• Gay Marriage

    What Happens When You Publicly Oppose California Proposition 8 and Traditional Marriage – You Get a Letter

    The Latest Yes on 8 Protect Marriage Television Ad: California’s Children

    Flap already posted a piece about a couple who were harassed by anti-traditional marriage proponents (No on 8), the sign stealing and the death threats that some have received by publicy supporting traditional marriage (Yes on 8).

    Now, the pro-gay marriage proponents are complaining that anti-Proposition 8 businesses are being “OUTED” or even threatened by the Yes on 8 folks.

    So, what is the FLAP?

    A threatening letter has sparked a new controversy here in San Diego surrounding the gay marriage debate. Donors who gave money to the No on Prop 8 campaign say they received blackmail letters demanding money, and the Yes on 8 campaign now says the letters were sent by their employees.

    The letter from Yes on 8 came by certified mail, demanding at least $10,000. Jim Abbot knows exactly why he’s being targeted – his business gave $10,000 to a group called Equality California, which supports No on Prop 9.

    Jim says nearly 25 percent of his staff is gay.

    “We wanted to support their freedom to marry,” he said.

    The letter says if Jim doesn’t give an equal donation to Yes on 8, the name of his company will be published. It reads in part, “It is only fair for Proposition 8 supporters to know which companies and organizations oppose traditional marriage.

    “I feel like it’s blackmail, and as you can imagine, real estate business has been tough lately and to have someone come at you like this… it’s very distressing,” he said.

    Here is the letter:

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    A little more digging reveals that Mr. Jim Abbot has more at stake here than “OUTING” a $ 10K political contribution to a pro-gay marriage advocacy group.

    Jim Abbot, who married his same-sex partner at the end of August, refused to buckle: We’re not caving, no. No, we’re going to support our employees. We’re going to support the freedom to marry. We think that’s a fundamental right to do what we can to make sure its not taken away.

    So, Jim is a stakeholder in the Proposition election not a mere donor for good government, now isn’t he?

    San Diego businessman Jim Abbott, who owns a real estate company and is a member of Equality California’s board of directors, received one of the letters late Wednesday afternoon. His adult son called Abbott to read it to him.

    “He characterized it as a bit Mafioso,” Abbott said. “It was a little distressing, but it’s consistent with how the ‘yes’ side of this campaign has been run, which is a bit over the top.”

    Abbott, who married his same-sex partner at the end of August, estimated that over the last decade he has given $50,000 to Equality California, including a recent $10,000 gift to underwrite a San Diego event that raised money to defeat Proposition 8.

    Does this outrage sound contrived?

    After reading the letter above does it sound like extortion blackmail or strong-armed tactics? Or is it merely asking for reconsideration on a moral question and asking for an equal donation?

    But, there is more.

    The greater No on Propositon 8 proponents (now, mind you not the actual No on 8 Election Committee) have already been posting, “OUTING” and otherwise harassing in the way intimated but NOT completed in the letter above, Yes on Proposition 8 donors. Here is the website: Californians Against Hate.

    All of these records are in the public record and are listed on other sites but the No on 8 folks have created a DISHONOR ROLL.

    no-on-8-dishonor-roll

    Wow. There are sure alot of Yes on 8 donors listed there. Here is the disclaimer:

    Disclaimer: This list is based on the data made publicly available by the California Secretary of State’s office. Californians Against Hate, Inc. is not responsible for the accuracy or validity of the names, contribution amounts and descriptions on this Dishonor Roll. Please direct any inquiries or corrections to the California Secretary of State. Californians Against Hate, Inc. will periodically update this list based on additional data made available by the California Secretary of State. It is possible for multiple persons to share the same name.

    So, let’s recap.

    Yes on 8 proponents are harassed outside their home by being called bigots, the Daily Kos calls on its readers to dig up dirt on Yes on 8 Supporters, and there are death threats.

    No on 8 proponents receive a letter and then WHINE to their friends in the MSM and plaster the story on homosexual websites as an outrage. Left-wing blogs hype the story.

