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Right Wing Groups Heading to Rhode Island

Submitted by Kyle on February 12, 2010 - 10:59am

The Family Research Council announces a day long summit is being held in Rhode Island at the end of the month featuring a variety of right-wing groups:

Don't miss this valuable opportunity to learn about the cutting-edge family, life and marriage issues affecting Rhode Island and all New England! Experts from the Family Research Council, National Organization for Marriage Rhode Island, Alliance Defense Fund, and Family Policy Councils from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine and Connecticut will discuss the latest state legislative trends affecting you and your family. Don't miss this opportunity to get informed as to how you can make a critical difference in your community!

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NOM Rhode Island Director Shrugs Off Card's Extremism

Submitted by Kyle on August 27, 2009 - 1:49pm

EDGE has an interesting interview with Christopher Plante, Executive Director of the National Organization for Marriage's Rhode Island chapter, discussing his perspective on NOM’s mission in the state, as well nationwide.

During the conversation, EDGE's Joe Siegel asked Plante what he thought about NOM board member Orson Scott Card, who has stated that "many homosexuals first entered into that world through a disturbing seduction or rape or molestation or abuse" and his vow last year that, should Proposition 8 fail in California, he would "act to destroy that government and bring it down so it can be replaced with a government that will respect and support marriage." 

Plante's reponse was telling: 

For his part, Plante says he was unaware of Card’s involvement with NOM and denied that NOM is a hate group. "I don’t believe that at all," Plante said. "Do I think that there are extreme people on both sides of the movement that can say hateful things? Absolutely. NOM is here to defend marriage, to protect it, and to encourage it."

Of course there are extremists on both sides of the debate ... and one of them happens to serve on the Board of the leading anti-marriage organzation in the nation by whom Plante just so happens to be employed.

As far as we are aware, NOM has steadfastly refused to comment on Card's connection to the organization, and if this is the best response anyone affiliated with them has been able to come up with, it's pretty obvious why.

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Anti-Gay Group Takes Their "Traditional Marriage Crusade" on the Road

Submitted by Christian on July 16, 2009 - 12:24pm

It looks like yet another group from the religious right plans to take their show on the road. The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family, and Property (TFP) will be launching what they call a "traditional marriage crusade" in three states: New York, Maine, and Rhode Island.

The American TFP is a standard right-wing organization and plans to use the same tired right-wing tactics in their "crusade." It will be filled with the usual anti-gay rhetoric, along with a handout that "offers 'Ten reasons why homosexual 'marriage' is harmful and must be opposed."

"Like counterfeit currency, homosexual 'marriage' is not true marriage. It is morally wrong, sinful, offensive to God and a violation of natural law,"

"Parents don't want their children in grade school to be told that the homosexual lifestyle is fine, but that's already happening," said Ritchie. "It's part of the homosexual movement's concerted effort to force the sexual revolution into the mainstream culture and banish God and His law from the public square."

Be sure to find a "crusade" near you.

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Club for Growth Faces Several Elections-Law Investigations

Submitted by Ezra on November 27, 2006 - 5:04pm

Over large contributions and expenditures in Michigan GOP primary and elsewhere. Also: Club’s Toomey fires parting shot at Chafee.

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A (White) Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste

Submitted by Kevin on November 21, 2006 - 4:05pm

In a telling display of the right wing’s contempt for affirmative action, College Republicans in Boston have decided to take a break from limiting the rights of gays, women and non-Christians to stand up for one of our society’s most down-trodden and ignored groups: white people.

Looking to draw attention to what they call the "worst form of bigotry confronting America today," Boston University's College Republicans are circulating an application for a "Caucasian Achievement and Recognition Scholarship" that requires applicants be at least 25 percent Caucasian.

Just in case any students of a non-pure blood attempt to swindle money from needy white Republicans, the scholarship application requires students to provide a written essay describing their lineage. Applicants are also required to write an essay describing “what is means to be Caucasian-American today.” Will applicants bemoan the lack of prominent white role models in government and business? Or, will they opine on the unequal treatment white people often receive from the criminal justice system? Perhaps, applicants will discuss their dream of a day when being white is not such a hardship.

