JUICEBLENDER: Marriage Equality Opponents Outed, Dream Activists Protest Tea Party Film, Frederick Mayor's Race & More!

Here's a random blend of political tidbits from recent news, starting with a few fascinating stories related to the upcoming marriage equality and Dream Act referenda:

JUICE #1: LGBT RESIDENTS FIND FAMILY MEMBERS' NAMES ON PETITION TO OVERTURN MARRIAGE EQUALITY - The local LGBT publication The Washington Blade recently publicly posted a list that outed all the Maryland residents who signed the petition to overturn marriage equality. The news site created a searchable database of the civil rights opponents, which we also provide at the bottom of this post. Already, local LGBT residents and activists are discovering that some of their neighbors and even family members signed the petition against civil rights. See one reaction that appeared in the Washington Blade (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON BLADE: Bernard Bundy Jr. had a bad feeling in his stomach the morning of July 25. Bundy, who lives in Alexandria but was raised in Maryland, was looking at a just-posted list of names of people who had signed a petition to force the recently passed Civil Marriage Protection Act, granting marriage equality to same-sex couples in Maryland, onto the state ballot for a November referendum....

To Bundy's disappointment, he found his mother's name on the petition....

In addition to his mother, Bundy also found an aunt and uncle, his godparents. Even more galling to Bundy, those godparents have an out gay son – Bundy's cousin – who has had a partner for more than 10 years....

''It was a rough day,'' he says. ''I didn't work much that day. I was there physically, but not mentally, just thinking how much it hurt to see that. I even told my boss, 'I'm losing faith in humanity.'...''

Kevin Nix, spokesman for the Marylanders for Marriage Equality coalition, distanced the campaign from the Blade's decision to publish the names, saying the campaign has been focused on winning in November....

JUICE #2: MOCO "DREAM ACT" SUPPORTERS PROTEST MARYLAND SCREENINGS OF ANTI-IMMIGRANT FILM - Tea Party and nativist activists around the nation are hosting screenings of an anti-immigrant film called They Come to America. So far, they have held two viewings, one in Westminster and one in Rockville, and both screenings have attracted protests from Dream Act supporters. See video footage and news coverage of the controversy below. The Potomac Tea Party Report announced the screenings last month and described the film as follows:

POTOMAC TEA PARTY REPORT: A documentary film on illegal immigration will be shown in Maryland next month!   Tell everyone you know!  Meet the filmmaker!

Dennis Lynch, director of They Come to America is traveling across the country showing his film that has been banned by Hollywood. Why?

This film shows the devastating effect illegal immigration has on the United States of America. And since our illustrious president and governor are doing their level best to get as many illegal immigrants into this country and state as possible AND we have a big vote in November on in-state tuition for illegal immigrants, it’s our duty to get the word out on this.

The Dream Act students involved with the #JSA Movement organized a protest against the screenings, including a Rockville showing of They Come to America earlier this week:

The Gazette's Alex Ruoff and Jeremy Arias covered the protest at the Rockville film screening:

GAZETTE: The kick-off rally by two groups opposing the Maryland Dream Act was met with protest from a group of Hispanic students in Rockville on Wednesday....

More than a dozen people showed up at the rally with orange tape covering their mouths to protest the airing of the film “They Come to America,” a documentary on illegal immigration by Dennis M. Lynch. About 70 people packed the room to see the film and attend the rally.

“A lot of films like this don’t give a voice to those who are featured in them,” said Paola Ramirez, 22, of Germantown. “We’re here to provide that voice.”

The groups Help Save Maryland and the Maryland Society of Patriots, organizations that worked to take the Dream act to referendum, are hoping to drum up support for the November vote to bring it down....

See video footage shot by protesters at the Westminster, Maryland screening of the film:



JUICE #3: DREAM ACT & MARRIAGE EQUALITY ACTIVISTS JOIN FORCES - While the mainstream media has been fixated on supposed racial divisions on the marriage equality issue, civil rights proponents are quietly joining forces to promote both the Dream Act & marriage equality campaigns this November. Last month, CASA de Maryland and Equality Maryland announced the united effort:

CASA/EQUALITY MARYLAND: Equality Maryland, the state’s LGBT civil rights organization, and CASA de Maryland, the state’s largest Latino and immigrant organization, have launched an exciting partnership to educate our communities about the importance of immigrant education and marriage equality in an exciting year when these issues will be front and center in our state.  We are seeking your help in recruiting volunteers!

CASA is recruiting Latino and Spanish-speaking LGBT families to speak out in the Latino community about their lives and the importance of family unity in the press, at festivals, and more.

Equality Maryland is recruiting LGBT DREAMers to help educate Maryland’s LGBT communities about the importance of immigrant education.

We need your help to recommend committed, excited volunteers to join the cause!

