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VIDEO: Romney Says He Lost Because Minorities Love Obamacare

PHOTO: REUTERS

Blame, blame, blame. Fox News Sunday broadcast former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's first interview since losing the 2012 election. Romney blamed his loss on his poor performance among "minorities" and the "lower incomes" whom he claimed were seduced by the Affordable Care Act.

ROMNEY: We did very well with the majority population, but not with minority populations, and that was a failing, that was a real mistake.

CHRIS WALLACE: Why do you think that was?

ROMNEY: Well, I think the Obamacare attractiveness and feature was something we underestimated, particularly among lower incomes. And, uh, just didn’t do as good a job in connecting with that audience as we should have.

Oh and this ... again:

Ann Romney said she blamed the media for unfairly treating her husband. The portrayals of them as rich and out-of-touch kept the public from getting "to know Mitt for who he was." While she shed tears after the loss, she said, "I'm mostly over it. But not completely."

But we're completely over you, hon. Via Think Progress, watch AFTER THE JUMP ...

Congress Passes LGBT-Inclusive Violence Against Women Act

After a prolonged political battle, the House has finally approved an LGBT-inclusive Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). The Washington Post notes that the vote indicated that opposition to VAWA was "damaging the [Republican] Party’s image."

The measure, which was already approved by the Senate, passed the House on a 286 to 138 vote, as 199 Democrats joined 87 Republicans to push the bill over opposition from a bloc of 138 conservatives, who opposed the bill for a number of reasons, including the new protections for gays and lesbians.

The outcome stemmed from a broad desire from GOP leaders to get past the Violence Against Women Act issue. It was an acknowledgment that their continued opposition to a measure that had passed with broad bipartisan support in the Senate and has strong appeal with women voters was damaging the party’s image.

The Anti-Violence Project notes that VAWA "includes LGBT people in three significant ways:

It names LGBT people as underserved populations in need of specific attention to address the unique issues they face as survivors of intimate partner or sexual violence. It prohibits VAWA grantee from discriminating against survivors of violence based on sexual orientation or gender identity when providing services. It establishes a specific purpose area to address LGBT violence at the state level.

The legislation also increases protections for Native Americans, immigrants, communities of color and students. 

This historic legislation came shortly after the Centers for Disease Control released a national prevalence survey showing that lesbian, gay and bisexual people experience violence at the same or higher rates as heterosexual people.  It comes a year after the New York City Anti-Violence Project's National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) found that transgender people experience sexual violence at twice the rate of non-transgender people.

Numerous studies have shown that Black and Latina trans women are at the greatest risk of violence and the murders of Black transgender women are often unsolved. Black trans women face "extreme discrimination and poverty", and are more than likely to suffer from violence, physical or sexual abuse, police brutality, HIV/AIDS and bullying, according to a first of its kind survey conducted by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Black Justice Coalition.

"With VAWA and beyond, the National Black Justice Coalition is committed to taking a systematic approach to end the serial killings of Black trans women and violence against women in general," Sharon Lettman-Hicks, NBJC Executive Director and CEO, said in a statement to R20. "We will continue to raise awareness and visibility as well as work closely with agencies like the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and national organizations such as the NCAVP to track, report, and expose the prevalence of violence against and within the Black LGBT community."

"I am encouraged that our Members of Congress were able to come together despite the polarized political climate we live in," stated Sharon Lettman-Hicks, NBJC Executive Director and CEO. "Protecting women, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, is bigger than political agendas and party line divides. It's about fairness."

See our report for EBONY: "GOP FAMILY VALUES: Domestic Violence Act Goes, Anti-Gay Legislation Stays"

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.

NEW JERSEY: Will Legislators Override Christie's Marriage Veto?

February 17 was the one year anniversary of Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's veto of the marriage equality bill passed by the legislature. Democratic leaders in the Assembly and Senate have announced they will attempt to override that veto before the end of the current session, reports Politicker NJ.

Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, an openly gay lawmaker who sponsored the bill in the Assembly, said he met with both Senate President Steve Sweeney and Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald and both men were committed to putting the bill up for an override. The bill did not pass in either house with enough votes to override the governor's action, but gay rights advocates have been working the phones for a year trying to turn lawmakers in their favor.

The bill passed 24-16 in the Senate and 42-33 in the Assembly. In the Senate, three additional votes are needed to pass an override, while in the Assembly an additional 12 are needed for the two-thirds majority required to override. "I think we can get the three in the Senate," he said. "But the Assembly is a different story. I can name five who might switch their vote, but it stops there."

