On Friday, President Obama declared June LGBT Pride Month. Sure it’s just a gesture, but sometimes gestures speak volumes. Above he speaks about the declaration, and below is the official text:
A PROCLAMATION
From generation to generation, ordinary Americans have led a proud and inexorable march toward freedom, fairness, and full equality under the law—not just for some, but for all. Ours is a heritage forged by those who organized, agitated, and advocated for change; who wielded love stronger than hate and hope more powerful than insult or injury; who fought to build for themselves and their families a nation where no one is a second-class citizen, no one is denied basic rights, and all of us are free to live and love as we see fit.
The lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community has written a proud chapter in this fundamentally American story. From brave men and women who came out and spoke out, to union and faith leaders who rallied for equality, to activists and advocates who challenged unjust laws and marched on Washington, LGBT Americans and allies have achieved what once seemed inconceivable. This month, we reflect on their enduring legacy, celebrate the movement that has made progress possible, and recommit to securing the fullest blessings of freedom for all Americans.
Since I took office, my Administration has worked to broaden opportunity, advance equality, and level the playing field for LGBT people and communities. We have fought to secure justice for all under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr.,Hate Crimes Prevention Act, and we have taken action to end housing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. We expanded hospital visitation rights for LGBT patients and their loved ones, and under the Affordable Care Act, we ensured that insurance companies will no longer be able to deny coverage to someone just because they are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.
Because we understand that LGBT rights are human rights, we continue to engage with the international community in promoting and protecting the rights of LGBT persons around the world. Because we repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” gay, lesbian and bisexual Americans can serve their country openly, honestly, and without fear of losing their jobs because of whom they love. And because we must treat others the way we want to be treated, I personally believe in marriage equality for same-sex couples.
More remains to be done to ensure every single American is treated equally, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Moving forward, my Administration will continue its work to advance the rights of LGBT Americans. This month, as we reflect on how far we have come and how far we have yet to go, let us recall that the progress we have made is built on the words and deeds of ordinary Americans. Let us pay tribute to those who came before us, and those who continue their work today; and let us rededicate ourselves to a task that is unending — the pursuit of a Nation where all are equal, and all have the full and unfettered opportunity to pursue happiness and live openly and freely.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2012 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month.
I call upon the people of the United States to eliminate prejudice everywhere it exists, and to celebrate the great diversity of the American people.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.
BARACK OBAMA
Happy Pride everyone!
jason
This is well and good but what is the President actually DOING? TALKING is one thing, DOING is another. I want to know what he’s going to do about ENDA and DOMA. The power is in his hands.
If he doesn’t do anything, it will prove that his words of support for gay marriage were a fund-raising confidence trick.
Belize
@jason: “This is well and good but what is the President actually DOING? TALKING is one thing, DOING is another. I want to know what he’s going to do about ENDA and DOMA. The power is in his hands.”
More than what Romney may ever consider doing. Sorry. I’m not voting for your PR client.
“If he doesn’t do anything, it will prove that his words of support for gay marriage were a fund-raising confidence trick.”
LOL. I love that typo. It’s as if you can’t wait to spread your redundant, already well-known gospel.
And I also love how you pretty much stated your believe that everyone is as moronic as you. Good job. It’s a very GOProud thing to do.
jason
Belize,
If you like being conned, be my guest. You’re only damaging yourself and your cause.
I’m simply saying that words are not enough. Anyone cany recite words. I want to know the concrete action that Obama is going to take to enact ENDA and end DOMA.
Obama can issue an executive order. OK, it’s not the best option but it’s far better than nothing. If he is genuine in his commitment to our rights, he won’t hesitate.
jeff4justice
When I’m drafted for the 2party system’s next senseless war I’ll guess I’ll just have to be happy the warmonger is coll with gays. Yeaaah!
I care less about DOMA and more about NDAA.
Misty
@jason: Jason. look at his record he’s done a lot. And his stopping of the defense of DOMA is a good start. It will be struck down by the courts and repealed.
Max
Well even though this isn’t a substantial policy, this is still fantastic. Do you know how historic this is? Not only has a President acknowledged our cause as moral but he has urged the nation to celebrate it. Sure the effects won’t be felt until maybe 5 years when it becomes a staple, but for it to become a staple we need to perpetuate it and support the newly christened LGBT month as much as possible.
That being said, it did not escape my notice that the month isn’t part of the school year, and thus LGBT history has no obligation to be taught. 😛
Barefoot Accountant
I have become very disenchanted with President Barack Obama even though I voted for him in 2008.
1. He did not even propose the public option healthcare system: he had campaigned on that system, promising to propose it. (Wikipedia: ”President Barack Obama promoted the idea of the public option while running for election.[3] After becoming President, Obama downplayed the need for a public health insurance option including calling it a “sliver” of health care reform,[4] but had not given up pursuing the idea before the health care reform was passed.[5] The preceding statement is disputed by evidence that the Obama administration had agreed to drop the public option from the final plan in the summer of 2009[6] in a back room deal with representatives of the for-profit hospital lobby[7]“)
2. He has appointed countless Wall Streeters to his top economic team, failing to appoint labor voices like Robert Reich.
3. He has bailed out Wall Street instead of Main Street: remember TARP? And then the banks dispensed $6 billion in bonuses in that year to its executives.
4. He failed to attack the mortgage crisis, leaving an elephant still in our “room”, with one-third of home mortgages now underwater.
5. He failed to veto the National Defense Authorization Act, doing away with habeous corpus, allowing the government to arrest and detain indefinitely without a trial or hearing.
