DISQUS

leliorisen · 5 months ago

A few thoughts on this:

For one, notice the time of the signing 5:45PM. I would think this was done to minimize the effect on the news cycle. I also question whether this will come with any sort of announcement whatsoever.

Second, when it comes to finances and Democrats, nobody has a bigger voice with the establishment than Andy Tobias. While he did speak out about those planning on boycotting the fundraiser, I would like to see Mr. Tobias flex a little more muscle than he seems to have done. Maybe he is doing it behind the scenes, I have no idea. John, Maybe you know. I am hoping he is using his influence to try and effect change here.

Finally, as I mentioned on my blog, "No word yet, on whether or not Obama plans to also extend those benefits to uncles who are in relationships with their nieces."

Steve_in_CNJ · 5 months ago

too funny. :D

caphillprof · 5 months ago

Maybe people are working furiously "behind the scenes." But, funny how nothings seems to be getting accomplished. As someone once said, "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain."

lileasy · 5 months ago

I doubt there will be much of an announcement or fanfare associated with the issuance of this memorandum. The sad part is that any lack of publicity will be caused by a desire to avoid the wrath of the wingers and not the well-deserved scorn of the lgbt community.

leliorisen · 5 months ago

I totally agree with your last point, which was why I brought up the timing.

I never thought he was concerned with the wrath of the consituency he takes for granted.

Everything that President Obama has done seems to be out of concern with the sensitivities of the right-wing.

astroflex · 5 months ago

I am on my way to the Supervisor of Elections Office to change my voters registration from Democrat to Independent. I've had as much I can take from the DNC and Obama on this. No more $ support from me to the DNC.

TrueBleuCA · 5 months ago

Thanks for the footnote at the end Joe. Equal rights is a legal issue, not a cultural issue. You hit the nail square on the head!

Charles · 5 months ago

I really appreciate your last brief paragraph. I wanted to find some way to tell NBC that these are not "cultural issues," but concern the civil rights and human rights of an oppressed minority - a much more serious matter. I hate being trivialized as "cultural issue" - it's like being called a "lifestyle"!

Gridlock · 5 months ago

Yes, I'll take the gay drapes to go with the gay couch.. Ooo.. the gay hardwood floors, that is a lifestyle MUST...

TrueBleuCA · 5 months ago

It's not a Lifestyle... It's our LIFE!

tigergrrldc · 5 months ago

Sent this to the Democrats in response to their request for a donation and I unsubscribed from their email list:

Since I'm a lesbian, I'm sure you don't want my second-class money. I'll donate money to people and organizations that don't smile in my face and stab me in the back. People and organizations that know that I'm a full citizen and not 3/5 of a person as President Obama seems to think that I am. As long as there is DADT and DOMA and UAFA is not passed, Democrats will not see anymore of my money. And I will be protesting at the fundraiser next week at the Mandarin.

Gridlock · 5 months ago

In other locales, The Mandarin is a really cheezy chinese buffet chain.

HereinDC · 5 months ago

Rick Warren?
Guess NBC need 3 instances for the article and that's the 3rd item they come up with?

Geeze....that was like 5 months ago.

Guess the incest and rape wasn't a big enough instances attention grabber?

( I read every word and post on Americablog yesterday...and not ONCE did I see Rick Warren mentioned.....not once. That just shows you how the MSM doesn't understand the issue. Wouldn't interviewing John Aravosis been there best source of information for this article?)

kevinbgoode · 5 months ago

At some point, we really should demand that this government explain how the constitutional rights which are my birthright as a citizen of this nation are so "culturally" dependent upon the whims of someone else's church and the President's "separate-but-someday-maybe-equal" religious beliefs.

I'm sick and tired of the Democrats telling us that we have to be careful about securing our rights because some other Americans have selected a slew of "religious" beliefs which dictate that they must pursue laws and amendments to REMOVE my birthright. Tell the Taliban they can either shut up or change their damned beliefs - my citizenship is not going to be enslaved to their choices.

Webster · 5 months ago

"I'm sick and tired of the Democrats telling us that we have to be careful about securing our rights because some other Americans have selected a slew of 'religious' beliefs which dictate that they must pursue laws and amendments to REMOVE my birthright."

