Regis Philbin
Jun 25th, 2009, 05:11 PM
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D991TH9O0&show_article=1
PROMISES, PROMISES: Obama slow on pledge to gays
Jun 25 04:06 PM US/Eastern
By PHILIP ELLIOTT
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama promised gay and lesbian voters he would repeal a law banning their open service in the military, would do away with a federal marriage law and would champion their causes from the White House. In his first five months, he's taken incremental steps that have little real effect and left some people feeling betrayed.
But he's still willing to take money from a reliably Democratic constituency—he was sending Vice President Joe Biden to a Democratic National Committee fundraiser Thursday evening with gay and lesbian donors.
Some gay donors called for a boycott after Obama's Justice Department, in a court filing, compared gay marriages to incest.
"I don't think it's an appropriate time to be raising money. No one is happy now," said Richard Socarides, who advised former President Bill Clinton on gay issues and did not plan to attend the event. "On gay rights, the country is already in the age of Obama, but he's governing from the Clinton era."
Obama issued a presidential memorandum that expands some federal benefits to same-sex partners, but not health benefits or pension guarantees. He has allowed State Department employees to include their same-sex partners in certain embassy programs already available to opposite-sex spouses.
But that remains far short of his campaign rhetoric.
PROMISES, PROMISES: Obama slow on pledge to gays
Jun 25 04:06 PM US/Eastern
By PHILIP ELLIOTT
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama promised gay and lesbian voters he would repeal a law banning their open service in the military, would do away with a federal marriage law and would champion their causes from the White House. In his first five months, he's taken incremental steps that have little real effect and left some people feeling betrayed.
But he's still willing to take money from a reliably Democratic constituency—he was sending Vice President Joe Biden to a Democratic National Committee fundraiser Thursday evening with gay and lesbian donors.
Some gay donors called for a boycott after Obama's Justice Department, in a court filing, compared gay marriages to incest.
"I don't think it's an appropriate time to be raising money. No one is happy now," said Richard Socarides, who advised former President Bill Clinton on gay issues and did not plan to attend the event. "On gay rights, the country is already in the age of Obama, but he's governing from the Clinton era."
Obama issued a presidential memorandum that expands some federal benefits to same-sex partners, but not health benefits or pension guarantees. He has allowed State Department employees to include their same-sex partners in certain embassy programs already available to opposite-sex spouses.
But that remains far short of his campaign rhetoric.