Raving homophobic bigot Rep. Randy Forbes (R-VA’s 4th district) strikes again, according to Politico:
Virginia Rep. Randy Forbes, a senior House Republican eyeing a powerful committee chairmanship, is causing friction with some of his colleagues by pushing the House GOP campaign arm to deny support for some of the party’s gay congressional candidates.
Forbes has waged a lengthy crusade to convince his colleagues and the National Republican Congressional Committee brass they shouldn’t back some gay candidates. His efforts on Capitol Hill were described to POLITICO by more than a half-dozen sources with direct knowledge of the talks.
It’s not as if this is an isolated incident with Forbes. Remember, this is the same person who canceled an event with an anti-LGBT hate group (the “American Family Association”) only under a great deal of pressure. Also note that the Human Rights Campaign gave Forbes a ZERO rating in 2011-2012 for his abysmal voting record on LGBT issues. He’s also terrible on many other issues (e.g., zero ratings from NARAL Pro-Choice America and Planned Parenthood), yet somehow he keeps getting reelected in a district won (narrowly) by Tim Kaine in 2012.
Why is that? In part, it’s because the district was gerrymandered after the 2010 census to make it safer for Forbes. Of course, Virginia could have gone for nonpartisan or bipartisan redistricting, as Bob McDonnell promised in 2009, but instead “incumbent protection” ruled the day. And, sadly, even though Republicans get the lion’s share of the blame, powerful Democrats signed off on this one. Which means that raving homophobe Randy Forbes is likely to remain in Congress in 2014 and beyond. Ugh.
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