Turns out NJ Governor James McGreevey, who just came out as gay, trumpeting his “courage” as a step forward in gay rights, does not support Gay Marriage. According to the New York Daily News, he made that clear last March when the first gay couple got married in Asbury Park, NJ:
McGreevey supports domestic partnership measures but not gay marriage. “The governor believes that the domestic partnership law is the best way to protect people’s basic human rights,” Rasmussen said. “We’re working hard to implement that law now. The issue of marriage is one that is before the courts.”
I apologize for blogging about McGreevey again, because he’s so creepy and reprehensible he’s scarcely worth the bandwidth. But sadly he’s all too typical of American politics today. And we deserve better. People ask what I mean about the New Reactionaries. Well, this is an example. (hat tip: Fausta)
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15 Comments
1. John Moore ( Useful Fools ):He’s a toad.
He takes no responsibility or makes any sacrifices for people he hurts doing whatever the hell he is doing. In a culture that values pleasure over all else, it’s not surprising to find such a creature.
He’s a toad.
BTW… my comments related solely to people he hurts, not his supposed sexual preference.
He’s a toad.
Aug 23, 2004 - 3:42 pm 2. Barry Dauphin:I wonder if putting his friend on the Homeland Security job was part of his domestic partnership initiative.
OT-I’m predicting that the NY Times will claim that, following the Afghan elections, there were “worrisome” amounts of voter fraud which raises “serious questions” about the “legitimacy” of the Afghan government. The next day the editors will write a glowing editorial about all the wonderful things Hugo Chavez is doing for Venezuela.
Aug 23, 2004 - 4:03 pm 3. Pat Curley:I’m not a McGreevey fan, but he could legitimately be gay and oppose gay marriage. Hugh Hewitt had a segment last week where he asked for gay men to call and he asked them all where they stood on gay marriage. To a man, they all opposed it, preferring civil unions. Even Hugh seemed surprised. Of course, we’ll assume that most of the gay men listening to Hugh’s show are conservative, but still, it was intriguing.
Aug 23, 2004 - 4:06 pm 4. doug b:Why does it follow from being gay that you have to believe in and support gay marriage rights?
Somehow I don’t think Roger would appreciate it (and he would be quite right) if I ascribed a set of opinions that he MUST hold to be honest because of some characteristic of his (Roger is Jewish, therefore…). Why is his doing this to McGreevey (creep though he may be)meek, right, and salutary?
Aug 23, 2004 - 4:17 pm 5. Terrye:Pat:
It is true that gays are not as monolothic in their views as many people seem to think. But it would be interesting to hear if McGreevey feels the same way concerning gay marriage today.
And the man is creepy.
Aug 23, 2004 - 4:17 pm 6. Roger:Of course I agree that gays need not be any more monolithic than anyone else. But McGreevey chose to use Gay Rights as the cloak for his atrocious behavior. That is why I respond this way.
Aug 23, 2004 - 4:22 pm 7. Fausta:Thing is, McGreevey won’t allow gays to marry if they so desire, while at the same time making a travesty of his own marriage in the process of positioning himself for a comeback all for political purposes.
Atrocious.
Aug 23, 2004 - 5:17 pm 8. ambisinistral:Hey, this is New Jersey we’re talking about. McGeevey is probably just positioning himself for his next campaign.
Aug 23, 2004 - 5:30 pm 9. Fausta:McGeevey is probably just positioning himself for his next campaign.
Definitely so! With focus-group tested wording, no less.
From the NYTimes Styles section
Equal rights my foot.
Aug 23, 2004 - 5:41 pm 10. Ben:At this point, the real scandal is that McGreevy is attempting to hang on to his job just long enough to deprive the people of NJ of the chance to select his successor. This is unconscionable: it’s nothing more than the latest episode in his political life designed to advance his own standing at the expense of doing what’s right. It looks like even gay men can be part of the old boy network.
Aug 23, 2004 - 6:16 pm 11. Pat Curley:Oh, believe me, I thought the whole “I am a gay American,” was contrived as an effort to avoid talking about putting his lover into a highly paid and highly sensitive position for which he was ridiculously underqualified.
What I guess I’m saying is that the only thing that requires one to be in favor of gay marriage is that you are in favor of gay marriage. It’s not that you’re gay yourself, or that you’re gay and a Democrat, or that you’re gay and use it as an excuse for other crimes.
That said, I suspect that almost all Democratic politicians support gay marriage in their liberal hearts, and that they dissemble about it because they know it’s still a losing issue.
Aug 23, 2004 - 6:27 pm 12. Janis Gore:Perhaps McGreevey was being wise. Do gay and lesbian partners want legal protections sooner or later?
The word ‘marriage’ kicks a trigger that ‘domestic partnership’ or ‘civil union’ doesn’t. Look at the polls. The public seems to be willing to acknowledge commitments without placing such relations in a sacred context.
I’m not interested in a long rehash of whether gay and lesbian relationships are this or that.
Perhaps he was thinking, “What is expedient?”
Aug 23, 2004 - 6:55 pm 13. penwil:Tomorrow’s Wall Street Journal has an editorial that cuts through all the noise and absolutely nails Kerry to the wall.
http://opinionjournal.com/
Aug 23, 2004 - 9:26 pm 14. penwil:Sorry. Accidently posted to the wrong thread.
Aug 23, 2004 - 9:27 pm 15. maryatexitzero:Corruption has always been a major part of Jersey politics, especially in Hudson county, where McGreevey is from.
As a Jersey voter and Hudson county resident, I was only shocked to see that McGreevey was willing to tell some small bit of truth about his life. The rest of the story – the hypocrisy, conflicting accusations and deals made by party bosses are just business as usual here.
Aug 24, 2004 - 6:20 am