Proposition 8 Ruled Unconstitutional by Federal Appeals Court

 In a major victory for gay marriage supporters, the 9th District Court of Appeals ruled that California's Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. However, the court stopped short of ruling that other states or the US government were required to recognize same-sex marriages. In their ruling the three judge panel stated that Proposition 8 clearly violated the 14th Amendment’s equal-protection clause. 

This is clearly a win for equal human rights in that state, and for the “human dignity of gays and lesbians in California,” said U.S. Circuit Court Judge Stephen Reinhardt. But those who oppose the bill are taking a different tone which may bring the issue closer to the forefront in the upcoming Presidential and Congressional elections of 2012, especially if the Supreme Court decides to hear the case in the coming year. In fact, look for "judicial activism" to be a keyword in many of these arguments.

Opponents of gay marriage who have long backed Proposition 8 have vowed to take their fight to United States Supreme Court. Many have argued that the ideologically split Supreme Court may in fact be more likely to rule in favor of upholding the previous courts decisions. But even if they don't rule in favor of gay marriage supporters, the facts haven't changed. With more than 70% of Americans under 35 supporting the legalization of gay marriage, it's not a matter of if it happens, but when it happens.

Read more about this story:

Why the US Supreme Court may decide not to take this case...

The outpouring of political reaction to the decision...

Read the post-ruling reactions that were posted on Twitter...

Mining Companies Attempt to Move Further Into Bryce Canyon

At least three Federal agencies are rallying against a proposed strip mine near Utah's Bryce Canyon National Park. Among those agencies is the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service who have now stated their opposition to the lease of 3,500 acres of public range land in the area. The leased land would be used for mining by private companies. Mining is already under way about a few miles from the border of Bryce Canyon National Park, located in a part of Utah that is widely known for its high plateaus, clean air, abundant wildlife, and sparking night skies.

READ MORE HERE

New Study Reveals Top 5 Terrorist Hot Spots in US

A new study took a look at about 40 years of terrorist attacks in the United States, and the findings were grim. Nearly all of the incidents or attacks took place in the vicinity of one of the following "hot spots": New York, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. The data was compiled by the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism. Both Chicago and Seattle were also mentioned.

"Mainly, terror attacks have been a problem in the bigger cities, but rural areas are not exempt," said Gary LaFree, Director of the consortium who completed the study. "The main attacks driving Maricopa into recent hot spot status are the actions of radical environmental groups, especially the Coalition to Save the Preserves. So, despite the clustering of attacks in certain regions, it is also clear that hot spots are dispersed throughout the country and include places as geographically diverse as counties in Arizona, Massachusetts, Nebraska and Texas."

Check out the report here.

Jodi Kantor's New Book 'The Obamas' is Making Waves

AP Photo

The book that everyone is talking about, The Obamas.

Written by Jodi Kantor, a noted New York Times correspondent, The Obamas tells the story of the Obama family and their long and winding journey to the White House. But, the book is drawing a great deal of controversy.

Kantor's depiction of First Lady Michelle Obama is front and center in the debate over whether or not the book is an accurate portrayal of the first family. The book focuses mainly on situations in which both President Obama and the First Lady were both involved, providing readers with an interesting look behind the scenes of the Obama White House.

So, what kind of reviews are others giving the new book?

"Washington correspondent for the New York Times, as well as its Arts & Leisure editor, Kantor would seem to have both the knowledge and the sensibility to portray the President and the First Lady as they try to lead a normal life and raise their kids in a house that can't quite feel like home. Kantor's cover story on the Obamas' marriage for the New York Times Magazine was a big hit. So, not a political treatise but no powder-puff job either."

~ The Library Journal 

"A meticulous reporter, Ms. Kantor is attuned to the nuance of small gestures, the import of unspoken truths. She knows that every strong marriage, including the one now in the White House, has its complexities and its disappointments. Ms. Kantor also—and this is a key—has a high regard for women, which is why hers is the first book about the Obama presidency to give Michelle Obama her due. In the process we learn a great deal about the talented and introverted loner who married her, and how his wife has influenced him as a president."
~The New York Times

 'The Obamas' is no doubt a must-read book that you don't want to miss out on this winter. Click on the book cover below and get your copy today.

