Focus on the Family

SCOTUS Round-Up: Right Ready To Spend Millions Fighting Gay Nominee Women Don't Like

Submitted by Kyle Mantyla on Wednesday, 4/14/2010 1:38 pm

Remember last time around when various Religious Right groups were saying that they would not oppose a Supreme Court nominee just because said nominee was gay? 

In fact, Focus on the Family's Bruce Hausknecht went on record saying "the issue is not their sexual orientation. It’s whether they are a good judge or not":

“Our concern at the Supreme Court is judicial philosophy,” FOF spokesperson Hausknecht continued. “Sexual orientation only becomes an issue if it effects their judging.” For example, he said, “If someone says, `I don’t care what the law says, on the next case involving sexual orientation, I’m going to decide the case in favor of the openly gay party,’ that would be a breach of judicial duty.”

Well, Focus received a lot of flack for that from professional anti-gay activists like Gary Glenn and Peter LaBarbera and now Focus' Tom Minnery has "clarified" their position to LaBarbera, stating that the organization would oppose a gay nominee because said nominee would be, by definition, sinful and immoral: 

“It has been reported that we would not oppose any U.S. Supreme Court nominee over their ’sexual orientation.’ Our Judicial Analyst [Bruce Hausknecht] made a statement to this effect in an interview with The Plum Line. To be honest, this is one of those conversations we’d like to ‘do over.’ We can assure you that we recognize that homosexual behavior is a sin and does not reflect God’s created intent and desire for humanity. Further, we at Focus do affirm that character and moral rectitude should be key considerations in appointing members of the judiciary, especially in the case of the highest court in the land. Sexual behavior–be it heterosexual or homosexual–certainly lies at the heart of personal morality.”

In other news, right-wing groups are planning on raising and spending millions of dollars to fight Obama's nominee, without even knowing who it is:

Even without a nominee, some conservative organizations are bracing for a fight based on the ideological leanings of previous Obama judicial nominees.

Carrie Severino, the general counsel for the conservative Judicial Crisis Network, formerly called the Judicial Confirmation Network, said her group was prepared to launch a media campaign costing in the seven figures, similar to the one it waged against Sotomayor.

“I think we have funding in place. We are prepared to really fight,” she said.

Curt Levey, executive director of the Committee for Justice, another conservative group, said that a judicial fight can boost fundraising and energize the base to get out and vote in the midterm elections.

Finally, Penny Young Nance, CEO of Concerned Women for America, has an op-ed on FoxNews.com explaining just "What Women Want In a Supreme Court Nominee" - remarkably, what all women want seems to be exactly the same as what CWA wants:

Just because Justice Stevens was a liberal on the Court, it does not mean that President Obama must nominate another liberal to replace him. Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards is already salivating at the possibility of a justice who will “stand equally strong for” abortion on demand.

Obama sailed into office as a man expected to heal the nation, unite the political parties, and bring warm fuzzies to a country divided. On the contrary, since entering the White House our president and his policies have driven the country into an unfathomable divide, even lending to the uprising of the Tea Party movement, which brought out everyone from retirees to soccer moms -- and professionals who never cared about politics -- because Obama introduced policies that would destroy the lives they had built.

Women want a Justice who will uphold the Constitution, the right to life, and will preserve the family as a foundational cornerstone of our society. They don’t want someone who will legislate from the bench and uphold abhorrent legislation like the health care bill.

Right Wing Leftovers

Submitted by Kyle Mantyla on Monday, 4/12/2010 5:30 pm
  • Rep. Michele Bachmann and Rep. Steve King are BFFs.  Why is that not surprising?

  • Why is Sen. Scott Brown's daughter now a contributor to "The Early Show"?

  • Rick Santorum says the only reason he endorsed Arlen Specter last time around was because Specter promised to support President Bush's SCOTUS nominees.

  • Focus on the Family has kicked-off a 12-city tour aimed at educating couples on how to strengthen their marriage, parenting skills, and family life.

  • Harry Jackson defends Michael Steel, saying Steel deserves more time to get things organized.  Seriously.

  • Quote of the day I from Dave Welch on standing up to gays: "We must stand boldly, declare God's standard of morality for the good of the people and take back the ground that has been yielded to the forces of spiritual darkness by cleaning house at every level of government, education, media and the arts. However, as it will be with God's judgment, we must start in the house of God. "

  • Quote of the day II comes from those who don't want to see Rick Green on the Texas Supreme Court: "Let’s not jeopardize that good work by electing someone who is likely to attract criticism and ridicule for himself and our entire judiciary."

