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Another Nod For Patrick
2008-08-16 00:45:00
As noted here, congratulations to Patrick Murphy for being named as a speaker at the Democratic National Convention in Denver (don't know what night he is slated to speak yet...I know Matt Stoller is taking issue with the list for reasons that I don't think have much to do with Patrick).And by the way, the faux freeper outrage in the form of venomous letters to the Bucks County Courier Times claiming once more that this is further proof that Patrick does the bidding of Nancy Pelosi will begin momentarily.

Little Ricky Has No Clue On McBush?s No. 2
2008-08-15 23:34:00
I?m a little late with my analysis, such as it is, of former Senator ?Eye of Mordor? and his column yesterday about the possible nominees for vice president on the Repug ticket.And Little Ricky thus tells the ?straight talk express? to??err on the side of caution. His choice needs to be a pro-life economic conservative with zero baggage and solid experience in government. Completely noncontroversial.Why do I suggest that a candidate who has been trailing in national polls and whose party is predicted to take a bath in the coming congressional elections play it safe?Because this race is not about John McCain.Really? I?m sure that?s news to the prospective voters polled here (and I have to admit that I got a kick out of this veep suggestion by kossack Trapper John).Thanks to a legion of factors having nothing to do with McCain, the Democratic presidential nominee should be the prohibitive favorite in November. From the start, the race for the White House was always about the Democrat....

Exercising A Bad Repug Precedent
2008-08-15 20:12:00
This Murdoch Street Journal news story tells us that John W. McBush?s son Andrew recently served on the audit committee of a troubled Nevada bank until he recently resigned on July 25th.A week after he did so??the Henderson, Nev., company reported a loss of $62.7 million in the second quarter and said its capital -- the bank's cushion to absorb losses -- had eroded significantly. At the same time, Silver State announced the resignations of its chief executive and chairman.On Thursday, the bank said in a securities filing that it actually lost $73.2 million in the second quarter. Silver State also said in the filing that its worsening financial condition means there is "uncertainty about the company's ability to continue as a going concern."Hmmm, the son of a prominent Republican sat on the audit committee, then he bailed, and then the company's earnings took a nose dive.Call me crazy, but doesn?t that sound familiar?(Dubya, though, was able to help inflate Harken?s stock and cash...
More About: Exercising

A Friday Freeper Fraud From Forty Years Gone
2008-08-15 18:42:00
?The Most Trusted Name In News? published this commercial for John W. McBush disguised as an opinion column written by longtime Repug operative Leslie Sanchez (at least CNN discloses who she is up front, which is nice for a change), in which she tells us?In one weekend, unpredictable events have given McCain a golden opportunity to capitalize on what are some of his strongest attributes as a potential president -- a lifetime of foreign policy experience, a military background and a strong anti-Russian stance. We will soon see if McCain can translate his advantage into a gain in the polls.Again, I ask upon what exactly is this opinion based that, somehow, foreign policy is a McBush ?strength.?The column also contains numerous slaps at Barack Obama for actually having the unmitigated gall to go on vacation in ?that exotic, foreign location? of Hawaii (of course, no criticism is noted of Our Gal Condi Rice, for doing nothing more than making those tough, ultra-serious phone calls while...
More About: Fraud , Friday , Years

Thursday Stuff
2008-08-15 06:08:00
The Spinto Band ("Oh Mandy," kind of a dippy little tune with a catchy video, but I'm sure the kids like it - the guys are from nearby Wilmington, DE)......and hey, McBush, if you're going to steal a song by Jackson Browne, try this one, OK (though "Running On Empty" is oddly appropriate)......Robert Greenwald's videos from Brave New Films are all great, but this one is terrific (re: Obama smears from Fox Noise)......and James Roosevelt, Jr., FDR's grandson, has a special message for Senator McBush on the 73rd anniversary of signing Social Security into law (here).Oh, and on the subject, Think Progress tells us here that Dem staffers in New Mexico attempted to sing "Happy Birthday to Social Security" outside of a McBush campaign office, only to have the birthday cake thrown in a trash can, presumably by one or more of McBush's campaign staff.Aside from the sheer wastefulness, it shows a certain inconsistency. After all, McBush had no trouble with this cake; you know, the one he...
More About: Stuff , Thursday

