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Flap’s 2009 Los Angeles Marathon
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.
Here is yesterday’s course:
And, finally Mrs. Flap, Armando and me:
Technorati Tags: Los Angeles Marathon
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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.
Technorati Tags: Gay Marriage, California Proposition 8
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California Supreme Court Upholds Proposition 8 and OKS Existing California Gay Marriages
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 2010California 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
Technorati Tags: Gay Marriage, California Proposition 8
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California Supreme Court Upholds California Proposition 8
As expected the California Supreme Court has upheld the decision of California voters to change the California Consitution to define marriage as one man and one woman.More later since the California Supreme Court website is down from too much traffic.
Technorati Tags: California Proposition 8, Gay Marriage
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Poll Watch: 49 Per Cent Opposed to Closing Guantanamo Bay
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.
Technorati Tags: Guantanamo Bay, Barack Obama
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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.
Technorati Tags: Sonya Sotomayor, United States Supreme Court
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Day By Day by Chris Muir for May 25, 2009 – Makeup
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.
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Technorati Tags: Day By Day
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links for 2009-05-25
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North Korea staged a “successful†underground nuclear test, the communist state’s official media said.
The North “successfully conducted another underground nuclear test on May 25 as part of its measures aimed at strengthening its self-defence nuclear deterrent in every way,†the Korean Central News Agency said.
The test will “contribute to safeguarding our sovereignty and socialism and guaranteeing peace and safety on the Korean peninsula and the surrounding region,†it said. The four-paragraph story gave no details of the location. South Korea’s presidential office earlier said that North Korea had appeared to have conducted a nuclear weapons test. The government received a report on the possibility of a nuclear test having been conducted, presidential spokesman Lee Dong-Kwan told a briefing.
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The decision, which would make it hard for Americans in London to open bank accounts and trade shares, is being discussed by executives at Britain's banks and brokers who say it could become too expensive to service American clients. The proposals, which were unveiled as part of the president's first budget, are designed to clamp-down on American tax evaders abroad. However bank bosses say they
are being asked to take on the task of collecting American taxes at a cost and legal liability that are inexpedient.
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A comprehensive list compiled by Karl rove
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Gen. Colin Powell was on Face the Nation today, trashing the Republican Party again, as if he has some particular moral authority. I beg to differ. Colin Powell has almost as little moral authority as did the bystanders in the Kitty Genovese rape case. While his own administration, and especially a very good man named Lewis "Scooter" Libby, was being raped by Patrick Fitzgerald's out-of-control investigation into the Valerie Plame leak, Powell and his top aide Richard Armitage stoo by silently even though both knew that Armitage had been (without malice aforethought) the actual source of the leak. To let Libby (and Karl Rove and others) twist in the wind for so long when Powell and Armitage knew what had really happened was the stance of either two cowards or, more likely, two vindictive political infighters who cared more about seeing their adversaries (in internal administration disputes) be kneecapped tthan they cared about seeing justice done and the truth be made public.
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Democrats often complained about President George W. Bush’s frequent use of a rhetorical device as old as rhetoric itself: creating the illusion of refuting an opponent’s argument by mischaracterizing it and then knocking down that mischaracterization.
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CALIFORNIA FINDS itself in more than a bit of a bind: Facing at least a $21 billion budget deficit, the state could run out of money in a matter of weeks. Borrowing to help fill the hole will be challenging and expensive, given that California has the lowest credit rating of all 50 states. Last week's warning by Standard and Poor's to Britain about a possible debt downgrade will make risky government borrowing even more difficult. The state would like to see Uncle Sam pick up part of the tab; but as steeped in the bailout business as the feds have become, there are strong reasons for them to refuse to add California to the list of recipients.
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It's increasingly obvious that Congress and the president (regardless of which party is in power) will deal with the political stink bomb of an aging society only if forced. And the most plausible means of compulsion would be for Social Security and Medicare to go bankrupt: trust funds run dry; promised benefits exceed dedicated payroll taxes. The sooner this happens, the better.
That the programs will ultimately go bankrupt is clear from the trustees' reports. On pages 201 and 202 of the Medicare report, you will find the conclusive arithmetic: over the next 75 years, Social Security and Medicare will cost an estimated $103.2 trillion, while dedicated taxes and premiums will total only $57.4 trillion. The gap is $45.8 trillion. (All figures are expressed in "present value," a fancy term for "today's dollars.")
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The Politico article is mostly about the inner-workings of Andie Coller's mind and the need to generate news on a holiday weekend, not about any true outrage.
The reaction from the blogosphere to the Politico post is mostly hypocrisy from the left. The left-wing blogs which savaged Sarah Palin and Carrie Prejean with the worst sexual innuendos and mockery, are aghast with feigned indignation at the RNC's dig at Pelosi.
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Los Angeles Marathon May 25, 2009
Flap will be a run/walk participant in tomorrow’s Los Angeles Marathon.++++++++++In blogging matters, besides Flap’s Links which will appear later tonight this will be my last post until Tuesday morning.Happy Memorial Day!
See you then.
Technorati Tags: Los Angeles Marathon
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Poll Watch: 23 Per Cent of Israelis Will Leave Israel If Iran Obtains a Nuclear Weapon
The test-firing of a new medium-range surface to surface missile in Iran on May 20. Iran’s former Revolutionary Guards chief Mohsen Rezai has warned he could stop Israel with “one strike” and said it would not dare to threaten the Islamic republic if he is elected president
Looks like Iran’s nuclear blackmail of Israel is already succeeding.Some 85 percent of respondents said they feared the Islamic Republic would obtain an atomic bomb, 57 percent believed the new U.S. initiative to engage in dialogue with Tehran would fail and 41 percent believed Israel should strike Iran’s nuclear installations without waiting to see whether or how the talks develop.
“The findings are worrying because they reflect an exaggerated and unnecessary fear,” Prof. David Menashri, the head of the Center, said. “Iran’s leadership is religiously extremist but calculated and it understands an unconventional attack on Israel is an act of madness that will destroy Iran. Sadly, the survey shows the Iranian threat works well even without a bomb and thousands of Israelis [already] live in fear and contemplate leaving the country.”
Israel had an opportunity a few years ago after the 2006 midterm American elections and would not or could not pull the trigger against Iran’s nuclear program.
Now, under Obama, Iran will continue to stall by negotiations until they reach Breakout Capability and then the nuclear blackmail scenario will be complete.
Bye Bye Israel……
