08/23/2008
The Obama/Biden Ticket
So, as you likely all know by now, early this morning Barack Obama announced Delaware Senator Joseph Biden as his running mate (my text came at 3:19 am) although by that time the AP had already leaked the pick. The text: "Barack has chosen Senator Joe Biden to be our VP nominee. Watch the first Obama-Biden rally live at 3pm ET on www.BarackObama.com. Spread the word!"
Here's the newly launched logo that went live as soon as the text was sent.
Agence France Presse reports: "Barack Obama's running mate, Senator Joseph Biden, 65, brings decades of national security experience to the Democratic White House ticket, an area where the presumptive nominee is seen as lacking. As charman of the Senate Foreign Relations committee, the new vice presidential nominee has met many of the leading actors on the world stage, and is an outspoken critic of the Bush administration's foreign policy.
The Human Rights Campaign hailed the nominee. Said President Joe Solmonese: "In selecting Senator Joe Biden as his running mate, Senator Obama has chosen a proven and effective advocate for fairness and equality that our entire community can be proud of. Senator Biden’s record in the United States Senate is one of support and understanding that has been unwavering throughout his career...If the support Senator Biden has proven on our issues is any indication of the type of Vice President he will be than our community can be assured that Senator Obama has chosen a thoughtful and staunch advocate for equality as his closest adviser."
Biden's record on LGBT rights, AFTER THE JUMP...
McCain's campaign almost immediately slammed the pick: "There has been no harsher critic of Barack Obama's lack of experience than Joe Biden. Biden has denounced Barack Obama's poor foreign policy judgment and has strongly argued in his own words what Americans are quickly realizing -- that Barack Obama is not ready to be President."
The McCain ad attacks have also already begun, focusing on Biden's own statements against the presumptive nominee:
CNN discusses what Biden might bring to the ticket. And here are some examples of Biden's style that demonstrates his willingness to engage vocally and aggressively against his opponents, via the Huffington Post:
And his campaign attacks on Rudy Giuliani:
AFTER THE JUMP, Biden's record on LGBT rights, via the Human Rights Campaign:
Highlights of Senator Joe Biden’s Record of Support for the GLBT Community
101st Congress (1989-1990): Overall Scorecard Rating 90%
102nd Congress (1991-1992): Overall Scorecard Rating 91%
103rd Congress (1993-1994): Overall Scorecard Rating 89%
104th Congress (1995-1996): Overall Scorecard Rating 78%
105th Congress (1997-1998): Overall Scorecard Rating 83%
106th Congress (1999-2000): Overall Scorecard Rating 86%
107th Congress (2001-2002): Overall Scorecard Rating 100%
108th Congress (2003-2004): Overall Scorecard Rating 63%
109th Congress (2005-2006): Overall Scorecard Rating 78%
● Helms Amendment – Hate Crimes Statistics Act (February 8, 1990)
Senator Helms offered an amendment to a hate crimes statistics bill (S. AMDT. 1251 to S. 419) stating that “the homosexual movement threatens the strength and survival of the American family” and that “state sodomy laws should be enforced.” The Helms amendment failed 19-77 (Record Vote No. 12). HRC opposed this amendment. Biden also opposed it.
● District of Columbia’s Health Care Benefits Expansion Act (July 30, 1992)
Senator Brock Adams (D-WA) offered a procedural motion to block attempts to repeal the District of Columbia’s Health Care Benefits Expansion Act, a measure adopted by the D.C. Council to provide D.C. government employees the opportunity to purchase health care coverage for their domestic partners. The motion failed 41-51 and implementation of the D.C. law was subsequently prohibited by Congress. HRC supported this motion. Biden also supported it.
● Justice Clarence Thomas Confirmation (October 15, 1991)
The Senate voted on President George H.W. Bush’s nomination of Clarence Thomas to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Senate confirmed his nomination 52-48 (Record Vote No. 220). HRC opposed this nomination. Biden also opposed it.
● Hate Crimes Sentencing Enhancement (November 4, 1993)
Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) offered an amendment to the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1993 (S. AMDT. 1097 to S. 1607) to increase penalties for federal crimes motivated by the victim’s sexual orientation and other characteristics. The Feinstein Amendment was the first piece of federal legislation to provide protection on the basis of sexual orientation. The amendment passed 95-4 (Record Vote No. 351). HRC supported this amendment. Biden also supported it.
● Codification of the Ban on Gays and Lesbians in the Military (September 9, 1993)
Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) offered an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act of 1994 (S. AMDT. 783 to S. 1298) to prevent codification of the discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy on lesbians and gays in the military. The amendment failed 33-63 (Record Vote No. 250). HRC supported this amendment. Biden also supported it.
