Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) is one of five GOP senators planning to retire. How those seats are filled could have significant ramifications on the fate of gay
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CHRIS JOHNSON
Friday, February 01, 2008
The retirement of five Republican U.S. senators has several gay advocacy groups excited about the possibility of electing new allies to the Senate.
The five Republican senators retiring at the end of this congressional session are: Sens. Wayne Allard of Colorado, Larry Craig of Idaho, Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, Pete Domenici of New Mexico and John Warner of Virginia.
Marty Rouse, Human Rights Campaign’s national field director, said the decision of those senators to end their public service is “a good thing for the GLBT community.”
“What we as a community need to do and what HRC needs to do is determine how we can best use our resources to help elect more fair-minded members of the U.S. Senate,” he said.
Jon Hoadley, executive director of National Stonewall Democrats, said the retiring senators presided over a period of politics that “made the LGBT community into a wedge issue.” The retiring senators will be “tied to that legacy of division,” he said.
Hoadley said the 2008 election marks “an opportunity for voters to elect the … new type of fair-minded Democrats that are reshaping the conversation about our community at the federal level.”
Log Cabin Republicans spokesperson Scott Tucker said Republicans are facing a tough fight against Democrats in the upcoming election. Republican candidates will need to reach out to more voters and won’t be able to do that if they focus on divisive social issues, he said.
“Back in 2006, you saw a lot of the most anti-gay candidates lose their races,” he said. “Our party’s going to need to remember that in 2008.”
Allard received the most truculent review from gay advocacy groups.
Rouse said Allard “just stands out” among Republicans for his strong support of an amendment to the U.S. Constitution defining marriage as between one man and one woman.
Tucker said Allard “tried desperately to push a divisive agenda.”
“Frankly, I think that will be part of his legacy and I don’t think history will remember him very well for that,” Tucker said.
U.S. Rep. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) has thrown his hat into the ring to claim Allard’s vacated seat. Udall is the only Senate candidate in these races for which HRC has announced support.
Udall supported the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), the hate crimes bill and a bill that would abolish the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy for the U.S. military.
Hoadley also expressed support for Udall.
“Mark Udall has been a friend of our community,” he said. “I’d love to have his voice in the Senate.”
The likely Republican contender for the Colorado seat is former U.S. Rep. Bob Schaffer. In 1999, Schaffer voted in favor of legislation that would have banned gay adoption in the District of Columbia.
Of the five retiring senators, Warner gets mixed reviews. Rouse said Warner was not supportive of gay issues, especially in the recent congressional session.
“When you look at his record in the 109th Congress … his rating on a scale of one to 100 was a big, fat zero,” he said.
Tucker had a more favorable view of Warner. Tucker called him “someone that gay and lesbian Americans can count on to bring a voice of reason into the debates affecting us — even on issues where we don’t agree.”
Warner voted for the hate crimes bill in the Senate. He also signed a non-discrimination pledge for employment in his office.
When former Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Peter Pace called homosexuality immoral and compared it to adultery, Warner was one of the first lawmakers to express disagreement.
“It was Sen. Warner who was the first one out of the gate to say he strongly disagreed with Gen. Pace’s remarks,” Tucker said. “In fact, his condemnation of Pace’s comments were really more forceful than some of the initial reactions from leading Democrats.”
Hoadley said he’s focused on getting former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner in John Warner’s vacant seat.
Mark Warner can “encapsulate the values of Virginia and also talk about the progressive values of the Democratic Party in a way that connects with people,” Hoadley said.
As governor, Mark Warner issued an executive order prohibiting discrimination with regard to sexual orientation in state employment.
Mark Warner campaign spokesperson Kevin Hall said Mark Warner “would need to see specific language before offering an opinion” on whether he would as senator support a hate crimes bill or ENDA.
Hall said Warner is prepared to discuss the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy with the U.S military to determine if the policy is working.
The Republican contenders for John Warner’s seat are former Gov. Jim Gilmore and state Del. Bob Marshall. Marshall was an author of the Marshall-Newman amendment to the Virginia state Constitution, which was approved by Virginia voters in 2006. The amendment defines marriage in Virginia as an agreement between one man and one woman.
Domenici is also receiving mixed reviews among gay advocacy groups.
Alexis Blizman, executive director for Equality New Mexico, said Domenici worked against the gay community with every vote.
Domenici supported the federal marriage amendment and voted against hate crimes and employment non-discrimination legislation.
“I’m sure that most people in the GLBT community are certainly not sad to see him go,” Blizman said.
Tucker had a slightly more favorable view of Domenici. Tucker conceded the Domenici “did not have a good record on GLBT issues” but said Domenici “definitely didn’t beat the anti-gay drum.”
Blizman offered support for Rep. Tom Udall (D-N.M.), who is vying for the Democratic nomination to take Domenici’s seat. Tom Udall has been a strong ally of the gay community, Blizman said.
Udall voted against the federal marriage amendment and voted for hate crimes and ENDA.
The Republican contenders for the Senate seat are Rep. Heather Wilson (R-N.M.) and Rep. Steve Pearce (R-N.M.). Both have supported a federal marriage amendment.
Craig received a particularly scathing review from all gay advocacy groups. Last August, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge arising from his June arrest for allegedly soliciting sex with a man in a Minneapolis airport restroom. In September, Craig announced his intent to resign but then decided to finish his term.
Tucker said Craig’s legacy is tainted.
“He should have kept his promise to resign after the scandal,” Tucker said.
Rouse disparaged Craig’s actions but said they were encouraging mainstream America to talk about gay issues.
“While people look at their screens and shake their heads and say all of these horrible things … I do think it is a little bit sensitizing people to homosexuality and I think it’s educating people in a way about the power of the closet,” Rouse said.
Former U.S. Rep. Larry LaRocco is the leading Democratic candidate. On the Republican side, Lt. Gov. Jim Risch, who is also a former governor from the state, is the likely nominee.
For Hagel, Tucker had a moderate view that was similar to the one he had for Domenici. Tucker said Hagel “didn’t have a great record on gay issues,” but commended him for being an independent voice in the Senate. Hagel was a vocal critic of the Bush administration’s handling of the Iraq war.
Hagel was a skeptic of the federal marriage amendment, Tucker said.
Democrats are still searching for a potential nominee. Former Gov. Mike Johanns, who was an agriculture secretary for President George Bush, is the likely Republican nominee.
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