Houston GLBT Caucus Endorses Obama

[babylonsister]

:bounce:

http://www.burntorangereport.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=5209

Houston GLBT Caucus Endorses Obama
by: Houston GLBT Political Caucus
Fri Feb 29, 2008 at 00:16 PM CST


www.thecaucus.org

After decades of fighting for equality in the face of discrimination, the LGBT community recognizes, perhaps more profoundly than anyone, the "fierce urgency of now." We long for transformational change. We deeply desire a united country, where we can share openly and honestly with our neighbors. That is why the Houston GLBT Political Caucus is proud to join the unprecedented, diverse, hope driven coalition that is emerging across this nation to elect Senator Barack Obama President of the United States.

Despite overwhelming schedules, both Senator Clinton and Senator Obama had the humility to answer all of our tough questions, fulfilling the same process that every candidate, from precinct chair to U.S. Senator, had to complete in order to secure our endorsement. After engaging in these historic conversations, the Houston GLBT Political Caucus board has voted to endorse Barack Obama:

• Focused on Victory: Through our presidential screening process, Barack Obama and his campaign demonstrated that he's a strong campaigner with a compelling message and superior organization. As with every primary election, the Houston GLBT Political Caucus is intensely focused on victory. Our goal is to enact specific policies that include employment non-discrimination, judicial fairness for LGBT families, and marriage equality. We stand with Barack Obama because we feel he is best positioned to enable us to achieve these goals. We are confident in his ability to win the general election. The Caucus has endorsed over 40 progressive candidates in Harris County, and we believe that Barack Obama's nomination will help us win these crucial local races.

• Joining a Historic Coalition: The LGBT craves unity with our neighbors. Barack Obama has inspired young people all over this country, and we want to stand with next generation. Barack Obama has reached out to rural voters better than any progressive candidate in recent memory, and we are deeply gratified to finally join hands with our heart-land neighbors. Barack Obama has become the voice for immigrants, people of all races, workers, farmers, and the creative-class. From H.I.V. /AIDs to worker's rights, the LGBT community shares the needs and issues of minorities, people from every corner of this nation, and we trust Obama will deliver the change we all need.

• A President for Every American Family: The Caucus Screening committee had a very substantive conversation with Barack Obama. In his answers, Obama proved that he has a keen insight into LGBT issues, constitutional law, and civil rights. We know he is listening to us, and we trust that a President Obama will be a leader for all of America's families, including LGBT families.

[BeyondGeography]

1. Sellouts

:evilgrin:

[Deja Q]

32. A universal paradigm.

:D

[NMMatt]

2. Countdown 3... 2... 1...

McLurkin! McLurkin! McLurkin!

[dailykoff]

12. Remember the McLurkamoe!

[NJSecularist]

3. They don't know what they are talking about

... or at least that is what some people on this forum tell me.

[Cha]

4. Bounce is right!

:bounce: :toast: :bounce:

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

5. I haven't been this upset...

since the ADL accepted Obama's denouncement of Farrakhan.

[donheld]

6. This guy says wonderful

:bounce::bounce::bounce:

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[rucky]

8. Ann Richards, on the other hand...

:loveya:

[WritingIsMyReligion]

9. How long until a certain gospel singer's name pops up?

3....2....1........

:D

[babylonsister]

10. Post #2? nt

[WritingIsMyReligion]

13. Ah, but that was in jest.

Still, I suppose you win. x( :P

[FrenchieCat]

11. Excellent!

:thumbsup:

[NanBo]

14. K & R

Great news. Thanks for sharing.

[dsc]

15. You wonder why so many of us get so pissed off at so many of you

This post has been up for 1 hour and 6 minutes with 0, I repeat 0, of us mentioning McClurkin. But as usual you all decide to bring it up all the while trivializing our feelings. And then you have the unmitigated gall to wonder why on earth we might be pissed.

[NMMatt]

17. Except in the meantime yet another McLurkin thread was started

So get off your sanctimonious high horse already.

[dsc]

18. by one of Obama's supporters

it is the one with McClurkin and Dick Morris. Stop being dishonest. On edit, I do see the thread you are referring to, which it should be noted, is an editorial in RESPONSE to ads Obama supporters have repeatedly linked to this website. Are we now not permitted to even respond to the great pronouncements of St Obama?

[theboss]

19. That's me!

I'm always honest!

[NMMatt]

20. I was referring to this one

McLurkin thread number 156,287

[dsc]

21. I editted

though as I pointed out in the edit, are we now not permitted to even respond to the ads of St Obama?

[NMMatt]

22. Sure respond away

But don't self-righteously claim that you are not using McLurkin as some kind of hammer to hit over the head every Gay rights supporter who chose to back Obama.

