Gay Conservatives Out Rick Perry's Top Pollster Tony Fabrizio, Infuriated Over Anti-Gay Ad
Rick Perry's anti-gay ad that began airing yesterday divided his top staff, including his chief pollster Tony Fabrizio, Sam Stein reports:
When the ad was being crafted several weeks ago, Perry's top pollster, Tony Fabrizio, called it "nuts," according to an email sent from Fabrizio to the ad's main creator, longtime GOP operative Nelson Warfield. In a separate email to The Huffington Post, Warfield confirmed that the ad was made over Fabrizio's objections.
"Tony was against it from the get-go," Warfield wrote. "It was the source of some extended conversation in the campaign. To be very clear: That spot was mine from writing the poll question to test[ing] it to drafting the script to overseeing production."
Meanwhile, Fabrizio's caving on the ad has enraged conservative gay group GOProud's Jimmy LaSalvia and Chris Barron, who sent out tweets late yesterday.
Said LaSalvia: "I've just about had it with faggots who line their pockets with checks from anti-gay homophobes while throwing the rest of us under the bus." He later clarified, "I was talking about Rick Perry's pollster/strategist."
Barron tweeted to a follower: "Rick Perry's pollster & strategist is a gay guy. Totally disgusting."
Stein spoke to LaSalvia for his piece on the ad:
"It is the height of hypocrisy for Tony Fabrizio to have been a part of that," said Jimmy LaSalvia, co-founder and executive director of GOProud. "He has lined his pockets for years with money from the gay community to conduct polls to ostensibly help gay people in this country, and for him to be a part of this is the height of Washington hypocrisy. It is absolutely what is wrong with Washington. It is all about the payday for these people."
If Fabrizio found the ad repugnant and it aired over his objections, LaSalvia argued, he should have quit in protest. "Perry said in the ad that the service of tens of thousands of patriotic gay Americans is what's wrong in this country," LaSalvia said. "That is an outrageous and un-American statement."
Reached by email, Fabrizio confirmed that he was uncomfortable with the ad. But he said he was going to follow the advice he has given to candidates throughout his career: "If you start answering personal attacks, you are just rewarding the attacker."
Stein adds: "Fabrizio has done polling for the Log Cabin Republicans in addition to urging lawmakers to reconsider their approach to the culture wars and embrace basic fairness for gay Americans on the issue of marriage. He was considered an ally by pro-gay rights conservatives."
I have no idea if Fabrizio was out already. Pam Spaulding also notes:
"I have no idea if Fabrizio’s a homo, but it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he’s another one of those Beltway creatures that’s socially out, perhaps even professionally out to many, but wants to play coy in order to maximize the cash flow from homophobes like Perry."
More at Back2Stonewall and Pam's House Blend.
Everything I wanted to say has already been said, and quite frankly, the less said the better. I don't hate gay Republicans as long as they actually recognize and prioritize our rights as a community and realize who our enemies are, and are committed to fighting that opposition. The gay Republicans I dislike are the delusional ones who openly befriend and actively support those who fight against our very humanity. We can see based on past history where both LaSalvia and Barron stand on this issue.
I definitely do not like LaSalvia using the f-bomb here, but even with his flaws, he does have a point. There are too many people who take advantage of our community and it's even more offensive when it's one of our own.
Posted by: Francis | Dec 8, 2011 2:18:10 PM
The guys is working for Rick Perry. What more do you need to know? Where were you guys when he first started working for Perry? Seems to me that would have been the time to OUT this vile rascal.
Posted by: dancob@aol.com | Dec 8, 2011 2:26:18 PM
During the early 1930's, Rohm was Hitler's right hand man until the Nazis hung him on a meat hook. Power and money is more important than anything else to these people. The money they pull must be enough to paper over the self-hatred these people feel.
Posted by: chuck | Dec 8, 2011 2:28:55 PM
I really wish I could have a conversation with Chris Barron and Jimmy, I REALLY do. I mean, part of you just wants to ask, " Do these people really exist? REALLY?? "
How can they even function with the hypocrisy of what they do and say. I just don't get it.
