Democratic Congressman Barney Frank wants to set the record straight.

Though he said last week that potential Republican veep Sarah Palin's family should be a matter of concern, he did not say they are "fair game." Rather, the point the gay Democrat wanted to make was that Palin's family woes - her sister's divorce, her daughter's pregnancy - are relevant because they undercut the right-wing's moral-based arguments. So he wrote in yesterday's Boston Globe:

The problems that have affected Palin's family are part of the experience of millions of people who face the stresses and strains, moral dilemmas, and difficult choices of contemporary life. The right wing, of which Palin is one of the acclaimed leaders, rejects this view, and argues that it is the failure of many of us to adopt their particular moral view that is the cause of these problems.

The glaring inconsistency between the social philosophy that blames liberalism for divorce and teen pregnancy and the facts of Palin's family life further underlines the serious shortcomings of that philosophy.

The right, writes Frank, sets up strict boundaries for others, but refuse to adhere to their own ideological underpinnings. And Palin's one of the worst offenders.

Politicians, pundits and journalists have been debating whether or not it's appropriate to discuss potential veep Sarah Palin's pregnant teen daughter.

While families are typically off limits in electoral politics, the irony of young Bristol's situation hasn't been lost, especially since her mother's a "family values" candidate.

Still, many think the scandal should remain personal. Queer Congressman Barney Frank, however, says otherwise:

[The GOP] made an issue of her family… Apparently she’s a great favorite with the conservative social movement. They have said that it’s liberalism and liberals who have undermined families — same-sex marriage has been a problem, they don’t want gay people to adopt … This helps undercut those arguments.
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Well, hers is a family in great turmoil. She fired the state police commissioner because he wouldn’t fire her sister’s ex-husband. She has a daughter who became pregnant. That’s not her fault.

No, of course not, although we appreciate when any parent schools their child on safe sex. Babies are hardly the only thing one can catch from a bit of slip and dip.

Gay Congressman Barney Frank in Washington will no doubt garner some gay ire in coming weeks.

Frank, Human Rights Campaign and others have been busy hashing out the ever-contentious Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and the latest controversy has nothing to do with trans inclusion, which has derailed discussions in the past. No, this latest brouhaha revolves around another hot-button topic: marriage.

A little-discussed provision of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) would allow employers to give health insurance coverage and other benefits to married opposite-sex couples and deny those same benefits to the partners of their gay and lesbian employees who are legally married in Massachusetts and California.
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A similar provision has been in the bill since 1994, when ENDA was first introduced on Capitol Hill, but the earlier language said employers did not have to provide benefits to the domestic partners of their employees.

ENDA, which bans job discrimination based on sexual orientation, now says an employer cannot be required "to treat a couple who are not married in the same manner as the covered entity treats a married couple for purposes of employee benefits."

Before people start burning effigies, however, Frank's quick to point out that he personally did not add the language. It is, however, necessary, he says: "It was the decision of the committee and of everybody else, myself, Tammy, was that we couldn't pass anything without this…We had to make it clear that non-discrimination in employment had no effect on marriage one way or another."

Jerry Nadler's sure feeling celebratory today. The New York politico and some of his bipartisan pals met in Washington today to launch the Congressional Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Equality Caucus, on which Nadler will act as vice-chair under homo-politicos Barney Frank and Tammy Baldwin.

From the press release:

“I am proud to serve as a vice-chair on the bipartisan Congressional Caucus on LGBT Equality,” said Rep. Nadler. “Many of us in Congress have been fighting hard for LGBT equality for years, and this Caucus will help provide a unified voice on these important issues. I am confident that with this new Caucus we can, someday soon, live in an America where true equality is a fact of life for the LGBT community.”

The mission of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus is to promote lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender LGBT equality. By serving as a resource for Members of Congress, their staff, and the public on LGBT issues, the Caucus will work toward the extension of equal rights, the repeal of discriminatory laws, the elimination of hate-motivated violence, and the improved health and well being for all regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.

Let the conservative outcry begin!

Hilarious homo-politico Barney Frank put funny business aside recently to blast Republican John McCain's gay record.

And, to make sure McCain gets the message, Frank put in some necessary fear mongering:

In every other area, McCain has a consistent voting record against our efforts. In 1996, the only time the Senate voted on the Employment Nondiscrimination Act, McCain was one of those who voted no. He has also consistently voted against extending hate crimes protection to gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender individuals.
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Given the alignment of Supreme Court Justices, and their ages, it is virtually certain that if John McCain is president, he will appoint justices who will overturn the Lawrence decision and the leading Supreme Court opponent of fair treatment for gay and lesbian people, Antonin Scalia, will gain allies from McCain's appointments.

That's what we're talking about!

"Barney Frank's funny."

That's basically the thesis of a New York Times collection of the homo-politico's classic knee-slappers, which the paper says gives him the top spot as the Hill's "master of the one-liner." A sample:

• "I am grateful for the obscurity of the opposition’s argument.”

• "So, apparently, same-sex marriage is the V8 juice of America.”

• "I am afraid that this bill is becoming the legislative equivalent to crack. It’s going to give people a short-term high, but it is going to be dangerous in the long run to the system and expensive to boot.”

That last one came in relation to a bill authorizing $4 billion for the mythical war on drugs, which Frank obviously opposes.

