e-Bill,
What do you think of those meddling religious zealots in the DNC????? Ain't it wild?
U.S. Congresswoman Willing to Yield in Playboy Flap
August 11, 2000 10:53 am EST
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A leading Democratic congresswoman said on Friday she was willing to drop the Playboy mansion as the site of a planned Hispanic fund-raising event amid a pre-convention spat with her party's leadership over family values.
But Democratic National Committee co-chairwoman Representative Loretta Sanchez, also said if she were offered a new venue for the event on Tuesday, it should have the "cachet" to draw donors and ensure "that we'll continue to be able to raise the money" to promote Hispanic participation in politics.
A hero to Democrats only four years ago when she beat a Republican hard-liner, Sanchez said she was unfazed by Party Chairman Joe Andrew's decision on Thursday to remove her from her planned speaking role at next week's party convention in Los Angeles.
The more important thing is that her personal political action committee, Hispanic Unity USA, "will have a good event and they will be financially strong ... to empower people," said Sanchez, a lawmaker from California on the NBC Today television program from Santa Ana, Calif..
Andrew, the Democratic national chairman, said on Thursday he was "sorely disappointed" with Sanchez's plan to hold the event at the mansion, the site of many Playboy centerfold shots, despite party entreaties that it would send the wrong message to families watching the convention.
Party presidential nominee Al Gore, who has tried to distance himself from sexual scandal associated with President Clinton, hopes to present an image of himself as a model parent at the convention.
"We have done everything we can and now we have no alternative but to take action," he said. "Loretta Sanchez will not be speaking at the Democratic National Convention next week."
STRONGER PUNISHMENT CONSIDERED
Democratic sources said the party also was considering removing Sanchez from her leadership role at the Democratic National Committee unless she pulled the plug on the Playboy mansion event.
Committee members would have to vote on any bid to remove Sanchez as general co-chair of the Democratic National Committee, a position she holds together with Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer.
Sanchez said on Thursday that Hispanic Unity had selected "a high-profile venue to highlight the important work" it is doing, and added that the event was sold out.
A Playboy spokeswoman said the organization was deeply disappointed.
"We are very saddened that it came to this, surprised and saddened. Portraying the mansion as a bad place is really a misinterpretation of what the mansion is," the spokeswoman said.
Spokeswoman Cindy Rakowitz said the mansion is used for events ranging from corporate parties to political fund-raisers. Over the years, it has staged events for "Rock the Vote," the National Women's Political Caucus, former Calif. Gov. Jerry Brown and Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley, both Democrats. |
