“Experienced federal prosecutors will determine whether the evidence reveals a prosecutable violation of any of the limited federal criminal civil rights statutes within our jurisdiction, and whether federal prosecution is appropriate in accordance with the Department’s policy governing successive federal prosecution following a state trial,” says a Justice Department spokesperson.

Via: Jonathan Ernst / Reuters

WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors are pressing forward with their investigation into the killing of Trayvon Martin following the acquittal of the man who shot him, George Zimmerman, on state charges, a spokesperson for the Justice Department said Sunday.

"Experienced federal prosecutors will determine whether the evidence reveals a prosecutable violation of any of the limited federal criminal civil rights statutes within our jurisdiction, and whether federal prosecution is appropriate in accordance with the Department's policy governing successive federal prosecution following a state trial," Dena W. Iverson, a Justice spokesperson, said in a statement.

The Justice Department's civil rights division as well as the FBI are continuing to investigate Martin's death, the statement said.

Civil rights groups and Martin supporters have called on the Justice Department to prosecute Zimmerman following his acquittal Saturday night. Sunday's statement was the first response from Justice following the public pressure campaign.

Read the statement in full:

As the Department first acknowledged last year, we have an open investigation into the death of Trayvon Martin. The Department of Justice's Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division, the United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation continue to evaluate the evidence generated during the federal investigation, as well as the evidence and testimony from the state trial. Experienced federal prosecutors will determine whether the evidence reveals a prosecutable violation of any of the limited federal criminal civil rights statutes within our jurisdiction, and whether federal prosecution is appropriate in accordance with the Department's policy governing successive federal prosecution following a state trial.

Weiner’s wife, the press-averse aide to Hillary Clinton, says she’s still figuring out her role on the campaign. “I prefer to be a private person.”

Via: Ruby Cramer/Buzzfeed

On stage at Harlem's annual Salsa Street Party, on a hot Sunday afternoon at what could have been a typical campaign stop for the mayoral hopeful, Anthony Weiner almost forgot one thing: his wife.

"Como se dice 'running'?" Weiner shouted to the Hispanic-heavy crowd cheering beneath him at a playground on 111th street. "Corriendo para alcalde! Muchas gracias!"

The audience roared. Weiner turned around. Huma Abedin — the candidate's wife, and Hillary Clinton's closest personal aide — stood with her hands clasped, a few paces upstage, beside a line of dancers outfitted in red and white cucaracha-style dresses, looking somewhat unsure of what to do next.

"And this is my wife!" Weiner hollered to the crowd. A moment later, he turned back, grabbed her by the hand, and led her off-stage behind a line of police barricades. "Yeahhhh! There ya go," a man shouted as the couple descended. "All right. You gonna be all right, Tony! You gonna be all right."

Although Abedin hosted a "Women for Anthony" fundraiser for her husband three weeks ago, the campaign events Sunday — which included stops at two churches in Staten Island in the morning, and a walk through shops in Harlem that afternoon — amounted to her first full day on the trail.

Since leaving the State Department along with Clinton five months ago, Abedin has kept away from the public eye — even as her husband has done just the opposite. The 48-year-old former congressman resigned two years ago after sending lewd photos to strangers online, and his comeback bid for mayor of New York City has thrust both he and his wife, who have an 18-month-old son, back into the news — the place where Abedin seems least at home.

Abedin, who now heads Clinton's "transition team," knows the campaign trail well — she was Hillary's right hand during 2008, by her side from the Iowa caucus in January to the final days of the primary in June — but alongside Weiner in Harlem, she is seemingly unaccustomed to the more prominent role of the candidate's spouse. After 17 years with Hillary, the Michigan-born Abedin, 36, has adopted the deep-rooted sense of privacy for which the Clinton inner circle is known.

"I prefer to be a private person," Abedin said later that afternoon at Lido, an Italian restaurant on Frederick Douglas Boulevard, while Weiner posed for photos with voters nearby.

Though it was Weiner who pointed out that, after her months on the trail with Clinton, Abedin is the pro. "Walking and campaigning with Huma after she worked on the 2008 campaign," he said, "It's kind of like doing batting practice while Ted Williams is watching. She's done all of this stuff so many times."

Asked if she'll come out on the campaign trail more often, Abedin turned to Weiner. "I don't know. What do you think?" she said, smiling.