McBush Hopes For A ?Prayer From The Faithful?
2008-08-15 00:33:00
This post from Chris Bowers at Open Left reminds us that both all-but-named nominees for president will appear with The Rev. Rick Warren on Saturday at a forum in the ?heartland? of Southern California (and I totally agree with Bowers? interpretation of the implied intolerance in that label).This is significant because, to their credit, some of the ?fundies? who actually DO care about trying to better our world have had enough of getting pretty much ignored by the Repugs over the last eight years after they've voted, to the point where they are very much ?in play? in this election, forcing McBush to try and win them over (should be fun ? part of that is due to the fact that a bit of a split is taking place between older and younger Christians, with the latter trending towards Obama, as noted here).As he attempts to do that, though, I?d be interested in hearing his explanation as to why he was apparently too busy to attend this ?faith gathering? (or whatever you want to call it) ear...
More About: Hopes , Prayer , Faithful

Obeying Our Masters
2008-08-14 22:03:00
This Inquirer story tells us that the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan upheld a ruling in 2006 dismissing a claim against Saudi Arabia, a Saudi charity, four princes and a Saudi banker of providing material support to al Qaeda before the September 11 attacks, saying that they could not be held liable because of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act.This is particularly significant in this area because the law firm of Cozen O?Connor filed the action on behalf of several dozen insurers that paid out billions in claims to businesses at ground zero. They were joined in the legal action by law firms representing victims and survivors and various other commercial interests that suffered losses in the attacks, as the Philadelphia Inquirer tells us.And as this prior post will tell you, if there is ever a legal venue in this country that is Bushco-friendly in a particularly odious way, it is the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan.As noted, they issued ?a bad reading of f...
More About: Masters

A Repug Sees The Light Of Day For Obama
2008-08-14 21:08:00
This McClatchy story tells us that the ?Republicans for Obama ? just picked up a new member?"This is simply not a time for politics as usual," said Jim Leach, a former congressman from Iowa who endorsed Obama on Tuesday.Leach?said he thought that Obama would return the presidency to a less partisan style that looked to more international cooperation and was "rooted in very old American values."The group's strategy will focus on winning support for Obama in states that have tended to favor Republican presidential candidates, such as North Carolina, Virginia, Iowa and Colorado, as well as Ohio and Florida. The group will launch a Web site this week and plans campaign appearances on Obama's behalf.Jim Leach has kind of an interesting story; as noted here, he is currently the John L. Weinberg Visiting Professor of Public and International Affairs at the Woodrow Wilson School of Princeton University.He served in an Iowa district that trended Democratic more and more over his time in the...
More About: Light , Sees

Welcome To Bucks County - Now Mind Your Own Business!
2008-08-14 17:31:00
For Bucks County Commissioners Jim Cawley and Charley (?I Have A Semi-Open Mind ?) Martin, trying to shore up their fortress to keep any ray of light from shining through, thus allowing their constituents to see what they?re up to, is a full-time job (my response to this story in the Courier Times today)?Bucks County's Republican commissioners want to release on their own terms the reasons why employees with county cars say they need them ? and they don't trust the Democratic commissioner to keep that information to herself.A heated exchange punctuated the commissioners' annual trek to the Middletown Grange Fair for their August public meeting Wednesday.Commissioners Jim Cawley and Charley Martin told Commissioner Diane Marseglia she could see the written justifications, but could not have copies.?I'd probably read about them in the paper tomorrow and I'd prefer not to do that,? Martin said.And of course, we could NEVER allow that to happen, could we, Charley? God forbid that yo...
More About: Business

Wednesday Stuff
2008-08-14 05:13:00
Green Day ("Boulevard Of Broken Dreams"; I should've put this up after the Edwards thing broke on Friday)......and I dedicate the following video to that numbskull Cynthia Sneed who, along with her blinkered "values voter" brethren, kissed off this man when he ran for the White House four years ago in favor of President Highest Disapproval Rating In Gallup Poll History (and I have to admit that I love this ad too)......by the way, doesn't anyone want to try living in John W. McBush's alternate universe (where, "in the 21st century, nations don't invade other nations" - h/t The Daily Kos)? I didn't think so (or as Matt Yglesias at Think Progress pointed out, ?We all recall, of course, John McCain?s outrage when the United States violated this rule back in 2003")......and I think it's pretty damn plain that "sweet crude" is fueling the "Straight Talk Express"......on the other hand, Barack Obama hammers McBush on Iraq and the economy again (not sure about the "schools" part, but...
More About: Stuff , Wednesday

