Lika Starr » barack-obama

Is Sarah Palin a Teabagger?

Lika Starr — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:27:30 +0000

OK… So we all know Sarah Palin has a set of balls like no other woman (or barracuda) on earth. I’m not joking when I say the following is the absolute truth. Yes! The following accounts of truth really did happen. Read on.

In a conversation this morning with Joe while drinking our “Morning Joe” the subject of teabagging came up. No, not the dip-your-nuts in some hot dude’s (or chick’s) mouth kind. I’m talking Republicans acting like raging, ranting lunatics and well…just being themselves. Ok, that’s a little extreme but you get the point. In reality the whole Republican/Teabagger/Teabagging thing started with the onset of the Republican Tea Party protest this past April on Tax Day. To teabag Obama and all liberals, for that matter, was apparently the ultimate message to get accross.

Up until this morning I’d never heard of Republicans referenced as teabaggers or the act of teabagging due to their political views or even referenced as such from the previously mentioned Tea Parties. Hell, I seriously doubted that any right-wing extremist even knew what “teabagging” was in the first place so in my mind how could they be teabaggers? I argued my point with Joe and he assured me that it is common knowledge and made a clear point to excuse my ignorance because I’m from a “s-u-t-h-e-r-n” state. Ok, fair enough, I agreed, because it IS true that sometimes us southerners are sheltered a bit from the wild was of the North, East and WEST!

[Joe told me to search for "Rachel Maddow, teabagging, video" to see the best Maddow clip ever. Here's what I g0t. He's absolutely correct and I'm left asking myself...How the hell did I miss this? ]

Click here to view the embedded video.

Anyway…

After savoring the rich hearty cuppa joe with Joe I had a couple of short errands to run before heading home. All the while, I still had teabagging (mixed with my own tried and true meaning) and Republicans on my mind. My political savvy and intellect quickly went out the window of my car. Bill O’Rielly came to mind but quickly exited as a I envisioned something unspeakable involving me personally. I wanted to puke and I wasn’t even the recipient!

From that point on, my mind continued on its warped mission with a comical twist. I had imaginary (sick but funny) visions of Glenn Beck bagging the old bagger himself (O’Reilly) now that was some funny stuff, not to mention a sort-of avenge to my previous super warped thought. Then it got even better – McCain does Palin! Yes, Palin, Sarah Palin the biggest baddest lipstick wearing barracuda of all! I was satisfied and teabagging, Republicans and all left my mind.

I get home and check my email. There was a new message from Joe saying he enjoyed our morning and thanked me, again, for the entertainment at the expense of my own ridicule – his way of being funny. I replied telling him it was my pleasure but his new nick-name is now coffeebagger – my dorky way of being funny. He quickly replied saying that teabagging is more fun – too cute!

Thanks to Joe’s cute reply and another brief visual (hey, Joe is kinda hot) teabagging was once again on my mind. I took Joe’s suggestion and did the video search (see above) and was quite impressed. But that wasn’t enough. I wanted to see just how popular this Republican/Teabagging thing really is. That’s when I went to the trusty Urban Dictionary (see above photo) and there I was hit with the biggest baddest balls of all – Sarah Palin! Now it all makes perfect sense.

I can’t help but wonder if the keywords for that well place Google ad are “Rrepublican Teabagger.”

Update 11-19-09:

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The first National Tea Party convention is going to be held in Music City, with Sarah Palin as the keynote speaker.The former vice presidential nominee is on a three-week book tour promoting her just-released best seller titled “Going Rogue.”Palin will be in Nashville for the tea party convention held Feb. 4 to 6 at Gaylord Opryland.Tickets are $549 each.

…Told ya so!

Rachel Maddow On The Conan O’Brien Show

Lika Starr — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 20:40:36 +0000

Rachel Maddow was recently on the Conan O’Brien talk show where she discusses being gay, hate mail, nice mail, Barack Obama and other things. On being openly gay she says she gets some mail trying to insult her by telling her she’s gay…

Rachel Maddow — “Nobody can insult you by telling you what you just told them.”

On Obama, Maddow says she was hoping for a real change but is concerned of a third “Clinton term” with Obama’s cabinet selection.

Al Qaeda Leader Labels Obama – House Negro

Lika Starr — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:18:54 +0000

The Associated Press reports Al Qaeda’s 2nd in command, Ayman Zawahiri, released the terrorist group’s first message to include Barack Obama as our nation’s 44th President.

In the video message Zawahiri implied that Obama does the bidding of “whites” and is the direct opposite of honorable black leaders, citing the 1960′s black Muslim leader, Malcolm X.

The video was spoken in Arabic with English subtitles. Zawahiri used the words “abeed al-beit” which can be translaed to “house slaves” to describe Barack Obama along with Colin Powel and Condoleezza Rice. However, Alqaeda’s English subtitle translated the words as “house Negroes.”

The AP reports the message was aimed at convincing Muslims and Arabs that the new President does not represent change in the U.S. or it’s politics. While that may be true there may also be another aspect of this message missed by the AP. We, The World and Alqaeda knows that if were not for the black vote in America we wouldn’t have Obama as our new President. That’s why I think this message was also geared towards African Americans – a message telling them they made a mistake. If so, that is huge. There is still a racial divide in our own country and words like these from a terrorist group as powerful as Alqaeda can only help to blur that line.

Thank you Alqaeda! I never thought I’d say that but your attempt to pit
African Americans against our new president will only make us stronger
as a nation and ultimately aid in bringing an end to our own racial bigotry — Thank you!

Now that I’ve thanked you, I’d also like to take this opportunity and say, “Elif air ab tixak – kelbeh!”

Pop A Cold One – President-Elect Obama!

Lika Starr — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 07:00:11 +0000

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S

America!!!

Meet your new President!

Barack Obama

Barack Obama is the new President-Elect of the United States. Obama wins with a landslide of 338 electoral college votes to John McCain’s 159 as of this writing. There are still states that have not called a winner yet so those numbers will change slightly. However, Obama is ahead of the 270 mark needed for victory.

C E L E B R A T E

Good Times!!!

Obama’s Grandmother Does Not Live To See The Election

Lika Starr — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 02:32:07 +0000

In a sad turn of events, future President Barack Obama announced today that his grandmother died last night.

“She’s gone home… And she died peacefully in her sleep with my sister at her side. And so there is great joy as well as tears. I’m not going to talk about it too long because it is hard for me to talk about.”

Barack Obama’s grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, was 86 and died in her sleep overnight. She had been battling with cancer. Obama had said when he temporarily suspended his campaign to visit with her that he hoped she would make it through election day to see him elected President of the United States. Unfortunately, Mrs. Dunham did not make it and died just one day before the election.

