What Does the Religious Right Want From Romney?

[rug]

Ben Adler on May 3, 2012 - 8:28 AM ET

After Mitt Romney’s foreign policy spokesman Richard Grenell resigned on Tuesday in response to social conservative complaints about his sexual orientation and his support for same-sex marriage, Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association is claiming credit. On his radio program Tuesday afternoon Fischer--who was the first to criticize Grenell for being “an out, loud and proud homosexual”--boasted, “This is a huge win... I will flat out guarantee you [Romney] is not going to make this mistake again. There is no way in the world that Mitt Romney is going to put a homosexual activist in any position of importance in his campaign.” (Fischer is a former evangelical pastor who is prone to making controversial remarks such as, “we should screen out homosexuals who want to immigrate to the United States.”)

That, of course, raises an important question: if staunch religious conservatives such as Fischer can dictate Romney’s policy and personnel decisions, what other demands will they make?

I called Fischer to find out. He says there are a number of stances on issues Romney has thus far avoided that would reassure the “pro-family” community. The most significant includes a pledge to veto the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would protect gays and lesbians from workplace discrimination, reinstating Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) and removing spousal benefits for the domestic partners of federal employees. Fischer laid out these same ideas in his initial attack on Grenell. “Romney needs to make the following public commitments... if he is to have any hope of generating even modest enthusiasm in the base.... If he’s going to pander, he’d better start pandering in a big, fat hurry.”

Here’s what Fischer told me on Wednesday:

One thing [Romney] can do is come out and endorse North Carolina’s marriage amendment. Sanctity of marriage is a very important issue for the pro-family community. I would urge him to restate his commitment to rigorously defend the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). I would urge him to commit to revoking spousal benefits for unmarried domestic partners. President Obama has extended spousal benefits to partners of federal employees in violation of DOMA. We need to hear Romney take a position on reversing that. He needs to publicly commit to vetoing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) if it reaches his desk. I think he should reinstate the ban on homosexuality in the military. He said he won’t do that, but he should make it clear that military chaplains on his watch will have freedom to teach biblical view of sexuality without any fear of repercussions.

http://www.thenation.com/blog/167693/what-does-religious-right-want-romney

[get the red out]

1. Anyone can dictate Romney's policy

Anyone who can get him votes, that is. The man's sincere about nothing except his own ego. He's completely for sale.

[jeepnstein]

2. The "Religious Right" isn't so religious.

They're willing to look the other way on a host of issues as long as the Republicans pander to them a bit at election time. I can't wait until Romney shows up in a Southern Baptist Convention church for a service, just to show he's just like them.

Me? I don't trust any politician who shows up at a church door just for the votes.

[cbayer]

3. Ok by me if Romney wants to lay down for the AFA, because I think it's

a really stupid political move. I think a lot of fundamentalists are either going to stay home or only vote down ticket in November no matter what Romney does. The only thing I think would change that is if he has a wondrous conversion to the *real* christianity.

Fischer and AFA know they are losing political influence. They couldn't even get one their own very far in the primaries. Too bad. They won't be missed.