An ad in a local Texas newsweekly asks, “Have you ever had sex with Rick Perry?,” and adds, “Are you a stripper, an escort, or just a ‘young hottie’ impressed by an arrogant, entitled Governor of Texas?” And while the ad doesn’t specifically ask for leads regarding a same-sex tryst with the Texas Governor and recent GOP presidential candidate, at the bottom it states, “Note to gay people, if you know the truth about Rick, please QUIT covering for him.”
The ad, which appears in this week’s Austin Chronicle (print version only, sorry,) was reportedly paid for by Ron Paul supporter Robert Morrow.
“Robert Morrow describes himself as a ‘self-employed investor and political activist’ as well as a three-time delegate to the Texas state GOP convention,” Salon explains, adding, “CASH is the Committee Against Sexual Hypocrisy, of which Morrow is president. ‘Is it a real group? No. It’s just me,’ he told Salon earlier this week.”
“To be clear, there is absolutely no evidence that Perry has had extramarital affairs. But Morrow has written a screed, currently circulating online, that denounces Perry both for his policies (it labels him a “crony capitalist” and a “Neocon”) as well as his alleged dalliances.
“Morrow claims that he knows strippers in Austin who have stories about Perry, but none of them are willing to come forward to the press; hence, the need for an ad in the Chronicle. ‘I think it’s only a matter of time until somebody credible comes forward,’ he told me.”
“At the bottom of the ad is a nod to the longtime (and equally unsubstantiated) rumors that Perry, who has pursued sundry anti-gay policies, is himself gay. ”
“The Chronicle itself looked into the infidelity/gay rumors in 2004, calling them ‘extraordinary in their baroque detail and remarkable persistence.’ It found ‘no evidence of any truth to any of them, whatsoever.’ Just this past June, Politico reported that Perry’s organization was “more than prepared” for a re-airing of the gay rumors.”
So, what’s your take? OK, not OK?