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The Christian Civic League of Maine's Mike Hein calls Pam's House Blend:
"a leading source of radical homosexual propaganda, anti-Christian bigotry, and radical transgender advocacy."

He is "praying that Pam Spaulding will "turn away from her wicked and sinful promotion of homosexual behavior." (CCLM's web site, 10/15/07)


Ex-gay "Christian" activist James Hartline on Pam:
"I have been mocked over and over again by ungodly and unprincipled anti-christian lesbians."
(from "Six Years In Sodom: From The Journal Of James Hartline," 9/4/2006, written from the "homosexual stronghold" of Hillcrest in San Diego).

"Pam is a 'twisted lesbian sister' and an 'embittered lesbian' of the 'self-imposed gutteral experiences of the gay ghetto.'" -- 9/5/2008



Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth Against Homosexuality heartily endorses the Blend, calling Pam:

A "vicious anti-Christian lesbian activist."
(Concerned Women for America's radio show [9:15], 1/25/07)

"A nutty lesbian blogger."
(MassResistance radio show [16:25], 2/3/07)


Pam's House Blend always seems to find these sick f*cks. The area of the country she is in? The home state of her wife? I know, they are everywhere. Pam just does such a great job of bringing them out into the light.
--Impeach Bush


who monitors yours Bevis ?? Just thought I would drop you a line,so the rest of your life is not wasted.
--"Joe"

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Pam Spaulding

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Hilary Rosen: Clinton missed her chance to 'pass the torch and cement her grace'

by: Pam Spaulding

Wed Jun 04, 2008 at 15:00:00 PM EDT


That says a lot coming from Hilary Rosen, one of the power brokers in DC and the LGBT community, who was all over the airwaves as a tireless, staunch supporter of Hillary Clinton. Rosen's column on Huff Post (where she is the new political editor) is a very strong signal from a Washington insider that a sad line has been crossed. Last night the senator from New York had an opportunity to seize the moment by bowing out with class and grace, acknowledging both her own success and Barack Obama's. It would have begun the reconciliation that is now hard to visualize.
The life's work of Bill and Hillary Clinton in partnering with so many African Americans uniting our purpose and promoting our mutual issues is as responsible for Barack Obama's success as our first African American nominee as anyone. And yet, that joy is being denied for them by themselves. It is so sad.

So, I am also so very disappointed at how she has handled this last week. I know she is exhausted and she had pledged to finish the primaries and let every state vote before any final action. But by the time she got on that podium last night, she knew it was over and that she had lost. I am sure I was not alone in privately urging the campaign over the last two weeks to use the moment to take her due, pass the torch and cement her grace. She had an opportunity to soar and unite. She had a chance to surprise her party and the nation after the day-long denials about expecting any concession and send Obama off on the campaign trail of the general election with the best possible platform. I wrote before how she had a chance for her "Al Gore moment." And if she had done so, the whole country ALL would be talking today about how great she is and give her her due.

Instead she left her supporters empty, Obama's angry and party leaders trashing her. She said she was stepping back to think about her options. She is waiting to figure out how she would "use" her 18 million voters.

But not my vote. I will enthusiastically support Barack Obama's campaign. Because I am not a bargaining chip. I am a Democrat.  

Even in her belief that Hillary Clinton would make a fine president -- the whole column is worth the read -- Hilary Rosen is willing to point out, diplomatically, that the sense of entitlement that engulfed the campaign, along with the crippling denial as the losses mounted, resulted in an inability to pass that torch. Clinton obviously heard from Rosen and other trusted supporters about the impact and importance of the tone of the senator's exit from the stage. How she handles it will also be part of her legacy -- one wonders why the concerns and advice fell on deaf ears. Given the historic nature of this landmark campaign (that succeeded on so many levels, with the ardent support of so many), it is unfortunate -- and perhaps quite revealing -- that the bubble of Hillaryland was that impermeable.

***

And it is hard to wind down a campaign if some surrogates are continuing to operate in full campaign mode. See the role one big-dollar donor, Black Entertainment Television founder Bob Johnson, is playing today. It's below the fold.

