Bachmann Ends Presidential Campaign

Following her disappointing sixth place finish in the Iowa Republican caucuses, Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann announced on Wednesday, Jan. 4, that she has ended her presidential campaign.

Romney Ekes Out Narrow Victory Over Santorum in Iowa Caucuses

What a nail biter!

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney eked out an eight-vote victory over former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum in the Iowa Republican caucuses.

Santorum and Romney were tied throughout the night, and Iowa Republican Chair Matt Strawn only announced the results in the wee hours. Texas Congressman Ron Paul came in third with 21 percent of the vote. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich came in fourth; while Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman rounded out the pack.

Perry to "Reassess" Campaign

Following a fifth place finish in the Iowa Republican caucuses, Texas Gov. Rick Perry said he will return to Texas to "reassess" his campaign.

Is Santorum About to Become Iowa’s Comeback Kid?

Will former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum become Iowa’s comeback kid?

Santorum came in third in the Des Moines Register’s latest poll with 15 percent of likely Republican Iowa caucusgoers saying they will vote for him. The Family Leader President and CEO Bob Vander Plaats’ pre-Christmas endorsement certainly bolstered Santorum’s then-overlooked campaign. Will it be enough for him to gain enough traction to move beyond the Hawkeye State on Jan. 3?

A CNN/Time-ORC poll conducted between Nov. 29 and Dec. 6 found only two percent of likely Republican and Independent New Hampshire voters said they would vote for Santorum in the primary. His socially conservative message against marriage equality, the end of the Pentagon’s ban on openly gay and lesbian servicemembers, abortion and other issues will resonate far less with New Hampshire voters than their Iowa counterparts.

Conventional wisdom dictates that the economy will continue to dominate this year’s election cycle. Will Santorum determine otherwise (at least for a little while?)

Iowa caucusgoers will have their say tomorrow.

Romney Faces Questions About Pro-Gay Statements

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney faced questions about pro-gay statements he made during his failed 1994 Senate campaign during the latest Republican presidential debate in Sioux City, Iowa, on Thursday, Dec. 15.

Fox News' Chris Wallace specifically asked Romney about a letter that he wrote to Log Cabin Republicans' Massachusetts chapter in Oct. 1994. Romney said that he would co-sponsor the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and pledged to work towards ending discrimination against gays and lesbians. He also suggested that he would prove a stronger advocate for gay and lesbian Americans than late U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy.

"I do not believe in discriminating against people based on their sexual orientation," Romney told Wallace in an increasingly tense exchange. "At the same time, I oppose same-sex marriage. Marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman."

Romney's comments come hours after a Log Cabin Republicans and the Human Rights Campaign criticized Romney for saying that he a three-tiered system that would allow same-sex couples who are legally married to maintain their status but prevent other gays and lesbians from following suit. A gay veteran challenged the former governor on his support of a bill that would repeal New Hampshire's marriage equality law during a campaign stop in Manchester, N.H., on Monday, Dec. 12.

Only one percent of those who took part in a Conservative Political Action Conference straw poll in February listed "stopping gay marriage" as a top priority going into the 2012 election cycle.

Boehner: Gingrich is a Conservative

Is former House Speaker Newt Gingrich a real conservative?

House Speaker John Boehner described Gingrich as such during Politico’s monthly Playbook Breakfast at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Dec. 14.

“It would be hard to describe Newt as not conservative,” Boehner told Politico reporter Mike Allen. “I’m not sure he’s as conservative as some people think he is, but Newt is a conservative.”

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney continues to cast doubt on Gingrich’s conservative credentials ahead of the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 3. The thrice-married Gingrich on Monday, Dec. 12, pledged to remain faithful to his wife Callista and defend the federal Defense of Marriage Act when he became the latest Republican presidential candidate to endorse the Family Leader’s so-called “marriage pledge.”

Is this enough to convince traditionally conservative Iowa caucusgoers?

A Public Policy Polling survey found that 22 percent of likely Iowa caucusgoers support Gingrich, compared 22 percent who back Texas Congressman Ron Paul and 16 percent who endorse Romney.

