Apparently, the Washington Post Editorial Board thinks the gays have been too mean in fighting for equality. Today's editorial is titled, King & Spalding and HRC do a disservice to American values. It's beyond annoying. Here's how it ends:
Not so long ago many lawyers would refuse to represent openly gay clients for fear of ruining their careers. It was wrong then to give in to pressure, and it’s wrong now. HRC and King & Spalding seem to have forgotten this.Um, we haven't forgotten. And, we're still far from equal, which is why we'll fight anyone who gets in our way.
In DC, the insiders, who Digby aptly named the Villagers, know Paul Clement. He's one of them. So, we should all stop being mean to him. In their eyes, he's a man of integrity who is doing the right thing. The Post's openly gay Jonathan Capehart wrote a post on how we should all "respect Clement" for "willingness to hold principle high above pressure."
Yes, Paul Clement is so noble. Defending DOMA is really such an upstanding cause. It's only a law that treats gay Americans as second-class citizens. It's only a law that prevents full equality for same-sex couples. But, among the elite in DC, that's not what's at stake. No, the gays have been mean to one of their own. We've violated the hierarchy.
For years, I worked against the NRA. For years, I've heard people like Barney Frank say, we need to be more like the NRA. Well, the NRA probably would have done exactly what HRC did. They always put their rights first -- and don't care what anyone thinks about their tactics. That's why they are so powerful (the NRA got more from the first two years of the Obama administration than most progressive groups.) The Washington Post Editorial Board has railed against the NRA for decades. And, the NRA couldn't care less. It hasn't hurt them one bit. Their rights come first. Ours should too.
