Gay Patriot

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What Happened to Andrew?

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It seems that the only times I now read Andrew Sullivan’s blog are when conservative blogs link him to wonder at his excesses (as Hugh Hewitt did yesterday). Andrew’s was once the first blog I read (indeed, oftentimes the only blog I read everyday). I knew him when I lived in D.C. and even gave money to his site.
His fall is a sad one. He was the first gay writer/speaker (with a national platform) to challenge the left-wing orthodoxy that pervades the gay community. And now he seems to have become a spokesman for that orthodoxy.
I acknowledge that it is easier for me to speak out as a gay conservative because of the hits Andrew took when he first came out as a gay conservative in the late 1980s.
But, now his overblown rhetoric is appalling. Hugh cites a recent post which Andrew concludes “it’s people like Dick Durbin who prove that some can actually stand up against this stain on American honor and call it what it is. Good for him. Thank God for him.”
Andrew would be right if he merely called torture a “stain on American honor,” would be right to condemn torture when it occurs, but, he’s wrong to praise Senate’s Number Two Democrat for his latest comments. When Andrew (and others like him) so praise Mr. Durbin, Hugh writes, they are “buying into the Nazi/Stalinist/Pol Pot comparison, which simply takes them off the field of serious argument.”
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Right-Of-Center Bloggers Declare “Who’s Screwing Up America”

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John Hawkins, of RightWingNews & ConservativeGrapevine and good friend to this blog, was generous in offering Dan and I a chance to participate in his “Right-of-Center” blog survey.
Right-Of-Center Bloggers Tell Us Who Is Screwing Up America – RightWingNews
We were asked to send a list up to 20 people of the folks we think are “screwing up America.” Forty-six other bloggers participated, and tied for first place…
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My only complaint about the survey…. can’t I do anything without BoiFromTroy doing it too? *big friendly-competitive-rivalry grin*
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Rocker defends W

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“They refuse to accept, because of their political ideology, that [President Bush] has actually done more than any American president for Africa. . . . But it’s empirically so.”
—Bob Geldof frontman for the Boomtown Rats & organizer of Live 8.
Here’s one entertainer who has put his compassion ahead of politics. A man who sees things as they are. Way to go, Bob! And to think that I listened to his band back when I was a young ‘un. I may have be onto something.
Hat tip: Captain Ed who has more.

The City of Brotherly Love

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I have the privilege of being in the great city of Philadelphia this week, as I’m attending the Biotechnology trade association’s annual meeting. I’ve brought the camera along so I can do some photoblogging around Center City in case something strikes my fancy.
Any guess on what I had for lunch today?
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Here’s a true patriot… or a facsimile thereof. And yes, it is obvious that all I had was my camera-phone last night at the National Constitution Center. Visit it! Great museum.
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Oh, yeah….. and this is me. I think I take terrible pics, but this one isn’t too bad. You can somewhat see me, yet it is still somewhat mysterious, eh? *grin* I’m going to use this on our “About GayPatriot” page….when we get one.
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-Bruce (GayPatriot) — gaypatriot2004@aol.com

GOP — True Party of the Middle Class

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Despite what the liberals and Democrat Party want you to think, elections DO matter. And here’s an interesting report related to the last Presidential Election…you remember, the one that the President was re-elected by a majority of voters for the first time since 1988?
Loss of Middle Class a ‘crisis’ for Democrats – Washington Times

Although Mr. Bush’s popular-vote margin of victory over Sen. John Kerry in 2004 was less than three percentage points, the Massachusetts Democrat lost the middle class — defined by the report as voters living in households with incomes between $30,000 and $75,000 — by six percentage points. Among white middle-class voters, the gap was 22 percentage points.

Well, if Howard Dean keeps accusing all Republicans of being liars, bigots and criminals… I wonder how on earth the Democrat Party will ever begin winning national elections again since they’ve lost the middle class?

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-Bruce (GayPatriot) — gaypatriot2004@aol.com

Downing Street Memos, Forgeries or Authentic but meaningless?

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As Captain Ed puts it, the “media and the Leftists have had a field day with the Downing Street memos that they claim imply that the Bush administration lied about the intelligence on WMD in order to justify the attack on Iraq.” Yet now, the authenticity of the memos is in question. British reporter Michael Smith, who first obtained the memos, “told AP he protected the identity of the source he had obtained the documents from by typing copies of them on plain paper and destroying the originals.”
Destroyed the originals? Hmmm. . . . Powerline reports the Smith “either destroyed or returned the copies he had originally obtained.” Still, that conservative blog doubts “that the documents are fakes,” yet holds that the documents are “innocuous.” Captain Ed agrees, “Even if these memos could be authenticated, they’re still meaningless.”
Despite hearings and investigations held both in the U.S. and the United Kingdom showing that the Bush Administration did not “cook” intelligence on Iraq’s WMDs in order to strengthen its case to liberate Iraq, many administration critics remain committed to their “narrative” that the president lied to justify war. (You can download the Senate Intellitence Committee’s report here.)
These critics have recently based their case on memos of questionable authenticity which contain only a few sentences that could be interpreted to justify their narrative. These very memos also note British officials’ concerns that Saddam might use WMD in the event of an allied attack. Thus they prove that, prior to the liberation of Iraq, top British officials believed Saddam possessed WMDs.
Hat tip: Roger Simon.
UPDATE: Check out Right Side of the Rainbow’s post on the topic. He agrees that “the memos contain no smoking gun.”

