Washington - Despite Americans' strong desire for a focus on jobs and the economy, the RNC today crawled into the "way back" machine and pulled a page out of Karl Rove's old playbook attacking lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people to score cheap political points. The RNC's web-based attack on President Obama's re-election campaign, entitled "Hope Isn't Hiring" resorts to the same tired and divisive politics that rightly make Americans think of Fred Flinstone when they think of the Grand Old Party.

"It's just mind-boggling that with all of the challenges that face us as Americans, the Republican Party apparatus would resort to this demeaning fundraising stunt so that the red-meat crowd will become energized," said Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest civil rights organization dedicated to LGBT equality. "The garbage on this website makes it quite clear that the party continues to misread the priorities of the American people. Hate is never a winning strategy."

In the RNC's "Case Against Obama: Social Issues," the party attacks the president's support of basic principles of fairness and equality for all Americans: "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal, hospital visitation, housing nondiscrimination and relationship recognition. In growing numbers, Americans from all walks of life support treating their LGBT family members, friends, co-workers and neighbors equally.

The RNC's vitriol is not consistent with the beliefs of Americans, including the members of their own party:

It appears that the RNC has horribly misread the strong opinions of Americans. An HRC/Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research Poll conducted last month found:

The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.