Two of the nation's premier moral issues organizations, the Family Research Council and Concerned Women for America, are refusing to attend the Conservative Political Action Conference in February because a homosexual activist group, GOProud, has been invited.
"We've been very involved in CPAC for over a decade and have managed a couple of popular sessions. However, we will no longer be involved with CPAC because of the organization's financial mismanagement and movement away from conservative principles," said Tom McClusky, senior vice president for FRC Action.
"CWA has decided not to participate in part because of GOProud," CWA President Penny Nance told WND.
FRC and CWA join the American Principles Project, American Values, Capital Research Center, the Center for Military Readiness, Liberty Counsel, and the National Organization for Marriage in withdrawing from CPAC. In November, APP organized a boycott of CPAC over the participation of GOProud.
You'll also note that many of the groups listed as stepping out from CPAC are groups newly listed as hate groups by the SPLC. They may be bitching and moaning about that, but then they keep proving its accuracy on a daily basis.
Sen. Jim DeMint, the crazy leader of the Teabirchers, once again put his stamp on the insane thinking that now dominates the conservative movement. It's Anita Bryant all over again. The hate of teh Gay and single moms isn't nothing new for conservatives (remember Dan Quayle attacking Murphy Brown?) and with their increased media presence, there is no end to their transmitting of far-right fringe ideas, trying to turn them into the mainstream thought of America.
At a 2004 debate, DeMint declared that openly gay people should not be teaching public school. "We need the folks that are teaching in schools to represent our values," he said. DeMint later added that he "would have given the same answer when asked if a single woman, who was pregnant and living with her boyfriend, should be hired to teach my third grade children."
At the time, the Senate candidate apologized: "[S]ometimes my heart disengages from my head and I say something I shouldn't - and that's what happened yesterday. I clearly said something as a dad that I just shouldn't have said. And I apologize." His campaign manager added that DeMint was raised by a single mother and was not opposed to unwed mothers teaching.
But last week, DeMint said that he had been privately encouraged by reaction to his words.
"[N]o one came to my defense," he said at at a rally. "But everyone would come to me and whisper that I shouldn't back down. They don't want government purging their rights and their freedom to religion."
Jimmy LaSalvia of the gay Republican group GOProud told CBS News that he saw DeMint's comment as a reaffirmation of his original statement -- that gays and unwed mothers should not be allowed to teach children. "I don't know anybody in 2010 who thinks that," he said.
"Sexist bigots like Sen. Jim DeMint don't belong in the United States Congress," said National Organization for Women President Terry O'Neill. "He thinks gay women and men and sexually active single women should be banned from teaching, but he said nothing about sexually active, single straight men."
"It is salt in the wound in our community," said Rea Carey, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. "It's irresponsible for Sen. DeMint to reassert this position in this day and age. I would ask him to apologize."
On Lawrence O'Donnell's new show, GOPROUD chairman Andrew Barron, who was once a big supporter of DeMint, now is abandoning him, calling DeMint's remarks morally reprehensible.
Barron:..the reason why this is it for us, and quite honestly should be for anyone in the conservative movement is because these comments are not only outrageous and bizarre, they're morally reprehensible and I think Sen. DeMint has given up the ability to lead on any of the issues that conservatives care about.
Conservatives have been trying to leave social issues in their rear view mirror so they can attack any form of government and taxes on the rich. Unfortunately for Barron, the religious right in this country are not yet willing to give up their gay bashing and their assault on a woman's right to choose. And make no mistake about it, the extreme Christian right do make up a large segment of the Teabirchers. Conservatives like Barron understand that their anti-government, free market messaging gets compromised when this type of hatred spills out into the airwaves and as much as Barron wants to delude himself that DeMint is now a fringer, he is nothing of the kind. He's a perfect example of the Teabirchers in action.