"I'm gonna warn you, if you do, you're gonna have to hang out with all these cats," Weiner said, gesturing toward the small group of reporters with them.

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Well, these facts about cable news might not actually make you question reality, but they’ll sure give you something to talk about at your next family get-together with that weird uncle who only watches cable news.

MSNBC's Rachel Maddow got her first broadcasting job by winning a contest to be the sidekick of WRNX morning DJ and former Reagan campaign pianist Dave Brinnel.

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The former Speaker of the House and presidential candidate-turned-CNN host said protesters after the Trayvon Martin trial were prepared to “be a lynch mob.”

View Video ›

Via:

The White House further reacts to the Zimmerman trial verdict.

View Video ›

Via:

White House press secretary Jay Carney said Monday that Trayvon Martin's death "reflects, symbolizes the loss we see daily in this country to gun violence." Carney added he was "not sure" if President Obama had discussed the case with Eric Holder.

The president said in a statement Sunday on the Zimmerman trial verdict that "we should ask ourselves if we're doing all we can to stem the tide of gun violence that claims too many lives across this country on a daily basis."

Carney deflected numerous other questions about the case from reporters in the daily press briefing.

The decision is "not something the president involves himself in," Carney said, adding it would be "inappropriate" for Obama "to express an opinion about what the Department of Justice should do."

The Department of Justice has said that "experienced federal prosecutors will determine whether the evidence reveals a prosecutable violation of any of the limited federal criminal civil rights statutes within our jurisdiction, and whether federal prosecution is appropriate."

Attorney General Eric Holder is expected to speak about the case Tuesday at the NAACP convention in Orlando.

“As this celebration unfolds, we are also mindful of the pain felt by our nation surrounding the tragic, unnecessary shooting death of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Fla., last year.”

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder at the Justice Department in Washington, June 25, 2013.

Jonathan Ernst / Reuters

Attorney General Eric Holder will call the death of Florida teen Trayvon Martin an "unnecessary shooting" in remarks prepared for delivery at a Delta Sigma Theta social luncheon Monday afternoon.

The Department of Justice weighing a civil rights case against George Zimmerman if "evidence reveals a prosecutable violation of any of the limited federal criminal civil rights statutes within our jurisdiction."

Here are Holder's prepared remarks for today relating to Trayvon Martin:

Of course, as this celebration unfolds, we are also mindful of the pain felt by our nation surrounding the tragic, unnecessary shooting death of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida last year - and the state trial that reached its conclusion over the weekend. As parents, as engaged citizens, and as leaders who stand vigilant against violence in communities across the country, the Deltas are deeply, and rightly, concerned about this case. The Justice Department shares your concern - I share your concern - and, as we first acknowledged last spring, we have opened an investigation into the matter.

Independent of the legal determination that will be made, I believe that this tragedy provides yet another opportunity for our nation to speak honestly about the complicated and emotionally-charged issues that this case has raised. We must not - as we have too often in the past - let this opportunity pass. I hope that we will approach this necessarily difficult dialogue with the same dignity that those who have lost the most, Trayvon's parents, have demonstrated throughout the last year - and especially over the past few days. They suffered a pain that no parent should have to endure - and one that I, as a father, cannot begin to conceive. Even as we embrace their example and hold them in our prayers, we must not forego this opportunity to better understand one another and to make better this nation we cherish.

Moreover, I want to assure you that the Department will continue to act in a manner that is consistent with the facts and the law. We are committed to standing with the people of Sanford, with the individuals and families affected by this incident, and with our state and local partners in order to alleviate tensions, address community concerns, and promote healing. We are determined to meet division and confusion with understanding and compassion - and also with truth. We are resolved, as you are, to combat violence involving or directed at young people, to prevent future tragedies and to deal with the underlying attitudes, mistaken beliefs and stereotypes that serve as the basis for these too common incidents. And we will never stop working to ensure that - in every case, in every circumstance, and in every community - justice must be done."

In cases against both government and private employers, transgender workers — with the federal government’s backing — are successfully using the Civil Rights Act’s sex discrimination protections to fight anti-transgender discrimination.

