Gavin Newsom Calls Obama's Inaction On Gay Marriage 'Fundamentally Inexcusable'

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom became the latest Democratic official to take a noticeably public swipe at President Barack Obama for inaction on gay rights.

The California Democrat -- who told the New York Times's Maureen Dowd that his political future was so fuzzy he could, in a couple years, end up "as the clerk of a wine store" -- called Obama's slow walking on support for gay marriage "fundamentally inexcusable."

"Oh, I can't get in trouble here," Newsom said with a playful wince. "I want him to succeed. But I am very upset by what he's not done in terms of rights of gays and lesbians. I understand it tactically in a campaign, but at this point I don't know. There is some belief that he actually doesn't believe in same-sex marriage. But it's fundamentally inexcusable for a member of the Democratic party to stand on the principle that separate is now equal, but only on the basis of sexual orientation. We've always fought for the rights of minorities and against the whims of majorities."

The swipes didn't end there. Newsom, who dropped plans to run for California governor in late October, told Dowd that the promise of the 2008 election -- the "organic movement" -- no longer held true. In its void, Democrats find themselves vulnerable.

"[T]here's a growing discontent and lack of enthusiasm that I worry about," said Newsom. "He should just stand on principle, put this behind him and move on."

Among sympathizers with Newsom's push to advance the gay rights agenda, such criticisms seem almost quaint. Among areas of political inertia that have plagued the White House, LGBT issues stand out quite prominently. The San Francisco mayor isn't the only one who thinks so. David Boies, Al Gore's 2000 recount lawyer and a lead attorney on the challenge to California's Proposition 8, told Dowd last week that his hope going forward was that "my Democratic president will catch up to my conservative Republican co-counsel [Ted Olsen, George W. Bush's recount lawyer]."

Comments

[jerryatthebeach]

05:03 PM on 02/12/2010

Maybe you should leave your party and run as an Independent for Congreess in Nov. 2010...

[SteveDenver]

11:43 AM on 01/26/2010

Maureen Dowd: "Obama sees himself as such a huge change that he can be cautious about other societal changes. But what he doesn’t realize is that legalizing gay marriage is like electing a black president. Before you do it, it seems inconceivable. Once it’s done, you can’t remember what all the fuss was about."

[JackandJohnny08]

10:51 PM on 01/22/2010

Obama has so much to deal with, be we also need to remember he speaks of us as equals, whether or not he has acted on it, he knows what he wants for us, and that is equalitiy. Politically he has to position himself. Please do not discount "OUR PRESIDENT" he is laying the ground work. Remember who mention us in his speaches, who sees us differently that any other president has. He is going to take it to the next level. He is working on the country as a whole, and what equality will we have, if the country is in termoil. His second term, we will have everything, he will make sure of it. What else can we want from him. We need to think of the long term, not the short. Right now we need to focus on the smaller fights, marriage rights in states that have come close and failed, like Maine, New York, and the reverse of Prop 8 in Cali. Winning these small battles, will make the war so much easier for our president. Do not bash him, please. He would not have said everything that is said, if it is not what he wants, we just have to allow him the opportunity!!!!!!! Which means time! We have waited this long, and finally someone has come along to here our voice! Why give up on him now? ( We had to edit becasue of so may words, BS)

[SteveDenver]

11:37 AM on 01/26/2010

I'm not bashing Obama, but he needs prodding.

He has reversed his position on gay marriage since his days on the campaign trail when he was unequivocally in favor.

He has said nothing about what is going on concerning marriage equality for all law-abiding adults.

He has failed to stand up an say, "I am a Democrat," but keeps pandering to bipartisanship. There are two parties for a reason and he needs to realize one of those parties prevailed with the majority of voters.

His hesitation or complete silence on such issues has earned him much criticism.

[NWBrunette]

09:31 PM on 01/22/2010

Right on Gavin, keep calling him out on it. Obama's "leadership" is akin to a sack of flour laying on the floor; although he is clearly more eloquent.

