Presidential candidates and Congressional leaders to mingle with anti-gay hate groups

From People for the American Way's Right-Wing Watch:

In April, the Freedom Federation will host its second annual "Awakening" conference entitled "Raising Our Voices: Equipping and Empowering a New Revolution" which organizer hope will feature a mix of right-wing activists like Lou Engle, Tony Perkins, Mat Staver, Frank Gaffney, Wendy Wright, David Barton, and Gary Bauer with Republican leaders like Cuccinelli, Michele Bachmann, Marco Rubio, Alan West, Mike Pence, Newt Gingrich, and Mike Huckabee

The following are the list of speakers, some of which are a cornucopia of anti-gay voices:

I see that Mike Huckabee, Sen. Marc Rubio, and Reps. Mike Pence, Allen West and Michelle Bachmann are going to be at the conference and thus will be hobnobbing with members of the Family Research Council (Tony Perkins), the Traditional Values Coalition (Andrea Lafferty), and Concerned Women for America (Wendy Wright). FRC and TVC were declared anti-gay hate groups according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, while CWA was profiled for its anti-gay animus.

The designations was given to these three organizations not because of their "religious beliefs" regarding homosexuality and gay marriage but because of their insistence in spreading false and ugly propaganda about the gay community (i.e. homosexuality and pedophilia are connected.)

One has to wonder what the panel discussions at the conference will be this year. Last year, Lafferty and the Liberty Counsel's Matt Barber led a panel discussion on the so-called dangers of homosexuality. It was during this discussion that Lafferty made the absurd claim that pro-gay nondiscrimination laws will lead to the molestation of crippled war veterans.

No doubt, Huckabee and company will probably still attend this conference even after told about these organizations and no doubt they will give a false explanation of why they will mingle with anti-gay groups if asked - something along the line of "it's unfair that these groups are being called hateful simply because their religious beliefs."

But the fact that these folks will attend a conference with anti-gay hate groups is good to know, especially in light of the knowledge that Huckabee, Pence, and Bachmann are possible Presidential candidates.  All the more reason that they become three people who have no place residing at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Should children be told about transgender people? and other Monday midday news briefs

Gay intern credited with saving US congresswoman - In case you haven't heard about this story, READ IT!

Jacobs: Birds Are Dying Because of DADT Repeal - Crazy Cindy Jacobs strikes again.

At least one 'Economist' agrees: Maggie should start stashing away some of her gay marriage profit - Those who are against marriage equality lose again, this time in a fair debate.

Vote for Pro-LGBT Miss America Contestant! - The anti-Carrie Prejean. I hope she don't have any pictures out there.

Should We Introduce Children to the Concept of Transgender People? - Why isn't this a good idea. I'm all for it. I was a child when I learned a little about the transgender community and it didn't damage me.

Even after tragedy, religious right still provoking the anger

I was going to write about something else this morning, something a bit more positive after Saturday's tragedy in Arizona.

But something caught my eye during my morning read:

'End-of-life options' = death panels

A healthcare expert says he's appalled at how the Obama administration tried to hide a Medicare regulation that would have had the government pay doctors to advise patients on end-of-life options during their annual visits.

Medicare coverage for voluntary end-of-life planning was put in the original House version of ObamaCare by Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon), but was dropped after Sarah Palin and other Republicans raised the specter of "death panels" deciding the fate of vulnerable seniors. But the end-of-life counseling surfaced again right before Christmas in a Medicare regulation, nearly going unnoticed.

John R. Graham, director of healthcare studies at the Pacific Research Institute, explains what happened.

. . . "They try to keep things secret, hidden in the dark -- things that they know are obnoxious and repellent to many people," he laments. "And we've just got to keep on top of this because they're going to try and sneak it in again in the weeks and months to come."

Graham argues that while the Obama administration may not refer to "death panels," that is exactly what the administration wants.

That piece of repugnance is from the American Family Association's One News Now, a supposed Christian news service. The article is talking about - and giving an ugly slanted version - of the Obama Administration's decision to add a provision to Medicare regulations. From the New York Times:

Under the new policy, outlined in a Medicare regulation, the government will pay doctors who advise patients on options for end-of-life care, which may include advance directives to forgo aggressive life-sustaining treatment.

  . . . The final version of the health care legislation, signed into law by President Obama in March, authorized Medicare coverage of yearly physical examinations, or wellness visits. The new rule says Medicare will cover “voluntary advance care planning,” to discuss end-of-life treatment, as part of the annual visit.


