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NOTE – The Blend was cited by the swamps of the Free Republic today in its reactions to Ken’s coming out.
“Ken Mehlman is not gay,” Steve Schmidt, a senior official of the Bush campaign and a friend of Mehlman’s told Jake Tapper, an ABC News correspondent who wrote the piece for the magazine.…One staffer tells Tapper a fact known inside the beltway but not widely reported-that some members of Congress posture as being more anti-gay than they actually are to please constituents. “We’re a representative democracy,” the staffer told GQ. “And while members may not have personal problems with having gay staff, they vote the way their constituents want them to.”
– GQ Magazine, 2005
How quaint that quote is! This the worst kept secret in DC. I’ve been blogging about Ken Mehlman being gay for several years now. That he’s just “coming to the conclusion fairly recently” is, to put it mildly, challenging.
Ken Mehlman, President Bush’s campaign manager in 2004 and a former chairman of the Republican National Committee, has told family and associates that he is gay.Mehlman arrived at this conclusion about his identity fairly recently, he said in an interview. He agreed to answer a reporter’s questions, he said, because, now in private life, he wants to become an advocate for gay marriage and anticipated that questions would arise about his participation in a late-September fundraiser for the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER), the group that supported the legal challenge to California’s ballot initiative against gay marriage, Proposition 8.
“It’s taken me 43 years to get comfortable with this part of my life,” said Mehlman, now an executive vice-president with the New York City-based private equity firm, KKR. “Everybody has their own path to travel, their own journey, and for me, over the past few months, I’ve told my family, friends, former colleagues, and current colleagues, and they’ve been wonderful and supportive. The process has been something that’s made me a happier and better person. It’s something I wish I had done years ago.”
While it’s nice that Ken has finally come out of the closet as an advocate, it’s really hard to forgive him for the damage he did to the community by working actively against it for pay for years. That he can coast on the gains for our community by supporting AFER’s stellar work on Prop 8 on the backs of many during his tenure at the RNC who bore the brunt of homophobia, those who died as a result of hate crimes, the activists who were assailed professionally is unbelievable. Yet here we are in 2010 watching it unfold.
As a human being Mehlman owes the community a serious apology for fomenting homophobia for political gain. This is how he addressed that point:
Mehlman acknowledges that if he had publicly declared his sexuality sooner, he might have played a role in keeping the party from pushing an anti-gay agenda.“It’s a legitimate question and one I understand,” Mehlman said. “I can’t change the fact that I wasn’t in this place personally when I was in politics, and I genuinely regret that. It was very hard, personally.” He asks of those who doubt his sincerity: “If they can’t offer support, at least offer understanding.”
Mike Rogers, hasn’t forgotten; he has awarded the former head of the RNC the Roy Cohn Award.
If I had to say what one thing really moved me to create this site it would be the 2004 reelection campaign of George W. Bush, the most homophobic national campaign in history. That campaign was run by one of the nation’s worst closeted individuals, Ken Mehlman.It’s always nice to know that my reporting is validated as correct, even if the media has been hiding it for six years.
…The three people most responsible for the anti-gay actions of the Bush reelection campaign are Mehlman, Karl Rove and Bush. In addition to his role at the RNC, Mehlman served in the first Bush Administration as White House Political Director. In 2004 he was the general chairman of the Bush reelection campaign.
…In 2006, Mehlman told the New York Daily News, “I am not gay, but those stories did a number on my dating life for six months.”
It’s so nice to be proven right, me that is, not Ken.
If this move doesn’t call for a Roy Cohn Award, I don’t know what does. Ken Mehlman is horridly homophobic and no matter how orchestrated his coming out is, our community should hold him accountable for his past.
Mehlman, as is typical for quite a few gay Republicans, attempts to focus on the fact that he is not a single issue voter or activist. I find this view, particularly by someone who worked every day to make life for LGBTs in this country intolerable on so many levels, a position that is hard to defend.
