Gay Today: World

DNC Tells White House:
Come Clean about Salvation Army

Compiled By GayToday

DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe

Washington, D.C.--Terry McAuliffe, the Chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), issued this statement following Thursday's revelations regarding the quid pro quo with the Salvation Army and Bush's faith-based plan. The Administration had promised to issue an order allowing religious groups to discriminate against gay men and lesbians in their hiring in exchange for the Salvation Army's support for Bush's faith-based initiative.

"First they denied they had promised favors to special interests, now members of the White House staff have come forward to say that there was an 'implied quid pro quo,'" McAuliffe said.

"Even more troubling, Karl Rove's attempt to minimize his role in this affair has been directly contradicted by his own staff, who said yesterday he was 'intimately involved' in the dealings with the Salvation Army."

"Karl, come clean," McAuliffe said. "Bush promised Americans he and his staff would avoid even the appearance of impropriety. Now the White House is arrogantly evading questions about its backroom deals, and hiding the part played by Bush's top aides. This is not what Americans had in mind when Bush promised to uphold the honor and dignity of the presidency."

McAuliffe pointed to two prior controversies in which Rove met with energy and high-tech lobbyists that were seeking special interest favors. Rove held significant financial interest in those companies at the time.

Related Sites:
Democratic National Committee

GayToday does not endorse related sites.

"Rove should come forward, voluntarily, and document his role in all these controversies. If this were a Democratic Administration, Republicans would be in their fourth week of congressional hearings and loudly demanding resignations, not explanations. At the very least, Bush has some explaining to do," McAuliffe said."

McAuliffe also lamented the Administration's willingness to cave to the far right wing of the Republican Party. "His first steps were to close the White House offices of women's policy and race initiative. Now, he's willing to endorse anti-gay bias to please the most conservative elements of his Party," McAuliffe said.