What ever happened to the party of civil rights? The Boston.com article excerpts below contain some of the most tepid, timid, ‘nad-less reactions by Dems in CA regarding the state’s legal battle over gay marriage. A trial court in SF is about to begin hearings on whether the state’s ban on gay marriage is legal and you can see the Dems squirming on this already. They clearly have made no internal attempts to reframe support for civil marriage for gays as a moral principled stand. This, in a state with a Republican-light governor that has expressed support for gay marriage. You could understand Arnold’s reticence to push things (and even he has urged his own party to move leftward).

The Right, however, has clearly staked its ground without fear; it plans to push for a radical state constitutional amendment that will also be a super-DOMA — it will strip gay couples of partnership benefits as well — read the out-front homophobic comments. They aren’t unsure of their positions. This should outrage Dems nationwide, let alone California.

On the same day that California Assemblyman Mark Leno introduced a bill seeking to legalize gay marriage, the Traditional Values Coalition also launched a legislative drive for a ballot measure that would not only write the statutory ban on same-sex marriages into California’s Constitution but also strip gay and lesbian couples of existing domestic partnership rights.

”We’re going to stand our ground and take back what was taken from us when it comes to marriage. We’re doing what it takes to push this back into the closet where it belongs,” said Benjamin Lopez, a lobbyist for the coalition, a faith-based advocacy group based in Orange County, among the state’s most conservative quarters.

To see the p*ssy comments by the Dems below, it’s just f*cking shameful — the Left, aside from the gay rights advocates, is running for cover. Where is the leadership? At what point will the gay population see any balls from the Democrats? Will we all have to be rounded up and put on boxcars to re-education camps before we are worthy of being defended as worthy of civil rights?

”There’s always a general assumption that we [Democrats] are all on the same page on this,” said Assemblyman Joe Canciamilla, a Democrat who represents a San Francisco Bay Area suburb. ”From a political strategy, a number of us are concerned after seeing the results of the national election.”

…”You can certainly win the battle, but lose the war,” Canciamilla said, suggesting that Leno’s bill could be ”used as a rallying point for the Lou Sheldons of the world,” referring to the conservative minister and firebrand who founded the Traditional Values Coalition.

”There are a lot of members who want to make a point of this, who see it as a civil rights issue and want to make a political issue,” Canciamilla said, adding that ”most members are afraid to talk about the issue” and will not be heard from until a vote.

So f*cking what? The counter the Lou Sheldons of the world with why gay civil marriage will help, not hurt our culture?. The party certainly didn’t mind taking gay dollars during the campaign, yet the post-mortem line from many circles in the party was often a “blame the gays for losing” theme — we didn’t push those amendments. Wake up Dems, it is NEVER going to be a convenient time to fight for civil rights. It is going to be politically hard, and require political courage and strategic thinking — I don’t see the commitment there or, quite frankly, the smarts in the leadership to handle this issue. All I see is cowardice and shuffling and jiving in front of the intolerant, hypocritical American Taliban.