Release from Barney Frank: 'I am very disappointed by Obama’s decision to honor Reverend Warren'

[kpete]

News Release from Barney Frank
Congressman, 4th District, Massachusetts
2252 Rayburn Building · Washington, D.C. 20515 · [phone] For Immediate Release:

December 18, 2008

STATEMENT OF CONGRESSMAN FRANK ON PRESIDENT ELECT OBAMA CHOOSING RICK WARREN TO GIVE INAUGURATION INVOCATION

I am very disappointed by President-elect Barack Obama’s decision to honor Reverend Rick Warren with a prominent role in his inauguration. Religious leaders obviously have every right to speak out in opposition to anti-discrimination measures, even in the degrading terms that Rev. Warren has used with regard to same-sex marriage. But that does not confer upon them the right to a place of honor in the inauguration ceremony of a president whose stated commitment to LGBT rights won him the strong support of the great majority of those who support that cause.

It is irrelevant that Rev. Warren invited Senator Obama to address his congregation, since he extended an equal invitation to Senator McCain. Furthermore, the President-Elect has not simply invited Rev. Warren to give a speech as part of a series in which various views are presented. The selection of a member of the clergy to occupy this uniquely elevated position has always been considered a mark of respect and approval by those who are being inaugurated.

more at:
http://www.house.gov/frank/warren121808.html

[crone]

1. well done Barney

I am still reeling over the disrespect Obama has shown towards the GLBT community (and I am an old straight married lady)and have really been able to think of not much else all day. I am very very disappointed in this man I worked so hard to elect.

[Johnyawl]

2. The obamabots will be here any moment to start trashing Frank

[marmar]

6. I think the choice of Warren is a huge mistake, but using the term "Obamabots" ......

..... recalls the childishness of the primaries, n'est-ce pas? :think:

[Johnyawl]

13. To me it recalls the last eight years...

...and the way the bushbots excused everything bush did, refused to listen to even reasonable criticism of their hero, and anybody who did criticize him was immediately attacked. There is a very large crowd of obama followers here on DU that have adopted the same mentality re the PE. Barney Frank was roundly trashed on a thread a couple of weeks ago for being mildly sarcastic in obama's general direction (most of his comment was actually directed at bush).

[cali]

22. fuck that. I'm an "Obamabot" and I heartily agree with Frank.

Furthermore, I'd never trash him even if I didn't agree with him. Sorry to punch holes in your lame name calling.

[Fumesucker]

26. I don't see you as an Obamabot..

But I do see some that I would characterize that way around here.

[Johnyawl]

27. You're obviously not a "bot" since you're still appear to be thinking for yourself.

[bobd0]

3. Frankly, this is something I would have expected from McCain. nt

[makinguphumans]

4. umm Barney just slapped down Obama's excuse:

................It is irrelevant that Rev. Warren invited Senator Obama to address his congregation, since he extended an equal invitation to Senator McCain. .............

[AntiFascist]

15. Exactly, this was a lame excuse for a lame mistake. n/t

[makinguphumans]

28. and I hope he comes to realize it was a big mistake.

[David Zephyr]

5. Poor Barney. He will not have many other Democrats with him...as usual.

There sure are a lot of cowards or secret haters around.

[LWolf]

7. So am I.

I'm not at all surprised, though.

It's just one more disappointment in a very long string of them since last January.

[trayfoot]

8. My thoughts on the Warren selection.......

I DO NOT like or agree with the man! But, I am (after MUCH thoughtful reflection)NOT upset with P.E. Obama for choosing him. P.E.Obama is doing EXACTLY what he said he wanted to do during the campaign - bring people together. I believe that this is his purpose in choosing Warren and Lowery. "Fair and balanced"! Though I definitely fall on the side of Lowery, I would be disappointed if P.E. Obama succumbed to the far left on this issue! I hope he maintains his choice with head high - as he is only living up to his campaign pledge to make this country more inclusive! I wish the far left would think about these things before they start "slamming him" for living up to what he promised during the campaign.

[Mojorabbit]

11. I don't think it is being inclusive

Inviting someone who is intolerant and divisive to a place of honor at a historic inauguration is an insult to a good part of the population including myself as a pagan. It is tantamount to an endorsement and I am disappointed at the pick and the pitiful excuse given for the pick. I'll get over it but I don't have to like it.

