Comments on The Stranger's Believe It or Not!

Could annie and ECB please each do a post outlining the pros of their candidate's health care plan and negatives of their opponent's?

Gay rights? Pah-lease. He's just an Edwards in ethnic clothing.

Thank you ECB

Thanks, ECB!

Indeed, thanks ECB. I disagree with you on this election thing, but you're a star and a wonderful gal.

Every vote Obama ever made:
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/o000167/votes/

Every vote Clinton ever made:
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/c001041/votes/

Seriously, you guys need to learn how to use Google.

thanks ECB and josh!

Obama should name Erica ambassador to Fiji for all the votes she has been delivering for him.

More important than the votes is the context. A "good" vote on a bill or amendment that doesn't matter, doesn't have a chance of passing, or a "bad" vote likewise, I don't care about.

What a nice gesture, Erica. Really warms my cockles.

But which ones did they vote for before they voted against them?

Fiji is fun, actually, I know some great places to snorkel there and the people are pretty friendly ... so long as you can rely on the Navy pulling you out if there's a coup ...

"As I have traveled around the country these past twelve months, what I sensed in my heart has been confirmed – America is embracing its LGBT sons and daughters with an acceptance and understanding as never before. On the campaign trail, a father of a gay son will ask about ending Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. A woman will ask why she can be discriminated against just because of who she is. Sometimes they wait furtively for the crowd to thin and then whisper their confidences in a soft voice and sometimes they stand up proudly at town meetings and want me to share my views on how I will help lead the change to assure that this country fulfills its promise to everyone.

Let me tell you what I have been telling voters across America. I am fully committed to the fair and equal treatment of LGBT Americans. For seven long years, the Bush Administration has tried to divide us - only seeing people who matter to them. It's been a government of the few, by the few, and for the few. And no community has been more invisible to this administration than the LGBT community.

I will change that. The best evidence of what I will do as President is what I have already done.

* I am proud of my record as First Lady, as a U.S. Senator and as a candidate for President in working toward the fair and equal treatment of LGBT Americans.
* I am proud that as Chair of the Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee in 2006, I worked closely with LBGT community to develop a smart strategy that defeated the Federal Marriage Amendment. I am proud of fighting the FMA as divisive wedge politics at its worst.
* I am proud to be a co-sponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, the Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, and the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligation Act which would grant the same benefits (including health insurance) to domestic partners of federal employees that are currently offered to employees’ legal spouses.
* I am proud to have authored the Early Treatment for HIV Act, which expands access to vital treatment options for low-income individuals living with HIV, and fought to fully fund the Ryan White CARE Act.
* I am proud that I hired a National Director of LGBT Outreach within a month of announcing my candidacy for President and to have openly gay and lesbian staffers serving at all levels of my campaign.
* I am proud to have a National LGBT Steering Committee of over 130 that includes openly LGBT elected officials, Board members and opinion leaders on issues ranging from transgender rights, to HIV/AIDS, to “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”.
* I am proud to have marched in Gay Pride parades as both First Lady and as Senator and to have spoken in front of so many LGBT audiences ranging from the Human Rights Campaign, Empire State Pride Agenda, the Hetrick Martin Institute, PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), GMHC (Gay Men’s Health Crisis), and the American Foundation for AIDS Research.
* I am proud to have fought Republican efforts to demonize and marginalize the LGBT community, and I will continue to do that as President.

We have so much work to do. When I am President, we will work together to make sure that all Americans in committed relationships have equal benefits and that nothing stands in the way of loving couples who want to adopt children in need. We're going to expand our federal hate crimes legislation and pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and assure that they are both fully inclusive of all people. And finally, we will put an end to the failed policy of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Courage, honor, patriotism and sacrifice – the traits that define our men and women in uniform – have nothing to do with sexual orientation.

My father was a conservative Republican, who held very traditional views for much of his life. Yet in his last years, it was a gay couple who lived next door who provided much of the compassion and comfort he and my mother needed as he grew ill. And it was that same neighbor who held his hand as he died. If my father can move, America can move.

To each and every LGBT American, I say this. You have done so much to help this country understand your lives by simply being open and honest about who you are and living your lives with dignity. Thank you for your courage. It is time that we recognize your hard work. I know that this country is ready for changes in the law that reflect the evolution in our hearts.

America deserves a President who appeals to the best in each of us, not the worst; a President who values and respects all Americans and treats all Americans equally no matter who they are or who they love. I want to be that President. I want to be your President."

Thanks ECB!

On a related note, I was just reading reaction to the Robin Morgan essay on XX Factor (Slate's all-female political blog) and thinking how interesting it would be to hear ECB's meta-take.

HRC has just accepted a debate invite on FOX and is challenging Obama to accept too. This just confirms everything i have always felt about HRC, she cannot be counted on to be on "our side" when it matters. At every turn she panders to the center-right. It actually shocks me that anyone who considders themselves liberal would support her in this primary.

You know, if I were caucusing, and some retard started preaching to me off of their SECB cheat sheet, I would not exactly take them seriously.

I hope anyone who plans to actually use this thing to argue at a caucus takes the time to think for themselves.

Of course, I won't be caucusing, because the only candidate not stained by corporate corruption and nacho cheese has dropped out of the race.

For what it's worth Senator Cantwell also voted for the 05 Energy Bill. She probably knows and does more for clean energy than anyone in the Senate and while there was some really bad shit in the bill, she felt that on balance it started to recognize clean energy investment needs and needed to pass. I think that's what she said at the time. Anyway, thought you should know that at least one other clean energy proponent with bona fides voted for that bill, too.

I don't think it's accurate to label Erica as an Obama hater.