I'm a hockey fan. A big one. I could go on and on about why I think my Buffalo Sabres could make a run this year, but I'll skip that for now.

When I was a kid, several Sabres were my favorite people on planet Earth. Cooler than the Power Rangers. Dominik Hasek. Michael Peca. Rob Ray. I followed their every move and watched every game I could. I can honestly say I looked up to them.

Earlier this week, Philadelphia Flyers player Wayne Simmonds called New York Rangers forward and marriage equality advocate Sean Avery a "f-cking faggot."

Now, when Lakers player Kobe Bryant did this a few months ago, the NBA swiftly verbally disciplined him and handed him a $100,000 fine. Kobe apologized. A model of a mistake and a correction.

This case? The NHL comes up with a lame excuse about how it wasn't verified by the refs and Simmonds glosses over what he did. Thing is, video can be found below:

Unless he was using a different language, it's clear evidence of what he said.

Not acceptable, NHL.

Today, we at the Courage Campaign are petitioning the NHL to reconsider. Please sign and share this action.

You can also tweet:

RT @couragecampaign Fight homophobia in sports! Tell @NHL to discipline Wayne Simmonds. Sign here: bit.ly/pOD4AP

This stuff matters. Why? Google Wayne Simmonds and you'll see this is on ESPN, USA Today, Huffington Post. There are kids watching who don't think calling someone "faggot" matters. There are parents watching who think it's no big deal for their kids to use that kind of language. Culture and sports set a tone. ESPN's Johnette Howard gets it right in this piece looking at the history here. The NBA set the bar. The NHL isn't living up to it. For all the impact of "It Gets Better" videos, it would be nice to start with the source of the bullying and get it right from the start, wouldn't it?

Sign here.

Cross-posted at Courage Campaign Institute's Prop8TrialTracker.com

DOWNLOADS: (236)

PLAYS: (745)

Embed

Stories change hearts and minds. We know that. What we also know is that stories in person, and in video, move hearts and minds the best. And as the struggle for equality continues for LGBT people, we know there are no shortage of stories regarding personal struggles... and no shortage of minds to change.

That's where you come in. This morning, Dustin Lance Black, the Academy Award-winning screenwriter of Milk and other award-winning movies and documentaries, sent an e-mail to our Courage Campaign members announcing the Testimony: Take A Stand video contest:

It’s a partnership we are doing in an effort to find the next great stories that shape public opinion about LGBT equality -- submitted by you or your friends, family and colleagues. Testimony: Take A Stand is the name for our new project we have been rolling out: a one-stop shop hub for stories of struggle to achieve LGBT equality.

Dustin Lance Black and his camera crew will be reviewing submissions and pick three incredible stories to record for television. He will then hop on a plane to fly to wherever you live and record your submission for TV, so Americans can learn why its important for our community to be equal. You can sign up here, and the deadline is June 15th.

Think of what it could achieve — Zach Wahls’ story, or Dan Choi’s, or Ed and Derence’s featured here at C&L in March, targeted to advertise in places like Minnesota, where we need to change minds on marriage in advance of the 2012 ballot initiative. Or New York State, where we have a few Senators whose constituents are on the fence about marriage equality. From marriage to adoption, bullying to being transgender, there is no shortage of stories, and no shortage of minds we need to change. That’s where this project comes in.

You can sign up and get more details here. Or, do you know someone — a kid who’s been bullied at school, a couple who faced medical problems at the hospital because of DOMA, a transgender women fired at the workplace? Let them know. Submissions are due by 11:59 PM PST on June 15th.

So flip open those camcorders, handheld cams and computer cameras and take a minute to record your Testimony. Let’s change some minds.

http://www.couragecampaign.org/DustinLanceBlack

Disclosure: I serve as Director of Online Programs at the Courage Campaign.

These people are the reason we're doing this work.