Absolutely. They choose to believe in their particular Invisible-Sky-Thingy-In-Charge. I did not choose to be born gay. And their god (whatever She/He/It is) has no say on my rights as an American citizen.

GlennF · 5 months ago

Joe said: "They only decided it was a problem when the gay ATM started to shut down."

If the LGBT Civil Rights establishment would put in half the amount of effort for the actual advancement of civil rights for gay Americans as they did the last couple of days to save their upcoming fund raising cocktail party, maybe we would have at the very least the hate crimes and ENDA bills signed into law by now. What we desperately need is better leadership in the gay civil rights community!

P.S. Sorry about the double post, I clicked the send button before I finished writing my post.

leliorisen · 5 months ago

Great post Glenn. We are in total agreement.

Unfortunately, the way Washington runs, all anyone seems to care about is access.

BRUCELEIMSIDOR · 5 months ago

This issue goes way beyond the matter of LGBT rights. The Obama administration knows that no gay person or civil libertarian in his/her right mind would vote Republican, so they can continue to push us under as many busses as they please, with the hope of extending their power base somewhat into the religious right.
This sucking up to the radical right is not limited to gay issues. They're hogtying anti recession economic initiatives and blunting universal health care initiatives as well. Just to get a few Republican votes, which they don't need anyway.
What the administration doesn't recognize is that if they keep this up, the left will split, and the Republicans will take over again. After all, how can a gay person or any person who believes in social justice continue to support a party that is now working to deny us our rights?
URL: not-so-different.blogspot.com

lileasy · 5 months ago

The LGBT community is not the only group pissed off at Obama. The President's infusion of religion into the political mix and his apparent failure to recognize the concept of separation of church and state is also not sitting well with secular humanists, a growing group of Americans. If he keeps on his current trajectory, the President may very well anger enough disparate interest groups to cause a genuine split in the party.

It appears from comments on many progressive blogs, such as this one, that some believe Obama is succeeding in turning the democratic party into a republican-lite party. I am not sure this is not his aim.

I believe those who suggest that progressives have really no where else to go are just dead wrong. As for those religious wing-nuts the President may hope to attract with his perceived religiosity, many of them are pious white folk who live down here in the south, and many of them will never ever vote for a black man. These are the same good folks who will never ever allow me to marry here in my sweet home Alabama. Believe me I know these people. They are my neighbors. If he is trying to court these people, he is wasting his time.

It is ironic that the President seems unaware that blogs such as this one are facilitating a conversation which may hurt him as much in the future as they helped him during his campaign. There is so much power here. It is awesome. Just look at what is going on in Iran and the role being played by the www.

BRUCELEIMSIDOR · 5 months ago

I agree with you completely on Obama's problem with the separation of
church and state, which is, in fact, really at the core of the issue
of gay rights.
And while I admire Barney Frank very much, I cannot agree with him
that we should continue to contribute to the Democratic National
Committee. I will probably be forced to vote Democratic, but not one
penny olf my money nor one minute of my time will go to support an
organization that has deceived us and is now working to deprive us of
our rights.

Brad · 5 months ago

Any gay person who goes to that fundraiser is only an enabler to the administration's policies. Every gay person with a conscience should boycott.

mikeyDe · 5 months ago

Although Obama could lend his support by making the repeal of DOMA and DADT a top priority, it's really up to Congress to make that change. Congress made those laws and only Congress can repeal them. The problem is really with Pelosi and Reid. The best reason to boycott the fundraiser is to get *their* attention, not Obama's. And Pelosi has a lot to fear from a gay backlash in her district. Send your angry letters to her, not Obama.

Gridlock · 5 months ago

Obama could be pushing them, but he isn't. Congress has signaled that there has been no movement from the White House on DADT or DOMA

They're pointing fingers at each other.

Butch1 · 5 months ago

It's sad that we continue to elect children to make decisions, ( or not, in this instance ) for us.

TrueBleuCA · 5 months ago

Mikey

Congress rarely acts without being pushed to act unless it is in their own interest. Obama has to push congress, if he doesn't nothing will be done. Obama's lack of interest in keeping his promises to LGBT voters is the only excuse congress needs to not act.

