DADT

Take a Stand With FRC and Those Who Want Homosexuality Criminalized

Submitted by Kyle Mantyla on Friday, 12/10/2010 3:49 pm

The Religious Right has been uniformly outraged ever since the Southern Poverty Law Center updated its list of anti-gay hate groups to include the likes of the Family Research Council and the American Family Association.

And today Jeremy Hooper discovered that they intend to do something more than just incessantly complain about it, as FRC is poised to launch a "Start Debating, Stop Hating" campaign designed to rally support for those groups who found themselves "slandered" by the SPLC: 

The surest sign one is losing a debate is to resort to character assassination. The Southern Poverty Law Center, a liberal fundraising machine whose tactics have been condemned by observers across the political spectrum, is doing just that.

The group, which was once known for combating racial bigotry, is now attacking several groups that uphold Judeo-Christian moral views, including marriage as the union of a man and a woman. How does the SPLC attack? By labeling its opponents “hate groups.” No discussion. No consideration of the issues. No engagement. No debate

These type of slanderous tactics have been used against voters who signed petitions and voted for marriage amendments in all thirty states that have considered them, as well as against the millions of Americans who identify with the Tea Party movement. Some on the Left have even impugned the Manhattan Declaration-which upholds the sanctity of life, the value of traditional marriage and the fundamental right of religious freedom-as an anti-gay document and have forced its removal from general communications networks.

This is intolerance pure and simple. Elements of the radical Left are trying to shut down informed discussion of policy issues that are being considered by Congress, legislatures, and the courts. Tell the radical Left it is time to stop spreading hateful rhetoric attacking individuals and organizations merely for expressing ideas with which they disagree. Our debates can and must remain civil - but they must never be suppressed through personal assaults that aim only to malign an opponents character.

You can take action by adding your name to the following statement:

We, the undersigned, stand in solidarity with Family Research Council, American Family Association, Concerned Women of America, National Organization for Marriage, Liberty Counsel and other pro-family organizations that are working to protect and promote natural marriage and family. We support the vigorous but responsible exercise of the First Amendment rights of free speech and religious liberty that are the birthright of all Americans.

Just let me point out to those thinking of adding their names to this statement that you are declaring your solidarity with people who proclaim that:

Right Wing Leftovers

Submitted by Kyle Mantyla on Thursday, 12/9/2010 6:45 pm
  • FRC hails the failure of the DADT vote.

  • Speaking of FRC, they remain very upset about being classified as a hate group by the SPLC.

  • But I do want to highlight this good post by Tom McClusky pointing out the ridiculousness of Grover Norquist's self-serving rationalization.

  • What a surprise: Westboro Baptist Church is going to protest Elizabeth Edwards' funeral.

  • Finally, CNSNews has started asking members of Congress whether they believe Jesus had a right to life at the moment of conception.  I have no idea why.

Barber: Liberty Counsel Will Eventually Be Designated a Hate Group

Submitted by Kyle Mantyla on Tuesday, 12/7/2010 1:33 pm

When the Southern Poverty Law Center unveiled its update list of anti-gay hate groups, it made clear that "viewing homosexuality as unbiblical does not qualify organizations for listing as hate groups." Rather, the designation was "based on [the] propagation of known falsehoods — claims about LGBT people that have been thoroughly discredited by scientific authorities — and repeated, groundless name-calling."

As I noted at the time, how Liberty Counsel managed to stay of the list of anti-gay hate groups was a mystery - a point that I just want to reiterate in light of the video we just posted of Matt Barber and Mat Staver claiming gays need to be kept out of the military on the grounds that they are "moral perverts."

And, as it turns out, tomorrow's edition of LC's "Faith and Freedom Radio" is dedicated entirely to attacking the SPLC's update list, with Matt Barber predicting that LC will eventually be designated as a hate group but that the SPLC is currently too intimidated by him to do so now:

Staver: And I really think that it points out that this organization has marginalized itself because it has lost all credibility. I mean, Family Research Council is not a hate group. They may disagree with Family Research Council on the issue of same-sex marriage or homosexuality, but it's not a hate group. And the American Family Association is the same way.

Now they also list Liberty Counsel in there as well - they don't classify Liberty Counsel as a hate group, they've actually included 18 different organizations of which they've put a star by 13 that are considered hate groups. And Liberty Counsel is in there, not as a hate organization but is added in there and, who knows, before long it's going to get an asterisk.

