Snubs Aside, Obama Will Do Right by Us
By Steve Charing
On the road to the election and inauguration of Barack Obama, there had been great hope accumulating throughout the lgbt community that for the first time, a U.S. President will be on our side.
That road had hit a speed bump when Barack Obama selected anti-gay Pastor Rick Warren to deliver the inaugural’s Invocation. Team Obama underestimated the strong reaction by gay activists that was carried in the mainstream media.
But the president-elect did not back down. This episode sullied the inauguration celebration and gave pause to what I believe is a monumental shift in the struggle for lgbt rights.
There were other missteps as well. Candidate Obama had allowed gospel singer Donnie McLurkin—an anti-gay, ex-gay—to join him during the South Carolina primary campaign. Mr. Obama then apologized.
Candidate Obama maintained his opposition to same-sex marriage during the Saddleback Church interviews conducted by none other than Rick Warren.
Candidate Obama did not forcefully speak out against Proposition 8 that snatched marriage rights already granted to thousands of same-sex couples in California.
No openly gay or lesbian had been appointed to a cabinet-level position.
The inaugural committee somehow botched up the schedule, which kept openly gay Bishop Gene Robinson’s speech from being heard by millions of HBO viewers.
Yet despite all these snubs, President Obama should be a champion for lgbt folks unlike any other president in history. Hopefully, we can, from here on out, praise the new president instead of criticizing him.
The euphoria that enveloped the nation and the world leading up to and including the days immediately following the historic inauguration will last longer than most. Given these turbulent times, that’s saying something. While some lgbt activists bemoaned the fact we were never mentioned during the 20-minute inaugural address, that’s quite alright. It wasn’t the place or the time.
President Obama emphasized accountability in government during the speech. The days immediately following the inauguration, he immediately demonstrated that.
His swift actions on closing trials at Guantanamo, issuing ethics orders, meeting as promised with his top military brass to end the war in Iraq and other measures signified to me that he will keep his campaign pledges.
And President Obama followed through with his campaign promises to the lgbt community by posting, in fairly good detail, his positions on most of the issues that are important to the lgbt community to the official White House website, whitehouse.gov.
He called the section "Supporting the LGBT Community," and he quoted himself as a preamble: "While we have come a long way since the Stonewall riots in 1969, we still have a lot of work to do. Too often, the issue of LGBT rights is exploited by those seeking to divide us. But at its core, this issue is about who we are as Americans. It's about whether this nation is going to live up to its founding promise of equality by treating all its citizens with dignity and respect." -- Barack Obama, June 1, 2007
Beautiful words indeed. The issues covered include: Expand Hate Crimes Statutes, Fight Workplace Discrimination, Support Full Civil Unions and Federal Rights for LGBT Couples, Oppose a Constitutional Ban on Same-Sex Marriage, Repeal Don't Ask-Don't Tell, Expand Adoption Rights, Promote AIDS Prevention, Empower Women to Prevent HIV/AIDS.
This is freakin’ huge!No president has even come close to outlining his positions on lgbt rights, let alone favorable ones. True, President Obama hasn’t yet come around to support same-sex marriage; at least he opposes a federal constitutional amendment to define marriage to be between one man and one woman.
What is notable on the website, however, is his commitment to end DOMA—the nefarious Defense of Marriage Act signed into law by former President Bill Clinton in 1996. He had publicly indicated to lgbt activists during the primaries that he will not only repeal certain components of the law but will seek to repeal the entire measure.
President Obama’s position to confer over 1,100 federal benefits to same-sex couples either through civil unions or some form of partnership recognition will not be realized unless DOMA is eliminated. The law establishes a federal ban on same-sex marriage, which nullifies federal benefits and rights and permits states not to recognize same-sex marriages occurring in other states.
As we collectively lick our chops at the prospects of these issues going our way, we must be patient a bit longer. The economic crisis is a major challenge that must be dealt with, not to mention restoring a framework for peace throughout key hot spots in the world.
The president cannot and should not use his political capital on anything except getting his stimulus package through Congress. That’s the primary order of business.
In the past, the ill-advised expenditure of political good will was damaging. President Clinton misfired when he attempted in 1993 to end gays in the military unilaterally—a campaign pledge in its own right. A significant portion of the military, including the top brass, as well as many in Congress, distrusted Clinton on military matters. This was mainly as a result of his evading service during the Vietnam era and a generally tepid amount of warmth towards him as he took office.
President Clinton miscalculated the opposition to the initiative, and we have been stuck with the absurd policy of "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" since then.
President Obama has stated he will work to build a consensus on that and other lgbt-related initiatives. Give him time to do that. He needs to get our country back on track first.
But I am certain he will make good on his word. Don’t let the initial snubs diminish our hope for a brighter rainbow in the future.
Steve Charing’s OUTspoken blog is at www.SteveCharing.blogspot.com.
Obama's majestic triumph tempered by heartbreaking Election Day setbacks to gays and lesbians
Senior Political Analyst
November 4, 2008 marked a transformational day in American history. With the election of the first African-American as president of the United States, the world, all of a sudden, became closer and a bit more unified. People were rejoicing in five continents. Although supporters of John McCain and Sarah Palin understandably may not have felt euphoric when the networks declared Barack Obama president at 11:00 p.m. EDT, I sure did.
But my elation was doused not that long afterwards, as three gay marriage bans and one anti-gay adoption initiative all apparently succeeded, reminding me that the country still has not taken that next big step.
For Obama, this was a contest that will keep political scientists and book publishers busy for decades. Barack Obama, a relative neophyte with a foreign-sounding name, rose from virtual obscurity and defeated a powerful Clinton machine to emerge as the Democratic Party's nominee. Then he took on John McCain with his vaunted military and congressional experience, the embedded racism in the country, as well as the Republican Party's fear and smear operation to win in an Electoral College landslide. In the process, Obama turned several red states blue with surgical precision.
