News Tidbits

ABC News: Ted Cruz Suspends Campaign After Indiana Primary Loss

BBC News: John Kasich, last Republican Trump rival, quits race

NPR: U.S. Spent $1.4 Billion To Stop HIV By Promoting Abstinence. Did It Work?

Christian News Wire: Orthodox Patriarch Ilia II Gives Blessing and Keynote Address to the Tenth World Congress of Families, Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia

Gay Star News: Texas: Self-appointed 'bathroom cop' follows woman into bathroom to check on her gender

Washington Post: LGBT groups gird for battle against religious-based legislation in Congress

Out: The Pain of Ex-Gay Conversion Therapy Experienced Firsthand

Raw Story: Glenn Beck reads Bible at Cruz rally: Trans women are dudes because of ‘thingamajig downstairs’

News Tidbits

Dallas Observer: An Advocate for the Sexually Abused Demands Answers from Prestonwood Baptist Church

Religion News Service: Wheaton group blasts Christian college’s silence over Hastert abuse confession

Boston Herald: Bill would require colleges to reveal religious exemptions

Gay Star News: Anti-LGBTI groups form coalition to fight UN for protecting same-sex couples and families

Associated Press: Kasich calls for balance on gay rights, religious beliefs

Associated Press: Lead singer of Neon Trees changing tune on Mormon religion 

Washington Blade: Cruz won’t let up on anti-trans ‘bathroom predator’ myth

Pink News: Turns out this anti-gay bakery just can’t back down

Buzzfeed: Australia: A Gay Conversion Advocate Is Speaking At A University And Students Are Mad

Military*com: Redstone Worker Says Sex Assault Program Used to Espouse Christianity   (Hat tip to Dispatches from the Culture Wars)

Disappointing Quotes from the GOP Debate in Miami

On March 10th, CNN hosted a debate between the remaining Republican presidential candidates in Miami, Florida. Questioning the candidates were CNN's Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, the Washington Times' Stephen Dinan, and Salem Radio's Hugh Hewitt. CNN posted a transcript of the debate, which made for depressing reading about scapegoating entire groups, climate change, rally violence.

Jake Tapper pressed Donald Trump on his statements about Muslims. Trump replied with word salad about the "tremendous hatred" that Islamic extremist feel toward the U.S.

TAPPER: Mr. Trump, let me start with you. Last night, you told CNN quote, "Islam hates us?" Did you mean all 1.6 billion Muslims?

TRUMP: I mean a lot of them. I mean a lot of them.

DINAN: Do you want to clarify the comment at all?

TRUMP: Well, you know, I've been watching the debate today. And they're talking about radical Islamic terrorism or radical Islam. But I will tell you this. There's something going on that maybe you don't know about, maybe a lot of other people don't know about, but there's tremendous hatred. And I will stick with exactly what I said to Anderson Cooper.

Marco Rubio, who has since suspended his campaign, commented that anti-Muslim statements coming out of the presidential race is tainting the way global Muslims see the U.S. However, he reminded viewers that many American Muslims cherish the U.S.

RUBIO: Two days ago, I met this extraordinary couple who were on furlough because they are missionaries in Bangladesh. It's a very tough place to be a missionary. It's Muslim.

And their safety and security very much relies upon friendly Muslims that live along side them, that may not convert, but protect them and certainly look out for them. And their mission field really are Muslims that are looking to convert to Christianity as well. And they tell me that today they have a very hostile environment in which to operate in because the news is coming out that in America, leading political figures are saying that America doesn't like Muslims. So this is a real impact. There's no doubt that radical Islam is a danger in the world.

I can also tell you if you go to any national cemetery, especially Arlington, you're going to see crescent moons there. If you go anywhere in the world you're going see American men and women serving us in uniform that are Muslims.

And they love America. And as far as I know, no one on this stage has served in uniform in the United States military. Anyone out there that has the uniform of the United States on and is willing to die for this country is someone that loves America. No matter what their religious background may be.

After Rubio's comments, Trump rambled about the violence perpetrated by Islamic extremists, saying little about law-abiding Muslims in the U.S.

TRUMP: Marco talks about consequences. Well, we've had a lot of consequences, including airplanes flying into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and could have been the White House. There have been a lot of problems.

Now you can say what you want, and you can be politically correct if you want. I don't want to be so politically correct. I like to solve problems. We have a serious, serious problem of hate.

There is tremendous hate. There is tremendous hate. Where large portions of a group of people, Islam, large portions want to use very, very harsh means. Let me go a step further. Women are treated horribly. You know that. You do know that. Women are treated horribly, and other things are happening that are very, very bad.

Ted Cruz appealed to the audience's fear by warning them that vicious enemies supposedly want to use "nuclear weapons to murder us" and undermine Israel.

