lily
08-10-2007, 11:39 PM
Sounds like the same old, same old. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/09/AR2007080902331_2.html?wpisrc=newsletter)
Democratic Candidates Address Gay Rights Issues
First-Ever Televised Presidential Forum Underlines Increasing Importance of
Community in Elections
By Perry Bacon Jr.
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, August 10, 2007; Page A07
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 9 -- At the first-ever televised presidential forum
devoted to gay rights issues, the Democratic front-runners, Sens. Hillary
Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) and Barack Obama (Ill.), were sharply questioned on
why they do not support same-sex marriage, while the two joined the other
candidates in backing civil unions and the end of the "don't ask, don't
tell" policy on gays in the military.
Obama said it is less important to focus on the semantics of the word
"marriage" than to focus on equal rights, and Clinton -- responding to a
comment by singer Melissa Etheridge that gays were "thrown under the bus"
during Bill Clinton's administration -- said "I am a leader now" on gay
rights.
Activists were even more frustrated with New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson,
who when asked whether people are born gay or choose to be, said, "It's a
choice" and later explained, "I'm not a scientist."
At the two-hour event in West Hollywood, Obama was asked several times why
he would not back same-sex marriage, and he pledged to ensure that all
same-sex couples have the same rights as married couples, the stance adopted
by most of the Democrats.
"Semantics may be important to some," he said, adding that if gay couples
had equal rights, "then my sense is that's enormous progress."
The forum, organized by the Human Rights Campaign and Logo, a gay-themed
television network operated by MTV, underscored the increasing importance of
the constituency to the Democratic Party. When a similar forum was held in
2003, one of the top contenders, then-Sen. John Edwards (N.C.), did not
attend, and the event was not televised.
This time, Edwards appeared, along with Obama and four other Democratic
candidates who each spent more than 15 minutes taking questions from a
four-person panel that included Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights
Campaign, and Etheridge.
When pressed on gay marriage, Edwards said, "My position on same-sex
marriage has not changed." He then used the question to challenge the
Clinton administration on its approach to gay rights -- and by implication
to challenge his rival, Sen. Clinton. " 'Don't ask, don't tell' is not just
wrong now, it was wrong when it began," Edwards said.
Clinton took a stance similar to Edwards's and Obama's, not backing marriage
but saying she wanted same-sex couples to have equal rights. She also said
states were making better progress on gay rights than the federal
government.
"I've also been a very strong supporter of letting the states maintain their
jurisdiction over marriage," Clinton said.
The event was a love fest for Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich (Ohio), who backs
same-sex marriage. When one panelist, Washington Post editorial writer
Jonathan Capehart, asked Kucinich if there was any issue on which he
disagreed with the gay rights community, the talkative congressman was left
speechless.
"All I can say is keep those contributions coming, and you'll have the
president you want," he told the audience.
Kucinich and former senator Mike Gravel (Alaska) were praised for their
support of same-sex marriage.
But Obama, who was questioned first by the moderators, appeared frustrated
by a question that noted that people under 30 back gay marriage at higher
rates than others and asked how he could be "a candidate of change when your
stance on same-sex marriage is decidedly old school?"
"Oh, come on, now," Obama said. "I mean, look, guys, you know, I mean, we
can have this conversation for the duration of the 15 minutes." He added,
"If people are interested in my stance on these issues, I've got a track
record of working with the LGBT community."
Richardson was the only candidate who opposes same-sex marriage to
acknowledge the complicated politics of the issue.
"The country isn't there yet on gay marriage," he said. "We have to bring
the country along."
His comment on the roots of homosexuality drew hisses from the audience of
about 200.
Activists say this year's event was a milestone in showing the Democratic
candidates' interest in courting the gay and lesbian vote.
"It firmly establishes us a major constituency in the Democratic Party,"
said David Mixner, a longtime gay rights activist and Democratic fundraiser.
"It's a real validation of our position within the party."
