This is, I believe, the sheriff who was in the 'wall' campaign video made with John McCain in the 2010 election cycle. Pinal County is NOT a border county with Mexico in Arizona, which was the source of a certain amount of criticism, as the ad implied he had direct border experience.
The scandal is not only that the sheriff is gay, something he has only admitted because of the scandal, but that his lover was a Mexican citizen whom he attempted to deport to enforce his silence about Babeu's sexual orientation.
This is a perfect example of how sexual identity intolerance forces people to lie about themselves,and possibly worse. I don't know if the claims about the attempts to use deportation, or the threat to misrepresent the legal status of the sheriff's lover is true; time will tell. But clearly there did appear to be an issue of secrecy over the sheriff's orientation. Anti-homosexuality is an issue of ideological purity on the right, it is a position of many of the campaigns for the conservative presidential nomination. John McCain is one example of the homophobe right politically.
This is exactly the kind of thing that the Bush era RNC chair, who is himself gay, came out to apologize for in previous elections, using homophobia as a wedge issue.
It is time and past time to stop demonizing people for the sexual orientation with which they are born.
This is the reality of the right wing.
From MSNBC.com:
Ariz. sheriff quits Romney campaign, says: 'I'm gay'
Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu speaks at a news conference on Saturday in Florence, Ariz. Babeu was forced to confirm he is gay amid allegations of misconduct made by a man with whom he previously had a relationship.
By msnbc.com staff
Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu speaks at a news conference on Saturday in Florence, Ariz. Babeu was forced to confirm he is gay amid allegations of misconduct made by a man with whom he previously had a relationship.
By msnbc.com staff
A sheriff has stepped down as Arizona co-chairman of Mitt Romney's presidential campaign amid allegations of misconduct made by a man with whom he previously had a relationship.
At a press conference Saturday outside his office in Florence, Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu called the man’s allegations, published Thursday in a Phoenix New Times story, "completely false."
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He said the only information mentioned in the article that's true is "I'm gay," The Arizona Republic reported.
Babeu, who is also running for Congress in Arizona’s new 4th Congressional District, quit his position as Romney’s Arizona co-chairman but vowed to stay in the congressional campaign.
"Sheriff Babeu has stepped down from his volunteer position with the campaign so he can focus on the allegations against him," Romney spokesman Ryan Williams told The Arizona Republic in a statement. "We support his decision."
Babeu, who was elected in 2008 as the first Republican sheriff of Pinal County, has gained national media attention for speaking out against illegal immigration and the unsecured U.S. border with Mexico.
QUERY : When did Paul Babeu know that he was gay … before or after his tour in Iraq ?
ReplyDeleteAnd what is his opinion Today on Don’t Ask Don’t Tell ?
Babeu’s bio tells us a few things … A retired Major in the United States Army National Guard, he commanded Task Force Yuma, which reduced illegal border crossings by 94%, and served a tour of duty in Iraq. He was selected America’s Sheriff of the Year, as voted by his colleagues in the National Sheriff’s Association. As Sheriff, he reduced his budget by 10% while decreasing response times to emergencies by 50%. As a police officer, he was awarded two medals for saving lives, and served as President of the Chandler Law Enforcement Association
So while his county may be miles away from the border, his National Guard command of the Task Force Yuma, does give him some Arizona street-cred.
BTW, Babeu was used as a tool against Rick Perry … campaigning with Romney and was featured in robocalls in Iowa attacking Perry.
On the political front, this will probably help Paul Goser who is being impacted by redistricting … so although the new Congressional District will probably stay Republican, it may not be represented by Gay Republican Paul Babeu.
Answering my own QUERY : From the Phoenix New Times which broke the story :
ReplyDeleteBabeu said he supports gays in the military, that he was in fact a homosexual in the military.
Hmmm … apparently he was part of the Don’tTell brigade.
Other interesting parts of the story :
When pressed about his judgment in sending photographs of himself in his underwear and naked with an erection -- as well as his profile on adam4adam.com -- a website where gay men arrange sexual liaisons, Babeu repeats that what he does on his own time is his business.
He danced around the question of gay marriage, but finally said he supports it personally -- a view in stark contrast to the Tea Party faction of the Republican Party that he appeals to.
"Legal contracts absolutely should be allowed for anybody," he said. "Anyone who wants to see a loved one in the hospital, to be able to enjoy an inheritance, any of those rights I believe are basic human rights and privileges."
He said while gay marriage may be illegal, he "can be a supporter and get out there and articulate, as we progress as a culture and a society, that there should be individual liberties and there should be individual freedoms," he said. "For any other person to define somebody else's relationship and to say that it's not okay, that is not who we are as Americans."
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OK, this should be more of a reflection on the Romney campaign … Babeu intends to continue to seek the Congressional seat … saying "I'm embracing what some people would see as a hill, even a mountain, and saying I'm going forward. Let the voters decide."
So for candidate Babeu, it’s let the voters decide … but for candidate Romney … what was that comment he made … oh, yeah … “I like to fire people”.