Barber: I'll make a prediction right now, Matt: I've written several articles, I've underscored and pointed out and exposed the Southern Poverty Law Center on a number of occasions. They personally attack me in this report that they put out, but they do not classify us as a hate group yet. I think they're a little leery of doing that because I have been one person at the forefront of exposing their activities here.

But I am going to make a prediction here: they are eventually going to do that in retaliation for us pointing out what they're doing, their fraudulent activities. They will do that and at that point the mainstream media is going to be held accountable. They will try to marginalize Liberty Counsel eventually as a hate group and we're going to hold their feet to the fire when they do that.

I am actually inclined to back Barber's prediction that the SPLC will eventually designate Liberty Counsel as a hate group, but not out of "retaliation" for Barber's attacks on them, but rather because Barber is an unapologetic anti-gay bigot.

Liberty Counsel: DADT Keeps "Moral Perverts" Out Of The Armed Services

Submitted by Kyle Mantyla on Tuesday, 12/7/2010 11:52 am

Last week, Brian noted how Religious Right leaders have seized upon reports that Wikileaks-leaker Bradly Manning is gay in order to argue for the continuing need to enforce Don't Ask, Don't Tell. 

The topic came up in the Liberty Counsel's "Faith and Freedom Radio" program today as Mat Staver and Matt Barber discussed the issue and cited a report from the 1950s claiming that gays were "moral perverts" and therefore a national security risk:

Staver: According to news reports, Manning decided to turn traitor after a fight with his boyfriend, which somehow motivated him to send hundreds of thousands of confidential documents to WikiLeaks leader Julian Assange, who's alleged also by some to be gay.

But at any rate, if you go back and look at this, go back to the reports of the 1950s when a series of Senate committee reports concluded that "moral perverts are bad national security risks because of the susceptibility to blackmail" and that homosexuals are "vulnerable to interrogation by a skilled questioner" due to emotional instability or moral weakness.

And that comes from The Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, October 1, 2001. So this is not some ancient document, but it looks back at what happened in the 1950s with regards to why homosexuality was automatic excluder for someone in a national security position.

Barber: This shows specifically why, this highlights why we have the policy in place that seeks to keep sexual deviancy out of the ranks of the armed services.

I guess it is worth pointing out that Staver is completely misrepresenting the 2001 "The Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory" by suggesting that it supported the findings of the reports from the 1950s when it did the exact opposite:

Barriers to security clearances for gay men and lesbians: fear of blackmail or fear of homosexuals?
Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory - October 1, 2001
Gregory B. Lewis

Historically, the federal government has been a far-from-model employer of lesbians and gay men. It officially prohibited their employment in the 1950s, did not remove homosexuality as grounds for dismissal until the mid-1970s, did not pledge equal treatment in the granting of security clearances until the mid-1990s, and continues to deny equal pay for equal work by denying the same benefits to domestic partners of gay employees that it grants to spouses of heterosexual employees. (1) This article focuses on federal policies that denied security clearances to homosexuals until the 1980s and subjected gay applicants for clearances to intrusive questioning about their sex lives until the 1990s. Because approximately two hundred thousand federal employees and federal contractors require clearances to do their jobs (GAO 1995), and because clearances are essential for advancement toward the top of several federal agencies, these policies created a so-called lavender ceiling for gay employees in some agencies and firms. A concern that closeted homosexuals could be blackmailed into revealing the nation's secrets justified the policy, but both administrative documents and survey data indicate that distaste for homosexuals undergirded it.

I begin this article with a brief history of federal policy, showing that although explicit bans on both security clearances and federal employment emerged at the same time from the same roots, court actions led the policies along different trajectories. I will then look at the weak evidence that gay people were at increased risk of betraying the nation's secrets and the reasons that evidence was sufficient to uphold the policy. Although the courts rejected immorality as grounds for dismissing gay employees, their deference to administrative expertise and administrators' reliance on a common sense standard meant that distaste for homosexuals bolstered national security concerns. In the third section I will use survey data from the 1990s to show that those who disapprove of homosexuality and gay rights are more likely than others to support intense questioning about sexual orientation before granting security clearances.

Right Wing Round-Up

Submitted by Kyle Mantyla on Friday, 12/3/2010 6:50 pm

Right Wing Leftovers

Submitted by Kyle Mantyla on Friday, 12/3/2010 6:40 pm
  • Rep. Steve Driehaus is suing the Susan B. Anthony List, claiming the group lied in their election ads attacking him.

  • Bryan Fischer says the Democratic Party is the "home of the atheists, agnostics, pagans, and secular fundamentalists."

  • Why is Elaine Donnelly going to be a guest on ABC's "This Week"?

