Should an anti-gay Democrat deliver the SOTUS response?

[IndianaGreen]

The same Democratic establishment that opposed the Alito filibuster has selected Virginia Governor Tim Kaine to provide the Democratic response to Bush's State of Union Address. Kaine is an avowed opponent of equal rights for LGBTs, including marriage rights.

Kaine is one of those that would have LGBT people wear a pink triangle, or pink Star of David, but would not support sending gay people to the gas chambers, as Indiana's ranking homophobe Brian Bosma would have us do. How nice, a compassionate Nazi!

Virginia Governor Issues Warning On Anti-Gay Amendment
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff

Posted: January 26, 2006 - 1:00 pm ET

(Richmond, Virginia) Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine says he is troubled by the wording in a proposed amendment aimed at banning same-sex marriage in the state.

In his first statewide radio address as governor the Democrat said that the amendment is flawed and needs fixing.

Speaking on the Virginia News Network Kaine said that he supports prohibiting same-sex marriage in Virginia but one provision in the proposal could destroy the right of all unmarried individuals to enter into personal, legally binding contracts.

The proposed amendment defines marriage as a union of a man and a woman and goes on to say that anything that simulates the rights and privileges of matrimony is also barred.


http://www.365gay.com/Newscon06/01/012606vaFolo.htm

Mixed Messages From New Virginia Governor

Timothy M. Kaine was sworn in as Virginia's 70th governor at a ceremony at the Colonial Capitol in historic Williamsburg on the weekend.

His first official act was to extend an executive order signed by his predecessor, Mark R. Warner, that makes it illegal for the state government or agencies to discriminate against gays and lesbians. Both Kaine and Warner are Democrats

While signing the order was the first thing on Kaine's agenda it was one of Warner's last acts as governor. (story)

But despite supporting equality in the workplace for state employees, Kaine said after the signing that he would put his name to legislation aimed at amending the Virginia Constitution to ban same-sex marriage. Kaine said he opposes both gay marriage and civil unions.

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon06/01/011506virginia.htm

What say you? Should an anti-LGBT politician be the one to deliver the Democratic response to Bush's State of the Union, and if so, what does that say about the Democratic Party regarding LGBTs?

[Horse with no Name]

1. Who picks the person? eom

[IndianaGreen]

3. Reid and Pelosi picked Kaine for the Dem response (WaPo)

Reid and Pelosi either did not do the proper vetting of Kaine's dismal LGBT views, or they just wanted to pander to the Religious Right. In either case, this was a blunder and a slap in the face to the LGBT community.

I suppose that when the Democrats refer to a "Democratic vision that focuses on the priorities of all Americans" they don't include gays and lesbians.

Democratic Leaders Turn to Kaine
Va. Governor Tapped to Give State of the Union Response for Party

By Michael D. Shear
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, January 20, 2006; Page B05

RICHMOND, Jan. 19 -- Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine has been tapped by national Democratic leaders to give his party's response to President Bush's State of the Union speech on Jan. 31, party leaders said in a statement Thursday night.

Senate Democratic Leader Harry M. Reid (Nev.) and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) called Kaine on Thursday, and he accepted, according to the statement, also issued by Gov. Bill Richardson (N.M.), chairman of the Democratic Governors Association.

"Throughout his career in public service, Governor Kaine has been a champion for working families, putting their priorities above the needs of the special interests," the statement said. "The success of his positive message in Virginia is indicative of the resonance of Democratic values with the American people."

The statement said Kaine will talk about the "Democratic vision that focuses on the priorities of all Americans" in a brief address from the governor's mansion in Richmond.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/19/AR2006011901510.html

[marmar]

2. No. Bad choice.

Why let someone who's in favor of discriminating against one of the party's most loyal constituencies deliver the SOTU response? It's bad voodoo.

:(

[IndianaGreen]

4. Don't just hide behind a "Yes" vote, tell us why

I can't hardly wait to hear the usual homophobic crap that one hears disguised as moderate politics.

[IndianaGreen]

5. A kick for the afternoon crowd

We will oppose whatever the enemy proposes, and support whatever the enemy opposes.

-- Mao Zedong

[IndianaGreen]

6. A kick for the very late afternoon crowd n/t

:kick:

[Totally Committed]

7. I don't think he should be giving the response, period....

He was a bad choice, made even worse by this sh*t.

TC

[IndianaGreen]

11. I agree with you, Kaine does not speak for me or my values

His position of reproductive rights is the same as Bush's.

