CAMPAIGN '08: "A Gay Mafia: They are called the Cabinet. Meet the seven wealthy, gay political donors who are quietly pouring money into races all over the country--and redefining liberal politics in the process," by John Cloud, Time, Oct. 31, 2008.

I get this question a lot: Where does human rights fit in with your vision? My answer is always the same: The American model says that when a minority gets some real money and starts to use it politically to advance its agenda, political rights follow. Gays are no different. Green is the only color that matters politically in this country, and I think that's a very good thing. Yes, when you're talking authoritarian or totalitarian states, then outside pressure in the vein of the Helsinki Accords or NGOs is good and worthy, but the real long-term solution is just enough economic connectivity to put money in hands and then put those hands to use in the political realm. People really get most demanding of political freedom once they've amassed just enough economic freedom to acquire something worth protecting--as in, their way of life.