• Barack Obama,  Harry Reid,  North Korea

    Another Distraction for Obama: North Korea Fires Another Missile

    north-korea-more-missiles

    NIce spin away for Obama to nominate his Supreme Court nominee today after North Korea test fires missiles and conducts a nuclear explosion in violation of United Nation’s Resolutions and American diplomacy over the long Memorial Day weekend.

    But, North Korea is not cooperating.

    North Korea launched an additional short-range missile from its east coast Tuesday night, an official at the South Korean presidential office said Wednesday.

       “The North appears to have launched a ground-to-ship missile into the East Sea shortly after 9 p.m. Tuesday,” the official said, asking not to be identified. Pyongyang had launched two short-range missiles from its east coast earlier Tuesday, following its supposed nuclear test the day before.

       Officials here believe the missile launches are partly aimed at preventing South Korean and U.S. reconnaissance planes from nearing the communist state to verify its claimed nuclear test.

    In the meantime, President Obama is on his way to Las Vegas where he is to raise money for Democrat Senate Majority Leader Dingy Harry Reid’s 2010 re-election race.

    It is a dangerous world out there, Mr. President.


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  • Los Angeles Marathon

    Flap’s 2009 Los Angeles Marathon

    LA-Marathon-2009--Scan-Meda

    I am still waiting some photos from friends who were with me at the end of the race and will post them when they are e-mailed to me.  Above is the medal for my 2009 race. My results are here.

    No, I am not a speed demon on the course and walked all of the way – except the obligatory jog at the start. But, I finished, am generally pleased at the result and would have easily gone under 10 hours lest a few waits for a friend.

    Now, the goal is to train and pick up the pace although I think I will start with the 5K first.

    LA-Marathon-2009-Bib

    Here is yesterday’s course:

    And, finally Mrs. Flap, Armando and me:

    alice armando greg group

    Photo post Marathon by Diane


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  • Gay Marriage,  Gay Politics

    California Proposition 8 Aftermath: Ads Up ALREADY For Repeal After California Supreme Court Upholds This Morning

    This provocative new TV ad was created in the spirit of Harvey Milk’s call to “come out, come out wherever you are” and proudly tell the stories of the people most affected by the passage of Prop 8 — in moving images set to the beat of Regina Spektor’s beautiful song “Fidelity”.

    The Courage Campaign is already up with ads to repeal California Proposition 8 which restored the traditional definition of marriage (one man and one woman) to the California Constitution last November. The California Supreme Court upheld the measure this morning.

    Just minutes after the California Supreme Court decision upholding Prop. 8, the fight for marriage equality is already on again — as the 70,000-member Courage Campaign, a progressive group, has unveiled new ads and an online petition campaign aimed at getting the issue before California voters again.

    Rick Jacobs, founder and chair of the Courage Campaign, said in an e-mail statement: “I am disappointed the Court ruled to deny marriage equality to Californians. These are fundamental constitutional rights that cannot be abolished by a ballot initiative. While we were hoping the Court would rule in favor of equality, we have been building the infrastructure to win marriage equality rights at the ballot box. Our members are ready to do the hard work needed to win.”

    Do the California Democrat Governor canddiates want to run on gay marriage (since the Big 3 plus 1 Dianne Feinstein, Jerry Brown, Gavin Newsom and Antonio Villaraigosa support gay marriage)?

    Steve Poizner, a Republican candidate for Governor has already blasted out an e-mail supporting the California Supreme Courts’ decision:

    “The California Supreme Court took the appropriate action today in upholding the will of the people by affirming Proposition 8. The people of California have spoken. They voted decisively that marriage should remain between a man and a woman. That is also my personal view.

    “There was much more at stake today than even the issue of gay marriage, as important and emotional as it is for so many people on both sides of the issue. If the Court had overturned Proposition 8, it would have had set a terrible legal precedent, divided Californians even further, undermined support for the judiciary and state government itself while serving as a tremendous blow to the fundamental American concept of government of the people, by the people and for the people.

