Attorney General Holder speaks at U of Maine, wouldn't weigh in on Question 1

Dear Pam

I know it is extremely frustrating and I appreciate all of the posts on Obama's lame attempt at holding on to the GLBT 2012 vote but this situation we now are confronted with has only a few solutions.

1. Obama and his administration can step up to the plate and support GLBTQ eqaul civil rights in full.

2. We can stop returning to the scene of the crime or back to our abusive parent or spouse and rediscover our internal dignity and start searching for friends and supporters elsewehre.

3. We can continue to grovel at the feet of Obama and receive all the abuse he dishes out at the GLBTQ community.  

Pam, we have a choice, and so does Obama.  Has not the time long past arrived that we recognize our self worth and leave these assses behind?  We are better than this.  We don't deserve this shit.  And as far as I am concerned, the campaign for election ended 12 months ago.  Obama was and remains a great campaigner but he is turning out to be a rather horrible President. Time to move on and start supporting our genuine friends where we can find them.  Obama may toss us a few crumbs here and there but it is only crazy making.  Sort of like being punched in the face by your spouse only to be taken out to dinner with roses on the table the following night with multiple "I am so sorry" statements.  

Come on, and wake up.  I know it is painful to see and feel and accept the truth, but Obama is NOT OUR FRIEND and FIERCE ADVOCATE.  Sure he will toss more bones to our hungry crowd, especially in 2011, but this fag has had too much learning and way too much therapy to put up with this bs any longer.  

 

vanhattan

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by: vanhattan @ Mon Oct 26, 2009 at 21:01:46 PM CDT

I think the questions to ask are

Is a GOP admin worse? Yes. Unless they can run a pro-LGBT candidate our advances will go nowhere.

Are we receiving adequate representation in DC, and if not, why not? This is relevant if there's a serious schism in perspective between representation and the grassroots and that problem would exist no matter who is in the WH.

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by: Pam Spaulding @ Mon Oct 26, 2009 at 21:05:46 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I am not talking about a GOP President

I agree actually, that the WH is becoming more and more like a figure head position with no real power unless it is used.

Pam, I hope you did not take offence, but Obama's luke warm at best treatment toward the GLBTQ community is very stale.

We need to rally around local Mayors, State Senators and State House members not to mention our US House and Senate members who support us. The blue dogs and others need to be actively voted against to let them know what type of power we have.  Come on, Glen Greenwald is in full support of such tactics...mainly because they often time work.

Look, the Democrats have a moajoity in both the Senate and House.  Do you think the LGBTQ situation will improve when/if they lose this majority in 2010?  Time is past to support ANYONE, DEM, IND, or REP who does not support us.  Our dollars and voices have power.  

Obama has not lifted a finger for any politician who is GLBTQ supportive as of yet, and I doubt he will do so next year.  

Know your power Pam.  

vanhattan

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by: vanhattan @ Mon Oct 26, 2009 at 21:34:45 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Yes it is

Because he's actively returning it to the position of figurehead.

Because constitutionally that's what it is supposed to be.

After 8 years of god-king the conqueror destroying everything in the constitution and making abused wives of congress, I can respect why he wants to do it.

I was worried, but with Hate Crimes, ENDA and DADT on the near horizon, I suspect we'll see a degree of "support" we have unfortunately never seen in the federal government for quite some time.

In short, we need to get to know our congressmen, especially senators and get them to start being fiercer allies than the president.

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by: Cerberus @ Tue Oct 27, 2009 at 08:17:38 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

I figure you get what ya give

If Obama and his Attorney General want to give me limp lack luster tepid support...that's what they'll get in return.
I can do apathetic, disinterested, ice cold...honey I can do that shit to death.

What have you done today, to make ya feel PROUD?


~Heather Small

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by: peteyPornpig @ Mon Oct 26, 2009 at 21:11:08 PM CDT

Not feeling the "fierce advocacy" here

nr will I be demonstrating it for the Dems til they can get their house in order.

I tell you Chica that no greater abomination exists than women denying their spirit of sisterhood and instead becoming the oppressor. -Rebeca, Universidad Complutense de Madrid

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by: MauraHennessey @ Mon Oct 26, 2009 at 21:27:47 PM CDT

Good story

I completely missed that the question was asked; up here we're so damned focused on winning this one for ourselves.

Would it be nice to have The Fierce Advocate speak up? Sure, same as if we had Olympia, Susie Q and Mikey Mouse. But all 4 of them have been silent right along, all year.

Were ANY of them to speak up in support NOW would be political posturing and beg the question of where they hell they had been since January?

So far, we have just ONE national Maine name speaking up- Chellie Pingree- and her support has been strong and unwavering from the get-go.

And honestly, I'm very very happy with that...

"It goes on one at a time, it starts when you care to act, it starts when you do it again after they said no, it starts when you say We and know who you mean, and each day you mean one more."

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by: Louise @ Tue Oct 27, 2009 at 04:55:53 AM CDT

The President and I

" are of the view it is for states to make these decisions. That federal law [DOMA] is not necessarily a good piece of legislation, and we are going to work to repeal it," Holder said.

just not anytime soon and please don't hold your breath waiting.

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by: Donna @ Tue Oct 27, 2009 at 07:49:19 AM CDT

When the administration start in with the "We must defend and enforce DADT and DOMA" shit...

The next follow-up question MUST be: "What about federal drug laws with regards to medical marijuana? Will you be defending and enforcing those as vigorously as you have been defending and enforcing Don't Ask/Don't Tell and the Defense of Marriage Act?"

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même merde.

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by: TechBear @ Tue Oct 27, 2009 at 09:20:34 AM CDT

They are totally different situations...

The drug laws mean that the government will not be bringing charges against people for whom their activites are actually legal acording to state laws. They simply will not be bringing them to court on drug charges.

For DOMA and DADT, those cases are being brought to the court and thus require that the government defend the law.

One is about implementation in situations where there are actually contradictory laws in place. In this instance, the DOJ is deferring to the states.

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by: SciFi Geek @ Tue Oct 27, 2009 at 11:55:45 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Furthermore

it has already been pointed out that in some situations the government can and will enforce the drug laws.

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by: SciFi Geek @ Tue Oct 27, 2009 at 11:57:00 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

It clearly demonstrates the hypocricy of the Obama administration

If the administration is constitutionally required to enforce federal law and defend it in the courts, the the administration is constitutionally required to enforce federal law and defend it in the courts, correct? Federal drug law explicitly DENIES any exceptions to enforcement just because local or state laws are more lenient; creating such exception by executive fiat is a direct and undeniable violation of existing law.

Sorry, SciFi Geek, but there is absolutely no way you can cheerlead yourself out of this.  

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même merde.

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by: TechBear @ Tue Oct 27, 2009 at 12:56:29 PM CDT

[ Parent ]