GOProud Slams Gay Candidate for "Running Around With a Rainbow Flag"

GOProud is attacking Fred Karger, the first openly gay presidential candidate, by accusing him of "running around the country with a rainbow flag" instead of mounting a real campaign.

"Fred Karger is not a credible candidate," executive director Jimmy LaSalvia told the San Francisco Chronicle. "I would love for there to be an openly gay, credible candidate for president who was out there making a case for why they would be better than Barack Obama.

"Unfortunately, Fred Karger is playing a stunt, and his stunt has run its course. His whole shtick is ... running around the country with a rainbow flag, saying 'I'm the gay guy,' " LaSalvia reportedly said. "But he hasn't made a case about why he should be president of the United States."

The comments were made in an article about Karger being excluded from the upcoming California Republican Convention. Karger, a Californian, said he requested the chance to speak alongside candidates including Michele Bachmann and Ron Paul but was told there's no room in the schedule.

Karger has also been excluded from Republican presidential debates. He filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission because the Fox News Channel decided Karger had not qualified to be onstage in Iowa even after the candidate provided the five national polls the rules seemed to require.

The next debate is September 7 at the Reagan Presidential Library in California.