  • Rep. Michele Bachmann says Jesus had a right to life from the moment of conception.  Glad she cleared that up.

  • The FRC has posted the transcript of its recent anti-DADT webcast.

  • Finally, gee, ya think?

DADT Defenders Desperate Last Stand: Keep Ban Since Intel Leaker Was Gay

Submitted by Brian Tashman on Friday, 12/3/2010 5:07 pm

If you thought that the arguments opposing the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell weren’t desperate enough, many on the Right are now suggesting that the ban on gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military should be kept in place because the alleged Wikileaks-leaker is gay. A New York Times profile on intelligence analyst Bradley Manning’s “desperation for acceptance — or delusions of grandeur” found that much of his “social life was defined by the need to conceal his sexuality under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and he wasted brainpower fetching coffee for officers.” The Times went on to report that “even as he professed a perhaps inflated sense of purpose, he called himself ‘emotionally fractured’ and a ‘wreck’ and said he was ‘self-medicating like crazy.’”

For the right wing media, the story wasn’t that Manning had a history of being victimized and excluded because of his sexual orientation, but that as a result of his sexual orientation he became a traitor. Ann Coulter suggests that Manning was a “narcissistic hothouse flower” and the “poster boy for Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”:

With any luck, Bradley's court-martial will be gayer than a Liza Minelli wedding. It could be the first court-martial in U.S. history to feature ice sculptures and a "Wizard of Oz"-themed gazebo. "Are you going to Bradley's court-martial? I hear Patti LaBelle is going to sing!"

Maybe there's a reason gays have traditionally been kept out of the intelligence services, apart from the fact that closeted gay men are easy to blackmail. Gays have always been suspicious of that rationale and perhaps they're right.

…

Bradley's friends told the Times they suspected "his desperation for acceptance -- or delusions of grandeur" may have prompted his document dump.

Let's check our "Gay Profile at a Glance" and ... let's see ... desperate for acceptance ... delusions of grandeur ... yep, they're both on the gay subset list!

…

Look at the disaster one gay created under our punishing "don't ask, don't tell" policy. What else awaits America with the overturning of a policy that was probably put there for a reason (apart from being the only thing Bill Clinton ever did that I agreed with)?

Liberals don't care. Their approach is to rip out society's foundations without asking if they serve any purpose.

The Family Research Council has also jumped in, commenting:

Now that the enemy has access to American intelligence, our mission in the Middle East may be irreparably harmed--all because President Obama is less concerned with winning the war than he is with winning the far-Left's approval. Unfortunately for all of us, Manning's betrayal painfully confirms what groups like FRC have argued all along: the instability of the homosexual lifestyle is a detriment to military readiness. By foisting this agenda on our soldiers, the White House is not only jeopardizing the future of national security but compromising its present.

WorldNetDaily’s Joseph Farah said that “the system of moral blindness and the disconnect from common sense,” which allowed Manning to serve as a closeted gay man in the first place, “made [the leak] inevitable.” Cliff Kincaid of the conservative Accuracy In Media blasted news outlets for not covering Manning’s sexual orientation enough for his liking, and claims that Manning’s sexuality and support for gay rights show that Don’t Ask Don’t Tell doesn’t go far enough and should become more stringent. Kincaid writes:

Now, because of the obvious mishandling of this homosexual ticking time bomb, it appears that the United States, its soldiers, and relations with countries in the region will pay the price. Lives-and a war on terrorism in Afghanistan-could be lost.

The revelations of Manning's openly pro-homosexual conduct suggest that a more liberal Department of Defense policy, in deference to the wishes of the Commander-in-Chief, had already been in effect and has now backfired in a big way.

…

The dramatic revelations about Manning's circle of friends and associates suggest that, rather than repeal the homosexual exclusion policy, as Obama is demanding, the prohibition on homosexuals should have been more strictly enforced and that it should be strengthened today.

As the Right tries to score political points by saying that due to Manning’s individual problems and turmoil, all gay and lesbian servicemembers should be viewed as disgruntled, treacherous, unstable, and disloyal people. And, the say, rather than dismantle Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, which produces extreme and troubling pressures on closeted soldiers, the policy should become more severe and oppressive.

What the CADC Considers "Anti-Christian Defamation, Discrimination and Persecution"

Submitted by Kyle Mantyla on Friday, 12/3/2010 5:05 pm

I have to say that nothing better demonstrates the absurdity of the Religious Right's victimization complex better than Christian Anti-Defamation Commission poll asking readers to help them choose "top 10 most egregious acts of anti-Christian defamation, discrimination and persecution in America" in 2012.

