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Links for 2008-11-19 [del.icio.us]

• THE WORST OF TIME(S) FOR 250 - New York Post TIME Inc. today becomes not a publisher of magazines but of pink slips instead. The magazine giant is expected to cut more than 250 from the payroll as part of an overall plan by Time Inc. CEO Ann Moore and Editor-in-Chief John Huey to slash 600 jobs from its overall work force of 10,200 employees worldwide. +++++++ More collapse of the MSM
• Obama Loves the 90's Eric Holder, Rahm Emanuel, Hillary and Bill Clinton, Greg Craig, Ron Klain, maybe Larry Summers… I feel like I should grow a goatee, smoke an American Spirit and crank up some Smashing Pumpkins. Gotta go, "X-Files" is on. +++++++ Obama is lost in a time warp…..
• Cheney Indicted in Clearly Bogus Indictment; Sullivan Wets His Pants with Excitement Unless you’re Andrew Sullivan, who takes as true any development unfavorable to Republicans, no matter how freaking wild it sounds. This is why people mock you, Sullivan. Because you’re a shrieking, hysterical, gullible moron. And that’s me pulling my punches. ++++++ Pulling?
• The NYT’s Floyd Norris Flubs Cuban Story You’d think that Floyd Norris would know something about securities regulation, since he is the chief financial correspondent for the NY Times and the International Herald Tribune. If his story/blog port today on the Mark Cuban SEC case is anything to go by, however, the guy’s a typical MSM idiot. ++++++ Well, the New York Times, Professor. What do you expect?
• Prop. 8 battle enters new stage "This push-back in the last two weeks has actually mobilized the Yes on 8 people," said the Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference. If the California Supreme Court were to overturn Proposition 8, "you will see a mobilized group like you have never seen in the state of California." Recall talks Rodriguez said in an interview Tuesday that some religious leaders are discussing a potential recall of Supreme Court justices. He expects the Supreme Court to overturn Proposition 8, and if that happens, "there are grounds for a recall. We saw that with Gray Davis," he said. "We have an oligarchy, an oligarchy in judges' role in the state of California." +++++++ A recall of the Justices in 2010 would be easily accomplished.
• Is gays' intolerance on Prop. 8 the best strategy? It's ironic, isn't it? The Catholic Church has crushed dissension over Proposition 8 within its ranks. And now, the gay community has crushed dissension as well. It proves again that in the city of Sacramento, coming out against gay marriage is dangerous politically. Gay leaders have the clout to strike back. Still, the question remains: Is this the best way to persuade a majority of voters to support gay marriage? Potential votes can be lost when beliefs – and hearts – harden like stone. ++++++++ Indeed - not the best approach
• Foundations look to enter the news business -Dan Weintraub Readers already concerned about what they perceive as liberal bias in the media will probably look with skepticism on coverage financed, even indirectly, by foundations that generally support more activist government. At the same time, though, conservative activists are lapping up the unique coverage offered by Flashreport.org, which features a network of Republican activists and consultants who participate in politics and write about it in real time. If nothing else, all of these projects seem to show that as long as the public has a hunger for information, someone will try to feed it. Still to be determined is a new economic model that allows those who do the work of gathering and distributing the information to make a living at it over the long term. ++++++++ Although Jon is a friend of mine, the Right has a long way to go to support the new media. There are those of us who would wish to do more with the right financing.
• California high court to revisit gay marriage Gay rights groups clearly hope the Supreme Court will take an opportunity to issue another decision that tilts their way, but to do so, Chief Justice Ron George and his colleagues would have to make quite a legal stretch, and if they did so, they'd be accused a second time of substituting their personal philosophies for the will of voters. Their first decision earlier this year overturned a statutory ballot measure that only marriages between men and women would be recognized, even as gay marriage opponents were offering it to voters again as a constitutional amendment. ++++++ The stage for recall of the California Supreme Court has been set.
• THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING REPUBLICAN BASE Since the potential for additional Republican gains among married white Christians appears to be limited, Republican leaders will need to find ways to reduce the Democratic advantage among voters who are not married white Christians in order to maintain the party's competitive position. However, given the generally liberal views of this group, this will not be easy. In 2006, according to data from the Cooperative Congressional Election Study, 57 percent of these voters supported a woman's right to choose an abortion under any circumstances, 66 percent opposed a constitutional amendment to prohibit gay marriage, and 71 percent favored a single-payer health care system. Any attempt by Republican leaders to significantly increase their party's support among voters who are not married white Christians would therefore require changes in some of the party's longstanding policy commitments — changes that would clearly upset a large segment of the current Republican base.
• Confirming Fears - Eric Holder and Barack Obama As we observed throughout the campaign, Barack Obama gave indications that his election would mean a return to the September 10 mentality, a national-security outlook marked prominently by its lack of seriousness about the terrorist threat. In choosing Eric Holder to be his attorney general, President-Elect Obama has taken a step toward confirming those misgivings. Holder was the Clinton administration’s last deputy attorney general, succeeding Jamie Gorelick in 1997 under Janet Reno. That appointment marked the final elevation in a series of Clinton-era promotions that punctuate his résumé. Holder’s rise, like Obama’s own, is of symbolic significance, as he now has been nominated to be the nation’s first black attorney general. Symbolism, however, cannot camouflage the fact that Holder is a conventional, check-the-boxes creature of the Left.
• Patterico And Code Criticize me all you want. But why is this fourth grade homophobic crap the first thing that always comes into their minds?
• Iran increases stockpile of uranium Iran is forging ahead with its nuclear programme, the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog reported on Wednesday, deepening the dilemma facing US president-elect Barack Obama over his campaign promise to engage with Tehran. The latest report by the International Atomic Energy Agency reveals that Iran is rapidly increasing its stockpile of enriched uranium, which could be rendered into weapons-grade material should Tehran decide to develop a nuclear device. The agency says that, as of this month, Tehran had amassed 630kg of low enriched uranium hexafluoride, up from 480kg in late August. Analysts say Iran is enriching uranium at such a pace that, by early next year, it could reach break-out capacity – one step away from producing enough fissile material for a crude nuclear bomb. +++++++ Israel must be getting nervous. What will Obama do?
• Oogedy-Boogedy-Boo Maybe there is some significant overlap with the so-called “oogedy-boogedy” set, but then the problem with them wouldn’t be their religiosity or their social conservatism or any of the cultural markers that freaked out every pundit east of the Appalachians when Mike Huckabee would start to speak. Instead, the problem is that they were too wedded to the Bush administration and its failed record, and they were too dependent on reciting the trite slogans they heard on the radio and read in syndicated conservative columns. Of course, the war was a major reason why the GOP fell into disrepute, and Parker notably still has nothing to say about that. I am going to go out on a limb and guess that she has rarely, if ever, written a single word of serious criticism of the administration regarding the war. You cannot diagnose what ails Republicans if you have no credibility on this most basic of policy questions, and there is no reason to think that Parker has any.
• Those Oogedy Boogedy Christians - Marc Ambinder But the realities of politics today are such that the GOP cannot win national elections without the enthusiastic support of white evangelical Christians. They can try; it won't happen. That depresses moderates in the party, it depresses atheists and agnostics in the party, but it's the reality. The results of 2004 showed that, given certain conditions and issue sets, winning coalitions can be formed. Maybe the Bush-Iraq-Terrorism-Economy-Katrina event chain has changed all of that forever; maybe not. To throw this out there: it will be easier for a conservative Catholic nominee, like, say, Bobby Jindal, to expand the Republican coalition rather than a white evangelical protestant like Mike Huckabee. +++++++ Mick Huckabee will stay at Fox News

[Link]

ADA Releases 4 New Podcasts

The American Dental Association has recently released 4 new podcasts in their series, bringing the total to 16 episodes, since its inception in 2006.

Episode 13: How to Reduce Stress

Episode 14: Revive, Refresh, Renew—Creating Balance for the Dental Professional

Episode 15: Understanding, Planning and Funding My Retirement

Episode 16: Dental Professional Liability 101—Claims, Risk Management and Insurance

Subscribe to the ADA Podcast Feed

DI

Technorati Tags: Dental, dentistry, Dental Insider Blog, American Dental Association

[Link]

New books received this week

Dental materials : properties and manipulation. / John M. Powers, John C. Wataha. 9th ed. St. Louis, Mo. : Mosby/Elsevier, c2008.

Description: Main topics covered in this book are amalgam, cements, impression materials, alloys, polymers, aesthetic dental materials, ceramics and implants. It is a good textbook for students who are studying dental materials for the first time.

Glossary of orthodontic terms / by John Daskalogiannakis. Chicago, Ill. ; London : Quintessence Books, c2000.

Description: A reference guide for the orthodontic community, this book contains the definitions and descriptions of over 2,800 orthodontic and dental terms, 350 of which are also illustrated. The accompanying CD-ROM makes it even more convenient and easy to use.

Gray’s anatomy: the anatomical basis of clinical practice. / edited by Susan Standring (et al.) 40th ed. Edinburgh : Churchill Livingstone, 2008.

Description: The 40th edition of the most famous anatomical reference in the world celebrating its 150th anniversary.

The management of medical emergencies: a guide for dental care professionals. / by Colette Balmer and Lesley Longman. London : Quay Books, c2008.

Description: This book describes in detail the medical emergencies most commonly encountered in the dental setting and how they should be managed, for example anaphylaxis, angina, faints, epileptic seizures, hyperventilation, thereby effectively producing a step-by-step guide.

Insider’s guide to gum disease, orthodontics and dentistry : what is not taught in dental school. / by David C. DiBenedetto. New York: iUniverse, c2008.

Description: This practical guidebook provides valuable tips on the importance of good occlusion, periodontal disease prevention, and what to expect from an orthodontist.

Subscribe in a reader

[Link]

California Proposition 8 Proponents “Profoundly Gratified” in California Supreme Court Rulings

Protect Marriage.Com

And, the proponents are confident that Proposition 8 wll be upheld.

The official proponents of Proposition 8 and ProtectMarriage.com – Yes on 8, the campaign committee responsible for its enactment by voters today said it is “profoundly gratified” that the California Supreme Court granted all their requests by agreeing to accept original jurisdiction of three cases challenging the measure’s validity, granted their request to intervene in the cases as Real Parties in Interest, denied the request of others to delay implementation of Proposition 8, and refused to allow outside groups to directly participate in the litigation.

Flap can count as well. Three California Supreme Court Justices that opposed gay marriage plus Justice Kennard (who refused to sign the order and voted to deny the petitions) equals four votes upholding the Proposition and the traditional definition of marriage.

Flap bets the final vote will be 6-1 with Moreno dissenting to uphold Proposition 8 simply because a MORON would have to rule this is a revision of the Constitution and not an amendment.

Stay tuned as the briefs are prepared. Technorati Tags: California Supreme Court, California Proposition 8, Gay Marriage

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California Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Proposition 8 But Denies Stay in Gay Marriage Ban

The California Supreme Court agreed to decide today the legality of California’s Proposition 8 that restored the traditional definition of marriage (one man and one woman) to the California Constitution.

At the urging of both sponsors and opponents of Proposition 8, the justices granted review of lawsuits challenging the Nov. 4 initiative. Approved by 52 percent of the voters, Prop. 8 restored the definition of marriage - a union of a man and a woman - that the court had overturned May 15.

In today’s order, the justices let Prop. 8 remain in effect, denying a stay that would have allowed county clerks to resume issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples until the case was decided. No hearing has been scheduled.

But, a stay was DENIED, meaning gay marriage in California remains banned.

The order is here. (Pdf)

In other items of interest in the order:

• The motions to intervene in the cases by Proposition 8 Official Proponents et. al. are GRANTED.

• Briefs are due on or before December 19, 2008. Replies by January 5, 2009.

• The issues to be argued and briefed:

1. Is Proposition 8 invalid because it constitutes a revision of, rather than an amendment to the California Constitution? (see Cal. Const.,art.XVIII, §§ 1-4.)
2. Does Proposition 8 violate the separation of powers doctrine under the California Constitution?
3. If Proposition 8 is not unconstitutional, what is its effect, if any, on the marriages of same-sex couples performed before the adoption of Proposition 8?

• Amicus curiae brief application and brief are due on or before January 15, 2009. Reply to amicus curae brief is due January 21, 2009.

• Justice Moreno joins the order but voted to stay proposition 8.

• Justice Kennard would deny these petitions without prejudice to the filing in this court of an appropriate action to determine Proposition 8’s effect, if any, on the marriages of same-sex couples performed before Proposition 8’s adoption.

California Supreme Court Justices, from top left, Kathryn Mickle Werdegar, Carlos R. Moreno, Joyce L. Kennard, Marvin Baxter and from lower left, Ming Chin, Chief Justice Ronald M. George and Carol Corrigan

Justices supporting the overturn of the original gay marriage ban are:

• Chief Justice Ronald George
• Justice Kathryn Mickle Werdegar
• Justice Joyce L. Kennard
• Justice Carlos R. Moreno

Chief Justice George and Justice Moreno stand for reconfirmation to another twelve year term of office in November 2010.

Justices dissenting from the original decision to end the gay marriage ban are:

• Justice Marvin Baxter
• Justice Carol Corrigan
• Justice Ming Chin

The original May 2008 decision which California Propsoition 8 overturned by Constitutional amendment is here.(Pdf)

Stay tuned….. Technorati Tags: California Supreme Court, Gay Marriage, California Proposition 8

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Tom McClintock Lead Holding Up in California Congressional District 4

California State Senator Tom McClintock, R- Thousand Oaks and wife, Lori on election night

Team McClintock is exceedingly optimistic that Tom McClintock has beaten Charlie Brown in CA-4.

