Blue Dogs And The Gays

Heath Shuler, anti-gay Blue Dog & member of the C Street cult that advocates murdering gays in Uganda

Blue Dogs say they're about fiscal conservatism. But when it came to voting to include gays in the Hate Crimes bill, all 15 Democrats who crossed the aisle to vote with the Republicans against the LGBT community were... Blue Dogs:

* Marion Berry (AR)
* Dan Boren (OK)
* Chris Carney (PA)
* Bud Cramer (AL)
* Lincoln Davis (TN)
* Joe Donnelly (IN)
* Brad Ellsworth (IN), currently running for Senate
* Bart Gordon (TN)
* Mike McIntyre (NC)
* Charlie Melancon (LA), currently running for Senate
* Walt Minnick (ID)
* Collin Peterson (MN)
* Mike Ross (AR)
* Heath Shuler (NC)
* Gene Taylor (MS)

And on May 27 when Patrick Murphy added an Amendment to a Defense Appropriations bill to end the homophobic practice of Don't Ask Don't Tell, 26 homophobic Democrats again joined the Republicans to vote NO. Knowing they would need gay votes if they were to have any chance to win Senate seats, Ellsworth and Melancon realized they couldn't vote against the LGBT community again. Ellsworth voted YES; Melancon avoided voting at all. But among the Democrats in trouble now, who need every vote they can muster to save their careers-- but who voted against gays on May 27, are Sanford Bishop (Blue Dog-GA), Bobby Bright (Blue Dog-AL), Chris Carney (Blue Dog-PA), Travis Childers (Blue Dog-MS), Mark Critz (PA), Joe Donnelly (Blue Dog-IN), Jim Marshall (Blue Dog-GA), Earl Pomeroy (Blue Dog-ND), Mike Ross (Blue Dog-AR), and Heath Shuler (Blue Dog-NC). Some of those names look familiar? They should. The bolded ones also voted against including gays in the Hate Crimes bill.

Sunday the AP ran a widely-discussed article by Tammy Webber, Gay voters angry at Democrats could sway election. "If Democratic candidates," she posits, "are counting on long-standing support from gay voters to help stave off big losses on Nov. 2, they could be in for a surprise."

Across the country, activists say gay voters are angry-- at the lack of progress on issues from eliminating employment discrimination to uncertainty over serving in the military to the economy-- and some are choosing to sit out this election or look for other candidates.

President Barack Obama's hometown of Chicago, with its large, politically and socially active gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community, offers a snapshot of what some are calling the "enthusiasm gap" between voters who came out strong for Obama and other Democrats in 2008 and re-energized Republican base voters, including tea party enthusiasts who say they are primed to storm the polls.

Webber neglects to mention that reactionary and bigoted Democrat Dan Lipinski, represents Chicago's southside 3rd CD and that he was one of the Democrats to cross the aisle to vote against Murphy's DADT amendment. Instead she discusses how gay anger and apathy could hurt Alexi Giannoulias, a champion of LGBT equality, in his race against craven homophobic closet case Mark Kirk, who opposes LGBT equality. That's bad strategy.

Most Democrats, in fact, the vast majority have worked hard for equality while all but a tiny handful (and that's one handful, not two) of Republicans have been adamantly, often hysterically, opposed. This isn't the time to punish "The Democrats." It's the time to punish The Homophobes, regardless of party. Nothing would persuade me to vote for someone like Heath Shuler, not even the threat of a Republican winning back his seat. But stay away from the polls in the Illinois Senate fight that pits an equality champion against a frightened and pathetic homophobe? No way, Jose. And as long as we're talking about the worst homophobes in Congress, there are Democrats running who are taking them on and deserve our help. Here's a list-- and an opportunity for some smart last-minute contributions.