Here are the nominees:

- 88 Pro-Lifers were arrested for protesting President Obama's participation at a leading Catholic university, Notre Dame, and await trial for standing up for true Christian values.

- Michigan Muslims attack AGAIN; Christians attacked, denied their civil rights and falsely arrested for disorderly conduct at a public festival for peacefully sharing the gospel. This happened the previous year, too. They were again acquitted of all charges.

- Pat Robertson; was unfairly criticized after remarks he made were taken out of context concerning the Haiti earthquakes and Haiti's difficult history, in an attempt to raise support to bring aid to its people.

- Southern Poverty Law Center; A liberal ACLU-like organization that has continued to label many Christian organizations that hold traditional values as "hate groups" in lists that include violent racists groups.

- Elena Kagan; President Obama's radical appointment to the Supreme Court bench. While serving under the Clinton Administration, Kagan successfully corrupted unfavorable evidence on partial birth abortion to deceive the Supreme Court.

- Rex Parris; Mayor of Lancaster, California was faced with "hate crime" charges after calling his city "a growing Christian community."

- Brit Hume; Fox News journalist who was met with great opposition when he commented on Tiger Wood's downfall and said that, unlike Buddhism, Christianity offers Tiger true hope.

- Chai Feldblum; a liberal law professor and open lesbian, appointed to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Feldblum stated that in any conflict that might arise between religious liberty and homosexual “rights” she would have a hard time coming up with any case in which religious liberty should win; or "Gay's win; Christians lose."

- Employment Non-Discrimination Act; a proposed federal bill that would force ministries to hire people who oppose their beliefs or who live in open defiance of their values.

- Vaughn Walker; California judge who overturned Proposition 8, a State Constitutional Marriage Amendment, and the will of the people by making homosexual marriage legal.

- Stephen Ocean and Tite Sufra; two young men who were murdered in Boynton Beach, Florida while out sharing the gospel in their neighborhood.

- Virginia Phillips; activist judge out of Riverside, California who repealed the important "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" military law. The law allowed homosexuals to serve in the military, just not openly.

- Larry Grard; Christian journalist fired from his job for sending an e-mail from his personal account on his own time in support of traditional marriage.

- Ken Howell; professor at the University of Illinois Champaign who was fired after teaching to his class on Catholicism that Catholics believe that natural law makes homosexual behavior immoral. Howell was later re-instated after Christians protested.

- Tony Perkins; Christian leader criticized after offering true hope to homosexuals struggling with depression and suicide, found through repentance and faith in Christ.

- Comedy Central; the cable TV was pushing to air a new show called "JC" based on Jesus Christ. With their past treatment of Jesus on their network this could only have turned out to be irreverent and blasphemous.

- Julea Ward and Jennifer Keeton; two women expelled from their respective Master's programs in counseling at two different universities because they wouldn't deny their faith and affirm the validity of the homosexual lifestyle.

Seriously? This is this the best the CADC can come up with? 

The Notre Dame arrests happened in 2009, as did the firing of Larry Grard.  The Comedy Central show "JC" was merely in development, there was no movement on ENDA in Congress, nor was there any evidence at all that the murders of Ocean and Sufra had anything to do with their Christian faith.  Tony Perkins said gay teens are suicidal because they know they are "abnormal" and Pat Robertson said Haiti was hit by an earthquake because the country had made a pact with the Devil. And how exactly are the appointments of Elena Kagan and Chai Feldblum or the Prop 8 and DADT rulings examples of "anti-Christian defamation, discrimination and persecution"?

I think the only conclusion that can be drawn from the fact that these are the "most egregious" examples of "anti-Christian bigotry and hostility in America" that the CADC was able to come up with is that "anti-Christian bigotry and hostility in America" is not very prevalent.

Right Wing Leftovers

Submitted by Kyle Mantyla on Thursday, 12/2/2010 6:45 pm
  • Rep. Michele Bachmann says there will be an "insurrection" if House Republican leader don't hold a straight up-or-down vote on repealing health care reform.

  • I guess Dick Cheney won't be traveling to Nigeria any time soon.

  • Grover Norquist and Christopher Barron say Sarah Palin "has earned the right to run [for President] if she chooses." I have no idea what they are talking about.

  • Apparently Matt Barber is an authority on who is and who is not a Catholic, despite the fact that he is not actually a Catholic.

  • I guess this is supposed to be funny.