Federal Prosecutors Finally Going After BP for 2010 Oil Spill

Many have begun to wonder if those responsible for the BP Gulf Oil Spill in 2010 would ever face any sort of justice for their grave and careless handling of the largest environmental disaster in US history. Now finally it looks as if the Federal government is ready to move forward in its prosecution of the case.

The charges will be officially revealed next year and are thought to be based primarily on whether or not corporate representatives made false claims in regards to the safety of drilling in the deep waters in the Gulf of Mexico.

US Coast Guard/Getty Images

The charges, as seemingly small as they are, carry a penalty of up to 5 years in prison in addition to fines. BP is not commenting on the charges.

The infamous Deepwater Horizon spill claimed the lives of 11 people and allowed more than 200 million gallons of oil to be leaked into the Gulf of Mexico.

Although the oil industry has spent millions of public relations campaigns that state otherwise, the economic impact of the oil spill is still unknown, with many saying that the effects could be felt for many years to come, especially in the tourism and fishing industries. 

While BP continues to be one of the wealthiest companies in the energy industry, the spill has cost BP $41 billion and has severely damaged the company's once decent reputation.

The thing is, if a similar disaster were to happen in the future, not much would have changed. In fact, no laws have been enacted that would make disasters such as these less likely, and furthermore no action has been taken that would discourage other energy corporations from mounting similarly risky drilling initiatives. Shouldn't that have been priority number one?

Top 10 Political Videos of 2011 (Full Videos)

Google has released a list of the top 10 political videos of 2011. Perhaps what makes this list so interesting is that it gives us a rather clear snapshot of what Americans found politically interesting in the past year. Regardless of your political affiliation, you're likely to have seen many of the videos on this list, but in case you haven't, we've listed each video in order of its ranking. Enjoy!

1. Zach Wahls Speaks About Family (16,110,634 views)

2. President Obama at the 2011 White House Correspondents' Dinner (9,169,881 views)

3. Strong/ Rick Perry Ad (7,050,457 views)

4. President Obama on Death of Osama bin Laden (6,244,505 views)

5. Brother, Can You Spare A Trillion (5,000,345 views)

6. Seth Meyers remarks at the 2011 White House Correspondents' Dinner (2,578,937 views)

7. Rick Perry - Proven Leadership (2,128,244 views)

8. Jon Stewart Goes Head-to-Head Bill O'Reilly

Part - 1 (1,898,467 views)

 

9. Now is the time for action! (1,734,173 views)

10. President Barack Obama's First Ad of 2012 (1,677,054 views)

 

There you have it folks, the videos that you watched the most in 2011. 

 

The Common Progressive would like to wish everyone a safe and joyous holiday season, and we look forward to an exciting year in 2012!

Newt Gingrich Tells Gay Voter to 'Vote for Obama'

Republican primary candidate Newt Gingrich reportedly told a gay man, and long time Iowa resident,  that he should cast his vote for President Obama. That's right, in a state where LGBT issues have been front and center in recent years- Newt doesn't want the gay vote.

Scott Arnold (Jason Clayworth/The Register)

“I asked him if he’s elected, how does he plan to engage gay Americans. How are we to support him? And he told me to support Obama,” commented Scott Arnold, who serves as an adjunct professor of writing at William Penn University.”

Arnold, who has previously voted Democratic in past elections, knew full well that Gingrich has a reputation of being far right on same-sex issues, but wanted to engage the candidate in a genuine conversation about how Gingrich would serve the gay voters of Iowa. Unfortunately, Gingrich didn't even have to decency to respond with an intelligent answer.

“When you ask somebody a question and you expect them to support all Americans and have everyone’s general interest,” Arnold said. “It’s a little bit frustrating and disheartening when you’re told to support the other side. That he doesn’t’ need your support.”

Gingrich is the absolute last person who should be making judgment calls on other people's lifestyles. After all, Gingrich has been married three times. Two of those marriages ended due to Gingrich's infidelity. Furthermore, Gingrich represents moral hypocrisy in one of its highest forms by leading the witch hunt against former President Clinton during the Monica Lewinsky scandal--all the while sleeping around on his own wife!


Gingrich even has a half sister who is a lesbian, and a wife whose clown makeup and perfectly coiffed hair make her look like a drag queen at times, yet still Gingrich has never warmed up to the issue.  Gingrich continues to be a staunch supporter of a federal constitutional amendment that would ban marriage rights for same-sex couples.

