WATCH: Behind the Scenes of DADT Repeal Bill Signing

The White House has released this behind-the-scenes video of the President signing the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Repeal Bill of 2010 into law on Wednesday December 22nd. Watch for yourself:

CA-10: Garamendi Elected To Congress

Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi has won the special election to replace U.S. Rep Ellen Tauscher in California's congressional district. You may recall this district because this was the race in which Black, openly gay Iraq vet Anthony Woods was a candidate, although with much greater name recognition and money, Garamendi placed first in the primary on September 1, 2009.

Despite all the chatter about Republican gains in Tuesday's elections, the Democrats in Congress have two more votes in Congress after the election than they did before the election.

And that's two more votes for health care reform.

CA-10: Garamendi Wins; Black Gay Candidate Gets 8%

Anthony Woods, the telegenic and youthful openly gay, African-American candidate for the 10th Congressional District of California failed to get the most votes in the Tuesday September 1 special election. Instead, Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi placed first among all candidates with 26.15% of the vote and will face a run-off against the top Republican vote-getter David Harmer with 20.58% on November 3rd.
(Hat/tip Rod 2.0)

CA-10: Woods Raises $100k from over 800 donors

From the press release:

Woods Raises More than $100K for Congressional Campaign

Two Tour Iraq War Veteran Cements position as Grassroots Candidate in CD 10 Race, Recruits more than 800 Donors in two months

FAIRFIELD: For the fundraising quarter that ended on June 30th, two tour Iraq War Veteran Anthony Woods raised more than $100,000, and recruited more than 800 donors for the recently scheduled Special Election in California’s 10th Congressional District.

“This has been a genuine grassroots effort,” said Woods. “We’re offering everyday people like the chance to join a campaign that understands what it’s like to walk in their shoes--and the response has been overwhelming.”

In the first two months of his first campaign, Anthony Woods has recruited more than twice the number of donors as Lt. Governor John Garamendi, according to numbers released by the Garamendi campaign last week. This is notable considering that Garamendi has been campaigning for offices across California for more than 30 years.

Woods’ campaign is also leading his CD 10 competitors in online fundraising and online organizing. According to ActBlue.com, Woods is far outpacing the two other Sacramento politicians in the race--State Senator Mark Desaulnier and Assemblywoman Joan Buchanan—in internet fundraising, and Woods has organized more supporters on Facebook (more than 4,700) than every other CD 10 candidate combined.

“Last year, a junior Senator from Illinois won the Presidency against a group of better known politicians by using new media tools to build a grassroots army and interact directly with voters looking for new leadership to change Washington,” said Woods Campaign Director Todd Stenhouse. “In the CD 10 Special Election a similar contrast exists, and Anthony Woods is emerging as the clear grassroots candidate offering real change.”

Anthony Woods is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He is a veteran of two combat tours in Iraq, and was awarded both the Bronze Star and Army Commendation Medal for his service. Woods is a native of Fairfield, CA, and is campaigning for the Special Election to replace Former Representative Ellen Tauscher in California’s 10th District.

CA-10: Special Election Day is September 1

The special election to replace Ellen Tauscher in the 10th Congressional District of California has been set by Governor Schwarzenegger for September 1. Of special interest to MadProfessah.com readers is the candidacy of Anthony Woods, a 28-year-old Black gay Harvard-educated Iraq veteran who was discharged under the Department of Defense's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

MadProfessah met Anthony at the Sacramento Democratic Convention in April and has endorsed his candidacy. The frontrunners for the seat are California Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi and State Senator Mark DeSaulnier.

However LGBT blogs and groups are starting to pay attention to Woods.

You can find out more information about supporting Anthony Woods for Congress here.

CA-10: Anthony Woods Talks To Americablog

As regular MadProfessah.com readers are well aware, the handsome, 28-year-old, openly gay, African American Anthony "Tony" Woods is running for the soon-to-be-open 10th California Congressional district seat currently held by Ellen Tauscher.

Woods is in Washington, D.C. and stopped by Americablog.com to introduce himself to that popular blog's readers. To support the West Point and Harvard Kennedy School grad, you can donate here at his ActBlue page.

Woods is running against California Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi and State Senator Mark DeSaulnier.

MadProfessah.com endorses Anthony Woods in this race!

76 Congressmembers Send Letter to Obama To Stop DADT Now

The ball is now in the White House's court on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." 76 Members of Congress sent a letter to President Obama urging him to cease DADT prosecutions immediately.