  • Quote of the day from FRC's latest prayer target asking God to stop the repeal of DADT: "May God's people prevail with Him in prayer to deal with this crisis in National Security and Morality. May God-fearing Senators stand to defeat this evil initiative and protect our troops!"

  • Finally, it looks like Al Mohler's daughter is going to work for Sen. Mitch McConnell:

DADT: Religious Right Wants Investigation Into Climate of Intimidation at Pentagon

Submitted by Kyle Mantyla on Thursday, 12/2/2010 3:41 pm

Dozens of Religious Right leaders have come together to sign on to a letter [PDF] released under the Freedom Federation banner calling on the Senate to put off any vote on repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell until the next session of Congress so that there can be investigations into whether the findings of the recent report showing DADT could be repealed with little to no risk was, in fact, the result of a "climate of not-so-subtle intimidation in the Pentagon" that lead to the

It is a serious risk to national security to repeal DADT without first investigating thoroughly – in public hearings – the effect of the proposed repeal. We are engaged in a war on many fronts. Our troops are in harm’s way in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere. This is no time to experiment with social engineering of the military.

We are also gravely concerned about the effect that repealing DADT will have on religious freedom. One senior army general, Lt. Gen. Thomas Bostick, said that those who oppose repeal are guilty of unacceptable attitudes that he reportedly described as “bigotry.” Additionally, expert analysts have warned that a “non-discrimination” policy for sexual minorities will have broad-reaching effects on religious freedom. It is conceivable that chaplains will be forbidden to preach or speak about their denomination’s position on homosexuality.

The Defense Department report on the likely effects of repealing DADT was not released until November 30, 2010. There is simply not enough time between then and adjournment to investigate and deliberate about this very important issue. For that reason, any consideration of repeal should be put off until next year.

Moreover, we are deeply concerned about the methodology of the DOD report and survey. In view of General Bostick’s disturbing comments and Admiral Mullen’s and Secretary of Defense Gates’ unseemly cheerleading on this issue, we believe it behooves the next Congress to investigate whether proponents of repeal tried to create a climate of not-so-subtle intimidation in the Pentagon.

The rush to repeal DADT by January of 2011 is a slap in the face of the American people who are tired of bully politics. Moreover, the consequences of repealing DADT will no doubt result in service members leaving the military or refusing to join. We cannot afford attrition or demoralization of our military in light of the wars we are facing in the Middle East, not to mention the looming threat of North Korea.

Among the names listed on this are:

Sarah Palin
Mat and Anita Staver
Ken Blackwell
Tony Perkins
Penny Nance
Lou Sheldon
Elaine Donnelly
Andrea Lafferty
Samuel Rodriguez
Robert Knight
Harry Jackson
Janet Porter
Cindy Jacobs
Tim Wildmon
Cliff Kincaid
Jim Garlow
Tom Minnery
Gary Bauer
Richard Viguerie
Gary Kreep
Linda Harvey
Joseph Farah
Gary Cass
Rick Joyner
Paul Blair
Don Feder
Kelly Shackelford
James Klingenschmitt
E.W. Jackson
Star Parker
Matt Barber
Dave Welch

UPDATE: Apparently the Sarah Palin signature on this letter was a mistake, as that signature now reads:

Rita Grace
Organizer
Constitutional TEA Party
President
Sarah Palin Republican Women

Right Wing Round-Up

Submitted by Kyle Mantyla on Tuesday, 11/30/2010 6:51 pm

Right Wing Leftovers

Submitted by Kyle Mantyla on Tuesday, 11/30/2010 6:39 pm
  • Randall Terry and Alan Keyes are giving Republican in Congress 100 days to defund Planned Parenthood.

  • Joe Scarborough wants to know when someone in the GOP will "man up" and put an end to the charade the Sarah Palin is a legitimate presidential candidate. I'm guessing the answer will be "never."

  • Just a reminder: Harry Potter is very dangerous.

  • Dennis Prager boldly takes on the pressing issue of children having too much self-esteem.

  • The forces behind the Manhattan Declaration want Apple to reinstitute their iPhone app.

  • FRC is not buying the results of the DADT report.

  • Finally, the quote of the day from Gary Bauer: "Nothing has changed at FRC since Tony Perkins took over. It was not a 'hate group' when I ran it and it is not a 'hate group' today. What has changed in recent years is the aggressiveness of the 'tyrants of tolerance.'”

