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The Washington Blade has all but outed Bush's campaign manager

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Brian_Expat Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jun-01-04 05:19 AM
Original message
The Washington Blade has all but outed Bush's campaign manager
Edited on Tue Jun-01-04 01:48 PM by Skinner
Wow, what an article.

http://www.washingtonblade.com/2004/5-28/news/national/bushmum.cfm
. . . snip. . .

Mehlman, a Maryland native and graduate of Harvard Law School, ascended through the Bush ranks during the 2000 campaign, after which he landed as director of political affairs at the White House. Known as a savvy political operative and for his businesslike demeanor, Mehlman leads the 173-member staff at campaign headquarters in Arlington, as well as the 110 additional field operatives across the country.

Mehlman has remained personally silent on gay issues — strictly echoing the president’s posture — but he has also met with the Log Cabin Republicans in his former capacity in the administration, according to Kevin Ivers, a political consultant.

“The president believes a marriage is between a man and a woman, and there are appropriate structures in place for legal arrangements between gay couples,” Mehlman said in a brief interview last week.

Unmarried and has few hobbies outside of politics, Mehlman has called his vocation, his “avocation.” At the age of 37, he supervises the spending of more than $250 million to re-elect the president.


Yeesh. . . :wow:
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Obamarama Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jun-01-04 05:37 AM
Response to Original message
1. If indeed he is gay, out him....
On principle I don't agree with outing except in extreme circumstances.

Do I believe that a private citizen who is gay and happens to vote Republican should be outed? Nope.

But someone who is in the public eye, who is gay and closeted, and is actively working in support of a political administration that opposes my basic civil rights? Fling those closet doors open and pull the MF out.
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outinforce Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jun-01-04 09:26 AM
Response to Reply #1
12. Leaving Aside A Number of Issues Here,
I will comment only on your assertion that "someone in the public eye" should be outed.

I bet if you were to ask 100 Americans who Ken Mehlman is, at most only one would know.

Hardly what I would call someone in "the public eye".
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Brian_Expat Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jun-01-04 09:28 AM
Response to Reply #12
14. If you asked 100 Americans who Karl Rove is, only a few would know
I guess that means we shouldn't talk about Karl either?

No, if they man in charge of Bush's campaign is gay and helping re-seat the most homophobic president in modern history, it should be public knowledge that he's gay. Period. No ifs ands or buts.
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TheWebHead Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jun-01-04 06:16 AM
Response to Original message
2. that's hardly "outing" him
otherwise I have 3 years until I "become" gay :) ... marriage as a gay litmus test? Yeesh
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Brian_Expat Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jun-01-04 09:26 AM
Response to Reply #2
11. He was all but outed in that article. . .
Being listed with Lynne Cheney, never dating a woman, talking about conservatism, in a Republican-owned gay newspaper? They're clearly inferring it in a coy way -- to try and argue that "Bush really isn't all that bad."

I hope one of his exes comes forth soon if he is.
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dsc Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jun-01-04 06:37 AM
Response to Original message
3. being unmarried
isn't being gay. Plus to get where he got at 37 he had to work like a slave. Remember Carville didn't get married until after Clinton won in 92 and he was considerably older than 37.
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xchrom Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jun-01-04 06:47 AM
Response to Original message
4. yawn
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Dirty Hippie Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jun-01-04 07:46 AM
Response to Original message
5. Gay supporting republicans
are like chickens supporting Col. Sanders.

Go figure.
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dryan Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jun-01-04 08:31 AM
Response to Reply #5
6. Phyllis Shafely's Son
This was hinted about in the book "And the Band Played On", then a few years later he (sorry I can't remember his name) that he was gay.
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Warren DeMontague Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jun-01-04 08:41 AM
Response to Reply #5
8. Yep
I don't know how so-called "Gay Republicans" sleep at night. They must really like their tax cuts.
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LizW Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jun-01-04 08:38 AM
Response to Original message
7. Mehlman has much bigger lies to worry about
than living closeted, if he is in fact gay.

“The president is leading based on principle. His principles are reflective of his values and his values are compassionate and conservative.”

:eyes:
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Neshanic Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jun-01-04 08:56 AM
Response to Reply #7
9. Yes, I am sure he is losing sleep...(sarcasm off)
Edited on Tue Jun-01-04 08:57 AM by Neshanic
It's immoral, and not our business, and we are better than that, and, and.....

Meanwhile back at evil central this guy, orchestrates the placement of the monkey back in the Whitehouse.

Really, if there are gay guys in that office with him, if he is indeed gay, they need to be outed now.

Grow some spines.
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noonwitch Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jun-01-04 09:22 AM
Response to Original message
10. Who cares if he is gay or not?
I don't. I do think that people have the right to privacy on those matters, even republicans, LOL.
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Brian_Expat Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jun-01-04 09:27 AM
Response to Reply #10
13. There's no right to privacy for homophobes who are gay
Any more than there's a "right to privacy" for heterosexuals.

If a gay man is orchestrating the election of an anti-gay bigot like Bush, he should be outed IMMEDIATELY.
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mondo joe Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jun-01-04 09:57 AM
Response to Reply #13
25. There is no right to privacy PERIOD in political campaigns
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outinforce Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jun-01-04 09:29 AM
Response to Reply #10
15. You Said It!
I'm gay, and it always -- ALWAYS -- amazes me that there are gay folks who actually advocate outing other gay people.

