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CNN’s Pro-Homosexual Debate Ploy Backfires
Americans for Truth ^

Posted on 12/01/2007 6:58:38 PM PST by Coleus

‘Gay’ Ret. Brig. Gen. Keith Kerr allowed to critique Republican candidates’ answers

brig_gen_keith_kerr.jpg  CNN flew in Retired Brig. Gen. Keith Kerr — a  homosexual  activist and Log Cabin Republicans member who now crusades for allowing admitted homosexuals in the U.S. military — to its GOP presidential debate Wednesday, so he could CRITIQUE the candidates’ responses to his question about “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” At left is how Kerr — who calls the GOP candidates “partisanly homophobic” – appeared on video during the CNN/YouTube Republican debate.  CNN also had another Log Cabin activist ask a pro-homosexual question at the debate.   Photo: CNN/YouTube.

cooper_anderson.jpg CNN’s pro-homosexual presidential debate was moderated by Anderson Cooper. A major homosexual magazine, OUT, has “outed” Cooper as one of the nation’s most influential homosexuals. Though Cooper is mum on his “sexual orientation,” his pro-”gay” bias is abundantly clear at CNN, as it was again at Wednesday’s debate. Homosexual activists would come harder after Cooper if his reportage was not so “gay”-friendly. See AFTAH’s adjoining story, “Does CNN’s Anderson Cooper Have a Conflict of Interest on ‘Gay’ Issues?”

TAKE ACTION:  Write CNN News at www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form5.html?92
and/or Anderson Cooper at
http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form5.html?10 to comment on their egregious pro-homosexual and anti-Republican bias and lack of professionalism in the CNN/Youtube presidential debate Wednesday.

Peter LaBarbera, www.americansfortruth.org

Dear Americans For Truth Reader,

The liberals over at CNN are so committed to open homosexuality in the U.S. armed forces that they flew in a retired homosexual Brig. Gen. Keith Kerr to participate in their Republican presidential debate Wednesday — so he could critique the GOP candidates’ responses to HIS OWN loaded YouTube question opposing “Don’t’ Ask, Don’t Tell.”

Is it just me, but could you in your wildest imagination picture CNN recruiting Stephen Bennett, a pro-family, EX-”gay” Christian, to ask Democrat presidential candidates a question opposing homosexuality, and then flying him in to critique their responses?

If Kerr’s sneak attack wasn’t bad enough, CNN followed it up a second YouTube question from a homosexual activist — this time it was David Cercone, a Florida Log Cabin Republicans member who, it turns out, is backing Democrat Barack Obama in 2008.   Needless to say, no conservative questions on the homosexual issue were heard from the floor or YouTube at the debate. Much of the critical attention on CNN’s stunt has focused on the Democrat affiliations of the questioners, but since AFTAH, as a tax-exempt nonprofit, has to stay out of the presidential race, we will cover CNN’s blatant bias on homosexuality.

I will say this: thank God for FOX News, Rush Limbaugh and other conservative alternative media, which were all over the CNN/YouTube debacle yesterday. Twenty years ago, CNN’s shenanigans could never have been exposed so quickly to so many millions of Americans. The liberal press monopoly is dead: freedom and genuine media competition is a good thing!  In the end, CNN’s debate scam backfired, and ended up charging up Republicans — hardly their goal, I’m sure. The network committed fraud by not revealing its liberal questioners’ Democrat ties and making it look as if some questioners were undecided on the race when in fact they were liberal partisans.

What follows are the homosexualty excerpts from the Kerr and Cercone portion of the debate, which was hosted by CNN anchor Anderson Cooper — who himself was “outed” as one of America’s most influential homosexuals by OUT, one of the country’s two biggest homosexual magazines, earlier this year. (Cooper is mum on his “sexual orientation,” but his pro-homosexuality bias at CNN has been made abundantly clear, as it was again Wednesday.) See our adjoining story on Cooper, “Does CNN’s Anderson Cooper Have a Conflict of Interest on ‘Gay’ Issues?”