Unlike sessions on Saturday with liberal bloggers at the Yearly Kos
convention and on Tuesday with labor union members in Chicago, where the
candidates sought to win over influential liberal interest groups, the
candidates were not on stage at the same time last night. Instead, each of
the Democrats took questions separately from the panelists.
Six Democratic candidates appeared, and Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (Conn.),
who cited scheduling conflicts as his reason for not coming, said he would
post answers to the questions presented at the forum on his campaign's Web
site. The only other major Democratic contender to skip the event was Sen.
Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Del.), who also cited scheduling problems. Organizers
said they invited several Republican presidential candidates to appear as
well, but the GOP hopefuls declined.
Already, the candidates from the two parties have diverged sharply in
rhetoric on gay rights issues. During a GOP debate earlier this year, none
of the candidates said they would change the "don't ask, don't tell" policy,
and several have strongly argued that marriage should be defined as being
between a man and a woman. The Democrats, on the other hand, have courted
gay rights supporters more aggressively than ever.
Clinton has criticized the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, established
during her husband's administration, and has offered the line from onetime
GOP senator from Arizona and presidential hopeful Barry Goldwater: "You
don't have to be straight to shoot straight." In 2003, the future Democratic
nominee, Sen. John F. Kerry (Mass.), said he did not like the policy but
warned that some units might be adversely affected by having gay members.
Edwards released a list of his prominent gay backers on the eve of the
forum, as did Obama. Clinton, who had put out a similar list, has had two
fundraisers for her gay supporters and planned to attend an event at The
Abbey, a well-known gay bar in Los Angeles.
The candidates have not forgotten the complicated politics of gay rights,
which may be a popular cause in the Democratic primary but will prove to be
a more complicated issue in the general election. Almost a dozen states
voted to ban same-sex marriage in 2004, leaving Democrats wondering if those
ballot initiatives increased turnout among conservative Republicans.
In March, gay rights activists were infuriated when Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff Peter Pace called homosexuality "immoral," and Obama and
Clinton at first sidestepped questions about whether they disagreed with
Pace's sentiments. At the forum, Clinton called this stance a "mistake,"
saying she should have rebuked him earlier.
Democratic Candidates Address Gay Rights Issues
First-Ever Televised Presidential Forum Underlines Increasing Importance of
Community in Elections
By Perry Bacon Jr.
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, August 10, 2007; Page A07
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 9 -- At the first-ever televised presidential forum
devoted to gay rights issues, the Democratic front-runners, Sens. Hillary
Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) and Barack Obama (Ill.), were sharply questioned on
why they do not support same-sex marriage, while the two joined the other
candidates in backing civil unions and the end of the "don't ask, don't
tell" policy on gays in the military.
Obama said it is less important to focus on the semantics of the word
"marriage" than to focus on equal rights, and Clinton -- responding to a
comment by singer Melissa Etheridge that gays were "thrown under the bus"
during Bill Clinton's administration -- said "I am a leader now" on gay
rights.
Activists were even more frustrated with New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson,
who when asked whether people are born gay or choose to be, said, "It's a
choice" and later explained, "I'm not a scientist."
At the two-hour event in West Hollywood, Obama was asked several times why
he would not back same-sex marriage, and he pledged to ensure that all
same-sex couples have the same rights as married couples, the stance adopted
by most of the Democrats.
"Semantics may be important to some," he said, adding that if gay couples
had equal rights, "then my sense is that's enormous progress."
The forum, organized by the Human Rights Campaign and Logo, a gay-themed
television network operated by MTV, underscored the increasing importance of
the constituency to the Democratic Party. When a similar forum was held in
2003, one of the top contenders, then-Sen. John Edwards (N.C.), did not
attend, and the event was not televised.
This time, Edwards appeared, along with Obama and four other Democratic
candidates who each spent more than 15 minutes taking questions from a
four-person panel that included Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights
Campaign, and Etheridge.
When pressed on gay marriage, Edwards said, "My position on same-sex
marriage has not changed." He then used the question to challenge the
Clinton administration on its approach to gay rights -- and by implication
to challenge his rival, Sen. Clinton. " 'Don't ask, don't tell' is not just
wrong now, it was wrong when it began," Edwards said.
