“…Americans who voted GOP, even though the GOP never supported their needs, have finally realized that the GOP is only the friend of the rich. It is odd that it took this long but thank goodness they have finally awakened from their spell.

It is no longer acceptable to support only 1% of the population and screw the other 99%. The other reason Americans have jettisoned Bush, Cheney, the GOP and the neocons is because we are still pissed off at them for stealing two elections and then squandering the health, wealth and security of our nation…”

from a comment at the Huffington Post

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Family Values Congressman Admits To Affair, Illegitimate Child

By wildwildwest | May 9, 2008

(Rethuglican, of course…)

Family Values Republican Congressman Admits To Affair, Illegitimate Child
by The Associated Press

Posted: May 8, 2008 - 5:00 pm ET

(hehe-another one bites the dust!-wild)

(Washington) Rep. Vito Fossella of New York ran a red light, and wrecked his life. A drunk-driving arrest last week led to talk of an extramarital affair, and then finally Thursday, an admission of a child from that affair.

“My personal failings and imperfections have caused enormous pain to the people I love and I am truly sorry,” said Fossella, a Republican, who lives in his Staten Island, N.Y., district with his wife and their three children.

Fossella is the only Republican member of Congress from New York City, and the paternity revelation could lead to the loss of a seat in Congress at a time when the House GOP faces the possibility of a second grim November of election setbacks.

In Congress Fossella voted in favor of a constitutional amendment that would bar same-sex marriage and against the Matthew Shepard Act which would add gay under hate crime law.

Read the rest of this entry »

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American Family Outing to Six Mega-Churches Has Begun

By wildwildwest | May 9, 2008

LGBT Families to Host Families from Lakewood Church on Mother’s Day Weekend

At a press conference in Houston on May 7, Jay Bakker, pastor of Revolution NYC church, issued an open invitation to families from Lakewood Church — the largest congregation in the U.S. — to share a picnic with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) families in Houston’s Levy Park on Saturday, May 10, 2008.

“I want to celebrate my mother’s life,” said Bakker, “and help spread the message she lived and preached. We need to stop thinking of ourselves as ‘us’ and ‘them.’ We hope the families of Lakewood Church will open their hearts and minds to us and sit down and have a conversation and share a meal. … Let’s put our differences aside and share the love and hope of Christ.”

The press conference kicked off The American Family Outing, which aims to create dialogue between LGBT families and families at six American mega-churches. The majority of the churches, including The Potter’s House in Dallas, Willow Creek Community Church in Illinois, and Hope Christian Church in Maryland, have agreed to meet lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender families through The American Family Outing.

However, after five months of letters and phone calls, Osteen and Lakewood Church have not yet agreed to sit down with the families for a meal and conversation. Following the press conference, Bakker attempted to deliver his letter in-person, but was told that no one was available to receive it.

Bakker was joined at the press conference by Kim Beggs, a local lesbian mom, Rev. Kristen Klein-Cechettini, Director of Life Development at Resurrection MCC in Houston, and Caitlin MacIntyre, a Rice University student and member of COLAGE’s Speak Out program.

Bakker’s direct invitation to the families at Lakewood Church was delivered at the site of Saturday’s picnic, Levy Park, which is less than a mile from Lakewood. Video of the invitation and press conference can be viewed here. (videos are also below).

What: American Family Outing Picnic in Levy Park, featuring Jay Bakker and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender families from Houston and beyond.

When: Saturday, May 10, 2008 from 11am-2pm

Where: Levy Park, 3801 Eastside St., Houston, TX, 77098. (Just off of Richmond, between Buffalo Speedway and Kirby).

Read the Houston Chronicle story at
www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5762904.html.

Photo credit: Dalton DeHart

Next Weekend: Bishop T.D. Jakes and The Potter’s House

Bishop T.D. Jakes agreed to meet and our families will be attending church at the Potter’s House in Dallas on May 18. Later that afternoon, families from the church will meet with our families with the hope of creating a meaningful dialogue on faith, family, and LGBT people. We will keep you updated throughout the American Family Outing!

More information on the American Family Outing, as well as a complete schedule, can be found at www.soulforce.org/afo.

• Rev. Joel Osteen and the Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas
• Bishop T.D. Jakes and The Potter’s House in Dallas, Texas
• Bishop Harry Jackson, Jr. and Hope Christian Church in Beltsville, Maryland
• Bishop Eddie Long and New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Georgia
• Rev. Bill Hybels and Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois
• Dr. Rick Warren and Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California

Mother, Trans Son Embark on Soulforce Journey

This Mother’s Day, Soulforce is proud to share the inspiring journey of one of the mothers of the American Family Outing, Mary Helen Phelps, and her son, Angel Collie. This account was written by Matt Comer for Q-Notes.