The Boston University group is not the first to offer scholarships to white folks. Two years ago a group of College Republicans in Rhode Island offered a similar scholarship, though their application required a photograph to “confirm whiteness,” and asked applicants to write an essay extolling white pride. Former RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie criticized those white only scholarships.

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Rocky Mountain News: Club for Growth Spent Most Money Attacking Republicans

Submitted by Ezra on October 31, 2006 - 9:59pm

Group cited in “bitter GOP infighting,” putting at risk seats once considered safe in Colorado, Idaho, Arizona, and Rhode Island.

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Club for Growth Heartbroken Over Rhode Island Primary Election

Submitted by Ezra on September 14, 2006 - 3:59pm

The “irony” is that they are “trying to save” Republicans, says Club President Toomey.

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Club for Growth Poured $1.24 Million into Rhode Island

Submitted by Ezra on September 12, 2006 - 3:58pm

To defeat Sen. Chafee in today’s Republican primary. In Nevada, a Club-backed primary loser is suing for a revote.

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Out to Purge GOP, Wealthy Donors Demand More Enthusiasm from Rhode Island Challenger

Submitted by Ezra on September 4, 2006 - 9:59pm

The Club for Growth channels millions of dollars into elections, backing candidates who embrace their hard-line anti-tax, anti-government platform, and the group specializes in bitter primary races against supposedly “liberal” Republicans. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pennsylvania) narrowly survived such a primary challenge in 2004, and last month incumbent Rep. Joe Schwarz (R-Michigan) fell to a candidate bolstered by $500,000 in Club spending on ads and $600,000 in direct contributions. But the Club-backed candidate in the primary for an open congressional seat in Nevada fell short, despite more than $1 million in Club money.

The Club claims a 9 to 2 record in primaries so far this year, but the real prize is Rhode Island Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R), whom the group has been attacking for months as a tax-hiker and a liberal. The Club has given hundreds of thousands of dollars to Chafee’s opponent, Stephen Laffey, and at least one poll shows Laffey far ahead among Rhode Island’s tiny Republican electorate. But another poll says the opposite, and the Club is getting worried. Speaking of the former poll, the Club for Growth PAC’s David Keating writes:

It could be that the debates last week … have led to a collapse in support for Chafee. On the other hand, there could be something wrong in the poll. We saw a similar out-of-the-box poll in the Nevada 2 congressional race that showed a huge lead for a candidate our PAC supported. Yet she wound up losing by 421 votes. …

Even before the poll, it looks to us like Laffey thinks, and is acting like, he is going to win. We think he is being a little too confident. Yesterday’s anti-Laffey TV spots outnumbered Laffey’s promotional spots by 108 to 27.

Then we read Laffey still has over $600,000 in the bank.

But looking at the amount of money Laffey is spending on TV makes us wonder, is he ever going to spend the money? Why is he letting Chafee and the [National Republican Senatorial Committee] beat him to a pulp without an effective response?

Keating promises the Club will continue to spend money on the primary, but makes it clear that the wealthy financiers and executives who dominate the Club for Growth membership expect Laffey to run his campaign differently:

Laffey should put everything he has to win in the primary race in these last two weeks. We certainly don’t want to have to explain to our members why Laffey lost by a fraction, or worse by 421 votes, yet didn’t spend all of the money. … [W]e hope that Laffey is going to spend every last dime he’s raised to ensure his primary victory.

The Club’s donations and expenditures have helped lift Laffey’s primary run out of anti-incumbent irrelevance, but polls show Laffey would most likely lose in the general election, where Chafee has a fighting chance to retain the seat for Republicans. And in fact, the Club is unperturbed by that scenario. Club President Pat Toomey (who ran against Specter in 2004) said that losing the seat to a Democrat “wouldn't be much of a loss ... as he would vote much the same.” (The National Republican Senatorial Committee still counts on Chafee for many votes – especially the vote for majority leader – which is why they are fighting back hard in the Rhode Island primary.)

So it’s hard to blame Laffey for holding back some campaign cash, if that’s what he’s doing. After the primary, he may find the Club for Growth much less interested in giving him money for a losing general election run. By that time, the Club’s project of “purging” elected officials who don’t fall into line will have succeeded in sending a message to the remaining Republicans – get with the agenda, or you could be next.

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