Clinton: Homosexuality is not immoral.

[babylonsister]

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/03/15/clinton-homosexuality-is-not-immoral/

Clinton: Homosexuality is not immoral.

In today’s Progress Report, we wrote, “Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Barack Obama (D-IL), who both oppose ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ and have otherwise taken strong stands on gay rights issues, refused at first to say that they disagreed that homosexuality is “immoral.” Asked by ABC News, Clinton said, “Well, I’m going to leave that to others to conclude.” Obama simply refused to answer the question after being asked several times.”

To her credit, Clinton has issued the following statement:

I have heard from many of my friends in the gay community that my response yesterday to a question about homosexuality being immoral sounded evasive. My intention was to focus the conversation on the failed don’t ask don’t tell policy. I should have echoed my colleague Senator John Warner’s statement forcefully stating that homosexuality is not immoral because that is what I believe.

UPDATE: From Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL):

As the New York Times reported today, I do not agree with General Pace that homosexuality is immoral. Attempts to divide people like this have consumed too much of our politics over the past six years.

[rockymountaindem]

1. Well, at least she knows when to clarify her position

I'll give her that.

[tk2kewl]

2. good for her

but i still won't vote for her (in the primary)

[ElizabethDC]

3. Good for her

perfect response.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. Got the word from her focus group, I guess?

[BOSSHOG]

5. I find few things more disgusting

then a candidate who feels they cannot afford to offend religious zealots. Thanks Ms Clinton for your comment. You ain't got my vote yet, nor does any other candidate but pandering to the insane will put a great deal of distance between us.

[mzteris]

12. do you really think

that Hillary Clinton for one second thinks that ANY FUNDIE anywhere for any reason would even consider voting for her?

Pandering . . . riiiiiiiiiight.

She has always tried to stay focused on topic and not let the media hounds lead her off of the issue at hand and astray into something that will haunt her no matter WHAT she says.

[paparush]

6. Backpeddling progress...

[waiting for hope]

7. Blah blah blah blah blah

I am so tired of hearing how calculating this is all getting. Damn it, I want a candidate that's not afraid to say what they mean and the closest one yet is John Edwards...I have a feeling that by the time it's time to pick, a lot of people are going to be tired and fed up with all the spin that's coming out of the Hillary and Obama camps.

[Morgana LaFey]

30. I'm way ahead of ya

but I do agree.

This doesn't do it for me for Hillary. I find it pathetic and weak. Here's what I find the polar opposite (which is by NO means an endorsement):

Bill Richardson: "So what if it's risky? It's the right thing to do,"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3164722

[donco6]

8. Much better, and thank you Hillary. n/t

[fed-up]

9. she has selective hearing problem-can't hear those of us asking to GET OUT of IRAQ NOW nt

[mitchtv]

10. Thanks, Senator Clinton

the humbugs on this thread are just that.I haven't decided, do I'll continue to read. Has Obama gone as far?. And I won't support Dems who trash other Dems. Promote your own candidate.

[beachmom]

11. Take 2. Well, better late than never. n/t

[William769]

15. How many takes will it take Obama?

[Pirate Smile]

17. This is silly.

Obama: H'Sexuality Not Immoral Either
Sen. Barack Obama, through a campaign spokesman:

"“As the New York Times reported today, I do not agree with General Pace that homosexuality is immoral. Attempts to divide people like this have consumed too much of our politics over the past six years.”

http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2007/03/obama_hsexualit.html

People assuming the worst about either of them were being ridiculous.

[William769]

22. So are the attacks on Mrs. Clinton

Do you avidly defend her also?

[Pirate Smile]

25. She didn't need defending in this post. You went after Obama.

If someone posted an OP of what Obama had said re homosexuality NOT being immoral and then someone snipped at Hillary AND I knew that she had made a statement that homosexuality was NOT immoral then, yes, I would have posted that fact to them.

This was a silly dust up. We know that neither of them are homophobic. There are real issues. This wasn't one of them.

The "assume the worst and assign the nastiest motives" brigades re Hillary, Obama, Edwards, etc. just annoy me.

[flpoljunkie]

21. Obama: "As the NYT reported today, I do not agree with Gen. Pace that homosexuality is immoral."

March 15, 2007

Sen. Barack Obama, through a campaign spokesman:

"“As the New York Times reported today, I do not agree with General Pace that homosexuality is immoral. Attempts to divide people like this have consumed too much of our politics over the past six years.”

Posted at 03:24 PM

http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2007/03/obama_hsexualit.html

[nosmokes]

13. she did what she said she'd do. she left it up to others to decide the *safest*

way out for her. deciveness is not a clinton trait.

[Dr Fate]

14. Thanks for the clarification- I knew she was not opposed to gay folks. Now get us out of Iraq. n/t

n/t

[Pirate Smile]

16. I see that both she and Obama have both said they don't think it is immoral.

I think most people knew (or should have known) this even before they clarified. I certainly did.

