Ehrlich slammed for firing official (MD)

The Washington Times ^ | June 23, 2006 | Jon Ward & Tarron Lively

[DBeers]

Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. is receiving criticism nationally and locally for his decision last week to fire a Metro Board member who said in a public forum that he thinks homosexuals are "persons of sexual deviancy."

"Mr. Ehrlich is using his power as governor to declare that a tenet of the Catholic faith is a form of bigotry. That's a bigoted act on Mr. Ehrlich's part," said Robert Knight, director of the Culture and Family Institute of Concerned Women for America, a national Christian group based in the District.

"Shame on Governor Ehrlich for capitulating to this kind of pressure and dismissing a good man who was doing a good job," Mr. Knight said.

Chris Core, a conservative talk-show host on WMAL-AM (630), and the American Family Association, based in Tupelo, Miss., have started e-mail petition drives asking Mr. Ehrlich to reinstate Robert J. Smith, a Gaithersburg architect and Republican activist.

In addition, the Archdiocese of Washington has expressed displeasure over Mr. Ehrlich's decision.

"It would be unfortunate if it was [Mr. Smith] trying to express his faith teachings in a context also unrelated in his position on the Metro Board that resulted in him being dismissed from the board," archdiocese spokeswoman Susan Gibbs said.

Mr. Ehrlich has declined to explain why he fired Mr. Smith last Thursday. Hours earlier, a fellow board member -- D.C. Council member Jim Graham, a Ward 1 Democrat who is openly homosexual -- had demanded that Mr. Smith apologize, resign or be fired.

"There's nothing more to say," Ehrlich spokesman Henry Fawell said this week.

[DBeers]

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More on the Ehrlich firing of Smith.

[AntiGovernment]

Is it really a good idea to tear down Ehrlich and to help O'Malley?

[processing please hold]

Such a small percentage of the population the homos are, but they carry the weight of the US. What a sad state our nation is in when deviates have more power than the majority.

[Unam Sanctam]

In addition, the Archdiocese of Washington has expressed displeasure over Mr. Ehrlich's decision.

"It would be unfortunate if it was [Mr. Smith] trying to express his faith teachings in a context also unrelated in his position on the Metro Board that resulted in him being dismissed from the board," archdiocese spokeswoman Susan Gibbs said.

Good to see the Washington Archdiocese speak up for the civil rights of Catholic faithful.

[sinkspur]

There are ways to express disagreement with homosexual marriage that do not involve use of the phrase "sexual deviancy."

Smith works for the governor, at his pleasure. If Erlich feels that the Smith controversy harms his ability to get re-elected, then he is right to fire him.

Not everything that can be said should be said.

[DBeers]

Is it really a good idea to tear down Ehrlich and to help O'Malley?

I am not attempting to tear down Ehrlich -Ehrlich tears himself down in this case. Regardless, the legitimate discussion and disagreements over one issue -when I vote I consider the whole pacakage. In this case IF I was a voter in Maryland I would choose to support and vote for Ehrlich over O'Malley -hopefully an Ehrlich that corrects and or reconsiders his mistakes but an Ehrlich nonetheless...

[JohnnyZ]

Is it really a good idea to tear down Ehrlich

You're right, he's dancing to the tune of the gay lobby and we should join in!

[JohnnyZ]

Predictable events: sinkspur chimes in to support the gays.

[AntiGovernment]

Such a small percentage of the population the homos are, but they carry the weight of the US. What a sad state our nation is in when deviates have more power than the majority.

They only have some power because many non-queers support some of their political agenda too. So it's not 96% v. 4%. I think it's more like 40% v. 60% when it comes to dissing queers like that.

[AntiGovernment]

Predictable events: sinkspur chimes in to support the gays.

Actually, he's supporting Ehrlich.

[Praxeus]

"Smith works for the governor, at his pleasure. If Erlich feels that the Smith controversy harms his ability to get re-elected, then he is right to fire him"

Erlich works for the people of MD, at their pleasure. If a majority of the people of MD take offense at Erlich's pandering to sexual deviants, then they are right to fire him.

[processing please hold]

Unbelievable.

They have no decency.

[sinkspur]

If a majority of the people of MD take offense at Erlich's pandering to sexual deviants, then they are right to fire him.

That's true. Do you think that most Maryland citizens feel he is pandering to homosexuals?

[Praxeus]

I don't know. I know what they should feel.

Who knows anymore.

[JohnnyZ]

he's supporting Ehrlich.

... for supporting the gay agenda.

[SuziQ]

Predictable events: sinkspur chimes in to support the gays.

No, he's supporting Erlich's actions. There is a HUGH difference.

