Slog tipper Joe dissents, somewhat, from Councilman Tim Burgess's rapturous report on President Obama's fundraising speech at the Seattle Westin:

I was at the Obama lunch and there wasn't a single mention, from anyone at all, of queer people. In the second gayest city in America! 13% of Seattlites are gay, right, something like that, but we may as well not exist, as far as the Murray machine is concerned. We deserve some love. Just a shout-out.

Next time, I'm going to hand out little pieces of paper for distribution to all the gays in the room (there were prominent gay business people all over, one at my table, and several at the next table, and I saw a ton of others) and have us all stand up at the same time, and hold signs saying, "We're here, we're not afraid, and we want to hear from you." Hmmm...

I know there's a war and all, and that whole collapsed economy thing, but I would like at least a nod to the fact that we don't have basic civil rights, and a promise to try to make things better. I mean come on: if you're not for full rights for all people, you're anti-Family, un-American, anti-Freedom. If you're silent about the biggest social issue of the day, then why the hell should I give you money?

The rest of the lunch, as you've heard, was terrific. Obama is funny, and really does know how to work a crowd into a frenzy. Also, Gregoire is a bulldog.

Just the gay thing. Just the human decency thing. The Rs are going to use it this election, the trend of opinion is going the right way, so why not make it an issue and get me excited?

Joe