Log Cabin looks to future after ’08 losses

[cboy4]

Group looks for new president as it works to redefine GOP :eyes:

Patrick Sammon, the outgoing national president of
Log Cabin Republicans, says the organization must
act now to “influence the debate going on about the
future” of the GOP. (Photo by Ed Andrieski/AP)

What an idiot

AMY CAVANAUGH
Friday, November 28, 2008

In the wake of Sen. John McCain’s failed presidential bid, Log Cabin Republicans are trying to reshape and redefine the Grand Old Party.

But the gay partisan group must do so without the help of its national leader, Patrick Sammon, who announced this month that he would leave his post in January.

Sammon, who spent five years at Log Cabin and two years as its president, said he would use his final months at the organization to help “influence the debate going on about the future” of the GOP.

“We need to focus on the 90 percent of things that Republicans agree on,” he said. “Pursuing divisive social issues is a strategy for defeat. We need to present a relevant view to become a party of the future, not a party of the past.

“There’s an opportunity going forward out of this defeat to rebuild a stronger party.”

Log Cabin National Board Chair Pete Kingma agreed with Sammon’s assessment.

“There is a unique opportunity for Log Cabin to play a role in the redefinition of the Republican Party,” he said. “Log Cabin has a critical role to play in that discussion, by pointing to places where candidates were successful, like Gov. Mitch Daniels in Indiana, who won with a campaign that was conservative fiscally but not socially. That’s what we hope to advocate, and we want to try to engage the party in that dialogue.”

Sammon said the GOP needs to “get back to the basics” to coalesce party members in the move forward.

Bob Kabel, chair of the D.C. Republican Party and a longtime Log Cabin member agreed, saying that the “party is obviously doing a lot of self-examination.”

“I think that Log Cabin can be very helpful with that examination,” he said. “There are so many candidates Log Cabin has supported over the years who have been inclusive rather than exclusive, and who have had successful careers. Log Cabin needs to continue to make the case that you win by broadening the party.”

Despite the White House loss and the defeat of moderate Republican lawmakers, Sammon said that he was “proud of the progress” that Log Cabin has made in influencing the GOP over the last four years.

“We had an election that didn’t turn out as we hoped, but we had a progressive, pro-gay nominee, and the tenor of the campaign was 180 degrees different than four years ago,” he said. “We’ve unquestionably made progress in four years, and I’m proud of the work we did.”

Going forward, Sammon said Log Cabin also must ensure that Democrats, who will control the White House and have a majority in both houses of Congress, “stay honest.”

“We’re focused on coming up with a coordinated effort to make sure that the Democrats and President-elect Obama follow through on the promises they made,” he said, “and I think we’re in a position to do that.”

‘A strong voice’

Kingma said that he expects Sammon to leave sometime during the second half of January.

“I don’t think we’ll have a new president in place by the time he leaves, but we may be able to work something out with Patrick to serve in a consulting role for a time,” he said. “My hope is that we have a new leader in the first quarter, but it may not be timed to coincide with Patrick’s departure.”

Kabel said Sammon’s replacement should keep working toward making the GOP more inclusive.

He noted that Sammon has done “an excellent job under very difficult circumstances,” but that his successor must be a strong voice for broadening the party and needs to work to build, and in some cases rebuild, some of the local chapters.”

Kingma said that Log Cabin is conducting a national search for its next national president.

Jimmy LaSalvia, Log Cabin’s director of programs and policy, and Christopher Barron, the president of CapSouth Consulting and a former Log Cabin political director, confirmed to the Blade they have applied for the position.

Sammon said he plans to work for a documentary film company after he leaves Log Cabin, but hopes to stay involved with the organization on some level.

http://www.washingtonblade.com/2008/11-28/news/national/13678.cfm

DUMB ASSES

[hobbit709]

1. Log Cabin Republicans are willing aiders and abetters of discriminatory policies.

They are no better than someone who willingly served the Gestapo, KGB or Homeland Security.

