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02/08/2011
Bob Vander Plaats tries to snuff 'second-hand' fires; puts more kindling under ours
First, we put together this presentation:
Then Igor Volsky showed us this:
But now Family Leader head Bob Vander Plaats is being incredibly disingenuous about the obvious, fully fleshed out connections between his umbrella group and the exceedingly eye-opening "Second Hand Effects" programs that have puddled up underneath. This from Iowa Independent:
IOWA CITY — Saying that he is touring the state in order to speak truth in a loving way, the man behind one of the state’s largest socially conservative political networks denied Monday that he had anything to do with an seminar series that presented homosexuality and its “second-hand effects” as a public health threat.
Bob Vander Plaats, who leads The Family Leader, pushed back during a press conference when his guest, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, was asked if he agreed with the seminar’s conclusion that homosexuality is a bigger public health threat than smoking.
“I want to listen again to the premise of this question,” said Vander Plaats, interrupting before Pawlenty could speak, “because I don’t believe we’ve held any conferences on smoking.”
During a back-and-forth with the reporter, who represented Iowa Public Radio, Vander Plaats asked if the question was result of a posting on the “Good As You” blog, and then noted that he and The Family Leader were not responsible for what may have appeared on that website.
This image of The Family Leader's website was captured and published by Igor Volsky of Think Progress. It clearly shows The Family Leader advocating on behalf of the seminar series that discussed same-sex marriage and homosexuality "second-hand effects."
“The Family Leader has not been a part of that [seminar series],” Vander Plaats said. “The Family Leader — as a matter of fact, I’m the president and CEO of it — started in November 2010.
...
“We have not held seminars on that,” Vander Plaats told The Iowa Independent during the follow-up interview. “My guess would be that maybe it was something done earlier… you know, ‘The Other Effects’ — I don’t know how they (the IFPC) phrased it. I was not aware of it.”
KEEP READING: Vander Plaats denies involvement in anti-gay seminars [Iowa Independent]
Did Bob Vander Plaats personally know about the seminars? WHO THE FRICK CARES?!?! The Family Leader is not a Vander Plaats' vanity project! He was running for governor (then ousting judges) before he fully came on board the IFPC's efforts, so he may not have had expressed knowledge of the effort. But the organization did! The same organization and staff that is now operating under The Family Leader umbrella. The same organization and staff THAT IS STILL PUSHING THE SECOND HAND EFFECTS SERIES IN ITS E-BLASTS!!!!!!!!
So once again we have a "values" group refusing to take responsibility for what THEY CHOSE TO PUT OUT TO THE PUBLIC. Once again, these folks are spinning, spinning, spinning, in hopes that the the rapid whirls will prevent people from knowing where to look. But it's a funny thing, spinning. Sometimes the winds put out fires. Other times, the twirling kicks up more dust. This time, it will be the latter. We will see to that.
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*Download the "Second Hand Effects" packet for yourself and prepare to be shocked.
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