Joe Solmonese made a big stink about the Log Cabin Republicans this morning when he blasted the gay group's support for Republican presidential hopeful John McCain. Recent reports, however, claim that Joe and his Human Rights Campaign are much closer to the McCain-backing Cabinites than they let on.

A website called Boycott HRC last week reported that a "reliable source" told them HRC had donated $10,000 to the LCR, while giving none to the National Stonewall Democrats.

TransAdvocate, meanwhile, published an email purportedly sent from NSD co-chair Steve Driscoll to executive director Jon Hoadley, among others. In this email, Driscoll derides HRC for their "high-handedness" at the 2004 Democratic National Convention and gripes that the organization had been stonewalling discussions on a possible 2008 collaboration.

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The Republicans are totally dominating the news cycle this week. Not only is everyone all over Sarah Palin and the party's national convention, but the gays simply can't stop talking about the Log Cabin Republicans' endorsement of presidential hopeful John McCain.

We were mad, of course, and then Chris Crain piped up, and now Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese has come out swinging:

John McCain claims to be a maverick who breaks with his party, but on matters of LGBT equality, he's shown that he's anything but. He actively campaigned for a constitutional amendment that would have banned marriage and domestic partnerships for same-sex couples in his home state of Arizona.
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Sarah Palin has also supported bans on marriage and even domestic partner benefits in Alaska. The Republican Party, McCain and Palin's party, has declared in its platform that they want to pass the federal marriage amendment.

Their party's platform also calls gay and lesbian Americans unfit for military service, supports policies that would allow faith-based organizations to deny us jobs and services using federal dollars, and attacks judges who acknowledge our equality under the law. The Human Rights Campaign endorses mavericks on both sides of the aisle- neither John McCain nor Sarah Palin is among them.

On another note, if Solmonese and Log Cabin leader Patrick Sammon were to get into a fight, who would win?

No disrespect, Log Cabin Republicans, but have you lost your collective mind?

Just this morning the blogs began talking about the GOP's platform, which takes no uncertain stand against gay right, and now you've gone and endorsed John McCain.

And, what's more, President Patrick Sammon declared, "On the most important issue that LGBT Americans faced in the last decade - the federal marriage amendment - Sen. John McCain stood with us. Now we stand with him." Um, Cabinites, McCain didn't stand by you because he likes the gays. It's because he likes federalism! C'mon!

Plus, marriage is hardly the "most important" issue. It's spectacularly eye-catching, yes, but what about hate crimes legislation, employment discrimination legislation, and adoption legislation? Are we living on the same planet?

Sammon goes on to say that he expects McCain will get a lot of gay votes. With 68% of polled gay voters loving up on Obama? Not likely…

We've included the press release after the jump.

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Patrick Sammon, leader of the same-sex loving Log Cabin Republicans, released the following statement about Sarah Palin, who John McCain's picked as his running mate:

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin can help Sen. McCain win this election by appealing to independent and young voters. She’s a mainstream Republican who will unite the Party and serve John McCain well as Vice President. Gov. Palin is an inclusive Republican who will help Sen. McCain appeal to gay and lesbian voters.

The Cabinites' website also directs viewers to 365Gay's report on the veep selection. Why? Because of this specific line: "Palin has a scant record on LGBT rights but is considered a moderate."

John McCain's obviously not ready to come out for the gays. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee has kept up a series of off-the-record meetings with the Log Cabin Republicans.

We've known for a while that McCain and the gay GOP group have been holding talks, but apparently things are getting serious. Too bad everyone's remaining mum:

Log Cabin President Patrick Sammon confirmed his meeting with Senator McCain earlier today.

A source with close ties to the Log Cabin Board of Directors provided information about the meeting to GayPatriot earlier this week. This source disclosed that the Log Cabin meeting was not reflected on Senator McCain’s published schedule in advance and the meeting. A second source familiar with the Log Cabin-McCain meeting reports that Senator McCain has routine personal meetings that are not shown on the Senator’s public schedule.