Right Wing Round-Up

Submitted by Kyle Mantyla on Monday, 11/29/2010 6:52 pm

Right Wing Leftovers

Submitted by Kyle Mantyla on Monday, 11/29/2010 6:42 pm

AFA's Professional Name-Caller Accuses SPLC of Name-Calling

Submitted by Kyle Mantyla on Monday, 11/29/2010 3:07 pm

As we noted earlier, the Religious Right is uniformly livid with the Southern Poverty Law Center's updated list of anti-gay hate groups and seems to be struggling to come up with coherent response as demonstrated by this Concerned Women for America statement which basically accuses the SPLC of calling African Americans bigots:

Concerned Women for America, among several other pro-family, pro-life national groups, has been named a “hate group” by The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) because of our opposition to same-sex “marriage.”

The SPLC began as a civil rights organization in the 1960s, but has been marginalized by “gay rights” organizations. They no longer simply focus on the noble cause of fighting racism and have, instead, become another tool for the left. This time, the SPLC has taken their liberal propaganda too far. By demonizing traditional family groups that support traditional marriage, they just put a huge portion of the African-American community in California in the same category with the rest us so-called bigots.

According to an Associated Press exit poll, 70 percent of African-Americans in California who voted for Barack Obama also voted for Prop 8 and in support of traditional marriage in 2008. The very people the SPLC supposedly seeks to protect from bigotry and “hate crimes” are heavily in favor of the very institution that the SPLC is fighting against.

And the AFA's Bryan Fischer has also decided to weigh in, trotting out his now standard "truth has become hate speech" line as he unveils his own convoluted response:

The Southern Poverty Law Center last week added five members to its list of “hate” groups, one of which is the American Family Association.

This illustrates one point and proves another. The point it illustrates is that the first and last refuge of a man without an argument is name-calling. If you can’t win on the merits of the case, call your opponent a racist or a bigot or a hater and the debate is supposed to be over at that point. So you know as a matter of fact that the moment someone stops debating and starts name-calling, they’ve lost the argument. It’s an admission of defeat.

...

Thus, in a strange way, it is a badge of honor for these groups to be tagged now by the SPLC as hate groups. It’s a sign of desperation on the part of the SPLC, and a sign that they are so threatened by the truths that these groups speak that they are now flailing about trying to silence them rather than to debate them. They’ve given up winning on points, and so have taken to trying to run them off the field. Their strategy now is not to persuade the public but to demonize their cultural adversaries.

I’ve often maintained that liberals, progressives, Democrats, socialists, Marxists, etc. - they’re all the same under the covers - hate free speech. They hate freedom of religion, and they hate freedom of the press, because such freedoms threaten their stranglehold on public discourse and their goal of indoctrinating the American people with their non-traditional moral values. They hate the First Amendment, for the very reason that it was designed by the Founders to protect robust public discourse on political and social matters.

So, Fischer says name-calling an admission of defeat ... and then proceeds to simply assert that all the Marxists and Socialists on the left just hate free speech and religion and the First Amendment and America in general.

Of course it should also be noted that Fischer's entire professional career is based on calling gays names like nancy-boys and sexual perverts and sexual deviants and pedophiles and domestic terrorists who are part of a "deviancy cabal" who "want to use the anal cavity for sex."

Another Conservative Fears DADT Repeal Will Lead to Draft

Submitted by Brian Tashman on Wednesday, 11/24/2010 2:24 pm

Last week Kyle reported that Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council feared that allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military will damage recruitment to such an extent that the President would have to “bring back the draft.” Frank Gaffney of the Center for Security Policy is now too sounding the alarm that the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell would lead to the collapse of the volunteer military. In his Washington Times column, Gaffney uses the recent panic about TSA procedures to make his point that the draft will be reinstated if gays serve openly:

Suddenly, just as the Obama-led campaign to foist the radical homosexual agenda on the U.S. armed forces is reaching its denouement, the American people are getting a taste of forced intimacy - and they don't like it. In airports around the country, they are being subjected to intrusions on their personal space by people and machines of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

Team Obama's line is that "most" in uniform think there will be no problem, or at least "mixed" good and bad repercussions. But if even an estimated 10 percent choose to leave the service - let alone 40 percent of Marines, who, according to the leakers, think repeal will cause problems - the effect will be traumatic, possibly devastating, for the U.S. armed forces. If tens of thousands choose not to submit and "vote with their feet," as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, has called on them to do, it may become impossible to rely only on volunteers to staff our military.

In that case, a vote for repeal of the 1993 law barring homosexuals from the military amounts to a vote for reinstating the draft.