[SuziQ]

... for supporting the gay agenda.

Wrong again. He's supporting Erlich for removing someone from a position of influence for possible throwing a monkey wrench into the political works. We may agree with the man's statement, but as one poster said, just cause something CAN be said, doesn't meant it SHOULD be said, especially when that person has a 'public persona' that is attached to the Governor's administration.

[sinkspur]

for supporting the gay agenda.

No, I'm supporting Ehrlich for firing a guy who could not represent himself well in public on a controversial issue.

And, since he works for Ehrlich and everybody knows it, it reflects on Ehrlich.

[JohnnyZ]

Supporting suppression of non gay-approved speech and enforcement of pro-gay orthodoxy -- you're right, it's probably worse than just supporting the gay agenda directly.

[DCPatriot]

Mr. Ehrlich has declined to explain why he fired Mr. Smith last Thursday.

Not necessary, IMO.

Appointees are not protected by tenure. They serve at the whim of the boss...Mr. Ehrlich.

BTW, Chris Core owes his 9 to 11:45AM slot to Michael Graham, who was fired because CAIR complained about his remarks about militant islam being the enemy.

So Chris Core should STFU, IMO.

[SuziQ]

Get a grip. I didn't see Erlich out there supporting pro-gay speech. He simply decided to remove someone from a position of authority who might do some damage to his political chances down the road. Erlich is in a state that is majority Democrat, and though he may have been elected with some of their support, he still has to deal with the ones who want to see him lose, and the media in that state is the lapdog of the Democrats. He doesn't need the bad press, which would have continued to drag the story out, had the man remained in his position.

You may not like political pragmatism, but sometimes, that's the only means to an end.

[ConservativeDude]

"....throwing a monkey wrench"

You should know better than to use that racist phrase....

[JohnnyZ]

We may agree with the man's statement, but as one poster said, just cause something CAN be said, doesn't meant it SHOULD be said

Running scared, SuziQ? I agree, all Catholics should hide or deny their beliefs because otherwise the gays will be mad. Can't quote from the Catechism because that's hate speech.

[xzins]

So, then, should Catholics be warned by Mr Ehrlich when they take a job, that they are not permitted to express sincere opinions about their historic faith?

Or do you think it should just be understood that sincere Catholics who take public jobs are expected to accept silence?

Or do you think it best that sincere Catholics simply shouldn't be accepted in public jobs?

[JohnnyZ]

BTW, Chris Core owes his 9 to 11:45AM slot to Michael Graham, who was fired because CAIR complained about his remarks about militant islam being the enemy. So Chris Core should STFU, IMO.

So Graham is silenced for offending the terrorists, and you think that means Core should silence himself before he offends the gays?

What a bunch of wusses.

Too scared to stand up for what's right.

[11th_VA]

This election is going to be about electricity, and I'm not talking AC/DC ...

[PermaRag]

Ehrlich is damned if he does, and damned if he doesn't. Still, it would have been nice to see him do the right thing and stand up for the guy instead of firing him.

Because Ehrlich fired Smith, he's taking heat from normal Americans; if he HADN'T taken action action Smith, he'd be taking heat from the faggot-controlled media (and Ehrlich, to his discredit, appears to fear that worse).

[sinkspur]

So, then, should Catholics be warned by Mr Ehrlich when they take a job, that they are not permitted to express sincere opinions about their historic faith?

The Catholic faith does not require that one characterize homosexual activity in the way in which Smith did.

He was speaking about homosexual marriage, and could have expressed his disagreement in any number of ways.

Had Smith been in favor of same sex marriage, and said "The Catholic Church is one of the biggest opponents, and everybody knows that Catholics are nothing but a bunch of papists who believe in keeping their wives barefoot and pregnant," I would have expected Ehrlich to fire him just as quickly. And he would have.

[LWalk18]

If Mr. Smith could put aside his religion when he accepted the appointment from a moderate Republican who is hardly pro-life, then he can restrain himself from calling gays deviants while he holds that job. Ehrlich is very openly not a conservative Republican; in fact, in his current campaign ads he refers to himself as a "centrist" and brags about his support of stem-cell research. He is probably the best Republican the state is going to elect anytime soon, however.

[SuziQ]

As I said, get a grip.

[SuziQ]

Whoops!! Must slap hand! ;o)

[DCPatriot]

Chris Core is not interested in offending gays.

Chris Core is indircectly standing up for the Catholic Church by actively lobbying for Robert J. Smith to be re-instated.

The irony is that Chris Core owes his larger audience in the morning slot to the fact that Michael Graham suffered the same fate as Mr. Smith.

That's all.