We say, on the one hand, that we think that what we do in the privacy of our own bedrooms is nobody's business.

At least that is what I always say.

But when some gay folks see someone who is gay and whose outlook on politics is a little bit different, then suddenly it is ok to make another person's bedroom activity public knowledge.

It's just vindictiveness.
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Brian_Expat Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jun-01-04 09:32 AM
Response to Reply #15
16. I see the problem. . .
We say, on the one hand, that we think that what we do in the privacy of our own bedrooms is nobody's business.

You say that being gay is "what one does in the privacy of one's own bedroom."

I, on the other hand, believe being gay is an orientation that includes love, romance and how we relate to fellow human beings.

There's a difference between saying "Public figure X loves to get hog-tied in a harness and spanked by strong hairy men" and saying "public figure X is gay."

The former IS an invasion of privacy in most cases. The latter is a statement of fact and says NOTHING about what one "does in the privacy of his bedroom."
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outinforce Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jun-01-04 09:41 AM
Response to Reply #16
20. Really?
I think if you were to ask most people, they would agree that a statement that so-and-so is gay says a lot about what so-and-so does in the privacy of his or her own bedroom.

YOu say that being say is an orientation that includes love, romance, and how we relate to fellow human beings.

That is certainly so, but the same could be said for heterosexuality.

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Brian_Expat Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jun-01-04 09:56 AM
Response to Reply #20
24. lol
I think if you were to ask most people, they would agree that a statement that so-and-so is gay says a lot about what so-and-so does in the privacy of his or her own bedroom.

Only to a pervert. If someone says that Joe and Brenda are married, that doesn't say to me what they do (or don't do) "in the bedroom." It tells me they're married. For all I know, they could never have sex and sleep in separate beds.
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mondo joe Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jun-01-04 10:03 AM
Response to Reply #20
27. The bedroom is the least of being gay
I'm a gay spouse, a gay parent, a gay person, 100% of the time.

What I do in the bedroom, other than sleep, constitutes a very small part of my life.

We're not appalled when there are reports that James Carville married Mary Matalin - was that a declaration of what they do in the bedroom?
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Brian_Expat Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jun-01-04 09:32 AM
Response to Reply #15
17. dupe deleted
Edited on Tue Jun-01-04 09:33 AM by Brian_Expat
dupe deleted
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Brian_Expat Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jun-01-04 09:32 AM
Response to Reply #15
18. dupe deleted
Edited on Tue Jun-01-04 09:33 AM by Brian_Expat
dupe deleted
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mondo joe Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jun-01-04 09:37 AM
Response to Reply #15
19. But it's not just the bedroom
My health insurance benefit isn't in the bedroom.

My children's school isn't in the bedroom.

My social security survivor benefit isn't in the bedroom.

By granting homosexuality a "special privacy" standard, it will continue to be stigmatized.

It should be as much fair game as anything else in a campaign.
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outinforce Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jun-01-04 09:43 AM
Response to Reply #19
21. What?
I'm afraid I have no clue what point you are trying to make here.

I have health insurance. The fact that I am gay has nothing to do with whether I am gay or not.

I have no kids, but if I did, I think that they would be allowed to go to public schools.

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mondo joe Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jun-01-04 09:55 AM
Response to Reply #21
23. What I'm talking about:
There are many gay couples who don't get the same health insirance benefit because they can't legally be married.

Being gay is not limited to the bedroom.
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Brian_Expat Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jun-01-04 09:58 AM
Response to Reply #23
26. Bingo
Anyone who thinks about bedroom activities when informed of anyone's attraction orientation probably needs a good dose of therapy. None of the bedroom activities of my friends, gay or straight, come to mind when I see them.

It's fully possible to be gay and have NO bedroom activities whatsoever. I was a gay teen long before I had sexual contact with anyone. Saying I was gay then had NOTHING to do with bedroom activity (since there was none).
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Neshanic Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jun-01-04 09:49 AM
Response to Original message
22. Play "closeted gay, you make the call."
You are a RW fundamentalist...

Your son's fantastic first grade teacher is closeted, but only you know he's gay. Drop a dime on him?

Your neighbor who keeps his home nice looking, but is a vocal democrat and running for a school board position. Discreet call to the homeowners association?

Your wife's sister teaches a Sunday school class at your church, she is struggling with being a lesbian. Get the pray squad together and have a gang save?

You are a liberal democrat.

Your son's fantastic first grade teacher is closeted, but only you know he's gay. Drop a dime on him? No, who cares?

Your neighbor who keeps his home nice looking, but is a vocal democrat and running for a school board position. Discreet call to the homeowners association? No, who cares?

Your wife's sister teaches a Sunday school class at your church, she is struggling with being a lesbian. Get the pray squad together and have a gang save? No. who cares?

Bonus round.

Right wing shills, talking heads, pundits, helpers, minions, remoras, and general Republican enablers who take no hesitation to denounce gay life, rights, even existence, and have no problem taking, making, and benefiting their positions, and are closeted gays.

Get with the program people. They Hate us. Bush gets in again, you can tut-tut them on their moral bankruptcy, when they want a little list.







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Moderator DU Moderator Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jun-01-04 10:04 AM
Response to Original message
28. Brian_ExPat
Per DU copyright rules
please post only four
paragraphs from the
news source.

Thank you.


DU Moderator
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