Ken Mehlman comes out: RNC Chairman made gay marriage backlash center stage in 2004

I hope he gets AIDS.

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2010/08/bush-campaign-chief-and-former-rnc-chair-ken-mehlman-im-gay/62065/



• "Do I smell oatmeal raisin?"

  http://i.huffpost.com/gen/195905/thumbs/s-KEN-MEHLMAN-large.jpg

• It''s about goddamn time. Well, we already knew anyway.

• I hope he gets FAT!

• [quote]Mehlman arrived at this conclusion about his identity fairly recently, he said in an interview.%0D\ %0D\ A big PUHLEEZE! He was a lying asshole then, and he''s a lying asshole now. Loathsome, repulsive hypocrite. At least he''s ugly, which means even Datalougne won''t deify him.

• All he''s done is prove that he was nothing more than a colossal fraud and liar all his adult life. He didn''t suddenly realize he was gay recently. The shitstain has known it all his life just like any other homosexual. He''s the type of queer who will sell all other gays down the river in a heartbeat if it makes him enough money. Where''s a good Taliban extremist when you need one. I know a freshly minted queer who needs a good beheading.

• There is a special place in hell for people like him.

• And he''s ugly as shit and has extreme cocksucking lips.

  http://www.waynebesen.com/Mehlman-Ken.jpg

• It is weird he moved to Chelsea but there are no sightings reported here.

• Exactly r4, lesbians can arrive at their identity late in life. Men know what their dick wants at puberty, and way before Mehlman''s age they know they aren''t going to magically change.

• Wow, shocking.

• I feel bad for him, at least in the sense that he has basically zero chance of getting laid in NYC now. \ \ But, by the same token, fuck him.

• Asshole.

• Mebbe yew ''n Turd Blossom can come down to the ranch an'' git together..hehehehe

  W

• Can we send him back in?

• Here''s a link to the whole interview.

  http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2010/08/bush-campaign-chief-and-former-rnc-chair-ken-mehlman-im-gay/62065/

• It looks like he''s spearheading a campaign against prop 8. Lil'' Dustin Lance Black has even got his back.\ \ Said AFER board member Dustin Lance Black:\ \ "Ken represents an incredible coup for the American Foundation for Equal Rights. We believe that our mission of equal rights under the law is one that should resonate with every American. As a victorious former presidential campaign manager and head of the Republican Party, Ken has the proven experience and expertise to help us communicate with people across each of the 50 states."

  http://www.towleroad.com/2010/08/ken-mehlman-spearheading-major-fundraiser-in-case-against-prop-8.html

• What is particularly horrible about this guy is that it was only after he made his millions working with and for a party that sought to deny us our basic human rights and, now that he''s set for the rest of his life and with no risk attached, he decides to come out publicly and expect us to embrace him. %0D\ %0D\ Expect to see him at the next HRC fund-raiser. GLAAD will probably give him an award and he''ll end up as an Advocate cover boy (is the Advocate still in print?). We do all the work and get all the shit thrown our way and he''ll all the glory. Just wait and see.

• Disgusting. Absolutely disgusting. Bullshit that he has just figured this out. I have no time for this kind of asshole hypocrisy, nor should any decent person. I do not wish AIDS upon him, I do not wish that upon anyone, but I think he is scum. Just my opinion.

• Strange bedfellows, indeed...how does Dustin Lance Black live with himself? That statement sends shivers down my spine.

• What''s the name of the White House whore who was front and center at the press conferences? I wonder if this is the trick he was fucking.

• And R16 proves my point. Not that I''d expect anything more from Dustin Lance Black, another notable ''do as I say, not as I do'' gay.

  R17

• So Mehlman gets to have it both ways - sit back and watch the Republican party make major scapegoats of gays in 2004 and now comes out and tries to "make amends."%0D\ %0D\ Fuck him. He''s the worst kind of coward. And who needs him in the Prop 8 battle now anyway?

• Now he can become a Log Cabin Republican.

• Think he''ll go into porn?

• This Dustin person makes me gag.

• He''s fucking vile and this in no way absolves him of his crimes. I wish him nothing but the worst, and it''s sad that gay activists like Dustin Lance Black are tonguing his hole like he''s a coup for the gay community.\ \ Anyway, I''ve been reading gay rumors about him on DataLounge since ''04 so I can''t say I''m surprised.

• [quote]There is a special place in hell for people like him.\ \ The meat in a J. Edgar Hoover-Roy Cohn spitroast.

• Repulsive piece of shit. He got his no matter the price the Gay and Lesbian Community had to pay with Bushville. %0D\ %0D\ Shun him.

• The deepest level of hell is reserved for betrayers.

  Dante

• He just got comfortable with the fact that he''s gay? WTF?!%0D\ %0D\ What a fucking despicable piece of garbage. He comes out, and his first inclination is to lie. Nice going you douchebag. %0D\ %0D\ Now go back into the closet. You''re disgusting. %0D\ %0D

• "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.''"\ \ He''s right. But I guess it takes one to know one.

• The very sad reality is that one Ken Mehlman or Ted Olson is worth five Dustin Lance Blacks in terms of changing the minds of people who actually hate us, as opposed to preaching to the choir. \ \ I''m happy to let him work for his redemption.

• Didn''t someone here post the Mehlman was a regular at gays bars? I think I read it here last year.

• She is not my sister.

• I wonder if DLB has barebacked with him. That crassly cynical statement about how his knowledge can be exploited is vile, and demonstrates a sickening ignorance of Mehlman''s tactics. He''s never been pro-ANYTHING. He can''t help shit.

• You people are sick.\ \ No wonder people don''t come out. When they do, they get attacked by the gay community and treated like shit.\ \ He is in a position to influence conservative politics in a way that will benefit the gay community, but gets vilified here.\ \ Disgusting.

• The Republican Party is full of closet cases, but at least people are finally beginning to catch on. It is time that the media start asking some questions to some of the anti-gay Republicans in the future and whether they are actually closet cases.

• HILARIOUS troll post, R36. Really.

• Dustin Lance Black is such and opportunist. \ \ \ \ This Mehlman guy is just a cunt.

• Anyone else remember Bill Maher outing Mehlman on Larry King Live years ago?%0D\ %0D\ What a self-serving lying fucking weasel Mehlman is.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33Jub4Itpm4

• one wonders why he came out now- perhaps a hustler scandal is about to emerge?

• Great minds, r40. \ \ \ I posted the exact thing on the other Mehlman thread.\ \ \ *high fives

  r39

• R36. Don''t be stupid and/or naive. People aren''t attacking Mehlman for simply coming out.%0D\ %0D\ We''re attacking him for the hypocritical, self-loathing, liar that he is.

• Another gay closeted Republican?%0D\ %0D\ Shocking.

• Exactly, R40. It''s ludicrous for Mehlman to claim that he just became gay and realized it now when other people like Maher knew years ago.

• Go back in the closet, hypocrite.

• Rachel Maddow also outed him. During an interview with Tucker Carlson she said something similar to "like Ken Mehlman, but less gay". Tucker was shocked at her comment and said he couldn''t believe she just said it.

• How come he was shocked, R47?

• Republicans get the vapors easily r48, especially when confronted with truth.

• People like Black and HRC make me sick the way they embrace this guy and say it''s an incredible coup. Do they really think he has any political power in the Republican anymore after coming out? Of course he doesn''t. He''s just run from one tent to another.%0D\ %0D\ If anything they ought to detail the wrongs he''s committed against gay people and say something like, I''m sure Mr. Mehlman needs to focus on his personal life now and put him on gay probation. Tell him to prove his allegiances before embracing him fully.%0D\ %0D\ They certainly don''t speak for gay people.

• What a loathsome piece of shit.

• Never thought I''d see the day when gays are more homophobic than Freepers. I just know none of you voted for gay-marriage opponent Barack Obama, right?

• How can he just now be realizing that he is gay if everyone else has known it for years? %0D\ %0D\ BTW, doesn''t he think he owes gay people an apology? %0D\ %0D\ The name of the whore upthread is Jeff Gannon.%0D\ It all comes out in the end. And I wouldn''t be suprised if there is a scandal around the corner. He might be trying to beat somebody to the punch.

• R52, you are a loathsome piece of shit too

• "BTW, doesn''t he think he owes gay people an apology?"\ \ I agree. He needs to at least start with apologizing for his behavior during the Bush Years. Then maybe we will listen.

• Loved Maher''s closing quote in that clip, after an incredulous King wonders why a gay would work for anti-gay legislation: "Hating yourself is the greatest love of all."\ \ Sadly, how true.\ \ Is Gannon still trying to make it in the news business?

• Larry is basically a good guy, R56. He''s very liberal and pro-gay and he so he doesn''t get why that type of gay bashing occurs.

