Some Ohioan haters have it out for Democratic Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich, one of the two Democratic presidential candidates who support full gay marriage.

Hours after Kucinich spread the love at last week's gay forum, a vandal or vandals threw a rock through Kucinich's Cleveland campaign HQ.

Dennis Kucinich's presidential campaign office on Lorain Avenue in Cleveland was vandalized early this morning after the congressman appeared with other Democratic candidates on a nationally televised forum on gay rights.

Kucinich spokesman Andy Juniewicz said an unknown object was thrown through a plate glass window sometime after 12:30 a.m., when campaign staffers closed down the office. Juniewicz did not have a dollar estimate of the damage, and said he didn't know whether it was connected with Kucinich's appearance at the forum sponsored by the gay rights group Human Rights Campaign.

"We will leave it to the Cleveland Police Department to investigate and see what they come up with," Juniewicz said.

We wish we were there to give you a big hug, Denny. We'd offer to help with the mess, but we're not very good with a broom.

We'll totally roll up a doobie for you, though, you adorable pot supporting, gay loving politico, you.

No doubt the Democratic presidential hopefuls are taking a big step by participating tonight's gay forum, but will it take a big bite out of their voting base?

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Akron's Tourism board nixed a plan to market the Ohio city as "gay friendly".

According to WKSU's Amanda Robbins, some people accused the initiative of being disingenuous, a suspicion Jim Mahone, a marketer who helped launch the campaign, confirms: "Never in any of these conversations did we purport to be a moral compass… It truly was just about a business decision." And with $55 billion travel dollars, gays are always a good business decision…

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Remember Steven Cole?

Of course you do! He's the 46-year old Cincinnati volunteer firefighter arrested last April for "fondling" himself in a public park - while dressed as a woman, no less. Cole had been boozing it up and claimed to be on his way to Columbus for a trans talent contest.

Well, despite Cole's immoral, indecent, inhuman acts - near children! - a judge took pity on the man, who no doubt faces ridicule at every turn.

In exchange for pleading guilty to D.U.I., Cole will serve no jail time, must pay a $250 fine and can't play in the park for two years. Also, he can only drive to work, family appointments and the gyno.

The judge must have been won over by Cole's flowing locks.

It’s been 231 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. That signing marked the beginning of the democratic age. Those scrappy, ballsy American colonies took on the British Empire and actually won. Liberal democracy became the name of the game. As the Second Continental Congress' declared:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…

The government belonged to the people. The rule of law became the law of the land. Unfortunately, rule of law doesn't always rule for the people.

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To kick off The Power Issue, we turn the floor over to homo-journo, Mickey Weems. You may recall that we've featured Weems most recently for his imaginative take on Hell House.

Now, Weems offers us an open letter he wrote to Ohio Secretary of State, John Kenneth Blackwell (pictured).

As you may recall, the Buckeye State served as one of the most important arenas of political strife back in 2004, when 350,000 votes were refused by shady pollsters. Many contend that those discarded votes decided the fierce electoral war between John Kerry and President Bush.

Beyond the close margin of victory, a number of lawsuits brought the state national media attention. So, where does Blackwell fit into all of this? Well, while sitting as Secretary of State, the conservative Blackwell had the dubious honor in 2004 of serving as Chief Elections official of Ohio and honorary co-chair of the "Committee to re-elect George W. Bush." Needless to say, there's a bit of a conflict of interest in holding both seats. Not surprisingly, all allegations of voter fraud were either ignored or dismissed. (For more background, check out this New Yorker article.)

Now, Secretary of State Blackwell's battling it out with Ted Strickland in Ohio's gubernatorial race. Though every single survey taken puts Strickland ahead of Blackwell (most recently by 36 points), more than a few questions have been raised on how much Blackwell's position as Secretarty of State may "influence" the votes.

In celebration of the election – and with scathingly hilarious wit – homo-journo Weems shares his letter to Blackwell: a letter to which Blackwell never responded

Perhaps Blackwell was too busy perverting democracy or, as Weems contends, too caught up emulating Katherine Harris, Florida’s former Secretary of State. It was Harris' ruling, after all, that played a big role in President Bush’s ascension to power, thus ushering in one of the most disastrous political eras of our time.

