Almost everyone's heard the proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child." Hell, Senator Hillary Clinton loves that saying so much, she used it for a book's title - and in stump speeches! Well, if that adage proves true, then one could say it takes a nation to birth a party platform. And it may be as painful.

As we speak, operatives and politicos on both sides of the aisle are hammering out their final philosophy, the document that will guide them to November and, they hope, to the White House.

Rather than keeping the drafting internal, both party's are trying to reach out to voters, the Republicans with a website and the Democrats with community drafting committees. These structures, set up by Barack Obama and spread across the land, give ordinary citizens a bit more say in the matter. But, as with all civil negotiations, everyone wants a piece of the political pie.

Too bad no one ever said democracy's fair - or, if they did, had never heard of the Rolling Stones.

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Barack Obama's gay team just got a face lift!

The Senator's presidential campaign announced yesterday a "significant expansion" of their national and grassroots LGBT teams, particularly the addition of new Steering Committee co-chairs members, like Tammy Baldwin. Like many other on the list, Baldwin once backed Hillary Clinton, but this week pledged her support to Obama.

Clinton looms large in the press release, and the campaign's hoping to get their gay ducks - or is it geese? - in a row ahead of the convention later this month:

Over the last few weeks, dozens of members of Clinton’s committee have joined the Steering and Policy Committee, and the committee will continue to grow between now and Election Day.
…
Also, grassroots leaders who held leadership positions in both Obama and Clinton’s primary campaigns have joined to lead the national grassroots mobilization of LGBT voters. Obama Pride will build upon the work that started in the primary [and] Obama Pride will organize networks of activists in all fifty states who are committed to identifying, registering and turning out lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender voters for Barack in November.

A total of five people have joined Obama's gay steering committee, including Baldwin, black gay activist Mandy Carter, former Task Force board co-chair Marsha Botzer and Texas-based Jesse Garcia. A former member of Clinton's queer steering committee, Garcia had this to say about the general election, "On every issue facing the LGBT community, John McCain promises a third Bush term. He’s promised to appoint judges to the Supreme Court like Scalia and Alito, and we can’t afford that."

Read the entire release after the jump…

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Tammy Baldwin came out swinging for Barack Obama today.

The lesbian Congresswoman from Wisconsin released a lengthy statement emphasizing her support for the Democratic presidential hopeful. Baldwin, who endorsed Hillary Clinton during the primary season, obviously wants to appeal to people who are still weary of Obama - or perhaps still committed to Clinton. Said Baldwin:

…The primary season is now over and, like Hillary and millions of other Democrats, Independents, and many Republicans, I am proud to support the candidacy of Barack Obama for President. Endorsing Barack was not a difficult decision and it is not based on party affiliation alone. Rather, it is based on my concept of what the promise of America means and on the stark differences between the two candidates.

For me, the promise of America is a commitment to our collective well-being, rather than each struggling to get his or her own. The promise of America is embracing our democracy and protecting it and working to make it operate even better on behalf of the people. The promise of America is in pushing, prodding, and testing our democracy to make it flourish, not chipping away at its very foundation in pursuit of a political agenda or personal gain.

If elected President, Barack Obama will move us forward charting a new, hopeful, progressive course, while John McCain would keep us mired in the failed policies and divisive politics of the status quo.

Baldwin then launches into a scathing comparison of Obama and his Republican rival, John McCain.

For example, McCain wants to keep troops in Iraq "indefinitely," hopes to stack the Supreme Court with conservative judges and maintain "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." These are all things that Obama would prevent or oppose - and with which Baldwin whole-heartedly agrees, concluding:

I am working to elect Barack Obama President, not because I’m toeing a party line, but because we share a commitment to equality for all Americans…I am working to elect Barack Obama President because he dares to believe in and work for ‘one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.’

And the home of the brave!

Check out the complete statement. Count how many times Baldwin reiterates that she's not backing Obama because he's a party peer.

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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!

Lesbian politico Tammy Baldwin schooled her Congressional colleagues on Day of Silence this morning. Speaking on the House floor, Baldwin chatted about how 500,000 students are shutting their mouths to break the silence on anti-gay bullying.

She then reminded them of Lawrence King and implored our nation's politicians to support the controversial movement:

This year's event will be held in memory of Lawrence King, a California 8th-grader who was shot and killed Feb. 12 by a classmate because of his sexual orientation and gender expression. Larry's death is an unnecessary reminder of what we already know: lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students continue to face pervasive harassment and victimization in schools.

As students use their silence to demand schools are safe for all students, it is my hope that we in Congress will use our voices to ensure that it be so.

New York's Eliot Engel and Lois Capps of California definitely back Baldwin on this one: all three have lent their names to a resolution supporting the Day's "ideals." Twenty-eight other politicians have signed on board, as well.

Read the resolution here. Warning, it's in legalese.

The United States government's queer discrimination runs deeper than we thought. Politico reports this morning that the Pentagon attempted to block Tammy Baldwin from traveling with her long time lover, Lauren Azar, with whom she exchanged domestic partner vows in 1998.