 The Washington Blade published the following coverage of the effort (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON BLADE: Three Latino and LGBT advocacy groups have teamed up to garner additional support for Maryland’s same-sex marriage law and in-state college tuition for undocumented immigrants....

“We have a lot of gays and lesbians in our community,” Gustavo Torres, executive director of CASA de Maryland, told the Blade as he spoke in support of nuptials for gays and lesbians. “We believe and it’s very clear that this is an essential civil rights issue and that’s why CASA is 100 percent behind [same-sex marriage.]”

An Arcus Foundation-funded survey that the National Council of La Raza and Social Science Research Solutions released in April shows that 54 percent of Latinos support marriage rights for same-sex couples.

This new alliance has caught the attention of Maryland Tea Partiers, who published the following alert (excerpt below):

POTOMAC TEA PARTY REPORT: Gay political groups are joining forces with illegal alien students who want their college tuition partially paid by taxpayers in hopes of defeating two of the initiatives conservatives and Tea Partiers successfully petitioned for inclusion on the Maryland ballot in November.

JUICE #4: 2013 FREDERICK MAYORAL CANDIDATES EMERGING - Gazette columnist Joe Volz has a roundup of potential candidates for Mayor of Frederick. The office is available for a new four-year term in 2013 (Primary Election - 9/10/13 & General Election - 11/5/13). See Volz's hypothetical line-up of candidates below (compilation courtesy of Juice), but note that some of these are dark horses. You'll have to read his full thoughts to see which of these candidates are more likely than others to run for Mayor:

POTENTIAL DEMOCRATS:

• Karen Young (Board of Aldermen)
• Jennifer Dougherty (former Mayor)

POTENTIAL REPUBLICANS:

• Randy McClement (incumbent Mayor)
• Shelley Aloi (Board of Aldermen)
• Jeff Holtzinger (former Mayor)

JUICE #5: WHO SIGNED THE PETITION AGAINST MARRIAGE EQUALITY? - Below, you can see The Washington Blade's published list of Maryland residents who signed the anti-LGBT petition. You can also search the document online. Civil Marriage Petition Signers July 12 2012

VIDEO: Undocumented Students Go Public for MD's Dream Act

One side-effect of President Obama's recent decision to halt the deportation of undocumented youths, is that many students who previously lived double-lives are able to speak out about their plight. Even before Obama's decision, some students boldly stepped forward to defend themselves, such as those in the JSA Movement.

Today, Educating Maryland Kids released a new video with statements from a number of undocumented students who are stepping forward to urge Marylanders to support the Dream Act this November. The video message comes with a sign-up form for residents to pledge to "vote for" the Dream Act.

"I AM A DREAMER"

ACT NOW: PLEDGE TO "VOTE FOR" THE DREAM ACT IN NOVEMBER

Dream Act Updates: Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown Tells His Family Story // Montgomery College Video Defends Dream Act

Last week, Maryland Juice reported that the Board of Trustee's at Montgomery College (MoCo's public college system) endorsed a "Vote For" the Maryland Dream Act this November. Today also released a video explaining their support (Hat tip: MoCo Councilmember Navarro):





Meanwhile, Lt. Governor Anthony Brown today published an op. ed. in The Washington Post. In the lengthy piece, he explains his support for the Dream Act and discusses his own family's immigration history in the United States (excerpt below):

ANTHONY BROWN (Washington Post): Last month, President Obama announced that the United States will no longer deport law-abiding undocumented young people who were brought to this country before the age of 16, have lived here for five consecutive years and are pursuing higher education or military service. Instead, they will be eligible for temporary work permits, helping them to come out of the shadows of our society and participate more fully in our economy....

These are students who have lived in our communities and paid Maryland taxes. Yet the opponents who are bringing this issue to a referendum in November are taking a shortsighted view that ignores all that these hardworking young people can contribute to our state and nation....

My grandmother came to this country and served as a domestic worker, even for a time without proper documentation. She did this so that my father could become the first member of our family to go to college. He repaid that debt of gratitude by becoming a doctor and dedicating himself to serving those most in need in some of the poorest neighborhoods where I grew up....

Read the rest of Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown's piece at The Washington Post.

CRAZYTALK: Rep. Roscoe Bartlett Compares Supreme Court Obamacare Ruling to Dred Scott Decision Upholding Slavery

PLUS: Tea Party Delegate Mike Smigiel Spouts Birther Nonsense

A few days ago, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld key provisions of President Obama's health care plan, more commonly known as Obamacare. A number of Maryland politicos have issued statements responding to the groundbreaking high court ruling (see a roundup of comments at Maryland Reporter), but Maryland Congressman Roscoe Bartlett's statement may just beat them all. The Tea Party member issued an absolutely ridiculous press statement comparing the Supreme Court's health care ruling to the Dred Scott decision that upheld slavery in America. Slavery?!? WTF. 

