David Corn at Mother Jones keys in to Alaska Republican Joe Miller’s views on gay rights issues. Miller himself keeps pretty mum on the subject, though in a letter to voters he defended a pastor who claimed that “homosexuality is a sin, and therefore immoral.”
But whatever his views, he paid $2,500, for consulting services unknown, to a veteran anti-gay activist named Terry Moffitt, who runs a project called Hope for Homosexuals.
Moffitt of the school of thought that homosexuality is a sickness that can be cured. Quoth Corn:
The group’s guiding principles, according to its website, include opposition to all fornication and homosexuality. It denounces “any efforts to convince society that homosexual behavior or ‘being gay’ is somehow normal or natural.” The organization explains its antipathy to homosexuality “is the result of a healthy fear of God’s judgment that will otherwise be wrought on individuals who reject God’s laws and our our nation for turning a blind eye.” That puts the Family Policy Network in the extreme camp of anti-gay activists—those who believe that God could punish the United States collectively, if Americans tolerate homosexuality.
Now you might be thinking that it’s unfair to draw any conclusions about Miller’s beliefs based on his ties to Moffitt. But Moffitt has a long history of excoriating conservatives and Republicans who have any contact with gay people or organizations. He attacked Rush Limbaugh for hiring Elton John to perform at his wedding, and slammed Virginia Republican George Allen for deigning to meet with gay activists.
The Miller camp sent a response to Corn’s piece to Salon, eliding the Moffitt issue altogether. But they do have harsh words for his opponent, Lisa Murkowski “This is another example of the hypocrisy of the media,” wrote Miller spokesman Randy DeSoto. “A small disbursement pales in comparison to the hundreds of thousands of dollars given to Lisa by PACs and special interests while she cries about ‘outside influence’. Why isn’t anyone asking her about the duplicity of her claims to be a conservative Republican while her campaign is being run by Democrats and bank-rolled by unions and Alaska Native Corporations?”
Brian Beutler
Brian Beutler is TPM's senior congressional reporter. Since 2009, he's led coverage of health care reform, Wall Street reform, taxes, the GOP budget, the government shutdown fight, and the debt limit fight. He can be reached at brian@talkingpointsmemo.com.
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