The gays were livid over rumors that Barack Obama was considering former Senator Sam Nunn as his vice-presidential candidate. Why? Well, because Nunn was instrumental in establishing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, which keeps gay soldiers in the closet. And journo Jay Bookman can’t understand the long-standing aggression, “I too have been struck at the depth of the anger at Nunn in the gay community, and I think it’s mistaken. In the past 15 years, a lot of Americans both in public and private life have gotten more comfortable than they used to be about gay rights… Holding a grudge against people for opinions they no longer hold doesn’t make much sense, especially on an issue in which public sentiment has swung so far so quickly. The winners can afford to be magnanimous.” [AJC]
Forgive, Forget…
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Kevin
“The winners can afford to be magnanimous?” Ahem. It seems premature, with DODT still in place, to call us winners. Repeal it and then we’ll talk.
Miss Understood
Stierscheiße
mark
I’m NOT magnanimous, I’m old school queer, and I’ll hate Nunn as much as I hated Helms…until one of us is dead.
dfrw
I am with Mark. In fact, if Obama picks Nunn, I won’t vote for Obama. (Don’t worry, I won’t be voting for McCain.) When we vote, we vote for both people and I won’t do that for Nunn. I hate him.
jack
jay bookman can kiss my tucas. that wasn’t the only action of nunn’s just the most egregious. i bet some of his best friends are gay now… and black.
bullshit.
there are too many other LESS offensive possibilities that have conservative appeal, even though i am not to keen on most of them either.
mark
Can Obama trade Nunn for Charlie Crist, then poor hapless Charlie can end the marriage of convenience PLOY, and come out.
mark
I suspect Sam Nunn might be a red herring from Obama, so who ever else he picks, gays/lesbians can say, “well thank GOD it wasn’t Nunn!”
Timothy
It is not Nunn’s “opinions” that I found objectionable. It was his strong-arm tactics and his obstructionist behavior. He didn’t “have the opinion” that gay persons shouldn’t serve. He used his rather formidable power to make sure that it didn’t happen – even going so far as to weaken the President his party elected just to make sure that gays continued to suffer discrimination.
Nunn is directly and personally responsible for damaging the lives of real living breathing gay servicepersons. His harm was not abstract or theoretical.
Has he changed his mind? Oh, well that’s nice.
Has he atoned for his evil? NOPE. He hasn’t even tried.
chandler in lasvegas
“The winners can afford to be magnanimous.”
I’m sorry, when were we declared winners?
We are losers.
We are losers because of people like Sam Nunn.
We are losers and we have long memories and deep pockets.
We are angry.
And we are NOT anonymous!
Rob Moore
I normally agree with Jay Bookman, but on this I disagree strongly. I remember Sam Nunn told Clinton that he would not allow him to order the military to drop the ban on gays. This occurred within four months of Clinton’s first inauguration. That is why I did not hold Clinton particularly responsible. I smiled when I read of Jessie Helm’s overdue trip into hell. I will smile when I read the same of Sam Nunn.
Bachelard
Jesus. Nunn was the main opponent of gays serving in the military. How delightful that he’s now “grateful” to those gay people who have served and is willing to “‘review the policy’ with an eye toward ‘eventually’ changing it.”
Flashback to the antebellum era: “I’m grateful to all the black men who served in the Union Army and I’m willing to review the segregation policy with the idea of one day, maybe some day, possibly soon, changing it.”
I like Jay Bookman but he must be completely ignorant of Nunn’s role in DADT. He didn’t just “favor” the policy. He was utterly rabid about it, making all kinds of threats.
I’m feeling quite fucked-over by Barack Obama. His move to the right is disgusting and, while I won’t vote for McCain, I’m sure as hell not going to do any work to get Obama elected.
Bob R
I must agree with No.3 Mark, DFRW, Timothy and Rob Moore. Nunn is just not acceptable as Obama’s VP running mate. There are many better choices. Nunn can go to hell as far as I’m concerned. And he won’t help Obama carry Georgia. He’ll be a serious drag on the ticket.
Minnie
Changing his views are not enough. He has to do penance, i.e. fix the mess he made.
He installed DADT. Therefore, after he un-installs it and pays reparations to everyone who suffered for it, then I’ll accept him. Something tells me I won’t have the occasion to hold myself to that.
mark
Bookman,
time and a swing of public sentiments doesn’t change aggregious moments in History. by your thinking the parents and national Guard troops and George Wallace should all be embraced now that desegregation isn’t the issue it once was. Hell, even the folks who blew up children and held firehoses in Birmingham… we can just justify as holding unpopular opinions.
Or we could hate them like it was yesterday, so it NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN.
Bookman do you ever consider 10,000 careers were ended because of this BULLSH*T don’t ask don’t tell?
michael
“Marriage is between one man and one woman”
“The rape and pardoning of our 4th amendment rights.
A “rehabilitated” homo appearing on his campaign trail
Now, he would even consider this idiot for a running mate.
Same old bullshit, just a different color. America has not hit bottom yet. I guess it might take 8 more years for that to happen. I am sick of the games, sick of the hypocrisy, just sick of it all.
im2bused
Obama lost my vote with “Marriage is between one man and one womanâ€
abracadaver
Barack Obama is a tool. Just because he’s a sharp one doesn’t mean he’s a good one. Vote Nader and tell them all to f*ck themselves.
AJ
I never understood why people get so upset over DADT? Peope who have never served under the policy, shouldn’t judge this. Clinton made a HUGE step towards equality in the Military. As a soldier under the DADT policy, I can honestly say it is not used as a descriminative device as everyone thinks it is. Instead it is used to actually protect gay soldiers. Soldiers are allowed to be racist and sexist, but they can not bring that attitude to work or the battlefield, it’s the same with gays. Each year, we have briefings on DADT, and they tell us the QUICKEST way out of the military, is to call someone “gay” ,not being gay as people would think, even when it’s true.
Another fact is, because I’ve known soldiers to do it, is when they are discharged under DADT, they actually wanted to get out anyway.
My Platoon Sergeant was the gayest thing on 2 legs, always wearing short booty-shorts and prancing around to Madonna in his ears, never once was he ever confronted or asked about it. Your personal sex-life should never be brought up at the workplace, even for straight people.
Will
Nunn has not changed his mind. All he has said is that the polict could be reviewed. Nunn is an ass and is responsible for Clinton having to sputter out of the gate in ’93 and would have felt right at home in a Republican Congress.
This journo, on the other hand, is just an asshat.
ggreen
Politicians like Nunn love the old forgive and forget kabuki. Especially the “forget” part. The “forget†part is why we have a president appointed by the Supreme Court and a legislature that is more corrupt than the Vichy government (in German occupied France).
dfrw
Normally I wouldn’t post twice in the same thread, but my memory is very long and I remember Sam Nunn distinctly. He’s a bigot and a bastard and I will neither forgive him nor forget him.
hisurfer
AJ, c’mon. I know gay soldiers who flame hard, and I’m always surprised that they aren’t bothered. And I’ve done enough work on base to know that most soldiers are pretty cool. But: I have a hard time believing that the quickest way out of the military is to call someone ‘gay’ rather than to be gay. Plenty of men and women are still being discharged against their wishes.
Minnie
Abracadaver – I’ll take a civil union under Obama before wasting my vote for Nader (and getting McCain) any day. Civil Unions are more than any other president has ever done, especially Bill (DOMA) Clinton.
Mr C
Girls get real.
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton will be the Vice Presidential Candidate 2008…
TRUST ME…….
It’s been to quiet the strategy is on for sure!
STAY TUNED!