Chuck Norris Supports Electoral Slate from "Bigotry Party"

Chuck Norris, onetime actor and now columnist for WorldNetDaily, has endorsed what we’re calling the “Bigot Party” slate of candidates.

Chuck’s latest column at WingNutDaily, titled “God Save the U.S. and Our Courts”, includes mention of candidates he’s supporting in gubernatorial races in 2010:

We’ve recently seen great patriot victories in states like New Jersey, Virginia and Massachusetts, but we must recognize those triumphs are only beginnings to America’s much-needed government overhaul. That is why I am backing other conservative candidates like Bob Vander Plaats for governor of Iowa, John Kasich for governor of Ohio and Judge Roy Moore for governor of Alabama.

Let’s review, shall we?

First on Chuckie’s list is Bob Vander Plaats of Iowa.

WHO?

If you don’t live in or pay attention to Iowa politics, you probably have no idea who Vander Plaats is. He’s been a candidate for Governor (or running mate) for the last several elections. He also wrote a book, Light From Lucas: Lessons in Faith From a Fragile Life, expressing how his son’s disability has taught him a sick lesson about his god:

Through the silent instruction of our son Lucas, this collection of inspirational life-lessons was born.

The third of our four children, Lucas is severely disabled. His fragile life has taken our family through years of uncertainty and brought us to the end of ourselves countless times. Yet God uses the weak to inspire the strong.

That’s right, Bob’s imaginary friend caused Bob’s son to be severely disabled in order to teach Bob (and others, presumably) a lesson about the nature of God.

This really should tell us all we need to know about Bob, but let’s look a little deeper.

Vander Plaats announced his candidacy (this time around) using gay marriage as his platform:

Republican Bob Vander Plaats, 46, a Sioux City businessman, officially announced his campaign in his hometown of Sheldon on Monday by saying he would issue an executive order putting the issue same-sex marriage in the hands of the legislature and the voters of Iowa on his first day in office.

In June, Vander Plaats also said he would issue an executive order stopping same-sex marriage until the legislature either passes a law legalizing it or passes a constitutional amendment banning it. He furthermore said after doing so, he said he fully expects Democrats to try to remove him from office for “promoting lawlessness.”

Here’s where Bob stands on some issues of interest (selected points, follow link for full list):

• FOR a federal fair tax that will reduce the cost of tax compliance and further foster economic growth.

  The “Fair Tax” is a 23% national sales tax being promoted at Fairtax.org. Analyses of the tax suggest that, to be revenue-neutral, the tax would have to be closer to 30%. It is also suggested that such a high sales tax would result in the creation of a substantial black market, a new direction for organized crime.

• FOR representation of public school, home school and private school on the Iowa Board of Education.

  Iowa taxpayers fund public schools. They do not fund home schooling or parochial schools. Why should these people direct state curriculum decisions?

• AGAINST federal involvement in Iowa’s classrooms and a one-size-fits-all approach.

  I can only imagine what this means. Things like standardized testing that requires students to know what “science” is? But that’s just speculation on my part.

Those are all small potatoes. Now for the stuff Chuck really likes:

• FOR a stay on same-sex marriages until the General Assembly rewrites state law or Iowans are allowed to vote on the definition of marriage as one man and one woman.
• FOR defining marriage as the union between one man and one woman.
• FOR protecting the words “Under God” in the pledge of allegiance.
• FOR the right to display the Ten Commandments.
• AGAINST embryonic stem cell research.
• AGAINST human cloning.
• AGAINST abortion.

Can you see why Chuckie loves this guy?

Next on Chuck’s list is John Kasich of Ohio.

His website doesn’t say a whole lot. From “What I Stand For” page:

lower taxes – Create a tax climate that allows Ohio to compete with other states to attract new businesses, foster job creation, and keep our precious, existing jobs here

make government more efficient and effective – Skinny-down state bureaucracy to ensure taxpayers are getting their money’s worth, and reform state government into a 21st century partner with Ohio’s job creators – not one that punishes business with outdated or unnecessary regulation;

transform our education system – Help our kids achieve, compete and succeed to meet the workforce demands of tomorrow’s economy

end the influence of special interests – Build common-sense solutions to our problems and kick out those who, for too long, have kept us from fixing all that is wrong in our state

That’s all Kasich is willing to say he stands for. However, John Kasich is a nine-term former Congressman and a Fox News host (of the “Heartland” show). He has also guest-hosted regularly for Bill O’Reilly.