CRUZ: And I'll tell you, frankly one concern I have with Donald is that although his language is quite incendiary, when you look at his substantive policies on Iran, he has said he would not rip up this Iranian nuclear deal. I think that's a mistake.

The Ayatollah Khomeini wants nuclear weapons to murder us. I'll give you another example, dealing with Islamic radical terrorism. On Israel, Donald has said he wants to be neutral between Israel and the Palestinians.

As president, I will not be neutral. And let me say this week, a Texan, Taylor Force. He was an Eagle Scout, he was a West Point graduate, he was an Army veteran. He was murdered by a Palestinian terrorist this week in Israel, and I don't think we need a commander in chief who is neutral between the Palestinian terrorists and one of our strongest allies in the world, the nation of Israel.

When Tapper asked Rubio about climate change, Rubio trotted out the usual right-wing excuses for not passing pro-environment legislation, such as the claim that pro-environment legislation will cripple the economy.

TAPPER: [Miami] Mayor Regalado told me, "Climate change means rising ocean levels, which in south Florida means flooding downtown and in our neighborhoods. It's an every day reality in our city. Will you, as president acknowledge the reality of the scientific consensus about climate change and as president, will you pledge to do something about it?"

Senator Rubio, the Miami mayor has endorsed you. Will you honor his request for a pledge and acknowledge the reality of the scientific consensus of climate change and pledge to do something about it?

RUBIO: Well, sure if the climate is changing and one of the reasons is because the climate has always been changing.

There's never been a time when the climate has not changed. I think the fundamental question for a policy maker is, is the climate changing because of something we are doing and if so, is there a law you can pass to fix it?

So on the issue of flooding in Miami, it's caused by two things. Number one, south Florida is largely built on land that was once a swamp. And number two, because if there is higher sea levels or whatever it may be happening, we do need to deal with that through mitigation. And I have long supported mitigation efforts. But as far as a law that we can pass in Washington to change the weather, there's no such thing.

On the contrary, there is laws they want us to pass. There are laws they want to us pass that would be devastating for our economy or these programs like what the president has put in with the Clean Power Act or all these sorts of things that he's forcing down our throats on the war on coal.

Let me tell you who is going to pay the price of that? Americans are going to pay the price of that. The cost of doing that is going to be rammed down the throats of the American consumer, the single parent, the working families who are going to see increases in the cost of living. The businesses who are going to leave America because it's more expensive to do business here than anywhere else.

John Kasich countered Rubio's statements by arguing that environmentally friendly legislation is compatible with a healthy economy, telling the audience, "I happen to believe in solar energy, wind energy, efficiency, renewables ...You can have a strong environmental policy at the same time that you have strong economic growth and they are not inconsistent with one another."

Finally, Tapper held Trump's feet to the fire regarding violence at his rallies. Trump denied that he was the catalyst for the violence -- "It's not me," he protested -- pointing instead to rising anger among Americans.

TAPPER: Mr. Trump, I want to start with you in this block. Earlier today, a man was arrested and charged with assault after sucker- punching a protester in the face at your rally in Fayettville, North Carolina. This is hardly the first incident of violence breaking out at one of your rallies ... Do you believe that you've done anything to create a tone where this kind of violence would be encouraged?

TRUMP: I hope not. I truly hope not ... People come with tremendous passion and love for the country, and when they see protest -- in some cases -- you know, you're mentioning one case, which I haven't seen, I heard about it, which I don't like. But when they see what's going on in this country, they have anger that's unbelievable. They have anger.

They love this country. They don't like seeing bad trade deals, they don't like seeing higher taxes, they don't like seeing a loss of their jobs where our jobs have just been devastated. And I know -- I mean, I see it. There is some anger. There's also great love for the country. It's a beautiful thing in many respects. But I certainly do not condone that at all, Jake.

TAPPER: Some of your critics point to quotes you've made at these debates -- at these rallies including February 23rd, "I'd like to punch him in the face," referring to a protesters. February 27th, "in the good ol' days, they'd have ripped him out of that seat so fast." February 1st, "knock the crap out of him, would, you? Seriously, OK, just knock the hell. I promise you I will pay for the legal fees, I promise, I promise."

TRUMP: We have some protesters who are bad dudes, they have done bad things. They are swinging, they are really dangerous and they get in there and they start hitting people ... And if they've got to be taken out, to be honest, I mean, we have to run something. And it's not me. It's usually the municipal government, the police because I don't have guards all over these stadiums. 

