Gay advocacy groups have criticized President Bush for his decision to nominate U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) to replace Ken Mehlman as general chairman of the Republican National Committee. The New York Blade has the story. Here's a piece of it:
With his anti-gay positions as a backdrop, Martinez’s supporters and opponents were surprised to learn during the 2004 campaign that two gay men were working in key positions on his campaign. One of them, Kirk Fordham, joined the campaign as Martinez’s finance director after leaving his previous post as chief of staff for then-U.S. Rep. Mark Foley (R-Fla).
Patrick Sammon, acting director of Log Cabin Republicans, told the New York Blade that gay-Republican group was troubled over Martinez’s anti-gay comments during his 2004 Senate campaign but is hopeful that his selection as party chairman will broaden the party’s outreach to minorities.
"By choosing a Hispanic, it shows that the party is reaching out to a minority," Sammon said. "That bodes well for gay Republicans because it shows [party leaders] recognize the need to reach out to minorities."
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