Led by Congressional Black Caucus member Alcee Hastings, Jr., the letter asks for a moratorium on "separations" for military service of LGBT servicemembers who have been deemed to have "told" their sexuality.

Dear President Obama:

The United States of America prides itself on having the finest military in the world because of the hard work, dedication, and sacrifices of our brave servicemen and women. And yet, under 10 U.S.C. § 654 (Policy Concerning Homosexuality in the Armed Forces), better known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," the talents and contributions of our openly gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) service members continue to be ignored simply because of who they are. Every day, we lose approximately two service members to this misguided, unjust, and flat-out discriminatory policy. Don't Ask, Don't Tell is not only an injustice to them, but a disservice to the U.S. military and our country as a whole.

As you know, Don't Ask, Don't Tell was signed into law in 1993 by former President Bill Clinton as a compromise to allow gay and lesbian service members to serve in the military -- so long as they did not disclose their sexual orientations. Fifteen years later, Don't Ask Don't Tell is instead negatively impacting the lives and livelihoods of these military professionals and depriving our Armed Forces of their honorable service. Since you took office on January 20, 2009, more than 250 gay and lesbian service members have been discharged under this law, which continues to undermine and demoralize the more than 65,000 gay and lesbian Americans currently serving on active duty.

Although we are confident that you will remain true to your campaign promise to end Don't Ask, Don't Tell, our LGBT service members and our country's national security will continue to suffer if initial action is delayed until 2010 or 2011. We urge you to exercise the maximum discretion legally possible in administering Don't Ask, Don't Tell until Congress repeals the law. To this end, we ask that you direct the Armed Services not to initiate any investigation of service personnel to determine their sexual orientation, and that you instruct them to disregard third party accusations that do not allege violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. That is, we request that you impose that no one is asked and that you ignore, as the law requires, third parties who tell. Under your leadership, Congress must then repeal and replace Don't Ask, Don't Tell with a policy of inclusion and non-discrimination. This bilateral strategy would allow our openly gay and lesbian service members to continue serving our country and demonstrate our nation's lasting commitment to justice and equality for all.

As the United States continues to work towards responsibly ending the War in Iraq and refocus on the threat from al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan, our LGBT service members offer invaluable skills that enhance our country's military competence and readiness. Despite the great strain on our military's human resources, the Armed Forces have discharged almost 800 mission-critical troops and at least 59 Arabic and nine Farsi linguists under Don't Ask, Don't Tell in the last five years. This is indefensible. The financial cost alone of implementing Don't Ask, Don't Tell from Fiscal Year 1994-2003 was more than $363.8 million. Our nation's military has always held itself to the highest standards, and we must recruit and retain the greatest number of our best and brightest. To do anything less only hurts our country's military readiness and our service members.

We also want to bring to your attention the most recent examples of the failed Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy in action. New York National Guard First Lieutenant Dan Choi and Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Victor Fehrenbach are two exceptional servicemen who have dedicated their lives to defending our country and protecting the American people. Their bravery and abilities have been tested in combat, and now they face impending discharge under Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

First Lieutenant Choi, a current National Guardsman with the 1st Battalion of the 69th Infantry in Manhattan, is a West Point graduate, Arabic language specialist, and Iraq War veteran who is under investigation for refusing to lie about his identity.

Lieutenant Colonel Fehrenbach, Assistant Director of Operations for the 366th Operations Support Squadron at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho, has honorably served his country for 18 years as an F-15E pilot. He has received nine air medals, including a Medal for Heroism during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and was hand-picked to protect the airspace over Washington, D.C. after the Pentagon was attacked on September 11, 2001. Lieutenant Colonel Fehrenbach, who has flown combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan against the Taliban and al Qaeda, continues to serve while the recommendation for his honorable discharge moves forward to a review board, and eventually to the Secretary of the Air Force. Just two years away from his 20-year retirement, he stands to lose $46,000 a year in retirement and medical benefits for the rest of his life if discharged.

The American people and service members of the Armed Forces overwhelmingly support the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. According to a national Gallup poll conducted in May 2009, 69% of Americans, including 58% of Republicans, favor allowing openly gay men and lesbian women to serve in the military. Furthermore, a 2006 poll of 545 troops who served in Iraq and Afghanistan by Zogby International and the Michael D. Palm Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara, revealed that 73% are personally comfortable with gay men and lesbian women. John Shalikashvili, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Clinton administration, and more than 100 retired admirals and generals support this repeal, in addition to the Human Rights Campaign, the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, and Knights Out, an organization of LGBT West Point alumni cofounded by First Lieutenant Choi.