Gusciora said he spoke to both men about the possibility of a ballot initiative to legalize same sex marriage, however Gusciora said Sweeney was against the idea. "He didn't close the door entirely, but he said he firmly believes that civil rights should not be on the ballot," Gusciora said. "I agree, but I think the worst thing that can happen is the status quo."

Christie has previously suggested a ballot initiative. Democratic legislative leaders and the state's leading gay activists have initially opposed that strategy.

Legislators can attempt a veto override as many times as necessary until the current session ends in January 2014.

Same-sex couples can now legally marry in nine states—Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, Washington—and the District of Columbia. Illinois is currently pursuing legislation that would likely make it the tenth state to mandate equal marriage.

ILLINOIS: Senate Approves Marriage Equality Bill 34-21

Illinois has moved one step closer to becoming the tenth and latest state to mandate marriage equality after the Senate approved its marriage bill by a 34-21 vote, reports the Sun-Times. 

After a tearful closing statement by [chief sponsor Sen. Heather] Steans, applause erupted in the chamber the moment the roll call surpassed the necessary 30 votes it needed to move to the House.

But her bill was decried by a mostly unified Republican front as an affront to the Bible. "We are knocking down one of the central foundations of society with this bill," said state Sen. Dale Bivins (R-Dixon), a "no" vote who cited poet Robert Frost and the Scriptures in pushing the bill's defeat.

Others described Thursday's vote as a step similar to the epic civil rights battles of the 1950s and 1960s, when such racial disparities as bans on interracial marriages ultimately were set aside. "Martin Luther King once said, 'The moral arc of the universe is long, but it always bends toward justice,'" said Sen. Toi Hutchinson (D-Olympia Fields). "And today, we have an opportunity, each and every one of us, to put our hands on that arc and bend it toward what's fair and what's right," she said.

The roll call of the Valentine's Day vote is HERE. Two Democrats abstained and voted "present."

The legislation now moves to the Illinois House. Democrats maintain a super-majority in that chamber but a closer vote is expected, notes the Windy City Times.

LGBT leaders said that the level of Senate support for the measure could forecast momentum in the House, where a much tougher fight has been predicted.

[Chief sponsor Rep. Greg] Harris said he is not yet certain when the bill will come to a vote in the house and declined to speculate on when sponsors would have the votes secured. LGBT groups have said that the bill could be on Governor Quinn's desk by the end of the month. Quinn strongly supports the legislation.

"This is an historic moment and demonstrates once again that Illinois is the land of Lincoln. Fairness justice and equality for all," said Rick Garcia, director of the Equal Marriage Illinois Project. "Just two years ago we thought this day was years away. ... This is an important step, but there is still more work to do."

Illinois became the sixth state to allow civil unions after Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn signed the landmark Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act in January 2011. The law became became effective on June 1, 2011.

The "Religious Freedom and Marriage Equality Act" was introduced and passed in the Illinois Senate Executive Committee by a 9-5 vote last week. The same Senate committee approved a similar bill by an 8 to 5 vote during the lame-duck legislative session in early January.  Supporters were forced to postpone the floor vote because they were three votes short of the minimum 30-vote threshold needed for passage.

Illinois would become the second state after Iowa to approve equal marriage in the nation's heartland. Same-sex couples can now legally marry in nine states—Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, Washington—and the District of Columbia.

LISTEN: Voice of Russia on House GOP, Violence Against Women Act

I'm wearing a new hat this week: Analyst for the Voice of Russia, the Russian government's international radio broadcasting service. Recorded a segment Tuesday for the American Edition on the House Republican leadership's failure to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act. LISTEN HERE.

Read my  op-ed from earlier this week at EBONY.com: "GOP FAMILY VALUES: Domestic Violence Act Goes, Anti-Gay Legislation Stays."

This makes my third or fourth appearance on VoR. Look for me again in the weeks ahead.

EBONY: Domestic Violence Act Goes, Anti-Gay Legislation Stays

PHOTO: GETTY

Combating violence against women is not a "family value" of the House Republican leadership. My op-ed on the front page of EBONY.com: "GOP FAMILY VALUES: Domestic Violence Act Goes, Anti-Gay Legislation Stays."

Speaker of the House John Boehner, Majority Leader Eric Cantor and their Republican colleagues have decided to ring in the New Year with a new round of virtual assaults on women, minorities and immigrants.

After subjecting the nation to its latest obstructionism masked as political theater in the waning days of 2012 and the early hours of 2013—otherwise known as the short-term solutions to scale the "fiscal cliff”—the House Republican leadership quickly adjourned without reauthorizing the Violence against Women Act. VAWA has been “reauthorized without fanfare since then-Senator Joe Biden spearheaded its passage in 1994,” notes The Atlantic.

