tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post6014800454370776313..comments2020-04-11T03:30:02.282-05:00Gary R. Welshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185079937305083438noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post-66391251766036182342007-08-11T15:39:00.000-05:002007-08-11T15:39:00.000-05:00The only way Rudy Giuliani will be elected president is if he wins the Republican nomination. The only way he will win the Republican nomination is if he convinces the hard right Republican base that he won't lift a finger for your community, Gary. Politicians are politicians. It wouldn't have been expedient for the Clintons to be more aggressive about gay rights than they were. As unsatisfactory as DADT must have been, even that split-the-baby move was treated as a sign of the apocalypse by the hard right. I'm not saying the Clintons should not have done more, but given the political climate in the early 1990s and then-existing attitudes on gay rights, it would have been difficult. Hell, they raised hackle in the Republican party merely by nominating an openly gay person for a high ranking position (Roberta Achtenberg, or something?)<BR/><BR/>On the flip side, it took absolutely zero political courage for Rudy Giuliani to be strongly pro-gay rights as mayor of overwhelmingly liberal, overwhelmingly Democratic NYC. It would have taken more political courage for him to have taken the opposite position. I don't know what's in his heart, or in the hearts of WJC or HRC. I do know that to so much as lift a finger for your community as president, Rudy will have to expend enormous political capital and would alienate the vast majority of his party's house and senate caucuses. "If history is any guide" is a pretty big qualifier in this case. The mayor of NYC, even the Republican mayor of NYC, has a much different constituency than a Republican president. If Rudy wins the presidency, it will be because of votes and dollars from people who overwhelmingly oppose your cause.John Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00904933804078748933noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post-57320662188722807022007-08-11T09:30:00.000-05:002007-08-11T09:30:00.000-05:00Again, Bil, actions speak louder than words. The highest scores on your analysis go to Mike Gravel and Dennis Kucinich. What did either do when they were Gov. of Alaska or Mayor of Cleveland? The leadership of the GLBT will not lend any support to Guiliani because he's a Republican, pure and simple. They would rather bite off their nose to spite their face on that score. GLBT rights will be advanced much further by his election than any of those candidate you score on the Democratic side if history offers any guidance.Gary R. Welshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15185079937305083438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post-54098858882614327982007-08-11T08:53:00.000-05:002007-08-11T08:53:00.000-05:00It's an interesting story, but there's a lot more to it than was quoted in the story. Since Matt Foreman contributes to <A HREF="http://www.bilerico.com" REL="nofollow">The Bilerico Project</A>, he's commented on the piece there after I blogged the story a few days ago... He opens with this:<BR/><BR/><I>The problem with any media story is that it only takes slivers of what a person says around a sliver of an idea. I'm not misquoted in the article, but as Andy Humm relates, it does not reflect the entire story of Mr. Guiliani's record as mayor or his current positions on LGBT issues. (You can see where he currently stands - poorly - on <A HREF="http://www.thetaskforce.org/downloads/reports/reports/final_candidates_positions.pdf" REL="nofollow">our candidate analysis</A>). I also expressed deep frustration with Mr. Guiliani's backpeddling on so many of our issues since he's been running for president. I also expressed my personal emnity for Mr. Giuliani because of how he literally destroyed the life of a good friend of mine through his abuse of power while he was US Attorney.</I>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post-20815956706919953722007-08-11T05:26:00.000-05:002007-08-11T05:26:00.000-05:00Joe Solmonese did try to hijack the Q/A tone Thurs. night--you're right, Gary. And he's firmly in the Clinton camp. <BR/><BR/>Joe used to work for Julia, ya know...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post-15462455213628852512007-08-11T05:25:00.000-05:002007-08-11T05:25:00.000-05:00Brian, please...interesting though it may be, stick to the subject...