Obama has spoken of his grandmother often throughout the primaries and the presidential campaign. He has said that she was the one that shaped him into the man that he has become. We have say that she definitely did an excellent job. Our condolences go out with warm hearts to Barack and his family. We are sure that if there is a God she will witness his victory from the heavens. Many blessings to Barack Obama, his family, our country and the world.

Obama And Clinton Come Out Against Prop 8

Lika Starr — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 23:04:09 +0000

Please… Vote NO on Prop 8

In the nick of time…

After a pleading from NoOnProp8.com and others against California’s Proposition 8, Senator Barack Obama finally speaks out against the measure that would overturn the state’s supreme court ruling to allow same-sex marriage. Barack Obama calls Prop 8 “Divisive and Discriminatory.” [Source: Towleroad]

Former President Bill clinton joins Obama in opposing Prop 8. On Thursday night millions of Californians recieved a phone call (robo call) from President Clinton.

On the call Clinton said,

“This is Bill Clinton calling to ask you to vote NO on Proposition 8 on Tuesday, November 4th. Proposition 8 would use state law to single out one group of Californians to be treated differently — discriminating against members of our family, our friends and our co-workers. If I know one thing about California, I know that is not what you’re about. That is not what America is about. Please vote NO on 8. It’s unfair and it’s wrong. Thank you.”

A recent field poll shows Prop 8 proponents gaining ground with 44% in favor of voting yes to ban gay marriage. That’s only 5% shy of the 49% against the measure. According to the poll 7% are still undecided. Hopefully Obama’s and Clinton’s support for gay rights will make an impact resulting in increased votes against Prop 8 on Tuesday, November 4th.

If you live in California…

Please… Vote NO on Prop 8

Obama And McCain – Tax Plans Analyzed

Lika Starr — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 09:00:03 +0000

New York Times as posted an excellent article breaking down the tax plans of the two presidential candidates. While Obama is proposing his plan wouldn’t increase taxes for those who make $250K or less and McCain is slamming his opponent using Joe The Plumber, touting Obama will share everyone’s wealth– It’s not that simple.

The Times analysis breaks the plans down and gives us the dirty on taxes… Basically the two plans are identical for those making between $100K and $250K but families who make less than $100K will do better under Obama while those making over $250K will pay a slightly higher tax than in McCain’s plan.

Read the full article here.

Barack Obama – Televised Infomercial

Lika Starr — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 03:35:43 +0000

***

The infomercial Obama televised on major network prime time slots on Wednesday, October 29th 2008.

Trash Can Votes – Vote Anyway!

Lika Starr — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 02:42:11 +0000

My partner and I live in Texas, one of the reddest of the red states. Texas is a state that I’ve often said “eats its own” if you don’t follow the pack. Fortunately, it’s also one of the states that allow early voting to encourage voting by avoiding the long lines on election day. Last week we voted early for the only candidate we feel will be a better president for us. That man is Barack Obama. The sad part is we know too many people that did not vote early and worse, they don’t plan to vote at all. Why? Because they feel if they vote for the democratic presidential candidate they would be just throwing their vote in the trash. These people have decided statement with a question mark. That statement, “So, why vote at all?”

Trash can votes: In Texas the polls show the state is split by a 60/40 margin with republicans being on top. Historically, the state has voted republican in presidential elections. And most democrats feel they don’t have a chance in hell to tip the state in their favor at the top of their local ballot. I agree, but… this election’s early voting has been turning out record numbers of voters. That says something, right? Of course what it says is probably that republicans are pissed off their candidate is not on top nationally.

My argument to the people that I know who are not voting because they say it’s a waste of time is, “vote anyway!” So what if it’s not going to matter. How are you going to know unless you and everyone who feels the same as you cast your votes. “What if… What if there’s enough others like you to make up that 10% deficit?” Could you imagine a state like Texas turning blue for Obama? It’s a crazy thought but it’s not impossible if everyone voted how they really feel. In fact, our capital city of Austin which sits in Travis county has voted blue the last several years. By the way, Austin is the coolest of cities in Texas. Very people friendly in my experience.

There’s another reason some Texas dems aren’t voting this year. They are afraid to vote for Obama. How ridiculous is that? I’ve been told this by more than a few people. Including one member of my extended family. She really likes Obama and everything he stands for but she won’t vote for him. Instead, she tells me she’s not voting at all. She said, “at least it’s not a vote for McCain!” I told her not voting for Obama is the same thing as casting a vote for McCain. She thanked me for being so understanding and then hung up the phone…Grrr! Of course, I called her back and we made nice with each other but I was still unsuccessful in getting her to vote. She’s young so it would be her first time voting and she did register. It’s a shame her right to vote will be wasted.

I know race is rearing it’s ugly head in this election so I asked her if she was afraid what others would think if she voted for a black man. She assured me her reasons have nothing to do with Obama being half black. It’s all about
being from a strong republican family and their values. She told me she is afraid her family and friends would shun her if she voted for any democratic presidential candidate. I told her I wasn’t givng up on her until November 5th.

The point of this article: Even if you think your vote is a waste, get out and vote anyway. You’ll feel good that you did.

Keeping it fun… When Jake and I went to vote we knew we weren’t allowed to wear clothing or accessories that in any way suggested who we were voting for or our party affiliation — it’s not allowed! But… With our exhibitionist nature and being a couple of guys that like to have a little fun we decided put our ballsyness to the test. Jake wore a dark blue t-shirt with the Obama logo in white letters. Under the shirt he wore a ribbed white tank top. I wore an Obama baseball cap and carried a shiny chrome keychain with the initials D.E.M. in my pocket. There was a line outside our voting facility but it wasn’t overly crowded so it didn’t take long to get noticed. We were there only five minutes before being approached by a male security officer who politely asked that I remove my cap and that Jake would either have to change his shirt or turn it inside out.

I carried a small backpack with me and quickly changed out the cap with one that read, Party Time. The officer grinned and said, “smart.” Jake jokingly asked the officer if he could go in shirtless and was told, “that wouldn’t be a good idea. I’m sure your fellow voters would rather focus on what they’re here for.” Jake was reminded that he had to either change the shirt or turn it inside out. Jake asked if he could change his shirt there so we wouldn’t lose our place in line. He was told that would be fine. Jake pulls both shirts over his head [mental alert: I noticed the male officer checking him out] and put the Obama shirt back on right side out. The officer grinned again and said, “look guys, don’t give me a hard time [yes, he definitely emphasized those two words]. I don’t want any trouble here.” Jake responded, “We’re cool dude” and put the white tank on over the Obama shirt. Then asked, “Cool?” The officer gave each of us a couple of thorough up and down looks. But it’s what he said and did next that really threw me off-guard. He said, “you’re both fine.” Then he winked at us. Not once, but twice! Well, he winked at Jake first, then me. He thanked us for entertaining him and told us to have a nice day and Jake even got a congratulatory pat on the backside (of his shoulder, haha).

