THERE ARE A LOT OF REPUBLICANS WHO HATE GAY PEOPLE AND ALWAYS VOTE AGAINST THEIR INTERESTS-- BUT SO DO A HANDFUL OF DEMOCRATS

First a little good news: New Hampshire's wildly popular governor, John Lynch, announced that he's going to sign the bill allowing for civil unions for gay couples in his state. "I believe it is a matter of conscience, fairness and preventing discrimination. "I believe it is a matter of conscience, fairness and preventing discrimination." Although Massachusetts already has gay marriage, New Hampshire will join Connecticut, Vermont and New Jersey as states establishing civil unions. These were also states early to oppose and abolish slavery.

More good news: 66 House members-- all Democrats, of course, have perfect (100%) records on standing for gay equality. Among those 66 are not just openly gay members like Barney Frank (MA) and Tammy Baldwin (WI), but most of the Democratic leaders as well, like Nancy Pelosi (CA), George Miller (CA), Rahm Emanuel (IL), and Charlie Rangel (NY).

And now the bad news: All but 3 Republicans-- Libertarian Ron Paul (TX), Jim Sensenbrenner (WI) and ex-Democrat Rodney Alexander (LA), each with a 25% score-- also have perfect scores: 0%. That means that all but 3 of the Republican congressmembers-- including the half dozen known gay Republican closet queens-- voted against gay equality every single time it came up. That is staggering. I wonder how the Log Cabin loons can look at themselves in the mirror.

And now the worse news: fourteen reactionary Democrats have voted with the Republicans on every roll call seeking to legislate discrimination or block equality in regard to gay men and women. These are the homophobic and disgraceful Democrats with zero scores:

* John Barrow (GA)
* Melissa Bean (IL)
* Dan Boren (OK)
* G.K. Butterfield (NC)
* Russ Carnahan (MO)
* Emanuel Cleaver (MO)
* Jim Costa (CA)
* Henry Cuellar (TX)
* Stephanie Herseth (SD)
* Brian Higgins (NY)
* Daniel Lipinski (IL)
* John Salazar (CO)
* Allyson Schwartz (PA)
* John Tanner (TN)

Are you gay? Or do you have gay family members or friends? Think about those names-- all but 3 Republicans and those 14 homophobic Democrats-- next time the any of the Inside the Beltway PACs asks you for a donation... and next time you go to the polls.