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Sunday, November 28, 2010

Human rights Profile in courage

Posted by Max Brantley on Sun, Nov 28, 2010 at 7:18 AM

The courageous one would be Brian Muller, a gay Arkansas native, discharged from duties disarming bombs in Afghanistan after his sexual orientation was revealed, as reported in today's Democrat-Gazette.

You supply the adjectives for U.S. Sens. Lame Duck Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor. I'd asked them for positions on repeal of the ban on gay military service last week. Lincoln repeated the same ringing support for the concept that she'd given shortly before joining Pryor as the only two Democrats joining a filibuster against repeal. She still won't say she'll vote for repeal no matter what.

Pryor, who dodged my question entirely, now tells the Democrat-Gazette that he opposes repeal; that he thinks homosexuality is a sin and that he has reservations about housing gay troops with straight troops (as if this hasn't occurred forever). He's been fully indoctrinated by the Religious Right's false arguments — that military chaplains won't be able to continue to preach morally justifiable discrimination; that gays are just lying in wait to assault straight soldiers if only given the cover of open service. Pryor, at his core, is a Religious Righter, so I get it (though why he's fiddled around in coming out until now, I don't know). But what possible reason is there for Lincoln to be hesitant to do right, for once, without the wobble? Take a cue from Brian Muller and woman up, senator.

Tags: gays in the military, Blanche Lincoln, Mark Pryor

        
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More by Max Brantley

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Arkansas Blog

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Human rights Profile in courage

Posted by Max Brantley on Sun, Nov 28, 2010 at 7:18 AM

Speaking of...

Roby Brock will moderate the Google+Hangout on how Arkansas's faring in the Internet economy. The video conference starts streaming at 3:30 p.m. It's part of the Internet Association’s Internet on Main Street tour. /more/

Easy score. Arkansas Republican Party says U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor should return political contributions he's received from the union that represents Treasury Department employees, which include IRS workers. /more/

The New York Times reports this morning on the wave of retirements from the U.S. Senate and a lack of clamor from people anxious to join the filibuster-frozen body. /more/

"The hardest thing about any political campaign," Adlai Stevenson said at the end of his last race, "is how to win without proving yourself unworthy of winning." /more/

The line is open. Final thoughts: * PERENNIAL CAMPAIGNER: Former state Rep. Bobby Tullis has talked about entering many a political race and even entered some since his days in the legislature. Now it's U.S. Senate. /more/

"Media sweetheart" is how this piece in Politico puts it and they should know, having been pumping U.S. Rep. Tom Cotton (R-Club for Growth) since forever. /more/

As several have noted, David Letterman made Mark Pryor his stooge of the night last night for his vote with the NRA to defeat legislation to expand gun purchase background checks to gun shows. /more/

A Republican even crazier than Nate Bell, the last vetoes of the session, the latest outrage from Tom Cotton and Bloomberg versus Pryor — all covered on this week's podcast. /more/

I read your comments about Boston yesterday. YOU ARE A MORON. I'm a gun owning conservative. That did not spare me when the bombs went off in Copley Square. I wasn't home cowering when I read your comments. I was in a hospital bed at Mass General. /more/

Comments (42)

More by Max Brantley

Dark and violent history is always more compelling than the genteel stuff. If you ever find yourself in Melbourne, Australia, for example, be sure to visit its historic jail, full of death masks of desperadoes and lots of stories about that country's violent frontier past.

Event Calendar

Re: House begins videos of state representatives

Re: Riverfest Eve open line: Democrats rip Tim Griffin; Arkansas Tech joins no-gun list

Re: Must read: Roy Reed's obituary on Orval Faubus' sister

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Perhaps U.S. Rep. Tim Griffin might want to reconsider his earlier decision not to include Republican Rep. Loy Mauch on the list of Republican candidates he'd asked not to use his campaign contributions, having read some of what they'd written.