Matt Barber Tells The SPLC To Stop Picking on Peter LaBarbera

Submitted by Kyle Mantyla on Wednesday, 3/24/2010 9:59 am

Earlier this week it was reported that Peter LaBarbera's Americans for Truth About Homosexuality was included on the Southern Poverty Law Center's list of anti-gay web sites.

So far, LaBarbera hasn't had anything to say about it, but now Liberty Counsel's Matt Barber has come rushing to AFT's defense, accusing the SPLC of picking on poor little Peter:

Matt Barber of Liberty Counsel tells OneNewsNow the SPLC had done a fair job during the civil rights thrust in America in identifying and labeling neo-Nazi hate groups, ones that truly fall within the definition of hate.

"They have instead turned into what amounts to a leftist, extremist, partisan, Democrat organization, and they use the credibility that they've built up over the years as a weapon against people who have an opposing worldview, particularly to oppose biblical Christianity," Barber explains.

One question is why SPLC would pick on a small ministry like AFTAH.

"They started with them and have not yet gone after groups like Focus on the Family for instance, or the Family Research Council, the American Family Association, Liberty Counsel -- other groups that adhere to biblical Christianity in terms of sexual morality," the attorney notes. "They haven't started targeting them yet because that's what bullies do. They pick on people that they perceive as smaller and weaker."

Of course, while its entirely understandable that Barber would come to LaBarbera's defense given their close ties, it's a little ironic considering that Barber's own rabidly anti-gay views will probably get his Liberty Counsel eventually added to the SPLC's list as well. 

UPDATE: It turns out that this OneNewsNow article was based on a press release issued by Barber:

Colorado's Religious Right Seeks Extra First Amendment Protections

Submitted by Kyle Mantyla on Friday, 3/19/2010 11:07 am

I always thought that the First Amendment's free exercise of religion provision provided for, you know, the free exercise of religion.  But apparently that protection is not enough for right-wing groups in Colorado who are now pushing an amendment to the state's constitution that would guarantee them some sort of vague religious liberty exemption, presumably to bolster their belief that they should not be required to comply with or recognize things like hate crimes laws, marriage equality, or anything else that does not reflect their religious views:

A coalition that includes Colorado Family Action and the Colorado Catholic Conference has taken the first step toward amending the state constitution to prohibit the government from infringing on the religious liberty of an individual or a religious organization.

"We have heard in our work in the state that many Catholics and other people of faith are growing uneasy as they sense a loss of religious freedom," said Jennifer Kraska, executive director of the Catholic Conference, the lobbying arm of the state's three Catholic dioceses.

Kraska, also a representative of a coalition called Coloradans for Liberty, said a ballot initiative to amend the constitution is being considered because of a general sense that religious freedom is eroding under governmental pressure.

Another coalition representative, Jessica Langfeldt, director of Colorado Family Action, a Focus on the Family affiliate, said taking the first step Monday — filing language with the Colorado Legislative Council — gives the coalition several weeks to determine whether its concerns are widely shared.

The ballot question asks whether the state constitution should include a section stating that government may not burden the right of a person or organization to act or to refuse to act in a manner motivated by a sincerely held religious belief unless the government has a compelling interest in infringing the act.

"People want the freedom to express their religious beliefs in all aspects of community life, not just in the privacy of their homes," Kraska said.

Right Wing Leftovers

Submitted by Kyle Mantyla on Tuesday, 3/9/2010 7:00 pm
  • Tomorrow, Ralph Reed will announce whether or not he has decided to run for Congress in Georgia.

  • Last week, Marco Rubio joined Tony Perkins, Harry Jackson, and others for a Watchmen on the Wall event in Florida entitled "iMPACT 2010: Unleashing the Voice of the Church."

  • It looks like WorldNetDaily's conference is out to bring all of the right-wing crazies together under one roof.

  • Someone is running robocalls in Iowa accusing Rick Santorum of being a "pro-life fraud."

  • Ken Hutcherson blasts Focus on the Family for supposedly forcing James Dobson out and for not hiring him to take over, even though he wouldn't have taken the job anyway.