Mary Helen Phelps, 43, calls herself a “reformed redneck.” Her journey toward accepting her female-to-male transgender son has taken her from valleys of worry and despair to mountain tops of joy and reconciliation.

Phelps, who grew up in this traditionally conservative Baptist town just outside Raleigh, said she didn’t hesitate when invited to participate in the American Family Outing by her son.

“I didn’t have to think about it,” she told Q-Notes. “As soon as I was invited I was ready to go. I feel like I’ve been there and I know where these parents are at.”

She said she wants to let parents of gay and transgender children know that they can accept their sons and daughters for who they are.

“I remember sleeping outside Angel’s door at night, afraid to death Angel would commit suicide,” she said. “I want to tell these parents, ‘You’re trying to change something your children were born with and what you’re doing is putting bullets in a gun.’”

Phelps said her own journey to acceptance was filled with obstacles. To this day, she still faces challenges, especially when it comes to using the correct pronouns for her transgender son.

“Angel wanted boys clothes every time I put clothes on him,” she said. “I was not supportive [after Angel first came out] because of my Baptist religion. I told Angel he was going to Hell and we even tried counseling.”

The family finally came to a turning point when all the landmark institutions if their lives began turning against Angel.

“Angel’s school turned against him. Angel’s church turned against him — even telling him he couldn’t pray on the altar,” Phelps related. “Any mother in the world is going to stand up for their child. All the negativity around Angel is what really turned me around.”

The full version of this article can be read at:
www.q-notes.com/2008/05/03/mother-trans-son-embark-on-soulforce-journey.

Soulforce Needs You to Sponsor One or More Families

Can you take part in the American Family Outing by sponsoring one or more of the families leading the effort? Each of our twenty-one families have pledged to raise $2,000 through their own sponsor page. Your tax-deductible contribution to Soulforce will be used toward the expenses associated with planning and completing this important work towards equality and understanding. The American Family Outing would not be possible without your generous financial support. Thank you!

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Proctor and Gamble update (from Donnie Wildgirl)

By wildwildwest | May 8, 2008

I’m not going to change anything this time, below this is the email I got from Donnie WildGirl at the AFA: (I’m not kidding, for some reason all of a sudden he can’t use the complete words of gay or homosexual)

Procter & Gamble heard from the g-ys, then changed its rules

Company changed procedure after allowing g-ys time to call

May 8, 2008

Dear Wild,

Following its support for the h-mos-xual agenda, Procter & Gamble established a toll-free number for people to register their opinions for or against P&G’s promotion of the g-y agenda, including open mouth kissing between g-ys. It gave a toll-free number which was heavily promoted on g-y Web sites for a week to give those favoring the promotion of h-mos-xuality an opportunity to call. Monday, after AFA had put out the word that P&G wanted to hear from AFA supporters, P&G abruptly ended it.

AFA is encouraging supporters to call P&G and ask the company why it is promoting the g-y lifestyle and why it quit using the toll-free number to receive opinions only after AFA notified AFA supporters about it. We urge you to spend a few cents to register your complaint with P&G. Here is P&G’s corporate number to call: 513-983-1100. (Please get others to call P&G at this number!) (Or call the AFA at 800-326-4543)

P&G has added h-mos-xual lovers to its soap opera “As the World Turns.” The soap opera now includes scenes of h-mos-xuals with passionate open mouth kissing. The motive behind P&G’s push is to desensitize viewers, especially younger viewers, to the h-mos-xual lifestyle. The ultimate goal of h-mos-xual activists is h-mos-xual marriage.

Take Action!

• Call the main number of P&G (513-983-1100). Call between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Central time.
• Forward this e-mail to family and friends and urge them to call.
• Reproduce this letter and distribute to others — Sunday School class, church, coworkers, etc. Ask your pastor to put this information in the church bulletin and newsletter.
• If you have not already done so, send an e-mail letter to P&G opposing its promotion of h-mos-xuality.
• Sign up to get Action Alert updates from the American Family Association on the P&G response. Sign up here to stay informed. (AFA.net).

Below is the DVD available from the AFA about h-mos-xuals…

View the Trailer

Residents of the small Arkansas town of Eureka Springs noticed the homosexual community was growing.  But they felt no threat.  They went about their business as usual.  Then, one day, they woke up to discover that their beloved Eureka Springs, a community which was known far and wide as a center for Christian entertainment–had changed.  The City Council had been taken over by a small group of homosexual activists.

The Eureka Springs they knew is gone.  It is now a national hub for homosexuals.  Eureka Springs is becoming the San Francisco of Arkansas. The story of how this happened is told in the new AFA DVD “They’re Coming To Your Town.”

One of the first actions of the homosexual controlled City Council was to offer a “registry” where homosexuals could register their unofficial “marriage.”  City Council member Joyce Zeller said the city will now be promoted, not as a Christian resort, but a city “selling peace, relaxation, history and sex.” 

