Bush
Comes to Santorum’s Aid as Two More Senators Desert Him
365Gay.com,
April 25, 2003
By Paul Johnson, Washington Bureau Chief
Washington, D.C.—After nearly
five days of silence, the White House has finally spoken out on Senator Rick
Santorum’s assertion that homosexuality is akin to bestiality, polygamy and
adultery, but far from a condemnation President Bush is praising the
Pennsylvania Republican.
“The president believes the senator is an inclusive
man. And that’s what he believes,” said White House spokesperson Ari
Fleischer at his Friday briefing.
“The president has confidence in the senator and
believes he’s doing a good job as senator,” Fleischer said.
The statement was similar to one issued about the
leadership of Sen. Trent Lott (R Miss.) in the immediate aftermath of his
speech praising Strom Thurmond and the 1948 pro-segregation presidential
ticket. As the remarks drew backlash, President Bush admonished Lott for them
and said it was up to the Senate to decide whether he should remain as
majority leader.
In an interview with the Associated Press published
Monday Santorum not only tied gay sex to polygamy and incest but also called
homosexuality “deviant” behavior that threatens to “undermine the basic
tenets of our society and the family.”
Bush’s support for Santorum drew immediate condemnation
from gay rights groups.
“We strongly take issue with the President and his
assertion that Sen. Santorum is in any way inclusive of this country’s gay
community,” said Human Rights Campaign Executive Director Elizabeth Birch.
“In his 2000 campaign, the President said he was a
‘uniter, not a divider.’ Sen. Santorum’s remarks are deeply
discriminatory and are antithetical to bringing people together. If this is
how the President defines inclusion, then it clearly calls into question the
depth of compassion in his conservatism,” said Birch.
Birch called on Bush to directly address the substance of
Santorum’s anti-gay comments.
“The real question before us right now, is whether or
not the President actually supports inclusion and equality, or if it is simply
something that is convenient from time to time,” said Birch.
Meanwhile, as the White House was showing support for
Santorum, two more Republican senators were distancing themselves from him.
Oregon Senator Gordon Smith called Santorum’s comments
“hurtful” to gays and Maine Senator Susan Collins issued a statement
critical of the interview.
Both stopped short of calling for him to step down from
the party’s number three spot in the Senate.
Yesterday, Collins’ fellow Maine Republican, senator
Olympia Snowe, said Santorum’s remarks “undermine Republican principles of
inclusion and opportunity,” and Rhode Island senator Lincoln Chafee said:
“I thought his choice of comparisons was unfortunate and the premise that
the right of privacy does not exist—just plain wrong.”
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