McDonnell chose to repeal the provision claiming that it overstepped the bounds of his office to grant protections the VA General Assembly had not yet granted.  This act of cowardice is nothing more than a naked political move to appease his Evangelical Christian base.   Its ironic that a 21 year veteran of the United States Army would shy away from the opportunity to exercise leadership, and move his administration,  his state, and his party to the right side of history.

Enacting protections for people fearing discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation does not create any ‘new rights’ or overstep the limits of his authority.  Instead, it is a basic recognition of our equality before the law.  That’s why Virginia’s previous governors, Democrats Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, explicitly included that language to signal that Virginia has come a long way from the days of out- and-out de facto and de jure discrimination.

Where McDonnell’s action is particularly insidious is that it removes protections against discrimination that have been in place for years.  That is a declaration that LGBTQ citizens are second-class and not worthy of the respect and commitment that a government should display toward its citizens.

Rep. Stephen Webber Speaks on The Floor of the Missouri House

In Missouri, fortunately, we have leaders who will stand up and do the right thing.  One of those is Stephen Webber, (D-23 Columbia), himself an Iraq War veteran, and his bill, HB 1850. Despite having 52 Co-Sponsors,  including another Columbia Rep., Mary Still, the bill has not been scheduled for a hearing yet.  The Republican majority is blocking this every step of the way.

It is because I believe that every citizen has the right to be fairly represented and protected by their government that I ask you to call or write your state Representative or Senator in support of State Representative Stephen Webber’s (D-MO 23) bill in the Missouri house prohibiting discrimination based upon a person’s sexual orientation.  The bill is HB 1850 and with your help,  we can advance this most important cause and lead our state to a better tomorrow.

The reward recognizes their long and continued positive impact on race relations and social justice in Columbia, through their involvement with Loaves and Fishes, The Columbia Boxing Gym, Head Start, and other organizations.

The Group award went to Centro Latino.

“I get it.  Believe me, I get it,” he said, in knowing the difference between bailing out Wall Street and helping Main Street.

Three major program areas that the President believes will help to boost the economy and make our nation stronger are Renewable Energy, Health Care and Education.

Missouri is already helping to create jobs in road construction and bridge rebuilding.  Work on the Osage River Bridge at Tuscumbia was literally the first stimulus project in the country. Other projects remain “shovel ready”.

Speaking of the housing crisis, Obama said:

Regulations were gutted for the sake of a quick profit at the expense of a healthy market. People bought homes they knew they couldn’t afford from banks and lenders who pushed those bad loans anyway. And all the while, critical debates and difficult decisions were put off for some other time on some other day.

Noting that it is easy to “become cynical and doubtful,” Obama said he has learned that “hope is found in unlikely places.”

Now is the time for each of us to put our energies into hoping… and helping.

What does this mean? It means that we need as many people as possible to volunteer in the last couple weeks of this campaign. If you are interested, call the Boone County Democratic Party HQ at 573-875-1245 or the Campaign for Change office 573-442-7025.

The Keating scandal is eerily similar to today’s credit crisis, where a lack of regulation and cozy relationships between the financial industry and Congress has allowed banks to make risky loans and profit by bending the rules. And in both cases, John McCain’s judgment and values have placed him on the wrong side of history.

Find out more at www.keatingeconomics.com.

Dean spoke about the need to address our broken health care system, establish a timetable for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq, and fix our economy through investment and middle-class tax cuts.

“The Clean Energy Initiative will reduce the use of fossil fuel for electricity and encourage growth in Missouri’s renewable energy industries. The potential growth in these industries could lead to significant job creation and gains in income for Missourians,” said Dr. David Laslo of UM-St. Louis Public Policy Research Center.

To find out more about the Clean Energy Initiative, go to www.missouricleanenergy.org.