In the wake of an expensive and shamefully deceptive lobbying campaign waged by the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, California Senate members voted down the Toxics-Free Babies and Toddlers Act (SB 797) bill.

The bill, which was defeated in the final hours of the legislative session late night on Tuesday, Aug. 31, would have worked in coordination with California’s Green Chemistry Initiative to ban the use of BPA in feeding products designed for children three and under. With a final vote of 19-18 the bill was just two votes shy of passage.

Longtime gay hater Ken Mehlman is now out of the closet, not much of a surprise to many who follow politics.

Why is it that those who cry the loudest against gay rights are often gay themselves?

Should the LGBT community welcome Mehlman with open arms? Or keep him at arm’s length?

The damage that Mehlman and his cronies at the Republican National Committee have inflicted on the LGBT community is bottomless. It will take many years to undo the harm he has inflicted.

On “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart,” host Jon Stewart calls former GOP bigwig Ken Melman a hypocrite, among other choice words, for his anti-gay rhetoric during his years as chairman of the Republican National Committee and George W. Bush’s re-election campaign manager.

Stewart sarcastically notes that Mehlman shouldn’t have been expected to fight for gay rights when he didn’t know he was part of the group.

Watch the hilarious video.

On “Countdown With Keith Olbermann,” host Keith Olbermann and gay author and blogger Dan Savage take a look at Ken Mehlman’s anti-gay legacy within the Republican party.

They talked about the damage that Mehlman caused to the LGBT community while head of the Republican National Committee and particularly as campaign manager for President George W. Bush’s 2004 re-election effort.

The longtime gay-basher came out of the closet this week. Now he vows to fight for marriage equality.