NOM BLOG

Monthly Archives: August 2010

Cornerstone and NOM Launch Ad against Pro-SSM GOP Bill Binnie in NH

First, Dede Scozzafava.  Then, Tom Campbell.  Now, New Hampshire's Bill Binnie. Another Republican learns the hard way: it's a bad idea to oppose an issue which more than 80 percent of Republicans support--and the majority of the American people.

More details from Cornerstone Action.

ElectionWatch 2010: New Poll shows Emmer tied in race for MN Gov.

A new poll from Minnesota Public Radio shows Republican Tom Emmer tied with DFL Candidate Mark Dayton. (Did the Target boycott backfire in Minnesota?)

Don Feder: “If Marriage is Lost, We Lose Everything”

From Don Feder’s latest column over at WorldNetDaily:

Memo to conservative defeatists: Surrender on gay marriage is surrender on marriage – which is surrender on the family and, ultimately, surrender on civilization...

Offering competing models, socially sanctioned, undermines heterosexual marriage. Two men engaged in what used to be described as unnatural acts, become the legal/moral equivalent of a man and woman (husband and wife), joined by faith and tradition, doing society's essential work of childbearing and child-rearing.

Schools will teach that any living arrangement is as good as any other. Employers will be forced to provide "family benefits" to same-sex couples, regardless of religious scruples.

The state will be required to place children with gay couples for adoption, – depriving them of the father/mother role models necessary for successful adjustment. In Massachusetts, Catholic Charities ended its adoption program (the largest in the state), rather than submitting to placing children with homosexuals, as required in the nation's first gay-marriage state.

Ultimately, gay marriage will put churches and Bible-believers in the crosshairs – including Beck's LDS Church, which was viciously attacked for supporting Prop. 8.

Homosexual activists (among the most driven ideologues on the planet) will insist that all churches perform same-sex ceremonies – and push for withdrawal of charitable tax status of those that refuse. Hate-crime laws will be applied to the ministers and priests who preach Leviticus or Romans 1:26-27. In Europe and Canada, clerics have been hauled before human-rights tribunals for defending their faith from the pulpit. . . .

How can you have a strong economy without strong families? As economist Ludwig Von Mises noted, deferred consumption is necessary for capitalism to work. That means individuals willing to sacrifice for the future – and that means families.

Without the family, it doesn't matter how many times we defeat socialism (nationalized health care, government takeover of business, soaring deficits, redistributionism), in the end, we lose – which is why the left has made same-sex marriage its priority, and why it is less tolerant of dissent here than anywhere else.

Conservatives who don't understand this understand nothing.

Exodus Ministries stripped of tax-exempt status in New Zealand.

An earthquake is beginning: If "gay is like black," then "Christian is like racist." The early warning signs are now taking place all over the globe.  In New Zealand, Exodus Ministries was just stripped of its tax-exempt status, on the grounds that helping gay people lead Christian lives is not a charity.  Read more.

GOP Elites Try to Throw Marriage Under the Bus

Prediction: after Mehlman announced he's gay, you will see an increasingly coordinated campaign by certain GOP establishment elites to jettison the marriage issue, an issue about which the majority of Americans--and 80 percent of Republicans--agree. For a prime example check out this story in the normally conservative Daily Caller.

Gingrich, Pawlenty, Santorum: Axe those Iowa Judges!

Three major GOP figures support the move to oust Iowa judges who voted for SSM. Why are we reading about this only in the gay press?

Newt Gingrich, Tim Pawlenty, Rick Santorum In Favor Of Axing Judges

By Carlos Santoscoy
Published: August 27, 2010

Newt Gingrich, Tim Pawlenty and Rick Santorum are in favor of axing three Iowa Supreme Court judges who ruled in favor of gay marriage.

The low-lying campaign to remove the judges has been underway since the court's April 2009 unanimous ruling that brought gay marriage to the Midwest, but a Friday story in the Washington Post has put the issue front and center. . . .

Republicans considering a 2012 presidential bid have been weighing in on the issue.

“Iowans are unique in that they have the ability to send a very clear and simple message that the court's behavior is unacceptable by just voting 'no' on the three judges who are up for reappointment,” Gingrich said in an interview with WHO-AM. “If a majority of Iowans vote 'no,' that will send a signal to the whole country that there is a citizens revolt under way.”

“We're going to have to fundamentally revisit how we deal with judges because the judicial branch has grown much too powerful and much too dictatorial and now regularly over reaches in telling us how to live,” he added.