Strangely enough, the people in line near us were all in their 20′s and 30′s. We got a few disappointed stares but for the most part they enjoyed the show too. After the security officer left one of the guys laughed and said he could tell we planned it and that it was pretty cool of us. A girl in her early 20′s rather loudly said, “ya’ll must be gay, right?” I responded, “what makes you think that?” She said, “Duh! You have matching bracelets! Ya’ll are cool, I have several gay friends. I lurve my gay friends!” Jake nodded and I said, “cool, it is nice to meet you.” She smiled and said, “ya’ll too.” That’s when we started to get some awkward glances with some being on the side of uncomfortable along with a faint but inaudible grumbling from a couple of people. The guy who previously said what we did was cool chimed in again. He said, “People chill, these guys are no different than you or me. They’re cool, OK?” With that everyone just minded their own business. The four of us had a friendly chat and got to know each other while we waited in line. We even quietly exchanged contact info. The girl apologized for the “gay thing” and said she meant no harm, that she just has a loud mouth and it can sometimes get her and others in trouble. They turned out to be really cool even though they both were voting for McCain.

The best news is… Our plan worked!!! While outside it was sunny and bright so Jake’s tank appeared to be not at all transparent with the reflection of the sun. But when inside the building, the word ‘Obama’ could vaguely be seen through the ribbed tank. And I fastened my D.E.M keychain to proudly dangle from a front belt loop.

I should probably note that we didn’t plan this to scream out the “We’re gay and proud” slogan. We’re not really into that sort of thing especially when it’s inappropriate. Our body language, looks and voices don’t even fit the gay stereotype. Most people who don’t know us would never guess that we’re gay. We actually bought the bracelets a few weeks ago and have been wearing them ever since as a token of our love for each other. Hell, I don’t think we’ve taken them off with the exception of showing them to our friends who wanted to inspect them closer. The interlinking symbols are on the small side so no one ever really notices them. So it’s not like we wore them to promote a gay agenda at a political event. We’re both are well aware that a voting facility is not the place to push same-sex agenda especially in Texas.

Our intention was to simply have a little party fun. Still, the attention we drew caused a couple of people to take a closer look and notice the bracelets. I’m sure the security officer did too. He was all too obvious although he was trying really hard not to be. But his wandering eyes, actions and choice of words gave away what he really had on his mind. It was quite amusing and kind of cute too. He wasn’t bad looking himself but he did wear a wedding band. Jake and I both agree that the officer probably would have engaged us more had we not been surrounded by others at the time.

Later when I told Jake how the officer was checking him out he asked if he looked at his ass. I said, “twice!” Jake’s response: “heh… that’s hot! Did he have a nightstick?” What?!?! But I love him and his hot ass!!!

Obama Was Right About John McCain

Lika Starr — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 06:19:30 +0000

***

From the Jed Report:

Remember in late July when Barack Obama predicted John McCain’s
attack strategy? … As it turns
out, he knew McCain better than McCain knew McCain. I guess that means
we can call him “Nostrobamus.”

Then… McCain defends Obama after a McCain supporter calls Obama an “Arab” in McCain’s microphone. At the same time, his campaign is still spewing out the negative ads portraying Obama as risky,etc. The Jed Report does an excellent job at some clever video editing…see below.

***

Madonna Has A Message – Get Stupid

Lika Starr — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:18:47 +0000

***

I must have been sleeping the day away on September 16th when this video hit the blogs. This is the Madonna video that had the McCain camp in a rage. Who could blame them? He’s compared to Hitler in the video while Obama is praised. But hey, McCain has pulled some pretty dirty stunts himself so my thought is simply “What comes around goes around, get over it.”

Get Your Free 2008 Election Campaign Sign

Lika Starr — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 07:02:15 +0000

Natalie Kassabian of Build A Sign wrote in to let me know that they are giving away free campaign signs. The signs are free but you are required to pay shipping. The last I checked the shipping charges for my location was approx. $11, still not bad for a high quality sign. I told her I would relay the message to the readers here at LikaStarr.com

The photo above is of a sign that I recently created. Ms. Kassabian writes the following:

I have been reading your posts about the presidential elections and thought your readers would be interested in this story about a place to get completely customizable issue and campaign signs for free in an effort to encourage all Americans to get involved in this year’s historic election season and as a response to frustrated campaign supporters who are now being charged for yard signs. Buildasign.com is giving away 100,000 of them.

You can see our press release at U.S. Politics Today at http://uspolitics.einnews.com/news.php?nid=527399

Thank you for your time,

All 100,000 free campaign signs will be printed single-sided on 18inch x 24inch corrugated plastic, should be campaign themed, and are limited to one per customer. The free sign can be upgraded to a double-sided sign for $3. Additional campaign signs can be purchased at prices ranging from $5 to $8. Campaigns or candidates who want to order large quantities of signs can receive special discounted pricing by calling BuildASign.com. The signs retailer, which diverts over 50% of its internal waste to recycling, encourages every recipient to recycle their free signs as well.

If you’ve got a minute check out the Build A Sign link above. Even if you don’t get your free sign, it’s cool to to build one just for fun.

Racial Divide – Will It Cost Obama The Election?

Lika Starr — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:03:57 +0000

Stanford University — An in-depth poll suggests that white Americans may cost Barack Obama the election based on their prejudices against black Americans.

“Certainly, Republican John McCain has his own obstacles: He’s an ally
of an unpopular president and would be the nation’s oldest first-term
president. But Obama faces this: 40 percent of all white Americans hold
at least a partly negative view toward blacks, and that includes many
Democrats and independents,” says Ron Fourner and Trevor Tompson of the Associated Press. Full Story here.

Color is only skin deep folks. This poll doesn’t speak for the majority of whites and that’s a good thing. But the numbers are still staggering in my opinion especially in this day and age. I’d expect this from some rural town in the Midwest or the South, but across the board? It’s clear that ignorance still abounds.

This is just one more reason why we need Barack Obama in the White House. Not just because electing John McCain would be the worst political mistake ever, as a country we need to get over ourselves and stop the ridiculous thought that everyone except for heterosexual white folks are second class citizens.

Equally as sad, is the fact that some black Americans are only voting for Obama because he is black. Does that make them racist too? It probably does for some of them. For others it’s about pride in the fact that an African American has gotten this far and has nothing to do with prejudice against whites. That’s a difficult point to argue since in reality their decision is based on equality. But for those who are voting Obama because of bigotry against whites, that’s just as wrong as whites voting against him becaue he’s black.

The media has continued to bring light to the racial differences in this election. At times I just wished it would go away. But it is impossible to ignore when racism is still a big reality in this country. It needs to be said and delt with. If Obama does get elected it will be a huge step in terms of equality for all of us; black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Indian, heterosexual, homosexual, transgenered, seniors, children, disabled, mentally ill and everyone else.