Pam Spaulding :: Hilary Rosen: Clinton missed her chance to 'pass the torch and cement her grace'
Billionaire Clinton donor Bob Johnson's 'put Hillary on the ticket' pressure letter

No shame.  I was getting ready for work this AM and on CNN, there was Clinton supporter and founder of Black Entertainment Television Bob Johnson, discussing his letter to House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn that "urges" the Congressional Black Caucus to tell Barack Obama that he needs to put Hillary Clinton on the ticket as his vice presidential running mate. He said it was "for the sake of party unity."

Let's do a little rewind; for the sake of party unity, Bob Johnson is a questionable emissary.He wasn't exactly thinking about party unity (or race-baiting for that matter), when he said this:

At a rally here for Mrs. Clinton at Columbia College, Mr. Johnson was defending recent comments that Mrs. Clinton made regarding Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. She did not mean to take any credit away from him, Mr. Johnson said, when she said that it took President Johnson to sign the civil rights legislation he fought for.

"And to me, as an African-American, I am frankly insulted that the Obama campaign would imply that we are so stupid that we would think Hillary and Bill Clinton, who have been deeply and emotionally involved in black issues since Barack Obama was doing something in the neighborhood -­ and I won't say what he was doing, but he said it in the book -­ when they have been involved."

He later "clarified" this with a ridiculous statement:
My comments today were referring to Barack Obama's time spent as a community organizer, and nothing else. Any other suggestion is simply irresponsible and incorrect.
It's hard to see Johnson as an honest broker. But maybe that's not the point -- since we're talking about party unity, right?
June 3, 2008

The Honorable James Clyburn
U. S. House of Representatives
H-329, The Capitol
Washington, DC  20515

Dear Jim:

Now that you have endorsed Senator Obama as the Presidential Nominee of the Democratic Party; I, as a long-time supporter of Senator Clinton and of the Democratic Party, urge you to do everything possible to unify this party to win the Presidential election in November.  For me and millions of other Democrats, I believe that the most important step that you can take now is to encourage the Congressional Black Caucus to urge Senator Obama to select Senator Hillary Clinton as his Vice Presidential running mate.

As a businessman I understand the vitally important role that a Democratic President can play in establishing programs and policies throughout the government that stimulate and support economic opportunities for African Americans.  As African Americans we agree that the stakes in this election are far too high to take any chances that this party will not be unified from the top to the bottom in our effort to gain control of The White House.

You know as well as I the deep affection that millions of African Americans hold for both Senator Clinton and President Clinton.  You also know that Hillary Clinton has been a long-term advocate for racial and gender equality, from her early days as a lawyer with the Children Defense Fund to her prominent leadership roles on these issues as First Lady and as Senator from New York.  But most important, we need to have the certainty of winning; and, I believe, without question, that Barack Obama as President and Hillary Clinton as Vice President bring that certainty to the ticket.

Jim, as the highest ranking African American in Congress, I encourage you to follow your commitment to build a unified party by helping to make this a historic election of Senators Obama and Clinton who both have demonstrated that they have the courage and the ability to inspire and lead this nation to greatness today and for years in the future.

Warm regards,
Bob Johnson

There's nothing wrong with the letter itself of course, it's a matter of reading between the lines. On CNN, Johnson alluded to the "support" he's given to members of CBC.
JOHNSON: What I'm doing is saying there were Congress people on Senator Clinton's side on the caucus. There were Congress people on Senator Obama's side of the caucus. What I've said to Congressman Clyburn is what we want is to have the best team on the field. I think the best team on the field is Senator Obama at the top and Senator Clinton as vice president.

ROBERTS: Let me ask you, Bob, about the timing of this. You're doing it at 7:00, the day after he went over the finish line. Some people might say that by getting out this publicly on it, by going to Congressman Clyburn on it, you are trying to limit his options for who he can pick as a running mate. Almost forcing him to take Hillary Clinton.

JOHNSON: Not at all, John. In fact, let me correct something you've been saying. My letter was not a pressure letter. My letter was an urge and an encouragement.

