Lets forget the first Obama gay misstep...this one is interesting.

[Neshanic]

President George W. Bush’s spiritual advisor, Houston minister Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell, will endorse and campaign for Barack Obama:

“The Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell, longtime spiritual adviser to President George W. Bush and senior pastor of Windsor Village United Methodist Church, plans to campaign on behalf of Illinois Sen. Barack Obama.

Caldwell said Saturday that he’s endorsing Obama’s presidential campaign because of the senator’s “character, confidence and courage.” He emphasized that his support is personal and not tied to his job as pastor of the large United Methodist church. The pastor, however, said he has informed his congregation of his presidential choice and that Obama may even pay a visit to his church.

“I have been in contact with the Obama campaign team,” he said. “I will be making visits on his behalf.” Caldwell touted Obama as someone who is electable and “would do a wonderful job to bring people together to pursue a common vision we all have.”

Caldwell reports that Bush is “OK” with his endorsement."


Some info on my fellow "open hearts open minds, open doors Methodist"


"Ok, so a conservative black minister is endorsing Obama, and is in contact with the campaign about campaign visits two days before Obama gives a major speech on intolerance in the black community. That's not such a big deal. But let's look at the church's programming?


"Metanoia Ministry
We are pleased to announce the creation of " The Way, The Truth and The Life", a program created to provide Christ Centered instruction for those seeking freedom from homosexuality, lesbianism, prostitution, sex addiction and other habitual sins."

"That's pretty incendiary stuff, isn't it, especially for an Obama endorsement on the day he's giving a speech on homophobia. And someone knows that it's really bad, since I had to go to the Google cache to find the page, even though it was working 12 hours ago. Now all you get is a 'file not found.' It's weird how, even though Caldwell is making a personal endorsement that is not connected to his official position with the church, the church has changed its programming on its web site to be a bit more on-message.

I guess that's the power of hope."

I especially love his response to the ministry....
“I got to tell you, this is going to sound real stupid, but I didn’t know it was on our website,” Caldwell said. “I was surprised and embarrassed by it. I’m embarrassed from the standpoint that I should have known. We have 120 ministries at the church. You can’t be on top of everything.”

[davidinalameda]

1. old news

this story came out like a week or two ago

[Neshanic]

3. Yes, we really need to keep current on Obama wanting his cake and eating it too.

[mondo joe]

11. What's not old news is the harm done to glbt people - especially kids - by this shit.

[davidinalameda]

78. there is no harm being done to GLBT people

if you and the others would take the time to listen to what Obama has said, you know that he is not homophobic; he supports gay rights

Obama has gone into black churches and talked about the need for acceptance of gay people

he's walked the walk

[Rockholm]

75. New news to me.

Keeping this kicked, because Obama has issues with gays. It is an obvious pattern.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

2. who cares?

another vapid post of nothingness.

[Der Blaue Engel]

8. The GLBT community at DU is well aware of the lack of caring on this issue

from those who care nothing for civil rights for all.

[donheld]

17. It's not a lack of caring

It's seeing other issues besides this one.

[mondo joe]

22. See Post #2: "Who cares".

[donheld]

28. This is what happens when some of you

harp on this over and over again. Some of us see it differently.
You cannot bully people into going along with you. Barack has stood by us quite well. By refusing to acknowledge that fact we turn a lot of people off.

[mondo joe]

29. "Who cares".

I know who doesn't care - quite a few on DU.

[donheld]

42. A few of you fools that harp on this over and over are only making it worse

Everybody knows how you feel. By bashing and bullying them about it is not going to make it one bit better.

[mondo joe]

45. What exacty am I making worse????

I doubt I'm impacting anything.

[donheld]

48. By you Bear, Cboy and a few others who try to bully people over this

You drive people away. Nobody likes a bully.

[mondo joe]

51. What am I driving them away from?

[donheld]

53. Caring about our issues.

If you refuse to care about their issues. Why should they care about yours?

[mondo joe]

57. Those are people who don't care about our isues to begin with.

When people who don't follow or give a shit about GLBT people or issues try to score political points off of bogus shit and refuse to even listen to actual gay people, they establish that they don't care about us ANYWAY.

[donheld]

59. There are some you can alienate by your behavior

I guarantee it.

[mondo joe]

61. So it goes. If people are alienated by my rejecting a bigot, I will have to live with it.

[donheld]

65. That's not what I meant and you know it.

[mondo joe]

66. I rather thought it WAS what you meant. I'm done with straght people telling me what to think about

my own issues. If they don't like what I think about it, I'll live with the results.

[donheld]

67. You shouldn't let them tell you what to think

But you don't have to bully. Especially in here. In DU you can't always tell who's gay and who's not.

[tbyg52]

77. Input from a random person...

You're not driving *me* away. I appreciate the information. And I *sure* don't mind that it's "harped on," as I don't get on the computer every day and might otherwise miss it.

This one issue sure does worry me. And even more worrying on this particular endorsement is that the guy is a buddy of Bu$h. Of course, Obama can't prevent people from endorsing him, so I'm looking at *his* response to stuff like this.

