs. Clinton and Mr. McCain followed their third- and fourth-place finishes in the Iowa caucuses last week. Mrs. Clinton’s victory came after her advisers had lowered expectations with talk of missteps in strategy and concern about Mr. Obama’s momentum after his first-place finish in Iowa. Her team is now planning to add advisers and undertake a huge fund-raising drive to prepare for a tough and expensive fight with Mr. Obama in the Democratic nominating contests over the next four weeks. Mr. McCain had pursued a meticulous and dogged turnaround effort: his second bid for the White House was in tatters last summer because of weak fund-raising and a blurred political message, leading him to fire senior advisers and refocus his energy on New Hampshire."

Clinton and Obama's speeches:

Hillary Clinton: "I come tonight with a very, very full heart. And I want especially to thank New Hampshire. Over the last week I listened to you, and in the process, I found my own voice."

Barack Obama: "I am still fired up and ready to go."

Here's John Edwards' speech. Looks like Edwards got the Desperate Housewives vote:

The Democratic leaders Clinton and Obama left the state even on NH delegates, however. Via the AP: "Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama each won nine delegates in New Hampshire's Democratic primary, followed by former Sen. John Edwards with 4 delegates, an AP analysis of primary results shows. All 22 of New Hampshire's delegates to the national convention this summer have been allocated. Clinton and Obama won the same number of delegates, even though Clinton edged Obama in votes, because New Hampshire awards delegates proportionally, and the vote was relatively close. In the overall race for the nomination, Clinton leads with 187 delegates, including separately chosen party and elected officials known as superdelegates. She is followed by Obama with 89 delegates and Edwards with 50." More on the delegate breakdown, including Republican numbers, here...

Here are excerpts from McCain's speech and MSNBC's analysis. MSNBC ripped McCain speech..."If this is your introduction to America in 2008, do not have your head down looking into a speech...(cackling) It looked like every advisor that he'd ever had had given him one paragraph, one sentence and he read them all...that he dropped them on the way to the podium and resorted them and read them in order..."

TPM: Making Sense of It..."What's exciting about this, just speaking for myself, is that we're now on to a solid month of campaigning before the big cluster of contests on February 5th. Both candidates have had a riveting win. We've got a real battle on our hands. And I do not think that any of Clinton's critics can say that she won this one by overpowering Obama with money or mobilizing a dominating political machine or by expectations of inevitability and certainly not with the help of a friendly press. However you slice it this was a real victory under pressure. And if she's the nominee she'll be a much better one for it."

Media blew it: "This should be seen as downright liberating to the 48 states which have not voted yet. Because it means that everyone who hasn't yet voted should now rightfully conclude: "Those guys don't know what they're talking about. I'm voting for who I really want to win. Who knows, maybe they will!" To paraphrase (no relation to Hillary, of course) the immortal words of George Clinton: Free your mind, and your vote will follow."

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #220

HILLARY CLINTON: Tears up on the campaign trail in an interview today with ABC.

DAVID LYNCH: He's angry about people who watch films on their phones. Really angry.

ROBERT NOVAK: While saying Obama could be threatened by "racist prejudice" Novak calls the Senator a "clean...not stereotype African American." (source: think progress)

NEW HAMPSHIRE VOTERS: A few undecideds speak out following Friday's debate.

RON PAUL MOB: Angry that Paul was excluded from the NH debates, an angry mob pursues Sean Hannity through the streets. (source: americablog)

BILL CLINTON: Says he can't make Hillary "younger, taller, male..."

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here

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In New Hampshire, Obama Rides Wave of Iowa Success

The clip most circulated from Friday night's post-Iowa caucus debate was the clip above of Hillary Clinton defending her record as an "agent of change" which is clearly the message Obama has had such success in communicating thus far. As Jake Tapper noted, she's angry, with good reason. Nearly every recent poll out of New Hampshire shows Obama with a double-digit lead.

The Toronto Star reports on the scene at a Derry, NH Obama campaign stop: Inside, teenagers, mostly young girls, slouched over the security barricades, digital cameras dangling from their wrists, cellphones clutched in firm grips. When he finally arrived, more than 90 minutes late, adding to the excruciating wait of the long afternoon, flashbulbs popped from all directions and for a couple of moments Pinkerton Academy gym was awash in strobe lights like some cheesy '80s disco.This is the wave Obama has ridden into New Hampshire, but it is a wave Hillary Clinton is mightily pushing back against, challenging voters to look beyond the rhetorical crescendos offered by the Illinois senator and probe beyond the words."