Mia Macy

Source: anewmia.com

WASHINGTON —Transgender workers, backed by the federal government for the first time, are successfully using civil rights laws to challenge government and private employers accused of anti-transgender discrimination, BuzzFeed has learned.

The Department of Justice decided earlier this month in favor of a transgender woman, Mia Macy, who had been refused work at a laboratory of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). After an investigation into her claims, the Justice Department informed Macy July 8 that the bureau "discriminated against [her] based on her transgender status."

Macy celebrated the decision as "validation."

"I never thought in my life that it would be over, but to have it not only be over but to have them say, 'Yes, unfortunately, your civil rights were violated. They did do this.' To have that vindication, it's surreal," Macy said.

The changes coming about now are the result of a crucial legal decision made by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Macy's case back in 2012. The commission then ruled that anti-transgender discrimination is covered under the ban on sex discrimination found in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. That April 2012 decision in Macy's case sent her complaint back to the Justice Department, which is charged with investigating discrimination complaints brought against agencies under its control such as ATF.

Macy isn't alone. BuzzFeed has learned that the EEOC also acted on at least one similar complaint later in 2012, a claim brought against a private employer.

The EEOC itself conducted an investigation into the actions of a private company in Maryland, concluding in September 2012 by finding that "reasonable cause" existed to believe the company had discriminated against a transgender woman employed by the company, which is a federal contractor. Although such findings often remain unpublicized, Freedom to Work and Lambda Legal, which represent the woman, presented the information about the case to BuzzFeed at this time because they have now reached a settlement with the company on behalf of the woman.

The value of the EEOC's Title VII interpretation has been downplayed by some LGBT advocates over the past year because the Supreme Court, which is the only body that could definitively rule on the issue, has not considered a case to address it. Other advocates, though, have countered that this interpretation is growing in acceptance in the courts, which generally defer to the EEOC's rulings on civil rights laws.

The outcome of these two cases show that, regardless of that debate, the interpretation in Macy's case is being applied by the federal government and by EEOC offices taking complaints of private employment discrimination—providing substantially more protection to transgender workers than most people realize exists.

The path toward these new protections for transgender workers began when Macy, then working as a detective for the Phoenix Police Department, had expressed interest in moving to California in late 2010. Macy's supervisor at the time recommended the military veteran for an ATF job at the Walnut Creek Laboratory, a position that Macy said the section chief there told her "was [hers], pending the outcome of [her] background check."
At the time, however, Macy identified as a man, and began the background check process using that name. Her background check proceeded until late March or early April 2011, when she informed the company handling the process that she would be reporting to work as a woman. Within hours of receiving documentation of Macy's new name on April 6, 2011, a supervisor at the ATF laboratory where Macy was expecting to work stopped a routine background investigation and canceled her hire.

When Macy filed a discrimination complaint with the ATF's equal employment opportunity office, the office initially rejected her claim that anti-transgender discrimination was covered under Title VII. She appealed that decision, which sent the case to the EEOC, where the five commissioners ruled without dissent in April 2012 that discrimination claims based on transgender status are covered under the law's prohibition of sex discrimination. The decision meant that a full investigation into Macy's claims would proceed within the Justice Department.

After a lengthy investigation, the Justice Department's Complaint Adjudication Office issued a final decision in Macy's case on July 8, affirming that Macy had been discriminated against: "The record established that the ATF intended and began taking steps to hire complainant for the position—until she disclosed that she was transitioning from a man to a woman. The ATF stopped complainant's hiring process when it learned that complainant … would become Mia Macy. In light of the EEOC's decision in this case to hold that actions based on transgender status are actions based on sex and therefore covered by Title VII, the ATF's actions were discrimination based on sex and therefore prohibited by Title VII."

Macy told BuzzFeed she sees the decision as groundbreaking.

"What was so strange about this case is that most people file a claim, it gets investigated, it either happened or it didn't, and then there's some resolution," she said. "The difference with my case is the findings are … based off of a decision that I had to create. There was not a system in place that protected us, so I had to first go get the protections for us and then come back and hold them to that standard."

An excerpt from Mia Macy's final decision by the Justice Department.

Macy praised the Justice Department investigation into her claims, saying that they "did such a thorough job." Looking at the outcome—which includes being offered her position, back pay, corrective action to prevent any future discrimination at the ATF laboratory, damages and attorney's fees—she was elated.

