Free Republic

PLEASANT HILL -- A gay teenager denied his Eagle Scout award because of his sexuality turned in an online petition with more than 400,000 signatures Wednesday urging the National Boy Scouts of America to change its policies against allowing gay members. Ryan Andresen of Moraga marched into the front office of the Mt. Diablo Silverado Council on Ellinwood Way along with his parents and a former member of the same Boy Scout troop who came out as gay two weeks ago. Assemblymember Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, also attended and presented Andresen with a resolution honoring his achievements with the Boy Scouts....

Let’s be clear about this from the start: On Tuesday, I’ll vote for Newt Gingrich to be the GOP’s presidential nominee. Now for the explanation. In recent days, I mentally drafted one piece endorsing him, one backing Mitt Romney, and a third picking Rick Santorum. (Sorry, Ron Paul fans.) In other words, like millions of other Americans, I’ve had a hard time reaching a decision. ......[SNIP]...... Gingrich has a record of changing Washington. Completely? No. But then, completely changing Washington is a big job. And Gingrich led Congress to each success to which Santorum can also lay a claim: balanced...

Newt Gingrich won tonight’s debate, which he needed to do, but not because he out-maneuvered his opponents. Santorum and Romney were simply too focused on each other, with Paul tag-teaming alongside Romney (ambition makes strange bedfellows). All of this gave Gingrich cover and also gave him the opportunity to be the only candidate that directly and repeatedly went after Barack Obama. He looked like a statesman. His answer on infanticide and shifting the focus from GOP and birth control to Obama and his campaign against the Born Alive Infant Protection Act was the rhetorical feat of the night.