Political News Updates

On Valentine’s Day 1998, the four founders of Marriage Equality California (two gay men, a lesbian, and a straight guy) staged America’s first public “mass-marriage” protest for gay couples. We organized about three dozen same-sex couples to line up at the Beverly Hills Courthouse and marched in, two by two, to have our purported marriages rejected by the city clerk’s office. At the time — only 14 years ago — the protest had an air of unreality. People questioned why gay men and lesbians would even want to get married. How far we have come. In 2000, another California lawyer and I drafted California’s first civil unions bill, only the second one in the country after Vermont’s. We did something unprecedented: we gave California gay couples equal rights to straight couples, something that had not even been done in Vermont. This idea, less than marriage but the fullest equality allowable by law, was considered so radical at the time that even the premier nationwide and local gay-rights organizations refused to support it. These organizations considered it politically impossible to even propose that gay people should have equal rights under the law and forced the pro-gay (but straight) legislator who introduced the bill to kill it and to substitute it for a bill that a gay-rights organization had drafted in its stead, a bill that allowed hospital visitation and a few other protections for gay couples but less than 1% of the thousands of legal and civil rights that marriage provides to couples under California and federal law. How far we have come. I was pleased that Vice President Biden mentioned Will and Grace as one of the societal changes that helped change his mind. In 1994, I joined with a few dozen other advocates in a march on Hollywood where we met with high-ranking studio executives and asked them why it was that gay and lesbian characters were always minor characters and stereotyped. We reminded them that the depiction of African Americans in situation comedies had led to a decline in racism and an understanding by white Americans that black families were not so different from white ones, with the same joys and sorrows, pleasures and pain that all humanity faces. We urged them to show that gay families were not so different from straight ones and noted that it could be done with humor and sensitivity. I remember the face of a pained studio executive who had no counterargument. He knew we were right, but felt the “time was not right.” How far we have come. Last year, Frank Kameny died. One of the founding fathers of gay rights in the United States, Kameny served bravely in World War II but was fired from the Army in 1957 for being gay. He took his case all the way to the Supreme Court, which argued in 1961 — and still says today — that you can be fired just for being gay. That didn’t stop Kameny. He organized dignified protests in front of the White House. He worked to change laws that made it illegal for two men to have consensual sex. He worked to change the view of the American Psychiatric Association that claimed until 1973 that homosexuality was a disease. It is less than a decade ago that the United States Supreme Court finally held that a state cannot put adults in jail for private consensual oral sex, something the State of Georgia had found punishable (even between a husband and wife) with up to 20 years in prison. How far we have come. Fifty years ago, Bayard Rustin, the inimitable organizer of the March on Washington, was almost prevented from speaking at the event he organized, by civil rights leaders who feared his sexual orientation would detract from the Event. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. overruled the naysayers at a time when being gay was still considered a disease and a crime. Dr. King was way ahead of his time. How far we have come. As brave as President Obama is for being the first sitting president to endorse marriage equality, his “evolution” on the issue must be understood in the context of America’s evolution. On perhaps no issue other than marriage equality has public opinion changed so dramatically in 15 years, from a quarter of the population to majority support. People under thirty today have difficulty understanding why anyone would deny equality under the law to two loving, committed individuals in an attempt to prevent them from their pursuit of happiness. Just as people under 60 today fail to understand why this country once banned the marriage of the president’s parents. How far we have come. I’m proud to have played my small part in this evolution, from co-founding Marriage Equality California to helping draft the marriage-equality legislation that just recently passed in the District of Columbia. I’m quite confident that state after state will follow suit until, 15 years from now, all 50 states allow gay and lesbian couples the equal protection under the law that the Constitution purportedly guarantees. We still have a lot of work to do. But when the president of the United States finally openly affirms that gay and lesbian Americans should have the same rights under the law that straight women and men enjoy, it seems OK, for just a day, to celebrate, sit back, and reflect on how far we have come. Mark Levine, a talk radio host in Washington, DC and a Fellow with the Truman National Security Project, formerly served as Legislative Counsel for openly gay Congressman Barney Frank. Read more: Mark_Levine: How Far We Have Come

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Mark_Levine: How Far We Have Come