REP. ROSCOE BARTLETT: “All that is legal is not moral.  This same Supreme Court at a different time in history and different justices handed down the Dred Scott decision.  I doubt there is a single justice today that would believe the Dred Scott decision was either moral or constitutional.  I believe that future analysts will view this Supreme Court decision in the same light.  We are a constitutional republic and respect the judicial process; however, I believe that Obamacare will be reversed by the people in November who strongly disagree with the Court’s decision regarding the individual mandate.

The Supreme Court decision does not fix Obamacare which threatens to explode our deficit, does nothing to rein in skyrocketing health care costs, and includes new job killing taxes.   I remain committed to working with colleagues from both parties on common sense reforms to  eliminate these disastrous effects while fixing the pre-existing condition problem, retaining coverage for post adolescent children still in school and perhaps most important, a providing meaningful solution to the litigation cases excesses,” said Congressman Roscoe G. Bartlett (MD-6).

BACKGROUND: Maryland's 6th Congressional District Rep. Roscoe Bartlett is in the toughest race of his multi-decade career. After this year's redistricting, CD6 became significantly more Democratic, and now John Delaney -- a deep-pocketed multimillionaire with lots of rich donor friends -- has won the Democratic nomination. Bartlett's district now includes a very large contingent of voters from the Dems' stronghold in Montgomery County, so you would think he would try to moderate some of the crazy in the Maryland GOP. Not so -- Roscoe Bartlett appears determined to double-down on the Tea Party's talking points. Beyond Bartlett's ridiculous statement about Obamacare, he has also issued recent statements attacking immigrants and adopted the evangelical rightwing position on marriage equality.

Maryland Juice has repeatedly highlighted the long-term problems the State's GOP seems to be creating for itself. All of this crazytalk coming from Republican elected officials will make it impossible for them to ever win more than a small percentage of the state's offices. See another example below.


BONUS CRAZYTALK: DEL. MIKE SMIGIEL SPOUTS BIRTHER NONSENSE - After President Obama announced that his administration would stop pursuing the deportation of young undocumented residents, Maryland Delegate Mike Smigiel revealed just how much of an idiot he is. Following a long-line of debunked "birther" stupidity from conspiracy theorists, Smigiel attacked Obama's citizenship status by suggesting he is not a citizen:

This is getting really old.

Montgomery College Board of Trustees Endorses Maryland Dream Act // READ RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF "VOTE FOR"

Casa de Maryland today announced that the Montgomery College Board of Trustees has passed a resolution supporting the Maryland Dream Act. Below you can read a full copy of the resolution and a letter explaining the Board's action. I've excerpted a few pertinent parts from the letter, which summarize the Dream Act provisions they endorse, as well as their rationale:

MONTGOMERY COLLEGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES: The Dream Act provides to undocumented students local in-state rates for tuition in Maryland community colleges (and four-year colleges with additional requirements), provided that the students can show attendance in a Maryland high school for at least three years, that their parents filed tax returns in Maryland during periods between attendance in high school and attendance at community college and that the students commit to legalizing status as soon as they are eligible. It is a confirmation and a slightly modified extension of a long observed policy of Montgomery College that granted all graduates of Montgomery County high schools local instate tuition rates....

Obama Administration to Halt Deportation of Dream Act Youths // Marylanders Respond, Plan White House Rally at 2 pm TODAY

UPDATE: At 1:15 pm today, President Obama will host a press conference to discuss this groundbreaking policy shift. You can watch it online [HERE].

Maryland politicos are abuzz with news that the Obama Administration's Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced new leniency measures for young undocumented residents (Hat tip: MoCo Council Vice President Nancy Navarro). DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano issued a memo today (see text below) indicating that Dream Act eligible students would now be allowed to apply for lawful residency and would not be priorities for deportation. The move comes days after the President's visit to Baltimore, Maryland, where dozens of residents called on the President to endorse the Maryland Dream Act. While in Baltimore, Obama stated:

BARACK OBAMA: “It’s time to stop denying citizenship to responsible young people just because they are children of” undocumented immigrants, Obama said. “This country is at its best when it harnesses the God-given talents of every individual.”

CRITERIA FOR ELIGIBILITY: Three days after his visit to Baltimore, Obama has doubled down on his words with real action. See the DHS memo below, along with response from Maryland politicos. The halt to deportations applies to individuals who meet the following criteria:

BREAKING: Maryland High Court Leaves Dream Act on November Ballot // Watch the Archived Oral Arguments Online

UPDATE: Read about the potential deportation of an Oxon Hill valedictorian below, and you can watch the Court of Appeals oral arguments online here at Maryland Juice:




The Baltimore Sun reports that Maryland's highest court, the Court of Appeals, is rejecting a challenge to the Dream Act referendum this November. That means voters will indeed be faced with ballot measures on both marriage equality and the Dream Act. The Sun's Yvonne Wenger noted (excerpt below):

BALTIMORE SUN: Maryland's highest court ruled Wednesday to allow voters to have the final say over whether illegal immigrants should get college tuition breaks.

