Euan Blair, David Dreier and Gay Stereotypes: Some DUers Need to Grow Up

[muriel_volestrangler]

So the story breaks that Tony Blair's son is going to do an internship in Congress with a Republican. I hadn't heard of Dreier before this, but apparently it is widely believed he's gay, though he has never said this openly. One of the chief pieces of 'evidence' seems to be his long and close relationship with his chief of staff.

Yet when this is reported, several DUers feel the need to talk about Dreier being gay as being relevant, some make arch comments about how 'interesting' it is that Euan Blair is going to a gay politician's office, and some start on jokes about KY jelly, and how Euan better watch out.

For goodness' sake, would you start making jokes about a female intern going to work for a man who's been married and faithful for 30 years? Or a male intern working for a heterosexual woman? Why are DUers going at once to the 'gay=promiscuous' (and maybe even 'predatory on the young') stereotype? We expect better standards here than on Free Republic, people.

[LightningFlash]

1. Call it a hunch, but there's always something 'Gannonite' about....

...the whole situation.. :think: :scared: :smoke:

[1932]

4. Can I call it a smeer?

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. And there, you prove my point

Euan Blair is not using a false name; he does not have a background as a male escort; he's not going to be a biased 'reporter'; and yet you think there's some connection with Gannon. Hunch? 1932 is right, it's a smear.

[EnfantTerrible]

2. I'm with you...

how can gay marriage ever be taken seriously in this country when there are those in the progressive/liberal camp who can't refrain from stereotypical and adolescent commentary !

[1932]

3. Is Blair doing the internship with the committee or the congressman?

I believe he's doing it with the committee. If the Democrats suddenly took over congress, the chair would be a Democrat.

No matter what committee Blair worked on, it could be said that he was interning with a Republican, since they're the majority party.

I think, beyond the gay smeer, this whole "he's working for a Republican" thing is unfair too.

Apparently, one article said that after he finishes his internship with the committee, he's going to intern with a congressperson -- a Democrat.

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. A good question, and I'm not sure

and, being British, I'm not knowledgable enough about the workings of Congress committees to know whether 'working for the committee' means working mainly for the majority party or not. At least one quote seems to imply it does:

The decision to place Euan in his committee office has raised eyebrows for more straightforward political reasons. Eric Burns, a spokesman for the committee's senior Democrat, Louise Slaughter, said: "It is extremely surprising that the son of a Labour prime minister would intern with the Republican majority staff on the committee."

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=650051

Some stories say it's in Dreier's office, but other stories just say it's with the committee.

I don't know if it's common for someone to plan to do 2 internships with different offices, with at least the impression of 'balance'. If it isn't, then this would seem to show that Tony Blair still thinks he can't be seen to favour the Democrats over Republicans, which would say something about the New Labour stance (although Euan is an adult, and so his father isn't responsible for him, an unusual arrangement would point to Tony being involved).

[dsc]

5. Oh you will hear the pious gay baiters

claim it is all about the hypocrisy. They just can't stand that hypocrite Drier. But we do know the score. The only hypocrisy this is about is the hypocrisy of liberals engaging in gay baiting here and then being shocked, shocked, when it is done to the likes of Hillary.