There was as much good luck involved as there was skill. A perfect storm of events and personalities produced raindrops filled with smiles. He mainly benefited from the disastrous presidency of George W. Bush with whom he linked to his opponent, John McCain, with relentless regularity.
McCain incomprehensibly selected Sarah Palin--the butt of numerous jokes from her obvious lack of national and international knowledge--to be his running mate. The McCain campaign failed to effectively utilize the candidate's strengths and instead defaulted to what the Republicans seem to do best: attack.
And there were no significant international crises that affected the U.S., which would have highlighted McCain's perceived strength on national security. Then came the financial meltdown in September that accentuated the incompetence of the Bush presidency and McCain's bumbling response to it.
Added to that, notable endorsements from Colin Powell and a series of other Republican conservatives, the full-throated support from his chief Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton and her husband, and the die was cast.
But oh that skill!
Obama's campaign, led by David Plouffe and David Axelrod, crafted a blueprint on how 21st century presidential campaigns should operate. Always disciplined, always on message, always consistent, Obama successfully presented himself as the "change" candidate at a time the country was thirsty for change.
The campaign eschewed public financing and using the Internet primarily, managed to raise almost three quarters of a billion dollars to launch what was nearly a 50-state campaign. This forced McCain, who accepted public financing, to spend his more limited resources defending his own turf. That was crucial in states, such as Florida, Virginia, Ohio, Colorado and North Carolina. In the end, the better campaign prevailed.
And that is good news for the LGBT community. Because now there is a much better chance for achieving non-discrimination legislation in the workplace, a Federal hate crimes bill and the repeal of the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. Expect to see openly gay and lesbian members in Obama's administration; he kept reminding voters down the stretch that the country should not be split according to "gay" and "straight" among the other dividing lines in society. No other major presidential candidate ever used such rhetoric, and he repeated it to traditionally conservative gatherings in Middle America.
But those defeats on the ballot initiatives stung like nothing else has ever before. Just as national polls were indicating a gradual positive trend towards acceptance of same-sex marriage, November 4 proved to be a startling wake-up call that so much work remains.
Ballot measures in Arizona and Florida resoundingly banned "gay marriage" in those states adding to the stockpile that has swollen since 2004. Arkansas voters sadly banned adoptions by gay couples. The ones suffering most from that decision are children.
But the biggest heartbreaker appears to be the results of Proposition 8 in California. While the votes have not been fully tallied at press time, the measure that would roll back a court decision legalizing same-sex marriage in the state, apparently is heading for passage.
Proponents of Prop 8 benefited from a major influx of funding from the Mormons, the Catholic Church and other religious entities to scare voters about the idea of two men or two women marrying. Tony Perkins, president of the virulently anti-gay Family Research Council, symbolized the religious support of the measure.
Characterizing Prop 8 as more important than the presidential election, Perkins said, "We have survived bad presidents. But many, many are convinced we will not survive this redefinition of marriage."
If Prop 8 survives the counting of absentee ballots, it will mark a staggering defeat to gays and lesbians since it was the first time rights that have been won were actually taken away. While it remains unclear if the existing same-sex marriages in California will be permitted to stand, the effects of such a setback will reverberate throughout the country.
And it mars the glistening victory of hope over fear in the election of Barack Obama.
www.SteveCharing.blogspot.com
Freedom of Speech? Fivethirtyeight.com reported today that two pro-Obama men were surrounded by a mob of McCain supporters after they chanted "Obama" while wearing Obama tee-shirts and carrying an Obama sign at a McCain rally in Miami, FL. Police had to rescue the men from the crowd for their protection. "People were screaming, 'Terrorist!' 'Communist!' 'Socialist!'"one of the two men told the reporter from fivethirtyeight.com. "I had a guy tell me he was gonna kill me."Nice. If these pro-McCain folks would revere the Constitution's First Amendment as much as they do the Second Amendment, perhaps the USA will be a better place. That's not likely while dissent continues to be squashed by intimidation.
www.stevecharing.blogspot.com
McCain's Last Missed Opportunity On Meet the Press, John McCain could have taken the high road on race relations, but failed.There are no more big play opportunities left for John McCain. The debates and the conventions are over. He will default to the the normal GOP tactic of "fear and smear" during the final days of the campaign.
His last remaining hope was a performance on Oct. 26's Meet the Press, which commands a sizeable viewership. This could have been the one opportunity to change the trajectory of the campaign. It was there for him to grab, to seize the opportunity. But as always, McCain, the non-maverick, stuck to talking points rather than breaking the mold.
When moderator Tom Brokaw showed the clip of Rush Limbaugh's explanation of Gen. Colin Powell's endorsement of Barack Obama where he shouted, "it's all about race," McCain's response was disappointing if not predictable.
When asked if Powell's endorsement was about race, McCain weakly said no but quickly pivoted to the five Secretaries of State (he had trouble reeling them off) and the number of admirals and generals of whom he was proud to have their support.Here's what John McCain SHOULD have said, which I believe would have grabbed the headlines and MAYBE peel off some of the independent voters who have been flocking to Obama:
"I am, of course, disappointed with Gen. Powell's endorsement. But as Gen. Powell said on your show, race was not a significant factor, and I take this friend and honorable public servant at his word. I know I will be offending some of Rush Limbaugh's listeners, but I fully condemn Rush's explanation that it was all about race.
"We are at a critical time in our country's history. We are deeply mired in a major financial crisis that is affecting most Americans. We have enemies abroad who would want to harm us. We have energy and climate change challenges that need to be addressed. We do not need divisive and inflammatory comments from people on the air waves. We should not separate our country according to race or by any other category. If anything, we need to rally all citizens of the United States to forge a common effort to face these crises together."
