Following up on an item from a few days ago, the Family Research Council, DC’s most powerful religious right lobbying group, is hosting a major conference, starting today, called the “2006 Values Voter Summit.” For a mere $95, attendees can hear three days worth of far-right, theocratic rhetoric from nearly all of the movement’s most prominent leaders and activists, including James Dobson, Jerry Falwell, Tony Perkins, and Don Wildmon.
It’s a veritable who’s who of leaders who want to take a sledgehammer to the wall of separation between church and state. Better yet, none other than Ann Coulter will be a featured guest. Surely, even Republican officials know better than to endorse these fringe extremists by attending the event, right? Wrong. Several likely GOP presidential hopefuls — including George Allen, Sam Brownback, Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee, and Mitt Romney — will be on hand, groveling for votes and kissing Dobson & Co.’s rings.
To add insult to injury, yesterday FRC announced a late addition to the schedule.
Today, FRC Action announced that White House Press Secretary Tony Snow will join the line-up of speakers at the first annual Washington Briefing: Values Voter Summit, which will be held this week September 22- 24, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C.
Am I suggesting that it’s alright to engage in some “guilt by association”? Actually, yes, that’s exactly what I’m suggesting.
Look, Tony Snow isn’t just a former Fox News personality; he’s the official spokesperson for the president of the United States. The ’08 aspirants at least have a modicum of an excuse — they need to curry favor with radical activists to help compete in GOP primaries. What’s the White House’s explanation?
Snow is, of course, free to speak to whomever he pleases, but when he chooses to associate himself with the most hateful and radical elements of his party, there should be political consequences. Frankly, the White House — any White House — is supposed to be above this sort of thing.
Indeed, less than two weeks after the nation marked the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, the White House press secretary will be joining one prominent conservative who believes America deserved the 9/11 attacks (Falwell), and another who lashed out at 9/11 widows (Coulter).
If a bunch of right-wing activists want to get together to talk about how much they hate everyone who isn’t like them, that’s their business. But when the White House sends the president’s official spokesperson to tacitly endorse their spiteful gathering, it reflects poorly on all of us.
Post Script: I also wonder whether it even occurred to anyone at the White House that such a move might be controversial. Chances are, sending Snow to cavort with hate-filled demagogues barely raised an eyebrow. The Bush gang assumed there’d be no consequences, and they’re probably right.