The Gist

Thrown Overboard Again

The Democrats have scuttled the Hate Crimes Bill -- even though it already passed both the House and the Senate -- because several liberal Democrats have said they won't vote for it if it is attached to the war-spending bill, which they oppose.

As The New York Times describes, the Democratic leadership caved to "objections from Republicans and President Bush, as well as a refusal by some Democrats to back the Pentagon bill because of opposition to the Iraq war" and stripped out the hate crimes legislation, which would have included gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered people under federal hate crimes protections.

The plan to attach the bill to the war-spending bill -- led by Senate Democrats -- clearly backfired. But where, once again (think back to the ENDA/trans debacle) was the strategizing by gay groups from the beginning? Where was the arm-twisting by Nancy Pelosi and the leadership? Why are the queers always the ones thrown overboard? Lane Hudson has more on those questions.

We can argue the politics and strategizing of it, and reasonable people will make sensible points about how it came to this, but suffice it to say that in the end the gays get shafted and more money for the war gets ok'd by Congress. Please tell me how this is any different from the Republican Congress of last year?