“It doesn’t inspire hope at all,” Arnold said of Gingrich’s statements. “And if that’s what he’s trying to do and that’s what he’s trying to say, that this is a collective effort if he’s elected president, yet he tells me to support the other side?”

Kentucky Mountaintop Removal Protesters Spreading Holiday Cheer

The 'mountaintop removal' method of coal mining has destroyed large swaths of the Appalachian Mountains in recent years and activists who oppose such methods are fighting back more than ever before. In fact, some in Kentucky, where mountaintop removal has been particularly rampant, decided to spread a little holiday cheer. And how did they do it?

Check out what the activists delivered to the Kentucky Governors office...CLICK HERE

To learn more about how you can help fight back against mountaintop removal mining, visit Mountain Justice.

New Polling Shows Tea Party Losing Steam Among Voters

Well folks, it looks as if the tea kettle is losing its steam. A new survey by the Pew Research Center has found that an increasing number of Americans are in disagreement with the principles touted by the Tea Party. In fact, the decline in support for the Tea Party movement has been steadily losing momentum for months. Perhaps even more surprising is that in districts where Tea Party candidates were elected to Congress, those candidates are also suffering a blow to their popularity. The new poll also supports the idea that the Tea Party is hurting the Republican party, a view long held by many.

The research was conducted from Sept. 22 to Oct. 4 and surveyed 345 adults.

DNC Goes After Romney with New Ads Airing in Primary States

The Democratic National Committee has created a rather interesting ad campaign focused on attacking Willard Mitt Romney at a critical time when he is struggling to maintain his lead in the Republican field. (And yes folks, his real first name is Willard.) And the DNC aren't the only ones going after the once solid front runner. Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich are both turning up the heat on Romney, with Gingrich giving Romney a run for his money in the early primary states of Iowa and South Carolina. This ad can probably be seen as a clear preview of what is to come if Romney ends up getting the Republican nomination. Flip-flop, Flip-flop. Flip-flop.

Study Shows Fox News Viewers Are Poorly Informed

It may come as no surprise to many, but a new study by Fairleigh Dickinson University indicates that viewers who watch Fox News Channel are even less informed than people who do not watch the news at all. It's also important to mention that this is not the first time that major polls and studies have shown similar results in regards to Fox News viewership.

And it's not as if the pollsters asked difficult or 'gotcha' questions. In fact, pollsters were inquiring about the most basic of knowledge regarding current events. Perhaps it's because Fox News spends most of its on-air time cooking up ridiculous scandals about the Obama administration or beating dead horses that the rest of the media have long since left alone. (i.e. Birther issue)

Full Report  Check out the full report to see methodology, tables, and more detailed information about the study.

Of course it should be said, that anyone who relies solely on cable news to stay abreast of the latest in politics and current events, is really getting the short end of the stick.  Be smart. Read and interact with a wide range of media, and in doing so you will more easily be able to piece together what you intuitively feel is the truth.

Child Poverty Rate Increases: More than 1 in 5 Children Are Poor

Reposted Courtesy of: DailyKos
By: Laura Clawson

The Census Bureau has released more information breaking down the picture of poverty in the United States. We've seen the overall income and poverty numbers, poverty rates by state and deep poverty. Now we get a more detailed picture of child poverty (PDF). The big number? There were 15.75 million poor children in the U.S. in 2010.

• The poverty rate for children under 18 increased from 20 percent in 2009 to 21.6 percent in 2010. That translates to 1.1 million more children living in poverty.
• Unsurprisingly, there were racial disparities in child poverty—the poverty rate for black children was 38.2 percent; for Hispanic children, 32.3 percent; for white children, 17 percent; and for Asian children, 13 percent. That means that 14.4 percent of children are black, but 25.6 percent of poor children are black, while "one of every five children in the United States was of Hispanic origin. However, Hispanic children made up one of every three children who lived in poverty in the United States in 2010."
• Despite the racial disparities, child poverty grew for every racial group in 2010, and white children saw the largest numerical increase (due to their majority status in the population as a whole).
• Ten states and the District of Columbia had child poverty rates of 25 percent or higher: Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia.
• States with below average child poverty were led by New Hampshire, at just 10 percent, while Alaska, Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Dakota, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming were between 12.5 and 16.5 percent.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Links to other stories about the rapid rise in poverty in America...