[babylonsister]

23. This post has nothing to do with trivializing your feelings and

is not why it was posted. I'm supporting my candidate and am happy that many GLBT members are also. I was under the impression everyone was pissed off at him, so this confirms a world outside of DU.

No disrespect intended.

[dsc]

24. I only responded to you

because I didn't wish to cut and paste it several times in this thread. It wasn't directed at you and I should have made that clear.

[babylonsister]

25. OK, thanks. nt

[bigbrother05]

16. k and r

[matt742]

26. Very ironic endorsement considering this ...

“As God Is My Witness”: Obama Snubs Newsom, Gays

http://noquarterusa.net/blog/2008/02/29/as-god-is-my-witness-obama-snubs-newsom-gays/

[susankh4]

33. Ironic indeed

The man will be seen on a stage with McClurkin. But now Mayor Newsom?

There is something very wrong about that. I don't care who endorses him.

[matt742]

27. Before you vote, please make sure YOU know your candidate.

If you take time to fill in the blanks that most of mainstream media leaves out, you'll learn that Obama has been 'missing in action' for a lot of things because he's been too busy inflating his presidential suit:

He was 'missing in action' ...

- from his own state legislative record in Illinois. His entire record was created in ONE YEAR's time, facilitated by Emil Jones Jr.
- from leadership in a host of critical community issues in his own district in Chicago during his State Senate years
summary: http://wonkette.com/361542/barack-obamas-dastardly-rage-and-corruption-revealed
summary:
original article: http://www.houstonpress.com/2008-02-28/news/barack-obama-screamed-at-me/

- by failing in his chairmanship of a Senate subcommittee on Europe to hold a hearing on NATO's presence in Afghanistan
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/02/29/clinton-obama-missing-in-action/

- from a Senate vote last year on a nonbinding resolution in that labeled the Iranian Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization (Clinton voted for the measure and faced heat from Obama and other Democratic rivals for supporting a measure pushed by the Bush administration.)
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/02/29/clinton-obama-missing-in-action/

- at the Black State of the Union address in New Orleans last week
Obama takes heat for skipping State of the Black Union
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/02/23/obama.sobu/

- at a "controversal" photo op
“As God Is My Witness”: Obama Snubs Newsom, Gays (article at noquarterusa.net)
http://noquarterusa.net/blog/2008/02/29/as-god-is-my-witness-obama-snubs-newsom


"Obama has spent his entire political career trying to win the next step up. Every three years, he has aspired to a more powerful political position."

http://questionbarackobama.blogspot.com/

[CTLawGuy]

31. umm he was state senator for 8 years, so no NOT every 4 years

and even if that were true, are we supposed to vote for Hillary? *snicker*

[stillcool]

37. oh man...

http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=the_year_of_the_organizer

A History of Organizing

As a community organizer for three years in Chicago in the late 1980s, Obama learned the skills of motivating and mobilizing people who had little faith in their ability to make politicians, corporations, and other powerful institutions accountable. Working with churches and neighborhood groups, Obama taught low-income people how to analyze power relations, gain confidence in their own leadership abilities, and work together to improve their housing, schools, and other basic services.

"What if a politician were to see his job as that of an organizer," he asked a local newspaper at the time, "as part teacher and part advocate, one who does not sell voters short but who educates them about the real choices before them?"

Since embarking on a political career, Obama hasn't forgotten the philosophical and practical lessons that he learned on the streets of Chicago and that are now central to his campaign for the White House.
----------------------------------

A key tenet of community organizing is developing face to face contact with people so that they forge commitments to work together around shared values. Organizers are not social workers. Their orientation is not to "service" people as if they were clients, but to encourage people to develop their own abilities to mobilize others. They help people turn their "hot" anger into disciplined action. Community organizers also distinguish themselves from traditional political campaign operatives who approach voters as customers through direct mail, telemarketing, and canvassing urging them to support their candidate as if they were selling soap.

This approach is reflected in how Obama's campaign has integrated itself into local communities. In Iowa, for example, campaign organizers, both paid staff and volunteers, were required to help in community recycling projects, tree planting and garbage pick-up -- making themselves available for the day-to-day tasks required to enhance the neighborhoods they were in.

http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_category.php
can_id=BS030017

Judge Him by His Laws
By Charles Peters
Friday, January 4, 2008; A21

People who complain that Barack Obama lacks experience must be unaware of his legislative achievements. One reason these accomplishments are unfamiliar is that the media have not devoted enough attention to Obama's bills and the effort required to pass them, ignoring impressive, hard evidence of his character and ability.

Since most of Obama's legislation was enacted in Illinois, most of the evidence is found there -- and it has been largely ignored by the media in a kind of Washington snobbery that assumes state legislatures are not to be taken seriously. (Another factor is reporters' fascination with the horse race at the expense of substance that they assume is boring, a fascination that despite being ridiculed for years continues to dominate political journalism.)
--------------------------------------------
Consider a bill into which Obama clearly put his heart and soul. The problem he wanted to address was that too many confessions, rather than being voluntary, were coerced -- by beating the daylights out of the accused.

