Another ex-boyfriend of Mark Buse has come forward, on the record, to say that he was involved with Buse.
As I was talking on the show about antigay John McCain's chief of staff and the fact that he is gay, a listener named Jeff called into the program from Pittsburgh to say that he too, like my source Brian Davis, dated Mark Buse years ago. He said a lot about how Buse was very out, and very open in his relationship.
The veteran journalist Lisa Keen, reporting for OutQ News, followed up and contacted the man, Jeff Arndt, who agreed to go on the record. Her report is here if you want to listen in. I will post some video of the conversation from the show, which has many more details about Buse that Arndt revealed, when I get a chance. Below the audio is a transcript of the report.
Anchor
Sirius OutQ host Michelangelo Signorile has confirmed that a big player in Senator John McCain’s camp is gay. Political correspondent Lisa Keen reports.
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Reporter
Two men who say they’ve dated or been in a relationship with John McCain’s chief of staff helped radio talk show host Michelangelo Signorile out him this week.
Signorile on Monday announced during his daily show on Sirius Radio that he had confirmed to his satisfaction that McCain’s Senate office Chief of Staff Mark Buse is gay.
Signorile said he had heard rumors during the past month that Buse was gay but it wasn’t until he was contacted by Arizona resident Brian Davis that he began working on the story. Davis told Signorile he was prompted to reveal the information about Buse because of McCain’s rightward shift on gay issues. Signorile said he then got confirmation of Davis’ story from Davis’ mother and a long-time friend.
Then, during the course of Monday’s program discussing Buse’s sexual orientation, a resident of Pittsburgh, Jeff Arndt, called in to say he, too, had been in a relationship with Buse – had dated him for about a month.
Arndt: "I was good friends with Mark, and dated Mark back in the 80s" Signorile: "You DATED Mark Busey? Back in the 80s when he was working for McCain?" Arndt: "Yeah, I knew lots of people that worked for Republicans in DC."
Arndt did not identify himself on the air but later agreed to do so.
Neither Buse nor anyone from McCain’s Senate or campaign offices returned calls and e-mails offering an opportunity to confirm or refute the claims.
Coincidentally, on the same day Signorile aired his program about Buse, PBS posted an interview with him, by Judy Woodruff. Buse tells PBS in that interview that McCain is an “extremely open” sort of boss who “wants you to just talk and say what you think.”
Lisa Keen, Sirius OutQ News.
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