• The news has also made the British papers:

  http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/richard-adams-blog/2010/aug/26/ken-mehlman-gay-marriage-republican

• I wish he would out all his closeted GOP pals.\ \ But of course he won''t.

• And that''s really the rub, R59. People should point that out to him - unless he is willing to reveal the closet cases in the GOP, he can''t expect us to think much has changed.

• I wouldn''t even be so generous as to lump this asshole together with J. Edgar Hoover and Roy Cohn. In the era which those men lived, it was totally impossible for a political figure to be openly gay.\ \ This guy is worse than Roy Cohn.

• I''d like to see him take at least one position that wasn''t self-serving in any way and that went against the GOP platform. %0D\ %0D\ I wonder how long before he writes a book, which Mary Matalin will then flack?%0D\ %0D\ %0D\ %0D

• But will he out the former president?

• [quote]You people are sick. No wonder people don't come out. When they do, they get attacked by the gay community and treated like shit.%0D %0D %0D YOU are the one who's sick r36, if you think we should welcome this stinking turd with open arms.%0D %0D Ken Mehlman is a HATE MONGER who has done more damage to the gay community than a dozen Fred Phelps. Phelps has only a few followers and is seen by most as being crazy as a loon, meanwhile, Mehlman led the hatred for gays on a nationwide basis. He made a fortune in spreading hatred toward members of the gay community. %0D %0D How many gay people were disowned by their families due to the anti-gay policies put forth, on a national basis, by Mehlman? %0D %0D How many gay kids in school were spat upon as a result of the anti-gay policies enacted and promoted by Mehlman? %0D %0D How many people have suffered injuries in a gay-bashing as a result of the anti-gay policies put forth by Mehlman?%0D %0D Ken Mehlman did untold harm to the gay community as head of the RNC. He's a shitstain on the political history of this nation. Mehlman is a hate monger who should never be allowed to forget that he promoted hatred for gays on a national level. %0D %0D

• word.

• The Republican Party members in DC and elsewhere probably started believing all the rumors going around that he was gay, if they didn''t know it first-hand, and Mehlman could see the writing on the wall: He had no employment future in anything Republican.%0D\ %0D\ So now to save his worthless, oppotunistic ass, he triumphantly comes out as gay and comes over to our team. We should welcome him like Benedict Arnold.

• Most of the feedback about Dustin Lance Black''s comments have been overwhelmingly negative on his facebook page. He''s backpedaling somewhat, but I don''t think he expected people to turn on him. \ \ Here is the link. Have at it bitches.

  http://www.facebook.com/dustin.l.black?v=wall&story_fbid=136629869713178

• I''m not sure what is worse -- people like Mehlman who have selfishly used their own self interests over the years supporting and encouraging the hate mongering and anti-gay policies and vitriol of the likes of pieces of shit like Karl Rove or the ''so-called'' supporters like many Democrats and Obama who do everything else "but" the right thing when it comes to supporting full equality like backing equality in marriage because it is more politically expedient not to. They do only enough to make it appear like they support equality but never go far enough because no one wants to jump on the sword.

• See, I told you being gay was a choice. This one just decided. I wonder who recruited him?

  Freeper McFreepy

• So that''s why Sully calls him Ethel Melman.

• "I hope he get AIDS..." this freak IS AIDS.\ \ One more hypocrite from the GOPeePee Party...

  Zak

• R36, you think he''d be out right now if he were still in a position of influence? If he didn''t want to come out, that''s one thing, but he *actively* worked against gay rights when he DID have influence. \ \ It''s one thing to remain silent out of fear, but entirely another to be vociferous in your opposition to your true self and taking it out on others.\ \ He''s vile... not to mention physically-repulsive.

• One of DLB''s comments on Facebook.\ \ [quote]Nobody needs a quick buck here, Nathan. And yes, I spoke with most of Harvey''s closest advisers and friends about this very subject and feel secure Harvey would have allowed this man an opportunity to start making amends, and welcomed the opportunity to reach out and educate an audience our community has had little success reaching until recently.

• R68, you can''t be serious in saying "I''m not sure which is worse -- Ken Mehlman or Barack Obama"?\ \ You''re equating the co-architect of the FMA with the most gay-supportive president in American history. Granted Obama''s presidency has been a disappointment to many of us in not being nearly progressive enough (so far), and it''s not like the bar is set that high. But still.

• r20, Jeff Gannon

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Gannon

• R73''s quote makes me want to vomit. And if Harvey Milk was as described, then he makes me want to vomit, too. \ \ It''s not just about the gay issues, it''s about everything else the RNC stood for and promoted as well.

• Who''s his bf?

• Those who have his credit card number memorized, R77.

• r76 et al. I don't know the list of Mehlman's sins. However, I think DLB is right. He could have slunk back into anonymity (probably well-deserved) and done nothing.%0D %0D The guy has come out publicly and if I understand correctly, going to work against Prop 8 and for other gay causes. %0D %0D You need to find a place in your heart for allowing people to make amends. There should be the possibility of redemption. It's not like he's 75 years old and beyond making a difference. He's 44 and has the rest of his life to become a better person. %0D %0D I'm not saying he should be openly embraced. He has a lot to atone for apparently. But he's human like the rest of us and we all have weaknesses. %0D %0D It sounds like he hit a point in his life where he couldn't bridge the huge gap between his actions and values. He's been in a Hell of his own making for a long time. Wishing him AIDS or beheading, now that is vile.%0D %0D If he tries to find some rationale to defend his actions other than being in denial, I'll join the chorus calling him "a vile piece of shit". For now, I think I'll see how things unfold and then make a judgement.%0D %0D

• I wish being gay would include having a gay membership card. On Ken''s should be "DENIED" stamped on the front in big red letters.

• R79, I get what you''re saying but we wouldn''t let a violent felon perform community service in lieu of serving prison time. A man who made millions working for the enemies of gay civil rights can''t just switch teams one morning and expect an unconditionally warm welcome. %0D\ %0D\ He has earned every ounce of ridicule and scorn that he will have to endure from both sides. If he had any decency he''d shut up and go away.

• My thread does not exist.

  David Letterman

• If I''m going to be miserable, please let it be in a 3.7 million dollar Manhattan apartment.

• Fair points, R79 -- but when one''s complicity in evil goes as deep as Mehlman''s does, it''s natural that forgiveness doesn''t come quickly or casually -- and that it won''t ever come from some of us. \ \ I''m glad Mehlman came out, sure, but I see him as a minimally useful supporting tool (at best) with respect to advancement of gay rights. He can try to be a pro-marriage-equality gay conservative, and the conservatives in rejecting him can be shown as the intolerant and mean people they are. Keeping in mind, an ever growing % of younger people support marriage equality.

• off-topic but will someone explain "My thread does not exist." with David Letterman as the author. It''s showed up on almost all the threads I''ve read and it''s really tedious.

• I''m sorry now. Please love me.

  Billie Sue Hitler

• Mehlman lived his life as a paid hate-monger. Nothing he can say or do will ever make up for the years of hatred that he aimed at the gay community. %0D\ %0D

• Sorry to haul out the overused Nazi analogy but this is like Albert Speer joining Habitat for Humanity.

• It''s like Jeffrey Dahmer joining Meals on Wheels.

• R85, he''s the little bitch @R1, R3 and R15 in the "Re: The David Letterman Thread disappeared after the DL shutdown last night?". \ \ He''s now throwing a hissy fit in every thread.

• thanks r90. %0D\ %0D\ What an asshole!! (The David Letterman troll)

  r85

• R36, when he''s honest about why he exploited bigotry against gays while in the closet, when he comes clean and apologizes, THEN I''ll begin opening my heart to him. But I''m not quite sure if you recall how deeply evil the Republican Party was about gay rights issues during the Bush administration, exploiting and fostering resentment against us to attain and maintain power -- and who was at the head of the party. I''m not buying that he just got hit with the clarity stick at age 43. He knew what he was doing and he knew it was wrong.\ \ A major, mind-bending, and deeply pained apology is in order from Mr. Mehlman. He encouraged simple-minded people to hate the cocksuckers, turned off his office lights, and went home and sucked cock himself.\ \ Fuck him until he apologizes. Fuck him. Fuck him.