6. He agreed to an extension of the Bush tax cuts for the rich, and on top of that, he agreed to an egregious reduction of the estate taxes on the rich, exempting as much as $10 million from any estate taxes and lowering the estate tax rate down to a ridiculous rate of 35%, when our country has a $15 trillion debt. That alone saved the Walton heirs $17 billion in taxes.
7. He has failed to indict and imprison any of those banksters involved in all of that fraud on Wall Street from the subprime mortgage, including robo-signing, and selling shit-backed mortgage securities known to be worthless.
8. He appointed Jeffrey Immelt to head his Jobs Council when GE has been saying “China, China, China,” and shipping all jobs overseas while closing plants here in the US.
9. President Obama is now considering and proposing to lower the corporate tax rate to 26%, when corporations are not only at a low-time rate of paying taxes but getting billions in tax subsidies from our government and opening up offices on the 19th floor of one building on the Cayman Islands to avoid taxes altogether.
10. President Obama spoke in favor of PIPA and SOPA, when the internet is the last vestige of free speech and the availability of free information to the general public.
11. There were no indictments by President Obama of all the contractor fraud reported on by Bernie Sanders and Ron Paul in a Congressional Report released over a year ago. Whenever the rich and big corporations are caught in fraud, Eric Holder adopts a policy of “looking forward”, instead of holding them accountable.
12. President Obama agreed to the “grand bargain” (thank, God, Boehner did not accept it) to cut over $2 trillion in spending, including social security, medicare, medicaid, and other social safety-net programs merely in return for hypothetical “revenue increases” of $800 billion relying on “dynamic scoring”.
13. President Obama has done nothing to level the trade treaties, where corporations are shipping labor to Cambodia (22.5 cents per hour), China, Philippines, etc., where labor is paid 25 cents per hour. This is exporting slavery to other countries. Where is the level playing field for Americans?
14. President Obama in 2009 only proposed $140 billion in infrastructure spending when Paul Krugman and other economists predicted that $1.5 trillion was needed for our economy to recover. And last year only proposed a paltry $108 billion in infrastructure spending.
15. President Obama praised the recent JOBS Act, which allows corporations to go public and raise capital without audited financial information in their public presentations for the first five years, allowing them to present fictitious numbers and defraud investors?
16. President Obama has failed to propose the return of Glass-Steagall, separating commercial and investment banking, which will soon plunge us back into another mega-bailout of Wall Street.
17. President Obama has failed to propose the break up of the big banks and corporations. What ever happened to the Sherman Anti-Trust Act?
18. President Obama touted a $25 billion robo-signing settlement when a trillion dollars of our pension and retirement funds were stolen.
19. While campaigning, President Obama promised to put on his walking shoes for labor, but failed to even show up in Wisconsin and walk the picket line against Governor Walker.
20. President Obama has not declared war on the Supreme Court, as President Roosevelt did, to oppose the corporate/rich posture of Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, Alito, and Roberts. Why not take them on?
21. President Obama has arrested and raided more marijuana users in less than four years than George Bush did in eight years. Why is President Obama proposing cuts to social security, medicare, and medicaid while spending more on marijuana arrests and raids, especially when a majority of Americans are for legalization of pot and for the open sale of marijuana for medical use?
Time and time again President Obama did not fight the good fight for working Americans, who are losing their jobs, health insurance, homes, dignity, etc.
I am tired of the lame excuse of how we must vote for Obama because of the Supreme Court. How can anyone believe that Obama would not disappoint progressives on that issue after he failed to undertake a recess appointment of Elizabeth Warren to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a position to which she was more entitled to direct than any other American?
I am done with President Obama.
Barefoot Accountant
For a more complete list, see Hugh’s list at http://obamascandalslist.blogspot.com/2009/10/table-of-contents.html
1. Reneged on pledge to filibuster FISA Amendments Act (July 2008)
2. Lobbied for $700 billion Paulson TARP bank bailout
3. Pushed for no sanctions against Lieberman despite his support for John McCain
4. Nominated healthcare company lobbyist Tom Daschle as Secretary of HHS
5. Had neoliberal Robert Rubin as his chief economics adviser
6. Then had the equally neoliberal Larry Summers assume this role
7. Chose the failing upwards Timothy Geithner to head Treasury
8. AIG bonuses and money to Goldman under Obama
9. Doubling down in Afghanistan
10. Delay and reduction of withdrawal from Iraq
11. Moving Guantanamo activities to Bagram
12. Military commissions for some detainees
13. Support for indefinite detention
14. Refusal to release torture photos under FOIA
15. Refusal to investigate and prosecute Bush era criminality
16. Geithner’s DOA economic rescue programs: the PPIP and TALF
17. Minimal help for homeowners and no cramdowns
18. Treatment of Chrysler and GM with bankrupcy compared to bank no fail “stress tests”
19. Kabuki of TARP repayment by banks while still dependent on government credit lines
20. Extra-Constitutional use of the Fed by the Executive for fiscal policy
21. Credit Card bill without usury caps and with 9 month delay for other reforms
22. Business friendly Mary Schapiro named to head SEC
23. Gary Gensler who helped deregulate derivatives named to head CFTC
24. $787 billion stimulus: too little, too late, poorly structured
25. Use of financial crisis to attack Social Security and Medicare
26. The great healthcare non-debate
27. Continued use of state secrets argument in ongoing Bush era cases
28. Use of signing statements, including one to punish whistleblowers
