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Why Are Top Anti-Gay Activists Holding A Meeting In A US Senate Building Today?

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Located in Washington, D.C., the building above is the Dirksen Senate Office Building. It was named after Everett Dirksen, who served first in the U.S. House, from 1933–1949, and then in the Senate, from 1951-1969. The Republican Minority Leader, Dirksen helped to write and pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Sadly, a grotesque act is about to take place in the building that bears the name the of civil rights champion.

Today, top anti-gay activists will be meeting not just with U.S. Senators and their staff, but will be holding that meeting — which is open to the public — for U.S. Senators and their staff in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to further their agenda of hate.

“The Family in America” is the name of a symposium which “will be held from 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, room 562,” a press release states. Of course, in order to book a meeting and a room in a Senate office building, you need the support of a U.S. Senator. No word yet on which Senator is sponsoring the event, but “The Family in America” is a project of the Illinois-based Howard Center for Family, Religion & Society, and its protégé, the World Congress of Families.

UPDATE #1:
The meeting space has been pulled. No word on if the meeting has been moved.
Anti-Gay Meeting Of Radical Religious Right Group Canceled By Sen. Mark Kirk
UPDATE #2:
John Boehner finds them a meeting space.
Boehner To The Rescue — Of International Anti-Gay Organization Promoting Russia’s Policies

What will they be discussing?

This:

While the current U.S. administration persists in its efforts to redefine marriage and family, other nations are seeking a reaffirmation of the natural family. Australia has just elected a conservative government and given the largest budget area to Kevin Andrews, long-time defender of the family and World Congress of Families supporter; Russia recently banned the propaganda of “nontraditional sexual relations” to minors; and across Europe and Africa, nations are concerned with life issues, shrinking populations, and the disintegration of the natural family. Here in America, what can our pro-family legislators learn—positively and negatively—by studying our colleagues’ actions abroad?

Yes, they would like to model U.S. law and policy on Russia’s laws that essentially make it illegal to be gay, or to “promote” homosexuality.

Remember earlier this year when Vladimir Putin signed the law that made any discussion of homosexuality a crime in Russia? Remember just before that, when National Organization For Marriage (NOM) president Brian Brown traveled to Russia — but kept his travels a secret — and now stands accused of breaking federal law? Brown spoke with Russian lawmakers, reportedly to urge them not only to continue to ramp up their war on gay people but to remove children from same-sex couples and LGBT parents.

Who was behind Brown’s conversations with Russian anti-gay lawmakers? The World Congress of Families.

Who is holding a symposium in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, room 562, today? The World Congress of Families.

Remember last month, when Tea Party leader Rick Scarborough called for a class action lawsuit against homosexuality? Scarborough runs a group called Tea Party Unity. Who is on Tea Party Unity’s steering committee? Don Feder of the World Congress of Families. (Feder is the author of a lovely little article titled, “Top 10 Ways Democrats Are Like Nazis.”)

Who is holding a symposium in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, room 562, today? The World Congress of Families.

Now, do the names Austin Ruse, Janice Shaw Crouse, or Steven Mosher ring a bell? If you’re a close follower of the religious right’s anti-LGBT and so-called “pro-family” work, they do. Those three happen to be the main speakers today at the World Congress of Families’ symposium.

“These shameful individuals represent the worst of America, and it’s an outrage that they will now bring their vitriol to the United States Capitol,” Human Rights Campaign (HRC) President Chad Griffin said in a statement. “After spending years exporting their hate to other regions of the world and contributing to a culture of anti-LGBT violence in Russia, these zealots should be condemned by all Americans and especially by our elected leaders.”

Ruse, an occasional Breitbart contributor, is the president of the virulently anti-gay Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute (C-FAM). In September, Ruse and over 100 anti-LGBT activists and organizations signed a letter supporting Russia’s anti-gay laws and Vladimir Putin‘s war on gays.

(Yes, more evidence of America’s religious right working to make homosexuality illegal in Russia.)

Janice Shaw Crouse of Concerned Women for America offers a particular brand of anti-gay hate and ignorance. She has claimed the Supreme Court’s decision on DOMA will lead to a “bleak future” including “imprisonment” for Christians — no date set – and claimed that gay people die 20 years younger, commit suicide three times the average rate, are prone to syphilis and anal cancer, and cannot maintain long term relationships.

Griffin notes that Crouse, “celebrated a proposed law in Uganda that would make being LGBT punishable by death. Crouse called it a, ‘biblical and cultural stand against the radical homosexual agenda.’”

Steven Mosher is President of the Population Research Institute, which Equality Matters calls “a far-right anti-contraception organization.” Author of Population Control: Real Costs, Illusory Benefits, Mosher is a proponent of the anti-women scare meme developed by the religious right, called “demographic winter,” which claims that abortion and contraception should be banned because Muslims supposedly make babies at a higher rate than Christians.

It was turned into a “documentary” in 2008.

Unsurprisingly, NOM cofounder and former chair, Maggie Gallagher, is a subscriber of this farcical scare tactic.

In 2011, Mosher, who is the father of nine children, delivered a short speech (you can listen to it and you should) on his “demographic winter” ideas and admitted he was headed to Russia in 2012, to help them figure out how to make more babies.

More evidence of America’s religious right working to make homosexuality illegal in Russia?

Is it a coincidence that this crowd believes that gay people and same-sex marriage are antithetical to their main goal of populating the world with more conservative Christians in a race against Islam?

Here’s a look at their craziness:

//www.youtube.com/embed/3NfuWba9RR8

 

So, we have several of America’s top anti-gay activists, intent on populating America and the world with more Christian babies, holding a meeting organized by the Howard Center for Family, Religion & Society and the World Congress of Families.

The World Congress of Families just happens to have strong ties to Vladimir Putin. They’ll be holding their next conference in Moscow next year.

And they are holding a symposium in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, room 562, today.

Your tax dollars at work, ladies and gentlemen.

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News

‘Indictment Anytime’: Experts Explain Significance of Trump’s Attorneys Meeting With DOJ – Warn Plea Deal Possible

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Legal experts responding to news Donald Trump‘s legal team Monday morning walked into the U.S. Dept. of Justice agree it likely means Special Counsel Jack Smith is nearing a charging decision, but warn it could also mean the ex-president, under criminal investigation for unlawful handling of classified documents, among other possibly unlawful acts, might be offered a plea deal to avoid serving time in prison.

Trump’s attorneys being at DOJ “suggests indictment anytime. This would be the last step, and if neither side offers something worth thinking about, then DOJ would pull the trigger,” says former Dept. of Justice official Harry Litman.

“Plenty of possible angles they might choose to play including guilty plea for noncustodial sentence,” he adds, referring to any possible plea bargain with no sentence behind bars. “But unless Trump side leaks, discussions will stay confidential.”

READ MORE: ‘No Longer the Lord’s Chicken’: ‘Christian Woman’ Says She’s ‘Grieving’ Over ‘Woke’ Chick-fil-A Hiring a Diversity Officer

CBS News’ Robert Costa and Rob Legare broke the news that Trump’s attorneys had gone into DOJ. Responding to that, former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance offers up a few possible scenarios.

“The smart move here for Trump is a guilty plea to a misdemeanor if DOJ will offer one & a felony with no jail time if they won’t,” she says, pointing to her Substack newsletter where she discussed this very subject Sunday night.

“For those who dislike these possible outcomes (I would number myself in that group), it’s nonetheless important to understand the prior precedent that will shape DOJ’s charging decisions & any plea offers in this matter. This is Trump’s best possible outcome, not the country’s,” says Vance.

READ MORE: Classified Pentagon ‘War Plans’ Document Trump Bragged About in Audio Recording Is Missing: Report

She adds, “Trump seems incapable of saying he’s done anything wrong. To plead, he’d have to say under oath in open court that he was guilty. It’ll be interesting to see if he can do that, or would rather run the risk of being convicted of felonies that carry up to 20 years in custody.”

“Good sign,” says former federal prosecutor of 30 years, Glenn Kirschner, observing, “if Jack Smith had decided against charging Trump, there would be no need for this meeting. The last federal prosecutors often do before indicting is meet with the target’s defense team & give them an opportunity to present any evidence or arguments they want to offer.”

Dave Aronberg, Palm Beach County, Florida state’s attorney on MSNBC Monday morning said he believes Trump will be indicted this week.

Image by Gage Skidmore via Flickr and a CC license

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BREAKING NEWS

Trump’s Attorneys Just Walked Into DOJ – Special Counsel Expected to Reach Charging Decision Soon: Report

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Attorneys for Donald Trump Monday morning entered the U.S. Dept. of Justice, as expectations grow the ex-president could soon be charged in his unlawful removal, retention, and refusal to return hundreds of classified and top secret documents.

