Et Tu, Obama?: The Choice of Rick Warren Is Unacceptable

Let's get the personal creds down at the beginning: I supported Barack Obama for President out the gate. Early on. And all the way through. More than that, I publicly castigated the Clintons for peddling a soft-core racism throughout the campaign. I got down in the trenches. Took lots of heat from my Hillary friends. And I played plenty of hardball with the McCain-Palin ticket, too. Obama took the high road all the way to the White House. And he stayed there. Rode into office in his bright and shining armor without so much as a smudge.

So I've given Obama a couple of free passes in the aftermath of the election. I didn't call him on a few of his alarming picks for his administration and transition team--like Citigroup bag boys Robert Rubin and Lawrence Summers. And I held my nose when he kept Robert Gates at Defense and picked Jim Jones as his national security adviser. I've accepted his homage to Lincoln by selecting a so-called "team of rivals." And I've yet to blink over the whole Blagojevich fiasco in Chicago, knowing full well that Obama worked his way up the ranks of Second City politics and that he's gotten stained by it more than once.

But his decision of Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at the presidential inauguration is simply an outrage.

Warren, the evangelical founder of Saddleback Church in conservative Orange County, California, was a staunch supporter of Proposition 8, which reversed a celebrated court decision on gay marriage in California. You can watch his duplicitous account for supporting it here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7o4QqGbQmU0

It's unacceptable. A political blunder. But most importantly and bottom line, it is morally reprehensible. It goes counter to everything that Obama stood for along the road to the White House. I am more than disgusted by it; I am utterly and thoroughly disenchanted.

Moreover, I'm tired of reading that it's the "gay and lesbian communities" who are upset by this selection. I'm straight, I'm white and I have a head of white hair. And trust me, I am bristling with anger over this selection. Bristling. It is the ultimate political betrayal.

It has stripped away all the joy and hope I had in Obama's victory and it has ruined for me what should have been a celebratory and joyous event on January 20. I will not watch. And I will not celebrate.

The passage of California's Proposition 8 was the one damper on the November election. It was a vicious assault on basic civil rights. It left a group of citizens outside the basic human covenant of American politics. There's no wiggle room on this one. None whatsoever.

Warren actually suggested that Obama agreed with him in his support of Prop 8. And Obama never distanced himself from these remarks. Nor did he do much to counter them. He had California in the bag, so we only saw him here briefly during the campaign when he needed to solicit contributions at high-end dinners. There were some phone messages recorded about Prop 8, and that was about it. He didn't throw his body down. He didn't want to lose middle-of-the-road swing voters in the rest of the country, so no he never raised it on the campaign trail. It was a cold and calculated decision.

Obama has responded to the Warren controversy by saying:

"I am a fierce advocate of equality for gay and lesbian Americans. It is something that I have been consistent on and something that I intend to continue to be consistent on in my presidency. What I've also said is that it is important for American to come together even though we may have disagreements on certain social issues."

Obama's explanation is prima facie untenable. Would he have invited a pastor to speak at the inauguration who was openly racist? Of course not. What he's saying is that homophobia and denying gays and lesbians basic civil rights is okay. That it's within the parameters of accepted political discourse. It is not.

My 10-year-old son was with me all the way on Obama as only a 10-year-old can be. The night Obama lost to Clinton in Pennsylvania, he cried. But he was also strongly opposed to Prop 8 because he had a child's understanding that it was wrong and unfair. When Prop 8 passed, he made sure we kept our "No on 8" sign up in our yard. It will stay up. But the Obama poster is coming down.

For all his cool and above-the-fray aloofness, let me say that Obama still has a lot to learn, both about politics and about life. And he still needs to develop some steel in his spine. His tendency to embrace oppositional views often crosses over into capitulation. Such is the case with his decision to include Rick Warren in his inauguration.

Lincoln may have brought together a "team of rivals" in his cabinet, but at his First Inaugural, Lincoln was absolutely steadfast and unequivocal about the about the sanctity of the Union. He made a celebrated plea for Americans to find the "better angels of our nature" on the issue. He gave no ground.

And Lincoln also had something very interesting to say at that First Inaugural that sheds light on the issue of gay marriage in America. "If by the mere force of numbers a majority should deprive a minority of any clearly written constitutional right, it might in a moral point of view, justify revolution; certainly would if such right were a vital one."

Well a vital one it be. By selecting Rick Warren, Barack Obama has sent out the wrong message to the American people. He has embraced bigotry and hatred. And he has turned back the clock on a fundamental civil rights issue. He has betrayed not only gay and lesbian and transgendered Americans, he has betrayed us all. And perhaps most despicably, he has betrayed the fundamental decency of his campaign to become president.

Et tu, Obama?

Comments

[Catothemuchyounger]

Of course, the so called "fundamental right" you are going on about is recognized as such in three states out of fifty. It is, at the very least, debatable whether such a right exists.

I think the trend is moving in the direction of a federal decision requiring the states to recognize gay marriage. But that has not happened yet. Historically, marriage has always been between a man and a woman in this country. Historically, no one thought that equal protection provisions in federal and state constitutions invalidated that understanding, as homosexual relationships were NOT seen as the same as heterosexual relationships, and it is not a equal protection provision to treat different things differently.

Again, maybe they should not be viewed differently, but currently the law of 47 states does view them differently (48 if Prop. 8 is not overturned by the CA Supreme Court. Its not like Warren and Prop. 8 supporters are coming from some new, radical direction here.

I am no Obama supporter, but the heat he is taking over this is just silly.

[SCG]

Thanks for understanding. The way I see it there's no successful remedy for this, other than swallow self respect and pretend to treat this guy as somehow legitimate or avoid the entire affair. To drive Mr. Warren from the program would only be blamed on "the gays" , to honor his presence would be placing added legitimacy respect upon him, I'll leave that to others.

He's not my pastor or a tolerant one at that.

I'll pass on witnessing it.

[XME]

Here's a though...perhaps he's embracing people with whom he disagrees, which I've not seen presidents do (least of all Bush).

Sounds like change to me. How does that make him like others?

[dzuh]

"What (Obama) is saying is that homophobia and denying gays and lesbians basic civil rights is okay. That it's within the parameters of accepted political discourse. It is not."

Exactly -- thank you for stating the heart of the matter so clearly and succinctly.

[JimR]

You know that Obama is against gay marriage, right?

[Warrior7]

"He has betrayed not only gay and lesbian and transgendered Americans, he has betrayed us all."
Geoffrey Dunn, please do not speak on my behalf...I do not feel 'betrayed' by Obama!

[tomwins]

Open you eyes and your heart - when one person is unequal, we are all unequal. Obama has betrayed a path to equality and justice. This undermines all of us. Rick Warren was a key player in a campaign that lied to people on several issues with the goal of removing a basic right from a minority group. WAKE UP!

[JimR]

You wake up. It's a stupid 3-minute general prayer that will be forgotten the next day.

[Paulied]

Thank you You have summed up my feelings at this betrayal perfectly. Sadly, I will not be watching it either. And no, Michelle, I'm not feeling too proud of my country right about now - nor of your husband.

[RLForsythe]

Very simple. This entire issue is solely of Obama's making. And he chose to create the issue. There was no call from the gay community for Obama to choose someone to deliver a prayer in support of gay people, in support of gay marriage or gay rights. None.

He chose an active leader of the Prop 8 forces, someone who equates being gay with incest and beastiality, and who is known for those positions. The fact that Warren supports other commonly perceived "good" causes --- AIDS education, anti-poverty efforts, etc. --- doesn't negate his homophobia.

It strains credulity that Obama and his team --- who ran one of the smartest, savviest campaigns in recent history --- didn't see that selecting homophobe Warren would cause a controversy.

If so, "Why choose Warren?" Answer: Send a message to homophobes that Obama's not THAT liberal. Gays, despite their support, are more easily sacrificed; besides Obama's thinking must go, "Where else are the gays going to go other than on my side, who else are they going to support?"

Obama knew it would cause a stir. He chose to cause the stir. It sends a message to right-of-center people that he's not the leftie they think he is, because, "See, just like you, I don't have that big a problem with homophobes, even if I don't consider myself one, even if I disagree with them." Pretty cynical for a "uniter" guy...political cynicism worthy of ..... George W. Bush.

[fobrien50]

You are 100% correct. This was a fight Obama picked intentionally for cynical political reasons.

Unfortunately, it won't be the last fight he picks with GLBT community.

[bannorhill]

Obama is amazing. He has brought the LGBT anti Prop 8 supporters together with the conservitive Christian right. Thew both oppose Rick Warren at the inaguation.

Who would have thought it was possible.

[Michale32086]

If ya'all respect Obama so much, isn't even SLIGHTLY possible that he is right and you are wrong??

Michale.....

[DMSmith]

Thank you for your views and for expressing them. I don't think Mr. Obama realizes what he has done. I hope that one day he does. For a black President to make this move against other's civil rights is not excusable in any way shape or form. And it must not be excused!!!!

[naijaman]

And how is Warren's prayer at the inaugural a "move against others civil rights"? Geez....

[JimR]

A didn't realize a general 3-minute prayer was a "move against other's civil rights."

[goodstoryteller]

Unlike you, Obama is a Progressive--core progressive values are tolerance and respect for Diversity. It is essential for social equality. You offer no tolerance or respect for diversity.
I personally could not possibly be more committed to equal rights for all, including rights to marriage for GLBT and all. If Obama had your values system and judgment he would never had made it even close to the batting roster. Gay rights is a huge issue but it is not the only issue we face as a country and Obama faces as our soon to be President. People like you who draw lines in the sand effectively divide the nation and rend us apart. Obvious even from the response here. I feel bad that you have taken your marbles and gone home pouting and encouraged others to do so. In order to win this generations struggle for freedom and equality we need stay at the table, to stay in the game even when things do not go our way, even when it rains or snows or monsoon or tsunami comes. Personally this issue is barely a wisp of cloud in the sky. Hey Warren isn't my choice--but it certainly is a tenable choice given the criteria. I plan on celebrating, and continuing to work so that my son has the option to marry should he choose.

[Michale32086]

Well said!

Hear, hear!!

Michale.....

[antaeus]

Your "monsoons" and "bags of marbles," and "tolerance" and "diversity" are a rhetorical mess of mixed metaphor and abstraction. Is diversity and tolerance of any view the goal? David Duke has a constituency, a real number of people who vote. Why not reach out to him? The fact is that once specifics are brought to bear on the topic, real lines do appear. And when you dismiss this issue, you are most certainly dismissing the concerns of a lot of gay folks. Good luck with the celebration. You think the evangelicals will give you another one in 2013?

[bernie12]

so rosa parks was too selfish to realize that civil rights weren't important enough on the national agenda to wait another 40 years to sit where she would on the bus? she was just being selfish in the light of all the more important things that were really worth fighting for? this attitude is lame.

[Geoffrey Dunn - Huffpost Blogger]

I don't often respond to commentators on my blogs, but occasionally I do, because I believe in dialog and open discussion. But here's a little news for all the Obama supporters who think that advances in Civil Rights in this country happened by "inviting dialog" or embracing "oppositional views" or "respecting diversity" or practicing "tolerance" — all catch phrases that Obama likes to utter and embraced in the above response. Rights for African Americans, for women, for people of color, for children all happened because people DREW LINES IN THE SAND. They said no more bigotry, no more hatred, no more intolerance. They didn't always agree, but they set standards. They had spines. They did not capitulate. They stood tall. They stood together. When Rick Warren supported Prop 8 and compared homosexual relationships to incest, pedophilia and polygamy, HE CROSSED THE LINE. Don't distort history to advance your own passive views of social justice and progressive politics. And for the record, I'm taking my marbles and am coming back fighting. The fact that you see this issue as barely a "wisp of cloud in the sky" shows how insensitive you are to the issue.

[magi]

I am one hundred per cent in favor of gay marriage. I am equally opposed to lambasting the president-elect as a turncoat every time he makes a decision with which I personally disagree. He clearly believes that the way to unify this polarized country is through a dialogue with whose with whom he disagrees, to show them respect, perhaps even foster a change of heart and mind. That won't be accomplished if only progressives have a place at the table. We've been through eight years of a president who surrounded himself exclusively with neocon syncophants. I'd be unhappy if Rick Warren was offered a policy-making role in the new administration. But I couldn't be more pleased to see him perform the invocation and to appreciate the olive branch in represents.

[Danigirl65]

YAY MAGI!!! At least one logical person heard from.

This has passed the point of ridiculous (the anger & fury over Rick Warren).

[JohnDewey]

A place at the table is not the same as a coveted and honored spot on the Inaugural dais. A place at the table implies that there is room enough for all or most opinions to be heard and considered. It also implies that, in the end, all of those opinions will not be given equal weight. A spot at the Inaugural ceremony is uniquely singular - there will be only one invocation. A place at the table should be a given in our democratic republic, whereas inclusion in the Inaugural is a high-profile and unparalleled honor. The analogy doesn't hold and thus the outrage begins.

Given the broad spectrum of clergy who could have been chosen for the Invocation, the one actually selected was Rick Warren. This occurs against the backdrop of the long series of indignities & betrayals that LGBT Americans have suffered at the hands of Republicans and Democrats alike. It is also in the context of P-E Obama's other campaign and Cabinet choices, as well as his past statements about equality for LGBT Americans.

So, no, many of us are not willing to trust P-E Obama, because we have direct experience of the folly of that sort of trust.

[JimR]

And yet a pro-gay rights pastor was chosen to deliver the benediction, a fact you continually neglect to mention.

[okayigive]

Strange how many fought to remove wedge issues from an election are now injecting a wedge issue into a pre-presidency. President-elect O.bama has always spoken of inclusiveness and common ground. How can you accomplish anything if no one is listening, and everyone is yelling? Someone need to extend the hand by showing the willingness to listen and respect another view, while sending the same message to expect the same. Someone, who I believe is President-elect O.bama, need to define what A.merica stands for, which is respect and understanding for our precious treasure of diversity. This diversity is not limited to race or sexual preference, but also include respect and understanding of another person or group's religious beliefs or non-beliefs, value(s), culture, social and economic position(s), and educational background(s). IMO, neither side has reached tolerance, understanding or respect for diversity.

Betrayal? How can anyone determine what President-elect O.bama will and will not do based on a gesture of allowing someone to deliver a prayer. Sometimes people cut off their nose to spite their face.

[Draino]

I cannot express how disappointed I am that Barak Obama has selected Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at his inauguration. I am equally dumbfounded at his explanation that this is a decision of inclusion. While I will not equate evangelicals to the KKK or Islamic terrorists, the rigid inflexibility of their beliefs and their devout intolerance toward certain oppressed segments of our society have painful similarities. This event is supposed to be the culmination of a 150-year war against hatred and intolerance, the wounds of which I thought might finally be healed by this president.

I fear that Barak feels comfortable with the views shared by many of the church's (black & white) in this country; church's that teach intolerance and the "sins" of homosexuality. It is ironic that, as a black man in America, Barak is still able to act like the old white guy he ran against and impart this same intolerance on the GLBT community.

I donated to Obama's campaign, I voted for him. I got everyone I knew to vote for him. Now his Presidency has all but lost its appeal to me. After eight years of Compassionate Conservatism’s war on the gay community, this is our reward??? If Barak goes ahead with this and doesn't immediately do something to show that he actually believes the rights of ALL Americans (including GLBT), he will forever lose my respect, my support, and my hope. His next book,: "The Audacity of Intolerance".

[okayigive]

You speak of those who are intolerant of your views yet you are intolerant of theirs.

[gravity84]

You all really don't get it. How would you feel if this guy compared you to a pedophile? I'll bet you wouldn't be too giddy about President-elect Obama choosing him then. It sounds like a lot of you are willing to say "quiet down" without realizing that. I'm deeply insulted as a gay American.

[JimR]

Your "reward" is going to be a presidency that works to make things better for ALL Americans. Gee, sorry if that's not enough.

I support gay marriage, but on the list of problems facing this nation right now, who delivers a stupid 3-minute prayer at the inauguration is pretty far down on the list.

[mommadona]

"It's unacceptable. A political blunder. But most importantly and bottom line, it is morally reprehensible. It goes counter to everything that Obama stood for along the road to the White House. I am more than disgusted by it; I am utterly and thoroughly disenchanted.

Moreover, I'm tired of reading that it's the "gay and lesbian communities" who are upset by this selection. I'm straight, I'm white and I have a head of white hair. And trust me, I am bristling with anger over this selection. Bristling. It is the ultimate political betrayal."

THANK YOU.

MY THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS - EXACTLY.

And if Obama and the Democratic Party machinery doesn't soon "GET" this -

Hell hath no fury as a Progressive voter scorned, in this day and age.

"You want what, when?" will be my passive-aggressive mantra to all the solicitations/volunteer requests.

Mad as hell and not going to take any more of this "Political Correctness for Expediency"

[ltva]

What the He** are you ranting about? The man is not even in office yet what correct and expediency are you referring to?