If HBO ran a miniseries called “Health of the Nation,” seriously, would anyone watch? An extensively-researched documentary pointing out our many failures to wash our hands, floss, eat well, exercise more and, um, maybe watch less TV — how well do you think that would go over? But with the cable network’s debut this week of Weight of the Nation (WOTN), a multi-part documentary with accompanying book, websites and government-hosted conference, America has settled in on the national couch. Like ancient Romans in the Colosseum, expect them to stick around to the end to see who survives and who gets torn apart. After all, on even the cheapest bleacher seat or rattiest futon, you’re still a notch above the Other, those hapless schlemiels in the arena. In Rome, the stadium fodder tended to be slaves or Christians or baited animals. In WOTN, they’re fat people. And not just fat but, given the nature of health economics in this country, likely to be poor and people of color, too. I write in advance of the debut, but we’ve all seen enough “obesity crisis” coverage to know that the lens won’t capture many of the people who can shell out for HBO subscriptions, unless they’re the expert talking heads. I shudder to image how this will intensify the already rabid prejudice against fat people in this country. Of course, the producers claim to be all about concern for fat people and redressing the many harms obesity supposedly causes, but as author and attorney Michele Simon writes elsewhere on The Huffington Post , the program’s misguided attention to weight rather than health “… ensures the focus stays on the individual instead of the food industry” (or other concerns, I add). “What do you think when you see a fat person? That it’s their fault, they just need to eat better and exercise more.” (There. I just spared a bunch of folks having to write that last bit themselves in the comments.) And along with Big Food, there are plenty of targets WOTN could legitimately take on, like unequal access to health care, discrimination and the extra stressors of poverty that might impair Americans’ health. But, like the taxpayer-supported agencies that helped fund it, the series simply reinforces the blame and the “if-they-only-tried-harder” stigma. Whatever remedies the show proposes won’t work, so long as they aim to change the shape of 100 million or more Americans. How many diets do we have to try, how many miles do we have to log, before we realize that these just don’t result in sustained weight loss for the majority of people? Still, we plow on with talk of “moderate” diets (which don’t work any better than extreme diets) and “educating” Americans that they’re fat. Proponents may think they mean well by deploring the size and appearance of roughly half our nation, but it’s easier to rail about fat than it is to examine the commercial and class motives that create the real health and wellness divides we live (and die) with. The real message of all the hand-wringing is not that obesity is a risk for health and the GDP. It’s that fat is a cultural signifier: Just as swarthy skin and accents marked the lower classes 100 years ago, today we identify the Other by waistlines and thigh bulges. And that’s what you’ll be seeing on HBO this week. To justify this exercise in prejudice, you’ll hear a string of familiar-sounding “solutions” born from the same biases, myths, and false cause-effect constructs that already give us terrible obesity-based medicine and public policy. Many will rely on the self-serving pretension that there’s a sort of fat-brain myopia out there that keeps fat adults from knowing they’re considered too big (with the false implication that education leads to downsizing). When it comes to children, the fat-brain myopia premise assumes we can rail against obesity but somehow shield kids from internalizing the deep disdain for fat (and prevent inevitable increases in bullying and in body shame that follows, for fat and thin kids alike). The first three of the HBO series’ four sections (as quoted here from the documentary’s website ) rely entirely on such self-justifying myths. Only in the final section does the documentary appear to begin examining the many non-weight-related issues that may affect the health of our society: “… CONSEQUENCES, examines the scope of the obesity epidemic and explores the serious health consequences of being overweight or obese.” Actually, that so many are “obese” is a matter of semantics and a function of how we choose to define obesity ( which has little to do with health ). The real consequence of being “overweight,” or of moderate “obesity,” as defined on government BMI charts, may just be that you live longer . (This is according to the CDC, which in defiance of its own data, is hosting this week’s WOTN hand-wringing conference.) “… CHOICES, offers viewers the skinny on fat…” [oh, what a tired phrase!] “… revealing what science has shown about how to lose weight, maintain weight loss and prevent weight gain.” In fact, what science has shown on these questions is that most people cannnot maintain weight loss even when sticking to diets and exercise programs. That fact should surprise no one and is readily explained by biological mechanisms that resist sustained weight loss. The one well-established fact about attempts to reduce are that they will more likely result in weight gain than sustained loss. (Seven prospective studies of dieting behavior indicate this; none show the opposite!) “… CHILDREN IN CRISIS, documents the damage obesity is doing to our nation’s children. Through individual stories, this film describes how the strong forces at work in our society are causing children to consume too many calories and expend too little energy; tackling subjects from school lunches to the decline of physical education, the demise of school recess and the marketing of unhealthy food to children.” If the latter are problems, why not train the lens on the food companies that profit from those school lunches? Why not divert the billions of public dollars wasted on fruitless and stigmatizing anti-obesity expenditures to more spending on phys ed, sidewalks, and playgrounds? Why not help kids of all sizes make good health choices? When the focus is on weight, it’s not obesity that damages our children but fear mongering about their bodies that puts them at risk — for eating disorders, discrimination, sedentariness, and lifelong discomfort in their bodies. The fourth section: “… CHALLENGES, examines the major driving forces causing the obesity epidemic, including agriculture, economics, evolutionary biology, food marketing, racial and socioeconomic disparities, physical inactivity, American food culture, and the strong influence of the food and beverage industry.” The problem with these influences is not that they make people fat (thin people are subject to the ravages of biology and the food industry too); it’s their health impact. Fat may or may not hurt you, but fat stigma sure will , and Weight of the Nation bids to worsen it immeasurably. It’s a wild, crowd-baying mob frenzy disguised in a white lab coat. Don’t watch it. The solution? If it’s health we’re concerned about, let’s talk about health — not weight. From my book, Health at Every Size : “The only way to solve the “weight problem” is to stop making weight a problem … The real enemy is weight stigma, for it is the stigmatization and fear of fat that causes the damage and deflects attention from true threats to our health and well-being.” By focusing on health, we can address real health concerns, giving both fat and thin people the support they deserve and avoiding stigmatizing people and worsening the problem. For more information on shifting the focus to health — not weight — check out the Health at Every Size movement, consider the peer-reviewed evidence which demands a shift in medicine and public policy, or read my book, Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight . Marilyn Wann’s critique appears in the Exhibitionist (SF Weekly’s blog) and The Association for Size Diversity and Health , an organization for professionals committed to changing the paradigm, provides a more detailed debunking of WOTN, including Dr. Deb Burgard’s guide to stereotype management for the people who will be victimized by this WOTN-inspired onslaught. For more by Linda Bacon, Ph.D., MA, MA, click here . For more on personal health, click here . Here is the original post: Linda Bacon, Ph.D., MA, MA: Bread and Circus (Hold the Bread): Weight of the Nation Deserves an Imperial Thumbs Down

