Email This to a Friend
Live from DNC: Obama Says Gays ‘Crucial’ to Democratic Victory
The senator congratulated gay activists at today's meeting of the LGBT Caucus at the DNC.
1:45 pm PST
DENVER — Sen. Barack Obama credits gay activists with making the Democratic Party “immeasurably stronger.”
In a letter to the party’s LGBT Caucus — the acronym stands for Lesbian/ Gay/ Bisexual/Transgender — Obama said the group “will be crucial to bringing our Party together and sweeping us to victory on November 4th.”
The letter was distributed at today’s meeting of the LGBT Caucus at the Denver Convention Center.
“Congratulations on being part of the largest LGBT Caucus delegation in Democratic National Convention history,” Obama wrote. “I look forward to seeing the LGBT community turn out in record numbers to help create the changes we seek.”
Also meeting today was the convention’s Recovery Caucus, composed of members struggling to overcome substance abuse problems, which was addressed by Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.).
Kennedy is a “superstar” for the recovery community, said Tonya Wheeler, president of Denver-based Advocates for Recovery, noting the congressman’s sponsorship of bill to compel insurance companies to cover treatment for mental health and substance abuse.
“We have a Recovery Wellness Room in the Convention Center that is available to people who are in recovery from substance abuse and mental health issues,” said Wheeler, who is helping coordinate the effort. “We have 12-step meetings inside the room, as well as some mental health support meetings. We’re just a safe-harbor room for people who are hear at the convention who might need a safe place to go.”
The 14th Street plaza in front of the convention center has become a bazaar of street vendors peddling Obama merchandise, and also a favorite venue for groups promoting various causes.
People for the Ethical Treatment for Animals distributed flyers urging delegates to “Stop Global Warming: Tax Meat.” A ghoulishly costumed contingent promoted Trick or Vote. A bullhorn-wielding Catholic priest carried a banner declaring, “A Vote for Obama Is a Vote for Dead Children.”
Robert Stacy McCain is co-author (with Lynn Vincent) of Donkey Cons: Sex, Crime, and Corruption in the Democratic Party . A frequent contributor to the American Spectator, he blogs at The Other McCain.
 |
 |
 |
Podcasts |  PJM Home |
Pajamas Media appreciates your comments that abide by the following guidelines:
1. Avoid profanities or foul language unless it is contained in a necessary quote or is relevant to the comment.
2. Stay on topic.
3. Disagree, but avoid ad hominem attacks.
4. Threats are treated seriously and reported to law enforcement.
5. Spam and advertising are not permitted in the comments area.
The clause regarding "hate speech" has been deleted because readers criticized it as being too loosely defined. We agreed.
These guidelines are very general and cannot cover every possible situation. Please don't assume that Pajamas Media management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment. We reserve the right to filter or delete comments or to deny posting privileges entirely at our discretion. If you feel your comment was filtered inappropriately, please email us at story@pajamasmedia.com.
24 Comments
1. David Thomson:There is a good joke to tell your friends:
What does Obama and Osama have in common?
They both have terrorist friends who bombed the Pentagon.
This is both funny—and extremely accurate. Nobody can accuse you of a slime job.
Aug 25, 2008 - 2:22 pm 2. WR Jonas:This election is becoming more ridiculous with each passing day. But there is still hope for our side as long as the Democrats blunder around picking millionaire shyster politicians to tell Americans how bad we,ve got it.
Aug 25, 2008 - 2:40 pm 3. locomotivebreath1901:This bunch of crooks can’t wait to fleece the suckers. I’ll bet they keep their day-jobs in the Senate though.
Great line David . It should have read “both had..” since neither will own up to anything.
“Crucial.”
Lord knows it’s such a huge demographic. Realistically, about 2-3% of the general population. Not the over-inflated 10% frequently touted.
But what’s really at stake is not some small demographic that infrequently votes, but the uber liberal, leftist utopian ideal of accepting any personal choice by any person at any time for any reason (unless, of course, you’re religious, patriotic, conservative, waspy, wealthy, or military).
Pander, barry! Pander!
Aug 25, 2008 - 2:41 pm 4. kabud:vote for obama not just vote to kill children
it is a vote to kill 300 million americans
because obama will help kremlin to destroy USA
it is much more serious then any of you inhabitants of shopping malls and tv viewers can comprehend
sometimes i think: you earned what is coming upon you
Aug 25, 2008 - 2:54 pm 5. David Thomson:“Great line David . It should have read “both had..” since neither will own up to anything.”
