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Tape Restoration Project (TRP) Emails
Tape Restoration Project (TRP) Email from the White House Office (WHO) Bucket
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RECORD TYPE: PRESIDENTIAL (TRP NOTES MAIL)
CREATOR: Rex Wockner (Rex Wockner [ UNKNOWN 1)
CREATION DATE/TIME:12-NOV-1999 19:33:23.00
SUBJECT: NC11400: Gore, Bradley, us
TO: Rex Wockner ( Rex Wockner [ UNKNOWN 1)
READ:UNKNOWN
Sean P. Maloney (CN=Sean P. Maloney/OU=WHO/O=EOP [ WHO 1)
READ:UNKNOWN
TEXT:
Do not publish this item in any form without permission from the
originating media operation. Do not post this item in any online
forum. This is a small, free mailing list open only to my friends.
BOSTON GLOBE
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
November 12, 1999
http://www.boston.com/globe
Bradley, Gore step up pursuit of gay voters
Calif. Outcome could prove crucial
By Michael Kranish, Globe Staff
LOS ANGELES - During his 18 years in the Senate, Bill Bradley rarely
mentioned gay and lesbian rights, and one of his last acts before retiring
was to oppose gay leaders on a bill that would have recognized same-sex
marriage.
But this year, the Democratic presidential candidate has emerged as
one of the nation's most forthright proponents of equal rights for gays
and lesbians, urging a step even many activists are wary of - reopening
the 1964 Civil Rights Act to encompass gays.
Bradley's new emphasis led one leading gay-oriented magazine, The
Advocate, to marvel that the former New Jersey senator has moved "to the
left" of Representative Barney Frank, the openly gay Newton Democrat.
It has moved Vice President Al Gore, concerned about losing a
constituency that could swing the election in some key states, to ratchet
up his bid for gay support. Gore has vowed to loosen the administration's
"Don't Ask-Don't Tell" policy on gays in the military and said last week
that "sexual orientation is a main topic for the expansion of freedom and
human dignity."
Nowhere is this unprecedented pursuit of the gay and lesbian vote more
vividly on display than in California - and apparently for good political
reason. On March 7, when Californians vote in a potentially decisive
presidential primary, the ballot will include an initiative to ban
marriage between gay partners. That is expected to spur one of the largest
gay votes in US history, which in turn could affect who wins the primary
and the nomination.
"The gay vote has become a central part of the Democratic coalition.
It is an astonishing yardstick of how far the gay and lesbian issue has
come," said David Mixner, a leading California gay activist who is
supporting Gore. "If there is a low Democratic turnout in March,"
Mixner said, "the one group that will turn out en masse will be the gay
and lesbian community."
As a result, Gore and Bradley have made frequent trips to California
to meet with gay leaders, dueling over the constituency in a way that was
unimaginable to gay activists earlier this decade. Some Republican
presidential candidates, meanwhile, also are courting gays. On Monday,
Senator John McCain, the Arizona Republican, said he was "unashamed" to
work with the Log Cabin Republicans, a group of gay and lesbian
Republicans. But the Republicans generally aren't going nearly as far as
Bradley and Gore.
By some estimates, gay voters account for 5 percent of the electorate.
But the number may be in the higher single digits in some of the most
important political states, including California and New York - both of
which Democrats believe they must win next fall, especially if the
Republican presidential candidate captures Texas and Florida.
While there has been no scientific survey of California gay voters,
there is considerable evidence that Bradley has fast been making major
inroads with gays and lesbians. Last June, Bradley spent several hours
meeting with gay and lesbian activists in California. The event served as
a wake-up call to Gore.
Then, last September, in a move that surprised even many of Bradley's
gay backers, the former senator told The Advocate that Congress "should
add sexual orientation to the 1964 Civil Rights Act. " That would clearly
indicate, he said, that discrimination against gays is every bit as
serious as discrimination against other protected groups.
The magazine contrasted Bradley's stance to that of many gay leaders,
including Frank, who prefers a stand-alone antidiscrimination bill instead
of reopening the landmark civil rights legislation.
"In one fell swoop, he came close to erasing seven years of hard work
by Gore within the gay community," said Chris Bull, the Washington
correspondent for The Advocate, who recently was granted interviews with
both Bradley and Gore about their stance on gay issues. "Bradley hadn't
done particularly much. It was smart on Bradley's part."
Bradley spokesman Eric Hauser said the former senator had "no
epiphany" on gay rights but instead views it as a logical extension of
his support for civil rights.
Still, the effect on gay voters of Bradley's stance has been powerful.
Bill Melamed, a West Hollywood personal agent who has been active in
gay rights for 20 years, said that many gays and lesbians had presumed
they would "jump on the Gore bandwagon." Melamed contributed $1,000 to
the Gore campaign. But as Bradley's views on gay issues gained publicity -
and after Bradley called Melamed to seek his support - Melamed became
convinced the former New Jersey senator was a more fervent believer in
equal rights.
Next week, Melamed will come full circle: the former Gore contributor
will be a cohost at a Hollywood fund-raiser for Bradley.
"It is not an issue Bradley chose to champion," Melamed said,
referring to Bradley's days in the Senate. "But the climate is very
different in this country than six, 12, 18 years ago."
Some observers, however, think that Bradley made a strategic mistake
in calling for a reopening of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. A number of civil
rights leaders, including the Rev. Jesse Jackson, questioned Bradley's
proposal, worrying that a Republican-controlled Congress might weaken the
Civil Rights Act if it was reopened. Frank said in an interview that
reopening the Civil Rights Act would be impracticable.
While the issue still is controversial, the public view of gay rights
has shifted significantly during this decade. In 1992, a Gallup poll found
that 57 percent of Americans deemed the gay lifestyle unacceptable,
compared with 38 percent who called it acceptable. The same survey this
year found a turnaround in views: those surveyed believe, 50-46, that the
gay lifestyle is acceptable.
That has translated into unprecedented political power for gays and
lesbians. In the 1988 campaign, many presidential candidates, including
Gore, put little emphasis on the issue. In 1992, Clinton sought the gay
vote but ran into criticism when he backed a "Don't Ask-Don't Tell"
policy. Some conservatives felt the policy went too far in allowing gays
to serve in the military, while gay activists complained that it didn't
allow gays to openly state their sexual orientation.
Gore spent the years since trying to improve his relations with gays
and took a major step in that direction earlier this year when he
announced that he favored the legal protections for gay partners, such as
the kind of health benefits that a married spouse can receive. Bradley
also favors such benefits.
Some of the leading Republican candidates also are courting the gay
community, but none of them embrace nearly as much of the gay rights
agenda as the Democrats.
McCain has made the most determined overture, meeting on Monday with
the Log Cabin Republicans, a group with 11,000 members. But a McCain aide
said later the senator doesn't endorse key legislation favored by gay
activists, such as a bill that would ban discrimination in employment.
Texas Governor George W. Bush, the GOP front-runner, has been
criticized by some gay activists for not embracing a hate-crimes bill in
his state that would specifically include protections for gays. Steve
Forbes said recently that he would hire qualified gays as long as they
aren't trying to make "a political statement." GOP candidate Alan Keyes
has had the harshest words for gays, saying that "homosexuality is an
abomination the comparison between race and homosexuality is absurd."
In California, with its large gay community, the ballot question that
would ban same-sex marriage is being closely watched by the campaigners.
Bradley and Gore have said that while they do not support same-sex
marriage, they would vote against the ballot initiative because it is
divisive. That has prompted Rob Glazier, a Sacramento spokesman for the
Campaign to Defend Marriage, which is pushing for passage of the ballot
measure, to charge that Bradley and Gore are being hypocritical.
"Gore and Bradley are saying to the American people that they support
the traditional definition of marriage being between a man and a woman,
yet they both raise a lot of money from the gay community," Glazier said.
"They are trying to convince Americans they are mainstream. They
shouldn't have it both ways."
But to longtime gay activists such as Frank, the larger message of the
Democratic primary is that the candidates are arguing about how to expand
gay rights, not whether to limit them.
"My best hopes have been vindicated," Frank said, when asked about
the effort by the Democratic candidates to win over gay voters. "This is
the first time in American history that people have been treating gays and
lesbians as if they were any other legitimate group."
RECORD TYPE: PRESIDENTIAL (TRP NOTES MAIL)
CREATOR: JSOREF ([email protected] [ UNKNOWN 1)
CREATION DATE/TIME:12-NOV-1999 15:36:43.00
SUBJECT: Gay/lesbian vote
TO: Tflournoy ([email protected] [ UNKNOWN )
READ:UNKNOWN
Minyon Moore ( CN=Minyon Moore/OU=WHO/O=EOP [ WHO ])
READ:UNKNOWN
TEXT:
Tina,
I think this is pretty much in line with what I told you--Bradley is a
serious threat. The campaign has done relatively little yet in NY.
BOSTON GLOBE, November 12, 1999
Bradley, Gore step up pursuit of gay voters
Calif. Outcome could prove crucial
By Michael Kranish, Globe Staff
LOS ANGELES - During his 18 years in the Senate, Bill Bradley rarely
mentioned gay and lesbian rights, and one of his last acts before retiring
was to oppose gay leaders on a bill that would have recognized same-sex
marriage.
But this year, the Democratic presidential candidate has emerged as one
of the nation's most forthright proponents of equal rights for gays and
lesbians, urging a step even many activists are wary of - reopening the
1964
Civil Rights Act to encompass gays.
Bradley's new emphasis led one leading gay-oriented magazine, The
Advocate, to marvel that the former New Jersey senator has moved "to the
left" of Representative Barney Frank, the openly gay Newton Democrat.
It has moved Vice President Al Gore, concerned about losing a
constituency that could swing the election in some key states, to ratchet
up
his bid for gay support. Gore has vowed to loosen the administration's
"Don't Ask-Don't Tell" policy on gays in the military and said last week
that "sexual orientation is a main topic for the expansion of freedom and
human dignity."
Nowhere is this unprecedented pursuit of the gay and lesbian vote more
vividly on display than in California - and apparently for good political
reason. On March 7, when Californians vote in a potentially decisive
presidential primary, the ballot will include an initiative to ban marriage
between gay partners. That is expected to spur one of the largest gay votes
in US history, which in turn could affect who wins the primary and the
nomination.
"The gay vote has become a central part of the Democratic coalition.
It
is an astonishing yardstick of how far the gay and lesbian issue has
come,"
said David Mixner, a leading California gay activist who is supporting
Gore.
"If there is a low Democratic turnout in March," Mixner said, "the one
group that will turn out en masse will be the gay and lesbian community."
As a result, Gore and Bradley have made frequent trips to California to
meet with gay leaders, dueling over the constituency in a way that was
unimaginable to gay activists earlier this decade. Some Republican
presidential candidates, meanwhile, also are courting gays. On Monday,
Senator John McCain, the Arizona Republican, said he was "unashamed" to
work with the Log Cabin Republicans, a group of gay and lesbian
Republicans.
But the Republicans generally aren't going nearly as far as Bradley and
Gore.
By some estimates, gay voters account for 5 percent of the electorate.
But the number may be in the higher single digits in some of the most
important political states, including California and New York - both of
which
Democrats believe they must win next fall, especially if the Republican
presidential candidate captures Texas and Florida.
While there has been no scientific survey of California gay voters,
there
is considerable evidence that Bradley has fast been making major inroads
with
gays and lesbians. Last June, Bradley spent several hours meeting with gay
and lesbian activists in California. The event served as a wake-up call to
Gore.
Then, last September, in a move that surprised even many of Bradley's
gay
backers, the former senator told The Advocate that Congress "should add
sexual orientation to the 1964 Civil Rights Act. That would clearly
indicate, he said, that discrimination against gays is every bit as serious
as discrimination against other protected groups.
The magazine contrasted Bradley's stance to that of many gay leaders,
including Frank, who prefers a stand-alone antidiscrimination bill instead
of
reopening the landmark civil rights legislation.
"In one fell swoop, he came close to erasing seven years of hard work
by
Gore within the gay community," said Chris Bull, the Washington
correspondent for The Advocate, who recently was granted interviews with
both
Bradley and Gore about their stance on gay issues. "Bradley hadn't done
particularly much. It was smart on Bradley's part."
Bradley spokesman Eric Hauser said the former senator had "no
epiphany"
on gay rights but instead views it as a logical extension of his support
for
civil rights.
Still, the effect on gay voters of Bradley's stance has been powerful.
Bill Melamed, a West Hollywood personal agent who has been active in
gay
rights for 20 years, said that many gays and lesbians had presumed they
would
"jump on the Gore bandwagon." Melamed contributed $1,000 to the Gore
campaign. But as Bradley's views on gay issues gained publicity - and after
Bradley called Melamed to seek his support - Melamed became convinced the
former New Jersey senator was a more fervent believer in equal rights.
Next week, Melamed will come full circle: the former Gore contributor
will be a cohost at a Hollywood fund-raiser for Bradley.