He said that he plans to be an advocate for gay rights within the GOP, that he remains proud to be a Republican, and that his political identity is not defined by any one issue.“What I will try to do is to persuade people, when I have conversations with them, that it is consistent with our party’s philosophy, whether it’s the principle of individual freedom, or limited government, or encouraging adults who love each other and who want to make a lifelong committment to each other to get married.”
“I hope that we, as a party, would welcome gay and lesbian supporters. I also think there needs to be, in the gay community, robust and bipartisan support [for] marriage rights.”
I’m willing to move forward and appreciate that change can come, no matter whether personally or politically motivated. We need both parties to be strongly pro-LGBT. Witness the ineffective, lame-ass, slow-mo “support” for LGBT rights shown by the Dems in charge (in the WH and on the Hill). The power of Mehlman’s coming out and the recent desire by prominent conservatives to move away from gay-bashing in the wake of the Prop 8 ruling should concern the DNC about keeping a slice of LGBTs in the fold over the long haul.
Only time will tell if and when Mehlman and the rest of the pro-equality conservatives can truly boot the hardline anti-gay leadership — as well as show willingness to jeopardize losing the base that mans the phone banks, responds to direct mail appeals re: social issues, and uses the church to get out the vote.
I’m not certain they can do this anytime soon; we know we are going to win this fight, it’s another thing for a party to turn itself around to attract the very demographic it sh*t on for years based on a few powerful homos and conservatives with little to lose and the legal wind behind their backs deciding to come out for marriage equality.
NOTE 2: Look at this shite, the twisting of history begins. The media is running from the truth – it covered for Mehlman and is trying to whitewash his record. Word’s getting around on Twitter:
RT @msignorile: It’s clear: Media will downplay Mehlman’s role in antigay efforts to cover for their own refusal to expose his hypocrisy for years. NYT already puffing up Mehlman, claiming he “avoid[ed]” social issues (!!!), is now “working his thick Rolodex” for gays http://nyti.ms/9T85Du
The quote in question:
Mr. Mehlman was in Mr. Bush’s inner circle in both presidential campaigns, and ran his campaign in 2004. But Mr. Mehlman, in his work as chairman of the Republican National Committee and as head of Mr. Bush’s campaign, tended to avoid social issues, arguing that they would undercut the Republican Party’s efforts to expand its appeal.
NOTE #3: From Change.org — Mehlman, as he says, is not a one-issue voter. And he proves it by supporting anti-gay Republican candidates for office. To truly show he’s for equality, he’s going to have to make some changes in his donation targets.
Look him up on opensecrets.org, and you’ll see that Kenneth Mehlman has given money to a wide range of politicians working to take away rights for LGBT Americans.There’s $2,400 to Missouri Republican Roy Blunt, who has voted to add a marriage amendment to the U.S. Constitution banning gay marriage, as well as to ban gay adoption.
There’s $2,400 to Sen. John McCain, who wants to keep gay servicemembers out of the military.
There’s $1,000 to Ben Quayle, who is running for Congress in Arizona and who just labeled Barack Obama the worst President in history, and who just sent out a mailer to voters touting his opposition to marriage equality.
There’s $2,400 to Illinois Republican Mark Kirk, who voted to keep “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in place (and who himself is subject to lots of rumors about his sexual orientation).
There’s $2,400 to Utah Republican Sen. Robert Bennett, who tried to stop marriage equality from becoming a reality in Washington, D.C.
And the list goes on and on and includes Republicans like Rob Portman, Kelly Ayotte, Bob Corker, Richard Shelby, and Johnny Isakson, all of whom have taken positions completely contrary to full equality for LGBT Americans.
Flashbacks – The “Best” of Ken Mehlman on the Blend:
* Ken Mehlman has no fear — he’s gay-baiting Harry Reid
* Closeted Heterosexual Deputy Chief of Staff Ken Mehlman?
* Ken Mehlman speaks: on “Realignment” of U.S. Politics
* Have you visited Blogactive today? (Missing Person Alert! Where is Ken Mehlman? He’s been MIA since Foleygate broke. Hmmmmm.)