Posted by: Cecil | Dec 8, 2011 2:32:26 PM
@Francis, you must realize though that Jimmy and Chris themselves take advantage of the community. Chris is legally married to his husband in D.C., a right and privilege many do NOT have in this country. All the while he has voted for, sent money to, lobbies and campaigned for people who have explicitly made it clear they stand against equal treatment- and it is of no consequence to him.
The GOProud asshats are second handers who profit and thrive off the work of equal rights activist that they do not contribute to, and often times denigrate, and to their irritation they also thrive off the accomplishments of the Democratic party which has made near all of our gains in equal rights possible.
They are despicable, despicable human beings.
Posted by: Cecil | Dec 8, 2011 2:34:54 PM
Several people have mentioned race here, I must have missed what being white has to do with anything.
Posted by: Jerry | Dec 8, 2011 2:42:33 PM
Jimmy DaSalvia and Chris Baron are no better IMO. A gay republican is like a black KKK member.
Posted by: andy | Dec 8, 2011 2:50:35 PM
Jerry, if you want to see what race has to do with anything then you need to do some research like a good responsible adult and check out the historic racist comments and stances of these two cowards from GOProud.
Posted by: Little Kiwi | Dec 8, 2011 2:56:53 PM
"Several people have mentioned race here, I must have missed what being white has to do with anything."
It must have been me, Jerry. You see, I've got a passion and a callin' for it.
Posted by: Derrick from Philly | Dec 8, 2011 2:58:01 PM
Read LaSalvia's first tweet.
Now think Ken Mehlman.
Posted by: cminca | Dec 8, 2011 2:59:00 PM
Pot meet Kettle.
Posted by: BostonGRiTS | Dec 8, 2011 2:59:19 PM
I really don't like the F-word...
Posted by: Maddog | Dec 8, 2011 3:04:00 PM
People, people. Think. The HuffPost story explains everything. Another Perry staffer, who happens to be on GOProud's board, is just as responsible, just as "hypocritical" as Fabrizio, but Fabrizio is a LCR guy.
LaSalvia's rant is just another episode in the on-going war with LCR, in which LCRs do things for gay rights and GOProud does things for far-right Republicans.
Posted by: BobN | Dec 8, 2011 3:08:00 PM
maybe now lcr an goproud will learn that the masters they want to serve would rather kick them in the balls than accept them. remember all they want are you money an votes not your heart.
Posted by: walter | Dec 8, 2011 3:29:22 PM
http://littlekiwilovesbauhaus.blogspot.com/2011/07/goproud-my-ass.html
Posted by: Little Kiwi | Dec 8, 2011 3:35:07 PM
Oh, I don't disagree Cecil, that's why I said "based on past history we see where these two men stand". We all know what these two men are about. Also a fight between rival gay-Republican groups.....color me surprised. Pathetic.
Posted by: Francis | Dec 8, 2011 3:37:33 PM
There are straight people who put money and power before human rights. Why should it surprise you that there are gay people that do that to? We're not that different after all...
Posted by: Maddog | Dec 8, 2011 4:53:18 PM
Jerry, Kiwi is right. LaSalvia's story about his supposed assault by a group of thugs mentions "black youth" but doesn't explain what relevance the race of the perpetrators has. Was it a racial attack? If he thought so, why didn't LaSalvia say this? Maybe he described them as black in order to exploit racist feelings and get sympathy from the kinds of conservatives who normally are not too sympathetic to gays.
Posted by: Mary | Dec 8, 2011 4:55:45 PM
Ask any of us gay conservatives whether we get more hate from conservatives when we tell them we're gay or do we get more hate from the dwindling members of the gay left when we tell them we're conservatives.
And it's not civil discourse on issues, it's spittling, slobbering, name-calling wild-eyed Hate with a capital H and endless ad-hominems and probably a shovel upside the head if they had one nearby. Many (if not most) of the dwindling numbers of gay leftists are the embodiment of Hate.
Why are there fewer and fewer gay leftists? One of the reasons is when I remind them whose signature enacted both Don't Ask Don't Tell and the Defense of Marriage Act - yep, Bill Clinton. I point out that even Barney Frank voted Aye for the bill with Don't Ask Don't Tell in it.
