Looks like the nativist group Americans for Legal Immigration (ALIPAC) is getting desperate. William Gheen's rant at a rally "outing" Sen. Lindsey Graham, who supports comprehensive immigration reform, has gone viral. Though Graham has said repeatedly that he is not gay (just single), ALIPAC insists on pushing this line. The organization sent out a press release praising Gheen for correcting the "information imbalance":
When you have a U.S. Senator from such a conservative state like South Carolina working hand in hand with Obama and New York liberals like Senator Chuck Schumer to pass an Amnesty bill for illegal aliens, there is something very wrong.
So ALIPAC thinks the only possible reason Graham could support immigration reform is because liberals are holding his "alternative lifestyle" over his head? The logic here is so bizarre I have trouble seeing how Gheen could believe it himself.
The press release explains:
William Gheen called on Senator Lindsey Graham to be honest with American voters about his homosexual lifestyle to assure that Graham's desire to keep it a secret could no longer be potentially used by political insiders to manipulate Graham's behavior.
The big irony is that "manipulat[ing] Graham's behavior" is exactly what ALIPAC is trying to do with the accusation. This is a simple ploy to discredit the senator among his conservative constituents. The strategy is sure to backfire, as it only undermines the organization's credibility and makes the anti-immigrant movement look actively discriminatory. Most of the reaction to this gay-baiting stunt has indeed been, "Who cares?" Plus, do you want to take policy advice from people who make these sort of tenuous connections?
But maybe I'm wrong about all of this. Maybe Obama and Schumer are holding this over Graham to try to get him to reform our immigration system. Or maybe Graham is just advocating for immigration reform because he has a thing for Latin guys. Surely if Graham doesn't agree with ALIPAC, there must be some deep conspiracy to explain it.
-- Gabriel Arana
