Ron Paul team says accuser claiming Congressman had homosexual aversion is ”not credible”
”Eric Dondero is a disgruntled former staffer who was fired for performance issues…. He has zero credibility and should not be taken seriously.”
Quote received by CBS News from Ron Paul‘s spokesman Jesse Benton. He was responding to claims made by Eric Dondero, a former aide to the Congressman and Republican Presidential candidate.
Dondero wrote a statement for RightWingNews.com alleging that Paul is “out of touch, with both Hispanic and Black culture”, “most certainly Anti-Israel” and “personally uncomfortable around homosexuals.”
In the piece, Dondero said that Ron Paul (who is also a doctor) met with a gay Libertarian supporter in San Francisco in the late 1980s. He claimed Paul would not use the man’s bathroom:
”Ron pulled me aside the first time we went there, and specifically instructed me to find an excuse to excuse him to a local fast food restaurant so that he could use the bathroom. He told me very clearly, that although he liked Jim, he did not wish to use his bathroom facilities.”
He also relayed a second-hand story about another “flamboyant” gay supporter who was refused a handshake by Paul:
”Ron likes Bobby personally…. But after his speech… Bobby came up to Ron with his hand extended, and according to my fellow staffer, Ron literally swatted his hand away.”
Paul is a Republican from Texas. He is believed by many to be a libertarian on many issues because he argues that most Federal services and regulations are unconstitutional. His thoughts about removing government from people’s personal lives is not necessarily supported by his record, though. According to OnTheIssues.org, Paul voted against allowing gay adoptions in Washington, D.C.; supported “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell;” and said that the “Defense of Marriage Act” was “proper.” Paul has not, however, supported a Constitutional Amendment to define marriage, primarily because he thinks marriage is a religious function that should be separate from government. He has more recently stated that he thinks marriage should only be between a man and a woman. And, in 2010, Paul changed his stance on military service: He voted to repeal DADT, saying discharges of trained and skilled personnel was “an awful waste” and made “no financial sense.”
TalkingPointsMemo.com has been tracking a connection between Ron Paul’s Iowa Campaign and a preacher named Phillip G. Kayser. The site says Kayser wants to implement “Biblical punishments for homosexuals” including the death penalty. TPM reports today that a published acceptance of Kayser’s endorsement of candidate Paul has been removed from the RonPaul2012.com website. A cached copy from Google indicates that the statement read in part:
“We welcome Rev. Kayser’s endorsement and the enlightening statements he makes on how Ron Paul’s approach to government is consistent with Christian beliefs. We’re thankful for the thoughtfulness with which he makes his endorsement and hope his endorsement and others like it make a strong top-three showing in the caucus more likely.”
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