Allen Roskoff's never been afraid to voice his opinion. Well, that's not true. Like so many of the lavender set, the New York-based activist once hid in the closet, but found himself out and proud after falling in with the Gay Activist Alliance, one of our city's first post-Stonewall rights groups.

Now, as president of the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club, Roskoff remains one of the most progressive activists this side of the Mississippi. In fact, it was an email from Roskoff that spurred the following exchange with our editor.

Some of you may recall last week's story about anti-gay "cult" Aesthetic Realism. Well, Roskoff wrote to us and regaled us with tales of how he and his GAA pals used to rail against the group.

Always intrigued by tales of homo history, we asked Roskoff if he'd like to elaborate for you, our darling readers. And he graciously agreed.

Read what Roskoff has to say about the Realism movement, gay activism's golden years, why homos need to stop cheering for Hillary Clinton, how Barney Frank and HRC do more harm than good, and why Barack Obama must be the Democratic nominee - after the jump, naturally.

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Democratic presidential contenders Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are still duking it out.

Yesterday Senator Clinton released an ad taking on Obama's "bitter" remark, which spurred Obama to release one of his own, which we've included above. Says Obama's announcer: "There's a reason people are rejecting Hillary Clinton's attacks. Because the same old Washington politics won't lower the price of gas or help our struggling economy." All this fighting's giving us a headache - and Barney Frank, too.

The homo-politico voiced his grievances yesterday, saying that the "trailing" candidate should drop out by June 3rd:

…Frank said the trailing Democratic presidential candidate should drop out of the race by no later than June 3 — the date of the two last Democratic primaries — even if it is the candidate he supports, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

"Probably sooner," the Massachusetts congressman added in an interview Tuesday with The Associated Press. He suggested that the trailing candidate should drop out once it became clear that candidate had no remaining practical chance of winning the nomination.

Please, please let it be "sooner." This shit's making us bitter.

Meanwhile, we've included the aforementioned Obama ad after the jump…

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Massachusetts Representative and long-time marijuana advocate Barney Frank got people high and bothered this weekend. The homo-politico told Bill Maher - and the world - that he plans to introduce legislation decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana. The matter, he says, should be left to individual states and leaves more energy for pressing matters, like actual criminals. Plus, no one gives a damn about Mary Jane. criminals.

Explains Frank:

Do you really think people should be prosecuted for smoking marijuana? I don't think most people agree with that. It's one area where the public is ahead of the elected officials. It does not appear to me to be a law that society is serious about.

Frank's bill would effectively remove the federal government from the herb battle, which includes DEA raids on medical marijuana outposts in California. That, of course, ain't groovy for people in chronic pain.

We are absolutely jonesing to hear where you stand on this issue, reader, so take this copasetic poll, man:

It's a hot one for Puerto Rican politicos today.

The House of Representatives are set to vote today on whether to pass a ban on gay marriage and other forms of civil unions. If the Representatives decide to remove the civil union language - ""No other union, independently of its name, denomination, place of origin, jurisdiction or similarity with marriage, will be recognized, or validated as marriage." - then the bill goes back to the Senate. If they decide to keep the ban - well, then it goes forward.

American politician Jose Serrano of New York, however, hopes that the Puerto Ricans can contain themselves - or risk pissing off Congress:

…Serrano says that passage of such an amendment would put Puerto Rico among those groups that promote hateful and discriminatory measures which might not be seen in a good light by the United States congress.

"This doesn't help me to seek assistance for Puerto Rico," he said during a telephone interview with El Nuevo Dia, "Puerto Ricans cannot ask demand equality and at the same time try to create discrimination."

Serrano told the paper that such a measure would make it difficult to ask openly gay Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA), the chairman of the Financial Services Committee, for assistance indicating that Frank was opposed to such discriminatory measures.

Money - the international language of democracy. God bless it!

The ongoing battle between Matt Foreman and Congressman Barney Frank rages on!

The adorably cantankerous Frank appeared on Michelangelo Signorile's radio show yesterday to rebuff Foreman's remarks that Frank's "squeamish" about trans rights. Frank defended his position, of course, but also made sure to take some swipes at Foreman, including his past political judgment in endorsing former New York Governor George Pataki over Democrat Carl McCall. Frank claims Foreman went for Pataki to strike a political compromise while heading up Empire State Pride Agenda. Frank called Foreman's move "a very significant mistake in my judgment from the standpoint of in our coalition building."

Grrrrl!

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Outgoing Task Force leader Matt Foreman appeared on Michelangelo Signorile's radio show this week and lobbed a few hard balls at Representative Barney Frank, a man some say didn't take a strong enough stand during last year's ENDA debacle.

I think what really happened is [Speaker Nancy Pelosi's] people said 'Look, Congress has a terrible reputation right now, they're not delivering for any progressive causes… What do we have to do to deliver to our progressive allies?' That means labor and health and environment and gays. And, so, I mean, I don't know this for a fact, but I would bet my life that this is what happened: They went to Barney Frank and said 'What do we need to pass ENDA?"
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"Representative Frank, who has always been pretty squeamish on the trans issue, and I guess I can say these things because I am leaving my job…

Frank's office called in soon after and called Foreman's allegations "absurd".

Frank will appear on Signorile's Sirius radio show today at 3:30 to plead his case.

CNN's Jeanne Moos dishes the dirt on Barney Frank and President Bush's infamous exchange. After the jump, natch.

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