AFA’s “They’re Coming To Your Town” documents the story of how and why this happened. And how homosexual activists plan to do the same in other towns.

Order a copy of “They’re Coming To Your Town.” Watch it.  Then take the 28-minute DVD and share it with your Sunday School class and local church. This is a story the liberal media will never tell, but one you need to know.

Special Offer! Save over 33%! Order a 5 pack and put this vital information in the hands of your local officials, pastors and other community leaders.

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check your nuts!

By wildwildwest | May 3, 2008

Are you between 15-35 years old? Check your balls!

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Procter & Gamble wants to know if you approve of its support of gays and lesbians (email from Don Wildmon)

By wildwildwest | May 2, 2008

I received this email from Wildmon at the AFA; his words are in red.

Procter & Gamble wants to know if you approve of its support of the homosexual lifestyle: Company establishes toll-free number to call

May 2, 2008

Dear Wild,

Procter & Gamble wants to know if you approve its efforts to promote the homosexual lifestyle. It has established a toll-free number for you to call and vote to approve or disapprove its support of homosexuality.

P&G has added homosexual lovers to its soap opera “As the World Turns.” It has also added scenes of homosexuals with open mouth kissing. The motive behind P&G’s push is to desensitize viewers, especially younger viewers, to the homosexual lifestyle. The ultimate goal of homosexual activists is homosexual marriage.

Thousands of homosexual activists are already calling P&G.

Take Action! (I have changed a few words)

• Call the toll-free number P&G has set up for the public regarding its support of GLBT people. Call 1-800-331-3774 and follow the prompts. (There is not a live person at this number.)
• Forward this post to family and friends and urge them to call and vote.

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Say what, Preacher?

By wildwildwest | May 2, 2008

Top 10 Outrageous Quotes From McCain’s Spiritual Advisers

by: Living Liberally

Thu May 01, 2008 at 18:00

Laughing Liberally To Keep From Crying
by Katie Halper

Before Jeremiah “Obama’s Pastor” Wright spews even more nonsense, and quotes even more ambassadors, we want to shed some light on the brilliant gems uttered by some of McCain’s own spiritual advisers, Pastor John Hagee and Reverend Rod Parsley. When Hagee endorsed McCain, because he is a man of principle, McCain said he was “very honored by Pastor John Hagee’s endorsement.” Reverend Parsley calls McCain a “strong, true, consistent conservative” and McCain calls Parsley “a spiritual adviser.”  Because the liberal media refuses to give any credit to McCain, it is up to us to be fair and balanced. So here are the top 10 Memorable Quotes said by McCain’s religious advisers:

1. “Do you know the difference between a woman with PMS and a snarling Doberman pinscher? The answer is lipstick. Do you know the difference between a terrorist and a woman with PMS? You can negotiate with a terrorist.”
- Pastor John Hagee in his book What Every Man Wants in a Woman (Charisma House, 2005)

2. “The Quran teaches that [all Muslims have a mandate to kill Christians and Jews]. Yes, it teaches that very clearly.”
-Pastor John Hagee

Living Liberally :: Top 10 Outrageous Quotes From McCain’s Spiritual Advisers

3. “I believe that the Hurricane Katrina was, in fact, the judgment of God against the city of New Orleans…I believe that New Orleans had a level of sin that was offensive to God, and they are — were recipients of the judgment of God for that…There was to be a homosexual parade there on the Monday that the Katrina came. And the promise of that parade was that it was going to reach a level of sexuality never demonstrated before in any of the other Gay Pride parades…. The Bible teaches that when you violate the law of God, that God brings punishment sometimes before the day of judgment.”
-Pastor John Hagee

4. “The military will have difficultly recruiting healthy and strong heterosexuals for combat purposes. Why? Fighting in combat with a man in your fox hole that has AIDS or is HIV positive is double jeopardy.”
- Pastor John Hagee on Don’t Ask Don’t Tell

5. “[Gay marriage] will open the door to incest, to polygamy, and every conceivable marriage arrangement demented minds can possibly conceive. If God does not then punish America, He will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah.”
- Pastor John Hagee

6. “It is impossible to call yourself a Christian and defend homosexuality. There is no justification or acceptance of homosexuality…. Homosexuality means the death of society because homosexuals can recruit, but they cannot reproduce.”
- Pastor John Hagee

7. “Only a Spirit-filled woman can submit to her husband’s lead. It is the natural desire of a woman to lead through feminine manipulation of the man…Fallen women will try to dominate the marriage. The man has the God-given role to be the loving leader of the home.”
- Pastor John Hagee in his book What Every Man Wants in a Woman (Charisma House, 2005)