[xchrom]

18. i appreciate the clarification.

[rodeodance]

19. I never once thought Hil would think being gay is immoral. But glad she

sent this out.

[babylonsister]

20. UPDATE!!! from Barack Obama (same OP):

UPDATE: From Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL):

As the New York Times reported today, I do not agree with General Pace that homosexuality is immoral. Attempts to divide people like this have consumed too much of our politics over the past six years.

[zulchzulu]

23. As if...

I found it rather silly that people actually thought Senators Clinton and Obama actually thought that homosexuality was "immoral"... people need to relax and maybe look at their records and see that they are solidly for gay rights.

Stop spreading rumors...

[AZBlue]

24. K&R

Because the DU Hillary Attack Squad will want to try to ignore this.

[Big Pappa]

42. No need to ignore

Once again she could not stand own her own. She had to invoke a Repug. Well if Sen Warner thinks it okay she will blindly follow. What a spineless act.

[Marnieworld]

26. Wow that team that decides what she thinks works very quickly

This is not a leader. Plain and simple.

[draft_mario_cuomo]

37. It is amazing she is getting CREDIT for this

It is obvious what happened here...

[Marnieworld]

39. I love Mario Cuomo

I grew up in NJ so I had a lot of opportunity to be exposed to him. He is one of the most brilliant people and certainly one of the most eloquent the Democratic party has ever had. I am surprised and disappointed that he didn't try harder at a National level. I miss him and I get so excited if I stumble across him on TV.

And Mario Cuomo would have answered the question and not take a day to write it and release it. This type of calculation was unworthy of him.

He'd not only answer the question but convince you that he's right.

Where has he been anyway?

[draft_mario_cuomo]

43. Agreed on all counts

Mario works at a law firm now and wrote his most recent book in 2004. He recently resurfaced at a debate with Newt Gingrich on 2/28 in which each debator spoke for at least 30 minutes about his views and then had a brief question and answer session with Tim Russert at the end.

He will be giving the keynote speech at a conference in New York City on the state of the middle-class on April 2.

[SaveElmer]

27. I'm kickin t his up...

This sinks like a rock, while the anti-Hillary posts that are now obsolete continue to flourish

[eridani]

28. Well, chalk one up for her

Far from my first choice, but better than any Repub by far.

[MasonJar]

29. I think that Americans should thank Hillary for standing up for all

Americans. She immediately clarified her position. I am not gay, but I totally support her position. Thank you, Hill. Your last statement is so true; we need to stop dividing our people with complaints about other people's views. That has been a top priority for the Bushistas.

[IndianaGreen]

34. She can kiss my queer ass!

Hillary did not "immediately" clarify her position. It took hours for her campaign to get their shit together on what should have been a straightforward response on a core issue.

[Marnieworld]

40. Exactly

And if there are things that she is happy to have "...others decide" how can she call herself a leader?

Unforgivable due to the importance of the subject.

Emblematic of what kind of politician she is. I can't understand how people can applaud a press statement that she may or may not have wrote.

Leadership happens when you seize a moment. She failed miserably.

[Clarkie1]

31. Excellent. Kicked and Recommended. nt

[HuffleClaw]

32. flip-flopping idiots, BOTH of 'em

'i should have...' indeed.

[IndianaGreen]

33. Thank you John Edwards for showing the leadership and principled stand on LGBT rights

that front-runner Hillary had to check with her campaign handlers to figure out how to handle.

And thank you Hillary for another example of your lack of core values and for showing the LGBT community the kind of coward you are going to be in the White House when it comes to defending the full rights and privileges of citizenship to which every gay man and lesbian woman is entitled to.

And another thank you Hillary for providing me with more ammo to use against you when I tell my lesbian sisters that their support for you is misguided and that they need to support a candidate that will stand with the LGBT community without first having to check the campaign handlers, or run a poll or a focus group.

[Colobo]

35. Good. The issue should be over now.

[draft_mario_cuomo]

38. Until the political winds shift direction

Then we will see another "clarification." Let's face it, if her advisers didn't tell her to "clarify" her statement she wouldn't have done so...

[draft_mario_cuomo]

36. Another poll-driven flip-flop from her

John Edwards and even a Republican senator were not afraid to make a snap mental decision to state they did not agree with Pace. Unfortunately, Clinton and Obama needed to assess the political calculations before retracting their non-position position into the progressive position.

[Marnieworld]

41. And I doubt that Al Gore, John Kerry, and especially Howard Dean would miss a beat to respond

Can you imagine the contrast with her response and Howard Dean's? :eyes:

[MGKrebs]

46. Get a life.

[draft_mario_cuomo]

47. Brilliant reply!

:rofl:

[sendero]

44. Good for her..

... I didn't think she'd do it. I'm glad she did.

[Pushed To The Left]

45. Good for both of them!

I'm proud of them for taking a stand and clearing things up.