Census:2010 Saw Poverty Increase, Income Drop/NPR

One in Five NYC Residents Living in Poverty/NYTimes

Poverty Continues to Rise in US: Now at 15.1% /CBS News

Country May Be Ripe for a Third Party Candidacy

It seems as if the political climate is ripe for a third party candidacy, and the idea is gaining ground with increasingly large numbers of voters. But who? Could it be Ron Paul, Donald Trump or Michael Bloomberg? No one is sure, and name dropping at this point is nothing more than pure speculation. However, as the idea gains traction it sends a warning to both Democrats and Republicans that a third party campaign is not out of the question for the 2012 election cycle. And no, the Tea Party would not qualify as a third party...

Read More>

'Windfall': Documentary Film Explores the Downside of Wind Energy Development

An engaging documentary entitled 'Windfall', takes a look at the downside of wind energy and it's impact on communities. Alternative energy is a popular topic of conversation, but as this film denotes, many communities are dealing with the unintended consequences of wind development. Check it out!

Will Herman Cain's Sex Scandal Damage His Campaign?

The battle for the Republican Presidential nomination is getting heated, and this time it's Herman Cain who is feeling it. Two former colleagues of Cain's have come forward with allegations of sexual harassment, although many details are still unclear. At the time of the alleged harassment, Cain was serving as President of the National Restaurant Association. Reportedly, the two women received a settlement that was in the "5 figure" range, and were asked to not discuss the issue in the future. Cain claims he has been "falsely accused" and says the story has no merit. But, isn't this how all political sex scandals start out?

READ MORE HERE>

Newsweek Releases List of Greenest Companies in the United States

Newsweek recently published what it has found to be the 'Greenest' Companies in the United States.
 Newsweek says that it used criteria such as,"actual environmental footprints, management (policies, programs, initiatives, controversies), and reporting practices of big companies.

See the full list HERE.

French Company Granted License to Move Forward on Idaho Nuclear Facility

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission gave the go-ahead to French company, Areva, to construct a multi-billion dollar uranium enrichment facility in Idaho.  The enriched uranium would be used to supply more than 100 nuclear reactors in the United States. It is anticipated that if planning goes as intended, the operation will be up and running by sometime in 2014.

While the project is touted as bringing hundreds of new jobs to the area, not everyone in this remote community are happy about the new development.

"There is not, never has been and never will be a need for this dangerous uranium enrichment factory," alliance executive director Liz Woodruff said. "There is an ample supply of enriched uranium worldwide today and the government has seriously miscalculated the need for more of it."

READ MORE HERE>

Check out this video from local TV station, KPVI in Pocatello, Idaho....

A War on the EPA Could Reverse Decades of Progressive Policy

An ongoing war on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), could spell trouble for decades worth of legislation aimed at protecting the environment. House Republicans are leading this battle to get rid of regulations that protect our air and water, as well as introducing legislation that would drastically lower the regulations on things such as emissions and pollutants.

"It single-handedly amends probably more laws of the United States than any law ever introduced in Congress," said John Walke, a lawyer with the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Friction Among Top Republican Fundraisers

It looks as if conservative strategist Karl Rove and the billionaire industrialist Koch brothers are showing signs of a frayed relationship. Their alliance has raised millions in political action money in recent months, however, new reports suggest that the friction that has developed between the two camps could prove to troublesome for the Republican party.

Bloomberg Tips His Hat to a Christie Candidacy- But Will He Run?

It looks as if New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is endorsing a potential Presidential run by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. The catch is--Christie has thus far denied having any interest in a 2012 run for the presidency. Nevertheless, party insiders are pressing Christie to reconsider.

At a time when the Republican primary field is lacking a clear front-runner, a Christie candidacy may be what some in the Republican party have been looking for all along. With increasing displeasure in Perry's lackluster performance on the campaign trail and Romney's difficulty in building trust with Republican loyalists, there is a clear opening should another candidate decide to enter the race. However, time is running out, and as the weeks go by, it becomes less and less likely that the primary field will grow.

As for Bloomberg's analysis:

"He’s been a good governor in New Jersey. He’s shaken things up in a state that’s had problems that have gone on and on and on...I think he would be a credible, formidable candidate." - NYC Mayor, Mike Bloomberg (I)

Christie seems to at least be entertaining the idea as he makes his way across the country on a 3- state tour. Sources close to Christie say that if he does change his mind, it would likely be in the next couple of weeks.