  • Quote of the Day I from the Liberty Counsel's Steve Crampton regarding LC's fight to prevent a lesbian high school student from taking her girlfriend to the Prom: "In all candor, while we know nothing about the complaining student here, we believe this is part of a larger agenda to implement homosexual rights in the schools."

  • Quote of the Day II from Janice Crouse on gay marriage: "In actuality, homosexual unions have a very short lifespan; many of the same-sex “marriages” in Massachusetts are already being dissolved. Further, the health risks associated with homosexual practice are very real and very much in evidence in the emergency rooms of hospitals. There is no denying: Homosexual sex is dangerous and destructive to the human body. Both HIV and HPV are epidemic among homosexual men. Domestic violence is a common problem — twice as prevalent among homosexual couples as in heterosexual ones. Indeed, legally creating a union does not enable two men or two women to become “one flesh,” nor does a legal ceremony give the union sanctity. Instead, the ceremony creates a sham that will devalue all marriages."

Right Wing Leftovers

Submitted by Kyle Mantyla on Thursday, 3/4/2010 6:33 pm
  • Sarah Palin is writing another book, one that will "reflect on the key values—both national and spiritual—that have been such a profound part of her life and which continue to inform her vision of the future." I can hardly wait.

  • The Arizona Republic looks at the behind-the-scenes influence the right-wing Center for Arizona Policy has in shaping public policy in the state.

  • Do you ever get the impression that Mat Staver just doesn't like gay people?

  • Thanks to the AFA, the Chairman of the NCAA Division I Board of Directors has been inundated with more than 40,000 emails protesting the NCAA's decision to drop the Focus on the Family ad from its website.

  • The Traditional Values Coalition pretty much loses it over DADT.

  • Finally, the quote of the day from Don Feder in a lengthy attack on CPAC: " Gay rights is about indoctrinating your children in behavior that would make a proctologist gag. It’s about criminalizing dissent via speech codes and hate crimes laws. It’s a frontal assault on First Amendment free speech and religious freedom. This is freedom only in the sense that killing unborn children is choice."

Let The Outrage Begin: Atheists Get Meeting With Administration Officials

Submitted by Kyle Mantyla on Friday, 2/26/2010 12:00 pm

When I saw this article this morning reporting that Obama Administration aides were scheduled to meet with representatives of the Secular Coalition for America today, I wondered how long it would take for some Religious Right group to throw a fit that the Administration was meeting with atheists.

Turns out, it took about an hour:

The advocacy group In God We Trust today ripped the Obama administration for meeting to plot political strategy with 60 atheist activists representing organizations comprising the Secular Coalition of America.

"It is one thing for Administration to meet with groups of varying viewpoints, but it is quite another for a senior official to sit down with activists representing some of the most hate-filled, anti-religious groups in the nation," says In God We Trust's Chairman Bishop Council Nedd.

...

"President Obama seems to believe that it is a good idea to have a key senior aide plan political strategy with people who believe faith in God is a disease," Nedd says. "Some of the people in this coalition believe the world would be better off with no Christians and no Jews and they aren't shy about it. The fact that this meeting is happening at all is an affront to the vast majority of people of all faiths who believe in God."

...

"The President should tell the American people whether he believes these groups' hate-filled views to be 'mainstream' and worthy of his supposedly inclusive administration," Nedd says.

Outrageous! 

President Bush would never have met with anyone who esposed "hate-filled views" ... would he? 

  • For the period April 2001 through June 2006, Focus on the Family Founder and Chairman Emeritus James Dobson visited the White House 24 times; 10 of those visits were to President Bush.
  • Andrea Lafferty, Executive Director of the Traditional Values Coalition, made an astonishing 50 visits to the White House starting on February 1, 2001, and continuing through March 16, 2008. Six of those visits were to President Bush.
  • Wendy Wright, President of Concerned Women for America, made 43 visits to the White House between May 2001 and August 2006. Four of those visits were to President Bush.
  • Gary Bauer, President of American Values, made 10 visits to the White House, starting with a January 6, 2003 visit to Vice President Cheney and ending with a July 20, 2006 visit to President Bush.
  • The late Jerry Falwell, of Jerry Falwell Ministries, made eight visits to the White House between May 2001 and September 2004. Three of those visits were to President Bush.
  • Tony Perkins, President of Family Research Council, visited the White House 14 times between February 2001 and June 2006, including two visits to President Bush.
  • Louis Sheldon, Chairman of the Traditional Values Coalition, made 19 visits to the White House between March 2001 and September 2006, including two visits to President Bush.
  • The late Paul Weyrich, the Founder of Free Congress foundation, made 17 visits to the White House between May 2001 and July 2005, including six visits to President Bush and one to Karl Rove.
  • Donald Wildmon, Founder of the American Family Association, made three visits to the White House between July 2001 and March 2003, including one visit to President Bush. 

