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GOP Senator D'Amato —Say "Elect Democrat Schumer!" Board Member Disgusted |
| Compiled by Badpuppy's GayToday
"The Human Rights Campaign's endorsement of Al D'Amato is a call to arms for gays and lesbians throughout New York State to assure the election of our next U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer.", said Jeffrey Tooke, chair of the New York State Federation of Gay and Lesbian Democratic Clubs. "It ignores that Al D'Amato, as head of the Republican Party in New York State, has repeatedly struck down our efforts for equal rights and non-discrimination in New York State by his control of the Republican-held state Senate.", continued Tooke. In recent months, efforts by Human Rights Campaign to promote D'Amato as their choice for U.S. Senate over his Democratic challenger have been met with resistance by New York's gay and lesbian community. Efforts included a meeting last month between D'Amato, the Human Rights Campaign and several gay organizations in New York City. "Gay and lesbian New Yorkers see through the transparency of their position in this race," said Kevin Finnegan, President of Gay and Lesbian Independent Democrats in Manhattan. "Once again, HRC has proven themselves to be nothing more than a bunch of narrow-focused, self-anointed, inside-the-beltway hacks." Gays and lesbians throughout New York State have endorsed and supported Chuck Schumer in his race to unseat the Republican incumbent. "As a legislator, Al D'Amato never used his clout within the New York State Legislature to advance the rights of gays and lesbians.
Buffalo City Councilmember Barbra Kavanaugh comments, "Al D'Amato's rating from the Christian Coalition is often over 80% and he is running on the Right to Life party line. Chuck Schumer is not a recent advocate on gay and lesbian issues and has working with us for years." "Unfortunately, HRC has sided with the D'Amato - Newt Gingrich - Joe Bruno team that has stopped our non- discrimination and hate crimes legislation from being passed in Washington and Albany," said Tooke. "Gay and lesbian New Yorkers know that Chuck Schumer is their choice for U.S. Senate --that Chuck Schumer has fought for our issues since coming to Washington and that Chuck Schumer will continue to fight for our cause long after the polls are closed. Gays and lesbians throughout New York State must send a message to HRC to 'stay home' when it comes to our politics in New York State." In a letter of resignation dated October 20, Marylouise Oates, a national Human Rights Campaign Board Member told HRC Executive Director Elizabeth Birch: "With respect for the principles of the Human Rights Campaign and with regret that I feel compelled to make this decision, I am resigning from the Board effective immediately. "I believe that the rights of all people -- gays and straights, women and men -- are important and are intrinsically linked together. I believe that Senator D'Amato's support of the agenda of Senator Trent Lott denies rights to many. "I do not wish to be part of any organization that applauds and endorses a Senator merely for his signing on as a co-sponsor on one bill after many years of anti-Gay votes. This is especially so when his opponent, Congressman Charles Schumer, has one of the longest and strongest records in the Congress, consistently standing up for the equal rights of Gays and Lesbians. "I plan to continue my 20-year commitment to the goal of achieving equal rights for Gays and Lesbians, but not within your organization. "I wish you well, but I simply cannot be a part of any enterprise that seeks to re-elect an anti-choice Senator with a long record of hostility and indifference to women's issues and to the fundamental issues of civil rights for African-Americans and other minorities." Columnist Bob Herbert, writing in Thursday's New York Times characterizes D'Amato as "an embarrassment in search of six more years."
 Judith Hope, the state Democratic Chairman, remarked: "There's nothing
Al D'Amato would not do for a vote. He would have a carnival at a Holocaust
memorial if he thought it would get him another vote."
D'Amato once replied to a Democratic anti-crime bill by standing up in the Senate and singing, to the tune of "Old MacDonald Had a Farm": "President Clinton had a bill, E-I-E-I-O. And in that bill was lots of pork, E-I-E-I-O. . . ." In 1995, D'Amato apologized on the Senate floor after going on the radio using a mock Japanese accent to ridicule Judge Lance Ito, the trial judge in the O. J. Simpson case. Four years ago, when ground was broken at a reverent ceremony for the city's Holocaust memorial, Mr. D'Amato threatened and cursed because of what he perceived as improper seating arrangements: "I'm a U.S. Senator! Who moved my seat?" he shouted amid expletives. "He may be a U.S. Senator," says columnist Herbert, "but his instincts and behavior patterns are closer to those of a mindless, disrespectful adolescent." |
Al D'Amato 
Rep. Charles Schumer 