Minnesota Governor Pawlenty expressed a similar sentiment in an interview with The Associated Press. He said the does not like judges “inserting their personal views to change” the definition of marriage and added that he was OK with the campaign to oust the judges.

In May, Pawlenty vetoed a bill that would have allowed gay couples to control the remains of a loved one. “I oppose efforts to treat domestic relationships as the equivalent of traditional marriage,” he said in opposing the bill.

At the Iowa State Fair this week, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, a staunch social conservative, also backed the plan.

“People should decide issues, not courts,” he told the Des Moines Register. “This court attempted to impose its values on society.”

ElectionWatch2010: Florida's Gov. Crist opposes FMA

Gov. Crist, who is running as an independent after losing the GOP Senate nomination to Marco Rubio, recently came out against a federal marriage amendment, according to the gay press.

Money quote:

“In an interview that aired today, I was not discussing an amendment to the U.S. Constitution banning same-sex marriage, which I do not support, but rather reaffirming my position regarding Florida’s constitutional ban that I articulated while running for Governor,” he said. “In fact, the interviewer’s question reflected just that. I am fully supportive of civil unions and will continue to be as a United States Senator, but believe marriage is a sacred institution between a man and a woman.”

Read more.

Wyoming SS Lawsuit Vexes Gay Marriage Advocates

All the media attention is focused on the 9th Circuit but the 10th Circuit now has two similar gay marriage cases headed the Supreme Court's way.  The LGBT community is worried. Marriage suit vexes gay-rights activists:

CHEYENNE — Many gay-rights activists are fuming over a new federal lawsuit challenging Wyoming’s ban on same-sex marriage, saying it’s legally dubious and could undo years of political efforts on a variety of gay-rights issues.

The lawsuit, filed Aug. 13 by Cheyenne residents David Shupe-Roderick and Ryan W. Dupree, is likely the first court case to contest Wyoming’s definition of marriage as being a contract solely “between a male and a female person.”

But Wyoming’s gay-rights activists and supporters, who were blindsided by news of the lawsuit, say the suit isn’t likely to accomplish anything. And some fear that the case could galvanize the state against gay rights in general. . . .

Pat Buchanan’s take on Judge Walker’s Prop 8 ruling

Federal Judge Vaughn Walker is truly a visionary.

Peering at the 14th Amendment, Walker found something there the authors of the amendment never knew they put there, and even the Warren Court never found there: The states of the Union must recognize same-sex marriages as equal to traditional marriage.

With his discovery, Walker declared Proposition 8, by which 5.5 million Californians voted to prohibit state recognition of gay marriage, null and void. What the people of California voted for is irrelevant, said Walker; you cannot vote to take away constitutional rights.

If the Walker decision is upheld by the Ninth Circuit and Supreme Court, homosexual marriage will be imposed on a nation where, in 31 out of 31 state referenda, the people have rejected it as an absurdity.

This is not just judicial activism. This is judicial tyranny. . . .

Read more.

Glenn Beck Rally: Me and the Black Robe Brigade

A friend was watching the live stream of the Restoring Honor rally, and snapped a pic of me with the "black-robe brigade" of mostly pastors.

I have to tell you, I don't usually anticipate enjoying events like this.  I come alive at the thought of 10 profs around a table discussing the latest social science data not mass rallies on the Mall.  But I found the event profoundly moving.  Beck says that he expected to do a political rally but instead, on his knees, he got a different answer than he was expecting: "faith, hope, charity."  He told his staff this was the new direction and they said "what does that mean?"  He told them "I don't know," and went back to prayer.  "Lord!" he says he said, "I must be one of your dumber children, please speak slowly."   The answer he got was "You have the pieces, put them together."

The three great theological virtues: faith, hope and charity.  And of these the greatest is Love.

A purely reactionary movement, based on fear alone, rises and withers and dies.  A cultural movement that lasts has to be based on a vision of the good, of the things we are for, not the things we are against.  "From fear to love," was the message.  And he's right.

Incidentally kudos to the NYT for this story. They got it right: "At Lincoln Memorial, a Call to Religious Rebirth

More blogging later today, but here's the photo:

ElectionWatch2010: Post-Walker Ruling, Meg Whitman surges

The last Rasmussen poll taken Aug 3, had Jerry Brown with a 2 point lead.  Judge Walker ruled on Aug. 4.  The latest Rasmussen poll in the California governor's race shows Meg Whitman, who has promised to defend Prop 8 in court up 7 points over Jerry Brown, who is refusing to defend Prop 8.  Whitman 48, Brown 41 percent.  The undecideds are currently breaking for Whitman.

