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.
Well, you are either believing someone's lies about me or you need reading comprehension lessons. I never said that.
I said that the GOP must stop trying to be all things to all people if it and the Republic are to survive. The GOP tries to be a big tent like the Democrat party, but whereas the Dems are a big coalition of 'gimmee' groups that all want something from goverment, the GOP tries to take both sides of every issue to build their tent.
My proposal is that the GOP should come down on the side of the values that we know work for the betterment of the nation -- low taxes, small government, and personal responsibilty and individual liberty -- and use that as our standard.
You can be anything that you want and be a member of the party. But if your beliefs don't match up with that, you, as a CANDIDATE would not, no, make that COULD NOT run on that ticket.
You as an individual voter would then have to decide whose platform is best overall and vote that way. If, knowing that the overall Democrat agenda is bad for the country, you vote that way anyway because of some perceived benefit to you, you will have to answer to your own conscience and your grandchildren -- whatever their sexuality -- for your votes and for the destruction of the Republic.
BTW, I also never said that anyone should vote for Casey. I think that Santorum must move out of the way to avoid an embarrassing loss and to allow a real conservative run in his place.
Casey, even if he is a decent man, is not his father when it comes to standing up to the DNC. He, like most every other Democrat on the national level, will cave to DNC pressure and vote against America more often than not.
A Catholic Church in Philadelphia. Why do you need to know where?
I agree with that. I think his name will help a whole lot in PA though.
JMO, sounds like you are promoting the agenda, while saying you are against it.
Margaret Thatcher said, those in the middle of the road get run over.
Do you stand for anything?
Nope, not a thing, except free love and all the drugs I can take.
saki? (sic). What's 'saki'? :-)
The 60's are over and brought about all the social problems we have now.
Anyway sounds like you live in one of the mainline Philly suburbs and don't get mad at me for saying this, it's JMO, you have a certain elitist air, common in NE suburban areas.
All Christians are not whacked out, they don't want to run your life, just like seeing the prevailing liberal agendas trying to run theirs, and debate such issues as abortion, instead of the NE suburban tendency to run away from such issues and put them out of sight and out of mind because they think they are icky(for lack of a better term).
"All Christians are not whacked out, they don't want to run your life, just like seeing the prevailing liberal agendas trying to run theirs, and debate such issues as abortion, instead of the NE suburban tendency to run away from such issues and put them out of sight and out of mind because they think they are icky(for lack of a better term)."
Look, I don't know why you are so defensive. I never said Christians are whacked out. I myself am a Christian. I also said I have spent a lot of time defending Christians because they get a bum rap, or so I thought.
Actually, I don't think "christians" debate such things as abortion. They said there is no grey, they are right and anyone who disagrees with them is damned. Not really debate.
I have tried to be polite to you and I have never acted in an elitist way to you. But boy, you'd never get in MY country club! :)
We're taught to love the sinner......hate the sin. I don't see Santorum's actions as inconsistent with the Conservative Christian faith....on the contrary, it's quite consistent. I question Santorum's conservative bonafides....but not because of this.
How can I go to church and have pro-abortion friends? I choose my friends because of common interests, bonds, and mutual regard. I do not know their political or religious beliefs until we are very close. Some friends I do not know what they would say about abortion or what their political affiliation is. It just isn't a topic of conversation among casual friends and even among those closest, it's rare. Children, friends, plays and such are much more a part of our talks.
Some of my friends are Catholic. Most are not. Some are Jewish and one is Hindu. Some I don't have any idea about.
I see Rick...
You might be wrong..
He might just be a Trojan Horse..
And YOU might be a PolyAnna.. Wonder what hes leaked to the enemy camp from his position.. By the way Rick, the enemy camp includes Arlen Spectre..
You are not only a liar, but an idiot as well.
Have you read many of these articles delineating the goals and scope of the homosexual agenda, particularly in reference to teaching children the ins and outs of homosexuality? If not, aren't you concerned what the children of this country are being taught regarding dangerous sex practices?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1026551/posts?page=592#592
Homosexual Agenda: Categorical Index of Links (Revision 1.1)
Sexual sins affect many more people than just the person committing them. And most sexual sins involve more than one person. Adultery destroys marriages, which harms children. Homosexuality destroys lives - literally, via AIDS and other grave diseases. When children are raised in broken homes, with various "step-fathers", half siblings with several different absent fathers, and so on, they have a much higher rate of failure in many ways.
This is all due to the destruction of the virtues of chastity before marriage, and fidelity within marriage.
If you think that child molesters are born that way, I can only conclude that you really have not availed yourself of the information available on FR and elsewhere. The truth is the vast majority of child molesters were - please take note - molested themselves as children.
It is a learned sickness.
That's interesting since you're post when you said that I didn't lie, but created a scenario where people would assume a lie.
You are the liar, and a bad one at that.
You don't argue well, so don't try. Just stick to insults.
Have you considered a psychiatric consult. You should.
I'm pro life but I think it should not be in the platform.This is pro-choice talk. No different than when they say they are against abortion "personally" but would not want to deny that right to others.
The Democrats' platform seeks abortion whenever, wherever, and they want you to pay for it. Republicans claiming to take the "high ground" and not having such a plank merely means that the Dems win the argument by default. But that's okay, because we wouldn't want to offend your middle-class friends, would we? I guess it's okay to have forty million people die to make sure you still get invited to bridge club. Sick.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.