    “Regardless of which way the Court ruled today, a particularly shameful element of this issue has been the Attorney General’s unethical abandonment of his legal responsibility to the people of California. It is no surprise that Jerry Brown politicized and abused his latest position in an unprecedented way in order to play political catch-up with Gavin Newsom.

    “As Governor, Brown opposed marriage for gay Californians. As a candidate for Attorney General, Jerry Brown refused to publicly support gay marriage. But once Gavin Newsom gained the upper hand on the issue with Democratic primary votes, Brown used his office as the state’s lawyer to suddenly become an advocate of gay marriage and attempt to subvert the twice expressed will of the people of California. As he enters the fifth decade of his political career, Jerry Brown seems determined to go down in history as the man who was on more sides of more issues than any other California politician.”

    This repeal of traditional marriage issue will assure that the social conservative GOP and religious voter base will turn out for mid-term non-Presidential California elections. This will be unfavorable to Democrat candidates.

    Can you see the Gavin Newsom vs. Jerry Brown ads in the Democrat Primary election? It will be “whether you like it or not” vs. “I proposed an illogical legal theory and avoided my responsibility to the people of California as Attorney General to help gay marriage.”

    Somehow I think the GOP media consultants are licking their chops at the prospect of this highly polarizing campaign. One which either GOP candidates Meg Whitman or Steve Poizner will easily win.

    My bet is that the Democrats will ask the Courage Campaign and others to defer until 2012.


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  • California Supreme Court,  Gay Marriage

    California Supreme Court Upholds Proposition 8 and OKS Existing California Gay Marriages

    Gay Marriage

    The California Supreme Court

    The California Supreme Court this morning upheld California Proposition 8 (which restored the traditional definition of marriage -one man and one woman) which passed at last November’s election.

    The California Supreme Court today upheld Proposition 8’s ban on same-sex marriage but also ruled that gay couples who wed before the election will continue to be married under state law.

    The decision virtually ensures another fight at the ballot box over marriage rights for gays. Gay rights activists say they may ask voters to repeal the marriage ban as early as next year, and opponents have pledged to fight any such effort. Proposition 8 passed with 52% of the vote.

    Although the court split 6-1 on the constitutionality of Proposition 8, the justices were unanimous in deciding to keep intact the marriages of as many as 18,000 gay couples who exchanged vows before the election.
    The marriages began last June, after a 4-3 state high court ruling striking down the marriage ban last May.

    The decision/opinion of the California Supreme Court is here.

    In summary, we conclude that Proposition 8 constitutes a permissible constitutional amendment (rather than an impermissible constitutional revision), does not violate the separation of powers doctrine, and is not invalid under the “inalienable rights” theory proffered by the Attorney General. We further conclude that Proposition 8 does not apply retroactively and therefore that the marriages of same-sex couples performed prior to the effective date of Proposition 8 remain valid. Having determined that none of the constitutional challenges to the adoption of Proposition 8 have merit, we observe that if there is to be a change to the state constitutional rule embodied in that measure, it must “find its expression at the ballot box.” (In re Marriage Cases, supra, 43 Cal.4th 757, 884 (conc. & dis. opn. of Corrigan, J.); see also id. at pp. 861, 878 (conc. & dis. opn. of Baxter, J.).)

    Just as Flap predicted before oral arguments in March.

    So, off to the ballot, California is likely headed. But, whether it will be in 2010, 2012 or later is a matter of conjecture.

    There are advanatges for gay marriage activists to push the issue into 2010. But, this is a California Governor election year where all of the Democrat candidates support gay marriage and the Republicans support civil unions/domestic partnerships with equitable rights. Will the Democrats who covet the Governorship, now held by Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger really want to run on the gay marriage issue?

    Doubtful. And, the e-mail press releases from California Governor candidates are already flying into Flap’s e-mail box.

    Yet, in 2012, President Barack Obama will be running for re-election which will again bring unprecedented numbers of African American voters to the polls. These voters supported California Proposition 8 in the last election by significant numbers.

    The gay marriage proponents may then seek reddress in the courts since some homosexual couples are considered married and some who did not meet the deadline are not. But, this will be a slow, tedious process in the federal courts where a favorable outcome is not guaranteed for gay marriage.

