In this post on Chris Matthew’s Hardblogger, Human Rights Campaign (HRC) President Joe Solmonese shows his true colors, as an activist more concerned with the agenda of the left than as a leader committed to gay and lesbian issues. Weighing in yet again on the Roberts’ nomination, he writes that “the Human Rights Campaign joined the growing chorus of those speaking out in opposition to the Supreme Court nomination of John Roberts.” He neglects to mention that this “growing chorus” of opposition largely includes only voices from the far left (with an a handful of extreme right-wingers thrown in). And his piece merely rehashes the standard left-wing arguments against the good judge’s confirmation.
Moreover, in the entire piece, he makes only two references (three, if we count AIDS) to gay issues. In his first comment, he contends that Roberts
dismisses the “so-called right to privacy” and by doing so not only threatens reproductive freedoms but also threatens the legal underpinnings to Lawrence v. Texas, which overturned laws that effectively labeled gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans as criminals.
He offers no evidence, only interpretation to suggest that as Chief Justice, Judge Roberts would overturn Lawrence v. Texas, the Supreme Court decision which found that state sodomy laws violated the Constitution. And once again, he brings up “reproductive freedoms,” probably in deference to his previous employer, but not an issue appropriate to a gay and lesbian organization.
He faults Judge Roberts for a 20-year-old memo he wrote on the spread of AIDS. But, Solmonese is not even curious to see if the judge’s opinions have changed in the past two decades. Before the Senate hearings, Solmonese has already jumped to conclusions about this good man. (As I have written before, I believe Senators should ask Roberts about the memo.)
Much of his piece is empty Bush- and conservative-bashing rhetoric, the basic left-wing boilerplate we’ve become accustomed to from those criticizing President Bush and his policies. Indeed, in the very opening paragraph of the piece, he describes “so many major debates over the course of the last six years” as featuring “the same old song and dance by the White House.” Doesn’t sound like the language of a man who heads a group which calls itself “bipartisan organization.”
It is becoming increasingly clear that Joe Solmonese sees HRC’s mission as part of a larger liberal movement. He seems more interested in the agenda of the self-labeled “progressives” than in one addressing the specific concerns of gay and lesbian Americans.
-Dan (AKA GayPatriotWest): GayPatriotWest@aol.com