Gridlock · 5 months ago

omfg Barney Frank is pathetic!!

"I think the administration made a big mistake. The wording they used was inappropriate. I’ve been in touch with the White House and I’m hoping the president will make clear these were not his views."

... inappropriate?! Are you insane? It was INSULTING AND DEGRADING, you limpwristed wuss.


"I think it’s a mistake to deny money to the DNC."

I think it's a mistake to give money to an organization that dehumanizes me, insults me, and shows absolutely no courage or leadership or even willingness to move on equal rights.

Barney, EARN MY GAY DOLLARS, EARN MY GAY VOTES

Our support is not FREE!

nicho · 5 months ago

I've first met Barney 30 years ago before he came out. I've always admired him. I really expected better from him. All I can hope is that he's playing nice in public and kicking some ass behind the scenes. He's a very powerful person in the Congress and his words carry a lot of weight with the White House.

That's just a hope. I'm still disappointed in such a flaccid response.

Gridlock · 5 months ago

*giggles @ flaccid*

Mike G · 5 months ago

"Our support is not FREE!"

Until you'll actually consider voting for a Republican, it sure is.

nicho · 5 months ago

Of course, the Obama White House has been very reluctant to get involved in cultural issues

Really? He had no trouble walking into the lion's den at Notre Dame and playing nice with the anti-choice crowd -- but he can't give the time of day to the people who supported him, worked for him, and voted for him.

If all my marriage is to him is a "cultural issue" to be avoided at all costs, then fuck him.

Gridlock · 5 months ago

"cultural issue" is the new "it's a choice"

stoic · 5 months ago

I keep asking myself why we, those who worked the hardest to put the Dems back in power and elect Obama, have to "keep the pressure on" trying to get them to keep their promises. I am so sick of this. Yesterday I got a begging call from the DNC. I blew him off by saying "I'm no longer a Democrat." Now I've been a Dem all my life and a registered active voter for 34 years. While Howard Dean was the DNC chair I donated $50 a month to the DNC. Today I'm so close to driving over to the Board of Elections and changing my affiliation to "undeclared". It's just one thing after another with Obama.

offspring · 5 months ago

i already became independant after his joke after prop 8, and his silence that did it for me. then the fiip on dadt

cloudphreak · 5 months ago

I'm with you. Unfortunately we don't have registration by party in Virginia, otherwise I would be getting great satisfaction right now by changing mine to Independent.

stubby · 5 months ago

I’m pro-gay, pro-gun, pro-choice, pro-legal drugs and pro-capitalism…I’m not a religious conservative, is what I’m saying. Since Clinton left office, I’ve voted Republican b/c the Democrats are morons on the economy and national defense, which is going to be made abundantly clear in the next 3.5 years, but anyway….

Know a big part of the reason McCain lost? A lot of conservatives – both religious conservatives and the purely small-government conservatives – turned off the money tap and stayed the fuck home, after eight years of the Republican party treating them with contempt. Religious conservatives got tired of having their issues ignored, fiscal conservatives (like me) spent six years watching Congress, abetted by Bush, loot the Treasury. So a lot of them just stayed home. There’s a lesson there.

The Democrats will not listen to you until and unless they realize that you will, in fact, tell them to fuck off and mean it. But you don’t do that, do you? You keep thinking that the only reason Obama won’t follow through on all his promises is that he’s afraid of pissing off those evil evil conservatives lurking in the heartland. Well, guess what – there are a LOT of gay-adverse people in the Democratic party. Many African-Americans, Latinos, and working class whites (all over the country, not just the south) aren’t big on gay rights. But the Democrats keep talking about how it’s the Republicans who are keeping gay people from having their basic rights recognized. I’m not saying the Republican party has a defensible track record on gay issues – I’m saying that the Democratic party doesn’t, either. Talk, talk, talk – they take your money, then they fuck you, then they’re gone in the morning and you’re still sitting there six months later wondering why you haven’t had a phone call.

Get ready to laugh your asses off at me – I think the Republican party is going to come around to gay rights issues in a big way before 2012, and I think they’ll follow through, and here’s why.