    Flap finds the tit for tat crapola on donors as spiteful, immature and counter-productive for both proponents and opponents of Proposition 8. Both sides of this issue want to win the election and the hearts and minds of the general populace.

    Neither are winning here.

    On the other hand, voters DO have a right to know who are funding the campaigns.


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  • GOP,  John McCain

    The Story is BS – McCain Supporter Ashley Todd Attacked and Mutilated in Pittsburgh

    Ashley-Todd-made-it-up
    Fox News is reporting that Pittsburgh police are saying the story is BS. AP has this.

    Yeah, Flap was skeptical.

    Update:

    She made up the story. WTF?

    Police sources tell KDKA that a campaign worker has now confessed to making up a story that a mugger attacked her and cut the letter “B” in her face after seeing her McCain bumper sticker.

    Ashley Todd, 20, of Texas, initially told police that she was robbed at an ATM in Bloomfield and that the suspect became enraged and started beating her after seeing her GOP sticker on her car.

    Police investigating the alleged attack, however, began to notice some inconsistencies in her story and administered a polygraph test.

    Authorities, however, declined to release the results of that test.

    Investigators did say that they received photos from the ATM machine and “the photographs were verified as not being the victim making the transaction.”

    This afternoon, a Pittsburgh police commander told KDKA Investigator Marty Griffin that Todd confessed to making up the story.

    Didn’t Flap tell ya…..

    Yeah and she cut the “B” into her own cheek.

    A McCain-Palin campaign volunteer who claimed she was robbed and cut by a supporter of Sen. Barack Obama has confessed to making up the story, police sources told the Tribune-Review.

    Ashley Todd, 20, of College Station, Texas, is expected to be charged with filing a false police report and may face additional charges, investigators said. She told detectives she etched a backward letter “B” onto her right cheek and then manufactured a story about being attacked at a Bloomfield ATM by a black man who was enranged by her John McCain bumper sticker.

    Detectives are continuing to question Todd at police headquarters. They are expected to release additional information later this afternoon.

    Mental evaluation and then some time in the clink for this girl.


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  • Charles Krauthammer,  John McCain,  Kathleen Parker,  Michael Ramirez,  Peggy Noonan

    Charles Krauthhammer – McCain for President

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    Political cartoon by Michael Ramirez

    Charles Krauthammer endorses John McCain for President today.

    Contrarian that I am, I’m voting for John McCain. I’m not talking about bucking the polls or the media consensus that it’s over before it’s over. I’m talking about bucking the rush of wet-fingered conservatives leaping to Barack Obama before they’re left out in the cold without a single state dinner for the next four years.

    I stand athwart the rush of conservative ship-jumpers of every stripe — neo (Ken Adelman), moderate (Colin Powell), genetic/ironic (Christopher Buckley) and socialist/atheist (Christopher Hitchens) — yelling “Stop!” I shall have no part of this motley crew. I will go down with the McCain ship. I’d rather lose an election than lose my bearings.

    First, I’ll have no truck with the phony case ginned up to rationalize voting for the most liberal and inexperienced presidential nominee in living memory. The “erratic” temperament issue, for example. As if McCain’s risky and unsuccessful but in no way irrational attempt to tactically maneuver his way through the economic tsunami that came crashing down a month ago renders unfit for office a man who demonstrated the most admirable equanimity and courage in the face of unimaginable pressures as a prisoner of war, and who later steadily navigated innumerable challenges and setbacks, not the least of which was the collapse of his campaign just a year ago.

    Read the entire piece.

    But, Charles forgot another conservative ship-jumper – Peggy Noonan.

    For Peggy and Kathleen Parker those state dinners will taste – well, bitter sweet, no?


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  • John McCain,  Kathleen Parker,  Sarah Palin

    Kathleen Parker – John McCain Picked Sarah Palin with His DICK

    Kathleen Parker, who Ann Coulter jokingly calls “THE” Kathleen Parker!, goes on the Colbert show and sucks up to the Liberal Media

    Don’t blame Flap for the post headline, he stole it from ACE.

