Tony Perkins (politician)

Last updated

In September 2003, Perkins withdrew from the race for Louisiana state insurance commissioner to become the president of the conservative Christian Family Research Council (FRC). [26] He replaced Ken Connor. [27] [28] In addition to his duties as president of the FRC, Perkins hosts a radio program, Washington Watch with Tony Perkins. [29]

Perkins was involved in the 2005 controversy over the disconnection of life support for Terri Schiavo, a woman who had been in a "persistent vegetative state" for a number of years. After a final court order permitted Schiavo's husband to remove her feeding tube and thereby cause her to die, Perkins stated, "we should remember that her death is a symptom of a greater problem: that the courts no longer respect human life." [30]

In October 2008, Perkins called the passage of California Proposition 8 (which prohibited same-sex marriage in the state) "more important than the presidential election", adding that the United States has survived despite picking bad presidents in the past but "we will not survive if we lose the institution of marriage." [31]

In 2010, Perkins dismissed the SPLC hate group designation as a political attack on the FRC by a "liberal organization" and as part of "the left's smear campaign of conservatives". [32]

Political positions

Candidates

Perkins speaking at a Ted Cruz presidential campaign rally in 2016. Tony Perkins (24407765240 a49d756145).jpg
Perkins speaking at a Ted Cruz presidential campaign rally in 2016.

In 2015, Perkins affirmed the debate over Obama's birth certificate as "legitimate", remarking that it "makes sense" to conclude that Obama was a Muslim. That year, a survey reported that "54 percent of GOP voters thought Obama was a Muslim". [33]

In 2016, Perkins endorsed Ted Cruz for the Republican presidential nomination. [34]

In 2017, some supporters of a political candidate, Wesley Goodman, who was alleged to have committed a sexual assault in 2015, complained that Perkins did not reveal information to the public about Goodman's actions. [35]

In 2018, Perkins was willing to overlook Donald Trump's past, stating that President Trump should be given a "Mulligan". Perkins opined that Trump was "providing the leadership we need at this time, in our country and in our culture." [36]

Israel

In 2014, Perkins released an editorial explaining why he supports Israel. [37]

Judicial nominees

In 2005, Perkins opposed the filibustering of certain right-leaning federal judicial nominees by U.S. Senate Democrats, arguing that the Democrats were waging a "campaign against orthodox religious views", [38] and that the judicial nominees were being persecuted for their Christian faith. [39] He became one of the organizers and hosts of Justice Sunday, a series of events that sought to mobilize the evangelical Christian base in support of the nominees. [40]

LGBT issues

In 2010, Perkins opposed the overturning of the "Don't ask, don't tell" law that prohibited people who were openly gay or lesbian from serving in the U.S. military. Perkins argued that the repeal would, among other things, infringe on the religious liberty of military chaplains and other service members holding orthodox Christian views. [41]

In 2006, Perkins urged Congress to pass the Federal Marriage Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which would define marriage in the United States as the union between one man and one woman. [42] [43] He explained his reasoning in a 2006 Human Events column:

The definition... is rooted in the order of nature itself. It promotes the continuation of the human race and the cooperation of a mother and a father in raising the children they produce. This union can only be protected through amending the United States Constitution. If it's not, activists will continue using the courts to sell a five-legged dog. [44]

Perkins believes natural disasters are divine punishments for homosexuality. His own home was destroyed in the 2016 Louisiana floods, which he described as "a flood of near-biblical proportions". News outlets noted the irony. [45] [46]

Minimum wage

Perkins opposes any increases in the minimum wage, which he stated in a book that he co-authored with Harry R. Jackson, Jr. in 2008. [ citation needed ] Jackson stated that the minimum wage is rooted in racism. [47]

Religion

In June 2019, Perkins advocated for the "fundamental human right of religious freedom" for non-Christians. [48]

He criticized the persecution of Uyghurs in China and religious minorities in Iran. [19]

In September 2010, Perkins claimed that "the ultimate evil has been committed" when Muslims interpret the Quran in its literal context, [49] that Islam "tears at the fabric of democracy," [50] [51] and that world history classes dishonestly portray Islam in a positive light by providing an "airbrushed" portrait of the religion itself. [52]

In 2007, Perkins opposed the first-ever Hindu prayer before the United States Senate, saying, "There is no historic connection between America and the polytheistic creed of the Hindu faith." He also opposed a US Marines yoga and meditation program for PTSD prevention, characterizing the Hindu and Buddhist practices as "goofy". [18]

