Congressman Nick Lampson’s campaign to keep his seat in the U.S. House slid into the mud this week when a billboard went up overnight in Beaumont proclaiming, “Nick Lampson supports homosexual marriage. Do you?”

The billboard directs readers to a Web site, www.liberallampson.com, where the headline reads, “Why Rep. Nick Lampson is ‘bought and paid for’ by the homosexual lobby.”

Lampson, the Democratic incumbent in District 2, is opposed by Republican challenger Steve Stockman.

David Muck, a member of the Houston chapter of the Human Rights Campaign who is familiar with Lampson’s campaign, said he believes the attack is part of a national movement to disrupt campaigns of candidates who are being aided by the HRC.

Effort to divide blacks, gays
Muck said the campaign is aimed at a specific segment of perceived Democrats.

“Nationally, this is a model that is being used to target the black community,” he said. “This tactic is being used to siphon off some of those black votes for Democratic candidates.”

Since many black pastors tend to be conservative on issues such as same-sex marriage and abortion, Muck said, conservatives have found that by reaching them, they can reach their church members.

The Web site cited on the billboard is run by Tom Owens, who says he is a resident of Beaumont. At the time the site was activated, Owens claimed to be the sole member of Citizens for Family Values.

Contacted by phone, Owens said the campaign he has launched is “independent and personal.”

“Nick Lampson’s scorecard with the HRC is 100 percent,” he said.

“His promotion of the homosexual agenda is at odds with 80 percent of the voters here in south Texas.”

Although Muck said there is a national effort to disrupt campaigns of HRC-endorsed candidates, Owens said, his efforts are his own.

“I’m not coordinated with any national effort,” he said. “I’m just hoping to inspire one.”

On his Web site, he noted that Lampson has voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment and the Defense of Marriage Act.

Mike Therrien, a volunteer for Lampson in Beaumont, said many of the statements made by Owens are untrue.

Therrien said he and others working for the congressman do not know Owens.

“We’re trying to figure out where the hell he came from,” Therrien said.

The one thing Lampson’s supporters do know, Therrien said, “This is going to get completely messy.”

He said gays in Beaumont worry that the billboard and the rhetoric that is certain to follow will prompt hate crimes.

“They’re worrying about whether a truck load of hillbillies is going to beat the hell out of them,” Therrien said.

On top of that, he said, gay and lesbian supporters of Lampson hate to see him the object of a hate campaign.

“The congressman is a very respectable person,” Therrien said.

Owens admits that Lampson was targeted because his race is among those highlighted on the HRC national Web site. Contributions can be made on the HRC site to those specific campaigns, and Lampson’s is among them.

Overnight, a billboard went up in Beaumont charging that U.S. Rep. Nick Lampson is too supportive of gay rights.

Owens says on his Web site, “I was shocked when I found out that a liberal extremist represented southeast Texas in Congress.”

More gay bashing to come?
Owens indicated that the billboard, which went up Sept. 17 on Interstate 10 in Beaumont, is not the extent of his campaign.

“My immediate objective is to make voters aware,” he said.

To come are bumper stickers and yard signs, he said.

Although normally the type of campaign he has launched would be conducted closer to the election, Owens said, he has lunched it in September “to inspire other Republicans across the country.”

Muck said prior to the billboards, Lampson’s campaign was in good shape.

“As of June 30, he had out-raised his opponent by two to one,” he said. “He has broad public support.”

Muck added that he views Owens’ campaign as, “a desperation tactic.”

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