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
"Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. "--President George Washington's farewell address, 1796
I don’t agree with WHY these people are saying this, but from a strategy standpoint, I think the new Congress needs to accomplish its first priority first.
Tackle issues like gay marriage and all that AFTER tackling what got them in power, i.e. the economy.
Obummer made the same mistake. He was elected on the promise of fixing the economy and that is EXACTLY what he did not do and look where we are now. Get the first priority finished, curb the spending, give the budget a good run-through while giving the taxpayers hope that we won’t be stuck paying for everything through our great great great granchildren’s lifetimes and THEN fight the social issues.
Just saying. It’s important, but they need to concentrate on what got them there FIRST.
>>I’m fairly certain
Just something else you’re likely wrong about.
See, the size of moral miscreant bullies, or their gang, is irrelevant in a Lawful Republic.
You are right -- there is no guarantee that it won't be stilted by some wonk leftist group, nor is there any guarantee that it won't be stilted by a very conservative military tradition -- which is what the Libs will accuse them of if it doesn't turn their way. I said that I wanted to hear what they had to say, not that I'd hang on every word or believe any or all of it.
You have no guarantee that your "pink swastika" doesn't exist now. There are currently gays serving in the military, even if we don't know who they are.
I am not trying to change your mind. You have already made up your mind to the point that it is beyond changing. I am simply expressing an opinion that is different from yours, although I suspect ultimately not as different as you'd think.
My education is in Behavioral Science and I understand your desensitization point very well. The problem is that this desensitization has already taken place. If it hadn't, you wouldn't have some of the most popular shows on TV featuring gay characters-- people would be screaming for the networks to take them off the air -- but they aren't.
You have to start from where you are & move forward to neutralize the issue. You can't go backward 25 years & expect people to follow.
Awe, poor Libertard - when your lack of logic and reason fail to make a convert, run for the ad hominem refuge - as specified in “Wules for Wadicals”.
Saul Alinski might be proud of you but -
FAIL.
I can’t decide on which analogy is more appropriate. Either you are trying to waltz in a mosh pit or trying to talk a group of starving cannibals into a nice, green salad. Either way, I admire your attempts at rational discussion.
If you think that your disrespectful and rude behavior is a shining example of God's Love and and a convincing argument for "morality", then sorry. NO SALE!
I can not beleive there are so many on FR that are light on anti-God agenda! It is the foundation of our downfall.
The work-product of a moral framework is ultimately reflected in the socio-bioligical fitness of the population in which that framework exists... or does NOT exist.
What’s the socio-biological fitness of Sodom and Gomorrah these days?
No, gay insurgency, abortion, the dissolution of marriage, tearing down crosses in the desert, are the symptoms of the destruction of our republic.
All of these have one thing in common, they are all encouraged and almost totally financed by our government. The fastest way to stop ALL of those utterly evil activities, is to completely starve the government of cash.
One small example, the cross in the desert. The group that sues in such a scenario under current law has their legal bills PAID by the Us gov’t. Same with the ten commandment cases,,etc.
A HARSH stop to the financial recklessness of the government is the only way to stop ALL of the madness.
And that may be the point that several FReepers, including some who are no longer with us, were trying to make. Unless we take a Sawzall to the budget we will continue to fight our own money. If we can get everyone to agree to cut the size of government the social/ethical issues become much simpler.
What’s the point of ignoring “things that don’t matter” (ie, social issues like abortion and the gay agenda being forced on us)???
God is weeping. :*(
Your post is spot on, Dr. E.
And that "moral framework" exists in the social realm -- in our churches, our consciences, our day to day treatment of our families, our friends and how we treat the people we come in contact with -- which then ultimately gets reflected through the political process. You can legislate based on the collective will of those that possess that moral framework. You cannot just change the moral framework based on just legislating it.
The "moral framework" for this society has been determined by a school system run and taught by Liberals for several generations. Liberals chose education while most Conservatives did not. That's partly our fault. It's also our fault that we did not stand up and scream our collective heads off when we knew our kids were getting their heads stuffed with garbage. But those kids are now adults and it is their "moral framework" that is the determiner of that collective will. So how do you change their minds now? The only good news out of all of this is that the Liberal education system is finally collapsing in failure, but you still have generations who are the product of it. You have to find a way to get through to them.
What’s the socio-biological fitness of Sodom and Gomorrah these days?
Well if that is really where we are at, then it's time to give up, and let God Do His Thing. I'm not there yet.
What Jim said!!
< standing ovation for JimRob >
The fastest way to eliminate an opponent is to attack his weaknesses. Liberals are currently vulnerable on fiscal policy and will likely try to move the debate to social issues to avoid being bludgeoned to death. It’s not that we don’t care about the social issues it’s that those issues will not deliver the same impact overall in the shortest time possible.
If they “win” the course of debate then we stand to “lose” the battle. No matter how morally superior our positions may be it is an opportunity to obscure their failures and hope the electorate forgets. If we turn the economy around before 2012 we win the debate/agenda for the next 4 years afterward.
Gay RINOs advise the GOP to avoid social issues. So says a socially liberal organization that finds common cause only in a social issue.
Seeing as how taxpayers are funding abortion, we could cut the budget right there by removing such funding.
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