Yesss! But....what about Chuck Hagel?

[No Elephants]

Jan. 16, 2013 4:22 PM ET
Episcopal priest chosen for inaugural benediction


WASHINGTON (AP) — The pastor of the Episcopal parish known as "the church of the presidents" will give the benediction at President Barack Obama's inauguration.

The Rev. Luis Leon of St. John's Church has been chosen for the honor. He replaces Atlanta megachurch pastor Louie Giglio, who withdrew from the ceremony last week after a sermon he gave years ago surfaced in which he condemned gay relationships.

http://hosted2.ap.org/SCCHA/fda55d2912844b5b9a3930bc5934d9c2/Article_2013-01-16-Inauguration-Pastor/id-c25bc6a27d9d4f1b9230e06f04cfff8e

As anyone who posted on DU in 2007 will recall, the LGBT community was distressed by the association of Rev. Donnie "God delivered me from homosexuality' McClurkin with Oobama's Presidential campaign. ("Embrace the Change" gospel concert series).

Before that had totally dissipated, Obama campaigned at the church of the homophobic Rick Warren. While there, Obama was asked about gay marriage. In the same halting, eyes-downcast way in which he discusses reproductive choice when put on the spot, Obama referred to things like hospital visitation rights and concluded with, "But, when it comes to marriage, God is the mix."

And, if that weren't enough, Warren gave the invocation at the most historic inauguration since Washington's and most watched inauguration worldwide in all of U.S. history.

And then there were the controversies over repeal of DADT, which also was slow walked until after midterms. Meanwhile, the DOJ was filing briefs in support of DOMA that compared homosexuality to bestiality and incest.

But, DADT did get repealed; the offending terms were removed from the briefs; and, eventually, Obama said that the D of J would no longer defend DOMA--in those circuits that had already ruled it unconstitutional.

Still, many of Obama's bundlers are members of the GLBT community. Not because of Obama but because they support Democrats on the assumption that Democrats will be fairer to them than Republicans will. However, this was not exactly the change they had believed in in 2008 and they were complaining. (Very justifiably, IMO).

Then, as the 2012 campaign was officially underway, President Biden said publicly that he supported equal marriage. Was it a slip? Did Biden paint his boss into a corner? Or, was Biden's gaffe no gaffe at all, but part of a plan of the Obama campaign? We'll never know. Obama and surrogates had for a while been mentioning that his thinking on equal marriage was "evolving."

Biden's comment was quickly followed by President Obama's announcement that seeing same gender parents of his daughters's classmates had changed his views. he was now in favor of equal marriage. Press conference? No. Instead, Robin Roberts, widely rumored to be living with a female life partner, was summoned to the White House for a one on one interview with Obama in which he made the announcement.

No attempt to repeal DOMA, but so many people exhaled after the Roberts interview, which was not so very long ago. No matter what, a POTUS coming out in favor of equal rights for gays is huge.

But more recently, in fairly rapid succession, came the announcement that Giglio would give the benediction at Obama's second inauguration and the rumor that Obama would nominate Republican Hagel, who has a record of homophobic remarks and actions (and Hagel has since been nominated0.

Did Giglio step down unprompted after the controversy and his homophobia arose? Rick Warren sure didn't and there was a bigger public outcry over him than there has been over Giglio. And, as a rule, these guys are defiantly proud of their homophobia, cause it, you know, shows how meticulously they follow Christ, who told us never to judge others.

Or, was the combination of Giglio and Brennan in relatively rapid succession just too much and Giglio was the easier one to throw overboard? So, he was asked to withdraw, perhaps in exchange for something we may or may not learn more about later?

Me, I'd rather do without Hagel. I'm guessing our gay troops and Ambassador Hormel would as well.

[Enthusiast]

1. I'm conflicted about Hagel.

I mean, he's a fucking Republican fer Christ's sake! We know them liberal Democrats can't be trusted on defense of the nation, I guess. Geesh.

[No Elephants]

2. yet, until the Bush crime family, Democratic Presidents had led the nation into most of its wars.

not saying it's a good thing, but it was Republican and other right leaners who did not even want to go into World War II, though Republicans today say it was Democrats.

I checked though. If I could not find no clue to the political affiliation of the individual, like Lindbergh, I checked to see what I could learn about the spouse and/or the parents.

Republican, Republican, Republican, Republican. Never came across a hint that any of them were Democrats.


Clinton had the same view as Obama on Republicans* heading defense, apparently. He also had a Republican, Senator Cohen, whom I met once. .Must be a DLC thang.

Can you just imagine a Republican appointing Democrats to Defense and Treasury? Or, for that matter, anything?

Obama didn't even clear out the D of J and every President who takes over from the opposite Party has done that, even his hero Reagan.


* I am counting former Republican Panetta as a Republican. I don't know why he switched parties, but his story just does not hang together.