President Obama is flying to Los Angeles today to star at a fundraiser for US Sen. Barbara Boxer . Though Boxer was well received at the California Democratic Convention on Saturday, she faces a tough reelection campaign because of anti-incumbant fever.
The new LGBT activist group GetEQUAL is planning to demonstrate over Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. GetEqual is the group Lt. Dan Choi and Capt. James Pietrangelo represented when they handcuffed themselves to the White House gates last month over DADTand conducted a sit-in at Speaker Pelosi’s DC and SF offices to protest Congress’s failure to to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA ).
Rep. Barney Frank told Chris Geidner over the weekend that he expects ENDA to be marked up either “this weekend or the next.”
In their press release, GetEQUAL says they are protesting:
“ To demand that President Obama include DADT repeal language in his Defense Authorization budget that is in the process of being sent to Congress, and that he publicly state his support for repeal this year. While the President firmly committed to repeal DADT in his State of the Union this past January, since that time he has gone silent on whether he wants to see the anti-gay law repealed this year. Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) recently said that he is “disappointed” and “frustrated” with the Obama administration’s silence on DADT, and Frank has called on President Obama to publicly state his desire to repeal DADT this year.”
CORRECTED TIME: The protest is scheduled for Monday, April 19 at 3:30 pm EDT, 6:30 PDT at the California Science Center – Wallis Annenberg Bldg, Exposition Park, 39th St. & Figueroa St, LA.
Some of us find it odd that Boxer was still sending invitations out over the weekend for what one might ordinarily think would be a sell-out dinner. However, the California economy still in dire straights and this event is a pre-primary event when scores of candidates are in hotly contested races and $2,500 for a VIP reception and $17, 600 per person for the dinner is pretty steep.
The timing is also difficult and it is unlikely the protesters will get anywhere near the event. This is the 15th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing and on Saturday there were clashes at a rally in front of LA City Hall between neo-Nazis commemorating Hitler’s birthday (Tuesday, April 20) while the California Democratic Party held their convention not too far away. The Lyndon La Rouche singers posted themselves outside the convention hall with signs depicting Obama wearing a Hitler mustache.
Here is the invitation to the two Boxer events:
Dear Friends
Please join President Obama and Senator Boxer on April 19th at a VIP reception with President Obama and Senator Boxer at the California Science Center at 4:30 p.m. The contribution requested is $2,500 and will support Senator Boxer’s upcoming Senate campaign.
You’re also invited to a dinner that same evening with the president and Senator Boxer (which will include a photo line) at the Natural History Museum. The requested contribution of $17,600 per person will support Senator Boxer’s campaign and the DNC.
Please let me know if you’re interested by either emailing me or calling me at 562 402 9323. Since the dinner is only 175 people, it will sell out quickly. This will be a night to remember. We hope you’ll be able to enjoy it with us.
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Sounds like to me GEtEqual has learned alittle something from the rudeness from the Town Hall Meeting over Healthcare Reform. I didn’t like it when those people did it, and I don’t like it now. You gays love to threaten to take away your support, what if the everyday people take away their support from you guys. I don’t want to see anyone mistreated based on race, sex, or whatever. But acting like a bunch of fools I’m not in favor of either. You gays could always put you trust in the Republicans, specially what is running the party now. They will have you going back in the closet and never coming out again. I’m not a fan of this kind of behavior. You know I’m a African American and some people say the President haven’t done enough for us. I guess we will start out shouting him next and acting like a bunch of fools. I’m sorry but this is how I feel. We all can complain about somethings. You people aren’t the only ones to have it hard.
Rosa,
Sit down in the back of the bus. The nice white president said he is going to help. Don’t disrupt. You aren’t equal anyway. What a horrible black woman…she isn’t taking her marching orders properly. Miss Parks, you are just hurting the nice white men who are trying to help.
(snark)
Action speaks louder than words. And we have a lot of words so far with no action.
I must admit to feeling a bit annoyed at the demonstrations during the Boxer fund raiser. I certainly understand and emphasize with the points being raised about progress on the issue having been slower than what most people behind this issue wanted and expected.
To say that the President has talked and not acted is however not only false and misleading, its unjustified and mean spirited. The Obama administration took on the congressional debate on this issue and has brought it from where it was hopelessly stalled under the Bush administration to a mark up and committee vote in Congress. That progress was made in a matter of months and now its the Congressional leadership, and not the President, that needs to be prodded and poked to move things along more quickly.
Cong. Barney Frank, with all due respect, should point his comments at his fellow congressman and not at the President for he Obama has not only spoken out, he has done so repeatedly. It was the members of Congress, members whom Cong Frank knows well, who face mid term Congressional election in districts with military bases who have remained silent about DADT and not voiced their support for the repeal.
Mr. Frank made those comments because wanted Obama to give those members of Congress PR cover which they should not seek from the President, but stand up and come out for or against the bill and stand on their record. Mr. Frank threw the President under the bus in his misguided attempt to put more pressure on those members and instead those members are now sitting back and making the President carry the issue well past the point where his endorsement and support needs to be.
I think part of the problem is that members of Congress are all worried about reelection, except maybe Barney Frank – and are looking for leadership from Obama – just as he did with healthcare reform and is now doing with financial regulation.
But it looks like Obama is waiting until after the Pentagon finishes its study in December – which MAY means the window for “getting it done” may pass. Also, the Pentagon “study” was originally supposed to be about how to implement the repeal while the latest word is that the Pentagon IS ASKING serrvicemembers and their families HOW THEY FEEL about the policy.
Very different thing.
So it comes back to leadership. And what would that take? How about advising Kerry Eleveld that the President will take a question from her at a news conference? Of course – then Kerry would have to figure out whether to ask about DADT or ENDA….but then the WH staff could follow up with key congressmembers, etc. Public leadership. Just a thought.