For what it is worth, Obama's full comment today about Warren

[scheming daemons]

“Let me start by talking about my own views. I think that it is no secret that I am a fierce advocate for equality for gay and lesbian Americans. It is something that I have been consistent on and something that I intend to continue to be consistent on during my presidency. What I’ve also said is that it is important for America to come together, even though we may have disagreements on certain social issues, and I would note that a couple of years ago, I was invited to Rick Warren’s church to speak despite his awareness that I held views that were entirely contrary to his when it came to gay and lesbian rights, when it came to issues like abortion. Nevertheless I had an opportunity to speak, and that dialogue I think is part of what my campaign’s been all about, that we’re not going to agree on every single issue, but what we have to do is to be able to create an atmosphere where we can disagree without being disagreeable, and then focus on those things that we hold in common as Americans.”

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1208/Obama_on_Warren.html?showall



I will make no editorial comment on the content. Take it for what it is worth.

[davidpdx]

1. Impeach him, Impeach him

We should get rid of him!!!

Oh wait, he hasn't even been sworn in yet.

:sarcasm:

[MadrasT]

16. *SNORT*

Now that was funny... :toast:

[EFerrari]

17. Better idea -- Get him new writers! New writers!

[polichick]

2. Presumably lots of other ministers invited him to their churches...

A few weeks ago, an NPR guest made the observation that Obama rewards his enemies and slights his friends. Maybe the guest was on to something.

[QC]

4. That was the Bill Clinton method: knock your friends into the dirt in your rush

to hug your enemies. He did it often, presumably in hopes that he could finally, somehow make these people love him, did it so often that people used to remark that being Bill's enemy was far more advantageous than being his friend.

[polichick]

10. Oh yeah, I remember. It's like sucking up to the bullies in school.

[depakid]

29. It worked really well with the corporate media, eh?

They never gave him a day of respite- even before he took office- no honeymoon afterwards- and it only got worse no matter how often he pandered to them (including appointing Micheal POwell to the FCC and giving them a veritable Christmas wish list in the telecommunications bill).

Democrats never seem to learn....

[Critters2]

7. He's welcome at my church any damn time he wants to show up,

but since we're outspokenly gay-friendly, I don't expect to see him any time soon.

[polichick]

11. The churches I like best are Unitarian Universalist - always gay friendly!

[Critters2]

13. We're UCC. Also gay-friendly. nt

[polichick]

18. I've visited lots of churches, but not UCC. Maybe someday.

[mopinko]

20. he doesn't reward anyone.

that is why he is a motherfucker.

[theoldman]

3. At my place of employment, I always thought that I was doing

good if I got along with 90% of the employees. That does not mean that I agreed with them 100% of the time. It also means that I did not disagree 100% of the time with the 10% that I did not get along with very well. My point is that none of us will agree with Obama all of the time. We just have to agree with him most (51%) of the time which is a lot better than I did with Bush.

[Bobbieo]

6. When things get really bad - Think about life under McCain/Palin!

[theoldman]

8. McCain has dumped Palin so we may be lucky.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

5. Oh?

"What I’ve also said is that it is important for America to come together, even though we may have disagreements on certain social issues..."

I don't know if he'd want to "come together" with KKK Members just to do kumbaya with them.

[jberryhill]

12. I'm fascinated at how "Kumbaya" has become a pejorative

Sort of like the "bleeding heart" prefix to "liberal" - take an image of love (the bleeding heart of Christ), and ridicule it.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

31. I don't believe in singing kumbaya with nazis. Sorry! nt

[mopinko]

21. you don't have to make peace with your friends.

we could leave the members of the kkk to stew in their ignorance and hatred, or we could try to show them the common humanity that we all want respected. if we change one in a hundred, or a thousand, even, it is the beginning of the end of hatred.
i'm not recommending that david duke speak at the inaugural. just speaking my piece about peace. it starts with speech.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

32. Or we could ostracize them until they learn to stop hurting humanity nt

[Solon]

9. Problem is he doesn't advocate for equality, he's against Same Sex Marriage...

and has been outspoken about it, so he's an advocate for second class status, but not equality. Its intellectually dishonest to say otherwise.

[Critters2]

14. I know. What is this "fierce advocate" nonsense?

With fierce advocates like this, who needs enemies?

