John McCain and his surrogates have been trying to paint rival Barack Obama as a "socialist" because he wants to "redistribute the wealth," an attack so outdated and outlandish that some are dismissing it as just plane silly. And Obama's no exception.

So said the Senator in North Carolina today:

Because [McCain] knows that his economic theories don’t work, he’s spending these last few days calling me every name in the book. I don’t know what’s next. By the end of the week, he’ll be accusing me of being a secret communist because I shared my toys in kindergarten. I shared my, uh, peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

McCain's camp responded by implying Obama's rubber and they are, in fact, glue.

North Carolinian politico Kay Hagan garnered some gay sympathy yesterday after it was revealed that her state's Republican party had launched a homophobic campaign against the Senatorial candidate, whom they claim will usher in the fearsome "radical homosexual agenda."

Libertarian candidate and gay man Christopher Cole saw our report and scoffed at the description of Hagan as "gay-friendly." And, to prove his point, Mr. Cole sent us this article, which reads:

The reality is that Hagan has been silent on gay marriage, even when directly asked.

The NC Family Policy Council distributed a candidate questionnaire that explicitly included the marriage issue. The answers clearly distinguish Libertarian Cole as supporting equality under the law, Dole opposed. Hagan? Silent.

Out in Asheville, a gay-market newspaper in the western end of the state, published a voter guide, in which neither Dole nor Hagan spoke to their reporter. Libertarian Cole did, and is quoted strongly in favor of equality under the law.

As an openly-gay man himself, Libertarian Christopher Cole has a personal and moral perspective on the legal treatment of gay and lesbian folks. Maybe that is why the Republicans attack the tongue-tied Hagan, but not the outspoken Cole.

Well, they probably attacked Hagan because she's got more of a shot of beating out Elizabeth Dole than Cole, but what do we know?

And we thought things were bad in Ohio!

North Carolina's overzealous Republican party has been mailing out literature that claims Democratic Senatorial candidate Kay Hagan's an agent of - gasp! - the homosexual agenda. Hide the children!

By electing Hagan over Republican Elizabeth Dole, the mailer claims, voters will be opening the door to a vast wave of homo happenings, like gay marriage and a queer inclusive Boy Scouts. The mailer also cites the so-called "activist judges" who are trying to spread gay marriage.

This flier is but one in a series of anti-gay mailers we've seen this season. Ohio's Republican party sent out pamphlets this month claiming that Democrat Ray Pryor represented the wrong choice because he supports gay adoption. The party also funded a flier touting Republican Congressional candidate Michael Keenan's love for "family values."

You can see you more of this nastiness over at PageOneQ.

North Carolina's gay guppies won't be included in a new anti-bullying law. Nor will anyone else, because the state's Senate failed to approve the legislation…

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Oh, Lord! Did uber-conservative Republican Jesse Helms like to dress as a woman? "Yes," according to a Massachusetts-based make-up artist who phoned into homo-journo Michelangelo Signorile's radio show.

The story goes like this: the caller, known only as "Brian," put an add in the paper to film a "video instruction" for straight men looking to learn how to dress like women, one of the men who replied was a creepy Southern man who looked vaguely familiar. "Brian" did the deed, video taped it so the man could watch it at home and received $300 for the pancaked pleasure. It wasn't until the next day, after reading an article about how North Carolinian Senator Jesse Helms had been visiting Massachusetts - and staying at the same hotel where the make-over went down! - that "Brian" recognized his client.

He goes on to explain that he never came forward for fear of being mistaken for a hooker and other nebulous "repercussions," nor does he expect anyone to believe him. But it did happen, he says. True or not, Signorile's bewilderment's worth the watch. Pay particular attention to his reaction around the 1:30 mark. He's not sure whether to jump up in glee or call "bullshit."

We're not sure if you've heard, but college can get expensive. Thus, it should come as no surprise to hear that thousands of high school graduates opt out of higher education to focus on stuffing their coffers for future academic endeavors. Hoping to stem the trend among homos, North Carolina gay couple Tim and Neil Griffin founded the Griffin Scholarship, $2500 awarded to two Carolinian gay students annually.

Though PFLAG and other organizations have been doing similar scholarships for years, but Tim Griffin says more must be done, particularly because of discrimination among particular institutions:

There are kids out there who can't get access to military scholarships, or church scholarships, or even the financial support of their family, because they have come out as gay. I want these kids to understand that there are people who want to help, even when other organizations turn them away.