Mr. President, we cannot afford to lose any more of our dedicated and talented service members to Don't Ask, Don't Tell. On behalf of First Lieutenant Choi, Lieutenant Colonel Fehrenbach, and the more than 12,500 gay and lesbian service members who have been discharged since Don't Ask, Don't Tell was implemented in 1994, we stand ready to assist you in repealing this dishonorable and debilitating law as soon as possible, and in restoring justice and equality in our Armed Forces.

Please know that we will continue to monitor this situation and are hopeful that, together, we can address this urgent issue soon. Thank you for your consideration and we look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

The letter was authored by Rep. Hastings and signed by Representatives Barney Frank (D-MA), John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), Fortney "Pete" Stark (D-CA), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Gary Ackerman (D-NY), Louise Slaughter (D-NY), Eliot Engel (D-NY), Jim McDermott (D-WA), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), José Serrano (D-NY), James Moran (D-VA), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Ed Pastor (D-AZ), James Clyburn (D-SC), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Bob Filner (D-CA), Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Robert "Bobby" Scott (D-VA), Bennie Thompson (D-MS), Nydia Velázquez (D-NY), Melvin Watt (D-NC), Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Chaka Fattah (D-PA), Jane Harman (D-CA), Lois Capps (D-CA), Donna M. Christensen (D-VI), Diana DeGette (D-CO), Bill Delahunt (D-MA), Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-MI), Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), Barbara Lee (D-CA), James McGovern (D-MA), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Robert Wexler (D-FL), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Shelley Berkley (D-NV), Michael Capuano (D-MA), Joseph Crowley (D-NY), Rush Holt (D-NJ), John Larson (D-CT), Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Anthony Weiner (D-NY), David Wu (D-OR), William Lacy Clay (D-MO), Mike Honda (D-CA), James Langevin (D-RI), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Diane Watson (D-CA), Tim Bishop (D-NY), Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), Linda Sánchez (D-CA), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), Doris Matsui (D-CA), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Debbie Wasserman Schulz (D-FL), André Carson (D-IN), Kathy Castor (D-FL), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Donna F. Edwards (D-MD), Keith Ellison (D-MN), Marcia L. Fudge (D-OH), Phil Hare (D-IL), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Laura Richardson (D-CA), Joe Sestak (D-PA), Niki Tsongas (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Alan Grayson (D-FL), Jared Polis (D-CO), Mike Quigley (D-IL), and Gregorio Sablan (D-MP).

CA-10: Woods Appears on CNN to Debate DADT

Hat/tip to Calitics.

CA-10: Black Gay Candidate Starting To Garner Attention

Anthony Woods is a young African American man with impressive credentials who is currently running for Congress: he is a West Point grad, attended Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and served two tours of duty in Iraq before the age of 29. MadProfessah met him at the California Democratic party convention in Sacramento in April. Oh, and Anthony Woods is gay and was kicked out of the miltary due to the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) policy.

There are much bigger names (Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi) running to replace Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher in the 10th Congressional District of California as Woods hasn't been given much of a chance but he is starting to get widespread blogosphere notice. Andrew Sullivan called him "A Very New Democrat" and he was described as "the Best Political Resume Ever" by a blogger at The Daily Beast, a story that was tweeted by influential political reporter Marc Ambinder and appeared in The Huffington Post.

This week, Woods was also endorsed by Lieutenant Dan Choi, who has also been in the news due to his public fight against the DADT policy.

MadProfessah endorses Anthony Woods for Congress in CA-10.

Report from CA Democratic Convention: Day 1

Day 1 at the California Democratic Covention in Sacramento was a bit of a blur.

I joined and attended the African American and the LGBT Caucuses of the CA Democratic Party, although I only voted in the former. The two were scheduled at the same time! I also attended and voted in the Progressive Caucus.

So far I have seen at close quarters:

Attorney General Jerry Brown
SF Mayor Gavin Newsom
CA Lieutentant Governor John Garamendi
SF Attorney General Kamala Harris
Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson
Speaker Karen Bass
Many state legislators...

In addition I met and spoke privately with two openly gay African American men who are both running for political office: Manhattan Beach mayor Mitch Ward (state assembly) and "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" casualty Anthony Woods who is running for the soon-to-be-open 10th Congressional district seat curretly held by Ellen Tauscher (CA-10).

That's it for now!