Bush Campaign Chief and Former RNC Chair, Ken Mehlman: I'm Gay

[Newsjock]

Source: The Atlantic

Ken Mehlman, President Bush's campaign manager in 2004 and a former chairman of the Republican National Committee, has told family and associates that he is gay.

Mehlman arrived at this conclusion about his identity fairly recently, he said in an interview. He agreed to answer a reporter's questions, he said, because, now in private life, he wants to become an advocate for gay marriage and anticipated that questions would arise about his participation in a late-September fundraiser for the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER), the group that supported the legal challenge to California's ballot initiative against gay marriage, Proposition 8.

... Privately, in off-the-record conversations with this reporter over the years, Mehlman voiced support for civil unions and told of how, in private discussions with senior Republican officials, he beat back efforts to attack same-sex marriage. He insisted, too, that President Bush "was no homophobe." He often wondered why gay voters never formed common cause with Republican opponents of Islamic jihad, which he called "the greatest anti-gay force in the world right now."

... Mehlman acknowledges that if he had publicly declared his sexuality sooner, he might have played a role in keeping the party from pushing an anti-gay agenda.


Read more: http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2010/08/bush-campaign-chief-and-former-rnc-chair-ken-mehlman-im-gay/62065/

[QC]

1. In other breaking news, Moses Parts Red Sea! n/t

[Divine Discontent]

81. The sea has parted, and now we wait on Georgie to do the same as Kenny. It's too bad these asshats

that all of a sudden realize they're Gay (call me cruel, but I knew I was gay the 1st time I thought of a guy I liked and got a fast heartbeat). I can understand saying it's hard for someone based on the views forced into our minds growing up, but to just come to grips this year??? At nearly 45 years of age!? SIGH... coulda used his help back in '04!

And did Scotty McClellan ever come out? Bush told the Canadian PM a few years back that his Canadian "Scotty" was cuter than McClellan.




AND OF NOTE _-_-_-_-_-_-_-

"Mehlman often wondered why gay voters never formed common cause with Republican opponents of Islamic jihad, which he called "the greatest anti-gay force in the world right now." Um, maybe because we saw the GOP as too readily using us as "demons" to GOTV??? And, he said he couldn't go against party consensus constructed by Karl Rove to use wedge issues in 2004 to GOTV for B*sh - so he's a homophobe, but we already figured that, or a self-hater...

[Bleacher Creature]

2. I'm absolutely shocked.

Shocked at the fact that he "arrived at this conclusion about his identity fairly recently."

I thought he was out a long time ago.

[dkf]

9. How old is the guy?

Amazing. If you are confused for so long maybe you are Bi?

[JuniperLea]

11. Denial, I bet...

His social background may have caused him to feel badly about who he really was... happens all the time.

How many homosexual men and women have you met that hid it for years, even had kids? The first lesbian I was ever aware of had just this scenario. She was a friend of my mother and aunts. She and her husband had two daughters, were married for 20 years... then one day she just came out! Her mom was a staunch Catholic... I am pretty sure this was the cause of her denial.

[Safetykitten]

23. His was hesitation due to the denial of his credit card. Republican gays love the cash.

[JuniperLea]

27. WTF?

I don't like gay bashing... Republican or otherwise.

[DireStrike]

42. never mind

Yeah, it's inappropriate.

[Safetykitten]

72. Really? Inappropriate? Then explain to me why LCR members always

have at the forefront of their cause economic issues? Why is it that republicans when yanked, pushed or threatened with outing suddenly become the righteous of the cause? Why is it that they serve as the servants of republicans until the last possible moment then having a revelation, or being outed?

Now tell me how innappropriate it is.

[JuniperLea]

103. You are stereotyping a segment of the gay community...

And it's disgusting.

This man did a lot of heinous things, no question. The reasons for that are not very clear right now. Are you inside his head? Do you understand what his life has been like? Have you never known a gay person who masqueraded as straight because he or she was so tender-hearted or empathetic that they couldn't bring themselves to be true to themselves out of fear? Or someone who had a mother, father, or sibling that was homophobic and that conflicted emotion caused great pain at the thought of coming out? Or perhaps someone who was raised Catholic or Pentecostal or Baptist and were constantly being told how "sinful" homosexuality is?

We don't have one shred of an iota as to what his story is. I'm willing to give him a chance to tell his own story before assuming and making shit up and giving him shit about it like you are.

