NOM EXPOSED: NOM is right. Very, very right.
August 26, 2011
Cross-posted at Good As You
By Jeremy Hooper
The National Organization For Marriage loves to give off a nonpartisan/bipartisan vibe. Particularly when it comes to something like the Defense of Marriage Act, the organization is quite fond of highlighting any sort of Democratic support, past or present, as they work to build up a psychology that overlooks the obviously partisan efforts keeping this nation’s civil marriage policies on the political football field. Or when NOM joins up with someone like Democratic New York state senator Ruben Diaz on a local level, the organization makes every effort of parlay this one limited source of support into a reality that belies all credible polling on the subject. They want to build a coalition, and they want independent and Democratic voters to think of NOM as a mainstream voice from an unbiased center.
But over the past year or so, NOM has completely destroyed this illusion. And in recent months, the three people who are most responsible for the organization — Chairman Emeritus Robert George, Board Chair Maggie Gallagher, and President Brian Brown — have taken the non/bipartisan fantasy to an irrefutably and irrevocably partisan place. Let’s examine.
(1) Robert George, founder of the American Principles Project: The American Principles Project is a non-profit group created by NOM co-founder Robert George. The group purports to be about “preserving and propagating the fundamental principles on which our country was founded,” which, for APP, always translates to supporting the GOP, particularly its conservative wing. APP puts it like this:
“Are we conservatives? You bet we are, if by a “conservative” one means a believer in the rule of law, democracy, limited government and respect for civil liberties, private property and the free market, equality of opportunity, the sanctity of human life, the protection of marriage and the family, and the defense of our nation’s sovereignty and security. For us, these convictions are not platitudes. We are convinced that the renewal of our nation and the flourishing of our people vitally depend on making these historic ideals and commitments once again operative in the laws and policies by which we govern ourselves.”
On its board and or staff, APP includes a number of NOM personalities (Luis Tellez, Maggie Gallagher, Thomas Peters, etc), and the group routinely pushes NOM’s “protect marriage” work. APP’s biggest, most headline-grabbing event to date will come this Labor Day, when the organization hosts a Republican Presidential Forum in South Carolina. Theirs is a Republican forum, because again: NOM’s founder has founded a decidedly Republican group.
(2) Maggie Gallagher, MaggieReport.com: This month, the aforementioned American Principles Project launched a new website and online talk show called Maggie Report, turning NOM’s key face and voice into a mini online magnate. APP launched this effort alongside Tea Party Review magazine. Tea Party, as in highly conservative, highly partisan, very much GOP.
On her weekly video conversations and commentaries, Maggie is very much the out and proud conservative Republican, taking on every issue (marriage included) from a distinctly Reagan-cum-Palin place. Plus the Maggie Report website itself is like an even more conservative Drudge Report, something I mean quite literally:
The site essentially *is* Drudge in terms of style and tone, just with even more of a right wing bent in terms of content. All of it now inextricably linked to Maggie’s cherished (and chaired) NOM.
(3) Brian Brown, founder of ActRight.com: But while Maggie’s newest foray into right wing politics might be the latest example of NOM’s highly partisan bent, it is not the most overt. That would come in the form of Brian Brown’s ActRight.com, a site built for the lone purpose of financing conservative candidates and causes. Just look at some of these quips from the site’s “About Us” page, the wording of which is attributed to Brian himself:
“ActRight revolutionizes online conservative political action.”
…
“We want to make it simple for you to make this country a place that Ronald Reagan would be proud of.”
…
“Yes, yes, we know this country is a Republic and not a pure Democracy, but we’ve had far too much rule by liberal elites and establishment RINOs for our taste. ActRight is a community of dedicated conservatives; as such we all deserve a voice. We’ve figured out some pretty amazing ways for you to decide the future of the conservative movement by your actions on ActRight.”
…
“Brian Brown (that’s me) is Chairman and Founder of ActRight.com. In growing two conservative organizations, it became clear to me that the left was doing a much better job in taking advantage of online giving and actions than we were. ActBlue alone has raised over $150,000,000 for far left candidates. That’s a lot of moolah. Then you’ve got MoveOn.org and a panoply of other Soros-funded groups organizing online.”
…
“You decide the future of the conservative movement.”
…
“If you don’t have time for some light reading of Burke’s Reflections, Hayek’s The Road to Serfdom, and Russell Kirk’s The Conservative Mind, the best recent statement of what it means to be a conservative is the Mt. Vernon Statement. Read it. Here are our first principles in clear and concise form. If you read it with fists clenched and your jugular vein bulging, ActRight.com is probably not for you . . . or you might be a troll from DailyKos.”
…
“All federal Republican candidates appear on ActRight. But from there you actually decide! Anyone who has become a member of ActRight by donating at least $5.00 to any federal candidate can vote RINO’s off of the site by hitting the RINO button. Once fifty percent of the members have voted a candidate a RINO he or she is removed. I told you that this was about Democracy!”
