Log Cabin doubles down on Hagel

Timothy Kincaid

January 7th, 2013

Click to enlarge.

Log Cabin Republicans has released a second full page ad, this time in the Washington Post, criticizing the record of Chuck Hagel, former Republican Senator from Nebraska. Hagel will be formally nominated later today by the President for the position of Secratary of Defense.

This ad was limited to gay issues and addressed the “totality” of Hagel’s record (from LCR press release):

• In 1996 Hagel said he supported the Defense of Marriage Act, a federal law defining marriage as one man and one woman. He also supported a state constitutional amendment barring gays from marrying.
• In 1998 Hagel opposed the nomination of James Hormel as Ambassador to Luxembourg, arguing that an “openly, aggressively gay” man should not selected to represent the U.S.
• In 1999 Hagel Opposed repealing the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, saying, “the U.S. armed forces aren’t some social experiment.”
• In 2005, in reaction to a federal judge’s ruling that Nebraska’s voter-passed ban on same-sex marriage violated the constitutional rights of lesbians and gay men, Hagel opposed the decision saying, “I am hopeful the federal appeals court will recognize the rights of Nebraskans to determine their own laws governing marriage and reverse this decision.”

Jim Burroway

January 7th, 2013

Exclusion wins!

And is costing a hell of a lot of money.

tim

January 7th, 2013

Or could it really be that Hagels stance on the Iraq war and other blunders of the previous administration contradict the LCRs stance on those issues?

Like the HRC – the LCR should just shut down and go away.

Timothy Kincaid

January 7th, 2013

Oh how very difficult it is to forgive Log Cabin for being right on this issue.

Rob in San Diego

January 7th, 2013

Hey LCR, your going to go broke with that stance because EVERY REPUBLICAN HAS HELD THOSE STATEMENTS! Will you be opposing EVERY REPUBLICAN who runs for office? Or are you just using this as an excuse because of the powerful jewish lobby and gay jewish republicans?

Ben In Oakland

January 7th, 2013

“At Chuck Hagel’s request, we looked into the ‘totality’ of his public record on gay rights, and it did nothing to assuage our concerns that his anti-gay record makes him the wrong choice to oversee the ongoing integration of gays and lesbians in the military.”

And yet, LCR endorsed Mittens and were satisfied with the republican, most-anti-gay platform ever.

tristram

January 7th, 2013

@ Timothy – LCR is not ‘right’ on this issue; they are FAR RIGHT – on the same page as the other vociferous Hagel opponents like John Hagee, James Dobson and Bryan Fischer. For some reason they have chosen to carry water for the neocon/endtimes-Christianist/Greater Israel/bomb-Iran/protect-the-Pentagon’s-budget coalition. The Hagel ‘anti-gay’ matters they raised were from 8 to 17 years old. This from an organization that supported Mitt Romney for president two months ago.

The LCR is irrelevant except that it gives the right a little window dressing – the gay equivalent to Herman Cain. Neither the LCR nor you has addressed the issues/inconsistencies that Burroway raised in his post about LCR’s endorsement of Romney to be Commander in Chief [yes, the same Romney who signed the NOM pledge, supports the FMA, continues to believe that implementation of DADT repeal is part of Obama’s ‘war on religion,’ and just could not remember ‘that particular incident’ where he took a pair of scissors to a gay classmate’s hair (but of course, regretted the ‘prank’ if there was one and if it offended anyone)]. That would be a good place for both you and LCR to start if you want to have any credibility whatsoever ‘on this issue.’

TampaZeke

January 7th, 2013

Too bad LCR has absolutely ZERO credibility on this issue. The fully and heartily endorse an anti-gay politician one day and then get outraged, buy full page ads against and denounce another, who has the EXACT same record and positions as the first, the very next day. This just makes it clear that LCR is an opportunistic organization that is primarily driven by something other than promoting and defending gay rights.

Lucrece

January 7th, 2013

LCR endorsed Romney/Ryan. They lost any future moral high ground at that moment.

They DO NOT get to make a scandal of this.Other gay orgs can, because many actually do server as gay orgs and not as partisan orgs in gay org disguise.

Ryan

January 7th, 2013

The Republicans are concern-trolling, with a major assist from the Log Cabin-ites. I’m ashamed to say I fell for it. They endorsed Romney, for christsake. Not only was Romney against DADT, but he pledged to push for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. The Hagel thing isn’t about the gays, it’s about Israel, and Republicans are attempting to play Dems for fools, suddenly pretending to give a good goddamn gay rights. It’s pathetic and transparent. It’s enough to make me support Hagel, despite the fact that he’s anti-gay.

