McCain? Really?

Naughty, naughty, Saint McCain.

On the eve of the Florida Republican primary, Sen. John McCain launched a robo-call campaign attacking his rival Mitt Romney that some gay rights groups say amounts to gay baiting.

The call, which comes at the end of a hotly contested election that could very well determine the GOP nominee, reads as follows [emphasis added]:

"Mitt Romney thinks he can fool us. He supported abortion on demand, even allowed a law mandating taxpayer-funding for abortion. He says he changed his mind, but he still hasn't changed the law. He told gay organizers in Massachusetts he would be a stronger advocate for special rights than even Ted Kennedy. Now, it's something different."
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In 1994, Romney did write a letter to the state's Log Cabin Club -- a gay Republican group -- promising to be a stronger advocate for gays than Kennedy. Romney was challenging Kennedy for his U.S. Senate seat.

But the timing of the robo-call -- launched the day before the all-important primary -- and the tone -- specifically the reference to "special rights" of homosexuals -- has raised concerns and suspicion.

"It's ironic that Sen. John McCain is using the same tactics that George Bush used against him in 2000; surreptitiously trying to exploit anti-gay prejudice for votes," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. "So much for John McCain being above that."

"I think this is definitely an attempt at gay baiting," added Jon Hoadley, executive director of the National Stonewall Democrats.
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