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Senate Confirms Chuck Hagel as Secretary of Defense in 58-41 Vote

PHOTO: GETTY

The Senate has finally confirmed former Nebraska Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel as the next Secretary of Defense. The 58 to 41 vote ended "a long and contentious nomination process marked by an unprecedented GOP filibuster of a presidential cabinet level nominee," notes TalkingPointsMemo.

The Republican filibuster of their former colleague ended this afternoon. Hagel will succeed Leon Panetta and will "immediately inherit a budget crisis," notes USA Today.

Last week, the Pentagon announced that it plans to furlough the majority of its 800,000 civilian employees to help meet a $46 billion shortfall caused by automatic spending cuts that begin March 1 and its stop-gap budget that prevents shifting funds to urgent needs.

Four Republicans joined 54 Democrats to approve Hagel: Cochran (MS), Johanns (NE), Shelby (AL) and Rand Paul (KY). "All 41 no votes came from Republicans," adds the Washington Post. Former Republican presidential nominee John McCain also switched his vote to a "no."

Hagel voted to authorize the Iraq War in 2003. The Nebraska Republican later became a frequent critic of the Bush Administration prosecution of the war.

VIDEO: GOP Debate Boos Gay Soldier on Active Duty in Iraq

Absolutely shameful. At last night's FOX/Google GOP Presidential Debate in Orlando, members of the audience booed and hissed at a question posed by a gay soldier on active duty in Iraq.

The question was posed by Stephen Hill, who asked if the candidates would "circumvent" this week's historic repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" if elected. Without thanking the soldier for his service or condemning the audience reaction, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick "Frothy Mix" Santorum slammed DADT repeal as "tragic".

I would just say that going forward, we would reinstitute that policy if Rick Santorum was president. Period. That policy would be reinstituted ... I would not throw them out because that would be unfair to them because of the policy of this administration, but we would move forward in conformity to what was happening in the past, which is — sex is not an issue.

None of the other candidates condemned the audience reaction or thanked the soldier for his service.

"Support" our troops ... unless they are gay and until they return home and need health care. And this from the party that rushed us this soldier into Iraq.

Via Think Progress, watch the video AFTER THE JUMP ...

Friends Honor Maj. Alan Rogers, 1st Known Gay Casualty in Iraq

There is a bittersweet ending to the story of Maj. Alan Greg Rogers, an ordained pastor, a U.S. Army Major and intelligence officer who was the first confirmed gay combat fatality of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Rogers was killed in January 2008 when his Humvee was struck by an improvised explosive device while on patrol in Bagdad.

Friends of the slain New York City soldier traveled to Virginia to decorate his grave during Saturday's historic vote, reports the NY Daily News.

"Pals decorated Maj. Alan Rogers' grave at Arlington National Cemetery Saturday with flowers, a rainbow-colored lei, a Christmas wreath and congratulatory notes. 'Alan, we did it,' one note read. Tony Smith, 40, of Alexandra, Va., said he was one of the first friends to reach Rogers grave after the historic vote. 'I was at the cemetery listening to the radio as Senate voted to repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell,' said Smith. He said he went to Rogers' grave in section 60 and told him the good news. He said Rogers 'would have been proud' his effort were not in vain."

Rogers was known in the gay military community, and active in groups as the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network in the effort to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell". Rogers' supervisors were also aware of his sexuality, writes Daily News columnist Michael Daly.

"After the honor guard ceremoniously folded the flag from [Rogers'] coffin in Arlington National Cemetery, it was presented to a cousin.  ... The Army asked his surviving family to refrain from discussing it. Not that they likely would have anyway. 'We really didn't know about this until after his death,' Cathy Long, the cousin who was presented with the folded flag, was later quoted saying. 'It was in the back of our minds, but we didn't discuss it.' "

"Statistics dictated that more than 200 gay soldiers and marines have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, none of them able to list a special someone. The war drags on and more fine Americans will be buried in Arlington, no doubt some of them gay. At least they will not have given their all while forbidden to fully be themselves. At least those service members will be able to put down a special someone as the person to be notified.

Rogers was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and profiled in The New Yorker.

At the time of his death, the U.S. Army reportedly asked the Washington Post, MSNBC and other media not to discuss Rogers' sexuality out of "concern of the family." Family members were later incensed when the Washington Blade and mainstream media discussed Rogers' sexuality.