"To … get the rules changed so they do apply to us and then go back and say, 'The rules apply to us, they always should have applied to us. Now we're taking you on; we want it right,'" she said. "It's really nice to sit back and say, 'It's not only just a win, but we changed the system on them, too.' I love that. It's like a victory on a victory. It's like winning the Super Bowl, and then someone telling you you've won the World Series."

She noted, however, that the resolution doesn't end things for her.

"It's bittersweet. Everyone thinks it's over, but, for me, I don't know if it will ever be over," Macy said. "It would be difficult to work for the people I just defeated. It's not completely out of the realm, but we just don't see how, logistically, it would even work. The job, I always would love to have, [but] I don't know how it would actually be in that building. I don't know how those people would take me, and the reality is I don't know how long I would last. It would have to be another location, it would have to be another group."

Macy, meanwhile, has been applying for work without success, telling BuzzFeed, "It's been very difficult to get hired. It's been 26 months … the last 14 months have been even more difficult. Hopefully I can get back into law enforcement. I did write a book … so I'm hoping the book comes out and everyone can enjoy that."

Less is known about the private-sector case, in which the names of the parties are being withheld, but Tico Almeida of Freedom to Work praised the EEOC for its work.

"Coming just a few months after the EEOC issued its historic decision that transgender people are protected by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the EEOC's reasonable cause determination in this case is, to our knowledge, the first time in history that the EEOC has investigated allegations of anti-transgender harassment and ruled for the transgender employee. This case shows that the EEOC takes very seriously its role in protecting LGBT Americans' freedom to work," he said in a statement provided to BuzzFeed that is being released with the approval of both the plaintiff and defendant in the case.

The transgender woman they represent alleged in her complaint, according to the statement, that she was subjected to physical and verbal harassment on the job, with co-workers allegedly making comments that included "tranny," "drag queen," and "faggot."

In the EEOC's September 2012 letter finding reasonable cause to believe that the company violated Title VII, it noted, "The investigation revealed that Charging Party was subjected to derogatory gender-based comments that were frequently made by both co-workers and supervisors. Both Charging Party and witness interviews revealed that Respondent's management failed to take corrective action despite being fully aware of the harassment Charging Party was being subjected to. This lack of corrective action enabled the harassment and offensive atmosphere to continue."

The terms of the settlement are not being made public, and the company has denied any admission of wrongdoing, according to the statement provided to BuzzFeed. The company has, however, agreed to re-publicize its non-discrimination policies and conduct anti-discrimination and anti-harassment training at its facility, including a focus on transgender and other LGBT issues.

The news of the settlement in the private-sector case and the Justice Department's decision in Macy's case comes even as a Senate committee took action for the first time in more than a decade on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, a bill that would provide explicit protections against sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination by most employers.

"It's so important that the word gets out that … while we're waiting for ENDA, while we're waiting for Congress to get off their laurels and do the right thing, we do have a current protection that can assist you. The EEOC [office]s are versed in Macy v. Holder, and if they're not, you can make them educated, it's on their website. Get out there and be proactive in the idea that you do have a voice."

Greg Nevins, Lambda Legal's supervising staff attorney working on the private-sector case, pushed for the passage of ENDA—and for action from President Obama—to make such protections against LGBT discrimination explicit.

"Slowly but surely, we are gaining recognition of the rights of LGBT employees, but this case shows that employers and employees need laws that spell out gender identity and sexual orientation protections specifically, to help prevent discrimination in the first place. We need action by the 113th Congress to pass the Employment Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA), and even more immediately, President Obama should sign the executive order banning LGBT discrimination by companies that profit from federal contracts," he said in a statement.

Macy, for her part, called workplace protections one part of advancing transgender rights more broadly.

"I think in the workplace, if employers have to step up and they're the ones to tell people, 'It's OK, these people are allowed to work with us. They're just like you and me. They're fine,' and the employers start accepting that, I think the people take that with them home," she said. "It's a piece of the puzzle. I am happy that I got to be a part of taking down a wall — one more wall."

To the extent that she has been able to use her case—and, hopefully, will be able now to use this decision—to address anti-transgender discrimination publicly, she said that her background is ideal for helping move that conversation.

