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ROFL...that make you happy today?
Days after his DUI arrest, the Republican lawmaker makes the declaration to a Bakersfield radio host. Critics accuse him of hypocrisy. He says his past votes simply reflect his cons uents' wishes.
March 09, 2010|By Patrick McGreevy
Reporting from Sacramento — A Republican state senator from conservative Bakersfield said Monday that he is sexual, days after a report that he had been at a gay nightclub in Sacramento before being arrested on drunk driving charges while behind the wheel of his state car last week.
Sen. Roy Ashburn returned to work after being on leave since his arrest early Wednesday not far from the Capitol. The incident had touched off speculation about Ashburn's sexual orientation because a Sacramento television station said it occurred after he left a gay club. And Ashburn drew fire from activists for voting against gay-rights legislation.
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The senator, who avoided reporters in the Senate chamber Monday afternoon, broke his silence in an interview on Bakersfield radio station KERN-AM (1180) in the morning, saying the episode had led to "restless nights" and "soul searching."
Ashburn told radio host Inga Barks that he owed his cons uents an explanation. She responded, "Do you want me to ask you . . . the question, or do you want to just tell people?"
"I am gay," Ashburn answered. "Those are the words that have been so difficult for me for so long. But I am gay. But it is something that is personal and . . . I felt with my heart that being gay didn't affect -- wouldn't affect -- how I did my job.
"Through my own actions," said Ashburn, a divorced father of four, "I made my personal life public."
The arrest, widely discussed on Internet blogs, in newspapers and on TV, brought accusations of hypocrisy against the senator.
In 2005, Ashburn, like all but one other Republican in the Senate, voted against a bill that would have allowed same-sex marriage in California. The bill was later vetoed by the governor.
Ashburn also voted no, along with most of his GOP colleagues, on legislation passed last year that designated May 22 of each year as Harvey Milk Day, in honor of the slain gay-rights leader.
"It is unfortunate he helped spread the bigotry that forced him to stay in the closet," said Geoff Kors, executive director of Equality California, a group supporting gay marriage. "We hope he now takes this opportunity to educate people in his district and throughout the state that his sexual orientation is irrelevant."
Ashburn said his votes "reflect the wishes of the people in my district."
The senator announced months ago that he would not seek reelection this year. He had been under fire from conservative leaders in his district for voting with Democrats a year ago to approve tax increases.
"His recent drunk driving incident certainly adds to the concerns about his personal responsibility and his regard for the taxpayers whose vehicle he was driving," said Martin Bertram, president of the nonprofit Republican Assembly of Kern County.
He said the senator's revelation that he is gay "will not win him favor among conservatives," but he did not see Ashburn's past votes as hypocritical.
Ashburn faces arraignment next month in Sacramento County Superior Court on two misdemeanor counts involving driving under the influence of alcohol.
patrick.mcgreevy @latimes.com
ROFL...that make you happy today?
interesting, don't you think?
how many politicians do things for votes/money over their own beliefs?
F'ing wuss. "Oh... I guess now that I'm caught, I'll come out. Also, I have no mind of my own, and always vote with my cons uency. Look behind this curtain! Ooogity boogity boogity!"
All of them.
Being gay wouldn't affect his job of being ... vehemently anti-gay
in other gay Repug news, Log Cabin Repugs (log-cabin-raised Abe Lincoln has been claimed by gays) are going bankrupt.
Since when is voting for special rights being against a group?
so if you have sexual relations with someone of the same sex, then you have to be for same-sex marriage?
So do all people who ingage in sexual acts have to like all politicians who engage in sexual acts too?
The guy gets a dui and the story is he has sex with men?
When Dems commit crimes, they seem to keep their jobs.
Your ignorance makes me physically ill.so if you have sexual relations with someone of the same sex, then you have to be for same-sex marriage?
So do all people who ingage in sexual acts have to like all politicians who engage in sexual acts too?
The guy gets a dui and the story is he has sex with men?
When Dems commit crimes, they seem to keep their jobs.
That is how your posts make me feel
While I don't agree with his voting record, I do agree that his personal lifestyle is not relevant to his voting record and does not make him a hypocrite. What would make him a hypocrite is if he went to another state to be legally married to another man.
The idea that all gays should agree with and vote for gay marriage is as myopic as suggesting all Christians believe there should be prayer in school or that all blacks agree with affirmative action. You can separate beliefs, lifestyle and demographics from policy.
I'm not even sure getting married to another man would make him a hypocrite. The point about following his cons uents wishes is a valid one IMO. At least in theory politicians are there to represent us. If a strong majority of me and my fellow cons uents wanted our congresscritter to vote one way then I'd fully expect him to vote that way regardless of whether or not that position matched his personal beliefs.
Well said.The idea that all gays should agree with and vote for gay marriage is as myopic as suggesting all Christians believe there should be prayer in school or that all blacks agree with affirmative action. You can separate beliefs, lifestyle and demographics from policy.
Did this guy lose his job?
I believe that is why we elect representative. To represent what the cons uency believes. Isn't that supposed to be the basic tenet of the political system? Isn't that what a REPRESENTATIVE is? To represents the belief of the people in his/her district?
This actually is an honest question. Personally, I feel that once elected, a representative has to vote according to what he feels is right.
There's a reason why our country is not a straight-up democracy, but a democratic republic.
After all, if 50%> in your state wanted to, say, introduce apartheid, surely a representative shouldn't vote so just because his state does.
I've seen some people also say that House reps should vote their cons uency, while Senators should vote their morals/ethics/what-have-you. I feel that both should. But YMMV, and I could see arguments for the other version as well.
To me, a rep who doesn't vote what he thinks is right is somewhat useless. Heck, in that case, just poll the state and take whatever answer you get there.
Actually, it's a "representative" Republic, not a "democratic" one and the United States House of Representatives is populated with our congressional representatives that should be voting according to the will of the poeple they represent.
The Senate, on the other hand, was cons uted to represent the interests of the States in the federal government. That is whey they were originally chosen by the State's legislatures and replaced - when vacancies occurred - by the State's governors. But, the 17th amendment ed that up so now we have a beauty contest for U. S. Senator.
So a US state would have interests different from those of the people who live in that state, Yoni?
Nevermind. No one expects you to explain.
the guy was in the down low? meh. it should be up to the cons uents if he stays or not.
I think kahleefonyah would be a good example. Not using natural resources and tings like tat.
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