U.S. Judge Orders Michigan Recount to start at Noon

The news

Michigan must begin its presidential recount at noon Monday, a federal judge ruled in a late-night order that could make it more likely the state will complete the count ahead of a Dec. 13 deadline.

In his ruling Sunday night, Judge Mark Goldsmith rejected an effort by state officials to delay the hand-counting of about 4.8 million ballots.

Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein argued that a law is unconstitutional that requires a break of at least two business days after the Board of Canvassers' final action on a recount request. Goldsmith found that Stein had "shown the likelihood of irreparable harm" if the count was delayed even by two days and rejected the state's arguments about the cost to taxpayers.

Republican Donald Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton by 10,704 votes, or two-tenths of a percentage point, in Michigan. Stein received about 1 percent of the vote.

Republican Attorney General Bill Schuette, the Trump campaign and super PACs have filed separate lawsuits asking state courts to prevent the recount, arguing that Stein, as the fourth-place finisher, is not "aggrieved" because she has no chance of winning in a recount.

The Green Party also wants recounts in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Stein has argued, without evidence, that irregularities in the votes in all three states suggest that there could have been tampering with the vote, perhaps through a well-coordinated, highly complex cyberattack.

Elections officials in the three states, all narrowly won by Trump, have expressed confidence in their results. Even if all three recounts happen, none were expected to give Clinton enough votes to emerge as the winner.

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Bernie Wins Michigan

Bernie wins Michigan, but it was close... Or close enough to some.

He won with 50.7, so the delegates are split. Hillary still maintains her lead, but this was quite a surprise. The polls had Hillary as the winner, however Bernie came through in the end.

While this is a victory for him, he still has a Hill to climb. See what I did there "A Hill To Climb"

SCOTUS takes no action on Gay Marriage Case in Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee... Rejects Louisiana's case

SCOTUS decided not to act on the challenge to Louisiana's state ban, or look at the four other gay marriage ban cases in Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee. However, they may act upon these cases later this week.

Here's more:

The decision not to hear the Louisiana case was not unexpected as gay rights advocates had sought to skip the regular judicial process by seeking Supreme Court review before the case had been decided by an appeals court. Gay rights advocates representing the Louisiana plaintiffs said in court papers there is a "pressing need" to resolve the issue once and for all.

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, which has jurisdiction over the state of Louisiana, heard arguments in the case on Friday and has not yet ruled. The same court is also weighing challenges to bans in Texas and Mississippi.

In the Louisiana case, a federal district court judge upheld the state ban in September 2014.

If the court were to take up one or more of the gay marriage cases, it would then issue a ruling that would determine whether 14 remaining state bans will be struck down. Gay marriage is currently legal in 36 states. 

The court in October decided not to take up the issue, but a November ruling by a regional federal appeals court based in Cincinnati upheld gay marriage bans in four states.

Hopefully, something happens this week.

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Anti-Discrimination Law Stalls in Michigan House Committee due to a Pastor's Ignorant Rant

On Wednesday, Michigan House Commerce Committee hosted a hearing on a bill to extend anti-discrimination protections in the Michigan’s civil rights law. As folks testified on the pro and cons, religious leadership had the nerve to say that our rights are nothing to protect, or even to be considered.

The main FIC (Fool In Charge) was Pastor Stacy Swimp, who testified that it was a disgrace to compare LGBT rights to the civil rights movement. He said:

“This proposed legislation is yet another step in the assault on religious freedom. I asked the Commerce Committee today, can you truly define sexual orientation? Do you truly know what you are potentially aligning yourselves with? There’s a comparison between the homosexual allegation of gay rights and black civil rights. And as a minister of the Gospel, and as a black American whose parents participated in the Freedom Rides — my ancestors were slaves in plantations in the state of South Carolina, Arkansas, Tennessee, Indiana and Mississippi — I stand here today rather offended. I ask, has anyone from the LGBT community ever had to stand up or step off of the sidewalk whenever a straight person walked by? Lesbian, homosexual, bisexual, and transgender Americans have never been denied their voting rights, nor have they been denied the right to assemble. No one from the LGBT community has ever had fire hoses turned on them by the police department, they have never had to drink out of an LGBT water fountain. There is no record of LGBT — homosexuals, lesbians being forced to sit at the back of the bus in an LGBT section.”