Two kids will benefit each year, and this year the prize went to Juan Vazquez and Azze Waldron, who are psyched to attend school this fall. Whether they'll be so enthusiastic after the scholarly madness begins remains to be seen…

Some gay daddies got editorial love in North Carolina this weekend. Rather than focusing on "mainstream" paternalism, The Asheville Citizen-Times used its front page to feature "unconventional" fathers, like queer couple Brian Alexander and John Brock, who adopted 18-month old Eric after becoming his foster parents:

The couple decided their best route to parenthood was becoming foster parents, fulfilling a need in Buncombe County where there are only about 70 foster homes for 350 children.

Eric has been with the couple from the time he was 6 weeks old.

“He doesn’t know anybody other than us,” Alexander said. “We’re his daddy and papa.”

As two gay men raising a baby, Alexander and Brock have to deal with some prejudice and misunderstanding. But that experience helps them teach their son about tolerance, they said.

If only every father did the same, huh?

Raleigh coppers caught up with the times this weekend. The flatfoots last week arrested two gay men who were having sex in private last week after one of them, Nelson Keith Sloan, called about a sexual assault. Both he and his partner, Christopher Ryan Flynn were charged with crimes against nature.

Realizing that 2003's Lawrence v. Texas invalidated sodomy laws, the distract attorney straightened things out and dropped the charges, saying the men were having consensual sex. Despite the turnaround, Sloan says a threat remains:

I am grateful that the DA's office has a better understanding of the Constitution than the Raleigh Police Department However, as long as this law remains on the books, it is a crime punishable by an arrest, a stay in jail, media attention and a fine of $450."

And, yes, Sloan had to pay that fine. Flynn, meanwhile, still faces a simple assault charge for biting Sloan's lip.

The past sure can leave a mark.

Despite the fact that the 2003 Supreme Court case Lawrence v. Texas struck down federalist sodomy laws, North Carolina police this weekend charged two gay men with "crimes against nature." And, as if that's not bad enough, an alleged victim got snagged himself:

Police first arrested and charged Nelson Keith Sloan, 40, who called them to the private residence to report an attack. Later, police arrested and charged Ryan Christopher Flynn, 25, with the same charge.

Flynn was also charged with simple assault for biting Sloan and communicating threats for telling Sloan he was going to disembowel him.

“This looks like a case of a consensual act that may have gotten out of hand,” Raleigh police Capt. T.D. Hardy told the daily newspaper. “The law is still on the books. Our detectives got involved in it last night and decided this was the best thing to do. What the D.A.’s office will do with it, I don’t know.”

Sloan insists that he was the victim of an assault. “I didn’t allow anything,” he told The News and Observer Saturday. “They knew it and turned it around and arrested me. I have never been so humiliated in all my life. It’s just awful.”

And, from the sound of it, cops think Sloan's awful, too!

Jim Neal's Senatorial dreams were dashed last week when he lost to fellow Democrat Kay Hagan.

The road to Washington wasn't the most level, especially considering Neal's relative obscurity and the fact that Hagan won the support of party leaders, who apparently worried Neal couldn't take on Republican Elizabeth Dole.

While some would be sore about their loss, Neal's taking it all in stride. He hasn't yet decided what the future holds, but this homo-politicos sure of one thing: he made - and will continue to make - an impact.

Neal and our editor chatted yesterday about the candidate's loss, gay group Human Rights Campaign's non-endorsement and why this year will change America's electoral process forever.

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John McCain's right-wing wooing antics aren't working.

A shocking amount of Indiana and North Carolina Republicans put their weight against the presumptive nominee, giving their support to fallen candidates like Mike Huckabee, Ron Paul or, of course, simply voting "no."

Twenty-six percent of North Carolinians rejected the politico, while twenty-two of Indiana's Hoosiers have apparently given up on the Senator from Arizona.

It's probably a gloomy morning for homo-politico Jim Neal.

The North Carolina Democrat lost his Senatorial bid to rival Kay Hagan last night, sixty-to-eighteen percent.

It's not surprising that voters would prefer Hagan, who has been a sitting Senator for five-years. What does shock us a bit is that people backed the candidate who originally didn't want to run.

You may recall that Chuck Schumer and other party asked Hagan to run, fearing that Neal couldn't compete with Republican candidate Elizabeth Dole.

Regardless, Hagan's now the district's Senatorial nominee and knows she needs to unify potential voters…

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