“We have a lot of good candidates out there,” said a non-committal Boehner when asked whether he would endorse Gingrich. “I’m sure the primary voters will select one of them. Whoever it is, I will be there to support.”

Is Perry Throwing LGBT Americans Under the Bus?

Does Rick Perry think homophobia is a viable way to court voters ahead of the Iowa caucuses?

His latest campaign advertisement seems to suggest he is willing to throw LGBT Americans under the bus to bolster his languishing campaign ahead of the Jan. 3 caucuses.

"You don't need to be in the pew every Sunday to know something's wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military, but our kids can't openly celebrate Christmas and pray in school," said the Texas governor in a spot that appeared on his website earlier on Wednesday, Dec. 7.

Log Cabin Republicans and other LGBT groups on Tuesday, Dec. 6, blasted Perry for assertion that taking a country's LGBT human rights record into account when considering the allocation of American foreign aid is a war on "traditional American values." Perry also sparked criticism in late October when he applauded efforts to repeal New Hampshire's marriage equality law.

The latest Des Moines Register poll found that only two percent of likely Iowa caucusgoers support Perry.

Did Romney Stretch the Truth in First Television Campaign Ad?

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's first television ad proves beyond any shadow of a doubt that the primary season is in full swing.



As with anything, however, the truth is sometimes subjective -- and the fact that Romney used a clip of then-candidate Barack Obama mocking a quote from an adviser to Arizona Sen. John McCain on the economy during an Oct. 2008 campaign appearance in Londonderry, N.H. The Romney campaign defended the spot in a series of statements to WMUR, the Washington Post and other media outlets.

The Iowa caucuses are on Jan. 3 and the New Hampshire primary are on Jan. 10 for anyone who continues to keep track. This questionable ad, however, certainly proves that the former Massachusetts governor and his campaign can certainly grab people's attention.

Poll: Romney, Gingrich Lead Among Republicans

A new USA Today/Gallup poll shows that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney remains the frontrunner among the Republican presidential candidates, but former House Speaker Newt Gingrich continues to gain momentum over his rivals.

Twenty percent of Republicans who responded to the poll between Nov. 13-17 said Romney is their first choice, while 19 percent said that they would choose Gingrich. Sixteen percent of GOP voters said they would vote for Herman Cain, while only eight percent named Texas Gov. Rick Perry as their top choice.

Is Romney the Nominee-in-Waiting?
Romney's campaign received a boost over the weekend when New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte endorsed the former Massachusetts governor. New Hampshire Congressman Charlie Bass will officially endorse Romney later on Monday, Nov. 21. It appears increasingly likely that Romney will become the Republican presidential nominee at the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa in August, but the voters of Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and other early caucus states will soon have their say and anything can happen between now and then.

Stay tuned...

Will Allegations of Inappropriate Conduct Derail the Cain Juggernaut?

Will allegations of inappropriate conduct against two former female National Restaurant Association staffers derail Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain’s improbable campaign?

Politico reported late on Sunday, Oct. 30, that the women accepted five figure settlements from the lobbying group in the 1990s after they complained that Cain, who was then the head of the trade association, had demonstrated inappropriate behavior towards them. Sources whom Politico did not identify said the reported incidents included sexually suggestive conversations that took place at conferences, at association events and in the organization’s offices and inappropriate physical gestures that made the women uncomfortable.

Cain topped a new poll of likely Iowa Republican caucusgoers that the Des Moines Register released on Saturday, Oct. 29. These reported allegations come on the heels of the former Godfather’s Pizza CEO’s controversial comments on immigration and the release of an unconventional campaign video that features his campaign manager smoking a cigarette.

“Fearing the message of Herman Cain who is shaking up the political landscape in Washington, Inside the Beltway media have begun to launch unsubstantiated personal attacks on Cain,” the Cain campaign told Politico in a statement. “Sadly, we’ve seen this movie played out before – a prominent conservative targeted by liberals simply because they disagree with his politics.”

