Pam Spaulding
Pandagon Blog

Sen. Chuck Schumer, the head of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, charged with electing Democrats to the United States Senate, asked State Sen. Kay Hagan to run. She initially showed interest in challenging Elizabeth Dole, but she stepped aside when the DSCC decided to favor prospect state Rep. Grier Martin. When Martin didn’t bite, the Dems were left without anyone to field against Liddy Dole, a weak, ineffective tool of the Bush Administration.

In jumped businessman and NC native Jim Neal. In the process he also announced matter of factly that yes, he was gay, and that he was running on the issues and was ready to sweep Dole out.

The first sign something was afoot at the DSCC is that two weeks after Neal announced, his presence was nowhere to be found on its site as a challenger.

Hagen then miraculously announced last week that she had a change of heart and was getting in the race. Suddenly, the same day she announced and her web site went live, the DSCC web site was updated with all announced challengers.

The PC reason cited for Hagen getting in was that Jim Neal’s chances for beating Elizabeth Dole were slim because he’s a political newcomer (though he is a proven fundraiser), and he has little name recognition. That is completely disingenuous (Hagen doesn’t have name rec either). We’re not talking about a conspiracy; we’re talking about strings being pulled because pols here didn’t want to back an openly gay man already out there running…

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