Frank Rich in Sunday's New York Times sees the conservative, anti-gay movement fizzling as fast as the economy. There is a connection, though different from Rich's explanation. Right wing propagandists are institutional investors. It's all about the money. They hold a position while prices rise, then sell off at the first sign of decline.

The wealthy crazies funding wingnut media don't care about the message. They only want to protect their money. One tactic has worked again and again. Create and market fear; then sell conservative politics as the only possible response. Blacks, Jews, Catholics, communists, socialists, feminists, gays, liberals, and Muslims have all been advertised as the Big Threat to America. When one begins to fade, another is brought out, and new hysterics begun.

Now, Gay Marriage has run its cycle. Republicans used the issue to get out the conservative vote in the 2004 election. California's bigots won big the first time the state voted on gay marriage. But, Proposition 8 was a squeaker despite a wagon train of Mormon money. The trend is obvious. Gay marriage no longer generates enough fear. The wingnuts have moved on to tea bags.

Blog Against Theocracy

America's religious leaders are the best reason for separation of church and state. Listen to them. Robertson, Warren, Dobson, Roberts, Donohue and the rest are cruel, hateful louts. They despise American freedoms and envy the Taliban's theocratic madness. They condemn abortion, but won't help promote birth control. They are apoplectic when in vitro blastula are used for science but indifferent when other fertilized human eggs are washed down the drain. They will spew hours of television and radio rage about the fate of one brain-dead woman, but ignore hundreds of thousands of Iraqis killed in America's unnecessary war. Life is sacred, except when it isn't.

Should we give power to clergy who are indifferent to torture? Rick Warren has waffled on the issue. He signed a letter condemning torture, said, "I'm totally against torture," yet ignored the issue when meeting with President Bush. Gay marriage and abortion are Warren's higher priorities.

James Dobson, founder and head of Focus on the Family, participated in weekly telephone conferences with George Bush's White House staff. Dobson had the clout to make torture into a mainstream political and moral issue. He chose not to. Take a look at the Focus on the Family web site. A drop down menu on social issues includes links to abstinence, bioethics and the sanctity of life, education, gambling, pornography and others. Torture is not included. The web site's search utility brings up links comparing abortion to torture and commentary on tortured Christians. Torture of Muslim prisoners by the US military and CIA has been Winston Smithed.

The Family Research Council's web site is also torture free. Ditto William Donohue's Catholic League. Abortion and perceived bigotry against Catholics dominate the League's press releases. Comedians Jon Stewart and Bill Maher are the real threats to America.


Identifying America's theocrats was easy. I just turned on my television. There they were broadcasting hatred, misogyny, fear, and lies. One of the biggest lies is the claim to any part of the Constitution. No. The men who carefully wrote that sacred text omitted all reference to God. The word "religious" appears only once: no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States. "Religion" is confined to the first amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...