Ed and Derence, of Palm Springs, CA, are a couple who submitted their story to Courage Campaign's call for stories in the wake of the California Supreme Court's decision to accept the question regarding the issue of standing in the Proposition 8 case -- just to decide whether or not they're going to rule on the issue! -- and then announce that they're going to drag this decision out for six months-plus. Our field staff drove for several hours out to the desert last week to get their story on video because these are the human faces of what happens while the California Supreme Court insists on taking six months just to hear oral arguments, and more to issue a decision.

If you'll permit me, a personal story that I keep thinking about when I watch their video.

My grandma, may she rest in peace, had Alzheimer's like Ed does. She started to forget a lot of things, like Ed will. But she was blessed to have already married my grandpa and experienced the wonderful day that is her wedding day. I even remember talking with her once and because of her condition, she could not remember what my response was when she asked me what my summer plans were 10 minutes prior, but when I asked her where she held her wedding and who came, she could tell me every single detail like it was yesterday. Maybe it's just the nature of the condition, but I think it was a little bit because it was one of the happiest days in her life. I always remember that.

Because of the Court's refusal this week to shorten time in the case, and because Ed is gay, he might not get to experience that ever in his life. He might not even recognize Derence if Derence goes down on one knee. And that's not fair.

Ed and Derence joined with Courage to pen an open letter to the 9th Circuit asking them to lift the stay. If the California Supreme Court is going to take this long, they should have the chance to wed. You can read it here.

Please sign their open letter. Then share with friends and family. Let's make sure the nation knows about Ed and Derence. Let's put their faces on TV, on Facebook, everywhere. These people are invisible until we shine a light on them.

Disclosure: I am proud to work for the Courage Campaign as Director of Online Programs.

What a year it's been in the fight against Prop 8. What a year it could be.

In California, Courage Campaign has led the fight to repeal Prop 8, starting off with live-blogging the trial at Prop8TrialTracker.com (the #1 Google result for "Prop 8 Trial") and bringing the trial and LGBT stories into Americans' homes through the Testimony: Take A Stand project.

This month, in response to the California Supreme Court's announcement that it would drag its feet for another 6-9 months on the case, Courage Campaign collected 430 stories of couples who are forced to wait while this drags out, and started putting them on TV so the Court and public knows the human consequences of delay. Later this week, we'll be filing an amicus curiae letter to the California Supreme Court, telling some of their stories, so the Court understands: for some couples, marriage literally can't wait.

To fund and support all of that work (and to take a break and party), we're having a shindig with the help of our friends at MoveOn.org, along with Moby, Shepard Fairey, The Crystal Method, and other great folks in music and entertainment. Deets:

Who: The Courage Campaign Institute, MoveOn.org, Moby, Shepard Fairey, The Crystal Method, DJ Dan, Heather Graham, Paul Haggis, Jason Bentley, Cleve Jones, Lisa Edelstein and others.
What: Dance for Equality benefiting Courage Campaign and our work to fight Prop 8 and restore marriage equality in California
When: Wednesday, March 2nd, 8 PM-2 AM
Where: Avalon, 1735 Vine Street, Hollywood, CA
Why: A good party for a good cause!

You can buy tickets by clicking the graphic above, or by clicking here.

You can also RSVP on Facebook here.

Disclosure: I am proud to work for Courage Campaign as Director of Online Programs.

There's been a lot of talk in various progressive circles about sending Democrats a message, either through voting or staying home. But messages need to have a clear signal in order to communicate with politicians. So, what if you could support Democrats tomorrow, but send a message at the same time? It's the best of both worlds.

In my home state of New York, and in Connecticut, you can- and I want to tell you how.

In New York and Connecticut, third parties are different, because they can endorse candidates also running as Democrats or Republicans (a unique kind of system called electoral fusion which enables candidates to run on multiple ballot "lines". For over a decade, the Working Families Party has used this power to endorse the most progressive major-party candidates running for office and make sure they win -- without spoiling elections Nader-style.

