Bob Allen Working In Hostile Territory

The Republicans aren’t known for their “pro-gay” forgiveness.

In fact, as they’ve shown with Larry Craig, the national party refuses to indulge lavender smeared politicos. The trend’s evident on the local level, too. And in more subtle ways. Take, for example, the downfall of Floridian representative Bob Allen.

Since being arrested for offering a cop $20 and a blowjob, Allen’s faced a few obstacles in his working world.

The Orlando Sentinel reports:

…Since Allen’s arrest July 11, the seven-year lawmaker has been stripped of his committee chairmanship, shunned by colleagues and banished to a corner seat in the chamber near freshman Democrats.

“The average person would certainly feel a bit unwelcome,” said [political science professor Aubrey Jewett], adding that just a change in the seating chart to a less prominent place is “one of the little ways the speaker and the leadership show displeasure.”

While presidential candidates Mitt Romney and John McCain came out against Craig, the Florida party’s staying as political as possible. House Speaker Marco Rubio told The Sentinel that Allen’s “entitled to come” to a 10-day special session. It’s not a call for resignation, but it’s not a show of support, either.

Meanwhile, as Down With Tyranny points out, GOP sympathizers are growing increasingly agitated with Craig’s – cough – stall tactics. Idaho Values Alliance’s Bryan Fischer writes:

It increasingly looks as though Sen. Larry Craig’s strategy is to stretch out the legal process as long as possible, perhaps virtually to the end of his term, in order to hang on to his job.
…
It seems sadly clear now that the senator is determined to place his own desires ahead of the citizens of Idaho, who need a senator in Washington who can give his full attention to the interests of his constituents and who is in a position to provide vocal and visible leadership on pro-family issues.

You know things are bad when your hometown homies don’t got your back. The Republicans would rather throw their politicos to the sharks than risk sticking up for someone perceived to be gay. Grand Old Party, indeed.