December 30, 2009

Vote Andy Martin, Gossip Queen

Flickr/<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alawash/">ALA Washington Office</a> (<a href="http://www.creativecommons.org" target="_blank">Creative Commons</a>).

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Shameless slander-monger Andy Martin is having a gay old time carrying out a smear campaign against Mark Kirk, his opponent in the race to fill Sen. Roland Burris’s (D-Ill.) open seat. In a new radio spot this week, Martin publicly announced that, according to several well-known Republican party members, Kirk is a (gasp!) homosexual.

From the gossips queen’s radio romp:

“Today, I am fighting for the facts about Mark Kirk. Illinois Republican leader Jack Roeser says there is a ‘solid rumor that Kirk is a homosexual.’ Roeser suggests that Kirk is part of a Republican Party homosexual club. Lake County Illinois Republican leader Ray True says Kirk has surrounded himself with homosexuals. Mark Kirk should tell Republican voters the truth.”

Putting aside for a moment how fun it sounds to be part of a “Republican Party homosexual club,” and the fact that being surrounded by homosexuals even qualifies as a “smear” (sounds like a typical Saturday night to me), Martin’s pouty truth-seeking could spell trouble under Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. An op-ed by Morgan Hurley at San Diego Gay and Lesbian News points out that Kirk is “one of only two active drilling US Navy Reservists in Congress today,” and that a potential “outing,” whether or not he really even is a homosexual, could get complicated:

It clearly is not just a typical, strategic, political affront by Martin towards Kirk in the run for a US Senate seat. No way. Because with the added media attention it has already garnered, it could also easily bring to bear the professional scrutiny of one of the highest ranking military members ever, under Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT).

Another good reason to throw that backwards policy in the garbage where it belongs. Is Martin just jealous that Kirk looks good with a puppy in his arms? Quite possibly. In case you’ve forgotten about the historical adventures of this catty rumor peddler, Martin also filed the very first lawsuit regarding Obama’s birth certificate, and was criticized by the press for originating rumors that Obama was secretly a Muslim.

Here’s hoping this underhanded campaign tactic blows up in Martin’s face. If anybody needs me, I’ll be playing checkers and reading Elle Decor at my local Republican Party Homosexual Club.

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WHO DOESN’T LOVE A POSITIVE STORY—OR TWO?

“Great journalism really does make a difference in this world: it can even save kids.”

That’s what a civil rights lawyer wrote to Julia Lurie, the day after her major investigation into a psychiatric hospital chain that uses foster children as “cash cows” published, letting her know he was using her findings that same day in a hearing to keep a child out of one of the facilities we investigated.

That’s awesome. As is the fact that Julia, who spent a full year reporting this challenging story, promptly heard from a Senate committee that will use her work in their own investigation of Universal Health Services. There’s no doubt her revelations will continue to have a big impact in the months and years to come.

Like another story about Mother Jones’ real-world impact.

This one, a multiyear investigation, published in 2021, exposed conditions in sugar work camps in the Dominican Republic owned by Central Romana—the conglomerate behind brands like C&H and Domino, whose product ends up in our Hershey bars and other sweets. A year ago, the Biden administration banned sugar imports from Central Romana. And just recently, we learned of a previously undisclosed investigation from the Department of Homeland Security, looking into working conditions at Central Romana. How big of a deal is this?

“This could be the first time a corporation would be held criminally liable for forced labor in their own supply chains,” according to a retired special agent we talked to.

Wow.

And it is only because Mother Jones is funded primarily by donations from readers that we can mount ambitious, yearlong—or more—investigations like these two stories that are making waves.

About that: It’s unfathomably hard in the news business right now, and we came up about $28,000 short during our recent fall fundraising campaign. We simply have to make that up soon to avoid falling further behind than can be made up for, or needing to somehow trim $1 million from our budget, like happened last year.

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