The smart Republicans know they have to. They know that the economy is going to suck so badly in the next few years that the base will come home, but they need more than the base. Furthermore, there are gay conservatives fighting it out from inside the party. You vilify and abuse them, just like feminists feel free to vilify and abuse any woman who opposes abortion, but the fact is that gay conservatives are fighting for a voice in their party. The Democrats, meanwhile, already know they have you. You’re not going anywhere. You’re going to keep giving them money and voting for them. You won’t put away your checkbook and you won’t stay the fuck home on election day.

One election cycle is all it would take.

I’m like one of the posters at the top – I thought at LEAST Obama would bring some sanity to the drug war and repeal DADT and, hopefully, DOMA. But no. The feds are still prosecuting medical marijuana and DADT/DOMA aren’t going anywhere. Blame that evil Mormon all you want to. He didn’t submit that memo with no one else at DOJ seeing it first.

Maybe, just maybe, in 2012, when he still hasn’t done shit about gay rights, and unemployment and interest rates are both in the double digits, and both a loaf of bread and a gallon of gas cost ten bucks, maybe you’ll reconsider your servitude to the Democratic party. You don’t have to vote Republican. Just vote third party, or stay home and laugh.

Sorry for the length of the rant, but I've wanted to get that off my chest forever. Now I'm going back to my libertarian blog home, where we laugh at both Democrats and Republicans and bitch about how we wish everyone were as smart as we are.

Kansaskitty · 5 months ago

What the hell is going on in this White House? I have been grieviously disappointed and angry about so many issues that have been dumped in the toilet since they took office. I agree with all the disgust at the Democratic party and Obama. I have also been a Dem my whole life as several generations of ancestors have been before me, and I'm ready to chuck the whole party as a bunch of spineless turncoats. I was just telling my hubby yesterday that I was ready to change my party affiliation to Independent.

scottinsf · 5 months ago

Thank you for your support on this. I am convinced it will be our straight advocates and defenders that play the biggest role in our achieving equality.

Thanks again for "getting it"!

Kansaskitty · 5 months ago

Absolutely. It is inconceivable to me that some citizens are supposed to be patient for change and for justice for stupid political reasons. Where's the courage of supposed convictions? Or was it all a lie?

DanDeLeon · 5 months ago

CBS Radio news has it as "Obama is offering an olive branch to the gays" . . .screw it, too many pits in this olive.

Blueflash · 5 months ago

No, this memorandum is one of those insipid California olives. The kind that come in a can and have had the pits removed - they're EMPTY.

lileasy · 5 months ago

And tasteless.

Butch1 · 5 months ago

Oh, was that an olive branch? It looked more like a knife to me. I would reflexively back off to make sure he wasn't going in for the kill.

Steve_in_CNJ · 5 months ago

we have to make obama eat his vegetables. it's part of growing up.

TheGaySpecies · 5 months ago

You didn't think Pastor Obama, who preaches but not listens, who had Pastor Rick Warren -- with the 12-Steps to Straight Recovery -- was really on our side, did you?

Yes, I did too. No longer. I hear the cash register. All else is silent.

Mike · 5 months ago

This is an attempt to win "values" voters. They think if Democrats were to be a little more "religiousy" then Republican voters will all vote for Democrats. They have not yet realized despite the horrors of the Bush administration, John McCain managed to get almost as many votes as George W. Bush in 2004. These Republican voters are never going to vote in their best interests ever. They are nuts. But what would you expect from a political operation which placed Tim Kaine in one of the most important roles. Kaine was an inept Governor and is now the inept chair of the DNC.

Trev · 5 months ago

WOW. Obama has blown this whole thing so spectacularly that I'm just dumbfounded.

I think his behavior toward gay Americans is unforgivable, but even if I did still support him, this disaster would make me wonder if he's even competent to hold the job.

leliorisen · 5 months ago

I don't really think the problem is Obama's competence. He has amazing skills as a politician.

The problem with President Obama on both glbt civil rights, and the entire Progressive agenda, is that he is way too 'calculated.'