The day there are no differences in terms of equality will be the day when everyone is equal.

Pro Wildlife Group Fires At Sarah Palin

Lika Starr — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 17:37:39 +0000

***

A new ad campaign from Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund features Governor Sarah Palin as a brutal force against nature’s wildlife. The ad focuses on Palin’s encouragement of the killing of wolves in Alaska. In a press release simultaneously issued with the ad the non-profit announced that it is endorsing Barack Obama.

“John McCain’s choice of Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate confirmed that the only candidates we can truly count on to protect our air, land and water are Senators Obama and Biden, and we are proud to today offer our endorsement of the Obama-Biden ticket.”

The organization’s president, Roger Schlickeisen also said McCain’s environmental record has been mediocre. He condemned McCain’s VP choice, stating a McCain-Palin administration would be just as bad as Bush-Cheney.

In the closing statement Schlickeisen said,

“Put simply, if voters care at all about the environment, about protecting our air, land, water and wildlife for future generations, then they should look past the misleading rhetoric of the McCain-Palin campaign and support Obama-Biden.”

In related news the photo above has been making the rounds on the internet. Many sites are claiming the woman in the photo as Sarah Palin. While there is a resemblance the woman in the picture is actually Dr. Denise Albert, a local veterinarian. Dr. Albert assisted in the rescue of large male gray wolf that had been caught in a trapper’s snare but broke free. The incident occurred in Alaska’s Denali National Park this past winter.

While the photo may not be of Governor Palin herself, it does graphically contribute to brutality of her support in killing wolves in Alaska. Under the states Predator Control Program, Palin passed a law that awarded hunters $150 per wolf killed in the state. The proof of the kill would be a severed foreleg of the animal. The program was designed to protect other animals which are natural prey for wolves. It has been under constant scrutiny and controversy since its inception.

Lipstick On A Pig – John McCain Said It First

Lika Starr — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 18:49:56 +0000

Last Tuesday, Barack Obama addressed the people of Virginia. During his speech he made the following jabs at the politics and tactics of McCain Campaign.

”John McCain says he’s about change too, and so I guess his whole angle is, ‘Watch out George Bush — except for economic policy, health care policy, tax policy, education policy, foreign policy and Karl Rove-style politics — we’re really going to shake things up in Washington.’

“That’s not change. That’s just calling something the same thing something different. You know you can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig. You know you can wrap an old fish in a piece of paper called change, it’s still going to stink after eight years. We’ve had enough of the same old thing.”

The McCain campaign immediately fired back but did so with a twist. Played Obama’s remarks as being sexist and accusing him of directly attacking Governor Palin by referencing the word ‘lipstick.’

Obama’s staff said McCain’s reaction is a pathetic attempt to play the gender card. What the McCain camp didn’t say was that their leader has used the phrase before, at least twice according to CNN.

In 2006, Torie Clarke, McCain’s former press secretary wrote a book titled “Lipstick on a Pig” and earlier this year credited the McCain campaign for its help in penning the 272 page book.

In October 2007, McCain criticized Hillary Clinton’s failed health care plan of 1993 when he used the phrase. McCain said, “I think they put some lipstick on the pig, while essentially accepting the Republican presidential nomination.”

In May 2008 McCain did again when he won the required delegates making him the presumptive Republican Presidential nominee.

So what’s all the fuss about? Sarah Palin said in her VP acceptance speach at the Republican Convention that the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull is lipstick. Of course, referring to herself.

The Obama campaign maintains Obama’s remarks were specific to McCain’s strategy to win the election. Referring to McCain’s new theme on ‘Change’ saying he can dress it up but it’s still the same thing.

Lika’s Take:

Personally, this election is driving me nuts and I’m getting sick of all the petty jabs. This is the reason I’ve written less and less about politics over the last few weeks. If I wanted silly drama, all I’d have to do is sit home all day and watch the soaps.

What really drives me insane is these people who are vying for our votes think we’re so shallow to fall for this crap. The sad part is that they’re correct to some degree as it shows in the polls. Before the conventions the candidates were tied in the polls. After the Democratic Convention, Obama was back on top with a several point lead. After the Republican Convention and the Palin factor played in, the polls were once again at a dead heat. It would appear that sarcasm is popular with us Americans…

For the record, I don’t believe Obama’s remarks were directed at Palin. After all, he said ‘pig’ not ‘pit bull’ so it’s clear to me that Palin is not the pig in this election. I’ll just leave it at that…

Hunk Du Jour Serves Up Barack Obama As Hunk Of The Future

Lika Starr — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 19:10:47 +0000

[Image Source: Hunk du Jour]

Hunk du Jour is a website that has made a success serving up hot guys every day since January, 2006. The site is operated by HDJ Media, LLC and it’s founder who goes by Chris M. The site’s name is French for “Hunk of the Day.” With nearly 4 million visitors since it began it has become a popular site for gay men to get their daily fix of hotness. Thousands of websites across the globe feature the site’s daily hunk on their own pages, including the one you are reading now. The site also features profiles and interviews of some of the hottest men in the world.

In the wee morning hours today a reader here posted a comment on this site’s Restroom Wall. bb125 said, “haha obama is hunk of the day! fabulous!!!” At first we were clueless to what he was speaking of. Since we proudly display the Hunk du Jour photo we decided to head over to Chris’ site and see if we missed something. There it was, a beautiful photo of Barack Obama gracing the pages of the site. The title: “Barack Obama, Hunk of our Future”

According to RSS records the photo was replaced with a new hunk of the day after only approximately two hours. The way this works is when Chris writes a new blog post, the current photo attached to that post becomes the new Hunk of the Day and is distributed via a script install on the sites that choose to display the site’s badge.

At LikaStarr.com we like Hunk du Jour so much that we display it’s banner as so many other sites do. I would like to personally congratulate Chris, not only for his site’s success but also for making the statement that he did by posting Obama’s photo.

As much as we appreciate his hard work we’re left with a few questions about his thoughts behind the Hunk of our Future. I’ve sent a message to Chris hoping he’ll answer… Stay tuned, we’ll update!

Update:

Chris was kind enough to respond with some great answers. In retrospect, I wish I had thought to ask him if he thinks Obama is sexy. Ya know, with the whole “Hunk” thing and all. Personally, I think Obama is up there with with JFK on the hotness level especially after being forced to look at Bush for 8 years!

We would like to thank Chris for his time. Ok, on to the interview…

Hi there, Lika! Thanks for reading, and thanks for writing. It’s unusual that I am the subject of questions, and not the one asking them — but I’ll do my best.

Lika: It’s obvious that you support Barack Obama. What were your thoughts behind displaying Obama’s photo and naming him Hunk of our Future?

Chris: My personal politics line up with that of the Democratic party, and with the convention ramping up to its climax I made good on a promise I made to a friend of mine that we’d feature Barack Obama. It’s my personal belief that he would be a great leader for our country. He inspires my faith in public service again.

