Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch Calls For Unity Among Conservatives & LGBTQs On His Way Out The Door

Retiring GOP Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah

The Republican Party has never been a great friend to the LGBTQ community.

Too many conservative, Evangelical votes to court made us less than a priority in their eyes.

But as Congress prepares to recess for the holiday, Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch, in his farewell address on the floor of the Senate, surprised many by telling his colleagues they should “protect LGBTQ individuals from invidious discrimination.”

Here’s just part of what the conservative Christian and Mormon said on Wednesday via the Washington Post:

“Nowhere is the pluralist approach more needed than in the fraught relationship between religious liberty and LGBTQ rights. . . . Religious liberty is a fundamental freedom. It deserve the very highest protection our country can provide. At the same time, it’s also important to account of other interests as well — especially those of our LGBTQ brothers and sisters. Pluralism shows us a better way. It shows us that protecting religious liberty and preserving the rights of LGBTQ individuals are not mutually exclusive. I believe we can find substantial common ground on these issues that will enable us to both safeguard the ability of religious individuals to live their faith and protect LGBTQ individuals from invidious discrimination.”

Referencing the passage of the “Utah Compromise,” an anti-discrimination law that passed with bipartisan support in Utah in 2015, the 81-year-old shared how the legislation strengthened religious freedom and protected LGBT Americans from discrimination.

Hatch said that passing similar legislation on a federal level could be a unifying piece of legislation that honors the diversity of Americans.

While it’s nice that Sen. Hatch raises his voice in support for LGBTQ inclusion as he walks out the door, pardon me if I find it a bit of “too little, too late.”

As The Washington Post points out, no group is less supportive of same-sex marriage and the advancement of LGBT rights than white evangelicals.

And the Republican Party has been home to white evangelicals since the election of President Ronald Reagan.

And, it was white evangelicals, white Catholics and white Protestant Christians who flocked to Donald Trump in 2016. The same Donald Trump who hasn't paused in his attacks on our community since taking office.

And then there's Hatch's own record on LGBTQ issues:

• Voted YES on constitutional ban of same-sex marriage

• Voted YES on prohibiting same-sex marriage

• Voted NO on adding sexual orientation to definition of hate crimes

• Voted NO on prohibiting job discrimination by sexual orientation

So, while I appreciate the sentiment, Mr. Hatch, thanks for not a lot.

Hillary Clinton Makes Cameo Appearance At Grammys, Triggered Conservatives Heads Explode

In a skit during last night's Grammy Awards, several celebrities "auditioned" to the be the narrator's voice for an upcoming audio book version of Michael Wolff's explosive #1 best-seller, Fire and Fury: Inside The Trump White House.

Cher, John Legend and Snoop Dogg were among the hopefuls, but it was a cameo by Hillary Clinton that triggered a lot of snowflake conservatives.

“One reason why he liked to eat at McDonald’s,” Clinton reads from the book, “nobody knew he was coming and the food was safely premade.”

And the crowd goes wild...

On the hunt for a GRAMMY Award of his own, James Corden auditions celebrities for the spoken word version of Michael Wolff's "Fire and Fury." pic.twitter.com/SjTobAbv2N

— The Late Late Show with James Corden (@latelateshow) January 29, 2018

Getting to read a #fakenews book excerpt at the Grammys seems like a great consolation prize for losing the presidency. #GrammyAwards

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) January 29, 2018

I have always loved the Grammys but to have artists read the Fire and Fury book killed it. Don’t ruin great music with trash. Some of us love music without the politics thrown in it.