While the tone of the Miami debate was far less childish and inflammatory than the tone of the Detroit debate, the debate itself was still disappointing. Two of the remaining Republican contenders -- Donald Trump and Ted Cruz -- still cultivate their supporters' fear and hatred for political gain. Cruz appeals to the Religious Right's fetishization of Israel, instead of examining the nuances of Middle East unrest. Trump refuses to reflect on how his words exacerbate the violence that has occurred at some of his rallies. Even though Marco Rubio has suspended his campaign, his short-sighted approach to environmental problems reflects a greater ignorance in the Republican party. The GOP remains backwards and therefore a poor choice in the November election.

GOP Presidential Debate in Detroit Was Part Circus, Part Horror Show

On March 3rd, four Republican presidential candidates -- Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Donald Trump, and John Kasich --  took part in another presidential debate at Fox Theater in Detroit, Michigan Moderated by Megyn Kelly, Bret Baier, and Chris Wallace, the debate explored topics such as global extremism, the economy, firearms, same-sex marriage, the Flint water crisis, and failing schools. The Washington Post published a transcript of the debate, available here.

At times, the debate was a circus, with Rubio and Trump bickering like children. At other times, the debate was horrifying, with Trump's cavalier talk of gutting government offices, authorizing waterboarding, and giving illegal orders to the military. The debate should remind us how high the stakes are in the 2016 election, and the consequences that will befall us if enlightened voters fail to elect a trustworthy candidate.

Chris Wallace referenced Mitt Romney's excoriation of Trump when asking Trump about the endorsement he received from white supremacist David Duke. Trump disavowed Duke's endorsement, but quickly became evasive.

WALLACE: Mr. Trump, Romney also talked about your position on race, and the controversy over your failure to denounce David Duke on Sunday. You have repeatedly disavowed him since then, but I'd like to go deeper than that. What are your views on the Klu Klux Klan, and white supremacists?

TRUMP: I totally disavow the Klu Klux Klan. I totally disavow David Duke. I've been doing it now for two weeks, this is your -- you're probably about the 18th person that's asked me the question. It was very clear, that question was also talked about in the form of groups. Groups, I want to know which groups are you talking about? You have to tell me which groups? Ultimately, he got to the Klu Klux Klan, which obviously I'm going to disavow. And, by the way, if you look on my Twitter account, almost immediately after the program they were disavowed again.

Trump brought up Rubio's claim that he had small hands (which some people interpreted as a joke about the size of Trump's reproductive organ). "And he referred to my hands. If they are small, something else must be small. I guarantee you there is no problem. I guarantee," Trump assured the audience.

Wow. A serious presidential contender talking about his member during a debate. Classy.

Cruz and Rubio traded barbs with Trump for several minutes. The squabbling between Rubio and Trump became so childish that even Chris Wallace warned, "You have got to do better than this." Kasich prefered to rise above the fray and focus on his viability in the general election.

KASICH: It frankly is boring to me. I would like it clear though, since we're talking about polls, I beat Hillary Clinton by more than 11 points, and the reason it happens ... is because, as the Democrats tell me all the time, I can get the crossover votes. You see, because throughout this campaign I've talked about issues, I have never tried to go and get into these scrums that we're seeing here on the stage. And, people say everywhere I go, 'you seem to be the adult on the stage' ... What I want the people to know is, I know how to bring people together, Republicans and Democrats. I have successfully, both at the federal level and the state level brought economic growth, wage growth, and economic security to this country."

Trump's performance went from boorish to disturbing when Wallace asked him how he would keep the economy afloat after instituting large tax cuts. Trump admitted that he would gut the Department of Education, Department of Environmental Protection, and Internal Revenue Service to save money. Wallace reminded him that gutting these departments would not save the U.S. sufficient money to offset the federal deficit.

WALLACE: Mr. Trump, your proposed tax cut would add $10 trillion to the nation's debt over 10 years, even if the economy grows the way that you say it will. You insist that you could make up for a good deal of that, you say, by cutting waste, fraud, and abuse.

TRUMP: Correct.

WALLACE: Like what? And please be specific.

TRUMP: Department of Education. We're cutting Common Core. We're getting rid of Common Core. We're bringing education locally. Department of Environmental Protection. We are going to get rid are of it in almost every form. We're going to have little tidbits left but we're going to take a tremendous amount out. We have various other things. If you look at the IRS, if you look at every single agency, we can cut it down, and I mean really cut it down and save. The waste, fraud, and abuse is massive.

Wallace also questioned Ted Cruz about his plans to abolish the IRS if elected president. Naively, Cruz argued that Americans could just submit their taxes on a postcard to the Treasury Department.

WALLACE: Senator Cruz, one of centerpieces of your campaign, in fact, you mentioned it again tonight, is that you will abolish the IRS. Question though, who will collect the taxes that you are still calling for? Who will oversee to make sure that people pay the taxes that they rightfully owe? And who will check on the various tax deductions and tax credits that you still want?