Watch


This asshole is 1) using this ignorant notion that LGBT rights are not civil rights, and 2) pushing the idea that people of color are not LGBT. I think the idea that civil rights is a Black Members Only gig is pushing my buttons.

Stacy, you need to open your eyes see what really going on here. As LGBT people we are discriminated against, fired from jobs, and murdered. Yes, the civil rights movement and the LGBT movement have their differences, but we walk down the same road. Folks need to push pass this ignorant rant and do what's right.

Unfortunately, the bill was stalled, but this is far from over .

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Gay Marriage Bans Upheld in Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio and Michigan

Bad news on Marriage Equality.

A federal appeals court decides to uphold gay marriage bans in 4 states!

USA Today reports:

The ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit reversed district court rulings that had struck down gay marriage bans in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee.

More important, it gives Supreme Court justices an appellate ruling that runs counter to four others from the 4th, 7th, 9th and 10th circuits. Those rulings struck down same-sex marriage bans in Virginia, Indiana, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Utah, Idaho and Nevada and led to similar action in neighboring states.

The six cases before the three-judge panel involved not only whether gays and lesbians should be able to marry, but whether marriages performed elsewhere should be recognized, whether same-sex couples should be able to adopt children, and whether their names should be placed on partners' death certificates.

The Supreme Court refused to reconsider the Utah, Oklahoma, Virginia, Indiana and Wisconsin cases, at least in part because there was no conflict among the federal appeals courts. But Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg told a Minneapolis audience that a ruling against same-sex marriage from the 6th Circuit panel would make Supreme Court consideration more urgent.

If SCOTUS takes on these cases, it could be the final blow to all of this crap and this dumb ass judges. I really hope these cases appear for the Supreme Court.

In Michigan: Religious Leader say they will go to Jail, before supporting an Inclusive Civil Rights Act

More religious foolishness.

About 400 Michigan Pastors and Christian leaders got together on the steps on the State Capital in Lansing, Michigan and held a press conference over the addition of in opposition include sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression in the state's Civil Rights Act.

These bigots claim they will go to jail than to support the act. From their press release:

"We, the undersigned Christian Pastors of the State of Michigan declare our opposition to adding sexual orientation, gender identity or other similar designation to the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act." -- Pastor Doug Levesque, Immanuel Baptist Church, Corunna, Michigan, reading a pastor's joint statement.

The Pastors said that legislation in other states that were allegedly intended to protect homosexuals actually ended up discriminating against people of faith, citing the recent case in Houston, Texas, where the sermons, notes, and text messages of pastors were subpoenaed by the mayor.

"The homosexual agenda is an anti-freedom movement which has led to the persecution of pastors and Christian business owners across the nation, whose freedom of speech and freedom of religion are being taken from them, under the guise of so called gay rights. There is nothing civil about that!"-- Minister Stacy Swimp, President, National Christian Leadership Council

"Those wanting special rights for sexual orientation are seeking to rewrite the traditional moral fiber of our society." -- Tim Berlin, senior pastor at Faith Baptist Church in Warren

"I don't know of another example of pastors' sermons being subpoenaed, except for in Nazi Germany and Communist Russia. I find it ironic that the first example of that happening in America is from the LGBT community." -- Pastor R.B. Ouelette, First Baptist, Bridgeport, Michigan.

Blah, Blah, Blah! They go on and on about nothing, however I would like to see them go to jail for this. Let them pray their way through prison.

If you're curious, here's a link to their site and below is the press conference they held.

In Michigan: A Group of Black Pastors rally against the NAACP and Marriage Equality

In today's foolishness... A group of Black pastors try to invoke MLK's beliefs in their hate speech on marriage equality.

Lead by Minister Stacy Swimp (yes, that hideous name), the group will file legal briefs in more than 80 court cases involving lawsuits to legalize gay marriage in Michigan. This group also threw shade at the NAACP for supporting marriage equality.

Watch their announcement

LISTEN: Oral Arguments at the 6th Circuit Court over Marriage Equality in TN, MI, KY and OH

Thanks to Freedom to Marry for the audio

Marriage Equality Cases involving Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee are Happening Today

This is going down today!

The 6th district court will hear challenges to the gay marriage bans in Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio and Michigan! A lot folks are already there for this historic hearing.