The latest batch from Nevada County dropped us by 60 votes, partially offset by a 30-vote gain out of El Dorado County, leaving us with a lead of 592 today. Nevada County is rapidly running out of ballots – we estimate it has roughly 1,000 yet to count. Everything else – approximately 25,000 more ballots — are from counties that we are carrying.

Butte and Placer counties comprise 23,000 of those ballots and are expected to release their numbers in a single batch when they complete their full counts later this week or early next. In short, the fat lady hasn’t begun singing yet, but she’s on stage and appears to be wearing a McClintock button.

And, in the race to replace Tom McClintock in the California State Senate, apparently the Fat Lady has already sung. Technorati Tags: Tom McClintock, Charlie Brown

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Joint Symposium on the Utilization of Light-Based Technology in Dentistry

The FDA and the Academy of Laser Dentistry Hosting a
Joint Symposium on the Utilization of Light-Based Technology in Dentistry

Silver Spring, MD – November 19, 2008 – The Food and Drug Administration and the Academy of Laser Dentistry are hosting a joint symposium on the uses of lasers and other light-based technologies in dentistry. The symposium will take place on Monday, December 8th, in Building 2, Room 2047 of the FDA facility in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Specifically, the symposium will provide an overview on the impact that light-based technologies are having on dentistry, including how lasers and light-based technologies interact with oral tissues, the impact they presently have in the practice of dentistry and other healthcare professions, and the future potential of these technologies. The presenters will be some of the most respected thought leaders in their respective fields, and will include practicing clinicians, academicians, and researchers from around the country.

The series presentations will start by reviewing what has happened over the nearly fifty years since the laser was developed in 1960. Discussions will include the science, research, and utilization of lasers and light-based technologies, their present roles, and the potential for additional applications in the future by dentists, dental hygienists, and other oral healthcare providers.

In addition, research and applications for hard and soft tissues of the oral cavity and related head and neck structures will be presented, including the use of lasers and light-based technologies in surgical, preventive, diagnostic, and potential healing applications.

The tentative agenda is as follows:

I. Introduction & Overview

• 8:00 am – 8:15 am: Welcome and Introductions; The Roles and Missions of the ALD and the FDA
Moderators: Ronald W. Waynant, Ph.D., Senior Optical Engineer, FDA/CDRH and Donald Coluzzi, D.D.S., Editor in Chief, The Journal of Laser Dentistry; Past President of the Academy of Laser Dentistry

• 8:15 am – 8:45 am: An Overview and History of the Impact of Light-Based Technologies in Dentistry
Presented by Terry D. Meyers, D.D.S.

II. Light-Based Technology Utilization in Dental Treatment

• 8:45 am – 9:00 am: Soft Tissue Interactions and Applications
Presented by Michael Swick, D.M.D., Member, Board of Directors of the Academy of Laser Dentistry

• 9:00 am – 9:30 am: Hard Tissue Interactions and Applications
Presented by Donald Coluzzi, D.D.S. or Michael Swick, D.M.D.

• 9:30 am – 10:00 am: Break

• 10:00 am – 10:30 am: Preventive Applications
Presented by Peter Rechmann, D.M.D., President of the Academy of Laser Dentistry; Professor and Director of Clinical Research, University of California, San Francisco

• 10:30 am – 11:00 am: The Utilization of Light-Based Technologies in the Practice of Dental Hygiene
Presented by Angie Mott, R.D.H., Member, Board of Directors of the Academy of Laser Dentistry

III. The Role of Light-Based Diagnostic Technologies

• 11:00 am – 11:30 am: Tissue Fluorescence (Autofluorescence)
Presented by Scott D. Benjamin, D.D.S., Vice-Chair of the Education Committee of the Academy of Laser Dentistry; Working Group Chairman, ADA Standards Committee on Dental Products for Dental Lasers

• 11:30 am – 12:00 noon: Optical Coherent Tomography
Presenter: Craig Gimbel, D.D.S., Past President of the Academy of Laser Dentistry

• 12:00 noon – 1:00 pm: Lunch (on your own)

IV. The Use of Low-Level Laser Therapy / Photobiomodulation in Oral Health

• 1:00 pm – 1:30 pm: Mechanisms of Low-Level Light Therapy
Presenter: Michael Hamblin, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School; Principal Investigator, Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital

• 1:30 pm – 2:00 pm: Light Modulates DNA, RNA and Protein Expression in the Nervous System
Presenter: Juanita J. Anders, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Genetics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

• 2:00 pm – 2:45 pm: Research on the use of LLLT to Assist in Wound Healing & Research on the use of LLLT for the Reduction of Dentinal Sensitivity
Presenter: Praveen R. Arany, B.D.S, M.D.S., Harvard School of Dental Medicine

• 2:45 pm – 3:15 pm: Research on the use of LLLT in Bone Rejuvenation of the Mandible
Presenter: Jerry Bouquot, D.D.S., M.S.D., Professor & Chair, Department of Diagnostic Sciences, University of Texas, Dental Branch at Houston

• 3:15 pm – 3:30 pm: Break

• 3:30 pm – 4:15 pm: FDA’s Research and Perspective on Light-Based Technology Utilization in Oral Health
Presenter: Ronald Waynant, Ph.D.

• 4:15 pm – 5:00 pm: Open Forum Discussion: “The Future and Where Do We Go From Here?”
Moderator: Don Coluzzi, D.D.S.

This one-day symposium in being jointly sponsored by the FDA and the Academy of Laser Dentistry (ALD) at the FDA facility in Silver Spring, MD (Washington, DC area) at

no cost to the attendees. Registration and 8 hours of continuing education credit are being provided by the ALD. To register, visit www.laserdentistry.org. Please register by December 1, 2008, as space is limited. If continuing education credits are desired, please designate it on the registration form. For additional information, contact Dr. Scott Benjamin (meeting coordinator for the ALD) at info@DentalAIM.com. [Link]

Why Senate Republicans Should Oppose Eric Holder As Attorney General

Eric Holder, former Deputy Attorney General in the Clinton Administration

Why?

Hell, the Marc Rich pardon by President Bill Clinton is sufficient.

But, there is MORE.

Technorati Tags: Barack Obama, Eric Holder

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California Supreme Court Challenge Filings for Proposition 8 - The Links

The California Supreme Court legal challenge to Proposition 8

The links:

S168047
KAREN L. STRAUSS, et al., Petitioners v. MARK B. HORTON, et al.

