links for 2008-11-16

The Mormon church on Friday blamed opponents of California's gay marriage ban for sending hoax mailings containing white powder to temples, while a group that also supported the measure condemned "acts of domestic terrorism against our supporters."
"Our opponents do not like the outcome and that is to be respected. They fought hard and they feel defeated and that is understandable," said Frank Schubert, co-manager of the Yes on 8 campaign. "What they do not have the right to do, however, is to harass and intimidate people. And they do not have the right to commit acts of domestic terrorism against our supporters."
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This is a domestic terror hate crime and should be prosecuted as such.

Sacramento church officials have stepped up security at the Rancho Cordova temple.

Ten church buildings in the region have been vandalized since the election, said Lisa West, spokesperson for the church in the Sacramento area. "That's more than we usually get in an entire year."
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Hate Crime prosecutions in the future here.

Federal officials have launched a preliminary inquiry into whether recent acts of vandalism against Mormon temples and meeting houses are hate crimes, a department spokesman said Friday.

"We are looking into whether these acts are intimidating people into not going into houses of worship," said Juan Becerra, of the Salt Lake City FBI. "The right to worship is a basic civil right."

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints actively supported the passage of Proposition 8, the ballot initiative that banned same-sex marriage in California.

Since the Nov. 4 election, seven houses of worship in Utah have been vandalized, according to Becerra.
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You betcha and the preps need to be prosecuted

A coordinated, nationwide protest against the Nov. 4 passage of California's controversial Proposition 8 began Saturday and included a large, boisterous crowd in downtown Sacramento.

About 1,500 people were gathered across from Sacramento City Hall at Ninth and I Streets for a rally in Cesar Chavez Park. Participants carried signs and listened to speakers railing against Prop. 8.
Large? Are you kidding me? No suport for gay marriage in Sacramento.ga

A website launched Friday with the backing of technology industry and Hollywood elite urges people worldwide to help craft a framework for harmony between all religions.

The Charter for Compassion project on the Internet at www.charterforcompassion.org springs from a "wish" granted this year to religious scholar Karen Armstrong at a premier Technology, Entertainment and Design (TED) conference in California.

"Tedizens" include Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin along with other Internet icons as well as celebrities such as Forest Whittaker and Cameron Diaz.
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What a joke! These folks are leftwing anti-Christian nutters.

In one of the nation’s largest displays of support for gay rights, tens of thousands of people in cities across the country turned out in support of same-sex marriage on Saturday, lending their voices to an issue that many gay men and lesbians consider a critical step to full equality.
In Los Angeles, where wildfires had temporarily grabbed headlines from continuing protests over Proposition 8, Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa addressed a crowd of about 9,000 people in Spanish and English, and seemed to express confidence that the measure, which is being challenged in California courts, would be overturned.

“I’ve come here from the fires because I feel the wind at my back as well,” said the mayor, who arrived at a downtown rally from the fire zone on a helicopter. “It’s the wind of change that has swept the nation. It is the wind of optimism and hope
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Big rallies? I think NOT.

This will be a busy day for exercising First Amendment rights at Grape Day Park in Escondido.
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Wow A combo gay and illegal alien rally.

Yet another rally to protest Proposition 8 was held Friday night in San Bernardino.

The rally was led by the grassroots group Repeal Prop. 8 outside of Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral, 265 W. 25th St.

Eddie Weingart, newly appointed chapter leader of the San Bernardino County chapter of marriageequality.org, said between 60 and 75 people showed up for the rally.

It was mostly peaceful except for some supporters of the proposition who shouted at the group on occasion, he said.

The rally ended around 7:30 p.m., Weingart said.
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Poor turn-out and understandably. The Inland Empire (where San Bernardino is located) overwhelmingly supported traditional marraige

The third way that technology has affected campaigns is the ability to communicate. With Huffington Post, Talking Points Memo, and Think Progress, the left completely reshaped the news cycle. These outlets introduced information that the McCain campaign was forced to respond to, while the blogs on the right rarely forced the Obama campaign to react. The Center for American Progress, the parent of Think Progress, has made clear that their role is to play in the media and public opinion. And they have succeeded. One of the great challenges for the right over the next cycle will be to develop an infrastructure for investigating and propagating politically powerful information that impacts the news cycle.
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True. But, neither McCain nor the RNC has adopted a new media strategy. Perhaps the new RNC chairman will institute some real change.

South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint on Friday became one of the first high-profile Republicans to publicly criticize John McCain following his electoral defeat, blaming the Arizona senator for betraying conservative principles in his quest for the White House.

The conservative senator, speaking to a group of GOP officials gathered in Myrtle Beach at a conference on the future of the Republican Party, described how the party had strayed from its own "brand," which, according to DeMint, should represent freedom, religious-based values and limited government.

"We have to be honest, and there's a lot of blame to go around, but I have to mention George Bush, and I have to mention Ted Stevens, and I'm afraid I even have to mention John McCain," he said.
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All of the above

Lungren has had a long career as a conservative in a state increasingly hostile to the Right. He served in Congress in the Reagan years, and then served as California’s Attorney General for two terms. Lungren ran for Governor but was too conservative to build a large enough constituency, although Californians got buyer’s remorse with Gray Davis and wound up recalling him in 2003. Lungren returned to Congress just in time to see Republicans lose their majority.

At 62, Lungren may not have the appeal to those seeking the conservative leadership of the future, but Lungren is a fighter for the Right. For that matter, so is Boehner. But Republicans in the House may be looking for change after a tough election, and Lungren wants to make sure that the opportunity exists for it.
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Dan Lungren has the experience and trackrecod to lead the House GOP forward. Boehner has lost 50 plus seats in two successive election cycles. Time for a change.

A series of protests against the passage of Proposition 8 scheduled to take place today in Los Angeles and across the country will be a key test for a loosely formed Internet-based movement that has emerged since California voters banned gay marriage last week.

Over the last 11 days, advocates have used the Web to organize scattered protests at places like the Mormon Temple in Westwood and Sunset Junction in Silver Lake and mount boycotts against businesses that supported Proposition 8. Those efforts snowballed, and marches against the proposition are expected in more than 300 cities across the country.
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Where is Arnold today?

Gay-rights marchers gathered by the thousands this morning to prepare for state and nationwide protests against California's passage of Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage.

In Los Angeles, protesters clustered near City Hall, carrying rainbow-colored flags and signs bearing messages such as "No More Mr. Nice Gay," "Where's My Gay Tax Break?" and "No on Hate."
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The Saul Alinsky model to get ready for another futile election attempt in 2010