Romney Endorsement Draws Scrutiny

Kris Kobach's endorsement of Mitt Romney is drawing fire not just for the Kansas Secretary of State's anti-immigration stances, but also for a history of antigay positions.

During an unsuccessful congressional run in 2004, Kobach accused his opponent of supporting LGBT groups that promote "homosexual pedophilia," according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. Religion Dispatches wrote in 2010 that Kobach attends Christ Church in Overland Park, which left the Episcopal church after the ordination of New Hampshire bishop Gene Robinson, who retires next year. The church has in the past had ties to antigay churches in Rwanda (read the RD report here).

Romney did not address Kobach's antigay positions in his response to the endorsement, focusing instead on Kobach's immigration stance, which include drafting of laws in Arizona and Alabama over which the Justice Department has sued.

"Kris has been a true leader on securing our borders and stopping the flow of illegal immigration into this country," Romney said via his website. "We need more conservative leaders like Kris willing to stand up for the rule of law. With Kris on the team, I look forward to working with him to take forceful steps to curtail illegal immigration and to support states like South Carolina and Arizona that are stepping forward to address this problem."

The Human Rights Campaign on Wednesday argued the statement is further proof of a "dangerous candidate" in the making. "He can't tell an audience in New Hampshire that he has a strong record of opposing discrimination against LGBT Americans, and then tell people in South Carolina the next day that he stands proudly with someone who equates being gay with pedophilia," HRC president Joe Solmonese said in a statement.