[alp227]

38. He turned 44 four days ago, according to Wikipedia n/t

[TheEuclideanOne]

48. It is true, fairly recently. In fact the exact date he arrived at this conclusion was

the day after he left his post as the RNC chair. Not a day before. If he knew it during the time he was participating in actions to enforce hate and prejudice against homosexuals, that would make him a world class hypocrite and he would definitely hate to be considered that, right. ;)

[xxqqqzme]

82. I thought he did too.

'fairly recently'. That is one self imposed cloistered life.

[Roland99]

89. Oh, I'm sure he knew long ago. It's that self-loathing attribute that he finally shed

just think if every self-loathing gay Republican would just finally admit to what they know about themselves.

Be a lot less hatred and bigotry going around.

[marmar]

3. "Mehlman arrived at this conclusion about his identity fairly recently"

Something about that seems very disingenuous, but congrats to him for coming out.....But I wonder how he feels about his extended stint as head of Chickens for Col. Sanders?

[QC]

7. Everybody else knew a long time ago. n/t

[Critters2]

35. +1 nt

[Betsy Ross]

47. +1 n/t

[Mira]

67. +1 n/t

[Safetykitten]

73. Parakeet flocks flying over his house knew it.

[lumberjack_jeff]

4. No, Ken. You would have been unemployed and ostracized.

Republicans don't tolerate out officials. You were smart to go with your gut instinct.

[SpiralHawk]

32. Indeed, he would have been demonized by the hate stooges he promoted

Talk about self-loathing behavior...

[fasttense]

94. Except he helped spew anti-gay, homophobic hate

through out our country. He willingly cooperated with people who would deny civil rights to people just like himself.

To me it clearly shows how Americans will do anything for money, power and prestige.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

5. Wow that was unexpected!........... (trying to keep a straight face)...... nt

[Octafish]

6. So why did you use your talents to deny equality to others?

Civil rights, etc. were targets of opportunity to Bushco.

[JuniperLea]

10. He could have been in denial about himself for a very long time...

Hard to tell... this statement doesn't give a hint, really.

I feel badly when someone feels they need to hide their real self... through conscious effort or subconscious denial.

[Octafish]

46. Agree 100-percent.

My cousin was a banker in New York. His life was pretty conflicted because of his sexuality. He passed away from too much alcohol, too young, in the late 1970s. A great man, always very kind.

[No Elephants]

87. A lot has happened since the 1970's re: gays,. Sorry for your loss--and his pain.

[Chemical Bill]

8. Duh! n/t

[WillParkinson]

12. This from an article on another site:

Mehlman's crimes against his own people are motherfucking LEGION. Mike Rogers continues:

So, how can Ken Mehlman redeem himself? I want to hear from Ken that he is sorry for being the architect of the 2004 Bush reelection campaign. I want to hear from Ken that he is sorry for his role in developing strategy that resulted in George W. Bush threatening to veto ENDA or any bill containing hate crimes laws. I want to hear from Ken that he is sorry for the pressing of two Federal Marriage Amendments as political tools. I want to hear from Ken that he is sorry for developing the 72-hour strategy, using homophobic churches to become political arms of the GOP before Election Day.

http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/08/repulsive-anti-gay-quisling-homophobic.html

[butterfly77]

39. How did I forget about

this bastard..I guess there were too many to keep up with. He has been hiding out.

[xchrom]

13. Lol! Nt

[RamboLiberal]

14. You ought to go hang your head in shame you POS

The way you went along with making gays a wedge issue all these years to get Bush and other Repukes elected! And you wonder why gays didn't vote in greater numbers for Repukes. And I see you're still pushing Islamaphobia!

And you didn't figure this out until recently! Tell me another one.

[Faygo Kid]

15. +1

[CLANG]

24. Yeah! Great righteous rant!

:wow: :hi: :yourock:

[NBachers]

53. Yeah, I'm not inclined to give this guy too much sympathy or support

[KoKo]

55. You've been on DU almost as long as me. Remember when DU had the Info that he was Gay way back?

:shrug:

[TygrBright]

16. Mehlman: "I'm gay? Why am I always the last to find this stuff out?" n/t

[karynnj]

17. Amazing -

He is remarkably slow in picking up on what most people realize at a much younger age. That he says that Bush is not a homophobe is not even the relevant point - in 2004, they had I think 13) ballot referendums - many quite negative that even took away rights that gays had already found ways to get.

I really don't know how he or Mary Cheney both live with what they did - all in an effort to keep Bush in office. (Between this and the SBVT, you can see that the Republicans did fear John Kerry, a genuine war hero and a natural leader in both war and peace.)