Ken Mehlman, practicing some ‘hot moves’
You may want to put whatever you are drinking down before you click this link to a series of pix on Capitol Buzz, where the RNC head is showing the ladies his groovy hetero vibe in a DC bar/club called the Guards.
Reactions are below the fold.From the Log Cabin Republicans:
“Log Cabin Republicans is very supportive and appreciative of Ken’s coming out. Being gay and being conservative are not mutually exclusive,” said Log Cabin Republicans Executive Director R. Clarke Cooper. “As a fellow Bush alumnus, I look forward to Ken helping me and our colleagues build a stronger and more inclusive Republican Party. Nothing presents a better argument for the equality of gay and lesbian citizens than the reality of our lives as responsible members of society. I am happy that Ken has come to a place where he can take a stand with integrity, and I welcome him as yet another conservative, common-sense voice to join with Log Cabin Republicans and all Americans in this important dialogue.”“The process of coming out, and certainly coming out in the public eye, is never an easy one, but I am glad that Ken has decided to take this step and am glad that he is doing so on behalf of the fight for equality,” said former Republican Congressman Jim Kolbe. “As somebody who took my own journey and came out later in life, I have a great deal of respect for him doing this on his own terms. Ken joins a chorus that includes Laura Bush, Dick Cheney, Ted Olson, and countless others advocating for the American value of inclusion. This is not a time for playing politics; it is a time for us all to join together–Republicans and Democrats–to repeal the failed ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy, to pass workplace non-discrimination, and to recognize all committed relationships. The responsibility for making this happen lies with the Democratic leadership in Congress and in the White House who set the legislative agenda.”
Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund President and CEO Chuck Wolfe issued the following statement tonight regarding an announcement by the former chair of the Republican National Committee, Ken Mehlman, that he is gay:“Coming out is a personal decision, and it can have a profound impact on families, friends, colleagues and constituents. We hope the fact that Ken Mehlman has reached this level of honesty will now encourage other political leaders to reject divisive anti-gay campaign tactics which, as Mr. Mehlman now admits, are purely cynical attempts to manipulate the American public,” Wolfe said. “We look forward to the day when all political leaders, regardless of party, are able to be honest about themselves and their families, and still rise to positions where they can lead by example
GOProud:
“Poll after poll shows the most powerful thing we can do to change hearts and minds about gay issues is to come out. I applaud Ken for having the courage to take this important step. I think everyone should remember that each of us has our own personal journey as it relates to coming to terms with our own sexuality and coming out,” – GOProud’s Board Chairman, Christopher R Barron
National Stonewall Dems:
National Stonewall Democrats’ Statement on Former RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman’s Coming Out“It is a start illustration of how damaging the closet can be when one puts ideology over personal integrity.”
National Stonewall Democrats Executive Director, Michael Mitchell released this statement on the news of Ken Mehlman’s coming out earlier today, “The coming out process is a very personal and sacred one, regardless of one’s party, class or position of power and we’re glad that Mehlman has taken the opportunity to live his life openly and authentically. It is a stark illustration, however, of how damaging the closet can be when one puts ideology over personal integrity. Mehlman presided over the Republican Party at a time when the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans were used to ill ends – marriage amendments in dozens of states, vitriolic attacks on our families, our soldiers, our very lives – all for political expediency, votes at the ballot box, and power. Imagine what a different America it would be if Mehlman had drawn a line in the sand and said, “No. The lives of fellow Americans – an American like me – should not be used in this bigoted way.”
“Ultimately, Mehlman’s story is a cautionary tale of the damage that can be visited on literally millions of people at the intersection of power and the closet. We recognize that this might have been a difficult decision for Mehlman. It’s ironic that he had to make this decision in an environment that is even more difficult and painful because of the policies and politics overseen and sanctioned by him.”
“The next chapter of Mehlman’s life could be about the good that someone can accomplish when authenticity and integrity wins out. We look forward to working with Mr. Mehlman now on issues that many of us have been working on for decades.”
40 Comments
Mehlman gay????duh…..
