Religious Conservatives Attack ‘Bully’ Houston Mayor, Even After Subpoenas Withdrawn

Mayor Annise Parker today withdrew the subpoenas issued to five Houston pastors, but the religious right is still furious — and making it known just how much.

Today, after weeks of attacks and name-calling, email and telephone campaigns, and 1000 bibles sent in protest, Houston Mayor Annise Parker announced she is directing the City’s attorney to withdraw subpoenas served to five local area pastors.

The subpoenas originally requested all communications, including emails, speeches, and sermons related to HERO, the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance that the city passed and Mayor Parker signed into law in May. Upon signing the law, Parker tabled its effective date, knowing there would be lawsuits. 

Indeed, pastors are suing the city over the ordinance, and the subpoenas, a very common legal tool to obtain information, were served in that regard. Almost immediately after the subpoenas were filed, Parker had the requirement for sermons removed.

Watch today’s press conference:

In the press conference today, Mayor Parker announced her direction to withdraw the subpoenas. The Houston Chronicle reports that Mayor Parker said “she was persuaded in part by the demeanor of the clergymen she met with Tuesday, saying they were concerned not about the ordinance or politics but about the subpoenas’ impact on the ongoing national discussion of religious freedoms.”

“That was the most persuasive argument, because to me it was, ‘What is the goal of the subpoenas?’ The goal of the subpoenas is to defend against a lawsuit, and not to provoke a public debate,” Parker said. “I don’t want to have a national debate about freedom of religion when my whole purpose is to defend a strong and wonderful and appropriate city ordinance against local attack, and by taking this step today we remove that discussion about freedom of religion.”

“I didn’t do this to satisfy them,” Parker said of critics. “I did it because it was not serving Houston.”

Regardless, the mayor’s critics were not quieted. Grace Community Church pastor Steve Riggle, who was among the subpoenaed pastors, said, “If the mayor thought the subpoenas were wrong she would have pulled them immediately, not waited until she was forced to by national outrage.”

Of course, Riggle was not the only religious right activist who is still furious, just because.

Sen. Ted Cruz is of course outraged!

To Matt Barber, one of the most anti-gay extremists in the country, even getting your way is still cause to decry “homofascism.”

FRC’s Vice President for Communications had a uniquely victimized take:

This conservative is actually angry conservatives got their way:

Fox News’ Lou Dobbs couldn’t help but name-call — even after winning:

Greg Abbott, running for Texas Governor, could n’thelp but cash in on the action:

So did Missouri US Senator Blount:

Apparently, “over-reach” is a big theme for the Missouri Senator: 

 

Image: YouTube