CNN-WMUR poll: Obama 39, Clinton 29, Edwards 16
ARG poll: Obama 39, Clinton 28, Edwards 22
Rasmussen: Obama 39, Clinton 27, Edwards 18
USA Today/Gallup: Obama 41, Clinton 28, Edwards 19

Bill Clinton told MTV news that Hillary underestimated the youth vote in Iowa: "I think historically young people have not voted in the Iowa caucus because they are from other states. This time we had a lot of students who did come back and I think, frankly, thousands and thousands of them came back from Illinois to support Senator Obama, and they had a very aggressive outreach. And we haven't made that mistake here; we've reached out to young people here and I think we just have to keep trying."

On the Republican side, McCain is coming on strong: "Wide open and intense, the race for the Republican nomination has gotten ever tighter ahead of Tuesday's voting. A new USA Today/Gallup poll showed the Republican race tied in New Hampshire. McCain had the support of 34 percent of likely voters, up from 27 percent in mid-December. Romney was at 30 percent, down from 34 percent, and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee - the Iowa caucus winner - was third at 13 percent. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani had 8 percent, while former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson was in the low single digits. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas - who had 8 percent - was excluded from the debate by the sponsor, Fox News Channel, and the New Hampshire Republican Party dropped out of the forum to protest the exclusion."

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John McCain: 100 Years in Iraq Fine with Him

Meanwhile in the Granite State...

The asses (of) John McCain and Joe Lieberman were captured speaking to a crowd in New Hampshire yesterday, where McCain told a voter that he would "be fine" with a military presence in Iraq for the next 100 years.

QUESTION: President Bush has talked about our staying in Iraq for 50 years...

McCAIN: Make it a hundred.

QUESTION: Is that...

McCAIN: We've been in South Korea, we've been in Japan for 60 years. We've been in South Korea 50 years or so. That would be fine with me. As long as Americans— as long as Americans are not being injured or harmed or wounded or killed. That's fine with me, I hope that would be fine with you, if we maintain a presence in a very volatile part of the world where Al Qaeda is training and equipping and recruiting and motivating people every single day.

(via DailyKos)

More McCain...
John McCain: Never Heard the Acronym 'LGBT' Before [tr]
High School Student Slams McCain After Gay Rights Question [tr]
Report: McCain Feels "Gay Sweaters" Helped Undo Campaign [tr]
McCain Restates Support of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" [tr]
John McCain Not Sure if Condoms Stop Spread of HIV [tr]
John McCain: Gays are Welcome to Marry, Just Not Legally [tr]

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Joy in New Hampshire as Couples are Civil Unionized

Officials at the New Hampshire statehouse saw 37 couples line up to receive civil unions as 2008 rolled in at midnight on December 31st, including Gretchen Grappone and Rose Wiant (left), and Wendy Waterstrat and Holly Henshaw (right). The Boston Globe reported that a total of nearly 100 couples took advantage of the new law in its early hours.

The AP reported: "As ceremonies go, the outdoors event that began at 11 p.m. Monday was equal parts political rally, party and personal triumph. 'We really didn't believe that we'd be able to see this accomplished within one year but it has happened,' Portsmouth state Rep. Jim Splaine, a sponsor of the civil unions bill, told the cheering crowd of about 200. 'One thing we have to keep in mind is that there is much more to do. We have to continue the journey to make sure that we have marriage equality, full marriage equality — with the word marriage — soon.' New Hampshire's civil unions law — voted in by the Democrat-dominated Legislature early last year and signed by Democratic Gov. John Lynch in May, gives same-sex couples the same rights, responsibilities and obligations of marriage in everything but name. New Hampshire is the fourth state in the nation to allow civil unions and the first to do so without a court decision or the threat of one."

The Concord Monitor noted both the benefits and the pitfalls of the new civil unions.

Similar celebrations would have been happening on America's opposite coast in Oregon had it not been for the eleventh hour litigation of anti-gay marriage foes who succeeded in delaying the state's domestic partners law from going into effect. I posted about that earlier.

