As expected today some 111 co-sponsors introduced the Employment Non-Discrimination Act in the House, down 92 names from the 203 co-sponsors the last Congress mustered. You know, cuz of all the Republicans … except they only secured 70 seats, which means a casualty of 23 Democratic supporters? Something like that. Have fun kicking this one around, everyone. Especially you, Human Rights Campaign! Because according to the group’s chief flack Fred Sainz (pictured), “I wouldn’t measure success by the number of co-sponsors alone but by the amount of education and outreach we do to members.” And that education and outreach is performed to, what, not get the numbers? How the hell else do you measure the success of a bill if not by the number of votes it can secure? You’re miserable, Sainz. It’s as if you and your Gay Inc. cronies want to spend another decade “lobbying” for LGBT protections. Oh, wait.
Tony
Progressives and Gays bitched when the house was held by Democrats and we lost the house because you stayed home. Now you want a Republican congress to pass the legislation and you’re still bitching at the Democrats who won’t stick their necks any further in the noose for you.
Devon
Nice of them to get around to this now that there’s no chance whatsoever of it actually passing.
the crustybastard
Please.
HRC isn’t a gay lobby. It’s a political factory that grooms ambitious queers for better beltway jobs, so all the alums can circlejerk at cocktail parties about how much insider information and “access” they have, give each other awards and meet famous people.
HRC could give a shit about getting anything practical accomplished in terms of advancing the rights of typical gay Americans…which is why they’re so closely aligned to Democrats. They’ve got at least that much in common.
Elloreigh
Sounds to me like the HRC is just trying to spin the fact of their ever-dwindling relevance.
Right Wingers Are Socioptahs (John From England)
@Devon:
What like DADT?
Right Wingers Are Socioptahs (John From England)
@Tony:
Exactly. The Democrats owe the mental American short sighted idiotic gays nothing, especially as they all sat out in November and a quarter voted for the GOP.
They screaming and bitching about not voting for Obama turned the progressives and their attachment complex to minorities. Now you reap what you sow.
Dems, concentrate on the independents, the ones who are undecided and the ones who are moving away from the right because of the craziness occurring their. Be SMART.
Love John from a country were at least gay people have brains to not bite the hands that feeds you and who are under no illusion that apparently right wingers are pro equality for all and the left are not.
justiceontherocks
@the crustybastard: HRC does about as much for us as FRC.
As for being joined at the hip with the democrats, it’s business and marketing 101 that you get a lousy deal when you only bargain with one vendor.
Joetx
@ crustybastard – Your 1st paragraph re: HRC summed it up perfectly.
Cam
@Tony: said…
“Progressives and Gays bitched when the house was held by Democrats and we lost the house because you stayed home. Now you want a Republican congress to pass the legislation and you’re still bitching at the Democrats who won’t stick their necks any further in the noose for you.”
______________________________
Actually it was right AFTER their losses that the dems in the lame duck session finally sacked up and passed some of the legislation that they had been promising for years. Getting DADT through and scaring Obama enough to finally have him pull the Justice dept. back from defending DOMA was huge. If the dems remember that, then I don’t worry about ENDA not being passed for another 10 years. Once in a while you need to let the parties know that they actually have to work for you.
As for HRC the comment of “”I wouldn’t measure success by the number of co-sponsors alone but by the amount of education and outreach we do to members.” …is the sickest most nausiating bit of lobbyist doubletalk I’ve heard in ages.
No idiots, you measure success by success. If your goal is to pass ENDA, then your success is whether or not it passes, not how many meetings and free lunches you can take with smiling politicos who won’t commit.
the crustybastard
@Cam:
Spot on, as usual.
Cam
@Right Wingers Are Socioptahs (John From England): said…
“Love John from a country were at least gay people have brains to not bite the hands that feeds you and who are under no illusion that apparently right wingers are pro equality for all and the left are not.”
____________________
That hand WASN’T feeding us. It only started feeding us when we sat out. All that hand was doing was reaching out and patting us on the heads, which to somebody hungry is no help at all. If it takes handing the DEMS a loss to remind them of what they owe us I’m all for it.
As for England, in 2009 or 10 17% of gays voted for the Conservatives so lets stop with the finger pointing. As for the fact that 1/4 of gays voted for the GOP…not quite true, it was 1/4 of gays WHO VOTED. Since so many gay DEMS sat out, the percentage is inflated because the same GOP gays didn’t sit out. So if you balance out the numbers the percentages of gays voting conservative are incredibly similar in both America and the UK. Additionally, they are STILL voting Tory even though Section 28 was put through which outlawed talking about homosexuality in schools.
Why is it that people from other countries always like to pretend that nothing bad ever happens there?