D’nesh D’Souza, the conservative pundit who has built a career by proving himself indistinguishable from the primordial ooze, likes to lecture the country about moral values. Unfortunately for him, so do federal prosecutors. On Thursday, D’Souza was indicted for violating campaign laws by using straw donors to make donations to a political campaign on his behalf. The alleged action, in which D’Souza is said to have reimbursed people for donating to the campaign in their own name, was designed to skirt campaign contribution limits.
D’Souza thrives on being deliberately provocative (and unintentionally delusional), especially when it comes to gay issues. He started his career at Dartmouth in the early 1980s, as editor of the right-wing student publication, Dartmouth Review. There he maliciously outed gay students by publishing personal letters that he denied were stolen. At least one student contemplated suicide as a result of being outed.
Not surprisingly, the candidate whom D’Souza is alleged to have arranged the contributions is a former Dartmouth classmate, Wendy Long, who unsuccessfully ran against Kristen Gillibrand in 2012. During their Dartmouth days, D’Souza and Long once had to apologize for printing a quote from Hitler in the Review’s statement of principles published on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur. They attributed the quote to an unknown staffer.
Since leaving Dartmouth, D’Souza has continued his war on LGBT rights with assaults that are at once hilariously outlandish and deeply offensive. He has suggested that the reason why Muslims in the Middle East are angry with the U.S. is because of marriage equality, implying that the LGBT community is responsible for terrorism directed at this county. He said that if gays were allowed to serve in the military, the only advantage would be, should the U.S. lose a battle, “we could always laugh off the defeat and say, ‘Well, yeah, but you only beat a bunch of gays.’” He has attacked same-sex couples who want to marry as being no different than “the fellow who wants to walk down the aisle with his poodle on the grounds that ‘I love my dog and my dog loves me.‘”
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Needless to say, adherence to high moral standards, including his beloved “traditional marriage,” are for the little people, not for D’Souza.
In 2012, D’Souza showed up at a Christian conference with a woman 20 years younger than himself, whom he introduced as his fiancee. Trouble was, D’Souza was still married, as was the fiancee. Moreover, he shared a hotel room with his “fiancee,” although he reassured organizers “nothing happened.” (Lucky her.) As a result, D’Souza was forced to resign as president of King’s College, a Christian right school in New York, which must have hurt, since he was supposedly pulling down $1 million in the job, or about $2,500 per student.
D’Souza made up for that loss by producing one of the looniest documentaries since the invention of motion pictures, 2016: Obama’s America, which posits that the president is motivated by the anti-colonialism of his Kenyan father. Whom Obama met once.
As a testament to the refined taste of the movie-going public, 2016: Obama’s America pulled in $33 million at the box office, making it one of the highest grossing documentaries of the past 30 years.
D’Souza’s lawyer says the actions in the indictment were “at most…an act of misguided friendship.” Already, the right wing is circling its wagons, claiming that D’Souza and former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, who was just indicted on bribery charges, are victims of Obama’s Department of Justice. So much for that other conservative value, personal accountability. It does prove one verity, however: no matter how much of a charlatan you might be, the right wing will always stand by you.
Photo credit: DineshDSouza1961 via Wikimedia Commons
Geoff B
I remember an article here a few days ago about wether it was possible to be gay and Republican. I did’nt comment then, but I think it is in theory, but in real life, next to impossible. Dirtbags like this only prove it to myself further. I am a big fan of certain Repubs like Mark Kirk, Bob Portman, Megan McCain, Lisa Murkowski, ect, but the party has been so hijacked by the so called Christian Right, the few true conservatives who actually think the government should really stay out of our private lives (as opposed to the majority who cheery pick to exclude those who aren’t just like them) have been driven out. I mean, seriously, this asshole blames us for terrorism? Others like him blame us for every natural disaster and get the useful idiots who would actually benefit from liberal politics to agree with them. For God’s sake, my partner and I pay way more in taxes than most of these hillbillies who vote Repub based only on their bigotry. Jokes on them. Repub politics may have kept me from the altar longer than it should have, but financially, the poor white “Christian” trash who continually vote Repub, are only helping people like me and my partner fatten our wallets at their expense. Thanks bumpkins!
robirob
It shows how corrupt and brazen these Republican pundits and polititians are. Just look at guys like Bob McDonnell, Chris Christie, and Rod Blagojevich. And I fully believe that’s just the tip of the iceberg. What about Michelle Bachmann and Aaron Schock using their official funds and resources for private expenses?
And the answer from the Republican side and their supporters? Deflect by screaming: The Democrats do it,too and their crimes are so much worse! Benghazi! 9/11!!
Thomathy
Dinesh. But good try, Queerty.
miriammccowan
my Aunty Kendall just got a nearly new green Chevrolet Impala Sedan from only workin on a computer… check this link right here now http://gg.gg/10gb2
jwrappaport
Dinesh is really going places these days:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpBc7FsZ_yg#t=13
chaddyboy6
well Muslims hate gays regardless of gay marriage, so for this man to suggest that is crazy. And of course the movie about obama would be mocked. What a shock.
irbaboon
Typical Christian
Ann Mason
Although many of us can agree on Mr. D’Souza’s flimsy moral character, I have a problem with the bold print above the article.
An indictment doesn’t “prove” anything. It’s just one step in the criminal justice process, and the indicted person is entitled to a fair trial in which a judge or jury reviews the evidence carefully and follows strict guidelines for reaching a verdict.
We should be careful to maintain open minds when any person is accused of a crime. That has nothing to do with Mr. D’Souza. It has to do with respecting a system which is intended to protect all of us.
Christopher
(@irbaboon) Claiming to be a Christian and exhibiting Christian behavior are two different things. Mr. D’Souza may claim the moniker of Christian but his behavior was far from it. Dishonesty and judgment aren’t Christian values and if he is indeed guilty of this indictment, hopefully he will use this to examine what it means to be a true Christian which involve reflecting on his hypocritical words and deeds and his harsh and unfair judgment targeted at the LGBT community.
Kangol
I don’t wish ill on anyone, but I do hope this vicious, r@@cist homophobe, who has a long history of really awful behavior, goes down on all counts. Maybe his wealthy right-wing Christian friends, some of them gay, will figure out a way to get him off the hook. But given how smart he is and how much he’s gone out of his way to make hateful, moronic statements, sometimes transforming them into books and films, he he really is like the filth that sediments at the bottom of a garbage dump. Rot behind bars, Dinesh.
SteveDenver
D’irtbag
D’ogshit
D’umbass
D’lightful!
tjr101
I just don’t get right-winger bigots that are either gay, black, hispanic or some minority that isn’t a heterosexual white male. It’s really quite disturbing. It’s like they live in an alternate universe where they never have to look in the mirror and see who they really are. People like Herman Cain, Allen West, Alan Keys, Jim La Salvia, Tammy Bruce, Robert Lopez and this guy come to mind.
Christopher
(@tjr101)
As an African-American, I’ve been saying that for years now. I’ll pass this along that helped me make some sense out of this. Groups, just like individuals, are motivated out of self interest which simply means many people within the specific groups you mentioned only take offense to comments others make when it only refers to THEIR group and generally make or overlook these statements that are directed towards others. Hopefully this will help.
Mezaien
Is he forgot where India, is??.