We’re only halfway through 2010 but more than a half million bucks has already found its way from Human Rights Campaigns supporters to Senate and House Dems. Republicans have even scored a cool $16,838, relays Michael Petrelis.
A total of $35k went to both the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee — both groups The Gays listed among their boycott. But you already knew Joe Solmonese wasn’t taking part in that charade.
Cam
How nice for Joe, that will get him lots of party invites in the next year.
Corey
Oh please, they need it! With all this tea party bullshit infesting america our democrats need all the support they can get. It’s only a matter of time before Palin or Jindal are our presidents, we’ve lost the house and senate, and ANY chance of gay marriage is out of here.
Gridlock
Corey: if there’s no chance of it happening with Democrats who enjoy supermajorities in both houses AND the oval office (an unheard of situation that will be practically impossible to duplicate for a long long time) because the Democrats aren’t interested in LGBT rights…
Then what’s the damn difference if the GOP gets in?
The GOP will win EVENTUALLY no matter what.. so what then?
The Democrats haven’t done ANYTHING for LGBT rights even with all the political capital in the world, majorities in both houses and the presidency. That should tell you something.
THEY DON’T CARE.
Lanjier
Don’t look what ass-in-the-air Joe blow does. He is just biding time until his Administration appointment.
Kris
@ Corey…
Listen, if the house and senate go to the republicans, we will be in a world full of crap. Honestly though, I don’t think that the government will change much, from where it is today. Repub=money,tax cuts for the rich, defending the BP Oil company in the Gulf, closeted gay repubs that only vote no on every gay issue. Palin is a demon on wheels, she might run for president in 2012, but she will not be voted into that office. You have to keep faith with your democrats. I know we haven’t been the best party out there, but they’re sure better than a bunch of repubs in office.
Bill Perdue
HRC is a front group for the Democrats who are no better, and often worse than their Republican cousins.
Brutus
@Gridlock: Just FYI the Democrats DON’T have supermajorities in both houses.
JAW
Do You all believe that by NOT giving money to the Democrat party, that we will gain more rights???
Some of you may not be happy with the speed of progress that is happening (or not happening, but progress IS happening, from the Matthew Shepard bill to a Trans woman in the administration to new benefits for gov employees etc. I agree that lots more Must be done, but things are happening. DADT will be gone in less then a year,
How much progress would have been made if McCain/Palin had won the election in 08?? We have a long way to go, but at least we are moving in the right direction. If we lose the majority in both houses, do you all think we will continue the slow progress, or will we be dead in the water?
There are many Democrats that have supported us, and are in trouble of losing their seats. Do we want to replace them with tea-baggers, and stop the progress?
The best way that I know of to make sure that our money is seen is to give to groups like HRC or GLBT Democrat clubs, so that the candidate will see a large amount from a Gay group instead of small amounts from average citizens that will be hard to track as gay dollars
Brutus
@Bill Perdue: You just said that the Republicans are either the same as or better than the Democrats. Slam on the Democrats for their failings all you want, but that’s a ludicrous statement.
Bill Perdue
@Gridlock:Exactly.
Here are the latest poll numbers (reported on Political Wire) which reflect the fact that people are fed up with both of parties because they’re virtually identical. They also reflect the fact that the Democrats across the board betrayals and failures are going to cost them dearly.
A new iBloomberg poll finds 71% of Americans think the economy is mired in recession. Furthermore, the public mood is bleak with 63% saying they believe the country is on the wrong track, the most negative reading of President Obama’s tenure.
Meanwhile, a new CBS News poll finds 51% of Americans have a negative impression of the economy and expect the effects of the recession to linger for years.
The latest Public Policy Polling survey shows President Obama’s approval rating hit a new low this month with just 45% of voters approving of the job he’s doing while 52% disapprove.
First Read: “From 1996 through 2004, American politics barely changed. We lived in a 50-50 nation, with one party picking up/losing just a handful of congressional seats per cycle, and with the presidential contests decided by razor-thin margins or the winner not getting 50%. It was like a WWI battle — so much blood, sweat, and money spent for a few inches of political change. But that wasn’t the case in 2006 (when Democrats won back the House and Senate) or in 2008 (when Obama won decisively in the presidential election, and Dems picked up many more House and Senate seats). And this year, we could be headed for our third-straight change election.”