CBS News chief election and campaign correspondent Robert Costa reports sources say Special Counsel Jack Smith is expected to reach a decision on charging Trump in the case soon.

“Trump’s lawyers just spotted by @CBSNews entering the Justice Department, per @RobLegare who is on site,” Costa tweeted at 10:09 AM ET. He says that “comes as sources tell me the special counsel is moving toward a charging decision in the classified documents case.”

Citing sources, Costa adds, “Trump’s lawyers are expected to raise concerns about how prosecutors have handled atty-client questions during the grand jury but there is no sign the special counsel is going to waver from how he and his team have handled the crime-fraud exception…”

READ MORE: Former DOJ Official Says Audio of Trump Admitting to Keeping ‘War Plans’ Makes it ‘Inconceivable’ He Will Not Be Charged

Trump’s attorneys being at DOJ is a possible sign the Special Counsel could be close to asking a grand jury to bring charges against the one-term, twice impeached ex-president who is currently facing 34 felonies in an unrelated New York case.

“Often defense attorneys are given the opportunity to ‘pitch’ the DOJ before a charging decision is made,” former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti notes. “Trump’s team visiting DOJ likely means that we won’t see charges in the next few days—as their pitch is considered—but could potentially see charges in the next 5 to 15 days.”

The Special Counsel’s grand jury is reportedly reconvening this week.

Legal experts and Trump watchers have been expecting the ex-president to be charged as soon as this week, after CNN reported Special Counsel Jack Smith had an audio recording of Trump admitting to holding on to a classified document, described by some as “war plans” against Iran. In that audio Trump reportedly also said he knew the document was classified, and said he wished he could share it, which destroys multiple claims he has made in his defense of retaining the documents.

That document is still missing, and the Pentagon appears greatly concerned about the document.

On Sunday night Trump lashed out at Smith, calling him, the DOJ, and the FBI all “Marxist,” and described the investigation into his possibly illegal handling of classified documents as the “boxes hoax.”

 

This is a breaking news and developing story. Details may change. 

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News

Right-Wingers’ Latest Chick-fil-A Meltdown Proves They Have ‘Officially Jumped the Shark’: Morning Joe Panel

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MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough and Donny Deutsch mocked conservatives for running the “woke” hysteria into the ground.

Ron DeSantis and other Republicans have screeched about the so-called “woke agenda,” which they warn will undermine American values and put children at risk from all manner of threats, but the “Morning Joe” host said most voters simply don’t care about that manufactured issue.

“Joe Biden, 350 pieces of bipartisan legislation signed, and Ron DeSantis and everybody else is talking ‘woke, woke, woke, woke, woke,'” Scarborough said. “Again, something that I said on this show and I heard a lot about from liberals, even, in 2021. You’re not hearing it, again, in part because there have been some corrections. You have the head of Berkley Law School, Yale Law School, Stanford Law School going, ‘Hold on, hold on, we’re not going to let these woke mobs get in the way of free speech.’ They’re saying it at the most elite law schools in America, so common-sense Americans are going, ‘Okay, there may still be a problem, but they’re working on it,’ and yet these Republicans are all acting like it’s 2019, 2020 and they just keep freaking out. Well, Joe Biden is talking about job training and signing bipartisan bills.”

Conservatives have turned against Chick-fil-A for hiring a vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion — which actually happened over a year ago but largely escaped notice until recently — and Deutsche said that was a nadir for “woke” hysteria.

READ MORE: ‘Cowards’: Soledad O’Brien rips former CNN colleagues for silence as Chris Licht wrecks the network

“The ‘woke’ movement officially jumped the shark,” he said. “Joe, you touched on this earlier with the Chick-fil-A move. Right-wing company, I don’t say that negatively, very family values, closed on Sundays, the head of the — [company chairman] Dan Cathy came out against same-sex marriages. They’re very conservative. Now, all of a sudden — you’re right, very conservative, obviously a great company, and they came under fire they have a DEI initiative, diversity, coming under fire from right-wing groups. That’s the official moment that ‘woke’ officially jumped the shark and put Fonzie on skis in Honolulu.”

Watch the video below or at this link.

Image by Hector Alejandro via Flickr and a CC license

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