Democratic Love Fest

What a great day to be a Democrat! Hollywood & Highland was beaming with an energy rarely felt in life. Democracy in action! There are lots of passionate people on both sides, but there was still a deep understanding that no matter who the nominee is, we will be a united party with one goal!

In depth updates with commentary and original video from the debate location to come soon.

Just four short days away!

Better Than the Oscars

Alright Los Angelinos, it is time to converge upon Hollywood and Highland today to show the country that California is Obama country!

Look for the red-shirted Obama supporters standing outside of the Kodak starting at 2:00 p.m. pacific. We would love to have a large LGBT constituency there for Senator Obama!

Openly Gay L.A. Councilmember Endorses Obama

Great News! Bill Rosendahl, the only openly gay city councilman in Los Angeles, has endorsed Barack Obama. Rosendahl said:

"Barack Obama is a leader of uncommon vision, great principle and deep conviction. He has a proven track record of standing up for LGBT civil rights. I am convinced he is the candidate who is most genuinely committed to fighting for our civil rights."

In Rosendahl's endorsement, he provides a long list of examples why Barack is the best candidate for the job:

·Obama supports the repeal of the entire federal Defense of Marriage Act, and has done so ever since he was a candidate for U.S. Senate in 2004.

·Obama has taken stronger positions on dismantling "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," and on fully inclusive workplace protections, than any candidate in the presidential race.

·Obama is a strong supporter of every major piece of LGBT legislation in Congress today.

·Obama supports fair tax treatment for gay and lesbian couples.

·Obama supports equal immigration rights for gay and lesbian couples.

·Obama supports domestic partner benefits for federal workers.

·Obama, while in the Illinois Senate, sponsored a fully inclusive anti-discrimination law that included both sexual orientation and gender identity.

·Obama has continued to raise the issue of LGBT civil rights in forums and town halls nationwide. During a high-profile speech on Martin Luther King Jr. Day at King's Ebenezer Baptist Church, he challenged his audience to support gay and lesbian rights with the same fervor they brought to their own struggle for civil rights.

Read the entire endorsement here.

SIRIUS to Hold LGBT Caucus

SIRIUS radio will hold an LGBT Caucus on January 31, from Noon-2:00 p.m. Pacific on the The Michelangelo Signorile Show on SIRIUS OutQ, the nation’s only 24/7 LGBT radio channel.


Stampp Corbin, Obama's National LGBT Liaison will be representing Obama in the Caucus. With Edwards out of the race, there are even more votes from the LGBT that are still up for grabs.

Response to Clinton Supporter

I received a very well thought out comment from my friend Paula, who is someone I admire very much. Paula is an avid Clinton supporter and she made the case for Clinton in response to my Obama endorsement. It should be known that I am truly a big fan of Senator Clinton and should she win the nomination, I will put my full force behind her candidacy. It is a great feeling to have a choice between two great leaders, instead of the usual choice between the lesser of two evils.

Here are some excerpts from Paula's comment, along with my response:

Paula: It's true that experience is not everything, but to me that is like saying, "I want to elect Bush 'cause he's not one of those smart elitist guys. You can have a beer with him." It matters.

Adam: I do think experience matters and I do not want an unexperienced President; however, just as you later describe it unfair that Obama has a stranglehold on the word "hope," it is equally unfair that Clinton has a stranglehold on "experience." They are both Junior Senators, lawyers, Ivy League educated patriots with long careers in public service. This isn't a job description with a narrow qualifications field that says "Must have Bachelors and 3-years experience." Who is to determine what "experience" is needed to become President? The question is can they do the job? Can they get things accomplished? Can they keep our country safe, secure and successful? I believe that Obama's experiences in life have prepared him to be an incredible leader for this nation.

Paula: Hope? That has been his platform, but it is Clinton that is accused of cheap shots. "No Hillary, you don't provide hope for the future. You're more of the same...an extension of the current administration." Now THAT's a cheap shot.

Adam: I personally do draw hope and inspiration from Hillary as well, but it is simply a reality that she needs to address that she is viewed as the ultimate Washington insider and the ultimate polished politician. She is seen as playing the game very well and that does lump her in with the way Washington operates in a lot of people's minds. On the spectrum of "cheap shots," I don't think this is in the same galaxy as trying to compare the victories of a United States Senator and leading presidential candidate to an activist who got in the race to keep the other candidates honest, simply because they are both Black. Hillary may not win the cheap shot game, but former President Clinton sure has been on a rampage.

Paula: As for us all being the same and the media being divisive, I absolutely must suggest that we are still incredibly divided and it MATTERS to have a black man, and a woman, and a hispanic, run as a bona-fide candidate for president. We're just not there yet. And trust me, Obama WILL have an issue with Hispanics, and Indians, and Asians. That is the world we live in. It is changing, but the beauty and the heart-break of democracy is that it is very steady and very slow to change.

Adam: I agree that it matters to have anything divergent from the typical straight male WASP who dominates leadership in this country. "We're just not there yet." I am tired, I am just done with that phrase. I understand and accept that change is gradual, but it does not mean that for one second we should not put our full force of effort out there at all times. That is what excites me so much about Barack Obama. For months before anyone voted, the media was consumed with the question of "are we ready for a Black President?" Barack didn't sit back and wait for people to answer, he introduced himself to the predominately white voters of Iowa and convinced them that he was the best candidate for the job. Once he has the opportunity to introduce himself to the voters of the groups you mentioned, they will understand that we are there and we are ready. This blog has posted on the significant amount of influential hispanic leaders who have endorsed Barack and this morning in my hometown of Denver, former Secretary of Transportation and Mayor of Denver Federico Pena enthusiastically introduced Senator Obama at a major rally. My mind is truly boggled by this, can you please explain why Hillary is the better choice for Latinos?

