On CNN's Larry King Live, Bill Maher promised that on his show Friday night, he will name members of the Republican leadership who are closeted homosexuals.
Live on the air, Maher mentioned RNC Chair Ken Mehlman as one of them. Larry King claimed to be completely surprised.
Quote:
BM: A lot of the chiefs of staff, the people who really run the underpinnings of the Republican Party, are gay. I don't want to mention names, but I will Friday night...
LK:You will Friday night?
BM: Well, there's a couple of big people who I think everyone in Washington knows who run the Republican...
LK: You will name them?
BM: Well, I wouldn't be the first. I'd get sued if I was the first. Ken Mehlman. Ok, there's one I think people have talked about. I don't think he's denied it when he's been, people have suggested, he doesn't say...
LK: I never heard that. I'm walking around in a fog. I never...Ken Mehlman? I never heard that. But the question is...
BM: Maybe you don't go to the same bathhouse I do, Larry.
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Even more interesting is that CNN censored the mention of Mehlman from subsequent airings of the show, and is now sending out cease-and-desist letters to have it pulled from the internet. Link:
http://americablog.blogspot.com/2006...own-video.html
Link of the videos and transcripts (live and taped versions):
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2006/1...h_n_33701.html
So the long line of staunchly anti-gay homosexuals in the GOP has at least one more member; from the sound of it, Maher will announce a few more tomorrow night. I find the timing interesting in that at least this can't be seen as an attempt by Maher to influence the elections. At the same time, I'm not sure a witch hunt should be the first thing on the progressive agenda at the moment, when there is so much to be done.
I find it even more interesting that CNN is scrambling to keep a lid on this thing. They can't possibly believe they will really contain the information; in the age of TiVo and blogs, it's far too late for that. Perhaps it is just a measure to minimize their own liability in the matter, if Maher draws fire for Mehlman's outing. I'm sure they also don't want to be seen as a venue for some 'left-wing agenda', and would rather let Maher take the inevitable flak.
I'm also left to question the wisdom of this revelation when Mehlman is soon stepping down anyway (or so I think I've heard... someone want to confirm that?)
Some questions:
This has been done recently, but what is your take on the propriety of outing public figures? Is it more legitimate to do so if that figure's public position on homosexuality is hypocritical?
What is CNN's proper role here? They are obviously within their legal rights to alter a broadcast or control the use of their copyrighted material, but do you see a problem with journalistic ethics here?
What implications might this have for the social policies of the Republican party?