hactivist feuds

Did HRC Get Rep. Joe Cao to Throw GOP Support Behind DADT Repeal? Or Log Cabin?

Joe Cao is a Republican Congressman from Louisiana. It’s his first term in office, so don’t blame the guy for taking some time to figure out where to invest his mostly empty gestures, as a freshman lawmaker’s decisions are generally determined by the party (if he has any hope ascending its ranks), or desires to tickle. But Rep. Cao is finding his way, and today it landed with the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, the bill introduced this month in both the House and Senate that would repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. Cao has agreed to sign on as a co-sponsor. Except now both the Human Rights Campaign and the Log Cabin Republicans are taking credit for scoring Cao’s support, and one of them is pissed!

And you thought Gay Inc. groups were ineffective at lobbying lawmakers.

On its website, HRC says of Cao making the repeal effort a bipartisan one: “Several HRC volunteers who are his constituents met with Rep. Cao’s staff on several LGBT issues and also asked him to cosponsor the MREA during the HRC’s recent lobby day.” Though, to be fair, they threw a bone to some other groups: “HRC has worked with a coalition of groups to win Rep. Cao’s support for MREA including Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, Log Cabin Republicans and Servicemembers United.”

See how they namedropped LCR there? They’re sharing the win.

Not good enough, the gay conservative group tweets: “glad to see @HRCBackstory taking credit for @AnhJosephCao’s #MREA support when he only signed on after @LogCabinGOP spoke to him.”

Well, c’mon, that is what HRC does. With arguably the largest email database, it gets to put its name ahead of other groups — and get that message in front of more people, and that’s how history is written. This is HRC’s win, you see, and these other lackies were just playing follow the leader.

Meanwhile, in an email blast, LCR quotes Cao: “I am proud to stand with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in support of a repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’ Our military commanders at the Pentagon believe it is time to proceed with dismantling this flawed policy, and I am happy put my name on this legislation, as well as to continue to work alongside Log Cabin Republicans as we speak to our Republican colleagues about the merits of repealing the ban on gays and lesbians serving openly in our armed forces.”

Well that’s quite the endorsement of the little conservative GOP group that could, isn’t it?

Meanwhile, does LCR have a picture with Cao’s House staff? Because HRC does!

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