• If the webmaster wasn''t into censorship, I wouldn''t have to throw a hissy fit.%0D\ %0D\ In her mind, if she doesn''t like it, the thread doesn''t exist.... or didn''t you catch that little explanation before she compeltely did away with the thread?%0D\ %0D

• I agree that it is mind boggling how a gay man can ally themself with the Repub party in any way. Ditto blacks. Something is fundementally wrong with such people.%0D\ %0D\ But it is a good day when one of them turns against his party on any issue that will benefit gay men and lesbians. Don''t doubt that for a minute. Personally I cannot befriend a gay Repub- I used to argue about this with my X- he said I let politics get in the way- but I say the politics of the Repub party are bad for the well being of me and many of my friends, not to mention based in prejudice.%0D\ %0D\ Anyway, a jerk comes on board making his party look even more on the wrong side of history. Do not doubt that this is very good for our side of the gay marriage battle.%0D\ %0D\ By the way, he is probably making big bucks now, but never (R17) as a Bush aid or head of the RNC. Relatively speaking for the hours put in, pay stinks in both positions- only later can someone make it up.

  charlie

• will Mark McKinnon be next?

• R93, then start a new thread about Letterman and let''s see if it gets deleted. You don''t have to go and annoy everyone in the other threads because your point gets lost and the reaction you end up getting is more along the lines of "Who is this freak obsessed with Letterman?"

• Mehlman was asked while he was RNC head if he was gay and he refused to answer the question, citing the privacy of his personal life.%0D\ %0D\ Recently discovered he waqs gay, may ass.

• Someone already did it for me (out of desperation) and it got banned in about 5 minutes flat.%0D\ %0D\ Personally, I no longer feed $18 to the crack addicted, censorship loving, website owning asshole.%0D\ %0D\ I''m taking a stand to make a point. Pity I have to go take a shower soon or I would keep going.

• If you look at the Republicans lining up in favor of same-sex marriage %C3%A2%C2%80%C2%93%C3%82%C2%A0even Hasselbeck is adamantly pro-marriage this week -- add Ted Olsen, the Cheneys....\ \ You can see how bizarre but conservative marriage is. Expect more conservative gays to come out because of it. As long as they can get married, now they''ll support gay rights?\ \ After they''ve done so much to set up bad precedent and throw stumbling blocks in our way?\ \ Charlie Crist, now that you''ve lied so much, how do YOU come out?\ \ We need a chart of these fuckers.

• [quote] The Republican Party members in DC and elsewhere probably started believing all the rumors going around that he was gay%0D\ %0D\ They knew he was gay. They know who all the gay Republicans are. They use each other. Napoleon said "A man will fight harder for his interests than for his rights." The GOP knows this very, very well. Ken Mehlman got money and power being RNC chair and those were the interests that were more important to him than his rights.%0D\ %0D\ Now that he has his interests securely in the bank, he wants his rights. %0D\ %0D\ Hunger for power and money trump hunger for justice. This is the Republican way. They know there are just as many greedy, self-serving, rapacious gays out there as there are straights and that they are just as vicious about winning the great game. "Look, just help us out and when it''s all over, you can take your treasure and leave and do whatever you like!"

• So, r94, just to be clear: If/when Republican Ted Olson manages to deliver victory in court, helped along by Republican appointee Judge Walker, you will absolutely promise to not attempt to benefit from it in any way shape or form? %0D\ %0D\ I''m starting to believe all the liberal hysteria on the Mehlman threads is due to the Democratic party being scared shitless. Already on the cusp of being tossed out on their worthless asses in November, events like this just go to show how our "fierce advocate" has utterly failed us. %0D\ %0D\ Republicans leading us to victory in the marriage fight. Now I HAVE seen everything.

  GOD is in the mix! Er, I mean that''s above my pay grade!

• From Blogactive, [bold] 2004.[/bold]%0D %0D Wednesday, November 10, 2004%0D %0D Is Ken Mehlman Gay? and if not, why wouldn't Steve Schmidt say so on the record?%0D %0D I was rather amazed to hear that Ken Mehlman might be running for Chair of the RNC. As we now know, Kenny ran one of the most homophobic campaigns in US History and now there's a rather interesting article about Ken over at John Aravosis' AmericaBlog.org. Here are some highlights from John's item:%0D %0D [italic] Now, I have no idea whether Ken Mehlman is gay, bi or straight. But therein lies the problem. In the face of longtime rumors, this 37 year old single man has, oddly, refused to answer questions about his sexual orientation. I can't recall many, if any, straight men who refuse to acknowledge that they're straight - if anything, most are a bit too obvious about it - and that ultimately leads to speculation, caused by Mehlman's own failure to respond to a direct question posed by a reporter. %0D %0D America is in the throes of a culture war, nurtured by groups like the RNC and people like Ken Mehlman. Americans have a right to know which side of the culture war Ken Mehlman is on, and whether, as RNC chair, he's would be a fifth columnist for those very forces that the RNC tells us are out to steal America's Bibles and jam homosexual sex down its throats and the throats of its children. [/italic] %0D %0D %0D Now, this is where it gets interesting. During the Republican Convention, I was about to run a piece about Ken Mehlman. While I was writing the piece, the two sources I was in contact with told me that they were called by unnamed press folks at the GOP and had decided to not go public with their story. %0D %0D Around the same time, TWO New York City newspapers were called by press folks at the Bush Campaign attempting to kill the Mehlman story...it worked. Within hours of hearing about these calls from the campaign to my sources and news outlets I received a call from Steve Schmidt, Deputy Communications Director of Bush Cheney '04, who personally called me to tell me that Ken was "not gay." Then I asked Steve if he would go on the record and say on the record if Ken Mehlman was gay or not and get this, HE REFUSED TO GO ON THE RECORD! %0D %0D So, we have the Deputy Communications Director of the Bush Cheney Campaign refusing to go on the record! Interesting, eh? %0D %0D I called over the the Bush campaign this morning to speak to Ken. I was quite surprised when he picked up his own phone. Immediately after I identified myself and explained that I was to write a story on Ken running for RNC Chair, Ken refused to answer any questions and hung up immediately. %0D %0D Hmmmmm, Ken...do you have something to hide? %0D %0D There will be plenty of opportunity for blogACTIVE readers to take action on this item as we keep you updated... %0D %0D %0D By: Michael Rogers %0D %0D %0D

• [quote]I hope he gets AIDS.\ \ Who on earth would fuck him?\ \ Dustin Lance Black is a talentless little dicklet who lucked into an Oscar. Fuck him.

• he''s an asshole and deserves our hate.

• [bold] The Washington Blade asked Mehlman about openly gay staff in an interview in 2004. [/bold]%0D %0D "I'm not going to comment or provide information on the private activities of campaign staff," he said, when asked if there were out gays among the president's campaign advisers. "The president is leading based on principle. His principles are reflective of his values and his values are compassionate and conservative." %0D %0D Staffers at the nation%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%99s then-largest gay newspaper chain told Raw Story at the time the Blade's editor thwarted efforts to run a story reporting Mehlman was gay. Chris Crain, the Blade's editor at the time, denied killing the story. %0D %0D %C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9CIf you talked to people on my staff,%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9D he said, %C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9Cyou know how many times I%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%99ve brought up in meetings that I wanted to nail this story. And I don%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%99t want anyone to get it before me.%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9D %0D %0D The staffers asserted that Crain refused to print an article regarding Mehlman's sexual orientation. %0D %0D Crain -- who was Mehlman%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%99s supervising editor for a Harvard public policy journal in law school and partnered with him in an organization in the early 1990%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%99s -- said he has not %C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9Ccredibly%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9D confirmed Mehlman%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%99s sexuality. He denied that their previous involvement had any bearing on his editorial decisions. %0D %0D The Blade editor said he helped former Blade reporter Adrian Brune get onto a call with Mehlman during the campaign, instructing her to ask him directly about his sexuality, which she did not. Brune asked about campaign aides being gay and Mehlman %C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9Ccompletely evaded%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9D the question. %0D %0D Brune said she repeatedly tried to interview Mehlman. %0D %0D %C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9CThe Bush campaign and Ken Mehlman were very restrictive with access,%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9D Brune remarked. %C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9CI was always denied any sort of access; they largely ignored all of our requests.%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9D %0D %0D A secondary source, Brune said, %C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9Cknew Ken Mehlman at Harvard Law School and everyone knew very well that he was gay, but there was no empirical evidence to back that up.%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9D %0D %0D Raw Story and blogACTIVE revealed in 2004 that both the then-Chief Financial Officer and the number two political adviser to the Republican National Committee were openly gay. Neither would answer questions relating to the party's policies. %0D %0D Dan Gurley, the then-political adviser, has since championed gay issues. %0D %0D The 2004 Republican Party platform denounced prejudice and trumpeted equality, despite the party's political positioning on gay issues. It said, "Ronald Reagan believed that people were basically good, and had the right to be free. He believed that bigotry and prejudice were the worst thing a person could be guilty of," and included a bolded section titled, "Ensuring Equal Opportunities," leading with the sentence, "Our nation is a land of opportunity for all, and our communities must represent the idea of equality for every citizen." %0D %0D Such equality and freedom from prejudice didn't apply to gay Americans. The 2004 platform continued, "We believe that neither federal nor state judges nor bureaucrats should force states to recognize other living arrangements as equivalent to marriage." %0D %0D The party's position continued, "After more than two centuries of American jurisprudence, and millenia of human experience, a few judges and local authorities are presuming to change the most fundamental institution of civilization, the union of a man and a woman in marriage." %0D %0D In 2005, a top GOP official denied Mehlman was gay in a GQ interview. %0D %0D "Ken Mehlman is not gay," Steve Schmidt, a senior official of the Bush campaign told Jake Tapper, an ABC News correspondent who wrote the piece for the magazine. %0D %0D Tapper also interviewed Dan Gurley, the former National Field Director for the Republican National Committee, who acknowledged to RAW STORY and Rogers that he was gay in a phone interview last year. Gurley blamed liberals for the mailer he sent to Southern states that said liberals would ban the Bible and allow gay marriage. %0D %0D %C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9CI would rather it not have been done,%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9D Gurley told GQ. %C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9CBut if the left had pursued civil unions as a positive affirmation of legitimate gay relations as opposed