● District of Columbia’s Domestic Partners Ordinance (July 27, 1993)
An amendment was offered to allow the District of Columbia to implement its ordinance allowing unmarried couples or partners to register with the D.C. government, making them eligible for group health insurance offered to D.C. government employees for a higher premium. It failed 43-55 (Record Vote No. 217). HRC supported this amendment. Biden also supported it.
● Employment Non-Discrimination Act (September 10, 1996)
In its first test in Congress, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (S. 932), which would prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, came within one vote of passage in the Senate. Senator David Pryor (D-AR), who supported ENDA, missed the vote for a family emergency. The bill failed 49-50 (Record Vote No. 281). HRC supported this bill. Biden also supported it.
● Hate Crimes Amendment to Defense Authorization (June 20, 2000)
Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Gordon Smith (R-OR) introduced the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, renamed the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act, as an amendment to the fiscal year 2001 defense authorization bill (S. AMDT. 3473 to S. 2549). The Kennedy-Smith amendment would extend basic hate crime protections to all Americans in all communities by adding real or perceived sexual orientation, gender and disability to the categories covered and by removing the federally protected activity requirement. This amendment was overwhelmingly approved 57-42 (Record Vote No. 136). HRC supported this amendment. Biden also supported it.
● Federal Marriage Amendment (July 14, 2004)
The Federal Marriage Amendment (S.J. Res 40), introduced in the Senate by Senator Wayne Allard (R-CO), would have enshrined discrimination into the U.S. Constitution by defining marriage as the union between one man and one woman and prohibiting federal and state laws from conferring same-sex couples with marital status and “the legal incidents thereof,” thereby endangering civil unions and domestic partnership benefits. The amendment needed a two-thirds majority (67) to be passed in the Senate and a three-fifths majority (60) to proceed to a vote on the amendment (cloture). The cloture motion failed 48-50 (Record Vote No. 155). HRC opposed this cloture motion. Biden also opposed it.
● Federal Marriage Amendment (June 7, 2006)
The Marriage Protection Amendment (formerly called the Federal Marriage Amendment) (S.J. Res. 1) would have enshrined discrimination into the U.S. Constitution by defining marriage as the union between one man and one woman and prohibiting federal and state laws from conferring same-sex couples with marital status and “the legal incidents thereof.” The amendment would thereby endanger civil unions and domestic partnership benefits. The amendment failed by a vote of 49-48, falling 11 votes short of the 60 necessary to invoke cloture, a procedural motion to advance to a vote on the substance of the bill (Record Vote No. 163). The amendment would have needed 67 votes (two-thirds majority) to pass. HRC opposed this amendment. Biden also opposed it.
● Justice Samuel Alito Confirmation (January 31, 2006)
The Senate voted on President W. Bush’s nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Senate confirmed his nomination 58-42 (Record Vote No. 2). HRC opposed this nomination. Biden also opposed it.
● Judge William Pryor Confirmation (June 9, 2005)
The Senate voted on President Bush’s nomination of Judge William Pryor to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. The Senate confirmed his nomination 53-45 (Record Vote No. 133). HRC opposed this nomination. Biden also opposed it.
Posted 10:11 AM EST by Andy Towle in Barack Obama, Democratic National Convention, Democratic Party, Joseph Biden, News | Permalink
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I don't get it. This guys website is amazing. He does label his website bitterqueen, so he's upfront about it.
Posted by: Randy | Aug 23, 2008 12:37:22 PM
I sure seem to be getting under your skin BUZZ and 24PLAY; the truth obviously must be stinging you guys a bit. Although Joe Biden claims that he has a higher IQ than all the rest of us, I'm not sure that the same can be said for the $1 per post whores the Obama campaign has unleashed onto the message boards. That's change we can believe in!
Posted by: HOGB a/k/a THATSRICH a/k/a ANOTHERDEMOCRATICIDIOT | Aug 23, 2008 12:39:07 PM
In case y'all didn't notice, the recent uptick in republican trollery (and I'm going to include most "hillary diehards" in this camp) are the product of of Limbaugh's "operation chaos."
We could do the old thing of pretending we're above this and ignoring the comments, but that pussy-ass approach never served the democrats well. I say we take this fight right back to them. Go to gaypatriot.org, redstate.com, or whatever obnoxious rightwing blog you can find out there and bring the war back to them. Post about pill-popping Cindy. Post about the McCain family's byzantine (and quite shady) network of financial trusts. Maybe even post about McCain's track record, one that follows the Bush administration's 98% of the time.