Instead of celebrations, candlelight vigils are to be held statewide at 5:30 pm this evening. Locations and directions to the vigils can be found at Basic Rights Oregon.

Dozens of gay couples get civil unions at N.H. Statehouse [times argus]

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Leading Gay Rights Group in New Hampshire Endorses Edwards

While we're on the topic of John Edwards, the New Hampshire Freedom to Marry Coalition has endorsed him for President.

The group said, in a press release: "We took a long look at all of the candidates, we met with many of them, and in our judgment, John Edwards's sincere commitment to battling discrimination and ensuring equal rights for every American is unparalleled," the group's executive director, state representative Mo Baxley, said in the release. "He and his wonderful wife, Elizabeth, have spent their entire lives fighting for those without a voice and standing up for what is right. John Edwards will be the kind of president we can trust to stand up for everyday Americans."

Civil Unions in the state take effect one week before the state's primary making them a potential wedge issue.

AP: "Republicans who decide to run with the issue in hopes of energizing their GOP base could also be seen as gay-bashers and alienate the state's political independents. There are a lot of those in New Hampshire, and they can choose either party's ballot in the Jan. 8 primary, exactly one week after the new civil unions law takes effect. The law won't come in quietly. 'We hear reports of couples planning ceremonies for 12:01 on New Year's Eve. I'm certain this will be something that is in the news,' said Fergus Cullen, chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party. 'It will remind moderates and independents in New Hampshire that they didn't plan on civil unions and same-sex marriage when they voted for Democrats last year...There are lots of people who are tolerant of other lifestyles who nonetheless don't believe in same-sex marriage and think that Democrats in New Hampshire made a mistake when they allowed that this year."

Still, the new civil union laws apparently haven't affected Governor John Lynch's popularity: "On the other hand, when Democratic Gov. John Lynch signed the law in May, some conservatives predicted he would take a hit in the polls. It didn't happen, and in July the second-term governor still had 76 percent support, according to a University of New Hampshire poll for CNN and WMUR-TV."

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News: Light Bulb Ban, Shia LeBeouf, Evolution, Torture Orders

CLOSET OF FEAR: Congressional candidate Jared Polis discusses his trip to Iraq and his attempts to meet with gay Iraqis there.

New poll shows Hillary Clinton losing lead in New Hampshire. Final debates before Iowa - Republicans tonight, Democrats tomorrow - will prove critical.

McFly: the Brit boyband we've featured four times already for taking off their clothes in public, have done it ONCE AGAIN. Strangely enough, I don't think I've heard any of their songs.

Gay historian Allan Berube dies at 61: "Berube is best remembered for his groundbreaking work of gay history, Coming Out Under Fire: The History of Gay Men and Women in World War II, published in 1990. The Lambda Literary Award–winning book was later adapted by Arthur Dong into a Peabody Award–winning documentary and was often cited in 1993 Senate hearings on the military’s ban on gay service members." More from Servicemen's Legal Defense Network...

One hundred million pennies laid out in Rockefeller Center in New York: "The exhibit, 30 feet by 165 feet, as long as a city block, is the culmination of the nonprofit organization Common Cents' 17th annual Penny Harvest, a national educational program designed to teach children about their value as contributors to society."

David Cooley, owner of West Hollywood's The Abbey bar and restaurant, ready to take it national: "Cooley intends to build Abbeys in cities across the country, and has spent much of the past year scouting locations including San Diego, Phoenix, Miami, New York City, Chicago, Atlanta, San Francisco, and Las Vegas; the plan is for the first new Abbey to open in Chicago within a year."

Scientists discover massive new Antarctic dinosaur: 25 feet long, climbed trees.

Humans evolving rapidly according to researchers: "Many of the recent genetic changes reflect differences in the human diet brought on by agriculture, as well as resistance to epidemic diseases that became mass killers following the growth of human civilizations, the researchers said. For example, Africans have new genes providing resistance to malaria. In Europeans, there is a gene that makes them better able to digest milk as adults. In Asians, there is a gene that makes ear wax more dry. The changes have been driven by the colossal growth in the human population -- from a few million to 6.5 billion in the past 10,000 years -- with people moving into new environments to which they needed to adapt, added Henry Harpending, a University of Utah anthropologist."

