Via AmericaBlog Gay: Obama slams GOP for booing gay soldier during debate

From yesterday's press pool report: 

At his first fundraiser in San Jose, President Obama took aim at Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry, without naming the Texas governor by name, and was critical of the recent GOP debates. He said the 2012 election will be "a contest of values." 

"Some of you here may be folks who actually used to be Republicans but are puzzled by what's happened to that party, are puzzled by what's happening to that party. I mean, has anybody been watching the debates lately? You've got a governor whose state is on fire denying climate change," he said, to applause. "It's true. You've got audiences cheering at the prospect of somebody dying because they don't have health care and booing a service member in Iraq because they're gay.

"That's not reflective of who we are," Mr. Obama said. "This is a choice about the fundamental direction of our country. 2008 was an important direction. 2012 is a more important election."

It's interesting that Romney, Perry, Bachmann, Gingrich and Cain all refused ABC News' request to comment on the incident, even though Santorum, Huntsman and Johnson have since condemned it. Why won't the other condemn the verbal abuse of a US service member serving in combat? Or do Romney, Perry, Bachmann, Gingrich and Cain only love some of the troops?

If you haven't already, please check out the video, read and then sign the open letter to the GOP presidential candidates from former members of the military who are demanding an apology.

And as I noted over at the main AMERICAblog site, this post has skyrocketed to first place on Reddit.  Liberals are craving leadership.  This should be a lesson to the President, and to the entire party.  Fighting back works.