Watch Former Senator Alan Simpson Tear Into GOP ‘Homophobes’

[Dappleganger]

Former Senator Alan Simpson (R-WY) appeared on Hardball tonight, and used the opportunity to rail against social conservatives giving the Republican party a bad name. He first took them to task for pro-life legislation ("Who the hell is for abortion?...They're hideous, but they're a deeply intimate and personal decision, and I don't think men legislators should even vote on the issue"), then aimed his sights on anti-gay forces, singling out another former Senator, Rick Santorum (R-PA), by name.

We have homophobes on our party. That's disgusting to me. We're all human beings. We're all God's children. Now if they're going to get off on that stuff—Santorum has said some cruel things—cruel, cruel things-about homosexuals. <...>

I'm not sticking with people who are homophobic, anti-women, moral values—while you're diddling your secretary while you're giving a speech on moral values? Come on, get off of it.

http://gawker.com/#!5791139/watch-former-senator-alan-simpson-tear-into-gop-homophobes

[cali]

1. gad. when Alan Simpson looks heroic, we're in real trouble.

[Tom Rinaldo]

2. In THIS case ,he was the real thing

Those were great statements, nothing wishy washy about them.

[cali]

3. for sure. it's just depressing that the repuke party is where it is.

[niyad]

4. this is the same alan simpson who was deriding seniors as living off the government, yes?

[CrossChris]

10. Yes. This orchestrated polish-job of Simpson's reputation should be very alarming, IMO.

Why else would there be this rush to redefine Simpson as a "moderate" ahead of another fight over the deficit?

[Donnachaidh]

that totally blew my mind while I watched it

As evil as this guy has been on the catfood commission -- he's still more of a mensch than any puke in Congress right now.

[Rockholm]

5. Simpson is right.

The liberal/moderate wing of the GOP is gone.
Why is it when a Democrat forcibly stands up for what he/she believe, the media pounces on it as something bad. When a republican does it, wow, they are making a strong statement.
DEMOCRATS in office, wake the eff up and grow a spine. We could really use a strong voice right about now. Our president can't seem to figure it out.

[Dappleganger]

7. +10000

[CrossChris]

6. This admin has a pattern of lightly embracing a socially liberal stance as cover for unpalatable

movement on economic issues in a drastically conservative direction.

Are they trying to rehab Simpson's image here ahead of Obama's endorsement of his plan?

[Recursion]

8. No, he's just a Goldwater Republican

Goldwater used to talk like that too. This was the GOP pre-Ralph Reed. I kind of miss it.

[CrossChris]

9. I don't miss guys who call SS "a milk cow with 300 million tits"

Frankly, all this rehabbing of Simpson's image I'm seeing today has me convinced that Obama will push for the Bowles-Simpson recommendations from the Catfood commission.

[JuniperLea]

15. That's how I see it too...

Goldwater was far more progressive than some of today's Democrats, IMHO.

[Recursion]

16. Well, what "progressive" means has changed

Remember Hoover ran against FDR as a "progressive" (Hoover, not FDR). Simpson doesn't believe government has any business doing anything besides defending shores and delivering mail. That includes telling people whom to sleep with.

[CrossChris]

19. Great, maybe Obama can find the middle ground between "progressive" Simpson, and the deficit hawks

Instead of actually getting Progressives to sere on the "bipartisan" Cat Food Commission, they'll just find a few socially liberal stances that a few of them harbor as proof of the commission's awesome bipartisan makeup.

[Thunderstruck]

11. Zero to hero???

It'll be interesting to see how DU handles this conversation.

[PBS Poll-435]

12. I thought his statements regarding homophobia and abortion were amazing

And to call Man-on-Dog Ricky out like that was really something to behold.

He reminds me of the type of Republican that existed before Americans were told to fight each other with rhetoric and violence over social issues.

[CrossChris]

13. Not as amazing as his statements on SS -- which he actually has some say in

His ideas about homosexuality do not have any weight with this President. His statements on Social Security do.

[immoderate]

14. I think you are on to something.

Where was Simpson when we needed him?

--imm

[CrossChris]

17. More like, "why doesn't he go away when we need him to?" Not trusting the push to rehab his image.

Very curious ahead of the news that Obama may endorse the Catfood Commission's "bipartisan" conclusions.

[PBS Poll-435]

22. Debt Commission was neutered when they couldn't reach an agreement via vote.

Duh.

[JitterbugPerfume]

18. it was great

to bad he is such an a##hole

[JohnnyRingo]

20. I don't recall Simpson's stated tolerence when he was in office.

This is typical of GOP politicians who want to write their legacy post-office. They find their way to a camera (why else was he there?) and talk the common sense that they failed to see when they could have actually made changes.

It's good he's come around to a sensible position, but he's still accountable for what he did as senator.

[opihimoimoi]

21. Obamas crew giving him bad shit syndrome...same as Gore, and Kerry....trolls by the GOP gatta be

involved

Obamas team got spies and trolls....

[xchrom]

23. I don't need Simpson to get my back.

He'll have working til I'm 100 then cut my throat when I can't get out of bed any more.