— Nikki Haley (@nikkihaley) January 29, 2018

I have always loved the United States but to have a criminal read the Oath of Office killed it. Don't ruin great countries with trash. Some of us love our country without the grifters thrown in it https://t.co/jeHV2riTwK

— Justin (@DTPJustin) January 29, 2018

Gotta love it when pop stars and rappers act like they are the moral authority and compass for the country. Mhmm. Sure. #grammys

— Tomi Lahren (@TomiLahren) January 29, 2018

Gotta love it when American musicians exercise their First Amendment rights to express sincere concerns about the country they love. Mhmm. #Grammys https://t.co/0HaEIFFlqi

— The Randy Report (@randyslovacek) January 29, 2018

Please do not tell Nikki Haley that the Oscars are March 4th because I don’t want to ruin movies for her and her family just in case the awards show gets political.

— Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) January 29, 2018

Hillary Clinton reading a book at the Grammys really triggered Trump world!! Don Jr, Nikki Haley and Fox Friends were all so angry they lashed out. Awww, poor snowflakes!! Every time we piss off a Trump supporter an angel gets their wings!

— (((DeanObeidallah))) (@DeanObeidallah) January 29, 2018

The most unexpected win at the #grammys had nothing to do with music. pic.twitter.com/qyW9FaTgAn

— Mrs. Betty Bowers (@BettyBowers) January 29, 2018

Clinton's #Grammys cameo + cheers + outrage = The latest sign the country will never really get over the 2016 election? https://t.co/mGLpz9TT6o

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) January 29, 2018

The Federalist: Even If Roy Moore Has Sex With My 14-Year-Old Daughter I'd Vote For Him

Roy Moore

Tully Borland, of the ultra-conservative The Federalist, has gone all and said in public what many conservatives really feel about Alabama GOP nominee Roy Moore: Even if Moore did have sex with a 14 year-old, it's better to vote for him rather than a Democrat.

Here's the main thrust of the piece:

Here is one thing we know and should admit from the start: in his early thirties, Moore had a penchant for dating teenagers. Apparently, this was not an uncommon occurrence during this time. In fact, this practice has a long history and is not without some merit if one wants to raise a large family.

To have a large family, the wife must start having kids when she is young. The husband needs to be well-established and able to support the family, in which case he will typically need to marry when older.

Times have changed. But, like it or not, four decades ago Moore dated teenagers (even his wife is 14 years younger than he).

But let’s suppose the accusations are mostly true. Then from a conservative moral perspective, Moore is guilty of lying, trying to have pre-marital sexual relations with girls half his age, and pressuring them to do so without first determining that they reciprocate. There is no sugar-coating what he did. Moore was a dirt bag and is currently lying about his actions rather than confessing the truth and asking for forgiveness.

If elected, Moore would join the ranks of other undignified politicians who have been liars and fornicators. I have a 14-year-old daughter. If I caught him doing what was alleged, for starters I would kick him where it counts. Hard. That being said, I don’t think it’s wrong to vote for Moore.

Borland goes on to say that voting for Democrat Doug Jones would be far worse than Moore because Jones supports abortion rights which kills more people.

See? Like that.

Even conservatives on Twitter weren't buying this load of crap.

There it is. The Federalist says it’s okay to vote for a sexual predator & assaulter of children because abortion. pic.twitter.com/tvKJdUKHLP

— Nish Weiseth (@NishWeiseth) November 30, 2017

"I have a 14-year old daughter. If I caught Roy Moore doing what was alleged, I would kick him where it counts. But if he did it to 9 girls who aren't MY daughter, I'm ok with putting him in the US Senate." - The Federalist, redux

— John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) November 30, 2017

Vote for the child molester--it's important. https://t.co/izIVObBGYJ

— Mike Warren (@MichaelRWarren) November 30, 2017

Oh for the love of God, just stop. https://t.co/7UYAgrOGnN

— Noah Rothman (@NoahCRothman) November 30, 2017

Good gravy. I think he cribbed this from a manual on how to raise livestock.

— Kurt Eby (@ebydoesit) November 30, 2017

Conservatives Question The Current Spate Of Anti-LGBT 'Bathroom Laws'

Using phrases like "crazy false narrative" and "bogus issue," some conservatives are openly suspicious of the true nature of these 'bathroom bills,' even as lawmakers continue to introduce more anti-LGBT hate laws.