Paula: I hope that no matter what happens, we both remember that whoever the democratic candidate turns out to be, it is going to be such a huge step for this country, and democracy, that I can't freakin' wait.

Adam: Completely agree and I can't wait either!

Paula: The possiblity for actual change is finally here. It's been a while since i've prayed, but I think the rosary beads are about to get dusted off.

Adam: Hail Mary indeed! Thanks Paula, keep the debate alive!

Thank You John Edwards!

Senator John Edwards is a great American and I thank him and his wife Elizabeth for their continued public service. He has been an incredible voice in the fight against poverty and he is a true champion of many causes I firmly believe in. He has taught us about the two Americas and I appreciate his compassion and conviction in his messaging.

For Edwards supporters, my heart does go out to you. I understand all-too-well the pain of your candidate dropping out. In 2004, I put all of my passion, time and energy into supporting Howard Dean and when he suspended his candidacy, I was very sad because I knew that I was going to have to support John Kerry, a man who didn't share my ideology.

I urge you to find solace in the fact that there is a top candidate who shares the values and goals of John Edwards and he will champion bringing the two Americas into one. Barack Obama understands poverty. His mother is from a small town in Kansas and his father grew up in Kenya, a country truly plagued by poverty. His story is truly rags to riches and it can inspire the country to truly deal with poverty.

I respectfully urge Edwards supporters to take a serious look at the candidacy of Barack Obama. With Edwards out of the race, your votes are extremely powerful and you should award your vote to the candidate who shares your ideals and vision and I hope that candidate is Senator Barack Obama.

Adam Rogers Official Endorsement

Substantial Latino Support for Obama

Some media outlets have tried to create a "Black vs. Brown" divide that doesn't appear to exist at all. As much as the media tries to force identity politics down our throats, the reality is that people are voting for the candidate who shares their vision of America, and for a substantial amount of Latinos/as, that candidate is Senator Barack Obama.

We already profiled one influential Latina Congresswoman, but Linda Sanchez is definitely not alone in her Obama support.

This short video shows many powerful Hispanic politicians in California who firmly believe that Barack Obama is the best candidate for the job.

Gay Mention in Obama Acceptance of Kennedy Endorsement

This morning, Senator Edward Kennedy, Congressman Patrick Kennedy and Caroline Kennedy all proudly endorsed Barack Obama for President at American University in Washington, D.C. In accepting these endorsements, Barack gave yet another incredible speech. Every time he speaks, you can feel the political momentum running up the mountain.

At about 10 minutes into the video, Senator Obama includes the gay community in his speech in an incredibly potent sentence:

"It lives on in those Americans, young and old, rich and poor, Black and white, Latino and Asian and Native American, gay and straight, who are tired of a politics that divides us and want to recapture the sense of purpose that we had when John Kennedy was President of the United States of America."

2004 Illinois Senate Debate on Marriage Equality

Senator Obama's support of the LGBT community goes back a long time, as evidenced in this 2004 debate with vehemently anti-gay "presidential candidate" Alan Keyes. Obama was fighting Keyes for the open Illinois Senate seat and the two could not be more ideologically divergent.

Keyes is perhaps most famous in the LGBT community for his awful treatment of his lesbian daughter Maya Marcel-Keyes. He also was interviewed in the "Borat" movie about gay wrestling.

Barack holds his own and keeps in line with his current viewpoint of relationship recognition. He does get a little preachy with the "marriage is between one man and one woman" message, but it is understandable since he was trying to gain moderate votes from his crazy anti-gay competitor.

Linda Sanchez Endorses Obama

I am extremely proud to announce that my district's representative, Congresswoman Linda Sanchez (D - Calif.) has endorsed Barack Obama for President!

I had the tremendous opportunity to intern with Rep. Sanchez a few years ago and she is an incredible person who has a very bright future. She is definitely one of the most outspoken progressive advocates in Congress and she was one of the very few Democratic representatives who did not support ENDA unless it was trans-inclusive.

Interestingly, her sister Loretta, who is also a Congresswoman, is supporting Senator Clinton. Could be smart strategy for the sisters or it could genuinely be a family divided.

Linda's endorsement is one of many that debunks the media-perpetuated theory that Latinos/as will not support Obama.

Here is the official endorsement:

Gay Mention in Obama MLK Speech

The Democratic party platform is supportive of many LGBT civil rights and it is supportive of civil unions. This means that Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and Barack Obama are all pretty similar on gay issues. All of the Democratic candidates have no problem voicing their support for the community when they are speaking to predominately gay audiences and when they are taking millions of dollars from gay fundraisers. The difference is that Barack Obama has no problem voicing his support for the LGBT community no matter where he is.

Never before has this been more evident than in Senator Obama's speech at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia--the church where the great Martin Luther King Jr. served as Pastor. In the past, there have been some contentious run-ins between aspects of the African-American religious community and the LGBT community, so for Barack to speak about gay issues in this church is a testament to his commitment to equality.

At about 11:00 into the video, he says:

"If we are honest with ourselves, we have to admit that there have been times when we have scorned our gay brothers and sisters instead of embracing them."

I highly recommend taking a half-hour out to watch the entire speech, it is definitley worth it:

Gore Comes Out for Marriage Equality

Former Vice President and progressive rock star Al Gore has done what none of the major presidential candidates have done--he has proclaimed his support for full marriage equality.




While I obviously wish that Senator Obama was also a proponent of full marriage equality, I am still confident that an Obama administration will be very positive for achieving equality and I am hopeful that after he is in office, he will make the next step for full marriage rights.