Kaine should be doing the response of a coalition party, not for a party that claims to be the opposition.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

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

[IndianaGreen]

9. You can't be for bigotry and be against it at the same time

This is the problem the Democrats had with segregation. The correct position is to oppose segregation, but it was the fear of offending the racists among them that prevented Democrats like FDR from supporting integration.

A party that stands for nothing, is nothing!

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

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

[IndianaGreen]

14. Equality for LGBTs is not just a political theory to many of us

who are in the trenches at the state and local level fighting the rightwing machine.

Excuse us when we fail to show the proper respect to those that live in that rarefied air in the Beltway.

Equal rights for all is not a slogan!

[dsc]

10. Frankly the whole response thing seem kind of dumb

They never really work out in any case. I am hardly impressed with the choice of Kaine but he could be worse. At least he is in favor of employment rights. I just hope the same sex marriage amendment doesn't come up in Bush's speech.

[IndianaGreen]

13. Yep, it could be worse, they could have Lieberman doing the response

and then the charade will be over for good!

[dsc]

17. Lieberman is actually quite good on gay rights

He in favor of employment rights way back in the 1970's. Though he would be a dismal choice for a response.

[IndianaGreen]

22. On the whole, Lieberman is an apologist for Bush's wars of aggression

His vote in support of Bill Frist's motion to shutdown debate on Alito puts him on the side of the Bush dictatorship, that makes him no better than a Quisling.

[AZBlue]

15. The two aren't connected.

And the Democratic Party doesn't dictate what people believe in - that's the Republican party.

I do question the appropriateness of any Governor delivering the response. I believe it should be a member of Congress (I know Governors have delivered it before, I just think that should be changed).

[SillyGoose]

16. No - its absurd.

[Freddie Stubbs]

18. Our last presidential nominee opposed gay marriage

[IndianaGreen]

20. And he was wrong and confused about that, as Clinton was about DOMA

As long as it is the state that issues a marriage license, the state should not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation anymore than it should on the basis of race. It is no accident that the same religious grounds against marriage equality for gays and lesbians was the one used in passing laws barring a white person from marrying outside the race.

This is the 21st Century and we either move forward, or fall back into the barbarism of religious bigotry and persecutions.

[Freddie Stubbs]

44. I really doubt that Kerry and Clinton were Confused by this issue

They knew exactly what they were doing.

[Tom Rinaldo]

21. Kaine said he opposes both gay marriage and civil unions

Kerry supported civil unions.

[onenote]

31. where did he say that...link please

its not what he personally told me.

[ruggerson]

42. Well then he lied to you

because he opposes civil unions.

[Catchawave]

33. Link ?

[Tom Rinaldo]

38. I quoted from the OP of this thread

"But despite supporting equality in the workplace for state employees, Kaine said after the signing that he would put his name to legislation aimed at amending the Virginia Constitution to ban same-sex marriage. Kaine said he opposes both gay marriage and civil unions."

[JetCityLiberal]

19. Absolutely NOT

but after yesterday I doubt they will listen to me.

We have 2 Dem State Senators up here in Washington State that voted against offering equal protection under the law to those who are gay and lesbian...sickening to me and I will not even try to get my head around that. The only reason the measure passed was because one repub crossed over and voted to end the discrimination.

Bigotry is not one of this Democrat's values and never will be. And if you have a "D" by your name and you support discrimination like this you will never represent me.

[wiley]

23. Let's see if he says anything about it

We just got a supreme court justice rammed down our throats primarily by a rabid pack of one issue freaks who want to make abortion illegal. Now we have DU members saying we should be nice to kaine because otherwise we are being "one issue" fanatics. The statement about Kaine being a compassionate Nazi, however, is way off base however. He would prefer there wasn't any amendment at all, I'm sure.

[IndianaGreen]

25. Kaine actively opposes marriage rights and civil unions for LGBTs

just as he opposes abortion.

[wiley]

26. and civil unions?

Ugh.

[dsc]

27. actually it gets even worse believe it or not

The amendment he will end up supporting also forbids couples from having any kind of legal agreement. No durable powers of attorney, no wills, no nothing.

[wiley]

40. Yesterday I think that would have been unconstitutional

although the SCOTUS would have found a creative new way to somehow strictly interpret the constitution to allow.