These excerpts come from the Federal News Service through the New York Times (pages 36-38 of the 44-page Times debate transcript):

MR. COOPER: Let’s get back to the debate. Another question from a YouTube viewer. Let’s watch.
Q: My name is Keith Kerr, from Santa Rosa, California. I’m retired brigadier general with 43 years of service, and I’m a graduate of the Special Forces Officer Course, the Command and General Staff Course, and the Army War College. And I’m an openly gay man. want to know why you think that American men and women in uniform are not professional enough to serve with gays and lesbians.

MR. COOPER: I want to point out that Brigadier General Keith Kerr is here with us tonight. Glad you’re here. (Applause.)
I’ll give the question to Congressman Hunter.

REP. HUNTER: Yeah. General, General, thanks for your service, but I believe in what Colin Powell said when he said that having openly homosexual people serving in the ranks would be bad for unit cohesion. And the reason for that — even though people point to the Israelis and point to the Brits and point to other people as having homosexuals serve, is that most Americans, most kids who leave that — that breakfast table and go and serve in the military and make that corporate decision with their family — most of them are conservatives. And they have conservative values, and they have Judeo-Christian values. And to force those people to work in a small, tight unit with somebody who is homoment (sic) — openly homosexual goes against what they believe to be their principles — and it is their principles — is, I think, a disservice to them. And I — I agree with Colin Powell that it would be bad for unit cohesion. (Applause.)

MR. COOPER: I want to direct that to Governor Huckabee. Thirty seconds.

MR. HUCKABEE: The Uniform Code of Military Justice is probably the best rule, and it has to do with conduct. People have a right to have whatever feelings, whatever attitudes they wish.  But when their conduct could put at risk the morale or put at risk even the cohesion that Duncan Hunter spoke of, I think that’s what is at issue, and that’s why our policy is what it is.

MR. COOPER: Governor Romney, you said in 1994 that you looked forward to the day when gays and lesbians could serve, and I quote, “openly and honestly” in our nation’s military. Do you stand by that?

MR. ROMNEY: This isn’t that time. This is not that time. We’re in a middle of a war. The people who have watched –

MR. COOPER: Do you look forward to that time, though, one day?

MR. ROMNEY: I’m going to listen to the people who run the military to see what the circumstances are like. And my view is that at this stage this is not the time for us to make that kind of a change.

MR. COOPER: Is there a change in your position from 1994?

MR. ROMNEY: Yeah, I didn’t think it would work. I didn’t think “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” would work. That was my — I didn’t think that would work. I thought that was a policy — when I heard about it, I laughed. I said that doesn’t make any sense to me. And you know what? It’s been there now for what, 15 years? Seems to have worked.

MR. COOPER: So just on clear — at this point, do you still look forward to a day when gays can serve openly in the military, or no longer?

MR. ROMNEY: I look forward to hearing from the military exactly what they believe is the right way to have the right kind of cohesion and support in our — in our troops, and I’ll listen to what they have to say. (Boos.)

MR. COOPER: All right. General Kerr is, as I said, is here. Please stand up, General. Thank you very much for being with us. Do you feel you got an answer to your question?

GEN. KERR: With all due respect, I did not get an answer from the candidates. (Applause.)

MR. COOPER: What do you — what do you feel you got?

GEN. KERR: American — American men and women in the military are professional enough to serve with gays and lesbians. For 42 years, I wore the Army uniform on active duty, in the Reserve, and also for the state of California. I revealed I was a gay man after I retired. Today, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is destructive to our military policy. Every — every day, the Department of Defense discharges two people not for misconduct, not for the unit cohesion — (mike cuts off).

MR. COOPER: The mike is — you’ve lost the — is the microphone not working? All right. Please, just finish your — finish your — what is your –

GEN. KERR: Not for the unit cohesion that Congressman Hunter is talking about, but simply because they happen to be gay.

MR. COOPER: Okay. Senator McCain –

GEN. KERR: And we’re talking about doctors, nurses, pilots, and the surgeon who sews — (boos) — sews somebody up when they’re taken from the battlefield.

MR. COOPER: I appreciate your comment.
Senator McCain, I want to give you 30 seconds. You served in the military. (Applause.)