• to calling it marriage, it%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%99s highly unlikely a mailing like that would have existed.%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9D %0D\ %0D\ Disclosure: Michael Rogers is Associate Publisher of Raw Story. He and John Byrne, the author of this article, appeared in the documentary "Outrage," in which Mehlman''s sexuality was discussed. %0D\ %0D\ www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/0...-come-out/%0D\ %0D\ Well the Republican party is beyond the gay boogie man now. Today''s boogieman is socialism

• As Rawstory says, the Republican gay boogeyman is dead. The new boogeyman is socialism.

• And immigrants.\ \ And Muslims.

• Does anyone know where this fucking queen resides? I think it would be nice if we all got together in front of his building and greeted him with a barrage of bricks, empty glass bottles and and assorted other missiles. You know, just to show our appreciation to him for all the work he''s done for us.

• Will Charlie Crist be next?

• Well done, R100.

• He lives in a $2 million dollar condo in Chelsea, R109. Not sure exactly where.

• Sorry, but he''s 41 years-old. Be serious. He''s probably spent the last 30 years of his life beating off to naked men and he''s only just now realised he''s gay?%0D\ %0D\ What bullshit.%0D\ %0D\ No man should sleep with him EVER.%0D

• I just heard part of an Ed Schulz interview with Mike Rogers of Blogactive. He said that Mehlman''s only been "in the closet" in terms of his career in the public eye. In private he''s been out since college and made no secret of it to the Repugs. In fact he brought his boyfriend to all the 2004 inaugural events.

• "he''s 41 years-old."\ \ He just turned 44 actually.

• Chief Justice Roberts is next!

• Bush is next.%0D

• I read a comment on another website saying Mehlman is coming out as a way to get in ahead of embarrassing revelations that were going to come out about his sex life. I think that''s just speculation, though, since there didn''t seem to be any evidence or info from insiders about it. It wouldn''t surpise me if it turns out to be correct.%0D\ %0D\ It is true fact that he''s still contributing thousands of dollars to the campaigns of anti-gay politicians. What a total shit.

  http://gayrights.change.org/blog/view/ken_mehlman_is_gay_but_he_still_wants_to_elect_plenty_of_anti-gay_politicians?qt

• Rove and Limbaugh should be next.

• Anyone else watching this log cabin shithead on Hardball defending the GOP? Scumbag.

• [quote]The name of the whore upthread is Jeff Gannon. It all comes out in the end. And I wouldn''t be suprised if there is a scandal around the corner.\ \ One can only hope.\ \ I''m scared that this will end up being step one in the Republican''s attempt to start supporting gay rights, though. Gays are mostly white males with significant income, unless I''m mistaken; the Republicans already secretly embrace them, as the Mehlman situation shows. Might as well openly embrace them and get more votes and more campaign contributions.

• [quote]Gays are mostly white males with significant income, unless I''m mistaken;%0D\ %0D\ You are, in fact, mistaken.

• [quote]Gays are mostly white males with significant income, unless I''m mistaken\ \ you must be a gay white male who only knows other gay white males, because boy are you ever mistaken. homosexuality is prevalent in all races and cultures to the same percentage. some cultures may have more of a bias about coming out, so perhaps they are aren''t as visible to you in your white gay world, but trust me honey, their are plenty of minority gays. minority gays who combined probably represent the majority, just like the population at large.

• I hope he finds happiness with someone.

• Preferably someone who will whisk him off his feet and move him to New Zealand whence we will never have to see nor hear from him again.

• I am amazed at how gullible some of us are! This was planned and orchestrated as the new face of the GOP as kinder and gentler to Gays. They need us. Just until they get back into power. %0D\ %0D\ You see, back during 2000-2004 and 2004-2008, the GOP was "color-blind" and homophobic. Now it is racist and gay friendly. Rove, Luntz and Gingrich are orchestrating their strategy. %0D\ %0D\ Mehlman spoke on TV tonight,saying how he wants to work within the Republican party, etc. etc. blah, blah, blah. %0D\ %0D\ He even has Rethuglican spinmeisters out here with talking points! Wake up. This is part of their strategy. It''s cynical and short-sighted, but there it is.

• R126 gets it. %0D\ %0D\ I want to hear some some public repudiation of GOP policy, with names attached. Without it, the whole thing reads like a scam for the softheaded.

• There is something suspicious about the timing here. Let''s see...%0D\ %0D\ * Mehlman comes out right before the midterm elections go into full gear.%0D\ %0D\ * He wants to reach out to gay people (right, right). %0D\ %0D\ * Why now? Why not before? %0D\ %0D\ * He''s hardly a mover and shaker these days in the party.%0D\ %0D\ I don''t know. I just sense something else is under the surface, and maybe it''s about to rise.

  ranger

• They asked Ed Gillespie for his reaction to Mehlman coming out, and he basically said that a majority of the Republican Party is opposed to gay rights and is unlikely to change.

• Perhaps they''ll change their tune if people start outing the powerful gay Republicans in the party, R129

• Come on Johnny fess up. Not just about Bush but about the whole other thing too.%0D

• Please. Rush Limbaugh inviting Elton John to perform at his wedding? %0D %0D The GOP is showing love in a million different ways! LOL!%0D %0D Read over R126, R127, R128. Especially R127.%0D %0D %0D Don't get sucked in by bullshit.%0D %0D It isn't really about whether they sporadically support SOME of our issues now, or whether they want to "work within the party" to change minds and hearts. %0D %0D For me, it is that I know what they are capable of, and I do not believe in election eve epiphanies. This quasi-public embrace of Gays is their "Hail Mary pass" and it sucks.%0D I'm not that needy. I don't need them to show me love, I need them to show me RESULTS. %0D %0D %0D They dominated Congress from 1994 thru 2006. From 2000-2006 they controlled everything, including the Federal court system. The effects of the climate of hate they created in the "Gay environment" were more toxic than theri corporate oil spills. %0D %0D Fuck Elton John singing at a wedding. Fuck a bureacrat like Mehlman going public. It's all window dressing like the BP ad campaigns. The GOP needs to prove their support with action. %0D %0D And BTW: What kind of support have they shown for AIDS research? How about the sconomy? How about Hate Crimes legislation? How about partner healthcare benefits? How many of us are unemployed because of the way they handled this economy? %0D %0D We live our lives every fucking day, both as Gay men and as citizens of the larger community. They have fucked us up in every way possible on both counts. This goes beyond marriage equality or serving in the armed forces. I see Karl Rove's hands all over this.%0D This is a Election Eve strategy. Period.

• Sorry, after all the seeds of hate the Republicans have planted, I don''t see them turning around their ignorant "base" very quickly.%0D\ %0D\ I don''t think they''re going to see any new support from gay people and will further splinter their own party on this.

• Why bother using the gay boogeyman when you can use the black boogeyman?%0D\ %0D\ The rightwinger base is more afraid of black men than of gay men.

• I hate to admit it, but I think 132 is right.

• .

