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Has Won the Bush Presidency David Williams is Wary of a GOP 'Great Corporate Takeover' What is George W. Calling Himself? A President-in-Waiting? |
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Compiled by GayToday
The pending court decisions include one still to be heard Friday in the U.S. Supreme Court, initiated by the Texas Governor himself in his attempt, with that Federal Court's help, to overturn a Florida Supreme Court's ruling about the conduct of that state's election. The Log Cabinites also claimed yesterday that gay and lesbian Republicans in Florida had specifically provided the estimated 50,000 margin that was needed to swing the presidential election in Bush's favor. "In an election this close," said Log Cabin's Executive Director, Rich Tafel, "every group on the winning side will claim credit for the victory. But real credit will go to those groups not associated with a candidate's base vote, but those more closely aligned with swing voters in the center or the opponent's base, who deliver for the winner. So it is fair to say that over one million gay and lesbian voters carried President-elect Bush to victory."
Log Cabin Republicans claim to have spent nearly $500,000 on get-out-the-vote radio and print advertising in battleground states. An exit poll by Voter News Service on Election Day showed that gay support for Bush had jumped to 25%, resulting, according to Log Cabin, "in over one million gay votes for the Republican President-elect." Tafel boasts that the Log Cabin Republicans are the only gay organization in the country which has "built ties to the Republican nominee's campaign." Referring to gay Democratic organizations, the gay Republican accused them of "outspending his group by 20-1" in what he called "a campaign to demonize Bush, running mate Dick Cheney, Cheney's family, and the Republican Party generally." David Williams, Editor of The Letter, Kentucky's GLBT newspaper, says he's "a little puzzled about all this talk by the Bush campaign that Al Gore is trying to 'steal the election' by asking for a recount of legitimate votes in three Florida counties. By trying to get the election certified without those votes before we know who they were cast for, isn't Bush himself trying to 'steal the election'? " Speaking from Middle America in Louisville, Kentucky, Williams continued:
"By that time the Quilt was five years old and about 100,000 Americans had died of AIDS. Here in Louisville, I'd been involved with Community Health Trust for almost three years; many of my friends had AIDS, including my lover. "Don't think I wasn't incensed when I heard what George the First said, but it wasn't the first sign of his lack of concern. Barbara, at least, didn't feel any compunction in lighting AIDS candles in the White House on World AIDS Day (I wonder if George the First--and Second--asked her what they were for?) "Now we have George the Second's administration. If you think it's not going to be some sort of repeat of his father's, think again. George the Second didn't publicly mention the word "AIDS" once during his years as governor of Texas--and he maintained that record during the recent campaign. And that's for starters. He opposes hate crimes and civil rights for gays (he didn't even seem to know there's a long standing bill in Congress on the latter issue!) Most telling, he probably won't be renewing Pres. Clinton's executive order prohibiting discrimination against gays and lesbians by the federal government. His party wouldn't allow it. I could go on and on. "On other fronts, I'm beginning to worry that his win is the prelude to the greatest corporate takeover ever. Until now it was corporations taking over other corporations. Under George the Second, I fear they'll be trying to take over the federal government, figuratively if not literally. Don't expect too many advances in environmental protection. Hopefully our divided Congress will be able to hold them at bay. "If George the Second has indeed won, it's a truly sad day for gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgenders, and nearly every other minority in America. Call it Big Chill II. We'll survive, of course. We got through Joseph McCarthy somehow, so we'll get through George the Second. But our immediate future would have looked brighter had he lost. Life could have been easier, but oh well. "What response should we make? For now, hold back, try to be graceful if possible, give George the Second his honeymoon period, try to show a little respect (pewk)--until April or May 2001. And then come out swinging like hell for the next three and a half years! "I don't see any progress on GLBT issues on the federal level for awhile, but it would be a mistake not to make our presence felt. People like George Bush, Anne Northup, Ernie Fletcher, and Mitch McConnell are unlikely to be moved off their Squares (and I do mean Squares with a capital S!) by anything we say, but if we don't raise our voices, they'll think we don't care and aren't concerned. Our silence would simply help them feel better about their anti-gay stances. A silent voter has no clout. "I hope I'm wrong on a lot of this. If George the Second has any sense at all, he'll conciliate, compromise, and perhaps even support a GLBT issue here and there. I wouldn't mind swallowing my words at all. "Even so, I look forward to November 2002." Carl Cameron, reporting for Fox News from Austin, Texas, asked George W. Bush what he wished to be called in this interim period prior to his presumed assumption of presidential power. "President Elect?…President-In-Waiting?" Bush, conscious that he should not appear too eager, replied: "Sir." |
Washington, D.C.— Prior to significant judicial decisions that are pending, the Log Cabin
Republicans have leapt eagerly behind another GOP mantra, proclaiming that George
W. Bush's 'certification' in Florida by Bush operative Katherine Harris, has made
him the legitimate President of the United States.