Obama is not behaving as a trailblazer who moves courageously. He is behaving as a standard politician who runs everything through the lens of political polling and calculation.

Truthfully, the fact that he chose Rahm Emmanuel gave that entire scenario away.

dula · 5 months ago

The problem with Obama is he's a Homophobe...not surprising for somebody who's a product of a Black Church.

leliorisen · 5 months ago

Dula, I do not know if I would even go that far.

What is verifiable, is that on many Progressive issues he has shown the same stupefying tone-deafness.

Look at his response to wiretapping, as just one example. To a Democratic constituency it makes no sense.

Now that he actually is seeing some rage from those who helped him get elected, I am curious to how he responds.

As far as your suggesting he is a 'phobe, I would want to see more direct evidence before I would agree with you on that one.

I am not saying you are wrong, but I don't think that it is necessarily the case. Not all African-American church-goers hate gays.

KarenMrsLloydRichards · 5 months ago

I may wrong, but I get the impression that his mother was very sophisticated and enlightened on all social issues, and she would not be happy with sonny's homophobia.

And Obama only went to a black church for 20 years for political reasons. It never was part of his formation as a young man.

lileasy · 5 months ago

You know, Mrs. LR, I kept thinking last night, "I wonder what Obama's very liberal mama would think of her son's civil rights position if she were alive today." I cannot help but believe that she would be most disappointed.

Mike G · 5 months ago

Let's see. He goes to Rev. Wright's church. And the first people he sticks it to are the Jews, the gays and the big corporations. Wow, who could ever possibly have seen that one coming?

lileasy · 5 months ago

His "amazing skills as a politician," at the moment, seem to have resulted in a total fail. I am not sure this is not the real measure of his competence. Although I absolutely agree with you on your other points.

Steve_in_CNJ · 5 months ago

markos moulitsas has been and continues to be our staunchest straight ally:

But let's remember, gay anger isn't stemming from administration inaction (though that's fueling it). It stems from action -- the submission of this hateful brief defending the Defense of Marriage Act (which, by the way, totally failed to protect Sen. Jon Ensign's marriage). That anger is well justified.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/6/17/743460/...

eclare · 5 months ago

I've been really pleasantly surprised by Kos's support. I definitely give him props.

boytokyo · 5 months ago

absolute props for Kos!

gaylib · 5 months ago

you said "Somehow, despite all the progress and the massive shift in public opinion on gay issues since the early 90s, at the White House, the conventional wisdom on gay-related issues has been dialed back to 1993." You didn't seem to have a problem bashing Hillary and Bill Clinton over the head every chance you got for their supposed betrayal in the 90's. Never heard you give them the benefit of the doubt about shifting views then. Selective memory perhaps?

caphillprof · 5 months ago

One of the problems is that we got the Bill/Hillary White House anyway. Jeez.

Liam · 5 months ago

No equal rights? No dollars.
Not anymore.


Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

tigergrrldc · 5 months ago

Well, now we see what a big mistake it was to fill his administration with Clinton people. Apparently, they are so scarred over what happened when "Clinton was president," that they are still acting like it's 1999 and not 2009.

rduke · 5 months ago

This is pathetic. First, there should be an apology for the hateful DOMA brief. And then there better be a plan for giving gay people the same rights that all the other tax paying citizens of this country get. Or it is game over. No more financial support for Democrats and no more votes.

Our money is always good enough but our rights mean nothing to these bastards. I'm sick of it.

Butch1 · 5 months ago

Obama is too stubborn and proud to apologize to us, there will never be an apology from him.

GlennF · 5 months ago

"They only decided it was a problem when the gay ATM started to shut down."

Catman51 · 5 months ago

This isn't enough to shut us up.

hedgehog · 5 months ago

John, I just don't understand what's happening in this administration. As much as I despised the Bush admin, at least I understood them. Why, why spit in the face of one of your most loyal constituencies?

It seems every decision being made is being made to please the right with little to no consideration to the left. I knew Obama was not going to be this far left radical but I had hoped that he would be progressive enough with his policies to really change this county.

Bill Maher is right, we need to hope for more audacity from this administration.

Indigo · 5 months ago

Olive branches are nice but I want equal rights. Period.