• [quite] The Republican Party members in DC and elsewhere probably started believing all the rumors going around that he was gay%0D\ %0D\ Are you high on drugs? They knew he was gay.%0D\ %0D\ They don''t care. They will use anyone who is useful to them and a closeted gay man is a vicious person. They want those vicious gay guys like Mehlman and Rove and Gannon pretending they are "compassionate conservatives" when they are only interested in personal power and money. Mehlman probably feels he is now officially retired from politics, so he can sit back on his laurels and reap the benefits of all those years holding up gays as boogeymen. %0D\ %0D\ He''s undoubtedly very rich, because all GOP insiders become rich and they become far richer once they leave their official party posts and go to work for lobbyists and Wall Street as a "consultant."%0D\ %0D\ He didn''t just move to Chelsea for the gay life. He wants to be in NYC for what he will reap from the Financial District,%0D\ %0D

• Why the hell would the GOP use us as a "hail mary" pass? They''re going to decimate the Democrats in November, period. They don''t need any help from us. Has it ever occurred to some of you that there are actually people who think the government should stay out of people''s bedrooms as well as their wallets?%0D\ %0D\ I''ll admit to not being as hard on Mehlman because I lean conservative, but the hypocrisy being shown here is simply mind-boggling. Mehlman goes from being anti-marriage equality (at least in public) to fighting for equality and gets ripped to shreds, including having AIDS!!! wished upon him. The Dear Leader actually goes from supporting marriage equality (in 1996) to opposing it (in 2008, complete with Donnie Mcclurkin soundtrack) and gets a complete pass from everyone on here. Unfuckingbelievable.

• [quote]The Dear Leader actually goes from supporting marriage equality (in 1996) to opposing it and gets a complete pass from everyone on here. Unfuckingbelievable.%0D\ %0D\ Yes, UNFUCKINGBELIEVABLE, R138, that you''re too stupid to realize that the jackass in the Oval Office is NOT getting a "complete pass from everyone on here." %0D\ %0D\ He lied to us about DADT and DOMA. Many who believed his promises know that he''s no better than a Newt Gingrich or a Dick Cheney-Halliburton. %0D\ %0D\ He''ll NEVER get my vote again, and many others agree. %0D

• [quote]Mehlman goes from being anti-marriage equality (at least in public) to fighting for equality and gets ripped to shreds, including having AIDS!!! wished upon him. \ \ I don''t know about other posters but I will gladly eat my words when Mehlman proves himself to have switched sides and fights for gay equality. But considering his still active financial support for anti-gay causes that ain''t happen any time soon.\ \ Coming out as gay doesn''t make your past sins go away instantly or gives you some sort of hero credibility. When you''re a jackass you remain a jackass. Gay or straight. Changing your attitude is the key to no longer be a jackass.

• Okay, r139, I''ll concede your point. I overgeneralized. But you have to admit, that a hell of a lot of people on here are attacking him on things they let slide with Democrats. Case in point: people are attacking him for donating to (shock!) Republican candidates.%0D\ %0D\ He donated to Ben Quayle. I voted for Ben Quayle on Tuesday. Quayle never publically campaigned on an anti-gay platform, and I never got any anti-gay mailers from him. He doesn''t support marriage equality. Neither does his Democratic opponent for November. Nor does Barack Obama. When all candidates are equally good (or in this case equally bad) on gay rights, I vote for the one who isn''t going to tax me to death and bend over backwards for radical Islamists. I would venture that Ken Mehlman has a similar mindset, which is why he''s a Republican.

• If Miss Mehlman thinks that his coming out is akin to Meredith Baxter Birney, a "later in life revelation" and hence he is forgiven for all the damage he caused through the RNC, he is out of his fu**ing mind. I wish he''d just go away. Wherever. I would never support an organization that includes him as a speaker. I can just see HRC bowing down to him. No thank you.

• you, r141, are disgusting.

• R139 = Queen of the Hillbots.

• R141, who were the candidates in the Arizona Republican primary that you found to be willing to bend over backwards for Islamic terrorists?

• UNFUCKINGBELIEVABLE R141, that you can''t comprehend that Ken Mehlman is a hate-monger. %0D\ %0D\ He formulated and enacted attacks on the gay community that may take decades to overcome. How many people got gay-bashed as a result of Mehlman''s hate-mongering? %0D\ %0D\ There is absolutely nothing Mehlman can say or do to make up for the years of hatred he engineered and aimed at the gay community. His name should never be forgotten and should always be connected with his most outstanding and despicable trait: hate-mongering toward the gay community.%0D\ %0D

  R139

• I meant that''s why I tend to vote Republican in elections, r145. All Republican candidates in AZ are basically carbon-copies of each other, attacking Obama and supporting SB 1070. You may as well throw a dart when deciding who to vote for. I voted for Quayle because I liked his commercial and I despise Obama (who I actually DID vote for in ''08 and am completely ashamed of it). %0D\ %0D\ Stupid me for apologizing. I had you pegged correctly the first time, r146. You ARE an apologist. How many gay-bashings is Obama''s embrace of McClurkin and Warren responsible for? What about all the minority Democrats who voted for Prop 8?

• go away freeperella shill @ r141. you are not wanted here.\ \ oh and shove your "islamists" talking point up your ass. those of us who have spent our lives being vilified by you and your ilk aren''t going to fall for your politics of hate and fear.

• Everyone responding to R141, you''re why I still love this place.

  the cheekster

• We''ll see about that in November, r148.

• There is nothing more I love doing then eating my own shit.

  R141/147/150

• what will we see about in november, frepperella? that your constant race-baiting against muslims and mexicans has bought you a seat or two in the house because you''ve managed to instill fear in few of your more ignorant followers?\ \ you people will use any means to make your goals happen, but that will NEVER make your methods just or right. the fact that you revel in doing so shows just how morally bankrupt you are.\ \ i pity you, r141/r150. really, i do.

• [quote]I tend to vote Republican in elections%0D\ %0D\ And there''s no difference between you, Mehlman, McClurkin, Gingrich, Dobson, Warren, and Robertson, r147. %0D\ %0D\ You, 147, enable the hate-mongers with your Republican votes. Obama has done NOTHING to help gays obtain equal rights but YOU enable the anti-gay hate-mongers. You''re all a pox on freedom-loving Americans.

• r141 is not only vile, he/she is incredibly stupid.

• Obama''s befriended some pretty public anti-gays. r153. He''s done more than not help. His 180 switch from pro to anti gay marriage is a devastating change of stance for a Dem leader. His willing endorsement of people like McClurkin, Warren?? His wholly unnecessary reiterations of personal beliefs time and again?? Why does he keep sharing his personal beliefs??? He''s sending a goddamn message to the American public, that''s why.%0D\ %0D\ I agree he gets a pretty big pass too.

• This thread is not about Obama though.

• I don''t think many are going to be able to forgive him and not many will ever like him no matter what he does. That only makes sense. But am I glad that someone like Mehlman came out and has said the things he''s said? Hell yeah.

• He hasn''t said A FUCKING THING R157.

• My breasts are bulbous and lopsided.

  R141/Ken Mehlman

• Mehlman's announcement was no big deal -- and that's a big deal The reaction to former RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%99s announcement that he is gay has been resoundingly muted. Most Republicans and conservatives seem neither surprised nor scandalized. The few criticisms that have emerged seem half-hearted and strained. Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council sees confirmation that the %C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9CRepublican establishment%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9D is ambivalent on conservative social issues, which %C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9Ccontributed to the GOP%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%99s electoral failures in 2006 and 2008.%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9D Anyone who believes that these elections were fumbled because of insufficient attention to gay marriage has lost contact with political reality. In fact, Ken (who is a friend of long standing) was a wise advocate at the Bush campaign and the RNC of both firm adherence to conservative principles and creative outreach to new groups. I would place this political strategy up against Tony Perkins%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%99s any day of the week. One reason for the muted reception to Ken%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%99s announcement is the high regard in which Ken is held. No one who knows him would accuse him of grandstanding, or question the sincerity of his struggle. He is a decent, honest, thoughtful man. People understandably wish him well. But the collective indifference on the right to Ken%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%99s news indicates a broader shift in attitudes. Sexual identity is, well, complicated and seems shaped by factors that have little to do with individual will. Even those holding traditional moral views generally respect a zone of privacy and personal autonomy on these matters. This tolerance is increasingly an assumption of American life across the political spectrum. Gay marriage, which Ken supports, remains more controversial. Conservatism is naturally suspicious of modifying enduring social institutions and concerned about the unintended consequences that might result. But some conservatives are open to the argument that the public recognition of gay relationships -- through civil unions or marriage -- may encourage commitment and social stability. America seems destined to test these possibilities in a number of states. Only one development might cause a serious national backlash -- if the Supreme Court were to impose a single definition of marriage on every state, from Massachusetts to Mississippi. However Ken chooses to weigh in on these debates, his seriousness and civility will elevate the argument. And the fact that his news wasn%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%99t that big a deal is, in fact, a pretty big deal

• Charles Krauthammer on Fox tonight said that he was fine with Ken coming out and commended him for that. What was really surprising is that Krauthammer said that as an issue, being gay is a generational thing. He said after his generation is gone, no one is going to care at all about anyone being gay. Quite an admission.