Second Amendment

Perkins is a self-described "ardent supporter of the Second Amendment" who is "willing to talk about laws regarding the ownership and use of guns by those who should not have them." [53]

2020 election results

Perkins signed a December 10, 2020, letter from the Conservative Action Project asking state legislatures in the battleground states of Pennsylvania, Arizona, Georgia, Wisconsin, Nevada, and Michigan to exercise their plenary power under the Constitution to overturn Joe Biden's victory by appointing pro-Trump slates of electors to the Electoral College. [54]

Controversies

On May 17, 2001, Perkins gave a speech to the Louisiana chapter of the Council of Conservative Citizens, a white supremacist group that has described black people as a "retrograde species of humanity". [55] Perkins said he did not know the group's ideology at the time. In an April 26, 2005, article in The Nation , Max Blumenthal reported that while managing the unsuccessful U. S. Senate campaign of Woody Jenkins in 1996, Perkins "paid former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke $82,500 for his mailing list." Perkins denied knowing about the purchase. A document authorizing the payment was reported to contain Perkins' signature. The incident resurfaced in the local press in 2002, during Perkins' unsuccessful Senate run. [56]

Personal life

Perkins is married to Lawana Perkins (née Lee), with whom he has five children. [12] He also adopted 16-year-old Boko Haram-held captive, Nigerian Leah Sharibu. [19]

He has been affiliated with the National Rifle Association of America, the American Legion, the Christian Coalition, and the Baton Rouge Rescue Mission. [7] Perkins served as president of the Council for National Policy. [57]

Perkins' family was affected by the 2016 Louisiana floods, and had to evacuate their Louisiana home by canoe. [58] [59]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Landrieu</span> American politician (born 1955)

Mary Loretta Landrieu is an American entrepreneur and politician who served as a United States senator from Louisiana from 1997 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, Landrieu served as the Louisiana State Treasurer from 1988 to 1996, and in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1980 to 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Family Research Council</span> American evangelical activist group

The Family Research Council (FRC) is an American evangelical activist group and think-tank with an affiliated lobbying organization. FRC promotes what it considers to be family values. It opposes and lobbies against: access to pornography, embryonic stem-cell research, abortion, divorce, and LGBT rights—such as anti-discrimination laws, same-sex marriage, same-sex civil unions, and LGBT adoption. The FRC has been criticized by media sources and professional organizations such as the American Sociological Association for using "anti-gay pseudoscience" to falsely conflate homosexuality and pedophilia, and falsely to claim that the children of same-sex parents suffer from more mental health problems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Vitter</span> American politician (born 1961)

David Bruce Vitter is an American politician, attorney, and lobbyist who served as a United States Senator from Louisiana from 2005 to 2017. A member of the Republican Party, Vitter served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1992 to 1999 and in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1999 to 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Hayes</span> American politician

James Alison Hayes is an American politician and lawyer. He is a Republican from Louisiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woody Jenkins</span> American politician

Louis Elwood Jenkins Jr., known as Woody Jenkins, is an American newspaper editor in Baton Rouge and Central City, Louisiana, who served as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1972 to 2000 and waged three unsuccessful races for the United States Senate in 1978, 1980, and 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of Louisiana</span> Politics of a U.S. state

The politics of Louisiana involve political parties, laws and the state constitution, and the many other groups that influence the governance of the state. The state was a one-party Deep South state dominated by the Democratic Party from the end of Reconstruction to the 1960s, forming the backbone of the "Solid South." This was due to the near-total disenfranchisement of the state's large African-American population during this time, who mostly voted Republican. The Civil Rights era turned the state into a competitive one on the federal level, as it voted for the nationwide winner in every election between 1972 and 2004. It remained Democratic on the state and local level until the turn of the 21st century, allowing Republicans to win control of the state legislature and every statewide office in 2011. Republicans won a United States Senate seat for Louisiana in the election of 2004, for the first time since 1876. Republicans captured both seats in the election of 2014 for the first time since 1872. In the election of 2008, the state voted for a losing presidential candidate for the first time since 1968. Democrats won less than 40% of the presidential popular vote in the state in the elections of 2016 and 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Cassidy</span> American physician and politician (born 1957)

