Change.org has a piece up about how despite his pledge to support gay rights, former Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman — who came out of the glass closet on Wednesday — has continued to give money to decidedly anti-gay politicians.
One of those anti-gay politicians is Mehlman’s one-time boss, Republican Texas Congresswoman Kay Granger. According to OpenSecrets.org, Mehlman gave $2,400 to Granger in December 2009.
Mehlman served as Granger’s chief of staff in the late 1990s. That’s where Mehlman met Karl Rove, who worked as a campaign consultant for Granger. Of course Mehlman and Rove would both later go on to work for President George W. Bush. (Remarkably, despite all these Texas ties, the state’s major newspapers said very little about Mehlman’s coming out in today’s editions.)
Granger, whose district covers the western half of Tarrant County as well as Wise and Parker counties, has consistently received a zero on LGBT issues in the Human Rights Campaign’s Congressional Scorecard. Most recently, Granger voted against DADT repeal this year and against LGBT-inclusive hate crimes legislation in 2009. Here’s a snippet of Granger’s prior voting record on gay rights from OnTheIssues.org:
• Voted NO on prohibiting job discrimination based on sexual orientation. (November 2007)
• Voted YES on Constitutionally defining marriage as one-man-one-woman. (July 2006)
• Voted YES on Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage. (September 2004)
• Voted YES on banning gay adoptions in DC. (July 1999)
It’s great that Mehlman has agreed to host a September fundraiser for the American Foundation for Equal Rights, the group that’s fighting Prop 8 in court. But it’s difficult to even begin to forgive him for all harm he’s inflicted on the LGBT community when he’s continuing to help inflict it by supporting our enemies.
His personal journey?
Psychobabble.
I am willing to turn the other cheek with Mehlman, but I do not have to embrace him with open arms. His political activities have been directly responsible for denying me and my community our rights as citizens. I am delighted he has confronted his personal demons and is coming to terms with his sexuality.
Now, he needs to find a real way to come to terms with all the damage he has caused and the lives he has affected with the tactics and money he spread around the GOP. The hatred spread by the Republican Party has not just influences voters, it has contributed to violence against our community and for that it will take more than a mea culpa from Ken. Maybe if he would actually expose the dark heart of the GOP for the world instead of trying to placate the LGBT glitterati.
Ken Mehlman is a scum sucking media whore.. While I was in the trenches of AIDS crisis, it was the Repukes who ignored us….ignored us with funding and research. Not even an ounce of compassion.
So Mr Ken wants to “come out” after making our life harder with DOMA, DADT, and hate crimes. And groups like the HRC, Log Cabinettes will probably open their arms wide and bend over and kiss his scrawney white ass. In his mind…all should be forgiven. In my mind, he should be waterboarded with my piss.
But how do you really feel Jack?
Hardy..l. guess what I am saying is that I don’t care for the man…..gay or straight. I know sometimes I am not real clear in my opinions but I was trying not to beat around the Bush………(bad joke)