AP: Romney Letter To Log Cabin Republicans Points To Hypocrisy

An AP story discussing a letter then-U.S. Senate candidate Mitt Romney (R) wrote to the Log Cabin Republicans is also coming back to haunt him as he seeks the 2008 presidential nomination. AI wrote last week questioning Romney's decision to abandon his past support of gay rights in an effort to assuage the religious right. The AP writes:

Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) is facing new questions about his beliefs on gay issues after the emergence of a letter he wrote during his 1994 U.S. Senate run, in which he promised to be a stronger advocate for gays than Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D).

The Massachusetts governor has emphasized his opposition to same-sex marriage in recent months as he positions himself for an expected 2008 run for the Republican presidential nomination.

The 1994 letter was written to the Log Cabin Club of Massachusetts, a gay Republican group, when Romney was courting gay voters during his unsuccessful campaign against Kennedy.

Citing Kennedy's record of advocacy for gays and lesbians, Romney wrote: "For some voters, it might be enough to simply match my opponent's record in this area. But I believe we can and must do better. If we are to achieve the goals we share, we must make equality for gays and lesbians a mainstream concern. My opponent cannot do this. I can and will" . . .

Tony Perkins, president of the conservative Family Research Council, said Romney's comments were "quite disturbing."

"This is going to create a lot of problems for Governor Romney," Perkins told the New York Times. "He is going to have a hard time overcoming this."

Conservative activist Paul M. Weyrich told the Times, "Unless he comes out with an abject repudiation of this, I think it makes him out to be a hypocrite."

The AP story also mentions the Bay Windows interview AI cited in its post last week wherein Romney described in detail his support for gay civil rights and how he, as a Republican, could be more effective than Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) in advancing the cause. Romney's move to the right on this issue is not proving satisfying to the very people on the right he's trying to assuage at the same time he's risked losing all the support he once had from supporters of gay rights.