Gridlock · 5 months ago

No gay rights

=

No gay dollars

No gay votes

steve talbert · 5 months ago

someone should put together a list of what these "benefits" means in practice. From what I have heard so far (I am waiting to see what is actually included)
1. temporary
2. will add costs to employees using them (taxed)
3. superficial items
4. Not included are all the other benefits given to non-gay partners. such as A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H. etc etc.

You can have a new "500 (or whatever) benefits held back by Obama to encourage donations to the DNC." campaign..

Blueflash · 5 months ago

NBC makes a lot of sense - They admit it was only done to quell gay anger and that it doesn't include health benefits, but then add "but even the the memo doesn't go far enough for gay rights advocates". EVEN!? By the way, NBC, I don't think many of us are still angry over Warren. It's just that we haven't forgotten the invitation because we feared it was a sign of things to come and it looks like we were right.

Scott · 5 months ago

Joe -- agree completely, especially your next-to-last paragraph. Problem is, the gays have no where else to go, and they know it. I'm not sure that this is so much a deliberate action as it is neglect. Why have any urgency to solve the thorny problems of DOMA or DADT when they know we're not going to suddenly start voting Republican? Why devote precious time discussing an approach to gay issues in the Oval Office when you know the gays have no where else to go?

rduke · 5 months ago

There are other parties we can vote for. No more being held hostage by the a-hole Dems. Let's see how they like losing.

TrueBleuCA · 5 months ago

Scott, yeah they will most likely get our votes, but what they want is our money to get people who don't normally vote for them to do just that. It's all about the money. That is why we have to hurt them in the pocketbook. That get's their attention.

mikeyDe · 5 months ago

In the past few days I've seen many references among commenters to avoiding the mistakes early on by pointing to the Clinton and Kennedy admins. In one case the president moved too fast and in the other he postponed bringing up civil rights. And in both cases the men were minority presidents in that neither man won more than 50% of the vote. Perhaps the better comparison would be between Obama and Johnson -- both men won clear mandates for change. Johnson moved forward while Obama wants to wait. Wait for what? For 2012 when it's more than likely, historically speaking, he will not win by such a large margin, if he wins at all.

bruces · 5 months ago

If he wants me to stop being angry, he has to address the things he's doing that are making me angry. When I was 7, my parents could distract me with "look, there's a bunny!"

blackjack00801 · 5 months ago

Gee, one of the rare acknowledgements from the Obama administration since the end of the election that we actually exist...

Butch1 · 5 months ago

We've only existed in the platitudes of his great oratory, other than that, we are not in his reality. ( until now . . . )

jeffg166 · 5 months ago

The squeaky wheel gets oiled. Time to step up the squeaking.

TrueBleuCA · 5 months ago

Hey jeff... And we all need to remember the token oil he plans on squirting on our wheels today is just that, a token. Remember we need less tail wagging more bite!

Butch1 · 5 months ago

I wonder if the media would still see through this if it was a republican president doing this to us? It helps us that they are looking for any crack in Obama's armor and when they find it, they go for broke trying to expose it. When is FOX noise going to pick up on this. There have been a few peeps here and there but not what I had expected from them. Even Rush tries to explain this in his own biased way. I love to listen to them try and describe us, like they are any authority on the subject of being gay or the fact that we do not have the rights they take for granted.

leliorisen · 5 months ago

I suspect that there are probably as many republican gays as democratic ones.

The difference?

The democratic gays are out.

As is a Cheney.

erick28 · 5 months ago

Please do boycott the coming DNC fundraising event. They don't deserve our money if they dont support and fight for our rights or at this point even to act like they are doing something. This is very insulting... we put money to their coffers and what they do. Nothing... oops they give us free relocation cost for our friends/families in the gov't.

TrueBleuCA · 5 months ago

Remember to UNSUBSCRIBE to all their email notifications and alerts and donation requests.

MN_Exposure · 5 months ago

When I called Barney Frank's office this morning to ask him to make a statement and to boycott the DNC fundraiser, the person on the phone told me he's "conferring with policy advisors" to decide how to respond! WTF? What happened to doing the right thing? By the way, that staffer and the one at Representative Baldwin's office told me they are being deluged with calls on this topic. So keep it up! They know this is big!

