IL GOP candidate for U.S. Senate Steve Sauerberg stunned social conservatives last week when he announced the addition of a homosexual rights activist as his campaign's new press secretary. Christopher Barron, 36, was point man for the Log Cabin Republicans in their 2004 campaign against President George W. Bush's effort to add a federal marriage amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
After discussion about the revelation broke out last week on Illinois Review (see "Sauerberg: Personnel is Policy"), state pro-family leaders -- including talk show host Sandy Rios and national activist Peter LaBarbera -- voiced outrage Monday on the air over Sauerberg's apparent political snub.
"It is inconceivable that Steve Sauerberg would so needlessly alienate the pro-family conservative base in Illinois by hiring a veteran homosexual activist for his campaign," said Peter LaBarbera, founder of Republicans For Family Values (www.rffv.org).
Within weeks of President Bush's amendment announcement in 2004, Barron and the Log Cabin Republicans launched its first ever $1 million ad campaign criticizing the president's effort and ultimately withheld endorsing Bush in his 2004 presidential re-election bid.
The LCR ad was designed to embarrass Bush by purposely pitting the President's position in support of the marriage amendment directly against his VP Dick Cheney's 2000 debate comments . . .
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