The Devil Advocate By Shirley Min, NBC17, RALEIGH, N.C. - Two weeks ago, four N.C. State students painted racist remarks in the university's Free Expression Tunnel. After the Nov. 4 elections, the four students-- whose names have not been released -- wrote racist death threats in the tunnel against President-elect Barack Obama. Upon further investigation, the university says federal and local authorities concluded what they did was not a crime so no charges were filed. Now student leaders are debating whether to recommend punishment for the four. "Even though it is freedom of speech, you know, hate speech should never be tolerated. ...

UPDATE: At the end of the post. When the election of Barack Obama sent many gay Americans dancing into the streets -- figuratively and literally -- celebrating, my dear friend Kevin offered a sober, some might say cynical, reality check:... ...

This is the Obama-Biden transition team speaking to the Don't Ask, Don't Tell issue: Repeal Don't Ask-Don't Tell: Barack Obama agrees with former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff John Shalikashvili and other military experts that we need to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. The key test for military service should be patriotism, a sense of duty, and a willingness to serve. Discrimination should be prohibited. The U.S. government has spent millions of dollars replacing troops kicked out of the military because of their sexual orientation. Additionally, more than 300 language experts have been fired under ...

Earlier this primary season the Barack Obama campaign made history with the first ever LGBT specific presidential advertisement. The theme continues as President-Elect Barack Obama outlines his Administration's policy agenda for the LGBT community and promises to continue to "speak... ...

Al-Qaeda's #2 head terrorist, Ayman al-Zawahri has released a video in which he describes Barack Obama, Condoleezza Rice, and Colin Powell as house negroes.House negroes!! Where was this guy during the McCain/Palin lynch mob gatherings?Really, considering the source, this can hardly be called an insult. I actually thought it was rather chuckle-worthy.On an interesting side note, al-Zawahri praised Malcolm X, saying Barack was the "direct opposite of honorable black Americans" like Malcolm X. I thought this was funny because one of the many insane rumors flying around this year was that Barack was actually Malcolm X's illegitimate son!!!Interesting that ...

American traditionalist and bloviator Bill O'Reilly is afraid that if Barack Obama is pushed too hard by the "far left" to adopt its values, the whole country will turn into a "secular liberal culture" like the San Francisco depicted in this skewed documentary made by his producer. Honestly though, we wish San Francisco were more like it's represented here. We've always found it too adorable and touristy. (HuffPo; t/y James) ...

The website for President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team has posted a fairly comprehensive list of policy objectives for the LGBT community, including fully inclusive employment non-discrimination protections, hate crime protections, repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” expanded adoption rights and “full civil unions and federal rights for LGBT couples.” So while I’m happy to see the president-elect sign on to a very comprehensive LGBT civil rights agenda, I would be very surprised to see White House leadership on these issues. I expect that Obama will have his hands full with the economy and pressing issues in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and ...

The Catholic church is demanding anyone who voted for Barack Obama to repent for their sins. Meanwhile other churches supported Prop 8 because “God is against gays getting married”. It’s interesting that everyone seems to have the inside scoop on what God has been thinking lately. I can’t help but wonder how all these churches are talking to God? Is God on Facebook? Can I call 411 and get God’s home phone number? Can I add God as a friend on MySpace? I’d really like to know. I thought the only way to interpret the word of God is to read a Bible. ...

Immediately following his election Obama’s transition team launched change.gov. This site aims to continue his relationship with his supporters whilst detailing and also recruiting people to work in his administration (it explicitly lists a ban on discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity for those working in the Obama led White house and other agencies). Today further information is provided on the agenda of an Obama led government on issues for the LGBT community and other civil rights issues. Whilst Irish LGBT’s have workplace and service protection, there are several issues on this list that ...