I appreciate the heads-up.

[jackson_dem]

56. You know. Don't be uppity GLBT folk!

Go to the back of the bus, be quiet and "hope" things will "change"! :sarcasm:

[Rockholm]

76. Keep those silly fags down.

:sarcasm:

[Der Blaue Engel]

23. See above: "who cares?"

I am responding specifically to those who expressly DO NOT CARE.

[readmoreoften]

70. A child's brain was blown out in his middle school classroom today because he was gay.

Sometimes it's not that you can't "see" other issues, it's that how people "see" one issue that tells you all you need to know about them.

[mondo joe]

14. You're actually proud to not care about gay people?

Damn. I knew you didn't care, but taking pride in it?

[jackson_dem]

55. Progressives do

[Bluebear]

68. Your ideology is a vapid hole of nothingness.

[IndieLeft]

4. Is this kind of like Ann Coulter's endorsement of Hillary...

Getting an endorsement you really don't want? Please please please tell me I'm right.

[southern_dem]

5. Don't know much about this

but is there any thing from Obama's camp saying anything about his "endorsement"? Or is Caldwell just saying, hey I'm helping this guy whether they want me to or not.

[Der Blaue Engel]

6. “I have been in contact with the Obama campaign team,”

said. “I will be making visits on his behalf."

[chascarrillo]

10. "Caldwell has not, and will not, be asked to do anything for the campaign"

"I've talked to the Obama campaign about this, and they assure me of a few things:

"1. Caldwell has not, and will not, be asked to do anything for the campaign (and this means, we hope, that Obama won't be doing appearances with the man any time soon).

"2. Caldwell was simply wrong when he told the papers this weekend that the campaign asked him to travel around the country on their behalf. In other words, Caldwell was freelancing when he called the paper for an interview."

http://www.americablog.com/2008/01/obama-and-gays-again.html

[NMMNG]

24. But he'd been working with Obama previously and extensively

I hear that Sen. Barack Obama's campaign will be doing a big event in Charleston, S.C., with several prominent black religious leaders in the morning.


Among them will be Kirbyjon Caldwell, the Methodist minister who delivered the inaugural prayer for President Bush and is a longtime friend and spiritual adviser to the president. Mr. Caldwell has been campaigning for Obama all year.

When was that written? That was written on December 3rd, 2007. After the McClurkin dust up (when Obama should have known better than to associate with any "Ex-Gay" people if he really cared for LGBT people) and before the SC primaries. It just goes to show where his priorities lie.


More.

[chascarrillo]

25. Washington Times???

Great source.

[NMMNG]

27. Keep hate alive!

[chascarrillo]

41. I apologize for hating the white supremacists at the Washington Times.

Sorry.

[MadBadger]

7. This is very old, and we have seen that he has NOT campaigned with him.

Nice try though.

[ruggerson]

9. What about the refusal to be photographed with Newsom?

I love watching you guys twist yourself into illogical pretzels over all this stuff.

[chascarrillo]

12. Newsom's gay?

Huh. Learn something new every day.

[ruggerson]

15. No, but he was apparently toxic to Obama

because Newsom had publicly championed same sex marriage.

[DGoldman1212]

20. Supposedly he is...

They speak about him like he is the reincarnation of Harvey Milk or something. I'm gay and I could care less about Gavin Newsom and or whether Obama wanted to have his picture taken with him. Newsom has had his fair share of bad press in the past, therefore a snub of Newsome isn't a snub to the gay communnity. And Obama had no problem winning Marin, Alameda and San Francisco Counties...so apparently it wasnt that big of a deal.

[MadBadger]

16. I didnt realize Newsom was gay.

[ruggerson]

19. Nice try

you can't even defend it. That tells me all I need to know.

[FrenchieCat]

18. Is Gavin Newsome Gay?

Silly me, I thought he was a very horny Hetero.

Maybe Obama detected a little too much Bill Clinton in Gavin for his taste. :shrug:

AIDE QUITS AS NEWSOM'S AFFAIR WITH HIS WIFE IS REVEALED
Campaign manager confronts mayor, who is 'in shock'

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's re-election campaign manager resigned Wednesday after confronting the mayor about an affair Newsom had with his wife while she worked in the mayor's office, City Hall sources said.

Alex Tourk, 39, who served as Newsom's deputy chief of staff before becoming his campaign manager in September, confronted the mayor after his wife, Ruby Rippey-Tourk, told him of the affair as part of a rehabilitation program she had been undergoing for substance abuse, said the sources, who had direct knowledge of Wednesday's meeting.

Rippey-Tourk, 34, was the mayor's appointments secretary from the start of his administration in 2004 until last spring. She told her husband that the affair with Newsom was short-lived and happened about a year and a half ago, while the mayor was undergoing a divorce from his then-wife, Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle, said the sources, who spoke on condition they not be identified.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/01/31/BAGM3NSFGQ7.DTL
--------------------

Sex scandal a serious obstacle to mayor's hopes for higher office
With the startling admission -- and public apology -- regarding an affair with his campaign manager's wife, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom set off on Thursday what one Democratic strategist described as a mushroom cloud over his promising political career.