• Immediate Stay Request
• Petitioner’s Exhibits
• Petitioner’s Motion for Judicial Notice
• Amended Petition
• Motion to Intervene
• Motion to Intervene by Official Proponents
• Official Proponents Opposition to Motion by Campaign
• Petitioners’ Opposition to Motion to Intervene
• Request for Judicial Notice
• Preliminary Opposition
• Preliminary Response from the Attorney General
• Letters submitted in support of petition:
  The Bar Association of San Francisco et al.
  Forty-Four Members of the State Legislature
  Anti-Defamation League et al.
  Beverly Hills Bar Association et al.
  Los Angeles County Bar Association
  Sacramento Lawyers for Equality of Gays and Lesbians et al.
  Manning & Marder, Kass, Ellrod, Ramirez
  Constitutional Law Center (Monterey College of Law)
  Hastings College of the Law
  Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein
  Richards, Watson, & Gershon
  The Ecumenical Catholic Church
  Donna M. Ryu (Hastings College of the Law)
• Letters requesting denial of petition and request for stay:
  The Pacific Justice Institute
  Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence (Chapman University Law)
  Steven Meiers
  Kingdom of Heaven
  American Center for Law and Justice

S168066
ROBIN TYLER, et al., Petitioners v. STATE OF CALIFORNIA, et al.

• Immediate Stay Request
• Amended Petition
• Motion to Intervene
• Motion to Intervene by Official Proponents
• Official Proponents Opposition to Motion by Campaign
• Preliminary Opposition
• Preliminary Response from the Attorney General
• Debra Bowen’s Preliminary Response
• Letter from counsel for petitioners in response to letter submitted by Pacific Justice League
• Letters submitted in support of petition:
  Beverly Hills Bar Association et al.
  Los Angeles County Bar Association
  Sacramento Lawyers for Equality of Gays and Lesbians et al.
  Manning & Marder, Kass, Ellrod, Ramirez
  Constitutional Law Center (Monterey College of Law)
• Letters requesting denial of petition and request for stay:
  The Pacific Justice Institute
  Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence (Chapman University Law)
  American Center for Law and Justice

S168078
CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO et al. Petitioners v. MARK B. HORTON, et al.

• Petition for Writ of Mandate
• Amended Petition
• Motion to Intervene
• Motion to Intervene by Official Proponents
• Official Proponents Opposition to Motion by Campaign
• Judicial Notice
• Preliminary Opposition
• Preliminary Response from the Attorney General
• Letters submitted in support of petition:
  Beverly Hills Bar Association et al.
  Los Angeles County Bar Association
  Sacramento Lawyers for Equality of Gays and Lesbians et al.
  Manning & Marder, Kass, Ellrod, Ramirez
  Constitutional Law Center (Monterey College of Law)
• Letters requesting denial of petition and request for stay:
  The Pacific Justice Institute
  Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence (Chapman University Law)
  American Center for Law and Justice

S168281
ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN LEGAL CENTER, et al., Petitioners v. MARK B. HORTON, et al.

• Petition for Writ of Mandate
• Motion to Appear as Counsel Pro Hac Vice
• Motion by Campaign to Intervene
• Letter submitted in support of petition:
  Sacramento Lawyers for Equality of Gays and Lesbians et al.

S168302
EQUAL RIGHTS ADVOCATES AND CALIFORNIA WOMEN’S LAW CENTER, Petitioners v. MARK B. HORTON, et al.

• Petition for Writ of Mandate
• Motion for Judicial Notice in Support of Petition

S168332
CALIFORNIA COUNCIL OF CHURCHES, et al., Petitioners v. MARK B. HORTON, et al.

• Petition for Writ of Mandate

Flap will update as the cases proceed. Technorati Tags: California Proposition 8, Gay Marriage

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California Proposition 8 Sparks Gay-Black Divide?

Wanda Sykes Comes Out at The Gay & Lesbian Center of Southern Nevada’s Stand OUT for EQUALITY rally Nov. 15, 2008

The Gay-Black Divide?

ABC News exit polls found that blacks voted in support of Prop 8 and to ban gay marriage by heavier margins than other ethnic groups. The exit polls indicated that 70 percent of black voters supported Prop 8, while 49 percent of whites and Asian Americans voted for it and 53 percent of Latinos supported the ban.

Some charged that socially conservative blacks were responsible for the demise of gay marriage. Others said that largely white gay advocacy groups didn’t do enough to persuade them.

And many blacks say that gay groups — in six legal challenges — have unjustly labeled their cause a civil rights issue.

Is being Gay the New Black?

The debate will rage on……

Technorati Tags: Gay Marriage, California Propsition 8

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Barack Obama’s Pardon - ME Attorney General - Eric Holder

Former Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder and Pardon Attorney Roger Adams testify on the pardon that former President Clinton gave to Marc Rich during a Senate Judiciary Hearing February 14, 2001 in Washington DC

Why Does Obama Want To Appoint An Attorney General With A Long History Of Controversial Pardons?

Holder Played A “Key Role” In The Pardoning Of Marc Rich. “Now Obama needs to turn his attention to another member of that committee - Eric Holder, a former No. 2 in the Clinton Justice Department who played a key role in processing the infamous last-minute pardon of the notorious tax-cheat fugitive Marc Rich.” (Editorial, “Obama’s Bus,” New York Post, 6/12/08)

• “Holder, One Of Two Remaining Members Of Obama’s Vice Presidential Search Committee, Was Always Expected To Be A Lightning Rod.” (Jonathan Weisman, “Next On The GOP List: Eric Holder,” The Washington Post’s “The Trail” Blog, blog.washingtonpost.com, 6/12/08)

Holder Reviewed The Pardon Of “Fugitive Financier” Rich. “The criticism Thursday centered on Obama adviser Eric H. Holder Jr., who is scrutinizing candidates to be the Democratic presumptive presidential nominee’s running mate. As deputy attorney general under President Clinton, Mr. Holder reviewed the last-minute pardon of fugitive financier Marc Rich.” (Jim McElhatton, “GOP Hits Another Obama Adviser,” The Washington Times, 6/13/08)

• Holder “Waved Through” Rich’s Pardon In The Final Days Of The Clinton Administration. “As Bill Clinton’s deputy attorney general, he was the gatekeeper for presidential pardons. Most famously, he waved through the pardon for fugitive financier Marc Rich in the waning days of the Clinton White House.” (Jonathan Weisman, “Next On The GOP List: Eric Holder,” The Washington Post’s “The Trail” Blog, blog.washingtonpost.com, 6/12/08)

“Charged With 51 Counts Of Fraud, Tax Evasion And Illegally Trading With Iran, Mr. Rich Fled To Switzerland In 1983 But Won A Pardon From Mr. Clinton In 2001.” (Jim McElhatton, “GOP Hits Another Obama Adviser,” The Washington Times, 6/13/08)