8.   “I cannot tell you how important it is that we understand the true nature of Islam, that we see it for what it really is. In fact, I will tell you this: I do not believe our country can truly fulfill its divine purpose until we understand our historical conflict with Islam. I know that this statement sounds extreme, but I do not shrink from its implications. The fact is that America was founded, in part, with the intention of seeing this false religion destroyed, and I believe September 11, 2001, was a generational call to arms that we can no longer ignore.”
- Rod Parsley in Silent No More (Charisma House, 2005)

9. “Gay sexuality inevitably involves brutal physical abusiveness and the unnatural imposition of alien substances into internal organs, orally and anally, that inevitably suppress the immune system and heighten susceptibility to disease.”
- Rod Parsley

10.  “Only 1 percent of the homosexual population in America will die of old age. The average life expectancy for a homosexual in the United States of America is 43 years of age. A lesbian can only expect to live to be 45 years of age. Homosexuals represent 2 percent of the population, yet today they’re carrying 60 percent of the known cases of syphilis.”
- Rod Parsley

A version of this originally appeared on Nerve Scanner.

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Expose the Real McCain

By wildwildwest | April 28, 2008

John McCain wants to stay in Iraq for 100 years, but his lobbyist-ran campaign has and will continue to viciously attack anyone who remind the American people.

We know it — we have it on tape to prove it — and with your help, the American people will know it as well with our latest ad on John McCain and Iraq.

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Celebrate Diversity (in Belgium)

By wildwildwest | April 23, 2008

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Bill Maher and the Pope…

By wildwildwest | April 14, 2008

Bill Maher ended his latest episode of “Real Time” with a “new rule” about the pope. Pegged to the recently raided polygamist compound in Texas and the pontiff’s visit to the US this week, it had his guests in stitches and left the audience gasping. Watch:

(from the Huffington Post)

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Morning Joe panelists "sick[ened]" by story of pregnant transgender man

By wildwildwest | April 8, 2008

On the April 4 edition of Morning Joe, co-hosts Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski, and Willie Geist discussed Thomas Beatie, a pregnant transgender man, and his April 3 appearance on Oprah, during which Scarborough said, “I’m not going to look at this,” and Brzezinski said: “I’m going to be sick. I am going to be sick.” Scarborough also asked, “What are you doing to me?” before going on to suggest that the father was alternately a “parrot” and “[a] former aide of [former New Jersey Gov.] Jim McGreevey.” Later Scarborough said: “Please, let’s move on. I really do feel sick.” Read the rest of the article here

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Christopher Walken…

By wildwildwest | April 6, 2008

has a family reunion…

…and plans a surprise birthday party

These were two of the funniest skits on last night’s SNL; Walken is every so funny as usual. (and Kristen Wiig is AMAZING)

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Jay Leno Apologizes For Gay Remarks

By wildwildwest | April 2, 2008

After gay rights organization GLAAD urged Jay Leno to apologize for making derogatory remarks during a recent interview with actor Ryan Phillippe, the talk show host clarified his remarks in a statement.

“In talking about Ryan’s first role, I realize that what I said came out wrong,” Leno said. “I certainly didn’t mean any malice. I agree it was a dumb thing to say, and I apologize.” The Tonight Show host, 57, teased Phillippe, 33, for landing his first role as a gay teen on the soap One Life to Live. He also asked Phillippe to give the camera his “gayest look.”

Click here to contact NBC and let them know how you feel about Jay’s derogatory remarks about gays and lesbians.

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Researchers discover gene that blocks HIV

By wildwildwest | March 24, 2008

Richard Cairney
Express News
Monday, March 03, 2008

February 28, 2008 - Edmonton - A team of researchers at the University of Alberta has discovered a gene that is able to block HIV, and in turn prevent the onset of AIDS.
Stephen Barr, a molecular virologist in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, says his team has identified a gene called TRIM22 that can block HIV infection in a cell culture by preventing the assembly of the virus.
“When we put this gene in cells, it prevents the assembly of the HIV virus,” said Barr, a postdoctoral fellow. “This means the virus cannot get out of the cells to infect other cells, thereby blocking the spread of the virus.”
Barr and his team also prevented cells from turning on the TRIM22 gene - provoking an interesting phenomenon: the normal response of interferon, a protein that co-ordinates attacks by genes like TRIM22 against viral infections, became useless at blocking HIV infection.
“This means that TRIM22 is an essential part of our body’s ability to fight off HIV. The results are very exciting because they show that our bodies have a gene that is capable of stopping the spread of HIV.”
One of the greatest challenges in battling HIV is the virus’ ability to mutate and evade medications. Antiretroviral drugs introduced during the late 1990s interfere with HIV’s ability to produce new copies of itself - and though beneficial, the drugs are unable to eradicate the virus. Barr and his team have discovered a gene that could potentially do the job naturally.
“There are always newly emerging drug-resistant strains of HIV so the push has been to develop more natural means of blocking the virus. The discovery of this gene, which is natural in our cells, might provide a different avenue,” said Barr. “The gene prevents the assembly of the virus so in the future the idea would be to develop drugs or vaccines that can mimic the effects of this gene.”
“We are currently trying to figure out why this gene does not work in people infected with HIV and if there is a way to turn this gene on in those individuals,” he added. “We hope that our research will lead to the design of new drugs, or vaccines that can halt the person-to-person transmission of HIV and the spread of the virus in the body, thereby blocking the onset of AIDS.”
The researchers are now investigating the gene’s ability to battle other viruses.
Barr’s research is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research. The findings are published in the Public Library of Science Pathogens.

