In the new issue of the Boston Phoenix I have a short item (from the "This Just In" section) about Vicente Lebron, popular percussionist for Either/Orchestra. Lebron, who has lived (and played) in the Boston area for 30+ years, has been thrown into a jail cell and slated for deportation by the Department of Homeland Security.

The Republican Party -- nationally and here in Massachusetts -- finds itself on the outs with the general public, unloved, disrespected and untrusted on almost every issue.

But thank goodness for the pervs! Everybody sides with Republicans when it comes to pervs!

The Supreme Court -- those liberal NAMBLAphiles -- today ruled that execution is a no-go for child rapists.

The Herald's Dave Wedge picks up on the perceived Menino snub of John Kerry that I mentioned in writing about the state Democratic Convention, and calls it a "high-profile slap." Wedge has the tensions between the two camps about right, I'd say.

The big backdrop of this, of course, is that Kerry represents Boston's lifeline to the federal government if and when Ted Kennedy has to leave the Senate.

In my late-2006 essay on the coming Democratic ascendancy, I wrote the following about "Millennials":

There is strong reason to suspect that this will be the most solidly Democratic generation since the Progressive Era. That’s not because they’re a bunch of lefties; they aren’t. What they are is residents of 21st century America, a place where the Republican Party seems incredibly ill at ease.

Regular readers of this blog know two things: 1) I love everybody, and 2) San Franciscoans are a bunch of pathetic losers jealously pretending that their city is as gay and liberal as Boston.

But even I have to admit, the Bitter Bay's latest attempt to claim the kook crown is looking fairly impressive: the Presidential Memorial Commission of San Francisco has reportedly gathered enough signatures to get its initiative on the November ballot, if the signatures hold up.

Apparently, all it takes is a couple hundred phone calls to get a major corporation to bend to your personal discriminatory animus. This time it's Heinz, pulling a UK ad that featured two men kissing. Previously, of course, Dunkin' Donuts pulled an ad that, in the tiny mixed-up mind of Michelle Malkin, promoted murderous Palestinian extremism.

The title of this post is actually a serious question, with potentially major consequences for national politics.

Religious leaders are not allowed to specifically endorse candidates from the pulpit -- well, actually, they may do so but their churches would lose their federal tax exemption. Tax-exempt religious organizations, like other non-profits, may not participate in partisan political advocacy under IRS rules.

--Hey, all you Democratic delegates who have been whining about the food at the Tsongas Arena: at least it wasn't Fenway Park.

--Hard to imagine Obama being in town with this little buzz in the local media, huh?

--My question about the TOUCH-FM controversy (well covered by Brian Ballou today) is and has been: why did the Southern New England Society of Broadcast Engineers drop the dime to the FCC in the first place? Dan K, get me an answer!

You may recall that the practice of legislative "ghost voting" got some bad press around here recently. In April, Burlington representative (and one-time DLC '100 To Watch' honoree!) Chares A. Murphy cast a series of votes in the House chamber when he was physically on the Virgin Islands. (Speaker DiMasi is getting to the bottom of that, right?)

--Sure, O'Reilly is good on the issues, but can he match Kerry's record on constituent services?

--Who else here thinks the teachers' union is the problem?

--I think this will be just a minor blip in Marzilli's political career.

--I've gotta say, Torkildsen really is going to make us work, with that powerhouse slate of candidates he's recruited.

--AP's Devlin Barrett reminds us that pundits once anticipated a three-way, all-New York Presidential campaign this fall. Yeah, and the Yankees and Mets will meet in the World Series. Ha!

--Flaschner Judicial Insitute is sponsoring an interesting-looking legal panel on the ripple effects of the Goodrich decision, Wednesday at the John Adams courthouse.

The Massachusetts Democratic Party held its state convention Saturday -- it was a warm, warm day, but fortunately the convention planners seated the 2nd Suffolk delegation right in the center of Tsongas arena, so the building was kept cool by the icy chill generated between Dianne Wilkerson and Sonia Chang-Diaz. (It figures to be even frostier at their first debate later this week, sponsored by the 5th Ward.

As expected, the California Supreme Court has denied an attempt to stay implementation of its gay-marriage ruling, meaning that same-sex marriages will commence on June 17th. (That's less than two weeks to shop!) It gave no particular explanation, but it was pretty clear from the start that the parties bringing the motion to stay had no standing to do so -- and that the four justices with the majority were unlikely to buy the idea of chaos ensuing from a few months of gay marriage that might be undone by a November ballot initiative.

--Today is Public Employee Recognition Day in Massachusetts, so here's a shout-out to some of my favorite people working for the state and city.... who I can unfortunately refer to only as "Statehouse insider," "source in City Hall," "person close to the committee," "high-ranking department official," "aide to a state legislator," and "Beacon Hill veteran."

Would-be somebody Jim Ogonowski sent out an angry press release earlier today, saying he had submitted enough certified signatures to get on the ballot. He was wrong, reports Frank Phillips. Now Jeff Beatty has the GOP Senate nomination to himself. Please, please, will the GOP now let Ogo go back to being the nice, ordinary guy he was and stop trying to make him into a candidate for high office?