Kudos to WA State Senate for passing the Vulnerable Users bill...47ths Joe Fain voted for...!

That's nice and all but I'd really like her to explain why she voted FOR DOMA originally and then explain her evolution. If for no other reason than to provide a good example to all those who are still on the fence.

Just suddenly being for something she was previously against without explanation annoys me.

Huh. It almost seems like you are implying that politicians are craven. Am I reading too much into your reading into her remarks?

#2

How about just let it go.

How about this for a goal...Equality for LGBT such that it has no impact for either side in the 2012 election.

Let's push society forward so we can start to hammer on the hard issues, like equal access to resources and capital.

This Statement from Senator Murray who was a strong supporter of the Approve 71 Campaign--to keep the domestic partnership law--shows how people evolve over time. Now is the time for increased activism in support of marriage equality in Washington State. I urge people to sign the marriage equality petition http://bit.ly/hMhqv3 and share your personal stories. Gay or straight we all have stories about why marriage matters.

I don't think she has apologized for the terrible DOMA vote, or for her other mistakes over the years.

That said, if you're not always holding out for a politico you can fawn over, she's not bad. She's been a reliable vote for gay rights and civil liberties overall since then. Certainly better than the opponents she's drawn would ever have been.

But yeah, if all you'll deal with is someone you can hold up as a hero, best keep looking.

You think she owes you an apology for successfully heading off a freakin' Constitutional Amendment against gay marriage???

Well excuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuse me!

Patty Murray's vote for DOMA was never about being against gay marriage. I saw her speak a few times back in 1996 and she was completely upfront about it. She said explicitly that she thought gay couples should be allowed to marry but that there was no way that was going to happen at that time.

So she kind of held her nose and voted for it because a) the issue had become a dog and pony show in Congress that was a distraction from everything else and b) that maybe DOMA would quiet down the haters and make it easier to get civil unions in place (and remember, at the time same-sex marriage was not legal anywhere in the U.S. so passing DOMA didn't "unmarry" anyone) which could at least confer some important rights on gay couples even though it was clearly an inferior alternative to equal marriage rights.

There were certainly plenty of people in the gay community who disagreed (sometimes vehemently) with her strategy but there wasn't any question that's what it was: a strategy. So I'm a little stumped about where all this talk of apologies and evolution is coming from.

Leadership is standing for something that is not popular, but right. She failed when she would not address the issue as little as 3-4 months ago when specifically asked during the election. Not impressed with her "leadership"

Eli, if every single time a politician "evolves" on LGBT issues we remind them of their previous bad votes or public statements, why should we expect anyone to change? She has apologized previously for the DOMA vote. She has been a vocal supporter for the DP law here. She made a positive statement last night. How many times are you going to hit her over the head with her vote over a decade ago? The country and our federal government is in a very different place today.

I agree with @7 & 8.

Patty Murray hasn't "evolved" or changed her position. She has always been a supporter of gay causes. Her vote on DOMA was a tactical vote to head off a potential constitutional amendment, and a vote that had little downside in 1996. She never said she disapproved of gay relationships or recognition of them. She voted for DOMA in 1996 with the full support of many people in the gay community at that time. Not everyone agreed with this tactic, of course, but generally, at that point in time, she was not considered an enemy of the gay community for her DOMA vote. She has nothing to apologize for.

To look at this now, and say "she voted for DOMA, so she must be against gays" is to take the whole thing out of context, and to misunderstand the history and political climate of 1996.

The world is officially ending and I will be empailed on satans hot cock!! I agreed with #4.

@7, @8, @10, @11 FTW