San Diego Pro-Family Coalition Urges ‘Defensive Tactical Vote’ Against Carl DeMaio, Openly Homosexual Activist Republican Congressional Candidate

Speaker Boehner to hold fundraiser Saturday for ‘proud gay” candidate who backs homosexual “marriage” and abortion rights

Carl DeMaio (right) with his homosexual lover, Johnathan Hale.

By Peter LaBarbera, [americansfortruth@gmail.com; Twitter: @PeterLaBarbera]

Folks, the internecine war in the Republican Party between social conservatives and libertarians who want to abandon abortion and homosexuality as major issues in the Party is bubbling to the surface. The following is an open letter signed by some leading Christian pro-life and pro-family advocates in San Diego–most notably pastor Jim Garlow, who led the victorious 2008 campaign for California’s Proposition 8 ballot initiative defending marriage. The letter urges concerned  San Diego Christians to cast a “tactical vote” against openly homosexual Republican congressional candidate Carl DeMaio, who supports homosexuality-based “marriage” and abortion rights. DeMaio’s campaign TV ad declaring himself a “proud gay American” who eschews “divisive social agendas” (even as he embraces them) is below [more analysis follows beneath video]:

All across America, GOP leaders are walking away from or downplaying the Party’s principled pro-family and pro-life platform. Their assumption is that this will help the Party win “moderate” votes and hence elections–a plan that didn’t work out so well for 2012 presidential candidate Mitt Romney (who, among other dubious stances, came out for open homosexuals in the Boy Scouts). The message from GOP elites in Washington is loud and clear: social issues are a drag on the Party; ignore them to win. But few Republican big shots seem to consider this relevant political question: how many social conservatives will walk away from the GOP or simply not vote–or be far less energized to volunteer for and fund a given GOP campaign–than they would be had a well-rounded social conservative been nominated?

This is precisely what is happening in San Diego. [See this Barbwire story to learn how the San Diego GOP endorsed and favored DeMaio in the Republican primary.]

Speaker of the House John Boehner will be raising funds for DeMaio Saturday. This piece in The Hill newspaper describes the GOP’s posture of backing homosexual candidates:

Last December, Boehner shot down calls for the NRCC [National Republican Congressional Committee] to abandon gay GOP candidates, arguing the party needed to make better inroads with gays, women and minorities following the party’s poor showing in the 2012 election.

Through his various fundraising committees, Boehner has donated the maximum $14,000 to both DeMaio and [openly homosexual GOP Massachusetts congressional candidate Richard] Tisei this cycle, records show. The NRCC also is spending big in those races, pouring $2.3 million to help DeMaio in his bid to unseat freshman Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.). It’s spending another $1 million to prop up Tisei’s campaign against Democratic nominee Seth Moulton, who ousted Rep. John Tierney (D-Mass.) in the primary.

“Our decisions on the Republican nominees we support will not be based on race, gender or sexual orientation, but will be based on the strength of their candidacy and their ability to defeat Democrats,” NRCC spokesman Ian Prior said.

Morally and spiritually speaking, the GOP’s new openness to homosexuality and abortion tears at the soul of principled Christians who otherwise would be naturally inclined to vote Republican. These are moral Truth voters whose first allegiance is to God–and who are grieved to watch a Party that claims to be “pro-family” and pro-God tolerate–and then champion–candidates espousing social evils like sodomy-based “marriage” and abortion-on-demand. God does not support Republican-backed homosexuality any more than He does the common Democratic variety. Sin is sin.

[See this recent speech by Gov. Mike Huckabee assailing the GOP abandonment of traditional marriage as an issue.]

From FOX News icon Brit Hume prematurely and perhaps wishfully (as a loyal Republican drinking the Kool-aid) declaring this week that the same-sex “marriage” issue is over as a political issue–to Michigan’s Republican Speaker of the House Jase Bolger accepting $50,000 from “gay” activist financier Tim Gill, the GOP’s capitulation on homosexuality is accelerating. AFTAH is non-partisan, so we do not get involved in elections. But we do report trends, and the GOP trend of watering down or abandoning key moral principles–and selling its soul for “gay”-friendly campaign cash–has the very real potential to drive millions of people of faith from the Party. — Peter LaBarbera, AFTAH.org; Twitter: @PeterLaBarbera

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Open letter reprinted from “Republicans & Independents for Scott Peters“:

Defensive Tactical Voting:

Which candidate will do the least harm?

As you prepare to vote: 

Christian conservatives face a moral dilemma in a key San Diego election race.

We know we have a clear choice in voting between the candidates when one of the candidates stands in opposition on issues relevant to the Christian community: life, marriage, religious freedom… Obviously we vote for the candidate who is in-line with biblically based values.

But how should we vote when both candidates share virtually the same views, and stand in opposition to those values?

Some people choose to simply abstain from voting, out of frustration with both candidates.  However, staying at home on Election Day might provide the margin of victory for a candidate who will do far greater damage and harm to society.

Such a race, we believe, calls for a different type of strategy when voting. Rather than sitting out the election, and potentially allowing a candidate who will cause great damage to win an election, we suggest a strategy that we call “Defensive Tactical Voting.”

What is Defensive Tactical Voting? Simply this: voting for a candidate who, while doing some damage to society, will do less damage than the other candidate(s) on the ballot. And who will provide a greater opportunity for defeat in a future election. We are aware of the fact that this strategy cannot always be applied broadly, but only to specific races.