[KitchenWitch]

2. I really fail to understand why the LCR even exist

Seriously, why would any GLBT person join a political party which goes out of its way to deny rights to the GLBT community. Granted the Democratic Party has not really done a whole lot for GLBT causes, but at least the Democratic Party does not make denying rights part of its platform...

[cboy4]

4. Well the Democratic Party's silence, and lack of involvement

in a number of issues speaks volumes, I'm afraid.

I won't go so far as to say that silence indirectly insinuates denying rights part of it platform, but DOMA and DADT all happened with the Democrats in charge.

But I agree with your main point, which is that the Democratic Party is head and shoulders above the Republics. No question about it.

And therefore, there Login Cabin folks are really out of their minds.

[KitchenWitch]

6. Yes, the silence is deafening in the Democratic Party

And there is only a small difference between sitting idly by when the majority is picking on the minority and actually BEING the majority picking on the minority. In both cases, someone is getting bullied.

[GodlessBiker]

14. Indeed. Sammon's very existence is a "divisive social issue" to the Repukes and I ....

wonder why he just doesn't work within the regular Republican Party structure.

[rurallib]

3. rephrasing this old quote "Gays voting for Republicans is like

chickens voting for Colonel Sanders."

[cboy4]

5. Yup. Excellent analogy.

:thumbsup:

[bluedawg12]

7. LCR's spend their time fighting to get into their own party.

If you look at his language, their "national agenda" is inclusivity in their own damned party.
The political conservative principles of the party have long been lost in the shrub years- why do they stay?

[Creideiki]

8. The difference between the LCRs and gay Democrats

at least some of the Democrats don't overtly hate us.

I don't see any leadership from the Democratic Party on our rights. I guess, the Democrats are willing to sit by and grab some popcorn while they watch the Republicans turn us into non-citizens in our own country. We'll see if there's any progress in the next few months (yes, there are other important issues--Iraq, the economy, healthcare--but if I can multi-task, can't some of our brightest political minds?), but I won't be holding my breath.

When in doubt, the Republicans are the party of scapegoating the gays while the Democrats are proving themselves the party of grabbing some popcorn to watch the Republicans scapegoat the gays.

[bluedawg12]

9. The repigs don't even want the LCR's in their party

and most seemed open about it back in 2004, when the wedge issues were their big political theme.

I recall some old repig bags, with Texan hats on, during interviews from the 2004 RNC saying they just don't want gays at all in the GOP, don't think that has changed much.

[mitchtv]

15. But the Democrats do?

Oh yeah, they want our votes, as long as we don't cost them."they smile in your face, the backstabbers"

[cboy4]

10. But I'm the idiot!

:eyes:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=4548964&mesg_id=4549572

[Ioo]

11. He says in nutshell "We need to forget they hate us and want us dead, and focus on the good parts"

I kid you not, these folks have to be the most retarded people alive.

[bluedawg12]

12. Great reply in GD thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=4548964&mesg_id=4549972

[mitchtv]

13. I for one, will no longer criticize LCRs

They are in a party which would rather not have them around. Guess what? so are we. Guess what? they did not turn on us and seek to destroy us , Democrats did.We have worse enemies, and they are closer

[GodlessBiker]

16. You won't even criticize them for their bad Republican policies?

[mitchtv]

17. I got other fish to fry

A lot closer to home.And they are not Gays

[bluedawg12]

19. mitchtv has it exactly correct: what do I freakin' care about LCR's -BUT -for the record

In case anyone was wondering if we overstated their cognitive dissonance here is a little glimpse at some of the rw rhetoric the LCR's must have faced when at the drop of a hat the hate came gurgling to the top.

And with this, my interest dissipates as we really do have bigger fish to fry.

