Kudos to Senators Snowe and Chafee

Republican Senators Olympia Snowe (Maine) and Lincoln Chafee (Rhode Island) have both issued statements condemning Senator Rick Santorum's comments on sexuality and his contention that there is no right to privacy.

"Discrimination and bigotry have no place in our society, and I believe Senator Santorum's unfortunate remarks undermine Republican principles of inclusion and opportunity," said Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, according to a statement from her office.

Sen. Lincoln Chafee, R-Rhode Island, released a similar statement on Thursday.

"I thought his choice of comparisons was unfortunate and the premise that the right of privacy does not exist -- just plain wrong," he said. "Senator Santorum's views are not held by this Republican and many others in our party."

This is the second time in recent weeks that Senator Snowe has taken a noticable stand in opposition to her party's policies. Her opposition to President Bush's tax cut proposal even prompted one group, "Club for Growth", to create and ad about her comparing her to the leaders of France who tried to "stand in the way" of Bush's push for the war in Iraq. (In a nice touch of irony, Maine has a large Franco-American population, and there are reports that the ad may have actually helped strengthen support for her.)

I hope more Republicans will follow their lead, but I'm not holding my breath. There is pressure from conservative groups such as the Family Research Council and the Christian Coalition for Republicans to stand in support with Santorum. So far, most Republicans, including President Bush, have chosen to remain silent on the issue, apparently in hope that it will quickly blow over.

"It is clear that many top GOP leaders cannot bring themselves to offer a spirited defense of marriage for fear of being accused of bigotry by Democrats and their allies among homosexual activists," said a statement from Ken Connor, president of the Family Research Council.

The Christian Coalition released a statement Thursday, blasting the "liberal organizations and the liberal media" for trying to "foster a jaundiced agenda," and hailing Santorum as a "man of honor."

"Homosexuality clearly is an alternative lifestyle," said Roberta Combs, president of the group. "We stand with and support Senator Santorum."

Posted by thorswitch at April 24, 2003 12:16 PM | TrackBack