Of course, this is different because it is Obama Administration officials who are meeting with the Secular Coalition of America today at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building while these Religious Right leaders only got to meet with President Bush at the White House.

Right Wing Leftovers

Submitted by Kyle Mantyla on Wednesday, 2/24/2010 6:53 pm
  • How long before Lauren Ashley becomes the next right-wing hero?

  • James Dobson's time at Focus on the Family officially ends this week.

  • Mike Huckabee pleads for civility after right-wing bloggers savage him for interviewing First Lady Michelle Obama, saying "it seemed [they] wanted me to bring her on my show only if I yelled at her. Or it seemed they wanted me to hit her."

  • I have to say that the orchestrated manner in which Liberty University is pressing for its own polling station ought to be enough to give one pause regarding the school's impact on future elections.

  • Finally, the Quote of the Day from AFA's Bryan Fischer:  "And why is it that defenders of natural marriage are always the ones who get told to shut up? If advocates for special rights for homosexuals would just shut up, this controversy would go away tomorrow. If they would take their behavior back to the bedroom instead of demanding approval for it in the streets and at conservative conferences, they’d be left alone and this conversation would be unnecessary."

ADF Likens Day of Prayer Lawsuit To Hostage-Taking Gunman

Submitted by Kyle Mantyla on Tuesday, 2/23/2010 6:08 pm

Back in 2008, the Freedom From Religion Foundation filed suit against the National Day of Prayer and named White House Press Secretary Dana Perino, Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle, and National Day of Prayer Task Force Chairwoman Shirley Dobson in the lawsuit.

The case is on-going, and Dobson is being represented by the Alliance Defense Fund (which just so happens to have been founded by Shirley's husband, James Dobson, and others).  As such, the case was the cover story of the ADF's latest issue of its publication "Truth and Triumph" ... and I have to say that ADF's attempt to liken the lawsuit to a hostage-taking episode that unfolded at Focus on the Family headquarters more than a decade ago seems a bit over-the-top:

The receptionist for Focus on the Family had just come back from lunch when she heard the disturbance at the glass doors in front of her. She looked up into the very intense face of a man demanding to talk immediately with Dr. James Dobson, head of the ministry.

Graciously, the receptionist began explaining that Dr. Dobson was with his wife, Shirley, in Washington, D.C., that afternoon for National Day of Prayer observances …but she quickly became distracted.

The man, she realized, was holding a gun. And tied around his waist were what appeared to be some kind of explosives.

The Dobsons had just returned to their hotel room when the phone rang with word that the receptionist and three others were being held hostage at the ministry in Colorado Springs. The couple immediately paused to pray for the Focus staff and the gunman, and began asking others around them to pray, too.

Soon, word came that the gunman had surrendered, without hurting anyone – though he did fire his weapon, tearing a hole high on the wall behind the receptionist’s desk.

When Mrs. Dobson enters the front doors at Focus, she walks right by that gash. It remains unrepaired – a reminder of God’s powerful intervention one long, frightening afternoon nearly 14 years ago.

These days, though, it’s also a quiet reminder of something else. For these days, it is the National Day of Prayer itself that’s endangered. And it’s Shirley Dobson who is under the gun.

Crouse: Lack Of Morals Making Our Children Susceptible to Becoming The Next Hitler Youth

Submitted by Kyle Mantyla on Thursday, 2/18/2010 5:30 pm

Janice Shaw Crouse of The Beverly LaHaye Institute joined the EagleForum's Phyllis Schafly and Tim Goeglein of Focus on the Family for a CPAC panel entitled "Saving Freedom from The Enemies of Our Values."

