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Fill The Void

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Sarah Palin got it right.

Well, just one thing: Palin knows how to fill a void. Who else was able to upstage two solid weeks of 24/7 Michael Jackson media coverage? From the moment she announced she was resigning as Governor of Alaska, she started making new headlines all over again, giving more interviews, releasing more statements, turning the weeks after Fourth of July into Palinpalooza.

From the moment John McCain introduced Sarah Palin as his running mate last year, she worked hard to dominate headlines every day. Lord knows every “You betcha” hit YouTube – and every mistake and mis-characterization hit Mainstream America. Palin’s antics polarized the nation, but we knew everything she said and did. For better or for worse, Palin was the story. And for better or for worse, Palin remains a story. Like the Michael Jackson story on Larry King, it seems Palin will be forever with us.

The year is more than half over. Summer is half over. Legislatures are winding down, or are done. The fun flurry of whack-a-mole marriage equality news is gone. And with it, our ability to move our agenda forward, at least in the hearts and minds of average, ordinary citizens. There’s a void in the media and only a crisis – or leadership – will grab it.

It’s time for us to take the lead and run with it.

We know that with heightened awareness of our issues comes heightened support for our issues. The American people are good people, many of whom simply don’t know us, and don’t know enough about us to care about us. That’s why we need to stay in the headlines: to keep our message clear and consistent.

Have no doubt: The Religious Right will take over the conversation through Labor Day, if we let them.

Christian Coalition head Ralph Reed, in an apparent Vulcan mind-meld with GOP Chair Michael Steele, just announced the creation of the “Faith and Freedom Coalition,” that claims to be “younger, hipper, less strident and more inclusive.” Maggie Gallagher’s National Organization for Marriage is working hard with a new PAC in New York, and there’s an extended effort that’s making headway to repeal gay marriage in Maine. And the Values Voters Summit – an annual bigot fest, exactly two months away – is gearing up with a promise of a new assault on same-sex marriage.

In short, it’s the infamous “kinder, gentler bigotry” we’ve come to expect from the Religious Right and our opponents.

Despite a torrent of lies from Republican Congress members who labeled the Mathew Shepard Act, the “Thought Crimes Act,” and from groups like “Faith 2 Action,” which labeled it, “The Pedophile Protection Act,” the Senate late last night approved the bill. But the Religious Right may still get their way, as a threat looms by President Obama to veto the Military Appropriations bill the Shepard bill is attached to.

So let’s be honest: There will be little else happening in the LGBTQ rights arena until fall, and without a plan of action the chances of us keeping Mainstream America’s focus on gay rights through the summer are slim.

Let us not be deterred. We must take advantage of the opportunity this hazy lull provides!

Let’s look at some events that dominated headlines last August:

* The actor David Duchovny went into rehab for sex-addiction.
* Madonna and Michael Jackson celebrated their 50th birthdays.
* Barack Obama accepted the Democratic Party nomination for President.
* Some Hallmark stores refused to sell same-sex greeting cards. The American Family Association also protested the free-market selling of those same-sex greeting cards.
* Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi wed in California – before Prop 8 passed in November.

Surely we can do more to get our message out this time around? The challenge is simple: Fill this media void with positive LGBTQ stories between now and Labor Day, until the regular political and legislative cycle resumes its natural course and we can move our message forward through political actions. Let’s keep the importance of our struggle in the eyes of our neighbors and fellow citizens. Let’s continue our national conversation on gay rights. Let’s help all Americans realize that we are their neighbors, their co-workers, their friends.

Politicians and pundits may take August off (remember George W. Bush’s extended August vacations?) but the American people – especially given this year’s economy – can’t afford to. Those who still have jobs can’t afford to go away. And we can’t afford to let our message slide – or our guard down.

The opportunity is ripe! Let’s fill the void of summer with positive messages that resonate with America. Let’s look to the Prop 8 lessons we learned too late. Let’s make it our mission to show America who we are. Lord knows Palin’s legacy of innanity will out-live her. And Lord knows we have a better message, a more honest message, a more important message than Sarah Palin did. Let’s spend the rest of summer working as hard as she did to help show America that the “real America” includes LGBTQ Americans, too.

