Posted on 07/16/2005 12:12:46 PM PDT by gopgen
Gay-rights opponent Santorum stands by outed aide
BY STEVE GOLDSTEIN
Knight Ridder Newspapers
WASHINGTON - (KRT) - The senior spokesman for Sen. Rick Santorum, R- Pa., Friday confirmed to a web log that he is gay.
According to PageOneQ, an online gay and lesbian publication, director of communications Robert L. Traynham, said that he was an "out gay man who completely supports the senator."
Santorum, the third-ranking Republican in the Senate leadership has been an outspoken opponent of homosexual rights and a leading proponent of a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.
Santorum, who was traveling in Pittsburgh, released the following statement:
"Robert Traynham ... is widely respected and admired on Capitol Hill, both among the press corps and among the congressional staff, as a communications professional. Not only is Mr. Traynham an exemplary staffer, but he is also a trusted friend confidente to me and my family. Mr. Traynham is a valued member of my staff and I regret that this effort on behalf of people who oppose me has made him a target of bigotry in their eyes.
"It is entirely unacceptable that my staffs' personal lives are considered fair game by partisans looking for arguments to bolster my opponent's campaign. Mr. Traynham continues to have my full support and confidence as well as my prayers as he navigates this rude and mean spirited invasion of his personal life."
Mark Rodgers, chief of staff at the Republican conference, which Santorum chairs, said, "Robert is a tremendous employee and we're all for standing by him." Traynham's homosexuality was not news to the senator or his staff, he added.
In the online interview, Traynham defended his decision to work with the senator. "Sen. Santorum is a man of principle, he is a man who sticks up for what he believes in. I strongly do support Sen. Santorum.
Asked whether he supported Santorum's views on lesbian and gay issues, Traynham told PageOneQ, "Sen. Santorum is a family man. I have been with him for eight years and I am very proud to be with him."
The two-term senator is up for reelection next year. His expected Democratic opponent is State Treasurer Robert P. Casey, Jr.
Traynham began working for Santorum since 1997 as a press assistant and then deputy press secretary. He was press secretary for the senator's 2000 reelection campaign in Pennsylvania. Just prior to becoming communications director in the Senate office, Traynham served as director of communications for the Senate Republican Conference.
Traynham holds a bachelor of arts degree in political science from Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, where he currently serves on the Council of Trustees.
In supporting the Federal Marriage Amendment, which would prohibit gay marriage, Santorum has equated homeland security with the sanctity of traditional marriage. He has referred to gay marriage as "messing with the basic family unit."
During an interview with The Associated Press two years ago about a challenge to the constitutionality of Texas's sodomy law, Santorum said that if the Supreme Court allows gay sex at home (which it ultimately did), "you have the right to bigamy, you have the right to incest, you have the right to adultery. You have the right to anything."
On the marriage issue, Santorum also said: "In every society, the definition of marriage has not ever to my knowledge included homosexuality. That's not to pick on homosexuality. It's not, you know, man on child, man on dog, or whatever the case may be."
---
© 2005, The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Visit Philadelphia Online, the Inquirer's World Wide Web site, at http://www.philly.com
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.
Have you even read any of the information that I linked to?
No? Or you skimmed it, and decided that since it didn't support your pro-homosexual bias, it was wrong.
And who is the pompous ass?
You're really full of yourself tonight, old boy. Can't refute anything with facts, so personal insult is the name of your game.
I've had a long day - catch you guys later.
I would just like to add my incendiary .02 to this thread by saying: "I have no problem with gays, as long as they are Conservative.
I have gay relatives and friends that cringe at :gay pride: as well. They are normal, humble, likeable, honorable and they aren't in the least defined by their homozexuality.
They are respectable, loveable and good in pretty much every way.
Here comes the heat...
I -am- however entirely disgusted by, and derisive of the whacky aspects of "gay culure". When it's put on display to shock everyone within a 360 degree radius.
