Why Democrats abandoned LGBT immigrants

[MNBrewer]

http://www.salon.com/2013/05/22/why_democrats_abandoned_lgbt_immigrants/

The immigration bill crafted by the Senate “Gang of Eight” passed the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday evening, with a 13-5 vote. Every senator involved in the markup session leading up to the vote was very proud of him or herself for how great the markup session was going. Especially after the senators bravely shot down a proposal to recognize the marriages of LGBT immigrants.

It was a very self-congratulatory affair, as each senator congratulated every other senator for their great legislative skill, their deeply held principles, and their impressive civility. The markup deliberations were “courageous,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said, in reference to a bunch of people, mostly old dudes, carefully deciding exactly how awful they had to make an immigration bill before it could pass a Congress full of bigots, cynical fake-bigots and wingnuts. Even Ted Cruz was sort of civil as he hectored the committee for not passing his amendments, most of which were designed to ruin the bill. Everyone who opposes the bill, and those proposed amendments designed to sink it, had to say that they deeply wanted immigration reform to happen, it’s just that they defined reform as “no citizenship plus a bigger fence.” (Also everyone referred to the bill’s authors as the “group of eight” and not a “gang.”)

The most dispiriting moment came late in the amendments process, when Judiciary Committee Chairman Pat Leahy was forced to withdraw his own amendment, which would have treated same-sex couples equally under the proposed law. And senator after senator announced why they couldn’t support it. Not necessarily because they didn’t think gay couples deserved the same protection of the law, but because, you know, their colleagues don’t support it. Not because their colleagues are unkind! Just because, you know, their constituents are still a bit squicked out by gay people.

[MNBrewer]

1. See also

http://americablog.com/2013/05/immigration-reform-gay-lgbt-couples-uafa.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AMERICAblogGay+%28AMERICAblog+Gay%29

[xchrom]

2. du rec. nt

[darkangel218]

3. That was a fuct up decision to abandon the LGBT immigration bill

I thought we have evolved past judgments and hypocrisy. Wtf is going on??? So if you fall in love with someone of the same sex who lives overseas, you can't bring em home with you??

This is fucking pissing me off! It's like taking one step forward and two backwords. If there is any time for POTUS to use his exec orders, now is the time.

[MNBrewer]

4. Craven Democrats made a political calculation that they could (again) throw Teh Gays under Teh Bus

based on two factors

1. We'll always come crawling back to them, no matter how they treat us.
2. The SCOTUS might bail their asses out by striking down DOMA.

Those aren't necessarily sure bets.

[darkangel218]

5. Im sorry but im not happy.

[vi5]

6. Wow, Democrats caving on a core constituency?

Must be Tuesday. Or Wednesday. Or Thursday. Or Friday, etc.

Yet these same LGBT folks are going to be getting tons of solicitation e-mails and calls for donations and support come campaign time.

[HillWilliam]

7. And every one of those solicitations gets an answer from me

"Not one more thin damn dime until I'm a full citizen. You can have money when I see performance."

Hasn't done any good yet but at least I feel better with it said.

[William769]

8. They abandoned it because they have no fucking balls!

President Obama had a hand in this also.