Judy Shepard ain't shutting up about the House's decision to ditch hate crimes legislation. Nor should she.

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Jenna Bush popped into Ellen DeGeneres talk show today. And, like a good patriot, DeGeneres forced the first daughter to ring up her daddy, President Bush.

Young Jenna seemed excited at first, but the dread soon sets in: "I'm going to get into trouble… I'm not going to get any Christmas presents". All for calling her father on national television? Sheesh, the Bush's must run their house like Guantanamo.

No, but seriously, Bush eventually gets on the line and sounds, well, kind of sweet. We were almost endeared, but then remember all his past sins and our Awwwww" turned in "Ahhhhhh!"

• Japanese scientists have made a "humanoid robot" called Simroid, which can feel "pain".

• It's that time of the year again: Bid 2 Beat AIDS offers 1000s of collectibles on eBay. The eBay charity auction officially begins tomorrow, but they've already posted tickets for Mary J Blige's Tuesday show honoring BET's Stephen Hill.

• Popnography's Shana Naomi Krochmal and NPR "consider" bands who play queer.

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Harry Reid's been playing political cock block in Washington. The Senate majority leader confirmed rumors and used 'pro forma' to stop President Bush's recess appointment of Dr. James Holsinger.

Holsinger, who hopes to be our nation's next Attorney General Surgeon Gneral, raised our eyebrows with his United Method-backed paper, “Pathophysiology of Male Homosexuality". In that piece of dubious doctoring, Holsinger used plumber slang to prove the "logical complementarity of the human sexes". The Democrats were not pleased by this blue-color comparison. Holsinger later claimed to have rethought the matter, saying that the 1991 paper “doesn’t represent where I am today”.

Reid went ape shit when he heard Bush planned to sneakily appoint Holsinger during the mammoth two-week Thanksgiving recess. He's quick to point out that the administration left him no option than to block Bush's action:

I indicated I would be willing to confirm various appointments if the administration would agree to move on Democratic appointments. They would not make that commitment. As a result, I am keeping the Senate in pro forma [session] to prevent recess appointments until we get this process on track.

The pro forma session technically keeps Senate in session, even though nothing will get done. Sort of sounds like things are already on track.

• Things are about to get very sticky for whore-loving Senator David Vitter:

The "D.C. Madam" served a subpoena Tuesday on Sen. David Vitter, R-La., requiring him to testify about his use of the Washington, D.C., escort service federal prosecutors say was a prostitution ring.

The subpoena calls on the freshman senator to testify at a federal court hearing Nov. 28 looking into the business operations of the $2 million escort service Deborah Jeane Palfrey operated in the nation's capital for 13 years.

And the Senate Ethics Committee remains silent.

• What do you do when you suspect your man's sticking other lovers? Smell his dick, of course.

• The Democrats seem poised to stop President Bush's recess appointment of anti-gay surgeon general nominee James Holsinger. Rather than calling a recess for the holidays, Senate Majority leader Harry Reid hopes legislatures will use "pro forma". 365Gay passes on Roll Call's extortionately expensive word:

Roll Call reports that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is considering technically canceling the recess. According to the report Reid is mulling a "pro forma" session. In essence it would mean several members of the Senate would show up on the floor every three days keeping the Senate session alive. With no recess Bush would not be able to make a recess appointment.

You're one smart son of a gun, Harry Reid.

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Dr. James Holsinger may soon slide into the surgeon general chair.

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It's a historic day for Congress, America and everything else! For the first time in President Bush's nearly seven year reign of terror, Democrats and Republicans mustered the gumption to overturn one of this vetoes:

The Senate voted overwhelmingly today for a popular $23 billion water projects measure affecting locales across the country, thereby handing President Bush his first defeat in a veto showdown with Congress.

The vote was 79 to 14, far more than the two-thirds needed to override the veto that President Bush cast last Friday. Only 12 Republicans voted against the measure, and just two Democrats, Senators Russell D. Feingold of Wisconsin and Claire McCaskill of Missouri.

