Top Democratic Consultant Excoriates Obama Administration's Cowardice re: Gay Rights

As more Republicans (Ted Olson, Ken Mehlman, John McCain's former campaign manager Steve Schmidt) argue that support for gay rights and same-sex marriage is consistent with conservative principles, a top Democratic consultant has contacted Huffington Post to say that the Obama administration is in danger of losing gay support.  And should be made uncomfortable that some Republicans are now moving ahead of this administration on this human rights issue.

Sam Stein reports at Huffington Post:

Shortly thereafter [i.e., after Schmidt argued that a strong conservative case can be made for gay marriage], a prominent Democratic consultant got in touch with the Huffington Post to make the case that the Obama administration risks losing the gay rights community (or at least depressing their votes) with its tepid embrace of their priorities.

"I think they have been put in a tough place by these conservatives and they should be," the consultant said. "There are a whole group of people who are to the left of them on gay rights. And they are Republicans. It should make them feel uncomfortable."

Uncomfortable, yes.  And ashamed.  Ashamed to make promises to a disempowered community that they did not intend to keep.  Ashamed to sweep to victory on the basis of those promises and then to slam the door shut decisively--the first African-American president in history doing this, the son of a biracial marriage in a nation that historically refused to permit such marriages--in the face of gay and lesbian citizens.

Uncomfortable and ashamed to keep on playing ugly, dishonest and dishonorable political games with the lives of gay and lesbian human beings any time it gains power.  That's what the Democratic party ought to feel.

If it had a soul.  And a conscience.  But I haven't seen much evidence of either since the Democrats took the White House and Congress in 2008.  In some ways, this administration has been one of the worst on record, when it comes to recognizing the aspirations and rights of gay citizens.

And isn't it interesting that this "prominent Democratic consultant" isn't even willing to on the record and identify him/herself?  That in itself says much about the unwillingness of the Democratic party to stand for justice in the area of gay rights, and the risk its consultants take in calling its hand about this cowardice.