By a unanimous vote, the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board has opened an investigation into the campaign practices that NOM used in its efforts to oust Hawkeye State judges in 2010 and 2012.  The board is not saying NOM necessarily did anything wrong.  However, the unanimous vote shows that there is enough compelling evidence to warrant an investigation.  Boards like this don't just open investigations at the drop of a hat.

NOM is responding in true form,  attacking anyone and everyone who dare scrutinize the anti-gay organization's oft-eyebrow-raising antics.  They start with the man who brought the case, Fred Karger.  Brian Brown attacks Karger like so:

"This inquiry is a witch hunt spawned by a delusional homosexual activist who fancies himself becoming the president of the United States and who is a serial filer of frivolous allegations against us whenever we stand up for traditional marriage. The complaint is another attempt to shut down criticism of activist judges and politicians who wish to redefine marriage." [NOM]

First off, Fred doesn't "fancy himself" president.  He ran for president.  Surely Brian isn't trying to deny American citizens of that ability.

As for delusional?  It's interesting Brian would say that, considering Fred has been darn pretty successful in these kinds of cases.  Let's remember that Fred is the individual behind the ongoing investigation in Maine, where NOM has fought viciously to hide its donors and where multiple courts (including the state high court) have told NOM that it does not have the right to put up such shields.  That matter is still ongoing, but it has not played out well for NOM so far, to say the least.  

Also, let's remember that Fred's investigation is the very reason why we all saw those heinous strategy documents where NOM, among other things, vowed to "drive a wedge between gays and blacks."  Without Fred's actions, those documents never would have come to light.

Oh, but doesn't stop its attacks at just Fred.  In fact, NOM is also going after the very website that you are reading right now:

For several years, homosexual activists have demanded that NOM publicly disclose donors to the nonprofit group which are not required by law. They desire this information in order to harass NOM's supporters. (For example, the Human Rights Campaign operates the website http://www.NomExposed.org .) [NOM]

Oh please.  Unlike NOM, and organization that publicly flogs any public figure who dares side with equality (often times by comparing the person to Judas or Benedict Arnold), NOM Exposed has never "harassed" anyone.  This site was created and is maintained in order to shine a light on NOM, its reliably suspect antics, and its staffers' reliably harsh rhetoric.  Early on, all of us who cover LGBT politics pinpointed NOM as a particularly odd operation with some unusual (and frequently comical) ways of business.  This site is dedicated to pointing it all out.  Rather than "harass" NOM supporters, this site is geared toward informing current and potential NOM supporters about this special interest group, filling in all the gaps that NOM itself would like to remain unfilled.  We see knowledge as power, not "harassment."

But messenger-shooting is what NOM is all about.  This discriminatory organization does not know the meaning of the words "humble" or "contrite," and it cannot accept the perfectly fair bounds of political discourse.  Whenever the organization faces scrutiny like this, NOM looks for the nearest scapegoat it can use to take the pressure off its own K Street office.  Sometimes its the easy target, "militant gays."  Other times it's that old standby, "activist judges."  Oftentimes its the media (and in this Iowa press release NOM does, in fact, go after "media reports quoting officials with the Ethics Board speculating about the allegations against us").  But the fault never, ever, ever, ever, ever lies with NOM, its staffers, or its own practices.  Oh no.  NOM refuses to look inward and actually take some responsibility for the continual scrutiny it receives.  

And as for apologies?  PUH-LEESE!  NOM's spokespeople would sooner buy Sen. Tammy Baldwin a wedding gift than they would say "sorry."

But it's not working.  Nowadays, NOM's responses to situations like these have become yet another questionable NOM practice.  NOM's refusal to take even a shred of responsibility has become the thing of comedy, yes.  But more than just laughter, NOM's itchiness to go downright aggressive against anyone who dare push back against the organization has made us all wonder what, exactly, NOM is trying so darn hard to hide.  I mean, anyone who enters into American politics knows that opposition is an expected an even healthy thing, and most organizations are more than prepared to deal with it.  The fact that NOM has been on such a quest to turn fair questions into lines of attack have only made NOM look worse.  

And it's only made us more curious.

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**By the way, NOM has long owned the domain name "ExposingNOMExposed.org."  If NOM wants to launch its own site "exposing" this site, no one here is likely to complain.  We quite like the discourse.