Fla: GOP State Rep. busted for soliciting male cop for sex

The Grand Old Hypocrisy Party strikes again. Florida State Representative Bob Allen (R-Merritt Island) has been busted for soliciting a male undercover cop for sex.

The money quote:

Titusville police were at Veterans Memorial Park on East Broad Street on a burglary detail when they noticed an unshaven man acting suspiciously, going into and out of the restroom three times, Lt. Todd Hutchinson said.

An undercover officer went into one of the bathroom stalls, Hutchinson said. Moments later, Allen knocked on the stall door and offered to perform oral sex on the officer for $20, the police spokesman said.

Now remember, kids...trying to hook up with guys in a bathroom isn't really the issue here. It's hooking up with guys in a bathroom when you're part of the Family Values Personal Responsibility Queers Should Burn in Hell Party. I'm guessing that he was told all his life that gays are eeeeevil, and that there's just no way he could actually be one of them.

Don't know much about him, but articles say he's married with a child and volunteers with the Boys & Girls Club. Anyone else know more about the guy's legislative history?

What do you have to say about this, Mr. Allen?

Oh...I see. We probably haven't caught you on the best of days.

•  He was (probably until yesterday) McCain's

  Florida campaign co-chair.

  John McCain is definitely having a terrible, awful week.

  by inclusiveheart on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 12:08:47 PM PDT

  •  I replied to some posts on this last night

    There is no evidence that this man is some kind of gay basher or right to lifer.  He appears to be a guy with a sexual problem that happens to be a Republican.  So absent any blatant hypocrisy, this is a problem that he and his family need to deal with, and it does this community no credit to go after him simply because he is a Republican.

    Obviously, if some hypocrisy at the level of a David Vitter or Ted Haggard, then I change my opinion.  For now, for me, this is just a sort of pathetic story of a man with a big problem.

    by klw1963 on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 12:25:27 PM PDT

    •  Where have you been for the last decade?

      Were you at least around in 2004 to see the nationwide convulsion of hatred against gays that the GOP engineered? Seriously, you think there's no hypocrisy with being a gay republican?? Oh wait, I see...as long as he's not vociferously demogoguing on homophobia, then he's one of the good ones.

      Please.

      To paraphrase Dear Leader, we've come to a point in society where you're either with gay people or against them. Being a "moderate" in a party that engages in a constant, depraved witch-hunt means nothing. If you're enabling the right-wing, then you might as well BE the right-wing. Since there's no single soul in the GOP speaking out for gay rights, then the only way to not be part of the problem is to not be a republican.

      by Johnny Gentle Famous Crooner on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 12:31:43 PM PDT

      •  Well, below there is evidence of his record

        His website indicated to me that he was a big business Republican, as opposed to being out-front on social issues.  Apparently he is out front on social issues in very much of a wingnut way.  But its those facts, not simply the fact that he is a Republican, which is relevant.  

        This evidence is important, because one inevitably gets the push back, well Democrats do it too.  

        No they don't. The Republican Party is the last refuge for sick demented fucks who need their daddy.

        by klw1963 on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 02:17:29 PM PDT

        •  The problem lies, again, in the fact that you...

          ... limit your research to his website, and as I've done for you on other comments you've posted, I'll introduce you to things outside of his website, left off, because as I've explained, he sees no reason to tout anything that he's failed to make into law.

          McCain is no friend to the gay community; after pretending to be a Republican "maverick" in 2000, he turned around and began to make nice to every right-wing, theo-fascist organization he could find.  Recently, he claimed that his campaign was foundering not due to his own spineless pandering, but the "gay" sweaters his staff had "forced" him to wear in order to assure voters that he was youthful and up-to-date.  

          Until yesterday, State Rep. Bob Allen was the co-chair of McCain's campaign forces in Florida.  Mr. Allen, a "Family Values" candidate like his friend John McCain, is no friend to the gay community.  He voted supported an amendment to the Florida State Constitution banning gay marriage, he opposed a bill designed to help prevent the bullying of gay students, and most recently enthusiastically supported a failed bill that would have increased punishment for public sex acts, a bill that could arguably be directed at punishing the gay community.

