Uh, well as a gay Dean supporter, I was full ready to have my heart broken. However, I'd like to know the context of his error. If he simply said, mistakenly, that the 2004 dem platform was explicit in not supporting gay marriage, that's one thing. If he was saying that that's rightfully so and that he would never support gay marriage, that would be another.

Wasn't Vermont one of the first states to offer (at least) civil unions?

Yes—the courts forced it on Dean, it wasn't his big idea. I like Dean, though, but I am pissed.

Speaking of Dem trouble: does anyone know how our senate delegation is voting on today's horrendous tax cut?

Dean's a blowhard. He brings "passion" but not much strategy. Incorporating this issue into the national party is a tricky issue that requires a defter, smarter touch. Frankly, the Clintonista "New Democrats" were better for the party, and should be brought back. They won the election in 2000, remember.

i would also like to know the full context.

come on dan, the last thing we need is further nit-picking. dean may have fucked up but that doesn't mean that the gays and those that love them should turn their backs on the dems.

what are you gonna do? support the republicans? gay marriage was already a huge dividing point in the last presidential election. it is disheartening to see the brouhaha starting up again, already.

the dems are not perfect but they're a lot more sympathetic to same sex marriage than the GOP. and, given that the quote comes from an interview with a religion-based organization, i would really like to know the full context of the quote, rather than an inflammatory snippet.

Yeah, and even if it was a mistake, it's a hot button-enough issue that he should be right on top of what our position was in '04.

Normally I can't stand HRC press releases because they're either whining about crap that doesn't matter or failing to address something that actually DOES matter, but they're right about this:

“As we face a Senate vote in June that threatens to put discrimination in our Constitution, Governor Dean should not only have known better but he should have used the opportunity to speak out about the lack of values involved in the current constitutional debate.”

Sent to the DNC...for all it is worth.

Howard,

I am a 27 year old male who got involved politically because of your campaign. I went from not caring at all about elections to being a Dean delegate for my state's caucas. You and Ron Sims (the Executive of King County, WA) are the only two people I have given money to.

I truly believed in you. I waited outside townhall for hours to hear you speak. I convinced two Clark- CLARK!- supporters to vote for you during the caucas. I wasn't able to give much but I gave as much as I could. I did my best to get friends to support you too.

I truly believed you were very different from all of the other politicians. That is why I feel like my heart is breaking today. Not because yet another person is casting aside the GLBT community liek we are lepers. Not because it hurts to feel cast aside for political points- though it does hurt...I am a person, I do have feelings.

It hurts because I believed the you would fight for me just as hard as I fought for you. I guess that is all I really wanted to say.

Sincerely,

John Bennett
Seattle, WA

I wanna know how he wound up on the CBC in the first fucking place!?!?

sorry, that should be CBN...

Oops. I would've let it slide if he at least would push for equal legal status of all civil unions, but he couldn't even do that.

See, Democrats aren't the glowing halos of virtue everyone seems to think they are.

Remember, many Democrats are close minded Christians too.

Whether Howard Dean should be tarred and feathered for his words for good, I don't know, but he should be held accountable. What he said was wrong.

"Held accountable"?! What kind of vague, pussy, inspecific slap on the wrist bullshit is that? Are you afraid of sending a message?

You won't send a message unless the punishment is specific, direct and it hurts.

maybe i'm missing something, but the story seems to be -

1) he misspoke on a radio address about the final language of the '04 platform

2) he apologized for the misstatement

leaving aside the fact that nobody pays much attention to national (or even state) platforms as the issues relate to individual candidates, that quote shows he in no way said that it was the current policy or which way he personally feels about the issue.

how in the hell is this a big deal other than for those who love circular firing squads?

my answer is simple - if you actually think Bush and Cheney and the GOP in the House/Senate are your friends, then close your checkbook when the Dems call.

well?

be honest, now.

I will not send any money to the DNC unless Dean makes drastic changes. This is not about one misstep- he has done it before. He has also neglected the GLBT community by continually leaving even a mention of them out of outreach plans.

speaking with my fag credentials in full view, I gotta say - shut the fuck up you snivelling bitches!

Howards was speaking to the CBN - where very few freakin Democrats have gone before - and basically horked up what the platform said in 2004. He then said something along the lines of "not everyone agrees with that, and we're trying to encourage more tolerance".

Is that what my faggy little heart wants him to say? Fuck no. But was it a decent thing to say to freaking wingnutter Chistianist fundy jerkwads? Sure. You know why?

Because I'm fucking sick and tired of identity politics - especially this year. I fucking want us to win back Congress so overwhelmingly that the Democrats can ITMFA. Nothing else matters. If we have to peel away a couple wingnut voters by preaching tolerance, I don't fucking care. I'm pretty damn sure my rights are more secure with a Dem majority in Congress than they would be otherwise. All that matters in Jan 2007 is which party is holding the gavel.

That giant clicking sound? That's me donating more money to the DNC online in support of Howard, who had the fuckin balls to go talk to the CBN in the first place.

Is it really that surprising that Dean got the 2004 Democratic platform confused with Kerry's wishy-washy responses to the issue? Whenever the issue of gay marriage came up, Kerry made sure to claim that he believed that marriage is, and should only be, between a man and a woman.