Posted on 10/07/2006 1:35:46 PM PDT by rface
On Tuesday night's "Evening News," Gloria Borger said this:
"One senior House Republican tells CBS that there's a lot of anger at what he describes as 'a network of gay staffers and gay members who protect each other and did the speaker a disservice.'"
The New Republic's Michael Crowley picks up on Borger's comment. He argues that "it's becoming clear that some people on Capitol Hill are promoting a storyline that involves gay Republican staffers--apparently led by [Tom Reynolds's chief of staff Kirk] Fordham--covering up for Mark Foley." Crowley suggests "maybe this is how Dennis Hastert and his compatriots are explaining themselves to the base."
He also notes David Corn's report on "The List" – a document being passed around political circles of high-level Republican congressional aides who are gay.
Corn, a liberal, says he will not publish The List, even though he has a copy. Here's his conclusion:
Let's be clear about one thing: the Mark Foley scandal is not about homosexuality. Some family value conservatives are suggesting it is. But anytime a gay Republican is outed by events, a dicey issue is raised: what about those GOPers who are gay and who serve a party that is anti-gay? Are they hypocrites, opportunists, or just confused individuals? Is it possible to support a party because you adhere to most of its tenets--even if that party refuses to recognize you as a full citizen? The men on The List might want to think hard about these questions--as they probably already have--for if I have a copy of The List, there's a good chance it will be appearing soon on a website near everyone......
NEXT =>
The List: (found on the left of the link, part way down...)
THE LIST
Operating since July of 2004, telling you the truth about hypocrisy in the gov't.
US Representatives
Rep. Ed Schrock (VA)
Rep. David Drier (CA)
Rep. James McCrery (LA)
Rep. Mark Foley (FL)
.
US Senators.
.
Sen Barbara Mikulski (MD)
.
Senior GOP Staff
.
Jay Timmons, NRSC
Dan Gurley, RNC
Jay Banning, RNC
.
Senior Senate Staffers
.
Robert Traynham, Santorum
Jonathan Tolman, Inhofe
Kirk Fordham, Martinez
Dirk Smith, Lott
John Reid, Allen
Paul Unger, Allen
Linus Catignani, Frist
.
Senior House Staffers
.
Jim Conzelman, Oxley
Lee Cohen, Hart
Robert O'Conner, King
Pete Meachum, Brown-Waite
.
Bush Staff
.
Israel Hernandez
Jeff Berkowitz
.
Local Officials
.
Vincent Gentile, NYC
.
The rest...
.
Ed Koch, NYC Mayor
Jennifer Helms-Knox, Judge
Armstrong Williams, Radio host
Matt Drudge, Headline writer
Steve Kreseski, MD Gov.
Chip DiPaula, MD Gov.
Lee LaHaye, CWA
John Schlafley, Eagle Forum
I doesn't bother me one bit if someone's name is on "The List". I bet that the vast majority of FReepers wouldn't be upset to find out that their Rep. or Senator or even Matt Drudge is gay...(is he???? ....I don't think so)....
BUT - The Crux of this issue is that the Democratics think they can hold a sword over the GOP and call the sword "The List"..... Screw that "The List" and I am not going to run away from it nor am I going to vilify those on "The List" - (unless they are involved in Foley types of behaviour).
Put out "The List" and remove the threat....it's going to come out of the closet anyways
I have mixed feelings about posting this, since there are many individuals on here that either don't belong, or because it is truely a private matter.......The Democratics are holding this as a weapon and they are going to wave this weapon in front of us and those on "The List" and that just sucks.....
I really couldn't care less if someone is gay. I just don't want to see it promoted and I don't want to see homosexuals treated any differently than the rest of us.
I see no good service provided by posting a gay "outing" list of republicans here.
Why isn't Hilary on this list?
Correct. I think a good number of Republicans echo the same sentiment.
I have a gay neighbor who confided in me that he is a closet Republican. I am not joking.
maybe it should be deleted - but it is out there. I wouldn't be upset if it was deleted - but I am upset that the Democratics think they can use this to club Gay Repubs over the head and threaten them.
I know some way bigger names than these. I'll bet many others here do too. Pretty weak sauce if you ask me.
Tammy Bruce was a closet republican for years.
Paitings of Bush being eaten by buzzards are out there too, but that doesn't mean we should promote them.
Why are you posting this? It looks like a forgery. If it's a list of all homosexuals in Congress, where's Barney Frank? If it's a list of homosexual Republicans associated with Congress, why is Democrat Barbara Mikulski on it? What's the point of speculating about people's private lives based on no authoritative evidence?
There are a LOT of gay republicans. Problem for the liberals gays is this- gay republicans don't use their sexuality as the only definition of who they are, and thus, who they vote for. Liberal gays loathe gay republicans like no other.
Being pro-Constitution, pro public health, and wanting to protect children, does not make one "anti-gay."
This might seem strange to a DUmmie reading this but I don't want to see someone's private weakness exposed to the world. It's when people start publically demanding laws that declare weakness to be strength and wrong to be right, that I get concerned.
We are good friends - we just dissagree on this issue.....and we pretty much avoid that issue
It's been posted here about a dozen times and linked to even more often. My opinion is that it just doesn't matter. It was supposed to make conservatives go wild with anger that homosexuals actually have jobs in government with and as Republicans. So far all I have heard is a big yawn. Conservatives don't hate gays for being gay.
However, it appears quite possible that, in the Foley situation, the goal of keeping details of homosexual behavior (ala Foley) out of the spotlight was more important to at least a few of them than was looking out for the interests of their employers or their party.
the point of "The List" is that only Gay GOPers are included.
If being gay and being a Republican is such a hard thing than why aren't they Democrats?
Drudge has toyed with the gay rumor for years. I remember when he posted a link to an article stating that he liked young boys to break eggs over him. It wouldn't surprise me if he is gay--he sure seems to be pretty heavily into Hollywood bedroom gossip and fashion--but he has never confirmed any of it that I know of.
As for The List, it's pretty underwhelming. The ones I've heard of, I've heard the rumors. Most of them, I don't know from Adam. If the point is that it's offensive to gay activists for a gay to work for an "anti-gay party," all I need to know from and about these men is that they will support the party platform. Be gay in the open or be gay in the closet, but you better not support things like gay adoption or gay marriage. That's all I care about. If you can't reconcile the two, then get out of Congress and let someone who will have a shot.
These people have already been "outed" many times. It didn't stick.
How about examining the Mark Foley link to Scientology and Clearwater Fla? Much more ominous IMO.
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