Clinton took a stance similar to Edwards's and Obama's, not backing marriage
but saying she wanted same-sex couples to have equal rights. She also said
states were making better progress on gay rights than the federal
government.
"I've also been a very strong supporter of letting the states maintain their
jurisdiction over marriage," Clinton said.
The event was a love fest for Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich (Ohio), who backs
same-sex marriage. When one panelist, Washington Post editorial writer
Jonathan Capehart, asked Kucinich if there was any issue on which he
disagreed with the gay rights community, the talkative congressman was left
speechless.
"All I can say is keep those contributions coming, and you'll have the
president you want," he told the audience.
Kucinich and former senator Mike Gravel (Alaska) were praised for their
support of same-sex marriage.
But Obama, who was questioned first by the moderators, appeared frustrated
by a question that noted that people under 30 back gay marriage at higher
rates than others and asked how he could be "a candidate of change when your
stance on same-sex marriage is decidedly old school?"
"Oh, come on, now," Obama said. "I mean, look, guys, you know, I mean, we
can have this conversation for the duration of the 15 minutes." He added,
"If people are interested in my stance on these issues, I've got a track
record of working with the LGBT community."
Richardson was the only candidate who opposes same-sex marriage to
acknowledge the complicated politics of the issue.
"The country isn't there yet on gay marriage," he said. "We have to bring
the country along."
His comment on the roots of homosexuality drew hisses from the audience of
about 200.
Activists say this year's event was a milestone in showing the Democratic
candidates' interest in courting the gay and lesbian vote.
"It firmly establishes us a major constituency in the Democratic Party,"
said David Mixner, a longtime gay rights activist and Democratic fundraiser.
"It's a real validation of our position within the party."
Unlike sessions on Saturday with liberal bloggers at the Yearly Kos
convention and on Tuesday with labor union members in Chicago, where the
candidates sought to win over influential liberal interest groups, the
candidates were not on stage at the same time last night. Instead, each of
the Democrats took questions separately from the panelists.
Six Democratic candidates appeared, and Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (Conn.),
who cited scheduling conflicts as his reason for not coming, said he would
post answers to the questions presented at the forum on his campaign's Web
site. The only other major Democratic contender to skip the event was Sen.
Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Del.), who also cited scheduling problems. Organizers
said they invited several Republican presidential candidates to appear as
well, but the GOP hopefuls declined.
Already, the candidates from the two parties have diverged sharply in
rhetoric on gay rights issues. During a GOP debate earlier this year, none
of the candidates said they would change the "don't ask, don't tell" policy,
and several have strongly argued that marriage should be defined as being
between a man and a woman. The Democrats, on the other hand, have courted
gay rights supporters more aggressively than ever.
Clinton has criticized the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, established
during her husband's administration, and has offered the line from onetime
GOP senator from Arizona and presidential hopeful Barry Goldwater: "You
don't have to be straight to shoot straight." In 2003, the future Democratic
nominee, Sen. John F. Kerry (Mass.), said he did not like the policy but
warned that some units might be adversely affected by having gay members.
Edwards released a list of his prominent gay backers on the eve of the
forum, as did Obama. Clinton, who had put out a similar list, has had two
fundraisers for her gay supporters and planned to attend an event at The
Abbey, a well-known gay bar in Los Angeles.
The candidates have not forgotten the complicated politics of gay rights,
which may be a popular cause in the Democratic primary but will prove to be
a more complicated issue in the general election. Almost a dozen states
voted to ban same-sex marriage in 2004, leaving Democrats wondering if those
ballot initiatives increased turnout among conservative Republicans.
In March, gay rights activists were infuriated when Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff Peter Pace called homosexuality "immoral," and Obama and
Clinton at first sidestepped questions about whether they disagreed with
Pace's sentiments. At the forum, Clinton called this stance a "mistake,"
saying she should have rebuked him earlier.