Given that the RNC had no problem with Mary Cheney being gay and working on this - I seriously doubt they would have stopped what they were doing had Melman admitted the truth. If anything, they could reassign him or fire him - Mary Cheney - they were stuck with.

[mzmolly]

18. Who knew?

Oh yeah, everyone but the blind RW flock. ;)

[molly77]

19. The Bush Administration

The men spoke softly and the women could make a dog howl a block away. Never forget Jeff Gannon and his credentials. I saw 'em . Two years in the WH press corpse and nobody noticed. I will say one thing for bush the lesser, he had a sense of humor.

[rasputin1952]

41. Welcome to DU molly77...

:hi:

[Betsy Ross]

49. Welcome.

Great post.:hi: :hi: :hi:

[Raster]

51. Wow, nice post! Welcome to DU!

The men spoke softly and the women could make a dog howl a block away.":rofl:

[AlbertCat]

20. formed common cause with Republican opponents of Islamic jihad,...

....which he called "the greatest anti-gay force in the world right now."

Because the GOP is the SECOND largest anti-gay force in the world, and the one AT HOME, not on the other side of the Atlantic.

Not to mention they already side with Democratic opponents of ALL anti-gay forces.

Moron Log-cabinites.... supporting a group who doesn't want them around. Idiots!

[karynnj]

91. That also implies that ONLY the GOP was fighting the Islamic jihad

Gays had the option of backing Senator Kerry, who had a 100% record on gay rights AND who was for fighting non-state terrorists in a smarter way.

[Safetykitten]

21. In other breaking news....the sky is blue.

"Mehlman acknowledges that if he had publicly declared his sexuality sooner, he might have played a role in keeping the party from pushing an anti-gay agenda."

Uh, ok.

[Joe Bacon]

22. Mike Rogers told the truth (again)

For years Mike Rogers of Blog Active was silenced by our Whore Press when he reported this. Now, I wonder how many closet queen Republicans are going to get outed!

[Matariki]

25. Good for him for coming out. I wish him luck and hope he can get married if/when he wants to.

[craigmatic]

26. Mehlman is a cowardly sell out to his own people and I have no respect for him.

[KamaAina]

28. Longtime DU Poster, KamaAina: My Username is Hawaiian

I mean, like, DUH!

[Taverner]

34. Wha - you mean its not Esperanto?

[go west young man]

29. Ha! I'm remembering these boards back in 2004.

There was a thread about closet gays in the RNC and Fox. If I recall correctly we had Mehlman, O'Reilly,
Dick Morris, Hannity, Hastert, Limbaugh, and quite a few others. I love it when the truth is revealed!

[KoKo]

56. Yes......it was posted here on DU...We all knew...Repugs Knew...they were hiding it..typical! n/t

[wordpix]

96. If O'Reilly is gay, why was he making all those sexual overtures to & calling young women?

:shrug: i don't think so but then again, i'm nowhere near his bedroom

[chollybocker]

30. So he comes out of the closet - that HE helped to construct.

I can't stand these hypocrits. And to all the apologists who will no doubt come out of the woodwork over the next few days, screw you, too. There is nothing admirable about his lifelong delusions.

Maybe he'll get a job headlining the next GOProud event...if Anne Coulter = Judy Garland, then Mehlman = Elton John??

[Gman]

31. Very old news here at DU.

[KoKo]

57. For Sure...but lots of New Folks didn't know...but they need to know that we knew back when. n/t

[Zorra]

33. Another one in a long line.

There's something really weird about republicans in general. Some kind of moral/ethical disconnect in their consciousness stemming from a lack of self-awareness, or something like that. They can't seem to accept facts that conflict with what they have been taught is "correct thinking and behavior", and it seems extremely difficult for them to assimilate new factual information and then change and act accordingly. Like they can't truly think for themselves and get out of their "box" because it might go against what they were conditioned to believe.

It makes me feel sorry for them. If I had some inescapable compulsion to live my life by the bullshit I had shoved down my throat when I was a child I would have been a certifiable lunatic long ago. There would be "someone in my head, but it's not me".

It appears to me that this is a fundamental difference between liberals and conservatives.

[Critters2]

36. In other news, sun expected to rise in east in early morning. nt

[ooglymoogly]

37. The real shocker here, is the statement

"That he arrived at this conclusion fairly recently"; Wow, I bet most on this site figured it out at first sight. And another corker that he contributed to efforts supporting prop h8. Making his self serving comments hypocritical lies.

