Free Republic

Morton Kondracke's column: Bush Could Face Big Fight in GOP Over Gay Issues The Republican Party has a "gay problem" that could complicate President Bush's re-election prospects. Bush wants to be moderate on gay issues, and that makes right-wing activists furious. Democrats and gay activists thought Bush was caving in to the right when his press secretary defended Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) as "an inclusive man" after he said that legalizing gay sex meant permitting incest and bigamy. But right-wing groups condemned the statement as "tepid," demanding a full-blown defense of Santorum's argument, and accused GOP leaders of "pandering to...

<p>Top Republicans "flirting" with the agenda of homosexual activists are endangering President Bush's re-election bid next year, social conservatives have told the White House.</p> <p>In a sometimes-stormy private meeting at Republican national headquarters, 11 of the most powerful social conservative leaders passed their message to the president through Republican National Committee Chairman Marc Racicot, one of the targets of their concern.</p>

Gay Rights Group: Pro-Family Republicans are 'Hysterical' Commenting on the recent conservative criticism of an apparent Republican cave-in to demands of the Human Rights Campaign -- a gay lobbying group who recently met with Republican National Committee Chairman Marc Racicot -- a spokesman for the group insisted that the furor is much ado about nothing. "I think conservative leaders are acting in an hysterical manner -- that the Chairman of the RNC simply came to speak with us -- he was well-received and we appreciated his visit and I think that they are making a lot of noise over nothing,...

GOP Chairman Racicot Defends Meeting with ‘Gay’ Pressure Group     5/7/2003By Robert KnightIn Hourlong Session, Discusses Homosexual Agenda with 11 Pro-Family Leaders WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a meeting Tuesday with 11 pro-family leaders at GOP headquarters, Republican Party Committee Chairman Marc Racicot defended his March 7 meeting with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the largest homosexual pressure group. “I meet with everybody,” Racicot answered in response to a question from American Family Association (AFA) President Don Wildmon, who had called Tuesday’s meeting. Racicot said he was trying to execute “the directive that the president gave me … to carry our message, our...

In case Republican National Chairman Marc Racicot has failed to get the message from the dozen top conservative pro-family leaders who met with him last Tuesday, longtime GOP activist Paul Weyrich, head of the Washington-based Free Congress Foundation, added his voice to those of Gary Bauer, CWA's Robert Knight and Family Research Council President Ken Connor, warning that Republicans could lose the votes of the party's conservative base if it weakens or changes its stand on key social issues, including its opposition to gay rights and same-sex marriages. Weyrich told NewsMax.com's man in Washington, Wes Vernon, that he and the...

(CNSNews.com) - After pro-family leaders criticized Republican National Committee Chairman Marc Racicot for meeting with what they call "gay pressure" groups, Racicot has now agreed to a meeting with a group of people who used to be homosexual. "We thought it was bad politics and not the right thing to do to meet with a homosexual activist group," Peter LaBarbera, senior policy analyst for the Culture and Family Institute, a part of Concerned Women for America (CWA), told CNSNews.com.LaBarbera was referring to Racicot's early March meeting with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), one of the nation's largest groups advocating special...

<p>Republican National Committee chairman Marc Racicot is expected to become chairman of President Bush's re-election campaign and the leading candidate to replace him as party leader is Washington lobbyist Ed Gillespie.</p> <p>Racicot, the former Montana governor who was one of Bush's more forceful advocates during the 2000 Florida recount, could assume the campaign post as early as July when the Republican National Committee meets for its midyear meeting, said several Republican sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.</p>

The GOP’s Gay Agenda By Scott A. Lauf April 17, 2003 The Republican Party is once again courting the so-called gay and lesbian vote. At a recent high-powered luncheon in Washington, DC, hosted by the well-funded homosexual lobby, Republican National Committee Chairman Marc Racicot spoke before a crowd of 300 homosexual activists of the Human Rights Campaign and other radical groups to spread the message that the GOP is a party that is inclusive and tolerant. One of the gay attendees described the occasion as an “historic moment.” The response by the core base of the Republican Party was shock...

Critics again fire away at Bush Jabs over scandals, economy signal end of Sept. 11 shield 07/30/2002 By DAVID JACKSON / The Dallas Morning News NEW YORK - If there was any doubt that President Bush has lost his wartime shield from political attack, Democrats dispelled it Monday. A parade of critics that included presidential aspirants went after Mr. Bush on corporate corruption and the economy. Some even challenged his conduct of the war on terrorism. "What has George Bush done? He has put America on the wrong track," said Democratic Leadership Council founder Al From, whose organization sponsored...

Remarks Prepared For Delivery By RNC Chairman Marc Racicot Republican National Committee Summer Meeting General Session Remarks San Francisco, California July 19, 2002 Ladies and Gentlemen of the Republican National Committee, I am pleased to report to you today, as we proceed toward the Fall 2002 elections, that our President and our party are poised and prepared to engage our fellow citizens in a great cause that will profoundly and positively shape the future of our nation and the world. With a clear and immutable vision of the promise of America, President George W. Bush has pursued an agenda that...

Remarks Prepared For Delivery By RNC Chairman Marc Racicot Republican National Committee Summer Meeting General Session Remarks San Francisco, California July 19, 2002 Ladies and Gentlemen of the Republican National Committee, I am pleased to report to you today, as we proceed toward the Fall 2002 elections, that our President and our party are poised and prepared to engage our fellow citizens in a great cause that will profoundly and positively shape the future of our nation and the world. With a clear and immutable vision of the promise of America, President George W. Bush has pursued an agenda that...

Results as of 9:11 EST: Wieczorek leads Kacavas... With Manchester, Hooksett, Candia, Auburn, Londonderry, Hudson, Bedford and Litchfield in Wieczorek leads Kacavas by over 3,000. Wieczorek appears to be headed for victory.Story... National parties watching Executive Council raceBy KATHARINE WEBSTERAssociated Press WriterCONCORD, N.H. (AP) #151; The issues are local, but the national political parties are watching a special election in New Hampshire on Tuesday as a harbinger of the November congressional elections and even the 2004 presidential primary.quot;What spring training is to the baseball season, a special election like this is to the November elections,quot; said John Dowd, chairman of...