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.
Driscoll also writes that Marty Rouse, HRC's National Field Director, affirmed they had given money the LCR. He concludes with a searing string of curses for HRC:
…Might also add, that after beginning discussions with HRC in OCTOBER about collaborating on events for the Democratic National Convention (to avoid the the anger and resentment they engendered by their high-handedness in Boston four years ago) as well as requests for sponsorship of the NSD Denver convention, AND following up with phone calls every two months with no return calls, I finally heard from them TODAY that no sponsorship would be forthcoming.When I pointed out to Marty Rouse last week that they sponsored the Logs Convention, his response was “Oh right, we did, didn’t weâ€. I then pointed out the obvious, that there were a lot more of us than there were of them - and I got no response when I asked what they got for their purportedly $10,000 to the Logs.
…
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I am absolutely furious about this. Not only is this inequitable, it’s fuckin dismissive and disrespectul [sic]. The task Force is at least giving us a stack of tickets to their Unity Dance. From HRC we’re getting bupkiss - and worse.
Worse than bupkiss?! Perish the thought!
Of this story, HRC media man Brad Luna had this to say, "That is not true." Log Cabin leader Pa†rick Sammon also says the information's erroneous. And, finally, NSD media maven John Marble remarked, "I looked into this. Apparently that was a private email which was based on information that is now incorrect. It looks like that HRC did not sponsor the LCR event."
Marble also gleefully included, Regardless, we are focused on electing the Obama/Biden ticket and on the dangerous records of Senator John McCain and Governor Sarah Palin. I am always happy to comment on that!"
Speaking of commenting on that, like HRC, the NSD also had some harsh words for the Cabinites' McCain endorsement. Said Hoadley,
The McCain/Palin team is an aggressively anti-equality ticket. That is one reason why Republicans and Independents continue to add their support to the campaign of Senators Barack Obama and Joe Biden… We know the stark contrast between the strong leadership of Senator Obama and the anti-equality record that John McCain and Sarah Palin continue to build. If we are to enact significant pro-equality legislation at the federal level, we must continue our work electing Barack Obama as our next President.
Sammon, we're sure, would disagree.
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HRC are desperately trying to stay relevant as the playing field changes around them. I'd feel sorry for them, but there have been too many moral compromises on their part — all for the sake of access to players who no longer control the Democratic party.
It's totally unsurprising that they're testing the waters with the Republicans as their options narrow.
I am shocked and disapointed if they really donated 10K to the LCR's and no money to the Stonewall Democrats. SHAMEFUL if this is true.
They didn't donate any money to LCR. HRC said they didn't and LCR said they didn't. It didn't happen. Why is everyone so desperate to hate the HRC that they use information that has been proven to be completely false as a stick to beat them with? C'mon, grow up already.
Boycotting the HRC is ridiculous. No wonder we haven't gotten hate crimes and relationship recognition legislation passed - too many morons are more concerned with diving us and fighting with the country's largest and most accomplished gay rights lobby group.
Referring to the HRC's decision to get the much needed ENDA bill passed by dropping trans protection as "heinous, inexcusable" (which is exactly how the idiots at Boycott HRC describe it) is absurd. The HRC has to operate in WASHINGTON, -NOT- San Francisco. There are things called POLITICAL REALITIES in the US federal government and it is these POLITICAL REALITIES that make it impossible to pass a trans-inclusive ENDA bill. But even obnoxious capital lettering won't get that message through to them!
I wonder if the self-defeating dolts organising protests against the HRC have ever heard of CONSERVATIVE DEMOCRATS and REPUBLICANS? I mean, for crying out loud, GET A GRIP already!
HRC said they didn't?
Riight….because we can ALWAYS trust the hrc
sure…anything you say, bucko.
Now, what harm can possibly come from boycotting one of the most INEFFECTIVE "HUMAN" (rich, gender conforming gay man) rights orgs on the planet?
Seriously, have you seen their track record?
Zilch.
"HRC said they didn't?
Riight….because we can ALWAYS trust the hrc"
The Log Cabin Republicans also said they received nothing from the HRC. What are you talking about?
Meanwhile back in the real world, the Republicans are intensifying their cynical, divisive and anti-gay politics.
If McCain and Palin are elected, it won't matter one bit who HRC gave money to, what anti-gay Republican LCR has endorsed or what work NSD is doing cause we will all be screwed for decades to come.
It won't matter what you opinion is about HRC or any of the other national organizations if McCain is in the White House appointing 2-3 anti-gay Supreme Court justices and vetoing pro-LGBT legislation.
LOL! I'm not upset with HRC! HRC is supposed to be nonpartisan. NSD asking for money makes them look weak and anemic and makes me wonder about the health of their organization. Especially at a time when they were supposed to be against HRC's stance on ENDA, they're asking them for CASH? This isn't disputed, even by NSD. The email that was sent has NEVER been disputed as being sent and has never been put forth as faked. The only thing that both orgs have said is that it wasn't true that LCR got money.
This doesn't reflect well on HRC, of course; but it sure makes the National Stonewall Democrats and its chair Stephen Driscoll look clueless, hapless, and totally irrelevant.