Their ineptitude is evident and their political miscalculations are legendary but they are now gonna sit right down and write themselves a letter. That’s invertebrate class of the Democratic Party’s leadership for you, when all else fails, write a letter.
In the absence of a concession speech from Sen. Hillary Clinton on Tuesday night, top figures in the Democratic Party are set to go public, urging all uncommitted officials to declare their presidential affiliations.
Sources have confirmed that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, DNC Chairman Howard Dean, and an official with the Democratic Governors Association are planning to release a public statement on Wednesday morning requesting that the party close its ranks and prepare for the race against Sen. John McCain.
Wednesday’s statement by Democratic leadership seems designed to preempt any thoughts of a continued primary challenge. It declares that Democrats will be united heading towards November, and stresses the need of uncommitted superdelegates to declare their support for a candidate.
They must be worried about something. If they honestly think that the Democratic Party can win with Obama at the top of the ticket, then they are more out of touch than I thought.
Precincts are now reporting close to 90% of the votes casted in today primary election in San Francisco. The full results are available at San Francisco Department of Elections. The turnout was 26.34%.
8th Congressional District
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi won the Democratic Primary tonight winning 88.35% of the vote. Liberal activisit Shirley Golub won 10.83% of the vote. Golub had campaigned on an impeachment and anti-war platform. Pelosi will face a number of challengers in the general election including the Republican Dana Walsh. It is possible that anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan may also challenge for the seat.
12th Congressional District
Recently elected to fill Tom Lantos’ seat, Jackie Speier won the primary against a handful of challengers. She will face Republican Greg Conlon in the Fall.
State Senate District 03
This was the most closely watched race in the city tonight pitting incumbent Carol Midgen against State Assemblyman Mark Leno who ran for the seat after being term-limited out of his seat in the State Assemby. The race deeply divided the San Francisco’s gay community and attracted national attention. Tonight, Mark Leno won by a 25 point margin likely ending Carol Midgen’s political career. Carol Midgen, it should be noted, is an undecided California super delegate.
California Gay Marriage Initiative Qualifies for the November Ballot
California Secretary of State Debra Bowen says a random check of signatures submitted by the measure’s sponsors showed that they had gathered enough for it to be put to voters. The measure would amend the state constitution to define marriage as a union ‘between a man and a woman.’ If it is approved by a majority of voters on Nov. 4, it would overturn the recent California Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage in the state.” California is set to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples on June 17. Polls at the moment in the Golden State point to upholding marriage equality. Separately ten states filed a motion asking the courts to postpone implementation of the ruling. Unlike the Massachusetts marriage law, the California law allows for marriages to recognized in other states.
Greek Gay Marriage Held on the Island of Tilos
The mayor of a Greek island has defied the threat of prosecution to carry out the country’s first gay “marriages”. Two men and two women were “married” by Tassos Alfieris in the ceremonies on the eastern Aegean island of Tilos. More from the BBC. Naturally, the Greek government moved Tuesday to annul the marriages of two same-sex couples after the weddings were performed by the mayor of the island of Tilos. This story from 365Gay.
Turkey Bans LGBT Civil Rights Organization
Turkey’s largest LGBT civil rights group said Tuesday it will appeal a ruling that it has violated the country’s laws against immorality and that it be closed. Homosexuality has been decriminalized in Turkey, part of a move to make the country more liberal as it attempts to join the European Union, but gays and lesbians regularly report they are abused by police and discriminated against in society. The full story from 365Gay.
Gambian President Vows to Kick Out “Gays and Other Criminals”
President Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh, on Thursday, gave less than 24 hours (until last week Friday) ultimatum to homosexuals, drug dealers, thieves and other criminals, to leave The Gambia or face serious consequences if caught. The president equally warned all those who harbour such individuals to kick them out of their compounds, noting that a mass patrol will be conducted on the instructions of the IGP and the director of the Gambia Immigration Department to weed bad elements in society. “Any hotel, lodge or motel that lodges this kind of individuals will be closed down, because this act is unlawful. We are in a Muslim dominated country and I will not and shall never accept such individuals in this country”. More from All Africa. Yesterday on June 2nd, 2008, two men were arrested according the Gambian blog The Point. The men arrested are Spanish nationals. No word yet on their fate.
New York States Passes Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act
Via Queerty, the New York State Assembly today voted 102-33 to green light the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act, which adds sexuality and gender identity to the state’s human rights act.
Gays in SLC, Utah Aren’t in A Rush to Sign Up as Domestic Partners
The Salt Lake City Tribune reports that only 19 couples have signed up for the city’s revised ”mutual commitment” registry since it launched April 17th, 2008. Opponents of the measure had warned that the registry would lead to gay marriage. The registry is open to two people who are not married but can show they’re financially dependent on each other. Through the registry, employers can extend health care and other benefits to their employees’ domestic partners including gay couples, siblings, long-term roommates and parents. The registry also secures hospital visitation rights.
Human Rights Campaign on John McCain
The US LGBT civil rights group Human Rights Campaign has produced this Internet-only video to inform the LGBT community about the GOP candidate Senator John McCain. I suspect that for many gays and lesbians it will fall on deaf ears. While I would expect Obama to win the majority of LGBT votes in the general election, most gays are not single-issue voters and many gays are offended by Obama’s relationship with the Reverend James Meeks and his campaigning with Donnie McClurkin. From my point of view, both Senator McCain and Senator Obama are not friends of the LGBT community.
Based on exit poll data, Senator Obama should win in Montana by a wide margin. Women represent 55% of the Montana electorate and Obama won the group by a narrow margin of 48% to 44%. Obama carried the male vote 65% to 31%. I believe but I have to check that the last state where Obama carried women was Oregon (by 4 percentage points) and before that North Carolina (by ten percentage points).