[KoKo]

58. Yeah....Yeah...and there's a Bridge for Sale in Brooklyn.. n/t

[alp227]

40. Another outed gay conservative, just like Terry Dolan

Terry Dolan, the co-founder of the National Conservative Political Action Committee, died of AIDS in 1986 and was later found to have been a closeted homosexual.

Back in 2006, Bill Maher accused Mehlman of being gay. CNN played Maher's remark in its live broadcast of Larry King Live on November 8, 2006 but censored Maher's remark in reruns.

And then consider the gay children of Dick Cheney, Phyllis Schlafly, and Alan Keyes. Only Cheney has now come out in favor of gay rights.

Why can't America just get over its homophobia already? They're here, they're queer, and you need to get used to it.

[pitohui]

43. gosh what was your first clue?

didn't we all point this out years ago and then get yelled at because pointing out a GOP is gay is somehow wrong and homophobic???

i've never thought dumbya a homophobe, i think he plays one on teevee to please the crowd because he's evil and has no courage

same as mehlman himself really

yr sexual drives are weakly linked, if at all linked to yr politics, plenty of wingers are gay, just as plenty of wonderful progressive folks are gay...i think if you're "different," you have more occasion to think and be introspective and some people use that opportunity for good, some use it for evil

[KoKo]

60. Oh...Bush II had a roomate...Roger Ashe...Rumors and stuff about him, too...and Poppy...but

where it get's bad is how they've treated Gays...and while hiding their own that becomes hypocritical!

[Raster]

63. "George, to make this believable you're gonna need a couple of kids."

"Pickles, honey, grab the turkey baster."

[pitohui]

69. victor ashe actually but don't ask me how i know that ha ha

yes it's the hypocrisy that peeves me off...

[alfredo]

44. No shit Sherlock. Glad he has come out. Secrets hurt.

[No Elephants]

88. He's out, but still trying to keep secrets. He learned this relatively recently, my ass.

[alfredo]

101. Learned= accepted reality.

[UTUSN]

45. & this helps Gays ... HOW?!1 n/t

[jennied]

64. lol

[OnyxCollie]

50. He didn't recall being gay until recently. nt

[Safetykitten]

75. It was not synched with his Outlook...things like that happen.

[Raster]

52. Really?

This takes the cake: "Mehlman arrived at this conclusion about his identity fairly recently...":rofl:

[NBachers]

59. Lying sack of shit

Don't upset the apple cart when you're still riding the gravy train, Kenny

[Raster]

61. I guarantee Ken dropped to his knees MANY TIMES while he was part of the Bush*/RNC power cabal...

...and it was NOT to pray.

[Safetykitten]

74. he sure is in the republican mold. Lie, then lie, then lie again, then ask if you will believe your

lying eyes.

[KoKo]

54. Well...DU'ers knew he was WAY BACK. Glad to see Mehlman is finally admitting it.

Another First for the OLD DU...we Knew FIRST!

[Javaman]

62. In other news: water is wet. nt

[WillyT]

65. Yep....

:wow:

Or not...

:shrug:

[invisible]

66. I will never forgive him.

I will never forgive him. There is no excuse for supporting the Bush regime or the vile Republican platform. He is a coward, a liar, and a crook…forevermore.

[Fearless]

68. Umm.. duh. n/t

[Hulk]

70. Do I care?....do you care?

Honestly....isn't it time we didn't give a shit? Isn't it time we didn't care what skin color somebody had, or where they practiced faith...if they had any?

I just don't give a rat's ass what this guy has in his personal life. I don't care if he's gay, black, yellow, red, white, Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist or what-the-f*ck ever.

Just get a f*cking life, people.

[redwitch]

95. I care.

It's the hypocrisy, the anti gay agenda he helped to promote. I don't care that he's gay. I do care that he's an asshole.

[TroglodyteScholar]

71. What a shocker!

[orleans]

76. he was a piece of shit then

and he still is. gay or not. his announcement changes nothing. the damage is done.

[Name removed]

77. Deleted message

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

[syberlion]

78. I'm not suprised after reading Blinded By The Right

David Brock's book lets in a little light into an other-wise dark place, conservative homosexuality. The people, the players and all that damn money. Sex is just another tool used for the ultimate orgasmic experience, power. That's what it is all about, denying your true self just to get some of that elusive drug, power. That he "arrived at this conclusion" recently, hey denial is not just a river in Egypt.

