Obama Snub Still Rankles Gavin Newsom

I'm in San Francisco, the epicenter of the movement to give LGBT people equality under the law and in the minds of Americans. I'm here to take part in the filming of the movie MILK, based on the life of former San Francisco Supervisor, Harvey Milk. Over the past few days, I've come to have a newfound respect for those who have put their careers and their lives on the line for the simple, yet unbelievably complicated concept of treating us the same as everyone else.

This morning, I read something that fair-minded people everywhere should see. In today's San Francisco Chronicle, I learned something very telling about Barack Obama. He's not the lofty, idealistic Leader that he tells he is.

In 2004, at the height of the firestorm that was set off by Mayor Gavin Newsom authorizing same sex marriages in San Francisco, previous Mayor Willie Brown held a fundraiser for U.S. Senate candidate Barack Obama. The candidate had a request to Mayor Brown:

"And he said to me, he would really appreciate it if he didn't get his photo taken with my mayor. He said he would really not like to have his picture taken with Gavin."

Obama sent out his top gay staffer to spin this story away as 'ridiculous'. However, City Hall insiders recall the incident and Mayor Newsom himself addressed the subject, albeit without calling names.

In fact, early last year, Newsom alluded to the incident in an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Speaking to Reuters on Jan. 26, 2007, Newsom was asked about three potential Democratic candidates: Obama, Hillary Clinton and Al Gore.

He was asked about the flak he took after announcing that San Francisco would allow same-sex marriages - flak that included claims he had helped Republicans by handing them a wedge issue heading into a presidential election year. In the interview, Newsom admitted he'd been hammered over the decision. "And I'm not just saying from Republicans," he added at the time.

"One of the three Democrats you mentioned as presidential candidates, as God is my witness, will not be photographed with me, will not be in the same room with me," Newsom told Reuters, "even though I've done fundraisers for that particular person - not once, but twice - because of this issue."

Here is the problem I've got. Obama tells the gays that he loves them and that we should ignore frat boy comments made in front of a mostly African American audience. He also says that giving a platform and a microphone to an anti-gay minister and gospel singer is okay. Now we learn that he wouldn't even have a photo taken with a straight ally who is a champion for equality.

For all the high-minded talk of an era of post-partisan Leadership, there is little substance to back it up.

Follow Lane Hudson on Twitter: www.twitter.com/tlanehudson

Comments

[AguynamedWayne]

So Obama supposedly supports civil rights for gay people. But Obama hires anti-gay bigots like Donnie McClurkin to represent his campaign? Now Obama doesn't want a picture taken with Newsom because of the fallout over his push for gay marraige? It's pretty obvious that even though Obama talks a good game about equality. His actions shows that he will throw gays under the bus whenever it is politically expedient to do so.

[Giglawyer]

If the gay community wants to criticize Obama for not taking a picture with Gavin Newsom, so be it. It only means he had a problem with Gavin Newsom, not with gays.

Here is the better question - why does gay community support ANY candidate that refuses to support gay marriage? Perhaps I presume too much, but if this is the fundamental rights issue that I perceive it to be, gay voters should to a person refuse to support any candidate that does not support them.

[LyricalLexicon]

I hope Obama is ready for the artillery that the republicans are going to underload on him this fall if he wins. I'm praying this guy don't get sunk by the swift boaters like Kerry did.

[larstein]

So, all you've proved is that Obama is a very smart, savvy politician, with decent ethical standards. So what? Newsom has two strikes against him, both personal, that will dog him for the rest of his life. Like Bush, he's an alcoholic, and like Bill Clinton, a serial womanizer. A guy who had an affair with his campaign manager's wife, and who admitted being a drunk while in office isn't going far in the Democratic party, or, for that matter, anywhere outside San Francisco. To be photographed with him... well let's just say it would give the gop demons another stink bomb to throw at Barack. Hell, I wouldn't want to be photographed with Newsom, and I'm a private citizen.

[Eire]

Mayor Newsom isn't too offended since he also said he'd vote for Obama in 8 years. After he thinks the candidate he's supporting, Hillary Clinton, is out of office.

[MsLiz]

Don't shoot yourself in the foot.