To Obtain A Pardon, Rich Retained Former White House Counsel Jack Quinn, Who Circumvented Formal Pardon Application Procedures. “[R]ich wanted a pardon and he retained Jack Quinn, former counsel to the president, to lobby his old boss. … From the start, the Rich lawyers ignored the government’s established rules for pardon applications. Instead of making a formal application to the Office of Pardons in the Justice Department, Quinn sent the application directly to the White House in late December of 2007.” (Dick Morris and Eileen McGann, Op-Ed, “Obama’s VP Search Mistake,” New York Post, 6/5/08)

Documents Emerged Which Indicated That Holder Had Recommended Quinn, And “Gave Substantive Advice To Quinn Along The Way.” “Two days later, documents in support of the pardon were sent by Jack Quinn to Eric Holder. It was Holder who had originally recommended Quinn to one of Rich’s advisers, although he claims that he did not know the identity of the client. And he gave substantive advice to Quinn along the way. According to Quinn’s notes that were produced to Congress, Holder told Quinn to take the pardon application ’straight to the White House’ because ‘the timing is good.’ … When Holder received the Rich materials, he did no independent research to determine their veracity and appears to have barely reviewed them.” (Dick Morris and Eileen McGann, Op-Ed, “Obama ’s VP Search Mistake,” New York Post, 6/5/08)

• Holder Conducted No Independent Research To Scrutinize Quinn’s Request On Behalf Of Rich. “When Holder received the Rich materials, he did no independent research to determine their veracity and appears to have barely reviewed them. … [H]e never took the time to check anything and simply told the White House that he was ‘neutral to positive’ on the pardons.” (Dick Morris and Eileen McGann, Op-Ed, “Obama’s VP Search Mistake,” New York Post, 6/5/08)

• “Neither Clinton Nor Holder Ever Consulted With The Pardon Attorney.” (Dick Morris and Eileen McGann, Op-Ed, “Obama’s VP Search Mistake,” New York Post, 6/5/08)

“Officials At The U.S. Attorney’s Office In New York Were Understandably Infuriated When They Learned About The Pardon And Accused Rich Of Deliberating Bypassing Their Office.” (Dick Morris and Eileen McGann, Op-Ed, “Obama’s VP Search Mistake,” New York Post, 6/5/08)

“In 2002, A Congressional Committee Reported That Holder Was A ‘Willing Participant In The Plan To Keep The Justice Department From Knowing About And Opposing’ The Rich Pardon.” (Dick Morris and Eileen McGann, Op-Ed, “Obama’s VP Search Mistake,” New York Post, 6/5/08)

The Wall Street Journal: “As Deputy Attorney General in the Clinton Administration, he played a role in the Marc Rich pardon that also deserves to be fully vetted - all the more so if Mr. Holder is on the short list to be Mr. Obama’s Attorney General.” (Editorial, “Ex-Friends Of Barack,” The Wall Street Journal, 6/12/08)

Good Question, why?

Previous:

Eric Holder To Be Obama’s Attorney General?

Updated:

As a commenter aptly pointed out Flap only mentions one. Sorry the post was running long and I did not include the others. Here is the link.

• FALN
• Susan Rosenberg
• Linda Evans

Technorati Tags: Barack Obama, Eric Holder

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John Boehner Retains House GOP Leader Position

House GOP minority leader John Boehner and California Representative Dan Lungren

Representative John Boehner of Ohio has been re-elected as House GOP leader over Representative Dan Lundgren of California.

Boehner was re-elected by his Republican colleagues Wednesday over a late challenger, Rep. Dan Lungren of California.

The 59-year-old congressman from Ohio has served as Republican leader the past two years. The party he heads will have some 20 fewer members in the next Congress following defeats in the November election.

The Republican leadership team under Boehner will shift somewhat to the right with the addition of two members of the party’s conservative wing. Eric Cantor of Virginia will become Republican whip and Mike Pence of Indiana will be the new chairman of the Republican Conference.

Lose 50 seats and get re-elected.

Shameful

Cantor and Pence are solid additions to the GOP House leadership.

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California Representative Dan Lungren to Challenge for GOP House Leadership Technorati Tags: John Boehner, Dan Lungren

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Cost of Health Care Will Equal Half of Your Income?

The Wall Street Journal’s Health Blog had a cringe-inducing story today about the creeping cost of health care. It estimated that by 2016 the average yearly health care premium could be as high as $24,000. That equals 45% of median household income. Right now much of that cost is borne by employers. The article also estimated that copayments could go up to $30 - that’s my copayment now. Hopefully it won’t go up anymore. But $30 is still better than $200-300 for an office visit.

On the dental side, we have to keep in mind that employers sign up for dental coverage for their employees when they sign up for medical coverage. That’s how it works most of the time. So it’s not a stretch to imagine that as employers seek lower cost coverage (read: higher deductible, higher copayments, more exclusionary clauses) it could trickle down into our field. We have already had a few patients in our practice tell us that their employer is not continuing with dental and vision care for 2009. These patients are burning through their 2008 maximum to get the work done.

Ask your patients how their plans will be designed next year. Most will respond with “I really don’t know.” This is when you say:

“Have your HR person call me with any questions - I’m happy to help.”

Next week, I’ll post about what to say to the HR manager. Many of you have been in this situation and realize the importance of talking to this person. Back to the WSJ blog entry - become healthy now. Seems like bad health in 2016 will break the bank.

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Read The Dental Implant Blog…

Posted in ADIA, Daily Reading, Dental, General Dentistry, Health, Industry, Marketing, Miscellaneous, Practice Management [Link]

Herbert Sandler in the News Business - ProPublica.Org

Herbert and Marion Sandler - People who should be shot

Dan Weintraub:

Kaiser Health News will join another nonprofit – ProPublica.org – that has been up and running for several months. ProPublica is funded by philanthropist Herbert Sandler (who made his fortune selling risky mortgages) and specializes in investigative reporting in “the public interest.” The operation has hired some of the top reporters in the country and will publish its reports on a Web site while also teaming with television networks and other media to achieve broader distribution.

In whose best interests?

The Left.

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The Forbidden SNL Soros/Sandler Skit - Now Edited and Redacted

John McCain Should Use SNL Video to Bash Congressional Democrats and Bush Over Subprime Loan/Fannie Mae Crisis

The Forbidden SNL Soros/Sandler Skit

Technorati Tags: ProPublica.org, Herbert Sandler

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To Kathleen Parker - The Act is Getting Old

Jonah Goldberg tells Kathleen to “Quit It.”

Maybe Parker wants another guest appearance with Bill Mahr or Colbert?
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Gay Marriage Proponents Boycotting Lassen’s Natural Foods & Vitamins Over Proposition 8?

Lassens Natural Foods & Vitamins - Over 30 years in business serving California with the finest natural foods and supplements available.

