Good answer, not good enough for me. He deserves credit for the mess he's made here. Great unifer, this man. Wow, what this race has cost Democrats. Startling, absolutely startling.
Posted by peter at March 3, 2008 02:09 PMheh. great comment, peter. because we all know how well your party defends lgbt rights.
Posted by Turkana at March 3, 2008 02:10 PMHe voiced a great answer, not good enough for me to reconsider my vote. Another spoken word without backing. How many 'presents' has he cast for legislation requiring a yes or no? This guy just can't make his mind up. 136 'presents' in Illinios alone, let alone his Congressional record. Child Preditor...present, adult business...present, etc. The guy's a hollow shell, a puff of air only.
results.
Posted by peter at March 3, 2008 02:37 PMI hope the invisible sky commander gives Obama better advice than the chimp got.
Posted by TIKI AL at March 3, 2008 02:47 PMtiki,
i hate when politicians make religious references, but they all do it. i give obama a special pass, because of the madrassas smear. because of that, it's as if he has to overemphasize his religion. but this was a context where he was speaking to a religious audience, and he used religion to turn their bigotry back on itself, so it was a particularly good use of religious phrasing.
Posted by Turkana at March 3, 2008 02:55 PMObama has actually often introduced the topic of gay rights when speaking to African-American audiences. He wrote an open letter concerning LGBT equality recently as well.
peter, I'm surprised you would bring up the "present" thing since I'm sure someone as knowledgeable as you would be aware that voting "present" is a way of killing a bad bill in the Illinois legislature.
Posted by CA Pol Junkie at March 3, 2008 02:59 PMNice to hear Turkana.
For those that don't seem to understand, religious African-Americans have not been tolerant of the Gay-Lesbian lifestyle. In fact, through their voting record they have been pretty conservative. He's trying to communicate that it's time to be open up their minds, nothing to fear.
He deserves credit for the mess he's made here.
Where's here?
Posted by Seven of Six at March 3, 2008 03:11 PMCa, look again at what he voted 'present' for or against. He's given some reasons that are out in space for his votes...weak, very weak answers. Not very desisive at all. Certainly not the guy to answer the red phone at 3 AM.
Posted by peter at March 3, 2008 03:14 PMTurkana, I've too have been very critical of Barack Obama because of McClurkin. But since then he has been a strong voice for equality.
And pants pissing peter, the ReThugs have consistently demonized minorities, so fuck off.
Posted by gay veteran at March 3, 2008 03:33 PMGood for him! It doesn't make him qualified to be President, nor does it immediately change anyone's minds or actions, but he gets credit for saying it. I fear we will have a very slow healing process - women and gay men especially - if he wins. But if he keeps speaking out and also suggests action items to resolve the historical and often violent history of Black on women or gay violence, then Jesus will surely be on his side. If that brings him comfort I wish him strength and peace. One in 4 young Black men are in prison, some for good reasons, others not. We need to love them all, especially the gay men and women of color, who face people like McClurkin every minute of their lives. Go Clinton!
Posted by jeter at March 3, 2008 04:05 PMI was watching the News Hour tonight as they talked to voters in Ohio. I found it very interesting that voters who are supporting Obama now cite his policy positions rather than just saying vague things about how they want change. The only problem is that they've got the wrong candidate on some things. One woman with no health insurance was supporting Obama because he would make health care universal, and she liked that he would make parents take care of their children (mandate health coverage for children) and that kids could stay on their parents' insurance until age 25. Well how is that going to help her if she has no coverage? Her kid can't stay on her insurance if she has no insurance. Maybe Obama's plan will make it affordable for her, maybe not. But she seemed to support Clinton's policy, not Obama's. Another voter liked Obama's position on job creation (not sure what it is) and liked that he'd stop tax cuts for companies that send jobs overseas. Ok, that's a tie--same position as Clinton. But in any case, if Obama does end up being the nominee, it's good to see we've gotten past just the hope rhetoric.
Posted by CG at March 3, 2008 04:29 PMCG, it's interesting that Obama is able to convey his policies as well as his message, even if Clinton has the same policies. On health care, I think that anyone who wants health insurance is equally well served by Obama's or Clinton's plan, since I don't think a mandate will get through Congress.
Posted by CA Pol Junkie at March 3, 2008 04:50 PMPandering to the perverted while invoking the name of the Lord shows all to clearly how bent the fellow really is.
Posted by onar at March 3, 2008 05:21 PM"I hear people saying things that I don’t think are very Christian with respect to people who are gay and lesbian"
i hope i'm just being too cynical in reading this in exactly the opposite way you did, turkana. i've just seen him straddling controversial issues for way too long now to "believe." i hope i'm wrong.
Posted by nance at March 3, 2008 06:19 PMnance, in Obama's open letter, he goes on record:
- against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity
- for equalizing tax treatment and providing benefits to domestic partners of federal employees
- for equality in family and adoption law
- favoring repeal of DOMA
- favoring repeal of Don't Ask / Don't Tell
- favors equality in immigration
So what exactly is he straddling? The closest he comes is being personally for civil unions but accepting of states who wish to have civil marriage, but that's still pretty far left for a presidential candidate. It's part of his legislative record as well, so it's not just words.
I have been watching Obama on this issue too. There is also the issue of him refusing to take a picture with Gavin Newsom. I think he was pandering to black evangelicals on this. I blogged about that here.
But kudos to Senator Obama for what he said today.
Posted by Mike Pridmore at March 3, 2008 10:31 PMWho has been Swiftboating Obama, the Canadian Memo, where did that come from and who called Goolsbe and set him up? Who pushed up Rezko's trial which was to start much later this year? Why did Somali picture come out, along with Farrakahn endoresement and mocking of his middle name? We have to ask these things? Who does not want to give unity and hope a chance? Is this part of the Kitchen Sink or may be the Basement? I do know its dirty politics and until we reject this kind of politicking in America we will be a pawn in their hands, the people of power, and never find our true Independence which Obama is offering. The Evil Ones are just getting started. Someone is trying to pull our strings. The Truth will come out. Hopefully, America we can see through this Rouse this time and elect CHANGE!
The Republicans would love to run against Hillary. They have so much dirt in their Arsenal waiting to be Unleashed! That is why Rush Limbaugh is Begging his listeners to vote for Hillary.
Posted by bacaangel at March 4, 2008 02:39 AMca pol junkie: it's not enough to have something written when (1) you won't defend or argue for it publicly, and (2) your website it subject to change at any time. the open letter you cite already seems to have been altered from its original version, presumably in response to outrage from the lgbt community.
bacaangel: the gop has been actively encouraging republicans to cross over and vote for obama for quite some time now. frankly i suspect that this latest limbaugh shenanigan is just a cover-up effort for that.
Posted by kangeroo at March 4, 2008 03:57 AMbacaangel, if you really are interested in who was the source for the latest incarnation of that photo that Drudge got, see
http://andrys1.blogspot.com/2008/02/source-of-obama-photo-from-kenya.html
for who scanned and uploaded it and who else re-uploaded it to a vociferous forum of the politically active, two days before Drudge got it.
Also, the Rezko trial was due to start Feb 26 most recently and was moved to March 3. You should worry more about why the Rezko situation seems a problem for Obama. As for the Canadian memo it should be quite obvious who released it. 1,300 copies were distributed by the Consulate.
Posted by Andrys at March 4, 2008 05:36 AMonar: "Pandering to the perverted while invoking the name of the Lord shows all to clearly how bent the fellow really is."
onar (or is it onan?), this isn't Frei Republik, so piss off and go back to your Klan rally
Posted by gay veteran at March 4, 2008 05:46 AM