29. Vetting process problems, especially tax related ones
30. Leaving Dawn Johnsen’s nomination to head OLC twisting in the wind
31. Eric Holder, failure to reform DOJ, not removing worst of Bush USAs
32. Failure to move against new oil bubble
33. Retention of Bush Defense team: Gates, Patraeus, and Odierno
34. Continued missile strikes inside Pakistan
35. Keeping Bush’s domestic spying programs and adding a new one, cybersecurity
36. Choice of Elena Kagan who favors expansive Presidential powers as Sollicitor General, her subsequent nomination to the Supreme Court
37. Leaving EFCA (to help counter anti-union companies) to wither in Congress
38. Welcoming Arlen Specter who brings nothing to the Democrats into the party
39. Weak ineffective proposals for financial reform
40. Obama wanted John Brennan at CIA but settled for making him his counter- terrorism adviser
41. Chas Freeman with broader Mideast perspective done in by AIPAC
42. Dennis Blair made DNI; failed to act to stop atrocities in East Timor
43. Choice of McChrystal involved in torture in Iraq to head Afghanistan command
44. Obama threat to suspend intelligence cooperation with UK over Binyam Mohamed case
45. Efforts to keep Bush and Obama White House logs secret
46. Playing games with “Don’t ask, don’t tell”
47. Filing a brief to overturn Jackson (access to lawyer) in the Montejo case
48. Not withdrawing Bush brief in Osborne DNA case
49. Egregious brief in challenge to Defense of Marriage Act
50. The Supplemental which made Iraq and Afghanistan Democratic wars
51. Choice of Rahm Emanuel as the President’s Chief of Staff
52. Choice of Dennis Ross as Iran envoy and then his move to the White House
53. Politically embarrassing processes to fill Obama and Clinton’s Senate seats
54. Choice of Bill Richardson, then Judd Gregg to head Commerce Department
55. Reneging on pledge to re-negotiate NAFTA
56. Obama’s throwing his pastor Jeremiah Wright to the curb, then reaching out to religious conservative Rick Warren
57. Continued challenges to habeas corpus petitions over indefinite detention, the Janko case
58. The Obama White House website
59. Continuing an ineffective program that Iran can exploit politically
60. Going slow on climate change when there is no time to
61. Not withdrawing a Bush-era amicus brief in the Ricci v. DeStefano reverse discrimination case and supporting a rollback of Title VII
62. Appointment of a CIA General Counsel who doesn’t know if waterboarding is torture
63. Appointment of a DNI General Counsel who doesn’t know if waterboarding is torture
64. CIA delay in a FOIA request concerning torture
65. The influence of Goldman Sachs in the Obama Administration
66. Attempt to keep secret the Cheney interview on the Plame affair
67. Mountaintop removal under Obama
68. Attempt to restrict Congressional notification on intelligence matters
69. Opposition to a second stimulus
70. Another egregious attempt to fight a habeas corpus petition in the Jawad case
71. Continuing charter schools and standardized tests
72. Holder’s decision to support a weak, narrow review of torture
73. Re-appointment of Ben Bernanke as Fed Chairman
74. Continuing renditions
75. Politically dubious company was used to vet reporters in Afghanistan
76. Judge vetoes a too weak SEC plea bargain with Bank of America
77. Justice’s argument for making Bagram a new Guantanamo, the al Maqaleh case
78. Defense to turn over databases to poorly controlled fusion centers
79. Obama changes but keeps Bush’s Star Wars program
80. Failure to win an Israeli freeze on settlements
81. White House refuses to back its own staffer environmentalist Van Jones
82. Politicized US Attorney in the Siegelman case cleared by Office of Special Counsel
83. Criticism of Iranian nuclear program; support of Israeli nuclear weapons
84. Support for a weakened reporter’s shield law
85. Use of the Zazi case to retain broad Patriot Act surveillance provisions
86. Wilner v. NSA, continuing the coverup of warrantless surveillance of communications between attorneys and detainees
87. Attempt to spike the Goldstone report on Israeli-Hamas war crimes in Gaza
88. Slowness in filling federal judgeships
89. Inadequate aid to overwhelmed state budgets
90. Attempting to dodge the Supreme Court deciding whether innocent Guantanamo detainees can be resettled in the US
91. Allowing drilling in the waters off the north coast of Alaska
92. Keeping detainee accounts of CIA torture secret
93. Current FBI manual allows for widespread domestic spying
94. Securitization invalidates most foreclosures
95. Geithner wanting unlimited powers to save large banks
96. Another state secrets defense to conceal domestic spying
97. Circuit Court dismissal of Maher Arar suit
98. Weakening Sarbanes-Oxley and calling it financial reform
99. Unemployment
100. Inspector General for Fannie and Freddie ousted for investigating fraud
101. Gaming courts to convict Guantanamo detainees
102. White House counsel removed for his principled stands on torture and Guantanamo
103. US seizes mosques claiming Iranian connection
104. Howard Dean removed as head of the DNC
105. Scientist with close ties to Monsanto put in charge of all governmental agricultural research
106. Pesticide lobbyist nominated as Chief Agricultural Negotiator for trade
107. Effort to let some government contractors avoid paying taxes
108. A bad US Attorney nomination for Northern Iowa
109. Hunger in America
110. The breast cancer recommendations fiasco
111. Ongoing confusion and disorganization in the military commissions process
112. Phillip Carter another official in closing Guantanamo resigns
113. Refusal to sign anti-land mine treaty
114. The Ghizzawi case and the legal limbo of “cleared for release”
115. Black prisons at Balad and Bagram
116. Delay in declassifying historic documents
117. Max Baucus’ conflicts of interest in healthcare and with his girlfriend
118. Major security breach at a White House party and a ridiculous assertion of “executive privilege”
119. Dana “Pig Missile” Perino nominated to the Broadcasting Board of Governors
120. Cass Sunstein, an anti-regulator in a regulatory position
121. Warrantless for profit electronic surveillance by telecoms and search engines
122. The government sides with torture lawyer John Yoo and attacks Bevins actions again
123. The TSA publishes its security manual online
124. Toxic legal arguments in al Zahrani v. Rumsfeld, yet another Bevins action
