Dem. Candidate Withheld Info About His Military Service — TRUTH REVEALED!

And the truth that came out is exactly what you’d suspect from a soldier who is also a Democrat.

Legendary Boston Globe journalist Walter V. Robinson has built a huge career on exposing political clowns who lie about or exaggerate their military service and the honors they received while in service. But when he went after Seth Moulton — the Democratic nominee for Congress for Massachusetts Sixth Congressional District — he uncovered some “dirt” that he’s never uncovered before. Moulton is a decorated Marine and doesn’t tell people. Not even his parents.

Moulton, a Marine who saw fierce combat for months in Iraq, chose not to publicly disclose his awards. Robinson, however, reviewed an official summary of Seth Moulton’s five years of military service and discovered that Moulton was awarded the Bronze Star medal for valor and the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation medal for valor. When pressed by Robinson, Moulton confessed.

From the The Boston Globe:

In 2003 and 2004, during weeks-long battles with Iraqi insurgents, then-Lieutenant Moulton “fearlessly exposed himself to enemy fire” while leading his platoon during pitched battles for control of Nasiriyah and Najaf south of Baghdad, according to citations for the medals that the Globe requested from the campaign.

Why so secretive?

In an interview, Moulton said he considers it unseemly to discuss his own awards for valor. “There is a healthy disrespect among veterans who served on the front lines for people who walk around telling war stories,’’ he said. What’s more, Moulton said he is uncomfortable calling attention to his own awards out of respect to “many others who did heroic things and received no awards at all.’’

Top Beer Brewer Sam Adams Quits Hometown’s St. Patrick’s Parade

There’s certainly some irony that the nation’s top beer, brewed in Boston by the Boston Beer Company, has dropped their support of its hometown’s — and one of the nation’s top — St. Patrick’s Day parade. After over a decade, Sam Adams beer has withdrawn their support of Boston’s St. Patrick’s Day parade.

Sam Adams doesn’t seem to be alone. A quick look at the parade organizer’s sponsors’ page shows no major corporations — in fact, the section is empty. Less than 48 hours before the parade is scheduled to start, the section reads:

“We’re updating our supporters, thank you for your patience.”

Sam Adams may be in good company. The Massachusetts-based anti-gay hate group MassResistance claims that brands including Gillette, New England Coffee, Sam Adams, and The Westin’s Boston Waterfront hotel “have notified the parade organizers that they no longer will be sponsors, and that they wanted their logos taken down from the parade website, etc.”

At issue, of course, is the fact that the organizers of the centuries-old historic Boston St. Patrick’s Day parade, the Allied War Veteran’s Council, have yet again barred an LGBT group from marching in the parade. Mass Equality’s group of LGBT veterans was prohibited from marching under a logo that would identify them as an LGBT group, and prohibited from wearing tee shirts of other items specifying they are LGBT.

Why?

“It is our intention to keep this parade a family friendly event,” parade organizer state. ”We will not allow any group to damage the Integrity [sic] of the historic event or our reputation as a safe and fun filled day for all. We strive to hold the largest and most entertaining St. Patrick’s Day Parade in the Country.”

Boston Mayor Martin Walsh has stated he will boycott this year’s parade if the LGBT vets remain barred.

Gay veterans push back against St. Patrick’s Day Parade organizers

After a series of tense negotiations, Mayor Martin J. Walsh received a blow Wednesday with decisive news that this year’s St. Patrick’s Day parade will not include a group of gay military veterans, as he had hoped.

MassEquality, an advocate for the gay community, signaled that any opportunity for compromise had reached a dead end and that its group of gay veterans will not march at the South Boston event Sunday. Walsh had hoped to march, but said he would do so only if gays are allowed.

“It’s over; we won’t be there,” said Kara S. Coredini, executive director of MassEquality, which had filed an application with the parade to allow 20 gay veterans to march.

Coredini’s comments came after nearly two weeks of negotiations led by Walsh, amid numerous controversial twists and turns and even though the mayor and US Representative Stephen Lynch recently appeared optimistic that MassEquality and the Allied War Veterans Council, the parade sponsor, could find common ground.

But with four days remaining before the parade, Walsh staff members said there appeared to be no prospects for a pact.

“Mayor Walsh obviously is disappointed that these two parties could not come to an agreement for this year’s St. Patrick’s Day parade,’’ said Lisa Pollack, communications chief for Walsh. He “will always hold out hope that we can find a way for everybody to be included.”

Parade organizer Philip J. Wuschke Jr. did not return calls for comments Wednesday. Lynch also could not be reached for comment. An aide to Lynch did not respond to questions about whether the congressman would march Sunday and continued to strike a hopeful tone.

“Talks regarding the parade are ongoing,” Meghan Aldridge, Lynch’s press secretary, said. “Congressman Lynch remains hopeful that a solution agreeable to all parties involved can be reached in time for Sunday’s parade.”

Many lawmakers reached Wednesday said they would not march. Councilor Salvatore LaMattina of East Boston said that he has never marched in the parade because of the ban on gay groups, but that he had held out hope that Walsh and Lynch would have success brokering a deal.

“I was hoping that Mayor Walsh and Congressman Lynch would have been able to settle this one,’’ LaMattina said. “It’s too bad, because I know they wanted everyone to be included.”

