Hate in the Mainstream

“Obama tags? We’d buy some of those.”

— Independent Idaho conservative REX RAMMELL at an Aug. 25 GOP fundraiser, as quoted by the Twin Falls Times-News, during a discussion about wolf hunting licenses, or “tags”

“America is an outgrowth of Christianity and English civilization. … [U]ncontrolled immigration with multiculturalism is a recipe for … the fracturing of America along racial and ethnic lines.”
— JEFFREY T. KUHNER, writing in a Sept. 20 book review in The Washington Times in which he also claims Latino “radicals” are seeking to annex the American Southwest to Mexico

“[W]e need to realize he is an enemy of humanity.”
— U.S. Rep. TRENT FRANKS (R-Ariz.) at the Sept. 26 conservative “How to Take America Back” conference, making comments about Barack Obama that he said later referred only to the president’s position on abortion

“Military intervention is what Obama’s exponentially accelerating agenda for ‘fundamental change’ toward a Marxist state is inviting.”
— Conservative commentator JOHN L. PERRY, in a Sept. 29 column on the right-wing Newsmax website that was removed after protests

“Opossum, the other dark meat. A little greasy, but hey.”
— Kansas State Rep. BILL OTTO (R), in comments that immediately followed his criticism of President Obama, on a video removed from YouTube on Oct. 15. Otto’s remarks were widely denounced as racist, but he said they referred only to “redneck” stereotypes

“America was once their country. They sense they are losing it. And they are right.”
— MSNBC commentator PAT BUCHANAN, referring to the white people he termed “traditional Americans” in an Oct. 20 column published on the WorldNetDaily online news site

“Islam is … a violent political system bent on … world domination. … [W]e should treat it … as we would members of the Communist Party.” 
— Christian Coalition founder PAT ROBERTSON, in Nov. 9 remarks on the Christian Broadcasting Network’s “The 700 Club,” which he co-hosts

“Speaking of gays, happy birthday, Ray Buckley. Yeah, you f-----. … You are a disgrace to yourself, to humanity, to mankind and to your party.”
— DOUG LAMBERT, co-host of Gilford, N.H.-based WEMJ-AM’s “Meet the New Press,” attacking the state’s Democratic Party chairman in Nov. 14 remarks that resulted in Lambert’s firing and widespread condemnation from officials of both parties

“Your son was a homo, really?” 
— Mecklenburg, N.C., County Commissioner BILL JAMES (R), questioning a fellow commissioner on Dec. 15 who invoked the memory of her son, who died of AIDS, in voting with a majority to extend benefits to same-sex partners of gay county employees

Quotes on this page were compiled from media accounts, web pages, e-mail groups and Media Matters for America, a website that monitors the far right.