Define Conservatives vs. Liberals

Thursday, April 14, 2005

Is Sen. Michelle Bachman gaining empathy for gay people? 

I doubt she'll see the connection, but I like John Medeiros' point.

Fear and loathing
"Having read your April 13 front-page article 'Gay-marriage issue finds lightning rod,' I can only say that I think it is a shame that state Sen. Michele Bachmann has to live in daily fear of her personal safety simply because of someone else's hatred.

But then again, now she knows what the rest of us feel like.

John Medeiros, Minneapolis"

Maybe Sen. Paul Koering can explain to Sen. Bachman why he's felt he had to live in the closet and VOTE AGAINST HIS OWN CIVIL RIGHTS in order to be a 'normal' Republican?

GOP Sen. Paul Koering reveals he's gay: "On April 7, the second anniversary of the death of his mother, Koering said, he was faced with yet another vote on the gay marriage issue. This one was an effort by state Sen. Michele Bachmann, R-Stillwater, to call up the bill on the Senate floor, even though it had not been approved and sent to the floor by the appropriate committees. The effort failed, and many observers noticed that Koering for the first time voted with foes of the marriage ban.

'I was very emotional that day. My mom always taught us, my three older brothers and my older sister, to do the right thing. ... And I was thinking that it was just wrong to go away from the normal procedure we do in the Senate.'

Although Koering insists that procedure was the main reason for deviating on that vote, he does acknowledge that his sexual orientation "might have" been a factor in at least a slight evolution on the issue recently."

So, the problem wasn't Sen. Bachman's effort to further discriminate against gay people in Minnesota, but breaking from Senatre procedures? Sen. Koering, you're out of the closet now, you're going to have a HARD time getting relected in Brainerd. Loosen up, be candid, vote your concience, and start looking for a home in Minneapolis.