These numbers are so bleak they caused Democrat James Carville to quip “We have a three-pronged strategy: To keep the House, it’s called the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.”
Baxter
Hmm…so we can either vote for the Democrats and have a bankrupt country, higher taxes, higher unemployment, and limited gay rights or we can vote for Republicans and have a smaller deficit, lower taxes, lower unemployment, and limited gay rights.
L.
Article title: $526,819.
Article body: $35k.
Um.
Bill Perdue
@Brutus: No Brutus, it’s not.
Bill Perdue
@Brutus:
However you support for the Democrats who are murdering American GIs and muslim civilians from Palestine to Pakistan is offensive.
Your support for the Democrats who gave us DADT and DOMA and refuse to repeal them or pass ENDA is offensive.
And your support for the Democrats policies of rewarding the looter class with trillions while busing unions, encouraging wage and benefit cuts and enacting draconian cuts in social and medical spending is offensive.
Damien
Pam Spaulding’s blog had a great discussion on people only donating to individual candidates and causes this election cycle and not the DNC (nor HRC).
JAW
@Bill Perdue:
Bill Please remember that it was Bush that got us into these wars. I would love to have all of the troops come home… indeed would prefer that they were Never there, but life is not that easy. I do not know all the ins and outs of Foregin Policy, but I have chatted with several guys that have returned from the war and they Think that they are doing a good thing.
I have not heard from many GI’s that saw we should just get out… none want to be there but they understand why.
DADT was put in over 16 years ago (just 24 years after stonewall).
Clinton believed that it would help. Since he had a republican congress, as well as many Dems that would not support him. We all know now that he was wrong.
When Bush took office the budget was balanced… we were paying on our debt. When bush left office we were trillions of dollars in debt, thanks to his policies and the wars that he got us into.
I do agree that neither party deserves our money, but since they are all we have, we need to choose the lesser of 2 evils. I see the Republicans and their teabagger friends as the Biggest Evils.
Bill where do you think we would be if McCain/Palin were in office??
Brutus
@Baxter: LOL @ the idea that electing Republicans would do anything about the deficit or the size of government, or would give tax cuts benefitting the average taxpayer or change unemployment.
This ain’t 1960. Republicans are all about increasing defense spending and feeding the military-industrial complex, and tax cuts for the rich based on trickle-down economics.
Oh yeah, and legislating morality.
Brutus
@Bill Perdue: Bill, you attempt to portray yourself as a radical leftist, but then you say things like “the Democrats are worse than the Republicans.” Those two things are inconsistent, which means you’re either irrational or being dishonest about one of them.
American GIs are not being “murdered” by the definition of that term. We are waging a military campaign with an impressively low number of casualties. I did not support most of the action to begin with, but now that we are there we need to do everything possible to stabilize the region and promote its economic development. That’s in the interest of both domestic and world security. Those GIs are giving their lives so that you’re free to post on Queerty.
You seem to have forgotten that the Republicans gave us DOMA. Legislative power, you may recall, is vested in Congress. The Democrats did give us DADT, and it was a good move in 1994. It changed the basis of military discharge from status (under Reagan’s Defense Directive 1332.14) to conduct. It was the best thing that could be politically accomplished at the time. Now we’re getting very close to taking the next step of removing homosexuality as a basis for discharge altogether.
I also don’t actively support Democrats who don’t support ENDA. BUT, when it comes down to a vote between a non-ENDA-supporting Democrat and a non-ENDA-supporting Republican, I’m going to vote for the Democrat, because even if the party can’t exercise enough muscle to change that Democrat’s vote on the bill, his or her presence contributes to creating a Democratic majority, which gives Democrats agenda control and committee leadership. Without that, ENDA isn’t even a possibility.
