Oliver North: GOP Must Oppose Marriage Equality Like It Fought Slavery

Oliver North - time has not been kind

 

 

I met Oliver North several times roughly 20 years ago when he was running for U.S. Senate.  While the man had a charisma that is hard to understand unless one has met him in person, I joined with former U.S. Senator John Warner in backing Democrat Chuck Robb rather than North.  About the only redeeming thing I can say is that he was wonderful with my two younger children - at one GOP mass meeting, my youngest daughter strayed away from my campaign table and low and behold I find her in earnest conversation with Ollie North.  My son at the time (he'd be horrified now) was equally entranced by North.  Unfortunately, North is now pandering with all his might to the Christofascists in the GOP base apparently in a pathetic effort to remain relevant at least in that crazed circle of religious extremists and racists.  Right Wing Watch looks at North's latest demagoguery:

In an appearance at CPAC today, Oliver North denounced President Obama for treating military service members like “laboratory rats in some radical social experiment” and “apologizing” for America. North insisted that the US “has nothing ever to apologize for, not once” in its entire history.

Later, North said that the GOP must remain firm in working to ban marriage equality and abortion rights just as abolitionists fought to end slavery, warning that “if we as conservatives cease to be a place where people of faith and those who believe in strong moral values can come, we will cease to be a political force in America.”

Here's a video clip:

Former GOP Senator John Warner Endorses Mark Warner

One Virginia Republican who represents what the GOP once was is former U.S. Senator John Warner who I was lucky enough to know back in my days as a GOP activist.  Of equal importance, John Warner never hesitated to reject a GOP candidate that he deemed too extreme and harmful to Virginia.  Not surprisingly John Warner was often condemned by the extremists at The Family Foundation and among other Bible thumper circles.  Now, the likely GOP candidate seeking to challenge incumbent Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat and no relation to John Warner, is Ed Gillespie, a former Enron lobbyist, RNC Chair, and George W. Bush minion.  Added to these unattractive resume entries is the manner in which Gillespie has been courting the nastiest elements of the Christofascists in Virginia.  The upshot?  Former GOP Senator John Warner has endorsed Democrat Mark Warner for reelection this November.  The Virginian Pilot has deatils on this welcomed endorsement.  Here are some highlights:

Former Republican Sen. John W. Warner, never bashful about defying the Virginia GOP establishment, endorsed his Democratic successor's re-election bid Monday.

Warner told The Associated Press in a telephone interview that he is supporting Sen. Mark R. Warner, who is being challenged by former Republican National Committee chairman Ed Gillespie in November's election. The Warners are not related.

"There are times you must, I think, recognize that certain individuals are superior in their talents and in what they have done and can potentially do for your state," John Warner said.

The endorsement comes 20 years after John Warner riled the ascendant conservative wing of the state GOP by backing independent candidate J. Marshall Coleman instead of Iran-Contra figure Oliver L. North in the campaign against Democratic U.S. Sen. Chuck Robb. The year before, he had declined to endorse Republican home-schooling advocate Mike Farris for lieutenant governor.

This is the first time John Warner has publicly backed a Virginia Democrat, although he has also recently donated to the campaign of Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Michelle Nunn in Georgia.

He praised his successor for following in his own tradition of seeking bipartisan solutions.
"Mark Warner, if I may say with a sense of humility, like John Warner crosses the aisle and makes things work," he said. "We come from the old school. The Senate works best when there's collaborative effort between the two parties."

John Warner said it's important to keep the incumbent because he's had six years to learn how the Senate works and start to build seniority. The former Navy secretary and Senate Armed Services Committee chairman also said Mark Warner "is absolutely solid in his commitment to national security."

Eighteen years after handing out "Mark Not John" bumper stickers to all who would take them, the senator said he is grateful for the support of a former opponent who later became a close friend.  "John Warner is the gold standard in Virginia," he said. "I learned a lot of things from John Warner, but the most important is Virginia always comes first."

University of Virginia political analyst Larry Sabato said the endorsement should give Mark Warner a boost among middle-of-the-road voters who have been abandoned the GOP. In last November's elections, Virginians rejected an extremely conservative Republican slate and gave Democrats their first sweep of the top three state offices in 24 years.

"The premier effect will be a television ad that will underline Mark Warner's broad appeal, at least to moderate Republicans. How many of those are left, I can't tell you," Sabato said. "The Republicans have lost not only moderates, but also a lot of moderate conservatives."

John Warner is indeed the gold standard - especially compared to most of today's Congressional Republicans.   Like John Warner, I could not in good conscience support Oliver North.  If there were more Republicans today like John Warner, perhaps fewer people like myself would have fled the GOP in disgust.

