New York Gov. David Paterson isn’t just giving lip service to civil rights. He demanded the state legislature legalize gay marriage. They refused, so he introduced his own bill. And he’s not stopping there. He’s making a media tour to back up his position, reminding everyone about a little thing called “the separation of church and state,” and how civil unions, domestic partnerships, and anything else that is not marriage is not the same thing as equality. Now Paterson is challenging on our own president — who, despite all the warm fuzzies he delivered during his campaign, is not in favor of civil rights.
Dems v. Dems
Why Gov. Paterson Is More Progressive Than That Obama Guy
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Lee
I KNEW we should have paid for that Extended Warranty on Obama. Don’t just sit there pulling on your pop beads, Mary! Find the contract while I call!
“Hello? Yes, we’d like to know: did the ’90 Days’ start the day he was elected or the day he was sworn in? Is it too late to trade him in for Gov. Patterson?”
Mickey's mouse :P
Obama has been proven to be a stupid fucking cunt! He promised change and can be quoted as saying things like equal right s for gays and lesbians, that shit was in his inauguration speech for crying out loud!
I understand that he has a lot on his plate to fix…but he hasn’t talked about any of it, he’s allowed to hold a press conference or do a state of the union address…He should be addressing more IMO.
Lee
Perhaps you were thinking of his election night speech. By his swearing in, we’d already been dumped save for that meaningless To Do list at whitehouse.gov. There was no mention of us in the inauguration speech.
But look for the G-word again about the time he’s running for reelection.
Jaroslaw
I can’t believe that Ruben Diaz would question the timing of this, right after Easter. So would one or two weeks later really have been better? As the Governor said, when slavery was debated, NO TIME was the right time to talk about abolishing it.
Why is is the leaders never point out that the fundamentalist religionists could not even be making these kinds of protests if we didn’t have at least some separation of Church & State? Freedom (and the contractual rights that go with that) is for everyone, not just the people THEY happen to agree with.
Further, and maybe the best new thought I’ve seen on this topic: read this in one of my newsmagazines, I forget the source, but the writer said for those who want to force their religious views through law have the freedom to MOVE to one of those countries!
InExile
If you want a true progressive, vote for Hillary next time! BO’s silence on our issues is deafening and quite disturbing. If only we could put a stop payment on all the donations we made to his campaign!
sparkle obama
not to put too fine a point on things, but some of you Trash sound like children.
…including the one writing the headlines (!)
SNAP OUT OF IT!
Scottie
Ah, poor ‘sparkle obama’. Still living in La La Land
Stitch
It would be wise to step into reality and recognize that the depth and bredth of problems facing the country right now demand that Obama put us on the back burner for a second. Getting married won’t do us much good if we have a ruined economy.
He can’t exactly march into the halls of congress and give us sweeping equality over night. Existing unequal provisions have to be undone. Deals have to be struck. People listen to the campaign rhetoric and expect that it will all be accomplished in the first week of a president’s first term.
THINGS TAKE TIME.
Maybe we could all do something to help some of Obama’s progressive agenda pass rather than whining about how much he sucks online…
petted
It’s a shame Paterson’s popularity #s are so low – people always claim they want a forthright politician and what happens when they get one? Well here’s to Governor Paterson for standing up for not only his ideals but human rights when many in the public and private spheres would rather pretend it all away.
petted
@petted: & no I’m not making a dig at Obama.
Jaroslaw
To Stitch #8 – no he can’t change things overnight but he can speak his mind which apparently he forgot about us.
To Petted #9 – so true, it drives me nuts also that people always say they want this or that and then don’t when they actually get it. Perhaps most of us are still children after all?
Stitch
@Jaroslaw: riiiight. he’s the most scrutinized man on the planet, but he’s totally free to speak his mind. I forgot about that. He can give lip service to any and every cause that he believes in without regard to the political consequences.
Lee
This “things take time” excuse is BULLSHIT!
OF COURSE, legislation takes time but tell us exactly why he couldn’t have even uttered the G-word ONCE since taking office?
He’s had time to promote and sign the equal pay for women “Lily Ledbetter” law — not directly related to that “ruined economy,” speechified and issued orders on stem cell reserach — not related to that “ruined economy,” speechified and issued orders re Guantanamo — not related to that “ruined economy” — and we could go on.