    Today, Kathleen “Look at Me! Look at Me!” Parker has authored the most juvenile and catty piece of tripe I have ever seen published outside of the New York Times. Or Wonkette. It’s hard to tell the difference sometimes.

    I hesitate to link it, because I don’t want to give her the traffic. But I guess I have to do so, to prove that she actually “went there.”

    Where’s there? How about “John McCain picked Sarah Palin with his dick.” (Paraphrased to suit the gist of the article.)

    Here is what happens when a woman of little talent (be honest, had any of you even heard of Kathleen Parker before 3 weeks ago?) realizes that not only does she not have anything particularly insightful to say, but she has a megaphone with which to prove it to all in earshot.

    Seriously, Parker may be syndicated in over 300 newspapers by the Washington Post but until she started bashing Sarah Palin, Flap had not read one of her columns nor had even heard of her in conservative media circles. So, WTF?

    Key graph from ACE:

    And here’s what I think is your motivation: the realization that you are an aging “never was” with no chance of ever rising to the level of “could be” compels you to destroy somebody that possesses the physical and intellectual gifts that you never came close to attaining despite all the money and hours you spent perfecting your posture or debating the finer points of Plato in charm school as daddy’s little princess.

    Your “writing” and “analysis” are akin to the desperate wails of an aging B-list actress who desperately claims to be ready for her close up but only if the “Cybill Shepherd blurry lens” is used.

    It hurts to realize that life has passed you by, doesn’t it Miss Parker? It sucks to realize that a new generation of brighter, principled and talented people are replacing the likes of you and Miss Noonan.

    There you go – The Green Monster raises its UGLY head.


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  • Barack Obama

    An Obama Financial Panic?

    friday-morning-stock-market

    Does anyone think that Obama’s economic policies might be fueling the financial meltdown?

    Obviously, it has crossed some folks minds across the world.

    Exit question: Does Obama’s “share the wealth” comments hurt or help the markets?

    Obama Does Not Regret “Spread the Wealth” Comment

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  • Hannah-Beth Jackson,  Tony Strickland

    Tony Strickland Leads in California State Senate Fundraising

    Audra-and-Tony-Strickland

    California Assemblywoman Audra Strickland and her husband Tony, the former Assemblyman and current California State Senate candidate, Camarillo, California September 2008, Photo by Flap

    If fundraising is an indicator of success at the polls, former Republican Assemblyman Tony Strickland will win California’s District 19 State Senate race.

    The candidates in the 19th Senate District campaign have now raised more than $7 million combined, campaign finance reports filed Thursday show.

    In what could be the most expensive legislative campaign in California history, Republican Tony Strickland has taken in $4.3 million, and Democrat Hannah-Beth Jackson has raised $2.7 million.

    Thursday’s reports, which cover the period from Oct. 1 to 18, show that each raised nearly $1 million in less than three weeks.

    Late contribution reports filed this week show that the two have combined to take in an additional $348,500 since Sunday.

    Other reports filed Thursday show that independent expenditure groups have topped the $1 million mark in spending, putting the combined total resources dedicated to this campaign at $8 million and counting.

    So, what does this mean for the Strickland campaign?

    The 19th state senate district continues to hold a registration edge of Republican registrants over Democrats (albeit a small one). With more campaign dollars, Tony Strickland’s campaign and the the GOP GOTV (Get Out The Vote) operation will be in high gear turning out their base voters.

    Remember California has early voting with a huge absentee ballot component. The campaign dollar edge will go along way in the waning days of the campaign to assure their message to undecided voters is delivered by mail, television, radio and telephone.

    Stay tuned……


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  • Barack Obama,  Day By Day,  Media Bias

    Day By Day by Chris Muir October 24, 2008 – Messiah Mulch

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    Day By Day by Chris Muir

    Barack Obama has been feeding the MSM for over a year now. First, they carnivorously ate Hillary Clinton and now they are going after Sarah Palin.

    But, after the election, should Obama win, will they be satiated with the BS fertilizer from the White House Communications office?

    How do you spell Camelot II?

