The 15th annual Human Rights Campaign fund-raising dinner in Washington made headlines on two counts this week:
1. For the first time, a group of gay, active duty military officers attended wearing their uniforms. Of course, in prior years, that would have been sufficient evidence to trigger an investigation and discharge under DADT. Now DADT is well-burnt toast.
2. President Obama gave the keynote address. Actually, it's not his first time speaking at an HRC banquet. What was notable about it was that he took the occasion to chastise the Republican presidential candidates for not speaking out against the audience members who booed the gay active-duty soldier who asked a debate question from Iraq via satellite visual hookup.
Ann Coulter, among other right-wingers, has stood up for the audience, saying they weren't booing the soldier but the subject of his question: the repeal of DADT. Maybe so, if you want to give them the benefit of doubt. But it fits with other crowd reactions at other recent debates where the crowds have wildly applauded Rick Perry for all the executions in Texas and shouted "Yeah" when the moderator asked if we should just let someone die who doesn't have insurance and can't afford medical care.
So Obama looks good here -- on both counts. He provided the leadership for the repeal of DADT, with some good help from Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman, Admiral Mullen. He was also lauded at the meeting for his call to overturn DOMA and for the Justice Department decision no longer to defend DOMA in the courts on grounds that it is unconstitutional.
Ralph
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The obvious answer to Ann Coulter and others who defend the audience's boos: not only did they not chastise those who booed, they did not do what has become almost mandatory in such debate situations when a military person asks a question.
ReplyDeleteThe debaters always begin by thanking the person for his/her service to our country -- and they crowd then always applauds.
Rick Santorum was the one to whom the moderator directed the question. He did not do this (not surprising, given that gay people seem to make Rick very nervous).
I don't believe anyone else was called on to give a response to the question, but others were free to do what they often do: when next asked a question, they say "first, I want to give my answer to the question that was just asked of . . . "
No one did that either. Just complete silence and ignoring of the gay soldier and the boos.
Now having read what Obama actually said, not just the headline, it's even stronger. He said:
ReplyDelete"We don't believe in the kind of smallness that says it's okay for a stage full of political leaders -- one of whom could end up being the president of the United States -- being silent when an American soldier is booed. We don't believe in that. [He was interrupted by loud cheers and a standing ovation, the most electric moment of the evening.]
He continued: "We don't believe in standing silent when that happens. . . . You want to be commander in chief? You can start by standing up for the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States, even when it's not politically convenient. We don't believe in a small America. We believe in a big America -- a tolerant America, a just America, an equal America -- that values the service of every patriot."
Better late than never: Herman Cain said he should have spoken up during the debate to defend the gay soldier.
ReplyDeleteBut pathetic Little Liz Cheney did her usual trick of finding something to criticize in anything Obama.
She -- of the far right -- criticized him for "trying to have it both ways" in his speech because he has not endorsed gay marriage.
Granted Little Liz has a gay sister, and Grey Grumpiness himself has said he thinks people ought to be able to marry whom they wish. Thanks to Mary Cheney who at least has been able to swing her Uber-Republican family on this one issue.
But let's let the HRC audience itself decide whether they think Obama is on their side. I would say they were, given the cheers and standing ovations he received for his speech and his championing of equality.
Go home, Little Liz. And you TV producers, stop giving her air time on Sunday mornings. Her pathetic, one-note prattle is tiresome.