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Avoid Social Issues, GOP Urged (Homosexualists, Pro-Aborts Co-opt Tea Party Movement)
Politico ^ | Sunday, November 14, 2010 | Ben Smith and Byron Tau

Posted on 11/14/2010 3:38:40 PM PST by kristinn

A gay conservative group and some Tea Party leaders are campaigning to keep social issues off the Republican agenda.

In a letter to be released Monday, the group GOProud and leaders from groups like the Tea Party Patriots and the New American Patriots, will urge Republicans in the House and Senate to keep their focus on shrinking the government.

"On behalf of limited-government conservatives everywhere, we write to urge you and your colleagues in Washington to put forward a legislative agenda in the next Congress that reflects the principles of the Tea Party movement," they write to presumptive House Speaker John Boehner and Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell in an advance copy provided to POLITICO. "This election was not a mandate for the Republican Party, nor was it a mandate to act on any social issue."

The letter's signatories range from GOProud's co-founder and Chairman Christopher Barron — a member of a group encouraging Dick Cheney to run for president and who has been known to post images of his bare torso to Twitter — to Tea Party leaders with no particular interest in the gay rights movement.

As of Sunday evening, the letter had 17 signatories. They include tea party organizers, conservative activists and media personalities from across the country, including radio host Tammy Bruce, bloggers Bruce Carroll, Dan Blatt and Doug Welch, and various local coordinators for the Tea Party Patriots and other tea party groups.

"When they were out in the Boston Harbor, they weren't arguing about who was gay or who was having an abortion," said Ralph King, a letter signatory who is a Tea Party Patriots national leadership council member, as well as an Ohio co-coordinator.

King said he signed onto the letter because GOProud seemed to be genuine in pushing for fiscal conservatism and limited government.

"Am I going to be the best man at a same sex-marriage wedding? That's not something I necessarily believe in," said King. "I look at myself as pretty socially conservative. But that's not what we push through the Tea Party Patriots."

That indifference is essentially the point of the gay conservative group.

SNIP

TEXT OF LETTER

Dear Senator McConnell and Representative Boehner

On behalf of limited government conservatives everywhere we write to urge you and your colleagues in Washington to put forward a legislative agenda in the next Congress that reflects the principles of the Tea Party movement.

Poll after poll confirms that the Tea Party’s laser focus on issues of economic freedom and limited government resonated with the American people on Election Day. The Tea Party movement galvanized around a desire to return to constitutional government and against excessive spending, taxation and government intrusion into the lives of the American people.

The Tea Party movement is a non-partisan movement, focused on issues of economic freedom and limited government, and a movement that will be as vigilant with a Republican-controlled Congress as we were with a Democratic-controlled Congress.

This election was not a mandate for the Republican Party, nor was it a mandate to act on any social issue, nor should it be interpreted as a political blank check.

Already, there are Washington insiders and special interest groups that hope to co-opt the Tea Party’s message and use it to push their own agenda – particularly as it relates to social issues. We are disappointed but not surprised by this development. We recognize the importance of values but believe strongly that those values should be taught by families and our houses of worship and not legislated from Washington, D.C.

We urge you to stay focused on the issues that got you and your colleagues elected and to resist the urge to run down any social issue rabbit holes in order to appease the special interests.

The Tea Party movement is not going away and we intend to continue to hold Washington accountable. Sincerely,

Christopher R Barron
Chairman of the Board, GOProud

Andrew Ian Dodge
Coordinator, Maine Tea Party Patriots

Pam Stevenson
Coordinator, Arizona Tea Party Patriots

Dianna Greenwood
Executive Director, New American Patriots (Ashland, OH)

Jim Mason II
Chairman and State Coordinator, Nebraska’s Tea Party Patriots

Ralph King
Co-coordinator Cleveland Tea Party Patriots
Co-coordinator State of Ohio Tea Party Patriots

Jack Lien
Coordinator, Tea Party Patriots of Great Malls (Montana)

Tammy Bruce
National Radio Talk Show Host

JP Weber
Coordinator, Annapolis (Maryland) Tea Party

Doug Welch,
Blogger and member Southern Illinois Tea Party

Bruce Carroll
Conservative Activist and Blogger

Pam Stout
Coordinator, Sandpoint Idaho Tea Party Patriots

Dan Blatt
Conservative Activist and Blogger

Everett Wilkinson
Coordinator, Florida Tea Party

Jimmy LaSalvia
Executive Director, GOProud

Paul Crockett
President Santa Clara (California) Tea Party
David Thor Andreasen
Cumberland County (Maine) Tea Party


TOPICS: Breaking News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: abortion; bugzapper; congress; conservatives; coopeted; fifthcolumn; fiscalconservatism; gayrinos; gaystapotactics; goproud; homosexualagenda; infiltration; lavendermafia; madhatters; prodeath; rinos; socialconservatives; sporkweasel; subversion; tammybruce; teabaggers; teaparty; teapartypatriots
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To: brucebrucebruceoftheforest
LOL.

