Too bad it was only pepper spray

Yeah, God forbid Bill Clinton should be held accountable for his actions.

When a Republican Senator drops dead in his '90's, if his views on race, gender, and sexuality didn't conform with current beliefs, he's demonized as a racist, misogynistic, homophobe.

But Bill Clinton, elected President in 1992 -- a guy who graduated college in the Summer of Love -- and who had the backing of the gay & lesbian community, bans gays from serving in the military unless they remain in the closet and signs the Defense of Marriage Act, and you want to hold him up as the second coming of Martin Luther King, Jr.

And if there's evidence that W. "tried to gin up all those constitutional amendments against gay marriage" I'd like to see it.

The issue here is that libs think they know the good intentions of their favored politicians.

So, when Bill Clinton signs "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" or the "DOMA", all of his supporters assume that he's doing so against his will & only for political purposes.

Same thing with Obama's refusal to endorse gay marriage.

 

The Republican Senator in question had numerous chances to say that he'd changed his mind and refused to. Could someone ask Clinton how he feels about it now?

 

Perfect. If Clinton "feels" differently now, his actions don't matter.

Who cares what he feels now? He had a chance to make a difference, but he pandered for votes instead. He tried to please both sides, and play the middle.

I doubt his "feelings" are any different now. But now that he doesn't have to stand before the voters again, he's free to say how he feels.

That's pathetic. Yet folks on the left will lap it up.

 

Gays were already banned from the military prior to "Don't Ask". The legislatioin allowed gays to serve if they kept quiet about it.

 

And if they had kept quiet about it earlier, what would would have prevented their service?

Do you think they didn't serve prior to, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"?

 

You wrote that Clinton banned them unless they kept quiet. They already were banned prior to Clinton.

 

Semantics.

Clinton did nothing for them other than keep them locked in the closet.

Do you think he deserves credit for that? What was accomplished?

 

quiet

 

Clinton wanted to lift the ban altogether. Polls showed most people were OK with lifting the ban, but the people who were opposed to it felt much more strongly about it than the people who favored it.
That's how a half-measure like Don't Ask, Don't Tell came to be.

 

Exactly as I described it. Clinton wanted to lift the ban. He just couldn't. The poor guy.

I'm sure Obama wants to advocate for gay marriage too. He just can't. I'm sure that after his presidency is over, he'll tell us how hard it was on him & how he wishes he had acted differently.

If you want to make progress on these issues, you should admit that not all republicans/conservatives are hateful, homophobes and that there is as much opposition to these issues under your own tent as there is in ours.

But the left is too afraid to rock the boat with the African American & Hispanic base. Too afraid to lose their vote. Too afraid to lose the vote of "White working class Democrats" in places like Pennsylvania. Too willing to use the issue to demagogue.

Face it. Dick Cheney, Ted Olson, & Ken Mehlman are all closer to your position than your President. And they've all showed more courage too.

And, to get back to the original topic, when you are able to comprehend these facts, you'll understand why the Westboro Baptist folks would never have had the support of conservatives for their hateful, disgusting behavior.

 

Got it. Thanks.

Made the change.

 

The end of Don't Ask Don't Tell is one of the few things I've applauded Obama for doing. I'd applaud him again if he made gay marriage legal across the US, but I doubt he has the stones to do that.