JOE LIEBERMAN: Harry Reid press conference on decision to allow Joe Lieberman to keep his chairmanship of the Senate Homeland Security Committee despite his attacks on Barack Obama during the campaign season. CATHOLIC CARDINAL STAFFORD: Criticizes Obama as "aggressive, disruptive and apocalyptic." PACKERS FAN: A bear who's a big Packers fan. HABANERA: David Schmader at Slog says this old Sesame Street clip is maybe his earliest childhood memory. We must be the same age. Check out our previous guides to the Tube here. ...

"Mr President needs to learn how to bake a cake. That's points for the man of the house – because I did that. I bake cakes and popcorn and cotton candy... Then they like for you to get out of their face and let them be kids." – rapper Snoop Dogg's advice to president-elect Barack Obama on how to win cool points with his daughters. (Source) ...

A few weeks ago I was getting dozens of emails about President-elect Barack Obama's Change.gov website and its lack of any mention of the words 'gay' or 'lesbian'. That has now changed, and the site, which echoes Obama's campaign positions, features a civil rights agenda for LGBT Americans more comprehensive than anything we've seen from an incoming president. Read the text of that agenda, AFTER THE JUMP...Support for the LGBT Community "While we have come a long way since the Stonewall riots in 1969, we still have a lot of work to do. Too often, the issue of LGBT ...

GQ is out with its "Men of the Year" issue featuring four different covers of Barack Obama, Leonardo Dicaprio, Jon Hamm, and Michael Phelps. There's also a portrait gallery inside with plenty of shots, including one of Phelps offering a flash of what's under his Speedo. Check out that shot, AFTER THE JUMP... ...

· In first meeting since the presidential election, President-elect Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain vow to work together on the financial crisis, energy, national security and "change the bad habits of Washington." · More than 100 retired generals and... ...

According to the Guardian, Hillary Clinton has accepted Barack Obama's offer to become the next Secretary of State! Why did Barry choose his former rival to be Madam SOS? To paraphrase our favorite former president -- Lyndon JUMBO Johnson -- it's better to have Mrs. Clinton inside the tent pissing out than outside the tent pissing in. But at least she'd put the seat down! Yay, Hillary in the hizzouse!!! ...

Since the election, there's been an incredible spotlight shining on the fact that 70 percent of African Americans voted to ban same-sex marriages in California, but I think a lot of people just don’t seem grasp the demographics that went on here.The older voters were, the more likely they were to vote for Prop. 8 as were religious voters.A lot of black voters turned out to vote for maybe the first time in their lives because Barack Obama was on the ticket... many of these were older church goers because those are the people who vote in that community ...

Blogger Todd Beeton of MyDD wrote up this summary of the UCLA Law School's Williams Institute Election Post-Mortem event which included MadProfessah as an expert panellist on Thursday. I'll include the portions which refer to me:Ron Buckmire took it upon himself to debunk the idea that "it's African-Americans' fault." He acknowledged that majorities of black voters voted for Prop 8 and noted that they were courted to do so with an aggressive campaign of robocalls and mailers conflating Barack Obama's position on gay marriage with his position on Prop 8.In Arkansas, he reminded us, black voters voted against ...

Barack Obama is about to get passed around more than Sienna Miller. New trading cards featuring the President-elect's face are being released from the Topps Company. There will be a total of 90 cards and they will contain fun facts and quotes about Barack. You can own a piece of the prez ... ...

While Keith Olbermann can sometimes be over the top, I was really moved by his "Special Comment" in regards to same-sex marriage and California's Prop. 8 earlier this week, and several straight friends wrote to tell me about it as well. Here it is, if you haven't seen it already. I was similarly touched by Judith Warner's most recent New York Times column, "What It Felt Like to Be Equal." The quotes Warner shares from gay people who were directly affected by the passage of Prop. 8, about feeling that gays are now perhaps the only group it is ...

John McCain will meet with President-Elect Barack Obama on Monday in Chicago. The statement from Obama’s transition team reads: "It’s well known that they share an important belief that Americans want and deserve a more effective and efficient government, and... ...