SEN. MCCAIN: General, I thank you for your service to our nation. I respect it. All the time I talk to our military leaders, beginning with our Joint Chiefs of Staff and leaders in the field such as General Petraeus and General Odierno and others who are designated leaders with the responsibility of the safety of the men and women under their command and their security and protect them as best they can. Almost unanimously, they tell me that this present policy is working, that we have the best military in history, we have the bravest, most professional –

MR. COOPER: Time.

SEN. MCCAIN: — best-prepared, and that this policy ought to be continued because it’s working.

MR. COOPER: All right. We’ve got another question. Let’s listen. (Applause.)

DAVID CERCONE (POMPANO BEACH, FLORIDA): Hi. My name is David Cercone. I would like to ask all the candidates if they accept the support of the Log Cabin Republicans. And why should the Log Cabin Republicans support their candidacy? Thank you.

MR. COOPER: Governor Huckabee, would you support — would you get — would you allow support from the Log Cabin Republicans, a group of gay Republicans?

MR. HUCKABEE: You know, in my position in this entire election, I need the support of anybody and everybody I can get. (Laughter, applause.) So I’m happy –

MR. COOPER: Should they support you?

MR. HUCKABEE: Sure they should. I disagree with them — strongly disagree with them — on the idea of same-sex marriage. But in a democracy, we can have disagreements over some policies and still agree on the greater things that make us Republicans.
So would I accept their support? Of course. Would I change my position on same-sex marriage? No, I wouldn’t. But if they’re willing to support me — (applause) — I’ll be their president. I’ll be anybody’s president, but I’ll be true to my convictions. And I think that’s what Americans look for — not someone they’re going to agree with on everything, but somebody who at least has some convictions — (applause) — sticks with them, can explain them, and can at least have respect for people who have different ones. (Applause.)

CNN just doesn’t get it
To add insult to injury, yesterday CNN responded to the debate scandal criticism with a very friendly interview between its correspondent, John Roberts, and Kerr. Roberts used the interview to ask Kerr softball questions that were blatantly sympathetic to his viewpoint of changing military policy to allow open homosexuals.

Apparently CNN’s braintrust didn’t think Americans got enough pro-homosexuals-in-the-military advocacy the previous night. Roberts said CNN might not have used the Kerr question had it known of his affiliation with the Hillary Clinton campaign.

You can view Roberts’ biased interview by going to this link and then choosing the video link “Debate Question Controversy”: http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/11/28/debate.main/index.html#cnnSTCVideo

Folks, get ready for 2008 and another year of the liberal media putting its politically correct agendas above fairness and objective coverage of the various candidates. Click here to read the FOX News story on this blatant breach of media ethics (if there is such a thing): http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,313681,00.html.

_________________________

Here are some highlights from the Fox News story on Kerr:

CNN Allows Clinton Backer to Question GOP Candidates in YouTube Debate

A CNN host acknowledged the participation of a retired Army colonel linked to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in a televised Republican debate Wednesday.  Keith Kerr of Santa Rosa, Calif., who revealed himself as gay, challenged the eight candidates via video message and on stage at the CNN/YouTube debate in Florida on the right of gays and lesbians to serve openly in the U.S. military. The broadcast, however, failed to mention that Kerr, who served as a brigadier general in the reserves, is a member of a gay and lesbian steering committee for Democratic candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton. …

Kerr submitted the question for Republican candidates at the video debate “a couple months ago,” and said last Saturday CNN called him and said they’d like him to come to the debate. He said the cable news network paid for his flight, his hotel and his transportation to and from the event. According to the Clinton campaign, members of Clinton’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Steering Committee have endorsed Hillary Clinton for president in their individual capacity and work with the campaign on several areas including political outreach, communications, policy advice and counsel and fundraising. The retired officer said his activities with the Clinton campaign are minimal. …  

He added that he had been a Log Cabin Republican for a long time and recently changed from Republican to independent in California. He said he had supported the GOP but “these guys are just partisanly homophobic.” Following the debate, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper said in a broadcast statement that Kerr’s political ties to Clinton were unknown to the network. … During the debate, Kerr said he wanted to know why the GOP candidates
think that “American men and women in uniform are not professional enough to serve with gays and lesbians.” …



TOPICS: Politics
KEYWORDS: americansfortruth; cnn; gopdebates; homosexualagenda; kerr; logcabinrepublicans; peterlabarbera
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1 posted on 12/01/2007 6:58:42 PM PST by Coleus
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To: Coleus

Please, can we stop calling this faker a general? He’s no more a US Army (retired) General than Colonel Sanders was a real Colonel.


