The folks at the Family Research Council aren't stupid, just borderline evil. They have a new ad out against Cong. Tom Perriello, a progressive Democrats from Virginia. (Shameless plug: I have an article about Perriello's race coming out in the new print edition of NCR.) The FRC ad is clever, but what the hell does any of it have to do with "the family"? The FRC is one of the groups that gained a lot of traction when the Moral Majority closed its doors in the late 1980s - the Christian Coalition was the other. Indeed, Falwell said he thought FRC founder Dr. James Dobson would be his most likely successor as the face of the religious right. Falwell would always make a moral argument to defend his positions - you could agree or disagree, but he understood he was not an expert on government or arms control but a pastor.
This attack ad against Perriello notes his support for "bailouts." But, the Wall Street bailouts were passed by Congress before Perriello took office and how, excactly, did the bailout of the auto industry harm families? Especially those families whose livelihood depends on the auto industry? These attacks on the auto bailout have the same moral stupidity as the morally disturbing decision by firefighters in Tennessee, not to put out a house fire because the owner had not paid his $75 subscription fee. Sometimes in life, and in politics, you must simply grab for the hose and put out the fire. In the case of the bailouts, the car companies seem to have rebounded well and will eventually pay the government back. So, what's the problem? FRC may think "big government" is on the backs of voters, but they are the ones putting big lies on the backs of voters.
Here is the ad:
As I say, well done but scurrilous.
