Andrew Sullivan: "The Fierce Urgency Of Whenever"

[Jackeens]

I lived through eight years of the Clintons and then eight years of Bush. Through it all, gay people were treated at the federal level like embarrassments or impediments. With Clinton, we were the means to raise money. With Bush, we were the means to leverage votes by exploiting bigotry. Obama seemed in the campaign to promise something else. I listened to him in the early days and found him sincere about ending discrimination by the government; and I came to respect, while vehemently disagreeing with, his position on federal civil unions. He seemed genuinely distressed that gay servicemembers should be treated with contempt and persecution by their commander-in-chief, that gay couples should have to fight for basic human treatment - like entry to hospital rooms, or being able to stay in the same apartment as their late spouse, or forced into cruel separation by immigration laws that treat gay couples as threats, rather than assets, or if you had the temerity to survive HIV, being treated at the US border the way Jesse Helms always wanted people with HIV to be treated - like perverts and pariahs and threats.

More: http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/05/the-fierce-urgency-of-whenever.html

[Captain Hilts]

1. Bill Clinton tried and Obama allies Sam Nunn and Colin Powell stopped the open admission of gays

into the military.

It's patently unfair to categorize Clinton with GWB.

[Lyric]

3. Boy, are you ever going to get shredded for that one.

I admire your courage nevertheless, and agree with you.

:hi:

[Captain Hilts]

6. There are plenty of legitimate things to bash Bubba on, but being insensitive to gay Americans

isn't one of them. Sullivan is a Clinton hater from waaay back.

It's very tiring.

'Hey' back at you.

[Liquorice]

8. It's true. nt

[Captain Hilts]

10. I wish there was a Katharine Hepburn avatar. Go, Bette! nt

[Phx_Dem]

12. Who do you think signed DADT into law?

And if that's okay with you, I assume you're not one of those demanding that Obama circumvent the law to allow gays to remain in the military even though Congress hasn't repealed the law.

[asphalt.jungle]

14. it's kinda weird

how the things they want obama to do away with this minute (DADT, DOMA, ban on HIV-positive tourists and immigrants) were signed into law by clinton.

i apologize for even hinting that clinton had any culpability because he was forced to sign them by obama's "allies".

[Captain Hilts]

15. He should not have done so, but it would have become law anyway. nt

[PBS Poll-435]

2. Oh Andy, just go get a drink already.

nt

[dbonds]

4. You are confused.

You are thinking Christopher Hitchens who drinks a lot. Oh and by the way, FUCK YOU, for dismissing Andrew's concern over gay rights.

[PBS Poll-435]

5. Nice

I saw Andrew Sullivan on Bill Maher a few weeks ago and he was already half in the bag.

And Mr. Sullivan's selective outrage is noted.

[dbonds]

7. One again you are wrong.

Andrew Sullivan has not been on Bill Maher's show since last fall. You are thinking of Christopher Hitchens on this show http://www.hbo.com/billmaher/episode/2009_03_27_ep147.html

[PBS Poll-435]

9. Nope. It was on the On-Demand function on my cable

They had the entire season from last year.

And I know who the 'F' Andrew Sullivan is.


I am just not that into the late-in-life liberal.

[Creideiki]

11. Sullivan's not very liberal

He just doesn't like how the Christian church (and remember Obama's denomination was the most liberal denomination of all before he bailed on them) seems to be obsessed on the Law instead of on Love.

[bluedawg12]

13. Jackeens, many gays agree with you and Sullivan the Obama team wants gays to go away.

>>But I have a sickeningly familiar feeling in my stomach, and the feeling deepens with every interaction with the Obama team on these issues. They want them to go away. They want us to go away.

And what is Obama doing about any of these things? What is he even intending at some point to do about these things? So far as I can read the administration, the answer is: nada. We're firing Arab linguists? So sorry. We won't recognize in any way a tiny minority of legally married couples in several states because they're, ugh, gay? We had no idea. There's a ban on HIV-positive tourists and immigrants? Really? Thanks for letting us know. Would you like to join Joe Solmonese and John Berry for cocktails? The inside of the White House is fabulous these days.

<snip>

Yesterday, Robert Gibbs gave non-answer after non-answer on civil unions and Obama's clear campaign pledge to grant equal federal rights for gay couples; non-answer after non-answer on the military's remaining ban on honest servicemembers. What was once a categorical pledge is now - well let's call it the toilet paper that it is. http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/05/the-fierce-urgency-of-whenever.html
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