Gaffney’s column adds to the increasing scare-tactics by right-wing leaders to stop the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell at all costs. Gaffney’s Center for Security Policy has previously allied with vehemently anti-gay groups to prevent the repeal of DADT, and believes that the greatest threat to the military isn’t gays but President Obama, who he called “America’s first Muslim President.” Even though the Pentagon report is expected to show that the vast majority of troops have no problem with gay and lesbians serving openly and even a Sergeant who spoke to Perkins believes that soldiers will “serve anyway” following repeal, the draft drumbeat continues to grow.

Right Wing Round-Up

Submitted by Kyle Mantyla on Tuesday, 11/23/2010 6:29 pm

Tea Party Leaders Urge GOP to Keep DADT and Defund Planned Parenthood

Submitted by Kyle Mantyla on Monday, 11/22/2010 11:36 am

Last week we noted that the gay conservative group GOProud had teamed up with a handful of Tea Party leaders to urge Republicans in Congress to ignore the social issues that make up the foundation of the Religious Right's agenda. 

That effort, not surprisingly, did not go over too well with Religious Right groups ... and now dozens of Tea Party leaders have released their own letter to the GOP saying that those who signed GOProud's letter do not represent the movement and calling on Congress to take on social issues like fighting efforts to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell and defunding Planned Parenthood:

Tea Party Nation founder and CEO Judson Phillips plans to set the GOP congressional leadership straight about the tea party's legislative demands, after a handful of Tea Party Patriots and a homosexual activist group, GOProud, released an open letter last Monday urging Republicans to ignore social issues.

This coming Monday, Phillips plans to release an open letter of his own urging the GOP to address several fiscal matters and at least three social issues, including the preservation of the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy banning open homosexuals in the military.

"There is a battle going on for the heart and soul of the tea-party movement," Phillips told WND. "GOProud has its own agenda. It wants to create credibility for itself by leveraging the tea-party movement, but GOProud has never been a part of the tea-party movement."

Phillips is also taking aim at abortion.

"The abortion industry is a multibillion dollar industry. Why are they getting funding from the government? Cut that off!" said Phililips.

Right Wing Round-Up

Submitted by Kyle Mantyla on Friday, 11/19/2010 6:35 pm

If Ensign Votes To Repeal DADT, Expect the Right To Suddenly Care About His Infidelity

Submitted by Kyle Mantyla on Friday, 11/19/2010 3:55 pm

As we know, there is one sin that any Republican member of Congress can commit for which they will never be forgiven by the Religious Right, and that is not supporting their anti-gay agenda. 

Whereas a Republican like Sen. David Vitter could admit to involvement with prostitutes and still receive the support of Religious Right groups when he sought re-election, other Republicans like Rep. Joseph Cao found out the hard way that if you don't toe the anti-gay line, you will find yourself on the receiving end of Religious Right attack ads.

Which brings us to Sen. John Ensign, the Republican Senator from Nevada who has been embroiled in a controversy for over a year now stemming from an extra-marital affair he with a staffer and a subsequent effort to keep it quiet.

Since the story broke, the Religious Right has had next to nothing to say about Ensign's infidelity, with the small exception of FRC's Tony Perkins saying it was "disappointing." But I suspect that that is about to change if this report from Greg Sargent turns out to be true:

Another step forward on Don't Ask Don't Tell, ladies and gents.

In a letter to constituents who have inquired about his position on DADT, GOP Senator John Ensign strongly suggests he is leaning towards supporting repeal of the policy, another sign that there may be enough tacit GOP support in the Senate for repeal to get it past a GOP filibuster.

"It is my firm belief that Americans, regardless of their sexual orientation, should be able to fight and risk their lives in defense of this great nation," Ensign writes in the letter, which I've obtained. "As a nation currently engaged in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq, the focus of all decisions affecting military readiness, recruiting and retention, and unit cohesion should be to maximize the success of ongoing operations."

In the letter, Ensign adds the caveat that he's still awaiting a Pentagon report, due out on December 1st, that will gauge the impact of repealing the policy. Asked for comment, Ensign spokesperson Jennifer Cooper reiterated this point: "Senator Ensign is waiting on the report from the Pentagon and the testimony of the military chiefs to see if any changes to this policy can or should be done in a way so as not to harm the readiness or war fighting capabilities of our troops."

Ensign has already stated that he intends to run for re-election in 2012, so don't be surprised if you suddenly start hearing the Religious Right attack him for his immorality and infidelity - and not because he had an affair and tried to cover it up (which, to date, they haven't cared about at all) but because he committed the even bigger sin of supporting equality.