Bye!!!!

101 posted on 11/14/2010 5:13:42 PM PST by rintense
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To: bareford101

homosexualty and abortion are not “social issues”.<<<<

Get the fing government out of the social engineering
buisness!! Leave the moral choices to the individual and get the slop out of the schools!


102 posted on 11/14/2010 5:15:10 PM PST by timetostand (Ya say ya wanna revolution -- OK!)
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To: bareford101

homosexualty and abortion are not “social issues”.<<<<

Get the fing government out of the social engineering
buisness!! Leave the moral choices to the individual and get the slop out of the schools!


103 posted on 11/14/2010 5:15:47 PM PST by timetostand (Ya say ya wanna revolution -- OK!)
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To: kristinn

>A gay conservative group and some Tea Party leaders are campaigning to keep social issues off the Republican agenda. <

That strategy worked “so well” in Massachusetts this past election...

New Mass. Republican Party Chairman says party will no longer oppose same-sex “marriage”, abortion, other “social issues”
http://www.massresistance.org/docs/gen/09b/nassour/index.html

Mass. Republicans lose ALL statewide & Congressional races
http://www.massresistance.org/docs/govt10/election10/general/results_statewide.html

Mass. Republican Party’s RINO strategy a big part of election losses in top state races
http://www.massresistance.org/docs/govt10/election10/gop_strategy/index.html


104 posted on 11/14/2010 5:16:27 PM PST by massmike (...So this is what happens when OJ's jury elects the president....)
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To: brucebrucebruceoftheforest; Jim Robinson
Gee whiz, you make it sound like I'm Pelosi.

No, Pelosi is open about her desire to destroy conservatism, people like you are Benedict Arnolds who will just stab us in the back.

The MSM didn't shut you folks up or down and they are royally pissed at that failure.

What do you mean by "you folks" troll?

105 posted on 11/14/2010 5:18:20 PM PST by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: misterrob

Isn’t slavery a moral issue best left up to the states or individuals to decide? That’s what the Democrats argued at the time.


106 posted on 11/14/2010 5:19:40 PM PST by ari-freedom (Islam is at war against America, while America is at the mall.)
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To: counterpunch
But why open up a second, unnecessary front on the battlefield?

1. It is not unnecesary. You are not in a position to make that judgement.
2. Social conservatives can not lose at this point. If we do not hold power, we share no part in the blame for the current pain. The MSM carried water too long, it is collapsing in influence and credibility. The left has lost control of the narative.

Unemployment brings introspection. Since the 2008 the country has turned sharply to the right across the board, and the longer it goes on, the further to the right the electorate moves.

There is zero reason to compromise, and every reason to stay the course.

107 posted on 11/14/2010 5:21:57 PM PST by MrEdd (Heck? Geewhiz Cripes, thats the place where people who don't believe in Gosh think they aint going.8)
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To: kristinn

FR’s agenda: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2627159/posts


108 posted on 11/14/2010 5:22:39 PM PST by Jim Robinson (Rebellion is brewing!! Nuke the corrupt commie bastards to HELL!!)
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To: Ghost of Philip Marlowe

“But we sure as hell don’t have to play footsie with those groups who most abhor and ridicule the Tea Party. You know, those groups who refer to us as tea baggers.”

-You mean the people who actually ARE teabaggers and like it...


109 posted on 11/14/2010 5:22:43 PM PST by glassylassie
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To: wagglebee
"Gee whiz, you make it sound like I'm Pelosi." No, Pelosi is open about her desire to destroy conservatism, people like you are Benedict Arnolds who will just stab us in the back.

"The MSM didn't shut you folks up or down and they are royally pissed at that failure." What do you mean by "you folks" troll?

I meant Pelosi as described by some as meaning 'bullshit' and 'you folks' means I can't get my oxygen tank out on the street anymore.

Calm down; I'm on your side.