Original article and comments here

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More lies from the Rethuglicans…

By wildwildwest | March 19, 2008

Scarborough claimed McCain “has never attached himself to these people on the far right that say if you’re gay, you’re going to hell, et cetera”

Summary: Joe Scarborough asserted on MSNBC’s Morning Joe: “John McCain has never attached himself to these people on the far right that say if you’re gay, you’re going to hell, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.” In fact, McCain has “attached himself to” some notable religious figures who have made controversial statements, among them John Hagee and Rod Parsley.

On the March 18 edition of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, discussing controversial comments by Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright, Sen. Barack Obama’s former pastor, host Joe Scarborough claimed that Sen. John McCain “has never attached himself to these people on the far right that say if you’re gay, you’re going to hell, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.” Scarborough later added, “Please, don’t bring up [televangelist] John Hagee in Texas and tell us that there is any comparison [to Wright], because there is not.” Scarborough appeared with MSNBC analyst Rachel Maddow on the previous night’s edition of MSNBC’s Race for the White House, during which Maddow said that if she could “have Barack Obama do anything, I would have him go on the offense” concerning Wright, adding, “I would have [Obama] play the comments from Pastor John Hagee, where Hagee said that New Orleans deserved Katrina because they were going to have a gay pride parade.” Contrary to Scarborough’s assertion that McCain “has never attached himself to these people on the far right,” Maddow noted that Hagee “has endorsed [McCain], and John McCain said he was honored by the endorsement.” McCain has also accepted the endorsement of Rod Parsley, senior pastor of World Harvest Church in Columbus, Ohio, who has reportedly said of Islam, “The fact is that America was founded, in part, with the intention of seeing this false religion destroyed.” In addition, while McCain called Rev. Jerry Falwell and Rev. Pat Robertson “agents of intolerance” in a 2000 speech, he said in a 2006 interview on NBC’s Meet the Press that he no longer believed that about Falwell and later delivered a graduation speech at Falwell’s Liberty University.

John Hagee

On February 27, prior to the March 4 Republican primary in Texas, Hagee, founder and senior pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, endorsed McCain at a press conference in which the two appeared together. Following Hagee’s endorsement, McCain said, “All I can tell you is I’m very proud to have pastor Hagee’s support.” Hagee has made controversial statements about, among other topics, homosexuality, Islam, the Catholic Church, and women.

As Media Matters for America has noted, on the September 18, 2006, edition of National Public Radio’s Fresh Air, host Terry Gross said to Hagee, “You said after Hurricane Katrina that it was an act of God, and you said ‘when you violate God’s will long enough, the judgment of God comes to you. Katrina is an act of God for a society that is becoming Sodom and Gomorrah reborn.’ ” She then asked, “Do you still think that Katrina is punishment from God for a society that’s becoming like Sodom and Gomorrah?” Hagee responded:

HAGEE: All hurricanes are acts of God, because God controls the heavens. I believe that New Orleans had a level of sin that was offensive to God, and they are — were recipients of the judgment of God for that. The newspaper carried the story in our local area that was not carried nationally that there was to be a homosexual parade there on the Monday that the Katrina came. And the promise of that parade was that it was going to reach a level of sexuality never demonstrated before in any of the other Gay Pride parades. So I believe that the judgment of God is a very real thing. I know that there are people who demur from that, but I believe that the Bible teaches that when you violate the law of God, that God brings punishment sometimes before the day of judgment. And I believe that the Hurricane Katrina was, in fact, the judgment of God against the city of New Orleans.

Earlier in the program, Gross had asked Hagee if he believed that “all Muslims have a mandate to kill Christians and Jews.” Hagee replied: “Well, the Quran teaches that. Yes, it teaches that very clearly.”