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DADT Posts Archive

CWA: Last Chance To Block Repeal Of Don't Ask Don't Tell
SUBMITTED BY: Brian Tashman, Friday 05/13/2011, 11:09am
In an email to supporters, Concerned Women For America CEO Penny Nance said that they have one final opportunity to prevent the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. Nance tells supporters that while the House GOP is likely to approve amendments to three Defense bill that would block the repeal and restrict gay-rights in the military, the Senate would be a graver challenge because Majority Leader Harry Reid “is beholden to the homosexual lobby.” She asks activists to show the Republicans support “in light of the likely response from the radical homosexual activists.... MORE
Right Wing Leftovers
SUBMITTED BY: Kyle Mantyla, Thursday 05/12/2011, 5:40pm
Everything you ever wanted to know about Herman Cain. FRC's "Watchmen on the Wall" group for pastors is holding a conference later this month featuring Michele Bachmann and Jim DeMint. Gary Bauer says the fact that President Obama would take money from gay donors just "show[s] how vulnerable he is." Honestly, how long before the ACLJ files a suit on behalf of this guy alleging he was discriminated against because of his faith? Finally, the latest prayer update from the Family Research Council: "Please pray that DADT will be restored, and... MORE
Right Wing Round-Up
SUBMITTED BY: Kyle Mantyla, Tuesday 05/10/2011, 6:01pm
PFAW: From Taxing Railroads to Buying Elections. Towelroad:GOP Serves Anti-Gay 'DADT' Amendments to House Defense Panel. Andy Birkey @ Minnesota Independent: Michele Bachmann to join Bradlee Dean at Freedom Jamboree. Ed Brayton @ Dispatches From The Culture War: Goodling Reprimanded by State Bar. Chris Beneke and Randall Stephens @ The Christian Century: The Daily Show's limits. Yoni Appelbaum @ The Atlantic: American Scripture: How David Barton Won the Christian Right. Tim Murphy @ Mother Jones: Huckabee Adviser: Obama is a Soviet Spy. MORE
Right Wing Round-Up
SUBMITTED BY: Brian Tashman, Monday 05/09/2011, 6:05pm
Joanna Brooks @ RD: Why Won’t David Barton Submit to Peer Review? Benen: Targeting The Very Existence Of Public Schools. NPR: Is The End Nigh? We'll Know Soon Enough. Advocate: "Kill the Gays" Bill Nears Vote. TPM: Tea Party Leader: We'll Take The Debt Ceiling Hike If You Put Gay Troops Back In The Closet. MORE
2012 Candidates Weekly Update 4/19/11
SUBMITTED BY: Brian Tashman, Tuesday 04/19/2011, 9:33am
Michele Bachmann Book: Considering a proposal to write her memoirs (AP, 4/18). South Carolina: Rally in South Carolina a bust (CBS News, 4/18).  Birther: Continues to float birther conspiracy on Fox News (The Atlantic, 4/18).  Budget: Falsely claims that the top 1% pay 40% of taxes (PolitiFact, 4/13).  Haley Barbour South Carolina: Wins Charleston County GOP straw poll (The State Column, 4/18).  New Hampshire: Takes two-day swing in New Hampshire (Boston Globe, 4/15).  Mike Huckabee South Carolina: Meets with supporters from the 2008 campaign (RCP, 4/18). ... MORE
Fischer and Cain Don't Care If You Think They Are Bigots
SUBMITTED BY: Kyle Mantyla, Monday 04/18/2011, 12:06pm
Herman Cain returned to Bryan Fischer's radio program last week where he reiterated his statement that, if elected president, he would not appoint any Muslims.  As he explained to Fischer, "the Constitution does not have room for Shariah law" and every Muslims believes in Shariah law, therefore they cannot work in his administration. Fischer and Cain then bonded over the fact that every time they tell the truth, people accuse them of being bigots: MORE
Fischer Likens Boehner To Pontius Pilate Over Planned Parenthood Compromise
SUBMITTED BY: Brian Tashman, Tuesday 04/12/2011, 11:00am
Bryan Fischer’s recent attacks on African Americans, Native Americans, Muslim Americans, and the Constitution haven’t seemed to bother leading Republicans, who consistently appear on his show. But now, Fischer is going after the highest-ranking Republican official in the country: House Speaker John Boehner. As part of the budget compromise to avert a government shutdown, Boehner withdrew the Republicans’ extreme and unpopular policy rider to defund Planned Parenthood. Defunding the women’s health organization was on the top of the agenda for Religious Right groups.... MORE