Ireland to ban incandescent light bulbs by the year 2009.

Shia LeBeouf gets off.

Sacha Baron Cohen obsessed with big packages: "Of the many surprises in Sweeney Todd, Tim Burton's musical ode to early-Victorian cannibalism, the appearance of Sacha Baron Cohen as barber rival Adolfo Pirelli is one of the most pleasant: The British comedian ably tackles the part's considerable vocal challenges, and cuts a fine figure in a form-fitting, periwinkle dandy suit, beneath which protrudes a bulge even more distractingly prominent than the one poking out of Borat's signature neon nutthong swimwear."

Former CIA interrogator on torture: "This isn’t something done willy nilly. It’s not something that an agency officer just wakes up in the morning and decides he’s going to carry out an enhanced technique on a prisoner. This was a policy made at the White House, with concurrence from the National Security Council and Justice Department."

In honor of the Cycle 9 finale of America's Next Top Model tonight, NewNowNext rounds up the show's most pro-gay and just gay moments. Meanwhile, AfterElton looks at the year in gay television.

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Oprah Winfrey Draws Huge Crowds for Obama in Iowa, SC, NH

This weekend's Democratic horserace was all about Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama.

In Des Moines, Iowa, 18,500 people showed up to see Winfrey campaign for Obama:

"In Des Moines, spectators lined up hours early. Cameras flashed in the capacity crowd during Winfrey's speech, which opened and closed to loud applause and was frequently interrupted by cries of 'We love Oprah.' Winfrey said she felt nervous and "out of my pew" as she addressed a gathering hall packed shoulder-to-shoulder in the largest gathering of Iowans in the campaign this year. But she did not hide her political convictions, making an argument for change from the Bush administration other than another Clinton in the White House."

Here is Oprah's Iowa speech:

The Oprama Tour then moved to South Carolina, where the tone turned decidedly more Christian, according to Politico:

"'I give all praise and honor to God,' Obama began. 'Look at the day the Lord has made.' Obama's wife, Michelle, opened the rally with a description of her husband that could, at moments, have been a description of Jesus Christ. 'We need a leader who's going to touch our souls. Who's going to make us feel differently about one another? Who's going to remind us that we are one another’s keepers? That we are only as strong as the weakest among us,' she said, echoing biblical passages. Winfrey also touched on Christian themes that had not been highlighted in Iowa. 'It's amazing grace that brought me here,' she began, adding that she was 'stepping out of my pew' - television – to engage in politics. It isn't enough to tell the truth, Winfrey said. 'We need politicians who know how to be the truth.'"

The duo then made their way to New Hampshire, where 'Oprahpalooza', as many are calling it, was "the most attended political event in recent history," according to the Boston Globe:

"On the weekend before the New Hampshire Primary in 2004, Wesley Clark drew 3,000 with filmmaker Michael Moore. Then the weekend before the general election that year President Bush tried highly unsuccessfully to fill the Verizon Wireless Arena and the next day John Kerry held a 5,000 person rally in the streets of downtown Manchester. The event was also remarkable for its stagecraft. Over 30 television cameras, blaring music, grand, long entrances from both Oprah and Obama with standing ovations added to the idea that something was different about this rally. The crowd clinged to Oprah and her stories. Teenage girls shook like they saw a member of the Beatles when she was introduced to a 30 second standing ovation. But while Obama started strong he also went long -- some 40 minutes -- and some yawns were visible in the audience."

Meanwhile, civil rights figure Andrew Young and former mayor of Atlanta made headlines with an online interview in which he said Barack Obama may be too young for the job.

Young said Hillary had Bill Clinton behind her, strengthening the "machine" that could not only fight off brutal attacks from rivals but also get her elected: "Bill is every bit as black as Barack," and joked, "He's probably gone with more black women than Barack." Said Young: "I want Barack Obama to be president — in 2016...It's not a matter of being inexperienced. It's a matter of being young. There's a certain level of maturity ... you've got to learn to take a certain amount of (expletive)."