Sunday Open Thread–Best Movie Villain

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As Batman Begins does gangbuster business this weekend at the box office, several of my friends (whom I trust for movie advice) rave about the flick. Thinking of the Caped Crusader (whose TV show your humble blogger enjoyed as a lad), I recalled Tim Burton‘s 1989 Batman flick and Jack Nicholson‘s whimsically maniacal portrayal of the Joker. In my mind, Nicholson’s Joker has always been one of the best movie villains of all time.
So, today’s open thread, which character, in your mind, is the best movie villain (or movie villains) of all time?
UPDATE: Just got in from the latest Batman flick. While Tim Burton’s had a better villain, this one has a better Batman. I’ve liked Christian Bale since I first saw him in Kenneth Branagh‘s Henry V. He seems to have found his niche in the movie which should become his first blockbuster.

Failing to see alleged abuses at U.S. detention facilities in context

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A few weeks ago, when frustrated by the cost to park in a certain lot, I made some nasty comment to the parking attendant as I paid the fee. Later, I regretted my language. I had been wrong to be so rude to that woman. It bothered me that I acted that way; over the past few years, I have made it a practice to be courteous to parking lot attendants, realizing how thankless their jobs must be.
If you didn’t like me, you might single out that one episode to say that Dan treats parking lot attendants badly. In so doing, you might accurately relate one story, but would not be telling the truth about the entire situation.
This is exactly how many Democrats — and many in the MSM — have treated the Administration’s treatment of suspected terrorists and other detainees at the detention facility at Guantanamo — as well as at other prisons. They focus only on the military’s wrongdoing without seeing it in complete context of the way the Administration has treated prisoners in the War on Terror.
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A quarter-million and then some!

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Sometime yesterday, as numerous blogs picked up the good news of the GayPatriot’s return, we crossed the quarter-million mark, over 250,000 visitors. It’s so nice to have Bruce back where he belongs. This blog is still glowing, it’s still crowing and it’s going even stronger than ever. We’re staying where we’re at, gals and fellas. Thanks, readers!

Boy Scouts and Orangemen Don’t Mix

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I was troubled this week to see this news item outlining a second instance of Syracuse University — my alma mater — discriminating against the Boy Scouts of America.
Boy Scouts banned from holding event at Syracuse University
Now, the argument by the University is that since Boy Scouts of America don’t allow gays in their organization, the University can refuse to provide them a place to meet and have award dinners. Really…
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Thank You.

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I wanted to thank everyone who sent me such nice emails yesterday and who made very kind comments on my postings. It is great to be back and I’m very excited to have such kind readers and friends.
A special thanks to Dan (GayPatriotWest) for keeping this blog going in my absence. He’s a great guy, a smart guy and I’m proud to call him a friend.
Some of you have commented or emailed about setting up a “legal defense fund.” And some of you have already found the “PayPal” button on the GP blog. Thank you for your donations, and the sentiment behind such a fund. I was blown away by the outpouring of sentiment yesterday through these donations.
I appreciate the spirit of generosity, but I hope you understand that the legal battle is one that I have to do on my own. However, if you like this blog and want to see improvements and allow for advertising…. I would encourage you to donate for that purpose. I promise any money donated will only go back into the further development of the GayPatriot blog.
Donations accepted here.
-Bruce (GayPatriot) – gaypatriot2004@aol.com

“As I Was Saying Before I Was Interrupted…”

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Those were the words said by Jack Paar, the original host of NBC?s ?Tonight Show,? on March 7, 1960, the first night he came back on the air after nearly a month?s absence from the show. Paar had walked off the ?Tonight Show? set during its broadcast the month before due to a disagreement with the network?s censors.
Paar?s return and those infamous words are frequently mentioned by pop culture historians as one of the most memorable moments of live television. So I dedicate my return as ?GayPatriot? to the master of comebacks and timing?..Jack Paar.
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Full Disclosure and Disclaimer

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From nearly the first day in September 2004 that I launched the GayPatriot blog, many fellow bloggers, readers of GayPatriot, Log Cabin Republican board members, and even the Gay Leftists have openly wondered about my identity. In fact, you may recall I was incorrectly ?outed? as Christian Grantham a few months ago.
Well, as part of my return to the blog I decided to come out of the blog-closet and reveal my identity as well as my background. I have never desired fame or fortune, just a creative outlet to share my views but I think it is time to be more candid as it may allow you to gain more perspective on my personal experiences and current view of our world.
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My last post as a solitary blogger

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It is just about midnight on the West Coast as I begin a post I have long looked forward to writing. This will be my last post as a solitary blogger. THE GayPatriot, the man who founded this blog will be returning later this morning. It’ll be nice to have him back where he belongs.
GP founded this blog on September 4, 2004, vowing to “prove that gay conservatives exist, are relevant, and outspoken.” Four days later, I e-mailed him offering kudos for telling “LCR to stick it.” He wrote back. We exchanged e-mails and Instant Messages. Less than a month later, he invited me to join him here on the blog, a task I gladly undertook.
I appreciate what he had done in founding this blog, providing a voice in the blogosphere for gay conservatives, especially for those of us, who, despite our occasional differences with President Bush, supported his re-election. For the nearly six months that he and I blogged together, our styles complemented each other. I’m glad he’s back to take up the work he began last fall and to balance once again my more philosophical posts with the wit and punch of his prose.
But, more than anything, I appreciated his inviting me to join this blog. Since he left, an average of just under 500 people visited this blog per day. While that represents fewer readers than we had when he and I were posting together, to me, someone who has longed to share his views since he first learned to speak, that’s a lot of people eager to read my writing–even if some of them expect to disagree with me. Just a few hours ago, I received an e-mail from a reader who thought I was doing a great job even though he is frequently at odds with me.
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