[Hardyman1966]

06:59 PM on 01/21/2010

It is so unfortunate that Mr. Newsom decided against running for governor of California.

[CornetMustich]

04:44 PM on 01/21/2010

Shame on Obama for so many things.......but I'm not suprised in the least......
Onward to equality, Joe Mustich, Justice of the Peace,
Washington, Connecticut, USA.
Civil rights and civil marriages shouldn't be voted on in America.
And the marriage foes should find another issue to focus on in the 21st century.

[PhilipB]

05:04 PM on 01/21/2010

Well said!

[hackerblaster]

05:32 AM on 01/21/2010

I want to know why he isn't doing something about getting ENDA passed.

[iswideopen]

04:00 AM on 01/21/2010

WTF? Gavin, you have a lot of nerve. Etched in my brain is your know-it-all self in that television ad telling every American "whether you like it or not"..........People hate that type of behavior from any politician or anybody else for that matter. Everyone in this country seems to be using President Obama as their personal scapegoat for THEIR ownself failures. Stop it! Live in reality and not what you want reality to be. Just like you liberals demanded your single payer hc and public option hc with not enough votes or money to get it, you blamed President Obama. Prop 8 fails in Cali, you blame him. Well, take it from me Gavin, blame yourself. That is why you could never be governor of California. You sealed your own political fate by doing that ad as well. And Cali is deeper than deep blue. Stop taking everything for granted. Just ask Martha Coakley, who also needs to be ashamed of herself.

[Patrick Garies]

02:00 AM on 01/22/2010

"Everyone in this country seems to be using President Obama as their personal scapegoat for THEIR ownself failures."

Some claims are justified and some are not.

Obama made a number of grandiose claims about being a "fierce advocate" for the LGBT community and that hasn't held true as far as DADT and DoMA go (both of which he said he was opposed to) as well as ENDA (not sure if he explicitly supported that one). He also said that he supports civil unions, but now he's dead silent on the issue as he is with all LGBT issues. It's understandable that people are upset when someone doesn't keep their bold promises and has dropped even most pretenses of doing so (dispelling hopes that he'll just do it later).

As for same-sex marriage, he never stated that he supported that. But claiming that that's "inexcusable" (per Newsom), is not "blaming" him for anything.

"You sealed your own political fate by doing that ad as well."

I'm pretty sure that Gavin didn't make an ad of himself with the "whether you like it or not" quip; that was the pro-Proposition 8 forces. It was just another ad that wasn't actually about the issue at hand, but was meant to produce a knee jerk reaction and an excuse for people to justify their hatreds.

[IDIOTA]

03:48 AM on 01/21/2010

Gavin Newsom and Diane Feinstein started as conservative mayors of San Francisco, but some would say that Newsom's support of gay marriage marks him as leftist. I'd say that he's still conservative, but practical and young enough to realize that times are changing. So, he could easily replace Feinstein in the senate.

[PhilipB]

02:33 AM on 01/21/2010

Thank you, so much to all wo have spoken out for my family, I thank countless straight persons who see my families discrimination by law wrong and not in keeping with American truths.
The fact that my good family should be voted upon is offensive and repugnant to me. We are good Americans, and this animus against my family is aborrant, and wretched.
I abhor those who would deny my family equality, and I reject your hate of us.
Thank you so much to those who really LOOK at us and say, yes we are Americans, and we will never accept being second class citizens. Never, Ever.!
PhilipB

[GOP-R]

02:36 AM on 01/21/2010

Who called you a second class citizen? Who said you cannot be with your partner? Who said can't love the one you're with? Marriage is between a Man and a Woman.

[PhilipB]

02:38 AM on 01/21/2010

NO you are WRONG! Marriage is about love and equality, and rights.

[PhilipB]

02:50 AM on 01/21/2010


It is not ironic that some of the most refined conservative minds realize that the denial of Gay marriage can precipitate in the wholesale destruction of rights that you may take for granted. Be wary in denying some rights, that you do not create a police state that denies rights for you.

