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MSNBC Positions Anti-Gay Hate Group Head Tony Perkins As Values Leader

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MSNBC’s Chuck Todd today interviewed Family Research Council (FRC) leader Tony Perkins. Perkins heads the SPLC-certified anti-gay hate group FRC, and is responsible — directly and indirectly — for volumes of anti-gay bigotry and hate speech. Todd, however, treated Perkins as if he were a vaunted political and religious leader — not a man responsible for marginalization, responsible for espousing and enabling hate speech, responsible for attacks so vicious, vile  — and untrue — that would sicken most fair-minded Americans. There’s a line between being a fair-minded journalism and supporting a group that is on the same list as the KKK — and, for that matter, supporting a group that has financially supported the KKK.

Chuck Todd ignored all that Perkins has said about the LGBT community, and actually shared laughs with him.

The idea that a journalist is obligated to put on a perch and give a nationwide platform to someone like Tony Perkins is like says it’s OK to invite David Duke on TV to find out what “the other side” of racial unrest is, or neo-Nazis to find out “the other side” of Jews. There is no difference.

Perkins, who has paid the KKK over $80,000, and/or his Family Research Council hate group have accused gays of terrorism, have said homosexuality is “abnormal,” and drives LGB teens to suicide, have said gays, “will not be satisfied until those who hold a traditional, natural view of marriage are completely silenced,” have equated homosexuality with pedophilia, have — contrary to his lie denying it — said gay behavior should be outlawed, have said gays, “thrust their bedrooms into the public square,” have blamed the economy on America’s high rate of divorce, have rushed to support Michele and Marcus Bachmann’s dangerous “ex-gay” therapy practices, have suggested military leaders lied to Congress to get Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell repealed, have ignored the 6000+ U.S. service members who died in Iraq and Afghanistan and claimed that repeal of DADT was the military’s “most difficult mission yet,” for starters.

Want more?

Jeremy Hooper at Good As You adds:

Tony Perkins heads an organization that is responsible for positioning gays as a kid-threatening disaster in need of “ex-gay” therapy, churning out brochures that compare same-sex marriages to those bonds which might exist between a man and a horse (complete with horse photo), directly likening equality activists to terrorists, calling LGBT rights a battle of “good versus evil,” saying DADT repeal proponents are “willing to jeopardize our nation’s security to advance the agenda of the radical homosexual lobby,” claiming gay teens kill themselves because they know that they’re “abnormal,” saying the gay activists who challenge FRC are “held captive by the enemy,” writing that same-sex marriage will be “opening the door to all manner of moral and social evil, tweeting that gays don’t need to “be a slave to feelings,” and fundraising around the idea that gay kids are immoral and telling them otherwise is “disgusting,” and calling for U.S. gays to be either “exported” or criminalized (to name just a few of FRC’s more recent attacks). And all of these things came down in the name of religion.

Of today’s “interview” by Chick Todd of Tony Perkins, Carlos Maza at Media Matters writes,

Following what has become a pattern with Perkins’ media appearances, MSNBC’s Todd failed to identify Perkins as the leader of a hate group, failed to mention Perkins’ ties to white supremacist organizations, and failed to even acknowledge Perkins’ history of extreme homophobia.

In August, MSNBC invited both Perkins AND Jeffress – within hours of one another – to discuss their thoughts on Rick Perry’s entering into the presidential race. Jeffress even referred to Perkins as a “friend” during his interview.

Despite Jeffress having made a number of damaging anti-gay remarks, including claiming that homosexuality “is responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands every year through AIDS,” MSNBC found no need to address either of its extreme guests while relying on them for political insight.

In other words, MSNBC turned to an anti-gay hate monger to explain away the remarks of another anti-gay hate monger after treating both of them as legitimate sources of conservative commentary on national television.

If Todd is really so interested in figuring out why people like Jeffress get away with making outrageous remarks, maybe he should focus on the major news outlets’ consistent failure to hold them accountable for what they’ve said.

Had enough?

Tell the main stream media. Sign this petition at Change.org. Then share this post with everyone you know. Let’s get Tony Perkins and his ilk out of our homes once and for all.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32545640

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Ethics Committee Reveals Latest Republican to Come Under Review: Report

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The House Ethics Committee has reportedly announced that U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) is facing a review by the Office of Congressional Conduct.