"At the end of the day, really, if you look at the surface of it, I'm kind of like a Republican wet dream: married 21 years to the same person; impeccable military records, both of us; impeccable police records; we do everything — but there's this one little caveat. There's this one little thing that's a little different," Macy said, concluding that her background makes it "easier to help them swallow the pill of getting normalcy for us."

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“How do you justify having 15 million people unemployed in this country and having 8 million illegals in this country taking those jobs,” Miller says in a deleted video.

Republican Rep. Gary Miller has prominently opposed immigration reform in the past. Miller has also previously advocated sending home any immigrant who is in the United States illegally, "12-20 million people" according to an old version of his campaign website.

But now, Miller might have changed his tune after becoming the representative for the 31st district in California – a district that is half Latino and has 65% of constituents who have pledged support for immigration reform. He has inexplicability pulled videos from his official YouTube page advocating a hardline stance on immigration.

The videos "Rep. Gary Miller Discusses Arizona on Fox & Friends," "Rep. Gary Miller's Conversation with Rep. Sue Myrick", "Rep. Gary Miller Discusses Amnesty Legislation on Fox, and "Rep. Miller Discusses Birthright Citizenship on Fox News" can be seen on Miller's website through the web archive in the hyperlinks above, but are no longer found on his website.

"How do you justify having 15 million people unemployed in this country and having 8 million illegals in this country taking those jobs," Miller says in one video.

"It's just wrong," Miller said in another video discussing birthright citizenship and his bill which aimed to revoke birthright citizenship to children born in the United States to illegal immigrants.

Miller's office told BuzzFeed in a statement:

"Congressman Miller agrees that our immigration system is badly broken and needs to be fixed. He believes in an immigration policy that promotes economic growth, strengthens public safety, and establishes a strong mandatory employment verification system to protect American jobs for American workers and eliminates the exploitation of unauthorized workers. Since January, over 30 groups and hundreds of individuals have visited our offices to discuss this complex and critical issue. Congressman Miller's position will continue to evolve as we continue to listen and gather input from residents, business leaders, and law enforcement officials to ensure that the needs of the Inland Empire are met."

According to Univision, Miller said earlier this year he didn't believe it was possible to deport everyone here illegally.

The videos Miller pulled from his YouTube channel have been embedded below:

Miller Discusses Arizona July 29, 2010

View Video ›

Via:

Miller's Conversation Rep Myrick July 12, 2010

View Video ›

Via:

Miller Discusses Amnesty Legislation April 28, 2010

View Video ›

Via:

View Entire List ›

“The Governor still supports the idea of an Independent Ethics Commission.”

Via: Steve Helber / AP

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell backed a permanent, independent ethics agency to police the state's elected officials and staff as part of his original 2009 election platform: but now says the state's inspector general's office fills that roll.

McDonnell has been plagued by scandal in recent months as outlets like the
Washington Post have focused on his relationship with a prominent donor gave the governor and his family members $145,000 in the loans, donations, and gifts between 2011 and 2012.

That scandal has prompted Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe to propose an independent ethics commission for elected officials and their staff piggybacking on news that Bob McDonnell was being investigated.

But McAuliffe isn't the first person in the race to come up with that idea: McDonnell himself once proposed and abandoned after becoming governor saying the state's inspector general filled the necessary roll.

"Virginia is one of only 10 states without an independent ethics commission," read McDonnell's 2009 campaign website. "Bob McDonnell will establish a permanent, statewide independent agency that will provide advice and research as well as evaluate complaints concerning elected officials and appointees to boards, commissions and other public bodies."

A spokesperson for McDonnell stated that the governor still supported the idea of an independent ethics commission but added that the State Inspectors General office filled the roll.

"The Governor still supports the idea of an Independent Ethics Commission and would have signed it into law had it passed," spokesperson Taylor Keeney. "The governor believes that the State Inspector General's office, which was created through legislation passed in 2011, fills the role of the ethics commission goal, Rather than duplicating work and missions, the role of the ethics commission is being handled through the Inspector General's office. The most important element is independence, and the Inspector General has the independence needed to responsibly investigate these complaints."

A Cuccinelli campaign spokesperson told BuzzFeed "Ken Cuccinelli has always made openness and transparency top priorities, and has proven it time and time again with his actions." The spokesperson did not respond when asked to clarify if the Attorney General supported the creation of independent ethics commission like opponent Terry McAuliffe.

