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The Ken Mehlman Interview


KEN MEHLMAN 3 X390 (GETTY) | ADVOCATE.COM

As Ken Mehlman’s revelation that he is gay ripped through the blogosphere late Wednesday afternoon, he boarded a plane bound for his home base, New York City. Mehlman had first discussed his coming out story with Marc Ambinder of The Atlantic, but he had reached out to The Advocate in advance of its publication and made a point of offering his second interview on the matter to an LGBT news outlet.

Shortly after arriving in New York Wednesday evening, Mehlman, the former Republican National Committee chair and campaign manager for Bush-Cheney ’04, made good on his promise.

The Advocate
: Tell me about how you got involved with this fundraiser you’re putting together to help support the legal challenge to California’s Proposition 8.
Ken Mehlman: A lot of different people have come together to make this a success, but the one who has been the most generous and who is hosting it is [CEO of the hedge fund firm Elliott Management Corp.] Paul Singer. He and I have been friends for a long time and we talked about this. He indicated his interest in the cause and I indicated my interest in the cause and we talked together about how we might work on it.

So he’s someone who deserves tremendous credit and is going to make this a truly outstanding event.

The fundraiser – we literally haven’t really even sent out the invitation and just by pre-selling it we are now at about $750,000.

I know you’re focused on the fundraiser right now, but do you have your sights set on any other LGBT issues that you really want to work on moving forward?
I have a lot to learn. I would say a couple things — one is, I’m not in politics anymore. I’m a private citizen and as a private citizen there are a number of ways you can help, the same way I’ve been helpful in other causes I believe in, whether it’s education reform or supporting the college I attended, etc. I think that you look to raise money, you look to provide strategic advice and you look to help bring other folks into the effort.

But in terms of particular causes, I think it would be premature because I have a lot to learn. I want to talk to folks that are involved in the effort and figure out where I can be constructive.

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Reader Comments
  • Name: melony
    Date posted: 9/28/2010 4:20:20 PM
    Hometown: EpIryzKE

    Comment:

    1M5aAU http://cgE8hcmk9Vvqlosr5wcBa6nk.com

  • Name: melony
    Date posted: 9/28/2010 4:20:18 PM
    Hometown: EpIryzKE

    Comment:

    1M5aAU http://cgE8hcmk9Vvqlosr5wcBa6nk.com

  • Name: Bill Courson
    Date posted: 9/4/2010 11:04:37 AM
    Hometown: Berea, Kentucky

    Comment:

    Ken Mehlman, former chair of the Republican National Committee, recently announced that he was gay. While on the one hand (as a 57 year-old gay man who has been 'out' for most of his life) I feel empathy for the effort it must have taken this individual (for that matter, that it takes for any gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender person to come out) this can in no fashion mitigate my disdain for Mr. Mehlman’s contribution to make this coming-out process worse for others. He survived this process, while some teenagers (and younger people) will not — succumbing to suicide at an alarming rate. A Gay Republican? That combination makes as much sense as an Israeli Jihadist, or a black member of the Klan.

  • Name: Ricardo Ramos
    Date posted: 8/28/2010 12:56:26 PM
    Hometown: Daly City, CA

    Comment:

    Was Mehlman the last to know? Bill Maher outed him on CNN in 2006. Aside from presiding over a party pushing constitutional amendments to deny marriage rights to same-sex couples, he was in charge of the campaign of disinformation about John Kerry (the swiftboating) and the lies about Iraq that have cost thousands of lives, a trillion dollars, and irreperable damage to the US. Being closeted may not be the least of Mehlman's sins, but is not near the top.

  • Name: Bill
    Date posted: 8/28/2010 12:26:41 PM
    Hometown: Arlington

    Comment:

    @ Brian - your comments are very informative and measured. I hope that pepa is considering what you have to say (without all of his needless drama). I do believe, however, that Mehlman was the architect of Bush's 2004 win by using the anti-gay state marriage amendments to get out the conservative vote. We know that in Ohio that resulted in the state going for Bush which got Bush reelected. I recoil at Mehlman’s response that he is now "a private citizen," as much as I would a Nazi guard claiming he is now in private life. I guess time will tell if he is making true amends for his reprehensible actions or is just another guy caught in the down low.

  • Name: Brian
    Date posted: 8/28/2010 11:35:36 AM
    Hometown: St. Louis

    Comment:

    My first reaction to Mehlman echoed much of the anger in these comments. But, hey, we will never achieve equality unless we have support in BOTH political parties. Should this man escape criticism for his reprehensible past actions---NO? Should we turn over the keys to the LGBT movement to him---NO? Should we trust him unreservedly---NO? But, let's see what he does and accomplishes before we throw him over the cliff. I don't think working on one fundraiser will be nearly enought for him to atone for his past actions. But, will he be able to influence Republican office holders to change? Will he form a caucus of prominent Republicans to oppose the lunacy of the Christian Right in the GOP? Can he impact the Republican platform in 2012? Make no mistake about it, I am not for letting this man offf scott free. He helped ruin the lives of many people in this community. I await with interest to see if he redeeems himself---a tall, but not unobtainable order.

  • Name: pepa
    Date posted: 8/28/2010 2:50:34 AM
    Hometown: surprise, az

    Comment:

    @JEFF, WOW! Look at the tsunami of dissent heading my way! NOT! Just Doug, Bill, and Jeff, the usual drones who care not about substance or rational but ignorance, homophobia, hatred, bigotry and malice. But eh, what should I expect from such a crowd of children who refuse to counter my points. They get frustrated knowing how transparent their ill conceived logic is turning out to be.

  • Name: JEFF
    Date posted: 8/27/2010 7:34:39 PM
    Hometown: NYC

    Comment:

    all those who hate pepa as much as they do Mehlman...raise your hand....wow- you can feel a breeze across America- you are beyond annoying!

  • Name: doug
    Date posted: 8/27/2010 7:32:37 PM
    Hometown: vb

    Comment:

    interesting fact....if you go to AFER's site....you won't see Ken Mehlman's name ANYWHERE....I just went through every page/link. Guess they got the message! The man is scum and no person with self respect would want anything to do with him!

  • Name: pepa
    Date posted: 8/27/2010 6:43:22 PM
    Hometown: surprise, az

    Comment:

    @Bill, head to your own advice: "It diminishes what you might have to say from being received."

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