2 posted on 12/01/2007 7:18:41 PM PST by Travis McGee (---www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com---)
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To: All
Not that this is anything new... You had to be an idiot not to see they follow the left's agenda. Now it happens to be the "queer" agenda... so they can destroy the Military like they did with the Catholic Church... to make the Military just a place for everyday 'fag pride parades' :)


3 posted on 12/01/2007 7:29:40 PM PST by ElPatriota (Duncan Hunter 08 -- I am proud to support this man for my president)
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To: Travis McGee

What is his title if not Brig. General???


4 posted on 12/01/2007 7:33:10 PM PST by Ann Archy (Abortion: The Human Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
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To: Ann Archy

He was made a “general” by the California Guard on his retirement from the “real” National Guard. He can’t wear his general’s star outside of Cali, and he is not paid retirement as a general. The CalGuard is not recognized as part of the National Guard. Only the gov. of Cali can call it up, to deal with in state emergencies. His title of general is strictly an honorific.

The guy is just full of BS, shading the truth to tell a lie. For example, he said, “I wore the uniform for 43 years” or words to that effect. Total BS. He got out of active duty in 1960 (!!!!!) and served as a weekend warrior or even less, as a member of the nondrilling “individual ready reserve” for the next 26 years. If you added up his weekends and 2 weeks per year in uniform (this is how retirement pay for reservists is figured) it MIGHT add up to ten years, total. So his saying “I wore the uniform for 43 years” is another partial truth and entire lie.


5 posted on 12/01/2007 7:54:47 PM PST by Travis McGee (---www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com---)
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To: Ann Archy

One more “half truth-complete lie.” All of the MSM this faker is being called a “retired Army general.” He never was a general (not even in the CalGuard, much less the US Army or National Guard) while he served. He was given the honorific “general” ON his retirement. So he was only a fake CalGuard “general” AFTER he retired.

So how can he be a “retired Army general?” He would have had to serve in the Army as a general to be so described honestly.


6 posted on 12/01/2007 7:58:50 PM PST by Travis McGee (---www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com---)
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To: Travis McGee

Did he have his General Star on at the debate???


7 posted on 12/01/2007 8:02:45 PM PST by Ann Archy (Abortion: The Human Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
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To: Coleus

Yep, little ole’ Andy is a well known queer...


8 posted on 12/01/2007 8:03:13 PM PST by shield (A wise man's heart is at his RIGHT hand;but a fool's heart at his LEFT. Ecc 10:2)
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To: Ann Archy
CNN put a BIG “general star” label on his image during the debate - YES, he had his “general star” on during the debate, after the debate, and in every news story since the debate.
9 posted on 12/01/2007 8:08:56 PM PST by Robert A Cook PE (I can only donate monthly, but Hillary's ABBCNNBCBS continue to lie every day!)
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To: Ann Archy

He was in a civilian suit. There are only limited venues where retirees are allowed to wear their uniforms.

And under no circumstance is his “CalGuard” general’s star valid outside of California.


10 posted on 12/01/2007 8:09:39 PM PST by Travis McGee (---www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com---)
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To: All
... Ain't she lovely! :)


11 posted on 12/01/2007 8:33:37 PM PST by ElPatriota (Duncan Hunter 08 -- I am proud to support this man for my president)
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To: Coleus
CNN’s pro-homosexual presidential debate was moderated by Anderson Cooper. A major homosexual magazine, OUT, has “outed” Cooper as one of the nation’s most influential homosexuals.