Presidential campaigns are certainly not for the faint of heart, but will these reported allegations prove the straw that broke the Cain juggernaut’s back?

Stay tuned.

Nevada Republicans Schedule Jan. 14 Caucuses

A couple of headlines grabbed my attention earlier this morning at Union Station while waiting for my train to Philadelphia.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio bluntly said at a political forum here in Washington, D.C., late on Wednesday, Oct. 4, that he would not seek the Republican vice presidential nomination in 2012. The Associated Press quoted the Cuban American lawmaker as saying he did not run for the Senate "to have a launching pad for another job."

In other news, Nevada Republicans announced late on Wednesday that they will hold their caucuses on Jan. 14. This move could prompt New Hampshire officials to schedule the first-in-the-nation primary as early as Jan. 3, while Iowa Republicans could hold their first-in-the-nation caucuses before the end of the year.

Stay tuned!

Those Gotcha Questions

It was apparently a night for gotcha questions!

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich certainly let his displeasure with his former Fox News colleagues known during last night’s Republican presidential debate in Ames, Iowa. The thrice-married social conservative’s scorn aside, the spectacle that took place at Iowa State University proved somewhat interesting and even entertaining for this native Granite Stater who watched it unfold from his parents’ home in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Congresswoman Michele Bachmann arguably proved she does have a titanium spine as she deflected pointed questions about her personal life and defended her record against former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney appeared rather presidential as he tried to rise above the intra-GOP fray that unfolded on the Ames stage, although his assertion at the Iowa State Fair earlier in the day that “corporations are people” and his support for a Constitutional amendment that would define marriage as between a man and a woman confirm questions about his convictions. Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum should have looked in the mirror before he criticized the Iranian government for trampling the rights of gays and women.

The debate was equally as newsworthy for those who did not participate—most notably former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. Perry will make his presidential aspirations official in a speech he is scheduled to deliver in South Carolina on Saturday, Aug. 13. Palin’s national bus tour will roll into the Hawkeye State just in time for the Iowa Straw Poll.

Should we anticipate even more gotcha questions from those annoying journalists in the coming days and weeks?

You betcha!

Iowa and Maine investigate National Organization for Marriage

As the National Organization for Marriage and their allies continue to push for a repeal of nuptials for gays and lesbians in Iowa and Maine, ethics commissions in both states have called upon NOM to answer questions about those who fund their campaigns.

The Iowa Ethics and Commission Disclosure Board made the request to NOM in an Aug. 27 letter. And the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices wrote Stand for Marriage Maine PAC Treasurer Joseph Keaney and NOM executive director Brian Brown on the same day.

The much broader question is obviously why NOM and its supporters feel the need to overturn both the Iowa Supreme Court decision in April and the passage of legislation in Augusta in early May that extended marriage to same-sex couples in both states. The specific concerns, however, revolves around the role the Mormon Church, the Diocese of Portland [Maine] and other religious organizations continue to play in the anti-marriage campaigns in both states, and even allegations of money laundering. These questions are indeed disturbing, if not at all surprising.

Lesbian couple from Iowa appears on Oprah

A lesbian couple from Iowa who discussed their pending wedding on Oprah earlier this afternoon put a smile on my face after an admittedly hectic and frankly trying week.

The couple, who have two young daughters, appeared on the talk show. Hugh Jackman was quick to express his support for marriage for same-sex couples, and Nate Barkus specifically discussed his relationship and his coming out as a gay man. The two men further highlighted the fact gays and lesbians began to legally marry in the Hawkeye State on Monday as Gayle King and Jenny McCarthy discussed the news alongside Oprah.

I hope to have a clip of the segment up in a couple of days, but this conversation brought a tumultuous week to a pleasant conclusion.

Iowa extends marriage to same-sex couples

In an unanimous decision, the Iowa Supreme Court upheld the right for gays and lesbians to marry in the Hawkeye State.

The judges upheld a lower court's decision that would have allowed six same-sex couples to marry. Polk County District Judge Robert Hanson ruled in favor of the couples last year, but he suspended his decision until the state Supreme Court issued its decision.

