Posted to YouTube:
Barney Frank speaks about Log Cabin's endorsement of the anti-LGBT Mitt Romney.
Video | Barney Frank on Log Cabin Republicans: Endorsing discrimination
Judy Garland and Fred Astaire classic 'Easter Parade' coming to Blu-ray in February
Warner Home Video on Tuesday announced that Irving Berlin's Easter Parade, the 1948 MGM musical starring Judy Garland and Fred Astaire, will be released Feb. 19 on Blu-ray ($20).
GOProud gay conservative Republicans group endorses Romney, Mack, Diaz-Balart, Ros-Lehtinen
GOProud, 'an unapologetic voice for gay conservatives and their straight allies,' has issued the following endorsements:
Mitt Romney Has Earned the Vote of Gay Americans and those Who Care about Gay Americans
Statement of Jimmy LaSalvia, Executive Director
(New York, NY) – GOProud – a national organization of gay and straight Americans seeking to promote freedom by supporting free markets, limited government, and a respect for individual rights – is the only national gay organization to endorse Mitt Romney. Providing rapid response to the debate from New York is GOProud Executive Director Jimmy LaSalvia:
“Much of this debate focused on jobs and the economy – and with good reason. As I travel the country talking to average gay people, I can tell you that for millions of gay Americans this election is about survival. I have heard the stories of gay families and couples worried about how much longer they can hold on, living paycheck to paycheck, facing the loss of their homes and fearing the loss of their jobs. Many gay Americans simply do not have the luxury to make gay marriage their number one issue. Many gay Americans — like their straight counterparts — simply cannot afford four more years of Barack Obama.
“According to a recent Harris Interactive poll of 1,190 LGBT voters, conducted for Logo TV, 32% of LGBT respondents selected jobs or the economy as the most important issue in deciding 2012 Presidential election vote. Only 6% of LGBT respondents said that same-sex marriage was the mostimportant issue.
“President Obama doesn’t deserve the votes of gay Americans. On jobs and the economy, the single most important issue of this cycle for gay Americans, Barack Obama has been an utter failure. Mitt Romney is offering a different way forward, a path back to economic prosperity and job creation for gay and straight Americans and their families. Simply put, Mitt Romney has earned the vote of gay Americans and those who care about gay Americans.”
GOProud Announces U.S. House Endorsements
Gay Conservative Group Unveils Final Endorsement List
(Washington, D.C.) –The Board of Directors of GOProud – a national organization of gay and straight Americans seeking to promote freedom by supporting free markets, limited government, and a respect for individual rights – announced their U.S. House of Representatives endorsements. The group, which is the only national gay organization that has endorsed the Romney/Ryan ticket, is endorsing 24 House candidates. GOProud previously endorsed 10 Senate candidates in addition to Romney/Ryan. “This is the most important election in a generation,” said Jimmy LaSalvia, Co-Founder and Executive Director of GOProud. “We are thrilled to be supporting so many high-quality conservative candidates all across the country.”
Presidential Endorsement:
Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan (R)
Senate Endorsements:
Scott Brown (R-MA) (incumbent)
Elizabeth Emken (R-CA)
Jeff Flake (R-AZ)
Orrin Hatch (R-UT) (incumbent)
Dean Heller (R-NV) (incumbent)
Barry Hinckley (R-RI)
Connie Mack (R-FL)
Linda McMahon (R-CT)
Tommy Thompson (R-WI)
Tom Smith (R-PA)House Endorsements:
Charlie Bass (NH-2)(incumbent)
Sean Bielat (MA-4)
Judy Biggert (IL-11) (incumbent)
Mary Bono Mack (CA-45) (incumbent)
Gary DeLong (CA-47)
John Dennis (CA-8)
Charlie Dent (PA-15) (incumbent)
Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-25) (incumbent)
Charles Djou (HI-1)
Brendan Doherty (RI-1)
Robert Dold (IL-10) (incumbent)
Renee Elmers (NC-2) (incumbent)
Frank Guinta (NH-1) (incumbent)
Richard Hanna (NY-22) (incumbent)
Nan Hayworth (NY-18) (incumbent)
Joe Heck (NV-3) (incumbent)
Bruce Majors (DC) (Libertarian)
Dave Reichert (WA-8) (incumbent)
Andrew Roraback (CT-5)
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL-18) (incumbent)
Pete Sessions (TX-32) (incumbent)
Steve Stivers (OH-15) (incumbent)
Scott Tipton (CO-3) (incumbent)
Richard Tisei (MA-6)
Greg Walden (OR-2) (incumbent)
Palm Beach County Human Rights Council endorses Obama, Murphy, Hastings, Deutch, Frankel
Endorsements from Palm Beach County Human Rights Council:
The candidates endorsed by the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council Voters Alliance who were elected (or re-elected) to serve in the following offices include:
● State Senator (District 27) - Jeff Clemens
● State House of Representatives (District 87) - David Kerner
● Clerk of the Circuit Court - Sharon Bock
● Property Appraiser - Gary Nikolits
● Supervisor of Elections - Susan Bucher
● Circuit Court Judge (Group 9) - Ron Alvarez
● Circuit Court Judge (Group 26) - James L. Martz
● County Court Judge (Group 4) - Peter M. Evans
● County Court Judge (Group 6) - Edward A. GarrisonCongratulations to all of these great public officials!