TrueBleuCA · 5 months ago

Be honest, most of us don't go to these black tie events. They get our money online, point and click, simple and quick. Well every DNC or pol that solicits my funds in the future will not hear a click. Once again, even though this might seem too small an action to be noticed, if it is done a million plus times the silence will be deafening.

Use the UNSUBSCRIBE button as a weapon against their abuse. Most sites allow you to give a reason why you are unsubscribing, and be sure to let them know you refuse to be abused any longer.

justadood · 5 months ago

Joe, your point that it might be a cynical ploy could easily be true--for a significant portion of Obama's administration, if (maybe) not for the Man himself..

Easy thing, to make a half-measure seen as an attempt to placate the Gay activists, then after it fails, go on all the talking-head shows spouting "See? There's just *no* pleasing those people..."

Arguments need to be mustered to counter this meme, as I can see it coming surely as a sunrise...

expedito · 5 months ago

I'm very curious as to exactly which benefits will be extended to federal workers' partners. Failure to include health care benefits would be a meaningless gesture - really more of an insult than just doing nothing. It would be like saying, "We'll give you a job; we just won't pay you."

Gridlock · 5 months ago

"You can get on the bus, but you have to sit at the back."

TrueBleuCA · 5 months ago

Even more accurate, you don't get to sit at all!

Gridlock · 5 months ago

True, you can't sit ON the bus.. but you can look at it.

Not from there, from across the street.

No, further back, you're still too close to the bus.

Ok, now shut one eye. You can only use one eye to look at the bus.

There we go.

What, you're not happy?

TrueBleuCA · 5 months ago

If your comment was so devastatingly true, I would be LMAO!

lileasy · 5 months ago

Prepare yourself for the meaningless gesture.

Jim · 5 months ago

Not including health care benefits in this package is a limp dick approach. The reason most of us want domestic partnership recognition is to put our partner on our health care insurance. Why would the President even bother with this empty gesture? Oh, right, he knows we're pissed.

Indigo · 5 months ago

A "cultural issue." Cultural issues like . . . slavery, indentured servitude, colonialism, the Protestant Reformation, the invention of moveable type, Galileo's astronomical observations, linen napkins, finger bowls, and white tie, not to mention sacramental peyote in the North American Church. Cultural issues. What a nonsensical comment that is. Did Matt Lauer say if first?

offspring · 5 months ago

THIS SIGNING IS A LIMITED ITEM, AND IT GRANTS ONLY "SOME" HEALTH BENEFITS THEY NEED TO REPORT IT CORRECT. No gay rights no gay $$

Muzikal203 · 5 months ago

you have a point about them wanting our support but then when they get in office they forget about us. The problem is, they figure we don't have anywhere else to go. Unlike the republicans who frequently cater to their base, the Democrats tend to largely ignore their base in hopes of not appearing "too liberal". I'd wager most of the country is a hell of a lot more "liberal" than they get credit for. This is no longer a center-right nation. Anytime Obama pisses us off, it's seen as a "good" thing.

RickInSF · 5 months ago

On other issues (Health Care, Financial Reform, etc.), the Obama Administration's approach has been to come up with solutions that get 90% of the issues resolved. After all, in an often stated line from Corporate America that I have heard many times: Why spend spend 90% of our [resources, capital, or attention] on something that only impacts 10% of the problem?"

Since LGBT America is only 10% of the "problem", I believe that Obama does not think it is expedient to do any more for some of "those" Americans. After all, he would say, "We got most of it right, so let's move on, there is a lot to do. We'll circle back on this later..."

Funny (NOT) how later never comes, and the time is just not right.

FunMe · 5 months ago

The GLBT community might be 10%, but little does Obama realize that we have A LOT of supporters that can double that number: our family, friends and other straight allies. He is pissing off a lot more people than he realizes. If he thinks this won't affect HIM, he has a big suprise coming.

Can we say ONE TERM PRESIDENT?

scottinsf · 5 months ago

And it's not even just this issue. Obama has failed on many issues dear to progressives.

