Obama Spokesman on Meet the Press Dec 28

On Meet The Press today (Dec 28) David Gregory asked Obama's Senior Adviser, David Axelrod, about Rick Warren reading the inaugural invocation -mentioning that Warren equates being gay to Pedophilia and incest. (Gregory seemed to bumble the question quoting "Rick Warren did liken Gay Marriage to a brother and sister marrying or to an older guy marrying a daughter." He also cites Frank Rich in todays NY-Times, You’re Likable Enough, Gay People)

Axelrod says that Warren and Obama have agreed on things like fighting "the terrible disease that crosses Africa," While disagreeing on gay rights and a woman's right to abortion. He did not mention if they agree or disagree about a woman's role in the household and in marriage. "The important point" Axelrod emphasizes, is that "a conservative evangelical pastor is coming to participate in the inauguration of a progressive president." And he suggests we stop "shaking our fists at each other."

The reaction from Obama is clear even if Obama disagrees strongly with "some" of Warren's positions, it is still in the interest of harmony that he extends a welcoming had to Warren. "Obama is exactly who he has always been." is how Axelrod describes it.

There you have it, Obama's answer. It is in the interest of the Obama to embrace bigots who spread nasty, disgusting and malicious lies about gay people. These are the types of people that team Obama need to impress and welcome and embrace.

Frank Rich writes: "But there’s a difference between including Warren among the cacophony of voices weighing in on policy and anointing him as the inaugural’s de facto pope." On fighting to abolish AIDS in Africa, "Shouldn’t that be the default position of any religious leader? Fighting AIDS is not a get-out-of-homophobia-free card." He compares it to Bush joining Bono to fight AIDS in Africa and then gay-baiting in the 2004 campaign and his silence while govener during the beginnings of the epidemic.

Still, Rich doesn't seem to think Obama is so much a homophobe (who does) as misguided and full of himself. I can agree with that. While Rich calles Warren's Pedophilia remark "unacceptable," he state's that it's "bizarre that Obama, of all people, would allow himself to be on the wrong side of this history" and cautions us thru Timothy McCarthy, of Obama's National LGBT Council, to choose our fights more wisely and focus on policy issues. Ah, policy issues? Future policy issues? Isn't that just another area where we are likely to not even be met with a symbolic nod, but probably be ignored in favor of "reaching out" to bigots, anyway. I'm a little sick of giving politicians a free ride because some day they may actually come around and do the right thing and write policy to protect minorities.

Many news sources were quick to report on Axelrod's statements today, focusing on his excuse that Obama is trying to unite America with his choice of Warren but barely mentioning that LGBT people are upset about Warren having likened gay marriage to legitimizing incest, child abuse and polygamy