Whoa!

We know the Log Cabin Republicans get a lot of shit from the more liberal lavender set and it probably hurts their feelings, but the group's reaction resembles that of the far-right.

Echoing language employed by the likes of Focus on the Family, LCR president Patrick Sammon today sent out an email entitled "The Intolerant Left" in which he gripes about all the homos who hate on him and his fellow Republicans.

Writes Sammon:

As we enter the election's homestretch, gay and lesbian Republicans have come under intense fire from the gay community for daring to speak our minds about this campaign. Instead of arguing the merits of their candidate, too many on the left resort to name calling.

Emotion replaces fact. Name calling replaces logic. In this case, those we often hear speaking about tolerance sound awfully intolerant. We need your help today to stand up to the voices of intolerance wherever we find them.

After writing about "the most pro-gay GOP presidential nominee in American history," John McCain, Sammon goes on to cite criticism from liberal journos like Wayne Besen and Alex Blade, all of which leads up to his desperate, sad plea:

Whatever you can contribute—$25, $50, $100, or more—will help us fight back against the divisive rhetoric from the gay left.

Angry and vicious people on the Left are trying to silence our voices because we dare to speak out as Republicans. Will you be silenced?

"Will you be silenced?" Didn't Tony Perkins use the same argument when fighting hate crime laws, which the right claims will muzzle anti-gay pastors. Just replace "Republicans" with "Christians" - it's eerie. Sammon, we implore you, don't go down that panic-inducing route. It's not becoming on you.

Read Sammon's entire letter, after the jump. Be sure to note his post-script, which is perhaps the most disturbing detail of all!

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This will surely get your blood boiling!

The Log Cabin Republicans - a gay group that endorsed John McCain and described running mate Sarah Palin as "inclusive" - today defended Palin, who last night said being gay is a choice.

Comparing Palin's "non-judgement" to that of other Americans, communications director Scott Tucker released the following statement:

In this interview, Gov. Palin expressed her support for a gay friend of 30 years and reiterated that she doesn’t judge people. She said she’s ‘not going to judge Americans and the decisions they make in their adult personal relationships.’ Frankly, I think that’s where most Americans are in their attitude toward gay and lesbian people.

Gov. Palin didn’t ramble uncomfortably about a ‘lifestyle’ or use the opportunity to reiterate her opposition to marriage for gay couples. She didn’t use the opportunity to express opposition to any gay rights legislation. Gay Democrats are pouncing on her use of the word ‘choice’ in talking about gay people. But, when asked the direct question by Charlie Gibson in a previous interview whether people choose to be gay, she said she didn’t know. Again, I think that’s where the vast majority of Americans are on this issue-they simply don’t know whether people choose to be gay.

We know that people don’t ‘choose’ their sexual orientation and we’ll continue educating all Republicans about that issue.

Nice work citing a previous interview, Tucker. Palin's remarks last night make clear she's given the topic more thought - but not enough - and has chosen to rely on tried-and-true right-wing ideology.

We understand that some gay people identify more with the GOP, but don't just bend over and take it for the sake of party inclusion. Stand up and defend yourself! You do know what the solution step to the gay "choice," right? Correction.

Homo-journo James Kirchick lavishes more praise on Republicans and their relative gay silence at last week's convention.

Once the fiercest of the culture warriors, Republicans have a long history of railing against the gays, but remained relatively mum during the events in St. Paul, Kirchick credits to multiple factors, not least of all John McCain…

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John McCain's camp reached out to its queer comrades this week by sending key staffers to address the Log Cabin Republicans this week.

Political director Mike DuHaime popped in on the group, which transplanted itself to St. Paul for the party's convention. This is the first year the Cabinites have been official RNC guests.

Additionally, McCain strategist Steve Schmidt swung by a Log Cabin lunch today and described the group's involvement as "important," reports The Advocate's Kerry Eleveld:

I just wanted to take a second to come by and pay my respect and the campaign’s respect to your organization and to your group,” said Schmidt, who many view as the new architect of the Republican Party. “Your organization is an important one in the fabric of our party.”

In his brief remarks, Schmidt weaved in a personal anecdote about his lesbian sister and her relationship to him, his wife, and his children. “On a personal level, my sister and her partner are an important part of my life and our children’s life,” he said. “I admire your group and your organization and I encourage you to keep fighting for what you believe in because the day is going to come.”

Unlike some of his party peers, Schmidt supports gay marriage and in 2007 asked California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to back inclusive legislation.

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.
…
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?

Chris Crain, a gay journalist with many conservative politics, definitely does not approve of the Log Cabin Republicans' endorsement of John McCain. How do we know this? He penned a lengthy critique of their queer politics.

Here's but a taste:

It’s as if our gay Republican friends forgot the basic politics of the carrot and the stick. Now that McCain and Palin are happily chomping away on the endorsement carrot that Log Cabin could have kept dangling in front of them, all they’re left with is the stick. With apologies to my friends among their number, including my beloved co-blogger Kevin, gay Republicans aren’t exactly known for carrying a big stick.
…
Cynics will no doubt see the rushed endorsement as a desperate ploy by Log Cabin to gain entree into the GOP’s “big tent,” a concept that gay and pro-choice Republicans have demonstrated a much greater commitment to than has the rest of the party.

Crain also quite rightly points out that McCain's opposition to DOMA FMA - the Cabinites' sole gay-related celebration of the candidate - has been faltering: "McCain has been backing away from his opposition to a federal amendment, and he pledged last month to back an amendment if even one judge rules the notorious Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional." The journalist goes on to say that McCain could end up being worse on gay politics than President Bush, an idea that makes our blood run cold.

The Log Cabin Republicans yesterday endorsed John McCain, a candidate they call "inclusive."

While the gay group's all about McCain's efforts to block a gay marriage amendment - a vote motivated more by federalism than equality - communications director Scott Tucker's not entirely pleased with his party's lackluster support for same-sex marriage.

The party, however, may be more open to progress than some think:

"Clearly, the tide is turning," said Scott Tucker, communications director for the Log Cabin Republicans. "It's important for the Republican Party to be inclusive on this issue, because we are risk of being on the wrong side of history."
…
A CBS News/New York Times poll released Monday found that 49 percent of the delegates to the Republican convention support allowing same-sex marriages or civil unions. The poll's margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Those numbers sure are reassuring, but many of the GOP's leaders continue to come out against inclusive anti-discrimination laws, gay adoption and expansive hate crime legislation. Such decisions, we think, are even more important than marriage. And the party's positions are not "right."

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."