They won the last election because they shouted louder. I wish the american public was better then this, but there you go. We can't afford to make the same mistake again.
Posted by: Dan | Aug 23, 2008 12:44:56 PM
Could be worse, could be better. Such is politics--beats the hell out of Golddigger who left his wife and whose campaign shrieks "POW!" at every opportunity.
Posted by: MAJeff | Aug 23, 2008 12:45:49 PM
I had just about decided to stop posting on Towleroad until after the election because I could not take it anymore. However, Biden? Really, very funny. I am so happy that he chose loud mouth Biden over Hillary because she would have actually "helped" Obama get elected. Biden is going to help McCain win the whitehouse!
Biden, only one step right of Kennedy/Pelosi, will not resonate well with middle America! He is too liberal, he is too loud and had he connected in the beginning he would be the nominee now. However, he will be a help to the whitehouse, for McCain!
Posted by: RB | Aug 23, 2008 12:47:06 PM
I don't doubt that there are sore HRC supporters, but I've yet to meet one who I believe will actually vote for McCain as a protest or because they think he's superior. This is because he and Hillary have ZERO in common. Most of the anti-Obama pro-Hillary crap on the 'Net is the product of people who are Republicans anyway.
For any Hillary supporters who really would and will vote for McCain, I don't know what you were supporting her for unless you just were sucked in by her personality, because nothing she supports fits with what McCain supports. So I won't miss your votes when Obama/Biden easily win in November after the next 70ish not-so-easy days.
Posted by: Matthew Rettenmund | Aug 23, 2008 12:55:32 PM
He is too liberal, he is too loud and had he connected in the beginning he would be the nominee now. However, he will be a help to the whitehouse, for McCain!
Posted by: RB | Aug 23, 2008 12:47:06 PM
---------------
Not sure but when was the last time a Dem won Middle America?
What Obama needed was someone with strong defense background, check. Someone who will be his mouth piece, unlike Edwards was for Kerry (too busy chasing skirt I guess) check.
Posted by: patrick nyc | Aug 23, 2008 12:59:45 PM
I love all the folks shrieking "McCain wins!" over this.
Obama has had a consistent lead (except in ONE poll) of about 3-5 points since May, at least. When looking at the electoral college map, he's ahead pretty handily.
Yeah, there's still a long campaign ahead. And the R's will pull out all the racist dogwhistles and ratfucking PUMAs they can muster. But handing over the keys? Not even close.
Posted by: MAJeff | Aug 23, 2008 1:05:08 PM
"Not sure but when was the last time a Dem won Middle America?"
Define "Middle America." Minnesota hasn't gone R since 1972. Michigan since 1988. Wisconsin since 1984.
Posted by: MAJeff | Aug 23, 2008 1:08:00 PM
HRC is a joke - who cares who they support. Every queen has that fag sticker on their car just b/c they got it sent free. We all know the shadiness of the HRC...
Posted by: lame | Aug 23, 2008 1:13:58 PM
He means white America, for whom he is the self-designated spokesmodel.
Posted by: 24play | Aug 23, 2008 1:14:02 PM
And by "he" I mean RB, who first dropped the term into the thread.
Posted by: 24play | Aug 23, 2008 1:19:10 PM
From a horse race perspective (the only perspective the news media seems interested in), Biden is a ho-hum choice, not one that will energize the Democratic base, unlike Hillary. I hope he uses his attack dog skills well during the campaign, because stooping as low as McCain is, unfortunately, going to be necessary since the gullible idiocy of the average American voter cannot be underestimated. As an actual VP choice, Biden is a decent one. Being an experienced insider is not a bad thing for a VP. I would have liked a ticket with Hillary on it, but, frankly, I think her talents can be better used elsewhere. Obama could have made much worse picks: Kathleen Sebelius, Chet Edwards, god forbid--Sam Nunn.
Don't get too excited just yet, RB. It's a long road to November, however anxious you may be for McCain to make good on his anti-gay promises.
Posted by: Ernie | Aug 23, 2008 1:21:31 PM
I guess age is off the table for a campaign issue now though....
Posted by: Las Vegas | Aug 23, 2008 1:24:47 PM
What I think when I hear Middle America is a combo of 'Red States' and those not belonging to the hard core GOP, no matter where they live.
Posted by: pbnyc59 | Aug 23, 2008 1:27:16 PM
Yawn.
Wake me when it's 2012 and McCain's term is ending.