CRUZ: So my simple flat tax I have rolled out in precise detail how it will operate where every American can fill out our taxes on a postcard. And if you want to actually see the postcard, see all the details, you can find them on our Web site. It's tedcruz-dot-org ... Now, at the end of that there will still be an office in the Treasury Department to receive the postcards but it will be dramatically simpler.

Bret Baier reminded Trump that over one-hundred Republican national security leaders signed an open letter declaring him unfit for office. Baier then asked Trump how he would react if U.S. military leaders refused to obey illegal orders related to torture and attacks on noncombatants. Trump was cavalier, insisting that the military would not refuse his orders. Chillingly, he expressed approval of waterboarding and even "stronger" (read: more brutal) measures.

BAIER: Mr. Trump, just yesterday, almost 100 foreign policy experts signed on to an open letter refusing to support you, saying your embracing expansive use of torture is inexcusable. General Michael Hayden, former CIA director, NSA director, and other experts have said that when you asked the U.S. military to carry out some of your campaign promises, specifically targeting terrorists' families, and also the use of interrogation methods more extreme than waterboarding, the military will refuse because they've been trained to turn down and refuse illegal orders. So what would you do, as commander-in-chief, if the U.S. military refused to carry out those orders?

TRUMP: They won't refuse. They're not going to refuse me. Believe me.

BAIER: But they're illegal.

TRUMP: Let me just tell you, you look at the Middle East. They're chopping off heads. They're chopping off the heads of Christians and anybody else that happens to be in the way. They're drowning people in steel cages. And he -- now we're talking about waterboarding.

This really started with Ted, a question was asked of Ted last -- two debates ago about waterboarding. And Ted was, you know, having a hard time with that question, to be totally honest with you. They then came to me, what do you think of waterboarding? I said it's fine. And if we want to go stronger, I'd go stronger, too ... We should go for waterboarding and we should go tougher than waterboarding.

Megyn Kelly played several video clips in which Trump contradicted himself on issues such as Syrian refugees, the war in Afghanistan, and whether George W. Bush lied to justify the Iraq War. Trump maintanced that he was maintaining "flexibility" on the issues.

KELLY: But the point I'm going for is you change your tune on so many things, and that has some people saying, what is his core?

TRUMP: Megyn, I have a very strong core. I have a very strong core. But I've never seen a successful person who wasn't flexible, who didn't have a certain degree of flexibility. You have to have a certain degree of flexibility.

Rubio scoffed at Trump's excuse. "There's a difference between flexibility and telling people whatever you think you need to say to get them to do what you want them to do," Rubio said.

Crippled or nonexistent Departments of Education and Environmental Protection. Illegal military orders. Waterboarding and worse. Deception. After November, this is what awaits reasonable voters if we fail.


To read additional commentary, visit the following links.

NPR: Is The Republican Party On The Verge Of A Historic Crackup?

Detroit Free Press: Marco Rubio slams 'politicizing' of Flint's water crisis, defends Snyder

Kasich Promises to Create Agency of "Judeo-Christian Values"

Ohio governor and Republican presidential candidate John Kasich delivered a speech at the National Press Club in Washington D.C. on November 17th. Kasich spoke at length about the threats posed by ISIS and Russia, the need for NATO to be vigilant, and the importance of "rebuilding" the U.S. military to deal with global threats. However, one of Kasich's plans has come under fire as a potential threat to church-state separation.

At the 9:13 mark of this video, Kasich announced that, if elected president, he would consolidate U.S. international broadcasting and diplomacy into a new agency that would promote "Judeo-Christian western values."

"We must be more forceful in the battle of ideas. U.S. public diplomacy and international broadcasting have lost their focus on the case for western values and ideals and effectively countering our opponents' propaganda and disinformation. I will consolidate them into a new agency that has a clear mandate to promote the core Judeo-Christian western values that we and our friends and allies share, the values of human rights, the values of democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of association. And it should focus on four critical targets: the Middle East, China, Iran, and Russia. Sophisticated strategies will be developed to communicate with each of these target countries."

Detractors quickly criticized the plan. Americans United for Separation of Church and State found the plan offensive. In a November 18th post at Wall of Separation, AU communications director Rob Boston pointed out the many flaws of Kasich's proposal.

"It’s blatantly unconstitutional: The creation of an entire federal bureaucracy that does nothing but spread religious concepts in an attempt to proselytize people is an obvious violation of the First Amendment. Unlike many politicians, Kasich is not an attorney -- but that shouldn’t stop him from reading the Constitution.

It’s patronizing: The proposal has the feel of the bad old days of colonialism. Those poor souls in other parts of the world can’t get it together without our help. Their own customs, values and religious traditions are insufficient. They need to adopt ours!

