I wrote in Monday's column about an e-mail the Eagle Forum sent to rally its troops against soon-to-be-Gov. Gary Herbert appointing Sen. Greg Bell as his lieutenant governor.
The Eagles, you will recall, were opposed to Bell because he once sponsored a bill giving property rights and health benefits to unmarried adults, allowed a bill out of his committee that had an amendment to repeal Utah's sodomy laws and took the side of Salt Lake City when Sen. Chris Buttars sponsored a bill to strip the city of its right to create a domestic-partnership registry.
The e-mail the Eagles sent to loyal followers resulted in 95 e-mails sent to Herbert's office imploring him not to appoint that "gay friendly" Bell who, by the way, was elected by his peers as Senate majority whip and is known in the Senate caucus as a voice of reason.
The e-mails sent to Herbert are all similar in their wording and they all address the same issue: the "gay" thing.
To show that some, at least, were written without much thought, other than showing obedience to Eagle Forum president Gayle Ruzicka, one e-mail was addressed to "Lt. Gov. Walker" (remember her?). Another asked Herbert not to appoint "Gary Bell." (Wasn't he a pitcher for the Cleveland Indians in the 1960s?)
The highest-profile person who sent Herbert an e-mail opposing Bell was Cherilyn Eagar, who is running for the U.S. Senate and hypes herself as the one "true" conservative challenging that "liberal" Republican incumbent Sen. Bob Bennett (rumor has it that Bennett once shook the hand of a gay person at a political rally).
Apology needed » In my Monday column, I referred to the Eagle Forum lemmings as "the Screaming Eagles," not realizing that is the nickname of the 101st Airborne Division, touted as the greatest fighting force in U.S. military history. So to the real Screaming Eagles, I humbly apologize and will never confuse you with the Eagle Forum again.
In good company?» Utah Republicans, who actually make up the majority of Democratic Rep. Jim Matheson's gerrymandered 2nd Congressional District, should be happy to know that the same organization that hated their beloved George W. Bush also hates Matheson.
Moveon.org, as you recall, launched an aggressive anti-Bush campaign in 2004, earning the ire of many Utah conservatives.
Now, Moveon.org is launching an ad campaign against Matheson, and two other "Blue Dog" Democrats who voted against the health care reform bill in the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
The TV ads slamming Matheson, John Barrow, D-Ga., and Charlie Melancon, D-La., are scheduled to begin running in those three states today.
That should be enough to get Matheson an endorsement from Cherilyn Eagar, don't you think?
