Beat me, I been bad

Boys and girls, I give you State Senator Roy Ashburn, serving (how else?) proudly the 18th District of California. That's Bakersfield, Inyo, Kern, Tulare and San Bernardino Counties. About 50% Republican, 30% Democrat. 62% white, 27% Hispanic.

Note, if you click on the link on his name, the “Fox” theater just behind his head. The fighter jets. The amber waves of grain.

What’s not to love about this American. This Republican American.

Nice catholic boy. Father of four daughters. Grandfather of two.

The Republicans are down on him because he once voted to raise taxes. Don't know if you're up on the state of the State of California. There's a march scheduled for today down Telegraph Avenue by students from the University of California, where they recently raised tuition by about 30%. Public schools are letting teachers go, the parks are closing, the state is issuing vouchers instead of paychecks. We broke, broke, broke.

And rich, rich, rich.

But Republicans are committed to not paying taxes, so there you have it.

Which puts Roy Ashburn in a positive light. He stood up to his fellow Republicans, see, and voted for emergency funding. Common sense in most places. Positively heroic in the broken State of California.

OK, so he's against abortion rights and has an A+ rating from the National Rifle Association. Nobody's perfect.

Lousy record on immigration, but that's true for lots of people.

Because of that vote on taxes, he showed he is not one of those obstructionist Republicans who votes party line blindly. He picks and chooses his issues, maybe.

Maybe.

How about his record on gay rights?

Here’s Equality California’s mission statement, an organization I have volunteered for:

"Equality California and its sister organizations, Equality California Institute and Equality California PAC, share a common mission to ensure and promote dignity, safety and equality for all of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Californians. Equality California, formerly known as California Alliance for Pride and Equality (CAPE), was founded in 1998."

I looked up what Equality California had to say about his voting record on gay rights issues. Their rating on him for 2008? 0. (10 in 2007, 0 in 2005-6)

How about the Lambda Letters Project?

Here’s their mission Statement:

Mission Statement: To promote the social, economic, and human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex individuals, couples, and families; people affected by HIV/AIDS; people of color; and women. We do this by urging elected officials to enact and support legislation that accomplishes this goal.

Ashburn’s score: 0

According to Project Vote Smart, here is his voting record on gay issues:


09/09/2009 Recognizing Out-of-State Same-Sex Marriages
SB 54 - Voted: NO - Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 14)


09/08/2009 Harvey Milk Day
SB 572 - Voted: NO - Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 14)


05/14/2009 Harvey Milk Day
SB 572 - Voted: NO - Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14)


03/02/2009 Statement of Opposition to Proposition 8
SR 7 - Voted: NO - Resolution Passed - Senate (18 - 14)


08/07/2008 Expanding Anti-Discrimination Laws
AB 2654 - Voted: NO - Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15)


08/05/2008 Creation of "Harvey Milk Day"
AB 2567 - Voted: NO - Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13)

OK, so not one of our guys.

So what is this nice catholic boy (divorced) doing in a gay bar in Sacramento last night? And who was that guy with him at two in the morning in a state-licensed vehicle when he was stopped on L Street for driving funny after he left the bar?

Don’t know if you’ve seen the documentary Outrage. About the closeted in our number, those whose souls the church has succeeded in putting through a paper shredder for the particular way they like to reach out and touch someone.

Poor Roy Ashburn.

Grampa dancing in a gay bar and picking up guys. Drunk driving a vehicle with state licence plates.

Tell me this guy wasn’t looking to get caught.

Beat me, beat me, I been bad…