Obama proposed requiring that interrogations and confessions be videotaped.

This seemed likely to stop the beatings, but the bill itself aroused immediate opposition. There were Republicans who were automatically tough on crime and Democrats who feared being thought soft on crime. There were death penalty abolitionists, some of whom worried that Obama's bill, by preventing the execution of innocents, would deprive them of their best argument. Vigorous opposition came from the police, too many of whom had become accustomed to using muscle to "solve" crimes. And the incoming governor, Rod Blagojevich, announced that he was against it.

-------------------------------------
The police proved to be Obama's toughest opponent. Legislators tend to quail when cops say things like, "This means we won't be able to protect your children." The police tried to limit the videotaping to confessions, but Obama, knowing that the beatings were most likely to occur during questioning, fought -- successfully -- to keep interrogations included in the required videotaping.

By showing officers that he shared many of their concerns, even going so far as to help pass other legislation they wanted, he was able to quiet the fears of many.

Obama proved persuasive enough that the bill passed both houses of the legislature, the Senate by an incredible 35 to 0. Then he talked Blagojevich into signing the bill, making Illinois the first state to require such videotaping.

Obama didn't stop there. He played a major role in passing many other bills, including the state's first earned-income tax credit to help the working poor and the first ethics and campaign finance law in 25 years (a law a Post story said made Illinois "one of the best in the nation on campaign finance disclosure"). Obama's commitment to ethics continued in the U.S. Senate, where he co-authored the new lobbying reform law that, among its hard-to-sell provisions, requires lawmakers to disclose the names of lobbyists who "bundle" contributions for them.

Taken together, these accomplishments demonstrate that Obama has what Dillard, the Republican state senator, calls a "unique" ability "to deal with extremely complex issues, to reach across the aisle and to deal with diverse people." In other words, Obama's campaign claim that he can persuade us to rise above what divides us is not just rhetoric.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/03/AR2008010303303_pf.html

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/o/barack_obama/

http://essence.typepad.com/news/2008/02/roland-s-mart-6.html

February 11, 2008
Why Obama should skip Tavis Smiley's State of the Black Union
-------------
Here is my analysis of the situation, and hopefully it will put this presidential campaign and the delicate task of navigating the waters of black politics in perspective.

1. Clinton MUST attend. She led Obama in all of 2007 among black voters by huge margins. But that trend has shifted -dramatically. At best, she's polling at 25% among African Americans. Her acceptance is critical because she needs to capture 30% to 40% of the black to really stop Obama.

The perceived racial slights toward Obama by Clinton campaign surrogates, as well as her husband, former President Bill Clinton, has done significant damage in the black community. His attempts to explain the comments haven't mollified African Americans. Her appearance at the event can help her restore her standing among a vital Democratic constituency, which she will need to turn out en masse if she wins the nomination.
---------------
2. Obama must look forward, not in the past. The Louisiana primary, which he won handily, was on Saturday. Why go back to Louisiana for an event on Feb. 23? That is not to dismiss the needs of people along the Gulf Coast. But the only way he can truly help them is if he wins the nomination and the White House.

Obama needs to be solely focused on Texas and Ohio. Those two mega-states offer a huge bounty of delegates, and he needs to win a large state to move ahead of Clinton. She polls strongly in both states, and they are a huge part of her winning strategy; so much of her time will be spent there in the coming weeks.

All his time must be on the ground. In Texas, he must blanket South Texas because of the Hispanic influence. He didn't do well among Hispanics in California, and he must change that.
-------------------------------
If Tavis wanted to have an impact, he should have held his event before Louisiana or before the Mississippi primary. As the saying goes, bad planning on your part doesn't constitute a sense of urgency on mine.
------------------------------
Spending the day with Tavis and his panelists is vital for Clinton. For Obama, time spent courting Latinos in Texas is more
http://essence.typepad.com/news/2008/02/roland-s-mart-6...

[catgirl]

28. Kick! N/T

[Support the ACLU]

29. Thanks for posting nothing but a positive message about your preferred candidate

[Occam Bandage]

30. Excellent--especially given the number of times here

I have been told that I have no idea what real GLBT think, and that real GLBT all refuse to support Obama because of McClurkin.

[flpoljunkie]

34. Great news! A shout out to Houston's GLBT caucus!

[kid a]

35. This is frickin awesome

[Scurrilous]

36. K & R

:thumbsup:

[Colobo]

38. Viva Obama!

[KLee]

39. WTG LGBT!

GO OBAMA!!!

Thank you for posting this :)

Rec

[From The Left]

40. Well Done Houston!