It's a puzzle

The Chicago Sun-Times' conservative, scandal-plagued columnist Robert Novak today writes this about l'affaire Foley and the Republican leadership:

Dealing with Foley was complicated because he was a known, though never a self-proclaimed, homosexual. A desire not to be accused of gay-bashing may have influenced party leaders to set aside the e-mail that the former page described as "sick, sick, sick."

Since when are Republican leaders squeamish about gay-bashing?