…
“No liberal causes allowed!”
“About Us” [ActRight]
This site is right in every sense of the term’s partisan usage, from a man who is aggressive in his belief that discrimination is the right course for marriage.
And remember: ActRight is the very site that recently claimed a nearly five million dollar fundraising haul for the National Organization For Marriage’s “Let The People Vote” campaign. The site also lists NOM causes among its top earners and NOM supporters, from obvious to obscure, as its top donors. So it’s not like Brian’s ActRight effort (the very first “like” that NOM added to its organizational Facebook page, by the way) is disconnected from his “protect marriage” work: It’s the fundraising arm for it!
So there you have it: Three overtly partisan efforts from the only three faces that adorn NOM’s “About NOM” page. Next time you hear the debate framed in a way that denies the obvious, please remind folks: NOM might be non-partisan in the sense that they’ll take whatever non-Republican vote or dollar that may come their way, but it’s nearly impossible to get in bed with this group without also making room for one gigantic elephant! Everyone should know that, from the common voter to the pundit (or host) tasked with challenging NOM’s claims.
43 Comments
1.
Ronnie | August 26, 2011 at 9:54 am
Subscribing & sharing………..
Lauren Bowles (True Blood) says "It Gets Better"…………. <3…Ronnie:
[youtube 4jfdeAepHnA&list=PLE5718B7AFD6342EE&index=180&feature=plpp http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jfdeAepHnA&list=PLE5718B7AFD6342EE&index=180&feature=plpp youtube]
2.
Jon | August 26, 2011 at 10:09 am
The fun thing is, the smart money in the right wing realizes that this formerly useful wedge issue is well on the way to becoming cement shoes for their candidates. Since so very much of the base just isn't that smart, this puts the right wing into a bind of its own making: it has to pretend, and even support, sexual bigotry in public, while making plans to quietly walk away.
I suggest the folks who go on the record as cozying up to NOM are among the second, dumb, group.
And it's not my job to educate them.
3.
Elizabeth_Oakes | August 26, 2011 at 11:11 am
That being said:dumb people get to vote, and they often vote en masse when spellbound by these negative interest groups (even voting against their own interests, i.e. backing Tea Party candidates who are in the pocket of "elites" and block efforts to make them pay appropriate taxes.)
Therefore–IMHO–it is our job to educate OUR friends and colleagues and make SURE they vote (and be sure they're even registered. I'm sorry to say this, but social liberals can be so lazy/cavalier about such things. I have a stack of voter registration forms to draw from, grab some next time you're at the post office.)
4.
_BK_ | August 27, 2011 at 12:54 am
Good point about our job being to educate OUR friends. Individually, we won't have much of an effect on the general public. But if everyone is working together to educate their friends, our impact will be so much greater. My deepest regret is that some of my friends, and most likely some of yours as well, will never change their opinions. In my life, those friends are conservative Christians, and no matter what I do, say, or ask, it seems they will never change. It's extremely unfortunate and disappointing, but what else can we do but our best? :\
5.
Sheryl_Carver | August 26, 2011 at 11:20 am
"You bet we are, if by a “conservative” one means a believer in the rule of law, democracy, limited government and respect for civil liberties, private property and the free market, equality of opportunity, the sanctity of human life, the protection of marriage and the family, and the defense of our nation’s sovereignty and security."
It's funny (not in a ha ha way), because I believe in all these things, too. It's just that when NOM & the Right-Wing use them, the words are code for the opposite of what I believe in. Perhaps the biggest difference is that I believe these should apply to ALL Americans, while NOMies & Right-Wingers think they should apply ONLY to "Right-Thinking People" (pun intended).
6.
Sheryl_Carver | August 26, 2011 at 11:25 am
Now that I think about it, I do think the "free market" needs some constraints, but since I never even had an economics class in college, I am not qualified to say more. Just that, in general, there should be a balance of freedom & control so a business's ability to make a profit doesn't cause harm to innocent individuals.
7.
Steve | August 26, 2011 at 2:44 pm
Not to mention that "limited government" directly interferes with their anti-equality and anti-abortions stances
8.
Elizabeth_Oakes | August 26, 2011 at 3:44 pm
..and if you're a grammar nag like I am sometimes, you'll observe that phrase, "limited government and respect for civil liberties" is a bit of a Freudian slip. Yes NOM: we know all about your limited respect for civil liberties.
9.
Greg | August 26, 2011 at 11:33 am
I like how NOM always tries to show how diverse their support purportedly is (see the campy "A Storm is Coming" commercial). As if NOM is an organization that cherishes diversity!
10.
Alan_Eckert | August 26, 2011 at 11:39 am
Sharing something a little upsetting.