Bro, this is the worst.

Working on Capitol Hill is so fetch...

Source: washingtonlife.com

...except when you're meeting with a lobbyist whose suits cost more than your annual salary.

Source: esquire.com

Or having to facilitate constituent meetings that make you nervous.

For an issue you know absolutely nothing about.

Then having people cry in those meetings.

Source: badhaven.com

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The justices’ order comes three days after the supporters of Proposition 8 asked the court to stop the marriages, which resumed in the state on June 28.

The California Supreme Court has rejected a request to put an immediate halt to same-sex couples' marriages in the state.

Such marriages had resumed on June 28, following an appeals court action that allowed a 2010 trial-court decision finding that the Proposition 8 marriage amendment was unconstitutional to go into effect.

A Friday filing by supporters of Proposition 8 asked the court to halt the marriages immediately; the ruling Monday denied that request.

The supporters of Proposition 8 also argue in the Friday filing that the trial-court ruling in the case, Perry v. Hollingsworth, cannot require state officials to stop enforcing Proposition 8 because the case was only about the two couples who filed the lawsuit.

The court on Friday had set a schedule requiring a briefing on those issues. The opposition to their request is to be filed "on or before Monday, July 22, 2013." The Proposition 8 supporters will then have "until Thursday, August 1, 2013, in which to serve and file a reply to the preliminary opposition."

The Spanish-language ad will run for four weeks.

Source: youtube.com

The first ad is set to air this week in the race to replace Boston Mayor Tom Menino. Democratic Boston city councilor Felix Arroyo is set to go on television this week with a Spanish-language television ad that will run on Univision and Telemundo.

"Con Tu Ayuda Vamos a Hacer Historia," the ad is titled, which translate to "With your help we will make history.

"Hi, my name is Felix Arroyo. I'm a son of this city that I love," he says in the spot. "I was raised here, attended Boston Public Schools, and now I'm serving this city as your city councilor and I'm running to become your next mayor. I'm running because I believe that everyone deserves to have a say about the future of our city. With your help we will make history. Vote on September 24 and together we will move this city forward."

Doug Rubin, an adviser to the Arroyo campagin says the "the 30-second television spot will initially run for four weeks and have a significant presence on both stations. We believe that this media campaign will supplement the grassroots work we are doing in all neighborhoods in Boston, and build upon the groundswell of support Felix is getting across the city. We are looking to build upon that support and engage residents in our grassroots efforts.

The MSNBC personality’s days of just being a news anchor are over.

MSNBC's Thomas Roberts is the only person at the network who holds down a whole hour of broadcasting during the week WITHOUT a branded show. That hour, M-F at 11 a.m., is called "MSNBC Live" and that is BORING.

The network is halfway there. His show page on MSNBC's website is called "Thomas Roberts."

And while Roberts is a perfectly capable news anchor—and should be MSNBC's go-to during any breaking news situation—he has evolved into more of an opinionated "host" as of late.

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“Just angered Obama’s press secretary. Word.”

View Video ›

Via:

The reporter responded on Twitter. According to his bio he is a junior in high school:

Via: twitter.com

Yes, BRA ads. For both Conservatives and Liberals.

W & HUGO

RIGHT AND LEFT TOGETHER!

Imagine these ads in Cosmo or, Mother Jones.

Ad agency: Giovanni+Draftfcb, Brazil.

THE GIPPER & FIDEL

THE IRON LADY & CHE?

At least, I think that's Che.

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Via: adsoftheworld.com

Robert Rodriguez denounces a lawsuit filed against the Texas Film Commission by the production company behind his movie, calling it “completely without grounds.” Updated

Despite previous reports to the contrary, director Robert Rodriguez told BuzzFeed in a statement Thursday morning he doesn't support a lawsuit that's been filed against the Texas Film Commission on behalf of a production company that worked on his film Machete.

"I wanted to formally and unequivocally comment on the recent suit brought which references my film 'Machete.' This suit is erroneous and, in my opinion, completely without grounds. Despite what may have been incorrectly reported I am not a party to this suit nor do I support it in any way. I call the state of Texas home and have been appreciative of the local government's support of me, my crew and my films. I will continue to support Texas, the local government, the film commission and the wonderful program they have put in place to support filmmakers and local films," Rodriguez said.