Alas, McCain didn't want to upset his base by attempting to nullify race in this election. It remains his wild card. But in sidestepping this golden opportunity, McCain missed the chance to demonstrate a characteristic that has been sorely lacking in his campaign--statesmanship.
By Steve CharingDuring every presidential election cycle we’re told that the current one is the most important election in our lifetime. And the fact is, it’s usually true—especially the past few elections. But without the hyperbole, I really believe that November 4 will be not only pivotal for our country, but also to the LGBT community.
The Obama-McCain contest is surely critical. For our nation, an Obama victory will mark a dramatic shift from the atrocious economic, social, environmental, and foreign policies of the past eight years. And with an overwhelming majority in both houses of Congress, Obama’s progressive and common sense agenda will find an easier path to success.
The contrast between Obama and McCain on issues that are important to the lgbt community couldn’t be more stark. While Barack Obama does not favor same-sex marriage, it must be noted that no other major candidate for president ever has to this point. But both Obama and his vice-presidential running mate, Joe Biden, oppose California’s Proposition 8 (more on that later).Obama does openly support some form of civil union or domestic partnership arrangement whereby hospital visitation and economic benefits could be extended to same-sex couples. For his part, John McCain flatly opposes domestic partnerships, same-sex marriage and adoption by same-sex couples.
Both candidates do not favor a Federal Marriage Amendment though McCain’s stance is rooted in the proper use of the Constitution rather than any inclination towards fairness. Nonetheless, VP candidate Sarah Palin supports a constitutional amendment that would enshrine discrimination into the law of the land.
The two disagree on ENDA, the Federal Employment Discrimination Act, which has been languishing in Congress for decades that would prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace. Obama supports it; McCain does not. The same scenario would apply to hate crimes legislation: Obama favors it; McCain opposes it.
The military’s "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" policy is also an area where both candidates dissent. Obama favors repealing the vile law based on fairness and the fact it does not work. McCain would rely on the commanders on the ground for advice on that matter, and you know where it would go at that point—nowhere.
John McCain likes to call himself a "maverick" for the frequent times he crossed up his own party to sign onto bipartisan legislation. The current version of John McCain, however, is so firmly tied to the far right wing of the GOP that if he is elected, any chances for lgbt progress will evaporate. And Sarah Palin is even more socially conservative.
Besides the presidential race we must look carefully at what’s going on in California. Following that state’s Supreme Court’s ruling that paved the way for same-sex marriage, anti-gay opponents succeeded in placing the definition of marriage on the ballot in November that would define marriage as between one man and one woman. That referendum is called Proposition 8.
Even though this battle is taking place on the other side of the country, it should very much matter to us. "Maryland is still one of a handful of states that can achieve marriage equality in the United States in the near future," says Equality Maryland’s Executive Director Dan Furmansky. "But the outcome of the vote on Prop. 8 in California will directly impact our timeline here. If legislators see that the tide has truly turned on this issue, they will be more willing to put themselves on the line for what we all know is truly equality for same-sex couples."
Indeed this is crucial. Being outraised by nearly two to one, equality activists who oppose Prop. 8 are seeing their support in the polls slip as the proponents have used TV ads to scare the voters. And that should matter to us. Furmansky points out, "An electoral loss in California would no doubt negatively impact our efforts to achieve marriage equality in Maryland, to what extent, we can't fully be sure. But it would make us more reliant on legislative wins in states like New York and New Jersey to convince legislators that the time has come for our state as well."
A loss would also embolden opponents of same-sex marriage in Maryland to push harder to have the matter put to a popular vote. That’s a slippery slope with uncertain consequences. If voters in a state like California can roll back the clock, that is not a good sign for Maryland.
To help level the playing field, money, as always, is the best way to defeat Prop. 8. Please visit here to learn how you can help and now!
With a favorable election outcome, both nationally and in California, LGBT Marylanders may finally see the light at the end of a tunnel. If not, the tunnel gets longer and darker.
BRADLEY EFFECT? Nah. At this point in time during a national election it makes absolutely no sense for a McCain supporter to lie to pollsters and say that he/she is voting for Obama lest the interviewee will be viewed as a racist. All that does is inflate Obama's poll numbers and deflates team McCain's morale. There are many legitimate reasons to oppose Obama on experience and issues, and any opposition to him would be explained in those terms.Without question race will be an issue, but I believe that has already been embedded in existing poll results; folks don't need to shy away from their actual voting intentions.
The Bradley Effect MAY have been a factor in the NH primary when Obama was matched up against Hillary Clinton--a member of the same party--where he was leading the day before in the polls only to lose. But it should not rear its polls-twisting head on November 4 like it did in California back in 1982, and even if there actually were such an effect is under dispute.
LEVI STRESS. Out of the shadows of the McCain cocoon emerged Levi Johnston, the father-to-be of Sarah Palin's abstinence-averse daughter Bristol's child. He disclosed in an interview that he dropped out of high school to work in Alaska's oil fields presumably to help support the child if and when he gets hitched to Bristol.
What a shame! Here are the Palins--a million dollars in assets (oh how taxpayer-funded per diem when not traveling can add up!)--who couldn't give a little financial aid to at least allow the hockey stud dude to graduate from high school?A million bucks they have.
Doesn't sound like "Joe 6-pack" types to me. Palin's daughter may marry a high school dropout who didn't practice safe sex. A fine example they're setting for America's youth. Imagine if they were black how the stereotyping and insults would have been hurled at them.
GOTTA LOVE THE HATERS. As Palin and not as much recently, McCain, incited the crowds with fiery, hateful (and totally untrue) rhetoric about Obama's alleged "palling around" with terrorists. you can feel the vitriol just oozing from the yahoos present in the mob. Might as well get out the pitchforks and torches and chase Obama to a windmill. "Kill him." "Terrorist." "Off with his head." These are the so-called patriots who do not believe in a two-party system and would kill a fellow American because they disagree with them.