Krauthammer: The Last Refuge of the Liberal Losing Public Opinion? Charges of Bigotry

Charles Krauthammer at National Review connects a lot of dots, excerpt below with a link to the full column:

"Now we know why the country has become “ungovernable,” last year’s excuse for the Democrats’ failure of governance: Who can possibly govern a nation of racist, nativist, homophobic Islamophobes?

Note what connects these issues. In every one, liberals have lost the argument in the court of public opinion. Majorities — often lopsided majorities — oppose President Obama’s social-democratic agenda (e.g., the stimulus, Obamacare), support the Arizona law, oppose gay marriage, and reject a Ground Zero mosque.

What’s a liberal to do? Pull out the bigotry charge, the trump that preempts debate and gives no credit to the seriousness and substance of the contrary argument."

Read more.

NOM Statement in Regard to Ken Mehlman.

NOM Chairman Maggie Gallagher issued the following statement this afternoon in regard to Ken Mehlman:

"We respect Ken Mehlman's right to his personal life.  Supporting  gay marriage, however, is a very different and very public matter. The fight over same-sex marriage really isn't about Mr. Mehlman's personal life. Marriage, as a public legal status, is a man and a woman for a reason: It is the only civil institution that brings together the two halves of humanity to ensure the children they create have the best opportunity to be raised by their own mother and father. We will fight all attempts to redefine marriage to be something that it is not -- a genderless, adult-centered sexual relationship centered on the alleged rights of adults and not the needs of children. The American people -- including over 80% of Republicans and even 40% of Democrats -- oppose same-sex marriage.  NOM has already proven in races from New York to California that it is a particularly bad idea for Republicans to support gay marriage. The disconnect in Washington stems from politicans who refuse to pay attention to the values of the people they represent. If Mr. Mehlman wishes to help us elect pro-marriage GOP politicians, we welcome his support. If not, we welcome the victories that will come in the battle that must necessarily ensue."

Glenn Beck Rally: Wherein I Shook Chuck Norris’ Hand

I tweeted 8 photos and comments live for you.  Really I did.  And then I discovered so many people were tweeting I could not get a message out.  I lost all those photos I tweeted--"message discarded". . . .  But I have more on my phone and will share some with you, as soon as I master the technology.  : )
 
(I have a photo of Sarah Palin's shoes.  To die for!  And I shook Chuck Norris' hand!)
 
I know, I know, more stuff of substance tomorrow.
 
Up on the stage, I looked out and saw a sea of people stretching as far as the eye could see--a half million or more. A friend came up to me on stage and said (He said, not me): "If we can do this, we can pass a marriage amendment.”
 
It was the nicest crowd I've ever come across. Every person was from someplace different: Texas, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Philly, North Carolina, Rochester, NY, Kentucky, Florida. . . Gotta get some sleep.  And put the anesthetic on the sunburn.  

Maggie

Maggie: Report from the Kennedy Center – A Rendezvous with “Divine Destiny”

I just got back from Glenn Beck's Divine Destiny concert/lecture/thingy at the Kennedy Center.  Mr. (and Mrs.!) Chuck Norris appeared--and with a becoming humility Chuck Norris mostly recited from four great American speeches--two by George Washington, one by Benjamin Franklin and one I hadn't heard by Sam Adams. Pastor Miles "Do Something!" Macpherson rocked---challenging every Christian to get out of our churches and go find the people looking in the wrong places to ease their suffering--drug abuse, bars, sex addicts, prostitutes, the poor, the lonely, the depressed, the addicted and just say, "How can I help?"

For marriage advocates there was a lot of meat. Rabbi Lapin reminded us we are all created by God, "touched by the finger of God" and therefore he said "The three M’s"  Marriage came first.  The first few chapters of the Bible, he reminds us are God's meaning of marriage.  And it didn't happen because some cavewoman said to some caveman "Hey, I think it would be a really good idea if you never touched another woman in your life."

The distinguished philosopher from Steubenville, Patrick Lee, spoke next.  And he reminded us from Ephesians that we are God's handiwork, which implies that we do not create the truth, we discover it only.  From that he deduced three great principles, "a duty to gratitude to God, to respect the true nature of marriage, and to respect every human life. These are truths, not choices."  Big applause.

Glenn Beck is very engaging in person.  Chuck Norris: "Only two things could get me and my wife off our ranch--God and Glenn Beck."

-Maggie