Rival candidates did their best to attempt to counterprogram the Oprah juggernaut, with Hillary Clinton enlisting Bill in South Carolina and Chelsea in Iowa, and Edwards holding a strategically-timed conference call:

"[Teresa Wells, a spokeswoman in South Carolina for the Edwards campaign] added that the conference call was held in part because some of Mr. Edwards’s top African-American endorsers are frustrated when they see the news media portray the campaign as 'a two-person race for the African-American vote and we’re not in it.' She said that on the ground they see blacks supporting Mr. Edwards, but that is not conveyed by the media."

Oprah Lends Star Power to Obama in Iowa [ap]

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Hostage, Possible Bomb Situation at Clinton NH Campaign HQ

Two women and a child taken hostage at the Hillary Clinton campaign headquarters in Rochester, New Hampshire by a man with a suspicious device strapped under his clothing have been reportedly released, according to CNN.

The hostage taker, reportedly a local man in his 40's with a history of mental illness who demanded to talk to Senator Clinton, is still inside at this moment and a swat team has stabilized the area.

UPDATE: The hostage taker has been identified as Lee Eisenberg.

ABC News reported that the man told his son to "watch the news."

Officials were alerted to the situation by a woman with an infant who was released early on, a witness told local station WMUR: "A young woman with a 6-month or 8-month-old infant came rushing into the store just in tears, and she said, 'You need to call 911. A man has just walked into the Clinton office, opened his coat and showed us a bomb strapped to his chest with duct tape."

Hillary Clinton is in Virginia and canceled a 3 am campaign appearance because of the situation. Her campaign released this statement: "There is an ongoing situation in our Rochester, N.H. office. We are in close contact with state and local authorities and are acting at their direction."

UPDATE: Crisis has ended, suspect taken into custody...

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Episcopal Bishop Tells Homophobes to Move On

Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, in Burlington, Vermont on Friday to attend a convention of Vermont's Episcopal diocese, hit out at homophobic members of the church still upset over the ordination of New Hampshire's Gene Robinson.

Said Schori: "Obviously a handful of our church leaders are still upset and would like to see the church never ordain and never baptize a gay or lesbian person. We need to refocus on more life-and-death issues like starvation, education, medical care."

Schori and the Episcopal House of Bishops announced in September that a decision had been made by the church to "exercise restraint by not consenting to the consecration of any candidate to the episcopate whose manner of life presents a challenge to the wider church and will lead to further strains on communion."

The decision, which included a halt to blessings of same-sex unions, was seen by many as caving to the international Anglican church's more conservative policies.

Said Schori at the time: "This resolution really is the result of finding common ground to stand on. Not everyone was 100 percent happy with every word in this document, as you might imagine, but together we believe that we have found a place that all of us can stand together."

Church leader says members unhappy with gay bishop should refocus [ap]

You may have missed...
Episcopal Church Caves to Anti-Gay Anglicans, Pledges Restraint [tr]

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New Hampshire Gay Bashers: "I'm Gonna Kill That Fag"

Two New Hampshire men are facing hate crime charges related to a July attack on John Lavasser, who says they assaulted him while he was in his car waiting for his partner, Ron Sayres, to arrive.

Lavasser told news station WMUR that the two men, Sheane Eldritch, 23, and Thomas Baker, 20, "came after [him] from each side" and, after asking him if he was waiting for his partner, assaulted him, causing the injuries you see in the photo.

Coos County Assistant Attorney Keith Clouatre told the station, "As they were walking away, witnesses heard them bragging about it, saying, 'I'm gonna kill that fag.'"

Lavasser and Sayres tell the station that after the attack they were prepared to move out of Coleman, New Hampshire, where the attack occurred, but decided that doing so would be admitting defeat.

New Hampshire has a statute that extends imprisonment if criminals are "substantially motivated to commit the crime because of hostility towards the victim's religion, race, creed, [or] sexual orientation" so Eldritch and Baker may face extra jail time.

Prosecutors Say Man Beaten For Being Gay [wmur]

Related
Senate Passes Hate Crimes Bill by Vote of 60-39 [tr]

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Gay Rights: A Look at Two Young Americans

I missed this profile on William Sleaster (above), the Concord High School student who challenged John McCain on gay rights last week (some of which can be seen in the clip below). Sleaster made headlines when he followed up his questioning by telling McCain, "I came here looking to see a leader. I don’t."

