Friday, November 02, 2007

Republican hypocrite runs as pro traditional marriage candidate while husband is a pro gay media giant lobbyist..

GOP candidate rails against marriage equality as husband lobbies for pro-gay media giant by PageOneQ The husband of a self-described "pro-traditional marriage" Republican candidate has made more than $500,000 by lobbying for a corporate leader in gay media programming, PageOneQ has learned. Jill Holtzman Vogel, a candidate for State Senate in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, launched an advertising campaign Thursday touting her position as a "strong voice for pro-family" legislation. Holtzman Vogel's husband, Alex, is a high-profile D.C. lobbyist and a key advisor to his wife's campaign. While his wife runs a campaign with strong anti-gay messaging, Alex Vogel continues to serves as a lobbyist for gay-friendly Viacom, which broadcasts shows condemned by conservatives such as Queer as Folk, The L Word, TransGeneration, and the cartoon Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple In All The World. Filings at the US Senate's US Lobby Registration & Reporting Disclosure Page reveal that Vogel's firm has earned $510,000 in the last 3 years for its work lobbying on behalf of the media giant. Six months after his firm was hired, Viacom officially launched the LOGO network, which so-called "pro-family" groups immediately condemned. The station began broadcasting on June 30, 2005 in 18 million homes. Last December, Time Warner Cable and MTV Networks announced a joint program to expand the distribution of LOGO.. Responding to the launch of LOGO, Dr. Janice Crouse of Concerned Women for America's Beverly LaHaye Institute said, "Gay activism, solidly established in our schools, is now spreading right into the nation's living rooms… LOGO is an assault on our children's innocence." According to Robert Knight of conservative Concerned Women For America's Culture and Family Institute, "Viacom's dalliances with the homosexual lifestyle, both on subscription cable and network television, have always been ‘in your face.' Viewers should be given a cut-off switch to prevent this from pouring into their homes and polluting the minds of their children." In 2006 Viacom received a 100 percent rating in the Human Rights Campaign Equality Index. A cadre of benefits is extended to LGBT staff, including the ability to designate same-sex partners to receive benefits. Additionally, the company insurance plan covers medical, dental and vision for same-sex partners and short-term disability payments following gender reassignment surgery. All employees of Viacom are required to attend diversity training on sexual orientation and gender identity/expression. In a bitterly contested primary race, Holtzman Vogel beat social conservative Mark Tate. Since then, she has tried to win back social conservative voters, many of who are concerned with what the candidate calls the "homosexual lifestyle." In her general election campaign, Holtzman Vogel has said she will "be a strong voice in advancing pro-life issues and traditional marriage." Vogel has sought and received the support of Virginia's "family values" community, including the Virginia Conservative Action PAC (VCAP), and the organization's president Robin DeJarnette. Vogel is also supported by anti-marriage equality activist Laurie Letourneau. While a resident of Massachusetts, Letourneau founded Mass Voices for Traditional Marriage. Following the events in Massachusetts leading to where lesbian and gay couples can be married, Letourneau left the state, telling the Worcester Telegram that Massachusetts "is a cesspool. It's pathetic, we have an ineffective church and a bunch of wimps in the legislature." Letourneau filed a complaint against Tate in the primary campaign that led to Tate's indictment on 11 felony counts, nine for perjury and two for election fraud. The indictments, reported the Associated Press, came three weeks to the day before the primary election day. The charges were later dropped, raising questions as to whether or not Letourneau's actions were made at the behest of the Holzman Vogel campaign. Messages left at two of Jill Holtzman Vogel campaign offices and for Alex Vogel Thursday morning have not been returned to PageOneQ. Developing… MCL comment: They don't mind taking money from gays but they want to limit gay Americans rights at the same time... Ain't America grand

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

He didn't work for Viacom he worked for Nicolodean (or however you spell it) which is a subsidiary of Viacom. Nicolodean if you know is for children.