I’m starting to see why Chuck’s taken a shine to this guy.

Kasich has been endorsed by Ohio Right to Life. As Marshal Pitchford, the chairman of the Ohio Right to Life Society Board of Trustees says:

John Kasich had an outstanding pro-life voting record during his career in Congress. His running mate, Mary Taylor, is an articulate advocate of the right to life movement.

Not really enough to call Kasich a member of the Bigotry Party, though. Must find more.

The bulk of Kasich’s interviews of late focus on economics; making Ohio more business friendly. OK, that’s not bigotry. How’s this:

Are social issues such as abortion and marriage important in the race for governor, I asked. Kasich believes that all social issues matter and recalled his own strong pro-life record in Congress and support for the marriage amendment that enacted in the state in ’04.

Ontheissues.org gives us a run-down of Kasich’s record, which helps to fill some of the gaps.

In 1999, Kasich voted in favor of banning adoption by gay couples in Washington, DC.

On multiple occasions, Kasich voted or cosponsored House resolutions to amend the US Constitution to permit school prayer.

Kasich co-sponsored a resolution for a School Prayer Amendment:
H.J.RES.52 (2001), H.J.RES.66 (1999), S.J.RES. 1, H.J.RES.12, H. J. RES. 108, & H. J. RES. 55:

Nothing in this Constitution shall be construed to prohibit individual or group prayer in public schools or other public institutions. No person shall be required by the United States or by any State to participate in prayer . Neither the United States nor any State shall compose the words of any prayer to be said in public schools.

H. J. RES. 78 (1997):

To secure the people’s right to acknowledge God according to the dictates of conscience: Neither the United States nor any State shall establish any official religion, but the people’s right to pray and to recognize their religious beliefs, heritage, or traditions on public property, including schools, shall not be infringed. Neither the United States nor any State shall require any person to join in prayer or other religious activity, prescribe school prayers, discriminate against religion, or deny equal access to a benefit on account of religion.

There is other news about Kasich, regarding his employment with Lehman Brothers in the years leading to its collapse. But that doesn’t say much about his support of the Bigotry Party platform.

Kasich’s efforts to steer clear of social issues in his campaign and focus on economics — promising Ohioans that he will eliminate the estate tax and income tax, without explaining how the 30% reduction in revenues will affect state services upon which many rely — has helped him strengthen his lead over Democrat Ted Strickland.

Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland, who roared into office three years ago with nearly 61 percent of the vote, trails Republican John Kasich 51-45 percent in a Dayton Daily News/Ohio Newspaper Poll released Sunday, Jan. 24.

Kasich appears to be 2010′s top Stealth Theocrat.

Third on Chuck’s list is Judge Roy Moore of Alabama.

Moore may be best known as the Alabama Chief Justice who was removed from office in 2001. Why? He refused to obey a Federal court order to remove a granite Ten Commandments monument from the Alabama State Supreme Court’s Rotunda. Moore became a hero to the religious right.

However, he didn’t need to lose his job to attain Bigotry Party standing. This is a judge who believes, just like some folks in Uganda, that homosexuals should be jailed or executed.

In the case of Ex Parte, H.H., a 2001 custody dispute in which a lesbian mother attempted to gain custody of her children from her ex-husband, who had demonstrated “excessive disciplinary actions” against the children, Moore came down in favor of the father for reasons having little to do with the welfare of the child.

His decision, in part:

I write specially to state that the homosexual conduct of a parent — conduct involving a sexual relationship between two persons of the same gender — creates a strong presumption of unfitness that alone is sufficient justification for denying that parent custody of his or her own children or prohibiting the adoption of the children of others.

In this case there is undisputed evidence that the mother of the minor children not only dated another woman, but lived with that woman, shared a bed with her, and had an intimate physical and sexual relationship with her. D.H. has, in fact, entered into a “domestic partnership” with her female companion under the laws of the State of California. But Alabama expressly does not recognize same-sex marriages or domestic partnerships. � 30-1-19, Ala. Code 1975. Homosexual conduct is, and has been, considered abhorrent, immoral, detestable, a crime against nature, and a violation of the laws of nature and of nature’s God upon which this Nation and our laws are predicated. Such conduct violates both the criminal and civil laws of this State and is destructive to a basic building block of society — the family. The law of Alabama is not only clear in its condemning such conduct, but the courts of this State have consistently held that exposing a child to such behavior has a destructive and seriously detrimental effect on the children. It is an inherent evil against which children must be protected.

