Reply #23

In the discussion thread: Chuck Hagel apologizes for gay slur [View all]

Fri Dec 21, 2012, 03:15 PM

merrily (964 posts)

23. Back then? Are you kidding me? The 1990s were not the 1950s, for crying out loud.

Last edited Fri Dec 21, 2012, 03:20 PM USA/ET - Edit history (1)

Were you a homophobe 14 years ago? Neither was I.

And a Democrat opposing recognition of same gender marriage--which the then head of the Party wanted at that time, btw--is not the same as saying a gay person is not fit to serve as ambassador.

Alll that aside, what in God's name makes Hagel such a blinkin' great choice for Defense? Is no Democrat available for the job?

*Edited to add this footnote. For one thing, recognizing same gender marriage--and DOMA is still the law of the land-- would require millions, maybe billions of dollars in Social Security benefits paid out by the U.S. and simultaneous loss of millions, maybe billions, in tax dollars. That is not true of appointing a gay ambassador.

For another thing, recognizing same gender marriage involves religious issues, adoption issues and a whole host of things that do not apply to having a gay man serve as ambassador.

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89 replies	Author	Time	Post
Chuck Hagel apologizes for gay slur [View all]	geek tragedy	Dec 2012	OP
Too little	oberle	Dec 2012	#1
reaction from OutServe-SLDN director	geek tragedy	Dec 2012	#2
Good sign? Would you say that if Bush were the one about to nominate him to serve as Secretary of	merrily	Dec 2012	#3
It shows that the GLBT concerns were taken more seriously than the Netanyahu crowd's were. nt	geek tragedy	Dec 2012	#11
Hagel has not even been nominated yet. We don't know what Hagel will ultimately say about Israel.	merrily	Dec 2012	#35
Lots of campaign bundlers and donors not very happy with Hagel due to Israel concerns.	geek tragedy	Dec 2012	#39
BTW, you never answered my question.	merrily	Dec 2012	#37
Which one? nt	geek tragedy	Dec 2012	#38
I think he is a good choice, even tho a Repug	elfin	Dec 2012	#4
Funny how his growth on social issues did not manifest until he had his eyes on the Cabinet and	merrily	Dec 2012	#6
Yahbut, 14 years ago.	elfin	Dec 2012	#9
Cut slack here!?! Where are you going to cut slack?!?	icymist	Dec 2012	#14
He shouldn't get cut any slack--he should face tough questions	geek tragedy	Dec 2012	#15
What tough questions?	merrily	Dec 2012	#22
He recanted now because this is the first attention it's gotten in a long	geek tragedy	Dec 2012	#27
Yes, and what he did was object to having a gay man serve his country as ambassador.	merrily	Dec 2012	#32
He was reflecting the values of the people to whom he was accountable.	geek tragedy	Dec 2012	#34
No one says people don't grow. No one says people don't change parties, either.	merrily	Dec 2012	#36
Geithner changed his affiliation when he was in Clinton's Treasury department. nt	geek tragedy	Dec 2012	#40
Same difference. Just swap President's names.	merrily	Dec 2012	#58
I disagree. He reflected the values of some people. Every state has homophobes, even New York,	merrily	Dec 2012	#42
14 years ago was not 1950. And, again, he did not recant until he had a selfish motive.	merrily	Dec 2012	#19
Yep. Nt	elfin	Dec 2012	#28
and we have a winner!	dlwickham	Dec 2012	#18
If he did not want this nomination, I doubt he would be retracting it, even today.	merrily	Dec 2012	#20
I don't trust Hagel	Joey Liberal	Dec 2012	#5
You are not alone. I am here with you.	merrily	Dec 2012	#7
Do you trust him to do what Obama tells him to do?	geek tragedy	Dec 2012	#30
No and No.	merrily	Dec 2012	#43
No - he's a republican	leftynyc	Dec 2012	#45
He's better on some core issues than Panetta is.	geek tragedy	Dec 2012	#47
Really? What issues would those be?	leftynyc	Dec 2012	#52
Pentagon spending, for one:	geek tragedy	Dec 2012	#55
The President is playing right into	leftynyc	Dec 2012	#59
What Democrat out there would be willing to say that we need to cut	geek tragedy	Dec 2012	#61
Hagel didn't say it needed to	leftynyc	Dec 2012	#64
And to specifically answer your question on the	leftynyc	Dec 2012	#66
Would they want the job? Would they be willing to say "the Pentagon spends too much?"	geek tragedy	Dec 2012	#67
Hagel isn't a former republican	leftynyc	Dec 2012	#68
Bob Kerrey is a war criminal. nt	geek tragedy	Dec 2012	#73
How does Hagel's being a Republican give Hagel and Obama shift to the left on any issue?	merrily	Dec 2012	#56
Because Democrats are scared shitless to move left on defense/national security	geek tragedy	Dec 2012	#57
I know. I said Panetta was a Nixon Republican. And you are saying that Democrats can't be	merrily	Dec 2012	#60
Democrats who are unafraid to take Democratic stands on the issues would be great.	geek tragedy	Dec 2012	#62
Chuck Hagel	JoeyT	Dec 2012	#8
Anti-GLBT bigotry was sadly common back then. Paul Wellstone voted for DOMA only 2 years	geek tragedy	Dec 2012	#12
Back then? Are you kidding me? The 1990s were not the 1950s, for crying out loud.	merrily	Dec 2012	#23
Was I a homophobe 14 years ago? Probably to some degree, but certainly not to that	geek tragedy	Dec 2012	#29
First, my questions were not what makes him useful as Secretary of Defense.	merrily	Dec 2012	#48
Okay, how many Democrats with the right credentials are willing to go on the record:	geek tragedy	Dec 2012	#50
Well, that did not take long!!!	mrdmk	Dec 2012	#10
14 yrs ago, I was a religious, conservative bigot, thought gay people were sick, hellbound sinners.	phleshdef	Dec 2012	#13
I give him space for his social evolution.	immoderate	Dec 2012	#31
That doesn't bother me. He isn't hawkish. He believes the Pentagon needs cut down.	phleshdef	Dec 2012	#41
Well that explains where the real resistance comes from.	immoderate	Dec 2012	#51
Things you say freely, which Hagel does not say at all, even under current pressures:	Bluenorthwest	Dec 2012	#77
Oh? I wonder if he'll "support" the rights of GLBT soldiers to serve openly	Maven	Dec 2012	#16
And will he fight for	leftynyc	Dec 2012	#46
I figured he would. He seemed to really lose interest in the	TwilightGardener	Dec 2012	#17
Are you saying that he voted against DOMA? If not, which ban on gay marriage did he vote against?	merrily	Dec 2012	#24
I read about it yesterday--some vote on federal gay marriage ban	TwilightGardener	Dec 2012	#26
Not as good as it sounds on the surface. I googled. I did not spend a lot of time because	merrily	Dec 2012	#54
He's a conservative from Nebraska. His votes and his	TwilightGardener	Dec 2012	#63
This isn't about sainthood	The Wizard	Dec 2012	#21
False equivalency much?	merrily	Dec 2012	#25
Day late, dollar short.	TheOther95Percent	Dec 2012	#33
Why didn't you include what he said in your OP?	UnrepentantLiberal	Dec 2012	#44
Latest Breaking News forum rules limit the amount of a story you can quote	geek tragedy	Dec 2012	#49
I hadn't seen it.	UnrepentantLiberal	Dec 2012	#70
Gee, some anonymous person on the Internet is calling me a liar.	geek tragedy	Dec 2012	#72
I thought you were going to say	UnrepentantLiberal	Dec 2012	#75
I assumed it was an honest ommission, but I also posted the quote in the thread.	Bluenorthwest	Dec 2012	#78
Fair enough. No problem with additional context. nt	geek tragedy	Dec 2012	#80
World's tiniest violin playing the world's saddest song.	Fearless	Dec 2012	#53
a 'statement' is a start but not enough! A real press conference with in depth discussion is needed	Sunlei	Dec 2012	#65
Too bad Tammy Baldwin didn't get a Defense Committee slot.	geek tragedy	Dec 2012	#71
Washington Post is outraged with Hagel claiming he will push Obama far to the left on foreign policy	Douglas Carpenter	Dec 2012	#69
Hi! I'm a gay bashing bigot that wants to be Defense Secretary! Let me take care of a few odds and	Safetykitten	Dec 2012	#74
What Hagel said was not just a 'gay slur' it was a personalized attack on an individual using his	Bluenorthwest	Dec 2012	#76
Not gonna disagree with any of that.	geek tragedy	Dec 2012	#81
He still hasn't apologized to the People Who Matter	Eric the Reddish	Dec 2012	#79
Oh yeah, you got proof that President Obama didn't want Senator	Cha	Dec 2012	#83
How about nominating an openly gay Secretary of Defense?	oberliner	Dec 2012	#82
That is an awful thing to say.. shows pure	Cha	Dec 2012	#84
So far, the ambassador and Rachel Maddow agree with those who think Hagel's apology is insincere	merrily	Dec 2012	#85
I'll only support Hagel if he convinces my friends in the LGBT group here	stevenleser	Dec 2012	#86
good luck with that	dlwickham	Dec 2012	#88
I feel no burning need to support him	stevenleser	Dec 2012	#89
Still think there are plenty of better candidates out there. /nt	Ash_F	Dec 2012	#87

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