Effective Tuesday, July 15, Comcast customers in the Pittsburgh area awoke to find that MSNBC was no longer available on non-digital cable. I came home eager to get my daily dose of Hardball and Countdown, but all I receive is a black screen.

I have since learned that MSNBC has been moved to digital only cable for Comcast customers in the Pittsburgh region. It's 2008 - an election year. And this will be perceived by many to be an attempt by Comcast to prefer one political ethic over another, namely FOX over MSNBC.

What do I mean? Late last week, I made an empassioned plea to Senator Byrd's Martinsburg Office. I spoke with a very nice lady named Cookie. She very patiently listened to my emotional petition to Senator Byrd for him to save the image of West Virginia by endorsing Senator Obama.

Contrary to what many polls indicate, Senator Obama does indeed have allies and supporters in West Virginia. Today, the Charleston Gazette announced its endorsement of Senator Barack Obama to be the Democratic nominee for President of the United States.

We hope [West Virginians] support the brilliant, inspiring, eloquent frontrunner in the race, Barack Obama.

Sen. Obama is a rare figure in U.S. politics - a deep thinker who rises above partisan sniping and makes statecraft seem noble. He raises hope that, after the disastrous Bush years mercifully come to an end, Americans can again be proud of their national leader.

I'm putting the poll up quickly and will update the diary as I write, but I have been thinking about this more and more recently. So vote, and I'll write.

I read a Rasmussen poll tonight that took me quite aback. Senator Obama is only polling at 27% in West Virginia.

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee has received much press attention and public commentary over the past four weeks. I must admit that there are traits about him to which even I find appealing, but the mere notion of having a Southern Baptist minister as the next President of the United States is appalling. My greater fear is that the American people have not truly fathomed how President Bush's "religious convictions" have damaged American faith. Here's the major difference:

As I awoke this morning and began my daily regiment of emails, I was immensely disturbed to find that my ISP, COMCAST, has begun a new business relationship with the anti-gay, Fundamentalist-founded eharmony.com. I found the following "headline" on comcast.net this morning: Comcast.net dating with EHarmony.

Cross-posted at West Virginia Blue

Here is yet another example of Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito's "independent voice". On Thursday, Congresswoman Capito (who is a member of the Subcommittee which oversees the insurance industry, spoke against and voted against H.B. 3121. HB 3121 (The Flood Insurance Reform and Modernization Act) has to do with restoring total funding to the national flood insurance program. Now, just exactly how will Congresswoman Capito explain her vote to residents of Gilmer, Hardy, Barbour, Lewis, Grant, Webster, and Pendleton counties who suffered over $7 million in flood damage in May 2007?

This has just happened, but by a vote of 60-39, the US Senate has just invoked cloture on the Kennedy-Smith Amendment adding sexual orientation to the federal hate crimes statute. The Amendment was adopted by voice vote shortly thereafter. Surprisingly, Senators Voinovich and Warner both joined with Democrats to help secure the necessary 60 votes to invoke cloture. Joining were also Senators Smith, Snowe, Collins, Gregg, Coleman, and Specter. (Thank you Lulu57)

In 1992, then-Governor Bill Clinton of Arkansas and his running mate, Tennessee Democratic Senator Al Gore, campaigned in West Virginia. Clinton had a nationally televised interview with a religious network at a Presbyterian Church just over a mile from my house. Gore gave a public speech in the gymnasium of what was to be my middle school. At the age of 10, I remember watching Gore's speech live on television with my great uncle sitting in the second row.

Dear Kossacks and fellow West Virginians,

I need your help. And I ask you to take 15 minutes of your time and do so. To put it simply, it is time for the West Virginia Legislature to adopt an Employment and Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). The only way that such a feat can be won is to enlist your help --- it must be a people-driven movement. It may require your thought, your assistance,  and even your donations to make the first steps in legal equality for gay and lesbian West Virginians.

Dear fellow Kossacks and friends,

EMAIL MIKE MYER NOW!

Recently, the managing editor of my hometown newspaper, the Wheeling (WV) Intelligencer, wrote an anti-gay editorial and blog entry opposing the inclusion of workplace and housing protections for gays and lesbians. Here are some excerpts:

I am writing this brief diary entry in order to spark discussion. The wisest political choice for the President Bush would be to nominate Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) to replace Gonzales. It would be a smooth confirmation and would make Bush appear to be changing his errors. I do not necessarily agree with Hatch's personal politics; however, I do not doubt his honorable service as a US Senator. And, I believe he would bring a renew respect for the law at the Justice Department.

In the United States, we have allowed the phrase "free exercise of religion" to become limitless. There are those who claim they have a constitutionally-protected religious right to homeschool their children --- fine. There are others who claim they have a constitutionally-protected religious right to attend religion-based schooling --- wonderful. Unfortunately, there are far too many who claim they have a constitutionally-protected right to abuse their children by sending them to ex-gay therapy, Christian "boot camps" and, most egregiously, electroshock therapy.

REPOSTED:I have not written a single diary entry on DailyKos since October 21, 2006. I only recall visiting the website less than five times in that span. But, after a long hiatus, I am posting this blog to urge one "common cause" for like-minded Americans --- IT IS TIME TO IMPEACH ATTORNEY GENERAL ALBERTO GONZALES!

I have not written a single diary entry on DailyKos since October 21, 2006. I only recall visiting the website less than five times in that span. But, after a long hiatus, I am posting this blog to urge one "common cause" for like-minded Americans --- IT IS TIME TO IMPEACH ATTORNEY GENERAL ALBERTO GONZALES!

Perhaps someone could explain something to me: Why do all of West Virginia's online sample ballots list Republican candidates first in every race? Let me explain, I went online today in order to verify my choices of candidates for this upcoming election. When I went to the West Virginia Secretary of State's sample ballots page, I found that every race on my county's various sample ballots always listed Republican candidates first. Let me show you and example.

I ask this question seriously because, as it seems, the Democrats whom I am eligible to vote for this November are overwhelmingly opposed by my equal right under the US Constitution to seek legal recognition of my marriage.

Well, it seems that the race in OH-18 could be more encouraging for Democrats than I had originally thought; however it is important to remember that this polling was conducted for the Zack Space Campaign.