Gulp, you are so right. That’s why I flunked my third grade English class. Let’s try this again:
“What do Obama and Osama have in common?
They both have terrorist friends who bombed the Pentagon.”
I did not think of this joke. The credit goes to someone else. However, we should make sure it becomes famous.
Aug 25, 2008 - 4:14 pm 6. Self-hating boomer:It goes without saying that the donks support LGBT. Advertising it is likely to drive the “bitter” blue-collar donks away.
Carry on, Mr. O.
Aug 25, 2008 - 4:37 pm 7. Javelin:Well, since the conservatives, being the hypocritcial moral prigs they are, have kissed off the gays, can’t blame Obama for picking them up. Oh, I know, you good Christians don’t hate the sin, just the sinners, no it’s the reverse.
Aug 25, 2008 - 4:45 pm 8. Dave:I guess the Repubs will be busy sucking up to the macho military, police and gun nuts at theri convention, showing everyone what loving, culture of life people they are.
“I guess the Repubs will be busy sucking up to the macho military, police and gun nuts at theri convention, showing everyone what loving, culture of life people they are.”
Giving due respect to people who put their lives on the line to protect the innocent is “sucking up.” Sadly that is the twisted mindset of today’s Democratic party and it gets more perverse all the time.
Aug 25, 2008 - 5:12 pm 9. Herr Morgenholz:Well, since the conservatives, being the hypocritcial moral prigs they are, have kissed off the gays, can’t blame Obama for picking them up. Oh, I know, you good Christians don’t hate the sin, just the sinners, no it’s the reverse.
I guess the Repubs will be busy sucking up to the macho military, police and gun nuts at theri convention, showing everyone what loving, culture of life people they are.
To paraphrase Freud, sometimes a javelin is just a javelin. Heh.
Aug 25, 2008 - 6:03 pm 10. The Democratic Three-Ring Circus Comes to Denver | The Sundries Shack:[...] has already filed his first report from a GLBT meeting today and Michelle has obtained a secret first draft of Michelle Obama’s [...]
Aug 25, 2008 - 6:03 pm 11. syn:Speaking of ‘being the hypocritcial moral prig’ isn’t Obama against gay marriage?
Aug 25, 2008 - 6:04 pm 12. jvon:I vote Republican and I have nothing against gay people. I do have a problem with judges deciding to marry people of the same sex when the voters are consistently against it though. We fought a war to get rid of our unelected overlords, we do not need a new set of them.
And yes I’d greatly enjoy Obama “clarifying” (cough cough) his position on gay marriage for all of us.
Aug 25, 2008 - 6:48 pm 13. dw:yea, he is really stroking those gays…as for sucking up…well, you said it, it’s a demo party speciality
Aug 25, 2008 - 6:50 pm 14. Judy, NYC:hey dems, some party, and how about those gays. while you’re up, could you get me some legislation. i am asking, since it was our mandate that put your asses in seats. you might have mentioned you’d pee yourselves before regulating the banks, and their debt till we die cards (clue: they ain’t the race card). we didn’t get that memo where it says you’d vote for dickensian poor laws to shame and shackle us, and call it bankruptcy law. the least you could do is get us some of that personal universal health care free ride you voted for yourselves that we pay for with our taxes. party on. the clock is ticking.
Aug 25, 2008 - 6:54 pm 15. cedarford:Locomotive breath 1901 – Lord knows it’s such a huge demographic. Realistically, about 2-3% of the general population. Not the over-inflated 10% frequently touted.
But what’s really at stake is not some small demographic that infrequently votes..
The gay Demographic is about as big as the Jewish demographic, though the two constituencies overlap because Jews, for some reason, lead ethnic groups in percentages that are homosexual in orientation.
The main point though, is that in a close election, you do not write off 2-3% of the population blocks. Especially, since like Jews, gays have immense disposable income that makes them reliable large donors, plus gays like Jews are well organized and with high turnout and activists – have major influence in media, in city and national group’s political power bases.
Republicans should never let the Christian Taliban dictate to it that they should treat gays or pro-choice, “for moderate abortion policy” women as 2nd class citizens and unwelcome in Republican ranks or votes.
Besides corruption, and being seen as the tools of the rich, the other great weakness of Republicans is that they are seen as religiously and morally intolerant because of demands by primitive evangelicals.
The bigotry Romney faced is no different than the hostility the Religious Right shows to homosexuals, Jews, women that see some reasons for abortion that need to stay legal (even conservative ones).
Aug 25, 2008 - 7:18 pm 16. Dark Helmet:cedarford,
Bullshit
Aug 25, 2008 - 7:35 pm 17. cedarford:Dark Helmet –
You left out the part about how Jesus will punish me for such thoughts.