While Schlafly spent most of her speech rambling on about the internal enemies of the conservative movement, namely RINOs and Rockefeller Republicans, and Goeglein spent most of his time quoting other people, Crouse got right down to business, explaining that the those who are undermining our families, our morals, and our values are making today's children susceptible to becoming the next Hitler Youth:

Look Who's Joining TFP For DADT Press Conference

Submitted by Kyle Mantyla on Wednesday, 2/17/2010 3:49 pm

In my earlier post about the absurdly anti-gay Tradition, Family and Property "report" opposing the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, I wondered who would be joining them at their press conference tomorrow to unveil it at CPAC.

Now we know: 

* Elaine Donnelly, President, Center for Military Readiness
* Tom Minnery, Vice President, Public Policy, Focus on the Family
* Tony Perkins, President, Family Research Council
* Frank Gaffney, President, Center for Security Policy
* David Keene, President, American Conservative Union
* Penny Nance, CEO, Concerned Women for America
* Matthew Staver, Dean, Liberty University School of Law
* Jordan W. Lorence, Senior Counsel, Alliance Defense Fund
* Adm. James A. “Ace” Lyons, USN (Ret.), Flag & General Officers for the Military

Leaders from other prominent organizations, such as Eagle Forum, Let Freedom Ring, the American Family Association, Traditional Values Coalition, and Tradition, Values & Property (partial list) are lending support to the Military Culture Coalition, an informal network of individuals and organizations who support the 1993 law regarding homosexuals in the military (Section 654, Title 10, U.S.C.).

Right Wing Leftovers

Submitted by Kyle Mantyla on Tuesday, 2/16/2010 6:31 pm
  • FRC goes after Dick Cheney for supporting the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

  • Contrary to earlier reports, the Illinois Family Institute is not back on the SPLC's list of anti-gay hate groups.

  • The next Tea Party convention will be held in Las Vegas in July.

  • Focus on the Family claims that its Super Bowl commercial caused 5 million people to "reconsider their views on abortion."

  • HuckPAC announces a new director ("Hogan Gidley, former executive director of the South Carolina Republican Party and communications director for former U.S. Senator Elizabeth Dole's re-election campaign") to replace Mike Huckabee's daughter Sarah, who left to run Rep. John Boozman's Arkansas Senate campaign.

  • Finally, Quote of the Day from the American Family Association's Bryan Fischer: "Bottom line: let's not get stuck on stupid. No more Muslims in the military."

Meet The New Boss ...

Submitted by Kyle Mantyla on Tuesday, 2/16/2010 11:21 am

There has been a lot of talk lately about how new Focus on the Family president Jim Daly was going to take a less hard-line, more open and engaging approach then did his predecessor, James Dobson.

Well, nothing says "things have changed" quite like penning a piece for WorldNetDaily, of all places, in order to declare that everyone should come together to support Daly's right-wing agenda so as to make abortion less frequent, and ultimately illegal:

Pam and Tim Tebow's 30-second appearance on this past Super Bowl broadcast has appeared to accomplish exactly what we hoped it would: initiate a national dialogue about the wonder of life, the beauty of family and the celebration of a woman's decision to give birth to her baby boy.

At the root of our decision to create and produce this commercial lies a fundamental objective. How can we at Focus on the Family, an undeniably and unapologetically pro-life family help organization, work together with those who have a very different point of view on the morality of abortion – all in an effort to save innocent lives? Is it possible to join efforts with individuals who want to keep abortion legal, but have acknowledged a desire to make it rare? Can we shove off the rhetoric and begin anew a respectful but very direct and practical discussion of the topic?

I believe we can; and I am willing to try to do so.

Daly goes on to state that it is clear that "Roe v Wade was wrongly decided" and that his ultimate goal is to see the "day when abortion is illegal and relegated to the dust heap of history." But, in the meantime, we ought to be working to "make abortion rare" by "[instituting] a Consent/Reflection waiting period at clinics," "[requiring] abortion doctors to inform women of the option of seeing an ultrasound prior to the abortion," "[requiring] parental involvement," and encouraging adoption.

So basically, Daly's supposed "openness" is going to be rooted in his belief that everyone should work together to support Focus on the Family's right-wing, anti-choice efforts. 

What a welcome change!

Right Wing Leftovers

Submitted by Kyle Mantyla on Thursday, 2/11/2010 6:36 pm
  • It looks like Focus on the Family dropped several million dollars to have the least watched ad of the Super Bowl.

  • Amazingly, Joseph Farah compares his Birtherism to McCarthyism ... but, you know, in the good way.

