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Manhattan Diary by Cahir O'Doherty

John McCain and Senate Democrats outbreak of homophobia over immigration bill

Posted on Tuesday, January 29, 2013 at 01:06 PM

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Republican Senator John McCain

In a truly shocking moment of high handed arrogance, Senator John McCain announced this morning that granting immigration rights to legally married gay couples was not 'a matter of paramount importance' to him, or presumably anyone.

Well, it may not be a terrific surprise that a rich old white Republican man can't bring himself to think of gay people as his social equals, but I can tell you it's a matter of 'paramount importance' to the tens of thousands of pointlessly separated gay couples whose legal marriages are still rendered meaningless by the pointless Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

McCain's casual bigotry, unthinkingly expressed, is precisely why he lost the presidency in 2008. McCain still calls a move toward equality for gay people a 'red flag.' But it's liberty and justice for all, not just for some, Senator McCain.

Frankly, McCain is of the generation of elderly conservatives who can not and will not see the common humanity that he shares with the gay people whose lives and fondest hopes he is so casually consigning to the waste bin.

Instead he is playing to the GOP's evangelical base and hoping to fracture Democratic resolve, and he's being successful at it.

McCain's Democratic colleagues in the senate have failed to call him out for his hostility to gays, because they don't have much to crow about themselves yet.

On Monday the bipartisan blueprint produced by group of senators for comprehensive immigration reform contained no provision for bi-national same-sex couples, despite the years long push among LGBT advocates to include such language in immigration reform.

This is shameful. It's political cowardice.

Read more: Immigration reform advocate Chuck Schumer says 2013 year Congress ‘finally gets it done’

Senators Chuck Schumer, Dick Durbin, Bob Menendez and Michael Bennet may still not understand that the time has come to include longstanding gay couples in a reform bill but thankfully President Obama clearly does.

It is past time for Senate Democrats to use the tactical advantage they have to their clear advantage - Republicans are desperate to show Latino voters they support reform. They are desperate for a successful bill. Now is the time to move all bills forward.

It's beyond disgusting to watch Republicans and some Democrats still play politics with people's lives over immigration reform for gay couples, as though it were 1983 and not 2013. The time for these risible theatrics is over.

Frankly we expected more from Senate Democrats and we will hold them to account if they walk on sensible reform now, when their hand has never been stronger.

See more: LGBT , Irish Democrats , Irish Republicans

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Frosty38 | Mar 13, 2013, 05:39 PM EDT

WOW what a face it looks doctored

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stanJames | Feb 05, 2013, 01:05 AM EST

McCain sold out to the evangelicaL - southern baptist base of racists - who took over from the dixiecrats when the civil rights bills of 64 amd 65 were passed. As president johnson said I've given the south to the repubs for a hundred years. That mixed with dick the trick Nixon's southern strategy to win his election finished the job. And Boehner , Cantor also play to the same religous protestant extremists because with out them, the party thats anything but the former party of Lincoln would be in its well deserved grave.

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seanomelb | Feb 02, 2013, 06:04 PM EST

Joe why are you condoning McCain's anti gay nonsense??

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Joe Glackin | Jan 30, 2013, 11:48 PM EST

This probably wont be approved as the writer hasnt a clue on Society,s welfare ,nor his biased reports.His contribution isolates and self destructs what he claims to be discrimination. When his argument is shown for what it creates he discriminates by not publishing any critic. Live and let live is not his agenda,

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EphraimKibbey | Jan 30, 2013, 09:55 PM EST

olovely - Thank you, Blessed are the peace makers. Since we can't fly, we must climb one mountain at a time.

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olovely | Jan 30, 2013, 07:06 PM EST

The Uniting American Families Act (UAFA)would allow a gay U.S. citizen to sponsor his or her foreign national partner even without being in a state-recognized marriage because of DOMA. Domestic partnerships and civil unions, the only civil covenants available to hundreds of thousands of gay couples in this country would be sufficient to begin the "spousal" visa process.

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seanomelb | Jan 30, 2013, 04:33 PM EST

katiemacs moral standards semms to be loade with ignorance and bigotry. Gay people did feel terror only because of bigots like you and a fera of been beaten and osractised by people like yourself.

