Bob Vander Plaats, whom regular readers know all too well as the man who tried to get what was essentially a bribe (isn’t that called “extortion”?) from Rick Santorum’s presidential campaign in exchange for an endorsement, is now on the anti-gay marriage attack track, going after Starbucks by making up lies about what Starbucks has said about same-sex marriage equality.
In this video, below, Vander Plaats clearly “quotes” Starbucks — the sentences are in quotes in the background — as saying:
“God’s design of marriage is bad for America.”
“God’s design of marriage is bad for families.”
“Homosexual marriage is core to who they are.”
Jeremy Hooper at Good As You, who first reported in this ludicrous attack against Starbucks, writes,
Really, Bob? Starbucks “went so far as to say that” quote that you put in the company’s java-loving mouth? Yeah? Alright, then show me where, big guy.
You can just send me that direct quote whenever you get a chance. I’ll be at a Starbucks on West 57th St. drinking as many Venti drinks as I can stomach.
Bob Vander Plaats is so sleazy it’s disgusting. How sleazy? Vander Plaats in December told the Des Moines Register that helping saturate Iowa with news of the endorsement of Rick Santorum by himself and his fellow activist Chuck Hurley was “part of our ethical responsibility.â€
Really?
How much was Vander Plaats’ ethical responsibility responsible for trying to squeeze out of Santorum? Reports say one million dollars. We hare hoping the FEC is investigating.
Vander Plaats also ran the campaign that ultimately unseated — for the first time in Iowa history — three state supreme court judges, because of the six-judge court’s unanimous vote that found a ban on same-sex marriage violated that state’s constitution.
But Vander Plaats may be best known for his attempts to move his organization, the Family Leader, into the center of extremist right-wing politics. Vander Plaats demanded all presidential candidates sign his “Marriage Vow,” all 3008 words — which originally included anti-​gay rhetoric, language that subordinates women, denounces Islam, and pushed scientifically-​questionable “facts.†Claiming “the Institution of Marriage in America is in great crisis,†Vander Plaats claimed, “The purpose of The Marriage Vow is to have on record the personal convictions of each presidential candidate as it relates to the issue of marriage,†while demanding that each candidate’s “personal convictionsâ€â€‰â€” all 3008 words — be written by Bob Vander Plaats.
Note, too, that Starbucks is one of dozens upon dozens of Washington state based companies that have together signed a pledge to support same-sex marriage equality in their home state. Those companies include Microsoft and Google, but you don’t see Vander Plaats or his boss, Tony Perkins, attacking those larger organizations, do you. Now, why do you think that is?
NOTE: The video has since been “removed by user” — probably, hopefully Starbucks threatened to sue. I hope they do.