Ryan

January 7th, 2013

Oh, and today Chris Barron tweeted “this Hagel is “anti-gay” smear campaign is disgraceful and a damn lie”. Obviously,since he’s not part of the organization anymore, he didn’t get the payoff.

Hyhybt

January 7th, 2013

I don’t know… on the one hand, I don’t trust his apology, and, were it up to me, wouldn’t put someone who seems to be anti-gay (and other things besides) in a position of power given other viable options.

On the other hand, that’s a *relatively* small part of his potential job, for which, so far as I know, he’s otherwise qualified for, and he can’t go too far out of line considering where his would-be boss stands.

MattNYC

January 7th, 2013

I feel that his apology is as sincere as any politician can make. He’s done running for office and has nothing to defend–that doesn’t justify his stances when he actually held power, but it does make me believe him more now.

He’s a soldier’s soldier and I believe he’ll defend equality in the military the same way that every other part of the Pentagon has.

I agree that LCR has once again found themselves willingly used as tools as long as it gets them attention, press and money (I’d be willing to bet that they received large “anonymous” donations from some “end-timers” who are using them to help defeat a guy who won’t kiss Bibi’s feet.

As a secular, peace-loving Jew–like the vast majority of the actual Israeli population–the fact that he annoys AIPAC and Bibi (and the Chicken-Hawk Neo-cons) makes me like him FAR more than his Senatorial anti-gay stances ever made me detest him.

This country would be much better off without the enormously damaging influence that AIPAC and CUFI wield over our foreign policy. In the latter’s case, it truly shames me that there are Jews and supporters of Israel who would align themselves to religious fanatics who need all Jews to return to Israel so that they can die in the Apocalypse that they all hope comes soon. Rah, rah, Israel! With friends like that…

So, LCR–in its desperate need to be accepted and tolerated (like a beaten spouse)–plays the tool. How proud they must all feel. What a cash cow for shrinks everywhere.

Mark F.

January 8th, 2013

Whatever’s Hagel’s real views are, he has to stay in line with Obama’s views to keep his job. I’m really not concerned with this issue.

Hagel is really being opposed because he is considered to be too dovish. Tim, I’m surprised you can’t see this.

Timothy Kincaid

January 8th, 2013

Mark,

Your comment illustrates a fascinating political phenomenon. There is much argument and discussion about “why Hagel is being opposed”. And more than a few have expressed their own position based solely on who is opposing him.

And that does have value. One’s opponents do tell a great deal about one’s positions or potential. (Though I do find the rather antisemetic undertone of some comments to be troubling).

However, my focus is not on why someone else opposes Hagel but on why I oppose him.

I am more supportive of Israel than Hagel (though less hawkish than his detractors), but that’s not really of much interest to our readers. I doubt that anyone visits so as to get my views on military strategy or whether I support a two state policy. Those are not my reasons here.

Log Cabin and/or their supporters may be pro-Israel. But their argument in their latest ad is entirely about Hagel’s decisions, actions, and words directed towards gay Americans. Their ad happens to mirror my own previously stated concerns.

I find it absurd and laughable that those who either want to support the administration or want to hate Log Cabin refuse to address what LCR says and instead want to assign them motivations and, based on those imagined motivations, deride their character.

Whether LCR endorsed or picketed Mitt Romney, whether Hagel is supported or opposed by right-wing nutcases, whether or not Barney Frank likes or hates his party registration, it still remains that Hagel has a long uninterrupted anti-gay history which is not, for me, wished away by one “please confirm me” statement.

Priya Lynn

January 8th, 2013

The issue is not why Hagel is being opposed, its the hypocrisy of the Log Cabin Republicans in opposing him after they endorsed Romney/Ryan.

Robert

January 8th, 2013

yet Kincaide endorses all the politicos from the far right that tried to get dixcrimination placed into the Constitution (MEHLMAN, et. al). Sure Timothy, we believe you. Really. Truly, we do. What a load of hooey. Slapping down those who come around is no way to move forward, it’s a way of keeping us and others down. Did you throw your support to Dick Cheney just because he came out for gay rights? I bet you did. If not, I’m sure you wanted to.

Timothy Kincaid

January 8th, 2013

Robert,

guess what? You don’t get to just make up total lies about me.

So until you either (a) find an example of me endorsing Mehlman and all the politicos from the far right that tried to get discrimination placed into the Constitution, or (b) apologize – your choice – I’ll be moderating your comments.

Molly Nolan

January 12th, 2013

Mittens who has spewed plenty of more politely worded anti gay rhetoric, much of it recently, who in the position of President could have enacted anti gay policies, OK with LCR. Hagel, said anti gay things some time ago, but more importantly on the LGBTI issues, has to uphold policies of President Obama, not OK. If LCR opposed Hagel for other positions than anti gay statements, it would play as less hypocritical.

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