Anti-gay Dem Tim Kaine tapped for response to SOTU

My head’s just going to fucking explode today.

PageOneQ has excerpts from the announcement in the registration restricted RollCall:

National Democratic leaders today will ask Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine (D) to deliver the party’s response to the president’s State of the Union address, believing that the new governor can best deliver their 2006 message of inclusiveness, American values and high ethical standards.

Sources said that Senate and House Minority Leaders Harry Reid (Nev.) and Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who chairs the Democratic Governors’ Association, plan to call Kaine today to offer him the assignment. Kaine was sworn in as Virginia’s governor last weekend, succeeding fellow Democrat Mark Warner, under whom he served as lieutenant governor.

A Democratic House aide called choosing Kaine “a no-brainer,” adding that the new governor also provides a fresh face for a party running on a message of change and reform.

Kaine is viewed as one of the Democrats’ strongest examples of how the party can appeal to an electorate even in a conservative state. Kaine ran on an independent-minded, value-themed message during his hard-fought campaign against Republican Jerry Kilgore.

Another Democratic source said that Kaine “just got elected on a winning message. He talks about values and serving all the people. Certainly, as Democrats, that’s one of our themes. We represent all Americans from all walks of life, not the wealthy special interests that the Republicans represent.”

Really? Americans from all walks of life? See, because, I happen to consider the LGBT community part of America, too, and how, exactly, does someone who ran an unnecessary gay-baiting campaign against the even more odious homobigot Kilgore in the Virginia governor's race, and who has pledged to sign off on an onerous marriage amendment that enshrines bigotry into the state's constitution, best represent them?

I’m so fucking sick to my stomach that I can barely compose my thoughts, so I’ll turn it over to Pam:

Any gay Dem should be sick to their stomach at this pick. Kaine is just another Republican-lite clone from a Red state, and that's where the Dem leadership has indicated it wants to move the party. We are on notice -- homos are going to be tossed overboard -- again -- in search of the elusive win. They haven't figured out that voters need and want to see a party that has values it actually believes in and is willing to defend -- and they won't get a dime from me with this bullsh*t…

For gays living under Kaine and his endorsement of a marriage amendment, it's a clear message that your life partner relationship has no legal footing or recognition in the state -- and it will NEVER be recognized. Oh, and keep paying taxes for that luxury.

Yet that's fine and dandy with the Democratic Party establishment, which tacitly endorses Kaine's position with this pick. Defenders will say: "just ignore that and look at 'the whole package' or 'the long view'. "

Well, I'm looking at the long view, and so far all I see are states falling, one by one, passing marriage amendments because Dems are silent. I take that as either an endorsement of the bigotry, or complete impotence and incompetence on how to counter the message coming out of the right wing.

That's when you know that civil equality is not a core value in this party.

Some of the commenters at Pam’s place are arguing, “Gay rights isn’t the only issue.” True enough. But let me respond to that notion with this: Taxation without representation was an important enough issue for this country to declare its independence and fight a Revolutionary War. Equal rights was an important enough issue for this country to split into two and fight a Civil War. If you enjoy representation and equality as a result, you need to take a long look in the mirror and consider what it means that you’ll gladly give up someone else’s rights to the same without a fight.

And if that still doesn’t make you give a flying shit about this, then consider instead that in the Dems’ move rightward as they chase an elusive victory, they’re willing to throw gays to the wolves—and women’s right to choice is next on the chopping block. Already we’re seeing Dems who support disastrous legislation like parental notification laws or are openly pro-life, if not explicitly anti-choice. What’s next? Who’s next? What will be your turning point before you finally stand up and say enough as enough?

If you’ve ever wondered why moderate Republicans and genuine conservatives didn’t do more to stop their party from disintegrating into the sorry state of hateful anti-Americanism it has become, maybe it was just because they were willing to sacrifice too much to win, and realized only after it was too late at what a steep cost such a victory comes.

As for me, I’m writing letters to Reid and Pelosi to tell them they stink.