Log Cabin Republicans announced the appointment of Patrick Sammon as its president during a Dec. 18 teleconference call. He also will lead the associated non-profit Liberty Education Forum ( LEF ) .
Sammon, 32, has worked for the LEF since 2004 and has served as president of both organizations ever since Patrick Guerriero departed for the Gill Action Fund at the end of this past summer. Prior to that, he worked for six years as a political reporter at television stations in upstate New York and eastern Tennessee.
The Log Cabin board of directors conducted an extensive national search prior to deciding on Sammon, said board chairman Tim Schoeffler. In working with Sammon at LEF, Schoeffler said, 'He has always been a solid voice of reason and good judgment. We are very fortunate to have someone of Patrick's skills and experience leading the organization.'
The combined annual operating budget for the two organizations is between $1.5 million and $1.7 million, depending upon the year. Schoeffler declined to discuss compensation, saying only, 'Let's say he's being very well compensated and leave it at that.'
Sammon said the November election results demonstrated the limitations of playing to the social conservative base of the Republican Party. He ticked off the list of anti-gay darlings of social conservative who lost their bids for reelection—Senators Rick Santorum ( Penn. ) and George Allen ( Va. ) ; and Representatives John Hostettler ( Ind. ) and Ann Northup ( Ky. ) , both of whom sent out gay-baiting letters in the closing days of their campaigns.
'Political strategists often are copycats and they can see that playing the anti-gay card no longer works,' Sammon said, adding that the GOP can only return to power through moderation.
Speaking to the LGBT community he argued that 'equality will be impossible without Republican votes' in Congress. He noted that some of the Democrats elected in November are conservative and may not be supportive of pro-gay legislation. At the same time, being in the minority, some Republicans may feel less pressure to maintain party discipline and see it 'as an opportunity to vote their conscience' on gay measures.
He believes that hate crimes and employment discrimination legislation are likely to be voted upon during the next session of Congress. And he believes that 'a lot of good conservatives understanding that, with the war in Iraq, we shouldn't be turning away [ from the military ] talented individuals who are willing to serve their country.'
Sammon said Log Cabin would continue a policy of not issuing a statement simply because a politician uttered something anti-gay, but rather will choose to speak and act strategically.
Mitt Romney 'has to explain what is clearly a shift in his views' on equality for gays from those expressed in a 1994 letter to Log Cabin when he was running against Ted Kennedy for the Senate. Most voters 'want to support candidates whose views are authentic.' Sammon refused to discuss tactics of whether they are trying to sit down and talk with Romney.
He reiterated the organization's opposition to 'outing' as being 'divisive and unproductive.' He added that it shifts the focus from the substance of the issues under discussion.