An inherent evil.

Moore continues, after a lengthy discourse on case law, to conclude with another rant about homosexuals:

To disfavor practicing homosexuals in custody matters is not invidious discrimination, nor is it legislating personal morality. On the contrary, disfavoring practicing homosexuals in custody matters promotes the general welfare of the people of our State in accordance with our law, which is the duty of its public servants. Providing for the common good involves maintaining a public morality through both our criminal and civil codes, based upon the principles that right conscience demands, without encroaching on the jurisdiction of other institutions and the declared rights of individuals.

The State may not interfere with the internal governing, structure, and maintenance of the family, but the protection of the family is a responsibility of the State. Custody disputes involve decision-making by the State, within the limits of its sphere of authority, in a way that preserves the fundamental family structure. The State carries the power of the sword, that is, the power to prohibit conduct with physical penalties, such as confinement and even execution. It must use that power to prevent the subversion of children toward this lifestyle, to not encourage a criminal lifestyle.

Moore sure seems qualified as a member of the Bigotry Party.

But wait, there’s more!

Moore is presently President of the Foundation for Moral Law, which:

. . . exists to restore the knowledge of God in law and government and to acknowledge and defend the truth that man is endowed with rights, not by our fellow man, but by God!

…

The Foundation for Moral Law is a non-profit, tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) organization located in Montgomery, Alabama. The Foundation maintains a two-fold focus:

I. Litigation—The Foundation for Moral Law represents individuals involved in religious liberties cases and files amicus curiae (friend-of-the-court) briefs in state and federal courts. To read our legal briefs go here.

II. Education—The Foundation conducts seminars to teach the necessity and importance of acknowledging God in law and government. To find out more about our seminars, go here.

The Foundation for Moral Law was established December 2002, with Pastor Phillip Ellen as President, Mr. Randy Stafford as Vice-President and Dr. Mel C. Glenn Sr., as Executive Director. Dr. Rich Hobson was chosen by the board to be president of the Foundation in November 2003, with Pastor Phillip Ellen assuming the office of vice-president of the Foundation. Currently, Judge Roy Moore serves as President and Dr. Rich Hobson is the Executive Director.

These folks aren’t stealthy at all. They’re full-on Christian Reconstructionists . . . Paliban. Still have doubts? Here’s their Statement of Faith:

Statement of Faith
We believe in one God—the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and the truth of the Holy Scriptures, the infallible Word of God.

We believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died on the cross and rose again to life so that all who believe in Him, by faith, will be forgiven of their sins, and gain eternal life in Heaven. That He ascended to the Father and will come again to judge the living and the dead.

We believe that Jesus Christ fulfilled the requirements of the Law stating: “Love the Lord your God with all of your heart and with all of your soul and with all of your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like unto it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:37 -39).

We believe that the Ten Commandments are given by God and describe duties we owe to Him and to each other. They are the basis of our virtue and morality.

We believe that the United States of America was founded on the laws of Nature and Nature’s God, and that Almighty God is sovereign over the affairs of men, exercising jurisdiction over the family, church, state, and each individual.

We believe that God is the Creator and Author of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

The site includes a section about the Ten Commandments monument and a bio of Roy Moore. Not surprisingly, Moore, like Chuck Norris, writes a biweekly column for WingNutDaily (or did, until July of 2009). Moore’s, called Our Moral Foundation, includes glistening pearls of wisdom like “Obama’s Attack on Our Christian Heritage” and “Miss California is Right“.

These are Chuck Norris’s three gubernatorial picks. What do you think of them? And what about Chuck?

(h/t to Ed Brayton for sending us off on this trail of terror.)

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Jenny Donati is webmistress and co-editor of Secular News Daily. Jenny is an outspoken secularist who believes firmly in the separation of church and state. She demands evidence to support arguments, and holds herself to the same standard. She doesn't write about herself in the third person . . . but there's a first time for everything.

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