Josh Dorner at ThinkProgress has an important look at how Republican presidential candidates are working closely alongside FAMiLY Leader, an anti-gay Christian group. While the group is maintaining an active schedule of pushing anti-equality legislation through the Iowa state legislature, they're also booking a rally with infamous bigot and former Alabama Supreme Court justice Roy Moore. Dorner points out that FAMiLY has hosted a series of events featuring Republican presidential primary candidates:
In addition to its anti-LGBT advocacy efforts, the FAMiLY Leader is also hosting an ongoing presidential lecture series for potential Republican presidential candidates, with Rick Santorum, Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, and Newt Gingrich already scheduled to attend. (ThinkProgress has attended previous sessions with former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty and Congressman Ron Paul.) By attending these sessions, Republican 2012ers not only increase the profile of the FAMiLY Leader but would seem to tacitly endorse the radical, hate-filled rhetoric of Vander Plaats and his associates like Moore.Obviously anything having to do with politics in Iowa and winning credibility with Iowa's conservative Christian voters are import to Republican presidential candidates. But this is 2011. No Republican presidential candidate should get away with doing talks to hate-fueled groups. Maybe Buddy Roemer will take his newfound quasi-pro-equality stance and step up with an attack on his colleagues' appeals to discrimination, inequality and hatred.