I agree about Mayor Koch.  During that same interview, he also said that Caroline Kennedy could be the US Senator because "it's in her blood".  What kind of an elitist comment is that from someone who claims to be a democrat????  Does he think we have an elitist class and a class of slobs who are there to pay higher taxes for the ruling class to waste?  He is getting wacky.

As a woman, I cannot understand why Liz Benjamin didn't share that important part of Senator Diaz's story - that his life has been threatened and that the riled up gay community calls the women on his staff bitches and whores.  That's out of control "lobbying" - and it sounds like some crazies indeed are getting rile up to direct their hatred at him and the women who work at his ofice. 

Please tell me that if these same types of threats were made by pro-lifers to a pro-abort's office that there wouldn't be all over the news.

...that everytime Senator Diaz posts, this angry army of screaming sycophants shows up  to scream "four legs goog and two legs better"?

 Has Rock hired out his "students"?

I have to say that I have never been a fan of Malcolm Smith. But his decision not to deal with the Democratic senators who are only interested in their own navels, I have finally gotten some respect for him.

I have never been a fan of the honorable Reverand Senator Ruben Diaz, but I am glad to see that he will allow the gay community to jam his phone lines. They have certainly reason to do so, and the more read about Diaz, the more I will join my gay brothers and sisters.

Hang out with rats, and you get to be ratty, too.

After losing a 35-year battle on abortion, the religious right feels comfortable attacking a strong, proud and often-vilified minority.  That bigotry ruled Election Day ay when barriers were broken fills me with an agonizing pathos.  The realities of American life often fall short of our dreams.  Throughout our history, the majority of Americans have targeted different minority groups for discrimination.  As a 46-year-old woman who is one half of one of the 18,000 couples who was married in California prior to the enactment of Proposition 8, I understand that the government recognizes me a lot when it cashes my tax check, but I will no longer be your “gay friend” America until you honor the rights that our founding fathers and God gave me, too, through the Constitution.  The attacks on my wife and me are products of your religious moral dilemma that would be best solved by holding marriage counseling groups for your parishioners with marriage issues.  The sad reality is that a large religious organization outspent the gay community and got their ads out first.  We protest this decision.  We need to educate you about a simple thing called love, and we will respect you even when you don’t respect us.  This is not over. Senator, Diaz, you may have just motivated a less divisive candidate from your district to run against you.  Wouldn’t that be fun?  Congratulations!

The US took MANY years before black people were guaranteed rights under our constituion.  Pro-lifers will continue to advocate for the rights of unborn chiidren that same right to life, and will continue to support Senator Diaz because he is not afraid to take on this challenge. 

We are proud of him.

The past 35 year struggle in the US over Roe v Wade has not discouraged any of us - nor have the results of the past election.

Deal with it.

That someone who calls himself REVEREND casts stones at the Gay Community. I have no use for people who claim they are "religious" standing behind their religion to spew prejudice.  I'm sorry your employees were harrassed because you're the guilty party, using your RELIGION for your bigoted prejudicial views.

That describes many of these responders.

Malcolm Smith... Let's revisit Malcolm Smith's view on any person making threats against an elected official. On May 22nd he said that he would return to Albany the next week and propose new legislation  to stiffen penalties against people who threaten state lawmakers and staff members.

It seems that only applies to fabricated threats. Remember the whole dog and pony show that Smith put on when the RHAPP Act was publicly challenged? And Senator Cousins MADE UP threats against herself and her staff. And Smith held a press conference to try to silence opposition to legislation he supported.

Here's a newsflash Malcolm - there are REAL threats being made against a New York State Senator and his staff. What are you going to do about THAT?

Ed Koch... best remembered for "if it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown, flush it down." So, it's time to flush Ed.

Gatemouth... yet another incoherant self-gratifying post. When will this boring blowhard finally give it a rest?

Nancy... angry lesbian.

The seething hatred comes not from the right, but the left. The intolerance comes from a fractional minority that seeks to impose their choice of a marginal lifestyle upon the country as a whole. Angry screaming liberal gays are everything they accuse others of being.

They have threatened an elected official. They are criminals. They belong in jail.

That should be simple enough for even gatemouth to understand.

I'm a very liberal person. I believe that gay people should be able to get married to a partner of their choosing. Let them suffer like other married couples. LOL. I do not agree with Senator Diaz at all on this issue. With that said, I also believe that the Senator and his staff should not be threatened by phone calls and get harassed. Bullying someone is not going to change their minds on an issue that they strongly believe in, weather it is through phone calls or on this board. I agree with the liberal opinions, but I would never agree with the stupidity of people threatening the lives of others.

There is hate all over this board, from both sides. First of all, if you are so passionate about something, why do you write under "Anonymous"? This is for both sides, because if you have strong feelings, you should at least man (or woman) up to your opinions instead of hiding behind "Anonymous". Second of all, the name calling and general angry on this blog is really sad.

I am assuming that most if not all of you are grown ups. I can assume you are all at least semi-civilized. Posting hate is not going to solve anything.

Liberals: You are angry because you feel like a group is being discriminated against, but to call up the offices or post angry messages will only give the other side fuel.

Conservatives: I understand that you have opinions about this controversial issue, but angrily screaming at all liberals that are for same sex marriages shows your intolerance and makes you look bad as well.

yes, it is. I was born "Silent Firecracker".  Many people know who I am by that name. People know where I stand when I say these things if they read other stuff I write. I use this name for everything. It's on my account, and people can look at stuff I have done on my blogs. It's not like I'm just someone who post something and I can deny it since I'm always logged in when I comment.

:-P

It is unfortunate that Mr. Diaz has to couch his position on gay marriage and hate on his blog in the context of himself as the victim.  By spreading hate through his (and my) Bronx community by his positions, he allows others to think that hate and violence are okay.  I am sure that he would say that he does not advocate violence, but with hatred, violence always follows.  

It is unfortunate when Mr. Diaz works for members of his community that he does not consider that GLBT persons are also members of his community.  I am hopeful that the Democratic Party will find a new representative to run that will represent the entire community, not just the people he thinks live here.