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Linda Bacon, Ph.D., MA, MA: Bread and Circus (Hold the Bread): Weight of the Nation Deserves an Imperial Thumbs Down

WASHINGTON — Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), the vice chairwoman of the House Republican Caucus, said Monday that the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) shouldn’t include protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people because “those are side issues.” During an appearance on MSNBC’s “Hardball,” McMorris Rodgers was asked why the House GOP bill to reauthorize VAWA doesn’t include protections for the LGBT community. The Senate overwhelmingly passed its version of a VAWA bill last month that would update current law with LGBT protections, as well as provisions protecting Native American women and undocumented immigrant women against domestic violence. The current VAWA bill expires at the end of September. “Those are side issues that have been attached to this bill,” McMorris Rodgers said of the LGBT protections. “There’s nothing under federal law that currently recognizes same-sex couples. So if we’re going to have that debate in Congress, it should be a separate debate from the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.” Pressed by show host Chris Matthews on why Republicans shouldn’t then change the laws to help prevent physical violence among LGBT couples, McMorris Rodgers repeated that the issue shouldn’t be tied to VAWA. “That’s a separate issue,” she said. “It should be debated separately for them to change federal laws relating to same-sex couples.” Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.), also on the show, said GOP opposition to protections for LGBT people, Native American women and undocumented immigrants runs counter to recommendations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, district attorneys, policy departments and the Department of Justice. “I think the Republican Party is really ignoring the recommendations of a broad swath of law enforcement,” Moore said. “The bill is not worthy of being called the Violence Against Women Act if you don’t protect all women.” The House is scheduled to vote on the GOP bill on Wednesday. See more here: GOP Congresswoman: Violence Against Women Act Shouldn’t Cover Same-Sex Couples

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GOP Congresswoman: Violence Against Women Act Shouldn’t Cover Same-Sex Couples

