Paladino pressured by family to apologize for anti-gay comments<http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/paladino_pressured_by_family_to_mZKon4FsHsRbhPTNyW1dbO>
By JENNIFER FERMINO *Last Updated:* 3:22 PM, October 13, 2010 *Posted:* 2:44 PM, October 13, 2010 Comments: 13<http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/paladino_pressured_by_family_to_mZKon4FsHsRbhPTNyW1dbO#comments_block> <http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&winname=addthis&pub=nypost&source=tbx-250&lng=en-us&s=buzz&u508=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nypost.com%2Fp%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fpaladino_pressured_by_family_to_mZKon4FsHsRbhPTNyW1dbO&title=Paladino%20pressured%20by%20family%20to%20apologize%20for%20anti-gay%20comments%20-%20NYPOST.com&ate=AT-nypost/-/-/4cb6211f4cff0db7/1&sms_ss=1&at_xt=1&CXNID=2000001.5215456080540439074NXC&pre=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2F&tt=0><http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&winname=addthis&pub=nypost&source=tbx-250&lng=en-us&s=facebook&u508=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nypost.com%2Fp%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fpaladino_pressured_by_family_to_mZKon4FsHsRbhPTNyW1dbO&title=Paladino%20pressured%20by%20family%20to%20apologize%20for%20anti-gay%20comments%20-%20NYPOST.com&ate=AT-nypost/-/-/4cb6211f4cff0db7/2&sms_ss=1&at_xt=1&CXNID=2000001.5215456080540439074NXC&pre=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2F&tt=0> More <http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&username=nypost> Print<http://www.nypost.com/f/print/news/local/paladino_pressured_by_family_to_mZKon4FsHsRbhPTNyW1dbO> Carl Paladino’s family pressured him to apologize for his anti-homosexual rants because they were concerned about his gay nephew, the ultra right wing rabbi who drafted the controversial speech said. Rabbi Yehuda Levin, who represents an umbrella organization of ultra-Orthodox clerics, said that Paladino’s campaign manager Michael Caputo called him after Paladino’s mea culpa and told him that the Republican candidate had no choice but to apologize. ALSO: PALADINO'S PAL ROGER STONE HAS 'GAY' OL' TIME<http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/paladino_adviser_roger_stone_shows_UwYVMpdHvatPCZgPzMZU8I> "He [Caputo] said he had to do it because of his nephew," said Levin. [image: Carl Paladino.] Robert Kalfus Carl Paladino. "He said he was receiving pressure from his family." But Levin — who had endorsed Paladino and introduced him to the tight knit Orthodox community — wasn’t swayed by the candidate’s sudden devotion to family. "Mazel tov. We’ll have a coming out party. But when he came to me three days ago, he didn’t know that? I find this to be condescending," said Levin, who is now withdrawing his support for Paladino. Jeff Hannon, Paladino’s gay nephew, told the Post exclusively that he was "very offended" by his uncle’s anti-gay rants. More: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/paladino_pressured_by_family_to_mZKon4FsHsRbhPTNyW1dbO Michael Caputo said Paladino apologized after thinking it through. "Carl felt the sting of this directly through his family and thought through his response with many inputs. The rabbi is a good person and a respected man of God," said Caputo. "Carl and Rabbi Levin agree on many things and disagree on some, too. He’s entitled to his opinion." Paladino on Sunday caused an uproar when he told a Brooklyn synagogue that he doesn’t want kids "brainwashed into thinking that homosexuality" is acceptable. Levin penned a speech when Paladino didn’t read, which stated, "There is nothing to be proud of in being a dysfunctional homosexual." Initially, Paladino refused to apologize and went so far as to blast his Democratic opponent, Andrew Cuomo, for bringing his two daughters to a gay pride parade. But on Tuesday, a red-faced Paladino backed down from his comments and said he was sorry to the gay community. Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/paladino_pressured_by_family_to_mZKon4FsHsRbhPTNyW1dbO#ixzz12HASXubS Just to Be Clear: Paladino Compared Gay Marriage to Evil Nazi Horrors Oct 13 2010, 2:30 PM ET Comment<http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/10/10/just-to-be-clear-paladino-compared-gay-marriage-to-evil-nazi-horrors/64473/#disqus_thread> New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino apologized<http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2010/10/carl-paladino-apologizes.html>late yesterday afternoon for remarks he'd made in Brooklyn over the weekend, widely<http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2010/10/someone-think-of-the-children/64357/> condemned<http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2010/10/paladinos-rants.html>as bigoted and menacing -- particularly in light of recent patterns in gay teen suicide and the case of two young gay men tortured in the Bronx. "I sincerely apologize for any comment that may have offended the Gay and Lesbian Community or their family members," he wrote in an email sent out by his campaign. "Any reference to branding an entire community based on a small representation of them is wrong." To address any remaining ambiguity, Paladino clarified the extent of his opposition to discrimination against any group (a reassuring "100%"), as well as to hate crimes of any form (also "100%"). On the issue of gay marriage specifically, Paladino now claims simply to have "the same position on this issue as President Barrack Obama [sic]." All welcome clarifications, but for one small thing: In his weekend speech, Paladino didn't just imply some ugly slanders about gay people or tacitly endorse hate crimes; *he equated gay marriage with the Holocaust* -- and, for good measure, with political violence against blacks in the Civil Rights-era South. His opening lines: I've been accused of being an angry man. My opponent says an angry man is unqualified to be governor of New York State. Well, I beg to differ. *There are some things in this world that we must all be angry about. During World War II, all decent people were angry at Hitler's extermination of six million Jews in the gas chambers of Aushwitz.* During the days of the civil rights battle here in the United States, all decent people were angry at the brutal mistreatment of black people down south. And the stinger at the end: If you elect me as your next governor, you can depend on me to protect and defend your family from those who seek to tear down our values and bankrupt our citizens. And yes, I will veto all legislation that mocks our sacred institution of marriage and family. *I will veto any gay marriage or civil union bill that comes to my desk. Yes I'm angry. Real angry at the way our politically correct elites are mistreating our innocent children, and I want to protect them and give them a real future in America, the greatest country on God's green Earth.* Here's that rhetorical trick again in slow motion: "There are some things in this world that we must all be angry about" ... "Yes, I'm angry." ... There are, Carl Paladino tells us, transgressions against humanity that should bring out moral outrage in all of us: anti-Semitic genocide, racial violence, and gay marriage. More: http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/10/10/just-to-be-clear-paladino-compared-gay-marriage-to-evil-nazi-horrors/64473/ -- Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time. Have a great day, Tommy -- Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more.
