GOP Leaders Should Remember: An Elephant Never Forgets. Where Are Santorum's Fellow Republicans?

AgapePress ^ | April 23, 2003 | Bill Fancher, Fred Jackson, and Karen Battles

[Polycarp]

GOP Leaders Should Remember: An Elephant Never Forgets

And Where Are Senator Santorum's Fellow Republicans When He Needs Them?

By Bill Fancher, Fred Jackson, and Karen Battles April 23, 2003

(AgapePress) - There are some who believe the Republican Party's concerted effort to garner the homosexual vote through a series of meetings with high-level GOP leaders and presidential appointments may backfire on the party.

Bob Knight Presidential advisor Karl Rove is thought to be behind the effort. But Bob Knight of the Culture and Family Institute says it is a mistake in strategy.

According to Knight, "30 to 40 percent [of Americans] are self-identified conservative, evangelical Christians -- and the gays account for less than 2 percent [of the population]." While Knight acknowledged that both groups have some that "sit on the sidelines" at voting time, he believes that evangelical Christians comprise a large portion of the GOP base.

Knight says the GOP courtship of the homosexual vote is a blunder that will cost the party their support from the evangelical community. He adds: "They're risking alienating a large portion of their base, specifically the very people who give their time and treasure to the Republican Party. It looks like a suicidal move to me." [See Earlier Related Article]

Santorum Flap In a related story, another leading pro-family voice is wondering why Republican leaders aren't coming to the defense of one of their senators who is under attack from pro-homosexual forces.

Gary Bauer Gary Bauer, the head of Campaign for Working Families, says he is astonished that the Republican establishment has not come to the defense of Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, who made headlines in the last few days for comments he made about a sodomy law in Texas that is being challenged before the Supreme Court.

Santorum said if that law is struck down, then people will have the automatic right to other sexual behavior in their home -- including polygamy and incest.

According to an article in The Washington Post, Santorum's spokeswoman, Erica Clayton Wright, said that the senator's comments related specifically to the Supreme Court case. She added that the senator "has no problem with gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender individuals."

Still, homosexual rights groups, including the Log Cabin Republicans, have condemned Santorum for those remarks and are demanding his resignation as the chairman of the Senate Republican Conference.

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a homosexual rights organization, has also entered the fray. In likening homosexuality to race and ethnicity, HRC spokesman David Smith compared Santorum to a racist.

"While we welcome his spokeswoman's clarification that he has no problem with gay people," Smith expounded, "it's analogous to saying, 'I have no problem with Jewish people or black people, I just don't think they should be equal under the law.'"

Bauer believes the political correctness must end, and it must be acceptable to resist the demands of the homosexual rights movement without being smeared as a bigot.

White House spokesman Ari Fleisher was asked again on Wednesday about the Santorum controversy. He indicated the president has not and will not be saying anything about it because Santorum's comments had to do with a case before the Supreme Court.

And while GOP leaders are thus far remaining silent, a Pennsylvania pro-family group is coming to Santorum's defense. Diane Gramley, the president of American Family Association of Northwestern Pennsylvania, says Santorum has been a consistent defender of family values -- and needs to be defended by those who feel the same way.

"[T]hose who believe the traditional family is the very foundation of a successful society should call on the GOP leadership to turn a deaf ear to those calling for the senator's removal," Gramley says in a news release. "It seems that the ones who are crying 'tolerance' the loudest are the ones who are the most intolerant towards those who do not totally agree with them."

She says it is apparent that those who have chosen to live in the homosexual lifestyle are determined to silence all who oppose them.

Meanwhile, Fox News reports that some Republican sources are raising concerns about the Associated Press reporter who first quoted Santorum and continues to report on the conflict. Her name is Lara Jakes Jordan. Her husband is Jim Jordan, a former official with the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee who now heads Democratic Senator John Kerry's campaign for president.

© 2003 AgapePress all rights reserved.

[Polycarp]

Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA), an innocent victim of a deceitful ambush, finds himself amid a concocted firestorm just for speaking the truth about the ramifications of an upcoming Supreme Court case. Please go to ConservativePetitions.com and read what is at stake. Here's the address:

http://www.conservativepetitions.com/petitions/php?id=187

Homosexual and Democrat Party groups are seeking to use Senate Republican Conference chairman's remarks to force his resignation like with former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott. And the Democrat- dominated media is fueling what it hopes will be a feeding frenzy.


