Eideard

Getty Images used by permission

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 [he says] 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…

“Everybody has their own path to travel, their own journey, and for me, over the past few months, I’ve told my family, friends, former colleagues, and current colleagues, and they’ve been wonderful and supportive. The process has been something that’s made me a happier and better person. It’s something I wish I had done years ago.”

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…”

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.

“It’s a legitimate question and one I understand,” Mehlman said. “I can’t change the fact that I wasn’t in this place personally when I was in politics, and I genuinely regret that. It was very hard, personally.” He asks of those who doubt his sincerity: “If they can’t offer support, at least offer understanding…”

Mehlman is aware that his attempts to justify his past silence will not be adequate for many people. He and his friends say that he is aware that he will no longer control the story about his identity — which will simultaneously expose old wounds, invite Schadenfruede, and legitimize anger among gay rights activists in both parties who did not hide their sexual orientations…

RTFA. There is a great deal of soul-searching in the interview with Mehlman. As much as anyone concerned with the ethics of hypocrites – whether they are conservatives or Christians, politicians or pundits – I can’t waste any time on forgiveness over the simple act of finally telling the truth.

There can be military, security reasons for lying – in some few contexts. Platforms vying to represent the political will of the American people are often as likely an opportunity for lying – and wholly unjustifiable. The best I can say about Ken Mehlman is I’m pleased to hear he can look himself in the mirror, now, and know he’s willing to face the world – and himself – as an honest man.

The Republican National Committee has canceled a fundraiser with conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart, who is under fire for promoting an edited video that falsely portrays former Agriculture Department employee Shirley Sherrod as having boasted about discriminating against a white farmer looking for her assistance.

Breitbart was scheduled to appear with RNC Chairman Michael Steele at a reception later this month in Beverly Hills…

The spokesman said the fundraiser was cancelled “To better capitalize on the fall fundraising season that happens post-Labor Day, while also lowering costs by utilizing existing trips to California.”

Michael Steele is concerned about lowering costs?

Breitbart has been under fire for posting the video clip of Sherrod that led to a rush to judgment and Sherrod’s forced resignation. She was later vindicated when her speech to a chapter of the NAACP was shown in full.

I look forward to the exercise in sophistry requiring neocons and libertarians to defend both the RNC and Breitbart.

Harry Reid’s owned guns longer than Republicans have been able to spell NRA

The National Rifle Association, the powerful lobbying group that has been a longtime nemesis of liberals, is facing mounting criticism from influential allies on the right and even from its own board over a series of recent moves they say are selfish, short-sighted and ultimately harmful to the conservative movement.

Critics cite a list of transgressions, from considering an endorsement of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), to endorsing moderate Republicans — and even Democrats — rather than their more-conservative challengers, to taking a cautious approach to Second Amendment court cases and President Barack Obama’s judicial nominees.

And they are especially angry about the group’s willingness to play ball with Democratic leaders on campaign finance legislation vigorously opposed by congressional Republicans, powerful business groups and nearly the entire conservative movement.

Republican congressional leaders have privately conveyed their unhappiness to NRA officials, but online conservative activists linked to the tea party movement have been vociferous in their criticism.

“The NRA is all about the NRA — helping their organization and not necessarily the cause,” said influential conservative blogger Erick Erickson, who has repeatedly taken to his blog RedState in recent weeks to urge conservatives to turn their backs on the NRA…

Har! Rightwingers believe that single issue organizations should kneel to all of their ideology.

Chris Cox, the NRA’s chief lobbyist, said the criticism ignores the reason the NRA is such a powerful brand: that it focuses on its core mission of advancing gun owners’ rights, rather than on trying to advance the goals of the conservative movement, writ large…

Technically, the NRA — a $300 million organization with unrivaled lobbying power, a massive member-services operation and an active political-action committee — is nonpartisan. It derives significant clout from its ties to conservative, pro-gun Democrats and in recent years has increased its contributions to Democrats as they retook Congress and then the White House.

Absolutely hilarious. These dumb bunnies, these lockstep demagogues believe that anyone who agrees with one portion of their religion must obey all the other precepts in the rightwing catechism. Perish the thought someone has an independent thought or conclusion.

I criticize the NRA often for it’s moribund politics, presuming they’ll fall in line with whatever the Teabagger Right upchucks, this week. Refreshing to see a touch of dedication to what was – after all – their original mandate.

Florida has launched a criminal investigation into the state Republican party’s recently ousted chairman and a company he secretly hired to raise donations…

The investigation targeted Jim Greer, who resigned as state party chairman in January amid accusations that he misspent party funds, a political source confirmed.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement did not identify Greer by name but said in a statement that it was investigating “possible criminal activity surrounding a former senior official of the Republican Party of Florida and Victory Strategies, LLC.”

The Orlando Sentinel newspaper reported that Greer was the majority owner of Victory Strategies and that the company benefited from a secret contract that paid it commissions on money raised for the party…

The investigation comes at a time when the party is already dealing with embarrassing revelations about spending by the Republican National Committee, which spent thousands of dollars at lavish hotels and paid $1,946 for meals at a West Hollywood nightclub featuring topless dancers and bondage themes.

Students of history will recognize many of the symptoms of political thugs in decline. Whether they identify best with Louis XVI – or Caligula – the reign of Cheney, Rove and Bush left behind sufficient despot-pretenders to make the Mafia blush.

Why is this man smiling?
Daylife/Getty Images

A poll reveals Minnesotans, by and large, want Republican Norm Coleman to concede the state’s U.S. Senate race to Democrat Al Franken.

Public Policy Polling said its survey (.pdf) indicated 63 percent say Coleman should call it a day rather than continue to fight in court, USA Today reported. That percentage includes “almost all of Franken and (independent candidate) Dean Barkley’s supporters, as well as a third of respondents who voted for Coleman last fall,” the polling organization said.

Fifty-nine percent said Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a Republican, should certify Franken the winner and he should be seated immediately.

A three-judge panel has voted that Franken won by 312 votes out of nearly 3 million cast.

When the next gubernatorial election comes around, I’ve suggested that Minnesotans should remember that Pawlenty’s loyalty to Republican ideology trumped his responsibility to provide representation in the Senate for his state. Maybe, he’ll take a look at the sentiments of the citizens of the state – and relent.

Or maybe he’ll have to get an honest job after the next election cycle.

Daylife/AP Photo photo by David Zalubowski

The Republican National Committee has spent more than $150,000 to clothe and accessorize vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and her family since her surprise pick by John McCain in late August.

According to financial disclosure records, the accessorizing began in early September and included bills from Saks Fifth Avenue in St. Louis and New York for a combined $49,425.74.

The records also document a couple of big-time shopping trips to Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis, including one $75,062.63 spree in early September.

The RNC also spent $4,716.49 on hair and makeup through September after reporting no such costs in August.

Politico asked the McCain campaign for comment, explicitly noting the $150,000 in expenses for department store shopping and makeup consultation that were incurred immediately after Palin’s announcement. Pre-September reports do not include similar costs.

“The campaign does not comment on strategic decisions regarding how financial resources available to the campaign are spent,” she said.

Later on they backed down and said the goodies will go to charity after the election.

Poor Sarah. She doesn’t get to keep the Party favors. OTOH, if they put her outfits up on eBay, I’ll bet they turn a profit.