125. The Nobel Peace Prize and a neocon acceptance speech
126. Blackwater’s involvement in military and CIA assassination and drone programs
127. Congressional Research Service censorship in the firing of Morris Davis
128. AIG writes off $25 billion in debt and sticks taxpayers with the bill
129. The Administration plays hardball to kill an amendment that would lower drug costs
130. A poorly considered blank check to Fannie and Freddie
131. Continuing a Bush botch in the Nisoor Square massacre case
132. Jonathan Gruber, a major defender of Obamacare was also a paid consultant for it
133. A Geithner related cover up of the AIG at par payments on swaps
134. Adoption of stealth signing statements
135. al Bihani, more bad legal reasoning in another Guantanamo habeas case
136. Cutting Medicare and Social Security by deficit commission proposed
137. A 3 year non-freeze budget freeze proposed
138. NASA flights privatized
139. OPR report on Yoo and Bybee watered down and its relation to the Padilla case
140. Government targeting of US citizens for assassination
141. Abuse of informants by ICE agents
142. Obama leaves Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board empty
143. Obama backs firing of teachers in Rhode Island
144. Irish human rights advocate Edward Horgan has US visa pulled
145. Threatened veto of 2010 Intelligence Authorization Act over Congressional notifications
146. Obama Administration intimidation of whistleblowing site: wikileaks
147. Fish and Wildlife Service continues to ignore science on endangered species
148. Senate vacation more important than jobless benefits
149. Government seeks to compel turnover of emails without a warrant
150. Obama goes after an NSA whistleblower: the Thomas Drake case
151. Obama goes after a CIA whistleblower: the James Risen case
152. Weakening Miranda rights in national security cases
153. Advocating the privatizing of public housing
154. Another step in making Bagram the new Guantanamo, the al Maqaleh case, the appeals court edition
155. Massey mining disaster, 29 die because of corporate greed and poor regulation
156. Obama proposal for a line item veto
157. A military commander allowed to use military forces for intelligence operations without Presidential approval
158. Political pandering in sending 1200 National Guardsmen to the Southwest border
159. A sad record on resisting Guantanamo habeas petitions
160. Israel attacks an aid convoy for Gaza; Obama punts
161. A further erosion of Miranda: Berghius v. Thompkins
162. Naming James Clapper, a Bush appointee, to be the next DNI
163. DOJ seeks to protect Vatican in sex abuse scandal
164. Yahya Wehelie, an American exiled without charge
165. Failure to replace National Labor Relations Board members means hundreds of decisions must be reviewed
166. SCOTUS opts for overly broad definition of material support to terrorist groups
167. Speaker Pelosi backstabs Social Security
168. Complaints by government scientists of political interference at Bush era levels
169. Flip flop on free trade agreement with Colombia
170. SEC declares major victory but lets Goldman off easy
171. Private contracting of intelligence continues under Obama
172. Two Guantanamo prisoners to be deported back to Algeria against their will
173. The Shirley Sherrod affair: trumped up charges of racism and a bungled response 174. Whitewash report on Bush era US Attorney firings
175. Despite its record, Blackwater still gets big US government contracts
176. Wikileaks releases government files showing Pakistan involvement with Taliban and admission that things are going poorly in Afghanistan
177. Obama seeks to get access to everyone’s web histories without a court order
178. Teacher funding sacrificed to keep Education Secretary Arne Duncan happy
179. State’s top Iran hand resigns over Obama’s Iran policy
180. Citizens United: validation of unlimited corporate political funding
181. Push to expand US arms sales around the world
182. Project Vigilant, Infragard and “volunteer” corporate spying for the government
183. Obama’s approval hits Bush levels in Arab world
184. Effort to pre-empt state environmental lawsuits involving green house gases
185. Justice’s Anti-trust division asleep at the wheel
186. Kagan’s recusals render her even more ineffective on the Supreme Court
187. Poverty level highest since 1994
188. Courts run interference for corporate violators of international law
189. Warren named to set up but not to run Consumer Financial Protection Board
190. Chief economic adviser Larry Summers leaves; Obama looks for someone even more pro-business to replace him
191. DOJ IG report goes soft on Bush era surveillance against peace groups and other activists; meanwhile the Obama Administration conducts raids against similar groups
192. Move to put backdoors in the internet to facilitate spying and more requirements on banks on international money transfers of any size
193. HHS Secretary Sebelius delays for at least two years required insurance coverage for contraception
194. Americans on Medicaid increased to 48.5 million in 2009
195. Big home lenders suspend foreclosures as their documentation gets challenged in court
196. HR 3808, a bill passed by Congress, to facilitate the acceptance of false documentation by banks in foreclosure proceedings
197. ICE raids and deportations increase under Obama
198. Social Security COLA frozen for second straight year; no action taken
199. Waivers for military aid to countries with child soldiers
200. Big and deserved losses in the 2010 elections
201. 42 million Americans on food stamps at the end of FY 2010
202. No indictments for those involved in the CIA destruction of the torture tapes
203. The Bowles-Simpson Cat Food Commission proposals
204. $3 billion in aid for Israel for a 90 day settlement freeze
205. No change in Democratic Congressional leadership after 2010 election disaster
206. Forced proselytizing still prevalent at US Air Force Academy
207. TSA harassment and violation of the 4th Amendment
208. More TSA idiocy: full body scans and invasive pat downs
209. The response to the 2009 coup in Honduras
210. Use of diplomatic personnel to spy at the UN
211. Fed proposes rule change to Truth in Lending Act to protect bank fraud
212. FCC head Genachowski takes an axe to net neutrality
213. Lieberman and Amazon.com seek to censor wikileaks
