Ethics

Pledge Writers Sucking The Big Government Teat

Remember that pro same-sex marriage pledge which several Republican presidential candidates signed their name to? The pledge which compels candidates to oppose gay-marriage at every level of government, among other things.

This shouldn't come as a shock, but Vander Plaats' organization, which drafted the pledge, is guilty of violating it themselves.

Bob Vander Plaats’ Iowa Family Policy Center accepted at least $2.2 million in government funding between 2006 and 2010 as it fought efforts to undermine the state’s same-sex marriage law, the Associated Press is reporting. The group successfully unseated three Iowa Supreme Court justices who overturned a law prohibiting marriage equality. [...]

The report follows an earlier AP investigation from May, which had concluded that the group — which now operates under the FAMiLY LEADER name — “received more than half of its funding from federal grants over a five-year period,” benefiting from “President George Bush’s faith-based initiative, which made it easier for social and religious organizations involved in community work to win federal funding.”

Vow 13 of the Family Leader pledge calls on candidates to demonstrate a “Commitment to downsizing government and the enormous burden upon American families of the USA’s $14.3 trillion public debt, its $77 trillion in unfunded liabilities, its $1.5 trillion federal deficit, and its $3.5 trillion federal budget.”

Apparently the way you "demonstrate a commitment" to downsizing the public debt is by adding to it. You "demonstrate a commitment" to downsizing government by sucking off the socialist, big government teat.

Socialism is okay if you're a Republican.

via ThinkProgress