Will Rommney"s Appearance at Hate Group Event Turn Off Moderates?

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As regular readers know, I hold nothing but contempt for KKK lover and his vile organization, Family Research Council ("FRC"), a Southern Poverty Law Center registered hate group. FRC is one of the organizations that make Christianity a foul force in both America and in nations overseas where it exports religious extremism and hate and bigotry. And each year FRC hosts its "Value Voters Summit" in Washington, D.C., where one regularly sees some of the most homophobic, racist, greed driven, and anti-secular democracy speakers that one can imagine. Sadly, this year ever Republican presidential nominee contender, including Mitt Romney, will make appearances and kiss the ring of the most hate filled element in society. One has to wonder what Romney really thinks given his past positions on issues. Yet he is scheduled to appear immediately before hate merchant extraordinaire Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association who routinely has denigrated blacks, native Americans, gays, immigrants and, of Muslims. The New York Times looks at the risks to Romney (the image above is a SPLC press release on the issue of FRC's coven of haters):

Since Mitt Romney is battling suspicion among Christian conservatives about the depth of his opposition to same-sex marriage and abortion, it is no surprise that he is joining the other major Republican candidates this week to speak at the annual Values Voters Summit, a celebration of the political aims of the religious right.

The conference, from Friday to Sunday in Washington, is sponsored by the Family Research Council, the American Family Association and other evangelical Christian groups.

The conference planners have obliged Mr. Romney, scheduling him to speak right before Bryan Fischer, who is chief spokesman for the family association and is known for his strident remarks on homosexuality, gay rights, Muslims and Mormons. Their talks will be followed by a panel of same-sex marriage opponents.

The liberal advocacy group People for the American Way has called on the presidential candidates, and especially Mr. Romney because he will share a stage, to publicly disassociate themselves from Mr. Fischer and what it called, in a statement on Wednesday, his “unmitigated bigotry.” The Southern Poverty Law Center has made similar appeals to the candidates.

Mr. Fischer has stood out for his harsh statements on his daily radio show, likening gay rights advocates to domestic terrorists, arguing that gay men and lesbians should be barred from public office and repeating the discredited theory that homosexuals built the Nazi Party. He has said that American Muslims should be banned from the military and that Mormons, let alone Muslims, should not enjoy First Amendment protections because these are reserved for true Christians.

“If Mitt Romney wants to appeal to mainstream audiences, he should publicly disassociate himself from Fischer’s bigotry before handing him the podium,” said Michael Keegan, president of People for the American Way.