HRC Defended Endorsing a Republican over a Democrat for Senate

[pantsonfire]

The Human Rights Campaign's endorsement of Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders in January triggered backlash, and the top LGBT lobbying group is once again the center of hot debate because of its latest pick. HRC recently announced its first round of congressional endorsements, and one of them is proving controversial — that of Illinois Republican Mark Kirk for reelection to the Senate.

A writer for The New Republic reacted to the Kirk endorsement...He said Duckworth’s qualifications stand as one of the reasons for the outrage over the Kirk endorsement. “By all accounts, Duckworth is an exceptional candidate,” Eric Sasson wrote on The New Republic’s website. “She is an Iraq War veteran who was wounded in battle; the first Asian-American woman elected to Congress in Illinois; the first disabled woman to be elected to the House of Representatives, ever. If there ever was a candidate that an organization accused of having a diversity problem should not be opposing, it’s Tammy Duckworth.”

But critics also say it’s crucial for the LGBT rights movement and progressive causes in general to restore a Democratic majority in the Senate. “Even if one were to argue that Kirk’s record is acceptable, having his party retain control of the Senate decidedly is not,” Sasson wrote. “With the Republican presidential field in Trumpian disarray, control of the Senate is very much in play in 2016. In fact, Kirk is one of the most (if not the most) vulnerable senators up for reelection. One would like to assume that the powers that be at HRC are aware of how much more favorable a Democratic Senate would be on LGBT issues.”

http://www.advocate.com/election/2016/3/24/hrc-defends-endorsing-republican-senate

[cantbeserious]

1. DU Purpose - Is To Elect Democrats - HRC Chooses To Endorse A Republican Over A Democrat

Does that not make the support for HRC at DU untenable?

[Hoyt]

3. Sanders has run against Democrats in state general elections.

[rhett o rick]

6. .

[Loudestlib]

15. Not the same.

Hillary has run against Obama, that is nothing like an endorsement. n/t

[Hoyt]

20. That is what candidates do n primaries. But Sanders has run against Dems

in state GE.

[Loudestlib]

21. Sweet Jesus, you've heard of primary challenges right?

They happen a lot. Again, this is not the same as an endorsement. Now off with your straw-man. n/t

[Hoyt]

24. We are talking general elections where a non-Dem runs against a Dem.

[GeorgiaPeanuts]

2. HRC is discriminatory to Lesbians within its organization...

It is also not a great advocate for Trans Rights. This election cycle opened my eyes to the HRC after all the lesbians flooded HRC facebook page with 1 star reviews.

HRC kerfluffle reminds me of a lot of the racism I've seen in the gay community. The gay bars here in Atlanta are mostly segregated. It is weird you'd expect marginalized groups to support other marginalized groups, but it seems to not be as common as you'd hope.

[riderinthestorm]

4. She endorsed Kirk over Duckworth??!! That's insane!!

[pat_k]

7. Not Hillary HRC. Human Rights Campaign HRC.

Still mindboggling.

[riderinthestorm]

9. Oh my god yes!! nt

[rhett o rick]

8. To Clinton and the Third Way Wing of our Party, there is nothing worse than a Progressive.

Goldman-Sachs/Clinton stated that either Clinton or a Republicons would be acceptable as President. Message is that anyone but a progressive.

[Turn CO Blue]

13. The other HRC -- Human Rights Campaign, civil rts organization for gay, lesbian, bi, trans

I think what has happened to them may be similar to what happened to all organizations as they grow very large.

The term I coined for it is "dinosaurification", which by my definition is: getting way too big, way too slow, spending too much energy gathering resources, and going around with the head too far above what is happening on the ground.

I've seen it with the large unions, a couple of non-profits I've volunteered for, and I saw it with my once lean and responsive employer over the years as we eventually quadrupled in size/market-share.

HRC seems to have lost its way, being bludgeoned by critiques, especially lesbians and progressive lefties repeatedly in the last year.

[riderinthestorm]

18. Ok, I stand corrected but still, insane from the "other" HRC

[pat_k]

5. WTF

I missed this back in March. Thanks for posting.

[awake]

10. WTF after months of hearing about how Hillary is the only true Democrat

Now we find out she is backing a Rebuplican for the Senate, I guess she just could not hide her true colors.

[femmedem]

14. The OP is about Human Rights Campaign, not Hillary Rodham Clinton. Different HRC's.

Reading the thread, many people misunderstood.

[awake]

16. Got it thanks for the heads up

[Scuba]

11. Tammy Duckworth isn't part of any minority group ...

... when it comes to the issues. She's pretty progressive, just like most Americans.

(Yes, most Americans are fairly progressive, even if they don't know it. )

This is why Hillary, DWS and the other Third Way assholes that corrupted our party's values don't want her around.

[pacalo]

17. Over Tammy Duckworth! Unbelievable.

And at a time when Democrats should be trying to strengthen their current majority in the Senate!

[Major Hogwash]

19. Well, I guess it's possible.

That perhaps the HRC is full of rightwing Log Cabin Republicans, but Duckworth is far more qualified to be a Senator than Kirk ever was.

[Odin2005]

22. So according to DU rules Hillary supporters should be given pizza.

[JTFrog]

23. Why? Is Hillary responsible for who the Human Rights Campaign endorses?

Or is it just that everything is Hillary's fault?