WASHINGTON — The controversial anti-gay television ad that began airing in Iowa Wednesday from the campaign of Texas Governor Rick Perry — in which Perry takes direct aim criticizing the Obama administration’s repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell — has sharply divided his advisers, and caused in fighting between conservative gay GOP political groups.
Rick Perry
In the ad, Perry questions why gay and lesbian service members can now openly serve in the armed forces while American children “can’t openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school.”
“You don’t need to be in the pew every Sunday to know that there’s something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military but our kids can’t openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school,” Perry said.
One GOP political operative acknowledged that the ad was meant to serve as a rallying point for influential evangelical voters.
GOP operative and political strategist Nelson Warfield, who was responsible for the ad’s creation, told The Huffington Post Thursday that Perry’s Chief pollster, Tony Fabrizio, called it “nuts.”
Warfield also told the HuffPo that the ad was created over Fabrizio’s objections.
The controversy didn’t stop there as today saw a confrontational series of tweets from GOP gay group GOProud’s board chairman Christopher Barron and co-founder and executive director Jimmy LaSalvia, blasting Fabrizio — utilizing a gay slur in a demeaning way in another tweet — and effectively outing Fabrizio as a gay man.
Washington political journalist and pundit Chris Geidner asked Barron about the tweets, and received this response:
“Perry’s pollster and strategist Tony Fabrizio has lined his pockets with gay money (from folks like [The] Gill [Foundation]) for years and now he sits back and watches as Perry unfolds a designed strategy to demonize gay people to score political points.”
Barron added, “Totally disgusting and an example of Washington political whores at their worst.”
Tony Fabrizio
Asked about questions of whether LaSalvia’s tweets were outing Fabrizio, Barron replied that he “didn’t think that there was any question about Tony Fabrizio’s sexual orientation. Obviously there are questions, so those questions should be directed to Tony.”
The conservative Log Cabin Republicans group, while expressing dismay at Perry’s ad and the Texas Governor’s stance, said, “It seems Governor Perry wants to be theocrat in chief, not commander in chief.” R. Clarke Cooper, executive director of the Log Cabin Republicans, said his group was “less than thrilled” with GOProud’s actions.
“GOProud has used Twitter to out someone with whom they disagree,” said Log Cabin Republican Washington Chapter head Robert Turner.
“It is possible to disagree vigorously but respectfully with other people,” said Turner. “GOProud has disgraced itself in attacking Mr. Fabrizio. Log Cabin Republicans are against outing, especially for staffers, who have limited if any control over the politicians they work for.”
LaSalvia disagreed — “Perry said in the ad that the service of tens of thousands of patriotic gay Americans is what’s wrong in this country. That is an outrageous and un-American statement. If he [Fabrizio] thought that the ad was repugnant and it aired over his objections, he should have quit the campaign in protest.”
Ray Sullivan, spokesman for the Perry campaign, called the internal dissension and external criticism over the ad “irrelevant.”
Filed under: National Headlines
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Nate J. Dixon
It was inappropriate of the GOProud guy to not only out someone involuntarily, but also use homophobic slurs (“faggot”) in order to do so.
GOProud is inappropriate just for existing, lets be clear about that.
I have to say, this is the best Rick Perry parody I’ve ever seen. Thought I might share it with you guys. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-eqpJYGtvk
Pro Perry..
I bet Perry feels pretty stupid now that he knows he has on his campaign team the very type of person he hates as signified in that puff piece “Weak”
“The way to see by faith is to shut the eye of reason.” — Ben Franklin, Poor Richard’s Almanack, 1758.
“The Bible is not my Book and Christianity is not my religion. I could never give assent to the long complicated statements of Christian dogma.” — Abraham Lincoln.
“What have been the fruits of Christianity ? Superstition, bigotry and persecution.” — James Madison, 4th president of the U.S.
“This would be the best of all possible worlds if there were no religion in it.” — John Adams, 2nd president of the U.S
Treaty of Tripoli: “As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion” George Washington, First President of the US
Maybe Perry has forgotten his roots, and the roots of the US
“The way to see by faith is to shut the eye of reason.” — Ben Franklin, Poor Richard’s Almanack, 1758.
“The Bible is not my Book and Christianity is not my religion. I could never give assent to the long complicated statements of Christian dogma.” — Abraham Lincoln.