• Krauthammer''s only regret is that Mehlman never got to exploit gay panic long enough to jump start war with Iran.

• Iran? Ken is a closet Shi''a?

• r158, he has already publicly stated that he wants to help overturn Prop 8. You''re free to continue hating him indefinitely but no need to be dishonest.

• Again R164/freeper troll he hasn''t said shit. Go eat some log cabin turds you self loathing loser. He says this 4 years since he''s been out of politics, he says after NUMEROUS anti gay marriage amendments have been passed which he helped get on the ballots because he knew they would be a wedge issue, he said this years after helping the repigs demonize gays. \ \ His support of prop 8 being overturned doesn''t mean shit. There wouldn''t be a prop 8 if shitheads like Mehlman had not spent years throwing gays under the bus. If you don''t see that then there is no hope for you. \ \ Mehlman wants all the rights that millions of other GLBT people fought for while he was constructing and promoting the policies that did monumental damage to the GLBT community.\ \ Sticking your name on a black tie fundraiser means zilch r164. Fuck him and fuck you.

• r165, you said he made no comment.%0D\ %0D\ He did comment.%0D\ %0D\ If you need to continue spewing your vitriol at me, or anyone else who attempts to interject fact into the discussion, that''s fine. %0D\ %0D\ But your rage does nothing to impact the truth.%0D\ %0D\ Take care, I mean it.

• "Never thought I''d see the day when gays are more homophobic than Freepers. I just know none of you voted for gay-marriage opponent Barack Obama, right?"%0D\ %0D\ %0D\ %0D\ %0D\ Are you retarded? The guy running against Obama was not only opposed to gay marriage, but also gay adoption, and gays in the military. What were we supposed to do - let McCain win? You''re a moron.%0D\ %0D

• "Now it is racist and gay friendly. Rove, Luntz and Gingrich are orchestrating their strategy."%0D\ %0D\ %0D\ %0D\ Um, no. Look how most Repugs voted on the Don''t Ask, Don''t Tell issue. %0D\ %0D\ %0D\ %0D\ "Obama has done NOTHING to help gays obtain equal rights but YOU enable the anti-gay hate-mongers"%0D\ %0D\ %0D\ You are enabling hate mongers but attacking Democrats. Just compare how the Dems voted on repealing DADT to how the Repugs voted - that should tell you who the real hate-mongers are.

• "The guy running against Obama was not only opposed to gay marriage, but also gay adoption, and gays in the military."%0D\ %0D\ How is that any different than Obama?

• [quote]Just compare how the Dems voted on repealing DADT %0D\ %0D\ Does it even matter? The DADT repeal is so watered down that gays can still get kicked out for being gay. Maybe you should read what it is that they voted on and compare it to the original plans for repeal. %0D\ %0D\ The Oval Office has delayed the repeal for two years and has made sure it''s barely worth the paper it''s written on.

• VERY different, 169.

• "How is that any different than Obama?"%0D\ %0D\ %0D\ %0D\ When did Obama ever say it was wrong for gays to adopt kids or serve in the military? And 90% of all Democrats in the house and senate are for repealing DADT, whereas almost all Republicans are for keeping DADT.%0D\ %0D\ %0D\ %0D\ "The DADT repeal is so watered down that gays can still get kicked out for being gay"%0D\ %0D\ %0D\ %0D\ Hi, Ken! You''re just making shit up to justify being a Republican.

• It''s the Pubbies who watered it down and the DINOs let them. The Dems in today''s Congress don''t have the balls to stand up to the Pubbies. %0D\ %0D\ On top of that, there''s an empty suit in the Oval Office who has turned his back on the gay community, put up barriers to a swift 2009 repeal of DADT, and he doesn''t give a damn about DOMA.

• How can anyone seriously compared the disappointment of Obama to hate filled 8 years of Bush? Good lord - did some of you forgot Kerry- Bush election and one of reasons Bush won.

• R166=repug apologist. If I wanted shit from you I would have squeezed the top of your head. Again, he hasn''t said shit and saying prop 8 is wrong after you are part of the reason that it came to be in the first place is hollow and doesn''t mean shit now. Nor does saying it when you are long gone from the political landscape when you could have made a difference. \ \ R166 if you don''t feel any kind of rage at what Mehlman did to this community then you are delusional or a self loathing piece of shit. \ \ Seems to me you would rather have your head stuck up your ass then acknowledge what the truth is cupcake.

• [quote]Good lord - did some of you forgot Kerry- Bush election and one of reasons Bush won.\ \ Oh!Oh! I know this one. Because he got more votes?

• Uh-oh, it called someone cupcake. Ferocious!

• Heh.\ \ [quote]I''d love to congratulate Ken Mehlman, but I''m going to wait until polling indicates that it would be politically viable for me to do so.

  http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_t6rV3U9ZEHM/THbH4_l6hGI/AAAAAAAA5Xc/2ztFhG2cZn4/s1600/DaveHolmes.jpg

• Has Obama issued a public statement regarding this yet?

• [quote]Good lord - did some of you forgot Kerry- Bush election and one of reasons Bush won.\ \ [quote]Oh!Oh! I know this one. Because he got more votes?\ \ no, because the votes were close enough he could rig the voting machines, and "re-weight" the exit polls so they matched the rigged tally from the machines. outside of 2000, 2004 was the most corrupt election in our country''s history.

• oh, and the 2004 elections wouldn''t have even been close if the rethugs hadn''t been banging the gay bashing drum. 11, count them, ELEVEN states had anti-gay marriage initiatives on their ballots, sure to bring out the fundies in droves, and ken mehlman was responsible (with rove) for that strategy. bush''s popularity was so low at that point there is no way he could had won (read convincingly cheated) the 2004 elections otherwise. \ \ so you can thank the turncoat gay mehlman for not only setting back gay rights, but assuring the economic crash that brought this nation to its knees by keeping bush in office for 4 more disastrous years.\ \ i''d like to see the bitch burned at the stake, personally.

• [quote]no, because the votes were close enough he could rig the voting machines, and "re-weight" the exit polls so they matched the rigged tally from the machines. outside of 2000, 2004 was the most corrupt election in our country''s history.\ \ Blah-blah, Grassy Knoll, blah-blah, Roswell, blah-blah, stolen election, blah-blah...\ \ Got it.

• Here''s another shithead that punishes others:

  http://www.datalounge.com/cgi-bin/iowa/ajax.html#page:showThread,9508372

• I think Mehlman is a coward. He likely would still be closeted but for Ted Olsen or conservatives like him who have stood up for gay rights. He saw that no one knifed Olsen and then got up the nerve to creep out of the closet. Of course if he still headed the RNC, he would not be out now like the closeted politicians. \ \ I''m like so many others. It bugs me that he gets everything his own way at the expense of others. First he works politically against gays like himself to support damaging republican policies. Then after he''s cleaned up financially, he finally grows a pair and expects to get off scott free and be loved by his own kind after betraying them.

• Is he a late in life gay?

• Complete and utter bullshit, r181. Aside from the fact that Kerry won Oregon and Michigan who passed amendments that year, it''s been shown that the amendments had no major effect on the outcome. Kerry''s gutless nature, as shown by his infamous "I voted for it before I voted against it" line was what cost him the election, not the marriage amendments.%0D\ %0D\ Although, if they did, I would think the brainless Obama Borg should be thanking Ken Mehlman for helping to bring the Messiah to our nation. Had Kerry won, the Chosen One would probably still be organizing communities somewhere.

• [quote]Had Kerry won, the Chosen One would probably still be organizing communities somewhere.\ \ He''d be a Senator, you moron.

• Oh bite me, r187. For some reason I thought he got elected in 2006. He''d still be a complete nonentity, much like he is now, and you know it.

• no.

• Trolldar R188 he/she/it is a freeper cunt.

• freep away, freeperella @ r186- your kind is not welcome here.

• You all are not paying attention. Ken Mehlman is the future, gay-community-wise. Marriage Equality is a conservative movement. Its intention is to make gay sex safe for Republicans. There will be more and more Ken Mehlmans coming out of the closet in the next few years, and they will soon be running the GLBT so-called-community, except without the "T." Transgendered people will get pushed further and further in the background, and all queers who are not affluent white men and lipstick lesbians like the girls in THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT will be shunned. The so-called gay community is turning into a Family Values party, and the cost of winning "Marriage Equality" is that the first homo to run for nationwide office and win will be a Gay Republican, just as Sarah Palin is about to be the first woman to win a major party nomination for President. The poster who said most gay men are affluent white guys was wrong only in this: He/she didn't say that most gay men are affluent Republican guys. It's the Ken Mehlmans who will get rights for "the gays," and we are all going to wake up the day after Prop 8 is defeated and ask ourselves if we've been sleeping with the enemy in order to get married in California. Mehlman is not an anomaly, and he is not going to be shunned. He is a hero to closet Republican queers everywhere, and if we don't want him representing us, we had better find a way to let him know it. But with people like that awful twink who wrote the abortion called MILK running around with the motherfucker's dick in his virtual mouth, well. . . Our movement is already a failure. We're gonna get marriage and lose everything else: integrity, "difference," solidarity with other minorities, etc.

