Politics

Lt. Dan Choi considers support for Gary Johnson over Obama

Steven Nelson Associate Editor
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Former Army Lt. Dan Choi — one of the most prominent faces of last year’s successful campaign for congressional repeal of the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy — is considering offering his support to an Obama opponent in 2012.

Choi, who in 2010 was arrested for chaining himself to the fence of the White House in protest, told The Daily Caller in an email, “I lost significant trust in Obama and his fawning gay elites in the wake of recent homophobic court appeals and election-induced double-talk.”

Choi’s frustration with the president’s apparent lack of interest in the policy’s repeal during the lame duck session of Congress has been compounded by administration appeals of court decisions that have ordered an immediate end to the policy’s enforcement.

During the congressional debate on “don’t ask, don’t tell” Choi said that he would not vote for Obama again, a stance that appears to have hardened. Choi told TheDC that he is “seriously considering helping a viable challenger.”

Choi has ruled out supporting Minnesota Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann, who he said “foolishly aids the Obama camp in making a cartoonish parody” of Republicans.

However, “There are some very appealing candidates such as Governor Gary Johnson and others who are much better than Obama on civil rights,” Choi said. (Gary Johnson assails conservative Iowa group’s marriage pact)

Johnson strongly condemned this month’s Family Leader “Marriage Vow” pledge. Johnson said that the pledge, signed by Bachmann and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, was intolerant, un-American and un-Republican.

“Our community is too often manipulated by homophobic Democrats; I see very little difference when being manipulated by homophobic Republicans,” Choi said. “One group is openly vile while the other remains closeted towards the same objective: political exploitation.”