Report: Romney Aides 'Privately' Told Log Cabin He'd Support ENDA

Romney's team promised the gay Republican group he'd back ENDA as president, but he does not want to make the stance public, The Nation reports. Also: Barney Frank critiques Log Cabin's Romney endorsement.

Mitt Romney’s campaign team reportedly privately promised the Log Cabin Republicans that he would support the Employment Non-Discrimination Act as president but did not want the stance made public, according to The Nation.

Log Cabin announced its “qualified” endorsement of Romney today. Nation contributor Ben Adler dissects the endorsement on the magazine’s website, where he writes, “Romney’s greatest asset as a politician is his total lack of integrity, honesty or consistency. He is perfectly willing to go before the religious right one day and pledge fealty to them, and the Log Cabin Republicans the next day to do the same. And, apparently, that is what he has done, in private.”

Adler says that when he pressed Log Cabin executive director R. Clarke Cooper to explain why the group’s leaders believe they can work with Romney on ENDA, which would ban job discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, “Cooper blurted out, ‘Have you met with Romney’s domestic policy team?’ And therein lies the answer to how Romney secured LCR’s endorsement. His advisors have privately assured LCR that Romney supports ENDA, even though he so fears the wrath of the religious right that he will not adopt this position in public.”

Adler adds, “Given that Romney is a reflexive liar, the question then becomes why LCR chooses to believe Romney. For that, I have no answer other than wishful thinking on their part.”

Cooper followed up that report by issuing a careful denial to BuzzFeed: "I did not say Romney would sign the current form of ENDA."

And for its part, the Romney campaign told The Washington Blade that it was thankful for Log Cabin's endorsement. “Gov. Romney is pleased to have the support of the Log Cabin Republicans and looks forward to working together for the future of our country,” said a Romney campaign spokesperson.

Meanwhile, gay congressman Barney Frank, a Democrat who has often criticized Log Cabin, posted a video to the YouTube denouncing the Log Cabin endorsement. “I can understand people saying, ‘Gay rights is not that important to me and I’m generally conservative on other issues,’” he says. “It makes no sense, however, to argue, as some in Log Cabin do, that they will be advancing LGBT rights by voting, or supporting, Romney.” He goes on to outline the differences between the Democratic and Republican tickets, and says he wants Log Cabin “to try to get Republicans to stop being so homophobic. My objection is that they pretend to succeed when they haven’t.”

Watch the video below.