    Stay tuned……..

    Previous:

    Proposition 8 Aftermath: California Gay Marriage Backers Have Much to Do Before Returning to California Ballot

    Poll Watch: Gay Marriage Evenly Splits Californians – Tough Race in 2010

    California Supreme Court Appears to Be Ready to Uphold Constitutionality of Proposition 8

    California Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments on Proposition 8 Re: Gay Marriage Today

    California Supreme Court to Hear Oral Arguments on Proposition 8 Case March 5


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  • Barack Obama,  Guantanamo Bay,  Polling

    Poll Watch: 49 Per Cent Opposed to Closing Guantanamo Bay

    Camp_Delta,_Guantanamo_Bay,_Cuba

    Terrorist Detention Facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

    And, only 38 per cent agree.

    The question:

    Do you agree or disagree with President Obama’s decision to close the Guanatanamo Prison Camp?

    • Agree – 38%
    • Disagree – 49%
    • Not Sure – 13%

    The support for keeping Guantanamo’s prison camp open declined from 59% last summer to 49% last November to 42% in January. In fact, shortly after the President announced his intention to close the camp, a narrow plurality agreed with him.

    Since then, the trends have moved in the opposite direction. The number who want to keep the facility open increased from 42% in January to 46% in April and 49% now. The number who agree with the President’s position has fallen from 44% in January to 38% today.

    Most Democrats (61%) now agree with the President on this issue. However, 79% of Republicans and 54% of unaffiliateds hold the opposite view.

    Obama does NOT have a plan regarding Guantanamo Bay and it is my bet he changes his mind about closing the facility. He will at first delay the matter and then do nothing when it fades from public view.


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  • Sonya Sotomayor,  Supreme Court

    President Obama Selects U.S. Appeals Court Judge Sonia Sotomayor for United States Supreme Court

    U.S. Appeals Court Judge Sonia Sotomayor (L) steps up to speak after U.S. President Barack Obama announced her as his choice of nomination for the Supreme Court justice, to replace retiring Justice David Souter in the East Room at the White House, May 26, 2009

    President Obama has made his first United States Supreme Court appointment.

    President Barack Obama named federal appeals judge Sonia Sotomayor as the nation’s first Hispanic Supreme Court justice on Tuesday, praising her as “an inspiring woman” with both the intellect and compassion to interpret the Constitution wisely.

    Obama said Sotomayor has more experience as a judge than any current member of the high court had when nominated, adding she has earned the “respect of colleagues on the bench,” the admiration of lawyers who appear in her court and “the adoration of her clerks.”

    Elections have consequences and left-wing President Obama has chosen a left-wing appeals court judge for the highest court in the nation.

    Unless there is a scandal, the Democrats have the votes to confirm her and the GOP will be hard pressed to oppose her nomination.  All that is left to the GOP is a filibuster and the likelyhood of that happening is NIL.

    But, Obama while he was in the Senate voted to filibuster Justice Alito saying their are NO rules. Maybe there will be some GOP payback here.

    And, in order for the nomination to emerge from the Senate Judiciary Committee, there will need to be one GOP Senator to vote for her. The most automatic vote for Sotomayor would have been Senator Arlen Specter but he is no longer a Republican.

    The Senate Democrats will spin Sotomayor as a moderate but she is not. However, she is replacing another left-leaning justice (Souter) so the balance of the court will be the same.

    Stay tuned as the vetting process begins and don’t be surprised when her left-wing radical opinions see the light of day.


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  • Day By Day

    Day By Day by Chris Muir for May 25, 2009 – Makeup

    Day By Day 052509

    Day By Day by Chris Muir

    Flap is playing catch-up today after having completed yesterday’s Los Angeles Marathon.

    And, of course, today, is a big news day with President Obama to announce his appointment of Judge Soni Sotomayor to the United States Supreme Court and the 10 AM release of the California Proposition 8 decision on gay marriage.

    I will try to keep up but for the latest news and comments check out my Twitter feed in the right sidebar or Follow Flap.

    Previous:

    The Day By Day Archive


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