The fact that such a well placed conservative feels the climate in this country, about gays and gay marriage, is relaxed enough for him to finally come out says a lot about what is really going on in this country. The writing is on the wall and smart conservatives know it. Oh, there are the ancient ones, with their "wide stance" on the issue, there are those unable to change their "stance" because they've done it that way for too long.

As for that last snippet where he acknowledges his potential role in the party for possibly stopping the anti-gay agenda had he come out sooner? That's the all-powerful drug power talking. If Cheney, with a gay daughter, coming out for gay marriage didn't slow down the anti-gay republican agenda, Mehlman didn't have a prayer. He would have been tossed out faster than a PETA member at a Texas Bar-B-Que.

[David__77]

79. I'm more shocked than when George Michael came out!

lol...

[Divine Discontent]

84. ha.. but he knew he was gay, just hiding it. Mehlman just came to this conclusion this year?

I'm thinking, riiiiight. That's some serious self hatred of having a racing heartbeat every time you got around a guy you'd grown to really like, and saying, "I'm NOT gay!" to himself over and over for about 30 years of his life! I wonder what George said to him... I'd like to know. He said he told him. I wonder if he said, "don't you tell them ANYTHING about me!" lol

ps - I love George Michael! I hope he gets help for his addictions, he is incredible in concert, just amazing.

[CoffeeCat]

80. So I knew that Ken Mehlman was gay before his family did?

I feel so special.

Wasn't it obvious?

Happy for him.

[Divine Discontent]

83. Well, I have to commend Dustin Lance Black, Oscar winner for writing Milk ---

Dustin Lance Black, the Academy Award winning writer of "Milk," said, "Ken represents an incredible coup for the American Foundation for Equal Rights. We believe that our mission of equal rights under the law is one that should resonate with every American. As a victorious former presidential campaign manager and head of the Republican Party, Ken has the proven experience and expertise to help us communicate with people across each of the 50 states."

[Heywood J]

85. 'He insisted, too, that President Bush "was no homophobe."'

I'll bet.


Jeff Gannon

[JCMach1]

93. Eeeew... just had some 'really' bad images of 'W' there

maybe doing the rest-room shuffle....

[wordpix]

97. "see you later tonight, Jeff, after my early-to-bed schtick"

[stillrockin]

86. Duh, George.

:wow:

[Festivito]

90. Will FOX news accidentally put a D as his affiliation?

I guess it doesn't matter since the mindless listeners will just think that he's a lee-brul anyway.

[No Elephants]

92. He's still lying. He learned this relatively recently? Who's he kidding?

"He often wondered why gay voters never formed common cause with Republican opponents of Islamic jihad, which he called "the greatest anti-gay force in the world right now."


So, in Ken's mind, Democrats are pro-jihadist? More bullshit from yet another Atwater disciple.


I've been posting that big Republicans have been backing off the classic wedge issues, even as big Democrats have been going in the opposite direction.

Heaven forbid: One day, the two major may actually have to distinguish themselves from each other on real government issues--but it will take a VERY long time for Republicans to lose the neo theo vote, if ever.

[tabasco]

98. Yeah, there's a shocker.

Another sorry, lying, soul-less republican piece of filth working to ruin America.

[mistertrickster]

99. Even when he tells part of the truth, he has to lie--"I RECENTLY discovered I'm gay."

Bull freaking shit.

Why did everybody else know ten years ago, Ken . . .

Another self-loathing gay-baiting right wing gay.

Of course, he's RepubliCON.

[lunatica]

100. I hope he does become a serious advocate for gay marriage and gay rights

And I'm glad he's come out. It's sad that he or any gay person has to live a double life of denial and secrecy and has to spend any time at all feeling shame or living a life of lies.

I hope he does become an advocate.

[apnu]

102. He beat back efforts to attack same-sex marriage? Really? When?

'Cuz the GOP, while Bush was President had a grand old time bashing gays and attacking marriage. They frequently used marriage as a wedge issue and a stick to drive the crazy fundies to the polls.

So where was Mehlman's "beating back" Does he mean that the slaving anti-gay rhetoric coming from the White House and the GOP was muted because of his efforts?

Is that a flying pink elephant I see out my window?

[COLGATE4]

104. Just another self-hating opportunistic Gay politician

who signed on enthusiastically to poison the atmosphere for Gays while he still had a seat at the table of privilege. Now that he's yesterday's news he has decided to come out and liberate his soul. Self-serving little weasel.