An example of such an election is the 52nd Congressional District in San Diego, CA. Two candidates are running: Incumbent Democrat Scott Peters, and Republican Carl DeMaio.   Both candidates are pro-abortion and pro-same sex marriage. Both candidates are liberal and “progressive.” Yet one of these candidates will do far more damage to the moral fabric of our society than the other.

That candidate: the Republican candidate, Carl DeMaio.

Why is Carl DeMaio so damaging as a potential Congressman?

Here are a few reasons:

DeMaio is an avowed LGBTQ activist (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning).

The LGBTQ movement believes in a genderless society, where God’s order of male and female is denied. Their goal is much greater than that. It is to impose their views upon us, with the intent of abolishing our rights to freedom of religious conscience, coercing us to affirm homosexual practice and to forever alter the historic, natural definition of marriage. Allow us to be clear, in court cases all over America, it is now overwhelmingly evident that religious liberty and the radical homosexual agenda can not co-exist. Authentic biblical believers are losing their right to the first amendment expression whenever the homosexual agenda gets its way.

DeMaio has made it very clear that if he were elected, he would cater to the LGBTQ activists. Here is a newspaper interview comment from Carl DeMaio: “When I’m elected mayor, I will be one of the highest ranking LGBT officials in the nation. And the highest ranking Republican LGBT official. While my focus will be on fiscal and economic reform in San Diego, I also recognize the opportunity and obligation to serve as a role model for the LGBT community. We are currently evaluating several organizations and efforts to define the best way for me to serve as a role model.” Gay San Diego, Sept 7, 2012

Carl DeMaio is young, with a charismatic personality. If Carl DeMaio were elected to Congress, those within the GOP who desire to destroy historic one-man, one-woman marriage, and those who desire to destroy life in the womb, would likely attempt to increase DeMaio’s influence and stature within the Republican Party – becoming the poster child for the emerging left wing of the GOP. And as an incumbent, he would be virtually impossible to defeat.

But perhaps of greater danger is the fact that his rise in the Party would contribute greatly to a seismic shift: a loss of basic moral and family values in the Republican Party platform.  DeMaio will actively advocate a platform where foundational moral and family issues would essentially be removed from discussion, looking virtually identical to those planks in the Democrat platform.

Peters wants to change the direction of our country through his Party. DeMaio wants to change the country and his Party entirely. If DeMaio is elected, he will do so. And he will leave us as biblical Christians without a political home.

If you want further proof of DeMaio’s desire to remake the Republican Party, go directly to the San Diego Gay and Lesbian News, which is published by Johnathan Hale, DeMaio’s homosexual partner. (Yes, you read that right, DeMaio’s partner publishes the homosexual news for San Diego.) In this article DeMaio makes his intentions clear.

Please understand that our concerns lie not with Mr. DeMaio’s personal issues with same-sex attraction, but with his activism geared towards changing core values that protect life, the family and religious freedom.

In other words, those who hold to the sanctity of human life, the sanctity of family (meaning a biblical marriage, and two parent, one man-one woman, father and mother families), and the freedom to exercise religious conscience, would no longer have an active voice in American government.

DeMaio is a member of the Republican Party. Carl DeMaio, however, does not endorse the platform of the Republican Party–particularly the pro-life and pro-marriage planks of that platform.

A vote for Democrat Scott Peters will send a message to the Republican Party: “Defend your Party platform and its conservative values, and return to promoting and endorsing candidates who vocally support the entire platform. If you do not, we will keep voting for the opposition, and you will keep loosing elections. ”

Consider this: if you abstain from voting, that is a one vote (-1) difference. However, if you do not vote for DeMaio, but rather vote for Peters, that is a 2 vote (-1, +1) difference.  Your vote for Peters could make all the difference. (Please note that we understand that some will be unable to cast a vote for either candidate, and we are not asking you to violate your conscience before the Lord.)

In the 52nd Congressional District of San Diego, we encourage a vote for Democrat Scott Peters. Why? Not because he stands for our values – he does not.  We are supporting a vote for Scott Peters because he will do less damage to our nation then will his opponent:  Carl DeMaio. And will allow us an opportunity to correct the situarion in two years.

As a sidenote, we would urge fellow Republicans and Independents in Massachusetts and Oregon to vote for the Democrat opponents of the two Republican candidates, who likewise oppose the Republican Platform. They are: Democrat Seth Moulton, rather than Republican Richard Tisei, (MA 6); and Democrat Jeff Merkley of Oregon, rather than US Senate Republican candidate Monica Wehby.

Please join this movement, in order to keep the candidate who could do far more damage, Carl DeMaio, out of Washington. Consider voting for Scott Peters in the November election. While many of us do not align with Scott Peters politically, we align even less, morally and ethically, with Carl DeMaio.

God bless you and your family,

God bless America,

As a growing movement, additional names will be added in the near future.  If you would like your name added to the list below. please email info@RepublicansandIndependentsforScottPeters.com

Kamal Alsawaf

Dean Broyles

Dr . Gary Cass

Chris Clark

Frank Dowse

Dr. Jim Garlow

Pat Hansen

Penny Harrington

Jim Holman

Frank Kacer

Attorney Charles Limandri

Kathryn A. Marler

Timmerie Millington

Mary Moran

Claire Reiss

Allyson Smith

John Waring

Anne Wigdahl Subia

Amy Vance

The persons listed above have signed this letter as individuals, not representing any organization, nor are they working in association with any other organization. They are private citizens who jointly signed this letter when they discovered they shared a common view. You are invited to join them by emailing info@RepublicansAndIndependentsForScottPeters.com and asking for your name to be added to the list.