• "We''re gonna get marriage and lose everything else: integrity, "difference," solidarity with other minorities, etc."\ \ Yes, let''s please hang on to those things at all cost, because that is how every single one of us gay Americans defines ourselves. Ridiculous. We have our integrity no matter what, so long as we have our integrity. Solidarity with other minorities? Which would those be?\ \ Difference?\ \ That''s how you feel good about yourself, 192?

• Very insightful, r192 and I agree.

• no other minorities give a sh-t about us. They would throw us overboard in a second. We can only rely on ourselves.

• Not true R192. Mehlman is and always was a deeply disturbed individual, a Roy Cohn figure.%0D\ %0D

• I''m not reading all those posts so maybe this has been said.%0D\ What he did was unforgivable. He''s a bloody capo and all self-respecting gay people should never speak to him. He''s not welcome in our community.

• He is an evil man.

• He must be forgiven for anything about which he admits to being wrong. That''s just good manners.

• Sorry, R199, but my civil rights are more important than exhibiting good manners toward a hatemonger like Mehlman. He aimed hatred at millions of gays. There is NO forgiveness for his despicable actions. His work to put Bush back in office makes him no better than the right-hand men of Hitler, Pinochet, and Milosevic. I wish we could deport him to Iran.

• What''s past is past. Time to take Ken out and get him laid.

• r199, it would be polite of him to apologize first.

  I''m waiting . . .

• None of our closeted wingnut brothers have yet to explain how they plan to build a voting majority with voters who believe that Adam & Eve rode dinosaurs in the garden of Eden.

• Why Ken won''t have boyfriend problems: see the pictures of his $4 million dollar apartment in Chelsea at link. Also? His neighbors are Marc Jacobs and Lance Bass.

  http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2010/06/07/a_republican_in_chelsea_now_weve_seen_everything.php

• There''s gonna be a line of eager little twinkies down the street and up around the block outside Mehlman''s door for the rest of the year and probably the rest of his life.\ \ I know what you self-loathing fags like.

• Oh, great! He can score crystal meth from Marc Jacobs.

• I''ll probably get called "Freeper" for the 500th time here anyway, but I actually have a civil question for the people on this thread. %0D\ %0D\ What exactly do you expect Ken Mehlman to do to redeem himself (if he even cares about doing so)?%0D\ %0D\ He apologized (sort of) for his role in using marriage amendments to fire up the GOP base in 2004. He did not apologize for being a Republican and I suspect he has no plans to stop being a Republican. %0D\ %0D\ r204, that''s why I don''t understand the "he''s only coming out now to reap the benefits of..." If all he cared about was getting laid, HE WOULDN''T HAVE A PROBLEM DOING THAT WHILE STAYING CLOSETED. Either he really wants to get married to another man, or he is honestly trying to atone for what he did in 2004. He is certainly not going to reap any immediate benefits from coming out.

  Freeper Cunt (so I''m told)

• Do you think he got his courage up because of all the love shown to Stephanie Miller? Gawd, wouldn''t that just piss her off?

• "He apologized (sort of)"\ \ R207, do you see any problem with that? \ \ He was responsible for a strategy "to bring out the base" that resulted in some of the worst state anti-gay marriage amendments in the country. Ohio not only outlawed gay marriage, but also civil union benefits that were in any way similar to marriage, even if it was just one benefit, such as health insurance. State universities threw (parts of ) gay families off of health insurance after these laws were passed.\ \ "Sort of" sorry just doesn''t cut it.

• [quote]or he is honestly trying to atone for what he did in 2004.%0D\ %0D\ Honestly? How is "honestly" in any way remotely connected to hate-monger Mehlman? He doesn''t have an honest bone in his body. The hatred for gays that he organized and spewed across this nation can NEVER be forgiven. There is nothing that hate-monger Mehlman can say or do to atone for his actions in denying civil rights to millions of gay Americans.

• DIAF you self-loathing cunt.

• Perhaps he could begin to atone for the hatred he organized by moving to Tehran, Iran and setting up a Gay Student Union.

• So, in other words, he should die - be it of AIDS, in a fire, or hanged by the Iranian government. You guys do realize that this kind of stuff is even worse than what Freepers say about us, right?

• No, R213 that''s EXACTLY what they say too. I''m venting and I don''t care for your retarded apologist bullshit at the moment.

• He should suffer a fate worse than death - a gay virgin in his mid-40''s living in Chelsea who can''t get laid.

• Ken Mehlman is not merely a hypocrite. Mehlman made millions of dollars using political campaigns to deny equal protection under the law to gay Americans.\ \ When Mehlman gives the money he made from these tainted political campaigns away to benefit gay and lesbian youth, people with AIDS or another appropriate charity, then we can talk about forgiving his hypocrisy.

  It''s the Money, Stupid.

• As of the time the article at link was posted (about 3 hours ago), Fox News (TV) had not mentioned the Ken Mehlman story at all:\ \ CNN has mentioned Mehlman 18 times, and MSNBC has mentioned it 36 times, while Fox comes up with zero, according to TV Eyes....\ \ Michael Clemente, senior vice president of News Editorial at Fox News, responded by pointing to the website''s coverage of the story. %C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9CWe reported it on Fox News.com," he said. "We don%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%99t report every one of these public statements on television and have not for some time now.%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9D

  http://www.politico.com/blogs/onmedia/0810/Fox_mum_on_Mehlman.html?showall

• [quote]You guys do realize that this kind of stuff is even worse than what Freepers say about us, right?%0D\ %0D\ Us? Don''t give me that "us." No way are you part of "us" with your Fundie Frau Mentality. Go back to your Log Cabin.

• r217, their story isn''t true. I heard it mentioned several times Thursday night on Fox on several of their programs, including on Bret Baier''s news show. It was discussed by several panels. The consensus though was that no one cared and they wished Ken well.

• I see now that the story was true, but only as of yesterday, August 27th, the day it was actually posted. FoxNews apparently never mentioned it on air (and Fox acknowledged as much) until they were questioned by Politico on that date.

  R217

• [quote]I heard it mentioned several times Thursday night on Fox on several of their programs, including on Bret Baier''s news show. \ \ The fact that you regularly watch Fox News indicates that you''re quite comfortable with pulling disinformation out of your ass, so I''m going to need some verification of your touching personal story.

• Gay Republicans = Jews for Hitler.\ \ \ Period.

• Gay Democrats= Homos for Mao. \ \ Period.

  Can someone so stupid breath without mechanical assistance?

• r221, I wrote about it on DL on that night right after hearing Charles Krauthammer''s comments. And BTW, you pulled the word "regularly", not surprisingly, out of your ass.

• check out the kween who sold him the place. Mehlman can practice on her.

  http://chelseek.com/

• [quote]What exactly do you expect Ken Mehlman to do to redeem himself (if he even cares about doing so)?\ \ Nothing. There is nothing he could ever do that will make up for what he''s done. Some things and people are just unforgivable. Not everything can be tied up with a neat little bow at the end, not every problem has a solution. It''s an unfortunate fact of life, but it is so.

• r161/r163/r176/r182/r199/r201/r219/r224 is a republicant/fox news propaganda shill pretending to be a gay who has sympathy for mehlman. just as jews will never forgive hitler, we will never forgive those like mehlmann, rove, and co, who actively sought to demonize us and take away our civil rights for their political gain.

• r227, I said we should get Ken laid and now you''re pissed about it. So you know what? Fuck off, freak. Like most people, I''ve never even heard of Mehlman before this week.

• stop using "we", troll. you are not one of us and never will be.

• What does DIAF mean?\ \ I''m not a violent guy, but I would totally watch Mehlman being put to death. I''d hold him down while somebody lowered the axe. He''s such scum.\ \ Tragically, though, he''s legion. We are going to lose the homo movement to the Ken Mehlmans of America. Especially with them working in support of "Marriage Equality."

• r229, when I said we, I was excluding freaks like you. Go away.

• R231, there are more of us then just R229 who are on to your game. You are not one of "us", you are not gay, and you are not wanted on this board.\ \ Go back to Freeperland, and leave us alone.

