Did Bin Laden Kill the Trump Juggernaut?

Should anyone care about the Donald’s political aspirations anymore?

A quick Google search this morning generated hundreds of articles, op-eds and blogs about the follicly challenged real estate mogul who apparently still has visions of becoming a serious presidential candidate. A Suffolk University poll found only eight percent of New Hampshire voters would vote for Trump in their state’s presidential primary.

“We’re not going to be able to solve our problems if we’re distracted by side shows and carnival barkers,” said President Barack Obama during a White House press conference on April 27.

The commander-in-chief obviously had far more serious things on his mind than questions about his citizenship and an ego-driven New Yorker who further stoked them. The birther movement is a trivial footnote that should remain in the dustbin of history, but Osama bin Laden’s death also pushed the Trump juggernaut out of the political headlines--Obama's announcement even pre-empted "Celebrity Apprentice" on Sunday night! And for that, Americans can truly rejoice!

Has the Donald Trumped Palin?

Whatever happened to Sarah Palin?

Levi Johnson’s new memoir will certainly ensure the former Alaska governor and her family—think Willow and the homophobic-laden messages she posted to her Facebook page last fall—will garner even more headlines. Will anyone actually notice? And more importantly, will anyone even care?

Palin’s assertion she was the victim of “blood libel” following the Tucson massacre certainly didn’t help her possible 2012 presidential campaign. The hype surrounding Donald Trump’s potential White House bid, however, has accomplished what Palin’s critics could not—her spits and spats and tweets and Facebook posts no longer dominate the hyper-saturated news cycle.

A Trump spokesperson said earlier this month that the Donald plans to announce whether he will run for president during the season finale of “Celebrity Apprentice” on May 22. Anyone who suggests that Trump is a serious presidential candidate is at least somewhat naïve—he has a reality show to promote after all! This ego-fueled side show, however, ensures that a former Alaska governor with a knack for social media is no longer the only media-savvy kid on the block vying for attention.

Stay tuned…

Is Uganda's anti-homosexuality bill dead?

It appears as though Uganda’s controversial anti-homosexuality bill is dead.

The New Civil Rights Movement; Blabbeando and other bloggers posted last night that Ugandan media indicated the measure, which would impose the death penalty upon anyone found guilty of repeated same-sex acts, will no longer remain on the table. The proposal sparked widespread outrage among LGBT activists inside the East African country and around the world. And gay activist David Kato’s murder in late January highlighted the plight of LGBT Ugandans.

This potential development comes only days after the United Nations' Human Rights Council voted to condemn anti-LGBT violence. President Obama also highlighted the issue in a Jan. 27 statement that urged Ugandan authorities to investigate Kato's murder.

"LGBT rights are not special rights; they are human rights," he stressed. "My administration will continue to strongly support human rights and assistance work on behalf of LGBT persons abroad. We do this because we recognize the threat faced by leaders like David Kato, and we share their commitment to advancing freedom, fairness, and equality for all."

Is Obama's DOMA announcement a game changer?

Is the Obama administration's decision to no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act in court a game changer?

Hours after the White House made its announcement, Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed his state's civil unions bill into law. The Maryland State Senate is poised to vote on a marriage equality bill later today. Rhode Island lawmakers continue to debate a similar measure, while Republican legislators in New Hampshire have introduced two bills that would repeal marriage for gays and lesbians in the Granite State.

Obama's announcement certainly amounts to a game changer in the battle to secure marriage for same-sex couples. As I blogged yesterday, however, the fight for marriage equality in the United States is far from over.

Boy in Bushwick appears on "The Brian Lehrer Show" to discuss the administration's DOMA decision and its implications for same-sex couples.

Anti-Mubarak protesters demonstrate in front of White House

Hundreds of protesters demonstrated in front of the White House on Saturday, Feb. 5, to urge Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to resign. Amnesty International was among the organizations that organized the protest.

State of the Union from Penn Station

Another snowstorm has altered this winter-weary writer's travel plans, but the free wifi at Amtrak's passenger lounge here at Penn Station allows some quick reflection on last night's State of the Union speech.

Speaking from a purely LGBT perspective, President Obama had his own "mission accomplished" moment with his proclamation gays and lesbians will begin to serve openly in the armed forces this year. Anyone who actually thinks the commander-in-chief will go out on a limb for marriage equality and other LGBT-specific issues ahead of a presidential election year is simply naive and/or stupid. Obama did, however, throw a bone to the GayTM that largely continues to enthusiastically back him.

