Comments on: Say no to Mara: Vote against hypocrisy

By: Adrian Salsgiver

Adrian Salsgiver — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 03:25:34 +0000

Patrick is a Republican, just like the Mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, Dick Cheney. So, vote for a Democrat who supports Obama and drone strikes on innocent children around the world in the name of protecting our freedom.

By: I'm Just Sayin'

I'm Just Sayin' — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 17:34:16 +0000

In response to my comment, Stephen Clark suggested that I was short-sighted because of the history of federal obstructionism in district matters. So just to be clear, I am quite aware of the DC governance structure. My point was simply that in the context of a local DC council race, Mara’s support for Romney/Ryan is about as relevant as Marion Barry’s support for Obama/Biden. I don’t think voting the GOP presidential ticket categorically disqualifies you any more than I think voting the Democratic ticket makes you acceptable.

By: Joel

Joel — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 16:17:55 +0000

Very, actually, as he’d lobbied inside that convention for positions such as pro-LGBT equality, pro-choice, pro-District and more. I’m a lifelong active Dem, I completely disagree with that party and their candidate, but Pat was pro Huntsman originally, and I’m not going to bash people that work for progress within an institution that I personally find wrongheaded to say the least. There are LGBT and pro-choice Catholics who stay inside and fight, same with some GOPers. Endangered species, granted, and they’ll face attacks from the sidelines, but I’m not going to begrudge, much less smear, their tangible work for progress within those entities.

By: Joel

Joel — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 16:13:38 +0000

Did you forget, Stephen, that Pat has served on the Board of DC Vote, and has lobbied congressional Rs and Ds alike, for DC budget autonomy? In fact, Pat has shown strategic leadership as a voice for putting more emphasis into achieving budget autonomy, which is achievable now, while we all additionally aim for other goals such as statehood, a floor vote, etc. The continued attemtps to smear Pat as somehow undermining District independence just won’t hunt.

By: Stephen Clark

Stephen Clark — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 22:06:03 +0000

Tell us how socially liberal, pro-LGBT, and pro-choice Mara was when gleefully tweeting from the Republican National Convention and celebrating the nomination of Mitt Romney for president.

By: Stephen Clark

Stephen Clark — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 22:03:30 +0000

The District of Columbia is a federal enclave. That means federal issues are always local issues, or did you forget that decade when the federal government banned D.C. from spending even local revenue to implement our domestic partnership law?

By: brian

brian — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 16:23:18 +0000

I’m going to play the lottery today, as I find myself in near total agreement with Rick.

My thing is LGBT public safety. I’m a Democrat, too. But there is nothing particularly Dem/liberal or GOP/conservative about demanding our responsible local government officials do their duty to protect LGBTs from violent hate crime.

Our two Democratic Party mayors and our current Council Chair (as former Chair of Council’s Public Safety and Judiciary Committee) have failed to protect the lives and physical well-being of LGBT residents from violent crimes. And, as was reported by Human Rights Watch 5 weeks ago, they have also failed to protect women from MPD abuse and coverups of rape and sex assaults.

The late Speaker of the House, Tip O’Neill famously advised, “all politics is local.” That’s good cautionary advice, too, for DC Dems who treat the public safety of their constituents with contempt and neglect.

By: I'm Just Sayin'

I'm Just Sayin' — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 19:02:17 +0000

Peter, I appreciate your sentiment but couldn’t one argue that Mara’s support for Romney is less relevant on a local basis than your October 2012 endorsement of Michael Brown where you stated:

“While I would rather that Michael A. Brown got his personal and campaign house in order so that there isn’t a question of poor ethics hanging over him, I still support him.”

I can’t remember a time where I didn’t have a few caveats when I cast my ballot, including for Barack Obama in 2012. If you want to denigrate Mara’s suitability for an at-large seat, then do it straight up based on the positions that relate to the city, not on his support for Mitt Romney. A hypocrisy argument just isn’t credible based on some of your past pronouncements.

By: Citizen Sugarcane

Citizen Sugarcane — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 18:55:42 +0000

Oh please, just like happened in Massachusetts, ‘eh! Lets leave the fear mongering to the teabaggers. I am certainly happy President Obama was reelected but, pulleeeze! Is this you Rosenstein?

By: Citizen Sugarcane

Citizen Sugarcane — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 18:52:02 +0000

Rick,

Although we have sometimes disagreed I have developed a true respect for you over the years. I often look at or wait for your views on a subject before forming my own conclusions.

Are you familiar with the concept of casting pearls before swine? Certainly you are. It truly pains me that you lower yourself to the level of a Peter Rosenstein by even commenting on his hot air, much less in the pages of the Baltimore Blade. It is rather akin to Edgar R. Murrow responding to Kim Kardashian. Every time you follow up on his bloviating you impugn your own credibility while giving the false impression to the power that is at The Blade that there is some good reason to keep wasting column space on this irrelevant hack. Its too bad that there isn’t really an editor anymore to cut this drivel. See you on the boulevard!

Sugar