Today, Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez announced the appointment of Joe Solmonese to be Chief Executive Officer of the 2020 Democratic National Convention Committee. Solmonese just recently served as the Transition Chair of Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), and previously served as the President of the Human Rights Campaign and the Chief Executive Officer of Emily’s List.
“Joe Solmonese will be an asset in leading our convention team. He brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to this role and will be instrumental in ensuring we have a successful event,” said Perez. “We chose Milwaukee because the city embodies who we are as a party, and under Joe’s leadership, I’m confident those values will be at the forefront as we celebrate our nominee and prepare for the general election. I am thrilled to have him as a part of the team and look forward to a unifying convention that will put our nominee in the best possible position for victory in November 2020.”
“The opportunity to lead the 2020 convention is a tremendous honor and I’m prepared to hit the ground running,” said Solmonese. “There is no better time than now to be a Democrat and next summer we will showcase the ideals and diversity that make our party, the city of Milwaukee, and our nominee special to the American people.”
Joe Solmon-sleaze as we used to call him ran the Human Rights Campaign from 2005 – 2012.
After the announcement that the Democratic National convention had scheduled Anti-gay and Anti-women’s reproductive rights Cardinal Timothy Dolan to give the closing prayer at the Democratic National Convention I called upon the LGBT Community, Straight Allies and women’s right groups to protest his appearance but my pleas fell on deaf ears because “it might upset the Democratic Party and we don;t want to look bad.”
Last night during his closing prayer other than a few “boo’s” (Thank you Joe Jervis at Joe My God”) Dolan had the nerve to close out the DNC with a slam on abortion rights.
We beseech you, almighty God to shed your grace on this noble experiment in ordered liberty, which began with the confident assertion of inalienable rights bestowed upon us by you: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Thus do we praise you for the gift of life. Grant us the courage to defend it, life, without which no other rights are secure. We ask your benediction on those waiting to be born, that they may be welcomed and protected.”
By the way. Cardinal Dolan will be a key speaker at next weeks Family Research Council’s anti-gay HATERPOOLOOZA “The Values Voters Summit”.
The Human Rights Campaign,The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, and The National Center for Transgender Equality in a ridiculous show of political correctness are in a tizzy over Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank saying that the Log Cabin Republicans — a group for gay Republicans — have modeled themselves after “Uncle Tom.”
Frank who’s known for being forthright and not pulling any punches, first used the comments on Michelangelo Signorile’s SiriusXM radio show from the DNC floor and later repeated the line to at the convention’s LGBT Caucus.
In the Signorelli interview Frank said.
“Frankly I’ve been appalled to see the Log Cabin club, in the face of this worse and worse record on public policy by Republicans on our issues. Mr. Cooper (President of the LCR) said, ‘Well at least they’re not saying bad things about us.’ That’s just extraordinary. Again, 30 years ago when we were emerging from the vice of prejudice, I understood that. But no, we shouldn’t be accepting a kind of second class citizenship, [and saying], ‘You can treat us badly as long you don’t yell at us.
They’re accepted on [the GOP’s] terms, they’re willing to be accepted with no rights — no right to marry, no right to serve in the military, no right to be protected against hate crimes, no right to be protected in employment. I’ll be honest: For 20 years now I’ve heard how the Log Cabins are going to make Republicans better, but they’ve only gotten worse. I now understand why they call themselves Log Cabin: their role model is “Uncle Tom.”
