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Erie County Clerk Kathy Hochul, who supports same-sex marriage and the repeal of DADT, last night won the special election to replace Rep. Chris Lee (R), who resigned earlier this year after being exposed for cruising Craigslist for women other than his wife. The election largely turned on the GOP's campaign to dismantle Medicare.

“Today, the Republican plan to end Medicare cost Republicans $3.4 million and a seat in Congress,” said Rep. Steve Israel (N.Y.), the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “And this is only the first seat.” Even before voters went to the polls Tuesday, Republicans played down the significance of the race and particularly its relevance to the debate about Medicare’s future. “I know this town loves to take signals from individual races. I think the best signal you can take is the 63 seats that we picked up in November,” House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (Va.) told reporters Monday.

The GOP loser, Jane Corwin, had been supported by NOM.

Yesterday San Francisco election officials certified the petition campaign to place a city-wide ban on circumcision on the November ballot.

If the measure passes, circumcision would be prohibited among males under the age of 18. The practice would become a misdemeanor offense punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 or up to one year in jail. There would be no religious exemptions. The initiative appears to be the first of its kind in the country to actually make it to this stage, though a larger national debate over the health benefits of circumcision has been going on for many years. Banning circumcision would almost certainly prompt a flurry of legal challenges alleging violations of the First Amendment's guarantee of the freedom to exercise one's religious beliefs.

Approximately 80% of adult American men are circumcised. Worldwide, that number is only about 30%.

New York Assemblywoman Jane Corwin is the GOP's pick to replace Rep. Chris "Craigslist" Lee, who resigned from Congress earlier this year after Gawker exposed his online search for women other than his wife. And somebody has had a bit of fun with a fake Corwin campaign site, which will give you a few laughs. The special election is May 24th.

(Tipped by JMG reader Brian)

Voters in a Muslim neighborhood in Leicester, England have been sent election leaflets claiming to be from the Liberal Democrats in which the party pledges that it will "force schools to teach that homosexuality is normal." A spokesman for the Liberal Democrats says the leaflets are not from them.

The spokesman added: “Some of this leaflet is completely true and we are very proud of our record in championing gay rights. However, this a fake leaflet maliciously designed to incite hatred. It is disgusting attempt to provoke hate during the last days of a political campaign. It has no place in politics and it has no place in society.”

Earlier this year flyers appeared in London declaring that it was a "gay-free zone" and that people should "fear Allah." Those responsible for the flyers have not yet been identified, although one arrest was made last month. Some gay activists suspect that the fake Liberal Democrats leaflets are a similar attempt by Britain's neo-Nazis to sow discord between the Muslim and gay communities.