Norm Kent, Publisher of National Gay News: "Obama is being divisive. He is 'swift boating' us"

[Better Believe It]

The President’s First Mistake:
Tell Ric Warren to Preach Somewhere Else
By Norm Kent
Norm Kent is the publisher of National Gay News and is a criminal defense and constitutional rights lawyer.

It is my obligation as the publisher of a national gay newspaper (www.nationalgaynews.com) to weigh in on the President-Elect’s selection of Pastor Ric Warren to deliver an invocation at his inauguration. This is change we can’t believe in.

As a spokesperson for the gay community, I want to make it clear that I find it offensive.
Mr. Obama is not being inclusive and ‘post-partisan.’ He is being divisive. He is ‘swift boating’ us. After Jeremiah Wright, you have to wonder about his selections for Divine Guidance.

Mr. Obama thinks he can move the needle and bring us all together in a unified effort for a common purpose. He sees an America where I can walk hand in hand with my partner down the aisle, and Reverend Pat Robertson will marry us. I think maybe our President Elect has a little too much of Harvard in him. I agree with Congressman Barney Frank. Some of these people will never be our friends. We are just always going to agree to disagree. If we can do so respectfully, that is great. But I don’t have to invite as the best man to my wedding a pastor who would not marry me to my partner.

My message to Mr. Obama is that there is going to be no ‘honeymoon’ either. The gay community in America has multiple voices and you can expect them to be heard. As this one instance with Pastor Warren shows, we won’t be quiet. Our voices want more than lip service. We seek action. The President Elect has an obligation to fulfill his commitment to support gay rights by initiating acts consonant with the same, from moving the equal rights non-discrimination legislation through Congress, to an executive order eliminating arbitrary exclusions of homosexuals from the armed forces of the United States of America.

To those of you who are already apologists for an invocation from a pastor, whose politics has been one of exclusion, shame on you. There are too many other men and women the President could have picked. He chose not to, and Rick Warren should not be on the inaugural platform any more than the President elect should have invited him.

Please read the entire article at:

http://nationalgaynews.com/content/view/4337/173/

[Hanse]

1. Swiftboating?

Jesus Keerist.

[ProSense]

2. Stop the madness. n/t

[ogneopasno]

3. You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

I'm all for righteous anger, and it is righteous. But, you know, be accurate in your righteousness.

[Political Tiger]

4. "As a spokesperson for the gay community?"

Only in his mind! He's actually an attorney and former radio talk show host whose biggest issue seems to be making pot legal, and more power to him, but for him to describe himself as "a spokesperson for the gay community" is hogwash.

you have to wonder about his selections for Divine Guidance

More hogwash! Obama has never said Warren is his spiritual guider nor as far as I know has he ever attended any of Warren's church services.

To those of you who are already apologists....

And to you self-proclaimed spokespersons for the gay community, I say get over yourselves already!

[matcom]

5. "to support gay rights by initiating acts consonant with the same"

says it all right there. let's actually wait for his ACTIONS shall we?

THAT will mean something for RIGHTS.

Kent apparently can't get out of his own way :eyes:

[EFerrari]

8. Obama started "acting" on November 5. And Kent is right.

[matcom]

12. Kent is an idiot

"acting"?

he can put forth no policy until 01/20/09.

or do you need that explained to you in depth?

[EFerrari]

13. matcom, if you don't realize that Obama started shaping policy on 11/5,

then you aren't in the position to explain shit.

[matcom]

14. shaping policy how?

last I looked he is surfing in Hawaii.

you obviously don't understand how life works

[EFerrari]

15. Yup. I just don't understand how life works.

[NWHarkness]

20. Well you are lucky

Because there are plenty of people here who are eager to explain your life to you.

[matcom]

22. how can I explain HER life to her?

I don't know her.

But it IS unfortunate that a member of DU would be so intellectually childish to think that a President Elect can make policy before being sworn in.

oh wait. now there are 2.