[eshalom]

I love the "Well, so did you," response to every criticism by Obama and his fans. Never mind that Obama is the one candidate claiming to be a squeaky clean harbinger of the new politics that will transcend all of those Boomer struggles including crazy battles for human rights for blacks, women, gays, etc.

[BitJam]

News flash for Mr. Hudson: the Democrats LOST the 2004 election partly because the gay marriage scare energized the right. Yet Obama was able to help stem some of the losses by vigorously campaigning in red and purple states. If he had posed for that picture then he would have been useless to the Democratic party that year.

We've seen this kind of brainless anti-Obama attack before. You are basically saying to vote against Obama because he refused to commit political suicide. Well, guess what? You could use this same logic against each and every candidate that is still in the running because the candidates who have committed politic suicide are no longer in the race.

[ericstern75]

Oh, how the times have changed! As the DNC's Director of LGBT Outreach from 2003-2005, I had a front row seat for all that happened inside the Party on and after that historic and beautiful day in San Francisco.

In 2004, James Carville, Mark Penn and many others currently working on the Clinton Campaign were absolutely furious with Mayor Newsom's courageous decision to authorize marriage equality in the city of San
Francisco. They believed at the time it happened and in post-election forums that Newsom's actions helped to mobilize and energize millions of socially conservative voters for Bush-Cheney and Republican
candidates across the country.

Even openly gay Congressman Barney Frank (a Clinton supporter) made
remarks suggesting that Newsom's decision was ill-timed and had a
negative impact on the outcome of the 2004
Election.

(I have deep admiration for Newsom's courageous act, but question how
he could endorse a candidate whose staff and key supporters blamed him
in part for the losses suffered by Democrats in 2004).

So, while some of Clinton's staffers were busy publicly blaming Newsom
(and us pesky gay voters who just don't know our place), Obama--in 2004--wrote an op-ed pledging to work towards and
vote for the full repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act if elected to
the U.S. Senate. This is a position he has consistently held since
2004 and now as a Presidential candidate, he has pledged to use the
power of the White House to work with Congress to repeal ALL of DOMA
(while Hillary, as you know, supports only a partial repeal of
DOMA).

Honestly, this kind of leadership makes me as an openly gay man feel
pretty good about the kind of President Obama is going to be for our
community. And the fact that Obama was unwilling to get his picture
taken with Mayor Newsom just kind of feels like an attempt to blow up
what could have been a misunderstanding or slight into a "huge" story
that just happened to break on Super Tuesday. Oh the irony!

[mommadona]

I would suggest he didn't want his picture with

Mr. Republican-Lite Newsom, who came to his

'touchy-feely' moment about gay marriage at a

very late stage in his DLC-based

administration.

I was at the Chinese New Year's parade in

Chinatown right after his election....he was

sitting in that convertible in the parade...and

the boos just kept a comin' alllll the way down

the route.

You got to know the territory.

Newsom slipped thru the Feinstein back door.

[Incredulous]

In your own article, you say, and I quote, "Obama sent out his top gay staffer to spin this story away as 'ridiculous'." This implies that the person in question is not Obama's only gay staffer. Therefore, Obama has gay staffers. He's not a homophobe. Perhaps his issues with Newsom are related to Gavin's infidelity or hypocrisy or other issues. Or this is just unsubstantiated bullshit on primary day. And if so, SHAME ON YOU!

[Jeffomil]

First, you have to get elected. That was a political decision, not a moral one. And you know it.

[AnotherTry]

Exactly why I will never support Obama. All talk.

[Chachi]

I don't know about the anti-gay minister, and I think Obama has distanced himself from that guy.

But, all the rest of it. Big deal. Maybe Obama is truly not a supporter of gay marriage. He can still be a high minded, post-partisan leader. Not everyone has to be for gay marriage. Personally, I couldn't care either way. But, if someone who is older than I - of a different generation - and just isn't there yet then so be it. Not everything is about you.

[CaveatMagnusFrater]

Sen. Obama knows full well how such a photo would be used politically. He was only being expedient. Imagine if an avowed atheist threw him a fund-raiser, do you think he'd turn off the christian majority by being friendly with that person. No. You don't get to make the rules if you lose; only the winner DECIDES. Dream of perfection, work for improvement.