William Morgan Cassidy is an American physician and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Louisiana, a seat he has held since 2015. A member of the Republican Party, he served in the Louisiana State Senate from 2006 to 2009 and in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2009 to 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louisiana Family Forum</span> Non-profit group in Louisiana

Louisiana Family Forum (LFF) is a social conservative non-profit group based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The organization supports Louisiana's covenant marriage law and opposes abortion and same-sex marriage. The group's stated mission is to "persuasively present biblical principles in the centers of influence on issues affecting the family through research, communication and networking." According to its website the group "maintains a close working relationship with Focus on the Family and Family Research Council" and is part of a network of individual state Family Policy Councils.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Cazayoux</span> American lawyer and politician (born 1964)

Donald Jules Cazayoux Jr. is an American lawyer and former politician. He served as the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Louisiana from 2010 to 2013. From 2008 to 2009, he was a Democratic United States Representative from Louisiana's 6th congressional district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharon Weston Broome</span> Incumbent mayor-president of Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Sharon Weston Broome is the mayor-president of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She served in the Louisiana State Senate representing the 15th district from 2005 to 2016. She was elected mayor-president in a runoff election held on December 10, 2016. Broome is the first African-American woman to serve as mayor-president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2002 United States Senate election in Louisiana</span>

The 2002 United States Senate election in Louisiana was held on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu won re-election to a second term, although she did not earn 50% of the vote in the first round and was therefore forced into a runoff election with Republican Suzanne Haik Terrell, the Louisiana Elections Commissioner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1996 United States Senate election in Louisiana</span> Election of Mary Landrieu as US Senator

The 1996 Louisiana United States Senate election was held on November 5, 1996, to select a new U.S. Senator from the state of Louisiana to replace the retiring John Bennett Johnston, Jr. of Shreveport. After the jungle primary election, state treasurer Mary Landrieu entered into a runoff election with State Representative Woody Jenkins of Baton Rouge, a former Democrat who had turned Republican two years earlier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 United States Senate election in Louisiana</span>

The 2010 United States Senate election in Louisiana was held on November 2, 2010. Republican incumbent U.S. Senator David Vitter won re-election to a second term, becoming the first Republican ever to be re-elected to the United States Senate from Louisiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Nungesser</span> 54th Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana

William Harold Nungesser is an American politician serving as the 54th lieutenant governor of Louisiana since 2016. A member of the Republican Party, Nungesser is also the former president of the Plaquemines Parish Commission, having been re-elected to a second four-year term in the 2010 general election in which he topped two opponents with more than 71 percent of the vote. His second term as parish president began on January 1, 2011, and ended four years later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Angelle</span> American politician

Scott Anthony Angelle is an American politician who is the former director of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement in Washington, D.C. From 2013 to 2017, he was the District 2 member of the Louisiana Public Service Commission, an elected five-person utility regulatory body.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 United States Senate election in Louisiana</span>

The 2014 United States Senate election in Louisiana was held on November 4, 2014, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Louisiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Louisiana gubernatorial election</span> State election in the United States

The 2015 Louisiana gubernatorial election was held on November 21, 2015, to elect the governor of Louisiana. Incumbent Republican Governor Bobby Jindal was not eligible to run for re-election to a third term because of term limits established by the Louisiana Constitution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elbert Guillory</span> American politician

Elbert Lee Guillory is a former member of the Louisiana State Senate. An American Republican, he represented District 24, including his native Opelousas, and several rural precincts, from May 2, 2009, when he won a special election, until January 11, 2016, when his full term to which he was elected in 2011 ended.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 United States Senate election in Louisiana</span> Election of John Neely Kennedy as US Senator.

The 2016 United States Senate election in Louisiana took place on November 8, 2016, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Louisiana, concurrently with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garret Graves</span> American politician (born 1972)

Garret Neal Graves is an American politician serving as the United States representative from Louisiana's 6th congressional district since 2015. He is a member of the Republican Party.