Are gay marriage proponents boycotting Lassens Natural Foods & Vitamins because its Mormon owner contributed to the Yes on California Proposition 8 campaign that restored the definition of traditional marriage to the California Constitution?

Although Ventura County’s largest gay and lesbian organization has not organized a protest against the store, some activists have independently targeted it. Handmade signs calling for people to boycott Lassen’s were on display at a rally of some 600 people Saturday in downtown Ventura, and a small group protested Sunday outside the Lassen’s store in Thousand Oaks.

Gay activists say the backlash against Lassen’s and other businesses that financially supported Proposition 8 is likely to intensify, fueled by text messages, e-mails and calls for action on Web sites such as Facebook and MySpace.

“There is definitely a movement to educate people,” said J.J. Wilner of Ventura, who criticized the owner of the Lassen’s store in Ventura forpromoting a position that he said conflicts with the egalitarian beliefs of many customers.

“People have always seen Lassen’s as progressive and forward-thinking,” said Wilner, co-founder of Community Organized for Liberty, Opportunity and Respect, or COLOR, a gay-straight alliance. “I know a lot of customers — gay and straight — who felt blindsided.”

State campaign finance records show the Ventura store contributed separate checks of $25,000 and $2,500 to Proposition 8. The Lassen’s in Camarillo also contributed $3,000 to the proposition, and the store in Simi Valley $1,000. Election law allows business owners to contribute as much as they want to ballot initiatives.

Next, will likely be the extortion request for business donations to overturn Proposition 8 that was passed on November 4th by over half a million votes. Sound familiar?

Looking at the demographics of the Lassen’s stores, Flap doubts any reduction in business will occur in the majority of their stores. Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley and Bakersfield are not bastions of support for left-wing thought or protest (Ventura and Kerns Counties overwhelmingly supported Proposition 8). And, Lassens has been doing business for many years in left-leaning bastions of Ventura and Santa Barbara.

Most customers will have this philosophy:

In the parking lot outside the Ventura store recently, longtime customer Christine Burke said she voted against Proposition 8 and was disappointed to learn of Lassen’s support, but it wouldn’t change her shopping habits. “I believe he has the right to believe in what he believes in,” she said. “It’s a complex issue.”

Shopper Chris Hoover, a Ventura contractor, agreed. “I don’t support his point of view,” he said, “but I think he has a right to it.”

And, the next time Flap gets his haircut, instead of moaning about the lack of parking because of all of the Lassen’s shoppers in the lot, he will instead go into the store and buy something.

Just because………

Lassen’s Health Food in Goleta, California Technorati Tags: Lassen Natural Food & Vitamins, California Proposition 8, Gay Marriage

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Dental News: Mercury’s Coming Out of the Dark

Mid-year, the FDA released a new statement about safety issues associated with mercury found in amalgam fillings. Basically, the FDA stated that fetuses and children could suffer adverse effects on the nervous system as a direct result of mercury poisoning. Furthermore, pregnant women and people with mercury sensitivity or a high mercury level are also warned to beware of amalgam fillings. The FDA changed its stand, which for years had approved of amalgam fillings, after a law suit by a Moms Against Mercury. This has caused a stir about mercury. 

In addition, environmental agencies tell us that some ocean dwelling fish show a high mercury content, which could pose problems for us humans who consume them.

Researchers at University of Pittsburgh delved into the mercury problem and came up with a fast way to detect mercury in fish and in dental samples. The team developed a fluorescent substance that, when it contacts alkynes in mercury, glows bright green. Oxidation has been a problem in former methods of mercury testing, but that’s not so with this new procedure.

For detecting mercury in dental fillings, the process takes about half an hour or an hour, and the test can be performed in a dentist’s office. The research also tested mercury leeching from fillings, and it may be used to detect mercury in dental wastewater in the future.

SOURCE: Findings originally published in Journal of the American Chemical Society. This article was created from information at MedicalNewsToday.com. 

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Day By Day by Chris Muir November 19, 2008 - The Romance Language of Men and Women

Day By Day by Chris Muir

Money makes the world go around and will dictate the actions of the Obama Presidency for the first year or more. Expanding the federal government with new socialist policy initiatives will be difficult at best with a collapsed housing market, state governments begging for a bailout and the Big 3 American automakers on the verge of bankruptcy.

The employment situation will not improve dramatically - even with the Bush Administration’s actions to shore up the credit and financial markets.

Is this the change Obama was promising?

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The Day By Day Archive

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links for 2008-11-19

• All That Hard Work By Liberals This Year Is Finally Paying Off - Geraghty So Joe Lieberman is keeping his chairmanship of the Homeland Security Committee on the say so of 42 Senate Democrats AND President Obama; his Secretary of State might be Iraq War supporter and preconditionless-summit opponent Hillary Clinton; no one will be prosecuted for waterboarding, Bush's guy John Brennan may take over at CIA and Bush's man Robert Gates may stay on as Defense Secretary.

  I don't know how the liberals feel, but so far the Obama administration rocks.
  +++++++
  And, KOS hates Harry Reid.
  Perfect……

  (tags: barack_obama)

• As We See It: Proposition 8 reaction risks backlash - Seeking a way out of the polarizing debate now occurring, several local people have written to the Sentinel urging the state to move toward granting "civil unions" for both heterosexual and homosexual couples - without using the word "marriage," which would be associated with religious traditions. In such unions, gays would have all the rights and equal treatment under the law that heterosexual couples enjoy. Still, they have fought hard for the right to legal "marriage," and changing the wording might feel like a defeat many would be unwilling to accept.

  Religious communities, in turn, would have to give up their battle over "legal marriage."
  +++++++
  No way.There are already civil unions for homosexuals and what benefit does it give society to change the traditional definition of marriage?
  None.

  (tags: gaymarriage)

• Conservative Identity Politics I've written about my problem with conservative identity politics more than a few times, but let me just expand on this point in regards to my Sarah Palin post below. Yes, it's true part of her appeal is that she speaks to a demographic category — though it isn't quite ethnic nor purely religious or regional. And absolutely, the fact that she's a woman was a factor as well, a sort of trump card for leftwing identity politics. But it's no coincidence that John McCain needed help with precisely these constituencies and demographic groups. Those overly vexed by her selection seem to forget that John McCain was actually trying to win the election. And all due respect to the potential electoral juggernaut that would have been McCain-Pawlenty '08, I just don't see a lot of merit to the effort to depict Palin into some grand symbol of conservative decay.
  ++++++++
  Conservative identity politics not = Sarah Palin but horsetrading demographically (tags: sarah_palin)
• Draft Sarah group surfaces A group dedicated to pushing Sarah Palin into the 2012 presidential race was formed last week and is already emailing Iowa Republicans.

  The "2012 Draft Sarah Committee" has a rudimentary website up showing the Alaska governor dishing out moose chili and appears to be composed of rank-and-file conservative activists.

