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Super Tuesday: Obama to SF Mayor...Stay Away!

12:20 H | Topics: California - GLBT - Politics - San Francisco - US Presidential Race 2008

It's Super Tuesday and here in San Francisco, media is abuzz with the candidate's recent lightning fast visits to our state, and more locally, our mayor's hearty endorsement of Hillary Clinton. Early this morning as polls opened, local news showed San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom (seen above with Hill) shrugging off predictions that Barack Obama will "win" California, saying that undecided Californians will ultimately prefer Hillary. Gavin counts himself as a Hillary supporter, and our local newspaper gives some insight into one of the possible reasons why; 2 words: gay marriage:

...just four years ago, current Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is said to have declined to have his picture taken in San Francisco with Newsom, who was then at the center of a national uproar over his decision to allow same-sex marriage in San Francisco.

"I gave a fundraiser, at his (Obama's) request at the Waterfront restaurant," said former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown. "And he said to me, he would really appreciate it if he didn't get his photo taken with my mayor. He said he would really not like to have his picture taken with Gavin."

I know he didn't! But he probably did. Just think about how volatile that issue -- which seems to have all but disappeared from debate this time around -- was 4 years ago. Obama probably thought it would be political suicide.

Does this little action (which, incidentally, the Obama camp denies) shine some light on what Senator Obama's plans for civil rights for LGBT people are if elected president? What do you think?

In spite of the denials, The Chronicle reports that City Hall insiders say that Newsom "was pissed" and has commented publicly that ""One of the three Democrats you mentioned as presidential candidates, as God is my witness, will not be photographed with me, will not be in the same room with me...even though I've done fundraisers for that particular person - not once, but twice - because of this issue."

Via / San Francisco Chronicle

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