References

  1. 1 2 "Tony Perkins Elected Chair of Bipartisan U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom". United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. Retrieved 2022-11-25.
  2. 1 2 3 Blumenthal, Max (May 23, 2005). "Good Cop, Bad Cop". The Nation. Retrieved May 20, 2012.
  3. ↑ Foust, Michael, "Family Leader & Baptist in La., Named FRC President", Baptist Press, August 13, 2003. Accessed May 3, 2019.
  4. ↑ "Tony Perkins". Fox News. 2020-10-12. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
  5. 1 2 "May 14, 2018 115th Congress, 2nd Session Issue: Vol. 164, No. 78 — Daily Edition". Congress.gov. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Banville, Lee (2002). "Vote 2002. State Rep. Tony Perkins (Republican)". PBS Online Newshour. Archived from the original on May 21, 2012. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
  7. 1 2 "House District 64". enlou.com. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved November 14, 2009.
  8. 1 2 Maggi, Laura (October 9, 2002). "Perkins: From pulpit to politics". The Times-Picayune. New Orleans. Archived from the original on October 30, 2002. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
  9. ↑ "Louisiana election returns, October 21, 1995". sos.louisiana.gov. Retrieved November 14, 2009.[ dead link ]
  10. ↑ "Our Campaigns - LA State House 064 Race - Oct 21, 1995".
  11. ↑ Dyer, Scott (October 9, 1999). "ELECTION '99 House District 64". The Advocate (Baton Rouge, La.). p. 6 A.
  12. 1 2 "Biography, Tony Perkins, President". Family Research Council. Retrieved May 20, 2012.
  13. ↑ "Our Campaigns - LA State House 064 Race - Oct 23, 1999".
  14. ↑ Organization Profile: Family Research Council | Right Wing Watch. Pfaw.org. Retrieved on 2012-04-24.
  15. ↑ Crary, David (February 11, 2001). "Love & Marriage". The Day (New London, Ct.). p. C8. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
  16. ↑ Dyer, Scott (April 21, 1996). "Gambling foes fear local-option bill no improvement. Movement limit called merely "lipstick on hog"". The Baton Rouge Morning Advocate . p. 23–a.
  17. ↑ "Clinics brought under state licensing". The Advocate (Baton Rouge, La.). June 2, 1999.
  18. 1 2 "Appointment of Far-Right Evangelist Tony Perkins Strains Credibility of USCIRF". Hindu American Foundation. 2018-05-16. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  19. 1 2 3 "Tony Perkins Elected Chair of Bipartisan U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom | USCIRF". www.uscirf.gov. June 17, 2019. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  20. ↑ "Commissioners: Advocates for Religious Freedom | USCIRF". www.uscirf.gov. October 10, 2020. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  21. ↑ Social conservatives make big money plans Politico
  22. ↑ Mollie Reilly (January 22, 2013). "Tony Perkins Suggests He May Run For David Vitter's Senate Seat: 'I Never Say Never'". The Huffington Post. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  23. ↑ Roarty, Alex; Yoakley, Eli (February 26, 2016). "Tony Perkins to Endorse John Fleming in Louisiana Senate Race". Roll Call . Archived from the original on February 27, 2016. Retrieved February 28, 2016.
  24. ↑ Foust, Michael (August 13, 2003). "Tony Perkins, pro-family leader & Baptist in La., named FRC president". Baptist Press. Archived from the original on April 15, 2013. Retrieved May 20, 2012.
  25. ↑ Nossiter, Adam (June 2, 2008). "n Louisiana, Inklings of a New (True) Champion of the Right". The New York Times.
  26. ↑ "Covenant-marriage author to lead conservative group. Family Research Council board names Louisiana lawmaker to post". The Washington Times. August 14, 2003.
  27. ↑ "(DV) Berkowitz: Tony Perkins' Family Research Council".
  28. ↑ "Archives". Los Angeles Times . 16 August 2003.
  29. ↑ "Washington Watch, Live Daily with Tony Perkins, radio program" . Retrieved October 15, 2007.
  30. ↑ Milbank, Dana (April 1, 2005). "GOP, Democrats Look for Symbolism in Schiavo Case". Washington Post. p. A12.
  31. ↑ Goodstein, Laurie (October 26, 2008). "A Line in the Sand for Same-Sex Marriage Foes". The New York Times. Retrieved May 22, 2012.
  32. ↑ Thompson, Krissah (November 24, 2010). "'Hate group' designation angers same-sex marriage opponents". Washington Post. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
  33. ↑ Coates, Ta-Nehisi. "My President Was Black: A history of the first African American White House--and of what came next". The Atlantic. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
  34. ↑ Teddy Schleifer. "Tony Perkins backs Ted Cruz". CNN. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