The lawsuit in question was brought by a production company called Machete Chop Shop, Inc. — run by producer Rick Schwartz — which claims the Texas Film Commission denied previously agreed-upon financial incentives to Machete after Gov. Rick Perry faced pressure from anti-immigration groups who were upset by the movie's trailer.

An earlier version of this article linked to a report in the Houston Chronicle that said Rodriguez was involved in the lawsuit, but the director says that's not the case.

Similarly, Perry spokesperson Lucy Nashed told BuzzFeed Wednesday, "While we don't discuss pending or anticipated litigation, and we have not been officially served, these two projects are completely separate and unrelated. At this time, it is my understanding that Robert Rodriguez and Troublemaker Studios are not involved in the lawsuit.

Rodriguez appeared in a commercial (shown above) as part of a $1 million campaign launched by Perry's nonprofit TexasOne aimed at persuading companies in New York and Connecticut to uproot and move to Texas. Some New York democrats snickered at the awkwardness of Rodriguez and Perry appearing the ad together while the lawsuit is unfolding.

"It's clear that Rick Perry is incapable of stepping out onto the national stage without thoroughly embarrassing himself," said Democratic operative Eric Koch. "Instead of coming to New York and trying to poach businesses, Rick Perry should focus on spending the last of his 12 disastrous years in office fixing his failed, divisive and anti-woman agenda."

“Why is Terry McAuliffe Playing Politics Instead of Protecting Our Children?” the Cucinelli for Governor campaign’s website asks. “Everyone supports strong laws to protect children,” McAuliffe’s spokesman counters. “Ken Cuccinelli … believes that being gay should result in criminal prosecution and jail time.”

Source: vachildpredators.com

WASHINGTON — Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, the state's Republican nominee for governor, has decided the best defense is a good offense in his attempt to defend the constitutionality of the state's sodomy law up to the Supreme Court.

Cuccinelli has asked the Supreme Court to take his appeal of a case against William Scott MacDonald that he lost at the appeals court in order to allow the state to use its sodomy law to prosecute MacDonald for soliciting a minor — despite the Supreme Court's 2003 ruling in Lawrence v. Texas that sodomy laws are unconstitutional.

Cuccinelli's defense has faced criticism due to his continued support — expressed as recently as 2009 — for the criminalization of homosexual sodomy and his opposition to updating the law to eliminate the unconstitutional law while continuing to criminalize the behavior at issue in the MacDonald case.

Rather than addressing those issues, Cuccinelli on Wednesday launched a website attacking his Democratic gubernatorial opponent, Terry McAuliffe, for "Playing Politics Instead of Protecting Our Children."

The site, paid for by Cuccinelli's campaign committee and not the attorney general's office, declares up top that Cuccinelli has "Ask[ed] U.S. Supreme Court to Uphold Anti-Child Predators Law," and states that "90 ... sexual predators in neighborhoods across the commonwealth ... could come off Virginia's sex offender registry if a Virginia law used to protect children is not upheld."

Although the Supreme Court is generally viewed as having struck down sodomy laws in the Lawrence case, the court's action in the case did not actually take the laws off the books, but rather renders them unconstitutional to be enforced. Few states have, in fact, repealed the laws since then. Under Virginia's "Crimes Against Nature" statute, never formally repealed, "If any person … carnally knows any male or female person by the anus or by or with the mouth, or voluntarily submits to such carnal knowledge, he or she shall be guilty of a [felony.]"

Cuccinelli's office, in defending the use of the law, argues that the Lawrence decision doesn't render sodomy laws unconstitutional in all situations and that it is constitutional to apply the law in this situation because the prosecution involves a minor.

On the site, the Cuccinelli campaign explains further, "This case is about using current law to protect a minor girl from a 47-year-old repeat sexual predator. The law is only applied to sodomy committed against minors, against non-consenting adults, or in public. In fact, contrary to misinformation peddled by Terry McAuliffe and his liberal allies against the defenders of this law, the law is not — and cannot be — used against consenting adults acting in private."

Asked about the new site and its attack on McAuliffe, the Democrat's spokesman was incredulous.

"Everyone supports strong laws to protect children and, like most Virginians, Terry believes our laws should be updated to both conform with Court rulings and allow prosecution of predators," spokesman Josh Schwerin said.

