Gore Courted Support of 'God Hates Fags’ Creator ** AL MUST RESIGN! (well,if he had won anyway)**

Vice President Al Gore has actively sought and received the support of homosexual advocacy groups in his race for the White House this year, and his quest for votes and financial contributions from that constituency has been matched by his support for new hate crimes legislation covering homosexuality, special immigration status for homosexual partners and a variation on gay marriage.

But 12 years ago, Gore was no less vocal in his opposition to homosexuality and no less strident in seeking the support of others who shared that opposition, including the man who created and operates the 'God Hates Fags' Internet web site.

"The people of this church were powerfully persuaded that, because of him talking to us - I'm talking about eyeball to eyeball - that he was opposed to the homosexual, so-called gay rights agenda," said Fred W. Phelps, pastor of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, where he runs the anti-homosexuality web site as part of the church's ministry.

The "God Hates Fags' web site was launched in the mid-1990s, many years after Gore sought and received the support of Phelps and his followers. But Phelps said he was no less vocal in his opposition to homosexuality when Gore was seeking his support in 1988. "He looked us in the eye and gave us assurance, that, based on his Bible beliefs, he was against the homosexual agenda and the killing of babies," Phelps said in a telephone interview.

Phelps could not specifically recall Gore's remarks on homosexuality during the 1988 presidential campaign, but was able to characterize the candidate's rhetoric from that time, saying it matched his own feelings on homosexuality and abortion, as well as those of his parishioners. "I mean, he sounded like an old Southern Baptist preacher when he talked about those subjects," said Phelps.

It was because of Gore's position on homosexuality and abortion that Phelps said he and his congregation backed the senator's candidacy in the Democratic presidential primary 12 years ago. But Phelps said his support went far beyond mere votes.

The 70-year-old pastor also claimed to have made arrangements for Gore's campaign staff in Kansas to live with parishioners during the campaign, and Phelps' son provided office space for the campaign and hosted a fundraising event for Gore following his failed bid for his party's presidential nomination.

"All of his summer workers from these colleges and things that came to work in Kansas, our people put them all up," said Phelps. "I'm talking about room and board for the whole time they were here."

Phelps said his support for Gore in 1988 was rewarded four years later with tickets to the inauguration following Bill Clinton and Gore's 1992 victory over then-President George H.W. Bush and Vice President Dan Quayle. "He invited us all to the first inauguration and the second inauguration," in 1996, according to Phelps.

But Gore's political largess apparently ended when Phelps and his supporters began more actively demonstrating against the vice president and his position on homosexuality. "He started seeing our (anti-homosexuality) signs, like when he spoke at Harvard," said Phelps. "And then he quite inviting us to stuff because we'd go to those things and picket him."

Gore campaign officials were not immediately available for comment, but both Phelps and his son, Fred Phelps, Junior, provided great detail about their involvement with the 1988 Gore campaign. More to follow.

In October the Phelps clan paid a visit to Ft. Collins. Before their arrival I wrote a soapbox to our local (pro-Democrat of course) newspaper.

It didn't get printed. (What a shocker). They didn't even send a form letter back to acknowledge its receipt. Such is life ---- on the non-PC side of the railroad tracks, anyway.

Because my Oct. letter had mentioned this same Gore/Phelps fundraiser, I thought I'd fetch it out of my mailbox and post it here - so that my effort not be totally wasted.
Enjoy.

=================================================

TITLE: GET FACTS ON ALLEGED BAPTIST CHURCH

So, the Fred Phelps Family Freakshow is rolling through our region once again with their "God Hates F*gs," Gay-Funeral-Picketing routine.

And once again the Coloradoan will blatantly misinform its readers by labeling this large extended family of Kansas trial lawyers and longtime Democratic activists as a "Baptist Church". Period. The Phelps family is many things, but to call them only a Baptist Church and leave it at that is the most grotesque type of journalistic "spin" I can imagine.

I can't believe a newspaper your size hasn't the wherewithal to provide reporters with basic internet access so they can research the truth about this family.

Here's a "Test Your Internet Research Skills" Quiz. Try it! Answer these :

Does the church building this family owns in Topeka house something that even 1% of American Christians might recognize as a "church"?
Are there any members of this alleged church other than Fred Phelps and his descendants and their spouses?
Is it affiliated with any denomination?
Is there a single Christian denomination subscribing to their doctrine that "God Hates The Sinner" - which would mean God hates the entire human race?
(Helpful hint: If none of your political reporters can identify weird Christian Lingo like "denomination" or "doctrine," you could hire outside consultants).
Yes/No: Do the Phelpses hold the alltime Kansas record for "Most Disbarments, Law License Suspensions, and Other Legal Disciplinary Actions Against One Single Family of Lawyers"?
Find how many of Fred's 15 children have completely dissociated from the family. Locate on the internet their denouncements and exposés.
How many times have Fred or his children run for Congress or Kansas statewide office on the Democratic ticket?
Track down photos on the internet of Al & Tipper Gore smiling alongside the Phelpses at a Democrat fundraiser they sponsored for Al.
(Hint: Think 1988 Presidential campaign, during one of Gore's previous incarnations as a Conservative Southerner, shortly before he metastasized into the "Earth First/People Last," "Baby Killing's OK if you call it Choice," "Muzzle all Christians who don't believe Gay Is Godly" Liberal extremist Algor we all know and love today.)

It's not hard to guess at the Phelpses' motivation. Their actions have gotten them interviewed repeatedly on many "respectable" nationwide news shows, magazines and newspapers (and of course, the spin is always "Baptist Church"!) Consider: If you heard that you could be on nationwide TV by saying something outrageous, would you do it? Perhaps not you, but certainly plenty of others would. The Phelpses are the political equivalent of daytime TV talkshows, where an unlimited supply of sad debris willingly debase themselves in exchange for fleeting national stardom.

(By the way, photos of Phelps that are used as scare tactics in gay fundraising letters have undoubtedly raised more $$$ for the Left than Hillary's scary mug ever raised for the Right. This family is one heckuva valuable Cash Cow for Demorats!)

Summary: Instead of cynically smearing all Christians with Guilt By Association by spinning this circus act as "Baptist Churchgoers," you could have more accurately spun it as, "Large Extended Family of Democratic Activists Brings Message of Hate to Town."

But of course, that would have violated The Prime Directive Of Modern Journalism, to wit, "Thou Shalt Not Embarrass Thine Fellow Democrats During Election Season".

Or you could have spun it as, "Large Family of Trial Lawyers and Disbarred Trial Lawyers Brings Message of Hate." (Oops! Sorry! I momentarily forgot that candidates Tom Strickland and Stan Matsunaka are both trial lawyers, so this would also violate The Prime Directive.)

Oh never mind. You just keep on pretending they're a "Baptist Church," and we'll keep on pretending you're responsible journalists.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.