Friday, July 30, 2010

Attacking LGBT Families Nets Nothing for Walker

True to form Scott Walker has been pandering to the most extreme elements of the right wing. This kind of thing seems to happen every time that he approaches any election (especially one for governor). One of the groups that he apparently has been trying to court are those that have a sick obsession with gay people.

Last year Scott Walker vetoed an effort to treat the families of all Milwaukee County workers equally. Actually the measure sought to simply study the idea of allowing domestic partners to have access to the same benefits package as everyone else. Walker claimed that his veto was about money but everyone knew that it was really about blowing a right wing dog whistle. This year he also said that if he were elected governor he would oppose the state’s domestic partner registry and any benefits for the same-sex partners of state workers.

What has Walker's pandering on this issue really brought him? Well, in the middle of a heated primary, Walker's flirting with the gay-obsessed has done very little. Today the PAC for the loudest gay-hating group in Wisconsin issued their endorsement for governor. They endorsed both Scott Walker and Mark Neumann. Perhaps it is not a major surprise since Neumann did say that he wouldn't hire a gay person and if he were "elected God" homosexuality wouldn't be "permitted".

Appling and Co. must have not received the Walker/Republican Party of Wisconsin memo. They were supposed to fall in line and endorse the coronated candidate. Even after all of Walker's anti-gay extremes they still didn't pick him over his primary opponent. But I would guess that his running to the extreme right on this issue certainly hasn't helped his image with fair-minded independents. I would suggest that Walker's pandering on this hasn't just been a net loss but it has also turned into an epic FAIL.

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