Pass this on to all your friends…
United States Senate Seal (Photo credit: DonkeyHotey)
From Politico:
Sen. Jon Tester and Rep. Denny Rehberg are locked in possibly the closest Senate race in the country, but their final weekend of campaigning suggests it’s anything but.
Tester is on an 800-mile sprint across this majestic state, energizing his base and trying to persuade Mitt Romney backers to split their ticket and give the Democratic incumbent another six years in the Senate.
Rehberg, meanwhile, is nowhere to be seen on the campaign trail. He’s employing the classic, play-it-safe strategy of a frontrunner running down the clock — even though polls indicate the race is a true tossup.
But the thing that made my skin crawl:
Rehberg declined a request for an interview.
Typical.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1112/83268.html#ixzz2BDvfDeEt
On behalf of our author group and sponsors (Indigenous Ways of Knowing Program, the Native American Program of Legal Aid Services of Oregon, Western States Center, Basic Rights Oregon and the Pride Foundation) we are proud to announce the Tribal Equity Toolkit is now complete and free and available to the world:
https://graduate.lclark.edu/programs/indigenous_ways_of_knowing/tribal_equity_toolkit/
The Tribal Equity Toolkit: Tribal Resolutions and Codes to Support Two Spirit and LGBT Justice in Indian Country, is a first-of-its-kind collection of legal resources that helps tribal government officials identify discrimination in tribal codes and regulations and offers draft language to strengthen and promote LGBT equality.
An amazing opportunity to create understanding and promote awareness. Check it out!
Having made national news earlier this year as one of the country’s first rappers to come out of the closet, Indiana based DeMarquis Oden (stage name: Ripparachie) is once again making waves for the LGBT community following the release of his latest music video. However, this time around, his target is Mitt Romney.
The artist’s latest music video heavily criticizes the Presidential candidate for his lack of regard for human life, particularly within the arena of same-sex issues. It’s the first time a Hip Hop artist has attempted such a campaign, and the results have been astonishing.
Since its release on the 27th of October the video has amassed over seventy five thousand views, with praise and support flooding in from across the planet.
“Put simply, Romney will ruin the lives of gay people if elected. Our community is very upset that he does not support us and our constitutional right to pursue happiness via same-sex marriage. The world needs to hear our concerns before it is too late – and I am committed to standing up on behalf of every American,” he says.
In fact, as Ripparachie explains, his entire career bucks the trend of traditional rap themes, instead placing focus on positive issues that aim to improve lives and make people happier.
“These days most rappers only rap about sex, drugs and wealth. I prefer to focus on people and on life, with an ultimate goal of putting an end to bullying and discrimination. I was afraid to be my true self for many years – and I don’t want other people to live with the same fear,” he adds.
The lyrics from Ripparachie’s music video say it all, with lines including “I heard you jumped a gay back in the day” and “You hate on the homos want to turn us around, Obama for president not (be)cause he brown”.
The song also takes a dig at Nicki Minaj due to a line she included on a recent mixtape by Lil Wayne.
“I want to prove that the entire LGBT community can speak its mind whenever and however it wants to. Lots of people have a vision to change both the mindsets in the country and the laws. However, with most lacking a platform to shout from, I am standing up for them on their behalf,” Oden concludes.
More information about Ripparachie can be found on his official website: http://www.ripparachie.com/
The Frontline special “Big Sky, Big Money” was pretty amazing. The dark money issue isn’t going away- and the cloudier the issue becomes, the longer it will be with us- and it is getting cloudier. But first, I wanted to share a few things about one of the key figures of last night’s broadcast.
Jim Brown, the lawyer for Western Traditions Partnership intrigued me.
From The Atlantic:
When asked about the documents found in Colorado, Jim Brown, a lawyer for the group, said he was unfamiliar with them.
After being shown some of the documents by Frontline, Brown, in a follow up email, said his review indicated that they appeared to belong to a company called Direct Mail. Direct Mail and Communications is a print shop in Livingston, Montana, run by a one-time key player in WTP and his wife.
Brown urged Frontline to turn over the documents. “If the documents are purported to be what you say they are, then you may knowingly be in possession of stolen property,” Brown wrote.
The records are in the hands of the Montana Commissioner of Political Practices, which considers them public and reviewable upon request.
Who is this Jim Brown- the Republican Party’s legal counsel- AND the legal counsel to Western Tradition Partnership? The Commissioner of Political Practices website allows you to track who registered lobbyists are working for. The list of his clientele is VERY interesting…
On Monday, LeFer also confirmed the documents found in a meth house were stolen from his wife’s car and belonged to him and his wife, Allison. The documents included material from outside groups and candidates, and communications between LeFer and candidates. There were surveys of candidates by outside groups and drafts and final copies of mailers marked as being paid for by the campaigns.