I don’t know what “draconian cuts in social and medical spending” you’re talking about, but if by “rewarding the looter class with trillions” you’re talking about the bank bailouts, let me remind you that those banks hold the mortgages on hundreds of thousands of people’s homes, and give loans to businesses. When they go under, it has a massive impact on real people. “Too Big To Fail” is a ludicrous concept but an unfortunate reality. With luck, some of the financial reforms will help to address that. Oh, but what’s the Republican answer? DEregulate and give the banks GREATER freedom. No thanks.
ewe
It is quite obvious Joe Solmonese does not give one fuck about gay people and what they think. This has always been about him and he is not about to give up that salary he makes. I don’t even care what the HRC says anymore and i do not support them either.
ewe
Yup HRC has managed to make themselves about as credible as the Log Cabin Republicans. Way to go Joe.
christopher di spirito
Joe Solmonese is a fancy boy.
In fact, Washington Magazine anointed the controversial and highly ineffective Human Rights Campaign president, Joe Solmonese, the “Elegant Activist” because of his celebrated, sartorial gifts.
According to Washington Magazine:
“The president of the Human Rights Campaign favors designers Ann Demeulemeester, Billy Reid, and Dolce and Gabbana.”
So there you have it.
Solmonese can’t get ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ or DOMA repealed but, he sure knows where to shop, what to buy and how to wear it. If you’re one of the few who still donates to the Human Rights Campaign, you may want to reconsider after this.
lfivepoints69
Let’s be clear, the Democrats in a year and a half have accomplished more for gay civil rights and for all Americans than all previous administrations combined.
Billy
Politicians = Whores. They don’t need anymore money. We need leadership that cares and will make decisions based on equality and facts. Both parties disgust me. HRC = shit.
Mike
But, I’m not boycotting the Democrats…nor am I boycotting HRC. I give them money so they’ll do stuff like this.
MikenStL
@Baxter: No we’d probably just find a couple more trillion dollar war’s to pay for…..
MikenStL
Opps before the grammar police get me I meant wars, not war’s LOL
Bill Perdue
@JAW: Bush1 began these wars for oil.
Clinton followed up with constant air and missile attacks and embargoed food, sanitary and medical supplies that murdered roughly half a million Iraqi children.
When Lesley Stahl of CBS’s 60 Minutes asked about it Madeline Albright, Clinton’s Secretary of State admitted to the mass murder of children.
Stahl “We have heard that a half million children have died. I mean, that’s more children than died in Hiroshima. And, you know, is the price worth it?
Albright: “I think this is a very hard choice, but the price–we think the price is worth it.” – 60 Minutes (5/12/96)
Bush2 invaded Afghanistan and then Iraq, killing addition hundreds of thousands? His actions were supported by the vast majority of Democrats including superhawks like H. Clinton and Biden.
Obama is not winding down, he’s keeping 50,000 troops in Iraq to control the oil and escalaing in Afghanistan. The combined death toll of GI’s murdered by Bush and Obama now exceeds 6,000. The combined death toll for civilians exceeds 1,000,000.
If McCain were in office there’d be a bit more fighting in Iraq and a bit less in Afghanistan. Palin would probably be impeached or have resigned by now. She’s as easy a target as Agnew. [img]http://www.rawa.org/temp/runews/data/upimages/killed_by_us_nareng_afghanistan.jpg[/img]
Bill Perdue
You’re confused again Brutus. Very confused. But you’re a Democrat so that’s to be expected.
Bill Perdue
II’m a socialist and for fundamental change. You’re a confused right centrist who supports all the wrong things, temporizes and distorts history.
“Those GI’s” were murdered by Bush1, Clinton, and Bush2 to make the world safe for BP (an American owned multi-national company) and Haliburton. They’re being murdered by Obama for the same reason. Just as LBJ and Nixon murdered over 55,000 GIs.
If Obama wanted to use the armed forces to help Americans he could use them to protect strikers, jail TARP recipients and the looter rich in general, guard the homes of people facing foreclosure and arrest jailing all managers at every level from BP and Haliburton and all federal officials from his administration who approved BP drilling permits. And how likely is that?
The Democrats gave us DOMA and DADT. They voted overwhelmingly for both and Clinton signed both. DOMA passed by a vote of 85-14 in the Senate and by a vote of 342-67 in the House. And of course Republicans supported both, proving that the only differences between the two parties are cosmetic. The DADT bill you support is simply military bigotry codified into law, voted for by Democrats and Republicans and signed by Clinton.