"It is not an issue Bradley chose to champion," Melamed said,
referring
to Bradley's days in the Senate. "But the climate is very different in
this
country than six, 12, 18 years ago."
Some observers, however, think that Bradley made a strategic mistake in
calling for a reopening of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. A number of civil
rights leaders, including the Rev. Jesse Jackson, questioned Bradley's
proposal, worrying that a Republican-controlled Congress might weaken the
Civil Rights Act if it was reopened. Frank said in an interview that
reopening the Civil Rights Act would be impracticable.
While the issue still is controversial, the public view of gay rights
has
shifted significantly during this decade. In 1992, a Gallup poll found that
57 percent of Americans deemed the gay lifestyle unacceptable, compared
with
38 percent who called it acceptable. The same survey this year found a
turnaround in views: those surveyed believe, 50-46, that the gay lifestyle
is
acceptable.
That has translated into unprecedented political power for gays and
lesbians. In the 1988 campaign, many presidential candidates, including
Gore,
put little emphasis on the issue. In 1992, Clinton sought the gay vote but
ran into criticism when he backed a "Don't Ask-Don't Tell" policy. Some
conservatives felt the policy went too far in allowing gays to serve in the
military, while gay activists complained that it didn't allow gays to
openly
state their sexual orientation.
Gore spent the years since trying to improve his relations with gays
and
took a major step in that direction earlier this year when he announced
that
he favored the legal protections for gay partners, such as the kind of
health
benefits that a married spouse can receive. Bradley also favors such
benefits.
Some of the leading Republican candidates also are courting the gay
community, but none of them embrace nearly as much of the gay rights agenda
as the Democrats.
McCain has made the most determined overture, meeting on Monday with
the
Log Cabin Republicans, a group with 11,000 members. But a McCain aide said
later the senator doesn't endorse key legislation favored by gay activists,
such as a bill that would ban discrimination in employment.
Texas Governor George W. Bush, the GOP front-runner, has been
criticized
by some gay activists for not embracing a hate-crimes bill in his state
that
would specifically include protections for gays. Steve Forbes said recently
that he would hire qualified gays as long as they aren't trying to make "a
political statement." GOP candidate Alan Keyes has had the harshest words
for gays, saying that "homosexuality is an abomination the comparison
between race and homosexuality is absurd."
In California, with its large gay community, the ballot question that
would ban same-sex marriage is being closely watched by the campaigners.
Bradley and Gore have said that while they do not support same-sex
marriage,
they would vote against the ballot initiative because it is divisive. That
has prompted Rob Glazier, a Sacramento spokesman for the Campaign to Defend
Marriage, which is pushing for passage of the ballot measure, to charge
that
Bradley and Gore are being hypocritical.
"Gore and Bradley are saying to the American people that they support
the traditional definition of marriage being between a man and a woman, yet
they both raise a lot of money from the gay community," Glazier said.
"They
are trying to convince Americans they are mainstream. They shouldn't have
it
both ways."
But to longtime gay activists such as Frank, the larger message of the
Democratic primary is that the candidates are arguing about how to expand
gay
rights, not whether to limit them.
"My best hopes have been vindicated," Frank said, when asked about
the
effort by the Democratic candidates to win over gay voters. "This is the
first time in American history that people have been treating gays and
lesbians as if they were any other legitimate group."
LOS ANGELES TIMES, November 12, 1999
Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA, 90053
(Fax 213-237-7679 or 213-237-5319 (E-MAIL: [email protected])
(http://www.latimes.com)
ACLU Threatens Suit if Gay School Club Is Blocked
Civil liberties group says action would violate rights of expression,
association. Orange Unified vote is Thursday.
By MARISSA ESPINO, Special to The Times
The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California waded into
the
fray Thursday over the proposed Gay-Straight Alliance club at El Modena
High,
saying it would pursue legal action against the Orange Unified School
District if trustees refuse to approve the club's formation.
If the school board vetoes the club, the ACLU said in a statement,
trustees would be violating the freedom of expression and association
guaranteed by the Constitution. A denial by the board could also have a
significant impact on the district's eligibility for federal education
funds
under a statute that prohibits public schools from discriminating against
student clubs on the basis of a club's philosophical or political
viewpoint,
according to the statement.
The ACLU's announcement comes on the heels of a similar statement by
the
People for the American Way Foundation, a nonprofit civil liberties, First
Amendment rights organization. That group has also charged that the school
board was violating federal law by stopping efforts to organize the club.
Earlier this week, about 300 parents and students packed a four-hour,
district-sponsored public forum on the issue.
Proponents of the club said it would educate all students about
tolerance and offer a haven for gay students who they say face harassment.
Opponents quoted the Bible and said the club would only hurt students
struggling with their sexual identity.
The school board is scheduled to vote on the club at a meeting
Thursday.
RECORD TYPE: PRESIDENTIAL (TRP NOTES MAIL)
CREATOR: LGBT Activists List (LGBT Activists List [ UNKNOWN ])
CREATION DATE/TIME:13-NOV-1999 00:57:11.00
SUBJECT: Bradley, Gore step up pursuit of gay voters
TO: queerpolitics ( [email protected] [ UNKNOWN 1)
READ:UNKNOWN
Sean P. Maloney ( CN=Sean P. Maloney/OU=WHO/O=EOP [ WHO ])
READ:UNKNOWN
TEXT:
BOSTON GLOBE, November 12, 1999
(http://www.boston.com/globe)
Bradley, Gore step up pursuit of gay voters
Calif. Outcome could prove crucial
By Michael Kranish, Globe Staff
LOS ANGELES - During his 18 years in the Senate, Bill Bradley rarely
mentioned gay and lesbian rights, and one of his last acts before retiring
was to oppose gay leaders on a bill that would have recognized same-sex
marriage.
But this year, the Democratic presidential candidate has emerged as one
of the nation's most forthright proponents of equal rights for gays and
lesbians, urging a step even many activists are wary of - reopening the
1964
Civil Rights Act to encompass gays.
Bradley's new emphasis led one leading gay-oriented magazine, The
Advocate, to marvel that the former New Jersey senator has moved "to the
left" of Representative Barney Frank, the openly gay Newton Democrat.
It has moved Vice President Al Gore, concerned about losing a
constituency that could swing the election in some key states, to ratchet
up
his bid for gay support. Gore has vowed to loosen the administration's
"Don't Ask-Don't Tell" policy on gays in the military and said last week
that "sexual orientation is a main topic for the expansion of freedom and
human dignity."
Nowhere is this unprecedented pursuit of the gay and lesbian vote more
vividly on display than in California - and apparently for good political
reason. On March 7, when Californians vote in a potentially decisive
presidential primary, the ballot will include an initiative to ban marriage
between gay partners. That is expected to spur one of the largest gay votes
in US history, which in turn could affect who wins the primary and the
nomination.
"The gay vote has become a central part of the Democratic coalition.
It
is an astonishing yardstick of how far the gay and lesbian issue has
come,"
said David Mixner, a leading California gay activist who is supporting
Gore.
"If there is a low Democratic turnout in March," Mixner said, "the one
group that will turn out en masse will be the gay and lesbian community."
As a result, Gore and Bradley have made frequent trips to California to
meet with gay leaders, dueling over the constituency in a way that was
unimaginable to gay activists earlier this decade. Some Republican
presidential candidates, meanwhile, also are courting gays. On Monday,
Senator John McCain, the Arizona Republican, said he was "unashamed" to
work with the Log Cabin Republicans, a group of gay and lesbian
Republicans.
But the Republicans generally aren't going nearly as far as Bradley and
Gore.
By some estimates, gay voters account for 5 percent of the electorate.
But the number may be in the higher single digits in some of the most
important political states, including California and New York - both of
which
Democrats believe they must win next fall, especially if the Republican
presidential candidate captures Texas and Florida.
While there has been no scientific survey of California gay voters,
there
is considerable evidence that Bradley has fast been making major inroads
with
gays and lesbians. Last June, Bradley spent several hours meeting with gay
and lesbian activists in California. The event served as a wake-up call to
Gore.
Then, last September, in a move that surprised even many of Bradley's
gay
backers, the former senator told The Advocate that Congress "should add
sexual orientation to the 1964 Civil Rights Act. " That would clearly
indicate, he said, that discrimination against gays is every bit as serious
as discrimination against other protected groups.
The magazine contrasted Bradley's stance to that of many gay leaders,
including Frank, who prefers a stand-alone antidiscrimination bill instead
of
reopening the landmark civil rights legislation.
"In one fell swoop, he came close to erasing seven years of hard work
by
Gore within the gay community," said Chris Bull, the Washington
correspondent for The Advocate, who recently was granted interviews with
both
Bradley and Gore about their stance on gay issues. "Bradley hadn't done
particularly much. It was smart on Bradley's part."
Bradley spokesman Eric Hauser said the former senator had "no
epiphany"
on gay rights but instead views it as a logical extension of his support
for
civil rights.
Still, the effect on gay voters of Bradley's stance has been powerful.
Bill Melamed, a West Hollywood personal agent who has been active in
gay
rights for 20 years, said that many gays and lesbians had presumed they
would
"jump on the Gore bandwagon." Melamed contributed $1,000 to the Gore
campaign. But as Bradley's views on gay issues gained publicity - and after
Bradley called Melamed to seek his support - Melamed became convinced the
former New Jersey senator was a more fervent believer in equal rights.
Next week, Melamed will come full circle: the former Gore contributor
will be a cohost at a Hollywood fund-raiser for Bradley.
"It is not an issue Bradley chose to champion," Melamed said,
referring
to Bradley's days in the Senate. "But the climate is very different in
this
country than six, 12, 18 years ago."
Some observers, however, think that Bradley made a strategic mistake in
calling for a reopening of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. A number of civil
rights leaders, including the Rev. Jesse Jackson, questioned Bradley's
proposal, worrying that a Republican-controlled Congress might weaken the
Civil Rights Act if it was reopened. Frank said in an interview that
reopening the Civil Rights Act would be impracticable.
While the issue still is controversial, the public view of gay rights
has
shifted significantly during this decade. In 1992, a Gallup poll found that
57 percent of Americans deemed the gay lifestyle unacceptable, compared
with
38 percent who called it acceptable. The same survey this year found a
turnaround in views: those surveyed believe, 50-46, that the gay lifestyle
is
acceptable.
That has translated into unprecedented political power for gays and
lesbians. In the 1988 campaign, many presidential candidates, including
Gore,
put little emphasis on the issue. In 1992, Clinton sought the gay vote but
ran into criticism when he backed a "Don't Ask-Don't Tell" policy. Some
conservatives felt the policy went too far in allowing gays to serve in the
military, while gay activists complained that it didn't allow gays to
openly
state their sexual orientation.
Gore spent the years since trying to improve his relations with gays
and
took a major step in that direction earlier this year when he announced
that
he favored the legal protections for gay partners, such as the kind of
health
benefits that a married spouse can receive. Bradley also favors such
benefits.
Some of the leading Republican candidates also are courting the gay
community, but none of them embrace nearly as much of the gay rights agenda
as the Democrats.
McCain has made the most determined overture, meeting on Monday with
the
Log Cabin Republicans, a group with 11,000 members. But a McCain aide said
later the senator doesn't endorse key legislation favored by gay activists,
such as a bill that would ban discrimination in employment.
Texas Governor George W. Bush, the GOP front-runner, has been
criticized
by some gay activists for not embracing a hate-crimes bill in his state
that
would specifically include protections for gays. Steve Forbes said recently
that he would hire qualified gays as long as they aren't trying to make "a
political statement." GOP candidate Alan Keyes has had the harshest words
for gays, saying that "homosexuality is an abomination the comparison
between race and homosexuality is absurd."
In California, with its large gay community, the ballot question that
would ban same-sex marriage is being closely watched by the campaigners.
Bradley and Gore have said that while they do not support same-sex
marriage,
they would vote against the ballot initiative because it is divisive. That
has prompted Rob Glazier, a Sacramento spokesman for the Campaign to Defend
Marriage, which is pushing for passage of the ballot measure, to charge
that
Bradley and Gore are being hypocritical.
"Gore and Bradley are saying to the American people that they support
the traditional definition of marriage being between a man and a woman, yet
they both raise a lot of money from the gay community," Glazier said.
"They
are trying to convince Americans they are mainstream. They shouldn't have
it
both ways."
But to longtime gay activists such as Frank, the larger message of the
Democratic primary is that the candidates are arguing about how to expand
gay
rights, not whether to limit them.
"My best hopes have been vindicated," Frank said, when asked about
the
effort by the Democratic candidates to win over gay voters. "This is the
first time in American history that people have been treating gays and
lesbians as if they were any other legitimate group."
The item above is being distributed as a free, non-profit informational
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this topic for educational and research purposes only. Please do not
redistribute or post copyrighted material anyplace on the Internet
accessible to the public without attribution and permission from the
author. Please note that distribution of this item does not necessarily
constitute endorsement of the content; in fact, often items are distributed
as "opposition research."