The State of the Union is a political spectacle that occurs every January on Capitol Hill, but Obama delivered his speech under the backdrop of the aftermath of the Tucson massacre, a sluggish economic recovery, high unemployment rates and millions of Americans who continue to struggle to stay in their homes. The commander-in-chief arguably struck a chord with moderate voters who actually expect their elected officials to get something done. The primary season is a little more than a year away...

Did POTUS impact the “don’t ask, don’t tell” repeal vote?

President Obama calls members of Congress from the Oval Office ahead of the U.S. Senate's vote to repeal "don't ask, don't tell" on Saturday, Dec. 18. [Photo by Pete Souza]

Was President Obama a decisive factor in the U.S. Senate’s vote to repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell” on Saturday, Dec. 18?

The White House released a photograph of the commander-in-chief calling members of Congress from the Oval Office ahead of the vote. The Senate voted 65-31 to repeal the Clinton-era policy. And the president plans to sign the bill into law later this week.

"As the president has long said, ending 'don't ask, don't tell,' and allowing gay men and women to serve openly in the military, will strengthen our national security while upholding the basic equality on which this nation was founded,” said the White House in a statement released shortly after the vote. “The president looks forward to signing the bill into law."

Obama had faced growing criticism from LGBT activists over what they perceived as his failure to forcefully lobby for the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell.” Did his last minute lobbying make a difference? Were these efforts enough to placate skeptical progressives who could prove pivotal in a possible 2012 re-election campaign? Perhaps. At the end of the day, however, “don’t ask, don’t tell” will become history once Obama signs the bill into law.

Obama: It gets better

President Obama is the latest high profile figure to speak out against anti-LGBT bullying.

In a video the White House posted to its YouTube channel late on Thursday, Oct. 21, the president sought to dispel “the myth that bullying is just a normal rite of passage—that it’s some inevitable part of growing up.”

“You are not alone,” he said, speaking directly to victims of anti-LGBT bullying. “You didn’t do anything wrong. You didn’t do anything to deserve being bullied. And there is a whole world waiting for you, filled with possibilities. There are people out there who love you and care about you just the way you are. And so, if you ever feel like because of bullying, because of what people are saying, that you’re getting down on yourself, you’ve got to make sure to reach out to people you trust. Whether it’s your parents, teachers, folks that you know care about you just the way you are. You’ve got to reach out to them, don’t feel like you’re in this by yourself.”



The timeline under which the administration released the video is certainly interesting. The Department of Justice continues to challenge U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillip’s ruling on the constitutionality of the military’s ban on openly gay and lesbian servicemembers. And skeptics maintain the president’s video is a cynical attempt to deflect attention away from a growing public relations disaster over the issue.

Others can opine about whether the administration has or has not done enough to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” But the fact the president spoke out against anti-LGBT bullying sends a powerful message that resonates far beyond the LGBT activist fishbowl.

Obama declares U.S. combat in Iraq has ended

At the end of a very hot day here in Brooklyn that included growing concerns over what Hurricane Earl could potentially bring to Fire Island on Friday, I find myself thinking about President Obama’s declaration Operation Iraqi Freedom has ended.

So much has changed since I walked past those three men huddled around a battery-powered radio at a newspaper kiosk on a street in Granada, Spain, around 3:30 a.m. on March 21, 2003 (or around 9:30 p.m. EST on March 20, 2003.) I was walking home after I dropped my friend Becky off at her hotel after a night of bar-hopping. I could not hear the news to which these men were listening (probably because I was tired and possibly still drunk), but I realized hours later when I saw the front pages of several newspapers that these men were almost certainly listening to then-President George W. Bush announcing American and coalition troops had begun to enter Iraq.

I was among the handful of siesta-hour shoppers in the Al Campo department store near my house in Granada who gathered around a group of televisions to watch American troops pull the Saddam Hussein statue in Firdos Square in Baghdad to the ground on April 9, 2003. We stood there in silence as the spectacle unfolded live on Spanish television, but shoppers slowly returned to their shopping. I did the same about 15 minutes later.

