Gays, Marriage and the Military

VP Joe Biden stirred things up over the weekend when he appeared to embrace gay marriage and signal that President Obama might be moving in that direction. Obama has been reluctant to embrace gay marriage because it could be used as a wedge issue in November (much like it was used in 2004). Biden has long had a tendency to veer off script but has managed to avoid any monumental screw ups the last 4 years.

The issue of basic human rights for gays is one that cannot be managed or poll-tested. It is inevitable. Gays will soon be able to marry in any state in the United States and they will be able to openly serve in the military. Twenty years ago no one even discussed gay marriage in the political realm. Ten years ago it was at the periphery of the discourse. Now it is front and center. Younger Americans show increasing openness to gay marriage- the trend will not abate. Dr. King once said that "The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice."

When people like Rick Santorum start spouting nonsense about how allowing gay marriage will open the door for people to marry their pets, they just make themselves seem more ridiculous. I have a dog. I'm quite fond of Max(many other people aren't because he tends to snap at people for no good reason and steal their food). I'm not inclined to marry him. Why the hell would a gay person want to marry him? Sure, some gays like to dress their dogs up, but so does Paris Hilton and we've allowed her the right to marry.

The language around banning gays from the military pretty much matches why blacks were not allowed to serve equally with whites until the latter part of the 20th Century. It might be bad for morale. Soldiers wouldn't feel comfortable. It is a unique environment and we can't tamper with it. Sooner or later, this form of discrimination will end as well.

A few decades from now, the question our grandchildren will ask is where were you on the great civil rights issue of your time? I'm sure the answers will change and people will say they always in favor of equal rights for everyone. Today you can find lots of people who claim to have marched for civil rights in the 60s (including Mitt Romney). You never find someone saying "Yeah, I really tried to keep those n$#@& in  place but unfortunately we lost that one."

When we are rehashing this debate, I'm glad I'm on the side of this guy:


and not these folks:

Endangered species

Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana is destined for defeat tomorrow in the Republican primary. His Tea Party opponent, Richard Mourdock, is going to win in part because people are just tired of Lugar and believe he is out of touch. It is symbolized by the fact that Lugar no longer owns a home in Indiana and his primary residence is near DC. 


Lugar is getting increasingly desperate and it momentum is going against him.  Winning candidates don't say things like: "Every person in Indiana who wants me to continue, every person, wherever they might be at this point, I encourage them to come out," he said, according to the Indianapolis Star. "Come out immediately, as fast as you can."


My prediction- Lugar loses the primary by 10 points.

Closer to home (for me), loooooonnnngggg time incumbent Congressman Pete Stark  is in major trouble in his primary race with Dublin City Councilman Eric Swalwell. Stark has been in office since 1972 and is not used to have a competitive race. His electioneering skills appear rather rusty. He has accused Swalwell of taking bribes and then was forced to apologize when he had no proof of his allegations. In a debate with Swalwell, Stark called him a "pipsqueak" and appeared angry that someone had the temerity to challenge him. 

In a recent editorial interview with the SF Chronicle, Stark talked about how he wanted an electric car from Solyndra (the now bankrupt solar manufacturer). "I wish I had enough expense allowance to get one of those new S's that Solyndra's going to make down there - the electric car," Stark said, after being asked about the company. "They run $60,000 to $90,000." I'm going to venture that the Solyndra embrace won't help Stark eliminate the notion that he is no longer the sharpest tool in the shed. 

With California's new primary law, the top two candidates will advance to the November election, regardless of party affiliation. In this case, it is likely that Democrats Swalwell and Stark will have a rematch in November. If Swalwell keeps Stark under 60% in the primary, I think he'll pull off the November upset.

Worst attack ad ever....

The Republicans decide to attack President Obama for bragging about killing the world's most famous terrorist. Really? That's the best they could do? I'm pretty sure that the Obama campaign is quite delighted to spend more time talking about how the President successfully brought to justice the man who ordered the 9/11 attacks. And as T.I said, "Everybody know it ain't trickin if you got it."

As opposed to this guy:

Obama is the clear winner on this one.