ANN ARBOR –
In a wide ranging, 45 minute long interview with Between The Lines last week, HRC president Joe Solmonese discussed politics, HIV funding, and more. BTL recorded the interviews and will be posting multimedia versions online at https://www.pridesource.com. In the meantime, here is a glimpse of what Solmonese told BTL:
On the Congressional races in the Michigan 7th and 9th Districts:
BTL: In the Michigan 7th U.S. House district, Democratic State Sen. Mark Schauer will face Republican, one-term Congressman Tim Wahlberg, while in the 9th Congressional District we will see former Democratic State Senator Gary Peters face off with Republican incumbent Joe Knollenberg. Both races are being closely watched, and Human Rights Campaign has not released endorsements in the races as of this date.
Joe Solmonese: "Obviously neither of the incumbents would merit our support, that's obvious… Mark Schauer is obviously someone I expect we would endorse, and then Gary Peters in the next district. I would imagine that they are sort of next up for endorsements."
BTL: On the on-going battle between Democratic Presidential candidates Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) and Sen. Barak Obama (D-Ill.)
J.S. – "I think that if either of them were to loose, that base of individuals would be sorely disappointed, but everything the country is feeling in regards to everything… frankly John McCain stands for… it still bodes out to be a Democratic year. We are seeing more frustration than a deep seated dis-spiritedness with the (Democratic) party."
BTL: On the Democratic Party Delegate crisis for Michigan
J.S. – "The question is, should the people of Michigan have a way to participate in determining who the nominee for president is going to be? The answer is yes…at the end of the day, do I think that voters in Michigan should be penalized for this? No. Do I think there should be a way for them to have an impact? Yes."
BTL: On Republican Presidential nominee John McCain and the LBGT community
J.S. – "John McCain has not been good on gay issues. He has been decidedly bad on gay issues. John McCain has voted twice against the federal marriage ban – the landmark vote and he stood with us on it… while he was making these statements he was in the U.S. Senate, he was expressing support for the ban in his own state in Arizona – and was making commercials in support of the ban."