As I said before, Senator Obama will make the decision based on what he thinks is in the best interest of the person who can help him win the election, and most important, the person who can help them best govern when he is elected president. So this is Senator Obama's decision.

What I've asked members of the Congressional Black Caucus, many of whom I know and many of whom I support, is that we were on both sides of the primary party. Hillary Clinton supporters, Barack Obama supporters. If the caucus members can come together and agree as I do that it would be in the best interest of the party to have Senator Clinton on the ticket, they carry that petition to Senator Obama.

Now, in DC-speak, that probably means $$$upport, don't you think? Hey, I could be wrong, but this wouldn't be the first time big donors for Sen. Clinton have tossed their weight around this primary season.

This is hardball, so it's not a stretch to believe -- since it's politics, after all -- that any and all leverage can and will be used to ensure she's on the ticket, though Johnson did specifically say that he and Clinton would support Obama even if she isn't selected. He didn't say to what extent. The process is in motion; we're just along for the ride.

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Absence of grace
It is unfortunate. Hillary Rosen's article sums up the sadness. I've tried to view Sen. Clinton without being jaded. Her actions make that very hard. The bottom line is that we are bargaining chips - a means to the Clinton's ends.

Her failure to heed the sage advice of her powerful supporters does speak volumes, and I can only hope people remember in 2012. Do we really need another leader with such tendencies to tyranny?

Mr. Johnson's efforts are no surprise. Bullying is classic Clinton behavior. I hope Sen. Obama stands up to these tactics. If he does, he will prove that he is more than pretty speeches, and that he truly does represent real change. If he withstands the Clinton's demands, I'll have complete faith in his ability to be an effective and strong global leader.

Donna Brazile was present at the DNC negotiations. Obama had enough votes to get a 50-50 split of Michigan. He graciously declined. Smart move of diplomacy and healing. Such a split would have given him the win, according to the article. (I've lost track of the accurate math.) That would be winning in a way that would further divide the party. The Clinton campaign reps there failed to take the olive branch, and did nothing to reach out to the superdelegates who were there. Again very telling. The article is on the Huffington Post.


Hilary makes a very compelling
point: that "she", Hilary Rosen, has her own voice and her own vote. Her voice and her vote don't belong to a politician; they belong to her.

And, agree or disagree as we may about how we lend our voices and our votes, don't forget: they are ours. We choose when to lend them to a politician as we choose when to deny them.

Too many candidates and way too many voters have forgotten that simple truism of citizen democracy.

Netroots activism can lead the charge to bridge that schism. In fact, it's happening.


Jim Neal in Chapel Hill


Taylor Marsh
I followed a link to her site, a place I'd only been to a couple of times in the distant past. Wow.

Articles are getting several hundred comments, and it is discouraging that many of those people supposedly share many of my goals.  There is a strong victim mentality - the media and everyone else is against Hillary.   They praise Karl Rove when he supports her (do they really believe anything Rove says is done for other than to promote his right wing agenda?).  Likewise for Tucker Carlson, Pat Buchanan, Faux News, and anyone who they think is portraying Hillary fairly, as opposed to most of the MSM and MSNBC is particular.

They are busy fund raising to "take it to Denver".  

They are salivating over finding some fatal scandal that will take down Obama before the convention, and are breathlessly awaiting release of the Michelle Obama "whitey" tape they've been promised.  They just know that there are lots of scandals waiting out there - quite reminiscent of the right wing fixation on the Clinton's during the 90s.

They are convinced that Hillary won the most popular votes and that that alone should award her the nomination, yet feel no guilt in discounting caucus states entirely.  Some rant against SDs giving the nomination to Obama, while others rant that the SDs should overturn the pledged delegates, while others rant for both positions.

This has to be a subset of Hillary supporters, and probably a small subset.  Still, Hillary is only enabling this type of behavior by not graciously supporting the party's nominee.