It’s simplistic: It’s a core belief of many Christian conservatives that if people who are acting badly would just embrace “Judeo-Christian” values, everything would be all right. (And guess what, those values always turn out to be more Christian than Judeo – and fundamentalist Christian at that.) Although this view is popular especially in the criminal justice field, no empirical evidence backs up the claim.

It’s kind of creepy: So we’re to have an entire ministry – I’m sorry, department – run by the federal government that exists to change the way people think about religion and persuades them to adopt new beliefs. The agency would do this, we must assume, by disseminating propaganda prepared by someone in government who has been given the authority to prepare an official theology that reflects the state’s political goals. Ew! In all honesty, this sounds like something out of a dystopian sci-fi novel."

During an interview on NBC's Meet the Press, Chuck Todd told Kasich that his idea sounded anti-Islamic at the 0:19 mark. (Hat tip to Business Insider.)

TODD: When you say that phrase -- we've got to promote Judeo-Christian values around the world, particularly to the Middle East -- in this atmosphere it sounds, it can come across as a little anti-Islam. Tell me why I'm wrong about that.

KASICH: Chuck, you need to calm down. What I have said is when I look at Voice of America or Radio Liberty, what I've argued is the western ethnic. What is it about? It's about life, it's about equality of women, it's about the freedom of religion. It's not about going to church ... I've invited moderate Muslims into this discussion as well.

At the 2:04 mark, Kasich defended his plan, contrasting western values to ISIS values.

"I think it's very important that we all come to grips with the fact that we've got to communicate who we are and while we believe in life, they believe that death somehow gets them to paradise. So not any new agency and not anything about going the church, about who we are as the west that represent freedom and life and progress. That's what we need to communicate to the world."

Kasich's plan struck me not only as a misguided white elephant, but as a blatant violation of the First Amendment. First, such a project would be blatantly unconstitutional. Do the words "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion..." mean anything to Kasich? The United States is a secular republic, and a government agency created to promote "Judeo-Christian values" would have no place in such a system.

Second, Kasich's plan might privilege "Judeo-Christian" contributions to society over the contributions of non-Jews and non-Christians. Muslims, Buddhists, Unitarians, atheists, agnostics, and "nones" have enriched the western world and shaped its values. Why should their contributions be ignored in favor of a "Judeo-Christian" vision?

Third, the language that Kasich uses to describe his project is amorphous. In reality, "western" values are not monolithic, but rather run a wide gamut of wildly divergent traditions. In reality, "Judeo-Christian" values are not monolithic, but rather encompass a wide spectrum of divergent ideas. Orthodox Judaism does not looks like Reform Judaism, which does not look like Roman Catholicism, which does not look like Quaker belief. To boot, Judaism and Christianity are not the same thing, so it makes little sense to lump them together. Kasich claims that his new agency would support freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of association, but he forgets that these are enlightenment values, not religious ones. If Kasich wants to advocate for freedom and gender equality around the world, why can't he do so using the language of human rights, rather than language about "western" values or "Judeo-Christian" beliefs?

What are we to make of Kasich's plan? Has he lumped human rights together with "Judeo-Christian values" in a well-meaning but misguided plan to combat extremism? Is he merely pandering to Religious Right voters? Whatever his intentions, his plans for an agency with a "Judeo-Christian" mission should concern us.


To read additional commentary, visit the following links.

Mediaite: Kasich Explains Plan for Judeo-Christian Department

Danthropology: Presidential Hopeful Kasich Proposes New Judeo-Christian Branch of the U.S. Government 

Esquire: John Kasich Goes Full Jesus 

Republican Presidential Candidates React to Planned Parenthood Shooting

Robert L. Dear was arrested for allegedly going on a shooting rampage at the Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood office on November 27th. (More here.) Authorities reported that Dear said "no more baby parts" after his arrest, a possible reference to a smear campaign against Planned Parenthood launched by the Center for Medical Progress, an anti-abortion group. The Colorado Springs rampage has triggered a national conversation about the relationship between vicious anti-abortion rhetoric and anti-abortion violence, a conversation that the Religious Right is reluctant to join.

In an earlier post, I argued that figures from the Religious Right were being disingenuous when they denied any connection between anti-abortion rhetoric and the shooting rampage at a Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood clinic. Unfortunately, several Republican presidential candidates have taken the same approach, denouncing the attack while ignoring its deeper implications.

First, Texas Senator Ted Cruz tweeted his condolences on November 28th, applauding the first responders who arrived on the scene of the Colorado Springs shooting. Ohio Governor John Kasich decried the "senseless violence" as well. (Hat tip to the Hill.)

Praying for the loved ones of those killed, those injured & first responders who bravely got the situation under control in Colorado Springs

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) November 28, 2015

Senseless violence has brought tragedy to Colorado Springs. I pray for the families in mourning and have hope our nation can heal. -John

— John Kasich (@JohnKasich) November 28, 2015

Ted Cruz should ask himself how his rhetoric contributed to the atmosphere of anti-abortion hatred out of which the shooting sprang. During the CNN Republican presidential debate on September 16th, Cruz blasted Planned Parenthood over a dubious smear campaign, calling the organization a "criminal enterprise".

