26 AIDS Activists Arrested Protesting Needle-Exchange Waffling

The Obama Administration went back on Candidate Obama's pledge to end a ban on needle-exchange funding, with a spokesperson saying, "We have not removed the ban in our budget proposal because we want to work with Congress and the American public to build support for this change."

In protest, 26 AIDS activists chained themselves together in the Capitol Rotunda this morning, causing quite a scene.

All were arrested and booked on charges including disorderly conduct, loud and boisterous behavior and unlawful assembly.

As AmericaBlog points out, the scenario of a campaign pledge put off for an indeterminate time while garnering support (with no signs of action) might ring a few bells.

Meet You at the Corner of Church and State

Rev. Wilfredo De Jesus of the New Life Covenant Church in Chicago is the man selected by outgoing Alderman Billy Ocasio to replace him on the City Council, representing Chicago's 26th Ward. Gay activists are leery of this succession because De Jesus's Assemblies of God church is against homosexuality.

De Jesus says he will not allow his religious beliefs to color his thinking on policy.

"I would tell [critics]: Isn't it ironic that you're asking me to be tolerant and you're intolerant to my beliefs. How is that? We already know there are differences. Let's put that to the side. What's hurting our community today? Let's focus on that."

I've never bought the old hypocritical liberals argument, which can be boiled down to, "Why are you so intolerant of my intolerance?" But if he is asking the LGBT community to take him at his word on his priorities, how about his words from an interview with Christianity Today last year, in which he said his main priorities were to oppose abortion and homosexuality, among other explicitly anti-gay sentiments expressed by the formerly Republican Rev. De Jesus in the media? Or the words he used to oppose an LGBT-friendly high school for Chicago?

Julio Rodriguez of the Association of Latino Men for Action warns, "We don't see how someone who has such a strong foundation with his church can separate his belief system [from] his public role, even though he thinks he can."

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley will get to decide whether De Jesus comes aboard. Historically, he tends to honor the wishes of departing aldermen as to who succeeds them and De Jesus's support of President Obama's campaign can't hurt his chances. But at a public event yesterday, Daley said, "The gay community is a strong community in the city of Chicago; they're part and parcel of this great city. We got a number of questionnaires, people are coming in and we're going to be interviewing them."

He has until August 1 to fill the position.

Hildebrand: On Gay Issues, President Obama Will Get 'er Done

Rex Wockner turns in a must-read interview with Steve Hildebrand, who was Barack Obama's openly gay deputy national campaign director.

In it, Hildebrand says the president did not read the offensive DOJ brief before it came out, but "he expects much better from his administration" and "he subsequently has read the brief and was not happy at all with both the direction as well as the language that was used."

Hildebrand has communicated directly with the president on the uproar over that document.

"I told him very clearly that many in the gay community across the country are getting very anxious and that folks have felt very hurt by the Justice Department brief—the language that was used in it. He reassured me that he will not disappoint the gay community during his time as president, that the promises he made during the campaign are promises he will fulfill, and he was very forthright about his commitment to equality."

Wrestlemania: Obama Tells Catholic Media of His "Solicitude and Regard and Concern" for Gays

Hat tip to Queers United: In a 45-minute interview with reporters from the Roman Catholic media that happened before the holiday weekend, President Obama summed up his views on gay rights and his faith:

"For the gay and lesbian community in this country, I think it's clear that they feel victimized in fairly powerful ways and they're often hurt by not just certain teachings of the Catholic Church, but the Christian faith generally. And as a Christian, I'm constantly wrestling with my faith and my solicitude and regard and concern for gays and lesbians."

The "God & Country" blogger for U.S. News & World Report says:

"Religious folks, cultural conservatives included, will appreciate that Obama takes his faith seriously enough that he's struggling with how to reconcile it with his commitment to gays and lesbians. Social liberals and the LGBT community will appreciate that he's unequivocal about that commitment."

Okay, LGBT community: Hate or appreciate? I'm not sure this will be read as favorably as the blogger believes. As with most of the president's actions and words on gay issues, the glass can just as easily be judged half full of gay power as half empty of resolve.

President Obama will meet with the Pope at the Vatican this Friday.

Palm Monday: Toward a More Humane Don't Ask, Don't Tell

The Palm Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara, issued a legal memo Monday suggesting what Defense Secretary Robert Gates might do if he is seriously interested in "a more humane" approach to applying Don't Ask, Don't Tell that will end with "changing the policy."

Suggestions include that he order the retention of targeted members due to the country's security requirements and that he demand approval over any inquiries in the first place.

It's not a full repeal, but Time points out this sort of "tweak in other nations' prohibitions on gays in the military have opened the way to their repeal," citing Great Britain and Israel as examples.

White House In Need of a Spine Donor on Health Care?

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel just said, "The goal is to have a means and a mechanism to keep the private insurers honest. The goal is non-negotiable; the path is [negotiable]."

His comments, in a Wall Street Journal interview, indicate that the Obama Administration would be open to health care reform without a government-run public option, the exact opposite message from New York Senator Charles Schumer, who on Face the Nation Sunday said he would fight for such an option.

"Make no mistake about it, the president is for it strongly. There will be a public option in the final bill," Schumer stated.

This comes after President Obama publicly scolded advocacy groups for attacking conservative Democrats who take money from the health industry and who are therefore leaning against the public option. Seems to be a case of broadcasting what you're willing to do without.

Not a very strong negotiating tactic.

After the jump, a short video giving the public the option of making a @#$! call or two to Emanuel...