[FreeState]

14. How is he bringing the gay community together? n/y

[mondo joe]

16. Why does his bringing people together so often involve a homophobe rather than a racist?

If he really wants to bring people together why not invite a notorious racist to deliver the invocation?

[libnnc]

18. that's a darn good question

[Ms. Toad]

20. There is a bid difference between bringing people

with diverse views together to learn from one another - and giving someone who publicly expresses the belief that I am the equivalent of someone who sexually preys on young children because the person to whom I have been married for 27+ years happens to be the same gender as I am a place of honor at the inaugural table.

I'm all for bringing people like Warren and Lowery together to work side by side on issues they have in common with the Obama agenda and to engage in discourse through which gaps between the two might be bridged. Granting a monologue on a national stage to someone who led the fight to destroy families like mine in California only widens the gap, and is a stab in the back to those of us in the GLBT community who knew he wasn't where we wanted him to be on our issue but who voted for him or campaigned for him anyway.

[JerseygirlCT]

9. I'm with Barney. nt

[NRaleighLiberal]

10. well, I actually think Obama crossed a line with this choice.

I've been either highly or somewhat supportive of all of his decisions until this one...but there is trying to mend rifts and set good examples, and there is misunderstanding the gravity of having a civil rights issue pushed into one's face. I've been trying to think of a decent analogy using George Wallace, but can't get it quite right. I don't expect he of his staff to be perfect or get everything right, but this one I think he got very, very wrong.

[Solly Mack]

12. K&R

[leftstreet]

17. K&R

[scarletwoman]

19. I'm glad Congressman Frank could object so politely.I'm not capable of such politeness at this point

Inviting that fucking phony huckster Warren to give the Inaugural invocation is such a bullshit move I can still hardly believe it.

[Ms. Toad]

21. Well done, Barney. n/t

[EmilyAnne]

23. Because of this, I am no longer going to the inauguration. I'm very happy with Frank's comment.

I'm still happy about Obama's win, but I am really pissed off about this Rick Warren thing and I just don't understand why Obama doesn't get why this is so unacceptable.

[Divine Discontent]

24. because he clearly doesn't understand Gay people still, which being black I thought he'd get it...

I sure got it about the 'black' judgment they receive for no reason for other than being black - I risked my job for an ANTI-GAY black man, because he didn't bring a gun to work as they accused him of, and were only taking the word of a crazy lady who was obsessed with being with him (he shouldn't have been flirting with her, he was married), but I still felt right is right, he, otherwise did his job, and so I went to a meeting with mgmt and stood up for him.


This is a pattern for PE Obama, as he felt he had to make a joke about Biden's comment last year trying to get the black community to not fear AIDS testing because it was killing thousands of AA's and when Joe mentioned how they had publicly done it to encourage others, and said "Barack and I got tested" and the black attendees laughed, Barack within seconds pointed out that he and MICHELLE had gotten tested, so the word wouldn't have spread that he and Joe might be, ya know... shhh, be gay!

And then there's the singer McClurkin incident, where despite widespread disgust from the gay community he let Donnie emcee one of his rallies down South, and Donnie went on a tear ON STAGE AT THE OBAMA RALLY about how God saved him from being gay, or as he says it "HO-MO-SEX-SHOOL!", and many gay leaders warned him how this was offensive to let him be there - he still didn't take McClurkin down because he said it would just be one song (wrong!!!!) - and now he will NOT rescind the offer to Warren - because he, like most presidents, has an ego a mile wide and he thinks it's a wise pick - but because he doesn't get what gay people are feeling, and why we're not understanding that if Obama knew this guy said these nasty derogatory things about someone religion or skin tone - he'd never have them do the prayer - but because it's just the queer community? "MEH! Not a biggie, they just need to understand they don't have rights to marry, and I'm against those rights, too! Marriage is one man and one woman!"

Does ANYONE really think if Obama knew Warren called Jewish marriage or AA marriage akin to marrying a child or marrying your sibling, that he wouldn't even have considered Warren?

[Divine Discontent]

25. K&R 20 of what will hopefully be 100 late tomorrow night. eom