“What have been the fruits of Christianity ? Superstition, bigotry and persecution.” — James Madison, 4th president of the U.S.
“This would be the best of all possible worlds if there were no religion in it.” — John Adams, 2nd president of the U.S
Treaty of Tripoli: “As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion” George Washington, First President of the US
Maybe Perry has forgotten his roots, and the roots of the US
I am sure I’ll take a lot of flack for saying so, but I am in favor of hypocrites (i.e. a closeted gay person working for Gov. Rick Perry) being outed.
What a freaking surprise? What a freaking assh*le! Proof you cannot be LGBT and republican and/or christian so stop trying!
I just watched Rick Perry’s commercial. I’d like to clarify two things for him: children can openly celebrate Christmas in school, children can also pray in school if they choose. Teachers can also do these things. However, the teacher cannot lead the class in prayer, nor can the teacher lead the class in celebrating Christmas in school. When I was in school the teacher taught us about all the holidays and we had a yule log a christmas tree and a menorah all in the class room for the season.
Also some of the teachers I had prayed before they ate lunch, some did not, and some of the kids prayed too. One teacher told us that in her class room when we got our lunch we were to wait until she said “you may be served” before we started to eat so that every one was seated and settled. I think she also wanted to pray before eating and to give those of us who chose to pray the opportunity as well without being disturbed. It was kind of nice actually. And, for the record, I’m a pagan and I appreciated her consideration for those that wanted to pray.
Go-proud, Log Cabin & the likes are the most stupid org’s for even existing. It’s no surprise a member would resort to such tactics, or even language. Look at whoo they support & listen to. Duh
That said, I’d normally agree outing someone is bad. Under the circumstances, this news is delicious.
GOProud is, in my opinion, a horrible organization. I couldn’t care less about them saying ‘faggot’, because it’s NOT homophobic terminology. A word cannot be innately bad. Intentions matter, and here it was used appropriately. Fuck the faggots who line their pockets with anti-gay money indeed.
another reason I can’t take that man seriously. every time Perry opens his mouth he is offending half the nation.
Hopefully this all means that Perry’s chances of becoming a presidential candidate will die out, something that should have happened LONG AGO.
Nanny nanny boo boo, stick your face in doo doo!
I don’t believe in anyone being forced out of the closet, but I can understand the high emotional reaction from GOProud. they’re human too, and are allowed to make mistakes and use irrational behaviors when they feel affronted.
BUT I don’t condone what they did, or the use of the word ‘fa–ot’ (which, Evyn, may not be innately bad but just like other slurs has COME to be an evil word; sometimes the last word us homos hear before we’re killed, or the word carved into someone’s skin, or the word that repeats in a kid’s head before they KILL themselves) which makes my heart hurt everytime I read or hear it. GOProud is supposed to set an example, and like Rick Perry, they’ve failed. (though are we surprised? they are GOPs… hehe.)
Gay is a trait. Republican or Christian are ways of thinking. You absolutely can be both (if anything, it’s harder to be both republican and Christian, despite what most republicans will tell you).
Now, the current republican party which has as it’s defining characteristic “we don’ like queers”? Yeah, that’s an issue.
But that also really hurts our country–we only have one actual choice? That’s not the way to a government for the people, etc. No, the republicans need to clean out the crazy and become an actual reasonable political voice.
Extremism is bad. Right of center isn’t, inherently.
The problem is that mainstream republicans ARE extremists.
Now, gay people shouldn’t work for Rick Perry? I’ll give you that, but neither should straight people. It’s nothing to do with orientation, it’s an integrity thing. And not wanting to get any of that on your hands.
I would have to argue that if the guy doing the tweeting knew the man was gay than I’d have to assume he’s not all that in the Closet. That said I have two conflicting Opinion. Outing is Tantamount to social rape. You take away someone’s option to come out when they’re ready, it is a type of violation.
On the other hand, so many gay Republicans live in the closet so they could run an agenda. And then once in office setup policies saying their anti-this and anti-that forcing us into being second-class citizen, and in my opinion not even true citizens of this country at all. They on the other hand get to live in these nice cushy comfortable lives. To pretend spouses and pretend homes in the pretend families, while going out trolling at night having sex indiscriminately with other men. I’m not saying this is what this man has done what those people who do such things honestly deserve to be outed.