          Rep. Allen is the author of failed Florida House Bill #1475, the "Lewd and Lecivious Behavior Act" which would have made public masturbation in the presence of another adult illegal, whether the other adult consented or not. Florida statutes already cover such behavior for when a minor is present and the bill died in committee in two months ago. I’m pretty sure Rep. Allen was violating #1475 when he offered to blow that cop, doncha think? Lucky for him it didn’t pass! In 2005, Allen told right-wing Christian site World Net Daily about his "Sexual Predators Elimination Act" which sought mandatory life without parole sentences for those designated as sexual predators. Allen’s now-ironic statement to WND: "We can get away from all those expensive law-enforcement time-wasting factors by simply going straight to the root of the problem, and that is the offender, and put them in a locked up place where we know we’re safe." The bill was strongly opposed by the Florida ACLU and did not pass.

          by homoaffectional on Fri Jul 13, 2007 at 12:55:35 AM PDT

      •  THANK YOU, JGFC!!!

        by homoaffectional on Fri Jul 13, 2007 at 12:56:38 AM PDT

    •  I don't even have to do the research...

      to tell you that this guy probably has a 0% voting record from the HRC......He doesn't have to be a "basher" to guilty of blantant hypocrisy.

      by Rumarhazzit on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 12:34:08 PM PDT

      •  THANK YOU!!

        by homoaffectional on Fri Jul 13, 2007 at 12:57:28 AM PDT

    •  John McCain isn't so great on the gay issue.

      The Republican Party in general is not good on the issue of equal rights.

      http://www.azcentral.com/...

      Sen. John McCain said Thursday that he supports an initiative that would change Arizona's Constitution to ban gay marriages and deny government benefits to unmarried couples.

      But this guy didn't have to worry about that I guess.  He married a woman and breaks solicitation laws instead.

      I think if you're a Republican and you sign on to their agenda at that level - becoming state co-chair of a national race for the Presidency, you're a bit hypocritical given the GOP platform on morality etc.

      by inclusiveheart on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 12:45:49 PM PDT

    •  Um, here we go again...

      ... from another diary right here on Kos, that you seem to have missed...

      McCain is no friend to the gay community; after pretending to be a Republican "maverick" in 2000, he turned around and began to make nice to every right-wing, theo-fascist organization he could find.  Recently, he claimed that his campaign was foundering not due to his own spineless pandering, but the "gay" sweaters his staff had "forced" him to wear in order to assure voters that he was youthful and up-to-date.  

      Until yesterday, State Rep. Bob Allen was the co-chair of McCain's campaign forces in Florida.  Mr. Allen, a "Family Values" candidate like his friend John McCain, is no friend to the gay community.  He voted supported an amendment to the Florida State Constitution banning gay marriage, he opposed a bill designed to help prevent the bullying of gay students, and most recently enthusiastically supported a failed bill that would have increased punishment for public sex acts, a bill that could arguably be directed at punishing the gay community.

      and from another blog:

      Rep. Allen is the author of failed Florida House Bill #1475, the "Lewd and Lecivious Behavior Act" which would have made public masturbation in the presence of another adult illegal, whether the other adult consented or not. Florida statutes already cover such behavior for when a minor is present and the bill died in committee in two months ago. I’m pretty sure Rep. Allen was violating #1475 when he offered to blow that cop, doncha think? Lucky for him it didn’t pass! In 2005, Allen told right-wing Christian site World Net Daily about his "Sexual Predators Elimination Act" which sought mandatory life without parole sentences for those designated as sexual predators. Allen’s now-ironic statement to WND: "We can get away from all those expensive law-enforcement time-wasting factors by simply going straight to the root of the problem, and that is the offender, and put them in a locked up place where we know we’re safe." The bill was strongly opposed by the Florida ACLU and did not pass.

      by homoaffectional on Fri Jul 13, 2007 at 12:41:07 AM PDT

•  Paging Larry Flynt. n/t

  by homogenius on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 12:11:01 PM PDT

•  

  volunteers with the Boys & Girls Club.

  Nice- let's have some fun with this one.

  by Remembering Jello on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 12:12:04 PM PDT

  •  How?

    He was supposedly paying an adult male for sex in a bathroom.  Does that make him a child molester?  

    by klw1963 on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 12:27:48 PM PDT

    •  No-

      and we don't have to say he was.

      We can let the right-wing fundies draw that conclusion for themselves.

      by Remembering Jello on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 12:31:23 PM PDT

      •  Yeah...

        Mentioning the Boys & Girls Club was only to highlight that he outwardly appeared to be an upstanding, civic-minded guy. And maybe he is. But he's obviously got some secrets and a tortured soul.

        The intent was not to make lascivious inferences, nor do we need that. The absolute WORST thing we could do, in fact, is to imply that gays are child molesters. Leave that to the Coulters and Dobsons of the world.

        by Johnny Gentle Famous Crooner on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 12:33:31 PM PDT

        •  Yep-

          It's what they're good at.

          by Remembering Jello on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 12:37:24 PM PDT

    •  "Caution, Wet Floor"

      You are probably correct to put out the "Caution" sign about jumping to conclusions about this specific man.  

