Think Progress

Schumer recommends Obama nominate first openly gay man for federal court seat.

Today, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) announced that he is recommending that President Obama nominate Daniel Alter to serve as a judge in the Southern District federal court of New York. Alter was an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District, becoming an expert in terrorism and security. He has also served as the National Director of the Civil Rights Division of the Anti-Defamation League. Alter would be a historic pick for Obama, becoming the first openly gay man to be nominated to the federal bench. From Schumer’s statement:

His outstanding leadership skills, his commitment to justice, and his extensive experience make him an exceptional choice for a position on the federal bench. I’m proud to nominate Daniel Alter. Period. But I am equally proud to nominate him because he is a history-maker who will be the first openly gay male judge in American history.

Although Obama chooses his judicial nominees, presidents generally defer to the recommendations of home state senators. In 1994, President Clinton nominated the first LGBT person, Deborah Batts, to serve as a federal judge for the Southern District, where she currently sits. Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) is currently blocking the nomination of Marisa Demeo, an openly gay Latino woman, to serve on the D.C. Superior Court.

Rep. John Murtha passes away.

Democratic Rep. John Murtha (PA), who served in Congress since 1974, passed away today. Murtha had been in intensive care after complications arose from his gall bladder surgery a couple of weeks ago. The statement from his office:

Congressman John P. Murtha (PA-12) passed away peacefully this afternoon at 1:18 p.m. at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, VA. At his bedside was his family.

Murtha, 77, was Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.

First elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in February of 1974, Murtha dedicated his life to serving his country both in the military and in the halls of Congress. A former Marine, he became the first Vietnam War combat Veteran elected to the U.S. Congress.

This past Saturday, February 6, 2010, Murtha became Pennsylvania’s longest serving Member of Congress.

Murtha was close to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who supported his bid to become Majority Leader, but he was eventually beaten by Steny Hoyer (MD). During the Bush administration, Murtha became a forceful, outspoken voice for Iraq redeployment. In November 2005, the former Marine and Iraq war hawk came out and called for an immediate U.S. withdrawal in Iraq. His stance was a turning point in the war debate, clearing the way for more Democrats to speak up. “The U.S. cannot accomplish anything further in Iraq militarily. It is time to bring them home,” he declared. Murtha had also been dogged by ethics allegations regarding earmarks and his relationship with defense contractors.

Opposition to gays serving openly in the military has ‘declined sharply’ amongst servicemembers.

After Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen’s declaration that he believes it is time to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the Military Times has released a poll of 3,000 active-duty troops showing that opposition to gay men and women serving openly in the military “has fallen sharply from nearly two-thirds (65 percent) in 2004 to about half (51 percent) today.” According to the poll, among the servicemembers’ concerns were “how to effectively implement new policies for sharing close quarters and living facilities with openly gay members.” Polls of the American public consistently showing majority support for overturning DADT. A December 2006 poll of servicemembers who had served in Iraq or Afghanistan also found 73 percent of those polled were “comfortable with lesbians and gays.” On Thursday, the Senate Armed Services will be holding a hearing on DADT.

Did Palin write the answers to Tea Party Convention questions on her hand?

Tonight, former Alaska governor Sarah Palin spoke to the National Tea Party Convention in Nashville, TN, an event that was ditched by other high-profile Republicans who disliked its for-profit model. After her speech, organizer Judson Phillips asked Palin several questions. One of them was about what needs to be done when there is a “conservative House and a conservative Senate.” Palin jumped right in and said, “We’ve got to rein in the spending, obviously.” However, she then seemed to forget her next talking point and glanced down at her left hand, as if there were notes she had scribbled down. She went on to talk about “energy projects.” Watch it:

Update The Huffington Post's Stefan Sirucek provides some more compelling images, including this one:

Focus on the Family to air a second ad during Super Bowl pre-game.

In recent weeks, CBS has been taking heat over its decision to allow a pro-life ad by Focus on the Family, featuring Heisman winner Tim Tebow, to air during the Super Bowl. Last week, CBS faced further complaints when it rejected an ad by a gay dating site. Today, USA Today reports that Focus on the Family will now be airing a second ad — also featuring Tebow and his mother — to run four times during pre-game airtime. More details on the organizations ads:

Although Focus on the Family won’t reveal its ads’ details, CEO Jim Daly says the original ad was rejected by CBS. In it, Pam Tebow, who was advised by a doctor to have an abortion for medical reasons when pregnant with her son, said, “Both of our lives were at risk.”

“They felt that was too much,” he says. “So we dropped the line. We didn’t fight them.” The word “abortion” is never used.

The ad is “an open discussion on the sanctity of human life — not just the issue of abortion,” Daly says. It was made for less than $100,000 with “a bit of humor in it — in fitting with the Super Bowl theme.”

This week, Dana Goldstein of the Daily Beast reported that CBS executives collaborated with Focus on the Family on making the ad fit for airing, giving the group guidance that other advertisers don’t receive. Yesterday, Planned Parenthood posted a pro-choice response ad featuring former college and professional football player Sean James and Olympic gold medalist Al Joyner. Watch it here.

Wallace awkwardly tries to defend his ‘hope’ that Palin will sit on his lap during their interview. »

Yesterday during an interview with Don Imus on Fox Business, Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace was promoting his interview this week with former Alaska governor Sarah Palin. When Imus randomly asked whether she will “be sitting on your lap” during the interview, Wallace replied, “One can only hope.” This morning, Fox and Friends host Steve Doocy asked Wallace about his comment. Co-host Gretchen Carlson was flabbergasted by the exchange between Wallace and Imus, and asked, “Would you ask that of a man?” Wallace was silent for a few seconds before stumbling over a response and changing the subject to whether she would sit on Brad Pitt’s lap during an interview:

WALLACE: What happened was I was on Imus, which was my first mistake…and he said to me at the end — just kidding around — “So when you do the interview, will she be sitting on your lap?” And I said, “One can hope.”

CARLSON: Why would he ask such an inane question?

DOOCY: I think it’s a great question. (CROSSTALK) But you said yes.

CARLSON: Would you ask that of a man?

WALLACE: Would he have asked me if a man?

CARLSON: Yeah, would sit on your lap.

WALLACE: I don’t know. Let me ask you a question. Would you do an interview with Brad Pitt, with you sitting on his lap, Gretchen?

CARLSON: Absolutely not. I find nothing hot about Brad Pitt.

Watch it:

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Chris Wallace on whether Palin will sit on his lap during their interview: ‘One can only hope.’

This week, former Alaska governor and Fox News contributor Sarah Palin will be on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace, in his first Sunday show appearance ever. This morning, Wallace spoke with Fox Business host Don Imus about how excited he is for the segment:

WALLACE: We’re going to be down in Nashville with her at the National Tea Party Convention, and I’m excited. First of all, I’m excited to finally meet and interview Sarah Palin. We’ve been chasing her like Captain Ahab and the great white whale for the last year and a half. [...]

IMUS: When you interview her, will she be sitting on your lap? (LAUGHTER)

WALLACE: One can only hope. (LAUGHTER)

Watch it:

In September, Wallace went on Mike Gallagher’s radio show and mentioned his upcoming interview with right-wing activist James O’Keefe and said that he wished he was also going to have his partner Hannah Giles — who played the prostitute in the ACORN scheme — on the show because “she’s pretty cute.” (HT: Michael Calderone)

The Party of Lincoln falls short on civil rights.

The NAACP released its annual report card looking at how federal lawmakers voted on civil rights issues, such as hate crimes, D.C. voting rights, and expanding children’s health insurance. Glenn Thrush looks at some of the main points from the report:

– All Senate Republicans got an F but two (Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, Maine — they got C’s)

– All Senate Democrats and Independents got A’s, B’s or Incompletes

– Senator Arlen Specter, R-to-D-Penn., got a B

– All House Republicans but 6 got an F — 5 of those 6 got D’s — 1 got a C: Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida.

– House Republicans scored the lowest of an sub group.

– All BUT 23 House Democrats got A’s, B’s or Incompletes

– All Congressman who scored a 100% were Democrats

– Of the CBC Members ALL but 2 got A’s, Rep. Artur Davis, D-Ala., who is moderating his stances in prep for a gubernatorial run, got a B.

Rush Limbaugh: ‘I love the women’s movement — especially when walking behind it.’

Last week, hate radio host Rush Limbaugh judged the Miss America pageant. Today he went on Fox and Friends and spoke to host — and former Miss America winner — Gretchen Carlson to respond to the criticism he has been receiving. He insisted that he isn’t anti-women. But in the few sentences he used to make his case, he still managed to make a sexist joke:

CARLSON: So for those who were critics of you in judging this pageant, and saying that you haven’t been a supporter of women in the past —

LIMBAUGH: Oh, I’m a huge supporter of women. What I’m not a supporter of is liberalism. Feminism is what I oppose, and feminism has led women astray. I love women. I don’t know where all this got started. I love the women’s movement — especially when walking behind it. This idea that I don’t like women is absurd. This is Miss America. And if there’s a Mr. America out there, it’s me.

Watch it:

Not that many women really like Limbaugh either. A poll last year found that only 37 percent of women held a favorable opinion of him, compared to 56 percent of men. (To figure out how he could “own women,” Limbaugh then had a “Female Summit.”)

All the funding for anti-marriage equality campaign in the nation’s capital came from outside of D.C.

On Dec. 19, Washington, D.C. officially legalized same-sex marriage. Mayor Adrian Fenty supported the legislation from the beginning, and it received the overwhelming support of the D.C. Council in an 11-2 vote. Congressional Republicans, however, immediately began calling for a referendum on the issue, suggesting that the majority of D.C. residents were actually against same-sex marriage. However, D.C. LGBT blog GLAA Forum reports that all the money funding Rev. Harry Jackson, who led the anti-marriage equality efforts, came from outside of Washington, D.C.:

It turns out that the $199,530.00 funding for his efforts come from only four main sources, all from outside of D.C. according reports filed with the D.C. Office of Campaign Finance. … Jackson’s largest contributor is his own Maryland church based non-profit group, High Impact Leadership Coalition. [...]

The next largest contributor is the Colorado headquartered national group, Focus on the Family. … [T]hey were able to contribute $40,000 to harming gay families in D.C. … National Organization for Marriage (NOM), the national group dedicated to keeping gay people from marrying contributed $32,138.00. … Family Research Council, the D.C. based national gay bashing group, donated $25,000 through it’s 501(c)(4) lobbying organization, Family Research Council –Action.

No donations are from D.C. residents, unless you believe that Harry Jackson actually lives in D.C. His wife and son continue to live in their large suburban home. Jackson’s apartment in D.C. is the headquarters of Stand for Marriage DC.

The National Organization for Marriage is now telling its members to pressure Congress to pass a bill forcing a referendum on marriage in D.C. Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) has put forth “several prongs of attack against gay marriage in the district,” including a resolution of disapproval, a “possible lawsuit against the ordinance,” and a bill that would require a referendum by residents. In September, City Paper reported that a Human Rights Campaign poll conducted in the spring found “upwards of 65 percent support citywide” for same-sex marriage.

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mullen: ‘It is my personal belief’ that repealing DADT is ‘the right thing to do.’ »

Today, the Senate Armed Services Committee held hearing on the military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy, the first such session in 17 years. During the hearing, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Michael Mullen made the powerful announcement that he personally it is time to allow gay men and women to serve openly:

MULLEN: Mr. Chairman, speaking for myself and myself only, it is my personal belief that allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly would be the right thing to do. No matter how I look at this issue, I cannot escape being troubled by the fact that we have in place a policy that forces young men and women to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens.

Watch it:

As early as May 2008, Mullen told graduating cadets at the U.S. Military Academy that the military was ready to accept gay servicemembers if Congress repeals DADT. Last month, Gen. John Shalikashvili, who implemented DADT while serving as Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman under President Clinton, said that it is time to repeal the policy.

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San Francisco Commonwealth Club postpones O’Keefe event.

Controversial right-wing activist James O’Keefe, whom the FBI recently arrested for trying to tamper with Sen. Mary Landrieu’s (D-LA) phones, was supposed to hold his first public event since getting out of jail at the San Francisco Commonwealth Club today. But that event has now been “postponed.” The Commonwealth Club’s Director of Public Relations, Riki Rafner, told ThinkProgress that O’Keefe “could no longer make the event in person and he chose to postpone it until he could.” However, the San Francisco Chronicle notes that the club is willing to reschedule when O’Keefe is ready. The Salt Lake County GOP also recently canceled O’Keefe as its featured speaker at its Lincoln Day Dinner on Feb. 4.

Gates to stop military from discharging gay troops who are outed by ‘third parties or jilted partners.’

Tomorrow, Congress will be holding its first hearing in 17 years on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the 1993 law that bars gay men and women from serving openly in the military. LGBT leaders expect that Defense Secretary Robert Gates will announce that while Congress and the administration work on a permanent repeal of the law, the Defense Department “will not take action to discharge service members whose sexual orientation is revealed by third parties or jilted partners, one of the most onerous aspects of the law.” Gates and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen aren’t, however, “expected to offer a specific legislative proposal to repeal the law.”

Will Scott Brown support repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell?

During the Senate special election in Massachusetts, Republican Scott Brown was criticized for his lack of support for LGBT rights. The Massachusetts Family Institute put out a report card showing that he supports the ban on gay men and women serving openly in the military, a position also noted by MassEquality, a leading state gay political group. However, in an interview with ABC News that aired today, Brown said he still hadn’t taken a position on repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell:

WALTERS: You’re a Lieutenant-Colonel. On Wednesday the President announced that he wants to work with Congress to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. What’s your view?

BROWN: I think it’s important, because as you know we’re fighting two wars right now. And the most — the first priority is to — is to — is to finish the job, and win those wars. I’d like to hear from the generals in the field — in the field — the people that actually work with these soldiers to make sure that, you know, the social change is not going to disrupt our ability to finish the job and complete the wars.

WALTERS: But Senator, your own view.

BROWN: That’s my view.

WALTERS: So you can’t say whether you’re for or against it?

BROWN: No. I’m going to wait to speak to the generals on the ground.

Watch it: