Davis and Cramer Vote Against ENDA
Reps. Artur Davis and Bud Cramer (D-Supposedly) voted yesterday against the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which includes protections for gays, lesbians, and bisexuals. I wish I thought they voted “no” because the bill doesn’t include protection for transgender people, but — nah, no chance of that. Davis wants to be governor of Alabama someday, and he can’t be voting to protect the rights of those icky homasexshuls. And Cramer faced such a strong challenge in 2006 that he only got, um, 98% of the vote in his district. So I can understand his reluctance to stand up for what’s right. Not.
You know, I generally like Artur. He’s bright, he’s accessible, and he at least talks a good game about caring for the least among us. But he just pisses me off on the issue of LGBT equality. A few weeks ago, I listened to him speak, along with Professor Susan Pace Hamill and Rev. Jim Evans, about the importance of championing high-sacrifice issues. He talked about how easy it is for a politician to be anti-gay marriage and anti-choice in Alabama and how much harder it is to support tax reform or universal health care. And he patted himself on the back just a bit for championing those high-sacrifice issues. Does it not occur to him that advocating equality for all citizens, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, might be another one that’s too important to ignore?
I guess not.
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ENDA passed the House 235-184, happily garnering the support of 35 Republicans (although I would have been even happier had it included trans protection). It now moves to the Senate. If it passes there, Bush will be sure to veto it. He doesn’t want to lose the few supporters he has left.
November 8th, 2007 at 11:03 pm
Well, maybe they voted no because they are anti-gay. I’m just saying. I don’t really know much about either of them except that Davis has in the past seemed like a man to be proud of. But in an Occam’s-razor way, maybe it’s not political gamesmanship—maybe they just don’t believe in extending equal protection to gays and lesbians.
In general, I’m against “creating” new special classes of citizens, too. I think we should be striving ever onwards towards the great level playing field. But the special class of gays and lesbians has already BEEN created, by the people who are so eager to know exactly what everybody else is doing with their genitals.
November 9th, 2007 at 12:59 am
Sure Cramer was elected with 98% of the vote in 2006, but he’s probably worried that his 2008 opponent (a fair taxer) will cut his margin down to only 85% or so. That’s much too close for his comfort. The solution is to throw gays and lesbians off the bus.
Del could be right about his motive for the vote just being a personal dislike, but that doesn’t excuse it in my opinion. We aren’t talking about marriage, here. This is about discrimination on the job which is essentially about the right to make a living. If we don’t have that, we don’t have anything at all.
November 9th, 2007 at 10:47 pm
You guys should give up on Artur Davis. He is 100% anti-Gay with his voting record. He was also the only African American Congressman to vote No on equality.
November 10th, 2007 at 11:58 pm
Tom, you’re probably right. I keep hoping his conscience will get to him, but so far it hasn’t.
January 15th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
[...] seems to think any support for LGBT equality is the third rail for him. He voted against the 2007 Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which included protection for the LGB portion of the [...]