  • Brian Raum of the Alliance Defense Fund, who is involved in the Prop 8 suit, says that entire court hearing has been an attack on religion.

  • Mission America declares anti-discrimination efforts to be fascism.  That's right, fascism.

  • Over-the-top quote of the day from the Traditional Values Coalition: "A person can no more change his sex than he can change his species. A person can’t become a potato or a giraffe. Yet, the gay, lesbian, transgender movement claims that a person can become the opposite sex. This is madness."

  • Finally, FRC's Rob Schwarzwalder says that no American "has the right to obey only those laws he or she wishes. This is the path to moral chaos and political anarchy. It is the road to collapse." He really ought to have a discussion about that with his colleague, Peter Sprigg.

Right Wing Leftovers

Submitted by Kyle Mantyla on Wednesday, 2/10/2010 6:21 pm
  • Ken Blackwell says Republicans must stop Dawn Johnsen from being confirmed to the Office of Legal Counsel in order to keep her from being nominated to the Supreme Court.

  • Rick Santorum is not impressed with the Proposition 8 trial.

  • Focus on the Family claims that more than 750,000 people have watched its Tebow video as a result of its Super Bowl ad.

  • Mike Huckabee's daily radio commentaries are now being carried by more than 500 stations.

  • Grover Norquist endorses John McCain, which is interesting considering that it was McCain's Senate investigation that exposed Norquist's ties to Jack Abramoff.

  • Finally, this ironic quote of the day comes from Coral Ridge Ministries' Robert Knight: "Let’s be charitable and assume that Obama is not really obsessed with homosexuality."

LaBarbera Attacks Focus on the Family For "Selling Out"

Submitted by Kyle Mantyla on Wednesday, 2/10/2010 11:46 am

It should come as no surprise that Peter LaBarbera has seized upon reports that Judge Vaughn Walker, who is hearing the Prop 8 suit, is gay to further this anti-gay agenda. 

But for some reason he's decided to use it also as an opportunity to attack Focus on the Family and accuse them of "selling out Christian, biblical principles": 

The issue of openly homosexual judges is back in the news, providing us the opportunity to publish this 2009 One News Now piece and agree with our friend Gary Glenn of AFA-Michigan on a very significant “moral retreat” by Focus on the Family. Back when there was talk of President Obama possibly nominating a lesbian judge to the Supreme Court, two Focus analysts asserted that a judge’s homosexual “sexual orientation” would not be a major consideration for Focus in evaluating such a judge. It is precisely this sort of naïveté that helps explain why aggressive homosexual lobby groups are winning major battles against their pro-family opponents.

I’ll issue the same challenge to Focus that I have made to Grove City College’s wayward, “gay”-affirming prof Warren Throckmorton: show me where you can find (benign) “sexual orientation” or (in Throckmorton’s case) “sexual identity” in the Bible, and I’ll change my tune that you are selling out Christian, biblical principles. After all, Focus launched a “Truth Project” that teaches believers how to have a “biblical worldview” — and it’s a huge leap from “abomination” to “sexual orientation.” Surely committed Christians should understand how the latter term has been used to strip morality out of the homosexuality equation.

Right Wing Leftovers

Submitted by Kyle Mantyla on Tuesday, 2/9/2010 6:32 pm
  • Joseph Farah vows never to give up his Birtherism.

  • Why does Janet Porter's embrace of Suzanne Somers' quackery not surprise me at all?

  • The Alliance Defense Fund is seeking a stay on Washington DC's marriage equality law.

  • Why exactly do VA Gov.  Bob McDonnell and Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli think that Planned Parenthood should not get funding from proposed "Trust Women/Respect Choice" license plates when anti-choice groups get funding from the state's "Choose Life" plates?

  • Finally, did Focus on the Family really grant an interview for an article on the John Birch Society website?  I can't find any evidence that the quote used first appeared somewhere else, so it sure looks like it.

Right Wing Leftovers

Submitted by Kyle Mantyla on Monday, 2/8/2010 6:21 pm
  • This was the Focus on the Family Super Bowl ad that caused all the fuss? Consider me unimpressed.

  • Hooray! Sarah Palin says it would be "absurd" for her to rule out running for president in 2012.

  • Speaking of Palin, she also spoke at a campaign event for Texas Gov. Rick Perry, where she shared the stage with David Barton of Wallbuilders.

