Robert Bauman Interview
Robert Bauman Interview
Former U.S. House Representative Robert Bauman (R-MD) interviewed by journalist Cokie Roberts. Roberts and Bauman engaging in small talk with adult female, off camera, suggesting they keep talking about the Watermen. Bauman says they have not done well since the IRS demanded their accounting be put in paper every day. Roberts notes there was a similar issue with the Louisiana shrimpers. It did not help that rising fuel prices coincided with their usual hate of any government entity, but especially the federal government.
Robert Bauman Interview
Former U.S. House Representative Robert Bauman (R-MD) being interviewed by journalist Cokie Roberts. Roberts begins by asking him if the current House action on reprimanding Reps. Dan Crane (R-IL) and Gerry Studds (D-MA) is appropriate. Bauman isn't sure and thinks the ultimate judge of any member of Congress should be the constituency that first sent them to Congress, especially when it comes to a personal matter. Roberts notes that there are House rules which members must abide by. Bauman agrees there are, but if the House can judge the qualifications based of a member's personal life, then there won't be many people who will want to serve in that House. Roberts asks if the House of Representatives is being hypocritical. Bauman states that in individual instances, there is hypocrisy; if every closet door was to be opened on Capitol Hill, or executive offices, churches, or schools, there would be more than a hurricane force wind coming through.
Robert Bauman Interview
Journalist Cokie Roberts, off camera, continues interviewing former U.S. House Representative Robert Bauman (R-MD). Roberts asks about the Congressional Page system, noting that he was a page, and whether those relationships between a legislator and page are special. Bauman agrees that those relationships are special, and in this case was violated. The House Ethics Committee viewed this as a strictly legal matter when everyone was of legal age under the laws of the District of Columbia. The particular criticism Bauman has heard is that Rep. Gerry Studds (D-MA) has not addressed that relationship or shown remorse. Roberts asks if the situation would be somewhat different if Rep. Studds had shown any contrition or remorse. Bauman hasn't spoken with Rep. Studds, but imagines there are a lot of forces "tugging" at him. One of those forces is Rep. Studds' desire to vindicate gay rights; the right to live and act with the same rights as everyone else has. However, those "other rights" are the focus now with the special relationship he has with his page. Ultimately, he does not think it is up to the House to expel Rep. Studds or Dan Crane (R-IL); both of whom happen to be friends of his.
Robert Bauman Interview
Journalist Cokie Roberts, off camera, continues interviewing former U.S. House Representative Robert Bauman (R-MD). Roberts asks if the publicizing of the Congressional page sex scandal against Reps. Gerry Studds (D-MA) and Dan Crane (R-IL) acts as enough of a punishment. Bauman says this is not only a sentence, but a burden, which he knows from personal experience will be carried to the grave. He re-iterates that the punishment brought down upon them should come from their respective constituents. Perhaps they won't be expelled. Maybe they will be censured and further publicly humiliated on television, but the fingers that point at them, also can point at a variety of different places. Roberts asks if Bauman feels sorry for them. He does, as someone who "has been there". In some sense, he thinks being imprisoned for six months would be better than what they are, and will be, going through, even if they don't know it yet. Roberts asks if the experiences Bauman has gone through has changed him. He says it has, and describes the good that has come out of his experiences, despite his initial doubts. He feels liberated. He's not sure the same will apply to Reps. Crane and Studds.
Robert Bauman Interview
Journalist Cokie Roberts continues interviewing former U.S. House Representative Robert Bauman (R-MD). Roberts notes that Rep. Dan Crane (R-IL) ran a campaign similar to the one he ran, "as a super moral family man", and asks if that makes a difference. Bauman talks more about his own campaign being molded around the "right to life", but when reporters looked through his record, they noticed he had never really spoken out about the issue of gay rights, though his votes went against gay priorities. He goes on to say that most conservatives are painted as being moral champions simply because they are conservatives. "It's hard to separate a Bill Buckley from a Jerry Falwell, but, I assure you, there's a world of difference..." Bauman says, it does make it tougher. Rep. Crane voted for and spoke on the D.C. Criminal Code Revision, which his brother managed the opposition of and killed. Much of that has been relevant as to what has happened now in the last few days. Roberts follows up and asks what parts of that bill are relevant. Bauman states that the bill would have liberalized actions between consenting parties, lowering legal ages, and eliminating adultery as a felony.