NEWS: Mehcad Brooks, Kanye West, Memphis, Iraq, R.I.P. Pontiac

Study: 1 in 10 sexually active teens have same sex partners.

Kanye West goes full frontal (nsfw)?

  MetroWeekly and the Blade analyze crucial Senate races.

NYC to restore $1M of the $1.88M cut from housing programs for HIV-positive NYers.

Mehcad Brooks shares the secret of his hot bod: "I have a great sex life!"

For the second time this year, the Memphis City Council will debate anti-discrimination protections for gay and lesbian municipal employees. In July, Councilwoman Janis Fullilove received four death threats after sponsoring the proposal. The bill was later withdrawn due to non-support.

MTV's Jersey Shore mocks trans women.

Apple pulls hateful and transphobic  "PeekABooTranny" app.

Field Poll: Barbara Boxer leads Carly Fiorina by 8 points in California Senate race.

  Chicago: Common to campaign with Obama on Saturday.

Dallas County, TX ballot includes two gay men and one Black lesbian—Tonya Parker, candidate for judge.

  Report: Pentagon knew of Iraqi anti-gay murders more than a year before they were reported.

After 84 years, GM's once iconic Pontiac brand will "endure a lonely death on Sunday after about 40 million in sales. Its biggest triumph was the GTO ... in violation of a G.M. policy dictating the maximum size of a car’s engine. The GTO was a hit, and the age of the muscle car had begun. For most of the 1960s, Pontiac ranked third in sales behind Chevy and Ford — a position now held by Toyota. But in the decades since, Pontiac’s edge and high-powered image wore off. By early 2009, Pontiac had fallen to 12th place in the United States market, and its top-selling model was the G6, a sedan commonly found on car-rental lots."

Federal Judge Orders Air Force to Reinstate Lesbian Maj. Witt

Yet another win for equality. A federal judge in Tacoma, Washington has ordered the United States Air Force to reinstate retired Maj. Margaret Witt, a highly skilled and decorated flight nurse who was discharged under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

The Seattle Times:

"The ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Ronald Leighton marks the first time since Congress approved the policy in 1993 that a federal judge has ordered the military to allow an openly gay service member to serve in the armed forces. 'Good flight nurses are hard to find,' said Leighton, who found that the evidence presented at the trial showed Witt's reinstatement '... would not adversely affect unit morale or cohesion' in her unit. Witt, after the ruling said, 'I can't wait to just do my job. Go back to my unit and do what I'm supposed to do.'"

U.S. District Judge Ronald B. Leighton was appointed by the conservative Republican President George W. Bush in 2002.

Maj. Margaret Witt joined the Air Force in 1987, served in the Persian Gulf and received multiple decorations. The Air Force used her photo in recruitment materials for more than a decade. Witt received a medal from President George W. Bush, commending her "outstanding medical care" to injured troops, reports The Advocate.

In July 2004, the Air Force Force suspended Witt under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy after her commanders discovered she was in a lesbian relationship with a civilian. Witt was discharged in 2006 and the action "left her less than a year short of the 20-year service requirement" to obtain a full Air Force pension. In 2008, Witt's legal challenge to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals resulted in a significant ruling that said  the military should establish an important government interest in dismissing outed servicemembers.

Witt was represented by the ACLU. "We hope that they will just let this go because it’s clear, as the judge said, she’s a valued member of society," ACLU LGBT Project Director James Esseks told The Advocate. "The wounded soldiers she was helping didn’t care about her sexual orientation. If they do [appeal], I’m confident that this ruling will be affirmed by the appeals court."

The Witt decision marks this month's second federal court victory in the fight against "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." On September 9, U.S. District Court Judge Virginia A. Phillips ruled in the federal challenge brought by the Log Cabin Republicans and declared DADT is unconstitutional. The Obama Administration is expected to appeal.

WATCH: Afghans Rally Against U.S. and Chant "Death to Obama"

This is exactly what we don't want to happen.

Hundreds of Afghans railed against the United States and called for President Barack Obama's death at a rally in Kabul to denounce an extreme evangelical church's plans to burn the Islamic holy book on September 11. The Gainesville, Florida-based Dove World Outreach Center has been denied a permit to set a bonfire and has vowed to proceed with the Koran-burning.

