Liberal activists have long legislative wish list

AP via SFGate ^ | 11/7/8 | DAVID CRARY, AP National Writer

[SmithL]

Gays serving openly in the military. Voting rights for more ex-convicts. Paid sick days and family leave for most American workers.

Those are part of a long wish list that liberal advocacy groups hope will become reality as Barack Obama and his fellow Democrats take full control in Washington. Activists concede that political pragmatism — and the economic crisis — may force them to be patient, but they also don't want to let this opportunity pass without pressing hard for their agenda.

"We've been waiting a long time, and we've got a long list," said Kim Gandy, president of the National Organization for Women. "Since 1994, we've been losing over and over on legislation related to equality and fair treatment for women."

NOW, after backing Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Democratic primaries, threw its support behind Obama in his race against John McCain and Sarah Palin.

Feminist leaders now want Obama and the new Congress to address pay inequity for women, require most employers to offer paid sick days and paid family leave, and pass the Freedom of Choice Act, which would overrule many state-level restrictions on access to abortion.

The gay-rights movement also campaigned vigorously for Obama. It hopes for swift action on two bills previously debated in Congress — a measure that would outlaw workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation, and a hate-crimes bill that would cover offenses motivated by anti-gay bias.

Beyond that, gay activists hope for some sort of federal recognition of same-sex partnerships and for repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy that prohibits active-duty service members from openly acknowledging they are gay.

[DemonDeac]

This is going to be a long four years. Especially the first two when no matter what they have enough Dems+Rinos to do whatever the heck they want. It’ll be ugly.

[EyeGuy]

“Gays serving openly in the military” = Precipitous decline in heterosexual male enlistments.

Guaranteed.

[DoughtyOne]

What happened to reach out across the isle and work together for the good of the nation?

[LottieDah]

Pay equity for women...interesting....let’s see if a woman professor teaches courses on Gay and Lesbian Poets should she get paid the same as a male professor who went to MIT and teaches Quantum Physics?....Now if both professors had the same educational credentials and taught the same course pay inequity should be addressed...otherwise blow it out your a$$.

[Da Coyote]

Ugly only if we accept it. Sooner or later we’re going to have to adapt their tactics - as sleazy as they are.

That means civic unrest, interruptions to service (since we’re the ones that know how to make things work, this part’ll be easy).

[PzLdr]

What did NAMBLA and the Goat Ropers of America put in for?

[antiRepublicrat]

Since 1994, we've been losing over and over on legislation related to equality and fair treatment for women

Then maybe you should have voted in the WOMAN vice president. But no, you voted against her.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

Before Bill Clinton, homosexuals in the military were discharged with little fanfare, and they went their separate ways.

Clinton’s DADT policy changed all that. Being a homosexual in the military was punished, unpredictably and unreliably, with a death penalty. Homosexuals caught in the act had to leave that posting immediately, or someone likely unknown to them might attempt to kill them. The accusation of homosexuality was also very dangerous.

For its part, the Pentagon downplayed the jump in homicides, avoiding labeling victims as homosexuals killed because they had been identified. Today, they still have to discharge them, but now they must do so quickly.

Ironically, the problem with homosexuals was to a great extent the same problem with females fighting in combat. While neither was a problem directly, there are many males in the military who are incapable of functioning either around known homosexuals or when women are at perceived risk.

And the military could not function without those males performing their roles at peak efficiency. There is nothing and no one more important to the military. So despite endless efforts to force both homosexuals into the military, and females into combat, the overall effect will be failure. And likely failure that costs many lives.

[The Iceman Cometh]

Precipitous decline in heterosexual male enlistments.

It won't take long for military recruitment numbers to drop thereby missing targets.

It's no secret that liberal presidents misuse the military.

Prayers for our troops.

[Hardastarboard]

Sooner or later we’re going to have to adapt their tactics - as sleazy as they are.

That means civic unrest, interruptions to service

Seriously, we have to do this starting now. I'm going to buy a copy of "Rules for Radicals" and start to figure out how to apply it to conservative causes. I'm also going to start causing as much trouble for liberals as I can. Some of it will be chicken sh!t, but hey, that's how they treat us. I took a copy of the local commie rag's cars advertising magazine from the grocery store, and put it straight in the trash when I got home. I'm going to get even more creative, because I've had enough.

I'm also sick of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and all the rest sitting on their dead @$$es every day on the radio, getting rich telling us what's going on. We need them, or SOMEONE, to LEAD us - tell us what to do to counter the liberal crap they continually uncover - not just endlessly go on about how bad liberals are.

And any of us who qualify for ANY government programs - take advantage of EVERY dime of it - let's bankrupt them, ASAP. Enough is enough. Socialism dies when it runs out of money.

[American in Israel]

You take up their tactics, you are no longer the solution, you are now the problem. Their goal is to strip you of your morals so you will be just like them.

After all, what is the difference between a liberan and a conservative?

Morals. Every thing else is a matter of degree.

[Marauder]

I remember when the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” thing was going on in the Clinton years, I imagined a flaming gay approaching a sailor on watch at night on the fantail - way out at sea - with some “Barney Franking” on his mind.

I do believe someone might get left behind in the drink. Maybe I’m mistaken.