Reprehensible POS
Too little, too lateIt’s like someone burnt down your house then turned up two weeks later with three nails and a piece of 2×4 and expected to be praised for offering to help fix the damage
KenYou have blood on your hands! No amount of fundraising will erase that.
He’ll still be accepted withopen arms by the community at large. Ugh.
dog whistlejust like they are trying to push the narrative that its “misogynistic” to NOT support war against Islamic nations, they are gonna push that being ANTI-WAR is “homophobic”.
That is what he’s signaling here:
“He often wondered why gay voters never formed common cause with Republican opponents of Islamic jihad, which he called “the greatest anti-gay force in the world right now.”
Arrived at this conclusion “recently”?I can’t even respond coherently to this repeated lie.
I knowExactly what segment of the population in the Beltway (or outside of it for that matter) believed that whopper?
Mehlman’s homophobia is unforgivable – he’s a quisling, a self loathing ‘homosexual’ Republican bigot.Like the Clintons, Laura Bush, Obama Ashburn and other bigots he’ll get no sympathy or forgiveness from us.
His other problem is that he’s a card carrying member of the ruling rich, the looter class. People like him will always oppose equality because equality for GLBT folks, people of color, women, immigrant workers etc, will cost them money. He’s no ally and never will be.
Like Mehlman, Obama is a political hustler who sells out to the highest bidder. Here’s the history of Obama’s twists and turns regarding same sex marriage
1996: In response to a questionnaire from Outlines newspaper (now part of Windy City Times), Obama, a candidate for the Illinois state senate seat representing the wealthy Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago, writes, “I favor legalizing same-sex marriages, and would fight efforts to prohibit such marriages.”
1998: Responding to an Illinois State Legislative National Political Awareness Test: “Q: Do you believe that the Illinois government should recognize same-sex marriages? A: Undecided.”
2004: In an interview with Windy City Times, Obama mentions the religious dimension of the gay marriage debate, says he supports civil unions, and indicates that his stance is dictated in large part by political strategy…
2006: In his book, The Audacity of Hope, Obama, now a U.S. senator, explains his support for civil unions, again mentioning religion and noting the strategic problems that the push for gay marriage poses.
2008: At Rick Warrens bigotfest Obama said ” For me as a Christian, it is a sacred union. God’s in the mix…”
Obama’s position on same-sex marriage is identical to that of another bigot, “Miss California”, Carrie Prejean, who said “I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there but that’s how I was raised and that’s how I think it should be between a man and a woman…”
Besides Prejean, the Teabaggers agree with Obama’s bigoted stand on same sex marriage
In an interview with MTV, Obama says he opposes Prop 8, but also gay marriage. Civil unions, the candidate says, are sufficient: “I have stated my opposition to [Prop 8]. I think it is unnecessary. I believe that marriage is between a man and woman and I am not in favor of gay marriage…”
2010 : After the Perry decision, which struck down Prop 8, the White House said “The president has spoken out in opposition to Proposition 8 because it is divisive and discriminatory. He will continue to promote equality for LGBT Americans.” Meanwhile, White House senior adviser David Axelrod tells MSNBC that Obama “does oppose same-sex marriage, but he supports equality for gay and lesbian couples. … He supports civil unions. That’s been his position throughout. So nothing has changed.”
Timeline date from http://www.tnr.com/blog/jonath… and other sources. Emphasis mine.
Why not? The Tories in England have managed to do just that.
Gays have short memories and too often are willing to jump in bed with those who oppressed them.
Sad fact.
Maybe by Gay, Inc., but …not by the rest of us with functioning consciences.
Sounds like Kenny thinks he will somehow be immune to the homohate he fed and watered and invited into the party; he thinks he will maintain his privilege even as he has abrogated it by finally being open.
His “apology” is so much like those from others in power. He starts by excusing himself for his past:
Here’s a clue, Kenny – you don’t get to grant yourself absolution. He offers weak regrets that gloss over his previous actions as if he had merely failed to step up to support LGBTs, when instead he consciously, viciously worked against us and multiplied the difficulties we face. Then he whines about how conflicted he was.
