Former RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman is saying sorry for the first time since helping the Bush Administration exploit marriage equality. His comments made Friday in an interview at Salon.com addresses his remorse for advancing an anti-gay sentiment during his tenure at the Bush Administration.
During his term, Mehlman helped spur the ban of same-sex marriage in eleven states to widen the base for the election of then-President George W. Bush.
The openly-gay GOP strategist explains:
“At a personal level, I wish I had spoken out against the effort,” he says. “As I’ve been involved in the fight for marriage equality, one of the things I’ve learned is how many people were harmed by the campaigns in which I was involved. I apologize to them and tell them I am sorry. While there have been recent victories, this could still be a long struggle in which there will be setbacks, and I’ll do my part to be helpful.”
Mehlman has since been an advocate for same-sex marriage and contributed to the lobbying efforts to pass gay and lesbian marriage in New York, Maryland, and New Hampshire.
As to Mehlman’s involvement with the Republican party, the magazine adds:
Mehlman is encouraged by changes within his party, especially the support among younger Republicans for marital equality and related positions. In 2011, Mehlman personally lobbied 13 New York state Republican legislators to help pass the state’s same-sex marriage law, and did the same with 10 Republican U.S. senators during the congressional battle to repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell.”
The former chairman came out as gay in 2010.
Yeah, but Melhman is co-chair for a fund-raiser for John Boehner who is mounting a vigorous defense of DOMA. Mehlman takes away with one hand what he gives with the other. Waste of time.