Included among them is that idiot woman in Minnesota who told McCain that she read Obama was Arab. I wonder who may have given her that impression.Many--not all--are bigots and haters. But the ones who are and are exorcised at Palin speeches hate Democrats, liberals, government, blacks, gays, Jews, immigrants, feminists, pro-choice folks, the media, etc. etc. etc. Tone it down extremists. Iran would welcome you
You Betcha! The McAttack will NOT Work!
Less than a month to go to the election and John McCain is throwing caution to the wind and is beginning an all-out assault on the "character" of Barack Obama. Wanting to "turn the page" on the economy--even as the stock market is in full-throttle tank mode--McCain seems to be out of viable options.
Sarah Palin, having survived the debate and rising to the level of student council president with her winks and doggone-its, committed a huge political blunder by charging that Obama is "palling around with terrorists."Rule No. 1 in politics: don't shoot arrows at your opponent without knowing how much he has in his own quiver.The slimy, nefarious attempt to link Obama to William Ayres, a 60's era radical, woke up the sleeping beast in the Obama campaign. For months, the faithful like myself has been waiting for Obama to go at least somewhat negative to soften John McCain.
Palin's comments, as well as those leaked from the McCain campaign that they will go on an aggressive attack, resurrected the Keating 5 scandal that tarnished John McCain out of the Obama quiver.Worse for McCain is that the scandal reinforces his dubious associations with those in the financial community which becomes a perfect overlay to the current Wall Street crisis.
Moreover, Obama is sharpening his attacks on McCain in other areas, such as dubbing McCain's health plan as "radical" and characterizing McCain's response to the financial meltdown as "erratic."
Obama wisely and pre-emptively criticized McCain's tactics and warned the electorate that McCain has no solutions to the economic crisis, wants to turn the page, and instead seeks to launch into Swift Boat style messaging. So when McCain fires off these so-called character missles at Obama, he will be playing right into Obama's hands. And at the same time, Obama will be demonstrating that the best defense is a strong offense.
McCain, Palin--betcha by golly wow--your strategy will not work.www.stevecharing.blogspot.com
Rep. Barney Frank said it best: "It's the longest Hail Mary pass in the history of either football or Marys."
John McCain's shocking announcement that he will suspend his campaign (after a "crucial" appearance on Letterman) that included a desire to postpone the first of three presidential debates was seen by many as a political stunt and nothing more. He is not even on the Senate committee dealing with the financial bailout package, yet he feels it is far more important to bring presidential politics to an already dicey situation then to allow the country to hear his views, regardless how contorted they are.
The real underlying motive for this bold but cynical action besides trying to grab the headlines (again) was to blunt the momentum of Barack Obama. The financial meltdown provided wind behind Obama's back as the Palin effect on the McCain ticket ceased and started to retract. As polls are starting to open up measurable leads for Obama, McCain needed a game changer. There was already too much discussion on how his fervent anti-deregulation stance w
as a significant contributor to the current mess. He was flailing around like a just-caught fish on the boat's deck in response to this crisis. He needed something unexpected and big.
But he already stunned the world with his selection of Sarah Palin. What else could he do?
McCain is probably and rightfully concerned that debating Obama on McCain's self-proclaimed strength on foreign policy issues could spell disaster for the Republican. Obama merely needs to pass the threshhold of acceptability on foreign affairs and then hold serve on economic policy to put away the election. The debates provide a denouement in the campaign, and it appears the way things have gone the past couple of weeks, McCain was facing the abyss.
The McCain campaign already knows it's in trouble. Woth Obama leading in Florida despite the fact he never campaigned there during the primary should be disturbing for the GOP without question. However, the biggest warning light for McCain is in West Virginia--a state that has gone Republican the past two presidential cycles. Here Hillary Clinton thumped Obama in the primaries with the largest of all margins. It is here where Obama is said to have not connected with white, working class, non-college graduates. But guess what? McCain is ahead by only 4 points! That's telling.
And that's why McCain is flustered, confused and off message and needs to try something drastic. Doesn't that sound reassuring when that 3 a.m. call is made?
The Democrats are fretting about the phenomenon called "Palinmania" because the last two weeks have focused on this neophyte and showed that Obama's lead has vanished in the national polls. Plus McCain's support in what was at one time possible battleground states has firmed up.Take a deep breath, folks, and put this in perspective.
McCain benefitted from a good but not overwhelming bounce from his convention and was turbo-boosted by the unlikely selection of Sarah Palin as VP contender. With all the media attention and excitement generated by this pick and its accompanying hoopla, and the fact that any bounce Obama would have received from his sterling convention was truncated by McCain's startling announcement the next day, keep in mind one thing: McCain only netted 5 points since July, according to the most recent Newsweek poll.
Here's another fact: Palin has already seen her zenith. Little by little, the truth about her experience in governance, the ethical issues, her extreme social views (e.g. inquiring about book banning, favoring the teaching of creationism in the schools, her complete unmitigated opposition to abortion whatever the circumstances, etc.), her lack of foreign policy cred, and her hair-trigger, belicose impulses towards our adversaries will chip away at the myth until reality sinks in. In short, her sizzle will likely turn to fizzle at the end of the day.
But Obama should not sit by and wait for that to happen. He should seize upon Palin's popularity and the media's obsession with her (CNN actually had cameras trained on the tarmac at Ankorage airport awaiting her arrival) and taunt McCain, perhaps during the debates, by saying Republicans prefer her--a celebrity no less-- to be at the top of the ticket rather than him. Don't fight the tide--use it to go after McCain. He'd hate that.
That's not a stretch. Even during McCain's yawn-inducing speeches, the crowd, who came mainly to see her, shouts out "Sarah"! That's why she will be at his side so often. Not only to prevent a likely gaffe on big issues and to cloister her from the media, but also to keep the crowds stoked and large.