In a two-page order, the Court of Appeals agreed to uphold the decision of the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court to allow the referendum to appear on the November ballots.

OXON HILL VALEDICTORIAN FORCED BACK TO PHILLIPINES: Meanwhile, a high school valedictorian from the Phillipines is being forced back after a glitch in her visa processing leaves her in the U.S. without status. The Oxon Hill 17-year-old will be imminently booted, barring drastic action to assist her visa application. REMINDER: the failure of our immigration rules and deportation systems (which didn't exist when Irish and Italian immigrants were coming to the United States) impact more than just Hispanic families. See the NBC news report below and sign a petition:

View more videos at: http://nbcwashington.com.

The Maryland Court of Appeals order noted that we should expect to see their full reasoning laid out in a future opinion (see below).

Maryland Court of Appeals Leaves Dream Act on November 2012 Ballot

JuiceBlender: Tiffany Alston Found Guilty, Karl Rove Compares O'Malley to Dean, Canadians on Rollin Stanley, MD Drone Crash

Here's a random blend of political tidbits from recent news, starting with disturbing news that an unmanned predator drone has crashed on Maryland's Eastern shore:

JUICE #1: UNMANNED PREDATOR DRONE CRASHES ON MARYLAND'S EASTERN SHORE - Earlier this month, Maryland Juice reported on disturbing news that local governments and even college police forces were beginning to apply for permission to fly unmanned "predator drones" in U.S. airspace. Queen Anne's County, Maryland is one of the jurisdictions that had received authorization to fly drones. As we've seen through our (questionable) use of drones in other nations, they can be dangerous. Indeed, yesterday a $176 million "predator drone" crashed on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The Associated Press carried video footage of the flaming wreckage in Maryland:




REP. DUTCH RUPPERSBERGER & VA GOV. BOB MCDONNELL SEEK EXPANDED DRONE USE: Notably, Maryland Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger wants to see more drones flying around and takes thousands of dollars ($190,000) from drone manufacturers. As a result of this mission creep, privacy advocates in the U.S. have become increasingly alarmed about the prospect of spy drones and now hummingbird-sized flying spy cameras being cleared for use by local law enforcement. The Examiner's Gene Healy recently raised red flags about drones invading Americans' reasonable expectations of  privacy (see excerpt below):

EXAMINER: Last week, in its report on the 2013 Defense Authorization bill, the Senate Armed Services Committee called for allowing drones to operate "freely and routinely" in U.S. airspace....

...they're increasingly "contributing to missions of agencies and departments within the United States. ... The pace of development must be accelerated," the report concluded.....

"It's great!" Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell said on WTOP's "Ask the Governor" program last month....

Fox News Baltimore Promotes Anti-Marriage Equality Petition, Washington Times Promotes Anti-Immigrant Cause

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WOW: Frederick County Makes English Official Language // Montgomery & Baltimore Join Federal Deportation Program

WTOP is reporting that last night, Frederick County voted to make English their official language:

Frederick County has become the first in Maryland to make English the official language of the government.

The vote was 4-1 on Tuesday, with the lone dissent coming from Commissioner David Gray....

A public hearing regarding the issue took nearly three hours, during which most of the 19 people who spoke were against the measure.

Among those speaking against the ordinance was Meredith Kelly, who says the first settlers of Frederick County were German.

"By various reports, English was not the area language until the Irish immigrants came in in the late 1840s. The original newspapers were published in both German and English. So, I have to look at the history of the county and wonder, what the hell is the point of this legislation? What does it benefit, because it looks like pure anti-immigrant posturing," Kelly says.

Meanwhile, CASA de Maryland reports that today is doomsday for many Latino families in Maryland. Montgomery County and Baltimore City are set to implement the so-called "Secure Communities" program that was rejected by Democratic Governors in New York, Massachusetts and Illinois. The federal program demands that local governments check and transfer information about the citizenship status of residents, even if they are not convicted of a crime. The District of Columbia also rejected the program on the day that researchers released disturbing findings about the program. A number of actual U.S. citizens were arrested under Secure Communities (oops!), and the program disproportionately targets Latinos, sometimes breaking up families over trivial issues:

The study is the first to analyze government data on the program. Among its findings:

• 1.6 percent of those arrested were actually U.S. citizens
• 39 percent of people arrested through Secure Communities have at least one child or spouse who is a U.S. citizen
• 93 percent of those arrested are Latinos, even though they account for 77 percent of the entire undocumented population

See the press release from CASA below: