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Leaked Obama Transcript Explains Rick Warren Decision
The following conversation may, or may not, have occurred between President-elect Barack Obama and the chair of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, US Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA):
BARACK OBAMA: So who we gonna have do the invocation at my inaugural?
DIANNE FEINSTEIN: Oh my God, you're gonna love this, B.
BO: Okay Di, hit me.
DIFI: Ready? Rick. Warren.
BO: You mean conservative evangelical Christian leader Rick Warren?
DIFI: Yup.
BO: Rick Warren who wants to ban all abortions and basically said that I support a holocaust?
DIFI: Uh huh.
BO: The guy who compared gay marriage to pedophilia and incest, and helped lead the fight for Prop 8 in California?
DIFI: That's him.
BO: The man who said he agrees on everything with far-right nut James Dobson.
DIFI: Yesiree.
BO: But Di, the guy has devoted his entire life to destroying everything I stand for, everything I believe in, everyone who worked so hard and so long to put me into office.
DIFI: I know, isn't it brilliant!
BO: I don't get it.
DIFI: Okay, think about it. You're so post-partisan that you're willing to embrace and promote someone who loathes you, didn't vote for you, and will do everything in his power to destroy your presidency. It's like the Lieberman thing, but even bigger!
BO: So you mean, by promoting a guy who represents none of my goals, ideals or hopes that the majority of the country voted for, and by devastating my own supporters on what was supposed to be a day of celebration and national rebirth, I'm actually promoting "change" by publicly undermining it?
DIFI: Exactly!
BO: But won't I be screwing the gays, women, and pretty much everyone else who got me elected?
DIFI: Never stopped me.
BO: But doesn't this make me no better than the guy I'm replacing or the guy I just beat?
DIFI: Never stopped me.
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Those who fail to understand the significance of this fail to understand that Rick Warren, James Dobson, and all of their ilk are part of the "my way is the only way" fundamentalism. This ideology is what drives Islamist terrorism and all pathological cultish behavior everywhere there are people to follow charismatic men (and the occasional woman) with attitudes that suggest that marginalization is an acceptable behavior. It IS at the crux of true human evil, and is all the more insidious when it is packaged in something that appears somewhat mainstream, like Warren. You do not find common ground with these people because they live in their own world where their way is the only way. Your only response to them to ignore them when possible or fight them if absolutely necessary. This is not just a slap in the face to gays, but to all progressives and anyone who believes this type of cultish behavior will end the human race and seeks to uproot it and replace it with seeds of peace and tolerance wherever possible. And, by the way, it was progressives who made it possible for PE Obama to be the person being sworn in. So slapping us is a betrayal of the FIRST ORDER.
I'll be watching the inauguration, but the minute Rick Warren appears, my DVR goes off for 60 seconds in protest. I urge everyone with satellite or cable to do the same. The change will be noted in aggregate by providers.
As a Gay Muslim with 2 children, and a partner of almost 15 years this conversation NEVER happen! It's ALL a George W. Bush cover up!
It's BS!
We will NOT walk away, or take this lying down! President Barrack Obama you thought that a few simple words saying; "I support gays- and I disagree with Pastor Warren on this issue would fix it"... Rick Warren is our Nemesis and this is WAR!
Please visit my Blog to hear my thoughts on this issue! http://leboon1653.wordpress.com/
Thank you, you're GAY Brother,
Norman LeBoon Sr.
I voted for Obama, I think anti-gay rights activists are evil, and I have had an abortion. This choice made me love Obama even more. On a large scale, it's so good for bringing people together, creating tolerance of each other. For the president-elect, it's basically squishing all those right wing zealouts who called him the most liberal senator, as well as opening up republican voters to him.
Also, because of this he will have more people on his side, and will be able to push his agenda even better; this INCLUDES being able to change gay rights laws and upholding the abortion laws.
Dems who are bawing and hawing over this need to realize that in the long term this is only good for the democratic party. Weren't we pissed at Bush for not doing exactly what Obama is doing?
It seems to me a lot of you want to go back to the "US" against "THEM" way of governing that has failed us miserably. For crying out loud, get you heads out of the sand! Obama's reasons for picking him are noble. We know where he stands on the issues, why are you get yourselves worked up over someone who will have NO SAY WHATSOVEVER in an Obama administration? He respects Warren, and while they do differ in opinion on some major issues, there are others that they DO agree upon and that is what he chooses to focus on. The positive, NOT the negative. Sounds like pretty sound judgement to me.
And you and others are living in La-La Land if you think there isn't a conflict between conservatives and progressives. Conservative MUST have an enemy to hate and attack, and holding out a friendly hand to them results in a mangled hand.
Far better to govern from your own perspective and do it well to benefit everyone. Just don't bring them in to sleep with you in the tent.
=====
John, very funny, in a sort of painful way.
Great post. And Obama is also giving Rev Lowery who supports Gay marriage the last word that day. Obama is sending a message loud and clear that he is and will not be a part of a divided country.
The message that Obama is sending "loud and clear" is that he knows LGTB people have no choice to support him, because any 2012 alternative will be worse. As long as he remains marginally less horrible than the Republicans, he has nothing to worry about there.
Christianists, on the other hand, are an important voting block he must court if he expects to remain in power. We can expect Rick Warren to be the first of many brilliant, disgusting compromises.
The ignorant will love whoever gives them someone to hate. For Obama, racism and anti-Semitism are, respectively, untenable and insufficiently powerful. Communism is perceived as obsolete and terrorism just isn't working out as Bush had hoped. Homophobia, however, still gets a very useful knee jerk reaction from voters, and Obama is perfectly positioned to play both ends against the middle.
Strategically brilliant. Utterly loathsome.
No, no, no. Folks, don't believe a word of this inclusiveness bull. This is not just about Rev. Warren. Gay people have not been included in any significant way in either the inauguration or the new administration. Obama is trying to show the more conservative side of the electorate that he is willing to stand up to a group perceived to be one of his core constituancies. This is Obama's "Sista Soljah" moment. It's calculated, it's cynical and it stinks.
The conversation really went like this:
Barack suffering from stuffed vestibular tubes due to an ear infection and Diane getting over an upper respiratory bug now in the final stages of laryngitis:
BO: Who should provide the inaugural invocation?
DIFI: Well, Graham is too sick and tired and anti-semetic; Haggart?.......hmmm......too aligned with McCain.
BO: I wish Jeremiah hadn't made such a mess of things....just too much ego!
DIFI: Oh...I know! How about Rick Warren....a real s-t-r-e-t-c-h across the aisle!
BO: Earl Warren's grandson? Of course! Le'ts get him!
Ladies and Germs: This is your first test in the Obama era? Can you (vehemently?) disagree with Obama without demonizing him? Ready...set...go!
As a Black woman, I know that it is critical that I treat Obama like any other politician. When he is right I will stand with him; when he is wrong as hell (like with this deplorable choice of Rick Warren), I will call him out. As an American citizen who watched while so many bought the line that patriotism required that we support Bush, right or wrong, I know that it is my obligation to stand up for what is right, no matter who the president. There are no free passes in a democracy because as a citizen I am responsible for every decision that my elected representives take. And that is why I join with millions of others and say to Obama, "It is not too late to repudiate this choice. Send a signal that you differ from Bush in that you are willing to retreat when you have made a poor decision. Don't mar this historic day with the inclusion of this voice of intolerance. And whatever else you do, stop legitimizing the homophobia that is so damaging to the lives of gays and lesbians and their families by characterizing it as simply another viewpoint in a universe of legitimate perspectives."
Excellent post. This should be a Huffpost pick!
No question that I couldn't have expressed what I feel better than this.
Great dialog, but the Obama lines you "quote" were there for literary purposes. It probably went more like this:
DiFi: Guess what, Barry, we think you should invite Pastor Rick Warren to give the invocation. Whaddya think?
BO: Brilliant idea. I like it. But what about the gays and abortion rights groups?
DiFi: So what? Where are they gonna go? To the Republicans?
BO: Good point. I'll call Rick myself. You don't need to give me the number - I still have it on my speed dial.
Thanks for this one. Too funny. I was starting to get worried our liberal writers were going to mimic the conservative press and thoughtlessly support even the bad decisions of our parties president. It's good to see our press is different.
Oh? Does our party have a president?
Oooo...I see what you did there.
I find it profoundly hypocritical for people who support gay rights to be complaining about the selection of Rick Warren for the inaugural invocation. During the primaries, these same folks were defending the President Elect through the Rev. Wright scandal by essentially saying that just because President Elect Obama attended his church doesn't mean he shares Rev. Wright's views. Well, it is the same situation with Rick Warren. And by the way, I support gay rights and I also supported the President Elect throughout his entire presidential bid. As a people, we have GOT to stop this association crap, and see people for who they are. We ALL have to live in this country together and move it forward no matter what our views are. Pretending people who don't share our views don't exist by leaving them out of important activities is a huge mistake and NOT the way to move this country forward. The President Elect is not saying that he agrees, condones or supports Rick Warren's views by selecting him for the invocation...but he IS sending a statement- that in his administration, EVERYONE will have a seat at the table.
Of the thousands of religious salesmen out there, surely there must be a few who have high-minds and do NOT share Rick Warren's prejudices. Why pick him and give him such a prominent place at one of the most important events in the history of USA? And why not show true inclusiveness by inviting a Jewish rabbi, a Catholic priest, a Muslim imam, a Buddhist monk, etc etc to say a few words too?
Yes! Pastor Rick wasn't the only person available for the invocation. How about the gay Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire? That would have been bold. Picking Pastor Rick is a kick in the teeth. It isn't change I can believe in.
why not keep idiotic superstition out of running our country altogether and not have a religious component to the ceremony at all?
For the people who take this ridiculous bullshit seriously, this is the same as having the pope put the crown on the kings head. That's not how to start the 21st century.
You're missing a piece of the pie here. Many of us supported Jeremiah Wright in that conflagration and saw Obama's stab in the back as cowardly. At the time, no one in the press was defending the reality that Wright had for years been pointing to so vociferously -- institutional racism and classism. Obama used Wright in Chicago to gain political power and then threw him under the bus. The other thing no one dared confront was the notion that an air force pilot of my generation, given the evil of that war and our prosecution of it, would be hailed as a hero for being shot down when he should have been in Canada with the rest of us "liberals."
Obama is pandering. You have to ask who benefits by having Warren say his self-righteous prayers. It is Obama who benefits. Warren brings huge political capital to the table.
If you stop and think about the Republican Southern Strategy and how it was subtly employed to exploit racism for political gain among the same constituency of people that Obama is now utilizing it to scapegoat gay people, you will see the shear hypocrisy of this man come into focus before your very eyes.
Obama is a "New Democrat" just like his pal Joe Lieberman [READ: Neo-con sell-out to the right].
Goddman it's true
Ha,I love it! Obama thank God is not the stupid pawn that the left thinks will bow to there every stupid desire. The man is no fool,he knows there are still enough Peaple in America with REAL values about the way America is run. And i hate to bust there bubbles but the Gays dont own the world... I know they think they do,and try to ram there rethoric down our throats,but remember... The vote passed in Liberal CA. Face it Warren will speak, Obama made a wise choice and the Gays need to pipe down. Go ahead and slam me i cant wait. And dont worry all the Bush bashing that has gone on over the last eight years... Well its our turn now. Better pray the Messiah dont screw up!
I hate to burst YOUR bubble, but the gays aren't the ones who think they "own the world." It's not the gays that are actively trying to deny a minority equal rights. Now I would understand if they took it too far and started pushing to ban Christians from getting married. But that's not what they're doing. Why can't you wrap your brain around this?
As far as bashing Obama. That's perfectly fair. But here's what I don't understand, do you really think that we're going to go soft on him after following up the worst President in United States modern history? We're already ripping him to shreds before he's even been sworn in. So, you're really just talking into the wind here.
I find the choice brilliant. Before we can truly begin the process of working with the far right Anti-gay Guns and God folks we must first find a place of common ground to build trust from so they will actually listen when we provide our opposing views. At the moment the far right believes there is no common ground so they close their ears to our views. Obama has chosen faith in a higher power as the beginning common ground.
Yeah, you're absolutely right. Brilliant strategy. I can see it working already (a choice that has angered many, MANY right-wingers as well as leftists). They're soooo gonna give up their guns and accept gay marriage and give up on banning abortion because of Rick Warren giving the inaugural invocation.
I ask again, WHY do we need an invocation in the first place?
Can an Imam do it next time?
How many times has a Rabbi given it?
A wiccan priestess?
A celtic druid?
A buddhist monk?
A shaman?
A native american spiritual leader?
Oh that's right....
Religion's only tolerable at official government occasions if it's Christianity-based.
Too right. Why DO we need an Inaugural invocation? From a religious point of view, I've NEVER understood the incredible hubris of asking for God's help in pitifully earthbound concerns. How is an Inaugural invocation any different from praying to God to make your football team win?
There's something vaguely tacky about it, from all directions. First of all, God is busy. Second, what a cop-out. Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps, people, and WORK for the win. Trust in God if you must, but ALWAYS have a backup plan. Obviously, Obama has a plan. So why do we need to pray? Which leads me to my next thought...
I'm not religious. But if I was, I think I'd be annoyed by the whole NOTION of an Inaugural invocation. It's a gesture so clearly without meaning as to be off'ensive-- especially in this case. Talk about using the Lord's name in vain! But, I suppose it's a time-honored tradition to crassly and thoughtlessly use religion as merely a tool.
None of those people bring the political capital "to the table" that Rich Warren brings. That fact, in itself reveals Obama's game -- he is pandering.
check out this website.
http://www.turnyourbackonrickwarren.org/
The idea is. LGBT people and allies in attendance at the inauguration to turn their backs to the podium when Rick Warren speaks. This silent act is not disruptive, but will send a simple message to President-elect Obama: we refuse to be treated like second-class citizens any longer.
When I picture this in my head, I laugh hysterically.
Sadly, the image you picture in your head is far more compelling than what you'll actually see when the right-wing gasbag gets up to lead a hypocritical prayer ("O, God, please annul the sham marriages of 36,000 of your sinful children in California. O, smite them and the whores they rode in on. Smite their friends in government and their accepting neighbors. Thank you Jesus."). And even if anyone does dare stand and rear salute Rick Warren, it won't make its way to our television screen, thanks to the fearfully safe choices of out network TV executives.
My opinion is not going to be ignored. I find this mans views vile, but the sad fact is that he does represent a large group of people in this country and as an American his voice deserves to be heard just as much as yours. I guess you think it's a bad thing that Obama is making good on his promise to be the President of all Americans. Maybe you preferred Bush who didn't care about listening to anyone except people who praised him. I am extremely proud that such a good man is going to be my president! You are going to have to deal with these people whether you like it or not, unless you want another civil war. Do you want our country destroyed? Barack Obama has always supported equal rights for gays. He has a score of 95 from the HRC, but because of this one thing you are going to turn your back on him? This man truly cares, and he does not deserve to be disrespected like this! You should be ashamed.
AMEN!!! Those who have been whining all week about this, as well as those far left-wingers who have been complaining about Obama's appointments, are really becoming annoying! And these are the words of a non-religious- flaming Liberal who supports gay marriage.
Whether you like it or not, there is a large population of Americans that share Rick Warren's views, and Obama is the president of them too. He'd be no better than Bush if he were to alienate them. Obama choosing Warren to give the invocation at his inauguration does not mean that he shares the same views as the man, or that he is going to implement policies that will affect the gay community.
Some of you are no better than the extremists on the Right. It seems you'd rather just have things go your way, and alienating the other side. Please explain to me how that is good for our country as a whole?? GIVE IT A REST why don't ya, and wait and see how President Obama actually performs on the job!!
But somehow WE deserve to be disrespected like this? Obama brought this on himself. So brilliant.
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