RECORD TYPE: PRESIDENTIAL (TRP NOTES MAIL)
CREATOR: LGBT Activists List (LGBT Activists List [ UNKNOWN ])
CREATION DATE/TIME:13-NOV-1999 01:05:00.00
SUBJECT: McCain meets with Gays
TO: queerpolitics ( [email protected] [ UNKNOWN )
READ:UNKNOWN
Sean P. Maloney (CN=Sean P. Maloney/OU=WHO/O=EOP [ WHO ])
READ:UNKNOWN
TEXT:
Washington Blade
November 12, 1999
http://www.washblade.com
McCain meets with Gays
Log Cabin members encouraged by senator's positions
by Nick Napolitano
Leaders of Log Cabin Republicans, a national Gay organization, addressed a
range of Gay and AIDS-related issues during a half-hour meeting Monday with
John McCain, a candidate for the GOP presidential nomination.
According to Log Cabin's director of public affairs, Kevin Ivers, the
meeting, which was closed to the press, took place in a conference room
near McCain's office on Capitol Hill and covered a range of issues,
including Gay-related legislation, anti-Gay violence, Gays in the military,
AIDS funding, adoption and foster care policy, and "other family issues
important to Gay Americans."
McCain, a U.S. senator from Arizona, "seemed receptive to everything," said
Log Cabin's executive director Rich Tafel, who added that he was
"exceptionally pleased" with the meeting.
Openly Gay U.S. Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.), who attended the meeting, agreed.
"It could not have been more positive if I had tried to imagine it," said
Kolbe, who serves on the McCain campaign's national steering committee.
"He knows and says that discrimination [against Gays] does occur, that it's
an everyday occurrence, that it's wrong, and that it's his goal to
eliminate it," said Ivers, who also attended the meeting.
Ivers quoted McCain as saying, "All my life, I've had a visceral dislike
for discrimination, for people picking on other people or using their power
to harm other people. We need, as the Republican Party, to enter into a
dialogue with people we have alienated, like African Americans and Gay
Americans."
Tafel said the meeting with McCain marked the first time that a leading
candidate for the Republican presidential nomination has met with Gay
community representatives during a campaign. Log Cabin members met with
U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and with campaign staffers for former U.S.
Sen. Bob Dole (R-Kansas) during their respective bids for president in
1996, he said.
McCain's decision to meet with Log Cabin did not come completely out of the
blue. At an Oct. 28 Republican candidates' forum in Hanover, N.H., McCain
was asked, "Why would someone Gay vote for you?" He replied, "We're the
party of Abe Lincoln and will not tolerate discrimination." When asked to
comment on anti-Gay remarks made by Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott
(R-Miss.), McCain replied, "I don't believe in discrimination of any kind."
McCain has also said Log Cabin Republicans "should be a part of our party."
And for the last several years, McCain has asserted that the "big tent"
that is his Republican Party most certainly welcomes Gays, as well as
members of the religious right.
McCain did not offer any specific policy promises during his meeting with
Log Cabin, said Ivers, other than his general intention to help end
discrimination against Gays.
Asked if the meeting would change any of the anti-Gay positions the Arizona
senator has already taken - such as voting against the Employment
Non-Discrimination Act, supporting the Defense of Marriage Act, and
opposing adding sexual orientation to the Hate Crimes Prevention Act -
McCain campaign spokesperson Howard Opinksy immediately replied, "No."
"His votes are his votes and cannot be taken back," Opinsky said, In
terms of future votes, he has clear positions on many of those issues
already that I don't anticipate will change."
Ivers said that Log Cabin is not discouraged by McCain's opposition to
ENDA, a bill they support.
"[McCain] has yet to be convinced that there is a need for federal law" to
protect Gays in the workplace, said Ivers, not because he believes that
Gays don't suffer from discrimination, but because he believes that
existing legislation might, in fact, be adequate. For McCain, said Ivers,
it is merely "a matter of what is the remedy."
As for the rest of McCain's record, Tafel said, "The beginning of changing
anyone's position is that first step. I feel [the meeting] was a good first
step toward that kind of discussion."
Arizona State Rep. Steve May, a Republican who is openly Gay, recently told
a Gay publication in his state, Echo Magazine, that, once McCain is
educated on the issues, he will take more pro-Gay positions in his voting.
"I think if we can convince him our cause is just, he will be on our side,"
said May.
Log Cabin representatives say they are not holding a grudge against McCain
about a June 1998 incident in which the senator told a joke at a Republican
fundraiser that many interpreted as anti-Gay. The Washington Post broke the
story but claimed the joke was "too vicious to print." According to other
news sources, including the Phoenix Gazette, McCain asked his Republican
colleagues, "Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because her father is Janet
Reno." McCain later apologized to the president, but not to Chelsea
Clinton, Janet Reno, or the Gay community, according to Salon.com.
Though Tafel agreed that the joke was in poor taste, he said he also
believes that it, in fact, revealed one of McCain's strengths: his candor.
"I find it refreshing that he doesn't calculate every single thing that he
says," Tafel told the Blade. Such candor, said Tafel, makes McCain appear
to be sincere when he says he wants to help end discrimination against
Gays.
Tafel said Log Cabin is ready to go ahead and start fundraising for McCain.
His endorsement hasn't been clinched yet, said Tafel, but Monday's
successful meeting with McCain, contrasted with Texas Gov. George W. Bush's
"mixed message" to Gay Americans, "bodes well for McCain." In the spring,
Bush expressed a willingness to meet with Log Cabin, said Tafel, and the
group would still like to meet with him, but no meeting has yet been
scheduled.
Other Gay political groups are not as impressed with McCain.
"He has sort of a mixed voting record and has not been terribly supportive
of Lesbian and Gay equal rights issues," said David Smith of the Human
Rights Campaign. "However, we obviously applaud the Log Cabin Republican's
efforts to reach out to him and all Republican candidates."
There are also those who believe that McCain might pay the price at the
Republican primary for breaking with more conservative Republicans on
issues like campaign finance and Gay civil rights and that he might feel
pressure to backpedal.
"His instincts are to run left," a former GOP strategist told the
Washington Post earlier this month. "That is what's gotten him this
tremendous press and the huge boosts in the polls. But in January, it's the
primary voters who matter and they will want to hear a conservative
message. That's McCain's real challenge."
But Ivers said Log Cabin has faith that McCain will not abandon his Gay
supporters.
"He does everything based on core principles," said Ivers. "He's not a man
who's going to pander to anyone."
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RECORD TYPE: PRESIDENTIAL (TRP NOTES MAIL)
CREATOR: Jennifer_M._Palmieri ([email protected] [ who )
CREATION DATE/TIME:13-DEC-1999 03:11:02.00
SUBJECT: EMBARGOED: Radio Interview of the President By CBS News
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TEXT:
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
(Miami, Florida)
-
Embargoed until 12:01 am EST Monday, December 13, 1999
RADIO INTERVIEW OF THE PRESIDENT
BY CBS NEWS
December 11, 1999
Wyndham Palace Resort
Orlando, Florida
11:25 A.M. EST
Q
President Clinton, thank you very much for joining us for this
special interview with CBS News. Heading into the next century, beyond
your immediate goals for the rest of your term, what do you think are the
one or two top domestic challenges facing the country?
THE PRESIDENT: I think the aging of America and the children of the
country. It's ironic that we seem to be growing at both ends. We're going
to double the number of people over 65, and yet, we have the largest group
of schoolchildren in our country's history in our schools, the first group
bigger than the baby boomers and they're much, much more diverse. They
come from more different ethnic and racial and religious backgrounds. And
I think that dealing with them are the two biggest things that ought to be
on the front burner.
I also believe that, related to that, obviously, as you've heard me
say many times, is the challenge of continuing to grow the economy while
reaching out into poor areas, continuing to improve the environment and
paying the debt off. I think those are the big, big challenges.
Q
Mr. President, one of the things I've noticed about these
celebrations that the White House, you and the First Lady are planning is
that it's propagating the myth that January 1st is the start of the new
millennium and the new century. Are you guilty of creating that erroneous
impression?
THE PRESIDENT: Yes. I mean, I think basically, by common consent,
everybody decided that we ought to celebrate the millennium on January the
1st, 2000, even though most of the strict correctionists say that it's
January 1st, 2001.
Q
Well, they're right, aren't they?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, apparently, that was the prevailing view among
the experts, but the people have expressed a different wish, so we're going
with the folks. We've got a democracy here, and that's the way we're
going. It will be nice for me, maybe I can do it twice and I'll be a
President of two millennial changes.
Well, looking ahead into the next century, whenever it begins,
where do you see the power of the presidency itself evolving? Is it going
to change?
THE PRESIDENT: Oh, yes, it's always changing. But I think it will
always at least for the future that I can foresee - will continue to be
an extremely important office. I think that a lot of the executive actions
will be important, along with getting along with Congress. I think that
building partnerships with the private sector will become more important.
It will become more important to mobilize the American people and to
organize them to meet the challenges in the future the way we've done.
For example, maybe a good example would be the way we've worked on
wiring the schools, where we did the main government thing we did was to
change the law so that we have this e-rate now in poorer schools and
hospitals.
You mean wiring for the Internet?
THE PRESIDENT: Yes, wiring for the Internet -- poorer schools and
hospitals can get a discount rate. Then we go out and try to hustle up all
the equipment and the Internet connections and get everybody to do that.
So I think you'll see a lot more of that.
The other thing I think you will see is, I believe the world is
growing ever more interdependent, so I think the President, in order to
effectively lead the world, will have to be an increasingly effective
negotiator, conciliator, bringing people together, working people together.
And I think it will be just as important 30 years from now for America to
be involved in the rest of the world as it is now. But I think it will be
an increasingly interdependent world that will require powers of persuasion
and not just unilateral power.
Q
Next year is also, as you well know, the final year of your
presidency. Do you find that in any way liberating to try and do things
that you weren't able to do in the first years of your presidency?
THE PRESIDENT: I don't know if I find it liberating. I find it --
it's concentrated my attention and my energies. And obviously, since I'm
not running, I could do things in an election year that might be difficult
to do otherwise. But if you go back, I mean, we've taken a lot of
controversial decisions. That's one of the reasons we lost the Congress in
'94 -- we took on the gun lobby and the health care lobby and the deficit
issue at the same time, and it was more than the system could bear, I
think.
But I do think that I am acutely mindful of the fact that I have 14
months left, and that I need to be out there squeezing the most out of
every day. And I need to get as much done as I can for the American
people, to try to leave our country in the best-possible shape so that the
next president and the next Congress will be even freer than they are to
basically look with a visionary eye to the future and take on the big
issues. That's the theme that I had today in Florida; that's the theme
that I try to echo everywhere.
I believe that this really is the only time in my lifetime we've had
so much prosperity, social cohesion and national self-confidence, with the
absence of internal crisis or external threat. I will get as much done on
these big challenges as I can. But after I'm out of office and there is a
new team in, I still think it's very important that they keep the American
people focused on these big issues in the 21st century, because a society
rarely has the luxury of having the tools and the space to deal with these
long-term challenges that we now have. And I think it's very important
that we seize it.
Q
Let me ask you one specific, if I may, on the question of gays in
the military. As you no doubt know, the First Lady this past week was
critical of the don't ask, don't tell policy. She said it just doesn't
work. You weren't going to institute that at the beginning of your
presidency, anyway. Why not use the last year of your presidency to
institute an end to discriminatory discharges against gays in the military?
And what do you think of what the First Lady said this week?
THE PRESIDENT: First of all, I'm quite sympathetic with what she
said. I think -- that was the position that both of us brought to the
White House. But I think -- there's one thing that may be not clearly
understood. The reason that I went for don't ask, don't tell is that it's
all I could do because I had a clear signal from the Congress that if I
implemented my policy, they would reverse it by overwhelming majorities.
I didn't implement don't ask, don't tell until the Senate voted 68-32
against the policy that I wanted. So I think it's very important -- for
me, what's important is that the policy, as implemented, does not work as I
announced it and as the leaders of our military at that time in '93 pledged
to implement it.
I can only hope this last brutal beating death of a gay soldier will
give some sobering impetus to a reexamination about how this policy is
implemented and whether we can do a better job of fulfilling its original
intent.
Let me remind you that the original intent was that people would not
be rooted out, that they would not be questioned out, that this would be
focused on people's conduct, and if they didn't violate the code of
conduct, and they didn't tell, that their comings and goings, the mail they
got, the associates they had, that those things would not be sufficient to
kick them out of the military, or certainly subject them to harassment.
So what I would like to do is to focus on trying to make the policy
that we announced back in '93 work the way it was intended to, because it's
way -- it's out of whack now, and I don't think any serious person can say
it's not.
Q
How are you going to do that, sir?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, we're working with the Pentagon now to do it. I
mean, I think there's a greater awareness now that it's just not -- it's
not being implemented as it was announced and as it was intended.