Gay Porn Found During Raid on Gadhafi Home http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/08/2…
Why is this upsetting? Because this may be a bi or gay person who has been forced to suppress his orientation at the risk of being killed. The homophobia in his environment doesn't lead to just ridicule or abuse. It leads to death, maybe even by the hand of a family member to restore "honor" to the family. It's just so sad.
11.
Elizabeth_Oakes | August 26, 2011 at 3:59 pm
This may also just be a slur, propaganda fomented by the forces moving in, to stigmatize him as an undesirable who does not follow Islam, to create more support for a new regime. Apparently gay porn is a pretty common "find" in these situations, sort of like how bad cops in certain cities always seem to "find" an arrestable amount of pot or a weapon on a usually-minority suspect. I'm told this is a fairly common practice; the same allegation was made about Saddam Hussein when he was deposed. I don't think we'll ever know the truth about the matter, precisely for the reasons you cite, but I wouldn't be entirely inclined to believe it.
12.
Carpool_Cookie | August 27, 2011 at 1:30 am
I don't know enough about the parties to conject, either way, but what do they mean by "among the possessions of"? Was it in a room? A room others had access to? Did others live in the house?
13.
James Sweet | August 26, 2011 at 12:28 pm
Heh, it's just so inconceivable to me to think of NOM as anything other than a right wing front group that I was briefly very confused by this post. Like um, that's news? heh…
14.
Sheryl_Carver | August 26, 2011 at 12:58 pm
I check the NOM blog from time to time, just to keep track of their craziness. Over time, it seems like there are fewer NOMbies commenting, just the same few names over & over again. I'm guessing maybe they are staff or paid in some way, or just too nutty for words. Their comments are also becoming less & less rational. One can only hope that they don't have much (any!) contact with impressionable & vulnerable children.
15.
Alan_Eckert | August 26, 2011 at 1:17 pm
Check this out. AFA's OneNewsNow actually reported a correction about the pedophilia story that Matt Barber was promoting. Wait for the money quote at the end, though.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id…
16.
Elizabeth_Oakes | August 26, 2011 at 4:15 pm
Even this "corrected" story is insane, not to mention the comments that follow. My question is, why is Matt Barber sooooo interested in pedophilia? With what we know about the tendency of virulently anti-gay spokesmen to get caught engaging in the very "sexual deviancies" they so publicly rail against, perhaps Mr. Barber bears watching. Creepy.
17.
Sagesse | August 26, 2011 at 6:43 pm
The practice of 'fact-checking' these groups seems to be catching on… especially among the individuals and organizations whose work is being misquoted or mischaracterized and who can demand a correction or retraction. Keep it up.
18.
Rich | August 26, 2011 at 1:27 pm
Yes Sheryl, I share your observations of the NOM site. Very few bloggers, full of animus and ignorant of so many of the legal implications as forwarded in all the judicial findings in favor of marriage equality. Of course so many of NOM's postings are mostly irrelevant, slanted/rewritten so as to ignore any pro-equality points, paraded as if they were truly a "news-flash" when they are mostly just local events and, ultimately meaningful to no-one. And, yes, I accepted a long time ago that these bloggers are either paid staff or just nutty as you say. Isn't it interesting that NOM spends little to no time covering the court proceedings re: Prop 8, DOMA and associated hearings? I can only imagine their reactions when, one day soon, a court decision in favor marriage equality is the final step. Religious freedom my foot, NOM just does not want to play by the rules.
19.
AdamG | August 26, 2011 at 2:57 pm
"I accepted a long time ago that these bloggers are either paid staff or just nutty as you say."
Embrace the power of "and." Nothing says they can't be both.
20.
Carpool_Cookie | August 26, 2011 at 2:23 pm
I want to call Maggie's blog, The Maggie Report, the Maggie Bog.
21.
Carpool_Cookie | August 26, 2011 at 2:27 pm
Oh my goodness.
The first search I did brought me to THIS Maggie Report, by an equestrian: http://doublecatbatik.blogspot.com/2011/08/maggie…
The Maggie Report
Vet report this morning is that Maggie is doing well, pooping a little but regularly, apatite improving but not quite normal. Off IV fluids, increasing feed slowly. Some inflammation around the IV site that is being treated with hot packs. Bright and curious. If things continue, she can come home on Wednesday.
BTW—Ponies are NOT stubborn, they are TENACIOUS!
22.
DaveP | August 26, 2011 at 2:36 pm
Oh that is just perfect. : )
23.
Carpool_Cookie | August 26, 2011 at 2:40 pm
I'm glad the Maggie Report says she's "pooping a little bit but regularly"…because she's quite full of sh!t.
Maybe once she's completely cured, she'll be less irritable?
24.
