Marrs Attack
The letter from Republican Del. Brad Marrs of Richmond was meant to raise money. Certainly, it raised hackles.
Marrs, a conservative Republican, used the letter to attack his independent challenger, Katherine Waddell, a former Republican herself. In his letter, Marrs criticized her for taking a $10,000 contribution from a "wealthy homosexual businessman."
The letter was first reported by Jeff Schapiro in the Richmond Times Dispatch, and it has created quite a buzz in Richmond.
Waddell immediately denounced the attack. In Schapiro's article, she called it "unfortunate to single out groups of people." On her Web site, Waddell says that "social extremists are not conservatives. They use governments' long arm to dictate some of the most basic and private decisions individuals make."
Marrs told the Times Dispatch that the reference to a gay donor was "standard political campaigning . . . no great innovation."
The bloggers have eaten the issue up.
Two posts on the Bacon's Rebellion blog sparked dozens of comments and a debate over when -- if ever -- it's appropriate to point out a contributor's sexual orientation. Several posts appeared on One Man's Trash, including one that noted that "Del. Brad Marrs has managed to get his name in the TD...but not in a good way."
By Michael Shear |
August 1, 2005; 4:40 PM ET
| Category:
Republicans
Previous: Eavesdropping, Part LXXVII |
Next: Oops
Posted by: Not jaded | August 2, 2005 03:52 PM
Turns out Del. Marrs accepted $500 from a Board Member of Equity Virginia, which is the gay rights group he mentioned in his letter. Funny how these things tend to turn around on people.
Marrs also accepted $10,500 from some trial lawyers. How come that is ok?
Posted by: hypocricy? | August 4, 2005 09:49 AM
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If you go over to Raising Kaine there's a discussion of Chris Craddock's statement to the Wash Blade that Christians hate and despise gays. The Blade also said he lied about a Blade endorsement of his primary opponent, Gary Reese.