Now, as for -- but I don't have any problem with what she says,
because that's -- after all, that's what I said back in '93, and if anybody
-- you know, if there's a sense in the Congress or in the next White House
that that ought to be done, then maybe together they'll have enough votes
to do it.
Q
You mentioned earlier the importance of future presidents
becoming even more mediators and conciliators on the world scene. This
coming week, of course, Syria and Israel are going to be at the White
House. And I know you told us at the news conference you've taken a blood
oath to avoid discussing details of those long-stalled talks, the renewal
of them, but how do you plan -- just in general, since you don't want to go
into details -- how do you plan to get this process moving and keep it
moving when you get these gentlemen sitting down again?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I want to get them together, let them talk, and
get them to try to agree on an agenda and a timetable. They know what the
issues are, and they know what the options are for resolving the issues.
And my experience has been that competent people -- and you're dealing with
two highly competent people here -- I mean, these people are good in what
they do and representing the interests of their countries -- and that when
-- they don't go into these negotiations without some idea about where they
want to finish and some idea about where they'll have to give, and whether
the other person will give, and how it will all play out.
So on the other hand, it is difficult, but not as complex, in my view,
as the Palestinian negotiations with Israel. So I would like to see them
get together, talk together, get to know each other a little better, and
agree on an agenda and a timetable, and then take a couple of days off and
go back and meet with their respective teams to decide where they're going
to start and where they're going to stop, and come back here and just look
to burn through it, just keep going until we get the thing done.
Q
Why is the time right now?
THE PRESIDENT: I think because both leaders, for different reasons,
finally have this sense of urgency, and I think they should have a sense of
urgency. And I think they know that the enemies of the peace process are
gearing up, they want to try to derail it, and not just for the
Palestinians. I think that they know that there is a sense of hope and
possibility now, and I think they believe that Prime Minister Barak is
committed to trying to resolve all this, just like he said he was.
Q
Mr. President, is there any doubt in your mind, sir, that Russia
is responsible for the listening device that was discovered at the State
Department? And to what extent are you disturbed by it? Don't we all do
the same things -- spy on each other?
THE PRESIDENT: I think when -- we have always taken spying seriously
and taken appropriate action, and I think they will take appropriate action
in this regard. And I have no reason to believe that the press accounts on
this are not accurate.
Q
You must be concerned, though, about this big security breach in
the State Department.
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I certainly wish it hadn't happened, but I think
they learned something about this. I think now they'll figure out how to
deal with this technology and it won't happen again. And I think we just
have to -- look, the consequences of all this, while certainly not good,
are not as dire as they were in the dark days of the Cold War when both of
us were spying on each other in a much more sweeping way. And we had ways
of dealing with it. And there's sort of an established protocol for
dealing with this kind of thing and I think we ought to do it. And the
main thing we ought to do is learn whatever we can from the incident -- how
did they do this, how did they get away with it, how can we prevent it from
happening again.
Q
What effect will it have on American relations with Russia?
THE PRESIDENT: Based on what I now know, I think we should proceed
where it's in our interest to do so in our relations with Russia, and where
we have differences of opinion, we ought to proceed to articulate them.
You can't let every spy case affect the larger national interests in the
country.
Q
Mr. President, a couple more reflective questions. Based on your
own experiences over the years, going back to your first campaign, to what
extent do you think a politician's private life should become part of the
public record?
THE PRESIDENT: Oh, I don't know. I think I'll let the press and the
people decide that. I think -- let me say it in a different way -- I think
that what I have seen too often is that the politics of personal
destruction become the preferred option only when people think they can't
win the old-fashioned way, they can't win on the issues or whatever.
Now, a person -- I'm not talking about whether somebody's robbed a
bank or something like that, but I think that the pendulum swung pretty far
over in the last three or four elections, and I think it's swinging back
now. And I think that's what the voters are saying, and they'll try to get
it right. But something ought to be genuinely relevant, and we ought not
just target people for no good reason and just pound on them, and use that
because they couldn't win the old-fashioned way. I think that both the
politicians and the press should be mindful of that.
But it will get sorted out. These things come and go. You know,
early in the 1800s, we had several years where this sort of thing was all
the rage, completely dominated the political debate. And then it sort of
faded away again. And these things come and go, and the underlying health
of our democracy and the common sense of our people have always been enough
to see us through, and I think they will be here.
Q
What do you make of the recent statement by Ken Starr that he
thinks you ought to get right with the law by admitting in a public way
that you were not truthful in your statements under oath?
THE PRESIDENT: I'm not sure that I know what to make of Mr. Starr.
You know, he's giving interviews, he's doing talk shows?
THE PRESIDENT: No, but it's a free country.
Q
Why do you think he's still pursuing this after he's resigned his
office?
THE PRESIDENT: I just don't think I can serve any useful purpose by
commenting on it now. Maybe I should follow his lead; when I don't have a
job, I can comment on it more.
Q
Speaking of that as we wind up here, besides getting your
presidential library off the ground, what is Bill Clinton going to do with
the rest of his life?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I hope I'll be a member of the Senate Spouses
Club. That's one of the things I really hope I'll be. And I say that --
we're laughing, but I'm dead serious about that. I want to do what I can
to help Hillary. And getting this library and public policy center up and
going and having it continue the best missions of my presidency I think
will be quite time-consuming.
I hope I'll have a little more time for my family and my friends, but
I still want to be a good citizen. I really admire what Jimmy Carter's
done with his life. I wouldn't necessarily choose the same endeavors,
although I've supported Habitat for Humanity and I certainly believe that
if someone needed me in the future to monitor an election or something like
that, I ought to be willing to do it.
But the main thing I want to say is that he has said -- the life he
has lived has been a life of service. And he said -- he's also had a very
interesting life. I mean, he's had time to go climb up to the base camp of
Mount Everest, he goes fishing and does the things that he loves to do --
he goes skiing. But he has lived a life of service. And he has recognized
that it is an incredible gift to have the chance to be President, and that
when you have this gift for four or eight years, you learn things, you know
things, you have a perspective that no one else has the chance to develop.
And you can't just walk away from it and not at least make yourself
available. If people don't want you to do anything, that's one thing. But
at least you ought to be available for public service. And Jimmy Carter
has lived a life of public service.
I admire that and I hope that when I leave here, I will be able to do
a lot of the personal things I'm interested in, but, fundamentally, help
in a way I don't want to be under foot for the next president, I don't
want to get in anybody's way, but I do think there's a lot of good things I
can do for the world and for our country, and I intend to try to do what I
can.
Q
Finally, sir, I know it's 14 months away, but what advice do you
have for your successor and your successors as the last President of this
century? What thoughts do you have to pass on to them?
THE PRESIDENT: I think it's very important for a President to have a
sense of history and a sense of the future. You have to know where your
country is at this moment in our journey. You have to know what the lives
of the American people are like. Then you have to have a vision of what
you think it ought to be. And once you do that, once you're grounded in
the facts and the history and you have a vision of what you think you ought
to be, then you need to have a lot of ideas and a lot of energy and a lot
of interpersonal skills. And you just need to go to work every day and
never forget your mission.
Because all the pressures in political life on the Chief Executive is
at the center of the vortex of all of these things are designed to make you
forget your mission. And those who remember their mission and stay on it
tend to do very well, even under the most adverse circumstances.
You know, Lincoln once said in the Civil War, he said, my policy is to
have no policy, I am controlled by events. And to some extent that was
true. He was being very flexible and the government was a much more
rudimentary enterprise than it is today. But to some extent, he was being
disingenuous, because his policy was: I am going to save the Union; if I
have to burn every wheat field in this country and if I have to give up my
own life to do it, we will not be split.
Okay, so he knew where he was in history you know, if you listened
to him, he talked about George Washington a lot, he had this sense of -- he
knew about the future. He signed the Moral Land Grant Act. He was all for
the railroads and the public improvements. He had a lot of imagination
about the future, Lincoln did, and he said, there won't be any future
unless we hold together, no that's my policy, and I'm willing to try
anything or anybody or any general to get it done.
The thing that made him great was, he never forgot what his mission
was. He was grounded in history, he had the vision of the future. He used
to say he kept regular office hours -- my office in the White House on the
second floor is in Lincoln's waiting room, which was later the Office of
the President through Theodore Roosevelt. But Lincoln used to keep regular
office hours with people that wanted a job in a post office or something,
because he said he wanted to be reminded on a regular basis of what the
daily concerns of people were, and he wanted the war to be over so
everybody could be restored to pursuing those daily concerns.
So, anyway, that's one specific, very big example of what I think the
general rule is. You've got to understand your country's history, have
some idea of your country's future, have a vision of where you want it to
go, come up with a set of ideas and a good team, and just pursue it with
all the energy and focus you can and have a good time doing it. That's my
advice. Don't forget the mission, don't forget who you work for.
Q
We're honor bound to break this off, sir, but we're very grateful
for your time.
Q
Thank you very much for doing this.
THE PRESIDENT: I've enjoyed it. Thank you.
END 11:47 A.M. EST
RECORD TYPE: PRESIDENTIAL (TRP NOTES MAIL)
CREATOR: Margaret_M._Suntum ([email protected] who )
CREATION DATE/TIME:14-DEC-1999 19:20:24.00
SUBJECT: Lockhart briefing
TO: "/R=OPUS/R=MRP/PR-L=AVUOEOB/PR-U=TDIXON/FFN=Timothy Dixon/"@mr.eop.gov (
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TEXT:
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
December 14, 1999
PRESS BRIEFING BY
JOE LOCKHART
The Briefing Room
1:10 P.M. EST
MR. LOCKHART: It feels like it's been a long time since we've
been together. No wonder I've been in such a good mood. Anyway, let me
start with, first, one personnel announcement -- worst kept secret in
Washington. As many of you know, Mr. Barry Toiv will be leaving our
service at the end of the week. It says here on this paper that we are
amending our national monuments list -- we left one off and it's Barry.
(Laughter.) But I'm going to, actually, have more to say on that on
Friday, which is his last day.
But, as has been reported a few places, I do want to make a good
announcement that Jim Kennedy has agreed to join my staff as a Deputy
Assistant to the President and Deputy Press Secretary. Many of you know
him as the Special Advisor to the White House Counsel, someone who was
fully employed over the last year, but thankfully has seen a decline in his
part of his economy. He's done a great job for the President for Chuck
Ruff, for Beth Nolan, and everyone in the Counsel's Office, and will be
joining us beginning after the new year, officially.
Those of you who still have an interest in those old, boring
subjects that he sometimes trafficked in, he'll be able to continue to help
you.
Q
On Monica and all?
MR. LOCKHART: Yes, you've got questions he'll be able to help.
Q
And who is replacing Jim in the Counsel's Office?
MR. LOCKHART: Well, I think, given the fact that the press in
Washington are interested in the budget and the issues that the President
is going to move forward on to make this country a better place,
thankfully, no one.
Q
Does that mean there will never be another scandal again in
this administration?
MR. LOCKHART: That's what it means. (Laughter.) We're
confident.
Q
Did the President get a flu shot?
MR. LOCKHART: Yes.
Q When?
MR. LOCKHART: November 3rd. The reason we know that is that it
was one of the first questions in the "Ask the White House" series on the
Internet last week, was did he get a flu shot.
Q
But I guess it didn't work.
MR. LOCKHART: Well, I don't know if he had a full-blown case of
the flu. It was a bad cold combined with a bad -- the normal seasonal
allergies, with all of the Christmas trees and decorations around, with
some flu-like symptoms. You never know with these whether it keeps it from
being a worse case, or whether it has no bearing. But this was, for him,
who rarely misses a day of work, a pretty bad case.
Q
So Christmas trees bother him?
MR. LOCKHART: Yes, the Christmas trees tend to flare up his
allergies. What he does for the season.
Q
Joe, the New York Times, in reporting that Panama feels
slighted when Albright cancels date at Canal, notes that the President said
scheduling conflicts prevented him from attending. But the perception
among many here and in Washington was that the administration was loath to
revive conservative resentment over the handover in the presidential
campaign next year. And I have a two-part question. First, in order to
prove that the President's absence was in no way political, can you tell us
what the scheduled events today are that were more important than his being
present with the Panamanians?
MR. LOCKHART: You want to give me the second one, so we can get
it all -- so I can do it quickly?
Q
Well, why don't we --
MR. LOCKHART: Give me the follow-up. It's just easier that way.
Q
All right, fine. It's more of the same.
MR. LOCKHART: Okay. (Laughter.)
Q
When the President, the Vice President, the Secretary of
State, and Senator Sarbanes, the floor manager for these treaties, all join
the President in absenting themselves, how can you blame Panama's former
President Calderon for saying, it shows the United States has lowered their
estimation of us even more?