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20061030/blumenthal

The Coming Gay Republican Purge By Max Blumenthal

October 12, 2006

Immediately after the Mark Foley scandal broke, some anti-Republican gay-rights activists composed a memo containing the names of closeted gay Republican Congressional staffers and sent it to leading Christian-right advocacy groups. The founder and chairman of one of those groups, the Rev. Don Wildmon of the American Family Association, told me he has received that memo, which he referred to simply as "The List." Based on The List's contents, Wildmon is convinced that a secretive gay "clique" boring within the Republican-controlled Congress is responsible for covering up Foley's sexual predation toward teenage male House pages. Moreover, Wildmon calls on the Republican Party leadership to promptly purge the "subversive" gay staffers.


"They oughtta fire every one of 'em," Wildmon told me in his trademark Mississippi drawl. "I don't care if they're heterosexual or homosexual or whatever they are. If you've got that going on, that subverts the will of the people; that subverts the voters. That is subversive activity. There should be no organization among staffers in Washington of that nature, and if they find out that they're there and they're a member, they oughtta be dismissed el pronto."

Wildmon claimed that an investigation by Congressional Republican leaders into the gay menace lurking in their midst will clear House Speaker Dennis Hastert of allegations that he repeatedly ignored warnings about Foley's behavior. "I think the identification of the members of the homosexual clique is going to come out," Wildmon declared. "I think it's going to come out whether or not Hastert knew what he says, and at this point I'm inclined to believe he's telling the truth. I'm beginning to think that the homosexuals shielded their former Congressman Foley and that Denny Hastert did not know the depth of what's going on up there."
..........

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Wildmon

.........

The rev.don and one of his little gems:

>>"Many of you have written about the IKEA furniture commercial. Although IKEA is not a nationally known company, they are growing, with stores in most major U.S. cities. IKEA is a Sweden-based retail furniture company and they are trying to force their liberal worldview on Americans through television.

Their latest U.S.-aired commercial features a homosexual male couple and young female child on the floor, resting up against each other, as they lean on the front of their couch. The voiceover poses the question: “Why shouldn’t sofas come in flavors, just like families?”

This is just one of many pro-homosexual ads IKEA airs around the world.

Please let IKEA know that the promotion of homosexual couples as a “family” is offensive and undermines American values.<<

Douche! :rofl:
........

Good article on hate mouth.

http://www.atlanticfreepress.com/content/view/756/81/

Using Religion to Justify Discrimination: The Ungodly Work of Rev. Don Wildmon in America and Archbishop Peter Akinola in Nigeria
Written by Mel Seesholtz
Monday, 22 January 2007 14:09
Rev. Don Wildmon and his grotesquely misnamed American “Family” Association are once again attempting to demean and disenfranchise real-world families:

read more....

.....

[bluedawg12]

18. Well that true, look no further than NY and two Dems

Smith and Rodriguez,Sr. who oppose marriage equality and threaten to keep it from coming to a vote in 2009.

See cboy4's post on NY marriage vote, from NYT, posted today.

[IndianaGreen]

22. LCR took a stand in 2004 for marriage equality while Stonewall Democrats flubbed

There is a lot of homophobia and intolerance on our side of the trenches.

[RyanEb]

20. Log Cabin Republicans?!

Isn't being a gay Republican similar to being a black member of the KKK?

[IndianaGreen]

21. This is like watching a Jews for Hitler or Chickens for Colonel Sanders episode.

There is no future for LGBT Republicans in what has become the political home for the Christian Taleban. They are better off joining the Democratic Party and ally themselves with the DLC.

[David Zephyr]

23. I loathe this group.

Nothing is lower than a "Log Cabin Republican." Nothing.

[Jamastiene]

24. Will they ever get why things are no better for GLBT people?

Hmm...

Could it be that they are helping our opposition?

Maybe it wouldn't hurt if we started some special ed classes for them...They seem very slow on the uptake.

[Crowman1979]

25. Are they trying to petition a Haggard/Gannon ticket in 2012?

LOL