110 posted on 11/14/2010 5:24:07 PM PST by brucebrucebruceoftheforest (George got jungle rot.)
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To: OrangeHoof

“Great answer. Let’s remove all funding for Planned Parenthood, AIDS research and sex education and then say it’s not about social issues. It’s about fiscal issues and watch how fast they change tack.”

Don’t forget federal funded embryonic stem cell research. That’s a lot of money.


111 posted on 11/14/2010 5:24:38 PM PST by ari-freedom (Islam is at war against America, while America is at the mall.)
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To: brucebrucebruceoftheforest

Reposted especially for RINO/CINO trolls like you:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2627159/posts

DON’T TREAD ON ME!!


112 posted on 11/14/2010 5:24:38 PM PST by Jim Robinson (Rebellion is brewing!! Nuke the corrupt commie bastards to HELL!!)
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To: counterpunch
[If they do that, then all of these other issues will fall into place]
 
Riiiiight.  That's always what happens when perverts and abominators of nature acquire power, isn't it?  NOT.
 
Can you provide ONE, ONE single example where the sociobiological fitness of a society that normalized the abomination of nature didn't decline?
 
It's not like homosexuality is new - so where are the Utopian Societies it should surely have created by now.. IF it's so beneficial?
 
NO SALE.
 
 
 

 

113 posted on 11/14/2010 5:26:05 PM PST by LomanBill (Animals! The DemocRats blew up the windmill with an Acorn!)
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To: Jim Robinson
If you refuse to defend our God-given Liberty, then you are not part of the solution; you are part of the problem!!
I'm all about defending out God-given Liberty.
We all have the same objectives, the only question is how we go about best achieving them.
It is a question of emphasis and how we frame the agenda.
We are most successful when we work from the broadest common ground.
Fiscal conservatism is a sure winner, everytime. And now more than ever in this political climate.
Republicans can achieve anything they want, and with broad popular support, so long as they frame it as limiting the size and scope of government.

There are two arguments for every conservative agenda item.
Both seek to achieve the same results, but one will enjoy more popular support that increases Conservative's power than the other.
The Tea Parties are saying Republicans need to maximize that, and avoid more divisive debates, if they want to be successful long-term.
 
114 posted on 11/14/2010 5:28:00 PM PST by counterpunch ("Some election nights are more fun than others" - Baraq Hussein 0bama)
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To: counterpunch

Reposted especially for RINO/CINO trolls like you and your light in the loafers friend brucie (you two should get a room):

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2627159/posts

DON’T TREAD ON ME AH!!


115 posted on 11/14/2010 5:28:12 PM PST by Jim Robinson (Rebellion is brewing!! Nuke the corrupt commie bastards to HELL!!)
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To: counterpunch

God, Family, Country, Life and Liberty will never take a backseat on this bus, pal. Get the hell OFF of FR if you don’t like it!


116 posted on 11/14/2010 5:30:42 PM PST by Jim Robinson (Rebellion is brewing!! Nuke the corrupt commie bastards to HELL!!)
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To: Jim Robinson
Further to my last note, I think my captioned images will attest to my Conservativism and loyalty to our country.:


117 posted on 11/14/2010 5:31:23 PM PST by Cobra64
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To: counterpunch

“Fiscal conservatism is a sure winner, everytime. And now more than ever in this political climate.”

Not every time. We are more likely to win over blacks and Hispanics with social conservatism.


118 posted on 11/14/2010 5:31:48 PM PST by ari-freedom (Islam is at war against America, while America is at the mall.)
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To: brucebrucebruceoftheforest; kristinn; Jim Robinson; little jeremiah; metmom; xzins; P-Marlowe; ...
I meant Pelosi as described by some as meaning 'bullshit' and 'you folks' means I can't get my oxygen tank out on the street anymore.

Calm down; I'm on your side.

Here is what you wrote earlier troll:

They are not arguing for rights, they are against wasting time on crap that doesn't need committee time.

YOU are the one who thinks that opposing abortion and the homosexual agenda is "crap" and a "waste of time" and that makes you a troll. You ARE NOT on the side of conservatism and the fact that you have been a member here for over a decade and have less than three dozen posts is further evidence of that.

119 posted on 11/14/2010 5:32:09 PM PST by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: kristinn

Yeah, some birthers favor this. They think spouting their conspiracy theory crap trumps babies being murdered and gays in the military. I don’t. Liberals.


120 posted on 11/14/2010 5:33:22 PM PST by VADoc1980
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