More than seven years later, Obama is now commander-in-chief. His Oval Office speech earlier tonight contained an abundance of patriotic metaphors—including a description of American troops as the “steel in our ship of state”—and a strategic use of the words “security” and “milestone” and the phrase “domestic challenges”, among others, but Obama has fulfilled his campaign promise to end the war in Iraq. Bringing a polarized country together and turning the page on one if the most divisive issues it has seen in recent history, however, will take far more than an abundance of patriotic metaphors and categorizations of those who served in Iraq and the use of politically strategic words ahead of mid-term elections.

Boy in Bushwick discusses gay rights, Obama on WNYC

Obama lifts HIV travel ban

President Barack Obama announced late this morning his administration has lifted the ban on people with HIV/AIDS from entering the United States.

The president spoke at a White House ceremony to reauthorize the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi [D-Calif.,] Congresswoman Barbara Lee [D-Calif.] and White’s mother, Jeanne White-Ginder, were among those in attendance.

Obama described the ban, which came into effect 22 years ago, as “a decision rooted in fear rather than fact.”

“We lead the world when it comes to helping stem the AIDS pandemic—yet we are one of only a dozen countries that still bar people from HIV from entering our own country,” he said. “If we want to be the global leader in combating HIV/AIDS, we need to act like it.”

Congress passed a bill last year that authorized the White House to lift the ban. Former President George W. Bush endorsed the proposal as part of a broader plan to combat the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. And Obama said his administration is “finishing the job.”

“It is a step that will encourage people to get tested and get treatment, it's a step that will keep families together, and it's a step that will save lives,” the president said.

Ban opponents quickly applauded the announcement.

“At long last, people living with HIV will no longer be pointlessly barred from this country,” Rachel B. Tiven, executive director of Immigration Equality, said.
Senator John Kerry [D-Mass.] co-sponsored the bill that authorized the administration to lift the travel ban. He echoed the administration’s sentiments in a prepared statement.

“Today a discriminatory travel and immigration ban has gone the way of the dinosaur and we’re glad it’s finally extinct,” Kerry said. “We’ve now removed one more hurdle in our fight against AIDS, and it’s long overdue for people living with HIV who battle against stigma and bigotry day in and day out.”

Obama signs hate crimes bill

President Barack Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law at the White House earlier today.

This is the culmination of a struggle that has lasted more than a decade," Obama said. "Time and again, we faced opposition. Time and again, the measure was defeated or delayed. Time and again we've been reminded of the difficulty of building a nation in which we're all free to live and love as we see fit. But the cause endured and the struggle continued, waged by the family of Matthew Shepard, by the family of James Byrd, by folks who held vigils and led marches, by those who rallied and organized and refused to give up, by the late Senator Ted Kennedy who fought so hard for this legislation... and all who toiled for years to reach this day."

The president continued.

"At root, this isn't just about our laws; this is about who we are as a people. This is about whether we value one another... whether we embrace our differences, rather than allowing them to become a source of animus," Obama said. "The moment we fail to see in another our common humanity -- the very moment when we fail to recognize in a person the same fears and hopes, the same passions and imperfections, the same dreams that we all share."

Indeed.

Obama to sign hate crimes bill into law tomorrow

Less than a week after the U.S. Senate passed a bill that would add sexual orientation and gender identity and expression to federal hate crimes laws, the White House has announced President Barack Obama will sign the legislation tomorrow afternoon.

I post this blog less than 24 hours after an admittedly emotional visit to the site of an African burial ground here in Key West. It contains the remains of 294 people who died from disease after the U.S. Navy rescued them and more than 1,000 others from three illegal Cuba-bound slave ships in 1860. The United States has certainly made monumental strides since islanders came to the aid of those the federal government freed from bondage in the Florida Straits. And Obama's signature will mark yet another important chapter in the ongoing quest to ensure all Americans receive essential legal protections.

A single piece of legislation will certainly not end hate and bias-motivated crimes, but the fact the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act will become law tomorrow cannot go understated.

Obama speaks at Human Rights Campaign dinner

As LGBT activists and others around the country continue to converge on Washington for the National Equality March, President Barack Obama just delivered the keynote address at the Human Rights Campaign's annual dinner in the District of Columbia.

The commander-in-chief made multiple references back to the Stonewall Riots that kicked-off the modern movement for LGBT rights in 1969. Obama also said he would end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and he would sign the Employment Non-Discrimination Act into law once it comes across his desk. These proclamations, however, did not contain any specific timetables. And the rather obvious question remains: What impact will Obama's speech have and how will activists within the movement, LGBT Americans and others respond to it.