Punditry Can Be A Waste Of Time Too
2008-08-14 00:38:00
It?s no surprise, I realize, that I came across a column basically arguing that college should be reserved only for those who study the sciences in the online version of the Murdoch Street Journal, and it is even less of a surprise that such a column was written by Charles Murray (pictured).You see, Murray is an academic who seems to derive a perverse fascination out of performing two main tasks: 1) slicing and dicing people into primarily demographic categories in order to establish some sort of intellectual hierarchy whereby the privileged few (in his delusions) rise by virtue of some innate quality of leadership, intelligence, courage and/or good breeding to wisely preside over our society; and 2) explain with almost geometric logic precisely why the rest of the chaff that falls by the wayside in his reckoning deserves no better than employment at McDonald?s cleaning toilets (full disclosure ? I?ve done that in my life, people?it?s as bad as it sounds).And Murray has been at this...
More About: Time , Waste

Tom Manion, Already Out Of Energy
2008-08-13 23:52:00
Well, as I live and breathe, it turns out that Patrick Murphy?s opponent for the PA U.S. House 8th District seat has something to say after all.This takes you to today?s Guest Opinion that appeared in the Bucks County Courier Times written by Repug Tom Manion, and though I disagree with most of what he has to say ( I?ll get to that shortly), I would like to give him some small credit for not employing the snippy, whiny tactics of our former U.S. House Rep Mikey Fitzpatrick; one example is not referring to our current rep as ?Pat? Murphy or some idiotic derivation, which is always a clue that an onset of freeper nonsense is coming. As I said, I disagree with Manion, but I believe he represents himself here in a professional manner.Also, I apologize in advance for the repetition of this post; I know I?ve covered a good deal of this before. I?ll try to avoid too much redundancy if I can...Today, the uniquely American spirit of entrepreneurship can find solutions to our energy demands. ...
More About: Energy

Proof That Zombie Lies Never Die
2008-08-13 20:32:00
Congratulations to Senator Bob Casey for being awarded with the opportunity to speak at the upcoming Democratic National Convention (noted here, probably a reward in part for his endorsement of Obama when everyone else in PA except for Patrick Murphy endorsed Hillary Clinton).However, part of me wants to pummel Mark Halperin to a pulp over resurrecting the LIE YET AGAIN! that Casey?s father, former PA Governor Bob Casey, Sr., was denied the opportunity to speak at the 1992 convention because he opposed abortion (he opposed the Clinton-Gore ticket so he wasn?t granted the opportunity to speak, I?ll probably be repeating this forever, this is a recording?).
More About: Proof , Zombie , Lies

?No Exit? For Repugs On Infrastructure Woes
2008-08-13 19:09:00
In yesterday?s Philadelphia Inquirer, PA House Repug John Peterson continued to run and hide from his abysmal performance in the U.S. Congress on the matter of appropriating funding to support vehicle traffic and mass transit in this state (fortunately for us, he announced last January that he would not seek another term).Maybe he?s thinking that we?re diverted by the Olympics or something and we won?t notice his utter balderdash. Fortunately, that?s not true?Washington isn't to blame for the sorry state of affairs of Pennsylvania's roads and bridges. The state legislature and the governor are.Really? Then why did Sen. Joe Scarnati, the state Senate?s president pro tempore from Jefferson County, blame Peterson and fellow Repug U.S. House Rep Phil English here for not securing enough transportation dollars for PA (and did I mention that Scarnati is a Republican?).And Peterson provides the following information but missing some important context?Since 2003, $412 million in federal m...
More About: Infrastructure

Tuesday Stuff
2008-08-13 05:35:00
Hey, it's "Olympic Fever" - Catch It! (no really, it is - just don't cough up a lung, OK?)......and trust me, if that doesn't make you want to gag, this will; "The Pap Attack" brings us the true cost of Bushco's woeful fiscal mismanagement......and K.O. brings us "Worst Persons" (yep, American Airlines charging our military for transporting their luggage en route to combat zones - that tears it all right)......and here's Jim Boggia ("Super Girl," live at the old Tower Records store on South Street in Philly before it closed...sniff).
More About: Stuff , Tuesday

