Tony Perkins warns GOP that supporters could switch to Tea Party

By GottaLaff

On April Fool's Day, Tony Perkins came out with this:

"If you can't run a party, you can't run a country."

He told donors to withhold their money, to refrain from donating to the RNC. And he wasn't April Fooling.

Today is April 8th. It only took Perkins a week to come up with a new quote or twelve:

“I think the Republicans have to realize they're not operating in a vacuum. Now, while Democrats may be in trouble coming into November's election, the Republicans are not the only game in town,” Perkins told us on ABC’s “Top Line” today.

“As we see the Tea Party movement taking on a life of its own, the Republicans have some competition, which I think is actually good for the conservative vote. And they're going to have to be responsible with how they spend their money, they're going to have to be I think very measured in their message, and that they are embracing a conservative message …. ”

Shorter Perkins: Shape up or we go all Tea Tantrum on you.

Shorter 2010 elections:

VIDEO: Tony Perkins: 'If You Can't Run A Party, You Can't Run A Country'

By GottaLaff

Yesterday I posted about the Family Research Council urging donors to withhold donations to the RNC. Ouch.

Here's some video to buttress that. Watch Tony Perkins saying how much he likes Michael Steele, and it is the RNC that has to deal with all the suckitude:

Family Research Council: Stop RNC Donations

By GottaLaff

Blow. Back:

In the wake of the expense scandal at the Republican National Committee, the Family Research Council urged supporters to stop donating to the RNC "and instead contribute to its own coffers or to candidates with like-minded goals," CNN reports. [...]

Earlier, we noted big Republican donors are already bypassing the RNC.

When Tony Perkins isn't happy, the money goes bye-bye. And we all know it's al-l-l about the money.

Via the Family Research Council site:

The Republican National Committee (RNC) is at the center of another controversy, this one regarding nearly $2,000.00 spent at a bondage-themed strip club outside of Los Angeles. Information about the $1,946.00 dollar expenditure at Voyeur West Hollywood became public when the RNC released its most recent financial disclosure report. The public controversy over the expenditure led to the firing of the staffer yesterday who had incurred the expense. This latest incident is another indication to me that the RNC is completely tone-deaf to the values and concerns of a large number of people from whom they seek financial support. [...]

I've hinted at this before, but now I am saying it--don't give money to the RNC. If you want to put money into the political process, and I encourage you to do so, give directly to candidates who you know reflect your values. Better yet, become a member of FRC Action and learn about the benefits it offers, including participating in the FRC Action PAC which can support candidates who will advance faith, family and freedom!

The RNC has an owie. Who's gonna kiss it now?

Bill O’Reilly to receive ‘Media Courage Award’

By GottaLaff

Know why it's called the "Media Courage" Award? Because it took a whole lot of mustered-up courage for some gofer to convince someone to engrave an award with O'Lielly's name:

The right-wing Family Research Council has announced that at its upcoming Values Voters Summit this fall, the organization will be honoring Fox News host Bill O’Reilly with the first-ever “Media Courage Award.”

FRC President Tony Perkins, who makes a beeline for the Poor Pitiful Bill angle:

Bill O’Reilly has never shied away from denouncing late-term abortions and the handful of doctors who perform them. In the aftermath of George Tiller’s murder, O’Reilly became an easy target for the liberal media who tried to pin some of the blame on Bill, saying he incited the violence by decrying these unnecessary procedures on his show. Despite the unfair allegations, O’Reilly spoke the truth, bringing new light to a gruesome procedure. On behalf of our co-sponsors and millions of values voters, we want to express our gratitude to a culture warrior who uses his national platform to promote life–no matter what the personal or professional costs.

[...] Nothing says courage less than sending your producer to stalk people because they once wrote something critical about you and you’re too afraid to actually call them up and ask them for a response first.

"O'Reilly became an easy target"? Really?

Apparently, not as easy a target as Dr. Tiller was.

VIDEOS: Tony Perkins spews , Rachel Maddow warns, Focus on Family...don't ask

By GottaLaff

The video is from April 2009:



Via Crooks and Liars:

...I received a sick e-mail from Citizen's Link, a part of Focus on the Family.

'Killing is never the answer, whether it’s an unintended pregnancy or to stop abortion.'

Nebraska abortionist LeRoy Carhart says George Tiller's abortion clinic in Wichita, Kan., will reopen Monday. Carhart, who was at the center of the U.S. Supreme Court decision on partial-birth abortion, has been helping at Tiller's clinic for more than 10 years.

But the family said it has not made a decision about the long-term plans for the clinic, after Tiller was shot to death Sunday.

"The Tiller family's focus, of course, is to determine what is in the best interests of the employees and the patients," the family said in a statement.

Carrie Gordon Earll, senior bioethics analyst at Focus on the Family Action, said it's clear what is in the best interest of the patients. "Killing is never the answer, whether it’s an unintended pregnancy or to stop abortion," she said. "We’re speaking the truth about the precious lives of these preborn children. And, despite this tragedy, we are not going to stop."

Maybe the clinic might feel it's in the best interests of everybody staying alive since Dr. Tiller was murdered. He hasn't even been buried yet and FOF is attacking the clinic and talking about the best interests of the patients. Not a word about the women who go there. Cretins.

We see how much his murder has affected them. They've created new words like "preborn," so I imagine they've come up with something like protecting the rights of the "thoughtborn" children, although they wouldn't say it in public. That must be the thinking process they have when they refuse to engage in contraception, sex education and the Plan B pill. We have to protect the rights of the thoughtborn because somebody has to.