I will try to keep this updated. Hopefully, my two homestates, Tennessee and Kentucky will have a victory.

In Detroit: Black Pastors declare War on Gay Marriage... P.S. You have Already Lost

These folks just don't get it...

Foolish Christian groups filed legal briefs in federal appellate court to support Michigan's ban on gay marriage.

This consist of the Michigan Catholic Conference, the Thomas More Law Center in Ann Arbor, Mich., some national coalition of Baptists, Lutherans, Mormons and evangelicals led by Catholic bishops. They all filed three separate briefs to the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati. Their goal is to defend the 'unconstitutional' Gay marriage ban.

Let me say that magic word again, UNCONSTITUTIONAL.

The ban was overturned earlier this year by a federal judge and now, these fools are screaming bloody murder.

These leaders are daft. How dare they continue this losing battle. Regardless of what they think, the ban has been struck down and more bans are falling at the waste side. Their ranting and raving won't get this ban back, however, they will show the nation how stupid and ignorant they are.

So preach on, Pastor Roland Caldwell. Your efforts will die horribly in vain.

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SCOTUS Upholds Michigan’s Affirmative-Action Ban, Sotomayor pissed

Drama!

In a 6-2 Supreme Court decision last night, Justice Anthony Kennedy, John Roberts, Samuel Alito and few others voted to uphold the 2006 Michigan constitutional amendment ban on affirmative action based on race, gender, ethnicity, or national origin in hiring or college admissions.

The one judge that was NOT on board... Was Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Oh, she was over it for real!

She said:

"But without checks, democratically approved legislation can oppress minority groups. Michigan voters "changed the basic rules of the political process in that state in a manner that uniquely disadvantaged racial minorities."

But that's not all. Please read her 58 page dissent

Mark Regnerus is Hurt over Judge's Ruling

Poor Dr. Mark Regnerus.

After Judge Bernard Friedman discredited his 'research' as junk science, he took webs to explain his foolish self.

"I frankly don't understand why the judge elected to pass on a discussion of some of the very real concerns our research raised, chose to privilege certain scholars as well as research that leaned on self-selected samples. My study noted numerous suboptimal outcomes experienced by adult children who reported a parental same-sex relationship. Like other studies, it has its limitations. But there is much it can tell us, including about the household instability experienced by such children, and the uncommon frequency of stably-coupled lesbian households with children in the era I was examining. In the end, the judge seemed to focus on what my study could not say rather than what it could. It is frustrating to see him overlook the significant limitations of other studies."

Please, in the end, the judge saw your work for what it was... Mess.

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WATCH News Coverage of the First Same-Sex Marriages in Michigan

Oh Snap! Federal Judge strikes down Michigan's Ban on Same-Sex Marriage

U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman has just shot down Michigan's ban on same sex marriage. Yes, that law is unconstitutional! At this time, there is no word if same sex marriages will begin immediately.

More to come!

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In Michigan: Man uses the Bible to Threaten a Woman with Rape

This is a complete disgusting and horrid incident here.

In this clip, a man from the Black Hebrew Israelites, uses the Bible to threaten a woman with rape and possible murder during a Gay Day event.

WATCH


Raw Story has some of the dialogue from the incident:

“Back in the day there was no free power, there was no going to the mall,” one protester tells the woman. “There was, ‘sit your ass in this house until I bring my ass home.’”

“And if your ass get to going out there like you said, guess what?” a second protester adds. “You get raped. And that’s what’s going to happen to you. … Keep your pussy clean, that’s all you need to do. Do you understand?”

After one man claims, “the Lord said that,” the woman challenges him to find the corresponding Bible verse.

He responds with Isaiah 13: “Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished.”

“What does ‘ravished’ mean? It means, we going to rape your ass,” the protester explains. “And I’m going to have fun doing that shit. And you going to like that. I promise you.”

After briefly arguing that he is misinterpreting the Bible, the woman observes, “Anything I say, you say it doesn’t matter.”

“It’s going to matter right now,” the man shoots back. “It’s going to matter when your clothes off and I’m going inside of you repeatedly. That’s when it’s going to matter. Because you going to enjoy yourself.”

Really? This group is totally ridic for even existing. I hope the cops find these fools.

Thank you,  RoCkii for the info.