  • The AFA's Bryan Fischer is really intent on making his point that life would be so much better if homosexuality were criminalized.

  • Carrie Prejean has gotten engaged.

  • Mike Huckabee will be headlining a fundraiser for the Minnesota Family Council in late April.

  • Finally, despite receiving undeservedly flattering coverage from the Washington Post for his anti-marriage efforts, Bishop Harry Jackson blasts the paper for its coverage of the marriage equality issue.

Focus President Jim Daly Says He Will Not Endorse Political Candidates

Submitted by Kyle Mantyla on Monday, 2/8/2010 11:19 am

Over the weekend, the Wall Street Journal produced yet another story about how Focus on the Family is becoming kinder and gentler under the leadership of new President Jim Daly, with Daly asserting that, unlike Dr. Dobson, he will not be endorsing political candidates, saying "I don't think that's helpful. Who cares, really, what I think?":

Mr. Daly, 48, said he wasn't backing away from Mr. Dobson's conservative social agenda, as the Super Bowl ad shows. The ministry collected more than $2.5 million just days after Mr. Daly proposed the idea.

But, Mr. Daly said, he has no use for the sharp personal attacks on politicians employed by Mr. Dobson.

"I don't see evil behind everything," Mr. Daly said. Mr. Dobson declined to be interviewed for this article.

Mr. Daly said he preferred to build bridges with others. While Mr. Dobson blasted President Barack Obama for "fruitcake" ideas, Mr. Daly praised the president for his devotion to family and last summer attended a White House event celebrating fatherhood.

On abortion, Mr. Daly said he wouldn't spend much energy fighting for a ban—though that remained his ultimate goal—but would emphasize adoption.

The ministry's political action budget is about $10 million, the same as in years past. Mr. Daly said he hasn't yet decided what role the organization will play in this year's elections.

Mr. Daly said he would reinvigorate the organization's central mission—"helping marriages, helping parents"—which he said had been overshadowed by Mr. Dobson's activism.

Politically, that may lead the group into surprising new territory. The ministry has never dealt much with immigration, for example. But Mr. Daly said he planned to take a fresh look at the issue because "families are being torn apart" through deportations.

In a related blog post, the WSJ notes that one of Focus's newest efforts is an on-line video series called "Jelly Telly" which is aimed at teaching Biblical Principles to children:

How To Ruin The Super Bowl For Everyone

Submitted by Kyle Mantyla on Friday, 2/5/2010 5:45 pm

I don't have any special plans lined-up for this weekend's Super Bowl, but I can assure you that one thing I will not be doing is showing my support for Focus on the Family and opposition to reproductive choice by sporting my very own Tim Tebow mask:

To demonstrate support for the message of an issue ad to be aired during Sunday's CBS broadcast of the Super Bowl, a Wisconsin pro-life group is urging spectators at the game and viewers at home to wear a Tim Tebow mask to show their appreciation for life and strong family values.

...

"Tim Tebow's life matters," exclaimed Barbara Lyons, Executive Director of Wisconsin Right to Life. "And we can all have a little fun and show the public that Tim and his Mom and Dad are an inspiration to all of us."

"To show your support for Tim, his mother and father, and Focus on the Family for providing an inspirational message to the world's largest television audience, Wisconsin Right to Life invites everyone who cares about life and strong family values to download a Tim Tebow mask and wear it during the Super Bowl game on Sunday," said Lyons. The Tim Tebow mask is available at www.wisconsinrighttolife.org.

"The Super Bowl is America's biggest party," said Lyons. "So have fun, don your Tim Tebow mask when the Focus on the Family television ad airs. Wear it proudly. And make a statement for life. And maybe it's not just a coincidence the Saints are playing Sunday."