  They've already found their way into the in-boxes of some of the opinion-makers in early primary and caucus states.

  David L. Kelly, apparently the group's Treasurer and Colorado coordinator, sent a mass email today that hit at least one Iowa GOP vet.
  ++++++
  Premature…..

  (tags: sarah_palin)

• Republican vicepresidential candidate Sarah Palin interview on Univision Sarah Palin's position on illegal immigration (tags: sarah_palin)
• Hillary could reject State offer “A lot of the speculation and reporting is out ahead of the facts here,” said the person, who requested anonymity. “She is still weighing this, independent of President Clinton's work.”

  Clinton, the person said, remains deeply “torn” between the possibility of serving in Obama’s cabinet and remaining in the Senate to “help pass health care and work on a broad range of domestic issues.”
  +++++++
  Chances are it is a No go…..

  (tags: hillary_clinton barack_obama)

• Obama team counting Senate votes on Holder as AG Newsweek, quoting unidentified legal sources close to the presidential transition team, reported Tuesday that Obama offered Holder the job and he accepted. Newsweek said Holder still has to undergo a formal "vetting" review by the Obama transition team before the selection is final.
  ++++++
  Another Clinton retread and with Marc Rich's pardon - priceless (tags: eric_holder barack_obama)
• Urinating dentist in ban appeal A dentist found guilty of urinating in a surgery sink and other unhygienic practices has started a High Court appeal to save his career.
  ++++++
  If true, this is really gross….. (tags: dentistry)
• Which GOP Will Obama Face? E.J. Dionne But how conservatives resolve their differences will also matter to Obama's success. For now, the right is divided into ideological conservatives and dispositional conservatives. (tags: GOP conservative)
• Daily Kos: Today's lesson There's that. But there's also disdain for the American electorate that voted in overwhelming numbers for change from the discredited Bush/McCain/Lieberman policies. But in a city known for tone-deafness, there clearly isn't a more tone-deaf group than the Senate Dems.

  I'm done with Reid as Senate leader.

  (tags: joe_lieberman Kos)

• Romney back on the campaign trail Add Mitt Romney to the list of big name Republicans who are lending a hand to Sen. Saxby Chambliss, as he fights for his political life.

  Chambliss is the freshman Republican senator from Georgia who will face off against his Democratic opponent, former state lawmaker Jim Martin, in a runoff election on Tuesday December 2.

  (tags: mittromney)

• Kos: After Lieberman's Acceptance, I'm Done With Reid As Majority Leader - Geraghty What will really drive them bonkers — well, more bonkers — is that the vote within the caucus was apparently 43-12 in favor of keeping Lieberman as chairman. (tags: joe_lieberman)
• THE TRAGIC PREDICTABILITY OF THE JEWISH VOTE The Republican Jewish Coalition should close its doors. Its budget, and anything else the GOP spends on wooing Jewish voters, should be equally divided between building more Orthodox Jewish day schools (thereby encouraging the Orthodox to have more children) and transporting evangelical Christians to the polls on Election Day.

  That would do more to help Israel and to assure Jewish survival than the money wasted quadrennially on trying to bring a message of reason to the mega-meshugeneh.

  (tags: israel)

• McClintock Continues to Lead in CA-4 We start this week with a lead of 622 votes out of 339,292 total cast, or 0.18 percent. The good news is that there are less than 1,500 ballots to tally in the only county that Brown won and over 25,000 ballots to process in the counties that I carried.

  We expect final Nevada County numbers to come in by the middle of this week. Once they have been reported, our lead should steadily grow as the remaining ballots from Placer, Sacramento, Butte and El Dorado counties are tallied.

  (tags: tom_mcclintock)

• Will the U.S. Supreme Court Rule Proposition 8 Unconstitutional? Law professor Brian Gray argues in this morning’s L.A. Times that California’s Proposition 8 may violate the federal Constitution — and that we could see a ruling to that effect some day, written by one Anthony Kennedy.

  Is he right? The answer depends on whether you believe Justices Kennedy and O’Connor, on one hand — or Justice Scalia, on the other.

  If you’re inclined to believe Justice Scalia, then Professor Gray may well be right: the U.S. Supreme Court might one day mandate gay marriage.

  I’m not sure why Gray relies on the old case of Romer v. Evans, which declined to overrule Bowers v. Hardwick, rather than Lawrence v. Texas, which did. I think Gray is drawing a parallel between Proposition 8 and the measure invalidated in Romer, because each involved a statewide ballot measure to place in a state’s constitution a provision disfavoring gays. But whether Proposition 8 would be struck down depends much more on Lawrence than on Romer, because Lawrence went much further to defend

  (tags: gaymarriage)

• 'HARDBALL' HOST CHRIS MATTHEWS RIPS HILLARY CLINTON DURING TRAIN RIDE "HARDBALL" host Chris Matthews and the other "castratos" at MSNBC shouldn't hold their breath waiting for a Hillary Clinton interview.

  Matthews, who once opined that men who supported Clinton were "castratos in the eunuch chorus," forgot the cardinal rule for those who are often mentioned on Page Six - he didn't take a good look around on the Acela train from Philadelphia to Washington Saturday before he started bad-mouthing the New York senator.
  +++++++
  Chris Matthews is a moron and to think he may run for the US Senate.

  (tags: chrismatthews hillary_clinton barack_obama)

• Cabinet post for Clinton roils Obamaland And the clearest opposition to the Clinton appointment comes from Obama's backers on the left of his own party, whose initial support for him was motivated in part by a distaste for the Clinton dynasty, and who now view her reemergence with some dismay.

  “There's always a risk of a Cabinet member freelancing and that risk is enhanced by the fact that Hillary has her own public and her own celebrity and that she comes attached to Bill," said Robert Kuttner, a Clinton critic and co-editor of the American Prospect whose new book, Obama's Challenge, implores the president-elect to adopt an expansive liberal agenda. "The other question is the old rule – never hire somebody you can't fire. What happens if her views and his views don't mesh?"

  “The silver lining, for those of us who are skeptical, is that it drastically limits the number of other Clinton administration alums that he can appoint, and that's a blessing," Kuttner said.

  (tags: politics hillary_clinton barack_obama)

• Is Gay the New Black? "Gay is the new black" is one of the mottos of the movement to redefine marriage to include two people of the same sex.

  The likening of the movement for same-sex marriage to the black civil rights struggle is a primary argument of pro same-sex marriage groups. This comparison is a major part of the moral appeal of redefining marriage: Just as there were those who once believed that blacks and whites should not be allowed to be married, the argument goes, there are today equally bigoted individuals who believe that men should not be allowed to marry men and women should not be allowed to marry women.