214. Pressuring the Spanish government into dropping torture prosecutions against 6 high level Bush officials
215. Neoliberal free trade deal with South Korea at a time of high unemployment
216. Hamfisted banning access to wikileaks by government departments
217. Massive screwup in printing $100 bills
218. Extending tax cuts for the rich in a poor compromise on jobless benefits
219. Dancing boys of Afghanistan paid for by US contractor Dyncorp
220. EPA backtracks on smog standards
221. Former OMB director Peter Orszag goes to Citigroup
222. Obama breaks the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to supply Israel with nuclear fuel
223. DREAM Act for children of illegal immigrants done in by Senate Democrats
224. DOJ drops investigations of corrupt members of Congress
225. The FBI’s Guardian database, another useless, intrusive surveillance program
226. Pentagon weakens rules on contractor conflicts of interest
227. Investigation by state Attorney Generals into foreclosuregate: no criminal charges
228. Obama names Mr. NAFTA Bill Daley as his new Chief of Staff
229. Obama names neoliberal free trader Gene Sperling to replace Larry Summers
230. Executive Order to make regulations more business-friendly
231. Gulet Mohamed: Detention and torture of US citizens by proxy
232. Nelson v. NASA: government can demand intrusive, unnecessary information about its employees
233. Choice of GE’s outsourcing CEO Jeffrey Immelt as Obama’s Jobs Czar
234. Failure to weaken or eliminate the filibuster
235. Corporate targeting of Wikileaks and liberal organizations
236. Reaction to the popular revolution in Egypt
237. HHS Secretary Sebelius helps states cut Medicaid rolls and funding
238. Petraeus accuses parents not US attacks for burns to children in Afghanistan
239. US general in Afghanistan sets up illegal propaganda program targeting Americans
240. Obama plans to devastate small block grants program for the poor
241. Silence on the Wisconsin labor protests
242. Former Senator Christopher Dodd quickly becomes lobbyist after promising not to
243. Obama reinstitutes sham review tribunals at Guantanamo
244. DOJ colludes with Bush era official Scott Bloch to keep him out of jail
245. The treatment of Bradley Manning
246. State Department spokesman PJ Crowley forced to resign over Manning comments
247. Massive conflicts of interest in David Stevens at HUD and soon to be head of main lobbying group for the mortgage industry
248. Mild reaction to bloody anti-democratic repression in Bahrain and Yemen
249. Torture psychologist appointed to White House task force
250. FBI program which allows them to investigate anyone doesn’t work (surprise)
251. In his Libya war, Obama has completed the unconstitutional process of Presidents’ usurpation of Congress’ power to make war
252. Obama accepts award for transparency in secret
253. Democrats create PACs to receive unlimited contributions from anonymous donors 254. 2011 government shutdown threat as Shock Doctrine
254. The 2011 “great” biprtisan budget deal
255. The OCC deal to cover for banks in foreclosuregate
256. Reshuffling neocons at DOD and the CIA
257. Leak of Detainee Assessments shines light on the weakness of cases against many Guantanamo inmates
258. Geithner shields foreign exchange derivatives from Dodd-Frank regulation
259. Crazy new application for some US passports
260. DOJ wants SCOTUS to allow for GPS tracking without a warrant
261. An industry stacked panel to study fracking
262. SCOTUS attacks small claim class actions
263. SCOTUS okays fraud in financial presentations
264. SCOTUS attacks large class actions and Title VII
265. DOJ’s non-investigation of torture produces few results
266. Department of State threatens participants of Gaza flotilla with terrorism charges
267. Detainees now held on ships to avoid judicial scrutiny
268. CIA operating a black site prison in Somalia
269. SCOTUS and DC Appeals Court torpedoing detainee habeas petitions
270. SCOTUS greatly expands warrantless searches; Obama DOJ approves
271. Tapping the Strategic Petroleum Reserve after the 2011 spike in gasoline prices
272. Christine Varney, head of DOJ Anti-Trust Division, goes to law firm that had case before her
273. Senseless 2011 debt ceiling crisis, budget cutting, and attacks on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid
274. TSA closes US airspace to Mexican human rights activist
275. DHS guts its unit monitoring right wing terrorism in US
276. “Recovery” benefited corporations, not workers
277. Harassment of a government scientist Charles Monett because his work clashes with drilling in the Arctic
278. African Americans and Hispanic wealth took hardest hit from financial crises
279. Cass Sunstein sitting on labor rules to protect child workers
280. Oil leasing in Gulf resumes
281. Administration pressures NY AG Schneiderman to go along with bogus mortgage settlement
282. DOJ dumps responsibility for its bungled gun running sting on handy US Attorney
283. US ranks 41st in the world in infant mortality
284. White House engages in selective prosecution of Dan Choi over DADT protest
285. COBRA extension ditched
286. Obama spikes EPA ozone limits
287. 2011 Obama fictional jobs plan
288. Contractors cost twice as much as unionized federal workers doing the same work
289. New EPA greenhouse gas limits also being drawn out
290. CFTC proposes ineffectual limits on commodity speculation
291. State Department targets career officer Peter Van Buren for writing critical book
292. Secret Law and the OLC legal justification for killing a US citizen abroad
293. US incomes fall more after recession than during it
294. Another Afghanistan fail: torture rampant in Afghan prisons
295. Bank of America dumps derivative exposure on to the FDIC with Fed approval
296. New rule to legitimize government lying in response to FOIA requests
297. Cronyism and the Keystone XL pipeline
298. Despite pledge, Obama still taking money from lobbyists
299. Secure Communities and deportation as a business
300. The Occupy movement and the attacks upon it
301. DOJ prosecuting financial fraud at the lowest rate in 20 years
302. US stops funding of UNESCO
303. 42% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck
304. The Post Office facing cuts because of unnecessary prefunding mandates
James
Pandering for gay dollar$. Where was he six months ago or 3 years ago?