So far you support the use of GIs dying and getting maimed to stabilize US control of Iraqi oil and the Afghani minerals and now you’re saying that military bigotry was a good move in the 90’s. Bull. It was never a good move for PFC Barry Winchell who was murdered because of DADT or for the thousands of other Gs, Marines, sailors and air crew beaten, harassed and discharged without benefits. Only a Democrat or a Republican would say that ‘good’.
As I said your support of the murder of GIs to protect profits and your support for the military bigotry codified into law by DADT are offensive.
The alternative to rewarding the looters who wrecked the economy is to nationalize the banks without compensation and jail the looters. Why am I not surprised you didn’t think of that.
the crustybastard
@lfivepoints69: Let’s be clear, the Democrats in a year and a half have accomplished more for gay civil rights …
Let’s be clear, I have fewer civil rights today than the day I was born.
Democrats voted for a law that banned gays from serving in the military. Democrats voted for DOMA. Democrats voted for all those mini-DOMAs too.
Democrats haven’t bothered to undo all that harm generally, and this administration specifically has accomplished NOTHING in terms of gay civil rights.
President Obama has a stated preference for “separate but equal” marriage rights.
And by the way hate crimes laws are not civil rights laws, they’re just sentencing enhancements. Permitting certain federal employees to have limited fringe benefits on a nondiscretionary basis is also not a civil right.
Brutus
@Bill Perdue: Please explain how I’m confused so that I can stop being confused.
Bill Perdue
@Billy: I’m a socialist and for fundamental change. You’re a confused right centrist who supports all the wrong things, temporizes and distorts history.
“Those GI’s” were murdered by Bush1, Clinton, and Bush2 to make the world safe for BP (an American owned multi-national company) and Haliburton. They’re being murdered by Obama for the same reason. Just as LBJ and Nixon murdered over 55,000 GIs.
If Obama wanted to use the armed forces to help Americans he could use them to protect strikers, jail TARP recipients and the looter rich in general, guard the homes of people facing foreclosure and arrest jailing all managers at every level from BP and Haliburton and all federal officials from his administration who approved BP drilling permits. And how likely is that?
The Democrats gave us DOMA and DADT. They voted overwhelmingly for both and Clinton signed both. DOMA passed by a vote of 85-14 in the Senate and by a vote of 342-67 in the House. And of course Republicans supported both, proving that the only differences between the two parties are cosmetic. The DADT bill you support is simply military bigotry codified into law, voted for by Democrats and Republicans and signed by Clinton.
So far you support the use of GIs dying and getting maimed to stabilize US control of Iraqi oil and the Afghani minerals and now you’re saying that military bigotry was a good move in the 90’s. Bull. It was never a good move for PFC Barry Winchell who was murdered because of DADT or for the thousands of other Gs, Marines, sailors and air crew beaten, harassed and discharged without benefits. Only a Democrat or a Republican would say that ‘good’.
As I said your support of the murder of GIs to protect profits and your support for the military bigotry codified into law by DADT are offensive.
The alternative to rewarding the looters who wrecked the economy is to nationalize the banks without compensation and jail the looters. Why am I not surprised Brutus didn’t think of that.
Bill Perdue
@ewe: II’m a socialist and for fundamental change. You’re a confused right centrist who supports all the wrong things, temporizes and distorts history.
“Those GI’s” were murdered by Bush1, Clinton, and Bush2 to make the world safe for BP (an American owned multi-national company) and Haliburton. They’re being murdered by Obama for the same reason. Just as LBJ and Nixon murdered over 55,000 GIs.
If Obama wanted to use the armed forces to help Americans he could use them to protect strikers, jail TARP recipients and the looter rich in general, guard the homes of people facing foreclosure and arrest jailing all managers at every level from BP and Haliburton and all federal officials from his administration who approved BP drilling permits. And how likely is that?
The Democrats gave us DOMA and DADT. They voted overwhelmingly for both and Clinton signed both. DOMA passed by a vote of 85-14 in the Senate and by a vote of 342-67 in the House. And of course Republicans supported both, proving that the only differences between the two parties are cosmetic. The DADT bill you support is simply military bigotry codified into law, voted for by Democrats and Republicans and signed by Clinton.