(For those of you who don;t know. Uncle Tom, the name of the leading character in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin, the character’s name has been used before to describe members of a minority group who bow to and help their group’s oppressors. Sounds like Gay Republicans to me)
Almost immediately after Frank’s comments Gay Inc’s “political correctness” and apinelessness kicked in
Chad Griffin — the new head of the Human Rights Campaign said of Frank’s comments: “That’s certainly not my perspective. The Log Cabin Republicans are good people doing good work. We need all fair-minded Americans to rally to the side of equality, and that most definitely includes Republicans. They provide a voice within the Republican Party that’s important.” (I had high hopes for Griffin turning the HRC around. Well thats over now)
Rea Carey – the executive director of the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, went further, saying, “At the Task Force, we would never say something like that. There’s going to need to be some follow-up on the part of the [LGBT] caucus and the [Democratic] party today.” (Looks like the Task Force finally found a task insipid as it is)
And Mara Keisling,- the head of the National Center for Transgender Equality, , said, “I think Barney Frank speaks for himself. It’s pretty clear to me which party is much, much, much better on LGBT equality, but I’m not going to cast aspersions on Log Cabin Republicans. Bless their hearts for trying.
OH PLEASE GIVE ME A BREAK.
LCR executive director R. Clarke Cooper replied to Franks statement saying: “We understand that Barney has earned his protected place within the Democrat Party by being their attack dog on gay rights issues, demonizing Republicans and undermining efforts at bipartisanship that would actually improve LGBT Americans lives. We expect this kind of bile from Barney, especially when it plays into the Obama campaign’s efforts to divide, distract and deceive the American people.”
While the LCR in reality is less toxic than HomoCONS at GOProud (slightly) at the end of the day they are exactly the same.
Come November they will enter that voting booth and vote a straight Republican ticket for the party that wants to deny us our God-given rights, keep us second class citizens, and spreads hateful lies and propaganda about us.
To me that makes Franks “Uncle Tom” comments totally justifiable (although I personally prefer “Auntie Tom’s) and Gay Inc’s scrambling for political correctness and support of the Log Cabin Republicans disingenuous and spineless at best.
“On behalf of the great state of Wisconsin and our proud progressive tradition, thank you! I know you’ve heard a lot about Wisconsin lately. You’ve heard about Paul Ryan, who wants to end Medicare as we know it. You’ve heard about Scott Walker, who took basic rights away from teachers, nurses, and public employees. Maybe you’ve even heard about Tommy Thompson, our former governor, who went to Washington, cashed in on his special interest connections, and never really came back.
Well, I’m here to tell you that they don’t speak for all of Wisconsin. I want you to hear about the Wisconsin I know: the place where my grandparents raised me, the place where generations of families have worked hard to get ahead, the place where our state motto might sound familiar to you.
It’s just one word: forward. We believe that if we’re going to prosper, everyone has to have a fair shot, and everyone has to do their fair share. That’s why I’m proud to lead the charge for the Buffet Rule, which makes sure that millionaires and billionaires don’t get to pay a lower tax rate than middle-class families. And, President Obama is standing with me.
But Mitt Romney wants to pass even more tax cuts for those at the top. The Wisconsin I know, knows that their plan will only bust our budget, not boost our economy. We believe in a level playing field.
More than a decade ago, the big Wall Street banks came to Congress and asked us to repeal an important banking law called Glass-Steagall, allowing them to gamble like hedge funds. Too many in Washington said yes. Russ Feingold and I said no. And after those risky schemes brought our economy to its knees, I fought to make Wall Street play by the same rules as Main Street. President Obama fought for that reform. Mitt Romney wants to repeal it.
But the Wisconsin I know, knows that having two sets of rules makes no kind of sense. We believe in hard work. For decades, we’ve worked to make things: paper, engines, tools, ships—and, yes, cheese, brats, and beer. Give our workers a fair shot, and we’ll compete against anyone.
That’s why I’m taking on China’s cheating and betting on Wisconsin’s workers. President Obama believes in our manufacturers. That’s why he’s standing with me to support companies creating jobs here, not shipping them overseas. Mitt Romney wants to give up on our manufacturing sector. But the Wisconsin I know, knows that an economy built to last says “Made in America” on the label. And we believe that American history moves in one direction: forward.