On Tuesday, the House voted by 361 to 54 in favor of the bill, also well over the two-thirds barrier to nullify the veto.

This shit's way more exciting than China Town!

Anti-gay marriage activist Mary Ann Glendon may be getting a new gig.

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President Bush missed a golden opportunity when he chatted with Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni.

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Controversial "not anti-gay" preacher Donnie McClurkin and friend of Barack Obama performed at the Republican National Convention in 2004.

Huffington Post has the video. And, as you can imagine, it's breathtaking, especially his praise of President Bush:

After you've done all you can, you just stand.
Don't give up, don't give in, you just stand.
Oh, Mr. President, tonight, you just stand.

Will McClurkin show as much love for Democrat Obama?

Peter LaBarbera has nothing to worry about. President Bush's staffers are telling him to veto the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (H.R. 3685):

H.R. 3685 would extend existing employment-discrimination provisions of Federal law, including those in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, to establish “a comprehensive Federal prohibition of employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.” The bill raises concerns on constitutional and policy grounds, and if H.R. 3685 were presented to the President, his senior advisors would recommend that he veto the bill.
…
The Act prohibits the Federal Government from substantially burdening the free exercise of religion except for compelling reasons, and then only in the least restrictive manner possible. H.R. 3685 does not meet this standard. For instance, schools that are owned by or directed toward a particular religion are exempted by the bill; but those that emphasize religious principles broadly will find their religious liberties burdened by H.R. 3685.

Question: can liberties be religious? We thought they were civil.

Georgetown University has been getting loads of bad press lately.

First came news that a politically-connected student had instigated a homophobic attack, an assault the school attempted to cover-up. Then we heard about how school cops pulled the plug on a gay rights rally. As if that weren't bad enough, the university took five days to report yet another hate crime.

Shameful, yes, but certainly not surprising, says one staffer.

After the jump, read what "Thomas MacMillan" has to say, including allegations that Georgetown officials regularly, needlessly investigate gay staff members. Why the quotes around "Thomas MacMillan"? Because the staffer's afraid to reveal his identity lest the Catholic school come down on him.

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While we're on the subject of sneaky politics…

Social conservative nut job Peter LaBarbera claims the White House helped draft the most recent incarnation of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act…

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There's some judicial drama surrounding 20-year old. Sean Kennedy's May 16th death. A grand jury has reduced accused killer Andrew Holler's murder rap to involuntarily manslaughter. And Kennedy's mother ain't happy.

I feel like my son has been murdered again.

There's not justice for Sean, and this position makes it very clear that we need hate crime laws in South Carolina and in this nation. We need to make sure that nothing like this will ever happen to any one of our children or citizen.

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One would think Georgetown University would be on its best behavior after admitting to covering up an alleged gay bash, but apparently they haven't learned their lesson. Gay and straight activists held a conference yesterday to announce the revival of the disbanded Georgetown Unity Coalition, which reformed in the wake of Bush-family friend Philip Cooney's reported anti-gay attack.

After announcing their reformation, the Coalition planned on holding a peaceful march. Campus cops, however, weren't having it:

…We had planned to peacefully march to President DeGioia’s office to deliver him 1,000 more signatures to our petition and an “i am” t-shirt, since he came out as an ally on Tuesday in our meeting with him. As soon as a group of 30 of us started leaving Red Square, however, DPS officers began sprinting towards Healy Hall and radioed their superiors for back-up. When we arrived at Healy, we were greeted by a contingent of at least 15 DPS officers barring entrance to the building.

One Unity Coalition member was forcibly removed from the Healy steps by a DPS officer, and Unity Coalition members were aggressively confronted and yelled at by DPS officers. DPS officers were asked to explain why we were being barred entry to the building and on whose orders, and no explanation other than further yelling was given.

Students not wearing the 'i am' t-shirt were allowed to enter the hall. Georgetown's sending a clear message: stinking queers and their problems have no place on the school's campus. Vile.