A week or two back Andrew Sullivan called attention to Gerald Allen, the Alabama state legislator who introduced a bill to ban funds for any books "that recognize or promote homosexuality as an acceptable lifestyle." If the bill passed, Allen said, "novels with gay protagonists and college textbooks that suggest homosexuality is natural would have to be removed from library shelves and destroyed."

At the end of the post, Sullivan asked "But in Karl Rove's Republican party, how is this in any way out of place?"

Well, it seems he didn't know the half of it.

According to an interview Allen gave to The Guardian, just a few days after word of his proposed legislation hit the news, President Bush invited him up to the White House. Allen was supposed to be there just yesterday, Monday the 13th.

Perhaps Allen was just blowing smoke. But I'd be curious to know more about this meeting and whether it took place. Did Karl want pointers on how he could bring Allen's bill to the big leagues?

Late Update: Another blog got Gerald on the horn and asked him how his visit with the president went. Apparently they just talked about taxes, not gay sex. Oh well.