Minnesotans for Marriage Communications Director Chuck Darrell didn’t feel the need to apologize when, some weeks ago, he suggested only atheists would vote no on the amendment to limit the freedom to marry.
But last night’s news had even the perennial victims at Minnesotans for Marriage declaring, “Oops!” It seems their Director of Faith Outreach was caught one more than one occasion and at official campaign events using Nazi imagery to describe the battle they are in. The Star Tribune reports:
For gays in the Third Reich, Nazism was not a metaphor.
The group pushing the marriage amendment apologized Monday after its director of church outreach told at least a couple small groups that the other side is using techniques similar to Adolph Hitler.
“I apologize that it wandered off in this direction,” said Andy Parrish, deputy campaign manager for Minnesota for Marriage. “It’s clearly not what we are talking about in this campaign.”
At an event recorded by the rival campaign, the Rev. Brad Brandon tells a group in Brainerd that Hitler suppressed religious freedom and that religious freedom is at stake in the marriage fight.
“We’re not saying that one side or the other is equal to Adolph Hitler and the atrocities that were committed in Nazi Germany,” Brandon said during a presentation that included a huge picture of the German ruler. “What we are simply saying is that when a totalitarian dictator takes place and wants to suppress the voice of a group…. they use certain tactics.”
The headline of the Star Tribune Article says M4M “apologizes” for using the Nazi accusations. M4M’s Andy Parrish told the Star Tribune that Reverend Brandon’s discussion of Hitler “is not representative about how we feel about the other side. Pastor Brandon is going to get back on message that kids need a mom and a dad and why marriage is worth preserving.”
Notice what Mr. Parrish didn’t say? He did not say the outrageous Reverend Brandon was fired. He just said, Oops! – Promise not to do it again!
Sorry, Mr. Parrish, you don’t get to say “oops” when these statements were made more than once at official Minnesotans for Marriage events.
You don’t get to say “oops” when other members of your senior staff leadership were at these meetings, saw the Reverend put in his POWERPOINT and say these things and did not call him out on the spot. That suggests the Good Reverend was not so much “off message” has he was caught delivering one particular message to supporters your campaign thinks are open to hearing it.
Oops doesn’t cut it when you keep this man on your staff.
Oops doesn’t cut it when you should have known better. You see, Reverend Brandon has quite the past. Sally Jo Sorensen has helpfully compiled the Reverend’s Greatest Hits over at Bluestem Prairie, which include his wild accusation that gay rights activists were teaching children how to masturbate in the Capitol Rotunda. Oh yes, he’s that crazy.
And Oops doesn’t cut it when this fits a broader pattern of the M4M campaign saying outrageous things about the Vote No campaign and then hiding behind a dramatic whine. Unbearable Victimhood of Vote Yes indeed.
Stay tuned. This story is developing.
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