      However, this specific man belongs to and represents a party who loathes his very existence so maybe he slipped on the Caution, Wet Floor, one time too many.  

      by JFinNe on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 12:31:47 PM PDT

•  I just don't understand "urges"

  There is a lot about these lascivious urges that I just don't understand.  Not that I want too either.  But how dumb can this guy be?  Larry Flynt is on a roll outing scumbags who preach one thing and practice another,  The La. Congressman has disgraced himself, and this guy gets the "urge" to make out with a policeman?

  by JFinNe on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 12:19:51 PM PDT

  •  Well,

    when you spend enough time denying what you are, I'm sure it drives you a bit batty and impairs judgment. I don't know if the dude is gay, bisexual or what, but obviously, he's been hiding something for a long time. How lovely for his wife and kid to find out about it this way.

    by Johnny Gentle Famous Crooner on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 12:24:13 PM PDT

•  If there wasn't such blantant hypocrisy..

  involved, you would almost want to be a little compassionate and ask the guy if he felt he needed some counseling to help him work out his, shall we say, problem. However, in light of the holier-than-thou, do as I say not as I do philosophy of these fuckwads, I say put him in stocks in the village square with a big 'ole sign over his head that reads, "Hypocrit!" If he wasn't so determined to be part of a party that preaches hate and intolerance, he might feel liberated enough to start working on being himself and stop skulking around in the shadows for illicit sex...

  by Rumarhazzit on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 12:23:47 PM PDT

  •  Yup.

    It's to the point where I feel no sympathy for anyone who's non-straight and is a Republican. If you belong to a party that believes your very existence is a sin against God, and which helps ruin the lives of those who aren't hopelessly closeted, you get what you deserve.

    by Johnny Gentle Famous Crooner on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 12:26:10 PM PDT

  •  What kind of hypocritical statements

    Has this man made?  I haven't found any.

    by klw1963 on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 12:26:35 PM PDT

    •  He belongs to a party that radiates....

      hypocrisy. I'm sorry, but it is guilt by association. He didn't get what he deserved, but he certainly got what he asked for....

      by Rumarhazzit on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 12:30:54 PM PDT

      •  Apparently not exactly what he asked for...

        by JFinNe on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 12:33:45 PM PDT

        •  lol.......................nt

          by Rumarhazzit on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 12:34:47 PM PDT

    •  Maybe if you venture beyond the propaganda...

      ... which one no doubt finds in an official Republican website, you would...

      by your own admission, you've only gone to his official website, and you expect to be taken seriously when you say you haven't found any hypocritical statements?  Give me a break!

      "We can get away from all those expensive law-enforcement time-wasting factors by simply going straight to the root of the problem, and that is the offender, and put them in a locked up place where we know we’re safe."

      by homoaffectional on Fri Jul 13, 2007 at 01:09:57 AM PDT

•  Yeah, but he's cheap...

  only 20 bucks?   No wonder the cop arrested him.

  by doberg on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 12:30:09 PM PDT

  •  Ha!

    Who knows, maybe that's the going rate for that type of thing. From reading the article, it sounds like he knew what he was doing.

    by Johnny Gentle Famous Crooner on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 12:34:38 PM PDT

•  He sponsored or co-sponsored

  (among other things)

  HB 1475 - Lewd or Lascivious Exhibition

  CS/CS/HB 41 - Sexual Offenses (requires life sentences for some second offenses, increases penalties, etc.)

  CS/HB 269 - Lewdness and Indecent Exposure

  HR 597 Sexual Solicitation and Abuse

  HR 9073 - Bay of Pigs Invasion (commemorates those heroes. So we know he's not only a John, he's a, um, provider as well!)

  HB 7117 - Sexual Predators and Offenders (requires stamping of licenses for sex offenders)

  HB 1877 - Sexual Predators and Sexual Offenders (More conflation of sexual predators with sexual offenders -- Hey, Bob, is the difference more clear now that you're going to be one?)

  I'd get more but the FL legislature's server is slagged right now, probably with people doing what I'm doing.

