Sen. John McCain took time out of his busy campaign schedule to hold a meeting with the leader of national "gay" and lesbian political organization Log Cabin Republicans, according to a prominent weblog. Log Cabin President Patrick Sammon confirmed in an e-mail yesterday to the Gay Patriot, the self described "Internet home for the American gay conservative," that he had a personal meeting with McCain:
We've had a series of productive meetings with the campaign since Sen. McCain won the nomination – including a recent meeting with the Senator. We expect to have more conversations with the campaign as we head toward November.
A Log Cabin insider claimed the meeting was not officially written into the senator's campaign schedule before it took place.
While the report does not give specific dates for the Sammon-McCain visit, it says the two met sometime in the "past couple of weeks or so."
No Republican presidential nominee has met with homosexual organizations since a 2000 meeting between then-Gov. George W. Bush and 12 prominent "gay" leaders – an invitation not extended to the Log Cabin Republicans. Since President Bush's election, he has never again met with a homosexual organization.
McCain also made an appearance on Ellen Degeneres' show in May, saying that while he is against "gay" marriage and supports "the unique status of marriage between and man and a woman," he believes same-sex couples should be permitted to enter into legal agreements for insurance and other reasons.
The senator also voted against a 2006 constitutional amendment to define marriage as a union between one man and one woman, saying, "The constitutional amendment we're debating today strikes me as antithetical in every way to the core philosophy of Republicans."
Many homosexual Republicans shifted their support to McCain after former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani's exit from the presidential race.