I agree with Jason, Obama is all talk but no real action at all. He’s a politician and a liar and will say anything just to get your money and votes when he’s not actually for LGBT rights.
Mike
At this point, words mean nothing – and action means EVERYTHING. Rhetoric has become hollow sound-bytes and nothing more, and standing-up for what is right has become too revolutionary for any politician including Obama who can yammer on about how he’s all for LGBT rights, our equality, and same gender marriage but he’s actually not.
Brandon
Obama is technically African-American since his father was African but he’s not black since he has a white mother and Obama is biracial or mixed race.
It’s ra cist and ignorant to call Obama “Black” when he’s mixed race or biracial. It’s also ignorant and ra cist to call him “White” since he’s mixed race or biracial. Obama only calls himself “black” to try to win votes from actual blacks like myself. The media has also branded him as being “black” even though Obama is biracial/mixed race.
I am a gay black man and I actually am black since both of my parents are black and so are all of my relatives.
I’m not happy with Obama. Am I going to vote for Romney? No. I will vote for the green party.
jeff4justice
@Barefoot Accountant: Awesome. Try voting alternative party like I’ll be doing.
Good for you for seeing past the 2party system Matrix.
jeff4justice
@Brandon: Me too. If we can get the alternative party candidates in the debates and harness Occupy power in the style of Egypt, Iceland or Greece we can topple the 2party system.
Rex
I am so sick and tired of news outlets and correspondents referring to Barack Obama as ‘black’ or African-American. It is completely irresponsible to refer to him this way. The thing that I find funny is that it’s being hailed as a historic triumph by US media sources — the first black president in the history of the United States — and Barack Obama isn’t black.His mother was white!!!! He is bi-racial/mixed race! It’s ridiculous to call Barack Obama black when he’s only half black, but it’s a common occurrence in the US where racial quotas have been instituted over the years. The truth is that he’s no more black than he is white.
In doing research on whether Barack Obama is black or white, I ran across a article that read, in Africa he is considered white. I do not see America as having a black president. We have a half white president/mixed race president.
As for he and the first lady’s claims of how they support LGBT people and same gender marriage they don’t really support same gender marriage but they just will claim that they do and pretend to just to get LGBT people’s money and our votes. They are politicians first and foremost people and ALL politicians lie even the Obamas, and especially Biden.
STR8
Fucks sakes you gays are crazy. Nothing is EVER good enough for you people. I guess that’s why you gays insist on having celebrities representing your delusional community only the best for this special intrest group right. Well good luck on your never ending battle for BASIC rights and from most of these comments you people will be fighting forever.
1equalityUSA
STR8, I believe there are posters here paid hourly to go around doing this. Romney is such a tool.
DarthEVaderCheney
@Barefoot Accountant: No problem. All the more reason to vote FOR President Obama. He simply will never have competent competition!
DarthEVaderCheney
@Barefoot Accountant: LOLOL… You have waaaay too much time on your hands! Go try and do something positive for our country, not all this moping around crying in your beer joke. What fun!
DarthEVaderCheney
@STR8: Heyyy, Fella, whatever works, lolol!!! I’ve been around a long time and I am amazed at the progress that has come about regarding the GLBT community. We are miles ahead rather than yards behind and the future looks very, very good. Sorry about your negative attitude but we basically are very… happy!
Dakotahgeo, M.Div. Pastor/Chaplain.
STR8
@1equalityUSA: I hope that is the case my friend because if Romney gets elected you guys might and as well pack it up and pull the curtain down because it will be so over.
STR8
@DarthEVaderCheney: More of that delusional thinking. Gay people been fighting for equality since what, the 1900’s and you still haven’t obtained marriage equality in all 50 states yeah I would call that miles ahead. I have nothing to be negative about im not struggling for my rights, I’m just disappointed that gay people(the ones on this site) are so stupid.
Anonymous
@jason:
You are misinformed. He had done MUCH more than just talk and inaction on LGBT issues.
“On May 9, 2012, President Obama expressed his support for same-sex marriage. In an interview with ABC News, the President said he believes it’s important to “treat others the way you would want to be treated.” He also informed us that his administration would not defend nor enforce DOMA.
On September 20, 2011, the discriminatory law known as ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ was finally and formally repealed.
President Obama has expressed his support for the Respect for Marriage Act, legislation that would uphold the principle that the federal government should not deny gay and lesbian couples the same rights and legal protections as straight couples.