[GOP-R]

01:35 AM on 01/21/2010

Newsom is really grasping at straws. WE the PEOPLE said NO already! This whole gay thing is so rediculous. You think their rights as a person has stripped them dry. Well, sorry folks, this is America not your dogs love den. Marriage is between and Man and a Woman as it should be, as it has been as it always will. Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. geeeez.

[PhilipB]

02:21 AM on 01/21/2010

No,
My family is harmed by in-equality.
As a Gay man with a family, having equality with our neighbors is important, and we will never accept being a family set apart by law. We know it is wrong, and we will always speak against this.
We speak truth.
We are good people, and taxpaying Americans, and this hate levied towards us is idiotic and WRONG!.

[GOP-R]

02:34 AM on 01/21/2010

I don't know why you people say we're mad or hate you. marriage is bewteen a man and a woman. Marriage and nurturing children and keeping them from harm, to procreate is how we got here. Being gay you can have a partner, we're not saying you can't but to call it marriage?? Really.

[Patrick Garies]

02:11 AM on 01/22/2010

Marriage is not just between a man and a woman in eight nations, five American States, and several cities "as it should be, as it has been as it always will". A definition in and of itself is not justification for policymaking.

[Thelonious Specter]

08:09 PM on 01/20/2010

Listen to MLK Jr. Protegee Reverend Amos Brown speak on the subject on the steps of San Francisco City Hall @ http://www.trifecta.tv/prop8/pod_casts/Rev.%20Amos%20Brown-iPhone.mov

[LLeGrande]

07:13 PM on 01/20/2010

President Obama is a constitutional scholar.

I have never been able to understand his positions on a range of issues on which the mind of a scholar of these issues would quickly fall into the right mode.

Equal rights and equal protections under law remain a major aspect of our democracy. It is taking much too long to force those issues into the 'done' column. That's why I believe that this Prop 8 case is so extremely important. It's not about marriage, it's about equal rights and equal protections for a minority against the tyranny of the majority. This is one purpose of the judicial branch.

Another matter for the President is war crimes, and his intention to 'look forward, not back'. History will treat him harshly on this matter. Read Scott Horton's article in Harpers this month regarding murders and coverups at Gitmo. It is progressing to perjury by senior military officers before the FBI and the DOJ. It is beginning to include 'accessories after the fact' within the coverup leading very high up the political ladder in the Bush administration.

I believe that the President is not faithful to his learnings, his teachings, and his experience about these simple constitutional matters. He really lacks audicity in these issues.

[happycat]

08:27 PM on 01/20/2010

Thank you for putting into words my thoughts.

[NWBrunette]

09:36 PM on 01/22/2010

Very well said. Although your characterization of him as "lacking audacity in these issues" strikes me as the understatement of the year.

[LeeCalif]

07:12 PM on 01/20/2010

Newsom would have made a good governor. Sorry it didn't work out !

[HHarvey]

08:28 PM on 01/20/2010

seriously? I have friends that know this guy and trust me, he's all polish and no substance. I do give him credit for standing up for certain things, but he pissed a lot of people off with his indifference. Newsom talks a big game and can shmooze big time, but he is a back stabber. Too bad because he is totally hot in person!

[Dem4Lyfe]

09:44 PM on 01/20/2010

Ha! Yeah, keep telling yourself that.

[Emucrat]

06:54 PM on 01/20/2010

I call Gavin Newsom's inaction to run for governor. He would have been perfect! Now, Caliofrnia is left to choose between Feinstein or former Governor Jerry Brown. One thing is clear. Single payer will run against a wall when Feinstein is governor. Brown is okay, but one of the old guys.

[HHarvey]

08:29 PM on 01/20/2010

I've heard republicans say they would vote for Brown, by the sheer fact that he can shmooze his way around the halls of the California legislature. He's definitely an old timer whose been around a while. I don't personally like him, but he's better than Meg EBAY.