Focus on the Family ad in today's paper!!!

[Felix Mala]

It's the Indianapolis Star, maybe this thread should go to the Indiana section, but I'm guessing they're focusing their "family values" ray gun on all senators who are against this ludicrous endeavor.

They tell Senator Bayh that no one should vote to "deny a child a mother or a father..."

We should all take time to call our senators on this issue and perhaps let Focus on the Family know we don't appreciate their interference in local politics.

For his constituents reading this, Bayh's DC phone number is 202-224-5623 and the fax is 202-228-1377.

I'm going to fax his office and tell him that there is no room in the U.S. Constitution for bigotry and hatred.

[otohara]

1. in Denver's papers also

freaks

[sinkingfeeling]

2. This is about what? The federal marriage amendment?

[Felix Mala]

7. Yep, amending one of the great human documents in order to

codify hatred, ignorance and bigotry.

[BOSSHOG]

3. I guess that's why all throughout the south

signs are nailed to trees and electric posts advertising DNA and Drug Testing. All those christian virgins have to find out who the daddys of their babies are; so babys will have two parents; one to fetch the beer, the other to drink it.

[noonwitch]

15. Those signs are all over Michigan, too, I don't think it's just the south

I think everywhere has it's element of crack/meth heads and bed hoppers.

[Ian David]

23. I've never seen one of those signs...

but then again, I live in Massachusetts, where we hate marriage so much, that every night at 6:00 PM, everybody just parks their car in front of whatever home is closest, and declares themselves "married" for the night.

[niyad]

4. call fungus at home and tell them exactly what you think of their

obnoxious interference--something we have to put up with on a daily basis, since they have the mayor of this fundie burg in their back pocket. I call them on a frequent basis.


719-531-3400

[saltpoint]

14. Excellent strategy, and thank you for posting the number.

They'll be hearing from me shortly.

[Jacobin]

5. My small town Louisiana paper today, too

targeting Mary Landrieu.

Same content.

Paid for by 'concerned citizens' or some such RW Rovian fundamentalist bullshit organization.

[derby378]

6. If FotF supports harsh immigration policies that separate families...

...then they have no right to use this claim in their ads. Hold their feet to the fire.

[donco6]

8. Here's the ad:

[Finder]

9. Should be photoshopped with the gay adoption issue.

since that is what the ban on gays adopting does, right?

[JustFiveMoreMinutes]

10. Cute freckled WHITE kid...

.. of course.

[sinkingfeeling]

11. So, let's do away with divorce! All these 'good Christians' would never

think of 1) splitting up families because the parents hate each other, 2) fathering or bearing a child outside of marriage, and 3) using their god-given right to force their ideals on other people through violence and killing mothers and fathers, now would they?

[donco6]

12. That's been my point all along.

If they really are concerned about preserving the sanctity of marriage, why do they allow people to break marriage vows? Aren't those the things that make the marriage sacred in the first place?

It's classic, unadulterated hypocrisy.

[NoSheep]

19. Don't forget raping thier sisters and daughters. por ejemple:

I NEVER met a woman who was raped or molested by a member of the opposite sex who was gay. As a matter of fact, I have never met a woman who was raped or molested by anyone who wasn't a family memeber and male; be it father, brother, step-brother, uncle, grandfather; So-Called Christians every one.

[saltpoint]

13. I just got back & saw the ad you're talking about.

No surprise of course that Jim Dobson is running ads like this.

But they are disgusting, and I love your response & will follow it as a model. I'll contact Bayh's office immediately with support.

[saltpoint]

16. Just phoned FUNGUS ON THE FAMILY in Colorado Springs

and spoke with a person there named "Jeff."

"Jeff" claimed not to know what ad I was referring to. I read a bit of the ad for him and cited his organization at the bottom. He continued to play dumb.

I told him I thought the ad was a character slam and a distortion of a senator's position, and that it was vulgar and inaccurate.

They're playing stupid there so that calls coming in which object to the ads are "not counted."

What a pack of slimeballs that organization is.

[Rocknrule]

25. Was it Jeff Gannon?

:evilgrin:

[Bozita]

17. Dobson's running an "astroturf" machine -- It's going full blast

Link to thread involving ltte in today's Toledo Blade:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2654967

Fellow DUer DinahMoeHum posted this link to the astroturf machine details:
http://www.inopinion.com/features/?itemid=697

And now, back to Dr. Dobson's astroturf ...

