Bryan Fischer is an extreme Religious Right commentator, spokesman for the American Family Association and talk-show host. He specializes in serving up a daily dose of vitriolic hate against gays and lesbians, non-Christians, progressives and virtually anyone who disagrees with his fanatical interpretation of the Constitution and the Bible.

In general, fringe personalities attract only fringe audiences. Remarkably, Fischer has amassed far greater influence – he is becoming increasingly representative of the Republican Party mainstream. A new People For the American Way report, The GOP’s Favorite Hate Monger: How the Republican Party Came to Embrace Bryan Fischer, examines how an unhinged activist has come to advise Republican presidential candidates, represent conservative organizations and shape the debate over cultural issues.

“How is it possible that the approval of a man who wholeheartedly believes that gays are domestic terrorists similar to Nazis, thinks Native Americans and Muslims should be killed if they don’t convert to Christianity and claims progressives hate the Declaration of Independence is required to validate one’s conservative credentials?” asks Michael Keegan, president of People For the American Way. “Voters deserve to know why leading Republicans are willing to legitimize and pay tribute to one of the most virulent, bigoted and incendiary leaders of today’s conservative movement.”

Fischer extends hateful contempt to millions of Americans, including:

• Muslim Americans: “Islam has no fundamental First Amendment claims, for the simple reason that it was not written to protect the religion of Islam. Islam is entitled only to the religious liberty we extend to it out of courtesy.”
• Native Americans: “Many of the tribal reservations today remain mired in poverty and alcoholism because many Native Americans continue to cling to the darkness of indigenous superstition instead of coming into the light of Christianity and assimilating into Christian culture.”
• African Americans: “Welfare has destroyed the African-American family …We have incentivized fornication rather than marriage, and it’s no wonder we are now awash in the disastrous social consequences of people who rut like rabbits.”
• Gays and lesbians: Gays and lesbians commit “domestic terrorism,” should be “disqualified from public office,” are the “”the number one class of people who are committing hate crimes today” and will “”do the same thing to you that the Nazis did to their opponents in Nazi Germany.”

The report is available here.

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