And Stay Out!

Girlfriend slasher, and gay marriage opponent, Hiram Monserrate, who was expelled from the New York State Senate after being convicted of assault, was easily, easily, defeated yesterday by José R. Peralta in a special election in Queens for Monserrate’s former seat.

The victory wasn't unexpected, given that the Democrats and certain pro-LGBT groups in New York City worked overtime to support Peralta. And, with such support, Monserrate was forced to run as an Independent to try and get his seat back. Peralta effectively knocked Monserrate out by a 66-27% margin.

“Tonight we put an end to dysfunction,” Peralta announced after he'd won; “Our nightmare is over.”

Monserrate said, in his concession speech, “We fought a hard-fought fight. It’s a testament to our community that we pulled 4,000 votes. What we showed here is that there’s an alternative to politics as usual in Queens.”

Monserrate is the poster child for politics as usual. Say one thing, do another. And, of course, he didn't rule out another run for office in the future.

But for now, it's buh-bye Hiram, and don't let the door hit you in your lying ass on the way out.

Fight Back New York

A group of well-financed gay rights activists, still pissed off by the defeat last year of a bill that would have allowed marriage equality in New York state, have started a political action committee to take aim at state senators who have opposed same-sex marriage.

The first person that Fight Back New York will single out is Hiram Monserrate, the Queens Democrat, convicted of beating his girlfriend, the Queens Democrat who voted against marriage equality, the Queens Democrat who was recently expelled from the Senate. Monserrate has filed as a candidate in a special election to reclaim the seat he lost.

The campaign against Monserrate will begin on the Internet and with direct mailings, but might expand to phone banks and emails. The costs could exceed $100,000, but Fight Back New York is prepared to raise and spend in the high six figures range in the State Senate races this year.

Queens with money. Be afraid, be very afraid.

Financing for this campaign will come, in part, from some of the most politically active, and financially powerful gay rights advocates in the country. Tim Gill, a philanthropist and former software developer who has backed many gay rights initiatives nationwide, is a major player.

“Politicians who deny gays and lesbians basic equality should be thrown out of office, starting with convicted criminal Hiram Monserrate,” said Bill Smith, an adviser to Take Back New York, and deputy executive director of the Gill Action Fund, Mr. Gill’s political organization.

The committee will start going after Monserrate by mailing fliers to voters in his district. The flier consists of still frames of a surveillance video that shows him dragging his companion, Karla Giraldo, through the hallway of his apartment building. Monserrate was acquitted of felony assault by a judge, who convicted him of misdemeanor assault.

“He brutally assaulted a woman and tried to cover up his crime.

Now he has the nerve to run again.

Many of us have voted for Hiram before.

But we cannot vote for him again.”

In the three weeks before the election, Fight Back New York will send out five different fliers, upwards of 100,000 pieces of mail. And. while the district’s population is around 300,000, voter turnout in special elections is typically quite low.

Fight Back New York's website is expected to go live today. HERE is the link.

Say Goodnight Hiram

New York state Senator Hiram Monserrate was expelled ousted from his seat last night by his colleagues because of his conviction for misdemeanor assault on his girlfriend.

By a vote of 53-8, both Democrats and Republicans made Monserrate the fourth sitting state lawmaker ever expelled--and the first one in nearly fifty years.

Democratic Senator Eric Schneiderman: "Senator Monserrate's abusive and unlawful conduct damages the integrity of the New York state Senate and demonstrates a lack of fitness to serve in this body."

Republican Senator Martin Golden: "He caused a violent act against a woman, and he doesn't belong here. As sad as it is, it has to be done."

Of course, the abuser, and one of the No votes on marriage equality, Monserrate is not going without a fight. Telling his colleagues that it is up to the voters, and the voters only, to judge him, he said, "This is clearly a much, much bigger issue than just me. This is about the process and the rule of law."

Funny how he invokes the law now when he so blatantly broke it by slashing his girlfriend's face with a bottle.

full story HERE

Careful Hiram...It's Not Just The Gays Gunning For You

We've all read about New York Senator Hiram Monserrate who said he was voting for marriage equality in New York state almost right up until he voted against it. And we've read how the LGBT community is picketing him at every turn, vowing to remove his sorry hypocritical ass from government. Then there is the story of his slashing his girlfriend's face with a broken bottle during a domestic dispute.

Yup, he's a keeper.

Well, now it appears it isn't just the LGBT community who want him gone, it might well be the New York Senate who seek to oust him from their midst. According to a State Senate committee investigating Monserrate, he "behaved recklessly and callously after his companion was hurt during an argument at his Queens home, failing to call 911, dragging her violently through a hallway and taking her to a hospital miles away."

The committee’s final report concludes that Mr. Monserrate was more concerned with keeping the confrontation last December from becoming public as he was with the safety and health of his companion, Karla Giraldo, and that Monserrate has steadfastly refused to take full responsibility for injuring Ms. Giraldo.

Still, it remains unclear as to what the Senate may do to Monserrate, though the findings by the committee suggest there is some basis for a stiff punishment for Monserrate, possibly even his expulsion.

Monserrate was acquitted in October of felony charges of deliberately slashing Ms. Giraldo’s face with a broken glass, but he was convicted of misdemeanor assault for pulling her through the lobby of his apartment building, an episode captured on security video. He was sentenced to three years of probation, 250 hours of community service and a 52-week counseling program. Many Senators have called on him to resign, but Monserrate continues to say he will not do that.

Still, it looks like he may not have a choice.

So, This Is An Asshat

"Two adults who are consenting and who are like-minded and within their mental capacities should be allowed to be with each other. I think it's an outrage."

Sounds lovely, no?

But it gets ugly when you learn that these particular words were uttered by anti-marriage equality New York Senator Hiram Monserrate.

Huh? What? Huh?

His opinion on marriage equality has changed?

That would be a no.

This was Monserrate's complaint about a court order which prevents him from seeing the woman whose face he slashed with a broken glass.

See, he still doesn't think gay folks should be allowed to marry, but he does believe that if you take a shard of glass to your girlfriend's face, no one should be able to keep you apart.

Thug-assed-mother-effer.