California candidate told to get out of race because he's gay

[kweerwolf]

California Democratic congressional candidate Brett Wagner said a group of two dozen party officials asked him to get out of the race so someone else could run against the incumbent, Republican representative Elton Gallegly.

Wagner suggested that the Democratic leaders want him out because he is gay. He said he wants the group of officials booted from their positions within the party.

Wagner said that during an emergency meeting of the Ventura County Democratic Party Central Committee on Monday night that the group made unfounded allegations that he had padded his resume, failed to report campaign donations, and used his nonprofit think tank for political purposes. "I try to be a good Democrat as best I can, and I try to be loyal to my party, so I'm reluctant to bring up the lingering homophobia that exists in the party. But, yes, I think this is part of it," Wagner told the Santa Barbara News-Press .

Party officials in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties are concerned the controversy will detract from their efforts to defeat Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's host of state propositions on the November ballot. They also worry that the issue will hurt anyone who wins the Democratic primary next June, upsetting their hope to unseat Gallegly, whose 24th congressional district stretches from Simi Valley to Vandenberg Air Force Base.

http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid21503.asp

[msongs]

1. just tell em republican congressman drier is gay .... has not

hurt drier one bit.

Msongs
www.msongs.com/clark2008.htm

[DemInDistress]

2. Is that right msongs?

Drier is gay?If so I didn't know that,thanks for the scoop..

[Kablooie]

3. If they don't want a guy to run, do they want a woman?

Oh, it's 'gay' ....

nevermind.

[papau]

4. Link below to DU Thread on Brett Wagner - it doesn't seem to praise him

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=141x15571

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[IndianaGreen]

6. The Democratic establishment wants LGBT campaign contributions

but LGBT candidates need not apply. They treated us in the same way Southern whites treated Blacks.

[Ally McLesbian]

8. No wonder...

Some men (and formerly men) decided to become Log Cabin Republicans.

[mitchtv]

9. I don't think that is the reason

It has more to do with his last campaign and his honesty, also there were financial irregularities. HE says it cause he's gay. Ain't necessarily so

[sakabatou]

7. Those sons of bitches...

:grr:

[MontecitoDem]

11. It's not because he is gay!

Some of the "party officials" who asked him not to run even contributed to his last campaign.

Wagner is saying it is because he is gay, but everybody here knew that in 2004 and supported him.

The issue is about his personality and truthfulness. He is not a good public speaker. He has been saying some very bizzare things. Many think he was untruthful to supporters about his poll numbers and chance of winning in the days right before last year's election, in order to get more donations. He promised folks he was within the margin of error, but 5 days later he lost by more than 30% points. He didn't even garner the dem vote. There's a whole litany of things.

I don't support asking him to not run - that is what primaries are for! But this has absolutely nothing to do with sexual orientation, from my perspective.

[bluedawg12]

10. Is the Democratic party gay friendly?

On local levels and on national leadership level?

[closeupready]

12. IMO, only on the local level in some locations, definitely not nationally

Gays and lesbians are taken for granted, though I do see some progress in terms of, for example, the recent marriage legislation in California.

[foreigncorrespondent]

13. Just another case of...

...the Dems showing just how much they "support" the LGBTIQQ community.

Yes I realize they have given the LGBTIQQ community in the U.S. some things in return for votes and donations. But that is just hamburger when it should be steak.