TheGaySpecies · 5 months ago

Excellent point. I suspect our % is closer to 5%, and about half neither vote or vote Republican.

It is our MONEY, the ATM, that gives, and Democrats take, so they can spend it elsewhere.

Since money speaks, no more for Dems.

DaveinNorthridge · 5 months ago

Go with your gut on this, Joe. If this isn't a cynical gesture, then I don't know what 'cynicism" means.

RichardS · 5 months ago

What?? not extending benefits to health care?? Can Obama and his crew be any more insulting? First of all, it's a "memo" with limited timeline, and now NYT reports no healthcare coverage??? I thiink the "gay" fundraiser should definately be protested..... The gay money spigot needs to be shut tight... until they start taking us seriously. I've removed my name from the DNC and DSCC mailing lists, and have told them why. The LGBT community has to stop giving money to those in power that don't really give a shit about LGBT equality.

watchington · 5 months ago

Look Joe and John. This is enough. NO MORE NEWS REGURGITATION!!! START ONE OF YOUR INFAMOUS AMERICABLOG SHITSTORMS! NOW!

SFNative · 5 months ago

I once heard that "a revolution occurs when the people lose faith in the institutions."

Mike G · 5 months ago

Yeah, welcome to Chicago politics, you poor tender innocents.

Fat Man · 5 months ago

If you have to ask who the mark is, it is you.

Dick Hertz · 5 months ago

Maybe Obama is saying that teh gaiz are only 3/5 of a person.

DougStamate · 5 months ago

"The obsession with not repeating the mistakes of 1993..."
Unlike many (most?) here, I don't subscribe to the idea that the present administration has "abandoned" LGBT civil rights so much as continually pushed them back and back. I can fully sympathize with those faced with trying to clean up the mess left by eight years of the Boy Wonder and Darth Cheney, however my patience is steadily being eroded.
I also wonder if that phrase I quoted is responsible for what certainly appears to be a complete lack of "fierce advocacy" on the part of the Obama White House (and all its staffers)? To get DADT replaced will require an awful lot of bargaining/arm-twisting. Has the DADT review "commission" even been named? Polls indicate that even a majority of Republicans favor repealing DADT; would a report by a blue-ribbon, non-political group make it that much easier to get Congress to do what it should? Should we be pushing for that commission to be set up and report back ASAP (some date will definitely need to be mandated to prevent the old "full plate" excuse)? Line up Congress members to sponsor a Bill replacing DADT with non-discriminatory enlistments?
The best place to defeat DOMA is, of course, in the courts; the law is blatantly unconstitutional as the requirements (age, etc) for any legal wedding between same-sex couples are the same as between opposite sex couples. However, the SC doesn't take all cases that are appealed to it and it might just pass on it, saying that there is a "political" remedy available. That leaves us repeal and that will require an expenditure of even more time, energy and political capital on the Presidnet's part. I'm certain there are some WH staffers already calculating the trade-off in voters lost and gained (and they'll be mostly the former, I fear) should the President actively push for repeal of DOMA.
Personally, I think priority should be given to repealing DADT simply because of the greater publicity attached to gays serving openly in the armed forces. Once the Federal government has given its stamp of approval, so to speak, to being openly gay it will be that much harder to NOT openly work for repeal of DOMA.
Until then, the idea of financially boycotting the DNC (Mr. Frank notwithstanding) is the perfect place to begin. I seem to recall boycotts worked rather well in another civil rights campaign not all that long ago...

jasonut29 · 5 months ago

First they compare our relationships to a uncle marrying his niece...pedophiles and incest and now they think we're stupid enough to falls for a carrot....Sorry folks I want all the beef now. 60 days ago I was willing to be patient and give the Pres a chance to do things at his own speed....that's over now since its obvious his speed is to pretend there's something going to happen then plans will be made to "do it in the next term"....I won't be supporting the Dems including the Pres in the next election unless something serious happens for our rights. My vote may not go to the winner but it will go to someone I can beleive!!

jhp2 · 5 months ago

Sadly, the administration knows that gays will vote for them in 2012 regardless. And the community by and large will donate large sums. You are being taken for granted. So what ARE you going to do about it?