MR. LOCKHART: Let me deal with the second one first, because it
doesn't indicate any lowering of estimation. We have an important
relationship with Panama. We've worked closely with them over the last 22
years to reach this day. I think if you look at what the President has
said when he's been asked on this on a couple of occasions, he was talking
about his schedule in general.
I think we've taken 12 foreign trips this year; that puts a heavy
load on both the President and the staff. A nd there are many trips that he
wants to take that he believes are important that we just can't do; this
fits that category. So this decision is not made based on the politics.
The President supported this treaty in 1977 -- '79 -- I think they started
debating it '77 or '78 -- supported it then, supports it now, believes that
this is the right thing to do.
I think some of the somewhat hysterical comments coming from the
right, notwithstanding, that seek to distort the record, just have to be
ignored, as is oftentimes the best way to deal with some comments. But we
can't do every trip that's important, but our commitment to that region of
the world is unparalleled by any President. I think we've traveled there
more than any recent President, and that commitment remains the same and
remains strong.
Q
The Vice President said that you never asked him to go. Is
that true? And why, if it's true, didn't you ask him to go?
MR. LOCKHART: Well, the President thought it was most
appropriate to have the former President, Jimmy Carter, and the Secretary
of State. The Secretary of State, in turn, because of the breakthrough in
the Middle East peace talks, needed to be here.
Q
Well, it's not until tomorrow.
MR. LOCKHART: Well, I think enterprising reporters will note
that her role begins today.
Q
You don't deny really that the U.S. doesn't look so great on
this. After all, we're making a major change here. We built the canal. I
don't know how many people died in building it and so forth. It's
represented so much in terms of the Monroe Doctrine and World War II, and
so forth.
Q
5,607 died.
MR. LOCKHART: Thank you. What's the question?
Q
My point is, don't you think that the U.S. -- the President
will be remiss --
MR. LOCKHART: No, I think the U.S. is well represented at this
ceremony. We have a number of Cabinet officers there. It's unfortunate in
one sense that the Secretary of State couldn't go, but in another sense,
it's quite fortunate that we have these historic discussions that will
begin tomorrow. So you take it as it comes.
Q
Joe, is the United States letting the Taliban know that they
will be held responsible for any acts of terrorism against U.S. citizens
by the bin Laden network, and if so, how?
MR. LOCKHART: The head of the counterterrorism unit at the State
Department, Michael Sheehan, met with the Taliban yesterday and delivered a
message that any terrorist activities by the bin Laden group we would hold
the Taliban responsible for.
Q
And what does that mean? Does that mean if there were
terrorist acts by his associates that we would reserve the same rights we
did earlier to bomb his installations?
MR. LOCKHART: Well, I'm not going to get into specifics. We
just wanted to make sure they understood that their support and harboring
of the bin Laden organization was noted here in the United States and that
any activity that moved forward, we would hold them responsible for.
Q
And what did Mullah Omar say in response to that?
MR. LOCKHART: I'll let them characterize their own response.
But can you tell us what Mr. Sheehan saw as the response?
MR. LOCKHART: No.
Q
Did you have a good reason to give this kind of warning --
not you, per se, but did the U.S. --
MR. LOCKHART: Well, I think that you are all aware that there is
a travel advisory from the Department of State that was issued over the
weekend. I can tell you that, recently, there were some suspects arrested
and that we believe that they belong to the bin Laden organization and were
planning terrorist acts. But beyond that, I really can't go into any more
detail, because we consider this work that we're doing to combat terrorism
in this group and other groups to be an ongoing effort.
Q
Is that in the United States?
MR. LOCKHART: I'm not going to get into where this happened.
Q
Can you give us any indication at all of what kind of effort
they were planning against Americans?
MR. LOCKHART: No. I can only tell you that I think the warning
is clear about the cautions that we believe Americans should take. But
beyond that, I don't think it would be productive to go into the details.
Q
Joe, the President is quoted by The New York Times saying
about the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, "the policy, as implemented, does
not work as I announced, and as the leaders of our military, at that time
in 1993 pledged to implement it." Does he believe General Colin Powell
deliberately broke the 1993 pledge? And I have a follow-up.
MR. LOCKHART: No, I think as the Pentagon themselves have looked
through in their review that they've done this year, there have been
problems in implementation. There were recommendations out of the review
that came -- that was released I think in August, and Secretary Cohen took
further steps yesterday. So I think as the President was clear, there's
problems with implementation that we need to address quickly.
Q
And he's also quoted as saying, "I'm quite sympathetic with
what she said," regarding Mrs. Clinton's statement, "fitness to serve
should be based on an individual's conduct, not their sexual orientation."
And my question is, this means that the President believes in recruiting
all sexual orientations into our armed forces, doesn't it?
MR. LOCKHART: Well, if you look at the interview, which is quite
clear, he said he was quite sympathetic to the statements she made because
those were statements that were in the same vein as -- let me finish.
Q
Oh, sure.
MR. LOCKHART: -- when he campaigned in 1992. Clearly, when the
President assumed office, there was massive opposition on Capitol Hill,
within some quarters in the Pentagon. We did the best we could, and the
President believes that his focus for the next year should be trying to
take the steps necessary to ensure the best implementation of the policy.
Q
But the question is, if she says, "fitness to serve should
be based on an individual's conduct, not their sexual orientation," and he
agrees with this, this means he feels that they should recruit any sexual
orientation, doesn't it, Joe? Or would he discriminate? Are you saying he
would discriminate against some?
MR. LOCKHART: You know, you've had your shot today. Let's go
around the room.
Q
It's six years into the policy. Where and how does the
President think it went wrong?
MR. LOCKHART: I'd suggest you go and look at the interview. He
went into some detail about some of the issues, about the rooting out of
people. But I think he was very clear there, and I don't think I can
really expand on it.
Q
Yes,, but he was talking about the symptoms of it going
wrong. What I'm asking is, how does he think it went off-track? Was it
that commanders were not paying attention to people above them? Was it the
Pentagon wasn't telling people that they need to work on this? Was it they
didn't --
MR. LOCKHART: Listen, I can't really reflect on that, only to
say that he thinks it hasn't been implemented well, the Pentagon agrees,
and we're taking steps to address that.
Q
So what's he going to do to try to make it work better,
then?
MR. LOCKHART: Well, we have been working, for some time before
you got interested in this in the last few days. We've been working with
the Pentagon for much of this year to look at it, look at how it was
implemented, see if there are things we can do to improve it. That's the
process we've undertaken.
Q
Just to clarify, Joe. It is not the policy of don't ask,
don't tell that he's criticizing, it is the implementation of the policy?
MR. LOCKHART: The President -- it depends on what you're looking
at here. He indicated in an interview that he had sympathy for those who
criticize don't ask don't tell, because he campaigned on something
different. But we couldn't get that through. And we live in the real
world here in Washington, and when the vast majority of Congress is against
something, it's not likely to implement new policy.
We've done the best we could. But within the context of don't
ask don't tell, the President believes, and I believe the leadership of the
Pentagon believes, that we need to do more as far as implementing that to
accurately reflect the intent of the policy at the time when it was
announced.
Q
Joe, back to the terrorist arrest in the Middle East. Is it
your understanding that they were in the late stages of planning, or the
early stages?
MR. LOCKHART: Again, it would not be productive to get into the
operational details of this.
Q
Joe, it's been made clear by some people that there are some
areas of the world that perhaps would be more dangerous, if they do follow
through on these threats, than others. Isn't there some kind of obligation
to let the American people know where the real danger spots would be, so
they can plan accordingly?
MR. LOCKHART: I think we've made very clear in our warning that
Americans who are planning to travel overseas around the time of the
millennium should check in with the relevant embassies and consuls. And
they will be given the information that they need.
Q
Joe, what was the President's reaction to the Hawaiian
Supreme Court decision?
MR. LOCKHART: I don't know, I haven't talked to him about it.
Q
On same-sex marriage?
MR. LOCKHART: Haven't talked to him about it.
Q
They upheld the referendum --
MR. LOCKHART: Haven't talked to him about it.
April?
Q
Will you ask him about that, Joe?
MR. LOCKHART: No, I think we've done enough today.
April?
Q
Joe, the environmental --
MR. LOCKHART: Anytime anyone else wants to jump in. I mean --
(laughter.)
Q
I want to ask a question.
MR. LOCKHART: Okay.
Q
The environmental event that the President just had, one of
the sites is the King Center. There was a fight with the National Park
Service and the King Center back in -- well, the feud began in '94. Do you
know what kind of resolved that? Because I understand the National Park
Service --
MR. LOCKHART: I don't know how it was resolved, but I
understand, for the sites that we put forward, we now have the money to buy
them, and we have sellers. So I think the process we need to go through is
consulting and working with the appropriators on Capitol Hill. But I'm
not aware of any particular problem.
Q
Does the National Park Service have anything to do with this
proposal the President is sending out, as far as the King Center is
concerned?
MR. LOCKHART: Well, you'd have to go to the Park Service and
Interior; I just don't know.
Q
Joe, on the don't ask, don't tell again, the President's
going to work hard to try to get this to work better in the next year. Why
not just propose to Congress that they drop the ban altogether?
MR. LOCKHART: Because we make judgments from time to time about
what we think we can get done and what we think we can't get done, and the
President's made the judgment that at this point, the most appropriate use
of our time and energy is to try to have this policy implemented in the
best way possible.
Q
You mean, there's not support on the Hill to get something
passed?
MR. LOCKHART: In our judgment.
Q
Joe, last week, the President indicated he was very willing
to do almost anything it took to get the Syrians and the Israelis to come
to a peace agreement. Would that include a trip to Syria while they're
still listed by the State Department as a country that supports terrorism?
MR. LOCKHART: You're way down the road. We have an historic
opportunity tomorrow to open -- I mean, I think that the Prime Minister of
Israel has never sat down to talk with the Foreign Minister of Syria on any
subject, much less a broad peace agreement. That's the important thing.
The important thing tomorrow is to get this process begun in a positive
way, find a way to get through the issues that they need to resolve, and I
think anything else is just speculation. I'm looking way down the road.
Q
And what's the President's plans tomorrow and Thursday in
terms of appearing in public and making statements?
MR. LOCKHART: I expect you will see him tomorrow in some form.
He'll have something to say as we start this process. We'll let you know
the details once we finalize them. And then they'll go in to discussions.
Both the three as a group of three, and the delegations, the President
talking individually with the two parties, and then the two parties talking
directly to each other. But how Thursday works out I think will depend a
little bit on how Wednesday goes. We'll have some people in here in a few
minutes here who know a good bit more than I do on this subject --
Joe, beyond these logistics that you've just outlined, what
role does the President see himself taking? Is he going to be a mediator,
a conciliator?
MR. LOCKHART: I think the President and the United States
government has played the role of helping the parties work through issues,
and I think the President stands ready and willing to do whatever he
believes to be constructive and appropriate. I don't know that we can
completely predict how that will play out over the next days, weeks and
months, but I think you should know from the past the President has been
very deeply involved in this. He's talked to the leaders dozens of times
and believes strongly that we are at an historic point where we have an
opportunity for peace.
Joe, what kind of expectations should we have for these two
days of talks? How far does he think he can take this over two days?
MR. LOCKHART: I think, realistically, what the two sides and the
United States government can expect is they have a chance at the end of two
days to discuss how they'll move forward. There is certainly no
expectation that they can reach a broad, wide-ranging agreement on issues
that are quite difficult and longstanding. But I think what they will hope
to do over the next two days is work hard to find a process to allows them
over a period of time to reach a peace agreement.
Joe, what was the President's reaction to that trial in
Memphis regarding the assassination of Dr. King?
MR. LOCKHART: I have not had a chance to talk to him about that,
so 1 don't know.
And what was his reaction to Exon-Mobile's decision not to
give benefits to unmarried couples?
MR. LOCKHART: I didn't talk to him about that, either.
Q
Will you do some talking with the President?
MR. LOCKHART: I talk to him about a lot of issues, not
necessarily the ones that seem to dominate your mind.
Q
Merry Christmas, you all.
MR. LOCKHART: Thank you.
Q
Happy New Year.
MR. LOCKHART: Um-hmm.
Q
I always seem to end up following Lester.
MR. LOCKHART: Yes.
Q
Back on the terrorism issue, is it correct that U.S.
intelligence was not aware of this group's intentions until they were
detained? And how did it get to that point without a red flag going up?
MR. LOCKHART: Again, this is a longstanding practice to not
discuss intelligence matters -- a, because it is not productive; and b,
that discussing sources and methods can put lives at risk. And I'm just
not going to engage in any of this discussion.
Q
What's the status of any recess appointments, especially
Bill Lann Lee? Will those happen soon?
MR. LOCKHART: Well, Congress is coming back soon, so --
I
can't tell you. I'm certain that between now and when Congress returns,
that there will be some recess appointments. But I can't tell you who or
how many.
Q
Do you have a date for the State of the Union?
MR. LOCKHART: Are we confirmed on the State of the Union? If
you look at a congressional website you might find the 27th of January to
be prominently displayed. But I really can't confirm that.
