A post on the Larry Sinclair blog several days ago mentioned a post on savage politics about a Chicago restaurant owner that had heard rumors for years that Barack Obama is gay.  Someone claiming to be the restaurant owner has just posted a clarification on Sinclair’s blog. Here is the post:

“Some guy said he used to own a gay restaurant in Chicago and that everybody knew Obama was on the down low and, no, he would not post the name of the restaurant publically because…um…well he wouldn’t but he WOULD provide the owner of the site with the name for veracity. Hm. The odd thing. No one ever asked for the name”

I noticed in one of the above compendium posts that Paul, aka HBee, on his website misrepresented my comments on savagepolitics.com, the only site I’ve seen fit to post on regarding this Sinclair-Obama matter. I’d like to set the record straight:

First, my comment at savagepolitics.com:

“Frankly, I decided against voting for Obama a fair while back, long before hearing about Larry Sinclair and his allegations. Obama didn’t make a splash in the state legislature, and his record as a US senator has been underwhelming at best. But… I used to be co-owner and chef of a Chicago-area restaurant frequented by gays (closed in 2003), and during that time I heard from a number of different gay male sources that Obama was quite much on the down-low. This has been an open “secret” in certain sections of gay Chicagoland for quite some time, apparently. I’m sure that, with a bit of stirring, the pot would boil over, and the weight of additional “whistle”blowers’ stories would add much credence to Sinclair’s claims. I’d like to encourage those who have had encounters with Obama to come forward… this man wants to become president, and it’s high time his pattern of deception, personal and political, be exposed.”

Nowhere did I identify myself as a man (I’m not), and nowhere did I say it was a gay restaurant (it wasn’t). It was a rather artsy gourmet-eclectic restaurant that drew a very diverse, if well-heeled, clientele… including a fair number of gay men. When Paul demanded that I give out my personal information and the name of the restaurant, I said that I’d be glad to do that, to the owner of savagepolitics.com, with his guarantee of confidentiality. I don’t mind being vetted at all… but I’m not going to set myself up for the personal attacks that Paul and others (including some of Sinclair’s supporters) have been making. At no point did I express any support for Sinclair… my point in posting at all was to indicate that some posters were incorrect in saying that there have never been any Chicago-area rumors regarding Obama’s sexual proclivities. I first heard such remarks probably in early 2001, and continued to hear such remarks until I closed the restaurant in 2003 — I’d estimate that I heard variations on the theme perhaps fifteen to twenty times, and from disparate, apparently unrelated people. In no way am I supporting Sinclair’s claims… I have no idea as to whether or not his story is true. And I certainly had no intention of posting anywhere except at savagepolitics.com, until I discovered that Paul/HBee had beeen fudging the truth about my comments and about me. I’m now posting here, on Sinclair’s blog, because this is where I learned of Paul’s misstatements concerning my comments and me, not because I’m one of Sinclair’s supporters… it simply seems that readers of Paul’s site are also viewing here, and this is the logical place to get the truth out.

Again, I stand by my original claims, and again, I’m willing to be vetted by the owner of savagepolitics.com, given a guarantee of confidentiality. What I won’t do is offer my personal information to someone who can’t even get the details of a very simple post correct, and who clearly has no qualms about distorting information and committing very personal attacks. Frankly, vetting me at all seems ludicrous and smacks of desperation — I have no smoking gun, I have no knowledge whatsoever of Sinclair and his claims. All I do know is that, in the Chicago area, at least, there have indeed been long-standing rumors concerning Obama’s sexual proclivities. But if Paul/HBee wants me to be vetted, as I stated before, I have no problems with that — it will simply be done only by the owner of savagepolitics.com, and only with his guarantee of complete confidentiality.

ADDED BY LARRY:I personally would perfer you provide that directly to my Attorney Montgomery Sibley. If you would be so kind, as that would be greatly appreciated.
Delenn
Sunday, April 13, 2008

Read more about Larry Sinclair and the controversy surrounding Barack Obama and his alleged drug use and gay lifestyle here:

http://larrysinclair0926.wordpress.com/2008/04/13/obama-pr-attorney-andres-w-lopez-are-you-part-of-internet-smear-campaign/