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Top Santorum Aide Outed As Gay
San Luis Obispo Tribune ^ | 7/15/2005 | Steve Goldstein

Posted on 07/16/2005 12:12:46 PM PDT by gopgen

Gay-rights opponent Santorum stands by outed aide

BY STEVE GOLDSTEIN

Knight Ridder Newspapers

WASHINGTON - (KRT) - The senior spokesman for Sen. Rick Santorum, R- Pa., Friday confirmed to a web log that he is gay.

According to PageOneQ, an online gay and lesbian publication, director of communications Robert L. Traynham, said that he was an "out gay man who completely supports the senator."

Santorum, the third-ranking Republican in the Senate leadership has been an outspoken opponent of homosexual rights and a leading proponent of a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

Santorum, who was traveling in Pittsburgh, released the following statement:

"Robert Traynham ... is widely respected and admired on Capitol Hill, both among the press corps and among the congressional staff, as a communications professional. Not only is Mr. Traynham an exemplary staffer, but he is also a trusted friend confidente to me and my family. Mr. Traynham is a valued member of my staff and I regret that this effort on behalf of people who oppose me has made him a target of bigotry in their eyes.

"It is entirely unacceptable that my staffs' personal lives are considered fair game by partisans looking for arguments to bolster my opponent's campaign. Mr. Traynham continues to have my full support and confidence as well as my prayers as he navigates this rude and mean spirited invasion of his personal life."

Mark Rodgers, chief of staff at the Republican conference, which Santorum chairs, said, "Robert is a tremendous employee and we're all for standing by him." Traynham's homosexuality was not news to the senator or his staff, he added.

In the online interview, Traynham defended his decision to work with the senator. "Sen. Santorum is a man of principle, he is a man who sticks up for what he believes in. I strongly do support Sen. Santorum.

Asked whether he supported Santorum's views on lesbian and gay issues, Traynham told PageOneQ, "Sen. Santorum is a family man. I have been with him for eight years and I am very proud to be with him."

The two-term senator is up for reelection next year. His expected Democratic opponent is State Treasurer Robert P. Casey, Jr.

Traynham began working for Santorum since 1997 as a press assistant and then deputy press secretary. He was press secretary for the senator's 2000 reelection campaign in Pennsylvania. Just prior to becoming communications director in the Senate office, Traynham served as director of communications for the Senate Republican Conference.

Traynham holds a bachelor of arts degree in political science from Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, where he currently serves on the Council of Trustees.

In supporting the Federal Marriage Amendment, which would prohibit gay marriage, Santorum has equated homeland security with the sanctity of traditional marriage. He has referred to gay marriage as "messing with the basic family unit."

During an interview with The Associated Press two years ago about a challenge to the constitutionality of Texas's sodomy law, Santorum said that if the Supreme Court allows gay sex at home (which it ultimately did), "you have the right to bigamy, you have the right to incest, you have the right to adultery. You have the right to anything."

On the marriage issue, Santorum also said: "In every society, the definition of marriage has not ever to my knowledge included homosexuality. That's not to pick on homosexuality. It's not, you know, man on child, man on dog, or whatever the case may be."

---

© 2005, The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Visit Philadelphia Online, the Inquirer's World Wide Web site, at http://www.philly.com

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Government; Politics/Elections; US: Pennsylvania
KEYWORDS: 2006elections; bedroompolice; compassionatecons; consentingadults; doasisaynotasido; dontaskdonttell; fingerinthedyke; gayagenda; gopmodsquad; howcanwefoolemtoday; howlinforestrogen; logcabinfreepers; lyingliars; myodb; oopsididitagain; outofthecloset; raginghormones; rino; santorum
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To: little jeremiah
No one called me to this thread; I saw it on the sidebar.

Now you've shown yourself to be dishonest to boot:

To: Howlin; little jeremiah; EdReform; scripter

Yes, it would cause him all kinds of deadly health risks. Anyone who cares for their grandkids would hope the same thing.

The health risks of the homosexual lifestyle are well documented. I've pinged some who will point you to the links.

137 posted on 07/16/2005 5:05:12 PM EDT by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It!)

To: Howlin; xzins

Howlin, that was a very nasty thing to say. Why are you getting personally nasty? Why not keep the discussion rational? Why ratchet it up like this?