Oh – so he knew who and what he was even as he whipped up anti-LGBT sentiment for his candidate’s gain, his party’s gain, and his own gain? He helped create this monster, and now he thinks it won’t bite him on the ass? He hasn’t been humbled. He doesn’t know from regret. He doesn’t get it – yet – in his sheltered, privileged world. Will be interesting if that world continues to shelter him, or if he comes to suffer anti-LGBT bigotry in some way, shape, or form, and then truly comes to understand.
Proof is in the PuddingIf he really wants to show how sorry he is, let him prove it by working tirelessly to undo the damage he’s helped create.
Try this for a meltdownOne of the comments over at Free Repugnic:
Looks like I picked the wrong week to not invest in tinfoil.
Look at this shiteFrom my update above…
The twisting of history begins. The media is running from the truth – it covered for Mehlman and is trying to whitewash his record. Word’s getting around on Twitter:
The quote in question:
Bet his real estate agent didn’t…. Mike Rogers reportsthe condo he just bought in Chelsea cost $3,770,000… fine new party pad!
He’s Mike Signorile’s new “neighbor”Via Twitter:
Don’t care…I’m tired of these idiots suddenly finding their moral compass after and only after they’re safely in a position where they are completley unable to enact any change. Same goes for Bill “oh shucks sorry” Clinton.
But the larger question…The fact is we have to come to terms (not forgive), with the fact that he is indeed working with AFER, like it or not. That’s the reality. So what, if anything does that mean?
Certainly AFER deserves financial support because its fight for equality has in fact been successful precisely because of the pairing of Boies and Olsen — and a conservative argument for marriage, and a demolition of the pro-Prop8 forces. It’s yet another interesting dilemma for the movement, as detestable as Mehlman’s past behavior was — and how many he cavalierly hurt — people who had the courage to be out back in the day.
“Mehlman arrived at this conclusion about his identity fairly recently”Translation: He’s decided he can make a better buck by (finally) coming out than he could by staying closeted at this point. Think Jim McGreevey and any number of others. And I’m sure HRC will hold his hand and help him learn to to milk his gayness for everything it’s worth, just as they did with McGreevey. (In fact, I won’t be at all surprised when it comes out that HRC helped him orchestrate this.) Next stop: Larry King and the Sunday talk shows. And a book deal, of course. And probably a TV movie.
Let’s hope LGBT people across the nation recognize him for what he is. Unless Mehlman offers a sincere apology–not just the usual double-talking boilerplate–and backs it up with serious action, like spilling all the political dirt he knows about other Republicans, our community needs to shun him like a leper. And since there is NO chance he’ll do that… It’s a pity we don’t have formal “shunnings,” like the Amish.
That would make an EXCELLENT editorial cartoon!
“working his thick Rolodex”The images that that that – as euphemism – conjures up are going to give me nightmares tonight.
I’m more cynical than thou
I think Joe Solmonese may be on his way out and HRC, in another one of those laughable efforts to ‘prove’ that its ‘bipartisan’ (laughable in that it, lie everything else connected to HRC, will accomplishe nothing positive and actually drive away many of its supporters), will bring in
LarryKen‘Bud’Mehlman to steer the organization through the upcoming Republican-controlled Congress(es).Yes.Let him back to life all the people killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
That’s strange.I have a conspiracy theory that Obama is really a Republican mole sent to destroy the Democratic Party from within.
Now, if the Bushes and Obama could BOTH be successful in their sabotage, we’d be in a better place for sure!
Fear not.None of these people has ever found his moral compass.
That would qualify as, “working his thick Rolodex” to “milk his gayness for everything it’s worth”, wouldn’t it?
Pleasant dreams…
hellHell, I have one of the world’s worst gaydars ever, and I knew he was gay….
Speaking of Hellisn’t the last level reserved for the traitors?
Well…It would mean that HRC is truly a permanently-entrenched, beltway entity that exists just to exist – much like the multitudes of lobbying and law entities who have interchangeable figureheads for the changing political tides: ostensibly ‘Republicans’ for eras of Republican control and ostensibly ‘Democrats’ for eras of Democrat ‘control.’
