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ADVOCATE.COM
Obama, Kennedy Both
Include the
Gay Community in
Their Endorsement Remarks
From the Web, January
29, 2008
Sens. Edward Kennedy and Barack Obama
both included gays and lesbians in their speeches during the event yesterday
where Kennedy endorsed Obama in his presidential bid.
Sen. Obama’s inclusion of the community came while he was discussing the legacy
of hope that both John and Robert Kennedy inspired in people.
“And it lives on in those Americans –- young and old, rich and poor, black and
white, Latino and Asian and Native American, gay and straight –- who are tired
of a politics that divides us and want to recapture the sense of common purpose
that we had when John Kennedy was President of the United States of America,”
said Obama.
The insertion of “gay and straight” was a departure from the script of Sen.
Obama’s “prepared remarks” that were forwarded to news outlets ahead of the
event by his campaign.
Ted Kennedy, who spoke before Obama, made a similar reference to the community.
“With Barack Obama, we will turn the page on the old politics of
misrepresentation and distortion,” said Kennedy. “With Barack Obama, we
will close the book on the old politics of race against race, gender against
gender, ethnic group against ethnic group, and straight against gay.”
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