Are Sleazy DC Dems Playing Dirty Politics With North Carolina's Amendment One?

Yesterday we saw how sleazy DC Democratic Party operatives and careerists like Steve Israel, Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Joe Crowley are trying to use the Republican War Against Women to raise money while they recruit anti-Choice zealots like Hayden Rogers (NC), Terry Bellamy (NC), Clark Hall (AR) and, of course, Steve Pestka (MI)-- who worked so hard to defund Planned Parenthood-- to run against pro-Choice progressives. And the DCCC continues to throw full backing behind anti-Choice fanatics who vote with Boehner and Cantor in the "Republican" War Against Women like Tim Holden, Jim Matheson, John Barrow, Mike McIntyre, Leonard Boswell, and Ben Chandler.

Well, guess what! They do the same thing when it comes to the LBGT Community. Slimy characters like Israel and Wasserman Schultz use scare tactics when they talk to (wealthy) gay people: "We'll save you from the hateful Republicans. Send us money." But at the same time, they're purposely going out and recruiting homophobic sociopaths to run against pro-equality candidates from coast to coast. It shocks me that there are still thoughtful gay men and women willing to give the Republican Party and the DCCC a nickel. It's like underwriting your own misery!

Look at that video up top-- the Democratic former Mayor of Charlotte and the Republican former Mayor of Charlotte coming out against the dangerous, hateful, drastically homophobic Amendment One. And Vinroot is no squishy Romney type Republican. He's a real fire-breathing conservative. But Steve Israel has managed to dig up some homophobic hate-mongers and persuade them to run-- as Democrats-- against progressives in North Carolina. As we explained before, Israel's shill in NC-10, Terry Bellamy has a clear and ugly public record as an anti-gay religious nut. She belongs in the GOP-- and probably would be there except that she's African-American. Even worse is Heath Shuler's chief-of-staff, Hayden Rogers, who's been urging his supporters to vote FOR Amendment One, while "offially" remaining "neutral," even as the North Carolina Democratic Party valiantly battles against this crap amendment. Another vicious gay hater being pushed by the DCCC. Remember, on April 29, 2009, when 18 Republicans joined 231 Democrats to include the LBGT community in Hate Crimes legislation, there were 17 Democrats who crossed the aisle to support the Republican War On Gays. The DCCC didn't admonish or discipline any of them. Quite the contrary; they spent more money supporting them than they spent on many decent progressives. Most of them have been driven from Congress by Democrats and Independents that have refused to support this kind of garbage. But the ones who are still in Congress and still being supported by the DC Democrats-- Joe Donnelly (IN-now running for the US Senate), Mike McIntyre (NC), and Collin Peterson (MN)-- never face any accountability for this perfidy. That would be up to us-- because craven "leaders" like Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Steve Israel will never do anything to ruffle the feathers of these despicable allies of theirs.

Hayden's primary opponent is certainly not remaining "neutral." As Bothwell has reminded voters at dozens of campaign stops, "I am the only congressional candidate in either party in this race who has taken a strong stand against Amendment One. It is bad law on multiple counts: it is anti-civil liberty, unnecessary, sloppily written, and certain to lead to years of expensive litigation. The only intent on the part of the Republicans who advanced the amendment was to stir homophobic fears and provide a wedge issue they hoped would garner them votes. We're going to prove them wrong."

Perhaps a good time to remind everyone what many have long suspected and which has been verified by research in the U.K., homophobes are more likely to be secretly attracted to members of their own sex than non-homophobes. (Big surprise! Not!)

Researchers from the University of Rochester, the University of Essex and the University of California in Santa Barbara have discovered that homophobes are actually attracted to the same sex but they do not admit it because they grew up with authoritarian parents who forbade such desires. They found this when they conducted a series of psychology studies.

The researchers assert that people who define themselves as straight and who hate homosexuality are often attracted to the same sex. They believe that homosexual people remind them of similar tendencies within themselves.

...Researchers found that homophobic people are actually attracted to the same sex. They claim that these individuals risk losing the love and approval of their parents if they admit to same sex attractions, so many people deny or repress that part of them.

"In a predominately heterosexual society, 'know thyself' can be a challenge for many gay individuals. But in controlling and homophobic homes, embracing a minority sexual orientation can be terrifying," said Weinstein.

The research also sheds light on high profile cases in which anti-gay public figures are caught engaging in same-sex sexual acts. The authors write that this dynamic of inner conflict may be reflected in such examples as Ted Haggard, the evangelical preacher who opposed gay marriage but was exposed in a gay sex scandal in 2006, and Glenn Murphy, Jr, former chairman of the Young Republican National Federation and vocal opponent of gay marriage, who was accused of sexually assaulting a 22-year-old man in 2007.

When the DCCC asks you for money, that money goes for one thing: electing hateful conservatives, like Hayden Rogers and Terry Bellamy, who can be counted on to vote with the Republicans on issues like their War Against Women and their War Against Gays. Instead of contributing to the DCCC, give to progressive candidates directly or to candidates vetted by groups you trust. At this point I so distrust the DCCC that its a mark against any Democrat in a primary who they do embrace! Anyway... if you think it's time to send the DCCC and the sleazy DC Dems a message-- a message that we want a real alternative to right-wing fanaticism, here's a place you can do it.