[RoadRage]

34. So you voted against Obama then, right?

Because he had that same "against same sex marriage, but for Civil Unions" stance BEFORE the election - and i'm sure you were aware of it... and didn't vote for him because of it, right?

The guy hasn't changed his stance on the issues. He hasn't changed his policys on the issues. He said he was going to change.. and reaching across the aisle to the right is exactly what he said he would be doing it. SURPRISE! He's doing it. He's not asking for Warren's advice on these issues - but he is giving the right a sign that "he hears them". That's more then Bush did to us... and we hated it. Now that the shoe is on the other foot- we seem to hate that to.

I guess it's OK to totally ostracize the other side, as long as you're the one doing it.

I hate warren, and I hate what he stands for... but he has a lot of this country that loves him. Letting them have 2 minutes may go a long way to getting them to be agreeable down the road when we need them to actually support some of what Obama wants to push through.

[zipplewrath]

35. Yes, well in the primaries

I was not an early supporter of Obama. Probably the #2 problem I had with him was his stance on GLBT issues. Does that mean I get to be critical?

[RoadRage]

36. You can be critical..

but just let the guy get the job first. I really think he wants to help the GLBT community.. but he's going to do it his way, and that's by building a concensous. If he can get the Right "moral" portion of this country to see how their attitudes twoards gay people is no better then how blacks were treated in the recent past, that will go along way twoards fixing this. But, he has to have their ear in order to do that.. and you get people to pay attention by working with those who they listen to (even if you yourself don't agree with what those people say).

[zipplewrath]

37. Your premise is in some doubt

From some of the GLBT community that I personally know, most of them are a tad suspicious of Obama/Biden and their commitment to these issues. Answers from Biden in the debate didn't help. Neither does the way in which Obama seems to constantly stumble over expressions like GLBT and homosexual when he is speaking extemporaneously. There is a real impression out there that he will throw them under the bus for larger issues. So something like this only supports their suspicions. Right now, he seems to be paying lip service to their issues, not embracing them. A guy who threw his own pastor under the bus, but invites THIS guy to do the invocation....

[azmouse]

15. It was a nice try.

Thank you for posting Obama's own words. Shame no one will listen.

[Solon]

19. Oh I listened all right, its just that it seems presumptuous to claim to be an advocate...

and yet not support Same Sex Marriage. Fuck this half way, second class, civil union bullshit.

[nuncvendetta]

23. preach it, brother!

n/t.

[Bodhi BloodWave]

30. if you care more about the word marriage then having all the rights associated with marriage

then feel free to toss him under the buss.

[tbyg52]

22. That explains why he speaks to Warren.

It doesn't explain why he asked Warren to speak at the inauguration. There *is* no good explanation.

[nuncvendetta]

25. So if Warren were opposed to interracial marriage

would Obama still invite him all the same - because his quote/excuse suggests that he would...

[NorthCarolina]

27. I don't think it was necessary for you to include the "if" in your statement n/t

[tbyg52]

28. That's the way I read it. And it's bull. nt

[polichick]

26. That's how I see it too. Ridiculous answer.

[leftofthedial]

24. those bible thumpers sure can make a deal!

The President of the United States comes and talks to a few thousand zombies at your mega-mall Wal*Church and in return...you get to spew religulous hypocrisy at the most significant historic event in our lifetimes.

I think the Obama should put Rick Warren on his economic team.

[rox63]

33. I don't who Obama picks to sprinkle magic fairy dust on the inauguration

It's not like he's giving Warren a policy role. :eyes:
Yeah, I think Warren's an asshole. But Clinton had Billy Graham give the invocation at his inauguration, and Graham has never been a pillar of tolerance either.

[Tesha]

42. Yes, and then Clinton later signed DOMA -- Boy, that worked out great, didn't it?

And don't forget DADT!

Tesha

[earth mom]

38. Sorry Obama but you don't advocate for a group of people by condoning the people who hate them.

Make all the excuses and explanations you want, but none of them hold any water or make any god damn sense.

[judasdisney]

39. Rick Warren will throw Obama under the bus

[alwysdrunk]

40. No one throws the President under the bus

No one would dare.

[judasdisney]

41. You must have missed the 1990s.

[Tesha]

43. It's okay, we're about to do them all over again. (NT)

[WinkyDink]

45. But with less money. :)

[Yes We Did]

46. I want to go back to the 90's

I get to erase my debt and start over... right?

[IsItJustMe]

44. ..