A Falling Out Among Friends - (Gay Republicans turn on Bush - Newsweek)

[WillyT]

<snip>

March 8 issue - David Catania has been one of George W. Bush's most loyal supporters. The Washington, D.C., city councilman has raised nearly $80,000 for the president's re-election. He's a Bush delegate to this summer's GOP convention and holds a seat on the platform committee, which shapes the party's official agenda. But last week Catania, like many other gay Republicans, was furious at the president's backing of a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. Now he's dropping his fund-raising efforts and no longer plans to vote for Bush. "You know the concept of buyer's remorse? I've got it," he says. "I want my money back." Now Catania intends to fight the amendment on the platform committee and work against a second Bush term.

Catania is a member of the "Austin 12," an informal group of gay Republicans who advised the Bush 2000 campaign, serving as a sounding board on gay issues. In April of that year, the 12 traveled to Austin to meet with the then Governor Bush, who was eager to burnish his image as a "compassionate conservative." He'd resisted meeting with the chief gay GOP group, the Log Cabin Republicans—they'd backed his presidential-primary rival John McCain—but agreed to sit down with a dozen handpicked gay supporters. In an emotional meeting at his campaign headquarters, Bush listened carefully and declared himself "a better man" for their visit. But four years later, even Bush's most devoted gay supporters are wavering. "I have always accepted the president's opposition to gay marriage," says Charles Francis, a longtime Bush family friend and a D.C. consultant who organized the Austin meeting. But for the Austin 12—all of whom spoke with NEWSWEEK last week—Bush's endorsement of a constitutional amendment is a step too far. "It writes inequality into the founding document, and we can never support that," Francis says.

<snip>

Link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4408613/

Not only losing support here, but dryin up a revenue stream as well!

More hemorrhaging for Shrub... PRICELESS !!!

:bounce::kick::bounce:

[PartyPooper]

1. As a gay man, I still loathe all Log Cabin Republicans.

I'll never understand how they could sell their souls to the devil!

[daveskilt]

4. well the dems haven't been that much better on this

and if they are right wing on most other issues or are really fiscally conservative....(which shrub also turned out not to be)

[Paschall]

7. Wha?

What planet ya livin' on?

Human Rights Campaign - 2004 Presidential Candidates

[daveskilt]

8. kerry and edwards both oppose gay marriage

If you are gay and aren't so worried about marriage and care about a bunch of right wing issues I can see voting for bush in 2000 since the dem wasnt going to legalize it either, so they move on to their other beliefs and if they are repub sure - gay republicans voting bush makes some sense.

Now this year a whole different kettle of monkeys. Gay republican voters would be nuts this year to vote bush. Anyone who doesnt want the chimp getting his grubby paws on the constitution and imposing his religious, vote grabbing, culturally faddish oppresive shite onto it thereby demeaning it and its value for democracy - well voting for him this year would just be nuts for anyone.

[SheilaT]

2. It's about time.

For the last twenty years or so I have been unable to fathom how any self-respecting gay man or lesbian woman could possibly be Republican.

[WillyT]

3. Me Too You Guys !!! --- To Paraphrase JC Watts Father...

A gay person votin Republican
Is like a chicken votin for Colonel Sanders

:shrug:

Never got it at all...

[truthisfreedom]

5. the log cabin repubs should have realized long ago that bushco was never

on their side.

[Voltaire99]

6. Bit late in the game to stand on principle, isn't it?

Presumably these Log Cabin Repugs found Bush pleasant enough company when he was handing them massive tax breaks.

Will they be returning their tax breaks now that he has offended their tender sensibilities?

For that matter, am I alone in finding "buyer's remorse" the most banal metaphor to enter politics in a long time?

[BadGimp]

9. wtf did these morans think the Bushistas would do?

Reminds me if the story of the scorpion that convinced a frog to give it a ride across a small creek. The frog was reluctant but after considerable coaxing from the scorpion, relented and allowed the scorpion to climb on his back and then proceeded to swim across the creek.

Midway accross the creek the frog felt a sharp stinging pain at the base of his skull. Shocked and begining to loose muscle control, the frog called out to the scorpion, "why did you do that, now we are both gonna die"?. The scorpion replied calmly, "I guess it's in my nature".

What in God's name were these people thinking.

[Sandpiper]

10. The snake that the LCR had embraced

Bit them on the throat. The Log Cabin Republicans gasped "How could you do this, after all I've done for you in supporting you?" To which the GOP coldly replied "you knew I was a snake when you picked me up."

[cboy4]

13. ABSOLUTELY!

N/T

[SoCalDem]

11. So the chickens finally found the fryer in the kitchen??..n/t

:)

[cboy4]

12. I just shake my head when I read

stories like this. To all of you
Log Cabins out there....REPUBLICANS HATE GAY PEOPLE.
It's time to wake up and stop throwing away your
vote. I'm tired of reading about all of these ridiculous
people who actually thought Bush could be on our side. :mad:

[dusty64]

14. Just like everyone else,

gays have their share that ain't too bright. Glad some of them are waking up, better late than never I guess. If the exit polls are to be believed, I'm estimating chimp lost about 1 million votes and doubt a similar number of homophobes suddenly decided to switch their votes from the Democrats. Hopefully this number will be enough to surmount the diebold "margin of error", although I'm guessing they are frantically changing those as we speak as evidence grows that chimp is gonna get his ass handed to him in November.

[Loonman]

15. That's like Jews for Hitler

n/t

[The Backlash Cometh]

16. Bush has never been loyal to anyone.

Look at his pattern. He gets his support through bribes, but he really doesn't have a real passion for anything or anybody -- except, perhaps, following Daddy Bush's Buddies' dreams of world domination.

[Terran]

17. This guy Catania is a self-centered fool

Anyone who lets a single, and comparatively minor issue like gay marriage sway him away from Bush is an idiot. Didn't he notice all the crap that the administration's been pulling for three years? Yes, gay marriage is an important civil rights issue, but Catania is only swayed by it because it affects him directly. I guess he was perfectly content with Bush until just a few days ago. What a complete shithead! I have little sympathy for him, but I'm glad he's at least come into the light.

[supernova]

18. Were they ever really "friends?"

I don't doubt the sincerity of the LCR, but they've been in a one-sided relationship for years in which they've only gotten token notice from the GOP.

The article make it sounds like th LCR are all that important within the GOP. I'm not so sure. Bob Dole *gave back* a donation from a gay-friendly lobby (not sure if it was LCR or not) during the 1996 campaign.

At any rate, I'm grateful for anyone waking up to the horror and stupidity of this admin.