He could have reiterated his support in a few words in his Inaugural Address — didn’t. In any number of media interviews –hasn’t. In one of this press conferences – hasn’t. In his YouTube “townhall” — didn’t. How about just in a printed statement addressed to Congress about what he expects them to pass — hasn’t.
Any of these would have taken mere minutes. But those of us who HAVE “step[ped] into reality” read his inexcusable, indefensible silence loud and clear.
Jaroslaw
Stitch #12 – I”m not sure what you’re saying. But Lee #13 sums up pretty well what I meant.
BrianZ
@Lee: Yea! What you said! I would only add “douchebag” in there somewhere, because I like it.
Stitch
@Lee: “WAH WAH WAH, Obama isn’t giving me any attention!” The way I see it, you’re expecting him to comment on the color of the drapes in a burning room.
There are simply too many other disasterous things going on right now to fault the leader of the free world for not talking about the gays.
If times were great, the economy was booming, we had relative international calm, and there weren’t two wars on the verge of spiraling out of control, a healthcare crisis affecting 50 million people, and an ecological disaster in progress, I’d say you’re right. If times were great, there would be no excuse for the “snub” you’re lamenting.
Stitch
I’m gay. I want to get married. I believe in equal protection of equal rights. equal marriage. equal everything.
Please don’t misconstrue my arguement as anti-gay. I’m just not going to attack the President because he hasn’t given me lip service in a while.
tofer david
obama can do no wrong. hail obama.
Stitch
@Lee: and for the record, how is it a step forward for us if Obama “utters the G-word”??
Why are we fixated on the fact he hasn’t talked about us?
Actions speak louder than words, and granted he hasn’t done much in the way of either. It’s just fascinating to me that we’re hung up on the fact that we haven’t been mentioned. Heaven forbid!
InExile
@Stitch: Maybe we are all just afraid of being forgotten AGAIN!!!!
Lee
Stitch, Stitch Stitch. I must congratulate you. You’re great a playing the greased pig game, as you always slip away from the facts you don’t like to squeal some other distraction. I’ll type this very slowly so maybe it will be easier for you to understand.
1. Obama won countless gay votes simply by dropping the G-word. Therefore, the fact that he has stopped is significant.
2. More importantly, in addition to no longer even bothering us to smile fuck us [he has minions do to that now like inviting desperate-for-any-pat-on-the-head gay families — whom he would deny full legal equality — to hunt Easter eggs], but he hasn’t done anything either. Repeat your excuses doesn’t make them true.
3. The White House dog rates more comment from him than his own alleged LGBT agenda.
4. Gov.Patterson: “separate Church & State.”
Obama: “God is in the mix.”
5. We ARE doing something to help his progressive agenda — we’re calling bullshit on him for abandoning the most progressive part of it [save for healthcare].
Stitch
@Lee: It’s unfortunate that typing slowly didn’t help your grammar or syntax.
It’s clear we aren’t going to change each other’s minds.
I’m simply stating my opinion that it is useless to villify the man for ignoring our perils during a time of national crisis. If he ignored us during an easier time when there weren’t so many potentially disasterous problems facing the nation, I’d agree with you.
Please reason through your arguement a bit more, though. For example, I’d like to see some hard data on the claim that Obama won “countless” votes by dropping the G-word. I’ll agree that many gays voted for him, but I won’t agree that they did so just because “gay” came out of his mouth. The alternative was John McCain, someone who we knew would put our rights on the shelf and pay us no mind.
Remember that when you villify the man just because he’s not PERFECT.
Lee
“would put our rights on the shelf and pay us no mind”
WHAT? We elected John McCain??????
RichardR
@Stitch: Okay, Stitch, President Obama has a lot on his plate. Given. Done.
I’ve written to him and to Secretary Gates about my dismay at hearing the latter say he and the President have just “kicked down the road” the matter of reversing DADT.
I asked both to assure me that the necessary conversations are taking place, and to cease dismissals at once, pending reversal.
Is that asking too much of the most powerful, albeit very busy, man in the world?
RazberrySwurl01
1 word- Awesome!