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Right Wing Leftovers
SUBMITTED BY: Brian Tashman, Tuesday 06/21/2011, 5:36pm
Newt Gingrich’s campaign continues to implode. Matt Barber of Liberty Counsel thinks People For the American Way and other members of the “intolerant left” are going to purge religion from the US. Focus on the Family is, ironically, upset that gays are political. Abby Johnson has signed on as a blogger for Life News, even though her story about leaving Planned Parenthood falls short of reality. Finally, the Family Research Council pleads that we pray against marriage equality in New York. MORE >
Right Wing Leftovers
SUBMITTED BY: Kyle Mantyla, Friday 06/10/2011, 5:25pm
Herman Cain has managed to make Alan Keyes seem reasonable, so that is quite an accomplishment. Rep. Peter King will be holding a second round of hearings on "Muslim radicalization" next week. Focus on the Family responds to allegations that the organization has given up the fight against gay marriage. It looks like Liberty University will finally get a polling place on campus. Finally, Gary Cass is very upset that the White House issued a proclamation recognizing LGBT Pride Month: "Christians know God is not mocked. We refuse to affirm their... MORE >
Right Wing Round-Up
SUBMITTED BY: Kyle Mantyla, Thursday 06/09/2011, 5:52pm
Texas Freedom Network: Tell Gov. Perry: Stop Using Faith as a Weapon. Sofia Resnick @ Washington Independent: Personhood Mississippi sends daughter of rape victim on tour to garner support for abortion criminalization measure. Zack Ford @ Think Progress: Focus On The Family President Jim Daly Concedes On Marriage Again: ‘Yeah, It’s Over.’ Towleroad: Rick Santorum Says He Supports Federal Constitutional Amendment to Ban Same-Sex Marriage. Steve Rendall @ FAIR: WaPo's False Equivalence on Founder Misquotes. MORE >
Focus On The Family Leader: Why Not Have An Ex-Gay Pride Month?
SUBMITTED BY: Brian Tashman, Thursday 06/09/2011, 11:10am
A self-proclaimed “ex-gay” official with Focus on the Family’s California affiliate, in response to Los Angeles’s recognition of LGBT Heritage Month in June, has called on the city to create a day honoring “ex-gays.” The Focus chapter, called the California Family Council, earlier this year slammed anti-bullying initiatives for allegedly “push[ing] a homosexual message” and attacked efforts to incorporate gay and lesbian historical figures in the school curriculum. Speaking to the American Family Association’s OneNewsNow, Jim Domen,... MORE >
Right Wing Leftovers
SUBMITTED BY: Kyle Mantyla, Wednesday 06/08/2011, 5:39pm
As we have been saying all along, Herman Cain's pants are on fire. Speaking of Cain, if he doesn't become president, some would like to see him run for governor in Georgia. Is a spat brewing between the Michele Bachmann and Sarah Palin camps?  Let's hope so. The Fairness Doctrine is dead ... but I don't expect that will stop the Religious Right's fear-mongering. Harry Jackson has launched some new group ... to do something. Finally, Focus on the Family claims its ultrasound program has stopped 100,000 abortions. MORE >
WND: Conservatives Losing Marriage Debate Because They Weren't Anti-Gay Enough
SUBMITTED BY: Brian Tashman, Tuesday 06/07/2011, 3:27pm
Only a writer for the ultraconservative WorldNetDaily would believe that the Religious Right is too soft on the issue of gay rights. WND’s Josh Craddock of the Institute for Cultural Communicators claims that the reason more Americans support marriage equality is because social conservatives haven’t fought gay rights or attacked the LGBT community enough. Responding to Focus on the Family president Jim Daly’s recent claim that the Right Wing “probably lost” the debate over equal marriage rights, Craddock alleges that organizations like Focus on the Family... MORE >
Right Wing Mobilizes Against Adoption And Foster Care By Gay Couples
SUBMITTED BY: Brian Tashman, Friday 06/03/2011, 11:14am
In May Rep. Pete Stark (R-CA) introduced the Every Child Deserves a Family Act, which prohibits “discrimination in adoption or foster care placements based on the sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status of any prospective adoptive or foster parent, or the sexual orientation or gender identity of the child involved.” While it is unlikely that the GOP-controlled House would approve the legislation, it is an important step in the fight to ensure that children awaiting adoption or foster care can find homes. But the “pro-family” Religious Right wants to... MORE >
Right Wing Leftovers
SUBMITTED BY: Kyle Mantyla, Thursday 05/26/2011, 5:34pm
Looks like Sarah Palin will be launching a "hey, please pay attention to me" bus tour. Rep. Eric Cantor is the latest Republican to sign on to Ralph Reed's Faith and Freedom Coalition conference. Focus on the Family looks at how marriage equality was defeated in Maryland. John Stamos will be joining The Beach Boys for the second annual Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Concert. Sounds exciting. The AFA loves Herman Cain so I wonder how long it will be before they remove this Elijah Friedeman post from their blog. Finally, I am looking forward to seeing... MORE >