170 posted on 07/16/2005 5:36:21 PM EDT by little jeremiah (A vitiated state of morals, a corrupted public conscience, are incompatible with freedom. P. Henry)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 127 | View Replies | Report Abuse ]

BTW, you claimed that just about everyone here has a homosexual relative. If you really think that, you've drunk deep of the Koolaid.

It is you and your tunnel vision that is mistaken.

201 posted on 07/16/2005 3:11:25 PM PDT by Howlin (Is Valerie Plame a mute?)
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To: jayhorn

Okay then:


It's only LOGICAL to ask somebody who is judging somebody else's child who is gay what they would do if it happens to them, don't you?


Satisified?


202 posted on 07/16/2005 3:13:26 PM PDT by Howlin (Is Valerie Plame a mute?)
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To: Dane

LJ was attacking ME and sending me nasty Freepmails to boot!


203 posted on 07/16/2005 3:14:09 PM PDT by Howlin (Is Valerie Plame a mute?)
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To: Howlin

Someone here has a homosexual child that works for Santorum?


204 posted on 07/16/2005 3:14:37 PM PDT by jayhorn (when i hit the drum, you shake the booty.)
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To: jayhorn

And you people wonder why nobody puts any credence into anything you all say?


205 posted on 07/16/2005 3:15:54 PM PDT by Howlin (Is Valerie Plame a mute?)
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To: RicocheT

Excellent post. I agree entirely with your well-expressd sentiments.


206 posted on 07/16/2005 3:16:15 PM PDT by indcons (Koran - the world's first WMD)
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To: xzins
I doubt his conservative credentials. I suspect he's more a libertarian Republican.

If Santorum is a libertarian Republican then I'm an anarchist Republican.

207 posted on 07/16/2005 3:20:08 PM PDT by NeoCaveman (we should not hesitate to resolve the tension in favor of the Constitution's original meaning-Thomas)
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To: gopgen

There's nothing wrong with being gay. In fact, it's downright, positively normal and everyday lollipops. EXCEPT when the gay man happens to be a REPUBLICAN, then the gloves (and I assume, also the condoms) come OFF...be damned the gayness, by GOD THAT GAY MAN IS A REPULICAN FOR MERCY SAKE!!!!

HYPOCRITS ONE AND ALL!


208 posted on 07/16/2005 3:20:08 PM PDT by Gaffer
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To: Dane

Did it ever occur to you that Sen. Santorum may have an influence over Mr. Traynham, such as if he didn't work for Sen. Sabtorum, he could be reveling in the promiscuous sex meth culture that is so pervasive in liberal radical homosexual circles.


****


Exactly what I was thinking...who knows how Santorum's influence is affecting Traynham...


209 posted on 07/16/2005 3:20:09 PM PDT by jdhljc169
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To: gopgen; nmh; wagglebee; Dan from Michigan; Echo Talon; xzins; k2blader; Delphinium; pa mom; ...

First, isn't it a Federal law that an employer cannot ask about marriage, family or sexual orientation in hiring? It seems that Santorum could have hired this man without knowing, and isn't now willing to throw him in the garbage. I admire that.

Second, it is possible for a gay person to have a deeply conservative view of what is proper for society. In an extraordinary article by a Canadian gay man who testified before their parliament AGAINST the idea of same-sex marriage -- John McKellar, President of H.O.P.E. (Homosexuals Opposed to Pride Extremism) says, "...we cannot and must not ignore the lessons of history and natural law. Again and again, it has been shown that whenever humankind fails to protect time-honored political, moral and social institutions, whenever humankind attempts to embrace pride as a virtue and mainstream behavior that contravenes natural law, and whenever humankind becomes arrogant, autonomous, egalitarian, nihilistic and foolish, civilization fails – always and without exception."

View the entire article at
http://theroadtoemmaus.org/RdLb/22SxSo/PnSx/HSx/McKellarJ%20HOPE02.htm


210 posted on 07/16/2005 3:20:35 PM PDT by Albion Wilde (Spade = spade.)
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To: gopgen

It didn't work when the Dems mentioned Dick Cheney's daughter, I'm suprised that they are going back to this play in their outdated playbook again.