The President signed the certification stating the statutory requirements for repeal of DADT (Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell) have been met, ending the discriminatory law that undermines our military readiness and violates American principles of fairness and equality.
The President issued a Presidential Memorandum directing the HHS Secretary to ensure that those hospitals that receive Medicare and Medicaid funds will give gay and lesbian patients and their families the compassion, dignity and respect they deserve in difficult times, as well as widows and widowers with no children, members of religious orders, and others whom otherwise may not have been able to receive visits from good friends and loved ones who are not immediate relatives, or select them to make decisions on their behalf in case of incapacitation.
The President signed into law the FY2010 National Defense Authorization Act which included the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
President Obama signed a memorandum expanding federal benefits for the same-sex partners of Foreign Service and executive branch government employees.
President Obama pushed for the repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” in his first State of the Union address, and followed through to sign the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act of 2010 into law.
The President signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, restoring basic protections against pay discrimination for women and LGBT workers.”
These are just SOME of many actions taken by the president on behalf of the LGBT community.
Get your facts straight before making accusations; it just makes you look ill-informed.
1equalityUSA
STR8 said, “I hope that is the case my friend because if Romney gets elected you guys might and as well pack it up and pull the curtain down because it will be so over.”
Not necessarily. The Conservatives are starting to realize that discrimination doesn’t belong in the U.S. and the laws around equal protection are fairly straight forward. Republicans are starting to see that these exclusionary laws are bogus. More straight people are standing up for us as well. Romney would be a disaster, but not just for LGBT, but for everyone. He’s not fit to lead our Nation. He’s out of touch and has very little empathy for anyone but his own. Personality disorder. Romney scares the pie out of me.
STR8
@1equalityUSA: “Romney scares the pie out of me”.. Me too man.
Damian
@jason:
Jason, it’s quite obvious you didn’t even read or watch the President’s message before blurting out your comment. You saw “Obama” in the headline and immediately wrote something negative. It’s hard to take people like you seriously.
Gay Bacon
Freaking trollers!!! Geeze. Mittens is dishing out the trolls and campaign money like no other. Then again that’s not a problem for him. I say for gay pride parade ppl print out rainbow colored info cards on voter registration. Something! The first gay president needs the gay community to win.
Matt
Gay Bacon, let’s be honest Obama is going to be a 1 term president.
Even Michelle knows it and she’s milking her term as first lady for all it’s worth with her shopping addictions, expensive vacations, and this is all at a time when most American citizens and people worldwide are not working and are struggling!
Jorval
@jason:
Sigh….
Hate to break it to you, but the power IS NOT in his hands and here’s why:
DOMA was passed by Congress and signed into Law in 1996. A President can’t just go and strike down a law that was passed by Congress. A sitting President *can* veto a law, but sadly, the law was signed into law in 1996. One thing that Obama HAS done is to not fight court rulings against it.
ENDA – was introduced in the House and Senate and passed neither. See the way it works is that the Congress creates the legislation, and when they pass it, the President signs it into law.
I know, it’s a difficult concept, but if you go back and watch those old School house Rock cartoons you might actually begin to understand how the government really works. Despite popular Republican/conservative beliefs, a President can’t do whatever he wants.
As for Gay Marriage, again, what do you expect him to do? States write the laws regarding marriage. He’s the President. He’s not the Governor of Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona and the other 38 states where Gay Marriage isn’t legal. And even if he were Governor of one of those states, he’d still have to wait for the legislature to pass it first.
WTF? This is basic stuff….
Jorval
@Gay Bacon:
I think you’re right about the trollers…
Just went and looked and there are so many people that are leaving comments for a first time. And what is really interesting is that most of them are all anti-Obama in one way or another. Sure, some disguise it like they’ve given thought to it, but if you step back and look at it logically they haven’t. Like Account, for example. Isn’t it convenient that someone who supported Obama in 2008 and talks about progressives being disappointed with another Obama supreme court nominee wouldn’t take into consideration what a Romney nominee would look like? I could go on and on… LOL All I can say is they’re not the brightest bulbs on the tree.
DarthEVaderCheney
@STR8: LOLOL… being called “stupid” by you is almost a badge of honor. Thank you! It still puts us 4-5 levels above you… quite handily yet!
Navi
@Barefoot Accountant: I am in 11th grade and just your statement:
“President Obama is now considering and proposing to lower the corporate tax rate to 26%, when corporations are not only at a low-time rate of paying taxes but getting billions in tax subsidies from our government and opening up offices on the 19th floor of one building on the Cayman Islands to avoid taxes altogether.”
You should learn a little about US History before you talk, sir. Maybe you would know what the president is doing and how it parallels to the past.
Matt
Jorval try looking in the mirror sometime.
STR8
@DarthEVaderCheney: “It still puts us 4-5 levels about you.” If that was the case then why does ENDA and DOMA still exist and as Jorval stated gay marriage is still illegal in 42 states and let’s not forget DADT?
jason
I won’t consider voting for Obama unless he enacts ENDA with an executive order.
Brandon
Agreed Jason.
I am voting for the Green party. Who decided that for LGBT people that ending DADT and same gender marriage are #1 priorities? ENDA effects everyone that’s LGBT and it’s far more pressing than abolishing DADT and same gender marriage are.
The President should enact ENDA but I am not holding my breath and based on what happened with DADT and how Obama and his administration edited out the non-discrimination clause for bisexuals, lesbians, and gay men-and Trans people can’t openly serve in the military either even though DADT was passed-I’d hate to think of the sneaky and half assed ways Obama would enact ENDA but make it useless and take away the rights of LGBT people.