Schwerin then went on the attack as to Cuccinelli's record, noting, "As he admitted as recently as 2009, Ken Cuccinelli is one of the only elected officials in America who believes that being gay should result in criminal prosecution and jail time. Cuccinelli's refusal to support a mainstream legislative update to Virginia laws reflects his extreme agenda and uncompromising approach."

[Update at 7:15 p.m.: The Cuccinelli campaign provided a news release to BuzzFeed this evening in response to a request for comment about the reason for the website and additional questions, reading in part:

True to form, Terry McAuliffe had no problem attacking Ken Cuccinelli earlier this year for defending a Virginia law used to prosecute a 47-year-old man who solicited a minor female.

But recently, when asked by Louisa County Commonwealth's Attorney Rusty McGuire whether he in fact agreed with Cuccinelli's position on the law, McAuliffe responded, "I don't know anything about that. . . . I'll get back to you tomorrow."

So far, McGuire hasn't gotten a call back.

The campaign did not respond to questions about whether Cuccinelli still believes that Lawrence v. Texas was wrongly decided, whether he believes homosexual behavior should be subject to criminal penalties and why he opposed a legislative update to Virginia's laws that would have modernized them post-Lawrence to allow for continued prosecution of the type at issue in the MacDonald case.]

What Cuccinelli Told The Supreme Court:

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He can kick your ass.

The senate majority leader had a long week levying the Nuclear Option against Republicans who are filibustering Obama's nominations.

But before anyone thinks messing with Reid will be easy, here are seven thing y'all best remember.

Via: Win McNamee / Getty Images

Reid had a tougher childhood than you.

Via: J. Scott Applewhite / AP

Harry Reid was born in the damn middle of the desert.

The town was called Searchlight, Nev.

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“A junior staffer did a stupid thing,” says the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

WASHINGTON — If you're a state-level partisan political blogger and a trolly comment is posted to your website, you fantasize that your blog is so important someone from the opposite party is attacking you anonymously.

On Wednesday, one Republican blogger in South Dakota was living the dream.

Pat Powers, the operator of South Dakota War College, tracked an anonymous comment on his blog — attacking Powers for supposedly praising former Gov. Mike Round's bid for the Republican nomination for Senate while attacking other contenders — to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in Washington. The DSCC told BuzzFeed the anonymous comment was not standard procedure.

"A junior staffer did a stupid thing," said Justin Barasky, a spokesperson for the DSCC. "This is not news, and the DSCC isn't trolling right wing blogs. The NRSC however is inserting themselves into the South Dakota primary, endorsing Mike Rounds over more conservative candidates."

Rounds is seen as the National Republican Senatorial Committee's choice for the nomination, though the NRSC has not formally endorsed anyone in the primary. Democrats would likely prefer a more conservative candidate than Rounds to face their nominee in the open-seat race to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson.

Powers told BuzzFeed he doesn't usually check where blog comments come from, but this one jumped out so he dug around a little and quickly struck gold.

"It isn't something I do very often, as most commenters are 'good guests,' keep it on topic, and issue oriented, and don't poke at myself as the editor," he said. "So when this one did, I looked, and got a good, long laugh at their faux concern over the poor mistreated Republicans."

On his blog, the discovery of the comment from the DSCC staffer led Powers to do some trolling of his own, poking fun at the fact that a strong Democratic candidate in the race has yet to emerge.

"If only they spent their time recruiting qualified candidates of their own," he wrote.

Senators have reached a bipartisan deal to restore lower interest rates on students loans late Wednesday evening, according to multiple reports.

Students participate in a news conference on student loans on Capitol Hill, June 6, 2013 in Washington, DC.

Via: Mark Wilson / Getty Images

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Heading off a costly rate increase for returning college students, a bipartisan group of senators reached a deal Wednesday that would offer students better rates this fall but perhaps assign higher rates in coming years.

The deal would offer students lower interest rates through the 2015 academic year but then rates were expected to climb above where they were when students left campus this spring. Undergraduates could face rates as high as 8.25 percent, while graduate students would see rates as high as 9.5 percent and parents' rates would top out at 10.5 percent.

Source: hosted.ap.org

From NBC News Capitol Hill Correspondent:

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