Lika: Why was it only displayed for two hours as the current post?

Chris: The reasons are only technical, influenced by the automatic nature of our “Hunk of the Day” posts.

I wrote the post last night after going out to dinner with my partner and both of our families, so it was published sometime after 9:00 PM Pacific time. Our “Hunk of the Day” blog posts get added automatically at midnight, so the badge would have only showed Barack Obama’s image for under three hours last night.

There are many occasions where I’d like a gentlemen to be featured in our site badges for a longer period of time (for example, when we have a longer-form interview that takes a lot of time and effort) — but it all happens automatically behind the scenes and so I tend to just let it run as-designed.

Lika: We noticed that comments are disabled for the post on Barack. Is there a particular reason why you chose to not allow comments?

Chris: Hunk du Jour is obviously FAR from a political blog. I think folks looking for political debate are just better served in a different venue, so it’s just a matter of not trying to be something we aren’t. Towleroad has had some amazing coverage of the DNC (I’ve been watching YouTube videos there today) and I think is an excellent place for discussion.

Lika: Do you feel the gay community has come to terms with Hillary’s loss and will fully support and back Barack Obama now that he is the Democratic nominee for president?

Chris: I can’t speak for the gay community, but I think that the level of debate and activity that the primary season brought us can only be considered a good thing. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama’s campaigns brought an amazing amount of energy and participation, making so many people more politically aware. I’d just encourage everyone to get informed about the candidates — the time is now.

Lika: Have you received any feedback about your post “Barack Obama, Hunk of our Future?” If so, were they good or bad? Can you share a couple of examples?

Chris: Your feedback is the first, so there aren’t really any examples! I’m not planting a flag in the ground for the gay community, I’d just like him to be President of the United States.

Lika: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Chris: I’m truly appreciative of everyone who includes our “Hunk of the Moment” on their web sites, or the “Hunk of the Day” on their Facebook pages. Please register to vote, and learn as much as you can about the people and issues in ALL of the political contests — not just the presidential one!

Hillary Cinton – No Way. No How. No McCain.

Lika Starr — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 07:01:01 +0000

“No way. No How. No McCain.”

“I Support Barack Obama!”

On John McCain & George Bush
“…these days they’re awfully hard to tell apart.”

In what many are saying is Hillary Clinton’s best speech of all time was delivered Tuesday night at the Democratic National Convention, the DNC, in Denver. It was amazing and I would agree this may have been her best. Clinton was truly a class act, professional and hit every mark without missing a beat. Her speech was presidential in itself. It was certainly the most important speech at the DNC so far and possibly of the entire convention. Without her full support and call to the 18 million who voted for, Barack will have a difficult time pulling ahead of the neck to neck race against McCain.

Clinton’s message was intended to deliver from the heart her full support of Barack Obama and that her relentless supporters should too. It was a strong and passionate call for unity with a hint of democratic duty. Clinton asked her supporters if they voted for her or for the people who need a president in office that will help these people. It was a question designed to hit home on what’s really important right now, not three months ago.

Democrats are calling her speech a fastball, a homerun, a major success. But republicans are seeing it differently, perhaps predictably so. They are saying what she didn’t say is more important. What she didn’t say is that Barack is ready to lead in terms of experience. They are also condemning Barack for not choosing Clinton as a running mate. In a new commercial the McCain campaign gives its opinion as to why she wasn’t chosen. The ad says that she told the truth about Obama’s experience during her run for candidacy and Obama didn’t like it.

Lika’s Take:

I think Hillary’s speech was a smashing success and probably will be the most important of the DNC. But I also think that Barack needs to at least match her speech on Thursday. Most importantly, he needs to bring the call of unity full circle by boldly asking Clinton supporters for their votes while acknowledging her accomplishments.

There are several reasons why Clinton didn’t speak of Obama’s experience to lead our country as president. In my opinion, she can’t. This is because that was one of the main tactics she used to run against him. To turn on her own campaign now would be like digging a grave for her future chances at the presidency. For her it’s just best left unsaid at this point. Another reason is her speech was not about Obama’s abilities. It was about bringing the democrats together and asking them emphatically to unite. It was also about publicly stating that she and Obama agree on the same principles and a valiant attempt to blur the line of their differences.

Personally I think it would have been great if Obama and Clinton were on the same ticket. We don’t know why Obama didn’t choose Clinton to run along side him. They’re not telling and probably never will, though it will probably leach someday. Until then we can only speculate.

My theory is that he probably did ask her but she declined. Neither of them would ever admit to that for obvious reasons. I’m pretty sure that Clinton plans to run again for president. Being Obam’s running mate could possibly be the worst thing for her longterm goal to be elected president. If she were to run with him and they lost against McCain her chances at running in a future election would be slim to none. If they won and things didn’t improve fast enough then again her chances are lost. If they won and things went well, she’d still be looked upon as second in command to a younger more robust president. That wouldn’t go over too well in a competition against a strong republican candidate.

On the other hand if Obama loses against McCain then Clinton has another shot at the presidency in just four years. If he wins, then democrats have the opportunity of having their candidates in the White House for the next 16 years.

The bottom line is that when Hillary Clinton runs for president she needs to be the top dog in the race. Then there’s the whole Clinton dynasty thing. A Clinton could never be second fiddle without embarrassment. I’m not saying anything bad about them but in this country for the last 20 years it’s been the Clinton’s and the Bush’s. Royalty doesn’t accept 2nd place.

Obama Sharpens Teeth But McCain Bites Back

Lika Starr — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 04:51:19 +0000

[Source: Reuters]

While campaigning in VA with Governor Tim Kaine, Barack Obama attacks his opponent John McCain on national economics with a personal twist. Obama said McCain is out of touch with the struggles of most Americans. He referred to a recent interview the senator from Arizona had with the Politico newspaper. McCain couldn’t recall how many houses he and wife Cindy owns. The McCain staff says it’s only 4 houses, but news media reports they own seven including his ranch in Sadona, Arizona.

Obama said McCain mentioned in a faith forum that making $5 million was what he considers of someone being rich and that the economy is “fundamentally strong.”

“I guess if you think that being rich means you’ve got to make $5 million and if you don’t know how many houses you have, then it’s not surprising that you might think the economy was fundamentally strong,” said Obama, the Illinois senator.

McCain bit back and made note that Obama and his wife own a home in an upscale Chicago neighborhood worth at least $1.5 million and that he [Obama] brought in more than $4 million last year.

McCain spokesman, Brian Rogers, asked, “Does a guy who made more than $4 million last year, just got back from vacation on a private beach in Hawaii and bought his own million-dollar mansion with the help of a convicted felon really want to get into a debate about houses?”