Already, politicians and consultants are assessing the fallout: Has the talented Democratic rising star irrevocably damaged his chances for re-election -- and prospects for state or national office? And has he also wounded his party by handing Republicans juicy evidence of "San Francisco values" that are outside the mainstream?
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/02/02/MNGHNNTLHV1.DTL

------------------

[ruggerson]

21. Obama refusing to be photographed with Newsom occurred in 2004

Years before any marital infidelity stories.

Next excuse?

[NMMatt]

38. Hillary's husband...

Urged Kerry to come out against Gay Marriage outright. Kerry refused. I guess that doesn't matter though. Only perceived slights by Obama are counted.

[Bluebear]

69. He most certainly did, he was part of the South Carolina tour.

[donheld]

13. We discussed this one too

It's not going to change my mind.

[DGoldman1212]

26. I've seen it all today...

Everything from Obama thinks gay people are sinful to Obama wants to send us to death camps. Now they are digging up not wanting to have his picture taken with Newsom. With the flip/flop record of Hillary Clinton on issues like DADT and DOMA, maybe Obama should refuse to be photographed with her after debates.

Thankfully, Obama is rated as the most progressive senator we have. And someone should notify The HRC (Human Rights Campaign) because they rate him very highly too - last time I looked, evenly with Hillary.

As far as I can note - Obama is doing fantastic with "the gays" here in Central Texas.

[donheld]

30. Seems to me like some of my gay brothers and sisters are throwing Obama

under the bus because he made a friendly gesture towards a couple whom some want strung up.

[mondo joe]

31. If Clinton gave a platform to a kkk member I'd treat her the same way.

:shrug:

[DGoldman1212]

32. Once while in DC I saw Clinton and Byrd having lunch..

Is that close enough for you?

[mondo joe]

33. I don't understand the question.

Is Byrd a KKK member?

[DGoldman1212]

34. Used to be...

And I was being a tad bit sarcastic. I have ill feeling towards Byrd.

[mondo joe]

37. So you saw Clinton with someone who has repudiated racism. And I'm supposed

to see a problem there?

[donheld]

36. I"ve heard that argument before.

I didn't buy it then and I'm not going to buy it now.

[mondo joe]

39. So don't buy it. Go ahead and ignore the real damage done by assholes like McClurkin.

Your choice.

[donheld]

40. Who said I ignore damage done by McClurkin?

[mondo joe]

43. You've established that it's not a priority for you.

It is a priority for me. And I won't support its facilitation.

In the end Obama's most likely to win. So you'll get the candidate you want. He won't need my vote.

[donheld]

46. I did no such thing. I said it's not top priority. It's not No 1. # 1

[mondo joe]

49. Or #2, or #3, or #4, or #5.

For me it is a top priority.

[donheld]

52. Fine, just stop the bullying.

Some of us see a few more things that are extremely important.

[mondo joe]

54. I rather consider the people who don't care about GLBT people telling us who we should support

on GLBT issues to be the bullies.

[donheld]

58. Both sides can be bullies. It's not good.

[NMMatt]

35. Christians are homophobic...

That is not news. However, our party cannot be anti-Christian. The only way is to converse with them and change minds, one mind at a time. It looks like Caldwell is already on the side of tolerance, but apparently for some people that is not enough. Apparently for some we need to increase the divisiveness by casting all Christians overboard, rather than educating them, reaching out to them, and changing their minds.

[mondo joe]

44. No, some Christians are homophobic. Do you really want to partner with the worst?

?

[NMMatt]

50. The majority of them are...

That's the times we live in. 10 years ago it was even worse. You simply cannot isolate homophobes from your party. You can only accept them in and change their minds - unfortunately.

[Perky]

73. I dispute that the majority of Christians are homophobic

Do have a shered of evidence to support that assertion?

[NMMNG]

47. 1. Using one bigot to spew bigotry to other bigots is not "reaching out"

2. If Obama is so fond of "reaching out" then why isn't he "reaching out" to racists? Don't they need to be educated and to have their minds changed?
3. Who here is suggesting we throw Christians overboard?

[MadBadger]

60. This is the EXACT same thing as the Ann Coulter Endorsement

[mondo joe]

62. Other than Obama working with the endorser?

[MadBadger]

63. Except they never worked with each other. The endorser merely said he was going to

The Endorser was just speaking, kinda like what Ann Coulter said she would do.

[mondo joe]

64. See Post #24.

[Goat or Panic]

71. I'm still stuck on

George W. Bush having a spiritual adviser. Talk about a thankless job.

Caldwell is apparently as incompetent as everyone else in the Bush administration.

[terrya]

72. If Caldwell had endorsed and announced he was campaigning for Hillary...

I can just imagine the 30 threads here about it.

Just saying.

[cloudythescribbler]

74. Logic of holding a candidate responsible for EVERYONE who endorses them is just ridiculous! nt