I would like to believe that a major thing that separates Democrats from Republicans is a devotion to reason rather than emotion.  Hillary's campaign and supporters has certainly shaken my believe in that.


her voters
As a Democrat and a citizen, I deplore how the TV pundits keep talking about "Hillary's army" and "her voters" as if those 17+ million people are mindless zombies willing to
do her bidding and only waiting for her word to storm the castle or feed the pigeons in the park with bread crumbs.  it's insulting to democracy, to intelligence, to Democrats in general.  And yes, Lurleen, I would say and feel exactly the same if the situation were reversed.  :-) Say what either candidate will, he/she cannot control voters.  We do have minds of our own, and the punditocracy is talking as if we don't.

"In order to maintain an untenable position, you have to be actively ignorant."  The Colbert Report

yep
I voted for Clinton. I soured on her a bit after my state voted because I did hear the racist dog whistles. (I wasn't any happier with the sexist stuff I heard from the Obama camp.) But it's over. Obama has the delegates. I said all along that come November I would cheerfully vote for the Democratic nominee whether it was Edwards, Obama, or Clinton. I won't vote third party, I won't use my vote as any kind of protest, but I will use it where I think I have the best chance of not seeing Roe v. Wade overturned, where I have the best chance of liberal and moderate judges appointed to all court levels, where I won't see unqualified cronies appointed to powerful positions, where I won't see any money Congress gives for social programs vetoed and more war pushed. As of today, the way to do that is for the 17 million of us to vote for Obama.

I'm quite pleased that Caroline Kennedy is heading up the VP vetting process. That significantly decreases the likelihood of a Sam Nunn or Jim Webb for VP and increases the likelihood that Obama's running mate will be pro-choice and not virulently anti-LGBT.  


[ Parent ]
Looks like she went into battle
without an exit strategy.




Claim to fame: Posted first PHB diary to be demoted


Exit
It's gonna be a loooong exit.  

She lost on Tuesday, she officially exits Saturday, after having asked her supporters to log onto her web site and tell her what they think she should do?  Come on, Senator, this is a campaign, not a support group, different rules pertain.  I've been following primaries for years and when people lose, they bow out, and quickly.  They don't always endorse their opponents the same night or next day, but they do admit they lost.

Bill loves power more than he loves Clinton, because he should have told her to get out last night and not prolong the agony.

"In order to maintain an untenable position, you have to be actively ignorant."  The Colbert Report


[ Parent ]
If they retreat before completing the job they set out to do..
...never mind.




Claim to fame: Posted first PHB diary to be demoted


[ Parent ]
Yep, and there's a lot of frustration out there....
"We pledged to support her to the end," said Representative Charles W. Rangel, a New York Democrat who has been a patron of Mrs. Clinton since she first ran for the Senate. "Our problem is not being able to determine when the hell the end is."

"Our Liberties We Prize and Our Rights We Will Maintain" -- Iowa state motto

[ Parent ]
yeah, four days
...it's nearly an eternity.

~sigh~


[ Parent ]
A discordant moment
I've been watching primaries for decades, and maybe someone out there knows different, but when candidates lose, they typically admit it, whether they immediately endorse the opponent or not.  It was discordant for Clinton to

1) claim South Dakota had the last word

2) say she wanted to hear from her supporters

3) hadn't made up her mind yet as to what to do

4) imply that Obama can't speak to/for her eighteen million supporters

5) not acknowledge that Obama had won the delegate count

Yet there was all the stuff going on inside her campaign that signaled it was over.

People were not surprisingly  responding to her mixed messages. In a campaign riven by missteps, this was yet another.  

I would have started the speech differently:

"To all my supporters out there, I have one thing to say--"You better work!"

No, seriously, she should have started with history: "You and I together changed the world--it will never be the same again."  Focus on all of that, how the national discussion had shifted, etc. and then gradually move her audience towards acceptance of the fact that somebody else had won--the nomination--but that didn't mean Clinton and her supporters had lost everything.  It was a stump speech that did not rise to the occasion.

"In order to maintain an untenable position, you have to be actively ignorant."  The Colbert Report


[ Parent ]
Graciousness personified
Here's a report I hope all Democrats read, about Clinton supporters at Obama's speech and his and Michelle Obama's personal response:

http://www.minnpost.com/storie...

