Box Turtle Bulletin
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 lobbyJuly 30th, 2010
Texas Sen. John Cornyn (R) says he wants to find common ground with Log Cabin Republicans and will “drop by” the group’s political action committee reception before a September fundraiser in Washington, D.C.:
“Some things we won’t agree on,” Cornyn, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said. “But I think it’s always better to talk and then try find those things we can agree on rather than just assume there’s no common ground whatsoever.”
Cornyn said same-sex marriage is “absolutely” one of those things he and LCR members don’t agree on, but he’s happy to talk to them.
“I don’t want people to misunderstand and think that I don’t respect the dignity of every human being regardless of sexual orientation,” Cornyn said.
In that vein, he thought attending the fundraising event was something he should do, he said.
John Wright at The Dallas Voice reminds us that we shouldn’t expect too much from the exchange:
We’re sure some will try to argue this is a sign of progress, but we mustn’t forget Cornyn’s strong support for a federal marriage amendment, his vote against hate crimes last year, his stated opposition to DADT repeal, and his all-but-certain vote against ENDA if it ever reaches the Senate floor. Cornyn has received a zero on every Human Rights Campaign Congressional Scorecard since he took office.
Wright sees this latest development as “nothing more than pandering for votes and money from gay Republicans across the country.” I would tend to agree, since there seems to be no hint of concession on any of the issues that directly concern LGBT people. Cornyn is chair of the GOP’s Senate campaign committee.
It was during the 2004 debate over the Federal Marriage Amendment that Cornyn’s famous “Box Turtle” quote entered the lexicon. A prepared draft of the speech he was to give to the Heritage Foundation on his support for the proposed amendment contained the line:
It does not affect your daily life very much if your neighbor marries a box turtle. But that does not mean it is right… 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.
When he actually gave the speech, he skipped the line. But the Washington Post, working on the prepared draft released by Cornyn’s office, published the statement as provided. In the ensuing outcry over the comparison between gays and box turtles, Cornyn protested that he didn’t actually say the lines that his office had been released to news media. The Post later published a clarification.
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Timothy Kincaid
July 30th, 2010
I disagree. I think that this statement misunderstands both gay Republicans and conservative politicians. This is not pandering, it’s something else entirely – and while it will not change votes, it is TREMENDOUSLY important. I’ll follow up later when I have more time.
Jack
July 30th, 2010
I agree with Mr Kincaid. I think this is a huge development, especially since Cornyn is announcing publicly that he plans/wants to meet with LCR. (He could of course have met them “off the record”.)
Will the meeting change votes or planks in the GOP platform? In and of itself, almost certainly not. But Cornyn can see very well which way the wind is blowing and it’s not the direction he (and today’s GOP) came from.
customartist
July 30th, 2010
It MEANS that Cornyn is trying to do his job: Raize funds for the GOP. He has absolutely zero inclination toward removing DADT, DOMA, nor toward implementing ENDA; ZERO!, which is exactly what the rest of the GOP will do with your money if you are dumb enough to be fooled by this rhetoric. That’s what it is > Worthless B.S.
“We respect you (now at election time) but if you think for one skinny moment that we will ever make any effort what so ever to remove the opressive laws that keep you in a lesser socio-economic level than we’uns, well, just send us your money!”
customartist
July 30th, 2010
The best predictor of future behavior is previous behavior. Hmmm???
Priya Lynn
July 30th, 2010
And people criticize Democrat supporting gays for giving support and getting nothing in return.
Ray
July 30th, 2010
It’s pandering. Mary Bono Mack (R) Palm Springs, does this same in her district. She meets with LCR or GOProud, knocks out a press release about it and the right-wing newspaper publishes it. She told us she would rely on guidance from military leaders on DADT and I sent her a list of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and Secretaries of Defense (both present and previous) who supported the elimination of DADT. The majority of both groups supported eliminating it. When the vote on the Appropriations Bill came up, Bono Mack vote (wait for it) “Nay”. She’s a phony. Guess what? GOProud gave her their endorsement.
cedlitz
July 30th, 2010
remember the Bush definition of bi-partisan-ism? It was “Hey you; come over here.”
Talk AT does not equal ‘talk to’ does not equal talk with’.
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