Des Moines resident Sandi Patton-Imani praised the decision in a statement released through the Family Equality Council.

“Our family is celebrating with great joy at finally being granted full civil rights by the state we live in," she said.

This ruling, which takes effect on April 21, will almost certainly be a watershed moment for activists within the movement for LGBT rights continue to push for marriage for same-sex couples in other states. The Vermont House of Representatives passed a marriage bill last night. And lawmakers in New Hampshire and other states continue to debate the issue.

Politicians Descend Upon New Hampshire

Boy in Bushwick scored a few political brownie points last night with his predictions outside of his assertion former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson [R-Tenn.] would drop-out after a disappointing showing in Iowa. But the political frenzy shifts to my home state of New Hampshire.

If the conversation with my mother last night in Manchester is any indication, she and her fellow Granite Staters are in for a long and dizzying ride until next Tuesday's primary. And a number of LGBT New Yorkers are planning to head up to New Hampshire this weekend to campaign in support of U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton [D-N.Y.], former U.S. Sen. John Edwards [D-N.C.] and other White House hopefuls as indicated in the story I posted on EDGE New York yesterday. I join the legions of other journalists, pundits and others who will watch New Hampshire closely over the next few days.




Party loyalists contend not even feet of snow can stop them from supporting their candidates in the last days before the New Hampshire primary.

With less than five days until New Hampshire voters cast their voters in the first-in-the-nation primary, a number of LGBT New Yorkers plan to hit the Granite State stump in support of their respective candidates.

Daryl Cochrane, a resident of Hudson Heights in upper Manhattan, plans to go door-to-door in Manchester as part of U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton [D-N.Y.]’s last-minute efforts to court undecided voters. He volunteered for former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean in the days leading up to the 2004 New Hampshire primary. Cochrane told EDGE in a recent interview from his Chelsea office that he looks forward to going back to the Granite State.

"It’s a unique experience because we are in close vicinity as New Yorkers and are able to do it," he said. "I certainly want to go and do as much as I can to support her [Clinton]."

National Stonewall Democrats board member and Queens resident Melissa Sklarz plans to canvass neighborhoods in Concord, the state capital, in support of Clinton. She said she feels she and other New Yorkers can effectively discuss how she feels the former First Lady has done for Empire State residents since they first elected her in 2000.

"I can give the good people of New Hampshire some good experiences about Hillary in the Senate," Sklarz said.

The Clinton campaign has chartered several buses to bring volunteers from the city to New Hampshire tomorrow afternoon. But some politicos, such as Sunnyside, Queens, resident and NSD board member Jon Winkleman, plan to go directly to the Granite State from Iowa.

He told EDGE during a brief telephone interview in Des Moines hours before Iowans arrived at the caucuses that he looks forward to joining Sklarz and others in their attempt to highlight Clinton and her record.

"It’s really important for New Yorkers to go out and stand up and say, this is what Hillary has done for us," Winkleman said.

Kevin Jennings, founder and executive director of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, has also traversed the Hawkeye State over the last few weeks but in support of U.S. Sen. John Edwards [D-N.C.]. He plans to arrive in New Hampshire tomorrow to begin going door-to-door and calling potential voters. Jennings, himself a North Carolina native, asserted his belief as a New York resident that the 2004 vice presidential candidate is the best hope the Democrats have to reclaim the White House in November.

He even maintained the more than three feet of snow on the ground across most of the state would not stop him and his fellow volunteers.

"I’m happy to get soaked socks in New Hampshire if that’s what it takes to help people hear Sen. Edward’s message," Jennings joked.

Iowans Go to the Caucuses

Today is the day Iowa caucus goers cast the first votes of the 2008 presidential campaign. Candidates on both sides of the aisle have spent an unprecedented amount of money in what amounts to the longest campaign in American history. The rhetoric has dominated the Iowa (and New Hampshire) political landscape in recent weeks and pundits continue to serve as political armchair quarterbacks but today the voters begin to finally have their say.