211 posted on 07/16/2005 3:22:09 PM PDT by NeoCaveman (we should not hesitate to resolve the tension in favor of the Constitution's original meaning-Thomas)
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To: dubyaismypresident

I never knew that about you. :-)


212 posted on 07/16/2005 3:22:37 PM PDT by Howlin (Is Valerie Plame a mute?)
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To: Howlin
"You people"?

What people am I?

In any event, why make this personal? Santorum has a homosexual aide. Either Santorum is a hypocrite or not. That was the question, wasn't it?

213 posted on 07/16/2005 3:23:58 PM PDT by jayhorn (when i hit the drum, you shake the booty.)
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To: jayhorn
Either Santorum is a hypocrite or not. That was the question, wasn't it?

No, that's what YOU are trying to make it.

Conservatives don't believe sexuality matters, one way or the other.

214 posted on 07/16/2005 3:25:47 PM PDT by Howlin (Is Valerie Plame a mute?)
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To: dubyaismypresident

I have been so amused this very week that the Dems are outraged that Rove evidently said that Plame was "fair game."

Remember where we heard that last?


215 posted on 07/16/2005 3:26:41 PM PDT by Howlin (Is Valerie Plame a mute?)
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To: Howlin
Okay, I give up. You win. You can piss higher and farther than me.

Now go take a Mydol and lie down. You'll feel much better.

216 posted on 07/16/2005 3:27:45 PM PDT by jayhorn (when i hit the drum, you shake the booty.)
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To: Albion Wilde
First, isn't it a Federal law that an employer cannot ask about marriage, family or sexual orientation in hiring?

IIRC there are exceptions to this (I believe churches can ask to some extent). Additionally, it is fairly routine for political aides to have extensive background checks, in which case Santorum would know even if he didn't ask.

I don't think that this man would have tried to keep this a secret from Santorum. He was obviously aware that Santorum would NEED to know these things, especially in light of his politics. The only conclusion is that Santorum knew and didn't really mind. I am deeply opposed to homosexuality for religious reasons; however, if a homosexual is not running around trying to make everything a "gay" issue, it's none of my business what he does with his private life.

I find it ironic that the left is trying to force radical homosexuality down everyone's throats, but as soon as a Republican is "outed" they go on the attack.

217 posted on 07/16/2005 3:28:20 PM PDT by wagglebee ("We are ready for the greatest achievements in the history of freedom." -- President Bush, 1/20/05)
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To: jayhorn

I'll take that as a "I don't really have a reply, so I'll just make a sexist big remark" reply.


218 posted on 07/16/2005 3:28:49 PM PDT by Howlin (Is Valerie Plame a mute?)
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To: Howlin
Conservatives don't believe sexuality matters, one way or the other.

All this time I thought it was menopause.

219 posted on 07/16/2005 3:29:20 PM PDT by Protect the Bill of Rights
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To: Howlin; little jeremiah; xzins
LJ was attacking ME and sending me nasty Freepmails to boot!

Again JMO, and FWIW let it go. Sure you are going to have some kneejerkers calling for Santorum's head, but most of them have a previous agenda against Santorum, who BTW, is one of the most conservative members of the Senate.

LJ didn't attack Santorum and Xzins was questioning the logic, no big deal.

Like I said in my reply #139 of this thread to Xzins, if Mr. Traynham was disappointed with his employment as part of Santorum's staff, he could have left long ago, and found a job in the homosexual media with no problem.

He hasn't and forbidding a complete turnaround Mr. Traynham's(which would make him look like a fool) name is now fudge(pardon the pun) to the radical homosexual movement.

Again JMO, I think that Sen. Santorum is having a positive effect on Mr. Traynham. It maybe a small step in the big scheme of things, but a big step in Mr. Traynham's life(bucking the radical homosexual movement).

As for LJ and Xzins, I would say don't berate them. LJ in his own right has been instrumental in documenting threads on FR dealing with the radical homosexual agenda.

Do a key wrod search of "homosexualagenda"(oneword) on FR and you can see how insiduous the modern radical homosexual agenda is in modern America.

220 posted on 07/16/2005 3:31:16 PM PDT by Dane ( anyone who believes hillary would do something to stop illegal immigration is believing gibberish)
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