In his book What Every Man Wants in a Woman (Charisma House, 2005), Hagee wrote: “As I write this book, the issue of same-sex marriage rages on the front pages of America’s newspapers and is seen on national telecasts each evening,” and noted that “Massachusetts has just agreed to recognize same-sex marriages.” Hagee added: “For a fact, Sodom and Gomorrah are being reborn in America.” Several paragraphs later, he asserted that if the United States Congress failed to pass an amendment “recognizing only the marriage between a man and a woman,” then “the gates of hell will be opened.” He continued: “It will open the door to incest, to polygamy, and every conceivable marriage arrangement demented minds can possibly conceive. If God does not then punish America, He will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah.” He also wrote: “It is impossible to call yourself a Christian and defend homosexuality. There is no justification or acceptance of homosexuality,” and “Homosexuality means the death of society because homosexuals can recruit, but they cannot reproduce.”

Additionally, journalist Sarah Posner wrote in God’s Profits: Faith, Fraud and the Republican Crusade for Values Voters (PoliPointPress, January 2008) that Hagee “complains that the military is downsized — not that it matters since he predicts there will be a nuclear war to bring about Armageddon — and blames it on Bill Clinton for making ‘the military the habitat of homosexuals by executive order. …The military will have difficultly recruiting healthy and strong heterosexuals for combat purposes. Why? Fighting in combat with a man in your fox hole that has AIDS or is HIV positive is double jeopardy’ ” (Page 83).

A March 7, 1996, article (accessed via the Nexis database) in the San Antonio Express-News reported that Hagee was going to “meet with black religious leaders privately at an unspecified future date to discuss comments he made in his newsletter about a ’slave sale,’ an East Side minister said Wednesday.” The Express-News further reported:

Hagee, pastor of the 16,000-member Cornerstone Church, last week had announced a “slave sale” to raise funds for high school seniors in his church bulletin, “The Cluster.”

The item was introduced with the sentence “Slavery in America is returning to Cornerstone” and ended with “Make plans to come and go home with a slave.”

The Wall Street Journal also noted the incident in a July 27, 2006, article:

To help students seeking odd jobs, his church newsletter, The Cluster, advertised a “slave” sale. “Slavery in America is returning to Cornerstone,” it said. “Make plans to come and go home with a slave.” Mr. Hagee apologized but, in a radio interview, protested about pressure to be “politically correct” and joked that perhaps his pet dog should be called a “canine American.”

In What Every Man Wants in a Woman, Hagee wrote (Page 14):

Do you know the difference between a woman with PMS and a snarling Doberman pinscher? The answer is lipstick. Do you know the difference between a terrorist and a woman with PMS? You can negotiate with a terrorist.

He further wrote that “[o]nly a Spirit-filled woman can submit to her husband’s lead. It is the natural desire of a woman to lead through feminine manipulation of the man.” He added that a woman is, “by instinct, a manipulator of the situation. Fallen women will try to dominate the marriage. The man has the God-given role to be the loving leader of the home” (Pages 12-13).

On February 29, McCain released a statement in which he asserted that “in no way did I intend for his endorsement to suggest that I in turn agree with all of Pastor Hagee’s views, which I obviously do not.” On March 8, the Associated Press quoted McCain’s assertions that “[w]e’ve had a dignified campaign, and I repudiate any comments that are made, including Pastor Hagee’s, if they are anti-Catholic or offensive to Catholics” and that “I categorically reject and repudiate any statement that was made that was anti-Catholic, both in intent and nature. I categorically reject it, and I repudiate it.” As Think Progress noted, on the March 11 broadcast of Bill Bennett’s Morning in America, McCain said, “I repudiate any, any comments that are anti-Semitic, anti-Catholic, racist, any other. And I condemn them and I condemn those words that Pastor Hagee apparently, that Pastor Hagee wrote” and added, “I will say that he [Hagee] said that his words were taken out of context, he defends his position.” But McCain has yet to address any of Hagee’s specific remarks other than those concerning Catholicism.

Rod Parsley

In a March 12 article, Mother Jones Washington editor David Corn reported that Parsley had endorsed McCain on February 26, prior to the March 4 Republican primary in Ohio, at a campaign rally at which they both appeared. Corn reported that “Parsley praised the Republican presidential front-runner as a ’strong, true, consistent conservative,’ ” and that “McCain, with Parsley by his side at the Cincinnati rally, called the evangelical minister a ’spiritual guide.’ “

According to Corn’s article, Parsley wrote in Silent No More (Charisma House, April 2005), in a chapter titled “Islam: The Deception of Allah”:

I cannot tell you how important it is that we understand the true nature of Islam, that we see it for what it really is. In fact, I will tell you this: I do not believe our country can truly fulfill its divine purpose until we understand our historical conflict with Islam. I know that this statement sounds extreme, but I do not shrink from its implications. The fact is that America was founded, in part, with the intention of seeing this false religion destroyed, and I believe September 11, 2001, was a generational call to arms that we can no longer ignore.

Fox News reported on March 15 that, “[r]egarding Parsley’s comments on Islam, campaign officials point to McCain’s denunciation of similar comments made by Rev. John Hagee — noting that the presumptive GOP nominee was not endorsing Parsley by accepting the pastor’s endorsement and does not agree with all of his views.”