The crowd in Kabul, numbering as many as 500, chanted "Long live Islam" and "Death to America" as they listened to fiery speeches from members of parliament, provincial council deputies, and Islamic clerics who criticized the U.S. and demanded the withdrawal of foreign troops from the country. Some threw rocks when a U.S. military convoy passed, but speakers shouted at them to stop and told police to arrest anyone who disobeyed. Protesters who had gathered in front of Kabul's Milad ul-Nabi mosque raised placards and flags emblazoned with slogans calling for the death of Obama, while police looked on. They burned American flags and a cardboard effigy of Dove World Outreach Center's pastor, Terry Jones, before dispersing peacefully.

The White House, State Department, NATO and neighboring nations in Southwest Asia and the Middle East have condemned Terry Jones for the proposed Koran-burning. The Wall Street Journal reports that Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, says the planned burning of Korans "could put the lives of American troops in danger and damage the war effort. Not just here [in Afghanistan], but everywhere in the world we are engaged with the Islamic community."

So much for "supporting the troops." Thanks a lot wingnut a-holes. Watch the video WHEN YOU JUMP ...

WATCH: Rachel Maddow on the Bush Admin's Deception on Iraq

In recent days, a number of former Bush Administration apparatchiks have demanded "credit" for the "success" of the American military invasion and occupation of Iraq. "On both CNN and MSNBC over the last 24 hours, reports Think Progress. "[Former White House Press Secretary Ar] Fleischer has bemoaned that Bush isn’t being given enough credit for ending the war in Iraq.' Fleischer, you will recall, infamously said the Iraqis would "rejoice" at the sight of American troops.

MSNBCs Rachel Maddow takes Bush's cheerleaders to task and illustrates the Bush Administration's lies and deception that lead to the Iraq War. Watch it AFTER THE JUMP ...

WATCH: President Obama Declares End to Combat Mission in Iraq

Speaking last night in his second address from the Oval Office, President Obama "declared an end to the seven-year American combat mission in Iraq." The President did not claim victory but said it was "time to turn the page" on the war in Iraq, emphasizing the dire state of the U.S. economy and linking it in part to the Iraq War. “We have spent over a trillion dollars at war, often financed by borrowing from overseas,” said the President.

Approximately 50,000 U.S. troops remain in Iraq. The troops will engage in combat in what is now primarily a "training and advising" mission. The Center for American Progress reports: "As of yesterday, 4,416 American troops had lost their lives in Iraq, with more than 30,000 wounded and more than 39,000 diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. Low-end estimates of Iraqi civilian deaths are around 100,000, with many more wounded, and over 4 million displaced both within and outside Iraq."

Watch the video AFTER THE JUMP ...

WATCH: Steele Says Afghanistan a "War of Obama's Choosing"

Michael Steele, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, hopes to contain a growing controversy within his party. Key Republican senators questioned his effectiveness after Steele suggested the military operation in Afghanistan—started nine years ago by President Bush—was a lost cause and "a war of Obama’s choosing."

Said Steele at a Connecticut Republican fundraiser:

"This was a war of Obama’s choosing. This is not something the United States had actively prosecuted or wanted to engage in. [...] It was the president who was trying to be cute by half by flipping a script demonizing Iraq, while saying the battle really should be in Afghanistan. Well, if he’s such a student of history, has he not understood that you know that’s the one thing you don’t do, is engage in a land war in Afghanistan? All right, because everyone who has tried, over a thousand years of history, has failed."

Conservative, anti-gay Republican Sens. John McCain (AZ), Lindsey Graham (SC) and Jim Demint have blasted Steele  and a number of leading conservatives, such as Bill Kristol, have once again demanded Steele's resignation.

Steele's historical revisionism seems like another example of Republicans blaming Obama for situations that he didn't create. But are the Republicans demanding Steele's ouster because of his inaccuracy .. or suggesting that we can't win the "war"? Watch it AFTER THE JUMP ...

PHOTO + VIDEO: Janet Jackson Covers August 2010 "Essence"

Here's your first look at the August 2010 Essence which features a stunning Janet Jackson cover by Yu Tsai.

Watch behind-the-scenes video of the editorial with Adam Rodriguez AFTER JUMP ...

Something else for Janatics over Independence Day weekend: Jackson salutes the troops in a video message for American armed forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. The video was shown this morning on HLN's Morning Express with Robin Meade. Jackson is scheduled to be interviewed on the network this afternoon.

Watch behind-the-scenes video from Essence AFTER THE JUMP ...