Several of our endorsed candidates face challengers in the general election on November 6. They include:
● President - Barack Obama
● U.S. Congress District 18 - Patrick Murphy
● U.S. Congress District 20 - Alcee Hastings
● U.S. Congress District 21 - Ted Deutch
● U.S. Congress District 22 - Lois Frankel
● State Senate (District 25) - Joseph Abruzzo
● State House of Representatives (District 81) - Kevin Rader
● State House of Representatives (District 85) - David Lutrin
● State House of Representatives (District 86) - Mark S. Pafford
● State House of Representatives (District 89) - Bill Hager (R)
● State House of Representatives (District 90) - Lori B. Berman
● State House of Representatives (District 91) - Irving "Irv" Slosberg
● State Attorney - Dave Aronberg
● Tax Collector - Anne M. Gannon
● County Commissioner (District 1) - David J. Levy
● County Commissioner (District 3) - Rochelle (Shelley) M. Van
● County Commission (District 5) - Mary Lou Berger
● School Board (District 1) - Christine Jax
● Port of Palm Beach (Group 1) - Wayne Richards
● Palm Beach County Soil and Water Conservation District (Group 2) - Drew MartinIn addition, the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council Voters Alliance has endorsed the retention of three Justices on the Florida Supreme Court:
● Justice R. Fred Lewis
● Justice Barbara J. Parents
● Justice Peggy QuinceThe Council is also urging our supporters to vote “NO” on all eleven proposed Constitutional Amendments appearing on the November ballot.
Additional endorsements are expected, according to Palm Beach County Human Rights Council President Rand Hoch.
Christian Family Coalition 2012 Voter Guide
From the Christian Family Coalition website:
Equality Florida issues smartphone voter guide; recommends 'no' votes on Amendments 5, 6, 8
From Equality Florida Action PAC:
Equality Florida Action PAC is the largest organization in Florida devoted to electing pro-equality candidates to all levels of government. Each election cycle our endorsements are a valuable source for hundreds of thousands of voters statewide.
View this guide on your smart phone. Take it into the voting booth with you.
Constitutional Amendments
Amendment 5: No This amendment give the legislature undue influence over judicial branch, thus upsetting the balance of power.
Amendment 6: No This amendment would limit a woman's ability to make private medical decisions with her doctor and family. Sets a dangerous legal precedent by undermining the right to privacy for all Floridians.
Amendment 8: No This amendment would eliminate the law that prevents tax payer money from going to religious organizations including ones that discriminate against LGBT people.
To learn more about these Amendments and where our coalition partners stand on them, please visit: FloridaBallotGuide.com
SAVE Dade endorsements for 2012 general election
These are SAVE Dade's endorsements for the 2012 general election:
- President: Barack Obama
- U.S. Senate: Bill Nelson
- U.S., House District 23: Debbie Wasserman Schultz
- U.S. House District 26: Joe Garcia
- U.S. House District 27: Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
- State Senate District 35: Gwen Margolis
- State Senate District 39: Dwight Bullard
- State House District 112: Jose Javier Rodriguez
- State House District 115: Dr. Jeffrey Solomon
- State House District 120: Ian Whitney
- Miami-Dade Commission District 3: Audrey Edmonson
- Miami-Dade Commission District 5: Bruno Barreiro and Luis Garcia (co-endorsement)
- Miami-Dade County Court Judge Group 24: Greer Elaine Wallace
Log Cabin Republicans endorse Mitt Romney for president
Email today from R. Clarke Cooper, executive director of Log Cabin Republicans:
We Are Americans First
Presidential endorsements are serious business. The decision to say, “we stake our name and our reputation” on a candidate’s worthiness for the nation’s highest office says as much about an organization’s principles as it does the candidate.
As the only Republican organization dedicated to representing the interests of LGBT Americans and their allies, Log Cabin Republicans work within the GOP to make the conservative case for pro-equality policies and legislation. Since Log Cabin’s founding in the late 1970s, we have believed in a simple idea: building a stronger, more inclusive Republican Party requires Republicans reaching out to Republicans.
