Amid a
firestorm of backlash to the "religious freedom" law he signed, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence is defending that law and attempting to
"discuss and clarify" how a law that allows
discrimination against gays and lesbians isn't really discrimination. Apparently, he was
up all night figuring this one out. Here's what he's come up with so far.
There's no license to discriminate in #RFRA. I abhor discrimination & don't think ppl should be discrim against because of who they are/love
— @GovPenceIN
We'll see how he squares that with the hateful law he signed. The press conference is
being streamed at this link.
8:06 AM PT: Here we go. Pence is about to explain the "I'm-not-a-bigot-but-if-you-are-it's-cool act," and how the state of Indiana won't condone discrimination with a law on the books that does just that.
8:08 AM PT: The first thing you should know is that he's proud to have signed this act. "Religious liberty is our first freedom," and he and his family cherish faith. This legislation was designed do that. But "clearly, clearly" there's been misunderstanding about this law.
8:09 AM PT: "We've been listening" to all the critics. This is about "religious liberty" and not about discrimination. "Does not give anyone the right to discriminate." The legal community disagrees, Governor.
8:11 AM PT: Doesn't believe "for a minute, that it was the intent of the legislature to discriminate." But "appreciates" that this is the interpretation around the country. Again with the "I abhor discrimination." Still no clarification on how this law doesn't discriminate. It's just a "perception problem."
8:12 AM PT: Want legislation on his desk this week that makes it clear that businesses are not allowed to discriminate. But, at the same time, says the law he signed doesn't allow businesses to do so. But the law has become "greatly misunderstood," so all you people out there, he's doing this fix because you've been so mean to him.
8:13 AM PT: The things said about his state have been "deeply offensive" to him and he needs to defend the good people of Indiana. Who apparently don't include the gays and lesbians of Indiana.
8:15 AM PT: "This law does not give anyone license to deny services to gay and lesbian couples." Continues with the myth that this law mirrors the 22 year old RFRA law that Bill Clinton signed. Nonetheless, it has to be fixed. So, Governor, if it needs to be fixed, doesn't that mean it's too broad?
8:18 AM PT: "Heavens, no!" he was not expecting this kind of backlash. Invokes the Hobby Lobby decision to say that it was just the kind of law that made sense for Indiana. Apparently he wasn't paying attention to the controversy surrounding that decision. And it's still all the media's fault for "misunderstanding" the law.
8:20 AM PT: Oh, good lord. The "smear here" is that the law is a license to discriminate. Which it is. That's not a smear, sir, and not a "mischaracterization." So he's still calling for a fix to a bill that he insists does not need fixed because it doesn't do what the fix would fix?
8:21 AM PT:
So if IN RFRA Fix is expressly prohibiting discrimination then what was the point?
— @armandodkos
8:23 AM PT: The way to "fix" the "misperception" that this law allows for discrimination is repeal. This "fix" is going to leave the law on the books and it's just going to prolong this fight, damaging the state more and more. But hey, it keeps Pence in the news, which he needs if he's going to run for president. All press is good press?
8:29 AM PT: "This law has been smeared." We're getting one thing out of this press conference. Pence is deeply offended that his offensive law has offended so many people because of the "reckless and irresponsible" reporting about it. This is just so much bullshit, verging on as bad of a trainwreck as his "This Week" performance.
8:33 AM PT:
#FunFact: Assembly Democrats offered an amendment to #RFRA saying it couldn't be used to discriminate. GOP legislators voted that down.
— @baseballot
8:37 AM PT:
To be fair, he might not be lying. He might just be dumb as a post and not understand what either law does.
8:40 AM PT:
But he deeply "abhors" discrimination.
8:48 AM PT: To wrap up. Mike Pence "abhors" discrimination and some of his best friends are MLK. "Selma!" This law doesn't give license to businesses to discriminate against gay people, even though the proponents of the law praise it for doing just that. The whole idea that it allows discrimination, Pence says, is the fault of a "reckless" media "smearing" the law. But the law still has to be fixed, he says. Even though there's nothing in it that needs fixing.