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It's not often that we feel bad for Republicans, but we have to admit we're sort of sad to hear that Mark Foley's fag-hag, Deborah Pryce of Ohio (pictured), has suffered in the polls since the scandal erupted.

The New York Times reports:

Ms. Pryce always thought she would have a difficult re-election campaign this year in a state raked by Republican scandals. But since Mr. Foley quit, she said in an interview on a tense day of campaigning here, her own internal polls have measured a steady drop in support under the weight of attacks by Mary Jo Kilroy, her Democratic opponent.

Among those attacks are radio spots on Christian radio stations questioning whether or not Pryce had any role in the Congressional cover-up.

We know politics is an ugly game, but going after someone simply because they're friends with someone seems a little childish. Regardless of whether or not Kilroy's going a bit low, the fact that Pryce's support for Foley has visibily damaged her numbers certainly indicates where things in this country are headed: up.

In case you didn't know, there's a battle raging for Ohio's soul. In one corner is Rod (ironic, no?) Parsley and his hate-mongering Reformation Ohio and in the other is Equality Ohio. Parsley's group aims to purge all anti-Christian elements from the Buckeye Sate, while Equality Ohio works to bring people together.

We've just received this link to an Equality Ohio video comparing the two movements. If you're not up-to-date on the 513 and its political woes, check it out. The elections in November will have a huge impact on who gets the KO in RO v. EO. It's a battle worthy of pay per view. We'll give you on guess as to who we're cheering for…

For more information on both groups, follow their respective links.

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Thanks to Queerty cage slave Richard, who sent in the above footage from Columbus, Ohio's gay pride parade. After the jump, check out a few more videos (and photos) from the Midwest celebrations!

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We've never been to Cleveland, but from the looks of these pictures, they know how to throw quite a Pride bash. Our buddy the Gay Guru has given us an inside look at the festivities from Saturday, which include not just a parade, but a big "Pride festival" that drew a big crowd. Performing at the festival was Paul Lekakis (of "Boom, Boom, Boom. Let's Go Back To My Room" fame) who presumably has a new single out that must have garnered him enough cash to avoid all that facial work.

Check out the rest of GG's photos for a more detailed glimpse into midwestern gayness.

MEME Mondays, Cleveland Gay Pride Festival (part 2) [Gay Guru]

If you haven’t yet heard of Merrill Keiser you should. He’s a trucker running for U.S. Senate in Ohio and wants to make homosexual behavior punishable by death. Believe it or not, he’s a democrat. Yep. We can’t even see red staters voting for this guy.

Keiser showed up on the queer radio show The Edge Show to spew his hate. It appears as if he could do without one of our favorite musical queens.

Host Chad Larson: Elton John, he comes to the state of Ohio, he’s gay and proud, you want him dead? Should he be killed?

Candidate Merrill Keiser: I would prefer that he repent

Larson: Obviously, he’s not repenting, should he be killed?

Keiser: Well he’s worthy of death

And what about trigger happy Vice President Cheney’s dykey daughter?

Larson: So you are saying Mary Cheney …So you are saying Mary Cheney should be killed for being a homosexual.

Keiser: Why don’t we….What’s wrong with drugs?

We have no idea what Keiser meant by that final comment. Was he suggesting she be drugged like Larson later inquires? Or was he asking a genuine question about the acceptance of drugs in general?

Maybe Keiser was on drugs during the interview. No, that would be giving him too much credit.

Click here for the juicy audio clip.

US politician says Elton John should be executed [Pink News]

• Three out politicians were elected in Ohio last night. We thought that only happens in San Francisco.

• Texans approved a ban on gay marriage yesterday and in Maine the voters upheld a law giving protection from discrimination to homosexuals. We are thinking a fall foliage trip to Maine is in order.

• Bradford’s hometown of Baltimore needs a makeover. Somebody call Simon Doonan stat!

• London Terrace Towers in Chelsea has some new rules: "No one may touch or fondle [themselves or] another person in any part of the Pool or the Health Club facility.” Famous residents Annie Leibovitz and Debbie Harry are probably happy with the new policy. Matthew has yet to comment. Via Gawker.

• Sharon Osbourne says Madonna looks like an old hooker. She would know. Her daughter looks like a fat hooker.