I'll let Rachel take it from here:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Conservative Catholics Want an Obama Faith Council Member Fired

Jeebus wept. I guess it's to be expected from a group that touts Bill Donahue and the freaks behind FRC and MRC as members. Poor defenseless Catholics...

Conservative Roman Catholic activists have launched a campaign to remove a member of President Obama's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, alleging that he's a "virulent anti-Catholic bigot."

The groups say that Harry Knox, director of the religion and faith program at the Human Rights Campaign—the nation's largest gay rights group—has a paper trail of anti-Catholic statements.

The activists, including the Catholic League's Bill Donohue, the Family Research Council's Chuck Donovan, and the Media Research Center's Brent Bozell, hosted a conference call this morning and released a letter to President Obama demanding that Knox be booted. (House Minority Leader John Boehner was among the signers.)

Gilgoff has the particulars on what this group considers anti-Catholic as opposed to legitimate criticism, but here's a typical example-

Knox told CNSNews.com that he "absolutely" stands by his criticism of the pope. "The Pope needs to start telling the truth about condom use," Knox said on Monday, Apr. 6. "We are eager to help him do that. Until he [Pope Benedict] is willing to do that and able, he's doing a great deal more harm than good - not just in Africa but around the world. It is endangering people's lives."

Hmmm, truth vs fairy tale. Hard to pick.

Family Research Council Slams GOP's New National Council for a New America

The fundies are a harsh mistress.

"If you don't know where you're going, any road will lead you there." For the Republican Party that African proverb seems incredibly apropos. In another step away from its conservative roots, Republican members of the House unveiled The National Council for a New America in hopes of recasting the Party's ailing identity. The effort only underscores the Republicans' present identity crisis, as the GOP leadership kicked off the campaign devoid of the values that once caused voters to identify with the party.

Via Dan.

Tony Perkins: HHS nominee Sebelius "extremely pro-abortion"; other religious leaders out to thwart nomination

By GottaLaff

A few religious groups are out to get HHS nominee Kathleen Sebelius, and also hope to hurt President Obama with Catholic voters. That Obama. He's such an abortion-loving party-pooper. Why... why... he's so darned anti-life that he's trying to... end a war! Why did we ever vote for him?

Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D), President Obama's choice to head the Department of Health and Human Services, has touched off criticism over her association with a Kansas abortion provider.

Sebelius vetoed a late-term aborition law in 2008, and in 2007 she held a reception at the Kansas governor's mansion that included Dr. George Tiller, a Wichita doctor whose clinic provided late-term abortions. Tiller was under investigation for violating that state's restrictions on some forms of abortion.

The reception, which Sebelius office said Tiller won at an auction, has nonetheless ignited a furor among anti-abortion groups and activists.

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins called Sebelius an "extremely pro-abortion" pick to head HHS.

Sebelius is a cavalier baby-killer! What a bad, bad woman! She's nothing like Perkins, who simply palled around with KKK Grand Wizard David Duke. Why can't more people be like Tony?

Patrick Mahoney, executive director of the Christian Defense Coalition, said within an hour of the news of Sebelius' nomination on Saturday night, he had been in touch with many social conservatives about formulating a strategy to oppose the nomination. One facet of that strategy will be to hold a news conference this week, he said.

Mahoney acknowledged it will be extremely difficult to thwart the Sebelius nomination in a Democratic-controlled Senate, but claimed that Obama's selection will hurt him with Catholic voters.

Along those lines, Mahoney said, the Sebelius confirmation process could be hampered if Catholic leaders speak out against Sebelius. Mahoney said he will be in touch with such leaders in the coming days.

Speaking ill of others: That's not very Christian of him.

Troy Newman, president of Operation Rescue, said his group will make sure that senators are provided information about the connection between Sebelius and Tiller.

The pick of Sebelius shows the "radical nature of Obama," Newman said. [...]

In 2006, Joseph Neumann, the archbishop of Kansas City, said Sebelius should refrain from receiving communion until she changed her views.

Sebelius has won backing from several pro-choice organizations who point out several steps Sebelius has taken they say have reduced abortions in the state. Catholics United even launched a website -- CatholicsForSebelius.org -- backing her nomination.

But no worries. Sebelius will be just fine:

Barring complications that have plagued other Obama administration nominees, though, Sebelius is expected to sail through the Senate. Top Republicans in Washington expect Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) to take the lead in opposing Sebelius.

Let's hope she paid her taxes.

Obama Transition Team in Touch with Family Research Council

By GottaLaff

Tony Perkins

Awhile back I posted this about Obama's reaching out to faith groups. Now we can add this follow-up:

When I wrote this week about the Obama transition team's frequent outreach to religious groups in the process of its policy planning and agency review, I noted that politically conservative faith-based outfits like the Family Research Council and the public-policy arm of the Southern Baptist Convention hadn't been invited to powwows with president-elect Obama [...]

It turns out that the Obama team has been in touch with the Family Research Council, one of the most powerful conservative Christian advocacy groups in Washington. [...]

FRC spokesperson J.P. Duffy confirms that the Obama team placed the call [to Tony Perkins] but that he was unaware of it when he told me earlier in the week that FRC hadn't been contacted by the president-elect's office. [...]

I'd reported earlier that the Southern Baptist Convention's Richard Land received a phone call from Obama religious affairs director Joshua DuBois, even though Land and his deputies haven't been invited to sit down with the Obama team.

P.E. Obama is nothing if not inclusive.