Harvard’s Tim McCarthy, about whom I wrote in Harvard Rules, is quoted in today’s Frank Rich column, the subject of which is Obama’s invitation to homophobic pastor Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at his inaugural.

After noting that Warren’s role at the inauguration is, in the end, symbolic, McCarthy concluded that “it’s now time to move from symbol to substance.” This means Warren should “recant his previous statements about gays and lesbians, and start acting like a Christian.”

McCarthy added that it’s also time “for President-elect Obama to start acting on the promises he made to the LGBT community during his campaign so that he doesn’t go down in history as another Bill Clinton, a sweet-talking swindler who would throw us under the bus for the sake of political expediency.” And “for LGBT folks to choose their battles wisely, to judge Obama on the content of his policy-making, not on the character of his ministers.”

Tim is a friend of mine, and I agree with his comment almost entirely. I think it’s a little harsh on Bill Clinton, though. If it refers to the gays-in-the-military controversy, well, Clinton did try on that. Unfortunately, he did so clumsily, and got hammered on it very early in his first term. He was lucky to salvage what he could with the maddening don’t-ask-don’t-tell policy.

Anyone remember who was perhaps the most effective opponent of allowing gays to serve their country?

Colin Powell, of course…..

But perhaps Tim had other complaints with Clinton on the issue of gay rights.

(Also: Tim had been writing a terrific blog, which seems to have fallen into disrepair.)