<BR/><BR/>Rudy did an admirable job for our community while he was mayor. The thing is, I won't judge candidates based solely on their views toward our community. That's stupid.<BR/><BR/>And the rest of his record sucks. Plus, he's obviously an egomaniac, flaming a--hole, and doesn't get it on the war.<BR/><BR/>Not to worry. He won't get the Republican nomination. They need to open up their tent, but, for the time being, wingnuts control your party, Gary. <BR/><BR/>But it is fun to watch him poke a sharp stick in the eyes of the far right. They're squiriming like a dog with his ass full of fleas. And given all their wedge wacking, it's high time they got some of their own medicine.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post-15079377712063207532007-08-10T22:32:00.000-05:002007-08-10T22:32:00.000-05:00Wilson,<BR/><BR/>You are so full of it...go the indy.gov site....search center township...enter your name....Wilson Allen.....look at that...deliquencies. Just shameful Wilson. <BR/>Now, if this is incorrect, an upstanding citizen, such as yourself, would get this corrected immediately, right? Also, you might want to tell your pal Mr. Drummer, he should belly up to the table and pay his deliquencies as well.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post-15672385190010244152007-08-10T21:35:00.000-05:002007-08-10T21:35:00.000-05:00My property taxes are fully paid up weeks ago. I even paid the original 2007 billed amount as a good citizen.<BR/><BR/>Gary: your blog is being taken over by the loonies ... they want to talk about me instead of LGBT & Rudi...Wilson46201https://www.blogger.com/profile/14214029150233485312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post-82131356177370949562007-08-10T21:29:00.000-05:002007-08-10T21:29:00.000-05:00Wilson,<BR/><BR/>You have other things to worry about other than GLBT records. You need to pony up and pay those delinquent taxes. <BR/><BR/>BrianAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post-71115828283077842232007-08-10T21:21:00.000-05:002007-08-10T21:21:00.000-05:00Well, my deranged stalker has certainly highjacked & trashed a possibly interesting thread about Rudi and LGBT issues...Wilson46201https://www.blogger.com/profile/14214029150233485312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post-68294263660556689462007-08-10T21:13:00.000-05:002007-08-10T21:13:00.000-05:00Wilson, you are a TRESPASSER, deranged is true, and you continue to blog when told not to. <BR/><BR/>You must be a Democrap, as they always infringe on the rights of others!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post-83626177265274071492007-08-10T21:10:00.000-05:002007-08-10T21:10:00.000-05:00<I>"trespass <B>through the tulips</B>"</I>? What exactly does that mean?<BR/><BR/>Why does that anonymous deranged stalker keep trying to highjack threads here?Wilson46201https://www.blogger.com/profile/14214029150233485312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post-46113763479340877482007-08-10T21:08:00.000-05:002007-08-10T21:08:00.000-05:00Wilson, even though you are TRESPASSING on this blog, how did you serve your country?<BR/><BR/>(Editorial reserved)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post-43237337688955479032007-08-10T21:04:00.000-05:002007-08-10T21:04:00.000-05:00Wilson, if you had EVER served your country...you would understand that reconstruction is a requirement of war & the Geneva Convention. One cannot take over a country and leave immediately with "might makes right" as the law of the land. That would only restore the likes of Hussein.<BR/><BR/>Wilson, just go Trespass through the tulips...and leave the defense of this great country to the patriots.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post-84946643913731792082007-08-10T21:01:00.000-05:002007-08-10T21:01:00.000-05:00Wilson, you are banned from this blog!<BR/><BR/>You keep obfuscating it with your smoke-screen!<BR/><BR/>The bottom line is that you now live in South Gary, Indiana. Get used to it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post-74265351059712034262007-08-10T20:22:00.000-05:002007-08-10T20:22:00.000-05:00I'm glad that in the GOP line-up of white men running for President, there is one that isn't a rightwing loonie on gay issues...<BR/><BR/>How 'bout that Iraq War, Mr. Giuliani?Wilson46201https://www.blogger.com/profile/14214029150233485312noreply@blogger.com