On Thursday or Friday morning (I think Friday) Jim Quinn said on the air he got an e-mail from one of his Washington contacts who said Cooper is indeed gay and the homosexual angle to the questioning of the candidates was Cooper's call, okayed by CNN.

12 posted on 12/01/2007 9:13:42 PM PST by infidel29 (Voting for Paul? Might as well make it Ru Paul, he's got better legs.)
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To: shield

I’d like to see a new SNL skit:

“Quien es mas macho? Anderson Cooper or Shepard Smith?


13 posted on 12/01/2007 9:29:22 PM PST by 04-Bravo
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To: 04-Bravo

So I guess he would be a PHONY SOLDIER, I was under the impression that it was illegal to impersonate an officer of the Armed Forces. But never fear Arnold Kennedy Shriver will do nothing about it, for he admires sodomites. But seriously I think he should be prosecuted for this Blatent Fraud,then stripped of all retirement benefits.


14 posted on 12/02/2007 7:51:28 AM PST by eyeamok
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To: eyeamok

“So I guess he would be a PHONY SOLDIER”

If nothing else, he is blatantly dishonest. During the time he served, homosexuals were specifically prohibited from enlisting. Yet he consciously and knowingly lied on every for he signed to get in. So from his first day in the armed forced, he was already a certified liar.


15 posted on 12/03/2007 3:57:15 AM PST by RedBloodedPatriot
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To: wagglebee

.


16 posted on 12/06/2007 5:29:38 PM PST by Coleus (Happy Chanukah)
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To: Travis McGee

>>Please, can we stop calling this faker a general? He’s no more a US Army (retired) General than Colonel Sanders was a real Colonel.<<

Is he not a retired American General? I had not heard that.


17 posted on 12/06/2007 5:35:48 PM PST by gondramB (Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words.)
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To: Coleus

I suspect CNN regards this debate as a win.

>>CNN Boasts Record Debate Ratings

By Katharine Q. Seelye

The CNN debate last night was the most-watched debate this primary
season on either a broadcast network or cable channel, drawing 4,036,000 viewers, according to CNN; Nielsen has verified the numbers.

The ratings also broke the record for all primaries ever shown on cable television, Christa Robinson, a CNN spokeswoman, said.<<


18 posted on 12/06/2007 5:38:22 PM PST by gondramB (Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words.)
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To: gondramB

Nope, he’s not. He’s was made a “general” in the CalGuard, which is NOT affiliated with the U.S. National Guard, upon his retirement. In fact, he left active duty in 1960! He only served as a weekend warrior thereafter, during an era (unlike today) when the Guard was a joke, and did nothing except hang around one weekend a month and 2 weeks in the summer.

His “general” rank is only recognized in California in the CalGuard, he can’t wear the insignia outside of California, and he is not listed by the US Army as a general.

His “I wore the uniform for 43 years” is also a lie masquerading as a half truth. The way guard retirement is figured, those weekends plus 2 weeks a year are added up day by day to compute “years” of service toward retirement. All of his guard days combined plus his original 4 years of active duty might have added up to ten total years “in uniform.”

At the debate, he clearly intended to misinform, and the audience bought his mis-truths. He was not, as he intended to portray himself, a real US Army Brigadier General who spent 43 years in the Army. He parsed his lies well, so very few would understand the truty.

In short, this faker never spent ONE DAY serving as a General in the US Army or National Guard. His bogus CalGuard “generalship” was an honorific granted on his retirement.


19 posted on 12/07/2007 5:02:53 AM PST by Travis McGee (---www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com---)
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To: Travis McGee

>>Nope, he’s not. He’s was made a “general” in the CalGuard, which is NOT affiliated with the U.S. National Guard, upon his retirement. In fact, he left active duty in 1960! He only served as a weekend warrior thereafter, during an era (unlike today) when the Guard was a joke, and did nothing except hang around one weekend a month and 2 weeks in the summer.

His “general” rank is only recognized in California in the CalGuard, he can’t wear the insignia outside of California, and he is not listed by the US Army as a general.<<

Thank you. I had no idea.


20 posted on 12/07/2007 5:04:23 AM PST by gondramB (Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words.)
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