Our president has made historic progress toward equality. He repealed “don’t ask, don’t tell” so that no American ever again has to lie about who they are in order to serve the country we love. Republicans want to write discrimination into our Constitution. But the Wisconsin I know believes that with each passing year and each generation, our country must become more equal, not less. Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan, Scott Walker, Tommy Thompson—they think they’re the only ones who speak for Wisconsin.
But come November, the Wisconsin I know—the America I love—will speak out loud and clear, and keep us moving forward: forward with a strong middle class; forward on a path to prosperity; forward with President Obama!” – Tammy Baldwin
Newark’s Mayor and soon to be Governor of New Jersey (say bye-bye Chris Christie) and First Lady Michelle Obama owned the night on the stunning first day of the Democratic National Convention.
Booker powerfully blazed bright at the 6pm hour of the Convention speaking about the 2012 Democratic platform and the differences between it and the GOP’s
“Our platform and our president are not interested in petty political arguments. Instead, this platform of big and practical ideas sets forth an emboldened pathway toward the historic hope which has driven generations of Americans forward—it is our most fundamental national aspiration—that no matter who you are, no matter what your color, creed, how you choose to pray or who you choose to love, that if you are an American—first generation or fifth—one who is willing to work hard, play by the rules and apply your God-given talents—that you should be able to find a job that pays the bills.
You should be able to afford health care for your families. You should be able to retire with dignity and respect. And you should be able to give your children the kind of education that allows them to dream even bigger, go even further and accomplish more than you could have imagined,” ”This is our platform. This is our platform! This is our platform!”
First Lady Michelle closed the night with the most flawlessly stunning, brilliant, moving, and passionate sppech that was worthy of a Presidential nominee instead of a First Lady:
“If farmers and blacksmiths could win independence from an empire…if immigrants could leave behind everything they knew for a better life on our shores…if women could be dragged to jail for seeking the vote…if a generation could defeat a depression, and define greatness for all time…if a young preacher could lift us to the mountaintop with his righteous dream…and if proud Americans can be who they are and boldly stand at the altar with who they love…then surely, surely we can give everyone in this country a fair chance at that great American Dream.
It was a spectacular start to the Democratic National Convention, full of hope, plans and dreams for a new and better America. And in just one day it has already overshadows the entire week of the RNC in Tampa which focused on the negative, attacks and hate
The Democratic National Committee not more than 3 weeks after announcing language to the 2012 Democratic Platform supporting same-sex marriage and embracing federal workplace protections for the LGBT Community has tapped Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, and one of the Catholic Church’s leading voices against same-sex marriage and LGBT equality and Women’s Reproductive Rights to deliver the closing prayer at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte next week.
Dolan has a long history of insulting the LGBT community and working to deny them equal protections. The archbishop led the religious opposition to New York’s civil same-sex marriage law, during which he compared extending marriage to gays and lesbians to communist dictatorships, incest and argued that it would be “perilous” and “detrimental for the common good.” “You don’t redefine marriage — a given — just to accommodate people’s lifestyle,” Dolan said in an interview with the National Catholic Register in late June. But yet the DNC finds it fitting for this “christian” to give the closing prayer at the DNC.
The DNC inviting the vehemently anti-LGBT Dolan to deliver the closing prayer is a slap in the face to the LGBT community and a spineless move on the DNC’s part to pander to the anti-gay right and independents who have no intention of voting Democratic at all.
Perhaps one day the DNC will learn that the lack of integrity and strength within its own party is the reason that many do not turn out to vote and cannot stand behind a party that does not have the verisimilitude and balls to stand up for its own convictions and platform
There will be over 500 LGBT delegates at the 2012 Democratic National Convention and unless the DNC rescinds Cardinal Dolan’s invitation and replaces him with a more suitable religious leader I call upon EVERYONE of them and LGBT journalist, bloggers and straight allies to protest during Dolan’s prayer. Stand up and turn your backs, walk out, or shout out. Let Dolan know that he and his anti-gay bigotry is unwelcomed and also let the DNC know that we will not take this slight lightly.