Ronnie | August 26, 2011 at 2:41 pm
Yup….that sounds about right….. ROFL……….. XP…Ronnie
25.
Mark M. (Seattle) | August 26, 2011 at 6:27 pm
That made me spit soda pop out of my nose LOL
Thanks for brightening my day Ms. Cookie 🙂
26.
Bob | August 26, 2011 at 2:53 pm
off topic,,,, but I just discovered Native Cree artist,,,, Kent Monkman,,, google him for some amazing cowboy and indian, erotic art,,,, I love "teaching the whiteman to ride "bareback",,,, his work is amazing,,, retelling of hstory of the invasion
27.
Ronnie | August 26, 2011 at 4:24 pm
BREAKING: …… "Traditional" marriage supporter goes WILD!!!!!….. wait for it……..
Republican Senator Makes Excuse for Explicit Nude Photo on Grindr http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/08/2…
" Other nude photos have also surfaced that are being attributed to Arango and said to have been shared on Grindr. Puerto Rican TV show Dando Candela obtained old public images of Roberto wearing the same necklace he's wearing in the main Grindr photo."
PUERTO RICO: Chair Of 2004 Dubya Campaign Busted Showing Hole On Grindr http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2011/08/puerto-rico-…
"In 2009 he voted in favor of Resolution 99 which would have amended Puerto Rico's constitution to ban the recognition of same-sex marriages (it didn't pass). He has been opposed to civil union bills "
(me) So much for "traditional" marriage, yeah……HYPOCHRISTIAN!!!!!….. <3…Ronnie
28.
FlexSF | August 26, 2011 at 5:32 pm
I'm not well.
29.
Carpool_Cookie | August 26, 2011 at 7:41 pm
Oh gosh….he's on all fours, taking pictures over his shoulder of his rump in the mirror.
He told a reporter, "You know I've been losing weight. As I shed that weight, I've been taking pictures. I don't remember taking this particular picture but I'm not gonna say I didn't take it. I'd tell you if I remembered taking the picture but I don't." ( ? ? ? )
30.
Elizabeth_Oakes | August 26, 2011 at 11:43 pm
Er…how could you forget posting it on Grindr, is my question.
31.
Carpool_Cookie | August 26, 2011 at 11:51 pm
I want to know how you could forget taking pictures like that of yourself (!) Hardly an everyday occurance? (Or IS it??)
32.
Elizabeth_Oakes | August 27, 2011 at 12:13 am
And of course his statement begs the question of who DID take the picture if he didn't….or didn't remember maybe taking the picture or not….*prevaricating attempt at plausible deniability*…he remembers he's losing weight, though! Maybe he meant to post this on Weight Watchers?
My caption contest entry: "Does this hypocrisy make my a** look big?"
33.
_BK_ | August 27, 2011 at 1:05 am
Lol, Elizabeth!
34.
Elizabeth_Oakes | August 27, 2011 at 10:08 am
There's a "NOM Exposed" joke in there somewhere too, but I don't have the nerve to make it.
35.
Carpool_Cookie | August 27, 2011 at 11:34 am
The original ("Does this hypocrisy make my a** look big?") is very fine INDEED!
I've already appropriated it, elsewhere, on the vastness of Teh Internetz.
So thank you!
36.
Elizabeth_Oakes | August 27, 2011 at 1:50 pm
All I ask is to bring a little joy to people's lives, and possibly a check for royalties.
37.
Carpool_Cookie | August 27, 2011 at 10:15 pm
I think I smuggled it over to the New York magazine site. You're comments are going bi-coastal ! ! ! ! Could WASHINGTON DC be next ? ? ? Stay tuned.
38.
Sagesse | August 26, 2011 at 5:24 pm
Metro Weekly reviews the DOMA record since DOJ issued it's letter in February.
Six Months Later
News Analysis: A half-year after the Obama administration decided to stop defending DOMA, the impact on the legal landscape has been felt throughout the country
http://www.metroweekly.com/news/?ak=6516
39.
Sagesse | August 26, 2011 at 5:31 pm
One city's approach to anti-gay bullying in its schools.
Philadelphia's Instructive Anti-Bullying Efforts
http://www.bilerico.com/2011/08/philadelphias_ins…
40.
joe | August 26, 2011 at 6:09 pm
So when Brian gets in bed with the big elephant does he top or bottom? Hard to believe he blindly walked into that one. LOL
41.
_BK_ | August 27, 2011 at 1:06 am
Oh dear… unpleasant mental images…
42.
beats by dr dre australia | February 1, 2012 at 3:54 am
When I learn a blog, I am hoping that it doesnt disappoint me as much as this one. I’m talking about, I’m sure it’s my choice to read, but I actually believed you’ll have something amazing to express. Many I learn is usually a bunch of whining about something you may solve if you ever werent as well busy looking for consideration.