NOM, the National Organization For Marriage, today posted a piece citing someone named Carrie Daklin, who has written only one piece at Minnesota Public Radio, according to Minnesota Public Radio, and is listed as “a Twin Cities-based freelance writer and a source in MPR’s Public Insight Network.” I guess that’s like being a CNN iReporter. Daklin has few other notable credits to her name, based upon a Google search, except for some sports stories, a possible Facebook page and a legal document that looks like someone by the name of Carrie Daklin filed an appeal about something.
READ: DOMA: Al Franken Takes Down Focus On The Family Testimony, Credibility
NOM posts:
Sadly, when Tom Minnery testified, that was not the kind of treatment he received from Al Franken.
Sen. Franken […] chastised Minnery’s assumption of the definition of nuclear families, and stated, essentially, that if Minnery had so misinterpreted the information in the HHS report, then all of his testimony was subject to question.
A fine performance, Sen. Franken, but here’s the rub: In case you missed it in those DOMA hearings, the federal government doesn’t recognize same-sex marriage. So I would think it might have been reasonable for Minnery to assume that a federal report had followed federal law.
Now, the portion of the real post NOM quoted — which NOM twisted, totally in defiance of journalistic standards, reads:
Sadly, when Tom Minnery testified, that was not the kind of treatment he received from Al Franken.
Franken questioned Minnery about his citing a Department of Health and Human Services report that stated, in essence, that children do better in a two-parent household. I think most people would agree with the basic premise that two parents can provide more income, and more emotional support, to their children — since, we hope, the spouses are supporting each other in kind. As a single parent, I know what it is like to be at the helm alone.
Still, Franken didn’t end there, but baited Minnery about the report: “It says that nuclear families — not opposite sex married families — are associated with those positive outcomes. Isn’t it true, Mr. Minnery, that a married same sex couple that has had or adopted kids would fall under the definition of a nuclear family in the study that you cite?”
Minnery replied, “I would think that the study, when it cites nuclear families, would mean a family headed by a husband and wife.”
“It doesn’t,” said Franken, getting a laugh from the audience.
Sen. Franken then chastised Minnery’s assumption of the definition of nuclear families, and stated, essentially, that if Minnery had so misinterpreted the information in the HHS report, then all of his testimony was subject to question.
A fine performance, Sen. Franken, but here’s the rub: In case you missed it in those DOMA hearings, the federal government doesn’t recognize same-sex marriage. So I would think it might have been reasonable for Minnery to assume that a federal report had followed federal law.
This is how far NOM has sunk. Twisting and misquoting work so it fits their tiny little concepts, and the best they can do is quote a freelance sports reporter.
Perhaps Daklin is a good freelance sports reporter. I wouldn’t know. But she has zero credibility when it comes to same-sex marriage, congressional hearing decorum or standards of behavior, or, well, anything to do with research studies.
By NOM’s standards, I should write post a piece about what my next door neighbor thinks about recycling.