So I didn’t get near the Obama fundraiser in LA last night, though I certainly put in a good effort. I seem to have gotten on the road too late and toward Exposition Park much too late to do anything about it. So I missed a very perturbed Barack Obama endure heckling from the LGBT community. I had heard that some pro-gay rights advocates would be in the audience at the fundraiser for the DNC and Sen. Barbara Boxer, but I didn’t know they’d take it as far as they did. But they were loud and unrelenting, and it clearly got to Obama. The video is here. And a partial transcript, which doesn’t really do it justice:

THE PRESIDENT: — you know, California has been a leader in promoting hybrids and cleaner burning fuels, and appropriately, you have in Barbara Boxer a subcompact senator with a seemingly inexhaustible supply of energy. (Applause.) She’s passionate about fighting for jobs, jobs with good wages, jobs with good benefits. She’s passionate about fighting for California’s families. She is –

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell!”

THE PRESIDENT: We are going to do that. Hey, hold on a second, hold on a second. We are going to do that.

AUDIENCE: Yes, we can! Yes, we can! Yes, we can! Yes, we can!

THE PRESIDENT: Here we go. All right — guys, guys, all right. I agree, I agree, I agree. (Applause.) Now –

AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible.)

THE PRESIDENT: No, no, no, no, listen. What the young man was talking about was we need to — we need to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” which I agree with and which we have begun to do. (Applause.) But let me say this: When you’ve got an ally like Barbara Boxer and you’ve got an ally like me who are standing for the same thing, then you don’t know exactly why you’ve got to holler, because we already hear you, all right? (Applause.) I mean, it would have made more sense to holler that at the people who oppose it. (Applause.) [...]

AUDIENCE MEMBER: It’s time for equality for all Americans!

THE PRESIDENT: I’m sorry, do you want to come up here? (Applause.) You know, the — all right, because can I just say, once again, Barbara and I are supportive of repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” so I don’t know why you’re hollering.

Now, the problems that we have here put a further strain on folks in this state, forcing painful choices about where to spend and where to save. And the challenges folks have been facing here –

AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible.)

AUDIENCE: Yes, we can! Yes, we can! Yes, we can! Yes, we can!

THE PRESIDENT: Barbara — I just — everybody, I just wanted to confirm — I just wanted to confirm — I just checked with Barbara, so if anybody else is thinking about starting a chant, Barbara didn’t even vote for “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in the first place, so you know she’s going to be in favor of repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” (Applause.)

As John Aravosis said last night, this has been an ongoing public relations disaster for this White House. The strains with the gay community started last year, and they basically haven’t stopped, despite the bone or two thrown the way of the LGBT community. The President insisted that he supports repealing DADT and has “begun to do that,” but everyone can plainly see that the Pentagon’s one-year study has blocked progress, and by 2011, the majorities needed for passage simply won’t be there. For months since the President announced at the State of the Union that he would get DADT repealed this year, the White House strategy has been non-existent. Congressmen like Barney Frank have asked for answers and received none. The President can run but he cannot hide on this issue.

GetEQUAL, the group who basically put together this protest, represents a segment of the gay community which is simply fed up with broken promises. They have basically been radicalized, and this won’t stop. I think Aravosis is right to call it “ongoing civil disobedience.”