Closeted Gay Republicans

[No Exit]

Closeted Gay Republicans and a Party in Political Free-Fall

By Lawrence O'Donnell

The LA Times has outed Kirk Fordham today. He will not be the last closeted gay Republican outed by this scandal.

Today's NY Times has a chart that outlines the "key communications" in the House of Representatives about Mark Foley's inappropriate contact with pages. More than one of the names in the chart, which includes Kirk Fordham, are rumored to be closeted gay Republicans who have been working at the highest levels of the Republican leadership.

(snip)

Now two Republican staffers are locked in a credibility contest: it's Kirk Fordham v. Scott Palmer, Hastert's chief of staff. Palmer flatly denies that Fordham warned him about Foley. Hastert's political life depends entirely on Scott Palmer's credibility. I can't find anyone in Washington who knows Palmer who thinks his credibility can survive this test.

It's no accident that the first call for Hastert's resignation came from Tony Blankley, Newt Gingrich's former press secretary. Tony knows that the scandal cannot die as long as Hastert and his staff are still in the building.

(snip)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lawrence-odonnell/closeted-gay-republicans-_b_31040.html

Can't wait for more repukes to be embarrassed. "Blow the wind, reap the whirlwind." God is punishing you, repukes. Pardon me for laughing my ass off.

[Zenlitened]

1. So this is what it's become? A gay witch-hunt?

How sad.

Lessons learned from the Vatican, I suppose: Turn the scandal surrounding one's own behavior/complicity/cynical indifference... into an opportunity to further vilify gays and lesbians.

Yes, I believe in calling hypocrites on their hypocrisy. But it seems to me there are enough hypocrites among the elected Republican leadership that going after anyone else right now just lets the scoundrels-in-charge off the hook.

As for the fine line between "Hey, you're a hypocrite" and "Ha ha, you're gay!" -- well, it just seems to disappear too often, and too easily.

Will this whole thing become nothing more than an opportunity to jeer "Lookit them gay-lovin' republicans har har!" or will we be able to stay focused on the issues of accountability, responsibility and, yes, the hypocrisy of the GOP leaders elected by the voters?

:shrug:

[No Exit]

2. A clear conscience trumps republican smears

And those people--be they gay or straight--who have neither exploited minors, nor condoned it, are sleeping well tonight.

Um... that classification pretty much leaves out much of the house republican leadership.

And it seems to be a contradiction in terms to BE a gay republican, IMO. How can anyone be so self-hating? This is the party which runs campaigns based on automated phone calls about "how homosexuals threaten the well-being of our families and children". I actually heard such phone calls. (I called the number back, surprisingly got answered by a person, and gave him hell.)

The republican party is a greater threat to gay people than is any alleged witch hunt.