Log Cabin Republicans Withhold Endorsement of Bush

The Log Cabin Republicans, a prominent group of that ultimate political oxymoron, the gay Republican, have decided officially NOT to endorse President Bush in the 2004 election in protest of his support for a federal amendment banning same sex marriage. Instead, they have decided to withhold any endorsement altogether (they did endorse Bush in 2000 and Dole in 1996.)

Bush's decision to support the amendment was a risk he (and by "he" I mean Karl Rove) was willing to take, choosing devotion to his far right evangelical constituency over his gay and even straight but socially moderate constituencies. And as Patrick Guerriero, executive director of Log Cabin Republicans, notes, this may prove to be costly.

Exit polls showed that more than one million gay men and lesbians voted for Mr. Bush in 2000. That included 45,000 in the pivotal state of Florida, which Mr. Bush carried by roughly 500 votes.