There’s trouble in the rightwing paradise of Indiana. Gov. Mitch Daniels – whose previous gig was director of the Office of Management and Budget for President Bush – is in disfavor with rightwing Christian extremists in the state who feel he is not being sufficiently abusive toward the civil rights of Indiana’s gay and lesbian taxpayers.
Micah Clark, leader of the 12,000 members of the American Family Association of Indiana, a conservative, pro-family group, used his Web site to call Daniels “a disappointment in the family values department.”
He criticized Daniels for not being out front in favor of issues such as a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and for having an office policy banning discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Family values spokesman Clark says he would prefer the GOP to remain the party of bigotry:
“I don’t believe in the big tent,” Clark said. “I don’t believe you get to be that big offending a large portion of your base.”
When forced to comment, Daniels accidentally revealed his real position – thereby permanently scuttling any hope of winning election to national office as a Republican:
“I don’t believe in discrimination, period. We had that (anti-discrimination) policy in our campaign. We left it in place. Basic rights of assembly, employment, housing and so forth ought not be limited based on a person’s race, creed, color or lifestyle,” [Daniels] said.
Making inclusive statements like that will get the governor nowhere in today’s GOP.