Q
Joe, you're saying Congress is coming back, therefore, the
recess appointment will be short? They get to serve until the end of the
term.
MR. LOCKHART: No, no, no. You've got to do the appointments
before they come back.
But they're not coming back until the end of January, so you
have plenty of time to do them.
MR. LOCKHART: Right. Of course we do.
Q
Oh, okay.
MR. LOCKHART: I meant in the broadest sense. Thinking about the
millennium and 1,000 years, and -- (laughter) -- a month seems so short.
Q
Has Congress been sounded out on what you have in mind for
the settlement for the Middle East?
MR. LOCKHART: Well, I mean we, obviously --
Q
And what it is going to cost the United States?
MR. LOCKHART: Well, again, I haven't heard any real discussion
about any additional aid that may be needed. We obviously provide a lot of
aid to Israel. We provide economic aid to many of Israel's neighbors. And
I expect that to continue.
We will keep Congress informed -- as many in Congress have a keen
interest in the Middle East peace process -- informed as we move along.
And if there is need for additional aid, obviously OMB will be involved
with the appropriate appropriators.
Q
Is the United States prepared to help Israel substantially
to cover the costs of moving out of the Golan Heights, if indeed that
should happen?
MR. LOCKHART: That is a hypothetical question. We have always
stood ready to help our friend Israel. We've always stood ready to help to
provide aid in the cause of peace. As we move forward, those questions I'm
certain will be discussed.
Q
Speaking of terrorism as we were earlier, is the United
States confident as we go into these peace talks that Syria is no longer
associated with terrorism in any shape, form or fashion, as has been
alleged in the past by the United States?
MR. LOCKHART: To understand the United States view on that, the
State Department has a report that's issued every year, and our concerns
are expressed there, and expressed openly. As far as these talks, we think
it's an important point in time, and we encourage both sides to work
constructively together to find a peace deal.
Q
Will the success of these talks lead to a decrease in
terrorism?
Q
Syria's still on the list, right? They're still on the
list?
MR. LOCKHART: I phrased that carefully.
Q
Exactly. If these talks are successful, and I'm not talking
about just these two days, but over the long run, does the United States
think that could lead to a decrease in terrorism?
MR. LOCKHART: I certainly think progress in the Middle East
peace talks is a positive for not only the security of Israel, the security
of the Middle East.
Q
How about the security of the United States?
MR. LOCKHART: We'll see.
Q
Can I ask you a question about -- the Israeli news media is
carrying price tags for this. The Israelis are looking for $8 billion to
get their army bases off the Golan, another $10 billion to move just 18,000
settlers and buy their new homes along the beach. Are those figures what
you're looking at?
MR. LOCKHART: As well as I have been able to answer it, I've
already answered, so I'd refer you to my transcript or the next briefers.
Q
Do you expect a handshake tomorrow between Prime Minister
Barak and Foreign Minister Shara? Will you be working on this?
MR. LOCKHART: No. I think we're working on some important
issues of how to move forward in this process to find a way to a deal,
rather than on any pictures or symbols.
Q
Could I ask you a philosophical question?
MR. LOCKHART: Yes. Which I think I answered two, but --
(laughter) --
Q
That's okay. I want it on the record.
MR. LOCKHART: Okay. On the record, I answered --
Q
Why should the United States taxpayer subsidize either
Israel or Syria to do what is in their own best interest to do that has
made peace, anyhow?
MR. LOCKHART: I think, as a philosophical and hypothetical and
whatever, the United States has always stood ready to help the peace
process. We will remain ready to help in any way we can.
Q
Where is the money coming from, Joe?
MR. LOCKHART: I don't know what money you're talking about, and
I think this is a dry hook.
Q
-- all those billions. Where is it coming from?
MR. LOCKHART: I answered these questions. So if anyone has
other questions --
Q
You did? Somehow I missed it.
MR. LOCKHART: April?
Q
Joe, going back to the question about the President's flu,
you said he rarely misses days. How many days has he missed because of
sickness since the beginning of his presidency?
MR. LOCKHART: I'll tell you, since I've been here, which is now
going on four years, I think this is the first day I can remember. He
missed some days because of his knee, which I guess you could define -- it
depends how you define sickness -- but it's the first time I remember
having to put off a series of events because he wasn't feeling well.
Q
Well, considering that there may be spending involved, what
type of consultations will be ongoing this week with senior members of
Congress as --
MR. LOCKHART: I think I've just answered that question.
Q
How did you answer that?
Q
How did you answer?
MR. LOCKHART: Look at the transcript. Go back and look at the
transcript. I answered all these questions before.
Q
You stand ready to do everything, but that's --
MR. LOCKHART: And I said we'd be consulting with members of
Congress both on the peace process and on any funds that might be needed,
and OMB would be doing that.
Q
Thank you.
END
1:34 P.M. EST
#145-12/14
RECORD TYPE: PRESIDENTIAL (TRP NOTES MAIL)
CREATOR: shelley simpson ( shelley simpson [ UNKNOWN 1)
CREATION DATE/TIME:16-DEC-1999 14:53:38.00
SUBJECT: This is the packet that is to go out to potential letter-writers. It's Long!!
TO: avelthaus ( [email protected] [ UNKNOWN ])
READ:UNKNOWN
TO: bwiteck ( [email protected] [ UNKNOWN 1)
READ:UNKNOWN
TO: Philip G Dufour ( CN=Philip G Dufour/O=OVP@OVP [ OVP )
READ:UNKNOWN
TO: Elizabeth J. Potter ([email protected] [ who ])
READ:UNKNOWN
TO: fphoch ( [email protected] [ UNKNOWN 1)
READ:UNKNOWN
TO: jclark1939 ([email protected] [ UNKNOWN ])
READ:UNKNOWN
TO: lynnewiggens ( [email protected] [ UNKNOWN ])
READ:UNKNOWN
TO: ShaLiggett ( [email protected] [ UNKNOWN ] )
READ:UNKNOWN
TO: winnie.stachelberg ( [email protected] [ UNKNOWN ])
READ:UNKNOWN
CC: JTrammel ([email protected] [ UNKNOWN ])
READ:UNKNOWN
TEXT:
Gore 2000
Grassroots Organizing and Letter Writing: HOW YOU CAN HELP!
The race for the Democratic Presidential nomination is
accelerating.
The only way to achieve victory in each caucus and primary state
next
year is for us to inspire others to vote, and to express the
best
reasons why to vote for Al Gore as our next President.
For lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender voters, as well as
our
friends and families, this push is vital to win the nomination
and the
national election in November.
One of the single most effective ways to motivate others is
through
personal letters to the editor in our gay community newspapers
and other
publications read by GLBT friends and family. All candidates
have
vocal supporters and allies who encourage others to follow their
example. Vice President Al Gore has won legions of friends and
supporters, and we need their help and their votes now more than
ever.
If you have written personal letters of support for candidates
in the
past, you understand the importance. If you have never done so,
it's
simple and vital. Follow these ten tips:
1.
It's smart to double-check first whether your gay community
newspaper publishes letters to the editor and if they have
specific
rules for submitting letters to the editor. Some may be strict
on
length or format. Follow the rules.
2.
Personal and brief is always best in a letter. Editors are
selective, and print space is always limited. Just explain why
you
personally support Al Gore, and try to do it in a couple of
paragraphs.
If you're comfortable and it's relevant, mention your family,
your
aspirations, and make the message local if possible.
3.
Most editors prefer local writers, but may publish letters
from
others in the same state, and occasionally out-of-state. They
understand their readers best, and their letters try to reflect
their
readers' interests and needs first. During campaign seasons,
they try
to reflect a wide range of political views about candidates.
4. You must be comfortable to sign your letter, and to include
your home
address, e-mail address (if available) and day time phone number
(to
confirm you are the author, however, publications will not print
your
address and phone number.)
5. If local guidelines permit, you may mail, fax or e-mail your
letter
to the editor; many publications allow alternatives. To be very
safe -
if you fax or e-mail, remember to send a hard copy of the letter
through
the U.S. postal service.
6.
If you are a prominent member of the community, serving on a
GLBT board or in a leadership capacity within a GLBT
organization, you
may wish to acknowledge your position - however, make it clear,
that
your connection with a group is for "identification purposes,"
and does
not express the official views of the nonprofit group. We all
have the
right, even the obligation, to express individual opinions but
be
careful not to mislead readers. Therefore, it's best to write
individual letters on personal or plain stationery, and not on
organizational or company letterhead of any kind.
7.
Remember, there is no guarantee any letter will be published.
You may submit letters as frequently as you are able, but should
modify
each one in words and substance to improve chances of being
published.
It is usually best to submit different letters to different
publications, rather than the identical letter to all - to
increase the
chance for success.
8.
Attached you will find the names, addresses and contact
information for selected gay publications where you live - and
perhaps
there are more. You do not need to be limited to only gay owned
and
operated publications, but feel free to submit similar letters
to the
leading daily newspapers in your community. It stands to reason
that
many if not most gays and lesbians read mainstream publications
where
they work and live.
9.
We also are including key messages, talking points and
background about Vice President Gore. These are informational,
of
course, and intended to help you review and to personally
communicate
his leadership, policies and valuable contributions to the LGBT
community. Your own words matter first and most, so keep in
mind these
are intended to motivate you and make the task easier putting
pen to
paper.
10.
When should you write? Right now. From January through
March
2000, the voters in key primary states will make up their minds
and
decide who will be the best individual to serve as our next
President.
Your help and your personal opinion matters at home where it
influences
the decisions made by many others.
Important Note about the Internet:
Don't ever forget the Internet and the power of e-mail advocacy.
If you
have access to on-line list serves and websites that invite
comments and
letters, be sure to take advantage of those opportunities. The
gay and
lesbian on-line community is vast, highly motivated and very
well
informed. Make use of these popular news and information
channels, when
appropriate, as permitted and where they are most visible, to
express
your support for Vice President Gore.
Paid for by Gore 2000, Inc., Nashville, TN 37203.
Contributions to Gore 2000, Inc. are not tax deductible for
Federal
income tax purposes.
GLBT Publications (by state)
This media list is not intended to be comprehensive, but it will
include
the major GLBT publications in these target states. The contact
information is believed current as of January 1, 2000.
lowa
Accessline
317 Hartman Avenue
Waterloo, lowa 50701-2332
319-232-6805
[email protected]
Iowa's Pride
University of lowa
SAC/lowa Memorial Union
Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1317
319-335-3251
319-335-3407 fax
www.uiowa.edu/~iapride
[email protected]
OutWord
G/L Resource Center
414 E. 5th Street
P.O. Box 7008
Des Moines, Iowa 50309-7008
515-281-0634
www.serve.com/glrc
[email protected]
Icon
632 S. Dubuque
P.O. Box 3002
lowa City, Iowa 52244
319-351-1531
319-351-0255 fax
New Hampshire (See Massachusetts)
Massachusetts
Bay Windows
631 Tremont
Boston, Massachusetts 02118
617-266-6670
617-266-5973
www.baywindows.com
[email protected]
Gay Community News
29 Stanhope Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02555
617-262-6969
www.bsef.org
Harvard Gay and Lesbian Review
P.O. Box 180300
Boston, Massachusetts 02118
617-421-0082
www.hgle.org/hglr/review.htm
[email protected]
One in Ten
The Boston Phoenix
126 Brookline Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts 02215
617-859-3237
617-859-8201 fax
www.bostonphoenix.com
[email protected]
In Newsweekly
544 Tremont Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02116
617-426-8246
617-426-8264
www.innewesweekly.com
[email protected]
Provincetown Advocate
P.O. Box 93
Provincetown, Massachusetts 02657-0093
508-487-1170
www.capcodeaccess.com/advocate
California
Orange County Blade
P.O. Box 1538
Laguna Beach, CA 92652
949-494-4894
949-494-6945 fax
www.metrog.com
[email protected]
Edge Magazine
6434 Santa Monica Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90038
323-962-6994
323-962-2917 fax
[email protected]
The Advocate
6922 Hollywood Boulevard
Suite 1000
Los Angeles, CA 90028
323-871-1225
[email protected]
www.advocate.com
Mom Guess What!
