FRC Head Tony Perkins Uses Santorum To Make Lemonade

A Frothy Mixture of Disingenuous Grandstanding

Tony Perkins, president of the anti-gay hate group Family Research Council, sent out the following email to his followers (and us insignificant bloggers on the org's mailing list) that portrays Rick Santorum's departure from the GOP nomination process as a great victory for the Religious Right.

"Rick Santorum's historic run for president achieved remarkable success because his campaign was based not on money spent but on the message of faith, family and freedom that he carried.  I commend his courage, boldness and tenacity in fighting for the values that made America great, and are fundamental to returning America to greatness.  Millions of voters flocked to Rick not because he was a Republican, but because he passionately articulated the connection between America 's financial greatness and its moral and cultural wholeness.  He realizes that real problem-solving starts with an understanding that the economy and the family are indivisible.  (All families must be FRC-approved.)  This values message generated enthusiasm and drew many new voters into the process. If the Republican establishment hopes to generate this same voter intensity in the fall elections, Santorum voters must see it demonstrate a genuine and solid commitment to the core values issues."

Translation:  Behold the vast political power of conservative Christians, who will not rest until they dominate all aspects of American culture.  From controlling women's bodies to tearing down the concept of church-state separation, from replacing science education in schools with "Biblical truths" to criminalizing same-sex intimacy between consenting adults.  Religious zealots will continue to insist that the nation's economic stability is dependent upon "moral and cultural wholeness" because conservative sheeple must be spoon-fed trite political ideology along with their church dogma. Of course GOP front-runner Mitt Romney realizes this, and has been pandering, albeit ineffectively, to the base.

And while we're on the subject of Social Conservatives Gone Wild ...  In Arizona, one of three anti-choice bills moving through the state legislature includes a passage that says "life" begins before conception and must be "calculated from the first day of the last menstrual period of the pregnant woman."  In Tennessee (which is known as the Hate State for its Uganda-esque approach to LGBT citizens), lawmakers have regressed to the days of the Scopes Monkey Trial by passing a draconian anti-evolution bill that would make William Jennings Bryan turn over in his grave.  Onward Christian soldiers.