Stitch
@RichardR: I think writing him and his people, expressing your views, and asking that your voice be heard is infinitely better than getting on here and posting passive-aggressive diatribes. Kudos! We need more folks like you who are willing to be the change they want to see.
Stitch
@Lee: “5. We ARE doing something to help his progressive agenda — we’re calling bullshit on him for abandoning the most progressive part of it”
You’ve obviously not learned the difference between positive action and negative reactionary rhetoric. Obviously I meant we should do something positive to support the progressive agenda like volunteer our time, write our representatives, vote with our dollars, support progressive charities and non-profits, write our editorial boards, hold community meetings and make some noise.
Not bitch and moan.
rogue dandelion
@Stitch: Your argument about things taking time is exactly the one Obama railed against in the campaign. A president can do more than one thing at a time- that is what he said time and time again when asked to prioritize key elements of his agenda. Furthermore, to change his stance on gay marriage wouldn’t take any time at all, and is doubtful to severely dent his 60% approval ratings.
To wait for the period of unparalleled democratic influence to wane would be a huge waste of a victory we worked to bring about.
rogue dandelion
Thank you Mr. Patterson, at least one prominent governor takes advocacy for gay rights seriously.
Ryan
Frome reading the post, I can see the people here dont quite get what being politically savy is all about. Any canddiate running for the office of the president like Obama could never say he supported gay marriage. I in fact think he persanally does, but he can’t waste his political capital on a polarizing issue that personally affects roughly 10 percent of the population. I understand that people want to see to it that equality is established in this country for gays, but I would wait until the middle of is term, before I got upset.
Lee
@ Stitch, and you, ma petite rationalizing bitch, don’t know shit from Shinola.
TANK
Obama’s a politician. What do you expect from him? It’s not what have you done for me…it’s what have you done for me right now. That’s all that matters to these…things. It’s certainly NOT about a “national crisis” or crises, for there’s no either or in something as effortless as publically voicing support for same sex marriage and signing off on an executive order suspending dadt until the legislation catches up to it. Nothing. He needs a reason to support us and use the gay word again. Like all politicians, they need a carrot.
But, there’s a big carrot coming…the decline of the republican party can only mean one thing…we don’t have to depend upon the democrats anymore to do nothing but expel hot air every election cycle.
Audrina
Gay folks hate Obama, Peterson or anything with a tan. They would still hate Peterson even if he handed them marriage in a silver plater. Oh…… we want equal rights oh…….please help us achieve equal rights yet most of us are just a bunch of racists?? Why pretend? we hate paterson just as much as Obama. They are the same color, aren’t they?
Jaroslaw
#33 Speak for yourself. I’m white, voted for Obama, but that doesn’t mean I can’t get ticked when, as noted above, the White House dog gets more press than the Gay agenda as promised by Obama. Disagreeing with someone hardly makes one a racist.
Stitch
@Ryan: exactly! Thanks boo 🙂
@rogue dandelion: making a verbal statement that he changed his stance wouldn’t take any time. ACTUALLY changing policy, developing the political coalition that will be needed to pass legislation, drafting it, allowing for public comment, and striking a deal on anything related to equality for gays will take TONS of time. If you don’t get the distinction, we shouldn’t be having this conversation.
@Lee: apparently when we run out of rational things to talk about we turn to personal attacks. How inclusive and accepting of you.
@TANK: if you think voicing support of equality for gays is effortless, you’ve not spent much time inside the beltway. the Republican party may be down for the count, but the old money conservative institutions that made them a superpower are still there, still hate us, and still drive a hell of a lot of inside-the-beltway deal making.
Synnerman
Because National politics in the middle of a recession are a bit trickier for someone who had to actually work…for two years…to get elected rather than someone who fell into his position.
President for all Americans, not just the gay ones. And face it, if we had been more pragmatic Bush would have been out of office sooner, but we let the Republicans turn us into a wedge issue and get away with it.
lambman
this is why I voted for Hillary in the primary
Chitown Kev
@Audrina:
Take your bigoted ass back to whatever ghetto in Harlem or Provo you came from.
Are you serious?
anon
Thanks Chitown Kev – that is what I wanted to say, but can’t due to circumstances!