Category: American Politics

Update: Fred Karger for President


For those who have been following my quasi political posts, here’s an update about Fred Karger, a gay Republican running for President. That’s right: he’s gay and Republican. Most of you probably don’t know there are a lot of “them” out there. You’re certainly not reading about it or hearing about it from the mainstream media…which I will talk about in another post.

I refer to my political posts as quasi because I vote independently and never follow any party lines. I’m not a political zealot. I like bipartisan candidates and people who can bring America together, not divide it. This is partly why I find Fred Karger extremely interesting in many ways. It’s not just because he’s the first openly gay Presidential candidate I’ve seen in my lifetime. If you read more about him you’ll see what I mean. It’s very interesting.

Here’s one of the regular e-mails I receive from his campaign:

This has been an exciting year.



Twenty-two months ago, Fred Karger began running for President of the United States. Since then, Fred has traveled from state-to-state laying out his independent vision and demonstrating that he is uniquely qualified to turn this country around.



And thanks to supporters like you, we’re ready to take on Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum and Michele Bachmann in 2012.



But before we can turn our attention to 2012, we need to finish 2011 the right way.



We are 48 hours away from a crucial fundraising deadline. It’s important that we end this year strong and head into the New Year with the funds necessary to continue to compete in the upcoming primaries and caucuses.

And here is a link to his web site, where you can read more about him or donate a small amount of money if you are so inclined.

Patricia Heaton’s Politics in Left Wing Hollywood…

This bothers me. It’s not publishing related, but I’m posting about it anyway. Mainly because I’m starting to wonder what’s happened to objectivity in America when decent people like Patricia Heaton are being discriminated against. I have liberal democrat friends, and believe it or not, many gay conservative friends who are republicans. I’m openly gay and don’t judge anyone because of his/her politics, and I don’t like it when anyone else does. It’s just another form of discrimination and lack of tolerance.

If you read the article about Patricia Heaton carefully, you’ll notice that Patricia is in favor of gay marriage, and yet she’s still a conservative. Most of my conservative friends are for gay marriage, so I’m not shocked. And this is more than I’ve heard from the liberal democrats who are running the country right now. As a matter of fact, all I ever hear from Washington is, “Ahem, ah, ah, ah, I’m thinking it (gay marriage) over.” In Hollywood, George Clooney goes on a public rant and then goes back to his Villa in Italy and we don’t hear from him again until his next film needs to be promoted.

Here’s the article, and here’s the link…

Known around left-leaning Hollywood for her conservative stances on weighty issues like abortion and stem cells, ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ star Patricia Heaton is happy to explain how important her Christian faith is to her and how it shapes her views and career choices.

“My feeling is all these things come from God and as long as I know I’m staying in line with Him, I don’t have to worry if there is backlash,” she told me during a visit to AOL’s New York offices. “God will open any doors he wants to open and if he closes doors that’s fine to.”

Telling me that she has many gay friends and doesn’t oppose gay marriage, Patricia gets frustrated being automatically lumped together with other conservatives, a characterization she says has cost her possible work.

“We know for a fact there are some people who have said they wouldn’t want to work with us because of our politics,” she said, with her husband David Hunt adding, “We get lumped in with lunatics.”

So instead, Patricia has teamed up with her director-husband to produce and distribute their own show, ‘Versailles,’ a new 8-part comedy web series airing on My Damn Channel. Patricia plays a deceased B-movie actress whose presence looms large over her two children (one played by David) as they produce a public access talk show. Watch the first episode below.

“Around the house if he ties to tell me how to do something I say don’t tell me, don’t control me. But when we did this he was terrific as a director. I was nervous about having him direct me,” Patricia tells me.

“I don’t think I could have afforded her if we weren’t married,” David jokes. “I was a bigger star then she was when I met her. She owes me. I took a decade off my career to raise the kids. Plus, a big bonus is she gets to sleep with the director.”

It wasn’t until she hit 35 that Patricia’s career really took and she spent years struggling and sleeping on friends’ futons before ‘Raymond’ made her rich and famous.

She also isn’t at all surprised that the Britneys and Lindsays of the world crash and burn being so success so young.

“Too much money and too many ‘yes’ people around you at early age. Fame didn’t come to me until I got married and had kids. When we got married neither of us had anything,” Patricia tells me. “I’ve let go of needing to be an to an actor so if that pipeline shuts down I wouldn’t be upset. I’m perfectly happy.”

Don’t Ask Don’t Tell: Interesting How Some Democrats Want to Continue the Ban

Even a nice day in Carmel, CA can dampen. And yesterday’s vote to continue DADT did worse than that to millions of lgbt people around the globe.

But what I find interesting is how the mainstream media is saying the GOP blocked the repeal. And I’m not even very political. I know the GOP didn’t help us, but seriously, the Democrats are supposed to be on our side and some still voted to continue the ban.

I did a little checking to see who voted for continuing DADT and who voted for stopping it. It’s interesting to read. I’ve posted it below for anyone else who is interested in seeing exactly what happened. And, even sadder for me, some of the Democrats who voted against the repeal are in my own state, Pennsylvania (cringe).

After reading the way some Democrats voted, I’m starting to think my gay republican friends from the Log Cabin Club haven’t been completely wrong. Because if a Democratic elected official is not on my side, I’m not voting for them. We’ve supported too many Democratic candidates in the past who have ignored us and turned their backs on us when we need them the most, especially when it comes to marriage.

by Ken Rudin

In the wake of yesterday’s House vote — 234 to 194 — to repeal the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that bars gays and bisexuals from serving openly in the military* — one thing stood out the most:



Rep. Mark Critz, the Pennsylvania Democrat who won last week’s special election to succeed the late John Murtha (D), a victory heralded by Democrats everywhere, voted to continue the ban.

Rep. Charles Djou, the Hawaii Republican who won Saturday’s special election to succeed gov candidate Neil Abercrombie (D), a victory heralded by Republicans everywhere, voted to repeal the ban.



Five Republicans, along with 229 Democrats, voted in favor of repealing the ban. The five Republicans: Judy Biggert (Ill.), Joseph Cao (La.), Charles Djou (Haw.), Ron Paul (Tex.) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Fla.).

Opposing the repeal were 26 Democrats, along with 168 Republicans. The 26 Dems: Marion Berry (Ark.), Sanford Bishop (Ga.), Rick Boucher (Va.), Bobby Bright (Ala.), Chris Carney (Pa.), Travis Childers (Miss.), Jerry Costello (Ill.), Mark Critz (Pa.), Lincoln Davis (Tenn.), Joe Donnelly (Ind.), Chet Edwards (Tex.), Bob Etheridge (N.C.), Gene Green (Tex.), Daniel Lipinski (Ill.), Jim Marshall (Ga.), Mike McIntyre (N.C.), Solomon Ortiz (Tex.), Colin Peterson (Minn.), Earl Pomeroy (N.D.), Nick Rahall (W.Va.), Mike Ross (Ark.), Heath Shuler (N.C.), Ike Skelton (Mo.), John Spratt (S.C.), John Tanner (Tenn.) and Gene Taylor (Miss.).

*Officially, the House vote enabled a repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” 60 days after the military, in a report due by Dec. 1, decided it would not be disruptive.

Update at 1:15 p.m. ET: And if you want to see how all the representatives voted, here’s a link to the official roll call.