Reidblog [The Reid Report blog]

When are gay Republicans in Washington going to realize that they must either come out of the closet or retire from politics? The irresponsible tactic of living a lie isn’t a viable long-term political strategy. Democrats, from Bill Clinton on down, are all too happy to pull down gay Republicans’ trousers and expose their lifestyles. Some Democrats will deny this, but it is clear that partisan considerations have often played a role in clandestine efforts to out GOP gays.

The interesting question is why so many gay Republicans stay closeted. Perhaps it’s because they fear losing their positions. But is there conclusive evidence that would occur? Republican Congressman Jim Kolbe, representing a conservative Arizona district, was reelected several times after coming out in 1996. Earlier this month, a Minnesota state senator, Paul Koering, was narrowly re-nominated in a Republican primary after disclosing that he is gay.

Although a candidate’s homosexuality will always be a key issue, it will rank second to honesty. Honesty always scores near the top of any set of candidate traits that voters seek. Serial dishonesty is never acceptable.