Sleaster told the Concord Monitor: "It may have been disrespectful, but he discriminates against me and my people. If he walked in there to Tide Pride (the school's LGBT support group) Monday morning and started dropping sexual slurs, we wouldn't shake his hand and say, 'Thanks for coming.' That's why I didn't shake his hand and say, 'Thanks for coming.' I regret nothing...Going into it, I was looking to be impressed. I was looking for him to be the leader type," Sleaster said. "But he didn't show that at all. He seemed very weak. He didn't have any good ideas at all."

Sleaster says that some of his views crystallized after coming out to his classmates last February as bisexual: "It was a good thing to do, to come out like that. Then I knew the whole don't ask thing, the policy, was very flawed. Pretending your sexuality is something it's not is very difficult to do. Even liking both sexes, you can't just pretend you like one. It's very hard to do."

He even understands why he was scolded for his strong words to McCain: "I believe (what the teacher did) was proper. They wanted us to shake the candidate's hand. They wanted to make sure I didn't make Concord High look bad. I understand why they might have been worried."

The need for young people like Sleaster is made ever-apparent by the rising Fundie youth in Louisiana.

Contrast Sleaster's perspective with that of Louisiana State University student wingnut Michael Denton (right), whose school paper yesterday published an opinion piece a hate piece he wrote called "America needs to stand against homosexuality" which basically spews the talking points of the worst of the right-wing Evangelical bigots:

Writes Denton: "America needs to grow in self-confidence on this debate. The homosexual argument is illogical; sexuality is obviously meant for reproduction. Any sexual activity that is opposed to life is intrinsically disordered. Yet we continue to refuse to stand up for ourselves, allowing courts, school boards and speech codes to dictate political correctness to us. There are few greater debates in America today. The gay marriage issue threatens marriage and the family, which are the very foundations of society. Unless America decides to stand for something in this case, we'll continue to fall."

Denton is very concerned about the "homosexual movement": "They know they can't win in elections. Despite all of their efforts to convert us, an August 2007 CNN poll still shows 57 percent of Americans opposing gay marriage. So they ignore the democratic process and rush to friendlier courts. To top it all off, they're using sex education programs to jam their views down the throats of school children. They're not looking for debate; they're looking for victory at any cost."

As much as we think youth is on our side in the gay rights debate (and I still believe it is, as a general trend), bigoted slugs like Denton will still rise from the spawn of the worst kind of Bible Belt bigots. I'm just grateful folks like Sleaster will be around to take 'em down.

The teen who challenged John McCain [concord monitor]
America needs to stand against homosexuality [the daily reveille]
(thanks, Zeke and Peter)

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #166

MORAL HIGH GROUND: New spot from the DCCC. Pretty much explains itself.

JOHN MCCAIN: Video of part of his appearance at New Hampshire's Concord High School where he calls a student a "little jerk".

KEITH OLBERMANN: Special comment on President Bush's recent "surprise" trip to Iraq and his lies.

READY FOR CHANGE: New spot from Hillary Clinton running in New Hampshire.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here!

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FOX Debate Audience Boos Sam Brownback over Gay Marriage Ban

At last night's GOP presidential debate in New Hampshire, FOX reporter Carl Cameron asked Heidi Cherkot of Dover whether or not there should be a constitutional ban on gay marriage.

Her answer, "absolutely not," received cheers from the debate audience. When the question went to Sam Brownback, who answered "yes," the audience booed.

Said Brownback: "Answer to that is yes. And the reason is, this is a foundational institution. It is a foundational institution. I understand this is a divided audience on this."

Brownback also answered a question about Idaho Senator Larry Craig. Said Brownback: "I'm running saying that the lead thing we need to do is rebuild the family in this country. And I think we need to be clear about our efforts and willingness to do that. ... We shouldn't walk away from family values for fear that instances like this happen within our party."

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John McCain: Never Heard the Acronym 'LGBT' Before

I had only seen one portion of the McCain Concord High School student exchange from yesterday, and I thought that was bad. And no, I'm not even referring to the part where he called one student a "little jerk". Somehow, I missed this priceless moment.

"Another student asked McCain what he would do on 'LGBT' issues and on 'workers' rights?' McCain, paused, confused by the question. Someone in the crowd shouted out 'lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.' 'I had not heard that phrase before,' McCain said of LGBT."