It's a strategy that works. The Working Families Party has raised New York's minimum wage, passed living wage laws, fought hard against transit fare hikes, pushed for a moratorium on unsafe natural gas drilling, and helped elect real progressives in every corner of the state. Tomorrow, you can vote, and send a message, by voting on the Working Families Party line.

I grew up in suburban Buffalo and went to college in Rochester. Since I turned 18, I've been voting Working Families Party every election I could. And I'm not alone- over 155,000 people voted for Spitzer on the Working Families Party ballot line in the 2006 gubernatorial election, and nearly 160,000 for Obama in 2008, as well as for other elected officials up and down the ballot, from Rep. Louise Slaughter to NYC City Councilmembers. Votes on the Working Families line count the same as Democratic votes for these candidates, but they lend a more powerful message: that you want Democrats to fight - really fight - for progressive values.

Matt Damon explains it all:

At a time when many people feel like Democrats in New York State or nationally haven't done much, the WFP has done more for ordinary New Yorkers. That's because they focus on issues, not personalities. Living wage jobs. A fair tax system. Better and affordable mass transit. Fair treatment for the elderly. LGBT rights. Investment in education. It's a common-sense progressive party, with a strategy that lets progressive New Yorkers hold their politicians accountable. When an elected official gets into office, he or she can see how many of those votes came from people trying to send him a message that they want him/her to be a progressive- and act accordingly while in office.

On November 2, thousands of progressive New Yorkers will be voting for Andrew Cuomo, Eric Schneiderman, and the rest of the Democratic ticket on the Working Families ballot line - Row E. In Connecticut, Dan Malloy, Richard Blumenthal, and others will also appear on the Working Families line. Here's hoping you'll join us- and spread the word.

Bonus- Matt also recorded a video on New York's new ballot that's helpful.

Bonus #2: Katrina vanden Heuvel at The Nation wrote up a great piece of background on the Working Families Party you can find here.

Hot out of the editing studio, here's Feingold's closing ad in the race:

Great ad that emphasizes Russ' years of working for Wisconsin natives. And as I've written before, I've always thought the straight-to-camera type of ad- which Russ has used going back to 1992, as well as others like Ron Johnson and Michael Steele- is the freshest and best.

And this ad is paid for in part by you, by the way. Courtesy of our Crooks and Liars/Blue America contest, we jumped from 82 donors on our Blue America page for Russ to 193, raising several thousand additional dollars to re-elect Russ in the process- money that went to producing this ad. That's something we all should be proud of.

Which brings me to the contest winner, who is Lee Carrick of Fort Collins, CO. Lee won a rare, numbered Neil Young print (only a dozen were ever made). Congrats to Lee! (Lee, drop me a line at adambink at gmail dot com to exchange information so we can get the prize to you)

And don't forget that Blue America does an easy to win contest with giveaways every night at 9:30PM (PT) over at DownWithTyranny!. More two-fers to help our strongest champions and win some great stuff.

Have a nice weekend, all.

Here's Ron Johnson's new ad claiming Russ Feingold isn't a maverick:

Uh-huh. Except Johnson's campaign conveniently left out one of the biggest issues of this Congress:

Feingold is only Democrat against financial reform bill
-Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Feingold Will Vote Against Financial Services Reform Bill
-The Nation

Feingold: Financial regulatory bill 'falls short'
-CNN

The last one I especially want to pull out:

If Feingold says financial reform bill ‘fails the test,’ it fails the test
-Madison Capital Times editorial

No member of the U.S. Senate, with the possible exception of North Dakota populist Byron Dorgan, has been steadier in opposition to the demands of the Wall Street speculators and the big banks than Wisconsin Democrat Russ Feingold.

A decade ago, he was one of eight senators who opposed the repeal of the Glass-Steagall law, which in the aftermath of the stock market crash of 1929 had been enacted to erect a firewall between Wall Street and Main Street. Feingold warned then that this ill-thought-out deregulation would create instability throughout the economy, and he was right.

Two years ago, Feinfold was one of just 15 senators who opposed the Wall Street bailout that steered U.S. tax dollars into the accounts of the speculators.