The specific timeframe of the Sammon-McCain meeting is not completely clear, but appears to have taken place within the past couple weeks or so.

Log Cabin President Patrick Sammon confirmed the meeting with Senator McCain in email correspondence with GayPatriot earlier today: "We’ve had a series of productive meetings with the campaign since Sen. McCain won the nomination—including a recent meeting with the Senator. We expect to have more conversations with the campaign as we head toward November.”

Sammon and his fellow Log Cabinites have yet to endorse McCain, so obviously they're not ready to come out for him, either. Don't you just love the smell of shameful, forbidden political love?!

What will we do with John McCain?

It seems the Senator will say anything to woo conservatives, many of whom worry you're too - gasp! - liberal for the presidency. Today the Republican vowed to take on the dreaded "activist judge." You know, the ones who rule in favor of the flamers…

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Designivist Kenneth Cole may love his puns, but copyranter ain't having it:

This amfAR bus poster is, of course, supposed to read "WE'RE FORGETTING AIDS" with a secondary read of "WE'RE GETTING AIDS" to remind everybody that HIV is still spreading. Buuut, can't it also read "WE'RE FOR GETTING AIDS" as in amfAR supports the spread of disease? This is what happens when you allow hack punster Kenneth Cole, who promotionally owns AIDS, to do your ads.

Meanwhile, in other Cole advertising news, Log Cabin President Patrick Sammon recently posed for Cole's "Non-Uniform Thinking" ad campaign. A gay Republican against uniformity - maybe when compared to other gays, but not when considering America's political and social future.

Oh well, anything that sells uninspired clothes and grabs headlines, huh?!

• Bid2Beat AIDS' eBay auction closes up shop tomorrow, so you'd better hurry and bid on this signed copy of Amy Sedaris' domestic bible, I Like You: Hospitality Under The Influence. Current price: $102.50. We're hoping it goes up to $200.

• Never forget Akinyele's "Put It In My Mouth". It's so inclusive!

• Log Cabin Republican leader Patrick Sammon on Huckbaee's AIDS comments:

[H]e needs to offer a more credible explanation for his comments than what he has offered so far… Governor Huckabee shouldn’t try to revise history to explain away his comments from 1992. He ought to do the right thing and admit he was wrong.

Too late.

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The gay Republicans go ga-ga over Rudy Giuliani. With their green, at least.

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Regular readers know that we're bent a little to the left. Just because our politics veer in one direction, however, doesn't mean we're afraid to engage other ideological adherents.

We've given the Log Cabin Republicans some hell in the past, but we're hardly against offering them some space. Thus, we asked Log Cabin president Patrick Sammon to contribute to The Totally Frightful Issue II.

Read what Mr. Sammon has to say about gay rights, queer conscious Republicans and why no one party can go it alone. The prospect of a one party government, actually, can be pretty frightful.

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Mitt Romney ain't the only Republican distancing himself from Ida-ho-an Senator Larry Craig. Log Cabin Republican president Patrick Sammon released the following statement on Lewd Larry:

Senator Larry Craig’s ability to continue serving the people of Idaho is in serious doubt. He has violated the public trust, not just with his inappropriate and illegal behavior, but in the subsequent explanation of his actions. Innocent people don’t plead guilty.
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The Republican Party, the people of Idaho, and all Americans should demand better from their elected officials.
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It’s not for me to speculate about Senator Craig’s sexual orientation. However it’s clear that whether it’s Jim McGreevey, Ted Haggard, or someone else, life in the closet often leads to destructive, harmful, and reckless behavior.

Now if only the GOPpers would stop pushing the gays in there…

Republicans aren't as bad as you might think. A Log Cabin Republican-endorsed poll shows that 43% of GOP-voters support civil unions and/or marriage rights.

Though the majority still oppose legal recognition of gay relationships, an impressive 53% believe the party spends "too much time focusing on moral issues". Those folk think their leaders should be focusing on more pressing issues, like our sinking economy and inflated government spending.

Meanwhile, a whopping 77% support non-discrimination laws for the workplace and 49% would like to see gays serving in the military.

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