Then again, I'm not surprised at the answer, coming from a man worried about the effect of "gay sweaters" who is not sure if condoms help stop the spread of HIV.

Recently
High School Student Slams McCain After Gay Rights Question [tr]

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Gay Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson Endorses Barack Obama

Gay Episocopal Bishop Gene Robinson, a New Hampshire resident, came out in support of Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama today, endorsing the candidate in a conference call with reporters.

Said Robinson: "As my work shows me every day, leadership means bringing people together and inspiring them to live out their values. Barack Obama sees beyond the partisanship and hopelessness that have dominated in recent years, and the movement he’s building is bringing vital new energy and optimism into our democratic process. I’m excited to work with Barack to bridge the old divides and make this country one again."

Foster's Daily Democrat reports that Robinson, who has said he plans to register in a civil union with his partner of 18 years, Mark Andrews, in mid-2008, acknowledged that Obama's position on gay marriage was no better than any of the other candidates: "At this moment we have no viable candidate who is where we would like them to be on these issues."

According to the paper he also said that while some point out Obama's lack of experience, that matters little to him: "Quite frankly, I've been quite unimpressed with the experience of other politicians and where that has gotten us in the past."

Obama responded to Robinson's endorsement, saying, "Bishop Robinson represents the best of American values: a generous faith, a commitment to fairness and respect, and an abiding belief in the possibilities of every individual. I look forward to his support in this groundbreaking campaign."

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News: Mitt Romney, Gordon Brown, Sweden, Big Brother, Morrissey

New British Prime Minister Gordon Brown appoints openly gay man, Spencer Livermore, director of political strategy at 10 Downing Street: "The 31-year-old has unrivalled access to the new Prime Minister and will play a key role in shaping the direction of the Brown government. Mr Livermore was ranked seven in this year's Independent Pink List, making him the most powerful gay person in UK politics."

They're not going: Jennifer Holliday and Jennifer Hudson are BFFs.

Al Gore takes lead over other Democratic candidates in hypothetical New Hampshire poll.

Sweden may soon adopt "gender neutral" marriage legislation, allowing same-sex couples to not only marry legally but to do so within a major church. Pastor Arne Wikstroem of the Oscars parish: "If today we are blessing homosexuals, I see no reason not to celebrate gay marriages. I think all people are equal before God. And no man is unholy or unblessed. We are all equal and all need God's blessings in our lives. If God has created people as homosexuals, we must accept them and we must bless them."

Still ill: Morrissey down with throat infection, cancels tour dates.

Britney Spears was expected to join the True Colors tour at its stop in Los Angeles but canceled when she found out a small but important detail — she would actually have to sing.

On 1983, vacation, Mitt Romney scared the shit out of his dog...literally: "The incident: dog excrement found on the roof and windows of the Romney station wagon. How it got there: Romney strapped a dog carrier — with the family dog Seamus, an Irish Setter, in it — to the roof of the family station wagon for a twelve hour drive from Boston to Ontario, which the family apparently completed, despite Seamus's rather visceral protest."

20-year-old receives a designer kiss.

Andre Jackson the East Side High School student at the center of the gay yearbook kiss controversy, graduates.

Elton John planning massive Las Vegas charity bash...in England: "Elton is hoping that his friends will enjoy tonight and remember it as their best invite of the year. He wants it to be an enjoyable night for all of his closest friends, so he thought came up with the idea of Las Vegas. He has invested in getting roulette wheels, croupiers, slot machines and generally re-enacting the atmosphere of Las Vegas, and he has got his entire celebrity guest list waiting to turn up."

Bangkok nightclub faces boycott after refusing entry to a transvestite. Management: "What happened on Saturday night was regrettable but was most definitely not part of the CM2 nightclub entry policy, nor was it supported by its management."

CBS announces Big Brother 8 cast, reveals photos of new house.

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Lesbian Mother Challenges Mitt Romney on Gay Families

At a campaign stop at Concord High School in New Hampshire yesterday, Mitt Romney was confronted by Cynthia Fish, a lesbian with two children, about his views on family and marriage.

According to the Concord Monitor, "The confrontation came just after Romney explained that he viewed marriage as 'primarily an institution for the development and nurture of children.' While he said he wouldn't prevent gay couples from entering spousal contracts if they choose to live together, 'the government benefits of marriage I'd reserve for a man and a woman.'"