[xzins]

He said that homosexuality is "sexual deviance" or something like that.

That is exactly what the Church teaches. It says it's "abnormal." That it's a "sin."

So, should he have shared those things, or should Catholics be told as a condition of their job that they must keep their opinions to themselves?

[MPJackal]

Come on. Sticking your penis in another man's anus to engage in sodomy is deviant.

Oh did I offend someone. Too freaking bad. That is what gay men do.

You might want to look up felching and video head cleaner (it ain't for your VCR).

You might want to check out photos of the gay pride parade in San Francisco.

Typical liberal tactic to ignore facts on an issue. Don't discus gay behavior or your a homophobic. Can't describe what happens in a partial birth abortion or you are intolerant of a woman's right to choose.

We have lost the ability to have open debate in the society. George Orwell was more right than I thought.

[sinkspur]

So, should he have shared those things, or should Catholics be told as a condition of their job that they must keep their opinions to themselves?

You present a false choice.

Had Smith said "Marriage is between a man and a woman. There is no other accommodation that can be said to be marriage. And that includes homosexual partnerships. And my Church teaches that as well," he would still have a job.

He didn't have to keep his opinion to himself.

Not everything that can be said should be said.

[JohnnyZ]

Chris Core is indircectly standing up for the Catholic Church

And you think he should shut the F up.

[JohnnyZ]

You might want to check out photos of the gay pride parade in San Francisco.

I think he has his own album.

[sinkspur]

We have lost the ability to have open debate in the society.

You are probably one of those who thinks that calling abortion "murder" and waving pictures of bloody fetuses in the faces of passersby wins converts to the pro-life side.

Winning hearts and minds has nothing to do with being uncouth and getting in people's faces.

I suspect Ehrlich would never hire you in the first place.

[Antoninus]

Is it really a good idea to tear down Ehrlich and to help O'Malley?

Maybe Mr. Erlich should have thought of that before doing something so colossally stupid--and wicked.

[Antoninus]

Actually, he's supporting Ehrlich.

Who is supporting the gays.

If A = B = C, then A = C. It's simple logic, really.

sinky getting behind the homo conga line is as predictable as the tides.

[Renfield]

I contributed $500 to Ehrlich's reelection fund just 3 weeks ago. I wouldn't have done it if I knew he was going to pull this stunt.

[sinkspur]

You're wrong, Tony, but thanks for your opinion anyway.

If Ehrlich eats carrots, and I support Ehrlich, that does not mean that I eat carrots.

[Señor Zorro]

In this case IF I was a voter in Maryland I would choose to support and vote for Ehrlich over O'Malley -hopefully an Ehrlich that corrects and or reconsiders his mistakes but an Ehrlich nonetheless...

If you vote for him either way, why on earth should he change? The whole point in electing representatives is so that you can take that selfsame vote away when they misbehave. A lot of people seemed to have missed that point here on FR, instead fretting about the Democrats winning an election.

If your people act like Democrats, then it makes precious little difference whether it is the Democrats or the Republicans who get elected. An electoral slap in the face is a much better way to get the Republicans in line then blindly voting for them. Remember, we elect representatives to represent US! Not vice a versa.

[sinkspur]

Ehrlich has reduced a huge budget deficit with no tax increase in Maryland.

If you're a one-issue voter, then your argument makes sense. But most voters will support a candidate if they agree with the majority of his views, while disagreeing with others.

[DBeers]

If you vote for him either way, why on earth should he change?

STRATEGERY!

LOL

If he will not change his position on something deemed important then one must help develop, build consensus around, and put forward a replacement who will...

A coach will not forfeit a game because of one bad play or player -he will instead make a substitution when and if he has one...

[AntiGovernment]

You might want to check out photos of the gay pride parade in San Francisco.

Why do some people always insist on the most graphic of descriptions and depictions, of what they supposedly detest?

[AntiGovernment]

If you vote for him either way, why on earth should he change? The whole point in electing representatives is so that you can take that selfsame vote away when they misbehave. A lot of people seemed to have missed that point here on FR, instead fretting about the Democrats winning an election.

Are you suggesting that Maryland-voters put a tax-and-spend Democrat in charge of the budget, because Ehrlich fired someone who had difficulty keeping his mouth shut?

[FormerLib]

Gov. Ehrlich let me know, in no uncertain terms, that he desires neither my vote nor my campaign contributions.

I will abide by his wishes.

Maybe his new-found turd burglar buddies will re-elect him.

[FormerLib]

Figures the pro-homo cheerleaders demand we surrender our freedom of speech as well as our freedom of religion.

Guess what, you can't make us be quiet!