Under the rule, doctors can provide information to patients on how to prepare an “advance directive,” stating how aggressively they wish to be treated if they are so sick that they cannot make health care decisions for themselves.

The reason why it was kept quiet because it was that provision which started a lot of controversy against the health care bill when Sarah Palin claimed that it would lead to "death panels" deciding who gets to live and who has to die. It was an ugly lie which received the PolitiFact Lie of the Year. It was also one of the main reason why there was so much unbridled anger during the health care town halls meetings in 2009.  :

I might also point out that One News Now doesn't even mention Arizona's tragedy in its news. But it does have the following items:

Will House repeal ObamaCare?

Oversight chairman just doing his job

ALIPAC: Napolitano must go

Media favors Dems, no matter the cost

One would think that this supposed Christian publication would have something about Arizona's tragedy and at least a word from a religious leader talking about how we can rely on our faith in God to get us through.

Instead, One News Now chose to peddle in more anger and more lies.

Just sad.

Just one statement about this awful situation in Arizona

As the information filters in and folks are arguing, this is what I think - those who have power and influence via public office or the media must be careful as to what they say and those whose job is to educate as journalists must take it upon themselves to do their damn jobs rather than pursue a line of attack. You never know how your words may affect someone.

I don't care what is said. No one will be able to convince me that the madness we bore witness to today is not associated with all of the nonsensical and unnecessary rhetoric we had to deal with in 2010.

If words like "death panels" and portents of doom about the "end of America" are thrown around needlessly, then what the hell does anyone think all of it would lead to? If you scare people by making them think that their very livelihoods are in danger by who is elected to public office, why is it so impossible to realize that one loony loner will take you seriously?

Because it only takes one.

C.S. Lewis said it best - "This is the warning."

The question is what are we going to do to heed the warning?

Phony page of Arizona shooter praising Obama now on Facebook

Someone with a NASTY sense of humor has put up a phony facebook profile page of the Arizona shooter Jared Laughner, complete with pictures of Obama, Stalin, Castro, and Saul Alinsky.

The page also features a quote from historical figure Emma Goldman. Goldman was blamed when President McKinley was assassinated. Lastly, the profile claims that the shooter is gay.

Nothing I can say will suffice except to ask that everyone reading this should report that page as fake. Go on the link (hold your nose if you have to) and click on the report button.

It's in the menu on the left. Bottom of the left sidebar, hit "Report/Block This Person." Put it up as a fake profile, impersonating a public figure.

UPDATE - GOOD JOB! The page is now gone.

Is this the Arizona's shooter's youtube address?

According to Joe Jervis, the shooter in Arizona has a youtube address. These are the videos on the address and if Jervis's allegation turns out to be true, they speak for themselves:







And the following is a video he marked as a favorite:




It only takes one nut and one opportunity. Our prayers need to be with all of those caught in the middle of this madness.

Porno Pete LaBarbera accuses me of being a hypocrite while ignoring his own activities

Porno Pete LaBarbera isn't happy with last night's post on the pseudo-controversy of Matt Barbera's "limp wrist." He sent me the following email:

You try to discredit an obvious and ridiculous (and devious, though childish) attempt to portray Matt Barber as a limp-wristed gay guy and you consider yourself a watchdog for accuracy?! A bigger man would have said, yeah, that's a cheap shot, that's not right... But you are a small man. Grow up, Alvin, and repent. You are such a hypocrite.

LaBarbera accusing me of taking a cheap shot is like a nymphomaniac accusing someone of being slutty.

I present Exhibit A:

The persons in this picture is Goodasyou.org's Jeremy Hooper and his partner celebrating their wedding. But Peter manipulated to publicize his group's ridiculous upcoming banquet.  He may not agreed with Hooper's wedding, but it wrong for him to distort the wedding photo the way he did.

And it's not the first time that Peter has done something like this. He has taken photos of a transgender friend of mine, Autumn Sandeen, and used them to demonize her and the entire transgender community.

And let us not forget the doctored photo of openly gay Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA)  he used to make an absolutely stupid argument that men need to fear being "felt up" by gay TSA agents.

So just who is the hypocrite here? Or better question - who is the one most indicative of a movement of liars who,  while they talk about Christian values, have their hands so deeply dipped in slime that it's coming up to their shoulders?

Remember what I said last night about poking fun at LaBarbera is so enjoyable that is should be considered fattening?

I think I just gained five pounds from this post.