The official results from Montana are streaming in very slowly. An hour and fifteen minutes after the polls have closed only 4% of the precincts have reported. Not quite sure why.
8:45 PM PST Update
With 12% of the precincts reporting, Obama has 55% of the vote compared to 42% for Senator Clinton. Three percent expressed no preference. That is unusual. (See below).
10:00 PM PST Update
With 54% of the precincts reporting, Obama has 58% of the vote compared to 40% for Senator Clinton. The no preference segment is now down to 2% of the vote which is more in-line with typical elections. Obama won the major population centers of Montana. Clinton’s strength has been in northern and eastern Montana.
11:00 PM PST Update
With 72% of the precincts reporting, Obama has 57% of the vote compared to 41% for Senator Clinton. The no preference segment remains at 2% of the vote.
With 99% of precincts reporting, Senator Clinton has captured 55% of the vote compared to Senator Obama’s 45%. Women voters were 54% of the electorate. Clinton won female voters by a 57% to 43% and split male voters evenly. Based on this, Clinton should win South Dakota by a double digit point margin. As of 9:30 EST, the networks have projected Senator Clinton the winner in South Dakota.
Regionally, Clinton did well in all corners of the state and won the biggest metro area in the state, Sioux Falls. Obama has won ten counties so far compared to 42 for Senator Clinton and one tie. Twelve counties, mostly in the western part of the state, have yet to report.
Oil has had quite the run since 1996. The above graphic is from Der Spiegel. Last week, Der Spiegel, Germany’s leading news magazine, published an article entitled Europe’s Energy Crisis. It’s well worth reading. Europe is far ahead of the United States in dealing with rising fuel prices largely because their population density is higher and they have built an extensive urban and rural transportation infrastructure. Most Europeans use their cars largely for personal use and commute to work by mass transit. Ultimately, that is the only solution that can hold our economy together.
President Hugo Chávez’s Venezuela is one step closer to authoritarianism with its Cuban-style intelligence law. From the New York Times:
Under the new intelligence law, which took effect last week, Venezuela’s two main intelligence services, the DISIP secret police and the DIM military intelligence agency, will be replaced with new agencies, the General Intelligence Office and General Counterintelligence Office, under the control of Mr. Chávez.
The new law requires people in the country to comply with requests to assist the agencies, secret police or community activist groups loyal to Mr. Chávez. Refusal can result in prison terms of two to four years for most people and four to six years for government employees.
The firebrand pastor of St. Sabina parish was removed from his duties there Tuesday, according to a statement released by the Archdiocese of Chicago.
In the statement, Cardinal Francis George says he asked the Rev. Michael Pfleger, 59, to “take leave for a couple of weeks from his pastoral duties.” The statement said Pfleger “does not believe this to be the right step at this time.” “While respecting his disagreement, I have nevertheless asked him to use this opportunity to reflect on his recent statements and actions in the light of the Church’s regulations for all Catholic priests,” George said.
The Chicago Sun Times has an extended 17 minute portion of his Father Pfleger. Apparently if you don’t vote for Obama, you’re a racist. Having watched the video in its entirety, I can say this as an athetist I think Father Pfleger utterly and completely delusional. He compared American blacks to a woman who has been repeatedly raped. He rails against “white entitlement” and seems to believe people alive today are responsible for slavery. He mocks his own message saying that it doesn’t represent the official views of the Trinity Church. His version of American history implies a conspiracy hatched in Europe before the Puritans even set sailed. He is a racist and spews hate. The Catholic Church did not go far enough in its punishment. He should be defrocked.
Here is the Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008 edition of interesting reads from around the world.
Ayatollah Khamenei Vows Continued Nuclear Effort
Iran’s supreme leader said Tuesday that “no wise nation” would pursue nuclear weapons but his country will continue to develop its nuclear program for peaceful purposes. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appeared to be reacting to suggestions by the International Atomic Energy Agency that Tehran may be withholding information on secret attempts to make nuclear weapons. The Associated Press has the details. Ayatollah Khamenei went on to question the mental health of President Bush. This side of the story from Haaretz.
Chile Establishes a $1 Billion USD Fund To Subsidize Fuel
On the eve of a nationwide transportation strike, Chile’s president announced a $1 billion subsidy fund on Monday to slow the rise of fuel prices. Michelle Bachelet said the measure should cut gasoline prices by about $0.10 a liter — nearly 40 U.S. cents a gallon. Regular gasoline now sells for an average $1.30 a liter– about $4.90 a gallon. More from the Miami Herald.
Thailand’s Political Crisis Associated Press reports that Anti-government street protests and rumors of a military coup are hurting Thailand’s economy and investors’ confidence, the finance minister said Monday as the stock market dropped 2.8%. Protesters were back on the streets for an eighth day of demonstrations to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej and his coalition government. Meanwhile, Reuters reports that Thailand’s political problems are too complex to be resolved by a military coup, the country’s top general said in an apparent admission that a bloodless 2006 putsch was a flop.
UN to Combat Somali Piracy
The UN security council has unanimously adopted a resolution allowing foreign warships to enter Somalia’s territorial waters to fight piracy. The resolution was adopted on Monday with the consent of the Somalia’s UN-backed transitional government according to Al Jazeera.
The Rain in Spain, Doesn’t Fall at All
Spain remains in the grip of a killer drought that is affecting all of eastern Spain. The New York Times highlights Spain’s water problems. Humanity turned North Africa into a desert and has expanded the Sahara’s reach into the Sahel and now we are turning southern Europe into a desert as well.