The Senate version would “have extended domestic violence protections to 30 million lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals, undocumented immigrants and Native American women. No surprise that the all-male and all-White House Republican leadership are opposed to expanding protections for victims of domestic violence

On the other hand, the GOP found the time and money to continue defending the Defense of Marriage Act—a losing battle to preserve a retrograde, 1950s version of what marriage and relationships should look like.

Read the op-ed HERE.

GOP Funds DOMA Defense, Blocks Sandy Relief, Violence Agst Women

Priorities, priorities, priorities ...

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said today that it was "disgusting" that the House adjourned without voting on a $60 billion relief package for the victims of superstorm Sandy and put the blame squarely on a fellow Republican -- House Speaker John Boehner.

Christie, who is considered a possible Republican presidential candidate four years from now, said there was "only one group to blame, the Republican Party and Speaker Boehner." ... Christie in an angry news conference decried the "selfishness and duplicity," the "palace intrigue," "the callous indifference to the people of our state."

The governor said his four calls to Boehner Tuesday night went unanswered, but he said he spoke to the House speaker today. Christie would not disclose any details of the conversation, but clearly his anger over the no-vote was not mollified. Following Christie's press conference Republican representatives from New York and New Jersey announced that the speaker promised a vote on the bill on Jan. 15.

Violence against women is NOT a priority of the House Republican leadership ...

Despite a late-stage intervention by Vice President Joe Biden, House Republican leaders failed to advance the Senate's 2012 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, an embattled bill that would have extended domestic violence protections to 30 million LGBT individuals, undocumented immigrants and Native American women.

"The House leadership would not bring it up, just like they wouldn't bring up funding for Sandy [hurricane damage] last night," said Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), a key backer of the Senate version of the bill, in an interview with HuffPost. "I think they are still so kowtowing to the extreme on the right that they're not even listening to the moderates, and particularly the women, in their caucus who are saying they support this."

Additional funding to defend anti-gay discrimination and legal challenges to the Defense of Marriage Act is a priority, though ...

A GOP source told The Huffington Post that, during a closed-door meeting of the House Republican Conference, lawmakers gave a green light to including language in the 113th Congress rules package that authorizes the House legal team, known as the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group (BLAG), to keep paying outside counsel to defend the Defense of Marriage Act in court. The proposed House rules package also states that BLAG continues to "speak for" the House in its defense of DOMA ...

A spokesman for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on Thursday slammed Republicans for taking "the extraordinary measure" of using the opening day rules package of the new Congress to authorize themselves to keep defending DOMA. "Today, House Republicans will send a clear message to LGBT families: Their fiscal responsibility mantra does not extend to their efforts to stand firmly on the wrong side of the future," said Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill.

Hammill also noted that the rules package "for the first time" explicitly states that BLAG speaks for the full House on DOMA matters -- something he said is definitely not the case.

Your tax dollars at work!

READ: Obama's Signing Statement on Defense Bill, Anti-Gay Chaplains

2013 NDAA Obama Signing Statement

President Barack Obama has signed the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act after issuing several public veto threats. But the President has issued a written "signing statement" that lists several objections, including Republican-backed amendments that obstruct his plans to close the Guantanamo Bay prison for terror suspects.

The signing statement also objects to a "conscience" provision which Republican members claim would protect "chaplains from being forced to perform same-sex marriages or take other actions that might offend their religious beliefs." The President called that provision "unnecessary and ill-advised."

Section 533 is an unnecessary and ill-advised provision, as the military already appropriately protects the freedom of conscience of chaplains and service members. The Secretary of Defense will ensure that the implementing regulations do not permit or condone discriminatory actions that compromise good order and discipline or otherwise violate military codes of conduct. My Administration remains fully committed to continuing the successful implementation of the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and to protecting the rights of gay and lesbian service members; Section 533 will not alter that.

"Obama signed this year's defense authorization bill while traveling in Hawaii, after he resumed his family vacation Tuesday following Congressional passage of legislation to avert the so-called 'fiscal cliff'," adds Politico.

EBONY: "2012's Biggest News Stories" Report + Photos

It's the last day of the year and my latest for EBONY wraps the year that was: "2012's Biggest News Stories." Obama, gun violence, LGBT rights, reproductive justice, HIV/AIDS ... It's not a comprehensive list—just a Top Ten—but the list should have something for everyone. Check out the amazing photo gallery created by the producers.

Read the report and photo gallery HERE.