Let's raise a toast this morning to the Log Cabin Republicans. They believe in fiscal responsibility, a strong national defense and limited government. They are true conservatives. They have strong beliefs and even thicker skin. How else could a gay be a Republican?

I went to one of their meetings a year ago. State Rep. Carl Bearden was the guest speaker. He had just joined his Republican colleagues in voting to bar school districts from allowing students to form gay support clubs. Imagine that. I admired Bearden for agreeing to speak to the Log Cabin Republicans after such a vote. Which is, of course, why I went to the meeting. I wondered how Bearden would defend that vote. He didn't have to. 