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Another Georgia Republican Bails as Mike Johnson’s House Sees Even More Exits

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February 4, 2026

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Another prominent House Republican from Georgia will retire, adding to the mass exodus Speaker Mike Johnson is seeing under his leadership.

U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) announced on Wednesday that he will not seek re-election. Loudermilk was first elected to Congress in 2014. He is the fourth Georgia Republican not seeking re-election, and joins (former) U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, U.S. Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA), and U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA).

Loudermilk become the thirtieth House Republican to retire or seek a different office, according to the U.S. House Casualty List.

Last week, Cook Political Report’s Dave Wasserman reported: “Today, we only see 18 out of 435 races as toss-ups, but Republicans would need to win two-thirds of the toss-up column to hold their House majority.”

He suggested that Democrats are “modest favorites” to regain the House majority.

Speaker Mike Johnson’s margin over House Democrats is so thin that he directed Republican lawmakers to “take vitamins” in January.

According to Politico, “Republicans will expect to retain Loudermilk’s seat in suburban Atlanta in November, which he won by 34 points in 2024.”

Image via Reuters

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White House Shuts Down Melania Trump Event After Epstein Questions

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February 4, 2026

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A rare White House event turned awkward and was ultimately shut down after First Lady Melania Trump faced pointed questions about using the White House to promote her documentary, “Melania,” and about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s partner and accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell.

The first lady was meeting with the freed American-Israeli hostage Keith Siegel, and his wife, Aviva Siegel.

According to The Daily Beast, “things took an unfortunate turn when reporters took the opportunity to ask questions, setting their sights on the first lady’s box office debut and Epstein’s accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is now serving a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted for abusing young girls.”

Asked whether she felt it was appropriate to use the White House to promote her film, the first lady dismissed the question.

“It is not promotion,” she said. “We are here celebrating the release of the hostage; of Aviva and Keith. They were in Washington, D.C., and they said they would like to come over to thank me and to give hugs. There’s nothing to do with promotion.”

A reporter then waded into the Epstein controversy.

“There’s a call from Epstein survivors to have Ghislaine Maxwell moved to a high security prison. What do you want to happen,” they asked, which prompted her staff to try to end the press conference immediately.

“Thank you, press,” a staffer said, as the First Lady responded, “We are here celebrating the release and the life of those two incredible people, so let’s honor that.”

According to The Daily Beast, Melania Trump appears in the Epstein files, including in a “chummy” 2002 email to Maxwell, signed “Love, Melania.”

“Dear G! How are you?” it says. “Nice story about JE in NY mag. You look great in the picture.”

Image via Reuters

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‘Did You Lie?’: Bessent Backtracks Under Fire Over Prior Testimony

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4 hours ago

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February 4, 2026

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U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent faced a heated confrontation with a Democratic lawmaker and acknowledged that his earlier congressional testimony may have been mistaken.

His error, Bessent insisted — despite the view of many economists — was his claim that he had not said “tariffs are inflationary.”

“Earlier,” The New York Times reported, “he had denied having written to his hedge fund investors in 2024 that tariffs are inflationary. Presented with his exact words, however, he said that he was wrong to deny making those comments and that he had been wrong at the time about tariffs and inflation.”

U.S. Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL) read from a letter Bessent wrote in 2024 — before Trump won the White House.

“I want to read you a quote,” Casten began. “‘Trump will pursue a weak dollar policy rather than implementing tariffs. Tariffs are inflationary and would strengthen the dollar.’ Do you recognize that quote?”

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“I believe you’re referring to a letter that I wrote, and tariffs could be inflationary,” Bessent replied.

“No, no,” Casten insisted. “It says ‘tariffs are inflationary.'”

Casten then asked, “Do you want to correct what you said to the ranking member when you specifically said that you did not say tariffs are inflationary?”

“You said tariffs are inflationary,” Casten continued, after having to repeat himself.

“Do you want to correct what you said to the ranking member? Or did you lie?” Casten then pressed.

“If I was mistaken, I want to correct it,” Bessent said. “And I was also mistaken when I said the tariffs could be inflationary, because — we’ve seen inflation drop to 2.1 percent.”

Many economists say that tariffs are inflationary because they function as a tax, in this case, largely on American firms and consumers.

According to HuffPost, Trump’s $181 billion tariff increase “ranks as the 13th biggest tax hike since before World War II.”

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