Wow, I must have some kind of magic cookie.
Fumo says he's sorry for using gay slur
The state senator said he lost his temper in a dispute with GOP leaders on the Senate floor.
By Mario F. Cattabiani
Inquirer Staff Writer
HARRISBURG - Saying he was ashamed by his choice of words, State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo yesterday apologized to the gay community for a tirade on the Senate floor in which he called Republican leaders a homosexual slur.
In a fit of rage, Fumo (D., Phila.) had lashed out at the top Republicans in the Senate, referring to them as "faggots" several times.
"It was a very unfortunate word choice," Fumo said in a prepared statement yesterday. "I am especially sorry about using the term because it is not the way I feel in my heart toward gays."
The incident occurred Wednesday night during a break in the Senate's consideration of a bill to prohibit public officials from owning any stake in gambling ventures. What set Fumo off was a move by the GOP to abruptly cut off debate on the measure. Republicans, Fumo said, had promised Democratic leaders that they would have a chance to offer amendments to make the bill even stronger.
With that opportunity denied, Fumo approached President Pro Tempore Robert C. Jubelirer (R., Blair) and Majority Leader David J. Brightbill (R., Lebanon) when the Senate was at ease and at least four times called them "faggots."
Exactly what was said is unclear, but several witnesses said that Fumo screamed "faggot" so loud that it could be heard throughout the upper chamber.
"That tirade and his homophobic remarks were one of the really dark days for the Senate. It tarnishes the whole institution," Jubelirer said yesterday in an interview. "It's just unfortunate that he would stoop to that level."
The relationship between the two men has been strained for years, and by late yesterday afternoon the two had not spoken to each other since the incident.
Fumo, the ranking Democrat on the powerful Appropriations Committee, often speaks passionately for the party on important policy matters. Having been in the minority for most of his 26 years in the Senate, he has often railed against GOP leaders for ramming through legislation. Rarely has it risen to this level of anger.
"The use of the word came with such force and invective behind it that it almost sounded like someone yelling at a football stadium," said Ray Smith, a reporter for the Radio Pennsylvania Network, who was in the chamber at the time.
The words were so out of place that Smith looked around the chamber to gauge the reaction of senators. Many appeared shocked, he said.
Sen. Jeffrey Piccola (R., Dauphin), the majority whip who was just feet from Fumo at the time, said in an interview yesterday that the look in Fumo's eyes was "almost as frightening as the comments."
"He was a man possessed and on the verge of getting out of control," he said.
Fumo, a tough-talking politician who grew up in South Philadelphia, explained yesterday that he "lost his temper in the heat of the moment" because he believed he was lied to about debate procedures on the bill.
After the Senate broke late Wednesday night, Fumo, when asked about the remarks, said, "I made a mistake. I should have called them 'girlie men.' They have no integrity, no guts and no class."
Senate Minority Leader Robert J. Mellow (D., Lackawanna) said he had never seen such blatant deception in his 34 years in Harrisburg.
Mellow said that faggot is "not part of my vocabulary."
"Maybe the word was used instead of a punch in the face."
The House and the Senate have chosen different routes to eliminate the perception that lawmakers could profit from the new gambling law. The Senate chose legislation to bar public officials from having a financial interest in gambling, in addition to giving the state attorney general more enforcement power over slot machines. This measure passed 49-1; Fumo was the dissenting vote.
Earlier this week, the House approved an internal rule change banning its members from owning any interest in slots companies or distributorships.
The Senate bill must still be approved by the House and signed by Gov. Rendell, who has resisted the idea of altering the gambling law, which authorizes the creation of 14 slots parlors.
An aide to House Majority Leader Sam Smith (R., Jefferson) said that the Senate bill was still under review but that the House could vote on it as early as Oct. 20, before the General Assembly recesses for the election.
Two requests to interview Fumo went unreturned yesterday.
In his statement, Fumo said that no other public official in Pennsylvania "has been more outspoken in support of gays than I have, and no one has a better voting record on gay issues than I do, and that is why I feel ashamed by the use of a term that is so contrary to my beliefs."
Fumo is seeking his seventh term in the Senate.
His Republican opponent, John H. Morley Jr., said the comments were, "at the least, not statesmanlike."
"He chose those words in a verbal attack to hurt," Morley said. "Therefore, I don't believe his comments are forgivable."
Rita Adessa, executive director of the Pennsylvania Lesbian and Gay Task Force, likewise said Fumo's comments were inexcusable and won't just go away with an apology.
Others in the gay community applauded Fumo's quick apology.
Mark Segal, publisher of the Philadelphia Gay News, said Fumo called him yesterday morning to apologize for the episode and to ask him to relay his thoughts to the city's gay community in his opinion column.
A longtime Fumo friend, Segal said the senator has for years been a leading advocate of causes near to the gay and lesbian community. His temper simply got the better of him, Segal said.
"I said, 'Vince, how many times did I tell you to watch your language?' Vince is a colorful man. When he gets angry, those colors come running out of his mouth."
Contact staff writer Mario F. Cattabiani at 717-787-5990 or
[email protected]. Inquirer staff writer Amy Worden contributed to this article, which contains information from the Associated Press.