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09/04/2008

Focus on the Palin: Dobson & Co. love Sarah

by Jeremy Hooper

You know how some folks have taken Sarah Palin's onetime veto of a bill that would've limited domestic partner benefits and tried to spin it as some sort of "pro-gay" move? And you know how we, among others, have been saying all along (since 2006, in fact) that her veto was in no way a gay-positive maneuver, but merely something she had to do? Yea, well the Rocky Mountain News has provided even more justification for our side:

While an unknown quantity to many Americans, Palin has been on Focus on the Family's radar since at least 2006.



Kevin Clarkson, an Anchorage attorney who does work for the Alliance Defense Fund — loosely linked to Focus on the Family, knew of Palin's work dating back to 1998 when she supported Alaska's ballot measure outlawing gay marriage.



Focus Action, the political arm of Focus on the Family, helped on that campaign — though Palin at the time was mayor of Wasilla and may have only inadvertantly crossed paths with the group.

...

But it was when she beat Republican Gov. Frank Murkowski in the 2006 primary that Clarkson got a call from Focus on the Family asking him questions about the strength of her social conservative credentials.



"There had been some entries made under her name in Wikipedia that were of concern to them (Focus on the Family)," Clarkson said. "The main one cited in Wikipedia was her veto of a bill that would've limited marriage benefits to married couples."



Clarkson explained that it was a convoluted process that led to the veto. Acting as legal counsel, Clarkson advised Palin to veto the bill that he said, because of confusing legislative machinations and existing court challenges, would've had the opposite effect and locked in benefits for all couples.



Clarkson said he had to explain the whole decision to Focus on the Family to put minds at ease.



"She is on the conservative side of all issues," Clarkson said. "She is in favor of marriage being defined as between a man and a woman and she is pro-life. There is no doubt about it."



So not only did Sarah veto the bill because she was advised to do so -- she was advised to do so by an attorney affiliated with the Alliance Defense Fund. THE ALLIANCE DEFENSE FUND! The same legal organization that has fought against anyone who even farts in a gay-friendly manner! The same Alliance Defense Fund that goes to court if a state or local government so much as acknowledges their LGBT citizens. The same Alliance Defense Fund that holds an annual day of school in which they encourage gay students to become "ex-gays." The same Alliance Defense Fund that thoroughly muddies the lines between the religious and the civil. The same Alliance Defense Fund that scares the ever-loving crap out of us!

Oh, and just to remind you: This is the same Sarah Palin that the Log Cabin Republicans are trying to sell as "an inclusive Republican who will help Sen. McCain appeal to gay and lesbian voters." We don't know whether to laugh, cry, or vomit about that.

Palin no stranger to Focus on the Family [Rocky Mountain News]

**ALSO: Be sure to check out the Associated Press's piece pointing out all of the truth-stretchings in Gov. Palin's RNC Speech: Attacks, praise stretch truth at GOP convention [AP via Yahoo!]

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