Wading through the sludge of opposition research posing as serious discussion of issues, one would think Mitt Romney was running for president of the local chapter of ACT-UP instead of the more prestigious office he seeks. Much of the information available about Romney is true, and yet often misleading. A case in point is his long standing relationship with the gay community, frequently characterized as one of mutual support.
While it is quietly expected that Romney will re-flip on gay rights and other social issues once he takes office, there remains a certain “trust but verify” mentality among Mitt’s more liberal supporters.
Don't look for a "Log Cabin Republicans for Mitt Romney" bumper sticker anytime soon. While the former LDS Bishop i and one term governor of Massachusetts has had a warm relationship with this right-leaning Republican LGBT group in the past, his sudden lurch to the right on social issues just after his decision to run for president has left the Log Cabin group feeling confused and betrayed.
While the LCR does not officially endorse candidates in the primaries, they have released ads critical of their former crusader based on his frequent flips on other issues. If nothing else, the LCR has been consistent in its support of non-social conservative positions, and they are one of the few Republican groups holding Romney's feet to the fire on his massive tax increases disguised as fees. More detail on such ads can be found on the LCR Website in this article.
Of all the GOP candidates, Romney has had the longest gay-friendly record as shown on LCR's voter guide. Nevertheless, his support from this group, and probably from many gay groups, has dwindled since he began collecting frequent-flipper miles after launching his bid for the White House. If Romney’s fluidity on core principles is disturbing to social conservatives, it is downright frustrating for one of the few organizations seeking to change the GOP's anti-gay image from the inside. ii
Early Beginnings
Romney and the gay community became domestic partners in 1994 when he sent a letter to the Massachusetts Log Cabin Club seeking their endorsement. The October 6th letter states his pro-gay agenda, asserting he would go beyond Senator Kennedy's impressive record on gay issues. Stating it is not enough to merely match Kennedy's record, he believed, "we can and we should do better." He said it was important to help make equality for gays and lesbians a mainstream issue, noting that Kennedy could not do this. "I can, and I will," Romney promised.
Romney also promised to co-sponsor the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, (ENDA) and asserted that the "Don’t Ask--Don't Tell" policy was a good first step on the road to allowing Gay service men and women to serve openly and with pride. Asking for their support in the final phase of his failed campaign against Kennedy, he told the Log Cabin Republican group that "by working together, we will achieve the goals we share for Massachusetts and the nation.
One-Hit Mitt
While he won the gay community’s support late in the campaign, it was too late and he lost. But he did not lose his sense of duty to this part of his constituency—at least not yet. They were called to action again when he ran for Governor of Massachusetts and he won. Unfortunately, while he still held to his commitment to support much of the gay agenda, within two years of taking office, Romney began testing the waters for a possible presidential bid. He had to tack right and do it quickly. His first effort was to support a ban on gay marriage.
The gay community pushed back in a very public way. What amounted to an outing party began with attack ads challenging Romney on his clarity of positions. In March of 2004, a Boston Globe article quoted David Rogers, then vice president of the Log Cabin Club in a rant about Romney’s lack of loyalty:
"He didn't say, when we met with him, `I'm sorry, folks; I'm against gay marriage because it's morally wrong.' He didn't say that." Romney told them he did not support a constitutional amendment, then before the Legislature, that would have banned gay marriage and outlaw domestic partnership benefits for gay couples, Rogers said. iii
Kenneth Sanchez, then president of the Log Cabin Club made the first scathing criticism of Mitt's betrayal. He said, “The governor is trying to further his national ambitions by giving in to political expediency.” The Log Cabin Club knew in 2004 what we are only now beginning to realize.
The outing party continued with an even greater intensity as the 2008 campaign loomed. Suddenly, the national Log Cabin Republicans, in order to discredit Romney for his flip-flops on social issues found themselves in an awkward, if not formal, alliance with Social Conservatives. The October attack ad, found in the article linked above, reads like the charges being leveled at Romney by more conservative Republican groups and by John McCain, the only candidate joining Romney in comparative ad buys. Former Arkansas Governor, Mike Huckabee remains neutral in the ad wars -- a sort of political Switzerland -- though in interviews and n his blog, he has also joined the chorus of skeptical Social Conservatives in challenging Romney's flip-flops on their core issues.
What it all means
Is it fair to characterize Romney's turnabout on the gay rights issues as a flip-flop in the sense that he never shared their values in the first place? Is it fair to accuse him of secretly sharing their values and merely posing as a conservative? The maelstrom of political rhetoric that is the 2008 election forces us to consider questions like this. However, it makes much more sense to ask instead, "Is it reasonable to trust a person like Mitt Romney at all when there are other candidates who have not been so fluid in their core convictions?" That's a question many of Governor Romney's supporters, including the entire ClearChannel lineup lack the courage to ask. It is one those of us who have no financial interest in Romney's success must gather the courage to ask.
i In the interest of being consistent with the Mainstream Media’s reference to Governor Huckabee’s prior experience as a Baptist pastor, we include this information about Governor Romney.
ii Log Cabin TV Ad Campaign Sets the Record Straight About Mitt Romney
LCR Press Release, October 4, 2007
iii Republican gay rights group hits Bush, Romney stances
Rick Klein and Mary Leonard, The Boston Globe - March 11, 2004
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