CPAC Criticized for GOProud Participation

[zsdersw]

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensm...ire_over_gay_conservative_group.html?showall#

A conservative group has backed out of the annual CPAC conservative political conference, citing the participation of a gay Republican group.

The American Principles Project president Frank Cannon wrote an open letter yesterday to CPAC chair David Keene, saying that his group could not participate in the conference because of GOProud's role in the event.

"Having now examined closely GOProud’s mission and its behavior since its inception, we can only conclude that the organization’s purposes are fundamentally incompatible with a movement that has long embraced the ideals of family and faith in a thriving civil society. They have further defined themselves with their attacks on Senator Jim DeMint, one of the key leaders of this year’s conservative victory," wrote Cannon.

"A sound conservatism stands equally upon the pillars of fiscal responsibility, limited government, and traditional values. To actively seek to undermine or destroy one of these ‘legs’ of the conservative foundation is to endanger the movement as a whole. By allowing GOProud to be a prominent part of CPAC 2011, Mr. Keene and the American Conservative Union have demonstrated a dangerous disregard for the importance of faith, marriage, and the family in our conservative values," said APP executive director Andy Blom in a statement.

As Ben and I reported Sunday, GOProud and tea party activists unveiled a letter to GOP congressional leaders this week urging them not to pursue social issues.

UPDATE: GOProud chairman Christopher Barron emails "Jim DeMint took a position on gay teachers contrary to the one taken by President Ronald Reagan more than 30 years ago. If the choice is whether to stand with DeMint or Reagan - we will choose the Gipper every time."

The APP can go fvck themselves, as far as I'm concerned.

 

[drebo]

Well, they're free to do as they want.

I personally wouldn't see any big loss from them not attending. Bigotry towards gays is so last century.

 

[Fear No Evil]

Well, they're free to do as they want.

I personally wouldn't see any big loss from them not attending. Bigotry towards gays is so last century.

Someone should tell Obama that.

 

[zsdersw]

Someone should tell Obama that.

Will you do that in 2012 if a Republican wins the presidency?

 

[fskimospy]

GOProud is a truly pathetic organization. The Log Cabin Republicans are conservative gay people who work for Republican values but also fight for their own civil rights. GOProud is a group that in many ways works against their own rights, all in the service of finding a way to be more conservative.

Sort of a Stockholm syndrome effect or something. Whatever it is, it's sad.

 

[matt0611]

GOProud is a truly pathetic organization. The Log Cabin Republicans are conservative gay people who work for Republican values but also fight for their own civil rights. GOProud is a group that in many ways works against their own rights, all in the service of finding a way to be more conservative.

Sort of a Stockholm syndrome effect or something. Whatever it is, it's sad.

So one can't be for civil rights but fiscally conservative (not that republicans are fiscally conservative much anymore, but they're *supposed* to be)

 

[fskimospy]

So one can't be for civil rights but fiscally conservative (not that republicans are fiscally conservative much anymore, but they're *supposed* to be)

You can be! The Log Cabin Republicans are exactly those sort of people, a very respectable organization. GOProud is not, they are a contemptible organization.

 

[Fear No Evil]

Will you do that in 2012 if a Republican wins the presidency?

Absolutely. But I do think someone like Obama who 'came out' in the campaign as being supportive of gay rights deserves more criticism than people who don't actively campaign on it. I don't have a problem with people being against gays on moral grounds.. whatever, thats your choice.. but in order to truly be 'equal' things like civil unions need to be allowed to resolve things like custody of children, benefits at work, power of attorney, taxes, etc.

That being said, I think there certainly are some negative aspects of the gay community that need to be addressed as well. I don't see the need to necessarily get into those issues here though.

 

[matt0611]

You can be! The Log Cabin Republicans are exactly those sort of people, a very respectable organization. GOProud is not, they are a contemptible organization.

Ah ok, I'm not much familiar with either organization to be honest. Whats the difference between them?

 

[fskimospy]

Ah ok, I'm not much familiar with either organization to be honest. Whats the difference between them?