The questions come from conservative pundits across the media landscape, even Fox News.

Cartoon Of The Day

Conservatives are aghast that, after Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner invited Pope Francis to speak to a joint session of Congress, the lessons from Francis are:

• that we should be more giving to those less fortunate

• we should take care of the planet rather than ravage it

• we should have more grace in our hearts for immigrants

The right wing fringe of the political spectrum, of course, takes the next "logical" step.

See the above.

ROTFL...

Conservative Pundit Guy Benson: I'm Standing On The Shoulders Of Those I Now Belittle

Conservative pundit and Fox News commentator Guy Benson shared in his new book that he is gay.

And yesterday he took a media lap to the thrill of Teabagistan to celebrate his newfound "openness."

Stopping by Megyn Kelly's show, Benson gave "some credit" to the gay rights activists who, through decades of fighting for equality and dignity, make it possible for him to be openly gay in America today.

How generous.

"I just want to acknowledge, quickly, that I recognize that I am so fortunate to live in a country and an era where we can be having this exact kind conversation on national television. And I recognize that a lot of that is due to the fact that I'm standing of the shoulders of people who've worked very hard for a very long time, who probably don't share my political persuasion. So I just want to give them some credit in this. But I think when that crosses some threshold into punishing and purging dissenters and trying to exact punishments on people for not agreeing, that is not what we should be about in this country. I think we should be better than that in this country."

Phyllis Schlafly: Governors Should Defy SCOTUS On Marriage Equality Decision

Months away from a decision on same-sex marriage, and the loonies are already freaking out.

Eagle Forum founder Phyllis Schlafly told Focal Point host Bryan Fischer that state governors should simply “refuse to enforce” a Supreme Court decision striking down bans on same-sex marriage.

She also urged President Obama or whoever replaces him to direct the Attorney General to defy the court, just as the federal government should have ignored the Dred Scot ruling before the Civil War.

“We just cannot live in a country where one judge or even five judges are able to change the law of our land that goes against the laws of most of our states and we’ve had for several thousands of years about the definition of marriage, that is simply not our form of government,” Schlafly said. “We believe in ‘We The People.’”

Ben Carson: Anti-Gay Bakers Might Poison Wedding Cakes If Pushed

Conservative political hopeful Ben Carson, speaking to the press yesterday at the Iowa Freedom Summit, learned he may need to sharpen his technique when facing the press.

Take this example when he commented on political correctness and gay marriage:

"What I have a problem with is when people try to force people to act against their beliefs because they say 'they're discriminating against me.' So they can go right down the street and buy a cake, but no, let's bring a suit against this person because I want them to make my cake even though they don't believe in it.

"Which is really not all that smart because they might put poison in that cake."

According to The Hill, Carson's staff found the comment humorous, but received dead silence from the journalists in the room.

Meet The Koch Sisters

From the clip description: Meet Joyce and Karen Koch – two ordinary everyday Americans who share the last name. They are not related to David and Charles Koch... or to each other.

But they are sisters where it counts – in spirit, in union solidarity, and in their shared values.

(h/t JMG)

S.E. Cupp says conservatives more respectful of atheists than liberals

I personally respect everyone's right to be Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Atheist, Agnostic... wherever in the spectrum you fall.

But I'm not so sure the world of conservatives is "far more respectful of atheism" than liberals. I just don't buy that.

All those Republican folks down in the Bible Belt are kinder to the idea of atheists than liberals?

Nope.

Conservative Logic 101

Right Wing Rodeo by Media Matters

Roundup of the weeks worst moments in conservative media this week.

Fox News says the USA was too busy watching the Olympics to see Ukraine agression coming, and Sean Hannity makes fun of Obama wearing a cycling helmet while Putin rides horse-back shirtless.

Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry

New video from Freedom to Marry:

The freedom to marry is not a partisan value and is consistent with basic conservative values of responsibility and community, limited government and individual freedom.

Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry is a campaign to highlight and build support for the freedom to marry among young conservatives across America. They represent the rapidly growing numbers of young conservatives across the country that agree all Americans should be able to share in the freedom to marry.

Conservative leaders file brief in support of SCOTUS Prop 8 repeal

Via press release: This week, more than 80 social and political conservatives, moderates, and libertarians from diverse religious, racial, regional, and philosophical backgrounds will file an amicus curiae, or “friend of the Court,” brief with the United States Supreme Court in support of the Plaintiffs challenging California’s Proposition 8 in Hollingsworth v. Perry.

Those currently listed as signatories to the brief include Mary Bono Mack, Alex Castellanos, James B. Comey, Gary Johnson, Stephen Hadley, Jon Huntsman, James Kolbe, Ken Mehlman, Steve Schmidt, William F. Weld, Christine Todd Whitman, and Meg Whitman.

Enacted in November 2008, Proposition 8 eliminated the fundamental freedom of gay and lesbian Californians to marry.

The American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) is the sole sponsor of Hollingsworth v. Perry, the federal constitutional challenge to Proposition 8.

“The support for marriage equality demonstrated by this amicus brief represents a microcosm of what we see happening all across the country," said AFER executive director Adam Umhoefer. “Americans are united behind the concepts of freedom, dignity and strong families. Since the inception of our case, AFER has worked to strip the partisan veil that had existed for too long around marriage equality. The conservative movement toward the freedom to marry is what we like to call the ‘Ted Olson effect.’ We value the support of our conservative colleagues and welcome their voices to the growing majority of Americans who stand for marriage equality.”

Building bi-partisan support has been part of AFER's mission ever since the filing of its federal constitutional challenge to overturn Proposition 8. AFER assembled a bi-partisan legal team led by Theodore B. Olson, Solicitor General of the United States during the first term of President George W. Bush, and renowned litigator David Boies to demonstrate that Proposition 8 violates the United States Constitution by denying millions of people their fundamental right to marry and their right to equal protection of the laws.

While the list of amici continues to grow, the current list includes:

• Ken Mehlman, Chairman, Republican National Committee, 2005-2007
• Tim Adams, Undersecretary of the Treasury for International Affairs, 2005-2007
• David D. Aufhauser, General Counsel, Department of Treasury, 2001-2003
• Cliff S. Asness, Businessman, Philanthropist, and Author
• John B. Bellinger III, Legal Adviser to the Department of State, 2005-2009
• Katie Biber, General Counsel, Romney for President, 2007-2008 and 2011-2012
• Mary Bono Mack, Member of Congress, 1998-2013
• William A. Burck, Deputy Staff Secretary, Special Counsel and Deputy Counsel to the President, 2005-2009
• Alex Castellanos, Republican Media Advisor
• Paul Cellucci, Governor of Massachusetts, 1997-2001, and Ambassador to Canada, 2001-2005
• Mary Cheney, Director of Vice Presidential Operations, Bush-Cheney 2004
• Jim Cicconi, Assistant to the President & Deputy to the Chief of Staff, 1989-1990
• James B. Comey, United States Deputy Attorney General, 2003-2005
• R. Clarke Cooper, U.S. Alternative Representative, United Nations Security Council, 2007-2009
• Julie Cram, Deputy Assistant to the President and Director White House Office of Public Liaison, 2007-2009
• Michele Davis, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs and Director of Policy Planning, Department of the Treasury, 2006-2009
• Kenneth M. Duberstein, White House Chief of Staff and Assistant to the President, 1981-1984 and 1987-1989
• Lew Eisenberg, Finance Chairman, Republican National Committee, 2002-2004
• Elizabeth Noyer Feld, Public Affairs Specialist, White House Office of Management and Budget, 1984-1987
• David Frum, Special Assistant to the President, 2001-2002
• Richard Galen, Communications Director, Speaker’s Political Office, 1996-1997
• Mark Gerson, Chairman, Gerson Lehrman Group and Author of The Neoconservative Vision: From the Cold War to the Culture Wars and In the Classroom: Dispatches from an Inner-City School that Works
• Benjamin Ginsberg, General Counsel, Bush-Cheney 2000 & 2004
• Adrian Gray, Director of Strategy, Republican National Committee, 2005-2007
• Richard Grenell, Spokesman, U.S. Ambassadors to the United Nations, 2001-2008
• Patrick Guerriero, Mayor, Melrose Massachusetts and member of Massachusetts House of Representatives, 1993-2001
• Carlos Gutierrez, Secretary of Commerce, 2005-2009
• Stephen Hadley, Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor, 2005-2009
• Richard Hanna, Member of Congress, 2011-Present
• Israel Hernandez, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, 2005-2009
• Margaret Hoover, Advisor to the Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, 2005-2006
• Michael Huffington, Member of Congress, 1993-1995
• Jon Huntsman, Governor of Utah, 2005-2009
• David A. Javdan, General Counsel, United States Small Business Administration, 2002-2006
• Reuben Jeffery, Undersecretary of State for Economic, Energy, and Agricultural Affairs, 2007-2009
• Greg Jenkins, Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Presidential Advance, 2003-2004
• Coddy Johnson, National Field Director, Bush-Cheney 2004
• Gary Johnson, Governor of New Mexico, 1995-2003
• Robert Kabel, Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs, 1982-1985
• Theodore W. Kassinger, Deputy Secretary of Commerce, 2004-2005
• Jonathan Kislak, Deputy Undersecretary of Agriculture for Small Community and Rural Development, 1989-1991
• David Kochel, Senior Advisor to Mitt Romney’s Iowa Campaign, 2007-2008 and 2011-2012
• James Kolbe, Member of Congress, 1985-2007
• Jeffrey Kupfer, Acting Deputy Secretary of Energy, 2008-2009
• Kathryn Lehman, Chief of Staff, House Republican Conference, 2003-2005
• Daniel Loeb, Businessman and Philanthropist
• Alex Lundry, Director of Data Science, Romney for President, 2012
• Greg Mankiw, Chairman, Council of Economic Advisers, 2003-2005
• Catherine Martin, Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Communications Director for Policy & Planning, 2005-2007
• Kevin Martin, Chairman, Federal Communications Commission, 2005-2009
• David McCormick, Undersecretary of the Treasury for International Affairs, 2007-2009
• Mark McKinnon, Republican Media Advisor
• Bruce P. Mehlman, Assistant Secretary of Commerce, 2001-2003
• Connie Morella, Member of Congress, 1987-2003 and U.S. Ambassador to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2003-2007
• Michael E. Murphy, Republican Political Consultant
• Michael Napolitano, White House Office of Political Affairs, 2001-2003
• Ana Navarro, National Hispanic Co-Chair for Senator John McCain’s Presidential Campaign, 2008
• Noam Neusner, Special Assistant to the President for Economic Speechwriting, 2002-2005
• Nancy Pfotenhauer, Economist, Presidential Transition Team, 1988 and President's Council on Competitiveness, 1990
• J. Stanley Pottinger, Assistant U.S. Attorney General (Civil Rights Division), 1973-1977
• Michael Powell, Chairman, Federal Communications Commission, 2001-2005
• Deborah Pryce, Member of Congress, 1993-2009
• John Reagan, New Hampshire State Senator, 2012-Present
• Kelley Robertson, Chief of Staff, Republican National Committee, 2005-2007
• Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Member of Congress, 1989-Present
• Harvey S. Rosen, Member and Chairman, Council of Economic Advisers, 2003-2005
• Lee Rudofsky, Deputy General Counsel, Romney for President, 2012
• Patrick Ruffini, eCampaign Director, Republican National Committee, 2005-2007
• Steve Schmidt, Deputy Assistant to the President and Counselor to the Vice President, 2004-2006
• Ken Spain, Communications Director, National Republican Congressional Committee, 2009-2010
• Robert Steel, Undersecretary of the Treasury for Domestic Finance, 2006-2008
• David Stockman, Director, Office of Management and Budget, 1981-1985
• Jane Swift, Governor of Massachusetts, 2001-2003
• Michael E. Toner, Chairman and Commissioner, Federal Election Commission, 2002-2007
• Michael Turk, eCampaign Director for Bush-Cheney 2004
• Mark Wallace, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Representative for UN Management and Reform, 2006-2008
• Nicolle Wallace, Assistant to the President and White House Communications Director, 2005-2008
• William F. Weld, Governor of Massachusetts, 1991-1997, and Assistant U.S. Attorney General (Criminal Division), 1986-1988
• Christine Todd Whitman, Governor of New Jersey, 1994-2001, and Administrator of the EPA, 2001-2003
• Meg Whitman, Republican Nominee for Governor of California, 2010
• Robert Wickers, Republican Political Consultant
• Dan Zwonitzer, Wyoming State Representative, 2005-present