"In order to maintain an untenable position, you have to be actively ignorant."  The Colbert Report


Lev, thanks for that link
Acknowledging the difficulty for Clinton supporters, and personally thanking them - wow. An excellent way to begin healing, and an important leadership quality that's been missing for far too long.

On a personal note - OT but about healing - I just purchased your book "Coming Out of Shame". I've only just started to read, but it's already enlightening. My partner and I have a daughter who's nearly 13. Her father has been unable to heap shame directly on me, so he is doing it to her, and through her. She's been fine with my being a lesbian, and adores my partner. But we see the signs in her behavior, especially after visitation.

I'm looking forward to finding ways to help her from your book.  


[ Parent ]
Obama can heal
It's such a contrast to the contempt, anger, sarcasm and dismissiveness of Bush and even McCain.  I welcome town halls where he and Obama are side-by-side.  People need to see how condescending and mean-spirited McCain can be.  Might he be more expert in foreign policy details?  Quite likely--he's been at it so much longer.  But his manner is incredibly rebarbative and he will not wear well.  He also seems very ill-at-ease physically and emotionall, fagged out, so to speak.  :-).

On a personal note, I hope the book helps.  When we moved in together, the boys were 9 and 13 and their mother was angry and some of it filtered through but being a loving couple was tremendously powerful, I learned, when the eldest said, "I wish Mom could find someone the way Dad found you."  That blew me away.  We tried to be honest, open about our lives and struggles, and also about what GLBT people faced, without being didactic or preachy. It seems to have worked.  Both are very astute and aware socially.

BTW, given your duaghter's age, you might want to look at our children's book, Stick Up for Yourself! which comes at questions of shame from a different angle:

http://www.amazon.com/Stick-Up...

Good luck!

"In order to maintain an untenable position, you have to be actively ignorant."  The Colbert Report


[ Parent ]
Again, thanks Lev!
Stick-Up For Yourself is already on order! Looks like it will be a good family time activity for us with her and her younger sister, who is 11 1/2. Given that our 13 year old wants to change her name, her school and start speaking with a British accent(in PA!), there's no doubt she needs a lot of support and healing in her self-esteem.

I agree completely that McCain's true nature will come through in the coming months. Having seen firsthand the workings of contempt like his - along with the obvious narcissism - I know he can't keep it in check for long. It requires enormous energy, and you're right, he's already slipping. It's only a matter of time before his Jack Nicholson-like, "You can't handle the truth!" tirade!


[ Parent ]
That's good news!
Thanks for posting the link, Lev.

[ Parent ]
Who Obama is
Those interactions tell me plenty about who Obama is as a man, and the kind of President he would become.  I was very impressed and moved and wish I'd been there, and to Blenders with whom I've disagreed about Clinton, I offer my kudos for her hard fought campaign and hope that you will see the choice between McBush and Obama is historic on many levels.

"In order to maintain an untenable position, you have to be actively ignorant."  The Colbert Report

[ Parent ]
Exactly!
I was leaning Obama just before our primary, but when I saw Michelle Obama speak very directly about their lives, and from the heart, THAT told me a lot about who Obama is.  

It may not be fair, but having a strong, ethical, feminist wife says a lot to me about a heterosexual male candidate.  It gives me faith that the spouse will help provide moral and ethical guidance when things get murky - Michelle Obama, Elizabeth Edwards, and here in Ohio, Frances Strickland and of course our wonderful Connie Schultz.  I have faith in Barack Obama, John Edwards, Gov. Ted Strickland, and Sen. Sherrod Brown, but their wives seal the deal for me.

And, sadly, 16 years ago, I said the same thing about Bill and Hillary.  I wish history hadn't proven me wrong there.  When I saw Michelle Obama, I was reminded of the young Hillary, when Bill first ran for President.  


[ Parent ]
I agree, Lev.
Wholeheartedly.

I can't wait for the media induced hyper-ventilation to end and the REAL campaign to begin.


[ Parent ]
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