LeFer, described as WTP’s director of strategic programming in memos in 2009, said in an email that the boxes of documents were stolen in Colorado in June 2010.
“These stolen documents appear to be a mix of those from my consulting and volunteer work and from my wife’s independently owned and operated mail and printing shop,” wrote LeFer, whose wife runs a company called Direct Mail and Communications in Livingston, Mont. “Both my wife and I have scrupulously endeavored to avoid any possibility of illegal coordination.
“The stolen documents, which were in the process of being transferred to storage when the theft occurred, have been mingled to infer that the work of two separate people is in fact the work of one person and therefore improper. This is false.” (Here is LeFer’s full response.)
Like I said: cloudier.
Tonight at 8:30 pm on Montana PBS:
In a special investigation in collaboration with Marketplace, FRONTLINE travels to the remote epicenter of the campaign finance debate for a tale of money, politics, and intrigue. How has the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision changed campaigns in America? Ask Montana, which has tried to challenge the ruling in court, is investigating alleged campaign abuses, and is playing host to a bitter race that could decide control of the U.S. Senate.
FRONTLINE correspondent and Marketplace host Kai Ryssdal reports.
Hopefully, some light will be shed on the mysterious meth house documents…
Watch Big Sky, Big Money, an investigation with Marketplace on PBS. See more from FRONTLINE.
Tonight on many PBS stations airs “Love Free Or Die”, the story of ‘the first openly gay bishop in Christendom’, Gene Robinson:
Tonight on Independent Lens. Montana PBS airs it at 9pm.
Join Jon Tester & Max Baucus in Bozeman on Monday!
Cheer On Jon!
Sign Up To Volunteer!
Get A Yard Sign!
Jon Tester & Max Baucus
The Emerson
111 S. Grand
Monday 10/29
5:00 p.m.
Join Montana farmer Jon Tester for a rally in Bozeman! Montanans go to the polls on Nov. 6. Help give Jon the momentum needed to win on Election Day!
Questions? — Email: sam@mtfield.org
From the National Association of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) and the National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD) comes a new pamphlet aimed at helping men who have sex with men (MSM) take charge of their sexual heath:
“Whether you are gay, bisexual or any man who has sex with other men (MSM), there are certain health services that are important for you to talk about with your doctor to protect your sexual health. This brief pamphlet is designed to help you get the best sexual health care during your visit to the doctor.”
An amazing array of helpful information about special health concerns and working with your healthcare provider.
View “For Men Only- Your Sexual Health” here.
Delightful news from our friends at The True Stories Project:
WE MADE IT! We set a fundraising goal of raising $50,000 to bring Inlaws & Outlaws to public television – and thanks to over 120 of our supporters, we raised over $50, 246 – enough to launch us onto public television!
As of today, Inlaws & Outlaws is not ony available to 350+ PBS and public television affiliates around the US – but 15 stations have already scheduled the film in the next few weeks!
Thank you to everyone who contributed to make this happen!
We especially want to express our gratitude for the major support we received from our Executive Producer Bob Lemon, the Faygele ben Miriam Fund and four of our favorite outlaws – Jane Abbott Lighty & Pete-e Petersen and Frank Chaffee & John Gliessman. You put us over the top – and on TV.
We’re still presenting screenings of Inlaws & Outlaws as part of ourHearts + Minds Campaign, including here in Washington where we’re using the film to support Referendum 74, but we’re about to reach a whole heckuva lot more people when the film is presentedFriday during primetime on KCTS 9 (Seattle) and KYVE (Yakima ).
Together, these stations reach over 75% of Washington residents – one of the reasons we were so determined to reach our goal of bringing Inlaws & Outlaws to public TV before Nov. 6th…
Wondering where else the film is being shown on public TV? Colorado, Ohio, Oregon, Illinois, West Virginia, New York… And we’re only just beginning.
Premiering Friday night following the film is our new 14-minute video short featuring director Drew Emery updating audiences on many of the stories in Inlaws & Outlaws.
It’s Just Marriage: from Outlaws to Inlaws, a snapshot of how far we’ve come. Check out the Sneak Peek of the video here.
Exciting times, yes? We think so. This is a critical time for marriage equality in the US – and the election will only raise the stakes even more. So we’re determined to bring our stories that much further to reach more hearts and minds, whether it’s with one of our community screenings in a school, church, temple or community center, or whether it’s on public tv. We’d love to have you on board!*
And to all the folks who made this big leap possible, we have nothing but love & gratitude.
*If you want to support our our Hearts + Minds Campaign, we welcome your tax-deductible donations. You can either donate safely online or send us a check. Your support makes all the difference in the world!
From Eternity To Here 