    Previous:

    The Day By Day Archive


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  • Del.icio.us Links

    links for 2008-10-24

    • As campaign managers for Sarah Palin plot last-minute tactics to get her elected, Hollywood bigwigs are convening strategy sessions of their own. Their goal: finding the ideal on-air vehicle for the vp candidate if and when she exits politics.

      Love her or hate her — there doesn't seem to be much middle ground with Palin — the 44-year-old hockey mom has captured the public imagination in a way no politician has since, well, Barack Obama.

      But as more and more polls cast doubt on the McCain-Palin ticket, producers and agents across the entertainment world are discussing possibilities for capitalizing on her fame, ranging from an Oprah-style syndicated talk show to a Sean Hannity-like perch in cable news or on radio.
      +++++++
      She should go on Fox News and radio to continue her conservative credibility like Reagan who lost in 1976.

      (tags: sarah_palin)
    • McCain has cut into Obama's lead for a second day and is now just 1.1 points behind. The spread was 3.7 Wednesday and 6.0 Tuesday. The Republican is making headway with middle- and working- class voters, and has surged 10 points in two days among those earning between $30,000 and $75,000. He has also gone from an 11-point deficit to a 9-point lead among Catholics.
      ++++++++++
      This poll was the closest in 2004.
    • The robber is described as a dark-skinned black man, 6 feet 4 inches tall, 200 pounds with a medium build, short black hair and brown eyes. The man was wearing dark colored jeans, a black undershirt and black shoes.
      +++++++
      Obviously a racist story, right?
      (tags: mccain)
    • Of all the traditional social institutions that have suffered at the hands of progressives during the last half-century, perhaps none has been so rapidly dismantled as marriage. Once considered the cornerstone of a stable society, the prestige of marriage has rapidly diminished, as it is increasingly viewed as merely one more "lifestyle." Many on the left argue that marriage actually causes significant harm, formalizing patriarchal dominance while subjugating women, and endangering their physical and mental well-being.

      Does marriage really deserve this dismal reputation? Absolutely not, say Maggie Gallagher and Linda J. Waite, authors of the newly-released work, The Case for Marriage: Why Married People Are Happier, Healthier, and Better Off Financially. Instead, as the title of their book suggests, Gallagher and Waite use extensive scientific data along with illustrative anecdotes to demonstrate that the traditional "'til death do us part" vow

      (tags: gaymarriage)
    • Can we trust the polls this year? That's a question many people have been asking as we approach the end of this long, long presidential campaign. As a recovering pollster and continuing poll consumer, my answer is yes — with qualifications.
      +++++++
      The Presidential race will tighten.
    • The New York Times Co posted a quarterly loss from continuing operations on Thursday, hurt by charges for job cuts and said it is looking for ways to reduce its debt.
      ++++++++
      Oh really?

      The company, which reported a 16 percent drop in advertising revenue at its news media group, also said it might write down as much as $150 million at its New England operations, underscoring the dismal state of newspaper advertising.

    • As Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., prepares for an Indiana rally this morning, one of the state's favorite sons hits the radio airwaves.
      +++++++++
      Time to tell Chevy that no more purchases till they get rid of Cougar's songs.
    • Let's just call Tom Cole (R-OK), the head of the NRCC, what he is: a douchebag.
      +++++++
      Indeed Tom Cole is a douchbag
    • There's a suspicion in some McCain loyalist precincts that Gov. Sarah Palin is beginning to play the Republican base against John McCain — McCain won't let her campaign in Michigan…McCain won't let her bring up Jeremiah Wright… McCain doesn't like her terrorist pal talks….

      Think ahead to 2010…2011…2012.

      Palin is ambitious. Very ambitious.

      And if she wants the job, she's easily the frontrunner to become THE voice of the angry Right in the Wilderness. She is a favorite of talk radio and Fox News conservatives, and speaks their language as only a true member of the club can. (Her recent Limbaugh interview was full of dog whistles that any Dittohead would recognize. Including her actual use of the word ditto.)
      +++++++
      Sarah Palin may very well be the frontrunner in 2012 or 2016. But, watch Mitt Romney if he runs and wins California governor