Let's not pretend that Hagel's position on Hormel was usual for the GOP
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved his nomination with only Republican and conservative Senators Jesse Helms and John Ashcroft opposed. Three other Republicans, James Inhofe, Tim Hutchinson, and Robert C. Smith, with the urging of religious and social conservatives campaigned vigorously against Hormel's nomination. Trent Lott, the Republican Majority Leader, worked to block the vote and publicly called homosexuality a sin and compared it to alcoholism and kleptomania.[1] Christian-based conservative groups like the Traditional Values Coalition (TVC) and the Family Research Council (FRC) publicly accused Hormel of being pro-pornography and anti-Catholic and the Senators presented those charges to derail the nomination.[3] They asserted that Hormel would be rejected in the largely Catholic Luxembourg. To support the pornography allegation, a list of materials in the Hormel collection at the San Francisco Public Library was compiled by the TVC; it was later pointed out that the same works were also in the Library of Congress.[3] The anti-Catholic allegation stemmed from a 1996 San Francisco Pride parade television interview where he was seen laughing at the same time the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a group that pokes fun at religious conventions, walked by.[4] The Catholic League opposed his nomination because of his "embrace" of the Sisters which the League considers an anti-Catholic group.[5] Although it was unclear why he was laughing, Christian right conservative group FRC distributed video tapes to the entire Senate of the brief event.[6]
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http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/12/21/hormel-questions-sincerity-of-hagel-apology-for-1998-anti-gay-remarks/
Prior to their publication, Hormel said he spoke with Hagel in the senator’s office in a meeting arranged by then-Sen. Bob Kerrey of Nebraska. Hagel had previously voted to report out Hormel’s nomination to the floor as a member of the Foreign Relations Committee. At the time, Hormel said he heard no qualms from Hagel about confirming an openly gay U.S. ambassador.
“He was aware several of his colleagues had put holds on the nomination and indicated that he would do what he could to do to see whether he would have them removed, or in some other way, bring the nomination to the Senate floor for a vote,” Hormel said, “Now, four weeks later, the day before the Fourth of July, this article appeared. So, it was deeply disappointing for me at the time, and I did not understand where in the world it had come from. It certainly did not reflect on the conversation that we had had in his office.”
end of quote
Here was the membership of the committee at the time.
Jesse Helms, North Carolina, Chairman
(Rep.)
Richard G. Lugar, Indiana (Rep.)
Paul Coverdell, Georgia (Rep.)
Chuck Hagel, Nebraska (Rep.)
Gordon H. Smith, Oregon (Rep.)
Craig Thomas, Wyoming (Rep.)
Rod Grams, Minnesota (Rep.)
John Ashcroft, Missouri (Rep.)
Bill Frist, Tennessee (Rep.)
Sam Brownback, Kansas (Rep.)
Yes both Frist and Brownback voted for him and didn't withdraw the support with a bigoted statement. It was only because of the fact that the majority leader was the bigot Lott (he was an equal opportunity bigot he hated blacks, and gays) that there was no vote.
The problem with Hagel being nominated for Secretary of Defense is that the Armed Services is the last place in the government where the idea that gays can be openly employed is unsettled. There are certainly, within the Armed Services, people who vehemently disagree with the policy of open service who will be emboldened by the appointment of a man who was clearly opposed to ending DADT and who clearly feels gays are not fit for public service.
That said, if he gives an abject, unconditional apology coupled with an iron clad promise that he will treat gays service personnel and their families equally with straight service personnel and their families, then I can see supporting his nomination. But in the meantime, let's not pretend that those of us with problems with Hagel's record are somehow over reacting to a run of the mill person.
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