"These Planned Parenthood videos are horrifying. I would encourage every American to watch these videos. See senior Planned Parenthood officials callously, heartlessly bartering and selling the body parts of human beings, and then ask yourself, 'are these my values'? These are horrifying. On these videos, Planned Parenthood also essentially confesses to multiple felonies. It is a felony with ten years' jail term to sell the body parts of unborn children for profit. That's what these videos show Planned Parenthood doing. Absolutely, we shouldn't be sending $500 million of taxpayer money to funding an ongoing criminal enterprise."

Unfortunately, Cruz is reluctant to reexamine his own rhetoric. In an audio segment from an Iowa event posted by the Texas Tribune, Cruz refused to consider the relationship between strident anti-abortion rhetoric and anti-abortion violence. (Hat tip to CNN.)

REPORTER: Do you think the rhetoric involved in the Planned Parenthood videos in this race had any impact or effect on the events that happened in Colorado Springs on Friday

CRUZ: Well, I think there has been some vicious rhetoric on the left blaming those who are pro-life. I'll tell you, I am proud to be unambiguously pro-life, to support protecting every human life from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death. I think every human life  is a gift from God. This murder that occurred in Colorado is tragic. It is a criminal act. We don't fully know the motivations of this deranged individual. We know that he was a man who registered to vote as a woman. The media promptly wants to blame him on the pro-life movement when at this point, there is very little evidence to indicate that.

REPORTER: It was reported he said 'no more baby parts' as he was apprehended.

CRUZ: Well, it's also reported that he was registered as an independent and as a woman and a transgendered leftist activist, if that's what he is. I don't think it's fair to blame on the rhetoric of the left. This is a murderer ...

Cruz isn't the only Republican presidential candidate deflecting attention away from anti-choice rhetoric. During the November 29th edition of Fox News Sunday, Carly Fiorina called the shooting a "tragedy" and referred to the suspected shooter as "deranged". However, she rejected the idea that vitriolic anti-abortion rhetoric and smear campaigns played any role in the Colorado Springs shooting. (Hat tip to Huffington Post.)

WALLACE: You have been one of the toughest critics, as we've said, of Planned Parenthood's alleged harvesting of body parts, selling them for fetal research. Some of the pro-choice advocates are saying language like yours -- not specifically singling you out -- but language like yours has incited violence. I'd like to get your reaction to that ...

FIORINA: Well first, it is not alleged. Planned Parenthood acknowledged several weeks ago that they would no longer take compensation for body parts, which sounds like an admission that they were doing so. Secondly, this is so typical of the left, to immediately begin demonizing a messenger because they don’t agree with the message. The vast majority of Americans agree. What Planned Parenthood is doing is wrong, and that's why the vast majority of Americans are prepared not only to defund Planned Parenthood, but also to stop abortion for any reason at all after five months. So what I would say to anyone who tries to link this terrible tragedy to anyone who opposes abortion or opposes the sale of body parts is this is typical left-wing tactics.

Donald Trump was reluctant to entertain the connection as well. During the November 29th edition of NBC's Meet the Press, Donald Trump called the shooting "a terrible thing" and referred to the suspect as a "maniac". At the 7:02 mark of the above video, Chuck Todd asked Trump whether heated anti-abortion rhetoric influenced the shooter. Trump shrugged off the possibility, preferring to slam Planned Parenthood over dubious videos from the Center for Medical Progress. (Hat tip to NBC News.)

TODD: A spokesperson for Planned Parenthood ... is concerned that the heated rhetoric around the Planned Parenthood debate could have had an adverse effect, basically, on this mentally disturbed individual. Do you think the rhetoric got out of hand on Planned Parenthood?

TRUMP: No, I think he's a sick person, and I think he was probably a person ready to go. We don't even know the purpose. I mean, he hasn't come out, to the best of my knowledge, with a statement as to why it happened to be at that location ...

TODD: Well, we have reporting that he was talking about baby parts and things like that from law enforcement officials during his interview.

TRUMP: Well, I will tell you, there is a tremendous group of people that think it's terrible, all of the videos they've seen with some of these people from Planned Parenthood talking about it like you're selling parts to a car. I mean, there are a lot of people that are very unhappy about that.

Finally, Ben Carson contributed little insight to the Colorado Springs discussion. During an interview with ABC's This Week, Ben Carson did not acknowledge any connection between vicious anti-abortion rhetoric and the shooting. Rather, he argued that all sides of the abortion debate have misbehaved, insisting that "there's no saint here". (Hat tip to ABC News.)

