Technorati Tags: gay marriage, LGBT, GLBT, gay rights, California, civil rights

A major hat tip to Prof. Jon Schaff at SD Politics for the links and video. Read his post.

Apparently Sen. Hillary Clinton told the Argus Leader Editorial Board today that one of the reasons she should stay in the race is in case of assassination. She doesn’t mention Sen. Barack Obama by name but she brings up the 1968 assassination of Sen. Bobby Kennedy.

EB: You don’t buy the party unity argument?

I don’t, because again, I’ve been around long enough. You know my husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere around the middle of June

EB: June

We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California. Um you know I just I don’t understand it. There’s lots of speculation about why it is.

She has since issued an apology:

“Earlier today I was discussing the Democratic primary history and in the course of that discussion mentioned the campaigns that both my husband and Senator Kennedy waged in California in June 1992 and 1968 and I was referencing those to make the point that we have had nomination primary contests that go into June. That’s a historic fact. The Kennedys have been much on my mind the last days because of Senator Kennedy and I regret that if my referencing that moment of trauma for our entire nation, and particularly for the Kennedy family was in any way offensive. I certainly had no intention of that, whatsoever. My view is that we have to look to the past and to our leaders who have inspired us and give us a lot to live up to, and I’m honored to hold Senator Kennedy’s seat in the United States Senate from the state of New York and have the highest regard for the entire
Kennedy family.”

That’s her new rationale for being in the race?  Someone could shoot Obama?  I mean, heck, June rolls around and that’s the time when leading Democratic candidates get offed?  Oh, and by the way, YOO-HOO, here I am!

This is a far, far worse gaff than last’s week’s misstatement by Obama thanking “Sioux City” instead of “Sioux Falls.”

Hillary needed to get out of the race weeks ago. She absolutely needs to get out now. This does nothing to help heal the party. In fact, it pours gasoline on a smoldering fire of racism that she and her husband Bill Clinton have tried to tap into this whole campaign.

This is sick and disgusting and wrong. I know Hillary has “apologized”. But the Clintons never say anything without first considering every angle about a statement or position. I don’t buy that this was a slip of the tongue. 

My guess was this was the roll out of a “beta version” of a new message for the Clinton campaign.  It is a Friday afternoon before the first big holiday of the summer in Flyover Country, USA.  Talk about the proverbial political trick of “taking out the garbage” on Friday afternoons.  If it flopped, no big deal, it will be forgotten by Tuesday.  If it has traction, you’ll see it in her talking points.

Hillary, get out now while you have at least some small bit of dignity left.  Please.

Technorati Tags: assassination, Barack Obama, Sioux Falls, Brandon, South Dakota, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama

Sen. John McCain is polite. Ellen DeGeneres is polite too—but firm. She basically asks McCain “what’s wrong with gay marriage?” and John says, um, well, er, ah, “Have a nice life, Ellen.”

Technorati Tags: Ellen DeGeneres, John McCain, gay marriage, LGBT, GLBT, civil rights, Ellen, CBS Morning

Here is the latest in news, views, blogs, Twitters, and results from the Oregon and Kentucky Democratic Presidential Primaries.

Come back often or refresh periodically for new information.

OregonKentuckyPresidential Primaries2008 ElectionBarack ObamaHillary Clinton

The following is a comment from a a good friend of mine here in Sioux Falls in response to yesterday’s California Supreme Court decision according similar treatment to gay couples and married couples. Karen Mudd is also the chair of Equality South Dakota, a new GLBT lobbying and education group.

Karen is like a sister to me. She is a hard working, smart, good humored, and responsible person. I hope you think about what she says below.

Equality South Dakota
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 15, 2008
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen Mudd, 605.214.1299 or Todd Epp, 605.351.5021

CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS RIGHTS OF ITS GLBT CITIZENS

EqSD Applauds Decision Which Gives Hope to GLBT South Dakotans And Their Friends and Families

SIOUX FALLS, SD--Today, the California Supreme Court (click link for decision) made a historic decision to guarantee marriage equality for all of its citizens.

"This is a victory for fairness and opportunity." says Karen Mudd, chair of Equality South Dakota (EqSD), a statewide advocacy organization with a mission to help secure and protect the rights and well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) South Dakotans and their families.

"While South Dakotans are unaffected legally by this ruling, we are hopeful that we here in South Dakota will someday have the same opportunity to solidify our families." according to Mudd. This victory energizes our own efforts to continue working for fairness and equality for families in our state."

Same sex couples live in every county of South Dakota, many with children. EqSD is based on the premise that that they deserve the same opportunity to have the same rights and responsibilities as all other couples.

Seeing couples get married in CA will give people here in South Dakota the opportunity to see how giving two people in a committed, trusting and loving relationship strengthens our neighborhoods, towns and cities.

While this is historic, we already know from several years of marriage for same-sex couples in MA that it is not the terrible thing that opponents of marriage say it is. In fact, it's just the opposite. We look forward to the day when committed couples in here in South Dakota have the same chance to legalize their relationships. Equality South Dakota will continue to work for fairness for all families.

Across the country, state equality groups are working to ensure that families of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people have the same rights and responsibilities as all other families. Currently, marriage litigation is pending in Iowa and Connecticut , where Federation member groups One Iowa and Love Makes a Family, respectively, are leading efforts to educate the public about the need for basic fairness for all families. In New Jersey, Garden State Equality is aggressively pursuing marriage equality through the legislature, as is New York 's Empire State Pride Agenda in theirs. In states like SD with marriage bans, state equality groups continue to explore other options for providing basic protections for LGBT families.

"Most Americans believe that marriage equality will be a reality in their lifetimes," noted Mudd. "Equality organizations like ours throughout the nation are working hard to achieve the American dream of equality and justice for all. We are all inspired by the CA marriage decision and look forward to the day when every American in every state and territory will have the opportunity to realize their hopes and dreams by marrying the person they love."

Paid for by Equality South Dakota, 610 S. Grand Ave., Harrisburg, SD 57032, Lawrence Novotny, treasurer. Contributions are not tax deductible.

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