Rezko, the convicted fellon, was convicted of fraud, money laundering and attempted bribery in June. The case had nothing to do with Obama. Rezko helped Obama purchase a lot next to his home.

Lika’s Take:

This has got to be the nuttiest presidential race I’ve ever seen. From McCain comparing Obama to Paris Hilton to Obama slapping McCain for not remembering how many damn houses he owns. Ok, I get it. I know there’s more to Obama’s reasoning. But please… The more I think about how both of these men talk to us. It’s like they think we’re all still in junior high school or something. It’s getting old — fast!

That’s one reason why I haven’t been writing too many articles on the political front lately. Once they announce their running mates maybe they’ll get down to business, the real issues. The scary thing is I’m still not quite sure how either of them plan to resolve many of those issues. I think that’s why it’s such a close race in the polls. If Obama could somehow convince us he can walk the walk as good as he can talk and draw a crowd, he’d be ahead by leaps and bounds. I’m afraid that’s exactly what’ll cost him the election, should he lose in November.

I hate to say it but between these two it looks like their running mates may end up being the deciding factor in this presidential race.

The house thing is kind of funny though. In McCain’s defense, I’d guess that he was trying to avoid the question. After all, his wife’s beer-baby-heiress status already makes him look like he’s had everything handed to him on a platinum platter. But, who knows, maybe it’s just that the man can’t count to seven.

One last thing; Since when do convicted felons not have the right to work for a living?

Unfit To Lead – Obama Has Not Approved This Message

Lika Starr — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:03:39 +0000

***

This video is about John McCain and and his questionable ability to lead the nation. It is produced by Plisko1 of YouTube and Media Crashers. I found this one on via the cool blog GLH Playground.

Barack Obama wouldn’t dare make a TV ad like this. He takes the high road on the campaign. That’s all good but we know that sometimes being too nice can be detrimental and that’s not a good thing.

That’s why it’s up to us to spread the unsatisfactory truths. If that’s called the low road, then I’m not above it as long as I have a few facts in the trunk.

I am Lika Starr and I approve this message.

Paris Hilton For President ’08 – That’s Hot!

Lika Starr — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 15:48:25 +0000

Sen. John McCain played dirty last week in a campaign video by associating Sen. Barack Obama with the likes of Paris Hilton and Britney Spears because he’s so popular. The question was; “Is he ready to lead?” Instead of returning the attack, Obama took the high road and responded with a video suggesting McCain’s attack was ridiculous.

Paris Hilton responds with her own ad where she thanks McCain his endorsement for her candidacy. In Hilton’s message she does what Obama can’t and refers to McCain as “that wrinkly white-haired guy.” Then delivers her energy policy — a must see!

Lika’s Take:

The biggest question I have is whether or not this will hurt Obama’s campaign. I don’t think it will hurt anymore than McCain’s did. I didn’t think that one would hurt Obama either but I was wrong according the latest gallop polls. What this video does do is poke fun at McCain’s ad against Obama and shows just how ridiculous it really was. Finally, Paris Hilton does something right (I think?).

Meet Barack Obama For President

Lika Starr — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 01:59:17 +0000

Barack Obama – 2008 President – Country I Love

In an effort to reintroduce himself to the American people Obama releases his first national ad for his presidential campaign.

Hot Guy Find: Reese Rideout – The Great Divide

Lika Starr — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 20:55:56 +0000

Reese Rideout Doin’ The Split (click for large photo)

This hot find is from The Sword featuring RandyBlue porn star, Reese Rideout having some fun at a meet & greet pool party sponsored by RentBoys. This is photo was taken by Starrfucker who was on hand to capture the day through his lens. There are lots more on his site.

[Warning: The links in this post may contain adult content]

Lika’s Take:

The second thing I thought about (my first thought should be obvious – that ass!) when I first came across this photo was the political divide gays are in now that Clinton is out of the race. It is almost beyond my comprehension how so many gays can say they’re going to vote for McCain and not Obama.

What makes it worse is their reasoning is shallow at best. Well…at least the one’s I’ve been privy to. It’s nothing but excuses to satisfy the anger of defeat. From talks about Obama’s lack of experience in decision making with a focus on faulty decisions to his troubles with the Church. All while seeming to conveniently forget that McCain has also had problems with church leaders and not to mention some pretty faulty decision making on his own.

So, how do we bridge this gap in our great divide? Looking at Reese above I can think of one hard and fast solution but that probably wouldn’t help our political situation much. On a second look at Reese, the answer is quite simple — Spread the love.

A lot of gays were so focussed on Hillary they really don’t know who Obama is. Sure, they think they do but let’s be honest. It’s more from a jilted lover perspective. In other words, they’re only seeing the bad. It’s up to those of us who were not blinded by our love affair with Hillary Clinton to spread the word and convince them that Obama is not the bad guy.

On a side note, I apologize for using Reese’s hot ass to promote Barack Obama. But, let’s face it. Sex sells

Obama Kicks Off Gay Pride Month With Proud Words

Lika Starr — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 19:35:40 +0000

Chicago, IL — Senator Barack Obama released this statement on his Pride website. Related posts:Obama Gay Pride – Open Letter To LGBT Community Clinton, Obama & McCain On Gay Iranian’s Possible Execution Al Qaeda Leader Labels Obama – House Negro Related posts:

Clinton Concedes And Endorses Obama

Lika Starr — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 02:52:52 +0000

***
Hillary Clinton suspends her candidacy and endorses Barack Obama as the next President of the United States.In her speech she addressed her supporters and thanked them, all of them.

“Eighteen million of you, from all walks of life women and men, young and old, Latino and Asian, African-American and Caucasian rich, poor, and middle-class, gay and straight, you have stood with me.

And I will continue to stand strong with you every time, every place, in every way that I can. The dreams we share are worth fighting for.

Today, as I suspend my campaign, I congratulate him on the victory he has won and the extraordinary race he has run. I endorse him and throw my full support behind him.

And I ask all of you to join me in working as hard for Barack Obama as you have for me.”

Overall, it was a very good message and delivered well. If only she had run her campaign the way she has the last few weeks we might have had a different democratic nominee. But as she also says in her speech we can’t look back and wish or wonder “what if.” We have to move forward and that means getting behind Barack Obama for President. We can do this.

Clinton achieved some major milestones in this primary race. She said from here on out it will not be remarkable for a woman to be president because what she and her supporters have done was remarkable. And, that is very true. I don’t think she’s out for the count forever. It’s no where near over for her and we just might see her in the White House someday after all. I admire Hillary Clinton’s courage and strength.

I also admire the same of Barack Obama who has achieved great milestones as well. Right now for the upcoming election Obama is who all of us need to focus on and give our support to. Letting McCain walk through those White House doors in January 2009 will do nothing but keep the our country’s demise at a status quo. We can not afford to let that happen.