This AstroTurf machine – spewing fake opposition to gay marriage -- is among the most sophisticated and successful out there. It lets Focus on the Family supporters create more than 600 variations of the same letter.

Most of the time, these operations are more successful at planting their plagiarism in the letters columns of smaller papers without the staff to pull the weeds, but Focus on the Family really knows what they are doing.

They’ve slipped by the editors at The Fresno Bee, The Orange County Register, The Toledo Blade, Tucson Citizen and The Deseret News.

UPDATE: From a reader, add The Savannah Morning News to the list of victims. The Jacksonville, Fla. paper, too.

more...

[Bozita]

18. kick

[tulip]

20. Bayh has already

said he would not vote for the amendment. The only reason Rove set this plan into motion was to discredit Democrats. Especially 08 potential candidates. Why do you think Bush pumpeed a bunch of money into Mitch Daniels campaign for governor? Because they understand if Indiana flips they'll defiantely lose Ohio. It's a real shame when they resort to fanning people's phobia's to rally the troops. The question is will Democrats fall for it? More importantly will America fall for it? Rove's plan was set in motion shortly after the 2004 election.

The ONLY page left untouched at Marvin Scott's (ran against Bayh in 04) site is one dedicated to Kerry, Clinton and Bayh. They know who the top threat is and Clinton, Kerry and Bayh have the money in that order.

http://www.marvinscott.org/democratic_team.html

Howard Fineman wrote in Rove's Revamp, "Rather than defend Bush, Rove will seek to rally the Republicans’ conservative grass roots by painting Democrats as the party of tax increases, gay marriage, secularism and military weakness. That’s where the national message money is going to be spent."

[pstokely]

21. Dobson expects these people to obey him like his Dachshund

These ads are the belt this time.

http://www.metafilter.com/mefi/45729

[w4rma]

22. Hmm, I'm not so sure it isn't Dachshund who is getting told what to do

by the Republicans in power who want a diversion from their problems.

[tulip]

24. Rev. David Comstock Responds to advertisement

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060603/OPINION01/606030375/1002/OPINION

Gays aren't leading attack on marriage
A recent paid advertisement in The Star by Focus on the Family attacked Sen. Evan Bayh for not supporting the so-called defense of marriage amendment. It implied that the institution of marriage was under attack by gay and lesbian people and as a result children were being condemned to live in families without a mommy or daddy.

The implication is that if gay marriage is banned, marriage will be saved and young children will be protected. What a web of lies and half-truths.
It is true that marriage is being undermined and that young children by the hundreds of thousands are being left to live in households without either a mommy or a daddy. But this attack on marriage is not being mounted by gay and lesbian people who want to marry. It is being accomplished by heterosexual people who either do not have the relationship skills, commitment or moral fiber to stay married. More than half of heterosexual marriages fail.
The proposed amendment is a bold attempt to write discrimination into the Constitution. It is shameful and Bayh should be congratulated for opposing it.
Rev. David Comstock

Protestant Chaplain

http://www.wesleyan.edu/chaplains/meet_the_chaplains.html

The Rev. Dr. Gary David Comstock
Gary is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ (UCC) and received his Ph.D. in social ethics from Union Theological Seminary. He has published several books, including A Whosoever Church: Welcoming Lesbians and Gay Men into African American Congregations (Westminster/John Knox Press); Gay Theology Without Apology (Pilgrim Press); Que(e)rying Religion (Continuum); Violence Against Lesbians and Gay Men (Columbia University Press); Unrepentant, Practicing, Self-Affirming (Continuum); and Becoming Ourselves in the Company of Others (Haworth Press). His pastoral and theological interests are building inclusive community, social justice, and spiritual development. He also teaches as a Visiting Professor in the Department of Sociology.

[Cerridwen]

26. IRS - 501(c)(3) - non-profit status

This looks like a violation to me...but, I am not a lawyer so I'd love to hear from tax attorneys on this.

"In addition, it may not attempt to influence legislation as a substantial part of its activities and it may not participate at all in campaign activity for or against political candidates." IRS link: http://www.irs.gov/charities/charitable/article/0,,id=96099,00.html

This looks like a campaign activity "against" a "political candidate."

Time to report them?