Ok, maybe that’s an overstatement, but look at them with intersecting trajectories : while Hatch seems to be evolving in the right direction,

“I believe there are very outstanding, patriotic gay people who serve in the military and they ought to be given credit for it. And they shouldn’t have to lie about being gay,” Hatch said.

Obama remains set in his ways

“We may disagree about gay marriage,” Mr. Obama said, “but surely we can agree that it is unconscionable to target gays and lesbians for who they are,

The context of this is significant too. Separation of church and state be damned, Obama attended a prayer breakfast with

Barack Obama has drawn stinging criticism for addressing an annual National Prayer Breakfast today organised by a Christian evangelical group whose members include the Ugandan politician behind legislation to execute gay people.

The organisation is headed by Doug Coe, who critics say has praised the organising abilities of Hitler and Osama bin Laden.

Among the Fellowship’s members is David Bahati, a Ugandan MP who introduced legislation that would impose the death penalty on gay men who have sex with a partner under the age of 18

Right on cue, Ann Kornblut writes in Wa Po about Obama’s spirituality: he gets religious messages on his blackberry every morning! And

One senior official described the president as “a prayerful guy.” Another said that Obama has consulted religious leaders less often for his own personal guidance than for help walking through major public decisions — such as during the Afghanistan review process, when he sought advice on the ethical implications of war.

(the “just wars” ideas were picked – not shockingly- from some theologian)

Apologists beam about how Obama lectured the Ugandans (a compndium from B0botland), but the lectured ones left the breakfast without learning their lesson

“The purpose is completely at variance with what the U.S. media have reported,” he said. “It is not a ‘Kill the Gays’ bill. Rather, it is designed to kill the disease that some homosexuals spread through their reckless and irresponsible conduct and lifestyle.”

“If our media were accurately reporting this story,” he said, “reporters would be questioning why the Obama Administration is interfering with Uganda’s right of self-determination and desire to be free of the sexual immorality that has already engulfed the U.S.”

Yeah, it was all worth it, this breakfast prayer!

And how do gays and lesbians feel about this “defense”?

Here’s a good reaction from B0botland

Obama: “We may disagree about gay marriage…”

I suppose its fine for us to disagree about interracial marriage too, right? Or how about a woman’s right to vote? How about slavery? I’m sure there are merits to all of these too, right?

I know progress is slow in this country, but is it really necessary for him, at a National Prayer Breakfast of all places, to make such cautionary and centrist remarks on the topic? Why doesn’t he just not say anything? Oh, I guess he’s just guided by his “faith”.


Oh, Great Mediator, you don’t support gay marriage, we get it, but at least have the decency to not mention it at all since anything you do say will be used against us. Gay couples are constantly made to feel inferior because their rights are determined by a “moral majority” that are the final arbiters on what constitutes a loving relationship. Try not being the spokesperson for a vicious organization that only wants to abase homosexuals and prolong their suffering. Thanks!

and

3. Then don’t marry a man, President Obama

This is one of the areas where I wish he would keep his mouth shut. His words are used against the LGBT community.

Yup. He lectured the bad guys who are now angry, patronized the bad guys’ victims and violated separation of church and state having flunkies to defend that usually he keeps it all private. Kornblut again:

When Obama appears at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington on Thursday morning — a regular presidential ritual — it will mark the rare occasion when he puts religion in the foreground

So, my question here is: why? Why the need to put religion in the foreground? What was accomplished?

I guess my small woman brain is missing again what a brilliant politician he is.