Human Rights Campaign issues ultimatum to Obama: Fix it or else!

[Bluebear]

The nation’s biggest gay rights group is trying to force Sen. Barrack Obama (D-Ill.) to cancel presidential campaign event with a controversial preacher who claims he was homosexual but has been cured.

The Human Rights Campaign has expressed its strong reservations to Obama over his campaign-sponsored tour that features gospel singer Donnie McClurkin.

The influential organization, representing a powerful Democratic constituency, let Obama’s campaign know that it would issue a public demand if Obama did not immediately cancel the event, said a person who had been briefed on the exchange....

By threatening to weigh in strongly, Human Rights Campaign has elevated what began as a controversy in the blogosphere into a full-fledged dilemma for Obama’s campaign...

“Funny how Obama is a big supporter of civil rights when blacks are being maligned, but not so much when gays are the victims,” Aravosis wrote on AMERICAblog, one of the most widely-read liberal blogs online. “I really like Obama. I’m from Illinois. But this is despicable.”

Earl Ofari Hutchinson wrote on Huffington Post, another popular liberal blog, that Obama should cancel the “gay bash tour.”


http://www.americablog.com/

[GeminiProgressive]

1. I Wonder how Obama would like it

If Hillary went on tour with a KKK member? Obama is wrong wrong wrong. he won't be getting many gay rights organizations endorsing him now and they are fairly powerful in the primaries and in fundraising.

[DURHAM D]

2. WOW - just Wow.

I would love to be in the room when the Obama campaign discusses this tonight. I would think they will be desperately looking for middle ground - but I can't figure out where that might be.

Obama will not want to give into pressure from the HRC/gay community because the point has come and gone where he can change his direction without looking weak to a certain un-named demographic.

His statement from yesterday was poorly written but more importantly places him in a more hardened position because tomorrow he can not say "Oops I just found out about McSinger and I immediately asked to have him removed from the program". They should have acted decisively last weekend.

All in all, the decisions and events that are putting his campaign in a bad light is an indication of poor staffing, poor strategy and poor message management.

I feel that his issue and their management of this issue eliminates Obama as a VP choice - sad and too bad. I was hoping for him to be our President in 2016.

On a personal note. As an over 60 lesbian who first became involved in the movement almost 40 years ago and did not dream that we could come so far (and so fast) in the political process - I am absolutely ecstatic about the confidence and clout of the gay community.