  35. ↑ Kindy, Kimberly; Viebeck, Elise (November 17, 2017). "How a conservative group dealt with a fondling charge against a rising GOP star". Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 19, 2017. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  36. ↑ Edward-Isaac Dovere (January 23, 2018). "Tony Perkins: Trump Gets 'a Mulligan' on Life, Stormy Daniels". Politico.com . Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  37. ↑ "Tony Perkins: My Journey to the Holy Land, Spending Time In Bomb Shelters and Why America Needs to Support Israel". www.christianpost.com. 29 August 2014.
  38. ↑ Perkins, Tony (May 14, 2005). "It Is About Religious Belief". Washington Post.
  39. ↑ Blumenthal, Max (2010-07-13). Republican Gomorrah: Inside the Movement That Shattered the Party. Nation Books. pp. 140–. ISBN   978-1-56858-417-1 . Retrieved 20 May 2012.[ permanent dead link ]
  40. ↑ Helguero, Francis (August 15, 2005). "'Justice Sunday II' Calls on Evangelicals to Action". The Christian Post . Retrieved 20 May 2012.
  41. ↑ Marshall, Kelly (May 27, 2010). "Tony Perkins: Repealing 'don't ask, don't tell' threatens military chaplains". CNN. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
  42. ↑ Tony Perkins, "Connecticut Fails to Connect with People on Marriage," Washington Update, Family Research Council, April 14, 2005.
  43. ↑ Whitlock, Reta Ugena (2007-01-01). This Corner of Canaan: Curriculum Studies of Place & the Reconstruction of the South. Peter Lang. pp. 151–. ISBN   978-0-8204-8651-2 . Retrieved 20 May 2012.
  44. ↑ Perkins, Tony (July 21, 2006). "Congress Fails Americans on Marriage". Human Events . Archived from the original on 6 February 2012. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
  45. ↑ US pastor, who believes floods are God's punishment, flees flooded home. BBC. August 18, 2016
  46. ↑ A Man Who Says God Punishes Gays with Natural Disasters Had His Home Destroyed in the Flood. Esquire. August 18, 2016
  47. ↑ Jackson Jr., Harry R. (April 1, 2014). "Minimum Wage: All Jacked Up". Christian Post. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
  48. ↑ Perkins, Tony (June 19, 2019). "Why Christians must support religious freedom for everyone". Religion News Service. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  49. ↑ Parker Spitzer. CNN. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  50. ↑ Tashman, Brian (September 12, 2014). "Tony Perkins: US Constitution Doesn't Protect Muslims". Archived from the original on September 15, 2014. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  51. ↑ Perkins, Tony (September 11, 2014). "Washington Watch". Archived from the original on October 19, 2014. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  52. ↑ Perkins, Tony (September 18, 2014). "America Will Perish Without a Vision to Defeat ISIS". Archived from the original on September 19, 2014. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  53. ↑ "Tony Perkins: Solution to gun violence isn't what you think, says former police officer". Associated Press. Associated Press. August 25, 2019. Archived from the original on August 25, 2019. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
  54. ↑ "Conservatives Call on State Legislators to Appoint New Electors, in Accordance with the Constitution". Conservative Action Project. Archived from the original on December 10, 2020.
  55. ↑ Perry, Barbara (2009-03-05). Hate Crimes. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 110–. ISBN   978-0-275-99569-0 . Retrieved May 20, 2012.
  56. ↑ Fargen, Jessica (October 16, 2006). "Attack on Gay Marriage". Boston Herald . Archived from the original on May 24, 2013. Retrieved May 20, 2012.
  57. ↑ "Tony Perkins, President". www.frc.org. Archived from the original on 2020-10-12. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
  58. ↑ Louisiana Flood Strips Evangelical Political Leader of Everything; Family Evacuated in Canoe, Living in Motorhome Christian Post
  59. ↑ Nelson, Kate (August 18, 2016). "Louisiana floods destroy home of Christian leader who says God sends natural disasters to punish gay people". The Independent. London. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
Tony Perkins
Tony Perkins.jpg
4th President of the Family Research Council
Assumed office
September 1, 2003
Louisiana House of Representatives
Preceded by
Mike McCleary
 Member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
from the 64th district
1996–2004		Succeeded by
Non-profit organization positions
Preceded by
Kenneth L. Connor
 President of the Family Research Council
2003–present		Incumbent
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.