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alisaann | Jan 30, 2013, 03:10 PM EST

it's CLEAR, that those in governemnt are ALLOWING their relgious beliefs CLOUD their judgement and what is RIGHT under the LAW and BILL OF RIGHTS & CONSTITUTION, where EQUAL RIGHTS are concerned....and ANY gay senator or congressmen, that votes AGAINST same-sex couples being included, is voting AGAINST their OWN rights....and should be VOTED OUT of office. alisa

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alisaann | Jan 30, 2013, 02:36 PM EST

katiemac, you display an appalling ignorance of homosexuality. It is not a "lifestyle," as something one elects to adopt. It is, more appropriately, an orientation - that one is born with, perhaps an orientation that one is conceived with. It most certainly is not a deliberate choice one makes at,say, age 14, like, "I think I'm going to be gay because gays just have more interesting lives." It is truly mind-boggling to me that there are people who believe this lunacy. In San Francisco I had several good friends who were gay. I visited their homes, attended some funerals. Without a single exception they told me this: From a very early age they knew that they were not like other boys and girls. Their young lives were full of anxiety, fear, shame and often terror as they struggled with this - the very core of their identity. You can get on your moral dung-heap and denounce their "unacceptable lifestyle." Ignorance can be overcome with knowledge and wisdom. Stupidity cannot.

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katiemac | Jan 30, 2013, 01:47 PM EST

Typical Cahir Rubbish. A hissy fit in print any time someone voices an opinion contrary to his own. Anyone who disagrees with him is a hater. Anyone not FOR gay marriage is a homophobe. If you really want to put the kibbosh on immigration reform, insist upon gay marriage inclusion, Cahir. This isn't some rich, white, guy position. It is the position of millions of traditional Christians. Just because we disagree with you doesn't mean we hate you, and it doesn't mean we are afraid of you. It simple means that by our moral standards you live an unacceptable lifestyle. And if you really want to know why, take a look at the behaviors exhibited at any gay pride parade.

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tharkin | Jan 30, 2013, 11:52 AM EST

I'm confused as to how all you zealots commenting on here are ok with his anti gay stance as per the bible but I dont see you jumping about quoting text from the Book of Bullshit every time he/or the suits and rich like him drop a bomb on some poor kid/woman'/man's head. The issue here IS religion & the sooner all you zealots pull your head out of your ass, SEE THE ACTUAL LIGHT & realize its nothing but a reeeeeealy long story the better the world will be for listening to your ill educated rants about things that are quite frankly none of your bible bashing business.

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Butch1 | Jan 30, 2013, 11:42 AM EST

John McCain is given too much airtime. He's a has-been and his arrogant homophobic statements just prove he thinks he is a privileged rich man. When he is crossed he becomes angry and attacks you. His short fuse is a sign of insecurity and immaturity. He is an ignorant and really, not a smart man. He graduated around forth from the bottom of his class at the Academy. Some say they only kept him in because of his father and grandfather both, being Admirals in the Navy. He was NOT a good pilot, crashing at least two planes and having one shot down in Vietnam. He was captured and stayed at the "Hanoi Hilton", the POW camp where he was given the nickname "songbird" by one of the camp guards. Some say he was allowed at times to walk about free. Who knows but, other POWs that were there do not back him or many of his stories. "Hero" is not a word I would use attached with his name. There are many real heroes from that war more deserving of that title than McCain. He's been riding on their coattails for long enough, in my opinion. Perhaps, this cranky old bitter man will retire and stay out of the limelight he so values. He lost the election and he has never recovered from it.

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CharlieM | Jan 30, 2013, 11:01 AM EST

McCain is looking better every time he opens his mouth lately. You folks at IrishCental may not have noticed, ensconced as your writers are in lalaland NYC, but many of us still think sodomy is a sin and that it ought to be a crime. In a word, we simply don't buy your propaganda.

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BrianO | Jan 30, 2013, 10:50 AM EST

Hey Cahir why should I listen to you, you're just a rich white guy lining in manhattan. When is irish central going to hire some minority writers, I don't see any black faces highlighted in the sidebar.

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BrianO | Jan 30, 2013, 10:33 AM EST

McNamara31, I agree completely. I once admired McCain, the great maverick. Well, no one calls him maverick anymore. For the basest political expediency he sacrificed earlier positions and principles that had won him support and respect across the isle and the country. He wanted to be president above all else and this meant sucking up to the right, the far right and the looney right. In 2010 he ran for re-election to the Senate, out-looning the right wing lonney, J.D. Hayworth. He has become a caricature, a pathetic hollow of what he once claimed to be.

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