I am not going to make any like-minded predictions as to who will come out on top in Iowa or disclose which candidate I plan to support -- this former New Hampshire voter is all too proud of his independent politics. But it does appear as though former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson [R-Tenn.], who largely failed to live up to the media-induced hype surrounding his campaign, will conclude his White House bid due to probable lackluster showing in the caucuses. Congressman Dennis Kucinich [D-Ohio], who support marriage for same-sex couples and other progressive ideas, urged his supporters to back U.S. Sen. Barack Obama [D-Ill.] if he fails to garner sufficient support going into tonight. Others, such as U.S. Sens. Christopher Dodd [D-Conn.] and Joe Biden [D-Dela.], are also expected to succumb to low poll numbers and dwindling support in the Hawkeye State.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee remain engaged in a battle royale to the end. Both men, who are quick to point out their real or perceived socially conservative credentials, are almost certainly far too right to garner widespread support beyond Iowa and potentially South Carolina. I echo others who predict Huckabee will soon fade into political oblivion as his apparent inexperience becomes more and more known. Romney will continue to flip-flop until former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani once and for all solidifies the GOP nomination. I could be wrong but stay tuned...

The Summer That Was

The summer of 2007 is unofficially over. Fire Island's seasonal residents once again have their pristine sands to themselves. The city's annual Fashion Week kicks off this week while I finally rode the Cyclone at Coney Island this past weekend before developers erect condos at the possible expense of Astroland. Summer, especially August, remains a relatively slow news cycle. Journalists and their editors and producers often scrape the bottom of the barrel to fill their newscasts, broadcasts or issues. This summer, however, generated a number of LGBT headlines that kept the movement for LGBT rights on its. Below are five stories which kept this blogger and others busy this year.

1) Former U.S. Sen. Larry Craig [R-Idaho] resigned over Labor Day weekend after a Washington political newspaper reported the socially conservative lawmaker, who repeatedly voted for the proposed Federal Marriage Amendment and other anti-LGBT legislation, plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge after Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport police arrested him in a bathroom for alleged leud conduct in June. Craig repeatedly maintained he is 'not gay' but the broader movement for LGBT rights, which by and large ran far away from this story, certainly thinks otherwise.

2) The majority of Democratic presidential candidates participated in a largely historic forum sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign and Logo last month in Los Angeles. Former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson stunned the audience with his initial assertion that sexual orientation remains a choice while the majority of his counterparts who participated in the forum stuck to their talking points and sound bites about equality and fairness for all Americans. Many activists questioned the lack of journalists from LGBT media outlets in the confab while others blasted the forum's overall format and even content.

3) New York City activists expressed outrage in various manifestations after the city denied Pride Fest's permit applications to relocate its annual street fair to Chelsea. The Radical Homosexual Agenda and other LGBT organizations staged a protest at the New York City Council's annual LGBT Pride commemoration in June. New York's annual Pride march attracted more than half a million people despite the controversy surrounding Pride Fest's cancellation.

4) An Iowa court ruled late last month the prohibition of marriage for gay and lesbian couples violated the Hawkeye State's Constitution. Tim McQuillan and Sean Fritz remain the only same-sex couple to tie the knot before Polk County District Judge Robert Hanson suspended his own decision on August 31. Iowa continues to draw both Republican and Democratic presidential candidates ahead of its first-in-the-nation caucuses early next year [or later this year]. The impact of this ruling should remain minuscule outside of social conservative circles despite the fact it remains the latest salvo in the broader initiative to secure marriage for same-sex couples.

5) The ejection of a lesbian from a popular New York restaurant following the city's LGBT Pride parade in June sparked widespread outrage among local activists. Khadijah Farmer, 27, said a bouncer at the Caliente Cab Company in the West Village ejected her from the women's restroom after he said she was actually a man. The Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund joined Farmer, her parents and others in a press conference outside the eatery on July 2. The Queer Justice League and other activists boycotted Caliente Cab Company following the alleged incident.

What do you think are the top LGBT news stories from the summer of 2007?