Said Fish: "I am a gay woman and I have children. Your comment that you just made, it sort of invalidates my family...I wish you could explain to me more, why if we are sending our troops over to fight for liberty and justice for all throughout this country, why not for me? Why not for my family?"

Romney's response?

"Wonderful. I'm delighted that you have a family and you're happy with your family. That's the American way. ... People can live their lives as they choose and children can be a great source of joy, as you know. And I welcome that...Marriage is an institution which is designed to bring a man and woman together to raise a child and that the ideal setting for society at large is where there is a male and a female are associated with the development and nurturing a child...There are other ways to raise kids that's fine: single moms, grandparents raising kids, gay couples raising kids. That's the American way, to have people have their freedom of choice."

And added, according to the Monitor, "That's not to say these other forms aren't valid. But, for instance, we don't say a single person is married, even if they are raising children," Romney said. "I believe, in society, we want to bring a man and woman together."

N.H. woman challenges Romney on gay marriage [ap via boston globe]

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Lightning Strike Interrupts Giuliani Abortion Debate

A lightning bolt disrupted CNN's sound system during the GOP debate last night in New Hampshire as Rudy Giuliani defended his views on abortion:

"An electrical sound interrupted Giuliani, a Roman Catholic, as he was trying to answer a question from debate moderator Wolf Blitzer of CNN about a Rhode Island bishop who compared him to Pontius Pilate for his views on abortion. 'Look, for someone who went to parochial schools all his life, this is a very frightening thing that's happening right now,' Giuliani chuckled. Giuliani, who is leading national polls in his party's presidential race, has drawn fire from conservative critics for not being a stronger opponent of abortion. 'My view on abortion is that it's wrong, but that ultimately government should not be enforcing that decision on a woman,' he said."

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Democratic Candidates Square Off on Gay Issues in NH Debate

The Democratic Presidential candidates debated in Manchester, New Hampshire on Sunday night. Above, a moment from the debate in which Hillary Clinton was asked if her husband's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy was a mistake.

After Mike Gravel ended the clip above by interjecting, "Should have been gotten rid of 20 years ago," Bill Richardson was allowed an answer on the issue. He said:

"I love all this parsing and senatorial courtesy and 'on the one hand, on the other hand.' Here's what I would do. I would do what I did as governor of New Mexico. One, I would move in the Congress for a hate crimes law. I would have domestic partnerships. I would have civil unions. I would initiate laws that practice non-discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. I would get rid of 'don't ask, don't tell.' I voted against it as a congressman. A president has to show leadership...and this country should not be asking a person who is giving up their life for this country in the military should not giving..should not giving (sic) a lecture on sexual orientation."

Edwards was then asked to follow on with a question about civil unions. Said Edwards: "Well, first of all, I think what the governor did and what New Hampshire has done is a great example for the rest of the country, not only civil unions, but all the partnership benefits, including Senator Clinton talked about getting rid of this 'don't ask, don't tell' policy. I don't think the federal government has a role in telling either states or religious institutions, churches, what marriages they can bless and can't bless. I think the state of New Hampshire ought to be able to make that decision for itself, like very other state in the country. I think every church ought to be able to make that decision for itself. And I think it's very important that we stand up against intolerance and against discrimination. But I want to add one thing on something that Governor Richardson said, because it's been a tone of everything that's been discussed here today. The place that I differ with Senator Biden, Senator Clinton, and I guess to some extent Senator Obama -- and I agree with Governor Richardson -- it is the job of the president of the United States not to legislate, but to lead."

The Human Rights Campaign. released a questionnaire prior to the debate showing the candidates' responses to a variety of issues. All but Mike Gravel answered.

Each candidate said they support civil unions, except for Dennis Kucinich, who supports gay marriage. The candidates agreed on a wide variety of other gay-related issues including adding sexuality to the federal hate crimes law, a bill barring anti-gay discrimination by employers, adding same-sex couples to the Family and Medical Leave Act, and amending the Uniting Americans Family Act to give gays immigration rights for their partners. They also unanimously supported repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell".

The Democrats’ Second 2008 Presidential Debate [transcript]

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