Former RNC chief Ken Mehlman: I’m gay
posted at 6:37 pm on August 25, 2010 by Allahpundit
He says he realized it “fairly recently,” in Marc Ambinder’s words, which has Tammy Bruce chuckling on Twitter. Honestly, I thought the guy came out years ago. Remember when Bill Maher talked about the rumors surrounding him on Larry King’s show — back in 2006? I guess you were the last to know, Ken.
He’s doing this now, it seems, because he wants to drum up publicity for the cause of gay marriage and figures that “Republican whom everyone thought was gay actually is gay” headlines will do the trick. Could be, although Ambinder’s careful to remind readers of the sort of social con initiatives that the GOP pushed during Mehlman’s RNC tenure. That won’t endear him to gay activists, and his newly public identity won’t endear him to social cons. Maybe he should have just worked for gay marriage like Ted Olson and kept his orientation private?
Privately, in off-the-record conversations with this reporter over the years, Mehlman voiced support for civil unions and told of how, in private discussions with senior Republican officials, he beat back efforts to attack same-sex marriage. He insisted, too, that President Bush “was no homophobe.” 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.”
Mehlman’s leadership positions in the GOP came at a time when the party was stepping up its anti-gay activities — such as the distribution in West Virginia in 2006 of literature linking homosexuality to atheism, or the less-than-subtle, coded language in the party’s platform (“Attempts to redefine marriage in a single state or city could have serious consequences throughout the country…”). Mehlman said at the time that he could not, as an individual Republican, go against the party consensus. He was aware that Karl Rove, President Bush’s chief strategic adviser, had been working with Republicans to make sure that anti-gay initiatives and referenda would appear on November ballots in 2004 and 2006 to help Republicans.
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.”
I couldn’t care less either way, but with all the buzz lately about new conservative support for gays — here’s the latest surreal episode in the Coulter/Farah HomoCon saga, incidentally — this is a bracing reminder that an openly gay RNC chief probably would still be a problem. Or would it?
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It really is mind boggling that the president of the United States, the most powerful man in the world, has so little respect for his office that he would actually try blame his ineffectiveness on a private citizen who simply broadcast his opinions. Pathetic!
chazmaz on May 14, 2013 at 9:31 PM
If Rush does live in Obama’s head, could he at least tell us what Obama was doing on the night of the Benghazi attack?
monalisa on May 14, 2013 at 9:37 PM
Dittos all.
Could be they identified the enemy and it is us.
Julian Bond had an interesting description of the Tea Party tonight.
Interesting times.
seesalrun2 on May 14, 2013 at 9:45 PM
Or maybe Obama is angry that he can’t forcibly nationalize the broadcast spectrum in total a la Hugo Chavez. Which is why he gets into these p***ing matches with Rush and Fox News.
Myron Falwell on May 14, 2013 at 9:47 PM
Good for Rush finding this new apartment. I hear there is plenty of empty space up in there; he should be able to get some good practice in on that golf swing of his.
Gingotts on May 14, 2013 at 9:53 PM
God bless Rush Limbaugh.
TitularHead on May 14, 2013 at 10:04 PM
What he does every night, watching Sportscenter of course. That’s such common knowledge that lobbyists have started advertising on ESPN just to get to him.
slickwillie2001 on May 14, 2013 at 10:25 PM
It can’t cost too much, there’s nothing there.
mmcnamer1 on May 14, 2013 at 10:26 PM
Even a thimble has space for a gnat, Mr.Limbaugh.
All the mockery of shout radio combined has not done one whit to halt his socialist agenda, or even really to hold the GOP’s feet to the fire until they were worth a hoot. So make your jokes about rent-free life…they’ve got the power and we don’t.
MelonCollie on May 14, 2013 at 11:11 PM
MMM-MMM-MMM!
Sir Loin on May 15, 2013 at 2:29 AM
Exactly right. You know when I essentially gave up on the American people and knew in my gut that this country had gone too far down the path of ignorance and facism? When there was no back-lash, no rising up against the incredible attacks on Sarah Palin and her children. And then this President who called Americans “the enemy” and those of us who defended the Constitution and criticised the press and the federal government for acting like a 3rd World dictator became “extremests”. The filth spewed by Hollywood became the “norm”. Veterans and people who opposed the likes of that butcher Gosnell were put on the terrorist “watch” lists and low-life, pedophiles were allowed to sexually abuse children in public while their parents looked on at our airports.
Now we learn that 7 muslims—chemists—were found at Boston’s water source and while Obama is busy persecuting Billy Graham, these innocent “researchers” are allowed to go their merry way. Why aren’t every one of them in jail awaiting a direct plane to their homeland? Why the hell are they in this county in the first place?
I’m very tired of the awful, souless country we’re passing on to the next generation. Degenerates in Hollywood glorify drug abuse, incivility, and ignorance and they are the pied pipers who shoulder the most immoral man who has ever sat in the Oval Office to lead us all over the cliff. I went to Lowes last week looking for stuff for a remodel in my house. I couldn’t read the freaking packages. I needed an interpreter because everything was in Spanish. I’d like to know why these people are here? They hate us. They want to turn us into Mexico and they burn our flag and insult and ignore our laws and we want more of them? And why are we allowing “students” from Muslim countries? Can anyone, anywhere point to any progress in bringing any Muslim country out of the 6th century? The only thing these “educated” Muslims do is provide technical expertise to blow us all up.
OK. Good grief. I haven’t been involved in any politics since the election because I was intimidated. I used to poo poo “conspiracy” theorists. And for six years I’ve watched the fruition of every, single theory out there. One of the same so-called “nuts” who predicted persecution and prosecution and camps for conservatives and Republicans is now telling us that Google is joining with the Bilderburgs for total power and thought control. Even last year, I would have dismissed this. Now? After the confirmation that the IRS is Obama’s personal SS, I’m paying attention. Now wonder these people want everyone’s guns and ammo.
Portia46 on May 15, 2013 at 9:14 AM
Rush also has the bad taste to not have attended Columbia or Harvard.
TimBuk3 on May 15, 2013 at 9:28 AM
Now THAT, I couldn’t care less about.
Ivy League schools have hopelessly fallen from vaunted institutions of higher learning to left-wing indoctrination centers…and places where all kinds of rich-brat capers go on and get covered up by daddy’s money.
MelonCollie on May 15, 2013 at 9:31 AM
Rush is now the most powerful man on earth…he dictates our policies, he dictates what the president can and cannot do…amazing that a radio talk show host, without one single vote, dictates the policy, foreign and domestic of the United States.
Truly, in this country, you can be anything you want, even president without being president…
right2bright on May 15, 2013 at 10:03 AM
Oblamo must recognize Rush as the Big Community Organizer on the right. It’s really the only thing prezzy is good at and he does like to clear the field of any competition.
Kissmygrits on May 15, 2013 at 10:33 AM
Limbaugh: “I live rent-free” in President Obama’s head
There should be PLENTY of room with nothing else occupying Obummers head space…much like our troll nonpartisan!
EEprom on May 15, 2013 at 10:38 AM
SCoaMF, forever the beta male to Rush’s alpha.
MNHawk on May 15, 2013 at 11:35 AM
Rush, you better not be paying any rent for living in Obama’s head: it’s an unfurnished sewer of a place.
PD Quig on May 15, 2013 at 12:45 PM
Rent free, baby! Freaking legend.
Decoski on May 15, 2013 at 6:15 PM
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