So far you support the use of GIs dying and getting maimed to stabilize US control of Iraqi oil and the Afghani minerals and now you’re saying that military bigotry was a good move in the 90’s. Bull. It was never a good move for PFC Barry Winchell who was murdered because of DADT or for the thousands of other Gs, Marines, sailors and air crew beaten, harassed and discharged without benefits. Only a Democrat or a Republican would say that ‘good’.
As I said your support of the murder of GIs to protect profits and your support for the military bigotry codified into law by DADT are offensive.
The alternative to rewarding the looters who wrecked the economy is to nationalize the banks without compensation and jail the looters. Why am I not surprised you didn’t think of that.
Cam
If Get Equal hadn’t been forcing the issue with the Dems, nothing would have happened.
Remember, Barney Frank called gays whiners and said there would be no movement on gay rights this year, he refused to co-sponsor a bill introduced by Rep Alcey Hastings to repeal DADT and the White House Presured Rep Hastings into pulling the bill. The White House said there would be no movement on DADT this year. It was only after people like Dan Choi and Get Equal made such irritants of themselves that Congress pushed ahead dragging a reluctant White House along. HRC did nothing but go with the flow once they realized that momentum had been reached.
tjr101
As a liberal Democrat I don’t mind if the money goes to the DNC provided it supports progressive candidates. What’s shocking is the$16,000 given to the GOP, they shouldn’t get one red cent!
Ronbo
Heck of a job, Joe. And please stop saying, “if the bigots in the Dem party aren’t supported, the boogeymen (Republicans, Palin, Gingrich, etc…) will get you.
Would you truly rather vote for (and get) someone who won’t support you? Or, would you prefer to vote for someone you love, and lose? The (newish) DLC Dems are the exact same party as the Republicans. They, (DLC Dems) just allow the Right to move further Right. You enable this when you elect people like President (Ronald Reagan) Obama. It won’t happen twice! Obama is a Bigot far to the right of Reagan. Allowing the shift (however small) to the right, moves the entire spectrum…to the right.
Stop it Bitches!
Alexa
@tjr101, exactly. We should never under any circumstances support the GOP, not even supposedly gay friendly candidates, because they will turn on us at the drop of a hat – it happened here in Jersey during the vote on marriage equality. They can claim to be our friends all they want, but they aren’t.
What we should be doing is making sure our money goes to progressive, gay friendly Democrats. If an incumbent is a bigot, our money needs to go towards a progressive challenger. HRC and other groups should be more careful about where they spend our money. It’s not rocket science.
christopher di spirito
@Bill Perdue: Bill, you’re 100% correct but, as you know, many gay men worship the Clintons. I’m a heretic: gay, male and I detest Bill and Hillary. If Obama fails to redeploy the troops out of both Iraq and Afghanistan, I predict it will cost him a second term. The American people are just weary to the bone of war, death and the debt associated with Empire. Our presidents (and many of our elected lawmakers) never learn.
Bill Perdue
@christopher di spirito: That’s changing as people begin to see the distinction between what politicans say and what they do.
You can’t define bigotry just by what people, especially what politicians and ‘religious’ figures say. Their careers begin and end with lies. Politicians and all but a few lawyers are members of the world’s second oldest profession and cult leaders are simply parasites.
It’s more realistic to define the role of politicians and cult leaders by what they do. Our agenda isn’t a fight for ‘special privileges’. Essentially it’s centered on shielding ourselves from the effects of pervasive intolerance, harassment, bullying and the occasional but ever present threat of violence. Those who refuse our agenda support discrimination, and I think we should describe them as bigots and tell people why.
Bill Clinton is a good example. In 1992, in a three way race with Perot and Bush1 Clinton desperately needed votes and was the first major party candidate to cultivate the GLBT vote in a big way. He called for hope, change and promised a fierce defense. A year later he caved on DADT and signed military bigotry law into federal law and in 1996 he championed DOMA, signed it and boasted about it in election ads. He remained a bitter opponent of same sex marriage until very recently when it became clear to him that most of us think of him as a bigot. Now he wants forgiveness.
Now some PBS talking heads are predicting that because Obama is such a failure he’ll nominate H. Clinton as his next VP, especially if Palin is winning Republican primaries.