Sen. Santorum's comments were made during an April 7 interview with Associate Press reporter Lara Jakes Jordan, wife of Jim Jordan, a former Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee official who now manages Sen. John Kerry's presidential campaign. The DSCC, naturally, called for Sen.
Santorum to resign his leadership position after the Human Rights Campaign and the Pennsylvania chapter of the Log Cabin Republicans squealed in alleged outrage.


Fearless on matters of morality, Sen. Santorum said what the Bible teaches is correct to believe, and he did so in the context of discussing the implications of a Supreme Court case. He has done nothing wrong. In fact, he has done something right by inadvertently bringing a crucial issue to light.

Sen. Santorum needs to hear from the American public in impressive numbers. Here's your chance stand up for this courageous leader who has been standing up for the sanctity of marriage and traditional family values. Go to ConservativePetitions.com and sign the petition in support
of him and the truth he speaks. Then email everyone you know to help generate additional support. Here again is where to act:

http://www.conservativepetitions.com/petitions/php?id=187

[Shroom]

Rick Santorum should have kept his mouth shut if he truly wanted to increase the Republican Majority. His comments did nothing to move forward the idea that the Republican Party wanted to Represent any other than Religious Zealots and nutcases who wouldn't support a Democrat if Jesus himself told them to.

He needs to step down from his leadership position as of yesterday or he will be the posterchild that will be used to defeat GW and put the Democrats back in control of the House and Senate.

[petitfour]

Next thing ya know, the Republican party will be courtin' inmates in order to expand the party.

[newgeezer]

Ah, yes. Just as I was going to write, his "fellow Republicans" are cowering in the corner, worried about losing.

[cake_crumb]

Speaking of which, the polygamists have weighed in:

Polygamists criticize Santorum's comments as defiling their beliefs

April 24, 2003 Salt Lake City-AP -- A Republican senator criticized by gay groups now is also under fire from polygamists.

The criticism comes after Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum lumped together polygamy -- or multiple marriages -- with homosexuality and incest. Santorum said they are all in opposition to a healthy, traditional family.

The head of a Utah church says Santorum was wrong to put polygamy on that list. Owen Allred heads one of Utah's largest polygamist sects and says the practice of one man marrying several women is a moral and religious tradition dating back to Abraham.

He tells The Salt Lake Tribune when Santorum compared the practice with homosexuality or incest, he defiled it as "immoral and dirty."

[kaktuskid]

Are you anti-CATHOLIC???...Santorum is a Catholic!!

[cynicom]

Bush came to the aid of the democrats in destroying Lott, one has to wonder if he will again join the democrats with Santorum.

[Shroom]

No, I am not "anti-Catholic".

Nor will I support an idiot like "Saint Torum".

[mabelkitty]

File a multi-million dollar lawsuit cited the discrimination of his religious beliefs and cite his First Amendment rights.

Then sue for harassment. Then sue for equal protection, as any Islamofacist is treated much different.

This would be the Media condoning/sponsoring only certain religions. Maybe that would be slander, as well.

[mabelkitty]

Wrong. This isn't about politics for Rick Santorum - this is about his faith.

The First Amendment protects his faith, and if he wants to speak out about, well dang, there's that pesky little amendment to back it up.

[mabelkitty]

OH NO!! WE LOST THE POLYGAMY VOTE!!

[k2blader]

Tell me, what do you know of Jesus?

[Shroom]

And if Saint Torum continues to use his religion to make public policy, he will religate the Republicans to minority status for decades to come.

If he wants to preach his faith, let him become a minister, not an elected official.

[Shroom]

Why??? What does my religion have to do with anything?

[LibFreeUSA]

Hey, Shroom, we'd all be better off if you just went over to the 'Rats house and stayed there! They could sure use your advice.

[Cyber Liberty]

I think this one might be happier giving the GOP advice from the 'Craps.

[LibFreeUSA]

On a further note, I would rather have 100 Sen. Santorums, than 100 Sen. Specters!!!!

[LibFreeUSA]

On a further note, I would rather have 100 Sen. Santorums, than 100 Sen. Specters!!!!

[LibFreeUSA]

On a further note, I would rather have 100 Sen. Santorums, than 100 Sen. Specters!!!!