As the Democratic presidential candidates place their bets on the Las Vegas debate tonight, front runner Hillary Clinton continues to rack up some impressive chips in the way of polling numbers and support— including heavy-hitters in gay politics. Team Hillary announces veteran Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), the powerful chairman House Financial Services Committee, signs on as economic adviser. This will be key going forward as Frank has outlined strong positions on mortgages, credit cards and finance, which the Clinton campaign can easily promote as its platform. Frank says it all comes down to electability.
"I have from the beginning of this campaign believed that Hillary Clinton was the candidate best qualified to serve as President. I am convinced that once elected, the qualities she will bring to the job—commitment, intellect, and political skills—will make her an extremely effective leader in our effort to reverse the badly flawed course on which George Bush and past Republican Congresses have set this country."
The Barney Frank endorsement was to be expected. Frank is a longtime confidante of Bill and Hillary Clinton and his sister, Ann Lewis, is one of the top strategists and visible faces in the Clinton campaign and formerly served as White House Communications director. On a related note, Hillary Clinton has also been endorsed by Wisconsin's Tammy Baldwin, which means the New York senator's presidential bid is supported by both of the Congress' two openly gay members.
Camp Clinton also announces more gay support from across the rainbow and The Washington Blade publishes a newly expanded list of prominent gay supporters,including H. Alexander Robinson, executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition; Earl Fowlkes, International Federation of Black Prides president; Dana Beyer, who is transgender and a member of the Human Rights Campaign board of governors; and Rep. Patricia Todd, the first openly gay member of the Alabama House of Representatives.
The three leading Democratic candidates each have notable black gay supporters. Besides Robinson and Fowlkes at Team Hillary, Stampp Corbin, the former Human Rights Campaign exec, is one of Barack Obama's lead gay advisors, and, Ramon Gardenhire, the political consultant and former deputy director of LGBT outreach at the Democratic National Committee, is a staffer on the John Edwards campaign. Ramon spoke with me at length for The Advocate piece (PDF) on the LGBT vote in 2008.
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Mr. Robinson is an awful lot nicer to look at than anti-trans Frank. He kinda' reminds me of Dr J. It's getting harder and harder to keep any interest in Barack, Hillary & John.
Posted by: Derrick from Philly | 15 November 2007 at 15:50