How I will roast in Hell along with the Mormons, the Jews, the gays, and anyone who is not a Right To Life Extremist.
Aug 25, 2008 - 8:29 pm 18. Russian Bear:The USA really needs change. What a sorrow, I can not vote for Obama! But Madonna is with us. She called Barak Obama Mahatma Gandi, John Lennon and Albert Gore in one person. With Madonna on the side, Obama is inwinsible. He is going to kick the Old Man’s from Arizona ass.
But will Obama be good for Russians? Who knows those democrats? They are idealists. They like moralizations. Republicans are realists and pragmatics. They are more predictible, rational. It was always eazier for Russians to deal with Republican administrations.
Whatever the result, the coming ellection is “no win, no lose” situation for Russia. It was funny to read some guys’ comments here that Russian attack on Georgia was intended to influence the USA election. Oh, those home-grown American amateur politicians!
Aug 25, 2008 - 10:55 pm 19. danviento:The question here is whether Obama really believes what he’s saying (about this abject minority’s real %) or is just pandering. I wouldn’t be surprised that this is just some leftist notion he picked up in harvard and/or chicago and continues to project in the hopes that it will make a difference.
I will never understand why dems think that pandering to every little minority they can will help them win. Their numbers are such a miniscule %age of the voting demographic that it doesn’t do them much good. The *ONLY* possible mindset behind this is to perhaps guilt the rest of us into thinking that we should do as they say (not do) out of guilt or wanting to be a “good person.” Just how many times have you heard the line that people are “liberal” or a “democrat” or progressive for the sole reason that they “care about people.” That’s always a fun one to debunk for the ignorant and naïve.
So, what are you thoughts on BS Obama’s real understanding regarding the towering LGBT “community?”
Aug 25, 2008 - 11:28 pm 20. Dr. Mark:Funny how libs are always whining about the Republicans and their “special interest” groups. This article provides a perfect example of who Dems (libs, progressives, socialists..)owe their political lives (I would say souls, but I know how most Libs feel about ANY religious reference) to: deviates, pacifists, abortionists, the ACLU and Karl Marx. I will proudly admit to corporate America, the oil industry and the military as traditional Republican “special interests”…at least the safety of the nation, transportation and economic expansion are healthy for this nation. The Dems’ “pillars of support” have lead to the perpetuation of AIDS, 40,000,000 aborted Americans and their continued dream of a welfare/utopian state, But I guess that at least we can all “accessorize” a little better that in the past!!
Aug 26, 2008 - 8:49 am 21. Boris:“I do have a problem with judges deciding to marry people of [different races] when the voters are consistently against it though.”
Sorry, just had to take that post back about 50 years. So voters should decide who we can marry, huh….
Aug 27, 2008 - 11:18 am 22. Eric:Gay marriage isn’t now nor has it ever been about equal rights for gay people. I think they should have the same legal rights as married couples in terms of inheritances, medical care etc. The real issue for gay people is acceptance. They believe taht if they can FORCE recognition of their relationships as marriage then they can FORCE acceptance of homosexuality on those of us that find it repulsive and abnormal. They also push for gay adoption for the same reason. The gay lobby working with the NEA are working hard to ‘normalize’ homosexuality within the public schools. Perhaps gays have an inferiority complex and that is why they so desperatly want to gain the legitimacy that “marriage” they believe will confer upon them. Won’t work. I have had gay acquaintances and even worked for a gay man who was the best boss I ever had. Doesn’t mean I have to acept homosexuality as a legitimate equal to the natural order designed to perpetuate the human species.
Aug 27, 2008 - 1:26 pm 23. pappy:isn’t it ironic that a kennedy is the figurehead of the recovery caucus? in fact, it’s more like posterboy. at one time or other the whole fam damily went through the program. you don’t hear too much about recovering perverts though.
Aug 28, 2008 - 7:19 am 24. PUMABOPEEU:Thats really funny. If you go to the Hillbuzz website. You will get a different perspective. This is a gay run website against BO. They were for Hillary in the primary and actually campaigned for McCain- Palin. They live in Boystown Chicago and know the ins and outs of Chicago politics. They report that BO refused to march in the gay parade and instead got a haircut. He also did not help California with proposition 8. They report that all the blacks that came out to vote for OB, voted against Prop 8 and that’s why it was not passed. They feel that if OB had supported them, prop 8 would have passed easily. These are guys not gals and they support Palin fully.
Jan 28, 2009 - 5:01 am