Christianist Crazy Fest

I had done a post last month on a confab of Christianist lunacy that was to take place in the Norfolk/Virginia Beach area over the last two days. Since the event titled "Rediscovering God in America" was closed to reporters, details are brief - such as did Bob "Taliban Bob" McDonnell, the GOP candidate for governor sneak in even though he is pretending to be a moderate - but it definitely sounds like the wingnuts were in full force bleating their theocratic message. Among those speaking at the event which took place at Rock Church in Virginia Beach were the loon from Arkansas, Mike Huckabee, failed senatorial candidate Oliver North, David Barton (WallBuilders), Lou Engle (TheCall visionary), and Ron Luce (Teen Mania founder). The three hours of lunacy was broadcast live on God.TV, an evangelical Web site, and will replay Sunday evening. Here are some highlights from the Virginian Pilot:

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Two leading voices of the Republican Party's evangelical wing visited Rock Church on Friday for a forum aimed at recapturing some of the movement's political momentum. Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee urged Christians to get involved in politics to preserve the presence of religion in American life.

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They and other speakers warned about the continuing availability of abortion, the spread of gay rights, and attempts to remove religion from American public life and school history books. Gingrich and Huckabee, a former governor of Arkansas, argued the rights of Americans stem from God and to ignore that connection is perilous. The two were among several speakers, including former U.S. Senate candidate Oliver North, at the three-hour "Rediscovering God in America" event. The event was closed to reporters but was broadcast live on God.TV, an evangelical Web site.

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Huckabee told the audience he was disturbed to hear President Barack Obama say during his speech in Cairo, Egypt, on Thursday that one nation shouldn't be exalted over another. "The notion that we are just one of many among equals is nonsense," Huckabee said. The United States is a "blessed" nation, he said, calling American revolutionaries' defeat of the British empire "a miracle from God's hand." The same kind of miracle, he said, led California voters to approve Proposition 8, which overturned a state law legalizing same-sex marriages.

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"I am not a citizen of the world," said Gingrich, who was first elected to the U.S. House from Georgia in 1978 and served as speaker from 1995 to 1999. "I am a citizen of the United States because only in the United States does citizenship start with our creator." Huckabee urged his listeners to get engaged in public life or their views won't matter.

"Christian" Hate Merchants Coming to Norfolk

Of all the cities in Southeastern Virginia, Norfolk is among the most progressive and has the most evolved LGBT community. Thus, you can imaging my shock and disappointment to receive via a forward from a friend an e-mail from The Family Foundation, Daddy Dobson's Virginia hate group, which is partnering with American Family Association and announcing that The Family Foundation and other Christianists will be bringing their foul stench to Norfolk. The event captioned as "Pastor's Policy Briefing" will usher into town some of the nastiest and most gay-hating, anti-liberty individuals in the nation. It is no surprise that the event is being promoted by The Family Foundation (which refers to me as "homosexual activist blogger Michael-In-Norfolk" and whines about me telling the truth about them - BTW, the folks at TFF still haven't told me if they asked Bob McDonnell about why he covered up for Ed Schrock and his gay trysts for nearly 8 months).

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I suspect the timing is no accident since the event is the weekend preceding the June 9, 2009, Democrat primary and the plan might well be to recruit wingnuts to vote in the primary so as to nominate the candidate least able to defeat Bob "Taliban Bob" McDonnell for Governor. The other obvious purpose is to begin rallying the wingnuts to work for the election of Bob McDonnell which would be a disaster for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Here's the information from the e-mail and TFF's website:

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The Virginia Renewal Project has invited pastors throughout the state to attend its upcoming Pastors' Policy Briefing, meant to encourage pastors and their congregations to take a stand for morality in their daily lives. The hotel and all meals are complimentary to pastors.

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Please make sure that your pastor is not left out of this important event by printing the following invitation and giving it to your pastor:

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Virginia Renewal Project

Cordially invites you to participate in its

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Pastors' Policy Briefing

Rediscovering God in America

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With Special Guests

Former Speaker Newt Gingrich

Rediscovering God in America

and

Historian David Barton

WallBuilders

and

Former Governor Mike Huckabee

and

The Honorable Bob McEwen

and

Lt. Col. Oliver North

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Who will be accompanied by

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Lou Engle

Dr. Jerry Falwell, Jr.

Dr. Mat Staver

Dr. Laurence White

and other guest speakers

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T o be held at the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside

777 Waterside Drive , Norfolk, VA 23510

on Thursday, June 4th and Friday, June 5th.

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Meals and lodging are complimentary and will be provided by the Virginia Renewal Project.

To reserve your space, please RSVP No later than May 21, 2009

by calling (800) 992-5596 or https://the.maxcelreg.net/VAbriefing.

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Hotel information will be distributed the week of May 25 2009.

RESERVATIONS are limited and will be accepted on a first call basis.
Today, more than ever, we need men and women that are willing to take a stand for the biblical principles handed down to us by our forefathers. Please don't let this opportunity pass your pastor by. Be sure your pastor be sure your pastor gets this invitation!

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The irony is that this cluster f*ck of hate and intolerance will be at the Sheraton Waterside which has been a huge supporter of HRBOR and other LGBT organizations. I wonder if the folks at Virginia Renewal Project know this. I also wonder if any of the anti-gay wingnuts will be staying in the Presidential Suite where HRBOR recently held a wonderful wine tasting event. I hate the though of the Sheraton filled with Christian fascists (who will I assume leave their jackboots at home).