Three Milestones On The Road To War
2008-08-13 00:34:00
It is obviously good news that Georgia has apparently agreed to the terms of the cease fire brokered by Nikolas Sarkozy of France along with Russian president Dmitry Medvedev (here), but I would like to point out three developments over the last two years (more or less) that pointed to the recent conflict (IMHO)?This tells us of the murder of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya in October 2006, who wrote about the war in Chechnya and Russian Prime Minister (and former president, of course) Vladimir Putin?s role; a campaign which was supposedly to last ?two weeks? in 1999 instead spawned a wave of terrorism by separatists which led to the brutal deaths of children at a Beslan school (I have no evidence upon which to blame Putin for that horrific act, I wish to emphasize, but only the tactics that led up to that).However, I would argue that, by this country?s relative silence in the aftermath of Politkovskaya?s death (as well as other dissidents), our ruling cabal made it clear to P...
More About: Milestones , Road , On The Road , The Road

Tuesday Foto Funnies
2008-08-12 21:50:00
This is precious...what more need I say?
More About: Funnies , Foto , Tuesday

"Drilling" For Common Sense On Energy In Bucks
2008-08-12 20:55:00
I haven?t had much to say about Bucks County Courier Times columnist J.D. Mullane for some time because he?s largely confined his wingnuttery to his blog, which is something I don?t care to discuss at this moment because I?m eating my lunch.However, in his column today, he takes note of Patrick Murphy?s appearance at the Lower Makefield, PA Farmer?s Market last Thursday, in which Patrick judged the ?Great Zucchini Race??Just before the zucchinis zoomed down a 12-foot plywood track, a half-dozen protesters closed in on Murphy, holding signs that criticized him and his Democratic Party on oil, drilling and energy.Murphy, with his 150-watt smile, largely ignored them. Afterward, glancing at the sign-holders, he said with a shrug, ?That's politics.?And by the way, it should be noted that, since they disagreed with the Democrats, these were ?good? protestors as far as J.D. is concerned, not ?hippies? opposing the Iraq war who should be tear gassed, as Mullane called for here.And where e...
More About: Sense , Energy , Common , Common Sense

Hard Choices And Soft-Headed Punditry
2008-08-12 18:56:00
While many lefty bloggers out there have quite rightly focused on the idiocy of Cokie Roberts lambasting Barack Obama for taking a vacation in ?that foreign, exotic location? of our 50th state, Hawaii by name, I would like to return to some of her lightweight analysis (along with husband Steve) that appeared in the Bucks County Courier Times on the matter of ?hard versus soft power? under Bushco?As (Defense Secretary Robert) Gates told the Global Leadership Campaign, it was not just ?America's military forces and intelligence capabilities? that ?held the Soviets at bay for more than four decades.? There was also the Agency for International Development working to pull people out of poverty, diplomats defusing dicey situations, and the presence of the U.S. Information Agency providing a place to learn about ?our history and culture and values.?But, Gates told NPR, that all changed after the Soviet Union fell apart. ?When the Cold War was at its height, the U.S. Agency for Internatio...
More About: Hard , Soft , Choices

A Grudging Edwards Postscript
2008-08-12 18:10:00
Before I completely turn my back on the former senator from North Carolina, I must, in fairness, present the following noted by Paul Krugman yesterday here?One more thing: if we do get real health care reform, a lot of people will owe a debt of gratitude to none other than John Edwards . When Mr. Edwards dropped out of the presidential race, I credited him with making universal health care a ?possible dream for the next administration.? Mr. Edwards?s political career is over ? but perhaps he and his family can take some solace from the fact that his party is still trying to make that dream come true.That?s true, but it?s just about impossible now for me to accumulate even an ounce of respect for a man who, though a philandering liar, somehow believed that he could overcome that to win the Democratic Party nomination for president (I thank God now that he didn?t, or else this election would be over).And this ?99 percent? quote, in light of the lies and covering up over the episode wit...