1725 L Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
916-441-6397
916-441-6422 fax
www.mgwnews.com
[email protected]
OutWord News Magazine
709 28th Street
Sacramento, CA 95816
916-329-9280
916-498-8445 fax
www.outword.com
[email protected]
Gay & Lesbian Times
3911 Normal Street
San Diego, CA 92103
619-299-6397
619-299-3430 fax
www.gaylesbiantimes.com
[email protected]
Update
P.O. Box 33148
San Diego, CA 92103-3148
619-299-0500
619-299-6907 fax
www.gaywired.com/update
[email protected]
Bay Area Reporter
395 9th Street
San Francisco, CA 94103-3831
415-861-5019
415-861-5019 fax
www.ebar.com
[email protected]
Frontiers (San Francisco)
2370 Market Street
2nd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94114
415-487-6000
415-487-6060 fax
www.frontiersweb.com
[email protected]
Frontiers (Los Angeles)
P.O. Box 46367
West Hollywood, CA 90046
323-848-2222
323-656-8784 fax
www.frontiersweb.com
[email protected]
Magnus News Magazine
2215-R Market Street #495
San Francisco, CA 94114
www.magnusnews.com
[email protected]
Q San Francisco
584 Castro Street
Suite 521
San Francisco, CA 94105
415-764-0324
415-626-5744 fax
www.qsanfrancisco.com
[email protected]
San Francisco Bay Guardian
520 Hampshire Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
415-255-3100
415-255-8955 fax
Lesbian News
P.O. Box 55
Torrance, CA 90507
310-787-8658
213-656-9056 fax
www.lesbiannews.com
[email protected]
San Francisco Bay Times
3410 19th Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
415-626-0260
415-626-0987 fax
[email protected]
San Francisco Spectrum
P.O. Box 31331
San Francisco, CA 94103-103
415-431-1981
415-252-0724 fax
[email protected]
New York
LGNY
150 Fifth Avenue
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,Talking Points
VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE
SUPPORTING EQUAL RIGHTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
FOR GAY AND LESBIAN AMERICANS
"It is time for all Americans to recognize that the issues that
face gays and
lesbians in this country are not narrow, special interests, they
are matters
of basic human and civil rights."
- Vice President Al Gore, the first vice president to speak at a
gay rights
event [AP, 9/15/97]
More than any presidential candidate in our nation's history,
Vice President
Gore has described a vision for America that includes equal
rights and
opportunities for gay men and lesbians.
Al Gore believes that "the story of America is the story of an
ever-widening
circle of human dignity and expanding opportunity." He believes
that the
challenge of our time is to expand this circle of human and
civil rights to
fully include gay men and lesbians in American life.
Al Gore sees intolerance and discrimination as obstacles to
America's
progress and supports the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, the
Hate Crimes
Prevention Act, eliminating the "don't ask, don't tell" policy in
the military,
and legal protection for domestic partnerships. He is committed
to a national
and international campaign against AIDS that he calls a "moral
duty."
Al Gore's commitment is one of action, not just words. It is
longstanding
and heartfelt and not motivated by the political moment.
As a Congressman, Senator, and Vice President, Al Gore has voted
and worked
with the gay and lesbian community, always offering -- in his
words "an
open door, an open mind, and an open heart." He and Tipper Gore
have welcomed
gay men and lesbians into their home. They have dozens of
openly gay and
lesbian staff and count gay and lesbian people among their
closest friends
and advisors. Their actions speak volumes -- attending and
addressing the
1998 Human Rights Campaign National Dinner, a historic first;
visiting and
reading names at the AIDS Quilt; volunteering to prepare meals
for people
with AIDS.
Al Gore underscored his commitment to gay and lesbian rights by
visiting the
Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center as one of his first stops
after announcing
his candidacy for President. During an earlier visit to a Los
Angeles high
school, Gore embraced 18-year-old lesbian Jessie Funes who began
to cry asshe told him about her experience as a lesbian youth. Al Gore
has reached out
to the gay and lesbian community like no other presidential
candidate in
American history. He can be counted on to advance the cause of
gay and
lesbian equality more than any President in American history,
and he deserves
the strongest support.
FIGHTING DISCRIMINATION IN THE WORKPLACE
? ? Fighting to Pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Al
Gore is
fighting to pass ENDA, which will extend employment protection
to gays and
lesbians in the workforce. As Vice President, he is prepared to
cast the
deciding vote to pass ENDA in the Senate, and as President, he
will be the
bill's leading advocate.
? ? Ensuring Diversity and Fairness in the Federal Government.
Al Gore has
been a leader in the Administration's effort to ensure an
inclusive and
diverse federal workplace, including the appointment of more
than 150 gay men
and lesbians to the Judicial and Executive branches. He strongly
supported
the appointment of James Hormel as the first openly gay U.S.
Ambassador. He
also supported the Administration's 1998 Executive Order
prohibiting
discrimination based on sexual orientation in the Federal
Government.
FIGHTING HATE CRIMES
? ? Fighting to Pass the Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Al Gore has
been a
leading advcoate for this legislation, calling on Congress "to
stand together
against intolerance, against prejudice, and against violent and
senseless
bigotry." The HCPA would expand the definition of hate crimes to
include
those based on sexual orientation, gender, or disability, and
allow for the
prosecution of those crimes under federal law.
FIGHTING AIDS AND CARING FOR THOSE AFFECTED
? ? Aggressively Fighting HIV/AIDS. Vice President Gore has
helped lead the
Administration's aggressive efforts to fight HIV and AIDS,
including the
establishment of an Office of National AIDS Policy. During this
Administration, overall funding for AIDS-related programs has
increased by
more than 122 percent, including increases of 854 percent for
assistance in
the purchase of AIDS drugs and 292 percent for the Ryan White
CARE Act. This
Administration has committed to developing an AIDS vaccine
within 10 years
and established a center funded by public and private sources to
achieve this
goal.
? ? Personally Leading the Fight Against AIDS. As a Senator, Al
Gore was an
original cosponsor of the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS
Resources Emergency
Act of 1990. Al and Tipper Gore have visited and read names at
the AIDS
Memorial Quilt, volunteered at Food and Friends to provide meals
to people
with AIDS, and been honored by the AIDS Action for their
personal dedication
and support on HIV/AIDS issues.
? ? Fighting AIDS in Developing Nations. Al Gore recently
announced a new
initiative to provide $100 million more in U.S. assistance to
help African
nations cope with the AIDS epidemic. This represents the largest
increase in
government spending for AIDS-related assistance to developing
nations and
would double the current U.S. budget for these efforts. "We have
the
knowledge, the care, the compassion, and the moral duty to make
a
difference," Gore said. (Associated Press, 7/19/99).
FIGHTING FOR THE RIGHTS OF GAY FAMILIES
?? Providing Legal Protection for Domestic Partnerships. Al
Gore has
stated: "I'm in favor of legal protections for domestic
partnerships." When
speaking of families, Gore includes "all kinds of families" and
unequivocally
rejects the notion that the lives of gay and lesbian people run
contrary to
family values: "I disagree with it. I believe that God made us
in different
ways. I don't believe that having made us, God intends us to
suffer
discrimination and prejudice in all our days on this earth."
(The Advocate,
9/14/99)
? ? Leaving Adoption Decisions to the Experts. Al Gore opposes
legislation to
prohibit gay men and lesbians from adopting or serving as foster
parents.
Gore stated, "Those decisions should be made by adoption
agencies or the
people who are closest to the circumstances of the children who
desperately
want and need loving and caring parents. I don't think
national or state
governments should come in and "bigfoot" the compassionate and
careful
decisions of people on the local level." (The Advocate, 9/14/99)
STATEMENT BY AL GORE ON DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL
"In light of the Winchell case and other evidence, I believe the"Don't Ask,
Don't Tell" policy should be eliminated. Gays and lesbians should be
allowed
to serve their country without discrimination. If I am entrusted with the
Presidency, I will make those changes and propose legislation in Congress
to
eliminate this unacceptable form of discrimination."
AL GORE VS BILL BRADLEY
Who honestly has earned the support of the GLBT Community?
For the first time in a presidential election, there is real competition
for
GLBT votes. Vice President Gore and former Senator Bradley are competing
for
the Democratic nomination; both recognize that our votes are critical in
earning the presidential nomination. This begs a key question for gay
voters
across the country, who ask which candidate should we support? The answer
is
clear.
VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE HAS EARNED THE SUPPORT OF GLBT VOTERS IN2000. HERE
ARE THE FOUR BEST REASONS WHY:
1. For the past seven years as our vice president, Gore has been a proven
friend of the community. From personally lobbying for passage of ENDA to
fighting for Hate Crimes legislation, his leadership, respect and support
for our community has been there year after year. Bill Bradley seems to
have
discovered the GLBT community in 1999; once he decided to run for
President.2. Al and Tipper Gore visited the AIDS quilt on the Mall and
twice
read names as part of the Remembrance. Afterwards, Tipper Gore personally
displayed AIDS quilt panels on the fence surrounding the Vice President's
Residence to draw needed public attention to the epidemic. While she served
as the chair of AIDS Walk in Washington, D.C. for seven years, the Vice
President fought within the Clinton administration to expand funding for
AIDS research and improved Medicaid coverage for AIDS patients. Bill
Bradley
has had few words to say about AIDS until 1999, when he decided to run for
President. No candidate for president of the United States can match Al
Gore's record of fighting bigotry against lesbians and gay men. Leaders of
the lesbian and gay community across the nation, including most of the
openly gay elected officials and Democratic Party leaders strongly support
the Vice President. They believe that voters should place their trust in a
proven friend like Al Gore - an individual who has earned our trust and
been
loyal to the community for many years. The men and women who lobbied both
Gore and Bradley on GLBT and AIDS issues during their years in public
service know first-hand each of the candidates' grasp, commitment, and
leadership on our issues. They are near unanimous in their support for Al
Gore.4. This year Sen. Bradley says the right things. This is a marked
contrast with his statement in his first Senate campaign that "I do not
support gay rights. (Trenton Times, August 27, 1978) or nearly twenty years
later, in 1996 when he was interviewed by the Detroit News(September 20,
1996) acknowledging, "there is a limit to how far(Bradley) can go in
supporting gay rights. And he has reached it. "We applaud Bill Bradley's
education, but why did he have to become a presidential candidate who
needed
votes before he truly cared about gay rights? Did he ever read names at the
AIDS quilt? Has he ever picked up the phone and called friends in Congress
to lobby them on behalf of equal rights? Has he demonstrated a
year-in-year-out commitment to our community, before running for president?
No, but Al Gore has been therefor us and worked on our behalf over and over
again. That is the best reason Al Gore strongly deserves our support in the
up coming primaries. For Al and Tipper Gore supporting equal rights and full
respect for GLBT Americans has been a way of life, not an election year
phenomenon.
Sample letters
It always intrigues me to find out why people support a political
candidate,
or do not. For some, it's about personality, and for others it can be a
position on one particular issue. Clearly, there is no magic formula ---
no"best"way. There are people who make up their minds based on endorsements
by newspaper editorial boards or organizations. Others perhaps, like me,
spend a great deal of time and effort studying the issues, listening to the
candidates and not the spin- trying to recognize the person behind the
candidate because they are not always the same.
Supporting Al Gore was an easy choice for me. Al Gore makes it clear
through his official positions and his personal life that gay and lesbian
people are not only part of his vision. We also are part of his life. Al
Gore strongly supports ENDA and what's more, gay and lesbian people serve
at
the highest levels in both his official and campaign offices. When the
Senate came stunningly close to a tie vote on ENDA two years ago, he was
prepared to cast the tie breaker for our equal rights. I have no doubt
that
President Al Gore would confidently appoint a qualified and openly gay or
lesbian member of his Cabinet, or to any high government office. He never
wavered in his full support for Ambassador James Hormel -- making history
just by doing the right thing.
Al Gore believes our lives reflect real family values. He is steadfast in
his support for Domestic Partnership benefits because he sincerely believes
our families deserve the same benefits and protections available to others.
On adoption, he understands that all children need and want loving parents,
and just as important, gay and lesbian people help fulfill that need.
He knows our issues, understands them, and is committed to being part of
the
solution. Whether the concern involves our families, our health care, our
jobs, or military service, Al Gore has a clear vision not only where he
will
lead, but also where the pitfalls lie. He knows that positive change is not
built on big promises and grand expectations.
Progress, to Al Gore, means expanding the circle of human dignity in this
country every day by extending equal rights to gay and lesbian people. He
truly sees our struggle as part of the continuum for civil rights in this
country. He believes - as we do - that it is wrong merely to say the right
words without action to back them up. As a Congressman, a Senator, and as
Vice-President he has never simply sought our support. He has voted with
us,
walked, marched and run with us. He and Tipper have been guests in our
homes
and invited us to theirs.
I support Al Gore because he has been with us throughout our struggle. He
has never turned away. He has always been open and honest with our
community
and has never taken us for granted. Al Gore has the willingness and the
ability to lead this country toward a future in which as he has said,
"there
is a growing understanding of who we are as human beings and toward an
appreciation of the diversity of the human family."
****
It seems almost ludicrous to me that anyone could doubt that Al Gore is the
best choice for the gay and lesbian community. After all, what other
candidate has a record as positive and as long term as the Vice President
Gore? When he was in the Senate, he cosponsored every AIDS funding bill
without hesitation, just as he cosponsored the Hate Crimes Reporting Act in
1988 ?the same day it was introduced. As Vice President he eagerly awaited
the opportunity to cast the tie breaking vote on ENDA after lobbying his
friends and former colleagues for their support. How can anyone doubt the
sincerity of Al Gore after walking with him and Tipper at AIDS Walk and
after learning about how they have sat at the bedside of people dying of
AIDS and after hearing them read names at the Quilt?
