So, the social conservatives at the American Family Association (AFA) want you to boycott Home Depot because of that home improvement giant’s domestic partnership program and funding for Gay Pride festivals.

And the liberal busybodies at the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) can’t contain their rage because Target gave money to a pro-business PAC which ran ads promoting a Republican gubernatorial candidate who once said nice things about a band that included a rather mean-spirited, nasty and narrow-minded performer (whether Target or the candidate know about the performer’s hateful* statements has yet be shown).

So, stand up for these companies and against these narrow interest groups.  Join me in shopping at Target this weekend.  And if you need home improvement products, make sure to buy them at Home Depot!

* (more…)

I don’t watch CNN all that often, catching it primarily when I’m at the gym.  Earlier today, they had a whole segment on Dr. Laura’s use of the N-word, featuring some diversity expert.  Dr. Laura had long since apologized.

Even AOL (whose main page has, in recent months, shown more even-handedness than it has in years past) has joined the fray, linking an article on the matter that quotes the left-wing group Media Matters (without identifying the organization by its bias).

But, did they lead with a story on Harry Reid’s prejudiced remarks about Hispanics, assuming that they all vote in lock-step with his party?  This is a genuine question, not a rhetorical one, because I just don’t know.

But, this next question is rhetorical:  did CNN do a segment on Reid’s comment, not just because he is the Senate Majority Leader (hence prominent public figure with real power), but also because as Michelle Malkin noted this “attack on Hispanic conservatives for straying off the liberal reservation”,  but also because another example ofthe “contempt” the left shows to “minority conservatives”.  You think CNN might be interested in a pattern of intolerance among a particular group.

If it was interesting in reporting on real issues in American, CNN would the explore the intolerance of prominent Democrats like Reid to minorities who don’t toe the Democratic Party line.

NB:  Do not take this post to mean I am defending Dr. Laura.  Far from it.  This is a post about media bias.  My views parallel those of TigerHawk: (more…)

I do hope Carly’s people — or resourceful bloggers — are following around Barbara Boxer with video cameras because the 28-year Washington veteran really does come up with some whoppers.

And now her campaign has showed that her minions have mastered the Ma’am’s art of political double talk.  Although Boxer was just “one of just 14 senators to vote against supplemental funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2007” which included mental health benefits for the troops, the Democrat contends that “her record shows mental health treatment for U.S. soldiers is one of her top priorities.”  Yeah, right, Ma’am.

Under fire for speaking out of both sides of her mouth,

Boxer’s campaign, however, said the senator had voted for an earlier version of the bill in 2007 that would have supported the troops, but opposed a later version because she disagreed with some details, such as the timeline for bringing troops home.

Well, the lady is just a regular John Kerry, trying to have it both ways, one way to please your left-wing base, the other to show you’re just a regular mainstream gal.

Ma’am, ever heard of a thing called compromise?  You vote for a bill even if you disagree “with some details” when you generally support the legislation.  You realize that a bill like that wouldn’t have cleared the Senate had it had such a timeline, don’t you?  People who work across party lines understand that the legislation they support doesn’t have to be perfect.

And as one politician said, “Lord knows we need to work across party lines, particularly in times like these.”

‘Eat Pray Love’ Author to Lobby for Gay Immigrants:

The author of the runaway best-seller “Eat Pray Love,” whose foreign-born lover was barred from permanently living with her in the U.S., will go to Capitol Hill next month to lobby for changing immigration laws to allow gays and lesbians to sponsor their partners from other countries.

Elizabeth Gilbert, whose memoir was made into a film starring Julia Roberts that opens today, will announce today that she will join gay rights activists to push for passage of the Uniting American Families Act.

The measure would allow lesbian and gay Americans to sponsor their permanent partners for legal status under the immigration principle of “family unification.” Under current law, only partners who are married to American citizens may apply for permanent residency.

More on this anon, but I really need to get back to my dissertation.

FROM THE COMMENTS:  At least one reader, The_ Livewire picked up on one of the reasons I posted on this, “Kudos for her lobbying congress, rather than bypassing the people on this.”  Exactly, the elected legislature is where such issues should be resolved.  Let’s hope her lobbying is effective and the bill clears Congress — and is signed by the president.

As we reported earlier this month, the busybodies at HRC, ever looking for a reason to cry, “Victim,” have been beside themselves because a corporation which has long since adopted gay-friendly corporation policies gave money to a pro-business think tank which backs a gubernatorial candidate who is horrible, no good and very bad opposes state recognition of same-sex marriage.

Now, AP has picked up on the story:

Protesters have been rallying outside Target Corp. or its stores almost daily since the retailer angered gay rights supporters and progressives by giving money to help a conservative Republican gubernatorial candidate in Minnesota. Liberal groups are pushing to make an example of the company, hoping its woes will deter other businesses from putting their corporate funds into elections.

A national gay rights group is negotiating with Target officials, demanding that the firm balance the scale by making comparable donations to benefit candidates it favors.

Emphasis added.

That’s nothing more than politically correct blackmail, asking Target to pay something akin to “Hush Money” in order to prevent people from protesting.  Wonder how many people are actually protesting?  Three, four, a dozen?  The article doesn’t say, but at least its headline is almost accurate: “Liberal groups push to exploit Target backlash.”  Yup, nice to see HRC called what it is — a liberal group.

And that’s what this is — all about liberal politics, trying to public protest in an attempt to prevent corporations from giving to conservative candidates — and to give more to left-wing ones.  Emmer’s opposition to gay marriage is only the “hook.”  It’s really just the (R) after his name that has got HRC and its left-wing allies so upset.

And the AP is playing along.

Obamas announce fifth vacation since July.

Jim Geraghty offers a little more insight into this information.

Welcome Washington Examiner Readers!!

Interesting that in a week that Charles Rangel delivers his disjointed, but entertaining defense on the House floor (while being feted on his birthday by New York’s (mostly) Democratic political establishment), his almost immediate past Democratic predecessor as Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committte Dan Rostenkowki should pass away.  Like Rangel, Rosty was forced to relinquish his chairmanship while under investigation in an election year (Rosty by then (in 1994)-U.S. Attorney Eric Holder, Rangel by the House Ethics Committee).

They are the only two Democrats to serve a full term as chairman of the powerful committee in almost thirty years.

And this same week, the jury is deliberating in the trial of Rod Blagojevich who, two years after Republican Michael Patrick Flanagan ousted Rosty, won the Chicago pol’s seat back for the Democrats.

Rangel had Rosty’s chairmanship (after 12 years of Republican control) while Blago had his House seat (after 2 years of Republican control).  And all three in the news this week.

Reflecting on Rosty at Valley of the Shadow, blogger jsf offers “for Speaker Pelosi and the Democrats, the ghost of Rostenkowski, who represented corruption in his own time, can be used again for all the corruption and heavily partisan, 111th Congress.”  Indeed.

This was just an oversight: In 300 stories on Bell, Calif. salary scandal, only one paper mentions party affiliation of city officials.

I mean, it just slipped 299 reporters’ minds that the city officials are Democrats.