At strictly face value, the visage of the president standing before the country's largest LGBT advocacy organization to deliver a speech almost certainly carries enormous impact both inside the Beltway and around the country. Obama's popularity among Americans remains relatively high. And his decision to deliver the HRC keynote could potentially change more hearts and minds in support of basic LGBT equality.

There are certainly those within the movement and progressive circles, however, who will continue to conclude Obama did not go far enough tonight to prove his commitment to full LGBT equality--a handful of these criticisms have already begun to trickle into my inbox. Obama himself touched upon them as he urged dinner attendees to pressure him and other lawmakers to act on LGBT-specific bills. And he further (and arguably very correctly) concluded health care, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and other so-called bigger issues affect LGBT and straight Americans alike.

"You're soldiers, neighbors, friends and most importantly you're Americans who care deeply about this country and its future," Obama said to a rousing applause.

The president's opponents (on both the right and the left) will continue to criticize what he said (or what they feel he didn't say) in the speech. Obama's target audience was almost certainly those within the movement and progressive circles who have grown increasingly skeptical of the administration's commitment to LGBT issues. I remain intently curious, however, to know how those outside the convention center responded to the president's remarks. I wonder whether the transgender woman of color who sells her body each night on Knickerbocker Avenue in Bushwick in order to simply survive even knew Obama mentioned LGBT Americans tonight. I am curious to know whether those LGBT Americans in states where employers can still legally fire them solely because of their sexual orientation or gender identity and expression were even able to watch the speech. And I simply cannot help but wonder whether the closeted lawmaker who continues to pass anti-LGBT legislation against his own brothers and sisters even bothered to listen to the president's remarks.

The above three examples are clearly hyperbole, but the fact remains one speech from the president is not going to curb simmering skepticism or immediately end the injustices LGBT Americans of all socio-economic, racial, cultural, religious and even political backgrounds continue to endure. Obama set the right tone earlier tonight. The collective movement, however, must continue to push the White House, lawmakers and their own constituents on behalf of all of those on whose behalf it claims to advocate.

White House asks Paterson to end election campaign

As New York Gov. David Paterson's approval numbers hover around 30 percent, a report the White House has asked the governor to pull out of the 2010 gubernatorial campaign is nothing short of extraordinary.

The New York Times reported today Congressman Gregory Meeks [D-N.Y.] conveyed the administration's desire to Paterson. Newsday said Meeks broke the news to Paterson at a Manhattan dinner on Friday night, but two officials told the Times the White House has grown increasingly concerned about the governor's unpopularity and its potential impact on local and Congressional Democrat's prospects next fall.

Paterson, who took office in March 2008 after Gov. Eliot Spitzer became embroiled in a prostitution scandal and resigned, repeatedly asserted to local media outlets his gubernatorial campaign will continue. He and Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick are the country's only two black governors, but the White House's apparent intent to dissuade Paterson from his election campaign is nothing short of a stunning shot over the bow that adds even more writing to an already covered wall.

New York politics remains largely based on racial, socio-economic and other identity-driven demographics. Paterson is, in many ways, a product of the city's black political machine. His handling of the process to nominate Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's successor to the U.S. Senate and his repeated assertions last month the president would face racially motivated criticisms that are similar to those he contended his opponents have lobbied against him, however, are among the growing list of things that made him something of a pariah or even a persona non grata in political circles on both sides of the aisle.

Paterson's personal story remains an inspiring example of how anyone can overcome exceedingly difficult obstacles, but one can easily conclude his governorship is nothing short of an abject failure. Republicans and Democrats alike will almost certainly continue to urge the governor to put himself out of his own misery and step aside. These calls will almost certainly grow louder and more public. And the White House's desire indicates the end could come for Paterson far sooner than he would certainly like.

Stay tuned...

South Carolina Congressman heckles president during health care speech

As pundits and other interested parties dissect President Barack Obama's health care speech on Capitol Hill last night, a South Carolina Congressman's decision to heckle the commander-in-chief as a liar continues to garner attention on both sides of the aisle.

The New York Times described Republican Rep. Joe Wilson's outburst as "a rare breach of protocol." Fox News categorized it as "an extraordinary breach of Congressional decorum." And Dana Milbank of the Washington Post concluded Wilson's outburst brought "the nation's rapidly deteriorating discourse hit yet another low."