:scared:

[EFerrari]

24. That you have to resort to insults instead of to the record of Obama's

statements and behavior starting on 11/5 is sort of . . just like you.

There's this whole thing they're calling "transition" going on. I bet you can find it on The Google.

lol

[Hanse]

26. The article you posted is just one big, dumb insult.

So if you're going to dish it out, you should be able to take it.

[EFerrari]

27. I haven't posted any article but if you need help

retrieving facts, I'll be happy to pitch in. :hi:

[Vanje]

30. The article was posted by someone else.

[NWHarkness]

32. It must be a contagious disease n/t

[EFerrari]

Right! A common hobby of people who can't find their foot.

[firedupdem]

6. This warren decision suddenly made him a swiftboater? OMG! n/t

[EFerrari]

7. And he's right. I hope every other demographic of about the same size

is looking up right now.

[WildEyedLiberal]

9. The word "swiftboating" has officially lost all meaning

It is not a catch-all synonym for "shitty thing to do." It is a very specific thing - an extremely dishonest and dishonorable smear. Whatever Obama's decision to choose Warren may have been, it is not "swiftboating." Words mean things for a reason. That's why we have dictionaries and thesauri.

[dflprincess]

25. True, Warren is the one who "swiftboated' Gays when he compared them to pedophiles

and Gay marriage to incest. However, it would appear that Obama doesn't have a problem with Warren doing this and I can see why some would see Obama as tacitly endorsing the swiftboating.

[tularetom]

10. I'm very sorry a lot Americans don't have all their rights. But a lot of others are starving

A lot of them don't have jobs, or health care or have or are losing their homes. If I am asked to prioritize people's suffering I'm sorry but the right to marry is going to fall somewhat behind the right to eat or keep your kids healthy or to not live in your fucking car. To ask a guy whose family is sick or hungry to feel sorry for you because you can't marry your partner is a bit self absorbed.

And I'm sorry to inform Mr. Kent that if Obama is able to make some progress on these godawful economic inequalities, 99 out of 100 Americans will not care one iota about some fat fucking televangelist.

[EFerrari]

16. The inability to form legal families contributes to poverty

just as no access to abortion does.

Don't buy in when they try to tell you it's just a few privileged people bitching because they don't get the frills. That's just not true but, it does sound good on paper, Tom.

[NWHarkness]

21. You do know that there are gay people who are poor or homeless right?

And that legal inequality makes it harder for them to get help.

You do know that, right?

[tularetom]

29. Of course I know that. And I'll bet if you asked them their first priority

their response would be food and shelter not the right to marry the partner of their choice.

You are aware of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, right?

[NWHarkness]

31. I give up, you win

There is no indication you want to understand, so I won't bother.

[pnwmom]

11. This is stretching the meaning of Swiftboating beyond all recognition. n/t

[EFerrari]

17. No, it's the very same triangulating bs.

[Hanse]

18. I think the author meant to say...

Obama 3 AM commercialed his Sister Souljah moment.

I mean, if you're just going to take random campaign related phrases and make up bullshit, why not at least be creative with it?

[matcom]

19. ...

:rofl:

[EFerrari]

23. You're not implying that Obama just said shit on the stump, are you?

:rofl:

[xchrom]

28. recommend #9

[Prism]

33. It's like a gameshow at this point: "Who Wants to Be A Gay Spokesman?!"

Spokesman for the gay community?

Which is weird, because I thought he was a self-publishing, self-promoting pot activist.

Seems like there are an awful lot of people in this world constantly speaking for me.

Did I miss some kind of gay election? Were there candidates on the podium who swore an oath "I shall faithfully claim to speak for the entire community as I appoint myself to the prestigious office of Official Gay Spokesperson."

I should form a club and start calling up the local media, self-identifying as a spokesman. I mean, if just about anyone can do it . . . and they apparently are.

Lord.