The Strange Gay Angle Behind The Mitch McConnell Tapes

In the annals of political follies, Progress KY holds a special place as one of the most inept groups ever. Despite their name, they are the best friends Republican Senator Minority Leader Mitch McConnell ever had. In February, Progress Kentucky made news for suggesting that Elaine Chao, McConnell’s wife and the former Secretary of Labor, wanted to move American jobs to China because she’s Asian-American.

Now the duo behind Progress Kentucky, Curtis Morrison and Shawn Reilly, have followed that disaster up with an even bigger one: apparently taping, potentially illegally, a meeting at McConnell headquarters at which staffers trashed potential opponent Ashley Judd. The tape was leaked to Mother Jones magazine and has since become a political bonanza for McConnell, allowing him to portray himself as a victim of “left-wing activists.”

And just our luck, there is a gay angle to this story. Curtis Morrison is gay.

Morrison and Reilly were outed by Jacob Conway, a Democratic county official who says that the duo told him about the recording shortly after they made it. Conway adds another lavender dimension to the story, since he has been a leading voice for marriage equality in the state party.

How about we take this to the next level?

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So, to recap: we have a PAC that raised $1005 in the last election cycle and spent $18, has an openly gay man in its leadership in one of the nation’s most conservative states and has been involved in ethnic slurs and potentially illegal taping.

Is this a gift from the gods to Mitch McConnell? Will he make hay of it at our expense?

Photo credit: Gage Skimmer