The Hollywood Liberal

Late Late Nite FDL: Songs For The Sad State Of The GOP
Though Sarah Palin woke up the red meat and gristle Republicans with a speech worthy of a certificate of completion from the Hooked on Phonics program tonight, Warren Zevon kicks off Late Late Nite desribing the current state of the Grand Old Party, followed by Ted Leo & the Pharmacists who have what may be the GOP’s only remaining prescription.

Warren Zevon – MSFU (NSFW)

Ted Leo & The Pharmacists – Bomb Repeat Bomb

Though Sarah Palin woke up the red meat and gristle Republicans with a speech worthy of a certificate of completion from the Hooked on Phonics program tonight, Warren Zevon kicks off Late Late Nite describing the current state of the Grand Old Party, followed by Ted Leo & the Pharmacists who have what may be the GOP’s only remaining prescription. Speaking of bombs, have you asked yourself today, where’s Cheney?

What’s on your mind tonight?

Amy Goodman: Why We Were Falsely Arrested
Government crackdowns on journalists are a true threat to democracy.

GOP Pol: Rep. Jean Schmidt Is A “Lying B—-”
Every now and then we like to check in on the latest antics surrounding GOP Rep. Jean Schmidt — the Ohio Republican who called Jack Murtha a coward on the House floor. And boy oh boy, her latest doesn’t disappoint….

Why Harriet’s Got What the HJC Wants
Now that we have a partial decision on House Judiciary Committee v. Harriet Miers et al. , maybe it’s a good time for a little refresher on why the HJC wanted White House documents and Miers’ testimony in the first…

Convention Twittering From The Couch

VIDEO: Top McCain Aide Tells Gay Republicans, ?You Are An Important Part Of Our Party?
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has long opposed gay rights, stating that he is in favor of the “traditional definition of marriage.” Today, however, McCain’s chief adviser Steve Schmidt addressed a luncheon for the Log Cabin Republicans, a gay advocacy group. ThinkProgress attended the luncheon and captured exclusive video of the speech. Schmidt opened by stating […]

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has long opposed gay rights, stating that he is in favor of the “traditional definition of marriage.” Today, however, McCain’s chief adviser Steve Schmidt addressed a luncheon for the Log Cabin Republicans, a gay advocacy group. ThinkProgress attended the luncheon and captured exclusive video of the speech.

Schmidt opened by stating he has a personal connection to LGBT issues because his sister is a lesbian:

[I want to pay] my respect and the campaign’s respect to your organization. On a personal level, my sister and her partner are an important part of my life and our children’s life. I admire your group and your organization, and I encourage you to keep fighting for what you believe in because the day is going to come. You are an important part of our party.

Schmidt did not touch upon McCain’s opposition to gay rights and was cautious in expressing any support for the group’s agenda, simply saying that “over time” more equality for gays “will be reached”:

We as the Republicans are the party of freedom and as the party we strive to reach that goal and we’ll keep fighting as a party to reach it in full. And I think over time it will be reached. And you are an important part of this party.

Schmidt then changed the subject to politics and went after critics of Gov. Sarah Palin. Watch the full remarks:

Unfortunately, McCain campaign adamantly opposes the Log Cabin Republican’s agenda, which includes “equality for gay and lesbian people.” McCain said he couldn’t pick Michael Bloomberg as VP because Bloomberg is “pro-gay rights.” McCain opposes gay adoption of orphans, supports Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and opposes gay marriage and civil unions.

ThinkProgress also spoke to Jimmy LaSalvia, Director of Programs and Policy for the group, which has endorsed McCain. LaSalvia said McCain last met with the group in 2000. A McCain aide, Mike Duhaime, spoke to the group this week. LaSalvia expressed support for Gov. Sarah Palin:

Well, I think that we have a lot in common with Gov. Palin. She is a reformer who hasn’t ever been afraid to take on the party’s leadership and stand up for what’s right. And that’s what we do every day. We have taken on our party’s leadership when we felt they were going in the wrong direction, and that’s what Gov. Palin has done in Alaska.

When running for governor, Palin opposed civil unions as well as gay marriage. “I believe that honoring the family structure is that important,” Palin said in 2006.

JFK: Democrats’ Role Model?
The John F. Kennedy legacy came up repeatedly during the Democratic National Convention. But today, would JFK even be a Democrat? Kennedy supported, in today’s lexicon, a George W. Bush-like “belligerent” approach to fighting the Cold War, and told CBS’ Walter Cronkite it would be “a great mistake” to withdraw the American presence from Vietnam. In his 1961 inaugural speech, Kennedy said, “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”

Why Bristol’s Baby Matters
Families deserve privacy about family matters, but families that want absolute privacy should stay out of politics. Sooner or later someone would have noticed the pregnancy of Bristol Palin, 17-year-old daughter of John McCain’s vice-presidential pick, especially since everyone in her hometown of Wasilla, Alaska, seemed to know already. The question that remains is what, if anything, her plight may portend for the rest of us. With all due respect to this young woman, her future husband and the rest of the family — and best wishes to all of them for a successful birth — let us first stop pretending that this is good news. There are excellent reasons why we discourage teenage pregnancy and motherhood, and none of them have disappeared simply because the Republicans are about to put Sarah Palin on their ticket.