Monday Stuff
2008-08-12 04:53:00
Well, whaddaya know - our pal Brad "Freedom's Crock" Blakeman, who once decried frivolous lawsuits, filed (ahem) a "frivolous lawsuit" against Kelsey Grammer over the movie "Swing Vote," and it looks like the case against Dr. Bruce ("Yeah, Let's Pin The Anthrax Scare On The Dead Guy!") Ivins isn't so air tight after all, and also it sounds to me like those darn Iraqis sure as heck want us out of their country (pop quiz: name the movie where the line "Just say 'Oops' and get out!" is uttered)......The Onion News Network tells us that the Pentagon's first unmanned spokesdrone completed its first mission with the White House press corps (dancing on that razor's edge between reality and satire again)...Pentagon's Unmanned Spokesdrone Completes First Press Conference Mission...Vampire Weekend ("Oxford Comma")......and the answer to our trivia question is "The Producers" (accountant Leo Bloom accidentally walks in on Max Bialystock while he's trying to bilk the little old ladies ...
More About: Stuff , Monday

Summer Flicks A Kingdom Of Perpetual ?Knight?
2008-08-12 00:26:00
(And I ask you, where else are you likely to find a bastardized Shakespeare quote in a blog title?)As noted here, ?The Dark Knight ? was the No. 1 movie at the box office for the fourth week in a row. I?m not sure exactly what that says about the taste of the movie-going public (and I include myself), but there you are.And I had planned to add some thoughts on the movie on Friday before all of the mess over John Edwards hit the fan primarily because of what that numbskull Glenn Beck said about it here.(And I?m sorry ? accuse me all you want of trying to degrade the opinions of others, but Beck IS a numbskull at the very least; as long as I?ve been subjected to his blather, I can?t think of a single constructive thought or utterance from this person.)And the answer is yes, I did see ?The Dark Knight? about a week or so ago, partly out of parental duty, screening the movie for the young one (and despite the PG-13 rating, I wish to emphasize that this movie is NOT something that should ...
More About: Kingdom , Summer

Bushco?s War On The Planet Continues
2008-08-12 00:15:00
From here?The Bush administration wants federal agencies to decide for themselves whether highways, dams, mines and other construction projects might harm endangered animals and plants.Basically, he wants to gut the Endangered Species Act.Sometimes, there really are no words, except to point out, in their eternal infamy, our corporate media continues to pretend that the people running our ruling cabal in this country are actually sane....161 days and counting, people...
More About: Planet , The Planet

More Fluffery For Our Man Arlen
2008-08-11 23:09:00
The Bucks County Courier Times is now the latest newspaper in these parts to prostrate itself on behalf of our Repug U.S. Senator (here)?Arlen Specter met several times with Fidel Castro in Cuba, visited with Saddam Hussein and welcomed Yasser Arafat into his Washington, D.C., office.He met Muammar Khadafi (?the worst terrorist in the history of the world?) in the middle of the desert.Of course, far be it for Specter to criticize Dubya for this little maneuver on behalf of Libya, then.He spoke with so many enemies of the United States, he considered putting up photos on a ?wall of shame.?His point: ?We need dialogue with Iran.?Specter is right, but then again, why is that OK for him, being a supporter of that ?straight-talking maverick,? but bad for a certain Democratic senator from Illinois who happens to be running for president also (here)?Silly me ? just another case of IOKIYAR?And of course, Specter stopped by to visit the Courier Times and Doylestown Intelligencer to endorse s...

"Watch" The Two Bushes
2008-08-09 16:15:00
Like father (it happens right away in this '92 video of the debate with Clinton and Perot - you don't have to watch the entire video, even though I thought the first question was very good)......like son (and "daughter-in-law" if you will - yep, Kagro X nails it here).
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Friday Stuff
2008-08-09 06:30:00
The Beard and Barack Obama remind us that Iraq has more damn oil money than they know what to do with (but he's got to be careful about that "not using the 68 million acres" line; try working on the line about Repug obstruction on a windfall profits tax and tax credits on renewable energy investment, OK? Has a nicer ring)......oh, and by the way, just to let you know, Russia and Georgia (the country, that is) are at war (or just about - more info here, along with this al jazeera video)...Update 8/9/08: And one reason why we should care about the conflict noted above is that we have about 1,000 troops in Georgia. Now, back to the John Edwards story......so, Rick Davis of the McBush campaign was the top lobbyist for the DHL deal that will cost this lady and 8,200 of her co-workers their jobs, huh?You wanna try some "straight talk," McBush? Try telling her that you and other senators were paid $185 K by Davis' lobbying firm so she and 8,200 other Ohioans would get thrown out into the...
More About: Stuff , Friday