Untold Millions of Lives HurtThere is no way to count how many millions of lives have been damaged or destroyed by this horrible person. The cost of human life and money could be compared to fighting a war.
It was a war. A war against humans that will be continued for decades to come as we slowly knock down the hate and barriers this despicable person worked hard to create.
Whether he is a self-loathing homosexual man who did this to keep himself from admitting he is gay, which is not likely considering he has been out for years. Or, he did this for monetary gain. Or he did this for political ego, he needs to pay a heavy toll.
Now that he has joined other anti-gay activists, such as Beck, in saying gay marriage will happen and to stop fighting it, he has not reached any point of life to admit what he has done and will fight to repeal it and live a better life. No he continues to be a terrible person who should be left on the side where he belongs, not lifted up as an example of someone changing life to help those who have been damaged by his actions.
That’s too sweeping.Just as one example, Mel White was Jerry Falwell’s speechwriter, and after his coming out has worked pretty tirelessly for gay rights, including founding Soulforce.
Barney Frank got outed. Look at his legislative history.
Melman has far, far more to answer for and atone for, and his “apology” doesn’t bode well as a beginning: “It’s all about me. Sorry that I used my power and position to screw you all, but I wasn’t in a personal place to do otherwise. Hope you understand.”
No, he doesn’t get a pass just for coming out. But ask again in 20 years, and he may be one of the biggest turds in gay history, or one of the most amazing stories of redemption. I’m not holding my breath, but I’m not giving up, either.
One thing about that closet of his – he damn well knows a lot about the skeletons in other Republicans’ closest, and where the bodies are buried.
No, he doesn’t get forgiveness just because he asks for it, but while he’s earning it, I see no reason whatsoever not to use him. If he can use his power to get marriage equality in place nationwide (and yes, he sure used it to put up some powerful roadblocks!), then he can drift into history with my blessing.
Actually…From what I have been led to understand, it’s all a secret plot to steal the Hope Diamond.
Ken MelmanIf I ever encounter this piece of human slime I’m afraid that I would not be able to control myself. I’d have to spit in his face.
Took him 43 years to get comfortable with this part of his life. Get real. When you are on your knees sucking cock, comfortable or not, you are gay. Spending 43 years denying it while working to diminish and belittle other gays and lesbians is reprehensible.
I’m not sure what it would take to atone for the damage this scum has brought to our community, our country and our world.
Tom Tomorrowdid a cartoon about both these conspiracy theories!
That hadn’t occurred to me,but it’s perfectly in character for HRC.
+100
It’s too soon to know what it means.It may be indicative of a genuine conversion. But there is at least an equal possibility that’s it’s simply one more step on Mehlman’s road of self-promotion. Quite frankly, given his past record, I’m not willing to give him the benefit of the doubt until he proves himself.
As for the conservative connection, Ted Olson has demonstrated pretty clearly that he is a true, classical conservative in the Barry Goldwater mold. When political awareness first impinged on me, during high school, I was a Goldwater conservative. And to this day I think Goldwater’s book The Conscience of a Conservative contains a lot of sound principles. (It was coming out and Vietnam that radicalized me.) Olson’s work against Prop 8 and now Mehlman’s coming out may be indications that true conservatives, as opposed to the sorry retreads we’ve gotten since the Reagan years, are beginning to reassert themselves.
Gay marriage, looked at properly, is a conservative issue–conservative in terms of the constitution, which true conservatives revere (or ought to). But whether Mehlman is a real conservative remains to be seen. He spent far to long promoting the goals of the neocons (i.e. reactionaries rather than conservatives) for me to trust him.
I have already lodged my displeasure with AFERand will not contribute to them until his name is no longer associated with them.
Hey! I can vote for David Duke, I guessbecause I am not a single issues voter, right?
That wouldn’t make me a racist now, would it?
Any gay man who slept with Mehlman in 2004should have had to do penance
Perhaps…Perhaps that was their penance for something else.