Villainous Company

It has long been axiomatic for the Left that conservatives hate gays. It should be obvious that no political party can remain viable unless it is accommodates a wide spectrum of beliefs. The Republican Party is no exception: it is home to a variety of broadly conservative, but diverse viewpoints. Yet somehow, this basic truth is overshadowed by the fact that some (though by no means all of us) have religious objections to the practice of homosexuality. This is not the same as hating homosexuals.

Within our party, there are a wide variety of opinions on gay marriage. Some strongly favor civil unions. Some think gay marriage is fine, but want to leave it up to the states to decide. And some believe that marriage has a special meaning - that it was meant for a man and a woman for the procreation of children. And so they vehemently oppose gay marriage. You may agree, or disagree. America, last time we checked, is still a free country. But again, free debate is not hate speech.

The fuss over the nomination of Judge Roberts began over abortion. When the Left found no traction there, the debate quickly segued to toads, french fries, and matters of such profound Constitutional import as the nominee's ability to spell the word "Havana".

His family's sartorial excesses were mined for deeper socio-political meaning by experts like Robyn Givhans. What could little Jack's retro look tell us about how the nominee would rule? Inquiring minds wanted to know.

These tactics having failed to yield the requisite degree of entertainment value, things started to get silly. The NY Times started combing through the nominee's adoption records. One wonders what they hoped to find? Some personal dirt from a background investigation? Or perhaps some technical or legal impropriety that would overturn the adoption and leave two young children homeless? Who would be served by such a disgusting tactic, one wonders? In any event, they found nothing.

It seems nothing the candidate does will satisfy the Left. Against all evidence to the contrary, Roberts is relentlessly portrayed by those who should know better as a ruthless, Reich-wing extremist. Even the revelation that he worked pro bono in support of gay rights earns him no credit with the opposition.