She cannot peak any higher. Revelations about her will surface that will chip away at the pedestal. Eventually, if played right, she will fall. Don't fret Democrats.
In endorsing McCain-Palin, the Log Cabin Republicans blew an opportunity
In 2004 the Log Cabin Republicans—the largest Republican LGBT political organization—did not endorse President George W. Bush, citing his active promotion of the Federal Marriage Amendment and his using gays as a wedge to win re-election as the main reasons. That amendment, which died in Congress after two futile attempts, would have forever banned the marriage of same-sex couples.
During the floor debates, Senator John McCain opposed the FMA not because he believed that same-sex couples are deserving of equality, but that such an action was "antithetical in every way to the core philosophy of Republicans." McCain argued that the U.S. Constitution should not be used to codify laws that would normally be left to the states.
It was on that basis and the misguided belief that John McCain is "inclusive," that the Log Cabin Republicans endorsed the GOP ticket on the night the Republican National Convention kicked off its anti-Obama snark-fest.
The Log Cabins caved in perhaps to the fear of irrelevancy within the Republican Party, but in doing so, it pushed them off to the outer boundaries of the LGBT community. While the decision not to endorse Bush in 2004 was a welcome but easy one, the decision to endorse McCain-Palin was absurd.
"Sen. McCain has always shown a willingness to reach out and engage in dialogue with Log Cabin, while considering all sides of an issue," said Patrick Sammon, the organization’s leader in a statement. "We know that will continue when he is President." Of course he will, and if Sammon truly believes that, I have some mountains in Florida I’d like to sell him.
How can a prominent gay organization vote against the interests of its own constituency?
Although John McCain bucked his party to oppose the Federal Marriage Amendment when it was a given it would fail anyway, the 2008 version of John McCain did not "stand up" to the Republicans as they inserted the FMA plank into the 2008 GOP platform.
Moreover, McCain fully supports statewide constitutional amendments, including his own state of Arizona where he appeared on television to express his views. And he is a clear proponent of Proposition 8, which is on the ballot in November to undo the California Supreme Court’s ruling that legalized same-sex marriage.
John McCain, for all his alleged inclusiveness, opposes Federal employment non-discrimination legislation and opposes a comprehensive hate crimes bill that would include sexual orientation.
Furthermore, McCain sees gays and lesbians as unfit for military service. He intends to continue the Pentagon’s "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" policy by noting the commanders on the ground will decide if a change in policy is needed. (Memo to McCain: it is the duty of the Commander-in-Chief to map out policy for the commanders to follow.)
His new celebrity running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin, offers precious little hope for LGBT equality and justice. She opposed domestic partner benefits for Alaska’s state employees. Her church promotes reparative therapy for gays, which has been proven to be harmful both physically and mentally.
"You'll be encouraged by the power of God's love and His desire to transform the lives of those impacted by homosexuality," according to the insert in the bulletin of the Wasilla Bible Church, where Palin has prayed since she was a child.
"I think gay Republicans are going to run away" if Palin supports the "pray away the gay" movement, said Wayne Besen, founder of the New York-based Truth Wins Out, a gay rights advocacy group. Now that she’s a candidate for vice-president, it is important to flush out her views.
Knowing all this, the Log Cabin Republicans board of directors remarkably voted 12-2 to endorse John McCain and Sarah Palin. In the press release announcing the endorsement Sammons defended the vote by pointing out that "gay rights issues are a critical part of the equation, but so are many other issues impacting our daily lives—foreign policy, the economy, jobs, energy policy, health care reform, and taxes."
The Log Cabin Republicans acknowledge their differences with McCain but are assuming the gay rights issues take a back seat to the GOP’s spectacular results over the past eight years. They can point to the record-breaking deficits and unimaginable debt, the boondoggle in Iraq, the faltering economy and loss of jobs, the energy and housing crunch and our diminished standing in the world as reasons to overlook that pesky anti-gay thinking and vote Republican. McCain was in lockstep with Bush over 90 percent of the time.
This was a missed opportunity for the Log Cabin folks to make a courageous stand and let the McCain forces know that they would withhold the endorsement unless the party changes its attitudes towards the nation’s LGBT citizens. But instead they apparently caved, and if McCain does get elected, you can be sure all the "conversations" the LCR promises to have with the new president will result in more of the same.
In his cynical ploy to woo disgruntled Hillary Clinton voters and at the same time shore up the recalcitrant extreme right edge of the Republican Party, Sen. John McCain obliterated the image he has been meticulously cultivating that he puts country first. His selection of Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska as his running mate, while lauded by some elements of the media as a gutsy "maverick" move, proves to me that John McCain is not ready to lead.
Sarah Palin with her colorful bio and family background considers her foreign policy experience to be sufficient as her state is next to Russia. Serving only a year and a half as governor and before that, a term as mayor of some 6,000-population moosetown called Wasilla, John McCain selected her over the more qualified and experienced candidates in a field of Veep possibilities that included an ex-Democrat and a former head of the Department of Homeland Security.
At 72 and a four-time cancer survivor, McCain is betting that, if elected president, he will survive his first term without an interruption and potentially Vice President Palin would not have to demonstrate her neophyte credentials under fire. But can he guarantee that? Of course, not.
Sure the GOP spinmeisters will argue that she has more experience than Barack Obama. That is garbage. One day as a U.S. Senator trumps her 6 years as a moosetown mayor and governor of a sparsely populated state. This is underscored by the fact that she had little interest in the war in Iraq—a travesty of epic proportions of blood and treasure.
Palin is praised as a popular governor. Well, a $1,200 handout to her constituency will buy popularity fairly well. That’s what she did.
This selection will undoubtedly backfire. Voters who are intelligent, informed and who are not religious conservatives will be uneasy at the prospects that Palin, a proponent of creationism and home schooling, could actually have to sit in the Oval Office. But her extreme right wing views will also turn off the moderates, the political center and the independents. And yes, Hillary voters will not flock to her simply because she has a vagina, as one woman put it.