Jerry Falwell

The New York Times reported May 14, 2006, that McCain’s appearance at Liberty University “came as Mr. McCain — trying to establish an early dominance in the Republican presidential nomination battle — has sought to ease tensions with Republican conservatives who have long been suspicious of his commitment to conservative ideals, a perception that was stirred by his difficult history with Mr. Falwell.”

During a September 13, 2001, appearance on The 700 Club, Falwell reportedly said of the 9-11 attacks: “What we saw on Tuesday, as terrible as it is, could be minuscule if, in fact, God continues to lift the curtain and allow the enemies of America to give us probably what we deserve. … I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the A.C.L.U., People for the American Way, all of them who have tried to secularize America, I point the finger in their face and say, ‘You helped this happen.’ ” Falwell subsequently apologized.

From the March 18 edition of MSNBC’s Morning Joe:

SCARBOROUGH: Here’s the problem. I was on David Gregory’s show last night — great, great new show. There was a — there was a moment when somebody said, “Well, you know, there are these right-wing pastors that have choirs that sing these hymns of hate.” And I say, “But you know what? It’s different with Barack Obama here.” And this is his biggest problem, he’s — John McCain has never attached himself to these people on the far right that say if you’re gay, you’re going to hell, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

But Barack Obama is so attached to this pastor. His best-selling book, he let us all know, was inspired by this pastor’s sermon. He let us know that this pastor brought him to Christ. He let us know that this pastor married he and Michelle, probably told us that. He let us know that this pastor baptized his two children. He let us know that this pastor played a key, key role in his life. Please, don’t bring up John Hagee in Texas and tell us that there is any comparison, because there is not.

From the March 17 edition of MSNBC’s Race for the White House:

DAVID GREGORY (host): But Rachel, if you hear that sound bite from Reverend Wright, and one of the things that’s important to hear is the applause that he’s getting. The mood in the room. Does Barack Obama have to straddle a line here and try to explain to people who might be turned off by this kind of rhetoric that it comes from someplace real? Inside the African-American community — that he can represent the African-American community, can Barack Obama, while also being a kind of post-racial presidential candidate?

MADDOW: I think he could do that. But I think he’s already tipped his hand that he’s not going to. He posted on Huffington Post on Friday night, Barack Obama did. And he very, very, very emphatically distanced himself from and condemned those remarks by his pastor. He’s not condemning his pastor, but he’s condemning those sentiments.

If I could wave a magic wand and have Barack Obama do anything, I would have him go on the offense about this. I would have him play the comments from Pastor John Hagee, where Hagee said that New Orleans deserved Katrina because they were going to have a gay pride parade.

GREGORY: You’re talking about Joe [sic] Hagee, who has endorsed John McCain?

MADDOW: John Hagee, who has endorsed him, and John McCain said he was honored by the endorsement.

GREGORY: Right.

MADDOW: He did distance himself from Hagee’s anti-Catholic comments. But Hagee said that New Orleans deserved what it got from Katrina, that God was smoting them essentially for having a gay pride parade. I would play that clip.

GREGORY: Joe Scarborough, what’s different? Get in here.

SCARBOROUGH: I wouldn’t even — I would make sure that people kept Rachel Maddow out of the room, because that is a fight that is good for Air America versus Rush Limbaugh.

MADDOW: Oh, come on, Joe.

SCARBOROUGH: That’s a fight that’s good for The Huffington Post versus the Drudge Report.

What Barack Obama has done that’s magical this campaign season, and, yes, I will say the word “magical.” He’s unified people. He’s made white Iowa come out and vote for him. He’s made Republicans believe that even though he may disagree with him, he doesn’t hate them. That is a change. That turns our back on eight years of Bush wars, eight years of Clinton wars. Barack Obama needs to remain the unifier, and I will tell you tomorrow he does need to go on the offensive. But he needs to go on the offensive against this speech, which most white voters in the states that he needs — Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida — sees this as hate speech.

He doesn’t have to explain African-American churches. He doesn’t have to explain his pastor. He needs to condemn this language, get it behind him, and say, “It doesn’t matter whether it’s from my church, or a church in Texas, or an Islamic mosque. We need to bring America together.” That’s his message. And he needs to distance himself from this speech as quickly as possible.

—M.G. from Media Matters

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Former Governor and wife’s 3-way Sex Stud

By wildwildwest | March 17, 2008

March 17, 2008 — A former driver and aide to former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey yesterday made the bombshell claim that Dina Matos McGreevey must have always known her husband was gay - because he was the other man in bed with them.