The full text of Clinton’s concession speech can be found after the jump [Warning: It is very long]

Hillary Clinton’s Concession Speech

Thank you very, very much. Well, this isn’t exactly the party I’d planned, but I sure like the company.

And I want to start today by saying how grateful I am to all of you, to everyone who poured your hearts and your hopes into this campaign, who drove for miles and lined the streets waving homemade signs, who scrimped and saved to raise money, who knocked on doors and made calls, who talked, sometimes argued with your friends and neighbors who e-mailed and contributed online, who invested so much in our common enterprise, to the moms and dads who came to our events, who lifted their little girls and little boys on their shoulders and whispered in their ears, “See, you can be anything you want to be.”

To the young people like 13-year-old Anne Riddell from Mayfield, Ohio, who had been saving for two years to go to Disney World and decided to use her savings instead to travel to Pennsylvania with her mom and volunteer there, as well.

To the veterans, to the childhood friends, to New Yorkers and Arkansans who traveled across the country, telling anyone who would listen why you supported me. And to all of those women in their 80s and their 90s born before women could vote, who cast their votes for our campaign. I’ve told you before about Florence Stein of South Dakota, who was 88 years old and insisted that her daughter bring an absentee ballot to her hospice bedside. Her daughter and a friend put an American flag behind her bed and helped her fill out the ballot.

She passed away soon after, and, under state law, her ballot didn’t count, but her daughter later told a reporter, “My dad’s an ornery, old cowboy, and he didn’t like it when he heard Mom’s vote wouldn’t be counted. I don’t think he had voted in 20 years, but he voted in place of my mom.”

So to all those who voted for me and to whom I pledged my utmost, my commitment to you and to the progress we seek is unyielding.

You have inspired and touched me with the stories of the joys and sorrows that make up the fabric of our lives. And you have humbled me with your commitment to our country.

Eighteen million of you, from all walks of life women and men, young and old, Latino and Asian, African-American and Caucasian rich, poor, and middle-class, gay and straight, you have stood with me.

And I will continue to stand strong with you every time, every place, in every way that I can. The dreams we share are worth fighting for.

Remember, we fought for the single mom with the young daughter, juggling work and school, who told me, “I’m doing it all to better myself for her. Are you going to do to make sure I have health care?” and began to cry, because even though she works three jobs, she can’t afford insurance.

We fought for the young man in the Marine Corps t-shirt who waited months for medical care and said, “Take care of my buddies over there, and then will you please take care of me?”

We fought for all those who’ve lost jobs and health care, who can’t afford gas or groceries or college, who have felt invisible to their president these last seven years.

I entered this race because I have an old-fashioned conviction that public service is about helping people solve their problems and live their dreams. I’ve had every opportunity and blessing in my own life, and I want the same for all Americans.

And until that day comes, you’ll always find me on the front lines of democracy, fighting for the future.

The way to continue our fight now, to accomplish the goals for which we stand is to take our energy, our passion, our strength, and do all we can to help elect Barack Obama, the next president of the United States.

Today, as I suspend my campaign, I congratulate him on the victory he has won and the extraordinary race he has run. I endorse him and throw my full support behind him.

And I ask all of you to join me in working as hard for Barack Obama as you have for me.

I have served in the Senate with him for four years. I have been in this campaign with him for 16 months. I have stood on the stage and gone toe-to-toe with him in 22 debates. I’ve had a front-row seat to his candidacy, and I have seen his strength and determination, his grace and his grit.

In his own life, Barack Obama has lived the American dream, as a community organizer, in the state Senate, as a United States senator. He has dedicated himself to ensuring the dream is realized. And in this campaign, he has inspired so many to become involved in the democratic process and invested in our common future.

Now, when I started this race, I intended to win back the White House and make sure we have a president who puts our country back on the path to peace, prosperity and progress. And that’s exactly what we’re going to do, by ensuring that Barack Obama walks through the doors of the Oval Office on January 20, 2009.

Now, I understand — I understand that we all know this has been a tough fight, but the Democratic Party is a family. And now it’s time to restore the ties that bind us together and to come together around the ideals we share, the values we cherish, and the country we love.

We may have started on separate journeys, but today our paths have merged. And we’re all heading toward the same destination, united and more ready than ever to win in November and to turn our country around, because so much is at stake.

We all want an economy that sustains the American dream, the opportunity to work hard and have that work rewarded, to save for college, a home and retirement, to afford that gas and those groceries, and still have a little left over at the end of the month, an economy that lifts all of our people and ensures that our prosperity is broadly distributed and shared.

We all want a health care system that is universal, high-quality and affordable so that parents don’t have to choose between care for themselves or their children or be stuck in dead-end jobs simply to keep their insurance.

This isn’t just an issue for me. It is a passion and a cause, and it is a fight I will continue until every single American is insured, no exceptions and no excuses.

We all want an America defined by deep and meaningful equality, from civil rights to labor rights, from women’s rights to gay rights from ending discrimination to promoting unionization, to providing help for the most important job there is: caring for our families.

And we all want to restore America’s standing in the world, to end the war in Iraq, and once again lead by the power of our values and to join with our allies to confront our shared challenges, from poverty and genocide to terrorism and global warming.

You know, I’ve been involved in politics and public life in one way or another for four decades. And during those, during those 40 years, our country has voted 10 times for president. Democrats won only three of those times, and the man who won two of those elections is with us today.

We made tremendous progress during the ’90s under a Democratic president, with a flourishing economy and our leadership for peace and security respected around the world.

Just think how much more progress we could have made over the past 40 years if we’d had a Democratic president. Think about the lost opportunities of these past seven years on the environment and the economy, on health care and civil rights, on education, foreign policy and the Supreme Court.

Imagine how far we could have come, how much we could have achieved if we had just had a Democrat in the White House.

We cannot let this moment slip away. We have come too far and accomplished too much.

Now, the journey ahead will not be easy. Some will say we can’t do it, that it’s too hard, we’re just not up to the task. But for as long as America has existed, it has been the American way to reject can’t-do claims and to choose instead to stretch the boundaries of the possible through hard work, determination, and a pioneering spirit.

It is this belief, this optimism that Sen. Obama and I share and that has inspired so many millions of our supporters to make their voices heard. So today I am standing with Sen. Obama to say: Yes, we can!

And that together we will work — we’ll have to work hard to achieve universal health care. But on the day we live in an America where no child, no man, and no woman is without health insurance, we will live in a stronger America. That’s why we need to help elect Barack Obama our president.

We’ll have to work hard to get back to fiscal responsibility and a strong middle class. But on the day we live in an America whose middle class is thriving and growing again, where all Americans, no matter where they live or where their ancestors came from, can earn a decent living, we will live in a stronger America. And that is why we must help elect Barack Obama our president.

We’ll have to work hard to foster the innovation that will make us energy independent and lift the threat of global warming from our children’s future. But on the day we live in an America fueled by renewable energy, we will live in a stronger America. And that is why we have to help elect Barack Obama our president.