Gay Republicans take out full page ad in Tampa Tribune supporting marriage equality

More Republicans I can like!

The Log Cabin Republicans and Young Conservatives for the Freedom To Marry are running a full page ad in the Tampa Tribune during the Republican National Convention asking the conservative party to join the clear path of history and get onboard with marriage equality. The ad points out how and why marriage equality fits into the conservative viewpoint.

From the Log Cabin Republicans press release:

The full-page color ad, featuring photos of same-sex couples and their families, emphasizes that the freedom to marry is fully consistent with principles valued by conservatives: freedom, personal responsibility, and the importance of family. The ad comes in the wake of the party's extreme stance on marriage in its draft platform, which includes support for a federal constitutional amendment banning the freedom to marry for same-sex couples. Tony Perkins, the president of the anti-gay Family Research Council, authored the marriage plank, which is expected to be ratified at the convention.

"Gay or straight, Republicans are united in the belief that strong families are critical to a free society," said R. Clarke Cooper, Executive Director of the Log Cabin Republicans. "As fellow conservatives, Log Cabin Republicans actually agree with Tony Perkins about the importance of family values. The difference is, we believe that the freedom to marry is directly in line with the core ideals and principles of the Republican Party - less government, more individual freedom, personal responsibility and the importance of family."

"The writing is on the wall for the Republican Party: Stand up for the values they say they believe in, or risk being seen as irrelevant with younger conservatives," said Sarah Longwell, Vice President at Berman and Company and a member of the Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry leadership committee. "This is a party that should support freedom - for all people, and all families."

Here's the ad below:

LogCabin TampaTrib Ad

Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry

A new campaign plans to tap into and build upon the growing support for marriage equality expressed by young conservatives in the United States.

Freedom To Marry, the national advocacy group, launched the initiative, Young Conservatives for the Freedom To Marry, on Tuesday. The campaign intends to show the bipartisan nature of marriage equality by providing a platform for conservatives, Republicans and Libertarians under the age of 44 who believe the issue “fulfills basic conservative values of responsibility and community, as well as limited government and individual freedom,” according to a news release.

Recent polls show that support for marriage equality has grown across every demographic, including conservative voters, and in particular among young people. A poll from ABC News/Washington Post in May found that while 61% of Republicans thought that same-sex marriage should be illegal, 46% of Republicans between the ages of 18 and 44 supported marriage equality.

“Freedom and family are core conservative values,” said conservative commentator Margaret Hoover, a leadership committee member, in the group’s news release. “We have a historic opportunity to reaffirm these important values by supporting the fundamental freedom to marry for all Americans.  Now is the time for a rising generation of voters and leaders to embrace these virtues and join Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry.”

Read more at the Advocate