• It''s fair game to mock all the vitriol about someone who no has ever heard of before. \ \ Learning about him here, on one side there is "blah-blah, hope he gets AIDS and dies, blah-blah," versus, "blah-blah, he''s a new gay and we should be accepting, blah-blah." \ \ Ignoring all the "blah-blah", I''m going with the latter instead of your wish that someone should get AIDS and die. No apologies. And yeah, I do think that makes me a better person.

• [quote]It''s fair game to mock all the vitriol about someone who no has ever heard of before.\ \ Wah?\ \ \ [quote]Learning about him here, on one side there is "blah-blah, hope he gets AIDS and dies, blah-blah," versus, "blah-blah, he''s a new gay and we should be accepting, blah-blah."\ \ Are you even attempting to write a coherent sentence? Or are you still high of the teabag fumes from today''s rally?\ \ [quote]Ignoring all the "blah-blah", I''m going with the latter instead of your wish that someone should get AIDS and die. No apologies. And yeah, I do think that makes me a better person.\ \ Yes. You are a good christian, who just happens to want to choke off all social programs.\ \ Blow it out your ass, you hypocrite Tealiban.

  http://www.datalounge.com/cgi-bin/iowa/ajax.html#page:showThread,9572788,1

• We''ve HEARD of him alright. We discussed him quite a bit during his Roy Cohn reign under Bush.

• Sigh. So much for having a civil conversation around here. BTW, just to clarify a few things:%0D\ %0D\ John Kerry supported a marriage amendment in Massachusetts in 2004. %0D\ %0D\ NOM declared that there was no high-level conspiracy by the RNC to pass the marriage amendments.%0D\ %0D\ BTW, one of the reasons I like pressing buttons around here is because the insults are so damned predictable and ridiculous. By definition, a gay person can''t be a Freeper because any gay person would be zotted on FR in a heartbeat. But keep on with that "your kind isn''t wanted here bullshit". I dont recall any sign here that says no Conservatives. %0D\ %0D\ When Ted Olson wins OUR COMMUNITY the biggest victory of OUR lives at the Supreme Court, us conservatives will still let you get married - I think. Then we''ll celebrate by repealing Obamacare permanently. %0D

  http://nomblog.com/1730/

• Oh, R236, you are so delusional.%0D\ %0D\ If there is one thing Republicans love more than money, it''s power. And their power will be greatly reduced when and if the Republican party supports Prop 8 or any gay matter because it will absolutely madden their base (Catholics, Christians and other assorted morons) and drive them away permanently, probably to a new Teabagger party.

• r236''s use of the "word" Obamacare renders everything he/she has to say moot.

• If I may: Lets explode the myth about being a'"Conservative." That is a huge crock of bullshit, R236! The word has been stripped of it's political meaning and it is no longer a respectable word to describe a Republican, a Democrat, or anyone else, IMO.%0D %0D Traditionally, historically, political conservatives were people who wanted lower taxes to stimulate economic growth, and who wanted less government interference, and no deficit spending. I know I'm over simplifying, but that was basically the Conserevative premise, in the past. %0D %0D Today, to be "conservative" means you are "socially conservative." You cannot assign to the Republican Party any other interpretation than that. They were the ones, going back to Ronald Reagan, who blew up the deficits, increased government spending, and expanded the role of the federal government, and created more government interference into private lives than any other modern political movement.%0D %0D Let me tell you what is going on:%0D %0D They hate government. They want to dismantle it. No department of Education, no Health Department, nothing that doesn't serve corporate interests. They want a corporate police state where no one is accountable. You will never know who to hold responsible for anything. They will uncouple the governing and administration of every governmental function, no matter how appropriate. There will be "authorities" and "commissions" similar to your local "housing authority" to administer certain basic services which you will pay for a la carte, like trash collection, policing,etc. They will claim to lower taxes while you will pay more for services they walk away from. They will dismantle Social Security for one reason. To create more available cash for other stuff. I am sick of the chicanery and the charade of all this Conservative nonsense.%0D %0D These people give you someone to hate and they make you afraid,while they rape and pillage goverment programs, and shove religion down your throat. They don't care about me, or my rights. And BTW: they don't really give a shit about anyone's rights. This is about corporate dominance of American political system. %0D %0D Wake the fuck up! When it was in their interests to kill us they did it. Fuck Ken Mehlman, Olsen, ROve, Gingrich and Luntz. Olsen was not one of the good guys. Even after his nasty wife, Barbara got killed in a plane on 9/11.

• What does DIAF mean, for god''s sake.

• DIAF = Dad I Already Fucked

• Die In A Fire

• I agree with much of what you say, r239, but it seems to me that Ted Olson has at this point redeemed himself to a very large degree.

• klo

• Olsen''s made a start, but really? He won''t live long enough to redeem himself, IMO.%0D\ %0D\ For me it''s pretty simple. When you engage in a PATTERN of behavior over several decades, it takes more than one action, or, in Mehlman''s case, more than some kind words and pious intentions to convince me you''ve had an ''epiphany." And the timing of Mehlman is especially suspect. These sentiments are two miles wide and less than 1/16th of an inch deep.

  R239

• You had a be a brain dead moron to believe anything bad about gays these last thirty years. Mehlman was a brain dead moron with evil in his heart. He should not be forgiven, he should be tortured, locked in a cell with pictures of infected vaginas on all the walls and ceilings, little girl flirt voices piped in day and night, and three guards chosen by Denise of Michfest.%0D

• Not to sound like a conspiracy theorist but I agree with others that there''s something typically underhanded going on here with regard to the Rethugs and their sudden desire to "accept" the gays. And if true, it likely has to do with the fact they''ve managed to turn off just about every minority on the planet and figure "let''s go after the f*gs" to try to shore up their dwindling base. It''s nothing but an attempt to build up a little insurance just in case the blacks, the Mexicans, the Muslims, etc. turn out in droves this November to pay the skanks back for all of their evilness.

• too true.

• We''re entering a more conservative time. Revival will resemble the early 1980s but this time the Repubs are going to welcome both gays and blacks as long as they toe the party line.%0D\ %0D\ It''s the remaining minority groups who need to worry, unfortunately (e.g. people considered enemies of America).

• It sounds like he was the last one to figure out that he is queer. It''s all bullshit, of course.

• Given the overall tone of your endless wingnut apologies, R224, you certainly sound like somebody who keeps Fox Noise on your TV 24/7.

• This is amazing. Finally.

  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/31/mccain-campaign-chief-sch_n_700623.html

• The Republicans have grown greedier over the years. Before they only wanted our money; now they want our love as well. Well, they came to the wrong house - and they came twice. I shall see that they do not come a third time. %0D

  Miss Sloper of Washington Square

• Good point. After all, we''ve got a "fierce advocate" in our corner, cowering and sending out comments about "civil unions-for-gays, marriage-for-straights."

• Why does the Repbublican''s support for equality for marriage scare me more than their contempt for gay issues? What''s their game plan?

• marry me, R253

• He can''t, r256. Not unless the Repubs are successful and manage to do what no Dem has had he balls to do for us.

• LOL @ R257''s insanity.

• Yeah, r257--if only the Dems had the "balls," we would have gay marriage. That''s the only obstacle in our way.

• He hasn''t been exactly helpful.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cF5gAGQmOnk

• "The Honorable Michael Huffington"\ \ "Mary Cheney"\ \ LOL.

• We need a gay court that can slap an injunction on him never to refer to himself as gay.%0D

• WEHT Ken Mehlman? He''s been quiet for a week so he must be doing something behind the scenes to help the Pubbies pile hate on the gays.

• Will Mehlman show up for the HRC "National Dinner" on October 9? It will give him a chance to gladhand all the moneyed gays.

• If he does, I hope someone chucks a pie at him, a rock pie.

• He seems Bolivian to me.

• Mehlman has been quiet lately. It makes you wonder what nastiness he''s up to that will create more problems for gays. Is he helping his bff Karl Rove plan dirty tricks?

• He''s being very quiet during the current countdown to election day.

• Hatred of women is killing you.\ \ Gay men will not be free if women are not free.\ \ Stop the violence.

• Queer teens are harassed and murdered and driven to suicide every day because of your contempt for women.\ \ Stop the violence.

• Is hate-monger Mehlman trying to keep a low profile or is he just being shunned by everyone for creating years of Republican attacks on gays?

• He's probably still trying be a major player in the marriage rights arena, but it's hard to imagine his having any real influence among conservatives in general (I wonder if he'd be welcome among the LCR or GOProud cliques), and liberals probably want nothing to do with him given his baggage.

• This man's life has become deliciously hard - he actually gets spit on by gays wherever he goes in public.

• [quote] he actually gets spit on by gays wherever he goes in public. Good! Let's hope it continues.

• [quote]he actually gets spit on by gays wherever he goes in public. It would be fun to follow him into a men's room and piss on the jackass.