The origin of the review was not been disclosed. Under committee rules, officials are prohibited from stating whether the matter constitutes a formal investigation or identifying its underlying cause. The Committee only stated that there is a “matter regarding Representative Nancy Mace.”

“The Committee notes that the mere fact of a referral or an extension, and the mandatory disclosure of such an extension and the name of the subject of the matter, does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred, or reflect any judgment on behalf of the Committee,” the Ethics Committee statement reads. It was posted to social media by congressional journalist Jamie Dupree.

The statement also says the committee will “announce its course of action in this matter on or before March 2, 2026.”

Congresswoman Mace is currently running for governor of South Carolina.

Earlier this month Mace warned that Republicans may lose control of the House, saying they have not “done enough” and could “do a lot more” to implement President Donald Trump’s agenda, The Hill reported.

 

Image via Shutterstock 

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Republican Vows to Block Trump’s Greenland Push

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A prominent Republican lawmaker is vowing to thwart any attempt by President Donald Trump to acquire Greenland through force or financial means.

Speaking from Copenhagen as part of a bipartisan delegation of U.S. congressional lawmakers, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), told reporters it is “an important message for the people of the Kingdom of Denmark to understand” that the United States has “three separate but equal branches” of government.

Reminding them that under the U.S. Constitution it is Congress that controls spending, Senator Murkowski, who has broken ranks and stood up to President Trump at times, said, “In Congress, we have tools at our disposal under our constitutional authority that speaks specifically to the power of the purse through appropriations.”

She noted also that “Congress has a role. Certainly, when it comes to spending authorities, the Congress has a role in basically helping to facilitate the message that comes from our constituents, to be reflected in whether it’s legislation or appropriations, or actions or measures, that can indicate, again, the will of the Congress.”

READ MORE: Trump Dangles Another Insurrection Act Threat for Minnesota

The “vast majority” of Americans do not support the acquisition of Greenland, Senator Murkowski added, noting that “some 75 percent will say we do not think that that is a good idea.”

“Greenland needs to be viewed as our ally, not as an asset,” Murkowski also told reporters.

Politico reported that U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) “also took part in the visit by House and Senate lawmakers,” and “said he would push ahead with legislation to curb Trump’s power to act unilaterally.”

He also denied President Trump’s claims that Greenland is necessary to be owned by the U.S. for national security reasons.

“Are there real, pressing threats to the security of Greenland from China and Russia?” Coons said. “No, not today.”

READ MORE: With Shutdown Looming and Crises Growing Trump Heads Off for Long Mar-a-Lago Weekend

 

Image via Reuters 

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Trump Dangles Another Insurrection Act Threat for Minnesota

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Just one day after threatening to invoke the Insurrection Act in Minnesota, which would allow him to unleash domestic military forces onto American streets, President Donald Trump once again on Friday hinted he would do so while suggesting he may be “forced” to take action.

Trump targeted Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, both Democrats, claiming they “don’t know what to do” after he deployed roughly 3,000 federal troops to the city.

“In Minnesota,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, “the Troublemakers, Agitators, and Insurrectionists are, in many cases, highly paid professionals.”

“The Governor and Mayor don’t know what to do, they have totally lost control, and our currently being rendered, USELESS! If, and when, I am forced to act, it will be solved, QUICKLY and EFFECTIVELY!”

The Guardian labeled Trump’s claims that protesters are paid as baseless.

Attorney Aaron Reichlin-Melnick wrote: “Note that the Trump admin hasn’t yet been able to produce evidence of a SINGLE ‘paid protestor.’ They’ve had total control of the FBI and the DOJ and ICE HSI and yet despite all of that, they can’t even find ONE person who they can accuse of being paid to protest.”

Separately, The Steady State, a group of over 365 former national security officials, while not referring to Trump’s remarks from Friday morning, noted that the Insurrection Act is “an extraordinary power meant for true emergencies, not a shield for unconstitutional policing. Using it to silence dissent or justify unlawful paramilitary activity at the hand of ICE undermines the rule of law.”

READ MORE: With Shutdown Looming and Crises Growing Trump Heads Off for Long Mar-a-Lago Weekend

 

Image via Reuters

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