Howard Dean: 'Did I Misstate Our Gay Platform? My Bad!'

To any gay people who may have taken offense to Howard Dean's obvious pandering to the religious right by misstating the Democratic platform on gay marriage in a 700 Club interview, he just wants you to know he's really sorry... he just made a mistake! Whew, glad that's settled then.

From the AP-

Democratic chairman Howard Dean mischaracterized his party's platform on gay rights in an interview courting evangelicals, then set the record straight Thursday when an advocacy group called him on it...

...After the gay rights group went public with its complaints about his remarks, Dean acknowledged: "I misstated the Democratic Party's platform, which does not say marriage should be limited to a man and a woman," and reasserted the party's commitment to equal protection for all.

[National Gay and Lesbian Task Force executive director Matt] Foreman said Dean should be persuading Democrats to fight against ballot initiatives seeking to ban gay marriage, but instead has misrepresented the party's "important and affirming plank" several times...

You know, Howard, I want to feel your pain [*insert Clinton thumbs up here*], but I can't. I know the Democrats need to win these elections this year and I know that, apparently, some mysterious political guru has told both parties that these evangelicals are they key to victory, but seriously- you didn't 'misstate' the platform any more than George W. Bush 'misstated' the threat Saddam posed. You lied. You lied to give the most pleasing answer to the audience in front of you. And, frankly, you were wasting your time anyway. The evangelicals are a lost cause for the Democratic party. They hate you because Karl Rove's got 'em convinced that you want to steal all their Bibles, abort all their pregnant women, gay up the whole country, and have '7th Heaven' cancelled (oops scratch that last one, it's taken care of already). Believing those things is like their secondary faith. Going on the '700 Club' and trying to break through that is as pointless as John Kerry going on that hunting trip the week before the '04 election. Realize the evangelicals are a lost cause and accept the fact that the vast majority of Americans- tired of the of political shambles caused by years of GOP rule- genuinely want to vote for the Democrats; they just need the party to show them some vision and strength in order to seal the deal.

As Bill Maher beautifully said last November- "Democrats will never win another election if they keep trying to siphon off votes from the Republicans. They will only win by creating a lot more Democrats. And you don’t do that by trying to leach onto issues that you should be denouncing." Amen.

Finally, Dr. Dean, it's time for the Democrats to stop playing around and to do the right thing for the gay community. Don't give us that 'civil union' copout either. The official party platform should be equal marriage rights and benefits- no compromise. This should be encouraged in every state, particularly those with the bans on the ballot. Yes, it will be an unpopular stance to many, but it's also the right one. When President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act, he knew he was also signing away the South, which up to that point had become a Democratic stronghold, but he didn't back down. He knew it would be his legacy. This current Democratic party can make gay rights their legacy. It's inevitable and should be a natural issue for the civil rights party. What's the worst that can happen? You don't have the South to lose again, and maybe if you do your job right, you can even win them back by explaining how their economic self-interests are better served by telling the Republicans to get lost.

Dr. Dean, if you want to follow the Republicans' lead... Take a stand. Defend it. And win.

[PS- Mary Cheney? Still an awful person.]