John Cloud, writing for the TIME, makes it clear that Obama's selection of Rev. Rick Warren for his Inaugural invocation makes the president-elect a "bigot": Rick Warren may occasionally sound more open-minded than Jerry Falwell, another plump Evangelical who once played a prominent role in U.S. politics. But he's not. Gays and lesbians are angry that Barack Obama has honored Warren, but they shouldn't be surprised. Obama has proved himself repeatedly to be a very tolerant, very rational-sounding sort of bigot. He is far too careful and measured a man to say anything about body parts fitting together or marriage being reserved for the nonpedophilic, but all the same, he opposes equality for gay people when it comes to the basic recognition of their relationships. He did throughout his campaign, one that featured appearances by Donnie McClurkin, a Christian entertainer who preaches that homosexuals can become heterosexuals.
Obama reminds me a little bit of Richard Russell Jr., the longtime Senator from Georgia who — as historian Robert Caro has noted — cultivated a reputation as a thoughtful, tolerant politician even as he defended inequality and segregation for decades. Obama gave a wonderfully Russellian defense of Warren on Thursday at a press conference. Americans, he said, need to "come together" even when they disagree on social issues. "That dialogue is part of what my campaign is all about," he said. Russell would often use the same tactic to deflect criticism of his civil rights record. It was a distraction, Russell said, from the important business of the day uniting all Americans. Obama also said today that he is a "fierce advocate for equality" for gays, which is — given his opposition to equal marriage rights — simply a lie. It recalls the time Russell said, "I'm as interested in the Negro people of my state as anyone in the Senate. I love them."
Of course, the major irony with this smear piece is that Obama was, unsurprisingly, just named TIME's "Person of the Year". But the hypocritical wrath of the Left is what should be noted here: you just can't win with the loony wing, there's no room for compromise, either you're totally with them or against them. On the campaign trail Michelle Obama tirelessly championed "gay rights", Obama himself has gone on record supporting civil unions, wants to repeal "Don't ask, don't tell" and opposes a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. But now a gay, leftwing scribe calls Obama a "bigot" because he dares to invite a noted pastor to bless his presidency. Again, liberals are tolerant only if you agree with their point of view.
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