During the current debate over how to reform the financial sector following the collapse of 2008, Feingold has repeatedly sought to strengthen regulations in a manner that will ensure against future collapses.

[...]

The senator has been right enough times to earn credibility as an analyst of what Congress can and should do to reform how Wall Street does business.

If he says the legislation “fails the test,” then it fails the test — and Congress should go back to the drawing board and get serious about serving Main Street, not Wall Street.

I wasn't 100% thrilled with the way Feingold leveraged his opposition, but he does deserve recognition for his steadfast position, however rightly or wrongly you view it. If that's not "mavericky" at a significant moment, I don't know what is.

That, combined with Feingold being just 1 of 15 to oppose the bailout, 1 of 8 to oppose the repeal of Glass-Steagall that helped lead to this mess in the first place, the only Senator to oppose the 2006 USA PATRIOT Act extension, the only one to vote against that shameful piece of legislation in the first place in 2001, and being just 1 of 14 to oppose the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996, sure is enough to earn his stripes with me as the #1 steadfast progressive voice in the Senate.

As I wrote here, Feingold is running what I think is the most effective ad in the entire race, going after Johnson for refusing to state his plans.

Courtesy of our Neil Young contest and your generosity, we remarkably jumped from 82 contributors on Monday night to 148 (as of this post) on our Blue America page for Russ. Last-minute buys, with some exceptions, tend to be made on the Friday before the election. That means your last-minute contribution can help make Russ' closing argument the narrative in the whole election. Independence is a virtue, and Russ has got it.

Continue reading »

Here's Camp Feingold's latest ad on what we need less- and more- of in Washington:

It reminds me of something I read yesterady. I want to pull out a comment from Working Joe on yesterday's post:

One of my long time friends is a Fox News drone. A few months ago, he informed me that he just hates Russ Feingold. He couldn't give me any specifics. As a conservative, he should have been happy that Feingold cast the only vote against the Patriot Act, which contains clear constitutional violations. He should have been happy that Feingold voted against TARP. He doesn't even know those things.

Johnson is running ads that he'd be the only manufacturer in the Senate. Johnson got into manufacturing the old fashioned way - he married into a manufacturing family. Johnson is an accountant who married the business owner's sister. I knew Johnson must be quite vapid when the Green Bay Press Gazette, which I've only ever seen endorse one Democratic candidate at any political level, endorsed Feingold and blasted Johnson.

But that information won't drift down to voters like my friend who fits into the angry white male category. My friend is very angry when he drives his concrete truck into Milwaukee and sees a "ghetto rodent" (his comment) sitting on the front stoop drinking a beer at 9:30 a.m. and it infuriates him that these people are sucking off his tax dollars. Yet, when I pointed out that his concrete truck driving is seasonal and that he draws unemployment compensation in the winter months, which is sucking off my tax dollars as a business owner, he asks why I am personally attacking him. He doesn't see the contradiction in his views. He accuses Obama of vast overspending but ignores the OMB chart I sent him that shows the greatest costs to the deficits are two unfunded wars and the unfunded Bush tax cuts.

It's all emotional with my rightwing friends. This emotion is immune to facts and reasoning. And this emotion, these angry white people, will take down one of the best senators Wisconsin has had and will put a lesser man in his place.

My colleague at OpenLeft, Mike Lux, who served in the Clinton White House, once told me Tea Partiers were this decade's media's hype version of "angry white males". I certainly don't want to put all the anti-Feingold folks into one racial/gender category, but I'm with Workin' Joe that a whole lot of misdirected anger from teabaggers can take down one of the best Senators Wisconsin- and this nation- has. That's unacceptable to me. I hope it is to you, too.

If you didn't get to enter the contest yesterday, we're giving away a rare, numbered Neil Young print (only a dozen were ever made).

How do you enter? Simple. Chip in to Russ on our Blue America page and your name goes in the hat. It's a two-fer: you could win a cool piece of memorabilia, and you'll feel better on November 3rd- trust me.

