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| Log Cabin Republicans leader Patrick Guerriero walked out of
the convention hall during President Bush’s acceptance speech when he reiterated
his strong support for a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. (File photo
by Luis Gomez) |
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Some of the events cited by the Log Cabin Republicans
to justify withholding endorsement of President Bush:
- President Bush endorsed the Federal Marriage Amendment
on Feb. 24: “Marriage cannot be severed from its cultural, religious
and natural roots without weakening the good influence of society,”
- President Bush told Roman Catholic leaders during a June
4 visit to the Vatican they need to push American Catholic bishops to be more
aggressive politically on family issues, especially the FMA.
- The Bush-Cheney re-election campaign energizes churches
across the country by providing them with issue guides and urging pastors
to hold voter registration drives.
- In June, President Bush met in the Oval Office with one
of the leading proponents of the FMA, James Dobson of Focus on the Family.
- Karl Rove, Bush’s chief political consultant, gave
the commencement address at Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University.
- President Bush supports the Marriage Protection Act, which
would bar federal courts from deciding whether the 1996 Defense of Marriage
Act is constitutional.
- The president opposes federal hate crimes legislation,
the Employment Non-Discrimination Act [ENDA] and any changes to the military’s
‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy.
Source: Log Cabin Republicans
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HOME > NEWS > NATIONAL NEWS
By: JOE CREA COMMENTS
 
Ending nearly six months of speculation, the Log Cabin Republicans announced this
week that the nation’s largest gay GOP group will not endorse President
Bush’s re-election bid, in large part because of the president’s strong
support for the Federal Marriage Amendment.
The group’s board voted 22-2 to withhold an endorsement of the president,
deciding instead to shift financial and political resources toward more inclusive
Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
Tuesday’s decision marks the first time Log Cabin, a national gay GOP
group, has not endorsed a Republican candidate for president since it opened
its national office in 1993.
The group backed the president during the 2000 election and applauded his first
18 months in office after he appointed several gays to government posts and
signed into law after Sept. 11 the Mychal Judge Act, which provides payment
to the beneficiaries of public safety officers killed in the line of duty who
are not legally recognized as spouses.
But four years after endorsing Bush in 2000, Log Cabin officials said, they
have determined the president has veered profoundly from his pledge to be a
“uniter not a divider” and has caved to the fundamentalist Christian
elements of the Republican Party.
“This is our Sister Souljah moment,” said Chris Barron, Log Cabin’s
political director, referring to candidate Bill Clinton’s decision in
his 1992 campaign to repudiate strident comments made by rapper Sister Souljah,
making him appear more centrist to average voters.
“And saying that, we are good, loyal Republicans,” Barron said.
“We have walked across hot coals for this party. We have asked for little
in return, and this was one of those moments where we must stand tall.
“We also believe that this is truly being loyal to the party. Going down
the path of these culture wars will only set the party on the wrong side of
history,” he said.
Democrats seize onLog Cabin snub
Democrats quickly seized upon Log Cabin’s announcement as an opportunity
to urge gay Republicans to support the Democratic ticket this year.
“The GLBT community is focused on defeating a president who believes
gays and lesbians can be fired from their jobs simply because of their sexual
orientation,” said Democratic National Chair Terry McAuliffe in a statement.
“We welcome all GLBT Americans — regardless of party affiliation
— to be a part of our effort to defeat Bush and elect the most pro-gay,
pro-family ticket in the history of presidential politics — John Kerry
and John Edwards.”
Log Cabin officials assert that the non-endorsement of Bush is not an endorsement
of Sen. John Kerry.
“A non-endorsement means just that,” said Bob Kabel, a member of
Log Cabin’s national board of directors. “We don’t oppose
him. Each member should vote his or her conscience. We are not endorsing Kerry.
This action is no way intended to be that.”
But several prominent gay Republicans announced on Wednesday their support
for Kerry.
DNC officials said Wednesday that Steve May, a gay Arizona Republican and former
state legislator, will back Kerry this fall, along with gay D.C.
Councilmember David Catania (R-At-Large), said during a DNC news conference
this week that he has “had it” with the Bush administration and
threw his support behind Kerry.
“I think we will be surprised by a Kerry administration,” Catania
said. “He is a country mile better than Bush, who took the hottest cultural
issue and divided the country right down the middle for crass, partisan purposes.
“This election is about making sure we get a balanced person in office,”
said Catania. “Kerry could take us for a ride, absolutely. Is that ride
going to be worse than four more years of Bush? Absolutely not.”
When asked whether or not he would switch parties, Catania — who was
once one of Bush’s most loyal supporters — said Republican ideology
is a part of his makeup, yet he admitted considerable frustration with his desire
to be an “agent of change” for the party he has called home for
so long.
“I wrestle with this on a daily basis and under these circumstances I
can’t see myself lasting,” Catania said. “This notion of a
‘big tent’ is like being invited to dinner but being told not to
eat. That’s their idea of a ‘big tent.’”
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