hosts hate group meeting in Ames today

Our illustrious governor, in his new found quest to turn Iowa into a right wing haven, today acts as the host for the gathering of a group that has been labeled as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). Today up in Ames, the Family Research Council (FRC) will be holding a day long hate fest with the target – and I do believe that target is a very appropriate word here – being those in the LGBT community. Today Terry Branstad welcomes into our state the likes of the Benham Brothers who lost a chance at a network cable show over their vociferous gay hatred, and lesser lights such as Ken Cucinelli, former Virginia attorney General, Rick Santorum, Bobby Jindal and Rick Perry. This is only a partial line up.

Iowans should care deeply what their governor is doing in their name and on our payroll. Acting as host for a hate group goes beyond the pale in my opinion. Would he act as host for the Ku Klux Klan? Would he act as a host for the White Citizen’s Council? I would certainly hope not. Why then play host for a group that is in the same league, but does have the cover of religion to give this hate fest a patina of legitimacy? This so reminds me of the old Southern governors who proudly joined the Klan during the civil rights days. The FRC is hell bent on taking rights away from a specific class of citizens. Does that sound familiar? Are LGBT not citizens just like non-whites? Why then does Branstad endorse their cause?

Just last month Branstad cozied up to Bob Vander Plaats’ group, the Family Leader, by first endorsing and then participating in Vander Plaats’ phonied up “Day of Prayer and Fasting.” In case you are wondering, the Family Leader is a subsidiary of the Family Research Council and as such is also a hate group. Thus our governor has twice given this hate group cover. Can we deduct a little from his pay? Can we take away his double dip on his retirement?

As if endorsement of a hate group isn’t bad enough, Branstad seems to take real pride in mixing government with politics. One would think that a person whose job is to run an organization would at least have a vague idea what the very basic beliefs of that organization were. In the case of Branstad he heads up a governmental organization. As such that organization has as one of its basic tenets the separation of church and state. Thus he is violating the very underpinnings of his organization. Were he the CEO of say Kelloggs and hosted a meeting for General Mills, I would like to think his ass would be out the door in a minute.

Maybe to make amends, he should host a meeting of Muslims in Iowa, and perhaps a meeting of Atheists. I see the Atheists just had a meeting last month. Where was the coveted Branstad endorsement for that?

Why, then, would Branstad host a group that is labeled a hate group and at the same time violate standards of the organization he heads? One can only guess and that is exactly what I will do.

– First, despite spending big bucks to bury Jack Hatch early, Branstad is still having problems with his re-election. His scandals, his lack of leadership and his cozying up to the very right wing of his party has not gone unnoticed by Iowans. Thus Branstad is having to once more come begging on his knees to the extremist wing of his party for their votes. Branstad has never been trusted by those folks and now he must supplicate himself.

– Second, I think Branstad wants to curry favor with potential Republican presidential hopefuls, thus they may remember him when they become president, maybe rewarding him with a nice cabinet job. And he could leave Iowa in the hands of his Lieutenant Governor, the awful Kim Reynolds.

Iowans need to reject this endorsement of a hate group and the mixing of church and state. Of course the best way to show your disapproval is at the polls this November. And bring a friend!