"Unfortunately, there is a lot of extremism coming from all areas. It’s one of the biggest problems that I think is threatening to tear our country apart. We get into our separate corners and we hate each other. We want to destroy those with whom we disagree. That comes from both sides, so there’s no saint here in this equation. But what we really have to start asking ourselves is what can we do as a nation to rectify the situation? How can we begin to engage in rational discussion?"

The Republican presidential candidates seem hesitant to offend anti-abortion voters, so they tip-toe around the Colorado Springs shooting. None of these candidates seem willing to wrestle with the implications of vitriolic anti-abortion rhetoric, even in the face of anti-abortion extremism. It's a safe bet that if any of these candidates were elected president, their policies would reflect this.

We can't pretend that vitriolic language plays no role in extremist violence. While vicious anti-abortion rhetoric does not cause violence, it does demonize abortion providers and galvanize extremists. Are Republican candidates and Religious Right figures deliberately ignoring this relationship because it would force them to reexamine their attitudes and language? I think so.

News Tidbits

NBC News: Kasich Proposes New Government Agency To Promote Judeo-Christian Values

Washington Post: Jeb Bush: U.S. assistance for refugees should focus on Christians

Religion News Service: Obama denounces religious test for refugees: ‘That’s not who we are’

Gay Star News: Indiana Senate pledges bill to balance LGBTI protections, 'religious freedom' 

Associated Press: Opponents of LGBTQ rights descend on Indianapolis Statehouse

News Tidbits

USA Today: Activists protest Baptists' seminar on homosexuality

Associated Press: Video Shows Pope Defending Chile Bishop Accused of Cover Up

The Hill: Kasich warns against 'secular society'

New York Times: The Chains of Mental Illness in West Africa

Reuters: Tennessee Board Drops Vote on Seeking God's Mercy Over Gay Marriage

The Advocate: Florida Advances Unnecessary Pastor Protection Act

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Quotes from the Republican Debate in Cleveland

On Thursday, August 6th, ten Republican presidential candidates gathered at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio for a high-profile debate. Three Fox News contributors -- Megyn Kelly, Chris Wallace, and Bret Baier -- moderated the debate, offering the candidates questions about electability, the economy, and social issues. Time posted a transcript of the debate online, from which I've plucked a few noteworthy quotes.

First, when Megyn Kelly confronted Donald Trump about his misogynist comments, Trump shrugged off her criticism as "political correctness". Trump's inability to distinguish "political correctness" from basic respect for women is troubling. If his recent comments about Kelly are any indication, Trump learned nothing from the debate.

KELLY: Mr. Trump, one of the things people love about you is you speak your mind and you don’t use a politician’s filter. However, that is not without its downsides, in particular, when it comes to women. You’ve called women you don’t like "fat pigs", "dogs", "slobs", and "disgusting animals". Your Twitter account--

TRUMP: Only Rosie O'Donnell.

KELLY: No, it wasn't. Your Twitter account--

TRUMP: Thank you.

KELLY: Your Twitter account has several disparaging comments about women’s looks. You once told a contestant on Celebrity Apprentice it would be a pretty picture to see her on her knees. Does that sound to you like the temperament of a man we should elect as president, and how will you answer the charge from Hillary Clinton, who was likely to be the Democratic nominee, that you are part of the war on women?

TRUMP: I think the big problem this country has is being politically correct. I’ve been challenged by so many people, and I don’t frankly have time for total political correctness. And to be honest with you, this country doesn’t have time either. This country is in big trouble. We don’t win anymore. We lose to China. We lose to Mexico both in trade and at the border. We lose to everybody. And frankly, what I say, and oftentimes it’s fun, it’s kidding. We have a good time. What I say is what I say. And honestly Megyn, if you don’t like it, I’m sorry. I’ve been very nice to you, although I could probably maybe not be, based on the way you have treated me. But I wouldn’t do that.

Predictably, some candidates used the debate as an opportunity to condemn Planned Parenthood and oppose abortion. Megyn Kelly asked Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker if his extreme opposition to abortion, even in cases when abortion could save a woman's life, meant that he was out of step with most voters. Walker used the opportunity to slam Planned Parenthood, calling Hillary Clinton "radical" for not opposing Planned Parenthood.

KELLY: Governor Walker, you’ve consistently said that you want to make abortion illegal even in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother. You recently signed an abortion law in Wisconsin that does have an exception for the mother’s life, but you’re on the record as having objected to it. Would you really let a mother die rather than have an abortion, and with 83 percent of the American public in favor of a life exception, are you too out of the mainstream on this issue to win the general election?

