The removal of Patricia Todd from the Democratic slot on the ballot for the Alabama statehouse by a committee of the Alabama Democratic Party has been reversed by the party's executive committee, The Victory Fund has said in a statement issued today and obtained by PageOneQ.

Todd's victory today all but assures her election as Alabama's first out elected official. The Birmingham district she hopes to represent is overwhelmingly Democratic and the Republican party has not fielded a candidate for the seat.

First we got the bomb, and that was good,
'Cause we love peace and motherhood.
Then Russia got the bomb, but that's okay,
'Cause the balance of power's maintained that way.
Who's next?

Luxembourg is next to go,
And (who knows?) maybe Monaco.
We'll try to stay serene and calm
When Alabama gets the bomb.

The Democratic primary victory of Alabama lesbian Patricia Todd for a seat in the statehouse was overturned by a party committee tonight. The committee vote was 5-0. Had the committee not reversed the election, which Todd won by 59 votes, she would have become the first openly gay elected official in the state's history. No Republican has entered the race in the overwhelmingly Democratic district. Todd's race was to determine who would represent District 54 in Birmingham in the statehouse.

Todd is the associated director of AIDS Alabama, a social service and AIDS education agency.

The committee disqualified Todd and her opponent, Gaynell Hendricks, because they had not filed a required campaign finance report on time. The same rule has been ignored by all candidates since 1988 and the Associated Press has reported that this year's party nominees for Governor and Lieutenant Governor have not filed the reports as well.

A handful of super-rich political contributors, giving at least $25,000 a year, will put at least $10 million into Gov. Rick Perry's re-election treasury, forming an elite fundraising corps that the campaign calls the Century Council.

In exchange, donors who pledge to give at least $100,000 get invitations to private luncheons with the governor. And many are beneficiaries of government business, plum appointments and other state largesse.

Three Century Council members have lucrative contracts to help build Mr. Perry's multibillion-dollar toll-road initiative. The state has deposited millions in investment funds operated by three other top-tier givers. And 16 are Perry appointees to coveted boards, including the Parks and Wildlife Commission and state university regent boards.

A Perry campaign spokesman says the donors get no special treatment.

1. BlogActive.com Reports on Robert Traynham, a gay man who works for Rick Santorum.
2. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports on Ricky and his gay communications director and Ricky stands by his man Robert.
3. Sources tell me Traynham attends and event last month for LOGO-TV, where he tells folks I 'outed' him. (Nice to see you out and about after you were 'outed' Robert.)
4. Activist meets with Santorum, who had been asked by the Inquirer about his gay staffer, and signs letter pledging not to discriminate against staffers based on sexual orientation or gender expression.

BRITNEY SPEARS: Honestly, I think we should just trust our president in every decision he makes and should just support that, you know, and be faithful in what happens.