When you have to cover your kids eyes at the beach.
When those obnoxious apects of "Gay Culture" become an obstruction of the peace.
When the obnoxious aspects of "gay culture" become part of out educatonal system and government.
So, if you're gay. You don't bother me.
But when your gayness becomes your single defining characteristic and you display it like a turd on the end of a stick hoping intimidate us "Fundies" Well...
That's when the Cap'n TrVth Costume comes on.
;>
Mad shout out's Log Cabin Freepers that grok my message!
G'nite friend. Me too, folks. Church in the morning. Be there or be....on empty for a while.
"You give us Christians a bad name. Put another way: You're not being very Christian."
"Please enlighten us why this is so, in your _humble_ opinion."
Clearly, it's not that humble. And just as clearly, you don't really think it is. But to your request: Extremism in this life and times IS a vice, nowadays. And to rant and rave about "demon" homos getting in line for the everlasting fires of hell...is to hand the other side more victories than they deserve.
Good night, I am gona be up for a while. Its only 10:30 here.
He's riding his anger. He's over-amping. Etc.
I asked if you were fishing for material for ad hominem attacks instead of a serious discussion.
Instead, you asked questions which appeared to be further attempts to mischaracterize my position.
Such behaviour tells me you are a troll.
Thanks for playing!
"This guy has a few screws loose. He seems to be mainly targeting us. I vote for ignoring him completely for the rest of the thread. What a jackass. What do you say?"
I'll let the few screws thing go, as that's subjective, yes?
As for "targeting" you: You three, and nmh, are the ones who incited 97% of the rhetoric and ill feelings here tonight. Now, you people want "victim status"?
If my figures are right, you four represent only three percent of the population of this threat tonight, not the ten percent you want us all to believe.
Your #460 is incoherent. I'd respond, point by point, but I really should get some sleep. Let's just leave it at, you completely misunderstood what I said.
Well said. It's a popular saying that all sins are equal in gravity, but that is transparently false.
Insulting someone is not equal to physically assaulting them and that is not equal to murder. Anyone knows that.
Additionally, sometimes a sin may be engaged in due to past bad habits, bad association, temporary weakness of heart, or similar circumstances. OTOH, someone may purposely, repeatedly, shamelessly, commit sin. Those also cannot be compared.
" For which particular sin, among other sins, was it that He actually destroyed a whole city?"
Rhetorical, I know....and for the most part I agree with you. But for the sin of idolitry, and in an effort for His people to not be polluted by idolitry, He gave the Israelites a command to whip out not only cities, but complete cultures.
Brilliant, as usual. Thank you!
Howlin, you're MY kinda conservative !
Thanks for posting the info about Dr. Spitzer, and the existence of former homosexuals.
Take it easy tomorrow!
I just can't be that forgiving.
Yes, he lost a lot of his base for doing what he did last year. So, how does he recover? By making it up by doing the right thing consistently and convincingly? Nope. He does the opposite. He went further to the left -- to do and say ANYTHING -- to try to win again.
And he is perfectly comfortable doing and saying anything in order to win. What won't he do? What accommodation won't he make if it is to his political benefit? That does make him a politician in every cynical and worst sense of the word and as such, not worthy of my time, money, effort, or vote again.
His latest touch -- He voted against increased border patrol agents. Nice going, Ricky.
Is it simply an advanced case of Potomac Fever causing a good guy to go bad? The more that I see from him, the less I am sure that he ever was a conservative. Puritanical? Sure, but hardly conservative.
I have come to believe that he merely played a role and admittedly, did so convincingly. He rode the conservative wave to where he is and now he feels safe enough to be who he really is. I also believe that he seriously miscalculated the anger he engendered.
No, I can't prove it, but he sure seems to be trying to prove me right.
Goodnight to you as well, and my hat's off to your even temper!
Good night, maybe we will meet again on a subject we both agree on.
If I had the anger problem you apparently have, I'd get some help with it.
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