John McCain made a bold but dubious decision—a key test to his true leadership. I believe it will fail. He undermined his message by making a political choice rather than one that would be a benefit for the nation. Who is going to whisper in his ear that Iran doesn't train al Qaeda troops? Who is going to whisper in his ear that Iraq does not share a border with Afghanistan? Who is going to whisper in his ear the distinctions between Shi-ites and Sunnis? Who's going to tell him that Czechoslovakia doesnt exist anymore? Sarah Palin?
He put country second.
Barack of Ages
One line in Obama’s powerful acceptance speech may have won him the election.
Watching the Democratic Convention this week and waiting for "red meat" to be hurled at President Bush, Vice President Cheney and John McCain was indeed frustrating. The Dems have been for so long tepid at their conventions while the GOP goes after the opposition like blood thirty dogs. And guess what? That strategy of attack works most of the time.
I liken the helpless frustration and disappointment towards the Convention’s wussy approach, whereby the election was slipping through our fingers, to being stranded at sea without a life vest, the boat is leaking, and sinking into shark-infested waters.
Sure, Bush and McCain were mentioned in the many speeches. And some had dead-on stingers in them, such as by Gov. Brian Schweitzer of Montana, Senator John Kerry and President Bill Clinton. But none of them were hard hitting. Not like the GOP convention will sure to offer.
Despite an approval rating that is bordering on negative numbers, Why wasn’t Vice President Dick Cheney demonized to the degree he was such an obvious target? His dark secrecy, his pushing us into Iraq, the trampling of the Constitution, his personal alliance with big oil, and the incredible no-bid contracts in Iraq would be a speechwriter’s dream. Alas, Cheney was mentioned so infrequently that one would have gotten the impression he recently died and the Dems were avoiding his name out of respect.
Nonetheless, there were spectacular speeches from Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, Joe Biden and a seemingly rushed Al Gore. But none were better than the candidate himself, Barack Obama. It was one for the ages.
He hit all the right themes and was presidential. He was determined and earnest. His delivery is unmatched. But it was one line in the entire speech that was not only memorable, but it might have changed the image that the Republicans (and the help of the Clintons during the primaries) created bestowed upon him. And that line was, "If John McCain wants to have a debate about who has the temperament, and judgment, to serve as the next Commander-in-Chief, that’s a debate I’m ready to have."
With this statement Obama challenged McCain and showed he will not back off despite the flurry of ads and statements that pigeonholed Obama as not ready to lead the country. They will still use it, of course, since they have no other strategy to defeat him. But Obama’s surprise strike not only demonstrated he wasn’t going to yield to the GOP demagoguery, but he has motivated his supporters even more so. That results in enhanced getting out the vote efforts, monetary donations and organizational heft.
One speech for the ages. One line. One more better chance for victory.
John McCain's memory lapse about the number of houses he owns is perhaps not the only memory issue facing Camp McSame. Following Sen. Obama's superb choice for vice president-- Sen. Joe Biden,--the Republican talking points were dispatched to their surrogates so they can all sing from the same twisted hymnal (as usual).
The seclection of Sen. Biden was derided by these folks as an admission by Sen. Obama that he lacks the foreign policy experience needed to be president. The fact that he made this decision is supposedly a weakness and, therefore, it proves Sen. Obama is not ready to be president. This is the GOP's predictable narrative.
But oh, the short memory! Let's refresh it for these guys and gals who are hoping the American voters have no sense of history--even recent history. Recall how Ronald Reagan chose George H.W. Bush to be his running mate because it would plug the many holes in Reagan's resume? To the GOP partisans, that was a legitimate, pragmatic move. As I've said many times before, Reagan had no more experience related to being commander-in-chief than Obama is said to lack.
Then, of course, was the infamous decision by George War Bush to pick Dick Cheney to be his veep for the same reasons (lack of foreign policy gravitas). How the country suffered from that! Not much protest from the Republicans then. In fact, Bush was wildly praised for the selection, which was actually made by Cheney himself. It was a harbinger of things to come.
However, Obama's choice is knocked down, and what's worse and not surprisingly, they used the the rationale from the two aforementioned Republican candidates for their choices to bludgeon Obama.The fact is, the GOP is disappointed they did not have a chance to whack the Clintons. And Biden, who receives widespread bipartisan respect, is expected to use McCain as a punching bag, and they know that.
http://www.stevecharing.blogspot.com
Karl Rove knew what he was doing during the 2004 presidential campaign. The newly formed Department of Homeland Security following marching orders from the Cheney-Bush war machine issued frequent color-coded terrorism warnings during the final few months of the campaign.
Not there were any imminent threats, but the constant reminders were a ploy to scare the voters into believing that only George W. Bush could protect the American people from a terrorist attack. Lost in this is the fact that the attacks on September 11, 2001 occurred nearly 9 months into the first Bush term. Not much protection W.
Rove and other GOP strategists acknowledged that the key to winning the reelection of a totally inept incumbent is to prey on the fears of an astonishing large number of American voters. Besides those faux terror alerts they employed other scare tactics, especially in such battleground states as Ohio. Fear of two gay men kissing a few houses down the street ignited the hysteria over "gay marriage," thus pulling otherwise indifferent voters to the polls to register their contempt of such a horror.
These homophobes and so-called social conservatives voted Republican. Despite voting against their best economic interests, (and they see now how such a ghastly election outcome could, in fact, be ruinous) they chose to keep Kenny and Michael from getting hitched.
Sad to say, there are too many stupid people in this country. Many of these still believe Saddam Hussein attacked us on 9/11. They are quick to buy into the simplicity of quick fixes and fall victim to hype and believing the smears leveled against a candidate. And the GOP whose brand is equal to anthrax or worse, Exxon-Mobil, must exploit the stupidity of the voters or at least their lack of education.
