Catholic League president Bill Donohue commented today on Senator Hillary Clinton’s decision not to march in New York’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday:
“Senator Clinton marched in New York’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade in 2000 when she was first running for the U.S. Senate. Because she was criticized by gays for doing so, she took a pass in 2001. [Note: gays have never been banned from the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York—they just can’t march under their own banner, anymore than pro-life Catholics can.] She marched in 2002 but did not march again until last year. Now that she’s running for president, and wants to court the vote of homosexuals from across the nation, she’s decided against marching in 2007.
“Kiera McCaffrey, the Catholic League’s director of communications, called her office today and spoke to Alex in the scheduling department who said that she will not be marching in the parade because ‘she will be traveling this weekend.’ This sounded so Clintonian to me that I asked Kiera to call back asking for the details. Alex transferred her to a man named Sam in the press office who said that Senator Clinton’s weekend plans had not yet been made. When asked specifically if she was going to march, he said he did not think so.
“It would be so refreshing if Senator Clinton would just tell the truth and say she doesn’t mind offending Irish Catholics, but does mind offending gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgenders, et al. She marched last June in the Salute to Israel Parade, the Puerto Rican Day Parade and the Gay Pride Parade, and she marched in September in the West Indian Day Parade. But she’ll be traveling this weekend, though no one knows where’s she going.”