Those same haters on the left can come up with excuses but they can't refute the facts. The fact that Bill Clinton signed DADT and DOMA into law. DADT was passed when both chambers of congress were in Democratic hands - in fact, then-candidate Obama's top strategist on nuclear non-proliferation matters was former Sen. Sam Nunn, the senate author of DADT.
It all tracks back. If there's anything a liberal leftist hates is the truth and if there's anyone they hate it's the person who states that truth.
But but but! Bill Clinton HAD to sign it or his veto would have been overridden and we'd have lost it all! Excuses, excuses. Excuses which don't change a thing.
Posted by: Ask Any Gay Conservative | Dec 8, 2011 5:40:57 PM
For what it's worth, the last comment is whoever wants it. I don't check this blog; the facts speak for themselves, so there's really nothing more to be said on it.
Posted by: Ask Any Gay Conservative | Dec 8, 2011 5:43:03 PM
Also, can we talk about how IDIOTIC the term 'leftist' sounds?
Posted by: BC | Dec 8, 2011 5:53:14 PM
@Ask,
The fact that you can only dredge up things that happened over a decade ago, and make deranged accusations of hate on the Left is a strident testament to the lack of reason behind being a Republican.
YOU vote for people who don't support equal rights. YOU support a party that doesn't support equal treatment for all citizens. YOU vote for people that would repeal DADT with the stroke of an executive order upon becoming President. YOU vote for people that would, if possible, overturn Lawrence v. Texas and happily send states out to arrest consenting couples of the same gender who have sex. It is YOU who do not support candidates that believe in employment, housing, and public accommodation protections for LGBT people.
People like you will revisit political fights of the past, things that were done not out of desire but necessity to at least step forward, and then go about pinning it on people in the present who may or may not have had anything to do with it.
Most importantly, you are a second hander. A person whose equal treatment, should you live in a state where you have equal rights, was done upon the backs of your hated Liberals, Democrats, and Gay Left. People like you reap the benefits and rewards, and then sit there at your keyboard squalling about some things that happened a decade ago. All the while incapable of realizing the people that YOU are supporting are far, far, far worse then anything some politician years ago did out of necessity.
Honey, get real, and get off the soap-box. You know exactly what kind of person you are. The tragedy is that you just don't care, in fact you clearly just showed how you couldn't even approach the subject.
By all means, tell me I'm hating you with this post.
- Cecil
Posted by: Cecil | Dec 8, 2011 6:06:24 PM
"I've had it with f*gg*ts who line their pockets with checks from anti-gay homophobes while throwing the rest of us under the...oooo, look, it's Ann Coulter! Miss Coulter! Miss Coulter! Over here! It's Jimmy LaSalvia, Miss Coulter, and, oh my stars, I'm your very biggest fan! Can I have an autograph? Can i touch the hem of your dress? Can I please, please, please stick my tongue up your posterior? Ohmigod, ohmigod, I think I just wet myself."
Posted by: bobbyjoe | Dec 8, 2011 7:15:45 PM
There were Jewish Nazis too. Sadly GOProud is hardly unique.
Posted by: chasmader | Dec 8, 2011 7:45:05 PM
@AskAnyGayConservative:
What Bill Clinton and many other Democrats of the 1990's were guilty of was giving in and not fighting harder against the anti-gay Republicans who were pushing them hard on DADT and DOMA.
Of the House Members who voted against DOMA, 97% were Democrats. In Congress, 100% (Yes, ONE HUNDRED PER CENT) of those who voted against it were Democrats.
Bill Clinton campaigned against DADT too and instead wanted full inclusion of gay service members. But millions of Republicans across the US (as well as Republican politicians) turned their anti-gay campaign to completely ban gay people from the military into a cause celebre. Clinton and a lot of other Democrats who had no on iterest in passing these regressive Republican-led laws gave in to a "compromise" which pleased no one.
Yes, Clinton should have fought with more gusto against that bigotry.
But your revisionist history of trying to turn Clinton and the Democrats into the main villains is pretty ironic.
Maybe you know better, but you think some people will be dumb enough to fall for the spin you've put on it.
Posted by: GregV | Dec 8, 2011 9:11:43 PM