Tea Party Homophobia Surfaces

Whenever Tea Party people are accused of being racists and homophobic, their answer is always that they're not, uh, racist. Gosh, how they were offended by the accusation that some used the N-word on black leaders walking to the Capitol for the health care bill vote, and yet nobody from the TP even cared enough to deny they used the F-word in the same incident.

Either way, they want to insist that the Tea Party movement is solely focused on America's financial circumstances and governmental spending. But their hatred for the gay creeps in every so often, as in this email I got today.

Dustin Stockman, the chair of the Western Representation PAC, a major Tea Party funding source, blasted an email today titled, "Breaking News: Barney Frank Can Be Defeated!" and linking to a Facebook group called "The Campaign To Defeat Barney Frank." While I'm finding it hard to imagine that Frank, well-liked in his liberal Massachusetts district, is vulnerable -- and even the internal, undoubtedly skewed poll Stockman is touting shows Frank up 10 points -- I was intrigued what their beef was. And here's the best sentence:

Barney is the most despicable person in government, but the main reason we began targeting Frank more than a year ago was his disturbing association with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Hmm. So sure, many have it in for Barney over mortgage regulations and all that jazz, and that's their right even though it's been pretty well debunked that Frank did in the housing market. Steve Wynn, for instance, talked my ear off not long ago about Frank's involvement with the Fannie/Freddie debacle, and he's no gay hater.

Yet I love the first part of this sentence for all that it says about why they would hate Frank even if they didn't think he'd wrecked the housing market. He's "the most despicable person in government" -- BUT! They're two separate thoughts! His involvement in the housing bust, such as it may be, isn't what makes him "the most despicable" person in government, see. Then what? Because 20-something years ago, he had a sex scandal? Other than that, why the personal attack? I mean, Tea Party people don't care about sex scandals when their team's in on them in, say, the cases of Newt Gingrich, John Ensign or David Vitter. So that can't be it.

Oh, that's right. Barney's a gay. In fact, he's the most powerful elected gay in the history of America. Well, unless you're an Abe Lincoln conspiracy theorist, anyhow.

An Extraordinary RI Statehouse Experience

Usually, these state capitol posts begin with an image like this:

...but the best photo taken at the statehouse in Providence yesterday was this one:


That's me up here...


...at the the spot where that chandelier is attached to the ceiling.

This time, I went to the Rhode Island statehouse as both a tourist and a journalist. The day before, I learned about a racino in Lincoln, R.I., called Twin River that is going bankrupt for a list of reasons that I'll get into in a later post. But I pitched a piece on it -- it was the nation's first racino and now they're trying to get rid of the racing part -- to the New York Times and the piece runs in Sunday's papers.

So when I went to the statehouse, I did so in part to check it out as is my thing but also to meet with the state officials and politicians. And when the governor's spokeswoman, Amy Kempe, agreed to take me on a private walk up a spiral staircase to the top of the dome, I could not possibly refuse.

This is what it looks like looking down:



Here's that staircase...


...and here's the first thing you see when you enter the secret door:


On the way up we were able to go outside and see the city:


That's the top of the dome of one of the two houses of the General Assembly. For some reason, I didn't take many photos of the Senate or House, but I did like these chairs in the Senate:


All in all, the Rhode Island capitol was among the most beautiful and impressive I've ever seen and I'm not just saying that because I got some nifty special access. Everything is sensational marble and design. Here's the entry landing and, yes, there was a tour group of Buddhist monks this time around. (At the Massachusetts statehouse, we ran into a gaggle of Chinese tourists!)



There was plenty of quirk. This was a nice sentiment... (click on image to enlarge)



...but why was it in the men's room?



This piece of artwork was from the people of Liberia...

...who thank Rhode Islanders in that little tag for their assistance during a civil war there. What did the Ocean Staters do, one wonders!

There were statues all over honoring the military, but this one honoring the Navy was one of the gayest looking things I've ever seen...


...and this one for the Air Force looks female even though it was gifted to the state years before women could be in the branch.


