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News and commentary about the anti-gay lobby“Now you must raise your children up in a world where that union of man and box turtle is on the same legal footing as man and wife…”
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobbyApril 5th, 2013
Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA), one of only four Democratic U.S. Senators who doesn’t support marriage equality, takes the most cowardly stance possible:
Landrieu told CNN National Political Correspondent Jim Acosta in an interview Friday that she personally believes “people should love who they love and marry who they want to marry,” but that her obligation rests with the people of Louisiana who elected her.
“My state has a very strong constitutional amendment not only against gay marriage but against gay partnerships. So I’m looking at the people of Louisiana trying to represent their interests,” she said.
As a Senator, the only thing that matters is what she will do as Senator. Save the “people should love who they love” bullcrap for Oprah.
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cooner
April 5th, 2013
“Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays, instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion.”
-Edmund Burke
MattNYC
April 5th, 2013
I noticed a huge typo:
“So I’m looking at ***ExxonMobil, BP, Shell, and Chevron*** trying to represent their interests”
Puh-lease. She doesn’t speak on behalf of the PEOPLE of Louisiana. I’d be surprised if she even speaks TO the help.
Hyhybt
April 5th, 2013
It’s a funny thing; people generally want their legislators to vote for what the voters want done, but to at least *pretend* they’re doing it because they believe in it no matter what the people say.
gar
April 6th, 2013
A sad and sorry copout.
Marcus
April 6th, 2013
Agreed, Hyhypbt. If anything, Landrieu is being more honest than the many senators who are or were thinking exactly what she’s saying here.
Marcus
April 6th, 2013
Sorry for misspelling your name, Hyhybt.
Mark
April 6th, 2013
Landrieu has a career record from HRC of anywhere between 89 and 100 percent, depending on the congressional session. Despite representing a very conservative state (and never winning with more than 52 percent of the vote), she’s backed DADT repeal and opposed the federal marriage amendment. She doesn’t have anything like the anti-gay statements of another vulnerable Red State Democrat, Arkansas’ Mark Pryor (who called homosexuality a choice a few weeks ago). And she’s been rhetorically more supportive than the state’s only Democratic congressman, Cedric Richmond, even though Richmond represents a district that’s around 90% Democratic.
Her likely 2014 opponent, Rep. Bill Cassidy, is strongly anti-gay.
Given the political environment of LA (the anti-gay marriage/civil union amendment passed with more than three-quarters of the vote), Landrieu showed lots of courage in voting for DADT repeal and against the FMA. This strikes me as a rare case in which political circumstances require cutting a politician a little slack, especially since she’s not being asked to vote on anything before the election.
Priya Lynn
April 6th, 2013
You make good sense Mark.
Hyhybt
April 6th, 2013
Oh, spell it any way you like. Now, it’s just a collection of letters which nobody else seems to use, convenient for registering across multiple sites on the same name. (When I first began using it in the 90’s, it came from the then-slogan of my then-employer: “Have You Had Your Break Today?”)
Jay
April 7th, 2013
As Mark pointed out above, Landrieu has a strong gay rights record. One of her very first votes as a U.S. Senator was to block in committee an attempt by Republicans to nullify a recently passed D.C. law that permitted same-sex couples to adopt. For her to give a full-throated endorsement of same-sex marriage (an issue that is not likely to come before the Senate in any case) would assure her defeat in 2014. She is likely to be defeated in any case, but she has in the past eked out victories even as the state has become more and more conservative. If she loses, she will be replaced by a far more conservative senator who will vote for nothing that will benefit gay and lesbian citizens. Whatever Republican who runs against her, whether Cassidy or Scalise, will be actively anti-gay. Mary voted for the hate crimes bill, endorsed ENDA, and voted to repeal DADT. Cassidy and Scalise are opposed to all three, as well, of course, to marriage equality. To urge people to vote against her is insuring the loss of one of our allies and the election of an enemy. Very short-sighted.
gsingjane
April 8th, 2013
Jay and Mark – thanks so much for giving us the inside baseball on this. I always appreciate hearing from folks familiar with the situation “on the ground” regarding these specific political issues. You’ve given me a very different perspective on Landrieu than I would have had.
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