Posted by: Kapsize | Aug 23, 2008 1:30:03 PM
no "LAME", i don't know the shadiness of the HRC.
and i'm not just being contrary. educate me please.
i'm sick of the "we all know..." debate tactic. it's the kind of thing some MSM pundit says, and it's gotten to the point where people just accept crap like that as fact.
"the dude on the tv said 'we all know the questionable background of Barack Obama', so Obama must have a questionable background".
A healthy democracy can be upheld only by an informed and educated electorate. Cliff's notes won't cut it.
Posted by: buzz | Aug 23, 2008 1:32:08 PM
"I guess age is off the table for a campaign issue now though...."
Why? Biden won't be as old as McCain until well in their 2nd term and, um, he's not the presidential candidate.
Posted by: Ernie | Aug 23, 2008 1:34:01 PM
Hmm Ernie you do have a point there..so I guess I still can say Obama is too inexperienced and young for the job since he is the one running for President.
Posted by: Las Vegas | Aug 23, 2008 1:58:18 PM
I must say I am disappointed by the negative attitude of some readers of this blog towards Obama's choice of Biden as VP. Rather than unite together behind the only candidate that will give America - and the GLBT community - a much needed boost in morale, perspective and approach to international and domestic issues, some people are looking to at the first chance to rip-apart that candidate for their own self-gratification and self-righteousness.
Lately there seems to be a growing trend of members of the GLBT community to live up to the stereotype of the 'bitter/bitchy queen'. Rather than showing our united strengths as a highly intelligent, creative and supportive community, there's a lot of needless in-fighting on GLBT and domestic issues.
I am a naturalized immigrant who has experienced how the USA is (negatively) perceived by the rest of the world. One of the things that amazes me and other nationals are American voters obsession to to elect 'the perfect human' to the seat of president. We're all human and have flaws, and we need to remember that. We all make mistakes; the important thing is that we learn from them.
Let's focus on the strong points of the DNC presumptive candidates and move on.
Bitching amongst ourselves about Obama's decision of his VP is NOT helping; it is only fueling McCain's chance to win the presidency.
As a Hillary supporter I am doing what's best for the party, the country, AND the GLBT community, by throwing my support behind the presumptive candidate and his VP choice.
Posted by: CARIBTONY | Aug 23, 2008 2:04:06 PM
Hmm I just started going through my stuff from the primary about Biden to see what he thought about Obama. Because Biden had an opinion on everything and everyone during that time.
Biden said said, and I am paraphrasing a little here, Obama is NOT ready for the job and the White House does NOT lend itself to one the job training.
When confronted during a debate with this Biden said he stood by his statement. So what gives? IS there some magic formula beween here the primary debates that suddenly Obama is ready?
Posted by: Las Vegas | Aug 23, 2008 2:07:45 PM
las vegas...
george bush called reagan's economic plan "voodoo economics" and slammed him on a number of issues before reagan ultimately chose him as VP. this is part of presidential politics and not at all out of the ordinary.
imagine had Obama chosen Hillary! they pulled no punches whatsoever.
using the logic you and the other trolls engage in, no nominee could ever choose someone that they had run against. that would blow.
Posted by: buzz | Aug 23, 2008 2:34:38 PM
Don't forget Dan Quayle calling Bush a dirty Mutha Fuckin Pimp.
Posted by: pbnyc59 | Aug 23, 2008 2:45:01 PM
Buzz,
I pretty much show people respect on here by not calling them names like "trolls". Obviously you are not mature enough to have intelligent conversations with adults. Name calling and immature behavior doesn't help your cause but merely makes other people regard you as someone who has nothing to say of any relevance.
Grow Up! I know it's hard for some gay men but please try and evolve just a little so your not so annoyingly stupid.
And for the record it's one thing to criticize someone's policy plans but it's quite another to call them incompetent for the job they seek. There's a BIG difference and people recognize the difference between political posturing and outright attacking.
Posted by: Las Vegas | Aug 23, 2008 2:45:18 PM
Sure, Biden opposes an amendment banning gay marriage, but he voted for DOMA.
DOMA is the reason why the Census Bureau plans on changing the marital status of married gay couples from "Married" to "Unmarried cohabitating partners".
DOMA is the reason that gay couples married in California and Massachussetts cannot receive the same benefits from the federal government as heterosexual married couples.
DOMA is the reason that the spouses of gay immigrants are denied visas to come to the US with their spouse.
He may support repealing parts of DOMA, but I cannot support a candidate who does not support repealing DOMA in its entirety.
He supports civil unions. A civil union is NOT a marriage.
Whatever happened to "liberty and justice for all"?
Posted by: Eric | Aug 23, 2008 3:10:08 PM