In an explosive interview with The New York Post, the McGreeveys’ self-professed man in the middle, Teddy Pedersen, gave explicit details of three-way sex romps that he claimed to have had with the now-divorcing duo, starting during their courtship and continuing into the marriage.

Pedersen - who said he had already spilled the beans on the ménage a trois arrangement under oath in a deposition for the couple’s divorce battle - hinted that he thinks his presence was required to get Jim’s motor running for Dina.

Matos McGreevey’s basic argument in her divorce war with the former gov is that he covered up his homosexuality and tricked her into a loveless marriage.

Pedersen - who is named in Matos McGreevey’s court papers - agreed to talk about the alleged unconventional relationship after Dina sounded off to the media last week about Eliot Spitzer’s sex scandal.

“It’s frustrating to hear her call Gov. Spitzer a hypocrite while she’s out there being as dishonest as anyone could be about her own life,” said Pedersen, 29.

“She’s framed herself as a victim - yet she was a willing participant. She had complete control over what happened in her relationship,” he said. “She was there, she knew what was happening, she made the moves. We all did. It’s disgusting to watch her play the victim card.”

The trio’s trysts started after Pedersen was hired as a campaign driver when McGreevey was mayor of Woodbridge, NJ, the former chauffeur said.

Read full article here

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Netherlands Bans Sex with Animals

By wildwildwest | March 14, 2008

REUTERS

A still of a man hugging a horse taken from the film “Zoo,” a documentary about bestiality, which premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film.

The ban was two years in the making, but the Dutch parliament has finally decided to outlaw bestiality and animal pornography.

The Dutch parliament voted unanimously Thursday to ban sex with animals and pornography depicting bestiality. Anyone breaking the law now risks being sent to jail for up to six months. Until now, Dutch law had only forbidden bestiality in cases where animal suffering was involved.

By passing the ban, the Netherlands joins the ranks of 80 countries where animal pornography is explicitly forbidden, Harm Evert Waalkens, the member of parliament who proposed the law, told the Associated Press. “The Netherlands has been a magnet for perversities — and we want to stop that,” Waalkens said, adding that pornographers had lobbied fiercely against a ban.

The Party for the Animals, however, which has two members of parliament, wanted the ban to be more wide-ranging. The party’s Esther Ouwehand called for the castration of pigs and the artificial insemination of cows to also be outlawed, too.

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Spitzer Resigns - It’s Time to Impeach Bush

By wildwildwest | March 13, 2008

Spitzer Resigns - It’s Time to Impeach Bush

Today Gov. Eliot Spitzer apologized again to the people of New York for his personal failings and resigned, just 16 months after winning an historic landslide election with 70% of the vote.

But Spitzer’s resignation was not entirely voluntary, because Republican leaders were busy drafting Articles of Impeachment.

What was Spitzer’s impeachable offense? The “lowest” crime in the book.

As we know, the Founding Fathers wanted Impeachment to be used for “High Crimes” like treason, bribery, war crimes, and subverting the Constitution itself.

Eliot Spitzer committed no “High Crimes” - but George Bush and Dick Cheney most certainly have, and they continue to do so with absolute impunity.

It’s time for Congress to impeach them for it.
http://www.democrats.com/peoplesemailnetwork/88?ad=d8

16 months ago, we posted a petition listing 10 High Crimes which justified their impeachment:
(1) Starting a “war of aggression” (2) torture (3) arbitrary detention (4) war crimes (5) warrantless wiretapping (6) signing statements (7) election fraud (8) outing a covert CIA operative (9) the “unitary executive” (10) gross negligence for Katrina and global warming.

Each one of these crimes is as unacceptable today as it was then. After 5 years in Iraq (see below), Bush has killed nearly 4,000 Americans and over 1 million Iraqis and incurred $3 trillion in costs. And there are many more crimes we could add, including Bush’s commutation of Scooter Libby’s sentence to stop him from testifying about the crimes of Bush and Cheney themselves, and Bush’s ongoing threats to bomb Iran. And each one makes Spitzer’s “crime” utterly insignificant by comparison.

Over 137,000 of you have signed this petition, and we thank you. (If you’ve forgotten, our form won’t let you sign twice.)

But many of you have not. And in the wake of the Republican effort to impeach Eliot Spitzer for his “low” crime, every American who is outraged by Bush’s “High Crimes” should sign it.

Please tell your Senators and Representative to Impeach Bush and Cheney Now:
http://www.democrats.com/peoplesemailnetwork/88?ad=d8

And thanks for all you do to make the world a better place.

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Liberal is just another word… and more funny stuff

By wildwildwest | March 8, 2008

One of the funniest “political” videos ever…

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Palestinian drag queens at odds with nearly everyone

By wildwildwest | March 5, 2008

“R” holds a rock that he uses as part of his performance.

Anna Blackshaw / MCT

TEL AVIV, Israel — His friends call him “The Bride.”