Basically the Log Cabin Republicans are gay Republicans who like most of what the Republican party stands for, but hate the anti-gay part of it. They vote Republican, but they don't support vehemently anti-gay politicians, they support gay rights within Republican primaries, etc. Makes perfect sense to me, they value what they consider good economic policy more than their civil rights, but they work to have both. (I don't agree with it, but it still makes sense)

GOProud on the other hand vigorously campaigns for extreme conservative candidates, many of whom espouse explicitly anti-gay policy preferences. After these politicians are elected GOProud says something to the effect of 'please don't do those horrible things you said you would do'.

 

[zsdersw]

That being said, I think there certainly are some negative aspects of the gay community that need to be addressed as well. I don't see the need to necessarily get into those issues here though.

Why not? What negative aspects are you referring to?

 

[thraashman]

Absolutely. But I do think someone like Obama who 'came out' in the campaign as being supportive of gay rights deserves more criticism than people who don't actively campaign on it. I don't have a problem with people being against gays on moral grounds.. whatever, thats your choice.. but in order to truly be 'equal' things like civil unions need to be allowed to resolve things like custody of children, benefits at work, power of attorney, taxes, etc.

That being said, I think there certainly are some negative aspects of the gay community that need to be addressed as well. I don't see the need to necessarily get into those issues here though.

This isn't Plessy v Ferguson though. Separate but equal is not equal.

 

[PokerGuy]

You can be! The Log Cabin Republicans are exactly those sort of people, a very respectable organization. GOProud is not, they are a contemptible organization.

And we should all take your opinion for it, right? What a tool.

 

[fskimospy]

And we should all take your opinion for it, right? What a tool.

No, you're welcome not to take my opinion for it. I'm not aware of any way you could read that sentence and think it was anything other than my opinion, and you can do what you want with it. (would there be some objective, empirical way to measure 'contemptability'?)

What is wrong with you people?

 

[her209]

Will you do that in 2012 if a Republican wins the presidency?

Someone should tell John McCain that.

 

[PokerGuy]

No, you're welcome not to take my opinion for it. I'm not aware of any way you could read that sentence and think it was anything other than my opinion, and you can do what you want with it. (would there be some objective, empirical way to measure 'contemptability'?)

What is wrong with you people?

Nothing wrong, you're just such a tool, that's all.

 

[fskimospy]

Nothing wrong, you're just such a tool, that's all.

Wicked burn, brah.

 

[werepossum]

This isn't Plessy v Ferguson though. Separate but equal is not equal.

Amen. I hate civil unions* with a passion. Two different bodies of law will inevitably begin to diverge and this issue will NEVER go away. I am hopeful (though not truly optimistic) that the Republicans will one day soon understand that you cannot be for small government AND yet want the government to have the power to decide whom one can or cannot marry. Republicans need to pick a lane.

*I hate civil unions as a solution to gay marriage - literally promising the same thing whilst defending the sanctity of a word. I have absolutely no problem with the government getting out of the marriage business altogether and offering civil unions for all, with marriage being between you and your minister.

 

[JSt0rm]

Someone should tell Obama that.

Why must you bring up obama in every thread. Do you think of obama when you have sex with your hand?

 

[thraashman]

Amen. I hate civil unions* with a passion. Two different bodies of law will inevitably begin to diverge and this issue will NEVER go away. I am hopeful (though not truly optimistic) that the Republicans will one day soon understand that you cannot be for small government AND yet want the government to have the power to decide whom one can or cannot marry. Republicans need to pick a lane.

*I hate civil unions as a solution to gay marriage - literally promising the same thing whilst defending the sanctity of a word. I have absolutely no problem with the government getting out of the marriage business altogether and offering civil unions for all, with marriage being between you and your minister.

Exactly. I hate when anyone says they want small government but then shows that they actually only want small government when it comes to business and economic intervention but actually wants a fairly invasive government when it comes to social issues. I've actually said it before that basically democrats want small government for social issues but not economic and republicans want it for economic but not social.

I can see how it's hard to draw a line on things like unemployment and welfare where the economic can affect the social, but for something like gay marriage or DADT in which the social has little to no affect on the economic it makes no sense.

 

[her209]

Why must you bring up obama in every thread. Do you think of obama when you have sex with your hand?

Using your imagination is so 1980s. Now you can just use Google Images.