Robert Bauman Interview
Journalist Cokie Roberts, off camera, continues interviewing former U.S. House Representative Robert Bauman (R-MD). Roberts asks how his votes on gay priorities would go now. Bauman states he would not vote to deny access to any group. He also could not support the Family Protection Act, knowing now the discrimination that exists and the parts of the bill he was not aware of. Part of the bill specifically allows for the discrimination based on a person's sexual orientation. Roberts asks if he has experienced discrimination, since his public disclosures were made. Bauman states he has and knows the feeling of being rejected because of it. Roberts assumes that has changed his views on gay rights. Bauman replies that it has, but he's always been an advocate of Congressmen going out into the real world to get a true sense of their constituency care for. Though he would not run for office ever again, he believes he could be a much better Congressman now than he ever was before. He understands the job and how best to communicate and serve his constituents much better.
Robert Bauman Interview
Journalist Cokie Roberts, off camera, continues interviewing former U.S. House Representative Robert Bauman (R-MD). Roberts asks how well he thinks he might do with his district if he ran for Congress again. Bauman knows his district is conservative, but he did get about 48% of the vote four weeks after his scandal; so voters were pretty tolerant. Roberts follows up and asks, in the context of learning from your mistakes and being better able to do the job of a Congressman, if U.S. House Representatives Gerry Studds (D-MA) and Dan Crane (R-IL) would able to garner that kind of support within their own districts if they ran again. Bauman says it would be difficult to run with that message when the opponent would just constantly use the headlines from their recent scandals to paint them as unfit for office, unfit to serve. He quit his primary, despite nearly winning it, because it just wasn't worth subjecting himself to it, and he doesn't think they've gone through the worst of it yet. Roberts asks if, given what he's gone through, Bauman would work with or for supporters of gay rights. Bauman states that's a decision he'd like to reserve, though his views have changed.
Robert Bauman Interview
Journalist Cokie Roberts, off camera, continues interviewing former U.S. House Representative Robert Bauman (R-MD). Roberts asks if it helps when U.S. House Representative Gerry Studds (D-MA) comes out and "says what he said". Bauman: "Simply admitting he was gay and a Congressman?" Bauman goes on to say that it would be different if he was openly gay and running for Congress. Right now, with few exception, being openly gay "is a disability". For a public figure, it's career suicide. However, with more people coming "out of the closet", it will eventually lead to a realization by the American people that there are all kinds of people in leadership positions who just happen to be gay. And so what, what will that mean? Bauman recalls a conservative member of his family that said to him that if he sees Rep. Studds to tell him that he's one of the best Congressmen there is, and I hope he gets through this, but I don't agree with him on anything, politically. Roberts notes that as an example of someone being gay, but still ably performing his duties. Bauman, however, notes the inequality that still exists for African Americans, women, and even in some conservative circles.
Robert Bauman Interview
Journalist Cokie Roberts, off camera, continues interviewing former U.S. House Representative Robert Bauman (R-MD). Roberts asks if people are responding differently to the situation with U.S. House Representative Dan Crane (R-IL), than Rep. Gerry Studds (D-MA) situation. Bauman says it appears that way, especially with Rep. Newt Gingrich (R-GA). It seems he focused less on the heterosexual relationship with the Congressional page. However, knowing downstate Illinois, it is still a serious issue that may end Rep. Crane's career. Roberts also wonders if Rep. Gingrich is treating this along partisan lines, instead of differences in sexual orientation. Bauman doesn't think so, and believes him to be fair minded, but he also knows Gingrich is good at knowing what will be a political issue. He is not proud to say it, but there might have been a time in his political career where he might have voted to expel two Congressional members based on something like this. Thankfully, he knows more now than he did before. Roberts is about to ask another question before an adult female, off camera, states they have to replace equipment.