Sure, it is better when politicians finally ?get it. ? We welcome support
whenever it comes, and it is never too late to get on board. We must
remember, however, to give our support to people who have been with us
over
the long haul and who truly understand our issues. The leaders we elect
must
not only give voice to big ideas and noble goals, they have to be people we
know will put those actions into words because they have done so in the
past. Al Gore has been willing to put himself on the line for us before
and
has earned our votes. For him gay and lesbian people are not just a
constituency to be courted ?we are his friends, and fighting for gay
equality
is not just a campaign issue ?it ?s a way of life.
****
As the new millennium begins to unfold and the century ?s first presidential
election approaches fast, I am struck by how far our community has come,
not
only in the last century but in the past decade alone. For the first time
in history, we have two presidential candidates who believe that gays and
lesbians deserve to live in a country where basic human and civil rights
are
guaranteed. And, although we have come very far, we all know we still
have far to go. That is why I am casting my vote for Al Gore in the
Democratic Primary on Super Tuesday.
Al Gore has been a constant friend to the gay and lesbian community for the
past decade. He has been a leader in fighting AIDS, winning the AIDS
Action ?s National Leadership Award and actively supporting the current
administration expansion of AIDS research funding and improved Medicaid
coverage for AIDS patients (all of which have increased by more than 122
percent under the Clinton Administration). As a senator, he was an
original
co-sponsor of the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act of
1990. Both he and Tipper have visited and read names at the AIDS Memorial
Quilt and volunteered at Food and Friends to provide meals to people with
AIDS. Tipper also has served as the chair of AIDS Walk in Washington D.C.
for seven years.
In addition, Al Gore is steadfast in his support for gay and lesbian
anti-discrimination laws in the workplace. He understands and believes
that
we deserve the same protections available to others and continues to fight
for the passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). In fact,
two years ago when ENDA came very close to a congressional tie vote, Gore
was prepared to case the tie-breaking vote in favor of our equal rights.
Al
Gore ?s leadership, respect and support for our community has been there
year
after year, issue after issue.
As gays and lesbians, we have worked hard in the face of much adversity to
achieve significant progress in the last century. Let ?s be sure and elect
the best person to lead us into the next -- someone who understands our
needs and shares our vision for an America that includes equal rights and
opportunities for gays and lesbians. Al Gore is that person. For these
reasons, he deserves our strongest support.
****As the Georgia Democratic Primary draws closer, I am forced to choose
between two strong contenders for the democratic presidential nomination:
Al Gore and Bill Bradley. Both men have been outspoken and supportive of
issues near and dear to my heart. However, after much contemplation and
reflection on these two men and their ideologies, the choice is very
simple.
For the past seven years now, Al Gore has consistently supported our
community, time and time again, year after year. In my book, this counts
for a lot, and at a minimum, my vote on Super Tuesday.
Al Gore personally lobbied (and continues to do so) for the passage of
ENDA,
which will extend employment protection to gays and lesbians in the
workforce, a law our community desperately needs and especially here in the
State of Georgia. With the sad and unfortunate deaths this past year of
people such as Matthew Shepard and Billy Jack Gaither, we must all begin to
fight this very real and serious crime of ?hate. ? Al Gore has been such a
person -- consistently fighting for the passage of Hate Crimes legislation,
calling on everyone -- especially Congress -- to stand together against
intolerance, prejudice, and violent and senseless bigotry.
As we enter a new millennium, I am very thankful we have two presidential
candidates who are willing to stand up and fight for basic human and civil
rights for all Americans. When the time comes to cast my vote in March,
however, I must go with the person who has been a proven friend to our
community the longest - Al Gore. I urge you to make the same choice.
****
For campaign 2000 and particularly for the presidential primaries,
candidates are seeking the support of the lesbian and gay community. They
seek our money and our votes. We can ?t afford to squander either.
Clearly, our lobbying efforts have worked. Bill Bradley has come along way
? both his legislative record and his public comments reveal that. But he ?
S
on board and we should applaud his ability to admit that he was wrong. Even
John McCain, a politician with a solid anti-gay record, is showing signs of
enlightenment, but clearly needs a lot of work.
How do we decide which candidate is the one who has earned our support?
No
candidate for president can match Al Gore ?s record of fighting bigotry
against lesbians and gay men. None has demonstrated specific commitment
and
leadership on our issues. Al Gore has been a leader when it comes to
fighting AIDS fighting for increased funding for research and improved
medicaid coverage for AIDS patients. Al and Tipper Gore have been there to
read names at the Quilt and who have walked AIDS Walk. Al Gore has long
supported our right to be free from job discrimination by lobbying
vigorously for passage of ENDA and has urged congress to pass The Hate
Crimes Prevention Act by personally getting on the phone and making the
calls. No other candidate can claim such a record-on gay and lesbian
rights.
I applaud the newly educated candidates and hope that their support will
stand the test of time, Perhaps, once they prove that their support is more
than an election year phenomenon they will have earned the support that Al
Gore deserves based on his record of service to our community.
****
Although it is important that we in the LGBT community acknowledge the new
found support from Bill Bradley, and that we appreciate his well meaning
albeit unsophisticated approach to resolving many of our issues. It is
more
important that we recognize that we can ?t afford to be tempted by big
talking and vague promises.
It is one thing when a candidate expresses support on AIDS issues, but it
is quite another when someone has a track record of support for funding as
well as a history of public acts on our behalf. It is one thing when a
politician decries discrimination, it is something much more when someone
takes steps to end it.
While Bill Bradley has earned our appreciation for his new found respect
for
our community, he certainly has not earned our vote. Al Gore has always
cosponsored Ryan White re-authorization. Vice President Gore has read
names
at the AIDS quilt. He is the one who has not only decried anti-gay
discrimination in housing and employment but has lobbied his friends and
colleagues to work for our equal protection. Al Gore has always been
there
for us
long before this race for the presidency.
Clearly, the candidates realize that our votes are critical. Our community
must make its voice heard, and what we must be heard to say is that we will
continue to work to change the hearts and minds of those who reject our
demand for equal rights, we will work with those who do open their hearts
and change their minds, but we will vote for those who have long stood by
our side in our struggle because they, like Al Gore, have earned our
support.
****
While accepting the premise that Bill Bradley is a good and fairminded
person and that his commitment today to the gay community is real, I
believe that his timing, his record and his judgment are suspect.
In 1991, Bill Bradley had the chance to co-sponsor legislation to do
exactly
what he now advocates, but he did not. Most voters probably don ?t realize
that during his 18 year career in the U.S. Senate, Bill Bradley authored
573
bills. Not one of them would have guaranteed, expanded or even addressed
the rights of the LGBT community. Throughout his record, he failed to
cosponsor, conveniently missed or voted against bills of importance to us.
We welcome Bill Bradley ?s newfound passion. Just imagine his legislative
clout and his voice in the Senate on behalf of gay concerns these past
three
years, had he instead decided to stay and fight in the Senate with other
Democratic leaders and to confront the radical, right-wing control of
Senator Trent Lott and his Republican majority.
We deserve a president who not only talks with us but also one who walks
with us. Vice President Al Gore is unquestionably the only candidate
seeking the presidency in 2000 who embodies a consistent and outstanding
leadership record, combined with a lifetime of fairness, sensitivity and
trust.
****
I don ?t know why some people in our community just don ?t get it. We still
have the tendency to seek any port in the storm. Gore V Bradley? Let ?s
take a look: In 1984, Bradley was interviewed by the New York Times and
made
his position clear, ?[I] ?ve got to be convinced that ?s the way we should
go.
I ?m willing to sit down and talk with anyone, but no one has come to me
and convinced me yet. ? In 1988, Bradley was not eager to cosponsor the Hate
Crimes Statistics legislation. Gore signed on the day it is introduced.
1996 Bradley didn ?t cosponsor the Ryan White Reauthorization bill. In 1996,
Bradley tells The Detroit News that ?there ?s a limit to how far he can go
in
supporting gay rights and he ?s reached it. ?
In 1978 when Bill Bradley was asked whether his lack of support for gay and
lesbian people was in conflict with his liberal orientation he told the
reporter that ?maybe I just need a little more education. ? Well it ?s 1999
and someone has convinced Bradley that we are the way to go. Do we reject
his new found support? Of course not! But, while we want to hear lofty
goals and big ideas, we have to be careful not to fall for good politics
and
wind up with bad policy. We better take a long look before casting that
vote to make sure that it has been earned.
Bradley is the perfect example of why we must continue our lobbying
efforts.
He is a prime example of why gay and lesbian people must be engaged in
the
process. It works! But Bradley is not the best person to lead our cause.
We need someone who knows us, understands our issues and can put words into
action. We need someone who ?s record is clear and whose support has been
unequivocal. Al Gore has been there. He and Tipper have been on the front
lines fighting with us every step of the way, walking in AIDS Walk, reading
names at the Quilt, inviting us into their home, lobbying votes for ENDA
and
The Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Supporting Al Gore is one more way of
making it clear that we are indeed a powerful constituency who knows how to
use our power wisely.
****
It always intrigues me to find out why people support a political
candidate,
or do not. For some, it's about personality, and for others it can be a
position on one particular issue. Clearly, there is no magic formula ---
no"best"way. There are people who make up their minds based on endorsements
by newspaper editorial boards or organizations. Others perhaps, like me,
spend a great deal of time and effort studying the issues, listening to the
candidates and not the spin--- trying to recognize the person behind the
candidate because they are not always the same.
Supporting Al Gore was an easy choice for me. Al Gore makes it clear
through his official positions and his personal life that gay and lesbian
people are not only part of his vision. We also are part of his life. Al
Gore strongly supports ENDA and what's more, gay and lesbian people serve
at
the highest levels in both his official and campaign offices. When the
Senate came stunningly close to a tie vote on ENDA two years ago, he was
prepared to cast the tie breaker for our equal rights. I have no doubt
that
President Al Gore would confidently appoint a qualified and openly gay or
lesbian member of his Cabinet, or to any high government office. He never
wavered in his full support for Ambassador James Hormel -- making history
just by doing the right thing.
Al Gore believes our lives reflect real family values. He is steadfast in
his support for Domestic Partnership benefits because he sincerely believes
our families deserve the same benefits and protections available to others.
On adoption, he understands that all children need and want loving parents,
and just as important, gay and lesbian people help fulfill that need.
He knows our issues, understands them, and is committed to being part of
the
solution. Whether the concern involves our families, our health care, our
jobs, or military service, Al Gore has a clear vision not only where he
will
lead, but also where the pitfalls lie. He knows that positive change is not
built on big promises and grand expectations.
Progress, to Al Gore, means expanding the circle of human dignity in this
country every day by extending equal rights to gay and lesbian people. He
truly sees our struggle as part of the continuum for civil rights in this
country. He believes - as we do - that it is wrong merely to say the right
words without action to back them up. As a Congressman, a Senator, and as
Vice-President he has never simply sought our support. He has voted with
us,
walked, marched and run with us. He and Tipper have been guests in our
homes
and invited us to theirs.
I support Al Gore because he has been with us throughout our struggle. He
has never turned away. He has always been open and honest with our
community
and has never taken us for granted. Al Gore has the willingness and the
ability to lead this country toward a future in which as he has said,
"there
is a growing understanding of who we are as human beings and toward an
appreciation of the diversity of the human family."
****
As a community used to being left to choose between the better of two
evils,
times sure have changed. In the race for the presidency, the two
democratic
contenders are vying for our support and all of the major candidates are
willing to accept our money. So, how do we choose?
Look at the records. Bill Bradley has finally been educated and has made
the long journey from little or no support ?remember his 1978 statement that
he does not support gay rights and his 1996 assertion that he could only go
so far on gay rights and that he had gone as far as he could go. Both
statements were made in the context of his senatorial races and both
sentiments were reflected in his voting record. He was slow to support
hate crimes statistic reporting legislation and in 1996 he failed to vote
for re-authorization of Ryan White funding.
Al Gore in contrast has been a loyal supporter on gay issues throughout his
career and he has demonstrated that support with his votes as well as with
his actions. Al Gore has always fought hard on AIDS issues whether by
pushing for increased funding for research and medicare coverage or by
participating in AIDS Walk or by reading names at the Quilt. It was Tipper
and Al Gore who displayed the Quilt at their home so as to draw attention
to
the issue. Al Gore is the one who took it upon himself to personally lobby
for passage of ENDA and who anxiously awaited an opportunity to cast the
tie
breaking vote in the senate.
The answer is clear to me. We choose to cast our votes for the candidate
who has demonstrated by his words and his actions that he is concerned
about
our issues and that he is committed to the fight for our equality.
Paid for by Gore 2000, Inc. Contributions to Gore 2000 are not tax
deductible for Federal Income Tax Purposes.
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