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| Idiot of the Week: Republican Congressman Dana Rohrabacher |
Click for Story from the Orange County, CA Register
By JEFF COLLINS | JeffCollins@scng.com |
Orange County Register
PUBLISHED: May 24, 2018 at 3:05 pm | UPDATED: May
25, 2018 at 5:40 am
U.S. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher told a group of Realtors last
week that homeowners should be able to refuse to sell their property to gays
and lesbians, a statement that cost him the support of a key national Realtor
group.
“Every homeowner should be able to make a decision not to
sell their home to someone (if) they don’t agree with their lifestyle,”
Rohrabacher told an Orange County Association of Realtors delegation at a May
16 meeting in Washington, D.C., according to Wayne Woodyard, a former Orange
County Realtor president who was at the event.
On Thursday, Rohrabacher confirmed the accuracy of the
sentiment, and added that homeowners should have the right to “choose who
they do business with.”
“We’ve drawn a line on racism, but I don’t think we
should extend that line,” Rohrabacher said.
“A homeowner should not be required to be in business
with someone they think is doing something that is immoral.”
The statement ignited a protest by a Realtor
gay-rights group, prompting the National Association of Realtors to withdraw
its recommendation that members send campaign contributions
to Rohrabacher.
“It was determined that Rep. Rohrabacher will no longer
receive support from NAR’s President’s Circle,” an association statement said,
referring to its list of recommended candidates. Rohrabacher’s stance, the
1.3-million-member trade group said, is contrary to NAR’s code of ethics, which
bans discrimination on the basis of “sexual orientation or gender identity.”
“We certainly hope that Congress will … support the
elimination of housing discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender
identity.”
The about-face occurred as the 15-term coastal Orange
County Republican is locked in his toughest re-election campaign.
“It certainly can’t do me any good to have people take me
off their endorsement list,” said Rohrabacher, who represents California’s 48th
District in coastal Orange County. “It’s sad to see (the association’s)
priority is standing in solidarity with making sure a stamp of approval is put
on somebody’s private lifestyle.”
Harley Rouda, a Democrat who is challenging Rohrabacher
and a son of a former Realtor association president, called Rohrabacher’s
statements “outlandish and unacceptable,” saying everyone should have the same
rights to buy and sell a home.
“What Dana Rohrabacher fails to understand is
discrimination is discrimination,” Rouda said. “It shows how backward his
thinking is.”
Previously Rohrabacher had been designated as a “Realtor
Champion,” eligible for support from top Realtor donors.
The Realtors Political Action Committee, the trade
group’s campaign finance arm, also donated $5,000 to Rohrabacher’s re-election
campaign in December and January, campaign finance reports show. Rohrabacher
also received donations from numerous agents, real estate developers and
Realtor groups.
The backlash occurred after Orange County Realtors met
last week with Rohrabacher during NAR’s mid-year lobbying conference in
Washington and asked him to support H.R. 1447, among other issues.
The measure expands the Fair Housing Act passed in 1968
to add anti-discrimination protections based on a person’s sexual orientation
and gender identity. The existing law already forbids home sellers, landlords
and lenders from discrimination based on a person’s race, color, religion, sex
or national origin.
Rohrabacher’s remarks sparked outrage among gay and
lesbian Realtors after Woodyard posted them on Facebook. The founder of a real
estate gay-rights group then wrote to NAR President Elizabeth Mendenhall
requesting the association revoke its support of Rohrabacher.
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