Walsh and Lynch have been invited to participate in a separate St. Patrick’s Day Peace march that follows the parade and is open to everyone. Pollack said Walsh is not expected to participate in that event.

Walsh sailed into office in November with key support from the gay community, which helped extend his appeal in neighborhoods beyond his base in Dorchester and South Boston. As a state representative, Walsh frequently marched in the parade, which celebrates Irish culture and Revolutionary War history. He has said that as mayor he wanted an inclusive parade and vowed not to participate if gay groups are excluded.

In recent weeks, Walsh tried to broker a deal between MassEquality and parade organizers to end a controversy that has festered for two decades. He succeeded in getting parade organizers to invite MassEquality to allow 20 gay veterans who are members of the group LGBT [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender] Veterans for Equality to march in the parade.

But the offer came with the condition that members refrain from making any reference to sexual orientation during the parade.

The parade sponsor, backed by a Supreme Court ruling, has said that gays and lesbians have always been allowed to participate and that any form of political activism is banned to maintain the spirit of the parade. MassEquality rejected the condition that its group not march as openly gay veterans.

Then, last week, parade organizers rejected MassEquality’s application, saying they saw it as a “ploy by them to enter this parade under false pretenses.”

The parade sponsor cut off negotiations and said that MassEquality had lied in its application about the number of veterans who would march.

On Wednesday, gay veterans, backed by MassEquality, rebutted the charge in a letter to parade organizers. The letter was signed by a dozen people who described themselves as active duty, reserve, and National Guard veterans, disabled veterans, and former American Legion post commanders.

“We have served our country with distinction defending our Constitution in our United States military service uniforms,” the letter said.

“We would be proud and honored to stand beside our fellow veterans, march, and celebrate the service and sacrifice of all of our veteran brothers and sisters in the South Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade.”

Neil MacInnes-Barker, a former sergeant in the US Air Force, said he signed up for the march two weeks ago, as negotiations were starting. He said that normally he does not participate in the parades, including ones celebrating the gay community, but that he wanted to be present in the St. Patrick’s Day event.

“If there are people — Irish Americans — who are LGBT in South Boston, then I want to march for them,’’ MacInnes-Barker said. “If they are afraid of being intimidated . . . then I will stand for them.”

Football team rallies around 6-year-old suit-wearing water coach

Danny Keefe has childhood apraxia of speech, which means he doesn't speak very well. He also loves to wear suits and ties, even though he's only 6 years old.

So when 11-year-old Tommy Cooney heard Danny was getting picked on at school because of the way he talks, he decided to do something about it.

He put on a suit and tie, too.

Their relationship began this past spring when Danny asked his mom if he could join the Bridgewater (Mass.) Badgers peewee football team as water coach. The team's coach, Thomas Cooney, said yes and Danny was given a football jersey like the rest of the team.

"But he asked Coach Cooney if it would be OK if he didn't wear the shirt, but he could he wear his suits and a hat to the games," Danny's mother, Jennifer Keefe, told Yahoo News. "He just feels more comfortable."

Six-year-old Danny Keefe prefers to wear suits and ties. (Courtesy of Jennifer Keefe)

She's not exactly sure where his affinity for dressing up comes from, but she says Danny's wardrobe consists of five or six suits and various ties to go with them.

"They get pretty worn," Jennifer Keefe said, "because that's all he wears."

From the day he was born, doctor's warned Danny's parents that he would be severely disabled due to a serious brain hemorrhage, according to the Enterprise.

"You can understand a couple words, but you probably can't understand the story he's telling you," Jennifer Keefe explained.

That's why Danny was picked on. Other kids call him a baby, his mother said.

One day, Danny came home from school sad that kids were picking on him. Keefe's older son, who is a member of the football team, told Tommy Cooney. Danny said, "I don't care what those kids think of me, it's only what I think of myself," according to Jennifer Keefe.

Tommy Cooney went to his mom and told her that he wanted to wear a suit to school.

"I thought it was so nice, I was so touched that he wanted to do that," Jennifer Keefe said. "Then, next thing you know, I'm getting texts from various parents saying, 'Where do you find suits? My son wants to wear a suit.' "

All told, 45 kids showed up to school in either full suits or shirts and ties, according to Keefe, who said it all began with Tommy wanting Danny "to feel loved."

"He was showing him he was loved by dressing like him."

Danny's reaction to the boys swanky threads?

"Just his expression," Jennifer Keefe said — "his eyes got really big, and a smile, and then he said, 'They're dressed just like me!'"

Anti-Gay Pastor Announces Plans to Run for Governor of Massachusetts

Controversial anti-gay pastor Scott Lively announced on Monday his intentions to run for governor of Massachusetts. This announcement comes less than two weeks after the fundamentalist pastor publicly claimed in an interview with NBC News that he was responsible for helping pass Russia’s "homosexual propaganda" law.

"The people of this state need a candidate who can clearly and unapologetically articulate Biblical values without fear or compromise. They need a candidate who will tell the simple truth that abortion is murder, and homosexuality is condemned by God (but that Jesus forgives and heals those who repent)." Lively said in a press release issued by his ministry yesterday, lamenting that "Massachusetts is the bluest of the blue states: the first to adopt socialized medicine and "gay marriage," the national model for promoting homosexuality to children in the public schools, and the most aggressive defender of child-killing through abortion."

Full story here!