  (tags: gaymarriage)

• Soros-Funded Democratic Idea Factory Becomes Obama Policy Font To help promote its ideas, CAP employs 11 full-time bloggers who contribute to two Web sites, ThinkProgress and the Wonk Room; others prepare daily feeds for radio stations. The center's policy briefings are standing-room only, packed with lobbyists, advocacy-group representatives and reporters looking for insights on where the Obama administration is headed.
  +++++++
  The RIGHT needs to step it up …… (tags: media Heritage_Foundation Center_For American_ Progress george_soros)

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Links for 2008-11-18 [del.icio.us]

• Will the U.S. Supreme Court Rule Proposition 8 Unconstitutional? Law professor Brian Gray argues in this morning’s L.A. Times that California’s Proposition 8 may violate the federal Constitution — and that we could see a ruling to that effect some day, written by one Anthony Kennedy. Is he right? The answer depends on whether you believe Justices Kennedy and O’Connor, on one hand — or Justice Scalia, on the other. If you’re inclined to believe Justice Scalia, then Professor Gray may well be right: the U.S. Supreme Court might one day mandate gay marriage. I’m not sure why Gray relies on the old case of Romer v. Evans, which declined to overrule Bowers v. Hardwick, rather than Lawrence v. Texas, which did. I think Gray is drawing a parallel between Proposition 8 and the measure invalidated in Romer, because each involved a statewide ballot measure to place in a state’s constitution a provision disfavoring gays. But whether Proposition 8 would be struck down depends much more on Lawrence than on Romer, because Lawrence went much further to defend
• McClintock Continues to Lead in CA-4 We start this week with a lead of 622 votes out of 339,292 total cast, or 0.18 percent. The good news is that there are less than 1,500 ballots to tally in the only county that Brown won and over 25,000 ballots to process in the counties that I carried. We expect final Nevada County numbers to come in by the middle of this week. Once they have been reported, our lead should steadily grow as the remaining ballots from Placer, Sacramento, Butte and El Dorado counties are tallied.
• THE TRAGIC PREDICTABILITY OF THE JEWISH VOTE The Republican Jewish Coalition should close its doors. Its budget, and anything else the GOP spends on wooing Jewish voters, should be equally divided between building more Orthodox Jewish day schools (thereby encouraging the Orthodox to have more children) and transporting evangelical Christians to the polls on Election Day. That would do more to help Israel and to assure Jewish survival than the money wasted quadrennially on trying to bring a message of reason to the mega-meshugeneh.
• Kos: After Lieberman's Acceptance, I'm Done With Reid As Majority Leader - Geraghty What will really drive them bonkers — well, more bonkers — is that the vote within the caucus was apparently 43-12 in favor of keeping Lieberman as chairman.
• Romney back on the campaign trail Add Mitt Romney to the list of big name Republicans who are lending a hand to Sen. Saxby Chambliss, as he fights for his political life. Chambliss is the freshman Republican senator from Georgia who will face off against his Democratic opponent, former state lawmaker Jim Martin, in a runoff election on Tuesday December 2.
• Daily Kos: Today's lesson There's that. But there's also disdain for the American electorate that voted in overwhelming numbers for change from the discredited Bush/McCain/Lieberman policies. But in a city known for tone-deafness, there clearly isn't a more tone-deaf group than the Senate Dems. I'm done with Reid as Senate leader.
• Which GOP Will Obama Face? E.J. Dionne But how conservatives resolve their differences will also matter to Obama's success. For now, the right is divided into ideological conservatives and dispositional conservatives.
• Urinating dentist in ban appeal A dentist found guilty of urinating in a surgery sink and other unhygienic practices has started a High Court appeal to save his career. ++++++ If true, this is really gross…..
• Obama team counting Senate votes on Holder as AG Newsweek, quoting unidentified legal sources close to the presidential transition team, reported Tuesday that Obama offered Holder the job and he accepted. Newsweek said Holder still has to undergo a formal "vetting" review by the Obama transition team before the selection is final. ++++++ Another Clinton retread and with Marc Rich's pardon - priceless
• Hillary could reject State offer “A lot of the speculation and reporting is out ahead of the facts here,” said the person, who requested anonymity. “She is still weighing this, independent of President Clinton's work.” Clinton, the person said, remains deeply “torn” between the possibility of serving in Obama’s cabinet and remaining in the Senate to “help pass health care and work on a broad range of domestic issues.” +++++++ Chances are it is a No go…..
• Draft Sarah group surfaces A group dedicated to pushing Sarah Palin into the 2012 presidential race was formed last week and is already emailing Iowa Republicans. The "2012 Draft Sarah Committee" has a rudimentary website up showing the Alaska governor dishing out moose chili and appears to be composed of rank-and-file conservative activists. They've already found their way into the in-boxes of some of the opinion-makers in early primary and caucus states. David L. Kelly, apparently the group's Treasurer and Colorado coordinator, sent a mass email today that hit at least one Iowa GOP vet. ++++++ Premature…..
• Conservative Identity Politics I've written about my problem with conservative identity politics more than a few times, but let me just expand on this point in regards to my Sarah Palin post below. Yes, it's true part of her appeal is that she speaks to a demographic category — though it isn't quite ethnic nor purely religious or regional. And absolutely, the fact that she's a woman was a factor as well, a sort of trump card for leftwing identity politics. But it's no coincidence that John McCain needed help with precisely these constituencies and demographic groups. Those overly vexed by her selection seem to forget that John McCain was actually trying to win the election. And all due respect to the potential electoral juggernaut that would have been McCain-Pawlenty '08, I just don't see a lot of merit to the effort to depict Palin into some grand symbol of conservative decay. ++++++++ Conservative identity politics not = Sarah Palin but horsetrading demographically
• As We See It: Proposition 8 reaction risks backlash - Seeking a way out of the polarizing debate now occurring, several local people have written to the Sentinel urging the state to move toward granting "civil unions" for both heterosexual and homosexual couples - without using the word "marriage," which would be associated with religious traditions. In such unions, gays would have all the rights and equal treatment under the law that heterosexual couples enjoy. Still, they have fought hard for the right to legal "marriage," and changing the wording might feel like a defeat many would be unwilling to accept. Religious communities, in turn, would have to give up their battle over "legal marriage." +++++++ No way.There are already civil unions for homosexuals and what benefit does it give society to change the traditional definition of marriage? None.
• All That Hard Work By Liberals This Year Is Finally Paying Off - Geraghty So Joe Lieberman is keeping his chairmanship of the Homeland Security Committee on the say so of 42 Senate Democrats AND President Obama; his Secretary of State might be Iraq War supporter and preconditionless-summit opponent Hillary Clinton; no one will be prosecuted for waterboarding, Bush's guy John Brennan may take over at CIA and Bush's man Robert Gates may stay on as Defense Secretary. I don't know how the liberals feel, but so far the Obama administration rocks. +++++++ And, KOS hates Harry Reid. Perfect……

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