Hillary At HRC

Pam Spaulding expresses her disgust at Hillary Clinton pitching civil unions to the Human Rights Campaign.

Anyway, back to the speech. She spends a good deal of her address patting herself and HRC on the back for the defeat of the federal marriage amendment. To spare you watching the whole 18 minute speech, she later discussed civil unions; she declares that gay and lesbian couples should have equal benefits:
* health and life insurance
* Social Security
* property rights
* visitation rights
* adoption rights

She mentions her support of the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act (which would give partners of federal worker all benefits of received by spouses of het married couples), and mentions the hate crimes bill, the repeal of DADT, and ENDA. Whether the latter three will be fought for in this Congress, it's not clear.

Missing from the Clinton speech was any inkling of what she believes should be done about DOMA. Perhaps someone will get a chance to ask her a direct question about this.

Hillary mentions she will end the U.S. military's don't ask, don't tell policy. That was created by her husband's wishy-washyness. Ditto the Defense of Marriage Act. Which Hillary supports.

I mentioned before that opposition to Virginia's gay marriage amendment helped voter turnout for Jim Webb. Democratic candidates can use the issue against Republicans. John Kerry's nonstance on gay marriage did not help him. Democrats have no choice, but to take the issue back. Republicans will continue to use it as a wedge issue if they don't.