Non-Responsiveness

Two weeks ago, on March 26th I wrote two e-mails to both Gov. Bill Richardson's communications director Pahl Shipley as well as to the Stonewall Democrats in DC about Richardson's address to the Las Vegas National Training of the Stonewall Democrats on March 24th. I really wanted to write about it. Unfortunately, I couldn't find anything on either Richardson's nor on the Stonewall Democrats website about his speech.

To this date I have not received a response from either.

Therefore, much to my regret, no details on Richardson's address to the Stonewall Dems in Vegas.

Hillary and Obama: Homosexuality is Not Immoral

Apparently, this little blog wasn't the only one ranting about Hillary and Obama yesterday. Many other blogs (like Americablog) did so as well and the Southern Nevada Stonewall Democrats Chair posted two comments to my post. Significantly, the Human Rights Campaign was irked as well. From Americablog:

I hear that the gay civil rights group the Human Rights Campaign had a come-to-Jesus (come-to-Mary?) chat with the Clinton and Obama campaigns this morning over the candidates' seeming inability to give a straight answer yesterday to the question of whether they think homosexuality is immoral. (Lots of background on the issue here.)

HRC reportedly told both campaigns that they were not happy, and that the campaigns' various and ever-changing answers to the question were evasive and unacceptable, and that both needed to issue forceful and unequivocal statements saying that they don't think homosexuality is immoral.

Will Hillary and Obama respond? Stay tuned.

That must have done the trick, as both Hillary and Obama came out with statements today, saying that homosexuality is not immoral. Hillary:

"Well I've heard from a number of my friends and I've certainly clarified with them any misunderstanding that anyone had, because I disagree with General Pace completely. I do not think homosexuality is immoral. But the point I was trying to make is that this policy of Don't Ask, Don't Tell is not working. I have been against it for many years because I think it does a grave injustice to patriotic Americans who want to serve their country. And so I have called for its repeal and I'd like to follow the lead of our allies like, Great Britain and Israel and let people who wish to serve their country be able to join and do so. And then let the uniform code of military justice determine if conduct is inappropriate or unbecoming. That's fine. That's what we do with everybody. But let's not be eliminating people because of who they are or who they love."

And here's Obama's statement via a spokesperson:

"As the New York Times reported today, I do not agree with General Pace that homosexuality is immoral. Attempts to divide people like this have consumed too much of our politics over the past six years."

I still wish they would have done this right away. Ducking this issue like they both did just did not look good.

PS: Interesting in this regard is an article by the New York Observer how presidential candidates are courting "pink cash".

Hillary and Obama Forgo Gay Vote

It's really unfortunate to see the two main Democratic contenders for the Presidency triangulate and refuse to lead. Hillary was very quick to call for Attorney General Gonzales' resignation - once everyone else did so and it was a win win situation.

Clearly, condemning calling the gay and lesbian citizens of this country immoral is not a "win-win" situation. It is ironic that Hillary Rodham Clinton and the Human Rights Campaign, the biggest GLBT lobbying group, share the same initials. But then again, HRC 1 one used to be a Goldwater Republican and HRC 2 endorsed Republican candidates in last year's congressional elections. So, there.

Today, Hillary was asked about General Pace's statement that homosexuality was "immoral":

I also asked her about the comments by General Peter Pace that homosexulity is "immoral." Clinton has opposed the ban on gays and lesbians serving openly in the military, so I asked her if that law -- signed by her husband in 1993 -- was a mistake, and if homosexuality is "immoral."

"General Pace has clarified his remarks, but let's not lose sight of the fact that 'Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell' is not working," she said. "We are being deprived of thousands of patriotic men and women who want to serve their country who are bringing skills into the armed services that we desparately need, like translation skills. And one can argue whether it was a good idea when it was first implemented, but we know have evidence as to the fact that we are in a time of war -- when we really need as many people as we can to recruit and retain in an all-volunteer army -- we are turning people away or discharging them not because of what they've done but because of who they are."

But is it immoral?

"Well I'm going to leave that to others to conclude," she said. "I'm very proud of the gays and lesbians I know who perform work that is essential to our country, who want to serve their country and I want make sure they can."

When I read the last past, it felt like someone was asking a mother whether her children were stupid. Every decent, loving mother would instantly proclaim: NO! Not Hillary, she'd leave that to someone else to conclude but she is very proud of her children. Even if they are stupid.

Well, I thought. You can always count on Obama. Can't you?

Barack Obama joined Hillary in courting gays and lesbians by calling for the rollback of "don't ask, don't tell" -- without wanting to directly refute General Pace's comment that homosexuality is "immoral."

Newsday caught Obama as he was leaving the firefighters convention and asked him three times if he thought homsexuality is immoral.

Answer 1: "I think traditionally the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman has restricted his public comments to military matters. That's probably a good tradition to follow."

Answer 2: "I think the question here is whether somebody is willing to sacrifice for their country, should they be able to if they're doing all the things that should be done."

Answer 3: Signed autograph, posed for snapshot, jumped athletically into town car.

Why the dance? Maybe it has something to do with not wanting to alienate moderates -- or social conservatives, the churchfolk who view homosexuality as a sin.

At least Obama wasn't as bad as Hillary. But let's not kid ourselves. He wasn't better than her either. This is a clear and unfortunate lack in leadership. Another thing that is striking is that gays and lesbians should go to Iraq and Afghanistan and die for their country. That's basically what repeeling "don't ask, don't tell" is all about. If it were about equality for all, both Hillary and Obama could have unequivocally rebutted Gen. Pace's comments. However, they chose not to.

You wanna know who did?

The ranking Republican of the Senate Armed Services Committee sharply rebuked the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Tuesday, taking issue with General Peter Pace’s view that homosexual acts are immoral.

Sen. John Warner (R-Va.), a former Secretary of the Navy, said, “I respectfully but strongly disagree with the chairman’s view that homosexuality is immoral. In keeping with my longstanding respect for the Armed Services committee hearing process, I will decline to comment on the current policy until after such hearings are held.”

Yeah, you heard that right. An 80 year old Republican Senator from a southern red state "respectfully but strongly disagrees".

So, what can we make of this? Apparently, Hillary and Obama are willing to forgo the gay vote.

One can only hope that Stonewall Democrats (the GLBT group within the Democratic Party) will issue will stand up against any Democratic candidate for President who refuses to rebut Gen. Pace's statement that homosexuality is immoral. I wonder if Stonewall Democrats of Northern Nevada and Stonewall Democrats of Southern Nevada have to say about this. They'll be able to ask them when the candidates are in Las Vegas on March 24th for a forum on health care.