The freedom to work without fear of discrimination, the freedom to serve in our nation’s military, and the freedom to marry are all issues of vital importance. As we considered our endorsement decision, we did not degrade these issues as irrelevant, nor did we overlook the harm that is done to the Republican brand when our standard-bearers appear to be caught up in an outdated culture war.
But as we condemn the aspects of the GOP platform which work to exclude our families, we are still able to cheer the vision for America which was presented in Tampa, where success is a virtue, equal opportunity is ensured, and leaders recognize that it is the American people, not government, that build our nation and fuel its prosperity.
We believe that President Obama has broken his promises to our country. Rather than focusing on job creation, he pushed through an extremely partisan, expensive and intrusive healthcare bill, presided over a United States credit downgrade, and has made no credible attempt to cut spending as our national debt has topped $16 trillion. Our nation is in a financial crisis, and we are in desperate need of a change in course.
If LGBT issues are a voter's highest or only priority, then Governor Romney may not be that voter's choice. However, Log Cabin Republicans is an organization representing multifaceted individuals with diverse priorities. Having closely reviewed the candidate’s history and observed the campaign, we believe Governor Romney will make cutting spending and job creation his priorities, and, as his record as Governor of Massachusetts suggests, will not waste his precious time in office with legislative attacks on LGBT Americans.
We are confident that there will be no retreat from the significant gains we’ve made in recent years, most importantly on repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” With regard to the LGBT issue most likely to reach the president’s desk and most vital to many in our community today – workplace nondiscrimination – we are persuaded that we can work with a Romney administration to achieve a desirable outcome. And for those people who point fearfully to potential vacancies on the United States Supreme Court, we offer a reminder: five of the eight federal court rulings against DOMA were written by Republican-appointed judges. Mitt Romney is not Rick Santorum, and Paul Ryan is not Michele Bachmann. Otherwise, our decision would have been different.
After long consideration, weighing input from our members and chapters, and dialogue with the Mitt Romney campaign and the candidate, the National Board of Directors of the Log Cabin Republicans have elected to issue a qualified endorsement for Governor Romney for president.
Significance of a Qualified Endorsement
The qualified nature of this endorsement means that Log Cabin Republicans will be most active in our support for House and Senate candidates. Our membership base and network of chapters nationwide will be actively supporting our allies in Congress as part of the National Republican Congressional Committee’s “Operation Rolling Surge” deployment program.
Our greatest efforts will be directed at electing pro-equality leaders like Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), the first Republican to cosponsor the repeal of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act; members of the House LGBT Equality Caucus like Representatives Nan Hayworth and Richard Hanna of New York; and staunchly pro-equality challengers like Linda McMahon of Connecticut and our very own Richard Tisei of Massachusetts, who will become the first openly gay Republican elected to Congress. While many of our members will also be working hard on behalf of Governor Romney, growing the pro-equality Republican presence in the House and Senate is our highest electoral priority this year.
Regarding the governor's signature on the National Organization for Marriage pledge during the Republican primaries
From the day Governor Romney signed this pledge, Log Cabin has been outspoken in our opposition to this exercise in an outdated politics of division. Even with this endorsement, we will continue to voice our disagreement with any call for a constitutional amendment federalizing a definition of marriage that excludes LGBT families.
However, 2012 is not 2004. The Federal Marriage Amendment has been voted on twice, and each time has failed with bipartisan opposition. Marriage equality is now the law in six states and the District of Columbia, and polls consistently show a slim but growing majority of Americans supporting the freedom to marry. Even among Republicans, support for the freedom to marry is growing. Particularly in today's economic climate, there is simply no appetite to pass or even seriously consider any such amendment.
While even the suggestion of enshrining discrimination in our nation's most precious document is deeply offensive, there is a significant difference between a valid threat and an empty promise made to a vocal but shrinking constituency. In our judgment, the NOM pledge is ultimately merely symbolic and thus should not be the basis of a decision to withhold an endorsement from an otherwise qualified candidate, particularly given the gravity of the economic and national security issues currently at stake.
Conclusion
There has been discussion about whether we, as members of Log Cabin Republicans, are LGBT first or Republican first. Ultimately, we believe the answer is neither. We are Americans first, and as such, must stand for what we believe is right for our country.
Our endorsement of Mitt Romney is not free. We commit, here and now, that we will work with the party as we are able, and challenge the party as it is necessary, to ensure that it lives up to its highest ideals of limited government and individual freedom.The Log Cabin Republicans motto is “inclusion wins.” If LGBT Americans are serious about winning equality for all, rather than merely playing politics, Republicans must be part of the team.
Log Cabin Republicans are proud members of the GOP who believe inclusion wins. Log Cabin works to build a stronger, more inclusive Republican Party by promoting the core values of limited government, individual liberty, personal responsibility, free markets and a strong national defense while advocating for the freedom and equality of LGBT Americans.