We’ll have to work hard to bring our troops home from Iraq and get them the support they’ve earned by their service. But on the day we live in an America that’s as loyal to our troops as they have been to us, we will live in a stronger America. And that is why we must help elect Barack Obama our president.

This election is a turning-point election. And it is critical that we all understand what our choice really is. Will we go forward together, or will we stall and slip backwards?

Now, think how much progress we’ve already made. When we first really serve as commander in chief? Well, I think we answered that one.

Could an African-American really be our president? And Sen. Obama has answered that one.

Together, Sen. Obama and I achieved milestones essential to our progress as a nation, part of our perpetual duty to form a more perfect union. A woman running for president, I always gave the same answer, that I was proud to be running as a woman, but I was running because I thought I’d be the best president. But …

But I am a woman and, like millions of women, I know there are still barriers and biases out there, often unconscious, and I want to build an America that respects and embraces the potential of every last one of us.

I ran as a daughter who benefited from opportunities my mother never dreamed of. I ran as a mother who worries about my daughter’s future and a mother who wants to leave all children brighter tomorrows.

To build that future I see, we must make sure that women and men alike understand the struggles of their grandmothers and their mothers, and that women enjoy equal opportunities, equal pay and equal respect.

Let us resolve and work toward achieving very simple propositions: There are no acceptable limits, and there are no acceptable prejudices in the 21st century in our country.

You can be so proud that, from now on, it will be unremarkable for a woman to win primary state victories unremarkable to have a woman in a close race to be our nominee, unremarkable to think that a woman can be the president of the United States. And that is truly remarkable, my friends.

To those who are disappointed that we couldn’t go all of the way, especially the young people who put so much into this campaign, it would break my heart if, in falling short of my goal, I in any way discouraged any of you from pursuing yours.

Always aim high, work hard and care deeply about what you believe in. And, when you stumble, keep faith. And, when you’re knocked down, get right back up and never listen to anyone who says you can’t or shouldn’t go on.

As we gather here today in this historic, magnificent building, the 50th woman to leave this Earth is orbiting overhead. If we can blast 50 women into space, we will someday launch a woman into the White House.

Although we weren’t able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you, it’s got about 18 million cracks in it, and the light is shining through like never before, filling us all with the hope and the sure knowledge that the path will be a little easier next time.

That has always been the history of progress in America. Think of the suffragists who gathered at Seneca Falls in 1848 and those who kept fighting until women could cast their votes.

Think of the abolitionists who struggled and died to see the end of slavery. Think of the civil rights heroes and foot soldiers who segregation and Jim Crow.

Because of them, I grew up taking for granted that women could vote, and, because of them, my daughter grew up taking for granted that children of all colors could go to school together.

Because of them, Barack Obama and I could wage a hard-fought campaign for the Democratic nomination. Because of them and because of you, children today will grow up taking for granted that an African-American or a woman can, yes, become the president of the United States. And so when that day arrives, and a woman takes the oath of office as our president, we will all stand taller, proud of the values of our nation, proud that every little girl can dream big and that her dreams can come true in America.

And all of you will know that, because of your passion and hard work, you helped pave the way for that day.

So I want to say to my supporters: When you hear people saying or think to yourself “if only” or “what if,” I say, please, don’t go there. Every moment wasted looking back keeps us from moving forward.

Life is too short, time is too precious, and the stakes are too high to dwell on what might have been. We have to work together for what still can be. And that is why I will work my heart out to make sure that Sen. Obama is our next president.

And I hope and pray that all of you will join me in that effort.

To my supporters and colleagues in Congress, to the governors and mayors, elected officials who stood with me in good times and bad, thank you for your strength and leadership.

To my friends in our labor unions who stood strong every step of the way, I thank you and pledge my support to you.

To my friends from every stage of my life, your love and ongoing commitment sustained me every single day.

To my family, especially Bill and Chelsea and my mother, you mean the world to me, and I thank you for all you have done.

And to my extraordinary staff, volunteers and supporters thank you for working those long, hard hours. Thank you for dropping everything, leaving work or school, traveling to places that you’ve never been, sometimes for months on end. And thanks to your families, as well, because your sacrifice was theirs, too. All of you were there for me every step of the way.

Now, being human, we are imperfect. That’s why we need each other, to catch each other when we falter, to encourage each other when we lose heart. Some may lead, some may follow, but none of us can go it alone.

The changes we’re working for are changes that we can only accomplish together. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are rights that belong to us as individuals. But our lives, our freedom, our happiness are best enjoyed, best protected, and best advanced when we do work together.

That is what we will do now, as we join forces with Sen. Obama and his campaign. We will make history together, as we write the next chapter in America’s story. We will stand united for the values we hold dear, for the vision of progress we share, and for the country we love.

There is nothing more American than that.

And looking out at you today, I have never felt so blessed. The challenges that I have faced in this campaign are nothing compared to those that millions of Americans face every day in their own lives.

So today I’m going to count my blessings and keep on going. I’m going to keep doing what I was doing long before the cameras ever showed up and what I’ll be doing long after they’re gone: working to give every American the same opportunities I had and working to ensure that every child has the chance to grow up and achieve his or her God- given potential.

I will do it with a heart filled with gratitude, with a deep and dividing love for our country, and with nothing but optimism and confidence for the days ahead.
advertisement

This is now our time to do all that we can to make sure that, in this election, we add another Democratic president to that very small list of the last 40 years and that we take back our country and once again move with progress and commitment to the future.

Thank you all. And God bless you, and God bless America.

Obama Gay Pride – Open Letter To LGBT Community

Lika Starr — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 01:57:20 +0000

I thought I was going to get a break from writing about politics for a while since Barack Obama clinched the democratic nomination earlier this week. But something resurfaced today and as it turns out it is a good Friday to end a good week.

There was also a conference call today where Obama’s campaign reached out to Clinton’s supporters. On that call Obama’s campaign manager, Seve Hildebrand reached out to Clinton’s gay supporters and assured them that Obama would host a follow-up call to directly address gays within two weeks. The emphasis was on Obama’s “rock solid commitment to gay equality.”

Barack Obama released a letter to the LGBT Community back in February. It didn’t get much attention at the time. But now it is making the rounds on the internet. It would seem that he has wisely chosen to get his views on LGBT issues out of the way early for the battle against republican nominee John McCain. That’s a good decision and what he has to say is even better.

“As your President, I will use the bully pulpit to urge states to treat same-sex couples with full equality in their family and adoption laws.

I will never compromise on my commitment to equal rights for all LGBT Americans.

Related posts:
Racial Divide – Will It Cost Obama The Election?

Clinton, Obama & McCain On Gay Iranian’s Possible Execution

Landmark Day For LGBT People – No Hate!