Ted Nugent and Rush Limbaugh make the perfect couple. No, I am not implying a homosexual relationship between them (although it is entirely possible) but a true meeting of the minds and hearts. Ted and Rush are not just both conservatives, but conservatives who love to hate, and have made a successful career out of it. You might think they are entertainers but in reality, they are just businessmen living out a highly dysfunctional version of the American dream that would make our founding fathers turn in their graves. Rush’s rants and bigoted comments have become so common that we barely notice them anymore, but Ted’s recent threat of violence against President Obama elevated their art-form to a whole new high, or rather sunk it to a whole new low. At an NRA event, Ted talked about chopping off heads and winding up in jail if Obama was elected for a second term. Even though he was cleared by the authorities of any criminal wrongdoing, the circumstances in which he made his remarks (a gun lobby event) coupled with his militant statements should have been a crime. Any way you cut it, Ted spewed hatred towards our leader and advocated violence against him; and he made it even more profane by equating it to the American way. The only thing remotely American about Ted and Rush’s bigotry is the runaway capitalism that it represents. Over the last few decades, the U.S. has become a country of extremes — extreme politics, extreme ideology, extreme rhetoric, and extreme capitalism. The new mantra is “profit at any cost,” which was clearly exemplified in the sub-prime mortgage debacle of 2008. From Wall Street to Main Street, the dollar has become king and to hell with responsibility, decency or even sanity. Ted and Rush make a lot of money by throwing Molotov cocktails into the public discourse, and the organizations and companies who give them the platform to do so enjoy the benefits as well. Like Glenn Beck’s daily rants that made Fox News millions, Rush keeps Clear Channel in the gravy and Ted — well, Ted still performs his trashy songs somewhere (after all, he is the musical genius behind Thunder Thighs and Cat Scratch Fever ). The bottom line is that hatred sells and the more overt it is, the bigger the audience. Like the evangelicals in the heartland who preach intolerance on the radio and invoke a vengeful God, people like Ted, Rush and Glenn do about the same on a big national stage with political messages. Ostensibly, those who provide them with the outlet to spew their hatred do it to protect “freedom of speech” but that is utter nonsense. Freedom of speech is a guy in his basement posting his views on the Internet without being censored, or an activist picketing Capitol Hill without being arrested. Giving someone like Ted, Rush or Glenn a national megaphone to advocate bigotry, while making a massive profit out of it, has nothing to do with protecting the First Amendment, but with making lots of money. It is big business, pure and simple. When Fox News allows Glenn to spin wild conspiracy theories about the U.S. government, when Clear Channel enables Rush to call a woman a “slut” over birth control on air and when the NRA and Republican party applaud Ted when he insults and threatens the president, they are not fighting for Americans’ right to free speech, but pandering to the basest human instincts for the sake of profits. Why is this important? Because by promoting extremists like Ted, Rush or Glenn, these companies (and they are not alone) are lowering the standards of our national debate and encouraging Americans to consume garbage rather than substantive thought. Since it is unlikely that these organizations will stop doing that, it is up to the public to remove the demand side of the equation. By consuming their filth, no matter how entertaining, we are simply providing them with motivation to continue selling it. Right about now I can see smoke coming out of the ears of my conservative readers since they imagine that I am targeting them in this column. That is absolutely not true. To the best of my knowledge, conservative values do not embrace racism, sexism or hatred — and certainly not violence. Those things are just the spice that politicians and the media add to the stew in order to make it more potent and to win elections or sell advertising. I may have used conservative commentators for my analysis, but my opinion is the same for all merchants of bigotry regardless of their ideology. As I discussed above, selling hatred is big business and as long as we continue to buy, it will remain that. And if you think it is fine to consume trash as long as you are just a passive observer, think again. When you provide the audience for Ted Nugent to abuse the president, Rush Limbaugh to attack a young woman over contraception, Glenn Beck to incite violent revolution or Don Imus to call an African-American girl a “nappy-haired ho,” you are a bit like the accessory to a crime — just because you are not committing the crime yourself doesn’t mean you are not responsible for it. The fire of intolerance cannot endure without the oxygen of public consumption and profits, so let’s do ourselves a big favor, tune out and starve people like Rush of that fuel. You might be surprised how quickly the insanity flames out. As for Ted… nothing wrong with enjoying his bad music as long as you leave it at that… and just be thankful that you are not a deer. Read the original: Sanjay Sanghoee: The Merchants of Bigotry

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Sanjay Sanghoee: The Merchants of Bigotry

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — A Nigerian man used the identity of a murder victim to hide his status as an illegal immigrant while working undetected for decades as a security guard and then a security supervisor at one of the United States' busiest airports, authorities said Monday in announcing his arrest. The… Continued here: NJ airport: Security supervisor used dead man’s ID

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NJ airport: Security supervisor used dead man’s ID

President Obama established a National Women’s Health Week and delivered a commencement address at Barnard, underscoring how much he’s relying on the working class white male vote. Allen West probably didn’t gain any female support when he compared his wife to his favorite possession. And Ron Paul effectively dropped out of the Republican primary, a fate he could’ve avoided had he taken our advice and changed his campaign slogan to ” Ron Paul: America’s Gold Standard .” This is HUFFPOST HILL for Monday, May 14th, 2012 : DOES STABILIZING CREDIT RISK TICKLE YOUR FANCY? THEN DO WE HAVE A STORY FOR YOU! – AP: “The Senate is nearing a final vote on legislation to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank for three years and raise its lending cap from the current $100 billion to $140 billion. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said the Senate would take up five Republican amendments before taking a final vote on Tuesday. If, as expected, the Senate passes the bill after defeating the amendments, the bill goes to the president . The House easily passed the measure last week despite opposition from some conservative groups that argued that the government should not have a role in the market place.” [ AP ] WHERE’S THE RE(LOVE)UTION, MAN? – Running in tomorrow’s Roll Call from Jonathan Strong: “A libertarian organization that paid for plane tickets and other expenses for Rep. Ron Paul says after an audit that the Texas Republican defrauded the group for around $20,000. The group and is pushing Paul for repayment and is exploring legal remedies. The Liberty Committee, a nonprofit group headed by former Paul aide David James, said in an April 16 letter that around two thirds of the 63 airline tickets the group reimbursed Paul for were also paid for by taxpayers . ‘In short, this practice of double or duplicate billing enriched you while draining funds intended for legitimate projects,’ the letter read. Paul spokesman Jesse Benton said James, who worked for Paul for 18 years and says he still supports the lawmaker’s political message, is ‘pursuing a personal grudge’ against the Texas Republican. Benton said Paul will be ‘happy’ to review the allegations.” RON PAUL TO OFFICIALLY STOP TRYING TO BE PRESIDENT WHILE STILL TRYING TO BE PRESIDENT – What we’ll miss most is the intense distrust of government… and the gummy smiles. Ahhhhh, those gummy smiles . Jon Ward: ” Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) said Monday that he will no longer campaign in primary states that have not yet voted, but urged those who support his candidacy for president to continue organizing in states that have voted, in order to win delegates to the national convention … Though it is clear that Romney will be the nominee at the national convention in August, Paul could make waves in Tampa if large numbers of delegates from states that Romney won vote for him instead. In Iowa, for example, Romney came in second to former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) and Paul came in third, but Republicans in the Hawkeye State say Paul will likely have more than 20 of the state’s 28 delegates.” [ HuffPost ] PARANOID SELF-LOATHING GOP LOBBYIST CONTINUES ANTI- DEMOCRAT HYPOCRISY CAMPAIGN – HuffPost Hill’s Paranoid Self-Loathing GOP Lobbyist — who has a hard time installing appliances because most of his home’s electrical sockets are used up by night lights — is frustrated by President Obama’s new campaign ad that targets Mitt Romney’s work for Bain. “Bain Capital is completely carved out of Dodd Frank. Just sayin.” PSLGOPL writes. Thanks PSLGOPL! DAILY DELANEY DOWNER – The long-term jobless will be eligible for fewer months of benefits as congressional cuts take effect this month. By June, the federal Extended Benefits Program will be phased out in most of the states that used it, according to an analysis by the National Employment Law Project, a worker advocacy group. The program, fully funded by the federal government since 2009, gives the long-term jobless their final 13 or 20 weeks of benefits, depending how the unemployment rate is in a given state. ” The final 13 to 20 weeks of jobless insurance that workers in high-unemployment states have been relying on is now being stripped away as a casualty of the legislation Congress passed in February reauthorizing the federal unemployment programs ,” NELP director Christine Owens said in a statement. “These cuts are coming faster than the economy is improving, which means more workers will have to survive without any jobless assistance and families will have less money to put back into the economy.” [ HuffPost ] Don’t be bashful: Send tips/stories/photos/events/fundraisers/job movement/juicy miscellanea to huffposthill@huffingtonpost.com. Follow us on Twitter – @HuffPostHill OBAMA ADMINISTRATION INSTITUTES STRICT EMBARRASSMENT AUSTERITY MEASURES – Politico: “The Obama administration is cracking down on federal conferences and travel in an effort to prevent future embarrassments like the GSA scandal. White House Office of Management and Budget Director Jeffrey Zients issued guidelines Friday instituting high-level review of proposed conference spending and prohibiting spending of more than $500,000 on a conference without special permission … The new guidelines also come after another federal agency tried to book a magician as a motivational speaker for a conference in Maryland. NOAA had placed an ad earlier this month — later pulled — for a magician to provide ‘a unique model of translating magic and [principles] of the psychology of magic, magic tools, techniques, and experiences into a method of teaching leadership.’” For the record, we’re in favor of magician-based learning whenever possible. [ Politico ] ROMNEY CAMPAIGN DEMONSTRATES ITS FAMILIARITY WITH GOOGLE, UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE BARNARD COMMUNITY – The Romney campaign wants reporters to know that it bought Google ads to coincide with the president’s address at Barnard. This is either a lame stunt aimed at demonstrating the campaign’s technological prowess to the media ( Oooh! Google ads! Can’t wait to read about their Geocities page! ) or a complete misunderstanding of the types of people associated with Barnard College. Jon Ward: ” Mitt Romney’s campaign is running Google search ads targeted to New York City users who go online looking for information about the commencement ceremony at Barnard College, where President Barack Obama is speaking Monday . ‘Obama’s Wasteful Spending,’ the ad blares, arguing that the president is ‘leaving graduates with an economy not creating the jobs they deserve.’ The ads show up when a user in New York City and its environs searches for any number of terms. Searches for ‘Barnard commencement,’ ‘Barnard College,’ ‘commencement’ and ‘directions to Barnard’ all yielded the ad.” [ HuffPost ] POLL: PRESIDENT’S GAY MARRIAGE ANNOUNCEMENT IS GRADE-A GOTV – Boston Globe: “President Obama’s endorsement of legal same-sex marriage is likely to resonate with young voters and women, two blocs where Obama is already strong, a new Gallup poll indicates. Gallup on Monday published more detailed results of its annual Values and Beliefs survey, which last week showed 50 percent of Americans believe gay marriage should be legal. Support among voters between the ages of 18 and 34 is at 66 percent — 19 points higher than in the 35 to 54 age group. The gap between men and women is 14 points, with 56 percent of female voters saying they support legal same-sex marriage …The Gallup poll revealed other divides. While 53 to 56 percent of voters in the East, West and Midwest say gay marriage should be legal, only 40 percent say the same in the South.” [ Boston Globe ] PAT ROBERTSON WOULD RATHER HAVE NOMINATED JESUS – Luke Johnson: “Pat Robertson offered faint praise for Mitt Romney on the ‘The 700 Club’ Monday, while indicating that he is the best alternative to President Barack Obama. ‘It looks like the people who were worried about his Mormonism, at least that crowd is diminishing somewhat,’ said Robertson, 82, after the show aired an interview with Romney. ‘The question is, if you have two candidates, you don’t have Jesus running against someone else. You have Obama running against Romney.’” [ HuffPost ] David Cameron might meet with Mitt Romney, the only politician on Earth who looks more British than he does . Also Jon Ward: “British newspapers are reporting that GOP presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney and UK Prime Minister David Cameron may meet in late July or early August, on the sidelines of the Summer Olympics in London. Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom gave this response when asked about the reports: ‘Nothing to confirm or discuss at this point.’ That’s not a denial. It is a statement that seems to suggest conversations have indeed taken place between Romney’s campaign and aides to Cameron.” [ HuffPost ] Rep. Steve King has finally endorsed Mitt Romney, precisely at a time when Mitt Romney doesn’t want to be seen with the guy . ABC News: “Iowa Republican Rep. Steve King told reporters Mitt Romney will campaign in his state Tuesday, giving a ‘major policy speech on out-of-control spending and debt’ at Drake University in Des Moines. He also announced his endorsement of Romney – something he had been expected to do before the Iowa caucuses in January. So what took him so long? King’s endorsement carries a lot less weight now than it would have then. ‘ I’ve said all along I’ll be an enthusiastic supporter of our eventual nominee ,’ King said on a Republican National Committee conference call. ‘It’s clear Mitt Romney is our nominee and it will happen in Tampa. I’m predicting that that is the result and I’m an enthusiastic supporter of Mitt Romney.’” [ ABC News ] “Roseanne Barr makes VP offer on Twitter” PRESIDENT OBAMA PROCLAIMS ‘NATIONAL MAKE SURE MY BASE SHOWS UP WOMEN’S HEALTH WEEK’ – Laura Bassett: “Women’s health has emerged as such a major theme of the 2012 elections that President Barack Obama has dedicated a week-long celebration to it. The president proclaimed on Monday that May 13 through May 19, 2012, will now be known as National Women’s Health Week. The proclamation marks the latest in a long line of efforts by Obama and his campaign to court female voters. Earlier this month, his campaign released an online tool called ‘The Life of Julia,’ which walks users through the life of an average, middle-class woman and shows how she will benefit from Obama’s health and education policies. The president released a video on Mother’s Day that played up the role of ‘strong, responsible women’ in his life, and he is giving the commencement speech on Monday at Barnard College, an all-women’s school.” [ HuffPost ] WISCONSIN DEMOCRATS WAITING FOR A CALL FROM THE DNC – WaPo: “Top Wisconsin Democrats are furious with the national party — and the Democratic National Committee in particular — for refusing their request for a major investment in the battle to recall Scott Walker, I’m told. The failure to put up the money Wisconsin Dems need to execute their recall plan comes at a time when the national Republican Party is sinking big money into defending Walker, raising fears that the DNC’s reluctance could help tip the race his way. ‘ We are frustrated by the lack of support from the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Governors Association ,’ a top Wisconsin Democratic Party official tells me. ‘Scott Walker has the full support and backing of the Republican Party and all its tentacles. We are not getting similar support.’” [ WaPo ] SEN. DAVID VITTER (R-LA…STILL) POSITIONING HIMSELF FOR A GUBERNATORIAL BID? – Times-Picayune “[M]uch of Gov. Bobby Jindal’s attention remains trained on the national scene…U.S. Sen. David Vitter can’t seem to tear himself away from Baton Rouge. He helped Republicans win a long-sought legislative majority and weighs in on occasional state policy matters like the showdown over legacy lawsuits. Now he is inserting himself into the heated, high-stakes debate over whether Jindal can put one-time revenue toward recurring expenses in order to avert painful cuts to health care and higher ed. While his profile isn’t on the rise in D.C., Louisiana voters have proved willing to overlook his call girl trouble, and lawmakers clearly recognize and appreciate his strategic sense and aggressive tactics. If he craves a formal leadership role, a future run for Louisiana’s powerful governorship might be his best bet. Not that he’s bothering to wait. As it stands now, Vitter is already acting like a shadow state party leader, a role that normally falls to the governor in a Capitol where the job’s traditional spoils include an extraordinary level of leverage over legislative appointments and agendas.” [ Times-Picayune ] ALLEN WEST COMES OUT AS PRO-MAN-ON-MOTORCYCLE LOVE, ALSO DOESN’T BUY AMERICAN – Jen Bendery: “Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) spent part of Mother’s Day weekend talking about motorcycles — and how if someone went for a ride on his bike, it would be like that person was ‘touching [his] wife.’ West was talking about his plans to ride his motorcycle to the Republican convention in Tampa this summer when, during an interview with a California radio show, the host asked West if he could take a ride on West’s Honda VTX 1800R retro. ‘That would be like touching my wife,’ West said , according to a report in Sun-Sentinel, a South Florida newspaper. When the radio show host said it wouldn’t be quite the same thing, West doubled down. ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘It would be.’ A request for clarification by West’s spokeswoman was not immediately returned.” [ HuffPost ] ROCK MUSICIANS DON’T LIKE REPUBLICANS, PT. 323,811,764 – Amanda Terkel: “On Saturday, Wisconsin State Assembly Leader Jeff Fitzgerald (R-Horicon), a U.S. Senate candidate decided to walk onstage to ‘Shipping Up To Boston’ by the Dropkick Murphys at the Wisconsin Republican Party convention… On Sunday, the Dropkick Murphys put up a Facebook message, mocking and condemning Fitzgerald for using the song. ‘The stupidity and irony of this is laughable,’ the band wrote. ‘A Wisconsin Republican U.S. Senate candidate – and crony of anti-Union Governor Scott Walker – using a Dropkick Murphys song as an intro is like a white supremacist coming out to gangsta rap!’ Fitzgerald told The Huffington Post on Monday that he was surprised the band was even aware that he had used the song at the convention over the weekend, chalking it up to the power of social media. And as a fan of the song with an Irish last name, he said he meant no harm. ‘I like their music, and that’s the song from ‘The Departed.’ I always liked the beginning of that song. My last name is Fitzgerald,’ he said. ‘We Republicans don’t have a lot of songs we can choose from. I thought I’d bring a little energy to the convention, and obviously it’s causing quite a stir. So I was a bit surprised by it actually.” [ HuffPost ] BECAUSE YOU’VE READ THIS FAR – Puppies on a skateboard . IS THIS FOOD TRUCK RACIST? – HuffPost DC: On Friday, disgruntled D.C. area resident Drew Franklin posted an “Open Letter to the ‘Fojol’ Bro-dawgs” on Facebook. The letter concerns the Fojol Brothers food truck, whose proprietors sell decently-reviewed Indian, Thai and Ethiopian food while wearing fake mustaches and brightly-colored turbans, and whose fictional “traveling culinary carnival” origin story has the Fojols coming from the country of “Merlindia” to “share their family traditions with the world.” These traditions are “over-the-top racist,” Franklin wrote in his letter. The “brothers” themselves are “worthy ambassadors of poor taste” and “well-meaning (if woefully misguided) white boys with a contemptible sense of humor.” The food truck’s owners disagree.[ HuffPost ] CAPITOL SOMEHOW GETING MORE YUPPIEFIED – HuffPost DC: After nearly two years of stops and starts, security concerns and logistical hurdles, Capital Bikeshare could be coming to the Capitol campus in about a month. [ HuffPost ] COMFORT FOOD – Darth Vader sat in on a Disney World brainstorming session. [ http://bit.ly/KaE4Xh ] – The human .gif is good at being repetitive, making fun of memes. [ http://bit.ly/K2js3e ] – Speaking of, here’s 26 .gifs of clumsy animals!!!!!!11111 [ http://bit.ly/JSgyQg ] – It’s a dreary, gray day on the East Coast. Let these color photographs of early 20th century Mongolia brighten your day. [ http://bit.ly/KniUd1 ] – Twitter is now being annoying by spamming you with email updates about your feed. Shut up, Twitter. [ http://tcrn.ch/JYxwx2 ] – Don’t. Mess. With. Monkeys. [ http://bit.ly/IUtcxt ] – Kittens playing tetherball to funny music. Thy bounty is plentiful, internet. [ http://bit.ly/L3VSu7 ] TWITTERAMA @pourmecoffee: Ron Paul has suspended his active campaigning and will go back to The Shire and tell tales of his adventures. @thestalwart: With gold tanking and Bitcoin getting hacked, it’s not surprising that Ron Paul’s fundraising wasn’t going well. @GovernorOMalley Great meeting Ivana McMcmorris-Santorno and the delegation from the Huffington Post today! ON TAP By @christinawilkie TONIGHT 5:00pm: Ricky Martin’s Obama fundraiser benefits from brilliantly accidental timing. At HPH press time, Obama had just told everyone to go see Martin in “Evita.” [The Rubin Museum, New York, NY] 5:15pm: Bending the laws of campaign physics, Obama raises significant cash at a Boston fundraiser with Arne Duncan , at exactly the same moment that he raises millions in person in NYC. [Home of Rebecca & Charlie Ledley - 129 Charles Street, Boston] TOMORROW 6:00 – 8:00pm: Apparently sitting on your ass and watching TV has its own lobby, theSports Fans Coalition, whose Spring Kick-off Reception honors “policymakers who have fought for fans.” God help us all. [144 Constitution Ave SE] 6:00pm – 9:00pm: To the list of lobbies you didn’t think existed, you can add Clear-Cutting Loggers “Forest Owners,” and you can join them for a Spring Congressional Reception . We can’t hardly imagine what they would want from Congress…. [902 Hart] 7:00pm: If you were a congressman whose shady financing and reputed mob ties were currently under investigation, would you throw a fundraiser in a cigar club ? Yeah, well apparently no one told Rep. Michael Grimm about that. [CXIII Rex Cigar Club, 113 King St., Alexandria] Got something to add? Send tips/quotes/stories/photos/events/fundraisers/job movement/juicy miscellanea to Eliot Nelson (eliot@huffingtonpost.com), Ryan Grim (ryan@huffingtonpost.com) or Arthur Delaney (arthur@huffingtonpost.com). Follow us on Twitter @HuffPostHill (twitter.com/HuffPostHill). Sign up here: http://huff.to/an2k2e Read more here: HUFFPOST HILL – Ron Paul Drops Out (Ron Paul Was Still Running?)

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HUFFPOST HILL – Ron Paul Drops Out (Ron Paul Was Still Running?)

The White House on Monday hailed the capture of one of African warlord Joseph Kony’s top commanders, amid hopes that the arrest could be a big step on the road to catching the infamous Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) leader himself. “The capture of Major General Ceasar Acellam is a testament to the resolve of Uganda and Follow this link: Obama cheers capture of top Kony commander

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Obama cheers capture of top Kony commander

Scooping up dollars for his campaign at a New York fundraiser, President Barack Obama told supporters on Monday that “the American people are on our side” when it comes to issues like same-sex marriage. The president spoke at an event hosted by openly gay singer Ricky Martin, the LGBT Leadership Council and the Futuro Fund, Read the rest here: Obama: ‘Americans are on our side’ on same-sex marriage

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Obama: ‘Americans are on our side’ on same-sex marriage

Below, watch an extended preview clip from this weekend’s Moyers & Company , featuring activist and musician Tom Morello. In the clip, Morello talks about “two Americas,” and his solidarity with “the voiceless, the poor, the wretched” across the world. “If my songs can give some hope to their struggle,” Morello says, “That’s been a good day at work.” Find out when and where the show airs here . If you don’t know, Morello is the Harvard-educated guitarist who dabbled in politics, then chose rock music to make a difference. He played guitar for the popular band he co-founded — Rage Against the Machine — and then for Audioslave. Rolling Stone chose his album “World Wide Rebel Songs” as one of the best of 2011 , and named him one of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. As likely to be spotted at a grass-roots rally as he would at a concert hall, Morello was in Madison, Wisconsin last year, braving bitter winter weather to sing on the steps on the state capitol in support of public service workers. Morello defended their collective bargaining rights against Republican Governor Scott Walker. He was in New York City at the May Day demonstrations, an honorary commander of a battalion of musicians they called the “Occupy Guitarmy.” That same night, Harry Belafonte presented Morello with the Officers’ Award from the Sidney Hillman Foundation, honoring his “advocacy for and support of working people across the world.” This weekend, Tom Morello shares his music, message, and mission — and I’m all ears. More information at BillMoyers.com Original post: Bill Moyers: WATCH: Tom Morello and Bill Moyers: Music and Message

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Bill Moyers: WATCH: Tom Morello and Bill Moyers: Music and Message

An openly gay Mitt Romney donor has decided to pull his support for the presumptive GOP nominee and instead support President Obama’s reelection bid, citing the former Massachusetts governor’s opposition to same-sex marriage as a dealbreaker. “I feel that I no longer wish to support your presidential campaign and ask you that you please return the maximum contribution that I gave to you last year,” Bill White wrote in a letter to Romney, according to a report by CNN . “You have chosen to be on the wrong side of history and I do not support your run for president any longer.” White, a registered independent who runs a New York-based consulting firm, had given $2,500 to the Romney campaign. White made his decision following Obama’s announcement last week that he supports same-sex marriage . While he clarified to CNN that he does not agree with the president on fiscal issues, White said that Romney’s speech during Liberty University’s commencement on Saturday led him to believe that Romney would press for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage — a position that White simply cannot support. “I feel like [Romney has] declared war on my marriage,” White said . “And I could just sit back and not say anything. Or I could do something about it. And I’ve chosen to do something about it.” During the Liberty commencement address, Romney reiterated his belief that marriage should be ” between one man and one woman ,” despite an influential GOP pollster’s warning that such a stance could prove to be politically risky as support for same-sex marriage grows. Obama’s campaign has sought to draw on that growing support by highlighting the ” strong contrast ” between the president and Romney. One day before Romney’s speech, the Obama team’s director of religious outreach, Rev. Derrick Harkins, said that Obama stands for “values like loving our neighbors, being our brother’s and sister’s keeper and dignity for all,” a reference to the president’s stance on same-sex marriage. Go here to read the rest: Romney Backer Switches Sides Following Obama’s Big Announcement

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Romney Backer Switches Sides Following Obama’s Big Announcement