Senator John McCain was once a politician who would eschew those tactics. Not anymore. Karl Rove’s protégé now heads up his campaign, so fasten your seatbelts.
A barrage of GOP-produced negative ads, floating over the airwaves, the Internet, You Tube and news-hungry broadcast and cable television channels are designed to malign Senator Barack Obama as part of Rove’s Fear and Smear playbook. They have no other choice because of the Republicans’ swampy reputation after two terms of Bush and their lack of vision for the future.
Throw money at the stupid voters who cannot discern a snake oil deal when it is right before their eyes. Give them a "gas tax holiday" that will save them a relatively miniscule amount. Nevermind that the transportation fund is already hurting from the diminishing tax revenue caused by reduced driving.
But that’s OK. The GOP will tell the stupid voters to blame liberal Democrats (especially their convenient straw man Bill Clinton) for any future structure failure involving hundreds of bridges. It’s worth saving those $30, right?
Now the new fraud is offshore drilling. "Drill more oil, dammit, so that these sky-high gas prices will go down!" Right. McCain used to be opposed to offshore oil drilling. But he knows voters are stupid and will buy into a quick fix. In fact, a shocking 70 percent have.
What goes unsaid is that there is not a supply problem concerning oil. The prices have been shooting up until very recently as a result of a combination of complex factors including speculation, geopolitics and the weak dollar.
Moreover, the effects of newly found crude oil should there be such discoveries would not have an immediate impact on prices, but an uninformed public still believes in miracles.
Prices have recently come down some as a result of reduced driving and more cautious speculative activity because Congress is beginning to get serious about containing it. The price of gas has fallen because of reduced demand, not increased supply.
It doesn’t matter what the issue, the stupid voters are in the Republican fear and smear sights. They are fed the mantra, "the surge is working" over and over until it oozes out of their ears.
They are exposed to ads that link a Harvard educated charismatic leader to vacuous celebrities to mock the idea that just maybe Barack Obama stands for something that the rest of the world appreciates.
The stupid voters seem to prefer one of their own.
When an amazing 9-country tour brings nothing but praise and hope from the international community, but it is derided and mocked by a jealous Republican presidential campaign, you know who the target audience is.
It’s the stupidity, stupid!
More Craziness from Camp McSame
As Sen. Barack Obama continues on his picture-perfect trip through the Middle East and Europe, the petulance and pettiness of the McCain camp is breathtaking. It was McCain with the help of the RNC who chided, prodded and taunted Obama for not ever visiting Iraq (and a negative ad that states that remarkably still airs). But the success of this "high-risk" mission and the childish responses coming out of Camp McSame have diminished what was once a decent politician to that of an over-aged adolescent who throws tantrums because he won’t be allowed to drive the car.
Blaming the Media. Aww poor John McCain can’t get media attention while Obama dazzles world leaders, our own troops and huge throngs on foreign soil. When a representative of the U.S. speaks to tens of thousands of Berliners, which garnered world attention, Camp McSame cannot understand why? It wasn’t long ago that President George War Bush had to be literally sneaked into London under the cover of darkness just to speak to Queen Elizabeth II. And Britain is our closest ally!
Again, you get what you ask for. Camp McSame pushed Obama to visit Iraq, and he will return home triumphant. Not such a great strategy on their part.
His confusion of Sunni and Shi-ites is unbelievable considering his self-expressed expertise of the area. His comment that Iran trains al-Qaeda when in fact it doesn’t was another example of lack of knowledge despite his many trips to the war’s theater.
Then there is his mistaken chronology of events with respect to the surge and the Anbar Awakening and his notion that the surge caused this event. Like a parrot who had his seeds laced with a banned substance, McCain repeats and repeats over again, "The surge is working. The surge is working." But he cannot define what success in Iraq actually means, and he ignores the other factors, such as the Anbar Awakening, for the reduction in violence.
Obama and Rising Gas Prices. In an incredible display of dishonesty and stupidity, Camp McSame launched an ad that actually blames Obama for the rise in gas prices. This is a head scratcher if I ever saw one. How low will they go? Answer: You watch.
Portraying Obama as a Traitor. This cops the award for flagrant smearing. McCain said and said again that Obama would rather lose a war so that he can win an election.
The fact that this jackass is even competitive speaks more about the voters in this country than anything else.
Keep in mind this is the country that was dumb enough to elect George W. Bush TWICE. A quarter of the electorate still thinks Iraq attacked us on September 11 and believes Iraq posed a military threat to us. They buy into this crap, and The New Yorker should know better. Never overestimate the intelligence of the American people.Over 10% of the country according to a recent Newsweek poll believe Obama is Muslim. All this cartoon did was to spread the myth because the editor had to explain the purpose of the cover. When you have to explain satire, it is considered a failure.According to MSNBC, Obama had been the focus of their covers by a 2 to 1 ratio over McCain since January. If the magazine wants to be fair about perpetuating falsehoods, why don't they sketch McCain dressed in a hospital gown in a nursing home wielding an M-16 chanting "My friends, the surge is working. The surge is working..." countless times.
Obama More than Historic
The Democratic Party and its voters served this nation well when Sen. Barack Obama emerged as the presumptive nominee. While it is too soon to predict the ultimate results, I am proud that for the first time in our history an African-American will represent the party in the fall. We will not exactly know how much racism will play a part in the campaign and the election to determine how far we have come as a people. But the fact that Obama is there and will be, at the very least, extremely competitive with Sen. John McCain, speaks volumes.
For the LGBT community, it goes beyond the historic significance. With Barack Obama we will have for the very first time a candidate and hopefully a president, who will do his best to end the discrimination that still exists.
In an open letter to the gay community Obama asserted, "As president I will place the weight of my administration behind the enactment of the Matthew Shepard Act to outlaw hate crimes and pass a fully inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act to outlaw workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity."