This Will Go Down As A Life Lesson (updates)
2008-08-08 23:54:00
I suppose, in the end, it?s my fault, really (in case you don't know what I'm talking about somehow, you'll find out shortly).And maybe, if we feel our opinions are superior to those of others to the point where we do this and feel that we?re bringing order to chaos in our own small way, it's ours too a bit.But see, I really do endeavor to tell what, as nearly as I can determine, is the truth here. And I think anyone who does this with any professionalism (the whole ?blogging? thing, I mean) is trying to do the same thing.And yes, there?s plenty of snark here where I honestly feel that it is deserved.But when the time comes for me to take the hit, I have to stand up and take it. And that?s what this post is all about.And I have to admit that, as I try to reconcile all of my own feelings at this point in order to compose something with some logic to it, I come back to the image of Private Pyle in ?Full Metal Jacket? after he snuck a jelly doughnut into his foot locker.You see, I ...
More About: Life , Updates , Lesson

Where The Rubber Meets The Road (8/8/08)
2008-08-08 22:45:00
As reported in last Sunday's Philadelphia Inquirer, here is how Philadelphia-area members of Congress were recorded on major roll-call votes last week.Federal tobacco regulation. In a 326-102 vote, the House sent the Senate a bill that would begin Food and Drug Administration regulation of tobacco products. The bill would empower the FDA to regulate cigarette content, require disclosure of product ingredients, ban cigarette marketing to children, and require more prominent health warnings.A yes vote was to pass the bill (HR 1108).Voting yes: Robert E. Andrews (D., N.J.), Robert A. Brady (D., Pa.), Michael N. Castle (R., Del.), Charles W. Dent (R., Pa.) Chaka Fattah (D., Pa.), Jim Gerlach (R., Pa.), Tim Holden (D., Pa.), Frank A. LoBiondo (R., N.J.), Patrick Murphy (D., Pa.), H. James Saxton (R., N.J.), Allyson Y. Schwartz (D., Pa.), Joe Sestak (D., Pa.), and Christopher H. Smith (R., N.J.).Voting no: Joseph R. Pitts (R., Pa.).I make a lot of fun of Joe Pitts and his awful votes, bu...
More About: Road , Rubber , The Road

Only Regrets For Brett
2008-08-08 21:15:00
Believe me when I tell you that I?d rather pluck out all of my eyebrow hairs one at a time than agree with Philadelphia Daily News columnist Christine Flowers, but on this incredibly rare occasion today (here), I feel I must do so (straying into sports for a minute).She is opining today on the whole situation with former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre.If there is ever a guy that should take the hint and fade from the spotlight, it is Favre. Yes, he?s had a great career, including a Super Bowl win along with a bunch of other playoff victories and championships. Yes, he?s often served as a good ambassador for the game.But he?s done. Kaput. Finished. And that is obvious apparently to just about everyone but him.I still remember the playoff game earlier this year between the Packers and the New York Giants in which Favre threw up yet another dying quail of a pass that was intercepted by the Giants en route to their winning score, which landed them a trip to the Super Bowl whi...
More About: Regrets

The "Pawlenty Of Nothing" Repug
2008-08-08 18:22:00
This New York Times story today tells us of Tim Pawlenty, the Repug governor of Minnesota, who has emerged as a ?short list? veep candidate for John W. McBush (and Pawlenty is co-chair of McCain?s veep selection committee).Based on the story, it seems like Pawlenty has largely kept out of the spotlight (admittedly, though, that doesn?t seem to be hard to do in Minnesota ? no offense intended), and in his early public life, he seemed to embody what a typical Republican represented; someone fiscally conservative but socially moderate. However, as the fundie nut jobs gradually wrestled control of the party away from them (along with the capitalist greed heads who want to do away with any government whatsoever ? see Norquist, Grover), Pawlenty seemed to adopt to them just fine also; as noted below?Fifteen years ago, while in the State House, Mr. Pawlenty voted to expand rights for gay men and lesbians; he has since said he regrets the vote.Then, as governor, after a partisan battle with...