[onenote]

32. show me where he actively opposes abortion rights

He is personally opposed to abortion, but does not support changing the law.

onenote

[Catchawave]

34. Link?

[dsc]

39. You are dead wrong on abortion

He is personally opposed, like Cuomo, but as to public policy he favors.

[IndianaGreen]

41. He would sign an anti-abortion bill

Like I said, he opposes gays being sent to the crematoria, but he is not opposed to gays wearing a pink triangle.

[dsc]

43. You will have to provide a link for that

as far as I followed he said the opposite, that he wouldn't sign such a bill.

[quinnox]

24. I'll reserve judgement until I

hear how he does. He might do well.

[jackpan1260]

28. Maybe not, but I'd rather have gov. Kaine than gov. Kilgore.

Virginia isn't very progressive you know.

[IndianaGreen]

29. Still, Kaine should not be the Democrats' face after the SOTU speech

We might as have the late Strom Thurmond, the Southern Democratic segregationist that bolted to the GOP.

[Catchawave]

36. Wanna help me out in Ed/Other Ariticles :)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x187889

edit to add:

Liberal Bloggers--Tim Kaine Isn't the Problem Katrina vanden Heuvel
Sun Jan 29, 11:34 AM ET



The Nation -- Why are so many liberal bloggers up in arms about Virginia Governor Timothy Kaine being picked to give the Democrat's reply to Bush's State of the Union? There's been fury in the blogosphere about everything from Kaine's looks, style, obscurity, his open talk about his faith and his inexperience in national security. Liberal writer Ezra Klein (no Brad Pitt, last time I checked him out) vented that Kaine is "a squat, squinty, pug-nosed fellow."

Even the invariably smart and strategic Arianna (Huffington) weighed in: "What the hell are they thinking?" She accused Democrats of picking "someone whose only claim to fame is that he carried a red state" when they need to make the case that "the GOP is not the party that can best keep us safe."

But, let's get real here.

1. It doesn't really matter who gives the reply, since no one listens and it's an impossible task.

2. This is slightly less important than whether House Minority leader Nancy Pelosi chooses to wear blue or red to listen to the speech.

3. He's a Governor. With most of us fixed on the chances of taking back the House and/or Senate, don't forget this is an election year when thirty-six statehouses are up for grabs. And smart progressives understand that the gridlock in DC means many policies which will improve peoples' lives and security--increasing the minimum wage, expanding affordable healthcare, strengthening environmental protection, Apollo Alliance projects for energy independence--are likely to come from states led by Governors who understand the need for affirmative government.

4. And, hell, Kaine is pretty liberal for a Virginian. During the campaign, he was derided relentlessly by the GOP, in an expensive and vicious campaign, as "the most liberal candidate who's ever run for governor in the Commonwealth of Virginia's history." Kaine is a guy who made a name for himself working with the American Civil Liberties Union, who connected his faith to his politics in authentic ways (he was a thoughtful opponent of the death penalty), who was an honest and forthright advocate of government's affirmative role--supporting moves to increase taxes to fund education, transportation and environmental programs.

And as The Nation's Washington correspondent John Nichols observed, Kaine was "a consistent proponent of racial justice in a state that is barely a generation away from the days of 'massive resistance' to integration." And in a state which hasn't backed a Democrat for President since Lyndon Johnson in 1964, Kaine connected with retired coal miners and laid-off textile workers who are critical swing voters in Appalachian Virginia.

For liberal bloggers who want to get exercised about something really important: Where are the Democrats or liberals talking about Ford laying off some 30,000 workers, the end of middle class benefits for working Americans, IBM's gutting of pension security, and the collapse of American manufacturing?

These are chilling events, and both parties (especially the divide-and-distract Republicans) treat them as natural disasters about which nothing can be done and for which no one is at fault.

If you want to know why Dems don't win elections, it won't be because Kaine is talking this Tuesday night. It's because the mainstream leadership of the Democratic Party doesn't think, feel, or viscerally respond to the increasing insecurities of working Americans.

[EvolveOrConvolve]

30. Absolutely NOT!

And I also would like to know the rationalization behind propping a bigot up as our voice. He sure as hell doesn't speak for me.

[ruggerson]

35. No

and the fact that you have to even ask this question is very troubling.

[Ekirh]

37. Kaine is my Gov .. .

I supported him in the VA Gov elections (No way in hell I was going to end up with Kilgore) but no . . . definitely not. Horrible choice for a response. I believe the response should be done by a member of the Senate in any case. . . but regardless. . . horrible choice.