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Washington, D.C. — National Log Cabin Republicans announced Wednesday that they are withholding their endorsement from President Bush for 2004. 

"Log Cabin's National Board has voted to withhold a Presidential endorsement and shift our financial and political resources to defeating the radical right and supporting inclusive Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives,” said Log Cabin Board Chairman William Brownson of Ohio.  The Log Cabin Board of Directors voted 22 to 2 not to endorse the President’s re-election. 

The move had been expected for several week.  The gay GOP group has been vocal in its dissatisfaction of the President over his support for amending the constitution to bar gay marriage. 

But, the final straw came last week during the Republican National Convention when the party adopted a platform plant calling for the amendment and support for removing from judges the ability to rule on issues involving same-sex couples. 

In his speech accepting the GOP nomination for a second term Bush denounced gay marriage.

“Certain moments in history require that a belief in fairness and equality not be sacrificed in the name of partisan politics; this is one of those moments," said Log Cabin Republicans Executive Director Patrick Guerriero.

Guerriero said that the group will focus its efforts on helping individual Republican candidates

"Log Cabin will devote its financial and political resources to elect fair-minded Republican allies to local, state and federal offices," he said.

"Log Cabin will endorse more than 50 GOP candidates for the U.S. House and Senate.  “Every victory by fair-minded Republicans is a victory for the future of our party.  We have made it clear that we can either be the party of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Rudy Giuliani or we can be the party of Alan Keyes and Rick Santorum,” continued Guerriero."

The gay vote could have an impact on the presidential election in what is expected to be a tight race between Bush and Democratic candidate John Kerry. 

Exit polls in the 2000 election showed that over 1,000,000 gays and lesbians voted for Bush/Cheney, including nearly 50,000 in Florida.

But, in withholding its support from Bush, the organization is not endorsing Kerry either. In a statement Wednesday, LCR accuses Kerry of "continued flip-flops on gay and lesbian issues". 

Kerry opposes a federal marriage amendment but has supported similar amendments in state constitutions, including that of his home state, Massachusetts.

by Paul Johnson
365Gay.com Newscenter
Washington Bureau Chief
©365Gay.com 2004

This article originally appeared on 365gay.com. Republished with permission.

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