Wilson was quick to apologize after U.S. Sen. John McCain [R-Ariz.,] and a chorus of other lawmakers blasted the outburst as inappropriate, disrespectful and even shameful. The unscripted moment, however, is the latest in a series of incidents--former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's continued assertion the federal government would implement so-called death panels, Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank's now famous "On what planet do you spend most of your time? sound bite at a town hall meeting last month and the man who carried a gun outside an Obama rally in Arizona--to underscore the contentious health care debate in which the country continues to find itself. And Wilson's unfortunate outburst simply brought this reality into the House chamber for millions of Americans to see for themselves.

White House hosts so-called Beer Summit

The visage of four men--President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., and Cambridge [Mass.] police officer James Crowley--having a beer on the White House lawn is arguably surreal (or even absurd) depending upon whom you ask. The New York Times even live-blogged the much-anticipated meeting, but its implications almost certainly go far beyond the type of beer each man drank.

The facts that lead up to this meeting are all too known. Crowley arrested Gates outside his Cambridge home earlier this month after a woman reported a possible burglary. Authorities initially charged Gates with disorderly conduct, but the charges were subsequently dropped. And Obama sparked controversy with his assertion at a White House press conference on health care he felt the Cambridge Police Department acted stupidly by arresting Gates.

During what is traditionally a slow news cycle, this story simply keeps on giving. The subsequent brouhaha over the president's comments--and the arrest itself, however, clearly indicate the majority of Americans remain woefully reluctant to have any substantive discussion on race that does not extend beyond inflammatory sound bites or a steady stream talking heads from all political persuasions who want to add their two cents. This country has clearly made significant strides on this issue over the last decades, but Obama's election last November alone was not the long-awaited panacea that miraculously solved the continued scourge of racial injustice. And four men having a beer on the White House lawn alone will not eradicate it either.

Post-Pride odds and ends

As New Yorkers prepare to leave the city en masse for the Independence Day holiday, this blogger recounts a series of events that have dominated the headlines (and his schedule) over the last few days. These include the sudden death of Michael Jackson--and continued onslaught of media coverage surrounding it, the first nice weekend on Fire Island in weeks and a press conference outside the Stonewall Inn yesterday where Congressman Jerrold Nadler and others called for the inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression into the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964.

In addition, hundreds of LGBT activists attended a reception at the White House last night hosted by the president and the First Lady. The administration has certainly received a great deal of warranted criticism over the last few weeks for its refusal to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell and its unconscionable defense of the Defense of Marriage Act. That said, the mere fact the White House hosted hundreds of LGBT activists sends a powerful message the administration may actually take our community seriously. Let's hope so!

Obama to extend benefits to gay federal workers

As an increasing chorus of LGBT activists continue to criticize the Obama administration over the way it has handled "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," the Defense of Marriage Act and other issues, the White House has announced it plans to extend benefits to the same-sex partners of federal employees.

Some activists remain highly skeptical of the proposal because it reportedly will not extend health benefits, but it is almost certainly a significant baby step forward for those who continue to criticize the commander-in-chief for his arguable failure to adequately uphold the promises he made to LGBT Americans on the campaign trail.

Obama seeks to assure recession-weary nation

As the recession shows little signs of abatement, President Barack Obama sought to assure Americans the country will weather this economic storm in a speech he delivered last night to Congress.

Obama appeared poised--and dare I say Presidential--as he outlined his agenda for helping the country emerge from what arguably remains the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. He rallied against corporate excesses, touched upon the need for personal responsibility and exuded the sense of hope and optimism about the United States that facilitated his historic election last November. And Obama correctly outlined what many observers and pundits have already described as sacred cows that could be cut as part of the $2 trillion of what he described as unnecessary spending he hopes to cut from the federal budget in the next decade.

It obviously remains to be seen whether these promises will actually come to fruition, but a clear case can be made Obama 'gets it' in terms of the real pain this recession has caused and the real need to put partisan ideology aside in order to solve what remains the worst economic downturn in more than 70 years. The same cannot be said for Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and his patronizing lecture against the economic stimulus.

The Republican wunderkind's rebuttal speech clearly doubled as a self-serving infomercial that confirmed his 2012 presidential aspirations. It was, however, an extremely unfortunate spectacle that arguably reaffirmed how out-of-touch the Republican Party remains in the eyes of the majority of American voters. Jindal's delivery was awkward, it's substance was arguably lacking and it did little to temper the enormous goodwill Obama continues to enjoy... and it almost certainly did not do the GOP any favors.