WALKER: Well, I’m pro-life, I’ve always been pro-life, and I’ve got a position that I think is consistent with many Americans out there in that in that I believe that that is an unborn child that’s in need of protection out there, and I’ve said many a time that that unborn child can be protected, and there are many other alternatives that can also protect the life of that mother. That’s been consistently proven.

Unlike Hillary Clinton, who has a radical position in terms of support for Planned Parenthood, I defunded Planned Parenthood more than four years ago, long before any of these videos came out. I’ve got a position that’s in line with everyday America.

Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee was his usual right-wing self. Mike Wallace asked Huckabee how he would woo enough independent and Democratic voters to win the 2016 election, given how many voters disagree with his right-wing stance on social issues.

WALLACE: Governor Huckabee, like Governor Walker, you have staked out strong positions on social issues. You favor a constitutional amendment banning same sex marriage. You favor a constitutional amendment banning abortions, except for the life of the mother. Millions of people in this country agree with you, but according to the polls, and again this an electability question, according to the polls, more people don’t, so how do you persuade enough Independents and Democrats to get elected in 2016?

HUCKABEE: Chris, I disagree with the idea that the real issue is a constitutional amendment. That’s a long and difficult process. I’ve actually taken the position that’s bolder than that. A lot of people are talking about defunding Planned Parenthood, as if that’s a huge game changer. I think it’s time to do something even more bold. I think the next president ought to invoke the Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendments to the constitution now that we clearly know that that baby inside the mother’s womb is a person at the moment of conception.

The reason we know that it is is because of the DNA schedule that we now have clear scientific evidence on. And, this notion that we just continue to ignore the personhood of the individual is a violation of that unborn child’s Fifth and Fourteenth Amendment rights for due process and equal protection under the law.

It’s time that we recognize the Supreme Court is not the supreme being, and we change the policy to be pro-life and protect children instead of rip up their body parts and sell them like they’re parts to a Buick.

I found Huckabee's argument puzzling. The Fifth Amendment protects due process and prevents citizens from being compelled to testify against themselves in criminal cases, while the Fourteen Amendment prevents states from encroaching on the rights of citizens. What does either amendment have to do with abortion?

On a bright note, Ohio Governor John Kasich told Megyn Kelly that he would cherish a gay loved one and that he accepts the Supreme Court's decision on same-sex marriage. According to the Columbus Dispatch, Kasich endorsed "traditional marriage" during a recent appearance on Face the Nation, but accepted the Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage as "the law of the land" and urged political leaders to address more pressing issues.

KELLY: The subject of gay marriage and religious liberty. Governor Kasich, if you had a son or daughter who was gay or lesbian, how would you explain to them your opposition to same-sex marriage?

KASICH: Well, look, I’m an old-fashioned person here, and I happen to believe in traditional marriage. But I’ve also said the court has ruled —

KELLY: How would you — how would you explain it to a child?

KASICH: Wait, Megyn, the court has ruled, and I said we’ll accept it. And guess what, I just went to a wedding of a friend of mine who happens to be gay. Because somebody doesn’t think the way I do, doesn’t mean that I can’t care about them or can’t love them. So if one of my daughters happened to be that, of course I would love them and I would accept them. Because you know what? That’s what we’re taught when we have strong faith.

To my disappointment, the media has devoted more attention to Trump's buffoonery than Kasich's comparatively mature responses. For example, Kasich also offered refreshingly sane commentary on Medicaid expansion. He stressed the importance of providing drug rehabilitation and mental health services to the public instead of warehousing people with addictions or mental health problems in prisons.

KASICH: First of all, Megyn, you should know that President Reagan expanded Medicaid three or four times. Secondly, I had an opportunity to bring resources back to Ohio to do what? To treat the mentally ill. Ten thousand of them sit in our prisons. It costs $22,500 a year to keep them in prison. I’d rather get them their medication so they could lead a decent life.

Secondly, we are rehabbing the drug-addicted. Eighty percent of the people in our prisons have addictions or problems. We now treat them in the prisons, release them in the community and the recidivism rate is 10 percent and everybody across this country knows that the tsunami of drugs is — is threatening their very families. So we’re treating them and getting them on their feet. And, finally, the working poor, instead of them having come into the emergency rooms where it costs more, where they’re sicker and we end up paying, we brought a program in here to make sure that people could get on their feet.

Kasich's sanity notwithstanding, the Cleveland debate offered voters little new information about the top Republican candidates. Sadly, the debate reminded viewers that most G.O.P. candidates have failed to move beyond the sexism, homophobia, and contempt for reproductive rights that characterize too many Republicans. If the G.O.P. candidates refuse to evolve, their chances of winning the 2016 presidential election are slim.


To read additional commentary, visit the following links.

PBS: Fact checking the GOP candidates’ statements in debate

The Atlantic: Who Won the Republican Presidential Debate?

Vice: Five Moments that Explain Last Night's Republican Debate