In one of the old meeting rooms, this sign was found:


One wonders if Dana gets a lot of calls from people unsure how to get out without opening the door!?!?!

And finally, I would agree with this book title, "Rhode Island: A Genial History,"...


...especially given that this is a state on the forefront of religious liberty and was the first place for Jews to live free in America as you can see...


...except that then I noticed that the Legislature is about to put a referendum on the state ballot to ask voters whether they ought to -- get this -- change the state's NAME. You see, the full official name of Rhode Island is...


"Rhode Island and Providence Plantations." Why? Because apparently Rhode Island is made up fo two former British colonies. One was called Providence Plantations because, uh, it was sort of a clearinghouse for the slavery trade.

Who knew, huh?

Postcard from the Massachusetts Capitol

The problem with really big capitol buildings is getting a decent photo of oneself with it, especially when your significant other is driving endlessly around the jammed block in the mist in a maddening traffic city so you can run inside and indulge your nerdy fetish for such edifices. You're then at the mercy of friendly passers-by and it gets hard to be picky about whether the shot is any good. So this, above, is the best I could do for this entry of Steve's Capitol Adventures: Boston.

As many of you know, I have this thing for state capitals and the seats of government, the capitols. I believe I've been to at least 29 capital cities but only a few years ago decided that the goal will be to have photos of myself with all of them. Since this blog began, I've hit St. Paul, Juneau, Salt Lake City and Boise.

The Massachusetts capitol was beautiful and had some interesting quirks, too. From the outside it's large, sprawling and surprisingly modern-looking aside from the golden dome...


...but inside you're hit over the head with the region and the building's historic significance from Paul Revere to John Hancock to former Mass. Gov. Sam Adams.


The self-guided tour sheet was full of interesting information. There are double-doors, for instance, that I did not photograph but which are only ever opened on three occasions. One had to do with transporting flags, another was the last time the governor leaves the building at the end of his/her term (although the sheet said "his" which ex-Gov. Jane Swift probably doesn't appreciate) and, third, whenever a sitting U.S. president pops in. The last to do so? Taft. Isn't that strange, seeing how the 35th president was from the state?

Massachusetts is evidently very, very proud of its...cod. And why not! Both chambers, House and Senate, have cod statues hanging from their ceilings.

Here's the state Senate chambers and its cod...



...and here's the House and its cod:


One thing I found interesting and different about the Senate chamber was that the 40 senators sit in a circle, just like we did in Miss Laviani's 2nd grade class at Split Rock Elementary. Seriously, I've seen lots of these chambers and they're always lined up so the members face a lectern and a presiding officer. This seemed more equitable. I bet they get lots more work done and treat one another nicer, right? Take another look:


Here's the dome...


...and this hall they only built 19 years ago where they hang the flags from all the cities and towns in the state...


...and the Chinese tour group taking phoots of one another.


I was particularly crushed to realize it's been so long since I lived in China that I don't even remember how to ask in Chinese where they're from anymore. And yet I can still say, "Hello, Panda" and "I'm tired, very tired, extremely tired." Weird.

Also weird is that ex-Gov. Michael Dukakis, the 1988 Democratic presidential loser, allowed such an unbecoming official portrait:


Badly hung, too. Couldn't find 2012 Republican presidential loser ex-Gov. Mitt Romney's portrait, though. Hmmph.

I did locate the Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Room, which was comforting. No telling what goes on in there, but evidently it's always Christmas!


And, finally, the other kids in Miss Laviani's class would appreciate that I got a photo of Civil War Gen. Joseph Hooker and his horse.


Turns out, it's not as sophomoric as I thought. After I left, my pal David Steinberg, an esteemed journalist and president of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association, wanted to make sure I had taken that very shot. Steinberg said this really was the guy who gave his name to the world's oldest profession. Alas, that appears to be the stuff of legend. But it still makes a good endpoint.

Tomorrow, we'll check out the Rhode Island capitol! Can you even wait???