Political Summer Share Dominates Agenda

Politicians at the local, state and national level all use the Fourth of July picnics, parades, barbecues, commemorations and other events to mark American independence to solidify their connections in their districts -- and to secure a plethora of good photo ops and sound bites about the various issues of the day. Presidential hopefuls are no exception. Many criss-crossed the country and even the world [U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton [D-New York] and husband Bill toured Iowa while U.S. Sen. John McCain [R-Arizona] made yet another trip to war-torn Iraq] This blogger spent the holiday on Fire Island as a reporter for the Fire Island News and garnered a plethora of gossip about the Pines and the Grove that could surely fill multiple gossip columns.

A number of sources confirmed Democratic National Committee Chair Howard Dean will once again make his annual pilgrimage to the Pines in early August. The initial question was whether Clinton would join the former Presidential candidate as he courts wealthy gay partisans. This appearance remains highly unlikely -- imagine how socially conservative Democrats in the Bible Belt would respond to a New York Times headline 'Clinton Courts Donors in Gay Resort Mecca.' Dean's annual visit to the Pines sends a rather calculated but powerful message his party wants to bring gays and lesbians into the fold. The DNC's platform fails to support full marriage for same-sex couples at the federal level. Partisan rhetoric will surely build on Fire Island in the weeks leading up to Dean's visit. One can argue, however, attendees should seek an explanation of this platform -- and perhaps a reassurance in support of LGBT rights -- if they want to become more than a lucrative Rolodex in the much larger political jigsaw puzzle.