"I will never compromise on my commitment to equal rights for all LGBT Americans," Obama wrote in the letter. "But neither will I close my ears to the voices of those who still need to be convinced. That is the work we must do to move forward together. It is difficult. It is challenging. And it is necessary."
He added, "As your president, I will use the bully pulpit to urge states to treat same-sex couples with full equality in their family and adoption laws."
Obama reiterated his pledge to do what it takes to end the "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" military policy against gays and lesbians and supports the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act.
Steve Hildebrand, Obama’s deputy campaign manager and who himself is gay, said lesbian musician Melissa Etheridge would serve as co-chair of the campaign’s 50-state voter registration program. The campaign is hiring other lgbt individuals to join the cause as well.
Obama’s historic run and his commitment to LGBT equality offer another reason to be proud.
Obama Taking the High Road
The candidate is receiving punches, but is he throwing enough of his own?
I’ve always believed that politics is a war, especially now in the modern era where public opinion is expressed and manipulated instantly over the Internet. Mainstream media fuels any acrimony and relishes causing mischief and strife; the results of such an effort provide excellent fodder for writers. bloggers and talking heads.
Politics is a grimy business, and despite what "focus groups" say, negative campaigning generally works: it beats down the opposition. Taking the high road exclusively by a candidate usually leads him or her to the exit ramp.
Senator Barack Obama and his campaign ought to keep that thought in mind.
Obama should draw on the lessons of John Kerry’s failed presidential bid. The Massachusetts Senator had received the Silver Star among other medals during the Vietnam War. But in 2004 he was successfully painted by the Rove machine and "swift- boaters" as cowardly, treasonous, weak and unpatriotic.
Ironically, George W. Bush—a draft dodger who avoided military action to serve (and not completely at that) with the soft "Champagne Unit" of the Texas and Louisiana National Guard—was portrayed as a steadfast Commander-in-Chief who would keep America safe from terrorists. Nevermind that 9/11 occurred on his watch.
Kerry addressed the swift-boating, but way too late. He was already "defined" by the Republican fear and smear operation. Exit ramp for Kerry.
Sen. Obama has been under fire (not the sniper fire Hillary lied about) for a lot of stuff recently: his ex-pastor’s anti-American rhetoric, his meager association with a member of the 60’s radical group Weather Underground, and some verbal gaffes like the "bitter" brouhaha.
Unfortunately for him, the fire launched at Sen. Obama has not been returned with the same ferocity in which it was received. While his campaign shoots back rather effectively, the man himself opts for that dastardly high road.
The political calculus suggests that his rising above the fray will attract independent voters. That could be true. Obama prides himself as a different kind of politician—one that refuses to get drawn into the negative barrages he has faced and will be facing—so he doesn’t want to muck it up.
That clean strategy has been the rationale for his campaign and has unquestionably attracted thousands of new, young voters because of it. But many Obama supporters want to see a demonstration of his ability to strike back, to show some fight lest he be framed as weak. This could be a reason why Obama doesn’t seem to appeal to white blue-collar workers.
Obama had a golden opportunity to show some moxy during the much-criticized ABC debate in Philadelphia. While the moderators and Hillary Clinton spent the first 45 minutes pummeling Obama on the controversial events and comments he made since the previous debate six weeks ago, he appeared too tame in his responses.
He squandered the chance to lash into Sen. Clinton’s Bosnia fabrication. In the manner in which she kept repeating, "It goes to this larger set of concerns about how we are going to run against John McCain," he could have offered the following: "The voters and the American people want a president they can trust. When a candidate states on at least three occasions that bullets were fired upon her only to say later that she misspoke when the story was debunked, that goes to trust."
Instead, Obama saw this as part of the overall "distractions" of a political campaign. He let Sen. Clinton off the hook. He took the high road—to the consternation of a lot of his supporters.
The pitfall here is that Sen. John McCain and his GOP attack machine will not take the high road. Obama’s associations with questionable characters, his accused lack of patriotism, the remarks made by his wife Michelle, his liberal record, and the "elitist" label will be raised during the general election.
There will also be subtle attacks and innuendoes on his race and comments perpetuating the myth he’s a Muslim by right-wing blogs and conservative radio. And they will question his ability and judgement to be Commander-in-Chief in light of his position to end the "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" policy.
If Sen. McCain personally does not make these pronouncements count on his surrogates, the slimy 527’s, and talk show blowhards to use the Net and the airwaves to discredit and defame Obama.
Now is the time Obama should practice the tactics he must use to endure the general election assaults. Since the extended primaries are cutting into the timeframe Obama will need to effectively battle in the general election, he must aim more at McCain to soften him up. He needs to shoot back instantly when attacked. Self-restraint, though admirable and probably more suited to his personality, will not serve him well in the bare knuckles general election.
Perhaps his campaign is seeing the light. David Axelrod, Obama's chief strategist, told Newsweek that the Illinois senator wouldn’t let himself be "swift-boated" like John Kerry in 2004. "He's not going to sit there and sing ‘Kumbaya’ as the missiles are raining in," Axelrod said. "I don't think people should mistake civility for a willingness to deal with the challenges to come."
Recent history points to the risks. Good men like Al Gore and John Kerry allowed themselves to be caricatured by their opposition because they tried to rise above the dirt. In politics, you have to get dirty and fight dirty to win. To do that, you need to throw some back and don’t simply dismiss the smears as "politics as usual." The good guys took the blows, pulled their punches and lost.
Indeed, Obama will have to take the gloves off sooner than later—he began that process during the final days leading to the Pennsylvania primary. It may be uncomfortable for him to do so, but I hope he knows the dangers of taking the high road and where it will lead him.
![[mcrove.jpg]](http://bp1.blogger.com/_F_29Tpitf4U/SJkvHCjCcEI/AAAAAAAAAho/q-5EOok5sb0/s1600/mcrove.jpg)
