Hot from today's WH press briefing (via email), Robert Gibbs discloses that the WH currently has no plan to reject or change the heinous defenses in the DOJ DOMA brief. Or rather, he's not aware of any -- nothing like floating the whole plausible deniability statement, but given the matters at hand, dust has probably collected on the brief.Q Robert, on the issue of the DOMA brief, one of your colleagues over the weekend, Lisa Brown, said that she didn't think some of the language that was in that brief should have been in there. Can you clarify from last week whether that brief was clear here at the White House, whether it represents the White House's view?I wonder if that was one of the three questions asked during the WH conference call with LGBT honchos today? The Lisa Brown statement the reporter is referring to about DOMA was said while serving on an American Constitution Society panel (via Queerty):MR. GIBBS: Lisa is the Staff Secretary. You didn't ask her?
Q It wasn't a press conference; it was a panel discussion. But can you clarify whether it was cleared --
MR. GIBBS: I don't know the answer to that.
Q And do you know if there is any discussion underway about maybe modifying it or changing it?
MR. GIBBS: Not that I'm aware of.
But Lisa Brown says it could've been worse! Barack Obama's staff secretary said the Department of Justice's lawsuit response to DOM to DOMA was "an awful lot better that the brief that was written in the Bush administration," adding, "There's no question - personal statement - that there were some cites in there that should not-that should not have been in there...They were trying to...essentially eliminate arguments that the Bush Administration had made."
Speaking at a panel discussion for the American Constitution Society, Brown's words were joined by Vice President Joe Biden's chief of staff Ron Klain, who noted: "I understand why people are impatient with the pace of progress. We have only been here 125 days, and in those 125 days have many irons in the fire. ... I hope that next year when we have this conference and that question gets asked it doesn't elicit the same kind of applause that it elicited this time."
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In semi-related news, Queerty is also reporting that Hilary Rosen will be attending the LGBT DNC fundraiser.
former RIAA chief and current PR strategist-slash-CNN talking head Hilary Rosen will be at the Democratic National Committee LGBT Leadership Council fundraiser on Thursday. We're assuming she'll attend with newly announced girlfriend Randi Weingarten, who might be attending only because she'll have a chance to troll the room looking for job prospects.
At last week's signing by President Obama of the Memorandum on Federal Benefits and Non-discrimination, Senator Joe Lieberman (ID-CT) was standing directly behind President Obama smiling ear to ear as if he is a proud leader and advocate of equality for LGBT Americans. I beg to differ and here’s why.
In late May, I contacted Senator Lieberman’s office here in Connecticut and inquired about his official position on DOMA, DADT, ENDA, UAFA and the Matthew Shepherd Act. A week later I received a letter from Sen Lieberman (click here to see it on Scribd).
But to my dismay, the letter was an outdated prepared response letter which only answered some of my questions. The letter is obviously a worn-out canned response as it states, “The [Marriage Protection] amendment could even jeopardize the viability of Connecticut’s civil union law. . .” Even the most remotely aware LGBT person in this country knows that Connecticut became a marriage equality state 8 months ago. I think this tells me very clearly that the Senator has not reflected on or considered his positions on civil rights and equality for quite some time, and, does not truly care about his LGBT constituents.
The letter also reaffirms Senator Lieberman&amrman’s official position on marriage equality, “. . . I believe that marriage should be reserved for relationships between one man and one woman. . . That is why I supported the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act.” In other words, separate but equal and hailing back to the days of Jim Crow. He also does not represent Connecticut’s stance on the issue. A Quinnipiac University poll released in December 2008 found that 52% of Connecticut voters support marriage equality where only 39% were opposed – a 13 point margin. The poll also found that only 38% of Connecticut voters approved of Lieberman’s job performance.
So here we have a President supporting the full repeal of DOMA inviting a pro-DOMA Senator to the signing of the first itty bitty step in advancing civil rights. To me, it shows the shoddy way last weeks emergency photo op was haphazardly thrown together in an attempt to save the DNC LGBT Fundraiser for later this week. Cash talks, but every seasoned politician in Washington knows that image is everything and the image of yesterday’s event in the Oval Office sent mixed and confusing signals.
Obviously, Senator Lieberman was invited to attend the signing event because he is the sponsor of Senate Bill S.2521 which would, if passed, extend benefits such as health insurance, life insurance and retirement to domestic partners of federal employees. As the LGBT blogosphere has already resoundingly pronounced, benefits for federal employees’ domestic partners is a fringe issue, and crumbs at best, as it would only effect less than 1% of the entire LGBT community in America. It does nothing “concrete” for the millions of LGBT citizens who live under daily discrimination and unequal treatment. But, here again we have the words of Senator Lieberman in his letter, “I believe that basic American ideals of fairness and equality demand that we take concrete steps to end discrimination against gay men and lesbians.”
In contrast, Sen Chris Dodd (D-CT) has now come out in full support of marriage equality for ALL Americans. Click here for the statement he published yesterday.
So I ask you, blenders, does Senator Lieberman’s unfettered support of DOMA and introduction of baby-step fringe-issue crumb legislation sound like “concrete steps” to you? Poll below the fold.
Answering questions from the well-lubricated crowd, Wurzelbacher reveal revealed that he hasn't made any money from the book he wrote, "Joe the Plumber - Fighting for the American Dream," issued by the tiny PearlGate Publishing imprint, but suggested there could be "Joe the Plumber" Christmas ornaments in his merchandising future.Flashback from his appearance in March at a wingnut fest put on by the Media Research Center:Asked who might win his support among potential 2012 Republican presidential candidates, Wurzelbacher dismissed Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich ("No ... no"), before sounding like Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin might be his choice.
"Sarah Palin? Maybe," he said. "She's a nice lady and I like her. She doesn't have that gleam of power in her eyes."
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee won some praise from Wurzelbacher, who ultimately said he worried the candidate was giving in to his handlers.
When it comes down to it, Wurzelbacher said, he didn't prefer a Republican or a Democrat. "I want an American leader," he said to cheers.
"God, all this love and everything in the room and everything -- I'm horny."
The legacy of Cesar Chavez endures today. When his granddaughter, Christine Chavez, joined Basic Rights Oregon for our 2007 Day of Action she made it clear that the LGBT and immigrant communities share a common goal: ensuring that no one lives under laws that say they are less human. To the 11% of Oregon’s population who are Latino, Chavez is a symbol of their struggle for justice. To every other Oregonian, he is a symbol of courage and commitment to the dignity of all people. Currently, there are no public monuments to American Latino leaders in Portland. It is time to remedy this inequity. The Chavez Committee has won the support of a historian panel, the planning commission, and will have the final hearing before the Portland City Council on Tuesday, June 23rd. As a member of Portland’s LGBT community and an ally to all who struggle for acceptance, for dignity, and for an honored place at the community table, I will be there to stand in support of renaming 39th Avenue as “Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard.†I hope to see you there! The Portland City Council meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 23rd, at 6pm at City Hall, 1221 S.W. Fourth Ave.So, how have your conversations gone so far? ll them why the freedom to marry matters to each of us.
So, how have your conversations gone so far? What went well? What kind of responses have you gotten? What have you learned? Share your stories, comments and questions here!
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