Tammy Baldwin & the absurity of DADT & DOMA

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday April 01, 2008 · 10:23 AM PDT

2008/04/01 · 10:23

The military has the "DADT" (don't ask, don't tell) policy and state and federal governments have DOMA amendments and laws. Anyway, these have lead to some sad and frustrating inequalities for military heroeswho die in battle and same-sex couples trying to live their lives.

wclathe

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday March 11, 2008 · 12:01 PM PDT

2008/03/11 · 12:01

When will 'we' get it? The news that comes out from scientific studies consistently and relentlessly reports that all indicators of climate change are worse, much worse, than most of our worst case scenarios.

Arctic ice, temperature change, CO2 rates, IPCC's worst case scenarios weren't bad enough.

Well, chalk another one up to 'not bad enough:' China's CO2 emissions are outpacing previous estimates by 2 to 4 fold.

wclathe

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday February 19, 2008 · 11:12 AM PST

2008/02/19 · 11:12

This primary season has had a much more personal impact on our family than have any before. Impacts that intersect race, gender and sexual orientation. As a family of two fathers raising an African American daughter and with the two Democratic front-runners being an African-American man and a woman, the race could not have been anything but momentous in our family.

Both my partner and I supported Barack Obama early on. It was generally quiet support, an occasional online donation. The McClurkin incidence came and I wavered. But after his speeches where, in front of hostile (to gay rights) audiences, he spoke forcefully for our rights and after looking at his positions (supports the complete repeal of DOMA), we came to support him strongly.

Our daughter, 5 years old, had other ideas.

(crossposted toDaddy, Papa & me and Family Equality Council Blog)

wclathe

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday February 13, 2008 · 12:27 PM PST

2008/02/13 · 12:27

The Clinton campaign, Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton have used a variety of excuses to dismiss Obama's huge wins.

It's the black people.

It's the caucuses.

It's the red states.

It's the latte-drinking over-educated liberals.

You can add another one now. Weather.

wclathe

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday February 08, 2008 · 1:21 PM PST

2008/02/08 · 13:21

Ok, the new false meme out there, put out by Clinton supporters or Obama detractors, is that people voting for Obama are doing so with their heart and not their head, or that they are emotional, or that they are 'cultists'.

It's absurd on the face of it and an insult to 90% of us who are voting for him for very calculated, thoughtful and rational reasons (and yes, he inspires too).

So, lets change the frame.

wclathe

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday February 06, 2008 · 11:43 AM PST

2008/02/06 · 11:43

Over the last month I've been a precinct captain for the OBAMA campaign, called, canvassed, emailed, donated, stood on street corners, went to fund raisers. And yesterday's primary here in California is now over. My work is done.

Or so I thought. It's been stressful and took up a lot of time that was take n from my family and work. I was looking forward to resting and just giving it to the others now to do.

But, I've been thinking, I"m not done. There are a lot of things I can do (though hopefully they'll take less time). So follow me below the fold to see what I've come up with AND AM DOING and perhaps add your own ideas.

wclathe

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday February 04, 2008 · 8:42 AM PST

2008/02/04 · 08:42

There are all the substantial reasons. The fact that he supports my family's rights. His understanding that we must fix health care system and stop global warming, and has good proposals to do so. His legislative experience that is longer and more substantial than Hillary Clinton's, and Kennedy's, and Clinton's, and Carter's, and Bush II's, and many others before they were president. His judgment in opposing the war when it was not popular to do so. On these and many other issues he has shown experience, judgment andgood ideas.

wclathe

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday February 01, 2008 · 8:09 PM PST

2008/02/01 · 20:09

The polls show Obama virtually tied now with Clinton in California.

He has swept the California Newspapers' endorsements

He has gotten key endorsements in the state.

It all seems like the momentum is his, he could tie.

But I think my evidence says he will win. My evidence? Three elderly women in San Francisco.

wclathe

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday January 17, 2008 · 12:19 PM PST

2008/01/17 · 12:19

I've had a strange couple weeks as politics go recently. I've mildly supported Obama the last few months, but over the last month have come to give more of my time and money to his campaign. Yesterday I became a precinct captain for the campaign. As such, his name has come up more in my conversations with friends and family, my Mormon friends and family to be specific. I'd like to recount a couple of these stories. This is not so much to praise Obama (though of course I would :), as much as it is to illustrate how badly Bush has hurt the Republican party and the conservative cause.

wclathe

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday January 02, 2008 · 9:44 AM PST

2008/01/02 · 09:44

That's what my 5-year-old daughter, an African-American, said to me this weekend.

It hurt the the core of my heart. I, as the "whitest-man-in-America," and my partner work hard to raise our daughter with a sense of pride in her heritage, a love for herself and understanding of what it means to be "black" in this country and still remain hopeful.

We thought we were succeeding.

(quick caveat: I am a mild supporter of Obama.. given a bit of money, have his magnet on our refrigerator, but this diary is more about race than it is another candidate diary)

wclathe

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday December 17, 2007 · 1:52 PM PST

2007/12/17 · 13:52

That's what I'm saving every year by making one simple change in my lifestyle.

Earlier this year my family made a pledge, cut our carbon emissions by 50% in 5 years. We are going to shoot for 80%. This year we made a lot of progress. All light bulbs in the house now are CFs, we insulated our home ala Mem in Somerville, our double-paned laminated windows are going in this week, we now carpool (there is no bus to her school) our daughter to school 3 days a week (working towards 5), I bought a grocery cartand walk to do most grocery shopping.

We still have that hybrid to buy (I really really want the aptera), solar panels to install, etc. Those will have to wait.

But this month I made a simple change that is actually going to have a large impact in comparison to other changes I could have made.

wclathe

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday December 14, 2007 · 10:18 AM PST

2007/12/14 · 10:18

For our family of four...

In 2006, the grocery bill was about 15% of our take home income.

In 2006, our health insurance bill was about 15% of our take home income.

In 2006, our gas and electric bill was about 3% of our take home income.

In 2006, our auto gas bill was about 2.4% of our take home income.

Those four things make up about 35% of our take home income.

2007?

Newer
Older

RSS

Tammy Baldwin & the absurity of DADT & DOMA

Global Warming News: It's always worse than expected

Our Family's very "Personal Primary"

Add weather to the list of excuses

DON'T PLAY to the other's frame on Obama

Your primary finished? You're not!

They real reason I vote for Obama tomorrow

Obama will win California, at least that's my evidence

Mormons for Obama

Our daughter: "A Black Man Can't be President"

A tree, 375 dollars and a tank of gas

Inflate this!