While Defense Secretary Robert Gates and his cronies claim Azar doesn't count as a "spouse," Speaker Nancy Pelosi came out in full force for Baldwin.

In appealing to Gates, Pelosi aides said their boss was simply asking the defense secretary to follow a precedent established by her predecessor, former Republican Rep. Dennis Hastert of Illinois. Pelosi told Gates that Hastert had allowed Baldwin to take Azar on a previous trip abroad.

Gates, who was apparently unaware of any earlier trips, told the speaker that she was responsible for the House travel rules and had the authority to make an exception, according to officials on and off the Hill. His only requirement was that Pelosi send him a letter authorizing the trip. Pelosi sent such a letter moments after the phone call ended, and Azar was allowed on the plane.

The Department of Defense makes clear to Politico that their decision simply reflects a deal with Pelosi and should not be taken as a precedent. Aren't they charming?

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There's a girl fight brewing in Washington! Lesbianic Representative Tammy Baldwin joined a handful of colleagues - Democratic Reps. Howard Berman and Gary Ackerman, as well as Republican Ileana Ros-Lehtinen - in deriding the State Department's gay inequality.

They wrote:

We have followed with great interest and concern the media coverage of the workplace inequities facing gays and lesbians in the U.S. Department of State. As in the case of Former Ambassador to Romania Michael Guest, the inequitable treatment of gay and lesbian Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) and their partners should not be allowed to lead highly qualified employees to leave the State Department at a time when their service is needed more than ever. Many of these inequities could clearly be remedied through your leadership as Secretary, without legislative changes. We write to highlight basic and common-sense policy changes that beg your prompt attention and ask that you act to make eliminating inequities facing gays and lesbians at the State Department a priority.

Good for you, Tammy, but don't be surprised if Condi and company break your heart.

Here's the PDF of the entire letter.

Oregonian Republican Gordon Smith led a good gay fight on Capital Hill yesterday. The Senator and a host of other politicos, including Tammy Baldwin and Joe Lieberman, introduced a bill which will secure domestic partner benefits for federal employees.

Oregon U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith has unveiled a bill that would extend domestic partner benefits to federal employees.

Smith, in co-introducing the Domestic Partner Benefits and Obligations Act of 2007 with Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman and 18 other co-sponsors, said the measure would help the federal government compete for higher-echelon workers.

"The federal government should be leading the way rather than following when it comes to providing benefits," said Smith, a Republican. "Rights and benefits must be afforded to all employees equally. This bill corrects the current inequity."

HRC's Joe Solmonese celebrated the news, of course: "[This bill] is not only a matter of equal pay for equal work, but also the best way to insure that the government has access to the top talent…"

No doubt Democrat Hillary Clinton's a happy camper today. The Senator just got another homo-politico vote from Barney Frank, who proudly threw his political weight behind her candidacy yesterday.

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The New York Times spilled some ink today to discuss the recently passed Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Not surprisingly, the left-leaning paper urges the Senate and President Bush to move forward with the law and protect America's gay people. The paper also takes some time to celebrate Barney Frank and Tammy Baldwin, the homo-politicos who helped push ENDA's painful passage. Here's what the gray lady says about the controversial trans-exclusion:

Transgender people should be protected from discrimination, and we hope they soon will be. It would have been regrettable, however, had the sponsors refused to compromise, and as a result, lost the chance to extend basic civil rights to the millions of Americans who would be covered by the current bill.

Throughout American history, civil rights have been achieved in incremental steps. The landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964, for example, barred race discrimination in public accommodations, an enormous step forward at the time. It wasn’t until the next year that Congress protected voting rights in a separate bill.

We bet the NY Times five dollars trans-rights aren't passed next year. Or the year after. Regardless, they've got a point, even if they're taking a bit of an overly optimistic view.

The House of Representatives passed the non-inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act today by a vote of 235-184.

Read lesbian Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin's statement after the jump.

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We never thought we'd see the day! Gay City News reports that the non-inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act will go to House vote this week:

Gay City News has confirmed that the federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act, delayed for the past month due to debate over whether or not the gay rights measure should include protections against bias motivated by an individual's gender identity or expression, will go before the House Rules Committee at 5 p.m. on Monday, November 5.

According to Steve Adamske, a spokesman for out gay Massachusetts Democrat Barney Frank, ENDA's lead sponsor, the Committee will take up the measure in the form it was scaled back to in late September, at Frank's recommendation, to include only sexual orientation - and not gender identity and expression - as a protected class.

Consideration of the bill by Rules signals leadership's conclusion that it has the votes to win passage on the floor, in spite of the potential for defection by an unknown number of Democrats insisting that only an ENDA that includes protections for gender identity and expression be moved.

Floor action on ENDA could come as early as Tuesday, but is clearly expected some day this week.

It's unclear whether the House will consider Tammy Baldwin's trans-inclusive amendment, which Frank once supported. Of course, no one - gays and anti-gays alike - supports the non-inclusive bill, so who knows what will happen if the House actually sends it on through…