  Just for the record, I think it's disgusting that cops go around trying to protect guys from hiring prostitutes by pretending to BE prostitutes and then arresting the men. I have sympathy for the guy and his family.That said, I don't see anything from this guy suggesting that he stood up for reproductive rights, gay rights, sexual rights, etc.

  by eshafto on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 12:34:17 PM PDT

  •  thank you eshafto.....I rest my

    case, klw1963.

    by Rumarhazzit on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 12:35:57 PM PDT

    •  That was a helpful post

      Ok - - Now he can burn.

      by klw1963 on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 01:18:12 PM PDT

      •  If only you had done more *research*...

        ... a lot sooner, klw...

        word to the wise... next time look beyond someone's official website before rushing to someone's defense.  I was about to suggest that you would be someone he could hire for PR.

        by homoaffectional on Fri Jul 13, 2007 at 01:12:26 AM PDT

  •  Good point.

    It is a pretty weak sting operation. Wow, you caught a gay guy in a bathroom...fish, meet barrel. All the same, given how often busts happen (ask George Michael), you'd think Allen would be more careful.

    by Johnny Gentle Famous Crooner on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 12:36:30 PM PDT

•  (Video) "Big Mistake"

  (WFTV) "State Representative Bob Allen was arrested, Wednesday, for allegedly soliciting an undercover officer. The representative for Brevard County was arrested Wednesday afternoon at a Titusville park."(07/11/07)

  Schadenfreude.

  by Scarce on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 12:38:12 PM PDT

  •  I know the man is innocent until proven....

    guilty, but you can see how this is going to go. It'll be a he said, cop said. And minus any audio or video evidence, the Christian, moral Republican was just grossly misunderstand (maybe he offered $30 instead of $20?). Give me a f*****break!

    by Rumarhazzit on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 12:44:38 PM PDT

    •  The fact he's been charged at all

      ...means he's in deep dogshit.

      by Scarce on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 12:47:50 PM PDT

    •  The FL GOP is probably

      doing oppo research on the undercover cop as Allen is being arraigned.

      The undercover cop had a very detailed account of what exactly took place.  It will be a he-said, he-said case, but juries tend to believe cops in these types of circumstances.  And ... there's also the likelihood that some other stuff in Allen's background will break during the interim timeframe.  

      I think Allen is going down ... so to speak.

      by Norm DePlume on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 12:53:56 PM PDT

    •  Um, so what, cops don't win the "he said"...

      ... game?   Oh, maybe if it's not against a black man's word...

      by homoaffectional on Fri Jul 13, 2007 at 01:14:01 AM PDT

  •  Priceless ..... n/t

    by Norm DePlume on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 12:48:31 PM PDT

•  More on his legislative history

  2005-2006  Representative Allen supported the interests of the Christian Coalition of Florida 92 percent in 2005-2006.

  2005  Representative Allen supported the interests of the Christian Coalition of Florida 93 percent in 2005.

  2003-2004  On the votes that the Christian Coalition of Florida considered to be the most important in 2003-2004, Representative Allen voted their preferred position 91 percent of the time.

  2002  On the votes that the Christian Coalition of Florida considered to be the most important in 2002, Representative Allen voted their preferred position 80 percent of the time.

  Other issues not relevant to this discussion:
  His environmental record was awful, he's a total gun-nut, he hates labor. In other words, not really my cup of tea, but that's neither here nor there.

  by eshafto on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 12:39:47 PM PDT

  •  Bingo.

    That's for looking that up. That pretty much nails it...he's a perfect model of the GOP's moral bankruptcy.

    by Johnny Gentle Famous Crooner on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 12:46:52 PM PDT

  •  Shades of Mark Foley ..... n/t

    by Norm DePlume on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 12:54:54 PM PDT

    •  To be fair to Foley

      Foley didn't carry water for those groups the way Allen did. He wasn't leading a double life, he was just officially closeted.

      by brittain33 on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 01:09:17 PM PDT

•  Last comment on his legislative history

  They don't list the specifics, but the Rainbow Democratic Club lists Bob Allen with a "Worst of the Worst" rating.

  by eshafto on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 12:49:27 PM PDT

•  Some mixed sympathy

  I don't like these hypocrites, but if the poor guy even gets counseling (which he probably needs) to figure out what he really wants in life; it won't be the kind that does him any good unless he is willing to break ties with the Repugs.  The Religious Right doesn't think people can naturally even be gay or bi-sexual, he would get screwed up fundy spiritual counseling, if he is to remain at all "in the fold".  That's a sad fact.  These people will use guys like this up then destroy them for any honesty regarding who they are (unless they just hang out at the ho-house like Vitter, straight debauchery among good God-fearing Repugs only requires a passing admission of "sin", of course Democrats playing around will simply burn for all time).  Sick philosophy.  

  by get the red out on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 01:19:09 PM PDT