James T
Reasons why President Obama is the Worst President in History
1. He has loaded up every child in this nation with more debt than any President in history.
2. With his policies and the threat of more such policy, he has destroyed more wealth than any human being in history, which is always what happens when you set out to redistribute wealth: you end up destroying it.
3. He has brought us to the brink of the most massive tax increases in history and if we don’t elect enough Republicans in November to stop him that is exactly what we will get.
4. He has forced through legislation without a single republican vote that may well destroy the finest health care system in history when all we needed were some measures to control costs.
5. He has divided America along racial lines in destructive ways and he is doing so again by suing Arizona over its attempt to control the drug trade and human smuggling trade threatening its security.
6. He has failed to form a policy to adequately deal with the vicious Mexican drug cartels that are essentially running parts of that nation and becoming an increasing threat to ours.
7. He has traveled the world making apologies for America instead of defending its timeless and treasured ideals of freedom and peace for all nations of good will.
8. He has said there is nothing exceptional about America, something no other president has ever said and something which alone suggests he is a historically poor president.
9. He has hired people of strange and radical views to hold important federal posts in which they pursue more bad policy that no administration in history has ever pursued. Terrorist Bill Ayers is one of them.
What a surprise ...
Reasons why Obama is the worst President in History.
1. 44 Million Americans Live on Food Stamps
2. Obama promised transparency on every bill signed into Law this was a complete Lie
3. The Government posted the biggest monthly deficit in History Feb 2011
4. The Government has the biggest federal deficit in history 14 trillion dollars and growing
5. America has the highest unemployment rates since the great depression
6. Ramming Obama care down Americans throats, We had the best health care in the world before this passed
7. Obama bowing to other world leaders
8. China laughed at Obama they think he is a idiot
9. Obama born in Kenya or Hawaii No proof has ever has been presented
10. Obama is a wimp on terrorism
11. BP oil leak took over 2 months to stop Obama ignored it and let BP do whatever it wanted
12. Haiti earthquake Obama promised them support a year later 1 million people are still homeless
13. The highest homeless rate in America since the great depression
14. Guantanamo bay still open Obama promised it would be closed with in 12 months of him being in office
15. Obama has lost complete control of the Mexican border
16. 2 years later Obama still blames Bush for everything he hasn’t done
17. The 3.27 Trillion dollar stimulus bill didn’t help anyone
18. The fall of the U.S. dollar as the currency of the world and Obama does nothing
19. Gas prices are thru the roof
20. Food prices are thru the roof
21. The housing market is still in shambles
22. Obama’s cash for clunkers program what a joke
23. Tripled the national debt in only 2 years, Obama spent more money then all the other presidents in history combined
24. Obama has created no real jobs since being in Office
25. Every country in the world has lost respect for the once powerful United States
26. Yes We Can , Wow the joke’s on us isn’t it?
ChicagoPete
Obama is a neo-con in disguise.
He and his wife, as well as Biden are not really for LGBT rights and never have been.
Only come election time they’ll claim that they’ve always been for same gender marriage, and that they actually LOL respect us LGBT people and are for our equality when they are not.
Obama is nothing but a corrupt Chicago politician and a liar like all politicians are. He even supports rac!sim since he completely supported Rev. Jerimiah Wright who spewed hate speech and took his wife and daughters to this church that’s against Caucaians-I guess they didn’t care that Obama is biracial or half white?-and this church is against LGBT people.
Joh
@Barefoot Accountant: And yet Romney would be much,much
Worse.
Your point?’
Gay Bacon
@Jorval: They’re still listing the lie that he was born in Kenya as a reason why they think he’s the worst president ever. Bunch of morons. Makes me want to write up a spam program and find their emails 🙂
jeff4justice
If Obama and Romney were to debate the Green or Libertarian candidates they’d be laughed out of the room and the 2party system would fall.
Open the debates!
tjr101
Wow, the right-wing trolls are out in force. No, we will not be voting for Romney!
Jay
tjr-Who on this blog page said to vote for Romney? I have not read any posts that say this at all. Just because someone does not like Obama or his administration that does not mean that they’re automatically going to vote for Romney.
I agree with Brandon and Jeff4Justice that voting 3rd party for a candidate who actually is all for LGBT rights and LGBT equality is the way to go!
Carlos
I agree Jeff4Justice! In the country where I was born we actually have more than 2 parties and it is not like in the United States where both of your parties the Democrats and Republicans are pretty much the same.
jeff4justice
If you live in CA like I today be sure to vote today (Tuesday).
You can experiment with voting for alternative party candidates since Obama has no primary challenger (this means he advances to November even if you vote Green or Libertarian).
Also, becuase of the awful Prop 14 top 2 primary (a way for the 2party system to suppress alternative party options) you can at least experiment with voting for alternative party cnaidates in local elections.
jeff4justice
No more war.
No more poverty.
No more banker puppet politicians.
2012 Presidential Debate Of Alternative Parties
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esV8dbTTdsg
Gay Bacon
@Jay: Yeah that’s real smart. Vote for a party that hasn’t won a presidential election since when? The tactic is obvious, If you can’t get them to vote for Romney, make their vote not count. Obama is the best choice for the gay community and civil rights in general.
jeff4justice
@Gay Bacon: If NDAA and war and poverty sound good then yes.
You’re insistence on staying in the 2party system is like gays who prefer to settle for domestic partnerships. Silly.