My friend and former colleague at OpenLeft, Chris Bowers (now with DailyKos), does his usual excellent job at putting it in perspective for us:

Nate Silver currently gives Democrats a 21% chance of keeping control of the House. Pollster.com also gives Democrats a 21% chance. Seems like a consensus to me.

With that in mind, here are three seemingly common things that are less likely than Democrats winning the House in 2010:

1. First, it’s less likely that your birthday is in either August or September (18%) than it is for Democrats to keep control of the House. However, we all know lots of people born in either August or September.

2. Second, your odds of rolling doubles in Monopoly, thus winning a second roll or getting you out of jail, are lower (17%) than the odds of Democrats winning the House. But everyone who has ever played Monopoly has rolled doubles many times.

3. Third, it’s less likely for an NFL team with the ball, and trailing by seven points at the start of the 4th quarter, to win the game (about 12%) than it is for Democrats to keep the House. Still, every football fan, player and announcer knows comebacks like that happen all the time. Two Sundays ago, it even happened twice in one day (here and here). A third, even larger comeback happened on that same day.

Yes, Democrats are behind. However, a 21% chance of victory is far from being defeated.

Giving it some thought, there are plenty more good examples:

• If you live in the United States, the probability of your blood type being AB+, O-, A-, B-, OR AB- is less than 21%- it's only 18.4%. Yet I bet a lot of you have one of those blood types- I do myself.
• For those of you who play pinochle like me, it turns out that with a single deck and dealing to four players, chances are only 18.6% that you'll be dealt a pinochle (jack of diamonds + queen of spades). But pinochles are fairly common in meld.
• Being a rabid player of the board game Risk, I continually seek out ideas on strategies and chances. For those of you who play, you'll know that being on defense can sometimes be harrowing when outnumbered. For example, when playing with all 5 dice, if you're Western United States with 6 armies and Eastern United States is attacking you with 9, your statistical odds of successfully holding onto Western United States are only 13%. Yet there are still plenty of times when your armies stand tall to successfully defend.
• Depending on what you read, only 8-15% of the population is left-handed. Yet not only is our President left-handed, I bet some of you have your left hand on the mouse right now.

The point is that for all the forecasting, retaining the House isn't hitting a triple bank shot -- it may be more common than events that regularly occur every day. This isn't spin -- it's statistics.

And a contribution to your favorite House candidate at Blue America will only increase those chances. It ain't over 'till it's over.

Here's Ron Johnson at the Green Bay Press-Gazette editorial board meeting on his plan, or lack thereof, to create jobs:

The disastrous meeting overall is, it's said, likely to have thrown the Press-Gazette endorsement to Feingold- along with, as of this past Sunday, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Capital Times in Madison, the Oshkosh Northwestern, and the La Crosse Tribune.

It, along with several other refusals to detail his plans, have resulted in this fantastic TV ad from Camp Feingold out yesterday:

The ad is a simple yet brilliant mockery of Johnson's much-praised ads using whiteboards (an example of which can be found here). I've always thought taking a candidate's own words or images and using them against him/her- as we saw in Jerry Brown's devastating new ad demonstrating how Whitman is an "echo" of Schwarzenegger- hit the right buttons. And the closing line about who will stand up for Wisconsin is excellent. I'm not trying to play you or exaggerate when I say I really think this could be the game-changing ad of the campaign.

A few weeks ago I wrote a piece titled "The line between a mild headache and a severe hangover on November 3rd". As we approach the elections and forecasts are increasingly bleak, it may come down to- yes, a whiteboard. And so it's ever more important that Russ Feingold returns to stand tall. We're still 18 folks short of 100 supporters for Russ on our C&L ActBlue page. Surely we can do better. I've put mine in. Let's hit that goal and then some to make this ad the "closing argument" in Wisconsin.

Everyone who donates has their name put in a hat and the lucky winner gets a rare numbered Neil Young print (only a dozen were ever made).

Continue reading »