Indiana has never enjoyed a reputation for strong ethics rules. So it was promising when then-Gov. Mitch Daniels instituted guidelines that seemed to raise the bar.Amid all the misinformed, outrageous and outright false allegations State Rep. Bob Morris made in a letter to fellow lawmakers about the Girl Scouts, this is the statement that is probably most true of all:
“I did a small amount of web-based research.”
Just as Americans can go online and find “definitive proof” that George W. Bush was the true conspirator behind the 9/11 attacks and that Bill Clinton murdered a number of people, they can also find “proof” that the Girls Scouts and Planned Parenthood are engaged in a secret conspiracy to make girls more sexually active, increase the number of abortions and encourage girls to be lesbians.
For example, Morris states as a fact that “A Girl Scouts of America training program last year used the Planned Parenthood sex education pamphlet ‘Happy, Healthy, and Hot.’ ”
In fact, two years ago, the Girl Scouts was one of four organizations that invited a group of about 30 to 35 girls to a United Nations women’s conference, and some pamphlets had been left behind by an unrelated group.
They were not used in a training program.
Other Morris allegations do not pass the truth test.
For those who have heard Morris discuss his political views, his bashing of the Girl Scouts really isn’t a surprise. The “radical” in this story isn’t the Girl Scouts but Morris himself.
Republican insiders installed Morris in office in July 2010 after Randy Borror resigned his legislative seat. Morris’ 84th District is so heavily Republican, Morris won 68 percent of the vote against a good Democratic candidate, Evan Smith.
Morris will be unopposed in the May Republican primary – this is the best the GOP has to offer? – but will face Democrat Lee Jordan in November.
In addition to using his office to spread false and exaggerated rumors about an organization he knows little about, perhaps the dumbest element of Morris’ unwarranted and wasteful tirade is that it was an attempt to justify his refusal to sign a routine resolution honoring the Girl Scouts on its 100th anniversary and was sent after the House had already approved the resolution.
This is one of dozens of resolutions the legislature will hear this year, on par with honoring Tony Stewart for winning the NASCAR championship and honoring Hibernia, Ind., on its 60th annual Hibernia Raccoon Dinner. Why is it OK to honor the Women in Government Foundation but bash the Scouts?
Perhaps Morris will try to defend his statements, thus digging himself into a deeper hole. Our advice to Morris: Open mouth, insert Girl Scout cookie.
