Good for him but I wish he would've come out sooner. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38857056/ns/politics-more_politics Former Bush campaign chief tells magazine he's gay Ex-GOP chair says he will advocate for gay marriage, regrets not coming out earlier Ken Mehlman, President Bush's campaign manager in 2004 and a former chairman of the Republican National Committee, has told family and associates that he is gay, The Atlantic magazine's politics editor reported Wednesday. Marc Ambinder, who is also chief political consultant to CBS news, said in an online post that Mehlman told him in an interview that he concluded he was gay fairly recently and now wants to be an advocate for gay marriage. Mehlman told The Atlantic that he anticipated that questions would arise about his participation in a late-September fundraiser for the American Foundation for Equal Rights, the group that supported the legal challenge to California's ballot initiative against gay marriage, Proposition 8. "It's taken me 43 years to get comfortable with this part of my life," Mehlman, now an executive vice president with the New York City-based private equity firm KKR told The Atlantic. "Everybody has their own path to travel, their own journey, and for me, over the past few months, I've told my family, friends, former colleagues, and current colleagues, and they've been wonderful and supportive. The process has been something that's made me a happier and better person. It's something I wish I had done years ago." Behind-the-scenes advocacy The Atlantic said that in off-the-record conversations, Mehlman previously voiced support for civil unions and beat back Republican officials' efforts to attack same-sex marriage. He insisted, too, that Bush "was no homophobe," The Atlantic said. He often wondered why gay voters never formed common cause with Republican opponents of Islamic jihad, which he called "the greatest anti-gay force in the world right now." Mehlman told The Atlantic that he could not, as an individual Republican, go against the party consensus as it stepped up anti-gay initiatives. He said he was aware that Karl Rove, Bush's chief strategic adviser, worked to make sure that anti-gay initiatives and referenda would appear on November ballots in 2004 and 2006 to help Republicans. Mehlman, The Atlantic said, acknowledged that if he had publicly declared his sexuality sooner, he might have played a role in keeping the party from pushing an anti-gay agenda. He told the magazine he regrets not taking the party message to the gay community. While in office, Mehlman dodged media efforts to confirm rumors and stories about his sexuality, he told The Atlantic. Republicans close to Mehlman either said they did not know, or that it did not matter, or that the question was offensive. Party principles 'consistent' In advocating for same-sex marriage, Mehlman told the magazine he would appeal to Republican principles. "I hope that we, as a party, would welcome gay and lesbian supporters. I also think there needs to be, in the gay community, robust and bipartisan support [for] marriage rights." Ed Gillespie, a former RNC chairman and longtime friend of Mehlman, told The Atlantic that "it is significant that a former chairman of the Republican National Committee is openly gay and that he is supportive of gay marriage." Gillespie told the magazine he opposes gay marriage, but stalwarts like former Vice President Dick Cheney and strategist Mary Matalin advocate for gay rights. But, Gillespie told the magazine, he does not envision the party platform changing anytime soon.
Mehlman told The Atlantic that he could not, as an individual Republican, go against the party consensus as it stepped up anti-gay initiatives. He said he was aware that Karl Rove, Bush's chief strategic adviser, worked to make sure that anti-gay initiatives and referenda would appear on November ballots in 2004 and 2006 to help Republicans.
yet again he shows that his "support" for gay rights will always be trumped by his allegiance to the rnc.
Don't bite the hand that feeds? Of course, the follow-up question is: why is being gay considered "biting" to Republicans?
This is why Republicans win/are dangerous I am not saying it as a bad thing but they subjegate themselves for the greater good of THE PARTY I mean one dude took a gun shot to the face and apologize to the man who shot him THAT IS SOME FRICKING DEDICATION Rocket River some may say fanaticism
As a conservative (okay..moderate conservative), this is one of the few issues I wish the right would change their stance on - I've always supported Gay Marriage. There are actually quite a few gay conservatives that I know personally. My brother for one, and a friend from high school - her and her partner both consider themselves Republicans, and a few more. Its interesting to hear their perspective on Politics.
I don't think many if anyone on this board really believes basso supports gay rights. He claims he does, and then shows lack of support or even understanding of the issues in almost every subsequent post.
[rquoter]Mehlman, The Atlantic said, acknowledged that if he had publicly declared his sexuality sooner, he might have played a role in keeping the party from pushing an anti-gay agenda.[/rquoter] Now you claim to support Gay rights so don't you see that if he had come out while he was active in the party he might've made a difference.
all republicans are gay. junior had quite the fetish for bald dudes! http://911review.org/humor/shrubrub.html
[rquoter]Mehlman, The Atlantic said, acknowledged that if he had publicly declared his sexuality sooner, he might have played a role in keeping the party from pushing an anti-gay agenda.[/rquoter] _____ How a gay man could support a political party that is so outwardly against homosexuals is just bizarre - yet we see it over and over again.
maybe- assuming there's no criminal behavior, i think everyone is entitled to some privacy and discretion. mehlmann's sexuality wasn't relvant to his job, and he clearly wasn't ready to make a public statement about it. other than the lust the dims have for exposing supposed "hypocrisy" by republicans, i don't see the big deal.
Except this is Mehlman himself saying that he might've played a role in the GOP no pushing an anti-gay agenda. This isn't a projection of hypocrisy on Mehlman or the GOP this is Mehlman's own words.
Obama might have governed as a bi-partisan moderate (which is how he projected himself), but he didn't.
what does this have to do with the former rnc chair's sexuality and his own claims of wishing he had come out of the closet earlier to fight back on his own party's anti-gay agenda. your claims of support of gays rights are an absolute joke, just like you.
